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#Maker&039;s hand
livechristcentered · 10 months
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God's Glory, Our Delight
In wond’rous grace, God hath ordained our fate,To be the mirrors that his greatness show,Like telescopes that magnify stars’ state,We’re fashioned to reveal his radiant glow. His goodness, truth, and beauty he bestows,With wisdom’s gift and justice firm and pure,His glory in our deepest joys arises,For in our pleasure, his praise doth endure. We, beings molded by the Maker’s hand,Find truest…
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DevilDriver - Clouds Over California: The Studio Albums 2003 – 2011 CD Kritik
DevilDriver – Clouds Over California: The Studio Albums 2003 – 2011 CD Kritik
Am 29. Juli 2022 ist mit “Clouds Over California” eine Sammlung der ersten fünf Studioalben der amerikanischen Metalband im Frontmann Dez Fafara erschienen. 2002 hat sich die Band in Santa Barbara gegründet. Unter den fünf Alben fällt das selbstbetitelte Werk “DevilDriver”, “The Fury Of Our Makers Hand”. ‘The Last Kind Words” aus dem Jahr 2007 , “Pray For Villains” (2009) und ihr fünftes Album…
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m3t4ln3rd · 2 years
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DevilDriver's Clouds Over California The Studio Albums: 2003 - 2011 Box Set release delayed
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taniagoody · 5 years
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My Forever Firm Fortress
My Forever Firm Fortress
Life is uncertain. It seems that at the moment you think you have everything together, something else is just around the corner to show you otherwise. You may plan for a “good day” but other things come up. You may think work is going well, your relationships are solid, finances are good, and one thing happens to change your situation. Life is comprised of seasons. Every day brings changes. Some…
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dwuerch-blog · 2 years
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Who is YOUR Someone?
Who is YOUR Someone?
President Ronald Reagan coined the phrase: “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” That quote speaks volumes to me when I think about the “someones” who might have passed my way without me giving them a second thought. I might have been so caught up in my own little world that I didn’t even notice the face of a lonely or hurting “someone”.God sends a “someone” to us as the answer…
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kenpiercemedia · 6 years
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Devildriver Announces Remastered Catalog via BMG Music
The Press Release: Southern Californian groove metal kings DEVILDRIVER are set to reissue revamped editions of their first five albums via BMG on CD on September 28, 2018. Limited edition LP versions will be available as part of Rocktober promotions in the U.S. with DevilDriver, The Fury Of Our Maker’s Hand, and The Last Kind Words on October 2 and Pray For Villains and Beast on October 16. For…
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cesarvinj655-blog · 4 years
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Roof Underlayment And Also Why It'' s Vital
Ensure to speak with neighborhood building codes before having a metal roof covering installed directly over old tiles. Some jurisdictions may call for complete tear-off whenever a new roofing system is installed. A possible issue with this sort of installation is caught water vapor. Wetness can develop up as well as cause mold and rot if trapped between the metal roof as well as old roofing. Yet roofing contractors can set up an aired vent metal roofing system that removes this possible trouble.
foot installed. It will set you back around $9 to $12 per sq. foot set up for a standing seam metal roofing. Steel is a life time roof therefore top quality is essential. Spending extra on a high-quality metal roof covering is an once in a lifetime expense.
How long will a metal roof last?
The simple answer is yes, your roof does need an underlayment. If your metal roof is going on top of asphalt shingles, then there is already an underlayment, and it likely doesn't need another.
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How To Discover A Budget-friendly and also Reputable 14x18x1 Air Filter?
Think of it like saran wrap, just another layer of protection. Underlayment looks a dreadful lot like a long slim tarpaulin that is positioned under your shingles; however, it is traditionally made of heavy black felt paper that has a layer of asphalt on its surface area, which is positioned there to aid bond your roof shingles to it. Keeping that said, similar to any type of technology in the previous a number of years, underlayment has made advancements too.
