The high price of idiocy

Seriously, as I read the following story in the newspaper this week my mind was caught somewhere in between sadness and sheer disbelief. Sure, there are some people (mostly younger ones, unfortunately) who would do just about anything in the name of 'thrillseeking', even if it meant putting their lives in danger but this was something else.

A 15-year old schoolgirl from the US, Abigail Corthals, was found dead in her bedroom with a belt tied around her neck. Apparently, she was just one of many US teens participating in a deadly new 'choking game' (called 'black-out' or 'knock-out' among participants) in which players would attempt to asphyxiate each other, or themselves to get a 'high' from lack of oxygen. The game started as an internet fad in the US but has begun to spread and many participants have lost their lives.
Corthals' parents initially thought she had committed suicide but text messages in her phone and in her MSN account indicated that she was playing the game.

I hate to sound disrespectful towards Abigail and her grieving parents, but seriously, this is not a tragedy, this is pure stupidity. Gambling with your life in the name of fun? What kind of game is that? You might as well be playing Russian Roulette or attempting to swim in piranha-infested waters with a cut on your knee. The sad part is, there is no real glory to be achieved in playing this game. Just a temporary high and the possibility of a needless death. Abigail certainly paid the high price for her actions. As have countless others caught up in this dumb fad. Well played, guys.

Abigail's parents were aware of this fad and had warned their daughter not to partake in such a 'stupid' activity. However, they weren't aware of her participation on the night she died. According to her father, she was in her room, with the door open, and he assumed that she was probably talking to a friend online and nothing more. Also, a message in her MSN showed that Abigail was starting to feel unwell and wanted to pull out of the competition, but somehow she ended up playing on and paying the ultimate price for doing so. What a waste.

Time to use your common sense, people. It doesn't take a genius to know that when you choose to play 'games' like this you risk killing yourself. And for what? Just so you can say 'look at me! I cheated death! I'm so hardcore!' You want to be hardcore? Try running a marathon. Surf a giant wave. Survive a boxing match. Go bungee jumping, skydiving or anything of the sort. Heck, have the guts to stand in the middle of a busy area and recite a famous speech at the top of your voice. Losing your life thanks to some dangerous activity made famous on the internet is a pretty stupid way to go, and I doubt you'd want that to be mentioned in your obituary.

Another day, another bit of weird news

When I was a kid, my parents knew just what to do whenever I misbehaved. I was a video game addict back then and so the solution was simple: No video games until I cleaned up my act. It worked perfectly. The idea of not being allowed to play scared the bejesus out of me and so right then and there I agreed to stop being a pain.
When I really screwed up, the punishment was a light spank on the hand or on the bottom - in addition to no gaming or TV. No, the slap wasn't hard and I would've had to have done something REALLY bad for it to happen, but I got the message loud and clear.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that there are simple ways to discipline a child without having to go through extremes. Just make sure it's subtle but also messes with their favoured daily routine. The same cannot be said of one particular guy who made the news some time this week.

Fremon Seay, a 38-year old man from Washington in the US got annoyed with his teenage daughter and, rather than lay down the law the conventional way he decided that an old fashioned, medieval-style joust was the best option. Yes, you read that right, a medieval joust. He forced her to put on body armour, carry a shield and a wooden sword and square off against him in a duel. Somehow she agreed but eventually lost the duel. That wasn't enough for Fremon. He continued to beat his daughter while she was down, eventually bruising her head, arms and legs. Throughout all this his wife Julie stood in the background, encouraging Fremon to 'beat the smirk' off their daughter's face. Fremon was soon arrested and charged with second-degree assault while Julie was charged with being an accessory.

Another day, another idiot gets charged for a crime that can only be described as insane. You have to wonder, how on earth did Fremon ever convince a teenage girl to put on a ridiculous costume and fight him all in the name of discipline? Aren't teenage girls supposed to be rebels who would never wear something that makes them look silly? I could only imagine he probably bribed her into fighting him by threatening to show unflattering photos of herself to her friends, maybe taking away her phone and/or internet privileges, threatening to make her curfew earlier etc. If he did any of those, any one of them should be enough punishment. I'm pretty sure most of those would be enough to drive a teenager nuts and set them straight. Fremon could have left it at that but instead he had to take it to the next level and render his daughter bruised and battered and be arrested for his troubles. Well played, Fremon!

