The 19th Floor

The Horde Are A Bunch Of Socialists!

Oct 082012

Should I ever attempt to run for office, my opponent will have plenty of ammunition to use against me. This blog alone is probably a goldmine for oppo researchers, what with my frequent mentions of fishnets and the like. But I never considered that my enthusiasm for gaming might be used to paint me as a social misfit. The Maine Republican Party recently attacked a woman running for the state legislature because she plays World of Warcraft, even going so far as to create a website that describes WoW with the same ominous yet clueless overtones that might have once been used to warn of the dangers of rock’n’roll.

More damning are the candidate’s poorly considered posts on Daily Kos, which are also featured on the website. But the fact that a major political party is, in 2012, willing to attack a candidate for playing an on-line game makes me yearn for the day when the mores of today’s boomers and senior citizens don’t have a deathgrip on our political culture.

Perhaps I should run for office just to see if conservatives start foaming at the mouth because of my rather comely Elementalist alter ego in Guild Wars 2 (a great game, by the way).

Spock Returns

Geeking Out, Movies No Responses »

Oct 052012

For your weekend viewing pleasure, here’s director J.J. Abrams showing off a clip from the next Star Trek movie to Conan O’Brien. It’s spectacular! You may need to watch it more than once to fully absorb its awesomeness.

Lying Liar

Politics No Responses »

Oct 042012

Obama’s flat performance wasn’t the only thing about last night’s debate that left me frustrated. When pressed about his plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, Romney claimed that people with pre-existing conditions would still have access to coverage. Except they wouldn’t. A Romney adviser later clarified that states would need to enact their own versions of Obama–sorry, ROMNEYcare–to guarantee coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

Let that sink in for a minute. Romney wants to scrap a federal law and replace it with fifty state laws that would essentially do the same thing. But he can’t say that during the debate because, you know, details.

That Romney will say anything to become president is not exactly news. But I’m a little surprised that conservatives don’t seem to be bothered by this.

Podium Smackdown

Politics No Responses »

Oct 032012

I’ve already cast my ballot, so tonight’s debate comes too late for Romney to persuade me to join his Randian crusade. Then again, presidential debates probably don’t have a significant impact on the final outcome. It’s possible that Obama could contract a sudden case of foot-in-mouth disease, but it’s more likely that the dynamic of the race will continue on its present course. Unless Romney completely retools his campaign or external events intervene, the President simply has to play it cool for the next month until the clock runs out.

Democrats should be anything but complacent, but I didn’t expect to be writing the above paragraph a few months ago.

Gaming For Everyone

Disability, Games No Responses »

Oct 022012

Ars Technica has a nice in-depth piece on Includification, a set of best practices for making games more accessible to people with disabilities. The AbleGamers Foundation is working to persuade developers to adopt these best practices with varying levels of success. Some developers are hesitant to implement accessibility options because of concerns regarding cost or “dumbing down” the final product, while others simply haven’t given the matter much thought.

The “Includification” moniker is a little clumsy, but I’m glad to see someone taking the time to remind these companies that people with disabilities are consumers, too. Perhaps they can have a chat with BioWare, whose recent update to Star Wars: The Old Republic made the game completely unplayable for those of us who use on-screen keyboards.

Breakdown

Disability, Personal No Responses »

Oct 012012

Over the weekend, my wheelchair stopped working during a walk across the Stone Arch Bridge. The power toggle switch had been glitchy last week and I probably should have stayed home, but the gorgeous weather and a desire to see Looper compelled me to abandon caution to the wind. Fortunately, I was able to get a taxi ride home. My equipment vendor is now working on finding a replacement part for my aging wheelchair.

These assorted tech failures are beginning to wear a little thin. As I’ve noted previously, wheelchair malfunctions are particularly frustrating because they leave me housebound until they can be fixed. It may be time to start the process of getting a new wheelchair approved before this one becomes the gimp equivalent of a rusted-out car resting on cement blocks on the front lawn.

The gremlins have avoided my computer, at least. But at this rate, I may have to start staying up nights with all the lights on to stand guard.

Make It So

Geeking Out, Pop Culture No Responses »

Sep 282012

Brian Phillips has a great essay at Grantland commenting on the 25th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Money quote:

It’s obviously the case that the great subject of almost all American television — family — is also at large on the bridge of the Enterprise. Like The West Wing, the show offers a fantasy of smart friends working together and supporting each other that’s designed to make you want to join them. When you’re a skinny 13-year-old who’s scared a third of the time and bored another third, the idea of roaming the constellations with Captain Picard, whom adventure follows like a shadow and who always knows what to do, will obviously have a certain appeal.

Those sentences nicely capture my own reaction to the show. While I was already a Trekkie, I didn’t feel much affinity for the environs of the original show. But the NCC-1701/D seemed like the kind of place where a smart kid in a wheelchair could do okay for himself. The entire ship seemed to consist of gentle curves and slopes, implying that nothing was off-limits to a set of wheels. Medical care was always readily available and perhaps Commander Data could be my PCA when he was off-duty. Perhaps even Captain Picard would take notice of my potential and support my application to Starfleet.

Or so I imagined. And still do, sometimes.

Movie Night

Movies No Responses »

Sep 272012

I’m off soon for another dose of classic science fiction cinema. This week’s selection is This Island Earth, a film that I’ve seen before but of which I have only hazy recollections. Afterwards, I’ll swing by the local soda fountain to get my sock hop on.

Man Of Conviction

Health Care, Politics No Responses »

Sep 262012

Romney in 2006: By law, emergency care cannot be withheld. Why pay for something you can get free? Of course, while it maybe free for them, everyone else ends up paying the bill, either in higher insurance premiums or taxes.

Romney on 60 Minutes a few days ago: If someone has a heart attack, they don’t sit in their apartment and die. We pick them up in an ambulance and take them to the hospital and give them care. And different states have different ways of providing for that care.

Romney seems to have experienced a dramatic change of heart regarding the cost-effectiveness of emergency rooms as primary care centers. Back in the Aughts, he made a sensible case for ensuring that people had other options for accessing medical care besides the ER. Now, he seems to be implying that going to the ER is better than nothing.

The 2006 version of Romney would probably be a much more formidable opponent than the current model.

Robbed

Miscellaneous No Responses »

Sep 252012

I was going to post a tirade about the incompetent scab referees who stole a victory from the Packers last night. But some things are so obvious that further comment is unnecessary. For shame, league owners. For shame.

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