The 19th Floor, along with some other disability-themed blogs, was mentioned in Dawn Eden’s Sunday column in the NY Daily News. Cool.
Hopefully, I’ll be up to writing longer entries soon. It’s difficult to blog when you’re dozing off at your desk.
And I thought I was having a bad day. A couple hours ago, there was a major car accident near my building. I didn’t see it happen because I was at my desk, but I heard the squealing of tires and the crunch of metal. When I went to my window, I could see that one car had flipped and another one had its front end thoroughly smashed. Didn’t look like anybody was hurt. All part of the excitement of downtown living.
Is there a law somewhere that requires me to catch every virus that’s looking for a good time? Seriously, this is getting old. Don’t make me encase myself in a plastic bubble. Because I’ll do it, I swear.
I had my last Humphrey Fellows meeting today. For our group project, we assembled a short documentary on the Creative Class in Minnesota, using Richard Florida’s book as a springboard. The video looks really good, I must say. I might get around to making the video here, assuming I get the okay from the Humphrey Institute and the other people in my group. I also need to figure out if my server has sufficient bandwidth to host video. Maybe I’ll try to setting up a torrent tracker. That will test my geek skills. And I’m sure there’s a huge pent-up demand for amateur policy pr0n.
I wish I could say that my schedule is a lot more open now, but I have four engagements in the coming week. Guess I’ll have to wait a little while longer for that easy summer livin’.
Toyota is planning on marketing service robots as soon as 2010. The company sees these robots assisting with tasks such as nursing care. So, when do I get my own robotic nurse? Not that I would ever willingly give up my flesh-and-blood nurses, but a robotic personal assistant has intriguing possibilities. Would a robot accompany me on an all-night bacchanal through the streets of Vegas. Would it pour single-malt Scotch down my g-tube until I couldn’t remember my own name? Would it dutifully repeat and amplify my drunken pick-up lines to the cute girls sitting at the bar? Or would it get all sanctimonious and drag me back to the hotel while droning some nonsense about protecting my well-being?
A Star Trek novel on a summer reading list? That’s got to be a first. I’m almost embarrassed to admit, but I used to devour Star Trek books like candy when I was a teenager. When you grow up in a town without one decent bookstore, you have to be content with the available pickings, which in Green Bay amounted to a dreary corner of a Waldenbooks that carried scraps of science fiction and fantasy, and mostly franchise stuff like Star Trek and Dungeons and Dragons. I remember how ecstatic I was when I first visited a Barnes and Noble store in Appleton. This was before Amazon and the web in general. If these things had been around when I was a kid, I like to think my reading list would have been a little broader. But to be honest, I might have simply ordered more Star Trek novels.
I’ve been brushing up on my French by reading some of the articles on France’s rejection of the European Constitution. There seems to be a lot of hand-wringing in the European press about whether this vote signals the ultimate derailment of a unified Europe. I’m going to insert my usual disclaimer about not being an expert, but I see this as a setback rather than a permanent obstacle. There is too much momentum behind unification for it to grind to a halt. I think what we’re seeing is some discontent with the consequences of a united Europe, especially regarding immigration and unemployment. The undercurrents of xenophobia are unfortunate, but in the long run I think people will recognize that a strong Europe is the only effective counterbalance to the United States and China. The final outcome is not in doubt; it’s simply a question of how long it will take to reach that outcome.
I took advantage of my day off to walk over to Big Brain Comics and pick up a copy of Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta. After reading that Moore has disassociated himself with the film version of his book, I decided to check out the original so that I can see exactly how badly Hollywood screws it up.
Today’s Star Tribune has a not-overly-sentimental look at adapted high school sports in Minnesota. An officially recognized and sanctioned sport complete with varsity letters and tournaments, adapted sports allows kids with physical and cognitive disabilities to compete in softball, field hockey, and a few other games. I’ve known a couple kids who’ve been involved in adapted sports and their level of passion rivals that of any able-bodied player. I also like the fact that it’s not sport disguised as a self-esteem builder. There are winners and losers, as with any sport.
I saw The Lion King at the Orpheum last night. It was a magnificent performance. Before the show, I wondered if the puppetry aspects of the show might seem artificial, but my sense of disbelief was effectively suspended. The show’s designers and actors deserve a lot of praise for creating such a thoroughly enchanting world on-stage. It’s hard not to be impressed when a couple giraffes lope across the stage. There were times during the show when it felt like I couldn’t possibly absorb everything that was taking place in front of me.
And I continue to love how I can walk out my door and have all these experiences available to me.
You know, Orson Scott Card just keeps getting weirder. I tried reading his latest article, but I got lost when he started railing about something called “Smartland.” Huh? As PZ says, I like the man’s books, but I wouldn’t want to be in the same room with him unless I was guaranteed access to a chemical shower.
I know I have some readers in Oz, so I’d be interested in hearing your opinions on the conviction of the Australian woman who was found guilty of smuggling marijuana into Bali. Most Australians seem convinced of her innocence. I hadn’t even heard of this story until today, but I’m curious to know what evidence exists to fuel such certitude. And would she be getting this much attention if she was a less attractive woman? And doesn’t twenty years in an Indonesian jail seem just a teensy bit excessive?
On a completely different note, I had to post the picture below. There’s something about it that makes me giggle like a twelve-year-old.
