Darwin Awards–Mystery Question

Patricia Bradley Mystery Question, What I'm Reading Friday 52 Comments

Darwin Awards is this week’s Mystery Question. I stumbled across these last week and thought they would make a great Mystery Question. In the Darwin awards, “excellence” is equated with “astoundingly stupid judgment.”

Now for the photo and verse. A friend took me up to the Blue Ridge Parkway recently, and when we started, the weather was beautiful. We climbed a circuitous path up to the Parkway…into the clouds. No view, just rain, which is what a cloud actually is. At first, we were both disappointed, but there’s always a silver lining in a cloud. That circuitous path we climbed took us to an isolated mountain road that was exactly the setting I needed for a book proposal I’m working on. God knew I needed that setting, and He provided it.

Now for last week’s Mystery Question. More Courtroom Comedy. In these four statements, lawyers actually asked three  of these questions…I made up another one. Can you guess which one?
  1. Attorney to female witness: Do you have any children?
    Witness: Yes.
    Attorney: And this child. Is it yours?
    Witness: I hope so.
  2. Attorney: Can you identify your attacker?
    Witness: He pointed confidently and said, “It was him. The man sitting at that table”
    Attorney: I object!
    Judge: He just pointed at your client. Objection overruled.
  3. Attorney: Were you alone or by yourself at the time?
    Witness: Is this a trick question?
    Attorney: No.
    Witness: Yes, unless I’m secretly twins and don’t know it.
  4. Attorney: Did you see the stop sign on the school bus when it stopped?
    Witness: Yes.
    Attorney: Then why didn’t you stop?
    Witness: You don’t have to stop when you’re going the other way, right?

And the answer is … #4. Congrats to all who guessed correctly.

Now for the Darwin Awards Mystery Question. Three of these stories are sadly true, and I made up a fourth one. Can you guess which one/
  1. A mechanic was killed as he was trying to repair what police describe as a “farm-type truck.” The man got a friend to drive the truck on a highway while the mechanic hung underneath so that he could ascertain the source of a troubling noise.
  2. A man syphoning gasoline drew some in his mouth. After spitting it out, he lit a cigarette to kill the taste with an explosive outcome.
  3. Awakening to the sound of a ringing telephone beside his bed, a man reached for the phone but instead grabbed a Smith & Wesson 38 Special, which discharged when he drew it to his ear.
  4. An unidentified man, using a shotgun like a club to break a former girlfriend’s windshield, accidentally shot himself to death when the gun discharged.

Okay, Super Sleuths, which one did I make up? Leave your answers in the comments…and whether you liked guessing about the Darwin Awards.

Now for this week’s song. I’ve loved listening to Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn sing this song for many years.

 

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Comments 52

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  7. Barbara Diggs

    Great photo and verse. So neat of God to provide just what you needed for your book! I love how He does those things!

    Oh gracious, these Darwin questions certainly provide vivid word pictures! Going with #3 because of the description of the gun. Hmmm #1 is coming in close though.

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  9. Priscilla Bettis

    I love this verse! And yes, the Blue Ridge are pretty rain or shine. Can you believe the “country’s toughest Marathon” is run on the Blue Ridge Parkway? All those hills to run up!

    My guess this week is number 3 because I hope it’s not true, the poor man.

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  11. Tim Johnson

    God leads us to great places if we just follow. I like the photo and the story behind it. It’s the waiting still part I have so much difficulty with. Looking forward to that book idea becoming a best seller!

    Thank you for the Lynn/Twitty duet! When I was young and not too bright about what made good music, I did not care much for country music. Then I heard this song, and it change my mind. After that, I was looking for the gems. We need more music like that today! Good thing we’ve got recordings.

    Let’s see…
    #1. Love the “farm-type” truck. I’m thinking MacGyver here.
    #2. Siphoning anything using your mouth is a bad idea.
    #3. And that’s why I silence my phone when I sleep.
    #4. Guess that gun-safety class wasn’t high on his list.
    None of these is a good idea, but then that’s why they are Darwin awards. I think you made up #2.

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      Patricia Bradley

      Tim, you are so right about the waiting part, but I’ve learned God is never late. And I’m glad you found some real gems in Country music. Lately it’s only the old ones that I like. As always, I enjoy your reasoning…we’ll see how that works for you this week. 🙂

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    2. Edward Arrington

      Come on, Tim. You know MacGyver would not have gotten the least scratch. He would have found the noise, slapped some duct tape on it, and crawled up and over into the cab. Another job completed.

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      1. Tim Johnson

        Edward, you are right. In fact, I recently watched all episodes (first time for me) of the original MacGyver series; 7 seasons worth. I lost count of how many times he used duct tape. I can imagine their sales did well during that run.

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  15. frazierhlhs

    I am going with #2. He may have been burned but I don’t think there would have been an explosion, although I may be wrong.

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  18. Edward Arrington

    Another beautiful picture and verse. The picture reminds me of the view from our hotel balcony at the Park Vista Hotel in Gatlinburg about ten years ago. That was the summer before those teenagers went through the Smokies setting fires.

    I think #3 was made up, although if true, it certainly would have qualified for a Darwin Award. From my perspective, there are too many details, or missing details, that make it seem unlikely to be true. First, it says he awakened. Surely, if he was awake, he could tell the difference between the feel of a phone receiver and a 38. They don’t fit the hand the same way and I believe a 38 is heavier. The barrel would have to be aimed at his head with his finger on the trigger, plus the safety off. Putting a phone to your ear to answer doesn’t take all that thought.

    Good song by Loretta and Conway.

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  22. Mary G

    Love the photo and verse!
    These are so dumb that any one of them could have been made up. Lol
    Pure guess – #3

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  25. Dottie

    These are hard, I’ve been to sing #2 and #3 back and forth, think I’m settling with #3. Edward had a pretty good logic explanation so I’m going with it.
    There will never be another Conway and Loretta, or George and Tammy! They were Country when Country was cool!

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