DARWIN AWARDS NEWSLETTER - May 2007
--------------------------------------------+---+-+---+-+-+-+-+
WENDY'S CORNER:

THE DARWIN AWARDS: Movie Debuts on DVD July 31, 2007 !!!

All-Star Cast includes Winona Ryder and Joseph Fiennes,
plus cameos from David Arquette, Julianna Margulies,
Wilmer Valdarrama, Lukas Haas, Chris Penn, & more!

Ryder and Fiennes star as an insurance claims investigator and
a forensic detective, respectively, who team up to examine cases
of potential Darwin Award candidates.  Featuring re-enactments
of some of the most beloved Darwin Awards and Urban Legends,
this is a comedy about the extremes few humans dare to achieve.

Synopsis: 
Detective Michael Burrows (Fiennes) is obsessed with Darwin Awards,
presented to people who accidentally kill themselves in incredibly
foolhardy ways.  So when he's fired for bungling an arrest, he
offers his profiling services to a life insurance company.  Now,
with the help of a tough claims investigator (Ryder) he's determined
to learn how to identify these idiots... before they die!

Directed by Finn Taylor.
The Darwin Awards DVD available soon, $19.98 U.S. / $25.98 Canada.
   Excited about the movie?  Email Wendy, Finn Taylor, and the Stars!
        http://DarwinAwards.com/misc/email.html

--------------------------------------------+---+-+---+-+-+-+-+
CALL OF NATURE -- Confirmed Darwin Award

(9 October 2001, Switzerland) An 85-year-old pilot answering an insistent
call to urinate, was killed by his own helicopter after he landed on a
mountainous clearance near Steckborn. He had stepped away from the Ecureuil
AS350B3 Helicopter and was "in the act" when the craft took off, knocking
the pilot from the promontory.

What happened?

The pilot had left the autopilot engaged! He overrode it manually, and
temporarily, before he stepped out, but after twenty seconds, the autopilot
took control of the helicopter again. It was not equipped with devices to
determine the location of the pilot, and whether the aircraft was, in fact,
on the ground. To maintain course and airspeed, it moved the stick to the
front and right. As luck would have it, to the front and right was where
the ex-pilot choose to do his business.

The passenger managed to call help, and land safely. The pilot died from
his injuries about a year later.

Reference: bfu.admin.ch
http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2001-18.html

--------------------------------------------+---+-+---+-+-+-+-+
SHARK KISS - Confirmed Honorable Mention

(August 2006, Florida) A scuba diver was bitten on the lip
when he attempted to kiss a nurse shark. The bite was a surprise
to the diver, as he had already kissed hundreds of sharks.
He explained, "You pick 'em up, rub their belly, scratch 'em,
hug them, you might as well give 'em a smooch while you're there."

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. This shark took
exception to his unwanted advances, and bit him.  To add insult
to injury, a group of snappers came in for a few nibbles, too.

Luckily, a patient plastic surgeon was able to repair his
mangled lip. "It was a matter of completing the puzzle and
putting (a hundred little pieces) back together again,"
Dr. Mike Kelly said.

Has the diver learned his lesson?  Apparently not!
He simply plans to modify his amorous technique:
"Don't kiss a nurse shark while it's upside down."

One reporter remarked, "Better still, don't kiss them at all."

Reference: CBS Broadcasting, Inc., www.divester.com
http://darwinawards.com/stupid/stupid2006-06.html
--------------------------------------------+---+-+---+-+-+-+-+
ARE YOU ANIMATED?  Take the Darwin Awards Video Challenge
        and Win Fun Prizes!
                Rules & Conditions:  http://DarwinAwards.com/video
Everyone is a little winner, and some will be bigger winners!
--------------------------------------------+---+-+---+-+-+-+-+
Copyright 2007 DarwinAwards.com -- Be safe!
Forward this newsletter to friends.
---