Media Madness 112719

MEDIA MADNESS

CHRISTINA GWIRA/TORONTO CARIBBEAN

On Wednesday, November 13th, 2019, I attended Social Media Week Toronto (#SMWTO) for the first time. The three-day event looked at trends, panels and more all related to social media and how we’re using it in Canada, for the most part. I was especially excited to attend the second day, as it focused on social media networks that aren’t as talked about as Facebook and Instagram. I was very pleased that it was a day that I learned A LOT in

respect to social media giants Twitter and Pinterest, as well as rising star TikTok.

The event took place at CBC’s Glenn Gould Studio at 250 Front Street West, in Toronto, Ontario. In my opinion, the format of the event was compact, however, the information provided at each session packed a much better punch than the goodie bag, hands down. There were no pens, stickers, pop sockets or notebooks. While I

love a full swag bag, I’d much rather learn new things, connect with like-minded individuals and leave an event excited to immediately put to use what I’ve learned. This year’s #SWMTO did that for me. Here are some of the things that I learned from each of the segments that I attended.

Continued On Page 5

Written by Simone J. Smith Toronto Caribbean News

EMILY TERESA SINGH

“Being able to give back to Guyana is very important to me because I feel as though poverty in Guyana is overlooked.”

Beauty pageants have an incredible appeal about them; beautiful, talented women, enticing the crowd in their jaw dropping gowns, with their incredible talents, and of course that moment when the winner is announced; it makes for awesome entertainment. Beauty pageants have been viewed through two different lenses: some see it as negative and sexist, and others see it as positive, and a way for young women to build confidence. For Emily Singh, being in a pageant wasn’t even a consideration, which is why when she won Miss West Indian Canadian, 2019, it not only surprised her, it gave her a new perspective on the world of beauty pageants.

Toronto Caribbean Newspaper had an opportunity to speak with the recently crowned queen, and she happily shared her story with us, “I was born in Canada, but my parents are from Guyana. I remember when I was younger that during the summer time, we would always go back home to visit my family. When I was there, I noticed right away that things were different for kids in

Guyana than they were for kids in Canada. They had to deal with terrible living conditions, and many of the issues there were unaddressed. When I was younger I could not do much about it, but as soon as I could I did.”

Emily discloses a little more about how she first took action, “When I was in middle school; I had heard about someone who was doing a Christmas Drive for underprivileged children and I thought, why can’t we start something like this at my school? So that is exactly what I did, and that is how Operation Christmas Child was born. I think I must have been in grade eight when I brought the concept to my school (Divine Infant Catholic School, Scarborough, Ontario), and they have continued on with this powerful initiative.” Operation Christmas Child allowed the community to donate: toys, clothes, school supplies, and other miscellaneous items, and these donations were given to under privileged children in developing countries.

Emily admits that she was not really a pageant person, and she did not have many friends within the West Indian community; the pageant changed all of that for her; not only did she create bonds during the pageant, she feels more connected to her community. She is very thankful to her parents, and sister who stood with her throughout the entire pageant process, “My parents and sister helped me select my evening gown and the song I used during the talent section of the competition. I will always be thankful to my dance teacher who spent hours preparing me for my dance sequence, and of course I can’t forget to thank Julie Rambali, the organizer of the Miss West Indian Canadian Pageant.

“With help from teachers and other students, we were able to collect a large amount of non-perishable foods, even hygiene products, anything that was easy for us to get here in Canada, but not so easy to get if you live in a third world country. I graduated and left the school, but my passion for helping others came with me.”

For women wanting to make a difference in whatever cause is important to them, pageants are such an incredible megaphone. They give these women the opportunity to work with a cause that is personally significant to them, “It is a lot of responsibility, and once the glitz and glam is done; I still have a job to do. The fun part was being able to dance on stage and to entertain, now I have to show and prove myself worthy of the crown by remaining an active member of my community.”

For her platform, Emily decided that if she could help start an initiative for children all over the world, now she would narrow her focus and do the same thing for children in Guyana. “Children do not have programs like we do here. So in my reigning year, I plan to implement programs that will help children in Guyana have a more positive future.”

So what is our young Queen doing now; well Emily is in her second year of Journalism at Ryerson University, where she is also pursuing a double minor in Criminology and English. Her future goals include entering the world of broadcasting, and one day hopefully being a newscaster, or reporter for CP24. Outside of her studies she keeps busy acting, dancing and speaking at community events. She feels a deep connection with the indigenous community because she feels that they have to deal with so much injustice, and some of their stories are not told. As a journalist, she will have the ability to share these stories, and hopefully shine a light on the conditions that are faced by the indigenous communities here in Canada

With some slight adjustments, Emily has now launched her Christmas Drive and it runs from November 12th, 2019–December 24th, 2019. Right now she has two drop off locations: one in Scarborough and one in Cambridge. She is also working on securing a location in the west end for drop offs. Her plan is to pack barrels filled with: pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, paper, soap, washcloths, towels, hairclips, watches, baby food formula, and even canned fish and meat. For more information on drop offs, you can contact Emily at 905-903-6152. It is wonderful to see our young women taking such bold steps to activate the community during the holiday season. Keep up great work Emily, and wear that crown with pride; you deserve it!

Brown Sugar Baby; Second Annual Black and White Affair

On Saturday, November 23rd, 2019, Toronto Caribbean Newspaper was invited to the Second Annual Black and White Affair also known as Brown Sugar, an event hosted by One Love Media, and their amazing team that consists of: the handsome host Habeeb Alli, the sensational Sherry Itwaru, the dedicated Fazil Hussain, and the beautiful Bibi Mohamed.

This year’s fundraiser is a continuation of their consistent aid for Skeldon Guyana; around this time last year, many families were shocked when they were handed severance notices. It was devastating because it was around the holiday season, and no plan had been laid out regarding the future of the workers, their families, their communities, and the wider economy of Guyana.

According to an article found in

Stabroek News (June 3rd, 2019), Guyana’s economy has revolved around sugar since 1815. Since then, the wages coming from sugar workers has always been important to the survival of the community. The sugar estates have been instrumental in sustaining the Guyanese economy, and has been a dynamic assistant to other industries including: ice sellers, flutie producers, hairdressers, farmers, the haberdashers, the mechanics, and fishermen.

In 2017, Agricultural Minister Noel Holder announced that the government had started the process of soliciting Expressions of Interest for the divestment of the Skeldon Sugar Factory because GuySuCo could not afford the amount of money needed to repair the facility, and some say that this decision has disrupted the micro economy of the working people, and has affected major sections of the country.

Thousands of laid-off sugar workers continue to struggle, and the worst part about it is that the families and children are now a part of the demoralizing ripple effect. Habeeb Alli, an interfaith Chaplain and author has worked on many poverty alleviation programs and fundraisers in the past, and his dedication to his homeland remains. He believes in the principles of human dignity, self-reliance, and justice for all, and aims to lend a hand whenever pos-

sible to ensure that all humans regardless of race, religion, or creeds are treated fairly and with compassion.

and the styling of

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This year’s Brown Sugar fundraiser was dedicated to the laid off sugar worker’s children in Skeldon Guyana, to help them continue their education. It was sad to learn last night that there are still children who do not have there daily food needs met; since February 2018, Service to Humanity has been supporting families in Guyana who have been affected by the sugar layoff’s by serving over 20,000 hot meals to the students, providing scholarships to underprivileged students, and distributing hundreds of school backpacks. Habeeb and his team have always found creative ways to fundraise, and this year was unique. In place of raffle tickets, they held a silent auction with items ranging from jewellery to artwork. It was wonderful to see the Guyanese community out in full force, ready with open wallets and open hearts. During dinner the Fuh-Fuh Band,

and of course after everyone’s belly was full, the dance floor was filled with joyous laughter, soca sounds, reggae, and chutney.

Indeed, it is a sad time for many families in Guyana to be without a steady income, especially because it is the holiday season and it would be nice to have the extra money to celebrate the season with those near and dear. The community is thankful for people like Habeeb Alli and his team who are able to think outside of themselves, and support those who are out of sight, but not out of mind. If you would like to support Service to Humanity with a donation to assist families of laid off sugar workers in Guyana, you can visit them on Facebook at Service To Humanity; today’s Children Our Future, and take a look at what they are doing. Everyone deserves to be happy during the Christmas holidays and we can all find ways to do our part for the global community.

Social Media Week Toronto: an afternoon of Twitter, Pinterest and TikTok

Continued From Page 1 -- Twitter: How to launch

Michelle Slater, Head of Business Marketing at Twitter gave an insightful talk about how to properly launch using Twitter. The topic was one that I find can be used for business and brands, irrespective of their size. She gave tips as well as successful examples on how to reveal your latest product or service to the world using the world’s “listening network”. She provided us with the five stages to a successful reveal, with the first step being to learn about what the Twitterverse is saying. Is there a need for your product or service? Is there an area where your product or service can help? These are all critical for success. Her case studies included the no name campaign; Burger King vs. Wendys for the possible relaunch of their spicy chicken nuggets as well as Director X and Samsung’s collaboration for their newly released Samsung Note.

Pinterest: The world’s inspiration company I’d heard a lot about Pinterest, but have never made the commitment to actually use the platform seriously. I was grateful to have attended the talk, because it spoke about something that is super important when it comes to any form of social network: creating inspiring content. Pinterest’s main goal is to become “the world’s inspiration company”; the place you go before you do or act

on something. Heading to the Maldives? Create a Pinterest board for your travel outfits? Baby on the way? Create a Pinterest board for ways to decorate baby’s room. Pinterest shared with us that there are – again – five main aspects for creating content. I’m not going to bore you with another list (maybe a separate article?); however, I found the talk super insightful. Did it compel me to create an account? It didn’t, but it definitely provided me with more clarity as to how I can use the platform for my business, which is always a good thing.

TikTok: Trust the creators Tiktok’s panel discussion really focused on two things: the platform is new and growing, and that business owners should trust creators. The immediate call-to-action that was provided from the panel was simple: download and use the app. That was it. Did I do that… no, because I had already downloaded the app prior to attending the conference. It was good to hear about the TikTok platform not just from the professionals who created the marketing campaigns on it, but also from the creators who used the platform and had grown their own audiences organically. One thing that I’ll give to TikTok is that the tools that they provide you to create photos and videos are amazing. So amazing, that the day after the conference, it was announced that Instagram was releasing a similar concept called Instagram Reel to users in Brazil. I think that TikTok is on to something, but right now, it’s chock-filled with prepubescent teens.

In closing, I will definitely be going back and attending #SMWTO in 2020. Social media is an ever-changing beast. With the information that I learned at the event, I’d say that as a business owner, marketing professional or budding influencer, #SMWTO should be on your conference hit list for the next decade that is upon us.

Selina McCallum TC REPORTER selina@carib101.com

Simone J. Smith

TC REPORTER simone@carib101.com

Michael Thomas

TC REPORTER michael@carib101.com

Stephen Weir

TC REPORTER stephen@carib101.com

Dave Rankin TC REPORTER dave@carib101.com

Christina Gwira TC TECH REPORTER christina@carib101.com

Paul Junor TC EDUCATION REPORTER paul@carib101.com

Noel Cunningham FOOD | CULINARY noel@carib101.com

Dr. Vikas Puri HEALTH | WELLNESS drpuri@carib101.com

Errol A. Gibbs PHILOSOPHER errol@carib101.com

Simone J. Smith HUMAN SPECIALIST simone@carib101.com

Price

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Dave Rankin AFRICAN HISTORY dave@carib101.com

Paul Junor EDUCATION paul@carib101.com

Brittney Channer SOCIAL JUSTICE brittney@carib101.com

Christina Gwira TECHNOLOGY christina@carib101.com

Jay Brijpaul REAL ESTATE jay@carib101.com

Fazaad Bacchus FINANCE SPECIALIST fazaad@carib101.com

Andrew Stewart FAMILY INSURANCE andrew@carib101.com

Kayla Karim CARIBBEAN SPORTS kayla@carib101.com

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Is it safe to travel there? Safety and preparedness for travellers

MICHAEL THOMAS

michael@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Delegates at the fourth Global Resilience Summit in London were told that countries are improving when it comes to handling the fallout of political unrest and terrorist actions, but according to experts the established model for crisis preparation and recovery is now severely outdated.

The annual event is organized by the Global Travel and Tourism Resilience Council and is set up to share best practices within the public and private sectors.

According to a report presented by Gloria Guevera, Chief Executive of the World Travel & Tourism Council, the average time for a nation to recover from political unrest has fallen from 22 months in the recent past to just 10 months in 2019, but the average recovery rate following terrorist activity is typically eight weeks, she added, however, Kirsi Madi, Director of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction urged governments and tourism-related businesses to work together to update older models and ensure they are fit for purpose. She called on all stakeholders to proactively plan their crisis response by understanding the risks they are exposed to and identifying effective riskreduction strategies.

Madi also reminded delegates of

How are you holding up Toronto? Winter has decided to take it easy on us for now, but I am sure that many of you are still considering taking some time away from the Northern climate, and taking a trip to a place with warmer temperatures, clear, blue waters, sunny skies, and some rum punch perhaps?

Welcome back to another week of the Winter Wish List that has been designed to present the Caribbean to the Toronto people in the hopes that someone will be able to make that wish come true to travel to a Caribbean island that they have never been to before. This week, our wish list takes us to the beautiful island of Grenada located at the southern end of the Grenadines in the South Eastern Caribbean Sea.

With its unspoilt landscape, beautiful botanical gardens, eco and historical sites, delectable dining, tropical rainforests, and spectacular waterfalls, Grenada most definitely has something for everyone. During the months of January 2019 – August 2019, Grenada Tourism Authority reports that visitors from neighbouring Caribbean islands accounted for 18% of the market share for Grenada’s tourist arrivals. Noting this, the GTA has decided to promote Pure Grenada’s tourism offerings throughout the region with a campaign called “Something for Everyone,” an initiative showcasing the diverse experiences neighbouring travellers can enjoy in

a UNDRR initiative known as the SENDAI Framework, which recognize that states should play the main role in reducing disaster risk, but responsibility should be shared with other stakeholders.

The four priorities of the initiative are as follows:

• Understanding disaster risk

• Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster

• Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience

• Enhancing disaster preparedness for an effective response

The Resilience Council was founded following the success of the International Travel and Tourism Crisis Management Summit, which hosted its first event in London in 2016. ITCMS grew from the 2016 Summit, becoming a yearly event and paving the way for regional efforts that started with the Resilience Through Tourism Summit, held in Amman, Jordan in 2018. These events benefit all sectors of the travel and tourism industry ranging from aviation to tour operators and destinations, to providing valuable real-time advice and information through comprehensive partnership programs. The goal of the RC is to engage with not just the corporate travel and tourism industry, but the leisure sector as well, proactively partnering with industry suppliers in order to become the quintessential resilience strategy platform which leads to enhancing the confidence of travelers globally and sustainable stakeholder resiliency.

Laurie Myers who is the Project Leader for The Resilience Council spoke with Toronto Caribbean Newspaper all the way from Athens, Greece where she was at

Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

“Grenada has so much to offer to our neighbours from the Caribbean. A quick flight over allows travellers from the region to experience a variety of offerings such as culinary tours, hiking expeditions, diving excursions and more,” says Patricia Maher, CEO of the GTA. “Our goal for this campaign is to position our three islands Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique as the destination of choice, where there is indeed something for everyone, no matter your desired interests while on vacation.”

