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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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 24 - Christmas Pudding

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.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,                           Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One,                              Twenty-Two, Twenty-Three

Day 24: Christmas Pudding

Christmas Eve is a day of tradition. Families gather to try and recreate memories from holidays past. Christmas Day is usually filled with early excitement, afternoon resting, and a quite evening meal. Christmas Eve is the time to party, and remember the great gatherings of generations past. The generational celebration brings back the ancient food of our ancestors for the modern crowd to enjoy. No food is more ancient, and more enjoyed, than the classic Christmas pudding.

Christmas pudding, or plum pudding if your nasty, has been a holiday celebration staple in western world for a long, long time. Most recipes called for indulgent ingredients that need to be mixed by every member of the family. The legend says that those who mix the pudding will get their holiday wish. The mixture is wrapped in linen, soaked in liquor, stored for months/years, and boiled for hours before the big holiday feast. Once ready, the pudding is unwrapped, soaked in brandy once again, set on fire, then a sprig of holly is ceremoniously placed in the top, once the fire is out of course. Once the family has finished the pudding the holiday's have officially been celebrated.

Christmas pudding is special treat to finish off the most wonderful time of the year. The recipes vary from family to family, the way to cook the different mixtures is not uniform, the taste is not consistent, yet the tradition of the Christmas pudding is the highlight of the season. Even a drunk ass like Bob Cratchit can not deny the masterpiece of the traditional Christmas pudding. Have a very merry holiday and an awesome new year.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. Historic food like Christmas pudding deserves a song that tells the tale of Christmas's greatness story of goodwill towards man. 

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 23 - The Mall Food Court

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.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,                           Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One,                              Twenty-Two

Day 23: The Mall Food Court

The final days of the holiday shopping season can be brutal. The stores are packed with people trying to score those last few perfect gifts. Anxiety is high among these last minute shoppers, and good will toward one's fellow person is at an all time low. There is very little time left to enjoy a well crafted holiday treat. The shoppers of the last few days need only to eat in order to survive. The local mall food court is the ideal trough to provide the necessary sustenance to the gift seeker.

The mall food court sees some of it's best business in the last days of holiday shopping season. Sbarro's, Panda Express like eateries, the cheesesteak joint, and Chick-Fil-A on a non-Sunday join their fellow store fronts in offering the shopping masses some needed calories during the homestretch of peak capitalism. Want pizza for Christmas, the food court has got you covered. In the need for generic cheesesteak and thick cut fries for your Hanukah,  the food court is your oasis. Do you desire a huge cherry Icee and some kettle cooked popcorn, the mall food court will deliver on your wish. If a person needs to shop first, and think of nutrition second, the mall food court is one of the best gifts these people can find in the Christmas rush. Taste be damned, just give these soldiers of late year commerce something edible, and give it to them quickly.

Shopping late in the holiday spending spree can be draining on a person's soul. Many people are looking for gifts that are in low supply. Sometimes multiple hands reach for the last doll on the shelf. The winners go home happy, the losers recharge at the food court. There must be a better way. The food court is a gathering place for the rest of us. Celebrate.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. What is this great holiday for the rest of us? Watch this classic episode of "Seinfeld" and be enlightened. 

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 22 - Eggnog

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.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,                           Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One

Day 22: Eggnog

There are certain seasonal treats that certain people inexplicably look forward to. Minty flavors tinted with green food dye are sought after in the late winter weeks. A thousand different varieties of lemonade invade our taste buds during the summertime. Pumpkin spice everything appear once the sun sets on Labor day. When the Thanksgiving feast is complete, eggnog takes it's place on the throne of high holiday treatdom.

Eggnog has been around a long time. Texts dating back to the late 1600s talk of a nog drink. In the America's of the 1700's, history describes a dairy, egg, and spiced drink. The famous Modern Bartender's Guide from 1878  has multiple recipes for eggnog. It is a drink that has been around a while. Eggs, cream, sugar make this delicious elixir. Adding some nice brown liquor, bourbon, spiced rum, brandy, or cognac, make this holiday staple even more intoxicating. Eggnog has held the throne of holiday favorite for centuries, and it shows no sign of abdicating.

Eggnog, alcoholic or not, is awesome. Anyone that says otherwise is a holiday treat Grinch. Their humbuggery is not needed at your holiday table. Eggnog rules, and debate will not be tolerated. One does not challenge the throne without a hearty rebuke. Go drink some eggnog, and be merry and bright.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. Eggnog is great, the song The Christmas Shoes is terrible. Enjoy your nog as you listen to Patton Oswalt masterfully take apart that Christmas tune from hell.

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

The Best Podcasts of 2017

For my final top 5 list of 2017 I’m going to tackle podcasts. I’m not going to do shows per say. Instead I’m going to talk about specific episodes of podcasts I listen to, the return of some podcasts and new ones I have just recently discovered, or just started. I should mention, the majority of what I listen to is sports podcast, but there isn’t one single sports related show or episode in my top 5. I also excluded the “X Millennial Man” podcast because it’s the greatest podcast ever, and I happen to cohost it as well. In fact, comedy, my other favorite podcast genre, is what fills my list. I love to laugh, and comedy podcasts have been pretty great this year. Let’s get to it.

At number 5 I have the newest podcast on my list, and that is the premiere of “Raised By TV”. I’ve talked at length about this show. It’s hosted by Lauren Lapkus and Jon Gabrus, 2 of my favorite improv podcasters, and they deep dive into different topics that they recall from 90’s TV. This is a perfect show for someone like me because, while I wasn’t raised by TV, I can relate to 99 percent of what they talk about. I remember the commercials, game shows, TGIF and the very special episode readings they do at the end. This is one of the funniest new shows to come out this year. I also enjoy how neither Lapkus or Gabrus play characters, or take notes. It’s just them and the stuff they remember. “Raised By TV” is definitely worth checking out for anyone that grew up watching 90’s television.

