Took a day off

Watching old movies, taking a nap and trying to get thru my emails. That's what the day has been like. Was supposed to go to the Phantom Gourmet Food Phest but just wasn't in the mood.

Maybe it's the weather, real dreary day.

The Bridge

submitted by Angela

I honestly didn't realize how long this was when I watched it. Very touching video.

Peyton Manning & the Colts # 3 on NFL Top 10 Disappointments

Only #3?

Peyton Manning and the Colts
While they are showing glimpses of rekindling their old magic, Peyton Manning and the Colts are still staring at a 4-4 record at the season's halfway point. The shocking part about this is their once-dominant offense ranks only 22nd in total offense and 23rd in scoring. Future Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison is a shell of himself, Peyton Manning was rusty entering the season after not taking a preseason snap due to knee surgery rehab and Joseph Addai can't get untracked for the NFL's worst rushing attack this season.

House for Sale

OK, this is the house of a childhood friend that is for sale. There are a few walls missing and some paint on the wall, and a ceiling fan, but this is not the comfortable home we use to spend all our afternoons and evenings, and sometimes way into the night, planning our futures at. Not the place we shed tears and laughed over boyfriends, girlfriends, family, etc. Not the place we had baby showers, parties and laughed with our friends and family...sorry, but some things should never change.

Bobby Orr stirs up memories

No. 4 retired 30 years

Thirty years have flown by since Bobby Orr, after so many surgeries on his left knee he can’t remember how many, was forced to retire.

“It really does seem like just yesterday,” said the greatest defenseman the game has ever known. “It’s scary how quickly it’s gone by.”

On Nov. 8, 1978, after a year of working gallantly to do the impossible - trying to keep skating with little knee joint and leg bones rubbing one against the other - Orr finally limped away from the game at the age of 30. (Boston Herald - Full Story)

Applebee's salutes the Military this Veteran's Day

Select Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants (164 participating restaurants nationwide) are testing a promotion that invites all active duty and veterans to pull up a chair for a delicious meal and heartfelt thanks this Veterans Day. With gratitude for their service and sacrifice, active duty and veterans will eat free at participating locations on Veterans Day (November 11, 2008) during regular business hours.

Veterans and active duty with proof of United States military service will be able to go to one of the participating Applebee's and select one complimentary entrée from a selection of delicious favorites: a savory House Sirloin, hearty Riblet Basket, zesty Fiesta Lime Chicken®, a juicy Quesadilla Burger or fresh Oriental Chicken Salad. All the traditional sides are included.

"It's an honor to host an event that helps the neighborhood come together and say thanks to our veterans and active servicemen and women," said Mike Archer, President, Applebee's Services, Inc..

Proof of military service includes:
• U.S. Uniform Services Identification Card
• U.S. Uniform Services Retired Identification Card
• DD214
• LES
• Citation or Commendation
• Photograph in uniform
• Veterans Organization Card

click here to see offer on Applebee's site.

Song of the Day - November 7th, 1968

"Hey Jude" was released in August 1968 as the first single from The Beatles' record label Apple Records. Over seven minutes in length, "Hey Jude" was at the time the longest single ever to top the British charts. It also spent nine weeks as number one in the United States—the longest run at the top of the American charts for a Beatles single. The single has sold approximately eight million copies and is frequently included on professional lists of the all-time best songs.

The song was Number 1 forty years ago today.

Life in prison for Lynn man in '07 murder

SALEM - A Salem Superior Court jury Thursday morning convicted Spassky "Anderson" Alcequiecz of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to life in prison for the stabbing death of a Lynn man in 2007. (Lynn Daily Item - Full Story)

No Gil Grissom, No CSI

What rock have I been hiding under? I just found out that Gil Grissom, played by William Petersen, is leaving CSI mid-season and they may replace him with Laurence Fishburne.

What is going on with my favorite show? First Sarah leaves, then Warrick is killed and let's not forget the little hiatus that Grissom took prior to solving the miniature killer murders...and now a permanent vacation for my main squeeze?

Life in Vegas will not be the same without my sweetie.

