June 30, 2011
All This Has Happened Before And All This Will Happen Again
Less than 7 hours remain until a possible state government shutdown and I'm still not sure if I'll be reporting to work tomorrow. GOP leaders spoke to reporters about an hour ago and expressed optimism that a shutdown could be avoided, but it's in their interest to project optimism. Unlike Governor Dayton, they are up for election next year and voters may take out their frustration with this gridlock on them. I'm skeptical that a deal will be reached tonight, but I'd be happy to proven wrong.
What frustrates me most about this mess is that any final deal is unlikely to resolve the state's structural deficit. This deal will probably include short-term fixes (Medicaid surcharges, accounting shifts, maybe gambling revenue) that will only patch up the hole until the next election. In two years, we'll probably face another deficit and--depending on the composition of the Legislature at the time--another round of political brinkmanship over the continued operation of state government. A couple of decades ago, no state political leader would even contemplate allowing a shutdown to occur. Now, it's becoming just another bargaining chip in service of ideology. This isn't the kind of sane, responsible governance that has characterized Minnesota for so long.
We should be better than this.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:29 PM | Comments (0)
June 29, 2011
Down To The Wire
Today is likely the deadline for reaching a budget agreement to avert a state government shutdown. Even though the fiscal year actually ends at midnight on Friday, time will be needed to recall legislators to the Capitol and get something passed. A judge ruled today that some essential services must continue, including payments to Medicaid providers. My nurses will continue to be paid, as will the home care agencies and nursing homes that care for the elderly and people with disabilities. But unless a deal is reached soon, tens of thousands of people in state government and non-profits will be laid off (including me).
I'll be keeping an eye on my Twitter feed throughout the evening and may post an update as events warrant. I'll also be composing my Craigslist ad pitching deeply discounted legal services.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:45 PM | Comments (0)
June 28, 2011
Kids Have A Right To Frag
Supreme Court Justice Scalia will never be mistaken for a geek, but his majority opinion in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Assn. is worth a read if you have an interest in videogames and 1st Amendment jurisprudence. The ruling strikes down California's ban on the sale of violent videogames and Scalia makes a compelling, carefully reasoned argument for extending 1st Amendment protections to videogames while affirming that children also enjoy 1st Amendment protections from the state's paternalistic instincts. He compares the current hand-wringing regarding videogames' effects on children to previous episodes in American history when dime novels, movies, and comic books all took their turns as punching bags for anyone who feared our nation's youth stood on the brink of degeneracy. And while Scalia can't resist making a few of his patented rhetorical flourishes, the decision is free of the unfortunate histrionics that sometimes appear in his opinions (although usually when he's in the minority).
We also learn that Justices Breyer and Alito are complete buzzkills who will never understand the pleasure of taking down a zombie with a headshot delivered by a double-barreled shotgun.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:39 PM | Comments (0)
June 27, 2011
Unsolicited
I was sitting in my office this afternoon, minding my own business, when I received an e-mail from the state's GOP legislative leaders. It addressed me as "Valued State Employee", which made me immediately suspect that this was some kind of prank. The rest of the e-mail went on to say that, gosh, they really didn't want a shutdown to happen and that none of us would be in this mess if the governor would just cave and sign the GOP's all-cuts budget. Then there was something about "hostage taking" and kitchen tables, but I was already moving the cursor to the "Delete" icon.
I don't mind skimming the GOP talking points on the web, but I really don't need an e-mail from them reminding me that I'm just another pawn on the board. Yes, the governor has e-mailed me as well, but:
(a) he's my boss; and
(b) his e-mail scored far lower on the Blatant Pandering scale.
Anyway, here's my response:
Dear GOP Leadership:
Thank you for your concern about a possible interruption of my paycheck in the near future. I share your concern and would like to continue receiving a paycheck. You have no idea how much restraint I've exercised in the past month to refrain from purchasing various comics, computer games, and some really choice vintage erotica I found on Craigslist over the weekend. But I would also like to avoid fucking over poor people who need health care and housing.
Therefore, I must respectfully request that you direct all future communications to my superior, Governor Mark Dayton. He gets paid to tolerate your canned pontificating. I don't.
Sincerely,
Your Valued State Employee
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:47 PM | Comments (1)
June 24, 2011
Just Another Muggle
Now that the Harry Potter series will be available as e-books beginning in October, I may actually get around to finishing the books. I read the first two volumes way back in the early Aughts, but somehow never made time for the rest. I could easily borrow the books from my fan-girl sister, but I don't mind contributing a few dollars to Ms. Rowling's cultural empire. As long as I can read them on any device of my choosing, I'll have no complaints. But now I must decide whether to see the final movie before reading the rest of the books. Thanks to the spoilerific nature of the Internet, I know the generals of the story's ending, but not the specifics.