At number 4 I have any time Bone and Chief Queaf show up on an episode of “Comedy Bang! Bang!”. These are 2 sisters, played by men, and they are riotous. Chief Queaf has a pretty wild backstory. She travels across the world trying to track down Carmen Sandiego. There’s another 90’s reference for you kids out there. She can never find her, and claims to hate her, although, she may be in love with her. Every time Chief says, “Gumshoes!”, I crack up. The only person I think Chief Queaf despises more than Carmen Sandiego is her sister Bone Queaf. Bone is loud and proud and sassy. Every time she says her name she has to explain it. For example, Bone will say, “my name is Bone Queaf. That’s Bone, like a steak, and Queaf(sorry Mom and Dad), like a pussy fart”. She does this every time, and it works every time. The relationship between the 2 is pretty hilarious, and when I see that they are going to be on “CBB”, I drop whatever podcast I’m listening to, and start that one.

At number 3 I have the glorious return of “ Womp It Up”. We’ve had to wait for a year and a half for Chardog and Wompler, but they’re back and better than ever. First off, Lennon Parham and Jessica St Clair are improv geniuses. And these 2 characters they created a few years back on “CBB” are 2 of their best. “Womp It Up” finds Wompler and Chardog interviewing local students and teachers at the high school they go to in Marina Del Rey. The people they get to be guests are awesome. Actors like Seth Morris, Paul Scheer, Casey Wilson and Jason Mantzoukas are just perfect in this format, especially Mantzoukas. He’s a gem on “ Womp It Up”. It’s bittersweet that this show is back on. Parham and St Clair’s excellent, and extremely underrated TV show, “Playing House” was cancelled, so I think they decided to go back to podcasting until they get another idea for a show. I am happy that “Womp It Up” is back though.

At number 2 I have my personal discovery of “My Dad Wrote A Porno”. I wrote about this podcast a few months ago, and it is still as cringeworthy and funny as ever. The premise is amazing. The fact that the main host is reading his own father’s erotic stories is a riot. The 2 other hosts add the exact amount of confusion and laughter that I would have if I were in their same situation. To hear the host read “Belinda Blinks” is so great. And I love that his 2 friends continually remind him that this is his own father’s writing. This podcast was recommended by a friend, and I am now indebted to him for life. I laugh harder at this show than any on my list. Go listen to “MDWAP”, and then try to imagine this being your father’s writing and reading it to your friends. It only enhances the listening experience.

And at number 1 I have the “ How Did This Get Made” re release of their “The Room” episode with added interviews with the cast of “The Disaster Artist”. This was a dream podcast for me. The main reason I first watched “The Room” was because of what I heard the hosts of “HDTGM” say the first time they covered the movie. That podcast lives in lore for me now. The fact that they had Greg Sestero on, you may know him as Mark from “The Room”, made it that much better. To hear the stories he told about working on that movie was amazing. Listening to it again made me smile. Then, after they replayed their original episode, Paul Scheer took it upon himself to interview people from “The Disaster Artist”. He’s in the movie, he’s great in it by the way, so it was pretty cool of him to get these people on mic. He got James and Dave Franco to sit and talk with him for about 10 minutes. Seth Rogen and the actress that played Lisa in “The Disaster Artist” gave him a good 5 minutes. Tom Bissell and his writing partner, Bissell co wrote “The Disaster Artist” book and movie, talked about their relationship with “The Room” and “The Disaster Artist”. But, the creme de la creme was getting Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero to sit down for 5 or so minutes. It went as crazily as you can imagine. The fact that Scheer and “HDTGM” did this was a pure delight. This is a podcast I will go back to and listen to many, many more times. It is so awesome.

Well, there you have it. Those are my top 5 podcasts/podcast moments/podcast characters of 2017. This wraps up my best of 2017. I hope everyone has a good holiday, and I will be back with new content on the 26th.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is thinking about using part of 2018 doing some podcasts about the erotic stories from the  head editor. Who wants to hear all about GI Joe / Star Wars dirty fanfic?

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 Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 21 - Ham

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.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,                           Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty

Day 21: Ham

Welcome to the winter solstice. The day with the least amount of daylight, in the Northern Hemisphere that is. A day that is usually cold, again in the Northern Hemisphere. A day with a long history of grand feasting. For many millennia, at least in he Northern Hemisphere, having a grand feast on the winter solstice was a thing. Since the daylight was short, the weather was cold, and spirits needed to be lifted, a grand feast would cure all. The highlight of this winter fess was meat. There is no greater winter feast meat than ham.

Christmas ham is a tradition, and awesome one. Many meats show up during the holiday season, but nothing beats a good ham. Glazed in sugar, spiral cut, that is the best way to do a December ham. Go out to a reputable ham shop, get that magic meat, and your holiday guests will love you forever. Ham is the peak of holiday meat. No question about it.

The grand feast of the winter solstice has been lost to history. We tend to have our feast in the last days of November and the end of December. November gets the overrated turkey as it's meat star. December gets ham. December is the better month for feasting. 

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. The winter solstice is also a time for reflection. Maybe you can drink on apple wine and listen to Dolly Parton sing about a "Hard Candy Christmas".

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

The Best Sports Moments of 2017

Day 4 of my best of 2017 countdown finds us with my favorite topic, sports. There were a lot of big sports moments in 2017. I have to say, Clemson’s win in the NCAA football playoff last season is not on the list. I know it technically happened in 2017, but it feels too much like 2016. Same thing goes with the Patriots coming back from 25 points down in the third quarter to beat the Falcons in the Super Bowl. Again, it happened in 2017, but everyday we edge closer to the playoffs, and it doesn’t feel relevant enough to me. I’m sure I’ll leave out other things that happened in early 2017, but the 5 topics I picked hold the most weight with me. Let’s get into it.

