September 30, 2008

Hold On Tight

My major task for today was to present material for both a morning and afternoon videoconference. The conference site was located in another building a few miles from my office, so I made two round trips on the shuttle bus that serves state employees in the area. And I rode in the back each time, where there wasn't much in the way of shock absorption. The first time, it was kind of invigorating, like a cheap amusement park ride. The subsequent trips, not so much. As I bounced around in my chair, getting spinal adjustments on the fly, I had flashbacks to all those similarly turbulent school bus rides I took as a kid. And this was no shortbus like the kind you would typically associate with "special" kids like me. No, this was your standard-issue school bus, complete with a driver who had lost his hearing back before the continents drifted apart and who, judging from his terrifying driving, had absolutely no regard for the welfare of his passengers.

And people wonder how I got to be so tough.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:50 PM | Comments (0)

September 29, 2008

Black Monday

Ugh. Bringing work home is not conducive to quality blogging, so my apologies if this post doesn't live up to your usual expectations. Although playing the expectations game can be a dangerous business, as the markets showed us today. A few more days like that and my retirement savings will be worth less than a box of Junior Mints. Republicans have picked a strange time to discover populism. They never seemed to care much about what their voters thought abougt the war in Iraq, the rising costs of health care, or any number of issues. But I suppose that was before this president became utterly irrelevant.

If McCain doesn't suspend his campaign again tomorrow, look for sheer panic to grip the nation.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:48 PM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2008

Another Potential Recruit For My Revolution

During some aimless surfing last night, I stumbled across a short documentary entitled The Lucky Mutant. The film  profiles a day in the life of Keith Hogan,  a Texas man who has spinal muscular atrophy.  Keith narrates most of the film most of the film, but it also features interviews with his personal care attendants (who clearly regard him as a friend) and other people in his life. Much of Keith's routine seems similar to my own and I nodded in agreement with his observations on the "supercrip" phenomenon.

Here's the film:

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:59 PM | Comments (0)

September 27, 2008

Look At Me When I'm Talking To You

Immediately after watching last night's debate, my impression was that it ended in a draw. Both candidates were articulate and well-versed on the topics, while neither one inflicted any significant rhetorical wounds on the other. McCain's failure to make eye contact with Obama didn't register with me at the time, but then neither did Gore's now-infamous sigh during his debate with Bush in 2000. If the media is still talking about McCain's passive-aggressiveness in a few days, I predict that his handlers pack him off to charm school for a crash course in feigned politeness.

It's a good thing I'm not running for president; the blogs would probably describe my body language as "stiff" or "uninspiring" (unless I had one of my aides wave my hand to emphasize a point, which might not do much to improve my image).

Obama needed to present himself as someone whom voters could imagine occupying the White House. He accomplished that. Whether his performance provided him with an extra gust of wind at his back remains to be seen.

Next up is the vice-presidential debate. Over at the Atlantic website, Ta-Nehisi Coates expresses genuine sympathy for Sarah Palin, whom he regards as an unwitting tool of McCain's ambition. I'm not willing to be as charitable and neither are some conservatives. Her ambition probably equals McCain's, but her lack of self-awareness is what jeopardizes her political future. If she hopes to do well on Thursday, she needs to stop regurgitating talking points in scattershot fashion (as she did during the Katie Couric interview) and speak her mind. If McCain and his team won't permit that, she can't blame anyone but herself for the consequences.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:20 PM | Comments (0)

September 26, 2008

Ethical Lapse

Several of my colleagues and I were speculating today about the news that an unnamed Department of Human Services employee is under investigation for embezzling $1 million in Medicaid funds. We kept asking each other how this person managed to siphon away that much money without anyone noticing. My guess is that this person established a dummy medical provider and submitted false claims to the state. I can't think of any other way one could get around the Department's internal financial controls. The details will emerge soon enough and we'll have to take a few licks in the media about not doing enough to prevent fraud and abuse, along with assorted cracks about government workers. It's dismaying news and a distraction from all the good work DHS does.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:30 PM | Comments (0)

