June 30, 2010

The Only Thing We Have To Fear

A recent poll found that Americans perceive terrorism and the federal debt as the most serious threats to the country. The fact that these two wildly different issues alarm Americans in almost equal measure shows that the turbulence of the last couple years has left our national psyche a little rattled. Of course, Americans' fear of terrorism is nothing new. Memories of 9/11 loom large in our collective memory and we've been in a state of low-level panic ever since then, a state that is exacerbated by news of every half-baked attempt to wreak similar havoc. But the debt is a more abstract fear with more diffuse consequences. Americans are kept awake by what is essentially an accounting problem. How much more post-modern can you get as a society?

It isn't difficult to discern the roots of this fear. The billions of public dollars spent on the TARP and economic stimulus have not improved the short-term economic outlook for most people and unemployment is still rampant, prompting a lot of questioning about the value of such spending. The debt crisis in Greece showed everyone that a spendthrift government can get itself in real trouble. My worry, though, is that this anti-deficit fervor might rob us of an economic recovery. The politics of the moment have already caused plenty of hand-wringing in Congress, where provisions to extend unemployment benefits and enhanced Medicaid funding are languishing. There's historical precedence for the proposition that bad things happen when public spending is cut before the economy has fully escaped the doldrums. It would be tragically ironic if people's fears lead to the financial hardships they were hoping to avoid.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:04 PM | Comments (0)

June 29, 2010

TV Land

Hulu, the TV streaming site, announced a subscription service that will offer much more in the way of current and older shows for $10 a month. It's intriguing, but my Netflix subscription (which includes a rapidly growing streaming catalog) serves me quite well. I'd gladly pay $20 or $30 for a service that offered both television and films via streaming (including HBO and Showtime series) and completely ditch my cable TV subscription, but that day is still probably a couple years away. Until then, I'm declaring a moratorium on additional media subscriptions. Plus, there are these things called books that I still like to consume. They can be pretty entertaining and they charge a pretty affordable one-time access fee.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:42 PM | Comments (0)

June 28, 2010

In Search Of A Schtick

Once again, I failed to make it into Time's annual list of the best blogs. It's beginning to dawn on me that my scattershot approach to blogging isn't helping me cultivate my on-line brand identity (and I just threw up a little in my mouth when I realized I wrote "on-line brand identity"). But all my favorite topics--politics, pop culture, tech, fishnets--already have popular and high-profile blogs devoted to them. I need to come up with some kind of stunt blogging event, like the girl who followed to the letter the edicts of Seventeen magazine for a month. Maybe I could chronicle my efforts to read every Star Trek tie-in novel ever written or to sample the dishes of every local restaurant in puréed form. There must be some way I can completely waste my time while still getting the attention I so desperately crave.

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

June 27, 2010

Schedule Change

Beginning tomorrow, I'll be blogging on a Monday-Friday schedule and taking the weekends off. After seven years of blogging every day with few interruptions, I'm beginning to notice the early signs of blogger burnout (long periods of staring at a blank screen, repeating myself, distracting myself by searching for images of women in fishnets). Even though my entries tend to be short, quite a bit of time can be spent on finding a topic and composing a post that isn't a complete bore. I'm also thinking that time might be put to better working on some of the long-form writing projects I've neglected for too long. And maybe I can put a dent in my to-read pile before it touches the ceiling.

I still might post the occasional weekend post when something truly noteworthy happens (most likely involving women in fishnets), but I'm hoping that weekends off will make this a better blog that's worth reading for some time to come.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:58 PM | Comments (1)

June 26, 2010

A Star Is Born

Salon has a short article about Zach Anner, the guy with cerebral palsy who is competing for a chance to get his own Oprah-approved talk show. Zach has become something of an Internet sensation and has surged ahead in the contest's vote count thanks to some help from hackers in his fanbase. Now if only the media would stop using the lazy phrase "wheelchair-bound" to describe him. Maybe Zach can do an episode on disability etiquette once he gets his own show. Of course, that will have to wait until after we complete production on our special trip-to-Amsterdam episode.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 01:42 PM | Comments (2)

June 25, 2010

The Six-Million Dollar Cat

This cat lost his rear paws in an accident and is now sporting a pair of bionic replacements. If cats also start getting neural implants, humanity's days are numbered. The little bastards have been planning something for a long time and have just been waiting for us to foolishly give them the tools they need to facilitate our destruction. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:47 PM | Comments (0)

June 24, 2010

"Coming. Soon."