At number 5 I have the UConn women’s basketball team getting beat in the NCAA tournament. This was a HUGE deal. The UConn women’s team was riding a 100 plus game win streak. They looked like the most unbeatable team in all of team sports. They didn’t just beat teams, they destroyed them. They always seemed to win by at least 20 points. But, you could see some “cracks”. This was an almost entirely new team from the previous 4 national champs. And, Mississippi State happened to play the perfect game and catch them at the exact right time. They slowed the game down to a trudge. They worked the shot clock. They made UConn work the shot clock. They muddied the game up. Even when it looked like UConn was going to pull away, MSU would find a way to stay in it. I turned the game on when it went to overtime. I knew this was a big deal when my wife joined me to watch. We were literally watching sports history. And when that final horn sounded and MSU had the win, I was in awe. The best college team ever, men or women, had just been beaten. It was amazing and so unbelievable. This is why sports is so great. No one saw this coming, and it happened. It was incredible.

At number 4 I have the crazy NBA offseason. Never in my life have I seen so much player movement. And not just players, star players. It all kind of kicked off when Gordon Hayward left Utah for Boston. This was a forgone conclusion, but still a shock to read. Then, players just started to switch teams. Derrick Rose left the Knicks for the Cavs. Dwayne Wade was bought out and joined the Cavs. Chris Paul was traded to the Rockets, and that was truly surprising. Rudy Gay joined the Spurs. George Hill, Vince Carter and Zach Randolph all left their teams and joined the Kings. Paul George got traded to the Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Damontas Sabonis. Carmelo Anthony also got traded to the Thunder. But, all of these moves, and the many I didn’t mention, pale to the Kyrie Irving trade. He demanded a trade, stating he wanted to be the star of a team, and the Cavs gave him his wish. They traded him to the Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and the Nets pick in 2018. This trade had it all. A star going to a contender. A player that a town had fallen in love with, Thomas and Boston, being shipped without a second thought and a good role player and prized pick headed to LeBron James’ team. This trade surprised me as much as KD signing with Golden State last year. It was a true shocker. All the movement was nuts, but it has made the NBA that much more fun to watch this year. It’s been a blast.

At number 3, and for the rest of my list it will be sports with a political lean, I have the Warriors and UNC’s men’s basketball teams refusing to go to the White House after winning the title. I loved this so very much. These players, coaches, AD’s, GM’s and owners decided it was better to not go to what is a total disaster now in DC. They don’t want to give that narcissist that presides there currently the time of day. You know that has to really grate at him, and I love it. The fact that he tried to “rescind the invite” is so hilarious to me. They decided pretty much immediately that they weren’t going to go. They said as much before a formal invite was even given. Athletes are starting to use their platforms to speak out against the evil we have in our “government” right now. I love that Steph, KD, Klay, Draymond, Kerr and Roy Williams outright said they wouldn’t go on the visit. Kids listen to these players and coaches, and their refusal to go to the White House speaks volumes to them. They now know they can stand up to bullies.

This leads me to my number 2, which were the massive protests among the professional leagues, mainly the NFL, after the “president” called them “sons of bitches”, and demanded they get fired for protesting the anthem. Pro athletes are not property, they are people, and their freedom of speech led to massive anthem protests. I loved that the Steelers wouldn’t even come out on the field for the anthem. I loved all the players kneeling, locking arms or just sitting down for a stupid song. It was amazing to see players decide they were going to stand up and fight our fascist “government”. I don’t buy any of the owners lame attempts to connect with the players. These protests were started by the players, and they were for the players. Again, little kids look up to these athletes, and now they know they can speak their minds and fight for what is right. They can fight social injustice.

And for my number one sports moment, I actually just have a person. A person who didn’t play any sport in 2017, but he was a great big part of the sports world in 2017. My number one sports moment/person is Colin Kaepernick. He has started a revolution. I’m not hot taking that statement either, he started a movement. He was the first to protest the anthem due to corrupt police. His choice to kneel has become the face of all the players protesting the anthem now. He is the one that every player points to that gave them the courage to stand up and fight. Kaepernick not only protested, but he also put his money where his mouth is. He has given suits to people outside of court rooms that can’t afford one. He has donated tons of funny to many charities. He has won multiple man of the year awards. He has stayed away from interviews, which makes me respect him even more. He never did this for the attention. He saw something he felt was wrong and protested in his own, non violent way. During this he was called names, chastised and lost his job. Instead of moaning and groaning he kept at it. He never stopped his protests or the help that he gives. He one hundred percent deserves to be on an NFL team, but he has let people like me say that stuff. The fact that he’s trying to buy a stake in the Panthers now makes me so happy. If it works out, Roger Goodell and his cronies cannot collude against him to keep him out of the league. Colin Kaepernick will go down as a visionary and a trend setter many years from now. When my kids are older and ask me about sports in 2017, the first name out of my mouth will be Kaepernick’s. I respect that man so much and I salute him in his quest for justice. Thank you for all you’ve done Mr Kaepernick. You’re a true American hero.

That’s it for today. Come back tomorrow for my last top 5 list of 2017, podcasts.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He almost put the University of Michigan OT victory over the Indiana Hoosiers on his list, because he was there live. But then he remembered that it was Michigan against Indiana, it was more of an embaressment. 

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 Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 20 - Champagne

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.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,                           Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen

Day 20: Champagne

The holiday season is a time for indulgence. We eat more candy than any other time of year. Fine foods like steak, veal, and top of line fresh caught fish are enjoyed more often than in the other eleven months. Even our choice of bubbly wine gets an upgrade from the common sparkling variety to the fine heritage of champagne.

Champagne is special. Maybe it is grapes, maybe it is the process, or maybe it is marketing, but champagne is almost always worth it's hefty price. The legends in this case are true. actual champagne is light years better than sparkling wine. Pouring a few ounces of the bubbly elixir is indulgent, and it makes anyone's holiday's extra merry and bright.

