No, Charlie Baker went for a deep cut off the Caddyshack cast, recruiting John F. Barmon, Jr., who played Spaulding Smails, the idiot manchild grandson of the villainous Judge Smails. Barmon may have been busy since 1980, but not in Hollywood. Well, the world needs ditch diggers, too.

You can watch Baker and Barmon as they stopped by Fox25 earlier this week. Baker kind of fails on an impromptu Caddyshack trivia quiz, but we'll let it slide because (a) he admits he hasn't seen it in a while, and (b) most of the funniest stuff from the film would be unseemly for a Republican to mention on live television. Though if Baker had followed up a wrong answer with an exclamation of "Double farts!", Bostonist would have pledged our vote right there and then.

Barmon was cagey on TV about what he's been up to, saying only that he met Baker while "moonlighting" at a restaurant somewhere downtown. Good for him for keeping his chin up and being able to smile while his shorts are too tight for his seat. They're planning to do a couple of fundraisers together, so Barmon will be in the public eye quite a bit in the weeks to come. Fifty bucks says the kid picks his nose.

One of the best things about the Internet is you can gawk at car crashes from the comfort of your favorite chair.

A speeding SUV careens into the Four-Mile Country Store in Westfield, Mass. after the driver apparently fell asleep. She passed a field sobriety test. No one, not even the driver or her four-year old daughter who was a passenger, was seriously injured.

The crash happened on Sunday, August 15. No idea why it took over two weeks for the crash clip to make its YouTube debut. The store is repaired and back in business.

-- A 28-year old Everett man was arrested for assault and battery on Thursday for the alleged stabbing of two 22-year olds. Police stopped the suspect in the North End. Universal Hub referred to the victims as "gang members."[BPDNews.com]

-- Two 18-year old males were shot early on Thursday on Blue Hill Ave. in Roxbury. One victm later died. Police knew both victims. Contact the Boston Police Homicide Unit at (617) 343-4470. [BPDNews.com]

-- Lakeisha Gadson was sentenced to six months in the Suffolk County House of Correction for misleading police regarding the shooting death of her son, Liquarry Jefferson, by her nephew. Defense attorney Peter Krupp said: "Miss Gadson has already lost her son. It's a punishment greater than any punishment the court could impose.'' [Globe]

-- Thomas Mortimer IV was held without bail during his arraignment in Woburn Superior Court. He is charged with four counts of first-degree murder for allegedly killing his wif, two children and mother-in-law. [WBZ]

All charges alleged until proven under law.

• Something that's neither a rum drink or college footballer is headed in our direction. [WHDH]
• Hide the trashy ladies! Tiger Woods is in town, and the PGA is concerned about a weather delay. [All Headline News]
• After hanging out at the UFC Fan Expo and Harvard Square, Shaq is now "The Big Wedding Crasher". [NESN]
• After Tim Cahill's admission of delinquent taxes, two more state candidates realize they owed taxes as well. [Boston Globe]
• Whoever scheduled the upcoming gubernatorial debate doesn't have a desk calendar that lists Jewish holidays. [Boston Herald]
• Manny is flying in his barber before tomorrow's return to Fenway. [ESPN]
• Pedro still loves Boston and would like to rejoin the Sox next year. [NECN]
• Chatroulette had an episode of "Pat (linebacker receiving oral sex) roulette". [Boston Herald]
• If you're keeping track, Earl will be the 8th New England hurricane since 1938. [Boston Globe]

Remember Beck's "Restoring Honor” rally on Saturday? (FYI - Bostonist doesn't believe Beck's claim that the date of his rally just happened to fall on the same date, 47 years later, as Martin Luther King Jr.'s “I Have a Dream Speech." It was clearly on purpose.)

The rally has become an issue in the Massachusetts gubernatorial race.

On Wednesday on the “Jim & Margery Show” on WTKK-FM, Gov. Deval Patrick was asked about the location of Beck's rally. He said he wished it should not have been at the Lincoln Memorial. His words: “It’s a free country. I wish it weren’t, but . . . it’s a free country. You know, you got to, you got to respect that freedom."

