Songs I Use To Calm My Fussy Kids

 

The lore of taking care of little ones goes, that when they are fussy, tired and no matter what you do they just wont calm down. Play some white noise, sing a lullaby, maybe even go on a car ride.

I've used the method of playing some r&b to calm both of my daughters down. I aim for ballads mostly but long as its soothing I'll trt it. There have been a few songs I thought would work that didn't.

For the ones that do work, here are ten songs I play when I need to get the kids to relax.

Enigma-Return to Innocence

This song is one you'll never know the artist or the actual title by name. However, when the beat kicks in it instantly takes you back to either those 90's music commercials, an episode of Cold Case, or the ending of Man Of The House starring Chevy Chase and Jonathan Taylor Thomas.

The song mesmerizes my daughter and she just looks at the ceiling while it plays.

Paul Weller-Thinking of you

When I worked at a grocery store, this song was a staple in the Playlist. And eventually found its way into my head on repeat. The guitar riff and backing band is soothing. Which has helped calm the little one down and help her fall asleep.

After 7-Nights Like This

This song performed in the classic 1991 film Five Heartbeats. Was covered by the band After 7 for the soundtrack, and it's a favorite of mine. A true throwback to the motown era of music.

When the bass hits and you hear shoo boom doo dee doo. You feel the soul in the group's voice. My daughter evidently feels it too cause she chills out.

Temptations-My Girl

Speaking of the Motown sound,  an all time classic has knocked the kid out on a few occasions. Not sure if it's David Ruffin's voice or the horns that mesmerizes her. If I play it while she's fussy, she's out in a blink of a eye and that is A-ok with me.

Lenny Kravitz-Ain't Over Til It's Over

This is another song that was frequently played in the super market. I had no idea it was Lenny Kravitz's song though. When my oldest daughter would get up in arms fussy as a baby, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Soon as we turned this on either home, in the car and a few times while we were out. It instantly bought her down and she chilled out.

Even now she bops her head and gets lost in the song when it plays.

Michael Jackson-Human Nature/Never Can Say Goodbye

When I saw the Michael Jackson one cirque du soliel show in Vegas years ago. This mix combining Never Can Say Goodbye and Human Nature had me in a choke hold. Both in itself are beautiful songs so combined its magic.

Good to know the legacy of MJ still resonates and this song instantly calms the fussiness.

Bruno Mars-It will Rain

This Bruno Mars creation for one of the Twilight films, is one of his best in my opinion. You hear his pain in the song, the piano keys are strong but not overbearing. And it sounds like the perfect song for a dreary day just staring out the window.

I guess the idea of a raining day making you sleepy, works for all ages. Cause the kiddo definitely falls asleep as this plays.

New Edition-can you stand the rain

Another song discussing rain, New Editions probably most loved song and best ballad. The harmonizing, the beat, the birds chirping in the beginning. Are all subtle hints its time fo relax and calm down just a little bit.

Which helps when you have a fussy baby or toddler you need to relax. This song gets the job done 

Adele-Chasing Pavements

It's no secret Adele has one of the strongest and gifted voices in music history. Every time she belts out a song you feel that it came from deep down her soul. Chasing Pavements between her voice, and the orchestra backing will have you singing along with raw emotion.

This song is one of my Ace in the holes, if no other song has worked to calm the kids down. This usually gets the job done and they are out like a light.

Rihanna-Stay

One of Rihanna's most powerful ballads. It's a sad song but also soothing and relaxing. For an adult listening it may just have you thinking about life. For a baby that just needs to calm down, it has the right chords and vocals. To get them to chill out and it hasn't let me down yet.

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A Rant: Iconic Theme Songs, Bring Them Back

 It's September which means it's time for a new fall TV season. While fall TV is not a big of a deal as it once was. It is a staple in the media and living room landscape. Giving new television shows a chance to reach audiences, while old favorites return to the air for new stories to tell. 

While we gear up for this season, I wanted to touch on an issue Hollywood has had for the last 15 years or so. TV shows today especially sitcoms, do not have noticeable theme songs that one can instantly associate with the show.

I know the economics of the industry likely played a part in this. As a 30 second to minute and some change intro, cuts into time available for an ad. So today you get cold opens that go right into the show, or if you do get a theme song it's a little instrumental jingle. That's all we get. However it is detrimental to the shows branding and particularly for new shows, the ability to grab an audience attention and draw them into the series.

