Should Men Get Married?

My PJM column is up:

If PJM�s advice columnist Dr. Helen Smith ever doubted that the institution of marriage was getting to be an increasingly risky and expensive proposition for men - her readers have certainly educated her, forcing her to think carefully about whether or not to advise them to head to the altar.

Much of the column is about a new book by professor Stephen Baskerville entitled, Taken into Custody: The War Against Fatherhood, Marriage, and the Family. The book is an important one and brings to light some of the difficulties men are having with the current family court system. It is worth a read for those of you who want to know more about the ins and outs of the family court system's bias towards men (and some women).

Anyway, take a look at my column to learn more.

Teen is Suspect in Craigslist Killing

This story is troubling:

MINNEAPOLIS - A 19-year-old man suspected of killing a woman who answered an online ad for a baby sitter was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder.

Michael John Anderson is accused of shooting Katherine Ann Olson in the back at his home in suburban Savage, according to the criminal complaint filed in Scott County District Court.

Sadly, the victim sensed that something was wrong with a woman named "Amy" who asked her to babysit but she didn't rely on her built-in intuition:

This ad was posted by someone claiming to be "Amy." Olson's roommate, Matt Thiede, told police that Olson had talked with "Amy" over the phone and commented that "the woman seemed kind of strange."

Olson and "Amy" exchanged e-mails, and in one message, "Amy" asked Olson to baby-sit a child between 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Thursday. The address and phone number provided to Olson matched Anderson's address and cell phone number, authorities said.

If you talk to a stranger on the phone about setting up a job or other business exchange etc., it is always best to meet them in a public place, not a home and if the person sounds strange, don't go or at least bring a friend to a restaurant or open area with other people. Gavin de Becker, the author of The Gift of Fear says "victims of violent behavior usually feel a sense of fear before any threat or violence takes place. They may distrust the fear, or it may impel them to some action that saves their lives."

Good advice.

Grand Rounds is up. Be sure to check out the post on how to survive a wildfire.

Update: Also check out the latest Carnival of Homeschooling.

Fun in D.C.

Sorry about the light posting this week, I was in Washington D.C. enjoying the sights and trying to rest my fingers from typing. D.C. was fun, I went to Georgetown where it was packed with people shopping like mad--I found an unoccuppied stoop outside and plopped myself down until the teens I was with finished shopping at Sephora which is a very popular make-up store. It was funny to watch the guys walking with women by the store --the women's eyes would widen as they passed and they would squeal with glee, "It's Sephora!" Either the guy would look a bit puzzled like, "Huh, what's that?" or the more savey among them would know, look at his watch and say, "you have ten minutes." It was interesting to watch. I often wish I could think of some product to sell that would bring as much joy to people as this make-up store does for women. I would soon be a millionaire.

Anyway, I stayed at a nice hotel near the Capital that had one of those new elevator systems called Miconic 10. They seem to be popping up everywhere and I must say, I don't care for them. The elevator sorts the cars for the maximum efficiency by having you press the number of the floor from the outside. Then when you get in, there are no controls so if you made a mistake, you have no way to correct it. Call me neurotic, but I hate the lack of controls inside the elevator. I am secretly scared of elevators but until now, have tried to keep this fear to myself. I use them and deal with the uneasy feeling but I must say that if you have an elevator phobia, this new system is not great. I was the Hearst building in NYC a few weeks ago and they had this system. I had to go to the 44th floor and must admit that by the time I got off, I was pretty uneasy. If you don't like elevators, this device is not the best--perhaps with time, there will be improvements or maybe the manufacturers don't consider that some of us are slightly phobic of elevators.

Anyway, finally, as I drove back from D.C., I spent a good portion of the trip beside a DARE cop car. The car was a Mustang GT that had been painted all over and had DARE advertisements all over it. The most amusing--or perhaps unnerving--advertisement on the car stated boldly, "This car was seized from a local drug dealer." Now call me crazy, but why advertise that you are stealing cars from drug dealers and then driving them around. This is hardly something to be proud of. The law apparently is quite liberal when seizing property from anyone they suspect is accused of dealing drugs but the person does not even have to be charged. And somehow, the idea that this property is given to the police is a real racket, setting up the incentive for all types of corruption. As I was driving, I sort of wished I had a car that said, "I seized this car from a local Sheriff accused of police brutality." Might have been funny, okay, probably not. I might have ended up with a ticket I didn't really want.