Tim Cahill, obviously looking for a way to avoid talking about his tax "oversight," took the opportunity to pounce on the Governor's poor choice of words. He said "It’s pretty unbelievable and typical of the far left. When they don’t like what the other side says, they want to close down free speech."

That's ridiculous. Patrick doesn't think Beck shouldn't have his rally. He thought a different location would be better. Patrick's problem, to us, is that he waited until after the rally to comment on it.

Beck also is planning a trip to Alaska on September 11.

Bostonist thinks Beck had the right to have his rally where and when he did. We know the time and place wasn't an accident.

According to Public Policy Polling, 20% of Alaskans want Romney for president. Palin tied Mike Huckabee at 17%

Ironically, the Globe referred to "rugged pickup truck conservatism" to describe Alaska's politics in their story about the poll. Brown's campaign symbol was his truck. Romney has a truck now, too.

But the Sox didn't want to let Lester's 12-0 lifetime record against the O's to die last night, and they got their revenge on Baltimore's bullpen. Marco Scutaro hit a 2-run homer off Mark Hendrickson (tying the game at 5), then Victor Martinez doubled in a run off Alfredo Simon, and Adrian Beltre soon followed with a 3-run homer. "We were able to put it together when we needed to," who seems not to have gotten the memo that fans and the media have largely checked out of this season. Neither did Lester, who got through his miserable first couple innings ("For some reason, it was kind of like a rainstorm came through early on,...I was slipping a little bit," he explained) and wound up striking out 10 for his 15th win.

The big baseball news happened yesterday in Miami, where for the first time in history, a bench-clearing brawl outnumbered the paid attendance. It had something to do with Washington's Nyjer Morgan (who has apparently gone loco in the cocoa getting thrown at and then stealing bases and angering the Marlins, who then threw at him again. If nothing else, watch for the superb clothesline by Florida's first baseman.

First reactions are in to the Celtics' re-acquistion of Delonte West, and they're mostly pretty good. Kelly Dwyer at Yahoo! says the C's veterans could really help him grow up. Danny Ainge tells Gary Washburn he wished he never had to trade Delonte in the first place. Jeff at CelticsBlog is also hoping for the best, while Bill Simmons tweets, in so many words, that this is all about getting under LeBron's skin.

The storm could produce winds close to 100 miles per hour. As a result, the Bay State is preparing already.

The National Weather Service has issued a hurricane watch for the Cape and Islands, eastern and southern Plymouth county, and southern Bristol county. A tropical storm watch was issued for eastern Essex County, Suffolk County, eastern Norfolk County, and interior Bristol and Plymouth Counties.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency has issued emergency tips to prepare for Earl. Tips include getting canned goods and nonperishable foods, cover windows with plywood, trim back trees, fill your gas tank, protect your important insurance documents, and have a family communication plan.

The full-day event at Microsoft's New England Research & Development Center gathered to network, and give and listen to improptu talks on topics ranging from game scripting to narrative design.

Aside from being actively involved in their own game projects and companies, organizers Darius Kazemi and Scott MacMillan are responsible for two of Boston's great resources for developing the local video game community, Boston Post Mortem and Boston Indies, respectively. GameLoop represents a growing trend of community-building and openness in the Boston area for game studios and entrepreneurs.

The format of the "unconference" was fairly simple: Attendees started the day welcomed by coffee and pastries (and unconventionally attractive t-shirts for early registrants), then made their way into the largest conference room where they began suggesting ideas for sessions in a large group format. Kazemi and MacMillan took notes on a whiteboard while throwing in enough humor to make it worth the 9 a.m. start-time.

Next, whiteboards were rolled into the halls, and everyone entered into an informal vote for their most interesting sessions, with top hour-long talks making the schedule. More than 50 organized discussions or talks took place throughout the day.

Conan O'Brien was last seen serving as a Jimmy Fallon punchline, and a nominee, at the 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday.

His next appearance might be the premier of "Conan," his new talk show on TBS scheduled for November 8. Yes, the new show's name is the host's first name.

The man also called Coco revealed the name on YouTube today in a 2:03 clip in a very blah office. He wrote the name on a piece of white paper, and accidently - on purpose - said the show starts in December and not November. He appeared to write "Conaw" instead of "Conan."

