May 31, 2011

Everyone's Doing It

Suzy Khimm is fast becoming one of my must-read journalists covering health care policy. She seems to understand the nuances of the budget debates over entitlement programs better than many of her peers. Her coverage of Medicaid issues is particularly good, as evidenced in this guest post at Ezra Klein's blog on Medicaid and managed care. Khimm notes that more states are requiring people with disabilities and the elderly to enroll in managed care as a condition of receiving Medicaid. States hope that a managed-care-for-all model will help control Medicaid costs at a time when nearly every state is facing enormous deficits. The evidence for managed care as a cost containment strategy is dubious at best, but that hasn't swayed states like Florida from passing sweeping legislation that will transform its entire Medicaid program into a managed care model.

Here in Minnesota, Governor Dayton recently vetoed a human services bill that would have placed people with disabilities and the elderly in Medicaid managed care and similar legislation might be put forward again in a special session. I remain unconvinced that managed care organizations can deliver lower-cost care to a population that is inherently expensive. State legislators' enthusiasm for the model can mostly be ascribed to two things: a belief that the private sector does everything better and sheer fiscal desperation. And since managed care has not been previously used for these populations, legislators are free to book savings that are mostly conjecture and guesstimates. What remains to be seen is whether these same legislators will still be as enthusiastic boosters of private enterprise when the managed care organizations start demanding more money to serve people like me.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:41 PM | Comments (0)

May 30, 2011

3-Day Weekend

I'm going to lounge about on my deck before the holiday weekend completely slips away. Regular blogging will resume tomorrow.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:03 PM | Comments (0)

May 27, 2011

Humphrey Remembered

Hubert Humphrey is something of a fading demigod in these parts. His name is stamped on sports stadiums and academic institutions, but a growing number of Minnesotans probably only have the vaguest idea of who he is. Humphrey would have turned 100 and Rick Perlstein commemorates the occasion in the Times with a clear-eyed yet admiring analysis of Humphrey's legacy. Humphrey was the perfect embodiment of Minnesota-style progressivism: humble, sincere, resolute, and egalitarian. That kind of progressive spirit has been in retreat in Minnesota over the last several years, but it hasn't completely disappeared. There will never be another Hubert Humphrey, but we can strive to realize his vision of a better Minnesota and a better country.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:32 PM | Comments (1)

May 26, 2011

Americans Are Huge Socialists

Paul Ryan's plan to "reform" Medicare isn't winning the hearts and minds of the people. On Tuesday, a Democrat won a special election to fill a House seat in a deeply conservative district in upstate New York.  The winner, Kathy Hochul, took every opportunity to link her Republican opponent to Ryan's plan and it clearly worked as an election strategy. Democrats are now giddy at the prospects of hammering other Republicans with the Ryan plan in 2012.

Considering that Republicans attempted to portray Democrats as granny-killers in the 2010 election, I don't have any ethical qualms about this strategy. And while Republicans had to actually make the effort to lie when they accused Democrats of sponsoring death panels, Democrats don't have to fabricate anything when attacking the Ryan plan. It's as if Republicans are doing all the work for the opposition. It's kind of awesome when you think about it.

Changes do need to be made to Medicare to keep it solvent, but forcing people to purchase private insurance as an alternative is wildly unpopular. I just hope Democrats can have the same success attacking GOP plans to dismantle Medicaid.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:55 PM | Comments (0)

May 25, 2011

Don't Panic!

I wouldn't be much of a geek if I didn't point out that today is Towel Day. In honor of Douglas Adams, grab your favorite towel, head down to local pub to knock back a few pints, and maybe recite some Vogon poetry if the mood strikes you. I'll join you as soon as I remember where I put that babel fish.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:27 PM | Comments (0)

May 24, 2011

Big Surprise

The Minnesota Legislature adjourned yesterday without passing a budget that the governor would sign. If they don't agree to a budget by June 30, most of state government will shut down and most state employees will be furloughed. Most political observers didn't buy the claims made back in January by both legislators and the governor that they would end the session on time, so the current situation isn't much of a surprise. The deep ideological divide between the two sides is unlikely to result in a compromise anytime soon, which means I should start an office pool on the length of this impasse. I was lucky enough to experience the last state government shutdown in 2005 (ugh, I'm becoming an old-timer) and that didn't last much more than a week. I'd bet on a similar outcome this time around, but I hope to be proven wrong.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:19 PM | Comments (0)