September 25, 2008

An Overdue Clarification

Buried underneath the avalanche of stories about the ongoing bailout negotiations is news that President Bush signed into law the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. I blogged last year at the BBC about efforts in Congress to restore the original intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act after several Supreme Court decisions held that a person isn't disabled if his or her impairment can be ameliorated with drugs or medical devices (e.g. an insulin pump for someone who is diabetic or seizure medication for someone who has epilepsy). The ADA Amendments Act rebukes those decisions by providing a more inclusive definition of "disability". Individuals bringing suit under the ADA will no longer have to prove that they are "disabled enough" to qualify for the law's protection.

And somewhere in Georgetown, Justice Scalia is shaking his fist at the Capitol and shouting, "Damn you, Congress!"

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:46 PM | Comments (1)

September 24, 2008

Unexcused Absence

Look, Senator McCain, I had plans for Friday evening. And those plans involved me and a friend getting together to watch the debate, down a couple beers (well, I'm actually more the sipping type, but that's beside the point), and mock your responses MST3K-style. But apparently, you're of the opinion that we'll wake up to mile-long soup lines across America if you don't hustle back to Washington to save the day. Well, that's just great, but the local deli isn't going to take back this cheese plate I picked up.

I checked Wikipedia and, as far as I can tell, presidential candidates of the past continued their campaigns in the midst of wars, depressions, and other calamities. So how about dropping this weak attempt at mavericky-ness and showing up as planned? The republic will endure.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:09 PM | Comments (1)

September 23, 2008

Autopilot

Researchers at M.I.T. are developing a voice-controlled wheelchair that also has navigation capabilities. For example, a person sitting in his or her kitchen could simply say "bedroom" and the chair would guide itself to the bedroom. G.P.S. systems could enable wheelchairs to navigate the outdoors as well (assuming they can be taught to distinguish between traffic signals). The researchers also envision installing mechanical arms on future versions of the wheelchair.

In the not-too-distant future, my chair will be able to pour me a glass of pinot noir and give me a footrub when I get home from work. I'm going to be one spoiled cripple.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:01 PM | Comments (1)

September 22, 2008

Silver Lining

The sweeping government plan to buy up nearly a trillion dollars in toxic mortgage securities may scuttle any hopes of achieving universal health care in the short term, but it may actually improve prospects in the long term. Here's why:

When a President McCain or Obama is sworn in next January, the country is still going to be in the grips of sticker shock. $700 billion is equivalent to what we've already allocated to military operations in Iraq. And consider the worrisome economic climate that is likely to greet the new president when he assumes office. Home foreclosures will continue in significant numbers well into 2009 and it's going to take even longer for the economy as a whole to recover. Elected officials will have little appetite for any new investments, especially if they sense any lingering voter resentment over the size and scope of the bailout. Make no mistake--the next administration will spend much of its first term trying to keep things afloat and it will be lucky to realize even a handful of domestic achievements. Health care reform isn't going to be one of them.

But let's assume that this Congress manages to implement a bailout that ultimately puts the country on more solid economic footing and perhaps even succeeds in bringing some tangible benefits. It might be enough to silence the most vocal opponents of government intervention in the marketplace while restoring confidence in government's ability to assure the welfare of its people. A competently executed bailout could reframe the discussion surrounding government's role in a complex world.

It may not seem like it right now, but this crisis may eventually set the stage for a grown-up solution to providing affordable health care to everyone.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:12 PM | Comments (0)

September 21, 2008

Talent Promoter

I was a fundraiser today for VSA arts when I ran into Bridget Riversmith, a local artist from Duluth who is enjoying increasing recognition and whose work has been exhibited in places like New York and San Francisco. I first met Bridget a few years ago when she did a poster on employing people with disabilities for the Department of Human Services and it's gratifying to see her career take off. Bridget is now working with animation and she's created a website for her first short film entitled Birds at Night. The film will be shown on Twin Cities Public Television in the near future and, once Bridget gets me the specifics on dates and times, I'll post that information here. In the meantime, check out her stuff and give Bridget some love.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:24 PM | Comments (1)

September 20, 2008

Universal Language

Sean Forbes loves music, even though he is mostly deaf. In an interview with Weekend America, Forbes talks about about interpreting live concerts into American Sign Language. He's also the founder of the Deaf Performing Artists Network (D-PAN), which creates ASL versions of music videos. Be sure to check out their video for Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" on the same page. It's lovely in its blending of sign and other visual imagery. More D-PAN videos can be found here.