Metal Roof Covering Can Be Mounted Over Existing Roofs
This is where you actually add the "steel" in the "metal roofing system." When you're back up on the roof covering, start at the area with the longest square video location. You can use 1 1/4 inch nails for the installation of eave flashing. Next, you prepare to set up the metal roof. The eave flashing, or bordering, is simply the steel metal strips utilized to cover the entire border of the roof covering.
Metal roof covering is notorious for being loud, hot and also chilly, loud when it rains, cold in the wintertime and hot when the sunlight beams.
These include waterproofing, reflective surface areas for insulation, and thermal insulation.
Blockages can take place over time when insulation is added to a house.
Conversely, when compared to asphalt-based membrane layers, butyl-based self-adhering sheet membranes supply defense in heat settings where the in-service temperature level can get to temperature levels as high as 240ºF.
It can also help enhance the fire resistance of your house.
5. Dupont Protector & Underlayment for Steel Roof
Upgraded roof covering underlayment is usually defined in cool climates for additional security versus ice dam leak, while high temperature underlayments are made for usage in heat atmospheres where the in-service temperature level can reach temperature levels as high as 240ºF. Underlayment products for usage under standing joint steel roofing systems should be carefully selected to supply a roof system that carries out optimally throughout the life of the building. A number of considerations need to be attended to in the roof design, consisting of making sure that the 4 obstacles required in any type of structure enclosure i.e., water obstacle, thermal insulation obstacle, vapor retarder, as well as air barrier are supplied and are in the proper area for a provided climate. Designer Roof in Dallas, TX. We give exceptional household roof services, focusing on stone covered steel and also standing seam steel roof coverings.
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Concerning Firm
What is the labor cost to install a metal roof?
Two feet is the general maximum length for a typical roof overhang. This will protect a roof from most types of damage. Roof overhangs can extend farther than 2 feet, but beyond this length, they begin to http://paxtonynji387.bravesites.com/entries/general/jigsaws-how-to-use-and-cut-with-jigsaws lose structural integrity and require external supports.
This creates a pressurized system. If on the other hand, you have extra exhaust air vent than intake air vent, you can start to bring air as well as weather in with the exhaust vents on the roof-- not a good thing. Air flow item makers will certainly have the ability to tell you the quantity of ventilation offered by their items, or you can compute it on your own.
It is a little expensive than tiles. Steel roof coverings last for a life time and also they prove to be fairer over time. Metal roofs have a fashionable however simple appearance. They maintain houses cool down in summer conserving on power bills of as much as 40% of the annual power cost. Making use of steel as a roofing material is more expensive however it comes with its very own advantages.
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New Post has been published here https://is.gd/l6cXmN
Wealth List Reveals China's 13 Biggest Crypto Billionaires
This post was originally published here
Chinese entrepreneurs behind some of the biggest cryptocurrency startups in the world have made the country’s billionaire list for the first time.
Hurun, the organization that tracks high net-worth individuals in China and worldwide, on Wednesday released its latest list of the wealthiest executives in China – all being worth at least 2 billion yuan, or $288 million.
Based on the report, six people from major bitcoin mining firms and cryptocurrency exchanges now hold a net worth of more than $1 billion each, while, in total, 13 executives from the industry made it to the list.
Notably, Zhan Ketuan, chairman and co-founder of the five year-old, Beijing-based mining firm Bitmain, is the only person to be listed among the top 100 richest in China (ranked 95th), with 29.5 billion yuan (or $4.25 billion), the report shows.
Zhan is followed by Wu Jihan, also a co-founder of Bitmain, who has 16.5 billion yuan, or $2.38 billion, in net worth.
Founders of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges have also become newly made billionaires, despite the recent downturn in the cryptocurrency market. Binance’s Zhao Changpeng, Huobi’s Li Lin and OKCoin’s Star Xu, are the next on the list among the richest cryptocurrency entrepreneurs, with $2.1 billion, $1.4 billion, and $1 billion in net worth, respectively.
