The Advent Calendar of Great Holiday Movies: Day 7 "Gremlins"

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a great movie associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be extra awesome. Enjoy.

Day 7: “Gremlins”

Opened Doors: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6

The greatest tradition of the holiday season is the giving, and the receiving, of gifts. It is also somewhat a tradition of trying to find the perfect gift for someone, and usually coming up short. Sometimes what we think is perfect just doesn’t work for the person receiving the gift. Then there are the times when the gift we give is far too powerful, and dangerous, in the hands of anyone who may receive this perfect present.

In the summer of 1984, the movie “Gremlins” opened in American theaters on the same day as “Ghostbusters”. A week earlier saw the release of “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock”, and a week before that opened “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”. One week after “Gremlins was introduced, movie goers also had the film “The Karate Kid” to whet their appetites. Within a few weeks some of the most iconic movies of our time were released onto the public.

“Gremlins” seemed like the odd man out of these summer blockbusters. “Ghostbusters” had an all star cast, “The Search for Spock” had the built in fandom and great success from “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan“, “The Temple of Doom” was Spielberg and Harrison Ford, and “The Karate Kid” is one of the greatest love stories of our time. Where in the hell did a movie about cute creatures, who become monsters, fit in.

The horror comedy about mythical monsters tearing apart a picturesque town during the Christmas season did quite well for it self at the box office in 1984. “Gremlins” went on to become the fourth highest grossing film at the box office, and it has become a legendary film for anyone born in the late seventies to early eighties. It also, along with “The Temple of Doom” helped create the PG-13 rating.

What makes “Gremlins” timeless is it’s simple story layered with something new. The picturesque community with fresh snow, the new and exciting presents, and the coming together as family and friends screams Christmas. “Gremlins” took those holiday themes and put a monster movie on top of it. We keep coming back to “Gremlins” because no one had ever successfully put a darkly comic, violent, monster flick into a holiday movie. Come to think about it, no one has really been successful with that formula since “Gremlins”. Plus, you will never think of Santa the same after Kate, played by Phoebe Cates, tells the tale of her worst Christmas ever.

The lesson we learn in “Gremlins” should be with us every holiday season. We will go crazy trying to find that one perfect gift for someone special in our life. The person who gets the gift may appreciate it, but they may also not understand it. If that happens, your town may experience a holiday calamity, and the spawn of that perfect gift may end up in the food processor or microwave. Even worse, you could end up the victim of that perfect present. Also, do not dress as Santa and climb down your own chimney.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. Speaking of Santa, we should know that the Man in the Santa Suit sometimes has problems of his own.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The Advent Calendar of Great Holiday Movies: Day 6 "Elf"

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a great movie associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be extra awesome. Enjoy.

Day 6: “Elf”

Opened Doors: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5

I wanted to give RD the day off and try my hand at the SeedSing Advent Calendar of Holiday Movies. Today I want to talk about one of, if not my, favorite holiday movies of all time, "Elf".

I have been a Will Ferrell fan for a long, long time. I loved him on "SNL", he was great in some not so good movies like "Night at the Roxbury" and "Superstar". He was awesome, and stole scenes in the first 2 "Austin Powers" movies. I loved him, and the movie, "The Ladies Man". He did great voice work on "The Oblongs". Who could forget him in movies like "Zoolander" and "Old School"? All of these movies happened prior to "Elf" though.

Before "Elf", Ferrell was becoming more widely known. But, "Elf" made truly a household name. He starred in a great, great movie that the entire family could watch. And let us not forget, he was the true, one and only star. This movie is filled with old and new stars. People like James Caan and Mary Steenburgen have smaller parts. Jon Favreau not only had a minor role as a doctor, but he also directed the movie. Bob Newhart played a fatherly Elf. Ed Asner was Santa. Zooey Deschanel played his co worker turned girlfriend, turned wife. Faizon Love and Peter Dinklage had small, but very, very memorable roles. Amy Sedaris was delightful as the secretary. Andy Richter and Kyle Gass were extremely funny. Artie Lange plays a very terrifying Santa. Even famed musician Leon Redbone plays a voice of a Snowman in the movie. But Ferrell shines above them all.

The movie has a fairly basic plot, but with a twist. In short it is about an orphaned kid going home to meet his dad. He runs into some problems along the way, but it all works out. The twist in this movie though, the orphaned kid is raised in the North Pole by a family of Christmas elves. And Will Ferrell is totally believable as Buddy, the orphaned elf. I fully buy into the fact that he really, truly believes that he is an elf. He definitely gives off the vibe that he was raised to make toys and deliver them to Santa to give to kids on Christmas. When he leaves the North Pole and goes to New York to meet his biological dad, James Caan, his joyous attitude turns everyone off, except the viewer. He is so giddy and happy and smiling and waving and talking all the time. But this is exactly how I would expect one of Santa's elves to act. And the food he eats, it is so gross, but again, believable. When he downs that entire 2 liter of Coke, it makes me howl with laughter every time, especially when he belches. His idea of a meal, spaghetti covered in pop tarts, candy canes, maple syrup and all kinds of other sugary substances, is so gross yet so funny.

