Category Archives: Friends and Family

The quid pro quo for having a herd of friendly foreign in-laws in exotic climes from Flushing, Queens to Jipijapa are long, unfortunately timed visits from selfsame in-laws, particularly the traditionally gnarly mother-in-law. So it was with some trepidation that … Continue reading →

In the past we have written of Zapatos, the funky warehouse shoe and clothing store, featuring seconds, overstock and, we suspect, the contents of an occasional mysteriously missing big rig. Name brands at a faction of list price, almost perfect … Continue reading →

So this morning we were en route to Russo’s, the super fresh produce market in Watertown, rolling through Watertown Square in the White Whale, when we saw something we couldn’t believe. A quietly dignified although definitely shabby  elderly woman was … Continue reading →

Massachusetts has "the world’s costliest health care," with average annual spending above $7,000 per person, according to an analysis of federal data to be released today. The report by Boston University’s Alan Sager and Deborah Socolar, health care advocates at … Continue reading →

Massachusetts has "the world’s costliest health care," with average annual spending above $7,000 per person, according to an analysis of federal data to be released today. The report by Boston University’s Alan Sager and Deborah Socolar, health care advocates at … Continue reading →

The Dowbrigade is old enough to remember when we had more time than media. Long hot summer afternoons when we ran out of the paperback Ace and Tor science fiction novels we borrowed by the armload from Mother’s mysterious friend … Continue reading →

Dave got called a “notorious curmudgeon” by Fortune magazine. And he was upset! Personally, we will know we have “made” it when we are called EITHER notorious OR curmudgeon by Fortune. Congratulations, Dave.

In a few short hours the Dowbrigade is off to San Francisco. Our first trip since the Bad Run medical evacuation from South America. This one, however, should be a Milk Run. We have never spent more than a few … Continue reading →

The classic internet scam involving the wife/financial advisor/secretary of the Minister of Finance of Nigeria/Kenya/Uganda, who needs access to a foreign bank account to tidy up the funds.The continued variations on this scam must mean it’s sucking in somebody, although … Continue reading →

Fair Warning: Anyone grossed out by medical details or simply uninterested in the personal life of your correspondent can safely skip the rest of this entry. However, since we are still to a certain extent a Mom and Pop operation … Continue reading →

After a harrowing encounter with the modern American medical system, the Dowbrigade is back in action, although under medical house arrest for the immediate future. By the time the docs got in there to tackle a look, our stomach had … Continue reading →

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean doctors mistakenly removed part of the stomach of a patient due to have thyroid surgery, while removing the thyroid gland of another scheduled for stomach surgery, a hospital official said Monday. The surgical mix-up took … Continue reading →