SeedSing Classic: It is Time to Repeal and Replace Capitalism

Every Labor Day we revisit the failure of capitalism. Now more than ever the destructive narrative of capitalism is on display with the criminal greed being seen in our corporations and government. 

The post originally appeared on September 7th, 2015.

What do we really celebrate on Labor Day? History says that the day started as a reaction to the Haymarket Massacre in 1886. The deaths in Chicago that day brought to light the struggles of workers nationwide. Demonstrators at Haymarket Square that day were rallying for an eight hour work day. When we go back and look at how the heads of capitalism treated their workers, who were US citizens, it is frightening. The labor movement needed to strike, rally, and demonstrate just so the capital owners would treat the workers like real humans. We celebrate Labor Day because workers needed to demand, and risk their safety, for a humanity that the capital owners were not willing to provide.

Capitalism is anti humanity and it is not allowing us to socially evolve, it is time for a new economic system. The people at the very top of our capitalistic society are large carnivores that get rewarded for anything that they can consume. There is no humanity to the capital owners. We celebrate record stock markets, and forget we have such a small volume of people participating in the market. We complain about welfare queens, without accepting that some of our richest CEOs get their salaries enhanced by government subsidies. The devourers at the top of the economic food chain have made the people below fearful and reverent at the same time. Capitalism is not allowing us to grow as humans, it is keeping us in cages like the animals that the capital owners need to control.

The way capitalism is sold to the general public is through use of code words like freedom and opportunity. In the world of today there is very little opportunity or freedom for the people not at the top of the capitalism food chain. The use of freedom and opportunity have their roots in trying to keep people non-empowered. If you want to go out and start your own business, you do have that freedom. If you have a great idea that can change the world, you have the opportunity to pursue that dream. Our modern capitalistic system does throw up every hurdle imaginable so the current capital owners have a say over your success. The system allows for the commoditization of people who can steal and exploit other people's work. The defenders of capitalism use opportunity and freedom as defenses for these patent trolls. Capitalism does not create ideas, it creates ways to steal great ideas and give them to the carnivores at the top.

The idea of commoditization has reached a truly dangerous level in our society. We have used capitalism to justify putting a price on the our most important human needs. Healthcare is one of our largest, and wealthiest, industries. We all accept that doctors should be well paid because of their skill and necessity. Our ability to get healthcare, through insurance, is directly related to our income. That is insane. Medical care is a necessity for everyone in the world, why should it be a commodity? Why do we not question this? Most doctors are not builders and creators, they are administrators. When you go to the doctor, it is for maintenance or to discuss something out side of the norm. Your income level rarely dictates the maintenance you require. Your income level can directly relate to the need for a doctor when there is something outside of norm. Lower income people have more severe, treatable, medical issues because of how capitalism financially elevates doctors. Basic human needs like healthcare are not a commodity. Capitalism has set a value to our lives, that is anti-humanity.

The ability to communicate has been the greatest tool for social evolution. The printing press created a new world filled with scientific and social advances. The internet is just getting its legs, and changing the entire world for the better. Many of the innovations related to communication were not done in pursuit of economic riches. The internet was created by the government, and nurtured by the social system, to become the tool we use today. The engineers of the world create things that not only maintain society, but allow it to grow. The Wright Brothers looked to the government for support before they looked to the capital owners. Roads, rails, and bridges are designed and built by engineers with government support, not private business support. Why is it that the government has allowed business to commoditize basic needs like communication? The rise of the telecom deregulation was another sacrifice at the idol of capitalism. We have been told that private business can handle our communication better than the government funded engineers who built the network. Our reward is one of the worst communication networks in the developed world. The telecom companies get their money, the CEOs get their large paydays, and the citizens get a subpar product thanks to the tenets of capitalism. The telecom companies do not have any concern for our ability to communicate, their concern is only to gain money. Our government, and our cultural programming, have allowed for basic communication to be another commodity to be bought and sold. Due to capitalism the more wealth you have, the better communication available.

Capitalism is a wall that stops innovation. The ability to create a commodity out of basic social needs is a large problem. Your health is not something that should be paid for. Your voice and ideas are not things that should be granted by a company with no creators. Capitalism exists to give freedom and opportunity to those already established, and make sure the non established have very nearly no options to compete. We deserve the right pursue our dreams, and not be hampered by our inability to pay for health or communication. Everyone deserves freedom and opportunity.

Capitalism is one of the most destructive forces in history. We need to have a discussion on how to replace this carnivorous ideology with one that rewards innovation and creates an evolving society. In the future we will continue to discuss the pitfalls of capitalism, and start to formulate an ideology that will bring about a brighter future. We encourage your dissent and contribution. Your ideas are not a commodity. Come share them with us.

Happy Labor day. Enjoy this day of rest and remember that protesters died for the right to have a reasonable work schedule. Let us use this Labor Day to start a new movement. The old capitalistic ways need to be repealed, the replacement will produce true opportunity. We can find this new way forward together. The only thing we will lose are the cages the capitalists keep society in.

RD Kulik

RD is the creator and Head Editor for SeedSing. 

I Don't Think ASMR is My Thing

On my run this morning I decided I was going to listen to the newest episode of "Grawlix Saves the World". This has become one of my go to's on a run because they are so funny and the light mood keeps me going. I also really enjoy the three guys who host. The premise of each episode is to try something one or all of them have never done before to see if they like it and if it would be better for more people to try it. Pretty simple and fun premise.

This week's episode was a doozy. They did an ASMR challenge. Now, the episode was an absolute blast and I was cracking up this morning, but that is not what my blog is about today. While listening, two of the hosts did not like it. Well, one hated it and the other host seemed disinterested. The host that liked it, that brought up the challenge, tried to explain what he liked about it. But that was my issue and the whole idea for this blog today. Who is into ASMR? What does it do for you? How did you discover it, and how did you know when it was for you? I have about a million more questions I want to ask people who are into this whole thing. And I am not here to yuck someone's yum. I like a lot of stuff that other people would consider stupid or weird or niche. I am also not here to kink shame if that is what led you to this world of ASMR.

My very limited knowledge of this trend is basically how it makes some people horny. I guess the people who do ASMR, or perform it or whatever the hell I'm supposed to call it, have this low, whisper type voice. And I suppose they just softly describe what they are doing. Some will click their nails. On the pod this morning, one of the guys brush his wife's makeup brushes against the mic. Another guy scratched his beard. Two of them used cough drops. One buttered toast and poured himself a bowl of cereal. I don't really know what else ASMR performers could do. And the limited stuff I have seen and heard all sounds far too horny for what they are doing. I mean, is it really that hot to click nails? Do people actually get off on this stuff? And I am not judging. At all. Do what makes you happy as long as you are hurting anyone. But this is just a whole other world for me. And, if you aren't here for it to get all riled up, what are you here for? The one host who likes it says it calms him down, helps him sleep and he gets all tingly. That sounds legit to me. But when I listened to the hosts do it, all I could do was laugh. They brought up the fact that they know each other, and I know their comedy, and how that made it harder for them to do without making it a bit. I get that. But I just don't see a world where a stranger softly describing what they are doing could calm me down. I feel like I would be tense. I don't think it would work on me. I will say I am curious about this whole world, but I do not know if I will try it. I don't like it when friends and family members whisper stuff to me. I think my hearing has gotten worse from all the concerts I have gone to. I feel like I would be turning up the volume constantly and that would take away from the whole thing. But I don't know.

Seriously, I want people who read my stuff that are into ASMR to tell me why. Write back. Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram. Let me know because I am very interested in how this all works. But it doesn't seem like it would be my cup of tea. You never know though. 

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.

SeedSing Classic: It is Time to Repeal and Replace Capitalism

Now more than ever the destructive narrative of capitalism is on display with the criminal greed being seen in our corporations and government. 

The post originally appeared on September 7th, 2015.

What do we really celebrate on Labor Day? History says that the day started as a reaction to the Haymarket Massacre in 1886. The deaths in Chicago that day brought to light the struggles of workers nationwide. Demonstrators at Haymarket Square that day were rallying for an eight hour work day. When we go back and look at how the heads of capitalism treated their workers, who were US citizens, it is frightening. The labor movement needed to strike, rally, and demonstrate just so the capital owners would treat the workers like real humans. We celebrate Labor Day because workers needed to demand, and risk their safety, for a humanity that the capital owners were not willing to provide.

Capitalism is anti humanity and it is not allowing us to socially evolve, it is time for a new economic system. The people at the very top of our capitalistic society are large carnivores that get rewarded for anything that they can consume. There is no humanity to the capital owners. We celebrate record stock markets, and forget we have such a small volume of people participating in the market. We complain about welfare queens, without accepting that some of our richest CEOs get their salaries enhanced by government subsidies. The devourers at the top of the economic food chain have made the people below fearful and reverent at the same time. Capitalism is not allowing us to grow as humans, it is keeping us in cages like the animals that the capital owners need to control.