At the heart of “Elf” is Buddy's Christmas cheer rubbing off on everyone he comes into contact with. His step mom, Steenburgen, buys in right away. She is fully on board. Their son, Mikey, is skeptical at first, but after the snowball fight, another great scene, he buys in. Obviously, his family in the North Pole is in from the start. Zooey Deschanel is very skeptical, but as time goes on she not only buys in, but grows to love him. The hardest person to crack is Caan. He is the typical workaholic dad, and he very much dislikes Buddy at first, but he eventually comes around. When he finally starts to sing at the end of the movie, so Santa can ride his sleigh, it is magical.

“Elf” has everything a holiday movie should have. It is warm, cozy, funny and has a great lesson behind it. But Ferrell as Buddy is the coup de grace. He is the main reason everyone should watch this movie. He is so good, and this is the role that, in my opinion, launched him into super stardom. He was great, and "Elf" is a great, great Christmas movie. Make sure to watch this one this holiday season.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Need to get way into the holiday season with some great television. Check out Darlene Love and David Letterman create their own Christmas tradition.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The Advent Calendar of Great Holiday Movies: Day 5 "Scrooge" (1970)

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a great movie associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be extra awesome. Enjoy.

Day 5: “Scrooge” (1970)

Opened Doors: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4

The holiday season has it’s share of traditions. We have the almost universal traditions like trees, presents, and togetherness. Many families have a few personal traditions that are passed down generation to generation. Many of those traditions have to do with particular songs or stories that are important to a family or group of like minded individuals. As new generations take on the tradition, it sometimes gets modified to please the modern interests of the new caretakers.

Charles Dickens short story ‘A Christmas Carol” is one of those traditional stories that people have been enjoying during the holiday season for many generations. The tradition of the telling the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and the three Christmas ghosts has been told many different ways since it’s original publication. Many variations have been good, some bad, and some just downright strange.

1970’s “Scrooge” was the latest in a long line of “A Christmas Carol” film adaptations. The 1970 version was not even the first adaptation to use the name Scrooge as their title (we will discuss another one of these films later on). What set this “Scrooge” apart from the “A Christmas Carol” film adaptations of the past is that this theatrical version was a musical. Yes, the world finally got to see a singing and dancing Scrooge, Marley, the spirits, and of course a toe tapping Tiny Tim. Merry Christmas to all indeed.

“Scrooge” was a hit with a few of the critics in 1970. A 34 year old Albert Finney played the title character and was widely praised for his interpretation of the old miser. Finney won the 1971 Golden Globe for the role, and the film went on to be nominated for four Oscars. With that kind of critical success, one would think that “Scrooge” would have become a new holiday tradition in all homes that celebrate with a telling of “A Christmas Carol”.

The fact is that “Scrooge” is somewhat lost in a seas of far superior retellings of Dicken’s tale. The first song given to Scrooge is called “I Hate People”. Finney’s Scrooge is downright terrible human being that should not be redeemed. He is no miser, he is a narcissist. Once Scrooge does promise to be good, after he fears for no love in his death, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come sends the elderly Scrooge to hell. There is literally a sequence of Scrooge being set with chains, while Jacob Marley does the Devil’s books. It makes almost no sense whatsoever. Scrooge was already accepting Christmas in his heart. What was going to hell going to do to the old man? Scenes like this is what causes the 1970 musical film ‘Scrooge” to get lost in the new tradition shuffle.

The thing is though, “Scrooge” should get another chance. Yes the movie is different, but the music is not bad. Albert Finney may not bring the best interpretation of Ebenezer Scrooge to the screen, but it is definitely a different take. Plus, the look of the movie is incredible. The scene in hell looks something from the mind of a madman. It is definitely like nothing you have seen, or imagined, in any version of “A Christmas Carol”.

This holiday season will be filled with many of the same movies and programs we have watched for years. We watch them because we love the stories, and we appreciate the familiarity. A new tradition for us should be check out a lost version of our favorite holiday tales. Go give “Scrooge” a chance. You may find the joyous tunes, and surreal atmosphere of the movie, to fit right in with a tradition that needs updating.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. Early December usually seems to drag on because we all just really wished it was Christmas today. Hey, there is a song about that.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The Advent Calendar of Great Holiday Movies: Day 4 "Batman Returns"

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a great movie associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be extra awesome. Enjoy.

Day 4: “Batman Returns”

Opened Doors: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

The holiday season is filled with beautiful scenery and insane people. There is something magical about the look of fresh snow on late December night, but our boss at work may just kill us. The twinkle of the lights bring a feeling of festive joy, but we also know that some hideous looking forgotten son may arise from the sewer and try to take over the city. The sounds of children singing Christmas carols warms our heart, but a batman is out there having a sensual fight with a catwoman trying to keep the streets a bit more safe for the Christmas season. It is a weird time of the year.

