This video stars Tyler Gray, and Jayden Hogan in a romantic music video.
This is a wordless music video I created called “Ups And Downs”. This video illustrates the ups and downs of relationships. I made this is in Maryville Missouri and tried to utilize actions more than words to tell a story.
PARANOIA
This video stars Tyler Gray, and Ashley Distefano in a short horror film.
This film was comprised in Maryville Missouri and was filmed in my house at the time. This film demonstrates scary content as well as laid-back comedic content to spice things up.
FINDING NEMO RECUT AS A HORROR TRAILER
In this video, I recut “Finding Nemo” clips to make a horror film trailer.
When I made this I thought it would be fun to restructure a film from a comedy-drama to a horror film. I recut clips from the film “Finding Nemo” and came up with this horror trailer.
how one winter storm opened the eyes of our nation.
It all started with the image above. In late February I was told to pick a prominent, topical, political or social issue that I could use as the inspiration for a culture jam image as a project for my media design class. At the time, the snowstorm in Texas was all over the news, for good reason too, which is why it became the perfect candidate for my project.
When I first started working, I didn’t really know much about the situation going on in Texas, all I knew was that there was a terrible storm and that there was something about a power outage. Obviously I started to do a little research to get some background for my image that I wanted to produce, and in doing so, I began to see the actuality of the events in Texas unraveling before me. It became clear that this was about more than just a freak winter storm, and rather the dangerous effects that capitalism can have on our country. By no means do I think capitalism is a bad thing; in fact I think it has done some great things for our country – hell, America prides itself on being the capitalist country, the epitome of what a capitalist nation should be – but when I see that people’s right to basic necessities like food water, shelter, and heat, that’s when there is an obvious problem.
As I read more and more, I saw that this was much bigger of a problem than I had originally anticipated. While I could’ve simply left the matter alone and just did what I was asked to do for my project, turning a blind eye on the dark truth that lies behind this event, I knew deep-down that I had to talk about it; I am a journalist after all.
If we continue to ignore it and refuse to accept the fact that there needs to be some jurisdiction over certain elements of capitalism, then we will see more events like what happened in Texas occur more frequently. My intention is not to trash on capitalism, nor am I trying to proclaim myself to be some die-hard, socialist warrior, but rather I am going to provide you with background on the event that took place, connect this event to capitalism and define what it means, address why this is a problem, and provide a solution so that we can put an end to this clear abuse of power and avoid an economic, political and social downfall. Ultimately, I am here to advocate that public resources and basic needs should be exploited and controlled by people with money and power.
Before The Storm
In order for you to fully comprehend the gravity of my message, it’s important that I explain to you what happened in Texas last winter. By prefacing with this, I am able to take you through my thought process and show you what led to me falling down this rabbit hole. I want you to feel the spark that I felt, the abundance of emotions that all came swelling at once: the rage, the upset, the aching of my heart, the passion.
The Storm
It began with these images:
FORT WORTH, TX – FEBRUARY 18: People shop depleted produce aisles in Central Market after a snow storm on February 18, 2021 in Fort Worth, Texas. Winter storm Uri has brought historic cold weather and power outages to Texas. Residents have gone days without electricity and fresh water after a catastrophic failure of the power grid in the state. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
This is a clear representation of the Capitalist threat. Private ownership of these things can cause for a lot of gray area when deciding who is and who is not allowed to access basic things which I will discuss later.
Reasons this is bad
This private ownership of public resources is bad for many reasons. It creates inequality, economic instability, monopolistic power, huge environmental costs, among many more things.
So, how do we solve this?
When we look at the easy solution to all of this, it becomes clear that the first step is getting private companies like ERCOT to be owned by the Federal Government so that there is no room for debate on who is allowed access to these resources. ERCOT was able to essentially look at the highest bidder and give them their power back first. Are we insinuating that people with more money are more deserving of basic necessities?
When we look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, we see that physical needs are the most basic level! We cannot have private ownership of these needs if we want to see a thriving nation.
You are scrolling through Instagram in your room on your old iPhone 6s as the familiar sound of a low battery beep rings into your ears. Annoyed that it needs to be charged a second time today, you plug it into your port as it begins to charge slowly. As it is charging up, you scroll through Apple’s support page on your laptop to see if other people are experiencing the same battery problems as you. On the page, you see others complaining about the low battery life and other problems they are facing regarding charge time. As you sit there baffled by the situation, you realize you aren’t the only person who is dealing with these problems.
