November 30, 2008
Call Me "Twitch"
On both my office and home computer, I "click" the mouse via a small adaptive switch that rests under my right thumb. The switch registers small muscle movements and I have decent movement in my thumb, so it's an effective solution. But that only gives me access to the left mouse button. If I want to get my game on or perform other tasks that require the right mouse button, then another switch is required. In the past, the second switch would usually be tucked inside my left hand. My left hand has less strength than my right and finding the sweet spot for activating this second switch has always been a chore. And recently, my left hand has gotten even more uncooperative. I'm not sure if it's further muscle atrophy or subconscious laziness, but generating movement in my left hand is more difficult now than it once was. That's left me searching for alternate muscles to activate the switch.
I was explaining the situation to one of my nurses, who reminded me that I can move my ears. I hadn't thought of this. Wiggling my ears was always good for amusing little kids and scoring "cute" points with the occasional girl, but it didn't seem to have much practical utility beyond that. After a little experimentation, we managed to position the switch just above my left ear, where it was held in place by the stem of my glasses. It works pretty well and is more comfortable than the previous set-up. And the irony of using one disability (my astigmatism), combined with a freak talent, to compensate for another disability is cosmically funny.
This should tide me over until I can get that neural implant.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:50 PM | Comments (3)
November 29, 2008
Northern Aggression
I'm sure the people of the small Canadian town of Caledon are, by and large, good and decent folks. They can't all be as unpleasant as the resident who wants a neighboring family's allegedly smelly miniature pony removed, despite the fact that the pony is used for therapeutic riding by a young boy with cerebral palsy. And here I thought that all Canadians were genetically predisposed to amiability and civic-mindedness. How disheartening to realize that they are just as susceptible to moments of dickish behavior as the rest of us. But I have yet to hear anything bad about New Zealanders, so perhaps humanity isn't completely irredeemable.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:27 PM | Comments (2)
November 28, 2008
Literary Themes
I flexed my self-control muscles today by going into a bookstore, browsing, and then leaving without buying anything. I'm feeling quite smug. But as I was scanning the books in the science fiction/fantasy section, I noticed that a certain style of book cover has become quite popular. These covers feature illustrations of svelte young women's rear profiles; young women who seem to share an affinity for tight clothing and pagan/wiccan/whatever tatts on their lower backs. A quick glance at the cover blurbs reveals that these women are entangled in generally dysfunctional relationships with vampires, demons, and such. It's a weird fusion of fantasy and bodice-ripper that Tolkien probably never would have imagined.
I've decided that my next book will be about a bad-girl hottie who works as a personal care assistant during the day and hunts vampires at night. Clearly, this kind of stuff sells and I don't want to miss my opportunity to cash in.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 11:16 PM | Comments (0)
November 27, 2008
Talking Turkey
The next time we do Thanksgiving at my place, I'm having the thing catered. My kitchen isn't the most well-stocked in the world and I'd like to save my parents from paying way too much for a carton of convenience store eggs.
I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday and settling into a pleasant tryptophan-induced fog. Thanks for sticking with me for another year.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:54 PM | Comments (0)
November 26, 2008
Transition
Today was my last day spent in my current position, which meant that I spent most of the day in a somewhat frantic state as I finished up some outstanding tasks. The four-day weekend will provide me with an opportunity to catch my breath before I plunge into a new policy area. I've appreciated all the well wishes and congratulatory remarks I've received from colleagues. My calendar is already filling up with meetings and I have a feeling it's only going to get busier. A bureaucrat's life is never dull.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:39 PM | Comments (0)
November 25, 2008
Tightening Belts
The Wall Street Journal reports on how the worsening economic climate is forcing states to reduce community-based services for the elderly and people with disabilities. Waiting lists for services are growing and many affected by these cuts are dipping into their own very meager funds to pay for personal assistance. For some, a nursing home is the only remaining option. With a looming deficit of $4 billion, Minnesota is almost certain to implement similar cuts.
One fact from the article caught my attention: in 2006 Medicaid spent about $47 billion on nursing-home care and $15 billion on home- and community-based services. That's a difference of over threefold and an indicator that we still have a long way to go towards removing the institutional bias in Medicaid spending.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:32 PM | Comments (0)
November 24, 2008
Legal Patchwork
Assisted suicide is the topic du jour in the British press. After I posted about Noel Martin's story on Sunday, I learned about Dan James. James was a 23-year-old rugby player who became a quadriplegic after a training injury in 2007. Earlier this fall, he traveled to Switzerland with his parents for an assisted suicide.
