August 31, 2011

Reboot

Comic book geeks are debating the merits of DC Comics' reboot of its entire line of superhero comics, which begins this week. DC hopes the reboot will attract new readers who have previously shied away from comics that have decades of continuity. Imagine starting to watch Lost in the middle of its fifth season and trying to figure out the plot and the characters' relationships to each other. That kind of serial storytelling is amplified in comics a hundredfold, making it difficult for new readers to understand exactly what is going on in Justice League #578. The reboot solves that problem by wiping out the continuity and starting every series at issue #1. Comic book geeks being comic book geeks, many of them are outraged that DC is tampering with storylines that they've followed for years.

I'm not a huge DC fan, so I don't have strong feelings about the move. I am curious to check out a few of the 52 titles to see if they grab my interest (like Justice League and Batman). But I'm much more interested in the forthcoming season 9 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

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

August 30, 2011

Sweet Tooth

Regular readers of this blog know that I'm not much of a foodie. On most days, my diet is a rather monotonous affair consisting of a highly nutritious but unpalatable liquid. But sometimes I stumble upon something that reminds me how pleasurable food can be. Over the weekend, I was at Parma 8200 with visiting family. It's an Italian restaurant located in a nondescript suburban corner. When dessert was served, I noticed my brother's partner eating some kind of chocolate custard that looked quite tasty. I asked him about it and he explained that it was a chocolate budino and offered to let me try some. I ate a spoonful and fell in love. It has a consistency thicker than pudding, as if someone baked a chocolate cake and then melted it into a bowl. The chocolate itself wasn't too sweet and it was pleasantly warm, which made it all the easier to gulp down a few more spoonfuls.

I may have to treat someone to dinner just so I can try it again.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:12 PM | Comments (0)

August 29, 2011

Crank

I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the  politicians. We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. He said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?' Listen to the American people because the American people are roaring right now. They know government is on a morbid obesity diet and we've got to rein in the spending.--Michele Bachmann

I don't point this out as another example of a GOP politician saying something nutty. These days, that's nothing remarkable. But she is also a serious contender for her party's presidential nomination. If Bush had uttered these words back in 2000, he would have been widely ridiculed. It's one thing to profess one's faith, but it used to be that only the fringe candidates resorted to this kind of loopy doomsaying.  A decade of middle-class stagnation and a rapidly changing world have propelled the fringe to the mainstream. And if the economy keeps sputtering along for another year and Obama continues to seem ineffective, voters may be desperate enough to give the fringe a turn at the wheel.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:20 PM | Comments (2)

August 26, 2011

Presidential Library

While I'm disappointed with several of Obama's actions as president (the tepid stimulus, the abandonment of the public option, the surrender to Republicans on austerity measures), I can't criticize the man's reading choices. The New Yorker looks at Obama's summer vacation reading list, which skews heavily towards contemporary fiction. I'd be curious to compare Obama's list to those of Perry and Romney. I'm willing to bet that Perry, assuming he reads at all, is probably still meaning to get around to finishing the last fifty pages of The Shack. Romney seems like the kind of guy who re-reads Atlas Shrugged every couple summers.

Any president who reads David Mitchell has my vote. I'm sure my fellow liberal elites feel the same way.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 03:38 PM | Comments (0)

August 25, 2011

The Literary Life

Book club consumed all my mental energy tonight. More tomorrow.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:32 PM | Comments (0)

August 24, 2011

End Of An Era

I'm saddened but not entirely surprised to learn that Steve Jobs is retiring as Apple's CEO. His resignation letter hints that his persistent health troubles have not improved and may have worsened. While I don't consider myself an Apple devotee, Jobs deserves piles of credit for transforming a marginalized computer company into an iconic brand that churns out elegantly designed and inherently cool products. Without Jobs, the personal computer might still be stuck in the "beige box" era. Jobs demanded products that melded form and function, a design ethos that can now be seen in electronics, cars, furniture, and any number of consumer goods.

Apple will likely continue to prosper. Jobs hand-picked its management team and it's nearly unthinkable that they could damage a company with so much momentum. And Jobs will continue to exert his influence for at least a while longer. Heck, he still might persuade me to switch to a Mac one day.

