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University of London - Goldsmiths
University of London - Goldsmiths United Kingdom (UK)
The table to the right includes counts of all research outputs for University of London - Goldsmiths published between 1 October 2020 - 30 September 2021 which are tracked by the Nature Index.
Article Count and Share for University of London - Goldsmiths
Compare University of London - Goldsmiths with other institutions
Top 10 domestic collaborators with University of London - Goldsmiths by Share (20 total)
University of London - Goldsmiths, United Kingdom (UK)
University of London - Goldsmiths and University of Oxford (0.59)
University of London - Goldsmiths0.09
University of Oxford0.50
University of London - Goldsmiths and University of London (0.18)
University of London0.17
University of London - Goldsmiths and UCL (0.03)
UCL0.02
University of London - Goldsmiths and King's College London (KCL) (0.02)
King's College London (KCL)0.01
University of London - Goldsmiths and The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) (0.02)
The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR)0.01
University of London - Goldsmiths and The Courtauld Institute of Art (CIA) (0.02)
The Courtauld Institute of Art (CIA)0.01
University of London - Goldsmiths and St George's, University of London (SGUL) (0.02)
St George's, University of London (SGUL)0.01
University of London - Goldsmiths and School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (SOAS) (0.02)
School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (SOAS)0.01
University of London - Goldsmiths and School of Advanced Study, University of London (SAS) (0.02)
School of Advanced Study, University of London (SAS)0.01
University of London - Goldsmiths and Royal Veterinary College, University of London (RVC) (0.02)
Royal Veterinary College, University of London (RVC)0.01
Top 10 international collaborators with University of London - Goldsmiths by Share (98 total)
University of London - Goldsmiths and Carleton University (0.59)
Carleton University0.58
University of London - Goldsmiths and Russian Quantum Center (RQC) (0.45)
Russian Quantum Center (RQC)0.36
University of London - Goldsmiths and North Carolina State University (NCSU) (0.18)
North Carolina State University (NCSU)0.17
University of London - Goldsmiths and Free University of Berlin (FU Berlin) (0.14)
University of London - Goldsmiths and Mayo Clinic (0.12)
Mayo Clinic0.12
University of London - Goldsmiths and Tomsk State University (TSU) (0.09)
Tomsk State University (TSU)0.08
University of London - Goldsmiths and Indiana University (IU) (0.07)
Indiana University (IU)0.07
University of London - Goldsmiths and Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) (0.07)
Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL)0.07
University of London - Goldsmiths and Banner Health (0.06)
Banner Health0.06
University of London - Goldsmiths and University of Southern California (USC) (0.06)
Bacterial factories for living materials
A new form of electronics realized in silicon
Lanzhou University (LZU)
Implantable drug-delivery device could save lives in epilepsy
Institute for Basic Science (IBS)


At Commodore Realty, we believe that our success as a company goes hand in hand with your success as our employee. Therefore, we are constantly striving to seek out individuals who possess the drive, enthusiasm, and dedication needed to create a successful working environment.
Organized, detailed, and knowledgeable team members are always welcome at Commodore Realty. Whether your background is in business, real estate, law, human resources, administration, or any other related field, we are always looking for qualified individuals to join our team. You can contribute in any one of our many different departments: Property Management, Leasing, Accounting, Acquisitions or Office Support. If you are interested in joining our team, you can submit your resume to our staffing specialist via fax, e-mail, or mail.


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Agora Journalism Center: Engaging Communities and Students
Video of Agora Journalism Center: Engaging Communities and Students
SOJC offers 5 community engagement tips for journalists
According to the tenets of civic engagement, those who live in a community are best qualified to identify its problems and most invested in finding solutions.
Apply that idea to reporting, and you get "engaged journalism," an emerging practice that's a primary focus of the UO School of Journalism and Communication's Portland-based Agora Journalism Center. To start regaining the public's waning trust in the media and improve the relevance and accuracy of the news, journalists are beginning to ask community members what they should cover and how they should cover it.
"We're bringing back the notion of beat reporting, where the job requires building rapport and trust with sources over time," said Andrew DeVigal, Chair in Journalism Innovation and Civic Engagement in the School of Journalism and Communication and co-director of the school's multimedia journalism master's program.
Over the past four years, the Agora center has been collaborating with media partners and nonprofit foundations around the world to launch a variety of initiatives to support journalists and others who practice civic engagement. The center is also bringing UO students into the mix by offering hands-on learning opportunities.
Here are five lessons faculty, students and partnering journalists have learned from engaging with communities:
1. To learn, you must first learn to listen
Journalists frequently ask, "How can I get better at engagement?" The answer is simple yet often overlooked: You need to listen better.
That's why the Agora center just launched the Listeners Podcast, a free audio series about the craft and practice of listening.
"The podcast explores how committed, skilled listening develops empathy, maintains civility, builds trust and strengthens our democracy," said DeVigal, who hosts the series.
Weekly guests include top names in engagement journalism and others whose jobs require deep listening, such as clergy and mediators. Two multimedia journalism master's students, Jack Fisher and Patty Torchia, are producing the series with the help of Alex Ward, an outside podcast consultant and graduate of UO's international studies program.
"The Listeners Podcast gives students a very hands-on experience," DeVigal said. "They own the project from start to finish, from setting up interviews with industry leaders to producing, editing and distribution."
2. If you want to know how to improve a city, ask its residents
In winter term, students in DeVigal's Reporting Within Communities multimedia journalism master's course collaborated with the Portland Bureau of Transportation's citywide pedestrian plan, PedPDX. Their goal: create a series of videos to start a dialogue about walking in Portland and inform the city's pedestrian planning process.
"This collaboration was exciting because it fits this model of convening communities for dialogue and helping the public make sense of the conditions around them with the shared purpose of finding solutions together," DeVigal said.
The students followed eight Portland pedestrians around the city with their cameras, revealing their walking abilities and challenges. The community members' narration highlighted the importance of walking in their lives and their hopes for Portland's future as a great place to walk.
DeVigal plans to build on the framework developed in the class to collaborate with other community organizations and government departments in future courses.
3. People will trust you if you're transparent, hire locally and report on what's working
When researchers and journalism instructors Lisa Heyamoto and Todd Milbourn heard that only 32 percent of Americans trust the media to report factual, honest and bias-free news, they decided to do something about it.
Funded by a grant from the Agora center, the team spent the summer facilitating conversations in libraries around the country to find out why people trust — or don't trust — the media and identify strategies for producing more trustworthy journalism.
They compiled what they learned in the Agora Journalism Center research report "The 32 Percent Project: Exploring How Citizens Define Trust and How Journalists Can Earn It." The free, downloadable report includes six key findings from the public discussions — highlighting themes such as diversity, authenticity and transparency — and four recommendations to journalists for regaining public trust.
4. The first step in establishing civil dialogue is finding common ground
This spring, the Agora center selected seven community-minded projects from across Europe and North America to take part in its Finding Common Ground initiative. Each program received a 10,000-euro grant from The Robert Bosch Foundation and the News Integrity Initiative to facilitate community conversations around important topics.
The projects' shared goal, according to the Agora Journalism Center website, is to "get people to look up from their devices, meet people with different opinions, listen and engage in meaningful and civil dialogue across silos and polarized positions."
School faculty members, staff and students traveled to Perugia, Italy, in April to kick off Finding Common Ground with a full-day workshop at the International Journalism Festival. The workshop's purpose was to build the skills of the project leaders, who hail from as far west as Alaska and as far east as Lithuania, in fostering collaboration and community engagement.
Four graduate students enrolled in the multimedia journalism master's program, the School of Law's conflict and dispute resolution master's program and the College of Design's community and regional planning master's program also made the trip to Italy to assist and learn.
"Finding Common Ground and IJF allowed me to better understand how journalism can be strategic for the development of a community," Torchia said. "My experience as a reporter has always been focused on asking questions I or my company wanted to get answers for. In Perugia I discovered how much more useful journalism can be if we let the public contribute actively to the news-gathering process."
5. A thousand heads are better than one
To support the growing global civic engagement community, the Agora center developed Gather, a virtual platform where more than 1,200 engagement practitioners and researchers are connecting with and learning from each other.
"We aim to help the community of practice of journalists, educators and students who have a shared mission to make journalism more responsive to the public's needs and more inclusive of their diverse voices," DeVigal said.
Anyone can sign up for Gather, which hosts a library of case studies on engagement projects, provides a weekly newsletter summarizing the latest news in the field, and organizes monthly "lighting chats" where members can present ideas and solicit feedback.
"Many engaged journalists are working in jobs that barely existed five years ago, and this work often unfolds in separate newsrooms, in isolation," DeVigal said. "It's lonely work. The projects we're initiating or fostering at the center allow us to create digital 'Agoras' as well as in-real-life, face-to-face ones so we can grow the movement and help communities thrive."
—By Jeff Collet and Andra Brichacek, School of Journalism and Communication