What say you, Potter-maniacs? Will seeing the final movie affect my enjoyment of books 3-7?
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 12:37 PM | Comments (1)
June 23, 2011
Hiring Freeze?
Today's Strib looked at how a state government shutdown would limit the ability of home care agencies to hire nurses and personal care attendants. The state performs thousands of background checks each month on PCAs and nurses hired to serve Medicaid clients. If the state shuts down and can't conduct background checks, agencies may not be able to hire people to fill shifts for clients. I may face this problem myself since I might need to hire a new nurse in the near future. A judge will ultimately decide whether this is an essential service, but not until later next week.
Dayton and Republican legislators are scheduled to meet tomorrow and Saturday to try to resolve their differences. I cling to a small sliver of hope that they can find agreement.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 10:51 PM | Comments (0)
June 22, 2011
Fuck Fuck Motherfucker Fuck
You've seen Pulp Fiction, right? Have you seem it with everything edited out except the bad language? Because you will now. Warning: Extremely NSFW unless you're Rahm Emmanuel's personal secretary.
The weird thing about this video is that it still provides a rough outline of the movie's plot. I'm tempted to show this to someone who has never seen Pulp Fiction, followed by the movie itself. Afterwards, I'd ask which version they found more entertaining.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:07 PM | Comments (3)
June 21, 2011
Thrown Under The Bus
As negotiations to raise the federal debt ceiling intensify, Medicaid is being eyed more closely for deep cuts. Since elected officials live in constant fear of senior citizens' wrath, their latest plan is to hold the elderly harmless from any cuts while forcing younger low-income individuals off Medicaid rolls. Democrats make some vague assurances about coming up with "creative ways" to provide health care to low-income individuals, but that's not terribly reassuring. One possible solution would be to open up the health insurance exchanges required by the Affordable Care Act to people with lower incomes, but the insurance subsidies still wouldn't make coverage affordable for the very poor. The whole point of the ACA's Medicaid expansion was to ensure that low-income people would have some basic degree of health insurance. Medicaid already provides care at a much lower price tag than private insurance--sometimes too low. But because we can't allow even one crappy nursing home to go out of business, the poor will be offered the Hobson's choice of unaffordable insurance or no insurance at all.
Perhaps the final plan won't be as bleak as I've hypothesized here. But I've learned not to underestimate Democrats' capacity to flinch and abandon good policy whenever a Republican so much as looks at them sideways.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:07 PM | Comments (0)
June 20, 2011
Please Give
Some of you know that I serve on the board of directors of VSA Minnesota, a small nonprofit that works to make the arts accessible to and inclusive of people with disabilities. They do great work with both kids and adults with disabilities who might otherwise have very little opportunity to experience and create art. Due to recent federal budget cuts, VSA is facing a severe funding shortfall. There is no other organization like VSA in Minnesota and I want to see it continue bringing art into the lives of people with disabilities. Please consider giving VSA a donation to help me ensure that will happen.
Even though I may be unemployed soon, I'm going to donate $50 to VSA as soon as I post this. If even a handful of my readers could give $10 bucks each, that would be amazing. If 10 people donate because of this post, I'll do my best not mention anything about fishnets for a week. Or so.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:10 PM | Comments (1)
June 17, 2011
Sore Loser
I was beat badly in Scrabble tonight, so me and my wounded pride are going to seek solace in old episodes of Party Down streamed from Netflix. Enjoy the weekend.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:52 PM | Comments (0)
June 16, 2011
The Law's Majesty
The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled this week that driving around in a wheelchair or scooter while drunk is not a criminal offense. The court overturned a man's DWI conviction because the scooter he was operating does not meet the definition of a motor vehicle according to state statute.
This decision is important for two reasons:
- It demonstrates that our legal system is still capable of achieving true justice.
- It means that I can start planning my post-layoff drunken binge without fear of legal repercussions.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:03 PM | Comments (1)
June 15, 2011
Citizen Legislator
As the start date of a potential state government shutdown draws closer, nerves are beginning to fray. A Republican state legislator recently accused a state employee of being complicit in a communist plot after she e-mailed him to express her opposition to the Republican Legislature's budget cuts. Representative Tom Hackbarth then set a world record for proving Godwin's Law when he invoked Hitler in the same e-mail reply:
Hitler rose to power using and blaming the jews for the destruction of the German economy. Castro built his army of murderers by blaming the rich bankers and capitalist for destroying Cuba and taking advantage of the Cuban people. Hummmm?