So, I had a nice weekend and am now back, after a number of adventures.

"Meek and Mild Mannered" Woman Stabs Boyfriend

A Wellesley woman turned violent after breaking up with her boyfriend:

A 20-year-old female student at Wellesley College was charged today with breaking into a dormitory at MIT and stabbing her former boyfriend seven times as he slept, according to police and prosecutors.

Anna Tang was ordered held without bail after her arraignment this afternoon in Cambridge District Court on charges of armed assault with intent to murder and home invasion.

Suzanne Kontz, an assistant Middlesex district attorney, said in court that the victim, a 19-year-old student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, woke up to Tang stabbing him seven times. The couple had been romantically involved for eight months but broke up three weeks ago and the relationship took a violent turn, Kontz said.

Kontz said that Tang sent the victim threatening e-mails and then broke into his dorm room today at about 6:30 a.m. Tang was arrested by Cambridge police inside the dormitory on Memorial Drive. The name and condition of the victim were not released.

John Valerio, an attorney who represented Tang, described his client as a �meek and mild mannered� young woman who had been taking classes at MIT. Valerio said he will investigate the accusations.

I wonder if this woman will see any real jail time or whether she will just get the Mary Winkler treatment?

The Shy Millionaires

In response to my last post on taxation, there are a few of you who feel that "rich" people, those making over $500,000 a year, should be hit with extremely high taxes. One commenter mentioned that many of the people he knows inherited money or found a "rich trophy wife " (Huh, where are these rich trophy wives?). Another commenter at Megan McArdle's blog referred to those with over $500,000 in income as "fat cats," who don't work:

I'm not ideologically opposed to taxing wealth, mainly because I know a lot of fat cats that aren't working. But it seems to me that there's no pragmatic way (or at least, not one we've discovered yet) to penalize them without also hitting a lot of people who are working.

In his book, Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow's Big Changes pollster Mark Penn describes the trend of the "shy millionaire" as Americans who live below their means. He states that we have a bit of a skewed perception about American wealth:

According to recent surveys, most Americans think there are far more millionaires in America than there really are--by about 4-fold. A survey done in the late 1990's--when only about 4 percent of households had net assets over $1 million--showed that the public believed that 15 percent of households were that rich. (Today there are 9 million people in America worth $1 million or more, exclusive of their homes.)

...According to the authors of the best-selling book, The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy,the average millionaire in America went to public school, drives an American made car (and not this year's model), and received zero {my italics} inheritance.

...he isn't interested in telling you how much money he has. Most millionaires would not be caught dead in a limo. It is the antithesis of what they believe in...

Penn describes six different types of millionaires (I won't go into all the types here) with the most prevalent group being the most quiet--the Satisfied Savers--these people are made up of welding contractors, pharmacists, pest controllers, etc. The Satisfied Savers are those millionaires who have worked hard, saved much, and lived below their means.

Penn makes a very good point about why "class warfare" polemics rarely win in American politics:

Promising to give the rich their comeuppance on behalf of the "little guy" has its shortcomings when many Americans believe that they, too, can be millionaires. Class warfare language directed at people who have worked hard to get where they are is a very unpredictable way to talk to American voters. It is quite different in Britain, where privilege is presumed to be behind success, but in America, equal opportunity is one of our most cherished values.

So rather than a bunch of "fat cats," most millionaires are just the opposite: people who worked, lived below their means and saved a lot of money. Or as one politician put it, people who "worked hard and played by the rules." All of us could learn from them. Jealous that they have not achieved this level of wealth, now many controlling types of people are scheming to take money from others through high tax rates that penalize the "shy millionaire" as much as the real "fat cats," whatever that means. Instead of scheming like a bunch of thugs, perhaps the government and those that approve of their thuggery should learn to be more like the shy millionaires by spending below their means, saving, and showing some class.

Time for Another Boston Tea Party?

It seems that Robert Reich, the former Labor Secretary in the Clinton Administration has proposed a redistributionist tax strategy for "the rich:"

What�s fair? I�d say a 50 percent marginal tax rate on the very rich (earning over $500,000 a year). Plus an annual wealth tax of one half of one percent on net worth of people holding more than $5 million in total assets....If the Democrats stand for anything, it�s a fair allocation of the responsibility for paying the costs of maintaining this nation.

