African-American Culture and News

Appreciating African-American Culture And Entertainment

African-American culture isn't entirely different from some mainstream cultures, but it's different enough that African-Americans feel an emptiness when they look at mainstream media. They don't see people who look, think, and talk like them, and they detect a noticeable absence of African-American figures in the arenas of politics and business. For those people who want their children to grow up appreciating their culture, and for those African-Americans who want to hold onto their own culture, there are channels that broadcast African American news and issues that hit home with its audience.

News and issues

News and issues focus on central figures in the African-American community that are up and coming on the political scene or that are doing noteworthy things in the community. There are also stories of community news that deal with noteworthy legal issues that might be pressing for the African-American community.

Sports and entertainment

It's not all serious on African-American channels. There are entertainment and sports features that bring home those genres to the masses and give the entertainment an African-American voice to appreciate. This might include musicians, actors, sports figures, and stand-up artists who bring joy to the world through those gifts.

You don't have to be African-American to appreciate the culture. Anyone can tune in, just like African-Americans also watch mainstream networks and news shows that focus on a more causation audience. Diversity in our entertainment broadens horizons across the board for people across cultures.

Water Wars / Boycotting Nestle Corporation

Okay, so I have decided to boycott the Nestle corporation and all of their products.

The reasons why myself (and others) have opted to boycott Nestle vary, but my personal reason for boycotting Nestle is because of the company's stance on the privatization of water.

In the video below the Nestle CEO asserts that water is not a human right and that it is a foodstuff like any other, and therefore should be packaged and controlled by corporations and not controlled by the government providing free tap water to citizens. Basically he wants to make money off selling water (and soft drinks and coffee and assorted beverages) to people and wants governments to stop controlling the distribution of free water.

Now if you are familiar with the Bugs Bunny catchphrase "Of course you know this means war..." then you should know right away that people dying of thirst are not going to take the idea of privatization of water laying down.

So for example in South America, where water supplies are dwindling so much that even the plot of the James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace" was about an evil corporation trying to take over the water supply of Bolivia, well, the concept of a war over water supply is certainly a real prospect.

Enter Nescafe - created by the Nestle corporation in1938. Nestle you may recall is a Swiss company that began in 1866, began from humble beginnings selling condensed milk (to be mixed with free water) and instant baby formula. Nescafe is now one of the largest producers of coffee in the world, and Nestle one of the largest corporations in the world.

Nescafe is extremely popular in South America. The name is almost a synonym for coffee.

So what happens if Nescafe / Nestle decides they want to take over South America's supply of fresh water? Package it and sell it. The privatization of everything from sewer pipes, the water you wash yourself with, wash your clothes with, and use to wash your dishes. What happens?

Imagine a system wherein people are charged for the amount of water they use and if they don't pay they are cut off and left to die - and if they try to get their water from another source they discover that Nestle owns that too. Because according to Nestle, water is not a human right and is a commodity. Given time (and government bribery) they would probably even make it against the law to collect rain water or other ridiculous laws designed in an effort to make the Nestle corporation richer.

Now you might think, hey, this would never happen in Canada or the United States would it? Are you so sure of that? The American Midwest is becoming a desert (thanks to global warming) and places like Las Vegas are in such a short supply of fresh water they are piping it in from other regions.

Mark my words, the privatization of water and rising prices of fresh water will lead to riots in the streets and people / nations killing each other for a drink.

In Canada we have tonnes of water - so much we are already packaging it and sending it overseas as bottled water. But will it be Canadian corporations who make it rich, or foreign corporations who extort our water and makes themselves billionaires while sharing only a tiny fraction with the Canadian government? After all Canada has NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) and various other free trade agreements. That means Canada makes ZERO on the export of water and only makes money off the income tax of employees. Water bottling plants are mostly robots, so the number of employees is minimal - and local managers can be paid peanuts compared to what a corporation can make selling Canadian water overseas.

James Bond Vs Spectre

So it was announced recently that the new James Bond film, starring Daniel Craig, will be called "Spectre".

And if you are like many Canadians, you can name most of the James Bond films, you have a favourite actor who played James Bond (mine is Roger Moore, but Daniel Craig is pretty awesome too), and you probably can't wait to see the new 007 film, which is due to be released on November 6th 2015.

