Friday 80s Flashback for January 25, 2013

old skool cassette by ~EDIllo

[Atypical Qualities] -- I apologize for being late with this week's Flashback. Some things came up at work, so instead of wrapping up the post on Thursday evening, I found myself reviewing a slide deck in preparation for a Friday morning presentation. Believe me, I would have much preferred working on the Flashback.

Anyway...

This week's flashback started with a song by Robert Hazard. I cannot remember what made me think of it, but it stayed in my head. I figured that was a good indicator that the song had to be featured on the blog. I initially had some trouble building a theme around Hazard's song, but I finally settled on songs making something of an atypical description -- like "Chariots of Fire," but not that song (at least not this week). What songs did make it this week? Read and hear more after the break.

Friday 80s Flashback for January 18, 2013

[Things Change] -- I'm moving through some changes. No, really, I am. Of course, we are all moving through changes, aren't we? But I have a very specific change in mind: Late last week, the company I work with cut a substantial number of jobs as part of a comprehensive reorganization. Nearly a full week later, the fallout and uncertainty are ongoing. No, I don't think there will be more layoffs -- well, maybe not for a while -- but it seems that management is till tinkering with some of the details. And I seem to be one of those details because I still don't have a concrete answer as to where I end up in the new regime. But at least I still have a job. And a Flashback theme: This week, we look at songs about change. If you are ready to embrace change, you can read and hear more after the break.

Friday 80s Flashback for January 11, 2013

[Bully for You] -- I was chatting with an old friend this week. I could almost go so far as to say this was an old school friend -- we've known each other since our elementary years. We naturally lost touch after high school graduation, but have been able to reconnect through the FaceTube ... er, MyFace ... um ... oh, yes, Facebook! Anyway, during our conversation, we each learned that the other had been bullied back in our dear old school days. And, of course, neither of us knew about the other's situation. Now, bullying wasn't a new ordeal for my generation. There is a fairly long history of bullying both in and out of school, with the first use of bullying in a literary work occurring in 1838 [xtimeline.com, "History of Bullying"]. However, instances of bullying are increasing rather than decreasing. Perhaps that is due to the addition of the new category of cyberbullying. And, even worse, we have cases of students are taking their own lives because of being bullied. So, this week, the Flashback features 80s songs that, in some way, reflect the realities and angst of a bullied victim. At the end of this Flashback, I'll share info about organizations dedicated to stopping bullying and helping victims.

Read and hear more after the break.

Friday 80s Flashback for January 4, 2013

[New Year, New Possibilities] -- Yes, I realize we are now several days past New Year's Day. But 2013 still has that new year smell, right. Right? Of course, I'm right! Now, in my last Flashback of 2011, I pointed out that there is no (formal) canon of great New Year's songs. However, I subscribe to the notion that New Year's songs, unlike songs about Easter or Christmas, are not about a particular event but are, instead, about an attitude. They are about letting go of errors and reaching out for renewal. They are about boldly striving forth and taking advantage of the proverbial potential that a fresh new year offers. And so, with that in mind, and with the hope that I can help a few people find motivation for their goals, I offer up three songs to power you into 2013. To find out what these motivational selections are, you just have to read and hear more after the break.