Why Massachusetts Is the Best State in the Union

Why Massachusetts Is the Best State in the Union. Over at Slate, Mark Vanhoenacker, who fled Somerville for New York, looks at education, social well-being, and economic strength as the reasons why Massachusetts is such a great place to live. He writes: “Through all the red mist and flying blue fur this election year, it’s worth reminding voters of a truth Romney probably won’t be emphasizing: The nation’s favorite punching bag is an exceptionally successful state.” Nothing like a little self-assurance to help beat the Monday doldrums. [Slate]

Tom Brady’s No Spring Chicken (But He Has No Idea). A couple of things stick out in Peter King’s weekly column for Sports Illustrated. First, that Brady still sees himself as a spring chicken: “… I still feel like I’m in my first year trying to prove myself. There’s no entitlement around coach Belichick. I’ve got to be the best guy for him to keep playing me. When I’m not, someone else will play.” And second, that Gisele is starting to catch on to his lacking sense of time: “My wife said to me, ‘When I met you [in 2006], you said you wanted to play 10 more years. How come that number never goes down?’ It’s that I love the game. I love the game. I’m going to play until they tell me they don’t want me anymore.” [SI.com]

Boston’s Version of Rock, Paper, Scissors: Bike, Car, Red Line. The bike wins, at least in a race from Kendall to Davis Square this morning. [Universal Hub]

Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson Gets The Boot for Lying About Stonehill Education. It’s kind of a drop in the bucket for Yahoo, which is now onto its fourth leader in as many months. [Boston Business Journal]

Massachusetts Has One of the Most Secure Driver’s Licenses … Until Now! Six secrets that keep counter-fitters/thieves at bay aren’t so secret anymore. [WCVB]