Best of 2019: Best of Everything Else

Super writer/critic extraordinaire Ty has already covered the best albums, the best movies, the best television shows, the best podcasts, and the best sports moments of 2019. Today I am going to give the rest of the stuff of 2019 some love. We will cover books, tech, video games, and a few other corners of society not given the top five/ten treatment by our publications. Let’s get started.

Best Video Game of 2019

Untitled Goose Game is the game we needed in our lives at this very moment in history. It appeals to young and old alike, and for very different reasons. I talked with a nine year old about the game, and then spun the game as an allegory for President Trump.

As for the game itself? You are a goose, and you are here to terrify a small village. You get from place to place by solving puzzles that involve your goose stealing things, scaring kids, and causing general mayhem.

It is awesome.

Best Movie Trailer for a Movie Released in 2019

This should have been the first trailer for Joker, but then Cats came along. A movie trailer needs to be memorable, and oh boy was the Cats trailer memorable for all the wrong reasons. The movie looked horrifying and stupid at the same time. I spent most of my time watching and rewatching the trailer asking myslef why would such an such actor be in this thing. My answers never came. Cats shows us that the best of us need to be told every now and then. The trailer was our first warning.

Best Movie trailer for a Movie Released after 2019

In 2019, the DC movie Universe started to catch up with Marvel. Aquaman came out in late 2018, but was the top movie in the early months of 2019. Shazam was a modest hit, and well like by the critics and the audience. Joker was a megahit and the most talked about movie of the year. Then around Thanksgiving we were given our first look at Wonder Woman 1984. The setting was spot on, the music was incredible, and the movie itself looks amazing. June 5th, 2020 cannot get here soon enough.

Best Book of 2019

Great new books come out every year. What is truly the best is usually left up to a person’s personal preference. Many times the best book we read in a given year came out in a previous year. The best book for 2019, or the most important to read book, is George Orwell’s 1948 novel 1984.

In 1948, George Orwell understood the dangers of screaming fake news and blind loyalty to a government that has an agenda counter to the benefit of the people they serve. In 2019 we live in 1984’s world, and we do not care. It could never happen to us is what we said when we first read Orwell’s dystopic story. In 2019 we need to read 1984 to acknowledge the fact we live in this society.

Best Tech of 2019

It is hard to judge new technology until we have seen it in action for a year or more. All the big tech sites with praise anything Apple, and then quietly say how bad the tech was years later, see the Apple Pencil and Macbook keyboard.

Apple is not alone in the blind praises bestowed by the tech media on the companies and personalities the writers so desperately want to have access to. That is why the Tesla Cybertruck is the best tech of the year.

The cybertruck look stupid, it will be grotesquely overpriced, and it will be bested by a real car company in the not so distant future, but the Cybertruck will be considered the first heavy duty pickup to normalize the idea of an all electric truck for the masses. In the not so distant future when Tesla is gone, the tech media will continue to remind us that the Cybertruck was “first”. They will not be totally wrong.

Best Written Thing on the Internet

In 2019 the website Deadspin.com entered a death spiral. The owners decided to lay down the law on the creators, and the creators revolted. The end of one of the most important internet sites had dawned. Before the true endgame, former editor Megan Greenwell wrote an insightful and scathing piece about the current state of internet journalism. We live in a world where traditional journalism, i.e. newspapers, radio, and televsion, has been sacrificed on the alter of capitalism. The internet was where real journalism was still breathing it’s survival breaths. Then the corporate raiders came for the internet. Clicks, likes, and trash were valued more than the talents of creators. Megan Greenwell saw this, was fired, and then left the last parting shot. Forget about all the “traditional” media think pieces on the world around us. Megan Greenwell gave us a true look into the future we are moving towards. Read her words and be wary.

Best Visual Thing on the Internet

The Peloton is stupid. Exercise is good, but the cult like, false view of wealth, that the Peloton sells is poisonous. The company/cult’s newest ad reflects the toxic image the overpriced spin bike is selling.

Enter a hero. Ryan Reynold’s owns a gin called Aviator and he sought out the woman in the Peloton ad. Together they made the greatest ad of the year. Who knew that gin was more progressive, and respectful, than an exercise device. Now we know.

These are just a few of the things I saw in 2019 that made an impact. While companies like Peloton and any trust fund idiot that owns a website tried to push society backwards, we had heroes like Megan Greenwell, Ryan Reynolds, and an untitled goose to give us the catharsis we need. In 2019 we were also gifted with the reminder of what was warned in 1948, and we were able to observe pop culture’s hubris with Cats. All in all there were scares and hope in the year 2019 of the common era.

