September 11th Through My Eyes

There are certain moments in life when you remember exactly where you were. September 11, 2001, is one of those moments for me.

I was living in St. Louis at the time, 26 years old, and working for an event company. That morning, I was on my way to a professional golf tournament practice round in the region. Our company had activities planned at the tournament, and it was supposed to be a normal workday. Then I heard something on the radio.

A small craft, the announcer said, had hit the World Trade Center. At that point, it sounded like a terrible accident. Strange, certainly, but an accident.

I continued to a hotel, where I was meeting my boss so we could carpool to the golf course. The televisions were on near the hotel lobby. Breakfast was being served to guests, but people had begun gathering around the screens. There was a growing sense that something important was happening.

Then we watched the second plane hit the World Trade Center. Live. The room gasped. I can still remember the reaction. People who had been eating breakfast or talking quietly were suddenly frozen, staring at the television.

A stranger standing next to me said something I will never forget. “This is not an accident. This is something worse.”

He was right.

My boss and I eventually got into the car and headed toward the golf course. As we drove, we heard on the radio that the first tower had collapsed. It was difficult to comprehend. The World Trade Center was one of the most recognizable places in America. The idea that one of those massive towers could simply be gone seemed impossible. By the time we reached the golf course, we watched the second tower collapse live on television. Later we heard the news of the plane crash at the Pentagon, then the downing of United 93 in Shanksville Pennsylvania.

Not long after the United States realized that is was under attack, St. Louis police officers escorted everyone out of the clubhouse. We were told to leave and go somewhere safe. Nobody really knew what was happening. There were rumors. There was confusion. There was fear that more attacks could be coming. For the first time in my life, it felt possible that nowhere was completely safe.

I lived in downtown St. Louis then, in a small apartment on the 15th floor of a building with a view of the Gateway Arch. There was speculation that Arch could be a target. I would not go back to my apartment that evening.

That fear may be one of the things I remember most about that day. Not just the images of the burning towers or their collapse. Not just the terrible realization that thousands of people were in danger, and many had been killed. It was the uncertainty. We did not know what would happen next. The entire day became a blur of television coverage, phone calls, rumors and unanswered questions. Airports shut down. People tried to reach family members. Television networks repeated the images of the planes striking the towers and the buildings collapsing. It felt as though the entire country had stopped. In many ways, it had.

September 11 was a day of confusion, fear and sadness. It was also a day when Americans watched events unfold together in real time, trying to understand something that seemed impossible only hours earlier. For people who were alive that day, the memories are often deeply personal. Someone remembers being in an elementary school classroom. Someone else remembers being at work. Some were on airplanes. Some were in New York, Washington, D.C., or Pennsylvania. Others, like me, were hundreds or thousands of miles away but watched the attacks unfold on television and listened to the news on the radio. The details are different, but the feeling is often the same. You remember where you were when you realized the world had changed.

Twenty-five years later, the images and memories of that morning remain difficult to separate from what came afterward. America changed. The way we traveled changed. The way we thought about safety changed. The country went to war. Politics changed. Our relationship with the rest of the world changed. Maybe some things changed for the better. Maybe some did not. But there is no question that September 11, 2001, changed the world. For me, the memory begins with a radio report about a “small craft” hitting the World Trade Center. It continues with a crowded hotel lobby, a collective gasp as the second plane struck, and a stranger recognizing before many of us did that this was not an accident. Then came the drive to the golf course, the news that the first tower had fallen, and watching the second tower collapse. Finally came the fear. The police telling us to leave. Not knowing where to go. Not knowing if another attack was coming.

That is what I remember about September 11. A normal morning that became something else entirely. A day when the world suddenly felt much bigger, much more dangerous and much less certain. And a day that, for better or worse, changed everything that came after it.

 RD

RD is the founder and Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support us and the podcast on Patreon.

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No Favorites, No Limits

I've never really been one for favorites. For as long as I can remember, when someone asks me what my favorite food, color, or type of music is, I draw a blank. It’s not that I don’t have preferences, I do. But I don’t feel a strong need to rank things in a way that defines me. I can appreciate the complexity of different musical genres, find beauty in every color, and enjoy a wide variety of foods. Yet, I’ve often noticed that people around me hold tightly to their favorites, as if those choices are fundamental to who they are.

Reflecting on this, I realize my lack of fixed favorites isn’t just a quirk, it aligns with my broader approach to life. Having a favorite can feel like drawing a line in the sand, defining a piece of identity in a way that might not leave room for change. And when identity is cemented in past choices, it can make it harder to fully engage with the present. If I declare a favorite band, does that mean I stop being open to new sounds? If I claim a favorite food, do I miss out on the joy of discovering something different?

I’ve seen this play out in my own life. For years, I told myself I didn’t like onions. I wasn’t even questioning the belief, it was just part of how I saw myself. But at some point, I stopped reinforcing that thought, and now I use onions in dishes all the time. My appreciation for music has evolved in a similar way. If I had stuck to only my longtime favorites, I might never have spent time with artists like Taylor Swift or Kendrick Lamar. My willingness to explore beyond my usual tastes has vastly improved my appreciation for new sounds, new perspectives, and even entire genres like hip-hop that I once overlooked.

By not clinging to favorites, I allow myself the freedom to experience things as they come without preconceptions. This openness fosters mindfulness, a way of being present without attaching labels or expectations. It also cultivates a growth mindset, where I see value in exploration rather than rigid attachment. Instead of defining myself by what I’ve liked in the past, I let my experiences shape me in real time.

And the more I embrace this mindset, the more I notice the world around me. When I stay in the present moment, I experience more of it. I hear the subtle sounds in the background that I might have ignored before, see details in a landscape that would have gone unnoticed, and feel more connected to what is actually happening right now. Without the weight of expectation or the need to define everything, I am free to fully engage with the only thing that truly exists, the now.

Kirk Aug

Kirk is a writer, beekeeper and a fellow traveller on spaceship Earth. Follow Kirk on instagram @kirkaug

So Long Chesterfield Mall and Thanks for All the Memories

Another day and another Saint Louis landmark is going by the wayside. I fully understand that what I'm talking about is definitely for my STL readers, but I live here and this stuff was/is important to me and I have an avenue to talk about it. Let’s get to it.

As a kid we all had that one mall that we would go to to hang out with friends and dork around. This is a very common Generation X and Millennial thing, but it had a wild heyday. Malls were all the craze for a good decade or so. Here in West County, that mall for me was Chesterfield Mall. I had a lot of firsts there, and today is the last day that it will be open. Today is the last day that Chesterfield Mall will be called Chesterfield Mall. I don't know what they're changing it into, it is a big space, but this is the last gasp. This bums me out.

Like I said, I had a ton of experiences at Chesterfield Mall. When I was in middle school this was the hang out. My friends and I would get one of our parents to drive us out there, drop us off and pick us up at 9pm, when it closed. It was a formative time and it was the place to be. We'd run into other friends that had the same plan as us. We'd go to the movie theater that was just down the hill. We'd eat at the food court for dinner. We would bring our girlfriends with us, if we were lucky enough to have a girlfriend. Chesterfield Mall was the first place I had Sbarro. It was the first place I tried Panda Express. I had my first crab rangoon at Chesterfield Mall. There used to be a great sandwich shop within the mall called Kent's Deli, and that was where I first tried beer cheese soup, which was delightful. They used to have a store within the mall where you could adopt and pet dogs. I would spend hours, literal hours hanging out in the dog store. The first Foot Locker I went to was in Chesterfield Mall. The first time I went to a card/memorabilia shop was in Chesterfield Mall. My first Auntie Anne's experience was there. I got all of my Starter jackets at stores that were there. I used to do school clothes shopping at JCPenney, or if I were lucky enough, Chesterfield Mall. When my son was born I'd bring him there to ride the carousel and get lunch at Saint Louis Bread Co. We would ride the train. I'd take my nieces to Journeys when they were younger. I remember my wife taking them to Claire's. I used to go to the shoe store with my mom and she would let me pick out new school shoes. We would go to Dillard's on the regular because they always had some kind of sale or deal on stuff. I used to know where the best parking was. Chesterfield Mall was the first, and only American Girl Doll store I ever went inside, to buy my nieces Xmas or birthday gifts. I did my only food challenge ever at the Cheeburger Cheeburger that they used to run. It was brutal, but at least I got to sit down in a theater and let it all digest on the same level as the restaurant. In its later years I would go into V Stock and sell all of my old DVDs. Chesterfield Mall was a big deal in my life. Just sitting down and writing this, so many memories came flooding back. That place was a constant in my life for a very long time. That mall meant something to me. That mall made middle school years fly by. That mall provided me with some of the coolest sports gear I have ever owned.

