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I am a firm believer that through out life, we learn some of the most valuable life lessons through places we don’t always expect. I recently took another trip to the barbershop with my kids. My boys are 11 and 8 and they go to the barbershop every two weeks. They have built a relationship with their barber, and they look forward to telling the barber how they like their haircuts. Each time i take them, me and the barber generally talk sports, politics, relationships, and everything else in between. Those conversations throughout my life have taught me so much about being a man.

As i look at my boys, i think about me at that age in the 1980’s. I recently came across a book that I can personally say captures the life of barbers and their customers. The book How to fade like Griffin, captures what i call the art of barbering. It is not only a book that is good for teaching aspiring barbers the technique and skill of cutting hair, but it captures the importance of what barbers do daily for people in each and every community.

Truth be told, barbers like Kendrick Henderson, the author of the book, change lives daily. Think about it. Barbers boost self esteem through changing a person’s appearance. Nothing like a good haircut to boost a person’s confidence. Good barbers are consultants. Good barbers are friends. Good barbers are brothers and sisters at neighborhood institutions called barbershops. A barber with a good reputation is a role model to kids.

Barbers have the unique ability to bridge the gap between the established business person and the single mom. They connect the single father with the traditional family. The book really capitalized on teaching barbers not only how to cut hair, but on how to build relationships. I highly recommend Kendrick Henderson’s book, whether you are aspiring to be a barber or not. It is a very interesting read and is unlike anything else I’ve read. After reading this, maybe the next time you go to your barber tell him/her thank you and leave a tip.

https://youtu.be/ugh1NMyTC6M The flavor of retro! This song and video from Social Club Misfits perfectly captures the feeling of Hip-Hop’s 90’s appeal with classic 8 bit pixel gaming. The video is creative and original. I highly recommend this video.

1. In the hit song Smooth Criminal, of whom is Michael asking “are you ok?”
2. In Michael’s opinion, running as fast as you can and not being a macho man, also means to?
3. According to Mr. Jackson, you wanna be starting a certain thing…..but what?
4. From Michael’s Pretty Young Thing, according to his advice what does his PYT actually need?
5. How long does Michael want to “Rock with you”? In addition, how long does he want to “Dance with his partner”?
6. Just to confirm, Mr. Jackson stated that you shouldn’t stop until when?
7. How did the woman Billie Jean try to trick Michael?
8. According to the Jackson 5, what are the first two words used to describe the actual dancing machine?
9. In the song “I wanna be where you are” by the Jackson 5, young Michael has a dilemma and ask several questions to get back to his love. What are the first 2 questions he asks?
10. In the song Human Nature, Michael make a reference 1 time to a certain piece of fruit. What type of fruit is it and what action does he want to do to the fruit.

I hope you enjoyed my Michael Jackson quiz! Some answers have 2 parts and the answers are below in red. Please post how you did in the comments section, the world wants to know! More fun retro quiz’s to come! Signing off!

-V. Retroman

1)Annie 2)Beat it 3)Somethin’ 4)TLC (Tender Loving Care) 5) All night/Till the Sunlight (2 answers) 6)Till you get enough 7)Tried to make him believe the kid was his son when the kid was not. 8)Automatic, Systematic 9) First question: Could it be I stayed away too long? Second question: Did I leave your mind when I was gone? 10) Apple, Take a bite.

Isn’t it amazing how times have changed? This ad reflects arguably the greatest home gaming console of all time, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) sold at an amazing price of $79.99. I am aware that the inflation has happened since the 1980’s, but still systems were much less expensive back then. The NES changed the industry from a household brand name perspective, at a lower cost. The quality was there and Nintendo made it’s money from volume. Lower priced systems with more systems sold equaled success for the video game giant. Platformers like Super Mario Bro’s and Kirby’s Adventure brought smiles to kids across the world. Finding this ad took me back to the days of 2nd grade, when i ran home from the bus stop, quickly entered my room, and took out the gray cartridges of Megaman 2 and Legend of Zelda. My parents sacrificed so much to buy the NES for me and my 7 brothers and sisters. Do you remember Saturday mornings as a kid, waking up watching cartoons and playing Nintendo? I hope the Nostalgia of this classic advertisement takes you back to a simpler time in your life. Take a minute to remember how you blew the cartridges, put the old TV with the turnable knob on channels 3 or 4, and played until you passed out! Great times! #Nintendo

This video snippet is just a glimpse of what made the Hip-Hop and R&B genres of the 1990’s so good. A combination of great lyrics, a great sample from Keith’s Sweat’s original song “Make it last forever”, along with feeling and emotion made this a classic in my opinion. The way that Nas told a love story to Mariah, including the line “walking in bubble Northface’s” took me back! He capped it off with “signing off, truly yours, Nastradomous”. Pure genius! What a well written song! I hope that this quick snippet takes you back in your mind. This is the time when boys grew to be men and learned how to approach a lady. Before texting, before dating apps, and before hiding behind the social media scene. This song is so classic and pure, that even people that dont’ like rap music can vibe to this song. Enjoy!

Flashback! The fighting robot! https://youtu.be/3ufVQIUEiYc

It was April 1st, 2008. I remember it like it was yesterday! In arguably the largest April fool’s prank in internet history, practically every video on YouTube would start, then shortly transform into Rick Astley’s classic hit song and video, “Never gonna give you up”. I was listening to the song on my 80’s playlist and thought, “Has it really been 10 years since the infamous Rick Roll day of 2008”?

The song itself is retro, having been released in 1987. The song by the UK singer hit the ground running in the US, and over decades it has been a very popular song. The song was the lead single on his hit debut album “Whenever You Need Somebody” which according to his own official website, has sold 15.2 million copies worldwide. Seeing the image of young Astley in a trench coat, pacing side to side has been used in several internet memes and vines across the world.

Is this insanity? It is such a simple idea. “Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you. Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie, and hurt you.” Simple enough lyrics for anyone to learn, yet genuine enough with the right beat to last for decades. It’s no wonder that much of the music of the past is still relevant today, regardless of genre.

10 years passes by quick. Think about what you were doing in 2008. What frame of mind were you in? Now think back to 1998, 1988, 1978, or 1968 if you were born. It is good to look back and smile. For me it’s a great way to self medicate and appreciate the memories through music and media. I am a firm believer that sometimes in the process of moving forward in this thing we call life, looking back on memories like the Rick Roll will make you smile. Let that smile and feeling of nostalgia, propel you into the future.

An oldie and goodie. Let the smooth grooves captivate you on this Valentine’s night. #retro #classic #lovesong https://youtu.be/v0fBACHaBck

Don’t you do it! Don’t you sit here and doubt yourself. Don’t you speak negative words into your life. I don’t care what the situation looks like. It is not the circumstance that defines who you are! Throughout my life many times I have come to the end of myself. We all should try our best. We strive to improve, and we should continue to do that in every area. Yet this is the post when you feel like you can’t go on. When you are not strong enough to handle the problems and circumstances by your own abilities. When you feel like no one cares, look to the one that is qualified to handle your problems. Look to God, because He knows and cares for you this day. If you need to cry, cry. If you need to pray, pray. If you need help, get it. We are all human and make mistakes. I have learned to be careful on how much pressure I put on myself. Just remember, when it is all said and done keep pushing. Do not give up. Your endurance is building. Others are looking at your strength and secretly admiring it. God is creating a masterpiece. It just happens to be YOU!