Ty Listens to New Music From LCD Soundsystem and Big Boi

Three song were recently released to the public, and I want to take my time today to talk about how much I personally enjoy all 3.

First off, LCD Soundsystem, a band that I love, released 2 of them. They were supposed to be released at midnight last Friday, but they got leaked early Thursday afternoon. I waited until this weekend before buying the 2 song EP on iTunes. I've got to tell you, both "Call the Police" and "American Dream" have me very, very anxious and excited to hear what their full length record will sound like when they finally finish it. These 2 songs are tremendous throwbacks to what I love most about this band. It was refreshing and comforting to hear them sound so tight and together as a full band. James Murphy's voice is still perfect for their sound, and the band, my gosh do they sound terrific.

"Call the Police" is a 7 minute synth/pop song that is just about perfect. It could have easily been on "Sounds of Silver". It has that feel. There are some great instrumentals to start out the song, and when Murphy comes in with the vocals, it is like I'm transported back to 7 and 8 years ago when I first discovered the band. It is a great, great tune. I wish it were 14 minutes long. I love the flow, the verses, the chorus and the bridge. Basically, I love the whole damn thing. I was so happy when I heard it the first time, I listened to it about 100 times more since because I cannot get enough of it.

As far as "American Dream" goes, it is a bit of a departure form their normal sound, but not by much. I also say that in a good way. Everyone knows that I like it when bands I listen to take newer and different chances on their particular style of music. LCD Soundsystem has always been a synth/punk/dance band. Those are genres I'm not that into, but for some reason, I like how they blend it all together. On "American Dream", it sounds about as poppy as they will ever get. This is a good thing. Sometimes it is nice to have a song that you can sing and dance along to. It is fun. I really enjoy the direction they took on this particular song. Yes, it is different, but if it is always the same, there is no growth. "American Dream" shows me that this band, during their time off, grew up, and now, they sound like they are having more fun than ever making music.

These 2 tracks have me fully ready to devour the new record when it comes out. I hope it gets released sooner than later. But, I will say that it is nice to kind of get a preview of what to expect on the new record with these 2 new, early released songs.

The other song I want to talk about is a totally different genre, rap, but it also comes from someone that hasn't put out new music in a long time. The person in question is Big Boi, of Outkast fame, and the song is called "Kill Jill", and it features Jeezy, and the always exceptional Killer Mike.

This song is dope as hell. I had seen a lot of stuff on social media about the song, but it wasn't until yesterday that I finally heard the song. I was driving home from a race, and I had my Run the Jewels station playing on Pandora. They played some RTJ, a few El-P and Killer Mike solo songs, and then this new Big Boi track came on. I was totally floored by how awesome it was. I'm an Andre 3000 fan when it comes to all things Outkast. I like Big Boi too, but I prefer the sound and style of Andre 3000. "The Love Below" is a million times better than "Speakerboxxx". But, Big Boi does have his moments as a solo artist. "The Son of Chico Dusty" is a really good record that doesn't get the credit it deserves. But, I'm always a little wary when Big Boi ventures out on his own. Well, not anymore after hearing "Kill Jill".

The song has a very quiet and slow beginning with an Asian lady singing something in her native tongue for about 20 seconds. After that, the beat sounds like an old Asian tune you'd hear in a Kung Fu movie, but really slowed down, and Killer Mike comes in with the first verse and absolutely crushes it. From there on out, Big Boi sounds incredible, Jeezy is awesome and Killer Mike is doing his thing. I think it is perfect for Big Boi to feature Killer Mike on a track since he pretty much gave him his start in music and help guide him in the beginning. And Jeezy, who I am not all that familiar with, sounds amazing on this song. It makes me want to check out his music to see if I would be into it.

Big Boi has done something magical with this song, and, just like with LCD Soundsystem, I'm excited to see if this one song brings about a new Big Boi solo record. I usually do not buy singles, but these are the exception. These 3 songs are tremendous and they run a wide variety of genres of music. I highly recommend people go and check these songs out. I'm glad I did, and I think you'd all enjoy them very much.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He missed out on the gold old days when the head editor would go to his local Streetside Records and get a maxi-single cassette tape. 

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

I Have to Say Something About the Republicans and Their Healthcare Bill

It is going to be mighty hot in this world, and the next, for the Republicans

I know that I have stated that I am out of the politics game here on the site, but after yesterday's atrocities, I just cannot think of a better place to heap my disgust at this maniacal, tyrannical, stone age of a "government" than my blog.

The "health' care bill that the House passed is an absolute disaster. That bill does nothing except make the sick and poor more sick and poor, and make the rich even richer. It is a downright shame that something like this was even brought to the table to vote. This is an outrageously horrible bill that will take millions upon millions of people off of health care, while making corporations more rich, and lining the pockets of the slimy pigheaded people that voted yes on this horrific bill in the government.

I hope that all the yes men and women that work in government that voted yes on this know that they have special place in hell waiting for them. I personally do not believe in a heaven or a hell, but the moronic right wing nut jobs that occupy Washington D.C. seem to always talk about the bible and God and other religious stuff, so I'm sure they believe in that nonsense. I hope they are prepared for an eternity of fire and Satan, or whatever, because that is where they are headed. I'm sure some of you that will read this are Republican, or right wing, and will say, that's too mean Ty. I say, shut your god damn mouth. If you support this bill and these monsters, then I have nothing but contempt and disrespect for you.

This bill is downright insane. This bill is going to directly effect the very same people that voted this douchebag into office. He is aiming for the sick and the poor. He and his cronies do not care about you unless you are a multi billionaire. If you do not give anything to him and his bunch of frat boy subordinates, he could care less about you. That is why something so ridiculous was pushed through the House in such a hurry. They didn't vet this bill, or even read it for that matter. Trump is such a puppet that someone gave him something, told him to sign it, and like the dip shit he is, he did it, no questions asked.

Then, the fact that thy were celebrating and drinking Bud Light after it passed is just appalling. What, was there no Natty Lights for you assholes to drink? This is so disgusting and very disturbing.

