[synoptic]

(19 October 2002, Portugal) Parents take note! Catering to a child's tantrum can have dire consequences, as a Caldelas mother recently discovered. When her four-year-old son refused to eat his soup unless she let him play with a gun, she handed it over -- and was promptly shot in the stomach by an accidental discharge. Although she survived, her dangerously questionable parenting practices earn her an Honorable Mention.

from: www.darwinawards.com

[synoptic]

(August 2002, Netherlands) A 66-year-old Margraten resident wanted to protect his garden shed against burglars. The best way to do this, he decided, was to construct a booby trap. He cobbled together some ropes and a shotgun aimed at the door. Proud of his ingenuity, he demonstrated the effectiveness of the device to two friends by shooting himself in the abdomen and lower arm. An emergency operation prevented him from winning a Darwin Award. Police searched his home, and confiscated firearms and ammo, along with 15 full-grown marijuana plants that perhaps helped him formulate this painful lesson in safety.

[synoptic]

This one may have already been posted:

(July 2002, Wisconsin) Two drunks were goofing around, when one challenged the other to shoot him with cigarette butts "to see what it would feel like." His friend obligingly loaded a gun with three cigarette butts, placing ammunition behind the butts to make sure they left the barrel of the gun. He then shot his friend from a distance of seven feet. The friend who issued the challenge died of two cigarette butts to the head, and one to the heart.

[50 Shooter]

Okay, seeing how I have a sick mind and everyone wants to post some kind of Darwin thingy. This has to be one of my favorites but the guy lived... I think, seeing how there was no follow up.

***WARNING VERY GRAPHIC, LOOK AT YOUR OWN RISK***
http://communities.prodigy.net/sportsrec/gz-darwin2k.html

[WonderNine]

I've seen that blown up face picture many times, but I didn't know the story behind it! :eek:

[J Miller]

50 Shooter,

I have seen this pic before. I'm surprised the guy lived. What gets me is the look in his eyes. Totaly emotionless. I guess they had him pumped full of sedatives and pain killers at this point.

I would like to see some follow up pics to see how they reconstructed his face. Weather or not he actually has a lower jaw or not.

And I sometimes wonder if he can even have the tiniest bit of a normal life with that much damage.

[Greg L]

Well, he probably did qualify for the Darwin Award even though he lived. With a face like that I doubt if anyone would want to sleep with him. It would be interesting to see follow up pictures.

Greg

[cool45auto]

That's gross. :eek:

[AR-10]

The "Darwin Awards" theme is as moronic as the propensity to post "Good shoot" whenever another human is shot for whatever reason.

The "Darwin Awards" theme is offensive.

Period.

[Darrin]

Don't guess you're crazy about the phrase, "natural selection" either?

[StuporDave]

The "Darwin Awards" theme is offensive.

Don't read the posts, don't get offended. Problem solved.

[Flying V]

The "Darwin Awards" theme is offensive.

You don't have the right never to be offended.

[Feanaro]

I think they are amusing. Stupid people who remove themselves from our valuable gene pool are doing a service to the world. Less stupid genes, less stupid people.

BTW that guy must be having fun, eh? A little sickening but when you skin rats once a week such things become bearable. Don't feel like eating though. ;)

[Rovert]

To paraphrase Ted Nugent, 'Stupid people should be encouraged to do stupid things... that way we know who the stupid people are.'

[p35]

From today's NYT article on the prtoests in Switzerland:

The seriously wounded man was not identified, but the police said he was a 39-year-old British citizen from London. He and another protester had strung a rope across a bridge in Aubonne, about 15 minutes by car from Lausanne, blocking traffic on a major highway to Geneva. The two then dangled from each end of the rope.

A police officer, attempting to break up the blockade, cut the rope, not realizing two people, not one, were tied to it, said Jacques Antenen, a judge investigating the accident. He fell more than 65 feet.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/01/international/europe/01CND-DEMO.html?ex=1055131200&en=7de7747d2b4d1335&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

Of course, protesting capitalism makes you presumptively stupid anyway- about as smart as protesting natural selection, so this fits somehow...