SeedSing: Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 16 "The Boba Fett Cartoon Featured in the Star Wars Holiday Special"

ed note: This article was originally published on December 16th, 2016

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 are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 16: "The Boba Fett Cartoon Featured in the Star Wars Holiday Special"

Original air date - November 17th, 1978

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

Sometimes the thing we really want for Christmas turns out to not be that great. Maybe there was a big video game we were wishing for, and it was underwhelming. A new cool drone that crashes and breaks within ten minutes. A hoverboard that sets fire to your feet. Many times we have our heart set on something, and our anticipation is rewarded with shoddy craftsmanship. As we dig through the garbage that once was our wanted presents, we sometimes find something unexpected and spectacular.

It is well known that the Star Wars Holiday Special is an epic piece of trash. Premiering on November 17th, 1978, less than two years after the release of the original film, the holiday special was immediately greeted with disgust and disdain. George Lucas himself has wished for the destruction of every copy of the cash grab be destroyed. The story was idiotic, the guest stars were questionable, and the Tree of Life song was a special kind of stupid. The special only aired once, and has never been given a VHS, Betamax, DVD, or BluRay release. For almost two hours, the world was inflicted with holiday blues from a galaxy far far and away. It was mostly a major disappointment, except for a 10-minute cartoon smack dab in the middle.

"The Faithful Wookie" was a small animated feature that split apart the mind numbing stupidness of the Star Wars Holiday Spectacular. The animated short is most famous for introducing the bounty hunter Boba Fett into the Star Wars cannon. It is considered so influential that the 2011 BluRay release of The Empire Strikes Back has the cartoon remastered in high definition as an easter egg.

The adventure itself centers around Luke trying to rescue Han and Chewie from some McGuffin, and Boba Fett appearing as a helpful ally. The 1978 audience had never seen this character before and did not know what the armored man's motivations were. Unfortunately, we learn that Boba Fett is in contact with Darth Vader, and the bounty hunter is trying to set a trap for Han, Chewie, and Luke. The ever resourceful R2D2 catches Fett, and our new enemy uses his jet pack to escape, promising that they will all meet again. 

The ten-minute cartoon shows why Boba Fett has become one of the most popular figures in the Star Wars hall of heroes and villains. His armor is awesome. He uses the things on his wrist, and his jetpack. "The Faithful Wookie" features more dialogue from Boba Fett than what will come in the next two films. The adventure from our heroes is basic stuff, but the premier of this incredible new resident of a galaxy far far away was the only gift worth keeping from the Star Wars Holiday Special.

It is disappointing to get the new great thing and then learn it is a poorly constructed cash grab by some focus group driven idiots in a corporate office. The whole ordeal leaves a scar on what was once a favorite piece of pop culture. But, sometimes if we dig through the trash, we will find a gem. Sometimes that gem even comes in the mail with a rocket that shoots off of its back. If you find that gem, hold onto it, it is worth an obscene amount of money.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was inspired to write this because he just got done seeing Rouge One. He is now hoping to get his very own Death Star engineer figurine in the mail any day now

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

Best of 2019: Top Five Albums

It is getting to be the time of year where everyone is putting out their best of 2019 lists. Hell, some are even doing best of the decade, but RD and I will be doing that a bit later on. But, like everyone else, I to like to do best of lists. This year will be the same as the past few. I will be doing music, movies, tv shows, podcast episodes or shows and sports moments. So, sit back and enjoy a week of "Best of 2019" lists from me. First off, we will do my top 5 albums. Oh, and before I go any further, I will add a few disappointments, for me, for the year. Anyway, lets get to it.

Coming in at number 5 I have "On the Line" from Jenny Lewis. I have really found myself going back to this record a ton lately, and liking it even more with every listen. Jenny Lewis has already proved that she is a wonderful song writer and arranger, but this album puts her on a whole other level. From songs about being in love, to total heart break, she hooked me from the start. She also worked with some great people, including Beck, that take this album to the next level. She has only gotten stronger and the stronger with each new album. "On the Line", to date, is her best record, and has me excited for what she is going to do in the future. Lewis is a star. More people need to recognize that.

At number 4 I have "The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience" from The Lonely Island. I feel like this record doesn't get the love it deserves because of the way it was released. There was not a ton of info, then all of the sudden they announced they were putting out a Netflix special and not many people knew if it was a comedy special, a musical or both. It is both, and it rules. The Lonely Island are already very, very funny. But, what people don't recognize is, they can really rap and make beats. This album hits hard. Some of the beats they produced, like the one with the pager sound on "Jose and Mark", or the whole "IHOP" song, those are amazing, super bobbing beats. They are as good as anyone making beats nowadays. Also, I know it may be cliché, but they are the modern day Beastie Boys. They sound like them, they rap like them, the only difference, they all have careers outside of music, in which they thrive in. This record plays so much in my car and my house that my kids know the words to the songs. My daughter calls "Oakland Nights" her jam. That song hits too. This record is so good and ranks right up there with their debut record. I was already a humongous fan, and now, especially with the Netflix special, they have won me over even more. Listen to the record first, then go watch the special. You will not be disappointed.

At number 3 I have "Hyperspace" by Beck. I have recently written about this album, and since that time, I think I have gone through the whole thing about 10 more times and I like it more and more. As I said in my review, the music sounds like it is from the 80's, but with Beck's influence all over it. The music is trippy and bouncy and fun. The lyrics are funky and groovy and quintessential Beck. I also love it when he does love songs, and "Die Waiting" is a great love song. Also, the slide guitar on "Saw Lightening" is rad. Everything Beck does, I am going to be a fan. But sometimes he does a record like "Hyperspace", and his genius blows me away more than it did before. I was talking to RD earlier today, and I told him that, at the current moment, this record is second only to "Midnite Vultures". It has the same feel, but more synth and more of an 80's lean. Even this morning, after speaking to RD, I put the record on because my son had a snow day, and he said he wanted to dance, and he told me "that new Beck record makes me want to dance". I love him so much, my son, and I really, really like "Hyperspace".

At number 2 I have "Cuz I Love You" by Lizzo. From the first moment I heard this record I knew it was going to be on my year end best of list. The title track is the opener, and it totally showcases Lizzo's beautiful voice. From there on out the record is all about empowerment, loving yourself, being good to those that are good to you and blocking out all the noise from the internet trolls. Every song on this album could, and should, be a top 100 hit. All of them are great. Also, the song with Missy Elliot brought me back to my teens, when I listened to a ton of Missy Elliot. She also does a great Erykah Badu esque song, "Jerome", that may be better than Badu. And while being a tremendous singer, Lizzo can rap. She spits man. She is so good on the song with Elliot, she crushes "Truth Hurts", she is phenomenal on "Better in Color", she is flat out amazing. Lizzo is finally getting the fame she deserves, and I love that she is out there being herself, loving herself and empowering young people to do the same. I hadn't listened to her before April of this year, but I haven't stopped since.

At number one I have "IGOR" from Tyler, the Creator. This album is a masterpiece. This is incredible. This shines a whole new light on Tyler, the Creator for me. Seeing him do this record live was such a treat. It is a true achievement. TTC did something totally different, totally out of his comfort zone and made one of the greatest concept records of all time. "IGOR" is also heartbreaking when you really listen to the lyrics. It is all about lost love and trying to deal with that. The way he sings and raps makes this album that much better. I didn't know he could sing like that, and he absolutely crushes it. As far as his rapping goes, he is one of the best in the game right now. Tyler, the Creator is a musical genius, and not of this world in my eyes. He is on a whole other level, or plain of existence. He was put here to make great music, and "IGOR" is his coup de gras. It is amazing. I highly recommend everyone, even people who don't listen to rap, listen to this album. It is that good. Okay, those are my top 5 albums for 2019.

