November 30, 2005

Was It Good For You?

The longlist for the Bad Sex in Fiction Award is out. Here's my personal favorite, from Winkler by Giles Coren:

And he came hard in her mouth and his dick jumped around and rattled on her teeth and he blacked out and she took his dick out of her mouth and lifted herself from his face and whipped the pillow away and he gasped and glugged at the air, and he came again so hard that his dick wrenched out of her hand and a shot of it hit him straight in the eye and stung like nothing he'd ever had in there, and he yelled with the pain, but the yell could have been anything, and as she grabbed at his dick, which was leaping around like a shower dropped in an empty bath, she scratched his back deeply with the nails of both hands and he shot three more times, in thick stripes on her chest. Like Zorro.

Zorro? This whole passage conjures up some kind of perverse Three Stooges movie. I'm going back through my manuscript to make sure I haven't written anything quite this embarrassing.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:30 PM | Comments (1)

November 29, 2005

A Dimension Not Only Of Sight And Sound But Of Mind

Genre television has undergone a resurgence in popularity this year. Network executives are frantically searching for a formula that will give them a ratings success on par with Lost. I've checked out a few of these contender and my impressions are less than favorable. Surface is generic and a little too cutesy. Invasion has potential, but I might be collecting Social Security by the time the plot gets to wherever it's trying to go. I never even bothered with Threshold or Night Stalker. What makes Lost so good (and what these other programs lack) is its deft character development. Once you take away the back stories of each character, all you're left with is a rehashing of Gilligan's Island.

Good genre television puts character first and uses the standards of the genre (whether it's spaceships, vampires, or monsters) as tools for exploring the light and dark aspects of those characters. Yet this concept seems to elude the creators of most of these shows, who think it's sufficient to slap some new computer-generated effects on stories that were already stale ten or twenty years ago.

Over the weekend, one of my nurses persuaded me to elaborate on my usual holiday decorating (which typically consists of one string of lights). I have these paper snowflakes affixed to each of the windows in my living room. At first, I was worried they would look a little...well...girly. But I kind of like how they capture and reflect the light.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:41 PM | Comments (0)

November 28, 2005

More Than Human

Via Slashdot, we get word of an ongoing effort to develop a bionic hand. I'd like to know more about how scientists are modeling the sensory feedback system. Can a user distinguish between hard and soft surfaces? Hot and cold? When technology like this begins to enter the mainstream, I can foresee all kinds of mishaps. Someone with a bionic hand will try to impress his buddies by doing something stupid like dipping it in a pot of boiling water or something. And it will short out and get all twitchy and someone will lose an eye.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:37 PM | Comments (0)

November 27, 2005

When In Rome

I'm off soon to pick up some lights to string up in my condo. I may be an atheist, but I'm not above participating in some mainstream holiday festivities. Nothing wrong with bringing in a little color and sparkle into our lives to stave off the dreariness of the long winter ahead.

I'm a big fan of end-of-the-year lists relating to all things pop culture, so I'll be tracking the Fimoculous website over the next month to get my fix. These lists usually point me to a couple interesting things that I might have otherwise missed over the course of the year.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:54 PM | Comments (0)

November 26, 2005

Evening Constitutional

I was on my way home from a movie last night when I discovered that part of the skyway system was locked down for the holiday. I had planned on using the skyway system for the entire walk, so I hadn't brought a coat with me. It was no more than twenty degrees outside, but I only had to go a couple blocks. It was...refreshing. If my parents read this, they'll probably call and scold me for not having my jacket, not to mention my hat, scarf, mittens, and a blanket for my legs. I used to get a lot of colds when I was a kid and I would catch holy hell if my parents thought I wasn't dressed appropriately for the weather. When I first moved to Minnesota for law school, they would call me on those days when it was bitterly cold and instruct my nurse to make sure I was dressed warmly. They've chilled out considerably since then, but I don't think parents ever really stop being parents.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:42 PM | Comments (0)