One question remains: Will he keep the beard?

They can redeem themselves in tonight's 2010 SuperLiga title game against Mexican Primera Division squad Monarcas Morelia at Gillette Stadium. "(Tonight) we have a chance to bring a SuperLiga title back to Boston and we’re going to give it our all.,” midfielder Shalrie Joseph said.

They do well in SuperLiga games, especially against Mexican teams. The Revs won the 2008 SuperLiga tournament, the only time an MLS team won it. The Revs record in SuperLiga play is 8-1-4, including 7-0-1 against Mexican teams.

The Revs might be in an uphill battle against Morelia as Kenny Mansally and Sainey Nyassi won't be with the club. They're playing for Gambia in this week's African Nations Cup qualifier.

-- A Lynn police officer was indicted by an Essex County grand jury for assault and battery and witness intimidation related to an incident in July. The suspect's girlfriend was also indicted on two counts of witness intimidation. [WCVB]

-- The FBI charged Martin Raffol with campaign finance-related charges in a corruption investigation that initially focused on ex-state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson. Raffol used to work for developer WinnCompanies. [Herald]

-- A 10-year old is headed to Juvenile Court for stealing a bike. [BPDNews.com]

All charges alleged until proven under law.

• State Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill's campaign committee failed to pay about $15,000 in state income taxes. Does his campaign need a new treasurer? [Boston Globe]

• A report from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office determined CEO Paul Levy's "inappropriate personal relationship" "endangered" the reputation of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. [MassHighTech.com]

• A commuter rail station in Chelsea is inaccessible to commuters in wheelchairs. [WCVB]

• Senator Orrin Hatch supports the Ground Zero mosque project in New York. He compared it to building a Mormon temple in Belmont. [Boston Globe]

• A Chihuahua given the name Gandhi is being cared for by the MSPCA after being found in a Lawrence dumpster on August 13. The MSPCA believes Gandhi is almost 12-years old. [WBZ]

• The State Police Bomb Squad investigated and cleared three suspicious briefcases at Petco in Natick. [MetroWest Daily News]

• Hurricane Earl might be visiting New England by Friday. [WCVB]

• City taxpayers bought lots of food for city workers. [Boston Herald]

• DCist reports on the hostage situation at the corporate headquarters of the Discovery Channel. [DCist]

See Barney Frank at approximately 29:30.

Rep. Barney Frank made one of his fairly regular visits to “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” on Tuesday. He seemed subdued to Bostonist, but still had his moments.

He fortunately didn't really know who Kim Kardashian is, and said he doesn't care for reality television because he deals with reality as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. "Reality hasn’t been all that great lately,” Frank said.

Leno discussed Iraq with Frank, who said he wanted all the soldiers brought home. He's happy the "combat mission" is over. It's more complicated, though. "If there’s no combat, then I don’t know what they’re doing there," he said.

Frank supported legalizing marijuana on Leno's show.

[Politico]

He was funnier on the Colbert Report last month.

Sen. John McCain continues to make himself unrecognizable with belligerent statements like "if we had done what President Obama wanted, we would have failed in Iraq." No. If we listened to President Obama, and Senator Kennedy, we wouldn't even be there.

Bostonist was wondering what sort gutless crap McCain would have said if President Obama didn't address the country last night.

[CBS News]

There are some Republicans who believe President Barack Obama is a Muslim. Marty Lamb has some quirky policy issues he is campaigning on, and he even put his name on a barf bag, on purpose, because he thought it would help him.

We were surprised to find even more to snark on. Should we be? Perhaps not.

Jon Golnik is running for Congress in 5th congressional district, currently represented by Niki Tsongas. Both the Globe and the Herald reported Golnik had a drunk driving arrest in 2001 after an AC/DC concert. He reportedly had smoked marijuana that night, and was shirtless.

Jeff Perry is running to replace U.S. Rep. Bill Delahunt in D.C. He earned a college degree from Columbia State University and it turned out to be a fraudulent online diploma mill. He no longer keeps it on his resume. We know it's not really his fault. He since earned a B.A. from Curry College and a law degree from New England School of Law.

