January 31, 2004

Spotlight

This arrived in my Inbox earlier tonight:

Hello Mark, I've just been looking around your weblog. It's very interesting. It's probably still amazing to you that the recording of your daily life could be interesting to anyone else. I have Becker's MD and use a wheelchair. I'm married with 2 sons. I have been wanting to start my own 'blog' and seeing yours has given me the incentive to go ahead. The picture is of me and my boys at 6 Flags in Ohio. Take care of yourself, be well. Bruce

Thanks, Bruce. Send me your blog's URL and I'll post it. The whole secret handshake and codebook thing will come later.

And a big shoutout to Carl Eller, who was selected for induction to the NFL Hall of Fame. Carl is a colleague of mine at work and this recognition is long overdue.

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Currying Favor

Huh. If I'm not mistaken, Adam Curry left a comment here today. I have good memories of watching MTV when I stayed home from school because I was sick (which was often). Adam Curry and Martha Quinn were my favorite VJs. This was back when MTV played videos and not much else.

I may have a couple people over for the Super Bowl tomorrow. I bought way too much food. Perhaps I should invite the lovely woman who lives across the hall and woo her with my vast array of snack items and dipping condiments. Women like that kind of stuff, don't they?

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January 30, 2004

Svengali

More fun in the Arctic today. This morning, I had a meeting at the Capitol with one of our state senators. I'm getting to see more of the legislative process in my job, which I find really interesting. I don't think I have the temperament for any kind of political career, but the process of proposing and enacting policy is fascinating to me. I would be more comfortable working behind the scenes as a consultant or advisor. The type of person who whispers things into the ear of those who are much more photogenic and polished than I ever could be.

I'm starting to wonder if my vacation should take the form of a cruise. I was kind of dismissive of the idea at first. Cruises just seem kind of tacky and overindulgent to me. But it might be more accessible than some of the other options I've been looking at. I could still see a few different places and still have a home base from which to operate. But a 7-day cruise probably means I should bring two people with me, which bumps up the expense. Sigh. Sometimes I wish I could just get on a plane and go and not have to plan every little detail. Having a disability really kills spontaneity.

Anyway, whine whine. I'll figure out something.

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January 29, 2004

Failure to Communicate

I just did my taxes and it looks like Uncle Sam will be sending me a generous refund this year. So now I have the pleasant dilemma of figuring out what to do with this sudden windfall. I suppose I could go to Vegas and blow it all on drugs and women, but that just doesn't feel very original. I have a feeling that some of it will go towards my upcoming vacation. Speaking of, Hobbit Travel just lost me as a potential customer. I spent a half hour on hold waiting to speak to an agent. When I finally get someone on the other end, I start explaining my vacation plans. I get maybe one sentence out when click! The guy hung up on me. Now I realize my voice can sound a bit odd on the phone, especially to someone who doesn't know me. But how about a little patience here? I gots the cash money to spend and this is how I get treated? The sad thing is that this sort of thing happens regularly. Oh, the injustice! By the way, I'm thinking about this resort in Puerto Rico. Who wants to come with?

I'm trying to figure out if I can scan the magazine article for all of you to see. It's actually kinda long--six pages. And I should make sure it's cool with the people at the magazine.

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January 28, 2004

Planning My Escape

My potential travel plans keep changing. It's been so cold here lately that I've been thinking about simply going someplace warm for a few days. South Beach in Miami and Puerto Rico seem to be the two top candidates in terms of accessibility and potential entertainment value. A friend of mine was in South Beach a few years ago and she showed me some pictures of the Art Deco buildings. I know less about Puerto Rico, but I've heard it's beautiful. Frankly, I'll go anywhere that has a couple palm trees and some sand.