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

August 23, 2011

Break Time

The Wall Street Journal reports that office drones who do a little web surfing during the workday are more productive and have an easier time re-focusing on the task at hand. I'll fess up to taking occasional surf-breaks when I'm working. I find it especially helpful after I've been writing or editing a document for an extended period. After a little surfing to scan the news or my Twitter feed, I find that I'm more adept at catching mistakes and coming up with more concise sentences. I'm fortunate to have a boss that treats us like professionals and who could care less about our surfing habits so long as we turn in quality work on time. Now, if only my bureaucratic masters would realize that Firefox or Chrome is vastly superior to the exercise in pain that is Internet Explorer 7.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:49 PM | Comments (0)

August 22, 2011

Critic At Large: Captain America: The First Avenger

I'm not intimately familiar with the Captain America comics, but the film's trailer intrigued me enough to lure me into the theater over the weekend. Captain America can safely be considered a B-lister in Marvel's stable of superheroes, so the movie could have gotten away with being merely competent and audiences would have been satisfied. Captain America aspires to be more than competent, taking us on an invigorating romp through a comic book version of World War II. The story itself doesn't need much explanation. Steve Rogers is a 90-pound weakling who desperately wants to join the military and aid in the battle against the Nazis, but keeps getting turned away because of his physical frailties. Thanks to a chance meeting with an Army scientist at the World Expo, Rogers is enrolled in a secret military program designed to turn him into a super-soldier. Meanwhile, renegade Nazi officer Johann Schmidt (played with appropriately sinister megalomania by Hugo Weaving) is pursuing his own plan for world domination.

The movie's light touch keep Captain America from becoming a jingoistic self-parody and lets his simple humanity win the audience's sympathies. This attention to character development, along with several clever yet not altogether original action sequences, separates Captain America from lesser peers like Daredevil and Fantastic Four. Aside from an after-credits scene that plays more like a commercial, Captain America is perfectly enjoyable popcorn entertainment drenched in lovingly rendered nostalgia.

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

August 19, 2011

The Wrath Of Deckard

Director Ridley Scott appears to be in something of a nostalgic mood lately. He's currently working on Prometheus, a film loosely related to the Alien franchise. And now comes word that he's going to tackle another Blade Runner movie. Details are scarce,  but I don't see how the new film could include Harrison Ford since replicants don't physically age. Unless Ford stars as the human Deckard upon which the replicant in the original is based. The elderly Deckard comes out of retirement to track down the revolutionary leader of the replicants who is...wait for it...a CGI-rendered version of a younger Ford as the Deckard replicant! And the two of them get into an epic smackdown aboard a derelict attack ship off the shoulder of Orion.

Somebody get my agent on the phone.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:36 PM | Comments (0)

August 18, 2011

Newer Isn't Always Better

My medical supply company has been trying to gently persuade me to give up my bulky, old-school ventilator in favor of a newer, more compact model. I've been reluctant simply because I'm so accustomed to my current vent (the LP-10, if you're curious) and how it interfaces with me. I know how to trigger the alarm to get someone's attention and how to tweak the settings when necessary (such as when I'm doing a lot of public speaking). In short, it's familiar and comfortable.

Yesterday, I received a letter from my supply company notifying me that there's a slight problem with the new ventilator intended to replace my current vent. Apparently, it may suddenly stop working without warning. I understand that any medical device can malfunction, but my clunky LP-10 has been a dependable machine over nearly two decades of use. As you might guess, I'm even less enthusiastic about the new vent now.

I'm usually an enthusiastic adopter of new technology, but this might be an instance where sticking with what works is the better option.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:56 PM | Comments (1)

August 17, 2011

Policy Has Consequences

The Star Tribune has done an excellent job of covering the ins and outs of the state budget debate over the last several months. While the debate may be over for now, the Strib notes that the human services cuts enacted as part of final deal are now being felt by people with disabilities and their families. The article profiles a mother who is a paid personal care attendant for her brain-injured adult son. Thanks to one of the more heartless budget provisions pushed by the GOP legislature, she will be forced to take a 20% pay cut because she is a family relative. Plenty of other parents are in her position and will be forced to get other work to compensate for their lower wages. That's less time they can spend giving quality care to their family members with disabilities.

Somebody needs to explain to me how this constitutes reform.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:01 PM | Comments (4)

August 16, 2011

Cheap Labor

I got sidetracked doing tech support for a nurse who desperately needs a more capable laptop. I'll be back tomorrow with something more worthy of your time and attention.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:37 PM | Comments (0)

August 15, 2011

Sizing Up The Competition

I'm trying to figure out which GOP candidate I'd most like to see in a general election against Obama. With Tim Pawlenty finally abandoning his quixotic run for the presidency, three viable candidates remain: Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, and Mitt Romney. For sheer entertainment value and likelihood of defeat, Bachmann is hard to top. Barring an economic cataclysm, she stands no hope of winning a general election. Yet the prospect of watching her debate Obama could very well be the most stupendously absurd ninety minutes of television ever.

