With apologies to John Mellencamp, nothing is more American that batshit criminals. Bostonist found a couple of alleged criminals with a hint of patriotic flair.

Got your foam hats, flag shirts, and star-shaped glasses ready for the festivities tomorrow? No? Neither do we. Bostonist will be staying far, far away from the Esplanade tomorrow. We’ll watch the fireworks, for sure - but we’ll pass on the crowds gathering to watch the Pops. Sorry, Neil Diamond.

--Police officers, like everyone else, sometimes behave badly. Eight officers were suspended after a three-year investigation into steroid use by the BPD, FBI and the U.S Attorney. Four other cops were suspended for visiting the "Boom Boom Room", a Hyde Park brothel. The steroid-related suspensions range from 5-80 days. The Herald said Commissioner Ed Davis confirmed a grand jury is investigating the "Boom Boom Room". Extensive details on both matters are available at BPDNews.com. [Boston Herald]

Film Friday regular Haydnseek took today's PotD shot with a LOMO. The great colors and cross processing really make this one come alive.

As a blog, it's rare that we have to publish a corrections column. Usually, we can sneak back into an entry and edit any error of fact that we may have inadvertently made without making such a big deal about it. But, when an entire post—and its related accusation of smugness—is based on an error, well, we've got to say it. Our bad.

Movies

The Red Sox have returned home to find out which parts of Fenway haven't washed out to sea in the last two weeks. They'll play the Mariners to begin a 10-game homestand that will take us to the All-Star break; Oakland and Kansas City will follow. Red Sox history will be made tonight, weather permitting, as Tim Wakefield will make his record-breaking 383rd start for the team. Pushing that Clemens uncomfortableness out of the record book. We say "weather permitting", of course, because we've heard that the guys from Seattle are rumbling that Boston is a little too rainy and clammy and cloudy for them. Let's hope for the best.

Fixies are a pain in Grandpa Bostonist's neck. Fixies are European fixed gear racing bikes that don't have back brakes, designed to teach racers "pedal discipline" in the velodrome. On the clogged streets of the big city, however, they are little more than a pathetic compensatory status marker—the bicycle equivalent of a sports car. They are bikes for racing, not for getting around.

.laz seems to have put himself into the right place at the right time to get a terrific sunset picture of Boston. As the name implies, the slice of red nicely covers the city as blues and browns dominate the sky and water. The clouds are full of texture and substance, while the sailboats are a great addition to the Charles.