In related news that was drowned out by the presidential election results, Washington state passed a ballot measure that legalizes physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill individuals. It becomes the second state after Oregon to have such a law on the books. The Swiss law is much more permissive; it does not require the involvement of a physician nor does it require that the person have a terminal illness. It's difficult to conceive of any jurisdiction here in the U.S. enacting anything similar. I'll be curious to see how other European countries--especially Britain--strengthen or weaken their own laws on assisted suicide in response.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:33 PM | Comments (2)
November 23, 2008
It's That Time Again
It's almost time to turn the page on 2008, which means the inevitable end-of-year pop culture lists are beginning to show up. A continuously updated compilation of this year's lists can be found at Fimoculous, which has become the go-to site for this sort of thing. Sure, these lists are arbitrary and often exclude works that didn't have huge PR campaigns, but I still enjoy them. They're brain candy, lacking much substance but easily devoured. And despite the tendency of these lists to parrot each other, I usually discover at least a few items that are worth adding to my Amazon wishlist.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:37 PM | Comments (1)
November 22, 2008
Faceoff
I was listening to the BBC late last night when I heard this interview between Liz Carr, a woman with a disability and freelance reporter, and Noel Martin, who was paralyzed in a neo-Nazi attack twelve years ago and is now seeking assistance to die from a Swiss-based euthanasia group. The conversation between Liz and Martin raises many of the questions familiar to those of us who who have been tracking the ongoing debate on disability and assisted suicide. What constitutes an acceptable quality of life? Does the right to privacy include the right to terminate one's own life? How do society's views on disability influence the decision to end one's life?
After listening to the full interview, I'm struck by a couple things. First, Martin seems incredibly despondent about his situation. The BBC provides some videos of Martin's daily life and he has been confined to bed for several months, which would depress anyone. Second, Carr can't seem to grasp the scope of Martin's enduring grief for the life he had before his injury. The two are talking past each other, neither one really able to understand the other's perspective. Martin can't imagine realizing any sense of independence in his current state and Carr can't imagine his isolation. I have a difficult time imagining it myself.
I don't expect Martin to change his mind about ending his life and, judging from the reactions of the callers to the live portion of the broadcast, he has plenty of support. But it seems too easy to say that his decision is a mistake or rooted in chronic depression. Life with a significant disability is a struggle and to suggest otherwise would be an act of denial. And if I suddenly experienced a dramatic change, like loss of sensation or the ability to speak, I can't be sure how I would cope.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:37 PM | Comments (1)
November 21, 2008
Telling Me What I Want To Hear
Typealyzer is a site that claims to analyze the personality type of a blog's author. I entered the address for The 19th Floor and received the following results:
The charming and trend savvy type. They are especially attuned to the big picture and anticipate trends. They often have sophisticated language skills and come across as witty and social. At the end of the day, however, they are pragmatic decision makers and have a good analytical abilitity.
They enjoy work that lets them use their cleverness, great communication skills and knack for new exciting ventures. They have to look out not to become quitters, since they easily get bored when the creative exciting start-up phase is over.
Witty and social? Charming? Oh, stop, you're embarrassing me. Seriously, this strikes me as fabricated nonsense designed to serve as a mood lift for the egotistical blogger. Any analytic software worth its salt would have wasted no time pointing out my numerous and glaringly obvious neuroses and insecurities.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:59 PM | Comments (2)
November 20, 2008
Career Ladder
I've wanted to share this news for a while, but I had to wait until everything was made official. I recently accepted a promotion to the Health Care Eligibility and Access Division within the Department of Human Services. After seven years in Disability Services, I'll be moving into a more advanced position with both policy and legislative responsibilities. My focus will primarily be on health care programs for kids and families, including Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare.
Of course, I'm thrilled to get this opportunity, although it probably won't seem completely real until my start date (December 1). The upcoming legislative session promises to be challenging and I'm looking forward to getting a closer look at the process. The next few months are going to be crazy busy as I settle into my new role and familiarize myself with a complex and evolving set of policies. And any health care reforms that materialize at the federal level are likely to directly affect my work. I'll get to play a small but meaningful role in ensuring hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans have access to affordable, quality health care.
