The Fallout to the Fallout

Wouldn’t it be nice for once if a Boston team could lose, and that would be that?

Posted by Jason Schwartz on 2/8/2012 at 11:49AM | 2 Comments

If you were like me, the moment Tom Brady’s hail mary pass touched the Indianapolis turf, you changed the channel. No confetti, no coaches’ handshake, no trophy presentation. We switched the TV over to Puppy Bowl replays. Football season was over, and I really didn’t even want to think about any of it again for at least a week. Better yet, call me in April for the draft.

That, of course, seems to have been wishful thinking. Apparently, it’s impossible for a Boston team to lose now without fallout. Somehow they manage this in other cities — did you hear about any tabloid crises when the Rangers lost the World Series? Or even when the Heat, for all their troubles, got dropped in the NBA Finals? Well, we know what happened with the Red Sox back in September: fried chicken, beer, video games, and pain killers. Accusations of pitchers out of shape and players discontented. And then there was Tito and Theo exiting stage left. READ MORE

Why Conservative Republicans Aren’t Important

Mitt Romney cares more about independents than winning the hearts of the GOP.

Posted by Patrick Doyle on 2/8/2012 at 9:32AM | No Comments

Independent voters(Photo via ThinkStock.)

Yesterday, Rick Santorum skated to victory in the Minnesota and Colorado caucuses and a non-binding primary in Missouri, thumping Mitt Romney. In fact, in Minnesota — a state Romney won in 2008 — the former Massachusetts governor finished an embarrassing third, behind Santorum and Ron Paul. It’s just another sign that Republican voters are still rebelling against the presidential nomination of Mitt Romney. Whatever the reason — too wooden, too moderate, too Mormon, too much of a flip-flopper — the GOP still doesn’t love him. Or even, it seems, like him very much.

Caucuses, though, only attract the most hardcore of voters: Instead of pulling some levers or punching some buttons, you need to go to a public place and actually confer with your neighbors on whom to select. That’s a pretty self-selecting group of people that doesn’t look much like the average voter. And Romney’s campaign war chest, friendly super PACs, and his superior organization mean that he’s still the odds-on favorite to win. The question is: To win the Republican nomination, will Romney need to stake out more conservative positions, thereby alienating independent voters?

Although constantly hyped in the media, independent voters are still the key to winning the general election. A Gallup poll from January show the following breakdowns of American voters:

Republicans: 27 percent
Independents: 42 percent
Democrats: 30 percent

The majority of those so-called “independent” voters, though, generally have a preferred party. With these “leaners” counted, the parties look more like this:

Republicans: 44 percent
Independents: 8 percent
Democrats: 47 percent

That 8 percent of American voters will decide the election. The good sign for Romney: Only 37 percent of independent voters approve of Barack Obama’s job performance. The bad sign for Romney: Only 19 percent of independent voters have a favorable opinion of him. That’s the race he’s rightly concerned about.

Slideshow: The Most Divorced Towns in Massachusetts

Posted by daily feed on 2/8/2012 at 9:22AM | No Comments

Just in time for February 14, an 80-click slideshow featuring the towns in Massachusetts with the highest rate of divorce, according to census data. The top five with the highest divorce rates are Vineyard Haven (19.29 percent divorced), Orleans (21.11 percent), Monson (21.73 percent), Great Barrington (22.08 percent), and No. 1 Onset (27.48 percent). Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!  [WCVB]

Driving Costs At Boston’s Schools

Health insurance — and busing — eat up dollars that could be spent in the classroom instead.

Posted by Steve Poftak on 2/8/2012 at 9:01AM | No Comments

Education spending is one of those things that makes everyone feel good — we all want what’s best for kids, right?

That good feeling begins to fade when you see that many of the drivers of increased spending aren’t directly related to classrooms. In the (laudably detailed) proposed budget for FY13, BPS superintendent Carol R. Johnson notes that health insurance is flat for the upcoming year but will increase by $7.7m in FY14 (on a base of $127.7m in total benefit spending). As noted in a 2010 research report, spending on health benefits increased by more than the increase in state education aid from 2000 to 2007. In other words, all the additional tax dollars the state spent on education during that time was spent on health insurance, not improving classroom instruction.

Transportation is another cost, rising to $80 million in the FY13 budget, with an increase of several million last year and a much larger increase anticipated for FY14. One of the drivers of these costs is the complex assignment system that splits the city into three zones and allows choice within each zone (resulting in lots of busing). I ponder this topic in greater depth in February’s Boston magazine. Go take a look.

Single and Celebrating Valentine’s Day?

Couples aren't the only ones who can celebrate February 14.

