July 31, 2006
Critic At Large: A Feast For Crows
It took me longer than it should have, but I finished George R.R. Martin's A Feast for Crows, the fourth volume in what's expected to be the seven-volume Song of Ice and Fire epic. I won't go into too much detail because it's pointless to delve into the plot unless one is familiar with the previous books. I do agree with other reviewers that this is the weakest chapter in the series thus far. It feels unfinished, mostly because some key characters (Tyrion, Bran, Daenerys) are completely absent and we must wait until the fifth volume (A Dance of Dragons) to see their stories continued. But this criticism isn't meant to imply that Crows is a bad book; far from it. I'm not a huge fan of fantasy literature, but Martin is a pleasure to read because of his deft characterizations as well as his willingness to not be bound by the standard conventions of the genre. Tolkien never would have dreamed of killing off Frodo or Strider, but Martin doesn't hesitate to kill off major characters, which lends some gritty realism to a fantastic story.
Next up: John Scalzi's Old Man's War and Sarah Vowell's Assassination Vacation.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:02 PM | Comments (0)
July 30, 2006
Voices In The Wilderness
Today's NY Times features a front-page profile of Woodland Hills, an evangelical church located here in the Twin Cities. The article discusses the lead pastor's efforts to disentangle his congregation from political ties to the Republican Party and conservative social causes such as opposing abortion and gay marriage. The pastor also deplores using the pulpit to glorify military campaigns such as the one in Iraq.
I know enough evangelicals, including a couple friends who attend Woodland Hills, to understand that they are not necessarily a monolithic force. Many do not toe the GOP party line and do not fit the stereotypical caricature of a shrill, dour, judgmental, gay-bashing, science-hating, book-banning killjoy that is common currency among those of us on the left. It's good to see the mainstream media recognizing this as well and taking the time to point out that, like any other broadly identified demographic in America, the political sympathies of evangelicals cannot always be easily identified.
However, it's difficult to deny that Republicans have been extremely successful at co-opting and mobilizing the vast majority of Christian evangelicals. Bush makes no effort to hide the fact that his political fortunes are tied to the support of his religiously conservative base. And the America envisioned by most evangelicals is vastly different than the one for which I hope and strive. Despite the dissent of some within their ranks, the GOP and Christian conservatives have inextricably linked their fates, at least in this world.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:06 PM | Comments (0)
July 29, 2006
A New Monopoly In Town
My broadband provider, Time Warner, is ceding its control of the Minneapolis market to Comcast as part of their joint deal to acquire the assets of now-defunct Adelphia. While I've had few complaints about TW's service, I've heard nothing but dismal things about Comcast's customer service. The infamous YouTube video of the sleeping Comcast technician, articles about their clueless tech support, and tales of inexplicable service outages do not inspire confidence in my new corporate masters. But if I want to use the Internet tubes at the speeds I'm enjoying now, Comcast is the only game in town, at least until wireless networks can catch up in terms of throughput.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:03 PM | Comments (0)
July 28, 2006
Controlled Environment
Another week, another heat wave. As I walked through the (mostly) air conditioned skyways this afternoon, I noticed that more people were using the skyways than the sidewalks below. We Minnesotans are a fickle lot. In five or six months, many of us will be complaining about the cold and these sultry days will seem like a fevered dream. But, as with most things in life, a little perspective is in order. Scores of Californians have died from heat-related deaths in the last couple weeks.
After going into the office on Wednesday and participating in a teleconference this morning, I think my next vacation will be to a place that forces me not to do any work. I wonder if French Polynesia is accessible.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:50 PM | Comments (0)
July 27, 2006
Witnessing Tragedy
Most of us liberal bloggers are growing tired of pointing out the tragic consequences of the president's bungling on the world stage. His vision of democracy blossoming across the Mideast is crumbling before the eyes of a horrified world. Iraq--particularly Baghdad--is being ripped apart by wave after bloody wave of violence. The results of our ill-conceived adventures in Iraq give us precious little credibility to negotiate any sort of solution to the raging conflict in northern Israel and Lebanon, a country that was just beginning to get back on its feet and was planting the seeds of a real democratic state when the bombs started falling.
