In today's episode of In-Ear Insights, Katie Robbert and Christopher Penn debate the Trust Insights study on the impact of hashtags. Our original research showed they have neither helpful nor harmful impact on follower growth or engagement, but we debate how much nuance is in the data. Are there exceptions to the rule? If so, what are they? Tune in to listen to the debate – and stay tuned for additional research.
as a user care about. And so other people who are using those hashtags will show up in your feed, even if you don't follow that account. And so my point my point of clarification, in our analysis and research is that, in general, hashtags don't matter if you don't have compelling content that someone's going to like, however, they do matter in terms of reaching a broader audience. And so if your goal is engagement, or if your goal is new followers, then I would argue that hashtags do matter, because that's how people are going to discover you.
Okay, in the data we ran, just to give you a quick summary of it, especially for the folks who haven't read the study, which you can find on our blog and trust insights.ai slash blog, we looked at a total of not 10 different variables. addressable engagement rate, which is the number of engagements divided by the number of people who follow you. That's, that's variable number one. variable number two is just raw number of likes on Instagram. This is Instagram dietitian specified as Instagram data only. Number three is the sum total of engagements, which includes likes and comments together. Number four is post length. How long is the caption on your posts? Number five is video view rate. How many views of your videos did you get? Number six is video engagement rate? How many views engagements on videos, only did you get because Instagram differentiates the two? Number seven is the comments number eight is number of hashtags used in your posts. Number nine is the total number of views of your posts. And number 10 is the total number handles that you tag in when you know those people who like to put kill 30 tags into a post.
and handle count is point three 9%. So a little less than four tenths of a percent. So to your point, they're not zero, right? If they were if they didn't matter at all, be a flat, big old goose egg. But in terms of what's causing account growth, it really is that addressable engagement rate is are you getting? Are you getting people who, regardless of mechanism to do something with your content?
you know, woke up like this, or blah, blah, blah, whatever, you know, if it doesn't match the content, and if it doesn't resonate within the audience that you're trying to reach, then yeah, it's a waste of time, and including 20, different hashtags, that sort of defeats the purpose of creating really good content, because then people are just trying to figure out what your hashtag says. So if you have the choice of like, a handful, like less than five, probably two to three really good. Well thought out hashtags, that trend within your audience that reach a lot of people, that to me is a smart use of the hashtag, because on Instagram, then you are reaching that audience.
The question is, however, and this is something that I believe it was Donna Stone said to me last week, when you look at how users use Instagram, particularly the relatively newer crowd, it's not a question of the hashtag itself is is your post top of your relevant people made it more than likely don't search for hashtag marketing, they just search for marketing without the word itself. So there is some double dipping in terms of the behavior if you because when you search for marketing, you will also get hashtag marketing as well. So the hashtag may not be necessary, as long as the post is topically relevant.
I agree. But that's assuming that people are proactively searching. So if you have people, much like myself, who just, you know, when Instagram, the algorithm shows you here, here's a handful of hashtags that you might want to follow based on the accounts that you already follow, then you can just, you know, choose to follow a bunch of different hashtags. So I don't have to proactively search these things out, there just served up to me in my feed, things that I care about. So I think there's sort of I agree with you, if someone is searching for the term marketing, then they're going to find content that includes that term, regardless of the hashtag. But if they're not searching for that term, but they do care about the topic, then if they're following the hashtag marketing, they're going to see your content even if they didn't search for it.
Okay, it sounds like we need to do we need to engineer some new software to work or get better data. Because what we're getting out of Instagrams API is a relatively restricted number of metrics like likes and engagements and size of audience, there isn't a ton of additional data. So we're going to have to engineer some things to figure out what is the thing so that might be for example, if we're looking at say travel and tourism, as a topic may be coming up with like the five or 10 most use hashtags within that and then do account specifically of the on topic has six see on topic hashtags, versus regular ones are going to lead results if that's if I understand what you're saying, in terms of the theory that you should be using topically relevant hashtags to drive growth.
I think that's exciting at you should be using topically relevant hashtags to drive growth. Yeah, I could. You know, for trust insights, I could tag every single piece of content with the same hashtags that someone like Beyonce uses, for example, that's not topically relevant to me. So I'm reaching the wrong audience. So I need to make sure that I'm using hashtags that are topically relevant to the audience that I want to attract to my account. And so that, to me, is the key. So yes, hashtags do matter. When you get them topically relevant. And if you use them strategically, when you put a hashtag on your post in Instagram, it gives you a little pop up that says like, you know, 1 million people use this hashtag. Well, that's an okay metric. But anybody can use any hashtag. And so it's being able to do your research to figure out what has hashtags are the audience that you care about you using? And how can they discover you. And so I would say we need to engineer some new research. But I would also like to see us do some qualitative research, where we actually ask people how they're using Instagram, how they're discovering new content, new accounts, what are they using Instagram for, especially in something like marketing, where Instagram is a very consumer, a sort of platform, so it's really good for b2c? retail for consumer goods, those types of things that lend themselves more towards, you know, a very image driven social media, I would be interested to see what that looks like in a b2b setting, how are those companies using it? And how are those audiences looking for more information?
but the question I would have though is based on this set of accounts and this is 71,000 accounts out of talk walk out of crowd tangle that are specific to that they are talk walk website crowd tangles I keep saying that they are crowd tangles lists of pre built influencers do do you think then we also need to assemble another 50,000 or so just random accounts to see if the random accounts that are not on crowd tangles influencers lists of any kind also have behave differently?
I do I because I I would need to look at the data a little bit more closely to see who crowd tangle is considering an Instagram influencer, like, for example, I'm sure you're going to have the ones that you would fully fully expect, like you have a lot of pop culture icons, you have a lot of musicians, those types of things that to me, is sort of skewing the data a bit in the sense that they all they need to do is wake up and breathe. And someone is, you know, engaging with their content, their content could be total crap, and someone is engaging with it. And so I think that, yes, we need to do a little bit more digging.
Because I would my assumption is that the data is a little bit biased because of who is considered an influencer?
no, I know, it's just a weird that that's the first thing that springs to mind.
Yeah, because you must be hungry, you must be waiting for breakfast. No, I had breakfast. But I follow a ton of food accounts, because I'd like to see what people are cooking.
and then put that in and see how that list compares to their food list as well.
I think we could do that. I think what we should also consider for the purposes of our own research, is breaking it down by the three types of influencers. And so you have your broadcast influencers, who we typically describe as someone like a Kardashian, who's just sort of like reaches the whole wide world. Yeah. And engagement is kind of all over the place. It doesn't matter what they post, that's sort of what I was describing as they just need to wake up and breathe, and people are all over everything they do. So you have that type of influence. So you have the connector, who sort of brings and brings the people together. And then you have the people. The example that you typically give is like someone like a tom Webster, who they don't post often, but when they do, everybody sits up and lessons.
two of them just use engagements like hey, this person gets a lot of likes on their host. And one of them uses a sensuality measure that I think is only situationally useful, but they're extrapolating it to be the the gold standard of all forms of influence, and be like saying only the broadcaster's and that model matter. And so I think we have to do some refining stuff there. But what I like to hear from you, who's listening to this podcast, when you set out to get influencers to identify influencers? What matters to you? What are the things that say to you, this is what I classifies influence someone who can refer me to other people, someone who can promote my brand, someone who can drive leads, what are the different outcomes that you're looking for in your influencer measurement, because like you were saying, saying earlier, Katie, it's not one size fit all fits all for anything anymore.
people in general, there is, to your point, there's just 49 different algorithms that you were able to, to discover while on a plane last week, who knows what else is out there? And, you know, I've got to discuss that a little bit in our new series, marketing to machines, the business to machine segment that people are generally ignoring. And that's another post that you can find up on trust insights.ai slash blog.


Increase awareness of community resources and efforts by partners to promote well being.
Increase awareness of risk and resilience factors.
Provide information on what schools/parents/friends/community members can do to build healthier environments for all kids and support those in distress.
Gather input from parents/community members on how to create a supportive environment.
Provide an inclusive place for community questions and conversation.