Today in History

1665 - The London Gazette, the oldest surviving journal, is first published.
1786 - The oldest musical organization in the United States is founded as the Stoughton Musical Society.
1874 - A cartoon by Thomas Nast in Harper's Weekly, is considered the first important use of an elephant as a symbol for the United States Republican Party.
1893 - Women in the U.S. state of Colorado are granted the right to vote.
1907 - Delta Sigma Pi is founded at New York University.
1916 - Jeannette Rankin is the first woman elected to the United States Congress.
1929 - In New York City, the Museum of Modern Art opens to the public.
1933 - Fiorello H. La Guardia is elected the 99th mayor of New York City.
1967 - Carl B. Stokes is elected as Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, becoming the first African American mayor of a major American city.
1973 - The U.S. Congress overrides President Richard M. Nixon's veto of the War Powers Resolution, which limits presidential power to wage war without congressional approval.
1983 - 1983 United States Senate bombing: a bomb explodes inside the U.S. Capitol Building.
1990 - Mary Robinson becomes the first woman to be elected President of the Republic of Ireland.
1991 - Magic Johnson announces that he is infected with HIV and retires from the NBA.
2000 - Hillary Rodham Clinton is elected to the United States Senate, becoming the first former First Lady to win public office in the United States, although actually she still was the First Lady.
2000 - Controversial US presidential election that was later resolved in the Bush v. Gore Supreme Court Case.
2000 - The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration discovers one of the country's largest LSD labs inside a converted military missile silo in Wamego, Kansas.
2002 - Iran bans advertising of United States products.
2007 - Jokela school shooting in Tuusula, Finland, resulting in the death of nine people.

Births:
1918 - Billy Graham, American evangelist
1922 - Al Hirt, American trumpeter (d. 1999)
1938 - Dee Clark, American singer (d. 1990)
1942 - Johnny Rivers, American singer and composer
1942 - Jean Shrimpton, British supermodel and actress
1943 - Joni Mitchell, Canadian musician
1944 - Ken Patera, American professional wrestler
1949 - Judy Tenuta, American comedian
1952 - David Petraeus, American military commander
1957 - Christopher Knight, American actor (Peter Brady)
1959 - Billy Gillispie, American basketball coach
1960 - Tommy Thayer, American guitarist (Kiss)
1970 - Andy Houston, American NASCAR driver
1974 - Kris Benson, American baseball player
1976 - One Be Lo, hip-hop artist
1979 - Will Demps, American football player
1979 - Joey Ryan, American professional wrestler
1979 - Jon Peter Lewis, American singer
1979 - Mike Commodore, American professional hockey player
1981 - Muhammad Hassan, professional wrestler

Phantom Gourmet Beer & Food Phest

Phantom Gourmet Beer & Food Phest
Saturday, Nov 8 Noon to Midnite
at Suffolk Downs, East Boston, MA


From the producers of the Phantom Gourmet Food Festival and the BBQ Beach Party comes the biggest and best beer event in Boston history.

Tickets are only $5 at the event and include beads and activities.
Food and Beverage are extra. Online tickets $4.00

Click here to go to the Phantom Gourmet's website for more info.

American Eagle - Buy 1 Get 1 50% off Hoodies & Sweaters + 20% off

American Eagle is offering Buy 1 Get 1 50% off Hoodies & Sweaters. Plus use a coupon to save more. Plus 20% off coupon code 48761907 and free shipping $50+ coupon code 78926167.

Haven't found an expiration date for this one, will post as soon as I find one.

20% off at Sephora.com

Starts Nov 6. Sephora is offering 20% off with coupon code FF2008 through Nov 10.

Extra 25% of sale items at GAP online

GAP is offering additional 25% of sale items with coupon code EXTRA25 through Nov 11. Their site loading is slow because of heavy traffic.

Barnes & Noble - Save 10% 1 item thru November 16th

*Store Coupon 50-031 (click here for printable coupon) and Online Coupon Code A3X3A9B Details:

For each customer, this coupon can be redeemed once at any Barnes & Noble retail store and once online at bn.com. This coupon is valid from November 6, 2008 to November 17, 2008 at 2:59 a.m. Eastern Time.

bn.com: The 10% discount will be applied to the most expensive eligible item in the order - not the entire purchase - and will be deducted after all other discounts are applied.

Barnes & Noble retail stores: The 10% discount will be applied to one (1) eligible item in the purchase as designated by the customer - not the entire purchase - and will be deducted after all other discounts are applied.

Additional Rules Governing Use of this Coupon: This coupon is (i) not redeemable for cash or cash equivalents (including Gift Cards and online Gift Certificates); (ii) not valid on past purchases; (iii) not eligible for purchases of the following products and services: Barnes & Noble Memberships, Gift Cards, Gift Certificates, gift-wrapping, textbooks, products from the Rosetta Stone Series, products available for in store ship-to-home orders, shipping or handling expenses, or products marked as "not eligible for Member discounts, coupons or promotional discounts;" (iv) not valid on purchases made from third parties accessible from the bn.com website (e.g., used books, PC and video games, etc.); and (v) may not be combined with any other coupon. This coupon is not valid at Barnes & Noble College Bookstores. Void where prohibited by law.

Word from Iraq

Jess has arrived in Iraq. Hasn't had time to set up her computer and is still cleaning, but hope to hear from her soon.

No new photos. This is an old photo from when she was stationed in Afghanistan in 2006.






