Ty Watches "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"

I think we have reached the point of too many superhero movies. I still go to see them, but there’s a lot. When my wife and I went to the movies yesterday we got a preview for yet another “Thor” movie. It looks great, Taika Waititi is directing and I will see it. But damn, it feels like, at the very least, half the movies coming out are superhero based.

I say all this because my wife and I went to see “Doctor Strange 2”. We both wanted to see it, we like multiverse stuff and she took the day off for our anniversary. So we went to the movie before heading to a nice dinner, just the two of us. The movie was fine. It was very down the middle Marvel stuff. It was an interesting story with cool characters and solid actors. But it’s just too much to follow right now, for me at least. As I said, I found the movie enjoyable, but I also have some criticisms of it as well. I was stoked when I saw Sam Raimi was directing. He has made some of my favorite horror/comedy movies. He also did “Spider-Man 2”. But this movie felt old. It kind of looked old too. Raimi is a genius, but this movie felt like he was working in a different decade. There was a bit too much CGI. It felt like they were going to do as much as possible. It was overwhelming at times. The makeup also felt old. That could have been purposefully, but it looked rough to me. The direction also felt rushed at times. Almost like they were pushing to get this movie done. I also enjoy Benedict Cumberbatch. He’s a solid actor. He’s doing really cool stuff. I even like his interpretation of Stephen Strange. But he doesn’t seem like he can, or maybe doesn’t want, to be the star of a MCU movie. My wife made the point at dinner that Dr Strange is much better as an add on character. I couldn’t agree more. It’s great when he shows up in movies, but when he’s the star it is kind of dull and boring. I don’t think Dr Strange is a leading MCU guy. He was much more fun in the latest “Spider-Man” movie. Elizabeth Olsen was dynamite. I have no problem with any choice she made. I just didn’t buy her as the villain. I agreed with every choice she made as Wanda/Scarlet Witch. I was on her side and I don’t think that’s what they were going for. The actor who played America Chavez was good too, but I have zero idea how she’s involved in the MCU. I know nothing about her character, and they didn’t do the best job of explaining who she is and why she matters. The cameos were cool, no spoilers, but this is another case of too much too soon. It is almost as if Marvel is just throwing darts at a board and choosing what fits based on where the dart lands. It’s a bit slap dash. I also found the writing to be very cliche. There were lots of closeups and the actors saying cliche superhero lines. I half expected someone to say something about power and responsibility. Or bring up how it’s a curse to be a hero. It was truly that predictable. I did like the look of the movie. It reminded me of “Inception”. There was a neat fight scene between two Dr Strange’s where they used music notes. I already mentioned my love for Elizabeth Olsen. And Chiwetel Ejiofor chewed scenery in the best possible way. But this was a lower tier Marvel movie for me. I think my wife would agree. It is better than “Thor 2” and “Ironman 2”. I haven’t seen “Morbius”, but I’m sure this movie looks like “The Godfather” next to it. But “Thor 3”, “Guardians of the Galaxy”, “Winter Soldier” and “Black Panther” are far, far superior movies.

Again, “Doctor Strange 2” was okay, but nowhere near what I was hoping or expecting. There’s just too much in that MCU right now. They need to slow the hell down and focus on making a few good movies as opposed to making a million movies all at once.

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.  

I'm Here to Praise my Wife of Thirteen Years

Thirteen years ago I got married. It was the best day of my life. Today we are, obviously, celebrating our anniversary. Today is my ode to my wonderful wife.

My wife rules. She is the best. She is the greatest wife. It has been scientifically proven by myself that no one is even close to her level. She is smart, funny and beautiful. She makes me laugh every single day. She does stuff that still surprises me. We have been together for 15 years as a couple, married for 13 now, and I am still learning new things about her. It is great. She kicks butt at her job. She is the sole breadwinner in our family and we are better off now than we were when we were both working. She continues to crush the working world and seems to get promoted more often than not. She has allowed our family to live a very comfortable life. She rules. She has introduced me to so many things I never even thought of doing. She has made me braver and stronger. She puts up with all my anxiety and OCD tendencies and has made me a better person for it. She has made me face fears that I would have never thought I would overcome. I get on planes now because she is the best support system I could ever have. She makes me strive to be a better husband and dad. I work harder now with my kids. We work on manners, sports and just general everyday things with our kids, and they are pretty well behaved young kids. That is due to us being kickass parents that work in tandem. She has helped me become more open to talking to people that I may not have before. She has helped me become a tiny bit more extroverted than before, and for those that know me, I am very introverted. I am a more open person because of her. She helps keep me in check. If I am running too much, getting too full of myself, acting like everything is about me, she will check me. I need that in my life. That is important to me. And she crushes that aspect of life. Basically my wife is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Life got so much better and more fulfilling 13 years ago when she said yes to marrying me. All the stuff before that is not important. My life didn't truly start until I met my wife and we started to date. Then getting married was the icing on the cake.

I love you more than words can say. I could literally go on and on and on today, but it still would not be enough. I don't have the space to put it all in this blog. She is too perfect and amazing and wonderful and every other good thing one person can say about another person. Happy anniversary. Here's' to year 13 with infinity more. Love you.

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.  

I'm Here For Some Lime Cucumber Gatorade Zero

I gave up Gatorade about ten years ago. It lost all nutritional value I used to think it had, it tasted like straight sugar and water is always a better option for hydration. As I got more involved in the world of running I picked up better hydrating drinks. I use Nuun, Tailwind, Mio and various powders I get from local running stores or in my swag bags from races. But I do like adding this stuff for the flavor. Nothing beats ice cold water when I have been on a long run. Coming inside, grabbing one of my cold water bottles and slamming straight water that is as cold as ice, I get wonderful chills thinking about it. But, when I go on long races, or long runs, I need that flavor. I need that sugar. I crave carbs. I need something that will help me push past the pain. That is why those powders and tablets work so well. But sometimes, mostly lately, I have been craving something that tastes extra sweet, but is made with fake sugar. I understand how bad it is for me, but sometimes it is okay to indulge. I tried regular Gatorade, but that was still much, much too sweet for me. It was like drinking Jolly Ranchers. It killed all the good work I had done.

Gatorade now makes a low carb, fake sugar varietal, Gatorade Zero. I am coming around on this lately. They have some good flavors. The berry is dynamite. The classics, orange and lemon lime are better versions of the original. But a few weeks back I found my new favorite flavor. It is my go to when I want Gatorade Zero for a few reasons. That flavor is lime cucumber.

Sounds gross, no? Well it is far from it. First off, I love a good cucumber water. It is refreshing, the cucumber adds more liquid and it gives it a little flavor. It is like the best flat seltzer you can have. Water with a squeeze of fresh lime is just as good. It has all the same qualities, but it is a bit more sour, which is nice. Marrying the two within the Gatorade lab, amongst all the tastemakers that work there, was genius. It is a beautiful blend of why I like water with lime or cucumber in it. It is the best of both worlds. Then you take the fake sugar and carbs that are in the Zero varietal, it is a match made in heaven. I have found it to be one of my favorite post run drinks. If I am at a gas station, and they have lime cucumber Gatorade Zero, I do not hesitate to purchase one. It is so good. But I think what makes this the best Gatorade product is my kids' aversion to it. My son loves the OG Gatorade. He is a fan. He always asks for one after a game or practice. He usually gets a no, but when I buy him one he is stoked. My daughter is a newcomer to Gatorade, but that girl loves an original fruit punch. She has told me it is like drinking candy. But when they get in my car and see that I have the lime cucumber one, they tell me how gross it sounds. They ask how I can drink it. They want to know why I drink it. They ask me to get other flavors. And I get to tell them that I get it because I like it so much, but also because they dislike it. I know I will not catch them trying to sneak a drink. My son won't ask for one, nor will my daughter. I know this is a drink that I will be able to enjoy all by myself. No 10 or 6 year old will be begging me for a drink or to buy them a whole one. It is totally worth buying it simply for that reason. But add on that it tastes so good, this is a real homerun.

Go try lime cucumber Gatorade Zero. It is delicious, and most kids will not ask to have any. It is great.