The fact that this passed has made me scared and very, very angry. To take healthcare away from the sick and the poor is so unconscionable, it makes me literally sick to my stomach. I mean, how do these people sleep at night knowing what they are doing to the less fortunate? The government was supposed to protect us and our civil liberties. Now, it is just a game to the villains in office. They do not care what the piece of paper they are signing says, they just want it to pass. The moronic and archaic GOP bitched and moaned about Obamacare for 8 years. That bill had a ton of thought and fought its way to get passed. This new health bill, they looked at for less than 100 days. That should frighten everyone. The fact that they just rushed it through proves to me that no vetting or any rational thought went into it. This was just something that they wanted to get done to make their investors, possibly the Russians, happy. I know that the Senate still has to look at this bill before it becomes law, but the fact that the House had enough votes to pass the bill is a nightmare scenario.

Look, this first 100 days plus of this monstrosity of a "government" has been anxiety fuel and I am sick and tired of being angry and afraid. Nothing these horrible monsters do makes me feel at ease. The people in charge are trying to destroy this country. They do not care about anyone but themselves. People like Trump, Paul Ryan, Mike Pence, Ben Carson, Betsy DeVos, Jeff Sessions, are horrible, horrible people that will get what is coming to them. They are going to go down as some of the worst people in the history of the US. But, the scariest thing about that, they do not care, or are too dumb to realize that what they are doing is so very, very wrong. With each passing day of this "government" I become more worried and more angry. Every morning I wake up hoping to hear that all of these crooks and criminals are being sent to jail, but it hasn't happened, at least not yet. Everyday I also scour the internet and my email looking for petitions, numbers to calls and things that I can do to try and stop this disaster of a "cabinet". I just want to wake up one day and not be afraid anymore.

What makes that even worse, I will not, at least at first, be effected by any of this stuff. I'm a middle class white man. But, I have friends that count on things like health care and LGBTQ rights and free speech. And from what this "administration" has shown so far, they are screwed.

We will fight. Go out and look at all the reactions from the majority of the country. People are starting to get woke, and I'm proud to say that I am going to stay woke as long as these injustices keeps happening. Listen up you monsters in D.C. that think you can control us, we will never stop fighting while you are in office. Get ready for more protests and more and more people questioning you and your cronies. You are thieves, crooks, and after yesterday, killers. I hope you all know that you are going to rot in jail before you rot in hell, and I want you to know that I will fight you, tooth and nail, until you monsters get what you deserve.

All of you DC Republicans disgust me. I hope the people that voted for these monsters, or even worse didn't vote at all, feel real bad about yourselves. You let this happen, and now, these criminals are trying to get away with whatever they can. For shame. As for now, keep resisting. It is going to be a fight, but it is a fight that we can win. Trust that.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is woke. Are you? 

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

Ty Watches Gorburger

Recently I have become more and more engrossed by the show "Gorburger"  on Comedy Central. I knew of the character of Gorburger prior to the show, but the show was my gateway. TJ Miller, of whom I'm a very big fan, had this blood thirsty, alien monster that hosted a talk show on Tokyo television. I saw some of the old clips online, but when the show was announced, I was very much on board. I like the idea very much, and I love when younger comedians spoof old time television.

So naturally, I tuned in to the series premiere 4 weeks ago. I did not know what to expect, but what I saw for 22 minutes kept me onboard. The show starts out as a game show in Tokyo, but then Gorburger gets blasted down to the set, quenches his blood thirst by devouring almost everyone on stage, then walks up to the 2 hosts and tells them that this is his show now, and he says that he will keep the very few people that you see standing on stage. One of those people is the announcer, and the other is the pop duo, Tokyo Fever, who whenever you say their name, they have to repeat in Japanese, "We are Tokyo Fever!". It is so bizarre, but I laugh every time.

The pilot episode features Reggie Watts, another guy that I am a big, big fan of. The whole plot is based on vaping. Gorburger even has a buddy of his, some guy that is famous on YouTube for the things he can do with vapor smoke, named Trevbone, that just sits there, vapes and does weird shit with the vapor smoke. It was distractingly weird, but it was also fun to see Reggie Watts looked just as confused as everyone else seemed to be. Reggie Watts was a good sport though, and he went along with all the weird stuff that Gorburger wanted him to do, including some absurd games. There was also a pre taped segment where Gorburger visited a real doll factory. It was disgusting, but also very funny, because TJ Miller, dressed as Gorburger, was given a full tour and got the whole spiel from the owner. It was wild. The episode ended with Reggie Watts and Thundercat doing an improvised song together, which was dope as hell. But, to keep it crazy, poor Trevbone was delivered a fatal blow to the head with a brick.

Like I said, the show does not make a whole lot of sense, but I found myself thinking about the pilot a few days after watching it. The more I thought about it, the more it was like a full sitcom version of an Adult Swim show. "Gorburger" was like watching a 22 minute long episode of "The Eric Andre Show" or "Aqua Teen Hunger Force", or even "Space Ghost: Coast to Coast". I love all those shows, so a 22 minute version of one was a great surprise.

Since the pilot, I have obviously watched the next 3 episodes. The second episode had Dr. Drew as the guest, again, being a very good sport, and the central plot was Gorburger's obsession with smooth jazz. The entire episode had Kenny G, who was literally wearing cement shoes, playing music anytime Gorburger wanted, because if he didn't, he would be hit with a brick, a la Trevbone. During the show, Gorburger visited a "twerking" class. That segment was nuts, but also very funny. "Twerking" is such a thing of the past, but to see this enormous alien try to "twerk", and the teachers really trying to teach him was a thing of comic beauty. Before the episode ended, Dr. Drew helped cure Gorburger's bloodlust, and played another absurd game. But, poor Kenny G had to keep playing jazz, Gorburger couldn't stop, and he met the same fate as Trevbone at the end of this episode.

Episode three had one of my favorite comedians, Tig Notaro, as the guest. Throughout the entire episode, little "gorbabies" keep showing up because it was shedding season for Gorburger, and they have been known to only give bad advice. During the interview segment, Notaro played a hilarious game called "Christian Bale or Christian Male", where she had to guess a quote Gorburger gave her as to if Bale, or a Christian male said it. It was laugh out loud hilarious. Later, Gorburger visited a wild life zoo, and again, it was bizarrely hilarious. The fact that these people want to be on TV so bad that they will let a guy dressed as an enormous blue alien monster come to their place just to get exposure. The interviews are always weird, but that is the point. The end of this episode was like the first 2, with Notaro playing another game, but it coming to a terrible demise for her and another gentlemen, when she took a Gorbaby's advice to smash herself through a brick wall. I'm sure this will be a running theme for the rest of the season.