Many iPhone 6s and 7 users dealt with this dilemma in 2016 and 2017. Called “Batterygate”, this revolved around Apple users who discovered that the company had secretly been slowing down their iPhones CPU performance, due to an aging battery, without notifying them about the situation.
As an avid phone user, who is constantly getting on my phone to play games, scroll through Twitter feeds, and watch hours of YouTube, the idea of the battery being replaced after constant use is understandable. However, what really makes me mad about the situation is Apple not telling their customers about the problem in hopes for them to go out and buy the new iPhone product.
Though I don’t own any sort of Apple product, this is still important to not only Apple users but also any technology users because it shows to us how greedy Apple is as well as how they are hurting the loyalty of their customers.
Courtesy of pcmag.com
History of Apple’s “Batterygate” Scandal
According to ifixit.com, the first instance of “Batterygate” began in 2016, where Apple began to receive reports of problems occurring in older iPhones, like the s6 and 7, where their users began to experience technical issues in the forms of accidental shutdowns. This would lead Apple announcing that problems like these, specifically for the iPhone 6s, only occurred in a “very small number” of phones.
With an increase in reports, Apple decided to release a patch in January 2017 to secretly combat these issues. Through fixing a variety of security bugs and patches, Apple reduced shutdowns at the cost of reducing performance in their phones. Though they thought they were successful in not telling the public about what they done, it wasn’t until December 2017 when the truth unraveled.
In a Reddit post that conducted research of CPU on these phones as well as the aging process of the battery, it was discovered that the old battery was an issue, meaning you could replace it and receive the same phone performance as if it was brand new. This led to Apple releasing a statement about phone throttling, which caused public outcry and the start of many lawsuits.
The Lawsuits
In the beginning, as found from USA Today, the first lawsuits came from two consumers in Los Angeles who filed a breach of contract against Apple due to them not consenting for their phones being slowed down. This would lead to other lawsuits such as one in Chicago, where four consumers asked for $4 million in damages due to Apple tricking them into purchasing a new iPhone for better performance, and in New York, where five consumers filed a suit against them due to them having to purchase a new iPhone for better performance. These would be the start of more than 50 lawsuits against the company for not opening their consumers about them purposely slowing down their performance as a way to hide the truth about an aging battery.
As a way to try to win back the customers, Apple tried many different tactics in order to save their name. These would include discounted battery replacements in January 2018 to $29, providing information about battery health in iOS 11.3 in March 2018, and even offering a $50 credit to consumers who purchased who purchased an out-of-warranty replacement in May 2018. Though they would try and dismiss the lawsuit altogether, it would eventually be settled nearly three years later.
Apple’s updated battery page amidst their controversy. Courtesy of Neowin.com
Lawsuit Settlement
Tim Cook in the court hearing. Courtesy of Business Insider
In July 2020, a $310 million settlement was made against Apple, in which they had to pay $25 to each customer who was a part of this controversy. This would include iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus or iPhone SE devices that ran iOS version 10.2.1 or later before Dec. 21, 2017. This would have been paid in the form of a claim submitted by them.
Why This is Important to You
The reason why this is important to you, the cell phone user, because it shows that Apple would betray its customers in order to make a quick buck off the newest product. Represented in the cases in New York and Chicago, its users had to purchase the new iPhone in order to receive the same performance they could’ve received in their other phone. Apple knows that they could make money off of people based on the amount of loyally they get from their products.
Many Apple fans swear by their products and they have a large fanbase as well.I bet you are scrolling through an iPhone right now as you are reading this digital essay I made. Though you want to praise Apple for its advancements in technology when it comes to phones and computers, this controversy sheds a light to the greediness it has against you. In order to combat complaints against them, they would secretly try to hide it, putting the blame on the older system (which really isn’t old) instead of telling its users about it. This not hurts their loyalty, it also hurts their wallet, since they have to pay in order to receive better performance they already had.