The way capitalism is sold to the general public is through use of code words like freedom and opportunity. In the world of today there is very little opportunity or freedom for the people not at the top of the capitalism food chain. The use of freedom and opportunity have their roots in trying to keep people non-empowered. If you want to go out and start your own business, you do have that freedom. If you have a great idea that can change the world, you have the opportunity to pursue that dream. Our modern capitalistic system does throw up every hurdle imaginable so the current capital owners have a say over your success. The system allows for the commoditization of people who can steal and exploit other people's work. The defenders of capitalism use opportunity and freedom as defenses for these patent trolls. Capitalism does not create ideas, it creates ways to steal great ideas and give them to the carnivores at the top.

The idea of commoditization has reached a truly dangerous level in our society. We have used capitalism to justify putting a price on the our most important human needs. Healthcare is one of our largest, and wealthiest, industries. We all accept that doctors should be well paid because of their skill and necessity. Our ability to get healthcare, through insurance, is directly related to our income. That is insane. Medical care is a necessity for everyone in the world, why should it be a commodity? Why do we not question this? Most doctors are not builders and creators, they are administrators. When you go to the doctor, it is for maintenance or to discuss something out side of the norm. Your income level rarely dictates the maintenance you require. Your income level can directly relate to the need for a doctor when there is something outside of norm. Lower income people have more severe, treatable, medical issues because of how capitalism financially elevates doctors. Basic human needs like healthcare are not a commodity. Capitalism has set a value to our lives, that is anti-humanity.

The ability to communicate has been the greatest tool for social evolution. The printing press created a new world filled with scientific and social advances. The internet is just getting its legs, and changing the entire world for the better. Many of the innovations related to communication were not done in pursuit of economic riches. The internet was created by the government, and nurtured by the social system, to become the tool we use today. The engineers of the world create things that not only maintain society, but allow it to grow. The Wright Brothers looked to the government for support before they looked to the capital owners. Roads, rails, and bridges are designed and built by engineers with government support, not private business support. Why is it that the government has allowed business to commoditize basic needs like communication? The rise of the telecom deregulation was another sacrifice at the idol of capitalism. We have been told that private business can handle our communication better than the government funded engineers who built the network. Our reward is one of the worst communication networks in the developed world. The telecom companies get their money, the CEOs get their large paydays, and the citizens get a subpar product thanks to the tenets of capitalism. The telecom companies do not have any concern for our ability to communicate, their concern is only to gain money. Our government, and our cultural programming, have allowed for basic communication to be another commodity to be bought and sold. Due to capitalism the more wealth you have, the better communication available.

Capitalism is a wall that stops innovation. The ability to create a commodity out of basic social needs is a large problem. Your health is not something that should be paid for. Your voice and ideas are not things that should be granted by a company with no creators. Capitalism exists to give freedom and opportunity to those already established, and make sure the non established have very nearly no options to compete. We deserve the right pursue our dreams, and not be hampered by our inability to pay for health or communication. Everyone deserves freedom and opportunity.

Capitalism is one of the most destructive forces in history. We need to have a discussion on how to replace this carnivorous ideology with one that rewards innovation and creates an evolving society. In the future we will continue to discuss the pitfalls of capitalism, and start to formulate an ideology that will bring about a brighter future. We encourage your dissent and contribution. Your ideas are not a commodity. Come share them with us.

Happy Labor day. Enjoy this day of rest and remember that protesters died for the right to have a reasonable work schedule. Let us use this Labor Day to start a new movement. The old capitalistic ways need to be repealed, the replacement will produce true opportunity. We can find this new way forward together. The only thing we will lose are the cages the capitalists keep society in.

RD Kulik

RD is the creator and Head Editor for SeedSing. 

SeedSing Classic: It is Time to Repeal and Replace Capitalism

Every Labor Day we revisit the failure of capitalism. Now more than ever the destructive narrative of capitalism is on display with the criminal greed being seen in our corporations and government. 

The post originally appeared on September 7th, 2015.

What do we really celebrate on Labor Day? History says that the day started as a reaction to the Haymarket Massacre in 1886. The deaths in Chicago that day brought to light the struggles of workers nationwide. Demonstrators at Haymarket Square that day were rallying for an eight hour work day. When we go back and look at how the heads of capitalism treated their workers, who were US citizens, it is frightening. The labor movement needed to strike, rally, and demonstrate just so the capital owners would treat the workers like real humans. We celebrate Labor Day because workers needed to demand, and risk their safety, for a humanity that the capital owners were not willing to provide.

Capitalism is anti humanity and it is not allowing us to socially evolve, it is time for a new economic system. The people at the very top of our capitalistic society are large carnivores that get rewarded for anything that they can consume. There is no humanity to the capital owners. We celebrate record stock markets, and forget we have such a small volume of people participating in the market. We complain about welfare queens, without accepting that some of our richest CEOs get their salaries enhanced by government subsidies. The devourers at the top of the economic food chain have made the people below fearful and reverent at the same time. Capitalism is not allowing us to grow as humans, it is keeping us in cages like the animals that the capital owners need to control.

The way capitalism is sold to the general public is through use of code words like freedom and opportunity. In the world of today there is very little opportunity or freedom for the people not at the top of the capitalism food chain. The use of freedom and opportunity have their roots in trying to keep people non-empowered. If you want to go out and start your own business, you do have that freedom. If you have a great idea that can change the world, you have the opportunity to pursue that dream. Our modern capitalistic system does throw up every hurdle imaginable so the current capital owners have a say over your success. The system allows for the commoditization of people who can steal and exploit other people's work. The defenders of capitalism use opportunity and freedom as defenses for these patent trolls. Capitalism does not create ideas, it creates ways to steal great ideas and give them to the carnivores at the top.

The idea of commoditization has reached a truly dangerous level in our society. We have used capitalism to justify putting a price on the our most important human needs. Healthcare is one of our largest, and wealthiest, industries. We all accept that doctors should be well paid because of their skill and necessity. Our ability to get healthcare, through insurance, is directly related to our income. That is insane. Medical care is a necessity for everyone in the world, why should it be a commodity? Why do we not question this? Most doctors are not builders and creators, they are administrators. When you go to the doctor, it is for maintenance or to discuss something out side of the norm. Your income level rarely dictates the maintenance you require. Your income level can directly relate to the need for a doctor when there is something outside of norm. Lower income people have more severe, treatable, medical issues because of how capitalism financially elevates doctors. Basic human needs like healthcare are not a commodity. Capitalism has set a value to our lives, that is anti-humanity.

The ability to communicate has been the greatest tool for social evolution. The printing press created a new world filled with scientific and social advances. The internet is just getting its legs, and changing the entire world for the better. Many of the innovations related to communication were not done in pursuit of economic riches. The internet was created by the government, and nurtured by the social system, to become the tool we use today. The engineers of the world create things that not only maintain society, but allow it to grow. The Wright Brothers looked to the government for support before they looked to the capital owners. Roads, rails, and bridges are designed and built by engineers with government support, not private business support. Why is it that the government has allowed business to commoditize basic needs like communication? The rise of the telecom deregulation was another sacrifice at the idol of capitalism. We have been told that private business can handle our communication better than the government funded engineers who built the network. Our reward is one of the worst communication networks in the developed world. The telecom companies get their money, the CEOs get their large paydays, and the citizens get a subpar product thanks to the tenets of capitalism. The telecom companies do not have any concern for our ability to communicate, their concern is only to gain money. Our government, and our cultural programming, have allowed for basic communication to be another commodity to be bought and sold. Due to capitalism the more wealth you have, the better communication available.

Capitalism is a wall that stops innovation. The ability to create a commodity out of basic social needs is a large problem. Your health is not something that should be paid for. Your voice and ideas are not things that should be granted by a company with no creators. Capitalism exists to give freedom and opportunity to those already established, and make sure the non established have very nearly no options to compete. We deserve the right pursue our dreams, and not be hampered by our inability to pay for health or communication. Everyone deserves freedom and opportunity.

Capitalism is one of the most destructive forces in history. We need to have a discussion on how to replace this carnivorous ideology with one that rewards innovation and creates an evolving society. In the future we will continue to discuss the pitfalls of capitalism, and start to formulate an ideology that will bring about a brighter future. We encourage your dissent and contribution. Your ideas are not a commodity. Come share them with us.

