Bennington and New York City. Autumn, 1985-spring, 1986. Less Than Zero is published and Bret becomes a cultural phenomenon. Bret also becomes a college senior. The most famous artist of the 20th century crashes his graduation party.
For Colored Nerds is back! And to kick things off, Brittany and Eric sit down with actor Jay Ellis, who plays the most divisive character on Insecure — Lawrence. He told us all about his thoughts on Lawrence, what it’s meant to play such a controversial character, and what’s in store for the rest of Insecure’s fifth and final season. To get your weekly dose of Brittany and Eric, be sure to subscribe to For Colored Nerds wherever you listen to podcasts!
S2 Ep 21. Take a peek into a camel’s nose! The science inside could help to cool desert homes. A camel re-absorbs the water normally lost in the breathing cycle, keeping its temperature down. An architect has copied this to create a system that could control the temperature of desert dwellings without the need for costly electricity.
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Get in touch: 30Animals@bbc.com
The Ottoman Turks have dragged their ships overland into the Golden Horn and Constantinople is now surrounded on all sides. In desperation, the defenders plan for a night attack to destroy the Turkish fleet and a last appeal to the West for help.
Please take a look at my website nickholmesauthor.com where you can download a free copy of The Byzantine World War, my book that describes the origins of the First Crusade.
Cities across the U.S. are suffering from dire housing crises. Housing supply is low, and prices are high — in some cities, sky high. And wages and income aren't keeping up. Many struggle to make rent, let alone save for a home.
So it’s no wonder that affordable housing programs often focus on getting people into homes — people need help now. But we also need long-term solutions that could help renters generate wealth they could pass on to their families and children. In other words, as essential as affordable housing is, it isn't enough on its own to close the wealth gap, which in the U.S. is particularly stark between Black and White Americans.
In the first episode of our new season of City of the Future, we talk to the founders of Esusu and Portland’s Community Investment Trust and explore new economic models that could help renters, particularly immigrants and new arrivals, become home or partial building owners — and have the opportunity to access multi-generational wealth as a result.
In this episode:
[00:00 - 04:24] Marc Norman, associate professor in affordable housing, talks about the racial wealth gap and new economic models that could help non-homeowners generate wealth to pass on their families and children.
[04:55 - 15:02] We speak with Abbey Wemimo and Samir Goel, the co-founders of Esusu, which helps renters achieve and improve credit scores by paying their rent on time.
[15:03 - 26:34] Vanessa flies to Portland, Oregon to meet John W. Haines, organizer of Plaza 122, the country’s first Community Investment Trust. We also meet with Yonas Kassie, Hawi Muleta, and Sonya Damtew of the Ethiopian and Eritrean Cultural and Resource Center.
City of the Future is hosted by Eric Jaffe and Vanessa Quirk, and produced by Guglielmo Mattioli. Story editing by Rough Cut Collective and Benjamin Walker. Mix is by Andrew Callaway. Art is by Tim Kau. Our music is composed by Adaam James Levin-Areddy of Lost Amsterdam. Special thanks to Marc Norman, Abbey Wemimo, Samir Goel, John W. Haines, Yonas Kassie, Hawi Muleta, Sonya Damtew, Annie Koo, Alison Novak, Jesse Shapins, and Chrystal Dean.
Bennington. Autumn, 1983-Spring, 1986. Donna begins The Secret History. Donna throws tea parties and frequents martini hours. Donna bides her time. Jonathan drops out of Bennington only to hang around Bennington.
S2 Ep 20. How a sea creature can help us see more of our universe. A lobster’s eyes have evolved to spot food and potential threats in murky conditions at the bottom of the ocean. Scientists have copied their structure to create a new X-ray telescope that can be used to see into the dark expanse of space.
Recordings of pulsars courtesy of The University of Manchester/Jodrell Bank.
Get in touch: www.bbcworldservice.com/30animals
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Constantinople was probably the best fortified city in the medieval world. But it had one weak spot. To the north of the city lay the Golden Horn, the wide estuary that was blocked to enemy ships by a great iron chain. The Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II pondered long and hard how to break into the Golden Horn. Then he came up with an extraordinary idea.
Please take a look at my website nickholmesauthor.com where you can download a free copy of The Byzantine World War, my book that describes the origins of the First Crusade.
The process of real estate development is critical to urban life. Without it, we’d have no homes, no stores, no community centers. But development isn’t working for everyone. All too often, new projects advance without sufficient concern for affordability, economic opportunity, or long-term vibrancy.
But as Sidewalk Labs' Head of Urban Development Alison Novak tells us, 2020 made a lot of people pause and ask: “What am I doing, and how am I impacting the world?” Real estate developers are no exception. Today, the industry is at a tipping point, and many developers are asking themselves how they can do better — while still making money.
This season of City of the Future will be all about the ideas and innovations that could lead to more equitable development. But before we can understand how development could become more inclusive in the future, we have to understand how it works today. So, in this bonus episode, Alison helps us dig into the financials, the planning documents, and beyond. Join us for some Development 101.
In this episode:
[0:01 - 5:49] We meet with Sidewalk’s Head of Urban Development, Alison Novak, a long-time affordable housing developer at a project she once worked on in Prospect Lefferts Garden, Brooklyn. And we learn why, when it comes to community engagement, development can be fraught.
[5:50 - 13:00] Alison gives us the breakdown of a development project, from how developers determine their pro forma, to when and how they refine the architectural design, to the risks involved in creating and getting approval for planning documents.
[13:01 - 17:00] Alison describes the beginning of a shift toward more inclusive development happening in the industry, and why this matters now more than ever.
City of the Future is hosted by Eric Jaffe and Vanessa Quirk, and produced by Guglielmo Mattioli. Story editing by Rough Cut Collective and Benjamin Walker. Mix is by Andrew Callaway. Art is by Tim Kau. Our music is composed by Adaam James Levin-Areddy of Lost Amsterdam. Special thanks to Alison Novak, Jesse Shapins, and Chrystal Dean.