I guess we can only hope that Freyon deals with his current predicament just fine. Getting charged with second-degree assault for beating your own daughter up is bad. Getting charged with second-degree assault for beating your own daughter up while wearing a silly costume is worse. And all because he wanted to show his daughter who was boss. Will she ever respect him again after this?

Disgusting to some, beauty to others

Bad body odour is easily one of the most repulsive things human beings have to put up with from time to time. We've all been there. You're sitting on a bus or train or whatever, just minding your own business when all of a sudden, someone sits next to you and the pungent odour hanging off them clogs your lungs. Not exactly a pleasant experience is it? The worse part is sitting there and thinking whether or not to move. Sure, it's the wisest thing to do, but at the same time you might feel guilty about hurting the poor person's feelings.

Which brings us to the guilty person. Seriously, do these people have any shame? I'd be mortified if I ever left the house smelling like a used sweatsuit or if my breath smelled like a dead animal. People may not express it openly, but I'd be well aware that there are people around me thinking 'that dude reeks! When was the last time he bathed!?' Nice, huh? It's one way to make an unflattering lasting impression. It's also a dumb way to embarrass yourself. You'd think that people would have the common sense to actually make themselves presentable when they leave the house. Even if you don't feel like getting too dressed up, there shouldn't be a reason for you to smell like crap when you leave the house.

Well, serial B.O offenders, there's now a reason for you lot to clean up your act. According to US eptomologists, bad smells can attract 'potentially deadly mosquitoes'. According to studies conducted by the University of California, the carbon dioxide people exhale and skin odours attract female aedes aegypti mosquitoes. They hunt down the source of the smell, bite and spread diseases like dengue fever.

It's not just heat, bad hygiene and stress that cause these smells. According to leading naturopath Leah Hechtman, the food we eat can also play a part, particularly certain herbs and spices. She did, however, state that food high in vitamin B1 could ward off mosquitoes, and NSW Health states that light-coloured, loose-fitting clothes and covered footwear can minimise your chances of being bitten.

I know a vast majority of you will read this article and think 'Pffftt!!!! Get outta here, Bernd! I can't believe you're scared of mosquitoes!'. But to you, I respectfully say 'fine, we'll see whose laughing when you're suffering from a virus thanks to your own irresponsibility and stinkiness!' Ok, I've had my share of mosquito bites and have been fortunate to not catch anything serious, but you know, one day you might not be so lucky.

Even if you're fortunate enough not to get seriously ill from a mosquito bite, putting up with the itch would mean at least one or two weeks of frustration. Also, they just look plain ugly, especially when you've got them in bunches. And all because you didn't take better care of yourself. Would you seriously have to guts to walk around at the beach on a nice, Summer day with a body full of mosquito bites, with people gawking at the red blotches on your back, chest and arms? Didn't think so!

Time to scrub up, folks. Here in Australia, Summer is just right around the corner and so that means more mosquitoes will be buzzing around looking for victims to latch onto. If you're not careful, it could be you!

And also, spare a thought for the poor people who have to put up with the pong. Not only would your little mishap be hell for them, but you would also be bringing unneccessary shame on yourself.

You should have known better

Some time last week, a 14-year old Australian teenager was arrested for drug possession in Bali, where he was on holidays with his parents.
He and a friend had apparently been approached by a drug dealer on their way to get a massage. The boy, named Lewis Mason bought $A25 worth of marijuana from the dealer. He was arrested after leaving the place he got the massage. He could face a maximum of 12 years in jail if convicted but his lawyer, Mohammad Rifan, stated that because of his age Mason could be charged under provisions for juveniles, which would mean a maximum of 6 years. Unfortunately, Indonesia does not have a juvenile court system and so Mason would have to serve out his sentence in an adult prison if convicted, most likely in Bali's 'Kerobokan Jail' where Australians Schepelle Corby and the 'Bali 9' are serving their sentences.

