July 31, 2007
Word Choice
A few weeks ago, I posted a link to an on-line art exhibit featuring side-by-side pictures of real-life individuals and their on-line game avatars. I made particular mention of this picture of a gamer with a disability. His name is Jason Rowe and he's interviewed in this NPR story on people and their gaming personas.
Rowe wears a ventilator mask that reporter Ketzel Levine describes as "ominous". Ominous? Really? These are things I find ominous: Jabba the Hutt's laugh, Dick Cheney's petrified scowl, anything by Nine Inch Nails, the rattling sound my van just started making. A ventilator mask? Not so much.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:14 PM | Comments (1)
July 30, 2007
Critic At Large: The Hidden
I watched this forgotten cult movie starring Kyle Maclachlan over the weekend. It was sooo 80s; hot cars, coke-snorting yuppies, strippers with big hair, and a soundtrack full of cock rock. The plot is nothing terribly original; alien serial killer uses human hosts to inflict mayhem. But it's not awful, either. As soon as Maclachlan introduces himself as an FBI agent, I had the urge to give him directions to Twin Peaks. His discomfitting screen presence is well-suited to the role, as it turns out. Oh, fanboy fun fact: the stripper is played by the same actress (Claudia Christian) who played Susan Ivanova in the Babylon 5 series.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:40 PM | Comments (0)
A Day Without Me Is Like A Day Without Sunshine
Sorry for the lack of posting yesterday. There seemed to be some sort of clog at my end of the internet tubes. Hopefully, the Drano that I poured into my cable line solved the problem. You can recall the search teams. More soon.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:25 PM | Comments (2)
July 28, 2007
Live And In Person
This summer's concert season hasn't intrigued me much, aside from the Prince show. But this fall offers a veritable feast of performances for the discriminating music snob. Metric. Arcade Fire. Stars. And the return of my personal indie idols The New Pornographers on October 16. I may have to get a second job as a gold farmer on World of Warcraft to fund my ticket purchases.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:05 PM | Comments (0)
July 27, 2007
Basic Instinct
It's Friday night, so why not slip into something more comfortable and check out the latest Disability Blog Carnival on the topic of sexuality. I thought about contributing a post, but I thought it better to spare my regular readers another anecdote about my innumerable erotic adventures. I mean, I can only tell the one about sharing a rooftop Jacuzzi with triplet exotic dancers in Miami before it starts to get stale. And the only reason I'm sitting here at my computer on a Friday night is because I'm saving up my energy for a marathon session of debauchery tomorrow evening with a couple of Brazilian nursing students.
...
Listen, this little exercise in self-delusion isn't going to work if you're just going to sit there and smirk. I thought you were my friend. Not cool, man. Not cool.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:58 PM | Comments (0)
July 26, 2007
Legal Protections
The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law seventeen years ago today. I've lived in a post-ADA world for half my lifetime. People with disabilities in my generation came of age just as the ADA was enacted and we have tested the law's promises against the realities of our own experiences. Under its auspices, growing numbers of us have sought out higher education. But relatively few of us manage to find gainful employment. The local cinemas and shopping malls are usually accessible, but some courthouses still are not. Don't get me wrong; the ADA is landmark legislation and it has certainly improved my life in innumerable ways both grand and small. But as our predecessors in the civil rights know so well, we must remember to keep our eyes on the prize. The ADA points the way to a more equal society, but we still have a long march ahead of us.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:39 PM | Comments (1)
July 25, 2007
True Romance
Here's a music video about two star-crossed lovers: a beautiful blonde woman and a young man with Down's Syndrome. The video strikes just the right tone: bittersweet but not maudlin. I particularly liked the treatment of the woman's standoffish best friend. Thanks to BoingBoing for the tip (and mad propz to the BB team for being so clued into the disability scene).
