Darwin Award Nominees From the First Half of 2014

Dear ATSers,

If you need a break from the insanity in the world, let me offer you . . . . more insanity. I've done a little looking and these three are the leading candidates for this year's Darwin Award. If you have any other contestants, please enter them.

I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry, perhaps that's part of the appeal. Here are my choices so far, in reverse order:

#3

David Strohm, Jr. loved to photograph sunsets -- and that love apparently led to his death.

The 28-year-old from Tustin, Calif., was found dead in that tree Sunday morning, apparently electrocuted when he touched a power cable running through the tree, Los Alamitos Patch reported.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

#2

— August 4, 2014 Muscovite-iPad

A 17-year-old girl from Moscow died of electric shock in a bathtub when she dropped her iPad connected to the power outlet.

lifenews.ru...

And now for the one leading by a mile.

#1

In the failed rocket disarming attempt on a dud Israeli shell, we reported that Hazem Abu Murad, the head of the Hamas bomb disposal unit and 4 of its members, along with an Italian AP journalist Simone Camilli were killed by the blast and 6 others were seriously wounded.

The bomb squad’s professionalism is questionable, certainly their technique was unique.

“An anxious crowd watched on Thursday as Hazem Abu Murad and his team stood over a unexploded one-tonne Israeli bomb in a field of tomato and potato plants.

“It’s already been disabled! Don’t worry – it won’t explode!” he shouted, jumping up and down on the bomb.”

Makes you wonder if he jumped up and down on this bomb too.

www.jewishpress.com...

I wonder if Hamas will count those as civilian deaths caused by the Israelis?

With respect,
Charles1952

This is more terrible news.

a reply to: Iamthatbish

Dear Iamthatbish,

Are you familiar with the Darwin Awards? They are (as far as I know) imaginary designations for people who caused their own deaths by particularly foolish behavior. In a sense, they are cautionary tales to the survivors.

A fairly frequent example is the person who shoots himself with a gun he just "knows" to be unloaded, or the apocryphal last words of a redneck, "Give me another beer, and watch this!"

With respect,
Charles1952

originally posted by: charles1952
A fairly frequent example is the person who shoots himself with a gun he just "knows" to be unloaded...

Here's a good example of a possible future nominee...

a reply to: charles1952
Can you say everything is ok with you?
Why don't you make a thread to mourn people's deaths? Oh I get it, it's not funny, is it?
This is sick man.

This has to be a contender:
727sky posted a thread
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Two days after opening, an Ebola treatment centre in Liberia was ransacked and looted by a mob.
Carrying off not only the scarce and meagre medical supplies but infected mattresses, bedding, utensils into the general population.


Humans eh!

I wasn't familiar no. Wowsers.

a reply to: charles1952

My favorite part was ,"if they come back..."

I would tell them their were imagining that they're sick, they're not sick!


a reply to: HumansEh

a reply to: zilebeliveunknown

Dear zilebelieveunknown,

I have made threads mourning death, they seem to be unpopular if I'm mourning the "wrong" dead. You think it's sick? OK, thanks for your opinion.

Do you have any nominees?

With respect,
Charles1952

a reply to: Murgatroid

Dear Murgatroid,

Thank you for that example. I made the mistake of assuming that people were familiar with the Darwin Awards. Well, that's how I learn, and I'm grateful to those who pointed it out.

With respect,
Charles1952

a reply to: HumansEh

Dear HumansEh,

That certainly meets the stupidity portion of the award, but the judges are going to have to meet to answer another question. If they wipe out an entire village through their foolishness, is a Darwin award appropriate? if the judges allow it, I think I would put it at number 2.

With respect,
Charles1952

a reply to: charles1952

I wish that we could have a category for politicians.

I'd have several nominees (from both sides of the aisle)

a reply to: beezzer

Dear beezzer,

I'm afraid I don't know the name of the award that goes out for simple, yet extreme, stupidity. I thought Darwins had to result in death or sterility.

Do you think the Nobel Peace Prize is going that way? If not that, then what can we nominate our politicians for? (Remember it has to be family friendly and within the Wrabbit Cartel Code of Conduct.)

With respect,
Charles1952

originally posted by: charles1952
a reply to: beezzer

Dear beezzer,

I'm afraid I don't know the name of the award that goes out for simple, yet extreme, stupidity. I thought Darwins had to result in death or sterility.

In that case, here's my nominee. . .

Do you think the Nobel Peace Prize is going that way? If not that, then what can we nominate our politicians for? (Remember it has to be family friendly and within the Wrabbit Cartel Code of Conduct.)

With respect,
Charles1952

For politicians, perhaps a "Foot in Mouth" type of award. . . . .

originally posted by: charles1952
a reply to: beezzer

Dear beezzer,

I'm afraid I don't know the name of the award that goes out for simple, yet extreme, stupidity. I thought Darwins had to result in death or sterility.

Do you think the Nobel Peace Prize is going that way? If not that, then what can we nominate our politicians for? (Remember it has to be family friendly and within the Wrabbit Cartel Code of Conduct.)

With respect,
Charles1952

Please forgive me for jumping right into yours and Beezers conversation, but how about honorary pink slips?

And regarding your list, I have to vote on ipad electrocution. Regarding electrocution in general, unless it has the promise of super powers, I wanna avoid that one at all costs.

A decent video showcasing 10 people who successfully removed themselves from the gene pool...

a reply to: beezzer

For politicians, perhaps a "Foot in Mouth" type of award. . . . .

Hands down winner....Pelosi!

a reply to: charles1952

By the way, I don't think death as a result of ignorant acts is the sole qualifier for Darwin Award status....just general staggeringly stupid behavior. So, all politicians qualify immediately.

My nominee-

The real question is,
Did the client pay the attorney?

a reply to: Murgatroid

a reply to: charles1952

Wow, this is hard to say since we've seemed to move this almost to a global level. OK I admit it, I do not have anyone to submit for 2014. (Hangs head in shame.)

Definitely a contender here;