Conclusion
Apple’s “Batterygate” controversy has hurt not only the reputation of their users, but also potential users who want to switch over to them. Though Apple has made many advancements in technology, consumers need to look out for them when it comes to what they do behind the scenes. This would provide you the ability to have a quality product in the long run, but also save them from spending lots of money on a new phone where their old one is perfectly fine.
Beauty standards have been a part of this world for as long as history has been written, especially when it comes to females. Females use to be told exactly what they had to wear each day and some women around the world are still living that reality in some form. However, our current society as a whole has taken these standards to a completely different level. These standards are negatively affecting the youth of our world mentally which can even lead to negative physical effects more than anyone else. These standards affect everyone subconsciously and consciously. Social media has been a key factor in the creation of this different level of beauty expectations. Nowadays, it is easy to go online and find hundreds of people getting praise for their looks that seem to come naturally. For many that results in an immediate realization that they look nothing like that, which makes people feel that they need to look like that to receive praise, validation, and love. Things like photoshop and plastic surgery have became increasingly more popular in the last five to ten years to truly be able to change themself to fit the standards which is something that has not been possible in decades and centuries past.
In an article written on “Project Helping” they write about how usually when mental health is mentioned people think of the brain. However, your mental health has a straight connection to your body as well and can affect it in many ways. These beauty standards promote mental disorders such as body dysmorphia, eating disorders, and depression. If someone is already suffering from these or other disorders seeing these beauty standards all over media can deepen them into their suffering. Creating a healthier body image can help battle unrealistic beauty standards and negative mental health at once. Some ways to promote a positive body image within yourself is to embrace what is in the mirror, make a list of things you enjoy about yourself and spend time with yourself. If you experience negative mental health symptoms from beauty standards it is important to not be hard on yourself and know it is normal.
Changing for Standards
A different article was written by Jaclyn Krizanic posted on “The Current” about how the rise of plastic surgery has changed how people react and deal with beauty standards. The article mentions how many celebrities get plastic surgery and deny it which leaves the public thinking that people look that way when they wake up everyone day. The Article went on the state that when celebrities embrace their surgery it encourages a positive mindset for the public. Plastic surgery isn’t a bad thing and should not be seen as the enemy, it’s the expectation to naturally look the same, unknowingly that surgery created that look. Surgery makes beauty unrealistic and is what killing self-esteem and body image across the world. There is no way to completely wipe out all standards and fix the world’s insecurities however, as a society it is important to try and find a solution when things have been taken too far.
Beauty will never be definitively defined, it will be forever changing. Everyone looks different and is beautiful in some way. Help promote a positive body image for yourself and the people around you.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health you can call: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
If you’ve been on social media, watched TV or YouTube, or really been exposed to any kind of advertising, you may have noticed a trend in how companies market themselves and interact with people. Whether it’s the Wendy’s Twitter account making an “epic clapback”, things like Amazon’s “Alexa”, or Chase Bank going all in on gay “pride” month, companies want you to think of them like a friend. They want to look like they share the same values as you, can act like you, talk like you, and–most important–sell you stuff you absolutely need.
Maybe you think that this trend is a good thing, and that’s cool. Empty that wallet and swallow it whole, what do I care who takes the sinker with the bait? Whether you like it or not, this happens and will continue, and it is raising a populace that puts a lot of trust in multi-national corporate entities that see them as just $/€/¥. And when a company does something questionable or bad, they are surprised. “[Company] would never [human rights violation]! Their Twitter is so cool and hip!” Corporations are not people, and corporations are not your friend.
A Well Known Example:
You’ve probably heard of Nestle, and you probably know they sell bottled water and some food products. But they sell a lot more than water, as seen below. You may even be using or consuming a Nestle product right now.
Besides owning a whole bunch of crap, another thing Nestle loves to do is claim that water is not a human right. And a whole lot of other messed up stuff, which you can conveniently read in this article right here:https://www.zmescience.com/science/nestle-company-pollution-children
Oopsie!!
But ask anyone at Nestle and they’ll tell you how great of a company they are, how they care for the environment and sustainability and–right on their website–how they protect human rights.
Bonus pandering
Not An Isolated Event
All of this to say in short long form, a company will do whatever it can and pander to whoever it can to try and elevate itself in the public eye and erase or at least minimize past (and current!) “misdeeds”. As another example, here’s Coca-Cola’s Super Bowl commercial from 2018, focused on “inclusion”, “diversity” and any other buzzwords you can throw in.