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.  

Better Never Than Late on "Old"

I was scrolling the streaming channels we have yesterday and I came across HBO Max. I wanted to watch a movie, and had a little more than 90 minutes before I had to get my kids for the day and I saw that "Old" was now streaming.

I wanted to see this movie when it came out. I feel like this was the first pandemic movie that I had wanted to see in a theater until everything went down with COVID-19. And then I kind of forgot about it. Then "How Did This Get Made" did an episode about it and it reminded me. But then I forgot about it yet again. But then, while channel surfing a week ago, I came across the last 20 minutes of it, so I watched. I was confused, but also interested. Watching the ending did not diminish my want to see the whole movie. So I turned it on after doing my daily stuff and sat back and focused on the movie.

I kind of wish I hadn't focused so hard. I am trying to be less cynical these days, and so far it has been working. I tried to find some kind of good in this movie. I looked past a ton of problems and kept searching for something, anything, that worked. Unfortunately I could not find much of anything. The best thing I can say about this movie is the premise is very interesting. And put in the right hands, could have worked. And I have come around on M Night Shyamalan as of late. "Split" was very good. I've heard very good things about the show "The Servant". I kind of enjoyed "Glass" honestly. So I thought he could have made this work. But he just could not do it. It was far too clunky of a movie. It moved almost too fast but felt slow. It was prodding. The story was convoluted and dull. The actors did the best they could with the material, but it just wasn't up to snuff for me. The kids are kind of annoying at the beginning. I found them to be very cloying and cliche. The parents are in one of those typical "this is our last chance to reconnect, on this family trip". I am not a fan of that trope. The other people that join them on the beach are cliches themselves. The young rapper, who might have the worst rap name ever, Mid Sized Sedan, was boring. The makeup lady with the calcium deficiency was so ridiculous and not scary. Even her death scene, spoiler alert, was so not scary and kind of dumb. Her husband was the psychotic guy who was going through Alzheimers. And he was not convincing. The family of a nurse and his wife who has epilepsy felt so tacked on at the last second. The nurse's demeanor never changed no matter how messed up the situation got on the island. And his wife's death scene, spoiler alert, was totally tossed aside. But I think it was the parents' deaths that bummed me out the most. The dad lost his eyesight, said some cliched lines and died on the beach. The mom had the tumor removed, then lost her hearing and just kind of walked towards the water. And the wrap up scene, where we find everything out was so blase. It was so tacked on. That seems to be the basis of this movie. They just added stuff to fill out 100 minutes. There was no moment when I was legitimately scared. Nothing in this movie made me sit back and think about life. The ending was so simple to figure out. The way they did it was very dull.

I really, really wanted to like this movie. I had very high hopes. But it did not meet my personal expectations. I would recommend it for people that want to see it, and maybe your expectations won't be too high. But this was a miss for me. It was not a good 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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty Watches "Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers"

I used to watch "Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers" as a kid. It is one of the few shows, outside "The Simpsons", that I actually remember watching when I was young. I did not watch many cartoons as a kid. There were other shows, like "American Gladiators", "Sportscenter" and "Good Times" that appealed to me. I just liked real people as opposed to cartoons I guess. But "Rescue Rangers" was different. It was goofy and silly and fun. It was like a lighter "Pinky and the Brain", a show I got to later in life. And I loved "Pinky and the Brain".

When I heard that they were doing a reboot, and making it a movie, I was skeptical. I am usually not the biggest fan of remakes or reboots. Why rehash an old idea that they got right the first time? I just do not like it. Some stuff has worked, but it is few and far between. And fans will argue with other fans if the show or movie or miniseries or whatever is any good. Those people need to calm the hell down. Stop fighting about useless nonsense on the internet. That is for kids. Anyway, I was hesitant. But then I found out that Akiva Schaffer was directing it. I adore Schaffer. I have liked pretty much everything he has done. His group, The Lonely Island, does things that speak to me. I also found out, through Schaffer's internet presence, that Andy Samberg was going to be voicing a main character. This was when I was fully on board. Samberg is one of my all time favorite actors. The dude is funny. He gets it. He knows how to construct, write and deliver jokes. When he teams up with Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, the other Lonely Island member, they make magic. As I said, the three of them know how to get it done. Then I saw that John Mulaney was attached. I like his comedy, so I was happy about it. Then Tress MacNeille signed on. Then Eric Bana. Will Arnett was next. Then I started to see names like Dennis Haysbert, Flula Borg, Keegan Michael Key, Tim Robinson, Seth Rogen, JK Simmons and Rachel Bloom attached to voice characters. This was an even bigger selling point for me. I also saw that Kiki Layne, from "Coming 2 America", was cast as the human lead in this movie. She was great in that, so I figured she would be just fine here.

This movie really worked for me. I loved that they went the "Roger Rabbit" route with it. This movie mixes a bunch of different animation styles with real life situations. And it is from the jump. We meet Chip and Dale in elementary school where they go with all kinds of animated characters and humans. The movie continues this trend when they show them getting their show. This was a great walk down memory lane. And then when we find them away from the show in modern times, they keep up the "Roger Rabbit" aesthetic. The movie is even in the crime/noir/comedy genre. It mixes all three, but it is not as adult as "Roger Rabbit". This is a kids movie. This is made for the family to watch. My son watched it the day after my wife and I, and he thought it was fun. But being that it is a kids movie at heart, I told my wife while watching that I feel like this movie was made for us. This was made for people who are going to be 40, or already turned 40. This is like going back in time. It brings back all your favorite characters from the original, while taking some old classics and making them look not so great. I loved that about this movie. It was nostalgia for me, and I was all in.

I highly recommend “Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers” for everyone, but mainly for people my age that used to watch the cartoon. It is a great walk down memory lane. It was a ton of fun.

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 2022 NBA Finals Preview

The NBA Finals are set. We have our two teams, the Celtics and Warriors. I wrote about a week back how I did not want to see the Celtics in the Finals. I like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but that is about it. I also wrote a thing last week about, even though I am not a fan, how great this iteration of the Warriors is. They are a blast to watch. I will say I am stoked that the Mavs, and the white journalists golden boy Luka Doncic, got their lunch handed to them. I don't want to hear about how "far ahead of their process they are", or "how Luka needs help". They got destroyed by a much, much better team. And Luka was not out there talking his shit like he was in the Phoenix series. He got abused over and over again on the defensive end of the floor. The Warriors attacked the weakest defensive link, and it worked. It was glorious.

Anyway, I want to write my final Finals preview. No more after this. I have been so off on all of my predictions. Take this with a very big grain of salt. I had both of these teams out in the conference semifinals. I was very low on these squads and both teams proved me very wrong. So, breaking this down, and taking in the knowledge of watching these playoffs as closely as I have, this is tough. This is, maybe, the best matchup we could have hoped for. Both teams have weaknesses that the other can exploit. But both teams are defensive dynamos. They can stop pretty much anyone in the league. That is how they both ended up here. If I take off my fan goggles, and just look at it from a pure basketball standpoint, I think I would favor the Celtics. They are slightly deeper. They are younger and more athletic. Their defense is slightly better. They have been the best team in the league since mid January. They beat the Nets, in a sweep, and the Bucks. They also took down the Heat, the one seed in the East, in Miami in game seven. They have the "championship metal" that everyone always talks about. But the Warriors are the god damn Warriors. They have been here before. This is their sixth finals trip in eight years. Steph is, maybe, the greatest point guard of all time. Klay looks like his shot is coming back. Draymond is the best defender in the league, and he has suddenly started scoring again. Jordan Poole has been a tremendous revelation. Kevon Looney is a rebounding machine. Johnathan Kuminga played real minutes in the West Finals. Steve Kerr has proven to be a brilliant coach. This is one of the better, more seasoned teams in the NBA.

