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January 31, 2006

American Pastoral

My first couple posts are up at the "Get in the Game" campaign blog.
 
I'm sure the citizens of Randolph, Utah are very nice people.  I'm sure they love their kids and work hard and all the rest.  But after reading this article in the Washington Post about Randolph, where support for Bush is nearly unanimous, I'm not sure I even live on the same planet as these people.  And I know that's condescending.  I know that even these blood-red small towns have their virtues.  Damn you, you ignorant, xenophobic residents of Randolph, Utah.  I'd have a much easier time disliking you if you weren't all so gosh-darn adorable. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:43 PM | Comments (1)

January 30, 2006

Critic At Large: Blind Lake

I just finished reading Robert Charles Wilson's Blind Lake.  Wilson has a talent for weaving together hard science and character development, two elements that aren't often found together in science fiction novels.  I first encountered Wilson through another of his novels, The Chronoliths, which I enjoyed immensely.  Blind Lake is set in a astronomical research station located in a future Minnesota (!); a station uses an extremely fragile technology to observe distant worlds.  The story begins with an unexplained lockdown at the station and subsequent events. 
 
Wilson explores several themes through the course of his book: the mysteries of quantum mechanics, the potential for our own technology to grow so complex that it exceeds our capacity to understand it, the risks of filtering scientific observation through one's own cultural filters, the definition of sentience.  But the book is also about fully-drawn human characters struggling to overcome their basic natures--and sometimes failing.  Wilson's skill at crafting believable characters reminds of another of my favorite sf writers: Nancy Kress.  I look forward to checking out other stuff he's written.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:31 PM | Comments (0)

January 29, 2006

Beauty Sleep

I just read an interesting article Psychology Today about sleep cycles and insomnia.  It suggests that it's usually best to do nothing when dealing with insomnia; it usually resolves itself.  I'm fortunate to never have experienced any major sleep problems.  I've become somewhat inured to things like being turned over or being given a nebulizer treatment during the night.  Things like that do wake me up, at least partially, but I've trained myself to fall back asleep without much trouble.  I do tend to get my deepest sleep between 5 and 8 a.m., but the whole getting-up-for-work thing gets in the way of that.  Weekends are for catching up and I get crap from some of my nurses for sleeping in until 9 or 10.  I'm actually doing them a favor, though.  My disposition becomes much less agreeable if I have to get up early on a weekend. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:04 PM | Comments (0)

January 28, 2006

Slipping The Surly Bonds Of Earth

Twenty years ago today, the space shuttle Challenger exploded soon after liftoff from Cape Canaveral.  I was twelve years old at the time and I still remember where I was at the time I heard about the explosion.  I was eating lunch in a small room that was reserved for students with disabilities at Franklin Middle School in Green Bay (although it was still called a junior high at the time).  One of the secretaries came in and told us the news.  For my generation, I think the Challenger explosion is one of those crystalline moments in time; much like the Kennedy assassination for my parents.  Now that the shuttle fleeting is nearing retirement age, I find it somewhat ironic that the design for NASA's new spacecraft (for exploration of the Moon and Mars) hearkens back to the capsule that was used in the days of Gemini and Apollo.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:26 PM | Comments (0)

January 27, 2006

Going Hollywood

Beginning next week, I'll be guest-blogging over on the PARTICIPATE.NET website.  PARTICIPATE is the on-line arm of Participant Productions, a film company in LA that partnered with other studios on films like Syriana and Murderball.  They're launching a Murderball-related campaign to raise money for the Paralympics called "Get Into the Game.".  In addition to fundraising parties on college campuses, PARTICIPATE is maintaining a blog to discuss issues raised in the film.  Out of the blue, one of their Internet coordinators asked me if I wanted to blog for them.  And I, being the whore for attention that I am, readily agreed. 
 
