I tuned in to “Celebrity Apprentice All Stars” to see Omarosa.  I wanted to know if she’d changed at all from the first time we saw her, when CA was a brand new show and she became the most hated woman on television.   I’d read about her engagement to Michael Clarke Duncan, and, when he died, I felt bad for her.  There were reports that she had cared for him after his first heart attack and that she’d tried to revive him during his second fatal attack.  I wondered, because she’d fallen in love with a man who seemed to be kind, good and loveable, if some of those qualities had rubbed off on her.  From what I saw, Omarosa hasn’t changed one bit.  If anything, she’s managed to become even more annoying, so I kept tuning in, waiting for her to be fired.

During the years between that first “Celebrity Apprentice” appearance and now, Omarosa has been busy with some new ventures.   One of the things that struck me as odd, and that I thought might improve her attitude and demeanor,  was that she’d become an ordained minister.  She said that she was drawn to the ministry after visiting an orphanage in Africa and holding a young child who was dying from AIDS.  That’s a nice story and an experience that would change even the most hard-hearted person, so it does seem to be something that could have affected Omarosa in a positive way.  She returned to the U.S. and began studying with church leaders.  She’s now the Reverend Omarosa Manigault of the Weller Street Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, having been ordained in 2011.  Preaching seems to be right up her alley and, it would seem, that spreading the word of God might have softened her very edgy personality.  She may very well be a good minister and the people of the church may love her, but I have no way of knowing for sure.  All I have to go on is what I see on television and it isn’t pretty.

Omarosa has a real rags-to-riches story and, by all accounts, she made her way in the world by climbing up the ladder to what should have been success.  Growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, Omarosa’s father was murdered – shot to death – when she was only seven.  She managed to accumulate college degrees from Central State University in Ohio and Howard University in Washington, D.C.   She worked in the White House and then for the Commerce Department, but her political career and aspirations were cut short by her own undoing.  Omarosa held, and then lost, four positions in two short years because she couldn’t get along with anyone.  One co-worker even threatened to punch her if she wasn’t transferred to some other office.  When she talks about being a part of the Clinton-Gore administration, take it with a grain of salt.  Omarosa seems to have a tendency to embellish her power, talents and accomplishments, even when she’s confronted with the truth.

As this season of CA progressed, Omarosa’s true colors came out in full force.  She argued with, insulted and talked over anyone who dared cross her path or even speak to her in tones she didn’t care for.   Week after week, she sat next to her project managers and derided them for their weakness and incompetence, but none of them brought her back to the boardroom for the final judgment – not LaToya Jackson or Claudia Jordan, anyway.  They were under the impression that The Donald wouldn’t fire Omarosa, no matter how grave her sins, and I’m not so sure they were wrong.  He does seem to love her and the ratings she brings.   It took project Manager Lil Jon to finally drag her, kicking and screaming, into that room to square off with her and call her bluff.  Lil Jon had a couple of allies, though – Dennis Rodman and Piers Morgan, and neither of them were buying her BS.

Rodman had spent a couple of boardroom sessions laughing at her antics and histrionics.   During one project, she was unable to help her team because she had to fly to Los Angeles, purportedly to keep the 911 tapes from Duncan’s last heart attack out of the hands of the media.   It’s a terrible thing to have to do, but, when she returned, she played that trip for every ounce of sympathy she could garner.   She may have had The Donald eating out of her hand, but Rodman could be heard muttering about handing her an Oscar for her performance.  She was sniffling and dabbing at invisible tears and telling Trump how heart-broken she was.   It worked – that week, and LaToya was fired.

The Rodman/Lil Jon/Omarosa showdown was pure television gold, and she played right into the hands of the men who knew she had to go.   You see, she’d made a remark to Piers during the challenge that the player who raised the least amount of money should be fired.  It turned out to be the wrong thing to say and gave him, and the other, the opportunity to fire back.   She began a rant, for the benefit of her good friend Trump, that Lil Jon should be fired.  In her mind, he was, after all, the project manager and should be fired.  Piers then reminded her that she and Rodman were the bottom two in terms of fund-raising and that Lil Jon had brought in over four times what they had, combined.    Dennis had raised $10,000 and she raised $12,000, with $2,000 coming from her own pocket.   The battle raged on until, finally, The Donald came down with his decision and told her “You’re fired”.    As she entered the elevator to leave, Omarosa struck a pose – as haughty, defiant and prideful as ever.

The good thing is that I don’t have to watch another episode of “Celebrity Apprentice”.  Omarosa’s gone and The Donald is just a big jerk.  What I don’t understand is what Omarosa is trying to accomplish, or if what we see is really all there is to see.   I can’t quite mesh the two personalities – that of the minister and that of the most despised woman on TV, well, if you don’t count some of the Housewives.  At some point, you’d think that she’d want to be respected for her life’s work, whatever that is, and being a bully with a big mouth doesn’t seem like the route she should take.   I understand, given the way of the television world, that a whole bunch of people are willing to do whatever it takes for their fifteen minutes.   At some point however, those people, Omarosa included, will have to determine if this is how they want to be remembered.   If it’s all an act, then good for her –  mission accomplished, but there has to be a moment when even she should choose to do something just because it’s the right thing.  Fame may be fleeting but one’s reputation is forever.

The Masters – Tiger Woods update:

Needless to say, our local news stations have been reporting only two things –  The Masters Tournament and how will the weather be for the tournament.  Seriously.  North Korea could launch a missile attack and we’d be watching the leader-board in Augusta.  One story that’s become controversial deals with an incident at the 15th hole during Friday’s round and a move made by Tiger Woods that may or may not have been worthy of disqualification.  Tiger hit a ball that landed in the water.  He then dropped the ball, back into play and a firestorm ensued.  Viewers at home called the Augusta National Golf Club, and reported what they saw as a clear-cut violation of the rules for such a situation.   The big-wigs called Woods in for a breakfast meeting on Saturday, where he gave his side of the story and a decision was made to penalize him two strokes.  Other pros, including Nick Faldo, were irate, stating that Woods should have disqualified himself, and that his statement to the officials proved that he knew he was cheating.  They thought that the penalty was a slap on the wrist, and that the officials were putting viewership and dollar signs ahead of honor.   As I have no idea how to interpret the rules of golf, although this one seems pretty simple, I’ll give you what possible violation is in contention.  Rule 26-1A states that a player must drop “as nearly as possible” to the spot from which the original shot was played.

This is what Woods had to say about it – “I went back to where I played it from, but went two yards further back and I tried to take two yards off the shot of what I felt I hit, and that should land me short of the flag and not have it either hit the flag or skip over the back. I felt that was going to be the right decision to take off four (yards) right there. And I did. It worked out perfectly.”