Thanks to Rose for the tip.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:50 PM | Comments (0)

September 19, 2008

Shiver Me Timbers

Before I forget, today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. So, arrrgh, mateys.

I suddenly have a hankering for rum and wenches. Unfortunately, neither is readily available.

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

Intervention

In the bad old days, staff at state institutions for people with cognitive disabilities would regularly restrain patients to their beds for even the most minor infractions. But thanks to the work of advocates and legislators, that practice became illegal except in very specific circumstances when the patient is a threat to himself/herself or others. Today, individuals in these facilities are treated humanely. Or so we thought. Investigators recently cited a state facility in rural Minnesota for using restraints (including metal handcuffs) to control and punish residents. Staff restrained residents for "infractions" like touching a pizza box and going outside without a coat.

I'm sure that the staff are good people who are trying to do their jobs in an environment with limited resources, but it's worrisome that the practice of using restraints became commonplace and dare I say routine in the span of two years. The citation demonstrates the critical role state agencies play in providing oversight to facilities that serve people with disabilities.

And a note to the reporter who broke the story: using the word "retarded" in both the title and body of your article signals that you could use a hand stepping out of your personal timewarp.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:52 PM | Comments (0)

September 18, 2008

Rebuilt

The 35W bridge, which collapsed more than a year ago, reopened today after an astonishingly fast reconstruction. After the bridge fell, many observers didn't think the new bridge would be ready until late 2008 or even early 2009. The contractor beat that timeline handily and stands to collect millions in incentives. I don't get to the northern suburbs often, but I'm sure I'll have occasion to cross the bridge eventually. Traffic was still heavy on I-94 heading into Minneapolis from St. Paul, but it was heavy even before the collapse. And I was glad to hear that the extra lane added to 94 last year will remain open.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:40 PM | Comments (0)

September 17, 2008

House Of Cards

This week's collapse of major investment firms (and the ongoing government bailouts) prompted me to check out an episode of This American Life that examines the events leading up to the current credit crisis. I just finished listening to the show and it does an excellent job of telling the story from the perspectives of the people involved--the borrower with bad credit who took out a subprime mortgage that he couldn't afford, the mortgage brokers who made these ill-advised loans and sold the debt to the investment banks, and the investment bankers who bought the debt and parceled it out to fund managers around the world. And what's striking is that, even at the height of the lending craze, many of these actors realized that their actions didn't make much sense at a granular level. It didn't make sense to lend half a million dollars to someone without checking assets or income. It didn't make sense to sell these loans as safe, triple-A securities. It didn't make sense to expect housing prices to rocket ever skyward.

But as the report points out, everyone else was doing it and there was piles of money to be made. Most of that money went up in smoke and we're all on the hook for the debt that is coming due. So much for letting the invisible hand of the market do its thing.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:54 PM | Comments (1)

September 16, 2008

"Sappy" Doesn't Begin To Describe It

The winner of this year's Cannes Online Short Film Competition is a Spanish film called The Story of a Sign. The video link doesn't offer audio description, so let me try to sum it up. An elderly blind man is begging in a park on a sunny day. Beside him is a homemade sign that says "Have Compassion. I'm Blind." Most of the passersby are ignoring him and his tin cup contains only a few coins. Along comes a handsome guy in a suit who looks like he's on his way to an expensive lunch date. He stops in front of the beggar, considers the sign, and changes it to read "It's a beautiful day. I cannot see it." The previously thrifty passersby notice the revised sign and soon the beggar's cup is overflowing with cash. The end.

