February 28, 2010

Red Vs. Blue

I'm going to annoy my conservatives friends by linking to this Time article that explores whether liberals are smarter than conservatives. The gist of the article is that people with higher IQ scores are more likely to say they are liberal, even though their actual views might not be as liberal as they think. In other words, liberals can be really annoying poseurs. But conservatives shouldn't feel too threatened; the same article cites another study that shows that conservatives are more likely to be stronger and more aggressive. So once you've had enough of our Obama bumper stickers and push for socialized health care, you can just kick our asses.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:35 PM | Comments (0)

February 27, 2010

Feel The Vibe

New Scientist describes a new kind of of neural interface that enables people with disabilities to steer a wheelchair via a vibrating belt. The user determines the direction to steer by mentally responding to the location of the vibration. From the article:

The researchers placed 12 phone vibrators, positioned like the numbers on a clock, on a belt worn around the wheelchair user's waist. These vibrate sequentially for 3 seconds each. If they wearer wants to go, say, in a 4 o'clock direction, they wait until the appropriate "tactor" vibrates and then think "that one".

It's an innovative way of providing more precise steering that goes beyond the cardinal directions of forward, backward, left, and right. And the belt's location could be adjusted for those who lack sensation in their waist or abdomen. It could also make the task of driving a wheelchair a lot more, er, pleasurable.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:44 PM | Comments (1)

February 26, 2010

Comfort Over Style

After years of riding in the car with my head bouncing around like a cantaloupe attached to a piece of string cheese, I finally consented to using a head-strap to keep myself upright. I've always resisted such a device because I thought it made me look like an ICU patient out on a day pass. But after using it for a day, I have to admit that it is nice to not have my head flop on my chest every time we have to make a sudden stop on the freeway. And it kind of makes me look like a kung fu movie star, which might come in handy the next time some hottie in a Corolla pulls up beside me.

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

February 25, 2010

Post-Game Analysis

I don't have much time, but here are my initial thoughts on today's health care summit:

• John Boehner is politically smart, but a policy dunce.
• I wonder how many Republicans it took to come up with the "clean sheet of paper" catchphrase.
• John Dingell's appeal to common decency was one of the day's most moving moments. 
  
• Obama did his homework. 
  
• About 23 people nationwide watched the whole thing.
  
• It's just dawning on Republicans that this thing could still pass.
  

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:55 PM | Comments (0)

February 24, 2010

This Is Long Overdue

Today's must-read is Dana Goldstein's article in The Daily Beast on Sarah Palin and her credibility--or lack thereof--as an advocate for disability issues. Goldstein points out that, despite Palin's lip service to "special needs" families during the election, she has made very few substantive policy statements on disability topics. This has not gone unnoticed by disability advocates:

"Since the end of the presidential election, we haven't heard Sarah Palin articulate any specific policy proposals [on disability]," said Peter Berns, CEO of The Arc, a Beltway lobbying group representing people with intellectual disabilities. Like nine other national disability-rights leaders The Daily Beast spoke to, Berns pointed to Palin's excusing of Rush Limbaugh's use of the word "retarded"—even as she hammered Emanuel, President Obama's chief of staff, for the same sin—as evidence of her lack of seriousness. "It has unfortunately politicized the issue in ways that are not productive, and it has converted what really are bipartisan issues into partisan ones," Berns said.

It became clear during the election that Palin was not a deep policy thinker, but it always annoyed me that the press swooned over the fact that she was a parent of a kid with Down's Syndrome without closely examining her views on funding the services that people with disabilities need to get by in life. I don't doubt that Palin loves her son, but I doubt she favors putting more money into Medicaid community-based services or stronger enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In fact, I doubt she's spent enough time thinking about those issues enough to form an opinion. Palin is quick to call out perceived slights against her son and his disability, but a certain hollowness accompanies those protests because it seems that, for Palin, the disability community is a constituency of one.

