Oh, all right then

VIDEO: core supporters of Donald Trump talk about why they like him

To see this video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq_zx7cpSWA

Woof!

Dogs understand both vocabulary and intonation of human speech

American Association for the Advancement of Science 

Dogs have the ability to distinguish vocabulary words and the intonation of human speech through brain regions similar to those that humans use, a new study reports.

Attila Andics et al. note that vocabulary learning "does not appear to be a uniquely human capacity that follows from the emergence of language, but rather a more ancient function that can be exploited to link arbitrary sound sequences to meanings."

Words are the basic building blocks of human languages, but they are hardly ever found in nonhuman vocal communications. 

Intonation is another way that information is conveyed through speech, where, for example, praises tend to be conveyed with higher and more varying pitch. 

Humans understand speech through both vocabulary and intonation.

Here, Andics and colleagues explored whether dogs also depend on both mechanisms. 

Visit Charlestown's Art Show on September 3

Four locations, twenty seven artists, loads of original art

Road Less Traveled by Dave 'Gilly' Gilstein

On Saturday, September 3, from 10 am until 3 pm, Charlestown's Economic Improvement Commission is proud to present a multi-site art show featuring artists from Charlestown and the area.

Visit our four sites: Charlestown Gallery, Cross Mills Public Library, General Stanton Inn and Quonochontaug Grange. See what our local artists have to offer. Your presence will give them a boost and they'll be happy to talk to you about their work.

Here are the details:

Chew on this: How we believe our meat is raised can influence how it tastes

Our beliefs about how farm animals are raised -- whether on 'factory farms' or in more humane conditions -- can shape our meat-eating experience

Northeastern University

Our beliefs about how farm animals are raised can shape our meat-eating experience, according to a new study led by Lisa Feldman Barrett, University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University.

For the study, Barrett and co-author Eric Anderson, PhD'15, paired identical meat samples with different descriptions and then reported on participants' eating experiences. 

They found that meat samples paired with descriptions of animals raised on factory farms looked, smelled, and tasted less pleasant to study participants than meat samples paired with descriptions of animals raised on humane farms. 

Participants' beliefs also influenced their perceived flavor of the meat and the amount of meat they consumed, suggesting that beliefs can actually influence eating behavior.

The findings, published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, align with an emerging body of research that shows that our beliefs can influence how we evaluate food. Wine, for instance, tastes better if we think it's expensive -- even if the fine vintage we've been told we're drinking is really a cheap knock-off from a corner store.

Tropical storm looks like it will miss us but will stir up surf

Note: if you have not yet received the excellent issue of the Charlestown Pipeline on what to do in case of disaster, CLICK HERE.

Where Has All the Money for Our Schools Gone?

New government spending data could reveal how tax breaks for big businesses leave K-12 school funding out to dry.

By Scott Klinger

As fall approaches, millions of moms and dads are scrambling to prepare for the first day of school, excited to support their children’s success.

But are schools ready to receive our kids and foster that success? Increasingly, the answer is no.

In at least 18 states, local government funding levels are declining, according to an analysis by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. And as a result, many schools will open with fewer teachers than last year, among other detrimental losses.

As lawmakers throw up their hands and say, “sorry, there’s just not enough money,” we must ask: Where has all the money gone?

State and local governments give away at least $70 billion a year to business subsidies, most of it in foregone tax revenue. Local property taxes are the most significant tax most corporations pay. In most communities, they’re also the backbone of local school finance.

So when subsidies slash corporate property taxes, our schools often get hurt the most.

Understanding Trump's Use of Language

A linguistic scientist looks at Trump’s manner of speaking…and the results will surprise you!

By George Lakoff in Common Dreams

This piece is a follow-up of a Lakoff's article, Understanding Trump, published by Common Dreams last month.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A warning to those with a low capacity for reading serious material. This article is long and is loaded with actual scientific analysis. But if you give it a chance, I think you will find reading this article to be worthwhile.

Responsible reporters in the media normally transcribe political speeches so that they can accurately report them.  But Donald Trump’s discourse style has stumped a number of reporters. Dan Libit, CNBC’s excellent analyst is one of them. Libit writes:

His unscripted speaking style, with its spasmodic, self-interrupting sentence structure, has increasingly come to overwhelm the human brains and tape recorders attempting to quote him.

