December 31, 2008

A Man Of Few Words

I hope everyone is enjoying their New Year's Eve. I'm going to keep this entry short because--let's be honest--you probably have better things to do tonight. Be safe and have a drink for me.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:27 PM | Comments (1)

December 30, 2008

Time Keeps On Slipping Into The Future

The fire alarms in my building are going off as I write this, but that isn't going to stop me from fulfilling that most sacred blogging tradition: the end-of-year list:

Best Movie I Saw: WALL-E  Pixar's tale of a solitary robot living among the ruins of an abandoned, ecologically wrecked Earth is dazzling in both visual and narrative terms. The artists manage the impressive feat of using ordinary objects, like a fire extinguisher, to create moving scenes of beauty. WALL-E's lonely existence, and his inability to fully recognize that loneliness until someone shiny and elegant comes along and captures his attention, is a well-worn theme. But the best movies make those themes feel fresh and relevant.

Best Album I Heard: In Ghost Colors by Cut Copy  Is it electronica? Electro-pop? Whatever you call it, these candy-glazed tracks finally make melancholy something you can dance to. Whenever I was in need of a mood boost, I blasted this album through my speakers or earphones. St. John's wort has nothing on these lads from Australia.

Best Book I Read: Berlin Noir by Philip Kerr. The Nazis have been fed through the pop culture recycler so many times that they've become generic bad guys robbed of historical context. Kerr's triptych of detective stories set against the rise and fall of the Third Reich are entertaining and tightly plotted, but he never allows the reader to forget that Hitler and his lieutenants are the true criminals. The corrupt moral universe of Kerr's Berlin brings into relief the basic decency of Bernie Gunther, the flawed and cynical protagonist.

Best TV Show I Watched: The 2008 Presidential Election  I mean, it had everything. The ornery war hero. The fresh-faced senator. Plumbers named Joe. The milf-y governor. It was like a really long season of Survivor, only with more mud and less dignity. And at the end, we all had the opportunity to vote.

Despite the absurd overuse of the word, 2008 really was a year of change for me. I hope 2009 brings you good things. And as always, thanks for letting me waste your time.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:37 PM | Comments (3)

December 29, 2008

At Least This Isn't Florida

In case you're wondering, Minnesota still doesn't have a second senator certified to assume office yet. The vast majority of the votes have been recounted and Franken hold a sliver of a lead (less than 50 votes), but still to be counted are approximately 1,300 improperly rejected absentee ballots. The Minnesota Supreme Court told both sides to play nice together and agree on mutually acceptable standards for counting these ballots. To absolutely nobody's surprise, they have been unable to reach an agreement. But despite all the posturing of Coleman's legal team, Franken is likely to be declared the winner. It's not going to be the convincing win I was hoping for, but I'll take it. Coleman was and remains an opportunist with no real convictions whose first Senate victory probably never would have materialized if Wellstone hadn't died a week before the election. Losing his seat under different but equally fluky circumstances carries the whiff of karma.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:20 PM | Comments (1)

December 28, 2008

Looking For The Naughty Bits

To the person who did a search on my blog for "sex" and "massage": I'm not sure what you were hoping to find, but I'm willing to bet you left disappointed. Unless talk of fishnet stockings gets you all hot and bothered, you're not going to discover anything here to get excited about. But keep checking in. You never know what will be the subject of my next post.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:09 PM | Comments (1)

Limited Inventory

I made a trip to the neighborhood mega-bookstore earlier today in an attempt to use a gift card I had received as a present (my family has given up trying to pick out a book from the multitudes on my wish list). Unfortunately, none of the titles I really wanted were on the shelves and I decided to make my purchase on-line instead. These weren't bestsellers I was seeking out, but but they weren't obscure bottom-listers, either.

I'm not sure why I'm still in the habit of going to bookstores. More often than not, I don't find what I'm looking for. The aisles can be a hassle to navigate. It's probably not worth the bother. But as with so many of the things we do that don't make much sense, habit is to blame. A trip to the bookstore was something I looked forward to as a kid, especially during the winter months. Green Bay wasn't a town with much in the way of literary tendencies (it still isn't, as far as I know) and we had only a couple crappy Waldenbooks stores in desolate corners of the local malls, but a visit to one of these sad, harshly-lit places still constituted a treat for me. It was a way to pass the time. Even though the reward isn't what it used to be, some subconscious part of my brain still does a bit of mental drooling whenever I think about making a stop at the bookstore.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:41 PM | Comments (2)

