I’m listening to the In Our Time podcast from the BBC. It’s very soothing. I think they’re talking about archeology, but I can’t quite focus on the conversation. There’s something about people with British accents speaking eruditely on obscure academic subjects that has a very calming effect on the nerves. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon. They should play this stuff in dentists’ offices instead of that lite-rock excrement.
George Will had a provoking op-ed piece in the Washington Post a couple days ago that touched upon the concepts of genetic perfection, disability, and freedom of choice. He pointed out that 80% of fetuses that test positive for the genetic markers for Down’s Syndrome are aborted in the US. This, of course, has some disability rights groups concerned that expectant parents are being pressured into choosing abortion rather than attempting to raise a child with a disability. I’ll admit this is a sticky topic for me. I’m not prepared to condemn parents who choose not to have a child with a disability. At the same, I do think the much of the medical establishment tends to portray life with a disability in an exceedingly negative light. That’s why I could probably go along with something like Senator Brownback’s proposed Prenatally Diagnosed Condition Awareness Act. The bill, as Will describes it, would “increase the provision of scientifically sound information and support services to patients who receive positive test diagnoses for Down syndrome, spina bifida and other conditions.” Assuming that “scientifically sound information” also means politically unbiased information, I don’t have a problem with giving parents a complete picture of their child’s disability. If this bill threw up roadblocks to abortion like a forced waiting period, I’d have more reservations. But I do think there’s a certain amount of inevitability to this sort of thing. You can’t provide genetic testing and not expect parents to make decisions based on the results of those tests. Twenty years from now, I’d be very surprised if children are still born with SMA, at least in the developed world. I’m not saying that’s good or bad. It’s simply history at work.
I find it amusing that the hottest political debate of the moment surrounds the filibuster, a concept which most Americans only vaguely remember from their ninth-grade civics class. I also find it amusing that the Republicans, and specially religious conservatives, have enthusiastically portrayed themselves as long-suffering victims of a liberal judiciary. Look at this poster for an upcoming rally that will feature Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and other conservative Christian leaders:
This is a blatantly cynical attempt to turn a debate about an obscure Senate rule into a righteous battle between the faithful and the unbelievers. And if Frist wants to have any hope of being a presidential nominee in 2008, he has to play along with this circus. Never mind that most of the judges in the Schiavo case, and the majority of the Supreme Court justices, are Republican appointees. Facts can be inconvenient at times like this. This would all be so funny if it weren’t so terribly sad. But if the filibuster is abolished, the world won’t end. Someday, Republicans will be the minority party again and they will face the long-term consequences of their thirst for complete power.
The City of Minneapolis is going ahead with plans to solicit bids to install and maintain a citywide WiFi network. Not wanting to aggravate its inferiority complex, the City of St. Paul is developing its own plans for a wireless network. The Minneapolis won’t mirror other citywide public networks like the one planned for Philadelphia. This one will be privately owned. Residents will pay about twenty bucks for month for access speeds of 1-3mbps. I’ll probably stick with my faster wired connection, but this will be great for people who don’t want to pay for cable or DSL. I’d like to see the subscription fee closer to ten or fifteen bucks, but this is a good start. This also coincides nicely with a project I’m working on with other Humphrey Fellows on the “Creative Class.” Investments like this attract and retain professionals and entrepreneurs that are vital to a city’s future, or so says Dr. Florida. Despite my misgivings about the hype he imbues in his theory, I think he actually has a point about the payoffs of technology improvements.
Because I just know you’re curious, here are some of the latest additions to my iTunes playlist: “Beating Heart Baby” by Head Automatica; “Galang” by M.I.A.., “Don’t Stop” by Brazilian Girls; and “Anything” by Styrofoam. M.I.A. and the lead singer of Brazilian Girls are competing for the title of Mark’s Next Pop Culture Crush. I’ll let you know who wins.
