It’s time for the writers and producers of The Bold & the Beautiful to become more imaginative.  The drama between Steffy, Liam, and Hope has lasted far too long.  Many of the show’s most loyal fans are exhausted with the never-ending vacillating of Liam: one moment he cannot live without Hope and the next moment he cannot live without Steffy.  The show is suffering mightily from not having enough characters.  Even though there are efforts to bring a few additional characters on the show, a few additional characters will not be enough.  The writers and producers need to expand the number of characters to match the number The Young & the Restless has.  By increasing the number of characters the show has, this will make it easier for the writers and producers to not have Brooke in love with her brother-in-law Dollar Bill Spencer.

The Bold & the Beautiful is quickly becoming one of the most boring soap operas, which is quite unfortunate, considering it has been one of the most interesting for a long time.  The writers and producers shouldn’t assume they will have the same large viewership they have enjoyed over the years.  Postmodern audiences can be fickle.  You need to do something fast to keep the superior ratings you’ve had over the years.

A serious effort needs to be made to bring Ridge back.  The show’s loyal fans have grown accustomed to seeing him and consider him to be one character who should remain permanently.  Brooke and Ridge should be reunited.  Their relationship never lacked excitement, while still offering a powerful example of how true love can help a couple to overcome almost anything.

Moreover, giving Oliver a more important role on the show would greatly ameliorate it.  Let Oliver and Hope form a loving and happy relationship that inevitably leads to a remarkable marriage.  Oliver can certainly be more than just a photographer and minor character.  When you think about it, Hope and Oliver are really an apt fit: they both are boring and lack personality.

I think it was a poor decision to let Steffy’s baby die and allow Brooke’s baby to live.  What sense does that make?  The writers and producers seem to show favoritism toward the Logans.  The Logans always appear to get just what they want in the end.

Make an effort to turn Dollar Bill Spencer into the next Stefano DiMera.  This will help to make the show exciting to watch again.  Bill has proved to be one of the most interesting characters on the show, even during this current period of decline the show is experiencing due to the trite storyline between Steffy, Liam, and Hope.  Allow Taylor and Eric to share authentic love.  It’s time for the hackneyed feud between Brooke and Taylor to retire.

Bring more Black characters to the show and give them vital roles.  This will afford the show an opportunity to attract new viewers and give it essential revitalization.

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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One of the most significant messages in Fantasia Barrino’s “Without Me,” a track from her latest album Side Effects of You (2013), is to never forget the important people in your life who helped you to achieve what you’ve accomplished.  In the lives of most successful people, there are individuals who were instrumental to their success.  When successful people begin to act “brand new” and fail to show gratitude to those who are largely responsible for their success, Fantasia asks a powerful rhetorical question in the song: “What would you be without me?”  While one may give himself or herself too much credit for a person’s success by saying, “I made you,” what “Without Me” communicates is you wouldn’t be the exact person you are today without me.  The song forces the listener to reflect on the people who have been significant in aiding him or her in the evolution of the person he or she is today.

In the opening verse, Fantasia sings, “You gonna make me expose you for exactly what you are, (you are).”  One can understand the frustration this verse conveys with those who have benefited from the help of someone, only to have to witness the person going around pretending like that assistance was not crucial to his or her current success.  When people begin to act like the things you did for them weren’t important, then you should, at some point, “expose” them for exactly “what” they are.  What’s ultimately responsible for a person acting “brand new” and ungrateful is reckless arrogance.  For example, you could have bought a guy the fancy house, clothes, shoes, car and etc. he has, but this same guy may start flossin’ like he bought those things and start looking down on you because you don’t have them and the lifestyle he has.  This type of person fails to pay homage to the sacrifices you made so that he or she can have those things and the lifestyle you made possible.  When you threaten to expose the person or actually expose him or her, the individual thinks you’ve done him or her wrong.

(Photo Credit: Vibe)

Fantasia states, “And as hard as you try to hide reality, while we know the truth, so act brand new if you want to.”  A person who wants to sham like you didn’t play a tremendous part in their achievements doesn’t want you to expose him or her.  The individual prefers for you to leave the truth hidden.  The reckless arrogance that has consumed the person causes him or her to have resentment toward you because he or she knows the truth: without you he or she wouldn’t have many or most of the achievements he or she cherishes.

Although many will interpret Fantasia’s song as only applying to an intimate relationship between a male and female, this limited interpretation results in one missing its wider applicability.

Never take what people have done and do for you for granted.  Learn how to show people the gratitude they deserve.  Your unchecked ego may be leading you to try to hurt someone who is highly responsible for what you have accomplished simply because you don’t want to give him or her the proper credit that has been earned.

Be very careful about how you treat those who have been vital to your success—you never know when you’re going to need them.

