Growl-Python Binding endian issue on Mac i386?

[surfingmarmot]

I wrote a 'hack' Apple Mail filter in Applescript that calls a python script with the message id and rule name. Python uses the appscript module to send AE to get the message and rule from Mail to then further process. As a progress indicator, I call Growl through the Python binding for each rule-matched message.

Everything works fine on PPC but I get a different character set on the Mac i386--an Asian one--when using a plain Python string. But if I use repr() to print it, it shows up fine. So I am wondering if that just might hint at an Endian issue in the Python binding and string handlign on i386 systems? It is the exact same code on the PPC and i386--just a different result but I am open to the possibility I might have something quirky in the code. Funny thing is, a stand-alone Python script calls Growl just fine !?!?!?

Small screen shots are at: http://homepage.mac.com/daniellord/FileSharing3.html and labeled for the platform and the third snapshot is of two growl alerts--one using repr() and the same exact data only as a plain Python String. Am I just missing something obvious or is there somethign wrong here?