The report also estimated the wealth of Li Xiaolai, the English teacher-turned crypto investor, at around 7 billion yuan, or $1 billion.
Also notably, six out of the total 13 crypto executives who made it to the list are from Bitmain, while three come from the firm’s rival chip maker Canaan Creative. Another hails from the network hardware-turned bitcoin miner maker Ebang.
So far, all of the three mining firms have filed applications to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, seeking to go public in the Chinese autonomous territory and economic hub. Huobi, on the other hand, recently announced it had purchased over 60 percent of a Hong Kong-listed company – a move that could help the exchange go public via a reverse takeover.
Overall, Alibaba’s Jack Ma tops the Hurun list, being worth an estimated 270 billion yuan, or $39 billion.
Yuan image via Shutterstock
The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #btc #xrp #litecoin #altcoin #money #currency #finance #news #alts #hodl #coindesk #cointelegraph #dollar #bitcoin View the website
New Post has been published here https://is.gd/l6cXmN
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newssplashy · 6 years
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Tech: Stanford researchers are figuring out how ketamine fights depression — and why the drug has been called 'the most important discovery in half a century'
A new Stanford study is the first to illuminate how ketamine works in the brain to alleviate depression. The research suggests that the drug engages the opioid system — the same one that's activated by opioid painkillers — in addition to affecting the glutamate system.
A new study from Stanford sheds light on how ketamine works in the brain to alleviate depression.
The research suggests that the drug not only impacts a network of switches called the glutamate system, but also engages the opioid system — the same one that's activated by opioid painkillers.
The finding could have big implications for plans to turn ketamine into the next blockbuster antidepressant.
Ketamine's unique ability to staunch the symptoms of depression has earned it a new reputation in recent months. No longer seen solely as an illicit party drug, the compound is the focus of research into a novel class of antidepressants that could yield the first new depression drug in more than 30 years.
But the science of how ketamine stonewalls depression symptoms has remained murky. For years, researchers believed it worked by acting on a network of brain receptors called the glutamate system, which other popular antidepressants ignore. But a new study suggests that ketamine also influences the brain's opioid network — the same one engaged by opioid painkillers.
That could have implications for plans to turn the drug into a pharmaceutical. Drug companies including Allergan, Johnson & Johnson, and a San Francisco-based drug maker called VistaGen have all been looking to ketamine as inspiration for the next blockbuster antidepressant.
"When we say this is a new generation of drugs, we mean it. This drug is fundamentally different from all the other antidepressants that have been approved so far," Shawn Singh, VistaGen's CEO, told Business Insider in May.
The new paper, published Tuesday night in the American Journal of Psychiatry and funded by the National Institutes of Health, is the first to illuminate how ketamine exerts its effects in the brain.
Alan Schatzberg, a co-author on the paper and a professor of psychiatry at Stanford, told Business Insider that he hopes drug makers can use his team's discovery to streamline their efforts and avoid the pitfalls of antidepressant drug candidates that have failed.
"Before we did the study, I had some doubts about ketamine's use for treating depression," Schatzberg said. "Now I've seen the drug work, but I've also seen it doesn't work the way people originally thought."
How ketamine is distinct from existing depression drugs
Most existing antidepressants, from Abilify to Zoloft, work by plugging up the places where our brain takes up serotonin, a chemical messenger that plays a key role in mood. The result is more free-floating serotonin and, in some people, relief from a dark curtain of depressive symptoms.
But those effects don't occur in everyone who tries the drugs. In fact, up to 80% of the people who try existing antidepressants fail to see results. Plus, the drugs take four to six weeks to work. As a result, depression remains one of the world's leading causes of death.
Ketamine, on the other hand, affects key switches in the brain called NMDA receptors. Collectively, these switches are part of a larger network in the brain called the glutamate system. Like serotonin receptors, those for NMDA play an important role in our mood and help keep our emotions in check. But NMDA receptors also keep our brain's synapses — the delicate branches that serve as the ecosystem for our thoughts — flexible and resilient.