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January 27, 2004

Cover Boy

A few days ago, I mentioned I had an announcement to make. And I know the suspense is killing you. Is it a new girlfriend? Alas, no. A book deal? Not yet. Maybe this picture will offer a clue:

Law & Politics is a Minnesota magazine that's widely read by the legal community and other assorted professionals. One of the editors lives in my building and we met when I first moved here. For some reason I still don't quite understand, he decided that I might make an interesting article for the magazine. His name is Adam Wahlberg and he did a great job writing the piece. It's not sappy or pithy, which is a lot more than I can say about some other things that have been written about me. He quotes some stuff from my blog, which is cool. When I opened to the article, this was staring back at me on the opposite page:

Man, somebody needs a haircut! Seriously though, it felt really strange to be staring at a full-page photo of myself. All of my nurses will probably show it to their friends and family as proof that they really do work with a freak.

Anyway, that's my big announcement. The magazine has a readership of about 50,000 and it will be interesting to see what kind of feedback I get or if the blog will get any additional hits. Hell, the only reason I agreed to do the article was a last-ditch effort to get a date. Not that I'm holding my breath.

If anyone wants copies of the article, e-mail me and I'll see what I can do. If you're in Minnesota, you might be able to find the magazine at your local Borders or B&N.

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January 26, 2004

World Wide Wait

Wow. My City Councilwoman actually called me back about my little problem with the skyways over the weekend. I'm impressed. She basically told me that the skyways are privately owned and they can close whenever they choose. I kind of suspected this, but it was good to get a response from someone who can verify that.

I don't know what's going on with the Net tonight. Access to every site has slowed to a crawl. And my 19th Floor e-mail address is getting slammed with infected e-mail. I wonder if the two are related. I was going to post my big news tonight, but that might have to wait until my connection is running smoothly again.

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January 25, 2004

Two In A Row

Congratulations to everyone at NASA and JPL for successfully landing the Opportunity rover on Mars. And it looks like Spirit may also be on the way back to good health after being in critical condition for the last few days. I heard on the NASA channel last night that their website has received over 4 billion hits in the last few weeks. I like to think that this mission might improve the science literacy of Americans. I'm surprised by the number of people who think that driving the rover is a simple matter, like playing a video game. They don't get the concept of the time lag created by the distance a radio signal has to travel between Earth and Mars. Then again, wouldn't it be cool if we actually did have something like LeGuin's ansible at our disposal? I wonder if any serious research has been done in this area.

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January 24, 2004

Access Denied

I tried going to a movie this afternoon, but one of the skyways I use to get from home to the theater was closed. I followed signs indicating a detour, but that led me to a locked door. In a word, bummer. I fired off a quick e-mail to my City Councilwoman, but I have no idea if I'll get a response. If nothing else, it will be an interesting test of the responsiveness of an elected official.

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January 23, 2004

Me And My Shadow

Last week, I mentioned I spoke to a class at Hamline. I had one other duty to fulfill as part of that commitment, which was to have one of the students job-shadow me. I did that today. I was a little concerned because there just isn't much to see at my work. After all, I'm not performing surgery or or fighting fires. And I didn't think it would be very exciting for my student to watch me write e-mail and answer the telephone. So I decided to talk to her and simply let her ask me whatever questions she had. My student was a sweet and charming young woman and it was fun to listen to her talk and remember my own college experiences (which are nearly ten years ago now). College was a mixed bag for me. I went to a small liberal arts college in Wisconsin where there weren't too many students with disabilities and the student body was surprisingly conservative. In more ways than one, I felt like I really didn't fit in there. At the same time, I had some truly awesome friends and some first-rate professors who taught me how to write well.

I've been on an iTunes spree lately, with a particular emphasis on The Cure. I dig Robert Smith's voice and his melancholy verses resonate with me. I can't stop listening to "Pictures of You."

Watch this space next week for a really cool announcement.

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January 22, 2004

Errata

Aren't Republicans always the ones going on about the importance of honesty and integrity? So isn't the act of breaking into a restricted computer somewhat contrary to those ideals? Or am I missing something?

Poor NASA. And just when things seemed to be going so well on Mars. Maybe tomorrow will bring better news.

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January 21, 2004

Subzero

Tomorrow it's supposed to be ridiculously cold around here. And of course, I have to run between two or three meetings at different locations. You would think that having lived in the Midwest almost my entire life, I'd be accustomed to Arctic blasts. But I still think they suck. I hate having to go through the whole bother of getting dressed for outside and how it takes a good half hour for sensation to return to my fingertips. When I was a kid, my parents would insist on wrapping my legs in a blanket on days like this. This didn't go over well once I became a teenager. "No, Mom, not the blankey! Anything but the blankey!"