November 25, 2005

Herd Mentality

I woke up this morning and saw snow steadily falling outside my window. I feel sorry for all the sheeple (yes, sheeple) swarming through the stores today. Not only do they have to be prepared to engage in physical violence for that last discounted flat-screen television, but they also have to contend with hideous traffic. The wild-eyed consumerism that infects people after Thanksgiving is a little creepy. I like shopping for people close to me, but I don't feel the need to run the gauntlet of pushy, grabby lemmings just to save fifteen bucks on a sweater.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:59 PM | Comments (0)

November 24, 2005

Gracias

I hope that my American readers are enjoying their Thanksgiving holiday. I hope my international readers will forgive us for our strange national obsession with consuming a dry, dead bird. We're really not such bad people.

Once again, I want to thank all the people who visit this blog to get their daily fix of me. Your continued patronage is appreciated, if a little puzzling. But who am I to criticize how you spend your time?

Have a great holiday.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 01:14 PM | Comments (1)

November 23, 2005

Home For The Holidays

Over the last week or two, various people have been asking me about my Thanksgiving plans. When I explain to them that, like most years, I'm doing Thanksgiving solo, most people give me that "you poor thing" look that is usually reserved for news of dead pets or a bad breakup. Thanksgiving is apparently one of those days when you're supposed to be with other people, and to spend it alone is considered both sad and a little weird. It's a kind of well-intentioned peer pressure that seems to accompany this holiday, as well as Christmas. And I usually don't feel like explaining the logistics of trying to go back to Wisconsin or the fact that any invitation from a friend here in the Cities would probably be complicated by an inaccessible home.

I'm quite happy to be doing my own thing, actually. I have some writing and several episodes of Lost to catch up on. I've spent a few holidays in the hospital and I think that makes these holidays alone seem like less of a big deal. It was in the hospital that I felt the most alone, the most cut off from the rest of the world. To spend Thanksgiving in my own home, with the knowledge I'll see friends later in the weekend, seems more than acceptable to me.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:12 PM | Comments (1)

November 22, 2005

Local Celebrity

A pleasant surprise was waiting for me in my inbox when I got home today. Fellow Minnesotan and blogger extraordinaire PZ Myers gets the cover story treatment in this week's City Pages, the major Twin Cities alternative weekly. PZ, the man behind the popular science/culture blog Pharyngula, lays down the smack on fundamentalist Christians, intelligent design, and Republican shysters. The article mentions that Pharyngula averages 13,000 hits a day. I'm totally going to start writing about the ejaculation habits of giant squid in an effort to attract more eyeballs. Or maybe I should post pictures of various genitalia found in the animal kingdom.

You rock, PZ.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:33 PM | Comments (2)

November 21, 2005

Do Unto Others

It appears that The 19th Floor is being featured in some kind of on-line curriculum. Here are the instructions for the exercise:

Blogging—creating personal online journals—is increasingly popular as a method of self-expression and communication. But often entries are more personal than the bloggers' friends and family might like. Check out a few blogs and think about The Golden Rule.

And then it lists my blog as one of the putative examples of a blog that does or does not adhere to the Golden Rule; I'm not sure which. I've never thought of this blog as intensely personal. In fact, I try to avoid the confessional style of narrative that I see on some other blogs. I may share personal details of my life, but not to the point where there is no distinction between this blog and my own interior life. I also didn't like disclosing many details about friends and family, unless it's something I don't think they would mind me sharing in a public forum. In short, I think I'm a relatively responsible blogger. I'd be curious to know why the authors of this exercise decided to include my blog.

Not that I don't appreciate the additional traffic, mind you.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:05 PM | Comments (2)

November 20, 2005

You Might Want To Rethink The Title

Someone sent me an e-mail gushing about a documentary titled 39 Pounds of Love. It's about a thirtysomething Israeli man with SMA named Ami who goes to America in search of his childhood physician, who told Ami's family that he wouldn't live past age six.

