In a news conference this morning, Bush announced preliminary efforts to “codify” heterosexual marriage. He also dropped a not-so-subtle hint that gays are “sinners.” I guess someone reminded him who his masters are.
In other news, the Administration geniuses suddenly realize that pulling air marshals from transcontinental flights might not project the sort of “tough on terrorism” image Bush has cultivated over the last two years.
A question for all my overseas and Canadian readers. If Bush wins in 2004, can I come stay with you? I don’t need much food and I can just sleep on the sofa. I just don’t know if I can take another four years of this.

According to a research team at Berkeley, political conservatives like Reagan, Hitler, and even Stalin are motivated by a shared psychology. Those motivations include “fear and aggression, dogmatism and intolerance of ambiguity; uncertainty avoidance; need for cognitive closure; and terror management.” Conservatives are also suspicious of change and accept the basic premise of inequality. Read the full press release here. They needed a study to figure this out? Couldn’t they just watch Fox for 10 minutes?
And here’s another story that is sure to piss off the flag-wavers in Washington. Emmanuel Todd, the French historian who predicted the fall of the Soviets, says that the Pax Americana ain’t gonna happen.
Let the flaming begin.

A couple of interesting disability-related items. First, Governor Dean has posted the disability rights plank of his platform. He seems to have a good grasp of the fundamentals, including full funding of IDEA, passage of MiCASA, and appointing people with disabilities to visible posts in the Executive Branch. Democrats have been traditional supporters of disability rights, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that Dean is addressing this issue. At the same time, a lot of this support comes across as patronizing lip service. Dean seems pretty thoughtful and it will be interesting to see how the other candidates respond.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has an article about my former employer, PACER Center, and its joint collaboration with IBM on a summer technology camp for girls with disabilities. The camp is intended to introduce these girls to careers in technology and science. The girls are also paired with mentors from IBM. It’s a fucking great idea. I wish stuff like this had been around when I was a kid. For me, summers were mind-numbingly boring because there just wasn’t much for me to do. I sometimes enrolled in a summer class at the local university, but I still had a lot of time on my hands.
The other night, my dad neeed help figuring out how to use the burner on his new notebook computer. I had to explain to him that you can’t just save a file to disc like you would with a floppy. We had to go over the process a few times before he got it. At one point, I wanted to scream, “Dad, it’s after 11 and I’m more than a little tired and I just want to watch the latest Project Greenlight on my TiVo! Can we do this later?” But I didn’t. I wonder if, in another 10 or 20 years, I’ll be similarly befuddled by new technologies.

Had a pretty good birthday. My parents gave me some clothes and a couple books. My sister gave me a couple CDs including the new Radiohead and Liz Phair. And I’ve decided to have a party with my friends in a couple weeks, so I’ll have to send out e-mails about that. Party at Mark’s! W00t w00t! Let’s REALLY annoy my asshole neighbor! And like I said, you’re all invited.
According to this site, the name MARK means:
The name of Mark gives you a very individual, reserved, serious nature.
Well, if you say so. But I’m not a total stiff.
You stick stubbornly to your ideas or decisions, in spite of any appeals or advice; you are not willing to accept a compromise.
That’s because I’m right. Always.
You prefer to be alone with your own thoughts, rather than in the company of others. This name restricts spontaneity in association and the fluency of your verbal expression. When you are required to express yourself in personal matters requiring finesse and diplomacy, you feel awkward and embarrassed. Although you realize perfectly well what is expected of you, you are unable to find the right words, and hence you end up saying something inappropriate in a candid way.
Geez, this makes me sound like a total loser. I’ll have you know I’m smooth like a trophy wife’s face after a Botox injection. I’m more polished than a high school senior’s application to Harvard.
You can express your deeper thoughts and feelings best through writing.
Okay, lucky guess..
Your friendships and personal associations are rather restricted, being limited to those of a similar nature who can understand and accept your rather straightforward yet reserved manner.
Hardly. I’m very likeable. Just ask my last three victims.
You are steadfast and loyal, and do not allow gossip or anything belittling to be said against those whom you accept in friendship.
True. Don’t dis my posse, yo.
You find satisfaction in being outdoors or in getting out into nature, or in dealing with the products of the earth.
Ah ha ha ha ha ha! Okay, I’m done. No, wait…ha ha ha hee hee ha HA! Man, that’s some funny shit.
There is originality and depth of thought contained in this name, particularly along practical and mathematical lines.
I almost failed trigonometry.
This name can adversely affect the health of your respiratory organs, the heart and lungs.
See, Mom and Dad? This is all YOUR FAULT! Why couldn’t you have given me some nice innocuous name like Billy or Melvin?
Also, you are prone to suffer from weaknesses centering in the head.
Screw you, hippie website!

Thirty years ago today, a hospital in Ulm, Germany was first graced with my presence. That’s right, I’m 50% Old Europe, which probably explains why the current Administration and I don’t get along very well. Going to try to leave work early so I can get home to tend to some important tasks. Namely, opening presents. I didn’t get yours yet. Yes, you, the one sitting at the computer with the guilty look on your face. But I’m sure it’s in the mail.
Right?
I’m so disappointed I didn’t make this list of blogs banned in Iran. Anyone know a mullah to whom I can slip a few bucks? It’d be so cool if I could tell girls I’ve been banned somewhere!