So the good news is that Spectre is back - a villainous organization dating back to a time when that hack Sean Connery was playing James Bond (seriously, Connery just says his lines and looks good, he doesn't have any acting skill).

You know what I would really love however?

Jaws.

Bring back Jaws, the villain-turned-hero who appeared in two different James Bond films and becomes a hero by the end of the 2nd film. I know who would be a good actor to play Jaws as well - the guy who played Ser Gregor Clegane or “The Mountain That Rides" in Game of Thrones, also known as Hafthor Bjornsson. The guy is so big he makes Arnold look small, which makes him a great option to play Jaws.

At 6'9" tall, 386 lbs Hafthor Bjornsson can not only play Jaws, but as one of the top 5 strongest men currently alive - and the only one of those who is an actor, he can play the role well. The guy dresses up as the Incredible Hulk just for fun.

But in the meantime, just for fun, lets have a look at the introductory music videos found at the start of the last 3 James Bond films made by Daniel Craig.


CASINO ROYALE



QUANTUM OF SOLACE



SKYFALL

Shoes, Handbags and Free Shipping

Honestly I am not into buying shoes online. I like to try them on in person.

Thus when I see websites like Sole Society I shake my head in disgust. The site in question sells shoes, handbags, jewelry, hats, scarves, sunglasses and accessories - most of which are things you would probably rather try on in the store before purchasing.

For example I have never purchased shoes without trying them on first.

I have never bought a handbag / backpack or anything like that without opening it first and checking out the inside.

Jewelry? Well, if it was a ring for example I need to try it on to see if it fits. Bracelets and necklaces, okay, probably don't need to try it on, but it is still nice to see it in person first. Maybe check to make sure the diamonds are real.

Hats and sunglasses, again, need to try them on and check yourself in the mirror.

Scarves are the only item on the website I would even consider ordering.

In which case, am I that low on stores nearby that sell scarves? I can get to the Eaton's Centre in 30 minutes if I time the buses and subway perfectly. (When I lived downtown I was able to walk there in 10 minutes or bicycle there in 4.)

So I really don't see much benefit in buying shoes/similar items online unless they are ridiculous cheap compared to a store, which I doubt because the cost of shipping must be worked into the price somehow. Or if they are ridiculously cheap, there must be something wrong with them.

For example I know I can go on Alibaba and order lots of super cheap things from China and India. eg. You can buy 100 bamboo arrows from China for $30 + shipping. And the more you buy, the cheaper they are. That is amazingly cheap for a product you can sell in Canada for roughly $5 per arrow. So as long as a person could find plenty of buyers, you could conceivably buy 1000 arrows on there for about $300 + shipping and then sell them here in Canada for $5000.

That is the big trick about Alibaba. Everything is in bulk orders. eg. 50 pairs of shoes, or 120 pairs of shoes - everything is a minimum order of a relatively large amount.

But you won't find reputable brand names on there because you have to purchase those from the manufacturer's distributors. eg. I tried looking for Nike shoes, but the only thing I could find is display cases for selling Nikes on.

So in this case, yes, you can find things for ridiculously cheap prices online. But they won't be brand name and you have to order it in bulk. And the shipping isn't free.

Free Trial of Mega Flix

Watching movies online for free is just one of those things many people do these days. Especially if you are into downloading your films for free.

However having the convenience of watching movies sooner - and not having to wait for the film to download - is rather nice to have. This is why I have a subscription to Netflix.

But there are other companies which offer movie downloading - including free trials.

For example:

Mega Flix has a 5 Day Free Trial

Recently I have also been thinking of getting CraveTV ( see http://www.cravetv.ca/ ) just for the convenience of being able to watch as much TV shows as I want for only $4 per month. That is just ridiculously cheap and good value.

CraveTV has Game of Thrones, Dallas, Sopranos, Seinfeld, Big Bang Theory, Corner Gas, Monty Python (the TV show and all the films) and a whole lot more. It is very tempting. However there is just one flaw:

Most of the shows on there that I would want, I already own on DVD. Or have access to on Netflix.