During a recent telephone conversation with my dad, he bemoaned the fact that nobody here at home seems to be expressing any strong opposition to the abysmal leadership--or more accurately, the lack thereof--coming from Washington. "Where are the protesters?" he said. "Why doesn't anybody seem to care? What the hell is wrong with people?" I suggested that most Americans aren't able to devote too much time to activism or civic engagement because they're too busy trying to stay afloat economically. I worry that, as a society, we are increasingly ceding simple acts of civic life (e.g. writing a letter to the editor, calling our representatives, attending a community meeting) to an elite group of professional activists.
But that's a topic for another time. I told my dad that the fall elections might provide an opportunity for people to voice their displeasure and restore some measure of wisdom and competence to our government. For all our sakes, I hope I'm right.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:55 PM | Comments (1)
July 26, 2006
Cue Up "Wind Beneath My Wings"
I subscribe to Newsweek, mostly out of habit than for its inherent informative value. It's the kind of magazine that I can breeze through in 30 minutes or so and find one or two articles of interest, dismissing the rest as filler and fluff. Newsweek fell further in my esteem when a regular fluff-piece co-sponsored by Beliefnet started appearing in the magazine. Beliefnet is a religiously-themed portal site offering a lot of fuzzy, feel-good content that, from what I gather, is designed to make readers have a "There but for the grace of God" moment during their lunch hour. So it should be no surprise that Beliefnet wants to "put together a collection of stories and photographs of disabled people of faith accomplishing amazing things." They set the bar even higher by asking that these stories be imbued with "courage" and "inspiration."
Why, just this morning, I got out of bed. And soon, I will commit the incredibly heroic act of going into the office for a meeting. The fact that I'm not a "person of faith" might raise some eyebrows, but I think I can score some additional points by submitting a photo of myself in which I'm flashing a brave smile, though it's still evident that I'm gritting my teeth in the face of tremendous, unimaginable physical and emotional suffering.
Once again, thanks to Ouch for the tip.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:20 PM | Comments (0)
July 25, 2006
Matchmaker
Rumors are circulating that the next-generation iPod will have the capability to display e-books. Please, please, Apple, include some kind of rudimentary voice control so I can take advantage of this function. If you do, I might even purchase two: one for me and one for a gimp in need.
I spent most of last evening with my charming, lovely, hip friends Erin and Liberty at their condo and rooftop garden, which isn't far from my own building. They are one of the few couples in my circle of friends whose home is accessible to me, so this was something of a treat for me. Another friend of mine recently told me that women don't discuss sex with the same explicitness as men. I should suggest to her that she have a few glasses of wine with Erin and Liberty sometime; she would likely change her mind afterwards. At one point in the evening, Erin was trying to think of someone to set me up with and she started asking me if I'd consider any of her gay male friends. Then she stopped herself, shook her head, and said, "No, no, never mind, you're as straight as the day is long."
I'm afraid she's right. I am boringly heterosexual. But I did ask her to refer to me any hot bi women she might know. I'm all about diversity.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 01:36 PM | Comments (0)
July 24, 2006
Sloth
It's bad enough that we have to put up with able-bodied scofflaws parking in disability spots. Now, y'all are starting to appropriate the motorized scooters reserved in shopping malls and parks for people with disabilities because some of you can't be bothered with the effort of putting one foot in front of the other. I used to joke with people that I use a wheelchair and a ventilator because I'm incredibly lazy, but I never thought that laziness would become a bona fide justification for using a mobility device.
I swear, when I become President-for-Life of Gimp Island, the illicit use of a publicly available scooter or wheelchair will be an offense punishable by a sixty-day term of exile to the more...untamed...side of the island.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:14 PM | Comments (0)
July 23, 2006
Winding Down
People come, people go. Most of the people at this table closed down the party with me.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:47 PM | Comments (0)
Smiling For The Camera
My good friend Libby and Derek, friend and faithful legal intern.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:44 PM | Comments (0)
Colleagues
Most of the people at this table are work colleagues who were kind enough to show up.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:39 PM | Comments (0)
July 22, 2006
Chilling
I'm trying to think of things to do for my upcoming week of vacation. Actually, the week won't be completely work-free, as I will probably have to go into the office mid-week for a meeting. Most people don't realize the sacrifices we public servants make for the sake of the greater good.