I like videogames. And I like sex. So when I see a trailer for a side-scrolling game called Privates that features microscopic Marines battling evil germs as they travel through a vagina and colon, I can't help but be intrigued. The game is designed to be a subversive bit of edutainment on practicing safe sex, but I can't stop laughing at the prim-and-proper British voicework featured in the trailer. I can already imagine some flabby Fox News commentator frothing at the mouth when he finds out about this and raving about how this is just another example of Obama destroying America.

This game probably won't be sitting on many Wal-Mart store shelves, but that hardly matters in this age of digital distribution. The game itself could be horrible, in which case I'll feel silly about devoting a blog entry to it. And if it's good, I'll buy it and wait for the opportunity to shock one of my more conservative nurses.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:24 PM | Comments (0)

June 23, 2010

We're Not #1

Connecticut became the first state to expand its Medicaid program to cover low-income single adults as permitted under the Affordable Care Act. You may recall that Minnesota's political leaders debated implementing a similar expansion, but ultimately left the decision up to the governor, who just announced that Minnesota will not expand Medicaid while he remains in office. The next governor will have to decide the matter. It's frustrating to see other states pioneering this expansion while Minnesota, usually a leader in making health care access, sits on the sidelines because of petty politics. Hopefully, our inaction will only last until January (assuming the DFL can get through the upcoming primary without eating itself alive).

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

June 22, 2010

Clinging To My Black Box

Look, another article predicting the demise of desktop computers. Notebook computers can pack a lot of power into a compact package, but I don't really have a strong desire to use a computer anywhere else other than my desk. If I need to quickly check e-mail or look up something while I'm out, I can do so on my phone. And if something goes kaput on my desktop (something of a misnomer as it actually stands on the floor), I can easily ask a friend to help me swap out the offending part. I'm reasonably confident that I'll still be using a desktop in five years, just as I'm reasonably certain that in five years I'll still be reading articles predicting the imminent death of the desktop.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:06 PM | Comments (0)

June 21, 2010

Educating Everyone

The Times ran a thoughtful article about the challenges schools face in educating kids with multiple and severe disabilities. Many of these have significant cognitive challenges that make simple communication a daunting challenge. I went to school with many kids like the ones described in the article and they were typically the most segregated and isolated, remaining almost completely invisible to the rest of the students. I have no doubt that they needed to be in a special ed classroom for most of the day, but they probably could have benefited from having some contact with their able-bodied peers down the hall. The kids described in the article seem to be equally isolated, having little interaction with anyone besides the teachers and aides. I understand that educating these kids--to the extent made possible by their disabilities--is the top priority and that many of them have can't form traditional social connections. But more than most, students with severe disabilities need some contact with the rest of the world, just as the world needs to be reminded of their presence.

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

June 20, 2010

Paternal Influence

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, but especially to my dad. The dad who read to me before I could even talk. The dad who drove hours through snowstorms more than once to visit me in a distant hospital. The dad who introduced me to Tolkien and Asimov and Doctor Who. The dad who gave me my first computer and then my second and third and so on until he could probably have opened his own used electronics store. The dad who encouraged me to write. The dad who didn't blink when I first told him I wanted to be a lawyer. The dad who helped me type my papers and turn my pages. The dad who kept feeding me tiny bites long after everyone else had left the dinner table. The dad who didn't give up when it looked like I might not be able to move to Minnesota for law school. The dad who has given me more financial and emotional support than any son should reasonably expect to receive in a lifetime.

Without my dad, my life would have been unimaginably more difficult. I hope he's enjoying the new Kindle we got him and that I can someday find a way to repay him for everything he's done for me.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:33 PM | Comments (2)

June 19, 2010

Critic At Large: Splice

As far as summer movies go, 2010 has been something of a disappointment. I haven't visited the local cineplex nearly as much as in summers past simply because the releases haven't been very compelling. If the studios want me to part with $10, they're going to have to do better than remakes of The A-Team and video game adaptations. Fortunately, films like Splice demonstrate that Hollywood can still produce original, entertaining fare. Splice tells the story of two genetic scientists (Sarah Polley and Adrien Brody) who have already had some success splicing together animal genes to create crude new life forms. When their corporate sponsor directs them to stop splicing and focus on harvesting useful chemical components from their existing creations, the couple resents the interference and they decided to create a human splice in cellular form just to show that it can be done. The experiment goes further than intended and the couple soon find themselves caring for a rapidly maturing creature that initially resembles a deformed rodent with a wicked-looking stinger on its tail, but soon begins to resemble something much more human.