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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As a leader, you have the opportunity and control to set the tone and direction for your whole organization, so you want to create a productive working environment and have happy employees.  To become an influential executive leader, such as Mark Weinberger, CEO of Ernst & Young, take note of the tips offered in this piece.

Shared Standards & Responsibility

The days of Mr. Scrooge counting his gold in the corner and doling out horrendous tasks to overworked paupers shouldn’t be real life.  Successful business leaders hold themselves to the same standards they hold everyone else.  When their team suffers from a mishap, a good leader takes the fall.  When the team achieves a triumph, a good leader makes certain his team receives credit for the positive outcome, which can be motivational as well.  Forbes calls this an inverted “blame-to-credit ratio.”  A supervisor who takes credit for the good and then points fingers during the bad is ”simply being a weenie.”  A true leader stands tall during success and failure; it’s part of the job to take responsibility says Forbes.com contributor Josh Linkner.

Positive Attitude & Environment

Complaining or barking to employees lowers morale and leads to defensiveness.  To achieve goals and accomplish tasks, managers need to positively cultivate talent and support employees. Good energies and attitudes in a workplace can make the difference.  Also, developing a personal, yet professional, relationship with your team can foster mutual respect.  With mutual respect, a manager and employee can work effectively in tandem and continue to develop a relationship free of negative emotions and toxicity that can alter productivity, efficiency and creativity.  Working well together and learning something new from one another is the true definition of a team.  ”The team is always stronger than the individual,” argues Executive Mark Weinberger on WashingtonPost.com.

Power of Accountability

As a leader, your behavior should set the standard for the behavior of those around you.  Think of your actions and attitude like swimming in a fishbowl—they’re transparent for all to see and mimic, as described by YoungEntrepreneur.com.  When a problem arises, take accountability for it.  If something stressful overwhelms you, your response will determine the standard for how the rest of the team also responds and cooperates.  People who don’t act accountable for the weight of their actions can set the stage for performers never living up to their potential.

Empathy & Consistency

Being able to finesse the waters of the work world includes empathy.  As a leader, one of your most important tasks is to deliver results.  Expressing empathy with your team helps ameliorate productivity and produce results because your employees feel valued.  Along with empathy, stay consistent with how you approach and respond to your team.  Managers who unexpectedly and hastily attack employees verbally or through email, for example, can cause employees to feel emotionally jarred.  Just like a positive attitude, empathy and understanding engender a productive environment where employees don’t feel restricted because they work in fear or anxiety.

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Look at those cheekbones! Lol!

I want to take this opportunity to wish Santresa L. Glass, my best friend, a Happy 33^rd Birthday!  I appreciate your friendship and love.  Each day, my understanding of the value of your friendship and love becomes clearer.  I am so proud of all the things you’ve accomplished.  At 33 years old, you are proving to get better with time.  Although some people believe that your posts on Facebook (including your pictures), your tweets, and Instagram pictures/posts are attempts to present yourself as being more than you really are, those individuals truly don’t know you.  If they really knew you, as I do, they would know that the glow they see is authentic happiness.  I may (notice the emphasis on “may”) tolerate people attacking me for a little while, but one thing I will not tolerate is any attacks on my best friend, Santresa L. Glass.  I don’t mind getting life without the possibility of parole for annihilating anyone who would try to attack and do you harm.  Believe that!

I’m truly proud of you for being so close to completing your doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership at Argosy University.  Although some are already trying to downplay and criticize you for obtaining your doctoral degree online, they are simply “toxic mushrooms” (I’m pretty sure you can appreciate that term).  I cannot wait to read your doctoral committee approved version of your dissertation!  Oh yeah, for the haters, Santresa is required to pen a dissertation.  It will not be long before I get to call you “Dr. Glass.”  Sounds great, right?

You are beautiful!  You always have been.  Time has only ameliorated your beauty.  You’re not pretending to be beautiful—you simply are!

No one can ever question your authenticity.  You have never been afraid to express who you truly are.  You embrace not only the great things about yourself but also your imperfections.  One of the things I love most about you is your authenticity.  When I’m talking to you, I always know that I’m talking to San and not some inauthentic persona you’ve created to please others.

On this day, take time to reflect on the many blessings God has bestowed to you.  He has a tremendous number of more blessings for you.  Enjoy YOUR day.  Have the best birthday ever.  Again, happy birthday!

Love you,

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Have you ever had a person who you’ve tried not to annihilate but he or she just will not stop attacking you?  There comes a point when people reach their breaking point with those who refuse to stop attacking them.  At some point, the person who is being attacked would like to think that his or her attackers would discontinue personal attacks.  Unfortunately, it’s often the case that one’s attackers will not stop.  Even the nicest person has a breaking point.  The breaking point is a point when those who have been attacked repeatedly are finally fed up with being assaulted in some way(s).