There's also one guy who really dislikes Perry.

We can't speak of Republicans without mentioning Mitt Romney and Senator Scott Brown. Neither man is running for Congress. They'll both be running for stuff soon enough. We'll leave the Romney-bashing to Meghan McCain for now.

As for Brown, is he the best of the Bay State Republicans?

Josh Beckett continued his frustrating season with a frustrating outing. He scattered seven hits over seven innings, but was more the victim of anemic offense and a key throwing error by Marco Scutaro than of his own inconsistency. We may never know, though; he joined the postgame stampede out of the clubhouse without answering questions. Hard to blame him; there's only so much you can say. Only Jed Lowrie's homer off Brian Matusz in the fifth kept it from being a shutout, and it finished 5-2 Baltimore, giving the miserable O's a winning record in August. Glad the Sox could liven somebody's day.

They did make one roster move yesterday, sending Manny Delcarmen to the Rockies for a minor leaguer and a couple of Denver omelets. Delcarmen's numbers were never horrible, but he got himself into more than his fair share of trouble on the mound over the years and Terry Francona kept starting and stopping showing enough confidence to put the kid into close games. Robert Manuel was called up from Pawtucket to fill the slot in the bullpen.

We know you've been wondering what Chad Ochocinco has in store for Week One of the NFL season in Foxboro. At least, we know the media has been wondering, since Ochocinco's good for a higher press-release-ink-spilled to actual-accomplishment ratio than anyone this side of PETA. Well, the wait is over; Chad Tweeted that he "will be taking the minute men rifle and firing as they do when the PATS score". He'll do well to save one bullet for Terrell Owens, who will probably be griping by then about not being thrown the ball.

It was a busy day for the Pats, who made the grim announcement that CB Leigh Bodden is gone for the year, leaving the shaky defense even more shaky. And rookie Brandon Spikes could be in a little hot water after some webcam indiscretions. Great, another Patriots videotape scandal.

For the second year in a row, Boston Magazine named Weston High School as the best public high school in Massachusetts.

The top 10 schools include Dover-Sherborn, Lexington, Wellesley, Concord-Carlisle, Bedford, Brookline, Wayland, Newton North and Newton South. Other top schools include Westwood, Cohasset, Duxbury, Norwell, Hingham, Cambridge Rindge and Latin, Marblehead, Winchester and Belmont.

Rankings include such factors as MCAS scores, per pupil spending, studen-teacher ratio, and graduation rate.

Two other schools are getting attention this time of year for two completely different reasons. One school, Newton North, is on the Boston Magazine list of top schools.

On Tuesday, Newton unveiled a stunning new school that cost $197 million, the costliest high school ever built in Massachusetts. It is one of the most expensive high schools in the nation. It's pretty to look at, and has everything that could ever be built into the school including science labs, a spacious library, sports facilities, and a student run café that is open to the public one day each week.

-- Kamal Oliver, 27, was arrested and held on $200,000 cash bail for allegedly shooting a Lyndhurst Street man. Oliver pleaded not guilty to armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and other weapons charges at Dorchester Municipal Court. [Globe, Herald]

-- Two Weymouth residents were found unconscious outside Wendy’s restaurant on Route 138 in Easton and were arrested on charges of possession of heroin on Tuesday. [Brockton Enterprise]

-- Boston Police arrested a Dedham man for robbing two women in the Back Bay around midnight yesterday. Boston, Dedham, and State Police arrested the suspect in Dedham. [BPDNews.com]

All charges alleged until proven under law.

