Note that your quote doesn't include the criteria I listed, so no, not every one. I am familiar with Bakan's thesis; I am also familiar with the fact that Bakan's not a psychologist and should not be trying to diagnose anyone or anything, and that one of the psychologists he based his judgment on (and who he…

Every criteria? Poor impulse control? Inability to plan ahead? Low threshold for physical violence? Refusal to obey the law?

Yes, thats why I said after the first chair. I think he can be excused for the one chair thrown at the bartender because it was so sudden.

A little unfair. It's not something he probably expected to happen. And after the first chair the guy was throwing things at the back of the bar rather than at a person. Why get stabbed, shot or beaten to death over property damage?

"Everyone knows women writing for women about themes of love and romance is the kiss the death for literary respect"

I don't want to defend Franzen because I find him pompous and what little I've read of his incredibly underwhelming, but unless I am mistaken Weiner is the one who picked the fight with him.

"Nicholas Sparks anyone? And yet his books still manage to get reviewed."

Only one? I think I disagree on that...

But female mystery writers get NY Times coverage, too. A better comparison to chick lit would be "action novels" aimed at men and with the literary merit of an episode of The A-Team — and the New York times ignores those, too.

Yes, exactly. Why do writers constantly do that idiotic trope?

Chubby people are the worst, eh?

I lost 100+, and did end up getting an abdominoplasty after living with the loose skin on the stomach for several years. Glad I did it though damn are those few weeks after it rough. The loose skin on the rest of me I'm just going to live with, or try to build up some muscle mass to fill it out more (I'm a guy…

Also middle class kids are more likely to need the money than upper class kids, and less likely than working class kids to be willing to work jobs "beneath" them to make ends meet.

"that only about 2 percent of female students signed up"

The problem with the first study is it lacks context, as many commenters pointed out. Is this specifically about rape? Or is this about a sizeable percentage (but still a minority) of people saying they would hurt someone else to get what they want if they were assured of not getting caught. It would be interesting…

Exactly my point. Aggression is so overly feared that all these other meanings, whether intended or not, are read into it in order to make it sanctionable.

Yes, the system does take domestic violence seriously. Police respond to more domestic violence calls than any other reported activity. Mandatory arrest laws almost exclusively apply to domestic violence incidents. The government supplements criminal enforcement with social work and victims' assistance resources,…

Do you have any cites for this? Because frankly, one of my big problems with the rape culture theory and any sub-theories arising under it is they tend to be built on the foundations of post-structuralist theories of power relationships that I (and a lot of people) think are significantly flawed.

I will probably be attacked for saying this, but I would probably say the same thing. I think since we have traditionally (and unfairly and cruelly) marginalized, criminalized, and stigmatized people who wish to identify outside traditional biological heteronormativity, that we should unqualifiedly support anyone who…

That song instantly rocketed to number 1 most annoying Christmas song ever on my list. And that list has some stiff competition.