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6 Things the Arts Can Do for Housing
By Danya Sherman -
[Editor's Note: How can arts and culture support community development work? It's a big topic these days. The following is an excerpt from a field scan commissioned by ArtPlace America that sifted through dozens of place-based arts interventions around the country, in a variety of settings, and put them into six categories. We found the framework very useful, and hope you do, too.]
Arts strategies that engage topics of housing, neighborhood, and community can help to interpret, identify, and communicate important dynamics in powerful and unique ways. Artists, by working to express situations through non-verbal, non-analytical strategies, can help unearth important conditions, encouraging identification, empathy, and understanding of common barriers and problems and the impacts of them.
While these strategies may not have measurable benefits in terms of commonly used financial indicators, they serve crucial roles intrinsically. These examples are often place-based and connected to urban development in a particular place, as in the case of Project Row Houses, but may also be less directly connected, as in the case of Mel Chin's "Safehouse." While this strategy may most directly impact artists, communities can utilize the increased awareness of a housing issue that resulted from an arts strategy through partnerships, advocacy efforts, and more.
"Project Row Houses worked first as an art project because we had a symbolic role to play. People could point to what we were doing and use it as a guidepost in terms of thinking about development," says Rick Lowe of Project Row Houses in Houston, Texas.
Arts and culture can be the heart of housing work. Whether it is to beautify projects, design culturally generative elements that help build community (like porches), or help a formerly homeless individual make a new apartment feel like home, culturally focused housing work adds a much-needed human element to projects that do not always emphasize humanistic elements.
This aspect of arts work overlaps with design, both in terms of process and product—community developers may choose to build a thoughtful public space into the design of a project for residents' health and wellbeing; CDCs may engage urban designers to conduct a collaborative design process as an engagement and education strategy. These kinds of creative strategies are crucial to ensure that housing developments accrue benefits to our emotional and physical well-being, especially for vulnerable residents who may have experienced trauma in a variety of forms.
For instance, The Haven in Charlottesville, Virginia, is a homeless services organization that has always worked to acknowledge the importance of a beautiful, creative, and restorative environment. The shelter is located in a re-used building downtown, which Executive Director Stephen Hitchcock says feels special as soon as you walk in, especially in comparison to the average shelter, which can often feel barebones and clinical.
The Haven has partnered with New City Arts for years on various programs, most recently the Housing2Home program, funded by ArtPlace America. The program came about at the suggestion of a volunteer who was trying to help a formerly homeless individual make their new house a home, and suggested that they bring in artwork to do so. The Housing 2 Home program will pair a creative organizer with formerly homeless individuals to bring art into their homes. This program is expected to nourish the soul of program participants as well as help with The Haven's bottom line. Ensuring that a placed individual stays in their home for six to 24 months is a key indicator for success.
"The arts are uniquely humanizing—to be a humanist is to live beyond subsistence," Hitchcock says.
Many community-based groups engage in arts-based strategies to bolster and enliven community organizing, movement-building, and collective action. While organizing can be difficult, creative strategies help ensure that community building through housing development is enjoyable, joyous, and enriching. Arts and design-oriented strategies and interventions help educate, empower, and create space for shared decision-making in a housing and community development context. These strategies directly benefit those engaged with the organizing campaigns at hand, and secondary benefits may also come to residents, policymakers, and others.
"Venturing into cultural arts work has made everything that we do better. It has its own natural spirit and benefits. Staff is enthusiastic; tenants are engaged, they know the artists who come and go," says Ellen Baxter of Broadway Housing Communities in New York.
Many groups, including the Design Studio for Social Innovation in Boston, Massachusetts, Lincoln Park Coast Cultural Development in Newark, New Jersey, and others utilize creative strategies in efforts to bring attention to the need for affordable and supportive housing and to organize tenants in creative ways, thus enhancing the impact of housing development itself.
In Buffalo, New York, for instance, PUSH Buffalo is a multi-issue organization that combines community organizing, political advocacy, housing development, and more. By staying focused on a specific neighborhood over a long period of time and maintaining deep roots in its residents and organizers, PUSH has found itself naturally including arts-based organizing strategies into its activism and community development work to boost effectiveness. In order to focus on comprehensive community development, PUSH created its housing arm, the Buffalo Neighborhood Stabilization Company, to develop and maintain affordable housing for its residents. Aaron Bartley, executive director, identified key cultural factors for successful community organizing and housing development: relevance, dynamism, energy, and fun, even if the issues themselves are technical or dry. PUSH has its own drumming and dancing troupe, it's supported mural development by people living in the neighborhood, held two summer concerts per year showcasing local and regional talent, and more. They work to make these practices internal to the organization as a way of building community, strengthening, and celebrating their work. And now, a community congress identified the need for an old school building to become an arts and community center, which is now under development and will add important value to its housing development and other initiatives.
Artistic activity can serve a crucial function to bringing people together in new ways. Cultural programming in a housing context can play many important roles, including some that overlap with others discussed here. One important outcome that many interviewees identified as particularly beneficial is accessible cultural activities that can increase empathy and provide a common ground for people who may not otherwise interact. This important function addresses the negative consequences of highly segregated regions, as well as in mixed-income neighborhoods, which over time have created mistrust, bias, and prejudice.
"Meaningful interactions through the arts can slowly build strong bonds that are fundamental to community development work," says Theresa Hwang, the director of the Department of Places in California.
Overcoming biases, lack of exposure, mistrust, and prejudices benefit all parties who may then live more comfortably in their neighborhood and within the larger urban region with stronger ties to, and understanding of, diversity. Arts projects can rebuild humanizing social connections—they can prevent seeing a homeless person, a working artist, or even a developer as a foreign entity, as dehumanized and anonymous.
Broadway Housing Communities in New York is a supportive and affordable housing developer that is breaking through constraints and barriers to innovate new forms of affordable housing for low-income individuals and families. The recent Sugar Hill Housing Development created 124 units of affordable housing as well as a new Children's Museum of Arts & Storytelling in a building designed by high profile architect David Adjaye. The project built upon BHC's previous incorporation of the arts into supportive housing developments, which began when a community organizer who was also an artist curated a show in the building. BHC found that this brought new non-residents into the building and helped break down longstanding barriers and biases between members of the neighborhood. BHC's Baxter is excited to begin programming the new museum space and is hopeful that it will continue to be a cultural resource not just for residents but also for broader Harlem and New York City communities, placing the building on a cultural map of the city.
Stabilize
Many community-based groups have found that arts-based strategies are crucial in their efforts to stabilize communities that are particularly vulnerable to displacement. Groups like the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative pioneered neighborhood stabilization and wealth-creation through community-owned land and housing by utilizing creative strategies to take land off of the private market through land trusts and other mechanisms. In the cases identified here, community-based groups identify creative strategies or engage in partnerships with artists or arts organizations. Such partnerships bring together technical expertise in the fields of real estate development, urban planning, and political organizing with either professionally trained arts workers or creative members of the community are often effective because they allow the creative workers to maintain a level of artistic freedom while also moving forward tangible urban development work. Stabilization strategies are most often aimed to support vulnerable populations, weakened by historic or ongoing neglect or uneven funding for individuals and communities of limited means; people of color; Native American communities; and others who are commonly at a disadvantage. These practices are largely experimental and in need of more research, study, experimentation, and funding in order to help community groups develop best practices and achieve long-term stabilization for vulnerable communities and residents.
"We are using cultural strategies to help gain control of the neighborhood through property ownership, community-led revitalization, and more. We need to make sure our existing residents, whether they are grandmothers or younger folks who will raise families here, can stay when new investment comes. We are working to create space at a pace that won't displace," says Nia Umoja of the Cooperative Community of New West Jackson.
Other forms of stabilization through housing development include building culturally relevant housing types that are not currently provided on the private market. For example, Little Earth of United Tribes is endeavoring to build housing specifically for Native American populations, whose migration patterns and familial arrangements demand a spatial arrangement that is not served by the mainstream market that assumes a nuclear family or single adults.
Project Row Houses in Texas is an early practitioner of arts-based cultural and community-based housing development. It is focused on the preservation of a mixed- income, African-American community in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood in Houston. PRH began in the 1980s as a project by and for local African-American artists, and began by salvaging and preserving several vernacular row houses for artists' studios and galleries. Building on the attention they received as innovative, socially engaged artists, PRH has successfully preserved and developed over 50 units of housing as well as continued to build several spaces for galleries and artists in the culturally historic row house style. Since then, the Third Ward of Texas has seen increasing real estate development pressure that is making it difficult to retain the historic African-American community and neighborhood environment, especially for those of low and moderate incomes who are particularly vulnerable to long-term unemployment. PRH is now partnering with churches, landowners, renters, politicians, and more in the neighborhood to convene the Emancipation Economic Development Council. The council is pursuing several strategies, including land trusts, anchor institution development strategy, and others to address community stabilization and wealth creation comprehensively and in ways that address structural dynamics, but beginning necessarily with the ability to remain in housing. This partnership allows the arts to "stay nimble," and not rely on arts-based leaders for everything that they may not be expert in.
Arts and cultural strategies are imageable; besides the benefits afforded to those participating in them, they can signal to outsiders that a particular neighborhood may be valuable and can thus attract investment. Because funds for affordable housing preservation, development, and rehabilitation are so low, utilizing arts strategies can aid in a communities' competitiveness. Creative placemaking strategies have benefitted community-housing developers by attracting national attention, which can then distinguish a CDC from others and attract additional investment. Theaster Gates' work in Chicago, which has attracted significant attention due to its innovative nature, has opened the door to funding for housing development. Northeast Shores, a CDC in Cleveland, has been able to attract financing and achieve economic development for a neighborhood with high vacancy by intentionally marketing the neighborhood to artists, who can afford to buy homes there.
"Narratives about a particular neighborhood, even if they come from a social justice standpoint, can be perceived as an invitation to invest. We have to be really careful about what story comes out in the public about our neighborhood," says Aaron Bartley of PUSH Buffalo.
Many developers are beginning to understand this and utilize it to benefit their financial bottom lines. However, interviewees identified important caveats to utilizing arts-based strategies purely for economic development. Without being intentional, systematic, and strategic about whom the benefits of economic development will go to; there are often unintended negative outcomes for already vulnerable and marginalized communities. This can also translate into developers mistaking the forest for the trees: one interviewee noted that developers, seeing the value of the arts, may choose to bring in art from outside of the community that is not site specific or culturally relevant, simply to increase profit rather than gain benefits for residents.
The Power of Arts
I began this research with the hopes of understanding how creative strategies help build sustainable and healthy communities of opportunity. I've seen firsthand how powerful arts and culture are in articulating complex dynamics of urban and community development; in raising the flag to indicate where need exists; in providing crucial emotional support and connection; in helping to cohere diverse communities, and so much more.
The portion of the housing sector that endeavors to support low-income communities and communities of color is under an enormous amount of financial and political pressure. A legacy of disinvestment, discrimination, and neglect continue to plague our country.
We must come to terms with this history and work intentionally and explicitly to do things differently. While creative work itself will not solve this, the work described here shows that it can, in some cases, infuse community development work with the crucial alchemy needed to help overcome longstanding barriers. This scan also indicates that the fields of creative placemaking and affordable housing need each other to be effective and also need to better consider each other as they endeavor to accomplish the overall goal of building healthy communities of opportunity. Creative placemaking practitioners need to think comprehensively about how their work impacts and intersects with housing outcomes. Housing is perhaps the most tangible, and also most complex, measure of community development. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the communities around the country that are facing eviction and displacement. New place-based investments, when made without explicit regard for accountability to and impact on those structurally barred from access to capital and resources, can exacerbate negative impacts. Communities are organizing to resist this displacement and sustain themselves in the long term and many of them organically utilize creative strategies to address key housing barriers. At regional and national scales, policymakers and funders can learn from those working on the ground in this way about how they might adapt their policies and funding mechanisms to support the sustainability and autonomy of low-income communities, communities of color, Native Americans, and others who have been historically at a disadvantage.
Image 1. Project Row Houses: Project/Site's inaugural project has commissioned Houston-based artists Otabenga Jones & Associates to realize OJBKFM Radio, a temporary outdoor community radio station that will broadcast from the back of a 1959 pink Cadillac Coupe de Ville. The mobile station will defibrillate the Dowling Street Corridor. Photo by Shulamit Seidler-Feller, courtesy of Creative Time.
Image 2. Lincoln Park Coast: Community Farm. Photo courtesy of LCPPD.org.
Image 3. Little Earth: Photo from National Night Out, 2012. Photo courtesy of LittleEarth.org.
Danya Sherman
Starting Conversations with Public Art
Shelter Shorts, The Week in Community Development—June 22
Regrets of an Accidental Placemaker
Gail Steinberg January 5, 2021 At 12:01 pm
Thank you for this valuable information and analysis, so difficult to find elsewhere and so useful.


Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut off beet greens, clean beets and wrap loosely in foil. Once the oven has reached 400, add the beets and roast for 50-60 mins. Remove when done, allow to cool, and remove the skin (should come off easily). Dice beets.
Wash the kale leaves under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove the stalks and discard. Finely chop the leaves and place in a large serving bowl.
In a small blender or food processor, add all of the ingredients for the dressing and blend until smooth and creamy. If you don't have a small blender, whisking the ingredients together in a bowl works well, too.


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Edremit may refer to:

 Edremit, Balıkesir, a district and city in Balıkesir Province, Turkey
 Edremit, Van, a district and city in Van Province, Turkey
 Edremit, the Turkish name for Trimithi, Cyprus
 Edremit (olive), a cultivar of the olive tree

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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UN urges Taliban to reverse restrictions against women
Publish : 28 Dec 2022, 19:46 Update : 28 Dec 2022, 19:46
The Security Council has called for the "full, equal, and meaningful participation of women and girls in Afghanistan," after the Taliban barred women from working in NGOs and attending universities.
The UN Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday denounced the state of women's rights in Afghanistan under the Taliban.
On Saturday, the hardline Islamist rulers banned women from working in non-governmental organizations. The move came only days after the Taliban had stopped women from attending universities.
What has the UN said about women's rights under the Taliban?
The 15-member Security Council said the current situation "represents an increasing erosion for the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms" and called "for the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women and girls in Afghanistan" in a press statement.
The UNSC urged the Taliban "to reopen schools and swiftly reverse these policies and practices."
"These restrictions contradict the commitments made by the Taliban to the Afghan people as well as the expectations of the international community," the UNSC statement said.
Due to their inability to manage their programs without female staff, a number of international aid organizations declared on Sunday that they were ceasing their activities in Afghanistan. This leaves millions of Afghans dependent on the humanitarian efforts of those organizations helpless.
On Tuesday, Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, issued a dire warning about the "terrible" effects such policies would have.
"No country can develop — indeed survive — socially and economically with half its population excluded," his statement said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also took to Twitter on Tuesday and asked for the revocation of the "unjustifiable human rights violations" saying these policies cause "major setbacks to the potential of the Afghan people."
The situation for women in Afghanistan
When the Taliban seized power in August last year, they promised a more moderate system that would protect the rights of minorities and women, but have since enacted their rigid version of Islamic law, known as Sharia.
Afghan high school girls have not returned to the classroom. This rule was later extended to those in middle school.
The Taliban has also forced women out of numerous government jobs, prohibited them from traveling without a male relative, ordered them to wear a burqa outside of the home, and barred them from parks.
world Deutsche Welle
Pakistan mosque blast kills 32
U.S. issues another warning of possible terrorist attacks in Turkey
Four dead after record flooding in New Zealand
5.9-magnitude quake in Iran kills two, injures hundreds
South Africa to send 12 cheetahs a year to India

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: Finding the exact sum of this power series I am currently studying power series and have come across a problem I am having difficulties with. I have done some looking around on the website for a similar problem but I cant find anything that doesn't employ the lim sup method, which I am unable to use yet. Any help/guidance would be greatly appreciated!
The problem is to exactly sum the following power series:
$$\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{(-1)^n}{(2n)!}\pi^{2n}$$
Thank you.

A: Hint:
$$\cos x=\sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{(-1)^n}{(2n)!}x^{2n}$$

A: Tip: Consider $e^{1+i\pi}+e^{1-i\pi}-2$.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Hi all. I'm thinking about buying this phone (I am an Ericsson user for years, k770 at the time). It's going to be my first Symbian device (and smart phone) and I've just read it lacks T9. Is that true? Is there another predictive typing aid? Or is it just click-click smsing?
This is a good phone, it's very handy, especially the notes application. The camera quality is alright but it's definitely not something to be bragging about. It's a phone that has everything but it doesn't really excel in anything... which is basically what I wanted - an overall good, light phone.
I've had it for about 3 months now everything was going well but over the past few weeks it's been acting up. It's been freezing and working slower than usual and the screen doesn't show anything every now and then thus forcing me to reboot. It seems like a software problem but I don't think it is due to the fact that it worked so well for so long. I want to update the firmware but no new firmware has come out for it yet. I'm thinking maybe I dropped it at one point.
I bought it off ebay so I'm going to have to send the phone back to Hong Kong to get it fixed under warranty.
Overall I would say this is a good phone but don't expect it to overwhelm you. It does what it's meant to do and that's about it. Think of it as the C student at a good school.
I've tried the W910 and was very disappointed! Esp with the smsing and speakerphone!
So I would like to know how the G900 compares to the W810... Hope to get valuable feedbacks. thanks!
If SE could not make it correctly with a billion dollar research, warranty, tech support etc. - we certainly can not fix it by leaving smart ... messeges.
- then you ned to live with your choice! Good luck!
kione, 28 Oct 2008does g900 can record video at 30fps? thnxYes it does. It Records video at 30fps.
The flash is not sufficient enough to take good pictures at the least.
Plus, can anyone advice as to how to use the frames, just wanna edit my pic in the gallery. There's no option to edit it if you do .. it only enhances the color, or change the color mode to sepia or black and white but not an option to add a frame into your pic.
I have this phone for a week now, on its second day when i pressed the camera button at the side, the camera wont open and the phone hanged so i have to pull the battery out, the third day same thing happened. Would anybody know how i can fix this? I don't want to change phone because generally i like this phone. Thanks!
holly crap!! what a great phone!
and even when it was in its prime the major complaint was about its slowness - not a big deal to be faster than the P1.
BTW, the G900 has the same CPU - outdated, old one. SE made a huge mistake not to upgrade it!
Anonymous, 27 Oct 2008I've almost bought this phone, but i was testing 3 units and guess what? each phone has its ow... moreI agree, I had the same experience with this phone and I have tried a few.
The G900 is just not a reliable phone in general!
May be a few customer got a decent one but too many people had trouble with this model.
But even a good once do not prodice a decent 5mp picture.
So, you people who are lucky to get a good unit please try to understand your unit do not represent all units. I think it is not a hard concept.
I,ve found out that most of the user opinions here, are wrong. The UI is fast, faster than P1, the loudspeaker is very loud, really loud, the UI is very user friendly, and the camera quality is acceptable, not as good as n95, but good enough to print them. and the battery life is good, not great like my last w910, but it stays up till 2 days with heavy usage.
sk, 25 Oct 2008I am a regular sonyericsson fan.I have tried g900i today at one of sony's own showroom. I didn... moreI've almost bought this phone, but i was testing 3 units and guess what? each phone has its own bug. i.e. camera doesnt open, phone hang, can't call in and out etc. oh my god.
tom7734206, 20 Oct 2008I cannot watch youtube videos...and Idk why but camera is good as long as there is sunlight. L... moreactually i just found out that you can, try going to m.youtube.com that might work! good luck. i think im gonna go with this phone for sure now!! if im making a bad choice someone tell ME why!! please!!
Tobias, 22 Oct 2008Is it possible to install any type of Gps software on the phone?Yes, you can install Garmin Mobile TX on this phone, if you have a Garmin Bluetooth GPS device, then you can use this software free of charge, except for the map, otherwise you need to buy license to unlock the software so it can use any bluetooth GPS device.


