Tuesday

Noahism:
To preface this tidbit I need to tell you that Eve and Noah are always trying to find out who is my favorite kid. I usually tell them that they are one of my four favorite kids and that they are equal favorites, which prompted Noah to ask:

"Who is the most equally favorite?"

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A layout of my mom at the school:

Eve is interested in learning the guitar:



Author Deborah Blum pulls together the various strings to weave the tale of the beginnings of forensic science in the early 20s in New York. Led by Chief Medical Examiner Charles Norris and Toxicologist Alexander Gettler information from each victim was compiled and used to help the living. Blum tells the stories of several types of poisons prevalent during the 1920s. Chloroform, Arsenic, Cyanide,Carbon Monoxide, Radium, Thallium,Ethyl alcohol and Methy Alcohol. There are stories of those who poisoned on purpose and those who played with the poisons without realizing what pain they would endure. One of the saddest stories is the one about "The Radium Girls" who played with the glow in the dark paints they used for designing watch faces.
One of the biggest causes of Dr. Norris was trying to show the government that Prohibition was creating a far larger problem. The government was poisoning the alcohol to prevent/discourage people from drinking, but it didn't work. Dr. Norris used his role as Chief Medical Examiner to continually press for reforms for public saftey.
An aside about the appreance of the book. Each chapter begins with the title of the chapter inside a column that mimics a period newspaper article. I thought the effect was well done. The chemisty explained, alone, is fascinating. Tales of deviousness, greed and stupidity add layers to these stories.

Here is an ad from the time period:
Radithor

*This is a video from Spike tv: http://www.spike.com/video/radium-girls/3133575

*(There are off color comments under the video you probably want to avoid)

I happened to get the first two books out of order, and now that I finished the first book I can say that the first book is a wonderful start to this series. Charles Lennox, the main character, is a solid guy with integrity. His faithful sidekick Graham allows Lennox to investigate areas and people that are beneath Lennox's social class. Lennox's life long friend, Lady Jane, is a strong woman who has compassion for others.
This case begins at the request of Lady Jane to look into the possible murder of a former servant. With the assistance of a doctor whose better days have been overshadowed by alcohol, Lennox finds evidence that the Bella Indigo plant has been used as a poison with the telltale sign of bright red veins. The murder uses arsenic to veil this poison. The book is comprised of short chapters and the story movies swiftly as the amateur gentleman detective and his entourage work to solve this case.




I love to look at fonts...I, in fact, horde fonts on my computer. I have ideas of how to use them, but often don't get around to it. So, these fonts stay tucked away on my hard drive and some times get new companions. Today was just such an exciting day for the Font Folder on my hard drive! I downloaded some awesome sauce fonts created by Teagan White, Douglas Vitkauskas, Anke Arnold, and Billy Argel from dafont.com.

Clementine Sketch
Peach Sundress

Angel Tears
Green Piloww

Typo Garden

Love and Peace

Ghetto marquee

Super cool doodle fonts:
http://kevinandamanda.com/fonts/fontsforpeas/category/doodles/

Stacy's are some I like best.


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The ones in bold are the ones I read:

The Top 100 Children's Novels
100. The Egypt Game - Snyder (1967)
99. The Indian in the Cupboard - Banks (1980)
98. Children of Green Knowe - Boston (1954)
97. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - DiCamillo (2006)
96. The Witches - Dahl (1983)
95. Pippi Longstocking - Lindgren (1950
94. Swallows and Amazons - Ransome (1930)
93. Caddie Woodlawn - Brink (1935)