The campaign is focusing on many of the destinations niche offerings, and includes several promotional videos, billboard campaigns, television and print advertisements. I thought it would be nice to give you a heads up on some of the fantastic tourist options provided in Grenada, and then if you would like to dig a little deeper you can.

Diving enthusiasts

Grenada has the biggest shipwreck in the Caribbean, the Bianca C, which was a passenger cruise ship that sank outside St. George Harbour in 1961. The Professional Association of Diving Instructors has named Bianca C one of the top 10 wreck dives in the world. While you are in the water you can also explore the Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park, which became the world’s first sculpture park when it opened in 2006. There are underwater galleries in their Molinere Beauséjour Marine Protected Area, as well as colourful coral reef with more than 50 sites of intriguing underwater wonder to discover. One special feature is a circle of life-size figures cast from local children linked by holding hands. They became remodelled by the environment and coral growth, and the sculpture is located at 5 meters in depth. It is no wonder that divers of all levels from around the world are attracted to Grenada.

the time. When asked how prepared should travelers be in case of a crisis, Myers said, “As a traveler, the first thing you should do is to be aware of your destination where you are traveling; get to know things like what is normal in that culture. The responsibility is also yours to make sure your destination has been identified as being resilient. Hotels and airlines are proactively trying to establish sustainable practices and preparedness for any event.”

She added, “There is a certain amount of sharing that goes across the board in this whole sector, it is not solely the responsibility of the government, the businesses nor the destination, therefore, he or she should do their research. Nepal is a good example; they went through the 2015 earthquake and had their issues with Mount Everest: they are constantly talking about it, constantly reorganizing their travel community around the subject matter and developing experiences to redirect tourism away from over-populated areas.”

The Resilience Council Project Leader had a message for some governments who are not including the travel and tourism sector into their risk and preparedness planning, “With the travel and tourism sector being 10.5% of the global GDP and representing one in ten jobs around the planet, they should be at the table when we do any of our planning, because that is where we are going to see our recovery first.”

To the travelers, Myers had a final word of advice, “Align your destination with your values.”

More information on the Resilience Council can be found at https://www. resiliencecouncil.org/resiliencecouncil/en/ page/home

Food, festival, fun

For those who would prefer to stay above water, getting around Grenada is easy. If your preference is to explore the island independently, there are several vehicle rental companies to choose from, and if you want a more authentic experience, you can hop onboard a public bus, take a water taxi, or even hire a private taxi to hustle you from place to place.

One festival that you might want to include in your 2020 Grenada visit is the Grenada Chocolate Festival which will be taking place May 1st – June 6th, 2020. You will be able to indulge in their pure, delicious, organic choc olate and learn about the old fashioned and ethical way to grow organic cocoa. You will have an opportunity to learn from Grenadian artisans about how hand made, small batch, ethically produced, tree to bar chocolate is created. Yummy!

Grenadian waterfalls. The best part about getting to the falls is the hike that is involved. Don’t worry if you are not a hiker, falls like Annandale Falls has a paved pathway and is perfect for rock hopping and picnicking. For those who like a little excitement, you can take the trek to the Concord, Mount Carmel, and Seven Sisters Waterfalls.

jor international cities including: Miami, New York, Atlanta, Toronto, London, Frankfurt, and the Caribbean. Cruise ships serving the island depart from Florida and Puerto Rico. For more information on Pure Grenada, the Spice of the Caribbean and the “Something for Everyone” campaign, visit www.puregre nada.com or the destination’s social media accounts, @DiscoverGrenada on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

FOOD TRUCK TRAILER FOR

“My dad always said that when you pick something to do in life, do what you love; my husband ‘You love to sleep,’ so now that is what I do, I sleep, and help others sleep.”

It was a Thursday afternoon, and I decided to head downtown. I haven’t been there for a while, and I figured that I would head out that afternoon to do one thing; take a nap. Now you might say, “Why would Simone leave her house to go all the way to Yonge and Eglinton to take a nap?” Well, ordinarily I wouldn’t, but I had heard through the grapevine, that Toronto had it’s own napping station, so I had to check it out myself.

When I finally got downtown, I could see why Mehzabeen and her husband had decided to open Toronto’s new napping hub there. It is located at 2300 Yonge Street, on the lower level of the Yonge and Eglinton Centre. Everywhere you look there is a high-rise building, with a magnitude of stores, and business, and an exclusive group of clients who will truly appreciate what Nap it Up has to offer.

“I had so many different ideas for a start up business, and it was my amazingly, logical husband who helped me decide on this one. I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, which I believe I inherited from my father. He was a very industrious man.” Why napping you ask? Well there is science behind that.

According to an article (The impact of frequent napping and nap practice on sleep-dependent memory in humans) published on October 10th, 2018 in the Science Report, sleep continues to play an important role in stabilizing and enhancing memory for newly learned information (hint, hint, napping in kindergarten), and enhancement effects from naps have been found across a vast range of: cognitive abilities, emotion regulation, procedural skills, and attention. Napping is now being endorsed as a way to boost creativity and productivity, and to improve performance in athletes. For those who work shift work, napping is actually your best friend, as it helps you cope with fatigue-related to shift work.

I found an interesting article on sleep.org that revealed some of the countries that have included naps in their daily lives; In China, after lunch, it is an employee’s constitutional right to take an hour-long nap. In Italy, the riposo, begins around noon until about 4:00 pm. During this time, busi-

nesses shut down and public venues lock their doors so that employees can go and catch a snooze. Finally, in Spain, the siesta can span two hours: first you have lunch with your friends or family, and then you take a nap.

Mehzabeen and I discussed the importance of napping before she ushered me off to take my nap. “ I have told some of the CEO’s who have come here that investing into napping times for their employees in important. Between the times of 1:00 pm–3:00 pm, our circadian rhythm dips because we are experiencing a higher dose of melatonin (this is what aids sleep), and the sleepiness we experience during these dips are less intense if you have had sufficient sleep, and more intense if you are sleep deprived. But what do we do, we turn to coffee, instead of turning to a nap. There is very little constructive work that is done during this time, so would it not make sense to have your employees rest, so that they can give you their best work up until the end of the work day?”

It made sense to me and this is why I had come down to check it out. After an informative conversation, Mezhabeen led me into the back sleeping quarters to show me around. “I choose the colour Mystic Blue because blue and green are the two colours that are supposed to induce sleep. We also have an air purifier, lavender scents throughout the room, we dim the lights, and we keep the room at a comfortable sleeping temperature, which is between 15–22 degrees Celsius. We even have a white noise machine.” “What is the white noise machine for?” “It is to help drown out the sounds that other guests might be making around you (snoring). It is interesting; the guests who come to visit seem to already understand proper sleep etiquette. From the time they walk through the door, their voices are lowered, and they are respectful of those who might be sleeping.

It was time for my nap, and I was sceptical at first; you know how hard it is to sleep someplace that is not your own. I am going to admit, I was out like a light. The sleep was so good, that when my first nap was done, I had to take another one. I was so impressed by Mehzabeen’s professionalism and calming nature, and how well she kept the sleeping room sanitized. I asked her what she has to say to the skeptics? “Come and take a nap on me FOR FREE during one of our guest appreciation days. We have standard packages that can get you 25 minutes for $10.00, 55 minutes for $20.00, and 85 minutes for $25.00. Our premium package has larger beds, and you can sleep for 25 minutes for $15.00, 55 minutes for $25.00, and 85 minutes for $35.00.”

This is truly a hidden gem in the heart of Toronto, and one that everyone should at least check out. To set up a time, you can visit www.napitup.ca, or email them at info@napitup.ca.

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Top 5 biases to consider as a media consumer

What is a bias? Bias can be described in a few different ways, one-way to look at biases is to see them as the difference between information people can access and the information people accept and share with others. Bias can also be conceptualized as a form of preference, and as some of us may know, preference is rooted in feelings rather than facts. In a way, our biases shape our feelings about facts that

Attribution bias

When you attribute, you assume a reason for something. This can be very dangerous because what you are attributing to, a situation may be completely unreasonable. In psychology, an attribution bias is a cognitive bias that refers to the systematic errors made when people evaluate or try to find reasons for their own and others behaviour, but how can you do this if you do not always have the facts.

Confirmation bias

DAILY SPECIALS

Existing as a human being opens you up to having biases, and at least part of the time, we want reality to be different then what it is. You can think about biases in the same way you think about bad habits. Any of you have a bad habit that you want to admit to? Did it take a minute to bring that to recollection, or did that come to you pretty easily? Like a bad habit, biases can be difficult to identify and even more difficult to control, and it is one of the reasons why understanding your biases is of extreme importance. If you are not mindful, your biases will have you approach situations and make choices in an unfair or unreasonable manner.

Media literacy has become a topic of great importance; the use of smart phones, social media tools, and 24 hour news cycles, have hijacked our attention, and the potential impacts of the connected life is now being studied to understand how it is affecting our mental health and social well being. We now live in a world that is captivated by social media and overflowing with fake news, and instant gratification posts.

I now have a grown interest in sharing the knowledge that I have learned about media literacy, and I would definitely recommend a book called Recognizing Bias written by Aidan M. Ryan a: writer, publisher, and educator, as well as an adjunct professor of English at Canisius College. The book is not a long read, and it sums up exactly what biases are, and how we can learn to identify our own biases. This edition, I will be sharing with you a small portion of the book that focuses on the different types of biases that exist. Let’s get you educated.

It is easy for us to ignore or forget information that challenges our beliefs; everyone wants to be right and because of this, we often look for information that aligns with our original thoughts or proves us right. This is called confirmation bias. Resist the temptation to only look at news that agrees with your preconceived notions; take some time to check on how the source has covered the topic and challenge your own beliefs. It is okay to be wrong, as long as you get to the truth.

Halos and horns

This refers to the habit of taking one positive or negative trait in a person or thing and using this to make positive or negative judgements about the person’s other traits. The best example I can give is what are your thoughts when you think about Subway? What are your thoughts when you think about McDonalds? Most of us would say that Subway is healthier then McDonalds, but would you believe me if I told you that there are items on the Subway menu that have the same caloric information as items on the McDonalds menu? Don’t make judgements on anything; always search for the facts.

Framing bias

Let’s take a look at two words: the word tragedy and terror. Depending on how these words are used can provide a different frame for a situation. If I write that there was a tragedy in Scarborough, you will have a different reaction then if I say that there was an act of terror in Scarborough. This is called framing, and journalists often report the same facts but they frame it differently depending on the emotional response they want from their report.

Prejudice and favouritism

Anchoring bias

If you think of what an anchor is, and what it is used for will help you understand this type of bias. An anchor is designed to hold onto the first thing it catches, and this is exactly how the human mind works. We have the tendency to make judgements based on the first piece of information we receive, ignoring or dismissing new information. This can be difficult to avoid doing, and as a skilled media consumer, you have to be aware of your propensity to make up your minds about an event based on the first reports that you hear or see. Wait until you have more information so that you will have a fuller picture, and clearer facts.

This is one of the simplest forms of bias. To be prejudice is to have positive or negative feelings towards a person based only on that person’s membership in a group (Ryan, Recognizing Bias, 2019). Favouritism can be given to groups without it even being recognized. There is a difference between catering to a market and showing favouritism towards a group of people.

I hope that this list has been helpful. I encourage you to take some time to learn more about media literacy, and to continue to ask yourself questions. What are you hearing? What are you seeing? Who is writing? Who is paying? What is missing? Who benefits? Who is the intended audience? These questions will make you a better-rounded media consumer, and allow you to navigate this growing media landscape.

Peel District School Board under the microscope: troubling allegations cast doubts on progress

PAUL JUNOR paul@carib101.com TC REPORTER

On Thursday, November 7th, the Ministry of Education announced that it was launching an immediate review of one of Canada’s largest school boards. In his statement as quoted by Shree Paradkar in the November 8th Toronto Star, “Allegations related to equity in the Peel District School Board have raised concerns, specifically related to anti-black racism and lack of adherence to governance, leadership, and human practices.”

These are troubling allegations, which did not arise over night. It seems that

there were other issues that were festering at the PDSB that triggered the ministry’s review. It appears that there were concerns raised by families, students, the board’s director of education, the board of trustees and community members that were the impetus for this review. In a statement from the chair, Stan Cameron, and vice-chair Susan Lawton on behalf of the board, “We made a commitment to work on our governance and so we reached out to the Ministry of Education for support.” It appears that the actions of these trustees were not done with the blessing of the other trustees. There was no formal motion made to send this letter.

One of the incidents that have been reported in the media centred on the remarks that were made by trustee Davies at the October 10th board meeting who referred to McCrimmon Public School, (which has a high number of racialized students) as “ McCriminal.” This racist remark by Davies did not elicit a response from vice-chair Lawton. The only suggestion was that those who feel that they

had been subjected to racism should go to the integrity commissioner. This showed a lack of sensitivity on her part for which she later apologized at the next meeting after the Toronto Star reported on the incident. At that tumultuous meeting, many African-Canadian community members were not able to present formally. Three trustees including McDonald and Dakroub, raised objections to the request for presentations and their actions are now subject to investigations by the integrity commissioner.

In another troubling development, as was reported in the October 31st edition of the Toronto Star, Poleen Grewal (Associate Director of Instructional and Equity Support) had taken the board and its director, Peter Joshua to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario accusing them of racism, harassment and “silencing and diminishing,” her work while not addressing anti-black racism in Peel schools. She filed her complaint on March 2019, in which she claims that the board infringed on her “right to be free from

discrimination and harassment and created a poisonous work environment.”

In July, 2017 Joshua took over from Tony Pontes, and in the Sept 4th edition of the Toronto Star he stated, “Teaching is very much about meeting students halfway through understanding and empathy. They need to identify, understand, minimize and eliminate the marginalization of experience as they rise. That includes Black, LGBTQ and Indigenous.”

Many people are wondering what will happen to initiatives that are currently in place to: address inequity and marginalization of black male students, mandatory bias and anti-racism training of all staff, commitment to collecting race-based statistics and black youths leadership mentoring programs. The cancellation of the previously scheduled November 13th board meeting has angered many, but it did not deter many committed community members from showing up.

Business prep for the holiday season; how to launch your next campaign on Twitter

CHRISTINA GWIRA

christina@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Social Media Week Toronto may not be till next year, but the lessons learned from this year’s event continue to resonate. The holiday season is upon us, which means that businesses will be prepping for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas AND New Years. Let’s talk about how you can potentially launch your next product, collection or course using Twitter as your social media network of choice.

Michelle Slater, Head of Business Marketing at Twitter provided great insight on how to properly launch a campaign using Twitter. As of 2019, more than 15,000 products, services and campaigns have been launched on the Twitter platform. That’s a BIG number! However, the window for success when it comes to announcing your latest product is shortening, with the attention span of the present day internet user down to a mere 8 seconds. It is necessary to pack a punch when it comes to presenting your lat-

est creation to the world. Here are the five (5) strategies that Michelle shared with us during her talk as well as some pointers that you can use.