I'm incredibly fortunate to live in a time and place that has given me the means to put my talents to use and achieve some measure of success. I'll try to keep that thought close in the weeks and months ahead.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:33 PM | Comments (2)
November 19, 2008
Nobody Said Democracy Was Pretty
MPR's website has photos of some of the ballots that the Franken and Coleman campaigns have challenged in the first day of the vote recount. I do not envy the state canvassing board, the body charged with ascertaining the voter's intent on each of these ballots. Its members will have to endure Talmudic debates over the meaning of a partially filled-in bubble, an ambiguous smudge, or a haphazardly drawn line. And I don't envy the lawyers whose job it will be to make those arguments. If I was in their position, my ears would start to bleed sometime before lunch on the first day.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:00 PM | Comments (0)
November 18, 2008
A Sexed-Up Starfleet
I'm duty-bound to point out that the new trailer for next summer's Star Trek film is now available. We're presented with a quick succession of scenes in which a young, brooding Kirk glowers, a young Spock looks pensive, a space monster roars, Kirk glowers some more, things in space blow up, Spock looks slightly less pensive, a female crewmember removes her top, and then we get a final dose of glowering from some Romulan-looking baddie.
It might not be Wrath of Khan, but it looks a damn sight better than the steaming pile that was Nemesis. And I like how the trailer ends with a fade-in of the film's title done up in the the old-school font of the original series.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:57 PM | Comments (0)
November 17, 2008
Liquored Up
The New York Times reports on something I already knew: people in Wisconsin like to drink. A lot. In most parts of the state, including my hometown of Green Bay, a bar is never more than a ten-minute drive away. On the campus of my smallish liberal arts college, binge drinking usually commenced on Thursday evenings and lasted until well after the last play of the Sunday Packers game. But I wasn't familiar with the practice of kids accompanying parents to the local tavern. I don't think I even set foot in a drinking establishment until I was 21. Neither of my parents are native 'Sconnies and that probably explains their ignorance of local custom.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:54 PM | Comments (1)
November 16, 2008
Critic At Large: Quantum Of Solace
Am I the only one who kind of liked the title of this latest chapter in the Bond franchise? It's not nearly as cryptic as other reviewers have made it out to be. The film picks up immediately after the events in Casino Royale; a distraught Bond is determined to exact vengeance on the mysterious organization responsible for his girlfriend's death. His vendetta eventually leads him to a generically European CEO of a multinational that ostensibly promotes environmental stewardship. This being a Bond film, we soon discover that the CEO is not a nice man and our hero sets about getting his revenge while serving queen and country.
And that means lots of gunplay, car chases, and fistfights. The tone of this film is much more frenetic than Casino, which had a more deliberate pace. Casino could have been based on a Le Carré novel, while Quantum adheres to the more traditional Fleming formula. There's nothing wrong with that formula, of course. The film is entertaining, but it doesn't feel as grounded in reality. However, it's interesting to note that Daniel Craig's Bond is not nearly the misogynistic dick that his predecessors were; Bond has one brief dalliance with a minor character and even that felt forced, like the writers shrugged their shoulders and said, "Well, he has to shag someone."
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:47 PM | Comments (1)
November 15, 2008
By Any Means Necessary
In the UK, a group of male strippers known as the Crippendales (agh, you Brits and your weird fondness for puns) are sending this postcard to members of parliament, urging them to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The postcard shows two naked guys posing with a strategically placed equal sign; the caption reads "The Crippendales have NO reservations ... neither should the government when it comes to disabled people's human rights".
It's an interesting tactic; one I'm happy to leave to others. I learned long ago that the sight of my naked body utterly lacks any persuasive value.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:43 PM | Comments (0)
November 14, 2008
Camelot For The 21st Century
Obama collects comic books? This just keeps getting better and better. That kind of unapologetic geekiness is sure to attract many of my fellow travelers into administration posts. I predict that the halls of the executive branch will soon be buzzing with speculation regarding the forthcoming Star Trek film, water-cooler critiques of the latest episode of Battlestar Galactica, and the incessant ringing of iPhones.
The geeks are taking the car keys away from the frat boys. It's a beautiful thing. Look at me, I'm getting all misty-eyed just thinking about it.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:04 PM | Comments (1)
November 13, 2008
Naomi Watts As Cersei FTW!
Another reason to keep my HBO subscription: the network is ordering a pilot based on "Game of Thrones", the first book in George R.R. Martin's epic "A Song of Ice & Fire" fantasy series. I've discussed my enthusiasm for these books in previous entries and I'm anxiously awaiting the fifth installment. While many familiar tropes of the fantasy genre can be found in the books (swords, feudal societies, dragons), their tone is quite dark. Combine that with healthy doses of explicit sex and the material seems like a perfect fit for HBO's sensibilities. The books' cast of thousands might have to be pared down to accommodate the realities of a television series budget, but Peter Jackson has already demonstrated that it's possible to adapt a literary work without slavish adherence to the text.
