Here are some of the contenders for today's biggest...news...of...the...day...

• Earnings from China Sunergy Co Ltd (CSUN)...
• Earnings from D.R. Horton Inc (DHI)...
• Earnings from Talbots Inc (TLB) and Chico's FAS, Inc (CHS)...
• An upgrade for Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF)...
• Rallies in Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE)...
• Upbeat comments from E-Trade Financial Corp (ETFC) regarding its TARP application
• A dividend cut by Pulte Homes Inc (PHM)...
• Continued bankruptcy concerns for General Motors Corp (GM)...
• A declaration from Citigroup Inc's (C) CFO that "there is no need for us to sell assets at this point..."
• A look into cost-cutting efforts by companies such as The Gap Inc (GPS) and Dell Inc (DELL)...
• Comments from Starbucks Corp (SBUX) about dropping same-store sales...
• A set-top box from Blockbuster Inc (BBI) that is aimed at Netflix Inc (NFLX)...
• An uptick in consumer confidence...
• A drop in home prices...
• Word that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp's problem bank list increased to 171...

While those are all stories worth watching, I think it is obviously clear that the biggest news is this set of stories -

• Man recovering after being shot by his dog - "A man who was accidentally shot by a 12-gauge shotgun on Saturday after his dog jumped into a boat is recovering..."
• Man's idea to break Kan. ATM less than smashing - "...when the ATM fell, the skid loader and the thief plummeted right along with it..."
• BRIEF: Armed robbery at Family Dollar - "Scanner traffic indicates an armed robbery has just taken place at Family Dollar..." [courtesy of my colleague Elizabeth Harrow who says -"You know the economy is bad when criminals start robbing dollar stores..."]
• Earth Imperiled by Asteroid Shooting Gallery,' Astronauts Say - "Earth is imperiled by asteroids that threaten climactic catastrophe,..."

So...we see the "innocent" story of how a dog "accidentally" shot its owner. At first glance it does seem just like a "bizarre incident." However, this is not the first time we have seen this sort of story. In fact, this isn't the second. Earlier this year we discussed two other examples and I said - "One time, a freak accident. Two times? Well, that is starting to get a little too coincidental." With 3 "accidents" on our hands it is starting to feel like a pattern. Even if the dogs aren't part of an animal uprising plot, they may still "win" by forfeiture on our part! Assuming, that is, we aren't hit by an asteroid first...