Category: Featured

Are You Ready for “Mobilegeddon?”

According to MediaPost, 85% of internet users around the world use Google’s popular search engine, giving businesses plenty of reason to focus their online marketing efforts on the site. However, new changes to Google’s search algorithms are taking effect this week, causing mobile-friendly websites to rank higher than those which prefer more traditional browsing habits. Now, many business are tweaking their websites to prepare for what many in the media are calling “Mobilegeddon.”

Google first announced that they would be changing their algorithm in November, but the development finally started taking effect on Tuesday, April 21. As a result, companies who haven’t optimized their sites for mobile usage will likely see a drop in their web traffic over the next few days. In a recent article, USA Today estimated that as many as 40% of websites could be affected by the change.

Mobile-friendly websites avoid software like Flash, which can’t be used on phones, feature layouts that automatically scale to the size of the device, and have placed their links in such a way that they can easily be navigated with a touch screen. Businesses can test their mobile-readiness by using Google’s mobile test, which will evaluate the website and offer a preview of what the site will likely look like on a smartphone.

In the months before the change took effect, the inbound marketing company Moz studied 10,000 search queries and found that 70% of sites were listed as mobile-friendly, more than many industry professionals expected. However, the remaining 30% could see severe consequences, especially given how many users now search on their smartphones and mobile devices instead of computers. While search results on laptops and desktops will likely look the same, rankings for the same companies could look drastically different on mobile devices if websites have failed to prepare for the algorithm change.

Despite the sudden shift in their industry, however, many search engine optimization experts are calling Google’s decision a necessary development, with some even calling it overdue. As the world increasingly uses multiple screens to complete a variety of everyday tasks, it is important that businesses ensure that their content translates to every device if they are too remain effective and appeal to customers. With Mobilegeddon in full effect, it is clear that inbound marketing strategies simply aren’t complete without mobile optimization.

Inside the Dangers of DIY Dentistry, an Increasingly Popular Trend

One of the biggest new trends emerging in dentistry might also be the most dangerous.

As a growing number of videos depicting do-it-yourself dentistry hit YouTube, more and more people are avoiding the cost of visiting a dentist office to perform advanced dental procedures on themselves. What many of these people don’t realize is just how harmful DIY dentistry can be to one’s teeth.

According to an April 15 CBS New York article, many of these DIY dentistry videos show the viewer how to straighten his or her teeth at home using rubber bands, wires or even hair elastics. Some of these videos have received hundreds of thousands of views since being uploaded.

“I have seen more than one instance where harm has been done,” Dr. DeWayne McCamish, of the American Association of Orthodontists, said.

There are also a growing number of individuals who purchase over-the-counter dental first aid kits when they have an emergency in lieu of visiting the dentist, according to the UK Guardian. These kits, which are intended to serve as only a temporary fix for lost fillings, caps and crowns, are being used as permanent treatment.

It might seem like common sense to avoid the dangers do-it-yourself dentistry; but many people who can’t afford to visit a dentist or orthodontist feel there is no other alternative.

For Tina Hicks, who couldn’t afford to pay an orthodontist to fix her tooth gap, paying $20 for a set of “gap bands” seemed like an affordable solution, CBS New York reported — yet they soon became too uncomfortable for her to use.

“They were cutting into my gums. It was super painful,” she said.

Do-it-yourself dental treatments might seem like a major cost savings, but there is no substitute for dental treatment from a trained professional.

U.S Department of Agriculture Considers Regulations for American-Raised Organic Fish

Many people across the United States pick up organic fish and shellfish during their usual trip to the grocery store. However, what these shoppers may not realize is that this seafood isn’t American: due to current restrictions, these products are instead shipped from Canada, the European Union and other countries.

Now, the U.S. Agriculture Department has stated that it plans to propose standards for farmed organic aquaculture, a development that could move the country towards the sale of American-raised organic seafood. But critics have raised numerous questions about the plan, which range from the products’ ability to appeal to customers to the feasibility of creating an organic supply chain. With few answers in sight, it seems clear that shoppers will continue to wait for local organic fish for the foreseeable future.

Organic products are a popular choice for consumers and retailers because of their perceived health benefits and higher prices. For this reason, the northeastern grocery chain Wegmans already sells organic seafood imported from Norway and other countries, citing its ability to draw educated, higher income shoppers as a primary consideration. However, American-raised organic fish and shellfish has faced continual delays for the past 10 years, causing other retailers, like Whole Foods, to hesitate. By finally legalizing organic salmon, tilapia, catfish, shrimp, mussels, oysters and clams, the Department of Agriculture could not only expand the nation’s seafood trade but also help the farmed fish industry compete against cheaper imports.

