I was checking out TypePad, which just got out of beta. I’m intrigued by the interface; it looks like it definitely simplifies some of the pain-in-the-ass blogging tasks like inserting photos and links. I’ll probably keep this site where it is, however. I don’t feel like going through the hassle of moving everything over and possibly losing some content. I’ll take a wait-and-see approach and see what kind of reviews it gets from other users.
I’ve also been trying out the beta version of the FeedDemon aggregator. It kicks all kind of ass over Newzcrawler. The interface is much cleaner and the coding seems much tighter because everything loads rather quickly. Best of all, it’s free!
And iTunes for Windows is going to be unveiled Thursday, according to the rumors. It sounds like they’re expanding their selection and I’m curious to see what they will offer. The new Napster also looks interesting, but alas, the file format is incompatible with my iPod. Why must every new technology be accompanied by a format war? It makes adoption by the consumer that much difficult and the superior format doesn’t always emerge as the winner. Witness Betamax vs. VHS. That’s why DVDs were so successful so quickly. One format from the starting gate that could be played on any player.

I was looking at referrals to the site when I saw that someone stumbled on The 19th Floor after doing a Google search for “ventilator fetish.” I’m an open-minded guy; really, I am. I believe that people should feel free to explore their sexuality as long as it involves consenting adults. But I’ll confess to being a little creeped out by this. I’ve been on a ventilator for 17 years and I just can’t see anything to get excited about. It’s just a boxy device with knobs and indicator lights. But maybe there’s a niche market in catering to the vent fetishist crowd. I could start posting pictures of various makes of ventilators in subdued lighting. I could make MP3s of ventilator alarms. I could start my own pay-to-play site: HOTVENTACTION.COM! Featuring the naughty LP-10! Only $12.99 per month! Must be over 18!
Now, on a completely different note, here’s me striking a pose in front of my slightly modified Dodge Caravan. As we all know, women can’t resist a guy who drives a minivan:

Almost finished with the script for the first issue of my proposed comic. I am still having fun writing it, but I have no idea what to do with it once it’s complete. I don’t know any artists, so it will probably just sit on my hard drive along with a hundred other projects. But at least I’ll complete it, which is more than I can say for a lot of the other things I started to write. Over the past year my writing habits have become much more disciplined. And if there are any bored and aspiring comic book artists out there, e-mail me and we can feed each other’s delusions of fame and fortune.

My dad called me this afternoon and, after reminding me to send him money for car insurance, mildly admonished me for what I write in my blog. I’m sure that there’s some stuff in here that probably makes them uncomfortable. I love my parents dearly, but they have always been a little overprotective of me, which is pretty typical of all parents of children with disabilities. And I’m also the oldest, which probably carries some expectations of “proper” behavior. “Try to be a little more intellectual,” my dad advised. I’ll keep that in mind, but I think all of you would flee this site like rats from a sinking ship if I just rehashed Salon every day.
Besides, I’m plenty intellectual at work, which is where this picture was taken:

I forgot to post this earlier, but the AP ran a story a few days ago about new research into the Nazis’ planned extermination of people with disabilities. I found this interesting because I had a section devoted to this period of history in my law journal article. It’s a story that is sometimes overlooked in Holocaust studies.