Your brother's family can't get to where she is?

Well, she's in the hospital and he's got a 4 and 10 year old. Also, she's reluctant to have people visit. She hates being fussed over. Maybe she'll feel better by Sunday and we can visit and at least my brother and his wife and maybe oldest kid can come by.

Happy birthday, Amy!!!

Did the 80s-90s Batman franchise go sour with Batman Forever, or Batman and Robin? Or, honestly, earlier? I'm watching a documentary that's cheering the Burton Batman for going dark, but they really mean "darker than the '66 movie" which isn't much of a challenge. Elektra meets that criterion. I watched the '89 Batman, and was thrilled to bits, but it was nowhere near the level of satisfaction I felt with Batman Begins. I'm trying to work out if I am cheesed off with that attempt at the character in hindsight, or what.

Batman Forever was pretty bad. Batman & Robin was one of the worst films of the decade.

Manager wrap-up: I called her at 2:50 (after confirming that the meeting notice said she would call me), and she picked up the phone and was all "Hey! Thanks for calling!" with no acknowledgment that she was supposed to call me twenty minutes ago.

All the women of Wisconsin must be thrilled to be liberated from the oppressive yolk of Big Government.

Full of surprises that Walker is. Now if only Romney would chose him for VP.

I'm still processing, and very, very full (of both feelings and popcorn).

Still debating if we need to read HG first. When I suggested to my son that he should read the books he claimed that since he has already read Lord of the Flies and Battle Royale he doesn't need to read Hunger Games. I had no compelling argument other than it is always better to read the book first.

Manager wrap-up: I called her at 2:50

So you get to call it quits for the day, right.

I had no compelling argument other than it is always better to read the book first.

He should definitely read the book first (so should you!). And it's a quick one, because you can't put it down.

I found Batman Returns disappointing and didn't bother with the rest of that iteration. I loved Burton's Batman when it came out, but Batman Begins might have replaced it in my affections (rather than supplementing and surpassing. I'm not sure which is more accurate, but I think one of those).

Laura, has your son read the Battle Royale novel or the graphic novels? I just saw the movie and have a question about the novel. It's In the novel, is there an explanation of how the Battle or whatever is supposed to deter teens from being bad if they don't know it's happening?