Naturally, Mason has been distressed throughout all this and his parents are devastated. It was also reported that the drug dealer who approached Mason had told him that he hadn't eaten in days and desparately needed the money, and so Mason was simply doing him a favour. Mohammad Rifan also claimed that the Kerobokan Jail was 'a nightmare for adults' and so would not be a safe place for a teenager.
Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd had announced that he and the Australian Government were working closely with Indonesian authorities to bring Mason back home.

Ok, I don't mean to kick the kid while he's down, but I find it hard to feel too sympathetic over what's happened to him. While I pray that he and his family are safe and doing well, the kid still committed a crime in Indonesia and so should still be subject to their laws. Would it be fair to others who are doing time for the same crime if he was pardoned just because he was younger than them? No, it wouldn't. Sure, we can all hope that he doesn't go in heavy but if he ends up serving the maximum penalty for his crime then people should get over it. It's Indonesia's laws and no one else's.

As for the kid's excuse that he felt sorry for the dealer, come on!!!! If he wanted to help the guy out, why not just give him money and NOT BUY THE DRUGS? Even if he had no intention of using the drugs the fact that he purchased them makes him look like a fool. At 14-years old one should be aware that drug possession is a criminal offence and in recent years it's become pretty clear that such a crime is a pretty big deal in Indonesia and that harsh, sometimes life-threatening penalities await offenders. When you apply for a passport you are warned of these things. Well, Mason is a 14-year old boy AND has an Australian passport. He should have known better. It doesn't take a genius to know that if someone offers you illicit drugs AND asks money in exchange, YOU SAY NO!!!!! Not only would it be a waste of your time, but it's a lousy way to lose money and could cost you your life.

Surely Mason has heard of Schapelle Corby, Michael Sacatides and the 'Bali Nine'. They're all serving prison sentences for drug offences in Indonesia and two of the Bali Nine ringleaders are on death row. Better yet, has he heard of Van Tuong Nguyen, the young man hanged in Singapore back in 2005 for the same crime? While Mason may not serve the same harsh sentences they got, he should have known that what he did was wrong and would land him in big trouble, especially in Indonesia.

At the end of the day, no one should have to go through what he's going through, and no parent should have to see their child caught up in this ordeal. But seriously, and I hate to say it, but the kid is simply paying for his own mistake and while Rudd and the Australian government can fight all they want for his release, their battle could be futile. As for Lewis Mason, I wish him all the best and hope that he's learned a valuable lesson from all this. And I also hope that others would learn from this story and realise that doing dumb things overseas may seem like fun, but in the end you could end up paying a hefty price for your actions - and help won't come easily.

King Kyle is a royal idiot

Yesterday morning, Kyle Sandilands, one half of the Sydney breakfast radio show 'The Kyle and Jackie O Show' on 2DayFM let slip on air that he had fathered a love-child.

While a song by British singer Adele was playing, Sandilands and his co-host Jackie O were heard having a conversation in which the secret came out, presumably unaware that they were still on air. Natually, listeners were shocked at the admission but many also believed Sandilands was bluffing.
Their suspicions were confirmed today when Sandilands admitted that he made the whole thing up, mainly as part of a game with his co-host in which they had to come up with the best 'stunt'. He also conceded that he was partially motivated by his love-hate relationship with the Australian media, in that he wanted to waste their time with a shocking stunt that would get them talking. Interestingly the Austereo network, the station's provider also suggested to media outlets that the stunt was a means of lifting the show's dwindling ratings.

If you ask me, Sandilands can call this a publicity stunt all he wants but I think he just added another entry to his long list of idiot moves. Pretending to have a love child? Really, Kyle? Wow! I'll bet the media would really go easy on you now! Also, way to sully your already battered reputation even further! As if the mysterious sickies, poor health, fiery temper and pointless rivalries with other MORE SUCCESSFUL celebrities weren't bad enough, you had to go the whole way and trick people into believing that you fathered a kid.