Rest In Peace Chesterfield Mall. You were a West County institution. You will be missed. 

Ty

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

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SeedSing Classic: Please Leave Me out of Your Cool Beard Club

Behold hairy magnificence 

SeedSing classic is a look back at our most influential articles. These pieces have been presented in their original form. No Star Warsesque special editions. This article was originally posted on October 1st, 2015. Also, Ty still has a beard. Enjoy

I've been writing about sports, music , TV and movies a lot lately.

Today, I'm going to go way off topic and talk about beards. I have a beard, but I'm not happy with the way I'm treated because I have a beard.

Now, I'm not treated poorly or differently from people without beards but, when I see another person with a beard they always seem to want to talk to me. I don't even know these people, but they feel a connection to me because we both have beards. Minus the facial hair, I'm sure we have nothing in common. These guys who share the same facial hair choice with me seem to be really into grooming their beards. They have them shaved in certain, "fashionable" ways or they have them combed in a specific way, or they have it in almost a hairdo type of way. Me, I have a "I'm too lazy to shave" type of way. I know that it's hip and cool to have a beard now. It's the new fashion trend for men. Much like the skinny jean or the glasses with no lenses, beards are having their day. The problem I have is the hipsters that groom these beards. You see guys out there with their handlebar mustaches that now have an equally groomed beard. This sickens me. Or, guys who have faux hawks and have a beard. How much more of a douchebag can you be. I'm a big Bryce Harper fan, but he looks like the definition of a douchebag frat boy with his hairdo and beard. There's also the guys with the "gruff" beard. This is done purposefully by these people. Just like shaggy hair was a thing in high school, having a "gruff"(I put it in quotes because these guys chose this look, they're doing it on purpose) beard is in. I believe the term thrown around is a "lumberjack beard". Do you know why lumberjack's have beards? It's not a fashion statement, these guys work in the absolute freezing cold, so a beard is just another layer of warmth for them. They don't do it to be fashionable, they do it to stay warm.

Now, I've had a beard for about 4 years straight. I shaved it completely off once because I lost 100 pounds and I wanted to see what my face looked like, but for most of my sons life, he's three and a half, I've had a full beard. I don't know why I started to grow it when I did. I guess it was because I started to lose my hair. I started going bald about eight years ago, but I was fully bald about five years ago. So, I guess I wanted to have hair somewhere on my face, so I chose a beard. When I started to grow it, I had bald patches right by my cheeks, so it took awhile for a full, big beard to grow. I didn't grow it big for fashion reasons, I grew it big so it looked full. It was around this same time that I noticed beards popping up almost everywhere. I'd go to the grocery store or the movies or even the mall, and about fifty percent of men had beards. No one was really doing anything fashionable at this time though. I was also given my first business card from a stranger promoting his beard grooming barber shop. This was when I started to become disillusioned with beards because I knew that something douchey and hipstery was coming.

And boy did it come with a huge explosion. I'd say the number jumped to about seventy five percent of men with beards (numbers are not exact). Still, I wasn't going to shave. Personally, I like having a beard because I feel that my face looks young without it. I like looking older. About nine months ago I had a normal sized beard, not too big, not too small. My wife told me she was pregnant with our second child and after an embrace, lots of hugs and kisses, I told her I wasn't going to shave until the baby was born. We are now six days away from the birth of my daughter. My beard is humongous(see above picture). I'm excited to get it trimmed after the baby is born because it is getting tangled and it's hard to clean thoroughly in the shower, basically it's more a hassle than anything else. Like I said, I'm going to keep my beard, but it doesn't need to be this huge.

The next thing I'm going to tell you almost made me shave my beard off last week. I was at Target with my wife and son and my parents. We were going through the check out aisle and another gentleman, a very nice guy in fact, came up to me with a business card, that's two for those of you counting out there, and it simply read, "Sweet Beard". This was all I saw at first, and even though this guy was very nice, I was angry. I was sick and tired of guys slapping me five or talking to me about grooming beards or casually telling me "nice beard" from a distance. I was fed up and I didn't want this card. I looked at him with a grimace on my face and quietly and angrily said "Thanks". I think he sensed my anger and softly told me, "my shop for beard grooming is on the back if you want to come by and get a trim". As I said, he was very nice and there was no need for me to be so mad. But then I looked at his beard and became even more upset. He had a HUGE beard, perfectly groomed. I wanted to scream at him, "I DIDN'T DO THIS FOR FASHION REASONS, I"M JUST LAZY!" I didn't do that because I'm a human being and I understand that I shouldn't act like a crazed lunatic to someone that's being nice to me (I have the internet as a place to act like a crazed lunatic).

But this brings me to the most important thing in my piece. I just cracked why I choose to have a beard. It was simple and has been staring me in the face for four years now. I'm lazy. I don't like to shave and the clean up afterward is too much. I don't like keeping my trimmers charged and I'm not going to use a straight razor because they burn my face. See, I found multiple reasons why I won't, but someone will read this and think that all that stuff is easy to do. But like I just said, I'm lazy. I'm not fashionable by any means necessary, and I didn't grow this beard to be "cool", I did it because I'm lazy.

It's as simple as that.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. This article may be a little dated, but that beard is still present in it's magnificent glory.

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Damn You to Hell Coronavirus

I was going to write about another movie today, but I just got an email that upset me, and I want to vent. I have stayed away from this, but since we are going to be doing a pod that talks about this, which will be released tomorrow, I just want to get it out there.

CoronaVirus is awful for so many different reasons. It has stunted everything in sight. I became a teacher when I didn't expect to. It has taken so many lives because the powers that be weren't ready, or just figured it would go away. Businesses have shut down, unemployment is at an all time high and everyone is afraid.

This sucks.

For me personally, and I know it seems trite to complain about such little things, but my sports life has been shuttered. I cannot go to the gym to swim or play basketball. I was training some basketball players as this whole thing started to unfold, and that was stopped, as was my ability to bring home some money. I can't play in my pickup games.I was going to be playing in a men's rec league right as the stay at home orders began. I know it was all done in good conscious, and it seems to be working. Numbers here in Missouri have stayed relatively the same, with about 250 new cases a day, but we are fortunate enough to not have our hospitals completely overrun like other places. I get it. It is doing the necessary stuff it needs to do. I would much rather be alive than go play basketball. But that doesn't mean that I cannot miss it. Like I said, I feel bad complaining about such a miniscule thing, but we all deal with grief and being upset in different ways. I have talked to friends who love all the extra time we are getting. I do too. I have talked to friends that are terrified to even hang out while properly social distancing. That one, I am okay with, as long as we properly social distance. But god damn it, I miss my sports. I am a runner, and I am lucky enough that I can still do that in some capacity. I love to trail run, but state parks have closed everywhere. And that is fine, I can road run. But it has been weird doing it with a face covering. I am always going to be safe, but still, I feel like I am running in super high elevation sometimes.

What am really upset about is the lack of races. There has also been a number of races I was supposed to do that have been postponed or canceled. That was the email I mentioned before. I signed up for a three part trail series, and the first race is now canceled. My half marathon in March was postponed. The marathon I was supposed to run in a week was pushed to next year. Hell, I am not so sure about my fall and winter races right now. I don't know if the coordinators will feel safe, or if I will feel safe at that point. But, it sucks. So does the postponement of all major professional sports. The NBA has been off for two months now. And while they keep talking about bringing it back this year, what's the point? I mean, the players aren't ready, some of the coaches are in the most compromised conditions and it would be a waste of so many tests that could, and should, be given to people that really need them. Baseball is looking into a late June start, and while that may work, they would have to drastically cut down the season. That is fine too, baseball seasons are way too long to begin with anyway. But we also have the use of tests that should be used elsewhere. My son's baseball season has been pushed to June, and that is if we get to play at all. I know in Missouri we are starting to ease protocols, but I can't imagine a world where they allow a bunch of 8 year olds to get together to play baseball. All of this is a total bummer. I saw a headline on Bleacher Report the other day, and it said, "Sports Are Back this Weekend", and it mentioned UFC and NASCAR. To me, those aren't sports. I don't care to watch or read about either of them. I will say, they are doing it right by doing it without fans.

Which brings me to my last point. If/when sports comes back, they should all do it without fans for the rest of the season. That is the safest way to do this moving forward. The players have said they want to play, and people such as myself would gladly watch a basketball, baseball or football game with no fans. I don't care about the fans, I watch to see teams and players. The only people who seem to be against this idea are sports writers and TV people. To them I say, watch like the rest of us. You can still write about a game, even if you aren't there in person. I do it all the time. It works out just fine.

