August 31, 2004
Paper Trail
The controversy surrounding e-balloting will not not be a factor in Minnesota on Election Day. We are sticking with machine-scannable paper ballots. To accommodate voters with disabilities, every polling station will be equipped with a device that scans the ballot and puts the text on a touch-screen. Voters can make their selection via touch-screen and, once the choices are confirmed, they are automatically transcribed to a regular paper ballot. A sip-and-puff input system is available for voters with mobility impairments and voters with visual impairments can make choices via audio cues. This seems like a good compromise between the security concerns of e-voting and the need to make voting accessible to everyone. I'm not sure if I'll use it myself; sip-and-puff doesn't work well for me. I do hope that the Secretary of State does some awareness building about these machines and that it encourages more people with disabilities to go to the polls. Absentee ballots are a fine alternative, but I think it's important for people with disabilities to be seen voting alongside the rest of their communities. A lot of people have worked hard to increase accessibility at the polls. The least we can do is show up.
Someone on Bush's speechwriting staff must have a fondness for the absurd. "Catastrophic success?" The hell? That's a bit like saying we had to destroy the village to save it, isn't it?
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August 30, 2004
Shiny Happy People
I haven't decided how much of the RNC I'll be watching. It might be interesting to watch Schwarzenegger and McCain to see what kind of reception the crowd give them. I'm a little disappointed that the GOOPers aren't putting at least one right-wing nutjob in prime time. I'd love to see Gary Bauer froth at the mouth about the homosexual agenda and the satanic faith of Islam. I think Alan Keyes should be free as well, since the people of Illinois are pretty much ignoring him. Either one would make great television, but the Republicans seem determined to present themselves as the heirs to the Party of Lincoln.
Kevin Smith is doing a sequel to Clerks. The dialog in Clerks is some of my favorite in a movie. The characters were exaggerated portraits of people in my generation; people I went to college with. It captured that self-indulgent slacker cynicism that defined a lot of us who came of age in the mid 90s. It works because it could have been set in any convenience store/video store in American suburbia and the characters were implicitly critiquing the cookie-cutter consumer culture that had defined our whole lives. I wonder how the sequel will treat the characters ten years later. They said irony died after 9-11, but the events of the last few years seem to belie that notion.
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August 29, 2004
Calling Gloria
Here's a good site for your Sunday browsing: a collection of opening hooks from various novels. I should look at my shelves and see if I can think of anything worthwhile to contribute. If you have a favorite literary opening hook, post it here.
Laura Branigan, one of the first voices in pop music that penetrated my consciousness back in the early 80s, died today. I'm going to see if I can legally download any of her songs.
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August 28, 2004
Opening Old Wounds
Speaking as a member of Generation X, can we please, please stop dragging out the bloody carcass of the Vietnam War every four years? The Swift Boat sideshow seems to be finally fading away, but it amazes me how the events of thirty years ago can still dominate discussions of our nation's FUTURE. it's baby-boomer narcissism at its worst and both parties are guilty of perpetuating it. Instead of talking about issues like the increase in the number of Americans living in poverty, we're obsessing over how close someone was to the Cambodian border in 1968. I can only hope that my generation avoids such tit-for-tat sniping when Iraq vets start running for office.
The Guardian interviews scientists about their favorite science fiction films and Blade Runner tops the list. Hmm. I liked BR, but it always struck me as a film that emphasized style over substance. I'm torn between Close Encounters and Aliens. Two films that are very different in tone, but they are both models of superb writing and directing.
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August 27, 2004
Turning Blue
People with hearing and speech disabilities can now use AOL's instant messenger service to make regular telephone calls via relay service. The deaf community already makes extensive use of IM and this is an obvious extension of that application. AIM has a dominant presence on wireless devices as well, which means that people will be able to utilize relay service from any location that has cellular service. I may even give it a try myself. I don't think my speech is that difficult to understand, but sometimes I have the occasional phone conversation where I must repeat myself a few times. This is especially true when I make calls for things like technical support. I don't think those support techs in India have much experience interacting with people on ventilators. I can only imagine how freaked out they would be if they had to talk to someone who used a speech synthesizer. Let's hope that the other big IM providers like Yahoo and MSN also implement this capability.
