SlowpokeBlog

Though I'm sure many will interpret this week's strip as an ad hominem attack on Larry Summers, let me state up front that that is not my intent. I'm not angry at Larry Summers. I see his statements about women and science as the product of ignorance, not hostility toward women. This is why I was careful to include his qualification that he hoped he would be proven wrong. I also see Summers as the product of a university culture that increasingly values the fund-raising capabilities and powerful connections of its presidents rather than their scholarship; but that's an issue for another day.

I am, however, troubled by those on the far right -- and some moderates as well -- who are vocally defending Summers' comments about women's innate scientific abilities. On the surface, their viewpoint sounds like conventional wisdom: since we don't fully understand the human brain, maybe it is true that women are wired differently. "Politically correct" people who criticize Summers are being intellectually dishonest by not considering all the possibilities.

The problem with this argument is that it ignores the mountain of evidence of cultural biases -- some overt, some subtle -- that make the sciences seem more attractive to males. It also completely ignores the history of gender in this country; it wasn't until 1970 that women were even admitted to the University of Virginia! People have been invoking biological difference for centuries to account for things we now clearly know to be cultural. As someone with a social science background, this is elementary stuff, but as I've mentioned before, much of America -- as well as the field of sociobiology from which Summers appears to be drawing -- seems to possess virtually no culture concept.

For the record, Summers did also address the issue of 80-hour workweeks as a deterrent to women who want a family, citing this as the most important factor. There was no way to address this in an already overcrowded cartoon. However, the basic point of the cartoon is that, despite his awareness of these other factors, Summers still felt the need to invoke a biological explanation. As I depict in the cartoon, he went so far as to say that biological factors are more influential than social ones (thus, in a sense, contradicting his emphasis on the 80-hour workweek).

Science Korner

Excellent article in the NY Times today explaining what's really driving medical malpractice insurance rates so high. It ain't frivolous lawsuits, as the Bushies would like you to believe.

But for all the worry over higher medical expenses, legal costs do not seem to be at the root of the recent increase in malpractice insurance premiums. Government and industry data show only a modest rise in malpractice claims over the last decade. And last year, the trend in payments for malpractice claims against doctors and other medical professionals turned sharply downward, falling 8.9 percent, to a nationwide total of $4.6 billion, according to data compiled by the Health and Human Services Department.

The main reason? A price war in the '90s followed by the recession which left companies without enough cash, followed by September 11:

In 2000, about the same time that under-pricing and other market conditions began to push up prices in medical malpractice, the much larger world of commercial insurance was also going through a cycle of higher prices. The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks cost insurers $40 billion and accelerated the upward pressure of the latest premium cycle.

Martin D. Weiss, the chairman of Weiss Ratings Inc., an independent financial rating agency, said the cyclical nature of the insurance business and a drop in insurers' investment earnings when markets fell had been among the strongest forces behind the rise in medical malpractice premiums.

And what about states that have price caps on pain and suffering awards?

some researchers are skeptical that caps ultimately reduce costs for doctors. Mr. Weiss of Weiss Ratings and researchers at Dartmouth College, who separately studied data on premiums and payouts for medical mistakes in the 1990's and early 2000's, said they were unable to find a meaningful link between claims payments by insurers and the prices they charged doctors.

"We didn't see it," said Amitabh Chandra, an assistant professor of economics at Dartmouth. "Surprisingly, there appears to be a fairly weak relationship."

No, I'm not talking about the regressives' favorite words to bleat whenever the name John Kerry is mentioned. I'm talking about the footwear, and how ubiquitous it has become on college campuses over the past several months (assuming that UVA is not alone in this phenomenon). An astonishing number of undergrads sport the things year-round -- even on raw, 45-degree days in February. Flip flops lend an air of the ultra-casual, the unworried leisure class, with the irony being that they must be profoundly uncomfortable in cold weather. I give the trend a thumbs-down. Put some socks and shoes over those clammy toes!

One of my pet peeves is the term "political correctness," a destructive, right-wing phrase that has been absorbed even by many of us in the center (that's what we Dean supporters are compared to this radical administration, baby). I often see the term used in the New York Times without any sense of objective distance -- i.e., without putting it in quotes. It is a label loaded with bias, frequently applied with a broad brush to anything progressives stand for.

Have there been some silly attempts to change the language? Sure. The word "womyn," I have to say, makes those of us for gender equity sound ridiculous. But really, how many people have ever used the term "womyn"? Or "vertically-challenged" to descibe a short person? The only place I've heard many "politically correct" terms is in jokes about political correctness.

Oh, and that Civil Rights movement sure was politically correct. Thank goodness for those independent, free-thinking, un-politically-correct dudes in white sheets.