Happy Labor day. Enjoy this day of rest and remember that protesters died for the right to have a reasonable work schedule. Let us use this Labor Day to start a new movement. The old capitalistic ways need to be repealed, the replacement will produce true opportunity. We can find this new way forward together. The only thing we will lose are the cages the capitalists keep society in.

RD Kulik

RD is the creator and Head Editor for SeedSing. 

This Sucks

The Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade this morning. I'm at a loss. I wanted to write about the draft so much today, but yet again America decided to kick me in the ass with this horrific news.

We are living in some futuristic dystopic world right now and it is awful. We will now have states telling women what they can and cannot do with their bodies. This is sickening. This is backwards. We are supposed to be living in the 21st century. Everyone is created equal. Everyone should have fair rights. Everyone should be able to do whatever they choose to do with the body they have. Now we are going to have white men telling women they cannot get abortions and it sickens me to my core. White men like Ron Desantis will be trying to jail women in Florida if they seek an abortion. The state I live in, with our horrific governor, will do the same. All the red states, and there are far too many of them, their governors are licking their chops just waiting to enforce rules to stop people from getting safe and legal abortions.

We are going in the wrong direction as a country. We are not the best and brightest. We sure as hell are not the land of the free. This is wrong on so many levels. The Supreme Court members that passed this should be absolutely ashamed and disgusted with themselves. This is not a win by any means. This is a problem. This is exactly why I stopped believing in any religion when I was a young teenager. This is not a religious thing anymore. Anyone that says it's about religion is way, way off base. There is no god anywhere that would have you believe that they would want old white men telling women what to do with their bodies.

This is all about power and getting more votes. That is all these monsters care about anymore. They will say whatever they need to say to their mouth breathing supporters so they will go out and vote for them. They could care less what a woman wants to do with her body. They want that baby to be born come hell or high water. I want to quote my dad here because he is 100 percent right. He told me months ago that these politicians and Supreme Court members are not pro life, they are pro birth. They could care less about that child after it is born as long as it is born.

This is a disaster. This is going to cause a massive amount of new problems in our country. There is going to be uproar and fights. People are not going to take this lying down. I know I'm sure as hell not going to sit here and let this happen. This is nonsense. This is scary. This is, as I stated earlier, dystopian. This is not a world that I want to live in. This is horrifying. This does not make America a better place. It makes it much, much worse.

And for these politicians who think they are going to eradicate abortion, you are wrong. Women will find a way. It will not be safe and could be harmful, but if a pregnant person wants, or needs an abortion, they will find a way. They will get it done. It happened before Roe vs Wade. And now in a post Roe vs Wade world, it will happen again.

I'm so sick of waking up to a living nightmare everyday in this country. When this news broke this morning I was on a walk with my wife and I told her we should seriously consider leaving. And I wasn't joking. I went so far as to ask if her company has locations in other countries. America is so backward. We don't have free health care. School is expensive. Racism is rampant. Mass shootings happen seemingly everyday. And now the Supreme Court has overturned Roe vs Wade. I tremble at the thought of what is next.

I am having a hard time dealing with this. This is awful, horrible news. And it comes at a bad time in this country's history. I truly do not like the state or country I live in. It is becoming a police state. It is becoming scary and bad and unlawful. I'm terrified for my kids future. I want to leave but don't think I can. I'm at a loss. This one hurts. This one is bad. I simply do not know what to do except fight. I will continue the fight. We can be better. We just need to show 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.  

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.  

SeedSing Classic: What MLK Day Means to Me

This article was originally posted on January 18th, 2020

In honor of Martin Luther King Day, I want to talk about his importance to me, and his influence on me.

Last year I talked about how we could really use someone like him in our lives right now. I still firmly believe that, but with a new administration coming in, one that will listen to people, that will hold people accountable, one that is diverse, I think MLK would have been somewhat pleased with where we will stand on January 20th. I'm sure he would want more changes, we all do, but the people who will be entrenched in their jobs soon enough are a diverse group, more diverse than ever in fact. But back to my point for today. MLK was a big, big influence on me. I, like most others, did not learn of him until elementary school, but my learning did not stop there. I have studied the man. I watched all his speeches. I have seen movies and documentaries on him. I have been to Memphis, been to the Civil Rights Museum and have seen where his life was tragically cut short. MLK was not someone I learned about and then forgot. He has stayed with me. More importantly though, his message has stayed with me.

My parents instilled it in me, I tell my kids everyday to not judge a person by how they look, I try to teach the kids I coach things MLK said and did. He is a part of my life, by choice. I know his I Have a Dream speech is the most famous, but it is for a reason. When he says that he "has a dream that his four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character", it still moves me. It still resonates with me. It is how I live my life. I do not judge anyone before I get to know them personally, if it gets there. I will not move to one side of the street or another because of the person that is coming towards me. My inflection and tone of my voice does not change no matter who I am talking to. I find it crass and ignorant to do "impressions" of other people from other races. All this, and so much more, where instilled by MLK, and my folks. My parents grew up in the 60's. They were there for MLK's speeches, peaceful protests and his unfortunate assassination. I feel like, much as he had an impact on me, he had one on both of my parents. They raised not only me to be the type of person I am today, but my three other brothers also. We are all very accepting, loving people. We never just judge someone and move on. We give the benefit of the doubt more times than not. I think a big part of that is because of my folks, and how they experienced MLK's life. Heck, if it weren't for both of them, I would not have been able to go to the Civil Rights Museum, or the hotel where he was killed. They had me do that because they knew it would be a great thing for me, and also a way for them to remember the oppression and the past. I am forever grateful to my parents for teaching me young, and continuing to do it even today, in my late 30's.

This year though, and really the past four years, have made me want to be as much like MLK as I can be. The past four years have been a total mess. This country has become scary racist. There are a lot of people that do and say bad things that are in positions of power. I decided this year, well in November of 2020, to get involved. I phone banked for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. I participated in Black Lives Matter marches, and have done as much as I can for that movement. I am giving my time to talk to people, be it via email or phone, about how important it is, especially right now, to understand this movement, and where it is coming from. I don't know that I would be doing all these things without my parents, or maybe even more importantly, the lessons I have learned from Dr. King. He has helped to shape my activism, my want to help others and my belief that we should not judge people by how they look.

Dr. King was a great man who was taken from us far too soon. He did so much, and could have done so much more. I am forever grateful for him, and his message and the way he fought peacefully for what he believed in. Happy MLK Day everyone. This is as important a holiday as we have in America. Cherish this day.

Ty

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

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Ty Gets COVID

cdc.org

I had mentioned in my previous two blogs that I was in quarantine. That's right, your boy had the rona or the vid or COVID or whatever the people are calling it these days. I just called it COVID.

I am lucky enough to be vaccinated and boosted. That means my symptoms were very mild. I never lost the sense of taste or smell. I never had a fever. I was never overly tired. I never had a cough. I did have a very runny nose. It felt like a waterfall at times. It was definitely the stuffiness I have been in some time. For three days it was like a facet. But I woke up yesterday and felt fine. I finished my quarantine this afternoon and made my way back up to the living room of my home. I cleaned up where I was living for the past five days, cleaned myself up and gave my wife and kids some big time hugs. I really, truly missed them most of all.

That is what I want to talk about today. As stated, my bought with what I assume was omicron was extremely mild. A runny nose, as previously stated, was all that really happened. It felt like a bad cold. But, again, that is because I have been doing what scientists and doctors have said to do, and I got my shots, and will get any other shots they deem necessary. I have never stopped wearing a mask in public settings and I sure as hell won't stop now. What was hardest for me was the quarantine. I love to be around my family. I see my dad at least once a week for coffee, that had to be pushed. I spend pretty much all of my free time with my kids doing activities or coaching them in random sports. That was all pushed. I love to snuggle in bed with my wife, I love giving her a morning and good night kiss and I love our afternoon coffee dates and lunches when she works from home. That was all pushed as well. I am also not good when on my own for a long period of time. I can survive. I am a capable adult who can take care of himself. But the loneliness gets to you. I would eat all my meals by myself. If I needed to come upstairs to get clothes or some Nuun to drink, I would have to announce my presence, put on a mask and tell my kids I could not hug them. That made me cry the first few nights in the basement alone. The kids get it at least. They are both in school full time, so they know of people that have tested positive or had to quarantine due to being a close contact. But that doesn't make it hurt any less. I also felt really bad for my wife. She already works a full time job, and then some. So add on the fact that I could not do what my job is, being the home and caretaker, and she had a very rough five days. The kids glomb onto her when I'm not sick. So add on the fact that I couldn't do anything and the glombing, it was taking it from a 10 to an 11 or 12 for her. I can tell she is exhausted. She also had to do all the cooking and cleaning. I felt like a real waste of space. I know I have been overcompensating since I came upstairs today, but I feel like I need to make up for lost time. I also did not like playing video games or running in place or riding on the recumbent bike or just watching movies all day. Again, it made me feel like I was wasting time. I am not a video game guy, so that died out pretty quick. Running in place is maybe the most boring thing in the world as far as exercise goes. And then there is the recumbent bike. That may be as boring as running in place. And there are only so many movies I can watch or tv shows I can watch before I just get bored.

