Owner: Man tried to hide guitar in pants (AP)
AP – The guitar-shaped bulge in Morgan Conatser’s clothing tipped off a music store owner that there might be a crime in progress. Clifton Lovell, owner of Guitars and Cadillacs on U.S. Highway 71 in De Queen, was talking with a customer last week when he saw Conatser, 29, walking out of the store.

Holiday shoppers keep buying during fire (AP)
AP – An electrical fire that filled a department store with thick smoke didn’t deter holiday shoppers, and firefighters had to block the doors to keep customers from coming in, authorities said.

Court: OK to gossip behind boss’ back (AP)
AP – It’s OK to use derogatory and vulgar language about your superiors in the office as long as it is done behind their backs, a Malaysian court has ruled.

Officers keep record of beautiful women (AP)
AP – Two Swedish border control officers risk disciplinary action for keeping a photo collection of “exceptionally beautiful” women that passed through their checkpoint, police officials said Tuesday.

And probably the dumbest story of all….

MySpace to Purge Sex Offenders
MySpace announced today it will begin searching its 100 million-plus user list for people listed in a national database of sex offenders.

Now you may ask, why do I think that’s dumb? Sure it sounds good at face value, but as it was discussed elsewhere, I have to agree with the Wired article that MySpace is taking the easy way out and giving everyone a false sense of security. Law enforcement could have watched their every move with this new sophisticated technology, but now they’re just kicked out into the darkness to prey elsewhere.

And what’s stopping the predators from coming back under fake names and addresses? Not MySpace’s problem. MySpace “at least did something about the problem”, remember?
Out of sight, out of mind.

And of COURSE sickos will respect their Terms of Service and not come back. Surely they’ll follow the rules… right?
Way to go, MySpace!