As far as some things that disappointed me, or didn't work out like some may have thought, one, anything Kanye West does now is a joke. He is a farce of himself. He is a sellout. He is a phony. He is a hater. His beats are wack and his rapping has never been good. For anyone to think that this dude is a viable artist, especially the way he has presented himself this past year, is dead wrong. Kanye West needs to just go away quietly because he time was over 6 or 7 years ago. The dude is a poser. I am also appalled that the people behind the Kidz Bop records are still making albums, and trying to turn real songs into anthems for little kids. I let my kids listen to the original version of "Truth Hurts", so they don't have to listen to a crummy version on Kidz Bop. I would so much rather my son listen to Lil Nas X sing "Old Town Road" than some random pre teens. Bruno Mars is an excellent showman, so why let little kids try and sing his songs? The whole Kidz Bop thing needs to be stopped. They need to also stop taking explicit songs and trying to turn them kid friendly. I heard a little kid on one of the Kidz Bop albums doing "Truth Hurts" and saying, "turns out I'm one hundred percent that kid". That, to me, is worse than when basic cable shows movies and says things like "monster joker" or "bull shirt". It is offensive to the people who wrote the original song. Finally, I was so hoping that "RTJ 4" was going to come out in 2019. We still have a chance, albeit slight, that it comes out this year, but probably not. I know they are working on it. I have seen pictures and read lyrics they have posted online, and all of this has made me more and more excited for the record to come out. My fingers are crossed that they do the same thing they did for "RTJ 3", when they released it on Christmas night at midnight, but again, that doesn't seem likely.

There you have it, my best of, and disappointments in music in 2019. Come back tomorrow for my top five movies of 2019.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The Head Editor fought to get Vampire Weekend’s “Father of the Bride” and Lana Del Rey’s “Norman Fucking Rockwell” on Ty’s list, but it is Ty’s list so those albums sit in the Head Editor’s head as the tops.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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SeedSing Classic: The Advent Calendar of Great Holiday Movies: Day 15 "The Christmas Shoes"

ed note: This article was originally published on December 15th, 2018

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 are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 15: “The Christmas Shoes”

Opened Doors: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14

Yes the movie I choose for day fifteen is a little film called “The Christmas Shoes”. First things first, I have never seen this movie, but I wanted you the audience to be aware of it’s existence. I put it on here for two reasons, the star and the song.

“The Christmas Shoes” premiered in 2002 and Rob Lowe, aka one Ty’s favorite actors, was the star. I do not know why. Rob Lowe has always seemed to make pretty good career choices. To star in a movie based off a terrible christian book and song, that seems noteworthy. Maybe Lowe, like us all, has his own guilty pleasures. Starring in this maudlin, convoluted, story is his I guess. God speed Rob.

The other reason I think you should all be aware of “The Christmas Shoes” is because of the epic take down Patton Oswalt does on the god awful song. (Here is a great animation with Oswalt’s epic piece.) It may not be a movie, but that under eight minute YouTube clip is probably more worth your time than the two hour made for tv movie.

My gift to you this season is to make you aware that Rob Lowe starred in a made for tv movie based on one of the worst Christmas songs ever. Now you know, and that is half the holiday battle.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. Do you know what can be festive and tacky at the same time? Christmas lights. Thank goodness there is a joyous song about all the lights we see during the season.

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

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Music: Day 14 - Fairytale of New York

ed note: This article was originally published on December 14th, 2015

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 are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 14: Fairytale of New York by The Pogues (featuring Kirsty MacColl)

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

I once spent a magical December evening in New York City. My wife and I had an overnight layover in the city on our way for a tropical Christmas vacation. It was bitterly cold that evening. We bundled up and caught the subway to have a nice dinner in Manhattan. The few cold hours we spent in New York City that December were amazing. The city was decked all out for the upcoming holiday. It was magical. On our plane leaving the city I glanced down for one last look. The joys of New York City during Christmas was a memory I will never lose. I am glad I did not stick around to see the hopefulness of Christmas give way to the brutal realities New York City is home to the rest of the year.

"Fairytale of New York" was released by the Irish band The Pogues on their 1987 album If I Should Fall from Grace with God. It is rumored that the song was written based on a bet between Elvis Costello and The Pogues lead singer Shane MacGowan. Costello bet that MacGowan could not write a hit Christmas single. Once the music and lyrics were set, singer songwriter Kirsty MacColl joined MacGowan to sing the song as a duet. Elvis Costello must have lost the bet, because "Fairytale of New York" has spent the last few decades as one of the most popular Christmas songs in the United Kingdom.

"Fairytale of New York" starts off with the magic of New York City during the holidays. MacGowan and McColl are young, in love, and inspired.Being in the drunk tank on Christmas Eve cannot dampen their spirits. They have each other and the wonders of the city. The song treats their ideals as fake as the decorations around town. Love and admiration quickly turns to name calling and regret. Behind the holiday facade of the city lies a brutal, and ugly, reality. The two lovers were embracing the facade, but once the decorations are gone, their hate and despair shows through. They love the imagery and magic, they unfortunately do not really like each other.

The build up to Christmas can make us forget all the unfortunate things that confront us during the year. Our hopes, dreams, and love seem to get amplified in December. Once our holiday drunken stupor turns into a post December 25th hangover, our realities come into sharp focus. I enjoy the magic, and I am trying to prepare for the headaches. Thank goodness I will have the fine Irish ditty "Fairytale of New York" to be my musical companion through the transition.

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. He is embaressed to say that his dinner in New York that night was at Trump Tower. Come and tell your tales of Christmas in the city by writing for SeedSing.

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 13 - "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!"

ed note: This article was originally published on December 13th, 2016

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 are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 13: "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!"

Original air date - December 18th, 1966

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

Sometimes there is something so popular, and for reasons one cannot explain, that thing will drive you insane. Ten years ago Justin Beiber was the big thing, and many people could not stand him. The same phenomenon is going on today with Taylor Swift. It is impossible to like anything from these pop culture sensations if you have invested so much of your heart in hating them. It does not matter if a large group of people like these things, your hatred is blind. The world you live in would be much better if someone took all of these songs and shoved them off of the highest mountain.

In 1966 Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! became an instant holiday classic. The previous year saw the debut of A Charlie Brown Christmas and two years earlier was the premier of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The mid-1960s was the golden age for holiday television specials. Since 1966, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! has aired on television every year, winning its timeslot regularly. It has more than earned a spot as part of the holy trinity of must watch holiday specials.

For those living under a rock, the story centers around a lonely creature who has chosen to make residence directly above a group of people he hates. The Grinch is akin to a modern-day prepper. His cave is extremely well stocked with all the necessities. He has scissors, red cloth, a sleigh, anything a creature would need in the who apocalypse.

Yet even in his state of preparedness, The Grinch cannot stand the whos, he especially hates them around Christmas. The whos make an incredible racket, cook non-canned food stuff, and all blindly follow the brain dead joy of Christmas. The Grinch is on edge waiting for the end times, and his hate has become downright irrational. This year is the final straw, the Grinch is going to rob all the whos, and then they will know pain.

The Grinch succeeds in his thievery, but those weirdo whos still get up and have a festive Christmas. This breaks the Grinch's brain, and he decides his years of lonely prepping were pretty pointless. Not only does the Grinch get in the holiday spirit, but he learns that a freshly cooked roast beast is way better than a 10-year-old can of creamed corn. 

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!  was not just a perfect adaptation of a classic book, it also had a great look and incredible music. Animation legend Chuck Jones gave the special its look, classic Hollywood Frankenstein Boris Karloff told the story, and awesomely voiced Thurl Ravenscroft sang the iconic song. Of all the great Holiday television specials, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is the only one that is perfect.

It is a lonely existence to live in a world where one rejects what everyone else loves. There is no reason to fully embrace that piece of pop culture, but you should not totally dismiss it either. In all of the stuff you hate, there may be a shiny gem that made the journey worth while. If you will not give the popular thing a chance, then you are just a common hipster, or worse, a Grinch.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was a little under the weather today so he mustered up the strength of ten bloggers, plus two, to get the article written.