Reich calls it a fair allocation, I call it highway robbery--taking 50% of someone's money at gunpoint (and face it, that's what the government does, don't believe it? Try making a lot of money and then not pay tax on it and see what happens) is basically theft. It's not fair allocation, it's not "redistributionist" strategy, it is theft, plain and simple and it should be illegal. Sure, I'll go along with citizens having some obligation to pay a modest share of taxes (what about the fair tax to accomplish this?) to pay for roads, national security and other government necessities but the idea that one can be taxed at such a high rate deserves a swift and severe response from those in this country who believe in economic freedom; luckily there are some people out there who realize this type of tax is more than about money, it is about the freedom to practice one's profession without penalty for success. A commenter at Megan McArdle's blog points out:

....Let's face it. A patent attorney makes big bucks because there aren't that many folks that are very good electrical engineers or PhDs in chem/bio, plus have a law degree, but the market demand for good ones is very high. Supply is tight, demand is high. Same for other highly paid professionals.

Between the two of us (my partner and I), we make close to $500k/year. But we both came from lower middle class families (we both worked our way through school and had huge student loans...our families too poor to help), so it isn't like we're "fat cats."

You start banging us any harder in taxes, we'll quit working so hard. Might just say "f--- it" and retire. We won't be the only ones. That'll make our talents even more scarce and increase the wages of those that remain.

Moreover, what is the incentive for a young kid today to work like a dog, go into debt to learn the skills needed to provide what the economy needs so badly as shown by market wages.

And we'll sit here and wonder why China and India leap ahead of us and our economy/standard of living stagnates....

Another dissenter at McArdle's place has the right idea:

I'd sell my business and retire (at 42) if such taxes were enacted. I'd forfeit my citizenship and move to Ireland or the Cayman Islands, too.

Where is Milton Friedman when you need him? Is this a premonition of what is to come if the Democrats are in power? I sure hope not or it may be time for another Boston Tea Party of sorts by those of us who believe that economic freedom is imperative to a free society.

The Dangerous Book for Dogs

Today, I received my copy of The Dangerous Book for Dogs, a parody of The Dangerous Book for Boys written by authors of the Onion. The book description (Hat tip: Instapundit) looked so funny that I had to order it:

The Dangerous Book for Dogs asks a simple question: isn't there more to being a dog than wearing a mini cashmere sweater and riding around in a $400 evening clutch? What about the simple pleasures of life -- feeling the wind in your fur, digging up the grass beneath your paws, smelling another dog's butt? Isn't that part of the great joy of being a dog?

The book is "written" by two dogs, Rex and Sparky, who (from the back cover) "wrote this parody without authorization (because they are dogs and they do what they want)." The book is written for other dogs and starts with a Preface entitled, "I Didn't Have This Book When I Was a Puppy." "Today's dog should never forget that there's a whole wide world of adventure out there."

From there, the chapters include such adventures as: "Things You Can Chase," "Begging-A Primer," "Foul Smells Every Dog Should Roll In," "How to Make Your Owner Look Like an Idiot," "Creative Pee Stains," "Training a New Human" and "How to Ruin the Perfect Dinner Party."

In the "How to Make Your Owner Look Like an Idiot" chapter, there is a section on "Aggressive Crotch Sniffing." I have always wondered why the heck dogs do this. Here is why from a dog's point of view:

A common myth held among humans is that we enjoy sticking our snouts into their crotches. False. Who on earth would think this is a pleasant experience? No, the truth is that we sniff crotches because it makes owners wildly uncomfortable. There's not a lot of technique here. Take your nose; shove it into a crotch.

The real payoff comes when the people your owner is speaking with begin to scroll through a laundry list of questions in their minds: What is wrong with this person's crotch that his dog is so attracted to it? Doesn't he wash himself? Is he keeping a sandwich in his crotch? Why would he do that? I have to stop speaking to this person immediately and report him to the authorities.

Also, consider environments and scenarios in which a sniffed crotch would be particularly embarrassing. Is your owner making out with somebody? He won't be for long if you dive-bomb his trousers....

Okay, so now you have an idea of the humor of The Dangerous Book for Dogs. Is the book worth the ten buck purchase price? Uhh, perhaps if you enjoy this type of humor, are a dog lover or owner or want a cheap Christmas gift for the dog lover in your life. Otherwise, I think The Dangerous Book for Boys or The Daring Book for Girls is a better buy.