Blogging around here might be a little lighter than usual for the next week or two, but I won't totally shirk my regular duties.  I'll just need to be careful that I don't repeat myself on both sites.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:23 PM | Comments (1)

January 26, 2006

Accounting Gimmick

A nonpartisan Minnesota Senate study found that the state will collect approximately $900 million in fees over the next fiscal biennium.  This amount is $893 million more than the state collected in fees in the biennium before Pawlenty took office.  Fees cover everything from court filings to fishing licenses to license tabs.  In addition, property taxes in many Minnesota communities have risen sharply to compensate for cuts in state aid to local governments.  This begs the question of whether Pawlenty's promise not to raise taxes has created any real savings for Minnesotans.  I expect his opponents, whoever they are, to hit him hard on this issue in the upcoming election.  And even if Pawlenty does win another term, I wonder how eager he'll be to sign another no-new-taxes pledge.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:30 PM | Comments (0)

January 25, 2006

Security Blanket

I love this picture:
 
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These law students at Georgetown turned their backs on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as he delivered a speech defending the illegal wiretapping of U.S. citizens.  The quote, in case you can't read the attribution, is from Benjamin Franklin.  Read the full story here. 
 
I know lots of people want the government to do whatever it takes to keep us safe.  But the practice of conducting unconstitutional surveillance of Americans is neither efficient nor effective.  It might make us feel safer, but the idea that such actions are actually protecting us is laughable. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:07 PM | Comments (0)

January 24, 2006

Unveiling

Welcome to a newly renovated 19th Floor!  While I was remodeling my physical space, I figured I might as well do the same for my virtual space.  The new layout should be a a little cleaner, with content in the middle and peripheral information on either side.  All of the credit goes to my artist friend Bran, who took my very vague instructions ("make it look cool") and came up with a design that is both functional and beautiful.  Bran has her own blog, so go check it out and give her the love she deserves. 
 
Hope you enjoy the new digs.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:44 PM | Comments (5)

January 23, 2006

Northern Neighbor

Most Americans probably don't even know that Canada has an election today, but I've been reading with trepidation some of the Canadian news sites over the last few days.  I know I have a few Canadian readers and I have one question for you: WTF?  Are you guys really going to elect a Bush-lite pretty boy as prime minister?  I know the Liberals kind of screwed up and could probably teach our Republicans a thing or two about corruption, but I can't imagine that Canadians are all that eager to inaugurate a conservative government that seems ready to wage the same culture wars that we've been fighting here in the United States.  We American progressives have long looked to Canada as a model for the kind of economic and social policies that we dream about implementing here.  Don't start letting us down now. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:38 PM | Comments (1)

January 22, 2006

Upstairs, Downstairs

I went to an art exhibit on Friday at Augsburg College.  To access the gallery, I had to take the freight elevator up to the second floor.  In older buildings that were designed with no thought given to the needs of visitors with disabilities, the freight elevator is the de facto structural accommodation.  For me, riding in freight elevators is one of life's minor annoyances, on the same level as narrow store aisles and snow drifts piled up directly in front of curb cuts.  Freight elevators are dimly lit places that always seem to smell of yeast and mayonnaise.  When I use a freight elevator, I get a vague feeling that I'm trespassing and that sooner or later someone from security will appear to escort me from the premises.  The only good thing about freight elevators is that most of them are pretty spacious, which is more than I can say for the elevators in my building. 
 
I'm not sure what I'd do if I ever got stuck in an elevator.  I'm actually a little surprised that hasn't happened to me yet.  If it does, let's hope that the people with whom I'm trapped are at least interesting and somewhat hygienic. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:24 PM | Comments (1)

January 21, 2006

Cash Back

I finished doing my taxes and I'm getting a respectable refund, so now the question is what to do with it.  Some of it will probably go towards debt relief, but one can't be too responsible.  I've been giving some more thought to getting a new LCD monitor and possibly a few other computer components.  A trip to Ikea may also be in order this weekend as there are some minor upgrades I'd like to make to the decor around here.  Or maybe I'll just bet everything on the Super Bowl.  But that might require me to actually know something about football. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 01:13 PM | Comments (1)