• Moving TARDIS. TARDIS practice. Pick your pun. That sucker is mobile. [Universal Hub]

• Virginians probably thought their RMV was probably just incompetent. It's really EMC that messed up. Don't mess with Hopkinton. [Boston Globe]

• Great news from JetBlue. Next May, the airline will start offering daily nonstop service from Newark to Boston. Now we just need a reason to visit Newark. [Boston Globe]

• The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled the Cape Wind project can proceed despite denials from local authorities. [Boston Business Journal]

• Two Cape Cod beaches were closed due to high surf and rip currents on Monday and Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester was closed today for the same reasons. [WBZ]

• Another aide to Boston Mayor Tom Menino has left his administration. J. Larry Mayes will be vice president of programs at Catholic Charities. [Boston Globe]

• Natural disaster humor from Michael Graham! [Boston Herald]

• We understand how Meghan McCain could have become ill at the thought of Mitt Romney. The idea that she got paid to write a book causes Bostonist to feel the same. [Boston Globe]

• Believe it or not, you can bring your dog on the T during off-peak hours (9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and after 7 p.m.) [Boston Herald]

• This week, the New England Aquarium in Boston is hosting 180 scientists and experts in order to determine the best way to protect penguins. Twelve of 18 species of penguins are considered threatened. On Wednesday night, there is a free public presentation about penguins at the New England Aquarium’s IMAX Theater. Hopefully, they'll meet the new penguin chick.

• There's a three-foot-long alligator loose at Sisson Pond in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Police and state Department of Environmental Management personnel saw the creature.

• Homes and businesses in Massachusetts and New Hampshire lost power Monday after two geese collided with power lines in Methuen. The lines carried 28,000 volts of electricity. Some 19,000 homes in Lawrence, Methuen, and Salem, N.H. lost power. [Lawrence Eagle Tribune]

You could be in Starbucks or a java joint like Barismo in Arlington and there are college-age people nursing a lukewarm drink as they waste time on the Internet work hard on a laptop computer. This trend is hurtng business, some shopowners say, and they're reacting to it.

"We don't let people use wireless during our busiest times. They don't care whether you are with young children, or your elderly grandmother. They are not going to give up their seat," said Guss Rancatore, who owns Toscanini's in Cambridge.

Channel 5's report also revealed the innate nerdiness of coffee people. Two quotes:

• "The holy grail is stable brewing temperature," said Justin McRae of Hi-Rise Cafe in Cambridge.

• "He's settling the grounds, then making a small divot. Now he's making concentric pours so it radiates outward, " said Barismo's co-owner Jamie Van Schyndel.

Regardless, it's still pretty easy to find cheap Wi-Fi. Just don't ask us to get too technical into how Wi-Fi works. We'll always accept free coffee, though.

We know that anything can happen. A butterfly could flap its wings, which unleashes a chain reaction that results in a bench-clearing brawl on Sept. 13, when the Rays and Yankees meet up at the Trop. The ensuing fight complete decimates both rosters and the 15 Rays fans on hand to experience the ballgame. When the smoke clears and the players have made their way to area hospitals, New York and Tampa Bay are out of the picture and the Red Sox can dance their way into the post season. And Red Sox fans would be alerted to this during a cut-in breaking news segment interrupting new lifestyle and science programs on NESN.

At this point, guys, that's pretty much what it would take. While the Red Sox still have more than a month of regular season baseball left, one look at the schedule and standings make it pretty clear that Boston baseball will be limping to the Oct. 3 season-ender. Think of this now as the Mike Lowell Farewell Tour. Think of it as your chance to second-guess Theo's decision to sign both Lackey and Beckett (but remember that most of us were thrilled during the winter about this). Revel in the relative ease with which you will be able to pick up tickets to a game (and predict what day the sellout streak comes to an end). And prepare to welcome back - again - the Dreadlocked One when the White Sox get into town.

Enjoy the rest of the season and what it might mean for the Red Sox future - Daniel Nava, Ryan Kalish, etc. Cheer 'em on down in Baltimore tonight. But acknowledge now that this has been that bridge year Theo referenced back in the offseason. There's always next year.

At least we have the Pats and the Bruins coming round the bend.

And at least we're not Dodgers fans.

It probably goes without saying that knocking over a location where you know police officers are is a bad idea. Two brothers from Yarmouth apparently didn't get that memo.

They robbed a cop's house twice, in July and August, and even stole two sets of police uniforms. They also got a TV, a computer, and a safe with a pistol in it. The safe was found buried in the suspects' backyard. Both suspects were arrested and each face multiple charges including breaking and entering, larceny and burglary.

Yarmouth Police reportedly told the Boston Globe that the suspects knew they were breaking into a police officer's home.

