Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: 1K3 on January 15, 2007, 12:47:35 PM
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A 28-year-old suburban Sacramento woman died of apparent “water intoxication” after participating in a contest — “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” — sponsored by local radio station 107.9 KDND. The rules were simple: Participants simply competed to see how much water they could drink without going to the bathroom. The winner would receive a shiny new Wii video game console, the highly coveted, $250 must-have from Nintendo.
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/01/15/too-high-a-price-for-a-wii/
I'd rather die trying to get PS3 than Wii!
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Should rename your thread:
"Dieing for A Wii"
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Sad story. A family is without a mother, employees will be fired and a radio station will be served with a gigantic law suit. The only winners here will once again be the lawyers.
With several of these kinds of incidents in the news the last couple years you would think that the general population would know the dangers of diluting your sodium levels with too much water all at once.
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Darwin strikes again.
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Originally posted by Sandman
Darwin strikes again.
+1 with a side of greed on both sides of this equation.
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This is not a tragedy but a clear case of stupidity. The only person at fault already paid the price so learn to accept responsibility and stop blaming others for own stupid mistakes. Blaming radio show…how ridiculous.
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Originally posted by Russian
Blaming radio show…how ridiculous.
BS. They coordinated the "stunt". Poll the general population and see how many know of water intoxication. I hope the radio station gets raked over the coals. All in the name of higher ratings and the mighty dollar.
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Originally posted by Mickey1992
BS. They coordinated the "stunt". Poll the general population and see how many know of water intoxication. I hope the radio station gets raked over the coals. All in the name of higher ratings and the mighty dollar.
I guess you're the type of a person that blames pen for mistakes.....
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Originally posted by Russian
I guess you're the type of a person that blames pen for mistakes.....
Not if they know or should know the risks. Like I said, how many in the general public know about water intoxication? When they signed the waiver did it mention the risks? Chances are it was just a regular cover-our-arse waiver. I have not found any indication that there was medical personnel on the scene during the stunt.
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She was working in health care, right?
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Originally posted by Mickey1992
Not if they know or should know the risks. Like I said, how many in the general public know about water intoxication? When they signed the waiver did it mention the risks? Chances are it was just a regular cover-our-arse waiver. I have not found any indication that there was medical personnel on the scene during the stunt.
I know what water intoxication is.
I also know what Psuedo Faliculitus Barbai is as well.
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Originally posted by Mickey1992
Not if they know or should know the risks. Like I said, how many in the general public know about water intoxication? When they signed the waiver did it mention the risks? Chances are it was just a regular cover-our-arse waiver. I have not found any indication that there was medical personnel on the scene during the stunt.
Only a MORON would do something as stupid as she did. Regardless of the "prize", she chose Greed over her family. Funnier yet, she worked in Health Care. The Radio Station didn't hold a gun to her head. She made a "choice", and she paid the "price".
Darwin +3
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Dumb mom is what that is. For $250+tax you can get one at any electronics store or Wal-Mart or hell even buy it online from somewhere and pay the shipping charges.
I gotta say that she is the early leader in the '07 Darwin Awards contest.
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A little bit of salt could have saved her life, it would have prevented the cells from absording too much water.
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Someone on Slashdot talked about suing the radio station 'into the poorhouse'. I responded with the following:
"I hope they sue this radio station and the individuals involved into the poorhouse..."
I'd like to weigh in quickly regarding this part of your post. It seems to reflect the widespread consensus that personal responsibility in our nation is happily being handed off to anyone but ourselves. At what point does the individual assume some blame for something going wrong? We read this week about someone in Germany swerving their car off a highway onto a trolley track because his GPS said 'Turn left'. He just blindly did it, should the GPS company be sued? Or should the driver have maybe exercised some better judgment in blindly following the instruction?
If a radio station held a 'Let's play Russian Roulette' contest for a prize, should the family of the person who shoots themselves be able to sue?
Our civil courts have a purpose, and they serve that purpose daily. But our society seems hellbent on using the same system to try and get "the payout", a claim paid by an insurance company or by the liquidation of assets of a company that did some perceived slight. The american dream shouldn't be 'Succesfully sue someone' and make mad-kash.
