Monthly Archives: November 2019

Community Guidelines

For my website I have implemented the community guidelines outlined below. Since my blog is mainly a professional portfolio, there is not much community involvement, however, comments are allowed (but moderated by myself). The guidelines are in place to ensure comments are respectful and that the content within my website is protected from plagiarism. These guidelines work for my blog as they are in place to keep inappropriate or harmful content off of the blog and to prevent users from stealing/ copying my work without giving credit.

COMMUNITY GUIDELINES:

By commenting on my blogs, you are agreeing to abide by the following community guidelines. I reserve the right to remove comments posted by users if they violate these guidelines.

I am one person. I am a student and an artist trying to elevate my career so please be respectful of the following;

  • Keep comments relevant to the post on which you are commenting.
  • Do not post anything inappropriate, offensive, or hateful to myself or other users.
  • Don’t plagiarize..
  • Don’t post any material which may be discriminatory or cause offence on the grounds of an individual’s sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability or working status. (Love is love, people are people)
  • If you are reposting a post for whatever reason, you must tag/cite this website or the Instagram account (@mmh_portfolio)

Take responsibility for what you post. Would you show it to your mother? If not, then maybe you shouldn’t be posting it. This world already has so much hate, I don’t want any of it here. Just because you can’t see me, doesn’t mean your words don’t have an impact. Think before you post. I want this website to be a place of community, where artists and other users can communicate and grow from one another.

If you see a comment that violates these guidelines please direct message @mmh_portfolio on Instagram and please include the following

  • The title of the post the comment is on
  • The username of the user who made the comment
  • A screenshot or a copy & paste of the comment

COPYRIGHT

  • You agree that you will not use any of the content on my blog to post any copyright material or intellectual property that is not your own without the permission of the copyright or intellectual property holder unless permitted by copyright law

I reserve the right to change these guidelines at any time.

The Struggle

Since the beginning of the semester I have been trying to display only the blog posts on my homepage. The first approach I have tried was to make my homepage a static page, the problem with that was when I did that the slider on my homepage kept disappearing. Also, another problem I was facing […]

Week 12 Process Post

This week, we discussed some issues about nowadays’ online commentary and online shaming, we know that these problems can be easily found on social media platforms. Many people do not take seriously about their behavior on the internet, thus the conversations are not friendly but aggressive sometimes, as we usually said that the medium may be changed, but people do not. In class, we talked about a Twitter post from Justine Sacco, she posted that “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!”, maybe It was just a joke, but this post evoked public’s anger and everything changed after she turned off the flight, her life was totally destroyed by Twitter in just several seconds, she lost almost everything. This event is such a tragedy, while it also reminds us to rethink online shaming. Sometimes Internet users do not care about the truth, they prefer to follow public voice blindly. I believed that the real name system rather than anonymous can heal this issue effectively in some cases, people will be concerned about their online behavior, not say things without thinking, but sometimes the real name may create limitations for voice out, generally it really depends on the event itself.

For me, I am happy to give my opinion on my favorite topic online and notice avoiding shamed people, I rarely comment on gossip because I do not care about the sensitive topics. I set public comments for both my social media or blog website, which open for every person online, honestly, I’m not worried or afraid of online shaming, if anyone judges me hurtfully, I will delete it and keep the community peaceful. This week’s lecture-discussion really inspired me a lot, thus I decided to set up some community guidelines for my blog to prevent horrible shaming happening. My blog is about sharing my traveling stories, I hope everyone feels glad to read it and communicate with each other friendly, I am so excited to see funny and interesting comments.

My community guidelines are:

  • Strongly encourage comments about traveling-Be free and kind to comment anything about travel and share your feeling or unique experiences, but no advertisements.
  • Be respectful to everyone– Visitors need to respect author and each other, be aware to use appropriate language and create a harmonious environment together. No shaming, attacks, discrimination, and offensive comments.
  • Thinking before you comment-Thinking twice before making a comment, try to comment in a witty way.
  • Feedback or advice are encouraged
  • If anyone doesn’t comply, the comments will be removed

Overall speaking, social media is more powerful than we think and impact our life deeply, everyone should control their actions towards and reject online shaming appearing, I hope to see all my audience follow my guidelines and participate in the communication positively and optimistically, let’s start our happy trip!

London Day 5

Our fifth day in London was also sort of a walking around and exploring day. We actually started at the British Museum, which was just gorgeous and so interesting to walk through. The British Museum is the oldest public museum in the world and it did not disappoint.