[Boston Globe], [Cape Cod Times]

On Monday, beachgoers were severely inconvenienced as Marconi Beach in Wellfleet and Coast Guard Beach in Eastham were closed for swimming due to high surf and rip currents. WCVB reported the surf and currents resulted from Hurricane Danielle.

A closed beach and some friggin' hot weather is not an ideal combination. We're also facing a third summer heatwave with Hurricane Earl riding shotgun. If you get by the heat, your beach house might have to stave off the ever-eroding coastline. Last week's rain didn't help in that regard, either.

In Narragansett, Rhode Island, the search for a missing Lowell man has become a recovery effort. Samnang Nou apparently drowned trying to rescue three relatives who fell into the water near Hazard Rock.

-- Two more T-pervs were arrested by MBTA Transit Police. [Globe]

-- Christopher Toppi, 28, of Cambridge was arraigned today for the murder of Brian Fahy, 28, of Weymouth. He's being held without bail. [Wicked Local Medford]

-- The father of 8-year-old Liquarry Jefferson, who was shot and killed by his cousin while playing with a gun in 2007, was convicted on gun possession charges. He faces 2.5 years in jail for the conviction in Suffolk County Gun Court last week. [Globe]

-- Gary Lee Sampson's lawyers want him to have a new trial. He received the death penalty for killing three people in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 2001. [Herald]

All charges alleged until proven under law.

• Massachusetts has become the 14th state to ban novelty lighters, although there is little hard data to indicate children are using them to start fires. [Boston Globe]
• Believe it or not, tobacco companies continue their increased marketing efforts in low-income neighborhoods. [Boston Globe]
• Some trees have begun to turn colors ahead of the usual fall foliage season. [Foster's Daily Democrat]
• The new Farmers’ Almanac predicts a colder season for New England, while other parts of the country may get a gentler winter. [Lewiston Sun Journal]
• Residents of a Maine island are split on the merits of the wind power generated since November. [Boston Globe]
• Get an early start, travelers! More people are projected to go out of town for Labor Day weekend than last year. [Boston Herald]
• Boston's newest luxury hotel-condo development is facing possible foreclosure by its main lender. [Boston Herald]
• Beacon Hill's African Meeting House is set to receive funds for a long-needed restoration. [Boston Globe]
• Pour some of your next 40 oz. Haffenreffer on the ground for the brew's creator. [Boston Globe]
• Good question: Where do students who use off-campus housing go when universities begin the new semester before September 1? [Boston Herald]
• Shaq hung out and turned on the charm around Harvard Square on Saturday. No report of inviting any students to crash at his Sudbury compound. [Boston Globe]
• UFC fighting debuted in Boston, and the fabric of society remained relatively intact. [Boston Herald]
• A local golfer hit two holes-in-one during the same round. [Boston Channel]

"It’s not probably going to cut it to just win series, so we have to get like seven, six, eight straight games to win," said Adrian Beltre, who seems to be the clubhouse's mathematician. Three coming up against the godawful Orioles is a good place to start testing that theory, but we all know it's going to take a miracle. John Lackey was game for last night, but either Tito left him in too long on a hunch or because there's nobody in the bullpen he'd rather have out there in the sixth, but Lackey turned a 3-1 lead into a 5-3 final on a titanic Carl Crawford home run and a parade of hits in the sixth and seventh.

At least nobody went down with injuries this weekend, though Victor Martinez almost capped off a great weekend by being killed by Carlos Pena on a home-plate collision. Victor held on to the ball for the out, though, walked it off, and finished the game. Microcosm alert! But without Victor homering last night, the Sox' offensive anemia really showed, and they only got one baserunner after the Rays had taken the lead. So now the Sox go to Baltimore (Beckett gets the start), and will hope that either Oakland or Toronto can help them out by shocking the Yanks or Rays, respectively. But the clock is ticking.

Tom Brady had a lot to say about the Patriots' woeful exhibition against the Rams last week. He told WEEI that "he [coach Belichick] gave it to us pretty good on Friday after the game and then again yesterday...I think he was just pissed off at us." Also trying to recover are their co-Foxboro tenants the Revolution, who scored early against the Philadelphia Union on Sunday, then let Philly's lethargic play lull them to sleep while the Union fired two goals past them, one in extra time.

