I have found that there are certain "news stories" which seem to be reported with a frequency that they no longer seem like news to me, which get so much ink and air-time that they cause me to yawn, grumble, or roll my eyes.
A bridal shop goes out of business:
Why are these enterprises so prone to going belly-up? And when they do, why do they usually not inform their clients? Invariably, a horde of brides-to-be - some of which are mere days away from their weddings - will descend upon the closed store in dismay. (BTW: Travel agencies also seem to be good candidates for going out of business suddenly and leaving their customers hanging, usually after booking an overseas trip for some large school or youth group.)
A toy-collection office is robbed just before the holidays:
After having spent weeks collecting toys for needy kids, someone breaks into the place and clears it out just days before the goods are to be distributed. But fear not, because some Good Samaritan always shows up and offers to replace the stolen items. (Pardon my cynicism, but I think that sometimes it's just a cover for double-dipping at the expense of generous - and gullible - donors.)
A New Jersey mayor is indicted:
I'm not saying that all New Jersey mayors are crooked, but there seems to be a preponderance of local politicians being charged with crimes in that state.
A professional musician leaves his priceless instrument - a violin, a flute, a tuba - in a taxi cab:
If these instruments are so important to their livelihood, why don't they hold on to them? Why don't they chain them to themselves?
During tax-preparation time at the beginning of the year, some state attorney general rebukes H&R Block for its rapid-refund policy, which is actually just a loan to the taxpayer:
After all these years, why doesn't H&R Block ever learn? Why don't their customers ever learn?
The plentiful droppings of Canada geese make a mess of a park or a golf course:
Why haven't we figured a (presumably humane) way to keep these birds off our parkland?
A summer of lousy weather causes substantial misery to businesses at the Jersey Shore:
It's a seasonal industry. The proprietors in that area should be well aware of that fact and should please stop griping about its possible downside.
New York City experiences one moderate snowstorm, and its snow-removal budget is wiped out:
Haven't those in charge learned to budget for the worst-case scenario? If no snow falls, just roll that money over to next year's budget - or use it to throw a big city-wide "Thank Mother Nature That We Had No Snow This Year" bash.
Some newspaper does some keen investigative reporting by calling the IRS tax help line, only to learn that their advice is contradictory or incorrect:
Well, duh!!!
A bunch of hooky-playing youths winds up at a beach, and one (or more) of them - a non-swimmer - gets pulled out by a riptide and drowns:
Similarly, in winter, playing on the thin ice of a frozen pond - despite posted warning signs - is usually a recipe for disaster.
A company is forced to recall its child-related items - strollers, car seats, baby carriers, whatever:
And it's usually not a fly-by-night outfit, but a well-known, big-name one. Don't they know how to design such items safely after all the years such scrutiny has been paid to them? (Similar story: A fast-food chain has been forced to recall and/or make substitutions for its kiddie meal toys because they contain hazardous parts)
A historic building - usually a church or a synagogue - which has been undergoing renovation is destroyed by fire, accidentally caused by the very workers who are performing the restoration
A mother leaves her young child in a car for several hours, during which time she takes care of errands, returning to find the child dead or severely dehydrated
A sleeping child is left for several hours on an empty school bus after the driver completes his route - either to or from school
The Christmas season's "hot" toy is in short supply, leading to frantic parents doing almost anything to get it - à la Arnold Schwartzenegger in "Jingle All The Way":
A new twist has profiteers hoarding such items, then hawking them on eBay. For shame!
A woman who had an order of protection against her boyfriend or husband is murdered by the man:
What's worse is when such women actually let these men back into their lives, despite having gotten that order, and then pay the ultimate price for that lapse in judgement.