And the moral of the story is...what, exactly? Even pity needs a little spin? Fabulous-looking people are watching out for us gimps?  Beggars suck at marketing? If this is the kind of filmmaking that wins awards, I need to start shopping around that script I've been working on. It's got an adorable orphan boy in a wheelchair, his way hot guardian angel, and puppies. Lots and lots of puppies.

Thanks to Amy for the tip.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:52 PM | Comments (0)

September 15, 2008

The Lives Of Others

The NYT Magazine has an interesting piece up about "ambient awareness"--the bits of data we acquire about our friends' lives via the short updates on sites like Facebook and Twitter. Here's the money quote:

Each little update — each individual bit of social information — is insignificant on its own, even supremely mundane. But taken together, over time, the little snippets coalesce into a surprisingly sophisticated portrait of your friends’ and family members’ lives, like thousands of dots making a pointillist painting. This was never before possible, because in the real world, no friend would bother to call you up and detail the sandwiches she was eating. The ambient information becomes like “a type of E.S.P.,” as Haley described it to me, an invisible dimension floating over everyday life.

When I first started using Facebook, I didn't bother updating my status too frequently. It seemed unlikely that anyone would care whether I had just returned from a walk or was craving Junior Mints. As my Facebook circle grew, I found myself regularly reading my friends' status updates. This person made it home from a trip. That one is cooking butter nut squash. And I think I know why I find it appealing. We make a lot of fuss about life's "big moments"--births, marriages, new jobs, etc. But the real substance of our lives is in those everyday moments when we're cooking squash or going to work or watching the rain. Without the minutiae, life is a photo album. It comforts me to know that, as I go through my own daily routine and experience my own ups and downs, my friends and family are out there, doing the same thing.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:02 PM | Comments (1)

September 14, 2008

Alaska By Way Of Bemidji

Does Sarah Palin have a Minnesota connection? Because she sure sounds like a Minnesotan, especially in her tendency to elongate her vowels. Tina Fey has fun with her accent in this Saturday Night Live sketch, making her sound like a character from Fargo.

I also had a chance to watch clips from her interview with ABC's Charlie Gibson. She had this to say about the issue of entitlements:

GIBSON: So you'd take military off the table, the veterans' benefits. That's 20 percent of the budget. … Do you talk about entitlement reform? Is there money you can save in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid?

PALIN: I am sure that there are efficiencies that are going to be found in all of these agencies. I'm confident in that.

GIBSON: The agencies are not involved in entitlements. Basically, discretionary spending is 18 percent of the budget.

PALIN: We have certainly seen excess in agencies, though, and in -- when bureaucrats, when bureaucracy just gets kind of comfortable, going with the status-quo and not being challenged to find efficiencies and spend other people's money wisely ... then that's where we get into the situation that we are into today, and that is a tremendous growth of government, a huge debt, trillions of dollars of debt that we're passing on to my kids and your kids and your grandkids ... It's unacceptable.

Entitlement programs are probably one of the country's thorniest economic issues and I don't expect any politician to deliver a fully detailed response while in campaign mode. But Palin seems to think that the costs related to Social Security and other entitlements can be reduced by cutting some dead weight from bureaucratic agencies.

Let's say you owe your credit card company an obscene amount of money, like $100,000. You need to cut expenses, but the only thing you do is drop your gym membership. That's essentially what Palin is proposing. It's not a serious answer.

McCain has already admitted that economics isn't his strong suit. Evidently, it isn't Palin's, either.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:15 PM | Comments (1)

September 13, 2008

Meanwhile, In China...

The Big Picture blog is running some stunning photos taken at the Beijing Paralympics. If the pictures are any indication, the opening ceremonies were nearly as elaborate as those for the Olympics and they attracted a large crowd. The last photo in the series, an Irish athlete exulting in his bronze medal victory, is particularly moving. And check out the pictures of the wheelchair racer wiping out on the track.

