November 30, 2006
Slim Pickings
Wired has an interesting little article on the dearth of smart science fiction films. I was really hoping that Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain would fit the bill, but reviews dismissing the film's mystic overtones leave me reluctant to see it. Perhaps Children of Men will be closer to the mark.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:26 PM | Comments (2)
November 29, 2006
What's In Your Wallet?
A federal judge has ruled that the Treasury Department must make U.S. currency more accessible to the blind. NPR has full coverage. It's about time. Other countries have found various ways to modify their currencies to make them easier to use for people with visual impairments. There really is no excuse for us to be lagging behind. I don't buy the argument that changing the size of our bills would disrupt business (vending machines and cash registers are cited as examples). The countries in the euro zone seem to have managed the shift to an entirely new currency without suffering riots in the streets. Any changes made here would likely be less dramatic.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:56 PM | Comments (0)
November 28, 2006
Old Fuddy Duddy
Last night, I was supposed to see the Brazilian Girls in concert. I thought the show started at 8, but when I arrived at the venue I discovered the band wouldn't take the stage until ten and the show probably wouldn't be over until after 11:30. And I'm killing time listening to the DJ and I start thinking about how I have to be up early the next morning to participate in a training and how I'm still feeling a little run down from the cold I had. And I start thinking, "Is this really worth it?" And then I'm putting on my coat and heading for the door.
Frankly, I'm a little disturbed at my actions. I can only justify myself by theorizing that I would have stayed if I had felt a little better. Still, I may have to turn in my hipster badge and beret.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:31 PM | Comments (1)
November 27, 2006
Writer's Block
I'm having a hard time getting the book done. It's currently measuring in at 550 pages and I probably have only another fifty pages to go, but I just can't get myself across the finish line. Fatigue is likely a major factor. After three years, I'm getting a little sick of the story and the characters. And the evil little Gollum in my head is telling me it's a pile of crap, so why bother? But it needs to get done, if for no other reason than because I'll feel guilty if I don't. So I'm recommiting myself to finishing the task at hand.
But work will have to resume tomorrow. Got a concert to go to.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:57 PM | Comments (1)
November 26, 2006
Mess o'Potamia
Plenty of news outlets are reporting that the Iraq war has now lasted longer than American involvement in WWII. Meanwhile, sectarian violence in the country continues unabated and has actually intensified in the past week. Right now, it's hard to see how this will end well for any of the parties involved. Some observers have remarked that Iraq is now the Democrats' problem as well and I suppose that's a good thing. But Bush, as commander-in-chief, has to demonstrate some intellectual flexibility that takes into account the rapidly deteriorating situation on the ground. I'm still not sure he completely grasps the scale or severity of the bloodbath sweeping the country. Perhaps his father's team of wise men will provide the long-overdue tempered leadership needed to extricate ourselves from this mess, but no good options seem to be presenting themselves at the moment.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:56 PM | Comments (0)
November 25, 2006
I'm The Q To Your 007
I'm going to see the new Bond film later this afternoon with a friend. Reviews indicate that this iteration of Bond is grittier and more realistic, which is fine with me as I've found the last few films rather silly. I am quite fond of the Sean Connery era and can watch those film repeatedly, but my greatest enthusiasm for things Bond-related is reserved for On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Maybe it's because I like to imagine myself as George Lazenby in that Alpine chalet, surrounded by a veritable United Nations of libidinous (your word for the day) hotties.
Worst Bond film: Moonraker, without a doubt. A relative once gave me a VHS copy of that movie as a holiday gift. Even though I was only ten at the time, my artistic sensibilities were sufficiently honed to quickly realize how hard that movie sucked ass. Avoid it at all costs.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:16 PM | Comments (0)
November 24, 2006
Been Here Before
While the 2006 midterm elections were a resounding success for Democrats, some races served to highlight serious and persistent flaws in the administration of our elections. In Florida's thirteenth Congressional district (the former seat of Bush crony Katherine Harris), lawsuits are being filed after the Republican candidate was certified the winner with a margin of 369 votes--despite the fact that approximately 18,000 voters apparently failed to vote for either candidate. An Orlando Sentinel analysis of those undervotes reveals that those voters solidly backed Democratic candidates in other state races.
Electronic voting machines are receiving much of the blame for this mess, but as a couple good posts at TalkLeft point out, the real culprit seems to be the design of the electronic ballot. If electronic voting devices are indeed here to stay, election officials need to familiarize themselves with some basic theories about user interface design and how the human brain processes written information. Part of my job involves the creation and review of forms and other written materials. It's a painstaking process that requires constant peer review and revision. I'm not sure that always happens in elections offices, especially elections offices in Florida.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:42 PM | Comments (0)
November 23, 2006
Domo Arigato
This year, I'm acknowledging my gratitude for the following:
- The election results--we finally did something as a nation that actually makes me feel proud.
