I recently wrote about a multi-year grant that my employer was being awarded. Today, I found out that I have to go to Baltimore next month to meet with representatives from CMS and discuss the details of implementing the grant. Never been to Baltimore before. When I was finishing law school, I applied for a fellowship at Johns Hopkins but wasn’t accepted. I know the best crab cakes are supposed to be had in Baltimore. And it’s the city where Edgar Allen Poe did most of his writing. Baltimore in December doesn’t sound exactly charming, but it should be interesting nonetheless. My only concern is that I’d like to bring two nurses with me for the trip. After Miami, I’ve realized how much easier it is to travel with two people, especially when there’s a flight involved. I’ll have to see what I can negotiate with my employer.
This is too cool. Kevin Kling, a writer and storyteller from Minnesota, is profiled on the BBC. You may have heard Kevin on NPR from time to time, where he is a frequent contributor. Kevin is an artist with a disability, but his disability is the least interesting thing about him. I shared a table with him at a recent fundraiser and I listened to some of his stories about visiting Turkey. Kevin is a sophisticated observer of human behavior and his stories are so much fun to listen to because he knows how to play off the audience’s emotions. If you’re in the UK and have an interest in storytelling, you should really try to go see him.

There have been some grumblings in Democratic circles that the issue of gay marriage may have cost us the election. If ever there was a red herring to rationalize our loss, this is it. In states that had ballot initiatives banning gay marriage, Bush improved his level of support by the same margin as in states without gay marriage on the ballot. Bush simply did a better job of selling himself than our guy did. But we Democrats always love a good scapegoat on which to pin our electoral frustrations. The issue of gay marriage may be this year’s Nader, which is completely unfair to gay activists. We have already won this culture war. I am convinced that the antipathy towards gays is more of a generational issue than a religious issue. Once the Boomers start shuffling off this mortal coil, we’ll probably look back and wonder what all the fuss was about. In the meantime, people in red and blue states will continue to live and work alongside gay neighbors and colleagues. Let the wingnuts like Dobson have their final hurrah. Call me naive, but I believe that most Americans are decent, fair-minded people who won’t go along with the repressive policies of a hateful few.

I guess this was inevitable. Half of my nursing staff has had the sniffles over the past week and apparently the virus decided to share the love with me. So far, it’s not too bad. A sore throat and a low-grade fever. I’m a little bummed that I wasn’t able to go the rest of the year without getting sick again, but better now than when I’m supposed to go on a trip or something. Let’s hope it runs its course quickly and, as always, good karma is welcome.
I belatedly realized that there was a problem posting comments on the blog since I upgraded. That should be fixed now, so start talking to me again.

With the death of Yasser Arafat, perhaps we will finally see some real movement towards a two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Back in 2000, it seemed like they were on the verge of an agreement, but Arafat was more concerned for his personal safety than for the future of his people. Bush’s conservative Christian base with probably push hard against any negotiated agreement, but I think Bush and his inner circle understand that some kind of settlement is inevitable and that they need to do something to boost their credibility in the Arab world.
I finally got around to watching the first episode of Lost on my computer last night. This was the first time I ever watched something recorded in high-definition and I did utter “Wow” a couple times during the program. The image quality of HD is almost startling. Once I can get a high-def television with a built-in TiVo box for under $600, I’m sold. Watching television on a computer is acceptable, but there isn’t enough space under my desk for me to cross my legs, which is my optimum television-watching position.

I’ve written before about the UN’s efforts to pass a Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In a recent Washington Post editorial, the Bush Administration is criticized for not supporting the Convention. Apparently, the Administration feels that disability rights is not a human rights issue. Instead, they view it as a matter of domestic policy for each nation to sort out independently. I should know by now that the Bushites regard the UN with barely concealed disdain, but it’s especially discouraging to see them withhold support from an international effort to improve the quality of life for millions of people around the globe. It’s okay for us to invade a country and topple its government, all in the name of spreading freedom and democracy, but we won’t sign a treaty on disability rights because it’s none of our business when other countries blatantly oppress an entire class of people. It’s this kind of hypocrisy that’s going to drive me nuts over the next four years.
I’m tempted to start a letter-writing campaign urging the Administration to change its stance on the Convention, but I don’t know where to apply the pressure. My senator? And are American disability organizations doing anything about this, or are they fixated on problems here at home? The United States could be a true leader in this area, but given the toxic state of our international relations and our leaders’ lack of vision, we’re sitting on the sidelines.