Time in Iraq

Adult Strip Bar in Wisconsin

submitted by Lenny

Peabody mom pleads guilty to buying alcohol for kids

PEABODY - A 44-year-old Gloucester woman has pleaded guilty to giving alcohol to several 12- and 13-year-old children.

Prosecutors said Heidy Jordon admitted that she gave alcohol to six children at her home in 2007 after her 13-year-old daughter asked her to. Prosecutors said Jordon even asked the children what they wanted her to buy. She allegedly bought alcohol for five children a few days later. (Boston Globe - Full Story)

Boston's Favorite Band - Dropkick Murphys in Maine

Dropkick Murphys 7:30 p.m.

When: Thursday, November 6, 2008
Where: University of Maine (Field House), Orono
Cost: $20 $15 Maine college students

Winthrop Police grieve pay issue

The Winthrop police union recently filed a complaint with the state alleging that town officials violated their collective bargaining agreement by withholding up to $32,500 in detail pay without notice. (Boston Globe - Full Story)

In defeat, dog tracks seek slots to save 1,000 jobs

The fight to ban greyhound racing is over, replaced by the battle to bring slot machines to the dog tracks.

One day after voters approved a ballot initiative prohibiting greyhound dog racing in 2010, track owners are hoping the Legislature will approve slot machines at the state’s two facilities and spare 1,000 jobs.

“The most reasonable solution is to allow slot machines at the racetracks,” said Richard Dalton, president of Wonderland Greyhound Park in Revere. “If legislation is approved, we could create 4,000 jobs and bring the state $500 million in taxes.” (Boston Herald - Full Story)

Revere construction company settles fair wages suit with AG

REVERE - The state's Attorney General last week ordered the owner of a Revere construction company who worked on the Rumney Marsh School and other public works projects to pay nearly $60,000 in restitution and fines after he was accused of failing to pay his employees a prevailing wage and overtime.

Richard Bennett, 39, of Revere, the owner of R.B. Metalmen Inc., reached a settlement Oct. 27 after he was charged with violating prevailing wage, overtime pay and employee record keeping laws. (Lynn Daily Item - Full Story)

Lawmakers look for ways to think local

Four area lawmakers are taking part in a fresh effort by the Legislature to find new ways to help financially strapped cities and towns.

MONEY TROUBLES
The lawmakers, who include House Ways and Means Committee chairman Robert A. DeLeo, are members of the Municipal Relief Commission, a joint House-Senate panel the Legislature is establishing to study potential municipal revenue-raising and cost-saving measures.

In addition to DeLeo, a Winthrop Democrat, local legislators on the 14-member panel are state Representative Paul J. Donato, a Medford Democrat; and state Senators Anthony W. Petruccelli, an East Boston Democrat, and Bruce E. Tarr, a Gloucester Republican. (Boston Globe - Full Story)

Today in History

1913 - Mohandas Gandhi is arrested while leading a march of Indian miners in South Africa.
1947 - Meet The Press makes its television debut (the show went to a weekly schedule on September 12, 1948).

Born this day:
1946 - Sally Field, American actress
1955 - Maria Shriver, American journalist
1968 - Kelly Rutherford, American actress (Gossip Girl)
1970 - Ethan Hawke, American actor

Bobby Lee Hatfield of the Righteous Brothers died this day in Kalamazoo, Michigan at the age of 63. In January 2004, a toxicology report concluded that an overdose of cocaine had precipitated a fatal heart attack.

Bobby Hatfield - Unchained Melody

Happy Birthday, Liz!

Birthday Baby: You've got style, a powerful persona and are creative, hardworking and admired by your peers. You are sensitive and interested in others.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (NOVEMBER 6). You are both spiritual and earthy and this year you are appreciated for your unique mix of qualities. You're the target of great affection through the winter. Living arrangements are made cozier in January. New goals help you increase your income through March. A powerful alliance is made in June. Gemini and Capricorn adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 40, 22, 17 and 42.

Boston Red Sox 2008 Roster Picture Slideshow

Set to "State of Massachusetts" by the Dropkick Murphys.
Adjust your volume, it gets loud.

Today in History

1872 - Women's suffrage: In defiance of the law, suffragist Susan B. Anthony votes for the first time, and is later fined $100.
1940 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected to a third term as President of The United States of America.
2006 - Saddam Hussein, former president of Iraq, and his co-defendants Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti and Awad Hamed al-Bandar are sentenced to death in the al-Dujail trial for the role in the massacre of the 148 Shi'as in 1982.

Born Today:
1911 - Roy Rogers, American actor (d. 1998)
1941 - Art Garfunkel, American musician
1959 - Bryan Adams, Canadian musician
1963 - Tatum O'Neal, American actress
1973 - Johnny Damon, American baseball player
1974 - Jerry Stackhouse, American basketball player
1987 - Kevin Jonas, American guitarist, member of the Jonas Brothers

2008 Election Results

Mass Results

Presidential Results

US Senate

US House

Governors

Wild Women of Whippoorwill

Adjust your volume, lots of laughter.

