How do you know you picked right person to marry?

I know a guy who gives a test to any woman he thinks he might have a future with. He gives her a copy of the novel, "A Confederacy of Dunces.'' If she doesn't like it and doesn't find the humor in it, he puts the brakes on the relationship. The guy's divorced, so I think we can assume that one shared and enjoyed novel does not a soulmate make.

Having said that, it seems to me that a certain shared sensibility about the things that make you laugh and the things that put you to sleep can be helpful in a relationship. Case in point: I rented a couple of movies from the library over the weekend, and my wife Sue and I forwent our usual kick out the jams party weekend plans and watched the flicks.

"Superman Returns'' was a big snoozefest. Except for the scene where a bad guy shoots Superman and the bullet bounces off the Kryptonian's eyeball, the whole thing plays like a bad Russian novel: long and dull.

Then we watched "Clerks II.'' I'd be the first to admit that Kevin Smith is an acquired taste, what with the profanity and the vulgarity and all. It certainly isn't what I'd call a "first date'' movie. But Kevin Smith, as a writer and director, has a good heart. And he's funny as all get out.
When I saw Sue laughing at some outrageousness in the movie, it was like falling in love all over again.