We will use Papercept/Paperplaza for the reception of submissions at IEEE ITSC2018 HERE.
Type of Submission: You can select Special Session Paper, Workshop Paper or Regular Session Paper.
We encourage authors to Select Special Session Paper when possible, instead of Regular Session Paper, so that they can select the specific track where they think their work should be reviewed/programmed.
Manuscript file should be a PDF file (version 1.4 or higher), have all fonts embedded/subsetted, in US Letter page size, searchable, non-password protected document. Final papers sent to be part of the program of the conference MUST be format compliant according to the instructions provided HERE.
For the first submission, a manuscript in US Letter format can be of 6-8 pages. For the final submission, a manuscript should be of 6 pages, with 2 additional pages allowed but at an extra charge.
Every accepted paper will need an associated full registration (even for students) for being included in the conference technical program and proceedings. We will soon publish the conference registration fee table.
As it is mandatory for any IEEE conference, we will implement a strict "No Show No Publication" policy, meaning that accepted papers that are not presented at the conference will not be published afterwards in IEEE Xplore. Such presentations must be done on-site, so participants and authors can talk and interchange their experiences and views. Face-to-face technical discussions are a precious element of quality of our conference.
All the papers submitted through Papercept (Workshop Papers, Special Session Papers, and Regular Session Papers) will be peer reviewed and all of the accepted papers, if they are presented at ITSC2018, will be published in IEEE Xplore.
Some other workshops are not listed here, because they will include only invited talks, and not any reviewed paper.
To select one of these special sessions or workshop session, please introduce the respective code on the right column when submitting your paper.
Apart from these, we will also have the possibility or receiving "Regular Papers". That is where you should send your work if you are not sure of which session best suits your paper. In this case, we will make the determination. There is no practical difference between a "Special Session" and a "Regular Session". All of the sessions will be scheduled from the second to the fourth day of the conference. Workshop papers will be scheduled on the first day of the conference.
THANKS for your interest in IEEE ITSC 2018!!


Ingredients: steamed & rolled Korean mulberry leaves.
Traditionally a folk medicine in Korea, India, Japan and China, recent research on mulberry leaf indicate it may have powerful beneficial properties. It appears to reduce the body's absorption of sugars and other carbohydrates, and stabilize blood sugar levels. For these reasons, it may be beneficial as a daily drink for preventing diabetes, and helpful for diabetics, or those affected by post-meal blood sugar level spikes, sugar cravings or have difficulties with weight loss. Mulberry may also combat arterial plaque build up and inhibit bad cholesterol.
This nutrient dense, antioxidant rich plant was primarily cultivated as a source of food for silkworms, but has also been enjoyed as a delicious, healthful tea for thousands of years. The mulberry plant symbolises wisdom and renewal.
Our Mulberry leaf tea is made with fresh leaves that are specially steamed and dried, using the same methods as for premium quality green teas. This seals in added nutrients and creates a more delicious tasting tea!
Please note if you have any medical conditions, seek the advice of a qualified medical professional before consuming.
I love this tea so much. Toasty, some minerals similar to a roasted oolong but no bitterness, just smooth toasty oolong flavour.
Anyway, I finally got a chance to try this sample from CrowKettle and it's nice! It does taste a little sea-weedy though – is there green tea in this too? Or is it just Mulberry leaf?
It's mostly seaweed, but I am happily in the mood for seaweed tea.
I haven't tried this one myself, but the shopkeeper said it had a sea-weedy, green tea taste too. It's a different from what you'd expect from the berries, eh?


Coming with new crafts is a great way to have fun with your children while adding something special to your home. However, sometimes it could be a little bit hard to get new ideas and to be able to do them in a cost effective way. This article is intended to provide the answers you need.
Do you want to locate supplies? Many online sites offer great prices on a huge selection of craft supplies. A click of the mouse is all you need to find substantial savings on everything your craft hobby needs. Some of these online shops offer free shipping, which helps you save more money.
There are a million different things that can be used to create something crafty. Paper items that are usually disposable work great. You are able to use empty rolls of paper towels, or toilet paper rolls. You might also incorporate magazines and newspapers. Take your throwaways and come up with creative ways to incorporate them into your projects.
If you can't seem to find reasonably priced art supplies, check second hand stores. Goodwill and consignment shops have ample supplies for a creative enough mind. Be sure to check back as inventory constantly changes.
Keep your focus on a single project. You may want to create different types of crafts. However, that's a surefire way to keep those projects unfinished! Take all the time you need to finish a project before moving on to the next one. You will be able to finish up one craft before starting on the next.
When going through arts and crafts involving children, don't get stuck on firm examples to compare finished projects to. Let your kids run wild with their imaginations, either by not showing examples, or by showing a range of differing possibilities. For instance, never tell a child that an animal must have two eyes, a nose and a mouth. Instead, let them decide what the face should look like. Just let them have fun.
You can find a lot of crafting supplies on Etsy. This site offers items for sale from individuals. Not only can you make purchases on this site, but you can sale items here, too. The site is ideal when you need vintage media for craft projects.
Are you learning how to oil paint? If so and you paint something you're not pleased with, just paint right over it. Extra coatings actually will not hurt the surface. In fact, the revised edition might be your favorite project yet!
You should now have some great ideas. Now use the knowledge you've acquired to create some great things for your home. If you like, it may be a good idea to use some of your creations as gifts.