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

Can John Beilein and the Cleveland Cavaliers Really Work?

This past NBA offseason, myself and a lot of other people were kind of stunned when John Beilein left Michigan to take the Cleveland Cavaliers head coaching job. He had a good group of players coming back, Michigan was a perennial top 20 and NCAA tournament team, and after flirting with the NBA the season before, he said something along the lines of wanting to retire at Michigan. So, for him to leave, and to choose Cleveland, as I said, it was a stunner. I’m happy with how things have turned out for Michigan. They got Juwan Howard, and they’ve already beaten 2 top 10 opponents in their first 10 games. Also, Howard seems like he’s going to be a great recruiter.

Back to Beilein though. When he left, I wrote a whole thing about how I’m rooting for him, and, after a few days to think about it, kind of understanding why he took the job and how I didn’t think it would go so well. But, I didn’t see it turning this bad this fast.

Recently some of his players, who I think were anonymous, called out his coaching, his tactics and kind of said, this isn’t college anymore. They seemed to be irritated with his play calling, and what he named his plays. Now some players have come out and said they don’t agree, and think he’s going to be a good coach, but when this stuff leaks, and it’s coming from reputable sources, I feel like the damage is done. I kind of fall on both sides of this argument. I get why some of the players on the team may not be so into Beilein’s approach as a head coach. In college, you’re the top dog. The players come to your school to play for you. You have all the power. In the pros, the coach is simply a figure head, picked because someone in the front office thinks they can manage talent. That’s not John Beilein’s strength. He was known for getting under the radar players to excel in college. Now, he’s coaching former champs, former all stars and lottery picks chosen to be franchise players. These guys are making much much more money than him, they have way more pull and they’re more essential. No one is going to Cavs games to watch John Beilein coach. They want to see Kevin Love, Darius Garland and Colin Sexton fly up and down the floor and figure the game out. So I can see why some of the current players may not be so down with watching film for hours, working on fundamentals and practicing as much as Beilein may want them to. I may not agree, but I can understand them tuning him out. Especially the veterans, mainly Kevin Love who just wants out, doing so.

I also find myself sympathetic towards Beilein. Look, he was chosen to coach this team because they’re so young and need to be taught the game. Any NBA fan knew going into this year that the Cavs were going to be one of the worst teams in the league. They are too young to be a real threat. Their best veteran is Love, and as I said, he has one foot out the door already. This team needs to run plays, be re taught fundamentals, have sets they can go to in times of need. They need an adult in the room, and Beilein proved to be one in college. He also proved to be a damn good coach with less than ideal recruits. He turned guys like Trey Burke and Nik Stauskas into lottery picks. He helped Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III get drafted. Hell, he had two guys get picked in the most recent draft. He can develop talent, he just needs time. So, for some to call him out after only 21 or 22 games, chill out. Give him time. If you take his coaching, it may benefit you in the long run. If he is given time, I could see the Cavs winning 30 plus games as early as next season.

So, while I don’t like that Beilein thinks he can use a college coaches mentality in the NBA, I still think he needs more time to be truly judged as an NBA coach. We will see if the Cavs brass gives him the time needed, or if they side with the players sooner rather than later.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. It’s also Ty’s birthday today. The best basketball writer in all the internets never takes a day off.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Music: Day 12 - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

ed note: This article was originally published on December 12th, 2015

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 are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 12: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas performed by Judy Garland

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven

There are a few cultural icons produced by the 1944 film “Meet Me in St. Louis.”  For example, it’s where Judy Garland met Vincente Minelli, thus creating Liza.  I had a film TA in college who theorized that the film inspired “Night of the Living Dead.”  But the one I care about the most is that staple of treacly holiday radio, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

A great many BAD versions of this song have been produced.  James Taylor has brought his special brand of anodyne blandness to it.  I once heard a bowdlerized version of it that replaced the word “fates” with “Lord.”  I guess the original line is just too pagan.  I’m sure it’s only a matter of time until Taylor Swift yell-sings her way through with her trademark lack of vocal subtlety.  (To whomever decides these things, I would happily pay $1.29 to hear Josh Groban do it.)  But Judy Garland’s lovely, heartfelt original is one of the finest pieces of Christmas music ever produced.

A great many of our holiday standards are unabashedly joyful.  Those are fine, I’m happy to hear “Silver Bells” and “This Christmas.”  But my favorite pieces of holiday art are the ones with a touch of melancholy about them, like A Charlie Brown Christmas.  To me, as a non-religious person, the holiday season is about finding light during the darkest time of year.  Most religions have a similar holiday, usually around the winter solstice.  Christmas, Hanukah, and Diwali, for example, are all about miracles and triumphs that chase away the darkness (metaphorical and otherwise).  Whether it’s baby Jesus born to bring hope, or lighting the way for Rama after his defeat of evil, it’s basically the same idea.

In Meet Me in St. Louis, the song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is sung by Esther to her youngest sister Tootie after they learn they are leaving their St. Louis home for New York.  The song is Esther ostensibly trying to comfort Tootie by assuring her they will always have Christmastime to come with their loved ones, in person or in spirit.  But Esther is really singing about her own sense of loss at moving, and trying to remind herself that there will be joyful times in the future, even if all is bleak right now.  We can all use that reminder some years.

A very merry whatever to all!

Tina S

Tina is a sometime contributor to SeedSing and occasional guest of the X Millennial Man podcast. One time we even let her host the show.

The Greatest American Music: Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide"

I go through phases of what style of music I want to listen to all the time. I’ll go with hip hop for a good long time, then switch to rock. I’ll listen to the blues, then transition to folk. I’ll do some prog rock and that will shift to classic rock. Lately I’ve been on a classic rock kick.

It all started about a week ago when I decided I wanted to revisit Jimi Hendrix. He’s one of my all time favorites, and I hadn’t listened to him for quite some time. So, I have been listening to him pretty much nonstop, with some ELO, Beatles, Rolling Stones and The Band, among others, peppered in. Spotify has recognized this, and they’ve made a mix for me that is focused on this genre, or generation, of music. It’s a bit scary, because AI is definitely taking over, but also cool because it reintroduces, and sometimes, introduces me to people and songs I haven’t heard of, or heard in awhile. That very thing happened this morning.

My wife is a big Fleetwood Mac fan, and she’s turned me into somewhat of a fan. I enjoy, and respect the hell out of Lindsay Buckingham’s guitar playing. I think Stevie Nicks is a wonderful singer and I appreciate the music they made going through all the stuff they went through. Look up Fleetwood Mac’s history, it’s intense. Anyway, while on my way to run this morning the song “Landslide” came on and I was moved.

Now, this song has a whole new meaning to me since my wedding. Most people, I assume, when they get married, one of the people that got married dances with their mother, with the mother picking the song. I did this, and my mom picked “Landslide”. At the time I didn’t listen to Fleetwood Mac. I knew of them, but never listened to their music. When we danced to this song, with our family and friends watching, we were both very emotional. It was happy emotions, but I was crying, as was my mom. The lyrics moved me. The way Nicks sings is amazing. The guitar was beautiful. I immediately loved the song. I listened to it a ton on my honeymoon, and when we got home, I listened even more. I really started to indulge in Fleetwood Mac after my mom picked that song. Then I just kind of stopped listening to them. Sure, “Rumours” would be played here and there, but I didn’t hear a ton of Fleetwood Mac or “Landslide”.

Then it came on today. I turned the song up right away and let myself get lost. I returned to my wedding. I let the song totally wash over me, and it was magical. I most definitely teared up. I found myself not even singing along, just simply listening. As I said, I returned to my wedding and dancing to this song with my mom. We didn’t know it at the time, but she was going through some medical stuff, and thinking about that made me tear up as well. When Nicks sings, and it’s so simple, but so true, “children get older, and I’m getting older too”, or, “cause I’ve built my life around you, but time makes you bolder”, I mean come on, that’s moving. My mom did build her life around me and my brothers after we were born. She did it all for us. My dad did too, but I didn’t dance to “Landslide” with him. This was for my mom. I think she was trying to tell me these things through the song. Well mom, I get it now and I adore that this was the song you picked. This song is so important in my life now that, my wife and I performed it for my mom for her birthday a few years back. And yes, tears were shed again.