My building has been without hot water for the last couple days and my morning showers have become minor cardiac events. I have no idea how civilization endured before the invention of the water heater. It makes me realize that I could never cut it in a post-apocalyptic world. I'd be constantly whining about the things I missed like hot showers and cable television and air conditioning. Except that there wouldn't be any electricity for my vent, which means I wouldn't be whining for very long.
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August 26, 2004
Hard Core
Now, I know that not every Republican is a fan of the Charlie Daniels Band and Christian music. Nevertheless, the organizers of the Republican National Convention insist on presenting such acts to represent the cultural palate of the party. If Bush really is the uniter that he claims to be, then where's the hip-hop? Where's the speed metal and the nu metal and the SoCal punk? Where's the jazz and the blues and ska?
And for God's sake, where is the zydeco?
So much for creating a big tent.
Popular Science has an article about a dilemma facing sf writers. With the state of science evolving at breakneck speed, it's becoming increasingly difficult to predict what a future world will look like. Personally, I've never been terribly interested in the plausibility of the science in science fiction. What captures my interest is how characters respond and interact in the context of the author's imagined wonders. I don't care that warp speed or time travel are scientific improbabilities. All I care about is whether the characters and their actions are believable. That's why I usually don't go for hard sf; the science may be solid but the characters and dialog feel stiff and underdeveloped. It feels more like reading a documentary than a novel.
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August 25, 2004
Political Maneuvering
This morning, I discovered that news of my Humphrey Fellowship was posted on the intraweb at work. Got several nice e-mails and comments from various colleagues. It's a little odd because I've been so preoccupied with Kerry campaigning and other stuff that I haven't given much thought to the Humphrey thing. It doesn't even begin for another month.
My new wheelchair still isn't ready. They brought it to me on Saturday after making a slight modification, which of course didn't do anything to address the core issue of balance. I remain unimpressed with the supply company and their efforts to get me a working chair. They aren't very good at listening to my suggestions, which is typical of businesses that "serve" people with disabilities. But I'm stuck with them and all I can do is hope they get it back to me before Halloween.
Senator Cleland went down to Crawford, Texas to deliver a letter asking Bush to explicitly condemn the Swift Boat ads. Nobody at the ranch would accept the letter until somebody from the Bush campaign dispatched Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson. Patterson offered to accept the letter if Cleland would take a letter from the Bush campaign accusing Kerry of applying a double standard to the whole incident. Cleland declined, saying he would simply drop the letter in the mail. Patterson then offered up this priceless quote:
"I tried to accept that letter and he would not give it to me," said Patterson. "He would not face me. He kept rolling away from me. He's quite mobile."
It's only going to get more absurd, people. The rabbit hole runs very deep.
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August 24, 2004
Are Those Real?
Oh, for crying out loud. The October issue of Playboy will feature topless pictures of a video game character. Why bother airbrushing pictures of a real woman when you get things right the first time with a computer-generated model? Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I like my topless models to have some reality outside of a electronic impulses hard drive.
My brother wanted to experience American consumerism after spending a year in Europe, so we went to the Mall of America last night. Visiting that place once a year is more than enough to remind me why I don't go there more often. The seemingly endless rows of middlebrow retailers, the chain restaurants, the teenagers lugging around shopping bags that probably weigh more than they do...it almost makes me want to take a shower when I get home.
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August 23, 2004
Reject
A girl blew me off via e-mail last night. The fact that she blew me off isn't a big deal; I've developed a thick skin over the years. Something tells me she found this blog and decided I was simply too much of a geek to waste any time on. I remain confident that somewhere out there is a cute geeky girl with a nose piercing who digs comics and French pop music and who will totally groove on a cool gimp like me. Okay, she doesn't have to have a nose piercing. After all, one should keep his options open.
Check out this modified wheelchair crossbow. I could seriously freak some people out with this thing. The guy who made it is from Minnesota, natch.
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August 22, 2004
Have A Mimosa
The three Siegel siblings went out for brunch today at a downtown joint called Hell's Kitchen. Really good food with a tongue-in-cheek, kitschy ambiance. The walls are painted an infernal shade of red and the wait staff is dressed in pajamas to give the impression that they just rolled out of bed. I had a huge plate of Rosti potatoes that was excellent but I felt a little guilty because I never eat much at restaurants and I usually only make a small dent in my food. But at least I didn't have to pick up the check this time because my brother and sister split the cost. I almost fainted from the shock.