Find a Cure...

submitted by Tommy & Orize

Obama wins big in Dixville Notch & Hart's Location

Barack Obama came up a big winner in two traditionally Republican villages where the tradition of having the first Election Day ballots tallied lives on. He defeated John McCain by a count of 15 to 6 in Dixville Notch. The town of Hart's Location reported 17 votes for Obama, 10 for McCain and two for write-in Ron Paul. (The Union Leader-Full Story)

Vote 2008

submitted by Helen A.

A Sour Twist of Lennon

Everybody from Bill Clinton to Fidel Castro loves to remember John Lennon as the dippy Utopian of “Imagine”: “Imagine there’s no countries/It isn’t hard to do/Nothing to kill or die for/And no religion, too.”

Less remembered is the Lennon of “Run For Your Life”: “Well I’d rather see you dead little girl/Than to be with another man.” In Philip Norman’s merciless biography, Lennon No. 2 is on full display, and the picture isn’t pretty.

Spiteful and selfish, miserly and misogynistic, Lennon abused his friends, cheated on his women and quarreled with almost everyone he knew. His politics were phony and his public persona a pose, the working-class hero who never labored a day in his life. (Personal motto: “Death before work.”) Even such details as his all-macrobiotic diet were hippie spinmastering; Norman recounts a horrified host discovering Lennon and Yoko Ono ransacking his refrigerator for bologna. (Providence Journal - Full Story)

Decision is in voters' hands

Americans go to the polls today to make a historic selection, either the first African-American president or the oldest first-term occupant of the White House and his female vice president. (US Today-Full Story)

Massive waves a mystery at Maine harbor

Dockworker Marcy Ingall saw a giant wave in the distance last Tuesday afternoon and stopped in her tracks. It was an hour before low tide in Maine's Boothbay Harbor, yet without warning, the muddy harbor floor suddenly filled with rushing, swirling water.

In 15 minutes, the water rose 12 feet, then receded. And then it happened again. It occurred three times, she said, each time ripping apart docks and splitting wooden pilings. (Boston.com-Full Story)

Man dies in collision with MBTA train

Driver, 76, took car into tunnel



An elderly Peabody man died after his car was struck by a Rockport-bound commuter rail train in Salem yesterday, MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said.

The 76-year-old, whose identity has not yet been released, drove about 100 yards into a train-only tunnel before a northbound commuter rail train hit the car, Pesaturo said.

The man drove down the train platform at Salem Station before entering the tunnel, according to witnesses, Pesaturo said.

A train operator saw the headlights of the car, sounded the horn, and began to brake shortly before 5:30 p.m., he said. (Boston.com - Full Story)

Today in History

1921 - Italian unknown soldier is buried in the Altare della Patria (Fatherland Altar) in Rome.
1924 - Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming is elected as the first female governor in the United States.
1952 - The United States government establishes the National Security Agency.
1970 - Genie, a 13 year old feral child was found in Los Angeles, California having been locked in her bedroom for most of her life.
1973 - The Netherlands experiences the first Car Free Sunday caused by the 1973 oil crisis. Highways are deserted and are solely used by cyclists and roller skaters.
1979 - Iran hostage crisis begins: Iranian people, mostly students, invade the United States embassy in Tehran and take 90 hostages (53 of whom are American).
2004 - President Bush declares November "National Hospice Month"

Born today:
1879 - Will Rogers, American humorist (d. 1935)
1916 - Walter Cronkite, American news broadcaster
1918 - Art Carney, American actor (d. 2003)
1930 - Doris Roberts, American actress
1937 - Loretta Swit, American actress
1946 - Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States
1961 - Ralph Macchio, American actor
1969 - Sean "Diddy" Combs, American rapper
1969 - Matthew McConaughey, American actor
1981 - Vince Wilfork, American football player (Patriots)

Deaths:
In the fall of 1981, after completing work on Poltergeist, Dominique Dunne met and later moved in with a popular Los Angeles chef, John Thomas Sweeney, who was working at the restaurant Ma Maison. After a short and abusive relationship, Dunne ended her relationship with Sweeney. A few weeks later, Sweeney strangled Dunne in the driveway of her home after she refused to reconcile with him. She died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California a few days later on November 4, 1982, at the age of 22.

Dominique's father, Dominick, later wrote an article for Vanity Fare titled: Justice: A father’s account of the trial of his daughter’s killer.

Happy Birthday, Lori!

Today is Lori's Birthday!

Here's hoping you have a happy one.
Will you be celebrating with your grandson?

