Hello Thursday

• When I worked in morning radio and woke up late, there were a few times I awoke to the sound of the hosts talking about me saying "where the F is he?!" on the air. It was the most surreal alarm clock ever. This is not unlike that, I guess, on a much larger scale. And I'm not late for work. I'm here drinking an iced coffee.
  
  

  

• The famous leaning tower of Pisa isn't leaning so much anymore after a £20 million project to save it was hailed a success yesterday. The tower, which was on the verge of collapse, was straightened by 18 inches returning it to its 1838 position. I always loved favoured its 1838 position, though I have friends who enjoy the 1605 position.
  
  
• OK now they're burning gas stations in Iran.
  
  
• Warren Buffett, the third-richest man in the world, criticised the US tax system for allowing him to pay a lower rate than his secretary and his cleaning lady. Speaking at a $4,600-a-seat NYC fundraiser for Hillary, Buffett, who is worth an estimated $52 billion said: “The 400 of us [here] pay a lower part of our income in taxes than our receptionists do, or our cleaning ladies, for that matter. If you’re in the luckiest 1 % of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99 %" An obscenely rich guy with a conscience? This copy can't be right!
  
  
• The Senate subpoenaed the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney's office yesterday, demanding documents and elevating the confrontation with President Bush over the administration's warrant-free eavesdropping on Americans. Oh, hang on, I think I hear a Rage Against The Machine song.
  
  
• I love little sh*t stories like these: "Distrust of the United States has intensified across the world, but overall views of America remain very or somewhat favourable among majorities in 25 of 47 countries surveyed in a major international opinion poll, the Pew Research Center reported Wednesday." The who research center? What?
  
  
• Po-po say a 19-year-old dude was shot to death last night on the Q train in Brooklyn. The victim was taken to Coney Island Hospital where he was pronounced dead. There are no arrests at this time but the investigation is ongoing...
  UPDATE: According to witnesses, Trevell Belton was shot as the train pulled into the Avenue U stop. Belton collapsed on the platform, while the shooter and his friend ran away. The Post reports that the train was packed with teens leaving Manhattan Beach, where Belton had been visiting. An investigator told the Post that Belton and a shooter were arguing because they were wearing rival gang colors. Also, the investigator said the beach was packed because a radio station had encouraged kids to head out there to protest suggestions that the beach was being overrun by "thugs."
  
  
• Police Raid Drug-Infested Housing Project Owned by Ex-Met Big Mo Vaughn...
  
  
• A Jersey City police dog killed some lady's Chihuahua. The police K-9, a 4-year-old German shepherd named Rommel, has been taken out of service until he can be evaluated by a canine training specialist. I'm picturing Rommel laying on a chaise lounge with a therapist, "Rommel, what made you do this?" and Rommel starts crying.
  
  

  

• The Spice Girls are back
  
  Good Day.