The holidays are about gifting our guests, and ourselves, with the very best. Our lunch meats should be upgraded with roast beef or steak. Our M & M cookies need to be upgraded with red and green M & M's. Our sparkling wine deserve the ultimate upgrade in any holiday season. Go out and splurge on champagne, make your holidays merry and indulgent.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. If you happen to be alone this Christmas Day, go to your local tavern, order some champagne, and listen to Phoenix (with Bill Murray) sing a jaunty tune about being alone on Christmas Day.

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

The Best Television of 2017

On to day 3 of my best of 2017 lists. Today we will look into TV. TV has been pretty good this year. For example, some shows that didn’t make my list include “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, “Master Of None”, “The Simpson’s”, “Love”, “Ghosted” and “The Punisher”, all of which I really enjoy. I also haven’t seen “The Young Pope”, “Rick and Morty” and countless other shows that have been recommended to me. At least not yet. When I made this list, I have to say, it was the easiest of all 5 that I will, or already have, done. I knew the 5 shows I wanted pretty quickly. Enough preamble, let’s get to it.

At number 5 I have “Search Party”. It is not secret how much I love this show. It is such a great concept. Millennials that have never had a tough time are put into a crazy situation that they created. Season 2 took the ending of season one and went in a crazy dark, yet often hilarious, place. We see these 4 entitled people having to deal with a real life messed up situation. The acting was tremendous this year, especially John Early. His turn this season was so great. He better damn well get Emmy consideration. While Early was the star, Alia Shawkat did a great job as Dory trying to cope with what she had done. And, she had to also deal with the fact that she dragged all her friends into this quagmire. I loved how dark this season turned and watching all the characters reactions. “Search Party” is well worth your time, and here’s to hoping it comes back for a third season.

At number 4 I have “ The Good Place”. The way the writers dealt with the results of the season one finale was perfect. It could have been a disaster, but they nailed it. The show was just as funny, but also poignant as season one. Ted Danson is a national treasure. He’s so good on this show. Kristen Bell seems to have found a perfect role for her as well. Everyone else, from Chidi to Jason, just wonderful. The true standout though is D’arcy Carden as Janet. She is awesome. She is funny. She plays a very crucial role. She is the best. I’m very excited for the show to come back in January, but this first half of season 2 has been wonderful. If you watch one episode from this season, watch the one where Chidi has to make split second decisions on a train. It’s a comedic piece of gold.

My number 3 show of the year is “Review”. Yes, there were only 3 episodes, but those 3 episodes wrapped this show up perfectly. We saw the full destruction of a human being by the end of the final episode. Forrest McNeil, expertly played by Andy Daly, let his job reviewing everyday tasks completely take over his life. He wasn’t a man anymore, he was a puppet. He did whatever people told him to do because he felt it was his job. It wasn’t. He crumbled so much so that his co host took over his job and excelled better then he ever could. I wish we had more “Review”, but the way they wrapped it up was so perfect for a show like this. It was gloriously bizarre from its season premiere all the way to its finale. “Review” is the perfect absurdist comedy show.

At number 2 I have “Legion”. “Legion” is the most unique show I have ever watched. I’ve never seen anything so trippy and visually stunning and attention getting in my life. Once an episode starts you cannot look away. It was quite an achievement to take a property like X-Men and do what Noah Hawley did. To set it in a mental institution was genius. What truly sets this show apart was Aubrey Plaza. She was incredible. The fact that she isn’t getting more award consideration is absurd. She was so great as Lenny, the crazy demon that lives in the main characters head. I used to only look at her as April Ludgate, but “Legion” changed that. She can do it all. I’m so excited for season 2, especially after how they ended season one. I need “Legion” back on the air ASAP.

And number one, “Nathan For You”. Nathan Fielder was back with his outrageous plans to help failing businesses again. He did a whole bunch of crazy stuff this season. He sold chili in a fat suit at a minor league hockey game, he helped people with warts get jobs as massage therapists, he started an asexual computer repair business and he made a smoke detector a musical instrument. All of this was perfect TV, and only something Nathan Fielder could do. What set this show apart from the rest of my list was one single episode, “Finding Frances”. I legit considered putting “Finding Frances” on my best movies if 2017 list. This was the best 2 hours of TV I think I have ever watched. It ranged from funny to sad to scary to depressing all in the course of 2 hours. It was a special achievement. Fielder could walk away from his show right now and it would go down as one of the best ever because of “Finding Frances”. The whole season was great, but “Finding Frances” was Fielder’s masterpiece. It’s truly stunning.

There you have it, my top 5 shows of the year. Come back tomorrow for my top 5 sports moments of the year.

Ty

The Advent Calendar of Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 19 - Fruit Cake

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.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,                           Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen

Day 19: Fruit Cake

The holiday season is filled with emotions that swing from one range to another. We are filled with joy and happiness one moment, then we are filled with dread and anxiety a minute later. The excitement of finding a perfect gift, followed by the dread of seeing the price. The warm fewling of being with long not seen family, followed by the realization of why you only see these family members once a year. The holidays are filled with feelings that are in direct conflict of each other.

Fruit cake is the perfect holiday dish to reflect this emotional dichotomy. Fruit cake is either an awesome dish, or it is dreadful. Go to your local grocery store and buy a cheap fruitcake mixed with bad walnuts and over sweetened dried fruit, it is a holiday chore to get through. Find a special homemade connection with real brandied fruit, and you can sometimes taste holiday bliss. The lesson here is skip the chain store fruit cake, and find a nice artisanal made one that has spent years wrapped in brandy soaked cheesecloth. That is the only reason to eat fruitcake.

We go from the greatest highs to the lowest lows during the holiday season. We experience the joy of charity, and the dread of sticker shock, sometimes within the same act. Fruit cake is the perfect holiday treat to represent this swing. Sometimes it is great, sometimes it is terrible. Yet fruit cake will always be part of the mystery of what our holiday season is all about.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. Fruit cake can be enjoyed with any holiday feast. Devo knows no matter what you believe, none of it is true, a Merry Something to You.