I am really finding it hard to find one or two things that separates one team from the other. Tatum is going to be a matchup problem. The Warriors will most likely put Klay on him, but Klay is not the defender he used to be. But the Warriors talk and switch so well. And Tatum has shown a tendency to turn the ball over a good amount. Jaylen Brown will be a problem, but Looney showed he could stay in front of Doncic and Ja, when healthy, so I'm sure he is not scared. Draymond will match up great with any big the Celtics throw out there. But Tatum will be able to guard Klay. Marcus Smart is going to harass the hell out of Steph and Jordan Poole. Al Horford will be the best big Looney has faced. Jaylen Brown should clamp down Wiggins. It is going to be a close series, and that is how the Finals should be. If the Mavs had found a way to beat the Warriors, and they were facing the Celtics, I'd pick the Celtics to sweep. I'd say the same for the Heat if they were facing the Warriors. The Heat may have gotten one win because of Jimmy Butler, but it would have been an easy win for the Warriors. Both these teams earned their spot. Both teams are playing very well. The Warriors are playing better, but they played worse competition. The Celtics ran through a gauntlet, but it is the East, and they are probably tired. Also, Smart and Williams are seemingly game to game time decisions.

This series is going to go the full seven. I have true belief in that. And I think it has the promise of being epic. But I do think, in the long run, that the Warriors will pull it out. The Celtics have won big in other arenas in game seven, but not this time. Oakland is a totally different animal. And with Klay finding his shot, and Jordan Poole blowing up, the Warriors have so many scorers and you cannot guard all of them at once. I also think it would be rad to see this Warriors team, as constructed, with the three original dudes and Steve Kerr, win the title. That would rule. That would make them the modern day Spurs.

So that is my pick, Warriors in seven. Now I just have to wait for Thursday night to watch this series start. I can't wait.

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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

The Warriors are a Pretty Damn Good Basketball Team

Last night I watched the Mavs-Warriors game just to see if they could close out every white journalist's favorite player, Luka Doncic. They did. They won the game with ease. They had a 20 plus point lead at one point. Sure the Mavs cut it to 8, but the game was never really in doubt. This was as easy a closeout win as the Warriors have had since KD was on their team. And before you all think my blog is going to be me dumping on Luka, it is not that at all. I am turning a new leaf. I'm done criticizing people I don't root for all the time. Sure I will still get on some people's heads, but not today.

Today I want to talk about how great this iteration of the Warriors has been for over a decade. This is their sixth finals appearance in eight years. They have had stars come and go, but this team is really all about Steph, Draymond, Klay and Steve Kerr. They have been the core of this squad that just keeps winning. I told RD earlier today that this Warriors team is as close to the late 90's, early 2000's Spurs. They play an extremely pretty version of basketball. The way the ball moves around, the way they pass, the shots they get up, it is a thing of beauty. I am willing to look past all the turnovers because they back it all up with a string of possessions that will have four wonderful passes that leads to an easy layup or wide open three pointer.

I started to really watch the Warriors in the West Semis because they were playing the Grizzlies. I wanted to see how my team played against one of the best teams of all time. They gave it their best shot, but amongst the injuries and lack of shooting, they couldn't pull it out. They did win two games, one of which by almost 50, but it was a series that was never really in doubt. But it was during that series where I started to really respect the Warriors. I am not a Warriors fan. Not by a long shot. But my brother Seth is. My son likes Steph. I have other basketball friends that have been Warriors fans since Chris Webber was traded on draft night to them. So I have watched them for years. But the respect just came last month. It was the ball movement. It was the actions and pick and roll game. It was the open drives to the basket because of how open the floor was. It was a lot of stuff. But the most eye opening thing I noticed this year was their defense. They were suffocating. They were shutting down legit players. Before he got hurt, Ja could not do much against them. They shut down Nikola Jokic with ease. Kevon Looney kind of shut him down by himself. And even though his numbers might look good on paper, Luka Doncic was not nearly as dominant as some would make him out to be. Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green made his life hell on the offensive end. The Warriors defense really stepped up their game. They are not just a team that will shoot you out of the gym. They can still do that, but they can also shut you down.

Which leads me to another point. How good was Andrew Wiggins in this series? I mean, I had given up on him. I was wrong. He was the "Luka stopper". He hounded him for five games. He made it tough. He also found his scoring stroke. He was hitting mid range shots. He was making threes. And he snacthed Luka's soul on that dunk in game three. He almost took Frank Nkilitina's too, but he smartly got out of the way. Wiggins was great. So was Kevon Looney. Man that dude crushed it. He probably out rebounded the Mavs by himself. He was great. Jordan Poole has been a revelation. He is another microwave scorer on this team loaded with them. But what this all really boils down to is the three main guys. Steph was great as ever. He was hitting threes, making pin point passes and doing what he has grown accustomed to doing. He was the rightful WCF MVP. Draymond was as dominant as ever on the defensive end. I always thought he was kind of overrated. Not anymore. He is a genius defender. He was doing some wonderful things. And Klay looked like old Klay. He had eight threes last night. He scored a ton of points in a close out game. He could not be stopped. He was also great on defense. He, again, looked like his former self. Like he had not lost two years due to two ACL injuries. It was astounding to watch him play like he always has. I was openly rooting for him. Finally we have Steve Kerr. I thought he kind of lucked into a cherry job. He took over a team that was already established and didn't have to do too much. Then he got KD. But it was these last couple seasons that have really stood out to me. He had to do a lot with some minimal pieces. He had to find a way to work Andrew Wiggins into this team. He played Looney. He took a chance on Jordan Poole. And he helped keep the core together. He is the mind behind the madness that is this dynastic team.

Again, I am not a Warriors fan, but this team is fun to watch, and no matter who they play in the finals, I will be rooting for them. This is my ode to a wonderful basketball. A team I am happy to say I got to watch in their prime. What a fun, fun modern NBA team.

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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

Nick Saban is a Stupid Head

I have been following all the Nick Saban nonsense. I am a college football fan, and during this time of year there are not too many sports that intrigue me. I love the NBA, but these conference finals have been nearly unwatchable. I do not like MLB. Baseball is boring and dull and takes forever. These run of the mill little league NFL leagues are bad, bad football. And the college sports landscape is really rough right now. So college football news is my go to. And there is no recruiting news I follow because I honestly do not care what an 18 year old has to say. They can make all the verbal commitments they want, that does not mean a thing until they are at the school, and even then things can change. But this story, this particular recruiting story has been impossible and so, so intriguing.

For the non sports fans out there, Nick Saban did a speech a week or so ago and made claims that Jimbo Fisher only had the top recruiting class because he paid every kid to go there. He claimed they all had a promise of instant NIL success if they attended A&M. Saban didn't stop there. He also accused Deion Sanders and Jackson State of giving the top recruit in the country a one million dollar deal to go there. Deion and the recruit instantly went after Saban and let him know how wrong he was. The recruit made a point to say, via Twitter, that, "if I got a million dollars, why is my mom living in a one room apartment with five kids?". It was such a perfect response. Deion went after his neck. Deion called him out over and over again. It was great, and what I expected Deion to do. He stood up for himself and his players. I loved his response. Seriously, go look up his response, it is poetry.

Not to be outdone, Jimbo Fisher went after Saban's neck, throat, heart and his soul. It was brilliant. I loved every single second of his presser following Saban's remarks. It was simply perfect. I also appreciated how Fisher did not talk around how there is rampant cheating in college football recruiting. He called out Saban. He said he thinks he is "god", and "the czar of college football". He also let it be known that Saban isn't the saint that he makes himself, and ESPN for that matter, out to be. He told the reporters to go out there and check on Saban's past, that they wouldn't necessarily be surprised by what they found. But he also never said he didn't cheat. He never said he did, but he also never said he didn't. I know he came out and said that only one of the ten 5 stars they signed has a NIL deal already, but who knows what he is hiding from everyone else. And I like that he didn't say either way how he got such a great class.