To wrap it all up, I am bummed, I miss sports and I wish things were different. They aren't though, this is the new normal for now, and while I am trying to be optimistic, like only reading good news involving this awful virus, it has been hard to be optimistic when it comes to sports. This sucks, I just want to see college and pro athletes play, run my races and not be afraid to go out in group outings for exercise. I hope we get some kind of conclusion, or vaccine or something sooner rather than later. This whole thing is just awful. It is a great unknown, and with each passing day, we still don't seem to have an end in sight. I'll be hoping that will change sooner rather than later. 

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.

Best of 2019: Best of Everything Else

Super writer/critic extraordinaire Ty has already covered the best albums, the best movies, the best television shows, the best podcasts, and the best sports moments of 2019. Today I am going to give the rest of the stuff of 2019 some love. We will cover books, tech, video games, and a few other corners of society not given the top five/ten treatment by our publications. Let’s get started.

Best Video Game of 2019

Untitled Goose Game is the game we needed in our lives at this very moment in history. It appeals to young and old alike, and for very different reasons. I talked with a nine year old about the game, and then spun the game as an allegory for President Trump.

As for the game itself? You are a goose, and you are here to terrify a small village. You get from place to place by solving puzzles that involve your goose stealing things, scaring kids, and causing general mayhem.

It is awesome.

Best Movie Trailer for a Movie Released in 2019

This should have been the first trailer for Joker, but then Cats came along. A movie trailer needs to be memorable, and oh boy was the Cats trailer memorable for all the wrong reasons. The movie looked horrifying and stupid at the same time. I spent most of my time watching and rewatching the trailer asking myslef why would such an such actor be in this thing. My answers never came. Cats shows us that the best of us need to be told every now and then. The trailer was our first warning.

Best Movie trailer for a Movie Released after 2019

In 2019, the DC movie Universe started to catch up with Marvel. Aquaman came out in late 2018, but was the top movie in the early months of 2019. Shazam was a modest hit, and well like by the critics and the audience. Joker was a megahit and the most talked about movie of the year. Then around Thanksgiving we were given our first look at Wonder Woman 1984. The setting was spot on, the music was incredible, and the movie itself looks amazing. June 5th, 2020 cannot get here soon enough.

Best Book of 2019

Great new books come out every year. What is truly the best is usually left up to a person’s personal preference. Many times the best book we read in a given year came out in a previous year. The best book for 2019, or the most important to read book, is George Orwell’s 1948 novel 1984.

In 1948, George Orwell understood the dangers of screaming fake news and blind loyalty to a government that has an agenda counter to the benefit of the people they serve. In 2019 we live in 1984’s world, and we do not care. It could never happen to us is what we said when we first read Orwell’s dystopic story. In 2019 we need to read 1984 to acknowledge the fact we live in this society.

Best Tech of 2019

It is hard to judge new technology until we have seen it in action for a year or more. All the big tech sites with praise anything Apple, and then quietly say how bad the tech was years later, see the Apple Pencil and Macbook keyboard.

Apple is not alone in the blind praises bestowed by the tech media on the companies and personalities the writers so desperately want to have access to. That is why the Tesla Cybertruck is the best tech of the year.

The cybertruck look stupid, it will be grotesquely overpriced, and it will be bested by a real car company in the not so distant future, but the Cybertruck will be considered the first heavy duty pickup to normalize the idea of an all electric truck for the masses. In the not so distant future when Tesla is gone, the tech media will continue to remind us that the Cybertruck was “first”. They will not be totally wrong.

Best Written Thing on the Internet

In 2019 the website Deadspin.com entered a death spiral. The owners decided to lay down the law on the creators, and the creators revolted. The end of one of the most important internet sites had dawned. Before the true endgame, former editor Megan Greenwell wrote an insightful and scathing piece about the current state of internet journalism. We live in a world where traditional journalism, i.e. newspapers, radio, and televsion, has been sacrificed on the alter of capitalism. The internet was where real journalism was still breathing it’s survival breaths. Then the corporate raiders came for the internet. Clicks, likes, and trash were valued more than the talents of creators. Megan Greenwell saw this, was fired, and then left the last parting shot. Forget about all the “traditional” media think pieces on the world around us. Megan Greenwell gave us a true look into the future we are moving towards. Read her words and be wary.

Best Visual Thing on the Internet

The Peloton is stupid. Exercise is good, but the cult like, false view of wealth, that the Peloton sells is poisonous. The company/cult’s newest ad reflects the toxic image the overpriced spin bike is selling.

Enter a hero. Ryan Reynold’s owns a gin called Aviator and he sought out the woman in the Peloton ad. Together they made the greatest ad of the year. Who knew that gin was more progressive, and respectful, than an exercise device. Now we know.

These are just a few of the things I saw in 2019 that made an impact. While companies like Peloton and any trust fund idiot that owns a website tried to push society backwards, we had heroes like Megan Greenwell, Ryan Reynolds, and an untitled goose to give us the catharsis we need. In 2019 we were also gifted with the reminder of what was warned in 1948, and we were able to observe pop culture’s hubris with Cats. All in all there were scares and hope in the year 2019 of the common era.

Bring on the 20’s.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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

The Bottle Cap Challenge is Stupid

Yesterday I was crabby about a new sandwich, and today I am crabby about something else that simply doesn't make sense to me.

Recently, when I've been on Facebook, which is terrible and okay all at once somehow, my feed has been inundated with something called "The Bottle Cap Challenge". Now, for those of you that may not know, the bottle cap challenge consists of people doing difficult stuff to spin open a bottle cap, be it a water bottle, a bottle of soda or a beer. The videos show random people throwing things at the bottle to open it, whipping stuff at it to open it, hitting objects into it to open it, and I even saw a person use their belly to open one today.

Now, I do want to say, I do not think I could do this if I tried really hard. It does look tough. My biggest gripe with it though, is simply why? Why is this so cool? Why has it gone viral? Why are people trying to one up one another on this challenge? Why is this a thing? I don't really understand the reason this blew up so much, and why so many people are doing.

The first time I saw a video like this was with the actor Jason Statham. He did a karate kick on what looked like a Nalgene water bottle and the cap spun open. I saw it, said that it looked interesting, and then I completely forgot about it within 5 minutes. But, as I said at the top, since then my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are filled with people doing this, and the hashtag #waterbottlechallenge. It seems like such a dumb thing to become so popular. But no, social media will not let this thing die. In fact, they are pushing it. I saw a grandma open a hot sauce bottle with a towel. I have seen baseball players do it with a bat. As I said, I saw a guy open it with his belly. I have seen people open these bottles a million different ways, and every time I think, why.

And before you say, "why don't you just remove it from your page", "or why are you so upset by this", I have answers for both of those comments. As far as removing it from my homepage, then I would have nothing on there. I can't escape it, no matter how hard I try. If I remove one news company, be it The New York Times or Uproxx or Buzzfeed or ESPN, I would have no news of any kind on my feed. These are the places I read most of my news on the internet, and lately, they are obsessed with this thing.

Why am I so upset you ask? Because this takes as much talent as playing poker. This is a pure luck thing. I can almost guarantee that the people who are posting these videos had to do many, many more than one take. I'd like to see them do it one time. That would be impressive. But, we will never know if they did it in one take because there is only one video. It is also upsetting to me because this is not a talent or a skill that should garner this much attention. I'm mad at myself that I am talking about it, but I have let it really annoy me. This is simply boring and uncool. I do not care that you can make a cap spin off a bottle. I sure as hell do not want to see it in slow motion one thousand times a week. I just think we, as a society, have become so obsessed with becoming famous that people will do anything, including this bottle cap challenge, to get their fifteen minutes. At least with the ALS ice challenge, that was for a good cause. This bottle cap one is for no one or any charity. It is just plain stupid and pointless.

This is just my opinion on yet another fad that I hope will soon disappear.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Want to impress Ty? Why don’t you guys open the bottle like a goddamn normal person. Not being a show off idiot is what impresses Ty.

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The Mall of Our Youth is No More

Picture taken in the middle of the day

My piece today is very Saint Louis, and even more so, West County specific. If you are from Saint Louis, or the West County, or spent a good amount of time here, you will most definitely get what I'm going to talk about today. And even if you are not, I still think it will resonate, especially with people my age.