Hackbarth has a reputation for being a generally unpleasant person. He was stripped of a committee chairmanship after he was caught with a loaded gun in a Planned Parenthood parking lot a few months ago. Given his history, juvenile outbursts like this are to be expected. The rest of the GOP caucus hasn't been very forthcoming with thoughts on their colleague's intemperate remarks, which I suppose is also to be expected.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:09 PM | Comments (0)
June 14, 2011
Rough Day At The Office
Today was one of my more depressing workdays. Both my union and our agency's commissioner held meetings to discuss the implications of an increasingly likely state government shutdown. Much is still unknown regarding which state services, if any, will be deemed essential by a judge and continue to receive funding. I can survive for a time without a paycheck, but I'm beginning to wonder how my health and nursing care will be affected. The state is already sending notices to 600,000 recipients of public assistance that benefits may end on July 1st. During the 2005 shutdown, Medical Assistance benefits continued without interruption, but that shutdown was much smaller in scope.
My own circumstances are further complicated by the fact that I'm enrolled in a Medicaid buy-in program that allows for higher income and asset limits in exchange for paying a premium. If I get laid off, I can remain in the program for a few months before having to liquidate my retirement account and other assets. That should be enough time, but it's a powerful reminder for me that long-term unemployment would probably force me onto Social Security again. I haven't collected a Social Security check since 1999.
Of course, all this could be avoided if the Republican leadership in the Legislature would be willing to meet the Governor halfway on the issue of tax increases. Instead, they remain fixated on balancing the budget exclusively through a package of cuts that will disproportionately affect the poor and disenfranchised.
I came to Minnesota because it's one of the few states in the nation that offered both the assistance and opportunities I needed to build a life of independence. The life I have simply wouldn't be possible in most other places. But I'm beginning to fear that the Minnesota that welcomed me fifteen years ago is transforming into a meaner, harsher place where those of us who need assistance of one type or another are seen as burdens rather than neighbors. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm feeling pretty discouraged at the moment.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:45 PM | Comments (1)
June 13, 2011
Critic At Large: Super 8
Super 8 is a love letter to Spielberg movies of the late 70s and early 80s such as E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Spielberg created a kind of cinema that can best be described as science fiction Americana, in which aliens and UFOs disrupt the predictable rhythms of modern American life. Super 8, adhering to the principle that imitation is the best form of flattery, sets its story in the same time and general place: a small Midwestern town that has seen better days. The plot also rings familiar to anyone familiar with Spielberg's films. A group of kids sneak out late one night to film scenes for low-budget horror film they have been piecing together. They witness a catastrophic train derailment involving some mysterious military cargo. In the following days, strange things start happening around town. People disappear and strange acts of theft and vandalism occur.
Writer and director J.J. Abrams has created a film that is considerably darker and more ominous than the movies it references. Spielberg shied away from themes of death and romantic rivalry in an effort to preserve his characters' innocence in the eyes of the audience. Abrams has no such compunctions and his teens are more nuanced as a result. Abrams has a less commercial sensibility than Spielberg, which also makes for a more interesting movie. E.T. was part of a larger marketing campaign for toys, lunchboxes, and Reese's Pieces. Without giving away too much of the plot, there isn't much in Super 8 that lends itself to such commercialization. It's not a perfect movie; Abrams' dialog can be clumsy and obvious while some plot resolutions feel lazy and uninspired. Those flaws don't detract from the film's immense enjoyability. It's a standout in a summer movie season that already has several strong entries.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:15 PM | Comments (0)
June 10, 2011
Budget Reductions
I figure this weekend is a good time to draft a list of expenses that are nice or necessary during a potential stint of unemployment.
- Housekeeper: Nice. My nurses will probably do some cleaning if I ask politely.
- Broadband Internet: Necessary. Very extremely necessary. What else will I do while I'm laid off? Go outside? Please.
- Cable TV: Nice. You see, there's this thing called Usenet...
- Mortgage: Necessary. I haven't missed a payment yet and my credit score shows it.