January 20, 2006

Exit Strategy

Patty Wetterling dropped out of the Minnesota Senate race today, which means that Hennepin County chief prosecutor Amy Klobuchar should now be able to focus on the general election as the presumptive DFL nominee.  I never understood why Wetterling decided to get into the Senate race.  She has a much better shot at Mark Kennedy's former Congressional seat in the 6th District.  I know that she assured another candidate that she wouldn't run for that seat,  but I hope she's reconsidering.  Pushing a progressive agenda at both the state and national level may have to take precedence over someone's hurt feelings. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:17 PM | Comments (0)

January 19, 2006

Taste Test

I'm trying out a new off-line blog editor: Qumana.  It has a feature that's supposed make dropping images into posts a cinch.  I haven't tried that function yet, but it would be nice to lift the occasional graphic from the Web.  I tend to be fussy about my blogging tools, but I'll try this out for a few days and see if it can replace Zempt, which is reliable but rather bare-bones.
 
The SciFi Channel is going to air the new Doctor Who episodes in March.  I still haven't watched the episodes that...um...magically appeared on my hard drive, so I'll probably wait for them to queue up on my TiVo.  But I'd also like to see some of the old episodes again, especially those from the Tom Baker years.  Are those vintage eps still aired in the States? 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:00 PM | Comments (0)

January 18, 2006

Hometown Flavor

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to watch a preview copy of Aurora Borealis, a movie written by Minneapolis native Brent Boyd. It's a thoughtful, bittersweet story about the relationship between a twentysomething slacker and his dying grandfather. The film is set in Minneapolis and it's also something of a love poem to the city. One scene features the protagonist making a derogatory remark about St. Paul, the city across the river. Most people wouldn't get the humor, but I laughed and I felt like I was in on the joke. And I'm pretty sure I saw my building in a couple of the exterior shots. It even features Juliette Lewis, who is a total cutie. The film is still looking for a distributor, but it definitely deserves to be seen by more people.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:30 PM | Comments (0)

January 17, 2006

I'm Not A Doctor, But I Play One At The Justice Department

The Supreme Court upheld the Oregon Death with Dignity Act today, which should serve as the final word on the statute's legality. The Court concluded that the Attorney General does not have the authority to define what constitutes an "acceptable medical practice" under the federal Controlled Substances Act. The Court made the right call on this one. If it sided with the government, the AG would have broad authority to determine what practices in which physicians can and cannot engage. For example, the AG could decide that doctors cannot use a certain class of drugs to treat pain. Or the AG could determine that the prescribing a drug for off-label uses is not acceptable.

It's important to note that both Kennedy and O'Connor sided with the majority. Kennedy seems positioned to assume the role of the Court's swing vote. That's why I haven't gotten too excited about the confirmation of Alito. Under that veneer of inoffensive dullness, Alito is without a doubt a right-wing ideologue. But I'm hopeful that Kennedy will be a moderating influence on the Court, at least until we can get a Democratic president back in office.

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

January 16, 2006

Magic Bullet

Last week, a Hamline student asked me, "If a pill existed that would make your disability suddenly disappear, would you take it?" I tried to answer honestly and said that I didn't know. I tend to find such magical thinking not terribly helpful. It's similar to asking a woman if she would take a pill to become a man. Or, dare I say it, asking a gay man if he would take a pill to become heterosexual. Would the pill really make life better for me, or simply more conventional?

But the student's question does get me thinking. To what extent does my disability influence my core identity? String theory posits that our universe is but one of many. Suppose there's a universe just next door with another version of me--a version of me whose DNA is barely distinguishable from my own, with the exception of a slightly different sequence on a certain chromosome. Would that Mark be an attorney or did he go into something else, like sales or medicine or banking? Is he married with kids and living in the suburbs? Is he still a geek or a total jock? Does he have the same temperament or is he kind of a dick? How recognizable would that version of me be to my friends and family in this universe?

