July 31, 2008

Distant Dreamer

To the semi-drunk woman at First Avenue who gave me a thumbs-up and shouted in my ear, "Way to get out!": thanks for the encouragement. The home doesn't give me day passes very often and I usually have to be back for lights-out at 9. But sometimes you have to buck the rules, y'know? And tomorrow is when I get my regular weekly bedbath, so life is looking pretty good.

The concert itself wasn't bad. Duffy's voice has a disconcerting warble in its live version, but that may improve with more touring experience. Assuming she avoids an implosion of Amy Winehouse proportions, she could be an interesting artist to watch.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:52 PM | Comments (1)

Clubbing

I'm leaving in a bit to check out the UK's latest revivalist of the classic British mod sound, Duffy. I'll try to post again later tonight. It's an all-ages show, so I should be home at a reasonable hour.

Ugh, middle age is settling in.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:07 PM | Comments (0)

July 30, 2008

"The Status Is Not Quo."

Got about 45 minutes to kill? Check out Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, a series of web videos starring Neil Patrick Harris (remember Doogie Howser?) and Nathan Fillion (remember Firefly?). Harris plays Dr. Horrible, a somewhat shy and awkward aspiring supervillain who desperately wants admittance to the Evil Council of Evil. Fillion plays Captain Hammer, Horrible's cocky himbo of an archnemesis. Joss Whedon (remember Buffy the Vampire Slayer?) wrote the script and it's chockful of his trademark snark. Oh, and it's a musical, but not too musical, if that makes sense.

In short, it's pretty great. It has geek appeal, but it doesn't leave everyone else scratching their heads. Whedon has already committed to doing more episodes, which can't come soon enough.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:58 PM | Comments (0)

July 29, 2008

Disparaging Remarks

Radio talk show hosts--the ones with million-dollar contracts and nationwide audiences--aren't paid to be polite conversationalists. Shock and confrontation is entertaining, and that's why I wasn't terribly surprised when radio host Michael Savage said this about autism:

I'll tell you what autism is. In
99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the
act out. That's what autism is.

And then:

Stop
acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there
crying and screaming, idiot.

I doubt Savage gives much thought to autism when he's not on the air. Of course, that's little consolation to parents of kids with autism, who were understandably upset by these statements. Some advertisers pulled their sponsorships of Savage's show, but I'm not sure that's going to dissuade him from mocking some other disability or religion or sexual orientation next week.

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

July 28, 2008

Corporate Types

AMC's Mad Men returns this week for another season. I haven't been watching much television this summer, but my TiVo stands ready to record these new episodes. Set in 1960 New York and its bucolic suburbs, the show takes a magnifying glass to a Manhattan ad agency; its executives, pitch men, and secretaries. And through their stories, we see a country that is making the transition from the buttoned-down, conformist Fifties to the freewheeling, iconoclastic Sixties. The writers are particularly good at exploring the sexual politics of the era. It's fascinating to watch these ad men discuss how to sell a brand of soap to America's wives while they brazenly demean and exploit their own female colleagues. It's equally fascinating to watch the show's women chafe against their expected roles as wives, mothers, and sexual objects.

The show is cloaked in a perpetual fog of smoke. Seriously, every character seems to have a cigarette glued between his or her fingers. And while I have no desire to see the skinny tie make a comeback, I'm all for serving bloody Marys at meetings.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:45 PM | Comments (0)

July 27, 2008

Nobody Wants To See That

I did a little cleaning and tidying up of the second bedroom this afternoon. Besides serving as sleeping quarters for guests, the second bedroom is where I put things that don't have a defined place. Old photos, old comics, old clothes. My nurse suggested that I hang up or otherwise display some of the pictures of me that we found; a suggestion that received a muted reception from me. I'm not some third-world dictator who feels the need to have his likeness on view for any and all visitors.