Depression appears to cause those synaptic branches to shrivel up and in some cases even die. Scientists think existing antidepressant drugs send help to those branches indirectly over time by way of serotonin. Ketamine, by contrast, delivers its aid directly by plugging up NMDA receptors like a cork and nipping depressive symptoms within hours.
This mechanism of action spurred some scientists to call ketamine "the most important discovery in half a century" in 2012.
The new study suggests that in addition to affecting the glutamate system, ketamine also impacts the same switches that are targeted by opioid painkillers.
For their work, the Stanford researchers gave 12 adults whose depression failed to respond to multiple treatments two infusions of ketamine. Before the first infusion, the participants took a drug that blocks the brain's opioid receptors. Before the second infusion, the participants got a placebo. (The participants and researchers were never told whether they were getting the drug or the placebo — a double-blind setup designed to minimize the chance that observed results were merely psychological.)
In more than half the cases in which the participants got the placebo, the ketamine appeared to reduce depressive symptoms by roughly 90%; the effects lasted about three days. Conversely, when the patients got the opioid-blocker before the ketamine, the ketamine had virtually no antidepressant effects.
This finding led the researchers to hypothesize that ketamine's activity takes place in different phases. In the first, the drug activates the brain's opioid receptors, quickly smothering depressive symptoms, one of the researchers suggested in the paper. In the second phase — which is thought to be key for ketamine's lasting antidepressant qualities — the drug appears to engage the brain's glutamate system.
What the next blockbuster antidepressant needs
Several drug companies have tried and failed to create a new depression drug that targets the NMDA receptors in the glutamate system. Pharmaceutical giant Roche pulled the plug on a drug called basimglurant in 2016 after it failed to show results in a Phase II study; AstraZeneca discontinued its work on a heavily-promoted candidate called lanicemine in 2013.
Yet ketamine's rapid-fire ability to stymie depressive symptoms has continued to baffle and inspire researchers looking for an alternative to current treatments.
Allergan, Johnson & Johnson, and VistaGen are all currently working to develop new ketamine-inspired drugs. In fact, two of the authors on the latest paper previously consulted for these companies: Schatzberg received a grant from Janssen, Johnson & Johnson's neuroscience partner, and study author Carolyn Rodriguez has consulted for Allergan.
None of the three drug candidates target the brain's opioid system, however.
Mark Smith, VistaGen's chief medical officer, said that although the results of the study are "intriguing," they would not directly impact the company's work on its new drug.
Similarly, a representative from Janssen, whose work with Johnson & Johnson has focused on a nasal-spray version of esketamine (the chemical mirror image of ketamine), told Business Insider in a statement that the Stanford study would not impact the direction of their work. They added that there were several issues with the study, including the fact that it was small and did not include "relevant control conditions."
But overall, the new study sheds light on important questions about why — and how — ketamine works to fight depression in the brain.
"I think this paper points us in the direction that the [opioid system] is an area for potential interest," Schatzberg said. "The question is, can we have a rational discussion about this in an era when there’s an opioid crisis?"