It's time Hollywood, streamers, broadcast  and cable networks get's it's head out its ass. Hire some damn composers to make music with lyrics, spend a couple hours filming intro's and slap them on the beginning of series. Even show's that may not necessarily be considered classics, are still revered today because they had catching theme songs.

Even classic shows the Fresh Prince, Golden Girls, Friends, Martin, Family Matters, Full House, and Living Singles of the world. While they were great shows, the theme songs that were catchy and instantly associated with them. Gives them additional life, making people who weren't even born during these shows original run. Feel connected to them and enamored with them.

Hollywood, bring back TV theme songs. It's way overdue, the industry needs it. Creators and producers need them if they ever want their shows to have longevity decades down the road. And the fans need them, we need some new tunes to hum and sing to.

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Dad Essentials For The Hospital

 

My wife and I recently introduced our second baby girl into the world. While I'm retiring from that business, I wanted to share some insight for future dads on packing for the hospital. I will admit even though this was my second time around, I failed and failed miserably on packing correctly. Don't make the same mistake as me and make sure you pack these 5 essentials for the big day and the few days in the hospital after.

5. Slides/crocs

I don't know what I was thinking but the only shoes I had during my hospital stay, were the ones on my feet when we walked in the hospital. I kind of got annoyed every time I went to the cafe that I had to put my sneakers on and lace them. Knowing that the average hospital stay during the birthing stage is 2-4 days depending on various factors, pack some slides.

4. Phone Holder

We all know cable TV is in a rapid decline and they don't seem to care anymore. And the only thing available in hospitals are cable, or luckily for us DirecTV which by the way it rained one evening and the signal went out. Anyway, there wasnt much on TV and while I did watch some movies and shows I haven't seen in a while. It was very annoying to constantly try to find something to watch.

When I did watch stuff on my phone, I got tired of holding it and didn't have anything to prop it up with. Thus I realized the phone holder is an essential these days.

3. Hoodie

Hospitals are notoriously cold for various factors pertinent to safety and comfort. Expecting a child in the summer you tend to forget about the time that will be spent in the hospital. Which I kind of remembered, but didn't. I bought a light weight hoodie, but I should have packed some long sleeve t-shirts and a real hoodie. Sometimes I was absolutely freezing.

2. Snacks!!!

I dropped the ball big time with this. I had snacks like gummies and sunflower seeds. I forgot about substance snacks to hold me over at night or early in the morning. Crackers plain or peanut butter crackers. Chips, granola bars items like that. Hell, I should have took some bread, and PB & J.

I spent way too much money in the cafeteria.

1. Pillow and Blanket

I mentioned how I wish I had bought a hoodie, well add a blanket to the list. I remembered how uncomfortable the hospital pillows were for the dad bench last go around, so I made sure to buy a pillow for my stay. What I did not anticipate was the dad bench being right under the a/c vent making me even colder. I had a little throw blanket but man I wish I had a whole damn winter comforter as cold as it was. While you never truly know how cold you'll be, the thin hospital blankets won't cut it...bring something from home.

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5 High School Football Movies You Probably Dont Know

 School's back in session and fall is approaching. Which means its time for some football. While the NFL rules Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays for that matter. College Football owns Saturdays, and Friday nights belongs to high school football.

I started thinking about high school football movies. We all know Friday Night Lights, Varsity Blues, and Remember The Titans. What about those movies no one remembers? 

I'm here to share 5 high school football movies you may not know or remember.

5 Reggies Prayer

Let's start off the bat, this is not a good film but it meant well. Starring the late NFL great Reggie White, the very 90's B-movie film follows Reggie playing an version of himself. Never winning a pro championship and sensing there's a higher calling for him, he retires from pro football and coaches a high school team in Oregon. There he helps steer members of the team on the right path, and works to steer one in particular from a life of crime.

Mr. Miyagi himself Pat Morita is also in the film. Brett Favre makes a cameo, and wrestling legend the Big Show makes his film debut as the villain of the film.

Reggie's Prayer is available on Tubi.

4 Carter High

If you've seen Friday Night Lights, you know their championship opponents Carter High were the big bad thugs of the Texas high school football scene. At least that was the narrative that was portrayed during the film and in subsequent stories. This 2015 film starring Charles Dutton, Vivica A. Fox, and Pooch Hall. Show's the other side of the coin for Carter High School's football team that season. They were not all bad kids, but some got into some serious trouble and a grading scandal rocked the school and almost disrupted the entire season.