Learn before you launch: The Wendys spicy chicken nugget campaign Wendys retweeted a tweet that Chance the Rapper had made about their nuggets, with a catch. If 2 million or more people retweeted it, then they would bring back their limitededition nuggets. They beat their goal, however, someone else was listening in to this conversation as it was playing out on Twitter; Burger King. Now, BK’s nuggets are nothing to write home about, however, because they noticed that there was a demand for spicy nuggets, they entered into the conversation, and were met by a huge increase in sales of their own spicy nuggets. Listen and learn before you bring your product to market.

Own your voice: The no name campaign No Frills is no frills. The no name brand is exactly that, you get what you pay for, and nothing more. You don’t get the fancy cheese; you just get… cheese. When it came to the launch of their brand onto social media, they made sure that they kept that same mentality through the words, images and photos that they used. They didn’t start using fancy words or gimmicky commercials to get the point across about their business. They took the same “no frills” attitude to their market-

ing campaign, and it worked. They successfully grew their following on social media and increased their brand awareness across the web.

Influence is more important than reach: Director X and Samsung If you know me, you know I love my Pixel and I will probably not switch from it anytime soon. With Samsung, they wanted to focus on phone users who would appreciate and value the craftsmanship, as well as the cool features that their new Note smartphone had. As a bonus, they had Director X use it to create three different types of music videos with three upcoming directors. Why is this important? Well, it’s important to you if you use your phone for vlogging or video editing. This is all that Samsung wanted. They didn’t want to focus on users who wanted a waterproof phone, or a phone that had super-fast internet speed. They focused on a particular group of people who love and respect Director X and his work. Therefore, these people would be more inclined to pay attention to what he’s promoting.

Go BIG on the reveal: The Joker movie I used Twitter for most of November 2019, and I was bombarded by ads from two main sources: the Joker movie and Samsung. However, during opening weekend of the Joker, I saw an increase in the number of ads for

the movie. Michelle recommends spending the majority of your ad budget (or marketing budget) on the day that you’re set to launch, release your product or introduce a service. Will I be going to see the Joker movie? Maybe, but the marketing team did their job because it is stuck in my mind. According to data, the Joker movie team spent 40% of their marketing and ad budget on the opening weekend of the movie, that’s almost HALF of their entire budget! Keep that in mind as you plan your next launch. Omnipresence is key!

Prepare to pivot

Be aware that sometimes, things fall apart. That’s okay, just make sure that you learn from your mistakes and adjust accordingly. Michelle suggests using real time data as you are running your launch campaign to see how you’re doing. Are the sales pouring in? Is the website traffic increasing? Are your ads being watched? Factors like these keep your campaign on track, and they also shed light on what’s working and what isn’t. As you build out your campaign, make sure that you correct it if you see that there are parts that are falling apart. There’s no shame in that!

As your business gears up for a business season ahead, make sure that you check these tips. Use them as a guide to see how well your holiday campaign can do when you launch your next idea on social media.

for clients/customers, family, friends, neighbors and themselves.

Showdown between teachers unions and government makes strike seem inevitable

On Monday, November 18th, 2019 the Ontario Secondary Teachers Federation (OSSTF) released their strike vote results, which showed that Ontario teachers and occasional teachers voted 95.5% in favour of strike action, while education workers voted 92% in favour. This is a significant mandate from high school teachers to put more pressure on the provincial government. Harvey Berschof (President of OSSTF) declared, “This is a powerful mandate from our members and it sends a compelling message. Our members are committed to defending the quality of education in Ontario against a government that is determined to undermine it,” (City News).

This strike vote comes in the wake of others by the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, which represents 83,000 members, which voted 98% to strike. They will be in a legal strike position as early as Monday, November 25th. ETFO president Sam Hammond stated on Twitter “ETFO is fighting for investment, not cuts in education. While ETFO is now in a legal position to take strike action in 17 days, we will continue to focus on

contract talks in an attempt to arrive at a deal that improves student learning conditions and educator working conditions.” Ontario Catholic Teachers’ unions voted 97.1% in support of a strike vote. They have not indicated when they will have a legal strike date. The provinces French school boards have yet to make a statement.

After OECTA filed a request with the Minister of Labour to have a conciliator appointed as the government dismissed its own bargaining team. This is one step in the direction toward a legal strike position. According to President Liz Stuart, “Catholic school board trustees have come to the table prepared to work constructively, but the government side is in complete chaos. Since this round of bargaining began, the government has been going out of it is way to derail the process. They have made comments through the media that have had a detrimental effect on: negotiations, introduced regulations and legislation that violate our collective bargaining rights. They have played games with the public to muddle the issues and deflect blame.”

The unions have been very upset with Bill 124, a bone of contention which was introduced by the Ontario government. The bill caps public sector worker compensation increases to 1% for three years. This wage freeze in addition to: the loss of thousands of teaching jobs, cutbacks in services, cancellation of courses and mandatory online courses are other sensitive issues.

As reported in the Friday, Novem-

ber 15th edition of the Toronto Star, Minister Leece in a statement declared, “There are only a limited number of outstanding items at the table and the government and school trustee association have continued to table reasonable and expanded offers through the negotiation process, with only one interest in mind; landing a deal that keeps our kids in class.” This statement has not appeased the unions and they have decided to exert additional pressure.

ETFO has decided to engage in a partial withdrawal of services in a work-

to-rule campaign that will involve: teachers not attending staff and school meetings, participating in ministry-related activities and filing progress reports. The Canadian Council of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), which represents 55 unions declared their support for Ontario’s education unions. “By under minding public-funded education and attacking our schools, the Ford government is jeopardizing the future of our children and Ontario’s economy.” What is unfortunate is that students are pawns between government and unions.

Not just Dancehall: New show reveals the women behind the dance

The show seeks to challenge the popular, sometimes misunderstood perception, of what the dancehall lifestyle is about.

These Divas, though sometimes controversial, are also accomplished, career-driven, and intelligent, and yet they show the versatility of being part of a vibrant dancehall scene.

The Divas will represent Caribbean cities, the United Kingdom, Canada, United States and Kingston, Jamaica.

CEEN TV, Caribbean Entertainment Everyday Network, announced recently that they have partnered with Elliott Productions, creators and producers of reality series Dancehall Divas, to bring the show to its international audiences in early 2020.

Dancehall Divas will highlight the intriguing lives of some of the women who are part of the complex dancehall sub-culture lifestyle. Riddled with drama, opulence and swag, viewers will see how the other half of dancehall lives.

The executives of CEEN TV are proud to be part of this partnership.

“CEEN TV is always at the forefront and continues to be the cutting edge of Caribbean content, and Dancehall Divas is just another bold step in satisfying the ever growing demand of original and local content,” said CEEN TV representative.

The network is based in Kingston, Jamaica, and is for Caribbean people throughout America, Canada and the UK. It is the North American sister channel of Sportsmax.

CEEN TV is provided by cable providers Rogers and Bell in Canada, and Fios and Optimum in America. The network has broadcast access in over 1.7 million homes, is currently the most watched multi-cultural channel in the diaspora and is also streamed globally online via subscription.

“CEEN TV is the only 24/7 channel that caters 100% to the appetite of not just the Caribbean diaspora, but also stake holders and persons who are interested in and consuming things Caribbean,” said a representative of the network.

This will be the first reality show of its kind in the world, but when comparing Dancehall Divas to other reality TV shows, it comes close to Love and Hip Hop and Basketball Wives.

The first season will have ten 30 minute shows and a live reunion show. The series will air Thursday nights from 9:00 pm to 9:30 pm, a prime time TV slot giving a chance for the show to capitalize on the sole attention of its audience.

Dancehall Divas will appeal to the targeted demographic advertisers most favour — women between the ages of 24 and 55 years old.

Creator and Executive Producer, Heather Whitehead, noted that there will be about nine main cast-members appearing in the series.

“I can say without a doubt that the official first season will be nothing short or riveting and sensational, because we have included cast-members who will force the conversation about inclusivity and diversity in dancehall,” said Whitehead.

The Executive Producer said the official cast photos and reveal will be released closer to the launch of the series.

“The cast’s unique stories, mishaps and everything in between will resonate with and be relatable to viewers and this makes for an entertaining, mustsee television. This is not your average dancehall content,” said Whitehead.

African Diaspora International Film Festival going strong for 27 years

SELINA McCALLUM

salina@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) will be celebrating 27 years on November 29th in New York City. Fifty-nine films and documentaries from 39 different countries will be presented at Columbia University’s Teachers College, Cinema Village and MIST Harlem.

The New York-based husbandand-wife co-directors of ADIFF, Reinaldo Barroso-Spech and Diarah N’Daw-Spech, founded the festival in 1993. However, both of their backgrounds are not in film. N’daw-Specs has a background in business and finance, while her co-director and husband has a doctorate in education.

“We wanted to bring to the community films that explored the human experience of people of African descent so that people can have a better understanding of what it means to be black anywhere and everywhere in the world,” said N’DawSpech.

MICHAEL THOMAS

michael@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The festival runs until December 15th and brings people out from all around the globe, including Caribbean, African American, African, Latino and European ethnic backgrounds who share a love for the human experience of people of colour.

ADIFF is now a national and international event, held in New York City, Chicago, Washington DC, and Paris, France, but it wasn’t always recognized. For the first 16 years of running the festival N’DawSpech and her husband also worked a fulltime job.

“We had to use our own money for many years because we had full time jobs but did this on the side. We had to get credibility in the industry, connect with other folks, and get the respect we deserved for the work we do which sometimes is hard,” said the Co-Director of ADIFF.

Since 1993, ADIFF’s editorial line aims at remaining culturally relevant with a selection of meaningful, thought provoking titles presenting the Human Experience of People of Color.

“What we look for is what we call culturally meaningful. These are films that have a high production value, are really well made, that have a strong storyline that is driven more by the character than the action,” said N’Daw-Spech. “We want the audience to come out of the screening with a better understanding of what it means to

be a person of colour.”

Additionally, the couple seeks films that have a social dimension that show how a character’s actions can be driven by their environment.

The opening night film is Ali’s Comeback: The Untold Story by Art Jones. It is a fascinating documentary that recounts the unsung saga that broke the boxing’s blacklist status of Muhammad Ali, the champion who said, “No” to war and racism.

Other documentaries that will be shown are Fear No Gumbo (Stop Stealing Our Sh*t) by aspiring rapper Kimberly Rivers-Roberts and Paul Laurence Dunbar: Beyond the Mask by Fredrick Lewis.

The most exciting part of film festivals is getting the opportunity to watch films that may be banned in their own country of origin. One film that will be shown at ADIFF is called Marighella, an action drama film from Brazil set in 1969 based on the life of Afro-Brazilian politician and guerilla fighter Carlos Marighella.

“I think the most important thing is that the films we show enable folks to realize that any person, any human being is a complex individual,” said N’Daw-Spech. “Most of the time the stories that depict our experiences tend to portray us as just one dimensional, so that is very detrimental to people’s understanding of who we

are as people.”

Tickets for the festival range from $11 to $50 depending on the screening or event.

Programs in the festival include Spotlight on Brazil; LGBTQ Program; Spotlight on Nigeria; Katrina: 14 years later program; Spotlight on Egypt; Public Award for the Best Film Directed by a Woman of Colour; and the ADIFF School Program.

Commenting on the line up of ADIFF Chicago 2019, film critic Kathleen Sachs of the Chicago Readers wrote: “The films in the 17th Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival, Chicago do what much media and even the publicschool system fail to do: educate.”

When asking N’Daw-Spech if they have any plans in mind yet to celebrate the 30th anniversary of ADIFF, she laughed and said she hopes they have the strength to make it to 30 years first. Not many can do what this couple has done for the last 27 years together. Passion and dedication drive Barroso-Spech and N’Daw-Spech.

“It’s important, it is valuable and you’re providing a public service, but after 30 years, maybe it won’t be there anymore, but who knows, we’ll see,” said N’DawSpech.

For more information on the African Diaspora International Film Festival, visit https://nyadiff.org/ny-2019/

A fired up NDP community media reception

Andrea Horwath and Ontario NDP MPPs. Horwath promised to hold the present government responsible and accountable to the taxpayers: she spoke of the need for good-paying jobs, decent pension and affordable housing for all Ontarians no matter their race, creed or color.

“Let’s make Doug Ford a one-term Premier,” the strong words spoken by the Leader of the Official Opposition (Ontario) Andrea Horwath to her audience. Horwath demonstrated to her fired-up audience that she had an eidectic memory by having all the MPPs stand up as she called them by name and rank, wasted no time in letting her audience know who was responsible for the sufferings of the disenfranchised Ontarians as she puts it.

The event which took place on Saturday, November 16th, at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Toronto East, on 2035 Kennedy Rd, Toronto, had a full house and was a Community Media Reception headed by

In her speech, the opposition leader told the crowd, “We will unite where the present Premier tries to divide, to build where he tries to tear down, and we will keep the pressure up with more legislation, more ideas and more plans to tackle the things that matter, we will not only be the party of resistance but the party of hope.”

Canada’s largest Caribbean newspaper spoke with several MPPs and of course the opposition leader herself about her fight to make things better and her future plans.

One of the questions Toronto Caribbean Newspaper asked of Horwath, was, how she planned to go about creating good-paying jobs with pensions and tackle affordable housing to which she answered, “As we are adapting to climate change we are also doing that in a way that keeps people working in good jobs and provide the

ICHF BabyHeart Trip to Guyana

training that people need so that they can transition to good jobs in our economy.” She said, whenever huge economic transformation occurs it’s always those at the top that benefit and everyone else is left with the crumbs.

Horwath told Toronto Caribbean Newspaper, “That’s why I also spoke about making sure we reduce the growing gap between the millionaires and the rest of us, and all of those things can be achieved by public policies, we just have to make the commitment to do it that way.”

Horwath’s message to Ontarians is, “You don’t have to settle for the least of the bad options, you can actually settle for an option that’s positive, you can actually have the kind of change that transforms our province into a place where everybody can build a good life.”

Toronto Caribbean Newspaper also spoke with Laura Mae Lindo who is an MPP for Kitchener Centre, Critic, Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Chair of the Black Caucus, Lindo told Toronto Caribbean Newspaper “Prior to me being elected, there was no black caucus. This is something that the community asked for,

TCCF works with three international partners to treat poor and critically ill Caribbean children at four treatment centres. At Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, it works with the Herbie Fund to treat children su ering from most major ailments. In Austin Texas, it works with SpineHope to treat children su ering from spinal problems such as scoliosis. In Guyana and the Dominican Republic, it works with ICHF/BabyHeart Foundation to treat children su ering from congenital heart disease. The modus operandi at the two Caribbean centres is that TCCF assists with sending medical mission teams consisting of cardiac surgeons, anaesthetists and paediatric intensive care unit nurses to deliver treatment and also train local sta in post-operative care. @tccfangels #tccfangels | to donate www.tccfangels.com

and Horwath supported and asked me if I would chair the black caucus; all of a sudden we have five MPPs that are focused on the needs of black community members.”

MPP for Brampton Centre and Deputy Leader Sara Singh was at the event and she told Toronto Caribbean Newspaper what the gathering meant to her, “A day like today means that we get to connect with our members who have been doing some of the grassroots organizing around issues that matters like: pharma care, dental care, making sure we have affordable housing. The reception that we are having today is to also connect with members of the ethnic media, because we recognized that outside of the Toronto Stars and the Globe and Mails, the ethnic media plays an important role in our community in terms of sharing that message and those values.”

