Heartwarming stories of the day, from rrnd

24) Muzak files for bankruptcy
CNN

"Muzak, the company that put pop, string-filled arrangements of rock
songs in your elevator, filed bankruptcy papers Tuesday after it
missed a $105 million payment to creditors. The pipeline of easy
listening will continue to flow as Muzak restructures its debt during
the Chapter 11 process, the company said. ... The Chapter 11
protections will allow Muzak time to restructure the debt, which was
incurred a decade ago, [Muzak spokeswoman Meaghan Repko]
said." (02/11/09)

http://tinyurl.com/atf6z6

18) NM: 69 computers missing from nuclear weapons lab
Jackson Clarion Ledger

"The Los Alamos nuclear weapons laboratory in New Mexico is missing 69
computers, including at least a dozen that were stolen last year, a
lab spokesman said. No classified information has been lost, spokesman
Kevin Roark said. The watchdog group Project on Government Oversight
on Wednesday released a memo dated Feb. 3 from the Energy Department's
National Nuclear Security Administration that said 67 computers were
missing, including 13 that were lost or stolen in past 12
months." (02/11/09)

http://tinyurl.com/b5xhsn

19) UK: Millions "opt for DIY dentistry"
BBC News [UK]

"Millions of people in England have resorted to DIY dentistry, a
survey by consumer magazine Which? suggests. ... Of those who admitted
trying the DIY approach, one in four had tried to pull out a tooth
using pliers. Since a new dental contract was introduced in 2006 there
has been growing concern over access to care. But the government said
the findings of the survey were unreliable, and said access to NHS
dentistry was improving. Ministers have announced an independent
review of NHS dentistry in England, which will report back later this
year. ... Susie Sanderson, of the British Dental Association, said:
'If you are having trouble accessing NHS dental care then contact your
local primary care trust.'" [editor's note: Ain't socialized medicine
great? - MLS] (02/11/09)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7881865.stm

25) PA: Judges accused of jailing kids for cash
MSNBC

"For years, the juvenile court system in Wilkes-Barre operated like a
conveyor belt: Youngsters were brought before judges without a lawyer,
given hearings that lasted only a minute or two, and then sent off to
juvenile prison for months for minor offenses. The explanation,
prosecutors say, was corruption on the bench. In one of the most
shocking cases of courtroom graft on record, two Pennsylvania judges
have been charged with taking millions of dollars in kickbacks to send
teenagers to two privately run youth detention centers." (02/11/09)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29142654/