Carter High is available on tubi. 

3 Woodlawn

This 2015 film based on real events, follows former NFL player Tony Nathan's life story one season. When his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama integrated he and his teammates at Woodlawn had to lean on one another and faith. To overcome the hate and odds for a successful season. It's an inspirational film and displays a turbulent time in history through football.

Woodlawn is available on Tubi.

2 Johnny B Good

Johnny Be Good stars Anthony Michael Hall, Uma Thurman, and Robert Downey Jr. Although its considered a comedy and is very goofy in nature. It tells a cautionary tale about the college recruitment process of high school athletes. The lengths some schools will go to get a commitment from a player, and how many are always looking to get something out of the recruitment process.

Johnny Be Good is available on Tubi and Pluto.

1 All The Right Moves

This 1983 film was released as Tom Cruise's star was shining from Risky Business. In this movie he stars as a high school standout dreaming of a scholarship offer. So he can escape his small economically depressed town, and achieve career goals he's set out for himself. That all is at risk when he clashes with his coach played by Craig T. Nelson and realizes not everyone in town has the same ambition he does.

Sadly All The Right Moves is currently only available on streaming platforms to rent.

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5 Fictional Schools Everyone Wanted To Attend

 School's back in session for most of the country, with just a few lingering districts holding out until after labor day. In the spirit of school being back in session, I started thinking about fictional schools. And here we are with a new list, 5 fictional schools everyone wanted to attend.

Bronson Alcott High

Bronson Alcott High seemed like a college campus in the world of Clueless. I mean my high school and the campus was pretty big, but nothing compared to this high school.

While the student body was a melting pot of rich and middle class. Everyone at the school seemed to be fashionable, chic, and trendy. Which made it a cool school to be at.

Greendale Community College

The College thats the focus of the hit comedy Community, was for everybody. With its open admission policy, anyone who wanted to go there could. The school also aimed to be affordable never raising the cost of credits higher than $64. It also offered some real abnormal courses. Perfect for people who enroll in school with no real idea what's next.

Greendale Community College was quirky and was for just about everyone's. Making it a school folks wanted to attend.

John Adams High School

John Adams High School wasn't the most trendy school, a great deal of mystery didn't go on there. And it wasn't littered with a bunch of "cool" kids. What it did have was a hallway and classrooms with mentors like Mr. Turner, Mr. Williams, and the legendary Mr. Feeney in Boy Meets World.

At John Adams you knew you would learn the books, but more importantly you would gain valuable life lessons along the way. 

Bayside High

Bayside High, the fictional school from Saved By The Bell. Which if you google it there are several real Bayside High School's across the country. As I wrote this I wondered, did people want to go to Bayside because the school seemed "cool". Or Zack Morris and his friends made the school seem cool, I think it's the latter. Zack and friends were the popular kids in school, trendy and always up for a good time. Which made the school seem like the place you needed to be. 

Hillman College

Hillman College the fictional HBCU in A Different World, bought Black college life and HBCU's to the forefront of mainstream TV. Showcasing dorm life, greek life, being broke hanging out in the student union or local campus hangout. Gave people an idea that college could actually be a good time alongside the work. Many students have said they went to HBCU's because of the classic sitcom. To this day there is merchandise for the school as if it was a real university. 

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5 Things Cable Needs To Reinvent Themselves

 It's no secret Cable TV is dying a very slow death.To be honest a lot of it is the cable industry and respective networks fault. While I personally believe linear TV still has a place, and while not the juggernaut it once was. 

Can still survive in modern media. There are several things the industry could do to breath new life into itself. So I decided to be a media pronogsticator, and share what I think the industry needs to do to stay afloat.

5. Go Back To Brand Identification

Once upon a time, USA network welcomed characters, TNT knew drama, while TBS knew funny. Oxygen was very real, MTV which at one was a pop culture juggernaut as much as cable network. Had several slogans from I want my MTV to we're music, we're MTV and many more. ABC Family (now freeform) presented a new kind of family.

You dont see that with cable networks really anymore. BET has a slogan and it's where Black Culture lives and that could be up for debate. However at least they have something to help brand their network.

Thats missing in todays world and shows fans, the owners of these networks no longer care.