“I am proud to have a caucus that is 50% women, more reflective of the people of Ontario, and the first black caucus ever in the history of our province. These are things that I have set out to do as leader, because when I took over my party it was pale, male and stale.” were Horwath’s final remarks.

SELF MADE COUTURE

I have been a little discouraged by the fashion that I see, especially the styles being worn by our young people. Yes, I realize that I am a little older, and fashion has gone through some changes, but I have been looking for a bounce back to a time when style was much deeper than articles of clothing. There was a time when black men had a unique relationship with fashion, and this relationship can be linked back to the 17th and 18th centuries. I have always seen style and fashion as a representation of what you have to offer the world, and some people struggle with this type of representation. Some of us are not taught growing up the importance of image, and this would explain why we end up representing ourselves in unfavourable ways.

I want to present to you an amazing opportunity, and this one was specifically selected for my Caribbean men. With the holidays around the corner, there are going to be a million and one events that you need to go to, and my question to you is are you ready? Do you have the type of wardrobe suitable to represent your best self? I would like to present to you Aimé Kamana, Brandon Chestnut, and Sydney Chestnut the team behind the freshest, custom suit design brand Self-Made Couture.

“Men with the intent of rising higher in the world need to look in sync with the trends while making their own signature style statement”.

What makes this feature extra special is that Self-Made Couture has just set up their studio here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at 1 University Ave. November 1st was their opening date. I had a chance to sit down and dialogue with Sydney Chestnut (Corporate Manager) to learn more about Self-Made, and their decision to expand their company into Canada.

Self-Made Couture first launched in 2015 under the name Original Self-Made Custom Menswear. The main objective was to create specially designed, high-end suits for men that are not only personalized, but also affordable. The garments are digitally laser cut and had sewn using exceptional fabrics sourced globally.

They start the process by making a digital pattern of your body, and then the measurements are converted into a pattern that are form fitted to your body. The fabric is cut on a digital laser cutting machine; your custom pattern is saved so that the next time you need a suit or blazer (hoping you haven’t gained/lost a few pounds) your suit, shirt, or blazer will be cut exactly the same. As an added bonus, a style expert will meet with you to go over your customization options, and you can decide on the fabrics you like for your next: suit, tuxedo, shirt, trousers, blazer or coat.

“We are not going to do this; you are going to get a job!” ~ Sydney Chestnut

Sydney Chestnut is the Corporate Manager at Self-Made Couture. Sydney is married to

Brandon (Co-founder), and during our talk she brings me through their journey together. Sydney and Brandon met when they both attended Purdue University, a public research university in West Lafayette, Indiana. Their bond grew as they both pledged for popular Greek letter organizations; Sydney with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Brandon with Kappa Alpha Psi® Fraternity, Inc. The couple both decided to expand their cultural boundaries, and they went to study in China; this is how Aimé and Brandon first connected. “Brandon’s time away was a lot more productive, then mine was,” Sydney tells me laughing, “Aimè (Co-founder), and Brandon actually met their first day there, playing basketball. Brandon was a Marketing and Business Development Intern at Dragon Group Asia, and Aimè was doing a Bachelor’s Degree in the Field of International Business at the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics.

While they were there, they were introduced to the hand made suits made in China, and they were impressed by the different pattern styles: pinstripe, chalk stripes, plaid and much more to fit whatever suit or blazer they choose. When they came back to North America, people took notice and began to ask them about their suits. This is when Aimé and Brandon knew they were on to something; Self-Made’s genesis would change both of their lives forever.

Sydney admits to being against it at first; entrepreneurship is a long, arduous process, and without the right support many fail. This was going to have to be something that was taken on independently. Brandon came from a large family, so he would turn to them for the emotional support, not so much the financial support.

Although at first doubtful, Sydney respected Aimé and Brandon’s dedication to this project, so she turned to her family for some support. Her mother was unable to support her because she suffers with mental health issues, and Sydney has a strained relationship with her father. They had a discussion about investor opportunities, but nothing really panned out.

This is why Self-Made became the brand it is; everything that they have achieved, has been due to their tireless efforts to provide value to their community, and they have done it on their own. Sydney believed in the brand so much that she invested $25,000 of her own into the project, and left her life of 9–5 behind. Aimé and Brandon focused on narrowing their market, finding suitable investors, travelling to China to check out different manufacturers, and establishing studios in Cleveland at Tower City, (Second Floor, Terminal Tower), and now in Toronto at 1 University Ave. Aimé was working in Alberta, then moved to Toronto, to work on the expansion, and Brandon and Sydney have recently moved to Toronto to complete the final steps of establishing the brand here.

It would be nice to see our men dressed to impress and have the ability to afford it. It is easy to become a self-made man; all you have to do is visit https://selfmadecouture.com/. Prices are in USD, so you can ask them about the conversion on products upon request.

Christmas without the cooking: how to hang your apron for the holidays

If the thought of creating a holiday spread from scratch doesn’t excite you, then give yourself the gift of not cooking this year. Here’s where you can get meals made by someone else.

RESTAURANTS

There are plenty of eateries that remain open over the holidays. Book a table at one nearby for your holiday feast. Or better yet, order some takeout and eat in the comfort of your own home.

CATERERS

If you’re hosting a party, consider hiring a caterer. Not only will this professional work with you to come up with the perfect menu, but they’ll also do all the work.

GROCERS

Many businesses, including grocery stores, butcher shops and local restaurants, ofer pre ­made

meals that are perfect for nights you want to eat in.

PERSONAL CHEFS

For a real treat, hire a personal chef to come to your home and create an intimate meal for you and your loved ones. It’s the perfect no ­ cook solution for a small gathering with friends or even a New Year’s Eve party.

This year, simplify your holiday season by letting someone else do the cooking. Don’t be surprised if you love this handsof approach to the holidays so much that you do it again next Christmas.

3 games to play at the office holiday party

Are you looking for a way energize your holiday office party? If so, here are three fun games that virtually anyone can enjoy.

1. Office trivia. Before the day of the event, send a questionnaire to all employees asking them about their interests, pet peeves and preferred foods, books, movies and travel destinations. Collect the answers and use them to create an office trivia game.

2. Guess the word. Write words on individual strips of paper and then fold and place them in bowls. Each team

chooses a player who will have to guess the word based on clues from their teammates.

3. Gift wrap challenge. Put players in teams of two. Tie one person’s right hand to the other’s left and have them attempt to wrap a gift with their free hands. The pair that does the nicest job wins.

If you play your office games in teams, assemble the groups randomly. A fun way to do this is to cut up old Christmas cards and hand out the pieces. Teams can then be formed by those who have pieces from the same card.

How to choose a host or hostess gift

If you get invited to someone’s home over the holidays, it’s best not to arrive empty handed. However, it can be hard to know what to bring, especially if the host or hostess is a relatively new friend or acquaintance.

Fortunately, there are number of things — wine, chocolate, cofee, tea, fancy hand soap and unscented candles, for example — that make great gifts when you don’t know the recipient very well.

However, if you do know them, you could ofer your host or hostess something that you think they’ll appreciate. If they love to cook, for instance, a cook book or an inexpensive kitchen gadget would be ideal.

Whatever you bring, make sure it’s not something that makes your host or hostess work. For example, if you choose to bring a bouquet of flowers, arrange them in a vase before arriving so they don’t have to.

Remember, this gift is meant for the hosts to enjoy after the guests have gone home. They’re not obliged to share it with you or anyone else, so don’t expect them to.

Christmas checklist

To avoid holiday mayhem, you need to remain organized in the days and weeks leading up to the main event. Here’s a checklist that will help you keep track of everything that needs to be done before Christmas.

ENTERTAINING

• Choose a theme for your party if you’re having one

• Make reservations (caterer, event space, restaurant, cleaning crew, Santa Claus)

• Send out invitations

• Decide on a menu (don’t forget to consider your guests’ allergies and dietary restrictions)

• Make separate grocery lists for what can be purchased weeks in advance and what must be bought in the days before

• Start cooking (make dishes in advance and freeze them)

• Make a seating plan and choose the table decorations

• Obtain any extra dishes, napkins or chairs you need

• Choose the music and plan party games

• Clean the house from top to bottom

• Prepare a room for overnight guests

• Make sure your driveway and walkway are clear

BUYING GIFTS

• Organize a gift exchange

• Start shopping early to avoid crowds

• Make note of what to buy for each person on your list

• Write Christmas cards and send them out early to ensure they arrive before the holiday

• Help your kids write their letters to Santa and send them of

• Buy wrapping paper, ribbons and bows

• Wrap gifts as you buy them to avoid doing it all at once, and hide them until the big day

DECORATING THE HOUSE

• Go through your decorations and throw out and replace anything that’s broken

• Hang outdoor decorations before the cold weather arrives

• Decorate the inside of your house

• Don’t set up your natural Christmas tree until a week or two before the day (or it will be dry by the time Santa arrives)

GETTING YOURSELF READY

• Make your appointments early (hair, esthetics, makeup, nails) to be sure you get the time slot you need

• Shop for your party clothes and visit the tailor if adjustments are needed

Keep this checklist handy to make sure you don’t forget anything this season.

The nutcracker clash

Written by Johannie Dufour and Sarah Beauregard

Translated by Cyan Caruso-Comas

The students at the North Pole Animal Daycare are bouncing off the walls this morning. Bianca the rabbit jumps on Snowflake the polar bear. Frost the snowy owl draws on the wall. And Mistral the penguin and Storm the fox are fighting over a new elf doll, each one holding an arm and pulling it until it looks like it’s going to rip in half.

Their teacher, Rudolpha the reindeer, sees the kids fighting and frowns. She tries to think of a way to calm everyone down and restore peace to the daycare. She has an idea.

“When I was a calf,” she says, raising her voice so it can be heard above the din, “I got into a fight with my brother Rudolph over a toy. Do you want to hear the story?”

Like magic, the room becomes quiet, and the teacher starts her story.

“One day when Rudolph and I were young and hadn’t yet grown our antlers, Mrs. Claus came over to our house carrying a big bag of hazelnuts.

“‘I’m making hazelnut-chocolate spread for the elves,’ she told us, ‘and I’m looking for volunteers to crack these nuts. Would you two like to help?’

“‘Yes! You can count on us, Mrs. Claus.’ We were thrilled that Mrs. Claus had asked us instead of the other calves.

She thanked us and went outside, leaving behind the hazelnuts and something else. Something special.

“You see, we reindeer traditionally open nuts with our hooves, but that day, Mrs. Claus had brought us a surprise. It was a nutcracker shaped like a soldier. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

“‘Rudolph, you can use your hooves. I’ll use the nutcracker to make Mrs. Claus happy,’ I said, trying to look innocent.

“‘No way!’ he replied. ‘I’m going to use the nutcracker. It’s a tool, and tools are for boys.’

“‘That’s not true! Besides, I should get to use it because I’m the oldest.’

“‘No you’re not! Besides, I’m bigger than you.’

“Just as things were about to come to blows, there was a knock on our door. It was Mrs. Claus. She’d heard us arguing through the window. Smiling, she pulled a coin and an hourglass from her apron pocket.

“‘I have an idea, children. You can take turns using the nutcracker. This hourglass will keep track of who should use it and for how long. We can toss this coin to decide who goes first. Does that sound fair?’

“‘Yes, Mrs. Claus!’

“Mrs. Claus’ idea worked, and we cracked all the hazel-

The lost button

Written by Johannie Dufour and Sarah Beauregard Translated by Cyan Caruso-Comas

The children at the North Pole Animal Daycare are decorating paper snowmen. While they cut, paste and colour, their teacher, Rudolpha the reindeer, notices that Frost the snowy owl looks sad.

“Is there a problem with your snowman, Frost?” she asks kindly.

“I wanted red buttons but there are just yellow ones left. Yellow’s not a Christmas colour!” Frost tells her.

“Yellow is a great colour for a snowman,” Rudolpha tells the young owl. “I’ll tell you all the story of Shiver and you’ll see why.” She gathers her students around her and begins to tell the tale.

“Shiver was a young snowman who wore three buttons: a red one, a blue one and a yellow one. One morning, he couldn’t find the yellow one and he was very upset.

“‘Mom! I can’t find my yellow button!’

“‘That’s too bad,’ said his mother. ‘You can wear one of mine, if you’d like.’ She showed him her collection of green and blue buttons.

“‘No! I want my yellow one. It’s my favourite button, and I wanted to wear it with my yellow scarf to the Christmas party tonight!’

“Shiver searched everywhere for his missing button. He looked in his ice fort, in his father’s sleigh that he’d used to play Santa Claus and even in his mother’s frost garden where he’d picked ice-candies. That’s when

nuts without fighting. And to reward us for our hard work, we got our own jar of hazelnut-chocolate spread.”

As her story concludes, Rudolpha gathers a coin, an hourglass and the elf doll Storm and Mistral had been fighting over. Thanks to her childhood memory, the children stopped fighting and both get a turn with the toy.

Flurry, his new neighbour, joined him.

“‘What are you looking for?’ she asked.

“‘I lost my favourite yellow button! I wanted to wear it to the Christmas party tonight.’ Shiver explained.

“‘A yellow button? I found one this morning when I was on my way to the park! There was no one around, so I brought it home to add to my collection. You can come over to see if it’s yours.’

“When they got to Flurry’s house, she showed Shiver her collection of yellow buttons. There were dozens of them, all different sizes and shapes. Shiver’s beautiful button lay on top. Overjoyed, he picked it up.

“Seeing how happy Shiver was, Flurry said, ‘You can take two more buttons to wear to the party tonight, if you’d like. Choose whichever ones you want.’

“And that night, Shiver went to the Christmas party alongside his new friend wearing three beautiful yellow buttons that matched his favourite scarf perfectly.”

Frost is so taken with Rudolpha’s story that he goes back to the craft table and gives his snowman three beautiful yellow buttons and a scarf to match.

CLEANING CREW

CULINARY MATTERS

A tale of Caribbean cuisine

The debate of cultural appropriation

Cultural appropriation is back on the table. In recent years a lot of restaurants and chefs came under fire for cultural appropriation for their interpretation of other culture’s dishes. Caribbean food seems to be the latest cultural commodity available for plunder. I’m not sure if these people realize that Caribbean food is not just what goes on the plate, but how it

This topic has been on my list to cover and I kept pushing it back even before the IKEA rice and peas backlash in September of this year, which I got caught up in and was flagged by social media users and called a sellout. Luckily some people were on my side because they understood where I was coming from.

From a marketing standpoint, IKEA was correct because they never said Jamaican rice and peas, they said jerk chicken and rice and peas. Jamaica is not the only island with rice and peas. However, because they said jerk chicken and rice and peas we are expecting the real Jamaican duo. When I first saw the post I thought it was laughable, I even shared it on my Facebook page and said they tried. I took to my Twitter after IKEA apologized and

said IKEA owes no one an apology because they never said Jamaican rice and peas. Before the day ended my Instagram was blowing up. When I checked, the infamous Shade Room reposted my tweet on their Instagram. I had to run for cover and private my Instagram and avoid Twitter for a few days lol. One thing I know is that we as Caribbean people don’t play with our food.

Back in August 2018 celebrity British chef, Jamie Oliver was accused of cultural appropriation for his ‘jerk rice’. People have also questioned the ingredients in Jamie’s rice. There are many variations of jerk marinade, but most contain allspice, scotch bonnet pepper, thyme, ginger, lime juice, garlic, and onions. Jamie’s “punchy jerk rice” mixes garlic, ginger and jalapenos “to create a jerk marinade with attitude.”

