Senator Specter’s switch to the Democratic Party is as much about political realignments as it is about Specter’s own desire to remain in power. The era of the Northeast moderate Republican is effectively over. Pennsylvania, along with the rest of the region, has been trending blue for a long time. And the minority who identify as Republicans are becoming ever more conservative. Specter knew that electoral prospects in a contested primary for a middle-of-the-roader like himself were increasingly dim, so switching parties vastly improves his chances for being reelected. And it’s probably easier to be the dissenting moderate voice in a left-of-center party than the dissenting moderate voice in a far-right party.

I was sitting outside the other day with a friend during lunch when my ventilator tube popped off. My friend knew something was wrong because I suddenly wasn’t able to speak and, not noticing the disconnected tube, ran to get my nurse. I can breathe fairly well on my own, so I wasn’t too concerned. Another friend of mine happens by while my friend is away and starts making conversation. Since I’m not able to speak, all I can do is nod my head and move my eyebrows in what I hope is an engaged and active manner. She soon also realized that something was wrong. And the whole time she was trying to talk to me, my biggest worry was that she must think I’m incredibly rude for not saying anything.

I have a feeling that, even when I’m on my deathbed, I’ll be preoccupied with the worry that I’m going to leave behind a mess for someone to clean up.

So I signed up for a World of Warcraft account. This could either be a lot of fun or a huge mistake. You may recall that I previously made a brief foray into the land of Azeroth, but I recently made a return trip and decided it merited a longer stay this time. The game really does an excellent job of triggering my “just a few minutes more” response. If you come across a night elf priest named Kalendi who moves around in a somewhat herky-jerky fashion, stop and say hello. I probably won’t be as loquacious as I am on this blog, but I should be able to manage to muster a quick “hi”.

I really should program some keyboard macros for frequently used game phrases like “Heal me!”, “Where’s the inn?”, or “Kid, who taught you how to spell?”

I’m not a Twitter user, mostly because I don’t see the point. Between this blog and my Facebook page, anyone curious enough has ample opportunity to find out what’s going on inside my head. But it’s still exciting to see University of Wisconsin researchers using a neural computer interface to compose Twitter messages. The researchers point out that Twitter is ideally suited to this kind of interface because sending a tweet takes relatively few steps.

This technology is bound to become more responsive and easier to use, but that’s probably all the more reason for me to stay away from Twitter. If the interface is too sensitive, it might start broadcasting tweets from my subconscious:

• really have to pee
• wonder if I have any Pringles left at home
  
• OMG fishnets!

The great thing about art is that it doesn’t require any special training or education. All that’s needed is the urge to create and access to the necessary tools. Make is a documentary that tells the stories of four artists with disabilities who dwelled at the edges of mainstream society, but still managed to create unique and provocative works. One of the artists, Judith Scott, had Down’s Syndrome and found her medium in intricate sculptures of yarn and found objects. Another artist, Royal Robertson, coped with mental illness and painted strangely beautiful images that fused elements of pop culture and religious iconography.

Many artists with disabilities don’t have the wherewithal to promote their own work and are dependent on others, like the producers of this documentary, to get the public’s attention. It makes me wonder about all the anonymous people who created something worth preserving while living in institutions, psychiatric hospitals, and group homes across the country, but whose work is now lost because it was discarded by a family member or caregiver.

Make is showing at the Rico/Maresca Gallery in New York on Saturday evenings through May 2nd.