Of course, things go quickly downhill for the scientists and the film's denouement is probably one of the more disturbing of the year. Sarah Polley is great as a not-entirely-stable scientist whose instincts waver between warmly maternal and chillingly clinical. And Brody should get the MTV Movie Award for the Best Freaky Sex Scene of the Year (Hetero). The film is effective both as science fiction and horror; it's a shame it didn't do better at the box office. Perhaps it will be one of those movies that develops a cult following on DVD and late-night cable.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:49 PM | Comments (0)

June 18, 2010

Blue Movie

Not that I have any interest in this sort of thing, but Hustler is preparing to release a porn parody of Avatar. And it will be in 3D, so the 12 people who own 3D televisions will finally have something to show off to friends and neighbors. i cringe a little bit when I think about the scenes that might be rendered in 3D, but perhaps I'm underestimating the, ahem, pent-up demand for this sort of thing.

Of course, as an aficionado and amateur critic of all things pop, I'm obliged to watch this once it's available in order to compose an insightful blog post on the intersection of porn and pop culture. My readers would expect nothing less.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:49 PM | Comments (0)

June 17, 2010

Professional Neglect

A rural Minnesota hospital sent home a boy with a severe disability even though he exhibited signs of serious malnutrition and bedsores, prompting an investigation by the state Health Department. It's entirely possible that there's more to this story than the Strib is reporting, but if it's even partially true, it's a troubling sign that medical professionals are still failing to adequately treat people with disabilities. Most physicians and nurses receive little or no training in assessing and treating people with disabilities. And like most everyone else, they have biases about quality of life and disability. Perhaps that's what happened here; the treating nurse or physician simply assumed that it's normal for a boy with a severe disability to be malnourished and plagued with bedsores. After all, disability is supposed to be one big ball of suffering.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:07 PM | Comments (0)

June 16, 2010

Matchmaker

OKCupid, a dating site that I've tried off and on over the years, has recently been e-mailing the users deemed to be the most attractive to inform them that their hottie status ensures that they won't have to look at us snaggletoothed dregs of the gene pool when they search for that special someone. Here's an excerpt:

We are very pleased to report that you are in the top half of OkCupid's most attractive users. The scales recently tipped in your favor, and we thought you'd like to know...

Your new elite status comes with one important privilege:

You will now see more attractive people in your match results.

This new status won't affect your actual match percentages, which are still based purely on your answers and desired match's answers. But the people we recommend will be more attractive. Also! You'll be shown to more attractive people in their match results.

I now wish to extend my sympathies to all the extraordinarily beautiful women on OKCupid who will be denied the pleasure of viewing my profile. We could have some good times, but this is a crazy world and it just wasn't meant to be. There, don't cry. I'm sure you'll find someone almost as awesome as me.

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

June 15, 2010

Making The Pitch

Obama's Oval Office address on the Gulf oil spill may or may not move a comprehensive energy bill forward, but its tone reminded me of the big speeches he gave during the weeks preceding passage of the health care bill. He framed our dependence on fossil fuels as another Big Problem that we've avoided confronting for far too long. He also appealed to the American can-do spirit and challenged Congress to pass something, but avoided specifying the contours of the legislation.

I don't think presidential speeches play more than a marginal role in passing major legislation. Voter pressure and political self-interest are far more important motivating factors. But Obama's "big push" speeches are useful for crystallizing the issue and focusing the media's attention, albeit briefly, on policy solutions. The odds of a climate and energy bill passing remain abysmally low and the President could have done much more to use this crisis as an opportunity for action, so it seems premature to expect the political narrative to change. But the health care debate also demonstrated the folly of trying to predict what Congress will do.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:59 PM | Comments (1)

June 14, 2010

Sports Minute

A few thoughts after watching a couple World Cup matches over the weekend:

• That English goalie better have a new identity on standby in case his team doesn't make it to the next round. 
  
• The Germans have come not just to play, but to conquer. 
  
• Matches complete in just under two hours! I had no idea it was possible to watch a televised sporting event without losing an entire afternoon. 
  
• On the other hand, American televised sports aren't usually accompanied by a soundtrack of angry bees.
• I need somebody to explain the offsides rule to me using simple diagrams.
  

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:56 PM | Comments (3)

June 13, 2010

"When Life Gives You Wheelchair"

As part her never-ending quest to completely take over the world, Oprah Winfrey is sponsoring a contest where people send in audition videos pitching concepts for TV shows. Zach, who happens to have cerebral palsy, has an idea for a travel show. The guy's quite funny; perhaps he needs a sidekick to accompany him on his travels. He can go off with a camera crew to explore the local ruins or whatever while another crew trails me in the evenings as I survey the accessibility of the red light district and have compelling, thoughtful conversations with the natives. It sounds like just the sort of thing HBO would turn into a series.

