Here’s the deal. I need to close comments on the blog, at least temporarily. I’ve been absolutely flooded with comment spam and I haven’t had time to keep up with it. I’m getting so much spam that it’s crashing the server, resulting in nasty notes from my hosting service. I don’t want to deal with a potential account termination and finding a new host, so I figure it’s better to simply shut down commenting for now. I hope to re-open them soon, but I will probably employ a registration process. I realize that a registration system can be a hassle, but it’s the only way to be reasonably certain that this blog doesn’t get polluted with spam. I’m also hoping that the new version of MT-Blacklist will be of some help. In the meantime, you can still reach me at wintermute2_0 at the19thfloor dot com.
William Shatner recently did a cover of Pulp’s “Common People.” Listen to it. Bask in the greatness of The Shatner.
Bruce Springsteen and REM are coming to St. Paul in October as part of the Vote for Change concert series. I think the idea of doing concerts in swing states is a great one. Anything to get people to the polls in November. I’d rather see Death Cab for Cutie, who is also on the tour, but I’ll still try to get tickets. Who wants to be my date that night? In case you need to be reminded what’s at stake, here’s a quote from our President:
Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.

I had a bunch of meetings today dealing with transition issues. Transition, in terms of disability policy, concerns issues that affect teens and young adults with disabilities. Things like finding a job, going to college, living independently. Adolescence is a tumultuous time in life, but kids with disabilities confront additional obstacles that their peers don’t have to deal with. And I’m not just talking about getting connected with appropriate services. That’s definitely an issue, but one that can be remedied with some good policy and coordinated efforts among various agencies. The real problems facing transition-age kids are much more difficult to address. A lot of kids suffer from a crisis of low expectations that is reinforced by the parents and professionals around them. I’ve encountered kids whose plans after high school consist of little more than staying home and watching television. They simply can’t imagine being employed or going on to school. With each passing generation, things get a little better for these kids, but progress moves at a glacial pace. I won’t be surprised if, fifteen years from now, I’m sitting in another meeting to discuss the same issues.

This month, I hope to get a chance to check out some of this month’s meteor showers. Astronomy was an interest of mine when I was a kid, but I never got a telescope because there was no easy way for me to look into it from my wheelchair. Now, I could probably get one that connects to a notebook computer, but that doesn’t make much sense when I live in an urban downtown. My family owns a summer home in Door County, Wisconsin and I remember that we had some excellent views of the night sky in our backyard. I don’t think I’ll be driving all that way, but perhaps I can find a field somewhere outside the Twin Cities. Can any local stargazers tell me of a favorite spot?
All the talking heads this morning were blathering on about how Kerry hasn’t received much of a post-convention bounce in the polls. Unless there is a major turn of events, I really doubt you’re going to see much of a spread in the polls. Most people have already made up their minds. Swing voters are supposedly the key to the election, but I keep saying that it will all come down to turning out the base.

I saw Phantom of the Opera last night with my mom and sister. I sat in the Orpheum’s balcony this time, which I think I prefer to being on the main floor. The performances were quite good and the house was sold out, which shows that there’s still an appetite for extravagant musicals here in the Midwest. The lyrics to the music are undeniably hokey; Andrew Lloyd Webber is no great lyricist, but the man can craft a tune that sticks in your head with a stubborn tenacity.
I had to go over to my sister’s apartment this morning because she needed my nurse’s help assembling furniture that she bought from Ikea. Yes, the Twin Cities is finally civilized: we have an Ikea. The Siegel clan isn’t terribly adept with tools and assembling things, which makes the Ikea Experience all that more interesting. However, I am tempted to go there and get a new bookshelf. After all, I have an excuse for getting other people to put things together for me.

It’s going to be a busy fall for me. I received a letter yesterday informing me that I’ve been accepted as a Humphrey Institute Policy Fellow. I and about thirty other young professionals will be meeting once or twice a month to solve the world’s problems and create the perfect meritocracy. I expect that it will be a little like being back in school, which actually sounds like fun. There’s also a study trip to Washington DC in February. I’ll finally make it to the East Coast, which I’ve been wanting to do for a while. As long as the city doesn’t get hit by some freak snowstorm while I’m out there. And I can only hope that the Forces of Good occupy the White House by that time. I have no idea what our schedule will be like, but I hope I have time to check out the Smithsonian and the Supreme Court. Big shout-out to my friend Adam and my boss MaryAlice for convincing the good people at the Humphrey that I’m more than just a pretty face.
My buddy Michael Drivas, proprietor and Chief Geek at Best Brains Comics, has a great write-up in the Minneapolis paper today. He just moved to a new location (1027 Washington Avenue, in case you’re interested) near the site for the new Guthrie Theater, which the article uses as a springboard for a discussion of old prejudices about comics and how comics have now attained a certain chic quality. Here’s my favorite quote from the article:
“Everybody is a geek about something,” Drivas, 38, said. “You can’t tell me that a guy who’s so into fantasy football that he buys specific publications and subscribes to particular Web sites to get information is any less geeky than a guy who goes to comic-book message boards and writes about what he thinks Marvel and DC should do.”
I’ve been a customer of Best Brains for about a year and it’s nice to see Michael get the attention. Can’t wait to see the new digs, Michael.