Carolyn’s Opinions December 2013 Part 2

A West London public housing management company came under fire for sending to the tenants a newsletter. It essentially told the tenants they wanted them to pay their rent for December.

The tenants were insulted that such a notice went out around Christmas time. However, the management company stated that over 46% of the tenants of the property were behind in their rent. It wanted to make sure that they could not use Christmas as an excuse to get even further behind in the rent.

I believe this is a good preventive decision by this management company. People in general tend to overindulge with Christmas presents and other festivities during the holidays. They should be reminded with a reality check that tenants should consider paying their rent first for December. Rent is what keeps a property maintained. Rent is just as important as the holidays, and needs to be acknowledged.

Carolyn’s Opinions – December 2013 - Part 1 of 3

* Watching “Hoarders–Buried Alive” television show. The relatives show up at the hoarders home, horrified and angry about the devastation. Almost without exception, the homes are filled almost to the ceiling with waste and clothes. The bathrooms are unusable. Mice run around everywhere.

The relatives say, “I never had a clue. Never in my wildest dreams.” I’m wondering, where were the relatives long before these homes were destroyed? Some of the children haven’t been to their parent’s home in years. The relatives should be ashamed of themselves.

* I think the TV show King of Queens Season 3 episode “Strike Out” is funny as Hell.

* I just saw ‘Five Easy Pieces’, starring Jack Nicholas, for the first time. I was not impressed at all.

* Mike Tyson was recently forbidden from entering Great Britain to promote his book because he is a convicted felon. Do you think that in the United States, that after one has served his or her time in prison, all rights as a citizen such as voting, housing, employment, etc. should be reinstated?

* What’s happened to comedian Carlos Mencia?

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Carolyn's Opinion - November 2013

Here’s a question. What do you do when your neighbor’s legal pot smoking is driving you crazy? The smell is permeating into your apartment. You have asthma. Short of moving out, what can you do?

If Jay Z is so concerned about his reputation regarding his deal with New York’s Barneys, he should pull out. He is rich enough to do business with people who don’t mistreat people of color. Even more, he has the ability to make Barney’s change their policies in exchange for his business with them. At what point is there not enough money in the world to do something?

I have to say that comedian Andrew Dice Clay’s acting has vastly improved over the years. I enjoyed his recent performance on the television show ‘The Blacklist.’

It seems like everything I buy is in a smaller and smaller package, and costs more and more money

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse are still not married! I guess neither one wants to put a ring on it…Hmmm

Some advice from an article on the Internet – If you are seriously ill, call 911 from a landline. The police can better track where you are to send an ambulance if you are no longer able to speak, unlike on a cell phone. Good Advice for saving time getting to you

I believe that Hypocrisy is one of the biggest sins on this earth. Alleging to have characteristics that one lacks (Wikipedia). Acting in ways that you tell others not to do…

Who decides when a person speaking should be in subtitles on television? This happens a lot on the program ‘Beyond Scared Straight.’ They do it with both the prisoners and the juveniles.

First of all, I don’t have a problem understanding what they say. Do they allow the TV producer to decide who gets subtitles, or a committee of people? Second of all, when it’s done, it makes it seem like they have speech impediments, which they don’t. Third, I think it further stigmatizes urban people, suggesting that their speech is one reason why they are in trouble with the prison system, both black and white.

I know it’s just a cartoon. But killing off Brian the dog on The Family Guy was a mistake. He was the most functional one in the family, and balanced off all the others. I don’t know if I want to see the new character. It just seems like more dysfunction. Where’s the contrast now?

I would say this to any woman in the same position. Khloe Kardasian, dump that zero, and get you a hero. Life’s too short, and you’re still young enough to get a better partner. Lamar has to want to improve, and he’s clearly not ready yet.

If Amber Riley hadn’t won 2013 Dancing with the Stars, there would have been a serious problem. Congratulations!

A judge rejected 66-year-old O.J. Simpson’s request for a new trial. Is anyone surprised?

This week is the beginning of the 2013 holiday season. Subscribe here for more of Carolyn’s Opinions. Happy Thanksgiving!

Too Many Ways to Kill Humanity

There are so many "natural" disasters in the world. Global warming is just another way to say the world is sick of our abuse. It's fighting back with stronger and stronger ways to destroy us. And, by the time we decide to listen, many of us will die.

For Chris Brown, Assaults and a Good Legal Team Pays

Once again Grammy award winning singer Chris Brown, 24, has avoided jail time for an assault. He attacked a man, punching him in the face for trying to jump in a picture Brown was taking with some fans. After a two-day stay in jail, he was released without bail. He was also able to have his charge changed from felony assault, which could have cost him 4 years in prison, to simple assault misdemeanor. He is still serving a five-year probation from his 2009 assault on then girlfriend Rihanna. A hit and run accident in August added 1000 hours to his community service. So far, community service doesn’t seem to be working on his psyche. Mr. Brown, able to hire the best attorney and legal team, has learned that money can and will keep you out of jail. Update: Mr. Brown has signed into a hospital for rehabilitation for his anger management. Good move. Let’s see if this takes.

Can I Sustain?

As you can see, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted here. There have been many trials and tribulations I have experienced since I last posted. Too many to catalogue here. But believe me, there were doozies. The primary issue is that I have too many projects in several areas of my life. Too many to do any one of them justice. And, I now have to admit, I am a perfectionist. I like to do whatever I do well, or not at all. This includes how I govern my personal life. But that will not be explored here. The question is, am I able to pin down just a few of my interests in order to do them well? What can I sustain at this blog? Well, I’m going to try again.

