--Why does Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray have all this money in his coffers? Might the Herald be right in wondering if Deval Patrick will take a post in a potential Obama cabinet? [Boston Herald] --Elsewhere in the Patrick administration, Deval Patrick is taking a sick day. Quick--cross-check his calendar with Obama's! [Boston Globe] --Meanwhile, Patrick's frenemy, House Speaker Sal DiMasi, has been talking about the proposal to repeal the state's income tax, calling it......

For a while, it seemed safe to have opinions about overprotected, pasty professional jaw-flapper Bill O'Reilly. Stephen Colbert won awards for it. But local CN8 host Barry Nolan from "Backstage" just got canned for it. Nolan protested the fact that the New England EMMY chapter honored O'Reilly and handed out flyers at the event. However, he didn't give that opinion on the air or even spoof O'Reilly a la Colbert. Nolan said that, when O'Reilly......

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......

Boston Magazine released its annual power issue, which is an annual must-have for any lifestyle magazine. This power list leads to the inevitable question, what does "power" mean, anyway? Does "power" refer to one's title? If you looked at how Deval Patrick's casino proposal turned out, you might argue that Patrick certainly didn't merit fourth place. But he does get to have "governor" in front of his name. Does "power" refer to popularity? Of course,......

Did you wonder where your Boston NOW person was this morning? The commuter paper, which promised to bring bloggers together with standard print media, has folded. The Globe's business ticker said the paper shut down "immediately" today due to "tough economic conditions being faced by its primary investors in Iceland." Boston NOW's own website (link via b0st0n LJ) points the finger squarely at the land of Bjork: "This healthy, growing 119,000-circulation daily is suddenly compelled......

Fox usually receives umbrage for its political coverage, but they made an absolutely insane, incomprehensible decision last night that has local bloggers up in arms. Last night, during the Red Sox-Yankees game, when Papelbon was against Cano, Fox 25 switched to NASCAR. Any programmer worth his or her salt would have known that Red Sox vs. Yankees is kind of a big deal in these parts and that NASCAR is most definitely not a big......

Machetes have popped up on the Blotter often, and two questions always pop up: a) How does one get a machete? and b) How does one tote around these large knives without getting caught? One item on the BPD Blotter was about a man who was just walking around with his machete dangling from his belt. The Herald decided to investigate. The cover of yesterday's paper is a terrifying number with a thuggy-looking tattoed......

Hingham Weather, which is the source for the game of musical chairs that is local TV news, reported that local TV station WBZ laid off about 30 people yesterday. The news spread, and Jessica Heslam at the Herald heard that the layoffs weren't a pretty sight: "Some employees were swiftly escorted out the door by security, sources said." While layoffs at newspapers seem to happen on a regular basis, a big layoff at a local......

The New York Times ran a story on college chastity clubs, with a focus on Janie Fredell of Harvard's True Love Revolution. As a counterpoint, the author interviewed Lena Chen, the Harvard student who wrote about her romantic escapades on Sex and the Ivy. In between when they interviewed her (November) and today's publication date, some jerk she used to date released nude photos of her, and she started cutting back on her blog. On......

Anyone seen Lewis Black's new television show, "Lewis Black's the Root of All Evil?" In it, two comedians take a side and debate which cultural figure or institution is more evil. Recently, the debate was between Oprah and the Catholic Church. If the following story is true, Oprah Winfrey might have another point against her. A woman in Lynn claims that Oprah Winfrey stole the idea for her new show "Oprah's Big Give." Darlene Tracy......

Tina Cervasio, the former NESN sports reporter with the rear that caught the eye of Jonathan Papelbon and broke Surviving Grady's heart is back! Boston Sports Media Watch says she is now on the MSG Network. No, not that kind of MSG, but the sports network that used to be Fox Sports Net New York. It's already hurting those who loved her to see her talk about New York Sports. Ugh.......

--St. Patrick's Day, of course! Platinum Elite has wonderful photos and commentary from the parade. We were particularly enamored of the Elvis sighting. [Platinum Elite] --Other kudos to Pax Arcana's fond memories of the holiday. Bring the Pepto to the Purple Shamrock, folks! [Pax Arcana] --While it's cool that governor Deval Patrick is heading over to New York state to attend the swearing-in of the state's new governor, David Paterson, we're not quite sure......

Matt Ashare is leaving the Boston Phoenix. The Weekly Dig broke the news and seems happy, as, for once, [they're not the ones in the news for alt-weekly staff turnover. Apparently the shakeup happened because the Phoenix's music coverage wasn't keeping on top of the trends. Sam Baltrusis at Loaded Gun notes that things might have gotten a tad crusty over there: "The Phoenix has the exact same editorial lineup it did when I left......

Boston's favorite dancing fool has proven that the squeaky wheel really does in fact get the grease. Closer Jonathan Papelbon must have attended the Curt Schilling “How to Use the Media to Your Advantage School." After a week of complaining that he wasn’t being taking care of and how he should get the money he deserved all in the name of baseball, Papelbon got the money he wanted on Thursday afternoon. According to Amalie......

The Globe is blushing right now. Columnist Adrian Walker, most frequently seen getting Universal Hub's dander up, was arrested early Sunday on an OUI. Making matters worse for the Globe, he was driving a company car when Transit Police in Dorchester arrested him for speeding. He told officers that he had been at Silvertone earlier. He has pled not guilty. But the word is out. The Globe mentioned the incident in "New England in Brief."......

We know you Bianca De La Garza fans are out there. The local newscaster, formerly of Fox 25 and recently of WCVB is, believe it or not, one of the most frequent search terms that leads to this site. De La Garza, who was freelancing for WCVB, is now the new morning anchor for the station. In an interesting twist, she will be competing against her husband, David Wade, who is the morning news......