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August 21, 2004
Another Day, Another Senator
I was in a bookstore with my brother today and I was kind of amazed by the sheer quantity of books on two disparate subjects: Bush and comic books. Then again, maybe there is a karmic connection between these separate publishing trends.
Here's a picture of my brief encounter with Senator Cleland:
A genuinely nice guy. I had the sense that he's more comfortable in the veterans community, but I think he's trying to expand his reach.
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August 20, 2004
Fraternal
My brother is visiting for a little while before he returns to Germany for his dissertation studies, so blogging will be light for the next few days. I haven't seen him in a year and it will be good to catch up. .
I need to get back to Miami. This morning I woke up to a crisp autumn breeze...in mid-August. See, this is what we Minnesotans do. We complain about the weather. It's either too hot or too cold. Too wet or too dry. We live in a constant state of mild dissatisfaction with our climate and we complain and moan because we are Midwesterners. If we didn't have the weather as a source of conversation, we might start talking about the things that really bother us and then things might turn ugly.
Senator Kennedy's name was on the Transportation Security Administration's do-not-fly list. Ah, now we see what the feds perceive as the real threat to our security--liberal senators from Massachusetts. I feel so much safer.
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August 19, 2004
Rough Sport
D&D is thirty years old. And I'm still waiting for someone to invite me to a game. I didn't have any geek friends growing up and I never got to play a Chaotic Good mage from the Southlands who sits on a magical, floating Throne of Magnanimity that gives me +4 Charisma. I need to ingratiate myself to a local dungeon master so I can fulfill this lifelong dream.
Check out these wheelchair rugby players. Ouch. I hope these guys don't have sensation in their legs because it looks like it would hurt like hell. You would need a pit crew just to keep your chair functional through the whole game. It doesn't look like they allow power chairs, though. Too bad. I could kick some serious ass.
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August 18, 2004
Good Ol' Boy
It's late, but tomorrow I'll post pictures that the disability community had for Senator Max Cleland. He told me an amusing lawyer joke that apparently everyone has heard but me. Anyway, off to bed.
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August 17, 2004
Losing Ground
Cops are going around Orlando, Florida and are questioning elderly African-Americans voters, frightening many elderly volunteers and chilling GOTV efforts in the area. There may be more to the story, but it smells awfully fishy. It's nice to see some of the polls showing Kerry ahead, but it's stuff like this that brings out the conspiracy theorist in me. One thing that will make me feel better is if monitors from the Kerry campaign are in every polling place in Florida come Election Day.
This WaPo article describes how the number of federal employees with disabilities has fallen by 20% over the last decade. Some experts are positing that this decline can be attributed to more people with disabilities going into the private sector. I'm not so sure. The feds have never done a good job of pitching employment opportunities to the disability community. They need to make the application process more streamlined and welcoming to people with disabilities. They also need to do a better job of spreading the word that the federal government is actively seeking workers with disabilities. The feds have always been a standard-bearer in the employment of people with disabilities. Maybe this report will prompt them to try a little harder.
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August 16, 2004
Follow The Herd
I took a second look at the Edwards pictures after one of you complimented my moustache. I really must check myself in the mirror more often. Facial hair of any kind bugs the hell out of me. A couple years ago, I had the chicken pox and I couldn't shave for three or four weeks. It was awful. I looked like a yeshiva school dropout. My problem is that my five o'clock shadow is more like a three o'clock shadow. Note to self: start carrying a razor with you for those evening engagements.
NPR has a story about a summer camp for kids with Asperger's Syndrome. Asperger's is a mild form of autism that is usually characterized by high intelligence and a minimal ability to recognize social cues. The camp is supposed to teach these kids how to socialize and "fit in." Listening to this, I started wondering if this was a subtle effort at encouraging conformity to a set of social norms, whatever those are. I can sympathize with a parent's desire to have their kids spared the teasing and ostracism that frequently accompanies being "different." Yet I don't necessarily think we should discourage these kids from expressing their true personalities, either. A lot of Asperger's kids grow up to be brilliant thinkers with unique insights on the world around them. We should be nurturing that kind of growth and reminding these that while it's important to recognize the thoughts and feelings of others, it's also okay to be a little different.