I did end up hanging a sketch that some street artist in Paris did of me. The guy in the sketch is better-looking than me, so I didn't feel too self-conscious about putting it on display.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:06 PM | Comments (0)

July 26, 2008

Expanding Your Digital Library

Book publisher Tor is giving away free electronic editions of various science fiction and fantasy novels as part of a promotion for its revamped website. The selection includes Robert Charles Wilson's Spin, one of my favorite books from the last few years. I've downloaded several titles to keep on hand for rainy days. The promotion ends July 27th (tomorrow), so if you're going to grab them, you'd better act now.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:43 PM | Comments (0)

July 25, 2008

Room For Rent

If I wanted to make a bit of extra money, I could probably rent out my condo to some journalist or delegate looking for a place to crash during the Republican convention. If the anecdotes I've heard are to be believed, some people are renting out their places for a couple grand during convention week. I could camp out at my parents' home in Wisconsin and avoid the craziness that's going to accompany the convention. My convenient location, great views, and free wi-fi would probably fetch a premium. My only rules would be:

• Stay out of my comic collection
  
• Do not change the channel when The Daily Show is being Tivo'd
• All sex workers must remove their heels before entering
  

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:04 PM | Comments (0)

July 24, 2008

Training The Trainer

I was in a meeting today talking about issues related to personal care attendants and the subject of training came up. In Minnesota, there's a fair amount of interest in giving PCAs more opportunities for education and training as a means to enhance skills and possibly prepare them for other health care professions. I'm in favor of anything that gives PCAs the professional regard they deserve. But it occurred to me that we don't give much thought to training the people who actually receive PCA services. We don't advise people on the best methods for training their attendants. We don't give them suggestions on how to make hiring or firing decisions. In other words, we treat them as passive recipients of a service rather than active participants in their own care.

Wouldn't it make sense to focus training efforts on both sides of the equation: the PCA and the person with a disability (or their family)? Doing so would probably create better outcomes for everyone involved. Plenty of states, including Minnesota, are moving towards a more person-centered support system for people with disabilities. But doing so is going to require a wholesale change in our traditional (which is to say, patronizing) views of disability.

I promise: no more policy wonk posts for the rest of the week.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:02 PM | Comments (1)

July 23, 2008

XXXV

I turn 35 today and I can see my younger, handsomer self in the rearview mirror, waving at me as he recedes into the distance. I'm gonna miss that guy, but not too much. I feel like I'm just starting to figure out this whole life thing and I'm curious to see what happens next. Today, at least, it feels pretty good to be a year older.

Thanks to all of you who have sent me birthday wishes.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:30 PM | Comments (2)

July 22, 2008

Oral Skills

Wired magazine describes a new technology that enables an individual to drive a wheelchair with tongue movements. A small sensor is placed on the tongue and a headset measures the tongue's position inside the mouth. The system could also be used to control a computer.

My tongue isn't the most limber muscle in my body (although my friends might say it gets plenty of exercise), but I'd be willing to give this system a try. I'm assuming that talking and driving is out of the question, which might be inconvenient. I'm imagining a future where I can control my entire environment with tongue thrusts, blink, and slight head movements. I'll look like I'm tweaked out on amphetamines, but that may be the price of greater independence.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:25 PM | Comments (1)

July 21, 2008

When Pigs Fly

Before I go any further, let me get one thing straight. I like my life just fine. In fact, things have turned out a lot better than I ever thought they could. Having said that, I'm also someone with an imagination. If I woke up tomorrow morning and discovered that my DNA had somehow patched itself and I was just another able-bodied dude, these are the five things I would want to do first:

• Eat a cherry. I choked on one of these as a kid and never touched them again.
  
• Learn to drive. It can't be as complicated as it looks.
  
• Get a tan on both my front and back.
• Backpack alone across Europe.
  
• How to put this delicately. Rhymes with "faster rate". Actually, this one might have to go to the top of the list.
  