However, many critics say they are unsure if U.S. standards could be successful. For example, some experts in the farmed fish industry have commented that the requirements for fish feed may be too expensive for many operations, a fact that will raise prices for consumers as well.

Similarly, consumer and environmental groups have expressed concern over the impact the standards could have on fish, the ocean and more. Like the industry members, many are concerned about what these organic fish would eat: breeding organic fish and growing organic grains like soybeans and canola would be extremely costly, but seafood would need to be fed with these products in order to earn the organic label. Using sustainable wild-caught fish has been vetoed for this reason. Environmental groups are also worried that raising fish in ocean pens, called net pens, could allow fish to escape and contaminate wild species, or could even harm the organic fish themselves.

In response, several safeguards have been suggested: ocean-farmed fish would need to be strains of native species, net pens could not be placed on migratory routes, and producers would need to closely monitor water quality and the local ecosystem. However, this doesn’t solve the problem of food: as one Hawaiian fish farmer noted, organic supply chains don’t appear out of thin air.

For this reason, the process of bringing American-raised organic seafood to grocery stores is expected to take more than two years. Currently, the National Organic Standards Board is reviewing vaccines, vitamins and other substances a successful aquaculture will need. Supporters say that this lengthy process will help consumers feel more confident in choosing U.S. products in the long run. However, this may not be necessary: seafood reports from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and other organizations show that nearly all groundfish caught in California, Oregon and Washington are now ranked either yellow, representing a good alternative, or green, meaning the best choice, by Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program. These wild fish would not be eligible for organic labeling, as this would be too difficult to monitor, but producers and consumers at least know they are healthy and affordable.

More Black Immigrants Are Now Moving Into the U.S., According to a Recent Pew Research Report

According to a new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, black immigration trends are on the rise, and black immigrants are expected to become one of the fastest-growing demographics in key areas of the U.S.

The Washington Post and Breitbart News Network both note that 3.8 million black immigrants residing in the U.S. currently make up 8.7% of the total black population in the U.S.; by 2060, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, black immigrants are expected to comprise more than 16% of the country’s total black population.

The majority of American citizens with black heritage, according to the Post, can trace their heritage back to African ancestors who were brought into the country during the 1700s and early 1800s in the transatlantic slave trade. Although Africans didn’t make up a significant portion of the 30 million immigrants who came to the U.S. between 1870 and 1930, African migrants began traveling to the U.S. in earnest after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 was passed.

The trend has continued to play a large role in the overall influx of migrants, and the population of black immigrants from Africa rose by 137% between 2000 and 2013.

Current immigration trends, however, suggest that the majority of new black immigrants will be coming from countries in the Caribbean. The Pew Research Report claims that the majority of black immigrants now come from Jamaica (18%) and Haiti (15%).

The report also noted that the new wave of black immigrants differs from the previous generation of African immigrants in more than just heritage; current trends suggest that “new” black immigrants tend to be older and are more likely to live above the poverty line, compared to other foreign-born immigrants in the U.S. In fact, although black immigrants in the U.S. overall are less likely to earn college degrees compared to U.S.-born citizens, the percentage of African-born black immigrants with college degrees is actually higher than the percentage of all U.S.-born citizens with college degrees.

Certain cities are naturally more likely to feel the effects of more immigration, as the report also found that black immigrant communities have begun springing up in concentrated areas, such as in Washington, D.C. and Miami.

Bullet Ricochets Off Armadillo Shell, Strikes Septuagenarian in Back

When Larry McElroy went to shoot an armadillo, he did not think he would wind up accidentally shooting his mother-in-law.

Authorities report that after the 54-year-old South Georgian fired his 9-mm pistol at the armadillo the night of April 12, the bullet bounced off the animal, struck a fence, penetrated the back door of the mother-in-law’s mobile home, and traveled through the recliner in which she was sitting, striking her in the back.

Carol Johnson, McElroy’s 74-year-old mother-in-law, suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and according to Bill Smith, the county sheriff’s investigator, was walking around and talking after the incident.

According to authorities, McElroy was not only within his rights to shoot the armadillo, but was also taking the recommended course of action.