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How the IMF & World Bank Exploit Poor Countries with Alex Gladstein
Alex Gladstein is Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation. In this interview, we discuss the IMF and World Bank – two powerful multinational institutions that have shaped the post-war world for developed nations' benefit. Alex uncovers the exploitation hidden from view and the ongoing real-world costs for the developing world.
The IMF and World Bank are two major multinational institutions that have perhaps shaped the workings of the global economy more than any other. The issue is that, over the course of the past few decades, the IMF's and World Bank's roles and impacts have largely been forgotten.
Whilst casual observers are distrustful of the IMF and World Bank, in the main, people's concern is vague, lacking facts or evidence. It's hard to know why this is, but it's worth noting that internally produced IMF and World Bank content dominates google search results at the expense of independent content.
And yet, the impact of the IMF and World Bank has been catastrophic for many developing nations. Specifically, it has been problematic for those outside the gilded circles of power in such countries who have had to carry the burden of debt through significant assaults on public services, food security and other fundamental quality-of-life provisions.
The reason? Neocolonialism. Extraction of resources from the periphery for the benefit of the centre. Indebtedness has been the tool used. A Ponzi scheme of debt relief to support debt servicing, designed to keep countries subservient to those controlling the IMF and World Bank. The cost is dictatorships, corruption, environmental degradation, and the destruction of potentially millions of lives.
It is uncertain whether Bitcoin can fix this. But, it acts as a powerful disincentive and disruption by weakening the exorbitant privilege of the dollar and enabling the innocent people subjugated by the IMF and World Bank and their own elites, an opportunity to opt-out of this system. Our role within Bitcoin is to discuss this history and help free those still bound by its constraints.
Jimmy Song on the Game Theory of Bitcoin Attacks and why Proof of Work Needs to be Expensive
Block / By Luca
Railroaded Episode 1 – The Targeting and Caging of Ross Ulbricht
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1. American Dream – LCD Soundsystem
From the first time I heard it (when it was released Sept. 1) to the last time (about 10 minutes before writing this), American Dream was my favorite album of the year. It's rare I like something that much on first listen without getting sick of it, and coming from LCD Soundsystem, who's albums and songs typically go on for a bit too long, this is easily their most concise and accessible. From the opener "oh baby", a classic LCD Soundsystem slow-build track, through "tonight," a classic dance-punk anthem, and the pulp-inspired single 'call the police," to the 12 minute electronic ballad that closes the album out, there isn't a sour moment.
2. A Deeper Understanding – The War On Drugs
Posted in Music, Nicholas Cicale, Year End Charts and tagged 2017, Albums, Best of 2017, Music, reviews on January 1, 2018 by Nicholas Cicale. Leave a comment
"Creed," Surprisingly, has a Deft Touch
by Ryan Anderson (@randerson_ryan)
I'm as surprised to be writing this as you all are to be reading it, but, here goes: the umpteenth iteration of the "Rocky" series, in theaters now, is actually, (gulp), good, and–wait for it–Sylvester Stallone may be worthy of an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor.
Is this bizarro world? No, Ryan Coogler, director, Stallone, as an aged Rocky Balboa, naturally, Michael B. Jordan, Adonis "Donnie" Johnson Creed, and Tessa Thompson, Bianca, combine to make "Creed" a sincere, compelling drama.
Jordan's Creed is the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed, who battled Balboa so memorably in the original "Rocky" films, and, though he wants to make it on his own in boxing without using his father's name, he does travel from California to Philadelphia to coax Balboa into training him. Balboa, wasting away in his restaurant, has been out of the fight game for years, but he feels compelled to assist the young lad when he discovers he's Apollo Creed's son. He goes about building a raw, angry, and talented young Creed into a legitimate contender, while the training pugilist falls in love with a neighbor, Bianca, a musician with progressive hearing loss.
The main characters are three-dimensional, and Coogler takes his time with the film, so their relationships develop organically according to their natures, not to serve plot contrivances.
I haven't seen a performance this good and human from Stallone since his emotional role in 1997's "Cop Land," and I wouldn't be surprised to see him nominated for an acting Oscar for only the second time in his career–the original "Rocky" was the other. Let's face it, he's mostly been an overgrown cartoon meathead in most of his films; one could certainly argue Stallone's only legitimately good acting performances are in "Rocky," "Cop Land," and "Creed." But, while Mark Twain told us politicians, prostitutes, and old buildings become respectable with age, we now may need to add Stallone to that list–he's downright venerable in "Creed." He underplays with aplomb, embodying heart, grief, and guilt. (more…)
Posted in Movie Reviews, Ryan Anderson and tagged creed, Michael B. Jordan, Movie Reviews, movies, reviews, Rocky Balboa, Ryan Coogler, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson on December 9, 2015 by Nicholas Cicale. Leave a comment
Silverman Proves She's No Clown in "I Smile Back"
With "I Smile Back," Sarah Silverman joins the likes of Robin Williams and other standup comics who proved their alacrity with serious material in movies.
Laney (Silverman) is a despicable, self-loathing housewife who engages in repeated acts of debasement to punish herself for wrongdoing. Despite a devoted, loving husband, Bruce (Josh Charles), and two sweet children, Laney follows a spiral of self-destruction aided and abetted by drugs, alcohol, and adultery after she stops taking her prescribed Lithium.
The movie itself is a grim, harrowing tale of addiction and upper-middle class ennui, and it provides no real illumination. We're led to believe Laney's problems may stem at least in part from her father abandoning the family when she was nine; in the final act, she goes to see him for the first time since he left, discovering he has a wife and a young daughter. (more…)
Posted in Movie Reviews, Ryan Anderson and tagged 2015, film, I Smile Back, movies, reviews, Sarah Silverman on December 7, 2015 by Nicholas Cicale. Leave a comment
Flying Lotus' electronic-jazz-rap fusion album You're Dead! is not your typical top album. It doesn't have singles, catchy hooks, or even discernible lyrics. Instead, You're Dead! creates an atmosphere. Most of the nineteen tracks are well under three minutes in length and run together, making the album more like one, long jazz odyssey instead of a bunch of different tunes. There are some trippy moments here and there, a lot of funky sound effects and flashes of absolute beauty, like the best track "Never Catch Me." Flying Lotus' production matches up with Kendrick Lamar's style and lyrics flawlessly and Lamar's smooth, yet decisive flow alone is as captivating as the intricate drumming behind him. You normally don't get a build from start to finish that's as dramatic and ever changing on a hip-hop record.
The second installment from the duo of Killer Mike and El-P was the best hip-hop album of 2014, and it really wasn't even close. Both guys have great chemistry. Listening to them play off each-other rhymes is like watching a chess match between two good friend that know the other's next move. The verses constantly get more creative, the references more obscure and the content more vulgar. Run The Jewels 2 is more brash and relentless than their first album, and although it does lack some diversity, it's fun, concise and loud enough to keep your attention with ease. (more…)
Posted in Music Reviews, Nicholas Cicale, Year End Charts and tagged 2014, Albums, beck, Best Of, flying lotus, Hozier, list, Music, Radiohead, reviews, run the jewels, sylvan esso, thom yorke on November 29, 2015 by Nicholas Cicale. Leave a comment
"The Night Before" Supplies Impudent Laughs Before Lapsing into Traditional Christmas Sentiment
"The Night Before," now in theaters, is very funny for much of its running time before undercutting its own subversiveness with a traditional, cliched, happy ending.
But, before reaching its treacly conclusion, "The Night Before" threatens to join dark, irreverent holiday classics like "Bad Santa."
The parents of Ethan Miller (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) both are killed in a car accident when he's a teenager, but his best friends, Isaac (Seth Rogen) and Chris (Anthony Mackie), ride to his rescue by taking him out for an evening of debauchery to take his mind off the tragedy and prevent Christmas from being ruined for him. Naturally, it becomes a tradition, as the three venture out in New York City every Christmas Eve for misrule that would make Caligula blush.
Alas, 14 years after their first Christmas Eve of merriment, the tradition is set to end, as two of the three grow into adulthood and responsibility. Isaac and his wife are about to have a baby, and Chris has become a major football star (with the aid of steroids). They no longer wish to engage in the risque ritual, even though Ethan remains in a state of arrested development–he's just lost the love of his life because he refused to meet her parents, he's a penniless singer/songwriter who makes music no one ever hears, and Chris and Isaac remain his only real family.
Posted in Movie Reviews, Ryan Anderson and tagged 2015, christmas, movies, reviews, the night before on November 25, 2015 by Nicholas Cicale. Leave a comment


Sturdy espresso glass from Hario is ideal for measuring espresso shots. Made of borosilicate heat resistant glassware and only from natural components. It has the markings in ounces and millilitres enabling you to accurately determine required dose of coffee.
The Hario shot glass has simple design with capacity of 80ml. Small in size and light in weight the glass is durable and great for measuring and drinking small volumes of espresso coffee.
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Wisteria Trumpet Vine & Chinch Bugs
Japanese Maples the Dwarf Acers
Anthurium Bamboo & Trumpet Vines
NZ Rhodo Fine Trumpet Vine & Easter Lily
The Acer Maple Tree Blether
RE: When and How should I Prune a Bloodgood Maple
RE: Trumpet Vine
Trumpet Vine
Documents: Garden Design:
English Vine, Trumpet Vine, Arbutus & Margaret Riley
About summer pruning of large trees and English ivy; newer Trumpet vines; just what is happening to Arbutus (Madrone) trees in B.C.; and, remembering Margaret Riley.
by Art Drysdale
email: art@artdrysdale.com
Art Drysdale, a life-long resident of Toronto and a horticulturist well known all across Canada, is now a resident of Parksville, British Columbia on Vancouver Island, just north of Nanaimo. He has reno-vated an old home and has a new garden there. His radio gardening vignettes are heard in south-western Ontario over radio station Easy 101 FM out of Tillsonburg at 2 PM weekdays.
Art also has his own website at http://www.artdrysdale.com
Above: the flowers of red- and yellow-flowering Trumpet vines. Below: Margaret Riley in Meise, Belgium in 1982. Author photos.
This first question is left over from last week and I regret not being able to include it last week, but my response to Marva Berniko's two letters turned out to be more than the length of a regular column.
Peggy Pictin wrote on July 5, as follows: "I just happened to read one of your articles from June 12th I believe. It is now July 5th and the weather is supposed to be turning hot. Am I too late this season to get some pruning done on a big deciduous tree? I don't know what kind it is but it has blackish bark and the leaves look kind of like a hazel nut tree. There are similar ones growing in areas of east Vancouver where I live, but mine has a nicer colour and smoother textured trunk--so not sure what it is.
"What about pruning a maple tree now--one of those larger growing ones that somebody did not plan well when they planted it here.
"Any suggestions on how to best prune ivy--that fast growing English Ivy that is on the warehouse building adjacent to my property? The birds nested in there but they have hatched now so I want to cut my side back as it's very long and thick.
"Are you able to recommend anybody in Vancouver who can do this work?
"I will appreciate your assistance before I start calling companies to give me estimates."
In general it is not too late to prune most trees and shrubs now, even though the threatened hot weather has finally hit! I cannot think of any exceptions to that general statement. Certainly the maple you write about is likely the com-mon big-leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), and it may be pruned at any time when in leaf.
As to pruning English ivy, that is a very necessary job here in the mild parts of British Columbia. If it starts to climb larger trees (of virtually any type, evergreen or deciduous) it can easily choke the growth of the tree(s) and lead to its (their) demise in not too many years. I would be tempted to "pull" the major growth down off the wall and cut them at ground level. You really cannot be too hard on this plant.
I know few contractors over on the mainland, but I have sent a note to one I could likely recommend, and when I hear, I shall advise you.
Regina Marlatt from nearby Port Alberni here on Vancouver Island actually wrote before Peggy (on July 3) with this question: "I am looking for a certain type of trumpet vine that has x-large flowers. It would be started in a container + I would transplant it into the ground. Can you tell me what it's called? I live in Port Alberni, our property is on a rock so the soil would have to be brought in and a built-up bed made. What kind of soil is best? I will be using this plant for privacy. Thank you for your time."
At our garden in Toronto, we grew two Trumpet vines (Campsis radicans), specifically the cultivar 'Mme Galen' which has salmon-red flowers for quite an extended time from about now to September. I know of no other cultivar that has larger flowers, but there are several others with varying flower colours. For example, C. r. 'Flava' has yellow flowers; C. r. 'Flamenco' has orange-red flowers; and the simple species has red flowers, and also starts blooming a little earlier in June. There is also another cross species known as Campsis x tagliabuana 'Indian Summer' but as I said, none of these, that are known to me have extra large flowers--they all have pretty significant flowers.
I have not known trumpet vines to be particularly 'fussy' about soil--in Toronto we grew them in very heavy clay and they did fine.
Your idea of starting your plant off in a container and then transferring it to the ground does not sound that great to me. I would prefer you to build up the soil area (to a depth of at least 30-35 cm) before planting the vine from the container in which you get if from the nursery.
If you have considerable space to cover, you might wish to plant at least two plants and include both red- and yellow-flowering cultivars. I would get them in within the next month, and assure that they are kept well-watered through the hot weather.
The final letter this week came in this past Friday from Pat Eckford in Nanaimo. Her question: "What is killing the Arbutus trees in the Nanaimo area? I know these trees hate any kind of disturbance, and there has been a lot of housing development, some within 20 ft of the trees. Could this be the cause? I have witnessed trees dying with no development around them, so I am suspecting a more natural cause. Now that you are living in Parksville, (Yay, and welcome!), you may have noticed this in your area as well. Thanks for your input."
Back as far as 2005, I asked arborist/friend Bill Granger in Vancouver, about what seemed to be an epidemic of Arbutus (Arbutus menziesii) trees, or at least sections of individual trees dying. He told me he had just recently (then) attended a conference on this topic in Portland Oregon, and that there was nothing substantive to report from any of the researchers present. The problem is generally attributed to disturbance of the landscape (soil), and this is often evident in large stands of Arbutus where the trees on the outside of the stand are in bad shape, while the ones toward the interior of the stand look fine.
Just as I was concluding responding to the three questions here this week, I received the news from Toronto, that an old dear friend had passed away. Margaret Riley had celebrated her 90th birthday just a few weeks ago in her garden in Thornhill. Margaret, who travelled with groups of mine to Europe and Africa, was the wife of the late Leonard Riley, who was a 1940 graduate of The Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture, and also a Kew Grad, and exchange student from England. Leonard was the first NPC School grad to pass away. Margaret was a wonderful lady, and there are several stories about her I would like to tell you, but there is neither time nor space this week. I'll include a photo of her I took in Meise, Belgium, just at the end of our group tour of the Royal Greenhouses there in the spring of 1982.
I am preparing a more detailed obituary, with the help of her son John, which will appear in this spot next week.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Developed at the MACV Recondo School in Vietnam, the STABO Harness was designed to enable the rapid extraction of reconnaissance personnel by helicopter. Named after its inventors, Maj. Robert L. Stevens, Cpt. John. D. H. Knabb and SFC. Clifford L. Roberts, the harness was made from type-13 nylon and formed an X across the back. In order to be extracted the soldier simply snapped the helicopter's extraction line bridle to the two shoulder mounted D rings. This was a significant improvement on the McGuire Rig, which was essentially a 100-foot mountain rope anchored to the helicopter with a loop at the end for the individual to sit in. Unlike the STABO, riding the McGuire Rig required strength and agility and it was consequently of little use in extracting the wounded.
Equipped with a standard pistol belt, the harness was also designed in part to replace the M1956 / M1967 Load Carrying Suspenders. The STABOs leg straps were folded up and secured by tape or rubber bands against the shoulder straps until needed.


