Balls, and more

Good week for:

Balls, after the ubiquitous plaything was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, N.Y. A selection of 25 different types of balls will be on display next to 41 other classics, including the bicycle, the jump-rope, and the stick.

Having the right connections, after Goldman Sachs and Citigroup received sought-after allotments of swine flu vaccine, ahead of many hospitals, clinics, and pediatricians.

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Dropping out, after 21-year-old Joe Cada of Michigan, who quit college to play professional poker, became the youngest winner ever of the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, taking home $8.5 million. “School and poker kind of interfered with each other,” Cada said, “and I made the decision.”

Bad week for:

Technology, after the problem-plagued Large Hadron Collider in Europe, the world’s most powerful particle accelerator, was temporarily shut down once again, after a bird dropped a piece of baguette on a section of the accelerator, which caused overheating.

Trying to ride free, after India’s Northern Railway hired 36 boxers and wrestlers to collect tickets, and to make sure that ticketless passengers pay the fare and a fine to remain onboard. “There is absolutely no intimidation involved,” said a company spokesman.

Cat ladies, after authorities in Dudley, Mass., responding to complaints about a woman whose 15 cats were destroying a neighbor’s lawn, outlawed owning three or more cats without a kennel license. The cat owner, Mary Ellen Richards, announced she was selling her house and moving “to a more cat-friendly community.”