The most recent episode featured Zach Woods and Johnny Pemberton, two of my favorite improv comedians/actors. They were game for all the weirdness that was "Gorburger". This has been, by far, the best episode to date. It was Grizzlebub's Day, which is like Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa for wherever in the hell Gorburger is from. They sang carols and played games and did other nonsense for the whole 22 minutes. The interview was very funny, playing another name game that immediately went off the rails. There was another death because Gorburger thought that Grizzlebub was coming due to a loud clanking sound, and the only way to appease him is a human sacrifice. It was disturbing, but dammit, I was laughing. The show ended with a performance from Portugal the Man, and the song was pretty good. We also come to find out that the clanking noise was the air conditioning guy fixing the AC unit, so the sacrifice wasn't needed.

I know this all sounds very bizarre, but for fans of absurdist humor, "Gorburger" is a homerun. I'm pretty sure season one is only 6 episodes, and they're already 4 in. I hope the people at Comedy Central keep this show going because I will watch the hell out of it, if it comes back for a second season. "Gorburger" is great. Weird, but great.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. One time he hot a guy in the face with a brick just for playing jazz. Ty does not fool around when jazz is being played. 

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

Terrible Lavar Ball is Causing Me to Root Against His Kids

Artist diepiction of Ty when he hears Lavar Ball talk about anything

Try as I might, I just cannot escape the madness that is Lavar Ball. I've written before about how he is the worst type of sports parent. But, after writing that, I was kind of able to avoid him. I'd see something that would have his name in the story, and I'd just click right by it. No fuss, no muss.

Then, a story about Lonzo Ball came out that he was going to skip the NBA combine. Now, I am not a fan of combine results and how it inflates a major prospect, but, it is a given that the big time prospects always attend. It happens in football, if baseball has one, I'm sure the top prospects show up to it, and you always have, unless they are injured, the main guys at the NBA combine. I'm pretty sure guys like Markelle Fultz, Josh Jackson, Johnathan Issac, basically any top prospect, is attending. But, for some illogical reason, Lonzo Ball doesn't think that he needs to go. He is just assuming that he will be a top pick, which I'm sure he still will be.

Aside from the skipping the combine, he has done some other stuff that I feel like his father is making him do. Immediately, and I mean immediately after UCLA got beat in the tournament, Ball's first comment was that he was going pro. He didn't seem to care at all that is team just got beat and that he was wildly outplayed by DeArron Fox. Then, he was showing up on crappy midday ESPN shows with his father to "expand his brand". Then, he declared that he only wanted to play for the Lakers. No other team that takes him would make him happy. He basically declared that he would only play for the Lakers. Like I said, all this seems like it was orchestrated by his father. So, while I was easily bypassing stories directly about Lavar Ball, I could not escape his son, and his son's comment.

Then, the thing that has really riled me up as of late, was Lavar Ball's recent comments that his son, Lonzo's, first signature shoe will be 200 dollars a pair. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT NONSENSE! No one's shoes cost 200 dollars a pair. The new LeBron's seem to average around 125-180 dollars a pair. KD's shoes are never more than 150 dollars. Kyrie Irving's shoes are usually 125 dollars. Even Air Jordan's, unless they are classic throwback shoes in mint condition, average around 160-175 dollars. These are all extremely established NBA super stars, with Jordan being the GOAT, and none of them charge 200 dollars per pair of shoes. That is asinine that Lavar Ball thinks anyone would ever pay 200 dollars for one pair of shoes. Also, who does he think is going to produce and market these shoes? He was laughed out of the Nike offices, with one of their major guys saying that he "the worst person I have ever had to deal with". Both Under Armor and Adidas have also said that they want nothing to do with the Ball family, specifically Lavar Ball. So, I ask again, who is going to sell, market, produce, create and get these 200 dollar shoes out to the public? Does he honestly think that his Big Baller Brand is going to become a thing that people will want to be a part of?

If I was a business owner of any kind I would stay away from him and his family with a 1,000 foot pole. I would want absolutely nothing to do with the Ball family, and it is all because of the father. He is a blowhard and I think he is insane. The words that come out of his mouth are just utterly ridiculous and pointless and flat out stupid. I usually like to give a player a chance. I want to watch them as pros, but I am now in the very large group of people that are actively rooting against anyone from the Ball family. I want Lonzo Ball to be a bust, and it has nothing to do with him, it is because of his father. I hope his 2 other sons never materialize to anything more than rotational college players. Lonzo Ball will be a high draft pick, he is a good player, but no one knows about his other 2 kids. I mean one of them is a sophomore, so who knows what will happen to him in 2 years. He may end up hating basketball.

I try not to actively root against kids, I'm a 34 year old with 2 kids of my own, but Lavar Ball has made the worst come out in me. He has made me an avid member of the anti Ball fan club. I want these kids to flame out as college players, and in Lonzo's case, as a pro. Lavar Ball is out of his god damn mind, and those 2 to 3 weeks where I did not even think about him were glorious. But, I just could not get the bad taste out of my mouth of this most recent outrageous declaration. No one, and I mean absolutely no one in their right minds will pay 200 dollars for shoes. That's just absurd.  Please stop talking Lavar Ball. Every time you open your mouth, you say something more ridiculous, and it makes you sound and look that much more stupid. Just please, for the love of whatever, stop.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. His five year old son is pretty good at basketball right now. Any company interested in producing his $500 shoes?  

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

Ty Listens to "Humanz"

The Gorillaz finally released their newest record last Friday, April 28th. This has been a much anticipated album by many, myself included, and it does not disappoint. It feels so good to hear Damon Albarn's voice again hidden behind his cartoon counterparts.

I've been on the Gorillaz bandwagon since they released their first record back in 2001. I've always bought their new records the day they came out, and "Humanz" was no different. I woke up on Friday, got myself prepared for the day, and when I had a moment to sit down, I got on iTunes and bought and downloaded the record immediately. I then listened to it immediately. I waited until today to review it because I wanted an entire weekend to let myself really get a thorough listen. The wait seemed like forever, so I needed at least three days to really access my feelings on this record. I needed the time to really let the new music sink in.