I've only looked at the trailer, but I'm not sure I see the dramatic tension in this concept. Various physicians probably gave my parents a similar prognosis for me, but I couldn't even tell you what their names were. Doctors make inaccurate prognoses all the time; life goes on. Or maybe I just attach less significance to that sort of thing.

And can we please, please have a documentary about people with disabilities that doesn't elicit reviews that use words like "inspiring" and "moving"? I want a documentary that shows us as neurotic, dull, pompous, shallow, and ordinary as everyone else. I want a documentary that shows us fighting with our siblings, swearing at people in authority, getting drunk, and sleeping around. Come to think of it, I want to be in that documentary.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:08 PM | Comments (3)

November 19, 2005

Creative License

Sometimes I think about switching careers and going into intellectual property/copyright law. With book publishers pissed about the ongoing expansion of Google Print and consumers pissed about the inclusion of destructive digital rights management software on music CDs, it seems like there's plenty of work for IP attorneys. I didn't have much appreciation for the subject in law school, but copyright law has such interesting implications for the stuff we create and how our creations are appropriated. Our culture is being increasingly driven by information and entertainment; the question of who controls this content and its means for distribution are going to become increasingly important in the coming years.

But I think I need to stay in health policy for a while longer, at least until we finally get a universal health care system.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:18 PM | Comments (1)

November 18, 2005

Budding Entrepreneur

I made 69 cents because of my blog! Dude! A few weeks ago, I joined the Amazon Affiliates program (you've probably noticed the ads in the sidebar). My dad purchased one of the books that I had showcased and I got a commission of 69 cents! This will only encourage me to become more aggressive in my attempts to sell you crap you don't need. I'll start devoting entire blog entries to pitching the new Shakira or the Friends boxed DVD collection. Because I'm beginning to see dollar signs in this whole blogging thing.

As I mentioned yesterday, I was at a fundraiser last night and I shared a table with two close friends. I'm not sure this was such a good idea. My friend Erin, whom I've known for several years, was whispering something to my friend Rose at the buffet line. Then they both looked back at me and shook their heads. I have a sinking feeling that all those drunken secrets I've shared with Erin are coming back to haunt me.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:32 PM | Comments (1)

November 17, 2005

Keep It Short

Not much of an entry tonight, as I was out late at a fundraiser for the Minnesota Justice Foundation. More on that tomorrow.

It's, like, ten degrees outside if you factor in the wind chill. Winter sucks ass.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:20 PM | Comments (1)

November 16, 2005

Better Late Than Never

I can't find Kate Bush's new CD on iTunes, which means I'm going to have to order the actual CD. It's funny how I've become accustomed to the instant gratification that can accompany a couple clicks of the mouse. I can't immediately recall the last time I bought music in any sort of physical form. Not this year, I don't think.

Kate Bush is one of those artists that either you get or you don't. Bjork and Wilco are a couple similar examples that come to mind. The first time I heard Kate Bush's music was in early 1994. Remember, I had a relatively sheltered childhood growing up in Green Bay and I was late to the party as far as a lot of 80s artists were concerned. The Olympics were taking place in Lillehammer and I was watching some kind of recap of downhill skiing and they were using Kate Bush's "Rubberband Girl" as the soundtrack. I'm not sure why I remember something like that. I have a weird memory; I can recall lots of otherwise mundane moments that contain a sliver of personal significance. I remember thinking how unique her voice sounded and that I desperately wanted to hear more than the brief excerpt that was played on television. And I only had to wait eleven years for the next album. But it looks like it's been worth the wait, as it's getting some great reviews.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:31 PM | Comments (0)

November 15, 2005

One Person's Junk Is Another's Treasure

I'm trying to figure out whether I can get rid of my old electric wheelchair. It's about ten years old, but it still works and somebody might be able to make use of it. It's been cluttering up my guest bedroom and I simply want it out of here. If you have any ideas on how I can get rid of it, drop me a line.

