Site Offers Award For 'Dumb' Actions
Darwin Awards Honor Fatal Efforts
POSTED: 9:04 am CST January 15,
2003
We've all done silly or bizarre (or sometimes just stupid) things in our lives. And yet, we've survived. 
A Web site offers a collection of stories of those people who are just like us with one major difference. DarwinAwards.com highlights those people who, in their zest for life or pursuit of greatness, went one step too far and perished due to their efforts. The stories can be submitted by anyone, but the staff at the site does try to verify the veracity of the stories and their ultimate outcome. For example, a man booby-trapped his own home in an elaborate plot to kill his family, but set off one of his own traps by accident. Not every story is an award winner. It appears the writers of the site actually have guidelines and some just don't make the cut. There has to be a death to be award-worthy. If no one dies, but the story itself is so outlandish, it makes them available to receive an Honorable Mention award. There is also a section for the wacky story that never really happened in the Urban Legends area. If the site cannot verify the truth to a story, it goes into the Slush Pile, until someone can shed light on the subject. There are so many stories and so many accounts of weirdness to tickle your funny bone and stagger the mind.It is one site (like a car accident) that is hard to turn away from ... but (like a car accident) one that you are very glad you aren't involved in. Be afraid, but be amused.
A Web site offers a collection of stories of those people who are just like us with one major difference. DarwinAwards.com highlights those people who, in their zest for life or pursuit of greatness, went one step too far and perished due to their efforts. The stories can be submitted by anyone, but the staff at the site does try to verify the veracity of the stories and their ultimate outcome. For example, a man booby-trapped his own home in an elaborate plot to kill his family, but set off one of his own traps by accident. Not every story is an award winner. It appears the writers of the site actually have guidelines and some just don't make the cut. There has to be a death to be award-worthy. If no one dies, but the story itself is so outlandish, it makes them available to receive an Honorable Mention award. There is also a section for the wacky story that never really happened in the Urban Legends area. If the site cannot verify the truth to a story, it goes into the Slush Pile, until someone can shed light on the subject. There are so many stories and so many accounts of weirdness to tickle your funny bone and stagger the mind.It is one site (like a car accident) that is hard to turn away from ... but (like a car accident) one that you are very glad you aren't involved in. Be afraid, but be amused.Copyright 2008, Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