Bring on the 20’s.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Green Cars: Is it Enough?

Electric vehicles have grown up quite a bit.

SeedSing is proud to offer voices from all over the globe. Today we present a guest post from professional mechanic Giles Kirkland. Get your ideas heard by writing for SeedSing

Electric vehicles are, without a doubt, one of the greenest options drivers have when it comes to their choice of car. These vehicles - known as EVs for short - don’t emit any emissions, helping to reduce your carbon output. Yet there is much more to the automotive industry than just fuel emissions, so are today’s green cars enough?

Adoption Rates

First of all, it’s worth noting that, no matter how good EVs may be, the benefits are somewhat diminished if the adoption rate is so slow. No matter where you are, a quick glance at the road will reveal more petrol or diesel based vehicles compared to electric options. As such, there’s clearly some barrier to entry that needs to be readdressed.

One of the more obvious problems is the cost. EVs are relatively new cars, with upcoming models like the Tesla 3 costing around $35,000. Compared to a second hand, petrol based car, there’s a big margin in affordability.

In time, this will go down as the technology becomes more widely available and a second hand market emerges. Even now, however, it's estimated that hybrid cars have a higher cost - up to 20% more - compared to fully petrol based vehicles. That’s still a big margin, especially for budget buyers.

Energy Sources

While cutting on a reliance of fossil fuels is certainly green, the energy used to charge a car from is also just as vital. If such an electric car is powered via coal-generated electricity, can it truly be green? For any car to be environmentally friendly with electricity, owners must ensure they only use renewable power.

It’s also worth noting that some drivers have the option to use a greener fuel source without upgrading their car. Many diesel vehicles are able to use biodiesels, which is much more sustainable. You can even make biofuel at home and it is legal in many countries across the world, including America and the United Kingdom. Just make sure your diesel particulate filter is in the exhaust system cylinder, rather than the exhaust pipe.

Construction Materials

Furthermore, while the likes of Tesla are busy creating lithium-ion powered vehicles and driverless cars, there’s little talk about the actual materials used in their construction. These vehicles still use metal and other natural elements, which may or may not be acquired through sustainable means.

Of course, many manufacturers (although not all) are actively recycling materials where possible. Car bodies, for instance, are typically made from aluminium or steel. Ford alone recycles enough aluminium to produce 30,000 trucks per month, which is certainly a very green effort.

Similarly, more and more car parts can be recycled, provided owners dispose of them responsibly. Glass, of course, can be melted down and re-made, while car tyres can be recycled for their rubber.

Yet this need to recycle is more important in the very green areas. Catalyst converters use three rare earth metals - platinum, rhodium and palladium - while even EVs use lithium-ion for their batteries. This battery source doesn’t have an indefinite lifetime, so recycling efforts will be needed to curb lithium mining as much as possible.

Other Forms Of Transport

As good as green cars can be, they are not the only forms of transport available. When it comes to adopting sustainable travel, there are many more obstacles to be tackled. While electric trains and buses have been in production for some time now, there’s a much greater difficulty in getting the power requirements to replace aircraft and ships.

Even when it comes to electric cars, there are numerous gaps in the market. 4x4 cars, vans and trucks all have big markets - contributing significant emissions in their own rights - yet have little in the way of green alternatives.

Cultural Perceptions

Finally, there are still many people out there who are afraid or unsure of EVs. Part of this is down to a fear of new things, as studies have shown people greatly come around to the idea after being inside an electric vehicle.

Similarly, one can also look at automotive media for a prime example. Motor shows, magazines and other media prioritise the power and performance of combustion engines, rather than the efficiency of EVs. Even when it comes to power, there are a number of plug-in hypercars in production, showcasing the capabilities of EV, but these seldom get mentioned.

Ultimately, it is up to drivers, as people and as consumers, to encourage a greener driving reality. An increased uptake in EVs, certainly, will encourage a wider availability. Yet even people without this financial option can undertake more eco-friendly methods. Whether that’s using biofuels or adopting green driving methods, such as a better fuel economy or car pooling, there are many areas where people could do more, but often don’t.

So, are green cars enough? While they are good, they don’t achieve everything that a truly sustainable, green option should. That being said, they are a large step in the right direction and this should not be underestimated.

Giles Kirkland

Giles Kirkland is a professional mechanic with a passion for greener living and sustainable developments. Have an idea? Tell SeedSing all about it.