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


For the first time, this Summer, I have been growing Zucchini. I can't believe I've never grown it before. Without much effort on my part, the plants have grown lush and green, and provided a bumper harvest of zucchinis that just keeps giving. The vegetables seem to grow centimetres overnight. Despite some, which have become bulbous and hard, most are delicious. Luckily I have been craving zucchini many lunch and dinner times.
This has been a revelation for me. Prior to the last year, I have to admit I have never considered eating zucchini raw. Now I can't believe what I've been missing for so long. Raw grated zucchini is delicious just with just a pinch of salt and pepper, lemon juice, olive oil and shredded mint. Also, whenever I am making a 'thrown together' salad for my lunch, I grate in about half a zucchini.
This is a nifty little trick to decrease carb content and increase nutrient content of pasta meals. It's very easy to make spaghetti like shapes from zucchini to have in place of traditional pasta. Use a mandolin if you have one, otherwise using a vegetable peeler, (or I find a cheese slicer works really well), slice zucchini into thin wide strips. Then pile the strips on top of each other and cut into thin strips. They can either be used raw, or lightly fried in oil and garlic before placing the pasta sauce on top.
Finely slice zucchini and add to a pan with olive oil and 2 cloves of crushed garlic, and salt and pepper. Add a chopped handful of mint and chilli if desired. Cook until soft.
As you can see, not really recipes, but just some ideas of how to enjoy abundant zucchini.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A woman has fulfilled an astonishing 14-year dream of holding her own funeral, while still alive.
Vera Lucia da Silva, 44, arranged to carry out her bizarre wish to lie in a coffin all day while family and friends pretended she was dead. And she said it was 'the best day of her life'.
The extraordinary ceremony, which was held on the Day of the Dead celebration in South America on Wednesday, November 2, took place at a funeral home in Camocim, a seaside resort in north east Brazil.
While her friends and family were against the idea, they dressed in black and visited throughout the day in a show of support.
The owner of the Eternal Garden Funeral home, Paulo Araujo, donated the coffin and the space free to Vera, as a gesture of good will.
In a video filmed on the day, Vera can be seen having her make-up done and enjoying the moment.
She messes around opening and closing her eyes causing her friends to scream with horror and laughter as she pretends to be dead one moment and alive in the next.
The married housewife, who doesn't have children, explained 'celebrating' her own funeral was an 'old dream' that she never thought would come true. But she was determined to do it before she passed away.


A fundamental responsibility of the Metallurgy and Materials Society of CIM is to recognize and honour those members who have excelled through their outstanding achievements and contributions to metallurgy and related fields. By bestowing appropriate awards, the Society encourages high standards of endeavour and focuses the attention of peers and public alike on the accomplishments and careers of its most talented members.
We would like to congratulate all of our MetSoc award recipients for their outstanding contributions to the profession and industry and setting the highest standards for the student and future members of our society.
Published in the Proceedings of COM2017 -56th annual Conference of Metallurgists hosting World Gold & Nickel Cobalt Proceedings ISBN: 978-1-926872-36-0 by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy & Petroleum.
Want to nominate a deserving member within industry?


Around 40% of cars and 50% of vans fail their MoT on the first attempt - often for something trivial like a worn out wiper blade or blown light bulb. Even if you don't have to pay for a retest, it's inconvenient to have to bring the vehicle back. Haynes offers the following handy hints on how to pass first time, without the need for mechanical skills or experience. Even a wash can make a difference.
Check the lights. Make sure all the bulbs work the day before the test and renew any failed bulbs. Make a final check just before the test - Sod's law says that another bulb will have failed, so carry a bulb kit.
Check the tyres for damage. Use a tread depth gauge to check the amount of tread remaining. The legal minimum is 1.6mm, although it is better to fit new tyres well before that depth is reached.
Fit new wiper blades. If they've been on for a year they're past it anyway. Wipers are much cheaper from an accessory shop than a garage. Top up the screen wash reservoir too.
Take a good look at the windscreen and mirrors. There must be no cracks or large chips in the windscreen in the driver's field of view (small stone chips are OK). Rear view mirrors must be adjustable and in good condition.
Check the horn sounds loud and clear.
Don't wait until the last minute. You can submit your car for test up to a month before the old certificate runs out; the new certificate will run for 12 months from the expiry of the old one.
Clean your car inside and out.The tester can refuse to accept a really dirty car.
Shop around. Some testing stations offer a reduced fee, some offer free retests, some offer both. Check your local press for other offers, such as a free or cut-price MoT thrown in with a major service.
Watch and learn. You are entitled by law to watch the test being carried out. This is particularly useful if you're having a test done as a pre-purchase (or even post-purchase) check.
Read the comments. Pass or fail, there may be an 'advisory notice' listing items likely to need attention in the near future. If you don't understand what a comment means, ask.
"It doesn't take a mechanic to spot the most common motoring misdemeanours that lead to an MOT test failure. To save time and money it pays to give your car a good look over before you take it in. Replacing a light bulb or wiper blade can make all the difference and get your car through."
Robert £13655: Very straightforward process easy to navigate website. liked price!


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Top 10 Philosophically Relevant Horror Movies Of 2014
It was the bloodiest of times, it was the most exhausting of times. Racial strife hit the fan in Fergeson. Israel Genociding Palatine, again. Obama and Putin couldn't find the time, as hard as they tried, to set their differences aside and relieve their international sexual tension. Along the way horror flicks splattered the screen or, sadly, discarded to direct to video releases. Looking over the list of horror releases for 2014 I am hard pressed to find a theme, outside a renewed interested in the occult and a renewed need put the fear of Jesus in the hearts of the masses. Between found footage and pseudo-religious morality tales 2014 brought us a few special flicks that I know will be lining my blu ray shelf. We also saw the widespread proliferation of horror TV shows. But most importantly 2014 brought you this guy. izombiheartzoey – the only horror philosopher on the internet!
10. Life After Beth
Ever have one of those girlfriends that just won't die? Even after she goes zombie she still wants to micromanage your hormones. Life After Beth is telling that story. Beth dies from a snake bite on a hiking trip and comes back to shamble around Zach's life. Demanding and needy and all up in his morning process. The absurd humor in this flick swam between the awkwardly absurd to the screwball as Zach is trying to move on. Is not morning narcissistic? These endless sad thoughts were we muddle in our own pathetic sense of transcendental injustice about something we knew was going to happen. People die that's what they do. And yet we toil on resurrecting the dead to keep our sadness ripe. Life After Beth plays on this absurd narcissism showing us the follow of our projected self-pity.
9. The Purge: Anarchy
In theory and practice anarchy is a question about how we organize our lives. Do we become a cog in a chain of hierarchy or topple the house of cards holding the world in place? The Purge: Anarchy, rather than portraying Anarchy shows us the grimy underside of capitalism. The structures of society that relegates resources along lines of power. The rich have resources and use the Purge to safely entertain themselves while the poor fight for their lives and try to get by. In the middle are higher guns out to make a buck, psychopaths and folks on vendettas. This chaos is far from anything resembling anarchy, but it sure reminds us of our old friend Mr. Capitalism. While I enjoyed the purge I feel it only teased at anarchy. The group of individuals thrown together by circumstance who fight to maintain their own lives through the scheduled apocalypse.
8. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones
I was losing patience with Paranormal Activities money laundering scheme. Four movies in a row with the same gimmick and the same plot. The Marked Ones deviates just enough and attempts to tie in loose threads from previous 4 films. What I find so interesting about this film is that it goes father to step outside the Christian mythos that had it trapped to Ouija boards, witches, and standard variety demons. The last moments of the film are just the right amount of dissimulation.
7. Gone Girl
What I appreciate most about Gone Girl is its commitment to have a cast of unlikeable and unredeemable characters struggling to redeem themselves from the black pit where their soul is being roasted over coals. As the great philosopher Ludacris once said, "I know you like to think that your shit don't stink, but lean a little closer, see that roses really smell like poo-poo-poo." Based on the book of the same name Gone Girl tells the bizarre tale of a missing wife and the husband who drove her to drastic measures to force him to change. But as the movie reveals change is only skin deep, and there is something about being intentionally superficial that keeps a marriage together. You think marriage is built out of love? Pffff what you need is fear. Machiavelli would be proud.
6. Afflicted
Doctors have given Derek months to live, so in order to conquer his existential crisis Derick enlists his best bud Clif on a road trip across the globe. Not only is Clif a traveling companion but he is as going to film the last days of Derek's life as he contracts a sexually transmitted diseases and wanders Europe. Along the way, Derek realizes that his STD isn't just any STD but caught the itchy vampire and is craving the blood of the innocent. The takes the found footage to the edge by using body cameras that accentuate Derek's use of powers and journey to find the boss lady from the one night stand.
5. Oculus
Oculus was the first movie that caught me off guard this year. I went into the film blind. After an over chatty 30 minutes the fun starts. Reality slips as two siblings try to unwrap the mystery of their parents death. The Oculus is just a mirror, but the way the narrative spins by portraying simultaneously contradictory narratives and visuals subverts the viewer's expectations.
4. The Babadook
The Babadook strikes a familiar nerve but has the guts to cut horizontally along the vein. Babadook succeeds in two primary ways, rather than portraying just the collapse of a parent to the horror of a child or a child to the horror of a parent both mother and child slide from sane to crazy multiple times as the film progresses. This leaves the viewer without a stable anchor for empathy with the narrative. Secondly, Babadook takes the well-worn and choked to death themes of some scary thing haunting a house and the people in it and turns it up a couple notches without descending into torture porn. It's like There's Something Wrong Kevin where awkward sexual tension is replaced with a demon-ghost.
3. Under The Skin
Before Under The Skin, Scarlet Johansson was not on my radar. Based on the novel of the same name Under The Skin tells an abstract story about aliens and their strange plot to have as many one night stands as possible. Along the way, the film allegorizes the seedy underbelly of male/female relations by switching roles. Scarlett plays the gonzo film director on the prowl while the obvious men are lured into her van.
Read My Analysis of Under The Skin
2. As Above, So Below
Many reviewers dogged on As Above, So Below for being an overly complicated haunted house film. Characters wandered through the dark as the physical reality of the underground complex shifted and ghostliest popped up out of nowhere. What the filmed nailed was the claustrophobic and shapeshifting like nature of trauma. Something happens, shakes up how we know the world, we build networks of meaning to suture reality and protect ourselves from meaningless, but trauma is always under the surface waiting to leap out.
Read My Analysis of As Above, So Below
1. True Detective
True Detective wins for being the most overtly philosophical narrative to hit TV screens in 2014. Rather than beat people over the head with overly abstract notions about true or weird ethical puzzles about trains. True Detective fused existentialism with anti-natalism and created a pessimistic form of atheism free from the trappings of the new atheists and created a radical hopefulness deep in a hardened core of pessimism. One of my favorite moments in True Detective is when Marty asks Rust why if he is an atheist would he have a crucifix in his apartment and Rust responds by telling Marty that he has a crucifix so he can contemplate Christ's sacrifice. The irony here is in Marty's reaction where he recoils against Rust's response, as if Rust's attunement to Christian is too real for even a Christian or Christ for that matter.
Wer, Snowpiercer, All Cheer Leaders Die, Open Grave, Deliver us from evil, The Pact 2, V/H/S Viral, Devils Due, The Possession of Michael King, At The Devils Door, The Town that Dreaded Sundown, The Quiet ones, Canal, Wolf Creek 2, The Sacrament, Willow Creek, Horns, 13 Sins, Honeymoon, Proxy, The Den, Blue Ruin, The Canal
Dishonorable mentions
Afflicted As Above So Below Gone Girl horror Life After Beth Oculus Paranormal Activity The Marked Ones Philosophy The Babadook The Purge: Anarchy Top Ten True Detective Under the skin