Trump is, simply put, a transcriptionist's worst nightmare: severely unintelligible, and yet, incredibly important to understand. 

Pod people

For more cartoons by Jen Sorenson, CLICK HERE.

How climate change affects your health, part 1

Dog of the Week

Meet Russell!

Animal Rescue Rhode Island

Woof! My name is Russell and I am a two-year-old Chow/Boxer mix, ready to find my forever home.

I am a goofy, fun-loving dog looking for just the right owner. I need a calm, confident owner who is very active and willing to continue with my training.

I need a lot of exercise! I can be a little nervous around loud noises and sudden movements, so I am going to need some help with my reactiveness.

Because of this, I would do best in a home without children.

I LOVE toys, but will destroy almost anything, so I need tough ones like nyla-bones and kongs.

I love to be the center of attention, getting belly rubs and lots of love from the people around me.

Please consider giving me a loving, structured home!

Generic Price Gouging

Even “low price” substitutes cause sticker shock

By Phil Mattera in the Dirt Diggers Digest

For more cartoons by Mike Luckovich, CLICK HERE

Price gouging by the producer of EpiPens has been creating a hardship for those suffering from severe allergies, but it is also revealing the truth about the one segment of the drug industry that was thought to have some decency.

Mylan, the corporation behind the EpiPen scandal, is best known as a leader in the production of generic drugs, which were supposed to weaken the stranglehold of the pharma giants. 

Building on the 1984 Hatch-Waxman Act, Mylan and the other generic firms began to have an impact. Mylan introduced cheaper versions of brand-name medications for Parkinson’s disease, depression, arthritis and other ailments.

In the past decade or so, however, Mylan began to stray from its mission. The company became preoccupied with growth and was soon appearing in the business news more in connection with mergers than with product announcements. 

Challenged Over 'Racist' Remarks, Maine Governor Leaves Unhinged Voicemail

Top contender for worst Governor in the nation

By Deirdre Fulton, staff writer for Common Dreams

"I would like to talk to you about your comments about my being a 

racist, you cocksucker," Maine Gov. Paul LePage said Thursday in a 

voicemail to a state legislator. 

(Photo: Maine Department of Education/flickr/cc)

Maine's Donald Trump-supporting, race-baiting, Republican Governor Paul LePage has gotten into hot water—again—after leaving a state lawmaker an expletive-laced and threatening voicemail on Thursday.

In the phone message, LePage—who was elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014—demands that Democratic Rep. Drew Gattine "prove" that he's a racist, calls him a "son-of-a-bitch, socialist cocksucker," and says: "I am after you."

Gattine has denied that he called the governor racist after his latest diatribe on the racial background of drug dealers in the state. LePage on Wednesday said that "90 percent of drug dealers coming into Maine are black or Hispanic."

The Portland Press Herald reports:

Despite a history of problems, regulators grant Millstone nuclear plant license revisions

Issues remain about nuclear waste storage, plant reliability, safety, environmental impact and security

By Will Collette

I have been cutting back on articles about the Millstone nuclear power plant in Waterford, CT. 

Even though Charlestown is only 20 miles downwind from the troubled facility, well within the danger zone, and the plant has been rife with problems, it seems as though Charlestown town government could care less.

Even though the Town Council, comprised entirely of members of the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA Party), frequently adopts resolutions and sends letters about matters having little or no bearing on Charlestown, Millstone seems to be totally off their radar. 

Out of sight, out of mind, even though, as the wind blows, it’s practically in our backyard.

Let’s review the issues. Millstone is our local nuke. If there’s an accident at the plant, the prevailing winds will carry any released radiation right to us.

Any of a number of problems could cause an accident – failure of the reactor cooling system (and they’ve had recurring problems with their cooling system), a fire at the radioactive waste storage site where millions of pounds of high-level wastes are stored on-site for lack of any other place to put them, or a terrorist attack.

It took Millstone years after the 9/11 attacks to hold its first emergency drill, though apparently they are starting to catch up, having just recently won praise from FEMA for its August 16 six-hour emergency drill.

That contrasts with last May when a majority of Millstone’s security guards voted “no confidence” in Millstone management or contractors when it comes to the safety and security of the plant.

"Humane" border control