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With one month left before this year's legislative session ends, the clock is ticking on numerous bills, most of which will fade into irrelevancy come July 31st. This year saw an influx of voting bills, and Avi Green, of MassVote, is optimistic some will squeeze through.

"I'm incredibly hopeful," he enthuses. "We're late in the game, and all of these bills are still alive. That's hopeful."

The bills awaiting a verdict aim to smooth out inequities and increase turnout.

"Here's a trivia question: How long before the election should you register to vote?" Green asks. "Twenty-one days. A lot of people know the reasons they're passionate about a candidate, but if you don't know the answer to the trivia question, you're SOL." As a poll worker, Green had to turn away unregistered voters. "We give them a registration form as a consolation prize and say, 'See ya next year.'"

Bilingual ballots could continue to boost turnout. In 2005, the Department of Justice supervised elections in Boston's immigrant communities, and sued the city for violating the Voting Rights Act. The court mandated bilingual poll workers and ballots in Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.

The agreement expires in 2008. The city already approved legislation maintaining bilingual ballots, this time with candidates' names transliterated. Amy Leung, with the Chinese Progressive Association, explains current ballots offer multilingual instructions, with names printed in the Roman alphabet. "It's not fully bilingual if it doesn't include transliterated names," she says. "If I gave an English speaker a ballot with everything in English, except the name in Chinese characters, it would still be difficult to read."

Secretary of State William Galvin implements all things electoral. His spokesman, Brian McNiff, says he worries about writing names phonetically. "He believes that could lead to confusion with the voters," McNiff says. (His typical example is "Menino" sounds like the Chinese word for "imbecile" ... the classic response being that English-speakers who voted for Bush didn't elect a shrub.) "As a general rule, we don't favor election rules that only apply to particular communities."

If the legislature doesn't pass the home-rule petition, Bostonians lose bilingual ballots. The Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center's Ruth Moy says this could limit voter turnout, particularly among elderly immigrants. "I think the elderly are eager to vote, but they hesitate if they don't know how to read the ballot," she says.

Another bill is concerned with giving votes equal weight. The Electoral College allots each state electors (based on population), who all vote for their state's winning candidate, reducing the complexities of voting maps to the familiar "red" and "blue" states. In the 2000, 1888, 1876 and 1824 elections, the candidate with fewer votes won the Electoral College, and the presidency.

Pam Wilmot is executive director of the Massachusetts branch of Common Cause, an organization attempting to replace the Electoral College with a national popular vote. Legislation approving the switch has passed in Maryland, Illinois and New Jersey, and is pending in many states.

"We tend to sit out presidential elections, since whatever margin you win by, you get all the electors. In Massachusetts, it's pretty clear the Democrat will win, so campaigns focus on swing states," she says. "Some people remember they learned in civics class that small states benefit from this. They do in theory, but don't in fact."

Green says the Electoral College belongs to a history of denying voting rights, dating back to the three-fifths compromise in the Constitution. "Slave owners voted 'on behalf' of their slaves, so they had more electors than northerners. African-Americans, women and men without property were not allowed to vote," he says. "The history of our country has been overcoming that critical initial defect, slowly but surely extending the vote and making sure those votes were equal."

Appetite is a weird thing. Distinct from actual, physical hunger, the emotional compulsion to consume seems to be dependent on several shifting parameters: mood, company, one's willpower to resist the last brownie. Not only do menu descriptions, regardless of actual food quality, pique the palate (would you prefer "the chicken" or "free-range rosemary-basted coq au vin"?), but a study to be published in Psychological Science's October issue even suggests that menu typeface can influence diners. Eerie? Call it cravings of the brain.

But we have a hunch that knowing the story behind your dinner (the modern food chain) will do much more than tame or inflame the appetite—even, perhaps, change the way you think about the globalization, food policy and environmental effects. Heady, sure, but sometimes being in the position of tasting involves responsibility for being a tastemaker.