So, my daughter likes to go to malls and walk around for a bit, and finish off the day by playing at the indoor playgrounds. This activity is perfect for getting her out of the house, get her moving around and helps her to meet and play with kids her age. She loves it, and I love watching her play. She also likes to go into shops with me and shoe gaze. We never really buy anything, but we like to look at stuff and point out how cool the stuff is. It is a nice little bonding date for the 2 of us. We do this, especially now that it is getting colder outside, 1 or 2 times a week.

My daughter wanted to do that today. I said great. I asked her if she wanted to go to our regular mall, West County Mall, or as it is better known around here, "The Dove Mall", but she said no. We were just there 2 days ago, so I wasn't surprised. I asked her which mall she wanted to go to, and she said the one by our house with the movie theater.

Perfect I thought. The mall by us with the theater is called Chesterfield Mall. This was my mall as a kid. This was the place to be when I was in middle school. This was our hang out. I went on some of my very first "dates" at this mall. I got in trouble with my folks for not meeting them at certain spots in this mall when they asked me to. I used to go school clothes shopping at this mall. When I was a much younger kid Chesterfield Mall used to have a pet store in it. I spent most of my time there between the ages of 6-8 whenever we would go as a family. Even in high school I used to go there. It was a fun spot. Then, even after college, meeting my wife and getting married, moving out of West County, I would still go shopping there. I have many fond memories. Hell, even as little as 5 years ago, when my son was about a year and a half old, and I was a new stay at home dad, we would go there and do lots of Christmas and birthday shopping. I can remember when they built an American Girl Doll store there and my son and I had to buy something for my niece. I have never been so out of my element and overwhelmed. Then, when they built the movie theater, I thought this mall was never going to die. I saw "The Simpsons Movie" there twice. I took my dad to lots of movies there. And, it was the first place my son had seen a movie, "Big Hero 6". Again, I have many good memories of this place.

In the past couple of years, everything has kind of turned, and it is for the worst. It wasn't too noticeable at first. We would still go there, especially after moving back to West County about 4 years ago. My folks still liked to go there because the clothing store Dillard's always had deals. They had the kids play area. They had some cool toy shops. They had some decent CD and DVD stores that I frequented. But, businesses just started to vanish. We would eat at Houlihan's almost every time we went there. One day, after shopping, we decided to eat dinner there, and it was gone. No signs, no tables, no chairs. Just a big empty room. There was no warning, it was just gone. I was stunned.

The disappearance of stores started to happen more and more. Random, smaller shops and restaurants started to juts vanish. There was no warning. We'd go there one week, shop at a store like Crazy 8's, a kids clothing store, and the next week it would either be gone, or have a sign that said "Store Closing. Everything 50-80% off".

Then there was the 2015 Christmas time flood. My mom, ever the Dillard's shopper, called one night when we were supposed to go shopping there, and told us that she heard there was a flood . Apparently the entire Dillard's store was under water. It wasn't too deep, but it was deep enough to shut down the whole store. The Dillard's in Chesterfield Mall was enormous too. It took up three floors and about an entire quarter of the mall. They had to close down the whole mall for awhile. When we were finally able to go back, the whole Dillard's was closed off, but there were notes everywhere saying that it would reopen. It never did. It fell by the wayside much like Houlihan's and Crazy 8's.

That seemed to open the gates. A bunch of other stores started to close or go out of business. The Bread Company (Panera to all you out of towners) was gone within a week. The candy store was next. The sports apparel stores followed. The random weird gift shops vanished. And then the music stores fell down. The food court and the random little off shoot food places, for snacks, started to go. Auntie Anne's Pretzel's, one of my favorite spots, was gone. California Pizza Kitchen, my son's favorite place to eat there closed. Then Cheeburger Cheeburger, a burger place where I got my picture on the wall, closed. The food court started to lose the rest of it’s business. Panda Express, Subway, Dairy Queen, basically any random food court place closed down. The American Girl Doll store moved out. It was a ghost town in the mall.

So, when we went today, I was curious to see what was still standing. I haven't been there in awhile because it is kind of upsetting, to be honest. When my daughter and I walked in we went through the main entrance and the new 2 story used book, DVD and music and video game store was still open. It's called V-Stock, and it feels like they crammed all the toy stores, arcades, book stores, music shops and video game stores into one. It is 2 stories, but it feels tight. There was one sports shop, but it is a hyper expensive, personally owned shop that has no affiliation with Chesterfield Mall. They had a few off shoot clothing stores, like Hot Topic and Journey's that were still running, but they look like they might get the ax next. There were a lot of sales going on in these stores, which should be cause for concern. They have 2 sports apparel shops, Foot Locker and Hibbett Sports, but NO ONE was in either. The food court only has a Philly Cheesesteak's left. The only restaurant left is Cheesecake Factory. It just feels like a creepy abandoned place. They have a the old shops there with signs that say you can have a meeting, or work outing or group hangout there. That's a bummer. I did see a sign that said to look forward to something new in 2019, and I hope that is true, but now, I just don't really buy into it.

The fact that Chesterfield Mall is a shell of what it used to be is really sad to me. Going there today was very eye opening. I know malls are a thing of the past, but we still have a good amount here in Saint Louis that are thriving, including "The Dove Mall" that I mentioned before. I will keep those good memories I have from childhood and adulthood from Chesterfield Mall, but today was sad. It really bummed me out. This mall is just not the same. It feels different. I don't feel like they are taking good care of it anymore. And while the kids area was fine, other malls are much, much better in Saint Louis. I will miss Chesterfield Mall, even if it somehow gets a rebirth. It will not be the same. RIP to the mall of my youth.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Back in the day Ty would check out the latest video games at Babbages, look at the birthday cards with grannies giving the finger at Spencers, and end the night with a nice sandwich at Kent’s Deli. The only thing the past leaves us is our memories.

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Nike and Kaepernick are Awesome

You do my name well sneaker people

I have always, and will always, be a Nike guy. I know I’ve written about Brooks running shoes, and how great they are, but Nike’s are still the best shoes I’ve ever worn. They’re the most comfortable. They’re the most durable. They look the coolest. And they always up the game in style.

Nike’s rule.

That is why I am so very, very happy that they are siding with Colin Kaepernick. The new ad campaign for their 30th anniversary features Kaepernick, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic. This is a great, savvy move by an extremely smart company.

Now, I understand all the stories about child labor and poor work conditions and low pay. I’m well aware of that. But, I want everyone that talks about that to look at what products they wear, and try to justify their company’s working conditions. Sure, Tom’s shoes donate a pair for every pair bought, but I bet their factories that make shoes aren’t much better than Nike. I’m sure companies like Patagonia and Brooks and North Face and Reebok and Adidas all have shady business deals. I know for a fact that the idiot that owns Under Armour is a big fan of that moron in the White House right now. So all the talk of Nike’s poor work conditions, I throw all that out as nonsense.

What sets Nike apart is their willingness to strike a nerve, and I love it. They did the whole, “I’m not a role model” campaign with Charles Barkley. They let Spike Lee direct Jordan commercials. They came up with the “Bo Knows” campaign. They know what they are doing whenever they do something like this. That’s another reason why I love them making Kaepernick the face of their new campaign. This is a perfect time to do this.

What Kaepernick has done, basically risking his professional career by kneeling in the name of police violence against minorities, is crucial in our current political climate. He is now the face of the resistance to me. And this Nike thing is only going to make him that much more of an icon. He will always be remembered for what he did. He was always be talked about not just among sports people, but in history books when my kids are in college. He has made a name for himself for standing up for what he believes in, and Nike wants to be on board with that. I mean, how can you not love all of this.

And for these idiots out here burning their Nike gear, or cutting the swoosh out of clothes and socks, you will be on the wrong side of history. Also, you are essentially burning money that you worked for you dumb dumbs. Could you be any more stupid? I will never, for the life of me, understand why these morons burn clothes they bought. It’s so dumb.

Also, for you idiot right wingers that are now “boycotting” Nike, how did that work for you when you tried to “boycott” Keurig or Dick’s Sporting Goods or Hamilton? All of those things are thriving. In fact, since you idiots tried to start a “boycott”, those companies have made more money. Your lame attempts don’t work, just like everything else in your miserable little lives. So yeah, try and boycott them, it won’t work. This only makes Colin Kaepernick that much more of an icon/historical/memorable person in our history.

Thank you Nike and thank you Colin Kaepernick. This is amazing and just makes me want to spend more and more money on your products. As I write this I have Nike slides, a Nike shirt and a Nike hat on, and I can’t wait to get more. This is awesome.