And I just e-mailed the Current DJ to correct him on a poetry reference he made. Despite my best intentions over the years, I can never seem to completely suppress my know-it-all tendencies.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:56 PM | Comments (1)
July 24, 2007
Off-Broadway
Natasha Wood is a British woman with spinal muscular atrophy who is currently on the road with a one-woman play entitled "Rolling with Laughter". I can't speak to its quality, but the LA Weekly gave it a decent review. Too bad she isn't making a stop in Minneapolis. She could probably get a sizable audience here.
I'm also beginning to think that one of the symptoms of SMA is attention-seeking behavior.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:48 PM | Comments (0)
July 23, 2007
XXXIV
I've now hung on to this planet for thirty-four revolutions around the sun. I'll be having a party in a couple weeks to commemorate the occasion with friends, but I'm feeling reflective at the moment. What have I accomplished with my life? What does my future hold?
Hang on, there's someone at the door.
How strange. A rather attractive woman in a police uniform has just walked in here and told me I've been a very bad boy. I'd better figure out exactly what she wants. Thanks to everyone who has sent me birthday wishes.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:48 PM | Comments (3)
July 22, 2007
Big Is Beautiful
According to a recent report, the desktop computer may become as dated in the next few years as console televisons. Instead, notebook computers and palmtops will become the preferred tool for accessing's one's e-mail, music files, and porn. Call me old-fashioned, but I like the greater expandability and customization that a desktop allows. I'm also influenced by the fact that my adaptive computer hardware isn't easily portable, which makes notebooks somewhat useless to me. I suppose that could change in the future, but I'll probably still prefer a desktop that I've built myself.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:26 PM | Comments (0)
July 21, 2007
Thaumaturgy
I should probably avoid much of the internet for the next few days so as to keep myself ignorant of Harry Potter's fate. I've read the first couple books and I do plan on eventually finishing the series, preferably without stumbling across any spoilers related to the finale. That's going to be a challenge. After all, sticking one's fingers in in one's ears and chanting "la, la, la!" while surfing the web doesn't really accomplish much.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 01:14 PM | Comments (0)
July 20, 2007
Old Stomping Grounds
I met a friend earlier tonight at a restaurant in Seven Corners, which was my neighborhood for the first seven years I lived in Minneapolis. Even though it's only a mile or so from downtown, I don't have much reason to go there anymore. It's primarily home to U of M students and the businesses that cater to them. Half a dozen eating and drinking establishments sit within a block and a half of each other. I always preferred Sgt. Preston's because it has great outdoor seating and people-watching during the summer months. I remember going there once with this cute blonde law student on whom I had the worst crush. I couldn't help it; she was smart, funny, and she wore leather pants to Health Law. I don't get crushes like that anymore, but I'm glad she was one of them.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:59 PM | Comments (0)
July 19, 2007
Tin Man
Over at Pharyngula, PZ dared me to take this test to assess my personality defects. I'm never one to shy away from a challenge, so here are the results:
Your Score: Robot
You are 71% Rational, 14% Extroverted, 0% Brutal, and 14% Arrogant
You are the Robot! You are characterized by your rationality. In fact,
this is really ALL you are characterized by. Like a cold, heartless
machine, you are so logical and unemotional that you scarcely seem
human. For instance, you are very humble and don't bother thinking of
your own interests, you are very gentle and lack emotion, and you are
also very introverted and introspective. You may have noticed that
these traits are just as applicable to your laptop as they are to a
human being. You are not like the robots they show in the movies. Movie
robots are make-believe, because they always get all personable and
likeable after being struck by lightning, or they are cold, cruel
killing machines. In all reality, though, you are much more boring than
all that...
And it goes on. Boring? I'll have this test know that I find myself endlessly fascinating. Also, I prefer to think of myself as a cyborg--part man, part machine. The Terminator was a cyborg and he was pretty cool. And that uber-hot blonde on Battlestar Galactica is a cyborg, kinda. Maybe she and I could go out for coffee or something.
I'm supposed to tag the next few victims:
Is That All You've Got?