source http://www.newssplashy.com/2018/08/tech-stanford-researchers-are-figuring_29.html
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m3t4ln3rd · 2 years
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DevilDriver announce Clouds Over California The Studio Albums: 2003-2011
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newsini · 7 years
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Gamin's GPS devices already feature voice control, but if you'd prefer to have Alexa onboard, its latest product is more your jam. The GPS device maker has just released Garmin Speak, which it says is the first in-vehicle device with hands-free
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dwuerch-blog · 3 years
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Everyone Needs a Little Help Sometimes
Everyone Needs a Little Help Sometimes
Being with my Austin family for several days (and going back on Saturday), I watched everyone pitch in to get a job done around their home. Mama sent boys one way. The dad took over the areas of his expertise and mama put her organization skills to work. And I even played my part. We were a team, on purpose. At the end of the day, we accomplished the tasks at hand. We were all reaching out and in…
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indiannews7 · 7 years
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Fahadh Faasil-Anwar Rasheed's Trance Starts Rolling
Fahadh Faasil-Anwar Rasheed's Trance Starts Rolling
  Fahadh Faasil, the super talented actor is all set to join hands with film-maker Anwar Rasheed, for his upcoming directorial venture, Trance. The pooja ceremony of Trance was held recently (July 25, 2017) in the presence of the cast and crew members. Trance, which is scripted by Vincent Vadakkan, will feature director Alphonse Puthren, Vinayakan, Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, etc., in the…
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newssplashy · 6 years
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Pulse Interview: Visual artist Obayomi Anthony documents the harsh living conditions of university hostels
The Maker Lab births another extraordinary exhibit in the form of Obayomi Anthony's depiction of the wretched conditions facing students in hostels.
The Maker Lab is an expansion of  The Maker, a bi-annual portfolio review program launched in 2013 for young emerging artists to showcase their work to diverse panel of judges and the public in a portfolio review. This year African Artists Foundation launches a thrilling new exhibition space.
The Exhibition
The Maker Lab, which is solely focused on creating a platform for artists (aged 18-35) to showcase their work. The Maker Lab is a career springboard for emerging artists creating dynamic art.
The Maker Lab endeavours to function as a safe space for artistic dialogue between artists and their audiences, where artworks can be gleaned, appreciated and collected. It will be a space where young collectors and artists can grow in tandem.
Located in a new loft space at the African Artists’ Foundation, the Lab will exhibit new and dynamic works by young contemporary artists working with the same or similar thematic media/subject matter. They will be afforded the opportunity to have their works installed for public viewing, creating avenues for discussion, critique and sales through exhibitions, organised workshops and public round table discussions.
 The Artist
Obayomi Anthony is a photographer living in Lagos, Nigeria. Born 24th October 1994, he creates images and pursues documentaries that draw one into the stories of his subjects. Obayomi uses photography to tell the stories of people and society as his contribution to the development of the world and its people.
Obayomi is the award winner of the first LagosPhoto x National Geographic Portfolio Review,where he was awarded a $10,000 prize to further his career as a documentary photographer.
Pulse sat down with Obayomi Anthony to discuss his contribution to the 'Here is Home' exhibition and what inspired the project.
What’s the main thing you want people to take away from your exhibit?
An awareness, new information or just a reminder for something they might already know. With all my work I aim to share stories that stay longer in the minds of those who come in contact with it.
When did you first become aware of the issue of overcrowding in hostels and what inspired you to document it in such a way?
I was aware of the issue from the first day I moved into the school hostel in 2014, its a really difficult thing to unsee when you live in that system, but I only decided to start this project in October 2016, after attending a photography masterclass at LagosPhoto, there I was able to put my skill to test on a long term project for the first time and my inspiration came from personal experience and an a deep conviction in the importance of the story.
Do you believe this is symptomatic of a more serious problem with the University system as a whole in Nigeria?
My observations and encounters creating this documentary did open my eyes to other problems beyond accommodation and housing for students. The same gross irresponsibility and Negligence of duty by those whom we have handed the wheels of the Nigerian educational system is root to many other problems that are not being addressed or even discussed anywhere, most of these problems, unlike housing may not have a striking physical presence, but they are there. No solutions are being proposed, no one is held accountable for anything, and several students have been rusticated for speaking up and protesting.
What do you think would be a feasible solution to the problem of overcrowding in hostels?
Well, a first step is to inform ourselves, (something I think this project is seeing to currently) that we have a problem, and hold those who have been offered these jobs responsible for their actions and inactions. I also look forward to other opportunities that could help me extend this project to other parts of the world and explore how other governments and societies have been solving some of the problems we now face, by exploring how their students live and the challenges they also face and how these challenges are tackled.
