Daily Links 1-2-14

In today's roundup: zero tolerance and public schools, an update in the war on boys, PEDs in baseball, and more.

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Glenn Reynolds weighs in on new research showing the ability of preschoolers to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Too bad the same can't be said for public school administrators.

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The Washington Examiner weighs in on the war on boys with this editorial:

Lost in all the noise about helping girls achieve their potential is a growing body of evidence that boys are in trouble. It's the real "gender gap." Consider this: A recent study by two MIT economists found that men, not women, are less likely to graduate from high school and finish college. As a result, the study said, "over the last three decades, the labor market trajectory of males in the U.S. has turned downward along four dimensions: skills acquisition, employment rates, occupational stature and real wage levels." 

The authors say the declining economic value of men and the rise in women's achievement contributes to the breakdown of the American family by making marriage less valuable. Then, with more out-of-wedlock births and single-parent households headed by women, the lack of a male role model hurts boys in particular, both economically and academically. 

This isn't a new finding: Multiple studies over the past 40 years have shown that boys suffer more than girls from divorce because they tend to externalize their reactions and act in ways that make them more likely to cause trouble at school or get arrested. Simply put: Boys need fathers to learn how to become men. And too many of them don't have one. 

Read the whole thing.

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Making the argument for voting for players from the Steroid Era for Baseball's Hall of Fame. Their opinion? It's the numbers, stupid. The hard part for me about the steroid debate has always been what distinctive advantage, if any, does use of PEDs give to a player? Baseball is hard game to play and even harder to master. Though I'm opposed to use of PEDs I still remain unconvinced that they give a player a significant edge.

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The polka-dot bomber from World War II:

The full story on why it's painted that way is here. (Hat tip: Neatorama)

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Prince William made the day of a 12 year old girl who was visiting Sandringham on Christmas Day:

In another era, it would have been seen as undignified. But in the newly populist royal family, everyone seems to be getting in on the act. 

After Prince Charles and the Queen set the trend by agreeing to pose for mobile phone photos with members of the public, Prince William has joined in.

And this time it was the royal who actually took the picture. 

William, 31, photographed himself with Madison Lambe, 12, on her phone – because she was too nervous to press the button. The Duke of Cambridge took the snap after she visited the Sandringham Estate on Christmas Day to watch the Royal family walk from their house to church.

Priceless.