In the summer of 1992 director Tim Burton and actor Michael Keaton delivered the promised sequel to their smash hit movie “Batman”. This time around Michelle Pfieffer and Danny DeVito joined Keaton’s Batman as Selina Kyle/ Catwoman and Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin respectively. Christopher Walken even joined the action as the villainous Max Schreck, a wild haired character created just for this film. The movie split some critics with many for and against the movie pointing to the surreal atmosphere Tim Burton brought to his vision of Gotham City. The snow was a blueish gray, the lights twinkled against the large impressive Gothic buildings, and the film takes place during the holiday season. ‘Batman Returns” would be the last Burton/Keaton outing for the Dark Knight. The weirdness of the this particular summer blockbuster was not acceptable by the major Hollywood studios of the early 1990’s.

What “Batman Returns” has in strangeness, it pays the audience back with a great story for the holidays. Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle are insane, lonely, people. They find each other under a mistletoe in the midst of a struggle. The magic of the holidays takes over. Grotesque, and abandoned, Oswald Cobblepot comes back to a city who is willing to embrace the monster. The holiday spirit asks us to see the good in people. An army of penguins equipped with rocket launchers almost destroys a city, the first born son of every household is nearly kidnapped, but through the chaos and destruction Bruce Wayne and Alfred the Butler know to wish each other a Merry Christmas in the end. The holidays are too strong to let super villains, industrialists, and Catwomen bring it all crashing down. Batman knows this.

Every great holiday movie does not need to be steeped in the mythical figures of the North Pole, we can have a holiday lesson with the mythical figures of our comic books. Tim Burton saw the serene strangeness of the holidays, and he used it to tell a Christmas tale using the Batman. Chaos, quietness, destruction, and togetherness all have a place in every person’s holiday season. Embrace the gifts, and discard the negative. Batman and Catwoman learned this lesson in “Batman Returns”. Let us all bask in their victory.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. Hanukkah is different year to year. Tragedy does not care for respecting the holidays, but people do. See one of the best Christmas stories ever told by one of the best television shows ever. Check out “Death Takes a Holiday from “M*A*S*H”.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The Advent Calendar of Great Holiday Movies: Day 3 "Love Actually"

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a great movie associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be extra awesome. Enjoy.

Day 2: “Love Actually”

Opened Doors: Day 1, Day 2

The holiday season is filled with a bunch of different characters. There is the old man who finally discovers the true meaning of Christmas. The little boy who makes a grand gesture and starts his ascent into manhood. The long married couple whose passion is gone and needs the holidays to reignite the flame. The creepy guy pining for his best friend’s girl. The hot, and easy, American girls looking to give a few British blokes a good time.And last but not least, the Prime Minister of Great Britain looking for a holiday office romance with a staffer.

In 2003 Richard Curtis, known to some as a writer for the television show “Black Adder”, unleashed the film “Love Actually” onto the world. The movie was a mega hit and has become a holiday staple since it’s release. The movie follows a bunch of different stories about varying stages of love, and it all takes place around Christmas time in Britain. The mood is downright magical. For anyone that has seen “Love Actually”, there is no denying the schmaltzy Christmas feel of the film.

A movie like “Love Actually” will always have it’s fans, but it also has quite a few detractors. Personal note - I saw “Love Actually” during it’s original run. I thought it was enjoyable enough, but I also thought it was forgettable. I was wrong. The anti-”Love Actually” crowd has drawn me in, but I have not seen the movie since 2003. That is my bad. If you want to bag on something, make sure you watch it so you have a little credibility. Plus, I still think Bill Nighy was awesome in the movie.

Speaking of Bill Nighy, the cast of “Love Actually” is one of the most impressive casts of any film made the last 50 years. It is the “Avengers: Infinity War” of classy British thespians, with a few yanks thrown in for good measure. Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Martin Freeman, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Andrew Lincoln, Keira Knightly, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Alan Rickman, Billy Bob Thorton, Rowan Atkinson, January Jones, Elisha Cuthbert, Shannon Elizabeth, Denise Richards, and even writer/director Richard Curtis gets a place in his cast. That is one hell of a cast for a movie that seems like it belongs on the Hallmark Channel during the Christmas season.

That is the most impressive thing about the staying power of “Love Actually”, it is the most Hallmark Christmas movie ever. People flock to watch cheesy movies during the holidays because we all want to believe that the season brings magic into our lives. ‘Love Actually” is the king of the Christmasy schmalty films that seem dumb on paper, but make us feel like Scrooge on the morning of December 25th after he has his pleasant psychotic break due to hallucinations. “ Love Actually” is probably the most Christmasy movie ever made that does not involve mutated reindeer, Grinches, or Santa’s. “Love Actually” gets what we want to see on our screens for Christmas.