I loved, as I have already said that the record does not disappoint, what I heard. It is classic Gorillaz music. It is very synth-y, with elements of hip hop, pop, rock and roll, electronic and, to round it all out, some great R&B. I'm not a big fan of interludes on albums, but for "Humanz", the interludes feel needed. This is as close to a concept album, a title given to records that I have stated on this site that I loathe, as it gets nowadays. The interludes are your segues from song to song. They're perfect.

Then, the songs are just tremendous. First off, their is a guest on every song on this record, but that is what the Gorillaz do. They're notorious for their guest lists on all of their records. It is needed since this is a band created by Albarn and a friend of his, so he needs the help from other artists. The names that pepper this record are phenomenal. We get people like Mavis Staples, Grace Jones, Popcaan, Vince Staples, De La Soul, Danny Brown, Anthony Hamilton and Pusha T, to name a few. That is quite the guest list if you ask me. Then, to hear them with the Gorillaz, it was icing on the cake.

The first track of the record, "Ascension" features Vince Staples, and it is a great rap song. It is 99 percent Vince Staples vocals, with the Gorillaz doing the instruments, and it works tremendously. Staples is a great, young rapper, and he is on fire right now. This was a great way to start off the record. The song is bouncy, fun and very dance worthy. Staples is great, as are the Gorillaz. Then, 2 songs later, we get the song "Saturnz Barz" featuring Popcaan. I hadn't heard much from Popcaan, but this song is a great, almost disco type pop/electronic song. Again, it is very dance worthy and this song makes me want to go out and find some more Popcaan to listen to. The very next song, "Momentz" features one of Gorillaz main collaborators, De La Soul, and it is just as great as "Feel Good Inc", or "Superfast Jellyfish". De La Soul and Damon Albarn clearly have a great partnership, and any time Gorillaz releases a record, I want to first hear the song that will feature them. "Momentz" is awesome. It is a wonderful rap song, and it is great for working out. I expected greatness from both De La Soul and Gorillaz, and they, of course, delivered. When I did not think it could get much better, we get "Submission". This song features Keela, and one of my new favorite rappers, even though he's been around forever, I just recently discovered him, Danny Brown. This song is incredible, and it all comes to a glorious end with Danny Brown rapping for 90 seconds straight. Keela and the Gorillaz carry the song, and then Danny Brown comes in and finishes it off with an absolute bang. This was, after one listen, my favorite song.

But, as I dug deeper and listened more and more, I think my favorite track is "Let Me Out". This song has Pusha T just crushing it as the emcee, great vocals from the Gorillaz, and then we get the great Mavis Staples singing the chorus, as well as adding her own verses. This is the perfect Gorillaz song. It blends all their styles into one 4 minute masterpiece. This song is flat out stupendous. To get someone like Mavis Staples is a feat in and of itself, and her singing on this song is a true delight.

The rest of the record I really enjoy as well. I love the hard rocking "Charger" featuring Grace Jones. I enjoy the very odd "Sex Murder Party". "Hallelujah Money" featuring Benjamin Clementine is so sad and depressing, but it is a great song. And the final track, for those of you that did not buy the deluxe edition, "We've Got the Power" featuring Jhenny Beth is a great ending. 

"Humanz" is like a great meal. It starts out wonderful, you digest the first half, you want more, the middle of the record is great, and then the dessert that is the last 1/3 of the record that kind of slows down a bit and lets you stew in the great music. I am a fan of Gorillaz, and in my mind, they can do no wrong. The 6 year wait seemed like 60, but the work they did, and the people they got to be on this record, was worth the wait. "Humanz" is a great record, and it makes me that much more excited to see them in September in Kansas City. The Gorillaz are great, and "Humanz" is too. I highly recommend this record.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. With the Gorillaz having released new music, how long before Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld get back in the game.

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

It's May Day, a Time to Celebrate the Workers, Spring, and the Birthday of SeedSing

And so it began.

May 1st will always be a special day as it represents the launch of SeedSing. I wanted to use the internationally recognized Workers Holiday as the marking point for what we are trying to accomplish here at the website. Festivals dating back to the Roman Republic era have also used the 1st day of this fifth glorious month to celebrate the rebirth of spring. SeedSing exists to give voice to those who may not have a place at society’s table, and we exist to celebrate the blossoming of new ideas. We are happy to celebrate this May Day with you, and we want to celebrate where we have been and where we are going.

So what is the purpose of SeedSing? We live in a world where ideas are being monopolized by the wealthy and connected elite. Ideas are not commodities, they are the only thing we collectively share. Here at SeedSing we want to let the people take back their rights to having thoughts. We want to give you a voice. The global community is in trouble. The people at the top of the global economic system are only concerned with self-preservation, and they have used the media and government to solidify their power. SeedSing is the people's fortress where we can speak freely, and start to fix the world being destroyed by the top 1%. That is the purpose of SeedSing.

Having spent the last few years working on SeedSing, I have evolved quite a bit. What began as a way for local candidates to easily reach their voters has turned into a blog and podcast focusing on politics and pop culture. That makes Seedsing one of the billion plus blogs out there talking about these topics, but I feel like we have something more to offer. Most websites and podcasts disappear in less than one year. SeedSing continues because of the raw and unfiltered ideas that come from people who felt like their ideas were being ignored. The writers of SeedSing have free reign to express their thoughts, be it an experiment on using the meal supplement Soylent, the awesomeness of airports, the inhumanity of the healthcare system, or the lunacy surrounding the Unicorn Frapuccino. SeedSing would not exist without their ideas, and I cannot thank them enough for everything they have contributed to this project. The guest contributors, some known and some unknown, have also been an incredibly valuable addition to the conversation we are having. With two years of growth behind us, we are excited to keep the ball rolling.

Fixing the world through our ideas does not have to be done in dark room with gloomy music playing in the background. The joy of our culture and entertainment is where our voices can be strongest. The writing here at SeedSing concerning pop culture, led by the awesomeness of Ty, has been our most popular content, because it is fun and unique. We do not discuss the same old baby boomer culture that seems to always overshadow whatever new and exciting thing is happening. This is where SeedSing is leading the way to reclaim pop culture from the constant coverage of fifty plus year old standards. Add your voice and let our culture flourish, not decay under the old ways.