Anti-Depression "Stone Age" Remedy

Well, there was a lot of controversy about how to treat depression in my post, "Live like a Caveman to Cure Depression?" Some of you thought the "Stone Age" cure was a bunch of junk science. However, here is one woman who thinks that the "caveman" approach might just work:

Podcast: Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award Winners

Glenn and I attended the Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Conference in New York this month and were lucky enough to catch up with some of the winners for interviews. We talked with Amory B. Lovins, a visionary of radical energy efficiency who talked with us about what advice he would give the current crop of presidential candidates about energy efficiency. We also talked with Shawn Frayne, an inventor whose work has focused on water disinfection, "green" packaging, cleaner cooking fuels and wind energy. Frayne received a 2007 Breakthrough award for inventing the Windbelt, which takes advantage of aerostatic flutter to produce low-cost electricity.

Finally, we talked with Shawn Carlson, a physicist, science writer, educator and recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship for his innovative approaches to science education. He talks about why 40% of the PHDs in the sciences and engineering are now foreign born and how we can help our kids get excited about math and science in the schools. He is the founder of Labrats.org, a terrific website for kids who are interested in science. I like their motto: "Data over Dogma."

You can listen directly -- no downloading needed -- by going here and clicking on the gray Flash player. You can download the entire file and listen at your leisure by clicking right here, and you can get a lo-fi version suitable for dialup by going here and selecting lo-fi. Plus, you can always get a free subscription via iTunes -- and why wouldn't you, really?

Visit our show archives for past episodes and updates at GlennandHelenShow.com. Music is by Mobius Dick.

This podcast is brought to you by Volvo Automobiles. Buy a Volvo today and tell them it's all because of the Glenn and Helen Show!

Grand Rounds is up at NY Emergency Medicine.

Live Like a Caveman to Cure Depression?

Psychologist Stephen Ilardi was interviewed for an article on depression by the AARP magazine on his approach to treating depression:

So maybe we've been wrong about depression. Maybe it's not just some mental-chemical problem requiring a Prozac prescription or soulbaring confessions to a Dr. Melfi-type therapist. Maybe, says Stephen Ilardi, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology at the University of Kansas, what's darkening our lives is the way we actually live our lives....

Since World War II, as the United States has modernized and grown more urban, depression rates have risen tenfold. Nearly a quarter of to day's adult population will have experienced the disorder by age 75. So Ilardi wants us to look back, way back, to our Paleolithic past To our cave-dwelling, hunter-gatherer ancestors, who were somehow protected against depression, most likely by their highly social, active, outdoorsy lives, Ilardi theorizes.

Well, I have to ask, could part of the reason cavemen had less depression be because they lived only 30 years or less? No midlife crisis because well, you probably didn't have a midlife, just a short one. Anyway, aside from that comment, go read the article and see what you think.

Update: Ace says these cavemen don't seem happy.

What to do with spare change

Do you have a bunch of change all over your house and car that you keep thinking you'll roll up and take to the bank, give to charity, or cash in at a grocery store coin machine? I did, so finally this morning I threw it all in a jar and took it over to my local Food City to toss in the Coinstar machine. Those machines take about 11 cents out of every dollar which is a bit steep but better than spending time rolling it up (unless you have an eager kid who likes to do it but the excitement wears thin in no time). Anyway, I was happy to see that I could choose the option of an eCertificate with free coin counting to Amazon.com, Starbucks, iTunes or Circuit City.

I chose an eCertificate to Amazon.com, came home and ordered a pair of earrings (I lost mine on my recent trip to NYC) with some of the money and it was so easy, even those who are computer illiterate could do it. I plugged in the redemption code where it asked for the gift certificate number and voila! my earrings were paid for and it was incredibly simple. So if you have spare change, this is a great way to clean up the mess in your house and also reward yourself with something fun or something you need. The machines also let you donate the money to charity if you are so inclined. And with Christmas shopping coming up around the corner, these eCertificates are a painless way (depending on how big a change jar you have) to pay for gifts and shop online all without the hassle of setting foot in a store.

The Daring Book for Girls

Well, I received a copy of The Daring Book for Girls, a book inspired by The Dangerous Book for Boys and I must say, I was impressed. I am not sure what I expected, maybe something too girly for my taste, sexist or anti-boy but I found none of my preconceived biases. Instead, I found a book packed with fun adventures and information for girls of all ages.