Romney would probably run a competent yet boring campaign that he could very well win if the stars align just right. I have no desire to live in Romney's America, but he's probably reasonable enough to resist the worst of the Tea Party's impulses. Then again, that reasonableness might be the very thing that prevents him from being the nominee.

A Perry candidacy would likely carry echoes of the Bush years and his presidency would thrust this country back onto a belligerent and destructive path. He would do his best to model the rest of the nation on Texas, which a Republican Congress would eagerly facilitate.

I'd better start making plans now to volunteer for Bachmann in the Iowa caucuses this winter.

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

August 12, 2011

Since You Asked: Day 5

Michelle asks about my first kiss.

It may be difficult to believe now, but I was quite the ladies' man back in the sixth grade. I was a terrible flirt and girls would actually compete with each other to hang out with me during recess. It was probably the high point of my romantic life. Yes, I realize how sad that must sound.

Anyway, I had my eye on a particular girl in my class--Melanie. She had brown hair and big wet eyes. We had taken to spending a lot of time together and I had an inkling that she might like me as well. My friends knew all about this and decided to move things along. One day while my friends and I were in the school library, they suddenly pushed me into a quiet corner between bookshelves. Melanie was waiting there. She didn't say anything. She just leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. My usual gift for words left me and I think all I could manage was a dreamy "Wow!"

Not much became of me and Melanie. We went to separate schools for seventh grade and I never saw her again. But it seems appropriate that I was surrounded by a hushed audience of books when a girl kissed me for the first time.

Thanks for making the first annual Since You Asked Week such a success. We'll have to do this again sometime.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 09:39 PM | Comments (0)

August 11, 2011

Since You Asked: Day 4

@bolilla asks:

What piece of new or yet-to-be developed technology would you most like to have?

I've become more interested in purchasing an iPad for those times when I want to be on-line but don't want to be stuck at my desk. The New Yorker app alone might be worth the price of admission. However, I can't justify the purchase until someone comes up with a hands-free interface that allows me to use the iPad independently. That might be wishful thinking and I may just have to invest in a MacBook Pro with a head-tracking system, but I'd love to be able to use a tablet. Perhaps the iPad 6 or 7 will meet my needs. Until then, my custom-built desktop serves me quite well.

Tomorrow is the last day to submit your questions! Don't make me pose awkward questions to myself.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 07:48 PM | Comments (2)

August 10, 2011

Since You Asked: Day 3

Maggie asks:

What did you do that got you past the assorted prejudices and horse-hockey assumptions about people with disabilities ... especially to get into law school and to get hired by a big outfit? What should a new kid in that kind of situation be doing?

I'm not sure I did anything particularly different than my able-bodied peers. I was a good student and had the drive and ambition typical of academic overachievers. Of course, my parents were a huge influence on me. They made it clear that, regardless of my disability, they expected me to get an education and find employment. Anything less simply wasn't acceptable. That's why I get particularly perturbed whenever someone suggests to me that I really don't have to work and could simply go on Social Security if I so desired. That's certainly a valid choice for many people, but it's foreign to my worldview.

As for any advice I might have, it's pretty standard stuff. Study hard. Find mentors who can see past your disability and will eventually be willing to extol your virtues to others. Don't be afraid to talk about your disability and how it has shaped your perspective, but remember that your disability is not the most interesting thing about you. Take every opportunity to demonstrate your competence. Enroll in challenging classes. Volunteer. Get noticed. Once people see that you're capable in whatever endeavor you choose, your disability will matter much less to others.

Keep the questions coming.

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

August 09, 2011

Since You Asked: Day 2

Joe from Wisconsin asks:

Have you ever been swimming?  In an ocean?  Is it even something that interests you?

I've never been much of a swimming enthusiast, but I did it occasionally as a kid--mostly in pools. After I had my tracheotomy, I shied away from swimming because I worried that water could easily enter my airway. My dad took me in the pool a couple times post-trach, but I was always too nervous to really enjoy it. I'm sure there's a way I could still do it safely, but it's not something to which I give much thought.

Joe also asks:

What's the best band you've discovered as an adult?

I've written at considerable length on this blog about my love for The New Pornographers. When I discovered them 11 years ago, I instantly fell in love with Neko Case's voice and the band's complex pop symphonies. I've seen them live several times and they never disappoint.