A few weeks ago celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelson, who is the head of Red Rooster in Harlem, New York and food presenter on BuzzFeed Tasty made a Haitian dish and he also felt the heat from a few Haitians, including Fabricio del Toro the founder of Creole Foodfest. Fabricio took to his Instagram and posted “I love Marcus Samuelson as a chef but there are many talented Haitian chefs that could and should have been taped for this segment,” He tagged 12 of Haiti’s top chefs. Then further went on by saying “and many more that I do not know. There is a story behind our food and culture. Although anyone can recreate it, our Haitians chefs deserve the respect and opportunity to tell it.” I strongly agree.

Okay, so just last week I got a notification from the Wendy Williams show on YouTube and I saw ‘stew chicken’ in the thumb -

nail I thought this must be a Jamaican Chef in Wendy’s Kitchen let me watch since others called it chicken stew or braised chicken. It was Chef Lazarus Lynch from the Food Network who has Jamaican family but he is not Jamaican. He was demonstrating some recipes from his new book Son of a Southern Chef which includes the stew chicken, rice and peas and cornbread. I must say first of all the only cornbread we Jamaicans eat or know is from Miss Birdie or Jack’s Bakery at Red Hills Road. However, he got mixed reactions from the commenters on Youtube and Facebook with most people left disgruntled with his interpretation of Jamaican stew chicken with rice and peas. One user over Youtube said “As a born and raised Jamaican this ain’t how we season meat for brown stewed chicken.” another added, “It’s good that he paid homage to his Caribbean heritage.” While on Facebook a user-added, “that’s an Insult to us Jamaicans....who the heck came up with that recipe”. Where is the line drawn for cultural appropriation vs paying homage to culture since food is a universal language and a common ground for everyone to experience? I believe that cultural appropriation is when it’s

done with malicious intent or you steal something from one culture and try to own it. A genuine interest in other cultures is not to be discounted, The sharing of ideas, traditions, and material items is what makes life interesting and helps diversify the world. It is the intention that remains most important and something everyone can remain conscious of as we learn from others.

MARLON PALMER

“You have MacDonald money”

“You betta gu look work do!”

Written by Simone Smith Toronto Caribbean News

“If I kick you, you piss!” (Long Kiss Teeth)

“I can’t with you,” I said laughing. I was in the middle of an interview with the one you all know as ThatdudeMCFLY, and who I was getting to know as Marlon Palmer. “You truly have nothing better to do!” Marlon was laughing his head off, and this was pretty much how we spent the rest of the conversation, just laughing, and getting acquainted.

This week’s Classic Man really needs no introduction. Born August 5th, 1988 (Strong Leo Astrological Sign), Marlon Palmer (YouTube Star Extraordinaire) has been making people all across the globe take notice of his hilarious antics, his comedic skits, song parodies, and his infamous rants. Since launching in 2011, it has been hard not to notice this emerging talent. Along with his good looks, and charm, Palmer also happens to be one of the most down to earth people I have interviewed.

I was introduced to Palmer, by one our very own writers Brittney Channer. She had forwarded me one of his latest videos, and upon seeing it, I forwarded that on to other people on my social media platforms that also couldn’t help but laugh at the sayings that you most definitely will hear if you were raised in a Jamaican household. Being of Jamaican descent, of course Marlon has experienced things that can only be understood by the Caribbean community, and he decided one day that he was going to take his love for his culture, and mix it with what he really liked to do; make people laugh.

“I’m going to make a YouTube video every single day for the month.”

Hailing from Maple Ontario, Palmer grew up watching comedic giants like Will Smith and Jerry Seinfeld. He was inspired by the fact that the men had put in the work, and were living the lives that they had created. The acting bug had already bitten him because he started acting in church plays when he was only six years old, and kept acting right through high school, incorporating a healthy sports regimen into his lifestyle. In high school, Palmer greatly accepted the role as the class clown, because he sincerely enjoyed watching people laugh around him. When he did his first school play, people saw a different side of Palmer, and this legitimized his call to acting. In September 2009, Palmer took it to a next level when he entered the Much Music VJ Search. “It was one of my friends who actually entered me into the search; so when I made it to the finals, I was like alright!” Palmer tells me. What had set him apart then, and what continues to set him apart now, is his ability to keep his viewers engaged, and to have them howling at his foolishness.

“Okay, I’m going to grind this out if I can make my rent doing YouTube only, and I did. I paid my rent that month” There was not much that was stopping this young man’s momentum. In 2010, he was picked up to host a radio show called ThaDot FM, which launched him into the era of his life where he was in demand to host gala talent shows and parties. 2011 was a successful networking year for Palmer, and it established him as the young face of Canadian comedy. It was during this time that we all became acquainted with his infamous video, “Stuff Girls Say,” and his follow up video “Sh*t Jamaicans Say.” Of course he didn’t stop there, he had to bring it back home and do the video we have all grown to love, “Sh*t Toronto People Say.” To date, these videos have generated millions of views, and there does not seem to be a stop to this comedic rise. “Do you know Simone that the video Sh*t Toronto People say, actually got people in their feelings. Apparently the Hockey Night Toronto Crowd did not appreciate the video; they were adamant that Toronto people did not sound like that,” Palmer tells me. “So how did you handle that backlash?” “I told them to reach outside their little areas and come really discover Toronto,” he tells me chuckling.

“I think that is the meaning of life. Finding what you love and do that until you die.”

Palmers dedication, and push for greatness has helped him achieve his 28.1 million views on his social media platforms globally, 54.7 thousand followers on Instagram, and his 32 million impressions a month on Twitter. He continues working on building his omnipresence and has now started doing a monthly comedy show called Extra Gravy, along with a weekly podcast that goes by the same name. Extra Gravy, a collaboration with TheBigNormShow and Palmer, talk about everything pop culture, with interesting questions about life, and our time left on this planet. It comes on Wednesday mornings, and just like anything else Palmer has started, the podcast is already starting to take off.

I asked Palmer if there was any advice he would give to the young YouTubers and comedians who are watching his successful rise; “One thing that I regret is not realizing I was a brand until it was too late. By then, people had already taken advantage because I lowballed myself. Secure your funds by securing your brand.” “What else is important to you Marlon?” “Supporting my community 100%. I still go down to Little Jamaica (Eglinton West), and get my hair cut, and when I heard this was a community paper, I had to do the interview. We have to remember to support each other; we have much more in common then we have differences.”

The next time you will see Marlon is at the 2019 World Cup of Comedy, Africa Vs West Indies, Saturday December 28th, at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Make sure to come out and support Marlon, and the other comedians who are for sure going to have people falling out their seats.

www.CasketDepot.ca

The most wonderful time of the year is upon us, which means it’s time for food, fun and family gathering. We already know that as Caribbean people we look forward to Christmas every year. It’s time for the ham, fruit cake and sorrel. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing some of my favorite Christmas tips, food and drinks that you can

This week I will start by sharing two drink recipes that are in my soon to be released cookbook, Cuisine by Noel: A Culinary Journey Through Recipes and Stories. No holiday meal is complete without a good cocktail. Skip the boring beer this year. Holi-

day parties deserve fun, festive drinks, like my Bailey’s chocotini or spiked carrot punch. Pull out your glasses, bar tools and pretend like you are a pro. No need to worry, these two drinks are easy to put together.

For the spiked carrot punch, you can always add some whipped cream with a sprinkle of nutmeg for a festive feel, similar to eggnog. I promise the chocotini is the only thing you need in your hand while you are opening your presents. Start your holiday off with a little something extra by trying these recipes at your next family gathering.

Spiked Carrot Punch with Guinness

This carrot punch will sleigh your holiday party. The creaminess from the milk combined with Guinness is the real deal. With a touch of nutmeg and a splash of rum your Christmas will definitely be merry.

Ingredients 2 lbs whole carrots 5 cups water

• 1 can condensed milk

• 1 bottle Guinness

• 1 cup vanilla Supligen or Nutrament

• 1 shot of rum per serving

• 2 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Wash and chop carrots into 1-inch pieces, making sure to remove the tops and possibly tips of carrots. Place chopped carrots into a pot with 5 cups water and let boil. Once cooked, set aside to cool as the liquid will be needed to blend the juice.

2. Place cooked carrot in a blender along with enough of the water that carrots were boiled in, to cover about 3-inches over the carrots (you might have to do this in batches). Make sure that you still have at least an inch of space from the top of the blender.

3. Begin pulsing to liquefy. Strain juice through a fine sieve strainer. Stir in condensed milk, Guinness, Supligen or Nutrament and nutmeg and put to chill.

To serve: Pour drink over ice then add rum and top with extra nutmeg if desired.

Bailey’s Chocotini

This drink is perfect for the festive season. It’s rich, creamy and tasty. If you are a coffee lover you will definitely love this one.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp chocolate

• 2 shots Kahlua coffee liqueur • 2 ounces Bailey’s Irish cream • 12 ice cubes

Directions

Add all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy then pour into a

and enjoy.

Snow is here….and so is back pain!

Warm up thoroughly

Cold, tight muscles are more prone to injury than warmed up, flexible muscles. Do your back a favor by warming up for five to ten minutes before shoveling or any strenuous activity.

Get your blood moving with a brisk walk, marching in place, or another full-body activity. Then, stretch your lower back and hamstrings (the large muscles in the back of the thigh) with some gentle stretching exercises. Limber up your arms and shoulders with a body hug that you hold for 30-60 seconds.

Avoid twisting the back to move the snow to its new location - always pivot your whole body to face the new direction. (Not doing this can be a leading cause of disc injuries and lower back strains). Keep the heaviest part of the object close to your body at your center of gravity - do not extend your arms to throw the snow.

Keep your feet on the ground

Slippery conditions while shoveling can lead to slipping and/or falls and strains that can injure your back.

Shoes or boots with good treads will help to minimize injuries from slipping.

Use ergonomic lifting techniques

Walk to the new location to deposit the item rather than reaching or tossing. When gripping the shovel, keep your hands about 12 inches apart to provide greater stability and minimize the chances of injuring your lower back.

Spreading sand, rock salt, or kitty litter on your sidewalk or driveway will increase traction and reduce the likelihood of slipping on the ice.

Chiropractic offices get very busy when it starts to snow. Snow shoveling is one of the more common causes of back injuries during the winter months. However, this type of injury is preventable if you know the best ways to remove snow without straining the back. The following snow removal tips can help you to avoid lower back injuries and pain during the snowy winter season.

Pick the right snow shovel

An ergonomic snow shovel can help take some of the effort out of snow removal chores.

A shovel with a curved handle or an adjustable handle length will minimize painful bending, requiring you to bend your knees only slightly and arch your back very slightly while keeping the shovel blade on the ground. A small, lightweight, plastic blade helps reduce the amount of weight that you are moving.

Whenever possible, push the snow to one side rather than lifting it. When lifting the snow shovel is necessary, make sure to use ergonomic lifting techniques:

Pace yourself

Always face towards the object you intend to lift - have your shoulders and both hips squarely facing it. Bend at the hips, not the lower back, and push the chest out, pointing forward. Then, bend your knees and lift with your leg muscles, keeping your back straight.

Keep your loads light and do not lift an object that is too heavy for you. If you must lift a shovel full, grip the shovel with one hand as close to the blade as comfortably possible and the other hand on the handle (handle and arm length will vary the technique).

Shoveling small amounts of snow frequently is less strenuous than shoveling a large pile at once.

If possible, removing snow over a period of days will lessen the strain on the back and arms.

In deep snow, remove a few inches off the top at a time, rather than attempting to shovel the full depth at once.

When shoveling, take a break for a minute or two every 10-15 minutes or if you feel overworked at any point. Use this opportunity to stretch your arms, shoulders, and back to keep them warm and flexible.

If possible, stop shoveling - use a snow blower instead

When used correctly, a snow blower can put less stress on your lower back than shoveling. Avoid stressing your back by using the power of your legs to push the snow blower while keeping your back straight and knees bent.

Visit your chiropractor for regular spinal “tune-ups”

Chiropractors are trained to detect and correct spinal misalignments gently and naturally. Visiting a chiropractor will help relieve pain, but more importantly, will keep your spine aligned and healthy, minimizing back pain episodes from occurring.

Keeping all these guidelines in mind during the winter season will hopefully keep you pain free this winter. Happy shoveling!

4 must-have health apps

Are you trying to take better care of yourself? These four free apps, available for both iOS and Android devices, are sure to help.

1. Medisafe. Thanks to this handy medication tracker, remembering to take your pills is a cinch. It also provides prescription refill reminders and can even contact someone if it seems you’ve forgotten to take an important dose.

2. Canadian Red Cross First Aid App. This app will help you keep your first aid skills up to date with videos and quizzes. It’s also integrated with 911 emergency services. It provides simple instructions for dealing with emergencies so you can help delay complications until help arrives.

3. iSleeping. The iSleeping app provides users with a wealth of information they can use to improve sleep quality. It monitors and analyzes nighttime movement, snoring, and periods of wakefulness to provide helpful data and tips tailored to the individual.

4. Mindfulness with Petit Bam Bou. This app offers many mindfulness and guided meditation programs based on positive psychology and cognitive behavioural therapy. It can be used by adults and kids alike and is suitable for both beginner and more experienced meditators.

While there’s a bounty of free health apps available, always confirm that they’ve received approval from specialists. In addition, keep in mind that they can never replace the advice of a healthcare professional.

Dry January: the benefits of abstaining from booze

After imbibing liberally over the holiday season, many people decide to give up drinking in January. Whatever your reasons for taking on this challenge, here are some benefits that are likely to come from abstaining from alcohol.

1. GENERAL HEALTH

Excessive drinking can have a devastating impact on your health. High blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, liver disease and certain cancers are all potential consequences of long-term alcohol abuse. If you’ve been drinking more than you should, quitting for a month won’t turn back the clock, but it’s unlikely to do you any harm.

The biggest health benefit of abstaining from alcohol, however, is that it allows you to assess how you feel without it and reflect on your normal consumption habits. A month without booze may be the ticket you need to help you reset.

2. SLEEP

3. IMMUNE SYSTEM

There’s no evidence to suggest that abstaining from alcohol for a month will boost your immune system. However, being intoxicated temporarily suppresses it and leaves you vulnerable. In addition, longterm alcohol abuse causes inflammation throughout the body.

Drinking less is likely to trigger a domino effect leading to better sleep, more exercise and an overall healthier lifestyle, which together will have a positive influence on immunity.

4.

YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ALCOHOL

Once Dry January is over, you’ll be able to take stock of how you felt, both physically and psychologically, without alcohol. You might notice that you’re more energetic and motivated without the hangovers. Or, you may notice you don’t feel any different.

4 foods for healthier skin

In winter, your skin is routinely exposed to the effects of cold temperatures, indoor heating, pollution and sunlight. Here are four foods that can help allay the effects of these stressors.

1. Fatty fish. Packed with Omega-3 fatty acids, fish such as salmon and mackerel help preserve your skin’s elasticity, reduce inflammation and improve cardiovascular health. Adding them to your diet will mitigate the negative effects of sunlight on your skin and provide essential antioxidants.

of antioxidants, which slow skin aging and contribute to your overall health. Add them to your cereal and smoothies or munch on them as a low-calorie snack.

