"Squid Game" is Tops in the Music Department

I have now watched "Squid Game" twice. And I still love it as much as I did the first time. It is truly one of the best shows to come out in quite some time. A few weeks back I wrote about the set design, namely the humongous piggy bank. That is still firmly in my head each and every time I think or talk about the show. Today I want to talk about the music.

Recently I have been listening to the music from the show on Spotify, and today it hit me as hard as the piggy bank did. The music from the show is all instrumental, so much like my review of "The Green Knight", it may not be for everyone. But I love it. I was listening to it when I took my kids to school today, no worries, they do not talk about what happens on the show at all, and even they were into it. We have been listening to it in the house at night time as a wind down. But this morning, after the kids left and I really got to take it in, the music just adds a whole other layer to this great show. The music cues made me think back to some of my favorite, and not so favorite moments from the first season. When they play the song that plays over the opening credits on the first episode, and then that song keeps reappearing throughout the season, I had so many visions of the show pop back into my head. I thought about the young kids playing squid game for fun. Then I thought about the hell they go through when they are in the warehouse. When the song "I Remember My Name" plays I was instantly taken back to the episode "Gnnabu", better known as "Marbles" to most now, and it wrecked me yet again. When they played the song that plays during "Dalgona" I was instantly nervous and anxious and thinking about what I would do during that game. They have a song when the soldiers are introduced and it builds to this amazing crescendo that had me totally remembering their introduction. The song that plays near the end of the season finale, no spoilers coming I promise, I got fired up like I used to when coaches would be riling us up before any football, baseball or basketball games. The music was giving me visceral reactions. I was feeling feelings that I had during the show, but it was also bringing up new feelings. To me that is the sign of great music, well made music. When you get a real reaction, that means it played a part. Another example is the song that plays when they show all the contestants the money in the piggy bank after playing red light green light. When the piggy bank keeps adding more and more money there is this almost video game like music playing. It made me feel like I was playing a game on my Nintendo when I was a kid.

Also the instruments they use are truly awesome. There are typical classical instruments being played, like pretty much any stringed instrument. But they also have guitars and keyboards and drums and synthesizers. It is updated classical music.

I have not listened to an instrumental album, outside of anything Ratatat does, since I listened to the "Jurassic Park" soundtrack as a kid. The "Squid Game" soundtrack has changed that, and it is better than the music from "Jurassic Park". No question about it. "Squid Game" is great for so many reasons, and the music is another in a long line. This show rules.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "The Green Knight"

This afternoon I finally watched "The Green Knight". This movie has been on my list for some time. I am a big A24 fan, I like Dev Patel a lot and I had heard really good things about the movie before it was released. I didn't see it in the theaters, still a little leery of them, and I was finding it hard to find time to watch it at home. My wife had no interest in it which meant that quarantine date night was out of the question. But today I had time. I exercised early, I did the minimal chores I do every Wednesday after running. I waited until after watching it to write. Today was the perfect day.

I really liked the movie. But do not get it twisted, this movie is very weird. It is unlike many other movies I have ever seen. I know that it is a retelling of an old fairy tale, but I had never heard of it before. I had no idea that this was a very old story. A24 went way out on a limb with this movie too. It still has that indie feel that they do, but this movie was big in scale and production. This is them putting big money into a project they really believed in. This is them taking a chance on trying to become a more known brand. It worked on me.

“The Green Night” is quiet but also visually stunning. For someone that does not know the story it can be confusing at times, but it will also hold your attention. Dev Patel more than proves he is capable of being a leading man. This is unlike any other role he has done and he nailed it. I was constantly intrigued by every choice he made as this character. I could not take my eyes off of him. I loved the way he interacted with real and surreal things in the movie. The very first scene we see the Green Knight was incredible, and the Knight and Patel are the main reason why it works so well. He was tremendous as the lead. I have nothing but kudos for him. Alicia Vikander was also very good. She played two roles and they were two totally different people. I first saw her in "Ex Machina" and she was excellent in that movie. She is just as good here in "The Green Knight", again, playing two roles. Joel Edgerton did very well in his small part. He seems to be something of a regular now for A24 and I can see why. He is always reliable. Everyone in this movie did a very good job with the source material. But Patel and Vikander stood out the most.

Like I said before, the visuals in this movie are truly a sight to behold. There is a scene with a bunch of giant people that is wild, but beautiful to look at on screen. The fox, especially when it spoke, was amazing. The scenery, I believe the movie was shot in Ireland, makes me want to go visit. But the actual Green Knight, that was a work of art. I was as transfixed by the Green Knight as I was by Patel. The Green Knight is not in the movie too terribly much, but when it is there, you will remember every single detail. I was blown away by the costume and the makeup. The CGI of the whole movie was just as impressive.

Look, “The Green Knight” is weird and confusing at times, but that is what A24 does. A24 also makes really good, really intriguing movies that will make you think about them days after you've watched, That is exactly what "The Green Knight" achieves. The movie isn't for everyone. But if you like gory fairy tales shot in beautiful locations with excellent visuals and world class acting, this movie is for you. I definitely recommend this movie.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: The Postseason

Yesterday I wrote about the marathon instead of doing my NBA postseason and awards predictions. Today I will remedy the situation. I will pick the ten playoff teams from each conference, who I think will win the play-in games and then the rounds and I will pick the Finals matchup and the Finals winners. After that I will do a quick little awards prediction.

I'll start with the East.

The two best teams, by a wide margin are the Nets and the Bucks, in that order. It is a fact. Everyone seems to agree. After that it gets a smidge dicey, but not too out of the ordinary. The rest of the playoff teams, in order, according to me, are Miami, Atlanta, Boston, Philly, New York and Chicago. The 9 and 10 teams are Charlotte and Toronto. I see the Raptors having a "bounce-back" type of season. Charlotte nor Toronto will make it to the top 8, so my order is set.

In round one the Nets will sweep the Bulls, easily. The Bucks will beat RD's Knicks in five games. Miami, who will have the best defense in the NBA, will end up beating Philly in round one, regardless of the Ben Simmons situation. And the 4-5 will have a fully healthy Boston beating the Hawks in a very close, very fun seven game series.

That means round two has Brooklyn facing Boston and Milwaukee playing Miami. Brooklyn will steamroll the Celtics. It will look a lot like their first round series last season. Boston just doesn't have the defense to stop them. I think the Celtics get one game, but that is it. Brooklyn in five. The Bucks and Heat will play what will inevitably be the best series of the entire playoffs. Giannis and the Bucks will go at Jimmy Butler and the Heat. The Heat will make it brutal and grimy and gritty. It will look a lot like a playoff matchup from the 90's. In the end though the Bucks are too talented to let it slip away. I also love what I saw from Giannis in the Finals last year, and I feel like that will carry over to this season. Bucks in seven.

That means I have a rematch from last year in the East Finals, but this time the Nets will prevail. The Bucks will be tired, they won the title last year and the Nets have revenge on their minds. They will win game seven at home to reach the Finals.

Now for the West.

The West is not as easy to pick as the East because it is so wildly competitive, and some teams, the Nuggets and Clippers, are going to miss star players the whole season. I have the Jazz getting the one seed yet again. They are a very good regular season team. The rest of the West is as follows, Phoenix, LA Lakers, Portland, Denver, Dallas, Golden State and Memphis. The two play-in teams will be Minnesota and the LA Clippers. Much like the East, the West's two play-in teams will not make the top 8. Minnesota will be happy to just be there and the Clippers are totally hamstrung without Kawhi.

In round one the Grizzlies will get two games this time out of the Jazz, but that is it. Memphis is on the come up, but they have to take their lumps first. Jazz in six. The first major "upset" I have is Golden State beating Phoenix in seven games in round one. Golden State will, presumably, have Klay back at, or near his regular self. And I think the Suns had so much luck last year that this year will not be the same. The Lakers will brutalize the Mavs in four games. They will run up and down the floor on them. And I have a ton of faith in Portland this year simply because I think it is Dame's last season with the team. They will beat the Nuggets in seven games. My prediction would be different if Jamal Murray were healthy.

That means I have the Jazz facing the Trailblazers and the Warriors playing the Lakers in round two. The Jazz will be able to keep Portland at bay. They have the second best defense in the league behind only Miami. It will be a good series, but I think the Jazz will win in six. I really want to pick the Warriors to win again, but they just do not have the guys to stop both LeBron and AD, if they are both healthy. I'm going to presume they will play, and that AD will dominate in fact. He needs to re prove himself.

That leaves me with the Jazz and Lakers in the West Finals. This is where the lack of floor spacing and three point shooting will catch up with the Lakers. They will not be able to just drive to the basket because Rudy Gobert is the best rim protector in the league. The series will be close and fun and go the full seven, but I have the Jazz winning. This is their last chance to prove me right because I really dislike this team, except for Donovan Mitchell.

That means I have the Nets and Jazz in the Finals. This is almost too easy for the Nets. They have the shooting to outmatch the Jazz's defense. They have more than enough bodies to throw at anyone not named Donovan Mitchell. They will get the necessary stops. Who cares that that dumbass Kyrie Irving may or may not be on the floor. They still have Harden and KD. The Nets are too good to not win the title this season. Much like last season we will have a first time title winner. The Nets will win the championship in five games, and KD will be named the Finals MVP.

