September 30, 2006

The Madness Of King George

According to the new torture and detention bill that is about to be signed into law, my mother, who is not a citizen but has lived in this country for over thirty years, could be hauled away by the feds on trumped-up terrorism charges without any judicial recourse for challenging the legality of her detention.  I'm using hyperbole to prove a point; this law is a dangerous encroachment on established principles of due process and fundamental fairness in our judicial system.  The suspension of habeas corpus may sound like some obscure topic for a law school seminar, but it's not called the Great Writ for nothing.  Since feudal times, the right of habeas corpus has been one of the most effective safeguards against authoritarian abuses of power and unlawful detentions. 

We are teetering on the edge of a precipice.  Most of you who know me know that I'm not given to histrionics, but I genuinely fear for the future of our country.  I'm deeply disappointed in our political leaders for passing such reactionary legislation.  I'm deeply disappointed in our media for doing such a piss-poor job with explaining exactly how this law takes away so many long-cherished rights and creates two vastly unequal systems of criminal justice. 

And I can't help but thinking that things will continue to get much worse before they get better. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:12 PM | Comments (1)

September 29, 2006

Red Carpet

I'm leaving shortly to attend the local premiere of Aurora Borealis, a film I've written about previously.  It should be interesting; screenwriter Brent Boyd will be there to answer questions afterwards.  Never been to a movie premiere before.  And me without my tuxedo. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:48 PM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2006

I'm Probably Overqualified

NPR is hiring a blogger.  If it wasn't for the whole relocating-to-NYC thing, I'd probably toss my hat into the ring.  I'm pretty sure I meet the minimum qualifications.  I feel quite comfortable characterizing my prose style as "lively" and I have a passing familiarity with the "blog form".  And I'm a veritable fountain of "general news knowledge".  Not that I don't love my current job, but a thirty-second commute to my workplace is deeply appealing. 

Someday, I'll figure out how to make money at this gig.  Until then, I guess sheer love of my art will have to suffice as my motivation. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:38 PM | Comments (0)

September 27, 2006

Something Wicked This Way Comes

The Republican National Committee has selected St. Paul as the site of the 2008 GOP convention.  At least it's on the other side of the river, but I'm sure some of the faithful will be staying in my fair town.  I'm a little dismayed that the Twin Cities will be getting national recognition in the context of a Republican event, but I suppose that it will be good for the local economy.  I know, let's take all their money and use it to fund things like homeless shelters, after-school  programs, and mass transit.  That'll show 'em.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:38 PM | Comments (0)

September 26, 2006

Critic At Large: The Ruins

The plot of The Ruins is B-movie simple.  A group of young people on vacation at a Mexican resort meet a German tourist whose brother has gone missing.  They, along with a Greek who has taken a liking to one of the American girls, decide to go looking for the missing German by following the directions he left his brother in a crudely drawn map; a map that leads to an abandoned archeological site deep in the jungle.  Once there, the group of young people realize they are trapped and that something inhuman is preying upon them.

I won't give away the nature of Scott Smith's bogeyman, but in some ways, it's the least important aspect of the book.  Like any good horror fiction, the monster is the blunt knife used to peel away at the characters' psychological layers.  Smith gives the reader elegantly constructed glimpses into the interior life of each character as their shared circumstances become increasingly desperate and horrific.  This is a bleak, bleak story that does not treat any of its flawed characters kindly.  No roller coaster of fright here, but rather a slow, inexorable descent into the depths. 

Next up, Frank Portman's acclaimed debut King Dork.  I'm also reading Terry Pratchett's Small Gods, my first Discworld book.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:23 PM | Comments (0)

September 25, 2006

Freefall

I remember telling someone over the summer that we will never see gas priced under$2/gallon ever again.  I must remember to be more judicious in my use of the word "never".  According to my cursory research, gas is hovering slightly over $2 in some parts of Minnesota.  The dramatic decline in gas prices is generating suspicion among some progressives that it's an orchestrated move by the Bush administration to appease voters in the weeks leading up to the mid-terms.  Leaving aside my natural wariness of conspiracy theories, I think Americans have a lot more on their minds than savings a few bucks on gas. 