Pertussis (Whooping Cough) is a serious health issue, especially in the very young infant. It is caused by a bacteria, Bordetella pertussis, and is transmitted person to person via aerosol droplets usually by coughing or sneezing. The illness typically begins with cold-like symptoms which may then progress to the characteristic paroxysms of cough terminating with an inspiratory whoop.
In young infants, the illness can proceed to cyanosis, severe respiratory fatigue, apnea, and even death. Although whole-cell and acellular vaccine formulations against B. pertussis are available, primary immunization generally does not start until 6-8 weeks and as late as 3 months of age in some countries, leaving the infant unprotected during a most vulnerable period.
The incidence of pertussis has steadily increased in the United States and elsewhere since the 1980s and especially since 2005. Since 2010, 10-50,000 cases of whooping cough have been reported each year in the United States with every state represented. More than 48,000 cases were reported in 2012, and in California alone, greater than 10,000 cases were reported in 2014. Although all ages are affected, the highest rates of disease and hospitalization occur in infants less than one year of age. The numbers have been accompanied by an alarming increase in the number of deaths, almost exclusively among infants less than 3 months of age.
One of the causes thought to explain the resurgence of pertussis is the rapid waning of the immunity induced by current vaccines. Prior to the 1990s, a whole-cell vaccine was used and the immunity it induced was longer lasting. Since then, acellular pertussis vaccines have been used exclusively in the United States primarily due to less frequent adverse reactions.
However, these vaccines have been shown to induce immunity which wanes rapidly over a period of several years. As a result, pertussis immunization is required more frequently and the likelihood of non-protection is much greater, especially for older children and adults. This is particularly alarming since such persons are often the caretakers and closest contacts of young infants. Thus, when considering prevention strategies for pertussis, it is critical to include approaches that prevent pertussis transmission to young infants.
In 2001, the Global Pertussis Initiative (GPI) was established in response to the resurgence of pertussis and in an effort to raise global awareness about pertussis and to develop evidence-based recommendations for vaccination strategies . Over the years, the GPI has focused particular attention on protection of the very young infant and has emphasized as a primary strategy maternal immunization during pregnancy which directly protects the infant through the passive transfer of pertussis antibodies from mother to fetus.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that a pregnancy booster (Tdap) provides the necessary protection to the very young from birth until infant-generated immunity is achieved from the primary series of pertussis immunizations. Based on studies that demonstrate robust maternal antibody production within 2 weeks of booster immunization and ready immunoglobulin transfer after 30 weeks' gestation, current recommendations call for Tdap immunization between 28 and 38 weeks' gestation.
Since maternal antibody levels decline significantly I year post immunization and are almost non-existent 2 years post immunization, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2012 recommended booster immunization during every pregnancy.
To date, research finds that vaccination against pertussis during pregnancy is well tolerated and not associated with any adverse obstetric, birth, or neonatal outcomes. Recently, a study from the United Kingdom evaluating antenatal booster immunization and efficacy in preterm births demonstrated with a mean gestational age of 29 weeks at time of immunization and birth at a mean gestation of 32 weeks, protective antibody levels were found at the start of the primary immunization series.
Unfortunately, despite strong recommendations by the CDC, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Academy of Pediatrics , pertussis immunization rates during pregnancy remain very low. Clearly, education of caregivers and patients must be a goal. Until a new pertussis vaccine with longer duration of protection is available, large-scale pertussis outbreaks will continue and the burden of disease will continue to be particularly felt by the very young infant.


Nicole is a founder of Wall-of-Us and is driven by the power of technology and design to increase civic and political participation, especially within communities whose voices tend to be underrepresented. Most recently she served on the senior leadership team at Code for America, where she organized a network of technologists and local government leaders who are building tools that transform the way that government works for the American people. Prior to Code for America, Nicole worked for the City of Oakland on initiatives related to open government, service design, and public participation.


FAQ: What is the difference between pre-scheduled coaching, pre-scheduled peer tutoring, and the drop-in tutoring services (Online Students)?
Students are encouraged to try a workshop or drop-in tutoring first, and then book a personalized 1:1 appointment with a coach or peer tutor if they need further support. Tutoring sessions range in time from 30 - 45 minutes.
Pre-scheduled appointments with coaches and/or peer tutors can be very effective for students needing to build particular skills over time.
Coaches are experienced professionals who can help counsel students as they move through different courses over several terms.
Peer tutors are knowledgeable students who have excelled in similar coursework and can assist students with the skills they need in the shorter-term.
Follow-up appointments allow students to learn skills over time as they check in with their coach and/or tutor.
Drop-in tutoring is provided by our partners NetTutor and Smarthinking, and is designed to help students who have one-time questions about an assignment or skill.
For more information on tutoring, please see the FAQ: Where can I get tutoring services?


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Top Games You Can Play in an Online Casino
Posted on the 09 November 2022 by Ssghtc001
When looking for a great way to spend your free time, nothing beats playing your favorite casino games online. There are plenty of options; and the best part is that you can play any time you want, day or night. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a complete beginner, there's something for everyone.
Here, we've whittled down a list of the top most popular games for you to check out. Let's get started.
Poker is a fantastic casino game that has grown in popularity over the years. According to historical records, poker was started in 1829 by French settlers and was initially known as 'Poques".
Whether you're a beginner or a pro, the game is simple and requires very little understanding to be on the go; however, it is challenging to master the art of winning.
There are several poker variants, so you can find a game that suits your style. You can try Texas Hold 'em if you're looking for a fast-paced, action-packed game. Or, if you prefer a more strategic game, consider playing Omaha or 7-Card Stud.
Let it ride Poker is another unique variant you can try in an online casino. It's not complicated to master since you're given three cards face up, and two community cards are turned over. You have to decide whether to keep the first three cards or discard them and get new ones.
It's no secret that slots are some of the most popular games in an online casino. You'll find all sorts of slot machines at online casinos, from traditional three-reel slots to modern five-reel video slots.
One thing to keep in mind is that the payout percentages on slot machines vary from casino to casino. It's a good idea to do some research before choosing an online casino. That way, you can be sure you're getting the best possible odds on your favorite games.
Baccarat is a casino game that's simple to learn but can be very complex to play. The game's object is to draw cards with a total value as close to nine as possible. The rules are straightforward, and the action moves quickly. Plus, it's a game that appeals to all levels of players.
Blackjack is a popular casino game, and for good reasons. It's simple to play and quite enjoyable. The odds provided are in your favor if you understand how to play the game. It has an average payout rate of 99.43%, making it one of the most popular card games around.
It's one of the most profitable games in an online casino, since you compete against the dealer rather than other players. In Blackjack, the objective is to score 21 points without going over. You can hit, stand, or double down, depending on the situation. If the dealer goes over 21, he busts, and you automatically win.
There are several variations of Blackjack, King of the Tables being the most popular Blackjack variant. So, check the rules before playing. Most casinos offer both single and multi-hand versions of the game.
Roulette is a simple layout and free game that requires you to spin the wheel and wait for a combination on the pay line. It's about winning big or losing it all. There are two main types of roulette; French, American, and European. The versions are based on the same rules whereby you try to guess which number the ball will end up in when it's spun around the wheel.
For one, French Roulette has a special betting option called en prison, which means your bet is "locked in" if the ball lands on zero. If you win on your next spin, you get double your money back; if you lose, you lose your bet.
European Roulette doesn't have this rule, but it does have a different betting table layout, which some people prefer.
The American Roulette wheel has 38 divisions with numbers alternately colored red and black from 1 to 36. It has unfavorable odds, where two green zeros increase the chances of losing. So it's up to you which type of roulette you want to play.
Craps is one of the most popular casino games in the world, and for a good reason. It's fun to play, quick, and lets players win big bucks.
Of all the different types of craps bets, the one that offers the best odds is the Pass Line bet. This is a bet that the shooter rolls a 7 or may decide an 11. Or, the shooter may roll a 2, 3, or 12 on the come-out roll.
The odds of winning this bet are pretty good, which is why it's such a popular choice for players.
Casino games are fantastic; you get to win big based on luck and experience of playing. But how to play casino games and win big can be challenging for novices. You have to understand each game and how to play it. Once you start, learn to master winning and place what you can afford. Further, there are many online guides on the internet that could come in handy when you're stuck.
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Take a regal approach to new season denim with these high-waisted Fall/Winter 2017 runway jeans. Cut in a skinny silhouette, elaborate hand-beaded crystal embellishing adorn the piece for an elevated, of-the-moment look. Classic five-pocket styling.