May 23, 2011

Close To Home

When the sirens started blaring across Minneapolis yesterday, I didn't pay much attention to them. Like a lot of urban residents (especially those of us in the Midwest), I don't give much thought to natural disasters in general or tornadoes in particular. Of course, tornadoes are quite capable of striking metropolitan areas and one did exactly that in north Minneapolis, just a few miles from my place in downtown. It caused extensive damage and, to make matters worse, the North Side is already struggling with the recession's aftermath. Best wishes to my fellow Minneapolitans as they rebuild their neighborhoods. I won't so casually ignore those sirens in the future.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:42 PM | Comments (0)

May 20, 2011

Raptured

For those of you making last-minute preparations in advance of tomorrow's apocalypse, best wishes and bon voyage. Things won't be the same around here without you. I'm not sure if they have e-mail or Facebook where you're going, but try to stay in touch. And it's cool if I throw a pool party at your house tomorrow night, right? I mean, it's not like you'll be coming back. Don't worry; we'll keep the orgy participants in the living room and we'll put plastic over everything. We may be godless heathens, but we're also good neighbors.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:06 PM | Comments (0)

May 19, 2011

Self-Sufficient

The University of Minnesota Law School, my alma mater, is weaning itself off all state funding over the next few years. Noting the steady decline in state support for higher education, the Law School's administators have decided to prepare for a future when the school's funding will come only from tuition and private donors. If we assume that state coffers aren't going to be flush anytime soon (a relatively safe assumption), this move makes a certain amount of sense. The U can direct scarce financial resources to undergraduate programs that serve a far greater number of students. And the Law School can rest assured that its all-important U.S. News ranking won't be adversely affected by the caprices of state legislators.

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

May 18, 2011

Hard-Boiled

It's too bad that L.A. Noire is only available to play on consoles because it seems like an engrossing game. I have a weakness for all things noir and getting to play detective in 1940s Los Angeles is my kind of entertainment. I'll just have to add this to my list of games to play once Sony or Microsoft finally releases it neural interface. In the meantime, perhaps I'll re-read one of my James Ellroy novels to scratch my noir itch.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:47 PM | Comments (0)

May 17, 2011

Where Nothing Ever Happens

Stephen Hawking seems to be in a talkative mood as of late. In an interview with the Guardian, he makes it clear that he has no use for the concepts of heaven or God. Ever the consummate geek, he compares the human brain to a computer and declares that "[t]here is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark." Of course, I can't disagree with him. Heaven seems like an unnecessary distraction from all the singularly amazing things to be experienced here in this world: art, food, sex, an airplane ride, the weight of a slumbering dog at the foot of your bed, the sun falling outside my window and streaking the sky in apricot and rose. Hawking and I may be epic rivals, but we both know that we're heading for oblivion and we're pretty much okay with that as long as there's ample time to enjoy the ride.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:11 PM | Comments (1)

May 16, 2011

Outcasts

Alyssa Rosenberg has got me thinking about Game of Thrones and its portrayal of disability in a rigidly hierarchical society. She writes:

But one of the things the Game of Thrones universe does best is to shake up the fantastical expectation that it's reasonably easy for unusual people and people with unusual ambitions to make a place for themselves in rigid societies. The show insists that its difficult enough to fit into pre-approved roles if they're available to you, and even harder to find a place for yourself if you're unlucky enough not to slot into a pre-approved role at all.

The series features two primary characters with disabilities: Bran and Tyrion. Bran becomes a paraplegic after a tragic fall and Tyrion is a dwarf (reasonable people can argue whether dwarfism is a disability, but it clearly is viewed as such by the denizens of Westeros). Both are lucky enough to be members of wealthy nobility, which offers them distinct advantages in a society whose regard of people with disabilities is decidedly medieval. In one early episode, Tyrion, upon hearing of Bran's injury, remarks, "If you're going to be a cripple, it's better to be a rich cripple." But even their families' wealth cannot completely compensate for their status as outsiders. Both Bran and Tyrion, despite their difference in years, are keenly aware that they will always be objects of pity and scorn.