“Landslide” was already a great song, and now, being older, being married and having kids of my own, it means so, so much more to me. I love you mom and I thank you Fleetwood Mac for making such a meaningful song. It’s truly wonderful.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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SeedSing Classic: The Advent Calendar of Great Holiday Movies: Day 11 "Scrooged"

ed note: This article was originally published on December 11th, 2018

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 are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 11: “Scrooged”

Opened Doors: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10

For day 11 of our Advent Calendar of holiday movies, I want to talk about one of my favorites, "Scrooged". To me, this is the best telling of the famous holiday story.

For those that may not know, "Scrooged" is an "updated" version of Dickens famous "A Christmas Carol". But, in "Scrooged" we get the absolutely wonderful, in one of his best roles, Bill Murray in the main role. He is a TV exec, and all he cares about is money and his show. He could care less if people have to work on the holiday because to him, it is all abut the bottom line. When the lady in his life, the excellent Karen Allen, has had enough, she leaves him. This sends him into a tailspin where, he doesn't care who he hurts, and how badly he hurts them. He is on a mission to make everyone else feel as miserable as he does. And while it sounds like Murray is mean, and he is, he plays the role so funny that is almost hard to root against him. When I watch it, I kind of feel a bit for him. He is a miserable person, and his best way to cope with bad news is to make the people around him just as miserable. He even makes his cheery assistant, the great Alfre Woodard, angry enough to yell at him and be mean to him. By the way, Woodard, at the time, was an unknown to me, and she is so awesome in this movie. In fact, I have compared every role I have seen her in since this movie, and this is her best performance for me.

Anyway, after a night of yelling at everyone, and some heavy drinking, we get the "Christmas Carol" treatment. Murray is met by three ghosts throughout the night that show him what his life would have been like had he picked certain paths. He meets up with David Johansen early in the movie, some of you may know him as the lead singer of New York Dolls, or as Buster Poindexter, and he is the Ghost of Christmas Past. These scenes, while important, are kind of sad. We see why Murray acts the way he does. But, we also see that he could have not been this way had he made some different choices as a kid. We also see how different he could have been if the adults in his life where a bit more present. As I said, it is kind of sad, but Murray and Johansen make it funnier than it should be. They make it good. Johansen is great in this role too. I didn't know he could act until I watched him in "Scrooged". He was awesome.

Besides Murray, Carol Kane, as the Ghost of Christmas Past, is tremendous. She is so perfectly cast in this role. She has that sweet voice, sweet to me, and dresses so Disney-ish and seemingly nice. But she is anything but nice. Anytime Murray mouths off to her, she hits him with her wand, and she hits him hard. This gag is used a bunch and it works every single time. When she is not hitting him, she is showing him how the future will work if he continues to act like he currently is. No one wants to be around him. Allen wants nothing to do with him. His former co workers are much happier when he isn't around anymore. It is a real slap in the face, or whack with a wand if you will, to Murray.

The “Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is the same old black hooded grim reaper looking thing, but this one is full of tv’s. It is quite surreal.

After seeing all this, just like in every other "Christmas Carol" movie or book, Murray cleans up his act. But the way he does it in "Scrooged" is so much hipper, funnier and cooler than in any other version. Murray continues to act like a jerk, but it is all a façade. He is truly changing his ways. He is messing with people, but he has truly turned a leaf. He gives things to the home that Allen volunteers in. He gives Woodard the day off, but not before giving her a raise and a hug. He convinces Bobcat Goldthwait, who is so good in this movie, to not hurt anyone after all. He even stands up to people who continue to act like he does after he sees these three ghosts.

"Scrooged" is one of the best holiday movies. As I said at the top, I consider it the best version of this famous story. Murray totally drives this movie, but the supporting actors, mainly Carol Kane, do just as much heavy lifting. I watch this movie every year when I wrap presents, and I have grown to like it more and more every year. "Scrooged" is a classic, and it is one of Murray's best. In fact I think I want to go watch it right now. See ya.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. For a new take on the Santa Clause tale, check out the incredible “Twilight Zone” Episode “Night of the Meek”.

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"Love Actually" Actually Sucks

I talked on our most recent pod about writing a response piece to RD putting “Love Actually” on his Xmas movies list for this year, and that piece comes today.

I’ve made no bones about my distaste of this movie to anyone that will listen. I saw this movie in the theaters with a friend of mine, and from that moment on I've loathed this movie. I was bored then, and I recently rewatched it, for research I suppose, and I came away even more angry. Now, I know it’s just a movie, and it’s supposed to be charming and funny and romantic, but there are so many problems with this movie.

RD said in his piece that it’s the perfect representation of Hallmark Christmas movies, but I have to respectfully disagree. Hallmark movies know what they are, and they make no bones about it. The Hallmark movies are goofy and devoid of any real plot and the actors are one of two types, either old stars or people just trying to get work. They know it, and we the viewer know it as well. The Hallmark movies are also breezy, easy to get through and you can do many other things while they’re on. It’s almost like white noise for the holiday season. “Love Actually” is none of these things.

The actors in “Love Actually” take their roles way, way, way too seriously, with one exception. The only person who is worth a damn in this train wreck of a movie is Bill Nighy. He clearly gets it, and he’s just goofing around and having a good time. I’d watch a movie solely about his character, and I bet I’d love it. Outside Nighy, I have a major problem with every main character. Colin Firth is a stalker and lame. His role is pointless and nonessential to anything that has to do with the “plot”. I like Firth as an actor, but I hate this role. I don’t so much have a problem with Hugh Grant, but I despise the way they treat his love interest. She is a beautiful, and in this movie, a very sweet lady. But all the cast around her does is fat shame her, and she is nowhere near fat. She looks fit and in shape. But, I guess the writers of this movie seem to think that being in shape, and not rail thin, is fat. The jokes about her are crass, insensitive and flat out bad. It’s hackey and played out the way they treat her. I feel like frat bros wrote her part. It’s so disgusting and chauvinistic the way she’s treated. I hated it in theaters, and I hate it even more as a husband and father. Alan Rickman is a scum bag cheater. And before I get the whole, “but he didn’t cheat on his wife. He bought her a gift”, stop. He yearns for the lady that is flirting with him. To me, flirting is a form of cheating. He is just on the edge of stepping out, but he gets caught. And, to have Emma Thompson wear a fat suit in this movie, I mean, what is it with these writers and making fun of fat people. Who cares what someone weighs or how they look if they’re good people. This movie, to me, says it’s okay to think about cheating, or make fun of, if you’re overweight. That’s so wrong. The whole Liam Neeson and his son thing is so cloying and so played out and so heavy handed. I swear his role was simply to get people to tear up. Also, why should I care about, or root for, two young children falling in love. Most likely, those two would never see each other again. Also, his son has serious OCD tendencies and a stalker mentality. The Keira Knightly, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Rick Grimes, don’t know his real name, story is creepy. Ejiofor seems like a great match for Knightly, like a good guy and friend and doesn’t deserve Rick Grimes opining his lost love. And for Knightly’s character having to act like she thinks his cue card deal is cute, it’s not. It’s creepy as hell. As much as this movie likes to poke fun at overweight people, it seems to defend cheating and or stalking as well. The lines are not very blurred. Even my wife doesn’t care for the Laura Linney storyline. It’s an odd departure from the mostly upbeat feel of the movie. It’s sappy and sad and fails at making me feel bad for anyone involved. Martin Freeman and his scene mate scenes are supposed to be funny, but they’re not. It completely misses the mark. It’s also too far fetched and seems very out of place in this movie.