--Flu isn't just prevalent in Boston right now. It's "raging." Don't leave home without the Purell. [Boston Globe] --Comm Ave is getting a 5-foot-wide bike lane on both sides between Kenmore Square and the BU Bridge by summer. [Boston Herald] --Chinatown continues to evolve into Condo Central. [Boston Herald] --GateHouse Media is cutting about 60 staff positions. Brighton Centered analyzes how that will impact one of GateHouse's local papers. [Brighton Centered] --Enjoy a slideshow of......

Music --The Willows bring to the Middle East Upstairs a brand of Americana country rock inspired by the seasonal carnival scene up in Salem. Alas, no salt water taffy is included in the price of admission. With The Vic Morrows, The Resonance, The Giant Melons. Middle East Upstairs, 472 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, doors 9:00, 18+, $8. --While the show has been sold out for weeks, if there's any way you can get in we......

--The State Supreme Judicial Court just overturned the conviction of a Methuen ex-police officer accused of raping a woman in 2000. The case hinged on whether or not lawyers could prove the woman was "too intoxicated to consent, not that she was merely high and drunk." However, the SJC felt that the trial judge didn't give proper instructions to the jurors. The ex-officer will get a new trial. [Boston Globe] --In a similar case,......

Despite what Bostonist is now calling "The Debacle" of last night, other stuff happened today. --The weather will be appropriately "dreary" on the day during which the Rolling Rally was scheduled. But at least it will be easier to vote! [Boston Globe] --Speaking of elections, many of the presidential candidates are looking for Massachusetts love. [WBZ] --The mother of Imette St. Guillen, who was murdered by a bouncer in New York City, has filed......

--A possible idea for Banditos Misteriosos? It might beat No Pants 2K8, if only for the reason that your bare thighs wouldn't have to touch any part of an MBTA car. [b0st0n LiveJournal] --Barstool Sports has no love for Arlen Specter now that Specter is mucking around with VideoTapeGate. A sample line: "Next up on the agenda, investigating the role of WWF referees in world title victory by Andre the Giant over Hulk Hogan in......

Tina Cervasio, whose aerodynamic behind put Papelbon in a state of awe, is leaving NESN at the end of March. Wailing and gnashing of teeth ensued, as New England--not to mention players--were besotted with Cervasio. What happened? Cervasio was a big enough name that it would be surprising if NESN didn't fight to keep her. The Track Girls say, however, that Cervasio wanted more money in her contract, and http://www.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view.bg?articleid=1070220&srvc=home&position=2">NESN wasn't willing to cough up.......

Ted Kennedy catches a lot of crap just being himself. Ted-Kennedy-As-Orator is probably Jon Stewart's second-favorite impression after the George W. Bush chuckle. Throw in the alleged drinky-drinky, and Ted Kennedy makes for quite the media spectacle. Since he announced his endorsement of presidential aspirant Barack Obama, the Peanut Gallery has renewed its love affair with poking fun at Teddy. But Glenn Beck at Headline News hurt our brains when he started imagining our Senator......

"Bye-weeks. Bronco Nagurski didn't get no bye-weeks! And now he's dead! Well, maybe they're a good thing." - Moe, The Simpsons These are the times that try fan's souls. The cavalcade of ridiculousness that is Media Day is long over, but the actual game is still three looooooong days away. But with 564,000 media members stomping around Greater Phoenix, stories will be filed even if there's no story there. And we have to talk about......

Super Bowl Media Day is the professional football equivalent of the annual family reunion. A bunch of people get together, often traveling long distances, for the purpose of catching up. There's little that they have in common, but since they sort of fall under the same name, everyone has to make nice. The hijinks on display makes for a hilarious time for those not directly involved. People make nice and dumb down the stories of......

Our two local papers enjoyed a Super Bowl-scale brawl yesterday when the Track Girls chided the Globe for selling a book on the Patriots' undefeated season. As if it's a crime. Bostonist loves the Track Girls, but how do they think teams get their championship T-shirts and caps so quickly? A wizard waving a wand? People print them beforehand, just like they print books beforehand, and the Globe had the foresight to get ready for......

The Globe reported that the Metro was shrinking, and Joe Keohane at Boston Daily noted that the Globe got details wrong. Then the Metro trumped that little blunder by reporting that the Globe was planning "hundreds" of layoffs and would raise the price of the paper to 75 cents. The Globe told the Herald that's not so. Meanwhile, the Herald stands by, endlessly amused, not the least because the Globe and the Metro are......

Yesterday, Bostonist spread the word that the daily paper the Metro is going through a tough time, a fairly standard story as far as journalism is concerned. While comparing the Globe and the Herald's takes on the Metro shakeup, which included staff dismissals and the publisher's resignation, Bostonist noticed a change in tone between the articles. Boston Daily's Joe Keohane worked his sources at the Metro and found that the Globe may have gotten parts......

Guess the Metro really is in trouble. Without a buyout from the Examiner, they are cutting staff positions, including a sports editor, and the publisher has resigned. People make fun of the Metro, but it's a part of any commuters' daily life. Most people get their news first from the Metro and some even become buddies with their morning vendors. The New York Times Company, which owns the Globe, has a 49 percent stake in......

When it comes to the battle of Boston's daily papers, we didn't think that the Metro was in trouble. Sure, the daily papers aren't meaty, but they help while wile away the time on a subway ride. Boston NOW has also had some problems with getting the little things right, such as an unfortunate boo-boo on its front page after the New Hampshire primaries. But the Metro's parent company wants to sell Metro Boston. That......