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Samildanach · Sep 23, 2005, 04:40 am

Kinda cruel I know but here is a prime example of the theory of evolution in work removing the unlucky.

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/engla...re/4270606.stm

SoccerfreakAB2 · Sep 23, 2005, 05:34 pm

Quote:

Quote by: Samildanach

Kinda cruel I know but here is a prime example of the theory of evolution in work removing the unlucky.

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/engla...re/4270606.stm

I don't get it. A boy impaling himself...theory of evolution. Hmm...anyone else see similarities?

Ken Carman · Sep 23, 2005, 06:01 pm

I'm not really sure if this qualifies as "Darwin" material. There are far better examples, like the owner of an elephant who overdosed his pet on laxatives and them suffocated in droppings while he was trying to manually clean out the elephant from the rear end.

I had a college professor who could have qualified. Brilliant mathematician. One soggy summer he went out to his backyard with a sheet of aluminum and a drill with a chord he knew was frayed. Zap.

I would venture to say that the least intelligent take themselves out of the gene pool by doing the least intelligent things, but then I think of him. Then I also think of an uncle who died before they insisted on having collapsible steering columns and got impaled. He wasn't stupid. CEOs were stupid and/or greedy. And I also think of all the people I know who should never have had children, should never have spread their genes, yet they did, and they have. Hopefully they'll do us all a favor some day before they do any more damage.

No, I do believe in the short haul it's pretty random, as Darwin said. Over all it may be more directed as he suggested. But I do believe every death has some inherent irony. My father died after doing things that made little sense after lecturing us for years about being logical in our decisions. My mother who never smoked, drank and ate healthy died of cancer when I was young... Maybe it's all just a way for fate to add a little lecture to the end of a life for us all to see... if we dare look. Too many don't want to bother. They are dangerous people: to themselves and to us.

Sonart · Sep 23, 2005, 06:03 pm

I'm afraid I don't get it either. I understand that concept of the 'Darwin Awards'. People -- particularly adults, who should know better -- who get killed doing really, REALLY stupid things. But this was a young boy. Perhaps he should have known better (although I'm not exactly clear how he managed to impale himself.. "collecting conkers"??) but he was only 12 years old. Kinda sad, if you ask me.

I think this thread is a swing and a miss, Samildanach.

.

Cephus · Sep 24, 2005, 02:34 pm

True. The whole concept of the Darwin Awards is amazingly stupid people who have been killed through their own stupidity and done the rest of us the favor of removing themselves from the gene pool, usually in some interesting or amusing way.

This story just doesn't qualify.

**Chris** · Sep 25, 2005, 06:28 am

yeah, the poor lad.

xyzer · Sep 25, 2005, 05:22 pm

Intelligence is not related to the fool hardy antics of kids. Even the fittest do silly things..and thats not what Darwin found? Random actions of some of a species do not prove a theory do they? Get real Samildanach or you wont survive:)

Samildanach · Sep 27, 2005, 10:47 am

You guys don't see the link between cause and effect? The question you need to be asking yourself is how do you impale yourself on a fence collecting conkers. I would hypothesize that one would have to climb into the tree the conkers are falling from. A normal person picks these things up off the ground. Kids are just as smart as adults, in a lot of cases smarter as they havent damaged their brains with alcohol and other recreational substances.
I suppose that Darwinian awards are for someone doing something incredibly unbelieveably stupid....I will however not move from my position that this was exceptionally stupid, might as well go picking apples in a field full of landmines.

Ken Carman · Sep 27, 2005, 04:07 pm

Quote:

Quote by: Samildanach

You guys don't see the link between cause and effect? The question you need to be asking yourself is how do you impale yourself on a fence collecting conkers. I would hypothesize that one would have to climb into the tree the conkers are falling from. A normal person picks these things up off the ground. Kids are just as smart as adults, in a lot of cases smarter as they havent damaged their brains with alcohol and other recreational substances.
I suppose that Darwinian awards are for someone doing something incredibly unbelieveably stupid....I will however not move from my position that this was exceptionally stupid, might as well go picking apples in a field full of landmines.

