Does there really seem to be an unusual number of horrible stories hitting the news of late? It appears that a day doesn't go by without at least one more news report of a crime against children making headlines. I guess it's easy to get viewers attention with such things and I don't put it past the folks responsible for the 27/7 news networks to go in search of such stories. It allows them to bury political and economic events which are more difficult to explain in a sound bite and don't offer dramatic video of distraught family members.

I think the news worthiness of the Jackson trial is starting to drag and the nightly news shows need something. Besides, we're all growing bored with Iraq and the mid-east anyway.