The drama and athleticism displayed in these pictures cries out for television coverage, but we Americans will have to settle for watching it on our computer screens courtesy of Universal Sports.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:34 PM | Comments (3)

September 12, 2008

Detour

I went out to pick up a new pair of shoes and ended up at a little neighborhood theater for an opening night performance. Such is the unpredictable life of the city dweller. Bad Jazz, a troupe of performers that features local writer Kevin Kling, put on an absurdist show that featured a model steamboat, songs about crawfish, and burning shoes. You just had to kind of sit back and go with it. Afterwards, the audience was invited to a barbecue in the landscaped garden behind the theater. And I ran into a friend while I was there. Not a bad start to the weekend.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 11:43 PM | Comments (0)

September 11, 2008

Scattered Around The Globe

According to the World Names Profiler, the surname of "Siegel" is most common in Germany, the U.S, Austria, and France. Since "Siegel" has both Germanic and Semitic roots, I'm not surprised that Germany comes out on top. And I can't tell if the website considers variants like "Chagall", which might explain why France came in relatively high on the list. Siegels can even be found in New Zealand. Oh, and Argentina, although I'm guessing that they're descended from, ahem, German parentage.

Okay, trivia time is over. Time to take care of some administrative tasks before it gets too late.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:00 PM | Comments (0)

September 10, 2008

Issue Statement

Michael Gerson has a column in today's Washington Post in which he proclaims that Trig Palin, Sarah Palin's infant son with Down's syndrome, represents a milestone for the disability rights movement. Gerson notes that 90 percent of pregnancies are aborted when prenatal testing reveals the presence of Down's syndrome. He also writes:

This is properly called eugenic abortion -- the ending of "imperfect" lives to remove the social, economic and emotional costs of their existence. And this practice cannot be separated from the broader social treatment of people who have disabilities. By eliminating less perfect humans, deformity and disability become more pronounced and less acceptable. Those who escape the net of screening are often viewed as mistakes or burdens[...]And this feeds a social Darwinism in which the stronger are regarded as better, the dependent are viewed as less valuable, and the weak must occasionally be culled.

Gerson sees abortion as a cause of disability discrimination and a betrayal of the left's espoused communitarian values. I'm not blind to the tension Gerson points out. As someone with a significant disability, it frustrates me that many expectant parents receive biased or inaccurate information about the quality of life that can be lived with a disability. I'm also struck by the slightly awed tone of commentators from both the left and right when discussing Palin's decision to have Trig, which should speak volumes about how both conservatives and liberals regard disability.

If a woman equipped with neutral and accurate information chooses to have a child like Trig, she should expect the rest of us to fully support her decision in both word and deed. In practice, that means we may all need to pay a few more dollars to support things like health care, education, and the other services that child will need throughout life. And if that same woman chooses not to follow that path, she should expect the rest of us to not treat her like a criminal or a child. I'm pro-choice because the alternative is to enforce a regime that substitutes its own judgment for that of the individual. And as a person with a disability who has some experience with other well-meaning people wishing to supplant my judgment for their own, I simply can't go along with that.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:52 PM | Comments (0)

September 09, 2008

Candidate

I was looking at a sample ballot for the local primary when I noticed that one of my former classmates, Paula Brummel, is running for a judgeship in Hennepin County. It took me almost a year to figure out that Paula is an American despite her English accent. Never trust your first impressions. Best of luck to Paula in the election. If she does get the job and I have to appear before her (because let's face it, we all know I'm going to get arrested for something eventually), here's hoping she'll show me leniency.

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

September 08, 2008

Green And Gold

A friend is dropping by shortly to watch the Packers-Vikings game. I don't follow the Packers or football in general as closely as I once did, but I'm not expecting great things from my hometown team this season. If I had to predict (and it's almost impossible to resist predictions when discussing team sports), the Pack will 7-9 at best.

And I'm okay with that, as long as they beat Minnesota tonight. And here I have to insert the obligatory Vikings Suck!

