Here I am, minding my own business, casually surfing the web in search of blogging inspiration, when I click on the feed for Warren Ellis’ blog. Now, Warren posts some weird esoterica, but this is…well…gah! I’m not sure what creeps me out more, the dude’s missing skin or his rampant backne. I just know I’m going have some kind of nightmare where that thing on his back sprouts teeth and chases me through empty city streets as it screams at me to come back and finish my piano lesson.
I like to think about the impermanence of things; both on a personal and more macro level. Friends come and go, as do fashion trends, languages, nation-states, and even geological epochs. Nothing last forever, probably not even the human race. The New Scientist examines what would happen to the planet if humans suddenly disappeared. After 100,000 years or so, very few traces of our existence would remain. I find this notion strangely comforting. We are a narcissistic species and it wouldn’t kill us to take a moment now and then to contemplate the universe’s unmistakable apathy regarding our continued presence.
The Disability Studies blog has just posted its first Disability Blog Carnival, a comprehensive recap of must-read entries from disability-themed blogs around the world (disclaimer: it does include a link to my humble blog). If you want to know what’s on the minds of the gimperati (and I’m expecting royalties from everyone who uses that word in the future), this is the place to go. Kudos to those who put in the time and effort to assemble a truly impressive array of links.
October is turning into a disastrous month for Republicans. The charnel house that is Iraq, ongoing corruption and sex scandals, and now the latest salvo: a new book called Tempting Faith, penned by former Bush administration official David Kuo, charges that Bush and his advisors have exploited evangelical Christians for political gain without demonstrating any real commitment to the issues that are important to many evangelicals (e.g. banning abortion and gay marriage). Kuo writes:
National Christian leaders received hugs and smiles in person and then
were dismissed behind their backs and described as ‘ridiculous,’ ‘out
of control,’ and just plain ‘goofy’.
Kuo also writes that Karl Rove referred to evangelical leaders as “the nuts.”
The notion that Republican elites cynically pander to religious conservatives–while giving them little in the way of substantive policy or political victories–is not new. Thomas Frank posited a similar thesis in his book What’s the Matter with Kansas? And at least some evangelicals are beginning to reconsider their allegiance to the GOP. In some ways, the Republicans’ much vaunted Southern Strategy–which has relied heavily on appeals to traditional moral values (not to mention xenophobia)–may now be fomenting an ideological civil war within the party. The big-business, monied classes of the Republican Party have never had much patience for the fire-and-brimstone fervor of their evangelical brethren. If November 7th goes badly for them (a distinct possibility), those tensions will bubble to the surface and the knives will come out.
Of course, Democrats have their own internecine conflicts, but we are more suited to tolerating ideological dissent within our ranks. Remember Will Roger’s eminently quotable line: “I am not a member of any organized party — I am a Democrat.” The Republicans’ insistence on identifying itself as the party of conservative Christianity may lead to its downfall as much as it contributed to its ascendancy.
I finally realized that I’m at a point in life where I can afford season tickets to something, so I bought a package to the new Guthrie Theater. I figured it would be a shame not to take advantage of such a great venue that’s so close to home. When I toured the new theater during last summer’s open house, the accessibility seemed generally good and I’m looking forward to seeing actual productions there. My first play is Lost in Yonkers, which seemed like an oddly traditional choice for the opening season of the new theater, but then again, I suppose one could say the same for The Merchant of Venice.
There’s a tangerine sky outside my window at the moment. it seems to have chased away the gray sheets of clouds that were lurking about earlier. Somehow, it’s a fitting denouement to my hectic week.
Good news. The Ouch! podcast will be returning for future episodes. I guess the eighty or ninety fake signatures I entered on that on-line petition carried some weight.
The knives at the back of my eyes are telling me it’s time to get off the computer. I promise I’ll be more charming and engaging tomorrow.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that UPS violated the ADA when it prohibited deaf workers from driving UPS delivery trucks. The court found that UPS couldn’t offer a compelling reason for issuing a blanket prohibition against deaf drivers, especially since other delivery services use deaf drivers and no state disallows a deaf person from obtaining a regular driver’s license. UPS may appeal, but this decision is a clear victory for the deaf community and for the ADA. Too often, employers cite “safety concerns” as a reason for not hiring people with disabilities. But in most instances, those “safety concerns” have their roots in long-standing misconceptions about living with a disability.
By now, you’re probably tired of seeing yet another entry devoted to brain-machine interfaces and all the fun things you can do with them. But this is my blog and I can post whatever I bloody well please, so here’s a story about a kid who was able to play Space Invaders with his brain. The article doesn’t mention whether this technology is compatible with Asteroids or Centipede.
I actually have a fond association with Space Invaders. Way back in 1981, I had just had spinal fusion surgery and was experiencing some painful post-op sciatica; painful enough to make it difficult to sit up in my wheelchair. In an effort to distract me from the pain, I was brought to rec room that had one of those newfangled Atari systems. My dad and I started playing Space Invaders and before I knew it, I had been sitting up in my chair for two or three hours straight.
I find it a little disquieting to realize I haven’t changed much since then.
The disability-themed Ouch! podcast has reached the end of its pilot phase and there’s an on-line petition to urge the BBC to continue production of the podcast. It’s easily one of the best-produced (not to mention funniest) disability-related podcasts, so give hosts Mat and Liz some love and sign the petition. We have precious few voices on the major content sites on the web and we need to let the Beeb know that there is a sizable audience out there for news and entertainment by people with disabilities for people with disabilities. It would be a shame to see this experiment die on the vine.