Anyway, vote for Zach so he can get his own show and so I can get a free trip to Amsterdam.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:35 PM | Comments (0)

June 12, 2010

A Public Life

I've written before about the Canadian filmmaker who was working on a way to replace his prosthetic eye with a miniature video camera. He's now completed a prototype and now his next goal is to wirelessly transmit the video to the Internet. I wonder if he'll broadcast everything he sees; it could create some awkward moments for his spouse or significant other. I once read a science fiction story in which people lived hundreds of years and everyone had a little robotic insect hovering nearby to record every moment of their lives as a kind of memory aid. The author probably didn't anticipate that such recording systems would eventually be built right into us. I'm already dreading the reality shows that will emerge with this technology.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 01:45 PM | Comments (0)

June 11, 2010

Power Pop

I'm off in a bit to see The New Pornographers in concert for what I think is the fourth time. A couple more shows and I might be eligible for a wink from Neko Case as a new inductee to the Official TNP Groupie Association. I've been listening to the band's latest album, Together, and it's just as hooky as their previous efforts, so I'm anticipating a good show.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:22 PM | Comments (0)

June 10, 2010

Pay Up

While most people only encounter debtors' prisons in 19th century Victorian novels, the Star Tribune is running a disquieting report on people getting arrested for failing to pay court-ordered judgments that arise out of outstanding debts owed to creditors. Creditors and their collection agencies are becoming more aggressive in pursuing debtors, going so far as to seek arrest warrants for those who don't pay court-ordered judgments. Those who are arrested usually spend less than a day in jail, but the costs of the arrest can sometimes outweigh the actual amount of the debt.

I sympathize with the notion that people should be held responsible for their debts, but it's troubling to see law enforcement officers used this way for the benefit of private creditors. When I do occasional pro bono work for people in debt, I often get asked if they will get sent to jail if they don't pay a certain creditor. Most of my clients are on public benefits and protected from garnishment, so that's unlikely, but I also tell them to inform me immediately if they receive court papers. Responding directly to a court summons is always preferable to ignoring it, but most people in financial trouble don't have an attorney to whom they can turn for advice.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:51 PM | Comments (1)

June 09, 2010

Football Hooligan

The World Cup starts in a couple days and I might actually watch a few matches. Most major sporting events elicit little more than a shrug from me, but I still have fond memories of the excitement around our house when Germany won the Cup back in '90 (my mom and most of her family are native Germans). I don't pretend to understand soccer's finer points, but that won't stop the games from looking awesome on my HD television. Do any of my U.K. readers want to make a friendly wager on the England-U.S.A. match?

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:47 PM | Comments (0)

June 08, 2010

Not-So-Creative Writing

Redline Science Fiction, an on-line science fiction magazine, is inviting story submissions for a contest called Towards an Accessible Future. The concept behind the contest is to encourage stories that portray disability " as a simple fact, not as something to be overcome or something to explain why a character is evil." The winning story will appear in the September issue and the author will receive a $300 prize. The deadline is August 15th.

It's an interesting idea, but I'm not sure what the contest sponsors hope to prove. There's no reason why good science fiction can't be written featuring characters with disabilities. But it should be in the service of a good story. Everything that happens within a story is "a simple fact," whether it's the character's disability or a spaceship crashing into the desert. This contest seems to undermine its own ideal by requiring that disability be portrayed in a certain light. Why can't I write about a disabled character who's a misanthropic, philandering badass with a touch of narcissism? As long as the story is good and the characters believable, does it matter?

Hey, I think I have an idea.

Thanks to io9 for the link.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:58 PM | Comments (1)

June 07, 2010

The New Hotness

My iPhone 3GS, all cutting-edge shiny less than a year ago, is now heading over the cliff of obsolescence. The iPhone 4's sturdy-looking veneer is appealing and I'm sure my, er, foreign film collection would look fabulous on its high-res screen, but I don't feel compelled to join the fanboy stampede for an upgrade. I don't have much use for video chat (although it's worth noting that sign language is featured prominently in this iPhone 4 promotional video) and my current model already does everything I need and several things that I don't. I'll probably wait until my contract is up, at which time the iPhone 5 should be available. And it better have a mind control interface or else I'm crossing over to the Android side of the fence. It's not like Apple hasn't already invented it. I have it on good authority that Steve Jobs uses his to Force-choke his minions when they displease him.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:18 PM | Comments (0)