But I do worry that if gas stays cheap, it will make it that much harder for us to abandon our free and easy consumption habits when the next Mideast imbroglio pushes oil back over $75/barrel.

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

September 24, 2006

Much Better

I'm a little surprised at how quickly I've beaten back this latest viral invader.  I don't know if it has anything to do with me deciding to not screw around and getting myself put on antibiotics right away (and I know antibiotics are not going to be effective against a virus, but I figure I might as well not give the little bastards the opportunity to breed something more pernicious).  Or maybe it is all the karma you guys have been flying my way.  Either way, I'm glad my throat has stopped feeling like it's being dragged across some neglected country road.

I do need to find a new primary physician, though, which is going to be a hassle.  This time, I want to choose a doctor based on a method that doesn't involve throwing a dart at a list of names.  Maybe I can get some references from my genetically similar comrades. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 01:26 PM | Comments (1)

September 23, 2006

Just One More Mission...

Okay, I cannot spend the entire day tomorrow playing Freedom Force 2.  I feel vaguely disgusted with myself.  This is why I need to stay away from computer games.  They bring out the OCD in me.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:08 PM | Comments (0)

September 22, 2006

The Sporting Life

For your late Friday evening enjoyment, here's a video of some crazy gimp getting all extreme with his wheelchair.  I'm starting a pool on how long it will be before this sort of thing becomes another event on ESPN's X Games, complete with wheelchairs tricked out with the logos of corporate sponsors.  And when that day does come, I'm so gonna pimp myself as an agent to these kids and, like any good sports agent, my 10% commission will be spent mostly on cocaine and call girls.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:21 PM | Comments (0)

September 21, 2006

Bleh

Still not feeling great.  Hopefully, I'll be a more amusing host tomorrow. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:26 PM | Comments (2)

September 20, 2006

Drink Plenty Of Fluids

I'm feeling rather icky right now, so this is going to be short.  As I always say when I get these bothersome respiratory infections, send me your positive karma.  I'm not sure I believe in karma, but I'm enough of an egotist to get a kick out of the knowledge that complete strangers are wishing me well.  Or at least I hope you are.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:30 PM | Comments (2)

September 19, 2006

Competitive Streak

Did anybody notice that the newest season of The Amazing Race has a contestant with a disability?  Sarah is a triathlete who happens to be missing one of her lower legs.  She's already been the target of snide remarks from other contestants who were griping about her being able to pre-board flights.  I fail to see how this gives her an advantage in the actual race, but this sort of reaction didn't completely surprise me. 

I was joking with my nurse that I should be compete on the next iteration of the show.  I can just imagine the looks I would get as some rickshaw hauls my crippled ass through the streets of Pnomh Penh.  It would be great fun until my ventilator gets crushed by a piece of luggage carelessly stowed in the overhead bin.  Imagine the promo: "On the next Amazing Race, one of the contestants meets a tragic end!  Tune in for this very special episode!"  Cut to footage of me turning blue. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:21 PM | Comments (3)

September 18, 2006

Got That Out Of My System

I spent a few hours fiddling with Ubuntu tonight.  I managed to successfully set up partitions and configure a dual boot system, which gave me a minor sense of victory.  It took forever to get the OS to recognize my adaptive hardware (mostly because I failed to distinguish between the letter "O" and the number "0" when editing a config file, which apparently was sufficient to completely crash Linux).  I finally figured out what I did wrong and managed to get Ubuntu to recognize my hardware.  Then I try to load up the built-in on-screen keyboard.  It spits back at me a head-scratching error message. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:34 PM | Comments (0)

