T-Mizzy Gets Down and Dirty

Mayor Thomas Menino gave his "State of the City" address at the Strand Theater in Dorchester Tuesday night. And public safety was high on the agenda.

Menino tried to warm up the audience by referencing the nickname he earned at last summer's hip-hop festival - "T-Mizzy." (So does that make Travaglini "T-Vag"? If so, we vow that we're going to use that nickname for the state senate president from now on!)

After some awkward applause, Menino turned serious ('cause funny ain't his strong suit) about "law enforcement visibility." He referenced police commissioner Ed Davis, who hasn't grown a mustache yet. Doesn't the commish know how good he'd look with one?

Anyway, the big news is that the mayor plans to put 190 new police officers on the street. The Globe says 50, the Herald says 190. The higher number would be more appropriate.

In the speech, Menino announced that he is going after the guns. He wants legislation that will suspend drivers' licenses for those who illegally possess guns, and he wants to take his campaign for stronger gun laws straight to Congress. While that's a noble goal, he's going to need a lot of luck. Even though Congress is officially bluer, there are plenty of constituents out there think they need a pistol in their nightstand, whether they know how to use it or not.

Image of Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music from allmusic.com. For some reason, hearing Menino speak makes Bostonist think of this album.