Posted by Lana Fox on 2/8/2012 at 8:46AM | No Comments

Don’t have a lover this Valentine’s Day? Then it’s time to celebrate being solo! Boston knows the value in standing alone or with friends, and singletons can really enjoy some single romance this February. Here are some ways of celebrating you.

Put the Art in Heart: Even the goddess of love enjoys her alone-time as you’ll see if you visit the Museum of Fine Arts during Valentine’s week. The exhibition “Aphrodite and the Gods of Love” closes on the 20th, so why not feast your peepers on these classics while you can? The exhibits celebrate passion while also reminding us of the trouble that romantic love can bring. (Let’s face it, Venus ain’t always about the warm fuzzies, and she’s certainly a powerful singleton). And if you’re more about the modern, I recommend Shepard Fairey at the Institute of Contemporary Art. This bold, inspiring artist often portrays lone figures who, in my view, wouldn’t seem half as powerful if portrayed in a pair or group. READ MORE

Mitt Romney’s Latest ‘Hurdle’: Rick Santorum’s Hat Trick

Posted by daily feed on 2/8/2012 at 8:38AM | No Comments

No, not the hat trick where the magician pulls the rabbit out of the hat (but that probably applies here, too). ‘Non-factor’ candidate Santorum won Minnesota, Colorado, and Missouri last night, which, in a way, are non-factor states since they don’t bear much weight for awarding delegates.  [MSNBC]

The Most Divorced Towns in Massachusetts

Posted by daily feed on 2/8/2012 at 8:29AM | No Comments

Slideshow: The Most Divorced Towns in Massachusetts. Just in time for February 14, an 80-click slideshow featuring the towns in Massachusetts with the highest rate of divorce, according to census data. The top five with the highest divorce rates are Vineyard Haven (19.29 percent divorced), Orleans (21.11 percent), Monson (21.73 percent), Great Barrington (22.08 percent), and No. 1 Onset (27.48 percent). Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!  [WCVB]

Mitt Romney’s Latest ‘Hurdle’: Rick Santorum’s Hat Trick. No, not the hat trick where the magician pulls the rabbit out of the hat (but that probably applies here, too). ‘Non-factor’ candidate Santorum won Minnesota, Colorado, and Missouri last night, which, in a way, are non-factor states since they don’t bear much weight for awarding delegates.  [MSNBC]

Plan for Longfellow Bridge Revamp Unveiled. The bridge will shrink from two lanes to one outbound and widen the bike lanes and sidewalks. The renovation is expected to start in a year.  [Globe]

Gisele to the Patriots: More Like Jessica Simpson to the Cowboys or Yoko Ono to the Beatles? This burning question needs an answer and, naturally, everyone who’s weighing in seems to agree on one thing: Less is more. “Giselle must keep away from the locker room and refrain from any statements to the media regarding Tom and/or the Patriots, in order to preserve the relationships between her husband and his teammates,” publicist and sports blogger Angie Meyer said.  [Fox]

This is What 900 Pounds of Butterfingers in Copley Square Look Like. A pawnbroker dumped the candy to pay tribute to Wes Welker, aka, 185 pounds of butterfingers on the Pats roster. Get it? The mayor’s office will issue a citation for commercial dumping.  [Citizens Connect / Universal Hub]

That Awkward Moment When Caffeine Huffing Replaces Coffee Drinking. AeroShot, a Chapstick-sized tube containing inhalable caffeine, is on the market in Massachusetts, thanks to Harvard biomedical engineering professor David Edwards.  [Boston.com]

Is Gisele to the Patriots Like Jessica Simpson to the Cowboys?

Posted by daily feed on 2/8/2012 at 7:55AM | No Comments

This burning question needs an answer and, naturally, everyone who’s weighing in seems to agree on one thing: Less is more. “Giselle must keep away from the locker room and refrain from any statements to the media regarding Tom and/or the Patriots, in order to preserve the relationships between her husband and his teammates,” publicist and sports blogger Angie Meyer said.  [Fox]

This is What 900 Pounds of Butterfingers in Copley Square Look Like

Posted by daily feed on 2/8/2012 at 7:15AM | No Comments

A pawnbroker dumped the candy to pay tribute to Wes Welker, aka, 185 pounds of butterfingers on the Pats roster. Get it? The mayor’s office will issue a citation for commercial dumping.  [Citizens Connect / Universal Hub]

That Awkward Moment When Caffeine Huffing Replaces Coffee Drinking

Posted by daily feed on 2/8/2012 at 6:33AM | No Comments

AeroShot, a Chapstick-sized tube containing inhalable caffeine, is on the market in Massachusetts, thanks to Harvard biomedical engineering professor David Edwards.  [Boston.com]
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