Red Light Cameras and red faces

Dim prospects for road safety program

After three years, contractor picked by CCA Party Councilors still can't figure out how to make its system work

By Will Collette

This is the camera covering the southbound lane of Route One at West
Beach Road (photo by Will Collette)

Whether you know it or not, Charlestown has two operational camera systems on Route One designed to catch motorists running the red lights at East Beach and West Beach Roads. Those four sets of cameras at the two intersections went “live” on January 6. The plan was to issue warnings for the first two weeks (until January 20) and then issue $85/no points tickets.

However, in the nearly three months between January 6 and April 1, not one single ticket has been issued to an offender and not a penny in fines has been collected.

As of April 1, according to Charlestown Police Chief Jeffrey Allen, 52 warnings have been issued to owners of vehicles filmed running a red light at one of those two intersections. These warnings carry no fine or points. In addition, that averages out to only one red-light violation roughly every 36 hours and that's way, way off of Sensys's predictions.

Chief Allen reports that the town’s contractor for the system, Florida-based Sensys USA, has had “some technical issues with the courts and RITT [RI Traffic Tribunal] approval” so no tickets are being issued.

It could happen!

Ted Cruz's road to the White House

By Tom Tomorrow

Just a few pieces - click here to see them - have to fall into place.

Terror and tolerance

How persistent terrorism leads to increased intolerance, especially among right-wing voters

Elizabeth Rau

KINGSTON, R.I. –The timing for Marc Hutchison was perfect. 

On March 17, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, won re-election, thanks largely to support from right-wing voters concerned about terrorism and the country’s security.

The next day, Hutchison, a University of Rhode Island associate professor in political science, learned that his article showing how chronic terrorism cultivated political intolerance in Israel, particularly among those on the right, was accepted by a prestigious political science journal.

“Netanyahu’s actions just before the election validated what we found in the study,’’ says Hutchison. “When he renounced his commitment to a two-state solution and warned that Israeli Arabs would be ‘voting in droves’, Netanyahu capitalized on intolerance among the Israeli right that, as we show in our study, has grown over time as a result of chronic terrorism. Obviously, these tactics were effective as Netanyahu’s Likud party greatly exceeded its pre-election polling numbers and won decidedly.”

Eat your kale to stay sharp

Eating green leafy vegetables keeps mental abilities sharp

Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), Science Daily

Something as easy as adding more spinach, kale, collards and mustard greens to your diet could help slow cognitive decline, according to new research. The study also examined the nutrients responsible for the effect, linking vitamin K consumption to slower cognitive decline for the first time.

"Losing one's memory or cognitive abilities is one of the biggest fears for people as they get older," said Martha Clare Morris, Sc.D., assistant provost for community research at Rush University Medical Center and leader of the research team. 

"Since declining cognitive ability is central to Alzheimer's disease and dementias, increasing consumption of green leafy vegetables could offer a very simple, affordable and non-invasive way of potentially protecting your brain from Alzheimer's disease and dementia."

Catholics prep for Pope Francis to tackle climate in upcoming encyclical

Will Pope Francis' encyclical on global climate change find acceptance in his diverse flock? 

By Marianne Lavelle, The Daily Climate

ARLINGTON, Va.—Dan Misleh, director of the Catholic Climate Covenant, found himself facing a skeptic recently after he outlined the coalition's preparations for Pope Francis' upcoming encyclical on global warming. 

The woman didn't doubt the science. She just wasn't sure of the bishops.

Why wouldn't U.S. bishops record messages on climate change to be played in all churches, just as they often do for annual Lenten fundraising drives, she asked. Why not distribute cards in the pews, urging parishioners to sign pledges to care for creation and the poor, through personal action and advocacy on global warming?

"So what you're asking for," Misleh deadpanned, "are miracles?"

Actually, Misleh expects Pope Francis' message on climate change—anticipated in June or July—to resonate far beyond social justice-oriented Catholics like the ones in his audience that day at an annual symposium by the Peace and Justice Commission of the Diocese of Arlington, Va., in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. 

The Keystone XL Pipeline’s Dirty Secrets

What Republicans Don’t Want You to Know

By Nancy Feldman

During the course of last three years, we’ve had many accidental oil spills stemming from pipelines. These events are casting more shadows over the already controversial “Keystone XL Pipeline”, which thanks to President Obama’s veto hopefully will stay buried.

Here is a little history on some other pipeline spills:

The “Shell” Pipeline had to shut down their operations in Texas when thousands of gallons of “dirty oil” spilled from a pipeline near Houston.  The oil then made its way through the bayou and ultimately into the Gulf of Mexico. It was estimated that approximately 50,000 gallons of dirty oil was spilled.

The “Exxon/Mobile Pegasus pipeline” also had a spill which dumped thousands of gallons into Conway Lake which is located in the small town of Mayflower Arkansas, about 25 miles north of Little Rock. Authorities were forced to evacuate residents from their homes.

