400th postine re Darwin Awards -- MIDRANGE-L

OK - so I'm stretching to find a connection here !   Here goes anyway !
:-)


>From the Electronic Telegraph, London England, April 1, 1998.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Official Darwin Awards website: http://www.officialdarwinawards.com/


Natural selections for the April fools awards



               A MAN who held up a gun store full of shooting
enthusiasts and a man who tried to put a marigold garland around
               the neck of a Bengal tiger are among the 1997 Darwin
Award winners announced today.

               The award, organised by Jim Penberth, an Ohio computer
expert, is given for "contributions to the gene pool
               through self-sacrifice". To qualify, recipients must
remove themselves from the gene pool in a ridiculous manner,
               either through death or infertility, thus preventing
their stupidity being passed on to another generation.

               This year's winner, Prakesh Tiwari, had been drinking
near Calcutta Zoo with a friend, Suresh Rai, on New Year's
               Eve 1996. The pair bought floral garlands and crossed a
moat into a pen holding a Bengal tiger called Shiva. While
               trying to throw his tribute around the tiger's neck, Rai
was attacked. When Tiwari intervened by kicking the animal
               in the face, the tiger turned and killed him.

               Runner-up was David Zaback, 33, of Seattle, who chose H&J
Leather and Firearms, a gun shop, for his first
               hold-up. Overlooking the fact that many Seattle residents
are licensed to carry firearms, and missing the police car
               parked at the door, he entered the shop firing several
wild shots into the air.

               A rattle of clicks resounded around the room as customers
and staff pulled their guns. Police officer, Timothy
               Lally, 49, panicked and jammed his thumb in his
semi-automatic pistol.

               Although there is no record of the number of rounds
fired, Zaback was hit seven times in the arm, chest and
               stomach. He died in hospital a few hours later. Mr
Penberth said the Darwin Awards, voted for via the Internet, are
               announced on April 1 "because it is a day known to
celebrate fools in all their forms". He also chose today to
               announce the "Shut" Awards for Stupid Human Tricks.

               This year's winners are Singeli Senivuga and Veileba
Jobesa, two illegal Fijian immigrants, who stole five helmets
               and 400 puncture repair kits from a bicycle shop in Mount
Eden, New Zealand. The two had planned to use a taxi
               as their getaway car but forgot to ask the driver to
wait. As they had been picked up from their home address,
               police were able to trace them immediately. At their
trial at Auckland High Court, Justice Morris said: "Why
               couldn't you steal a car beforehand, like everybody
else?"



               23 May 1997: Battle for supremacy over prizewinning fools
http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000120280827406&rtmo=Ld7yNlNd&atmo=9
9999999&pg=/et/97/5/23/wdar23.html

               24 April 1997: Garden chair balloonist is a natural
selection
http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000120280827406&rtmo=VJ83sDkK&atmo=9
9999999&pg=/et/97/4/24/wbal24.html


By Robert Uhlig, Technology Correspondent 





 External Links 

     Darwin
     Awards: 1998
     Edition - Jim
     Penberth
http://www.officialdarwinawards.com/1998/index.html


     The Darwin
     Awards &
     Simple Human
     Travesties site
     - Jim
     Penberth
http://www.officialdarwinawards.com/index.html


     Darwinian
     Urban
     Legends - Jim
     Penberth
http://www.officialdarwinawards.com/uls/impala.html


     The Darwin
     Award/Stupid
     Human Tricks
     - What's
     Cooking?
http://www.users.nac.net/chef/darwin/



               � Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1998. Terms &
Conditions of reading.
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