September 17, 2006

Penguin Power

I'm doing a little research into dual-booting Ubuntu.  Fear not, my Redmond overlords: I don't plan on switching from Windows as my primary platform.  At this point, I'm mostly motivated out of curiosity and the desire to do a little fiddling.  I think I'll start with the Live CD, which will let me experiment with the OS without having to potentially worry about hosing my system. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:55 PM | Comments (2)

September 16, 2006

Chapter Plays

Even though I have to wait until next month for my complete fix of Battlestar Galactica goodness, the webisodes currently being posted on SciFi.com are tiding me over nicely.  I'm pleasantly surprised with the quality of these three-minute clips.  Aside from featuring many of the series' main players, the storyline of the nascent human resistance on New Caprica is compelling and well-written.  It bears strong resemblance to noi-ish films about the resistance movement against the Nazis.  I think that's why I'm such a fan of BSG--with it's femmes fatales, themes of moral uncertainty, and shadowy set design, it's noir in space. 


Technorati Tags: battlestar galactica six noir science fiction

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 01:58 PM | Comments (0)

September 15, 2006

More After These Important Messages

I've been without my TiVo for the past week because I sent it off to the friendly people at WeaKnees to have a second hard drive installed.  In the few times that I have turned on the television, I've noticed a curious phenomenon.  Every ten to fifteen minutes, the program I'm watching will be interrupted by these thirty-seconds short films in which the performers seem oddly enthusiastic about a particular brand of potato chips or bathroom cleanser.  They're actually quite annoying.  Perhaps one of you out there would be so kind as to explain the concept to me. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:22 PM | Comments (0)

September 14, 2006

No Sale

I depend on Target to keep me in hair gel and Pringles and I can't even begin to calculate the amount of money I've spent in their stores over the years.  But I'm dismayed to read that Target's website is still inaccessible to users with visual impairments.  I seem to recall commenting on this case previously and I can't understand why Target simply won't promise to make its website accessible and spare itself a lot of bad publicity.  But what this case really illustrates is that perhaps disability advocates should--once the political climate is a little more friendly--push for an amendment to Title III of the ADA to explicitly cover websites that receive a certain threshold of traffic.  Granted, crafting that amendment might be tricky, but it might be the only way to force corporate stonewallers like Target to see the light regarding web accessibility. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:12 PM | Comments (1)

September 13, 2006

Home Stretch

Aside from the AG race, there weren't any real surprises in yesterday's state primary races.  Congratulations to Keith Ellison for beating out the other DFL contenders for the 5th District Congressional seat.  The smear attacks directed against him didn't do any significant damage and he ran a strong, effective grassroots campaign.  I'm proud to count myself among his financial contributors.   I'm also hopeful that Ellison's name on the ballot will increase voter turnout in the general election, which will be critical in our efforts to defeat Pawlenty.

As for the DFL candidates for Attorney General, I was disappointed that Steve Kelley came out on the losing end.  The guy just can't get a break this year.  But I have no doubt that Lori Swanson will make a fine advocate for the people of Minnesota. 

Game on.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:38 PM | Comments (0)

September 12, 2006

Abra Cadabra

Off to see The Illusionist with my brother.  More soon.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:27 PM | Comments (0)

September 11, 2006

Home Theater

Amazon and Apple are both unveiling downloadable movie services.  Amazon already launched its Unbox service last week and Apple is expected to follow suit tomorrow.  I've already made use of iTunes' television offerings and I'm expecting that the movie store will be equally user-friendly.  I'm less eager to try Amazon's service after reading about its clunky interface and buggy software.  And unless I can burn movies to DVD, I doubt I'll make much use of either option.  Crowding around the computer with friends to watch a movie doesn't sound particularly appealing to me, so I think I'll stick with my Netflix subscription and my personal DVD library.  Besides, if I'm not careful, I might start to grow a root system while sitting here at my desk. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:05 PM | Comments (0)

September 10, 2006

Telling It Like It Is

My friend and colleague John Tschida had an op-ed piece appear in yesterday's Strib expounding on the the oft-repeated maxim from Disability Advocacy 101: living with a disability is not an inherently tragic experience.  What I like most about John's piece is his unflinching honesty in recognizing the difficulties and frustrations in learning to exist with a disability.  He also doesn't condemn those individuals who choose not to pursue such an existence and have critical life supports withdrawn. 