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

The Best Albums of 2017

On to day 2 of my best of 2017 lists. Today we will focus on my top 5 albums of the year. My list has many different genres, but the main theme is rap/hip hop. It was a decent year for music, not as good as movies, but still pretty good. For example, Beck's new album is not on my list, Khalid's "Teenage Dream" was close, but not quite there, I love Big K.R.I.T., but his new record didn't make my list. I did not have as much trouble pairing my list down, but it still took awhile. Anyway, here we go.

At number 5 I have "Humanz" by the Gorillaz. First off, I was shocked that other publications left this record off their best of lists. "Humanz" was a long time coming, and I thought it was totally worth the wait. Damon Albarn has created something truly special with the Gorillaz. There will never be another band like this. Anyone that tries to do what he did will be called imitators. Albarn was way ahead of the curve as far as creativeness comes. With "Humanz", he took those creative juices and let them flow. It was like there was never a break from their last record. The record is so good and it flows perfectly. The guest list is second to none. You have people ranging from Vince Staples to Grace Jones to Danny Brown, and of course, De La Soul. The Gorillaz have taken on this EDM/rock/rap genre to a whole new level, and "Humanz" is a prime example of that. From start to finish this record is awesome. I love "Charger" featuring Grace Jones and their collaboration with Danny Brown, but the best song is "Moments", featuring De La Soul. That is the perfect Gorillaz song. "Humanz" is a delight.

At number 4, speaking of Vince Stales, I have his newest record, "Big Fish Theory". I was hesitant at first with this record. I was lukewarm on his early stuff, but after hearing him on "Humanz", I decided to give "Big Fish Theory" a shot. Boy am I glad I did. Staples is doing something unique as well. He blends electronic beats with politically conscious lyrics, all the while making it fun. Staples rapping is awesome on this record. He truly knocks his vocals out of the park. He seamlessly moves from party music to straight forward rap to conscious rap. With this record I feel like he has started to hit his stride. He has found his niche as a rapper. "Big Fish Theory" is fun, but also a much needed album in our current political climate. If he continues on this path, I do not see why he won't be as big as Chance the Rapper in the next year or two.

At number 3, going completely away from rap and electronic and cartoon bands, I have the return of LCD Soundsystem with their new record, "American Dream". As you all know by now I am a big, big fan of this group. I love how they blend pop, punk, funk, electronic and rock all into one. I love how they can do a slower song, then follow it up with a 3 minute punk song, then blend electronic with rock and play a 7 minute epic tune. James Murphy is one of a kind. While he may come off a bit pretentious, the dude can sing and write music. "American Dream" has all of this and so much more. From start to finish this album is a homerun. They are the modern day Talking Heads. In fact, thee first time I listened to this record, I was with my father and he asked if it was the Talking Heads. LCD Soundsystem has that same sound, just modernized. This record, another one that we all had to wait for, was totally worth it. You could tell they spent a ton of time in the studio trying to perfect the record. I believe they achieved that goal. "American Dream" also has some great songs about how rough our country is nowadays. We need more and more artists to address the current problems in our country. LCD Soundsysten does that on this record. "American Dream" is awesome and worth the wait. It is nice to have them back.

At number 2, and I had a very rough time with which one of these 2 albums I was going to put at 1, I chose Kendrick Lamar's "DAMN". "DAMN" is amazing. It is basically 1B compared to the record I will talk about next. Kendrick Lamar is the best solo rapper out there right now, and "DAMN" more than proves this. On his other records he can be more of a poet, channeling his inner Tupac, and a bit more obtuse, which I like, but on "DAMN", he makes a straight forward rap album, but with how exceptional he is, he makes it so much better than anything Drake or anyone else of that ilk, can do. This record bumps from start to finish. "DNA" has to be the song of the year. The beat and the intro to that song are amazing. He then tackles so many different themes throughout the 11 songs on the record. He calls out Fox News, Geraldo Rivera and the "president" all within 1 song. The track featuring U2, a band that I do not like at all, is awesome. If you can make me like U2, that is an accomplishment in and of itself. Even a song like "Humble", the chart topping hit from this record, is the bomb. Usually chart toppers get stale after a few listens,  but not "Humble". Kendrick Lamar continues to amaze me, and I cannot wait to hear his next record. Until then, I have "DAMN" to listen to.

And finally for my number one. There is no record better in 2017 than Lorde's "Melodrama". What a piece of art this record is. Lorde shines so bright on this album. She bounces from many different genres, sometime in the same song, so effortlessly. She is one of the best pop singers on the planet, but she can also do ballads as good as Adele, and she is light years ahead of someone like Taylor Swift when it comes to straight forward pop music. From the opener, "Green Light" to songs like "Writer in the Dark" and "Homemade Dynamite" and "Liability", she takes on many different genres. I know she is well known, but I am shocked that she isn't on the same level as some other pop stars. I don't hear her songs on the radio as much as Taylor Swift or Ed Sheerhan or anyone else who doesn't have 1/10 her talent. Lorde rules. I am so psyched that I get to see her live in March. It is also pretty dope that Run the Jewels is opening for her. "Melodrama" is a masterpiece. Lorde achieved legendary status on this record to me. If she never makes another album, I will be happy with what we got from her. I hope she makes more music, I'm sure she will, but she totally crushed it on "Melodrama". It is the best record of the year. I have no doubt about that now.

That is it for my top 5 records of the year. Come back tomorrow for my top 5 TV shows of the year.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was struggling about what to do with Taylor Swift's new record. He has never heard it, never will hear it, but thought she deserved a mention. There, we mentioned her.

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 Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 18 - Smoking Bishop

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.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,                           Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen

Day 18: Smoking Bishop

The end of the year finds the daylight short, and our spirits needing to be uplifted. It is easy to grab a beer we know well, or a mix a drink that carried us through the entirety of the year. December though calls for something different, it calls for a drink more festive. During the holidays we should be uplifting our spirits with a nice hot bowl of smoking bishop.