These are interesting questions, but it doesn't change my own narrative. My disability and the rest of "me" are inextricably meshed and intertwined, pushing and pulling on each other in ways I'll never completely appreciate or understand.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 01:23 PM | Comments (3)

January 15, 2006

We're From The Government And We're Here To Help

Minnesota is temporarily funding prescription drug assistance for low-income individuals who are unable to get their drug prescriptions filled because of technical glitches in the implementation of the new Medicare Part D benefit. Other states are resorting to similar measures. It's troubling that these glitches seem to be affecting the most vulnerable individuals eligible for the program. In a post-Katrina environment, the federal government needs to demonstrate that it can respond to this problem quickly and effectively. Unfortunately, neither adjective seems to apply to its efforts thus far.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:52 PM | Comments (0)

January 14, 2006

A New Look III







The front hallway. That's me in the center, getting my geek on.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:56 PM | Comments (1)

A New Look II







Another view of the living room, including the windows.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:55 PM | Comments (0)

A New Look







I did manage to snap a few pictures of the bamboo floors before the camera died. Here's a view of the living room.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:54 PM | Comments (2)

January 13, 2006

Better Than Nothing

It looks like I'll be getting back half of the vacation time that I lost during last summer's partial government shutdown. I'm sure Pawlenty is trying to address the remaining shutdown-related issues in the hopes that they won't come back to bite him during election season, but I'm not impressed with this half-hearted gesture to appease state workers. Of course, I didn't expect much more from this governor. I do hope that the Legislature enacts safeguards to ensure that state government remains operational even when our elected representatives can't play nice with each other.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:28 PM | Comments (0)

January 12, 2006

Gremlins

My toys seem to be engaging in rebellion against me. My Shure earphones, which I use for my iPod, are fading out to the point where I can barely hear anything through them. And when I returned home today, I took out my camera to snap some pictures of the new floors. I turn on the camera and...no image on the rear LCD. The icons display fine, but I can't get the camera to take anything but blank pictures. After a bit of investigative Googling, I discovered that this is a common problem with the Canon A70. It looks like I can get it repaired for free, though. I suppose this is as good a time as any for it to malfunction. Barring any unforeseen events, such as a UFO crash-landing through my window or a horde of mutant zombies rampaging through the streets below, I won't be needing it anytime soon.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:13 PM | Comments (2)

January 11, 2006

Off The Cuff

I have a couple opportunities to play teacher this week. Yesterday, I was part of a public-interest panel at a CLE for new attorneys, extolling the many joys of a career serving the good people of Minnesota. Tomorrow, I'm giving my annual talk to a group of college students who are taking a Disability & Society class. This year, I'm going to try outlining my remarks in advance and see how that works for me. As you might guess, I don't have much of a problem speaking extemporaneously on all things Gimp, but I also don't want to ramble on and bounce around from topic to topic with no clear, unifying theme. I usually get good reactions from the class, but I don't want them to remember me as just some guy in a wheelchair who jabbered on for an hour. I want them to actually remember something I said.

Pictures of the new floors will be posted tomorrow, assuming the batteries in my camera aren't dead.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:55 PM | Comments (0)

First Impressions

I find myself in a strange place that looks vaguely familiar. I think it's called a "living room." Someone was even kind enough to leave a pretty bitchin' computer behind (except I had to hook the damn thing up). Whoever lives here seems to fancy himself some kind of swinging bachelor. I mean, you should see these floors. They totally scream urban-thirtysomething-going-to-great-lengths-to-impress-the- very-occasional-female-visitor.