Thanks again to Andrew Sullivan for the tip.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:00 PM | Comments (0)

February 23, 2010

The Mind Boggles

Here's a recent quote from a Virginia state legislator named Bob Marshall:

The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps has increased dramatically. Why? Because when you abort the first born of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children. In the Old Testament, the first born of every being, animal and man, was dedicated to the Lord. There’s a special punishment Christians would suggest.

It goes without saying that this guy's a Republican. And in a few sentences, he illustrated why the disability community has so few allies in the G.O.P.

Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the tip.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:35 PM | Comments (3)

February 22, 2010

Final Act

The President's health care proposal doesn't contain any big surprises, which in itself isn't a big surprise. It splits the difference between the House and the Senate bills on the issue of premium credits for purchasing insurance and it provides more Medicaid funding to states while eliminating the special deals cut with certain states, but it otherwise mirrors the Senate bill in most respects. But the proposal does signal something important; the President has no intention of heeding Republican demands to scrap the past year's work and start over (or, in practical terms, not pass anything). Of course, Republicans will spend the next few days working themselves into a lather as they scream that Obama is trying to "ram" a bill through Congress. The media will eat it up, but the story really worth watching in the coming weeks is whether Congressional Democratic leaders can herd up enough votes to put a comprehensive bill across the finish line.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:32 PM | Comments (0)

February 21, 2010

Critic At Large: Up in The Air

Up in the Air is, on its surface, about a man who makes his living wreaking havoc on other people's lives while keeping himself at a safe distance from any real human connection. But it's also about how difficult it really is to escape the consequences of our actions. Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is a corporate assassin hired by companies to inform employees that they have been terminated. Ryan delivers this news to dozens of people each day and then catches a plane to the next city on his itinerary where he does the same thing all over again. He performs his duties with cool and competent professionalism, never taking offense at the insults hurled at him or empathizing with his victims' pain. He is most at home in the airports of America and his motivating goal is to amass 10 miillion frequent flyer miles.

Of course, events transpire to cause him to second-guess the nature of his efficient but lonely life. His company hires an ambitious young employee who wants to drastically reduce the amount of time employees spend on the road and instead fire people via web conference; a plan that Ryan loathes. He also meets a fellow road warrior (the absolutely beautiful Vera Farmiga) with whom he initiates a casual affair that, much to his surprise, he wants to pursue as a real relationship.

The recession serves as the film's backdrop, with Ryan as its emissary. He doesn't spend too much thinking about the consequences facing the people he fires. All the time he spends in airplanes is an apt metaphor for his aloofness from other people. If you expect Ryan to be completely transformed by the end of the movie, you'll be disappointed. And that's what makes the movie so great. Ryan discovers that it can get pretty lonely up in the clouds, but life here on earth can be unpredictable and with no clear destination.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:00 PM | Comments (0)

February 20, 2010

In Which I Actually Defend Fox Television

I just watched the Family Guy episode that has put Sarah Palin on the offensive over the past week. In this episode, teenage son Chris goes on a date with a high school classmate who has Down's Syndrome. When Chris asks about her family, she informs him that her mom is "the former governor of Alaska." Incidentally, the character is voiced by a woman with Down's Syndrome.

I should note that I'm a generally a fan of the show. Its confrontational and sometimes over-the-top humor can push the envelope of good taste, but that's one of the functions of comedy. This particular episode didn't strike me as a cruel attack on people with Down's Syndrome in general or on Palin's son in particular. Instead, it seemed to be poking fun at Palin's tendency to refer to her son's disability in political settings when it suits her. The episode as a whole treats the character as a fairly typical teenage girl with a personality that is not solely defined by her disability. Andrea Friedman, the voice of the character, released a statement that pretty much says the same thing.

Palin's reaction is typical of those who view disability through a prism of tragedy and suffering, making them unable to see any humor in the situation or in their own reactions to it. It's a reaction ultimately fueled by pity and sentimentality. Given a choice between the worldviews of Palin and Family Guy, I'd rather hang out with the Griffins.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:51 PM | Comments (0)

February 19, 2010

Nerd Pheromones

The Daily Mail points to a scientific study that I can only interpret as good news:

Most women claim to be attracted to tall, dark and handsome men, but a new study has revealed that facial stubble and a geeky personality are their biggest secret turn-ons.