Anyway, getting to this week's cartoon, I find the NEW political correctness to be far more pernicious. Molly Ivins has mentioned it lately in a couple of her columns; the regressives' attempt to rename private accounts "personal accounts" is the most egregious recent example. Using excessively-polite language is one thing, but using language to dupe people into supporting policies contrary to their own self-interest is another beast altogether.

The cartoon references Time's 2004 "Person of the Year" issue; I have to add, if Time had any integrity at all, they would have picked Eliot Spitzer instead.

New Political Correctness 101

I meant to post this several days ago, but both readers Elmore and Chris have pointed out that there is a character named Cash in William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, which shows the name has been around for a while. And that I need to read more Faulkner.

However... if you look at the ingenious Baby Name Wizard, which plots name popularity over the past century on a cool, moving graph, you'll see Cash shooting up like a rocket between 1990 and 2003. So it does appear to be a trend, as suggested in my cartoon -- albeit a somewhat limited one when compared to other names.

The Center for American Progress officially launches CampusProgress.org tomorrow (Wednesday), a much-needed answer to the radical right's assault on academia. Slowpoke will be a part of the site, so check it out!

So often I write about things I find troubling, I thought I'd take a moment and say hooray for the DNC and Howard Dean. Believe me, I did NOT expect to be saying those words about the DNC; I was girding myself for a mealy-mouthed loser, and preparing to affiliate myself with the Grangers, despite the fact that they don't exist anymore.

As others have noted, the chorus of Republicans who claim the Dems are dooming themselves with Dean is particularly telling. Sorry, but I don't trust the "friendly advice" of David Brooks any more than I trust the mercury in the tuna supply.

One lesson the regressives have learned well, and the Dems have not (until recently), is that you have to respect your base. Dean is, at long last, a step in the right direction. Not because Dean is particularly liberal; as Paul Krugman correctly notes in today's column, Dean is a moderate -- but he's a fighter. Oh sure, the Fox freaks will relentlessly tar him as "radical" because he opposed invading Iraq. It's our job to make clear in the coming months that opposing a DUMBASS war does not mean opposing ALL war. I have to say, the inability of Bush supporters to get this point clear really annoys me.

The job of the party chair is to rally the troops, raise money, and articulate a clear message. I think Dean will do all of these things well.

I'll leave discussion of Jeff Gannon, the planted member of the White House press corps who just happened to be a gigolo, to other blogs. But is it just me, or does the name of the right-wing site Gannon wrote for -- Talon News -- sound a wee bit fascist? I mean, I know the eagle is our national symbol, and yes, eagles have talons. But is that what the eagle represents to us now? A claw used to grasp prey? Damned if it doesn't strike me as creepy.

Ever notice how frequently restaurants -- especially steakhouses -- play up themes of lawlessness? There's the Republican-donor Outback Steakhouse, whose motto is "No rules, just right." (Or as Mr. Slowpoke says, "No rules, just wait to be seated.") Because, you know, rules suck, man. I cannot begin to count the times that rules have come between myself and a steaming platter of fried onion rings. Thankfully, the Outback Steakhouse defies those rules, whatever they may be.

Other examples of outlaw dining establishments: We have a Maverick grill here in Charlottesville, and while out West last month, I ate at a Mexican place called Desperado's. Pondering this cultural curiosity, it was then that I thought, "Why not go all the way?"

Extreme Theme Dining

One third of our "Laugh While You Can" cartoon troupe, Tom Hart, will be on the Majority Report during the 9:00pm hour.

(See "Laugh While You Can" tour info a few posts below.)

Text-based Pong, here.

You did just notice that the Senate passed a bill severely limiting class action lawsuits, didn't you? You realize this is a big deal, right? That you just lost some major, big-time freedom? Just checking.

I keep ending the baby name discussion only to learn about something so utterly ridiculous that I have to write about it. Reader Malcolm sent me a link to this article about an Australian couple who were literally auctioning off the naming rights to their baby girl on eBay.

"We are taking bids on the naming, advertising and promotional rights to my unborn BABY GIRL!!", the ad states.

"For a period of FIVE YEARS from the date of birth, we are offering the exclusive naming rights (first name only) to my unborn baby due March 1, 2005.

The auction was scheduled to end late on Wednesday but eBay withdrew the advertisement before it could be finalised. It did not give a reason for its action on the website and could not be contacted for comment.

Kinda makes little Tostito in my cartoon seem not so far-fetched, doesn't it?

I hereby announce my participation in the Laugh While You Can tour, along with fellow political cartoonists Tom Hart and Tim Kreider. We'll be storming through the major cities of the great blue Northeast, doing book signings and multimedia presentations of our work. Here's our current itinerary:

Wednesday March 23
Reading, RISD, Providence RI

Thursday March 24
Signing, Million Year Picnic, Cambridge MA

Friday March 25
Signing, Jim Hanley's Universe, NYC

Saturday March 26
Reading, Atticus Books, New Haven CT

Sunday March 27
Reading, KGB Bar, NYC

Monday March 28
Reading, Robin's Book Store, Philadelphia

Tuesday March 29
Reading, Warehouse Theater, Washington DC, sponsored by Olsson's Book Store

More details to follow. We're still looking for a Boston venue to do a reading, so if there are any Bostonians out there with some suggestions, please drop me a line. Also, anyone interested in flyering, please let me know. There's a free, signed copy of my book -- and I'll bet the other cartoonists' books as well -- in it for you.