Anyway, here are some things I've got on my list for the next seven days:
- Get some ice cream at Sebastian Joe's
- Browse the cluttered shelves of Uncle Hugo's
- Visit a lake or two
- Visit a friend or two
- Work on the book and perhaps start writing this short story that won't leave my brain alone
- See a movie (probably A Scanner Darkly)
- Catch up on the stuff accumulating on my TiVo
- Read
- Think about where I want to go on my next vacation (when I actually have sufficient resources to get the hell out of here)
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:49 PM | Comments (0)
July 21, 2006
Look What I Can Do
I was at a barbecue earlier this evening where there were some young children in attendance. While they were a bit wary of me at first, they eventually grew comfortable enough around me to start demonstrating assorted feats of body mechanics. They beamed with pride as they contorted fingers, knees, and other joints into wince-inducing positions. Not one to be outdone, I instructed them to watch me as I performed my patented ear wiggle maneuver. The kids ate it up and I think they respected me just a bit more afterwards. But one tot couldn't understand why I kept refusing the half-eaten hot dog he shoved against my mouth.
I may never have children of my own, but I'm fairly confident in my ability to assume the role of cool uncle, should I be so called upon.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:53 PM | Comments (0)
July 20, 2006
Liquored Up
People better show up at my party this weekend, because there are gallons of alcohol in my kitchen waiting to be imbibed. You are coming, aren't you?
Other tasks require my attention this evening, but before I go: if you are blind or have a visual impairment, you might want to check out Google Accessible Search. It ranks search results based on websites' accessibility to users who are blind or visually impaired. I continue to be amazed by Google's ability to extend its tendrils into so many nooks and crannies of the on-line experience and create software that is both simple and elegant. I'm especially fond of Google Reader, which allows me to get my feed fix at my office during lunch.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:42 PM | Comments (1)
July 19, 2006
Secret Ballot
I had an opportunity to observe a demonstration of the assistive voting devices that are scheduled to be deployed around Hennepin County in time for the September primary elections. Unlike other, more notorious electronic voting machines, this model still uses a paper ballot; the ballot is fed into the machine and marks it up according to the voter's choices. The device should be particularly helpful to voters with visual impairments, as it allows users to magnify the ballot, display it in high contrast, or have the ballot read to them through a pair of headphones. I only hope that the election judges receive adequate training on how to help voters use the thing. Not to stereotype election judges, but I'm imagining some nice old lady trying to show someone how to use the device and getting completely befuddled in the process.
I probably won't be using the device, as the only alternative means of input is with a sip-and-puff device, which doesn't really work for me. While I know I can always request assistance from two election judges, I usually employ my nurse as a scribe. After all, my politics are hardly a secret to anyone.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:16 PM | Comments (1)
July 18, 2006
Welcome Home
The Christian Science Monitor reports that wounded Iraqi vets are getting unprecedented amounts of assistance with finding employment and/or continuing their education. These soldiers are undoubtedly receiving a better transition experience than previous generations. I remain firm in my belief that these men and women, whether they know it or not, are going to have a tremendous influence on the disability rights movement, much as the Vietnam vets did thirty years ago. Perhaps they will play a role in ensuring that every American with a disability has access to similar opportunities for success and integration.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:53 PM | Comments (0)
July 17, 2006
Learning To Say No
This president hasn't had a bill come across his desk that he didn't like--until now. The Senate is expected this week to pass HR 810, which clears the way for expanded federally-funded research on embryonic stem cells absent the restrictions on available stem cell lines that the president imposed in 2001. The president has made it clear that he will veto the bill, most likely to ensure that religious conservatives will keep his approval ratings from plummeting into Herbert Hoover territory. Over at Slate, Michael Kinsley made it clear that he has no patience for the hypocrisy of religious conservatives who oppose stem-cell research on the grounds that it sacrifices human life in the process. If these ideologues are sincere in their desire to protect these blastocysts from meeting an untimely end, he asks, then why aren't they equally opposed to the fertility clinic industry, which disposes of thousands of human embryos every year? Yet nobody on the right has ever said boo about this practice.
If this bill is vetoed, you can be certain the Dems will make an issue of it in the fall elections. If I was a Democratic media consultant, I would already be storyboarding 30-second spots featuring someone with advanced Parkinson's staring directly into the camera and saying, "Everyone keeps telling me that a cure is on the way. But the Republicans are working hard to make sure that never happens." It's absolutely manipulative, but it's also the truth. Republicans can bloviate until they're blue about how they are protecting the sanctity of human life, but most voters will instinctively sympathize with the paraplegic in the wheelchair instead of the clump of cells in a test tube.