Day Al-Mohamed
Outside Counsel
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:36 PM | Comments (1)
July 18, 2007
Puppet Government
Bush is threatening to veto the bipartisan bill to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Why? He's concerned that it will encourage more people to enroll in government-financed health care programs. And this president is all about letting the free market have its way with people, including kids. Conservatives are terrified that an expansion of SCHIP will lead to universal health care, so they're jerking the president's marionette strings in a desperate attempt to delay the inevitable.
And we still get another 18 months of this bully and his craven, morally bankrupt policies. Somebody, pour me a drink. A backrub would be nice, too.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:49 PM | Comments (0)
July 17, 2007
Creature Feature
This movie teaser has all of us film geeks trying to figure out the identity of the Big Bad that is trashing mid-town Manhattan. Giant space alien? Cthulu? Giant robots that can change into...wait, that's been done. Whatever it is, it'd better be cool because it takes more than some clever marketing to get me to see your movie. Like some generically hot actresses. Oh, I see you have that already. Never mind, I'm sold.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:48 PM | Comments (0)
July 16, 2007
With A Rebel Yell
A couple people e-mailed me an NPR story about a reunion concert of the punk band Dismemberment Plan to benefit Callum Robbins, the son of the band's former producer. Callum has Type I spinal muscular atrophy and his parents are facing steep medical expenses for his care. Callum's parents make a good impression in the story as well as on the blog they've created to share news about Callum. They are clearly devoted to their son and take great pleasure in describing his discovery of new foods or his mastery of a new word. And I like this quote from Callum's dad: "[Callum] stands a very good chance of being a really bright, sociable, awesome guy." Best of luck to all three of them.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:31 PM | Comments (0)
July 15, 2007
Ordinary People
I've neglected to point out that the latest Disability Blog Carnival is up at Retired Waif. This month's theme serves to remind us that people with disabilities are just like us. Or rather, like you. And you. And you. Yes, you. You think you're so special, don't you? People like you just bug me.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:22 PM | Comments (0)
July 14, 2007
Compassionate Conservative
President Bush once again demonstrated his deep empathy for the average American. He had this insightful observation about health care:
I mean, people have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room.
Never mind that one ER visit can put an uninsured person into crushing debt. This president really should stop pretending that he cares about health care or any other issue that affects the daily lives of most people. I'm reminded of Scrooge telling those nice church-going gentlemen that the poor don't need charity because there are still workhouses and debtors' prisons. Except Scrooge eventually got a clue. If any of the Christmas ghosts showed up in Bush's bedroom, he would scream, cower, and generally cause a scene until Cheney showed up and shot it in the face.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:20 PM | Comments (1)
July 13, 2007
PBS Scarred Me For Life
For decades, parents and educators have extolled the virtues of Sesame Street. Millions of parents have plunked their children down in front of that staple of public television, confident that their children's minds were soaking up all kinds of educational goodness. I know, I was one of them. I spent countless hours lying on the brown corduroy sofa in our family room in the company of Grover, Oscar, Kermit, and the rest. But I'm here to tell you that Sesame Street has inflicted untold amounts of psychic damage on the nation's youth.
After reading a BoingBoing post where readers shared the Sesame Street skits that induced childhood terrors and panic attacks (the orange singing Carmen, the yip-yip aliens), I was reminded of Don Music. This spawn of Jim Henson's dark imagination, with his manic eyes and violent self-injurious behavior, would completely freak me out every time he appeared on the screen. I would tearfully beg my mom to turn off the television until that horrific puppet was finished terrifying the other children of America. To this day, the sight of long-haired keyboardists makes me break out in a cold sweat.