I read on Adam Curry’s blog that he’s going to be in Minneapolis in the next few days. I’ll be curious to hear his impressions of my fair metropolis. Downtown Minneapolis doesn’t have the hustle and bustle of a Manhattan or a London, but we still have our big-city charms. If he is staying downtown, he should try to catch the newly remodeled Walker Art Center. So should I, for that matter. And he should drop by Hell’s Kitchen for breakfast, particularly one of their Bloody Marys made with beer. Actually, I could go for one of those right about now.
I realize the death of a Pope is a big deal, but does it really deserve the cover of a magazine for two consecutive weeks? I’m looking at you, Newsweek. And you’re not much better, Time. Over the last few months, you’ve been phoning it in with cover stories on Mary, Jesus, God and medicine, and probably a few others I’m not remembering. I understand you’re trying to boost circulation in the red states, but how about tossing in some real news once in a while? I’m not saying you have to do it every issue. But every once in a while you might want to remind people about more earthly concerns, like the aftermath of the tsunami (remember the tsunami?) or the progress being made by the newly elected Iraqi government. Just a suggestion.
NPR did a story this morning on personal care attendants in Maryland, where the state pays them only five dollars an hour. That’s even less than the federal minimum wage of $5.15/hour. You can make more flipping burgers at McDonald’s than you can caring for a person with disabilities. In most states, PCAs are low-wage workers. In Minnesota, I think the average wage is $8-$10 per hour with few benefits and no chance in hell for a raise. Accordingly, the people who are attracted to PCA work tend to be the same people attracted to other low-wage jobs: college kids, newly-arrived immigrants, and people who simply don’t need/care to make much money. PCAs aren’t treated as professionals and their pay reflects that. This is an ongoing problem for both people with disabilities and their PCAs. Many PCAs provide extraordinary quality of care, but our society seems to regard this work with some degree of disdain.
If I had my way, PCAs would be trained and licensed professionals. A lot of people with disabilities disagree with me on the licensure thing, but I don’t see it as an onerous requirement. If we require hairdressers and truck drivers to be licensed, I don’t see why our standards should be lower for people providing personal care in someone’s home. The training wouldn’t have to be anything super intensive. But it should be enough to instill a sense a professionalism that is accompanied by a commensurate level of pay.
The site was down earlier today; not sure why. I’ve been getting hit with a lot of a comment spam lately, so I wonder if my hosting company had another hissy fit and pulled the plug temporarily. It’s a constant battle to stay on top of the spam onslaught. I may have to consider implementing comment registration.
I’m beginning to notice some faint yellowish burn-in on my monitor from my SETI screensaver. I thought screen burn wasn’t a problem on most modern monitors. It’s nothing I can’t live with, but a new monitor may be in oder in the next few months. Of course, it will be a LCD monitor because I’m tired of the huge footprint of my current CRT. Anyone out there have recommendations on a good LCD?
After the warm afterglow of the Republican sweep in November, the first cracks are beginning to show on the mighty monolith of GOP unity. Recent polls show that the party is splintering over issues such as Social Security, the “nuclear option” regarding judicial filibusters, and the recent federal intervention in the Schiavo case. Rising gas prices and the continuing legal troubles surrounding Tom DeLay aren’t helping to improve Republican morale. Then there are the clumsy threats against judges from the far right’s sock puppets in Congress. After the election, I consoled myself with the thought that if the Republicans were given enough rope, they would hang themselves. Perhaps this is the tying of the knot.
Here’s something cheery to ponder over the weekend. This article in Rolling Stone posits a gloomy future once the era of cheap oil ends. The author envisions the collapse of our high-tech lifestyle and a return to a kind of feudal agrarian society. I might worship too much at the Altar of Technology, but I don’t think life will become that grim. I have at least some hope that we’ll come up with some kind of imperfect solution, most likely nuclear power. But there’s little doubt that the days of cheap gas are probably nothing but a memory now. I spent almost $40 dollars to fill my tank the other day. I don’t drive much, except the short commute to work, so I can absorb the cost. It’s the people with two- or three-hour commutes that are going to start feeling the pinch.