Rumors are going around the geek sites that Star Trek: Enterprise might be canceled. My reaction? Eh. I like Star Trek as much as the next nerd, but I think the franchise needs to be put to rest for a good long while. I've been watching the first couple seasons of Babylon 5 and I think Straczynski was on to something with the idea of a five-year story arc. Genre shows shouldn't be allowed to go on just for the sake of squeezing every last bit of profit out of them. About the only thing I'll miss in this series is that hot Vulcan woman. What can I say? Give me a little eye candy in my television and I'm a happy guy.

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January 20, 2004

The Sound And The Fury

The Iowa caucus results didn't completely surprise me, but I was a little shocked at how badly Dean performed. The more I observe him, the more doubts I have. Did anyone see the speech he gave last night? It was a geography lesson and not much else. We know where the primaries are, Howard. How about some substance? Kerry and Edwards delivered solid speeches outlining their ideas and policies. Dean screamed like a football coach at a pep rally.

I had a friend review my book manuscript and she gave me some great feedback. It's a relief to know that this story is interesting to someone else besides me.

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January 19, 2004

A Family Affair

Some of the British papers are running a story about Stephen Hawking possibly being the victim of physical abuse inflicted by someone close to him. If this story is true, it wouldn't completely surprise me. People with disabilities are easy targets for abuse. I've never been in an abusive situation myself, but I've known plenty of peers who have experienced abuse at the hands of a parent, spouse, or other caregiver. The situation only becomes more tragic when the abuse victim is unable to speak for him- or herself. And if you add in the social isolation that is the common denominator in the lives of many people with disabilities, you can see how many abusive situations can go on for years at a time without being discovered by anyone else. I hope that Dr. Hawking's family and colleagues are vigorously advocating for him and monitoring his safety.

Here's my absolutely worthless prediction for the Iowa Caucus: Dean first, followed by Kerry and then Edwards in a close third.

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January 18, 2004

Neck And Neck

Looks like Dean is in for a real nail-biter in Iowa. As one commentator has said (can't remember who), it's probably a good thing that the race has tightened up. It means that all of the major candidates are still being scrutinized and considered. This is, after all, the race for the Presidential nomination and nothing should be easy. At the same time, the media needs to tone down the make-or-break histrionics. The Iowa caucus has a terrible record when it comes to predicting the eventual nominee. I have a feeling that the race won't start to shake out until mid-February at the earliest. I'll be curious to see if Kerry and Edwards can build some momentum. Now that would be an interesting ticket.

I'm off tomorrow because of the MLK holiday. I don't have any solid plans for the day, but it's just nice to know that I have some extra free time. I still haven't seen a couple of the smaller films that were released over the holidays, like House of Sand and Fog.

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January 17, 2004

Evil Empire

Here's another reason I will never, ever shop at Wal-Mart. They engage in the decidedly Dickensian practice of locking overnight employees in the stores with no easy way to get out in an emergency. Isn't it interesting to note how this wildly successful company can barely conceal its contempt for its own workers?

The Hubble Telescope has fallen victim to the fallout from last year's Columbia disaster. Pity. I really enjoy looking at the images it produces. They're a great reminder that the daily trivialities of life aren't terribly significant in the larger scheme of things.

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January 16, 2004

Consenting Adults

This article discusses a Dutch sex worker who services men with cognitive disabilities such as Down's Syndrome. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I'm glad this individual recognizes that people with disabilities have sexual desires, but the article makes it sound like some of her clients are so severely disabled that they can't express any meaningful form of consent. That concerns me. I think consent is a critical aspect of any sexual act. And what if the sex worker was a man and the clients were women? Would that change the dynamics of this transaction?

I'm also a little troubled by this quote from the article:

Obviously, only a small minority of the disabled can find suitable [sexual] partners. The others lack social skills, lack access to potential partners, aren't intelligent enough to initiate or maintain a relationship, are physically disfigured, or cannot move. Hence the need for services of prostitutes.