I'm still not sure most people really get it when I explain that my quality of life is pretty good.  I sometimes think it's like trying to describe the flavor of some exotic dish; you can say it tastes like chicken, but that doesn't really give the other person a clear idea of what you're describing unless they experience it themselves. 

Blogging may be light over the next couple days because my brother will be dropping by.  I haven't seen him since I was in Berlin last year and we're going to do a little catching up before he goes off to California and his ivory tower. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:31 PM | Comments (0)

September 09, 2006

In The Waiting Line

I had the pleasure of seeing Zero 7 put on a spectacular show last night at the Fine Line.  Zero 7 is best known for the icy-cool vocal stylings of frontwoman Sia, but the band's talent doesn't end there.  They performed some hard-charging instrumental pieces with heavy bass lines that had the crowd jumping.  Sia has a charming, playful stage presence and I couldn't help but smile as she shimmied and danced in between her magnificent renditions of songs like "Destiny" and "Throwing It All Away".  Guest musician Jose Gonzales also provided his mellow voice to a few numbers. Easily one of the best concerts that I've seen this year. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:30 PM | Comments (0)

September 08, 2006

Doing My Best Imitation Of A Vulcan Salute

Happy fortieth anniversary to Star Trek.  Sure, it's featured bad acting, cheap special effects, hackneyed scripts, and the franchise barely survived Rick Berman's disastrous creative tenure.  But then there are episodes like City on the Edge of Forever and The Inner Light; storytelling gems that kindled my lifelong love affair with science fiction.  When I my brother and I were kids, we actually attended a summer class at the local university where we watched episodes of the original series and discussed their themes and plot devices.  We even got a write-up in the local paper.  Somewhere in the archives of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, there's a picture of a rather geeky-looking me sitting with a bunch of other geeky-looking adolescents.  This was soon after I was trached and I was still working through some feelings of resentment about being on a ventilator.  But I always looked forward to that class and I think Trek's implication that the future might be kind of cool resonated with me at the time.

Thanks, Star Trek, for helping me realize that it was okay to let my geek flag fly.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:03 PM | Comments (0)

September 07, 2006

Quitting The Team

Mark McClellan, the head of CMS, has announced his impending resignation.  His tenure will be remembered for the implementation of two equally misguided policies: the Medicare Part D boondoggle and the onerous, pointless citizenship documentation requirements imposed on Medicaid recipients.  I'm sure politics played a part in his decision.  If the Democrats do take the House, investigations and hearings into Medicare would have dogged McClellan throughout the remainder of his term.  He probably decided to get out while the gettin' was good.  Assuming things go well in November, we may see more Administration officials heading out the door as they realize the deck chairs can be rearranged on this sinking ship only so many times. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:05 PM | Comments (0)

September 06, 2006

I Sing The Body Electric

I frequently find myself countering other people's notions that I live in constant pain.  It comes as a surprise to many that my atypical body can experience physical pleasure and comfort.  Here are five things that make me feel good:

• Stretching my hamstrings: When I was a kid, I would make my parents stretch my legs back until they touched my nose.  I'm not quite that flexible now, but I still like the burn I get in my legs when I flex them
• Getting my scalp scratched: I purr like a cat when this is done to me.
• Sex: No surprise there.
• Hot showers: I used to be afraid of water when I was first trached because I was afraid it would somehow enter my airway, but now I can't start my day without a shower.
• Sleeping on my side: I can't fall asleep unless I'm on my left side.  It's also the position that gives me my best dreams. 
  

