Yeesh! Talk about overkill

[Dee]

California teacher blows hand off trying to squash bug with artillery shell

VENTURA, Calif. (AP) - A teacher who kept a 40-mm artillery shell on his desk as a paperweight blew off part of his hand when he apparently used the ammunition to try and squash a bug, authorities say.

The 13-centimetre-long shell exploded Monday while Robert Colla was teaching 20 to 25 students at an adult education class.

Part of Colla's right hand was severed and he suffered severe burns and minor shrapnel wounds to his forearms and torso, fire Capt. Tom Weinell said. No one else was injured. He was reported in stable condition at a hospital.

The teacher slammed the shell down in an attempt to kill something that was buzzing or crawling across the desk, said Fire Marshal Glen Albright.

Colla found the 40-mm round while hunting years ago and "obviously he didn't think the round was live," said Dennis Huston, who teaches computer design with Colla.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/04042006/2/koddities-california-teacher-s-blows-hand-trying-squash-bug-artillery.html

[Des]

Did the bug survive?:D

[Marcia Drummergal]

Reminds me of those old "RAID" insect spray commercials. But YEESH is right!!

Marcia :eek:

[RedjackRyan]

I would pay a buck to have seen that.. lol nitwit.


Reminds me of the 6th grade shop teacher, who in the middle of lecturing us on bandsaw safety...proceeded to slice his thumb right off at the first knuckle with that bandsaw.

[Des]

I would pay a buck to have seen that.. lol nitwit.


Reminds me of the 6th grade shop teacher, who in the middle of lecturing us on bandsaw safety...proceeded to slice his thumb right off at the first knuckle with that bandsaw.

Eww Redjack. I would have fainted at the sight of that. I'm now slighly queezy thinking about it.

[RedjackRyan]

sorry Des, though in retrospect it wouldn't have been as impressive as the gore on display after that 40mm round went off. We're talking a mortar round here, not a bullet. 13 centimeters tall? . BIG BOOM.

Never ceases to amaze me the things people use a paperweights without ever checking to see if they are live ordnance or not. Then of course there are the true dim-bulbs that turn up every now and again, I remember a darwin award for a couple of guys in Thailand or cambodia who were drinking heavily and every so often taking a whack at a land mine.

Just proves Redjacks theory that humans are not the most evolved form of life on this planet.

[Des]

Just proves Redjacks theory that humans are not the most evolved form of life on this planet.

Couldn't agree with you more Redjack;)

Off topic slightly, I’ve always found it strange how humans class themselves as more evolved than other animal species.

I mean, when was the last time your heard an elephant say that exact same thing. “Well Dumbo, I fink we are more evolved dan dem human people”, “Do ya fink so Mr Ego Heffalump”?

Surely to be evolved beyond any doubt is not to even question how high and mighty we are as a human race over and above the whole animal kingdom, but to simply accept that we're all part of the bloody same:mad:

We will never find answers in comparisons.:rolleyes:

[Dar]

How amazing that nobody else was hurt!! what an idjit!!

[SongDragon]

I read this the other day, but couldn't manage a response. I don't believe I'll ever find a response for this sort of foolishness. I'm pretty stupid at times myself, but my stupidity has only lead to a few bruises.

I think it would have been better if he wasn't a pack rat, as human nature so often makes us. Then he might have left that as someone elses garbage, or thrown it out... Oy...

~Song

[Eva]

What IS this person teaching those kids?
Was this 'Stupidity, lesson 1'?

Eva

[Bat]

Whatever he was teaching them, Eva, it turned out to be a very vivid lesson!
They'll never forget his example, will they? :eek: Learning by observing is quite often a lot better than learning by doing...safer, in this particular case!