As for the English dude who moves to the states and ends up at a bar with Shannon Elizabeth, January Jones and Elisha Cuthbert, that was so odd and so dumb. RD made a great point about this whole scene, where he thought the ladies were going to murder him. They didn’t. It was another cliche male fantasy, where the three ladies love his accent so much so that they are ready to be intimate with him the moment they hear him speak. It’s so stupid.

“Love Actually” is the worst Xmas movie of all time. I’d rather watch “Jingle All the Way”. There, I said it. This movie is lame, mean, misogynistic, unfunny, pointless and unnecessary. I despise this movie. I know I’m on an island, but I will stay on this island forever. “Love Actually” is garbage and needs to be scrubbed from any streaming device. What a steamy heap of trash this movie truly is. I bet “the president” loves the way women and overweight people are treated in this pile of crap. Watch “Scrooged” instead. That movie is rad.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. No arguement here. “Scrooged” is most definitely rad.

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SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 10 "Doctor Who - A Christmas Carol"

ed note: This article was originally published on December 10th, 2016

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 are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 10: "Doctor Who - A Christmas Carol"

Original air date - December 25th, 2010

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine

If you had one more day to spend with the person you love best, what day would you pick? Everyone has a variety of perfect days, but most of us look at Christmas as being the best of all the perfect days. We tend to be surrounded by joy, and we are usually with good friends. Many of our problems disappear on Christmas Day. The only thing that makes Christmas Day more magical is having your special someone by your side. If you had only one day left, it would be very hard not to pick Christmas Day.

In 2005 the long-running British sci-fi series Doctor Who was brought back to television after being off the airwaves for sixteen years. Since the relaunch, Doctor Who has produced a special Christmas episode every December. Most of the time the Christmas specials would have a holiday feel. There have been monster snowmen, a wardrobe that transported people to a magical winter world, and a town named Christmas. On Christmas Day of 2010, Doctor Who decided to adapt the most classic British holiday story, A Christmas Carol.

The story kicks off with newlywed companions Amy and Rory on a crashing starship. Their craft was stuck in a strange cloud formation surrounding a planet. The Doctor, played by Matt Smith, comes to help and learns that the dangerous clouds above the planet are controlled by one man on the surface. Here we meet Kazran Sardick played by Michael Gambon. Sardick is our Scrooge stand-in for this Christmas Carol. The Doctor learns that Kazran's father used to loan people money, and in exchange for the funds, the families would submit one of their loved ones to cryogenic freezing. The frozen person would not be released until the money is paid off. The Doctor decides that he needs to thaw the icy mans spirits, and since the Doctor has a time machine, why not pull a little Christmas Carol magic.

In order to pull off the Ghost of Christmas past, the Doctor goes back to when Kazran was a little boy and starts to change the man's memories. The young Kazran and the Doctor explore the clouds and learn that fish, and sharks swim in the skies. One adventure goes haywire, and a shark comes after the two. Everyone is ok, but part of the Doctor's trusty sonic screwdriver ends up in the shark. Young Kazran then convinces the Doctor to temporarily release one of his father's frozen debtor prisoners. The young women, Abigail, has a singing voice that can calm the sharks in the clouds. Kazran, Abigail, and the Doctor go on a shark-drawn carriage ride, and promise to meet up again every Christmas eve. 

Every year Abigail and the Doctor stay the same, but Kazran is growing one year old. During one adventure, Kazran and Abigail are around the same age and share a kiss. Their relationship grows every Christmas eve, until one time Abigail shares a secret with Kazran. That night as they put Abigail back into storage, Kazran tells the Doctor he does want to have anymore Christmas adventures. The camera pans away and we see a number counter on Abigails storage tank move to the number one.

The Doctor tries to reason with Kazran, but the old man will not let the crashing starship land safely. He is not concerned with the thousand of lives that will be lost. Companion Amy Pond is then projected via hologram to Kazran as the ghost of Christmas present. She explains that he can save everyone right now if he wants to. The entire ship is singing "Silent Night" to ease the ship through the clouds, but they can not control the sharks like Abigail could. They are going to crash.

Kazran says he does not care if they die, they should die. The Doctor comes again to try and reason with the man. Kazran tells the Doctor that his bitter nature is because of the Doctor and his adventures with Abigail. The secret she shared with Kazran all those years ago is that she is terminally ill, and the numbers on her storage unit count down the days she has left. Kazran understands that he is the Scrooge in the Doctor's Christmas Carol and does not care if he dies alone. His love for Abigail has turned him into to being a miser with her last day.

Here the Doctor reveals the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is Kazran himself. The Doctor has brought the young Kazran to the present and asks him if this is the man you want to be. The little boy is horrified when Kazran comes to hit him. Kazran stops his hand, and breaks down. He sees that his hoarding of the memories of Abigail has made him not enjoy those times past. Kazran agrees to land the ship, but his change of heart has made him unable to control the clouds. Kazran's father built the machine for the bitter person his son was. This new joyful person was not recognized by the "isomorphic" controls. There is only one person who can control the clouds, and that is Abigail.

Kazran releases Abigail, and she remarks about how he took way too much time to spend their last day together. She sings to the fish, the clouds break, and the starship lands safely. Amy acknowledges that she is aware that this is Abagail's last day. The Doctor remarks that it is, but her and Kazran gets one more perfect time. If only we could all be so lucky. The last shot is an old Kazran, and a joyful Abagail riding a shark-drawn carriage through the snowy clouds.

It is hard to pick what day we would want to be our last one with our best love. Many of us never think of the answer to this grim question. Yet somewhere out in the universe people on shark filled cloudy planets face this question. If we try to find that one last perfect day, we will grow old and bitter.  Do not be bitter, be joyful, and choose Christmas Day. You can never go wrong spending Christmas with the one you love.

RD

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. If he could not choose Christmas Day as his last, he would choose May 11th. He has always had good weather and good fun on that day.

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2019 NFL Quick Hits: Week 14

Week 14 of the NFL season has come and gone, and I'm here for my weekly takes.

Thursday night's game proved to me that maybe, just maybe, Mitch Trubisky can be Blake Bortles 2.0, with a better defense. The Bears easily handled the Cowboys, god I love seeing them blow it like this every year, and Trubisky controlled the game well enough. The Bears defense also totally shut down the Cowboys offense when it mattered. Sure, the score looked close at the end, but the game was never in doubt. The Bears have strung together a couple of wins, but I don't think it will matter in the end because they currently are third in their division. The Cowboys are still in first, at 6-7, but that just shows me how bad the NFC East is, and how average the Cowboys are.

The Colts blew a much needed win to stay in the playoff hunt in the AFC. Things looked good at the start when they pick sixed Jameis Winston to start the game, but the defense couldn't stop him from there. Winston threw the ball all over the field for the Bucs, and they have looked competitive near the end of this season. They won't make the playoffs, but they are looking more and more like a team that could be good if they get the right QB. They already have solid running backs, great receivers and a good enough o line. They could go far with a quality QB like Colin Kaepernick. The Colts, well, they look like they are running out of steam, and that the loss of Andrew Luck is starting to get to them now. They have played hard, but they are getting tired. It happens.

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens won again. God I love watching this team. In the past 2 weeks Jackson has faced defenses that were designed to stop him, and while they have held him down a bit, he is still finding ways to win. And wins like the past 2 weeks make me like this team even more as a real Super Bowl contender. Jackson has also, to me, already won the MVP. Put his name on the trophy. The Bills played tough, but they just don't have the offense to be a real threat.

The Vikings beat the Lions in one of the most boring games of the week. The Vikings are keeping up in the NFC North, and they need to win games like this, but I still don't trust them, and I picked them to win the division. I also feel sorry for the Lions because they could be a threat if Stafford was healthy. This is kind of a mulligan year for them in my opinion.

Speaking of the NFC North, the Packers won, but it was not pretty. They just kind of trotted out there, did what they needed to and walked away with a blah win. That proves how bad Washington is to me as well. The Packers went maybe 70 percent and still won. They have real problems in Washington.