Just one request: please don't film it in British Columbia. It seems like every genre series uses BC for exterior shots and it's getting old. When I imagine the land of Westeros, I don't get a Pacific Northwest kind of vibe.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:01 PM | Comments (1)
November 12, 2008
More Than A Band-Aid
Once Obama assumes office, health care reform reform will probably have to take a back seat to addressing the economic crisis. Or at least that's the conventional wisdom. I don't see why the two policy goals have to be separated and I expect Obama and his transition team are thinking the same thing. A deepening recession is going to push more individuals and families into the ranks of the uninsured, making this the ideal time to roll some initial expansion of health care into a broader stimulus. The previously vetoed expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program is one example of quick action that an Obama administration could take. Meanwhile, Congressional leaders like Max Baucus are already developing more comprehensive proposals. Baucus' plan expands Medicare and Medicaid, while providing tax credits to small businesses and individuals to purchase health insurance.
I'd like to see more details on the scope of these tax credits. Self-insured plans can be prohibitively expensive and I'm not sure a tax credit will do much to bring those costs under control. But there will be plenty of time debate details after January 20th. At this point, it's encouraging to see that Democrats aren't making an immediate mad dash to the center.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:00 PM | Comments (0)
November 11, 2008
Held Together With Spit And Twine
Living with a disability sometimes requires a little homespun ingenuity. For example, I use a foam pillow to support the back of my neck, which gives me the balance I need to use my computer. Over the years, the pillow developed a groove where my neck rests, gradually reducing the amount of support. I finally got fed up with the situation today and my nurse came up with a solution involving a couple foam sponges placed over said groove. The act of typing feels much easier now, which tells me this jury-rigged is working. But I'm not sure the judicious application is going to save my bookstand, which is beginning to crumble. That thing is almost twenty years old and has an imminent appointment with a dumpster, as soon as I can find a replacement.
My equipment is getting old, just like me.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:36 PM | Comments (1)
November 10, 2008
For Your Eyes Only
Scientists are developing contact lenses that contain an integrated circuit, potentially allowing users to take photos, zoom in on distant objects, and display virtual images and text over their regular field of vision. The science fiction writer Vernor Vinge imagined something similar in his book Rainbows End. Combine these lenses with a neural interface and wi-fi connection and I'll be able to surf the web from anywhere I like. I'll no longer have to endure my nurses' judgmental glares as I scour the Internet for images of women in fishnets. The very thought makes me almost giddy with anticipation.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:51 PM | Comments (2)
November 09, 2008
How Do You Feel?
An article at Slate looks at the data showing that atheists are less happy than religious people and theorizes that we unbelievers are not unhappy because we don't believe in God, but because we feel excluded from the larger community. In a highly religious nation, those without faith find themselves on the outside, looking in.
The validity of that argument probably depends on the context of the individual atheist. An atheist living in a rural Texas town is probably going to feel more isolated than an atheist living in a major city like Chicago or Boston. But the inherent appeal of a communitarian faith life is strong. Nobody likes to feel alone and American churches--especially the big ones--excel at welcoming strangers into a large community that doesn't ask many questions about where they're from, what they do for a living, and so on. The only thing required for membership is belief.
Human happiness is a fluid thing and I'm always a little suspicious of efforts to measure it. So much of life is spent somewhere in between the polar extremes of bliss and misery. And there's a fine line between unhappiness and melancholy. For me, this life is the only chance I'll get and the implications can seem overwhelming. I have only one life to fill with experiences and there simply isn't time for everything. That awareness leads to sadness only if it's accompanied by passivity.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:12 PM | Comments (0)
November 08, 2008
Another Reason Never To Leave My Computer
I've been trying out the digital version of The New Yorker and my initial impressions are favorable. Like a lot of digital publications, it mimics the layout of the print magazine, complete with the ads and cartoons. The pages load fairly quickly and the text displays clearly when zoomed in. One annoyance is that the complete page doesn't fit on the screen, forcing the reader to drag the page around with the mouse in order to read the article. But it's a minor quibble and I'm glad to have the option to read the entire magazine without depending on someone to turn the pages. The digital edition also provides access to the archives going all the way back to 1925, but you have to be a paid subscriber to the print version.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:33 PM | Comments (0)
November 07, 2008
Recognizing Myself
This video from The Onion describes me all too well:
Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are
No doubt. I mean, what the hell do I blog about now? It was so easy just to repeat all the stuff I read on Daily Kos. And it helped me stay in denial about my obsessive computer use and nagging sense of loneliness. Time to develop a World of Warcraft addiction and give myself a renewed sense of purpose.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:51 PM | Comments (0)
November 06, 2008
Further Analysis
A few more thoughts on the election:
- Coleman's lead over Franken continues to shrink. According to the Secretary of State, the gap currently stands at 236 votes, down from 725 yesterday. Minnesota uses optical scanners to count votes and I thought these machines were reasonably accurate, but Michigan reported problems with the devices. If the gap continues to narrow, Coleman may be the one requesting a recount.