Would anyone mind measuring the air stripper ID and the hole in the end of the shroud on a 30cal Crown. I'm converting my 25 over but I got a used/like new Impact barrel system so I'll be using my shroud and air stripper. I can bore both out on my lathe. I'd sure appreciate it.
This topic was modified 2 months ago by jking.
Well Jimmy the .30 cal pellets' true measurement is 7.62mm, so my advice is to increase the size to 8.729mm (.3437")…which would be an 11/32" drill size. This would give you .5545mm of clearance on either side of the pellet as it passes through, which should preclude any possibility of clipping.
Well Jimmy the .30 cal pellets' true measurement is 7.62mm, so my advice is to increase the size to 8.729mm (.3437")...which would be an 11/32" drill size. This would give you .5545mm of clearance on either side of the pellet as it passes through, which should preclude any possibility of clipping.
The stripper measures 8.2mm, .323"
You have a golden opportunity here to make it smaller, thus quieter, then Factory because you can tune it to just at the point where it doesn't clip. Just something to consider. There are a lot of stacked tolerances between the barrel and the crown shroud…..
I usually go .5mm above bore size for air strippers.
The exit hole on my Crown's moderator is 0.355 inches.
Thank you all very much, Had honey dooz this evening so maybe I'll get them bored out tomorrow.


Two more witnesses have come forward to report seeing Madeleine McCann in Malta - but police on the Mediterranean island said their investigations had so far come to nothing.
Maltese authorities revealed they had now received details of 11 separate sightings of the missing four-year-old, dating back as far as May 27.
The reports differ on where the young girl was seen and who was with her, with some witnesses saying she was with a man and others with a woman.
One Maltese man used his mobile phone to take a picture of a child he believed to be Madeleine at a parish feast in the central town of Zejtun on June 17.
Police analysed the photograph but it proved not to be the abducted British girl.
In a statement Maltese police said: "A full-scale investigation, involving different sections of the force co-ordinated by our serious crime investigations department is ongoing to confirm or otherwise the alleged sightings, which efforts have so far yielded a negative outcome.
"However, investigations are still actively in progress in order to shed more light upon the reported sightings."
The Maltese authorities are keeping their foreign counterparts informed and have put officers stationed at ports on full alert to check people leaving the country.
The first sighting was reported to police on May 27 by a Maltese woman who said she believed she saw Madeleine with a man in the Maltese capital Valletta a week earlier.
On June 17 two female British tourists said they saw a girl fitting Madeleine's description boarding a bus with a middle-aged woman at Floriana, near Valletta.
After this report a formal inquiry headed by a magistrate was launched and the Maltese newspaper In-Nazzjon, The Nation, reported the sightings prompting seven further reports from Maltese citizens to police.
Madeleine was allegedly seen in Valletta and the towns of Sliema, Mdina and Marsascala in the previous weeks, according to the witnesses.
Today police received two further reports of sightings, one yesterday in the village of Bahar-ic-Caghaq and another in Marsascala about a fortnight ago.
Among those who reported a sighting of Madeleine on Malta was Ray Roberts, from Anglesey, north Wales.
He said he saw a girl in the north-eastern town of Sliema wearing what he said was a jet black wig being told: "Get up little girl," by an Arab-looking man.
"The more I think about what I saw the more convinced I become that it may well have been Madeleine," he said.
"The oddness of it all played out in my mind until I got home then I realised I had to do something."
But Maltese police have denied that he had made a report to them or has given sworn evidence before the inquiring magistrate.
A spokeswoman for Madeleine's parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, said they would not even think about the alleged sightings in Malta until they were officially confirmed.
She added: "There are lots of reports. If they got that emotionally involved with each one, they wouldn't be able to concentrate on the campaign.
"A lot of them, even though they are well-meaning, amount to nothing. They cannot expend that energy on getting excited or upset or whatever unless they are told by official channels that there is reason for them to do so."
Madeleine was snatched from her bed in her parents' holiday flat in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz on May 3.
Her parents have led an international information drive to promote awareness of her disappearance in the hope that she will be spotted.
Today - the 50th day since Madeleine's disappearance - Mr and Mrs McCann, from Rothley in Leicestershire, said they were still waiting for the "vital breakthrough" in the search for their daughter.
They released 50 green and yellow balloons, each with a photograph of missing four-year-old tied to it, from the beach in Praia da Luz.
The scene was repeated at nearly 300 locations across the UK and around the world as supporters launched thousands of balloons to highlight the sombre anniversary.
The McCann family spokeswoman said they were "totally overwhelmed" by the "spontaneous" balloon release events organised by well-wishers.
As well as in the UK and Portugal, balloons were also released today in Argentina, the United States, Singapore, Australia and Afghanistan.
Mr and Mrs McCann have also revealed that they are considering releasing a cover version of Bryan Adams' hit song Everything I Do, I Do It For You to raise money for their campaign.
Mr McCann said: "That song, at the minute, best reflects how Kate and I feel emotionally and how determined we are to continue searching for Madeleine.
"A bit like the balloons, it's to remind everyone 50 days on that Madeleine is still missing.
"In three months' time, if she is still missing, we'll still be there and we'll still be looking for her."
The McCanns, who are both doctors, said they had no intention of giving up the search and currently had no plans to return to work in the UK.
• Madeleine's parents have written an open letter to newspaper editors in the UK - and their readers - to express their "deep gratitude" for keeping her story in the headlines. "It is hard to express how much your support and the support of your readers and viewers have meant to us," it read. "Both of us have never courted publicity for ourselves. Everything we have done has been to one purpose - to make sure Madeleine's image is recognised far and wide."
They also said they want to keep the focus on their "beautiful daughter" Madeleine, rather than her twin brother and sister, Sean and Amelie. "The twins are growing fast and we recognise the increasing need to protect their privacy."


If you have ants and are wondering how to get rid of them or have made attempts yourself which have ending in frustration, there is one easy solution, call Pests Out WA.
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To remove ants we have special formulated treatments which are environmentally friendly and safe around young children.
The ant control service will normally take around 1-2 hours. We offer a warranty, which means we will return to re-treat, in the event of any sign of ant infestation reappearing. Left untreated, household ants can establish and grown nests causing a major problem in your home. To eradicate those persistent ants requires a close understanding of its biology, lifestyle and habits. Pests Out WA has that expertise and years of practical field experience. We know exactly which products to use, when to use them and where.
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Coastal brown Ants, also known as big-headed Ants, are a very successful invasive species and is considered a danger to native Ants in Australia and other places. It has been nominated as one of the hundred 'World's Worst' invaders. Workers: smaller 'minors' – 2 to 3 mm long, make up the vast majority of the colony; a larger 'major' caste – 3.5 to 4.5 mm long, which have very obvious, much larger heads, make up about 1 per cent of the population. The 'major' caste of worker Ants are not primarily soldiers for defence. Instead, their powerful jaws are used for cutting up large pieces of food into small pieces, which can more easily be transported back to the nest by the much more numerous minors.
This is a small black Ant, 2.5 – 3.00mm long. Mostly found outside in or around garden beds a rockeries. They can also be found in cavity walls and subfloor areas and are attracted to sweet foods.
The Argentine Ant is native to northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Southern Brazil. It is a small brown Ant, 1.5 – 3.0mm long. Mostly found on exposed soil or rotting logs. They are commonly found indoors in wet weather and are attracted to sweet foods.
Bull Ants are characterised by their extreme aggressiveness, ferocity, and painful stings. Some species are known for the jumping behaviour they exhibit when agitated. They can be identified as a large red or black Ant, 18 – 20mm long. Mostly found outside on exposed soil or under rocks, logs, etc. Rarely found indoors.