We're supposed to get our first major snowfall of the season later tonight. Of course, it was forecast to begin this morning, which is consistent with the local media's habit of overselling events like this. But I won't be at all surprised if my morning commute to St. Paul takes twice as long as normal because everyone will be experiencing their annual First Snow Freakout.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:53 PM | Comments (3)

November 14, 2005

Famine In A World Of Plenty, Part II

The problem of world hunger is overwhelming in its scope and magnitude. It the unfortunate offspring of events both natural and man made. Most of you reading this blog will probably never travel to a developing country to provide direct hunger relief. But there are small things that each of us can do that may influence living conditions in other parts of the world.

Much of the world devotes its resources to satisfying the needs and wants of a relatively small but enormously wealthy population. Many of the most common cash crops--like coffee, bananas, and sugar--are just that, a means of earning cash for the corporations that own the land on which these crops are grown. The farmers who tend these crops will probably not consume any of what they grow; it simply isn't part of their diet. We can choose to consume things like fair-trade coffee, ensuring that farmers themselves (and their communities) receive the profits of their labor. We can support businesses that sell fair-trade products (McDonald's recently began selling free-trade coffee).

Of course, the best way to make a difference is to support one of the many NGOs that are working to end world hunger. But it doesn't hurt to be conscious of the things we consume and how those things are produced.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:33 PM | Comments (0)

November 13, 2005

Famine In A World Of Plenty

Last night, I went to an Oxfam dinner and fundraiser. We were separated into three groups: the wealthy, the middle-income, and the poor (the largest group, of course). The wealthy enjoyed a full meal, the middle class was fed beans and rice, and the poor only had rice. The point of this exercise was to illustrate that people who find themselves living in poverty and hunger are victims of chance. Someone born in sub-Saharan Africa is much more likely to experience hunger than someone born in the United States. I think a lot of people assume that hunger is a natural event, like an earthquake or tsunami. They assume that there simply isn't enough food for everyone. That isn't true. The planet produces enough food to easily meet everyone's nutritional needs. Hunger is usually a result of neglect or abuse of power. Denying access to food is a weapon in many conflicts.

We also assume that hunger has no solution. I'll write more about that tomorrow.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:02 PM | Comments (1)

November 12, 2005

Animal Passions

Republicans are fond of criticizing us liberals for being a bunch of hedonistic, free-loving, natural-law-defying perverts. But you know that all that sexual repression is bound to create some dark alleys in the Republican male psyche. Exhibit 1: The New Yorker's examination of Scooter Libby's one attempt at literary greatness, The Apprentice. It's supposed to be some sort of erotically-charged thriller. Here's an excerpt:

At age ten the madam put the child in a cage with a bear trained to couple with young girls so the girls would be frigid and not fall in love with their patrons. They fed her through the bars and aroused the bear with a stick when it seemed to lose interest.

Um, kinky. But kinky in a holy-crap-what-kind-of-sites-on-the-Internet-do-you-visit sort of way. I wonder if Scooter is lying awake at night, hoping that he doesn't get stuck with a cellmate who read the book and wants to act out his favorite passages.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 01:28 PM | Comments (1)

November 11, 2005

Long Weekend

Happy Veterans Day. Or, if you're a member of the over-70 demographic, Happy Armistice Day. The State of Minnesota was kind enough to give me the day off, so I had lunch with Rosie at Moose and Sadie's in the Warehouse District. The weather in Minneapolis has been freakishly warm for the last few days and we were able to eat al fresco. Afterwards, I decided to make a visit to Big Brain Comics, where I dropped...well, let's just say I was probably their best customer today.

And don't look at me like that. We all have our vices.