I will spend the weekend not shaving, but I'm pretty sure I've got the "geeky" thing covered. Stay tuned to find out whether I can independently verify this study's findings.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:50 PM | Comments (3)

February 18, 2010

Showdown

Another veto override battle is shaping up between legislators and Governor Pawlenty over the reinstatement of General Assistance Medical Care, the state health care program for our poorest and most vulnerable citizens. The scaled-back version of GAMC overwhelmingly passed the Legislature, but it's uncertain whether House Democrats can rustle up enough Republicans for an override. I was at the Capitol yesterday on unrelated business and was impressed by the turnout of community and union advocates who showed up to support preserving GAMC. If that kind of pressure continues over the weekend, an override could happen. But I'm betting Republicans toe the line for Pawlenty, even though many of them probably will do so with deep reluctance.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:24 PM | Comments (0)

February 17, 2010

The Truth Can Be Complicated

A few months ago, I posted about Rom Houben, the Belgian man who attracted media attention for allegedly being misdiagnosed as being in a vegetative state. Using a method known as facilitated communication, Houben seemed to offer vivid descriptions of his years spent conscious without being able to communicate with anyone. His medical staff is now reporting that he may not have been communicating his own thoughts. Further tests showed that Houben was unable to identify simple objects that were shown to him while his facilitated communicator was in another room.

It's probably discouraging news for his family. The story of someone maintaining his mind and sense of self despite a severe brain injury is something we'd all like to believe. That's not to say that this man isn't conscious, but "conscious" can mean a lot of things. Perhaps he has some awareness of his surroundings but doesn't possess the ability to articulate anything. Or maybe he inhabits a mental state that we can't begin to understand or imagine.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:52 PM | Comments (1)

February 16, 2010

Splurge

I walked into my local comic book shop (Big Brain, yo!) intending to pick up "just a few things". I walked out an hour later with a slightly dazed expression, a plastic shopping bag densely packed with brightly colored reading material, and a receipt containing a dollar figure that I do not care to repeat. It's a good thing I don't have another paid holiday until May; I'm not sure my bank account could handle the shock. But I'm looking forward to checking out the first volume of Harry Potter riff Unwritten and the first few issues of post-alien-invasion-epic Resurrection.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:25 PM | Comments (0)

February 15, 2010

Slash And Burn

Governor Pawlenty released his proposed supplemental budget to address Minnesota's $1.5 billion deficit for the current year. It's pretty grim reading from a health and human services perspective. MinnesotaCare, the state health care program for the working poor, would no longer be available to single adults. Services for people with mental illness would be reduced. Payments to nursing homes would be cut.

Of course, these are initial proposals and the Democratic majority in the legislature will present their own proposals in the coming weeks. It's doubtful that anyone will utter the phrase "tax increase" this year. Pawlenty is burnishing his fiscal conservative credentials and state Democrats are hyper-aware of the hostile political environment. As a result, any long-term solution to the state's financial woes will be off the table and it will be déjá vu all over again next year when we confront a much bigger deficit. We've had budget shortfalls for most of the past decade and that seems likely to continue well into the new decade.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:11 PM | Comments (1)

February 14, 2010

To All My Secret Admirers

Happy Valentine's Day to all my readers. And to all of those who have sent me similar wishes, here's my response:



If you're not a Star Wars fan, then I'm sure a few minutes with Wikipedia will make everything clear. Image courtesy of io9's gallery of geeky Valentine greetings.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 01:36 PM | Comments (0)

February 13, 2010

Wall Of Sound

Time to hit the shuffle button:

"The Chaconne" by Dessa -- Dessa is a local artist who got her start with the Doomtree hip-hop collective and has just released her first solo album. She brings a writerly sensibility to her songs, like this one about a musician who finds fame but not happiness. Her vocal delivery is lush without being showy and her lyrics defy hip-hop convention; you won't hear many artists rap about the Chicago Manual of Style. Dessa represents all that's exciting and fresh about the Twin Cities music scene.