Cutting out alcohol is likely to help you maintain a healthy sleep schedule. This, in turn, could allow you to feel more energized, which will help keep you motivated to go to the gym and eat well.

Remember that a month of abstinence won’t be much help if afterward you return to excessive consumption. Overall, it’s far better for your health to be a moderate drinker than one who fluctuates from one extreme to the other.

2. Avocado. An excellent source of healthy fats and vitamin C, this popular fruit helps skin maintain its elasticity and protects it from irritants. It’s also highly versatile and can be enjoyed in salads, smoothies, sandwiches and on its own.

3. Nuts. The amino acids in nuts are essential to our skin’s health. They promote its natural regenerative processes while improving blood circulation. Add them to salads and baked goods or eat them as a snack.

4. Berries. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries all contain very high concentrations

Other skin-friendly foods include olive oil, green tea, garlic and red grapes. As a bonus, adding these to your diet will diversify it and help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome: what is it?

The legalization of cannabis has spurred enthusiasm for its potential therapeutic properties. However, healthcare professionals have reported an increased incidence of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a condition specific to regular cannabis users that’s characterized by cyclic nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain. Here’s what you should know.

SYMPTOMS

In the early stages of CHS, persistent morning nausea and abdominal pain may be the only symptoms. However, the more active phase of the condition is characterized by moderate to severe abdominal pain accompanied by persistent and potentially severe nausea and vomiting which can only be relieved by very hot baths or showers. Some patients experience symptoms of dehydration due to extreme vomiting. This is typically what prompts them to seek medical attention.

DIAGNOSIS

As vomiting and abdominal pain are common complaints, a diagnosis of CHS can be difficult to establish. In addition, the disorder was first identified in 2004, meaning some medical professionals may not be aware of it and misdiagnose it as cyclic vomiting syndrome, a condi-

tion with similar symptoms. The only definitive diagnostic finding is improvement after quitting cannabis.

TREATMENT

While intravenous fluid replacement, medication to reduce vomiting and painkillers may be provided to alleviate the symptoms of CHS, prolonged, persistent vomiting can lead to serious complications. The only known treatment for the syndrome is to stop using cannabis. Afterward, symptoms usually disappear within one or two days.

RISK FACTORS

CHS is a rare condition and the main risk factor is chronic, heavy cannabis use, defined as 20 days a month for at least six months. It’s unclear why some users develop the syndrome while others don’t.

While rare, CHS diagnoses are increasing. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms such as persistent vomiting and abdominal pain, it’s important to seek medical attention.

What is poverty? Part 1

errol@carib101.com

PHILOSOPHER

What is poverty? Poverty is a state of existence underpinned by lack or scarcity of specific resources that people need to enable their growth —spiritual, emotional, mental, educational, economic, and physical. Likewise, their country of birth, compounded by structural injustices, may hinder their capacity to thrive in life without assistance. Notwithstanding, some individuals lack motivation and industriousness to lift themselves out of poverty.

What are the causes of poverty?

Many quote Biblical maxims such as “For there will never cease to be poor in the land…” Perhaps the hope is that one can justify his or her “moral alibi” that poverty is an acceptable state of human existence. Then, there is a command “…that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and the poor and needy in your land” (Deuteronomy 15:11).

The Biblical axiom should undermine any conscious or subconscious belief that God has meted out some grave misfortune of poverty upon humankind, only to then appeal to our charitable nature. Have we ever considered that the central focus of this command might have been a foretelling of the phenomena of poverty as both intrinsic and extrinsic —carefully engineered —intentionally or inadvertently, as a by-product of wealth creation?

The underlying command, however, infers that human beings have specific responsibilities and accountabilities for addressing poverty “in the land” (the Earth). Notwithstanding, some people dismiss the hardship of others as self-inflicted —likewise, self-determinant —using their lifestyles as an example of how impoverished people should rise out of poverty,

Although these observations are not pervasive, poverty has macro-level causes despite the complex narratives about deprivation in various parts of the world, and among individuals and families. It is laudable, though, that the United Nations (UN), the highest humanitarian agen-

cy in the world, together with 15 major organizations have mobilized to fight the scourge of poverty in the developing world. (https://borgenproject.org/organizationsfighting-poverty-developing-countries/).

Furthermore, in September 2000: The General Assembly of the United Nations, at its 55th Session, adopted a resolution, A/RES/55/2, the United Nations Millennium Declaration to end poverty by the year 2015. In the year 2016, statisticians tell us that almost 10% of the world’s workers and their families lived on less than US$1.90 per person per day (https://www.un.org/ en/sections/issues-depth/poverty/).

On November 07, 2019: The UN Secretary-General called on business leaders to use their “enormous influence” to push for inclusive growth and opportunities that benefit all people and the planet. Seventeen Sustainable Goals are the blueprint for achieving a better sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/).

What are these complex causes of poverty that seems to elude the noble efforts by individuals, community organizations, governments, and other global entities? A brief insight: Eric Williams’ (1911–1981). Capitalism and Slavery (London: Andre Deutsch Limited © 1944 by Eric Williams), provides a chronology of the enormous wealth generated by the Black African Slave Trade (the 1600s – 1900s). Moreover, indigenous and tribal peoples have fallen victim to the dominant Western nations.

The evidence is in the ravages of war, genocide, colonization, apartheid, exploitation of natural resources, violations of agreements, unfair indigenous land resettlements, and broken treaties. The statisticians tell us that 1% — controls 44.8% of the world’s wealth. Arguably, the empirical evidence demonstrates that there is a need to reverse engineer the multiple human ecosystems that have fostered centralized wealth and power in the hands of a few.

Notwithstanding, the industrial revolution of the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries, fostered the expansion of the middle class, and helped to “trickle-down” growth prospects for some developing nations. Successive revolutions up to the fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0. (Klaus Schwab 2015) of

the twenty-first century created enormous wealth —generationally, for dominant Western capitalists nations.

Today, poor peoples and nations still grapple with the fragmented pieces of their broken lives and heritage (generational poverty). They struggle to break the stranglehold of signed declarations meant for perpetuity, augmented by foreign aid and charity as opposed to repatriation and reparation, technology empathy, and economic justice. They attempt to function in an ecosystem, engineered for perpetual dependency, as they strive for equality and acceptance.

Many other circumstances underpin poverty, such as greed for excessive wealth and power, racial prejudice, systemic racism, social marginalization, and inadequate education. Every intellectual observer is aware that justice can be unequal between the rich and the poor. The challenge to human civilization, though, is to understand better that people can be materially rich, and yet spiritually poor, which undergirds all other forms of poverty.

Neither the wealthy nor the improvised are immune to the trauma and misery of friendlessness, drug addiction, alcoholism, fear, anxiety, and depression.

A breakdown in the human spirit puts both the wealthy and the poor in the same mental realm to seek the unfathomable meaning and purpose of life. Part 2 of this article will briefly explore 25 “word” solution perspectives that would eliminate, mitigate, or manage poverty on the Earth - regardless of cause.

How I became a junior writer

BY MAKAYLA B. 11 YEARS OLD TC JUNIOR CONTRIBUTOR

One day we were all talking together and my dad told Simone about my parent-teacher interview. My teacher told my dad that she’s frustrated because I read so many books and I don’t use the words I learn from those books. She is always pushing me to use new words, but I don’t use them because I am not sure when or where to use them in my writing. So, that’s when Simone considered making me a junior writer. Being a junior writer is actually really fun. Instead of the chief reporter trying to get my articles in on time, I am on her case trying to get her to give me her feedback and tell me what she thinks about my article. I have always wondered what it would be like to write an article and this is my second article. Being a junior writer helps me in two ways: I learn how to use the large words that I learn in books I read, and I can type without looking at the keyboard as much.

Though being a writer is fun, some of you readers out there might think it is stressful. I won’t judge you because everyone is different; some things that might be stressful for you might not be as stressful for me. At the same time being a writer is a privilege and a responsibility which can be taken away like a parent grounding their kid from using the device.

EMPOWERING OUR YOUNG MINDS OF TOMORROW

Part

Three -The power of words, this part of the series is for the open minded only

SIMONE SMITH

simone@carib101.com

HUMAN SPECIALIST

I want to welcome you back readers to part three of the Power of Words. So for the last couple of weeks I have been focused on helping the greater community overstand the history of words, and the power that they hold. The previous two articles were an introduction to the creation of words, and the meanings that they convey when a few of them are strung together in a sentence. Before you read any further, I would suggest that you go back to last weeks article that can be found on the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper website, and get yourself caught up. If not, the rest of this article will not make much sense to you.

I am about to hit you with some words to consider that have been in use for years. We use them in some of our dialogue, and have no idea the history of the word, or the meaning and power that they have. Who cares right? I advise you once again to go back to the last two articles, and even consider that some of this word stuff could possibly be true:

Understand First let us split up the word into two words. Understand is a compound word, which

are two or more words, or signs that are joined to make one longer word or sign.

Under + Stand

In the Merriam Webster Dictionary there were five different meanings for the word under; let’s take a look.

Merriam Webster Dictionary

1. In or into a position below or beneath something

2. Below or short of some quantity, level, or limit

3. In or into a condition of subjection, subordination, or unconsciousness

4. Down to defeat, ruin, or death

5. So as to be covered

Cambridge Dictionary

Under is a preposition. When we use under as a preposition, it is similar to below. We use under to talk about something that is below or lower than something else: …

Stand

Merriam Webster Dictionary

1. To take up or maintain a specified position or posture

2. To maintain one’s position

3. To be in a particular state or situation

4. To have or maintain a relative position in or as if in a graded scale

5. To be in a position to gain or lose because of an action taken or a commitment made

Cambridge Dictionary

1. To be in, cause to be in, or get into a

particular state or situation

2. To be in, cause to be in, or put into a particular place

When someone asks you if you understand, you should think twice before answering the question. If you answer yes, you are basically admitting to whoever is asking you that you stand, and maintain a lower position then them. To find the hidden meaning of the word “under-stand” you need to flip the two words around. Take a moment and do this. Now it becomes, stand under. Interesting how the word takes on a whole new context, and all we did is switch the position of the compound word.

Let’s look at another word, commonly used during magic shows, but for very definitive reasons. The word is ABRACADABRA. For those who have been around me, you will notice that I have that word tattooed on my left arm, and on the other arm I have the definition of the word. Let’s take a closer look at that. If you are familiar with Hebrew etymology, you will know that abracadabra is a corruption of the Hebrew word, ebrah k’dabri, meaning, “I will create as I speak.” This means that the act of speech will magically create new realities. It does chime well with the kabbalistic notion that the words and letters of the Hebrew alphabet have the power to create (Rabbi Julian Sinclair, July 5, 2018).

I have really enjoyed these last couple weeks. Please feel free to comment, and share any other words you know have a lost or hidden meaning. Now go out there and use your words wisely.

Youth suicide; being aware of warning signs can help to prevent them

PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

EDUCATION

The suicides of many high profile movie stars has brought attention to this serious social problem that many have refused to talk about openly. The deaths of: Robin Williams, TV personality Anthony Bourdain at 61 on June 8th, 2018, and Kristoff St. John of The Young and the Restless at 52 on February 24th, which came five years after his son took his own life in 2014. According to Statistics Canada, the overall suicide rate is typically about 14 per 100,000, while in the U.S it is consistently slightly lower at about 12 per 100,000. An average of 10 people die by suicide each day in Canada. In 2017, there were about 4,157 up from 3,890 in 2009. Of the approximately 4,000 suicides per year, more than 90% were living with a mental health problem. This shows that there is a positive correlation.

According to a 2000 report from the Canadian Institute of Health, suicides among First Nations youths (aged 15-24) were about five to six times higher than non-Aboriginal youths in Canada. Suicide rates among Inuit youths are among the highest in the world (Suicide Prevention Canada. ca). Suicide among Aboriginal youths in Canada is now being seen as an

epidemic. In an online article titled,” Suicide in Youth: An enormous problem hiding in plain sight” by Stephanie Martin on October 25th for Church Leaders, data is presented that shows that the suicide rate increased by 56% between 2007 and 2017 which makes it the second leading cause of death for youths. For preteens and young teens (10 to 14), the suicide rate increased over 300 % during that decade. Among black youths, suicide attempts rose 73% between 1991 and 2017. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youths and young adults (15–34 years) in Canada (Canada.ca).

There have been three students who died at the downtown University of Toronto campus in 2017 and 2018 out of over 60,000 students according to Canadian Press. In, 2019 there have been four deaths so far as reported by the union representing education workers. The U of T has been forced to respond and instituted a SafeTalk program which involves a three hour training designed to ensure that people with thoughts of suicide are connected to helpers who are prepared to provide first aid instructions. In an article by Peter Goffin on August 12th, 2017 in the Toronto Star titled “How many Ontario post-secondary students die by suicide each year: No one knows for sure,” it was revealed that there is not much data available about these incidences. After the death of Chase Graham at the University of Waterloo, the university initiated a committee to look at mental health.

Three stress-related factors for suicide among adolescent and college-

age population include: depression, major loss and stressful life events, according to Richard Blonna in his book, “Coping with Stress in a Changing World” pg. 166. Other factors he mentioned are: demographic factors (age, sex, race, socioeconomic status), psychiatric disorders and biological problems. In a June 1985, Psychology Today article, depression is linked to more than two-thirds of suicides. Warning signs include the following: a sense of hopelessness or no hope in the future, isolation or feeling alone, aggressiveness and irritability, possessing lethal means, feeling like a burden to others, drastic changes in mood or behaviour, frequently talking about death, self-harm, engaging in “risky” behaviours, making funeral arrangements, giving things away, substance abuse, making suicide threats and negative view of self. Trained professionals must be alerted to provide help.

There are several actions that caregivers, parents and concerned individuals can do to provide assistance. They include:

• Talking openly about suicide and depression

• Teaching children social and emotional skills

• Being alert to signs of depression

• Intervening early by informing counsellors

• Providing access to local resources

Psychologist Nadine Karlow highlights the importance of a loving community where, “You feel loved, cared for and protected,” as being integral to preventing suicide.

“Men of ignoble birth out of the eastern parts, had boldness enough to make expedition into our country, and with ease subdued it by force, yet without hazarding battle with them.”- Manetho, Chronicles of Egypt.

The reminder of yet another dark period in ancient Kemetian/Egyptian history will always inform us that, “a house divided will not survive.” This was the case when “Men of ignoble birth out of the eastern parts” came into the area. The Hyksos invasion took place during the 15th Dynasty either around 1720 BCE, as Chancellor Williams places it, or approximately 1675

BCE as Dr. Yosef ben Jochannan (a.k.a Dr. Ben) describes it. Regardless of whose dating system we are using, this epoch in our history had a grave effect.

Dr. Ben elucidates on this in his work Black Man of the Nile and His Family, “A rampaging army… under the command of their leader general Saltis… invaded and occupied the Nile Delta.” In his tremendous body of work, The Destruction of Black Civilization, Chancellor Williams adds to this when he advises, “This invasion… was ruthless and aimed at nothing less than the extermination of the Egyptian people.”

What the Hyksos set in motion at this time changed the face of ancient Kemet/Egypt for centuries to come. I say this for a few reasons.