OK, I'm going to bite. What the hell is a "conker?"

Logjam · Sep 27, 2005, 04:19 pm

Quote:

Quote by: SoccerfreakAB2

I don't get it. A boy impaling himself...theory of evolution. Hmm...anyone else see similarities?

I agree. This poor young fella slipped and fell. That's not particularly stupid.

Logjam · Sep 27, 2005, 04:29 pm

I've got a REAL Darwin Award winner.

Recently in the town that I live in a guy was sent out to cut some tree limbs and chip them up. He was 52. He should have known better; but read on:

The fellow was cutting these limbs and jamming them into a wood chipper. One of the limbs got stuck. Our chipping genious figured that he'd climb into the hopper and kick the offending limb inside. The machine, of course, was running.

It worked! A few swift kicks and the limb slipped right in; followed almost immediately by your hard working and dedicated wood chipper. I think they buried what they could find of him in a shoe box.

At first glance this is funny, but after one ponders the event it isn't. But this gentlemen did cleanse the gene pool when he left us.

Ken Carman · Sep 27, 2005, 05:09 pm

Quote:

I've got a REAL Darwin Award winner...

Did his relatives file against the chipper company? Or would that just be chop sue-y?

Sonart · Sep 27, 2005, 08:21 pm

Quote:

Quote by: Logjam

It worked! A few swift kicks and the limb slipped right in; followed almost immediately by your hard working and dedicated wood chipper. I think they buried what they could find of him in a shoe box.

Now THAT is a true candidate for the Darwin award.

.

tinybear · Sep 30, 2005, 02:51 pm

How about these?

http://www.wimp.com/stunts/

tinybear · Sep 30, 2005, 03:10 pm

Or him?

http://www.wimp.com/train/

Logjam · Oct 3, 2005, 07:17 pm

Quote:

Quote by: Ken Carman

Did his relatives file against the chipper company? Or would that just be chop sue-y?

Funny, I did not hear about the poor guy's family sueing anyone. I don't think that they could stand the laughter in the jury box, so they let the matter drop.

I also found it strange that few around town mentioned the article, but people here are very sensitive to other's feelings and I think they dropped the story because it was't PC to discuss it.

I, however; cracked up. And it is, to me, one of the best examples of a Darwin Award winner.

Logjam · Oct 3, 2005, 07:22 pm

Quote:

Quote by: tinybear

Or him?

http://www.wimp.com/train/

They guy in front of the train is another Darwin candidate. Trouble is he's still with us, so he needs to try it again. :rolleyes:

Sep 23, 2005, 04:40 am	#1 (permalink) (top)
Samildanach Pragmatist Location: UK London Posts: 1,979	Darwin Award Kinda cruel I know but here is a prime example of the theory of evolution in work removing the unlucky. http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/engla...re/4270606.stm I wouldn't recommend sex, drugs and insanity for everyone, but its always worked for me. Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime." (Ernest Hemingway)

Sep 23, 2005, 06:03 pm	#4 (permalink) (top)
Sonart It's simply logical Location: San Diego Posts: 4,316	I'm afraid I don't get it either. I understand that concept of the 'Darwin Awards'. People -- particularly adults, who should know better -- who get killed doing really, REALLY stupid things. But this was a young boy. Perhaps he should have known better (although I'm not exactly clear how he managed to impale himself.. "collecting conkers"??) but he was only 12 years old. Kinda sad, if you ask me. I think this thread is a swing and a miss, Samildanach. . I don't suffer from insanity... I thoroughly enjoy it

Sep 24, 2005, 02:34 pm	#5 (permalink) (top)
Cephus Hot Lava Location: Redlands, CA Posts: 2,258	True. The whole concept of the Darwin Awards is amazingly stupid people who have been killed through their own stupidity and done the rest of us the favor of removing themselves from the gene pool, usually in some interesting or amusing way. This story just doesn't qualify. Jesus loves me? No thanks, I don't swing that way. Blog Me! http://BitchSpot.JadeDragonOnline.com

