A team of researchers at the University of Michigan says Disney films are guilty of forcing "heteronormativity" into the minds of children. Don't know what "heteronormativity" is? Read the article. (HT: Tim Challies)

A new book that's out offers this disturbing conclusion: the more we watch reality TV stars, the more we start to act like them. (HT: Tim Challies. Do you stop by Challies' site? You should, if only for his regular À La Carte feature.)

As the title of this article says: "College students like texting and iPhones, but are wary of electronic textbooks." Is it because they prefer the look and feel of a book? Is it because textbooks require a longer gaze? Is it because they can't sell a used electronic copy of their textbook to freshmen who are willing to pay too much? Hmmmm. Tough call.

In cosmetic-surgery-is-seriously-getting-out-of-control news: Hajnal Ban hated that she was so short. So, she went to Russia to have doctors "break both her legs in four places and stretch them slowly for 1mm every day for nine months." The result? Three more inches. And she insists those few inches have taken her to even greater heights (pun totally intended) - she now serves on the city council.

For at least a decade, people have been fleeing the city to live in the 'burbs. Not anymore. The economic crisis has actually caused cities to grow by leaps and bounds.

This stunning story from Ira Glass's masterful This American Life takes a look at two girls who were switched at birth. The first half of the program explores what it was like for the two girls to learn they were switched at birth. The second half explores what this has been like for the two mothers.

Michael Phelps is back to making millions through advertising. You know - the guy who was swimming in gold medals last summer…and then got caught taking a hit on a bong at a party last November. An op-ed in yesterday's Los Angeles Times says this is just one more piece of evidence to prove that our country's "weed needle" has moved just a little closer to full-out tolerance of illegal drug use. The author is probably right in that conclusion (though the needle has been trucking along since the '60s). I also think this shows just how willing we are to forgive sports heroes (or heroes in general). Many probably don't even know that Phelps' recreational drug use wasn't his first boneheaded move. In November 2004, when he was just 19, Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence.

From one of Time.com's blogs, critic Lev Grossman offers a little insight into the pain of criticism. I'm not sure if you will find it useful, but I thought his words of caution - for both the critic and the one receiving the criticism - were solid. I especially like his idea for a pop-up box that warns us about the power of words just before we post something.

Did you hear about the new game show in Turkey? A Muslim imam, a Christian priest, a rabbi, and a Buddhist monk are going to be locked in a room with ten atheists. The goal is to convert as many people as possible. Man, this story is loaded with all sorts of quotes - not to mention that the story itself is pretty wild.