Bus Stops - October 18

Miracle escape of passengers as bus has roof torn off after hitting two cars, a lorry and a shop (Daily Mail) 

(Two bus passengers and its driver had a miraculous escape as they were caught in the mangled wreckage of a single decker when its roof was torn off. The bus smashed into a shop front after hitting two cars and a skip lorry in Swansea, South Wales. Despite the roof collapsing onto the heads of those inside, two passengers received minor injuries and another two left without a scratch after climbing through the shattered windows to escape. The driver was also taken to hospital.)

Victims of 1989 attack on bus No. 405 cry out (YNET News) 

(Twenty-two years after Abed al-Hadi Ganaim took control of bus, forcefully pulled steering wheel and drove it off cliff, killing 16 people, he will be set free. Bereaved families torn apart by thoughts of his release. Father of Ramallah lynch victim: I will sit shiva again.)

TriMet to discipline ‘crying baby’ bus driver (Beaverton Valley Times) 

(TriMet will discipline the bus driver in the infamous crying baby case. TriMet has still not identified the driver who kicked a mother off a bus because her baby was crying. But in a late Friday afternoon press release, TriMet General Manager said her actions on Sept. 29 violated the regional transit agency's rules.)

Two Stabbed on Miami-Dade County Bus (NBC) 

(Two men are recovering in the hospital Monday after they were stabbed while riding on a Miami-Dade County bus Sunday night. The incident happened shortly before 6 p.m. as the bus was heading from Miami Beach toward downtown Miami on the MacArthur Causeway.)

Missing tourist may have been eaten by cannibals: investigators (Toronto Sun) 

(Police deny a missing German sailor was eaten by cannibals in French Polynesia, reports say. Charred remains and scattered clothes were found by police on the south Pacific Ocean island of Nuku Hiva are believed to be tourist Stefan Ramin, 40, reports the Daily Mail. Ramin set sail on a catamaran in 2008 and arrived at the remote island last month.)

High school sets bathroom visit limit for students (AP) 

(Students at a suburban Chicago high school will have to hold it or risk staying after school. A policy at Evergreen Park High School allows students to leave class three times per semester to go to the restroom. After that, they have to make up any missed class time after school.)

Barbie's 'funky' new tattoo (The Week) 

(Barbie, Mattel's iconic doll, has seen and done a lot in her 50 years. Now, for the first time, she's been inked with a tattoo (see photo below). This isn't Totally Stylin' Tattoos Barbie who came with benign removable stickers a few years ago. The new "tokidoki Barbie" — designed by Simone Legno, Italian creator of the Japanese-influenced lifestyle brand, tokidoki — has permanent ink running up her left arm and across her chest.)

McDonald's to launch in-store channel (Chicago Tribune) 

(McDonald's customers will soon be able to have local school sports, movie previews and heartwarming human interest stories to go with their fries -- McTV is here and in high definition.)

Tudhoe man cut free from plastic loo seat by Durham firefighters (The Northern Echo) 

(A drunken prankster was left feeling flushed when he was forced to call the fire brigade - after becoming trapped in a toilet seat. The 26-year-old had been playing a game with his drinking mates to find items that could fit over their heads when the idea spectacularly backfired.)

Andy Golub's models must wear G-strings until dusk, according to judge (WTSP) 

(A New York City performance artist must wait until sundown before he can slather fully nude models in paint. A Manhattan judge on Thursday said public lewdness charges against Andy Golub will be dismissed, with certain conditions.)

STRIP-SEARCH DEMANDED AS TILE GOES MISSING AT WORLD SCRABBLE CHAMPIONSHIPS (Short List) 

(Scrabble has torn family gatherings to shreds since its conception in 1948, but in the professional world of Scrabble tensions run even higher. British player Ed Martin was accused by his Thai opponent of hiding a 'G' tile during their World Championship game. Things got so heated that at one stage the Thai gentleman insisted Martin be strip-searched in the bathroom, in Warsaw, where the tournament was held. Gaming officials refused and the Briton won by just a solitary point.)

Big Brother bin searches double in a single year as councils snoop through the rubbish of 30,000 families (Daily Mail) 

(Council snoopers went through the bins of more than 30,000 families last year. The figure was double that of the previous year, despite a Coalition pledge to stamp out the intrusive practice. It was revealed in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by the Daily Mail.)

God(less) In Three Persons/Parts: 'Red State' (Pop Matters) 

(If this is how Kevin Smith chooses to “go out,” more power to him. Sincerely. After nearly two decades of walking the fine line between indie cult icon and meaningless mainstream unknown, he’s announced that he plans on ‘retiring,’ of taking time off to foster new filmmakers and new avenues of creativity and distribution. As an opening salvo in the latter, he’s come up with a imaginative roadshow release of his latest film, the horror-tinged religious diatribe Red State. Playing out in three distinct acts and handling all aspect of dogma with determined criticism, this is one brave and often brilliant film. It’s only failure? Suggesting that Smith, just as he’s about to curtail his original output, is sitting squarely at the top of his craft.)

Michigan "Batman" Could Avoid Jail In Guilty Plea Over Nocturnal Nuttiness (The Smoking Gun) 

(The Batman wannabe arrested earlier this year in full costume hanging off a Michigan building ledge was sentenced this morning to six months in jail for his bizarre nocturnal activity. But Mark Williams, 32, who was also ordered to perform 200 hours of community service, will avoid a cell if he serves a six-month probationary term without incident, according to a prosecutor.)

Samsung sues to block iPhone 4S (Stuff) 

(Samsung is suing Apple to stop sales of the iPhone 4S in Australia, just days after the device went on sale around the world. Both companies are now shelling out millions in legal fees to fight more than 20 patent infringement cases in 10 countries. Samsung recently vowed to shift its strategy from "passive" to being "more aggressive" in targeting Apple for "free riding" on its patents.)

Report: Kids absorb more radiation from cell phones than adults (WXYZ) 

(A study released Monday says kids’ brains are more susceptible to radiation from cell phones than adults. The report says kids absorb twice as much radiation from cell phones than adults do.)

STEVEN SEAGAL BECOMES DEPUTY SHERIFF (Short List) 

(In case you haven't been watching Steven Seagal: Lawman, a reality show that recklessly allows the faded action star to actually work as an officer of the law, Steven Seagal wants to make a damn difference. However, things have been predictably bumpy. The biggest of these bumps ended up in Seagal being blamed for the death of a puppy. Ignoring this potentially important warning sign, he has just been sworn-in as deputy sheriff for Hudspeth County, Texas.)