- My job--how many other people get to work on creating a whole new health care initiative? It's been fascinating and I get the added bonus of working alongside some talented and passionate people.
- All of you--I keep churning this stuff out and you keep coming back.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 01:39 PM | Comments (0)
November 22, 2006
In Brief
I've spent far too much time in front of the computer, so forgive me for the insubstantiality of this entry. Besides, most of you are probably busy preparing for tomorrow's feast. You won't notice if I slack off this one time, will you?
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:25 PM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2006
Coming Attraction
From the Things that Make Me Happy Department: the trailer for Spiderman 3. That Venom costume is way cool.
If I had to pick a superpower, it would be telepathy. That way, I could confirm all the flattering things I know people are thinking about me.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:53 PM | Comments (1)
November 20, 2006
Disease Vector
How is it that I can go over a year without catching a thing and then I get two colds within the space of a couple months? If this keeps up, I'm going to start spraying antiseptic products on anyone who comes within a six-foot radius of me. Fortunately, I don't feel too terrible and this was going to be a two-day workweek for me, anyway. Hopefully, I can kick this in a couple days.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:46 PM | Comments (0)
November 19, 2006
Repeating Myself
Oh, look, yet another news bit about mind-machine interfaces. When future versions of the Playstation and Nintendo game consoles start including such technology as standard equipment, i might be persuaded to brave the fanboy stampedes and flying bullets to pick one up. Until then, I'm keeping it old-skool with my PC.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:38 PM | Comments (0)
November 18, 2006
Imperfection
My monitor has some faint yellow burn-in streaks (most likely caused by the first version of the SETI screensaver--my bad for not engaging the monitor's sleep function) and it's starting to bug me. It's a CRT monitor that I've had for almost five years, so it's probably time for an upgrade. I'm actually a little embarrassed to admit that I'm still using such a clunker of a display; it kind of undermines my uber-geek cred. If you have recommendations on a new LCD, let me know. I'm thinking that something in the 19"-20" range should suit my needs fine. My other major dilemma is where to put my Spock bust and Star Trek miniatures that currently occupy the top of my monitor.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:22 PM | Comments (0)
November 17, 2006
In Times To Come
New Scientist is currently running a special where top scientists and thinkers offer their predictions for the next fifty years. Things like this are always an intellectual crapshoot, but there seems to be general agreement that continued research in genetics is about to yield some major breakthroughs. And I wonder how any of this would affect me and people like me. I've always assumed that in the years ahead, i might lose a little more functioning or it might simply plateau (as it seems to have for the past several years). If I live long enough, perhaps genetic therapies might offer me some small degree of increased functioning. Perhaps nanomachines could help me breathe without the assistance of a bulky ventilator. An extremely slight possibility, but one worth considering.
Whatever the future brings, I hope I'm around for a while to watch things play out.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:34 PM | Comments (0)
November 16, 2006
This Call Should Be Monitored
On the Consumerist website, a deaf person wrote about how Capital One, a credit card company, would not accept a relay-assisted call from her. For the uninitiated, a relay service provides deaf callers with a communications assistant who verbalizes the deaf caller's words (which are usually typed or signed) to the person on the other end of the line. I've heard stories about phone scammers taking advantage of relay services, which might have something to do with the company's reluctance to take relay calls. However, is it really possible to verify anyone's identity over the phone? I'm guessing that relay users frequently run into clueless or ignorant callers. I've used speech-to-speech relay a couple times for customer service calls (back when I was a little more insecure about making myself understood over the phone), but I haven't used it enough to make any intelligent comments on its efficacy when conducting daily business. It's a great service and I hope that other businesses are more adept at serving deaf callers.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:27 PM | Comments (0)
November 15, 2006
Honkytonk Man
On NPR's Fresh Air, music critic Ken Tucker gives a glowing review to country singer Bradley Walker's debut album, Highway of Dreams. Walker has a form of muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair, but the review makes it clear that he is worthy of attention regardless of his disability. I'm no aficionado of country music, but even I can tell that he's the real deal and not just a twangy pop act. Perhaps this will be the break Walker needs and he can quit his day job at the nuclear power plant.
I really should screw up the courage to try out for American Idol. People tell me that my rendition of Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" is quite soulful.
Thanks to my friend Ellen for the tip.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:16 PM | Comments (1)
November 14, 2006
To-Do List
Now that the Dems control Congress, I've been giving some thought to how they might address issues of concern to the disability community. Clearly, the Iraq war is going to dominate the agenda for several months, but here are a few priorities that we should urge the 110th Congress to take up:
- Health care reform: This needs to be at the top of the list. People with and without disabilities are in desperate need of a totally revamped health care system that is accessible, affordable, and responsive. The journey to a true single-payer system (the inevitable outcome) is going to take decades, but lawmakers need to set us on the path. They should study how states like Massachusetts are using innovative approaches to provide universal health care to their citizens
- Medicare and Medicaid reform: In the meantime, Medicare and Medicaid need some attention. The feds should have the unequivocal right to negotiate drug prices for Part D beneficiaries. Co-payments for people dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid need to be eliminated. States' ability to impose premiums on Medicaid recipients need to be sharply restricted and the onerous citizenship documentation requirements need to be eliminated.
- Fully fund special education: I'm not holding my breath on this one, but perhaps it can be looked at once Iraq isn't such a drain on the budget.
- Adopt the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: A symbolic gesture, for the most part, but one that would give us more flexibility to demand that other countries do more for their citizens with disabilities.
- Promote cheaper, more widely available broadband access: Of course, this wouldn't only benefit people with disabilities. But broadband is a tool that at least partially addresses the social isolation and economic marginalization of people with disabilities.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:05 PM | Comments (1)
November 13, 2006
I'll Get You, My Pretty
While I was waiting for Wicked to begin, I noticed that fifty, maybe sixty percent of the audience was female. In general, I suppose musicals attract more women than men, but the disparity seemed more noticeable at this performance. Perhaps it had something with the fact that Wicked is one of the few musicals to feature two strong female leads, with the major male lead not appearing until well into the first act.
Having not read the book, I can't say how faithful the musical adaptation is to the source material. I did find it to be a clever retelling of the Oz story. I especially liked the portrayal of the Wizard as something of a petty tyrant. There always did seem to be something vaguely fascist about that guy in the original. There are even some disability undercurrents in the story, although I found it somewhat unfortunate that the girl in the wheelchair turns out to be the Wicked Witch of the East and, well, a clingy little bitch. But such minor gripes aside, it was great show.
It became even greater during those numbers that included a fetching redheaded dancer with a great smile. Surely, there must be a fan club for her. If not, I'd totally start one dedicated to her. If I knew her name, which I don't. But if I did, I would.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:31 PM | Comments (2)
November 12, 2006
Mixing Pleasure With Business
Most of my visit to Chicago consisted of sitting in assorted hotel conference rooms, which didn't leave much time for sightseeing. But I did manage to do some exploring on Friday, despite the sudden shift in the weather from sunny Indian summer (the kind that makes you wonder if global warming really is such a bad thing) to icy winds and torrential downpours. I've made previous visits to the city, but I had forgotten how massive and sprawling it is. Downtown Minneapolis is a sleepy burg in comparison.
However, Chicago isn't quite as disability-friendly. I didn't see many buildings with automatic doors and some of the sidewalks didn't have curb cuts, which meant I had to retrace my steps a few times to find a crossing. But my compliments to the management of the gorgeous Oriental Theatre, where I had great sixth-row seats for a performance of Wicked. I'll share a few thoughts on the show in my next post.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:50 PM | Comments (0)
November 11, 2006
Feeling Blue
Someone should pay me to be a political consultant. I did reasonably well with my predictions, missing only the gubernatorial race. In an election where the Democrats swept every other constitutional office and made huge gains in the state legislature, Pawlenty's win is a bit mystifying. Two factors seem likely contributors. One is independent candidate Peter Hutchinson. He only received 6% of the vote, but I'm willing to bet most of those votes came at the expense of Hatch. And the Hatch campaign's missteps in the final week might have inflicted more damage than I had first estimated. I'm taking this loss in stride, though. A DFL-dominated legislature will kill any Republican efforts to grandstand on divisive social wedge issues like abortion and gay marriage. It might also mean that that we see some progress on issues like improving access to health care and modernizing our transportation system.
