This morning I learned of an Internet game that has gone viral, called simply The Cinnamon Challenge. In case you are fortunate enough to not know, it consists of a person attempting to swallow a spoonful of cinnamon without benefit of water and without vomiting. Apparently it is quite tough and exceedingly dangerous; aspirating the powder into the lungs can land you in the hospital with pneumonia, liver damage, or worse. Yet hundreds of teens--at least I hope it's teens- are taking the dare and posting videos of themselves doing it on YouTube. Interested in how this latest phenom started, I did a little research and found that there are more such challenges out there among the future leaders of tomorrow, involving such things as drinking a gallon of milk in one sitting, eating six Saltines in a minute--again, no beverage-- and consuming two bananas and a liter of Sprite all at once. The "challenge" is to not vomit, or die. (Surprisingly, the Milk Challenge is reported to be the worst in terms of making a mess.)
For those humans who still have functioning brain cells, I suggest other challenges that might increase one's intellect, at the same time boosting one's self-esteem and standing in the community. For those who insist on being moronic, I offer dumb versions of the task in parentheses:
1. Read all of "Ulysses" (in Esperanto)
2. Learn a musical instrument (that is edible)
3. Create a self-portrait (out of baked beans)
4. Write a blog (about Nancy Pelosi's good qualities)
5. Listen to opera (without falling asleep)
It's not like kids haven't always been dumb, but at least those phone booths couldn't kill you.
great title!
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