In 'oh, why doesn't it happen more often?' news, a Chinese schoolboy who climbed into a crocodile pit and tormented them with sticks and a catapult was eaten by the annoyed reptiles.

I know it's terribly sad for the family, and for one of the crocodiles, which was killed so that police could confirm the presence of human remains in its stomach. But really, somehow, it's still making me snigger.

I'm a bad, bad person.

A cyclist in Telford is prosecuted for holding up traffic. On a B road. Because there was a cycle route available, even though it wasn't in a condition to be cycled on, from the sound of it. Go read, then throw things at the judge. Who, btw, is the same one who ruled that the police officer wasn't speeding, despite doing 159mph without his flashers on and not actually being in response to an emergency.

This makes me rather peeved, as I'm a cyclist. I don't own a car (can't afford). I travel on cycle lanes where possible. But it's not always possible. Sometimes there aren't any, or they're unusable because of, ooh, railings, bollards, shrubbery, glass, people walking their dogs, vans being parked across them (and over double yellow lines, incidentally), etc etc etc. There's a nice new cycle lane opposite York train station. I would use it every weekday morning. Alas, the bus stops which are on the left-hand side of the cycle lane usually have several busses parked up with their bums sticking out over the cycle lane. Which forces me out into the single lane of traffic. This morning, there was a lorry with a skip on it right behind me. Oh joy. Traffic sucks.

And yes, cyclists who jump red lights, mount the pavement, don't use lights at night, and generally make drivers' lives difficult should be cracked down on. How do they not die more? It should be evolution in action.

Stolen from Miss Snark: ( Some Basic Guidelines on Writing Well )

Just watching the 5 news. It's sickening. I don't care what you think of Israel as a nation. You don't fire rockets into another country. Especially not from civilian areas. The arab states have a heck of a lot to answer for in deliberately sponsoring terrorism wherever they can. And right now, I hope to goodness that the people who are sheltering the terrorists and allowing them to operate from among civilian areas will rise up and say 'enough'. Because that's the only chance there is for any kind of peace.