Good Samaritans Get Spammed...By Charities

I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but I feel so violated by charitable organizations. Not only are they relentless in their solicitation mailings, but they sell your information to other organizations. Why is this legal? My support of a charity of my choosing does not give you the right to beg money from me. For the love of all that is holy, I simply cannot give to everyone who asks!!

In my opinion, postal mail spam is 100x worse than email spam. There is no spam blocker for your home mailbox.

What bugs me most about the unsolicited mail, apart from the fact that I have to go about shredding everything, is the fact that you have to jump through hoops just to get your name removed from a list you never asked to go on in the first place. Why should I have to spend my valuable time writing you to ask you to remove my name from your list? And have to use my perfectly good stamp at that!! Nothing about that is reasonable.

What is most disheartening about the whole thing is that, with each mailing, these charities send address labels, personalized note pads, calendars and all sorts of other unrequested nonsense. I will have to live in my apartment and mail 5 letters each day to get rid of all of the address labels I have acquired from the charities that I DON’T EVEN DONATE TO. Couldn’t those needy children have benefitted from the money spent on the mailing that is going to end up in the trash? I don’t know about you, but I closely examine things like that. If I am going to donate, I need to feel confident that my money will be well-spent. 

In effect, please ease up on the mailbox assualt.


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photo: www.1stclassmailboxandtyping.co.uk 

Teena Marie: Ivory Queen of Soul

Such sad news to relay this holiday season. One of the most influential, funky and iconic voices of R&B/soul music has departed. 

Teena Marie, arguably, best-known for her funky hit Square Biz and her soul-stirring duet Fire & Desire, with Rick James passed away in her sleep on December 26, 2010. The cause of her death remains unknown at this time. She was found by her daughter Alia Rose.

Marie was the protégé and one-time romantic interest of funk/R&B icon, Rick James. Teena and Rick collaborated on Fire & Desire, for what would be their last television appearance together, at the 2004 BET Awards. Rick James died on August 6, 2004.

Teena and Rick, together again.

Thank you for making "Everybody get up" and letting us get on down.

RIP Lady Tee

MAX!!!!

Where in the world is Maxwell? He got us all fired up and now he's MIA again. I can't take all of this push and pull with my musical heart, Max.

I got to see him and Jill Scott put it down over the summer at MSG and I was pumped for some mo' grown folks music, but alas, that second album is no where to be found. I'm very disappointed.

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Right Quick

Hello, lovely people. Happy Friday!
 

I don't have a lot of time, but I haven't posted in a while and I just need to comment on a few things right quick.

TI:
Is jail the place to be right now? You just got out and now you're heading back like it's an all-inclusive vacation or something.

As much as I love the "King of the South," I have to say that I am sorely disappointed with the poor choices he (and his wife) continue to make. TI says that with this last sentence, he has learned his final lesson. I sure hope that is true and that he demonstrates that when he gets out, again. It's just such a shame. Your kids suffer from your choices, TI. I need you (and your wife) to get it together. Grow up! You're so much better than this.

Cast of "Glee" - GQ Spread:
Once again, GQ is the source of a little buzz. Most recently with their sexy spread of the cast of "Glee."

Some parents are up in arms about the spread that depicts the female ACTORS of the popular hit show in sexy school-girl outfits and otherwise scantily clad attire. I have not seen the entire spread, but their claim is that these young women play high school students on a show for young kids and it is very inappropriate to sexualize them in this way. I disagree that "Glee" is a show for young kids, more like young adults, but I understand the concern that there are enough sexually provocative images in the public domain. There are enough.

The Parents Television Council released a statement stating that the spread "borders on pedophilia." I have to say that I don't completely disagree with this statement. While I don't believe that this was GQ's intention, this spread, in the hands of not-quite-right men, is potentially dangerous. But in all fairness, these same men will have passed dozens of similar, if not worse, images on their way to the newsstand to pick up a copy.

Baby news:

Congratulations to A. Keys and Swizz Beatz! 