(Photo, left to right: Cherylle, Lori, Carol)







Birthday Baby: You are sensitive -- a humanitarian, a Good Samaritan and a loyal friend and lover. You aren't afraid to take an unusual route and question anyone who fears the unknown.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (NOVEMBER 4). Your interests are numerous and varied and you handle them with grace this year. Teachers help you grow your talents and income stream through the winter. Friends, colleagues and love interests find you fascinating. In December, you mend old rifts. Spring educational opportunities are once in a lifetime. Leo and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 45, 21, 43, 6 and 17.

Revere - Ward 1 Precinct 1 Voters

Place to vote is the VFW Post 6712, 150 Bennington Street, Revere.

High voter turnout is expected.

Obama Reports Death Of His Grandmother

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said his grandmother died Monday.

Madelyn Payne Dunham, who just turned 86 years old, helped to raise Obama, and had not been well for a long time. She broke her hip recently. (BostonChannel.com - Full Story)

Ballotpedia.org

Find what's on the ballot for your state by going to Ballotpedia.org and select your state from the map.

Caribou Barbie, in time for the holidays

Caribou Barbie doll is only $49.99.


Accessories not included.
As shown, $150,000.

Nights in Rodanthe

from Amazon.com
Nicolas Sparks logs more miles on the winding high road of romance with the story of two middle-aged people who meet by chance in the small North Carolina coastal town of Rodanthe.

A housewife who has focused on everyone but herself indulges in a brief, intense, secret affair with a stranger who changes her life forever. As the story begins, Adrienne Willis is 60, the divorced mother of three grown children. To help her troubled daughter cope with the untimely recent death of her husband, Adrienne tells her the tale of her love affair, which took place 15 years prior. At the time, Adrienne was an uptight matron whose ex-husband had just left her for a younger woman. This rejection colors her entire life, and Sparks realistically portrays a vulnerable and isolated woman who throws herself into raising her children to escape her despair.

Paul Flanner, her paramour, is a surgeon and an obsessive workaholic with no genuine connection to his wife or son, whose world completely falls apart when one of his patients inexplicably dies. Sparks builds a taut, plausible relationship between his protagonists, but even fans may be irked by the obviousness of their story and the inevitability of their fate.

The book was very good. However, it reminded me a lot of his first book "Message in a Bottle". Worth the read, and if they stick to the book, the movie should be just as good.

MayorsHolidaySpecial.com

Holiday cheer starts here!

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino invites you to enjoy the 5th Annual Mayor’s Holiday Special, the central website for Boston’s holiday theatre, dance and music events and celebrations. MayorsHolidaySpecial.com puts all of Boston’s holiday performances on sale in one place. As a special treat, over 5200 special half-price tickets are available first-come, first served, only on this website.

MayorsHolidaySpecial.com is available 11/1/2008 - 1/1/2009.

Barbie in "A Christmas Carol"

This November playing every Sunday & Tuesday at 10 a.m.


Barbie in a Christmas Carol - All Tickets $3.50
Plus receive concession coupon for $3.50 KIDS COMBO

Running time 97 minutes





Playing at the following locations:

Showcase Cinemas Revere
565 Squire Road
Revere, MA 02151
(781) 286-1660

Showcase Cinemas W Spfld 1-15
864 Riverdale Road
West Springfield, MA 01089
413-733-5131

Blackstone Valley 14 Cinema de Lux
70 Worcester/Providence Turnpike
Millbury, MA 01527
508-853-4000

Showcase Cinemas Lowell
32 Reiss Avenue
Lowell, MA 01853
(978) 551-0055

Showcase Cinema de Lux Patriot Place
24 Patriot Place
Foxboro, MA 02035
800-315-4000

Showcase Cinemas Randolph
73 Mazzeo Drive
Randolph, MA 02368
781-963-5600

Showcase Cinemas Woburn
RT 38 & 128
Woburn, MA 01801
(781) 933-5330

Can't get that song out of your head?

It happens to all of us: We hear a song or a jingle and then it keeps running through our brains over and over and over, sometimes to the point where we wish we could forget it!

Researchers have given the phenomenon a name: earworms. Nobody knows exactly why they get stuck in our heads, but there are some interesting theories.

The first study on earworms showed that the kind of music most likely to get stuck in your head is simple and repetitive. In addition, the lyrics are usually unexpected.

Think about the words to "Who Let the Dogs Out?" Here's the chorus: "Who let the dogs out (woof, woof, woof, woof)." Repeat the sentence three times.

No wonder that song is a common earworm! (Some other popular earworms, which we list here only so that you can perhaps mention them in passing to siblings, parents and teachers and thus infect them, include "We Will Rock You," "Y.M.C.A." and "It's a Small World.")

The researcher who conducted the study on earworms was James Kellaris of the University of Cincinnati's College of Business. He learned that any song can become an earworm for some people.

Some people get more earworms than others. Who are they? It turns out that musicians are more likely to get them than non-musicians, and women get them more than men. For some reason, people who worry a lot are more earworm-prone than non-worriers.