To me (please remember that I am no architect), it reminds me of an ancient Greek temple and it is beautiful. When you walk in for the first time, you have no idea what’s coming. Holy is the interior stunning. The Great Court the massive center of the museum and has a huge column in the middle that has stairs going up and around either side. The roof has hundreds of glass triangles that allowed natural light in whilst creating a magnificent pattern above.

The most interesting artifacts to me were the Rosetta Stone and the Egyptian mummies. We spent around an hour to an hour-and-a-half here. If you are also interested in Asian, Middle-Eastern, or European artifacts, you might want to plan more time here.

The British Museum
Grand Court and the Glass Ceiling
Bread Ahead Bakery

By the time we left the British Museum, it we were feeling peckish so we headed to the  Soho and Carnaby area to pick up some Bao and visit (for the third time this week) Bread Ahead Bakery.

Bao Soho Food Guide available here.

Bread Ahead Food Guide available here.

Bao Soho

We headed south down Regent Street and past Piccadilly Circus to Trafalgar Square where the National Gallery is. Of course, like every other place in London, Trafalgar Square was beautiful and there was so much life there. People bustling around taking photos and drinking coffee. Street artists performing their heart out and drawing massive crowds. We ended up sitting in Pret a Manger, one of the largest coffee shop chains in the UK. We sat by the window in the Pret a Manger and enjoyed our view of the Equestrian Statue of Charles I and the Admiralty Arch which is the beginning of the Mall (the famous street that leads to Buckingham Palace) 

Just a side note: Let me tell you that all three of the major coffee shop chains in London (Pret a Manger, Costa Coffee, and Caffe Nero) are great. They are far superior in quality than Canadian coffee shop chains. From the decor to the coffee to the food and to the service, everything is top-notch.

The National Gallery
Nelson's Column

After our coffee break, we walked down the Mall to the most famous palace in the world: Buckingham Palace. The view of the palace as you are strolling down the Mall is a sight to behold. The gold angel on top of the statue glimmering in the sunlight as it stands tall and proud in the front and centre with the Buckingham Palace and its gates behind it in all its glory. There isn’t much to do here other than take some pictures and marvel at the grandiosity of the royal administrative house.

A Holiday Gift Guide for the College Student on a Budget

Now I know it is only November…but it’s never too early to get a head start on that holiday shopping list! I know we all have those people in our lives that are just way too hard to shop for, so I have compiled a fool-proof list of holiday gifts that are sure to make your loved ones smile and won’t break your bank!

For the foodie:

Homemade cookies/treats

Image result for christmas cookies
From: Home $: Priceless 🙂

For the sentimental:

A framed photo

IKEA KAXHOLMEN Frame
From: Ikea $: 3.99

A Christmas ornament

Letter S Monogram Girls Name Christmas Ornament First Last Name S" Initial Holiday Present to Daughter Mom Lady Teacher Coworker Neighbor 3 inches Flat Ceramic Keepsake
From: Amazon $: 12.99

For the self-care junkie:

Bath Products

From: Lush $: 18.95

Scented Candles

Winter 3-Wick Candle - Bath And Body Works

From: Bath and Body Works $: 24.50

Fun Face Masks

zoomed image

From: Walmart $: 3.77 each

For the Type A:

A journal/notebook

zoomed image

From: Walmart $: 6.99

A Calendar/Planner

2020 12-MONTH PLANNER GREENERY

From: Chapters $: 29.99

For the “gamer“:

A cool board game

CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY 2.0 (ADULT CONTENT)

From: Chapters $: 35.00

For the sustainer:

Reusable coffee cups/straws/tote bags

From: Amazon $: 19.99

I hope some of these suggestions help you out with your holiday shopping this year. If you have any other options for inexpensive holiday gifts that you would like to share, then please let me know 🙂

