--Manholes are demanding attention! Two workers were injured in an explosion today in Quincy. [WBZ] --A comprehensive wrapup of the mess the Herald found itself in after its writer John Tomase popped the cork on VideoTapeGate. [Media Nation] --If you get luxury seats at Gillette Stadium, you better make sure you can actually pay up because the stadium will get that money from you somehow. [AP/Boston Globe] --Massachusetts high schoolers are flunking physical fitness.... [continue]

--Green Line B train goes on a rampage! [Boston Herald, WBZ] --Remember how last week the MBTA put out an alert after a passenger became concerned about a child's welfare on the bus? And how it turns out that everything was OK? Well, the family is considering suing the MBTA. These people clearly don't realize that the MBTA is broke. [WBZ] --If they can retire, MBTA employees are taking the money and running. [Boston... [continue]

--Mayor Menino hops on a bike in honor of Bike Week. [Boston Globe] --Local residents with family in China react to the news of the recent earthquake. [Boston Herald] --House Speaker Sal Di Masi is mad as hell at the suggestion that his ethics are a little shady, and he's not taking it anymore. [Boston Globe] --Two recipients of kidneys from a homeless man infected with LMCV, a rodent virus, have died. [Boston Globe] --Parts... [continue]

Beauty and the Geek: The geeks were presented with a special challenge--making over a model. Sweater Vest Tommy heard the word "model" and said in confessional that he thought it would be "Amber Amber Amber Amber ..." He cannot get the model who led him into the closet off his mind. This makes us wonder--exactly what happened in that closet? But who knows with Sweater Vest Tommy? As his partner, Amanda, said, "I feel like... [continue]

Boston-area drivers don't like rules. Boston-area pedestrians don't like rules, and the city is trying to make hay of it by upping jaywalking fines. And now it is the cyclists' turn to feel the heat. For the record, Bostonist is thoroughly pro-cyclist and supported the Bicyclist Bill of Rights, which former lieutenant governor Kerry Healey trashed as she was leaving office. So, it is with much love that Bostonist asks, why do some bicyclists think... [continue]

--Boston 911 operators are under scrutiny again because a call taker's error led to a delay in the arrival of police as a 76-year-old man was being beaten. [Boston Globe] --Smokers aren't too happy about the Senate's approval of a $1 rise in cigarette taxes. [Boston Herald] --Speaking of tax increases, Brookline voters approved a tax override. [Boston Globe] --In the "brass balls" department, the mayor of Newton, David Cohen, wants a pay raise.... [continue]

As the reign of Sal DiMasi as house speaker appears to be in peril, Governor Deval Patrick isn't laughing at his nemesis. He's going out there and reviving the issue of bringing casinos to Massachusetts, which DiMasi squashed so recently. This morning, he brought up the issue again in front of the Brookline Chamber of Commerce. The AP is reporting that "he thinks an unyielding need for property tax relief, the possibility of slot machines... [continue]

--House speaker Sal DiMasi has put the Ethics Committee to the task of investigating the alleged threat against Rep. Jennifer Callahan. The words "State House" and "Ethics Committee" sound funny when put together, don't they? [Boston Globe] --If the counter at the gas pump starts moving before gas comes out, you should complain. [WBZ] --A pug who had been doggie-napped in East Boston has been reunited with its owner. If you kidnap a dog... [continue]

Boston panhandlers proudly uphold the city's reputation for being as direct as possible--sometimes too direct and so direct that it merits a trip to jail. The Globe did a story on how the police have been dispersing the panhandlers and "squeegee men" at Mass Ave and Melnea Cass. But do they really have to take their squeegee supplies? The BPD took the stuff one guy used, along with a backpack and clothes, which seems... [continue]

The Herald unleashed an expose of Boston restaurants who haven't been separating recyclables from the trash. In a time in when it's crystal clear that people need to at least try to be less wasteful, restaurants don't think they need to pitch in. City Councilor Michael Ross wanted restaurants to recycle, but they fought him on it. This affects the mayor's attempts to "turn Beantown into Greentown" and bring in all those green-collar jobs: Boston... [continue]