Just Do It.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is rocking his Michigan Wolverine Nike gear when he writes. Michigan may disssapoint, but Nike rules.

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Why Do We Love the Sports We Love?

The other day I was chatting with my dad about sports. With football about to begin, we were naturally talking about Michigan’s upcoming season. We were chatting about our concerns, what we liked and what we expected. This conversation turned into something so much more for me than just Michigan football though. It got to a point where I asked my dad when I truly started to root for the Wolverines. I was curious how, and why, I came to truly love this team more than any other “favorite” team of mine. I wanted to know why I was so much more invested in them than anyone else.

My dad told me that he used to sit me down and watch games with me. Apparently I was very interested in why my dad loved this team. I wanted to be just like him, so I guess it was just natural for me. One of my earliest memories, I was probably my son’s age, is sitting with my dad and him pointing out Bo Schembechler to me and telling me how great of a coach he is. It is burned into my brain. I am certain that was when my love for Michigan started, and it has only grown since.

We then started to talk about fandom, and where it comes from. This led to a conversation about why people get into the sports they get into. For me it’s simple. I have always wanted to be like my dad, so I watched and played what he coached and played. Baseball was easy. Football was glorious to watch. And basketball was like a ballet. I fell in love with these sports immediately because my dad loved them. As time went on, baseball started to fade. As I am growing older now, the NFL is becoming harder and harder to watch. Basketball is still great to watch, but I prefer playing it. But college football has been the one constant. It’s pretty much the same for my dad.

We then started to talk about my son, who says he loves Michigan, but I can only get him to watch for about an hour before he gets bored. But, he loves baseball. He loves to go to games, he will watch it on TV and he plays it passionately. I feel like he got that from me. I loved it just as much when I was his age. But, my daughter, who will be 3 in a few months, has no interests in the sports I watch or play. She does love her gymnastics class though. That is where she is happiest. It’s her thing and she’s good at it. I have no idea where it came from. I never did it. My wife never did it. And our son only likes baseball. Where did she get her love for gymnastics? I know my nieces did it, and seemed to enjoy it at the time, so maybe that’s where it comes from. Still though, kind of odd.

Then I started to think about my brothers and their kids. I also thought about my friends and their kids too. What will/are they into. My oldest brother’s oldest daughter is a volleyball player. Where did that come from? He played college football and was a great baseball player. So it didn’t come from him. But his wife is hyper athletic, she’s the one that got me into running, so maybe it came from her. I’m sure she played volleyball at one point in her life. My wife played it for a minute in high school too. Their younger daughter is more into basketball. I’m certain she got that from me. She has seen me play a lot. But that’s it for her. Other than basketball, I don’t think she really cares about sports. RD’s son likes tennis, which makes sense knowing his wife, and enjoys golf, again, makes sense knowing his grandparents on his wife’s side. But, he also LOVES NASCAR. No one in our family watches NASCAR. I can’t get into it, my parents don’t watch it and I know RD has never really watched it. So, where did his love for NASCAR come from? I don’t know if I will ever know. My other brother doesn’t have kids, but he was one hell of a football and basketball player. I’m sure he got that from our dad, but in reality, he’d rather go to a concert than a sporting event. That’s how he’s been since I was 17. He got me into live concerts.

Then some of my friends with kids, their kids are all over the place. Some like football. Others, baseball and basketball. But some like hockey and lacrosse and soccer. Their parents never really showed a love for those sports. But, their kids are way into it. I know hockey and soccer are big in Saint Louis, which is baffling to me. But where did lacrosse come from? That is so far out of left field. My own guess is, kids will like what their friends like, or play, for the most part. They just want to hang with their friends. Then you have some kids like me, that like whatever their folks like. Then you have the outliers, like my nephew, or friends kids that love lacrosse, that they just like something for no other reason than, they think it’s cool.

I’d love to see a scientific study as to why we fall in love with the sports that we do. But for now, I’m just going to go with what I know. But, I do think this is a very interesting thought exercise. I hope to hear from some people telling me why their kids like the sports they like. Let me know.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is looking forward to the day his grand kids are all about Rollerball and Muggle Quidditch. What a future we will live in.

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The Modern Summer Camp is Pretty Cool

What kinds of camps to the girls have across the lake?

My son is about to finish his first camp of the summer. He is currently in a Lego Star Wars camp. Next week he is going to a straight up Lego camp. Later in the summer, I’m sure he will do some sort of sports camp, most likely baseball. Summertime is camp time in my household.

I sat back and thought about when I was a kid, and I don’t remember having this many options, as far as summer camps go, back then. Don’t get me wrong, I went to camp, but it was either a week long, all day, all encompassing camp, or, a sports camp, either baseball or basketball. I loved these camps. When I was little I really liked the week long, all day camps. They were fun. I made a ton of summer friends, some of which turned into lifelong friends. I liked the games we played. The counselors, for the most part, were cool and fun. The field days, near the end of camp, were my favorite. Hell, I even enjoyed the gross peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and the orange drink. Those were fun too. The sports camps were fun too, but very different. These were more like weeks of 3 a day practices. What was so cool though, I got to stay in a dorm room, and hang out in dining halls and the main room of a dorm with friends and other athletes. These sports camps were also more of a, you may have a future in sports, so we are going to push you type thing. That being said, I loved these camps too. The fact that I got to play baseball or basketball for a week was awesome. I liked the drills. I liked the skills competitions we did. I liked learning from higher level coaches. I liked eating in dining halls. I liked feeling like a college student when I was a pre teen. It was all good. These were the 2 types of camps I had 20-25 years ago. Great, but not a whole lot of choice.

Now, that my son is of camp age, there are so many specialized camps. As I said, he is going to 2 different Lego camps. How crazy is that? I would have never imagined that as a kid. I mean, I went to specialized sports camp, but those have always been around. And, while researching camps for him this summer, the special Lego camps weren’t the only one. There are many different specialized camps for things like video games, computer stuff, other tech stuff, TV show things, multiple sports camps, I mean the list could go on and on and on. My son had a menu of camps to choose from. All of this is to say, I love that, as times have changed, and we have grown to have outside interests, so have summer camps. It is so cool that every type of kid has a camp that works, or that they’d love, especially for them. These Lego camps have been a blessing. My son gets to play with other like minded kids, playing and building Star Wars Legos, for 3 hours a day. And he loves it. He doesn’t want this camp to end. He is excited every morning. He’s pumped he gets to go to a different one next week. It is so cool to see my son so amped for something that wasn’t even on my radar as a kid, and this is a summer camp. In fact, since this camp started, I have gotten more into Legos.

Look, I know I’m not old, but I am getting older, and I love how there are so many options for my kids, and every kid now. This is a very cool thing, and I cannot wait to see what kind of camps my grandkids go to. Summer camps have changed, for the better.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is looking forward to being a senior citizen, so his kids can send their dad to old man camp. Ty is really looking forward to the camp where you say the modern sports stars are not as good as the stars from his day. That will be awesome.

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SeedSing Classic: Please Leave Me out of Your Cool Beard Club

Behold hairy magnificence 

SeedSing classic is a look back at our most influential articles. These pieces have been presented in their original form. No Star Warsesque special editions. Enjoy

I've been writing about sports, music , TV and movies a lot lately.

Today, I'm going to go way off topic and talk about beards. I have a beard, but I'm not happy with the way I'm treated because I have a beard.

Now, I'm not treated poorly or differently from people without beards but, when I see another person with a beard they always seem to want to talk to me. I don't even know these people, but they feel a connection to me because we both have beards. Minus the facial hair, I'm sure we have nothing in common. These guys who share the same facial hair choice with me seem to be really into grooming their beards. They have them shaved in certain, "fashionable" ways or they have them combed in a specific way, or they have it in almost a hairdo type of way. Me, I have a "I'm too lazy to shave" type of way. I know that it's hip and cool to have a beard now. It's the new fashion trend for men. Much like the skinny jean or the glasses with no lenses, beards are having their day. The problem I have is the hipsters that groom these beards. You see guys out there with their handlebar mustaches that now have an equally groomed beard. This sickens me. Or, guys who have faux hawks and have a beard. How much more of a douchebag can you be. I'm a big Bryce Harper fan, but he looks like the definition of a douchebag frat boy with his hairdo and beard. There's also the guys with the "gruff" beard. This is done purposefully by these people. Just like shaggy hair was a thing in high school, having a "gruff"(I put it in quotes because these guys chose this look, they're doing it on purpose) beard is in. I believe the term thrown around is a "lumberjack beard". Do you know why lumberjack's have beards? It's not a fashion statement, these guys work in the absolute freezing cold, so a beard is just another layer of warmth for them. They don't do it to be fashionable, they do it to stay warm.