How Bran and Tyrion cope with their outsider gimp status is one of the more interesting narrative threads to be found in the series. Tyrion embraces his otherness, throwing it back in the faces of potential tormentors while unapologetically living the life of a bon vivant. Tyrion also treads perilously close to becoming a disability caricature. His only sexual relations are with whores and he seems to have completely ruled out any chance of having a relationship with a woman that isn't based on commerce. Despite his best efforts to the contrary, Tyrion seems to have accepted his outsider status to a certain extent. Bran's path has yet to be explored with the same depth (something that the next book will hopefully remedy), but both the show and the books hint that he has some untapped second sight dwelling within him. Bran also experiences some of the depression and loss that accompanies an acquired disability.

Along with Arya, Bran and Tyrion are two of the most sympathetic characters in the series' sprawling cast. The world they inhabit is one much more hostile to disability than ours, but their efforts to find a place in the world ring true for gimps like me.

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

May 13, 2011

Green-Lit

It looks like the Wachowski brothers are actually going to film their adaptation of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas. They've cast Hugo Weaving (a.k.a. Agent Smith, a.k.a. Elrond), who can usually be counted on to class up a movie. They've also cast Tom Hanks, which seems like an oddly vanilla choice for a twisty, non-linear movie like this. I'm still not completely sold that this adaptation is a good idea; the story is complicated and Hollywood studio execs tend to be allergic to complicated. But I'm willing to withhold judgment at least until I see the trailer.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 04:45 PM | Comments (0)

May 12, 2011

Historical Revisionism Is Fun!

Mike Huckabee, potential presidential candidate and defender of national wholesomeness, is concerned that our kids are learning American history all wrong. Rather than learning that America is the bestest country ever, our youth are being taught that America has sometimes exhibited questionable judgment and poor impulse control. Huckabee's counterweight to all those ponytailed hippies teaching history: cartoons about time travel! Kids will understand the true significance of the Reagan Revolution after watching it through the eyes of a bunch of time-traveling Young Republicans.

I feel deep pity for kids trapped with the kind of parents who would order this stuff. If the preview is any indication, even the animation is laughably awful. As for the content, it's the standard Reagan=Jesus propaganda that conservatives can never seem to get enough of. I'm pretty sure the hippie history teacher has nothing to worry about. Unless Huckabee becomes president.

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

May 11, 2011

Nerd Revenge

Many of my geek brethren may have noticed this article claiming that geeks make for better adults. The theory is that the teenagers who tend to be outsiders in high school are more likely to be successful adults because of the same qualities that made them outsiders. In other words, the nerdy, socially awkward kid who always gets grief from her classmates is the one most likely to create a startup that will make her a millionaire. It's a comforting notion that plays to the I'll-show-them streak that can be found in most of my kind, but it also seems a little too tidy. Success as an adult is a deeply subjective concept. For some, it may mean financial success while for others it might mean a rich family life. The article seems to use professional achievement as its metric for success. That's fine, but I'm not sure that constitutes a "better" adult.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:57 PM | Comments (0)

May 10, 2011

Heavy Weather

I'm at my computer and debating whether to move away from my windows. Sirens were going off a little while ago and the skies were looking a little queasy. I think the immediate danger has passed, but summer has apparently arrived in Minnesota. Last summer was notable for the frequency of violent weather around these parts and we seem to be wasting no time in following the same pattern this year.

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

May 09, 2011

"I Wouldn't Compare It To Sex, But It Lasts Longer."

Stephan Hawking gives a rare interview in today's Times. He makes no mention of our long-standing feud or our on-again, off-again deathmatch in space, but I'm chalking that up to shoddy research on the reporter's part. No matter, I'll have ample opportunity to discuss our rivalry when the Times sends someone to interview me. Admittedly, I haven't written any bestselling books or appeared on any Discovery Channel specials, but I'm interesting enough. I mean, I have my very own blog, don't I? Surely that has to count for something.

The interview itself is actually quite revealing. Hawking seems to have a rather pragmatic view of his disability; he doesn't gloss over its challenges but he also makes it clear that it doesn't keep him from going to the office every day. He also rightly points out that people with severe disabilities can live comfortable, meaningful lives when provided the proper level of care. He even delivers a subtle dig to conservatives who mock socialized health care.

I'm almost reluctant to fight this guy. Almost.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:50 PM | Comments (0)

May 06, 2011

Nothing Better To Do?