An added observation: while I was eating lunch with Rosie, I lost count of the number of people with disabilities that passed by our table. Is Minneapolis becoming a crip Mecca? Is this where the inevitable crip revolution will begin? Should I start assigning noms de guerre to all my crip friends? Mine will be Christophe Wheeler.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:30 PM | Comments (0)

November 10, 2005

Shining The Spotlight

My friend Rosie is featured this week on the Activist Architect blog. Rose is the kind of friend who makes you feel that world can't be all that bad if there are people like her in it. Go read about her and you'll see what I mean.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)

November 09, 2005

Jailhouse Blues

The question of states' rights in regards to the Americans with Disabilities Act was before the Supreme Court today…again. In the case of Goodman v. Georgia, the State of Georgia argues that it has no duty to provide reasonable accommodations to prisoners with disabilities. In other words, if a prisoner in a wheelchair can't transfer to the toilet because there are no grab bars in the cell, the state can shrug its shoulders and say, "Tough luck." If a deaf inmate needs an ASL interpreter to participate in the prison's GED classes, the state doesn't have to lift a finger.

I know I'm repeating myself, but I'm getting tired of the disability community having to fight tooth and nail for basic rights, like the right not to sit in your own shit for days on end. I know it's popular to be tough on prisoners, but nobody should be singled out for discrimination simply because they live within the walls of a prison. And if prisons don't have to provide reasonable accommodations under Title II, then it's logical to assume that neither do state hospitals, state parks, state office buildings, and so forth.

This is one of the first major cases for the Roberts court. Hopefully, Tennessee v. Lane will serve as precedent and the Court will finally and definitively declare that disability rights are not subordinate to states' rights.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:42 PM | Comments (2)

November 08, 2005

Blast From The Past

You can send yourself an e-mail time capsule via Forbes. I'm going to schedule a message to be delivered to me ten years from now. I'll remind my future self about how grim the world seemed back in 2005 and express my hope that the world is a better place in 2015. I might include a couple recent blog entries to show him what was going through his head when he was still young and stupid. I'll urge my future self to keep writing, to keep taking the occasional risk, to not be too hard on myself if I'm still single and to not take my partner for granted if I'm with someone, to remember what is was like to be thirty-two.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:31 PM | Comments (1)

November 07, 2005

Lincoln Would Weep

The proposed House budget cuts are the target of some much-deserved criticism; criticism that it is coming from both progressives and religious leaders. The House budget makes severe cuts to several programs that serve low-income Americans, including Medicaid, funding for student loans, funding for food stamps, funding for child care.

For decades, Republicans have regarded America's poor with an almost pathological animosity. The Republican narrative of poverty is one of laziness, weakness, and other character flaws. In other words, if you're poor, it's your fault. What's more, Republicans have demonized the poor, portraying them as welfare queens and king who feed like parasites on the labor of hard-working Americans. All of this, of course, is a myth. Most low-income families are working families who struggle to meet the basic needs of life.

Republicans characterize these cuts as necessary to pay the costs related to post-Katrina recovery, as well as to bring spending under control. Let's put aside the fact that Katrina funds are a one-time expense that will have little effect on the deficit. I'm all for a balanced budget, but I have sincere doubts about conservatives' sincerity in this matter. Why? In the next phase of budget planning, the House will consider a $70 billion tax cut package. Even with $50 billion in cuts (the target established in the House), that still leaves a $20 billion deficit.

These proposed cuts have nothing to do with fiscal responsibility. They are a naked display of a cruel and selfish ideology, perpetuated by a party that has abandoned all principles of responsible governance. They also illustrate the utter contempt these lawmakers must feel for so many of their fellow Americans.

But there is hope. The scope of these cuts is making many moderate Republicans nervous. In the end, they might be enough to restore some sanity to our nation's budget priorities.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:06 PM | Comments (1)

November 06, 2005

Late To The Party

Amazon is planning something called Amazon Upgrade, which will allow customers to access purchased books through any web browser. It's not the portable high-res book reader that I keep pining for, but we're getting closer. I'd love to be able to read my books from my computer while I'm doing something else in the background, like backing up files or downloading, er, completely legal media files. Of course, Amazon gets to pitch some added value to their products and give people an extra incentive to order books from Amazon exclusively. I'm sure other businesses are planning similar models, including Google (which has recently resumed scanning books into their Google Print service). After a series of hiccups and false starts, books are following music and video into the future. Seems a little backward, doesn't it?