How is China Battling the Water and Air Crisis?
China has been home to a horde of low-priced goods and commodities, sharing its end product with almost the entire globe, especially the west. China worked with a single-minded orientation towards colossal economic growth, turning a blind-eye towards the aftermath of its actions, as a result of which it successfully ruined the beautiful environmental legacy encompassing its boundaries.
Some say China will be the next world superpower. Some say, that day has already come. The rapidity of development is applaudable. But at the cost of what? The insane obsession of generating GDP at the expense if everything else is costing much more in terms of life and health. Indiscriminate dumping of industrial chemicals, agricultural and household wastes, excessive mining, unrestrained use of pesticides and fertilizers, industrial and vehicular emissions has resulted in the country ranking very poor in terms of air and water quality standards.
Effect of pollution in China, especially water pollution is not exclusive to just the Chinese. What most people failed to understand was the fact that Chinese waters affects the world indirectly when it merges with the oceans, contaminates the soil, adversely affects the food that is exported and if polluted water cannot be used for irrigation, then Chinese agricultural production falls and global food prices rise.
According to the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs – a Beijing-based NGO, of the 12,226 sites, the surface waters of which has been tested, just 35 per cent have water of good quality, another 32 per cent are suitable for water supply, 20 per cent are suitable for industrial or agricultural use – but not for human contact – and 13 per cent are useless.
Even in Shanghai, one of China's richest, most environmentally-aware and modern cities, 52 out of 65 monitoring sites have water not suitable for human contact.
About nine per cent of China's groundwater remains "below grade V", which means it has "lost function" and is unfit even for industry and irrigation.
According to official data, 70 percent of groundwater samples taken from around the country in the first half of 2018 were deemed fit for human usage, up from 67.9 percent in the previous year. The environment ministry also named 39 cities in August after they failed to meet the water quality standards in the first half of the year.
According to a recently published monthly groundwater status report of the Ministry of Water Resources, 80% of groundwater samples taken from more than 2000 shallow groundwater monitoring wells in China's northern basins falls into classes IV and V.
Air pollution took a monstrous shape with industrial and vehicular emissions on the rise over the years giving rise to ozone depletion. There are signs that ozone pollution in China is worsening. In the hot and humid Pearl River Delta, ozone is now the primary pollutant, rather than PM2.5. Greenpeace has calculated that average ozone levels nationwide in June were 11% higher than the previous year.
China is leaving no stone unturned in battling the crisis.
Take control of and reduce pollutant discharge.
Promote transformation of the economic structure (to lower pollution intensity).
Focus on protection of water resourcesthrough water saving.
Strengthen support for science and technology.
Allow market mechanisms to impact water and pollution levies.
Strict environmental law enforcement & supervision.
Strengthen the management of the overall hydrological cycle.
Ensure security of water for ecological and environmental purposes.
Confirm and implement the responsibilities for all parties involved.
Strengthen public participation and social supervision.
The State Council's Water Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan incorporates the three red-lines which enforces stricter standards, water monitoring efforts, strengthens the environmental laws, punishing the polluters and targeting heavy industries and all this with an aim to upgrade 93% of the drinking water sources to grade III or higher standards.
The five-year plans aim to eradicate water pollution by upgrading urban sewage facilities and increase rates of waste water treatment demanding at the same time reduced contamination from agricultural pollutants by lowering use of chemical fertilizers and insecticides.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection also maintains a WeChat account, onto which citizens can upload photographs of rivers that they consider excessively polluted; the Ministry promises to respond to such reports and to add the data to the national list of highly polluted rivers.
The coal-heartland of China, Jincheng was forced to close down collieries and chemical plants through campaigns urging pollution control. Moreover, other coal districts are also being scoured by inspectors who are laying siege on coal processing facilities, chemical plants and storage depots for violations.
Beijing, took to a rewarding technique by setting lower emissions-cutting targets and promising to exempt environmentally compliant firms.
The city of Jincheng aims to cut coal chemical production by 30% also establishing a 95-square kilometre "no-coal zone" banning household coal combustion and convert more than 9,000 households to gas.
China will provide a few cities with an additional funding of 600 million yuan ($87.73 million) each until 2020 to help them tackle chronic "black and stinking" pollution in rivers, the finance ministry said on Friday.
A 54% drop in air pollution has been detected compared to last year due to a clampdown on coal burning and a switch to natural gas consumption.
A 100-metre high air purification tower has been erected to generate improvement in air quality in an area covering 10 square kilometres. This is only a small model of the plan for constructing larger purifiers. It works by sucking air into large greenhouses around the base of the tower, heating this air so that it rises up through multiple layers of cleaning filters before being emitted from the top.
China is also soliciting foreign investment in green energy technologies, and has intensified inspectionsof major polluters around Beijing.
The Chinese government is pressing citizens to cease using coal stoves and furnaces at home. Officials are using higher quality gasoline and diesel. A closure of 103 coal-fired plants have been announced which generate a total of 50 gigawatts of power.
All the above steps taken by the government only proves that the Chinese government is as motivated about cleaning their country as they are about economic superiority. The government has also tried to win public trust and involvement by introducing technology that allows the citizens to check local air quality in real time and see whether a particular facility is breaching emission limits. But sometimes the results are more cosmetic than real when leaders order temporary close down of factories in winter months to stop breach of annual pollution limits or ahead of international summits and high-profile events. Nevertheless, no matter how hard one tries the damage has been done and a change will not come too soon. It will require years of efforts with intelligent planning to bring about a small change in the environment of the planet as a whole.


The strikingly beautiful cover art reminiscent of Magritte is eye catching and make this reviewer nostalgic for the days of the 12×12 format of LP covers. (Album Artwork: Pink Lady (2015), Scarlett Hooft Graafland, Album Design: Laura Grey). It is, perhaps by virtue of its nod to modernism, a metaphor for the content of this album as well as being its title.
Longleash is apparently the oh so clever operations name of a CIA project whose goal was to help proliferate American modern art in the cold war era. These days I guess that would be "weaponizing" art. And this modern piano trio has (curiously) elected this for their stage name.
Well the content of this album is nowhere near your traditional piano trio and may even seem subversive to some listeners. Longleash are modernist throughout. Pala Garcia, violin; John Popham, cello; and Renate Rohlfing, piano self-identify as a group with "traditional instrumentation and a progressive identity." Indeed they have chosen a rather young and pretty much unknown group of composers: Francesco Filidei (1973- ) is the oldest of the group followed by Clara Iannotta (1983- ), Juan De Dios Magdaleno (1984- ), Christopher Trapani, and Yukiko Watanabe.
Despite the varied backgrounds these composers seem to share a particular segment of a modern aesthetic. They seem fond of judicious use of extended instrumental techniques and quasi-minimalist cells but their styles are quite listenable. They seem to have aspects of pointillism, the occasional terseness of Webern, some rhythmic intricacies and the occasional nod to a melody. In short they seem schooled in the variety of techniques which rose largely out of the twentieth century but seem beholden to none of them seeking instead to judiciously use their skills to create their own unique sound worlds.
There are five works on eight tracks and none of them can be easily described except to say the the combination of listening with the aid of the liner notes can be helpful. That is not to say the works cannot stand on their own. That is a useful experience in itself.
I suppose it might be best to say that these works will likely evoke a variety of reactions from various listeners. This is the sort of album, at least for this listener, that benefits from a direct concentrated listen without distraction but it is also worth experiencing as background music, letting the experience creep in where it might while you do other things. And then a read through the liner notes to try to divine the composers' intents.
I'm not being facetious here. I think this is a very intriguing album but one which is difficult to characterize in words and one which is beyond this writer's expertise in terms of any useful analysis. Also the newness of these voices does not allow one to place these works even within the contextual canon of each individual composer's work. We have free floating modernism which, as was thought in the cold war days, may invade one's intellect in subversive ways.
The review immediately preceding this one, Soft Aberration, features this piano trio on it's first track. Now Scott Wollschleger is very closely associated with the Manhattan School of Music. What is curious here is that Longleash has managed to find the present disparate group of emerging composers with no directly discernible connections to the Manhattan School but with a clear affinity for the same sound world. It is the luck of the draw that these reviews have appeared in this sequence but the similarities are striking. So if you like the spare sounds of the New York School (John Cage, Morton Feldman, Earle Brown, Christian Wolff) and their successors in people like Scott Wollschleger, Reiko Futing, and Nils Vigeland (who, along with Pala Garcia provides the useful liner notes) then this will be your cup of tea. But even if you don't know these folks you are still in for a fascinating journey of cutting edge ideas by emerging composers. And even if it is not "weaponized art" subverting your mind to western ideology you can be assured that it is genuine and uplifting work done by some wonderful performers of composers you will likely hear from again very soon.


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Елизабетин мост () је мост у Будимпешти који повезује Будим са Пештом преко Дунава. Смештен је на најужем делу Дунава у Будимпешти, а без кракова дужине је 290 м. Име је добио по Елизабети Баварској, популарној краљици и царици Аустроугарске, које је убијена 1898. године. Велика бронзана статуа Елизабете налази се поред моста у малој башти, на страни Будима.