Now, I've had a beard for about 4 years straight. I shaved it completely off once because I lost 100 pounds and I wanted to see what my face looked like, but for most of my sons life, he's three and a half, I've had a full beard. I don't know why I started to grow it when I did. I guess it was because I started to lose my hair. I started going bald about eight years ago, but I was fully bald about five years ago. So, I guess I wanted to have hair somewhere on my face, so I chose a beard. When I started to grow it, I had bald patches right by my cheeks, so it took awhile for a full, big beard to grow. I didn't grow it big for fashion reasons, I grew it big so it looked full. It was around this same time that I noticed beards popping up almost everywhere. I'd go to the grocery store or the movies or even the mall, and about fifty percent of men had beards. No one was really doing anything fashionable at this time though. I was also given my first business card from a stranger promoting his beard grooming barber shop. This was when I started to become disillusioned with beards because I knew that something douchey and hipstery was coming.

And boy did it come with a huge explosion. I'd say the number jumped to about seventy five percent of men with beards (numbers are not exact). Still, I wasn't going to shave. Personally, I like having a beard because I feel that my face looks young without it. I like looking older. About nine months ago I had a normal sized beard, not too big, not too small. My wife told me she was pregnant with our second child and after an embrace, lots of hugs and kisses, I told her I wasn't going to shave until the baby was born. We are now six days away from the birth of my daughter. My beard is humongous(see above picture). I'm excited to get it trimmed after the baby is born because it is getting tangled and it's hard to clean thoroughly in the shower, basically it's more a hassle than anything else. Like I said, I'm going to keep my beard, but it doesn't need to be this huge.

The next thing I'm going to tell you almost made me shave my beard off last week. I was at Target with my wife and son and my parents. We were going through the check out aisle and another gentleman, a very nice guy in fact, came up to me with a business card, that's two for those of you counting out there, and it simply read, "Sweet Beard". This was all I saw at first, and even though this guy was very nice, I was angry. I was sick and tired of guys slapping me five or talking to me about grooming beards or casually telling me "nice beard" from a distance. I was fed up and I didn't want this card. I looked at him with a grimace on my face and quietly and angrily said "Thanks". I think he sensed my anger and softly told me, "my shop for beard grooming is on the back if you want to come by and get a trim". As I said, he was very nice and there was no need for me to be so mad. But then I looked at his beard and became even more upset. He had a HUGE beard, perfectly groomed. I wanted to scream at him, "I DIDN'T DO THIS FOR FASHION REASONS, I"M JUST LAZY!" I didn't do that because I'm a human being and I understand that I shouldn't act like a crazed lunatic to someone that's being nice to me (I have the internet as a place to act like a crazed lunatic).

But this brings me to the most important thing in my piece. I just cracked why I choose to have a beard. It was simple and has been staring me in the face for four years now. I'm lazy. I don't like to shave and the clean up afterward is too much. I don't like keeping my trimmers charged and I'm not going to use a straight razor because they burn my face. See, I found multiple reasons why I won't, but someone will read this and think that all that stuff is easy to do. But like I just said, I'm lazy. I'm not fashionable by any means necessary, and I didn't grow this beard to be "cool", I did it because I'm lazy.

It's as simple as that.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. This article may be a little dated, but that beard is still present in it's magnificent glory.

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Happy Thanksgiving

Eat me

Today is Thanksgiving, and I want to tell everyone what I’m thankful for in a short and sweet post.

First though, what I’m unthankful for. I’m unthankful for the “government”. It’s filled with racist, fascist, money grubbing, sexual harassers. I HATE what is going on in our nation’s capitol right now, and I hope with all my heart that these monsters get what they deserve. Got that out of the way. Now, what I’m thankful for.

Of course I’m thankful for my family. My wife has a job and is kicking corporate ass. My son is rocking the house in kindergarten and loves it. My daughter is getting a mind of her own and I get to spend everyday with her being the at home parent. I’m thankful for my coaching job. We are in full swing and things are looking great. The basketball program is tremendous and we are crushing it right now. I’m thankful for my folks. They have both retired within the last year and seem to be loving it. I saw them a bunch when they both worked, but now I get to see them even more and I love it. I’m thankful for my brothers. I still get to talk music and sports with Ross, and we joke around a ton. I’m thankful for Cub for giving me a platform to spout my thoughts on any and everything pop culture. I’m thankful that Seth still lets me go to shows with him and see some of the best live music I’ve seen in my life. I’m thankful for my nieces and nephew. Even though they still think I’m nerdy, my nieces tell me I’m the least nerdy of their uncles. I love joking around with my nephew and making him laugh. His laugh is contagious. Outside this horrid government, my life has been pretty good. I have a great and solid family. Michigan isn’t great at football this year, but I love watching them every Saturday. The NFL has been rough, but I love the protests. And my favorite sport, basketball, has been a blast so far. The NBA is a treat.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone. Don’t eat too much turkey.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He forgot to mention the great food he is looking forward to for Thanksgiving. Things like Brussels Sprouts, Dehydrated Foods, and Whataburger. Make sure to stay away from Hostess Pies and Arby's venison sandwiches. Trust us.

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The Monsters Live on Charlie Brown's Street

Give this as a treat on Halloween and expect it to go through your window as a trick

Happy Halloween. Please enjoy this post from holidays past. The article was originally posted on October 31st, 2015.

Today is Halloween.

I expected that many of you already know this. Ty has talked about what he  likes about Halloween (The Simpsons) and what he generally dislikes (everything else). We even had a great conversation about the good and bad on Halloween (beer good, puns bad). What I think many people can agree with is that the entertainment around the spookiest of holidays is pretty darn good. I may not like haunted houses, but they are very impressive pieces of theater. Cracked.com writer Adam Tod Brown does a much better job describing the experience of haunted houses better than I could (read his latest piece on an intense experience). The best horror and slasher movies tend to be campy, innovative, or just plain scary. It is a genre that covers all of the human emotional spectrum. Television also gets in the Halloween act, and there have been some timeless television mined out of the spirit of All Hallows Eve.

In my humble opinion there is not a better, or more timeless, piece of Halloween entertainment than "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown". First airing in 1966, this special has been going strong for almost 50 years now. I always feel like the fall / winter holiday season has started when I see Linus and Lucy Van Pelt come out their front door and the Vince Guaraldi Sextet breaks into the jazz number "Linus and Lucy". That is the sound of the holidays to me, and I hate jazz. The characters set the mood with very little dialogue. In the first five minutes you get Lucy being snobby, Linus being emotional, Snoopy being innovative, and Charlie Brown being put upon. The animation and artwork are magnificent. You can easily see that it is fall in this community. The colors give off a feeling of briskness. During the Snoopy - Red Baron sequences the art work starts to resemble surrealistic paintings. Watching "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" is like taking a stroll through the best art museums of the world.

The actual story is as timeless as the animation. Linus has an incredible belief that all the other kids ridicule him for. Linus does not waver from his belief, coming back stronger after his eventually disappointment. Sally has a crush and just wants to be with her beloved, but even she demands justice (restitution) when the night was taken away by a crazy belief. Snoopy's imagination is educational (look up all the spots he walks through in France during World War I), and exciting. The kids may be mean to each other, especially Charlie Brown, but they still all do everything together.

The kids are definitely cruel to poor Charles, but the adults in this town are psychopaths. I know the adults never appear as main characters in the Peanuts universe, but the actions attributed the grown ups paints a picture of horrible people. Who in their rational thinking mind would give a kid a rock on Halloween? If that had been me, the rock would have gone through the givers window. What gets me is that Charlie Brown did not just get one rock, he got a bag full of them. The adults all decided to pick on this one, bald, chubby, little kid. Charlie Brown may not be good with scissors, but he still deserves some candy. Give him the Mounds bar or Whoppers, or even candy corn. 

Surprisingly this is not the cruelest thing done by the adults in "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown". The Van Pelt parents not only let their young son go hang out in a pumpkin patch on Halloween night, in Minnesota no less, they leave him there all night. Lucy has her alarm set for 4:00am to get her shivering little brother and put him to bed. Were the Van Pelts too drunk and could not be woken up? Were they still out drinking? Monsters, the whole lot of them.

"It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" is the greatest piece of Halloween entertainment ever created. I hope your holiday festivities include a viewing of this classic. It has everything one wants in Halloween entertainment. The joy of the children, the imagination of the creative, the belief in mystical creature, and the terror of a group of adult monsters. Do not miss or you will have just wait till next year. You and Linus will just be waiting for the Great Pumpkin.