December 27, 2008

Backup System

We have a long way to go before we fully comprehend the nuanced complexities of the human brain, but we are learning that the analogy comparing our brains to computers is not anywhere close to the truth. In fact, our brains are much more agile and flexible than we give them credit for. Consider the phenomenon of "blindsight", which allows some blind people to naturally perceive visual obstacles and even facial expressions. Researchers believe that the brain has built-in redundancies that allow it to continue processing information despite significant trauma to other regions. I'd like to see a silicon wafer perform that trick.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:07 PM | Comments (2)

December 26, 2008

Old News

Just in case you weren't paying attention, here's another describing how the recession is forcing states to make deep cuts to their Medicaid programs. Many of these can only be described as draconian. The people hurt the most are probably single adults without kids, but some states are also looking at eliminating coverage for pregnant women and other populations. States are also looking at cutting services like dental and home care.

And if you're in California and working on Medicaid issues, you have my deepest sympathies. Your state's $40 billion budget deficit makes Minnesota's look like a rounding error.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:23 PM | Comments (0)

December 25, 2008

Critic-at-Large: Double Feature

If you're thinking of seeing a movie over the holiday weekend, I recommend both The Wrestler and Milk. The Wrestler is an unblinking portrait of a has-been professional wrestler who now finds himself trapped in a lonely hand-to-mouth existence. Mickey Rourke brings a lot of pathos to the title role, playing the part with just the right combination of dickishness and goofy charm. Marisa Tomei is equally great as the small-town stripper who falls for the big lug. You know this story isn't going to end well, but there are moments of sweetness to be found as these two damaged characters try to find some comfort in each other.

Milk is the story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to hold elective office in the United States. One of the dangers of biopics like this is the actor will work a little too hard to convince the audience of the subject's importance, but Sean Penn keeps those tendencies in check. The audience sees Milk as both a leader and a flawed, somewhat narcissistic person in private. The film is particularly resonant given the recent passage of Prop 8 in California and it reminds us that, despite slow and incremental progress on the civil rights front, our society continues to excel at treading water.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 11:46 PM | Comments (0)

December 24, 2008

Season's Greetings

It's Christmas again already? Didn't we just do this?

I hope everyone has a safe and joyful holiday. Wherever you are, I hope it's where you want to be. I'm going to finish wrapping a few presents. And later, if I'm feeling really adventurous, I might add a little nutmeg to my tube feeding.

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

December 23, 2008

Old-Fashioned Values

There are a lot of barriers to the adoption of a single-payer health care system, but one that doesn't get much attention is our tendency to view health care as something we need to earn. To see what I mean, take a look at articles like this one about growing enrollment in Medicaid. People interviewed for the story express guilt at accepting government "handouts". That's the problem with the peculiar historical development of public health care programs in this country. When Medicare and Medicaid were passed four decades ago, they were explicitly framed as programs for the aged, poor, and disabled. That made political sense at the time, but it also had the unintended consequence of setting the terms for future health care debates. Any reliance on government health care programs meant that you were part of the underclass; that you had failed as a self-sufficient provider for yourself and your family.

Most other Western countries never fell into this trap. When it came to health care access, they enfranchised everyone from the start. I'd like to think that this economic crisis, combined with the breakdown of modern conservatism, might push us to a point where we no longer associate government health care with personal failure or inadequacy. But old prejudices die hard.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:27 PM | Comments (0)

December 22, 2008

Minimalist Entertainment

There isn't much on the web that can make me smile and whisper "wow!", but that's exactly the reaction I had tonight when I discovered Auditorium. Auditorium is a web-based game based on a simple concept, but executed with charm and elegance. There are no homicidal zombies or vengeful aliens to be found here; only streaks of light and fragments of music. It's the gaming equivalent of a nice sorbet: refreshing and cool.

The game's designers hope to release a full version of the game soon. And if it's anything like what I encountered on the website, I'll happily open my wallet.

The game is quite addictive, so don't start playing if you have a work deadline or final exam in your immediate future.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:16 PM | Comments (0)

December 21, 2008

Where Do I Put The Dollar Bill?