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So we're being linked with Shaqiri, and I'm not sure what to make of this. Yes it silly season, and yes that's on steroids with the World Cup, but even so.
Don't get me wrong, he's a cracking player, and can do far better than Stoke, but I don't see where he would fit in to the system we play. Who gets left out for him? In midfield, we have Pogba, Fred and Matic, who you have to think will play as first choice, and we've also got Herrera and McTominay, who Jose seems to really rate, plus Fellaini.
As wide forwards, we have Sanchez, Lingard, Rashford, Mata and if he stays, Martial. So we've already got too many players in any position he might play, unless Jose is looking to switch to a traditional 4-4-2. I somehow doubt that though.
Re: Xherdan Shaqiri
Worryingly we're linked with him rather than Willian. Smacks of Woodward.
At his best; Shaqiri has Premier League experience, has a low price tag and should be willing to except the role of a part time player. However, if we had to drop any of our existing players (maybe Mata) to fit him into the team or if he would only be content as a starter then I cannot see this deal coming off.
I always liked him.. I think I've mentioned that here a couple of times.. I think he'd be a fantastic addition to the squad. He's a special player capable of special things and he was literally wasted at stoke.. In a club like United he'd be able to flourish with other good players around him.
Where exactly on the team sheet is he going to fit & who will be dropped, I don't know.. There's a manager for that and it's up to him to decide.
Sandies
Whether it's Willian Shaqiri or someone else , we really do need someone who can play on the right that is consistent and reliable
"Beckham... into Sheringham... and Solskjær has won it!"


Certifying teachers and regulating the teaching profession is emerging as a critical public policy issue–and one that urgently needs addressing in the interests of students as well as taxpayers in Nova Scotia and a few other provinces. Establishing and maintaining professional standards in Canada has, in practice, been delegated to provincial teachers' unions and federations. Nova Scotia demonstrates how that approach can be particularly loose and mostly ineffective, virtually guaranteeing "spotless records" for teachers.
This AIMS' research report asks, "Whatever happened to teaching standards?" and then tackles the question with an analysis of teacher regulation in Nova Scotia compared with best practices in other Canadian provinces. Paul W. Bennett and Karen Mitchell, a former member of the Ontario College of Teachers Governing Board from 1997 to 2005, provide a revealing look at the absence of regulatory oversight and the feeble enforcement of teaching standards. Utilizing Nova Scotia as an example, the AIMS' policy paper makes the case for adopting a more robust provincial policy regime to ensure the highest teaching standards as well as to weed out underperforming teachers and so-called "bad apples" who pose risks to students.


Consisting of the Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor for Education, the Vice-Chancellor for Research, the Director of Academic Services and the Director of Central Services, the main function of the Executive (Board of) Management is the operational management of the institution.
coordinates education/teaching, research and services.
defines the guiding principle, strategy and the rules and regulations.
draws up a long-term plan and a budget plan.
carries out the decisions adopted by the committee of the Foundation Council (Board of Trustees) and of the Academic Council.
manages the finances, defines the budget and hires staff.
administers the research fund in accordance with the regulations.
oversees the procedure for appointing professors/lecturers and prepares vacancy adverts in accordance with the "University Regulations for Employing Scientific Staff" (URHSS).
guarantees the quality of the teaching and research and carries out regular assessments to this effect.
draws up the annual report.


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New Zealand's David Dicker of Rodin Cars - Building AND Competing in Race Cars
A Shunpiker's Journal
'A Shunpiker's Journal's Steve Purdy recently encountered an interesting fellow from New Zealand who is not only an avid race car driver in an Asian spec-series for Ferraris but he also builds race cars for other adrenaline junkies like himself.
A Shunpiker's Journal | Steve Purdy Discusses Automotive Heritage Foundation
In order to support the Automotive Heritage Awards, Steve Purdy and his accomplices created the Automotive Heritage Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization with a mission of preserving, promoting an promulgating automotive heritage, that is, automotive history, culture and aesthetics.
A Shunpiker's Journal | Steve Purdy Talks Automotive Heritage Awards
One of the special elements of Concours d'Elegance of America at St. John's is our Automotive Heritage Awards presented in the Brembo Media Hospitality Tent on the show field at 10AM Sunday, show day, just as they are opening to the public. Your host here on 'A Shunpiker's Journal', Steve Purdy, is the creator and producer of the project and spends this segment previewing the event.
Shunpiker's Journal | Larry Moss and the 2019 Concours d'Elegance of America at St. John's
This article shares the first half of the July episode for 'A Shunpiker's Journal'. Here, Steve Purdy conducts an expansive chat with Larry Moss, long-time chairman of the Concours d'Elegance of America at St. John's, one of the three most prestigious car shows in the U.S.
AAA | Michigan Gas Prices Rise 6 Cents Compared to Last Week
The Michigan state average is down after jumping 13 cents
DEARBORN, Mich., (July 8, 2019) - Gas prices in Michigan are down after jumping 13 cents to $2.89 per gallon on July 4. Michigan drivers are now paying an average price of $2.85 per gallon for regular unleaded, 6 cents more than a week ago and 6 cents more than this time last month. Drivers are now paying about 8 cents less than this same time last year.
AAA: Michigan Gas Prices Continue to Rise Ahead of the Fourth of July
The Michigan state average is down slightly after jumping 14 cents
DEARBORN, Mich., (July 1, 2019) - Gas prices in Michigan are down slightly after jumping 14 cents to $2.83 on June 26. Michigan drivers are now paying an average price of $2.79 per gallon for regular unleaded which is up 9 cents compared to a week ago. As nearly 1.5 million Michiganders prepare to hit the road this Independence Day, the Michigan state average is still 9 cents less than this time last month and 21 cents less than this time last year.
News Release | Roof Lightweighting Study
The CALM team selected the roof structure for a lightweighting study to highlight the possibilities of mixed-material for mass reduction. Three lightweighting concepts were compared to the 2011 Honda Accord roof in mild steel as the baseline. With the latest generation steels the mass reduction was 22%. With a mix of steel, aluminum and composites, the mass reduction was 39%.
News Release | Moneylion and Ford Performance Introduce Sweepstakes to Give Away Three Custom Mustangs Built By Team Penske Drivers and World-Class Performance Car Builders
America's Most Powerful Financial Membership Partners with Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric to Design and Build Custom Ford Mustangs for Sweepstakes and to Display atInternational Speedway Corporation (ISC) Tracks During Races in 2019
5 Questions for Rich Sheridan – CEO of Menlo Innovations and MBS Keynote Speaker
Menlo Innovations CEO Rich Sheridan became disillusioned in the middle of his career in the chaotic technology industry. He had an all-consuming thought…things can be better. Much better. He had to find a way. Why couldn't a workplace be filled with camaraderie, human energy, creativity, and productivity?
MICHauto Finds Auto Industry has $225 Billion Economic Contribution to Michigan
First-of-its-kind data reveals total economic contribution through jobs, wages, taxes and more
DETROIT (May 28, 2019) – Today on Mackinac Island, MICHauto, an economic development program of the Detroit Regional Chamber today released findings from a study that demonstrates the comprehensive impact of the automotive industry on Michigan's economy. The study found that the automotive industry contributes a total of $225 billion to the state's economy. Of that $225 billion, 83% is directly attributed to automotive manufacturing.