I'd say the only good thing that came out of quarantine, besides my family not getting COVID, was that I re-found my love for reading. I read one and a half full books in the past five plus days, which is a lot for me. But the loneliness was brutal. I do not like to just sit there, especially at night time, with no one to talk to about my day. I was able to facetime and text people, but that is not enough for me personally. I like to see people. I love to hug my family and talk to them face to face. I was not very happy while in quarantine. I know it was the right thing to do, but that does not mean that I have to say it was great.

I have mentioned a few times how I am going into this year being hopeful. That has not gone away. That is still my resolution. But with Michigan getting beat in their bowl game, then all this Jim Harbaugh news, then some of my family members getting COVID, and then myself getting COVID, it has been a rough start to 2022. I'm not giving up on my hopeful resolution, but these first almost two weeks have been a rough start. Hopefully better days are ahead. And please continue to wear your mask people. It is not that hard and it is the best way to mitigate the spread of this horrible virus. I haven't stopped wearing mine, and now, not that I wasn't before, I will be even more vigilant about wearing mine.

That is the tale of my first battle with COVID. I'm sure it will not be the last, but I am still hopeful we have a way to stop this thing from spreading further. That's my hope anyway. Stay safe out there.

Ty

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

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A Look Back on 2021

Here we sit about twelve hours from a new year. 2021 was good and bad. Well, more bad than good, but that seems to be the way of the world right now. But I do have a slight glimmer of hope going into the new year. I think we have the ability to, if we all chip in, change the course of things that are going on right now. I'm more upbeat about 2022 than I was about 2021. But do not get me wrong, 2021 gave us some great things. Let’s discuss.

First and foremost, we were finally given a vaccine for COVID. I know it may not be perfect, it is a two to three shot system, but hey, this gives us a chance to return to "normal". I got vaccinated in March of 2021. I got my first shot at the beginning of the month, my second near the end, and got my booster in November. I know Omicron is a different animal, but my family and I have done what the doctors and the science have told us to do. My wife is boosted as well. My kids were able to get their shots in November of this year. I don't want Omicron to take away all hope from people. For those of us that got vaxxed and boosted, that is a big time deal. Science rules.

I was also able to see family and friends safely this year. After a year of not being able to do that, I was ecstatic when I, and the people I was seeing, felt comfortable enough to gather. I did not realize how much I missed that in 2020. My kids were able to return to school and sports. I know that right now there are things that may halt that, but I also know that, because of science, it will not be canceled. My daughter loves soccer. And my son is obsessed with basketball. It has been great to be able to coach again too. I did not realize how much I missed that.

My running has reached a whole new level in 2021. I run all the time now. As you all know, I ran my first full marathon this year, and it was a trail marathon. I almost hit 1500 miles running this year, just about 20 miles short.

My family was able to travel this summer. I am not the biggest fan of Gulf shores, but I had an absolute blast one year after having to postpone. The beach was rad and the running was hot and interesting.

My wife just keeps on going higher and higher at her job. She works a lot, but she also makes time for me and the kids. She is so excellent at what she does, and 2021 has more than proved that to me and everyone else.

I went to two weddings this year. I was masked, as was my family. But it was fun to be at such a joyous occasion in 2021. It was nice to be around smiling and happy people.

My brother, RD, got to go back to the theater for movies. He loves that. My other brother Seth, he got to go back to live shows. And my oldest brother, Ross, and his wife have taken their daughter, my niece, on actual real college visits for next year. All these things, and a lot more, have me kind of hopeful in 2022.

Even vaccinated people I know that have gotten COVID, they are better within three-five days, and none of them have had to be admitted to the hospital. I have also chosen to just not acknowledge anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers. I still wear my mask, I am obviously pro vaccine, so I am not going to waste my time with people that do not trust or believe in science. If they ask me why I trust it so much, I will tell them, but I am done trying to change their minds. It is like talking to a brick wall.

I am also done talking politics. I am as liberal and democratic as anyone can get. But I am sick and tired of being called out by crazy right wing nut jobs and people that do not vote for either major party. They are not going to change my mind and I am not going to change theirs. It is too much of a headache. I think that is what I'm going to do in 2022, that will be my resolution. I asked my family about resolutions, and I got a bunch of stock answers. For me, I'm going to go into 2022 with an open mind and I'm going to keep my mouth closed. I've been doing that for the past few months, and it has worked.

Long posting short, I feel better and my anxiety has gone down. So, and I'll say it again, I'm hopeful going into 2022. It is going to be a tough couple of months to start out, but if we can get through this, if we can start listening to scientists and doctors, I see things getting better, hopefully, by early spring. That is my resolution, my plan for 2022, being hopeful. Happy New Year everyone. Have fun and be safe tonight.

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 Classic: It is Time to Repeal and Replace Capitalism

Every Labor Day we revisit the failure of capitalism. Now more than ever the destructive narrative of capitalism is on display with the criminal greed being seen in our corporations and government. 

The post originally appeared on September 7th, 2015.

What do we really celebrate on Labor Day? History says that the day started as a reaction to the Haymarket Massacre in 1886. The deaths in Chicago that day brought to light the struggles of workers nationwide. Demonstrators at Haymarket Square that day were rallying for an eight hour work day. When we go back and look at how the heads of capitalism treated their workers, who were US citizens, it is frightening. The labor movement needed to strike, rally, and demonstrate just so the capital owners would treat the workers like real humans. We celebrate Labor Day because workers needed to demand, and risk their safety, for a humanity that the capital owners were not willing to provide.

Capitalism is anti humanity and it is not allowing us to socially evolve, it is time for a new economic system. The people at the very top of our capitalistic society are large carnivores that get rewarded for anything that they can consume. There is no humanity to the capital owners. We celebrate record stock markets, and forget we have such a small volume of people participating in the market. We complain about welfare queens, without accepting that some of our richest CEOs get their salaries enhanced by government subsidies. The devourers at the top of the economic food chain have made the people below fearful and reverent at the same time. Capitalism is not allowing us to grow as humans, it is keeping us in cages like the animals that the capital owners need to control.

The way capitalism is sold to the general public is through use of code words like freedom and opportunity. In the world of today there is very little opportunity or freedom for the people not at the top of the capitalism food chain. The use of freedom and opportunity have their roots in trying to keep people non-empowered. If you want to go out and start your own business, you do have that freedom. If you have a great idea that can change the world, you have the opportunity to pursue that dream. Our modern capitalistic system does throw up every hurdle imaginable so the current capital owners have a say over your success. The system allows for the commoditization of people who can steal and exploit other people's work. The defenders of capitalism use opportunity and freedom as defenses for these patent trolls. Capitalism does not create ideas, it creates ways to steal great ideas and give them to the carnivores at the top.

The idea of commoditization has reached a truly dangerous level in our society. We have used capitalism to justify putting a price on the our most important human needs. Healthcare is one of our largest, and wealthiest, industries. We all accept that doctors should be well paid because of their skill and necessity. Our ability to get healthcare, through insurance, is directly related to our income. That is insane. Medical care is a necessity for everyone in the world, why should it be a commodity? Why do we not question this? Most doctors are not builders and creators, they are administrators. When you go to the doctor, it is for maintenance or to discuss something out side of the norm. Your income level rarely dictates the maintenance you require. Your income level can directly relate to the need for a doctor when there is something outside of norm. Lower income people have more severe, treatable, medical issues because of how capitalism financially elevates doctors. Basic human needs like healthcare are not a commodity. Capitalism has set a value to our lives, that is anti-humanity.

The ability to communicate has been the greatest tool for social evolution. The printing press created a new world filled with scientific and social advances. The internet is just getting its legs, and changing the entire world for the better. Many of the innovations related to communication were not done in pursuit of economic riches. The internet was created by the government, and nurtured by the social system, to become the tool we use today. The engineers of the world create things that not only maintain society, but allow it to grow. The Wright Brothers looked to the government for support before they looked to the capital owners. Roads, rails, and bridges are designed and built by engineers with government support, not private business support. Why is it that the government has allowed business to commoditize basic needs like communication? The rise of the telecom deregulation was another sacrifice at the idol of capitalism. We have been told that private business can handle our communication better than the government funded engineers who built the network. Our reward is one of the worst communication networks in the developed world. The telecom companies get their money, the CEOs get their large paydays, and the citizens get a subpar product thanks to the tenets of capitalism. The telecom companies do not have any concern for our ability to communicate, their concern is only to gain money. Our government, and our cultural programming, have allowed for basic communication to be another commodity to be bought and sold. Due to capitalism the more wealth you have, the better communication available.