The book opens with essential gear that girls need: the list includes among other things, a swiss army knife described as a key tool for survival, a bandana to keep your head cool, rope and twine to help learn about knots, a journal, a hair band--great advice for girls with long hair-- duct tape, to fix almost everything, and patience--which is described in the book as a "quality and not a thing, but it's essential so we'll include it here. Forget perfect on the first try. In the face of frustration, your best tool is a few deep breaths, and remembering that you can do anything once you've practiced it two hundred times. Seriously." Good advice for anyone.

Readers can learn how to tie knots, how to do a cartwheel, learn weather signs, and my favorite--how to change a tire. Honestly, this is one that is really important for anyone to know, male or female. The steps in the book are really clear and to the point and it almost makes me believe that I could go out and change my tire right now. Almost, did I ever mention that plumbing and hands-on mechanical skills were some of my lowest scores on an aptitude test in college? Embarrassing but true. I realize this book is geared towards girls and teens, not women my age, but I might be sneaking a look at it every once in a while to help me with such skills as improving my sense of direction, camping skills, and learning to do Japanese t-shirt folding.

Finally, I would like to commend the authors for their excellent advice for how to deal with boys:

... One, if a boy doesn't like you for the way you are, the problem is him, not you. And two, don't try to make a boy change for you--it's important to appreciate people for who they are.

Wherever you fall on the spectrum of how you feel about boys, do treat all your friends, boys and girls with kindness. This has gone out of fashion, and that's a sad mistake.

Overall, the truth is that there's no big mystery about boys. Boys are people, and like all people, they are complicated. And that's what makes being friends with other people interesting: You get to learn about how other people think and act, and, in the process, learn a little bit more about yourself.

Good advice.

CNN interviewed me for their health section: My job's giving me a heart attack!

Lunch in NYC

with Ann Althouse. Glenn and I were here for the Popular Mechanics Breakthrough conference which was fascinating but first, we met up with Ann at a restaurant on the West side. We had a lovely lunch and then Ann and I went shopping--it's New York, you have to go shopping. And thanks Ann for being one of those types that talk your shopping companions into buying things--I love my new shoes!

New PJM Blogger

Psychologist Phyllis Chesler, the author of The Death of Feminismand many other books and articles, is now blogging at Pajamas Media:

As you all may or may not know, I am a retired Professor of Psychology, a retired psychotherapist, and a retired courtroom witness. But I remain an author, a lecturer, and a public intellectual (God help us all!) who is often interviewed by the media, but no longer by the liberal/left mainstream media.

Once, my books (there are fifteen, thirteen are published), my articles (there are thousands), and my various political, feminist, civil, religious, and human rights campaigns were widely and prominently covered in the major mainstream media. This changed radically in 2003 when I began writing in defense of Israel and America and about the hijacking of the western university by a virulent form of Stalinist Palestinianism and postmodernism.

Go by and welcome her here.

Recounting the Awful History of Repressed Memories

Ask Dr. Helen

My PJM column is up:

Men are becoming increasingly concerned about finding justice in today�s legal system. PJM advice columnist Dr. Helen interviews Glenn Sacks and warns against �standing idly by while your rights are infringed, your freedoms are in question and your sex is used as a weapon against you.�

I think the interview with Mr. Sacks is an important one--go read the column and see if you agree.

Things That Speak for Themselves

I recently viewed a YouTube video of IDF women soldiers (Hat Tip: Classical Values) and was struck by the serious anti-semetic and hate-filled comments by other viewers. Here are some examples of the anti-semitic comments (Warning, not appropriate for work or those with a delicate nature) made by those viewing the video:

I would not let one of you whores drink my piss. Go off and kill some more children, scum. Steal more land while you are at it. Fucking zionist scum bags.
It is good to see these sluts in uniform, now they? are legit targets for the Palestine resistance.

i miss? that nasty stinky jewish pussy

Has anyone read the book The "israel Lobby" Mearsheimer and Walt have really raised some powerful questions and were so accurate about how the book would be received. It is a must read for any global citizen.

what a douche bag country Lol you kill Liban and Palestinian " We are all survivor from a fake deathcamp, we can make everting , like? kill inocent civilian " LOL Sorry but you're pathetic go fuck in burn fucking isreal. Deutschland �ber alles fickie alles untermensche und jude! Sieg Heil don't miss with the best fucking scum asshole bitchass jews

The fact that people out there feel like this --and that in their heart, they see it as acceptable--to me is disgusting.