RD Kulik

RD is the Head editor for SeedSing. While he was writing this piece his wife used RD's bald head as a model for her pumpkin carving. Good grief. Come tell us what holiday entertainment is the best by writing for SeedSing.

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What Does it Mean to Know that Marge and Homer Simpson are Only 34?

After college, this is the next place we all are heading towards.

I was watching "The Simpsons" the other day because FX rules and they play it 5 days a week for at least 4 hours everyday. The episode I happened to watch was a very, very early one. If I think about it, it was probably in season 2 or 3. So that means this particular episode premiered in either 1990 or 1991. That would have put me at either 8 or 9 years old.

Anyways, this episode had Marge having a breakdown. The kids were yelling at her and Homer was showing her no love at all. Basically everyone in her family was treating her like dirt. Marge became so fed up, she called into Dr. Marvin Monroe's radio show. That sentence should tell you how old the episode is. Where my hardcore fans at? She called in to complain about her family and the way they were hurting her.

Throughout all the complaints, one stood out to me and I cannot stop thinking about it. She told Dr. Monroe that she was "34, stuck in a loveless marriage with 3 kids that gave her nothing but trouble". Now, my marriage is wonderful. We argue about stupid stuff here and there, but what married couple doesn't. And my kids, while they can be very, very annoying at times, and sometimes I yearn for the days when it was just me and wife and dog, I love them more than anything in the world. I also wanted to know what love is, thanks Foreigner, but I really knew what love was when I met my wife. I now know what love means even more since we've had our 2 kids. I am well versed in the knowing of love.

The thing that stuck out most to me was Marge saying her age. She is/was 34. Back in 90 or 91, 34 seemed so old. But, watching this episode the other day, that really stayed with me. I am now 34. In fact, I'll be 35 in December of this year. So that means, since no one on "The Simpsons" ever ages, I will be older than both Homer and Marge. That is so bizarre to me. It was so wild that I am in a similar situation as Homer and Marge. I am 34, I have only 2 kids and only a dog, but still pretty similar. So the fact that they never age, I will be older than both of them by next year.

I've had similar stuff like this in life happen lately. A few years back I was watching college football and I had this same sensation. I was in my late 20's, and I was complaining about some Michigan freshman not doing what he was supposed to do on a play. Then my dad let me know that he was only 18, and think about all the stupid mistakes I made when I was 18. Since then, I've eased up a bit on Michigan football. I still watch and flinch and squirm and my mood can be altered by the outcome, but since these kids are half my age, I do not yell and scream as much as I used to. Hell, I'm 12 years older than the seniors on the team now. Same thing with college basketball. I do not get nearly as mad because I am so much older than all college basketball players.

It is starting to become the same thing in pro sports. I was livid with KD leaving for Golden State last year. But then I sat down, realized he is only 25, and he can do whatever he wants. He is 9 years my junior. Hell, I'm older than LeBron James, and he takes a ton of scrutiny, a lot from me, but he mostly handles it like an adult. I'm older than a lot of NFL players too. Sure, Tom Brady and Drew Brees are a few years older than me, but Cam Newton, Aaron Rodgers, Khalil Mack and Jadeveon Clowney are all much younger than me. In fact, when pro athletes get to be my age, they are considered in the "twilight" of their careers. They are either retired, or close to retirement.

Even outside of sports, say in Hollywood, I'm considered old. I would be more of some young genius' muse if I were in movies or TV. Or, I'd be the much older brother that is either a screw up, or drops some excellent, poignant advice to my younger sibling.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is, I've always known that I was getting older, but Marge saying that she was 34 on a very, very old "Simpsons" episode really hit me hard in the chest. I feel young, but I know that I'm not that young anymore. Hell, I played basketball 2 days ago and I'm still recovering. I wake up with aches and pains from old sports injuries everyday now. I have to stretch all the time in case I may pull a muscle. I need to take naps at random times because my kids have worn me out. We all get old, but Marge proclaiming her age finally made me realize that I am not a teenager, or even in my 20's anymore. That is kind of unsettling, but also helps me realize that I am doing things the best I can, and I think I am doing them pretty well. I love my wife, she loves me. My kids are healthy and happy and they love me too. My dog is well behaved and he tolerates me.

Being 34 is not so bad, but it does mean that I am closer to 40 than I am to 20. Like it or not, I am becoming an old man. Hopefully I have, at least, another good 34 plus years ahead of me.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. This post made the head editor angry. RD is in his young forties and feels like he is actually in his twenties. Except when he does yard work, or exercises, or thinks of bills, then RD feels like he is in his eighties.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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I am Not Happy with the Amazon/Whole Foods Deal

Will Prime members be safe from runaway shopping carts?

The topic for today's piece, I have been sitting on for about a week. I have taken a lot of time to process how this particular thing has made me feel, and I finally think I am ready to put it out in the ether.

A week or so ago it was announced that Jeff Bezos and Amazon had purchased Whole Foods. A lot of people seemed to take this news and just accept it. I know that having groceries delivered happened in the past, remember Webvan, and it is making a small comeback right now. I know that a lot of people actually need this as an option, i.e,, the elderly, singles and others. I know that it sounds like a great thing that will make people's personal calendars more open. It all sounds very nice

Yet this Amazon/Whole Foods deal has been nagging at me for over a week. In fact, this whole thing really pisses me off and I think we are becoming way too reliant on technology. That may sound hypocritical for a writer on a website to say, but we are way too needy as a society, and our phones and computers are consuming us. Not a day goes by where I take my kids to the playground, swimming, riding bikes, playing sports, whatever we may do, and the majority of parents are sitting on a bench staring at their phones. I purposefully keep my phone in my car, unless pictures will be taken, because I want to see the joy on my kids faces when they go down a slide for the first time, or when they are on a swing or when they learn to swim or when they get their first hit or score their first goal or touchdown or basket. I want to be present when this stuff happens. But, more times than not, the majority of parents I personally see are nose deep in their devices.

I think Amazon and Jeff Bezos realize this, so they pounced when the opportunity to purchase a wildly popular grocery store chain came about. I blame Amazon most for this, but I get why they did it. Rich people want to be richer, just look at the assholes in D.C. right now, so buying something that will make them more money is what they strive to do.

I'm worried for our future for a couple of reasons though. First off, I genuinely enjoy going to the grocery store, especially with my kids. On Mondays, this is our outing. We go to a few different grocery stores to get everything we need. The drive to the stores is a great time to listen to music and dance, talk about superheroes, talk about toys, whatever my kids want to do on the ride, that is what we do. Then, when we get to the store, my 5 year old loves to help out. I have him get canned goods for me. I let him pick out whatever fruit he wants for the week. My daughter enjoys sitting in the cart and people watching. At the stores, we chit chat about the stuff we didn't talk about on the ride. My son would tell me about everything that happened at preschool when we'd go to the store on days I couldn't get there in the early morning. As I said, my daughter loves to people watch, and she sees so many people at the stores. And when she sees other babies, it is like she is making a new friend on every trip. I love going to the store with my kids. I love the time to talk and bond that we get in the 2 hours that we grocery shop. I love letting them pick things out and tell me random, nonsensical stories. It is so much fun, and I don't want to lose that feeling. I think the purchasing of Whole Foods by Amazon could take that away from me. That is reason number one why this pisses me off so much. Don't take this away from me. I will find other ways, believe me I have plenty of other activities where we communicate, but please don't take away my local grocery store trips. Please don't let this destroy local grocery store chains.

My second, and final reason that this scares, but also pisses me off even more, is the reliance on technology that I mentioned earlier. We are so god damn lazy as a society now. You mean to tell me that people can't take an hour or 2 to head to the store and shop once a week? Hell, I know some people that only go grocery shopping once a month. Why do these people need their groceries delivered? Going to the store is such an easy task, and you get to look and touch and feel and even taste the food you are about to purchase. With groceries being delivered, you just look at a picture, click on it, and the food will show up at your door in a day or 2. That may sound nice to some people, but to me, it seems like we are turning into the people from "Wall-E" or "Idiocracy".

Look at what happened to the people in "Wall-E". They became so reliant on technology that their arms and legs were super tiny because their stomachs were so big, and they rode around on pod like structures. When Jeff Garlin's character finally gets up and can barely walk because he has gotten so poorly out of shape, that was as sad as almost anything else in that awesome movie. That movie was very telling of how poorly things can go if we rely on technology to such a severe degree. That was a dystopia. I don't want to live in that world. 