Now to awards. I have Giannis winning the MVP for a third time. He showed how truly amazing and great he could be in the Finals last year, and now he seems to have found a solid mid range game to add to his incredible arsenal. He is such a good driver, he can hit hook shots and floaters, now he has the mid range shot and he is a world class rebounder and defender. He can almost do it all. Coach of the Year will be Nick Nurse. He will have Toronto looking decent again, they will become a free agent destination and he will help guys like Pascal Siakim get back to all star contention and OG Anuonoby becoming a face for the next generation of star players. Defensive Player of the Year will not be Draymond or Rudy Gobert for once. I think it will go to Bam Adebayo. He will be the best defender on the best defense in the NBA. He gets better every year and he adds to his game. His defense is going to take a leap. Rookie of the Year is going to be Jalen Green. He is going to score in bunches and be the only reason to watch a very, very bad Rockets team. Most Improved is my guy Jordan Poole. He was awesome in the play-in last year, he has been incredible in the preseason and he is going to play a major role in the Warriors lineup until, and most likely after Klay comes back. And finally we have Sixth Man of the Year. I've got Derrick Rose winning it this season to add to his impressive trophy case. He has fully taken on the role of 6th man in New York, his jumper is better, he can still get to the hoop and he has completely revived himself the past three years in Minnesota and New York. Derrick Rose is a super impressive basketball player.

There you have it, my NBA postseason and awards predictions. This wraps up my NBA preview for the 21-22 season. The season starts tonight. Enjoy the games everyone. It is truly the most wonderful time of the year.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Tales from My First Marathon

I know I said I was going to do my NBA postseason and awards predictions today, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. I did something this weekend that I would have never thought possible about 10 years ago. Let’s discuss.

I used to be a heavy dude. I still am a big guy, but I used to be BIG. At my biggest I weighed 340 pounds. I was active back then, but I loved my food. I still do. But one day, right around the time I became a stay at home dad, I found myself winded after running around our tiny backyard in our first house with my son. When I put him down for his nap that day I was still tired. As I sat there on my couch I decided something had to change. That was when I decided I was going to do the Atkins diet. It has been an absolute home run for me. I'm not a big bread or pasta guy anyway, so this seemed like the best fit. And it worked. I started to lose weight. At first it was a few pounds here and there, but then that turned into big cumulative losses. I was loving it, and I felt much better. I could run around with my son and not get tired so quickly. At my lowest weight I was down to 240 pounds. It was awesome.

Losing carbs wasn't working as well once I got to the 250-260 range. I needed to start doing some kind of exercise to keep the weight off because right around the 250 mark I started to allow myself some sweets and pasta as a treat. I have always played basketball, but that is a sport that is easy to take breaks while playing. This was when I took up running. I decided I was going to run to simply keep my weight anywhere from 260-280 pounds, which my doctors informed me was an ideal weight for me. So I tried it. It was tough, real tough at first. I could barely make it a full mile without stopping to walk or catch my breath. But then that mile got easier so I upped it to two miles. Then I did a 5k. And now I am at that place that I thought was unattainable a decade ago. I have done multiple 5k's and 10k's. Done a bunch of trail 10k's and 15k's. I've run many road and trail half marathons. All of these were fun but I would always say that 13.1 was my limit. I did not think I could go further.

When COVID hit I started to run everyday, but still never past my 13 mile threshold. But prior to COVID I signed up for my first marathon. It got pushed to 2020, but I was still going to do it. So I trained, and trained hard. I got to a point where I could run 18 miles in one go and not feel too bad afterward. When things started to open up a bit I signed up for an in person six hour loop race in Columbia, Missouri with the intention of running the marathon distance, but only made it 25 miles before I was spent and my time limit was up. After the race in Columbia I started to have knee problems though. I would try to run through it, or take more days off, but the pain was not easing. I saw an orthopedist about ten days before what was supposed to be my first official marathon and he informed me that I was not going to be able to do it. I had a minor stress fracture in my knee that was only going to get worse if I went and ran the race. I was devastated. Things got dark. I couldn't run for four weeks, and four weeks after that I was only allowed to do four miles at the most. But I got better. My knee healed. I saw my doctor multiple times and every time he said my knee looked better and stronger.

So when my buddy Kirk told me about this race here in Saint Louis called Declue Loops, I was intrigued and wanted to do it. The race had four options, one loop, which is 8.2 miles, two loops, three loops, which equaled a marathon with a little extra on your first loop, or four loops, a 50k. I signed up for the three loops and Kirk did the four. We had a few months to train, so we both hit it pretty hard. We would meet once a week to run trails, and I decided in June that I was going to start my very own run streak. A run streak is running at least one mile everyday no matter what. Kirk and I would do longer distances on the trails. I was making sure I was averaging four miles a day. The knee felt good. Kirk was a constant inspiration and a great listener to any fear I had going into the race. We even went out about twelve days before the actual race and did two loops just to be acquainted. That run that day gave me the boost I needed.

Race day finally came this past Saturday the 16th. I was nervous the night before, but I also felt better. I knew the nerves were getting to me a bit because I only got about four hours of sleep. It didn't matter though when the nine marathon runners and twelve 50k runners got the go ahead to start at 7am. I went out ready to go. I felt pretty solid on my first loop too. The terrain was tough, but I knew it well enough. It was perfect weather, 45 and sunny. The other runners were just as hyped as I was. When I got back on the main trail it was this perfect moment of zen. I felt so good that I ran pretty much all of that first loop. I filled my pack at the aid station, grabbed some snacks for the second loop and made my way out feeling pretty solid. Then at about mile 14 I hit a major wall. I felt terrible. My legs were getting tired. I ate my food way too quickly. I didn't take in enough Tailwind. I just felt bad. I walked for a bit, but that didn't seem to ease any distress mentally and physically I was feeling. The terrain, again which I knew very well, seemed to be rockier and harder. The second loop felt like it had way more elevation. I was starting to get frustrated.

At mile 16 I decided that I was going to drop. I figured I could hike the final two miles of the loop and just go home feeling dejected. When I got to the aid station after the second loop I stopped, grabbed my knees and told one of the workers that I was done. I went over to my pack and the guy I told that I was done told me to just stay there for a minute. Then one of the main people at Saint Louis Track Club, they put on the race, came over and talked to me. He told me exactly what I needed to hear. He said these races are supposed to hurt. You are supposed to feel shitty. No marathon is fun for the whole thing. He told me to get the negative thoughts out of my head. He gave me a Coke and told me to drink half of it. He helped to make my pack lighter. And when he said that he could see in my eyes that I wasn't done, that gave me this sudden burst of energy I didn't know I had inside of me. Once I heard that and put on my much lighter pack, I looked at him, thanked him profusely and exclaimed, "I'm going back out there to finish this damn thing!". And when I took off for that final lap, hearing the people cheer only made me more convinced I could do this. I took that final lap slow. It took me nearly two and a half hours to do the 8.2 miles. I walked more than half of it. My legs and calves and thighs and feet hurt. I got passed by a few 50k runners on their final lap. But when I got to that final hill climb, which meant I was less than a mile away, this feeling of euphoria engulfed my body. I made a video to send to my family to let them know how much I love and appreciate their support in my newfound love of running. After the video, when I was all by myself making that climb, I started to tear up from happiness. When I got to the final tenth of a mile I started to jog again, and when the crew saw me coming I heard someone say, "there's our guy!". It was amazing. I felt like I was on top of the world. When I crossed the finish line multiple people were clapping and telling me what a good job I did. The guy who convinced me to finish told me I looked better at the end than I did when I thought I was done. The running community that I have become a part of now is one of the best groups of people I have ever been around. They are so cool and inviting and nice. When I was done I told my buddy Kirk that we did it. We finished. He said he wanted to be there when I finished my first marathon, and he was right there when I crossed the finish line.

I never, in a million years thought a full marathon was in my grasp. It seemed like a pipe dream. Now I have done it, and on a trail no less. I spent seven and a half hours in the woods, finished in last place of all the marathon finishers, am still very sore, but I did it. I ran a god damn marathon. It is an incredible feeling. It is crazy what the human body can do when it is trained and pushed to the limit. I know I am bragging, but I do not care. I am damn proud of myself, proud of all the other finishers and love the Saint Louis Track Club and the running community. Saturday was a great, great day.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Bucks and Nets

Welcome to the final day of my 2021 NBA countdown. I have two teams left. These are the two best teams, kind of by a wide margin, in my opinion. They both have real title aspirations, and if we are lucky, we could see them meet in the playoffs yet again. That would be awesome considering how great their series was last season. Now, let's get to it.

At number 2 I have the reigning champs, the Milwaukee Bucks. Both of the teams today are pretty interchangeable. It would be better to have them listed as 1A and 1B honestly. The Bucks are back pretty much intact. Giannis Antentekoumpo is the best player in the NBA right now. I know that LeBron is the best player in the league now, and Kawhi prior to his injury was right up, and I'm sure guys like Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell and Devin Booker might have a say, but Giannis is the main man. He went totally supernova in the Finals last season, and he is still only 26. He is an amazing player. He is unstoppable on offense and a great, great defensive player. And if this mid range he has shown off in the preseason is real, watch the hell out. He could be like Wilt, but better on defense. Khris Middleton hit some of the biggest shots in the Finals, and he has gotten better every season. He is the glue for this team. He is the guy they look to when they need a jump shot and Giannis is totally gassed. Jrue Holiday staked his claim as the best perimeter defender after his wonderful Finals. He was very inconsistent on offense, but he was incredibly good on the defensive end. He was traded to Milwaukee for a ton, but it was worth it for everyone involved. He was what they missed. Brook Lopez became a stretch 5, but it was his work in the post, the stuff that made him an all star, that really helped this team and has helped him continue to be a key contributor. Donte DiVincenzio is back from injury, and they will need his jumper. He is a very solid floor spacer, and to have a guy like him on the floor helps Giannis a ton. The same could be said for Pat Connaughton. He is also a very solid defender and rebounder. Bobby Portis was a total revelation. He completely bought into the role of energy guy off the bench, and he was playing crucial minutes in the Finals. He has had quite a turnaround. George Hill brings excellent veteran leadership. Grayson Allen is a little shithead, but the dude can shoot. I like the addition of Semi Ojeyele. The Bucks have a very, very good team. They also have Giannis. This team is more than poised to defend their title. The Bucks are here to stay.