Remember, you can also submit your questions via Facebook or on Twitter to @mcsiegel19.

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

August 08, 2011

Since You Asked: Day 1

Several of you submitted reader questions in response to my solicitation last week. Let's start with the easy ones.

Allie from Minnesota asks me to give my personal ethos in one sentence.

Hmm.

"Maintain plausible deniability."

No, that's not quite it.

"Han shot first."

Yup, that about sums it up.

Allie also asks for tips on hair care products for "curly wanna-bes". I'm afraid I can't be very helpful as I just wash and go. Well, that and I get regular scalp massages from a lovely young woman who specializes in that sort of thing. I definitely notice increased sheen once she's through with me.

Remember, there's still time to submit your questions!

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:52 PM | Comments (0)

August 05, 2011

Ask Me Anything

I need blog material, Dear Readers. There's only so much I can write about health care reform or fishnets before everyone's eyes glaze over, including my own. So I'm asking readers to submit questions and I'll devote next week to answering them. Questions can be on any topic of your choosing. Yes, even those questions. In fact, especially those questions. The more provocative, the better. I'll also put out the word on Facebook and Twitter.

This could be really interesting or really awkward. Either way, it's a win for you, the reader.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 06:01 PM | Comments (3)

August 04, 2011

To Con Or Not To Con

I've been giving some semi-serious thought to going to Comic-Con next year, but I'm not sure how easy it would be to navigate a wheelchair through massive nerd herds. Yet according to this account from a Comic-Con attendee with a disability, the event organizers have given some thought to accessibility. I'm still not sure I want to camp outside a hotel ballroom for six hours just to watch a 15-minute trailer of The Hobbit, but it's good to know that some accommodations are available should I choose to go. I might be better off attending one of the many local cons before attempting San Diego.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 05:35 PM | Comments (1)

August 03, 2011

Jukebox In The Sky

I wrangled myself an invite to the buzz-heavy streaming music service Spotify and have been playing around with the free version for the past hour. It's fairly intuitive to use: type in an artist, song, or album and Spotify will produce a list of matching results available for streaming. And with 15 million tracks available in its catalog, Spotify doesn't lack for selection (although a few big artists like the Beatles are missing). It's a great way to listen to complete tracks and albums without actually purchasing them. And it offers all kinds of possibilities for creating playlists for parties.

But Spotify seems to work best if you know what you're looking for or you want to explore the playlists of friends. It doesn't offer a simple way to browse and discover new music. And perhaps I'm old-fashioned, but I'm still a little reluctant to stream all my music from the cloud. Streaming is fine for video, but sometimes I want to listen to Gorillaz on a lonely stretch of road that is completely off the data grid. I'll probably continue to use Spotify to sample music that interests, but I'll continue to purchase tracks through Amazon and iTunes.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:45 PM | Comments (1)

August 02, 2011

Quiet Revolution

The Atlantic decides to state the obvious by observing that technology has ushered in a Golden Age for introverts. We introverts have been aware of this fact for some time, but we didn't feel compelled to call attention to our growing influence and power. I mean, we're not the kind of people who like to brag (seriously, it sends us into panic attacks), but even we didn't imagine how successful we would be. After all, in what rational world would a self-conscious geek like me be able to claim he has 200+ friends without cash exchanging hands? Yet Facebook doesn't lie.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 08:35 PM | Comments (1)

August 01, 2011

Little Victories

Brian Beutler at Talking Points Memo gives a good summary of the debt deal's positives and negatives from a progressive perspective. After reading a few summaries like this, I'm beginning to think that the deal, while indeed terrible, could have been worse. The initial cuts are relatively small and won't take effect until FY 2013, which gives the economy a little breathing room. Medicaid, which seemed particularly vulnerable not so long ago, is shielded from automatic cuts (although Congress could still enact future cuts to the program). That's not much to cheer about, but with one-half of Congress in thrall to ignorant worshippers of Ayn Rand's ghost, minimizing the pain is probably the best outcome we can expect.

The most frustrating thing about this whole fiasco is that nothing has been done to address the fundamental drivers of our debt problems--entitlement program costs that vastly exceed revenues. And with Republicans demonstrably unable to offer rational proposals on either front, Obama's only leverage may be the expiration of the Bush tax cuts at end of 2012. If he loses the election, it may actually be easier for him to let them expire. He may see it as his last opportunity to set the country on responsible fiscal footing and if the Republicans don't like it, they can try to round up the necessary 60 votes in the Senate to undo it.

Posted by wintermute2_0 at 02:03 PM | Comments (0)