What have we become?
It was modded up once, then modded down 4x so that it's at -1. Apparently personal responsibility isn't a top concern for the folks who were mods today.
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=216996&cid=17617998
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Personal responsibility is going extinct, i see.
She worked for a Dr's office, complained of terrible headaches...and went home. Not the hospital.
Sure, the lawyers will snark in and reap millions for her DUMB actions.
But...again, why take responsibility? No one else does these days.
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I only have 1 question.
Did she at least win?
:rofl
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Yea, if my Mom croaked trying to win me a game console, I'd be pretty pissed if I didn't have a game to play after the funeral.
:huh
As for liability for her death, I'd personally say that it's probably *fair* to hold the station at least partially liable. They held a public stunt that has potential lethal results without the appropriate medical staff present and without taking appropriate measures to reduce the risk to the participants. Informed consent as a liability waiver is only valid when the risks involved are fully understood AND some measure of due care has been exercised towards the stunt participants.
I know of at least a dozen ways I could trick people into signing a liability waiver and then having them voluntarily do something that would almost certainly kill them. If I did so, wouldn't it make sense to hold me at least partially liable for any deaths that occur as a result? Well, that's what this radio station did. The fact that they did not know that death is a completely forseeable consequence of drinking too much water does not reduce their liability. In fact, it compounds their involvement as it shows that they did not exercise any degree of care in researching their stunt.
If it goes to civil court I expect the radio station would lose and lose bad, and they may even be guilty of criminal offenses regarding registering potentially fatal stunts with the appropriate government authorities. There are any number of ways to show that they didn't think this through, and a good lawyer wouldn't have much trouble equating this sort of thing to a contest for how many sheet metal screws you could swallow, how long you could hold your breath, how long you could breath helium before passing out, or any number of other potentially fatal stunts.
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Originally posted by DREDIOCK
I only have 1 question.
Did she at least win?
:rofl
no she lost, whch means not only did her own stupidity kill her, she also died a looser.
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What's a "looser"? I thought that was the opposite of "tighter".
:p
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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16466226.htm
''It is sad that a mother had to lose her life to get something for her kids,'' he said. ``None of us knew this could be a risk to our health.''
Gina Sherrod, who competed with Strange in the contest, said her family listened to the radio show, and told her that a nurse was on air warning that drinking too much water is dangerous. Sherrod said a DJ rebuffed the nurse, saying the contestants signed waivers that addressed only publicity issues and made no mention of health or safety concerns.
Sherrod said she had no idea what risk she had taken until she saw news of Strange's death.
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Originally posted by Mickey1992
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16466226.htm
''It is sad that a mother had to lose her life to get something for her kids,'' he said. ``None of us knew this could be a risk to our health.''
Gina Sherrod, who competed with Strange in the contest, said her family listened to the radio show, and told her that a nurse was on air warning that drinking too much water is dangerous. Sherrod said a DJ rebuffed the nurse, saying the contestants signed waivers that addressed only publicity issues and made no mention of health or safety concerns.
Sherrod said she had no idea what risk she had taken until she saw news of Strange's death.
sounds like Darwin was sleeping on the job:rofl
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Stupidity should be fatal, and in her case was. Plus looks like it will probably kill the radio station along with it. Ohhh well
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There's all kinda precedent here.
There was a case a few years back where a High School got a great idea at a rally to haul out some blocks of dry ice and have a competition where the cheerleader who managed to sit the longest on the dry ice was a winner. Many tulips were lost: some to frostbite, some to lawsuits.
Yes, there is something to be said for personal responsibility. But when you hold and host a public competition, you need to do due diligence to ensure the fundamental well being of the participants. If you hold a marathon, you make sure the contestants know they are engaging in a risky sport, and you make sure they know what the risks are, and what the symptoms of severe medical problems are as well. You put that information at their disposal: it's in your interest too.
It's even worse when the whole point is to do something dangerous. Eating competitions have medical personnel at hand, and the contestants are briefed beyond "don't put your health at risk, but the winner will be the one who does".
