I’m off to a play shortly, but I wanted to be sure to link to this off-road wheelchair designed by a U.K. grad student. Its hand controls wouldn’t work for a disability as severe as mine, but it seems ideal for someone who possesses upper body strength. I’m still waiting for someone to build me a hoverchair (with heated seat) so I can finally scratch “Climb Mount Everest” off my bucket list.
One of the major issues to be resolved in the final days of the legislative session is whether the governor would agree to an early Medicaid expansion. You may recall that the recently enacted Affordable Care Act gives states the option to expand Medicaid to adults without children as soon as this year. Hospitals and other medical providers are pushing for this expansion because it would replace the the very fragile General Assistance Medical Care program, the health care program for Minnesota’s poorest citizens that is currently being held together with little more than paper clips and string. Moving these individuals into Medicaid would ensure them better access to medical care while also guaranteeing that providers would get paid.
As late as yesterday, it looked like the governor would refuse to go along with this plan. He vetoed the human services bill containing such a provision and proclaimed that the dollars just don’t exist for an expansion. But today, he seemed to hint that he might agree to such an expansion if the financing method can be negotiated. The expansion would help tens of thousands of people, so I’m hoping that the spirit of compromise eventually carries the day. Pawlenty has the opportunity to end his last legislative session on a somewhat positive note, which would be a welcome change from so many past sessions.
I tried out another ventilator today. It’s incredibly small size and LCD screen just screamed “Sexy!” It felt more natural than the last vent I tested out, but it still requires a few tweaks to ensure I can speak with the same facileness that I have now. Fortunately, my medical supplier isn’t rushing me into a switch and I still have plenty of time to use my current model. That may or may not be a good thing. Left to my own devices, I’d probably keep using my current vent until it was a steaming, duct tape-covered mess.
I’m really trying to understand the DFL’s endgame now that the governor has done what everyone knew he would do: veto the DFL budget bill that included a tax hike for the wealthy. I understand the impulse to paint the governor and Republicans in general as friends of the rich, but this whole exercise seems pointless when less than a week remains in the regular session. And most voters don’t care about politics; they want results. As much as I respect what the DFL leadership is trying to do, I’m not sure they appreciate that this kind of gamesmanship only fuels voter anger.
This would have been more appropriate to post yesterday, but this animated rendering of an interview between a mother and her son (who has Asperger’s) is lovely without being schmaltzy. The kid has a naive but searching intelligence that results in some difficult questions (“Have you ever lied to me?”). The mom is just as genuine in her answers (“Probably”). It’s only four minutes in length, but it’s enough to give us a meaningful peek into a complicated and loving relationship.
Here is my review of IM2 in bullet format:
The criminal trial on which I was a juror was interesting on many levels, but one thing that really caught my attention was how much surveillance occurs as we go about our daily business. The prosecution introduced several video clips acquired from cameras in apartment buildings, stores, and on the street. Cell phone records were also introduced and cross-referenced with the video footage. It’s one thing to understand at an abstract level that technology has greatly diminished our anonymity, but an actual demonstration of the fact is both impressive and a little unnerving. Of course, we are all complicit in this trend. We’re more than willing to post our whereabouts on Twitter and Foursquare for everyone to see, so complaining about cameras watching us seems beside the point. Whether all this surveillance measurably increases our safety is another matter, though, and one on which I still need a good deal of persuasion.
According to Maclean’s, Braille is a dying form of communication. Its decline is attributed to the twin force of strained public budgets and technological innovation. Braille materials are expensive to produce and schools and libraries simply don’t have the resources to convert every book into Braille format. And new technologies like audio readers are cheaper and can be used without any prior instruction. The article points out that people who learn Braille do better on reading comprehension tests and are more likely to find employment. Braille advocates also point out that to not teach Braille to blind kids is to leave them functionally illiterate.
Without learning Braille, most blind people would be living in a strictly oral culture. Is that a bad thing? I’m not sure. Technology that can scan and read printed materials will only get better. These devices will offer a versatility that Braille simply can’t match. At the same time, technology can create unnecessary dependency. Take away the technology and the person truly is illiterate. A familiarity with a written language might not make us better thinkers, but it does fundamentally alter how we perceive and describe the world around us. And it doesn’t require batteries.
When my sister graduated from law school in 2008, job prospects for new attorneys were already beginning to dim. Things got worse in 2009 and, according to the Wall Street Journal, the job market for new attorneys in 2010 is nothing short of atrocious. Couple uncertain earnings potential with ridiculously high student debt burdens and the whole notion of going to law school starts to seem like a risky venture. Even the American Bar Association is telling potential attorneys to reconsider their career choice. I’d probably offer similar advice. A legal education is wonderful for teaching one to think and write critically, but odds are that it won’t land you a six-figure salary and that it won’t help you argue away your student loan obligations. Of course, there are plenty of other ways to earn a six-figure salary without ever having to remember the elements of negligence.
The major topic of discussion at work today was the Minnesota Supreme Court’s decision invalidating the governor’s unallotment of several social service and health care programs. With only two weeks remaining in the legislative session, this decision complicates efforts to balance the budget. The legislature can and probably will pass a balanced budget, but Pawlenty can still veto bills. One side will probably have to cave because the likelihood of a negotiated compromise seems remote. The only other option is a government shutdown, which wouldn’t accomplish much except to fuel voter anger in an election year.