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

September 05, 2006

Average Joe

I watch quite a bit of British television and one thing I've noticed is that the actors on British series look a lot more, well, ordinary than those on American television.  Take a look at the cast of Lost: mostly hotties and hunks.  Now look at John Simm, the lead on BBC cop show Life on Mars.  The dude could probably achieve flight with those ears. And Billie Piper, who played Rose on Doctor Who, doesn't have the waifish figure of most women on American television (I must confess to having something of a crush on Ms. Piper's character; I figure if she's willing to hang out with a guy as goofy-looking as Christopher Eccleston, then there's hope for me).  It pains me to say this, but I can't imagine any of these people getting much screen time Stateside.  To be an American TV star, a certain kind of physical attractiveness is a prerequisite.  If pop culture ever does produce an A-list TV star with a visible disability, I'm betting he/she will come out of the UK.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:23 PM | Comments (1)

September 04, 2006

State Of Play

Over at Minnesota Monitor, Jeff has posted a concise Labor Day survey of the current election landscape in our great state.  His prognostications mostly jibe with mine; Pawlenty and Klobuchar should win handily, while the DFL should pick up at least one Congressional seat.  Read Jeff's analysis and prepare yourself for the onslaught of belligerent campaign advertising.  Though the political winds should favor Democrats, Republicans won't go down quietly. 

We also say goodbye to summer today, at least in spirit if not in name.  Time to put my whites away, dig out the flannel, and start dreaming about next summer. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:53 PM | Comments (0)

September 03, 2006

Gray Market

I'm putting out another call for concert tickets.  This time, I'm looking for two tickets to the 9/17 Snow Patrol show at First Avenue.  If you or someone you know is trying to get rid of extra tickets, I'm willing to offer cash/free computer support/a pound of my flesh.

I've debated getting a BlackBerry for work, mostly because I seem to be spending more time lately in meetings than in my office.  My only hesitation is that I can't control such a device independently.  But then I read an article pointing out that wireless devices are starting to incorporate voice commands.  Perhaps someday soon I'll be able to realize my dream of dictating e-mails while sunning myself on the deck or while lounging in bed.  After all, you're nobody if you don't have a BlackBerry and I'm definitely not nobody. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:01 PM | Comments (0)

September 02, 2006

Sensitivity Training

I received this in my inbox earlier today and I thought it might be relevant to some of my readers:

Hi, my name is Adriana and I am conducting research for a program on the elimination of bias against persons with disabilities. The programwill serve as continuing legal educations for California attorneys.  As assistant to an ethics lawyer, I am eager to plant some seeds that will help bust misconceptions such as the binary between the "able-bodied" and the "disabled". The program will cover basics, such as ADA compliance and how to improve internet accessibility through website design. However, I hope to substantially strengthen and humanize the program with the voices of diverse persons with disabilities who might share their experiences in accessing legal services. Please share your experiences with me and help guide the direction of this program. I want it to raise awareness of the rights and experiences of persons with disabilities to a new audience in order to provide one more avenue where voices can be amplified with integrity, unlike the many media outlets that cut and contort statements to fit their storylines. If you have a story on this topic to share, or have any questions about the program or this request, please contact me! My email is dosmanos@gmail.com.

This sounds a lot like the CLE I co-teach every year at Gillette Children's Hospital.  Maybe I should just send Adriana my PowerPoint slides. 

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:37 PM | Comments (0)

September 01, 2006

Righting Past Wrongs

Yesterday's Star Tribune featured an editorial supporting the UN disability rights convention.  It lists several injustices and abuses inflicted upon people with disabilities, including deliberate refrigeration and spiking their food with radioactive isotopes.  And while the worst of these horrors have receded into the forgetful recesses of history, we continue to face indignities.  For example, a certain blogger's siblings used to enjoy taking one of his hands and using it to lightly punch his nose while exuberantly saying, "Hey, stop hitting yourself!"

When I become benevolent despot of my island nation, I'm going to establish a gimp-friendly version of The Hague where these offenses and many more will be redressed.  All defendants will be tried in absentia until we have the appropriate extradition treaties in place.  And I can guarantee fair trials, as I will serve as both judge and jury.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:50 PM | Comments (2)