Ann Arbor News to shut down after 174 years

There's some disheartening news from the world of news, and no, this time I'm not talking about the decline of the American newspaper.

I'm talking about Saudi Arabian religious leaders, calling for an end to women in the media. That means no women in magazines, no women on television, no women, period. Don't believe me? Believe Yahoo News:

Saudi clerics want women banned from TV, media
"There should be no Saudi woman on television, in any case," they said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090324/lf_afp/saudireligionwomenrightsmedia

But for every really depressing story about the evils that men do (and yes, I said MEN; I pity, sympathize, and emphathize with my brethren on many occassions, but this is just sicko shit) there's also a bit of light and happiness.

For instance, in Thai land, a firefighter was at a loss in how to coax a scared autistic boy off a dangerous ledge. Suddenly, a brainstorm. He got dressed up as Spiderman.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090324/od_afp/thailandchildrenoffbeat;_ylt=Ah_SNge0hOIt5F9o7inKxckeO7gF

Okay, back to the depressing stuff.

The Ann Arbor News, which has published continuously in Ann Arbor, Michigan since 1835, is closing down in July. A new Web site company will take its place. It's a small paper, circulation 45,000 -- about 1/5th the size of the Pioneer Press. But it's still depressing.

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/03/ann_arbor_news_to_close_in_jul.html

not. fun.