What I think this all really boils down to is Saban is frustrated that he doesn't control college football recruiting anymore. My dad has said it many times, but prior to NIL, Alabama and Nick Saban were like an NFL team that had all 30 first round picks. Every kid wanted to go there because they knew they had a straight line to the NFL. They may have had to sit for a year or two, but if they started eventually they were going to get drafted. They also got any transfer they wanted, again for the same reasons. Alabama is like a minor league football team, and the NFL loves them for that. They also love Saban for that. But now with a somewhat level playing field, Saban is frustrated and lashing out. He is making wild accusations. He is yelling and whining and complaining because he is not getting his way. He is acting like a selfish child who cannot just take their ball home. Saban has to deal with a new reality, and he doesn't love it. He's always wanted to be the czar, as so many have made him out to be. He has always wanted to be the Bill Belichek or Greg Poppovich of college football. But it doesn't work that way. Those guys are pros. Those guys are at the highest level. The players they coach make millions upon millions of dollars. College players don't, but now some can. And others can go wherever they want and make money and start right away. The kid at Jackson State, Travis Hunter I believe is his name, decided he wanted to go to a HBCU and play right away. He didn't want to sit out a few years and wait. He wanted to play and show his talent. And maybe he wants HBCU's to get more attention. Or take the kids that signed with A&M. Maybe they have been told they will have a very, very good shot at playing immediately. Maybe some were guaranteed to start. A&M is not some world beater. But with a class like this, maybe they can make some noise. And there are so many other players who made their own choice to go to the school they wanted to and play sooner than they would if they went to Alabama. The NIL has made it, as previously stated, a more even playing field. This has seemed to make Nick Saban upset, and I am here for it all. I'm so sick and tired of his holier than thou attitude. He is not the bell of the ball anymore. He has real competition. And it is pissing him off.

This rules. I hope Jimbo Fisher, Deion Sanders and every other coach in college football continues to go after Saban's neck. That would be best.

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.  

No More

When is enough going to really be enough? I just do not know what to do anymore. I do not know how to keep fighting. I am at a total loss. This cannot continue to happen, yet here we are yet again.

There was another mass shooting in Texas yesterday. The count at this point is insurmountable. It is astronomical. And it just continues to happen. I could easily make a post on social media where I leave the state, date and place different with words surrounding it stating, "there was another mass shooting in America today". I'm sick to my stomach. I just don't get it. I don't understand.

I think this one has hit me harder because it happened at an elementary school. That is one of the few places kids should feel safe. School, their home and their grandparents' home. Those are supposed to be safe places. I see the signs at my kid's school everyday. They are big and they state, "this is a safe space". And I'm sure the school in Texas had a similar sign. Yet here we are. Children are dead. That makes me shudder. Teachers are dead. These people went to school without a care in the world yesterday, and now they are gone forever. It makes me want to cry. I am fighting back tears as I write this. It is so sad.

These actions could, and should, have been avoided. This should not keep happening. We are supposed to be one of the leaders of the world. But guns are such a big part of the US, and it is a real problem. Guns should not be this easy to get. There should be so many more rules than just being 18 years old and not having a criminal record. But nope, that is seemingly all it takes an America to get a weapon that can easily kill people. A psychopath can get one and take it into an elementary school and murder people. I know this sounds harsh, and it may trigger some, but that is what happened yesterday, and seems to happen daily in the US.

I have tried and tried to avoid politics and news for the last few months, and I have been relatively successful. It has really quelled my anxiety. But this story was unavoidable. I saw it everywhere. And I needed to see it. It kind of kicked my butt back into gear. We need gun reform in this country ASAP. I'm sick of waking up every single day and seeing another mass shooting. It is too easy to attain guns in the US. Guns are glorified in this country. People who shouldn't have that power can get it too easily now. We need to make changes. We need to do something. Things need to change and change now. I don't know how we go about that change, and it will be a long hard fight. But it is a fight we need to do, and I am more than willing to fight with like minded people.

I cannot imagine the pain and suffering the families in Uvalde are going through right now. The survivors are going to be traumatized forever. Those parents will never get to see their kids again. The loved ones of the teachers will never get to see them again. My kids both asked me about this yesterday and it was a conversation I have never, ever imagined having with a 10 year old and a 6 year old. I explained to them what happened and they were horrified. These people were no harm. They didn't pose a threat. They did not wake up ready to fight yesterday. They did not expect to lose their lives when they arrived at school. They were just going about their day and then tragedy struck. Again, it makes me both sick and sad. It is an atrocity.

The US is so far behind other countries on gun control. We need to take the lead from other places. We need reform immediately. We need to be better. We need to make sure our kids feel safe. We need to make sure our educators feel safe. We need to do something about guns. I know getting rid of them as a whole is impossible, but we can make it so much harder to get one. We can make it a thorough process. We can make it take months or years of background checks and tests and anything else that may make a mentally ill and deranged person unable to attain guns. I have never held a gun. I despise the notion of a gun. But I know we cannot rid ourselves of them. But we can, and should, make big changes. Please let there be swift action on gun reform. I cannot take these stories anymore. They hurt my soul. My heart breaks for every person that has lost loved ones to mindless gun violence. This is an epidemic in the US, and we have the power to stop it. We just need to take the steps.

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 Watches "Atlanta" Season Three

I finally watched the season 3 finale of "Atlanta" yesterday. I have been waiting until the season was over to really talk about my feelings. Right off the bat, I loved this season. It was weird and stilted and didn't have the original cast in every episode, but I was still just as in as I was with the first two seasons.

For those that may not know, this review will be as spoiler free as possible, season 3 of "Atlanta" went in a totally different direction than it ever has. There were episodes that were completely devoid of any of the main cast. There were stories that did not involve Earn, Darius, Van or Paper Boi. They did separate stories from the main cast. And some of those were my favorites this season. The reparations episode was a thing of beauty. I have gone back and watched that ep a few times. The black and white episode, with college tuition, was a goddamn work of art. That ep was perfectly executed, and it had some of the funniest moments all season long. It also blended all sorts of genres. The first ep of the season was frightening. It was a horror show, and that is how they meant it to go. The story they told was horrifying. It showed me, from the start, that this season was going to be different. And the one with the babysitter and the kid was very odd and very interesting. Some seemed to dislike this episode, but I thought the story they were after was told very properly. So out of ten episodes this season, four did not feature the main cast. And it worked. It was an odd change of pace, but it was also done very well and the episodes were some of the best of the season.

When they did use the main cast, the eps were as good as ever. The second episode of the season was rad. Getting to see everyone again, this time on tour in Europe, was like seeing some old friends you haven't seen in awhile. It was great to see Earn rushing to get somewhere, to see Paper Boi getting in messed up situations, to see Darius high out of his mind and seeing Van just showing up, it was comforting. That ep was wild too, with the Tupac stuff and all the wild racism in Europe. The tour stuff they ended up doing with Paper Boi was interesting. I have to assume Glover took some real life experiences and put it into the show. He has toured all over the country, and I'm sure he has had some wild nights. A lot of the episodes dealt with being high and feeling out of control, and I think the creators of the show nailed how nuts and wild it can be in other countries. The "White Fashion" episode was amazing. I have never laughed or felt as awful after watching 40 minutes of TV. It was excellent. The ep with the party and the tree was really cool. That also gave us a new character, Socks, who left a mark. "Cancer Attack" was cool, and there was some damn good music in that 30 minutes. "New Jazz" was the best episode of the season, in my opinion. It did so many great things in a small amount of time. It also allowed Brian Tyree Henry to really shine. He is magnetic in this episode. There is also a Liam Neeson cameo, and it is nuts. For real. It was crazy. You have to see it. But the whole premise of the story, getting stoned, was done so well and executed expertly. It was a great watch. Second only, for me, to "Teddy Perkins". And the season finale, focusing on Van's journey, was another amazing work of art and let the actor fully shine. Zazie Beetz is electric in this episode. Seeing her journey throughout this season, and all the mental stuff, was done so well. Beetz really, really shined. It could garner some Emmy talk, hopefully. It was great.

All in all, I loved this season. Again, it was weird and different and tells a ton of other, non "Atlanta" stories we have become accustomed to. But it all worked. Everything comes together in the end. It has me excited for how they will close out the series. Season 4 is the last season. But this season of "Atlanta" has me even more all in on Glover and his creative process. He can truly do no wrong at the moment. This season of "Atlanta" further proves it. I liked it, and I liked it a lot. I know some people are divided, but I am not. I was all in and I'm still all in. Season 3 of "Atlanta" is must watch TV.