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:49 PM | Comments (0)

September 07, 2008

Uneven Playing Field

The Paralympics got underway yesterday in Beijing, but the U.S. team is competing under a cloud of litigation. A few Paralympians are suing the United States Olympic Committee for discrimination, claiming that the U.S.O.C. fails to provide the same level of financial support to Paralympic athletes compared to other Olympians. The plaintiffs argue that they receive substantially lower stipends than Olympians, which limits their ability to train and be competitive. They point out that other countries are much more generous with their support of Paralympic athletes, resulting in more medals for those nations.

While it's true that the Olympics generate far more revenue, the U.S.O.C. has never shown much interest in cultivating a wider audience for the Paralympics. If the games can't be watched on television, people aren't going to care and corporations aren't going to be interested in being official Paralympic sponsors. If ESPN can market the X Games, I'm not sure why the same can't be done with the Paralympics. And why can't the Paralympics be part of the Olympic Games? That alone would increase viewership. The additional logistics should be manageable, given the already extensive preparations required for a modern Olympics event.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:16 PM | Comments (0)

September 06, 2008

Fired Up

In a barnstormer of a speech, Biden calls out the Republicans for failing to offer any substantive policy ideas at their convention. The problem for the GOP is that it's being trying to re-brand itself without making any fundamental alterations to its core ingredients. That may work if you're trying to sell laundry detergent, but it's less effective if you're trying to win an election. The Republicans show little willingness to do the necessary self-examination to determine how it can speak to voters who worry about the economy, health care, and other pocketbook issues. Instead, the party bosses think it's clever to mock community organizers.

And what is up with that, anyway? Wasn't this the same party once clamoring for federal money to faith-based entities? Entities that do plenty of community organizing and outreach? Or has "community organizer" suddenly become code for anyone who dares help poor and disenfranchised people make their voices heard?

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:08 PM | Comments (1)

September 05, 2008

Friday Night Videos

The lawyers will probably shut this down before long, but here's an impressive collection of music videos from the 80s. And some pretty obscure ones to boot. If you have a hankering for Debarge or Kim Carnes, your fix is just a click away. I'm going to kick back here at my desk, indulge in a little nostalgia, and wonder if the girls of my youth would've liked me more if I'd feathered my bangs.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:44 PM | Comments (0)

September 04, 2008

Random Encounter

I noticed this fellow giving me the eye as I was passing through Mears Park in downtown St. Paul today. He said he was from India and I'm guessing that he wasn't in town for the RNC. According to him, I'm very courageous for venturing out. Honestly, I'm not sure what he meant. Sure, I disagree with Republicans on plenty of issues, but I'm certainly not afraid to mingle with them and engage in civil dialogue. I'd even pay for drinks.

Speaking of civil dialogue, I won't be sorry to see the anarchists leave town. Hey, angry white kids, your parents still love you. Just tell them you're sorry for running up their cell phone bills and they'll probably let you have your old rooms back.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:08 PM | Comments (5)

September 03, 2008

At Capacity

The Daily Show is taping in the History Theater in St. Paul, just across the street from my office. I took a couple hours off this afternoon to camp out in the standby line to see if I could get in to watch a taping. Unfortunately, my efforts were for naught. The show was overbooked and not even all the ticketholders were able to get in. I guess I'll have to schlep it to New York if I want to be in the audience. My only other option is to become a moderately noteworthy blogger or author and get invited on as a guest. Which means I'd better start thinking of clever things to write.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:10 PM | Comments (2)

September 02, 2008

Overly Familiar

To the RNC delegate whom I was trying to get by because she and her friends were standing in the middle of the sidewalk on 7th Street: I'm sure you're a very nice lady, but you don't get to call me "honey", "sweetheart", and stroke my arm until we've been properly introduced. Because despite what most people think, I'm an old-fashioned kind of guy and I like to take things slow.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:23 PM | Comments (2)

September 01, 2008

Changing Seasons

Summer's over already? But I'm just starting to get a good tan going. And I haven't gotten through even half of the books on my summer reading list. Not to mention the fact that my fancy linen pants are barely broken in.

I'm going to have to drag my sweaters out of storage in a few weeks, aren't I?

Suck.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:48 PM | Comments (0)