I often joke that I'm eagerly awaiting the day when robotic nurses can assume responsibility for my daily cares. And should that day ever arrive, I'm willing to pay a little extra to have my nurse programmed with pole-dancing capabilities. I realize this isn't a medical function in the strictest sense, but I'm a firm believer in a holistic approach to health. However, I would like my robot to look a little less like a CCTV camera and a little more like Summer Glau.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:46 PM | Comments (0)

December 20, 2008

Places, Everyone

It's a little schmaltzy, but here's a brief story about a young girl with cerebral palsy who is given a small part in a production of The Nutcracker. Actually, for a human interest story on a morning news program about a kid in a wheelchair, the schmaltz factor is pretty low. I'm also impressed that the dance company official interviewed for the story doesn't seem self-congragulatory about including someone with a disability in the show. Instead, he emphasizes that dance should be an inclusive activity.

Thanks to Rose for the tip. Coming up with material for this blog every day would be much more of a chore if not for all the links my friends send me.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:22 PM | Comments (1)

December 19, 2008

Geeks For Access

Technology competitions are an increasingly popular way to spark innovation in areas like robotics and space exploration. Now, the concept is being used to foster development of adaptive software for people with disabilities. Project:Possibility is a nonprofit corporation that is dedicated to creating open-source software applications that address a variety of disabilities. So much of the adaptive software currently on the market is proprietary and expensive. The on-screen keyboard that I use for writing tasks retails for about $300. I'd love to see an open-source keyboard that is maintained and updated by a strong user community.

And I will gladly bequeath my life savings to the organization if they can come up with a way for me to play Fallout 3 independently.

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

December 18, 2008

Holding My Nose

When I first heard that megachurch pastor Rick Warren is going to deliver the Inaugural invocation, I was disappointed. His clumsy attempts to frame his opposition to Proposition 8 as a "civil rights" issues is evasive doublespeak designed to obscure his plain vanilla homophobia. But I'm willing to give Obama the benefit of the doubt on this one. Warren has advocated for environmental causes and has directed a significant amount of his church's resources to reducing poverty and HIV around the world. If granting Warren a speaking slot at the Inauguration paves the way for progressives and evangelicals to make common cause on these issues, I can go along with that. Besides, very few people will remember any of Warren's words six months from now.

I have no doubt that Obama will disappoint me in the years ahead, but I choose to reserve my outrage for the decisions he makes as president.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:36 PM | Comments (0)

December 17, 2008

Decision By Proxy

Every week, Ray, a 54-year-old man, is taken to a local clinic for electro-convulsive therapy. But Ray finds these treatments frightening and a direct cause of significant memory loss. He wants the treatments to stop, but he'll need a court order for that to happen.

For most people, the right to refuse medical treatment isn't a matter up for debate. But for people with mental illness, the same standards don't always apply. We tend to assume that a person who is experiencing debilitating depression or hearing voices isn't capable of making decisions about their medical treatment. In some cases, there may be legitimate arguments to make regarding a person's competence, but it's worth questioning whether stigma influences a judge's decision to compel treatment. I don't pretend to have a full understanding of the role mental illness plays in affecting one's decision-making capabilities, but I do think it's possible for a person to make a rational decision between coping with one's symptoms and the dramatic side-effects of a treatment.

Thanks to Bridget for the tip.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:34 PM | Comments (0)

December 16, 2008

Mind's Eye

Japanese scientists have developed a crude but seemingly effective method for computer-assisted scanning and projection of images generated in the brain. I'm predicting that this technology will enable me to retire from my career as a bureaucrat in a couple decades and take up painting. My impressionistic landscapes will be recognized for their dreamlike quality and they'll earn me a few State Fair ribbons. I'll also attempt a few nudes, but I'll grow frustrated and abandon them when I realize my brain has a tendency to exaggerate certain features.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:29 PM | Comments (0)

December 15, 2008

Bring Back Tina Fey

Advocates in the blind community are unhappy with a Saturday Night Live skit that pokes fun at New York governor David Paterson, who happens to be blind. Here's the clip:

I'm usually one who's willing to give comedy writers wide latitude when it comes to disability. You'll recall that I didn't share the concerns of many disability activists regarding the film Tropic Thunder. And I admire the writers of shows like South Park and The Office, who frequently incorporate disability themes into their scripts. In fact, the SNL writers might want to watch those episodes for some tips on giving disability the comedic treatment without confusing nastiness for humor. Because that's this skit's big failure. It actually hopes to find the funny in a blind man holding a chart upside down. Or in the notion that a blind man is woefully unprepared for the challenges of leadership. The other shows I mentioned have a knack for finding the funny in everyone else's reactions to a person's disability, but this skit tells me that the kids running SNL have yet to smooth out the more dickish edges of their writing.