The radio station in this case didn't consult a competent physician beforehand. They could have avoided a fatality by adding salt to the water. They could have had a chance at avoiding one by informing themselves what large amounts of water can do, and instructing the contestants on what it means to have a painful headache after consuming so much fluid.
They didn't, and they're gonna get sued. That's the tort system at work for you.
She may have been stupid, but the radio station was even more idiotic.
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I retract my earlier statement and want to say this.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE NO COMMON SENSE! AND LOOSE THEIR LIFE BECAUSE OF IT!
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Originally posted by Pooh21
no she lost, whch means not only did her own stupidity kill her, she also died a looser.
Well that certainly sucks then
Eagl. what you want. We should throw the dopey broad a pity party?
Now whers that "cry me a river" gif when we need it?
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If the contest would have been how far you can jump a bicycle over a high flow river and she fell in, would you feel sorry for her?
How about the contests (or college hazing) where people ingest large amounts of alcohol for "fun" or a contest?
What about jumping off of a high point, racing motorcycles on the public road in traffic? Would that change the "feeling" about this individual?
People do irrational and or stupid things for various reasons. In this case the station never thought out the possible ramifications of their contest. Neither did the contestants. This woman paid for her choice, I have no doubt the station will too.
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Good thing you believe that personal choice, and the ramifications of such, no longer exist.
All hail socialism!
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Originally posted by Ghosth
Stupidity should be fatal, and in her case was. Plus looks like it will probably kill the radio station along with it. Ohhh well
theres a heck of a difference between stupidity and ignorance.
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Woulda made more sense to see how much beer they could drink before they needed to "Wii"
-B
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Originally posted by DREDIOCK
Now whers that "cry me a river" gif when we need it?
This one?
(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c62/Masherbrum/santa.jpg)
:D
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its a shame they didnt stop her before she reproduced and further diluted our gene pool:(
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It's pretty funny seeing the difference in responses in this thread vs. the thread about the guys who tossed a squirrel into a tree... The guys who tossed the squirrel were automatically portrayed as chilld molesters, wife beaters, little hitlers, etc., while the guys who tricked some lady into drinking enough water to kill her are perfectly innocent? That's harsh, way to blame the victim (the dead lady).
Dred, pity doesn't have a damn thing to do with it. Ignorance can be just as fatal as stupidity and neither automatically warrants pity. But blaming a woman for dying from water poisoning makes about as much sense for blaming rape victims for getting raped. Yea maybe they didn't protect themselves as much as they could or should have, but the other party involved has significant responsibility in the action and outcome, however predictable it was to some people.
Someone who regularly posts on the internet and who can't spell or use proper grammar... now that warrants pity :lol The correlation between being willing and able to properly use the English language and a high income very strong, regardless of the opinion of those who scoff at the value of a good education (a GOOD education is not necessarily a college degree).
Plus Rosie ODonnel uses childish "blog speek" spelling and grammer in her blog, and I automatically pity anyone who emulates her in any fashion including how they present themselves in written form on the internet.
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Originally posted by eagl
(a GOOD education is not necessarily a college degree).
I use that one right there all the time when I am trying to get a point across to my sister who has all the book sense and none of the common sense.
Still not only is it the stations fault but it is her fault as well.
BTW ten people from that station lost their jobs yesterday over their collective stupidity.
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Originally posted by Gunslinger
I know what water intoxication is.
I also know what Psuedo Faliculitus Barbai is as well.
HA! So do I..Pizza Face! :D
Ok,ok I admit I learned about it in 1981 USAF basic..otherwise I'd be
clueless.
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a local morning talk show just played audio clips of the incident, including:
a caller telling the DJ's the contestants could die from water intoxification, and the DJ's saying we know we know we know, they signed releases....
the whole crew including the person on the scene joking about someone dying...
DJ's: "how's it going out there? anyone not doing so well?
on the scene guy: "we got someone dying right now HAHAHAHAHAHA"
the woman being offered justin timberlake tickets, and turning them down
the woman saying her head hurts, and someone is telling her she has water intoxification.
later the woman taking the justin timberlake tickets, and them chiding her for giving up.
lawyers can suck my butt... but in all reality they are going to have a field day over this.
the local show said the police are investigating possible homicide charges.