Most cool photo from the Esplanade at sunset.

Man robbed around 11 p.m. yesterday by the Bay State Road footbridge. Assailants described as Hispanic teen-agers, between 5'5" and 5'8", about 150 pounds, both wearing dark jackets and dark skullcaps.

Good, moody Esplanade photo.

The Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports that five people working on a Charles River cleanup suffered burns when a "taffy-like substance," which they'd hauled aboard their boat, caught fire this afternoon near the Esplanade.

Officials are investigating exactly what the stuff is, but say they doubt it was part of an intentionally explosive device.

Aaron Read writes that Beacon Hill denizens threatening to chain themselves to trees to protect the Esplanade will be the same ones screaming if they win and traffic diverted from the closed Storrow tunnel winds up on their streets:

... The ultimate costs to business, the state and to ourselves could well run into the billions (if the Esplanade bypass isn't built). I don't know what the exact number is, but the Patrick administration bettter figure that out quick because I'm willing to bet it's a helluva lot more than the entire construction project will cost.

And someone ought to remind those selfish SOB "Beautiful People" on Beacon Hill to think of the entire state a little more, instead of only themselves.

Earlier:
Re-route Storrow Drive traffic onto the Esplanade?

WBZ-TV reports a man pulled a knife on a woman walking near Beacon and Hereford streets around 4 a.m. today and forced her to walk to the Esplanade where he sexually assaulted her.

The suspect is described as a bald, black man with a large, muscular build. He was wearing a white tank top and blue jeans at the time.

Earlier:
Second Esplanade attack; man arrested
Jogger attacked

Mike the Mad Biologist thinks so: A program to get geese out of Science Park only got them to move down to the Esplanade, which they now crap up, leading to crappy runoff into the river, feeding what has become an annual bloom of blue-green algae that is itself pretty gross:

... These algal blooms have been spotted in previous years up by Science Park, but now the blooms have moved down river to the Esplanade. Over the last couple of years, something else has moved downriver: geese. Two years ago, if you went out to the Esplanade on a summer day, the grass was packed with people. ... Now, almost nobody sits out at the Esplanade, with good reason: there's probably five to ten goose turds per square meter--that's fresh turds. It really is that disgusting (you definitely need a towel and a chair). The city of Boston is spending thousands and thousands of dollars to make an all-you-can-eat goose buffet and gooseshitatorium. ...

Sushiesque photographed the Charles River fireworks. So did Teenytinyturkey. And Ebzsalserohym videoed the finale:

Jason Feifer says it's all fun and games until the fireworks set off a car alarm on your street.

Zolok: The pyrotechnics seemed really a lot closer to the Bikini Atoll tests this year.

Garrett LeSage reports on a drunken brawl on the way home on the T:

... Profanity was flying like only a Southie could say it. (Think of "Good Will Hunting".) It probably could have easily turned riot level; lots of people were worked up about the fight. A few brave individuals stepped in, thankfully, and forcefully shoved most of the misbehaving drunk kids off the train. ... police later came and investigated the matter. There was a report of a knife, too ... and I somehow suspected that we weren't the only part of the train (or only train for that matter) that had a fight like this. Some people got messed up pretty bad; they’re going to need stitches.

Riding the MBTA during holidays usually winds up like this… and that's exactly why I chose to leave my real gear and take my pocket camera instead. ...

Karl reports on a Southie celebration that ended suddenly when the Irish immigrant who owned one of the condos in a triple decker locked him and several other people out for discussing the differences between Australian and American politics.

T. ponders the meaning of the Fourth as Filipina-American. The Duck ponders the meaning of the Fourth as an impending Canadian-American:

... This is one of those weird weeks where my 'nationality' gets a little confusing. My parents typically have a party on July 4th- one that includes a giant cake with a red maple leaf in it. ...

Wayne Braverman declares watching the Pops on TV a horrible experience.

Down in Texas, Katie celebrates her last Fourth as a Texan - she's moving to our Fair Hub next month.

Theodore83 captures them practicing at the Hatch Shell yesterday: