January 31, 2007
The Contender
It looks like my neighbor is going to run for the Senate in 2008. I'm not surprised; Franken's buzz has been building for a while. It's much too early to predict whether he can win the nomination, but I think it will be entertaining to see him try. Coleman is definitely vulnerable and Franken has considerably more name recognition than any other potential candidate. I'm most interested to see how he styles himself. If he plans carefully, he could develop a very strong grassroots campaign.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:36 PM | Comments (0)
January 30, 2007
Collaboration
You can find a co-blogged post I did with Hanan Levin of Grow-A-Brain here. It's certified 100% link-a-licious. Guaranteed to stimulate your intellect, raise your pulse, and lower your inhibitions. Enjoy.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:36 PM | Comments (0)
January 29, 2007
Riding Off Into The Sunset
Blue, Gimpy Mumpy, and me are the Three Amigos of Minnesota-based disability blogging (think of me as a younger, less snide Steve Martin). Alas, Mumpy has decided to hang up her sombrero and call it quits. One of her primary reasons for putting the kabosh on her blog is the loss of her anonymity. I can somewhat relate. On occasion, I find myself meeting someone new who tells me that they have read much of my blog. At times like that, I feel at a distinct disadvantage; this person knows a great deal about me and I usually know almost nothing about him or her. Then again, it was my decision to associate my real name (and likeness) with this blog. And as I've said before, I maintain another blog--safely shrouded in anonymity--for the purposes of detailing my many, many sexual conquests and run-ins with the law.
So long, GM. We'll miss you.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:54 PM | Comments (1)
January 28, 2007
Private Practice
I'm hosting a disability carnival in a few weeks on disability and employment, so this article concerning the challenges facing attorneys with disabilities in landing jobs with big firms is timely. The article seems to be making the point that attorneys with visible disabilities have a much more difficult time getting jobs with firms than attorneys with invisible disabilities, but few attorneys with any type of disability are even applying for jobs with the big firms.
This observation is consistent with my own experiences and those of my colleagues. I can't think of one attorney with a disability in my professional circle who works for a firm. I've never interviewed with a firm. Besides having almost zero interest in the majority of work that firms do (I'd rather be punched repeatedly in the face than do estate planning or complex business litigation), I have had the impression since law school that firms aren't terribly accommodating to those of us with disabilities. I could be mistaken, but the culture of big firms seems to thrive on an atmosphere of buttoned-down homogeneity that doesn't cope well with individual differences.
Of course, attorneys with disabilities who are interested in big-firm life should have the same opportunities to access those employment opportunities as anyone else. But I don't think you're going to see significant numbers of attorneys with disabilities in large firms until there's a fundamental shift in hiring practices and work culture. Unfortunately, I think those changes will take a long time in coming.
Thanks to Blue for pointing me to this article.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:38 PM | Comments (1)
January 27, 2007
Critic At Large: Ender's Game
I read this book when I was in college and decided to see how I'd react to it some fifteen years later. Ender's Game follows Ender Wiggin, a child prodigy who is selected to undergo training at the Battle School, an elite academy created by a precariously united Earth to train soldiers to fight an alien race known as the buggers. We watch Ender undergo a grueling transformation from little boy to child soldier, a journey that is shaped by Ender's conflicting capacities for both empathy and brutal violence.
The other aspects of the story still hold up well, although I'm surprised that my younger self didn't see the resolution coming from a mile away. You'll have to read it yourself to see what I mean.
Next up is Sam Harris' The End of Faith.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:23 PM | Comments (1)
January 26, 2007
Talked My Way Out Of That One
For those of you wondering about the status of the pending complaint against me regarding my flagrant violations of my building's no-visiting-pets rule, it would seem I dodged a bullet. The Board stayed the fine pending no further violations. I like to think their leniency was due in part to the exceedingly civil and reasonable letter I wrote to the Board in my own defense. I guess I did learn something in law school. If I'm ever charged with some white-collar crime, I'm confident I can gently persuade the judge to let me off with a fine and community service.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:38 PM | Comments (1)
January 25, 2007
Put In My Place
According to this test, I'm 42.2% smarter than average. And here I thought I was at least 62.8% smarter than average. My head is hanging in shame.
Shit.
Now I need someone to pick up my head
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:01 PM | Comments (2)
January 24, 2007
A Hipster Pilgrimage
I'm beginning to give some serious thought to making a trip to this year's Coachella Music Festival. The only thing that gives me pause is the ancillary costs. In addition to the cost of a concert pass for me and one person, there's also airfare, lodging, and renting an accessible van to get to and from the concert site. It's conceivable that a trip like this could total a couple grand. Yeesh. I need to start writing term papers for spoiled, affluent college students to pull in some quick cash for the vacation fund.
But then again, I think I've earned a brief holiday. The demonstration program that I help coordinate just signed up its first enrollee. Why not celebrate my professional accomplishments with a little rockin' out?
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:09 PM | Comments (0)
January 23, 2007
My Fellow Americans
My predictions regarding tonight's State of the Union address:
- The president will vigorously assert that victory in Iraq is still possible, even though evidence suggests that the situation there is abysmally bleak
- The president will natter on about modest health care reform, even as states take the initiative in providing universal health care
- The president will natter on about token efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, even though major corporations are pushing for much more to be done
- The president will not mention Hurricane Katrina, even though New Orleans is nowhere close to being reconstructed.
- 29% of the audience watching tonight's broadcast will be nodding in approval, provoking intense feelings of shame in their friends and families.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:55 PM | Comments (0)
January 22, 2007
Comfort Factor
My seating insert, which supports my upper body when I'm in my chair, hasn't felt quite right the last couple days and today I figured out the cause. Somehow, a large tear developed in the foam in the upper portion and it isn't quite conforming to my body as it should. It's still usable, but I'm going to need to get this fixed soon. Complicating matters is the fact that the seating clinic which last worked on me closed its doors a few years ago, so I'll have to try to get in as a new patient at one of the few other places that do customized seating. And it's not like I have a spare, so here's hoping the thing doesn't disintegrate further before I can get seen.
I suppose things could be worse. At least it's not me that's falling apart.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:27 PM | Comments (0)
January 21, 2007
First And Ten
I don't pay much attention to sports these days, particularly football. Ever since the Packers began their gradual slide into suckiness, I haven't bothered to keep track of the goings-on in the NFL. That said, I would watch a Superbowl that featured the Bears and Colts. Even I realize that Peyton Manning is overdue for an appearance in this ultimate form of American gladiatorial combat. And even though Packers and Bears fan have a longstanding bloodfeud that rivals anything in Shakespeare, I'd rather see the NFC North represented in the big game than not. Best of luck to both teams as they play today.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:08 PM | Comments (0)
January 20, 2007
Dressing Down
I'm noticing that it is becoming more acceptable in the business world for men to go sans necktie. The custom of wearing a piece of cloth around one's neck to signify formality probably has centuries-old roots, but it's rather silly on the face of it, don't you think? I frequently wear ties (something of a challenge when one has a tracheotomy) and I wouldn't shed any tears if this particular fashion practice faded into oblivion. But I'm not a huge fan of jackets and blazers. They usually feel bulky and they don't seem to fit me very well. Perhaps I need to find a gimp-friendly tailor.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:14 PM | Comments (2)
January 19, 2007
Delayed Gratification
I was out rather late tonight and I'm probably too tired to be amusing. Come back tomorrow for your regular fix. I promise it will be worth the wait.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 11:28 PM | Comments (0)
January 18, 2007
Adaptation
I don't read much fantasy, but some of you know I'm a big fan of George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Fire & Ice" series. There are four books in the series thus far and each one is a doorstop, bursting with multiple subplots and a huge cast of characters. I've long thought these books were unfilmable, but HBO doesn't share my view. It just acquired the rights to turn the series into a television drama, with each season corresponding to a novel in the series. The material does seem to meet the prerequisites for an HBO series. It's dark, violent, and replete with sex scenes. I'm guessing that the on-screen results will either be brilliant or a train wreck. But I can't wait to see which it is.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:46 PM | Comments (1)
January 17, 2007
Body Beautiful
Those of us with physical disabilities have a tendency to internalize some pretty negative messages from society regarding our appearance. We learn to regard our bodies as freakish, deformed, or simply embarrassing. The concepts of disability and beauty rarely intersect in our popular imagination. So here are a few things I like about my body.
- Hair--I'm incredibly vain about my hair. I product it up every morning and I am not ashamed to admit that I have highlights regularly added every couple months. Any comments that it's thinning in the back are met with extreme prejudice.
- Eyes--I've been told I have rather expressive eyes. I learned to speak with my eyes when I was a kid in the ICU with a respirator tube shoved down my throat and some of those habits never left.
- Fingers--I have long, slender fingers. There's some old wives' tale about guys with long fingers, but I forget what it is.
- Lips--I have no idea where I got these pouty lips. They make me look like the kid brother Angelina Jolie never talks about.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:08 PM | Comments (0)
January 16, 2007
Critic At Large: Little Children
Based on the novel of the same name, the film Little Children reminds us that the American suburb, despite the window dressing of affluent contentment, harbors as much suspicion, fear, deceit, and desperation as any urban core. The story centers on Sarah and Brad, two residents of this quiet burg who are both deeply unhappy with the paths their lives have taken. Sarah is an overeducated stay-at-home mom who secretly resents both her young daughter and her distant husband (who has recently discovered a penchant for internet porn). Brad is a stay-at-home dad married to a gorgeous wife who regards him with barely-concealed condescension. As you might expect, the two meet and begin an affair that is both an act of lust as well as one of covert defiance against their circumstances.
The entire cast is good, but Kate Winslet is especially fine in her portrayal of a character who is not particularly likable, yet offers hints that she could be much more appealing if her life had proceeded differently. The film also contains one or two disturbing scenes that effectively undercut our estimations of the characters. And see if you can identify the voice of the omniscient narrator. It was familiar enough to distract me every time I heard it.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:29 PM | Comments (1)
January 15, 2007
Teachable Moment
The Washington Post notes that some schools use the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday as a rare opportunity to teach something that isn't related to the federally-mandated testing that drives so much of the curriculum in public schools. I suppose it's inevitable that most people will view holidays like MLK Day as not much more than a day off from school or work, but it's somewhat reassuring to know that teachers are taking it upon themselves to give students a historical context for the notation on the calendar.
I find these words of Dr. King, delivered in a speech on April 4, 1967, to be especially poignant in light of Bush's recent proposal to escalate our presence in Iraq:
If we continue, there will be no doubt in my mind
and in the mind of the world that we have no honorable intentions in
Vietnam. If we do not stop our war against the people of Vietnam
immediately, the world will be left with no other alternative than to
see this as some horrible, clumsy, and deadly game we have decided to
play.
The world now demands a maturity of America that we
may not be able to achieve. It demands that we admit that we have been
wrong from the beginning of our adventure in Vietnam, that we have been
detrimental to the life of the Vietnamese people. The situation is one
in which we must be ready to turn sharply from our present ways. In
order to atone for our sins and errors in Vietnam, we should take the
initiative in bringing a halt to this tragic war....
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:34 PM | Comments (0)
January 14, 2007
Violator
I have the distinct pleasure of appearing before my building's Board of Directors in a couple weeks. The building has a rather strict policy on visiting pets, as in "No visiting pets, ever." And I've been a little lax in telling my family that they can't bring their dogs when visiting. So after the third letter from my condo association, I've got some 'splainin' to do. A few friends have suggested that I play the cripple card. "This dog was my former helper dog and I just wanted to see her one more time before she dies." Or "The only pleasure I get in life is seeing my family and their adorable pets." But I don't think I'll go that route. I'm an attorney; I should be able to find a slightly less cynical way to talk my way out of this.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:46 PM | Comments (2)
January 13, 2007
Passing The Time
The sixth Disability Blog Carnival is now up at Wheelchair Princess. The topic is "disability and relationships". All kinds of relationships--familial, friendship, romantic. I really should host one of these carnivals sometime. It's a great forum for introducing readers to bloggers who might otherwise go unnoticed.
This is a long weekend for me and I'm trying to figure out how to fill it. Here are a few ideas I've had:
- Do my taxes
- Clean out my Inbox
- Fix the ID3 tags on my questionably legal MP3 collection
- Watch all six Star Wars movies (and wonder what happened to that exceedingly annoying kid from the first prequel)
- Develop an on-line porn addiction
- Spend an alarming amount of money on eBay buying useless trinkets
- Start one of the many unread books lying around my place
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:06 PM | Comments (0)
January 12, 2007
Climate Change
Huh. The thermometer on my desktop currently registers four degrees. That has to be a mistake. We don't get winter in these parts anymore. All we get anymore is Autumn, Parts I and II.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:51 PM | Comments (0)
January 11, 2007
Show Yourselves
According to PZ, this is National Delurking Week. So if you're a frequent reader of this blog and have never posted a comment, now is the time. Go on, tell me exactly what you think of me. You know you want to.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:45 PM | Comments (7)
January 10, 2007
Try, Try Again
In a couple hours, President Bush will likely announce to the nation that he will be sending an additional 21,000 troops to Iraq. I'm planning on watching the speech, but I'm probably in a tiny minority. While most Americans may oppose the President's conduct of the war, I don't think most Americans feel strongly connected to the war effort or the soldiers stationed over there. This administration has not sought much sacrifice from the American public and, for most of us, the war dwells on the periphery of our day. That's why--even though the number of troops proposed is not nearly enough to bring any real stability, even though these troops may be committed to the region indefinitely, even though a genuine political solution to the sectarian violence seems more distant than ever--I'm skeptical that many people will be discussing this escalation around the water coolers tomorrow.
I'm hoping Congress will ask lots of questions about this proposal and force the president to clearly define the mission and milestones for success (or failure). And if the administration isn't forthcoming, Congress should exercise the mandate it was given in November and put a freeze on additional troop increases and propose a roadmap for disengagement. But I'm also hoping that the voters who put the new Congress in power don't fall back into their slumber.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:37 PM | Comments (0)
January 09, 2007
Gimps...In...Space
If Stephen Hawking gets to go into space, can we all agree that I should be the next cripple to break the surly bonds of the Earth? We need to start a letter-writing campaign to convince Richard Branson that I'm a worthy candidate for a trip to the stars. Better yet, maybe he could put me and Hawking on the same flight. It would make great reality television. Once we're in zero-g, Hawking and I will engage in hand-to-hand combat to the death. Imagine the kind of advertising dollars an event like that would attract. Think Survivor with lots more blood and drool.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:19 PM | Comments (0)
January 08, 2007
Critic At Large: Children Of Men
I finally had the opportunity to see Children of Men yesterday, a film I've been anticipating for quite some time. It was brilliant. The movie depicts a dystopian future in which humanity has, for reasons unknown, lost the ability to bear offspring and much of the world has collapsed into violence, save for the UK, which is a a grim and xenophobic police state. Clive Owen portrays an everyman who is not particularly brave or heroic, but still tries to do the right thing despite his deeply cynical view of the world. The film works because it doesn't wave its arms at the audience and scream, "Look! Look! It's the future!" The world is familiar but disquietingly foreign at the same time. Director Alfonso Cuaron makes seamless shifts between the intimate and the sweeping. The last third of the movie was particularly astonishing in its scope. The cast is uniformly strong, but Owen and Michael Caine in particular give compelling and nuanced performances. Even the soundtrack is great.
Can you tell I like this movie? I wish more intelligent, adult science fiction like this was being produced. However, I'm guessing that it will be lucky to break even at the box office. But if I have to settle for scraps, at least this one was worth the wait.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:05 PM | Comments (2)
January 07, 2007
Frozen In Time
Ashley is a nine-year-old girl with severe cognitive and physical disabilities. She has extensive brain trauma that prevents her from sitting up, speaking, or otherwise having any significant interaction with her environment. She is also the subject of intense debate in the bioethics and disability communities because of her parents' decision to halt Ashley's physical development through surgical and pharmaceutical interventions. Ashley has undergone a hysterectomy, removal of developing breast buds, and hormonal treatments to freeze her growth. On a blog created by her parents to describe their life with Ashley, they insist that they permitted these treatments with only Ashley's comfort and happiness in mind. They claim she will have fewer bed sores and that her lighter body size will make it easier for them to take her out of the house.
First of all, I have no doubt that Ashley's parents are motivated by a sincere desire to do what they think is best for their daughter. And, from a certain point of view, I can understand their reasoning. As someone who is naturally undersized, I won't deny that my stature offers certain advantages in terms of getting around. But the notion of surgically and chemically altering someone without her consent fills me with deep-seated misgivings. As Wheelchair Dancer points out, it seems that Ashley is being modified to accommodate her environment rather than vice versa. Wouldn't an adequate staff of caregivers, along with appropriate assistive technology, greatly ameliorate the health and mobility concerns that apparently prompted this decision? Whose convenience and comfort really is at stake here?
I can't also help but think that forces of gender discrimination are at play here as well. Let''s suppose that my parents had wanted to have me castrated because I was never going to have an intimate relationship with a woman and they wanted to spare me the occasional discomfort of unfulfilled sexual arousal. I'm not so sure they could find a physician willing to go along with this. Yet the decision to remove Ashley's uterus and breasts is somehow more acceptable because these attributes of female anatomy are considered burdensome.
I sympathize with the parents' efforts to improve their daughter's quality of life, but the invasiveness of their methods leaves a bad taste in my mouth. People with disabilities don't deserve to have their bodies treated as organic clumps of Play-Do that can be shaped and modified as others see fit. Even the most impaired of us should be afforded some basic autonomy over ourselves.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:04 PM | Comments (2)
January 06, 2007
Epithet
I've had my share of teachers and professors who were clueless when it came to dealing with a student with a disability in their class, but at least none of them ever called me a cripple (not to my face, anyway). I'm not surprised that this word still has currency as an insult. What does surprise me is that a teacher--a British teacher!--would get caught flinging this word at a student. Aren't all British teachers crusty but lovable souls who are in a constant state of mild annoyance caused by their students' failure to grasp the conjugation of irregular Latin verbs?
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:20 PM | Comments (2)
January 05, 2007
Alter Ego
The tubes of the internets offer many timesinks for whiling away an hour or ten, most of which I've never tried. I don't have a WoW or EQ account and I don't have a MySpace page. But I am kind of curious about Second Life, the online digital world that is attracting more and more media buzz. I mean, if geek idol Warren Ellis is writing a column about it, it must be cool, right? Maybe I'll create an avatar and see what all the fuss is about. I might be able to use it as a forum for recruiting initiates into my self-styled religion (and get-rich-quick scheme): The Temple of He Who Dwells on the 19th Floor, Reformed.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:15 PM | Comments (0)
January 04, 2007
Thin Is In
I finally broke down last week and order the LCD monitor I've been coveting the last few months: the Samsung 204BW 20" widescreen. I'm not easily impressed, but this thing is gorgeous. The images are bright and crisp; I had forgotten that the color white isn't supposed to look jaundiced. I watched a bit of a Lost episode I had downloaded and I'm not ashamed to admit that I began to silently weep. And who knew I had this much desk space? Best of all, I can't find a single dead pixel (always a risk when buying a LCD).
I'm a bit mystified as to what to do with my old 19" CRT. It's not worth anything, but perhaps a school or a non-profit can make use of it. After all, it most likely has another 5-10 years of life remaining.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:39 PM | Comments (2)
January 03, 2007
Flipping Through The Rolodex
Before the holidays, I did an informational interview with someone who is trying to find a job in the disability field. This person has a visible disability and expressed some frustration at being unable to find any decent job leads. I'm going to try matching this person up with some colleagues in the hopes they may know about some opportunities that might be out there. I remember my own feelings of anxiety and uncertainly when I was last unemployed, so I'd like to do something to help this person. There are a number of agencies and organizations in the area that focus on disability issues, but the challenge is getting one's foot in the door at the opportune moment.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:02 PM | Comments (0)
January 02, 2007
The Sunny Side Of Things
If you randomly surveyed ten Americans and asked whether they were pessimistic or optimistic about the future, I'm willing to bet a month's salary that at least 60% would say pessimistic. The specific reasons for that pessimism would vary. Our schools are crumbling. Our morals are disintegrating. People want to kill us. Indeed, a quick scan of the daily news offers ample persuasion for staying in bed and watching endless reruns of Good Times.
While we may have plenty to feel glum about, the deep thinkers at the Edge Foundation want to remind everyone it's okay to have a little hope. It asked dozens of scientists, academicians, writers, and policy wonks to name one thing about which they are optimistic. Their answers span the range of human knowledge and endeavor. An emerging boom in the development of green technology. Falling levels of global violence. The decline of religious fanaticism. Whether you agree with the answers or not, these mini-essays provide fascinating reading.
As for me, I'm optimistic that we'll have universal health care in the next two decades, and it will likely be single-payer. Big corporations are starting to realize that our current patchwork health care system is a drag on both their profitability and the economy. Eventually, the political will necessary to break the chokehold of the insurance companies will push lawmakers to a comprehensive and lasting solution.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:05 PM | Comments (1)
January 01, 2007
Flyby
My Altairian overlords may have colossal intellects, but they can still be astonishingly reckless. I keep telling them, "Quit buzzing airports! Quit freaking out elderly drivers on lonely country roads! You're going to give us away!" But they just wave their pseudopds at me and tell me to relax. Or at least I think that's what they're saying. They might also be telling me that they want to make a light snack of me once they have no more use for my insights into human behavior. Altairian verbs still trip me up.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:59 PM | Comments (0)