Good, bad, cheesy, heartwarming. None of this matters. “Love Actually” can claim all of those adjectives, but it will still be loved by many this holiday season. Movies like “Love Actually” are meant to force the happiness and warmness of the holiday season onto our darkened souls. Say what you want, but “Love Actually” does really believe that Christmas is all around, no matter how ridiculous it may look and sound.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. Hanukkah is different year to year. Need some more Christmas cheese, with a much less impressive cast? Go check out the classic “Saved By the Bell” two part story Home for Christmas.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The Advent Calendar of Great Holiday Movies: Day 2 "The Hebrew Hammer"

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a great movie associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be extra awesome. Enjoy.

Day 2: “The Hebrew Hammer”

Opened Doors: Day 1

Christmas dominates the holiday season like a cultural and shopping Death Star. There are other holidays celebrated, some of them culturally important, but Christmas does not give way to these so called “other” celebrations. Many of our late year holidays have religious and cultural importance, but one should not look at Christmas as a day of celebration for religious reasons. Christmas is the monolith that looms over every other festive day, or days, during the season. That is just the way it is.

It should not be that way. Today marks the the first day of Hanukkah, one of those “other” celebrations. Hanukkah has been celebrated far long than Christmas, but it gets a far second place finish in the holiday season. One reason may be that Hanukkah is not even one of the most important holidays in the Jewish faith, Christmas is equal to Easter for most Christians. The real reason that Hanukkah is an afterthought is that most people in the western world, Jewish and Gentile alike, just give up on the big eight night celebration and just let the dark shadow of Christmas take over the season.

In 2003 the film “The Hebrew Hammer” had an extremely limited release in Australia and later the United States. The story is about an (uncircumcised) private dick named Mordechai Jefferson Carver, played by Adam Goldberg, who is enlisted by the Jewish Justice League to stop an insane Santa, played by Andy Dick, from destroying Hanukkah. “The Hebrew Hammer” is described as a “jewsplotation movie” and it matches that description. It is filled with offensive language, it looks like it was made on the cheap, it is borderline racist, and it is funny as hell.

“The Hebrew Hammer” uses the idea of Christmas being some warlord trying to take out Hanukkah, and later Kwanzaa, as a way to make a movie about the greatness of these “other'“ celebrations. Holidays like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are steeped in tradition and important to cultures that have a history filled with suffering, Christmas is a huge economic machine. The first ten minutes of “The Hebrew Hammer” will perfectly explain the monsters of society who have degraded Hanukkah as a not Christmas. In the end we learn that all holidays need to get along and let each other be who they want to be. That is one of the best lessons for us all during the festive season.

There are not many Hanukkah movies, and that is a shame. Many people will point to the animated Adam Sandler flick “Eight Crazy Nights” as the standard bearer for Hanukkah movies. That is a shame because “Eight Crazy Nights” is just not that good. Do you want to feel pride and righteous indignation this Hanukkah? Go watch “The Hebrew Hammer” and let Mordechai Jefferson Carver put you into the mood for the next eight nights. Just try not to put too much pressure on him.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. Hanukkah is different year to year. Let Melee serenade you with their struggles on the question of “When is Hanukkah This Year?”

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The Advent Calendar of Great Holiday Movies: Day 1 "A Christmas Story"

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a great movie associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be extra awesome. Enjoy.

Day 1: “A Christmas Story”

Today is the first day of Advent, and for many of us it is the official start of the Christmas/Holiday season. December 1st is the day when all the houses that will be decorated are decked out. The trees have been cut down, assembled, and dressed. The stores are crowded because the shopping is now in full gear. December 1st is the first day where the holidays hit you square in the face with everything they got.

“A Christmas Story” premiered right before Thanksgiving in 1983. It was a very modest success at the box office. The critics of the time did not care that much for the movie. It quietly left the theaters in early 1984, and everyone assumed it would be forgotten.

It was not forgotten. “A Christmas Story” is regarded by many as the greatest holiday film of all time. The reason the movie has lasted is because it tells an over the top, yet a relatable story of what goes on leading up to Christmas Day. The crazy father, the put upon mother, the goofy little brother, the insane bully, the disconnected Santa, the neighbors dogs, we can all find something in our past from “A Christmas Story”. That is why the movie is a staple of holiday watching on any day of December.

The most important part of the holidays is highlighted in “A Christmas Story”. The central plot revolves on a must have gift, that is what the holidays are truly about. “A Christmas Story” does not treat the commercialism as a negative part of the holidays, the movie embraces the magic of the one perfect gift. Our hero Ralphie lives the holiday season with joy and triumph. He curses like a man, he beats down the bully, but most importantly he never loses focus of the meaning of the season for him, the Red Rider BB Gun. “A Christmas Story” takes the looming specter of holiday commercialism, and it makes it fun and enduring. That is why we keep watching “A Christmas Story” every year since 1983.

Today we get ready to welcome the holiday season. It is going to come at us hard. It is going to be fast and fierce. Take a note from Ralphie this season and never lose site of why we all love Christmastime. The antics of family and others make the season memorable, but that perfect gift will make this Christmastime legendary.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. Nothing gets RD more ready for the holiday season than a good seasonal tune, and nothing is better than “Linus and Lucy”.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Happy Thanksgiving

yum

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at the SeedSing family (and most of us are actual family).