- The passage of the same-sex marriage ban in California is a bitter disappointment. But I'm confident that the issue will come up again in a few years and Californians will choose a policy of equality. The status of gay couples who married before the election remains uncertain and will likely be a subject of litigation--an absurd state of affairs and an insult to couples already reeling from a vote legalizing discrimination.
- But Arkansas wins the prize for being the most backward state in the union after passing a ban that prevents "unmarried" couples (i.e. gay) from adopting children. It's this year's Kansas.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:17 PM | Comments (0)
November 05, 2008
Crossing Paths
America, for all its many and well-documented flaws, can be pretty great. Only a few decades ago, the circumstances that made this photo possible would not have existed. There's no way that someone like me would have gone to law school, found a job, and traveled to Washington, D.C. as part of a leadership training. And there's no way that a black man with an exotic-sounding name would have been elected senator from a Midwestern state. But in this country, things are impossible until, one day, they're not. Separate paths of hard work and serendipity led us to this brief encounter: two somewhat geeky lawyers who don't look like most of the people around us. Two guys who could not have gotten to this moment in time without the support of so many others.
In President-elect Obama, I see elements of my own story writ much larger. His election also reminds me that I shouldn't spend so much time believing the myth of my own outsider status. The future is here and I'm so excited to discover my place in it.
Image description: a February 2005 photo of me and then-Senator Obama taken in the tunnels under the Capitol building in Washington, DC. Obama is standing to my left in a charcoal suit, leaning forward slightly and smiling at the camera. I'm wearing a leather jacket over a shirt and tie, my facial expression entirely too serious.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:51 PM | Comments (5)
November 04, 2008
Bending The Arc Of History
It's late, I'm tired, and I'm feeling really good. There's a big difference between anticipating victory and savoring the real thing. Sharing it with friends made it even better.
Now comes the hard part.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 11:54 PM | Comments (2)
November 03, 2008
Expecting Good Things
I'm probably going to be too preoccupied tomorrow to do much blogging. But since a bazillion other bloggers are posting their electoral prognostications, I might as well do the same:
- Obama will win the Electoral College 338-200. Virginia will be called for Obama soon after the polls close, setting the tone for the evening. Florida and Ohio will follow suit, as will Colorado and Nevada. McCain will eke it out in Missouri and North Carolina.
- Obama will win the popular vote by 6%.
- Dems will control 59 Senate seats. In Minnesota, Franken will pull out a win on the strength of Obama's coattails.
- The Dems will pick up 22 House seats. In Minnesota, Madia will win in the 3rd. I'd love to see Bachmann go down, but the 6th is probably the friendliest territory in the state for her brand of fringe conservatism.
- In state races, Dems will get a veto-proof majority in the House. The constitutional amendment to raise the sales tax less than one percent to fund the arts and outdoors will narrowly pass.
I sense that most of my readers share my political sympathies, but please do inform yourself and vote, even if it's not for my guy. This election is too important and too historical to sit out.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:55 PM | Comments (2)
November 02, 2008
Now Everyone Will Want One
The producers at 60 Minutes must be reading my blog. They ran a story about brain-computer interfaces and their potential applications for people with disabilities. The piece shows people using neural interfaces to operate computers and wheelchairs, as well as video of that monkey controlling a robotic arm. The complete video should be available on the 60 Minutes website sometime Monday. Bob Simon was a little breathless in his narration, but he provided a good overview of the technology's promise.
In the future, I expect the media to pay me a consultant's fee when they crib my material.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:04 PM | Comments (0)
The Upside Of Climate Change
How's this for environmentally-induced cognitive dissonance: it was almost seventy degrees and dark by six in the evening. It's like I was magically transported to some bizarro version of Minnesota.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:27 PM | Comments (0)
November 01, 2008
Recommended
Here's another blog you should add to your feed list: Schuyler's Monster. Schuyler is a lovely 8-year-old girl who has bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria, a rare neurological condition that renders her unable to speak but able to comprehend the speech of others. Her father, Robert Rummel-Hudson, blogs about his fears and hopes for his daughter, which are also expressed in his recently published book of the same name. Whether he's decrying the injustice of his daughter's forced silence or sharing his joy when Schuyler brings home a good report card, Robert comes across as both a strong advocate and loving father. And through him, we get to know Schuyler, who strikes me as a very cool little girl.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:32 PM | Comments (1)