4. Feel It Calling in the Air Tonight. A Phil Collins fan in the South End was really feeling the music. He could feel it, "calling in the air," so to speak, and he played it loud. Even worse, his neighbors told the BPD that it was "like this every night." He was arrested because he wasn't going to turn down that Phil Collins without a fight. Even though weirder crimes exist in this countdown,......

--Police are warning the public after the discovery of bad drugs on Cape Cod. Two people died yesterday in Falmouth after taking heroin that might be cut with something even worse than the heroin itself. --The mother of Shawn Dow, the college student who died during a party in Allston over the weekend, is saying she doesn't think he died from falling from the top of a building. She believes he died as a result......

--A fire happened at Fenway Park this morning while construction workers were removing a temporary luxury suite. The fire was quickly put out, and no one was hurt. [WBZ] --A cousin of Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley died Friday night in a fire in her Hyannis home. [Boston Globe] --The Air Force has found that Cape Wind wouldn't impact one of its radar stations. In an impressive NIMBY effort, Representative William Delahunt wanted to......

--A second MBTA-related noose incident: A black conductor found a noose on the floor of a Red Line cab before Halloween. [Boston Herald] --Roberto Pulido, crooked cop extraordinaire who inspired one of the Herald's most salacious covers, is now blaming steroids for his behavior. [Boston Globe] --A bus driver from Martha's Vineyard won $10 million smackers in the Massachusetts State Lottery. [Boston Herald] --Some UMass-Amherst students are attempting a boycott. [Boston Herald] --Elsewhere in......

We already know they must hate us in Minnesota. Once, they had David Ortiz, Randy Moss and Kevin Garnett. Now they don't. But they must really hate us in Denver these days; less than two weeks after their Colorado Rockies were vaporized in the World Series, the Nuggets came to Boston and fared just as badly. The Celtics (who said they'd need time to adjust to one another?) annihilated Denver almost from the opening last......

After Harvard officials attempted to crack down on "party grants" that were funding booze, the school and the Undergraduate Council reached a compromise. The UC will still be able to give out party grants, but the money can't go toward alcohol. Victoria Kabak at the Crimson reported yesterday that "The money may now instead cover the costs of other party-related expenses." The agreement will last until the end of the semester. And the Harvard students......

The Celtics are pleased to announce that they've added an extra level to the bandwagon, and it's poised to start its run tonight at the Garden against Washington. This is the original bandwagon, mind you; not the auxiliary bandwagons the team expects to roll out over the course of the season. Naysayers (and there are some) point out that the supporting cast around Ghidorah is untested and unreliable. OK, whatever. So their starting point guard,......

--Six drag racers got busted for sneaky-driving on Washington Street in Roslindale early Sunday morning. Jessica M. Smith of the Roslindale Transcript reports that the racers set up lookouts. Five Honda Civics were towed as well. Did Honda Civics strike you as worthy of 2 Fast 2 Furious? --Mayor Menino and Commish Ed Davis have announced that they want colleges to crack down on students who act up during the World Series. Menino said that......

STEP Fundraiser hosted by Taza Chocolate Thursday, October 25, 2007 Bloc 11 Cafe, 11 Bow Street, Union Square, Somerville 6:30 to 9 p.m., $25 suggested donation Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership can list a lot of fine reasons to extend the green line into the town that sits north of Cambridge like a jaunty sailor cap: pollution, population density, lawsuits, "revitalization". Bostonist has selfish reasons of our own, and they live in Union Square: crack-laced cream......

As it gets closer to Halloween for LAist, a contributer recollects her tale of staring down the serial killer, Richard Ramirez, otherwise known as the Night Stalker. Must think happy thoughts -- okay, free organic chocolate chip cookies for Los Angeles -- now that's a happy thought. Other happy Los Angeles thoughts include an interview with Jack Kehler of The Big Lebowski (he was the Dude's landlord), a beautiful and magical photographic moment in Venice......

Update: The bridge has been reopened to truck traffic, but there will be some lane restrictions on the upper level. From the AP: "State Police are diverting commercial traffic from the upper deck of the Tobin Bridge in Boston after a crack in one of the span’s support beams was found during a routine inspection." Wait--someone was inspecting it? After the Big Dig mess and general Bostonian inefficiency when it comes to such matters, Bostonist......

Dear Trigen, We couldn't help but notice that yet another steam pipe explosion rained asbestos down up on Boston last Saturday afternoon at Merrimac and New Chardon. The steam-pipe explosion downtown and the various steam-related issues have us skittish. In fact, we've taken to playing "step on a crack, break your mama's back," only it's the high-stakes version. Now we're skipping over manholes, terrified that they will send a manhole cover flying at us and......

--Now, this didn't happen in Boston, but, as the Sports Redux mentioned earlier, a Massachusetts man and Red Sox fan was attacked by two men in New York. The men had asked him if he was loyal to the Red Sox. Carlos Ortez, 25, of Quincy, is now in the intensive care unit at Westchester Medical Center with multiple facial fractures. He was in New York to work on a construction project for a Manhattan......

We had heard word from a kind tipper that some of the Weekly Dig staff gave notice as soon as former Editor Michael Brodeur found out that he was fired. The Boston Magazine blog just confirmed that managing editor Shaula Clark and staff writer Julia Reischel are indeed gone. The Boston Magazine blog also had an exclusive interview with Dig publisher Jeff Lawrence. That makes sense, as Joe Keohane used to edit the Dig and......

--Remember the old line from Crocodile Dundee when Mick (Paul Hogan) is threatened by a tough guy with a switchblade? And then Mick whips out a much larger knife and declares, "That's not a knife! [brandishes knife] Now that's a knife!" Well, imagine that scene in Framingham. With guns and way scarier. A store clerk in Framingham went all Crocodile Dundee on an aspiring robber by trumping the robber with a bigger gun. A guy......

