Country Music - same old song and dance

As we count down the final days of 2013, here's how the year looked through the music and strains of country and western balladeers.

Woman goes Nuts and Stabs Man with Squirrel

'No beer and no TV make Homer go crazy' is a quote from The Simpsons, itself referencing the film, The Shining, which stars Jack Nicholson in crazed, demented mode. So what about the effects of having no beer at Christmas time?

A report from Charleston, South Carolina in the USA:

A 44-year-old woman angry at a man for returning home without beer on Christmas Day beat and stabbed him with a ceramic squirrel.

More on this story at - Woman stabs man with ceramic squirrel for failing to buy beer for Christmas Day - Independent.ie:

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What Flies Higher than a Trampoline?

High winds blowing across Ireland over the Christmas period caused considerable damage. One family, living in Galway on the country's west coast, woke up one morning to find a large trampoline in their back garden.

"The wind was very strong and I think we got the worst of the storm here in the west. It must have blown from a garden somewhere in the vicinity. Either that, or Santa’s aim was a little bit off."

More on this story:
Wind blows giant trampoline into Malachy Duggan's back garden Binn Bhan estate in Knocknacarra, Galway - Irish Mirror Online:

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Hard to put your finger on it

An Irish court has ruled that "EU law relating to safety of utensils designed for use by children does not include sugar dispensers." It follows a case for compensation brought by the mother of a then 2 year-old girl who got her finger stuck in an 8mm hole on a metal lid that later had to be cut off.

During the course of the hearing, evidence was heard from engineers representing both the defendant and the plaintiff. The judge described it as a case of 'compensation culture gone mad'.

Finger case is 'compensation culture gone mad', says judge - Independent.ie:

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It Shouldn't Happen to a Debt Collector

Pig farmer who ordered two repo men to strip naked and get into pen with ‘agitated’ boar granted bail - Independent.ie:

The two employees of Dublin-based repossession company Assets Security, Patrick Mulvey and Justin Tighe, gave evidence at the trial that they feared for their lives after the entered the farm to repossess items on behalf of GE Money. 

There was evidence that Donal Connaughton had ordered the men to strip and get into the pen with the agitated boar and they feared they were going to be violated by the animal. 

On an audio recording made by one of the men on his phone during their ordeal, the pair were heard pleading to be let go and promised Connaughton they would never return to the premises, but he said he wanted to “teach them a lesson”. 

The two men were told they would be allowed walk out of the yard if they stripped naked. When the men refused, Connaughton ordered them to get down on their knees and recite the ‘Our Father’ prayer before they were released. 

The court heard the two men went to the farm to repossess a generator and two power-washers.

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