I stopped listening to his and Jackie's show a long time ago because I finally grew tired of the same old crap they have on it. Whether it's trying to pick fights with people, trying to start fights between listeners, saying and/or doing dumb things, these two would do just about anything for media attention, which makes Sandilands' claim that he finds the media irritating just a tad meaningless. Seriously, how they managed to remain one of the country's most successful radio shows makes me sick. You can accuse me of not having a sense of humour all you like but I prefer to not have to listen to vile, too-much-information-style anecdotes and idiot stunts on radio while I'm eating my breakfast. Seriously, how some of the things they do get approved to go on air in a MORNING show boggles the mind. After all, this is a time when children are being driven to school by their parents.

If Kyle and Jackie really wanted some publicity for the show, how about some GOOD publicity for once. Maybe Sandilands could finally find the willpower and the balls to get off his big, fat backside and get his health back on track. He keeps going on and on about how bad the state of his health is and that he could die soon if he doesn't make changes, yet he doesn't seem to be doing anything about it. Taking sick leaves and then partying on the same day is NOT looking after yourself, Kyle. Nor is drinking God knows how many litres of coke and full-fat lattes and eating junk food all day. It's not rocket science, man. All you need to do is start earting properly and start moving. Walking for 30 minutes a day is a good start. Kyle Sandilands finally getting his health on track. Wouldn't that be a feel-good story?

Bottom line is, Kyle Sandilands needs to realise that while some people are laughing with him, more are laughing at him and that the negative press about him far outweigh the positive. Time to start doing some good if you want to remain relevant, man. Eventually people are going to get tired and stop paying attention - and given that you seem to be one serious attention seeker I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want that.

Lies don't work

During the week, Australian olympic swimmer Kenrick Monk made the startling revelation that he had fabricated a story concerning a skateboarding injury.
He had initially told his family, friends, the police and the media that he had been the victim of a hit-and-run driver. Inevitably, his conscience got the better of him and he came out with the truth. He was not hit by a careless driver at all. Rather, he simply fell off his skateboard and hurt his arm. Why did he make up a sensational lie, you ask? Because he felt that it would be more interesting and less humiliating than falling off 'something that a 10-year old can ride'.

It goes without saying that what Monk did could seriously damage his reputation, his career and even his chances at making the 2012 London Olympics. Sure, he didn't hurt anyone but himself but lying to the media isn't going to make him any friends and lying to the police is a criminal offence. Way to flush your career down the toilet, Kenny! Not only do people now know that you cannot ride a skateboard but you've pretty much done your personal image irrevocable harm.

This fiasco is another example of people who will actually go through great lengths to hide their insecurities and failings in order to 'improve' their image. Me personally, I never understood why some people do that. Sure, everybody's got those 'skeletons in the closet' that they wouldn't want anyone to know about and had something embarrassing happen to them but the truth is, lying and telling fibs will only intensify the problem and these things have a tendency to come out, even if it takes years to do so. Remember Marion Jones? She cheated her way to all those olympic records during the Sydney 2000 games and got away with it until 2007, when she finally admitted her crime. Clearly, even if you succeed in ensuring that no one finds out the truth, there will always be that little voice in the back of your mind calling you a liar and a fraud who will somehow convince you to spill the beans.

So people, please realise that lying and fabricating will get you nowhere and will mess you up much more than you realise. Making up stories about yourself is not only a waste of time but it is also, to be perfectly honest, a pathetic thing to do. Just be yourself! If people can't respect you for being you then tell them to get lost. If people can't accept you for who you are then they are not worth your time.

PS: Kenrick, I myself cannot skateboard to save my life and I'm not ashamed to admit that I've tripped, fallen, stumbled etc. Things like that just happen sometimes. It's not an excuse for you to tell some lame lie and damage your reputation as a result.