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Maxim Insecurity: Why Men's Mags Are a Drag on Male Self-Esteem
By Jay Dixit, Psychology Today
Those pictures of scantily clad bombshells in men's magazines like FHM, Maxim, and Stuff aren't just taking aim at women's self-esteem; they may be doing a number on men's self-image, too. Researchers at the University of Missouri at Columbia and the University of California at Davis plan to soon test their theory that it's the polished images of female beauties -- not the ads of ripped guys in Calvins -- that make men feel inadequate. The idea is that men end up fixating on their own bodily flaws as turnoffs to such babes. -- Eric Kelsey
http://www.psychologytoday.com/rss/pto-20070509-000001.html

Four Score and Seven Manatees Ago: Why Have We Stopped Naming Schools After Great Public Figures?
By Jay P. Greene, Brian Kisida, and Jonathan Butcher, City Journal
The number of schools named after presidents or civic leaders has dropped drastically around the nation in the last half century. Instead of Harry Truman High or Cesar Ch?vez Elementary, districts are opting for conflict-free namesakes inspired by natural features or animals (like the manatee). Although school boards may be trying to keep communities contented, City Journal's authors claim that deemphasizing our nation's heroes has eroded students' knowledge of American civics -- an area in which only 27 percent of high school seniors tested as 'proficient' in 2006. -- Eric Kelsey
http://www.city-journal.org/html/eon2007-07-02jg.html

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