Nearby graduate students from The University of Central Arkansas that had been cleaning the animals noted that there is a major difference between crude oil and tar sands, also known as “dirty oil”. The dirty oil that was coating the land and animals was much thicker and seems to cause blistering of the skin at a much higher rate than “crude oil”.

Wait; there is more … 

VIDEO: April Showers

Peeps® Redux: Great use for left-over Peeps®

How to Make Peeps®-Infused Vodka

By Will Collette

Editor's note: As we have the past two years, here is yet another wonder use for Peeps®. I almost forgot it, but Tom Ferrio reminded me and also sent this link to Wiki-How.

Now here is a great way to dive off the deep end into life’s guilty pleasures – homemade Peeps® vodka.

I did not make up this recipe. Indeed, it’s copyrighted, so I can tell you a bit about it and then send you to the source for the instructions.

The basic scheme involves Peeps®, a wonder-food that used to be, in my pre-diabetic days, one of the four basic food groups, especially if they’re stale, and cheap vodka.

Kind of a Limoncello for everyday folks. Except instead of reminding you of Sorrento, it’s more likely to remind you of Olneyville.

Saving Tax Dollars by Treading More Lightly

The federal government will save money by shrinking its carbon footprint.

By Jill Richardson

I can’t easily reduce my own footprint on the planet in some of the ways that I’d like. Sure, I can walk and take the bus instead of driving some of the time, and I can turn off the lights when I leave a room.

What about the big stuff?

I’m talking about retrofitting my home for efficiency, installing solar panels, or buying a more efficient car. Those big changes will really make a difference in greenhouse gas emissions — particularly if lots of us take those steps together.

Unfortunately, many people like me don’t own our homes. And plenty of homeowners can’t afford to go solar or buy a new car — even if those things would save money in the long run.

But the federal government can. And President Barack Obama just announced that it will.

Study calculates the odds of women succeeding in business

Innovation can help defeat systemic bias

University of California - Santa Barbara, Science Daily

Starting a new business is challenging under the best of circumstances, but for female entrepreneurs, the uphill battle can be particularly steep.

UC Santa Barbara sociologist Sarah Thébaud didn't doubt that women are at a disadvantage when it comes to establishing their own business enterprises -- plenty of evidence proves that to be the case -- but she wanted to find out whether or not people are systematically biased in favor of male-led businesses, and if so, why.

It turns out they are, and the reason comes down to stereotypical beliefs about men's and women's traits and abilities.

Science-hating taken statewide

Neil DeGrasse Tyson Slams Florida’s Ban On ‘Climate Change’

By Joe Fletcher

The mandate set out by Florida Governor Rick Scott, which bars state officials from mentioning phrases such as “climate change” or the word “sustainability,” is representative of the bury-our-heads-in-sand leadership many politicians live by when it comes to climate change.

Governor Scott and the rest of the rest of the Flat Earth Society that has managed to infect the United States government on every level, is ushering in a new era of anti-science governance, that is not only damaging to the nation and globe, but is frankly embarrassing.

According to the Herald Tribune, Neil DeGrasse Tyson commented on the situation during a press conference in Sarasota, Florida, which took place before he gave a lecture at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Tyson stated:

“I thought as a nation we were better than this.”

Defending the indefensible, but hey, it’s a living

The dark art of defending domestic abusers’ right to a gun

By Steve Ahlquist 

EDITOR’S NOTE: in Steve’s article in Rhode Island’s Future, he has lots of video of this amazing testimony imbedded.

When Frank Saccoccio, president of the Rhode Island Second Amendment Coalition and Johnston’s assistant city solicitor, introduced himself to the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify against Senate Bill 503, which would prohibit “any individual convicted of domestic violence or subject to a restraining order from possessing a firearm,” he played up the fact that he does the criminal prosecutions for  Johnston in district court.

He said that he’s “very familiar with the domestic violence issues and what actually comes in front of District Court…” and implied that this was because of his prosecutorial experience. 

“I’ll try to give you my perspective,” said Saccoccio, “that I see each and every week in the court system…”

Watching a lawyer walk the line between a job that requires him to prosecute perpetrators of domestic violence and a job that requires him to protect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners should have been an interesting experience. No one supports the idea of domestic abusers having access to guns, so the intent of this law was generally thought to be a good thing by everyone. 

Lighten the load

VIDEO: Arctic sea ice melts to record low

Peanuts can help curb effects of fat in diet

Adding peanuts to a meal benefits vascular health

Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), Science Daily

A study of peanut consumption showed that including them as a part of a high fat meal improved the post-meal triglyceride response and preserved endothelial function.

"Peanuts are a healthy snack when eaten as part of a healthy diet," said lead researcher Xiaoran Liu, a graduate student in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate vascular function after a high fat meal challenge. Fifteen overweight males were randomized to either a peanut meal containing 3 oz. of ground peanuts (as a shake) or a control meal (a shake without peanuts) that were matched for energy and macronutrients.