--Why are so many bats dying mysteriously in New England? No one can figure out why, which doesn't bode well. [Boston Globe] --The Natick Collection appears to be in trouble. Perhaps it's because no one realizes that "Collection" actually means "fancy mall." And the attitude of some of the owners, including one who said "We have to educate our customers on style" isn't helping. [Boston Globe] --At least one local blog is shocked after... [continue]

Yesterday, City Council President Maureen Feeney's civic summit brought about 400 people together to get people more involved in city government. Mayor Menino even showed up, although Michael Pahre noted, "Mayor Thomas Menino breezed in -- and out -- of the convention center probably feeling a little bit unwelcome" since it wasn't his idea. Adam Gaffin at Universal Hub live-blogged the event and summed up the takeaways, with education and crime high on the list... [continue]

Update: KG just gave a shove to Pachulia of the Hawks, and he's been taken out. Marvin Williams of the Atlanta Hawks is officially the Number One Creep of the NBA playoffs. Just now, during the Celtics-Hawks game, Rajon Rondo broke away, with Williams after him. Williams proceeded to clothesline Rajon Rondo, wrapping his arm around Rondo's neck and throwing him down to the ground. The rest of the Celtics and their fans should be... [continue]

--Beauty and the Geek: Enjoy this season of "Beauty and the Geek" because it will probably be the last one. Ratings for the show have plummeted, and the show is going on hiatus in case the CW can think of a way to jazz it up. Now what will MIT and Harvard students do for kicks? Our local geeks are trying to go out on a high note. This week, when the teams went up... [continue]

--The Greater Boston Food Bank needs your help. [Boston Globe, Greater Boston Food Bank] --Welcome back members of the 181st infantry regiment! [WCVB] --The JFK library received $2 million dollars to expand from the Irish government, as part of Bertie Ahern's visit. [Boston Herald] --Gas service in the North End and Financial District has been restored after the water main mess. [Boston Globe] --Some Harvard students decorated Dunster House with dead meat. Aren't Harvard... [continue]

If House speaker Sal DiMasi really wants to prove he is up to the task of managing this state and fend off those who want his crown, then he better crack down on the shenanigans at the State House. All ethical shadiness aside, yesterday a state rep said that another rep threatened her during the budget debate. Rep. Jennifer Callahan was behind a nurse staffing amendment, which apparently didn't please the other lawmaker: "He leveled... [continue]

--Carl Stanley McGee, the Patrick aide who was cleared of charges that he sexually assaulted a teen boy in Florida, is back at work, but the governor isn't taking his donations. [Boston Herald] --Find out which restaurants are open after the water main/natural gas mess downtown. [Boston Globe/fidoboston] --Stop the presses! Someone in New England is showing off a "MILF" license plate. [Barstool Sports] --Are wild turkeys gracing South Boston with their presence? [Platinum... [continue]

Remember how we said yesterday that House speaker Sal DiMasi's free ride might be ending? Well, it came to a screeching halt, just as he was named the 2nd most powerful person in Boston. The Herald came out with a summary of potentially shady dealings in which those with ties to DiMasi benefitted. No politician has clean hands, but it's interesting that Governor Deval Patrick faced relentless scrutiny for relatively silly stuff like Drapegate while... [continue]

Overnight, a fire broke out underground, prompting flames to shoot up from pissed-off manholes around Mass Ave and Dunster. At one point, the flames were 15 feet high. An NSTAR spokeswoman is calling it a "cable malfunction," but work crews weren't at the area when it started. The area has been closed off to traffic, and 700 customers are without power. The ABP, the Holyoke Center, and Cambridge Savings are closed. MBTA service is still... [continue]

--Boston is a city that plays fast and loose with traffic laws, but the city needs money, so that's about to stop. The City Council is considering increasing fines for jaywalking and actually enforcing the rules. [WCVB] --After Caddygate and Drapegate and the casino mess, Governor Deval Patrick probably thought the media was going easy on his nemesis, House Speaker Sal DiMasi. But the free ride might be over. [Boston Globe, Boston Herald] --Norman... [continue]