The Broncos absolutely torched the Texans. I thought the Texans were on their way up, but apparently they let their win over New England last week blend into this week. The Broncos led by 28 at one point, and Drew Lock looked like a Pro Bowler at times. Games like this happen, but if you want to be a real contender, this shouldn't happen. Houston should have taken care of business, but they didn't, and they still don't have a spot wrapped up yet.

The 49ers and Saints played a very exciting, defenseless game. This was back and forth. Drew Brees looked like his old self, but Jimmy Garroppolo matched it. And that play at the end, with George Kittle dragging defenders who were holding his facemask was damn impressive. I didn't expect the 49ers to be this good so soon, but props to them. And while they got beat, I don't think this mattered as much to the Saints. They already have a division wrapped up, and they are just out there to stay warm. Super fun game if you like offense though.

The Browns beat the Bengals, and pushed their record to 6-7, but it is so hollow. The Browns have been a disappointment this season, and the fact that they let the Bengals back in this game speaks to how overrated they were to start the season. As for the Bengals, this is a lost year, they need to rebuild and start all over again. They are not very good.

The Falcons destroyed the Panthers, who are playing horrible football lately, need a new coach and need Cam Newton back. That team was fighting for the playoffs three weeks ago, now they are looking at a possible top ten pick. As for the Falcons, they are playing so much better since Raheem Morris took over the defense and since they realized they could just have fun and play. They look a whole lot better. I wouldn't be totally shocked if Dan Quinn keeps his job. Seriously.

The Dolphins beat the Jets, and all I know about this game is the Dolphins 21 points came from 7 field goals. No TD's. That is insane. Also, the Jets are so inconsistent. It is wild.

The Chargers obliterated the Jags. I guess neither Gardner Minshew nor Nick Foles is the answer at QB. They may also need a new head coach. As for the Chargers, it is games like this that would drive me nuts if I were a fan of theirs. They have the ability to be this good most weeks, they showed that last year, but they have been so up and down this season. Good win for them though.

The Chiefs beat the Patriots in Foxborough in December, and they won pretty easily. The Patriots defense looks to be wearing down a bit, and their offense has not been good at all. They need to fix some stuff, or just cheat like they always have. I'm sure they will find a way to cheat. Hell, they are even illegally taping Bengals sidelines now. That is a problem. As for the Chiefs, they are starting to come together at the exact right time. They are getting that look from last season nearing he end of the regular season and playoffs, just when you want to start really clicking.

The Titans, led by Ryan Tannehill, are really looking like a legit playoff threat. They all but ended the Raiders playoff hopes by beating them by 3 TD's. The Raiders may be good in a few years, but it will still take time. The Titans, while boring, are a good team with a great run game and a solid defense. I could see them winning a playoff game this year over a team deemed better than them.

The Steelers won again, keeping that sixth spot in the playoffs, and it is because of Mike Tomlin and their defense. They stifled the Cardinals, who are definitely running out of steam, and starting to get figured out by opposing teams. I don't know how they do it every year, but the Steelers, and I hate saying this because I dislike them so much, are the Spurs of the NFL. They are consistently good.

The Rams, much like the Chiefs, are starting to click at the right time. It may be too little too late for them, the NFC is loaded, but man did they smoke a hot Seahawks team. They won with ease. They had a 3 score lead going into half. The only TD the Seahawks scored was on defense. Russell Wilson is no longer the MVP front runner. I like what the Rams are doing, they made great adjustments, but like I said, there may not be enough time left in the season. They are going to gave to win out, and still get help from other teams.

And the Monday night game, the Eagles and Giants, may be one of the worst matchups ever for a primetime game. I didn't watch a second, I saw Eli Manning started, threw a few TD's and lost, putting his all time record below .500. By the way, he is not a hall of fame player, but that is a different blog for another day. As for the Eagles, they still have a shot at the division title, but they are so disappointing, I don't think it matters. But good on them, they won a game they needed.

That does it for week 14. Come back next week when we should have a ton of playoff spots nearly sewn up.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Word is that the Patriots have been taping Ty while he writes his blogs. Anything to get a leg up on the competition.

SeedSing Classic: The Advent Calendar of Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 9 - Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

ed note: This article was originally published on December 9th, 2017

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 are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight

Day 9: Celebration Ale

The craft beer revolution is fairly new. Many attribute the beginning if the beer revolution to the 1970's. Way back in the olden days, President Jimmy Carter (i.e. History's Greatest Monster) signed the law that allowed for small independent breweries. These new freedom lover breweries decided to create a seasonal schedule. Americans were subjected to a beer for each equinox and solstice. The highlight of the year seemed to be reserved for the winter holidays.

The Sierra Nevada Brewing Company was one of the trailblazers in the micro brew revolution. They were also on the forefront of creating seasonal brews. The highlight of the year, and every year after, was the winter offering Celebration Ale. Starting in 1981, Celebration Ale has been an American IPA brewed with the freshest of hops. It was (probably) great in 1981, and it is still great today. Celebration Ale is also vital to getting through the grind of the holiday season for anyone who loves a good beer.

December brings us a wide variety of great new beer flavors. All the micro, and local breweries, have decide to throw their lots into the holiday game. Celebration Ale was one of the first commercially available holiday beers for the greater public to try. It started revolution. And nearly thirty years later, Celebration Ale is a must have for all beer lovers of every Christmas season. 

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing. Holiday hijinks spare no one. Check in on the mushroom kingdom to see how Mario and Luigi handle holiday mayhem. 

Ty Watches "Silicon Valley" Series Finale

“Silicon Valley" ended its six year run on HBO last night. I have been a fan of the show since it started. I like Mike Judge, and I was on board right away with the casting of young, improvisers being put in major roles. I knew of Kumail Nanjiani from his standup only before this. Thomas Middleditch was a regular on podcasts and did improv shows that I would see on YouTube. I knew Martin Starr because he has had some roles in hit TV shows and movies. I, unfortunately, wrote a whole thing talking about how good TJ Miller was on the show, and it turns out, he is a scumbag. I wish I could take that one back. Zach Woods was familiar to me because of "The Office", but I had never seen him in such a big role. So, to see all these actors getting a real shot at something was great.

The beginning of the show did not disappoint. It was funny and active and well written and very well acted. They added the right people, told good stories and seemed like they were having so much fun making the show. I continued to watch because I am a loyalist, some may say OCD, but some of the stories started to feel stale and already done. But, it was still funny and still had the cast that I just talked about in glowing terms. So, I stuck with it. It was announced that this sixth season would be the last, and it felt like a fitting time to close all these stories. And this final season was a perfect send off for this show.

All of the people had made it to where they thought they wanted to be, but there was also that similar trouble that they ran into every season. Each episode portrayed that very well. I liked the new story lines and the added actors for this final season. And the finale was a great, great sendoff. I like how they did the flash forward and flash back. I liked how they showed them realize their dream from the first season, only to see that it wasn't what they expected, or even wanted, in the end. I like how they tied the main characters stories up. Each person, where they were 10 years in the future, made sense. To see Dinesh and Gilfoyle still working together, and still fighting one another was great. To see that Jared was working with old folks, and treating them like parental figures, was so very right for him. Seeing Big Head as the president of Stanford, it was fitting for the idiot that always failed upward throughout the series. Jian Yang taking over as Erhlich Bachman made me so very happy. I thought they were going to bring him back, and when they didn't, I was stoked. And making Richard a professor in "tethics" made me so happy and it made me laugh very hard as well. Oh, and Gavin Belson becoming a philanthropist and author was so fitting. He never really worked for anything after starting Hooli, yet he still was super rich because the super rich stay rich, somehow, The final scene with Richard was great as well because it showed that he never really grew out of his anxieties, or his absent mindedness. I also loved when they went back to the house they all started in and Jared took out the blue and yellow ball and they shouted "ALWAYS BLUE! ALWAYS BLUE!", until it was yellow. That is a throwback to the very early days of the show.