As a favor to a friend, I'm linking to Getella, his art auction website. I'm going to suggest that he reconsider the embedded .wav file, but otherwise it's a good effort.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:32 PM | Comments (0)
July 16, 2006
Built To Crash
My sister's Dell notebook began to mysteriously freeze over the past week. It completely died this weekend; the cause of death apparently being a faulty motherboard. This is the second time a Dell system has failed on her because of defective hardware. I have no doubt that Dell has its fair share of satisfied customers, but my sister's experiences deepen my own resolve to never purchase another prebuilt Windows system. Take note, Apple; my sister will likely be a customer of yours in the not-too-distant future. In fact, if it's not too much trouble, can you please just send her a Macbook so she'll stop bugging me for a loan?
"Please, Mark, I'm a poor law student with no money."
To which I say, whatever. She'll probably make more money than me one day. In the meantime, we all got problems, kid.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:17 PM | Comments (0)
July 15, 2006
Scorcher
We are experiencing "the muggies", as we used to say back in Wisconsin. My desktop weather widget says the temperature outside is ninety-nine degrees and the weather oracles are forecasting more of the same for the next days. My decision to replace my ailing air conditioning unit a couple months ago seems rather prudent, as the old unit had a tendency to clog up with ice formations on extremely hot days such as this. I do need to venture out later to attend a friend's party, but otherwise I plan on watching the sidewalks buckle from the comfort of my home.
People frequently ask me if I experience health difficulties because of the heat. Actually, I'm much more comfortable in extreme heat than extreme cold. I don't have to worry about exposed body parts going numb and I don't have to wear bulky layers of clothing. The only thing I have to remind myself to do is stay hydrated. My wheelchair, being mostly black, absorbs a ton of heat and my seating material doesn't breathe well, especially around my back. Accordingly, I'm liable to turn into a dry husk of a corpse if I don't get watered now and then.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:10 PM | Comments (1)
July 14, 2006
Like A Hole In The Head
A few people have sent me this link about yet another experiment involving a neural implant and a person with a disability. In this particular case, the experiment subject was able to manipulate a robotic arm with his brain impulses. The article does point out a couple downsides of the experiment. First, the chip wasn't perfectly responsive one hundred percent of the time. Second, the subject had a lot of hardware poking out of his skull to facilitate a cable connection to a computer. As eager as I am to get one of these chips installed inside me so that I can begin my ascendancy to Supreme Commander of the legions of gimp cyborg revolutionaries, I think I'll wait for the wireless version. I already have a couple of orifices that aren't factory-standard on this body and I don't really desire another one. And I don't think women find exposed gray matter terribly sexy.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:18 PM | Comments (0)
July 13, 2006
Storm Brewing
I'm still at work, but I need to get home and close the windows before rain comes. I'll make it all up to you tomorrow.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:54 PM | Comments (0)
July 12, 2006
And A Bottle Of Rum
A friend and I saw the Pirates sequel earlier this evening. It was a bit longer than I expected, thus the lateness of this entry. The script wasn't as tightly written as the first chapter, but there was sufficient eye candy and action setpieces to keep me entertained. And watching Johnny Depp portray a dandy pirate in a constant state of mild inebriation is always a pleasure. A former nurse of mine frequently used to tell me that I resembled Depp. I know, I know, it's like telling Michael Stipe he's still relevant to pop music, but I like to remind myself of those words whenever I need an artificial ego boost before a date.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:10 PM | Comments (0)
July 11, 2006
British Humor
After much delay, I finally had the opportunity to listen to the disability-themed BBC Ouch! podcasts that had been accumulating on my hard drive. They're actually quite good. The hosts, Mat and Liz, are both gleefully irreverent when discussing their own disabilities or those of the guests they interview. I'm particularly fond of the segment entitled Vegetable, Vegetable, or Vegetable, in which Liz and Mat play a rather twisted game of Twenty Questions with a caller in an effort to guess the caller's disability. Perhaps one of my UK readers could convince them to play the game with me sometime. Of course, you can't mention my blog, as that would make the game too easy.
