The BBC website has an entire section devoted to disability issues called Ouch! Not sure I’m a big fan of the name, but I like the format. It’s kind of like Wired News for the disability crowd. The tone of the articles isn’t maudlin or self-congratulatory and it seems to have a focus on disability culture instead of the usual “What to Look for in a Scooter”-type stuff. And it’s part of the BBC, which gives it some added cred. Can you envision a major American media outlet, like CNN or NBC, carrying something like this on their website? Neither can I. I’m not sure on the details of the Beeb’s operations, but I believe it’s at least partly funded by the government, which might explain things. I don’t think you could convince a privately held American media corporation that there’s an audience for a disability-themed news portal. Maybe some of us should start a petition or something.
Incidentally, Ouch’s blog mentions a bunch of other blogs written by people with disabilities, including The 19th Floor. So mad propz to us.

Last night, I was bored and so I decided to download an assortment of mash-ups. Mash-ups, otherwise known as bastard pop, are songs that are created from the vocal and bassline tracks of two or more seemingly dispare songs. For example, the bubbly vocals of Destiny’s Child’s “Bootylicious” laid down on the grinding guitars of Nirvana’s “Nevermind.” Or Bjork’s “Hidden Place” over Daft Punk’s “Something About Us.” You wouldn’t expect the results to work, but they usually are surprisingly good. I’m tempted to try it myself, but I think it sounds easier than it actually is. I’d need to get my hands on some studio software and it would probably take me days simply to figure out how to use it. I’ve never been musically inclined and I think that would be something of a prerequisite. If you want to check out the mash-up culture for yourself, go here or here. The copyright implications of mash-ups are a bit foggy. The record labels aren’t thrilled with all this mixing and matching, but we need to remember that sampling is a practice that dates back to the Seventies. As an art form, mash-ups are inherently derivative, but the creativity behind them is hard to deny.

Anyone been reading Doonesbury this week? Looks like B.D. has become a new citizen in the Kingdom of Gimp. I’m more than a little curious to see how the strip addresses his adjustment to a life with a disability. Will Boopsie freak and leave him? Will he get his coaching job back? Trudeau gets big props from me for not simply killing off a character. The thousands of wounded coming home from Iraq are, to be quite honest, a bigger story than the number of dead. The military has the medical technology to treat wounds that probably would have killed these soldiers ten or twenty years ago, but now they’re coming home with a range of disabilities that will require treatment and other support services for years to come. I think it would be fascinating to do a longitudinal study that examines the quality of life of wounded soldiers now compared with a decade in the future. At a time when states are slashing budgets for disability services, what kind of homecoming will these soldiers face?

I TiVo’d Chris Rock’s latest HBO special and got around to watching it last night. Hilarious. I did notice that the audience seemed a little subdued during his more political material and got more lively when he switched to more bawdy humor. Rock’s bit on the difference between being rich and being wealthy was one of my favorites. “Shaq is rich. The guy who signs Shaq’s checks? Wealthy!” Pretty much sums up everything. If you watch it, also pay attention to his analogy regarding affirmative action. Brilliant.
I need to clean out my bedroom closet. I have clothes collecting dust that probably date back to high school. Don’t tell anyone, but I used to wear a lot of sweat pants in high school. Sweat pants are kind of the de facto fashion choice for people with physical disabilities. They’re easy to get off and on and they’re loose fitting so they don’t cause pressure sores. And I wore them all the time until I realized that I looked like a complete dork in them. I think that someone in an episode of Seinfeld once said that wearing sweats is like announcing to the world “I give up!” Well, I haven’t given up and even if I’m on my deathbed, I’m not letting anyone ever put another pair of sweats on me ever again. If I’m gonna go, I wanna go out stylin’.

I started my search for a new nurse today. I’m a little more confident about the process this time around and I have a pretty good sense of the type of person I want working with me. So I’m following up on some leads from my current nurses and I’ve also sent ads to some of the nursing schools around here. Incidentally, if any of you know of a nurse in the metro area who might be looking for some part-time work, send them my way. Here’s the ad:
NURSE: Unique home care opportunity for RN/LPN. Client is active 30-yr-old man who is ventilator dependent, living in DT Mpls. Mostly evening/weekend shifts. LPN: $27/hr; RN: $37/hr. Applicants should be outgoing, laid back, have good interpersonal skills. Vent experience preferred but not required. Ideal for someone looking for part-time/casual hours. For more information, e-mail Mark at msiegel1@mn.rr.com.

I feel awful for the women in the adult film industry business who contracted HIV from a fellow performer. Yes, porn is a risky business, but so are lots of other jobs. Some people will condemn these women for their behavior and loudly proclaim that they deserved to be infected. I’m not interested in condemning anyone. People get into porn for any number of reasons, but nobody deserves to face death because of that choice. My only hope is that they receive appropriate medical care and that the industry mandates protected sex for all performers.