For those who are being attacked by others, I recommend that you try not to do things that will land you in jail or prison.  I do, however, understand if a person has caused you to think about doing something that could possibly put in you in jail or prison.  You shouldn’t allow a person to continue to assault you in any way.  Don’t even let someone repeatedly verbally assault you.  Whenever you discover someone is talking about you behind your back you need to address that person.  You shouldn’t think that what someone is saying about you isn’t going to have an impact on you, especially if the person is attempting to build a false narrative about you that could potentially damage your reputation.  Your reputation is one of the most valuable assets you have—protect it!

Although people will try to tell you to “overlook what others say about you” and “be the better person,” I’ve found these well-intentioned comments to be potentially harmful.  Act responsibly in defending yourself against attacks, but do what’s necessary to end these attacks and expose the credibility of the person attacking you.  For your attackers who are simply running their mouths, writing about you, and/or using social media to send indirect messages about you, don’t forget you have the ability to use those same tactics.  One powerful way to stop a coward who attacks you behind your back and/or through indirect social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and etc.) messages is to expose him or her!  Publicly promulgate things about the person that will shut him or her up forever.

While what I’ve said may not be exactly how the bible would inform you to handle your attackers, I will recommend that you give them as many warnings as necessary before you truly expose them.  The bible does teach us to warn before destruction.

Psalm 37:15: “Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.”  Let this article serve as a warning to those who recklessly attack people that you’re going to inevitably face destruction if you don’t stop doing the things you’re doing.  It’s not about the person being afraid of you or not being mentally, emotionally, and/or physically strong enough to deal with what you say about him or her; it’s more about the person simply being exhausted with what you’re saying, especially when he or she knows that you can be annihilated using one or more of the same tactics you’re employing.

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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In The Gospel of Yes, Mike Glenn offers readers an inspiring look at how a personal relationship with Jesus is heavily centered on the word “yes.”  Glenn highlights how the beginning of our personal relationship with Jesus begins with us saying “yes” to Him, and His willingness to say “yes” to a personal relationship with us and “yes” to forgiving us for all of our sins.  The author illuminates how we often allow ourselves to be divided about what Jesus does not allow us to do, but we fail to place a strong emphasis on what he tells us we can do.  For Glenn, the numerous times Jesus says “yes” is undervalued.  This book desires for Christians to engage to characterize themselves more by what Jesus says “yes” to instead of what he forbids.  The author contends that Christianity becomes more attractive and reaches more lost souls when we appeal to the more positive and important things Jesus says “yes” about rather than defeating people with all the things He does not permit.

Mike Glenn writes, “If we understand who we are created to be in Christ, we realize we have an all-consuming calling.  Our calling–our ‘yes’ in Christ–is what focuses our lives and determines how we invest our lives” (p. 24).  What the book wants us to recognize is we will know who we are “created to be in Christ” when we are willing to surrender to the will of Christ.  Although the author could have made it clearer that it’s essential to embrace the things Jesus says “no” to, he captures the power of a life that concentrates on adopting a heart and mind like Jesus.  If you’re really determined to be a true Christian, you’re willing to submit yourself to the totality of the will of Jesus.  Glenn’s book does a great job of elucidating how essential it is to surrender to God’s complete will.

While the book is not super sophisticated and does not attempt to be, it gives the reader a new perspective on mundane things about Christian living.  What I found most interesting was the author’s treatment of the word “yes” in relation to the bible and our relationship with Jesus.  We may not often think about how significant the word “yes” is to having a proper understanding of God’s Word, but Glenn does not allow us to lose sight of this word’s importance.  I highly recommend that you read this book.  It will inspire you to live a better life in the will of God and challenge you to become the best you can be.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group to compose this review.

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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If you liked the infographic about Mother’s Day created by FTD.com, please feel free to share this article and infographic!

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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(Photo Credit: Nanyang Technological University)

If you have had people to do your academic work for you, why are you acting like you’re a profound intellectual?  Why are you trying to belittle people now that you have your degree(s), especially when you received the grades you did because you turned in other people’s work?  If you were such a tremendous scholar, why have you or do you have to sit up and wait for someone to do your work for you?  It’s time to let you know that at many colleges and universities across the nation there are no statutes of limitations that prevent these institutions from taking your degree(s) away from you for committing academic dishonesty/academic fraud, especially for egregious cases of academic dishonesty/academic fraud.

While many people like to suggest that individuals who attend online universities are getting people to do their work for them, the truth is numerous students have and are getting people to do their work for them at traditional brick and mortar universities.  Before those who have attended and are attending traditional brick and mortar universities attack students enrolled at online institutions as plagiarists, consider the many people who attended or attend your brick and mortar institution and plagiarized, even possibly yourself.

