We’ve bought a lot of things we later regretted. Used bookstores refuse to buy our copy of A Million Little Pieces. Then there was the time we were drunk and purchased Britney Spears’ Greatest Hits CD.

But those transgressions are small compared to the pain Paul Minihane is experiencing. The state Supreme Judicial Court ruled today that he owes the Patriots the balance of his 10-year contract for two luxury season tickets.

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Harvard University has a lot of money, which is good for Harvard. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on the other hand, does not have much dough kicking around these days. While the state holds together its infrastructure with silly putty and prayer, Harvard is sitting on a huge tax-free nest egg and is slowly expanding its empire campus into Allston.

Having already tapped smokers to help float its budget, Beacon Hill is now hinting that it wants rich schools like Harvard to pitch in a little.

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Instead of worrying about Tom Brady’s physical health during the off season, Patriots fans have been more concerned with how his masculinity is holding up. TMZ.com called the quarterback an “errand boy” for girlfriend Gisele Bundchen. Our local gossipmongers have worried that Brady is becoming a little too metrosexual.

We’d argue that the QB is remarkably secure in his masculinity. Not only is he confident enough to walk around wearing skinny scarves, but Forbes revealed today that Brady’s girlfriend earned way more than he did last year.

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There is a lot of unsettling economic news out there these days. The worldwide food shortage is starting to affect Americans, with Sam’s Club and Costco limiting the amount of rice their customers can buy. High-end condo complexes on the fringes of Boston have been forced to auction off vacant units due to the housing slowdown.

But it isn’t all bad. There have been several huge financial deals in Massachusetts in recent days that have us feeling a little better about the local business scene.

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If the producers who hope to open a movie studio in Weymouth are looking for script ideas, we’ve got a doozy of an “inspired by a true story” pitch for them.

A pipe fitter from the working class town of Chicopee steps into the New Corner Variety.  He’s mourning the loss of his nephew, who recently died of cancer.  Reflecting fondly back on the Jimmy Fund, which works closely with his nephew’s favorite baseball team, the man is inspired to buy a Limited Edition World Series Red Sox Instant Ticket.

But you can’t make up what happens next.

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Yesterday, we expressed skepticism about Gov. Deval Patrick’s plan to borrow $3.8 billion to repair 411 bridges around the state. We thought House Speaker Sal DiMasi sounded hesitant to embrace the big loan during a recession, and we braced for another fight between the two. But it was all sunshine and cuddles between the Speaker and the Governor during yesterday’s formal announcement of the bridge plan.

That doesn’t mean the path ahead will be entirely smooth for Patrick, however. State Treasurer Tim Cahill says Beacon Hill can’t afford champagne bridges on the state’s beer budget.

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You may have heard this already, but Massachusetts is hurting for money. Now that we won’t have casinos anytime soon, the Legislature is left to scramble for ways to balance the budget because if it doesn’t, cities and towns won’t get the aid they need to keep services running.

Cities and towns will be delighted to hear that the Massachusetts State Lottery is on its way to a record-setting year, since much of their aid comes from revenues. But it may spell more trouble than relief.

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We know we have an inner child, largely because we still get a chuckle out of sophomoric jokes. But the Globe shocked us today with the news that we also have an “inner Yankee.” We love an L.L. Bean Boat and Tote as much as anyone, but an austere lifestyle isn’t in our nature.

Perhaps the most inner-Yankeeless entity in these troubled economic times is the MBTA. Despite General Manager Dan Grabauskas’ assertion that the agency is “broke,” the agency’s board is expected to approve $3.75 billion in capital improvements.

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A little over a week ago, The Atlantic blogged that Mitt Romney is about to create a political action committee. From what we hear, Romney has enlisted Peter Flaherty (his deputy campaign manager) and Steve Roche (one of his chief fund raisers) to assist in the effort.

According to The Atlantic, the purpose of the PAC would be to raise money for Republican candidates everywhere — and, no doubt, set up a second run for the White House in 2012.

Sounds like a good deal for Republicans, right? Not quite. The GOP should be a tad concerned about who receives Romney’s PAC money. A quick review of Slick Willard’s past donations is less than inspiring.

Let’s just say the man knows how to back a winner a warm body.

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We urban dwellers have precious few moments of quiet in our day. T riders endure high-decibel conversations while they commute into work. Our coworker’s phone always rings at the precise moment that our train of thought is most easily derailed.

The one place we had some respite from the cacophony of urban life is in our cars. And now a new company wants to take that away from us as well.

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