This suggests that the music alone is not responsible for an earworm. Individual traits and brain design seem to play a big role, too.

Earworms can get stuck in our heads for a few minutes or even a few days. The University of Cincinnati Web site on Kellaris and earworms offers a few remedies to stop the repetition in your brain.

· Try to replace it with another, perhaps less annoying song.
· Do something to distract yourself.
· Walk to a different tempo from the one in the earworm.

Top Ten Earworms
"The Playlist From Hell"
“Other” - it’s idiosyncratic
Chili’s (Baby Back Ribs)
Who Let the Dogs Out?
We Will Rock You
Kit-Kat bar jingle
Mission Impossible Theme
YMCA
Whomp, There It Is
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
It’s a Small World After All

What Goes Around, Comes Around

Received from Aunty Harriet

One day a man saw a old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was those chills which only fear can put in you.

He said, 'I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.'

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, 'And think of me.'

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan .

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: 'You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.'

Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day.

That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard.

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low,

'Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.'

Phone prank pegs Sarah Palin

TORONTO - Sarah Palin unwittingly took a prank call from a Canadian comedian posing as French President Nicolas Sarkozy who told her she would make a good president someday.

“Maybe in eight years,” replies a laughing Palin.

The 44-year-old Republican vice presidential nominee discusses politics, the perils of hunting with Vice President Dick Cheney, and Sarkozy’s “beautiful wife,” in a recording of the call that airs today on a Quebec radio station. (Boston.com-Full Story)

Prez race,ballot questions key for big poll turnout

LYNN - City and town clerks urge voters swarming to the polls Tuesday to budget plenty of time for parking and, if necessary, standing in line.

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Secretary of State William Galvin predicts more than 3 million of the 4.2 million registered voters statewide will cast ballots. Four million residents were registered to vote in 2004 and 2.9 million voted.

More than half (2,141,878) of Massachusetts’ registered voters are not enrolled as either a Democrat or Republican, although Democrats (1,559,464) outnumber Republicans (490,259) more than three to one.

More than 120,000 voters have already cast absentee ballots, out of about 200,000 distributed, he said. (Lynn Item - Full Story)

Today in History

1913 - The United States introduces an income tax.

1957 - Sputnik program: The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 2. On board is the first animal to enter orbit: a dog named Laika.

1964 - Washington D.C. residents are able to vote in a presidential election for the first time.

1979 - Greensboro massacre: Five members of the Communist Workers Party are shot dead and seven are wounded by a group of Klansmen and neo-Nazis during a "Death to the Klan" rally.



Born Today: 1933 - Michael Dukakis, American politician; 1949 - Larry Holmes, American boxer; 1952 - Roseanne Barr, American actress and comedian;. 1953 - Kate Capshaw, American actress; 1953 - Dennis Miller, American comedian

Pats Lose

Score was 18-15. Anybody up for breaking Vinatieri's leg? Just kidding.

I still dislike Peyton Manning.

Happy Birthday, Geraldine!

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday, dear Gerry,
Happy Birthday to you!

Love and Kisses







Birthday Baby: You have everything you need to be successful: charm, attitude, determination, openness and the desire to try new things. You are a fighter and a great asset to any group you join.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (NOVEMBER 3). You have good reason to be excited about the sensational experiences that will engage you this year. In the new year you are so versatile that you'll fit right into new jobs, different friendship circles and perhaps even a new town. You lead a group to victory in May. July brings a truly memorable vacation. Cancer and Libra adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 30, 1, 5, 17 and 20.

Keep your car keys beside your bed at night

Submitted by Murphy

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.

This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain.

It works if you park in your driveway or garage If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the burglar or rapist won't stick around... after a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that.

And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there.....This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

It would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. A wife suggested to her husband to carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem.

Maine tribes bitter over past casino results

PORTLAND, Maine—Maine's Indian tribes have tried three times to have laws passed so they could build a casino in the state. Three times they've failed.

There's a lingering bitterness among many tribal members as Mainers prepare to vote Tuesday on whether to allow a casino under the operation of a Las Vegas company.

This is the second time Mainers will have voted on a casino that isn't being proposed by either the Penobscot Indian Nation or the Passamaquoddy Tribe. The first time, back in 2003, voters approved a ballot question that allowed for the Hollywood Slots casino and its 1,000 slot machines in Bangor while rejecting a separate proposal for a tribal casino. (Boston.com-Full Story)

Boston Housing Authority: Aunt Zeituni OK by federal rules

Barack Obama kin part of law loophole

A Boston Housing Authority official said yesterday the agency was never notified of a deportation order issued for Barack Obama’s aunt, who has been living in federal- and state-funded public housing in South Boston since 2003.

