POTUS32 had a camera trained on the Citgo Sign at 8:30 p.m. for Earth Hour:

Location

Short circuit blamed for brief blaze that left soot marks on one side.

The Lone Beader presents her latest opus.

Don't tell my kids, but it turns out I might not be as bright as I've been leading them to believe. For weeks, I've been reading the yellow sign on the right each morning, wondering, "What the hell is 'that sign'?"

Finally, it hit me.

Duh!

Interesting nightime shot of the Citgo sign from Kenmore Square.

World Leader, whose city councilor is Jerry McDermott, says enough about Hugo Chavez already: Take down the Citgo sign because it's embarrassing that a major Boston landmark is an ad:

... As the video says, London has its Big Ben, Paris has its Eiffel Tower, and Boston has its...Citgo sign?

Boston? The "Athens of America"? The "Hub of the Universe"? And its famous landmark is a neon Citgo sign? ... The Citgo sign is stupid. It's an embarrassment. It's pathetic. I've wondered why it's been there for years except that it represents the low stature of Boston and its inability to attract or build some sort of interesting landmark. ...

Harry Mattison, who actually gets to vote for Jerry McDermott (or not), says we should all rush out and buy genuine Citgo caps and golf balls to remind us of our First Amendment rights.

Oh, yeah, that pesky First Amendment. Dan Kennedy wishes to have a word with McDermott:

... Both ('RKO blabmeister) Miller and McDermott are advocating government censorship, in direct violation of the First Amendment. Miller, as a talk-show host, is exercising his right of free speech. McDermott, as a representative of the government, is not -- he wants to use his power to silence someone whose speech he disagrees with. ...

Hub Politics, of course, says the symbolism of showing Chavez he can't diss us is more important than the tradition of the sign:

... Traditions and symbols will come and go. There is no more Boston Garden and no more Curse of the Bambino. Fenway Park looks more like an ad book than a ballpark and you can sit on the Green Monster. T tokens are soon to be a thing of the past, and Filene's is now Macy's. FAO Schwarz is gone and the Teddy Bear has a new home. There has been a few other running traditions in this state, like electing Republican governors, a nearly 90% liberal legislature, toll booths on the Pike, and a 5.3% income tax, but there are plenty of people willing to see those traditions come to pass.

Traditions and symbols will come and go. It's time to say goodbye to CITGO. ...

The Herald comes up with the best headline of the day: Mayor: We’d hate to C-IT-GO.

John Daley says McDermott should stop wasting his time with meaningless protests:

... If we really wanted to do something about being smacked around by punks like Chavez, we'd be doing more to promote energy independence.

Beth lets Jerry McDermott, Allston/Brighton's district city councilor, have it with both barrels over his demand the city tear down the Citgo sign:

... I may not be a Bush fan, but anyone with half a brain knows that Hugo Chavez is a total moron, and a moron who has little to no actual clout on the geopolitical world as a whole. The fact that a Boston City Councilor would embarrass himself giving Chavez's remarks enough weight to consider changing a fundamental aspect of the landscape of the city he is charged to serve makes me wonder if we can add some new diagnosis of "Conservative Psychosis" to the DSM-IV. ...

Dan Kennedy fact-checks Scott Allen Miller:

... Scott Allen Miller is raising a ruckus because "taxpayers" several years ago refurbished the landmark Citgo sign in Kenmore Square. Citgo, you see, is owned by the Venezuelan government, and Venezuela's president, Hugo Chávez, went off on President Bush yesterday.
< br />Trouble is, Miller was wrong -- in fact, Citgo refurbished the sign at its own expense, replacing the tubes with LEDs. ...