To make windows even more resistant to the cold, noise and wind, the glass is tightly bonded to the frame.
Effortless cleaning of concealed drainage thanks to easy-clean profile contours.
The beauty is in what you don't see.
Extremely slim frames with clean lines, uncluttered by glass strips and joints, for both windows and terrace doors.
Josko uses lead-free and cadmium-free uPVC. Recycled PVC is used to produce our uPVC frames.
Horizontal surfaces on which dirt can settle are largely avoided outside - making the windows surprisingly effortless to keep clean.


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Q: Derivative of matrix by a diagonal matrix Let $F=ABC$ where $B=Diag(b)$. I know that by taking the derivative wrt $B$ results in $$\frac{\partial ABC}{\partial B}=(C^{T}\otimes A) $$
My question is, given that $B$ is a diagonal matrix, is there a simpler way to express the result?
Note. This work is part of a Taylor series expansion where the result will be multiplied by $\delta$ vec$(B)$. Knowing that $B$ is diagonal, I would like to reduce $\delta$ vec$(B)$ to a vector having the size of $b$. Basically, replacing $\delta$ vec$(B)$ by $\delta b$ since all other elements are zero.
Thanks in advance.

A: It holds
$\mathrm{vec}(\mathbf{ABC})
=\left( \mathbf{C}^T\otimes \mathbf{A} \right) \mathrm{vec}(\mathbf{B})$.
So the Jacobian is
$$
\frac{\partial \mathrm{vec}(\mathbf{ABC})}{\partial \mathrm{vec}(\mathbf{B}}
= \mathbf{C}^T\otimes \mathbf{A}
$$
Note that both numerator and denominator are vectors.
Since in your case $\mathbf{B}=\mathrm{diag}(\mathbf{b})$ is a diagonal matrix,
you can use
$\mathrm{vec}(\mathbf{ABC})
=\left( \mathbf{C}^T \odot \mathbf{A} \right) \mathbf{b}$.
which involves the so-called Khatri-Rao matrix product.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Home > Explore News > Discarded Aluminum Foil Contributes to Recent Bottlenose Dolphin Death
Discarded Aluminum Foil Contributes to Recent Bottlenose Dolphin Death
Research Area(s): Stressor Impacts and Mitigation
Region(s) of Study: U.S. States and Territories / South Carolina
Primary Contact(s): wayne.mcfee@noaa.gov
Aluminum foil measuring a little over six inches long removed from esophagus of a bottlenose dolphin stranded on Edisto Beach, South Carolina, in November. Credit: NOAA.
A necropsy of a female bottlenose dolphin stranded in emaciated condition last month on Edisto Beach, South Carolina, revealed a largepiece of aluminum foil lodged in the marine mammal's esophagus. The NCCOS scientists conducting the examination reported that the foil caused a complete blockage of the esophagus, resulting in the dolphin's inability to swallow and consume prey, which led to the animal's starvation.
Very little is known about the effects of marine debris ingestion at the population level for any cetacean species, or for any local estuarine species of bottlenose dolphin. This event emphasizes the need for necropsies of stranded coastal wildlife to better document the impacts of marine debris on the survival of protected species.
Bottlenose dolphins in U.S. territorial waters are legally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. Credit: NOAA.
Millions of tons of debris enter the oceans each year from trash, damaged fishing gear, or shipping accidents. Ingestion of marine debris by wildlife, including marine mammals, has been a contributor to numerous animal deaths.The NOAA Marine Debris Program's 2014 Report on the Occurrence and Health Effects of Anthropogenic Debris Ingested by Marine Organisms explains that the mere presence of ingested debris can have a variety of health effects, including: laceration or ulceration of the digestive tract, direct blockage of the digestive tract, and reduced nutrient uptake and urge to feed.
For more information, contact Wayne.Mcfee@noaa.gov.
NCCOS and NMFS Partner to Survey 'Unprecedented' West Coast Toxic Algal Bloom
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Seeks Advice on Harmful Algal Bloom Threat
Congressional Interest in Harmful Algae and Dead Zone Bill Prompts Hearing


for Offshore Oil and Gas exploration platforms.
Treat Waste Water from Petrochemical Industry.
"Petrofac International selected AES Arabia to provide Odor Control Packages for Sulphur Recovery Facilities of Saudi Aramco – AES Arabia is to design, engineer, manufacture and supply odor control packages for Saudi Aramco mega project in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia." "Tecnicas Reunidas of Spain selected AES Arabia to provide Chemical Injection skids and Odor Control Packages for Fadhilli Gas Program – AES Arabia is to design, engineer, manufacture and supply chemical injection skids and odor control packages for Saudi Aramco mega project in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia." "AES delivered State-of-the-art MBR based technology Sewage Treatment Plants for the Ministry of Housing projects." "Tecnicas Reunidas of Spain selected AES Arabia to provide Ion Exchange Mixed Bed Demin Plant for its new Refinery Project in Saudi Arabia."
What clients say about their working experience with AES Arabia in various sectors.
AES corporate offices are located in Tampa, Florida – USA. AES also operates a major engineering and manufacturing facility in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to maintain regional presence and serve the Middle East, The Gulf & Africa.
We at AES ARABIA LTD are committed to be at the top of the global water treatment technology, by producing the highest quality and the most competitive products and systems, fully satisfying customers with our "quality" services.


