I wonder if it dates to an era when there wasn't a reliable way of testing brain function? The law defining blindness was passed in 1960. There weren't CAT scans and stuff yet, I don't think, but there were opthamologists who could look into the eyes and view degeneration and such. So they wanted to prevent people from saying, "I see only dancing hamsters" when in fact their eyes AND brains were fine.

amych expresses what I was thinking -- certainly there are different varieties and sortings, but if we're talking about government definitions, I'm not sure why people whose eyes work poorly are entitled to a deduction that people whose brains work poorly on the information their eyes give them are not.

Because those people might be big faking fakers?

No, seriously. Our system and definitions are inadequate for most things that aren't pure and simple physical ability v. inability. And in the absence of that sort of straightforward proof, our default setting is to assume some kind of treachery on the part of the person needing help.

Because those people might be big faking fakers?

Yeah, American psychiatry back in the '60s was still overreacting to Klinger and all his attempts to get a Section 8.

Our system and definitions are inadequate for most things that aren't pure and simple physical ability v. inability.

This, no doubt.

our default setting is to assume some kind of treachery on the part of the person needing help.

This, on the other hand, always makes me shake my not-so-tiny fist in ways that ranting at fellow Buffistas can't actually fist.

The The Today Show had a segment on Irish dog breeds and the video is up at MSNBC. Of the Irish dog breeds that are over here - the only one missing was the Glen of Imaal Terrier.

(I would be very, very surprised to learn that there were any Kerry Beagles over here.)

OK, did we know that the whole Paris Hilton/fake guru thing was actually staged for Ashton Kutcher's new show? That's pretty funny. [link]

This, on the other hand, always makes me shake my not-so-tiny fist in ways that ranting at fellow Buffistas can't actually fist.

At me or alongside me?

There was a Paris Hilton/fake guru thing?

missing the weeping angles reference.

At me or alongside me?

Oh, alongside! Ranting in the direction of, when Buffistas aren't meant as the target. And yipes, I really didn't mean to sound otherwise -- it's the poor definitions and suspicion getting in the way of people being helped, not you pointing it out, that gets me all fist-shaky.

Oh yeah -- she was seen with some guy in robes, talking about how he had changed her life or whatever, but then people started noticing he was actually an actor. I just didn't know she was in on it!