Smoking bishop was an old drink when Charles Dickens made it famous with A Christmas Carol. Once Scrooge was redeemed, he offered to share some smoking bishop with already hung over Bob Cratchit. The ancient drink calls for hot port wine spiced with holiday seasoning and baked fruit. It is simple, it has been around for years, and smoking bishop is delicious enough to share by reformed misers and their alcoholic clerks. It is a drink that screams Christmas.

The holiday season is about bringing people together. Old friends gather, friendly acquaintances meet up, and bosses will toast the holidays with their clerks. Smoking bishop is a festive holiday connection that has held it's own with the test of time. This December, gather a bowl of smoking bishop and share with all you wish to make merriment with. 

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. Smoking bishop is meant to be shared. It is not a drink one has alone. The band Phoenix, with help of Bill Murray, knows what is like to be alone on Christmas Day.

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

The Best Films of 2017

Being that we are currently in the midst of the holiday season, I figured what better time than this week than to do my top 5 lists of 2017.

2017 has been kind of a train wreck, but there has been some pretty good things to come out in the world of music, movies, TV, podcasts and sports moments. Those are the 5 topics I will cover this week, one topic per day. Today I'm going to start with movies.

Movies was one of the hardest lists for me to pair down to 5. There were a ton of very good movies that came out this year. For example, some great movies that did not make my list, "Wonder Woman", "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2", "The Big Sick", "John Wick: Chapter 2", "The Lego Batman Movie" and "Coco". I saw all these movies and thought they were awesome. Also, I have not seen the new "Star Wars" movie, I haven't seen "Thor: Ragnarok" or "War for the Planet of the Apes", "Dunkirk", and many, many others. Too many to name. But, I finally got my list paired down to what I consider to be the best 5 movies of the year. Here we go.

At number 5 I have "Blade Runner 2049". That enough should show you how great I thought the movies were this year. This was the movie I was looking most forward too, and boy did it deliver. I'm a big time fan of the original "Blade Runner", so I had enormous expectations. Well, Ryan Gosling and Denis Villenvue delivered. The visuals were stunning. The acting was great. The story was great. The scenery was magical. I loved that they kept the tone and look of the original. It was everything that I wanted, but so much more. The movie ran almost three hours long, and I could have watched it for three more hours. "Blade Runner 2049" more than lived up to the hype, and it is such a quality companion to the wonderful "Blade Runner". That is my number 5 movie people.

At number 4 I have "Baby Driver". I know that this movie has the Kevin Spacey stink on it, but if you can try and push past that, this movie is amazing. The opening chase scene set to Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's "Bellbottoms", is heart racing and tremendous. From that moment on, "Baby Driver" just goes and goes hard. The driving is so cool and slick and real. The acting is top notch. This is Jaime Foxx's best role in my opinion. The action is intense. But what makes this movie stand apart is the way Edgar Wright mixes the music with the storyline. Every song has a meaning to the scene that it is in. I heard someone describe the movie as an action/car chase/ musical, and I couldn't agree more. Edgar Wright completely knocked it out of the park with this movie. Also, the soundtrack rules. Go watch this movie now, then go buy the soundtrack and watch it again. "Baby Driver" is awesome.

At number 3 I have "Get Out". I'm one of the few people that didn't get to the theaters to see the movie, but I did see it recently. My wife and I rented it on Netflix and watched it right around Halloween. "Get Out" is a big time achievement by Jordan Peele. His love for the horror genre, but also his comedic chops, make this a one of a kind movie. The Golden Globes got it way wrong by putting this movie in the Comedy and Musical category though. It should just be nominated for Best Movie. Putting that aside though, "Get Out" had me on edge more than any horror/suspense movie that I have ever watched. I also could not look away from the screen, and I did not figure out what was going on until they revealed it in the movie. All the actors did an amazing job as well. They put their all into their roles, and it really shows. Jordan Peele has an unique vision, and I cannot wait to see what he does next. Until then though, go watch "Get Out".

At number 2 I have "Logan". This is, by far, the best "superhero" movie I have ever seen. I know awhile back that I wrote that "Guardians of the Galaxy" has taken over as my favorite superhero movies, but "Logan" is still the best "superhero" movie. What I love so much about "Logan" is the violence. This movie is brutal. "Logan" shows what his claws would actually do to someone's head when he uses them. There is so much blood and gore. It is crazy. I also love how "Logan" is more a Western than a "superhero" movie. I like to say that it is a Western that just happens to have some super heroes in it. Besides all that, the acting in "Logan" is pretty amazing. Hugh Jackman is great. The little girl that plays Weapon X is awesome. The villain is brutal. Stephen Merchant is a revelation. But no one is better than Sir Patrick Stewart. What he does with an old, Alzheimer's ridden Professor X in this movie is amazing. He more than deserves Oscar consideration. "Logan" may be the best "superhero movie ever made.

And at number 1, I have "The Disaster Artist". And no, this is not recency bias. "The Disaster Artist" is a masterpiece. James Franco made something absolutely perfect. I could not love this movie anymore. It is perfect in every single way. The comedy is top notch. The drama, and yes there is drama, fits in quite nicely. The recreations of all the insanity that went into making "The Room" was amazing. James Franco better damn well get Oscar consideration. Not only does he direct this movie great, but his acting as Tommy Wiseau is perfection. He was so, so good. So was his brother Dave Franco as Greg Sestero. Everyone else in this movie, and there are a lot of big time names, did a wonderful job. For any fan of "The Room", "The Disaster Artist" is a stupendous love letter to the wackiness of it all. For people that didn't see "The Room", "The Disaster Artist" is a must see for fans of friendship/Hollywood/chasing your dream style of movie. For me it gets no better than "The Disaster Artist" in 2017. It is a masterpiece.