It's too bad, too. The show was briefly funny during the election, but it looks like it's rediscovering its capacity to suck.

Thanks to Rose for the tip.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:17 PM | Comments (0)

December 14, 2008

Incoming

On his final visit to Iraq, President Bush received a particularly emphatic farewell from a shoe-wielding Iraqi journalist. The president demonstrates quick reflexes in avoiding the flying footwear, which suggests to me that he has taken up dodgeball as preparation for the hazards that will accompany his life as a private citizen. I have a feeling there are plenty of people around the world who are also itching for an opportunity to throw shoes, pies, and assorted rotting vegetables at this man.

The reporter also called Bush a "dog", an unnecessary insult to dogs everywhere.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:40 PM | Comments (1)

December 13, 2008

Body Mods

A Canadian filmmaker is developing a method to place a camera inside his prosthetic eye. I might be able to pull off something similar by sticking a camera inside my trach tube, as long as I'm not required to shoot for more than three or four minutes at a time. Imagine all the undercover work I could do for local television news outlets. Then again, people might get suspicious when they notice me turning blue.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:17 PM | Comments (0)

December 12, 2008

Short And Sweet

Gmail users can now send text messages to cell phones. I've never had much use for texts because I couldn't compose them independently. But now that I can send them from my computer, texting might serve a purpose. For example, I can taunt my friends who are still sitting in traffic while I've already arrived home from my 20-minute commute. Or I can send them random updates like "at my computer", "still at my computer", and then "please, anybody, talk to me".

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:53 PM | Comments (1)

December 11, 2008

So Darlin', Darlin'

The video below is an excerpt from the documentary Playing for Change that I first caught while watching Bill Moyers' Journal. It features musicians from around the world performing a cover version of "Stand By Me". The editing skills on display here are impressive and the song has always been a favorite of mine.

And if the economy still has you stressing out, might I suggest...puppies!

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:49 PM | Comments (0)

December 10, 2008

Seasonal Consumption Disorder

This is usually the time of year when I post my annual "stuff you can get me for the holidays" list. But I'm going to skip it this time around. At a time when plenty of people are losing their jobs, health care, and/or homes, blogging about crap I don't really need would be crass. I'm fortunate enough that I can afford most of the things I might fancy (you would not believe the amount of money I've saved since I gave up the hookers and blow). Instead, I'm going to pitch a couple of my favorite charities: Doctors without Borders (or Medecins sans Frontieres if you're feeling saucy) and VSA arts of Minnesota. If everyone who reads this blog could give one or both of these organizations a few bucks, that would be enough of a gift for me.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:39 PM | Comments (1)

December 09, 2008

I Believe The Word Is "Kafkaesque"

Let's say you're a factory worker and you've just learned that the factory is going to shut down in a matter of days. Your employer-based health insurance is also going to disappear, even though you're pregnant and due to deliver any day now. In a desperate attempt to avoid getting stuck with a huge medical bill, you tell your doctor to induce labor. Absurd? Absolutely, but it also is a true story. And the poor woman ended up getting stuck with the bill anyway.

When the next administration takes office, I'm hopeful that we can finally stop arguing about whether our health care system needs repair and get to the business of actually repairing it. I'm not expecting miracles, but I hope a first step is providing states with additional funding for Medicaid and SCHIP. Jonathan Gruber, an economics professor at MIT, makes a powerful case for viewing health care spending as economic stimulus. Universal insurance coverage gives families greater discretionary spending power and more freedom to change jobs or careers. At the very least, a cash infusion into Medicaid and SCHIP might give overburdened hospitals and emergency rooms a little relief.

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

December 08, 2008

Picky, Picky

For me and others with physical disabilities, comfort is a game of inches. An almost imperceptible shift of the hips or tug on a leg can separate "just right" from "totally messed up". My body's unique curves and twists, combined with a form-fitting seat, only increase my positional sensitivity. To give you an idea of my fussiness, here's a typical exchange between me and my nurse:

ME: Would you move my pillow to the right?

BELEAGUERED NURSE: Sure. How's that?

ME: Down a bit. 

NURSE: Okay.

ME: Slightly to the left.

NURSE: There?

ME: Up a little.

NURSE: That's where it was to begin with.