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:14 PM | Comments (2)

July 20, 2008

Way Cool

The video for Radiohead's "House of Cards" is all the rage on the youtubes. Instead of using cameras to capture images, the director used various laser-based scanning technologies. The resulting images have a ghostly quality that suits the mood of the song. It's like watching a broadcast from some distant planet. I particularly like how the images dissolve in sprays of pixels.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:41 PM | Comments (0)

July 19, 2008

Critic At Large: The Dark Knight

Jack Nicholson gave a fine performance as the Joker in the 1989 Batman film, but it's a performance accompanied by a wink and a smile. Nicholson's Joker has a cartoonish quality that detracts from his menace. In The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger's Joker is one of the most nihilistic villains I've seen on screen. Ledger imbues the character with a twitchy, sharp-edged psychosis that is both terrifying and enthralling. It's truly a shame that such a gifted actor is no longer with us.

This movie could easily have become a one-man show, but the rest of the cast is strong enough to hold their own. The complex story elevates the movie above traditional comic book fare and the action scenes are operatic in staging and execution. Director Christopher Nolan brings the same dark, brooding sensibility that he first exhibited in Memento (which you should really should check out if you haven't seen it). He gives us a brave vision of a hero's place in amoral, vicious world.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 01:48 PM | Comments (0)

July 18, 2008

Enjoying The Amenities

My building has a pool located on the common deck. However, the building's designers decided it would be a good idea to install a flight of stairs leading up to it. So after six years of living here, I'd never actually seen said pool. But I finally made my way up there a few days ago with some choreographed assistance. And the rumors are true: there's actually a pool up there with a great view of the city. If I venture there again, I might even be so bold as to dip my foot in the water.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:14 PM | Comments (0)

July 17, 2008

Handcuffs Sold Separately

A new version of the Barbie doll is arriving on storeshelves in September. The doll is clad in leather and...fishnet stockings.

I want to go on record as saying I had nothing to do with this idea. As far as I'm concerned, fishnets should only be worn by living, breathing adult women. I don't appreciate some toy company appropriating my fetish and marketing it to grade-schoolers.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:24 PM | Comments (1)

July 16, 2008

Keep Your Enemies Closer

Rumor has it that famed physicist and, more importantly, personal archnemesis Stephen Hawking is considering a move to Canada. Excellent. Now, I won't have to travel as far to appear at our joint press conference announcing the official date for our forthcoming zero-gravity deathmatch. And I hear that Canadian living makes one soft, which should only improve my odds with the Vegas bookies.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:01 PM | Comments (0)

July 15, 2008

Tales From The Runway

The BBC is currently running a reality series called Britain's Missing Top Model, in which eight women with disabilities compete for a modeling contract. I can't judge the series on its content because I'm on the wrong side of the pond and can't watch the on-line episodes. It's no surprise that all of the contestants are quite pretty and telegenic. After all, this is television. While the show's concept strikes me as incredibly cheesy, but it's difficult for me to judge whether it strays into exploitation. The BBC strikes me as an entity that has at least some clue about how to portray people with disabilities. Perhaps someone can send me the DVD collection so I can have a more informed opinion.

I'd make a terrible model. Can you imagine me in some Abercrombie & Fitch catalog, all bare-chested and oiled down? I do get compliments on my eyes, so maybe if I was just photographed from the nose up.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:31 PM | Comments (1)

July 14, 2008

Move Along, Nothing To See Here

Jesse Ventura has just announced that he will not be running for Senator this fall. I'm quite grateful for this news, not because I thought he would help or hurt any of the other candidates, but because this election will be enough of a circus without Jesse bringing his special brand of charm to the proceedings.

I actually feel some sympathy for Ventura. He was a mediocre governor, but he had a few good ideas (light rail being one of them). The impression he gives in recent interviews is of a man adrift in a sea of peculiar beliefs (especially on the topic of 9/11). However, he's demonstrated the good sense not to attempt to relive his glory years, which is more than I can say for former Packer Brett Favre.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:55 PM | Comments (1)

July 13, 2008

Framing The Issue

A recent survey commissioned by Disaboom (sorry, but the name just make me cringe) finds that 52% of Americans would rather be dead than severely disabled. The survey also reveals that individuals with higher levels of income or education are more likely to prefer death over disability. Unsurprisingly, older people are likely to be more accepting of a severe disability than younger people.