What a poseur.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:22 AM | Comments (1)

January 09, 2006

Keeping Myself Amused

In the week since i've been confined to my bedroom, I've read one novel, gotten about a third of the way through another, caught up on my magazines, watched more DVDs than I care to count, and became so desperate for a change of scenery that I actually got excited about going to Target to pick up a couple floor rugs. I'm not saying that I'm any more productive when I'm using my computer, but what's so great about it is that it gives me the illusion of productivity. So many e-mails to read! So many podcasts to listen to! And while I'm doing those things, I may even be thinking about doing a little writing.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:16 PM | Comments (0)

January 06, 2006

Junk Pile

It looks like the contractors won't be finished until Monday, which means I might not have Net access over the weekend (unless I decide to come into the office again). Most of my possessions are piled up haphazardly in the living room and kitchen. I look at the stuff and wonder how a single person can accumulate so much crap. I don't even remember where some of it came from. The number of cables and wires I found in various corners should be sufficient to open up my own electronics emporium. I'll be glad when this remodeling is complete so that I can put things back in closets and spare bedrooms, entirely forgetting about them for another few years.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:55 PM | Comments (3)

January 05, 2006

The Calm Before The Storm

Iraq has become especially bloody again in recent days, undercutting the oft-proclaimed assertion that the December elections would bring some stability to the country. It seems that with the passage of every key date the Administration identifies as a benchmark for progress in the transition to a Western-style Iraqi democracy, the violence escalates to horrifying levels after a brief lull. I don't think any one particular individual or group is in control of events on the ground anymore. The whole country is careening towards a future shrouded in grim uncertainty and the only thing anyone can do is hold on tight. And the conflict seems to be weighing more heavily on the minds of Americans. How else do you explain the decidedly weird sight of the normally uber-ironic David Letterman verbally sparring with Supreme Defender of the Christmas Spirit, Bill O'Reilly?

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:57 PM | Comments (1)

January 04, 2006

Restricted Area

I'm not claustrophobic, but I've never liked small, confined spaces. I think that has something to do with all of the time I spent in hospital rooms when I was a kid. Staring at the same walls for days or even weeks on end can slowly erode your psychological fortitude. I was reminded of that yesterday when I had to spend the evening in my bedroom because my living room had been turned into a construction zone. On the other hand, my cushy middle-class existence has probably made me soft. My bedroom is roughly the same size as the living room in my old West Bank apartment and I lived there for seven years without complaining.

It's nearly 8:00 p.m. and I'm writing this from my office. After going home for a while this afternoon to move some stuff out of my bedrooms, I decided to come back here rather than spend another evening in my disheveled home. Not that my office isn't disheveled, but it's a very industrious-looking kind of disheveled. And I knew you would all start to miss me terribly if I went two days without blogging. Or at least, I like to think you might have missed me. Let me have my delusions, okay?

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:09 PM | Comments (1)

January 02, 2006

Prep Time

In a short while, I'm going to start disassembling the computer and moving furniture around because work begins on the new floors tomorrow. I'm looking forward to finally getting this project complete, but I have no idea where I'm going to put everything. I think I'll just have to move stuff between rooms as each phase is completed. I'm not sure how long I'll be without my computer. At least a couple days, I think. Blogging might be a bit irregular for the first part of the week. But once everything is done, man, the place will look totally mod. All that will be left to do is set up a wet bar so that my nurses can mix me up martinis when I get home from work.

Pictures will be forthcoming.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:18 PM | Comments (1)

January 01, 2006

Better Living Through Chemistry

The first day of 2006 sees the official implementation of the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. The Minnesota Department of Human Services (where I work) has spent the last several months helping so-called dual eligibles--people who are eligible for Medicaid and Medicare--to prepare for the transition. For these dual eligibles. today marks the end of their Medicaid drug coverage. Hopefully, most of these people have selected an appropriate Part D drug plan, but I've heard some troubling stories about the inherent confusion in selecting a drug plan, not to mention the fact that some drugs don't appear to be covered in any of the plans' formularies. I want this benefit to work for people, but I have a feeling the next few months are going to bring some Sunday-supplement stories about the shortcomings of the new benefit, along with a lawsuit or two.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 01:32 PM | Comments (1)