ME: Perfect.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:09 PM | Comments (3)

December 07, 2008

Upgrade

I'm pleased to see that Obama's plans for rebuilding the country's infrastructure include the expansion of broadband access. People in rural America still lack affordable, reliable, and reasonably speedy pipelines to the Internet. In urban areas, broadband access remains unaffordable to many low-income households. We've been extolling the virtues of telecommuting for well over a decade, but businesses won't truly commit to the concept until high-capacity broadband is as ubiquitous as the old copper-wire telephone network.

It will come down to implementation, of course. I certainly don't favor rewarding the telcos for their monopolistic practices and any funds they receive should have strong consumer safeguards attached. Internet service providers are delivering a utility vital to the country's economic health and they should be regulated as such.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:48 PM | Comments (0)

December 06, 2008

Link Dump

Someone recently e-mailed me about a $500 scholarship opportunity for college students who use wheelchairs. More information is available here. The rules require applicants to have a 3.0 GPA and to complete a 500-word essay. No, I will not write it for you. The deadline for entry is January 1.

I hadn't heard a good mashup in a while, but then I came across this mix of Radiohead's "Reckoner" and Kanye West's "Love Lockdown". The chilly atmospherics of both songs mesh well together without putting you to sleep.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:00 PM | Comments (1)

December 05, 2008

Bang, Bang

You sometimes have to credit American businesses for the sheer audacity they show in their drive to make a buck. A gun manufacturer is trying to win government approval to classify a handgun adapted for people with disabilities as "durable medical equipment". Such a classification would qualify the manufacturer to receive payment from Medicare and private insurance companies. The company has vanishingly little hope of actually getting this approval and I don't have a problem with that. But I do smile when I imagine a physician sitting at his desk and trying to write a letter of medical necessity for Aunt Ruthie's 9mm.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:31 PM | Comments (0)

December 04, 2008

Let's Throw It Down, Eh?

Stephen Hawking is coming to Ottawa next summer? I'd better put in for my vacation time now so I can make it up there for our joint press conference to announce There Will Be Blood: Siegel vs. Hawking. Oh, yes, our zero-g deathmatch is still on. We ran into a few hitches booking the International Space Station, but then we got some funding from a couple venture capitalists who think that gimp gladiator matches in Earth orbit could be bigger than the World Series of Poker. Hawking is still demanding top billing, but I'm letting my agent deal with him. The dude's such a diva.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:51 PM | Comments (1)

December 03, 2008

Epistolary Advocacy

I've previously written about my desire to do some pro bono work and today I received my first case assignment. It's relatively straightforward: writing letters to harassing creditors. For someone like me who doesn't practice in the traditional sense, this kind of case is perfect. I've written other types of letters for friends and family and they're never anything fancy--I don't sprinkle them with Latin or cite caselaw--but they do seem to produce results. Big Corporation may or may not respond to a letter from a disenchanted customer, but it almost certainly will respond to a letter from the disenchanted customer's attorney. The scale of American business makes customer relationships a public relations abstraction and sometimes the only way to get a complaint addressed is to wrap it in adversarial packaging.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:36 PM | Comments (1)

December 02, 2008

Troubling Statistics

Minnesota has a reputation of providing quality health care to its citizens. But, according to an analysis of federal quality measures, our home health care agencies rank abysmally low in comparison to those in other states. It's an alarming finding, but I'm not sure how accurately it reflects the true state of affairs. For one thing, the data was gathered from only 160 Medicare-certified home care agencies in Minnesota. There are hundreds more agencies that provide personal care services throughout the state and many aren't Medicare-certified because they don't need to be. Any discussion of home care quality should encompass the whole range of providers. Second, I'd like more information about the quality measures themselves. The article notes that the measures reflect "the percentage of patients who get better at walking, bathing, taking medications and other measures of well-being". Okay, but how do the agencies track this data? Does a visiting nurse fill out a form during a monthly visit? Does the nurse know the person well enough to accurately comment on whether improvement is occurring?

I also find it interesting that owners of the higher-performing agencies quoted in the article emphasize their strong relationships and familiarity with their clients. One of the most common complaints about home health agencies is that their inability to retain staff results in inconsistent care for the person. That was definitely one of my complaints about the nursing agencies I used and it was a contributing factor to my decision to stop using agencies.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:41 PM | Comments (2)

December 01, 2008

Astronomical Event

If you're in the northern hemisphere and the night is clear, go outside right now and look toward the southern sky. You'll see the crescent moon with Venus and Jupiter in close proximity. Venus is the brilliant white star and Jupiter is the pale red dot. Despite all the light pollution downtown, I can see them quite clearly from my window and it's quite lovely.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:05 PM | Comments (4)