Capitalism is a wall that stops innovation. The ability to create a commodity out of basic social needs is a large problem. Your health is not something that should be paid for. Your voice and ideas are not things that should be granted by a company with no creators. Capitalism exists to give freedom and opportunity to those already established, and make sure the non established have very nearly no options to compete. We deserve the right pursue our dreams, and not be hampered by our inability to pay for health or communication. Everyone deserves freedom and opportunity.

Capitalism is one of the most destructive forces in history. We need to have a discussion on how to replace this carnivorous ideology with one that rewards innovation and creates an evolving society. In the future we will continue to discuss the pitfalls of capitalism, and start to formulate an ideology that will bring about a brighter future. We encourage your dissent and contribution. Your ideas are not a commodity. Come share them with us.

Happy Labor day. Enjoy this day of rest and remember that protesters died for the right to have a reasonable work schedule. Let us use this Labor Day to start a new movement. The old capitalistic ways need to be repealed, the replacement will produce true opportunity. We can find this new way forward together. The only thing we will lose are the cages the capitalists keep society in.

RD Kulik

RD is the creator and Head Editor for SeedSing. 

The Ways the Pandemic Changed My Vacation

My wife, my kids and I are on our first vacation since 2019 right now. We have two days left, and it’s been fun. We’ve gone to the beach, ordered takeout, we even ate inside a restaurant. We are still masking up whenever we venture away from our Air BnB, but for the most part, it’s been relatively “normal”.

When I woke up this morning, and was given the plan for the day, I stopped for a moment and realized what my favorite part of this vacation has been so far. As I said, we’ve done done tourist stuff, I’ve been trail running, I’m taking my son hiking today, but my favorite part is the fact that we are back at our place no later than 7:15 every night. It’s glorious. Our kids are still young, my son is nine and daughter is five. The younger one goes to bed at 8:00 every night, and she doesn’t want to change that, even while on vacation. The older one goes to bed around 9:00 or 9:30, but he really enjoys his hour of video game or TV time he gets when his sister goes to bed, so he wants to be back for that. My wife and I really enjoy the hour or so before we go to bed that’s just the two of us. That’s our time to reflect on the day, to relax, to just be adults basically. It’s fantastic.

Take last evening as an example. I wanted seafood for dinner and we hadn’t purchased any at the grocery store. We decided we would pick some up and bring it back to the condo. I also had to make a stop at the grocery store to grab more bottled water for us. The tap water in Gulf Shores is not great. So we went to the beach for the day, then I went for a run and then we made sure we left the condo at 4:45 so we could accomplish all the nighttime stuff that needed to be done. By the time I left the grocery store, it was 7:15, and that was considered late. We got back to the condo at 7:30, made ice cream cones for the kids and watched some TV. I read my daughter a story at 8:00 and left her room by 8:15. By 8:30 she was out. A day of swimming and running around really made her crash. Then we let out son watch Hulu in our room until 9:00. Then he put himself to bed. Then my wife and I watched TV and just relaxed until 10:00. We had our ice cream, we talked, watched “The Office” and we’re both ready to conk out by 10:30. It’s been wonderful. I remember being a kid on vacation and wanting to stay up late and go out and do stuff all the time. That was crazy. I get why my parents had us get back to hotels or family members houses now. As a parent of younger kids, the day starts so much earlier, so by the early evening, you’re totally exhausted. That’s why everyone wants to go to bed early.

We have two full days left, counting today, and I’d be willing to guarantee that we will all be going to bed even earlier. I’m taking my son hiking while the ladies go to the beach. Then we are spending a full day at the beach tomorrow, and I’ll be doing more trail running in the late afternoon. We will all be tired, it knowing that we will be back in the condo by 7:30 is a wonderful, and comforting feeling.

Ty

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

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A Wrap Up on Pandemic Learning

Both my kids finished off the school year yesterday. For a while I was doing updates on how the year was going during the pandemic. Today I want to talk about this school year as a whole, and how impressed I am with how well the district handled some things. We definitely have other problems, big glaring problems that need to be addressed immediately. But I want to keep this strictly about the pandemic, and how the school was able to finish the year in person after nine weeks of virtual learning to start.

We did start virtual, and that was fine. Last year, when everything suddenly shut down, virtual learning was a mess. It was disorganized, too short, too many internet problems, just everything was sloppy. That was expected. None of us knew what in the hell we were doing. It was scary. We were all just trying to deal with our new reality. When the new school year started, virtual learning was leaps and bounds better. They had a schedule. My kids both had multiple Zoom meetings with their teachers. They were both engaged, and it worked. Those nine weeks were long, but they were, for the most part, a success.

Then both my kids went back in person. This was a struggle coming to this decision for me and my wife. We wanted them to learn, to be social, to see their friends, but so little was known about COVID. There is still so much more to learn about this virus. But we eventually decided that the pros outweigh the cons, and we sent them back. We made sure they knew the importance of masking, of personal hygiene, of social distancing. They were already well versed in it when school stopped last year, so I had some kind of comfort in sending them back. And it worked. There were moments, especially during Thanksgiving and the winter holiday season, when there were rumors of returning to all virtual for some time. The case numbers were going up, the variants started to become a thing, people were skirting the CDC guidelines, it was a mess. The kids had to bring home their computers everyday. The parents received emails letting us know that school could go all virtual at any moment, so we had to be ready. But they weathered the storm, and the kids did not miss a day of in person learning all year unless they had a cold or they got a snow day. We did have some virtual Friday's thrown in from time to time. But when they had class, my kids went. And they loved every second of it.

I was talking to both of my kids yesterday when I picked them up from school. I wanted to know what they thought about this whole pandemic school year. They were both thrilled that they got to go back in person, and they both said they were sad because they wouldn't be able to see all the friends they want to. I was pleased with this answer from them for a few reasons. First, it is clear that my kids like school and want to go. They both enjoy learning, seeing their friends, talking to their teachers, the whole experience is good for them. Second, seeing their friends was a humongous deal when they first went back, and since my kids are not old enough for a vaccine yet, and I hope one gets approved for them soon, they only have a few select friends that we feel comfortable with them seeing this summer. These select friends, I know that their folks are vaccinated, and any kid that is old enough for a vaccine has gotten at least one dose. So the fact that they could see all their friends during school, masked, was so big for them. It allowed them to talk freely to everyone they wanted to talk to. They got to be the social butterflies they both have been since they were born. Third, the teachers were absolute rock stars this year. That they were able to come together, to find a way to teach, to do it awesomely, my hat is off to them. This had to be a very, very, very hard year for them, and they nailed it. My son and daughter were both raving about how much they loved their teachers and how much they learned from them this year. Teachers are totally awesome, but they went up a whole new level after this school year. That is a damn tough job, and they knocked it out of the damn park. I'm even more impressed now than I was before. Finally, the superintendent of our school did a masterful job navigating the students, teachers and parents. He had to deal with a ton of nonsense, the stuff I talked about up top that needs to be fixed and fixed fast, and he handled it so gracefully and so properly. I wish he was not retiring. I wish he was staying on. I am so annoyed and angered at some of the parents that attacked him viciously online. Those people are cowards. They are keyboard warriors and nothing more. The superintendent doesn't deserve any of that. He handled this so well, so effectively and was a tremendous asset to our school. I am really going to miss him. And he handled this COVID school year like a champ. I am as impressed with his job performance as I am with all the teachers.

I guess I just want to say thank you to the staff and teachers of both my kids' schools. You did a wonderful job navigating a nearly impossible school year. I am forever grateful to you all, as are my wife and kids. This weird year wouldn't have happened without the wonderful work everyone involved did. My hat is off to you all. Thank you.

Ty

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

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In Honor of the Best Veteran I Know

Today is Memorial Day and there is one veteran that I want to talk about.

He is my dad.