The X Millennial Man Podcast has been our most successful avenue where our seeds have been allowed to sing. The 2016 Presidential election gave us plenty to talk about, but we still make room to be the definitive judge on what are the best Simpsons episodes and what are the biggest snubs for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. These are the stories we do not hear in the regular media. Podcasting has been the common persons greatest weapon against a professional media who exists to solidify the status quo. SeedSing and the X Millennial Man will continue to be the voice of people, whatever they have to say

Where do we go in our third year?  We continue moving forward. SeedSing is growing, but we need your help. This is a project funded by the money and efforts of a very small group of people. Your help is always appreciated. How can you help? We want your voice. Tell us your thoughts. If you want to write, we want to publish your ideas. If you have an idea, but are not comfortable with writing, tell us your thoughts and one of our regular contributors will put together a piece. If you are not a writer, but still want to support SeedSing - financial support is always a nice thing. Other ways to help us out is to follow SeedSing on twitter, @seedsingrdk, and to like us on Facebook. We are thrilled to think about the years ahead of us, and we are even more excited about your continued support of SeedSing.

Happy May Day, International Workers Day, and happy birthday SeedSing. Come on in and join us. Allow your seed to sing and take root. You only have your ideas to set free.

RD

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

It is Long Past Time to Blow Up the LA Clippers

The best cure for the current Clippers roster sheet

Something incredible happened yesterday. And by incredible, I mean that it was such a great sight to see the Los Angeles Clippers, once again, bow out very early in the NBA playoffs. They got beat, handily I might add, by the Jazz in the seventh game of their first round matchup.

The Clippers had everything, minus one Blake Griffin injury, in their favor to easily win this series and advance to face the Warriors. They had the home court. They had the best overall player in the series, Chris Paul. They had what many presumed was the better back court and front court. They won a pivotal game 6 on the Jazz home floor. They should have won. Instead, they played some of the most uninspired basketball that I have ever seen. They looked defeated from the get go. Chris Paul looked tired. DeAndre Jordan was a complete non factor. Austin Rivers horrific offense was on full display. JJ Redick cannot shoot the three with any real consistency anymore, and he has become a total liability on defense. Jamal Crawford never found a rhythm in this series ever. Luc Mbah A Moute is a horrific offensive player, and his defense is not much better. Wesley Johnson could not get on the floor due to several matchup problems. Paul Pierce, as much as I love him as a basketball player, looked done in game 41 this year. The Clippers just stunk up the court last night.

I was happy by this, but I at least thought the Clippers would put up some kind of fight. The Jazz controlled everything about that game yesterday. Rudy Gobert was an absolute beast in the post. Gordon Hayward was doing what he has done all season long. George Hill was running their offense to near perfection. Joe Johnson looked so much better than any Clipper, save for Chris Paul. Derrick Favors looked awesome yesterday too. Hell, even Quinn Snyder outcoached Doc Rivers yesterday. It was so crazy. Doc Rivers is a NBA champion, and he got outcoached by a guy that got fired by the University of Missouri once upon a time. Now, Quinn Snyder is a much better coach now than he was back then, but still, for him to have a much better game plan than Doc Rivers was baffling.

I've said it way more than once on the site and I will say it once again, time to blow this shit up LA Clippers. This team is going nowhere, and they will continue to go nowhere as long as they keep this core group together. First off, Chris Paul is their best player, far and away, and one of the best point guards to ever play in the NBA, but he is old and getting to the point in his career where he cannot be the unequivocal leader of a title contender. He would be better suited going to a team like San Antonio or Miami this offseason, but I'm sure he will resign with the Clippers because they can offer him the most money. This summer will prove to us what he cares about more, money or titles. Resigning with the Clippers is a clear sign because they are not going to be a contender, especially in the West. Blake Griffin is an unrestricted free agent, and many teams will want him to come play for them, but he is oft injured, and I think his best days are behind him. Go back and read my piece from last Monday to get my full thoughts on Blake Griffin. He's done. DeAndre Jordan is who he will always be in the NBA. He is a decent pick and roll guy that can dunk the ball, but that is it. He is not a great rebounder, he is a subpar rim protector, an awful free throw shooter, cannot shoot outside the lane and seems disinterested in big time games. He is very big and strong, but he plays very small. JJ Redick is a free agent, just like Blake Griffin, but if Griffin is washed up, where does that put JJ Redick? He used to be a reliable three point shooter, but he doesn't even have that anymore. He is also a horrid defender. Good luck to whatever sub .500 team gives him 15 million a year. Paul Pierce, thankfully and mercifully, is retired now. He was so great once, but since he left Boston, save for one season in Washington, he has looked like a shell of himself. He looked completely washed up when I watched him play yesterday. I love you Paul Pierce, but that was painful.

Other than that, who do the Clippers have that will scare the Warriors, Rockets, Spurs, hell even the Thunder and Jazz now? All those teams are better, and I think that Portland is going to surpass them next season as well. So, if they stay pat with their "big three" of Paul, Jordan and Griffin, I still think, at the very best, they will be a 7 seed in the West. They cannot compete with those other teams, plain and simple. I know that Steve Ballmer, who I loathe, and the front office and Doc Rivers the GM wants to resign all these guys, just don't. It is an exercise in futility. As the saying goes, if you keep doing the same thing and expect a different outcome, that's the sign that you're a crazy person, or something like that. As I already stated, Chris Paul would be better suited going to a team in the East, or to a Western Conference team like the Spurs or Rockets. Blake Griffin needs a change of scenery something fierce. He doesn't have the drive that a guy like Chris Paul demands from his teammates and he has always seemed to clash with him. They need to breakup. DeAndre Jordan will stick around most likely, but he will never be the star that some thought he would be. I don't see Jamal Crawford, JJ Redick, Mbah A Moute or Wesley Johnson coming back or making any contribution of note if they do. Austin Rivers is, unfortunately for Clippers fans, probably the "future" at point guard. That is a scary thought. The Clippers also have no real depth or young guys that they have helped to get better.

The LA CLippers are a team begging for a tear down. I thought they should have done it after they blew a 3-1 lead to the Rockets 3 seasons ago, but after seeing them play yesterday, I am more than certain that they need a full rebuild. We will see what the offseason brings, but I do not want to hear anymore sports writers proclaim that next year is the Clippers year. They are so far behind, at the very least, 5 teams in their own conference. They are also never going to beat a team like Cleveland, Boston or even Washington or Toronto from the East. They are a middle of the pack team at best right now, so why bring this group back? It makes no sense, and I say, blow it the hell up. That is the best thing for the future of this team, in my opinion. Chris Paul deserves better, Blake Griffin needs a change of scenery, and I think Doc Rivers does too. I say RIP to the Clippers "big three", and their "shot at a title". It is done. They are finished.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He takes joy in three things, his family, his food, and being right about the LA CLippers.

