For those who actually know Andy’s brother Daniel, there is an eerie resemblance between Daniel and Edward Norton in “The Illusionist.”

See the following picture.
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If you listen very carefully, some time two or three days from now you’re going to hear a lot of yelling–all associated with my name.

We just bought my grandmother a cell phone with a local Baltimore exchange. I just charged the battery and entered all the phone numbers I knew. It’s going to be shipped off tomorrow, and should reach her at my aunt’s house relatively quickly. Then the hollering will begin as she gets mad that I spent so much money on her.

Funny thing is that since we just added her onto our plan, it’ll probably be cheaper than her land line.

Someday, someone is going to remind me why I thought it would be a good idea to have a job working with computers.

Additionally, that person cannot be someone who calls my house for free tech support.

Jack, Knave and Fool (1998) Bruce Alexander

I think the Sir John Fielding mysteries get better as the series continues. Characters continue to be introduced to the series, while familiar characters continue to make an appearance and play an important part in the life of Jeremy Proctor.

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We finally watched New World.

We found it somewhat frustrating, because we didn’t realize that the pace would be glacial. PLUS I think Colin Farrell is creepy looking. Once we realized that the movie was going nowhere quickly, AND once I didn’t have to look at Colin Farrell anymore, I found the movie more interesting.

Well, also I think Christian Bale is very fine to look at. That helped a lot.

Weirdly, the bits that I remembered from the preview were not actually IN the movie. Which is very disconcerting. I’m not sure I comprehend the idea of putting a bit in the preview and then not putting it in the movie. I spent the whole movie waiting for Christopher Plummer’s character to say the line something like, “let not this new world go wrong in her first hours,” and waiting for the actions that went along with that line.

But it never came.

Which made the whole thing even more surreal.

Just got back from seeing The Illusionist.

I don’t know about anyone else, but Michael and I both really liked it. Even though Edward Norton at times looks eerily like Daniel–Andy’s brother.

Got my e-mail from Things from Another World listing their Star Trek sale items.

This is both funny and frightening.

Watery Grave (1996) Bruce Alexander

Tom Durham–son of the now Lady Fielding–has returned to London on shore leave from the Navy. He returns with a love of the sea, and a desire to make the Navy his life. But coming ashore with him are orders for the trial of one of the members of the crew of H.M.S. Adventure–the murder of the captain by one of the Lieutenants. Charges brought by the now acting captain.

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Person or Persons Unknown (1997) Bruce Alexander

About a year has passed since the events of Watery Grave and Jeremy Proctor is starting to become a full fledged teenager–in though if not in deed. Although he appreciates what Sir John Fielding has done for him, he begins to feel that he is being treated like a child, instead of the man he is sure he has become. Luckily, there isn’t too much teenage rebellion here, mostly just cranky teenage thoughts.

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Don’t get me wrong, I love the Health Sciences cafeteria.

But some of the things they serve have the most unappetizing names.

Take today’s menu for example.

Groats sounds particularly unappetizing–like something having to do with goats.

Not that “hulled oat kernels” sounds particularly appetizing either.

Another article on C-Sections.

Here’s the headline, and the paragraph that makes the difference between this article and the one I ranted about yesterday:

C-Sections May Be Bad for the Baby

The study, published in the September issue of the journal Birth, relied on birth certificates issued for the approximately 16 million babies born in the U.S. from 1998 through 2001, and linked them with infant death records. Birth certificates indicate whether an infant was delivered vaginally or by cesarean, and whether there was a medical need such as a previous C-section, a breech position, infant distress, or health conditions in the mother such as diabetes or hypertension. The study did not address the death rate among babies born to women who needed C-sections, but the authors emphasized that “timely cesareans in response to medical conditions have proved to be life-saving interventions for countless mothers and babies.”

The limitations of the study are mentioned right up front, and then the article goes on the discuss the possible reasons for the differences. Even the headline is more realistic: “C-sections may be bad for the baby” (emphasis mine) versus “Caesarean birth triples maternal death risk”

Anyway, I just found it interesting to see a much better written article on a similar subject as the one that annoyed me yesterday.

Here’s a headline from CNN.

Caesarean birth triples maternal death risk

Researchers, led by Catherine Deneux-Tharaux of the Maternite Hopital Tenon in Paris, looked at 65 maternal deaths recorded in the French National Perinatal Survey from 1996 to 2000.

All of the deaths followed births of a single child and were not due to conditions existing prior to delivery. The women had also not been hospitalized during pregnancy.

Now, the problem I have with this is Cesarean deliveries tend to be performed on women with high risk pregnancies, or women who have problems during their pregnancy. Although they they ruled out preexisting conditions, the article doesn’t mention whether these Cesareans were elective or as a result complications during delivery.

So essential this article tells me nothing. Bah!

While watching “The Wild Wild West” Sunday, the bad guy said,

“Silence Wretch!”

That’s my new phrase.

For those who are not students of history, Labor Day in the United States exists to celebrate workers in the United States, and hopefully to pause to consider how worker rights have improved.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

Child Labor in the United States

But we should also pause to consider the state of Unions in the US, and the status of laborers. By this I don’t mean lawyers and CEOs, but the people who do the work in the service and manufacturing industries: slaughterhouses, commercial farms, coal mines.

Also consider that for those at the bottom, wages have remained stagnant or decreased with inflation, rates of health insurance coverage are falling (while health costs rise), and workplace safety is again becoming an increasing problem.

Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Agricultural Workers Survey
US Department of Labor

And I’ll chose the wrong way every time.

Today’s tasks included scrubbing the deck so it can be painted (since we finally have a deck and parking space!) and moving muddy rocks. I scrubbed the deck first–and then second–so when the weather clears up, we can paint it.

Then I played in the dirt.

Then I walked across the clean deck.

Then I cleaned the deck again.