BHA Deputy Director William McGonagle said Zeituni Onyango, 56, a native of Kenya, met the criteria to live in federally funded housing when she applied in 2003. The Associated Press reported yesterday that an immigration judge instructed Onyango to leave the country in 2004 after her asylum request was denied. (Boston Herald - Full Story)

City fears loss of jobs, income if voters OK dog-racing ban

Predictions in recent years regarding the future of Wonderland Greyhound Park have not centered on if - but when - it will close if slot machines or casino games are not added to the attractions.

But on Tuesday, a question seeking to ban dog racing in the state may cement the struggling track's expiration date, as well as Raynham-Taunton Greyhound Park's, to Jan. 1, 2010. (Boston.com-Full Story)

Troubled Library Catches a Break

State lawmakers have given Saugus a major incentive to increase funding for the town's public library.

The recently approved state environmental bond authorizes the state to provide Saugus with $3 million to support environmentally related capital projects in the schools. But there's a catch: The town's legislative delegation, which secured the authorization, included language that would allow Saugus to receive the "green schools" grant only if its public library is recertified. (Boston.com-Full Story)

City fears effects of dog-racing ban's passage

Predictions in recent years regarding the future of Wonderland Greyhound Park have not centered on if - but when - it will close if slot machines or casino games are not added to the attractions.

But on Tuesday, a question seeking to ban dog racing in the state may cement the struggling track's expiration date, as well as Raynham-Taunton Greyhound Park's, to Jan. 1, 2010.

The Committee to Protect Dogs, sponsors of the ballot petition, wants to phase out the state's 70-year dog-racing industry, arguing that it is cruel and inhumane. (Boston.com-Full Story)

Today in History

Today is "All Souls Day".

In 1947, Howard Hughes piloted his huge wooden flying boat, the Hughes H-4 Hercules (dubbed the "Spruce Goose" by detractors), on its only flight, which lasted about a minute over Long Beach Harbor in California.

In 1976, former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter became the first candidate from the Deep South since the Civil War to be elected president as he defeated incumbent Gerald R. Ford.

In 1983, President Reagan signed a bill establishing a federal holiday on the third Monday of January in honor of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1988 - The Morris worm, the first internet-distributed computer worm to gain significant mainstream media attention, is launched from MIT.

Starbucks Free Coffee - November 4th

Go into your nearest Starbucks and tell them you voted and you get a free cup of coffee on election day.

Submit your rockin' original music videos

This is right up Taryn & Kasey's alley...should we submit their "Thank You Aunty L" video?

Enter to win tickets to Tina Turner's concert at TD Banknorth Garden on Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. View event details

Are you a singer-songwriter or band member looking to showcase your talents? If so, submit your original music videos to Boston.com for a chance to win Tina Turner tickets. Amway Global Presents Tina Turner in concert at the TD Banknorth Garden on Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Enter to win two tickets to this event.

Please note, videos cannot be covers of Tina Turner songs or other artists' songs. They must be your original song and video or non-copyrighted material. Videos must be family friendly in nature.

Click here to learn how to enter.

Bump in MBTA parking fees to further squeeze commuters

As though the weather won't be enough of a challenge, many commuters will face a new test this winter: Trying to squeeze four rolled-up dollar bills through a narrow slot to pay for their parking.

Starting Nov. 15, rates will rise by $2 in all MBTA parking facilities: to $3 at ferry lots, $4 in open railway lots, and $7 in garages like those in Braintree and Quincy. The increase is a major part of an MBTA plan to raise more than $50 million in back pay owed to workers through a recent contract settlement. (Boston.com-Full Story)

Good Morning...

I have such a head cold this morning. So I'm going to keep this short and sweet and probably won't write much today. Patriots play the Colts @ 8:15 PM, so I'll miss that because the benadryl I'm taking for a runny nose will knock me out. Besides, I'm getting too old to stay up that late, especially on a school night. Have I told you I hate Peyton Manning, his brother, too. Two of the fugliest quarterbacks I've ever seen.

Watched the movie "No Country for Old Men" last night...if you have the opportunity to see this, skip it. I can't believe how much it stunk. I would have been better off watching reruns of CSI.

I haven't finished my book, "Nights in Rodanthe". Maybe I'll go back to bed and do a little reading.

$10 off Victoria's Secret Bra Offer

SPECIAL OFFER DETAILS:
$10 OFF ANY FULL-PRICED BRA
Valid through November 9, 2008. To redeem online: Add any single full priced bra to your shopping bag. Enter offer code BRA10 at checkout. Bra price will be adjusted after offer code is applied. One discounted bra per customer, while supplies last. Offer excludes the 2008 Fantasy Bra. Offer subject to adjustment due to returns, cancellations and exchanges. Not valid on clearance merchandise, previous purchases or with any other bra offer. For orders outside the U.S. additional taxes and duties may apply.