"Lewis Takes Off His Shirt" by Owen Pallett -- This elaborately crafted pop song is part of Pallett's album Heartland, which tells the story of a psychotic farmer named Lewis who gets into shouting matches with a deity named Owen. The soaring orchestral stylings of Pallett's music reminds me a bit of Sufjan Stevens, but Pallett's tendencies are more confrontational. This song's refrain of "I'm never gonna give it to you" is almost joyful in its defiance.

"When I'm Small" by Phantogram -- Phantogram is a New York duo that combines elements of rock and electronica to create icy cool songs like this one. It sounds like something the house band of an intergalactic dive bar would play on a Friday night. Expect to hear this song on Grey's Anatomy any day now.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:35 PM | Comments (1)

February 12, 2010

Conan, What Is Best In Life?

Well, hipster puppies, for starters.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:19 PM | Comments (1)

February 11, 2010

I Want In

Dear Google,

Please consider me as a candidate for the roll-out of your experimental uber-fast broadband network. I promise to use it for noble purposes that won't include downloading copyrighted material or streaming porn. What those noble purposes are, I cannot yet say, but I'm sure I'll think of something.

Would it help to point out that I'm a loyal Gmail and Reader user? I even fire up Chrome once in a while.

Pretty please?

Sincerely,

Mark

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:21 PM | Comments (0)

February 10, 2010

Endgame

Obama's late-February summit on health care reform isn't designed to broker an elusive bipartisan deal that will leave John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi sobbing in each other's arms. As Jon Chait points out, it's designed to show a confused and ambivalent public that Republicans have no serious, workable ideas to contribute to what is already a moderate and centrist reform package. Republicans sense a trap, but a refusal to participate would play right into the President's hands and reinforce the notion that Republicans are obstructionist and completely uninterested in bipartisanship.

How this will actually play out is anybody's guess. The public still seems to want Congress to pass a health care bill, but they also really don't like it when Mommy and Daddy fight. Obama has to thread the needle; he has to expose Republican intransigence and explain the bill's merits without seeming like a bully or a didact. It's a task that is certainly not beyond his abilities, but his success should be measured by the only milestone that really matters: getting a comprehensive bill passed.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:14 PM | Comments (1)

February 09, 2010

And Nary A Mention Of Death Panels

Terry Pratchett, the British author who was previously diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, is pushing for legalization in the U.K. of assisted suicide for those who are terminally ill. A BBC poll finds that the British public seems largely supportive of the idea, but becomes more ambivalent if it's made available to those who aren't terminally ill.

It's interesting to note that the issue of assisted suicide has fallen off the radar in the last few years. I can't remember any state legislature debates or ballot measures on the issue in recent memory. I can't tell if that signifies a shift in attitude or if we're simply distracted by our economic woes. It wouldn't surprise me if most of Western Europe passes laws legalizing assisted suicide before the end of the decade, but a revival of the debate here in America doesn't seem to be on the horizon.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:53 PM | Comments (2)

February 08, 2010

Facebook, What Hath Thou Wrought?

A recent Pew survey found that only 14 percent of teens blogged in 2009, compared to 28 percent in 2006. Hmph. I guess kids have better things to do than write cogent, articulate blog posts on topics like "Radiohead Is Self-Evidently Awesome" or "Who Would Win A Picard-Adama Deathmatch?" Truly, the American literary spirit is dying. But all is not lost. The same survey shows that blogging is slightly up among the 30-and-over crowd. Ours may be a dying art, but we will not be deterred from the noble endeavor of posting our completely unsolicited opinions for all the world to see. And maybe, just maybe, we can pass on our collective blogging mastery to enough aspiring wordsmiths to keep the tradition alive for future generations.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:38 PM | Comments (2)

February 07, 2010

Communication Failure

Even though the Americans with Disabilities Act has been law for almost two decades, businesses and institutions still remain oblivious to its requirement regarding reasonable accommodations. The Star Tribune reports on a local hospital that recently paid damages for failing to provide interpreters to deaf patients. As a result, one patient didn't comprehend that her cancer was terminal until she was close to death.