Enjoy your turkey, tofurkey, turducken, turbigmacandwhopperwithfishkey, whatever you enjoy on this most thankful of days. Be nice, have good conversation and drink, and do not let Lucy Van Pelt hold the football for the annual place kick.

Also, if a float that says Happy Pranksgiving is coming down the street for the parade, duck and cover your eyes. The Santa on that float is going to throw fish guts while they let a devilish cheer of Merry Fishmas.

Gobble Gobble

The Writers of SeedSing

Pearl Harbor and Forgetting Our History

all photos by RD Kulik with a Nexus 6p

Today is Memorial Day. Many people, including myself, will spend the day laying about and maybe grilling up some good old American hamburgers and hot dogs. This is not a solemn day for me because like many of my fellow Gen Xers, I do not have many peers who fought, and died, in service to America. Memorial Day is almost never been about the lives lost, it has been a celebration of the time to come. One summer day a couple of years ago, I did have an opportunity to reflect on the lives lost in service to my country. This is that story.

In the summer of 2016 I was lucky to visit Hawaii for a few weeks. It was my first time in the 50th state, and like all good tourists I made my way to visit Pearl Harbor. I had grown up hearing stories of what happened on December 7th, 1941. In history class, we would learn all about the cowardly sneak attack by Imperial Japan. My grandparents, and their peers, would tell me about the nation coming together and vowing to defeat the evil that is in the world. In my lifetime Pearl Harbor has become a point of American pride, a romantic time that usher in the age of US dominance and moral superiority. During my visit to the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Park, I learned that back in 1941, the people stationed in and around Pearl Harbor were left under threat because of Washington DC saber rattling, they were left unaware and unprepared by the politicians gearing up for war. That December day was not a moment of pride for the people at Pearl Harbor, it was a nightmare with no end.

The World War II Valor in the Pacific National Park is like a lot of parks in the United States. The exhibits could use a little updating. The grounds could use some attention. The food is not cheap, or great. The thing Pearl Harbor has going for it, the weather is almost always perfect. 

Fun fact: temperature in June is 80, today it is 78

There are tons of things to see before you go out to see the remains of the USS Arizona. There is a submarine, models of US and Japanese World War II naval weapons, a lot of informational stations, and a film about the attack. The movie is the first part of the journey to the tomb that is the USS Arizona. What surprised me about the film is how direct it told the story of Pearl Harbor. Part of me expected to not hear a lot of negativity about the Japanese due to the PC culture right wingers are so afraid of. The film did not skip the fact that the Japanese attacked. I was also surprised by the film's explanation of why Imperial Japan felt the need to attack the United States. Growing up, we learn that the US was good, and Japan was bad. They were imperial monsters, and we believed in global freedom. That is not the case. World War II had been going on for a few years before the US got involved. The uncertainty in the world was making everyday resources extremely valuable. Many politicians in Washington DC wanted to get involved in the war, and they were creating policies to antagonize the other side. One of the policies used by DC to hit the hornets nest was to impose an oil embargo on Japan. The Japanese needed oil, and they had to find away to get around the embargo. The path chosen by the Japanese military was to bring the US into the global conflict. This was a non-surprising action by the Japanese. By destorying a large part of the US Pacific Naval fleet, the Japanese could easily get resources by taking over the Dutch East Indies. The film clearly explains this left out part of what led up to Pearl Harbor. The good people who make the movies for the US Park Service do not want us to forget what leads up to disaster and death.

The day I visited the USS Arizona memorial, the park was packed. I imagine that Pearl Harbor is filled with visitors on any day it is open. 

Any given day at Pearl Harbor

People were not dressed for mourning. We were all excited to be on our way to an iconic building, and an important piece of American history. Once we all stepped foot onto the memorial, the gravity of what happened started to sink in. Directly below our feet was the remnants of a once mighty warship.

What was not seen is the remains of the 1,102 sailors entombed with the ship. There was a wall in the memorial building with the name of every life lost.

The far end of the memorial was the wall of the lost. Everyone in this room was quite and reflective. The entire experience on the USS Arizona was one of shock and sadness over an event that happened over seventy-five years ago. 

The USS Arizona memorial may be the main part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Park, but there was much more to explore. Just acroos the harbor was the decommissioned USS Missouri. This ship was famous for being the place where the treaty to end the war with Imperial Japan was signed. It was also featured in the Cher video of "If I Could Turn Back Time"

These guns saw the end of World War II, and Cher's crotch.

Exploring the USS Missouri makes one respect the size of these warships. We only saw the rusted out tops of the USS Arizona, but we know that the ship is way bigger. Those 1,102 lost men are on a ship that is massive in size. There is very little we still see, and remember, of the USS Arizona, but that ship held a massive amount of people. Many of those people died, without warning, on the morning of December 7th, 1941. 