Speaking of tastemakers, there's lots of chew on here besides our summer dining spread. Meat's stuffed into new roles at the Pierre Menard Gallery, Emile de Antonio's subversive filmmaking charges through the Harvard Film Archive and, well, Devo and the Tom Tom Club are back.

Bon appétit!

We won't blow her cover, but this was written by an angsty singer-songwriter 

Dear Dig,It makes perfect sense that not one of the bands you picked has any sincerity to them (Local Music Issue, 6.4.08). God help us if we find/see/enjoy/feel sincerity. No, the Dig is much too "cool" for that. Irony is in. All the bands you chose are indie hipster bullshit that, in a few years, no one will have ever heard of. Have some courage Digfolk, and take notice of some of the people in this town that are not skinny-pants wearing hipsters just like you.ANONYMOUS

VIA EMAIL

Not so secret love

Hey Tak,

I have been a reader of your comics for about two years now. I just wanted to let you know that your comics make me think about the world around me sometimes, and I always have a good laugh as well. Your comic is just one of the reasons I read the Weekly Dig.

Keep up the good work.

ANONYMOUS

VIA EMAIL

I love your comics! They rock!

My geography teacher was talking about how diversity and discrimination are something people know about, but don't want to talk about. I agree. People are afraid to put out their opinions and their feelings on the matter for fear of disagreement.

But when I read just one of your comic strips, I totally agreed.

I love your comics. Keep up the good work!

LIZ P.

VIA EMAIL

Dear Mr. Toyoshima,

Once again your strip is so relevant to my own life! I am not about to be laid off like your comic's hero Sam is, but I am facing a life-changing possibility that could lead to the levels of anxiety poor Sam is suffering at the moment.

Fortunately, I've lived the last 10 or so years of my life as if there is a God who actually cares what happens to people, and I've always had a place to land, one way or another, in that time even when things came down to the wire and looked very bad for me. A solution always seems to be available, even at the last minute. So I am not worrying like poor Sam, this time around. I'm praying instead. In Sam's little world, YOU are his Creator, and I'm sure you, too, will find a solution for our hero.

Once again, keep those strips coming, please! This particular strip delights me every day with its simplicity, its insights and its plain old-fashioned cuteness! Every little light helps make others' lives a little lighter. Thank you!

ANONYMOUS

VIA EMAIL

Last Friday, everyone willing to gather in a conference room at an obscenely early hour—all 25 concerned citizens—discussed transforming the city with the Greenway Network. Influenced by Holland's extensive routes, Dr. Peter Furth, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northeastern University, presented a project, designed by him and his students, to improve bike paths and encourage biking in Boston.

"Often, when you ask a person if they would bike in the city, they say, 'I would if there were a safe route,'" Furth said, insisting the four Greenways—the Minuteman, the Charles River Esplanade, the Harbor Walk and the Arborway—must connect. "Unless your origin and destination are on the same greenway, there isn't a safe route," he said.

Furth is not the only bicycle access advocate. Michael Tyrrell, a civil design activist, leads The Harbor Trail Project, a plan for the 3.5-mile trail from Ruggles Station to the South Boston Fan Pier to connect to South Station, the Arboretum and the Fens. "A multiuse path along the southern seam of central Boston would benefit neighborhoods long detached from open space," he explained. "The Harbor Trail achieves this ... as well as reducing traffic congestion. Now with gasoline costs through the roof, the benefits appear more obvious."

Tyrrell and Furth don't work together, but each addressed the importance of the other's plans. Their goals are simple: To create safer routes and link isolated areas, consequently saving money otherwise invested in gas and parking, while lowering gas emissions by converting drivers to bicyclists.

The costs for Furth's project have not been calculated, though the South Bay Harbor Trail estimates alone total over $4 million. Suburban commuters are still stuck driving into the city, and pedestrians would face new hazards. "Where would [pedestrians] go?" one citizen asked at the meeting. "[Bicyclists] need to obey the bike laws and alert us with a verbal call or bell ... it is dangerous for us."