92. Ella Enchanted - Levine (1997)
91. Sideways Stories from Wayside School - Sachar (1978)
90. Sarah, Plain and Tall - MacLachlan (1985)
89. Ramona and Her Father - Cleary (1977)
88. The High King - Alexander (1968)
87. The View from Saturday - Konigsburg (1996)
86. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Rowling (1999)
85. On the Banks of Plum Creek - Wilder (1937)
84. The Little White Horse - Goudge (1946)
83. The Thief - Turner (1997)
82. The Book of Three - Alexander (1964)
81. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - Lin (2009)
80. The Graveyard Book - Gaiman (2008)
79. All-of-a-Kind-Family - Taylor (1951)
78. Johnny Tremain - Forbes (1943)
77. The City of Ember - DuPrau (2003)
76. Out of the Dust - Hesse (1997)
75. Love That Dog - Creech (2001)
74. The Borrowers - Norton (1953)
73. My Side of the Mountain - George (1959)
72. My Father's Dragon - Gannett (1948)
71. The Bad Beginning - Snicket (1999)
70. Betsy-Tacy - Lovelae (1940)
69. The Mysterious Benedict Society - Stewart ( 2007)
68. Walk Two Moons - Creech (1994)
67. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher - Coville (1991)
66. Henry Huggins - Cleary (1950)
65. Ballet Shoes - Stratfeild (1936)
64. A Long Way from Chicago - Peck (1998)

63. Gone-Away Lake - Enright (1957)
62. The Secret of the Old Clock - Keene (1959)
61. Stargirl - Spinelli (2000)
60. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle - Avi (1990)
59. Inkheart - Funke (2003)
58. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase - Aiken (1962)
57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 - Cleary (1981)
56. Number the Stars - Lowry (1989)
55. The Great Gilly Hopkins - Paterson (1978)
54. The BFG - Dahl (1982)
53. Wind in the Willows - Grahame (1908)
52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007)
51. The Saturdays - Enright (1941)
50. Island of the Blue Dolphins - O'Dell (1960)
49. Frindle - Clements (1996)
48. The Penderwicks - Birdsall (2005)
47. Bud, Not Buddy - Curtis (1999)
46. Where the Red Fern Grows - Rawls (1961)
45. The Golden Compass - Pullman (1995)
44. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing - Blume (1972)
43. Ramona the Pest - Cleary (1968)
42. Little House on the Prairie - Wilder (1935)
41. The Witch of Blackbird Pond - Speare (1958)
40. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - Baum (1900)
39. When You Reach Me - Stead (2009)
38. HP and the Order of the Phoenix - Rowling (2003)
37. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Taylor (1976)
36. Are You there, God? It's Me, Margaret - Blume (1970)
35. HP and the Goblet of Fire - Rowling (2000)
34. The Watson's Go to Birmingham - Curtis (1995)
33. James and the Giant Peach - Dahl (1961)
32. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH - O'Brian (1971)
31. Half Magic - Eager (1954)
30. Winnie-the-Pooh - Milne (1926)
29. The Dark Is Rising - Cooper (1973)
28. A Little Princess - Burnett (1905)

27. Alice I and II - Carroll (1865/72)
26. Hatchet - Paulsen (1989)
25. Little Women - Alcott (1868/9)
24. HP and the Deathly Hallows - Rowling (2007)
23. Little House in the Big Woods - Wilder (1932)
22. The Tale of Despereaux - DiCamillo (2003)
21. The Lightening Thief - Riordan (2005)
20. Tuck Everlasting - Babbitt (1975)

19. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Dahl (1964)
18. Matilda - Dahl (1988)
17. Maniac Magee - Spinelli (1990)
16. Harriet the Spy - Fitzhugh (1964)
15. Because of Winn-Dixie - DiCamillo (2000)
14. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Rowling (1999)
13. Bridge to Terabithia - Paterson (1977)
12. The Hobbit - Tolkien (1938)
11. The Westing Game - Raskin (1978)
10. The Phantom Tollbooth - Juster (1961)
9. Anne of Green Gables - Montgomery (1908)
8. The Secret Garden - Burnett (1911)
7. The Giver -Lowry (1993)
6. Holes - Sachar (1998)
5. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - Koningsburg (1967)
4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - Lewis (1950)

3. Harry Potter #1 - Rowling (1997)
2. A Wrinkle in Time - L'Engle (1962)
1. Charlotte's Web - White (1952)