*The photos used in this post are not my own

Milky Way

Milky Way is Bas’ third solo studio album. The album follows Bas’ previous Too High to Riot and takes a totally different tone. Milky Way is a relaxed, but upbeat album that showcases many sides of Bas. This album serves as a great follow up to his previous “break-out” Too High to Riot. Soothing vocals and rhythmic flows compliment complex yet simple instrumentals. The entire album is euphonious, and the beats engage listeners from the beginning. Tracks like “Icarus” exhibit incredible use of beat and rhythm switching and show how rhythmically gifted Bas really is. “Purge” is another great example of how diverse Bas’ lyrical style is. The album is a perfect blend of modernism, boom-bap, and R&B with different styles that blend harmoniously together. Listening to this gives me a new appreciation for music that makes me feel. Mellow words mixed with fast, slow, and unique beats add nice flavour to the album as a whole. Bas’ distinct voice rings strongly throughout each track, and I enjoy how he plays with his volume and the legato of his vocals. The album is filled with content as well and gives the listener much to sink their teeth into. The features on this album are also well selected and executed. Ari Lennox on “Icarus” brings a beautiful contrast to Bas’ low rapping with her beautifully melodic singing. A$AP Ferg on “Boca Raton” is another notable feature that brings pace and different energy that helps bring more diversity to the project., and J. Cole on “Tribe” contributed to it being one of the best tracks on 2018. The production on this album is some of the best among other albums I’ve reviewed. Each track fits and augments Bas’ vocals and atmosphere. The songs almost don’t need lyrics for the listener to get a sense of what kind of emotion is put into each track. Overall, I would give this album a 4.4/5.

Notable Tracks: “Icarus”, “Barack Obama Special”, “Tribe”, and “Sanufa”  

Week 12: Process Prompt

This topic is a little bit sensitive to me. There is a lot of hate on the Internet and a lot of trolls, and I kind of worry about this, especially after I get more content and more visibility. I am planning to put out a more sensitive type of content out, especially for storytime. I know that I am going to encourage hate because I am going to criticize influencers.

I guess my theme have pre-setting about the comments section because I don’t remember touching anything. But my comments are moderated and then published. Although I want to remove it someday and see what happens.

As per the reading, The Psychology of Online Comments, it points out some of my fears. Such as anonymity, that is the reason that is required to at least add an email account if you want to comment. Another concern is the responsibility that I have as an admin to moderate and eliminate hate comments, violating freedom of speech. And lastly, removing the comments on a specific post will decrease the engagement within those posts.

To be honest, I am just going to remove the restrictions and see what happens, if its too much hatred I will remove it; if not, I will leave it on.

Process Post 9: Media Integration

Process Post Prompt: Make a plan for incorporating more transmedia integration into your online publication. What channels will you focus on? Why?

Describing food without pictures leaves a bit more to the imagination that I would like. My blog is set up and although there has been minor adjustments here and there, it is still not where I want it to be. The content is there, but the design of how everything is displayed does not stand out enough. Until I complete this task, I do not yet plan to building an alternatibve media integration just yet.

I find that it may take a few more months, a lot of time, and headaches in between, But during that time, I will try to maintain blog post so the content is still there. After sucessficent changes have been made, then the next step I plan to take is to tackle the instagram world.

It simply makes the most sense because it would be used as a way to quickly gather interest with food pictures that would hopefully make people drool. Should their minds be just as curious as their pallet, they can then dive into this blog here to hear more about the business itself and the story behind the dishes they are desiring.

Juicy Salif

French designer Philippe Starck designed the Juicy Salif in the 1990’s for Alessi, the Italian housewares and kitchen utensil company.

a place to get in touch with yourself

From the moment I stepped a foot in Vancouver it never failed to amaze me. Usually when I search for places to go I always keep my expectations really low because I used to believe that what they show you in their adds or the photos you see in the internet are never true. They […]

Transmedia Integration

Transmedia integration has become popular among companies to widen their reach to their target markets. The content work in harmony across multiple platforms to create a unified experience.

As I gain a steady readership on my blogs, I will expand my content to Instagram. Instagram would be my first step because relevant content is easily discoverable through their Explore tab. Because of Instagram’s image-based posts, an increasing number of creatives and designers go to Instagram to look for quick inspiration or to inspire others with their posts. This provides an opportunity for me to shorten my blogs into bite-sized content, and drive traffic from Instagram to my blog for more in depth information. Likewise, integrating an Instagram widget on my blog can direct users who are looking for short-form content on the go.

Read more: Pokemon as Transmedia Storytelling

Phnom Penh Restaurant (Food)

Background
This is another classic that has stood the test of time and has emerged as one of the most successful restaurants in Vancouver. Unless you arrive once their doors open or right before they close, waiting for a table can take up to 90 minutes during peak lunch and dinner times. Phnom Penh has brought together Cambodian and Vietnamese flavors together and formed a true golden gem. The restaurant is family-owned, and staying true to their traditional roots is one of the many things that make them successful. No visit is complete their “golden trio” has been ordered, and I do just that at every visit.

