Media Tidbits 

From my Journal

Come On!!

     A couple days ago in Minette, Alabama, a guy tried to hold up a gas station while brandishing a toy gun. A station employee, realizing the gun was a toy, used a cricket bat – yes, a real cricket bat -- to chase the guy away. Police caught up with the Toy Gun Bandit and booked him for Toy-Armed Robbery. I’m just guessing at that last fact.

     Now I can believe a gas station in Minette. I can believe the attendant chasing the robber away, and I can believe all other aspects of this story, but –-- a cricket bat in Alabama? Get real! 

Nothing To Lose

In Saudi Arabia a gentleman was sentenced to five years in jail for criticizing the Saudi justice system. This guy was already on death row, so I’m not sure how disappointed he was to get another five years.

Take That You Dirty Rat! 

In Yakima, WA, a rat is suspected of starting a fire at the Veterans of Foreign Wars building. The reason the rat is only a suspect is that he is no longer around to be questioned. He didn’t survive the mishap. It seems that he chewed through some electrical wires, which started a fire, and then thoughtlessly caught on fire himself and ran throughout the building spreading the flames. Rats aren’t what they used to be!

“Please, Please, Please, Let’s Do It Again" 

In Germany a student made a rude gesture at a group of Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang members. Evidently thinking they might take offense at this and actually do something about it, he attacked the bikers by throwing a puppy at them. Realizing that this might not do the trick of intimidation he had in mind, this genius then jumped on a bulldozer and escaped. Why he thought this might work is not spelled out in the news article. However it did work, as he left the bulldozer in the middle of a road, causing a major traffic jam. Then he went to his nearby home, where police found him a short time later. The puppy thought it was all in good fun, is doing fine, and in fact would like to do it again.   

What A Deal – Once More and We’ll All Be Broke 

The eight largest industrial nations in the world have been holding what they called a G-8 conference up near Toronto, Canada. They have been solving all the problems of the world, with special emphasis on the economic woes being experienced by most of the participants. Out of this conference came a couple pronouncements. One: They were unanimous in criticizing both Iran and North Korea for “their nuclear march” and called on both to heed existing United Nations resolutions--nothing quite as safe as castigating two of the planet’s crazy bad boys. The media summarized the total outcome of the conference this way: “For now, the leaders have generally cooled their rhetoric and agreed that deficits must be tamed in the long term, while different countries may use different tactics to tackle the burdens of debt and deficits in the short term.”

     With the cost of travel, security, meals, attendants, and miscellaneous items, it only cost the taxpayers of each of these eight countries about $20 million to get this profound pronouncement. WOW! What a deal!

Tell Me More

In Poplar Bluff, MO, an intruder knocked down the door of this ladies apartment, grabbed her and hit her. The lady picked up a railroad spike, hit the intruder, and chased him off. The police followed the blood trail and caught the intruder.

Way to go Lady!

Good story, but the big question is, how many people have a railroad spike (beside me) handy to their front door? (Which I don’t) And Why?