Првобитни мост на овом простору грађен је између 1897. и 1903. године, уништен је током Други светски рат, а знатно поједностављена бруталистичка верзија без икаквих украса, односно данашњи мост, зидан је у периоду од 1961. до 1964. године. Мост повезује Трг 15. марта са најстаријом црквом у Пешти из 13. века и чувени ресторан Матијас Пинс, са Тргом Добретеј у Будиму на брду Гелерт.

Историјат

Првобитни стални украсни мост грађен је од 1897. до 1903. године услед корупцијског скандала. Будимски крај моста се протеже до подножја брда Гелерт, што је захтевало компликовано уређење путева и њихово повезивање са мостом. Мост је направљен тако што је богати племић, члан Градског већа био власник одређеног дела обале. Желео је да заложи своје богатство продајом дела замеље за потребе изградње моста, подмићујући остале одборнике града и инжењере. У време коњских запрега, питање геометрије се није сматрало значајним и резултатирало је прекорачењем трошкова, тако да није покренут поступак. У последњим деценијама, многи возачи аутомобила су повређени или погинули на мосту због његовог лошег пројектовања. Након несреће из 2004. године у којој је погинула читава породица, ограничење брзине од 40 километара на час важи за западну траку моста.

Стари мост Ерсебет, заједно са многим другим мостова широм земље подигнут је крајем Другог светског рата након повлачења Вермахта. Ово је био једини мост у Будимпешти који није могао да се обнови у изворном облику. Слике и неколико декоративних елемената је спашено са старог моста који је бомбардован и могу се видети на трави испред Музеја саобраћаја у Градском парку. Садашњи мост изграђен је на истој локацији између 1961. и 1964. године на темељу старог, јер Влада у том периоду није могла да приушти да се изгради потпуно нови мост. Нови дизајн осмислио је Пал Саволи, са којим су трамвајске шине уклоњене са моста 1873. године након што су се на конструкцији појавиле пукотине. Специјалну расвету за Елизабетин мост креирао је јапански дизајнер расвете Мотоко Иси, а Јапан је донирао 120 милиона форинти за трошкове, док је Градско веће Будимпеште платило 150 милиона форинти за пројекат.

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 Мостови Будимпеште - Елизабетин мост