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1. Prologue: Beauty And The Beast (Alan Menken) 2:26
2. Belle (Chorus - Beauty And the Beast and Paige O'Hara and Richard White) 5:09
3. Belle Reprise (Paige O'Hara) 1:04
4. Gaston (Jesse Corti and Richard White) 3:40
5. Gaston (Reprise) (Jesse Corti and Richard White) 2:03
6. Be Our Guest (Angela Lansbury and Chorus - Beauty And The Beast and Jerry Orbach) 3:44
7. Something There (Angela Lansbury and David Ogden Stiers and Jerry Orbach and Paige O'Hara and Robby Benson) 2:19
8. The Mob Song (Chorus - Beauty And the Beast and Richard White) 3:30
9. Beauty and the Beast (Angela Lansbury) 2:46
10. To The Fair (Alan Menken) 1:57
11. West Wing (Alan Menken) 4:25
12. The Beast Lets Belle Go (Alan Menken) 2:22
13. Battle On The Tower (Alan Menken) 5:28
14. Transformation (Alan Menken) 5:49
15. Beauty And The Beast (Celine Dion & Peabo Bryson) 4:04
The Legacy Collection: Beauty and the BeastWalt Disney Records
Beauty and the BeastWalt Disney Records
Formats: CD, Digital (54 min)
Beauty and the Beast - Special EditionSpecial Edition
Walt Disney Records (60743-7)
Disney Favorite SongsWalt Disney Records
Stars of The London Stage Perform... The Essential Disney CollectionSilva Screen (SILCD1448)
Now That's What I Call DisneyCapitol Records
The Karaoke Disney CollectionSilva Screen
The Essential Disney CollectionSilva (SILED4623)
Themes From Family & Animated MoviesX5 Music Group
Format: Digital (121 min)
Disney Princess: Fairy Tale SongsWalt Disney Records
Format: CD (39 min)
Lady and the Tramp and FriendsWalt Disney Records (61428-7)
The Best of the Movies - Themes and Music from All-Time Epic FilmsCapitol Records
Color, Rhythm and MagicVarese Sarabande (302 065 939 2)


How Well Are Your Systems Protected Against Malware?
During our Client-Side Penetration Test, auditors apply realistic approaches and techniques that are often used by both malicious software and hostile actors. Manipulated websites are important attack vectors that could allow attackers to infiltrate your network.
We try to intrude into your internal network by manipulating attachments and downloads to exploit vulnerabilities in browsers and plug-ins, email clients, PDF readers etc. In this way, security measures such as anti-virus software, mail gateways and terminal services are tested.
In cooperation with at least one of your employees, we will send prepared emails to email addresses provided by you. In addition, your employee will be instructed to visit specially set up web pages on servers in our lab. After successful access to your network, our consultants will try to penetrate deeper into your network to gain access to more internal data.
During the execution our trial files will behave almost like dangerous software and try to reconnect to a server in our lab. Other threatening functions are not included in the files. For this reason, your network remains secure and safe during a Client-Side Penetration Test. This step of the investigation can serve to determine whether existing protective measures are capable of preventing the connection from being established.
How effective are the installed security measures?
Are the access rights for your employees set correctly?
Are there vulnerabilities and how can an attacker exploit vulnerabilities?
What damage can an attacker do by exploiting vulnerabilities?
How can detected weak points be closed in an economically sensible way?
Once all these questions have been answered, a realistic picture of your current security level is given. Based on the results of the penetration test, further measures to increase IT security can be derived.


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Mini Nubian Goats
Tipsy Toad Soaps
2019 CSA Terms of Service
2019 CSA Registration
Tipsy Toad Grove Farm
The misadventures of a small farm dreaming big
Farewell Hunter
Posted on April 20, 2015 April 20, 2015 by Sue
In 2003 Hunter came into my life. He was in Michigan, a resident of a rescue organization who'd managed to snag him as he was about to be gassed. I was in Nova Scotia, looking desperately for a German Shorthaired Pointer, and drawn to the internet as a last resort. Hunter travelled via a train of volunteer drivers from Michigan to Sackville, Nova Scotia, where we met his last driver in the Kent Bulding Supplies parking lot and saw him for the first time.
We brought Gryphon with us that night, figuring it would be better to introduce them where neither had any concept of territory. Our precautions were unnecessary; Hunter immediately climbed in the back seat, snuggled up next to Gryph and fell asleep. There was no doubt it was meant to be.
As a former puppy mill stud, Hunter came with some neuroses. He loved people, but was scared of young kids ( high pitched noises sent him running to hide under tables and desks). When kids came into his life later on he finally started to deal with that fear. He didn't appreciate any dog that decided to play with his best friend Gryphon, and would pick a fight if he felt his friendship was threatened. Our vet prescribed Prozac for him during one period when high winds hollering through our old house would send him into anxious fits, resulting in destroyed furniture.
Hunter had other oddities, too. He lived with us for over 3 years before he ever issued a bark. Once he learned, though, he was gleefully vociferous. For a bird dog he was surprisingly afraid of the water. When we encountered a lake on a mountain bike trail Gryphon would be in the water long before we got to the spot. We'd roll up to find Hunter pacing frantically along the shoreline whining like crazy and dipping his feet in before springing back to dry ground. It wasn't until he slipped off a wet ledge and fell in one day that he finally started to paddle around and discovered how much he loved it. Subsequent trips to bodies of water saw Hunter in over his head sometimes even before Gryphon, swimming in circles and snapping the flowers off patches of lilypads whenever he could find them.
Hunter was an incredible mountain bike companion. He was built like a racehorse, and he rarely stuck to the trail. I always wondered how something could move so fast through the woods without losing an eye, but he was the definition of agile. He never disappeared for long, though. He would run ahead, and then pop out of the woods to check up on us before ducking back into the brush and emerging again moments later. Whenever the was a junction on the trail he would wait to ensure we all went in the same direction. Like us, he was obviously at his happiest running through the woods, and at times when he did end up walking at the end of a leash it became blatantly apparent that Hunter did not know how to walk. He paced, even on leash, no matter how slowly we went.
I believe that it's because of Hunter I emerged unscathed from a much-too-close encounter with a black bear on a Spider Lake trail in Dartmouth. Coming down a steep hill on my mountain bike I slammed on the brakes as a smallish bear wandered across the trail in front of me and stopped. I went flying over the bars, landing in a heap about 3 feet from the stinky, snorffling bear. As my panicked brain scrambled through options, trying to remember if I should play dead or run, Hunter came tearing through the woods barking his fool head off. I was sure the bear would attack him, but it turned tail and ran with Hunter in hot pursuit. Just when I was convinced I'd never see Hunter again, he came crashing back, tail nub wagging like crazy. He got extra treats that day and If I ever went mountain biking without him again it certainly wasn't by choice.
Hunter was starting to slow down when we moved to Tremont. His face was turning white, and his hips were starting to drag a little. We'd had a malignant tumour removed below his eye about a year before we moved and the vet said it would return, but he likely wouldn't live long enough to have the second one removed. We figured Hunter would leave us shortly after our move, but Gryphon was the first to go, while Hunter seemingly found a new will to live in his spacious farm environment. We've watched him gradually go down hill for the past year and a half, the muscle mass in his hips shrinking and his legs slowly caving in underneath him. We've helped him when he needed a little extra support on walks, and we've done what we could to give him reasons to keep on going. Even in his last few days it was obvious that Hunter didn't want to miss a thing, although we knew he was dying, he was clearly determined to fight it until he took his very last breath.
As energetic as he was, Hunte also loved to curl up next to us on the couch and just cuddle. I've never seen an animal extract so much enjoyment from every waking moment, it was obvious that he appreciated being rescued as much as we appreciated him. It's hard to believe that he's gone, but I know that he had a full and long life, and he died peacefully soaking up heat from the woodstove. 15 (or maybe 16) years is no small feat for a German Shorthaired Pointer, and especially a big one like Hunter. I'd always hoped that when his time came he'd just drop dead on the trail, and while it didn't work out that way, this was not a bad substitute.
We'll bury Hunter down back on the new trail that we're cutting in our woods. The trail is where he belongs. I'm pretty sure that he's already beat us to it.
Posted in Dogs, UncategorizedTagged death, dog, German Shorthaired Pointer, Hunter, pet, rescue
Wiling Away Winter
What's "Too Expensive"?
2 thoughts on "Farewell Hunter"
Judy Earle says:
Sue : Very sad that Hunter is not on earth with us but sure he is looking down on you and Troy and grateful for the wonderful he had with you both. RIP Hunter.
Mary McKim says:
Hunter was a lucky dog to find you. You are a lucky and blessed human to have found him. It is a special gift to be loved by a dog. You will always miss him but you will always have him with you.
Tipsy Toad Grove is a small mixed farm in Tremont, Nova Scotia. We produce veggies, meat, eggs, maple syrup and goat milk body products & soaps. Our farm runs a small spray-free CSA program, and we also create value-added products such as farm-to-fork cuisine for sale at local markets. We started farming out of ethical concerns for the animals and the land that produce these items, and everything we do reflects that. This website chronicles what we are learning along the way.
Contact sue@tipsytoadgrove.com
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According to the company's latest report, market conditions in the New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., metros could have a significant impact on four of the largest REITs over the next two years.
With transactions closed in the top 10 submarkets alone having generated more than $4 billion in sales volume, the city emerges as one of the most attractive areas for multifamily investors in the nation.
With nearly 20 years of industry experience, Brett Johnson will be responsible for sourcing and acquiring multifamily investments.
Chandler Management purchased two residential properties totaling 676 units in Fredericksburg, Va. The seller, Equus, purchased both assets in 2012 for a total of $74.3 million.
Joseph Fisher previously served Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management for almost a decade.
Totaling 1,402 units, the six Greater Baltimore properties are located near major military, government and corporate employers.
CBRE has brokered a $92 million construction loan for BMC Investment's development of a 218-unit luxury high-rise in Denver's Cherry Creek neighborhood that will likely set a new price-per-unit record in the market.
Inside the process of adapting former office buildings into high-end multifamily properties.
Tom Toomey has shrunk UDR's footprint while increasing its value dramatically.
CBRE Capital Markets arranged the sale of Hilltop Ridge and The Highlands at Washington Park, both located in Manchester.
The joint venture has launched a Qualified Opportunity Zone Fund with a target raise of $300 million for those interested in affordable and workforce housing investments.
Aspire of Westminster is part of the 105-acre Downtown Westminster master-planned development on the former site of a regional shopping mall.


adjective 1. of or in the future: prospective earnings. 2. potential, likely, or expected: a prospective partner.
1) Get familiar with the college. Start by reading the viewbook, to learn more about the Agricultural Revolution and all the places AGNR can take you.
Prepare yourself for the next level of career achievement with one of 20 graduate and professional degrees, all focused on real-world application.
Online Master's Degrees in Civil Engineering . With no requirement to come to campus, you can set your own schedule and complete the degree from anywhere.
A big part of the SMU experience is our Residential Commons system, which integrates the academic, residential and social aspects of campus living.


