http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14663786/   

SYDNEY, Australia - Steve Irwin, the quirky Australian naturalist who won worldwide acclaim, has died in a marine accident off Australia’s northeast coast, local media reported on Monday.

Queensland state government sources quoted by Australian Associated Press (AAP) said Irwin, 44, whose television show “The Crocodile Hunter” won international acclaim and popularized the phrase “Crikey”, was believed to have been killed by a stingray barb that pierced his chest.

He was filming an underwater documentary off Port Douglas when the accident occurred, the report said.

Sky Television also reported that Irwin had been stung by a sting ray.

Australian emergency officials could not immediately confirm the reports.

Irwin won a global following for his daredevil antics but also triggered outrage in 2004 by holding his then one-month-old baby while feeding a snapping crocodile at his Australian zoo.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

I'm sitting at my desk at 11:00 on a monday, expecting to stay through the night and I decided to add it up... by the time morning hits I'll have worked 94 hours in the last 8 days.


So, it made me curious, what's the most you've ever had to work?

I decided that I wanted to buy one - I'm shopping on ebay, lots of different sizes, compositions, weights, etc... are available - many with documentation or from seemingly repubtable sellers who have sold LOTS of them...  Is there a market for fake meteorites? 

I'm just wondering what I can know to be a little more informed before I buy one.  Rareness or material isn't very important to me, I just decided I wanted to have a space rock on my desk and my main concern is that it be real and preferrably larger than a pebble.

Anyone?

Thanks in advance.

Found my first pair today...

No doubt about it, it's supposed to be Jango's head under there.

So the helmets stay on unless I decide to do 2 dozen headswaps...

Incredible

I'm headed to New Zealand, and I need a new digital camera before I go.  I've been looking to buy a semi-professional DSLR for several months and this has sort of kicked me into action...

So I'm most likely buying a Digital Rebel XT tomorrow.  I'm very excited about it.  I've reasearched the camera pretty extensively and almost everything I've read has been practically glowing, but I was looking for opinions from people who own one.

Does anyone here have one?  If so, do you have any problems with it?  Anyone have a different brand that they feel very strongly about?

Thanks in advance.

I was wondering what you folks are paying for electicity.  I ask because I'm looking for a new provider.

I got my electric bill this month, and it went up over $60.00.  The month before it had gone up about $30.00

This is in the 'non-peak' season and I'm not even running my heat or a/c - so I was expecting it to go the other direction and it went straight up.   I have a 2 room, 1100 square foot loft - and with the exception of 4 very short strands of Christmas lights, we haven't done anything different this month than we have in past months.  My rate jumped to about 15.1 cents per kw/h.

I've requested that they re-read my meter because this seemed excessive, but I expect them to tell me that it was right and this was just how it was.

I understand that prices are going up everywhere and I was wondering what other people have so I can get an idea of what a good deal is.  So if it's not too personal what are you paying per kw/h, roughly how many square feet is your place, and roughly how much is your total bill as of late?

For the record, my 1100 sq foot loft at roughly 15.1 cents per kw/h ran me $169.00 this month (over twice what it was last winter) - and my neighbor upstairs who has the exact same size place as me saw his bill jump from $110 to $225 from last month to this month.

Thanks in advance.