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 Watches "A Quiet Place 2"

I finally saw "A Quiet Place 2" this past Friday. It was date night, my wife had the pick of the movie and we had both wanted to see this movie. We jumped on it. It was for rent on VOD and it was on sale. It was a true win win.

I adored the first movie. I thought it was a great idea that was perfectly executed. I think it is one of the better thrillers to come out in a long, long time. The way they dealt with the world they created was perfection. It was a movie that stunned me with how good it actually ended up being. But I was on the fence about a sequel. When it was announced I asked myself why. I just did not think they needed to do it. They ended the first one the right way, it was a tremendous hit and it seemed like it had closure. I did not want a sequel. I'm not a big fan of sequels to begin with, and when you get it right, I would not mess with a good thing. Sequels never help in my opinion. But, when this one raked it in at the box office, you could sense they were going to make, at the very least, one more. So going in my expectations were not very high for "Part 2".

Just like with the first one, I was pleased at how much I found myself enjoying the movie. I was fully in on the story. I liked the fact that they went back in time to show the first day that everything went down. It was nice to see John Krasinki in the movie. I appreciate that he wrote and directed this movie. Emily Blunt is tremendous. I feel like she is a criminally underrated actor. She seems to do mostly good work, picks good projects and is really good in whatever role she is given. The kids in this movie were badass. I liked that they made them heroic. The deaf girl rules and the anxious brother comes up big for the family. I thought bringing in Cillian Murphy and Djimon Honsu was a great choice. Those two are great actors, and they brought some gravitas to this franchise. I also love that a good portion of this movie was shot during daylight. You could really see the monsters. You got a good feeling of what they looked like, how scary they actually are. You also got to see how fast and ferocious they could be. I adored the way they used noise again in this one. That is the whole thing with the deaf child and the monsters, the use of noise, and this movie pulls it off yet again. There were tense, silent moments riddled throughout the story. It was perfect. I also appreciate that this movie leans into the horror aspect a bit more. The first movie is more of a family drama/thriller. The second movie, while still dealing with family things, leans much more into the horror aspect. There are tons of jump scares. I made audible gasps at different times while watching. My wife made a few mentions that certain things scared her. It was another in a long line of solid choices from the movie makers. And, like their other decisions, worked. I was genuinely scared. I found myself rooting for the family yet again. I cheered during the conclusion. And when it was all over, and my wife and I sat down and talked about it, I told her I really enjoyed it. It was well made, well acted, had great pacing and was just all and all well done. I had low expectations, and this movie exceeded them. I do hope they stop here. They do not need to make anymore. They did it.

So, if you saw the first movie, or are a fan of the horror genre and have a general idea of the story, I recommend "A Quiet Place 2". It is a solid 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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Boy Was I Wrong About the 2022 NBA Playoffs

I'm here to eat some NBA playoff predictions crow. I was wrong. I was way off. I naturally assumed we would see a rematch of last year's finals. I could not have been more wrong. Everything looked good for me after round one, but since then my "bracket" has gone off the rails. Let’s review.

I had the Grizz beating the Warriors. Well, Ja Morant missed most of the series and the Warriors easily handled them in six games. I had the Heat barely getting by the 76ers. Well, Joel Embiid missed two games, James Harden did what he always does and the Heat won that series in six relatively easy games. I had the Bucks winning their series over the Celtics in seven games. The series did go seven, but the Celtics won. This was the best series of the second round. This was the most competitive. Both teams gave it their all. There were some blowouts, but most games were close to the end. Giannis played great. He further proved to me that he is the best player in the game. He had multiple games of 40 plus points and 15-20 plus rebounds. He also played very good defense, as he always does. He just did not have the help he needed. Khris Middeton was out. That was a much bigger deal than people made it out to be. They needed his scoring. Jrue Holiday played wonderful defense, but his shot was off. Grayson Allen is not a championship player. He totally disappeared. Bobby Portis Jr could not replicate last season. It was clear they miss PJ Tucker. And Brook Lopez was never fully there all year. Oh, and the Celtics are a very, very good basketball team. Jayson Tatum is a top 10 player. He matched Giannis in a few games. He hit big shots. He had one bad game and followed it up with an amazing game. Tatum is legit. Jaylen Brown is a perfect second fiddle. Marcus Smart is crucial to this team. He is the engine that runs it all. Al Horford has found a fountain of youth. Robert Williams is in and out of the lineup, but his presence is felt when he is on the floor. They are expertly coached and they play incredible defense. They are legit. They may be the favorite for the title right now. They beat the Bucks. They did what a champion is supposed to do.

And then we have the Mavs-Suns series. I picked the Suns to win it all. I assumed they were destined this season. They had it all. They were the most consistent team. They were the only team to win 60 games. They were a machine. I did not think anyone could stop them. Well, they stopped themselves and they let the Mavs let it fly. The Suns defense, top five all year, totally vanished. They could not guard the three and they let Luka Doncic do whatever he wanted. Chris Paul played terribly in games 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. He completely disappeared. He looked like Harden. He was so bad. Devin Booker talked his shit, but he could not back it up when it mattered. Deandre Ayton couldn't stay on the floor. Mikail Bridges missed shots he makes all the time. Cam Johnson couldn't buy a three. Cam Payne played really poorly. And Monty Williams, as much as I like him, did not make proper adjustments. The Suns were outplayed and out coached. It is no secret how much I loathe the Mavs, and to see them displace the Suns with so much ease, it was tough. Doncic did what he does. He held the ball, griped at the refs, initiated all the contact and got every white NBA nerd and journalist to essentially cum in their pants. You would have thought he invented the game of basketball the way these people were talking. His teammates showed up too. Reggie Bullock harassed Chris Paul and made threes. Dorian Finney Smith seemingly could not miss from the corner. Spencer Dinwiddie was a microwave. Davis Bertans somehow made shots again. Maxi Kleber found his shot. Even Dwight Powell figured it out after the first two games. The Mavs destroyed the Suns, in Phoenix, in game seven. The Suns had 27 points at the half. It was an all time choke job. And the Mavs, as much as it pains me to write this, earned this series win. And you better believe the Zach Lowe's and Bill Simmons' of the world are letting anyone who will listen tell us how great their beloved Luka Doncic is at basketball.

I really, honestly do not know what happens from here. Knowing my luck as a sports fan we will get a Dallas-Boston finals. I'd rather watch the university of Ohio State and Notre Dame play for the college football title. But I truly think that is where we are headed. Sure the Warriors won game one, but the Mavs have gotten beat in game one of every series. I'm sure the refs have been told to keep a tighter watch on Golden State tonight. And the Celtics dismantled the Heat last night, and they didn't even have Derrick White. So a Boston-Dallas finals feels inevitable. Again, I loathe it, but that is how this postseason has played out. I'd much rather see the Heat and Warriors, but I also really hoped Michigan football was going to beat Georgia in the playoff, and Georgia won the whole thing. So, who knows. At least I get to watch the games with my son, and he doesn't have any built in preconceived hatred for any of these teams. It is neat to watch it through his eyes. That brings me comfort.

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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

Ty Watches "On the Count of Three"

Yesterday I rented the movie "On the Count of Three". I saw a trailer for the movie a few weeks back and was enamored by it. I am a Jerrod Camrichael fan, I liked what I saw in the trailer, there were some other actors in it that I recognized and the story seemed like something I could get down with.

The movie, for those that may not know, is about two friends who decide they are going to kill themselves. They have reached a point in their lives where they simply do not want to go on. And for those of you thinking this has to be a depressing movie, it is a comedy. It is a very dark comedy, and there is a good amount of comedy, and you need to know going into this movie that it is very, very dark, but nonetheless, it is a comedy. There are hard jokes. There were parts that made me laugh out loud on my couch. But it is about suicide. The preview I saw even put the Suicide Prevention Hotline at the beginning. The premise is sad, but it was written by a few funny guys, and Carmichael directed it and he is a comedian by trade. So it had funny stuff in it.