And at number 1, my top team coming into the season is the Brooklyn Nets. Now let's talk about Kyrie Irving real quick. The fact that he is a flat earther and an anti-vaxxer is not surprising. He is a selfish, egotistical prick. He has been since he entered the league. He's a nuisance, a shit head and him not being on the Nets does not do anything to tamp down my expectations for this team. Kyrie Irving is a dumbass, I hate that kids look up to him and I could care less if he ever plays another game in the NBA. He will not be missed.

Okay, now to the players that actually care and will be on the floor. Kevin Durant is fully back. He was amazing in the playoffs. He was taking on the Bucks pretty much by himself, and he almost won that series. KD is amazing. He is probably the second best player in the league right now. James Harden, who I do not like to watch play basketball, was a great add last season. He has fit in perfectly with the Nets. He gets his when he plays with KD, but when KD sits, Harden feasts on second units. He is doing exactly what he should for this team, and if he can stay on the floor he could exorcise some playoff demons this year. Joe Harris is still here. He is a very good shooter and defender. He needs to play better when it counts, the playoffs, but other than that, he is a great role player for this team. Blake Griffin looked revived when he signed with them last season. He had some lift, he hit some shots and he grabbed some boards. I love, love, love the Patty Mills signing. He adds a great scorer to their second unit. He has tons of playoff experience. And he is very comfortable in a backup role. Cam Thomas was an excellent late first round pick. I love his scoring ability, and he is going to learn from some of the best. Bruce Brown is such a good cutter, he finds the open spots on the floor, he makes the easy shots he gets from being so wide open, he is a solid player. Nic Claxton showed flashes of being a solid pick and roll guy and he can play some defense. He will easily fill the role of Deandre Jordan. LaMarcus Aldridge had a heart scare, retired, then got cleared and is now back with the team. This is a big deal. He is a good mid range guy, and he brings depth and height to this team. Paul Milsap was a sneaky good signing. If he does anything for the Nets like he did for the Nuggets, the one year deal was more than worth it. And James Johnson and Jevon Carter bring some attitude and defense. Kyrie or no Kyrie, it does not matter. The Nets have Harden and KD and a bunch of solid role players. They have the best roster. They have the best team on paper. They should be the odds on favorite to win the title. They have it all.

Okay there is my countdown of all 30 NBA teams. Come back Monday for my playoff and awards predictions.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Celtics, Suns, Jazz, Lakers

Welcome to day seven of my 2021 NBA countdown. This is it. These are the best of the best. These are the teams that can truly win it all. They are not at the level of my top two teams, which get a full blog tomorrow, but they have the goods to win it all.

At number 6 I have the Boston Celtics. I do not like the Celtics, I never have, and their offseason was weird, but they have a very good team. This team was in the East Finals in the Bubble. Jayson Tatum is on the verge of becoming a super star. He has it all, and he is still very young. He has had COVID, I think he is now vaxxed and that will only help him stay on the floor. He is great. Marcus Smart, who was just suspended for some unknown reason, is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. He is also becoming a better, not reliable, but better three point shooter. Jaylen Brown is coming off an injury, but he was an all star before he got hurt. He is a very, very good basketball player. And watching the playoffs last year, seeing him so nervous and angry that he couldn't play, that made me like him even more as a player. I like the Dennis Schroeder signing. He messed up by not taking the deal with LA early in the season, but now he is on a one year "prove it" deal, and he is a very skilled player. Al Horford is back, and while he is older, he is still a solid defender and can stretch the defense. I loathe Payton Pritchard, I have since he was at Oregon, but the dude is a good role player. Robert Williams has the talent to be a very good center, he just has to stay on the floor. I like the toughness of the bench that Bruno Fernando brings. Enes Kanter is still a top level offensive center. Jabari Parker played well in spurts. Grant Williams took a little step back, but he is still a rock solid defender. And Romeo Langford and Aaron Nesmith bring youth and athleticism to this squad. I actively root against the Celtics, but they have the talent to make a deep run. Last season was definitely an anomaly.

At 5 I have the Phoenix Suns. They were in the Finals last year. They had a 2-0 lead. They looked really good in getting that lead. And they return pretty much the exact same roster. Chris Paul is back, and he just continues to be one of the best point guards the NBA has ever seen. He is so good at running an offense and making a young team grow up real fast. Devin Booker is an elite shooter, he is starting to get super star calls and his offensive game is lethal. The way he cuts and hits that mid range jumper is impressive. He even got a little better on D last season. Deandre Ayton needs to be more assertive, but he is a highly skilled big and is going to be a double double machine. I wish he had a bit more anger to his game, but maybe that will come with time. Mikail Bridges is like Spiderman on defense, and he hit some big shots in the playoffs. Cam Johnson is great off the bench. Jae Crowder is not afraid of any moment or any player. He is a perfect fit next to CP3. Cam Payne looked better than he ever has in the league as a backup. I like the addition of Javale McGee for defense. I like the acquisition of Landry Shamet. He is a good shooter off of the pick and roll. Elfrid Payton doesn't bring much to their offense, but he is a solid perimeter defender. Dario Saric fits in nice there. And Frank Kaminsky flashed a few times in the Finals. The Suns are a very good team, and if this core can stay together, they are going to be a problem in the West for the next decade.

At number 4 I have the Utah Jazz. The Jazz are the NBA's version of the Seattle Mariners with more success. They were the one seed in the West last year. They dominated the regular season. And then they blew a 2-0 to the Kawhi less Clippers. Donovan Mitchell is awesome. He is a budding MVP candidate. He is a scoring machine. He is better than Luka Doncic and Trae Young. He is legit. Rudy Gobert is the best defensive center in the league. He swallows up drivers and makes it next to impossible for centers to score on him. They should use him more in the pick and roll on offense. Joe Ingles is an ass, but the dude can stroke it. He is a very good shooter. Jordan Clarkson is an electric bench scorer. He is amazing on offense. I really like the additions of Eric Paschall and Rudy Gay. Gay adds a veteran with real postseason experience and Paschall is a very skilled post player. Royce O'Neal is their second best defender, and he takes on the perimeter's opposition best player every night. Udoka Azubuike should get a few more minutes, and I think he will add a nice little bench element at center. And their rookie Jared Butler shot lights out at Baylor last season. The Jazz will be a top 3 seed again, they just have to make a real playoff run for me to take them real seriously.

The final team for today, at number 3 I have the LA Lakers. They have LeBron James. He is the second best player to ever play in the NBA. He is an amazing basketball player, an even better person and he seems as locked in as he has been since the Bubble. He is awesome and I will never count a team out that he plays on. They also have Anthony Davis. The dude simply cannot stay healthy, but when he is on the floor he is amazing. At both ends of the floor. AD could be one of the top 5 players in the league if he could not get hurt. Then the roster gets real weird. They have Russell Westbrook. He is as athletic a player as I have ever seen, but he is older. He is coming off injuries. He got COVID. He is a turnover machine and he shoots way too much for a guy that isn't a great shooter. I love Russ, I am a big fan, always have been, but he is on the other side of the cliff in his career. They also have Carmelo Anthony. Melo looked fine in Portland, but he got to play how he wanted. In LA he is going to have to buy in on defense, which he has never done, and he is going to have to come off the bench, which we all know he doesn't like. Dwight Howard and Deandre Jordan are their picks for center. Howard looked pretty bad last season in Philly, but he looked great in the Bubble with the Lakers. Deandre Jordan didn't see the floor in games that mattered in Brooklyn last year, and he doesn't have the lift he used to while with the Clippers. I like that they got Malik Monk and Kendrick Nunn for the mid level exception. Monk has never been as good a shooter in the NBA as he was his one year at Kentucky, and Nunn lost a ton of minutes last season in Miami. Time will tell with those two. Rajon Rondo is back, and unless he returns to playoff Rondo, I do not see him taking real minutes from Russ. Kent Bazemore was a good addition as a shooter, but he is also older and on the back end of his career. Talen Horton Tucker is young and skilled. He'll need minutes, but he also just got injured and will miss some weeks. Trevor Ariza is also older and hurt. Wayne Ellington used to be good, we will see here. The Lakers have the names. They have former MVP's and all stars on this team. They have LeBron and AD. But they are old, not too rich at shooting guard and will have a tougher time on defense. They will still be a very good team. But when the rubber meets the road, when they need a big three or a defensive stop, I'd be reluctant to say that they have the guys to do it. The playoffs will be the true test of this roster construct.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for my top two teams.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Heat, Warriors, 76ers, Nuggets

Welcome to day six of my 2021 NBA countdown. We are in the top 10 now. These are the real good teams, the teams that have a real shot at the title if things go their way.

At 10 I have the Miami Heat. I loved their offseason. They got a great fit in Kyle Lowry. He will be added seamlessly to this lineup. He can run the offense, he will be a total menace on defense, he can score and distribute, he is in a great situation. I do not care that he is "old" in NBA terms. This is a great fit. Jimmy Butler is fast becoming one of my favorite players and people. He is a beast, he works his tail off, he is so much better than he has ever been in the NBA and he is hilarious. Jimmy Butler bet on himself in Minnesota and Philadelphia and it totally paid off for him. He was right and he has proven that tenfold. Bam Adebayo is also becoming one of my favorite players. In fact, besides Ja, Adebayo is probably my favorite player. He is so fast and quick and big and strong and plays so well. He is going to be an all star soon. Duncan Robinson has made it and now he got paid. He is a specialist, but what he does, shoot threes, he is one of the best in the league. He is a true sniper. Tyler Herro could have a bounce back season. He apparently put on some muscle, worked on his shot and everything coming out of camp seems to point to him getting better this offseason. Victor Oladipo is coming off another injury but he took a one year deal and he has to go out and prove he is as good as he used to be. He is a good slasher and cutter and plays solid defense. He just has to show that he is still able to do that. Getting PJ Tucker from Milwaukee makes this team even more of a nightmare on defense. Tucker adds zero on offense, but he is still an upper tier defender. Markieff Morris is tough and nasty. And Udonis Haslem is back as a player/coach essentially. Miami has a very good team that is going to be an elite defense. They will make some noise.

