While I’m certainly glad to see Michele Bachmann leave elected office, I doubt her star will dim anytime soon. She probably has 3-4 years to cash in on the big money to be made from the conservative media machine before she has to worry fading into obscurity. Perhaps she and Sarah Palin can develop some kind of buddy act and take it on the college circuit. Meanwhile, I’m sure someone equally wrong-headed will succeed her in the 6th District.
Some academic types have come up with a replacement for the international disability symbol. The new symbol is meant to be less passive and more “progressive”.
The disability community has plenty of barriers confronting us. Public signage isn’t one of them. A new icon isn’t going to prevent some jerk from parking in that one disability spot that has room for my ramp.
And does this mean we have to abandon all other versions of the symbol? Because I’m quite fond of this one:
The Times examines the reasons why people with disabilities continue to receive substandard medical care. Most outpatient clinics are ill-equipped to serve patients with disabilities, particularly those of us who have limited or zero mobility. The staff have little training on how to safely transfer people with disabilities and the exam rooms lack accessible equipment. As a result, people with disabilities may only receive partial exams that may overlook potential problems.
I experienced this firsthand a couple months ago when I went to see my doctor with what turned out to be a urinary tract infection. The exam room lacked a table that would allow me to lie prone, which made it difficult for the doctor to examine me. She nearly sent me home to collect a urine sample, which would have only delayed my diagnosis and treatment. It might have made more sense for me to simply go to the emergency room, but I shouldn’t be forced to visit the ER to receive adequate care for a relatively minor issue.
The Pope has declared that atheists are decent people as long as they do good. I like to think I fall within that category. Well, except that one time. And those other times. It all depends on how broadly one defines “doing good”. But at least my devoutly Catholic friends no longer have to feel guilty about associating with me.
I’m busy preparing for visitors, but perhaps I’ll post more later.
Star Trek Into Darkness isn’t shy about appropriating material from classic Trek lore. To say much more would require spoilers, but some fans may find this latest re-imagining too derivative of the earlier and perhaps better version. I can see their point, but I’m also a sucker for new spins on old stories. And J.J. Abrams brings some interesting twists that improve upon the original formula. For example, a certain alien species looks way more badass. Benedict Cumberbatch (I still say he’s a refugee from a parallel Dickensian universe) is also one of the more memorable Trek villains to antagonize Kirk in a while.
But I’m still trying to understand why “Lens Flare” isn’t listed in the cast credits.
Over at Slate, blogger and fellow geek Matt Yglesias offers a strong defense of Star Trek and its various iterations. He argues that what continues to make Trek relevant is its firm grounding in progressive values. It offers a vision of a better future that has been made possible by hard work and a commitment to improving the condition of the human race. He then goes on to comment on the strengths and weaknesses of each series. He even says some nice things about the much-maligned Voyager.
While my cynicism can sometimes get the best of me, I’ve always appreciated the shiny future depicted in Trek. It seemed like it might be possible to live in a precursor to that world and, in many ways, we do. Star Wars is also wonderful, but its universe can be heavy on the feudalism (what with all the knights and princesses and mystical powers). In the world of Trek, success is determined by smarts and competence; everything else is secondary. That’s a world I want to keep visiting.
If you’re looking for some lunchtime distraction, you can now play several classic Sierra adventure games in your browser. I wasted much of my youth playing these games, so the nostalgia factor on this stuff is pretty high for me. Your mileage may vary. The graphics and interface on these games are both crude, but nothing explodes and spelling counts.
Having thoroughly conquered the American cinematic landscape, Joss Whedon and Marvel Studios have decided to focus their superhuman powers on television. ABC has picked up Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., a new series focusing on the spy agency from The Avengers film and countless comics. The trailer below looks promising and I’m curious to see how much of the existing Marvel Universe will make an appearance. It seems unlikely that Thor or Spiderman would star in an episode, but perhaps we’ll get a Gambit or Black Widow.
Any guess on how many seasons this will last? It’s certainly got geek cred and all the power of Disney behind it, so the show may have staying power. Or it could flop hard if it can’t connect with viewers.
The design for the new Vikings stadium is one of the more striking visions for a sports arena. Its angular shape and glass walls should make for an interesting addition to a skyline that can still be fairly described as generic. I’d still prefer that public dollars not be used to fund its construction (particularly since the plan for producing those public dollars is looking more and more ill-conceived). But if we must have a new stadium, it should at least be appealing to the eye. Let’s hope the design also incorporates strong accessibility principles that make the stadium welcoming to everyone.
And I suppose I can be persuaded to shell out what is likely to be an exorbitant amount to watch the Packers smack the Vikings around in their new home.