Republicans in the Minnesota Legislature seem distracted as of late. They should be finalizing budget bills and opening negotiations with the governor. Instead, they've allowed themselves to be distracted with efforts to ban gay marriage, impose voter identification requirements, and getting into disputes with local authors. Republican legislator Matt Dean recently singled out novelist Neil Gaiman for accepting a $45,000 speaking fee from a local library that was paid out the state's conservation and arts legacy fund. Dean put it more succinctly when he said that Gaiman is a "pencil-necked little weasel who stole $45,000 from the state."

Gaiman responded to the charges on his blog, pointing out that he charged his customary speaking fee and donated all of the money to charity. I'm a big fan of Gaiman's writing and I'll admit that he comes across quite better in the blog post than the Strib article in which he sounds just a tad pompous. That may just be selective editing, though. The library might have exercised a little more thoughtfulness about the politics of paying a substantial speaking fee with public dollars, but it's hardly an offense that should provoke name-calling. Even though our citizen legislators work on a part-time basis, a modicum of decorum that exceeds schoolyard standards should be expected.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:45 PM | Comments (0)

May 05, 2011

Vulnerable

Congressional Republicans appear to be backing off their proposal to abolish Medicare, but as Ezra Klein points out, Medicaid is still a ripe target for cuts. Senior citizens are reliable voters and noisy constituents, but the same can't be said for low-income kids, adults, and people with disabilities. Medicaid beneficiaries are woefully lacking in political influence and their advocates will likely have to make appeals to lawmakers' sense of compassion and, yes, even pity to have any hope of avoiding the most draconian cuts. That's not a great position from which to be bargaining.

Of course, this assumes that Medicaid beneficiaries even have advocates. If they are making any noise at the federal level, the mainstream media can't be bothered to cover the story (which is another problem entirely). And while advocates are busy crafting their message, Republicans and some Democrats are already crafting legislation that, while not completely gutting Medicaid, would give states much more power to trim their Medicaid rolls.

I don't suppose any K Street lobbyists have a little time to do some pro bono work for us little guys? Anyone?

Didn't think so.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:03 PM | Comments (1)

May 04, 2011

Critic At Large: Source Code

Duncan Jones wrote and directed a smart indie science fiction movie titled Moon that attracted some critical praise a couple years ago. Source Code is Jones' big-budget debut and it's notable for how skillfully it melds action-movie brawn with the brains and heart of geekier fare. The movie begins Army captain Colter Stevens waking up on a commuter train and sitting across from a young woman he doesn't recognize, but who seems to know him. He has no memory of how he got there and he soon discovers that he's occupying a stranger's body. Before he can figure out what's going on, the train ride comes to an abrupt and grim end.

Colter wakes again to find himself in something resembling a space capsule and speaking to another military officer via a video screen. She informs him that he is part of a military project whose urgent mission is to identify the individual who bombed that same train earlier in the day. The man whose body he inhabits in the simulation died in the bombing and Colter is interfacing with that man's recovered memories to recreate those last few minutes on the train. The movie is essentially a locked-room puzzle and Jones gives the viewer several false clues before revealing both the identity of the bomber and the true scope of Colter's predicament.

It's a clever story, but the characters are what gives the movie its weight. Gyllenhaal is certainly a dashing presence and he has the acting chops to convey the fear and confusion he feels throughout his mission. Jones also wraps up the story with a resolution that any science fiction afficionado will see coming long before most of the audience, but it's still effective and even a little moving.

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

May 03, 2011

Pinnacle Of Human Achievement

Here's video of a guy playing Angry Birds with only his mind. He's not playing particularly well, but that's beside the point. Once people recognize the potential of this technology (specifically, being able to play iPad games without having to put down that breakfast burrito), it will become as ubiquitous as keyboards and mice. And then I can finally give up this policy gig and join the professional gaming circuit. I'd better start thinking up some cool professional monikers like "MindFr4kker" or "NeuroFreak". Only the guys with the cool names get the endorsement deals.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:42 PM | Comments (1)

May 02, 2011

Karma Pays A Visit

Like most Americans, I shed no tears over bin Laden's death. I'm not going to start waving a giant flag while chanting "U.S.A!", but I'm glad he's not sharing the planet with me any longer. The world is still full of dangers and, a year from now, most people will be hard-pressed to name the date of his assassination. But at least we have Twitter to record events in their posterity.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:51 PM | Comments (0)