At 9 I have the Golden State Warriors. If they had a fully healthy Klay Thompson to start the season I'd probably have them in my top five. He will not be back until January so that is why they are here. Steph is the best shooter in the history of the league. He is pretty much un guardable. He can do it all and he is an all time great. He alone gets this team in the playoffs. Andrew Wiggins got vaxxed, finally, and while he is not as good as some thought when he was the first overall pick, he still brings value to this team. I am glad he got vaxxed, I just wish he wasn't such a baby about it. Draymond Green is still one of the best defenders in the league. He is also a very good facilitator and passer. He is nothing when it comes to scoring, but he is still elite at the things he does really well. Jordan Poole looks like he is going to take a leap. He looked great in the play-in, and he has been awesome in preseason games. Then it gets dicey for this team. Moses Moody and Johnathan Kuminga were both good picks, but I do not know where they are going to find minutes. Otto Porter Jr has not played in a year, looks to be out of shape, but people in Golden State say he looks good. Nemanja Bjelica can shoot, but he couldn't get minutes in Sacramento. Andre Iguodala is a finals MVP, a great player for the Warriors, but he is old. He is my age. James Wiseman can still be very good, but he needs to play through the run moments, and I do not know if Steve Kerr will be patient enough to let him. Juan Toscano Anderson has energy for days, but he is not much of a scorer. Kevon Looney cannot stay healthy. Damion Lee is a good shooter. And I like that they added Avery Bradley and Gary Payton Jr for defense. The Warriors have one of the all time greats, they should get Klay back and Draymond is still elite. They do need a ton of things to break their way, but they are still going to be in it until the end of the season.

At 8 I have the Philadelphia 76ers. Ben Simmons appears to be at camp, could be a full participant and may even play some games. I think he and his agent realized how much money they would lose if he didn't show up, and they want to up his trade value. Simmons is an otherworldly defender, but he has gone off a cliff in pretty much every other area of the game. I'd still keep him and see if they could figure it out, but maybe everyone involved is doing this to make a real trade. Joel Embiid is amazing. He is the best center in the league. He can do it all on both ends. He is elite. He is an MVP candidate. I just want him to play a full season. Matisse Thybulle is one of the best defenders in the league, and if Simmons does get traded, I could see him stepping into his role, with the exception of running the offense. Seth Curry has proven he belongs. He can shoot the hell out of the ball. Tyrese Maxey was so much fun to watch last season, and I could see him getting an expanded role. I like that they went out and got Andre Drummond for almost nothing. He could go out and feast on second units. He had moments in LA last year, and I could see that come back in Philly. Danny Green isn't as good as he used to be, but he can still shoot and guard. Tobias Harris may be overpaid, but the dude can fill it up. He is a solid NBA scorer. Furkan Korkmaz is a good bench player. And Shake Milton looks like he could take that next step to being the second unit's top scorer. Philadelphia is going to be good regardless of what happens to Ben Simmons. Honestly I do not see much of a difference if he is there or not. The 76ers are a 4 or 5 seed at the lowest.

The final team for today, at number 7 I have the Denver Nuggets. Full disclosure, they would have been number 3 if Jamal Murray was playing. He is not, probably won't for the whole season, so they land in the top 10 on my list. Nikola Jokic is the reigning MVP. He is a very good passer, he runs the offense, he can shoot and he is a nightmare to guard. Jokic is good. He is even better when he is in shape. Michael Porter Jr is a total dumbass and I am actively rooting against him. He's an idiot. He does not know what in the hell he is talking about. I do not care how good of a basketball player he is because every time he opens his mouth something idiotic comes out of it. Aaron Gordon got an extension, fit in great with this team last year and he looks like he is happy playing again. He can also still jump out of the gym, and people do not seem to realize how good of a defender he is. Gordon is great. Jeff Green keeps getting moved, but I like him on this team. He looked great in Brooklyn last year, and he will get more of a chance to play in Denver this year. Will Barton can shoot the ball, he just needs more shots. Austin Rivers has settled in as a role player. Monte Morris is another solid scorer. Bol Bol could be something if he got some real playing time. Facundo Campazzo is a hustler. Markus Howard was one of the best scorers in the NCAA for three years. And JaMychal Green is a good stretch big. The Nuggets are in their title window right now. They may have to pause for one season since Murray is out. But these guys are still young and good and can play. The Nuggets are a top five seed in the West for sure though.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Trailblazers, Mavericks, Hawks, Clippers

Welcome to day five of my 2021 NBA countdown. All of these teams are playoff bound. They could even make noise if things go their way. I like some of these teams but I also dislike one team on my countdown today. You'll see when I discuss said team.

At 14 I have the Portland Trailblazers. This feels like the last chance they have to do anything with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. I think if they have another early playoff exit, Dame is gone. That being said, they do still have Dame for at least this season. And he is a killer. This dude is a beast on offense, can score from anywhere past half court and is a big game player. He has put teams out of the playoffs in his career. He is so awesome, loyal and has pushed this franchise as far as they have been since the early 90's. CJ McCollum is another really good scorer. He has gotten better each year he has been in the league. He is also a super fun social media follow. But he is who he is at this point. He's good, not great. I liked the Norman Powell addition at the deadline last year, and I thought it was smart to re-sign him. He adds more scoring and is a solid defender. Jusuf Nurkic, if he can stay on the floor, is a great big man for this team. He has also become a solid post scorer. He just needs to stay healthy. I love the addition of Larry Nance Jr. He is a better version of Derrick Jones Jr and he is a much better defender. The Cody Zeller signing was very blah. If Anfernee Simons is going to pop he needs time on the floor and this may be his last chance in Portland. Tony Snell is a sniper. Robert Covington has slipped, but he can still be a menace on defense. Nassir Little just hasn't gotten it yet. And guys like Marquesse Chriss and Patrick Paterson are toast. I like Portland, and if they make a push for a guy like Kevin Love that could really open things up. As for now they are a firm playoff team simply because Dame is so damn good at basketball. He is amazing.

At number 13 I have the Dallas Mavericks. I think the Mavericks might be the most overrated team in the NBA. They have not been out of the first round in two years yet some seem to think they are on the precipice of the Finals. I don't get it. I also do not get all the love for Luka Doncic. He is a very good offensive basketball player. He does very good stuff. But he is boring, and whiny and slow and not the super duper star that Zach Lowe or Bill Simmons have made him out to be. He is also atrocious defensively. He is a fine player, but he is not an MVP. Not even close. Kristaps Porzingis is the softest seven footer I have ever watched. He is also very whiny. He is also very brittle. And he thinks he is way better than he actually is. He is a seven foot shooter, and he is not named Dirk. Tim Hardaway Jr has turned out to be a sniper, but he is also a total defensive liability. He gets hunted by other teams. Maxi Kleber is not the defensive stalwart that ESPN has made him out to be. Kawhi destroyed him in the playoffs last year. Dwight Powell cannot stay on the floor. Willie Cauley Stein has bounced around the league and cannot seem to find a right fit. Boban is more of a personality than a player. Reggie Bullock was a solid signing who will bring some kind of defense to this team. Frank Ntilikina was brought in for defense alone. Jalen Brunson is very blah. And Dorian Finney Smith has not made the leap. The Mavericks are a playoff team, but I see them more of a 6 or play in type playoff team. They are not even close to a title contender.

At 12 I have the Atlanta Hawks. They had one hell of a ride last season. Now we will see if they are for real. I think they are. Trae Young is awesome. He played the role of villain so great. He is a great shooter and excellent passer. He rules. He has also gone further in the playoffs than Luka. John Collins showed out in the playoffs, got paid and I think he is due to make another leap. He is great. I love Clint Capela on this team. He is a perfect pick and roll partner with Young and he looks to be returning as a defensive stopper. Cam Reddish has shown flashes in his limited role, which is perfect for him. DeAndre Hunter is proving that the Hawks were right to take him so high in the lottery two years ago. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter are great three point shooters and floor spreaders. Sharife Cooper will get to learn how to play point guard from Trae Young. Lou Williams is still a super hot scorer from the bench. Jahlil Okafor has fully bought into being a minimal role player and that suits him. And Gorgui Dieng is a great fit as a deep bench vet. The Hawks are back and it is good to see. This team is young and fun and will be around for a while.

The final team for today, at number 11 I have the LA Clippers. They are only here because of injury. They would be a lot higher if they had a healthy Kawhi. Without Kawhi, for probably the whole year, this team is going to have to dig deep to be a real playoff threat. Paul George was great last year. I do not care that a lot of people say nasty stuff about him, the dude is good at basketball. He more than showed up against the Suns. He put on a show. He is also one of the best defenders in the league. PG can play, and he proved that tenfold last year. Terrance Mann proved he belongs in the league. He had a very solid playoffs. Reggie Jackson seems to have found a home, and with Patrick Beverly gone, he is the starting point guard. Eric Beldsoe is not as gifted athletically anymore, but he brings veteran experience to this team. They're taking a flyer on Justise Winslow, and if he does any little thing, he will help this team. If Serge Ibaka can stay on the floor he can space it offensively, is still an okay rebounder and can still protect the rim. I think Keon Johnson will find minutes here and there and he will bring energy to this squad. Ivica Zubac is a very solid center. Luke Kennard is overpaid, but he can shoot. Marcus Morris Sr was also good in the playoffs and he is tough. And Nic Batum still has something he can add to this team. The Clippers are kind of in nowhere land with Kawhi being out. But they still have some guys on this team that will push them to the playoffs.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Pelicans, Grizzlies, Bulls, Knicks

After a two day hiatus I am back with my 2021 NBA countdown. We are at the playoff teams. These teams are the 18 best coming into the season in my opinion. Some will be play in teams, as the NBA has fully committed to doing the play in which I love, but these teams are the playoff bound ones. They should get to the postseason barring significant injuries.