Despite concerns, the project is in motion. "The state is in the process of advancing $3.8 million for design and construction of the 3.5-mile trail [that will take place] over the next three years," Tyrrell said. "The goal is to make this very urban path as attractive and fun to use as possible. We believe that the trail will encourage Bostonians to look at the former South Bay Corridor in a new light—as a place to be and move through rather than avoid, as was historically the case."

"We're a city of champions. We are 'Title Town.'"

---Mayor Menino, on the Celtics' victory and their big parade from Beat LA Avenue to We Won Street. 6.18.08

"I was trying to go home, that's all. It was one of the best nights of my life that ended with a thud."

---Former most eligible bachelor and District Attorney Gary Zerola, on the thud he delivered to an officer's shoulder after police apprehended him for pissing near Faneuil Hall after the Celtics game. 6.18.08.

The unemployment rate in Massachusetts increased to 4.9 percent in May—shattering a four-month trend of steady decline—according to numbers released last Thursday by the Division of Unemployment Assistance.

Linnea Walsh, director of communications at the Department of Labor/Workforce Development, believes the numbers are "seasonal in nature," arguing an influx of recent college grads enlarges the worker pool, and that seasonality influences which sectors offer job opportunities. "Leisure and hospitality jobs tend to increase this time of year, as we gear up for the season," explains Walsh.

Massachusetts Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei, R-Wakefield, believes that the issue can't be solely attributed to seasonal hiring. "There's no one single problem to point to; it's actually a whole bunch of problems employers are dealing with," he says. "The high cost of doing business in Massachusetts and a number of anti-business actions taken by the legislature and the governor are having an even bigger impact by making companies more hesitant about creating new jobs."

Last month 1,400 jobs were created statewide.

"We continue to see solid job increases over the year," says Walsh. Education and health services are among the sectors with the greatest job growth, increasing 2.2 percent in the last year, with a boost of 400 jobs in May. Professional, scientific and business jobs also increased last month—jumping by 1.4 percent, or 700 jobs.

But real estate and leasing accounting declined, reflecting the housing crunch. Manufacturing and construction job numbers also fell.

"A lot of cyclical things come into play here ... there are job losses, but not huge ones," Walsh says, preferring enthusiasm. "Software publishing has been growing. They added 1,700 jobs over the year."

Gov. Deval Patrick's darling legislation for the life sciences (passed last week) is intended to jolt the state's industry.

"This groundbreaking legislation will help increase our talent pool and job opportunities, as well as attract new business," Walsh says.

Tisei insists that other industries remain neglected. This may explain why sectors that pay higher and require college degrees have seen growth, while "blue-collar" job opportunities decline.

"The problem is, the governor only seems interested in promoting some of the 'sexier' industries, such as life sciences and the movie industry, at the expense of all other businesses in the state," says Tisei.

Congrats to the Herald on their stunning Hey everybody—here's some terrifying news! mashup from Sunday. Tomato salmonella? Sucks. Gas prices? Suck. But the two brought together as one for the purposes of chumming for angst while presenting little new news? That's Pulitzer bait right there. Keep on keepin' on, fellas. Or not.

Because, speaking of You Bet We're Alive Today, the paper also proved last week that their cross-town competitor doesn't have the market cornered on crappy trend journalism. Not even close. Did you know that Red Auerbach used to smoke cigars? And even though he's dead, Bostonians are still smoking cigars? They're "back in vogue," you see. All thanks to the C's. Hooray!

[Cigar Masters] makes no excuses for catering to the wealthy. Most of the patrons have money or know how to dress the part ... But the cigar-soaked air was shared Friday by some holdouts from the Celtics celebration, college kids who flopped on the couches as though ready for a Grand Theft Auto marathon. They puffed away, dressed head to toe in cheap Red Sox and Celtics garb ...