"So, in economic terms you are a depreciating asset and I am an earning asset."

So says a guy making over $500,000 a year to a beautiful woman asking on Craig's List why she can't find a rich husband.

The 4-Hour Workweek

I finally got around to reading The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich. I had been meaning to do so for awhile just because the title sounded catchy and I figured the author would have some good tips for making a living on the internet. I ended up reading part of the book at a local Barnes & Noble and found it interesting enough to buy. I am glad I did because it contains a lot of good information about how to structure work, live a fun life and get yourself out of the rat race of 9-5.

In a chapter entitled "Chronology of a Pathology," I learned that the author, Tim Ferriss, had problems with authority since day one; I can relate, having cursed at my first grade teacher for giving what I thought was too much homework and realizing early in life that with my personality, I would need to become an entrepreneur and work for myself if I wanted to make a decent living. The 4-Hour Workweek teaches you to do just that, more or less.

Ferris starts by telling the reader to make a "System Reset" and he offers platitudes such as "Doing the Unrealistic Is Easier Than Doing the Realistic." He explains this by stating "Realistic goals, goals restricted to the average ambition level, are uninspiring and will only fuel you through the first or second problem, at which point you throw in the towel." He helps the reader figure out which unrealistic goals are worth pursuing and has one draw up a "sample dreamline" to calculate the cost per month for each of one's dreams. He then launches into time management and gives great tips such as "the key to having more time is doing less" and "do not multitask."

You'll then learn how to escape the office, embrace mini-retirements without having a nervous breakdown and learn to avoid the Top 13 New Rich Mistakes. Some of these mistakes include micromanaging and e-mailing to fill time, striving for endless perfection rather than great or simply good enough, and blowing minutiae and small problems out of proportion as an excuse to work.

Do I think if you follow the steps in this book, you can become rich by working four hours a week? Probably not, but it's worth a try. My concerns about the book are that the things he has people doing to make money do depend on having the right product, the right advertising and enough people who will buy it to make it plausible. However, I learned a lot about how to go about doing those things in a better and more efficient manner, had some good laughs and imagined myself swinging from a hammock in the Caribbean while millions accumulated in my bank account. For that alone, the book is worth the purchase price.

Got Kids? Then you need to read up on what your doctor might be doing with them behind closed doors.

What Peer Review Actually Means

Do you ever wonder if peer reviewed journals are the big deal that elitist academics try to make them out to be? For example, here is a definition of a peer reviewed journal:

Peer review (known as refereeing in some academic fields) is a process of subjecting an author's scholarly work, research or ideas to the scrutiny of others who are experts in the same field. It is used primarily by editors to select and to screen submitted manuscripts, and by funding agencies, to decide the awarding of grants. The peer review process aims to make authors meet the standards of their discipline, and of science in general. Publications and awards that have not undergone peer review are likely to be regarded with suspicion by scholars and professionals in many fields. Even refereed journals, however, can contain errors.

Not only can refereed journals contain errors, they can contain "experts" who make errors about acceptance and rejection of articles based on their prejudice and fear of ideas that do not meet with their preconceived ideas of how the world should work. I experienced this first hand with an article I wrote with some colleagues a few years ago and submitted to The Journal of Legal Education whom we had contacted and they said they would be interested in such a piece. We thought an article on violence prevention would be helpful to law professors but apparently, the reviewers had other ideas. I have no problem accepting a rejection for an article but when I saw the two reviews our rejection was based on, I must say, I lost respect for this particular journal's decision to allow such lame reviews.

One review was just lame stating that our analysis of violence prevention was just "simplistic"--a buzz word for "I don't agree with your viewpoint"--and we needed to get more information from administrators and deans (the very people who have no clue about violence!) with regards to their experience with violence to get more insight etc. Not sure that would help but okay. The second "expert" review reads more like a rant than a review; the funny thing is that I can just imagine the fury of this guy who wrote a long tirade full of typos and I could just imagine his fingers clacking away angrily as he typed. Here are a few highlights from this "expert" review:

The article "Anger and Violence on Campus" is not worthy of publication. Reading it, I was reminded of the premises of so-called war on terrorism-terrorists are evil people who need to be contained or eliminated. Never mind trying to understand the underlying reasons people might resort to violence, there is something fundamentally wrong with them so we need to figure out who they are and keep them from causing harm to others. This paper takes a similar superficial look at violence on campus- those who act violently are fundamentally disturbed people who need to be identified, contained, and if possible eliminated or screened form our campuses. At no point do the author(s) follow-up on their initial observation that "vengeful individuals sought to address perceived grievances" Rather than examining the sorts of perceived grievances people sought to address, they focus exclusively on the failure of institutions to recognize "clues of impending violence" and their inability to take preventative actions.....{long rant}

I will not even bother going into detail in my concerns about the sorts of admissions screening and record keeping that are suggested at the end of the paper-the authors) must have been taking instruction from the Justice department since there is not even any recognition that there might be some issues of rights involved here.

I have no problem being rejected but I do have a problem with the bias that this reviewer shows, indicating that we are "taking instruction from the Justice department" because he does not agree with us. Why say this? I can just imagine the "I hate Bush stickers" plastered on his office door. Anyway, good news, our article has been resubmitted and been accepted by another equally prestigious law review so obviously it is not as "unworthy of publication" as the biased reviewer seemed to think.

I am not retelling this story to get revenge, I merely want to point out that peer review can often mean gate keeper to those ideas that some academics want kept out of print. Diversity of ideas often means little to some elitists when it comes to ideas that do not fit in with with their preconceived notions of how the world should be. This is not a scholarly critique so much as a political rant. We get it, he doesn't like Bush, but what does this have to do with violence in the classroom? It is, to say the least, disappointing.

Time for a Career Change

So SayUncle used to be a counselor: "Needless to say, I soon got out of counseling. Wishing your clients dead isn�t healthy for you or you clients."

No, it's not. When your job leaves you feeling like this, it's time to go.

Of Cellphones and Backbones

I have a column up at PJM on Giuliani's cell phone problem:

When Rudy Giuliani took a phone call from his wife in the middle of a speech, PJM advice columnist Dr. Helen Smith was appalled. What his campaign tried to spin as the act of a caring husband, she sees as a red flag.

Can a guy control the nation if he is controlled by his spouse?

Do you know husbands or wives who take numerous calls from spouses no matter where they are--even at work in the middle of a speech? I do and I have often found out that this behavior is often as much about control as it is about just taking a friendly call from one's spouse. Short leash, just lust, or common behavior? What do you think?

Read the column and let me know.

Evil Genes

I recently had the pleasure of writing a blurb for a new book by Professor Barbara Oakley entitled Evil Genes: Why Rome Fell, Hitler Rose, Enron Failed and My Sister Stole My Mother's Boyfriend. Barbara has just informed me that the book is now out and up on Amazon.com. From the back cover:

Have you ever met a person who left you wondering, "How could someone be so twisted, so evil?" Prompted by clues in her sister's diary after her mysterious death, author Barbara Oakley takes the reader inside the head of the kinds of malevolent people you know, perhaps all too well, but could never understand.

Dr. Oakley suggests that some people really are born to be bad. She has first-hand experience with her sister who was personality-disordered and she ties in her life throughout the book with an analysis of the behavioral tics of Mao, Stalin, Hitler, and Slobodan Milosevic. My favorite chapter in the book was entitled, "The Perfect Borderpath" where she explores a new personality disorder, a combination of the Borderline and the Psychopath and uses Mao as an example of this dangerous combination.

I highly recommend taking a look at this book if you are interested in understanding the genetic component to why psychopaths and others who we think of as "evil" act as they do. It will be well worth your time.

Interview with Governor Mike Huckabee

We interview Governor Mike Huckabee on running for President, his campaign, where he stands on the issues and how he lost 110 pounds. He was diagnosed with type II diabetes, lost the weight and ran four marathons and wrote Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork : A 12-Stop Program to End Bad Habits and Begin a Healthy Lifestyle to let others know how he did it. The Governor and I also have something in common; we are both interested in, and have written books on kids who kill. The governor is author of Kids Who Kill: Confronting Our Culture of Violence which he wrote after the Jonesboro school shootings in Arkansas. You can view his website at www.mikehuckabee.com.

You can listen directly -- no downloads needed -- by going here and clicking on the gray Flash player. Or you can download the file and listen at your leisure by clicking right here. And you can get a lo-fi version, suitable for dialup connections, by going here and selecting "lo fi."

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