There you have it, my top 5 movies of the year. Come back tomorrow for my top 5 albums of the year. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He also did not see the number of forgettable movies that got nominated for a bunch of Golden Globes. He still needs to catch up to timeless classics like "The Tourist", "The Artist", and "La La Land". He will catch up with those films when he is bored with good movies.

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 Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 17 - Goose

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.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,                           Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen

Day 17: Goose

Every festive event has a dish that is the absolute center of attention. The Memorial Day cookout has hamburgers and hot dogs, the Fourth of July barbecue has hamburgers and hotdogs, the Labor Day outdoor feast features hamburgers and hotdogs, and every holiday food feast after has turkey. Christmas tries to be different. Instead of hamburgers, hot dogs, or turkey, Christmas dinner wants to make goose as the highlight of the meal.

Cooked goose is a dryer, less flavorful, version of turkey. Turkey is already an overrated highlight dish. Turkey tends to be dry, no matter well you brine it, and most people cover turkey with mayo, barbecue sauce, or any other number of strong flavors. Turkey is fancy spam. Goose is a worse version of turkey. It is dryer, it is less flavorful, and it is a waste of time. Christmas goose only looks good as words written in a Charles Dickens story.

With all of our fine food choices, it is a shame that people will offer goose as a highlight to their Christmas feast. Turkey is disappointing enough, but by offering goose, you show your guests that old English literature means more to you than actual flavor. Even if the goose is as big as you, do not serve it. Serve a good ham instead.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. If you serve goose, there may be a fight. Christmas should be merry, and I don't want to fight. Just like the Ramones sang about. 

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 16 - Bourbon Balls

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.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,                           Fourteen, Fifteen

Day 16: Bourbon Balls

Once the end of year holiday season hits, homes are filled with sweet treats and plenty of good liquor. Both of these staples make the holidays cozy and warm. Many night are ended with a nice sweet treat, and a stiff drink to wash it down. But what about the special December treats that are one part dessert and one part booze. In this special category of holiday magic, bourbon balls are the first choice anyone should make.

Bourbon balls are an extremely easy treat that can made at home. Ground vanilla wafers, corn syrup, confectioners sugar, chopped pecans, unsweetened chocolate powder, and some fine bourbon - that is all it takes to make a bourbon ball. It takes less than an hour to complete the entire process of making a good bourbon ball. It is simple, it takes very little effort, and the end result is delicious. The booze/candy treat known as a bourbon ball is a fantastic adult treat during the holiday season.

Once the weather gets cold, and the daylight gets shorter, candy and booze become a happy marriage for the holiday season. Chocolate is awesome, pecans are incredible, and bourbon is a magic elixir. Adding all of these great icons together results in one of the most festive treats for the end of the year. Go out and make bourbon balls, and as an extra treat, take a sip of bourbon for your effort. That will make your holidays warm and bright.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. The "Star Wars Holiday Special" is a million times worse than the prequels. The Boba Fett carton in the special is one of the best Star Wars holiday gifts ever.

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 15 - Blue Milk

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.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,                           Fourteen

Day 15: Blue Milk

Some of the food and drink we use year round becomes extra special around the holidays. We take for granted the vegetables we eat all year, but in December those same vegetables are the stars in a party platter. Our soups we reluctantly sip in July become hearty and comforting in the waning days of fall. The bantha milk (aka blue milk) we drink on Tatooine becomes a special holiday beverage during our time on Ahch To.

Blue milk is a special kind of thing from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away. It is like regular milk, except it is blue. For many years we thought one could only get blue milk on Tatooine, but as of yesterday we learned one can find it on a remote island on the planet of Ahch To. Not everyone likes it, but legendary Jedi heroes will drink that stuff straight out of a creatures teat. It is that awesome, for some. 

Today we witness a new chapter in the beloved Star Wars Saga, and surprisingly blue milk makes a mid December reappearance. Is it milk that is blue, probably. Is it a holiday treat, probably not. Yet this lovely blue milk will hold a spot in one of our most beloved December released films. In all honesty, the blue milk appearance was probably just a way to make the jaded gen xers connect with the newest Star Wars film. Happy life day anyways.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. This holiday we encourage all people to gather around their tree, raise a glass of blue milk, and sing along to the Tree of Life.

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

Happy Birthday to a Great Dog

To finish out this week I have one more birthday to talk about. Our family dog, Charlie, turns 5 today.

I have so many great memories already of our little mutt. I remember the day we first saw him. He’s a rescue puppy. I was driving home from my dental lab job, before I was an at home parent, and I got a flat tire. I had to wait around for an hour or so for Triple A, and a new rescue shelter had just opened by my job. I decided to pass the time by checking out the dogs. When I first laid eyes on Charlie, then known as Patrick, I snapped a picture and sent it to my wife. She came straight to the shelter after she got our son, and we all checked him out. We spent some time with him in a room, and it just clicked. My wife and I both knew that we wanted him. It was time for a new dog. We put in to adopt, but found out we were number 2 on the list. Thankfully, the people before us changed their minds the next day, and we were able to adopt him. We picked him up that Friday and brought him home.

From puppy to now, Charlie has been an absolute delight. It was great to have a 1 year old and a new puppy. They essentially were on the same schedule. Bathroom breaks, sleeping, eating, they all coincided perfectly. While potty training Charlie was tough, and having to leave him gated all day while my wife and I went to work stunk, it was all worth it in the long run. Charlie was a pretty great puppy. Sure, there were accidents and some chewed on shoes, toys and curtains, but otherwise, he was easy. He potty trained fairly easy, and, luckily for us, he took to our sleep schedule with ease.