And, if you were curious, yes, Howie Carr just did label Celtics fans as methadone addicts who work at McDonald's.

BOSTON MAGAZINE scribe John Gonzalez is blowing town momentarily to write about sports for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Not a moment too soon, either. It seems that, in the weeks since Gonzalez lambasted the Globe's metro columnists as soft and unimaginative, Kevin Cullen—the Irish guy in this current columny rotation, and the man who publicly refuted Gonzalez's attack on his work by arguing that Boston Magazine sucks—has, it appears, been steadily losing his mind. Or at least his ability to see a single thought through a 600-word column. If Gonzalez didn't blow town soon, we'd worry that, by next month, there'd be little more than a stream of drool running down the left side of City & Region Mondays and Thursdays.

After publicly undressing Gonzalez's employers, Cullen tackled Scott McClellan and the Celtics getting less white. This past week, his brain seemed to break a little more, as he closed out a Father's Day column about pickup ballgames and Yaz bread by wishing that Leon Powe would dunk over Kobe. Uh, yeah. Then, the next time out, he wandered around Ireland, asking anyone who'd listen who won the Celtics game. Apparently, there are no USA Todays or International Herald Tribunes in Ireland these days. Or, for that matter, internet access. The Irish, we learn, have been much too busy watching European soccer tournaments and voting. The latter development leads Cullen to compare Irish voters sinking the Lisbon Treaty to the Green hoisting their 17th banner. Don't scratch your head like that—it'll only make it worse:

There's something very refreshing about a small island in the Atlantic being able to stop a runaway train by using something as simple and beautiful as a vote. It's called democracy, and it works. A weird coalition of left-wingers and anti-abortion activists were able to beat a better-funded, government-backed campaign. It was as fun to watch as KG, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen hoisting the trophy.

SAVIOR OF ALL MEDIA Arianna Huffington announced last week that she's expanding beyond politics and into local news with the creation of a hyperlocal site dedicated to Chicago. She's seeking capital to fund the expansion, which, she told the Guardian's Future of Journalism conference, will eventually cover "dozens of US cities." She added, "We are aspiring to be a newspaper in that we want to [be] covering all news, not just the political blogging the way we began."

It's an interesting gambit. On one hand, local news is universally acknowledged as the media's only remaining growth sector. That may be by default, since it's unlikely, in the long term, that few organs not named the Times and the Washington Post will be able to maintain aggressive, robust newsrooms dedicated to covering Washington, international and national news. Instead, the theory goes, papers should get out of the big boys' way, and focus on local news, crime, arts and politics—the same subjects Huffington now wants to cover.

The problem is, the Wall Street Journal recently dubbed the Post's foray into hyperlocal journalism, LoudonExtra, an unmitigated "flop." GateHouse Media, the would-be local news empire, is struggling under a billion-dollar-plus debt load and a plummeting stock price. And remember BostonNOW? Yeah. So, uh, good luck, Arianna. You probably won't need it, though. Right?

If you haven't noticed skirt! magazine amongst the gaggle of free publications, then you have been spared the pain of looking at its hideous lime green box. You may have also been pardoned from reading the aforementioned hagmag and trying to decipher any meaning from it. It sticks out like a cankersore and similarly causes feelings of discomfort and shame. According to the magazine's manifesto, skirt! "is all about women ... their work, play, families, creativity, style, health and wealth, bodies and souls. skirt! is an attitude ... spirited, independent, outspoken, serious, playful and irreverent, sometimes controversial, always passionate."

What this mission statement fails to mention is that skirt! just also happens to be an embarrassment to vagina-owners/lovers everywhere.