How I Would Manage Fantasia Barrino's Career

I never thought it would happen, but it has finally come to this: I am no longer a fan of singer Fantasia Barrino. It happened recently looking at the 2012 Essence Music Festival. I watched with horror as the very pregnant chanteuse sang ‘Bittersweet’, her only Grammy win to date.

Wearing a long, black, lop-sided, tacky weave; Fantasia kicked off her shoes and sang wild, whipping the crowd in frenzy as she gave her all. She always gives her all. That’s a good part of her brand. Still, she has major entertainment flaws, and needs a complete caeer make over.

Let me start by saying I am a fan of Fantasia Barrino. Her vocal range, ability to sing show tunes and R&B with equal talent, and her passionate singing has held up over the years. Yet, since her win on American idol in 2004, Fantasia has not lived up to the expectations of fans like me, or of her singing genius.

Her manager, Brian Dickens, is primarily a booking agent. He was able to parlay that skill into being hired as Fantasia’s manager. I say he has managed her professional life to low levels where no one of her caliber should ever sit.

If I were her manager, I would make the following changes to jump-start her career again:

• Make her Wear Shoes the entire Time she is on Stage. Fantasia comes on stage looking like an elegant woman. She then immediately takes off her shoes and performs barefoot during the entire performance. How ghetto.

Fantasia is not Patti LaBelle. She is nowhere near that diva level. Ms. Patti does it as part of her act, and she has long ago earned that maneuver as her signature brand; it works for her. On Fantasia, it just looks ghetto and nasty.

• Hire a Publicist to Work on a new Brand. She missed out of receiving her first Grammy award in 2010 because she wasn’t chosen to sing at a tribute to Aretha Franklin. Like a spoiled child, she told the world she did not attend the award show because she felt slighted. A publicist would have said something like, she had a previous commitment or thereabouts.

Fantasia is not always the most eloquent speaker off-stage. She needs a buffer at times. A publicist will highlight Fantasia’s incredible musical talents, and to the extent possible, decrease the negative publicity of her personal life. She should be on the short list to sing on award shows. Not just the BET type shows, but the Kennedy Center Honors type of shows as well.

• Make her take Stage Etiquette Classes. We saw some efforts toward learning stage presence on her reality show. She hired a man who tried to help her entrances and physical singing methods. Apparently, it didn’t take. To her credit, she has improved her red carpet techniques.

• Use a Hair Stylist. Sometimes, especially on her album covers and publicity photos, she looks very well coiffured. Other times, especially at performances like at the 2012 Essence Music Festival, her hair looks like a hot mess.

• No More Tattoos! Do we really have to say anything about this, Fantasia? Really?

• Use a Clothing Stylist and stop wearing ill-fitting Clothes. Okay, so she was once gaining weight to play Mahalia Jackson. Due to her second out of wedlock pregnancy, that deal is gone. She’s had her second child. Now she needs to wear clothes that fit. It's distracting to watch a singer pull and tug at her clothes while on stage. She needs a clothing stylist who will make sure she wears clothes that fit and are true to her brand.

• Leave North Carolina – Fast. With all the scandals, Fantasia needs to leave town and re-build her reputation. She needs to go where the action and work is – Los Angeles, Atlanta, or New York.

• Come up with a New Stage Routine every Year. If I have to hear her sing Rock Steady again as her signature song, I will have a conniption. Get some new upbeat tunes and rotate them.

• Have her Sing a Variety of Songs. Fantasia is not a one-dimensional singer. Her rendition of ‘Summertime' on the American Idol show in 2004 still stands out as one of the best renditions of the song.

This list is meant to re-direct Fantasia’s professional life. Her personal life unfortunately, has lately been the primary focus on her. In addition, as with her professional life, Fantasia has been consistently defiant. That will only go so far for her.

Here is what her lack of professionalism has led her. At the Kennedy Center Honors for Oprah Winfrey in 2010, Jennifer Hudson sang “I’m Still Here” from The Color Purple. At Oprah’s request. What a slap in the face to Fantasia, who sang this signature song in 2007 at the Tony Awards. I have to wonder if she was even considered for this event. Perhaps Oprah was afraid that Fantasia would kick her shoes off on stage.

If I haven’t expressed it outright as of yet, Fantasia Barrino is one of the greatest voices of the 21^st Century. However, her manager and Fantasia’s stubbornness are killing her and her unique voice by squandering and pandering to behaviors that are not conducive to keeping a long-term career.

It’s time for Fantasia Barrino to re-claim her initial greatness by re-inventing herself, as did Jennifer Hudson and Jordan Sparks. The around-the-way girl brand limits her. Even Mary J. Blige upgraded her image without sacrificing her music to superbly rich results.

It’s still not too late if Fantasia Barrino really wants to be a star instead of a has-been who could-have-been. She needs to embrace class and let go of crass if she wants to be mainstream and perform on television specials and at the theatres that pay big money. Or, she can stay in North Carolina, kick off her shoes on stage, have baby after baby, cover herself in tattoos, keep the baby weight on, stay in one scandal after another, and wonder why no one calls her to perform at the classier events.

Of course, if Fantasia believes she enjoys her current life where she can make all of her own decisions, good or bad, I say live and let live. If she wants to stop being disappointed, used, sued, and passed over, given primarily mediocre songs, she needs to change her personal environment and entertainment behavior - fast. Until then, I won’t watch her anymore, until she grows up.

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