I had a chance to watch the episode of This American Life featuring Mike Phillips that I mentioned here previously. It’s brilliant. Ira Glass never allows Mike’s disability to become a source of morbid fascination, but he is frank in describing the precariousness of Mike’s circumstances. The conflict between Mike and his mom over his desire for more independence mirrors the experiences of many of us with severe disabilities and it’s a conflict that is fraught with good intentions. Glass understands this and gives both Mike and his mom sympathetic portrayals. And I’m glad to see the media engage in honest discussions of disability and sexuality. And Mike’s choice of Johnny Depp as his proxy voice is perfect. Mike and everyone else involved in this production should be proud of what they accomplished here.

Thanks to certain anonymous sources for getting me a copy of the episode.

Gore Verbinski, the director of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, is going to direct a film based on the videogame Bioshock. If there can be such a thing as a film adaptation of a videogame that doesn’t suck, this could be it. The game’s plot is already cinematic in scope and the underwater Deco vibe would make for great sets. If the project can attract some recognizable talent, it might actually be worth seeing.

It’s costing me close to sixty dollars to fill up my van’s gas tank. My driving habits consist of little more than trips to and from work, so I’m not feeling the same hurt that’s being inflicted on so many suburban commuters. Still, I wish I could do something to ease my own dependence on my admittedly gas-guzzling vehicle. I don’t think a Prius can accommodate my wheelchair and walking the ten miles to and from work is not a realistic option. It might be time to take a cue from Inspector Gadget and invent that personal propeller-based flight system that is powered solely on my excess charm.

Around these parts, we mark the approach of summer with the usual indicators: blooming flowers, the fishing opener, women in short skirts. For me, it’s the smell of cigarettes permeating my condo. It shows up every year around this time. I have no idea if it’s wafting through my windows or coming up through the vents, but it seems to be concentrated in the immediate area around my desk. And I’m not going to try to cover it up with one of those scented candles. The smell of cigarettes is somehow more tolerable than the smell of cigarettes intermingled with apple cinnamon. I suppose this could be categorized as one of the many hazards of the blogging lifestyle.

The really good comic book movies are the ones that realize that what makes superheroes interesting isn’t their flashy costumes or their extraordinary abilities. What makes them interesting is their flaws and eccentricities; the things that help the audience sympathize with characters that might otherwise seem like demi-gods. The first couple Spiderman and X-Men movies worked so well because they provided both spectacle and depth. Tobey Maguire’s Spiderman was kind of a jerk when he first acquired his powers, but his emotional journey makes the movie that much more interesting.

Iron Man works in a similar vein. Tony Stark is a weapons manufacturer whose wealth is only matched by his shallowness until a traumatic experience forces him to acknowledge his own complicity in bringing suffering to the forgotten corners of the globe. His physical scars from that experience also enable him to reinvent himself as Iron Man, a superhero with no natural abilities but ones granted by technology. Robert Downey, Jr. is pitch-perfect as Stark, capturing his insouciant charm and arrogance without coming off like a dick. Gwyneth Paltrow, as Stark’s devoted personal assistant Pepper Potts, isn’t given nearly enough to do, however. But stuff does blow up real good.

And be sure to stick around for a fanboy surprise after the credits.