First off, Carmichael was magnetic as the lead. He directed and starred and he nailed both jobs. He plays Val. Val has a ton going on, but he is done. His girlfriend is pregnant, he wants out of the relationship, Tiffany Haddish plays that role, he hates his job and he is over it all. Carmichael does a great job showing a guy that is at the end of his rope. He handles all the elements really well. He isn't spoiled, he is just bored. Christopher Abbot plays his best friend Kevin. Kevin has got some issues. When we first meet him he is in a mental institution because he had tried to kill himself three days earlier. Kevin is depressed, he was sexually harassed by his therapist as a child, the therapist was played by Henry Winkler, he is not in a good mental state, he is filled with problems. He has a great monologue about how maybe he isn't as important as the doctor's at the institution are trying to make him feel. Abbot handles the mental health issues with a deft hand. He does a great job.

This movie works because Carmichael and Abbot have such great chemistry. They also handle their characters with grace. They play them both so very well. The scene where we meet Val's dad, played by JB Smoove, was powerful. He deserved to get hit with that tire iron. The stuff with Kevin and his childhood bully was excellent. It was also oddly relatable. The importance of dirt bikes in this movie struck me. Lavell Crawford was awesome as the dirt bike shop owner. I saw other people say this, and I will repeat it today, this movie uses Papa Roach better than Papa Roach uses themselves. The music in this movie is the perfect tone.

Again, do not get it twisted, this is a depressing movie. Depressing stuff happens throughout. There were times where it felt relentless. But there were tons of jokes. There were some great deadpan line deliveries from Carmichael. The movie, at its heart, is a comedy, just an extremely dark comedy.

I hope more people search this movie out. Carmichael is finally getting a much deserved chance to make the type of movies he wants to make. This might be one of the better buddy movies to come out in quite some time. And even though it is about suicide, it is oddly uplifting at the end. Check out "On the Count of Three". It is a really good movie and it is one of the first true indie darlings, as much as I dislike that wording, of the year. A good movie indeed.

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 Listens to Kendrick Lamar's "Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers"

The other new record that I was looking forward to last week was the new Kendrick Lamar. It is called "Mr Morale and the Big Steppers".

I, like all his other fans, have been waiting for this record for five years. "DAMN" came out then, it was great, I believe that he won a Pulitzer for it and I listened to it on repeat for months. This record is a wonderful, ambitious, eye opening album. I literally cannot stop listening to the record. Every time I have some free time or down time, I put the album on and vibe out. The album has 18 songs on it and I wish there were more. The selfish side of me wants this album to go on forever and ever. It is so, so good. It is also deep. Kendrick Lamar has clearly been going through some things for the past five years and he lets it all out on this album. He is an open book. He reveals all. It is like the greatest hip hop therapy session ever recorded.

From start to finish this album is a hit. There is not a bad song on the record. The production value is second to none. The way the album flows from song to song is perfect. There is not a single wasted moment on it. Everything works. And it works so very well. I read a headline the other day that made me kind of scoff, but the more I listen the more the headline comes true. It simply read "Kendrick Lamar is Here to Save Hip Hop", and they are 100 percent correct. Modern hip hop, in my opinion, is not very good. There are a few good artists, but for the most part it is not great. I do not like Drake. I think he is very overrated. Kanye West needs therapy. He needs real help. Dababy is homophobic and transphobic. And not very good. Post Malone is trash. There are few exceptions, like Pusha T, but that is few and far between. What Kendrick Lamar does on "Mr Morale and the Big Steppers" gives me faith in modern hip hop.

Everyone who listens to this record has liked it. Artists galore are out here singing its praises. Not one of them has a bad thing to say about it. The same can be said for journalists and bloggers. We all love the record. It is so good. It is perfect. Kendrick crushes everything he does on here, and with him still out there doing his thing, maybe it will help energize some new up and coming young rappers. Maybe the artists that have hit will listen to this and realize that they too can make quality hip hop music. Take an artist like Baby Keem. I never listened to him before seeing he was on this record, and by checking him out now, you can hear the influence. There is hope, and Kendrick is here to push the younger artists in the right direction.

Getting back to the songs now, there is so much good on here and Kendrick is an open book. The opener, "United in Grief", hits. "Father Time" has him coming face to face with fatherhood. "We Cry Together" is what being in a toxic relationship has to be like in real life. "Purple Hearts" has a Ghostfast Killah feature, and the song rips. "Count Me Out" is Kendrick begging people to come for his crown. "Crown" is a great song about being the GOAT. "Savior" is another great song about Kendrick not being your savior, how he is just a dude. "Auntie Diaries" is a revelation. It is the best song on the record in my opinion. "Mr Morale" is perfect. And "Mother", followed by "Mirror" is the best way he could have ended this masterpiece.

This album is wonderful. It is one of the best records I have heard in quite some time. It will most likely be my number one album of 2022. But it is so much more than that. This is going to go down as a classic. Kendrick Lamar has cemented his place. He is one of the best of all time. "Mr Morale and the Big Steppers" further hammers that home. The wait was more than worth it. I love this record.

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 Listens to The Black Keys "Dropout Boogie"

A few new albums I have been anticipating came out last Friday. I will be taking the next two days to write about each one. The first one I want to talk about is "Dropout Boogie" from The Black Keys. I waited an entire weekend before writing about the albums because I wanted multiple listens before writing down my thoughts. So, let's get to

"Dropout Boogie". This is a return to form. I adore this album. I have listened to it fully four times now. It is short and sweet and to the point. There are 10 songs, it is a stripped down band, the focus is solely on Carney and Auerbach's talent, it is 34 minutes long and it packs a punch. It reminds me a lot of their last record, "Delta Kream". That was a covers album, but it was just the guys with a few other, older blues musicians on the album. "Dropout Boogie" is like a rock version of that. I like The Black Keys' other stuff, their previous stuff. But I was the typical, "I like their older stuff better" fan. I enjoy "El Camino", "Brothers", "Let's Rock" and "Turn Blue". But I was way more in the bag for "Attack and Release", "Magic Potion", "The Big Come Up", and most of all, "Rubber Factory" and my all time favorite, "Thickfreakness". Those albums are raw and have the feel of a band finding a totally unique sound unto them. That is not to say those other albums don't have that feel. They do, but The Black Keys were clearly trying some other, newer stuff. And it worked. Those are good records. But they never lived up to a record like "Thickfreakness", at least not for me. Then "Delta Kream" came out a year ago. I devoured that album. I loved the direction. I loved the idea. I am drawn to old blues music with a new sound, and the boys nailed it. I wish I could have seen them perform that album live. I bet those shows ruled. And now we get another very good, older sounding record from them in "Dropout Boogie".

Everything seems right on this album. The guitar is crunchy and grimy and filled with reverb. It is like going back in time. The guitar on this album reminds me of a more refined "Rubber Factory". There is no denying Auerbach's greatness on a record like this. He is a one of a kind guitar player. He will go down as one of the greatest. Carney's drumming is just as ferocious and wild and awesome as it has ever been. I feel like he has never really strayed from the original sound they were going for back in the early 2000's. He has stayed true all the way to today. I adore that about him. I also like his manic drum playing, and that is on full display here. He gets to hammer away at his unusual kit and he does a bang up job. His fills and solos and everything work so well. I think when he and Auerbach decided to make a record like this he just smiled and was instantly on board. He feels like the type of guy that never wanted to stray from the main reason they got into this business. And add on the fact that this album comes at you fast, only slows down once and sounds like they are having a hell of a time making it, and it all works. They are cohesive. They have the same idea. They clearly wanted to make an album like this. I think they missed doing music mostly just the two of them. I am now contemplating seeing them this summer in STL. The show is outdoors and the lawn seats are cheap. And I want to see them perform these particular songs.

I like this record a lot. I highly recommend people give “Dropout Boogie” a listen.