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End of the Millennium: Putting "The Girl" and expectations to rest
October 27, 2010 at 4:48 pm by Ray Pride
October 27, 2010 October 26, 2010 Filed under:
The third of the Swedish adaptations of the late Stieg Larsson's "Millennium" trilogy of novels, "The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest" settles to a simmer, maybe thwarting the expectations of a larger audience who've followed both the best sellers and the three films.
Lisbeth Salander, for months now an increasingly favored journalistic topic as the first twenty-first century detective who can be artistically (and profitably) transposed across media and cultures, a knowing splatter of Pippi Longstocking, Sherlock Holmes, punk, hacking and that distant yet observant teen you know who might well be high-functioning Asperger's.
And it doesn't hurt that the coiled, charismatic Noomi Rapace has played the role. Still, even with her recent casting in "Sherlock Holmes 2" and a studio vampire project, as well as a possible role in Ridley Scott's "Alien" prequels, it seems a longshot to suggest, as indieWIRE blogger Anne Thompson has, that these violent, emotionally grueling imports could get Rapace an Oscar nod. In "The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest," Salander's worst adversaries are brought to justice, but without the fire and firepower of the earlier entries. Rapace is called upon to reflect more than brood, contemplate more than glower. In weeks of rehab after the shooting that ended "The Girl Who Played With Fire," Lisbeth has to recover physically but also observe as the stakes are raised around her: as the legal noose tightens on the elderly Swedish men with much to hide, she's abed, largely restricted to emoting with flickers, her long black hair newly shifted in volume, "punk" off to one side where she was shorn to remove the bullet. Rapace "acts" more than kicks ass, and within the tawdry confines of the last two Swedish versions, it's weirdly thrilling yet likely either semi-comprehensible or less intriguing to the unconverted.
After seeing "Hornet's Nest," the general subject of expectations rumbled about. I'd noticed a handful of writers recently who described their experiences of a film from the base of ever-variable expectations of what they expected the movie to be before they saw it. (A formula for certain boredom, ingratitude and the onset of critical yaws and yawns.) A colleague's comment about "Unstoppable," which neither of us has seen, fell into the same patch. I'm content to watch more of Tony Scott's late-career play with painterly near-abstractions, wild color design, varieties of velocity. "Sometimes I need a movie to be more than that," was the reply. I just said I didn't know what that could mean: I'd love more but I know what I admire about this man's bending of movie form to something that could also rate for painterly acumen in a gallery setting. (Scott and Julian Schnabel have used grain, focus, jitter and green-to-gray palettes to similar effect.)
It's a subject that I wished I hadn't gotten so fixed upon, some platonic ideal of what a film could be and expectations, and wanting all films to subscribe to the same mirage, as talking about it again, with some distracting vigor, walking down the street later at night led me to overlook a modest slick of midwestern puke on the sidewalk: slip, topple, shatter. As I lay on my back, measuring the damage, a friend says, "Isn't that where the boulder lands on Franco's arm in '127 Hours'?" Why, yes, just above the NERRRRRRRRRRRRRR…! When that typing hand recovers, it will have only empathy, no expectations about the apparent truth of that rock and a dull knife.
Painkillers now allow me to recall the ending of "Hornet's Nest" (and the trilogy) fondly. The pair parting tentatively, shyly, like Truffaut teens instead of the adults who had witnessed and experienced such violent muck. Lisbeth retreats to her fairytale throne, the bay window seat that looks over the bay at dusk of central Stockholm, where most of the films' locations are legibly sited. It's her panopticon, it's her city, and she is its all-seeing eye. This is brushed in, in a couple of uninflected shots, but comes as low-key release for anyone who's been transfixed by her character. She has found her place: above the waspy fray, above, not removed, from "the men who hate women" and themselves.
"The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest" opens Friday at Landmark Century, River East, Showplace ICON, Century 12 Evanston, Landmark Renaissance.
Endings, Beginnings And Something In Between: It's Not The End Of Movies Will the film industry survive? This season, the all-star team of established, career directors is about to give it their all.
Talking Screens, May 7-13, 2021: About Endlessness | Heat | The End of Moviegoing? Talking Screens: A Week In Chicago Film, May 7-13, 2021 OPENERS The dour, serene, dapper, disheveled cornucopia of moments in Roy Andersson's "About Endlessness" is presumed by some to comprise the final feature from the seventy-nine-year-old Swedish master behind "Songs from the Second Floor" (2000) and "A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence" (2014). The 2020 documentary "Being…
Talking Screens, August 19-25, 2022: The Joys of Girl Picture | The Importance of Alma's Rainbow | The Power of Prey In Chicago: Ayoka Chenzira's 1994 coming-of-age comedy-drama "Alma's Rainbow; the Finnish "Girl Picture;" one more chance to see Wong Kar-wai's "In The Mood For Love;" "Parting Glances" set during the early stages of the AIDS crisis with Steve Buscemi in an early lead; "Marie Antoinette;" "City Of God;" and Chicago Film Society brings back the rarely seen "Livin' Large." Reeling…
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New York City Will Pilot Smart Lighting in Brownsville to Illuminate Public Spaces at Night
By NYCEDC Dec 19 2019
Two Lighting Pilots Will Be Installed in Brownsville's Osborn Plaza for the Next 10 Months to Improve Neighborhood Safety, Quality of Life, and Spur Economic Development
BROOKLYN, NY—New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), Mayor's Office of the Chief Technology Officer (MOCTO), NYC Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ), and the NYC Department of Transportation selected two proposals for the NYCx Co-Lab Challenge: Safe and Thriving Nighttime Corridors. Over the next ten months, the City will pilot the lighting installations and a media projection in Osborn Plaza and on Belmont Avenue to help improve neighborhood safety, quality of life, and spur economic development.
"Partnering with communities to create safer spaces for New Yorkers has been a top priority of this Administration. This new program further accomplishes that by providing creative approaches that will retain the culture and fabric of the community, boost local businesses, and display the innovative solutions the City continues to strive for to improve the daily lives of New Yorkers," said Deputy Mayor Laura Anglin.
"We're proud to launch Co-Lab's Safe and Thriving Nighttime Corridors pilot in Brownsville, an innovative approach to strengthen the community through creative activation of public space," said NYCEDC President and CEO James Patchett. "These new installations will enhance public safety, increase foot traffic in one of Brownsville's most important commercial corridors and generate economic activity for local businesses. We'd like to thank MOCTO, MOCJ, NYC DOT and our community partners who have helped make this initiative possible."
"These smart lighting pilots are innovative because they not only combine public safety, art, and community, but they also present government with a new approach to brightening neighborhoods after dark and spurring economic growth in local communities—all in collaboration with the neighborhood where these installations will live," John Paul Farmer, Chief Technology Officer, City of New York. "The launch is a milestone in government co-designing with community, industry and academia to activate new ideas that can benefit every New Yorker."
In 2017, the City announced the first NYCx Co-Lab in Brownsville. The program, led by NYCEDC and MOCTO, creates neighborhood-based partnerships between communities, agencies, and technology innovators in high-need, high-opportunity neighborhoods, in order to challenge inequality in the deployment of smart city technologies. The program identifies and sources local needs through an extensive community engagement process, partners with City agencies aiming to address those needs, co-designs innovation challenges, and makes neighborhood spaces available for testing emerging solutions.
In response to community engagement and the MOCJ-led Neighborhood Activation Study, the NYCx Co-Lab Challenge: Safe and Thriving Nighttime Corridors invited startups, entrepreneurs and independent teams to propose tech solutions focused on activation of public spaces after dark.
"Public safety is about engaged residents building safe and vibrant neighborhoods. With the NYCx Co-Lab in Brownsville, the abundant creative and technological talent in our city is on full display showing how we can co-produce public safety by inviting people to interact with their environments and their neighbors," said Elizabeth Glazer, Director of the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice.
"With the largest municipal streetlighting system in the entire country, New York City DOT congratulates the two winning proposals for the NYCx Co-Lab Challenge," said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. "The Safe and Thriving Nighttime Corridors pilot is an exciting opportunity to tap into our resource—and showcase how technology-based fixtures can brighten and beautify public spaces like Osborn Plaza and Belmont Avenue in Brownsville. We're excited to measure the performance of the challenge winners, see more community-led efforts that work with our established infrastructure, and activate streetscapes and plazas throughout New York City."
"Public safety is the prerequisite for prosperity. Without it, the local economy and small businesses suffer. That's why I applaud the winners of the Safe and Thriving Nighttime Corridors challenge, which will make important business corridors brighter, safer, and stronger. Brownsville is undergoing a renaissance thanks to forward-thinking investments like these, and I look forward to continuing to support these kinds of community-led initiatives," said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
Two winners and their solutions were selected from a pool of 24 applicants to the competition:
Ville-luminate the Block
A project created and led by Brownsville youth with support from the Brownsville Community Justice Center, The Brownsville Partnership, and Peoples Culture, will install a 3D projection system in Osborn Plaza on the Belmont Avenue Corridor. Brownsville youth are adapting new technologies, coding, and installing an interactive projection system responsive to sensor-monitored pedestrian activity. When individuals walk within a certain proximity to the projection or when a certain number of individuals enter the plaza, it will shift brightness, color, or imagery. The project will serve as an adaptable and accessible platform responsive to the corridor's needs—showcasing community created art and projects.
Anyways Here's the Thing
Plans to augment the existing streetlamp posts along the Belmont Avenue Corridor with programmable, networked, decorative LED light strips that respond to passing pedestrians with fluctuating radiance. As pedestrians pass under the lamps the lights will shine brighter and trigger other nearby lights, creating wave-like effects. The animations, which will also be triggered by external data such as bus arrival times at the nearest bus stop, will create an active, responsive atmosphere that subtly indicates the presence of activity and reinforces the use of Belmont Avenue after dark. In collaboration, youth from the Brownsville Community Justice Center's Tech Lab will design their own lighting choreographies and learn coding to program the lighting system.
"The Brownsville Community Justice Center is extremely grateful to be an awardee of the NYCx Co-Lab Challenge: Safe and Thriving Nighttime Corridors," said Jasmine Bowie, Deputy Director of the Brownsville Community Justice Center. "We believe our young people are closest to the issues impacting public safety and should be given the agency to think through creative solutions. This is yet another example of Brownsville brilliance, and we're honored that the young people from the community will be given a platform to showcase tech innovation along Osborn plaza and the Belmont corridor."
"In an increasingly digitized society, we need think deeply about the overlay of technology in our public spheres," said Sarah Bassett, Executive Director of Peoples Culture." Brownsville, like any community, thrives on interpersonal connection in public space. We are proud that the project promotes and illuminates community voices that connect us."
"Having been born in NYC, even as a child I recognized that my sense of safety was connected to the community and the presence of others around me," said Henry Lam, Principal at Anyways Here's the Thing. "The LED's that have been mounted to the poles are a reminder and indicator of that presence and connection. Being able to engage with the youth of Brownsville has been an amazing experience for myself and Anyways to understand how they interpret art and technology and the applications toward city infrastructure."
"Years ago, Belmont Avenue was a business corridor destination for many in central Brooklyn. People came for groceries, clothing, and even a meal but much has changed since then. In order for communities to thrive then and now local stakeholders have to focus on developing neighborhood CBDs with innovative new approaches to encourage economic growth. That is why I am happy the 41st council district will host the winning proposal for the NYCx Co-Lab Challenge," said Council Member Alicka Ampry-Samuel. "Illuminating streets improves public safety, attracts pedestrians, and that attracts local businesses to commit long term to a community. This project is special because of the inclusive nature in the design process and because it took community insight. We have high hopes for the change Safe and Thriving Nighttime Corridors will bring."
"Brownsville residents know that too many of our blocks lack the lighting we need to keep our streets safe and encourage foot traffic in our business districts. By bringing new lighting and art, this project will help keep Brownsville safe and allow our businesses to thrive," said New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie.
In tandem with the Safe & Thriving Nighttime Corridors challenge, NYCx Co-Lab launched the Zero Waste in Shared Space Challenge, in support of the City's goal to achieve Zero Waste to Landfills by 2030, in partnership with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY). The Zero Waste in Shared Space Challenge sought innovative solutions to reduce litter and improper waste disposal, increase resident participation in recycling waste-reduction, and promote waste-free common spaces in public housing. Winning pilots began in 2018 and concluded early 2019.
In Brownsville, community partners and local youth are advising the City on areas of opportunity where technologies can play a role in improving neighborhood quality of life and local economic development.
About the City of New York Mayor's Office of the Chief Technology Officer
The Mayor's Office of the CTO is led by the New York City Chief Technology Officer. We're making broadband, smart city technologies, digital services, and the tech industry work for all New Yorkers. Learn more at nyc.gov/cto and follow us on Twitter.


