One year, a husband decided to buy his mother-in-law a cemetery plot as a Christmas gift.

The next year, he didn't buy her a gift.

When she asked him why, he replied, "Well, you still haven't used the gift I bought you last year!"

And that's how the fight started...

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My wife walked into the den & asked, "What's on the TV?" 

I replied, "Dust"..

And that's how the fight started... 

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A woman is standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror. She is not happy with what she sees and says to her
husband, "I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a compliment."

The husband replies, "Your eyesight's darn near perfect."

And that's how the fight started...

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My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary. She said, "I want something shiny
that goes from 0 to 200 in about 3 seconds." 

I bought her a scale.

And that's how the fight started....

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I asked my wife, "Where do you want to go for our anniversary?"

It warmed my heart to see her face melt in sweet appreciation.

"Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" she said.

So I suggested, "How about the kitchen?"

And that's when the fight started...

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My wife and I are watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire while we were in bed. I turned to her and said, "Do
you want to have sex?"

"No," she answered.

I then said, "Is that your final answer?"

She didn't even look at me this time, simply saying "Yes.."

So I said, "Then I'd like to phone a friend."

And that's when the fight started...

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When I got home last night, my wife demanded that I take her someplace expensive. 

So, I took her to a gas station.

And that's when the fight started...

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I tried to talk my wife into buying a case of Miller Light for $14.95. Instead, she bought a jar of cold cream for $7.95. 

I told her the beer would make her look better at night than the cold cream.

And that's when the fight started...

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My wife and I were sitting at a table at my high school reunion, and I kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sat alone at a nearby table.

My wife asked, "Do you know her?"

"Yes," I sighed, "She's my old girlfriend. I understand she took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear she hasn't been sober since."

"My God!" says my wife. "Who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?"

And that's when the fight started....

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I rear-ended a car this morning. So, there we were alongside the road and slowly the other driver got out of his car.

You know how sometimes you just get soooo stressed, and little things just seem funny?

Yeah, well, I couldn't believe it. He was a DWARF!!!

He stormed over to my car, looked up at me, and shouted, "I AM NOT HAPPY!!!"

So, I looked down at him and said, "Well, then which one are you?"

And that's when the fight started...

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I took my wife to a restaurant.. The waiter, for some reason, took my order first. "I'll have the strip steak, medium rare, please."

He said , "Aren't you worried about the mad cow?"

"Nah, she can order for herself."

And that's when the fight started...

I had the privilege of meeting "Ted" on more than one occaison. The first was when he spoke at my high school graduation more than 3 decades ago. At the time he was involved in a bitter dispute with his constituents over desegregation and the issue of forced busing. Most of his constituentcy was opposed but "Ted" knew that the moral road demanded an end to the absurd idea that segregation was good for Boston. I can still hear the groans from the audience when he referred to my school (Boston College High) as "South Boston High". I though there would be a revolt right then and there.

Ted would be the first to admit that he made many mistakes in life, who among us hasn't. I think that anyone who has had to live with the tradgedy that he has propably would have succumbed long ago. As the youngest of nine children he learned his place early on. He suffered as his oldest sister Rosemary was institutionalized after a failed attempt by their father tried to help her by having a lobotomy performed. He suffered the loss of his oldest brother Joseph who died when his plane blew up on a suicide mission during World War II. We all know he lost his brothers John and Robert to assination. He also lost his sister Kathleen in a plane crash. He himself broke three vertebrae in his back in a plane crash. He became a father to all his siblings children as well as his own. He suffered through his first wife's alcholism. He perserved and became the spokesmen for not only his large family but for all of us who suffered.

He was present at every single burial for every Massachusetts veteran who died during the Iraq war. After the service of those who were buried at Arlington he would stop by his brothers graves. I can't imagine the hurt he felt.

There could be no better memorial to "Ted" than to pass universal healthcare for all is his honor. After all he served 46+ years in the US Senate trying to get this accomplished. Not because he wanted it but because he saw the need of so many of us who need it. 

Thank you "teddy" from all of us.

Seems like just yesterday that the party of No was touting these folks as just what America needs.

    I think if you get scrape the bottom of the barrel a little bit more you just might find someone worse but I admit it will be difficult.  Maybe we could get Peter King   I suppose that he would be a good choice for the party of No.

No wonder people are actually electing the Al Frankens of the world. Seems we need a little comedy if this is the best that the Republican party can tout.

According to several reports, most recently CNN, Chinese drywall has been emitting a corrosive gas that is threatening homes built over the past 5 years that have used this product.

