Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site sphinx.UChicago.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!benn From: benn@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP (Thomas a Coxus) Newsgroups: net.suicide Subject: Re: twinkies Message-ID: <1286@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP> Date: Tue, 5-Nov-85 14:18:56 EST Article-I.D.: sphinx.1286 Posted: Tue Nov 5 14:18:56 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 7-Nov-85 04:20:16 EST References: <10780@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <3128@hplabsb.UUCP>, <8988@ritcv.UUCP> Organization: Ivory Tower on Lake Michigan Lines: 34 [] Not long ago, someone wrote in saying 'what in hell do twinkies have to do with suicide?', or words to that effect. Perhaps others of you are wondering the same thing. Well, let me give you just one reason why it might be Extremely Relevant, and even a Pressing Issue. Namely, the famous Twinkie Defense. The Twinkie Defense is not a chess strategy where you mash a twinkie over your threatened king to hide him. It was a legal plea used in a California criminal case where some guy [details in my mind are sketchy or nonexistent, as usual] was accused of assault or manslaughter or somesuch violence. Well, the defense lawyer [am I spelling 'defense' wrong? Should it be 'defence'?] claimed that his client had eaten so many Twinkies and other junk foods with weird [spelt right] chemicals in them that he became clinically depressed and so on and so forth, mood alterations, blah blah blah. The accused was acquitted on this very basis. I think. I know that Twinkies were the culprit, and I'm pretty sure the judge and/or jury bought it. Hence, the California criminal justice system has determined that Twinkies can be pretty damn dangerous -- perhaps life threatening. I sure wouldn't sell a ten-pack of Twinkies to some depressed SOB, because his family would probably sue me for serving him. Like the bars that are sued when the drunk driver kills the child. So those ten-packs are out there, but you may have to sign a release to buy them. Yours etc., [will my .sig be appended for me? why risk it?] Thomas Cox ...ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!benn "I still have something up my sleeve, Dangermouse!" "Crikey, look out, DM, he may be armed!"