At number 18 I have the New Orleans Pelicans. This team has as much upside as almost any team in the league. If they can get their act together, learn how to play a little defense and stay relatively healthy, they are going to be a matchup nightmare. Zion Williamson has all the tools to be great. He dunks like Kemp, is built like LeBron, can handle the ball like a guard and is a very good passer. He is also nearly impossible to jump with. He can do it all. But he has not been able to stay healthy, and whining before even making the playoffs is a bad look. This kid can be an all time great, he just has to go out there and prove it without a shadow of a doubt. Brandon Ingram is one of the most versatile scorers in the league. He is long, can shoot, can cut and can knock down a shot from anywhere. He does not play a lick of defense though, and I wish he were a better rebounder. He needs to get tougher too. Josh Hart may be the soul of this team. He is their best defender, best rebounder and most reliable player. He is a guard though, so I kind of wish he wasn't their top rebounder. Kira Lewis Jr has some potential, he just needs to get some playing time. Nickeil Alexander Walker looked like he was going to be a great bench scorer a few seasons back, but that hasn't come to fruition. Jaxson Hayes is built like a bruiser, but he too has yet to show his full potential, and he isn't getting adequate playing time. I wish they had kept Lonzo Ball. Devonte Graham is an okay scorer, but this team will miss Ball's passing and defense. Graham doesn't do much of those things. Garrett Temple and Tomas Satorranksy bring shooting, but nothing else. And they replaced Steven Adams with Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas may be a better offensive player, but other than that he is an exact replica of Adams. The Pelicans have the talent to become a perennial playoff team, they just have to do it on the floor and play some defense.

At number 17 I have the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies made the playoffs last year. They beat the Spurs and the Warriors, in Golden State, to make it as the 8th seed. They even took a game from the Jazz in round one. That was a nice start for this very young team. Now they need to take that next step. Ja Morant is a star. He will be an all star. He will be an all NBA player. His shot looks better. His floater is untouchable. He is an out of this world dunker. He is becoming the leader they hoped he would when they took him in the draft. I love this kid. He is my favorite player in the league. Dillon Brooks adds great shooting and plays incredible defense. He is going to be all defense this season. When healthy, Jaren Jackson Jr is a great modern big. He's a tough rebounder and defender. He can post you up and shoot the three. He has the tools, he just has to be on the floor. Kyle Anderson is an understated yet solid basketball player. He does all the little things he is asked. Steven Adams will not do much for them on offense, but he brings a strength and nastiness to this defense that I like. Desmond Bane way over shot his expectations for me, and he looked amazing in summer league. Jarrett Culver is getting his second chance here, and if nothing else, he can be a hound on defense. They will be able to bring along Zaire Williams very slowly, but I do already like how athletic he is. Brandon Clarke, with some more minutes, can easily have a good bounce back year. He was down, but he is too good not to break out of it. He could be their Matisse Thybulle, but with a better shot. Xavier Tillman hit some big time shots in crunch time games last year. He was more than ready for the NBA. And DeAnthony Melton can flat out put the ball in the hoop. Memphis is on the come up. They have the guys. They took a big step last year and now I expect, being a fan, that they are a perennial playoff team.

At number 16 I have the Chicago Bulls. Talk about an off season. They signed Lonzo Ball. He will add defense, passing, court vision and a reliable three point shot. They also got DeMar DeRozan. Say what you will about him, but there is a reason he is still around and still putting up eighteen a game. They already have Zach Lavine, who was an all star last year, was great on Team USA this summer and has the looks of a guy that just wants to win. They got Nikola Vucevic last season and didn't have the time to fully integrate him in the offense. Now he has a full off season under his belt and he should shine. Alex Caruso was a sneaky good signing. He brings great defense and hustle to this team. I know Patrick Williams is hurt now, but when he gets back, I feel like he is going to take a humongous leap. Coby White is going to be a lethal bench scorer for this team, and this role is so much better for him. Ayo Dosunmu was a very good draft pick and he is playing for his hometown team. Derrick Jones Jr will be a highlight reel mainstay and a big time fan favorite. The Bulls want to be in the playoffs and this off season made that very clear. They should be a very good team.

The final team for the day, at number 15 I have RD's New York Knicks. They were in the playoffs last season. They had home court advantage. Julius Randle was the MOP, an all star and an all NBA guy. Derrick Rose is back and looks like the best version of his veteran self. They signed Kemba Walker. I know he hasn't been that good as of late, but playing in the Garden, where he shined in college, that has to add something to his game. They overpaid for Evan Fournier, but the dude knows how to score in the NBA. He will inject some life into the second unit. RJ Barrett has quietly gotten better every year. And now that his jumper looks good, he could vault into a solid starter and twenty point per game kind of guy. Immanuel Quickley was a revelation. He is so much fun to watch and he has no conscience when shooting the ball. Mitchell Robinson is fully healthy and in a contract year. He will return to form. Obi Toppin is going to get more playing time and he will grow into a solid player. Nerlens Noel is still a good rim protector and rebounder. Taj Gibson is the vet every team wants. And Alec Burks can put up forty on any given night. The Knicks surprised a lot of us last year. They return pretty much everyone from a team that was the four seed last year. This team is here to stay and it feels good to have a good Knicks team in the NBA.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Happy Birthday Dad

Today is the other important birthday I want to touch on. My daughter’s was yesterday and my dad’s is today. He turns 71.

I know everyone, most everyone that is, says their dad is the best, but my dad is better than anyone else’s dad. It’s true. I’m sorry if this bursts anyone’s bubble, but it’s a fact. He’s been there for everything in my life and my brothers lives. He’s always been around. He’s never missed a game, event, wedding, graduation or any other important moment in our lives. He’s even there for the unimportant moments. My dad was my coach growing up. He taught me how to play sports. He taught me how to lose and win. He taught me how to react in those scenarios. He showed me how to play catcher in baseball. Then when I wanted to play third, he taught me the proper way to do that. It was the same with pitching. In basketball, when I was a small kid, he taught me how to dribble and pass like a guard. As I thickened up a bit he taught me how to rebound, box out and tip shots back in. He always had me play sports with older kids to hone my skills. When I finally got to high school and my folks let me play football, he helped me to learn how to properly tackle and play fast.

My dad also helped with things outside of sports. My dad gave me the sex talk. I’m sure he was sick of doing it, me being the fourth kid, but he did it anyway. He helped me when I struggled with geometry and chemistry in high school. After I flunked out of two colleges, both of which my parents footed the bill, he helped me with my third try, even though I was paying for it. I passed school with a 4.0 then. When I met my wife he would constantly tell me to marry her. When I said I was going to propose his response was, “it’s about damn time”. He gave a tremendous toast at our rehearsal dinner. He was a blast at the wedding. He’s been an excellent and involved papa to his four grand kids.

As I’ve gotten older my favorite thing to do is go get coffee with my dad. We go out once a week to a local shop, just him and I, and we shoot the breeze over some cold brew. It’s my favorite thing. I look forward to it every week. It’s so awesome to have this one on one time with my dad. I can complain about things and he lets me vent. We talk sports and it’s great. We even have debates about coffee now, as if I even know what I’m talking about. He’s helped to get me more involved in politics and science. These coffee dates are the cherry on top of the pie.

My dad is my absolute best friend. I don’t think I’d be where I am right now if it weren’t for both of my parents. They get me. But my dad and I have a very special bond. When my wife and I chose to live in Saint Louis it was so we could be close to our folks. I love you dad. Enjoy your dad. You’ve earned it. Happy birthday to the GOAT.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty is Having a Sunrise Sunset Moment on His Daughter's Birthday

The next two days I’m going to take a break from my NBA preview because there are two very important birthdays that I’d like to take some time to tell you all about. I’ll get back to the countdown on Monday, so don’t fret.

The first birthday, today in fact, my daughter turns six. I know six may not seem like a big deal to most people, but this one has hit me a little different. My wife and I are done having kids. After we found out our second was going to be a girl I scheduled my vasectomy. We got what we wanted. Two kids, a boy and a girl, spaced about four years apart. It’s perfect. We got very lucky. And as you all know very well by now I’m a stay at home dad. It’s the best job in the world. Since my son was a year and a half I’ve been home with both kids. It’s amazing. I get to see it all. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. But now that my daughter is six, in kindergarten, both of my kids are in school five days a week seven hours a day. This is the first time in a little over eight years I’ve had this kind of time to reflect, think, do what I want to do sans kids. It’s good but it’s also sad. And with my daughter I’ve been there since day one. I saw the first steps. I heard the first words. I changed the majority of the diapers. I did the play dates. I took her to preschool and picked her up. We had lunch dates everyday together while her brother was at school. We hit up every playground in our area. But now that she’s a kindergartner, a six year old, she’s making new friends. I’m not as cool as I once was. She wants to see her friends, play with them, do fun things with them. That’s great, it just kind of bums me out. But it’s also a delight to see her growing into the person she will be. She’s changed so much these past six years. I can’t wait to see how much she changes in the next six years. She’s gotten so clever. Her sense of humor is off the charts. She’s so very intelligent. She reads better than I ever have in my life. She’s whip smart with comebacks. She’s strong willed. She’s tough. She’s not afraid of anything, except bugs. She’s beautiful. She makes all of us at home smile and laugh at least once a day. She’s the perfect little human being. I love her so very much. She was the missing piece to our family puzzle. We had the son, the dog, the house with a fence. All we needed was our little spitfire to keep us on our toes.

I love you Audrey girl. Happy birthday. I’m so proud to be your dad.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Spurs, Wizards, Raptors, Pacers

Welcome to day three of my NBA countdown. We are getting closer to playoff teams. The teams today have a good shot to be in the play in.