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Мостови преко Дунава

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2019 NFL playoffs preview: Schedule, bracket, Super Bowl chances for every team
By Kevin Seifert
And so, after 256 games over four months, we finally know who will compete for the Super Bowl LIV trophy. The 49ers' exciting 26-21 victory Sunday night over the Seahawks finalized the NFC bracket and set in motion the next five weeks of NFL playoffs.
The win gave the Niners the No. 1 seed in the conference, while the Ravens' season-long domination secured them the AFC's top spot. The Packers and Chiefs also receive first-round byes.
Our playoff primer breaks down what all 12 teams must do to reach the Super Bowl in Miami. ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) also provides such chances for every playoff-bound team.
1. 49ers | 2. Packers
3. Saints | 4. Eagles
5. Seahawks | 6. Vikings
AFC:
1. Ravens | 2. Chiefs
3. Patriots | 4. Texans
5. Bills | 6. Titans
1. San Francisco 49ers (13-3)
First game: vs. lowest remaining seed in divisional round (Jan. 11 at 4:35 p.m. ET, NBC) | Tickets
Chance to make the Super Bowl: 49.3%
Reason for hope: The 49ers obviously have an impressive win total, but their losses have actually been among their most impressive games of the year -- which bodes well for postseason competitiveness. They took the Ravens to the final play in Baltimore. They went to overtime in their first game against the Seahawks. And in their one "letdown," they lost to the Falcons at home in the final seconds. In other words, this team always shows up.
Reason for concern: Because of injuries and other personnel issues, the 49ers' defense didn't replicate its first-half success in the latter stages of the season. It has ranked No. 24 in points allowed since Week 9. Most concerning was a three-game stretch between Weeks 14 and 16 in which they allowed an average of 35.3 points per game, second-most in the NFL during that period. There are still some elite-level players and disruptors on this defense, but its overall performance has trended the wrong way over an extended period.
X factor: Coach Kyle Shanahan's playcalling. Of everything the 49ers have going for them, the best might be Shanahan's ability to set up defenses and choose the perfect time for an unconventional play. It's no accident when you see 49ers receivers running wide open across the field. It's also not surprising to note that 49ers running backs have ranked among the NFL's top five all season in average yards gained before contact. Shanahan on game day might be the 49ers' best weapon of all.
2. Green Bay Packers (13-3)
First game: vs. highest remaining seed in divisional round (Jan. 12 at 6:40 p.m. ET, Fox) | Tickets
Reason for hope: The Packers won 13 games without needing quarterback Aaron Rodgers to carry them in any of them. There are plenty of theories about his subdued statistics this season; he entered Week 17 ranked No. 21 in QBR. Had he lost a step? Was he simply subordinating himself to a new value system set forth by first-year coach Matt LaFleur? Regardless, the Packers enter the playoffs with a quarterback who has a long and proven history of willing teams to big, championship-level victories.
Reason for concern: The Packers beat only two teams that will finish the season with a winning record: the Vikings (twice) and the Chiefs when they were playing without quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Packers have offered no excuses about "winning ugly," nor should they. Thirteen wins is no joke. But not all wins are created equal. In the one game they faced a championship contender at full strength, in Week 12 at San Francisco, they lost by 29 points. In short, a 13-win team has entered the playoffs without showing us that they are a dominant team.
X factor: Tailback Aaron Jones. Why hasn't Rodgers been asked to carry the team? The biggest reason is Jones, who finished the season with 1,084 rushing yards -- the most by a Packers player in five seasons. Jones also caught 49 passes, the most by a Packers running back in 16 seasons. The Packers will need to get him going in the playoffs if they want to recreate their regular-season success.
3. New Orleans Saints (13-3)
First game: vs. Minnesota in wild-card round (Sunday at 1:05 p.m. ET, Fox) | Tickets
Reason for hope: The Saints overcame the biggest obstacle a team can face -- the extended loss of a starting quarterback -- and still finished with one of the top records in the NFL. Winning all five games quarterback Drew Brees (thumb) missed is not only an enormous confidence-booster, but also a demonstration of the team's depth, balance and ability to adjust. All three qualities are critical to making a playoff run.
Reason for concern: On the other side of receiver Michael Thomas' record-setting season lies a fair question: What would the Saints' offense look like if he was injured or otherwise sidelined. Any team would be set back by the loss of a No. 1 receiver, but the Saints' offense runs more directly through him than any other receiver in the game. Thomas led the league in targets by a mile and had at least 120 more targets than every other Saints receiver. Regardless of their ability to adapt, the Saints don't want to have to answer this question.
X factor: Linebacker Demario Davis. One of the best free-agent signings in Saints history, Davis is the rare three-way linebacker who is a sure tackler against the run, can cover running backs and tight ends in space and also blitz effectively. His versatility allows defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to use playcalls that would leave other teams vulnerable.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)
First game: vs. Seattle in wild-card round (Sunday at 4:40 p.m. ET, NBC) | Tickets
Chance to make the Super Bowl: 4.8%
Reason for hope: Quarterback Carson Wentz pulled off quite a feat in leading the Eagles into the playoffs after a 5-7 start. In fact, he became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 4,000 yards without a single wide receiver who finished the season with at least 500 receiving yards. Such was the revolving personnel door Wentz and the Eagles dealt with, one caused mostly by injuries.
Reason for concern: The Eagles' injury list is ridiculous. They finished up a Week 17 win over the Giants without their top three wideouts, their No. 1 tight end, their top two running backs and right tackle Lane Johnson. Playing at home is preferable to being on the road, but next weekend's starting lineup might well look more like what we would see for a preseason game than in the postseason.
X factor: Tight end Dallas Goedert. The responsibility for replacing Zach Ertz (ribs, kidney) and preserving the Eagles' tight end-centric offense falls on Goedert. He was targeted on a team-high 10 passes in Week 17, catching four for 65 yards. It is hard to imagine the Eagles advancing without an Ertz-like performance from Goedert.
5. Seattle Seahawks (11-5)
First game: at Philadelphia in wild-card round (Sunday at 4:40 p.m. ET, NBC) | Tickets
Reason for hope: Quarterback Russell Wilson has played at an MVP level for much of the season and has been the NFL's best at completing passes with high degrees of difficulty. He has rescued them in playoff games before and can do it again.
Reason for concern: Losing left tackle Duane Brown and the majority of running back depth in late December could be a crippling blow. It's possible Brown could return for the playoffs, and it's fun that the Seahawks brought back Marshawn Lynch. But the Seahawks have absorbed a late personnel crisis that will make a deep playoff run more difficult.
X factor: Pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney. When on the field, Clowney is the defensive game-wrecker the Seahawks haven't had in recent seasons. The Seahawks just need to keep their fingers crossed that he can stay healthy.
6. Minnesota Vikings (10-6)
First game: at New Orleans in wild-card round (Sunday at 1:05 p.m. ET, Fox) | Tickets
Reason for hope: Running back Dalvin Cook is expected to return after missing two weeks because of a chest injury. Cook has previously been limited by a shoulder injury and averaged 3.1 yards per carry in his final four games of the regular season. But the Vikings' offense runs through his ability to hit the outside zone and to be a productive outlet receiver, and there is optimism that he'll be fresh and ready for the playoffs.
Reason for concern: The Vikings didn't beat a winning team on the road this season and haven't won a playoff game on the road since 2004. In fact, their road playoff record is 2-11 over the past three decades, dating back to 1988. It's difficult for any team to win away from home in the playoffs, but there is little evidence to suggest this Vikings team can be any different.
X factor: Quarterback Kirk Cousins. We have seen more of "Good Kirk" than "Bad Kirk" this season, but "Bad Kirk" in a playoff game means almost certain defeat. His worst performances of the season, in Weeks 2 and 14 against the Packers (8.3 and 25.1 QBR, respectively) and Week 4 against the Bears (21.1) all came in Vikings losses.
1. Baltimore Ravens (14-2)
First game: vs. lowest remaining seed in divisional round (Jan. 11 at 8:15 p.m. ET, CBS) | Tickets
Reason for hope: No one figured out how to stop an offense centered around the unique skills of quarterback Lamar Jackson, and if anything, the Ravens got more productive over time. They averaged 30 points per game during the first half of the season and 36 during the second half, not counting the Week 17 matchup against the Steelers, when they rested many starters. The closest anyone came was the 49ers in Week 13 -- and the Ravens still scored 20 points and won. If there is a blueprint for stopping them, someone is going to have to debut it in the playoffs.
Reason for concern: Running back Mark Ingram II suffered a strained calf in Week 16, and while he'll have a full two weeks to rest, such injuries can linger and are especially limiting for a runner. Ingram averaged 5.0 yards per carry and scored 15 total touchdowns in 15 games, serving as an important counterpunch when defenses loaded up against Jackson. Gus Edwards is a solid backup, but like any team, the Ravens want to be at full strength in the postseason.
X factor: Kicker Justin Tucker. What coach wouldn't cherish the security Tucker provides? He made 24 of 25 attempts during the regular season, and his only miss bounced off the upright. Tucker has the highest career conversion rate (90.6%) of any active kicker, and there is no better choice to take a game-winning kick in the playoffs.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (12-4)
First game: vs. highest remaining seed in divisional round (Jan. 12 at 3:05 p.m. ET, CBS) | Tickets
Reason for hope: Were it not for the emergence of the Ravens' Jackson, Patrick Mahomes might have repeated as MVP -- despite a knee injury that cost him two games. Mahomes has roared back in the second half of the season, leading the Chiefs to victories in five of the six games since his return, and is playing at the same level at which he finished 2018. There is nothing that could give the Chiefs more confidence as they enter the playoffs.
Reason for concern: If the Chiefs need to run the ball, as teams often do during the playoffs, do you trust that part of their offense? The Chiefs entered Week 17 with the lowest per-game average of rushing yards (93.8) of any team that had qualified for the playoffs. Leading rusher LeSean McCoy, who is 31, has been deactivated for multiple games -- presumably to ensure he is healthy for the playoffs.
X factor: Pass-rusher Terrell Suggs. The Chiefs put in a waiver claim for Suggs in part to keep him from the Ravens. But imagine what a postseason boost he could give, even if for only a handful of plays per game. The Chiefs' defense finished the season well, but any playoff team could benefit from a pass-rush specialist such as Suggs.
3. New England Patriots (12-4)
First game: vs. Tennessee in wild-card round (Saturday at 8:15 p.m. ET, CBS) | Tickets
Reason for hope: The Patriots always find a way. Even after one of the more trying and frustrating seasons of the Bill Belichick/Tom Brady era, they are just three games away from the Super Bowl. If they could win 12 regular-season games while Brady produced his lowest-ever QBR, then what can't they do? (QBR was first tabulated in 2006.) Their league-leading defense has carried it through the year, and defense is never more valuable than in the playoffs.
Reason for concern: The Patriots have breezed through the Belichick/Brady era essentially with two kickers: Adam Vinatieri and Stephen Gostkowski. Each made kicks that secured and validated a dynasty. But Gostkowski's season-ending hip injury has left the Patriots bouncing through multiple replacements. In a season when points were already at a premium given their offensive struggles, the Patriots can't rely on drive-ending bailouts from the kicking game.
X factor: Cornerback Stephon Gilmore. The Patriots' best player this season, Gilmore should be at the center of Belichick's postseason approach. As he told NFL Films earlier this year, Belichick abides by the Sun Tzu advice that teaches: "Attack weaknesses and utilize strengths." Gilmore likely will be asked to handle some of the most difficult assignments of the playoff run. The Patriots will count on him to handle it.
4. Houston Texans (10-6)
First game: vs. Buffalo in wild-card round (Saturday at 4:35 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) | Tickets
Reason for hope: The Texans have successfully addressed one of their biggest problems from 2018: lost yardage from quarterback Deshaun Watson taking 62 sacks (for a league-high 384 yards). This season, Watson cut the sacks by nearly 30%. The Texans are going to have a hard time distinguishing themselves in a loaded conference, but sacks are one way they have objectively improved after previous playoff flameouts.
Reason for concern: The Texans' defense entered Week 17 ranked No. 22 in Football Outsiders' DVOA, worst among any team that had qualified for the playoffs. Most concerning is that it had given up an average of 270.3 passing yards per game, third-worst in the NFL, through 16 weeks. That's a big worry in a conference with Mahomes and Jackson.
X factor: Wide receiver Will Fuller V. When he isn't sidelined by injury, Fuller is a game-changer. He managed to catch 49 passes in 11 games during the regular season, and despite multiple leg injuries, he still has the ability to stretch the defense. The Texans' offense is different when he is available.
5. Buffalo Bills (10-6)
First game: at Houston in wild-card round (Saturday at 4:35 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN) | Tickets
Reason for hope: If you're in the "defense wins championships" crowd, you probably consider the Bills a legitimate contender. They entered Week 17 ranked No. 5 in defensive DVOA and No. 2 in points allowed. They have an active front, multiple playmakers in the back end and make opponents work for everything. This is a team built to stifle opponents and hope that the offense can find a way to score enough to win.
Reason for concern: Quarterback Josh Allen has no doubt improved from his rookie season and offers a unique set of playmaking skills. Most notably, he is a good-enough runner for the Bills to design plays for him. But any objective ranking of playoff passers would put him at or near the bottom. There wouldn't be a ton of optimism if the Bills need to throw to win a game.
X factor: Safety Micah Hyde. Of all the Bills' defensive playmakers, Hyde might be the most versatile and perhaps the one most likely to make a surprising, game-changing play. He is a strong tackler, has some burst as a blitzer and always finds a way to get near the ball.
6. Tennessee Titans (9-7)
First game: at New England in wild-card round (Saturday at 8:15 p.m. ET, CBS) | Tickets
Reason for hope: There is a reason the Titans were the final AFC team to clinch. They've got some holes. But they can enter the postseason knowing they are 7-3 since quarterback Ryan Tannehill replaced Marcus Mariota in the starting lineup. From that point on, the Titans were the NFL's fourth-highest-scoring offense.
Reason for concern: It's one thing to get on a run to clinch the No. 6 seed. But are the Titans really ready to go to Foxborough, Massachusetts, and beat the Patriots? The last time they won at New England, the year was 1993 and the franchise was known as the Houston Oilers. Since then, the Titans are 0-6 at Gillette Stadium, including the playoffs. Overall, the Patriots are 8-2 against the Titans since 1993.
X factor: Wide receiver A.J. Brown. Along with Tannehill, Brown's emergence has been key to the Titans' run. He had at least 100 receiving yards in four of the Titans' final six games, demonstrating elite-level ball skills, as well as a strong ability to run after the catch. He is the kind of playmaker who can make up for deficiencies in other areas.
Woody doesn't trust the Patriots in the playoffs
Damien Woody doesn't feel confident that the Patriots can make a serious Super Bowl run based on their performance down the stretch.
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Well, today is the big day! The Taming is officially a published book, for sale on Amazon.com. It will also be listed on Barnes and Noble soon as it will be distributed through Ingram Books as well as Baker and Taylor.
In other news, I wanted to tell you about the newest website in our Huntly House endeavors: www.atticuskrum.com. Yes, that's right our good friend, Mr. Krum, has his own website…much to his chagrin, of course.
Anyway, you will find all kinds of great things there, including some his bio (Fabulator), his blog (Ruminations), more info about his books (Legendarium), reviews of his book by some of his readers (Confabulations), activities for readers and material for parents/educators (Mysterium), and a store where you can buy his book as well as other fun merchandise eventually. (Repositum).


The Last Orphans by N.W. Harris is a story about teenagers and kids who have to learn to deal with the fact that all the adults are dead, and that they might be next. A deadly virus was accidentally let loose on the planet, and it killed every adult. Only teenagers and young children are left. Shane is one of them. With a group of other kids, he tries to survive, and comes across the horrifying message that the virus will soon attack even younger victims. Only he and his new friends can stop the total destruction of all humanity - but will everyone be on his side? And how can kids survive without adults?
The Last Orphans by N.W. Harris was a nicely paced book with interesting characters, an exciting plot, and enough surprises to keep you turning page after page. While I am not a young adult or teenager any longer, I still enjoy reading books with younger characters as they usually have a different dynamic than books with "older" people. While the circumstances of those kids in this story are, of course, horrendous, and you wouldn't wish it on anybody, it was a very enjoyable and entertaining read. N.W. Harris also wasn't afraid to kill off nice characters, so you could never be sure who would make it to the end - or whether the kids would even be successful. The characters are well developed, and some of them stand out. It's definitely worth a read if you enjoy dystopian YA novels.