Beware, parents. Sesame Street may teach your kids the ABCs and the importance of sharing, but it will also teach them the true meaning of fear.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:15 PM | Comments (1)
July 12, 2007
Ignoble End
If someone had told me six months that John McCain's presidential campaign would begin to implode in mid-July of 2007, I would have told that someone to step through the portal and return to the alternate universe from whence she came. Because something like that surely couldn't happen in our version of reality. But I also didn't figure that McCain would tie his political fortunes to a collapsing presidency and a failed war. At this point, I'm putting my Monopoly money on Mitt Romney to be the Republican nominee. The GOP base now consists almost entirety of cultural conservatives and anti-tax crusaders. I don't think they'll abide Giuliani's penchant for drag or his serial marriages. And don't get me started on Fred Thompson. Once the man gets a taste of the rigors of a presidential campaign, he'll pack it in and head back to the driving range. Romney may be a Mormon, but Republican primary voters are tolerant of religious differences as long as they get a candidate who doesn't tolerate gays or abortion.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:25 PM | Comments (0)
July 11, 2007
Critic At Large: Spin
Robert Charles Wilson has become one my favorite science fiction writers because he melds intriguing ideas with fully realized characters and an elegant narrative style. Unlike many SF authors, his scientific musings never overwhelm the underlying story. Spin follows the intertwined lives of twins Jason and Diane Lawton and their childhood friend, Typer Dupree. On a cold autumn evening, they watch the stars and moon disappear from the sky. The sun continues to rise and set every day, but the confused and scared inhabitants of Earth soon realize that something much more momentous is happening. Whatever made the stars disappear has also disrupted satellite communications. Probes sent into space (and then returned to Earth) reveal that the planet has been enclosed in some kind of artificial membrane. And for every year that passes here on Earth, 100 million years are elapsing beyond the membrane. In the span of a few decades, Earth will be incinerated by an aging sun.
This phenomenon--the Spin--defines and shapes the lives of these three friends. They cope with impending doom in different ways--by joining religious cults, by overseeing a determined scientific quest to determine the intent of the Spin's unseen creators, or by simply attempting to lead a relatively normal life. Wilson constructs a plot that is cinematic in scope but that remains grounded in the intertwined paths of Jason, Diane, and Tyler. His slow reveal of the Spin's true purpose is expertly handled, as is the unfolding destinies of the three main characters. This is one of the best SF novels I've read in some time and it richly deserves the accolades that have been heaped upon it.
I'm now reading Lee Child's guilty-pleasure thriller The Hard Way.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:01 PM | Comments (1)
July 10, 2007
No Shirt, No Limbs, No Service
Every time I allow myself a little hope that attitudes regarding disability are slowly evolving towards something resembling acceptance in this country, I'm quickly reminded that a substantial number of people can become positively medieval when confronted with someone with a disability. An Illinois woman was denied service at two different McDonald's restaurants because employees were freaked out that she had no arms. Granted, McDonald's employees are not the most likely demographic to possess a clue about disability etiquette, but perhaps the reaction of these workers is a more naked, honest form of the discomfort and standoffish-ness that I (and probably this woman) encounter on a regular basis. I wonder whether any amount of education and legal protections can overcome the antipathy towards disability that is seemingly hardwired into most humans. I wonder how much of the disability rights movement is about winning hearts and minds and much of it is a containment effort to minimize the damage done by people's worst instincts.
Thanks to Cory at BoingBoing for the tip.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:37 PM | Comments (3)
July 09, 2007
The Next Generation
The mailbag has contained a few requests from new arrivals in the disability blogosphere (bleh, that word still feels clumsy) to promote their sites. Here they are, in no particular order:
- It's not really a blog, but Disapedia features articles and Wikipedia-ish entries on topics of general interest to the disability community.
- Matt Schneider blogs about things both geek and gimp over at mattschneider.com.
- At Pitt Rehab, Greg blogs about Nala, his service dog, and life in Pennsylvania.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:34 PM | Comments (0)
July 08, 2007
Let's Go Crazy
After seeing Prince perform last night, I can understand why he has earned his reputation as a consummate entertainer. I can't think of any other pop musician who is equally adept at musicianship, singing, and dancing. He opened with a rousing rendition of "Purple Rain", but I especially enjoyed the stripped-down set with former Revolution member Wendy Melvoin that included "Little Red Corvette" and "Raspberry Beret". Prince was also generous with lending performance time to his fellow performers, many of whom engaged in vigorous jam sessions. I'm not an ardent Prince fan, but I'm happy I had the opportunity to see him.