Charlie has always been a pretty independent dog. He does get separation anxiety, and he has to be kenneled when we leave him home. But, we we stay home, he kind of sticks to his spots and sleeps for awhile, and then plays. He will get riled up for a bit during the afternoon, so I’ll play some fetch with him. He is not a great running partner, but he is an excellent hiking partner. Charlie is so relaxed that sometimes I forget he is even around. He has definitely taken upon our way of living. As I type this right now, he is laying next to my head on the couch. He is so calm and cool, that is, unless someone knocks on our door. He loses his god damn mind. He has a loud, piercing bark. It can be annoying, but it’s also helpful. We always know when someone is coming to our home. He also likes to eat literal garbage, but what dog doesn’t?

What I’m trying to say is, 5 years ago my wife and I struck gold with Charlie. He is the perfect dog. He loves the kids, our parents, he doesn’t shed and he is, most of the time, quiet. Charlie has made me a better animal parent and I love him so much. I know he can’t read this, but happy birthday Charlie Boy. We love you so much, and here’s to many more birthdays big guy. Enjoy your day.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. How does Charlie match up to the dogs of pop culture? Listen to a podcast we did about that very subject. 

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 Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 14 - Beef Brisket

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.

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen

Day 14: Beef Brisket

A big hunk of meat is a big part of the holiday season. The weather is cold, we need a big hunk of meat to warm us up by filling our stomachs. Our clothes are bigger and cover our whole body, a big hunk of meat will add excess pounds that can be lost in the spring months through vigorous exercise. The holidays are filled with joy, and nothing is as joyous as a well season big hunk of meat. One of the very best, and festive, big hunk of meats out there is that of the beef brisket.

Beef brisket makes an appearance on our Holiday Eats Advent Calendar because it is a classic Hanukkah dish, and it is an awesome hunk of meat. Get a nice fatty piece of beef brisket, season it to your desire, then place it in a slow cooker for six to eight hours. Once done, your family/guests/self will have an awesome holiday feast. Sauce or no sauce, horseradish or no horseradish, au jus, or lack of jus, no one can go wrong with a well cooked hunk of beef brisket. It is worthy of any holiday feast.

December is a month filled with feasting. Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Immaculate Conception, Winter Solstice, Friday, we have a a reason to feast on any day. The star of our feast is usually a nice big hunk of meat. Turkey is boring, steak is overrated, but beef brisket, that is an awesome hunlk of meat. Make sure you enjoy this magnificent hunk of meat no matter what your December feast may be.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. This December, one can find a great brisket in any fine New York City deli. Indulge yourself in a fine ditty about a Christmas Fairytale in New York.

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Happy Birthday Memory for a Great Wife

Yesterday was my birthday, as you all know, and I wrote about a specific party that stuck out to me. Today is my wife’s birthday, and I’m going to write about how great she is, but also another joint party that we shared a few years back.

First off, my wife is amazing, and she deserves to be treated as if it’s her birthday everyday. She works hard, she’s the best wife and mom, she is funny and smart and I couldn’t have found a better partner to spend my life with. Our kids may not realize it now, but they got the cream of the crop when it comes to mom’s. She is the most loving and sweet person to our 2 kids. She also disciplines them too. I love that because that means I don’t always have to be the bad guy. She kicks ass at being a Mom. She also crushes at her job. She is the “bread winner” in the family, and I’m so grateful that she is so good at what she does. She is amazing. For these, and many, many more reasons, my wife rules, and everyone should wish her a happy birthday today.

Now, on to the joint party that I spoke of earlier. My wife and I aren’t big party people. We prefer quiet dinners with family and friends for our birthday’s, at least since we’ve gotten older. So, when our 30th birthday came up, we didn’t know what to do. Turning 30 is a big deal. It was the first time I truly felt like a real adult. We had some friends say they wanted to throw us a big party, but we eschewed that pretty quick. Our parents offered to hold a party for us. Again, we didn’t want that either. These were great gestures, but it just isn’t our thing. Also, our son was only 11 months old when we turned 30, so having him out at a party did not sound like fun to us. We were tired and just wanted to relax. And like some god damn superheroes, my folks stepped in and offered to take our son for the weekend and said that we should take a short trip.

We decided that was a great idea, and we chose Memphis. It’s close, the food is spectacular and it’s a fairly inexpensive place to go. There’s also something for everyone to do there. And since our birthday’s landed on the weekend, it was the perfect idea. We took that Friday off, my birthday, and drove up in the morning. We got to the hotel and they upgraded our room for free when we told them it was our birthday. Already off to a great start. The hotel was near downtown too, which was great. We didn’t have to drive anywhere. We got where we needed to go via trolley. It was awesome.

After we checked into our room and relaxed for a bit, we headed out to Rendezvous for the ribs. Those are, by far, the best ribs I’ve ever had. We then walked on Beale Street for a bit, went to my favorite record shop and then grabbed some dessert. After a nice date, we returned to the hotel. I watched basketball while my wife took a bath. It was so perfect. We then slept for about 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Being that we had such a young child, it was the longest either of us slept since he was born. When we woke up, we went and had breakfast at the hotel. While at breakfast I asked my wife what we should do since it was her birthday. She didn’t know yet, so we went back to our room to try and decide. While we laid in bed thinking, we both fell asleep. We were taking full advantage of a big comfy bed and no kid. After our 2 hour nap, plus our 12 hours from the previous night, we got up, got ourselves dressed and did some more sight seeing. We went and watched the ducks at the Peabody Hotel. We got our son some toys and books. We checked out the minor league baseball stadium. We went to a bunch of different shops. It was great. Then for dinner my wife wanted sushi. I razzed her a bit, we were in Memphis after all, but she did make a solid choice. The food was great. We then went back to the hotel and did the same thing as the night before. Again, it was great and super relaxing. We slept for a good 10-12 hours again, had breakfast and headed home. It was an awesome weekend. The best part, besides being alone with my wife, was all the sleep we got. It was stupendous. This is another birthday I will always remember, and I’m pretty sure my wife does too.

Anyway, happy birthday to my wife. You rule and I love you so much.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He definitely married up in this world. Charm does pay off.

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