The memorial over the wreckage of the USS Arizona exists to let us know the horrible cost of war. The over 1,000 men that perished on that December day knew the risks, and they did not back down. Hawaii was not the safe vacation spot that is also a good place to film shows about smoke monsters, polar bears, and a strange group of castaways. Hawaii was known by the soldiers to be dangerous. Those soldiers were there to serve their country and protect the people of an American territory. The Valor in the Pacific National Park honors their service, the white structure over the USS Arizona acts as their tombstone, and the USS Missouri stands as their victory. Memorial Day is for them, and every person who gave selflessly to serve their fellow man.

May we never forget it.

RD

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

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Let Me Respectfully Explain Why Children's Toy Packaging Absolutely Sucks

The final resting place of holiday joy

Yesterday my family and I celebrated Christmas. And by "celebrated" I mean we went to my folks house, got very little sleep, had some drinks(not me, ed note: I had a few drinks), talked and opened presents in the morning. None of my family is religious, so we do not celebrate Jesus or anything like that. Also, if you want to celebrate the birth of a fictional character, celebrate it in April, not December. That's another topic for another day though.

Having two young kids, they got a bunch of new toys that my wife and I had to open. This is where I begin to get into my topic for today. With these kids toys, why is there so much non essential shit attached to these toys? First off, you get the box and it is just superfluous cardboard covering up one smallish toy. For example, my daughter got a Beat Bugs toy that was a small submarine and a insect dressed as a Beatle. Just 2 things, probably about one foot tall total. But, with the amount of cardboard attached, you'd think it was 6 or 7 toys all in this one box. It was a nightmare. When I went to open it as my daughter napped, I literally just ripped into the cardboard so I could get to the small toy. It was a god damn mess. Just scraps of cardboard strewn about my floor everywhere. It really made my OCD come to the forefront. After finally getting most of the cardboard ripped, I assumed that I just had a few more steps before my daughter could play wit this toy right after she woke up.

I was very, very wrong.

There were many, too many, more steps before I even got the insect toy out. The cardboard that was still standing had plastic wrapped around said toy. So, when running into this problem, I grabbed some scissors thinking that would easily solve this problem. Well, the plastic was wrapped so tight around this mini character, I kept scratching the insect toy. I could not get at it from a proper angle, so I just dove straight ahead and whatever damage happened, my daughter would have to deal with. When I finally got the plastic circles off the insect and the submarine, I thought I was done.

Well, I unfortunately was not.

I went to pull the toys out to set them down, and they still wouldn't move. I searched and found that there was some kind of hard core shoelace style wrapping on the bottom of the still leftover cardboard. When I tried to just untie it, it only seemed to get tighter. So again I had to use the scissors. That marks 3 times I had to use sharp scissors to open a toy for a 2 year old. That is insane. I get that you don't want toys to be stolen from the store, but Jesus Happy Birthday Christ, this is getting to be too much. When I finally, and mercifully, got the string cut off, the toy was free. It basically sprung out of my hands, almost like it was jumping for freedom. So, what used to take me maybe 5 minutes to get done, open a very small toy, took me about 20 minutes yesterday.

That is my problem. Why is there so much shit that is nearly impossible to open with just your bare hands? I get the shop lifting theory, but that is it. There is no other reason than to infuriate parents as to why they put all this nonsense on kids toys. It is getting to be way too much. There is too much stuff that just goes in either the trash or recycling. There does not need to be this much stuff for such small toys. It is overkill. It is wasteful. It is stupid. It is frustrating. It can be maddening. It starts arguments. I yelled audibly for no reason while opening these toys yesterday. It just flat out stinks.

These companies need to lay off all the unnecessary cardboard, plastic and whatever the shoestring stuff is made of. The planet is already consumed by trash, and this only adds to the insurmountable amount we currently have. Also, knock it off so parents don't have to struggle to get the toys ready for their kids. The kids hover over you, at least my kids, and just wait and ask you a million times when their toy will be ready. I understand this is a first world problem, but it just irks at me. Yesterday was the most frustrated I have ever been opening my kids presents. The Beat Bugs toy was a nightmare, but so was her Teddy Ruxpin, my son's pogo stick, his 2 big new Imaginenext toys, my daughter's dress up clothes and shoes. Hell, it even leaked into mine and my wife's stuff. All those tags on clothes, get rid of them. The shoe boxes filled with paper, that is way too much paper. The boxes with candle holders and whatever else may be in them, too much cardboard inside and out.

It is just too much. Knock it off, especially with the kids toys. It has gotten way to out of hand.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is usually the jolliest of fellows on Christmas Morning, by Christmas lunchtime he makes the Grinch look like Scrooges pissed off drunken uncle.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Happy Christmas from the Gang at Seedsing

Merry Christmas to all.

We have already shared our holiday joy with family and friends, but we have yet to share the holiday spirit with those we do not get along with. That is wrong. Christmas Day is the one time of the year we should engage with our less liked members of society. 

