I downloaded Firefox 2.0 because all the kool kids were telling me to do so. I think a designation such as 1.75 might have been more appropriate. The tabs have been spiffed up a little bit.  The scroll bar changes color when you click on it. I guess there’s a spell-check function, too. Exciting stuff. To be fair, the upgrade was a cinch and all my extensions seem to be functional. And even a slightly upgraded Firefox is better than any version of Internet Explorer. I might become more impressed with this new iteration once I start playing with the recommended tweaks.

The GOP seems to be testing a new strategy in a last-ditch effort to keep the reins of power from slipping out of their fingers. The strategy: gimp bullying. First, they go after Michael J. Fox. But apparently not satisfied with making derogatory remarks on right-leaning message boards, they’ve decided to make the attacks more personal. After a debate between Wyoming congressional candidates, the Republican incumbent, Barbara Cubin, threatened to slap the Libertarian candidate, who happens to use a wheelchair. The threat came following the Libertarian’s criticism of Cubin for accepting donations from a PAC associated with disgraced House leader Tom DeLay. The only thing that apparently prevented Cubin from following through on her threat was the fact her opponent uses a wheelchair.

How magnanimous of her. And how uncharacteristic for a Republican to walk away from a fight rigged in her favor.

I finished Small Gods some time ago, but I’m only getting to posting my thoughts on it now. As I noted earlier, this is my first taste of Pratchett’s Discworld series. I’ve always shied away from these books because, well, there are so many and it seemed like I would have to start at the very beginning to get any sense of what was going on. But then a friend lent me a few volumes and encouraged me to start with Small Gods. I had no idea Pratchett was this funny. I don’t usually laugh out loud while reading, but I did while reading about the exploits of god-turned-tortoise Om and his only sincerely faithful acolyte, Brutha.

Pratchett pokes a great deal of fun at organized religion and its instruments of power (especially those instruments that are shiny with sharp edges), but his satire is never didactic or cruel. His sharp sense of pacing lets him toss in extended asides without losing the thread of the main story. I particularly enjoyed Death’s cameo appearances and I plan on seeking out the books where he, er, it is the main character. But I now understand why Pratchett’s books are so prone to being shoplifted.

I’m currently working my way through King Dork. After that, I’m not sure. Perhaps some nonfiction. Both Fiasco and the Tiptree biography look compelling. And I’m also eager to read S.M. Stirling’s Dies the Fire.

Somebody out there needs to invite me to a Halloween party.  To be specific, a Halloween party where I have a better than even chance of chatting up a costumed woman in fishnet stockings.  I’m not picky; it could be a devil in fishnets, Little Red Riding Hood in fishnets, a fairy princess in fishnets.  You get the idea.  Now, make it so.  If someone comes through on this, I’ll totally shave my head to lend an air of authenticity to my Professor X costume.  That is all.

The Washington Post has a great write-up on deaf culture and identity politics in the context of the ongoing protests at Gallaudet.  Many students are arguing that the woman in line to become the college’s next president isn’t “deaf enough”.  They want to ensure that Gallaudet remains a place where deaf culture continues to flourish, free from the influences of the hearing world. 

I don’t pretend to have a full appreciation of the nuances of the debate, but I admire the passion and conviction of those students.  They are willing to risk arrest in their efforts to define themselves and their collective.  The disability community could sometimes use a dose of that pride and self-assuredness.  We spend a lot of time explaining what we are not–sick, helpless, unemployable, heroic–but disproving negatives can be a wearying business.  But the vast range of disability experiences make finding a common identity nearly impossible.  Then again, the situation at Gallaudet seems to suggest that the deaf have the same problem.