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The Truth About President Trump's First 100 Days

Was it this difficult for Abe Lincoln?

President Donald Trump recently said that it is ridiculous that we judge a President by their first 100 days. He then followed those thoughts up by stating that his first 100 days have been great. He is right on both counts.

The idea of the first 100 days as a benchmark started with Franklin Roosevelt. The country was in bad shape due to the beginnings of the Great Depression. FDR had just come off a decisive victory over incumbent President Herbert Hoover because the promises made by Roosevelt in the 1932 campaign. The country was looking for quick answers to their problems, and FDR delivered on many of his campaign pledges in his first 100 days. Every new President since FDR has used the electoral mandate of the American people to deliver on the promise of their respective campaigns. If the new President wants to do something big, it must get done in the first 100 days.

That is the story we are all told, and it is a media created myth. FDR invented the idea of the first 100 days, but he was not referring to the first few months of his own administration, he was referencing the 100 day session of the 73rd US Congress. Many of Roosevelt's programs to fight the Great Depression were started in the first few months of his administration, but many of these programs were created via executive order, and it took much longer than 100 days to make them legal. The intentional slow pace of the US Congress meant it was years before many of FDR's New Deal Programs were made legal, or were thrown out completely. FDR's true legacy was created by what the President did over the years, not in his first few months.

Since FDR, there was little talk about the importance of the first 100 days. Nearly ever President after FDR, and almost all of them before, still worked to pass big pieces of legislation almost immediately. That is what happens after an election. The candidates made promises to the American electorate, swift action is always expected. Easy to pass electoral red meat, that is what gets done in the first 100 days. The concept was largely forgotten about for decades after FDR.

With the inauguration of Barrack Obama, the media love affair with the first 100 days suddenly reappeared. Once again the country was in the midst of a big economic problem attributed to the policies of the previous administrations. The American voter expected President Obama to do something quickly. The press quickly jumped on the easy narrative of the first 100 days, and constantly questioned President Obama'a administration about their successes in this very short amount of time.  President Obama was tired of the idiotic idea of being judged by the first 100 days, and even remarked that "The first hundred days is going to be important, but it’s probably going to be the first thousand days that makes the difference". Eight years later, Obama has proven that the 100 days idea is unworthy. 

This is why President Donald Trump is right that the first 100 days mark is an idiotic standard. The press has not cared about this moronic ideal with forty-two other Presidents. The legislative process is intentionally slow and difficult. The media should not set up unrealistic expectations with the American people. If Donald Trump is going to make America great again, he will need a hell of lot longer than fourteen weeks and some change.

Understanding that the first 100 days is a dumb standard, President Trump is also correct in saying that his first 100 days have been wildly successful. The success may not be easy to see, but it is still there. The impact of President's Trump may not be as clear to the American people like FDR's or Obama's, but his actions have been equally important to setting up the future of United States. This may sound like fake news to the 54% of American voters that did not want Donald Trump to be President (that is a majority of the voters in case some people are still confused by this). The three million more people who voted for Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump may not see success in the new President's first 100 days, but it is still there. That is a fact.

The first big success for the new President was his ability to keep the vacant Supreme Court seat in the hands of the conservatives. Unfortunately, this was not really any success from Donald Trump, but more of a spoil from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's war on the US Constitution. Not happy with already disrespecting the wishes of the Founding Fathers during Obama's Presidency, great Leader McConnell also decided to throw out centuries of Senate rules and decorum to get his way. Maybe we should chalk up the Supreme Court victory to the America hating temper tantrum of Leader McConnell. But, President Trump did say Neil Gorsuch's name on television, so he should get some of the credit.

As far as policy victories, President Trump did promise to make sure all Americans would have healthcare coverage. Thanks to the incompetence of Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, the GOP's campaign promises on repealing the Affordable Care Act was seen for what it really was, pointless political pandering. Speaker Ryan, along with the help of the Freedom Caucus, made sure that Obamacare would be the law of the land for the foreseeable future. President Trump and Speaker Ryan did try to put a new "replacement" bill up for a vote, but their majorities in the House and the Senate could not be counted on to follow their party leaders wishes. Thanks to the terrible leadership of Speaker Ryan, and the "who knew healthcare was so complicated" malaise of President Trump, most Americans can get healthcare coverage thanks to the ongoing existence of Obamacare. Trump has been able to keep his campaign promise that all Americans will have access to healthcare, thanks to his predecessor.

The election of Donald Trump was going to return America to time before we promised to be the world's policeman. Before he supported the Iraq War, Donald Trump was always against it. The never ending battles in the Middle East were going to end, promised candidate Trump. Sure we may still be at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, but all the messed up military operations in Trump's first 100 days are really the fault of Obama. Trump did bomb Syria, after he cleared it with Russia, but that was because Obama did not do it years before. Yes, Trump did say that Obama should not bomb Syria, but that is Obama's fault for listening to an uninformed blowhard. Yes we are gearing up for war in North Korea, but that is because Truman did not finish the job almost 70 years ago. And Obama, he is to blame for North Korea. So President Trump may not want to be the world's policeman, but Obama has made him do it. It may not be a first hundred days success, but it is not President Trump's fault.

The economy has done a lot better under President Trump. Sure, all the economic data in the early days were still a reflection of the Obama Presidency, and the new economic figures are not looking quite as good, but Trump is delivering on making the American economy strong. He promised to end NAFTA, but backed down when he saw how stupid that is. He promised to hold China accountable on currency and trade, but after sharing cake with the Chinese President Trump had a change of heart. Candidate Trump promised to improve the economy by fixing the crumbling infrastructure, but President Trump may need more than 100 days to get a win here. The Republican led Congress can not seem to get anything passed. Trump promised that the economy would not be affected by his glorious border wall on the US - Mexico border because the Mexican government would pay for it. Another pivot for Trump when he learned that Mexico is a sovereign nation. The economy under President Trump has survived the last 100 days because the ideas of candidate Trump have all been thrown out. I'm sure Trump's tax returns show how great of an economic mind the President has, we should judge him on that hope.

