French Mayor Tells Locals Not to Die

A mayor in the French village of Sarpourenx has told locals that if they don't already have a plot in the overcrowded local cemetery not to die, adding that "Offenders will be severely punished". The weird thing is, this isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened. Way back in December of 2005 I blogged about a mayor of a Brazilian town trying to ban locals from dying due to its cemetery being full (blog post here: Mayor Wants to Ban Death) Here's the story from Yahoo!News:

French mayor tells locals not to die

BORDEAUX, France (Reuters) - The mayor of a village in southwest France has threatened residents with severe punishment if they die, because there is no room left in the overcrowded cemetery to bury them.

In an ordinance posted in the council offices, Mayor Gerard Lalanne told the 260 residents of the village of Sarpourenx that "all persons not having a plot in the cemetery and wishing to be buried in Sarpourenx are forbidden from dying in the parish".

It added: "Offenders will be severely punished".

Link to the full story.

RIP: Gary Gygax

Gary Gygax, the co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons and a man viewed as the father of the role-playing game, has died this morning at his home at the age of 69. As a geek and a gamer myself, I can say that this is a sad day for all RPGers. May he rest in peace. Here's the story from Yahoo!News:

Dungeons & Dragons co-creator dies at 69

MILWAUKEE - Gary Gygax, who co-created the fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons and helped start the role-playing phenomenon, died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva. He was 69.

He had been suffering from health problems for several years, including an abdominal aneurysm, said his wife, Gail Gygax.

Gygax and Dave Arneson developed Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 using medieval characters and mythical creatures. The game known for its oddly shaped dice became a hit, particularly among teenage boys, and eventually was turned into video games, books and movies.

Gygax always enjoyed hearing from the game's legion of devoted fans, many of whom would stop by the family's home in Lake Geneva, about 55 miles southwest of Milwaukee, his wife said. Despite his declining health, he hosted weekly games of Dungeons & Dragons as recently as January, she said.

"It really meant a lot to him to hear from people from over the years about how he helped them become a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, what he gave them," Gail Gygax said. "He really enjoyed that."

Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters and carry out their adventures with the help of complicated rules. The quintessential geek pastime, it spawned a wealth of copycat games and later inspired a whole genre of computer games that's still growing in popularity.

Link to the full story.

Man Takes Bullet to Get Out of Work

Ok, I've heard of faking a sick day to get some time off, but getting your friend to shoot you? That's definitley a new one. That's exactly what a man in Washington did. Here's the story from Yahoo!News:

Police: Man gets shot to avoid work

PASCO, Wash. - What happened to faking a cough? Sheriff's detectives in Franklin County said a man had his friend shoot him in the shoulder so he wouldn't have to go to work.

When he first spoke with deputies, Daniel Kuch, of Pasco, told them he'd been the victim of a drive-by shooting while he was out jogging Thursday. But detectives told KONA radio that Kuch later acknowledged that he asked his friend to shoot him so he could get some time off work and avoid an upcoming drug test.

Link to the full story.