The only thing that surprises me about these results is that the percentage of respondents favoring death wasn't higher. Otherwise, this is pretty ho-hum stuff. But I'm also a little frustrated with the survey's methodology. Here's how the researchers framed the question:

Which would you choose: Living with a severe disability that forever alters your ability to live an independent life, or death?

I mean, that's kind of a stark choice, isn't it? It doesn't get at the nuances of actually living with a severe disability. Maybe something like this would be better:

Which would you choose:

Living with a severe disability (but you could still live in your own place, hold a job, have friends, catch a movie, take a trip, maybe fall in love),

OR

death?

I realize that's an equally horrible survey question, but you get my point.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:45 PM | Comments (3)

July 12, 2008

Not Enough Gort

Having just watched the trailer for the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still, I'm filled with uncertain curiosity. The original is one of my favorite classic science fiction films, mostly because it tells a good story and Michael Rennie plays Klaatu with such elegant charm. When I think of Keanu Reeves, the word "charming" doesn't come to immediately to mind. Sure, it's fun to watch football stadiums get obliterated and giant spaceships emerge from the water, but I also remember what Tim Burton did to Planet of the Apes. Undoubtedly, I'll buy a ticket for this movie, but my expectations will remain firmly in check.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:35 PM | Comments (1)

July 11, 2008

Unstructured Playtime

Say you're home alone on a stormy Friday night, sitting in front of your computer and searching for a few minutes of distraction. If you have an artistic bent, you might enjoy this digital sandbox game. You can manipulate pixels of colored "sand" to create your own mandala or whatever else strikes your fancy. And when you're done creating your masterpiece, you can be all Zen and erase it with a single keystroke. My own creation looks like something created by a monkey with slightly above-average intelligence. The visual arts were never my strength.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:26 PM | Comments (0)

July 10, 2008

A Taste Of Home

After work today, I met my former boss for drinks at a new place in northeast Minneapolis called Red Stag. The restaurant is a hip update of the cozy supper clubs that you find in small towns across the Upper Midwest. The interior decor has a North Woods feel with exposed rafters and earthy tones, but I don't think you'll find many traditional supper clubs that feature a cucumber-and-melon martini on their menus. You also won't find many other supper clubs that are LEED-certified as a environmentally-friendly establishment. I didn't eat anything, but the smelt fries and cheese tray looked quite scrumptious.

MaryAlice, my former boss, said to me, "You should love this place, Mark. It has all the charm of Wisconsin without actually having to go there."

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:41 PM | Comments (0)

July 09, 2008

Pressing The Flesh

The general election campaign season is upon us and I'm on the prowl for photo ops. Like this one:



This is Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken and the back of my head at a Franken rally that I stumbled upon earlier today in downtown St. Paul. A colleague of mine, who knows my political groupie tendencies, asked me, "How did you get so close to him? Did you tell him you're dying?"

I replied, "No, I think he just assumed it."

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:21 PM | Comments (3)

July 08, 2008

Blathering

It's late and most of you have probably gone to bed. I should probably do the same, but a busy evening has kept me from my blogging duties. I don't consider myself to have an obsessive personality except when it comes to this blog. I'm staying up past my bedtime because I feel compelled to say something. My attention-seeking behaviors know no bounds.