Sep 25, 2005, 06:28 am	#6 (permalink) (top)
Chris Gamma-ray burst Location: Nashville Posts: 6,214	yeah, the poor lad. Delusion- A persistent false belief held in the face of strong contradictory evidence. (i.e. religion) Shared via G reader Blog

Sep 25, 2005, 05:22 pm	#7 (permalink) (top)
xyzer Liberated thinker Location: New Mexican Alps Posts: 1,924	Intelligence is not related to the fool hardy antics of kids. Even the fittest do silly things..and thats not what Darwin found? Random actions of some of a species do not prove a theory do they? Get real Samildanach or you wont survive:) Thus we play the fools with the time, and the spirits of the wise sit in the clouds and mock us.

Sep 23, 2005, 06:01 pm	#3 (permalink) (top)
Ken Carman Just plain WEIRD Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 1,488	I'm not really sure if this qualifies as "Darwin" material. There are far better examples, like the owner of an elephant who overdosed his pet on laxatives and them suffocated in droppings while he was trying to manually clean out the elephant from the rear end. I had a college professor who could have qualified. Brilliant mathematician. One soggy summer he went out to his backyard with a sheet of aluminum and a drill with a chord he knew was frayed. Zap. I would venture to say that the least intelligent take themselves out of the gene pool by doing the least intelligent things, but then I think of him. Then I also think of an uncle who died before they insisted on having collapsible steering columns and got impaled. He wasn't stupid. CEOs were stupid and/or greedy. And I also think of all the people I know who should never have had children, should never have spread their genes, yet they did, and they have. Hopefully they'll do us all a favor some day before they do any more damage. No, I do believe in the short haul it's pretty random, as Darwin said. Over all it may be more directed as he suggested. But I do believe every death has some inherent irony. My father died after doing things that made little sense after lecturing us for years about being logical in our decisions. My mother who never smoked, drank and ate healthy died of cancer when I was young... Maybe it's all just a way for fate to add a little lecture to the end of a life for us all to see... if we dare look. Too many don't want to bother. They are dangerous people: to themselves and to us.

Sep 27, 2005, 10:47 am	#8 (permalink) (top)
Samildanach Pragmatist Location: UK London Posts: 1,979	You guys don't see the link between cause and effect? The question you need to be asking yourself is how do you impale yourself on a fence collecting conkers. I would hypothesize that one would have to climb into the tree the conkers are falling from. A normal person picks these things up off the ground. Kids are just as smart as adults, in a lot of cases smarter as they havent damaged their brains with alcohol and other recreational substances. I suppose that Darwinian awards are for someone doing something incredibly unbelieveably stupid....I will however not move from my position that this was exceptionally stupid, might as well go picking apples in a field full of landmines. I wouldn't recommend sex, drugs and insanity for everyone, but its always worked for me. Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime." (Ernest Hemingway)

Sep 27, 2005, 04:29 pm	#11 (permalink) (top)
Logjam Hot Lava Posts: 1,153	I've got a REAL Darwin Award winner. Recently in the town that I live in a guy was sent out to cut some tree limbs and chip them up. He was 52. He should have known better; but read on: The fellow was cutting these limbs and jamming them into a wood chipper. One of the limbs got stuck. Our chipping genious figured that he'd climb into the hopper and kick the offending limb inside. The machine, of course, was running. It worked! A few swift kicks and the limb slipped right in; followed almost immediately by your hard working and dedicated wood chipper. I think they buried what they could find of him in a shoe box. At first glance this is funny, but after one ponders the event it isn't. But this gentlemen did cleanse the gene pool when he left us.

Sep 30, 2005, 02:51 pm	#14 (permalink) (top)
tinybear Volcanic Erupter Location: Hong Kong (for now) Posts: 7,002	How about these? http://www.wimp.com/stunts/

Sep 30, 2005, 03:10 pm	#15 (permalink) (top)
tinybear Volcanic Erupter Location: Hong Kong (for now) Posts: 7,002	Or him? http://www.wimp.com/train/