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:39 PM | Comments (0)

November 05, 2005

Endorsement

I voted early in Minneapolis' upcoming election today. The mayor is up for reelection, as is the City Council and the Library and Park Boards. I'm lending my support to the incumbent mayor, R.T. Rybak. Rybak was handed a city budget in shambles when he came to office, but he has done a commendable job of putting the city on surer financial footing. He has also spearheaded several neighborhood revitalization projects in areas that desperately need them, particularly the North Side. I also like his energy and his ability to promote Minneapolis as a livable, increasingly diverse city.

His challenger, Peter McLaughlin, simply hasn't given me sufficient reason to believe that a change is necessary. I'm also not thrilled with McLaughlin's recent second-guessing regarding the established Hennepin County smoking ban.

It will be a close election, but I'm looking forward to seeing what Rybak can do for the city with another four years in office.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:23 PM | Comments (0)

November 04, 2005

Road Rage

I meant to post this amusing little story sooner, but other things kept coming up. Last week, I was on my way to work in the morning, a day like any other. We had just turned right on 6th Street when I heard a car horn blaring immediately behind us. At the next red light, the same car pulled alongside us and the driver rolled down his window. He accused my nurse of cutting him off and then proceeded to hurl various epithets at my nurse, "motherfucker" being the preferred term of choice. The gentleman also articulated a desire to beat my nurse's ass. He was still swearing at us when the light turned green and we drove away.

Here's my question. If it had come to fisticuffs, what would my role have been? Cheerleader? Future witness for the prosecution? I wonder if I could have represented my nurse in a civil action for battery and collected a tidy contingency fee. And is it wrong to wonder such things after the fact?

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:25 PM | Comments (0)

November 03, 2005

Resisting Temptation

Civilization IV and Age of Empires III (or AoE 3 in geekspeak) were recently released and I'd like to give them both a spin. But I know if I do that, work on the book will grind to a halt. Because it's impossible to play "a little" of either game. When you sit down to play one of these games, you can actually feel hours of your life being sucked out of you. It feels kind of weird at first, but you get used to it. Hmm...maybe if I just play on weekends...no, no, I must not give in. But once the book is done, I'm going to take a month or two off of any writing project and get my game on (but don't worry, blogging will continue).

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:03 PM | Comments (1)

November 02, 2005

Feeling Small

I totally need to get one of those standing wheelchairs. I went to a friend's birthday at a tapas bar here in Minneapolis and the all the tables and chairs rose about a foot or two above my forehead. I run into this kind of arrangement a lot in trendy, upscale bars and restaurants. I certainly don't want to dictate aesthetics in these places, but if owners are going to go that route, then I want a a forklift on standby so that I can be at eye-level with my friends and not feel like a toddler who left his booster seat at home.

My friend did like the mix CD I created as a present for her. Not to brag, but I give excellent mix CD. It's all about the pacing, baby.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:07 PM | Comments (0)

November 01, 2005

Well Played, Sir

It's great to see Democrats playing hardball with the Republicans. Today's strategic decision by Minority Leader Reid to call for a closed-door Senate session refocuses the media's (and the public's) attention on the war, just when the Bush administration was hoping to take back control of the news cycle. I'm beginning to admire Reid's skills as a tactician. The focus on Iraq comes at an appropriate time, given the fact that October was an especially bloody month for American forces stationed there. The Republicans will undoubtedly try to portray this as a Democratic "trick" or "stunt," but I think most people are beginning to feel like they were bamboozled into this war. And the Democrats are learning how to use that public frustration to their advantage.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:54 PM | Comments (0)