Candidate Trump also promised to surround himself with the best minds in all of America. Sure his initial campaign manager, his first national security adviser, and a few other appointees have all been tied directly to the Russian government. Again, this was all Obama's fault. Why should we expect a man who wants to be President of the United States to look into his own confidants? Why the high expectations?

President Trump did appoint some great outside the box type minds. Adviser Kellyanne Conway and Press Secretary Sean Spicer may not seem to grasp basic things like being coherent and not telling lies, but they try real hard. Just look at Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, a man who did not know what the Department of Energy is responsible for. Or how about Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos? She may know a lot about bear attacks at US Schools, but her lack of compassion and knowledge about the US Education system can be easily overlooked by her large political contributions. Trump does have great political minds like son-in-law Jared Kushner and failed Hollywood wannabe Steve Bannon in the Oval Office. Unfortunately, these two geniuses have been allegedly fighting, but how is this President Trump's fault? At least he picked his daughter Ivanka to right the ship. That has worked out well. It is not fair to judge President Trump on the 90% of questionable picks, we should only look at the good ones.

When Barrack Obama was elected in November of 2008, he promised to work for all Americans. After eight years of constant obstructionism from congressional Republicans, never ending hit pieces by Fox News, and hateful treatment from private citizen Donald Trump, President Obama left the White House with a high approval rating. President Trump promised to be even better than the terrible Obama.

In the unimportant first 100 days, Trump has achieved record low approval ratings. That is not really his fault. The media keep pointing out that the new President is signing UnConstituational, and unenforceable, Executive Orders on immigration. Maybe if the Republican controlled Congress passed the immigration laws they keep promising, President Trump would not have to worry about the courts correctly interpreting his bad ideas. The press has also been highlighting all the times President Trump has tried to deny health to women and lower class workers. Why would women across the country correctly point out how inhumane this is? The President has said that his administration is pro-science. Why do people who support science, and actual scientists, get so upset when President Trump promote proven anti-science ideas with his administration. The new President wants to make sure the ideas of the minority, the 46% of the voters who actually supported him in the 2016 election, get equal billing with the proven work of people who actual understand science. President Trump is not dividing the country, it is the women who care about their own agency, the racial minorities that do not want to be hate crimed, and the real scientist who are using their expertise to make the new President look bad in front of the press.

Judging President Donald Trump on his first 100 days is not fair, but assessing his accomplishments is breathtaking. On the campaign trail Donald Trump made a lot of promises to the voter who was not happy with business as usual politics. With the help of political inept billionaires, incompetent DC insiders, and his children, President Trump has quickly evolved into a business as usual President. Endless and pointless war? Check. Giveaways to political donors? Check. Broken promises to the American electorate? Check. Blaming your predecessor for your inadequacies? Check. With all of that in mind, Donald Trump has had a great first 100 days. Just like the great 100 days of the fourty-four men who preceded him. With the greatness of his first 100 days, how great will the first one-thousand be?

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He never got to the great tax plan of President Trump. You know, the one that will never pass. Do you have any thoughts on it. Come tell us.

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The Idiot Bears Liven Up a Competent NFL Draft

Artist Depiction of Bears fans today

This past Wednesday I made a bold claim and assumed that the Browns would make another horrific draft mistake. It is in their nature to screw things up. They have not been relevant or even competitive pretty much since they came back to the NFL.

In a big time shocker, the Browns made the right choice and took Myles Garrett number one overall. I was surprised, but the pick also gave me a little bit of confidence that maybe Hue Jackson and the Browns front office are possibly going in the right direction. Later in the first round they took my guy, Jabrill Peppers, and to be honest, I like this pick by them. I liked it even more when I heard Hue Jackson say that they will most definitely use him on offense. They also took David Njoku, who was the second best tight end in the draft, a few picks after Peppers. The Browns actually made competent choices that could benefit them in the long run.

With that being said, there were some head scratchers for sure in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. The receiver from Western Michigan, Corey Davis, going number 5 overall to the Titans was weird. They could have gotten him easily at 18. Then there was a run on receivers in the first round, which I thought this class of receivers was very thin. Mike Williams went at 7 and John Ross went at 9. That was crazy. I thought, contrary to a lot of NFL "insiders", that McCaffery going at number 8 was a bit of a reach. I do think he will be good, but number 8, I do not get it. Sure, he is a decent fit in Carolina, but he still has a ways to go before he is a real threat all over the field.

As far as some good things I liked from the first round, OJ Howard to Tampa was incredible for both parties. Howard gives them what they need at the tight end position, and I think he immediately makes them a perennial playoff contender. Leonard Fournette to the Jaguars is great. I'm sure they will get a QB in later rounds to usurp Blake Bortles, but for the time being, they have Fournette, and I think he is going to be an All Pro from day one. Jamal Adams to the Jets was a sound pick. He was my personal favorite non Wolverine in the draft, and I think he will fit in well in New York. I also liked both the Chiefs and Texans trading up to get their QB's of the future. Mahomes should fit in nicely in Kansas City, and he will get to learn for at least one year. Deshaun Watson to the Texans is a homerun. The Texans need a QB, and I think they found one that will help them become a real threat to the Patriots in the AFC. The Titans did make a great pick, taking Adoree Jackson at 18. He's an awesome cornerback and a great returner. He will help them immediately. I also really like Jarrad Davis to the Lions. He is a good linebacker and will help that defense get much better.

All of this leads me to the biggest surprise of the night. First off, I love Solomon Thomas to the 49ers. He was the best interior defensive lineman in the draft, and he will be the cornerstone for the 49ers young defense. And, all they had to do was trade down one spot to number three to get him. You may be reading this and asking, why did they only have to trade down one pick? Well, the Bears had their hearts set on a player, and they gave up a whole lot to the 49ers to draft this certain player. The Bears gave up a lot of future picks, let John Lynch fleece them and made just a horrible, terrible, stupid and appalling selection at number 2. They gave up all of this to take Mitch Trubisky.

You read that right.