And though I haven't had the chance to listen to it yet, Larry Wagner's DisabilityNation podcast was recently brought to my attention. It's good to see that we're starting to have our voices as well as our written words carried through the many tubes of the assorted internets.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:56 PM | Comments (0)
July 10, 2006
Moving Violations
Am I the only one who thinks that Congressional candidate Keith Ellison has made several amateurish miscues since he received the DFL endorsement? While failing to pay parking tickets and failing to timely disclose financial statements are minor offenses that rank relatively low on the malfeasance scale, they make convenient fodder for negative press. As soon as he received the received the endorsement, Ellison's campaign manager should have sat him down and grilled him about any outstanding debts or black marks on his record and urged him to resolve those matters as soon as possible.
I still support Ellison's candidacy and I plan on voting for him in the September primary. I'm not thrilled with his past affiliation with the anti-Semitic and homophobic Nation of Islam, but I believe him when he says that he was never a supporter of their core beliefs. Hopefully, these errors of omission will come to an end once Ellison and his campaign staff become more accustomed to functioning under a magnifying glass. But as Nick Coleman points out in the article linked above, I wonder if Ellison would receive the same level of scrutiny from the press if he was a white Protestant from the burbs.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:26 PM | Comments (0)
July 09, 2006
Like Butter
I would like to take a moment to thank the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board for creating some of the smoothest sidewalks upon which I have ever had the pleasure of traversing. I'm speaking specifically of the pedestrian walkway that encircles Lake Calhoun. Most sidewalks are rather bumpy, jostling affairs that leave me in various states of discombobulation upon arriving at my destination. Wheeling on the Lake Calhoun pathway is akin to gliding on a cushion of air--sweet, fluffy air. Once I make my billions and purchase my private island for exclusive use of my fellow gimps (and a few select friends), all paved surfaces will be required to be similarly level.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:31 PM | Comments (0)
July 08, 2006
She Used To Be Mine
The Canadian chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving would like to raise your awareness regarding the dangers of drunk driving. Specifically, MADD wants you to know that if you get injured in a drunk driving accident and end up in a wheelchair, your girlfriend will leave you and start making time with some other dude (scroll down to the video labeled "Girlfriend"). This PSA teaches us two important lessons: driving while drunk is bad and people with disabilities are tragic, lonely creatures who will never, ever get any.
Thank you, MADD Canada, for showing me my place in the scheme of things. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to remove my profile from Match.com and spend the rest of the afternoon gazing mournfully out my window at the happy couples on the street below.
Thanks to the BBC Ouch website for the tip.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:16 PM | Comments (0)
July 07, 2006
Master Of My Domain
I always liked those scenes in science fiction movies where someone walks into a room, says, "Lights" and voila, the lights turn on. I would sometimes dream about living in a house that would respond to my every command, a house where I could turn on the television or switch off the lights without waiting for a sibling or parent to become available. When I started living on my own with 24-hour nursing care, that desire seemed less urgent. After all, a nurse is always around to press a button or flip a switch whenever I ask. However, I'm beginning to think that some sort of environmental control unit might be in order in the near future. As much as I value my nurses, I would like to be able to fast forward my TiVo or select a chapter on a DVD without relying on someone else's fingers. I can do much of that on my computer, but I would like to get away from my desk once in a while and see the rest of my living room.
So if you are or know someone who is an assistive technology dealer, hook me up. If I can get a decent system for even a semi-reasonable price, I will gladly and shamelessly shill for your product on this blog.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:31 PM | Comments (2)
July 06, 2006
Pet Project
One of the many state laws that took effect on July 1 requires the Department of Human Services to study the affordability and efficacy of providing alternative medical treatment (acupuncture, herbal remedies, etc.) to people enrolled in Minnesota's health care programs. The original bill was sponsored by Jim Abeler, a Republican and a practicing chiropractor. Abeler believes that subsidizing alternative treatments could save the state substantial amounts of health care dollars. I find the strength of those claims suspect. Based on my own admittedly anecdotal evidence, alternative remedies complement more traditional treatments rather than wholly replacing them.
I'm not opposed to providing access to alternative treatments for those who couldn't otherwise afford them. However, I'm not sure that the state should view all alternative treatments as equal. Some therapies, such as acupuncture, seem to yield more tangible results than other treatments like massage. I'm also uncertain whether practitioners of alternative medicine would be willing to put up with the bureaucracy and regulation that is attendant whenever seeking payment from a public entity. Of course, a legislatively mandated study is just as likely to collect dust on some bureaucrat's shelf as it is to inspire further action, which means the expansion of health care benefits to include alternative treatments is anything but certain.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:02 PM | Comments (0)
July 05, 2006
Damn Internet, Get Off My Lawn!