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The Workplace Report: The problem with HR, the end of expertise, and managing your professional decline. Plus William Langewiesche on MH370, watching extinction in real time, gay hookup culture and consent, the Earth's deepest secrets, and more. View Magazine
What Really Happened to Malaysia's Missing Airplane
William Langewiesche
The Problem With HR
Caitlin Flanagan
At Work, Expertise Is Falling Out of Favor
Jerry Useem
Your Professional Decline Is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think
Arthur C. Brooks
Cruising in the Age of Consent
Spencer Kornhaber
Better Schools Won't Fix America
Nick Hanauer
Readers respond to "The Trouble With Dentistry" and more.
The Trouble With Dentistry
In May, Ferris Jabr wrote about a dentist named John Roger Lund, who allegedly defrauded many of his patients by giving them unnecessary treatments. Lund was an outlier, but even the most common dental procedures, Jabr wrote, are not always as safe, effective, or durable as we are meant to believe.
Thank you for publishing "The Trouble With Dentistry." Overtreatment is a serious problem in our profession. While some patients wish to have perfect, bright-white smiles and a mouth that looks like it has never had any problems, most people want to be able to eat without pain and to have reasonably good aesthetics. It's pretty easy to provide this without major, expensive dentistry—but the dentist won't make much money. And that's a problem. By the time a dentist gets out of school and sets up or buys an existing practice, he or she can easily be close to $1 million in debt. In the United States, poor populations are largely underserved in medicine as well as in dentistry. If our society were to offer some form of tuition reduction for serving those populations, both conditions could be helped.
David Dalley, D.D.S.
The American Dental Association and dentists across the country are dedicated to the health and safety of the patients they serve. As a dentist for 32 years, I was disappointed by the author's reinforcement of inaccurate, negative stereotypes about dentists, and the use of one example of alleged professional misconduct to make blanket statements about the entire dental profession.
The ADA is dedicated to evidence-based dentistry, which integrates the dentist's clinical expertise, the patient's needs and preferences, and the most current, clinically relevant evidence. All three are part of the decision-making process for patient care. To that end, the ADA successfully advocated for evidence-based dentistry to become a required component of dental-school curricula and established the Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry to develop resources that help dentists integrate relevant scientific evidence into patient care. We have the data to show that dentists all across the country are accessing this content.
The author's implication that dentists are motivated by profit to pay down high educational debt is not borne out by the facts. For instance, dentists have for decades advocated for fluoridation of community water supplies to prevent tooth decay. Why does the profession advocate for something that results in less need for treatment? Because dentists are doctors of oral health, and tooth decay is a disease that we want to prevent for the good of the public.
Jeffrey M. Cole, D.D.S., M.B.A.
President, American Dental Association
At the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and other dental schools nationwide, ethics and professionalism are at the heart of dental education. We teach evidence-based dentistry and highly value scientific inquiry, requiring every student to conduct research. We put patients' welfare above all else.
Speaking as the dean of a dental school, a role I've held for more than 25 years, I can assure you that the overwhelming reason students go into the field is because of their desire to help others. Dentists are caring, ethical, and knowledgeable professionals who serve their communities and care deeply for their patients. Dentists deserve better than the unflattering portrayal in this article.
Bruce Donoff, D.M.D., M.D.
Dean, Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Boston, Mass.
I was in dental school in the late 1980s. A joke freshman year revolved around our professors' not even being able to go to the latrine without at least three coordinating peer-reviewed double-blind studies to say it was a good idea. Granted, we dentists don't have the breadth of research that our medical colleagues do, but we represent only 4.5 percent of the nation's health-care bill.
Kenneth E. Chapman, D.D.S., M.A.G.D.
Winston-Salem, N.C.
Ferris Jabr's reliance on the Cochrane organization's concerns about the scientific validity of some clinical studies and common recommendations is flawed. The Cochrane organization's mission is to point out where evidence-based science is lacking. A lack of evidence does not make something untrue. There is a lack of solid evidence based on scientific research for the benefits of flossing, because it is virtually impossible to follow a large group of people for years to verify their self-reported daily flossing habits and techniques, to rule out myriad other factors affecting the study, and to put a control group at serious health risk by forcing them not to floss for years. As to the scientific validity of dental treatments such as crowns and root canals, plenty of evidence supports their need. But how can we ask a large group of people in several different studies to not restore a root canal with a crown, just to see what happens? Some medical and dental recommendations still rely on clinical experience and cannot be scientifically validated through evidence-based studies. This does not make those recommendations bad or untrue.
Joseph A. Oleske
Lakewood, N.J.
I am a retired dental hygienist and would like to point out another troubling trend in dentistry: Many of the big dental chains pay their dentists and hygienists on commission. Often while filling in for colleagues, I would find that their periodontal-probe measurements were high (resulting in the recommendation of costly scaling and root-planing procedures), when my readings were that of a healthy mouth. Attendance at monthly staff meetings was required, and commissions were posted and discussed as a means of creating competition among dentists and hygienists. With that as common practice, how could dentistry be anything but corrupt?
Kathleen Quartaro
Hartland, Wis.
Kudos to Ferris Jabr for his insightful article. Some years ago, as a newcomer to our area who rarely had dental problems, I visited prospective dentists on the recommendation of my previous (and trusted) dentist as well as co-workers. One of these was a well-known and well-advertised practitioner. I had what I thought was a routine examination and cleaning. To my surprise, I was then presented with a written, multipoint "treatment plan" laying out a number of significant procedures that needed to be done as soon as possible. The cost would be more than $5,000. I was told that this plan was a requirement of the Florida Board of Dentistry, or some such body. When I demurred at committing to such a plan on first acquaintance, I was asked to sign the plan to indicate that I had refused this "necessary" treatment and told that the dentist would need this for his records.
Fast-forward 15 years. I have had none of his required procedures (or any other significant dental work). I have been with my current practitioner for nearly all of this period. I'm told my teeth are just fine.
Miller Macmillan
Destin, Fla.
I am in my 50s and had a colonoscopy, as my physician recommended. I'm glad he didn't describe it as "shoving a camera and hose up my butt to look at my bowels, and using an electric hot wire to rip and burn out any polyps that might be found."
You can describe absolutely any dental or surgical procedure with emotionally charged and barbaric terms—cutting, hacking, ripping. But the majority of my colleagues went into health care and go to work every day to help people with their problems in the best way we can. We certainly do not hack and rip. We treat people and their teeth, soft tissue, bones, and organs as delicately as the task allows. Everything I do for my patients is what I would do for my most treasured family member or friend.
Andrew C. Hartwig, D.D.S.
Ferris Jabr replies:
In the past few months I have received numerous emails from dentists. Many were angry or resentful, but the majority applauded the article and affirmed its central points. As the article states several times, most dentists behave ethically. Many of the article's critics conveniently ignore the actions of Dr. Brendon Zeidler, who is a paragon of conscientiousness and integrity. The narrative concerning Dr. John Roger Lund is not presented as a portrayal of all dentists, but rather as a case study illustrating a troubling trend. One of the challenges in reporting this piece is that definitive statistics about overtreatment are lacking because it is a largely overlooked problem. Yet the available evidence—from the few studies that have been conducted, newspaper archives, court records, and interviews with dental practitioners and patients—indicates that Lund is far from alone.
My article explores the many historical, financial, and cultural explanations for intentional and inadvertent overtreatment in dentistry, including the profession's deficit in rigorous clinical evidence. Joseph A. Oleske is mistaken about the Cochrane organization; its purpose is not to highlight missing evidence but rather, according to its website, to "study all of the best available evidence generated through research and make it easier to inform decisions about health." Oleske further claims, "The lack of evidence does not make something untrue." That is an ontological problem. The relevant question is whether there is enough evidence to establish a treatment's benefits and justify its risks. As I acknowledged in the article, many dentists are advocating for evidence-based practices and necessary reform. Unfortunately, Jeffrey M. Cole's claim that "dentists all across the country" are embracing evidence-based dentistry is contradicted by practitioners who have repeatedly lamented its slow adoption. As one of my sources pointed out, simply making information available or adding it to a curriculum does not translate to a swift or thorough transformation of an entire profession.
I am encouraged by the many dentists who concede their field's flaws and are striving to remedy them. I hope the dental community will listen to the thousands of patients who recognized themselves in this story.
Behind the Art
Arsh Raziuddin
"The Trouble With Dentistry" is a story about abuse of power. Ferris Jabr writes about Dr. John Roger Lund, who allegedly defrauded many of his patients to secure higher profits for himself. This apparent exploitation suggested a wide range of possible imagery: a tooth as a piggy bank; an oil rig inside a mouth; a mountain of removed teeth. I intended for the art to convey a sense of nefarious drama without being too gruesome. I also wanted to capture some of the scarier aspects of even the most routine dental checkup (we've all been in that chair, unable to speak as sharp implements descend toward our mouth).
After some discussion with the editors, I narrowed down the concepts. The art that opens the story is a giant tooth wrapped in caution tape; it's meant to evoke a crime scene. Still, I didn't want to indict the entire practice of dentistry, and it was important to me that some of the art be relatable to all dental patients. Beneath Lund's story lies a simple truth: Our teeth are sensitive, and so are we.
Associate art director, The Atlantic
The Penance of Doc O
In May, Sam Quinones wrote about Lou Ortenzio, a trusted West Virginia doctor who got his patients—and himself—hooked on opioids. After Ortenzio lost his medical license, he took a night job delivering pizza, which sometimes brought him face to face with former patients. Now he's trying to rescue his community from an epidemic he helped start.
For years, I blamed Lou for my mother's addiction. I remember how we would pharmacy-hop to fill all the prescriptions he wrote her. I also remember my dad calling his office and screaming at the receptionists to tell him to stop prescribing her all these unnecessary drugs. I remember the day I found my mom overdosed on our back porch. I was 6. I felt Lou was the reason I had been robbed of having a normal mother. In the end, no one held a gun to her head and said, "Take these pills." In the end, he was an addict himself. He needed help just like my mom.
When I started working in home health in 2014, I had a patient at the Mission, a shelter that houses dozens of opiate addicts. I walked in and was greeted by a guy smiling ear to ear. He said, "Hi there! I'm Lou Ortenzio. Have you ever been here?" My mouth dropped. I finally put a face to the guy I had blamed for all those years, but surprisingly, I wasn't resentful anymore. I saw firsthand what he was doing for our community. It changed my entire perception of this person, of whom I had thought the worst. I applaud Lou for changing himself for the better, for lifting up our community, and for being a part of the change.
Kayla Toryak
Bridgeport, W.Va.
#Tweet of the Month
This man, Dr. O, was my childhood physician. I'll never forget the time I opened the door and he handed me my own pizza. But I didn't feel sorry for him, I admired his bravery—even then—to share his story so that others can learn from his experience.
— @AByrdinthehand
Why Young Adults Are Talking Like 3-Year-Olds
Embracing your inner child is comforting and fun, John McWhorter argued in May—and it just might revitalize the English language.
Every parent who has ever tucked in their children has marveled at the "cuteness" of their linguistic development. My son once asked, "Daddy, remember the day when this day was coming?" before securing the word yesterday. The "cuteness" of children's language is a window not only into brain development but also into the sorting-out of concepts such as time in its full continuum, day and night, and life and death, and eventually the building blocks of abstract thought. It is cute and delightful to us, but it is serious work for our children.
Today's baby-speak in adults seems more a retreat from adulthood, a turning-of-backs on reality because the future scares the hell out of all of us. Children make up words and play linguistic games to race toward the future and maturity. Adults use the same "cute" exercises to back away from the future.
Karl E. Felsen
Guilderland, N.Y.
I don't think the slang terms and manners of speech that the author of this article mentioned should be celebrated. For instance, the statement "I get paid a crummy wage because capitalism" is not only grammatically incorrect—it also suggests that one should believe that capitalism is the source of the person's crummy wage, without looking more deeply into the issue. What then happens is loss of inquiry as well as a lack of understanding of the very language we speak.
Marco Meza
It was validating to read this article after months of hearing my 11-year-old talk about "yeeting" things into her backpack and exclaiming "Yeet!" whenever she got excited about anything (accompanied by the celebratory gesture, of course). She assured me this was "a thing," but until I read this article, I didn't fully believe her.
Jessica Finn
Charlotte, N.C.
For years I have thought of "kidspeak" as immature or ignorant. I am 26, and admittedly I was unaware of the word yeet. Now you have humbled me. It does take a degree of creative thinking and intellect to create and use "kidspeak" in a proper way.
Jess Moore
Fortson, Ga.
James Graham
Watch Your Wallet
Pickpockets love our digitally distracted age, Rene Chun wrote in May.
Your article was very informative and helpful. After reading it, I thought I would try my skill. Following a quick loving embrace, I slipped my husband's wallet into my pocket. Not until about three hours later, when we were at a store and he reached for some money, did he notice it was missing. The fun was his surprise when I handed it to him.
Margaret Porter
Farmington, Maine
Was Shakespeare a Woman?
The authorship controversy has yet to surface a compelling alternative to the man buried in Stratford. Perhaps that's because, until recently, no one was looking in the right place. In June, Elizabeth Winkler made the case for Emilia Bassano.
I thank you sincerely for shedding a light on the literary work published by William Shakespeare. I feel chills as I reread the texts and think of a woman holding the pen, creating, imagining, challenging, and improving the English language. How fantastic would it be if we could demonstrate that the crepitating pulse that has made us dream for centuries actually came out of the creative genius of a woman?
Pável Uranga
Salem, Mass.
On the purported Shakespeare authorship question, there is no scholarly debate. There is a fascinating area of inquiry concerning Shakespeare's collaborations with other dramatists both early and late in his career, but this is far removed from the fantasy that some romantic figure used a jobbing actor from Stratford as a frontman for works of literary genius. There are a mere handful of academics who give this stuff even the time of day, let alone credence, and Winkler has misrepresented the state of scholarship by insinuating that they are one side in a scholarly dispute.
Oliver Kamm
Excerpt from a Quillette.com post
"Was Shakespeare a Woman?" was a delightful reminder of the richness of the authorship field and the tantalizing possibilities it surfaces for answers to one of history's great mysteries. Some are ready to heap vitriol on those who dare to entertain those possibilities. Specific points can always be debated, and unwarranted claims should be called out as such. But much compelling evidence and thoughtful analysis await those who approach the subject with an open mind and humble curiosity. Whoever he or she was, "Shakespeare" would enjoy the debate.
Marc Lauritsen
Harvard, Mass.
Elizabeth Winkler replies:
"Any worthwhile history is a constant state of self-questioning," the author Hilary Mantel observed in her Reith Lectures for the BBC. It was in that spirit of skepticism that I undertook a provocative inquiry, exploring the possibility of a woman's hand in the works of Shakespeare. Following the traditions of The Atlantic, I questioned uncritically held assumptions instead of treating pronouncements by authorities as truth. Consistent with journalistic duty, I distinguished academic opinion and received wisdom from fact as I explored terrain on which evidence has proved open to varying interpretation. In their often vitriolic zeal to condemn me for nonadherence to their position, some critics have misconstrued my careful formulations and denounced my endeavor as "conspiracism." More troubling still, they've missed my very point of departure—that a woman writing under another's name isn't conspiracism; it's a literary practice that we know has gone on for much of history.
The discourse around the question of Shakespeare authorship is plagued by this sort of anti-intellectual suppression of inquiry. The idea of a female author is speculative, to be sure, butt he animating impulse of my essay was neither doctrinaire denial nor adamant certainty. It was self-questioning, fueled by a recognition of how women's voices have been hidden. Careful readers will note that I never claim Emilia Bassano was the author; indeed, I characterize the evidence as "circumstantial" and note that Bassano's style differs from Shakespeare's. I wonder, too, about the possibility of collaboration. (If Shakespeare had co-authors, as scholars now concede, can we be sure a woman wasn't among them?) Implied in all of this is the question of what other women might merit consideration in connection with English literature's greatest—and startlingly feminist—plays.
The personal attacks and rhetorical dismissal that greet such questioning may be intended to stigmatize the questions, yet instead they reinforce their legitimacy. As the author of the plays recognized, history is a fragile construct, "a scribbled form, drawn with a pen / Upon a parchment." Scholarly opinion isn't fact; assertions by authorities aren't truth; and the journalistic imperative to question orthodox thinking requires doubt. People are loyal to the first version of history they learn. Mantel notes: "If you challenge it, it's as if you're taking away their childhood." In this climate, accusations of denialism betray themselves as projections, and the impulse to skepticism emerges not as madness, but as the only rational and responsible approach.
Kati Lacker
In April, James Fallows wrote about how a small group of activists—himself included—got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in Washington, D.C.
I am in total agreement with James Fallows. I work for a parks nonprofit in Chicago and we made the switch from gas-powered leaf blowers a few years ago in response to park patrons' complaints of fumes and noise, and their concerns about sustainability. We have a few batteries we swap out among leaf blowers and weed whackers. The batteries charge relatively quickly. Noise and pollution levels are down. We don't have to spend staff time on going to the gas station or maintaining the combustion engines (a real nuisance). The batteries and tools paid for themselves in one season with only about one hour of use each week. It's a wonder more individuals and land managers haven't already made the switch!
Aaron Hammond
Assistant Director of Park Management and Sustainability, Lincoln Park Conservancy
I am the only one on my street whose leaf blower collects dust in the cellar; my broom and rake are readily available. It's not a time-saver, but my heart, my shoulders, and my soul enjoy the workout. Plus, I can hear the birds make fun of me for working on my day off.
Colleen Maillie
Alcoa, Tenn.
I was delighted to discover so much space dedicated to that erroneously named machine, the "leaf blower." (A short drive through my neighborhood any day of the week proves that it's actually a dust blower.)
In the article, however, the emphasis was on the noise rather than the dust. Yes, you probably will lose your hearing eventually, if exposed to the noise. But the spores; pesticides; rat, coyote, raccoon, and dog feces; and hundreds of other elements in the dust will, in time, affect your lungs. And what about the gardener? He is particularly at risk. He blows dust from eight or 10 houses a day every day of the week. Don't we care about his health?
Many people who buy organic food, recycle, drive a Prius, donate to ocean-conservation efforts, and tell you that their children's health and safety is their No. 1 priority still allow their gardeners to use a blower.
I say ban all leaf blowers. How beautiful is the sound of a rake.
Sandra Snegoff
Santa Monica, Calif.
James Fallows replies:
I'm glad to learn from Aaron Hammond that the Lincoln Park Conservancy has been ahead of the trend in switching away from hyper-polluting, uniquely noisy gas-powered leaf blowers. As public-health evidence about the dangers of emissions—and of noise—from gas-powered leaf blowers rapidly mounts, and as battery-powered alternatives become cheaper and more effective, the pace of change is speeding up. Ongoing updates about communities making this change can be found at QuietCleanDC.com.
Personally, I agree with Colleen Maillie. But because I know most householders who hire lawn crews won't agree, I've been pushing for the battery-powered alternatives.
I also agree with Sandra Snegoff, about the many forms of destruction wrought by modern, industrialized perfect-lawn care. My story stressed that the people most exposed to these risks are the lawn workers—many of whom are immigrants and non-English speakers, and very few of whom have good long-term health-care coverage. The shift of rules in D.C. is one modest step in the right direction. Our group's watchword is that we have been "accelerating the inevitable." We hope that communities across the country prove us correct.
On Twitter, we asked people to pick their favorite reader responses to June's Big Question. Here's how they voted.
Q: What is the most overrated invention?
45% The Segway
36% Engagement rings
17% The car alarm
2% The clock
"Was Shakespeare a Woman?" (June) stated that scholars suggest the Bassano family were conversos. We have updated the article online to reflect that several archival documents have led some scholars to dismiss the possibility that the Bassanos were ever Jewish.


