Boston over a barrell -- In other irritating local news, the police union has not only set up this "parody" website that's nearly identical to the official DNC site to promote their headache-inducing non-strike, they insist that their protests will go on as planned next week whether or not they have a contract in hand after tomorrow's arbitration deadline passes.  Oh, that's classy -- even if you get what you want, you'll keep disrupting things to embarrass the Mayor?  This tells me several things:  one, they know their demands won't be met to their satisfaction -- and, um, could that possibly be because a 17% pay raise is not only impractical but outrageous?  Two, they don't care about the damage this stunt will do to the Democrats locally or nationally -- on NPR this morning a commentator noted that the image of the Democratic party to non-democrats is that we're beholden to special interests groups, i.e. powerful unions.  Do they think that the GOP will come to their aid or something?  Not too likely.  Three, they are out of touch with the many non-union workers in this community and across the country, who aren't eligible for the pay raises or other protections they're demanding.  Admittedly, we office drones don't put our lives on the line for public safety every day -- but we shouldn't be asked to bankroll unlimited overtime and hefty pensions at the expense of that safety either.  Not to mention, candidly, that we're in the middle of a wave of homicide and gang violence this summer and the police don't seem to have much of a handle on it.  It's a lose-lose situation.  On a happier note, the judge who caused Tommy Nee, the BPPA president, so much consternation by ordering a decision by tomorrow in the interests of having more cops on the streets during the DNC, is none other than the Hon. Margaret Hinkle, for whom I interned and learned much from back in the old Suffolk Superior Courthouse.  She is utterly unpersuaded by politics, which in this case goes in the Mayor's favor...not that his hands are entirely clean in this either.  Feh.