The problem: tenants missing rent payments. The solution: Rent Paid...Guaranteed from Plymouth Homes Lettings. Rent Paid…Guaranteed is a unique service we offer to our landlords and I am very passionate about it. Why? Because I believe in doing my job well and setting an example for the property lettings industry.
I have been in the property business for a long time (over 20 years is all I am admitting to). During this time I have witnessed and experienced situations of unpaid rent and challenging tenancies. Every single case has shown me, that there is a right way and a wrong way of dealing with people. I recognised that there was a gap in the market for a professional property managing agent who was actually prepared to do a "proper job".
Being a successful landlord or a professional managing agent, in my opinion has nothing to do with property. But it does have everything to do with people. Long gone are the days of being aloof in a business that we saw boom since the late 1990's. We believe in treating people with respect, whilst at the same time managing people's expectations. Providing good advice and signposting people who need that little bit of extra help. People (unless you are very unlucky) don't just stop paying rent arbitrarily. Normally there is a reason. Anything from being made redundant, to finding that someone has been diagnosed with an illness. For the tenant, this is already very stressful. Having a letter drop through the door, threatening legal action, late payment fines, or other action makes the situation harder to resolve. This is not the way we do things at Plymouth Homes Lettings. When things go wrong, it is my belief and philosophy that a discussion should take place, where the agent provides support to both the landlord and tenant.
Communication + compassion + understanding + patience = happy landlords and tenants.
Why Do We Offer Rent Paid...Guaranteed?
I am asked this question on many occasions, and actually there are very good reasons. Firstly, it keeps my stress levels low and that of our landlords. More importantly, offering the Rent Paid...Guaranteed service frees us from potentially stressful discussions with landlords who are (naturally) upset if the rent has not been met. Our system allows my team and I to deal with the real problem and provide a relaxed environment for the tenant to resolve their issues. To date, I have enjoyed a 100% success rate, where no landlords have had to suffer a loss for non-paying tenants. As I said above, a proper job.
Does Anyone Else Provide this Service?
We were the first letting agency in the South West to provide Rent Paid...Guaranteed. Many agents have systems that sound similar, but this usually involves selling you insurance policies that cost extra. In our experience, these kinds of insurance policies do not always pay out. The difference we offer to our landlords is that we guarantee the rent.
We are a new breed of managing agents that believe in leading change through example. We know that our actions are already driving standards up in the Plymouth area, and are keen to develop our successful reputation.
How Does it Work for Me as a Landlord?
It is very simple. Once we have found a suitable and mutually agreeable customer tenant, under our full management rent paid guaranteed scheme, who has passed all the legally required checks, referencing and credit history and who has taken legal occupation of their new home, we can move to the second stage. We guarantee to pay the rent to you on the day it is due (bank holidays and weekends excluded, paid the next working day) whether the tenant has paid their rent or not. Sound unbelievable? Talk to us and we'll make you a believer.
What Happens if the Tenant Stops Paying the Rent?
The rent continues to be paid to you, until such time as we have the legal right of access to the property. Once we have the legal right to the property, then the property is vacant and no rent is due. So, rent stops being paid from that date until we have re-let it, and then our management service kicks in again. For our landlords it is a seamless process.
What about Legal Fees? Do I as a Landlord Have to Pay?
No. We pay for the legal costs involved in evicting a non-rent paying tenant.
I always smile when I am asked this question. The answer is simple: It's our money we lose not yours. Understandably, all our existing landlords love this response, but there is solid reasoning behind what we do. Landlords are reassured that we are very careful to choose the right tenants for their home. Our experience and expertise enable's us to find suitable tenants. Great tenant-landlord relationship always produces the best results. As agents, we do our best to encourage these relationships.
Or you can call us on 01752 772846 (option 2).
This information is provided by Plymouth Homes Lettings to give you useful information and guidance. It is not meant to cover everything and if you are unsure of anything, we encourage you to discuss it with us directly.


This week, our purple people are mixing it up at SXSW 2017, the event producing the highest amount of revenue for the city of Austin, TX. Our #WebsiteWednesday today fits right into the theme of the event. By offering affordable 360° video and virtual reality home tours, they will disrupt the real estate industry. Meet Katch.xyz.
Katch.xyz is a creative marketing agency from Scotland that creates immersive virtual reality home tours. Real estate agents and estate agent brands can use these to show their properties online. Katch's unique VR tours allow a potential renter to take a virtual step into a property, with the freedom to move from room to room and to look at every feature as if they were in the room. Katch always makes sure their video is as simple as possible by using natural lighting and limited post-processing. A fun example of their VR experience can be found on Katch.xyz's website.
Steve is a serial entrepreneur from Edinburgh who founded multiple businesses in the marketing agency and property photography area. With Katch.xyz, he identified a common problem with an affordable yet classy solution. Katch's VR tours have changed the way members of #GenXYZ in Scotland will find their next home.
« Previous Post Find the #XYZsquad at SXSW for your chance to win a Nintendo Switch, Samsung VR headset, drone, & more!
Next Post » Next week: XYZ hosting SoCal Tech Meetup!


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Le château de Castelnou (castrum novum ou castellum novum, le « château neuf », qui devint en catalan Castell Nou) est un château fort médiéval à Castelnou, dans les Pyrénées-Orientales. Il resta pendant quatre siècles la résidence des vicomtes de Castelnou.