How sweet, Coke really does care about us all!
Unless you’re a South American worker in their bottling plants and you try to form a labor union. Then good ol’ Coca-Cola brings out the paramilitary death squad and “takes care of the issue“.
So what’s the point, why does it matter, what do you do? Good question, do what you want. But be skeptical of why companies say certain things, or promote certain things. Not everything is the selfless and charitable act it seems.
I should add, this is all not to say “grrr, capitalism bad”. Capitalism good, actually. But some people who have money and power want more money and power, and do bad things, so watch out for yourself.
And remember, corporations are not people, but they are made up of people, and are controlled by certain people.
And those people have names and addresses. Something to think about.
In recent years mental health has become a major topic in our society and one demographic that mental health has been important for is teenagers and college students. Students have to deal with adjusting to living on their own, completing schoolwork, and finding a potential job. Now with Covid-19 anxiety and stress had increased among students as well as negative coping techniques. With the increase of stress, many students want a coping technique, which can often be a negative coping technique such as drugs, alcohol, or binge eating. But a very prominent one among teens and students is their phones. Phones are designed to be addictive and simply just to check Twitter or one more video can easily end in a four-hour binge. And now with classes being mainly online students spend almost every waking hour in front of a screen. But the thing is, it has become the norm in society for people to be on their screens, we humans depend so much on our screens. And now more than ever people are staying up late on their devices which is causing sleep deprivation which can add to the stress. This stress and addiction can also lead to students procrastinating and adding to the stress. Some alternatives to escaping into your phone can be reading a book or going for a walk.
The lack of sleep people are getting is increasing with people putting sleep off and wanting to stay up late and be on their phone’s in the need of ‘me time’ has damaged people’s mental health
This image shows a person laying on their bed and procrastinate which is adding stress to their life as she worries about school, parents, and her career, as everything is building up around her.
Helpful Tips
Mental Health Day
This video stresses the importance of Mental Health days and how it worked in Oregon and the importance of taking breaks from school.
Before even starting with the basic steps on how to build a gaming PC, ask yourself a simple question – “Why do you need a gaming pc?” When you have successfully reached an answer in your mind, you will either continue reading content on this website or realize that this is not the right place for you.
Now that you have made up your mind, here’s the real deal: We often follow trends on social media and invest in things that we don’t really need. In today’s world where Covid 19 has impacted the whole world and required us to work remotely, we have some spare time that could be utilized in various hobbies or passions that a person always wanted to pursue but could never find the time.
Well, I guess gaming is one of those passions for people like you and me. I see a lot of people have started showing interest in the gaming and the streaming world because they have the time to do it. What’s the next step? You need a PC that can fulfill your Gaming needs. The best and the worst part about gaming PCs is that their quality and performance totally depend on your need and budget. You can use a website like Newegg as we proceed to look for PC parts or pre-build gaming Pcs. If you’re totally oblivious about gaming computer components, you can read more.
This article will tell you all you need to know about gaming PC’s components, how they work, what’s best suited for your needs, and what fits your budget. I highly insist on reading it before we proceed any further because you’ll need to know how a computer functions before you build one of yours.
Let’s get started with –
Infographic by Sid on how to build a Gaming PC
1. GPU –
Start with GPU since The Graphics Processing Unit, or GPU, is the most important component in any Gaming PC and it is usually the most expensive component on any build list.
2. CPU –
The processor or central processing unit is essentially the “brain” of any computer. The CPU is considered the second most important component of a gaming PC, just after the graphics card, however, the most important for content creation.
3. CPU Cooler –
You need a cooler to preserve your processor from getting overheated.
4. RAM –
Random-access memory, commonly known as RAM or memory, is considered the third most important component for gaming performance. RAM is essentially your PC’s short-term memory, it’s fast and easy to access but it is temporary.
5. HDD/SSD –
An SSD, or solid-state drive, is a storage device with no moving parts and the information is stored in microchips, making an SSD much faster. HDD is an option if you need large storage. Having both is recommended for a good gaming experience.