The problem with having people to do your work for you is when you graduate you’re not able to meet the expectations of your employers that your grades and degrees suggest that you can.  Some people have allowed themselves to believe they actually have earned the credentials others have gotten for them.  If someone has ever completed work for you at school and you submitted it, you committed academic fraud; that is, you submitted work that was not your original work as your own. 

When you know you have not completed some, most or all of your work while attending college, do you not know that the knowledge, skills, and talent you lacked in college is going to come back to haunt you?  You may fool some people but you ultimately will not be able to fool your employer for long.  Your employer will eventually discover that you’re not the person you advertised yourself to be, even though you have the degree(s) in the appropriate field(s).

Okay, if you were able to cheat your way through school, shut up, close your mouth, and stop bragging about credentials you did not earn. Get your money and stop posing as the intellectual that you are not.  In fact, people find the posing as an intellectual that you do to be quite strange anyway: You present yourself in one way and they see you in a totally different way.

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Dap screaming, “Wake Up!”

School Daze (1988) is a musical-drama film composed and directed by Spike Lee (who as stars in the film as “Half-Pint”).  The film centers on Vaughn “Dap” Dunlap’s (Laurence Fishburne) efforts to have the students and administration at Mission College, a fictitious prominent historically Black college, participate in a movement opposing apartheid in South Africa.  One of the central goals of the movement is for the students and administration to champion institutional divestment from South Africa.  Although Dap is successful in getting the attention of many students and the administration, and many students support his anti-apartheid positions, most Mission College students are unwilling to incur any institutional repercussions for fully partaking in Dap’s anti-apartheid movement. 

The failure of the students to engage in political activism to protest apartheid in South Africa exposes how capitalist ideology has imbued their psyches.  Most of the students are not willing to risk the potential of being expelled from school to become a part of a passionate movement from freedom in South Africa.  They fear losing immediate and future money as a result of being expelled from a prestigious institution.  While there seems to be general respect for Dap’s intellect, there appears to be a dominant view among the students that his intellect is practically dangerous.  Even though the things Dap says sound good to them, they know the political activism he advocates requires them to act in ways that will cause them to risk the “safe” spaces they occupy.

While those who watch and review School Daze may fall victim to the easy temptation to read Dap’s political consciousness as being unfruitful, he causes the students and administration to have to wrestle with the tensions that exist between their money, morality, intellect, and politics.  Unfortunately, they primarily reduce Dap to being an out-of-touch “revolutionary.”  His ideas ultimately just become interesting and not things that should not be pursued.  The majority of the students are concerned fundamentally with themselves instead of the collective as Dap is.   

The strong hostility of Mission College’s administration to Dap’s zealous insistence on Mission College’s divestment from South Africa unveils the inauthenticity of the school’s motto: “Uplift the Race.”  Dap does not succumb to the threats of Mission College’s administration to expel him; he employs different tactics to work around potential expulsion attempts.  

At the end of the film, Dap vociferously and repeatedly states, “Wake Up!”  All students come out their dorm rooms, as Dap stands in front of them.  The film leaves what is happening and what will happen for the viewer to interpret.  One could interpret the ending as the students are finally ready to actively participate in anti-apartheid movement, and they begin to see how their personal concerns, including being overly consumed by fraternity and sorority life, are less significant than the national and global issues and problems that can have an impact on them and what they will be able to accomplish when they graduate.  From the students’ body language and facial expressions, it does not seem like they are simply patronizing Dap but are seriously ready to follow his leadership.  Dap’s refusal to accept the status quo is what allows the solidarity meeting take place at the end.  What the film suggests that Dap longs for people at Mission College and beyond to “wake up” from is sleepwalking when there are many important problems they need to be working to address, including, of course, fighting apartheid in South Africa.

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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On Saturday, April 27, 2013, Wilcox County High School students hosted their first racially integrated prom.  Wilcox County High School is located in Rochelle, Georgia.  Steve Smith, Superintendent of Wilcox County Schools, Chad Davis, Principal of Wilcox County High School, and the Wilcox County Board of Education denied the request of 2 Black female and 2 White female Wilcox County High School students to host the school’s first racially integrated prom on the campus of Wilcox County High School.  Steve Smith, Chad Davis and the Wilcox County Board of Education continue to endorse racially segregated proms at Wilcox County High School.

Because of the great love and support numerous people of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds from across the nation and world showed Stephanie Sinnot, Mareshia Rucker, Quanesha Wallace, and Keela Bloodworth, the four girls who led the effort to make history by having the school’s first racially integrated prom, many Wilcox County High School students were able to enjoy their first racially integrated prom.  They held their prom in a nice location in Cordele, Georgia.  The prom was a tremendous success and many media sources covered the prom, including CNN.

People across the world should continue to voice their outrage at Wilcox County High officials (Superintendent Steve Smith, Principal Chad Davis, and the Wilcox County Board of Education) who refuse to support racially integrated proms.

Antonio Maurice Daniels

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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