For more than one hundred years, state courts have looked to evidence of legislative intent when construing state laws, which, in the case of Georgia, allow citizens to carry a firearm — openly or concealed — in one’s home or place of business without a license, placing McElroy well within his rights.

Shooting armadillos is also the recommended way to get rid of the pests, which inadvertently tear up homeowners’ lawns in search of the grubs they eat, according to Dougherty County Extension Coordinator James Morgan.

James Morgan, the Dougherty County Extension Coordinator said they actually recommend that residents who live in the county shoot the armadillos. Traps can also be used to capture them.

“Shooting is an effective way of getting rid of them. However, you have to be safe when you do that,” Morgan told WALB News.

However, Smith thought a shotgun might have been a better choice, telling WALB, “I really think if they’re going to shoot at varmints and whatnot, maybe use a shotgun … with a spread pattern with a lot less range.”

Of course, it’s also possible to get rid of armadillos without blasting them to smithereens. Grub pesticide, which kills the insects that armadillos are trying to eat, works well, too.

Research Shows the Cost of the Average Wedding is Rising

Weddings are well-known for being expensive affairs, a fact most people accept as a natural condition of celebrating a new stage in a friend or family member’s lives. However, research is now showing that the average ceremony is not only costly, but growing even more exorbitant with time. Even worse, the study doesn’t even include the cost of the honeymoon! Fortunately, the Motley Fool, a multimedia-based financial services company, has a number of tips for reducing your expenses, from inexpensive wedding flowers to favors for your guests.

Recently, the wedding-focused company The Knot surveyed 16,000 brides and grooms in the United States. The organization found that the average bride was 29 years old, while the typical groom was 31. The standard wedding, meanwhile, featured 136 guests, including four to five bridesmaids and groomsmen. But while these ceremonies sound fairly traditional, the cost of the average event was $31,213. If you think this number is astounding, you wouldn’t be alone: The Knot reports that this amount is 4.5% more than the year before, equal to $1,344.

However, it is worth noting that the number is a national one, combining averages from less expensive areas with those from more extortionate locales. Compare Utah and Manhattan, for example: according to The Knot’s recent data, the typical wedding in the Beehive State costs around $15,257, while weddings in the Big Apple average about $76,328. Moreover, the study pool consisted entirely of people connected to The Knot, a wedding company, which might attract more people from certain backgrounds and income levels than others, which could skew the results.

However, when it comes to the average prices of different aspects of the wedding ceremonies, the image created is still somewhat unnerving. For example, reception halls generally cost around $14,006, making this detail the most expensive by far. The reception bands and photographers came next, costing the happy couples an average of $3,587 and $2,556. Florists and decor took the fourth most expensive slot, an unsurprising fact given that the U.S. florist industry grew by an estimated 0.6% annually from 2009 to 2014, which likely gives many brides and grooms more options to choose from. The rest of the expenses, which include videographers, DJs, and wedding garb, range in price from $1,973 (the cost of a wedding planner) to $555 (for cake). However, other costs, such as the officiant and the rings, were not listed.

To reduce their expenses, The Motley Fool recommended that soon-to-be brides and grooms set a serious budget before anything else. Once this number is established, the company says there are plenty of ways to cut costs by paying attention to the timing and looking for discounts. For example, holding a wedding in the off-season on any other time than a Saturday evening can dramatically reduce costs, while looking for in-season flowers can be significantly cheaper. Likewise, The Motley Fool recommends looking for cheaper solutions, such as a public park for the reception or an online retailer for wedding favors. Finally, the company strongly encourage people to negotiate. While planning an affordable wedding might seem like a challenge, they point out that the less you spend, the more money you can spend on your honeymoon or as a down payment on a home!

FEMA Reopens All Hurricane Sandy-Related Flood Damage Claims

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has made an unprecedented decision to reopen all flood damage claims filed by homeowners in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

According to NPR, FEMA is reopening these claims due to thousands of allegations that insurance companies purposely lowballed their damage estimates for policyholders as a way to save money. As a result, these homeowners got payouts significantly less than the money needed to repair their damaged homes.

These homeowners were able to appeal the amount given in their claims through FEMA’s appeals process, which was formalized in 2004 following Hurricane Isabel. However, this appeals process has worked in favor of the insurance companies — and against Sandy victims — in almost every case.

“Not only did the government not have my back; the government had put a knife in my back,” Doug Quinn, of Toms River, N.J., said of his attempt to appeal his insurance provider’s decision to give him just half the value of his virtually ruined home.