6. Motherboard –
When looking at motherboards, the main difference between the low and high-end boards is usually overclocking abilities and premium features. Find a motherboard that is compatible with your Processor and GPU.
7. PSU –
The power supply, or as it’s commonly known, the PSU, is as straightforward as it sounds and provides power to your whole system. Choose a power supply that provides slightly more than enough power to your PC.
8. Case –
Buy a case that fits and supports your PC components. Make sure the form factor is compatible.
After you’ve decided on the parts that you’re going to purchase based on your gaming needs and budget, here is a video on how you can assemble these parts once you acquire all of them –
Steps on how to assemble your raw parts into a Gaming PC
Consider this as a guideline while assembling your PC parts. I know you’re excited and new to this but don’t get overconfident. You think you know what goes where but there are very fine details that you need to know while assembling these parts. One tiny mistake and you can damage a $400 part in a matter Either watch the video or read the article to avoid any mistake that you might regret.
Now that your Gaming PC is ready to go, what other things can you do with your gaming PC?
I am pretty sure that while you were looking for the appropriate GPU to buy for your computer, a question bothered your mind that “Why are GPU’s so expensive and hard to find?”
While the increase in gamers and low production due to Covid are playing a role in creating a huge demand for GPUs in the market there is one more factor that most of us don’t know about. This is the rise in cryptocurrencies. Recently, as Tesla founder Elon Musk started investing in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, people have started using their GPUs for mining.
If you want to read more about this, here’s an appropriate article for you – *READ ME*
Use your Gaming PC for not only entertainment but also to make some extra cash on the side. This is not just an experience, it’s a whole Investment.
Homeless-Being without stable and appropriate housing.
Photo by AARP
In the United States there are over 18 million veterans and 567,715 homeless people, out of this number 37,085 are homeless veterans. Veterans are likely to become homeless due to unemployment, lack of affordable housing, substance abuse, mental illnesses, and self isolation.
Infographic by Baylee Ramseier
I’m very passionate about veterans who are homeless. I have many family members that are veterans, fortunately none of them were homeless, but that is not the case for all. There are 1.4 million men and women enlisted to serve our country and keep us safe, when they come home they should also feel safe. Why can’t we protect the ones who have protected us? There are many great programs in the U.S. that help rehabilitate homeless veterans.
Veterans Community Project
The Veterans Community Project is a program that helps homeless veterans. Their headquarters is in Kansas City, MO and are making their way to Colorado and St. Louis.
The Veterans Community Project is a program created by veterans for veterans. VCP has a mission to end veteran homelessness nationwide. Their headquarters is in Kansas City, MO and are making their way to Colorado and St. Louis. The first expansion was in Longmont, Colorado. VCP has begun the expansion of their mission of serving 8 communities by 2022. They provide housing, counseling, health care, employment referrals, and a community for veterans in need. There are many ways to get involved to help them with their mission.
Get Involved
Host an Event- You can do a lot of different things to help out VCP. They have had people host fundraisers tournaments, concerts, and much more.
Donate Goods- Help by donating! They take furnishing for the homes for the veterans. They are also looking for meal boxes for the veterans who visit. These items are just simple pantry foods. They also take snack bags! These are bags filled with snack food like granola bars, fruit cups, and much more!
Volunteer- Become a volunteer! Help out in the office by welcoming guest, answering phones, and organizing events, Help with building homes for our veterans, Be a stager, which is a group of people that come in and decorate the house to turn it into a home.
Plan a Service Project- Service projects are great for school groups, clubs, and much more. Do a service project by having a snack bag packing party, help decorate the homes, and collect new socks for our veterans.
Volunteers at Veterans Community Project. Photo by VCP.
After finding this great program that is close to home, I’m excited to volunteer to help the ones who have served for my freedom. There are many organization just like this. Click the link to find the top five veteran charities. Be the change, be the help, be the love.
Watermelon is a tropical fruit that belongs to the Cucurbitaceous family. It is grown mostly in Africa and possesses so many vitamins and nutrients but what you may not know is just how important it is to eat the entire fruit. Yes, seed and back included.
Uncut Watermelons
Watermelon is a pretty large fruit, almost the size of two adult heads combined in most cases. This huge tropical fruit is made up of 3 parts, the flesh, seeds, and rind. Its flesh is juicy red and is often enjoyed eaten as it is or drank as a smoothie especially on a hot summer’s day.