My dad was in the Navy. I know he gets a little annoyed and embarrassed when he is referred to as a veteran, but he went through a ton of stuff while in the navy. He may not have fought in a war, but he is as much a veteran as a lot of other people. Hell, he is more so a veteran than me or any other schmo who did not serve in any branch of the military. I am very anti war, anti any use of violence to get what you want, but I feel like I became that way because of my father. He never really talks about his time in the navy, or when he does, it is a hilarious story that I enjoy more and more every time I hear them. But my dad is a liberal, or has liberal leanings, even if he will never admit it. He listens to Bob Dylan, he was in a rock/psychedelic band in the 60's, he has many thoughts and feelings about politics and he is just an overall great person. He instilled that in all of us, me and my three brothers that is. I have always wondered why he never really goes into great detail about his time in the navy, but maybe he never did because he didn't want that for me and my brothers. I feel like he joined the navy because it was a way to go to college and to make money. I think he wanted better for us, as all parents do. So he never pushed us. He never told us about how "great" the military could be. He never talked about why we should join and what we could get out of it if we did. I have always appreciated that.

In fact, both my parents let us pave our own path in life. They let us be free thinkers as kids. That is why we are the way we are today, and that is awesome. Me and my three brothers, we all lean liberal. I feel like I am a near progressive democrat, my oldest brother is pretty liberal, my brother closest in age to me is liberal and RD, he is a liberal, no matter how much he will deny it. But our parents also let us question things and talked to us about these things if asked. I do know some of my dad's navy history, but only because I have asked. I know how my parents acted and behaved while my dad was stationed in Rota, Spain and my mom went there to see him, again because I have asked. And I know why he doesn't like being referred to as a veteran because we have had many conversations about it. But again, I think his time in the navy shaped who he became, and helped him with discipline and other things that you have to be able to do as a husband and father.

I adore my father. He is my best friend. He is the person I strive to be when I grow up. He is my idol. So on this Memorial Day, and yes my dad is very much alive, I want to thank him for all he has done. Not just in the navy and the time he served in the military, but for everything he has taught me, my brothers and the rest of our family. My dad rules. He is cooler than any other dad in the world. This is simply an appreciation piece to my dad, the GOAT.

Ty

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

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This Is Just The Beginning

Accountability.

Some accountability was finally handed down to a murderous police officer yesterday. Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts in the murder of George Floyd. The jury found, beyond reasonable doubt, that what Chauvin did was murder. He used excessive force on George Floyd. He had no regard for his life when he decided to knee on his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. He choked the life out of Floyd. Floyd constantly told him that he could not breathe, and Chauvin did not let up. He was rightfully convicted of the murder of Floyd, and now he will hopefully spend the rest of his miserable life behind bars. That is what he deserves.

This needed to happen. We all saw what happened one year ago. It was everywhere. You couldn't miss it. It was terrifying. And the jury agreed. George Floyd should still be alive, just like so many other African American people that the police have wrongfully murdered.

I want everyone to know what this all means. This is just the start. Now is the time for accountability. We need to hold anyone that uses excessive force accountable to the fullest extent of the law. These people need to be prosecuted. They need to know that they cannot get away with murder just because they are the police. They need to know that they are not above the law. That is fact, and it should be easy to follow.

When the verdict was read I was joyous for a while, and then I turned my focus to the other people that have lost their lives too early at the hands of the police. Those officers need to be put in front of a judge and jury. The lady that killed Daunte Wright, she should be guilty. The cops that shot that 13 year old child, they are guilty. The cops that murdered Breonna Taylor and Tamir Rice and Philando Castile and so many others, they all need to face a judge and jury. That is the law. They are not above it. They can't get away with it anymore. The joy I felt was kind of odd too. This is what was supposed to happen. But since we have become so backwards in our country, we applaud when a murderer gets convicted of murder. This is what we should have expected. We all should not have been on bated breath waiting and hoping he would be found guilty on all three counts. This was a homerun as far as convicting him. But we all cheered and applauded when it finally happened, when the verdict came back the way it was supposed to. This shouldn't be the case. But because of the situation, coming off the last administration, dealing with all the rampant racism, white supremacists getting more and more comfortable and police becoming more and more brutal, we as a society did have to wait with bated breath. We didn't know what the outcome was going to be. That needs to change. We need to evolve. We need to grow up. And we need to be held accountable. The Floyd family finally got some justice. It will not bring their son, father and brother back, but they did get some kind of justice. But as I said at the top, this is just the start. More of this needs to happen, and I hope that it will.

So while we celebrate a murderer being put in jail, lets all get ready to work to make sure that this continues to happen to anyone in a position of authority that uses that power in the wrong way. Let's put all these murdering cops behind bars. That is what they deserve. Rest in Peace George Floyd. And, BLACK LIVES MATTER.

Ty

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

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I Got Vaxed

As of this past Sunday, I have had my two COVID vaccine shots. I’ve kept it quiet on social media because I do not feel it is my responsibility to post that stuff. My wife and I have both gotten both shots, we have not told anyone other than family and close friends and neither of us had posted a picture with our vaccine cards. This is not me saying that people shouldn’t do that, do whatever you want after you get vaccinated, just get vaccinated.

I do want to tell everyone who reads my blog my story of getting my shots. I assumed I was going to fall in the final tier. I’m a stay at home dad, I run and play basketball, I’m not completely unhealthy, I do not have any underlying medical conditions and I’m still relatively young. It made sense to me to have to wait. And I did. I waited a few months after the vaccine was starting to be distributed. I wanted my folks to get it before me and they did. I wanted my in laws to get it before me and they did. There were people who needed it well before I did. After all of those people got their vaccine, then I’d get mine. Then one day my wife found an opportunity to get her shot. I was so happy for her. I wanted her to get it before me too. She is the bread winner in our relationship, so she deserved the vaccine before me. So I took her to her first appointment. We wanted to be as safe as possible. We didn’t know what, if any, side effects she might have, so we figured it was easiest for me to drive. And we did have to go on a little journey. The vaccine rollout in Missouri has been very bad. All the rural spots got the shots well before the bigger cities and counties. Our governor is an idiot, and I fully assume he did this on purpose. The rural areas voted for him, and us in the city and county did not. He treated the rollout like a spoiled child taking his ball and going home. I will go to my grave believing that. So we made the trip, it was about an hour, and she was ready for the shot. While we went back, I peppered the people with questions. I had so many. I just wanted some kind of timeframe for when I could get my shot. Then a day later I got a call from the same clinic, and they had a shot waiting for me. I was euphoric. I sped back to get that first dose. When I got it I wanted to cry tears of joy. It was amazing. I couldn’t believe that I was on my way to being vaccinated. It was pure joy.

As far as side effects, my arm hurt where I got the injection. It was sore, it hurt more when I used it, but it was nothing that stopped me from continuing my daily routine. It also only lasted one day. I was totally back to normal after that. The same thing happened to my parents. Sore arm that only lasted about 24 hours. Then it was the waiting game again. My wife and I both got Moderna, so we both had a four week wait. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. I kept living as I have lived the past year. I had my mask on in stores, I still ordered pickup from restaurants, when running and hiking with friends my mask was on, basically nothing changed.

Then the time came for the second dose. This was the biggy. After this one, in two weeks time, I’d be 94 percent protected from COVID. So we drove again, got our second shots on the same day and are in the midst of being fully vaccinated. The second shot wasn’t as euphoric as the first, but it was reassuring. It felt right. It was the smart, scientific and right thing to do. As far as side effects from the second shot, for me it was largely lethargy. I felt pretty tired the day after. I drank tons and tons of fluid. I took it easy. The only thing I did that was even remotely vigorous was taking my dog on a walk. That was all I felt like going. I also had a mild headache. From what I’ve heard I was lucky. I know people who had fevers that lasted for two-three days. I know people who had internal issues. I know people who felt like not getting out of bed for a day. I’ve heard some horror stories, but all those people have confirmed that they’ll gladly take a few rough days if it protects them from COVID. No one regrets their decision to get vaccinated. I don’t either.

Now that I’m fully vaccinated, not much has changed since my first shot. I still wear a mask. I have seen a few more friends who are also vaccinated, or on their way to be vaccinated, but we are still masked. I do not go to restaurants to eat, but I will go in to pickup food rather than having it delivered. I do have more confidence going inside the grocery store or hardware store or whatever I need to do errands. I feel more comfortable with my upcoming races. I am confident that my son and daughter will have baseball and softball this summer because all of us coaches will be fully vaccinated. Things seem a little bit better. I know we have variants out there and cases are up ticking, but as long as we stay diligent and keep vaccinating four million people a day, I see some light at the end of the tunnel. This pandemic is not over, not yet, but hopefully we are getting to a point where we can return to some kind of “normalcy”.

I’m glad I got the vaccine, I’ll definitely get any booster that’s required and I’ll stay vigilant. Also, these vaccines have made me so much more appreciative of doctors and science. That’s why we have this finally. Go get vaccinated. It’s easy enough when you get an appointment, and it’s more than worth any side effects and your time.

Ty

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

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Enough is Enough, Again

How many more?

I seriously want to know.

