My Life In Music: Soundtrack to Me 2012/2013

It's that time of the year --- the end of it -- where I reflect on my favorites and things that have touched my life. Yes, music continues to be a significant part of my life and who I am as a person, so I have returned with what I consider my personal soundtrack.  

With all that happened in 2012 [primarily, the loss of Whitney Houston --- and a few other things], I didn't supply a set for last year, but don't worry -- the music continued and I have included songs to cover 2012 and 2013. I have listened to the "soundtrack" and enjoyed reflecting on the songs and the moments in my life that made them significant to me over the past two years.

I present to you the latest edition of My Life in Music.  These are songs that have shaken my world, played with my emotions, and reflect aspects of my personality; contain lyrics that touched my soul; or just made me shout "That is my song!" (over and over, again) during the span of 2012 and 2013.

MY LIFE IN MUSIC: Soundtrack to Me 2012 + 2013

• Emeli Sandé - Read All About It (Part III)
• Robin Thicke - The Good Life
• Fantasia - Get It Right
• Bruno Mars - When I Was Your Man
• Beyoncé - Love On Top
• John Legend - Shelter
• Lina - I'm Not The Enemy
• Tamar Braxton - Love & War
• Whitney Houston - All The Man That I Need
• Christina Aguilera - Here To Stay
• Mary J. Blige - I Feel Good
• Whitney Houston - Oh Yes
• Bruno Mars - If I Knew
• Katy Perry - Walking On Air
• Whitney Houston - Don't Cry For Me (live)
• James Blunt - Miss America
• Tamia - It's Not Fair
• Jill Scott - Shame
• Patti LaBelle - Not Right But Real
• John Legend - Tonight (Best You Ever Had)
• Katy Perry - Roar
• Robin Thicke - Get In My Way
• Jonas Brothers - Pom Poms
• Adele - Set Fire To The Rain
• India.Arie - Just Do You
• Brandy, Tamia, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan - Missing You
• Tamia - Smile
• Ledisi - I Blame You
• Beyoncé - Schoolin' Life
  

As I always say, to me music is a therapy: it relaxes me, it inspires me, it becomes my voice to express myself when I cannot find the words. Put your life to music. Which songs capture you?

Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Deals! Deals! Deals!

Buy this. Buy now.

Limited time only...

Chiiiiiile, bye. These shopping shenanigans stay doing the absolute mostest (and yes, I meant 'mostest'). From Black Friday dipping into Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday starting the Saturday before. I know times are tough, the seasons and other things change, but a 'day' is still only a specific 24-hour period. Friday is Friday and Monday is Monday; black, white, online, or off...they don't change.

These shopping holidays [read: gimmick days] are unbelievably entertaining: from the way consumers line up, camp out, and act like raging fools over limited supply, cheaply-priced, about-to-be-phased-out-or-discontinued products to re- and e-tailers trying to lure you into purchases with 'deeply discounted' marketing and advertising. Hi-la-ri-ous!

From the commercials and print advertisements I've seen along with the influx of promotional emails; many of the special sales are pretty much sans special. Far too many are identical repurposed  Friends & Family sales specials from a few weeks prior. I just knew I'd had enough when a luxury retailer send an email advertising their Cyber Monday special as Free Gift-Wrapping. After realizing I would have preferred for them to use the term "complimentary" in lieu of 'free,' I wanted to toss my laptop around the room, but quickly realized that the computers being promoted for the special days had lower specs than my current machine and a higher price tag. No losing to win there.

In short, stop acting like you've never gone shopping before and giving into the hype; retail employees would like to spend time with their families and enjoy the holidays. Shop strategically; it may be promoted as the best sale price, but the lowest price may actually occur at another time. Also, do a cost/time analysis -- will the cost outweigh the amount of time and energy you consumed waiting for stores to open, waiting in lines, and wrangling yourself through hordes of people?

Shopping Seasons's Greetings!