What does being exhibited at The Maker Lab mean to you and what does the initiative as a whole mean for young artists such as yourself?
To young artists out there I will start by telling you that this exhibition did not cost me a penny, an all expense paid exhibition is a big boost that many young creatives as myself would appreciate especially at early stages of your career when bills for things such as exhibitions are impossible to pay.
I definitely encourage young artists and creatives to apply for future editions, the AAF is a good environment to develop your work and the team there is a really great one with nice people. As For myself, The maker Lab has helped me share my work with the society and put this important issue of student housing in Nigeria into more peoples discussions and conversations.
source http://www.newssplashy.com/2018/08/pulse-interview-visual-artist-obayomi.html
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newssplashy · 6 years
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The Maker Lab births another extraordinary exhibit in the form of Obayomi Anthony's depiction of the wretched conditions facing students in hostels.
The Maker Lab is an expansion of  The Maker, a bi-annual portfolio review program launched in 2013 for young emerging artists to showcase their work to diverse panel of judges and the public in a portfolio review. This year African Artists Foundation launches a thrilling new exhibition space.
The Exhibition
The Maker Lab, which is solely focused on creating a platform for artists (aged 18-35) to showcase their work. The Maker Lab is a career springboard for emerging artists creating dynamic art.
The Maker Lab endeavours to function as a safe space for artistic dialogue between artists and their audiences, where artworks can be gleaned, appreciated and collected. It will be a space where young collectors and artists can grow in tandem.
Located in a new loft space at the African Artists’ Foundation, the Lab will exhibit new and dynamic works by young contemporary artists working with the same or similar thematic media/subject matter. They will be afforded the opportunity to have their works installed for public viewing, creating avenues for discussion, critique and sales through exhibitions, organised workshops and public round table discussions.
 The Artist
Obayomi Anthony is a photographer living in Lagos, Nigeria. Born 24th October 1994, he creates images and pursues documentaries that draw one into the stories of his subjects. Obayomi uses photography to tell the stories of people and society as his contribution to the development of the world and its people.
Obayomi is the award winner of the first LagosPhoto x National Geographic Portfolio Review,where he was awarded a $10,000 prize to further his career as a documentary photographer.
Pulse sat down with Obayomi Anthony to discuss his contribution to the 'Here is Home' exhibition and what inspired the project.
What’s the main thing you want people to take away from your exhibit?
An awareness, new information or just a reminder for something they might already know. With all my work I aim to share stories that stay longer in the minds of those who come in contact with it.
When did you first become aware of the issue of overcrowding in hostels and what inspired you to document it in such a way?
I was aware of the issue from the first day I moved into the school hostel in 2014, its a really difficult thing to unsee when you live in that system, but I only decided to start this project in October 2016, after attending a photography masterclass at LagosPhoto, there I was able to put my skill to test on a long term project for the first time and my inspiration came from personal experience and an a deep conviction in the importance of the story.
Do you believe this is symptomatic of a more serious problem with the University system as a whole in Nigeria?
My observations and encounters creating this documentary did open my eyes to other problems beyond accommodation and housing for students. The same gross irresponsibility and Negligence of duty by those whom we have handed the wheels of the Nigerian educational system is root to many other problems that are not being addressed or even discussed anywhere, most of these problems, unlike housing may not have a striking physical presence, but they are there. No solutions are being proposed, no one is held accountable for anything, and several students have been rusticated for speaking up and protesting.
What do you think would be a feasible solution to the problem of overcrowding in hostels?
Well, a first step is to inform ourselves, (something I think this project is seeing to currently) that we have a problem, and hold those who have been offered these jobs responsible for their actions and inactions. I also look forward to other opportunities that could help me extend this project to other parts of the world and explore how other governments and societies have been solving some of the problems we now face, by exploring how their students live and the challenges they also face and how these challenges are tackled.