Of course, I'm thrilled with the national political landscape as well. It's good to see my side coming in from the cold after a long sojourn in the wilderness. But Democrats can't afford to be too self-congratulatory. They need to show the country that they didn't win simply because the other side imploded. They must demonstrate that they have a vision and plan for our collective future that is better and more hopeful than anything Republicans can offer. They need to prove themselves as leaders.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:20 PM | Comments (0)
November 06, 2006
Windy City
I'm going to be in Chicago for the next few days, so blogging will probably be light until the weekend. I hope all of you who are eligible to vote have done so or will do so tomorrow. Think of me tomorrow evening, when I'll be sitting in some hotel room and nervously flipping between newscasts for the tiniest scrap of electoral information.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:23 PM | Comments (0)
November 05, 2006
Jonathan Swift With A Funny Accent
I'm leaving shortly to see Borat with a friend. I'm familiar with the Borat character from Da Ali G Show (which I thought was a masterpiece of improv comedy) and I'm curious to see how well the film can sustain the joke for two hours. The nearly universal glowing reviews for this film look promising. I'll try to post thoughts on the film later.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:30 PM | Comments (0)
November 04, 2006
Prognosticator
I'm not sure how much time I'm going to have in the next couple days, so here are my semi-educated predictions for Tuesday's elections:
MN-Senate: The only question about this race is Klobuchar's margin of victory. She's run one of the best campaigns of this election cycle and has effectively portrayed Kennedy as the Republican tool we all know him to be. Klobuchar by 12%.
MN-Gov: This is a tight race and the Hatch campaign has flubbed things over the last few days. Note to Hatch: calling someone a "whore" is not considered Minnesota nice. Note to Dutcher: read your briefing books more closely, preferably with a highlighter in hand. But I think the (R) after Pawlenty's name is going to hurt him in this season of discontent and I suspect that the inner-ring suburbs are going a deeper blue, giving Hatch enough votes to win. Hatch by 4%, with IP candidate Peter Hutchinson garnering somewhere between 6%-8%.
MN-06: I would love to see Patty Wetterling send self-proclaimed "fool for Christ" Michelle Bachmann back to the private sector, but this race makes me twitchy. It's a conservative district where lots of voters are loyal foot soldiers in a culture war they've already lost. And Bachmann has hypnotized lots of them with her unnerving Stepford wife stare. Bachmann by 5%. I get solace from the fact that Bachmann can be counted on to make a complete ass of herself as soon as she is sworn into office.
MN-01: Who knew this would be a race? Tim Walz is getting good turnout at his rallies in this independent-minded district. And I just gave him fifty bucks, which has to count for something. Walz by 3%.
US House: Control of the House will undoubtedly return to the Democrats. But will we see a tidal wave or a tsunami? I'm going to be somewhat conservative and project 22 pickups for the Dems, but I won't be surprised if it goes as high as 30.
US Senate: Definite pickups include RI, OH, and PA (bye bye, Santorum, you self-righteous, gay-bashing twat). I think we'll also get MT, VA, and (crossing my fingers) MO. A slim Democratic majority, if the stars align just right and Democrats show up with their ground game.
Feel free to praise or savage my picks. I'll be in Chicago beginning on Election Day, so I won't be able to defend myself anyway. I'm probably being a little optimistic with some of these, but I think we Democrats are entitled to a little optimism after all these years.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:30 PM | Comments (0)
November 03, 2006
You Gotta Break Some Eggs...
An Army general recently compared the escalating chaos in Iraq to the creation of a great work of art. Someone should ask the families of the 105 American servicemembers and the 1,289 Iraqis who died in October how they feel about being a part of the world's bloodiest art project. Bechtel must be a bunch of art-hating Philistines, seeing as how it's puling its contractors out of Iraq. And Richard Perle, famed neoconservative and warmonger--er, I mean, artistic visionary? He's apparently having some artistic differences with the Bush administration.
Every time I think we've hit the bottom of this rabbit hole, the ground gives way and we fall even deeper.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:13 PM | Comments (0)
November 02, 2006
True To Type
As part of a team-building exercise for work, I had to complete a Myers-Briggs personality assessment. The last time I did one of these was in college and I've no idea what I scored back then, but this time I came out as INFP. According to the accompanying reference text, this means that others perceive me as "introspective and complex." Somehow, that seems like a polite way of saying "aloof and cryptic." This isn't exactly news to me. I mean, if I was an extrovert with a highly ordered mind, would I be sitting here writing this blog entry? Everyone who knows me knows that I live in my head. And let me tell you, it's damn messy in here.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:24 PM | Comments (0)
November 01, 2006
Service Call
Kudos to NASA for scheduling a shuttle mission to save the Hubble orbiting telescope. The Hubble is one of the space program's crowning achievements, providing a wealth of scientific data as well as some gorgeous pictures of the universe. Speaking of, here's a short video about the Hubble Deep Field image. I might have done the video sans wispy New Age-y music, but that's just me. Otherwise, it's not bad.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:42 PM | Comments (0)