Nick Dupree is a young man living with his parents in Alabama. Like me, he uses a ventilator and requires 24-hour nursing care. Unlike me, Nick faces the prospect of being sent to an out-of-state nursing home when he turns 21 next month. Thanks to Alabama�s draconian Medicaid laws, Nick�s nursing care will be terminated as soon as he reaches 21. Nick has set up a web page that describes his plight and his efforts to change the law. After you check that out, consider writing Governor Siegelman of Alabama and urge him not to imprison this bright young man in a soulless institution.

You know, I always wondered why my family ate lots of Chinese.
Well, the New Year has arrived. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves and didn�t suffer too many ill after-effects. Now that the holiday season is over, we can turn our attention to more pleasant things like war and ballooning state deficits. Our own boyish governor-elect is proposing cuts in our state�s Medicaid program. As someone who depends on this program for every aspect of daily life, such talk makes me cringe a little. But I�m more concerned for people who are working minimum-wage jobs and don�t have any access to affordable insurance. They�re always easy targets because they don�t evoke the same degree of (let�s be honest) pity as do people with visible disabilities or the elderly. My mom, who�s from Germany, always marveled at how this country treats health care as a privilege rather than a right. Just utter the phrase �national health care� and you�re accused of being a socialist. I wonder if these people would be happier living in a country that practices a purer form of laissez-faire capitalism, like Somalia.

Okay, I just wrote a funny and informative post, but Blogger seems to have devoured it. I’ll try again tomorrow. Darned newfangled technology. Maybe I should just hand out flyers on street corners.

Much to my surprise, it’s becoming more apparent that Trent Lott is heading for a big fall. I’d like to think that the GOP is doing some serious soul-searching regarding its checkered history on race relations, but that’s probably expecting too much. And let’s not forget that our beloved Attorney General (aka The Guy Poring over Your Library Card Records) has said some questionable things that have been conveniently forgotten. And yes, there are certainly bigoted Democrats as well. But the GOP has built much of its base by exploiting the subtle but undeniably powerful brand of racism found in much of rural and suburban America. And yet people are shocked, shocked I say, when a good ol’ boy like Lott lets down his guard and allows his true colors to shine. Please.
Two Towers had a boffo opening day, which pleases me. It’s been nominated for a Golden Globe as well. It probably won’t win, but it’s nice to see that the press has a bit of a geek streak.

I cleaned up the site and archived some of the older posts. Let me know if you have trouble finding anything.
I saw the latest Star Trek film last night with my friend Tim. It actually wasn’t bad, despite some of the reviews in the press. I think you have to be to be a bit of a fanboy to appreciate these films. They’re not great examples of moviemaking, but I can think of worse ways to waste two hours.
Still no snow here in Minneapolis. I’m not complaining much (wheelchairs and snow are not a match made in heaven), but everything just looks sort of brown and dreary. But it’s supposed to snow later this week.
If anyone is looking for a gift for your favorite webmaster, I’m kind of interested in the Sims Online. God knows I don’t need to spend more time on the computer, but I’m intrigued by the premise of this game. It’s been getting some attention in the media and I’m a sucker for hype. Besides, this game will let me realize my dream of living in a house with a lava lamp in every room.
Mark