Next we have the "Idiocracy" comparison. The fact that we can just point and click at something on a screen is definitely going to dumb us all down. We could just all be mute shut ins if we can just point and click. That doesn't take any real intelligence. You don't even have to really know how to read. As long as you can recognize bacon or cheese or any food stuff, just point and click. Not only does this make us dumber, it makes us lazier. If this is the way it is going to be, how long until we actually have a show called, "Ouch! My Balls", or a movie winning Oscars called "Ass"? Not too far in my opinion.

I really dislike this whole thing. It bothers me very much. I hate that it could take away quality time from me and my kids. I hate that the rich, big time people are trying to take local stores away from people. I hate that this is making the rich even richer. This is a nightmare for me. There is nothing but bad outcomes from this. It may sound nice right now, but in the long run, I think it is a terrible, terrible move. This stinks, and my only hope is that there is more people like me out there that truly like going to the store.

Don't take away my local grocery store Amazon. Don't piss me off anymore than you already have.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has written a spec script for a film called "Ass". Hollywood can call Ty on his rotary phone, and make sure to dust off your Oscar shelf.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Get Your Moronic Divorce Selfies off of My Internet Lawn

Internet Idiots make my fists clench

Last night I was goofing around on my phone, and I came across one of the weirdest, and eventually, most infuriating articles I have ever read.

First off, I enjoy Buzzfeed. The website is kind of like my trashy reality TV on the internet. I think that they have legitimately funny articles, and when they do get serious, it is usually well thought out and well written. But, sometimes they put out an article like they did last night, and I thought it was out of place and just something thrown together last minute.

The article in question was about a new fad that was people taking "selfies" after getting divorced. Right out of the gate, I am not a fan of the "selfie". There is nothing more gratuitous than someone taking a picture of themselves, then putting it out there for the world to see. "Selfies" were not a thing when I was younger. We had disposable cameras, and if we wanted a picture of our self, we needed someone else to snap it for us. If we tried to do it on our own, it was always off center, blurry or both.

Nowadays, and I know this makes me sound old I don't care, "selfies" are everywhere. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are filled with people taking pictures of themselves and posting them with some stupid message. The message is always something ridiculous like, "just left the gym" or "look at this food on my face" or "this is me without make up" or "look at my new, retro glasses" or "what does everyone think of my haircut". I say to all of this WHO CARES! The only person that this stuff should matter to is yourself, and your partner if you are in a relationship. Those are the only 2 people that any of this is of any significance to. This could all be because I do not personally like pictures of myself, but I really despise the "selfie" culture.

Also, why do people want their divorce plastered all over the internet? Do people think this will get them famous? I guess I'm writing about it today, so maybe it works, but Jesus Christ this is stupid. I know some people rush into marriage, fall out of love, find someone else they may think they want to be with, whatever it may be. I have no problem with divorce. Some people are much better off as friends, or completely cutting ties all together. That is fine. But, I ask again, why take pictures of yourselves after signing the papers? Why is this a thing now? I hope it goes the wayside, a la my idea a few years back to send people pictures of Gotye, then captioning it, "You got Gotye'd!". Obviously, that never took off, and I hope this Buzzfeed feature about divorce "selfies" never does either.

Yes, I clicked on the story, it was obvious click bait, so they did get my eyeballs, but what I saw was so god damn stupid. The pictures were ridiculous. People were obviously doing proper poses for these pictures. People were also putting side by side photos of the day they got married next to the day they got divorced. It was insanity. These people looked like they were having fun while going through a very rough process. I saw a guy and a girl that just got divorced, and they looked happier than ever. Sure, divorce was probably best for them, but good god, show some kind of remorse. Other people were writing stupid captions, as one is want to do with "selfies", like, "this is the day I became one" or "me and my best friend are finally cutting ties" or "even though we are getting divorced, we still dress alike". It was complete nonsense.

This is the biggest problem with people in modern times. We are all looking for our fifteen minutes of fame, and we will do anything, no matter how self deprecating or embarrassing it may be, to get it. We will put ourselves in the worst possible situations just to get a mention or a retweet or a like on Facebook. It is pretty upsetting. I do not like the way this stuff is trending. I mean, when a publication like Buzzfeed, which is a big company, picks up a story like this, and runs with it, it makes me sick. We have real problems going on in the world right now, but stupid ass "divorce selfies" are being mentioned by a lot of people, including me today.

I hate this so much, so I wanted to write about why I dislike it so much, but I hate that it has effected me so much. I was viscerally upset when chatting with my wife about this last night. For the record, she thought it was stupid too, but she realizes when stuff like this isn't worth getting angry over. I'm not there yet. I don't know what it is, but this "divorce selfie" thing really made me mad and I had to let you all know about it. I'll get back to some happier stuff tomorrow, Dan Auerbach's second solo record comes out, so I'll write about that, but today I needed to vent to everyone about this stupid new fad. I hope it fades away as quickly as it came on. Fingers crossed.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Keep reading his stuff, and you may be lucky enough to get Gotye'd. 

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

Treat Your Mother Right Today, and Everyday.

Today is the annual celebration of being extra nice to our mothers. I enjoy this day. Everyone tends to be on better behavior. We hold back from being unpleasant to the other people in our family. Mothers Day is one of the few days of the year we try to be civil to each other. We do this all in honor of our mothers.

In the mid 1980's noted pitier of fools Mr T implored us all to treat our mothers right. It is ok to be angry with someone and throw personal insults in their direction, but you should never insult someone's mother.  Without one's mother, no one would be here. She is a queen second to none. Mr. T makes it clear that we should treat our mothers right, treat them right. These are not just words for today, they are words for everyday. 

Happy Mothers day to all the great moms out there. Enjoy your day. Enjoy every day. To all the kids out there - Treat your mother right. Do not be a fool who requires pity.

RD 

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing

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

Happy Birthday Santa

Santa has been a very good boy

ed note: This article was originally published on December 24th. There have been some changes to update the dialogue.

In case you did not know, today is Christmas.

For my blog today, I want to focus on said fat man. To steal a line from "The Simpsons" and Bart, "aren't we all forgetting the real meaning of Christmas, the birth of Santa". That's what I want to talk about. Sure, some people will say it's the celebration of the birth of Jesus, but not me, this, the birthday of Santa, deserves the celebration. He's the one that's provided me with gifts my whole life and now gives me and my wife and our kids our presents. I know, Santa isn't real, but he's just as real, to me at least, as Jesus is. Why can't I believe in Santa like Christians believe in Christ? It's basically the same thing.

I just want to thank Santa for all the great gifts I've gotten over the years. The Pirates hat my brother and I spoke of on a recent podcast. My guitars, the many baseball gloves, footballs and basketballs. The computers, iPods and many, many CDs. The clothes, the candy and all the Michigan gear. Thank you Santa, you're the man. I'm so happy you were born many, many years ago on December 25th and now you celebrate your birthday by handing out presents to everyone in the world. You rule and you deserve to be celebrated.

Here's to you Santa. Drive that sleigh carefully tonight and deliver those presents to all the deserving people out there. I can't wait to see what you've given me, my wife and our kids. Thanks again Santa.

Ty 

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He has made the Head Editor confused by saying Santa is not real. Who puts the presents under the tree, Ty? Who? Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Thanksgiving should be about Family, Friends, and a Great Episode of "The Simpsons"

I am way thankful for this juicy piece of meat

Today is Thanksgiving, so I'm going to keep this short and sweet, well, maybe not sweet.

As RD and I already stated, 2016 has been pretty rough (seriously, go listen to the podcast. It is free.). Politically, a travesty, pop culture wise, very ho hum, most other stuff, kind of blah. But at least you get to spend this day with family and friends. That is what people should focus on today. Leave your politics, religion, pop culture, any other thoughts you may have inside your home, and just be nice to one another. People should not get together to just argue, that should not be the focus today. The focus is to be kind and thankful for what you have, that is what this holiday is, allegedly, all about.

Might I also recommend watching the great Thanksgiving episode of "The Simpsons", where Homer becomes Mr. Burns' "prank monkey". Every time around this year, I walk around saying "Happy Pranksgiving" to everyone. I do not throw fish guts on people, but I find it very funny when Mr. Burns does, and this episode cracks me up every time.

With that being said, just be nice and thankful that you get to be with family, friends, have food and shelter this time of year. We are all very lucky, and should be very thankful, that we at least have that. Happy Thanksgiving everyone, enjoy your turkey, stuffing and football, I know I will.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is also quite proficient at the Lindy Hop. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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