At 22 I have the San Antonio Spurs. Greg Poppovich is still the head coach, he’s coming off a gold medal and he’s the GOAT. But this is a totally different team. DeMar DeRozan is gone. LaMarcus Aldridge left last season. Manu, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan have long retired. And Patty Mills, the original Spur, left for Brooklyn. What the Spurs have is young talent, especially at guard. I’m a big Dejounte Murray fan. The kid can play. He’s gotten better every year. And now they he’s “the guy” I think he’s going to make a leap. Derrick White has moments here and there. If he can do that more consistently he’s going to become a key starter. Lonnie Walker hasn’t popped quite yet, but it feels inevitable. Keldon Johnson was on Team USA, the people in the building love him and he goes hard every night. Jakob Poeltl seems to have found his role nicely. The young guys are good. I’m not as big a fan of some of the off-season moves. Doug McDermott is no more than a spot up shooter. Thad Young is good but he should be a bench guy. Brynn Forbes is a good shooter, but he barely played in the playoffs last season. Al Faroq-Aminu seems well past his prime. And Zach Collins has never been healthy. I’ll never count the Spurs out while they still have Pop. I also love the young talent they have.

At 21 I have the Washington Wizards. They made a playoff run through the play in, and I think they could be better this season. Brad Beal is great. He’s an all star. He’s one of the best scorers in the league. And he’s loyal. I totally disagree with his opinion on vaccines though. He doesn’t need to do research. Just get the vaccine. They acquired Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope from the Lakers. Kuzma played good defense and became a solid cutter. Caldwell-Pope can shoot and play d. these were good gets in the Westbrook trade. They also went out and got Spencer Dinwiddie. We will see how he’s recovered from his ACL injury, but he’s always been able to put the ball in the bucket. I like Rui Hachimura. He has added to his game and looks ready to make a jump. Davis Bertans can shoot. Thomas Bryant has shown he totally belongs. The jury is still out on Deni Avdija. We will see. Montrezl Harrell is a nice bench guy. Aaron Holiday will give them good backup point guard minutes. The Wizards seem much more put together. They have a better group of guys. Beal needs to get vaxxed. Otherwise though this team should be in the playoff race all year.

At 20 I have the Toronto Raptors. They’re back in Toronto. They’ve moved on from star players that are older. And the young talent should be healthy. Fred Van Vleet is awesome. He’s gotten better every year. He’s more than earned his spot in the league. Pascal Siakim had an off year, but this whole team did. He was hurt too. He’s on his way to being a key starter in the NBA. He’s good. Last year feels like an anomaly. Scottie Barnes needs time, but he could be a jack of all trades. He was good his lone season at FSU. He has the tools. Goran Dragic was a solid get in the Kyle Lowry trade. Lowry is better, but Dragic can play. Previous Achiuwa looks like he’s going to be good for awhile. OG Anounoby can be great if he can stay healthy. He’s so good. Khem Birch is a very good rebounder and defender. Chris Boucher looked real, real good last year. The fact that he can shoot threes now is a big deal for this team. And Gary Trent Jr is an okay enough bench guy. The Raptors are the East’s version of the Spurs. Last year was a fluke. Don’t sleep on this team.

The final team for today, at 19 I have the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are wheats tough. Even when the roster is thin, they still find a way to win much more than they should. That is this team. A lot changes if the Ben Simmons rumors are true, but we will just go along today as if they don’t trade for him. Caris Levert is legit. He’s good. He can score from anywhere. He plays tough defense and he’s getting much needed playing time. Damontas Sabonis is an all star. He’s a great passer, adequate shooter, good defender and rebounder and the offense runs through him. Myles Turner is a defensive monster. He’s so good in that end of the floor. Malcolm Brogdon is just a solid player. And the way he exploded on the Hornets last season was a great sign. If they get a healthy TJ Warren he adds a whole new level of offense off the bench. Chris Duarte was a solid pick. He’s NBA ready right now as a rookie. TJ McConnell is a pest. He and Turner would be a nightmare to play against. Jeremy Lamb, when healthy, is a good bench scorer. And Justin Holiday is a solid backup. The Pacers will be in the hunt all year for the playoffs. Again, if they get Simmons it changes their outlook. But right now they should be a lock for the play in.

That’s it for today. Come back for the next four teams tomorrow. That will be the start of my playoff teams.

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.

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Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Cavs, Kings, Timberwolves, Hornets

Welcome to day two of my NBA countdown.

Coming in at 26 I have the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs do have a feeling of a team trying to win, but it’s just not working out. I’m a big Colin Sexton fan. The kid can play ball. He’s a good scorer, good at getting to the rim and has improved both of his years in the NBA. All the trade talk and everything else surrounding him is nonsense. Darius Garland is proving me wrong. I thought he’d need more time, but he’s shown he belongs. He’s a good guard and I feel like he’s going to take a leap. I love love love Evan Mobley. I fear he’ll get buried on the bench but this kid needs to play. He’s got all the gifts and tools to be a great modern big in the NBA. Isaac Okoro had a solid rookie year. I’m a big Jarrett Allen fan. I love his Afro but I love his rim protecting even more. Then it gets iffy. Denzel Valentine is not great. They need to trade Kevin Love. I don’t like the Lauri Markannen signing because he’s taking minutes from Mobley. I don’t get why they signed Ricky Rubio. They already have better, younger guards. Tacko Fall will barely see the floor. And Dylan Windler is just Jimmer Fredette 2.0. This is a weird roster. They need to go fully young and build around those guys. The off-season suggests they may go in a different direction though. Either way they’re a lottery team.

At 25 I have the Sacramento Kings. This team is in purgatory. They’re stuck. De’Aron Fox deserves so much better. He is so good but he’s going to go nowhere with the Kings. He’s an all star stuck on a very poorly run team. Buddy Hield clearly wants out. He almost got his way, but now he’s back to shoot threes and do little else. Richaun Holmes should be a glue guy on a playoff team. In Sacramento he’s a starter playing far too many minutes. Marvin Bagley cannot stay healthy and it seems like he wants out. Davion Mitchell was a good pick, if this team didn’t have Fox. He’s barely going to play. Tyrese Haliburton had a great rookie year, and I see him blossoming if he gets to leave this team. Harrison Barnes’ talent is being wasted. And then it’s a bunch of G League guys. The Kings need to make a ton of changes to get this team back to relevance. Maybe a trade for Ben Simmons could wake this franchise up.

At number 24 I have the Minnesota Timberwolves. I think they could be in the play in with their talent. Their talent just cannot stay on the floor together. Karl Anthony Towns is amazing. He went through hell this past year too. He’s so skilled offensively. He knows how to score. He’s a great rebounder too. He’s just not very good on defense. He needs to be better. D’Angelo Russell can score and run an offense, but he’s been injured more than not, and he’s a zero on defense. I am a big time Anthony Edwards fan. That kid is awesome. He’s got the right attitude for the NBA. He dunks the hell out of the ball. His shot got better. He went toe to toe with Steph in a game last year. I have nothing bad to say about him. Patrick Beverly was a nice addition who will play a ton of defense. He’s no good on offense. Taurean Prince had one solid season but he hasn’t played that well in awhile. Malik Beasley is a good bench scorer but he thinks he should start. Josh Okogie played so much better with Team Nigeria in the Olympics than he ever had with Minnesota. Naz Reid is a good big man, he just needs more time. Like I said, this team can make the play in if they stay healthy. That’s a big if.

The final team for today, at number 23 I have the Charlotte Hornets. LaMelo Ball is legit. That kid can play. He is the player to build around. On the other hand I despise Gordon Hayward for so many reasons. The main one is that he’s not that good anymore. He’s oft injured and seems to have a bad attitude. I love that they took James Bouknight in the draft. He’s instant offense off the bench for them. He’s going to light it up. Miles Bridges is a good pick and roll guy who works great next to Ball. Terry Rozier made bank after one good season. He hasn’t lived up to that season, but he’s still getting paid she he can still score. I like that they’re taking a chance on Kelly Oubre Jr. He’s got some good skills, he just needs to okay more. He’ll get that opportunity in Charlotte. PJ Washington is a solid reserve. He usually starts in Charlotte. Mason Plummer was a wasted signing. Kai Jones will bounce between the G League and the NBA, but he has a ton of upside. Other than that it’s all question marks. The Hornets were in the play in last year, and they were crushed by the Pacers. If Ball takes a leap I could see them back in the thick of the play in again. That’s it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next 4 teams.

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.

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Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Thunder, Pistons, Rockets, Magic

The NBA season is about two weeks away. I know it seems like it just ended, and it did, but the league is getting back on their regular calendar. The pandemic has made everything crazy, and the pro sports leagues are just trying to get back on track. With that, I'm going to start my NBA countdown for the 21-22 season today. I'll do this just like I do my other leagues, going from who I consider the worst to the best. I'll do four teams a day and end it with a full prediction blog. These are some of my favorite blogs to write because I love the NBA so much. Okay let's get to it.

At number 30 I have the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is all exactly what they have wanted. When they traded Harden, couldn't re-sign KD and mercifully traded Russell Westbrook, they had a full rebuild in mind. The good news for the Thunder is they have a billion draft picks and Shai Gilgeous Alexander to build around. SGA is awesome. He is a future all star. He has all the tools to build a team around. This kid is legit. Lu Dort is a hounding defender. If he can start to shoot some he could be a solid starter. Darius Bazley showed flashes last season. Derrick Favors is a fine vet to have on a young team. Outside those guys it is kind of rough. Josh Giddey can shoot, but he is a rookie. Alex Pokuusevski is super raw. Mamadi Diakite can block shots, but doesn't do much else. Ty Jerome isn't that good. Isaiah Roby and DJ Wilson do not see the floor. The Thunder are not good now, but if they keep SGA, get Lu Dort to expand his game and cash in on some of their picks, they will be a threat in about 3-4 years.