What does being exhibited at The Maker Lab mean to you and what does the initiative as a whole mean for young artists such as yourself?
To young artists out there I will start by telling you that this exhibition did not cost me a penny, an all expense paid exhibition is a big boost that many young creatives as myself would appreciate especially at early stages of your career when bills for things such as exhibitions are impossible to pay.
I definitely encourage young artists and creatives to apply for future editions, the AAF is a good environment to develop your work and the team there is a really great one with nice people. As For myself, The maker Lab has helped me share my work with the society and put this important issue of student housing in Nigeria into more peoples discussions and conversations.
via NewsSplashy - Latest Nigerian News,Ghana News ,News,Entertainment,Hot Posts,sports In a Splash.
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newssplashy · 6 years
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Tech: 'I’m going to destroy you': Employees who worked at YouTube say violent threats from volatile ‘creators’ have been going on for years (GOOG, GOOGL)
Some YouTube's videographers take out frustrations on company's employees
The attack on YouTube by Nasim Aghdam may be isolated act by a disturbed person but former employees say workers receive threats anytime major changes are made to the site.
YouTube's management stationed an armed guard outside one employee's house a decade ago after a user threatened her and her family.
Former employees say Facebook, Twitter or any other platform that offers a chance at notoriety should be concerned with implications of Aghdam's case.
YouTube managers had no way to predict Nasim Aghdam would go on a bloody rampage, but they had plenty of reasons to fear that someone like her might one day show up, say former employees.
Aghdam was the 38-year-old, disgruntled YouTube video creator who arrived at the company's San Bruno, California, headquarters on April 3 and began blasting away with a 9mm handgun. She wounded three staffers before she killed herself. Police say leading up to the shooting Aghdam, who was from San Diego, believed YouTube sought to censor her and ruin her life.
This kind of violence is unprecedented in YouTube's 13-year-history, though Aghdam's anger and paranoia aren't unique among the millions of people who create and post videos to the site, according to five former YouTube employees. In exclusive interviews, they told Business Insider that going back to the service's earliest days, frustrated creators — seething over one of YouTube's policy changes or the other — have threatened staffers with violence.
Typically the threats were delivered via email. At least once, a video creator confronted a YouTube employee face-to-face and promised he would "destroy" him. In another instance, a man enraged by the suspension of his account, promised to harm Mia Quagliarello, YouTube's first community manager, and her family. The person created a crude web page that was filled with menacing images and slurs against Quagliarello and her family. In an interview, Quagliarello said company managers considered the situation serious enough to station an armed guard outside her home for three days.
"I forwarded (the threats) to Google security and they took it super seriously," said Quagliarello, who worked at YouTube from 2006 to 2011. "They sent over someone, like an ex-cop type, to sit on my block, like 24-7."
Neither Google, which owns YouTube, nor YouTube responded to requests for comment.
Before Aghdam arrived, all the threats turned out to be just that: threats. All the employees interviewed said they knew of no other time when a creator tried to physically harm a YouTube employee. At this point, the indications are that Aghdam's attack was the kind of event that has become all too familiar in American society: an isolated act committed by a person with a shaky grip on reality.
People who may have developed an unhealthy dependency isn't a problem exclusive to YouTube, the former employees said. At least three of those interviewed have worked at some of the other top social networks and say employees there have also received threats.
As online services like Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat have emerged as broadcast mediums for the masses, in many cases offering tools and financial incentives that make it easy for anyone to try their hand at building a career as a viral star, the potential for problems increases.
"When you have a platform that serves everyone, there are going to be people who are emotionally unstable," said a former YouTube employee who requested anonymity. "Whenever platforms change, you get a lot of emails, some of them are rational. Some of them are irrational."
"I'm going to destroy you"
In the case of YouTube, the world's largest video-sharing site, the Google-owned company has a reputation as a star-maker. Anyone with the ability to attract viewers has the chance at generating notoriety and a share of ad revenue.