Knauf Plasterboard Tianjian and L&W Supply Corp. are two companies being investigated for selling drywall containing strontium sulfide, a substance that is known to produce the odor of rotten eggs and could damage copper wiring and other components. 

The number of U.S. homes that have Chinese-made drywall is staggering.  A recent study estimates that the product was used in up to 50,000 homes across 40 states, including Florida, California, Arizona, Alabama, Nevada and Louisiana. Who knows how many more homes may be in danger from using this product in renovations.

First is was a food scare, then a milk scare now a drywall scare. The Chinese Nationals are loaning us billions of dollars so that we can buy thier goods so that they can destroy us. As if we didn'y already have enough on our plate to fix.  Remind me, just who is looking out for the American consumer? Not the FDA nor anyone else.

My wife and I have been having a hard time dealing with the loss of our most recent baby who passed away at the end of December. We had a lovely Shih Tzu before him as well and are feeling like we probably will want to adopt another in the coming months.

I do not want to get one from a puppy mill or from a shopping mall pet store.

Any advise you could offer us would be most appreciated!

The S&P has reached an intraday trading level of 800. The dow Jones industrial average has climbed by 300 points. Housiong has led us into this mess and housing should be leading us out.

Let's let the Geithner toxic asset plan have a chance and let's start to be optimistic that we can climb out of this mess before the year is over!

I am an admitted history loving person. I do not profess to know it as well as I should however.

I have had the priveledge of being born and having lived in Quincy Massachusetts for almost all of my life. We have a wonderful history to be proud of.

My thought for today is how we managed to name the various sections of our city. Some like compass points ( i.e. North or West Quincy) lack a certain amount of imagination to say the least. Merrymount for instance captures the image of its not so puritan past as the spot where a Maypole was raised and certain rights of spring were practiced. This is a story for another day though.

Today I question the naming of the Germantown section. This pennisular was originally named Shed's Neck after settler Daniel Shed of England settled it around 1643. This would appear to be an appropriate name. In fact it lasted until Joseph Palmer and Richard Cranch came up with the idea of a planned manufacturing town in the 1750's. Germantown was born when they started this endeavor by installing a glass factory with imported German Labor. The glass made there was of such an inferior product that the factory was gone by 1760. Certainly we can come up with a better name than one which remembers a failed attempt at P.U.D (planned Urban Development).

The area was later a major shipbuilding area. Two other names this spot held were Gull Point and Sailor's Snug Harbor. Both superior names in my humble opinion.  

Maybe we could get the local politicians to change the name to reflect some better aspects of this historicaly proud residential neighborhood. Please let me know what you think. Also if you have any ideas or knowledge of how to start the process.

"Ireland, thou friend of my country in my country's most friendless days, much injured, much enduring land, accept this poor tribute from one who esteems thy worth, and mourns thy desolation."
- George Washington, speaking of Ireland's support for America during the revolution.

There are approximately 20 million Americans who claim some Irish ancestry today, there are only 4 million Irish in Ireland.  We who are the descendants of those who left Ireland either before or after the great famine are thankful this country took us in and gave us a chance at a better life. It was not easy in the beginning. Signs like "Irish need not apply" and worse met many. Prejudice was common. Insults were more common.

"When anyone asks me about the Irish character, I say look at the trees. Maimed, stark and misshapen, but ferociously tenacious."
- Edna O'Brien

So this St Patrick's day, we are thankful that we were given a chance. That we repaid that debt by building railroads and fighting in wars. We are thankful that the fighting is mostly over and that the prejuduce is mostly forgotten.

As I write this post I am listening to the talking heads at CNBC and wondering if anyone there really has any clue about what is going on. Personally I am hoping for the start of a Bull Market but I am old enough to know that just bringing back the "uptick rule" won't determine the answer. 

If indeed this turns out to be the starting point for a Bull run then I guess we could conclude that the financial course we are on is starting to produce fruit. What do you think? Are you bullish or bearish?

According to the National Priorities project the cost of the Iraq war is now approaching $621 billion dollars. This of course does not count the loss of human life and suffering.

To think this cost was never even accounted for under any of the Bush budgets is astounding. Now that we have a President who is trying to balance a budget while including the cost of this ill concieved war people are focusing on where are governement dollars are going? What were these people focusing on before?

I wonder, does anyone still remember we are supposedly looking for Osama Bin Laden still?

Let's first fix the budget, the economy will follow and then let's get out of Iraq, stabilize Afghanistan and find Osama. He'll be the tall Saudi Arabian laughing so hard he peed himself.