Need-to-know News

You tell me.
Today i am taking a small break in my usual parenting-type blogging.to share these wierd news stories that I found quite amusing.

Here are a couple of the articles in this week's artsy paper in my town.
First, a demonstration of how litigious our society has become: St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock apparently was killed in a car crash in April (I don't follow baseball). He collided with a stopped tow- truck on a section of I-64 in the middle of the night. According to the police report, Hancock was drunk, not wearing a seat-belt, speeding,and talking on the phone while driving. Nonetheless, Hancock's father filed a lawsuit against (1) the tow-truck operator (2) the driver who was being assisted by the tow-truck, and (3) the manager of the restaurant where Hancock had been drinking.

Least-competent people: In June, 1200 Polish troops were deployed to Afghanistan as part of NATO buildup to patrol the Pakistani border, searching for Taliban forces. But, Polish commanders admitted that they would not be combat-ready for several weeks, becasue the keys to all their Humvees had been stolen. One commander said spare keys had been ordered.

Ironies: The local government in Dalkeith, Scotland has decided that, notwithstanding global warming and carbon footprints, the lights will stay on all night, every night in the former Dalkeith High Shcool building (vacant since 2004) for fear that trespassers might hurt themselves in the dark and sue the town. Come again?

Compelling Explanations: Jonathan Powell, 17, was convicted in April of sexually assaulting a college student in Iowa City after his DNA was found in several places on her body. Powell clained that he'd accidentally bumped into the woman while jogging and had become so entangled with her that he was inable to free himself for about 45 minutes. WHAT?

Strange people walking around in the world these days, I tell you.