I'll try to be more interesting tomorrow.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 11:31 PM | Comments (1)

July 07, 2008

After Hours

I've visited Gold Medal Park plenty of times, but until recently, never at dusk. The view from the top of the park's sculpted hill is even more dramatic as night approaches. The lights under the Stone Arch Bridge cast small pools of radiance on the river waters below. The nearby Guthrie is illuminated in subdued blues, golds, and reds. And on the other side of the river are the neon signs of the businesses lining St. Anthony Main. For a place that is nearly smack dab in the middle of downtown, the park is remarkably hush once the sun sets. The kind of hush that encourages whispered conversations.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:32 PM | Comments (0)

July 06, 2008

Critic At Large: WALL-E

Pixar's first foray into science fiction is a dazzling combination of charm, style, and pathos. Seven hundred years in the future, WALL-E is the last sanitation robot on an ecologically devastated and depopulated Earth. WALL-E spends its days clearing away the heaping trash piles that cover the grimy landscape, methodically stacking cubes of garbage that have been processed in WALL-E's internal compactor. He (it's difficult not to anthropomorphize the little guy) also collects various objects that catch his eye as he tidies up the abandoned city. WALL-E's predictable daily routine is disrupted when he stumbles upon a sleek-looking robotic visitor from the stars.

For an animated film marketed to children, WALL-E takes a number of stylistic chances. The first fifteen minutes contain absolutely no dialogue. It blends some live-action shots with the animation. And while the movie is by no means didactic, it offers plenty of commentary on consumerism for those who care to look for it. The visuals are simply a treat, especially a beautifully choreographed ballet in space involving WALL-E, his romantic interest, and a fire extinguisher. Sublime.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:54 PM | Comments (0)

July 05, 2008

Strange New Life

I've been having fun messing around with the Spore Creature Creator. For those of you who actually have lives, Spore is a forthcoming computer game that lets players guide a race of beings from single-celled organisms to a starfaring civilization. The Creature Creator provides gives you the opportunity to try your hand at creating your own custom-built species.

This was my first attempt. I call it a Tarffel. Here it is going all disco



For my next effort, I decided to try for something a little more Jurassic Park. I call it a DayGlo-o-Saur. I'm quite fond of the hot pink accents.


My most recent attempt somewhat resembles me. Big head, four eyes, skinny arms, the gray partially covered up with a few highlights, and generally funny-looking. I call it a Marcussite.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:16 PM | Comments (0)

July 04, 2008

True Patriot

Happy Independence Day, everyone. I wonder what the Founding Fathers would make of their political experiment after 232 years. The notion that a man of color has better-than-even odds of becoming president would probably give them a good jolt. But I like to think that, on the whole, they'd be pleased to know that the country they founded still endures.

I've never bought the "city on a hill" metaphor for America. That kind of exceptionalist thinking glosses over our many flaws and shortcomings as a civil society. On the road to creating a more perfect union, we have lost our way plenty of times. But this country has also given me opportunities that I would have probably not enjoyed in many other parts of the world. I'm an American citizen and that means something to me, corny as it sounds.

On an unrelated note, I woke up at 8 this morning. On my day off. And this is becoming a trend. It's either because of the summer light coming into my bedroom or because I'm getting old.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:04 PM | Comments (0)

July 03, 2008

Sex Appeal

Bad boys get all the girls. So says a new study that surveyed thousands of men from countries around the world. In other words, it is now a scientific fact that nice guys finish last.

Every time I try to be even just a little bad, I break out in hives and get an upset stomach. It just doesn't come naturally to me. Bad boys may get the most girls, but my own brand of geek charm is more of a niche product. It just needs some additional market testing.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:42 PM | Comments (0)

July 02, 2008

Group Activity

Some grad students at MIT have developed a videogame that allows people with and without visual impairments to play together. The game is played with the Wii remote control and the players are cast as deejays competing against each other to get people on the dancefloor.

There aren't many games available to those with visual impairments, much less multiplayer games, so this is a step in the right direction. Hopefully, such a game will eventually be available on the commercial market.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:42 PM | Comments (0)

July 01, 2008

Goodwill Ambassador

I'm going to make you smile. I promise. Watch this video of Matt Harding dancing (badly) in dozens of countries around the world. From Zanzibar to Los Angeles, Matt busts his unique move with enthusiastic abandon and the locals can't resist dancing with him. Matt demonstrates that every one of us dorks has an inner core of white-hot awesomeness waiting to shine through.

Thanks to Adam for sending me the link and making me smile.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:51 PM | Comments (2)