Manhattan Rhythm- Sweet Lady (1983)

I get super disappointed when I get a summer cold, but then I remember it's just the quarterly siren song of sweet lady Robitussin, ready to take me on a journey full of giggly highs and terrifying lows, all in the name of cough control.

Peech Boys- Don't Make Me Wait (1982)

The hierarchy of artificial fruit flavors is as such (in descending order): grape, lime, lemon, blue, strawberry, green apple, watermelon, cherry. This list is thrown completely up in the air when the seldom-found, seldom offered peach flavor is added to the list, because you just cannot fuck with peach.

Intrigue- I Like It (1982)

The intrigue and allure of driving around in a shiny, brand-new drop-top Beamer is lost completely if you're driving around loudly listening to talk radio discuss why allergies are so prevalent nowadays.

The Brothers Johnson- Stomp! (1980)

On the top of the list of things I swore I'd never do, but secretly knew I probably couldn't avoid forever: Cirque Du Soleil. For those who don't know, Cirque Du Soleil is what happens when you give French Canadians their own circus. They stomp around in elaborate costumes and everyone is a contortionist, or someone that enjoys genuinely endangering themselves. Watching people fly through the air, catching each other mid-flip, I spent half the show marveling at the control these people had over their bodies, and the other half staring at the floor, shaking my head and thinking to myself "white people".

p.s. RIP Louis Johnson.

George Duke- Reach Out (1983)

Working with street youth can be tough. With a natural distrust of the system, connections can be hard to make, and can take weeks or even months to make any headway at all. All in all, I've just learned over the years to try to be as approachable as possible, and listen more than I speak. I have to admit, though, there's still a very small part of my brain that wants to turn my baseball cap backwards, sit on my chair the wrong way, and start speaking in faux ebonics, just like the Narcs that use to come do anti-drug presentations at my elementary school. The fact that I'm ten years in the game without being stabbed tells me that I am correct to stifle those urges.

Keni Burke- Risin' To The Top (1981)

Here's a hot late spring tip for all of you fellas: if you have to question whether or not it is tank-top weather, it is decidedly not tank-top weather.

Ike Turner Ft. Tina Turner and Home Grown Funk- Party Vibes (1980)

They say that your priorities change as you grow up, and it's kind-of true. Like, instead of worrying about drinking and partying every single Friday, my grown brain is mostly just concerned with getting my damn pants off and watching Stevie J raw-dog chicks on Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta.

Yvonne Gage- Garden Of Eve (1981)

The Garden of Eden was doomed to fail. You can't put two naked adults in a segregated area, and expect that they won't start looking at each other's hoo-hoos out of sheer boredom. Like, I spend twenty minutes alone in my apartment, and I'm channel-surfing to see which program is currently showing the most cleve'.

Pleasure- Sending My Love (1982)

Being in super, ultra, crazy love has been amazing for most things in my life, but my Netflix "to watch" list is currently staring at me like "What the fuck? We had a good thing going for a while. I have needs, too. You were my world, girl".

The Spinners- Right Or Wrong (1984)

World hunger and violence are a day-to-day reality, but seeing one of those hardcore outdoorsy dudes smugly riding a unicycle to work in a snowstorm really makes me wonder where the fuck we went wrong as a society.