Beaten

…fight in a basement, not in your backyard.

From “23 youths arrested in Milford ‘UFC’ backyard brawl“:

MILFORD — Twenty-three young people were arrested Wednesday afternoon after a backyard slugfest patterned after “Ultimate Fighting Championship” contests.

The brawl took place behind a home at 25 Breakneck Lane, off Meadowside Road and near Meadowside School, police said, and 14 of those arrested were minors.

After police learned of the planned fight, extra patrols were dispatched to schools on the west side to monitor activity at dismissal time, said Officer Vaughan Dumas, the police spokesman.

As officers arrived at the Breakneck Lane home, several youths knocked down fences in surrounding yards attempting to flee, Dumas said.

“This was the first time we’ve seen a planned fight like this, with scheduled bouts leading to a championship,” Dumas said. “We want parents to know that this is happening and to be aware of it.” The combatants were youthful offenders and cannot be named, he said.

SERIOUS.

From “Woman beaten at Stamford bar after karaoke performance“:

STAMFORD — Police arrested six women and charged them in the assault of a 25-year-old woman following an argument over her singing performance during karaoke night at a a downtown bar and restaurant.

Stamford police Lt. Sean Cooney said the six women, ages 19 to 20, made derogatory comments about the woman’s singing ability — or lack thereof — and then repeatedly punched, kicked and pulled the hair of the victim before leaving Bobby Valentine’s Sports Gallery and Cafe on Main Street.

The victim suffered a chipped tooth and numerous bruises, Cooney said. She was treated and released from Stamford Hospital.

In an telephone interview Thursday, the alleged victim, Leidy Alcantara, said she had just sung “A Dios Le Pido” by Colombian pop superstar Juanes and then stood next to the karaoke disc jockey. As she sang along to another performer’s song, one of the women began exchanging words with her, she said.

Then it turned violent, she said.

“She came up to me and said I was annoying and punched me in the face,” Alcantara said.

Add “riot gear helmet” to the list of karaoke attire.

slightly lower prices and artificial scarcity used to exploit a population, which is facing social pressure to consume beyond their means, in an effort to prop up a dying economy.

A couple links from drudge…

Wal-Mart worker dies in Black Friday Stampede

Four others hospitalized, including a pregnant woman