Goodnight Irene: Friday PM

• Sniper on LA Freeway?!?... Eerily hearkening back to the DC Beltway sniper of 2002, authorities are investigating the second fatal shooting of the week on the 710 Freeway in LA. Naturally, authorities are saying there is no evidence that the two shootings are related but we're here to tell you to PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  
  
• If you're looking for a good way to mimic the great NYC outdoors, check out the NY Times article about police car sirens - theres even a separate page with MP3s of all the different sounds. While demonstrating the different siren sounds to Times reporter Cara Buckley, Officer Spiros Komis made his work sound like he's a DJ when trying to get someone to stop speeding: “I might start with a wail,” he said, pressing a button. The air filled with a familiar nasal drone. “And then I’d go to a constant yelp,” he said, and the car began bleating. A red Acura driving ahead promptly pulled right, into the center lane, its driver nervously checking his speed. “Then I’d give a little bit of the air horn; I’d give it a little toot,” he said, and gave it a little toot.
  
  
  
• Crystal meth use in U.S. twice higher than estimated; weekend plans suddenly become twice as fun.
  
  
• A whirlwind hit Venice today, injuring about 25 people and forcing the cancelation of the Heineken Jammin' Festival headlined by Pearl Jam. The Heineken Jammin' Festival?! Ha!
  
  
• Maybe there is still hope for the Lower East Side of yore... Drug users are still shooting up in Tompkins Square Park, and a local organisation is providing users with the anti-opioid Narcan to save the lives of people who OD.
  
  
• A homeless man was injured when a falling light pole struck him in the head outside the main branch of the New York Public Library on 42nd and 5th. That's odd; for this morning I rode the bus with a girl who works there. Maybe I should play Lotto?
  
  
• Oliver Perez > Roger Clemens. Mets win game one of the season's second Subway Series.
  
  
• That drop in gasoline prices we were expecting? Yeah... not so much
  
  
• Yeah... uh, guys... How are you on astronaut ice cream? You might be up there a lil' longer than we'd planned... Uh... guys? Space Station Computers Have 'Partial' Power. Well, thats comforting. I guess they can 'partially' re-enter the earth's atmosphere and 'partially' survive; Russia blames U.S. blames Russia.
  
  
• Bill and Hillary began hemorrhaging the contents of their blind trust upon learning it contained investments of $5 million to $25 million that could pose conflicts of interest and prove to be embarrassing to Hillary's presidential campaign.
  
  
• Rugged journalist Matt Lauer unafraid to ask the tough questions; asks Prince William and Harry of Wales, "What's the coolest thing about being a Prince?"
  
  
• Artiste, award-winning director and painter Julian Schnabel just exposed his massive West Village building and the neighbours aren't happy. Would you be?
  
  
  
• A letter mentioning anthrax arrived today at the Manhattan offices of "Good Morning America," forcing ABC television officials to close down a portion of their Columbus Avenue location. Yeah, ok.