Hell, lots of people without disabilities lack social skills and they still seem to find sexual partners. Having a disability shouldn't automatically imply the need for a prostitute. I don't have a problem with prostitution per se, but sex is just as much about intimacy as physical release. This article seems to imply that people with disabilities aren't capable of experiencing intimacy.

Then again, what the hell do I know? The way my own love life has been stagnating, in another year or two I may be planning an extended vacation to Amsterdam.

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January 15, 2004

Run-Of-The-Mill Geek

My little lecture today at Hamline went well. I thought about mentioning this blog to the students, but I couldn't think of a way to do it that wouldn't sound like a plug. I also noticed how young most of the students seemed. When the hell did I begin to feel...not young anymore? I bet none of those kids even know the lyrics to "Rio."

This study confirms that I'm a fairly typical Internet user. I watch way less television than I used to and, of course, I read a lot. I also like to think I'm a fairly sociable person.

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January 14, 2004

Slings & Arrows

Ugh. There are some days when the universe says to itself, "I'm bored. I know, let's fuck with Mark." Minor annoyances have been piling up in my life, both work-related and personal. Nothing serious, but enough to give me a headache. But I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I'm speaking to a class of freshmen in a social justice class at Hamline University about my personal experiences with disability. A colleague of mine teaches the class and issued the invitation to me and a few other fellow gimps. She said that if we really want to grab their attention, just talk about sex. So I have to figure out a way to weave sex into the discussion. That shouldn't be too difficult. Heh.

Here's yet another story about advances in brain-computer interfaces. This technology can't come soon enough for me. My neck is killing me from all the typing I do.

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January 13, 2004

Vista

To compensate for last night's verbose entry, I'm going to keep this short. I've had two killer days at work and I'm in serious need of some downtime tonight. But here's some mildly good news: I reached page 100 in my book.

And here's a really cool panorama of Mars. Or, if you're of the conspiratorial persuasion, a panorama of the Nevada desert Photoshopped to look like Mars

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January 12, 2004

At The Bottom Of The Courthouse Steps

Yesterday's NY Times had a great editorial about the Tennessee v. Lane case, which is scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court tomorrow. Per the Respondent's (Lane's) brief, the facts are as follows:

Respondents George Lane and Beverly Jones have paraplegia and use wheelchairs to ambulate. Pet. App. 13. In 1996, petitioner charged Lane with two misdemeanor offenses and summoned him to appear in the Polk County Courthouse to answer the charges. Id. at 15-16. All court proceedings in that courthouse take place on the second floor of a building that, at that time, had no elevator. At his first appearance, Lane crawled up two flights of stairs to get to the courtroom. On his second visit, he was arrested after he "sent word to the court that he would not crawl to the courtroom again" and further declined to be carried by officers. Id. at 15. The court conducted subsequent proceedings with Lane waiting on the ground floor while his attorney shuttled back and forth between Lane and the second-floor courtroom.

Beverly Jones, another party to the case, is a court reporter who uses a wheelchair. She has been forced to decline several job assignments because many of Tennessee's courthouses are inaccessible. Lane and Jones sued the State of Tennessee for failing to comply with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Title II requires public services and programs to be accessible to people with disabilities.

Tennessee is arguing that it cannot be sued under the ADA because the 11th Amendment of the Constitution grants it immunity from such suits. Once an obscure and often-ignored Constitutional provision, the 11th Amendment has become the weapon of choice for states' rights advocates and so-called federalists determined to strike down what they deem as intrusive and burdensome federal laws. This tactic has met with much success in the Supreme Court. In a previous Supreme Court decision, Alabama v. Garrett, the Court ruled that state employees cannot sue the state under another provision of the ADA, Title I. States are also protected from suits under other federal anti-discrimination and environmental laws.

When I was a year or so out of law school, i interviewed for a judicial clerkship position in this little town called Mora, Minnesota. When I got to the interview, I discovered that the courtroom was inaccessible. The judge still interviewed me, but he and I both knew I wasn't getting the job. I did get another clerkship a couple months later, but what if I lived in Mora and wanted apply for a marriage certificate? What if I was being sued? What if I was called for jury duty?