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 Watches "Jackass Forever"

For date night last week my wife and I finally saw "Jackass Forever". And before you think it was all my pick, my wife enjoys a good prank and bodily harm movie. We both like wild movies like this. "Bad Trip" was a godsend for the two of us. We both also used to watch the show, we have recently watched the original movie, which we also showed our son in a moment of wonderful parenting, and we both really wanted to see this. We tried to go to the theater but we just couldn't find the time. Then when it went to streaming it was only on Paramount +, which we do not subscribe to. But it was finally on VOD and it was only six bucks.

We jumped at the chance and we loved the movie. It was so funny. It was so wild. It made me think about the first time I saw the show. I was transported back 20 years in time. I was cackling like a maniac. We even let our son sit in on a few moments of the movie. He loved it as well. I could not believe that these guys could, and were willing, to do these things to themselves. It was crazy. They did a cup check yet again. This was one of their original bits and they brought it back. But instead of Johnny Knoxville letting little kids kick him in the crotch this time they let real, legit athletes test a cup on Danger Ehren. It looked and sounded like it hurt. They had an MMA fighter punch him in the crotch. Ehren's eyes looked dead when he was hit. They had the world's fastest softball pitcher pitch one into the cup. She nailed it after a few tries and it was glorious. They had PK Subban slap shot a puck into it. And they even let another "Jackass" member, Dave England, use a metal pogo stick and jump into him. It was all brutal. Ehren even ruptured a testicle. It was wild. They played a prank on a bunch of the cast members by making them think they were in a blacked out room with a venomous snake. My wife and I were cracking up. They did some cool stuff with the biggest slip and slide I have ever seen in my life. It was nuts. The opening scene was gross and hilarious. The stuff with Eric Andre and the cold brew truck was awesome. They got a ton of people with that one in fact. The tap dancing scene with Tyler, the Creator was dope. I am a big fan of his, so to see him in this movie was rad. The new cast members were good too. They had four or five new people and they were all game. They were all willing to go for broke and that is needed in a show like this. I also love that one of the new cast members got his dad involved, an ex-con who is terrified of snakes and birds, but did hard time. He was great.

The main point of today's piece, I cannot believe that most of the main crew is still around and still doing these things. Steve O went full bore like he never left. I mentioned Danger Ehren and Dave England. They brought back some old bits and let other cast members take them to task. Preston Lacy and Wee Man went for broke. They did things I do not think they would have even done back in the day. And Johnny Knoxville went for it all. He did a ton. He let himself get shot out of a cannon. He was involved in the vast majority of the pranks and stunts. He is still the ring leader. And he even brought back the bull stunt. And that bull knocked him out. He was so knocked out that he was snoring. He broke his wrist, ribs, got a brain hemorrhage and a concussion. And he still came back for more. I hope for these guys that this is the last one of these movies they make. They looked older and rough. They still had the gall, but most of the guys in the crew are in their late 40's or early 50's. I do not think their bodies can handle the damage anymore. It is too much. But I am glad they made this one. I hope they leave us with this one.

I enjoyed “Jackass Forever” quite a bit. So did my wife. And the little bit my son saw. "Jackass Forever" is a great trip back in time, and I highly recommend watching it.

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 Watches "Pam and Tommy"

I just finished watching "Pam and Tommy". I was putting it off because I thought my wife wanted to watch, but she was in Costa Rica last week and she told me to go ahead. So I did.

I thought it was pretty solid. I, and I am being totally truthful, have never seen the Pam and Tommy sextape. I know the story since I was born in the 80's and grew up in the 90's. I was 14 and 15 years old when all of this stuff went down. But I have never watched the tape. It feels like a violation of famous people's property. And that seemed to be the point that this show was trying to get across. Seth Rogen played a carpenter who felt like he was being abused by Tommy Lee. One day he decides he is going to rob him and he just happens upon the tape. He then finds a way to put it on the internet, and that is when all hell breaks loose. Most of us know the outcome of the story from there. In my piece today I want to really focus on the actors. I do want to say that I have read and fully get that Pamela Anderson did not give her consent, and she is seeing no money from this. There are many things to unpack with all of that, but I do not have the time nor the patience to sit here and detail to everyone why I went ahead and watched anyway. I get it, I understand and sympathize with people who chose not to watch it, I think that is great and awesome for sticking to your guns. But I wanted to watch it so I did. You can be mad at me all you want. That is totally fine and I'm okay with it. Now, back to the blog.

The show was fine. It was cool to take a little walk down memory lane. I liked hearing the songs from the 90's that were all over the radio. I liked seeing record stores selling CD's. It was cool to see acid washed jeans and wild shirts. The mullets were all in the frame. It was crazy. But what I liked most about this show was how hard all the actors committed to their roles. They all did a very, very good job. Rogen was great as the woebegone carpenter. He was down on his luck, at his wits end and wanted to change something about his life. To see him go through a ton of stuff was interesting. And Rogen handled the dramatic stuff really well. I am a big time Rogen fan, and he delivered. Taylor Schilling played his ex wife and confidant. She was so sweet but truthful. She said the stuff Rogen needed to hear, not wanted to hear. I did not like her much in "Orange is the New Black", but I thought she was tremendous on this show. Nick Offerman was so good and so sleazy. He embodied what I imagine a sleazy porn producer would be like. He was the worst. Andrew Dice Clay was solid as a mobster and money man. It was right in his wheelhouse.

But the two stars, the two best in this show, by a country mile, were Sebastian Stan and Lily James. Stan played Tommy Lee and he was a spitting image. He looked and talked and sounded and acted like Tommy Lee. He engrossed himself in this role. Everytime he said "PAMMY!!!!", I found myself annoyed, but when you hear the way the actual Tommy Lee said it, it was perfect. He was a bomb waiting to explode, just like Lee. Lee could never control his emotions. Stan nailed that part. But he also nailed his love for Anderson. He truly did love her and wanted to be with her. He did some messed up stuff, but in the end, he really did love Pamela Anderson. Stan is a very good actor and this was a good role to see him in. I know him most as the Winter Soldier, but after watching "I, Tonya" and now this, Stan is showing me that he can do many different things. He is a good actor.

The true star, the one that made this show work, was James. She became Pamela Anderson. She looked like her. She sounded like her. She embodied her life and, at that time, the anger and frustration she must have been going through. James was so, so good. She was the driving force in the show. She made Anderson look and feel like the strong one in the relationship. She was, and still is, a feminist. She worked her tail off to become an actor. She worked hard to become the model she became. She jumped on an opportunity after being spotted at a football game. She had her mom on her side and she went with it. She forced Tommy to do things he may have felt hurt his career, but she knew it would be beneficial in the long run. She walked away from a toxic relationship. She handled herself with determination and grit and fury. I thought it was a glowing portrayal of Anderson. I think Anderson might actually like it and be swayed if she were to ever watch James portrayal. I would hope James will get Emmy consideration, but who knows.

All in all this show is good because they have good people on it and behind the scenes. It is also short, only eight episodes, which makes it go down even easier. I think this is a fascinating watch for anyone that grew up during all of this, or even remembers a bit about the time. It is a decent peak back in time. I recommend it.

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 Listen's the Pusha T's "It's Almost Dry"

I have now listened to Pusha T's new record "It's Almost Dry" about three times now. I enjoy it. I do not like it as much as his last record, but with each new listen I find something new that I enjoy about it.

I'm a Pusha T fan. I have been since the first time I heard Clipse in 2001. He just has this very cool flow about him when he raps. It comes out smooth. I think that is why it has taken me multiple listens to really get into "It's Almost Dry". I wasn't ready for it when it first came out. I have been in a pretty deep soul, R&B and heavier rock groove lately. There has been tons of Black Keys, Etta James, Leon Bridges and, I know this is a little out of left field, Bo Brunham on my playlists. So I just was not ready to receive what Pusha T was putting out there. But the more I've heard the better it has become. I truly do like every song on the album. I also appreciate that it is a tight 35 minutes long.

The record starts off strong, has some great stuff in the in between and has a perfect ending, with him reuniting with the other member of Clipse. Pusha T has a way of rapping over a beat that is like no other. He is one of the few rappers I have heard who do not really wait for a beat to kick in. When he is ready he goes. And he is good. The flow is so good that it doesn't need him waiting. I love how he just gets to it. He has something to say and he refuses to wait.

