Tshaka Explains It All

Installing Smart Switches In Your Evil Lair With Villain McBeardface and DIYZ

I’ve been dabbling with home automation for roughly four years now, but, sloooowwwwly. I first started with Piper’s home gateway, then moved on to the Wink Hub, but I’ve yet to actually dig in and mess with any serious electrical wiring until now. I’m not the handiest person, so when it comes to DIY household… Read More
Villain McBeardface Reviews: 2017 Chevy Impala Midnight Edition

Although I’ve reviewed automotive related technology in the past, I’ve yet to actually review a car. I’ve been driving for some decades and have had the fortune to drive quite a few different cars, from the high end to the beaters and buckets but I wouldn’t consider myself a gearhead or expert. Enthusiast? Yes. So,… Read More
Dell Has Awesome Wrapped In Trash

Some time ago, I reviewed Dell’s XPS 13, then the Chromebook 13 and was quite impressed. The Infinity display was beautiful and the raw materials used to create the chassis were a solid compliment to what was already a standout machine. A short time ago, Dell released the latest iteration of the XPS 13, this… Read More
Review: Honeywell’s Lyric Round Hits The Right Notes

Do you have a song in your heart that is moving your dancing feet toward home automation? Well then Honeywell may have the right Lyric for you! Ok, that was mega cheesy, but I’m a dad and I love puns so deal with it. Here’s our video review of the product. Below the video review,… Read More
Safer Internet Day 2016 Brought The Awesome!

Recently I had the opporutnity to speak at ConnectSafetly.org’s U.S. observance of Safer Internet Day 2016 and it was AWESOME! There were a few hundred Los Angeles tweens and teens in attendance and they really were amped up about their role in the future of technology. What I enjoyed the most was the intereactive nature… Read More

Breakfast: Shaka’s Apples, Cinnamon And Spice Irish Oatmeal

I remember those mornings, waking up and wolfing down a big bowl of Quaker Instant Oatmeal. Apples and Cinnamon, Raisins and Spice, brings back memories! As an adult with Type II though, the amount of sugar in most boxed, sweetened oatmeal is a no-no. So, what to do?

Hump Day Quickie Meals: Paleo Stir-Fry

It’s the middle of the week and you are already beat! What do you do? Dinner needs to be made, and made healthy. No trips to McDonald’s for you but what to do? I have just the thing, stir-fry.

Paleo Tandoori, Meh.

So, I made Tandoori chicken for the first time the other night. This picture is after marinating for 12 hours, prior to going into the oven.

The Other America. Black America.

I’m a member of a private “Dad Bloggers” group on Facebook. It’s an awesome group of guys, filled with men who run the spectrum of life experiences, ethnic backgrounds, spiritual beliefs, and political affiliations. It’s generally a harmonious environment but from time to time, things can get contentious when a topic comes up that people […]

Get Down With The Get Down

Do you have teenage children? Are you a hip hop head? Maybe you remember those days when disco gave way to hip hop and the new genre came to the fore as the expression of the streets, the latest “thing.” If you want to share with your young adults what it was like to grow […]

Netflix, My Partner In Education

I remember sitting in class during weeks when we had standardized testing and watching movies when testing was done We weren’t going to get much accomplished in class those days, so the teachers would allow us to watch educational videos. I remember watching “The Gods Must Be Crazy” one time and though it was zany, […]