What if I wanted to vote?

In 2004, people with disabilities shouldn't have to be litigating issues of access anymore. We shouldn't have to keep explaining to courts how decades of discrimination and bias made a federal law like the ADA necessary. We shouldn't have to plead for the right to be allowed into a courtroom without crawling up the steps. We shouldn't have to ask for the opportunity to enjoy the liberties, both trivial and profound, that everyone else takes for granted.

But we do have to ask. And sometimes it makes me want to weep.

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January 11, 2004

Oh, The Agony!

Aargh! I guess it was too much to expect the Packers to win two overtime games in a row. But why did Favre have to chuck the ball up in the air like that, allowing it to be easily intercepted? Ah well, at least I don't live in Green Bay and I don't have to listen to the local media obsess over the loss for the next month. At the same time, however, I can't remember a playoff season that has been as purely entertaining as what we've seen over the last couple weeks.

Busy week coming up. A legislative report to finish and a speaking engagement at a local university.

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January 10, 2004

Dean's Alignment Is Chaotic Good

This is so funny. An imaginative blogger has written an entry comparing the Democratic presidential candidates to Dungeons & Dragons characters. He says this about Kucinich:

If there's one Democratic candidate who knows how many hit dice a Gelatinous Cube has, it's Dennis Kucinich. You've gotta know that somewhere in the back of his one of his closets is a first-print copy of the Fiend Folio, pages stuck together with decade-old bong resin.

Obviously, he's a Druid. You know, the whole Commune with Nature thing; he's like a Vegan, sickly-pale Beastmaster. He doesn't actually fight monsters; instead, he casts one of his many Summon Squirrels spells, shouting out, "O, my Friends of the Silver Forest! Come to me, O Woodland Creatures! Protect me from this fell beast!" You know, that kind of pansy shit.

The author fails to mention that Kucinich's ears give a -2 hit to his Charisma stat..

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January 09, 2004

High Demand

Sometimes my ideas work a little too well. In an effort to distribute some videos that my department produced, I posted a message on a disability-related listserv to which I subscribe. I thought I'd maybe get another 20-30 orders. Instead, my Inbox has been flooded with requests. It's very gratifying and just one more example of how useful the Internet can be, but I can barely keep up with the amount of requests! This isn't Amazon, y'know! Fortunately, we have a very helpful administrative assistant who is giving me a hand.

Jesse Ventura, our former pro-wrestler cum governor, will be a visiting fellow at Harvard. Draw your own conclusions.

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January 08, 2004

Bon Voyage

I drove my sister to the airport today for her flight to Europe. I think it finally hit her this morning that she would be spending six months in a foreign land and she started to freak out a little. She was also worried about the flight and the heightened security on the airlines. I almost said, "Whatever you do, don't talk back to the hijackers," but then I decided that probably wasn't too appropriate. Here's hoping she drinks lots of wine, eats lots of cheese, and that she brings me back some good swag.

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January 07, 2004

Name Calling

I'm not sure I get what Apple is trying to do with the new iPod mini. Sure, the colors are cool, but $250 for 4 GB? My 10 gig iPod was purchased for roughly the same amount on eBay. If Apple wants this thing to take off, the price point needs to come down to, say, $150.

This essay critical of bloggers says more about the author than what he is criticizing. He sure seems to have a lot of pent-up anger on the subject. I'm trying to figure out if I'm a Self-Important Moron an Aspiring Writer.

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January 06, 2004

Shameless Self-Promotion

If you feel like wasting five minutes, you can nominate The 19th Floor for a 2004 Bloggie. I think the most appropriate category is Best-Kept-Secret Blog. I'd nominate myself, but that just seems so...so un-Midwestern. I'm sure that of the three of you out there that read this site regularly, one of you has the time to fill out the nomination form. And tell your friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, parents, siblings, colleagues, students, fellow inmates, therapists, clients, and general acquaintances to also consider nominating this site.

