Smitten by the hand of Zeus

So it turns out that I’m happy now. Yup, for the first time in a long time, my life is perfect. Quite naturally, I thought that this would carry over to the rest of the world. Yeah.. About that…
On browsing the web for some news on the top Australian story of John Brogden trying to kill himself (Who?), I came across the next few headlines. WTF?? What have you people done to my country since I left? Yikes. I think I might just stay here.

In this seaside town, parking meters don’t grant those magical few minutes on
someone else’s dime. Each time a car pulls away from a space, the meter
automatically resets to zero.

Time is running out for thousands of people awaiting rescue six days after
Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, rescuers say. Officials say they do not have the manpower, the resources or enough time to save everyone.

Body recovery teams Monday will press on with the grim task of going house to house to find more victims of the flooding wrought by Hurricane Katrina in this city where the mayor said thousands had died.

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who quietly advanced the conservative ideology of the U.S. Supreme Court under his leadership, died Saturday evening. He was 80.

Droves of drivers who had looked forward to end-of-summer road trips to the mountains, beach or elsewhere this Labor Day weekend were scrapping their plans in response to soaring gas prices and lengthening lines at the pump.