More "Laugh While You Can" tour info here.

Some poor comic book retailer in Rome, Georgia has been arrested for inadvertently allowing a free compilation put out by my publisher, Alternative Comics, to fall into the hands of a minor. The problem? One story by my friend Nick Bertozzi, about Pablo Picasso, contains nudity. There is no sexual content in the story. From the press release:

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has undertaken the defense of retailer Gordon Lee of Legends in Rome, GA against charges arising from the dissemination of "Alternative Comics #2." Lee was arrested on charges of distributing material depicting nudity, and distributing obscene material to a minor; the first charge alone, a felony offense in Georgia, carries a penalty of one to three years in prison and/or fines of up to $10,000, if convicted. [emphasis mine]

I know someone who used to teach in Rome, Georgia. He found the atmosphere so oppressive he quit and moved away.

Okay, I lied. This will be my final post on last week's baby name cartoon. But I had to mention that someone has actually named their baby Million'z A'Dolla'z. Apparently the parents have password-protected the web page where the birth announcement appears, since it was discovered by the blogosphere and snarky comments ensued.

The fact that anybody is taking this Social Security scheme seriously clearly explains the existence of cheesy late-night infomercials. (Did you know that you can make millions trading international currency from the comfort of your own home? Yes! You CAN!) As I mentioned recently, an astonishing number of Americans simply have no bullshit detector. And this particular pile of bullshit reeks to high heaven.

I'll leave the nitty-gritty discussion to others (see Paul Krugman's recent columns if you haven't been following them). But I will say that I find it VERY ironic how Repubs blow so much wind about the flat tax and streamlining government, only to take an elegant, efficient system like Social Security and turn it into a bureaucratic nightmare. I was reading the tortuous details the other day, and I was like, DAMN, what a mess!

It cannot be said enough that privatization of Social Security has been on their agenda for decades. Sorta like Iraq was on the agenda long before September 11.

Also, does anyone remember this neat little quote?

"The creation of private accounts for Social Security will not deal with the solvency and sustainability of the Social Security fund," --David M. Walker, comptroller general of the Government Accountability Office

More in my earlier post here.

Anyway, I was thinking a few weeks ago that these market fundamentalists are like dudes who don't want to use condoms. They want to force unprotected capitalism on everyone. And then one thing led to another...

Private Account

Slowpoke: America Gone Bonkers is currently available through the Air America Radio Bookstore (scroll to bottom of page).

With last week's cartoon, I seem to have offended someone who named their baby girl "Cash" after Johnny. It's certainly not my intention to be mean. Like I said in my earlier post, I was in a very upscale area when I read the birth announcements in a local newspaper, listing two babies named Cash. For the sake of their privacy, I won't mention the entire names of those babies here, but let me tell you, they were RIDICULOUSLY posh. Hence the cartoon.

So to those parents out there who named their babies after Johnny, I understand you weren't trying to gentrify your tot. I'm sorry you were upset by the strip, and I ask that you try not to take the cartoon too personally.

While we're at it, a bit of background on the name Cash: Mybirthcare.com lists two origins for the name. One is Latin, meaning "vain" and the other is English, meaning "Diminutive of Caspar: Wealthy Man." Which would seem to confirm my cartoon somewhat -- though I'm sure no one intends to call their kid "vain." Anyway, that's that. On to next week's less-controversial topic, the destruction of Social Security.

Excellent essay in the NY Times today concerning the whole Larry Summers flap.

While I'm heartened by the images of Iraqis risking life and limb to vote, it seems weird to trumpet the day as a glorious success when 50+ people were slaughtered. If 50 Americans were blown up trying to vote, it would be a national tragedy. And how easily the hooting loons of the right overlook the tens of thousands of innocents -- possibly 100,000+ -- who've died so far. Can you even IMAGINE how those people would respond if that kind of carnage occurred on American soil? As the Onion headline from last year put it, "Iraqi Man Would Have Loved Democracy Had He Lived to See it."

In response to this week's cartoon (see yesterday's post), reader J.P. writes:

When I was at a pumpkin patch last Halloween with my son, I heard a father calling to his own son, "C'mon, Kevlar, it's time to go." That poor kid.

Update: Reader Elmore points out this may be a nickname, as he has a friend named Kevin whom people refer to as Kevlar. I'd thought of this too, but even so, using a term that means "bulletproof material" to refer to your young son seems kind of... icky.