The first and most obvious was the change in power. The despotic Hyksos rule was just that; chaotic. The invaders “d estroyed vast amounts of temples,” Dr. Ben tells us in securing their hold on newly African soil. Forcing their captives into slavery, High priest and historian Manetho provides a further account via the book When Egypt Ruled the East, ”(the Hyksos) treated

How to find time for yourself

Going to work, looking after the children, cooking, cleaning and, on top of all that, caring for an elderly parent — it is a perfect illustration of the reality of the sandwich generation. Is this what your life looks like? All these responsibilities can weigh you down and daily life can soon become exhausting. Despite all the tasks on your to-do list, it is essential that you find time to take care of yourself.

Stress and exhaustion stalk the sandwich generation. To avoid reaching your physical and emotional limits, you need to think about your own needs too. Make a list of tasks and draw up a schedule that includes some free time for yourself. You like to read? Walk? Do some gardening? Take

the time to indulge in your favourite pastime every day. Organize your schedule so it includes time for a long, hot bath, going out with a friend or simply relaxing. Don’t wait until you’re exhausted before taking action to recharge your batteries.

A tip: don’t overload your schedule. Leave time for the unexpected. Setting aside 30 or 60 minutes a day for those “just in case” scenarios will relieve the pressure a bit, especially as you can use those precious minutes to relax. By giving yourself some quality time, you’ll be better equipped to give more of yourself to your loved one.

all the natives with a cruel hostility, massacring some and leading into slavery the wives and children of others.”

Can you imagine the fear among our fore parents when these nomads with foreign ways came into the land and disrupted its way of life? Families being torn apart through death, and decay, young women of noble status were being carried off to be wed to strangers, breaking Kemetian traditions. They practically destroyed everything they touched and they did this in the name of political authority. I mean, what could you expect from these nomads who had no understanding of Kemetian High-Culture civilization; disruption via violence was surely an effect of their occupancy.

The second reason for my statement is the fact that an invasion of this magnitude increased the numbers of foreign occupants coming into the country. Eventually, this led to inter-racial marriage over the years, thus literally changing the DNA of a people, and further cementing the term Afro-Asian.

In our last installment, we men-

tioned the fragmentation of power during the 13th Dynasty was a catalyst. This automatically led to bad politics and much weaker borders for nearly two centuries. Chancellor Williams adds to this when he writes, “A period of turmoil was also the opportune time for great armed invasions.” There was no way Kemet could have stopped the Asian migrants of the 13th and 14th Dynasties, so when the Hyksos came into Kemet during the 15th Dynasty, there were already a great number of Asians in the country. I also add that this period of time would have seen the biblical Abraham and his followers make their way into Kemet to seek refuge. The Beni Hassan tombs of the Middle Kingdom are a great physical reference for the migration.

This small glimpse of what transpired during the Hyksos rule provides us with insight to be followed with our next installment, where we will look at the liberation of Kemet by a list of brave and dedicated pharaohs, who would stop at nothing to free their people.

Is it time to place your parent in a care home?

The issue of housing for a parent or parents who are ill or losing their independence can cause quite a stir within a family. Should your loved one be cared for at home? Would your elderly parent be better off in a retirement home? Here are a few thoughts to consider.

The first question to ask yourself is this: what needs does your loved one have? If you’re thinking about looking after your parent in your own home, you need to be able to provide them with a safe environment adapted to their condition. In addition, the physical or psychological care of elderly people is extremely demanding. Do you have the health and energy to deal with these demands? Furthermore, how do you feel about living in the same house as your parent? Do you get along? Are your spouse and your children in agreement with you? You should perhaps consider other solutions if conflicts or disagreements already exist.

Your role of caregiver still applies even if your parent lives in a special care home. You could be very busy between visiting them, shopping, taking them to their ap pointments and ensuring their quality of life and well-being. And you will not be the only person involved; you

will have to share the work with men and women you don’t know very well. In that situation, it is normal to feel anxious and sometimes even guilty. To make the best decision for you and your parent, consult their doctors, nurses, social workers and the other healthcare professionals whose job it is to help you.

Fake News: An analysis of its Identifiers

brittney@carib101.com

Fake news; remember this term? Some people associate this term with the 2016 election and the presidency of Donald Trump. It is a term that he frequently uses when a news organization or media outlet purports a story that, in Trump’s opinion may be false or doesn’t agree with. Although many people have found the concept of fake news entertaining, the question of where we get our information should be an issue of concern.

So, what is fake news? Well, fake news is a term that is used to refer to fabricated news; a lie created out of nothing that takes the form of truth with the goal of deceiving people. For some, it could be easy to spot a false story but for others, it can be quite difficult. The important thing to remember regarding fake news is to understand that the information is false but can often seem true. In addition, fake news can also be seen as a rumor that is spread rapidly, but particularly on a grand scale of things; such as politics.

You might have unconsciously seen plenty of examples of fake news stories spread throughout your many social media platforms such as the death of your favorite celebrity, incorrect medical or heath advice, or news that promotes racist ideology. Regardless if you can correctly identify what fake news is, it is imperative to know how false reports can distract our overall comprehension of a story therefore leading to deception and bias. Nevertheless, I have created a list of warning signs you should look out for when you are reading any news article that can essentially help you detect if the news topic or the source is legitimate.

1. Pay attention to quality and timeliness. If you are reading an article whether in the newspaper or online and you notice there are a lot of spelling errors, capitalizations or dramatic usage of punctuation like exclamation marks; this could be a clear give away that you are possibly reading fake news. In addition, take a look at the timeliness

of the article. Is the story being recycled numerously? Is the older story being taken out of context? If it is, you may want to cease reading and find a more reputable source of the topic you are reading into.

2. Check the sources and citations of the article. How did you find the article? Did it magically appear on one of your social media platforms? Or is it a promoted article strategically designed for click bait? Regardless of where and how you found an article, it is imperative that you proceed with caution and ensure that you are verifying the author’s credentials to avoid the spreading of misleading or false news. Also, is the information that you found available on other sites? If not, then it is highly likely that other journalists are still determining if the information provided is factual. The less research that is available on a topic usually means there is a lack of fact based information.

3. Investigate the publisher’s credibility. Who is the author? Have they written or published other work? One should be suspicious if the author is writing for a site that is unknown or if their contact information ends with “Gmail” or other personal email domains.

4. Does the photo in the article match the content? Is it an original photo that accurately documents the information in the article? Or is the picture downloaded or borrowed from an alternate website that inaccurately describes the content? It is common for many fake news articles to find pictures and attach them to their story to create legitimacy. It is important that you as a reader are aware of this practice and attempt to safeguard yourself from false information.

Although these are just some of the key identifiers one can utilize to prevent the spreading of false information, there are more tips one can learn to ensure they are not being mislead. Being able to spot fake news is important, especially to social justice because it not only allows people to believe false things, but it makes them less likely to consume or accept information. So, the next time you are casually led to a random website purporting a particular message, see if you can apply the tips mentioned above and I guarantee it will change the way you view and comprehend information.

Smart

lighting tips to help you save

Are you looking for ways to cut down on the amount of power you use at home? If so, here are some tips that will allow you to more efficiently light your home.

USE THE POWER OF REFLECTION

Choose light colours for the walls. White reflects up to 80 per cent of the light in a room, while black only reflects 10 per cent. This means that lighter rooms need less lighting to illuminate them than darker ones.

Another trick is to place your table and standing lamps in corners so that the light reflects off two walls at once.

USE THE BARE MINIMUM

Choose lightbulbs that are just powerful enough for the activities you plan to do in a given area. A needlessly powerful light will waste energy.

How

Avoid linking more than one light to a single switch and install dimmers to control the intensity of each fixture. It’s also a good idea to equip outside lights with motion detectors or timers.

Finally, turn off every light when going to bed, leaving a room or heading out.

USE ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTBULBS

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) and light-emitting diodes (LED) use less energy than standard halogen lights (respectively 75 and 90 per cent less). They also last a lot longer.

When buying bulbs, make sure to look for the best lumen-to-watt ratio. A better ratio means that the bulb will provide more light while using less energy.

to choose the

best Energy Star windows for your home

For many homeowners, heating costs make up the bulk of their annual energy expenses. If you’re hoping to buck this trend and save on your power bill, one way to do so is to equip your home with Energy Star windows.

According to Natural Resources Canada, on average these windows provide homeowners with a reduction of eight per cent on their annual energy bills. Compared to standard windows, high-performance Energy Star rated windows are up to 40 per cent more effective at preventing heat loss.

DETERMINE YOUR ENERGY RATING REQUIREMENTS

Canada is divided into three climate zones, and most of the country falls into zones 2 and 3. To know which zone your property is in, visit energystar.gc.ca and then find out which product is appropriate for that zone.

For instance, windows and doors used in zones 2 and 3 should have an energy rating (ER) score of 29 and 34 respectively. The higher the ER, the more energy efficient a window or door is.

TAKE YOUR NEEDS INTO ACCOUNT

If your home is old or exposed to extreme weather conditions, you may be better off choosing specialized products. For instance, high-solar gain glazing may allow some people to save money on their annual power bill, while others might benefit from high-performance window seals. Make sure to speak to a professional to make the right choice.

Energy efficient windows are pricy but a good investment, if they’re installed properly. In addition, don’t forget that replacing your old windows with Energy Star ones could entitle you to a tax credit.

Starting in 2020, Canada’s Energy Star rating criteria won’t be based on climate zones. Instead, they’ll be identical across the country.

Outside, opt for solar-powered lamps. The LED light bulbs on them will run for up to 100,000 hours, but once they burn out, they can’t be replaced.

CHOOSE YOUR FIXTURES WISELY

When selecting light fixtures, remember that transparent and light-coloured lampshades let more light through than dark ones. In addition, pivoting lamps allow you to effectively target the light cast.

CLEAN YOUR LIGHT FIXTURES

A buildup of dust and dirt can dull the intensity of your indoor lighting. To ensure that the maximum amount of light possible gets emitted from each lamp, keep your fixtures, bulbs and shades clean.

If you follow these tips, you’ll more efficiently light your home and therefore save on your energy bill.

3 bad habits that will amp up your energy bills

Many homeowners are surprised to learn how much energy their electronic devices use. If you’re looking for ways to conserve energy and spend less on your utility bills, here are three habits that you should break immediately.

1. Watching television and movies on gaming consoles. Video game consoles use 30 to 45 per cent more power than televisions. In addition, running one high-definition gaming console requires the equivalent amount of energy as running 10 Blu-Ray devices. You’re better off using your console for nothing but gaming.

2. Leaving your electronics plugged in all the time. This is a common habit, but did you know that many electronic devices use up to 40 per cent of the energy required for their functioning, even when they’re turned off?

Unplugging your toaster and coffee maker after breakfast and removing chargers from outlets once devices are charged will help you conserve energy.

3. Not thinking through purchases. Laser printers use nearly twice as much power as inkjet versions. Before buying one, ask yourself if the increase in energy consumption over traditional models is worth it.

Similarly, a 55-inch flat-screen TV uses twice as much energy as a 32-inch model. Consider whether the upgrade in size is worth it.

The bottom line is that you should evaluate your needs and make purchasing decisions accordingly.

In sum, to save energy at home you should evaluate what electronics you use and how you use them. Doing so will allow you to save on your utility bills and may even extend the lifespan of your devices.

SETTINGS

Televisions, computers, printers and various other devices may sometimes come equipped with a “sleep,” “power saving” or “standby” feature. You can reduce power usage in your home by engaging this function when the item isn’t in use. In addition, you can change some settings, such as screen brightness, to improve energy efficiency of the device.

How to create inspiring content for Pinterest

CHRISTINA GWIRA

christina@carib101.com TECH SPECIALIST

Off of the back of Social Media Week Toronto (#SMWTO), I wanted to expand upon some of the lessons learned during the conference. Specifically, I’ll be focusing on what makes inspiring content for Pinterest. However, I feel like if you’re creative enough, you can use these tips to make any type of content to be shared online.

Visually appealing

You would think that this would be selfexplanatory, but it’s not. For people to resonate with your content online, it needs to look good. However, “looking good” can be variable and is definitely subjective. Things that across the board are deemed as visually appealing can include: good use of color; bright and clear photos; not using too much text in a post or graphic and ensuring that your photo angle is easy to understand.

Novel

When something is novel, it’s new and excited, something that hasn’t been seen before. When it comes to social media content that is definitely something that you need to bear in mind. Copying other people’s photo style of filters doesn’t make your content stand out. Instead, it makes you look like a fraud… and people don’t like following or buying from frauds. Instead, find a unique perspective that can be shared through your product or service. You don’t need to create a whole, brand-new product to get people’s attention online. You may just need to change the color, add a new story to it or present it in a different way.

Attainable

For me to be inspired by your content, I have to know that this is something that is possible for me. Content that makes someone look down on themselves, or use phrases like, “I wish…” don’t bring about inspiration. In fact, it can cause depression, self-esteem issues, or in some extreme cases, suicide. Use your social media accounts to show people the possibilities that can arise when they buy your product or invest in your service. By creating and encouraging a can-do attitude towards your offerings, you’ll find that your page will be one that people go to for inspiration coming from a place of encouragement and empowerment.

Actionable

Call-to-actions are the way that you get people to buy from you, or join your email list or invest in your course. They won’t know this unless you show your audience how they can try or make or buy what you’re selling. Actionable pieces of content that work include: howtos (how-to grow your hair 5 inches in 5 weeks); step-by-step tutorials and content that is informative.

Positive

Last but not least, your content needs to be positive for it to be inspiring. It takes a special kind of person to be inspired when they see something negative. It’s not impossible, but there’s only so much negative content one can ingest. Keep your content positive, keep your content inspiring. Through your content, people need to be able to know what they “could do” once they follow your page, buy your product or meet you in person.

Though these five attributes have been labelled as to what makes content great on Pinterest, I feel like this can be said for all content on social media. Whether you use Twitter for your business, or are starting to use Facebook ads for your start-up, keep these five key points in mind as you go about creating content to inspire the masses.

HOW TO PLAY :

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once.

Each 3x3 box is outlined with a darker line. You already have a few numbers to get you started. Remember: You must not repeat the numbers 1 through 9 in the same line, column, or 3x3 box.

Try

Wheel shaft

Insight

Love affair

Choir

Precede

Complete

Worship

Film part

Meet Arvin

This seven month old Angel was rushed to Hospital after he began to have trouble breathing. It was discovered that he su ered from a condition where very little blood was owing to the lungs and there was not enough oxygenated blood circulating through his little body. Due to extremely low oxygen levels he was rushed into the operating room for emergency surgery where a shunt was placed to increase blood ow to his lungs. This saved his life. Due to his small size however, this temporary treatment would only allow him to survivelong enough to undergo future surgeries. After a few days, he was able to breathe on his own and drank his rst bottle of milk one week after surgery. In the next few years, Arvin will need one or two more surgeries before he is completely cured.

ARIES

If your family is spread out across the country, you’ll start to plan a tour in order to visit everyone over the holidays. If not, you’ll take a trip with those closest to you.

TAURUS

You’ll master the art of speaking and negotiation. At work or elsewhere, you’ll succeed in reaching an agreement, notably for financing a particular project. You’ll do everything in your power to please a maximum number of people.

GEMINI

You’ll have a great success at work, especially if you’re in sales. You’ll build your customer base to the point that management will have no choice but to promote you. You’ll also be very skilled at dealing with small details.