So at this point I am undecided. That doesn't mean however that CraveTV might not be right for you. Maybe you don't have Netflix like I do. Or maybe you prefer to download everything for free (in which case, check out that free trial - it is basically 5 days worth of free movies).

Buck Knife from Canadian Tire

By Charles Moffat - December 2014.

I have been meaning for several months now to post a review about this small but very handy knife I purchased at Canadian Tire.

If I recall correctly it was $14.99 + HST, but I don't recall precisely.

What I do know however is that I haven't any problems with this knife's usability, sharpness or any problems with it breaking.

My previous knife, which I lost back in the summer, was a Gerber. The problems I encountered with the Gerber were two fold:

1. The Gerber blade dulled pretty easily. Although I admit I sometimes used it to draw lines in the dirt, which is a bad thing to do to a knife because it dulls the blade pretty quickly. Once dulled however I found it was difficult to sharpen and never held an edge that well. I also determined that the Gerber blade got scratched up pretty easily, which leads to my belief that the quality of the steel wasn't the greatest at holding its edge if it could get scratched so easily.

2. The Gerber had a belt clip on the side of it that got caught on a guard rail and got bent out to the side. When I tried to bend it back it would just spring back to its new position sticking out in annoying fashion. The bent clip meant it didn't hold into jeans pocket that well and would fall out easily - hence how it eventually got lost.

After the clip got bent I started looking for a replacement knife for the Gerber because I knew it was just a matter of time before I lost it.

When I purchased the Buck pocket knife I really just wanted a replacement for the Gerber that would work well for my purposes. I wasn't expecting it to last forever and I was secretly expecting it to dull quickly like the Gerber did.

But it hasn't. It holds the edge very well, I haven't had any sharpness problems with it. It is just a small and handy knife.

I also routinely carry a Swiss army knife, but I must say that I am now in the market for a new Swiss army knife so if there are manufacturers out there looking for a review of their product contact me (charlesmoffat at charlesmoffat dot com) and I shall review a sample of your product(s).

THE INTERVIEW - 5 STARS

Review by Charles Moffat - December 2014.

"The best comedy of the year."

Note - "The Interview" starring Seth Rogen and James Franco was Made in Canada - which means, arguably, that North Korea should be threatening Canada, not the USA for its production.

I have been wanting to see this film for months, ever since I heard about it. Partially because I used to live in South Korea, but also because I want to see an end to the war between the USA and North Korea - which has been in a state of cold war for 61 years now. The Korean War may have ended in 1953, but the war never officially ended because they never signed an armistice. This means that for 61 years North Korea has been in a state of war with the USA and South Korea, and there has been numerous skirmishes between north and south, but it hasn't been a case of active war.

In recent years North Korea has been ramping up its long range missile development and its focus on nuclear weapons. The country currently has the capability of launching ICBM nuclear missiles across the Pacific Ocean and striking targets in the western USA, Hawaii and Alaska.

And to make matters worse, the leadership of North Korea has been handing from father to son, so the current leader of North Korea is a 31 year old man. A man which has been tasked with defeating the USA, staying in power while his people starve, and smashing any hopes of rebellion against him.

Thus making a comedy about two American reporters sent to kill him is just hilarious with the premise alone, but I want to make clear here that having watched the film myself that this film is extremely well scripted, well written, and well acted. The best comedy of the year, in my opinion.

Thus I am giving it FIVE STARS out of five.

And I am not just saying this just because I have an interest in North Korea's eventual defeat and reunification with South Korea, I sincerely believe this film is the best comedy film I have seen this year.



When North Korea heard about the comedy they became worried about what it might contain that would embarrass their country and their "supreme leader", and you know what, the film does not disappoint. The film brilliantly shows off Kim Jong-un as a maniacal dictator who pretends to be a god.

Sony, which funded the film ended up pulling the movie out of movie theatres due to terrorist death threats made against audiences that watched it, but later released it on YouTube anyway (for a fee) and also released it to privately owned art theatres.

Thus the film won't make as much money as originally predicted, but it is my opinion that this film should be seen by millions of people anyway - simply because it is that good.

Case in point - My girlfriend doesn't like the actor Seth Rogen, but she ended up liking the film anyway. Kind of like how I like Romeo and Juliet, even though I cannot stand Leonardo DiCaprio.