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August 15, 2004
Badgering State
Today's Sunday NYT has an analysis of my home state, Wisconsin, and how it might behave in the upcoming election. Wisconsin and Minnesota are politically similar; a weird dichotomy between old-school progressivism and reactionary conservatism. If I had to make a guess, I'd say that Wisconsin is more likely to go for Bush than Minnesota. Wisconsin voters have a strong independent streak that can manifest itself in surprising ways. The Dems need to turn out the vote in cities like Madison and Milwaukee in massive numbers as well as persuade the swing voters that are scattered throughout the Fox River Valley.
A resource for my female readers. The next time some creep at the bar or on the train bugs you for a phone number or e-mail address, give him anyname@papernapkin.net. This is the ego-crushing response he'll get. An elegant solution to an age-old problem.
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August 14, 2004
Gag Order
One of the points Edwards made in his speech last night was how the Bush tax cuts have favored the nation's wealthy. I expect this to be a major issue in the debates. One article I read presented the following scenario: Bush's tax cuts have benefited a lot of wealthy Democrats, enabling them to contribute more money to Kerry and left-leaning 527s. Wouldn't it be ironic if Bush's tax cuts indirectly contributed to his own defeat?
I got home last night in time to watch Katie Couric and Bob Costas jabber over Björk's entire performance at the Olympic opening ceremonies. Philistines. I wish there was a channel where you could watch the Games without any inane narration.
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August 13, 2004
Hobnobbing
The wheelchair is a Democratic magnet...
I was working at a campaign event tonight and managed to meet Senator Edwards before he went on stage. My impression after 5 minutes: he's a very warm and approachable guy. He took a few minutes to sign some things for other volunteers and was quite gracious with everyone, including myself. Best of all, no condescension on his part that I could detect.
And here's another with my nurse Lori, who managed to temporarily pick up her tongue off the floor.
Edwards gave a good speech, which kept with his "Two Americas" theme. Heavy on domestic issues like health care, education, national service, and balancing the budget. Sorry I'm not being more descriptive, but I'm beat. More tomorrow.
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True Believer
Maureen Dowd was on The Daily Show the other day. She was pitching her new book, Bushworld, a collection of her columns from the NYT Op/Ed page. I admire her writing for its dry sarcasm directed at Bush and his administration, which is all the more effective because underlying it is a sense of deep disappointment in the direction our nation is heading. And forgive me for saying this, but she's kinda hot. She reminds me of a reserved English professor who, if you got a couple glasses of chardonnay in her, would fling her glasses off and tango the night away with you.
Who knew that volunteering for a campaign could be so much work? I didn't get home until nearly 9 last night because I was at campaign headquarters for meetings and tonight I'll be at a campaign event. I'll have my camera with me and I'll try to get some good pictures. Let's hope there won't be any unwanted smooching this time. I am starting to really enjoy this experience and I've met so many tireless, energetic, and brilliant staffers and volunteers.
Which reminds me. If you're in the Twin Cities and have an interest in getting involved in the campaign on behalf of people with disabilities, we're having a community organizing meeting on August 19th. You can read more about it here.
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August 12, 2004
Opa!
Microsoft may have actually done something right the first time. Early reviews of their SP2 update for Windows XP have been unusually positive, especially for a Microsoft product. The day may finally be at hand when friends and relatives no longer need me to remove gobs of malware from their computers. I haven't downloaded it myself yet, mostly because I'm lazy and I figure I'll wait for the automatic updater to notify me. But they still can't convince me to switch back to Internet Explorer.
The Olympics begin tomorrow and the media is desperately trying to get me to care. For some reason, I'm not all that enthusiastic this time around. I had a higher level of interest back in 2000 because I thought Sydney was such a lovely city (and I still want to get there someday). And while I'm sure Athens has its charms, I haven't been impressed with their overall level of preparation and my gut feeling is that it's going to be even more poorly organized than the 1996 Games in Atlanta. But as long as nobody dies during the next week and a half, I suppose you can call that a success.
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August 11, 2004
Down & Out
I got a phone call from a high school friend who's now living in
One great thing about Netflix is that one gets to sample things that one would never find in a Blockbuster. I recently became a fan of the BBC series MI-5. It's not flashy; I don't recall any explosions or car chases. But the writing is taut and the plots are ingeniously intricate. And spies with British accents are inherently sexier than the American version.
This crappy weather has scrapped any plans I had to watch the Perseids. But if any of you manage to snap any good meteor pictures, send them to me and I'll post them.
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August 10, 2004
Extra! Extra!