As YouTube's following has expanded and revenues ballooned, the opportunities for amateur videographers has also grown. In recent years, this has resulted in more and more people becoming financially and emotionally dependent on the service, say the former employees.
So, what happens when the spigot is turned off? Often in YouTube's history, managers have tried making improvements to the site. Sometimes these changes have led to reduced viewership and ad money for videographers.
YouTube has been dealing with the problem for at least nine years, going back to a 2009 homepage redesign. Although YouTube was not formally sharing ad revenue with video creators at the time, the currency of video "views" was incredibly valuable to people seeking a path to mainstream stardom.
After a YouTube product manager published a blog post announcing the 2009 homepage changes, he was barraged with angry notes in the comments section — including at least one death threat, say several people with knowledge of the matter.
Former YouTube staffers say that too often in such situations, irrational people try to take out their frustrations on YouTube's workers.
Eric Meyerson, a former head of YouTube's advertiser and creator marketing departments, said a male video creator approached him during a 2013 YouTube event at Google's offices in Santa Monica, California.
"He was in a really bad frame of mind," said Meyerson, who worked for YouTube from 2010 to 2013. "He said something to the effect that ‘If you keep fucking with my channel I’m going to destroy you. I’m going to hurt you,' and he implied that he was going to take it out on employees of YouTube ... although it was a threat and obviously I want to take it seriously, we were used to a lot of volatility among the creator community."
People hanging around outside the building
A year ago, revelations surfaced that ads appearing at YouTube from respectable companies were running alongside such fare as recruiting videos for terrorist groups and commentaries that included hate speech.
YouTube responded by removing material that advertisers might find unappealing — part of a series of rule changes called "demonetization."
Apparently, Aghdam's clips, mostly focused on fitness and animal rights, were caught up in the purge. She claimed the new policies were designed to censor her.
This type of thinking may seem paranoid but it's not unique among video creators, according to Meyerson. He said that though the vast majority of creators respond to changes at YouTube in a reasonable fashion, a fringe element always sees conspiracies and plots in every move made by the company's leadership.
"That’s a fairly typical complaint among creators," Meyerson said. "'My stuff isn’t that bad. Why am I getting demonetized?' People think it's because of their political views. Conservatives are especially paranoid about this. 'I’m being demonetized because I’m a conservative and Google is a bunch of liberals' ... [When] YouTube decided to demonetize controversial content, they happened to affect the most passionate people who had the most intense ideas. Whether it was about guns or controversial opinions," he added.
One former employee who requested anonymity, said that though he never saw any violence, he was accosted several times. He said people would wait outside YouTube's offices to speak with employees about changes to the homepage or algorithm that was affecting them.
"One time there was a guy in a suit who drove from Los Angeles," said the source. "He had my LinkedIn page open and he knew who I was. He wanted to talk to someone about his channel, I think. That's the only time I really got scared because this guy knew who I was ... when I heard about the shooting, that was my first thought. That it was one of those people hanging around outside."
Apparently such threats were common enough to prompt Google security to implement a reporting procedure, or an "escalation path," for employees to follow, according to another source who also preferred to remain anonymous.
Both Meyerson and Quagliarello said they always felt safe at YouTube's headquarters and that the company's security team takes the job seriously. One unnamed source made it a point to applaud the efforts of Marty Lev, the former vice president of security at Google who left the company in 2016 and is now head of physical security at Amazon Web Services.
Whatever security YouTube had before, it's about to get stronger. Alphabet has said following Aghdam's attack that it will increase security at its offices.
Asked if it would bother her to drive past YouTube's headquarters and see that the campus resembles a bunker or fortification, Quagliarello, YouTube's former community manager, said: "It would make me feel sad, but at the same time I’ve been thinking that we need more security in [Silicon Valley]. I feel like we’ve been pretty laid back here. Unfortunately I think it’s time to buckle up."
source https://www.newssplashy.com/2018/04/tech-im-going-to-destroy-you-employees_17.html
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