The record is produced by Kanye and Pharrell. I do not like Kanye at all. He needs real therapy. He needs true help. He has some mental stuff going on that only a doctor can fix. But the dude can make a beat. He has that skill. That has not left him yet. And the fact that he doesn't rap on this record, save for a few weak bars during some hooks, makes it all the better. The beats are his, you can tell, and Pusha T makes them work. Pharrell, on the other hand, is a true musical genius. He does things with hip hop that have just further pushed the genre to a whole new world. He makes complicated beats sound simple. He knows how to get the best out of his performers. He doesn't dip his toes too far into the water. He lets the talent do what they do best. Sure there are tweaks here and there, but for the most part Pharrell just refines it all in the end. He rules. There is a version of the record on Spotify right now titled "It's Almost Dry: Kanye vs Pharrell", and it is astounding to hear the two producers on the same record and how different they are. And how much better Pharrell is at his job.

I think what I like most about the album, and I mentioned this for a second a minute ago, is how there are now real hooks on the songs. It is all Pusha T's line of thought being put on wax. He has his verses and his bars and he rolls with it. He puts it all out there. He doesn't need a hook. He doesn't need a chorus. He can just go from verse to verse and not miss a beat. Sometimes hooks help, but in this case, I do not miss it at all. It almost seems like a hook would hinder the greatness that is Pusha T.

I am a fan of this record. I have most definitely come around after three listens. I will continue to listen. Pusha T is very famous, but I think he should be talked about far more than he already is by the media. This record is a great appetizer to the new Kendrick Lamar coming out in a day. I will for sure have both albums on repeat for a bit.

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 Watches "Winning Time" Season One

I watched the season one finale of "Winning Time" on HBO yesterday. I wrote about this show when the season started. I was hyped for it. I was hoping it was going to work. I thought the casting was great. I, for the most part, like Adam McKay's stuff. I am fascinated by this era of professional basketball. It had everything on its side for me as a viewer.

For the most part the first season was solid. There was some good stuff in there. I enjoyed my time watching the show. I thought most stuff worked. I like the fleshing out of some of the side characters. But there were times when the show felt a little overdramatic. Hell, I'd even say melodramatic. The stuff with Jerry Buss and his womanizing, we all know that, at least those of us that follow the NBA. It was pretty cliche of Buss to ask his daughter which of her two brothers would best fit in for a front office job. We all know that she gets the job in the long run. The stuff with Magic Johnson and his girlfriend in college, Cookie, seemed forced a bit by the creators. So did the stuff with his teammates when he was first drafted. But the most egregious thing to me, as far as melodrama goes, was the whole Spencer Haywood storyline near the end of the season.

I adore Wood Harris. He is definitely up there as an actor whose work I seek out. He rules. But his portrayal of Haywood was a bit much. His monologues seemed lifted from soap operas. The whole calling a hit on the entire Lakers roster was so off base. Even the junkie stuff seemed forced. It just wasn't written well enough for an actor of his caliber. I could also say the same for the guy who played Larry Bird. Man I wish it had been Bo Burnham, but things happen. But this actor just seemed into the whole notion of Bird being a hick. And I know that him and Magic did not get along at first, but this seemed to be a bit overboard. They at least respected one another. I have to imagine that much.

Outside those little critiques, this show, as I said, worked. The basketball was real enough. The gameplay looked nice. The actors, minus the ones I mentioned, did good things with their roles. Adrien Brody shocked me. I do not like him, but I enjoyed him as Pat Riley. Quincy Isaiah was magnetic as Johnson. Solomon Hughes embodied this version of Kareem. Jason Clarke was solid as Jerry West. Gaby Hoffman was amazing. Hadley Robinson as Jeanie Buss was really good. The show works for the intended audience.

I think my favorite thing about this first season is how mad some of the real life people got. They took it personally. Hell, I'm sure I would too if my name was being thrown out there like some of these guys' names were. But this is a fictional show based on a book. This is not real life. The creators came out and said as much when West and Kareem and Magic all came out against the show. Again, they have that right, but them getting so upset made me want to watch even more. The fact that West was willing to ask the Supreme Court to get involved, that Kareem wrote a very good op ed about how off base the show is, that Magic won't even talk about it, that made me tune in every week as much as my want to actually watch the show. I know they are trying to keep their names clean, as they should, but them going off like that only made me itch for more.

"Winning Time" is a fine enough show. They get some things right and it is entertaining. Is it a bit of a soap opera? Sure. Is it too melodramatic at times? Definitely. But will I watch season two? You are god damn right I will. I hope they lose some of the stuff that I was personally not a fan of, but I will still record it and watch it.

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.  

Embiid is Way More Valuable Than Jokic

Last week I wrote about the NBA MVP award. It was not given out yet. I broke down how the same writers who criticized Russell Westbrook's MVP season were the very same ones that would almost assuredly vote for Nikola Jokic. Welp, it was announced yesterday that Jokic had indeed won his second straight MVP.

I was surprised, but I guess I shouldn't have been. I laid it all out for all of you anyway. I knew that these writers were licking their chops at the chance to crown another white superhero. If it couldn't be Jokic, you better damn well believe that would have wanted it to be Luka. But they got their wish. The voters voted, they were counted and Jokic narrowly beat out Embiid. All of the talking heads on ESPN said they were fine with it. Most of those people were white or old. Most of the writers on Bleacher Report were talking about how great it was that they went with analytics. That the game is changing for the good. Most of the analysts on NBA TV, mostly white, were happy with the outcome.

Jokic has now won two straight MVP's. There are only a few players in the history of the game that have done that. The only current players that have done it are Steph, LeBron, Giannis and now Jokic. To write his name in the same sentence with those guys has me utterly baffled. Jokic is a very good player. He can shoot, is a very good passer and is pretty lethal in the low post. But is he Steph? No way. Steph revolutionized the game. He has done things that no one has ever done in the history of the NBA. Giannis is a modern day Shaq who can shoot. He is un guard-able. When he has a head of steam, get out of the way. And, even though he didn't need to prove anything to anyone, he put up 50 points in a closeout game in the finals. He is currently the best player in the NBA. And then we have LeBron. I mean, it is LeBron. He is the second greatest player to ever step on an NBA floor. He is a giant among men. As for some other names that have won back to back MVPs we have Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Steve Nash and Tim Duncan. And now Nikola Jokic. Looking at that list, and having to now add Jokic is jarring. He is not on the same level as any of those guys. Russell and Wilt are Mount Rushmore guys. Jordan is the GOAT. Larry and Magic are freaking Larry and Magic. Tim Duncan is the greatest power forward of all time. I mean, even Steve Nash is more important than Jokic could ever dream of being. But now he is on this list. That is messed up.

This is purely analytical driven. The NBA voters, for the most part, are a bunch of dorks that only care about pointless stats. They will talk about VORPS and second hand assists and any other nonsense that makes basketball as boring as baseball. I do not watch basketball for the analytics. I go by the eye test. I watch and decide who I think is the MVP.

With my eye I can see Joel Embiid is a much, much, much more palatable player to watch. He is infinitely more fun. He is a far superior defender. He is a better offensive player. The only thing Jokic has over him is passing ability. And Embiid is a serviceable passer. People will point out the teammates and all of that other stuff, but do not act like Embiid didn’t have some shit to deal with this season. Ben Simmons was a selfish little baby all year. Embiid kept them afloat. Embiid missed two playoff games and the 76ers looked lost. He comes back and they win the next two games. It is wildly clear to me that Embiid is far more deserving of MVP.

This is going to be looked back upon as a miss. This is Nash over Kobe. This is Russ over Harden. This is Malone over Jordan or Barkley over Jordan. This is BS. This is white voters finding a white savior and trying to ride him for all he is worth. So when Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe and all these other writers that hemmed and hawed about being a "basketball pervert" when they voted for Russ over Harden, just remember that you all voted Jokic over Embiid, and that is a far worse fate in my opinion. Embiid is the MVP. I will debate anyone on that. Bring it.

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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.