The utter failure of the FEMA appeals process to side with Sandy victims is largely due to the system being “rigged” in favor of the insurance companies, industry insiders told NPR. Rather than being reviewed by actual FEMA officials, many claims appeals go back to the same servicing companies that determined the amount of the original claim.

“In any catastrophic event like Hurricane Sandy, you will find both insurance companies and policyholders disputing over amounts paid or amounts received,” said David Miller, licensed public adjuster at Miller Public Adjusters, LLC. “When the process to appeal the disputed amounts is flawed, it raises questions with the integrity of the entire process.”

As a result of this failed appeals process, FEMA will be reopening nearly 144,000 claims filed in the aftermath of Sandy. The agency will also be looking for evidence that insurance companies and the engineering firms that worked for them falsified damage reports when evaluating homes which eliminated flooding as the cause of damage.

“I am glad to see the policyholders are given the right to a fair claim settlement,” continued Miller. “When you have a large dispute or a complex claim, hiring a professional licensed public adjuster may the best option to ensure your interests are protected and a fair claim settlement is awarded.”

The FEMA claims controversy has led to the resignation of the head of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and other NFIP employees have been transferred or fired as well, according to Insurance Business America. Legislators for both New York State and New Jersey are calling for widespread reform within FEMA.

“There needs to be top-to-bottom reform so that this can never happen again,” New York Senator Kristen Gillibrand said in a statement.

Laypeople Skilled in Analyzing Quality of Published Photographs, Research Shows

Given the ubiquity of digital cameras and high-end smartphone cameras, it should be no surprise that the globe’s population now snaps as pictures every two minutes as were taken in all of the 1800s. But has that diminished the public’s ability to distinguish between professional and amateur photography?

That question, along with a study that appears to give a partial answer, was the subject of one session at this year’s South by Southwest conference, held over the past two weeks. “What characteristics make a photograph worth publishing and sharing?” the session’s organizers wrote in a summary of the event. “The implications inform journalists, brand advocates and community activists.”

The study on which the session focused was commissioned earlier this year by the National Press Photographers Association in response to massive layoffs of staff photographers from top publications such as Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Sun-Times. It used interviews and eyetracking data from 52 people and found that consumers could identify whether a photograph was taken by a professional or an amateur with 90% accuracy.

The study’s authors say it’s clear that readers prefer professional, as opposed to user-generated, content.

Using eyetracking gear also allowed the researchers to determine what parts of photographs and captions users looked at the most as they were shown about 200 images. By pairing that data with survey results — participants were asked to rate how much they liked photos on a scale of 1 to 5 — the researchers were able to be more specific about what distinguished high-quality photos from low-quality ones.

People tend to look first at the faces in photographs, and often look back and forth between faces to see how they interact, researchers found. Overall, participants spent much longer looking at professional photographs than user-submitted ones.

The study participants also emphasized the importance of a photo’s ability to tell a story, as opposed to just capturing a static scene.

And, in a finding perhaps surprising to many in the publication industry, the study showed that most captions were indeed read to completion. The longer or “better developed” a caption was, the more likely it was to receive significant attention. Participants tended to look back and forth between the image and the caption in order to establish context as they read.

Sara Quinn, one of the session leaders who also worked on the study, told the blog The Next Web for a March 16 article that she was impressed by how sophisticated the participants’ analyses were, given that they were all laypeople with no background in professional photography.

“People in the study … had a pretty large vocabulary when they were talking about the quality of images,” she said. “They were pretty articulate about what made a good photograph.”

Testosterone Replacement Therapy Not Linked With Cardiovascular Risks, Study Finds

The debate over the effectiveness and safety of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) now has another study to contend with.

Hcplive.com reports that on March 7th, a team of researchers in the United States and the United Kingdom released a study on the potential link between TRT and cardiovascular illness. Presenting at the Endocrine Society’s 97th Annual Meeting and Expo (commonly referred to as EXPO 2015) in San Diego, California, the team found no definite link between cardiovascular conditions such as heart disease and stroke and the popular treatment for low testosterone.

The team openly admits that prior studies and literature reviews have lead to conflicting conclusions regarding the link. They add that their study is no different. The uncertainly, they feel, has been “heightened by recent retrospective analyses of observational data. Prior studies, including relatively small prospective clinical trials of hypogonadal men, have yielded conflicting results.”