This was the perfect ending to a show that was very, very good. Mike Judge created a very cool world, made me interested in the tech world and got a great cast of people to put in his show. I will forever be a fan of his, and "Silicon Valley" is another feather in his cap. I cannot wait to see what he does next.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty’s tv OCD is so bad that he feels the need to complete the entire arc of the “Saved By the Bell” universe. The new class is up next.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

SeedSing Classic: The Advent Calendar of Great Holiday Movies: Day 8 "He-Man and She-Ra Christmas Special"

ed note: This article was originally published on December 8th, 2018

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 are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 8: “He-Man and She-Ra Christmas Special”

Opened Doors: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7

There are times when we may find ourselves in a place that does not have the same traditions and customs that our homes celebrate. We may go to a new part of the world that our western way of life has not been the primary influence. First thing to know, do not be rude. We can introduce our customs and traditions, but we must respect the ways of the indigenous people’s. We may learn some new traditions to bring home, and we may impart part of our way of life to make a positive impact on their day to day dealings. These lessons of understanding and sharing are not just important to Earth, but to all the planets we may accidentally visit that are spread out among the universe.

On December 25th 1985, the “He-Man and She-Ra Christmas Special” aired once on American televisions, and was then released as a VHS so families could enjoy the movie every holiday season. The story centered around two Earth kids who were accidentally transported to the planet Eternia and they just want to get home for Christmas. The wizard Orko initially accompanies the kids, and he learns all about this holiday called Christmas. Orko is on board with this great day, and he wants all his Eternia friends to get in on the action.

Since this a He-Man She-Ra joint venture, the audience is treated with the double dose of villainy that is Skeletor and Hordak. The two bad guys want to please their great evil master by bringing the earth kids to him (or to it, Horde-Prime may have a masculine voice but is just a big colorful cloud, I do not think cloud’s have genders. I could be wrong.). Unfortunately Hordak and Skeletor do not like each other, and refuse to work together. Through some sort of shenanigans, Skeletor ends up with the two earth kids in his custody and he is going to bring them to Horde Prime.

The moments with Skeletor and the earth children is what makes the “He-Man and She-Ra Christmas Special” an instant classic. The kids teach Skeletor all about Christmas, and the evil ghoul seems all in. He asks if their are fights and exploding presents, the kids say no there are only nice things that people want at Christmas time. The problem is that Skeletor likes fights and exploding presents, oh and he is definitely not nice. See the magnificent scene for yourself.

Thanks to a well timed attack from a snow beast, and a dog that keeps licking Skeletor’s fleshless face, the once evil scourge of Eternia seems to be infected by the Christmas spirit. He saves the kids from the snow beast, saves them later on from Hordak and Horde Prime, and doesn’t beat the hell out of He-Man and She-Ra when they have a laugh at Skeletor’s Scrooge like change of heart. The Earth tradition of Christmas saved everyone on Eternia the inconvenience of a Skeletor scheme on this one day of the year. God bless us everyone.

The best of our traditions that get passed down generation to generation usually have great kindness at their heart. Eternia may not have had Christmas before a couple of Earth kids got caught up with the careless Orko, but the ideas of generosity, togetherness, and being nice had a great effect on the planet’s number one Grinch. For good measure the earth kids also got to take home a tradition from Eternia. Man at Arms gifted them some run of mill rocket belts. Befriend Skeletor and get a couple of rocket belts, it is going to be hard to top that Christmas.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. If the earth is destroyed in a nuclear war, will Christmas still exist? Weird Al Yankovic seems to think it will.

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SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 7 - "The Late Show with David Letterman - December 19th, 2014 "

ed note: This article was originally published on December 7th, 2016

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 are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 7: "The Late Show with David Letterman - December 19th 2014"

Original air date - it is right there in the title.

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six

Every year around Christmas we listen to the same songs and watch the same television shows. We all have our traditions, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. These little bits of holiday pop culture sometimes get us into the right mood during a cold December night. These annual traditions help us look back to other pleasant times we experienced during the holiday season. There is a comfort in looking forward to that one thing that makes our holiday season extra special.

David Letterman once famously said that it is not the Christmas until he hears Darlene Love sing that song. The song in question is the new standard (Christmas) Baby Please Come Home. Vanity Fair has a great oral history of how Darlene Love ended up on Letterman for almost thirty years singing her iconic song. That first appearance in 1986 was simple, and without pomp, but a beloved holiday tradition was born.

The small band, and ugly holiday sweaters, had nothing on Phil Spector's iconic Wall of Sound, but Darlene Love still slayed with her vocals. Since that appearance, Darlene Love, Paul Shaffer, and David Letterman made (Christmas) Baby Please Come Home a fixture on Late Night, and then The Late Show. Only a writers strike would stop the trio from letting Letterman start Christmas. Many even believe that Love's Late Show appearances helped her finally, rightfully so, get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

On December 19th, 2014, Darlene Love performed (Christmas) Baby Please Come Home for the last time on The Late Show. In May of 2015, David Letterman retired from the late night game. Everyone knew that the December 19th performance was going to be the last, and nothing was held back. The four-piece backing band of 1986 was replaced by a horn section, strings, backup singers, and Paul Shaffer on a grand piano. Love even decided to belt out the last few lines on top of the piano because she was afraid of breaking down when Letterman came to give her a hug. The 2014 performance of (Christmas) Baby Please Come Home was an epic curtain call for a singer, a talk show host who was a fan, and the viewers that counted on Darlene Love to usher in the holidays every year on late night television.

Our holiday traditions are something to be celebrated. Listening to the same songs, or watching the same tv specials, is what makes December a great time. We all have that one special pop culture thing that gets us in the right Christmas mood. David Letterman had Darlene Love sing that song. We were truly lucky to share this tradition with Mr. Letterman.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The holidays do not start for him until he hears Linus and Lucy.

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SeedSing Classic: The Advent Calendar of Good, and Bad, Holiday Eats: Day 6 - Brandy

ed note: This article was originally published on December 6th, 2017

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 are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Opened doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five

Day 6: Brandy

The month of December consists of two main ingredients, cold weather and family gatherings. Each of these elements usually require a person to find a way to get warm and to find courage to deal with seasonal family and friends. Blankets and isolation are the usually go to for avoiding these calamities. The more social acceptable way to deal with weather and family is liquor. Lots and lots of liquor.

The grape is an incredible fruit that brings the world great joy. One of the best uses of the grape is fermentation to make wine, or distillation to make brandy. Brandy has become the go to liquor of the Christmas season. Get a good one to sip, and the taste is divine. Get an average one to mix with, and our company becomes tolerable. Get a cheap one to do shots with, our holiday nights will be fun. Brandy is a versatile holiday potion for any of our escapes. 

On it's own, brandy is a vital part of anyone's holiday season. We need a liquor that is classic, and classy, to mask our unpleasant fears of Christmas. Hell, if Brandy is good enough for St. Bernard's to save a life, it should be good enough to save our Christmas. Drink up, and Happy Holidays.

RD

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. A cheap bottle of brandy may be a lame gift, but will it be lamer than Kevin Arnold's gift?

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Some Thoughts on the Peloton Ad

Okay, a ton of people have, by now, seen and given their feelings on the new Peloton ad. I think this ad is wild, pointless unless you are a rich person and I thought it was a sketch, not a real ad, the first time I watched it. Then, it became this humongous thing. People have really dug deep into every aspect of the ad. Multiple publications and bloggers have broken down pretty much every single second of the ad. After reading a good portion of them, and watching people talk about it, and even consulting with RD about it, I have a take as well. But, I also want to talk a little bit about how big this has become. That will come near the end.

