Here’s the latest chapter in the shutdown drama. It looks like the Legislature will pass budget bills that will keep our state parks open, along with the departments that oversee agriculture and job training. But still no deal on budgets for human services, transportation, and education. Some state workers are starting to feel the strain, especially those with little or no vacation time to see them through a forced work stoppage. At my own workplace, the tension is mixed in with some gallows humor about the situation in which we find ourselves. DHS has probably spent hundreds of thousands–maybe even millions of dollars–in staff time and other resources to prepare for a shutdown. And it will cost even more money to start up again after a shutdown.
It would all be a bit surreal if it wasn’t hurting people financially.
On a completely separate note, it looks like Canada is on its way to legalizing same-sex marriages. A fitting end to Pride Month.

The Supreme Court issued its long-awaited Grokster decision (PDF version) today. It probably will disappoint those who were hoping for a ringing endorsement of P2P activity. The 1984 Sony decision appers to still apply, insofar as the Court has affirmed that a technology with potentially infringing uses does not automatically expose the developer to copyright liability. However, the Court seems to have established some sort of conduct-based test for determining whether a developer should be held liable for infringement. In other words, did the developer induce users of the technology to engage in infringing activity? This is a pretty vague standard and it will be interesting to see how it evolves in lower court. But if I was the CEO of Grokster or Streamcast, I’d start thinking about moving my operations overseas or looking for a new line of work. Because I don’t think any court is gonna buy the argument that Grokster is all about spreading the complete works of Shakespeare.

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I saw one of the most bizarre Daily Show segments ever last night. Stephen Colbert was interviewing a porn starlet named Mary Carey and her producer/director/pimp/whatever. They had recently attended a GOP fundraiser and wrote a $5,000 check to the Republicans. When Colbert asked Carey why she wanted to be a Republican, this was her reply (I’m paraphrasing here):
I think Republicans are wealthy and powerful people. If I want to be wealthy and powerful, I should hang around these people. If you play with cripples, you start limping. I don’t want to be a cripple.

I guess she was equating Democrats with people with disabilities. Here’s my question for Republicans. Do you really want this vacant-eyed, deeply troubled woman affiliated with your party? I know you’re trying to create a big tent and everything, but do you really need the porn vote?
Part of me wants to formulate a response to Carey’s remark, but I’m not sure it would be terribly effective. It’s not like I’m going to organize a boycott of her films or anything. I’m trying to picture myself sending e-mails to porn distributors saying “Please stop carrying Busty Dildo Lovers #4 and Hot Showers #6.” Nope, I don’t think that’s going to inspire a letter-writing campaign.
But I’m sure there are many porn stars who have more enlightened views on disability. Maybe we can recruit some of them to organize a porn-and-disability themed Democratic fundraiser.
Okay, so maybe that’s not a good idea either. I got nothing.

Via Slashdot, here’s a story about a prosthetic arm that enables the user to feel sensations such as hot and cold. You’d think Darth Vader could have afforded one of these instead of that ugly claw of his.
I can’t stop listening to DARE from the new Gorillaz album. It has this infectious beat that strokes my brain just the right way. Oh, and I’ve really gotten into Bloc Party and those shimmering 1980s-ish washes of guitar that infuse their songs.

Cary Tennis, the advice columnist over at Salon, has posted a response to a letter from a young woman who recently became physically disabled. The woman is struggling with adjusting to life with a disability, including the sometimes inconsiderate behavior of other people. Tennis’ response is a bit florid, but he demonstrates a surprising level of awareness in regards to disability rights and culture. He actually suggests to the woman to consider some kind of activism. He writes, “Further, I must say, when I see people in wheelchairs going about the city, I’m not glad they’re disabled, but I’m glad that they’re living life.” Which, really, is all we can hope for anyone.
Thanks to Susannah for pointing that out to me.
Lots of War of the Worlds hype out in Geek Land. Dark Horse is doing a serialized webcomic of WotW based on H.G. Wells’ original text. If the panels they’ve published so far are any indication, it should be supercool. Wonder if they’ll do a dead-tree version.