#35 Filet Beef Luc Cac on Rice with Egg
Deliciously saucey meat served on top a bed of rice is one of the most comforting meals for anyone. First of all, this single dish sits at virtualy every table and has become a cornerstone item. Because of the sheer volume that this dish is being served, the restaurant is able to maintain a much higher quality of meat that is extremely fresh. For $10.95, this is virtually a bargain and a must–try for everyone that can eat beef.

#71 Marinated Butter Beef
Butter beef is really just a name for how smooth the meat is, rather than the preparation itself. A flat slice of beef is plated and topped with fried minced onions and an assortment of Asian green herbs. The marinade itself is probably made up of soy sauce, fish sauce, vinegar, and some sweetener like sugar or honey. Being another staple, This sells extremely well and would thus also ensure higher quality and freshness.

#78 Phnom Penh Deep-Fried Chicken Wings
Arguably the best chicken wings found in Vancouver, this lightly battered
crispy but flavourful dish has made many people rethink what it actually means. For starters, I am a believer that the oil used to fry to chicken wings have previously fried large amounts of shallots, garlic, ginger, and green onions. The chicken wings simply have a depth of flavor that is unachievable through marination alone. Seasoned perfectly, this dish is certainly friendly to anyone open to eating meat and is an absolute must.

Verdict
Phnom Penh is one of my favorite restraints in Vancouver. The dining area is always loud and crowded which is very reminiscent of eating in a classical restaurant in Asia. Despite not being a very luxurious restraint, they more easily appeal to people with small and large wallets increasing their overall popularity.

Process Post: Transmedia Integration

I took my general idea for the website from other creepy-pasta esque websites such as Lorepodcast.com. Lore primarily features an excellent podcast. If you’re interested in the topic of cryptids, I highly recommend it.

In Genereal:
– I understand my meatier posts can be quite wordy, and that is likely a problem which stems from my own bias.
– I think the darker theme looks nice. It sets the mood and is an easy way to visually indicate what kind of website it is
– As you may have noticed, I try to keep myself relatively anonymous
– In regards to the first Peer Review of my website, I certainly am trying to implement some of the suggestions. The main concern being content, but also a few edits

An attempt at Headspace

Over the past two weeks I have tried to get into meditation by using the app Headspace. I have never been a fan of meditation, but I have been continually told of it’s benefits from family, friends and healthcare professional. I have a lot of trouble sitting still and I knew I wanted to improve, plus the app was free – so what did I have to loose.

The Experience:

My goal was to use the app for two weeks, complete a guided meditation everyday right before bed and hopefully become a new person. I started off strong, taking part in the guided mediation for the first 4 days right on schedule. Was it enjoyable? not really, as I mentioned before I wasn’t the biggest fan of meditation or the idea of sitting still for a long period of time. But I also knew that I was never going to be able to better myself without a little bit of a challenge.

Day 5 is the first day I missed in my challenge, I don’t even remember why I was busy with school or life, which looking back on it meant it was probably the perfect day for me to take 10 minutes and breath.

The next road bump was when I hit day 10, thats when I realized my 10 day trial was over, probably something I should have looked into before I started this challenge. I decided to just repeat the exercises for the remaining 4 days.

My Thoughts:

So my goals for head space where as follows –

use the app for two weeks, complete a guided meditation everyday right before bed

I was pretty successful with this goal, I only missed one of 14 days which is 93%, not too bad. I also managed to use the app at the same time every night, which allowed me to calm down right before bed and fit nicely into my routine. I don’t think I would of been able to do it if I had picked another time of the day, so if you are trying something new and challenging make sure it fits into your schedule and routine!

My next goal was to become a better person

Well this goal was a little broad (Maybe I also need to work on setting realistic goals). Am I a better person? maybe. Do I have new appreciation for meditation? yes. While I don’t think I will be keeping Headspace as part of my daily routine after this experience, I do have a deeper appreciation for those who meditate regularly, and I’m more likely not to make a look of disgust when someone say meditation anymore.

If you are looking for a more in-depth review of the app check out the Psyber Guide.

STOP BUYING COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS

Stop buying counterfeit makeup, please, just stop.

I also want to use this space to critique Influencers using and promoting these products. STOP PROMOTING COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS TO YOUR AUDIENCE. If they did not have a reaction, that does not mean they are safe. 

I know, the price point of certain makeup products is unreasonable high, like 70 dollars for a palette sometimes sounds like a joke. But if you think about carefully, these expensive products have been processed and lab-verified that they are safe for human use. It is going to be almost impossible (unless improperly use or allergy to certain ingredients) that you are going to experience an adverse reaction.  