Dr. Salim Janmohamed, head of the research team, and his colleagues reviewed data from two large, placebo-controlled clinical trials conducted in different countries that studied the effect of darapladib, an inhibitor used to treat atherosclerosis. The trials included adults of both genders with a history of either stable coronary heart disease or recent acute coronary syndrome. The subjects of the student underwent treatment for cardiovascular risk factors. Specially, the researchers focused on three major cardiovascular events, also called MACE: cardiovascular death, heat attacks, and strokes.

The team found that ultimately darapladib “did not significantly reduce the risk of CV events.” They studied the risk of MACE in men who underwent testosterone replacement therapy for both less than a year and more than a year, and compared them to men who did not undergo the therapy from both trials. Factors such as age, body mass index (BMI), weight, height, cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, medication use, smoking, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and geographic region.

Although Dr. Janmohamed and his team stressed that only a small number of the test subjects underwent TRT and that most of them were American men, they found no discernible link between the therapy and risk of MACE.

The team writes that their findings “suggest that TRT [testosterone replacement therapy] is not associated with an increased risk of MACE in men with well-characterized coronary heart disease. The incidence of MACE was 11.1% in non-testosterone treated males and 7.9% in males on TRT.” They also noted that the data does not “corroborate recent observational reports that testosterone therapy is associated with increased CV risk.”

The report comes at a time when TRT is hotly contested as an effective method of treating low testosterone. If left untreated or diagnosed, low testosterone can lead to weight gain, chronic fatigue, reduced muscle mass, low libido, and other medical conditions. Pharmaceutical companies offer synthetic testosterone as a form of TRT.

Critics claim that the therapy is unnecessary and can increase the risk of cardiovascular illnesses, among other things. Some critics sight recent studies and data that demonstrate these risks, although there are other studies, such as Dr. Janmohamed’s, that find the opposite to be true.

Regardless, the studies have not stopped pharmaceutical companies from churning out TRT drugs due to increasing demand. Most recently, pharmaceutical giant Endo International released a new TRT called Natesto on March 16th.

As reported by the Philadelphia Business Journal, Endo claims that the new drug is the first and only nasal spray product on the market approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA approved Natesto in May of last year.

It should be noted that Dr. Janmohamed’s study was composed of authors employed by GlaxoSmithKline, a pharmaceutical company known to produce and distribute TRT drugs.

Low testosterone is a serious medical condition that can lead to high blood pressure, weight gain, loss of muscle, low libido, and depression. Studies have shown that men with low testosterone have a 33% greater risk of dying during the next 18 years of their lives compared to men who have normal testosterone levels.

After-School Activities Boost Children’s Confidence

A West Covina, California gym owner is making a difference in the lives of school-aged children, offering free running, cardio, and weight lifting classes after school four days a week. Called “Maria’s Kids After School,” the program allows children between 12 and 17 years old to go to CrossFit Insurgent after 3 p.m. for an hour of learning and exercise.

CrossFit Insurgent owner Brian Franzen first started the program to provide guidance for children whose parents could not afford organized sports. Some parents even have multiple children in the program. Corrine Carmona has had three children participate.

“Everywhere else you go, you have to pay,” she told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. “I think it was so awesome of him to do that for the kids. There are a lot of parents who can’t afford it.”

As children between 10 and 16 increase their amount of physical activity, their self-esteem and self-efficacy improve.

Franzen created his after school program to help children learn. Telling the San Gabriel Valley Tribune about the recreation center where he spent much of his childhood, Franzen explains: “I learned responsibility and discipline. I feel like it’s my turn to provide something like that for the kids and families who may not have the funds to put them through organized sports.”

Teens in Danville, Kentucky are also working with similar goals in mind. Ellie Begley and Maddi Karsner, of Boyle County High School, have volunteered to teach gymnastics at the Kentucky School for the Deaf (KSD).

Gymnastics class at KSD is once a week, and is open to boys and girls of elementary school age. In the summer, class will be offered twice a week as a part of summer school, and the teens hope to continue teaching in the fall.

Because neither teen is proficient in sign language, they rely on interpreters, teachers, and parents to help them communicate with the students. In return for gymnastics training, the students are helping the teens learn to sign.

Ramona Karsner, Maddi’s mother and leader of KSD’s kindergarten through eighth grade program, has noticed the students gaining more confidence and stamina, telling the Advocate-Messenger,”These girls get to help carry on their love for gymnastics and cheer and build that into the kids…It’s a win-win situation.”

Parents wishing to enroll their children in similar programs are encouraged to look for after-school activities in their area.