Histoire
Le château est mentionné pour la première fois en 988 et 990 sur le territoire d'un château antérieur celui de Cameles (Castro Camelas, cité en 941; il est alors le siège du pouvoir comtal de Besalú en Vallespir. Oliba Cabreta (v.920-990), après la mort de son frère aîné, , en 965, devient comte de Cerdagne, qui comprend la suzeraineté sur la vicomté de Fenouillèdes. Il ajoute à son domaine Berga et Ripoll. En 979,  lui cède le Capcir. À la mort de son frère , en 984, il devient comte de Besalú. A sa mort il lègue à son fils aîné Bernard Taillefer (v.970-1020), le comté de Besalú (988-1020) et Ripoll (1003-1020), Peypertuse, Vallespir, et la vicomté de Fenouillèdes. Son second fils Guifred II de Cerdagne (v.970-1049) reçoit le comté de Cerdagne (988-1035), Berga (1003-1035) Capcir, du Conflent.

Une dizaine d'années plus tard, le château est le siège d'un vicomte, délégué du comte de Besalú pour le Vallespir. Ce vicomte, Guillaume , prend le titre de vicomte de Castelnou en 1018. Cette juridiction vicomtale s'étendait sur tous les fiefs et forteresses du Vallespir, les vicomtes de Castelnou étaient seigneurs directs avec haute, moyenne et basse justice des fiefs suivants: Pontellà (Ponteilla), Sant-Feliu d'Avall; Sant Feliu d'Amunt, Cameles, Corbera, Fontcoberta, Queixàs (Caixas), Montauriol d'Amunt et d'Avall,  Montauriol de Santa Coloma des les Illes (actuellement au territoire de Caixas), Prunet, Sant-Pere de la Serra (territoire de Bellpuig), Teulis, et Croanques. En 1286 le château est assiégé et prit par le roi de Majorque

Ses descendants résident à Castelnou jusqu'en 1286. Cette année-là, le château fut pris d'assaut par les troupes de Jacques II de Majorque lors de la croisade d'Aragon. Le château est restitué au vicomte Jaspert V en 1299, par le traité d'Argelès. La vicomté est supprimée en 1321, la même année meurt Jaspert, le château passe brièvement à sa fille et héritière Sibil.la, puis après la mort de cette dernière, à la veuve de Jaspert, Galcerande de Narbonne, qui le vend au roi de Majorque. Ce dernier le cède à son tour à la famille de Fenouillet, qui le revend elle-même à Bérenger de Castelnou, dernier représentant de la famille vicomtale. Sans héritier, il vend le château à la fin du  à la famille de Llupia, qui le conserve jusqu'au . En 1483, le baron de Castelnou se rebelle contre la tutelle de Louis XI. Le château est assiégé par les troupes du gouverneur de Roussillon. Pendant les  et , le château fut laissé à l'abandon, servant à l'occasion de carrière de pierres. À la fin du  (1876-1880) le château fut racheté par Ernest de Stagé, originaire de Prades qui entreprit sa restauration pour le rendre habitable, achevée en 1897. Il y mourut en 1899. Plusieurs propriétaires se succèdent jusqu'à l'incendie de 1981 et et son acquisition par une société civile immobilière  Château de Castellnou.

Racheté en octobre 2018 au Crédit Agricole Sud Méditerranée par le Conseil Départemental pour l'euro symbolique, il devrait rouvrir au public après d'importants travaux de mise en sécurité pour l'été 2020 .

Architecture

Château
Le château a un peu la forme d'un pentagone irrégulier avec deux côtés seulement se coupant à angles droits.
Il est difficile de bien connaître l'aspect original du château, à cause des destructions qu'il eut à subir, mais aussi de la restauration-reconstruction du . Les photographies antérieures à la restauration ne nous montrent qu'une fenêtre dans la grande salle du château et non quatre comme actuellement, les trois autres sont réalisées à la demande d'Ernest de Satgé, ainsi que le crénelage.

Néanmoins, il est probable que la base des remparts remonte au , à la vue d'un appareil de blocs de schistes, posés en épis à la base de l'enceinte, sur nord de la grande salle logeant la muraille méridionale, depuis la base de la salle voûtée (n°1), jusqu'au dessus de la porte d'entrée de la grande salle (n°5). Ce qui représente une hauteur d'environ .

Le mur méridional présente deux appareils superposés de la base, à la partie supérieure des grandes fenêtres on trouve des pierres de forme carrée ou rectangulaire sur environ  de haut principalement en calcaire. Plus à l'ouest dans la partie supérieure c'est le schiste brun qui domine. Le mur occidental présente à peu près les mêmes dispositions, mais le schiste est plus présent en partie haute. Les pierres de taille en calcaire sont utilisées dans les angles nord-ouest et sud-ouest.

La base de la muraille de la face nord-ouest est en pierre de taille en calcaire blond à vacuoles sur environ une hauteur de deux mètres. L'enceinte du village qui se greffe sur ce mur de ce côté, est pourvue d'une poterne en plein cintre appareillée en pierres de taille. Elle était à l'origine renforcée de tours demi-cylindriques dont il n'en subsiste que huit. La muraille orientale du château présente la même composition que les autres, et c'est de ce côté que l'on trouve l'unique porte d'accès avec un arc en plein cintre en pierres calcaires, datée du . Elle devait probablement être surmontée d'une bretêche à l(origine. Cette porte donne accès à une avant-cour dans laquelle subsiste à gauche un corps de garde orienté nord-sud et voûté en plein cintre (n°1). Un escalier sonne accès à l'étage supérieur qui comporte une salle (n°2) superposée à celle du dessous, mais qui se prolonge jusqu'à l'angle sud-est par une autre salle (n°3). Il est possible qu'une salle existe au-dessus de cette dernière, elle serait alors située au même niveau et dans le prolongement du corps de garde. L'escalier longe le mur nord du bâtiment méridional jusqu'au niveau supérieur donnant accès à deux salles en équerre à partir de l'angle sud-est et de superficie différente. La plus petite (n°4), le long du mur oriental était autrefois voûtée. Elle était la salle où les vassaux des seigneurs venaient rendre hommage. On y pénétrait par une porte en plein cintre ouverte dans le mur ouest et donnant sur un ponceau amovible au dessus du couloir de l'escalier. Elle possédait une fenêtre ouverte dans la muraille orientale. Entre cette salle et le rocher constituant le sommet du rocher se situe une terrasse dans laquelle fut réalisée une citerne voûtée. Cette salle était l'unique accès grâce à une autre porte en plein cintre à la grande salle méridionale (n°5).

La Chapelle
La salle (n°5) aurait servie à l'origine de chapelle citée en 1020 comme étant sous les vocables de  Saint-Pierre, de la Sainte-Croix et du Sépulcre du Seigneur. Cette salle orienté est-ouest va se  rétrécissant  dans la direction du couchant avec une dénivellation qui correspond au décrochement sur le mur nord. Cette salle est pourvue d'une fenêtre qui à l'extérieur est surmontée d'un linteau qui repose sur trois corbeaux, taillés en cavet. La salle suivante  possède également une fenêtre les deux étant datées du . Julien-Bernard Alart en donne une description qui n'a pu être confirmée lors des derniers travaux de restauration à savoir la présence de trois piliers rectangulaires engagés, de faible suillie de chaque côté qui auraient divisé ainsi la nef en quatre travées surmontés de corbeaux ou tailloirs en quart de cercle, supposés soutenir d'éventuels arcs diaphragmes ou des poutres. Par contre quatre tailloirs en quart de cercle pouvant provenir de ce lieu furent réemployés dans la reconstruction de la rampe d'accès extérieure.

Une chapelle, qui devint ensuite une collégiale augustine, est mentionnée dans le castrum de Castelnou au . Mais le terme de castrum désigne aussi bien le château que le village fortifié, on ne sait donc pas si cette chapelle se trouvait dans l'enceinte du château ou dans celle du village. Il ne reste rien de cette chapelle, l'église subsistante est celle de Sainta-Maria del Mercadal (« du marché »), à l'extérieur des remparts du village.
Dans le prolongement de la chapelle, on trouve la salle (n°6), dont le mur nord fut entièrement reconstruit au

Les communs
Le bâtiment du nord-ouest est une construction du . A droite de la porte d'entrée  on peut des traces de toitures le long de la muraille nord, se qui pourraient  être  l'emplacement des écuries.

Remparts du château
Une simple enceinte sans tours de flanquement, ni archères est en effet caractéristique d'une époque où la poliorcétique n'est pas développée.  Les remparts crénelés mesurent trois mètres d'épaisseur. le crénelage actuel est une réalisation du .

Les murailles furent renforcées au cours des  et  pierre équarrie en calcaire, ainsi qu'au début du  avec un appareillage en schistes. A sa construction cette muraille s'élevait à environ 12 à 15 mètres

Notes et références

Annexes

Bibliographie
 Henri Mahé de Boislandelle, Castelnou et les Aspres, Canet, Éditions Trabucaire, coll. « Mémoire de pierres, souvenirs d'hommes », 2014, 203 p. , notice BnF no FRBNF43847073)
 Pierre Ponsich, Le Château de Castelnou, Perpignan, Le Publicateur, 47p, 1993.

Articles connexes
 Vicomté de Castelnou
 Castelnou
 Liste des châteaux des Pyrénées-Orientales

Castelnou, chateau de
Vicomté de Castelnou
Architecture militaire
Patrimoine du XIe siècle


Aberdeen alt rock act Cold Years release their new EP Northern Blue on 2nd March via Homebound Records. Emerging in late 2014 from the seeds of a personal project by Ross Gordon (vocals and guitar), the current line-up of the band is completed by Finlay Urquhart (guitar), Louis Craighead (bass) and Fraser Allan (drums).
Cold Years have released two studio EPs to date; Mile Marker (2015) and Death Chasers (2016) both showcasing their infectious brand of driving rock. The band's influences are deeply rooted in blues, rock 'n' roll, punk and Americana.
Think a Scottish version of The Gaslight Anthem with touches of The Menzingers. It's all blue collar punk tinged Americana with a knack for a hook. Let's be honest, you can probably forget about the Scottish bit, Cold Years are very much an American sounding band. Listening to the EP you'd be hard pushed to work out their origin.
Whether that's a bad thing or not, we'll let you decide. We'd be lying if we said it didn't cloud our judgement though. That issue aside, Northern Blue is a steady EP, 'Seasons' and 'Miss You To Death' are excellent stand alone tracks. The former is an immediate punk rock track that begs to be put on repeat while the latter plays to the template of The Gaslight Anthem at their most accessible.
It's a shame then that the final two tracks, 'What I Lost' and 'Final Call' are pretty forgettable. There's a hint of something really good at the basis of Cold Years, Northern Blue just falls a little short of expectations.


