A man with quadriplegia recently learned to control a robotic arm with his brain. Yes, yes, excellent. My plan to assemble an army of cybernetically enhanced cripples is proceeding on schedule. The world will tremble in fear as my forces overpower the armies of the mightiest nations! All hail me!
In the meantime, I need to get my hands on one of these robotic arms so that I can get in armwrestling matches at bars and impress girls.
I wrote last week about the news that Minnesota is likely to face another deficit in the near future. It’s a frustrating situation, but one of the great things about the Internet is how it assists in keeping one’s perspective. Take California, for example. Writer Michael Lewis paints a vivid and depressing picture of the complete clusterfuck that is California’s public finances in a fascinating Vanity Fair article. He describes how state legislators of both parties are incapable of putting the long-term interests of the state before their own political interests. That may not be surprising in itself, but the consequences of such behavior are now trickling down to the local level with dire consequences. The city of Vallejo, for instance, is bankrupt and the city government has been reduced to a skeletal staff. The local fire department can barely cope with the number of emergencies that are called in each day. It’s a city struggling to preserve the most basic elements of the the social contract with its citizenry.
No community in Minnesota is approaching Vallejo-levels of dysfunction, but I worry. Our elected officials have shown little appetite for finding a sustainable solution to our own structural deficit and our cities and towns have been forced to make deep cuts in services. I want to believe that our sense of civic responsibility would keep our worst impulses in check, but perhaps the residents of Vallejo thought the same thing.
Remember that whole state budget deficit thing that resulted in me being unemployed for three weeks? It looks like Minnesota may have to confront yet another deficit when the Legislature reconvenes early next year. It turns out that state forecasters were a tad bit too optimistic in their assumptions about the pace of economic recovery and revenues will be lower than projected last spring. This news isn’t entirely unexpected, but we seem to be caught in an endless, nasty cycle of anticipating deficits, developing half-assed solutions to those deficits, and then confronting another deficit.
I look forward to hearing the Republicans’ moderate and balanced proposals for addressing this latest shortfall.
I’m not looking forward to the politicking next year regarding the marriage amendment to the state constitution. Hurtful and mean-spirited things will be said. Otherwise good-hearted people will reveal themselves as bigots. But it’s encouraging to see at least a few Republicans coming out in opposition to the ballot measure. The vast majority of elected Republicans will either vigorously campaign in favor of it or stay mum to avoid crossing the homophobic base of the party, so the willingness of these few to break with dogma should be commended. Perhaps a few more prominent Republicans will be inspired to make a stand for equality.
Steve Jobs’ passing got me thinking about the Apple computers I had as a kid. As my disability progressed and it became impossible for me to use a standard keyboard, it became necessary to find some kind of assistive device that would still let me use a computer. Fortunately, we found a scanning device that worked with our Apple IIGS. And then I discovered the HeadMaster (the device I use now), which I first used on a Mac Plus.
Apple wasn’t directly responsible for those devices, but it was the only platform for which any kind of assistive technology was available. If not for Apple, I would have spent a lot more time in front of the television. Thank you, Steve.
A year, I would have predicted that Mitt Romney would be the GOP presidential nominee in 2012. A year later, that prediction still seems safe. The conservative base has been flailing about to the point of exhaustion in efforts to find someone who can embody the far right’s most demented aspirations, but such a candidate simply doesn’t exist. At least, not in an electable package. I’m still hoping Rick Perry can stage a comeback as he would make a ripe target for Obama, but he’s already imploding. The Tea Partiers will either have to grudgingly accept Romney or find the courage (and resources) to organize a third party movement. Romney’s strained relationship with the Tea Party will probably be one of the more interesting political dynamics to observe next year.
I wasn’t one of those people who was clamoring for a high-definition of the original Star Trek series. But there’s no denying that the remastered episodes look quite sharp. Most Trekkies would probably agree with me, so Paramount’s announcement that all The Next Generation episodes will be gradually released on Blu-Ray isn’t too surprising. The fact that the studio is giving makeovers to all 187 episodes–rather than just the fan favorites–is impressive. Of course, all the remastering in the world won’t take the suck out of terrible episodes like “Encounter at Farpoint”, but it will at least make them shinier. I may skip the first couple seasons, but I’ll probably open my wallet for the rest.
The Mixed Blood Theater’s production of Neighbors may offend you. It may unsettle you. But it won’t bore you. The titular neighbors are two families: the Pattersons and the Crows. Richard Patterson is an ambitious classics professor married to Jean, his intelligent but somewhat aimless wife. They’re a biracial couple (he’s black and she’s white) raising a willful teenage daughter, Melody. Richard is deeply troubled when the Crows, a family of black entertainers who style themselves as a minstrel troupe (complete with blackface that is never removed) move in next door. The Crows are loud, abrasive, and crude; everything that Richard detests. When Melody begins hanging out with young Jim Crow (yes, Jim Crow) and Jean starts to spend her lonely afternoons sharing tea with Zip Crow, a charming but brash dandy with a fondness for top hats), Richard fears that his neighbors will sabotage his family’s upward mobility.
Neighbors is one of the more disorienting plays I’ve seen. One minute, you’re watching an outrageously bawdy minstrel skit. The next, you’re watching a deeply hostile argument between husband and wife. Neighbors‘ bipolar tone mirrors America’s attitudes on race: we laugh when Chris Rock pokes fun at black stereotypes, but we become uncomfortable and a little defensive when forced to confront our own attitudes on race. The play is at its best when it forces us to squirm under the weight of our own assumptions and biases, right until the surprising ending.
Mixed Blood is making all of its mainstage performances available for free, so you have very little to lose in checking it out. Full disclosure: I serve on one of the theater’s advisory committees.
I enjoyed a night at the theater this evening and about which I’ll write more later. But for now, I’ll bid you good night. Think of me tomorrow morning when I’m struggling to stay awake at my desk.
When I first read about the new Kindle Touch that Amazon unveiled today, I didn’t give it much consideration. My Kindle DX is a little bulky, but I like the big screen. However, a Kindle Touch might be slightly more accessible for me. It turns pages with a tap on the screen rather than with the push of a specific button. If I could trigger a tap with a switch attached to some sort of stylus, I’d be able to at least turn pages forward. It will be something to ponder when it’s time to replace my DX–although I see no reason why my DX shouldn’t last for quite some time.
As for the Kindle Fire tablet–meh. It looks nice, but if I want a tablet, I’ll probably get an iPad.