There are many intelligent, articulate, well-informed individuals serving in our nation's Senate. Alaska Senator Ted Stevens is not one of them. When the Senator voted last week against a net neutrality amendment to a telecom bill, he offered his own layman's explanation of how the Internet works, which included this choice line:
I just the other day got, an internet was sent by my staff at 10 o'clock in the morning on Friday and I just got it yesterday. Why?
Read his full remarks here and be astounded at the sheer ignorance he displays. I'd have more respect for him if he simply pulled out a thick wad of cash from his pocket and said, "This is the only reason I need to understand why net neutrality is a bad thing."
The days in which we are ruled by old, white, wealthy men cannot come to an end soon enough.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:45 PM | Comments (1)
July 04, 2006
Critic At Large: American Gospel
American Gospel: God, The Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation is author Jon Meacham's attempt to counter arguments of both the religious right and the secular left regarding the role of religion in the founding of the nation, as well as its place in the public sphere of American life. Meacham's core thesis is that America has a public religion that leaders use to inspire and unite the people, but the phrasings and rituals of public religion are steeped in a tradition of inclusiveness and generality. While most of the country's founders were Christian, they were not eager to make specific references to any religion in documents such as the Constitution or in the course of conducting the daily business of government. The founders and their successors resisted several attempts to proclaim Christianity as the nation's official religion.
Meacham, using excerpts from speeches and letters from the likes of Lincoln, John Adams, and Woodrow Wilson, demonstrates the frequency with which presidents have used biblical quotes and references in their official capacities, belying the notion that America is a purely secular state. However, I had to hold my nose while reading the chapter on Reagan. Meacham makes him out to be a skillful political moderate who edited his own speeches, while I would argue that he possessed an actor's gift for delivering a good line while remaining woefully out of touch on a host of issues affecting average Americans.
American Gospel is written in a breezy style and there are probably more substantive books on the character of America's public religion. But it does provide a useful starting point for objectively analyzing the founders' views on religion without the hyperbole of the left and the right.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:09 PM | Comments (0)
July 03, 2006
Football Hooligans
How desperate are people for World Cup tickets? So desperate that three poor, misguided souls posed as people with disabilities in order to purchase tickets in the reserved disability section. Other fans became suspicious when the three Argentines leapt out of their newly purchased wheelchairs to cheer their team, prompting security to escort them out of the stadium.
I hope these geniuses felt enough remorse to at least consider donating the wheelchairs to a worthy charity. Unfortunately, there probably isn't much sporting officials can do to prevent such abuse. I can't imagine the guy behind the ticket window saying, "Sir, I need to see your complete medical records for the last five years before I can sell you this ticket." The only solution is to mercilessly shame these poseurs in the press after they're caught.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:56 PM | Comments (1)
July 02, 2006
Sunday Smut
Encarna Conde, a Spanish woman with a disability, wrote a porn producer to complain about the lack of actors with disabilities in his productions. According to this Guardian article, the producer invited her to appear in a film entitled "Breaking Barriers". The article is rather vague about the details of her appearance, although I don't get the impression that Ms. Conde actually performed. As others have noted, the press doesn't seem too interested in using this story as a springboard for a deeper exploration of issues surrounding disability and sexuality. Instead, it's merely back-page fluff, a convenient excuse for putting the words "wheelchair" and "porn" in a single headline that might induce the reader's eyes to linger on the page to notice the ad for Tesco's below the fold.
Thanks to Wheelchair Dancer for pointing me to this story. This is the first time I've visited her blog, but the quality of the writing is good enough to warrant regular reading.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:51 PM | Comments (0)
July 01, 2006
Life Of Leisure
July's my vacation month. I'm at the start of a five-day weekend and I'll have another week off near the end of the month. I haven't really had much time off since my trip to Europe last year and I feel like I'm due for a breather. Financial considerations prevent me from taking any trips this time around, but I'm sure I can have myself a nice little urban holiday right here at home. I'm hitting Superman Returns tonight with a couple friends and I'm going to try to enjoy the generally spectacular weather that is supposed to grace these parts for the next few days. While there are a few errands requiring my attention, there will be much walking, reading, late-night movie-watching, and general loafing in the coming weeks.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:39 PM | Comments (0)