The sole provider of unqualified good news in the local sports world is the Big Shamrock, who was in town to watch that UFC thing we refuse to even try to understand, but first popped in at Harvard Square to get a taste of his new hometown. Shaq ate a Bartley's burger, bought some books at Harvard Book Store, then wandered around the Yard. No word on whether he gave any money to the living statues or MassPIRG eager beavers that clog the Square on Saturday afternoons.

Just when you thought you've seen every color of crustacean ever created, we are treated to the freakiest shade of these tasty critters. The Portland Lobster Company got its hands on an orange and black calico lobster somewhere off of off Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

It's allegedly not as rare as an albino lobster, according to Diane Cowan of the Lobster Conservancy in Friendship. But, it looks like it has a rash or some form of lobster herpes.

• A week ago Saturday an abandoned warehouse fire in Roxbury turned into a nine-alarm blaze that required 150 firefighters to battle. The building fire was apparently caused by fireworks being used by people living there illegally.

  As a result of the Roxbury warehouse blaze, Mayor Thomas M. Menino created a task force to crack down on property-tax scofflaws and abandoned properties throughout Boston. He wants the almost 150 at-risk properties in the city to get repaired to reduce the hazards they present. "We’re going after them," he said.

• In another incident, a Rockland man faces up to 10 years in prison under the state's new "infernal machine" law passed in July after being charged with 210 counts of fireworks-related charges. On Friday, Robert A. Rinaldi was ordered held on $1 million cash bail until a September 27 preliminary hearing. Judge Robert Moynahan said Rinaldi "puts a town and community at risk, the Fire Department and Police Department and the ATF at risk, and children at risk, for money."

  In 2008 he was charged with 30 fireworks-related crimes twice in a four-month span. He was first investigted by State Police in 1990. In 1991, he sustained burns in a fireworks explosion. Neighbors reportedly knew he used and sold fireworks and had the nickname "Boom Boom."
  [Globe, Herald]

• Gothamist is stuck in a vortex of stories involving alleged Islamophobia: A week that started with a heated rally and confrontation outside the not-at-Ground Zero mosque, there were incidents of a man peeing on prayer rugs at a Queens mosque and a taxi driver who was stabbed after being asked if he was Muslim.




• Chicagoist watched a Lego version of the city come under attack by Lego Star Wars villains and then talked to the Lego Master Builder behind the chaos.




• Seattlest celebrated its WNBA team making the playoffs and solved a puzzle to score an invite to Facebook's housewarming party.




• Londonist hauled a couple of local papers over the coals as the Evening Standard nicked one of our photos and News Shopper rewarded an anti-gay letter with their star prize.




• DCist prepared for Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally on the National Mall by sharing one Tea Partier's guide to D.C. and publishing a handy map based on the skewed advice within.




• Shanghaiist was pounded by lighting and thunder storms, which unfortunately also caused the complete wreckage of one of its most historic, but neglected, historical landmarks - one that we had just visited earlier in the week.




• SFist prepared for Burning Man and questioned whether or not the event had any wind left in its counterculture sails.




• LAist discovered a messy "intersection" between the City of Santa Monica and a cancer research company where the business deal depends on building a bicycle lane.

Before we all nitpick Clay Buchholz, remember he pitched 7.1 innings and allowed only two runs. He actually lowered his league-leading ERA to 2.21. We're not sure what else Peter Abraham wants from Buchholz. Buchholz (15-5) is actually better than he was rumored to be, and if not for a quirk of the game, a play by J.D. Drew in which catching the ball was a mistake, we'd probably be focused on a season-changing sweep and the idea that Buchholz had just won the Cy Young.

As for Drew's play, we'll say this: It turns out he made the wrong play. But, normally, it's right to get an out. The best comparison we could think of for this type of situation was when Bill Belichick took a safety on a punt in Denver. We're not comparing Drew to Belichick.

Bostonist likes Vince Wilfork. The Globe's profile of the big guy today gives even more reasons to like the guy.