The Onion is going to launch a Twin Cities edition in September. It will be good to have another weekly paper in town, as City Pages hasn't had any real competition since the Twin Cities Reader folded in 1997. I'll probably stick with the on-line edition, but it will be interesting to read their coverage of the local scene. It's not clear if the new edition will have satire directed at our region. We certainly offer plenty of material, ranging from our stoic Nordic culture to the monstrosity that is the Mall of America.
Things are not going well when our President is laughed at by the audience he's addressing. Listen to the crowd react to Bush's insightful and cogent analysis of tribal sovereignty issues. It borders on the absurd. it reminds me of law school and some of the lamer answers I heard in response to a professor's question, when the person was absolutely clueless but kept blathering on in the hopes of saying something that might approximate coherence.
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August 09, 2004
Cool, Baby
Over the weekend, I managed to catch Collateral, the new Tom Cruise/Jamie Foxx vehicle. I've always liked Michael Mann's work. Heat was brilliant and Manhunter is, in some ways, better than Silence of the Lambs. Collateral is a kind of noir ode to Los Angeles, especially the after-dark version of LA. Much of the movie shows the characters driving from one location to another, eating in their cars, practically living in their cars. It's all about the sprawl of the city and the vaguely disconnected ambiance of its office towers and nightclubs, which the film depicts with great success.
It's supposed to be in the 60s all week around here. I think I've only turned on my air conditioner twice all summer. Good for my energy bills, but I'd still like a couple more blasts of summer heat before the long and interminable winter settles in.
Here's a promo for the new Star Trek: The Original Series. The tone of the ad is a bit schizophrenic: 60's camp meets 70's funk. But it still works.
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August 08, 2004
Word Play
Att the wedding reception last night, I sat with another U of M Law School alumni. We attorneys must have an invisible aura that subconsciously identifies us to each other. It's weird.
I was channel-surfing last night and caught some of Def Poetry. Poetry slams have always struck me as emphasizing style over substance. That's not necessarily a bad thing; I enjoyed most of the performances I saw. They had a visceral punch that is an order of magnitude different from the experience of reading a poem to yourself. The hip-hop influence on slam culture was also evident. Most of the performances shared a theme of oppression and injustice. Didn't see any performers with disabilities, though. Maybe after I finish the book, I'll try my hand at a slam and wow the crowd with my mad, ventilator-syncopated verse.
The LA Times has an article about the hardships faced by Iraqi war veterans who are being shipped home with severe disabilities. Like I keep saying, this is the real story of the war's ongoing casualty count. Thousands of newly disabled men and women who are taxing the resources of an already underfunded Veterans Administration. At the same time, these disabled veterans may be able to muster the political clout to spur advances in assistive technology that would benefit other people with disabilities as well. Some good has to come out of this whole mess.
CNN is doing a documentary on the SETI project tonight. I am, of course, TiVo'ing it. I hope it's not condescending: "Watch the funny scientists search for little green men."
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August 07, 2004
Wedded Bliss
I'm departing for a wedding shortly, so not much time to write. I hardly ever get invited to weddings, so this is a rare occasion for me. The last wedding I attended was 1996 when my best friend from high school got married. It was a hybrid Hindu-Catholic ceremony, probably one of the most interesting cultural experiences I've ever had.
Good news for all you Dr. Who fans: the Daleks are coming back after all.
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August 06, 2004
Sacrificial Lamb
I was getting my van fixed today when I ran into another guy waiting there with his sister. He recognized me from my blog, which caught me by surprise. It's still weird when blog life and real life intersect. He also had the same model of new wheelchair that I recently got. Except that he was actually, y'know, using his instead of waiting for it to be fixed.
They picked Alan Keyes to run against Obama? Keyes? Well, I guess someone has to take their turn in the barrel, and it might as well be him.
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August 05, 2004
Speak Your Mind
I have re-opened comments with a moderation feature. If this works, I won't have to make everyone register. Let's see what happens.
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Desperate Measures
Here's the deal. I need to close comments on the blog, at least temporarily. I've been absolutely flooded with comment spam and I haven't had time to keep up with it. I'm getting so much spam that it's crashing the server, resulting in nasty notes from my hosting service. I don't want to deal with a potential account termination and finding a new host, so I figure it's better to simply shut down commenting for now. I hope to re-open them soon, but I will probably employ a registration process. I realize that a registration system can be a hassle, but it's the only way to be reasonably certain that this blog doesn't get polluted with spam. I'm also hoping that the new version of MT-Blacklist will be of some help. In the meantime, you can still reach me at wintermute2_0 at the19thfloor dot com.
