Conventional Wisdom

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Convention-Al Wisdom
The Democratic Party will have some explaining to do next summer when it gathers in Boston for its quadrennial presidential nominating convention.

Party elders, hoping to pay off some friendly unions, have signed a contract promising to ensure that unionized firms receive all of the many and lucrative construction and service contracts associated with putting on the fete. The party further vowed to give much of the business to minority firms.

But there's a hitch. As Boston's NAACP (search) president tells The Boston Globe, more than 90 percent of the city's minority firms are non-unionized. So who will win the tussle: Unions or minorities? Stay tuned.

In Good Company?
The city of Philadelphia has awarded to the Notlim Company a $1 million-plus contract to maintain baggage equipment at Philadelphia International Airport (search). Notlim boasts several noteworthy qualifications.

It has no employees. It has no experience with airport equipment. It does, however, boast diversity -- or so says a spokesman for the airport. The contract not only will provide opportunities for minority employees, but also an owner who needs all the help he can get.

Milton Street (search) owes $85,000 in unpaid business fees, and the government has filed claims against him for back taxes and failing to file some tax returns.

Milton Street says connections have nothing to do with his hiring -- although it's worth noting that his brother does happen to be James Street, mayor of the city of brotherly love.

Hip-Hop in Da High Court
A high court judge in England has thrown out a copyright infringement case involving the phrase "shizzle my nizzle," coined by musician Andrew Alcee, and later included in a recording by the otherwise unknown rap music band Heartless Crew.

The judge tried with mixed success to decode "shizzle my nizzle" and other phrases minted by Mr. Alcee. He finally ruled that there can be no copyright infringement because rap music babble is, in his considered legal view, a foreign language.