Even though the number of shootings in the city have dropped, the number of stabbings has gone up 10 percent. Maria Cramer at the Globe reports that gangs are sending word that knives are preferable to guns because there's less punishment if someone is caught with one. Of course, plenty of guns are out there. The BPD found a hidden AK-47 with a full banana clip last night. The good news about this stat is......

--Massholes Behind the Wheel: A driver was so appalled by another driver that he called the phone number on the side of the truck. (Apparently the phone number wasn't 1-800-EAT-SHIT.) Anyway, instead of reaching an operator or supervisor, the bad driver himself answered and was surprised that another driver would dare question his driving. The BPD report notes that the truck driver argued with the other driver - with whom he was still sharing the......

Mort Sahl will perform at Jimmy Tingle's tonight, August 24, and Saturday, August 25, at 7:30 pm. He will also perform Sunday, August 26, at 3:00 pm. For more details, visit the Jimmy Tingle's Off Broadway website. After 80 years on this planet, comedian Mort Sahl knows what he likes. V-neck turtlenecks sweaters, for starters. Current events. People with a sense of humor. What Sahl doesn't like became wonderfully apparent during his performance at Jimmy......

If the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were smart (and we're not for a moment suggesting that's the case), they'd look seriously into Tim Wakefield's "rolling" contract extension with the Red Sox, and try to figure out how much money it would take to lure Wake down to St. Petersburg full-time. Because it's possible that Tim's 19-2 lifetime record against the Devil Rays, and 9-0 lifetime record at Tropicana Field, are solely a result of the......

Clay Buchholz is coming! The Red Sox have groomed and nurtured their up-and-coming phenom, and will turn him loose on an unsuspecting American Leage this afternoon. Well, not entirely unsuspecting, since it's been pretty widely reported. He has explosive stuff (if no gyroball), good command, and a great attitude, says everyone who's worked with him in the farm system. And he gets his first crack in the bigs today against the [Your Municipality Here] Angels.......

--It's pathetic, totally pathetic, when people can't have a birthday party that doesn't end with shots fired and two dead bodies. Yesterday in Dorchester, a birthday cookout was winding down. Two men were in a car leaving the cookout when a fight erupted and someone used guns to win. These deaths mark the 35th and 36th murders of the year. So, what about those increased foot patrols? --The Birthday Cookout Murders story doesn't end there.......

-- The Roxbury man found shot in Mattapan on July 4 died from his injuries on Tuesday. Michael Wiggins was 22 years old and found near Arbutus and Ashton streets before he was rushed to Boston Medical Center. Police have upgraded the investigation to a murder investigation as a result. -- Banks are becoming the new candy shoppes: The Bank of America on Cambridge Street was robbed at gunpoint at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, the......

-- It appears that the Bonbon Bandit's list of suspected crimes is growing longer by the day. A Dunkin Donuts on Brookline Street was held up on Saturday afternoon (yep, middle of the day on a Saturday - how 'bout that for brazen?) and the suspect matches the description of the man police have been searching for in possible connection to more than 20 commercial robberies. That's right, the possible total is now up to......

-- The Boston Police Department's news brief headline summed this one up perfectly with "With Friends Like These...Who Needs Enemies": East Boston guy goes out with his friend on Monday afternoon. Friend goes back to guy's house, breaks through the window and steals some of the guy's toys (iPod, digital camera, PlayStation). When guy confronts friend about the theft, friend smashes guy's digital camera right in front of him. Bostonist says guy needs new friends.......

Early reports said that 8-year-old Liquarry Jefferson* was shot and killed by a group of armed men who burst into his family's home. The police smelled something fishy, and the truth came out. Liquarry was shot by his 7-year-old cousin. Apparently the family tried to protect the boy. Perhaps they didn't know that the cousin is too young to be charged for the crime. He and his mother are now talking to police. There's no......

As we've often said of police commish Ed Davis, he's willing to try anything. His latest attempt at crime-stopping is to start "Text a Tip," a text-messaging tip service that is designed to keep anyone with tips anonymous and safe. The BPD released an announcement that Boston will be the first city to use text messaging for anonymous tips because the phone-based hotline - well, it sure doesn't put "hot" in the hotline. So now......

We missed it last week when BostonNOW published a story about a city ordinance proposed by City Councilor Chuck Turner to outlaw the sale of crack pipes in convenience stores. Yeah, that's right, prohibit the sale of crack pipes. Massachusetts already has pretty strong laws against the sale of drug paraphernalia. The restrictions force prices up in those Boston area stores that do stock those odd looking tobacco delivery devices, and local college students to......

It's been said that tonight is going to feature the loudest and longest round of applause to hit Fenway in all of 2007. We disagree - we think it will happen either this weekend or in September, when Joe Torre comes to get Roger Clemens in the fourth inning - but tonight's going to be special. Tonight, the Sox welcome back Trot Nixon, stalwart of the 2004 Championship team and one of the core members......

We know you're Red Sox fans. We know that, much like every home is supposed to have emergency supplies (flashlight, bottled water, etc.) close at hand at all times, every good Red Sox fan should know where the panic button is. Just in case. Don't press them yet; just make sure everyone in the family knows how to get at it if the worst should happen. Yes, it's only one game. And yes, it's only......

--Machetes are definitely hot in East Boston. The BPD saw a guy just a-walking around at night with a two-foot-long machete "protruding from his waist area." Could he have been using it to accessorize his belt? Luckily, they arrested him before he got to use it on anyone. We imagine no one wanted to bother him except for a few brave police officers. --A cold case is warming up in New Bedford. Nine women were......