Even though hospitals work with people with disabilities every day, they are agonizingly slow when it comes to complying with the ADA and similar laws. Whether it's because of institutional inertia, arrogance, or indifference, it's inexcusable. In this particular case, no amount of note-writing or informal interpretation by friends and family can substitute for a trained interpreter who is familiar with medical jargon. The hospital simply should have known better.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:11 PM | Comments (0)

February 06, 2010

Blogging, Interrupted

Sorry about the lack of posting yesterday. Once again, I neglected to renew my domain name on a timely basis. This has happened enough times that it's beginning to undermine my rep as someone who is attentive to detail. Perhaps I need to hire an administrative assistant. Necessary qualifications: solid organizational skills, proficient typist, excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to look awesome in fishnets.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:28 PM | Comments (3)

Keeping It Real

From The Onion:



Thanks to Charles for the link.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:03 PM | Comments (1)

February 04, 2010

Extraterrestrials Are The New Hotness

This year's expanded slate of Oscar nominees for Best Picture includes not one, but two science fiction films (Avatar and District 9). I don't have the patience to do a Wikipedia search, but I'm pretty sure that hasn't happened in recent memory (fellow cinephiles are free to correct me). District 9 probably doesn't stand a chance against Avatar's big blue hype machine, even though it seems to align well with Academy voters' preference for darker fare. And both of them might get branded as too geeky and lose out to a movie that doesn't feature any oppressed, noble aliens. Still, the Academy's recognition of these films should go a long way towards ensuring that studios continue to produce more quality science fiction films...about oppressed, noble aliens.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:54 PM | Comments (0)

February 03, 2010

Sparking Innovation

The next iteration of the X Prize will offer $10 million to the team that successfully develops a brain-computer interface. Previously, the X Prize awarded $10 million to Virgin Galactic for successfully developing a viable commercial passenger spacecraft, so this new competition bears watching. The article doesn't go into a lot of detail on what will constitute the winning entry, but it does contain this curious quote:

The Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) X PRIZE will reward nothing less than a team that provides vision to the blind, new bodies to disabled people, and perhaps even a geographical “sixth sense” akin to a GPS iPhone app in the brain.

I'm not sure how a BCI will give me a new body, but that's not what what I'm interested in. I just want the means to take over the world with my army of giant thought-controlled robots. I promise that the winning X Prize team will be appointed to appropriate scientific roles (yet to be determined) within my royal court. Also, I will make myself available to all teams for field testing.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:41 PM | Comments (0)

February 02, 2010

Just Right

After a few additional tweaks, it seems that all the bugs have been worked out with my new seating system. No muscles are groaning and no vital internal organs are getting squished, which is a good sign. So, hopefully that's done for another decade and a half. Anyone else trying to sit in this would probably get a horrible backache, but it works for me.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:20 PM | Comments (0)

February 01, 2010

Not For Love Or Money, But For Blue Cross

Terri Carlson, a divorced woman in her forties with a rare genetic condition, is searching for a husband. More specifically, she's seeking a husband who can provide her with health care coverage because she cannot obtain coverage due to her preexisting condition. To that end, she has set up a website to promote herself and solicit offers from potential suitors. In a YouTube video featured in a CBS News interview, she said, "The lower the co-pay, the sexier you are to me!"

I don't post this because I'm interested in throwing my hat in the ring (although she seems like a lovely woman and, hey, she could do worse), but to point out that this is probably an exaggerated example of a real trend. Plenty of couples probably factor in health care coverage considerations when deciding whether and even whom to marry. And it's a concern that probably never enters the head of a woman living in Canada or the U.K. or any other country with national health care.

To be fair, Ms. Carlson could look for a different job that offers health care, but the combination of a bad economy and her health issues may make that a difficult proposition. Meanwhile, the Democrats are still wringing their hands over whether to pass a health care bill. If they fail, perhaps Ms. Carlson can guilt a Democratic congressman or senator into marrying her. I hear those federal benefits are pretty good.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:49 PM | Comments (1)