*

*

*

SPOILER ALERT

There are many parts of the film I really enjoyed, but my favourite part is when Kim Jong-un cries so hard that he s**** himself.

A Man's Guide to Last Minute Xmas Gift Ideas

Are you a man and you in a rush to get a xmas gift for someone special? Here are 5 last minute ideas for gifts.

#1. Puppy, Kitten or Fish

Depending on whether the person is a dog, cat or fish person - this could actually be a really good gift to give them. You should also get them pet food (the appropriate kind) with the pet, and in the case of fish you will also need to buy a fish tank and any accompanying gadgets for the fish.

Note - Not all people are into pets (eg. some people are allergic). I personally would LOVE a kitten for xmas. Preferably a Russian Blue (which is technically grey, but whatever). I think they're adorable.

#2. Tools and Power Tools

If the person in question is a manly man (or a handy woman) then you can never go wrong with tools. But you can buy the wrong type of tools. Way too many people buy hammers, screwdrivers, ratchet sets, drills and drill bits - but for the really tough jobs men need a greater variety of tools like:

Mallet + Chisels (these go together)
Rip Saws
Hack Saws
Coping Saws
Measuring tools
Squares
Levels
Work Benches
Vice
Vice grips
Etc

But then there is also the power tools. Nail gun, band saw, jig saw, rotary saw, chain saw, oxy-acetylene cutting torch, drill press, etc. eg. I saw a wood lathe awhile back I saw in Canadian Tire and I decided to take a photo and put it on my "TO BUY LIST", which is a list of things I personally want to buy sometime.

#3. Ties, Belts, Suspenders

For the non-manly men you probably don't know their shoe size, precise pants size (length and waist), shirt size, etc. So what can you get them? Well you're in luck. You can probably guess their waist size and be able to pick out a belt that is in their size - or if not are sure, you can more easily get them a tie or suspenders (all men look awesomely retro in suspenders).

 #4. La Senza Gift Card or Shoes Gift Card

Honestly, men are clueless when it comes to buying lingerie, bras and panties. So if you are sincerely wanting to buy something "sexy" for your significant other this xmas, maybe you should not buy it yourself but instead get a gift card - so that they can approve of the purchase before you buy something they will never wear.

Now you might think "Why La Senza?" Well it is like this. Not all women like Victoria Secret or La Vie En Rose. But they do all like La Senza. I don't why this is, it just is. La Senza is like the "happy middle ground" apparently that all women can apparently go to when shopping for such things. I don't claim to know why, I am just reporting the way it is. Maybe a woman would be able to best explain why ALL women apparently like this store, but dislike certain other stores. (I have a hunch it has something to do with sizes, marketing styles, etc.)

Failing this your next best option is SHOES. So find a shoe store you think they would like and get a gift card from that store. Shoes are an universal commodity according to many women.

#5. Hobby Related Books or Magazine Subscription

Let us pretend for a moment you are buying a gift for your mother, step-mother, mother-in-law, sister or grandmother however - and thus lingerie is probably a bad idea, and even shoes might be a bad idea if they only use orthopedic shoes. Here is what you do - go on Facebook, sneak around and research their hobbies - or judge based upon your past knowledge of the person what their hobbies are.

For example lets say your mother-in-law's hobbies are cooking, sewing/knitting and going to the ballet. Thus you have a long list of recipe books, sewing/knitting books, and even books about ballet to choose from.

To say nothing of subscriptions to "Canadian Living" (a recipe / crafts magazine based in Canada), "Chatelaine Magazine" (also based in Canada) and "The Dance Current" (a Canadian based magazine about ballet and modern dance). Or if she likes to travel, then you can guess she would probably like "National Geographic".


Speaking for myself I would love to have magazine subscriptions to "Traditional Bowhunter Magazine", "Popular Woodworking", "Canadian Woodworking", and "National Geographic".

Band Saws and Band Saw Blades

Back in the Winter of 2013/14 the band saw blade on the band saw I have been using for years finally broke, so I decided to try and find a replacement blade for it.

After all band saws are extremely useful for cutting any kind of wood for DIY projects (using a thin blade band saws can even be used like a jig saw, making intricate curving cuts in the wood).