Desert Blues, is a music project with Habib Koité, Afel Bocoum and the Tuareg-Women-Ensemble Tartit from Timbuktu. All this musicians are poets and play the traditional instruments like Tinde, Tehardant, Balafon, Imzad but also electric guitars.
Two hundred orchestral musicians are playing Beethoven's Ninth – Freude schöner Götterfunken. A power cut strikes just a few bars before the last movement. Problems like this are the least of the worries facing the only symphony orchestra in the Congo. In the 15 years of its existence, the musicians have survived two putsches, various crises and a war. But concentration on the music and hopes for a better future keep them going.
The documentary by Claus Wischmann and Martin Baer is a study of people in one of the world's most chaotic cities doing their best to maintain one of the most complex systems of joint human endeavour: a symphony orchestra. The film is about the Congo, the people in Kinshasa and the power of music.
This short film by storyteller Muchiri Njenga set in a post-apocalyptic African slum and city. It takes the viewer on a metaphorical voyage through a young boy's dream wondering inquisitively with a live TV as his head to show the effects of media on a young generation. Featuring music by Just A Band (Africa's super-nerdy electronic band), this music-metary is a metaphor for the way we are now all plugged into the same images of global anxiety while at the same time being ourselves subjects of scrutiny of the all-seeing ubiquitous cameras.
Kichwateli is Studio Ang's contribution to the BLNRB project, a cooperation of Kenyan and German artists initiated by Goethe-Institut Nairobi and Gebrüder Teichmann.
Madagascar All Stars is a galaxy of stars because every member of the band is a star in the island in the Indian Ocean. The artists play traditional Malagasy instruments as well as modern instruments.
Madagascar is home to peoples from all over the world, Africa, Arabic countries, India, Europe and Oceania. That's why 50 different traditional instruments are played and a great variety of music styles can be heard. The band brings the magic of Madagascar to the western world.
Beautiful songs, vibrating rhytms, colourful costumes, traditional African dances and great acrobatics make up for one of Africa's most impressing musicals.
Goethe-Institut Nairobi presents Nneka, the sensational Afro-German warrior princess stretching from teardrop soul-singing to freestyle rapping. She grew up in the Delta region of Nigeria and later relocated to Hamburg. In 2005, she put out her first album, Victim Of Truth, followed by No Longer At Ease (2008) which impressed US rock star Lenny Kravitz so much that he invited her to be the supporting act on his tour.
The tour was followed by an extended stay in her native country, where she composed many of the songs on her third album, Soul Is Heavy (2011). This album is multi-faceted and "politically conscious", a potpourri of Reggae, Soul, Afro, R&B and Hip Hop.
Orchestra Baobab is a Senegales Afro-Cuban, Wolof and Pachanga band. Organized in 1970 as a multi-ethnic, multi-national club band, Orchestre Baobab adapted the then current craze for Cuban music, and mixed it with the Mandinga musical traditions of the Casamance. One of the dominant African bands of the 1970s, they were overshadowed in the 1980s and broke up, only to reform in 2001 after interest in their recordings grew in Europe.
In 2002 Orchestra Baobab published the album Specialist in all styles which was awarded with the German Jazz Award.
Not Bongo Flava, this is East African / Tanzanian Hip Hop. Last video of the late mc Faza Nelly from X Plastaz, Tanzania's most well known hip hop crew who merge Swahili rap and traditional Maasai music. This video to the song 'Nini dhambi kwa mwenye dhiki?' about poverty in Tanzania was partly recorded on top of Ol Doinyo Lengai, a remote, active volcano and the Maasai's 'Mountain of God' which had its 1st major eruption in years the day after Nelly died.
Sona Jobarteh is the first female Kora virtuoso to come from a west African Griot family. The Kora is one of the most important instruments belonging to the Manding peoples of West Africa (Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau). It belongs exclusively to griot families, and usually only men who are born into these families have the right to take up the instrument professionally. Sona Jobarteh combines various genres of African Music and western musical elements.
Ali Farka Touré was called "the Bluesman of Africa", the Malian musician was one of Africa's most internationally renowned musicians. His music is widely regarded as a combination of traditional Malian music und North American blues, which is music of African Americans and somehow connected to traditional Westafrican musik. Touré was ranked number 76 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".
World Circuit Records have established their reputation by producing some of the finest world music albums of the past two decades, including the Grammy winning albums of Ali Farka Touré.


The mortgage industry, and its terminology, can be very confusing for the first-time home buyer. With terms such as escrow, closing costs, appraisal, debt-to-income ratio, and interest rate…one could become easily confused. To ease the confusion, we will be defining some of the more commonly used mortgage terms in an easy-to-understand way. Today we look at Conditional Pre-Qualification and Conditional Pre-Approval. What's the difference?
A conditional pre-qualification is the initial step in the mortgage process. A conditional pre-qualification is a financial snapshot providing you with a general idea of the mortgage for which you may qualify. Typically, a conditional pre-qualification is an approximation based on the general financial information (debt, income, and assets) you have provided to the lender and the lender's evaluation of this information, and may include an analysis of your credit report.
At this point, a lender should be able to discuss your mortgage options with you and make recommendations on the type of mortgage that might best suit your financial situation.
A conditional pre-approval is the next, more in-depth, step in the mortgage process. A conditional pre-approval typically states that a lender has conditionally qualified you for a specific mortgage and purchase price based on the review of your income and asset documents, as well as your credit history, by an underwriter.
At this point, a lender should be able to give you a contingent approval as well as a list of any documents the underwriter may still need in order to issue a clear to close for the mortgage loan. All conditional pre-approvals are contingent on nothing changing in your financial situation prior to closing.


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Q: Update Email Matching Between 2 Tables in MySQL - BLACKLIST Here's a common task any database administrator needs to have. It's a simple blacklist.  I have 2 tables with the field 'email' in common.  What I want to do is set the active=0 on the 2nd table if the email matches on the first table.
here's pseudo code
i.e. update users set active =0 (on first table) where email on table 2 matches email on table 1
What's the most elegant way to do this?
Table 1 name = 'users'
Table 2 name = 'blacklist'
Here's the updated script.  I was able to author the correct answer based on the responses.  The responses was updating table 2 not table 1 - i.e. the reverse.
Here's the finished script...
update users u
inner join blacklist b on u.email=b.email
set u.active=0 ;

There's a similar post to this that gives the answer, however it isn't immediately apparent how to do this with the answer they give. see....
Update column based on matching values in other table in mysql

A: Consider:
update users u
inner join users_blacklist b on b.email = u.email
set u.active = 0

This query works by joining both tables on their email column, and updating only the records that matched.
This assumes that:

*

*users is the table to update, while users_blacklist is the blacklist table

*email is a unique key in the blacklist table

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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How to Get from Haridwar to Rishikesh
Haridwar to Rishikesh Transport Options
Jillian Dara
Fact checked by Jillian Dara
Jillian Dara is a freelance journalist and fact-checker. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, USA Today, Michelin Guides, Hemispheres, DuJour, and Forbes.
TripSavvy's fact-checking
travelgame/Getty Images
It's only around 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from Haridwar to Rishikesh in Uttarkhand, so most people choose to visit both places. This is ideal, because both are very different in nature and offer unique spiritual experiences. But how to get from one to the other? Here are the options. Traveling time is about 45 minutes to an hour.
If you're not on a budget, the most comfortable and hassle free way to get from Haridwar to Rishikesh is to take a taxi. Expect to pay about 1,400 rupees upwards depending on the type of taxi, where you get it from and if your hotel arranges it. This starting rate is for a standard air-conditioned Tata Indica or similar small car.
Shared Auto Rickshaws
These auto rickshaws are not your ordinary Indian autos. Known as vikrams (their brand name) or tempos, they're much larger in size and have fixed routes. The ones you'll find in Haridwar and Rishikesh seat eight people, and are open-sided like a rickshaw. You can take a shared auto from Haridwar right up to the Tapovan area of Rishikesh for 40-60 rupees, or hire a whole one for yourself for about 500 rupees. However, the journey might not be as comfortable as you expect. Shared autos are very crowded, and you'll be sandwiched in. Even if you take your own vehicle, its open sides will ensure that you'll be subjected to plenty of traffic noise, fumes and pollution. The suspension isn't the best either. Thus, if you're looking to save money, it's a much better idea to take the bus.
Shared autos can be found near Haridwar Junction railway station on the south side of town. Or, cross the bridge over the river and head to the main road in Haridwar. Shared taxis are also available from the main road.
The buses that run between Haridwar and Rishikesh are old and haggard but if you want an economical journey, they really can't be beat. They run frequently (at least every half hour) and are cheap at only 30-40 rupees per person. Buses can be boarded at the rather unaesthetic bus station, located close to Haridwar Junction railway station. The only drawback of taking a bus is that you'll end up in the unappealing center of Rishikesh town. From there, you'll need to take further transport (such as a shared auto) to the traveler's part of Rishikesh around Lakshman Jhula and Ram Jhula, situated about five kilometers (3.1 miles) northeast of town.
Another option for getting from Haridwar to Rishikesh is the train. However, there are only a few departures during the day and the trains run slowly, taking more than an hour to get there. (Train timetables can be seen here). It's actually faster by road! The exception is during peak season or mela (festival) times, when roads become congested and bus routes are diverted. Similar to the bus, the railway station is located in Rishikesh town and you'll need to take further transport from there.
Most of the trains are unreserved passenger trains, with the cost of tickets being only 10 rupees for adults. The most convenient options are:
24888 Barmer - Rishikesh Link Express Departs Haridwar daily. This is an air-conditioned train with various classes of travel from Unreserved to 3AC.
54483 Haridwar - Rishikesh Passenger Departs Haridwar daily.
54463 Bandikui - Rishikesh Passenger Departs Haridwar daily.
54485 Haridwar Rishikesh Passenger Departs Haridwar daily.
Your Essential Guide to Holy Rishikesh, Birthplace of Yoga
Getting Around Udaipur: Guide to Public Transportation
Your Essential Guide to Bangalore Airport in India
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Your Essential Guide to the Uttarakhand Char Dham Yatra
The Complete Guide to Delhi's Public Transportation System
Getting Around Mumbai: Guide to Public Transportation
How to Travel from Delhi to Agra by Train, Bus, and Car
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Getting Around Bengaluru: Guide to Public Transportation
Tour India Cheaply on the Bharat Darshan Train


Founded in Alberta during the summer of 2006, Blue Copper Capital Corporation started as a small loans company dealing with friends and associates. Today it is a diverse financial company specializing in loans for individuals that range from $100 – $30,000.00. Our success is based on personal attention, coupled with open minded lending at reasonable rates.