- My, er, Masseuse: Quite nice. Especially when she does that thing where she--well, never mind. But sacrifices must be made.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:28 PM | Comments (0)
June 09, 2011
Tattoo Sold Separately
In the future, i may be able to control my wheelchair via tongue piercing. Researchers have developed a headset that can detect positional changes in a magnetic stud inserted in the tongue. The position of the stud determines the steering of the chair. It all sounds a bit too emo for my taste, but it could be a great option for those wary of having a chip implanted in their brain.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:51 PM | Comments (0)
June 08, 2011
The Sad Spectacle Of T-Paw
Poor Tim Pawlenty. He goes to such great lengths to appeal to the Tea Party faction of the Republican base, but he still wallows in the single digits in most polls. His latest plea for attention comes in the form of an economic plan that would have unnerved even Ronald Reagan. Pawlenty proposes massive tax cuts--on top of the Bush tax cuts--along with deep spending cuts as a viable strategy for growing our way out of debt. He claims that his plan will result in in 5% percent growth for a whole decade, a rate that most economists have dismissed as pure fantasy. Pawlenty is probably smart enough to realize that his plan is absurd, but he's counting on rabid Tea Partiers getting all starry-eyed when they hear this pabulum. It's a cynical ploy, but cynicism has long defined his career. And I'm betting the true believers of his party are already getting a whiff of that cynicism and waiting on Bachmann or Palin to deliver the same insanity, but with more heart.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:53 PM | Comments (0)
June 07, 2011
A Friendly Wager
A Republican staffer at the Minnesota Legislature had the exceedingly bright idea to initiate an office pool on the length of a state government shutdown. Because betting on whether 35,000 people will be laid off indefinitely is just like betting on which film will win the Oscar for Best Picture. Of course, if Minnesota Republicans had their way, the state workforce would be halved and our unions would be disbanded. Since that isn't going to happen, they have to get their fun where they can. As expected, the Republican leadership shook their heads and tsk-tsked like disappointed parents when told of the staffer's hijinks. I'm sure they gave their underling a stern reprimand followed by a furtive high-five when nobody was looking.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:41 PM | Comments (0)
June 06, 2011
A Little Too Hands-On
The latest news out of Microsoft and Apple should put to rest any doubts that tech companies are going all-in with touch-based interfaces. Microsoft recently offered a preview of Windows 8, which features customizable "tiles" instead of the traditional desktop environment. The "tiles" are part of Microsoft's strategy to market Windows 8 as a tablet-friendly operating system. Instead of pointing and clicking, the demo emphasizes swiping and "snapping". And then there's Apple, which unveiled Lion, the next version of its desktop operating system. Lion features plenty of gesture-based commands that mimic the gestures used on iPhones and iPads.
I'm sure plenty of people will find these interfaces intuitive and useful, but I worry that these companies will start incorporating touch-based functions that have no keyboard or mouse equivalent. Right now, I can perform almost any Windows function that anyone else can. Will that still be true when I upgrade to Windows 8 or 9? Both Apple and Microsoft have been great advocates and enablers of computer accessibility. I don't expect that to change overnight, but they may need a gentle reminder that user interfaces should be flexible enough to meet the needs and preferences of the user. Plenty of consumers, gimp and able-bodied alike, simply have no use for a gesture-based and are quite happy with the mouse cursor. Don't take it away from us.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:18 PM | Comments (0)
June 03, 2011
The Late Dr. Death
Jack Kevorkian died today. Back in his heyday when it seemed he was hooking up someone to his suicide machine every other week, Kervorkian had a deeply antagonistic relationship with disability advocates. Many of Kevorkian's...clients?...had severe disabilities and the disability community accused him of presenting suicide as the only rational alternative to a lifetime of "suffering" with a disability. Kevorkian never did show much interest in dialogue with these critics and couldn't ever quite seem to comprehend how "disability" and "quality of life" could be used in the same sentence. His work and the media's fascination with him forced the disability community to articulate a counter-narrative to Kevorkian's rather explicit assumption that a life with a disability isn't worth living. That narrative is still frequently marginalized and met with blank stares, but we are becoming more skilled in its telling. Though it may not have been Kevorkian's intended legacy, he challenged us gimps to articulate our general desire to keep on keeping on, despite life's struggles and limitations. Perhaps that's something for which he should be remembered.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:35 PM | Comments (1)
June 02, 2011
Careful What You Wish For
Michelle Bachmann, Minnesota's most regrettable contribution to the American body politic, appears poised to run for president. I'm beginning to harbor a morbid hope that Sarah Palin enters the race just so I can watch these two battle each other for the hearts and minds of this country's paranoid fringe. Bachmann alone is sure to utter some nonsense that will be epic in its lunacy; one can only imagine the absurdity that will ensue if she and Palin become opponents. The possibility makes me giddy. Of course, that giddiness will quickly dissipate on the day I wake up to a Palin-Bachmann Inauguration Day and I'm hauled in for questioning by the local militia.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:14 PM | Comments (1)
June 01, 2011
Prequels
Attention geeks: You have approximately 18 months to get patch up that Gandalf outfit you last wore in 2003 for the premiere of Return of the King. The first part of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit (titled The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) will be released next December, followed by The Hobbit: There and Back Again in December 2013. I remain curious as to how Jackson and his fellow writers came up with enough material for two movies, much less the inevitable Special Edition Blu-Ray sets that will be released in due time. I'm still a little disappointed that I won't get to see Guillermo del Toro's vision of Middle Earth, but I'm sure Jackson will bring his usual flair for the epic to the proceedings.
Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:49 PM | Comments (0)