From: Mon 7:00 AM Subject: Darwin Awards Newsletter - 20 October 2003To: DARWIN AWARDS NEWSLETTER - 20 October 2003 The Darwin Awards honor those who improve our gene pool ...by removing themselves from it in really stupid ways. This honor is usually, of necessity, bestowed posthumously. DARWIN AWARDS III: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST The latest book is in stores now. Enjoy 123 great new stories! If you would like a signed copy, just send me your address and I'll send you a signed bookplate, personalized on request. Wendy "Darwin" Northcutt c/o Dutton Books 3rd Floor 375 Hudson Street New York, NY 10014 USA Or join me at one of these bookstores for a discussion and Q&A: Palo Alto, California: Border's Books, 22 October at 7pm. Seattle: ELLIOTT BAY BOOK COMPANY, 30 October at 5:30pm. Anchorage, Alaska: Title Wave Books, 8 December at 7:30pm. More information: http://DarwinAwards.com/book/_index3.html Buy it: http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0525947736 --------------------------------------------+---+-+---+-+-+-+-+ THIS NEWSLETTER FEATURES 3 new stories in search of confirmation. --------------------------------------------+---+-+---+-+-+-+-+ SECOND TIME'S THE CHARM -- Unconfirmed Darwin Award Nominee March 2003, Michigan | Ignoring Coast Guard warnings, David Manley ventured onto the icy surface of Saginaw Bay with his pickup truck one chilly morning. Predictably, the vehicle broke through the ice, but the 41-year-old managed to avert tragedy and escape from the sinking truck. He reached the shore wet and cold, but alive. Despite his traumatic experience, and despite a day of sunshine and warm temperatures in the 60s, David returned to Saginaw Bay late the following night. This time he was driving an all-terrain vehicle, and accompanied by a friend. Surprise! The ATV also plunged through the ice. His companion survived, but David had used up his luck. His body was recovered by the Coast Guard southwest of the Channel Islands. An autopsy was scheduled to determine whether anything besides a desire to win a Darwin Award was a factor in his demise. REFERENCE: Flint Journal Can you confirm this story? http://www.DarwinAwards.com/darwin/darwin2003-06.html --------------------------------------------+---+-+---+-+-+-+-+ To subscribe, send an email to: subscribe@darwinawards.com To unsubscribe, send an email to: cancel@darwinawards.com or visit http://DarwinAwards.com/misc/newsletter.html --------------------------------------------+---+-+---+-+-+-+-+ MASTER WELDER -- Unconfirmed Darwin Award Nominee February 2003, Australia | I heard this on radio and happened to pass the house the next day. A homeowner was doing some welding on the roof of his house at Port Macquarie in NSW. He had problems with his oxy tanks slipping, so he decided to tack weld them to the roofing iron. That was the last thing he ever did. When I passed the house the next day, there wasn't much left of the roof on that side of the house. REFERENCE: Personal Account citing the Radio Anyone have a reliable media reference? http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2003-09.html --------------------------------------------+---+-+---+-+-+-+-+ BLOW YOUR MIND -- Unconfirmed Honorable Mention April 2002, Australia | On a hot day in Sydney, an apprentice builder decided to quench his thirst with a high-pressure water gun used for cleaning cement off bricks. Unfortunately, the power of the water hindered his efforts when it blew his cheek, lower jaw, and chin clean off his face. Luckily, surgeons were able to reattach these useful body parts. To add to his injuries, the apprentice builder was fired as a result of his stupidity. Can you confirm or invalidate this story? http://www.DarwinAwards.com/stupid/stupid2002-09.html --------------------------------------------+---+-+---+-+-+-+-+ * Copyright (c) 2003 www.DarwinAwards.com * * Please share this newsletter with your friends! * --- You are subscribed as: m42star@verizon.net To unsubscribe, email leave-news-3614320F@mail6.myfree.com