Why is seemingly everyday another innocent black person gets murdered by the police. What is going on in this world? Have we lost all morals and ethics? Do people not care? Why is racism so rampant within the police department? Why do they have access to guns but no training in how to deal with people using words? I'm sick of this all. I am also scared. I do not know where we go as a society from here. The last administration made these racist police officers feel that they could go out and literally get away with murder. And now that we have a competent president and vice president, anytime they want to pass legislation to make it much harder to acquire guns, and to allocate more money for other parts of society than just the police, the GOP sits on its hands, or votes it down.

The fact is that Daunte Wright should be alive today. He should not be dead. His family should not be making arrangements for a funeral. His son should be seeing his father right now. He should be waking up next to his girlfriend and getting ready to talk to his folks. He isn't because some racist police officers saw a "traffic violation", and then saw him on his phone, and when he went to get out of his car, he was shot dead. This is sickening and worrisome. I want to know what this so-called "traffic violation" was, and why it was deemed serious enough to get a gun out. And I do not care if he was running away from the police. I feel like everyone should be running from the police right now with the way they have acted since the last administration. Derek Chauvin is currently on trial for the murder of George Floyd. Floyd used a counterfeit bill and this monstrous police officer decided he needed to put his knee to his neck for over 8 minutes and squeeze the life out of him. If Chauvin is not convicted of the murder he knowingly did, there will be riots. Wright was murdered by a different police officer not too far from where this trial is happening. And no one seems to be talking about it as much as they should right now.

I get worried every morning when I wake up and check the news because something horrible like this seems to happen everyday, and the people who commit these heinous acts, these crimes, seem to face little to no punishment. I saw today that the police department that is responsible for the police officer that murdered Wright said "we were supposed to taser him". Explain to me how you mix up a taser with a handgun. I haven't held either, but I have seen many, many pictures of both, and I know the difference between the two. This is a very scary time to be alive, and excuses like this are adding to the fear. It just came across my phone that they have postponed a baseball game that was supposed to happen in Minnesota this afternoon. That was the right call. Things like this cannot just continue to happen and we all just move on as a society. Consequences have to be paid. The punishment needs to fit the crime. The people who shoot to kill need to be held responsible and be prosecuted. I cannot take it anymore.

And it will happen again. That is what makes this even worse. Any of us who may have thought that George Floyd's death was going to be a wake up call, was going to change things, clearly we were wrong. Nothing has changed from the police's perspective. I'm sure there are still some decent police officers, but that wanes every time I see another story like Daunte Wright's. Police officers are given too much power, and I feel the good majority of them abuse it. I feel like a lot of officers were the "cool" guys and girls in high school, and it all stopped there. So they have to find a way to stay relevant, to still be deemed "cool", so they go out and find a job where they can have a miniscule amount of power, and then abuse it. There have been far, far too many deaths that could have easily been avoided. We also have traffic stops that, if they do not end in death, they still end pretty awfully. This past December there were two cops who openly harassed an Army veteran because he is black. They yelled at him, threatened his career and pepper sprayed him even though he was following their directions to a T. The video is only coming out now because the veteran rightfully pressed charges. Those officers need to be excused of their duties and rightly prosecuted as well. But with Wright and the police involved, this is clearly premeditated murder, at least from my perspective. They found a bogus reason to pull him over, and when he made a movement, the police fired their weapons in cold blood. This shit needs to end.

I say again, Wright should be alive today. So should George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and Hamidou Diallo and Michael Brown and Philando Castile and Eric Garner and Botham Jean and Tamir Rice and so, so , so many more people of color that were murdered because they are not white. I have said it before and I will say it again, I am scared. I do not want to be pulled over by any officer. I am scared of what they will do to me and my wife and my kids. And I am a white male in my late 30's. I cannot imagine what my friends who are minorities think whenever they see a police officer, especially with how blood thirsty they have become over these past four years. I am also finding it harder and harder to not tell my children my true feelings about the police. This is another dark day in a very dark time. Something needs to be done. Something big needs to happen. And these monsters that are shooting people in cold blood, they need to be held accountable for their acts. BLACK LIVES MATTER.

Ty

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

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The Return of the Covidiots

They’re Back

Spring break is right around the corner for some, and others are already on it.

Time for fun and games.

Right?

I remember last year how different spring break was. The world essentially shut down at that time. We were all scared, didn't know what was going to happen, how to deal with it all, and still some people were selfish enough to go to beaches and other places and party like nothing was wrong. I trashed a town in Missouri around this time last year as well. That town was Lake of the Ozarks. There were far too many people there. It felt like a breeding ground for COVID. I even heard a kid say on the news, "there's no law when drinking the claw". It made my blood boil. It made me angry. I couldn't believe how blasé and nonchalant these people were acting. And it was the same at other beaches in places like Florida and Alabama. Of course the beaches became a very hot spot, and COVID traveled far and wide. I kind of feel like that was the start of the big surges we saw, when right after spring break, virtually everything shut down.

I come to you one year later with almost the exact same concern. COVID is still a very real threat. Not everyone is vaccinated, or even willing to get vaccinated. Some states are not loosening restrictions as much as others. Most, and I emphasize that word, are going to do the right thing. But, there have been reports and pictures and news stories about beaches, mainly in Miami, that are being flocked with people, and the people there are not following proper protocols. I get it, these young kids want to party. But I want to shake them and tell them that they are going to be the reason that everything gets shut down again. Their carelessness and unwillingness to follow simple rules is going to push our reopening timeline back even further. I know that some were arrested for not following the rules, and that is good. But who's to say these same kids won't get bailed out and just go back to partying in a very unsafe way.

I'm particularly worried here in Saint Louis because our schools start spring break on Monday, and I just have a feeling those same idiots that flocked to the lake last year are going to do it again. We are just now getting vaccines in the county and city. My wife and I had to take a drive to get ours. The rural areas were the only places getting them at first, and they had so many that a lot of people did what we did. But I know those kids that went to the lake last year are not vaccinated, and they are going to be endangering their lives and the lives of their loved ones. It's terrifying. Also, if you look at some other countries, and what they are doing about outbreaks here and there that are happening, it is only a matter of time before we have the same problem in the US.

I know everyone wants to get back to some kind of normalcy. People want to see friends and family. I sure as hell do. I'd love to play basketball in a gym. But you have got to be careful about where you go, who you see and how you act. The CDC just put out new, promising guidelines, and I don't want them to have to roll that back because some frat boys decided their beach party over spring break was more important than the safety and well being of everyone else. Things were/are looking up. More and more people are being vaccinated daily. Biden and Harris and Dr. Fauci have come through on their promise to get the vaccine out there. But we still have to be vigilant. We still have to follow the proper protocols. This way things can get back to some kind of normalcy in the near future.

Look, I'd love to go somewhere with my wife and kids next week. Our house is being worked on and we are staying with my parents for the time being. It would be great to get out. But we know that it would be foolish and dangerous if we did. My son is going to a baseball camp, where every child, coach and parent will be masked, in lieu of us going to a beach somewhere. It's not what we wanted, but it is what we are doing.

Please exercise caution. Please make a wise decision. Don't be selfish this spring break if you want to get back to "normal" anytime soon. I'm pleading with you all. Be safe and be diligent. That way, maybe next spring break, the beaches will be a much safer option.

Ty

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

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Thank the Gods for Grocery Store Workers

The most important shelf that needs constant stocking

This pandemic has been rough and hard and relentless and brutal and eye opening. It has really been so many things. And while front line workers in hospitals, and in pharmacies and in doctor's offices and school teachers and so many more people I'm sure I am forgetting have been going through this, have been dealing with it up close and personal, and deserve every single bit of praise they are receiving, I do want to give a shout out to another group of people who have been doing their jobs all along, yet do not seem to get the attention.