In the spirit of Christmas we want to raise a toast to President Donald Trump, the Democratic Party, The Republican Party, the US Congress, NFL Owners who are cowards, Papa John's, Arby's, the political media, Roger Goodell, the people behind Justice League, the entertainment industry awards groups, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cris Collingsworth, Pj Masks, and any other person or entity we have been harsh on.

Long life and God Bless.

We will toast you on this day.

Merry Christmas to all.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. 

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The Advent Calendar of Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 1 - Chocolate Advent Calendars

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a treat associated with the holiday season. Many will be awesome, some will be terrible. Enjoy.

Day 1: Chocolate Advent Calendar

December 1st marks the beginning of the Advent season. There are religious reasons for Advent, but many of us have forgotten and just really do not care. December 1st marks the official countdown to Christmas. Twenty five glorious days until the most wonderful time of the year. Makes a person hungry.

The Advent Calendar is a tradition in many homes. The most famous, and most inexpensive, of these calendars are the paper ones holding chocolate behind numbered windows. Each day brings a new treat for the faithful, and non faithful, alike to enjoy. A piece of chocolate a day makes December a highlight in any home.

The chocolate Advent Calendar can be bought in nearly any store for under two bucks. The twenty five pieces of chocolate is usually two bucks worth of quality. It is not transcendent, but it is still chocolate. There are more expensive and extravagant chocolate Advent Calendars. Many of these have things like fancy liqueurs or other high quality ingredients. Leave those to the William Sonama crowd, the real folks partake in the cheap advent calendars. Good or bad, it is still a piece of chocolate a day, and it cost less than a few bucks.

The chocolate Advent Calendar is a tradition, and one that is well deserved. If you have a couple hundred bucks burning a hole in your pocket, splurge on the good stuff. If you are part of the other 99%, spend your two dollars and enjoy a small adequate piece of chocolate each day until Christmas. It is a reason for the season.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. Start your Advent out with a great holiday song. We recommend the classic "Linus and Lucy" Tell us all about your favorite holiday treat - write for SeedSing.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Happy Thanksgiving

Eat me

Today is Thanksgiving, and I want to tell everyone what I’m thankful for in a short and sweet post.

First though, what I’m unthankful for. I’m unthankful for the “government”. It’s filled with racist, fascist, money grubbing, sexual harassers. I HATE what is going on in our nation’s capitol right now, and I hope with all my heart that these monsters get what they deserve. Got that out of the way. Now, what I’m thankful for.

Of course I’m thankful for my family. My wife has a job and is kicking corporate ass. My son is rocking the house in kindergarten and loves it. My daughter is getting a mind of her own and I get to spend everyday with her being the at home parent. I’m thankful for my coaching job. We are in full swing and things are looking great. The basketball program is tremendous and we are crushing it right now. I’m thankful for my folks. They have both retired within the last year and seem to be loving it. I saw them a bunch when they both worked, but now I get to see them even more and I love it. I’m thankful for my brothers. I still get to talk music and sports with Ross, and we joke around a ton. I’m thankful for Cub for giving me a platform to spout my thoughts on any and everything pop culture. I’m thankful that Seth still lets me go to shows with him and see some of the best live music I’ve seen in my life. I’m thankful for my nieces and nephew. Even though they still think I’m nerdy, my nieces tell me I’m the least nerdy of their uncles. I love joking around with my nephew and making him laugh. His laugh is contagious. Outside this horrid government, my life has been pretty good. I have a great and solid family. Michigan isn’t great at football this year, but I love watching them every Saturday. The NFL has been rough, but I love the protests. And my favorite sport, basketball, has been a blast so far. The NBA is a treat.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone. Don’t eat too much turkey.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He forgot to mention the great food he is looking forward to for Thanksgiving. Things like Brussels Sprouts, Dehydrated Foods, and Whataburger. Make sure to stay away from Hostess Pies and Arby's venison sandwiches. Trust us.

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"Get Out" and "The Cabin in the Woods" Should be on Your Halloween Movie Watching List

I am not a fan of Halloween as you all know by now. I don't like being scared, I don't like dressing up, I eat too much candy, I grew tired of trick or treating by the time I was 10, I just don't enjoy the day. I also loathe the puns, as I stated on a podcast last year, and still complain about it to this day. Stop with the "spooktacular" bull shit. That's not a word. Every holiday does this, but for some reason, Halloween puns really bug me.

With all this being said, I do love movies and TV shows. Just listen to our recent podcast about great Halloween TV shows. These are fun shows for me, especially when they are of the comedy variety. So, for today, since it is Halloween, and we didn't touch on movies in our recent podcast, I'm going to give you 2 movies that I think are perfect Halloween movies to watch tonight.

