Good week, Bad week,

Good week for: Men with cavities, Poetic justice, Rational political discourse; Bad week for: Taco Bell, Meter maids, John Stone

Good week for:

Men with cavities, after a German dentist bought low-cut dirndl dresses for herself and her nurses to distract patients. “The sight of cleavage gets patients narcotized and distracted from the pain rather quickly,” said Dr. Marie Catherine Klarkowski.

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Rational political discourse, after Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank called on fellow journalists to observe a “Palin-free February.” Admitting that he’d written about Palin 42 times, Milbank said, “We are up against a powerful compulsion, and we must take this struggle day by day.”

Bad week for:

Taco Bell, after a class-action lawsuit accused Taco Bell of selling “beef” tacos whose beef consists of only 35 percent meat and lots of fillers and chemicals. The fast-food chain denies that claim.

Meter maids, after Joseph Darling of Australia created an iPhone app that lets users alert one another when they see parking agents issuing tickets. “The idea was pretty much born out of frustration,” said Darling, who paid $1,000 in fines last year.

John Stone, a car salesman in a Chicago suburb, who was fired for wearing a Green Bay Packers tie the day after the Packers’ playoff victory over the Chicago Bears. “I was just showing my love for my team,” said a defiant Stone, “and it was a nice smart tie that matched my clothes.”