[phydaux]

"Lots of Irish people in Boston?"

LOL! Yup, a few.

My wife is from a Boston neighbothood called Charlestown. She still calls it "That Irish ghetto." It's OK, though. Her maiden name is Dooley.

In that middle of the city there is a memorial to all those who died in the Great Irish Potato Famine. So far as I know, no one born in Boston actually died in the Great Irish Potato Famine. But there is a memorial none the less.

In Boston, St. Partick's Day is a city holiday. They actually close all city offices and all city workers get the day off with pay. And since Boston is the capital of the State of Massachusettes, state workers get the day off with pay as well.

I had a buddy from Manchester (England) come for a visit a few years ago. We went into Boston for a few drinks. After he saw the second sign that said "Up the Provos! Up the IRA!" he just about had a heart attack. But not as bad as...

We got to a bar and my buddy ordered. An old woman from another table overheard him and said, "Oh, I love your accent. Where are you from in Ireland?"

He almost choked on his Guinness. Later he told me, "You don't understand. Back home that's the sort of thing that buys you an ass kickin'. It doesn't matter that she's on old woman out with her granddaughter. Either I kick her ass or I never go out in public again!"