My girlfriend and I were both mentioning how odd it was that the Virginia Tech case was settled, giving the victims families $11 million.

We both feel it was a tragedy. We both feel bad for the families. But, neither of us can see how it is anyones responsibility. The school didn't do anything wrong.

A kid went nuts, and started shooting.

I remember as a kid, a guy walked into the McDonald's in San Ysidro. He shot 11 people. Maybe it was 15, I don't remember now.

Did McDonald's owe the families anything?

If the school, or the state, wanted to pay for the medical bills, funerals, and any psychiatric care the families needed, I'm all for that.

Apparently, this lawsuit avoids a big court battle. But, I'm not so sure a "court battle" was needed.

I have a friend from Scotland, that told me when he was younger, a train smashed and killed a suicide victim on the tracks. The conductor was so distraught, and needed so much mental help, he was awarded something like $750,000 by the government.

So, a month later, someone else is hit by a train. A different conductor says, "I want $750,000, for witnessing something so gruesome." He was told...."Well, uh...it didn't affect you the same way."

Things got ugly, and they had to issue a statement that if you witness someone being hit by the train, you get $75,000. Not a penny more.

The conductors ended up loving this. Someone would get hit, and they knew they had a payday coming.

And, to segue into something that has nothing to do with any of that -- a woman from my old stompin' grounds in Mira Mesa, won the $30 million in the Lotto. She bought the ticket at some seafood place (so many have opened up over the years there). And, I'm kind of glad. The last time Mira Mesa sold a winning $12 million ticket from an AM/PM, it was one I had gone to a lot. And, it made me think how this could've been me. It haunted me. But, I never go into seafood stores.

I finally got over the AM/PM thing, when it occured to me....I never buy Lotto tickets.