The Falcons were facing serious competition. And not just the competition on the field, the court and the ice. They were also competing for consumer entertainment dollars. Hart accepted the challenge of placing Bowling Green athletics in the consideration set and ran with it.
We created a series of television spots that carefully blended the rich tradition of BGSU athletics with a contemporary graphic approach that gave the Falcons wings. Football, basketball and hockey were highlighted in the spots, which featured current student athletes. Their energy and competitive spirit drove the message forward. Our goal was to convey the excitement and drama inherent in college athletics and encourage viewers to feel the energy of BGSU sports where it's most rewarding – from the stands.


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CLA Committees
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Committee Description
1. Access to Justice The purpose of the Access to Justice Committee is to create opportunities for CLA members to volunteer on Access to Justice projects, pro bono opportunities and other work on priorities identified by the Association and the California Lawyers Foundation.
2. Amicus Committee The Amicus Committee reviews applications to file or participate in an amicus brief; provisionally approves or denies the application; if approved, works closely with the drafters to prepare the brief; provides a copy of the brief to the Board of Representatives together with a summary of the brief and a brief explanation of the determinations made by the Amicus Committee.
3. Audit Note: Per CLA's bylaws, only open to Board Representatives. The Audit Committee of the Board hires CLA's auditors, receives and reviews the annual financial audit and the form 990 and works with the CLA team as appropriate to improve internal controls and mitigate risk.
4. Awards The Awards Committee supports CLA's Annual Awards celebrations. Committee members are responsible for establishing which Awards will be given and selecting who will receive the awards.
5. Budget & Finance The Budget and Finance Committee works with the CFO and CLA staff to assist the Sections and the CLA in monitoring budgets and investments and developing annual budgets. The committee makes budget policy recommendations to the Board of Representatives.
6. Civic Engagement & Education CLA's Committee on Civic Engagement and Education will work to raise awareness about the importance of civic knowledge and participation. The Committee will connect lawyers and other legal professionals to various volunteer opportunities that promote civics education including programs that highlight the legal profession and the role of the courts. In addition, the Committee will assist in convening stakeholders to address policy considerations to advance civic education goals.
7. Diversity Advisory Council The purpose of the Diversity Advisory Committee will be to review and create opportunities for CLA members to volunteer or advance inclusion, equity and diversity projects and other priorities identified by the Association or the California Lawyers Foundation.
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9. Ethics Committee Note: This Committee is not currently accepting new members. The Ethics Committee will provide feedback and comment on proposed opinions, rules and legislation impacting attorney ethics and professionalism; write advisory opinions on ethical issues where guidance is needed; develop educational content on ethics issues impacting the entire profession; act as a resource to Sections and the CYLA who provide practice area-specific ethics content; and work closely with both internal and external ethics groups, including COPRAC and county bar associations.
10. Governance The governance committee makes recommendations to the Board of Representatives about governance issues facing CLA as such issues arise.
11. Governmental Affairs The Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) advises the Board of Representatives on legislative issues and other governmental affairs matters; considers requests for CLA to take positions on or propose legislation; and resolves disputes, if any arise, between CLA's Director of Governmental Affairs and a CLA Section or between Sections over whether a Section may take a requested position on legislation.
12. Health and Wellness The purpose of this Committee is to recommend programming and develop or procure resources to promote attorney health and well-being, to reduce stigma associated with seeking help and related issues, to share best practices and to liaise with other organizations committed to the well-being of law students, lawyers, judges and other legal professionals.
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14. Policies Note: Per CLA's bylaws, only open to Board Representatives. CLA's Policies Board Committee considers and approves policies subject to oversight by the Board of Representatives as requested by members of the Board of Representatives.
15. Programs This Committee will help with content and speakers for the Annual Meeting (AM), the Solo & Small Firm Summit (SSFS), and other CLA-wide educational programs, such as webinars or summits. This committee will suggest keynote speakers and, in the event that more program suggestions are received for an event than slots are available, help select panels that are timely and likely to attract more participants and otherwise focus on the content and substance of CLA-wide educational offerings and flagship events.


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Diamonds engage both optical microscopy and MRI for better imaging
When doctors or scientists want to peer into living tissue, there's always a trade-off between how deep they can probe and how clear a picture they can get.
With light microscopes, researchers can see submicron-resolution structures inside cells or tissue, but only as deep as the millimeter or so that light can penetrate without scattering. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses radio frequencies that can reach everywhere in the body, but the technique provides low resolution — about a millimeter, or 1,000 times worse than light.
A University of California, Berkeley, researcher has now shown that microscopic diamond tracers can provide information via MRI and optical fluorescence simultaneously, potentially allowing scientists to get high-quality images up to a centimeter below the surface of tissue, 10 times deeper than light alone.
By using two modes of observation, the technique also could allow faster imaging.
The technique would be useful primarily for studying cells and tissue outside the body, probing blood or other fluids for chemical markers of disease, or for physiological studies in animals.
"This is perhaps the first demonstration that the same object can be imaged in optics and hyperpolarized MRI simultaneously," said Ashok Ajoy, UC Berkeley assistant professor of chemistry. "There is a lot of information you can get in combination because the two modes are better than the sum of their parts. This opens up many possibilities, where you can accelerate the imaging of these diamond tracers in a medium by several orders of magnitude."
The technique, which Ajoy and his colleagues report in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, utilizes a relatively new type of biological tracer: microdiamonds that have had some of their carbon atoms kicked out and replaced by nitrogen, leaving behind empty spots in the crystal — nitrogen vacancies — that fluoresce when hit by laser light.
Ajoy exploits an isotope of carbon — carbon-13 (C-13) – that occurs naturally in the diamond particles at about 1% concentration, but also could be enriched further by replacing many of the dominant carbon atoms, carbon-12. Carbon-13 nuclei are more readily aligned, or polarized, by nearby spin-polarized vacancy centres, which become polarized at the same time they fluoresce after being illuminated with a laser. The polarized C-13 nuclei yield a stronger signal for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) — the technique at the heart of MRI.
As a result, these hyperpolarized diamonds can be detected both optically — because of the fluorescent nitrogen-vacancy centres — and at radio frequencies, because of the spin-polarized carbon-13. This allows simultaneous imaging by two of the best techniques available, with a particular benefit when looking deep inside tissues that scatter visible light.
"Optical imaging suffers greatly when you go in deep tissue. Even beyond 1 millimetre, you get a lot of optical scattering. This is a major problem," Ajoy said. "The advantage here is that the imaging can be done in radio frequencies and optical light using the same diamond tracer. The same version of MRI that you use for imaging inside people can be used for imaging these diamond particles, even when the optical fluorescence signature is completely scattered out."
Ajoy focuses on improving NMR — a very precise way of identifying molecules — and its medical imaging counterpart, MRI, in hopes of lowering the cost and reducing the size of the machines. One limitation of NMR and MRI is that large, powerful and costly magnets are needed to align or polarize the nuclear spins of molecules inside samples or the body so that they can be detected by pulses of radio waves. But humans can't withstand the very high magnetic fields needed to get lots of spins polarized at once, which would provide better images.
One way to overcome this is to tweak the nuclear spins of the atoms you want to detect so that more of them are aligned in the same direction, instead of randomly. With more spins aligned, called hyperpolarization, the signal detected by radio is stronger, and less powerful magnets can be used.
In his latest experiments, Ajoy employed a magnetic field equivalent to that of a cheap refrigerator magnet and an inexpensive green laser to hyperpolarize the carbon-13 atoms in the crystal lattice of the micro diamonds.
"It turns out that if you shine a light on these particles, you can align their spins to a very, very high degree — about three to four orders of magnitude higher than the alignment of spins in an MRI machine," Ajoy said. "Compared to conventional hospital MRIs, which use a magnetic field of 1.5 teslas, the carbons are polarized effectively like they were in a 1,000-tesla magnetic field."
When the diamonds are targeted to specific sites in cells or tissue — by antibodies, for example, which are often used with fluorescent tracers — they can be detected both by NMR imaging of the hyperpolarized C-13 and the fluorescence of the nitrogen-vacancy centres in the diamond. The nitrogen vacancy-centre diamonds are already becoming more widely used as tracers for their fluorescence alone.
"We show one important cool feature of these diamond particles, the fact that they spin polarize — therefore they can glow very bright in an MRI machine — but they also fluoresce optically," he said. "The same thing that endows them with the spin polarization also allows them to fluoresce optically."
The diamond tracers also are inexpensive and relatively easy to work with, Ajoy said. Together, these new developments could, in the future, allow for an inexpensive NMR imaging machine on every chemist's benchtop. Today, only large hospitals can afford the million-dollar price tag for MRIs. He currently is working on other techniques to improve NMR and MRI, including using hyperpolarized diamond particles to hyperpolarize other molecules.
Source: UC Berkeley
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