The first movie I just saw recently. By recently, I mean a week ago. My wife and I just watched "Get Out", and that movie is incredible. What makes it a great Halloween movie you ask? Well, for one, it is horrifying. It is scary, but not "The Shining" scary. "Get Out" is a slow burn. There are very few shock scares too. You know what shock scares are. It is when something jumps into frame and loud music plays. "Get Out" has one, maybe 2 moments like this. "Get Out" doesn't have to go for cheap scares. The movie's premise is scary enough. I mean, white people taking the brains out of hip, young black people, spoiler alert, that is frightening. But, "Get Out" has comedic moments, it has action, it is very well written, incredibly acted and perfectly directed by Jordan Peele. It isn't just a straight up horror movie. Lil Rel Howery plays the main character's best friend, and the scenes of him figuring out what is going on with his buddy's girlfriend and family, it is very funny. Also, the scene where he shows up at the police station to tell the cops what is going on, and they all laugh at him, just perfect comedy. The final scene, where Daniel Kaluuya escapes the house and fights off the whole family, it has as much action as "Die Hard" does. It is awesome, and exciting. "Get Out" has it all. It is not only a great Halloween movie, it is a great any day, any time movie. I'm mad at myself that I waited so long to see it, but now that I have, I'm so happy. This movie stayed with me for days too. I kept thinking about it over a week after I had watched it. That is the sign of a quality movie.

The other movie is a bit older, not too much, but so awesome and so off the beaten path. Everyone needs to see this movie. The movie is "The Cabin in the Woods". Funny thing about the 2 movies I mentioned today, Bradley Whitford is in both of them. That dude is a good actor. Anyway, "The Cabin in the Woods" is very scary, but it is also hilarious. This movie takes on the trope of 5 friends going on a trip to a creepy cabin. It is in the same vain as an "Evil Dead", if you will. But, "The Cabin in the Woods" had a lot more money put into it than "Evil Dead". I only saw "TCITW" after hearing a ton of people talk about it on podcasts, and in general conversation with friends. I also heard that Chris Hemsworth was in it, and I am a fan of his. I avoided it because I thought it was a straight forward horror movie, but was assured that I would enjoy it, and that it was like nothing I had ever seen. Those people were right. "TCITW" is very different from a classical horror movie. The movie has scares and it very gory, but I would consider this more a comedy with horror elements. I personally think it is funnier than "Evil Dead", or any other horror movie that tries to go full comedy. The kids in the movie are hilarious. The stuff they go through is crazy, wacky, bizarre, but above all else, funny. The way that some of the characters meet their fate is downright laugh out loud funny, especially Hemsworth's character. Then you have the people who put these kids in this situation. I already mentioned Bradley Whitford, but there is also Sigourney Weaver, in one of her most underrated roles, and Richard Jenkins, who is an amazing actor. They are so god damn good, and very funny in this movie. As I said, "TCITW" is unlike anything you will ever see. It is so different and bizarre and scary, but most of all, funny. 

So, while I may not be a fan of actual Halloween, I do enjoy movies and TV shows, and "Get Out" and "The Cabin in the Woods" are 2 incredibly solid choices if you are looking for great movies, that also may up your heart rate a bit. Go check both of these movies out. I think you will really like them, especially during Halloween.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He also recommends watching "Young Sheldon" if you need a good scare. The fact that the show exists is one of the most frightening things ever.

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Labor Day Thrives in Spite of the Great Herbert Kornfelds of the World

This Labor Day your not-the-office should be the lake

In honor of Labor Day I'm going to write a short ode to the one man personifies what this holiday means.

The man I speak of is the great Herbert Kornfeld. The people who know him know him as H-Dog. This is a man that loves his job so much, he doesn't understand why he has to work on a holiday he compares to Columbus Day and Memorial Day. He thinks these holidays are the "unholiest dayz of tha fiscal year". H-Dog doesn't want to miss any opportunity to work with his clients, even if it is "Labya Day". He does, "enjoy his time with his shorties", but he just doesn't think the first weekend in September deserves to be a holiday.

I get it. H-Dog wants to get paid, and I cannot argue with him on that at all. Getting a paycheck is a joy right up there with the best things in life. H-Dog despises "Labya Day" so much, he goes cruisin around town just to find businesses that might be open, just to get his fix. Luckily for him, after a long, unfulfilled search, he rolled up to his alma mater and saw some of his "A.R. homies kickin back on the lawn". Even though it was "Labya Day", they were still putting in work. They may have been relaxing a bit too much for H-Dog's liking, but at least they were doing something.

H-Dog loves his job and doesn't want to miss time. But, sometimes you have to enjoy a day off. I feel like at the end of his story, he finally realizes this, even though he isn't thrilled. Herbert Kornfeld is a man who loves work, and we should all aspire to his commitment to his work. Hell, he is the reason I'm writing on this day.

So, in honor of H-Dog and "Labya Day" go check out some of his old writings on "The Onion", and you can thank me later.(I fully understand that Herb Kornfeld is a joke, but it is a masterful one, and makes me love "The Onion" that much more)

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He never takes off a holiday from being the internet's greatest writer. Well, if the holiday was on the weekend he would take it off. Or if it was a cool holiday like Fruitcake Toss Day.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.