After the concert, I was waiting for the elevator to take me down to street level when the doors opened. A big man in a sharp suit stood in the elevator and gestured to someone in line behind me for the elevator. He said something about coming to get Prince's dad. An elderly gentleman was wheeled onto the elevator ahead of us and it looked as if the flunkie wasn't going to let us on. My nurse appealed to his sense of fairness and he agreed to make room for us. And thus I briefly shared an elevator with Prince's father.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:42 PM | Comments (0)
July 07, 2007
Cause Célèbre
I'm streaming the Live Earth concert; Bloc Party is currently performing at Wimbley Stadium. They're putting on a good show, but I'm always a little dubious of grand, issue-centered concert events like this. Remember the big Live 8 concert from a couple years back? A lot of people probably don't probably don't. And even if they do, I'm not sure most people could tell you what the fuss was all about. In the end, I'm not sure that concert did much to create sustainable awareness around debt relief for developing countries. The kids may show up for a concert to spread the word that Global Warning Is Bad And Someone Really Should Do Something About It, but a lot of them are going to drive home in their Pathfinders to their oversized homes in the suburbs. Concerts are good PR and I'd probably be there myself if I could, but the real solutions to climate change are going to inflict some real pain, especially to everyone's wallet. So far, I haven't heard anyone at this concert mention the word "sacrifice" to the audience.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:55 PM | Comments (0)
July 06, 2007
Into The Abyss
According to the latest Newsweek poll, Bush's approval rating stands at 26%. Just who are these 26%? It makes me more than a little uneasy to know that a quarter of the American voting public is so astoundingly ignorant, deluded, or plain stupid. These are people who should be kept away from heavy machinery and small children.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:21 PM | Comments (0)
July 05, 2007
Critic At Large: Transformers
I don't remember playing with Transformers when I was a kid, but I did watch the cartoon on a fairly regular basis after school. It never struck a powerful chord with me, but it was serviceable entertainment. I would use the same word to describe the movie: serviceable. It has all the testosterone-infused trademarks of a Michael Bay film: eardrum-shattering explosions, impossibly hot women, more military hardware than you'd see at an arms dealers' swap meet, and a script that defies all logic and common sense. But it's still fun. After all, it has giant alien robots blowing stuff up. Despite my refined sense of cinematic aesthetics, I'm genetically predisposed to enjoy this movie. It's not likely something I'll add to my library, but the spectacle was worth the price of admission.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:16 PM | Comments (0)
July 04, 2007
Chow Down
I hope everyone in the States (and like-minded expatriates) are enjoying their Fourth of July holiday. I watched the Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest on television and I'm still feeling a little queasy. But I wonder if they'd let me compete next year. All I would need is a blender and I'd be good to go. Or would that give me an unfair advantage?
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:47 PM | Comments (0)
July 03, 2007
Warning Label
Someone on my Facebook pointed out that she almost lost her job for reading my blog. I'd like to point out that The 19th Floor and its proprietor are not responsible and shall be held harmless for any deleterious effects of reading this blog, including:
- Loss of employment
- Poor grades
- Alienation of a significant other's affections
- Obsessive compulsive behavior (such as repeatedly clicking your browser's refresh button to see if the blog has been updated)
- Intense cognitive dissonance (as a result of this blog totally blowing your mind)
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:45 PM | Comments (1)
July 02, 2007
Age Inappropriate
The Wall Street Journal recently ran an excellent article on kids with disabilities who are being warehoused in nursing homes. The article highlights the strong institutional bias that persists in many states' Medicaid programs. Every state Medicaid program will cover nursing home care, but only a handful of states (including Minnesota) cover the optional home care services that make it possible for kids with severe disabilities to remain at home. These kids are victims of chance and geography; the disparities in covered Medicaid services are, in part, a function of tax base disparities. Wealthier states can afford to offer a more comprehensive set of Medicaid benefits.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:20 PM | Comments (0)
July 01, 2007
The Oz Express
It's been a while since I've posted any hot tornado porn action:
No word on the number of leprechauns injured in this storm.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:30 PM | Comments (0)