Still another 'duh" story that makes one shake one's head

Had to share this story that I came accross during my daily search for interesting (read: weird-ish) stories focusing on your ordinary people who for whatever reason, do - well - silly things. In this case, the man paid the ultimate price for his action.

For whatever reason, a guy decided to participate in a cockroach eating contest... Correction: a live cockroach eating contest in Deerfield Beach, Florida. The contest, and why anyone would even consider holding a competition of this nature is also questionable, attracted thirty paticipants who ate roaches and other insects in order to win the prize - wait for it - a python.

So this makes one - me - wonder why the sponsor of the competition, a pet store, would give a potentially dangerous reptile as a prize to people who may not even know anything about the raising and care of pythons. I mean, would you? But I digress.

The contestant who shall remain nameless, became ill very quickly after the contest ended and collapsed outside the store. He was transferred to a hospital and pronounced dead. Amazingly enough and according to the sheriff's office, no other contestants became ill. I dunno - maybe they had pre-pared for the contest by eating roaches at home. Go know!

In any case, the participants signed a waiver "“accepting responsibility for their participation in this unique and unorthodox contest.” To say the least! I've tried deceased chocolate-covered grasshoppers - at least I took a bite out of one - but perhaps it's just me, but live cockroaches are on my not appealing whatsoever list. How about anyone reading this?

According to the story, the bugs were consumed from an inventory of insects deemed safe and domestically raised in a controlled environment of food for reptiles. This statment says a lot in itself. Food for reptiles aren't necessarily good for some humans.

There is no information as to whether a winner was declared and if the prize winner took home the python.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/10/08/man-dies-after-live-roach-eating-contest-in-fl/#ixzz28oVjJRMD

For those with delicate stomachs, the above link features a large-ish photo of a cockroach.

NOT JUST YOUR ORDINARY SNAKE (PYTHON) IN THE GRASS

There are friendships between a boy and his pet that make memories for a life time. Then there are those special relationships that make one wonder, "huh?" In this case the special friendship is between a boy and his pet python.

No misprint. A boy and his pet python.

Pythons have a reputation for being very huggable, huge reptiles that require their meals live, as in live chickens...live rabbits... It comes as a surprise - more like a shock - to learn that a young Cambodian boy is currently sharing his life with a five metre long python named Chamreun that weighs in at 100 kg.

The 7 year old boy named, Sambath Uorn, who sleeps with his "friend" rides on the snake's back and pats it down with baby powder. The snake enjoys nothing more than allowing her young friend to curl up inside her coils.

I bet, uttered the cynic.

The best friends became acquainted when both were small when the snake visited the house. Sambath's mother moved the snake to a river bank but a few weeks later, the snake paid a return visit. The rest as they say is history and Chamreun has earned a place in the family's heart and home. Let's hope not in the snake's stomach.

It even has its own two-by-three-metre room with a spirit house at which Khuorn Sam Ol prays for the python to keep his family happy and healthy. In Cambodian culture, they believe that the reptile protects the family and could be reincarnated.

Thing is...can you trust a snake especially a python, whose nature is to give realllly big hugs and then some?

Chamroeun - whom it takes three adults to carry - eats about 10 kilograms of chicken meat every week, posing a heavy financial burden on the family. Be that as it may, the family have no intention of giving up their "pet" - at least for the time being.

Wildlife and police officials used to come by to try to take the snake away and put it in a zoo. But they relented after seeing Uorn Sambath lovingly cuddling the reptile. They left with some pictures they took of the boy and the snake together, Khuorn Sam Ol said.

"I will not let anyone take her away from me, either. I love her very much," declared his son, Uorn Sambath, kissing his pet on the head. The snake can grow up to be 8 metres long and can weigh up to 180kg.

To see family photos of best pals, Sambath and Chamteun:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/01/29/wsnake129.xml


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