Those people are grocery store workers. And I am not talking about the pharmacy, again give them all the praise, or the people administering vaccines, they are truly heroes, I am talking about the people that stock the shelves, that work the checkout, that clean the store and everything in it. I'm talking about the hourly employees and the GM's and the store managers. They have been doing it the whole time. They have seen the worst of the worst. They have had to deal with some miserable people who I have seen shout at them for simply asking them to wear a mask. Grocery store employees deserve our praise as well. They had to deal with the toilet paper shortage at the start before any of us. I went to a Walgreens one day in Saint Louis when the shelves were being restocked with toilet paper, and people were pushing other people over, mainly the worker restocking the shelf, to get a roll of toilet paper. That is brutal. I cannot fathom how the workers dealt with this. They had to be a mix of scared, angry, annoyed and frustrated. I mean, we have relied on them to keep their shelves as stocked as possible. And when some of the stores did not have stuff, they had to deal with some miserable people, who were also scared themselves, yelling at them in their face. Then we had the mask mandates being established. I was, and still am, all for this. Some other people, not so much. Some people really skirt this rule, or choose to ignore it. I have encountered people being asked to leave a store because they have refused to wear a mask. I have seen grocery store workers being screamed at when they simply ask a customer to put their mask on. I have seen grocery workers scoffed at when they ask someone to put their mask on properly. They don't deserve that. They don't need to be yelled at or demeaned in that manner. Yet some people treat them that bad. Again, I have seen it in person. It is horrifying. But again, grocery workers have had to deal with this since last March. And, just for a second, imagine if they went on strike or refused to work or wanted to get some kind of better protection for themselves. People would have bashed them. We need grocery workers more than ever. We need them to survive. We need them to stock the shelves. We need them to scan our items. We need them to help us find stuff when we can't, or to let us know when they may be getting items in their stores. I have a totally newfound respect and admiration for grocery store workers. I will fully admit that I took them for granted before the pandemic. They just scanned my groceries and I was on my way. But now, since everything went down, they have had to deal with horrible people, low stock, frantic and scared shoppers and mean, unintelligent people, and they have done it with aplomb. I go to the store every Monday to get our groceries for the week, and today I just sat back and admired all the hard work they were doing. My local Aldi, and even more local Schnucks, had workers stocking shelves, had their lines moving quick and in order, were cleaning every surface in the store and helping people out when they needed it. It was a breath of fresh air.

Grocery workers deserve all the accolades, and I just wanted to let them know how much I appreciate their hard work, especially in the grim face of this horrific pandemic. Thank you for all you do. You are all truly indispensable.

Ty

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

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Snow Sucks

In Saint Louis we are in the midst of, what we would consider, a pretty rough winter. It has been bitterly cold the last week, we are getting snowed on and school, even for the kids doing virtual, is getting canceled daily. I know we do not have to deal with what people who live up North have to, or what people in much colder countries do. But, for the time, and place I live, it is very cold and very snowy.

Up above I mentioned how school has been getting canceled a lot lately too. I, like most kids, used to relish this. I would sit at the TV screen the night before it would snow, and just watch and hope that my school would be on there. It didn't usually happen the night before, but after a restless night of sleep, I would wake up in the morning and do the same. Just watch, wait and hope. More times that not, we usually got a day or two called off here and there for snow. It was nice. We would get together, go sledding or play tackle football and just have fun. After we were done outside, we would go into someone's house and have a snack. The snack was usually some nice hot chocolate and sandwiches. After all that playing we needed to fuel up so we could do it again later in the day before it got dark. These were the best. I look back at them fondly.

As an adult this has all changed. I am not a fan of the snow. I feel that it almost ruins my day, and sometimes, my week. I am, as one of the jobs of a stay at home parent, essentially a taxi service. I have to take my kids to school, to their sports, to their friends houses, pretty much everywhere they need to be. I also do all the grocery shopping and any other little errand that needs to be done. This is all by choice. I like being out of my home when possible, so it is nice to have these things to do, even in a pandemic. But when it snows, or gets brutally cold, all these jobs are much more difficult and draining. When the weather is like this, there is no drive to school. That makes the morning feel like forever, and completely slows down my day. It slows down my kids' day too. And because we are living in a pandemic, my kids' do not have the luxury of getting together with their friends. They are lucky to see one kid they know, and that rarely happens. I can take them sledding, but it is in our backyard, or I take my son to a bigger hill, and he sleds solo. The fun of that for him wanes pretty quickly. My kids also are not as into sports as I am. I can ask them to toss a football around in the snow, or play freeze tag or run back and forth, but they simply lose interest way too fast. The only holdover that still works is the hot chocolate and snacks. But now, with my diet, I rarely ever indulge with them. They get to have it, and I just get to have the sense memory. But even worse is the driving and trying to run simple errands in the snow and cold. It is slick, the roads out here take forever to get clean, the stores run out of items because people panic shop. It is all a mess. I also will not go out to run if it is less than 10 degrees outside. That has been the case for four days now. I have had to workout in my home. That is fine, we have a recumbent bike, I have circuit training I can do, I have resistance bands and I can run in place. But man is it so much more boring, and less satisfying. I can ride my bike for an hour, and only burn 400 calories. I have to run in place for an hour just to get in three miles. The resistance bands and circuit training is good, but I move around so much, and make so much noise, my wife cannot hear her meetings. Then we have the aftermath of the snow. It is going to be cold for the rest of today, and most of tomorrow in Saint Louis, then it will start warming up. By the end of the week it will be in the mid to high 30's. That means I can run outside again, but it is going to be an absolute sloppy mess. The snow is going to melt, the roads and sidewalks are going to be like streams, the trails are going to be filled with mud and the snow will turn to dirt and will muck up cars and buses and roads and rivers.

Snow sucks. It is all so not worth it. Sure it looks pretty, my kids get a few days off here and there and they can have their cocoa, but the adults have to deal with the bad part of the snow and cold. My dad was right. He told me when I grew up that I would not like the snow, no matter how much I pushed back. Well, I do not like the snow, and I wish it would come and go quickly. I guess that is a sign of growth and maturity, but man does this weather really bum me out now. At least my kids get to enjoy it.

Ty

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

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The Continuing Adventures of Pandemic Schooling

I haven't done a school check in blog for awhile, so today feels like a good day for a new one.

We are into the second semester now here in Saint Louis. I assume most places are for that matter. Things have been smoother than I think most of us could have hoped for. I am probably jinxing it, but we haven't gotten an email from my son's school with a new case in well over a month. And my daughter's preschool, still no positive cases all year. Things have been good at school too. My kids have both told me, on separate occasions, that the only real difference is having to wear a mask all day, and they couldn't care less about that. I applaud both schools my kids go to for teaching them the importance of masks and hand washing and why they need to be more conscious of their hygiene. I am a clean freak as it is, but it is nice to have other people, people outside my home, telling them how important cleanliness truly is.

My kids have adapted well to any other changes too, even outside the universal masking at county schools. They have lunch with their class, that is it. No mingling with other classes, no additional students or teachers, just their teacher and their classmates. My son got on board with this fairly easily. My daughter has half days, so lunch is at home with me. My son has a full day, so he does have this new experience, but as I said, he is cool with it. It helps that he is in class with some kids he has been friends with since kindergarten. He already has these built in relationships. But I think no matter who was in his class, he would find someone to hang with. He is very sociable and easy to get along with. He is very good at making friends. Recess is also like lunch. Their class goes out each day to a different area of the playground, and they play. Some days they get the playground, some days they get the blacktop, that includes ga ga ball, basketball and tether ball and other days they get the big field. It rotates every single day. Again, my son has had no problems adapting to this change. He gets to still do all the things he likes doing at recess, and he gets to hang with his buddies. There have been zero problems. My daughter has recess too, but her class is so small, and they go out so early, they get the full playground to themselves, which is very nice for a bunch of 4 and 5 year olds. And both kids have little four people pods they sit in within their classroom. It has been nice because they rotate the people every few weeks. My son is loving his pod right now because he has his three best friends with him. This has caused some issues within the class, but only because all four of them talk non stop. My daughter loves the pod stuff because she gets to kind of run things. She is one of the older kids in her class, so the younger kids look up to her for advice, and to know what to do. She likes to be in charge, and the pod is perfect for her.

The only change that has come in the second semester has been a switch to making every Friday, at least for the next two months, virtual. Every parent knew this was coming. We all saw the writing on the wall. There was far too much travel and meeting with people outside of personal bubbles over the holiday break. Then COVID case numbers started to soar. We just figured it was a matter of time. Today is the second virtual Friday of the quarter, and it has been okay. It is kind of a throw away day, but work does get done. For example, they only have one Zoom, and it is in the morning. I'm not too terribly pleased with this. My son is the type who's mind will wander. I kind of have to stay on him to get his other work done after his 30 minute meeting. It is a bit reminiscent of last year when we had to suddenly shift to virtual, and no one had any idea how to pull it off. The beginning of the school year was much better when we went fully virtual for nine weeks, but they had a whole summer to prepare. The idea to shift now seemed like an inevitable one, but I also feel like there could have been a little bit better of a game plan. One Zoom in the morning is not enough. But all in all, we are all figuring this out and adapting.

This is as weird a school year as I hope we will ever have. I don't think many people have wanted their kids school year to be part time, or fully virtual, but here we are. I am lucky and grateful that we have been able to send both of my kids back this year, and if that means we have to spend one day virtual, so be it. My hat is off to the school district. They have done everything better than I could have expected. It is a weird and wild year, but we are getting through it together.

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.