Today’s Links: August 15, 2012

OPINION

LINDSAY ABRAMS: “Pot May Improve Cognitive Functioning in Bipolar Disorder”
“At least one prior study has shown than cannabis might have some positive effects for patients with bipolar disorder, and several others have reported that in patients with schizophrenia, marijuana use is actually associated with an improvement in neurocognitive functioning. While it is still unclear why the psychoactive drug might have this effect on patients with major psychiatric disorders, this study further investigates the association in bipolar disorder patients.”

ADAM KIRSCH: “Gore Vidal’s ‘Burr’ Is Antidote to Tea Party Myths”
“‘Burr’ delights in subverting everything we think we know about how the country was built. With his characteristic patrician sarcasm, Vidal casually scraps the enduring notion of American exceptionalism, the idea that our politics, unlike those of the corrupt Old World, are founded on ideals of democratic equality and public virtue. If the Tea Party today looks back to the founders with reverence, ‘Burr’ suggests, that is only because they did such a good job mythologizing themselves and mesmerizing posterity.”

KATHERINE MANGU-WARD: “The Sad, Wasteful Afterlife of Olympic Venues”
“Cities spend hundreds of millions of dollars (at least!) attracting the Olympics, preparing for the tourist onslaught, housing athletes and getting people to and fro. But what happens when the hoopla is over? Some cities manage to re-purpose the infrastructure built for the games—Atlanta handed much of its Olympic park over to Georgia Tech, for example. But many, perhaps most, of the building is ultimately left to rot.”

NEWS

SAFETY – Popular Bumbo Infant Floor Seat Recalled
“About 4 million Bumbo Baby Seats are being recalled after nearly two dozen reports of infant skull fractures. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says babies can wiggle out of the floor seats.”

COPYRIGHT – SurfTheChannel Owner Jailed for Copyright Infringement
“The British owner of surfthechannel.com, a video-linking website, has been sentenced to four years behind bars for facilitating copyright infringement, making him the first British citizen in the United Kingdom to be jailed for running a website that linked to pirated material.”

NANNY STATE – Cresskill, N.J. Considers Banning Future Drive-Thrus
“One New Jersey town is considering a ban on drive-thru establishments. In Cresskill, you can find a drive-thru at the pharmacy, bank and even the doughnut shop. While some residents find them convenient, others find them maddening.”