It’s late, but tomorrow I’ll post pictures that the disability community had for Senator Max Cleland. He told me an amusing lawyer joke that apparently everyone has heard but me. Anyway, off to bed.

I took a second look at the Edwards pictures after one of you complimented my moustache. I really must check myself in the mirror more often. Facial hair of any kind bugs the hell out of me. A couple years ago, I had the chicken pox and I couldn’t shave for three or four weeks. It was awful. I looked like a yeshiva school dropout. My problem is that my five o’clock shadow is more like a three o’clock shadow. Note to self: start carrying a razor with you for those evening engagements.
NPR has a story about a summer camp for kids with Asperger’s Syndrome. Asperger’s is a mild form of autism that is usually characterized by high intelligence and a minimal ability to recognize social cues. The camp is supposed to teach these kids how to socialize and “fit in.” Listening to this, I started wondering if this was a subtle effort at encouraging conformity to a set of social norms, whatever those are. I can sympathize with a parent’s desire to have their kids spared the teasing and ostracism that frequently accompanies being “different.” Yet I don’t necessarily think we should discourage these kids from expressing their true personalities, either. A lot of Asperger’s kids grow up to be brilliant thinkers with unique insights on the world around them. We should be nurturing that kind of growth and reminding these that while it’s important to recognize the thoughts and feelings of others, it’s also okay to be a little different.

One of the points Edwards made in his speech last night was how the Bush tax cuts have favored the nation’s wealthy. I expect this to be a major issue in the debates. One article I read presented the following scenario: Bush’s tax cuts have benefited a lot of wealthy Democrats, enabling them to contribute more money to Kerry and left-leaning 527s. Wouldn’t it be ironic if Bush’s tax cuts indirectly contributed to his own defeat?
I got home last night in time to watch Katie Couric and Bob Costas jabber over Björk’s entire performance at the Olympic opening ceremonies. Philistines. I wish there was a channel where you could watch the Games without any inane narration.

Maureen Dowd was on The Daily Show the other day. She was pitching her new book, Bushworld, a collection of her columns from the NYT Op/Ed page. I admire her writing for its dry sarcasm directed at Bush and his administration, which is all the more effective because underlying it is a sense of deep disappointment in the direction our nation is heading. And forgive me for saying this, but she’s kinda hot. She reminds me of a reserved English professor who, if you got a couple glasses of chardonnay in her, would fling her glasses off and tango the night away with you.
Who knew that volunteering for a campaign could be so much work? I didn’t get home until nearly 9 last night because I was at campaign headquarters for meetings and tonight I’ll be at a campaign event. I’ll have my camera with me and I’ll try to get some good pictures. Let’s hope there won’t be any unwanted smooching this time. I am starting to really enjoy this experience and I’ve met so many tireless, energetic, and brilliant staffers and volunteers.
Which reminds me. If you’re in the Twin Cities and have an interest in getting involved in the campaign on behalf of people with disabilities, we’re having a community organizing meeting on August 19th. You can read more about it here.

I got a phone call from a high school friend who’s now living in Mordor Texas. He has a physical disability and is having real difficulty finding work. He told me that employers are reluctant to hire him, especially after they get on the phone with him and hear his speech impairment. I may be unduly influenced by Texan stereotypes, but I get the impression that attitudes about disability aren’t all that progressive down there. Not that it’s all gumdrops and rainbows here in Minnesota, but we do have one of the better employment rates of people with disabilities in the country. Of course, that’s still not saying much because our employment rate is only 30-40%. But talking with him reminded me of why I do what I do, while wishing that there was something I could do to help my friend.
One great thing about Netflix is that one gets to sample things that one would never find in a Blockbuster. I recently became a fan of the BBC series MI-5. It’s not flashy; I don’t recall any explosions or car chases. But the writing is taut and the plots are ingeniously intricate. And spies with British accents are inherently sexier than the American version.
This crappy weather has scrapped any plans I had to watch the Perseids. But if any of you manage to snap any good meteor pictures, send them to me and I’ll post them.