A debate on the Iraq war initiated a little bit of a tussle among Boston's city council members on Valentine's Day. They decided that they were tired of being left out by the other, more important legislative bodies, who have all debated and voted for or against totally pointless resolutions against the war. Members quotes American legends such as John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. in their attempt to seem larger-than-life, like their idols.

Boston City Council members debated a non-binding resolution named "The Resolution to Support Our Troops By Bringing Them Home from Iraq and Afghanistan" to call for the immediate withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq. An entirely symbolic measure that, at best, would effectively accomplish nothing. At the worst, however, it tied up 48 minutes of city council members' precious legislation time (over 10 other actually local issues used up 42 minutes of the council's time by comparison) and drew a painful parallel between the bloated, ineffective nature of the council and the wave of violence that has been sweeping Boston's streets for over a year now.

Councilor Chuck Turner led the City council on the debate, and he took the most heat for the useless showboating. Almost half of all the victims of violence that were gunned down last year were killed in Turner's district and local community activists have lambasted him for ignoring his duties as councilman. At critics, Taylor fired back that a shortage of funds resulting from the United States' expenditures in its quagmire of a war in Iraq have caused a decrease in public safety funding like police and other anti-violence measures.

Boston City Council members are paid $87,000 dollars a year, and members critical of Chuck Turner's move insisted that they are paid that salary to discuss and legislate issues local to Boston, not the Middle East. More conservative city council members like Sal LaMattina, Stephen Murphy, and Jerry McDermott argued that if the council was allowed to discuss the Iraq war, it should also be allowed to discuss other hot buttons issues (especially those dear to the right-hand side of the political spectrum) like immigration and the prison industry. Sal LaMattina represents East Boston, Charlestown and the best neighborhood in the world, the North End. Jerry McDermott is the representative from college-kid-town Allston/Brighton, and Stephen Murphy is a council member at-large, representing the entire city.

While Boston City Council president Maureen Feeney initially did not oppose the debate because of Turner's focus on budgetary issues she ended up joining the Pro-war side and opposed the limp resolution. On the other hand Micheal Flaherty initially opposed the debate when he was city council president using a technical loophole that limits what can be discussed during hearings to prevent such debates, but voted on the anti-war side of the resolution. Other city council members Micheal Ross, Felix Arroyo, Sam Yoon, and Charles Yancy supported the measure and voted on the anti-war side.

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Who this blind item in the recent edition of Naked City is referring to:

Then there’s the veddy enterprising media gal who always gets the big scoop. Could it be that she’s willing to do anything - and we mean anything - to get the story???

Good (creative or correct) guesses in the comments will win a free pool party at Felt, with free appetizers, for you and 19 of your closest friends (a 450$ value), so make 'em good.

Popularity: 100%

Alcohol, explosives, gun violence, and bigotry. True American values. Of course, let's not forget what Independence Day is really all about: the Declaration of Independence and our freedom-and-justice loving forefathers:

He has excited domestic Insurrections among us, and has endeavoured to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known Rule of Warfare, is an undistinguished Destruction, of all Ages, Sexes and Conditions.

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We got an email from a tipster last night about our favorite local-politician-and-TV-newsperson-offspring-cum-American Idol non-winner, Ayla Brown:

Ayla is signing with a record and distribution company on 8/24 and then recording that day. She will have a single out late August/early Sept. and a full CD by mid-Oct. She will also be singing with the POP on 7/3&4 and also on 7/12 at Fenway with Theo Epstein.

Keep 'em coming, guys!

Technorati Tags: ayla brown, american idol

Popularity: 89%

Not ones to miss a chance to rain on a celebration parade, Jeff Rizoli and Jim Rizoli, anti-immigrant brothers from Framingham, scored themselves some unflattering press by bringing their bigot-trash selves to a Brazilian soccer celebration yesterday in the 'burbs. We've noted before that the whack-jobs in the 'burbs get bored easily and resort to ridiculousness, but this time even the popo don't got their back:

As Jim Rizoli was talking to a police officer about his concerns about the Brazilian crowd, he patted the officer a few times on the shoulder.
"If you touch me again, I will lock you up," said Deputy Chief Steven Trask, who declined to comment further.
The brothers were incensed.
"When we were attacked over there last week, where were you?" asked Jim Rizoli. "You guys are working for the Brazilians!"

Which is surprising, since one of the brothers, Jeff Rizoli, is head of CCFILE: "Concerned Citizens and Friends of Illegal Immigration Law Enforcement." It's the same thinly-vieled racism that these groups always have: the assertion that a human being trying to make the best for himself and his family can be "illegal" based soley on his place of birth (let's of course forget about the genocidal policy of early US history and how its legal dominion over this land came to be).

But seriously guys, a World Cup victory party? Are you kidding me?

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Thanks to the fine folks over at Felt, we've recently come into a few sweet prizes to give to you, our adoring fans. You can win a free Pool Party at Felt — that is, 2 free hours of pool and appetizers for you and 19 of your closest friends, a $450 value. We have a few to give out, so we'll do a series of contests, starting today.

The first one will involve one of our BWP brethren, Boston is Funny. Charlie Wrigley over there is a lonley man, and we'd like it if you got to know him a little better, so we challenge you to find his boss's name, as he's mentioned it in at least one post since the beginning of December. The first person to find the name and link to the post in a comment on this post will win the first free Pool Party certificate.

Technorati Tags: Boston, blog, contest, felt

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We occasionally find ourselves hungry for some unhealthy food at unhealthy hours. We're talking greasy meat past midnight (that's a great band name). And for all of its other charms, the North End in specific and Boston in general has left us wanting.
One of our favorite hangouts for late-evening eating (but certainly not past midnight) is a place on Boylston we affectionately refer to as the 'Snake (akaThe Rattlesnake Bar and Grill). You can find us many a night tucked away from the crowd in a booth 'neath a painting of Subcommandante Marcos, labeled "El Revolucionaire" (Ya Basta!).
But sometimes, even the 'Snake isn't serving food late enough for us, and in times like these were are often too lazy or too inebriated to fire up the grill or stove and cook our own food, so we starve. Untill the next morning, at least. In one fell swoop this morning, the Globe both gave us new hope and drew our attetion to threats to the commericial viability of this new hope. It seems there are 10 restaurants in Chinatown that are liscenced to stay open untill 4am. Only four of them still exercise this ability, but still: 4am?! That's awesome.

The problem is that apparantly Boston is an old fogey's town (at least says the article), so the demand for late-night dining is diminishing like a receding hairline, and many of these places are finding it hard to economically justify staying open late.
Our new mission, and yours too (should you choose to accept it) is to patronize these places and keep them open. We'll see you there.

Technorati Tags: boston, the rattlesnake, late night dining, food, chinatown

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We salute the unnamed heroes responsible for this:

NewsCenter 5's Shiba Russell reported that someone beheaded a statue of Christopher Columbus. Police said the vandalism happened more than a week ago.

That shit is straight fucking fire!

Technorati Tags: boston, columbus

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More on this story as it develops, but it currently appears that Inside Track ripped big chunks of text from an Editor and Publisher article.

Technorati Tags: boston, plagiarism, herald

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I just started a Google group (email list) to try to organize some weekend rides in and around Boston, 20-30 milers. So if you're interested, check it out.

Technorati Tags: boston, biking, cycling

Popularity: 32%