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Life&Arts
Austin Festivals
Submitting an Op-ed/Letter
Student representative positions open on state higher education board
Published on November 5, 2013 at 11:26 pm Last update on November 6, 2013 at 12:25 am
By Leslie Zhang
Several representative positions are available for student applicants until Friday for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the board's committees, which influence public policy in Texas.
UT is looking to nominate five students for the non-voting student representative position and two students for each of the five advisory committees, according to Marilyn Russell, deputy advisor to Dean of Students.
At each university, student government nominations are sent to the president, who then sends it to the governor. The governor will ultimately appoint the student representative. The advisory committee representatives are selected by the committee members. The student representative serves for one year, while the advisory committee representatives serve for two.
Student Government President Horacio Villarreal said funding has increasingly become a priority as the state makes cuts to its budget. He said he would like to see student representatives speak on behalf of college students across the state to increase funding to higher education institutions.
"I know UT-Austin has been under a tight budget, as well as other public institutions across the state," Villarreal said. "I think the student representatives to both the committee and the boards need to possess a strong will to increase funds for UT and other schools and translate that to the others on the coordinating board on behalf of the students."
In addition to focusing on financial resources for the University, Villarreal said he hopes to see transparency from the student representatives surrounding policy making.
"I hope the student representatives are visible on campus so others can voice their opinions and wants, so they can relay those onto the appropriate people," Villarreal said.
Texas A&M University student Alice Schneider, a current student representative, said her position has afforded her opportunities she would not have had otherwise.
"Being in this position allows me to have dialogues with presidents of community colleges [and] state senators on higher education committees [and] to hear different opinions," Schneider said.
Schneider said being on the board and shaping public policy on higher education while being a student was a new experience.
"There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes, policy-wise," Schneider said. "There was a steep learning curve. In the legislative session this spring, I had no idea higher education policy-making was so intensive."
Since the positions opened in 2008, Russell said seven UT students have served as representatives on advisory committees, but not one has served as the student representative on the board.
"We always want our students in leadership roles, and any representative from this institution would have access to this student body," Russell said.
The application can be found online at the Dean of Students' website and must be submitted to the Dean of Students office in the Student Activity Center 3.104 by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8.