At number 29 I have the Detroit Pistons. They have Cade Cunningham. He looks like he should be the real deal. He was a great scorer his one year in college and looked good in summer league. They also have Saddiq Bey. He is proving to be a solid all around player. If he can hone his shot he could be very good. Jerami Grant is a really good player and betting on himself totally paid off. He is doing loads of good things for this team. But that seems to be where the "good" of this team stops. Josh Jackson is a bust. Hammidou Diallo is an awesome athlete, but he is way too out of control. Luka Garza is trash. Killian Hayes is completely unproven. Corey Joseph is old. Trey Lyles has never been able to stick anywhere. Isaiah Livers is coming off an injury in college. The Pistons are in a tough spot. They need time to rebuild. Cunningham, Grant and Bey are a solid core, but they need tons and tons of help.

At number 28 I have the Houston Rockets. I think they knew they were going to be in a tough situation when they traded Harden last season, but they did get a slew of picks and they have a ton of future leverage just like the Thunder do. Jalen Green looks every bit the part of a future star. He got great experience while playing for G League Ignite last year. He went toe to toe with Cunningham in summer league. He was on fire until he got a tweak in his leg and sat out the rest of the games. Kevin Porter Jr looked so much better after spending some time in the G League last season. He has bounced around a bit, but the talent has always been there. He should continue to grow. Alpernon Sengun has been on everyone's mind since summer league, where he shined, and I'm excited to see how he plays in real games. After these 3 the team falls off a cliff. John Wall will not play for them this season. Eric Gordon will also most likely be traded before the season starts, or very soon after. Avery Bradley has already left the team. Usman Garuba was a popular pick, but he is so raw. I'm not as high on Christina Wood as other people are. He seems like a good stats on a bad team guy. He is empty calories. Jae'Sean Tate showed flashes, but I need to see more. David Nwaba is incredibly raw. I think the Rockets will be fun to watch because of Jalen Green, but this team will not win more than 25 games all season.

The final team for the day, at number 27 I have the Orlando Magic. I was a fan of them finally blowing it up last season to rebuild. But the rebuild is going to take some time. Cole Anthony has the goods, but he needs time to develop into a true NBA point guard. Mo Bamba simply cannot stay healthy. Ignas Brazdekis is a G League guy. Wendell Carter Jr has the skill, but it has not translated well to the NBA yet. We all know about the Markelle Fultz saga, and while he has looked better in Orlando, he still can't shoot. Johnathan Issac is more focused on not getting vaxxed than playing basketball. RJ Hampton hasn't lived up to the hype and Gary Harris has crashed back to Earth after one good season. Robin Lopex and Terrence Ross are well past their prime. As is E'Twaun Moore, What the Magic need to do is keep Anthony as their point guard, let Jalen Suggs play the 2 and work Franz Wagner in to be their star defender and 3 point shooter. Build off those three and hope that some other players hit or that they get good draft picks. The time had come to rebuild, but Magic fans are going to have to be very patient again. That may be worrisome, but that is where this franchise is right now.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams.

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

"Squid Game" is Tops in the Design Department

Like most of the rest of the country I am watching the Netflix show "Squid Game". My dad told me about it a week ago, he has since finished and I am five episodes deep as of this writing. I talked to RD today and he has watched the first episode as well. This show has made it to number one in America on Netflix for a reason. People are talking about it.

I am not going to spoil a thing in the blog today. Seriously people, you need to watch this show ASAP. It is one of the most interesting and cool and unique and innovative shows that I have ever seen. It will blow your mind. I also suggest that you watch it with the English dub if you do not speak or know Korean. I tried to watch with subtitles, but the show is so involved, there is a ton of dialogue and since I am a dumb American it is easier for me to follow along watching the dubbed version. Other than that, the only other recommendation I would give is to avoid any and all spoilers and just watch the show without knowing anything going in.

I do want to point out one thing I think this show does better than almost any other show out there, and it has no spoilers at all. "Squid Game" has, I believe, the best set design in television. I have been blown away as much by the design as the plot. I see all these humongous set pieces and I am awed. Seeing all the colors, it is like the greatest set of crayons you could ever get. Seeing the playground equipment, how big and menacing it is, it is a sight to behold. The bed rooms the contestants have is so grimy and absolutely perfect. The places where the games take place are brightly lit and beautifully shot. I feel like that has a ton to do with how they designed the set.

But the crème de la crème is the humongous piggy bank they have in the warehouse where they live. This is not a spoiler because it shows up midway through the first episode, and it is a mainstay. The piggy bank plays a big role in the show. The piggy bank is clear, but it has ears, a nose and eyes, it is a perfect looking piggy bank. It is like the childhood banks people in my generation had in their rooms. I had a few piggy banks that looked exactly like the one they use in the show, just not clear. Making it clear was a presumptive idea, and it has totally paid off. To see what is inside, the amount of cash after that first episode makes it all the better. The fact that it is the only light in the warehouse at nighttime, when they shut the lights off, makes the piggy bank almost inviting and menacing. It is so perfect and so cool. I love seeing it. I would 100 percent wear a t-shirt with this exact piggy bank on it. I think they should use the piggy bank as the symbol for the show. When you turn on Netflix and go to find "Squid Game", I want it to be this enormous bank. That would make the show even more enticing in my opinion.

"Squid Game" does everything perfectly. The show is amazing. It is wild, it is crazy, it is a mind f. And the set design, particularly this piggy bank, make this one of the best shows on TV, streaming or otherwise. These sets are a treasure for the viewer. Watch this show for so many reasons. But if you need an entry, check it out to see the amazing set pieces they have. They are incredible.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Aldi's Maple Leaf Cookies are the Winner of Fall Sweet Treats

With it being officially fall, and due to my dislike of the pumpkin spice latte, I do try to find fall like snacks to have around the house. I’m not big on ginger, so that’s not an option. I despise candy corn so there’s no way I’d buy any of that. I try to keep the candy to a minimum prior to Halloween because I’d just end up eating it all. As for drinks, hot chocolate is about as sweet as I’ll go, and some might say that is a winter drink. Hell, I’d agree. But I did find, well was told about, a very tasty fall treat.

I do the grocery shopping as I’ve mentioned before, and I do the majority if it at Aldi. Aldi is a lower priced store than say a Schnucks or Kroeger or whatever your local big chain grocery store may be called. They also have great produce, solid protein and, what I will be talking about today, great cookies. Aldi does a thing where they put out random items, usually seasonal, and all us shoppers buy them quick. I was at Aldi two weeks ago and my wife texted about some cookies a co worker mentioned to her. She didn’t know the name, but she said they were shaped like a leaf and she was pretty sure they had maple in the title. I found them pretty easily. They are Benton’s Brand Maple Leaf Cookies. The maple cookies are simple enough. They do look like a leaf, a maple leaf, and they have a maple cream in the middle. It’s like a leaf shaped Oreo, only bigger and not chocolate. It’s a sandwich cookie. I bought them for my wife not expecting to eat any. She came home, tried them and told me I had to try one immediately. I did, and oh boy are these cookies fantastic. Now you have to have a very sweet tooth like me to enjoy these. They are extremely sweet. But they are so tasty too. The leaf cookie is crunchy and adds a perfect texture. They aren’t crunchy like a hard cookie, say a ginger snap or a Vanilla Wafer. They’re more so like a short bread. I love a good short bread cookie. So to have the “bread” of this sandwich cookie taste like short bread, that’s a big time win. But the maple cream, that is what takes this cookie over the top. It looks like the Oreo filling, but there’s more and it’s sweeter. It has maple syrup in the cream. There’s also granulated sugar. And whatever else they need to add to make this cream so goddamn good. I love it so very much. I will take the cookies apart, get the cream all on one side and make multiple double stuff cookies to eat. I’ll also eat the cream and cookie separately. That cream is so tasty. It is also what gives this cookie the “fall” flavor for me. Fall flavors are sweet and make you feel good inside.

This cookie delivers tenfold on that. It’s so sweet. I love eating them. And I’m pretty sure they’re my new favorite cookie. Probably my new favorite fall treat. I know of some other stores that sell something similar, which I think is great. I’d rather have a box of these cookies than one sip of a pumpkin spice latte. These cookies are the best. Go find them anywhere you can. They’re so good.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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The Tragedy of a Broken Phone

Last night when arriving home from softball I put my wallet, water bottle and phone on top of my car. I do this a lot. Some might say too much. But nothing truly "bad" has happened. That streak came to an end last night.

While putting things away in my trunk I heard something slide down. I assumed it was my water bottle. It was, but my phone also slid down into the crack between my trunk and car door. I thought nothing of it and went to retrieve my stuff. Well when I grabbed my phone it was completely turned off. I did not turn it off. I was listening to a podcast when I was doing this in fact. The fact that the pod stopped playing should have been my first clue that something was off. When I grabbed the phone I noticed that my screen protector was really warped and my case had some dings on it. That was when I knew something was messed up. The fact that this stuff was warped, that the pod shut off and that I couldn't turn my phone on had me nervous.

When I got inside I took a deep breath and realized that my phone was totally broken. It wouldn't turn on. I tried all the tricks. My wife has an iPhone so I looked up what to do. I tried all the tricks and came up empty every time. This was not good. Usually after softball I like to play on my phone in bed after I shower. It is my way of winding down. I know these are totally first world problems as well. I do not mean to sound like an asshole. When I figured I couldn't play any games or read any stories on my phone the usual anxiety set in for me. I had so many questions dancing in my brain. "What if they can't fix it"? "Can I go to the Genius Bar without an appointment"? "How can I set an appointment if my phone is not working"? "What if my kids need help in school"? "This is not going to be good". "This is going to be expensive". "I'm probably going to have to buy a whole new phone". All of that, and so much more, was making my mind race. I'm a worrier, and when something goes wrong I think of the worst possible outcome. It is never the simple answer for me.

Of course I was able to walk to the Apple Store and tell them what was wrong this morning. The worker there told me they see this problem all the time. I have insurance on my phone. I don't have to buy a new one because they can fix it in store for me. My kids are good, and school can always contact my wife if there is a real emergency. I didn't think about any of those things, any of the stuff that happened mere hours ago.