CANCER

At work, it’s important that you present yourself impeccably in order to be a success. A sense of levity will also be appreciated by your bosses. In your love life, pas sion will give way to a more seri ous commitment.

LEO

There may be some minor family conflicts to resolve. Don’t hesitate to speak candidly, because silence carries the risk of causing turmoil. You might bring your work home some evenings.

VIRGO

You certainly won’t keep your thoughts to yourself and there will be somebody to debate with in all circumstances. At work, you’ll expand your clientele and make some new friends.

LIBRA

Check the pockets of your winter coat to find some money forgotten there last year. In your love life, you must communicate openly, if only to get the affection you desire.

SCORPIO

You’ll be very dynamic this week and start to organize the different activities you’ll participate in during the co ming weeks. You’ll be generous and present at all of your holiday celebrations this year.

SAGITTARIUS

They say that speech is silver but silence is golden. You’ll benefit from an extraordinary source of inspiration. The comfort of your home will allow you to create a work of art or to open yourself to a spiritual practice.

CAPRICORN

Friends are an important part of your life, and it’s time to clean up your social circle. You may also develop friendships with colleagues after certain events.

AQUARIUS

It’s normal to let loose after a brilliant accomplishment or finishing a longterm project. You won’t have to wait too long before being asked to celebrate with friends and colleagues.

PISCES

You’ll have a great time and procrastination will dominate everything. It’s necessary to relax from time to time. Fortunately, you’ll work hard later on in order to avoid any type of delay.

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Learning about real estate with Dr. Saied

“Good news Bev, your blood pressure is back to normal.” said Dr. Saied. Bev thought that buying a home was an easy task. She never knew that real estate jargon was like learning Swahili. Her blood pressure shot up. Dr. Saied, her family physician, wanted to get to the source of the problem.

“What made your blood pressure soar?” queried Dr. Saied. “My realtor said that I needed a stress test to buy a house.” Dr. Saied explained that the lenders required buyers to go through a financial stress test and not one for her heart. He explained that a financial stress test is designed to find out how much

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a buyer can afford and if the interest rate increased, whether she can fetch the heavier financial burden.

“Mortgage is like postmortem and mortuary. I guess a mortgage means that I will pay until death?” asked Bev. The composed doctor explained that the word “mort” means death and “gage” connotates a pledge. A mortgage is a security, usually the property, given for a pledge. Mortgage is therefore a security given for a loan which must be paid back even if the borrower dies. The lender is the mortgagee and the borrower the mortgagor.

Dr. Saied’s secretary, Janice, was listening in and wanted to know about closing costs. Dr Saied pointed out that it is the cost linked to the purchase or sale of a home such as sales tax, lawyer fees and lender fees. He suggested that in addition to the down payment, buyers should put aside about 1.75% of the value of the property for such expenses. Bev was the last patient and Dr. Saied was in a mood to talk real estate. The phone buzzed. Jason, Dr. Saied’s broker, was broke and wished to borrow money. Dr. Saied ex-

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plained that he can only lend to Jason if there is enough equity in his home. Equity is the chunk of money remaining after deducting the amount owed on the mortgage from the current sale price of the home. Dr. Saied will lend Jason as a second mortgage. A second mortgage is a mortgage taken out on a home that already has a mortgage. If Jason cannot pay the mortgages, the first lender can sell the property and if there is any money left over, then the second will get paid. Second mortgages are high risk and are associated with higher interest rates.

Dr. Saied, before proceeding to arrange the mortgage, asked for an appraisal on Jason’s property. An appraisal is an estimate of the value of the property based on what similar properties recently sold for. With an appraisal, Dr. Saied can calculate the equity remaining before he continues. A licensed property appraiser would research the property through MLS. MLS, or multiple listing services, is a real estate service that collects data on properties that are for sale and those that are sold from all the realtors who are members. Each property is called a listing.

Janice was prequalified for a mortgage and when she bought her home the lender turned her down. Dr. Saied explained that when a buyer is prequalified, it’s only an estimate of how much she can afford. It does not investigate the finer details such as her credit and her ability to pay. Pre-approval imposes such responsibilities where the buyer completes an application and all the necessary documentation for review. If successful, the lender would issue a commitment letter to the buyer.

Bev’s fingers fumbled in her purse as she extracted a listing of a property. She needed some clarity. The listing stated that the home was “a link detach”. The foundation walls below ground are linked by two common walls running lengthwise along the entire stretch of homes. The cross-foundation walls are then constructed, and earth is thrown between the homes. Above ground, it looks like a detached, but below it is linked. It was twilight before everyone went home. Bev intuitively knew that Dr. Saied was the man to help her. There were many more appointments and the relationship grew.

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Seniors beware of scammers!

I thought I would write this article about seniors in an effort to protect my readers from scammers who will stop at nothing to take your money. This is becoming a very serious issue. Scammers prey on unsuspecting seniors making them victims, and when a person gets scammed, its an embarrassing thing to have endured, so many times they say nothing. So, let me try to prevent you from falling prey to a scammer by highlighting two of four common scams that are out there.

Computer virus scams

Many seniors are now using computers but at the same time are not always very sophisti-

cated with the use of them. Once in a while a message comes up on the computer saying that your computer has been infected with a virus, your computer freezes and there is a number that you have to call in order to get your computer up and running again. You make the call and a “tech” says that he can fix the problem and asks for permission to come on your computer to fix the problem, so you give him access online. He fixes it and then tells you that you can prevent it by purchasing an antivirus program, which you do. Both actions of yours are mistakes, never let them come on your computer, because you don’t know who they are and you don’t need to buy an antivirus program. Simply shut your computer down by depressing the power button and when you restart it will be fine. If you actually got a virus, take it to an authorised dealer. If you allow a person whom you don’t know to come on your computer, they can steal valuable information like your passwords etc.

CRA calling scam

The first thing you need to know about this,

Hello again and welcome to another edition of “ Insurance Matters” where I look to answer and talk about the most common questions and issues in the life and health insurance business. Today’s question is one I get pretty often. “How much more will I pay if I smoke cigarettes or marijuana”? With cannabis now being legal in Canada and the lack of evidence of it causing any type of cancer illness such as smoking tobacco, it’s a fair question to consider and ask. Do the insurance companies penalize those who smoke marijuana for medicinal and leisure purposes in their pricing of life insurance?

Regardless of your moral opinion about the legalization of marijuana, in my opinion marijuana was grouped into the insurance smoking class unfairly. Everyone knows the health concerns and deaths that smoking tobacco and nicotine cause. A Conference Board of Canada study published found that smoking causes more than 45,000 deaths in Canada annually, almost 1 in 5 of all deaths (18.4%) in the country. With marijuana those scary numbers don’t exist. Most people are aware that if you smoke cigarettes, it doesn’t matter how many per day, the insurance company will put you

in a smoker classification. Your premiums are determined by two broad classes, smoker or non-smoker. Even if you smoke one cigarette a week or a pack a day, you’re considered a smoker. The only way to escape being put into this class is to not have smoked cigarettes for at least 12 months. When it comes to marijuana some insurance companies are taking a much more open approach. Some companies have moved their smoker status underwriting towards how much that person smokes in a given time frame and some have removed it entirely from its smoker classification.

Now that you know what puts you into a smoker risk class, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to pay double what a non-smoker would pay for the same coverage. There are two sub-smoker risk classes, preferred smoker and standard smoker. Remember I said this has nothing to do with how many cigarettes you smoke. Preferred or standard smoking rating is determined on how healthy you are. So you could be an extremely healthy one pack a day smoker and get a preferred rating or be a one pack a month smoker with a health condition or lifestyle risk factor and be placed in the standard smoker rating.

In order to qualify for a preferred smoker rating applicants need to meet certain criteria. Every insurance company has their own rules, but as an example, preferred ratings are only available on policies with face amounts of $500,000 or more. Why? Because normally the $500,000 threshold is when the insurance company would request medical underwriting by checking your vitals, pulling fluids and measuring your height and weight.

is that CRA does not call anyone to notify them of outstanding payment or arrears. I have received these calls myself where the caller repeats that they are calling from CRA and that they have assessed my previous year’s returns and have come up with either inconsistencies or penalties. Most people get scared at this time, including me the first time I got one of these calls. The caller then goes on to inform you that they are willing to make an offer where you can pay a reduced amount, failing which you will be arrested for defrauding Revenue Canada. So, if in your lifetime there was one return you completed which you were not sure about, you now believe that the CRA has caught you and you are ready to pay up less so that you don’t get into any trouble with the law. You will be instructed where and when to pay this money. If you do this, then you have just fallen for the scammer’s trap. Do not do this.

Next issue we will continue with two more scams that seniors need to be aware of and protect themselves against. Be on your guard!

Face amounts below $500,000 usually only offer two risk classes standard non-smoker and standard smoker.

As an example, to qualify as a preferred smoker, you would need to be between 4150 years of age and meet the following criteria.

• Blood Pressure: 140/85

• Cholesterol: 230/5.5

• No personal health history of: cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, or stroke

• Family health: No family history of heart disease, cancer, or stroke prior to age 63

• Driving history: No impaired driving infractions in the last 5 years

If you meet all of the above, you would get a preferred rating. Qualifying for preferred smoker status would save you quite a few dollars each month as well. Monthly price differentials for a male and female aged 36 applying for $600,000 of coverage in a Term 20 with a known Canadian insurance company would be:

Term 20 Male – smoker $115.96

• Preferred smoker $78.56

• Difference $37.40

Term 20 Female – smoker $83.72

• Preferred smoker $61.72

• Difference $22.00

So, if you have been putting of obtaining coverage, speak to a licensed advisor and find out for sure how much it will cost.

Caribbean born Toronto Raptor showing off his skills this season

KAYLA KARIM

kayla@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Since last June the Toronto Raptors made a name for themselves around the world as the NBA Champions. They faced adversity while pushing through top teams in the league to meet Golden State in the finals where they clinched their first ever NBA title in six games. Although Kawhi Leonard was able to help with leading the successful Raptors pack, they weren’t a team that was built with All Stars. In fact, much of their roster consisted of players who perfected their skills in the development ‘G-League’ including Chris Boucher.

Saint Lucian born Chris Boucher’s story isn’t like the others. He didn’t know that he wanted to be an NBA player until much later on in his life. Born in Castries, St. Lucia, he moved to Montreal with his mother when he was five years old. He grew up playing soccer and ice hockey for most of his childhood and when he turned sixteen, he had dropped out of high school to work as a cook and dishwasher.

In 2012, he was noticed and offered a spot on the Amateur Athletic Union AAU team, an academy that was created to help inner-city teenagers that could be fu-

ture prospects to earn a high school diploma, which he then accepted.

After playing one season at New Mexico Junior College, he attended North west College in Powell, Wyoming where he was named NJCAA Player of the Year. When it was time to move to college, Boucher chose the University of Oregon where he was slim however his energy overpowered his phy sique.

Chris Boucher went undrafted at the 2017 draft but was picked up by the Golden State Warriors signing one of the first twoway contracts that the NBA had just imple mented. Only one game was played with the Warriors in June and on July 20th 2018, Boucher signed with the Toronto Raptors as a free agent.

The Bronze Bomber strikes again! Deontay Wilder shocks fans and silences doubters

Since then Boucher has been making strides with this young Toronto team. Spending most of his time with the Raptors 905, the twenty-six-year old was named the G-League MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year last year.

This year the Raptors were plagued with injuries early on in the season where players like Boucher had to step up. His energy is contagious and not only does he give the team momentum when they need it the most, he also puts up the numbers. The power forward is consistent averaging 5.6 points per game in only 12 games and added a career high of 15 points earlier this month against the LA Lakers.

There is no doubt that Chris Boucher is playing the best basketball of his career and is definitely making St. Lucia proud.

The WBC Boxing Heavyweight belt was on the line on Saturday. The highly anticipated world championship fight saw two impressive warriors: champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder and Luis “King Kong” Ortiz facing off against each other for the second time in their careers.

Deontay Wilder went into the fight undefeated, with a nearly perfect 41-0-1 record. Wilder had won all but one of his previous fights by knockout. The only thing that tainted his virtually perfect record was a draw with famed British boxer, Tyson Fury in late 2018. Ortiz also held a very impressive record going into the fight, with a nearly undefeated 31-1 record, and his only loss coming from his previous fight with Wilder.

The Saturday night bout was an opportunity for Deontay Wilder to keep his undefeated record and the title of world champion, and it gave forty-year-old challenger, Luis Ortiz, a chance to not only become the first ever Cuban WBC Heavyweight Champion and ruin Wilder’s record, but to silence all of the doubters and critics that said he was too old to compete in boxing at a competitive level.

From the build up to this fight, it became clear that this match was about more than just a championship belt; legacies were on the line. Both boxers made it clear in the weeks leading up to the fight that the bout would not go to decision, with Ortiz commenting, “Either he knocks me out or I knock him out. This is going to be a war.”

The last time the pair locked horns, was on March 3rd, 2018; with both fighters entering the fight undefeated. Luis Ortiz looked dangerous midway into the fight, almost knocking Wilder down in the seventh round, but Wilder came back in the tenth round; landing powerful strikes that knocked Ortiz down twice and ended the bout. Luis Ortiz was disappointed with himself after the loss, vowing that he would come more prepared for their next fight. In the lead up to the second bout, it was clear

that Ortiz was preparing for war. He trained harder than he ever had before; even incorporating unorthodox training methods such as dance to develop his balance, footwork, and rhythm.

The first few rounds of the contest played out as they usually do in boxing matches; with both competitors throwing jabs, and playing a cautious and tentative game in an attempt to feel out their opponent. The start of the fight was not without action. The fighters engaged in a few lightning fast exchanges, one of which opened up a cut on Ortiz’s face. Moving into the middle rounds of the fight, Deontay Wilder looked scared of his opponent. Ortiz controlled the centre of the ring with superior footwork, balance, and boxing IQ, while Wilder looked timid and unwilling to engage Ortiz.

During this time, Luis Ortiz was consistently walking Wilder into the ropes by creating angles and pumping lightning fast jabs. Wilder looked utterly helpless in the fourth and fifth rounds, barely landing any significant strikes, while his adversary used his superior composure and balance to pummel him with an unending barrage of strikes. Progressing into the sixth round, Wilder seemed to find some of his rhythm, engaging Ortiz with more aggression. He was still careful about picking his strikes; he seemed to be waiting for the perfect opportunity to deliver a powerful, fight-ending strike. That opportunity presented itself in the seventh round; Ortiz began showing signs of fatigue, and when he lowered his hands to rest his tired shoulders, Deontay Wilder delivered a brutal straight right that almost dispatched Ortiz directly to the afterlife. Ortiz was unable to get back up and continue the fight.

Wilder’s victory meant that he remains the heavyweight world champion, and his title is safe until another brave warrior steps up to challenge him. Wilder showed a great amount of respect for his opponent, stating that, “You can see why no other heavyweight wants to fight Ortiz. He’s very crafty.” Wilder further stated that the title of heavyweight world champion is not enough for him, “I want a unification bout. I want one champion, one name, one face… and that face is Deontay Wilder.” Wilder’s win sets him up for a rematch with the only man who put a dent in his perfect record: Tyson Fury. Wilder declared that, “I’m ready for Tyson Fury. Hopefully he’s ready for me.”

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