Why are folks so dumb?

Let’s start with the Aussies, shall we?

The government of the Australian Central Territory had put in place laws “which would have given gay couples the same legal rights as married couples by describing the marriages as "civil unions"”

But no more. From midnight tonight (Wednesday 14 June 2006) those laws will be invalid. The federal government has overridden the territorial government. Australian Attorney-General Philip Ruddock* said that “The Commonwealth Marriage Act makes it clear marriage is the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others”.

Thank God he made that clear, I mean what’s next? A bear marrying a sandwich?

*that's him in the suit telling a group of young firefighters that they will have to call off their gay wedding.

I knew that the current Australian government wants to be America, but for crying down the sink! Here is a great interview of Bill Bennett by Jon Stewart who absolutely takes him to task on the gay marriage debate in the states (via crooks and liars, hat-tip to KFMonkey).


In sport, where idiots abound, star Superbowl-winning Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was involved in a car crash. Only he wasn’t in the car, he was on his motorbike… without a helmet. What was his reason for not wearing one? He stated last year that the state law requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets was repealed in 2004.

So despite his coach telling him not to be so stupid; despite Hall of Fame QB Terry Bradshaw telling him to ride the damn thing when he retires; and despite TE Kellen Winslow JR missing an entire season (and possibly ruining his career) in an accident last year, Roethlisberger went out riding his bike without a helmet because he didn’t have to wear one.

This would be just mildly stupid if he had just been riding a Vespa or similar. Instead he rises to Darwin Award level by riding a 2005 Suzuki Hayabusa – a bike that is called the fastest legal street bike in the world. He gets extra credit for the fact that nearly all of his injuries are to his head (his knees were hurt as well as he fell from the bonnet of the car). He lost several teeth (one report said “nearly all”), has facial lacerations and cuts to the back of his head and broke his jaw.