Call me "irreverent" or "controversial" but skirt! doesn't exactly help build a substantial case for female empowerment. Maybe I'm a little jaded but how is "trying a new pseudonym at Starbucks" going to change your life or make anyone take you seriously? The barista doesn't care if you are "Lourdes (sultry and mysterious)" or if you're Lola (the notorious blowjob queen of the Financial District). They are basically there to make your latte with a shot of fuck-you. Yes, this may appeal to the "playful" side of feminism, but it's almost as bad as the New York Times pegging The Hills' Heidi Montag as a feminist hero (fyi: if you were serious about that whole thing, NYT, please note that Beth Ditto could eat Montag for breakfast).

skirt! is not only ridiculous but ridiculously put together. The giant, colorful letters serve as eye candy and merely take up space in place of, I don't know, meaningful content? Who's the demographic here, confident capable women, bright-eyed toddlers or the visually impaired? If you're going to kill so many trees then there is no need to be so fucking smug about the matter. And then there's the hypocrisy. One unusually well-penned article—"How Can You Be a Feminist Without Knowing?" by Chloe Angyal—is a compelling call-to-arms about the stigma of the word "feminist." "First," Angyal writes, "stop criticizing your body ... every time you do, you're reinforcing the idea that women are only valuable if they are physically attractive." Yet three pages later there's a half-page advertisement offering "Facial Rejuvenation for the aging face, rhinoplasty, facelift, blephanoplasty (eye lift) [and] chin and cheek augmentation." There's an added bonus: If you mention skirt! magazine you receive a discount. There's nothing like women uniting for a common cause: vanity.

At times, skirt! makes me want to either throw up in my mouth or throw in the towel. Maybe I should just accept defeat; misconceptions and stereotypes about women win—NANNY NANNY BOO BOO! But ultimately it's going to take shit like this to weed out those with less-than-stellar intentions in this whole feminism thing. Yes, my repulsion to skirt! may make me out to be a cynical, indignant bitch. But, hey, anger makes me a modern girl.

The Government Accountability Office, an independent auditing firm, released a report last week on the US military involvement in Afghanistan. Can you guess what they concluded? Hint: It includes the phrase "lacked detailed plans." Shocking. MINUS 4

Seventeen girls at Gloucester High School got pregnant over the school year, more than four times the average number at the 1,200-student high school. Half of them are suspected of making a pact to get knocked up on purpose, and most are under 16. The community actively opposes easing access to birth control for teens. MINUS 2 for the Lifetime TV movie that is surely in the works.

A federal appeals court has ruled against nosy employers who now need permission to look at emails and text messages that go out over company servers. Civil liberties groups are totally excited about the Fourth Amendment. Which one is that ... guns? Double indemnity? Quartering soldiers? Oh yeah, unreasonable search and seizure. PLUS 2

A New Yorker was killed by a Fung Wah bus that rolled onto the sidewalk after it was hit by a dump truck. Still, the Fung Wah is totally safe, aside from that whole spontaneous combustion thing. MINUS 1

It's OK to be a fan, get a little excited, jump up and down and scream to the top of your lungs after your home team wins the freaking NBA Championship. But 20 arrests for larceny, indecent exposure, assault and battery, and malicious destruction of property? We can do better, Boston. Next big win, let's stick to disorderly conduct charges. MINUS 1

City Councilor Sal LaMattina wants to add another six hours to parking meter times in the Back Bay—meaning drivers who eat late or party hard would have to feed meters until 2am. The councilor has essentially revealed his bedtime, but it's not like anyone ever believed he stays up past 8pm. EVEN

Dedham-based contracting company Modern Continental has filed for bankruptcy, just in time to not pay for damages in their involvement in the Big Dig tunnel collapse. MINUS 1

It's official: Facebook is cooler than MySpace. Facebook attracted more than 123 million unique visitors in May, a 162-percent increase over last year. MySpace had 114.6 million, and grew just 5 percent. But if you want a guarantee that potential employers will see all those photos of you doing keg stands in a French maid costume, you should probably post them on both sites. PLUS 2

THIS WEEK'S TOTAL: MINUS 5

LAST WEEK'S TOTAL: MINUS 3

Gov. Deval Patrick deserves great credit for his administration's sweeping education reform proposal announced over the last three days.