If I can't go to Europe, then I at least want to take a trip within the U.S., probably this summer. I'm thinking East Coast this time, like New York or Washington DC. Maybe Boston if I can get a hold of a friend who lives there. I know DC is supposed to be pretty accessible; not so sure about NY. If you were me, where would you go?

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January 05, 2004

People Come, People Go

Yesterday, one of my nurses abruptly informed me, via e-mail, that she was quitting. This came as something of a surprise to me because she has been with me for several years and I really enjoyed her presence here. And now she's suddenly gone. I've been trying to figure out if I said or did something to cause this, but I think it had more to do with her personal circumstances. Over the years, dozens of nurses have drifted in and out of my life and I've developed close friendships with some of them. But they are here, after all, to do a job and people change jobs all the time. I've grown accustomed to sudden staffing changes like this, but it can still be a little jarring. Fortunately, I still have plenty of nurses and filling the gaps shouldn't be a problem.

Balls of fire are falling from the sky in Spain. Strange. The Great Overlord of Tau Ceti VI assured me that the invasion wouldn't begin until June or July.

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January 04, 2004

Long Distance Call

I was watching the NASA Channel last night when the first images from the Mars probe Spirit arrived. Everyone should be so jubilant about their work. When you think about it, their accomplishment is remarkable and a little mind-boggling. This little craft survived an interplanetary trip and a fiery re-entry to safely land on a surface full of jagged rocks and deep craters. I'm looking forward to following the progress of Spirit and its twin, Opportunity, over the next few months.

Another Green Bay Packers victory today. I was chanting "Intercept, intercept!" like a mantra just before Al Harris picked off the ball. Yet another sign that the universe revolves around me.

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January 03, 2004

Icebox

My condo is usually comfortably warm during the winter, but for the past few days it's been freezing in here. The vents are blowing out cold air and I'm not sure why. It doesn't help that temperatures are predicted to be in the single digits for the next week. All I can do is inform the front office and hope they fix it, or I'll else I'll have to take refuge in the condo of my hottie neighbor. Hmmm...

So William Shatner is putting out a new album. I have MP3's of his renditions of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "Mr. Tambourine Man." His interpretations are...dramatic, I guess. You really have to check them out to see what I mean. Just be prepared to wash the taste of ham out of your mouth after listening to them.

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January 02, 2004

Shouting Match

I'm getting fed up with the catfight that's been going on between Dean and the other Democratic presidential candidates. It's symptomatic of the current sorry state of the entire Democratic Party. All of the candidates are screaming about electability (mostly in criticism of Dean), but they're all doing a pretty good job of ensuring Bush's re-election with their present behavior. I've previously stated that I support Dean, but lately I've become wary of his tendency to run at the mouth and his quick temper. He also needs to find other ways to distinguish himself from the other candidates besides his opposition to the war. The war and its consequences will shape our foreign policy for years and Dean still wants to play Monday-morning quarterback. I opposed the war too, but we can't bloody well walk away now. I think Dean understands that, but he isn't articulating his vision for how he would handle the process of returning sovereignty to Iraq. He needs to demonstrate to the vast political center of America that he's not a loony isolationist like Kucinich. Frankly, I'm starting to wish Gore had decided to run.

I want to take a moment to say "Guten Tag!" to all my uncles, aunts, and cousins in Germany who have been reading this blog. I could try writing some entries n German, but the results would make you cringe.

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January 01, 2004

Only 365 To Go...

Happy New Year! Last night, I finally watched Seabiscuit (typical underdog sports movie, but still fun) and I caught some of the Twilight Zone marathon. I horrified my nurse by being able to identify an episode within 3-5 seconds of its beginning. But it was the one with Burgess Meredith as the last bibliophile on Earth, my favorite. But I never understood why his character would have such a philistine for a wife. I also saw the one with William Shattner as a freaked-out passenger on a plane. I'm sorry, but the monster in that episode isn't terribly scary. It looks like a refugee from a plushie convention.

My sister is leaving in a few days for Paris to study abroad for a semester. Any tips on what she should see/do while she is there? My goal is still to go there myself, but I don't think I have the finances right now. Maybe after I get my first book deal.

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