Match-O-Matic for the Election

submitted by Mark C.

Who should I vote for?

You've seen it before, but try again.
If you agree with the quote, select it.
Find out which candidate you agree with.
Be sure to vote Tuesday, November 4th.

Find out with Match-O-Matic <=== click here

Dunkin' Donuts Offer - AAA discount

We've teamed up with Budget Rent A Car and brewed up a delicious offer for coffee lovers. Register now at Budget.com/FreeCoffee. Make two qualifying rentals
before December 15, 2008, and two pounds of your favorite Dunkin' Donuts Coffee will be shipped directly to you. And there's no limit--keep renting to earn more free coffee. Take advantage of this valuable offer simply by enjoying the low rates, quality vehicles and friendly service that make Budget a great value.

If you are a AAA member, be sure to use your discount code U004000 to get a discounted rate with Budget.

Red Sox retaining Wakefield

The Red Sox confirmed yesterday what everyone knew to be true. Even after getting shelled in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, Tim Wakefield remains a bargain too good to pass up. (Boston.com-Full Story)

Red Sox, Lee County OK new spring training complex plan

The Red Sox and the executives from Lee County Florida agreed this morning to a deal that will keep the Red Sox’ spring training site in Lee County, but move it from its current home at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers.

Earlier this week, the Lee County Commissioners presented the Red Sox with a plan to build an $80 million spring training complex in south Lee County. The two sides reached agreement on a pact this morning and a deal is expected to be announced later today, sources said. (Boston Herald - Full Story)

Thank You Aunty L. from Da Nieces

Seems to take some time to load...will take it down after a while if it interferes with page loading. Very funny!

Trick or Treaters

Had quite a few kids last night. Must have been because of the nice weather. Here's a few unidentified trick or treaters who showed up at our door.

Revere financial summit to focus on bad news

REVERE - Mayor Thomas Ambrosino will deliver a grim analysis of the city's financial outlook this morning in the face of state spending reductions and the probability of future, more drastic cutbacks. (Lynn Item - Full Story)

Robin Williams as the American Flag

submitted by Tommy & Orize

Obama's aunt from Kenya living in US illegally

WASHINGTON - Barack Obama’s aunt, a Kenyan woman who has been quietly living in public housing in Boston, is in the United States illegally after an immigration judge rejected her request for asylum four years ago, The Associated Press has learned.

Zeituni Onyango, 56, referred to as "Aunti Zeituni" in Obama’s memoir, was instructed to leave the United States by a U.S. immigration judge who denied her asylum request, a person familiar with the matter told the AP late Friday. This person spoke on condition of anonymity because no one was authorized to discuss Onyango’s case. (Boston Herald-Full Story)

He Said, She Said

submitted by Lenny

He said....I don't know why you wear a bra; you've got nothing to put in it.

She said...You wear pants don't you?






He said....Shall we try swapping positions tonight?

She said...That's a good idea - you stand by the ironing board while I sit on the sofa and fart!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He said....What have you been doing with all the grocery money I gave you?

She said...Turn sideways and look in the mirror!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He said....Why don't women blink during foreplay?

She said...They don't have time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He said....How many men does it take to change a roll of toilet paper?

She said...We don't know; it has never happened.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He said....Why is it difficult to find men who are sensitive, caring and Good- looking?

She said...They already have boyfriends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She said...What do you call a woman who knows where her husband is every night?

He said....A widow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He said....Why are married women heavier than&nb sp;single women?

She said...Single women come home, see what's in the fridge and go to bed. Married women come home, see what's in bed and go to the fridge.

Turn Back Your Clock

A reminder: Daylight-saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday.

Clocks go back one hour.

Passport applicants warned of breach

WASHINGTON - The State Department said yesterday that it has notified nearly 400 passport applicants of a security breach in its records system that may have left them open to identity theft.

The department has so far told 383 people - most of them in the Washington, D.C., area - that their passport applications containing personal information, including Social Security numbers, may have been illegally reviewed and used to open fraudulent credit card accounts, spokesman Sean McCormack said.(Boston.com-Full Story)

Happy Birthday November Babies!

In the month of November, the following people will be celebrating their birthday.


Happy Birthday to Everyone!





My sister, Geraldine
Lori D.
Liz M. of Maine
Brother-in-law, Joe
Carol S…believe me, I went to type a T.
Debbie S. of NY
Keith B. of Maine & it’s a big one!
Steve B. of RI
my nephew, Michael-Scott of Maine
Parrot Lady Lynda of BYC
Debbie P.
Uncle Billy A.
Caralooch, or Carol C. to everyone else
Miss Claire

and of course, mine is in there somewhere.

I have to add this one because Jay from Tewksbury is such a fan...November 1st, Rock singer Bo Bice ("American Idol") is 33.

Sarah Palin, the Wonder Woman