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You are here: Home » G-20 News » Saudi Arabia
Category: Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Makkah ideal place to review arbitration of Halal food criteria: OIC chief
salama | 07/11/2018	| 1 Reply
OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen asserted that Makkah is the ideal venue to examine and discuss the concepts of arbitration and bolster criteria relevant to Halal food.
Saudi Arabia: Muslim World League Launches Halal Identification System
By announcing the launch of the advanced halal identification system, the MWL confirms that it is the only authority responsible for certifying Islamic centers and examination companies.
Saudi Arabia starts high-speed train services between Makkah and Madinah
The 450km line will link the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah and the King Abdullah Economic City of Rabigh.
Saudi grand mufti praises MWL's control of halal meat imports
A royal decree gave the MWL sole responsibly for issuing halal certificates, in recognition of its international-relations expertise in coordinating and cooperating with local and international bodies.
Major summit to prescribe local expansion for fast-growing sector in Saudi Arabia
Localization of Saudi Arabia's fast-growing, multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical industry will top the agenda at a high-profile food and drug conference in Riyadh next month.
UK: Government urged to clarify slaughter policy
The BVA is calling on the Government to urgently clarify whether UK lamb exported under a new trade deal with Saudi Arabia will be stunned before slaughter.
Opinion: The economic impact of Eid al-Adha and the $400 billion Halal food market
The story of Eid al-Adha is the biblical story of Abraham and his willingness to sacrifice his son to God. Before Abraham could sacrifice his child, God provided him with a ram instead.
Where Does Halal Food Come From? Brazil Is World's Top Meat Exporter for Muslims
Brazil has the largest Muslim population in Latin America, but its domestic consumption of halal food is comparatively small.
Why boycotting Canadian wheat is likely to backfire for Saudi Arabia
Not surprisingly, that's pushing up wheat prices. Canada and the U.S. are two of the world's largest producers of wheat, and farmers on both sides of the border are seeing rising prices for their bumper crop.
Saudi Arabia: Muslim World League gives update on halal certification work in Saudi Arabia
The MWL confirmed its continuing commitment to applying the highest standards, pointing out that it recently suspended several abattoirs and slaughter companies around the world.
Saudi appetite for organic food said to be growing – survey
Ethical food choice motives – concern for environment (19 percent) and animal welfare (12 percent) – also have a strong influence on consumers' attitudes.
Saudi Prince Advocates Healthier Living With Region-Wide Vegan Restaurant
Prince Khaled will be opening at least 10 restaurants in the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Jordan.
Saudi Arabia: Prof. Jaswir of Indonesia laments poor state of Muslim world in Halal industry
The OIC and Saudi Arabia should take the lead in promoting halal industry to cash in on its vast scope in the global market, says Prof. Irwandi Jaswir.
Brazil is working hard to keep access to meat products on Saudi Arabia's market
One of the issues addressed at the meeting was the Halal slaughter in Brazil.
Japan signs deal with MWL to supply Halal Meals for 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games
It will also certify the products and services in accordance with the halal and hygienic standards before they reach the consumers.
Saudi Arabia to invest $64 billion in entertainment sector
Riyadh will be looking to invest $64 billion in the coming decade in the entertainment sector as part of the series of reforms dubbed 'Vision 2030'.
Saudi Arabia lifts UK lamb ban in deal worth £25m
The news arrives in the middle of Dubai's Gulfood trade fair, the largest food fair in the Middle East where both AHDB and HCC were present alongside food industry executives from Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia: Tourism boost for Madinah, hub of Islamic and historical sites
Madinah was the capital of Islamic culture in 2013 and the capital of Islamic tourism in 2017, and it witnessed tremendous progress in the tourism sector.
UAE: Shifting Saudi food buying patterns spurs exporters confidence
DUBAI — A major shift in the food buying preferences of Saudi consumers is unlocking huge two-way trade opportunities in the Kingdom, according to a recent survey by leading research provider, Nielsen. With Saudi's domestic food producers receiving a confidence boost for their dairy, snacks, ice-cream, mineral water, tea and coffee production, a host of […]
Saudi Arabia: The Biggest Halal Center in the World Establishes in Holy Mecca
Halal Commission at MWL is the only body in Brazil that applies legal and Islamic standards. MWL doesn't issue an export certificate, to Saudi Arabia or any other country before ensuring totally that all conditions are fully and firmly met.


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Is the Celebrity Pregnancy Craze Shaping Our View of Fertility?
Home → 40+ → Is the Celebrity Pregnancy Craze Shaping Our View of Fertility?
Written by Fiona Peacock
Updated January 17th, 2019 ,
It seems celebrities can't even pop to the corner shop for a bag of chips without drawing the attention of the world's media, so it's no wonder their reproductive status is seen as news. Some celebrities find themselves the victims of pregnancy rumor after pregnancy rumor, without ever falling pregnant. As soon as a celebrity pregnancy is announced, magazines and tabloids across the world are filled with expert opinions on whether the baby was conceived naturally or with a helping hand from a fertility specialist.
As many celebrities choose to delay pregnancy until they have established careers, having babies later in life is making its way into the mainstream. This trend is replicated in real life too, and this could be in part to the number of celebrities making late motherhood look easy. Glossy magazine spreads showing celebrity moms cradling their newborn babies make motherhood over 40 look easy - even glamourous.
In reality, however, many of these celebrity parents have experienced the heartbreak that often accompanies conceiving through assisted reproductive technology. Some celebrities open up to the press about their fertility issues, seeing it as a chance to help other couples experiencing fertility problems. Other celebrities, however, prefer to keep their private lives out of the public arena, although the press still speculates about whether fertility issues were at play.
Famous Couples in the Fertility Spotlight
The trend of celebrities delaying motherhood is probably, at least in part, responsible for the number of famous parents with twins. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie welcomed twins Vivienne and Knox in 2008. The couple are rumored to be expecting another child now, and there are even rumors that this may be another twin pregnancy, which would give the celebrity couple a grand total of eight children.
A higher maternal age increases the chance of twins. Where IVF and other fertility treatments are used, the chance of twins can be as high as 40 percent. This rise in celebrity twin babies could be making twins a more desirable choice for some women. The average pregnant woman has around a 0.25 percent chance of carrying twins, but fertility treatments can increase the odds.
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon are one celebrity couple who had twins with the help of fertility treatments. After suffering from a devastating miscarriage after a natural conception, the couple were advised to try fertility treatments. Mariah and Nick conceived with the help of progesterone fertility drugs and later announced their pregnancy to the world. In a heartfelt interview, Mariah and Nick also spoke of the miscarriage and fertility treatments. The couple welcomed twins Monroe and Moroccan Scott in 2011.
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban welcomed their daughter, Sunday Rose, in 2008. Nicole spoke openly and honestly to the press about her struggles with fertility, and the issues she faced trying to conceive. Nicole suffered from an ectopic pregnancy, a number of miscarriages, and used a variety of fertility treatments before giving birth to Sunday Rose. The couple welcomed a second child in 2010, Faith Margaret, who was born via gestational surrogate.
Courtney Cox and David Arquette are another celebrity couple to welcome a child with the help of IVF. The couple suffered a number of heartbreaking miscarriages before deciding to try IVF. The couple welcomed their daughter, Coco, in 2004 after a long struggle with infertility. Courtney has spoken openly about her struggle to have a child.
Inspiration, Hope and Reality
These celebrities are inspiring mothers and great role models for couples trying to conceive in the face of reduced fertility. These women have brought fertility treatments into the public sphere and have allowed an insight into the lives of couples struggling with fertility. Their stories undoubtedly give hope to women across the world, though it is important to remember that these celebrities have the money to fund a greater number
of IVF cycles than the average couple.
Each of these celebrities suffered from different issues and had a unique situation, but all understand the emotional journey that can accompany conception. Each woman has a unique experience, and what works for one may not work for another. The glossy spreads in the magazines, and the candid television interviews, act as a reminder that couples struggling with fertility can, and do, go on to become parents.
B, R. (2018, February 24). Nicole Kidman's IVF Journey. Retrieved from: http://www.infertilityaide.com/celebrities/nicole-kidmans-ivf-journey
Reporter, D. M. (2008, July 26). Angelina Jolie 'conceived twins by IVF' in race for more babies. Retrieved from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1038578/Angelina-Jolie-conceived-twins-IVF-race-babies.html
Celebrities and Fertility. (n.d.). Retrieved from: http://chealth.canoe.ca/channel_health_features_details.asp?channel_id=2048&relation_id=36843&health_feature_id=378&article_id=1198
11 Celebrities Who Have Dealt With Infertility. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://people.com/health/celebrities-dealing-with-infertility/
Pregnant with twins – Pregnancy and baby guide. (n.d.). Retrieved from: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/what-causes-twins.aspx#close
Wholesome Fertility Podcast with Michelle Oravitz & Elizabeth Willett