So, the ad in and of itself is odd. I feel bad for the lady in the ad. I think she may be in a cult, or trapped and forced to work out on this bike and record herself doing it for proof. She definitely seems like a prisoner. I also find it weird that she is the only one that speaks in the ad. I also don't get why she records the workouts, who it is for or what it is for. It simply doesn't make sense. For a 30 second ad to make me asks so many questions probably says more about me, but still, it is wild. I personally don't know anyone that owns a Peloton, and I will not be buying one myself. I like to run outside on trails and play pick up basketball. Also, I already have a recumbent bike and a TV, so why would I need an overly expensive bike anyway. These are my thoughts on one of the most pointless ads to be released during the holiday season.

What has made this even wilder is the response. As I have said, a ton of people have written long, extensive think pieces on this ad. They break it down to its core. They ask so many more questions that I just did. They go into such great detail about the ad. And, I find some of them funny, some informative and some as pointless as the ad itself. Also, the people at Peloton have responded by showing 3 emails from "happy" customers that seem to love the new ad. That is so bizarre.

I personally think all of this response is in direct correlation for how society currently watches everything, and how everyone has an opinion, and seemingly, a platform with which to tell people their opinion. This couldn't simply just be an ad, people felt they had to dissect it to its core. People felt the need to tear it down, to dunk on it, to crush the Peloton spirit. And while I am all down for sticking it to evil corporations, which some research shows that Peloton is one, this feels a but piled on. It would be fine if a few people wrote some funny pieces about how weird the ad is, but everyone is going in hard on this ad. And while I agree with most of them, I do feel bad for the actress having to hear and read all this stuff. I'm sure she signed on because it was an acting job, and now, it has all blown up. That would be hard. I get people calling me names and saying I'm stupid or whatever online, but nothing like this ad. That has to be crummy.

Anyway, the Peloton ad is weird, it feels cultish and it doesn't make me want to buy their product anymore than I did before I even knew what Peloton was. But, I'm sure this will all blow over in another week or so and something new will grab the country's attention. That seems to be the way of the world now.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty’s Peloton is riding on his bike and playing a ten year old college football game on his X-Box 360. That is a real workout folks.

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SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Music: Day 5 - I Wish it was Christmas Today

ed note: This article was originally published on December 5th, 2015

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 are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 5: "I Wish it Was Christmas Today" by Julian Casablancas

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four

The conventional wisdom tells us that the winter holiday shopping season peaks on Black Friday. Once the day after Thanksgiving doorbusters are exhausted, the general public falls into a slower holiday shopping pattern. I disagree with this theory. Black Friday does have a large mob of people looking to score off brand electronics for ultra low prices, but the majority of sane people save their holiday shopping for after the mayhem. The first weekend of December is when the holiday shopping season really kicks into high gear. This is when the Christmas spirit starts its full invasion into our culture.

"I Wish it Was Christmas Today" started out as a simple SNL sketch featuring Horatio Sanz seemingly playing a novelty guitar and singing, Chris Kattan head turning and holding a very large keyboard, Jimmy Fallon providing backing vocals and very rarely playing the keyboard, and lastly Tracy Morgan awesomely dancing in place. Every few years the quartet would add a few lyrics, but the singing and dancing remained the same. Tracy Morgan is great in nearly everything he does, but I do think this is the funniest skit that Sanz, Fallon, and Kattan have ever done. Every year I would look forward to hearing "I Wish it Was Christmas Today" on SNL. The simple tune immediately put me into the holiday spirit.

In 2009 The Strokes lead singer Julian Casablancas released a cover of "I Wish it Was Christmas Today". The simplicity of the SNL version was replaced by a hyper kinetic ultra joyful new song to celebrate the holiday season. Casablancas version of the song starts at the top and never relents. For just under 4 minutes, the holiday season gets the positive excitement it so truly deserves.

Both the SNL and Casablancas versions of "I Wish it Was Christmas Today" celebrate the happiness of Christmastime. There are endless stories on the news of people complaining about the length and commercialism Christmas. Fox News invented the moronic War On Christmas to continue their agenda of splitting the country and feeding the idea of white christian victim-hood. "I Wish it Was Christmas Today" leaves all the negativity behind and says that Christmas kicks ass.

Today I will be out starting my holiday shopping. My house is decorated. my spirit is getting into high gear, and "I Wish it Was Christmas Today" will be on my playlist. The crowds at the stores, the idiots at Fox News, and all the naysayers will not dampen my holiday spirit. I love the awesomeness of the holiday season.  I do't care what anybody says, I wish it was Christmas today.

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing. He is hungry right now and really wishes it was Thanksgiving today. Tell us about your favorite time of year by writing for SeedSing.

Why Are the Houston Rockets Wasting Everyone's Time?

This whole thing going on in Houston with the Rockets and filing a grievance for a game they got beat in for a missed call on a dunk is one of the wilder things I have ever seen in my NBA watching life.

For those that may not know, James Harden went up for a fast break dunk with about 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter in a game they were currently leading by 13 points, he dunked it pretty hard and the ball flipped out of the top of the hoop. I have never seen anything like this before, and I was blown away that the refs said it was no basket. The ball went through the net, meaning it should have counted, and it whipped through the net up and out. Still, it went through, it should have been a basket. But, this is no different to me than when the refs miss a travel, or a foul or any nominal type call. It happens. Refs are human, and they make mistakes. But, the Rockets went on to blow that lead, and the Spurs won in double overtime. And somehow, well after the game, the Rockets decided that this one miss was the sole reason they got beat.

I mean, come the hell on with that nonsense. Sure, the game was close. I believe the Spurs won by a very slim margin, and one basket may have sent the game to a third overtime, but still, what is this nonsense all about? Why all the whining? Why all the bitching and moaning and filing a grievance? Is this one game, in the first quarter of the season, really going to screw up Houston's shot at a 3 or 4 seed. The facts are simple, the refs missed a call, but the Rockets blew the game. That call was not the deciding factor.

I feel like a lot of this stems from James Harden and Mike D'Antoni. They always have this air about them where they feel like they've been disrespected or screwed by some outside factor. The Rockets are an elite offensive team and a mediocre defensive team. That is D'antoni's MO, and that is how Harden plays. Defense is a nuisance that gets in the way of Harden pounding the ball for 20 seconds and shooting a three or drawing a foul. In this particular game, the defense let them down. I say again, they had a 13 point lead in the middle of the fourth quarter against a team that isn't very good right now. So, for the team, and the higher ups in that organization to think that filing this grievance, and either being gifted a win, or replaying the final 8 minutes, was a good idea, it is not. This is a waste of everyone not involved with the Rockets organization. The people who work for the NBA, the refs, the Spurs, all the fans that were there, will have to comb through pointless footage and have unnecessary meetings and be called out of the blue just because a ref blew a call and cost James Harden 2 points. I mean, that is absurd.

The Rockets, as they currently sit, are starting to remind me every single day of the "Lob City" Clippers. They are an entitled bunch of assholes that haven't won anything of importance. They are chokers. They are highlight chasers. They are ball hogs. They don't play defense. They aren't properly coached come playoff time. They are overrated as hell. I used to like James Harden, now I cannot stand to watch him play. He slows the game down to a grind. The dude is an incredible scorer, and does things I didn't even know were possible, but he is a drag to watch. Russell Westbrook is not near the lightening rod he was in OKC. He is being as misused as Chris Paul was, and he isn't half the defender Paul still is. PJ Tucker is about the only guy that tries on defense, but he uses all of his energy on that end because no one else does. Capela has completely fallen off. He was ascending big time 2 years ago, and now, he is no more than a screener and rebounder. Eric Gordon is hurt. Ben McLemore is playing big minutes. And Mike D'Antoni is a very, very, VERY poor man's version of Phil Jackson when it comes to hounding refs. The Rockets are the new "Lob City" Clippers, minus the high flying dunks, and I don't mean that as a compliment. And this latest stupidity just adds more fuel to people like me who think that they are an absolutely ridiculous franchise.

A team that would complain about a meaningless game in December clearly doesn't have the fortitude to care about the games in June, you know, the ones that matter. This is so pointless and dumb and whiny and will resolve nothing. It is an absolute waste of everyone's time.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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