So while I sit here and wait for my "new" phone, they just replaced the messed up parts inside of the phone, to set back up I have begun to think about my attachment to this little piece of metal and plastic. We all are addicted to our phones and devices. It is a real problem. "Black Mirror" has a great episode about this very thing in their most recent season. I was worried and couldn't sleep well because I didn't know what I would do without my cell phone. I understand that they are incredibly useful and needed, but to put myself through the worry, that upsets me. My phone isn't the end all be all. I have plenty of other things to do in the home that I own with my wife and kids. I have books galore I can read. I have guitars. I have a basketball hoop. But I let myself worry about my phone. I need to make some changes. A missing phone shouldn't add that much stress to my life. Who cares that I wasn't available when most people are asleep or at work. My phone is still in the process of updating, which will most likely take another hour or so, but I'm not just going to sit here and wait for it to be done before moving on with my day. I'm writing this. I'm going to go for a run soon. I have to take out the trash and water my grass. I have plenty of things that are not phone related that need to be done.

The lesson? I'm going to set a goal for myself to not be as connected to my phone as I was before. What I did last night was a bonehead move, but it has definitely made me reconsider how much time I spend on that thing. Changes will be made. That is my main lesson from all of this. Let's connect in other ways than just our phones.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "The Other Two"

A show I really enjoy just wrapped up their second season, "The Other Two".

When this show premiered two years ago I was immediately on board. I'm a big Drew Tarver fan. I have followed him on all the podcasts he appears on, and he is always one of the funniest people. He has a true comedic gift and I was glad he was getting a shot to do that in a co-starring role. I didn't know who Helene Yorke was prior to this show, but I have since become a fan. She is funny, she has great timing, she can do dramatic stuff and she is my absolute favorite on the show. Molly Shannon, Ken Marino, Case Walker, Wanda Sykes and Josh Segarra all add great stuff, but this show is all about Yorke and Tarver.

The premise hasn't changed much since season one. Tarver and Yorke are still living in their little brother's shadow and now their mom is the biggest daytime talk show host. But things have gotten a bit better for them. Tarver hosts a lot of short internet talk shows. This is one of the best parts about this season. Seeing Tarver's character doing a job he hates is pretty hilarious, but also relatable. Yorke ended as Chase's, her little brother, manager in season one, and now this season she takes over as her mom's manager and she becomes a much wanted manager in TV. Both of the kids are doing better, but they are still not as big as their brother and mom. I really liked how they skewer Hollywood and acting and managing and everything that goes into a job like that. The managing stuff was great. Yorke is always working, always tired, always sick, but never stops working. She can't for one, but she also seems to like the responsibility. She also is looking out for herself. But she does have quite a few moments of realization that are perfect. When she buys a humongous apartment but is lonely, I loved that. Her feelings for her ex were excellently played by both actors. When she realizes she has pushed her mom too much, that was heartbreaking. Yorke is masterful in this role. She is perfectly cast. She does her job so well. I love her acting in this show.

Tarver's character has quite a leap this season. He has his first real boyfriend, who he eventually splits with in a very sad scene. He has the hosting jobs, but as I stated earlier, he wants more and he strives for more. He gets himself back into the dating scene pretty hilariously. He gets and loses and gets an acting job in a movie all within three episodes. The way he gets the role finally is so funny and so poignant to modern times and the internet. Tarver, much like Yorke, is simply perfect in this show. He gets to do more wildly comedic stuff, but he also shows depth and drama chops.

I love that these two young actors are finally getting a chance to really show what they've got, and they are crushing it right now. I was also very happy with the switch to HBO Max. The show used to be on Comedy Central, but for whatever reason they moved over to HBO Max. This has allowed them to be more blue. The comedy can be broader. They can use profane language. You can get real reactions to tough situations. And HBO does make and produce quality TV shows. It was a solid and smart move.

Look, I love this show and I highly recommend it. Watch it anyway you can. It is definitely worth watching. HBO Max also has both seasons on, so you can binge it whenever you want. Watch "The Other Two". It is the hidden gem you've been waiting for.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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We Do Not Yet Understand the World Our Kids are Growing Up In

Wikipedia

Both of my kids have been back in school for about a month now. My daughter is in kindergarten and my son is a fourth grader. We did virtual for nine weeks last year, but sent both kids back when we found out that our school district was following what the doctors and scientists were saying. They wore masks, did great contract tracing, we were notified every time there was a case, the district really did a solid job.

When this year started we were definitely going to send the kids back. Again, there is a mask mandate, most of the teachers are vaxxed, hopefully 5-11 years olds will be able to get vaxxed soon, it is pretty much the same as last year. We have, again, been very happy with how they are handling school during this pandemic. The other night something happened though that shook all of us adults to our core.

The kids had school pictures recently. They both came back great. I'm biased, but my kids are adorable so they always take great pictures. My son looked sharp. Nice combed hair, good smile, looked good and his picture was great. My daughter is very pretty but she doesn't like to follow directions all that much. Her picture is great, but she has taken better pictures. She is much more of a candid photo kid. So when her pictures came back she had a very forced smile and her hair was wild. She refuses to let any of us put it up so it just flies around. She has a ton of hair too. She also does this weird thing with her shin when someone tells her to smile. She juts it out. It is very forced. You can tell she doesn't want to do it, but she knows she has to for the picture. So we got together with some family members the other night. Don't worry, everyone who is eligible is vaccinated. We all got vaccinated as soon as we could. So we all felt safe enough to have a remake Thanksgiving since we missed last year. At one point during the dinner, when the kids were playing, my wife brought up the school pictures. No one else had seen them besides us and our folks. My wife took photos to have on her phone and we were showing them off. It was pretty fun. Seeing their aunts and uncles reactions was priceless. Everyone we were with was very funny and quick witted. So of course when we showed off our daughter's picture, jokes were made. It was all in good fun. No one was being mean. Again, my daughter is beautiful so we are all so shocked when we see the way she fake smiles now.

After we talked and laughed for awhile one of my daughter's aunts called her over to ask a question. The aunt's question was simple enough, "what did they tell you when they took this picture?". See, pretty simple. My daughter's answer is what crushed us all. Most five years olds would say that they were told to smile or comb their hair or that the photographer told them a joke. My daughter said, "they told me to take my mask off". We all gasped. At that moment, those eight words crushed us. We all realized how different a world our kids are growing up in right now. We never had to deal with this when we were that young. There was no pandemic when I was five. We didn't live in a world where quarantine and social distancing were a thing. We didn't have all these restrictions. I think what hit us the most was how nonchalant my daughter was about it. This is the world she lives in. She understands how important it is to be masked. She gets it. It has never been a problem for her. She is so good about wearing her mask. In a way I was proud of how she answered. But man what a shock it was to hear her say that. She is growing up in a wildly different world than any adult in over 100 years. But, I say again, I'm proud that she knows the right thing to do, and why it is important to wear a mask. But that quote will stay with me, and I'm sure the other five adults that were at that dinner.

That really shook us up.

Ty

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

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Reese's Fast Break is the Greatest Candy Bar Ever Made

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On Tuesday's my son goes to a different school. He is in our school district's gifted program and the kids in it go to a whole different building. He loves it, but his day is much longer. He doesn't get out of class until 4:30. My daughter is still in kindergarten so she is not eligible to be tested yet for the gifted program. So I pick her up at 3:55 every day.

That means on Tuesday she and I have a half an hour to kill before we get my son. This means we usually go on mini adventures. These adventures always end with us getting treats. She gets one, she picks out one for her brother and I get myself something. We never go nuts because we eat dinner around 6 or 6:30 and we do not want to spoil our appetite. Lately I have been getting myself a small candy bar. It is a nice little sugar rush, and not getting the king size stuff makes me feel like it is worth the carbs. And the past two weeks I have gotten myself the Reese's Fast Break candy bar.

I am here today to say that this is the greatest piece of candy that has ever existed. I know that there are people out there that have a peanut allergy, my daughter is allergic to them. So I am sorry if this is mean. I'm sorry that you cannot taste the greatness that is a Fast Break bar. But this candy bar is the perfect candy bar. For years and years I have said that Snickers is my favorite candy bar. Snickers are great. They are even better frozen. I devour the mini ones during Halloween. The Fast Break has surpassed it. I cannot believe I just wrote it, but it is true. What Snickers does so great is mixing in the salt and the sweet, but the Fast Break does it better. The fast break has that great chocolate wrapped around it. Whatever Reese's wraps their peanut butter cups in, that chocolate is what surrounds the Fast Break. It is the perfect level of chocolate. Then they have Reese's peanut butter in the middle. It is a log of peanut butter sandwiched in there. Reese's makes the best tasting peanut butter. I love that they sell it in jars in the grocery store now. I buy it when I want a little treat and feel like spending a little extra.I will eat spoonfuls of it plain. It is that good. Then what puts this candy bar above the rest, what I love most about any candy bar that adds this ingredient, the nougat. The nougat is the perfect amount of chewy. It takes this candy bar from good to the GOAT. It is such a little addition but it makes a world of difference. The nougat makes this more candy bar-like. It gives it the chewiness. It makes it complete. It adds so much with so little. It is great. So with the sweet chocolate and nougat you get the perfect amount of sweet. It is exactly what I expect when I eat candy. Then you add on that Reese's peanut butter and it gives you a bit of salt and the protein that peanut butter provides. Snickers does this with the peanuts, but the Fast Break does it better with the peanut butter. The peanuts at times can be too crunchy and take away from the sweetness. With smooth peanut butter you do not have to worry about that. It is so perfect. Every bite is an excellent bite.

There is not a wasted moment when eating a Fast Break candy bar. It is candy bar perfection. It is a candy bar done exactly as they should be. There is not a bad thing to be said about the Fast Break bar. It is the GOAT.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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