Graham: I am disabled, and spend a great deal of time reading on the Internet, which is a hive of amazement. I have my own websites dedicated to the weird things people do. I have been reading The Darwin Awards perhaps a decade now, and probably (know) all the stories. I am uniquely abile to remember what I read, and I have the time! I can usually spot urban legends, double entries and "fishy" stories quite easily. The Darwin Awards sure helps me to while away the hours, and days, and weeks.

Sheryl: "I live in New Zealand and I read extensively. Now that I have Internet, I find the borders are infinite! I have an IQ of 148 and am educated to University level. To qualify for a Darwin, a person must remove themselves from the gene pool by doing something so stupid as to be unbelievable. Darwin Awards should be backed up by news from a reliable source to be considered confirmed."

Jorge: "I am a university student in Germany. I find that these pages serve an educational purpose: to remind us of how funny and EXPENSIVE stupidity can be."

Charles: Hidden Ninja Mod Emeritus. "The main advantage I have is an excellent memory. This will assist in combing out multiple entries. I also am a very fast reader, with a fast web connection that will allow me to check urban legends sites almost immediately. I'm told my sense of humor is good though very dry. One disadvantage is that I am a computer geek."

Daniel: I am a 48-year-old survivor. I have worked in mountain rescue, sailboat ocean racing, sales, and cellphone customer service. All three gave me experience with the foolish side of humanity. In mountain rescue, we used the term "Saddle Bown Heart Attack" for the common syndrome of overweight, aging doctors driving from sea level to 11,500 feet to ski the toughest runs. The personal friends I have lost in sailing were invariably killed by their "safety" equipment. And in customer service, callers have been known to dial 611 in order to ask, "How do I call 911?"

Tracy: "I learnt about the Darwin Awards a few years back, when someone emailed me the winners. I didn't realise there was an actual website until six months ago, but now I check all the new stories. I spent a lot of time in the archives, and I'm familiar with the rules: verifiable, total lack of common sense, funny, removed from the gene pool or unable to reproduce. Those that don't exit the gene pool are At-Risk Survivors."

Robert: "I am 32, work as a night auditor in a major hotel. I have followed Darwin long before the books. I have always had a fascination with the stupid things people do. It only proves that Darwin's theories do apply to humans to. I think that I have a good grasp about your rules, and think that I can be a valuable asset."

Bruce Pennypacker: "I've been a software engineer and systems administrator for about 25 years. As a sysadmin I've seen my fair share of Darwin-style e-mails and other tall tales, and I'm very familiar with websites like Snopes for identifying hoaxes, urban legends, etc. I've been reading the Darwin Awards ever since I first encountered them in the mid 90's and have been submitting stories for many years. Also, I recently retired from volunteering with the US Coast Guard Auxiliary after 15 years, and that's a position where I've seen and heard of plenty of DA-style behavior, both on the water and off."

Jim: was born and raised in Queens, New York City. He attended Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx, and Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois (BA, Naval Commission). James works as an animator and director, in traditional drawn media and CGI. He served as a Naval Reserve Officer for 11 years, and is now a bandsman with the 199th Army Band, NY Army National Guard. He is a professional bandleader and jazz percussionist, as well as a Sunday School teacher, Freemason, and moderator at www.DarwinAwards.com.

Kenneth"'Radar' is the proud, coffee-mug-holding recipient of an 'Honorable Mention' for one of his more spectacular exploits. He shares with us the unique knowledge he has gathered as a Navy veteran in the fireman trade, and as an intrepid adventurer who has the distinction of having traveled on foot through all 48 states, Canada and Mexico . . . before they kicked him out."

Fitzroy: "Within days of being shown NCSA Mosaic and the WWW, I found The Darwin Awards. It was a delightful treasure at first glance and a welcome source of amusement while working in Web design. For at least a decade now, I have never gone long without a visit to this website. In addition to Web design, I have significant experience in radio, and some experience in theater, music, journalism, writing, programming, education, politics, and agriculture. I am a college dropout, though that may simply indicate that I really was paying attention while completing my philosophy major."

Jack: I am 58 years old and a proven survivor! I spent 10 years in the US Army, including a year in Vietnam as an Infantry Platoon Leader and several years as an EOD, or Bomb Disposal, Detachment Commander, followed by a few years in Military Intelligence, during which time I managed to shoot myself in the hand cleaning the proverbial 'unloaded pistol'. After all that, I still have all of my fingers, toes and other equipment. I am also a regular reader of snopes.com.

Greg: "I have followed the Darwin Awards religiously for many years, and check the site on a daily basis. I can easily detect repeats, even for older stories. I follow snopes.com so I know the urban legends. I know the rules: for example, if the injured was clearly not at fault, the item is more appropriate for News of the Weird than for a Darwin Award. Humor, Entertainment Value & Taste. I have submitted several nominees to mostly-favorable reviews. And I am cursed with a cynical sense of humor."

Chip: "I have been a fan of the Darwin Awards since I first became aware of their existence several years ago and visit the web site daily in search of still more tidbits chronicling Evolution In Action and Man's March to a Higher Place. Of course, Darwinian selection is an integral part of that! I enjoy a well written monologue concerning these events and wish to see the site and the project maintain its high standards of excellence in award selection."

Would you like to become more involved in The Darwin Awards? Is your self-preservation drive too strong to accomodate a stupid death? Well, then read on, because there is also a mostly painless and entirely smart way to get involved with the project. We need volunteer Slush Pile moderators. If you have been a long time fan of The Darwin Awards and you are already versed in The Rules then there might be a place for you on the team. If you have some time once a week, you have enough time for us, so send in a message containing a few paragraphs covering your background and why you would make an excellent Slush Pile moderator for The Darwin Awards.