June 06, 2010

I Take It Back

I was catching up on back episodes of Stargate Universe last night (another show that is quickly climbing my must-see list) and one of them featured a character with a disability. Sorta. The plot involves a scientist with quadriplegia who trades bodies with a woman who is stranded on a spaceship in a completely different galaxy because the scientist's expertise is needed to repair the ship. The casting call for this episode caused a bit of controversy at the time and I was rather dismissive of the whole idea. But after viewing the final cut, I can't find much to criticize. Sure, the conceit of swapping bodies has always been one of science fiction's hokiest tropes, but the writers seem to have given some thought on what it would be like to adapt to their temporary host bodies. The scientist relishes her physical ability, but she isn't overcome with self-pity when the time comes to return to her own body. And the woman from the ship pays a visit to her partner on Earth, who gets a lesson in accommodating disability as part of a relationship.

The scientist also tries to initiate a sexual encounter while in her temporary body (referring to it as a "once-in-a-lifetime chance"), but she gets turned down. I can't really fault the writers for throwing this in. If I'm honest with myself, I'd probably try the same thing. But the episode doesn't descend into cheap wish fulfillment, which might be a response to the criticism levied at the show last year. I wouldn't want to see this as a recurring plot thread, but it was a solid effort at treating disability with a matter-of-factness that isn't often seen in television.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:08 PM | Comments (0)

June 05, 2010

Adaptive Fragging

The editors at gaming site Kotaku seem pretty impressed with video of a gamer with a disability playing Modern Warfare 2 quite skillfully even though his fingers are paralyzed. His ability to use a standard game controller despite his limited range of motion is commendable, but I'm not sure it warrants this gushy remark from the editor:

Faced with a similar setback I honestly wonder if I would have it in me to do the same. But Iain's resolve to continue enjoying all the things in life that have made him happy, before and after his accident, is as touching as it is admirable.

I play World of Warcraft with my head and a twitching thumb, but I don't expect anyone to get all misty-eyed about it. At least, not until my priest hits level 80. I might have a little cry myself when that happens.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:19 PM | Comments (0)

June 04, 2010

Lady In Red

For your Friday evening viewing pleasure, here's the video for Broken Bells' "Ghost Inside." It's got spaceships, an exotic alien world, and the gorgeous Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) as a cash-deprived android determined to take a vacation. I want to see the feature-length version of this video, which undoubtedly has a pivotal scene in which Ms. Hendricks battles alien bounty hunters who ambush her just as she's emerging from the shower. And if such a feature doesn't exist, I'm damn well writing it myself.

Thanks to Joe for the link.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:08 PM | Comments (0)

June 03, 2010

Burning Bridges With A Flamethrower

Given the dismal job market for attorneys, you would think that a law student seeking work as a paralegal would do anything to please a potential employer. This snippy e-mail thread between an actual lawyer and law student looking for a job would prove you wrong. It's not the function of a law school to polish students' social skills, but a little career coaching could mean the difference between finding a legal job and working at Best Buy because of unbridled narcissism. The attorney involved in this confrontation also deserves a scolding for not knowing how to disengage while maintaining an air of professionalism.

I have a friend who works with law students on a daily basis. I'm going to suggest that she circulate this link to students at the start of the next school year as a reminder that one thoughtless e-mail can seriously compromise one's future.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:58 PM | Comments (0)

June 02, 2010

Like Clockwork

As soon as I'm done with this blog post, I'll be printing out paystubs and bank statements to send in with my Medical Assistance renewal. It's a ritual that I perform every six months; the paperwork always arrives just as summer blossoms and again when winter is taking hold. I used to take some slight offense at having to lay my finances bare for some anonymous bureaucrat to scrutinize. But that was before I began my own career as an anonymous bureaucrat. Now I understand that this little exercise in hoop-jumping is a small price to pay to maintain my state-sponsored health care. It's not even that intrusive. I just wish there was a way I could submit this information electronically because I'm pretty sure my printer is almost out of ink.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:46 PM | Comments (2)

June 01, 2010

Policy Affecting People

The Strib profiles one man who will be affected by major changes to the state's General Assistance Medical Care program that begin today. The deep cuts to GAMC mean that this man will have to drive from Duluth to the Twin Cities for medical care. Thousands of people who live in rural Minnesota are going to face similar challenges in accessing health care. The Legislature's move to let the next governor decide whether to expand Medicaid to poor single adults will, at least for the next several months, make things much more difficult for people who are already struggling to maintain stability in their lives. I wouldn't be surprised to see more stories like this appear as the consequences of a implementing a drastically pared-down safety net program begin to make themselves apparent.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:21 PM | Comments (0)