But when it came to finding a replacement blade I discovered that my lowly "hobby band saw" was so small that many stores did not sell band saw replacement blades in that size.

So instead I ended up buying a brand new band saw, and purchased one that had a more standard size blade (62 inches), which meant that if the new one ever breaks I just have to go buy new replacement blades and never have to worry about whether they have them in the correct size, because they are a standard size that are really popular.

The brand I purchased last winter was Ryobi (specifically a Ryobi 9" Band Saw - the 9 inches measures something else on the band saw, not the blade itself). Here is a photo of what it looks like on the right.

Asides from the noise (it is fine cutting through softwood but it screams like a dying cat when you cut hardwood) I am quite happy with this band saw.

As a tool, it does everything I expect it to do for my needs. Easy to use, operate, clean, etc. It is even easy to replace the blades.

Today, the band saw blade that came with it finally broke. I should note in broke because I was rushing through the cut too fast, possibly combined with normal wear and tear. So I need to go purchase replacement blades.

So I check Home Depot (where I purchase the Ryobi last winter) for the prices of band saw blades. I see a variety of blades, different sizes and widths. I double check the length of the blade I need: 62 inches, and I see right at the top two blades that suit my needs by a company called AvantiPro, available in 62 x 3/16ths and 62 x 1/4.

So I think I will buy 1 of each. That way the next time a band saw blade breaks I will be able to just open the packaging for the other one - or I can swap for the thinner blade when doing detailed cuts, or use the thicker blade when cutting through harder/thicker wood.

So now I am patting myself on the back for my wise purchase last winter, wondering why I didn't buy replacement blades at the time, and also fuming at myself for rushing through the cut that broke it in the first place. So reasons to be both happy for the product I purchased, but unhappy about my lack of foresight. That is my fault however, not the band saw's fault.

If you are looking to get someone a gift this xmas, consider getting them a band saw if they don't have one already. Also buy replacement blades while you are at it.

Moustache Wax - Two Reviews

Review by Charles Moffat - December 2014.

On the left is Firehouse Moustache Wax (dark), which you can find online at firehousemoustachewax.com.

On the right is Urban Beard Moustache Wax (blonde), which you can find at urbanbeard.ca.

I enjoyed reviewing both of these products, but ultimately ended up preferring the Urban Beard Moustache Wax because it was available in blonde. The dark Firehouse wax was equally good in my opinion, but the colour was slightly off for my dark blonde beard. It was fairly close.

The Urban Beard Moustache Wax is made using organic oils, and while the Firehouse moustache wax doesn't say anything about whether it is organic, I think it probably is organic judging by the similar smell. Both of these waxes smelled nearly identical so I have a sneaky suspicion that due to their very similar performances on my moustache that their recipes are practically identical. They are basically the same product, but different colours and different brand names.

Since these two products ended up being so good at their job and nearly identical except for their colours I ended up making homemade moustache wax using bees wax and coconut oil - and determined that I am not very good at making homemade moustache wax, so maybe I should stick to the store bought stuff. I made the homemade wax in an effort to find a 3rd comparison, but also to see just how easy it is to do. The instructions (below) seemed easy enough, but having instructions and following them are two different things.

Homemade moustache wax still works, but the process of making it made me realize I would rather just buy stuff that someone else made so I don't have to do the work myself.

There are many other companies out there who make moustache wax, these are just the two companies I have reviewed so far. If additional companies want to be reviewed they can contact me via email: charlesmoffat at charlesmoffat dot com.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE MOUSTACHE WAX

Get 1 ounce of bees wax and 1 ounce of coconut oil.

Step 1. Melt the bees wax in a container inside boiling water. Go easy on the heat, wax can explode under heat and pressure.

Step 2. Remove the container from the boiling water and add the coconut oil. Stir until everything is melted and completely mixed.

Step 3. Pour the mixture into a glass heat-resistant container or into leftover moustache wax tins.

Step 4. Let cool for 45 minutes or more.

HOW TO APPLY MOUSTACHE WAX

To apply wax keep the wax warm (room temperature or slightly better). Use small portions at a time by scraping it with your thumbnail like a bulldozer, roll the scraping into a ball, and then work it into the moustache.  Comb your moustache to style it.