I remember that I was in that position, too, especially when I was younger, and I didn’t have a job. I found the palette that I really wanted the Naked 1 from Urban Decay for 15 CAD. I was so tempted to buy it, thankfully I read the reviews. A lot of people claimed that they got severe infections due to using the counterfeit product.  

https://brightside.me/inspiration-girls-stuff/7-clever-tips-to-spot-fake-designer-makeup-232060/

These products are commonly found in street markets or are sold within those websites that sell everything cheaper such as Wish or Alliexpress. I know it is very tempting to buy these products, especially when we see Influencers using it and talking great about it. We feel like we need to rush and buy it, but I encourage you not to buy it. 

  1. Because I care about your health and I don’t want you to get a bad reaction because of the product, and believe me, you DO NOT want to use them. Let me scare you a little bit. As the Refinery mentioned, it has been found “human waste and bacteria […] the FBI reports that its agents have also found aluminum, human carcinogens, and even horse urine in the products they’ve seized (Refinery, 2018).” I am pretty sure that you do not want these products in your face.
  2. The people that sell you these products do not care about your health, they are only interested in your money. I know, legit corporations may seem like they are only interested in your money. Still, they are also worried about your health, these products are safe (unless notified). 
  3. I know that it is tempting to buy counterfeit products but think about it. Is it worth it? Is it worth it to risk your health for makeup?. They are a lot of affordable products on the market. I know we want the stuff that everybody is using on Instagram, but I encourage that be aware of the products that you use. Expensive makeup does not make your makeup better, practice does. 
https://shsthetorch.com/22235/showcase/fake-makeup-needs-to-be-edited/

How to tell apart counterfeit products from the real ones? The people who are selling these products are getting better and better recreating these products, almost to the point that it is impossible to recognize it. But we can fight them by:

  1. Getting your products from authorized sellers. 
  2. If it is really cheap, probably it is fake. 
  3. If there are no ingredients on the packaging or website, DO NOT buy it.

So, I want to buy makeup, but I can’t afford it, what can I do? Well, luckily, there is a lot of range of products that you can get for a really affordable price, and they are approved to be used as cosmetics. For example, drugstore brands offer affordable makeup and have vegan and non-cruelty products such as ELF or Wet’n’Wild. Also, indie brands can be accessible, and they care about your health. Look at Juvia’s Place, they offer a great product at an affordable price, and if you wait a little bit, they have fabulous sales throughout the year. 

https://www.thedoctorstv.com/videos/harmful-chemicals-inside-counterfeit-makeup

I will leave more accessible information about how dangerous these products are.

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/counterfeit-makeup-a-health-danger#7

https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/counterfeit-cosmetics-fragrances

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/04/196518/counterfeit-makeup-tested-for-human-waste

The Alarming Dangers of Counterfeit Cosmetics

Process Post #10: Telling the Whole Story

Transmedia storytelling. That was the challenge of the past week. More specifically, how can we integrate more of it into our blogs? 

If you’re also kinda (very) lost about what exactly this concept is, you’re not alone. Admittedly, it did take me a few Google searches and some article scanning to figure out what we’re dealing with here. But luckily we’ve figured it out, and now we’ve got a plan.

WHAT’S IN A WORD

In “Transmedia Storytelling 101”, Jenkins (2007) describes transmedia storytelling as “a process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience” (para. 2). In doing so, “transmedia storytelling practices may expand the potential market for a property by creating different points of entry for different audience segments” (para. 6). 

So, after this much-needed guidance, I began to consider different ways that my content can be viewed and engaged with, as well as which channels it can be accessed through. 

THE PLAN OF ATTACK

At the moment, Moods & Mixtapes can be accessed via the domain itself, as well as through Spotify. However, as much as I would like to dip my foot into other channels, I don’t know which ones would be suitable for sharing this sort of content. Working with playlists, since they’re not image-based, platforms like Instagram or Pinterest don’t seem like they would be too effective, and while Facebook might be my best bet—it’s not quite my go-to. Heck, I don’t even know the last time that I logged in. 

To level the scales, I hope to become more visible by rolling out new blog posts more frequently throughout the week, as well as to start putting my playlists up on other streaming services such as Google Play Music. A few users who don’t have Spotify accounts have mentioned this idea to me over the past month, so I think I’ll give it a shot. No harm in trying, right?