4. Make Compelling Shows For Cable

In the media landscape we live in, every streaming service has programming exclusive to that service. The same can't be said for Cable TV, it is rare you find a original cable TV show and thats the only place you can watch it.

If USA or TNT release a new original drama, its on peacock, HBO Max or Hulu the next day. Make Compelling shows Cable Only viewing and the tide may change a bit.

3. Stop Relying on Reality TV

I get it reality TV has a space in the media ecosystem. Compared to original productions, they are relatively cheap to produce. And people love the drama that comes with these shows. They are entertaining low brow, drama filled shows. Many with traditional character and storyline tropes.

However since they focus on real people, audience members eat it up. Networks like VH1 and Bravo are really only surviving because of their reality shows. However, at some point you have to branch out and not put all your eggs in the reality TV basket.

2. Reinvent The Cable Business

The fall of cable TV can't be solely blamed on streaming. Yes, streaming took over and many conglomerates that own these networks focused on building their own streaming app to compete with Netflix. Thus innovation, competition, and all those buzzwords went out the window. Cable networks and the industry have just been floating by since at least 2017-2018ish.

Now its time for the industry as a whole to look at itself and rebuild, reinvest, and reinvent itself for the future. The days of 500 plus channels are over. Networks that were created to serve a niche audience can't survive. The one EXPENSIVE base package for a host of channels you'll never flip to are cables Achilles heel. People are just sick of paying for a bunch of channels they'll never tap into.

Expensive ass boxes to get the cable signal. Come on at this point, they should send a fire stick ish device compatible to a particular provider and viola you have cable. 

With so much money and jobs relying on the cable TV. I'm not understanding why they just twiddle their thumbs while streaming eats them alive.

1. Cater to Gen-Z

As an older Millennial (39) it took me a minute to realize, Millennials were no longer the demographic companies are fawning over. Gen Z is now the primary demographic with Generation Alpha fast approaching on their tails. These generations like quick content, they can easily digest and keep it moving.

To be honest I'm not sure how you can combat that in long form storytelling. However I do think there are ways to bring them in. Quick adverts about network programming that resembles the short videos on tik tok and YouTube. 

Fill programming up with podcast esque shows, podcasts have taken over the daytime talk shows our grandparents watched space. It's time cable networks lean into that to their advantage.

ESPN has done it with the Pat McAfee show, what's taking other networks so long to do something similar to their targeted demographic? MTV wastes precious time slots on Ridiculousness reruns, why don't they produce original podcasts with modern musicians and stars of the past?

Cable hasn't moved forward with time or the new millennium, in a long while.

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Barbershop The TV series: Gone Too Soon

 

 In the early 2000's a sleeper hit film starring Ice Cube, Eve, and Cedric the Entertainer, made people laugh, made money at the box office, and spawned a film franchise. That film was 2002's Barbershop (hard to believe that was 23 years ago), which spawned 2004's Barbershop 2: Back In Business. A belated sequel in 2016's Barbershop 3: The Next Cut. The 2005 spin-off starring Queen Latifah Beauty Shop.

And a TV series you either forgot about or never knew existed. Today is the 20th anniversary of that show called Barbershop The Series. A continuation of the film series, minus some minor adjustments all of the characters from the films were included in the show. With Omar Gooding taking over Ice Cube's role as Calvin.

It aired on Showtime for 10 episodes and had potential. Yeah some of the jokes didn't land or were outright corny, and the chemistry of the cast wasn't as good as the films. However with the ability to really spend time with the individual characters. It helped draw attention just to what the Barbershop means to the Black community.

Therapy sessions, shit talkin, relationship advice, world issues and how to fix them. You name it and its bought up in a barbershop. And the series touched on these and other areas of discussion. Unfortunately the show just didnt land and connect with audiences enough to gain traction.

Which was a shame, especially for me. My grandfather owned his own Barbershop for forty plus years and my brother is a barber. I grew up around the Barbershop and heard many interesting stories there. And could relate to the dynamics of the crew at the shop.

 I wish this short lived show had been given a chance to find its footing and build on the franchises legacy. Maybe it was just a little ahead of its time? 

It's a crime though that it did not get to explore more the strength, the wisdom, and history that comes out of a Barbershop in more detail. Prime Video recently ordered an updated series for the franchise, hopefully that finds the audience it deserves.

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