Interesting Links for 16-04-2015

[andrewducker]

• Paternal sperm may hold clues to autism
  (tags: autism sperm Father epigenetics genetics )
• Digital music matches physical sales for the first time
  (tags: music digital money business )
• Cracking your knuckles: What really happens inside your joints?
  (tags: mri body )
• Most partisans treat politics like sports rivalries, instead of focusing on issues
  

Comments

[gonzo21]

Well that just pours petrol on the flames of 'there is a conspiracy in the establishment to cover up high-level child-abuse rings' doesn't it.

[andrewducker]

Well, it's certainly clear that there was a conspiracy.

And looking at it now, it seems incredibly suspicious that they aren't pushing forward with this.

[gonzo21]

It does, yes. This allegation that he was investigated as recently as the late 90s, and officers were told to drop it.

I get the feeling the conspirators are desperately hoping all of the most guilty parties were die before this explodes completely.

[andrewducker]

They explain their reasoning here:
http://blog.cps.gov.uk/2015/04/the-decision-not-to-prosecute-lord-janner-statement-from-the-dpp.html?hc_location=ufi

Basically saying that there _is_ sufficient evidence and that "but for medical considerations, it would undoubtedly have been in the public interest to prosecute."

and

"that in the light of the medical evidence Lord Janner would inevitably be found not fit to plead, not fit to instruct his legal team and not fit to challenge or give evidence in a trial. That means that a criminal trial, to determine whether or not he was guilty of any offence, could not now properly take place"

So, basicaly, he did it, but he's so far gone with Alzheimer's that it's impossible to prosecute.

[bart_calendar]

I want to invest in Eaze so badly. The business plan is perfect.

I was talking to one of the people involved in it the other day (which is why I knew about it) and their big money is by selling local ads for delis/pizza delivery places and such and then getting a cut of the money from those food sales. You combine that with the markup they put on the pot itself and you have a system to virtually print money.

And as states see just how much money California and Colorado are making from taxing pot, you know there will be more pot legal states in the near future, so the company growth potential is really high.

[andrewducker]

Overall approval for legalisation in the US is up to 54% (from 52% in 2013), 23 states have medical marijuana, 4 have legal recreational marijuana, and there are another 6 lined up for 2016 (last I checked).

The main negative I can see is the possibility of a Republican president deciding to enforce federal law over state law on this. If that doesn't happen then by the following election things will have moved too far for them to claw it back.

[bart_calendar]

Yep and this company unless there is a roll back will make a fortune.

[andrewducker]

Shame they're not publicly listed!

[nancylebov]

The children of older fathers are more likely to have autism.

[andrewducker]

But possibly not for the reasons you think:
http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/04/18/confounder-of-the-day-how-sexy-your-parents-were/

[apostle_of_eris]

Funding of business plans is a neglected barometer of public opinion.
Chicago, my home, has one of those networks of pick-up and drop-off hourly bicycle rentals. Pretty obviously, it's a "network effect" sort of business. You have to start with a lot of network to have any chance, so the upfront investment is significant. It's one thing to be a bicycling enthusiast, but someone convinced money men that there are enough serious bicycle enthusiasts out there to make a ROI. I think it's significant that the concept has gotten serious funding.
A few years ago there was an American Express commercial featuring Ellen DeGeneres, and I said, "It's over (the war, not the fighting). We won." If a company which is selling image, and has spreadsheets and focus groups instead of heart or morals, thinks it's in their interest to present Middle America with perhaps America's most famous lesbian . . . hoorah!

[andrewducker]

Very good points - and yes, it really does feel that the reason why the culture wars are so loud at the moment is that the Inglorious Opposition are realising that they have lost and are fighting a guerilla retreat designed to cause as much damage as possible.

[ckd]

I don't remember who said it, but I saw a really great analogy for this once.

"It's like a boss fight, where once his health gets down to 50% he starts flashing red and attacks twice as fast."

[andrewducker]

Yeah. It's only when they see how much the world is changing that they feel the need to resist this strongly.