As legislators returned to Washington, DC, for the start of a new congressional session on Tuesday, January 17, hundreds of Occupy protesters from around the country convened on the lawn of the US Capitol. The event marked the Occupy movement's first major national action of 2012 - and the four-month anniversary of the day Wall Street first became occupied.

I apologize in advance for plying you with yet ANOTHER "Shit [insert niche here] Say" video, but the interwebs have kicked out a variation that anyone who has ever worked in or around a bar will appreciate.

When I was in high school, my gung-ho AP English Literature teacher giddily decided to host a "Beowulf Feast," in an effort to nail down the importance of the Anglo-Saxon mead hall in our wandering teenage brains. We were each responsible for bringing a dish worthy of a Grendel-slaying warrior, along with a poem of our own composing to perform in front of the class.

Berlin's DJ Sven Weisemann guest DJs at Middlesex on Thursday, January 26

"Making Space For Opera" | Lecture with Boston Lyric Opera directors Esther Nelson and Dan Duro at the Boston Public Library on Tuesday, January 24 @ 6 pm | bpl.

While reading Record of the Streets, Alleys, Places., Ect., in the City of Boston for some unfathomable reason, a gentleman named Michael Reiskind noted January 19 2011 marks Centre Street’s big three five zero.

Welcome to "Meet the Mayor," a segment in which we interview local Foursquare Mayors in their natural habitats.

Pink Flamingo Slippers
Kim Rodriguez

NOTE - Photo taken at In House Café, where Rodriguez also reigns as mayor.

Isn't it unfair to be mayor of your own slippers? Other people can't check in to those.

Progressives snickered endlessly last night, re-assured that the GOP primary will continue to be a bruising, embarassing, drawn-out affair for MITT ROMNEY and NEWT GINGRICH.

They should count themselves lucky that the South Carolina primary sucked all the oxygen out of the news cycle -- otherwise, someone might have noticed that JOE BIDEN had a spectacularly bad week, managing to make three unbelievably harmful gaffes in a few days.

The serene new visitor's center and entrance pavilion at the Gardner Museum is a great credit to Renzo Piano, superb architecture that brilliantly sets off the jewel of a museum Isabella Stewart Gardner designed a century and more ago. Those who didn't see the need for Piano's addition, involving as it did some small sacrifices of picturesque aspects of the Gardner complex, would have condemned the museum to decline and decay.

No matter where you wake up Saturday morning, if the bump-and-grind was good enough, you better take that booty to breakfast. And if you checked out our picks for failproof first date spots, then we're guessing (hoping) that you managed to score yourself a booty to breakfast with. But don't break the bank: here are five essential breakfast spots where the two of you can gorge for under $20 while letting the bright light of day help you decide if you two have anything in common past the old horizontal shuffle and a shared love of eggs and cheese.

^{Source: Flickr via Wikipedia}

The Onward State tweet that erroneously reported Joe Paterno's death Saturday night and led to an avalanche of false reports in other outlets was based on the work of two student reporters: One was snookered by a false email, and one overstated his knowledge of the events, according to the site's co-founder.

Over on her blog and on Jezebel, Allison Francis explains why she punched a stranger in the face on the streets of Allston:

I'm not exactly a placid person, but I'd never punched someone before and I believe in the merits of peace over violence. Whatever that guy said wasn't the worst thing that's been said to me by any means.

Look, he's not releasing his taxes. OK? We all know that's just a Democratic ploy to make us hate rich people. Well, on second thought: maybe. HARHARHAR. No, really, sorry, South Carolina: he'll release them right away, sirs. Some of them. He thinks. OK: just last year's. But that's it, Florida! Unless you choose Newt! In which case: whothefuckknows!

The Boston Phoenix's PETER KADZIS made his weekly appearance on FOX25's "Heavy Hitters" segment this morning, going mano a mano with Cosmo Macero on Newt Gingrich's shocking poll numbers in Florida and Bruins crybaby Tim Thomas's Obama allergy. Click below to watch the video:

Tuesday morning Heavy Hitters: MyFoxBOSTON.com

Bartender/Philanthropist/Writer Doc Hendley is at the Booksmith on Monday

"An Evening With Boston Ballet: Play With Fire Series" | Sneak peek of excerpts from Jorma Elo's Sharp Side of Dark, Jiri Kylian's Bella Figura, and Christopher Bruce's Rooster (based on the Rolling Stones) at the Tsai Performance Center on Thursday, January 26 @ 7 pm | 617.

Midnight snack attack? We've got you covered.

There are many great things about Boston. And then there are some things that are plain shitty. The winter. The fact that the T stops running before the bars even close. The fact that said bars close before 2 am. And that fact when said bars close before 2 am and you're stuck on a street corner freezing your ass off in the winter cold, desperately trying to flag a cab because said T stopped running you can't even find a slice of pizza to ease the pain.

Everyone who met in Dewey Square this afternoon had one thing in common – whether they're an activist with MassUniting, a member of Occupy Boston, or one of the police officers assigned to chaperone today's protest. They all paid a lot more taxes than General Electric last year.

And so the group of roughly 100 pissed off people poured across Atlantic Avenue, and marched one block from Dewey to GE's Boston offices on Summer Street.

Welcome to "Meet the Mayor," a segment in which we interview local Foursquare Mayors in their natural habitats.

Bat Cave
James Christopher Knoerl

Why name your Berklee dorm room the "Bat Cave"?
I asked my roommate what we should name it, and that's what he said. I didn't give him any argument.

In the aftermath of this whole Paula Deen diabetes "shocker," the one solid message we can come away with is this: crunchy, delicious, fried stuff isn't exactly the best thing for you. Neither is lard. Or doughnut-burgers.

Bummer. But we all knew that was coming. Who's the guy in the tux?

"Foodies!" shouts a large, be-khakied Mohegan Sun employee to her friend as they meander by us. The methodical clanging beeps of the slot machines almost drown out her voice. "They're all foodies. That's why they're here."

I stand on tiptoe and peer down the hefty line that is snaking around the casino floor. Shit, I think. There sure are a lot of us.