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Q: Probability mass function of sum of random variables Let $\mathbb P(L=k) = \frac{140}{223(k+2)}, k = 0, 1, ..., 5.$
Credit portfolio consists of 8 independent loans, where $L_i, i = 1, ..., 8$ is the number of "physically" possible defaults of one loan. $L_i$ hasthe same distribution as $L$.
Let $L_{PF}=L_1+...+L_8.$ Find pmf: $G_{L_{PF}}(t)$.
I started from:
$G_{L_{PF}}(t) = \mathbb Et^{L_{PF}}=\mathbb Et^{L_1+...+L_8}=\prod_{i=1}^{8} \mathbb Et^{L_i}=\prod_{i=1}^{8} G_{L_i}(t)$
Then
$G_{L_i}(t) = \mathbb Et^{L_i}=\sum_{k=0}^{\infty}t^k \mathbb P(L_i=k)=\frac{140}{223}\sum_{k=0}^{\infty} \frac{t^k}{k+2} $
How to continue? How can I get pmf of $G_{L_{PF}}(t)$?

A: You can use that $\ln(1-x)=-\sum\limits_{m=1}^{\infty} \frac{x^m}{m} $ (series expansion at $x=0$).
$$-\sum\limits_{k=0}^{\infty} \frac{t^k}{k+2}\stackrel{m=k+2}{=}-\frac1{t^2}\cdot \sum\limits_{m=2}^{\infty} \frac{t^m}{m}=\frac1{t^2}\cdot \left( \ln(1-t)+t \right)$$
Therefore $G_{L_i}(t)=\frac{140}{223}\cdot \sum\limits_{k=0}^{\infty} \frac{t^k}{k+2}=-\frac{140}{223}\cdot\frac{\ln(1-t)+t}{t^2}$
Now it is straightforward to calculate $G_{L_{PF}}(t) $.


Orari: from 8 in the morning until 3 in the night.
Aya Sakamoto was born in Tokyo. Since she was a child, she has been attracted by art and she is passionate about ceramics. In Faenza she discovers the most famous school dedicated to this artistic technique, taking inspiration by nature.


I would venture to say that the majority of use on my BlackBerry PlayBook is playing games. One of my newest favorites is StarSlide by Jamie Beach. The storyline of the game is simple: stars fall from the sky and need to be beamed back up into outer space via the magic portals. The twist comes when you try to swipe and slide the stars to the portals. As you advance through the levels, the portals are harder and more complicated to get to.You can use different items within the game to block passages and create a path for the stars. The game currently sits at 30 levels (we've been assured more are to come) and the first 8 are FREE! After that you can unlock the rest of the levels for a limited amount of time for only $0.99!


School Library Journal recently ran a review for Along Came Spider. Written by Elizabeth Swistock, you can read it in full by clicking wildly right here and scrolling insanely downwards.
Not naming Trey's condition was a conscious choice. Maybe that was a mistake on my part, I don't know. But for the record, I saw Trey as a boy with high-functioning Asperger Syndrome. What I felt at the time, correctly or not, was that most kids wouldn't perceive things that way — they'd be dealing with the near reality of a quirky boy, not an abstract label, so I tried to hug close to that perspective. In today's inclusive classrooms, these are daily encounters for most children.
By the way, here's one of the many great books I found on the subject, Perfect Targets: Asperger Syndrome and Bullying, by Rebekah Heinrichs.
The fact that Trey and Ava are extremely self-aware and kindhearted is a redeeming quality, but the book could prove too uneventful for its intended audience. That's too bad because Trey is a sweet character and Preller's message is a good one.
I want to repeat the key phrase there: too uneventful for its intended audience.
I've read a lot of books recently about girls trying to make sense of friendships and themselves, so it was a delightful surprise to find and read an advance review copy of a book that deals with boys trying to find where they belong . . . .
I wonder: Did I accidentally write a girlie book about boys? And is such a thing possible? Or unwelcome? Or needed? Can it be that a He-Man such as myself is, deep down, just a wuss?
I am genuinely interested in this topic and invite your comments. It's something I've been puzzling over for a while now. I haven't reached any wise conclusions. But maybe that's what blogging should be: that it's okay, maybe even preferable, to open things up for discussion, rather than attempt to neatly wrap things up, tie down all the loose ends.
On a diagnostic level, we can all agree that boys don't read as much as girls. We can see the divides in our educational system. But it becomes far trickier when we encounter it on a prescriptive level, when we read that we need more . . . books for boys.
Because, of course, what IS a book for boys? Following the standard clichés, we'll see well-intentioned publishers roll out a bunch of sports titles and a series of picture books about trucks and dinosaurs. Boys love that stuff! Oh yeah, and gross stuff, too — boys love disgusting things. Farts and vomit! Bodily functions! Smashing things! Underwear! And on and on.
And you can see where that kind of reductionistic thinking leads us. Exactly nowhere. Where Boy becomes Caricature, effectively ignoring the vast number of outliers, the sensitive ones, the insecure boys, ignoring the notion that boys may be All That and So Much More.
What is a book for a boy? What do boys like? To answer that, we have to address the idea of what is a boy? I guess what worries me is when those answers get too restrictive, too limited, when publishing for boys does a disservice to what boyness is all about, in all its sprawling, messy glory.


There are interesting times ahead for the British heavyweight scene.
The division has come alive with talent and there are hopes that come October 24, in Dusseldorf, Britain will have a new world heavyweight champion when Tyson Fury finally gets the chance to get in the ring with the IBF / IBO / WBA / WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko.
However, our other big heavyweight hope, Anthony Joshua, is of the opinion that Fury is wasting his time fighting the champion, suggesting that the unbeaten Brit will get beaten.
?Yeah, I believe so for sure.
?There are levels in boxing.?
Joshua has sparred with Wladimir and there appears to be a mutual respect developing between the two.
?Probably Tyson Fury. It would be a massive fight and it would be great for Great Britain as well. He?s not as experienced as Klitschko, and he?s an Olympic champion and he?s been champion for 10 years as a professional. Me and Fury would love a proper, proper dust up.?
Now that would be something to witness.