However, people tend to discard the seeds and rind once they are done consuming the flesh because it is believed to be the only edible part since it is the sweetest, but that is not the case. The seeds and rind may not be as tasty but they have been proven to possess a lot of nutrients and vitamins that are good for the body, some of which are especially important for diabetic patients and those dealing with high blood pressure, to consume.
Trash being disposed
Also, with the planet facing so many problems due to food waste, consuming an entire watermelon helps to reduce some of its effects. Contained in this article are some recipes that have watermelon seeds and rind as key ingredients and some benefits of eating not just the flesh but the seeds and rind as well.
The rind possesses more amino acids than the flesh which helps relax and dilate the blood vessels. There are several watermelon rind recipes like rind curry, rind chutney, candied rind and so on. The rind which is a similar texture to that of cucumber handles heat really well and is very safe for the environment. The only thing you will discard is the thin green back.
It’s all about exploring your options and seeing what works for you. I will advise those who are better suited for spicy meals to try making the watermelon rind curry while those who are not too keen about flavorful food to try the candied rind.
Recipe for Watermelon Rind Curry
Candied Watermelon Rind
I hope you were not planning on spitting out your seeds the next time you have a watermelon. Good, cause you need to keep them for this awesome roasted watermelon seeds recipe which requires just 3 easy to get ingredients. All you need is watermelon seeds of course, salt and water. And the most interesting thing about this recipe is that it is totally up to you to add whatever you want once its done. Some suggested flavors include cinnamon powder, sugar or even chili powder.
Watermelon seeds are important for a lot of things, but it will surprise you to know that they could be used as natural beauty hacks. Using the seeds give glowing skin and improves the quality of hair.
Still not convinced to try out any of the recipes listed above, here’s an infographic describing the various important roles that parts of the watermelon play in the human body. Those struggling with diabetes, high blood pressure and bad cholesterol or blood sugar levels especially need to pay attention to this.
Watermelon Infographic
So with summer fast approaching and people rushing to get the largest watermelons so they can make smoothies and juices, remember to not be in a hurry to throw away the seeds and rind. Use the opportunity to try new things and even help save the planet while at it.
The topic that I chose was Depression and anxiety mid Pandemic. In my opinion, everyone that is able to, should do counseling or any kind of therapy to deal with stress and depression caused by the pandemic. This global pandemic has been around for a long time and no one thought that we would be having to deal with it for this long when it started. The impact cause on people’s lives is unexplainable, some people are barely affected, but others, especially people with mental illnesses/depression suffered and are still being impacted by how the virus shifted things. Not to mention that a lot of people were diagnosed with depression weeks later after the virus hit. The 2 biggest causes of people getting into depression during this pandemic is the lack of social interaction, which can lead to loneliness and eventually in some cases suicidal thoughts, and of course, people who owned businesses that were not be able to function during the lockdown. Overall, I hope this webpage helps you understand a little bit more about the COVID-19 pandemic, how to deal with anxiety and depression a little bit better, and how many people were affected by it.
How the pandemic changed the world
This link talks about 10 ways COVID-19 changed the world, and I agree 100% with it. It goes over the most important factors that changed us as a society and the way we behave. I really liked this article because it is simple to understand and it is definitely not boring to read. It also talks mostly about what I wanted to cover on this webpage.
All of a sudden all of us are wearing masks and it’s the new ”fashion” of 2020.
3 – Anxiety and depression
Depression was one of the most discussed topics during this pandemic. The lockdown and social distancing played a big role on the rise of suicidal thoughts, especially among teenagers and young adults.
Depression and Anxiety During the Pandemic
One of the biggest impact that Covid brought to our society is depression and Anxiety.
Composite Image
”Anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts are skyrocketing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study suggests.”
The article talks about depression and suicidal thought during the pandemic. And I will be going over some data that it provides. It is full of detail and information, and it is great for people who want to have a better understanding on the impact of people’s mental health.
According to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which got information from more than 5,400 U.S. adults, more than 60% of them reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder.
This video by extratv gives tips on ways to overcome depression during the outbreak. It’s short but it’s really interesting, and if people could follow these tips it would really help them to not fall into depression.
