5 on Friday -- Set 265 -- The Lion Edition

Spinning Friday tunes since 2010...

For anyone who wants to join in, simply choose five pieces of music and post them for other bloggers to enjoy. Then check out the set posted by the other 5 on Friday blogger -- you can sign in over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.

It's set to snow tomorrow.

Here in Nova Scotia, we've already experienced a record-breaking winter. That's me doing an archaeological dig to free my mom's car from all the snow during the massive 'March Madness' storm in mid-March. The Ides of March, actually.

My city is still buried under three feet of snow, which includes several layers of cement-like ice, created during a storm that included a mix of freezing rain.

To say that folks in these parts aren't looking forward to another 15 cm/half a foot of snow is putting it mildly.

For myself, I'm the sort of person who thinks a March snowfall is just as pretty as a Christmastime December snowfall. I tend to keep that to myself, however, out of respect for the Seasonal Affective Disorder people who see the snow and experience a wave of depression.

This year, that old saying 'In like a lion, out like a lamb' seems to have gone on strike. March arrived roaring like the most ferocious lion imaginable, and is certainly refusing to go gently into that good night.

For this week's 5 on Friday, I give you the Lion Edition.

1 - The Lion Sleeps Tonight - The Tokens 

2 - Wondering Where the Lions Are - Bruce Cockburn 

3 - Lion in the Morning Sun - Will and The People 

4 - Iron Lion Zion - Bob Marley

5 - Jungle Lion - Lee Perry and The Upsetters 

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5 on Friday -- Set 264 -- International Day of Happiness Edition

Spinning Friday tunes since 2010...

For anyone who wants to join in, simply choose five pieces of music and post them for other bloggers to enjoy. Then check out the set posted by the other 5 on Friday blogger -- you can sign in over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.

Today is the International Day of Happiness.

This is only the third annual celebration of this initiative, which seeks to balance the persistent drive to measure a nation's or a people's success in terms of economic output, with its citizens' sense of wellbeing.

One could be extremely jaded and point to a deep savings in national spending for such a measurement. After all, when a population is unhappy, there is more individual use of alcohol and recreational drugs, more medical costs to treat addiction and its ripple effects, more lost days at work, and if the unrest is at high levels, more risk for riots, which adds to spending on police forces and infrastructure rebuilding.

I feel that the International Day of Happiness is a combination of those factors as well as the real desire for nations to recognize that higher individual happiness leads to a higher-performing nation, overall.

You may have encountered this line of thinking in the corporate world already. A happier workforce, as it turns out, is far more energized and of course profitable.

  

This year, the Day of Happiness is looking to build "the world's happiest playlist". Here is my 5 on Friday contribution. All of the tracks remind me of a time in my life when things were hopeful, even when there were mountain-sized obstacles to climb.

1 - Quantum Utopia - Goran Bregovic featuring Eugene Hutz 

2 - All This Time - Sting 

3 - E=MC2 - Big Audio Dynamite 

4 - Temptation Waits - Garbage

5 - Bliss - Muse 

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5 on Friday -- Set 263

Spinning Friday tunes since 2010...

For anyone who wants to join in, simply choose five pieces of music and post them for other bloggers to enjoy. Then check out the set posted by the other 5 on Friday blogger -- you can sign in over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.

This week we're going to get all Peace - Love - Unity - Respect and trance out when the beat drops. 

1 - Living For Love - Madonna 

First of all, this track is sitting in the top ten of Billboard's dance club songs this week. It's March, 2015. Madonna's first Billboard Hot 100 appearance was in 1983 for Holiday. Just sayin'. 

2 - Chiggy Wiggy - Kylie Minogue featuring Sonu Nigam 

3 - Don't Get it Twisted - Gwen Stefani 

4 - Groovejet(If This Ain't Love) - Spiller featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor

5 - I'm an Albatraoz - AronChupa 

Note: some language in this one

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5 on Friday -- Set 262

Spinning Friday tunes since 2010...

For anyone who wants to join in, simply choose five pieces of music and post them for other bloggers to enjoy. Then check out the set posted by the other 5 on Friday blogger -- you can sign in over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.

This year I'll be taking a once-a-month look at specific instruments and showcasing five songs or tunes which place that instrument front and center.

My new feature is called Spotlight On...

...and for our third installment, I continue to look at the primal body instruments. Here are five songs which shine a spotlight on vocal harmonies. 

1 - Monday, Monday - The Mamas and The Papas - 1966

2 - Because - The Beatles - 1969

3 - Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - Crosby, Stills and Nash - 1969

4 - Nights on Broadway - The Bee Gees - 1975

5 - Run Runaway - Great Big Sea - 1995

I'm blogging at The Popculturedivas today

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