Spanning the Web

Taking you around the internet for your afternoon enjoyment.

We’ve still got their tea: Yet again, the area that used to house the Boston Tea Party museum caught fire this afternoon (it also caught happened in 2001). We’re not big believers in the supernatural, but two fires in six years has us thinking King George III is still pissed about losing all that tea. [WBZ]

In more modern revolutionary news: Drivers in Merrimack, New Hampshire are paying their tolls in pennies today to protest the inordinate number of Everett Turnpike tolls in their town. Residents say they’d like to see the tollbooths removed and make the money by raising the gas tax statewide. [WBZ]

In case you missed it: This weekend, the Globe ran a piece about the rampant violation of sanitary codes in some of Boston’s most chi-chi restaurants. At Universal Hub, restaurant workers add their own stories of bad hygiene if the Globe’s coverage didn’t set you off your fois gras. [Globe via Universal Hub]

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out: Now that politicians have had time to digest the imminent departure of Alberto Gonzales, the knives are out. Ted Kennedy is happy and the prosecutors and attorneys who were fired by Gonzales are hopeful that his departure will remind everyone of the Constitution. President Bush is sad Gonzales’ name was “dragged through the mud,” and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell hopes the next AG won’t suffer from the “poisonous partisanship” Gonzales faced. On the Globe’s Political Intelligence blog, Foon Rhee warns that while Democrats are enjoying victory today, they’ve lost another example they have used to vilify the Bush administration’s practices. [Boston.com, Political Intelligence]

Strange how that happens: An intruder in Jamaica Plain who jumped from a fourth-floor window when Boston Police showed up has died from his injuries. Jail isn’t fun, but neither is massive head trauma. [BPDNews.com]

Welcome back: Holdout corner Asante Samuel has rejoined the Patriots. Smart guy. He skipped most of training camp and reported in time to start collecting those $450,000 game checks. [Globe]