Since my last check in, Alicia gave birth to her first child, a baby boy. I understand his name is Egypt. Beautiful. God Bless.

Please, leave Beyoncé alone about babies. When she and her husband decide to start a family is entirely up to them. I can just imagine if she actually had put on a few pounds; the rumor mill would churn for months.

Well, that's my two cents, for now.

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Been Gone For a Minute...

OK!!! So sorry for the delay, but I am back and in full effect.

Be honest... Did you miss me? :)

Let's see. What has been going on in the world? Better question, what has NOT been going on in this world? I'm not even sure where to start...

Here we go. Usher. I have to get this off of my chest.
 

I want you to grow up! I have loved you as an artist and as a performer for such a long time. From My Way to trying your hand as an actor to your prolific Confessions album. I enjoyed and was impressed by the velocity of your shooting star and was happy for your success. But I must say that I have found myself disappointed with you as a man. Not that I believe you to be a disingenuous person, I am just saddened by your string of poor choices (whether it's your poor choice in women or the ways in which you have handles your career these past few years). You strike me as a very intelligent and forward-thinking man, and talented to boot, so pardon me if I am puzzled by your inability to maintain a committed relationship or reclaim your once thriving career. Marriage is a leap of extraordinary faith that no one should ever take lightly. I am not privy to whatever the true reason for the demise of your marriage, but I am inclined to believe that you both copped out. In my opinion, your marriage was far too young to have been irreparable. For a love that was so true, it couldn't stand up to hand full of anniversaries? I'm puzzled.

In any case, your union spawned two beautiful little babies, which is the evidence of God's work. Not that I believe that the Master Planner put you two together to tear you apart, but He obviously had it mind to create your boys.
 

Getting back to my point. What I really want to talk about is Usher, the artist, the singer, the entertainer, the performer. I need you to come to terms with the fact that you are no longer 20 years old. You are not a teeny-bopper and you certainly do not have a squeaky-clean image. Your music right now is so beneath you. Not the vocals--those are fine as ever. This whole dance/house music bandwagon that everyone is jumping on is killing me. I need you to stop dancing around the stage like some big kid and grow up. I know you make the claim that everyone is doing it, but it's not becoming of you and, quite frankly, it comes off as desperate. I enjoy you way too much to say nothing.

Stay tuned for more of what's on my mind...

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A. Keys

This is kind of random, but I am so happy for Alicia Keys and her happiness. She is just brimming with happiness it's infectious. I believe that she will make an awesome mom. Her spirit is just so beautiful and honest.

I have always said that it is so important to not only have success in your career but to also have success in your personal life. While making money and being an international icon is all well and good, everyone needs and should have companionship, a partner, a confidante. One must make time to enjoy the fruits of one's labor and I am in such awe of women like Alicia, Beyoncé, Angela Bassett, Holly Robinson-Peete, Jada Pinkett Smith and even Oprah. These women understand the true joys of life and made it a point to not sacrifice their personal happiness for fame because we all know enough to know that fame and money do not equate happiness. 

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Responsibility

OWN IT!!

With respect to music artists... All I'm saying is, as an artist, if you know that your audience is mostly young boys and girls, it is your responsibility to ensure that your lyrics, videos, wardrobe and your overall image is appropriate for all ages. It's no coincidence that your music is so catchy as to get toddlers singing about rude boys and bad romances. Music is such a powerful force, we really have to be careful with it. I am speaking to the Rihannas, Lady Gagas, and even the Beyoncés of the music world. You can't show up all your coot-cat on stage and in your videos and then want to play the lady in interviews. You confuse your young fans. Hell, you confuse me! I know you're smart, I am looking for that redeeming quality, but not everyone does.

This is not to say that parents don't have a responsibility to raise upstanding children, but the influence of public figures can not be dismissed. Why else would a company pay anyone in excess of six figures to be "the face of" this and that. Celebrities are influential personalities and these companies are banking on that. 

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