This Is True is a e-mail newsletter put out by [Thisistrue.com]. Each week it sends out a [newsletter] featuring the [strangest] and [funniest] news stories [Randy Cassingham] could find. (No [tabloid] stories -- these are true).

NON COMPOS CRIMINALIS: A small post office inside a news stand in [West Midlands], [England], was robbed. Sort of. A woman brandishing a crowbar threatened the clerk, but the clerk refused to cooperate. In the ensuing struggle, the robber accidentally hit herself on the head with the crowbar, then cut herself with the hook end. Next, her shirt got caught on something and was torn off. That was enough: she fled with a male accomplice. A police spokesman hoped a witness would help break the case, noting "there must be someone out there who is aware of a couple ... running away from the premises, the female bloodstained with just her bra on at the time." The news stand owner was not particularly upset by the raid, noting "the post office was never in any danger. It was closed." ([PA]) ...Sounds like she's a few diamonds short of a tiara.

In the free issue you get about four stories, a headline, and a Honorary Unsubscribe (telling of a recent death of an almost [famous] person). If you have a premium [subscription], for a mere $15.00 per year, you get twice as many stories, no adds, and some other benefits. It is well worth buying the upgraded version.

THAT'S OFTEN THE WAY IT WORKS: "[Indicted] Man Might Be Part Of Plot" -- [AP] headline

As you can see, he adds on a [witty comment] to each story/headline. He also adds in occasional rants about various issues; one of his favorite is [zero tolerance] (after reading some of the stories that turn up on zero tolerance, you'll start to agree with him). He also tries to put additional details and fotos on his website for particularly interesting stories.

FIRST AID: A study of injuries sustained by passengers of [Britain]'s rail network found that 10 percent of the reported injuries involved the same person. The unnamed traveler reported a shoulder injury 49 times in a one-year period. "The injuries were reported at stations throughout the rail network, from [Penzance] to [Edinburgh], sometimes twice in one day," a [Railtrack] spokesman said. However, the passenger apparently was not trying to perpetrate fraud: he never asked for compensation. ([Reuters]) ...If someone would just get around to saying "sorry" he'll go away happy.

This newsletter is well worth the time it takes to read; if you don't want to wait for the next issue to come out he has all the old stories archived at his site (for free). Randy Cassingham also runs a newsletter called [HeroicStories], and he sells [Get Out of Hell Free] cards and other goodies.

This is true (thing)