William Shatner recently did a cover of Pulp's "Common People." Listen to it. Bask in the greatness of The Shatner.
Bruce Springsteen and REM are coming to St. Paul in October as part of the Vote for Change concert series. I think the idea of doing concerts in swing states is a great one. Anything to get people to the polls in November. I'd rather see Death Cab for Cutie, who is also on the tour, but I'll still try to get tickets. Who wants to be my date that night? In case you need to be reminded what's at stake, here's a quote from our President:
Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.
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August 04, 2004
Construction Zone
Just upgraded to MT 3.0. Carry on...
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Growing Up Gimp
I had a bunch of meetings today dealing with transition issues. Transition, in terms of disability policy, concerns issues that affect teens and young adults with disabilities. Things like finding a job, going to college, living independently. Adolescence is a tumultuous time in life, but kids with disabilities confront additional obstacles that their peers don't have to deal with. And I'm not just talking about getting connected with appropriate services. That's definitely an issue, but one that can be remedied with some good policy and coordinated efforts among various agencies. The real problems facing transition-age kids are much more difficult to address. A lot of kids suffer from a crisis of low expectations that is reinforced by the parents and professionals around them. I've encountered kids whose plans after high school consist of little more than staying home and watching television. They simply can't imagine being employed or going on to school. With each passing generation, things get a little better for these kids, but progress moves at a glacial pace. I won't be surprised if, fifteen years from now, I'm sitting in another meeting to discuss the same issues.
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August 03, 2004
Out Of Order
The ramp on my van has been acting up over the past week, intermittently refusing to fold up after I get out. My nurse and I tried doing a little self-repair on it this morning, but to no avail. Which means I have to take it down to a repair place in Savage (about twenty miles south of Minneapolis). All this specialized equipment is great for my independence, but when something breaks down, it can be a royal pain to fix. It's not like I can take the van to the local repair shop. Same thing with a wheelchair. Fortunately, such breakdowns don't happen. Let's just hope that I don't get stranded somewhere between now and Friday.
I'm curious to read Joe Trippi's new book about the Dean campaign. Part of me still wishes Dean had done better during the primaries, even though it probably would have spelled doom in November. I like Kerry and I think he will make a wonderful president, but Dean, with his rebel yell, was just so much fun to watch. He had a sort of swaggering demeanor that none of the other candidates could imitate, although I think Kerry to a page from Dean's playbook during his acceptance speech. Anyway, first I have to finish the other political books my parents sent me.
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August 02, 2004
Shooting Star
This month, I hope to get a chance to check out some of this month's meteor showers. Astronomy was an interest of mine when I was a kid, but I never got a telescope because there was no easy way for me to look into it from my wheelchair. Now, I could probably get one that connects to a notebook computer, but that doesn't make much sense when I live in an urban downtown. My family owns a summer home in Door County, Wisconsin and I remember that we had some excellent views of the night sky in our backyard. I don't think I'll be driving all that way, but perhaps I can find a field somewhere outside the Twin Cities. Can any local stargazers tell me of a favorite spot?
All the talking heads this morning were blathering on about how Kerry hasn't received much of a post-convention bounce in the polls. Unless there is a major turn of events, I really doubt you're going to see much of a spread in the polls. Most people have already made up their minds. Swing voters are supposedly the key to the election, but I keep saying that it will all come down to turning out the base.
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August 01, 2004
True Colors
The Village isn't Shyamalan's best effort. I can't say much more without giving away major plot points, but the film loses steam about two-thirds of the way into the plot. I'm a bit disappointed because I'm usually a big fan of his movies. I suppose every director is entitled the occasional misstep and it will still earn a healthy gross. But I don't think I'll be buying the DVD for this one. However, Bryce Howard, Ron Howard's daughter, does give a fine and convincing performances. It's too bad the movie falls apart around her.
Lest anyone believe that Bush and his ilk have anything resembling human decency, here's a report about how the B/C campaign demanded to know the race of a journalist assigned to cover a Cheney appearance in Arizona. The journalist's crime? Having an Indian name. The newspaper refused. It's good to know that underneath the paper-thin cloak of compassionate conservatism in which the GOP covers itself, you can still find the xenophobia and intolerance that has made the Party of Lincoln what it is today.
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