The Bears gave up the farm to take Mitch god damn Trubisky. I am on record, both on the podcast and the site, saying that I think Trubisky will be a bust of Ryan Leaf proportions. Also, why did the Bears even need to take a QB? They gave Mike Glennon a 3 year, 45 million dollar deal this offseason, signed Mark Sanchez and I believe that Matt Barkley is still on their roster. I know those guys aren't the best QB's in the world, but Glennon was once a starter, Mark Sanchez has fallen on rough times, but was a capable QB at one point and Matt Barkley looked halfway decent at the end of last season. So I ask again, why give up so much to draft Mitch Trubisky at number 2 overall? This is bafflingly stupid. I loved the reactions that were all over the internet last night of Bears fans reacting to this pick. It was as funny as some great comedies that I have watched in the past couple of years.

The Bears are absolutely going to regret this. The fans that like this pick will make their voices known very loudly at home games to put Trubisky in, no matter how well any of the other QB's on their roster are playing. The front office will push to make him play because they will want to see their high pick on the field. Trubisky is going to stink when he does get in there. He is simply not ready for the job of being a starting QB in the NFL, let alone the starter for a once proud blue blood NFL franchise. This was stupefying, but also made for some great laughs.

Being a Packers fan, I'm thrilled that one of their chief rivals made a pick this bad. But, for friends and family that are Bears fans, I feel for you guys and girls. This will not wash out the bad taste of Jay Cutler, and if I were one of the other QB's on the roster, I'd be very pissed, especially if I were Mike Glennon. This was, by far, the worst draft decision I have seen since Ryan Leaf was taken second overall by the Chargers in the 1997 draft. What an abomination.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has a bag of beans for the Bears if they are still interested in boneheaded trades. 

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I am Going to Say it One More Time, Russell Westbrook is the NBA MVP.

If need be, will start speaking this truth out of air raid sirens

Now that the Thunder's season is officially over, I have to write one more piece as to why I think, without anymore doubt, that Russell Westbrook is definitely the MVP of the NBA this year.

Yes, his team lost in 5 games, and yes, he took a lot of shots. But, I watched every minute of all 5 of those games and I was left with the thought of, who else was going to score, or do anything of worth on offense for the Thunder? I mean Andre Roberson was their second leading scorer for gods sake. Steven Adams offense completely disappeared in the 5 games. Victor Oladipo just could never get his outside shot to go down with any consistency. Enes Kanter is such a liability on defense, the coaching staff could not count on him to play any big time minutes. After those guys, there is no one else, at all. Norris Cole was playing big minutes for them. That is a problem.

So, for the Bill Simmons of the world to go on Twitter rants after game 5 about what he would have done, I say, shut your god damn mouth. First off, Simmons has had it out for the Thunder since they traded Harden a million years ago. He has bashed them at every opportunity that he has had, and he has a lot of them. He clearly hates this team, and I'm pretty sure he dislikes Russell Westbrook the basketball player. But, for him to sit there and still argue that Westbrook's supporting cast was just fine, enough with that nonsense. They lost the third best player in the league, and it was Westbrook that single handily made that team a 47 win regular season team.

But, just to be some kind of hot take douchebag, Simmons continues to talk about how right he was all along that the Thunder just can't win a title this way, as if he was the only writer in America that predicted this. I'm a Thunder fan, at least I was until KD left them high and dry, and I picked the Rockets to win this first round series. In fact, I'd say about 95 percent of the basketball writers across the country picked the Rockets. So no Bill Simmons, you are not some kind of cleric that was the only one to pick the Rockets. The majority of people that write about and watch basketball picked the Rockets, and it is solely because they have a much, much better supporting cast. Flip these 2 players Harden and Westbrook, and I think the Rockets are just as good, and the Thunder would be lucky to be a .500 team. James Harden is an elite talent, a great scorer and very good at drawing fouls, but he plays no defense, doesn't have the heart that Westbrook has, and has proven to be a choker in big games up to this point in his career. Harden is not a closer, Westbrook is.

Another point that needs to be made, Harden has so much more around him now. His supporting cast is miles and miles ahead of the Thunder. He has shooters all over the floor, plus some big men that don't mind rebounding, playing defense and getting the occasional lob or 2 a game. When you compare the rosters, Harden has guys like Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza, Nene, Clint Capela and Lou Williams. That sounds a hell of a lot more enticing to me than the Thunder players I mentioned earlier. Russell Westbrook did everything that he could possibly do for this team. He scored a ton, I know he took a lot of shots, but he was still pouring in 51, 32, and 47 in 3 different playoff games. He was still attacking the glass as he has done his whole career. He was still somehow, with piss poor shooters everywhere around him, getting 10 assists a game. There were only 2 guys, Taj Gibson and Roberson, that were doing anything, and Roberson is one of the worst shooters in the league, statistically speaking. And while I love Taj Gibson and the toughness he brings to this team, he is a million years old. Steven Adams was just flat out a no show. That was disappointing to me because I thought he's take the next step. He did not. The bright lights of the playoffs seemed to have gotten to Oladipo. And, imagine how tired Roberson was from guarding Harden.

Also, imagine how tired Westbrook was from carrying this team for 87 games. People will gripe about his field goal percentage, but coming from a guy that plays basketball once a week, by the end of the night my legs are gone. The fact that Westbrook was still out there giving his all makes me love him and his game that much more, and also solidifies the fact that he is the MVP.

The MVP is a regular season award given out to the player that is their team's most valuable guy. No one this year was more valuable than Westbrook was to the Thunder. If he had skipped town like Durant did, the Thunder would have been a 15 win team at the absolute best. But, he stuck with the team that drafted him, averaged a triple double, led the league in scoring and was the guy in every game, especially their 47 regular season wins. So, I do not care what Bill Simmons, Howard Beck, Zach Lowe, Joe House, Tony Kornheiser, any of those guys have to say about him being selfish, a ball hog or obsessed with stats. Westbrook is the MVP, and a damn deserving one at that. I will argue anyone on this.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. When writing about other basketball writers, Ty always puts on his "Come At Me Bro" t-shirt. 

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The SeedSing 2017 Mock NFL Draft

Tomorrow night is the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. Today, for the first time, I will do my own version of a "mock" draft. This mock will look different from other mocks that are out there. I will predict what I think will happen, not what should happen, including trades and all. I am only going to do the first round as well. I love college football, I think everyone knows this by now, but a 7 round mock is way too much. I'll give one or two sentences as to why I see the particular team drafting or trading their player or pick. I'm very excited about writing this, so let's get to it.

1. Cleveland Browns- Mitch Trubisky. Once again, the Browns will find a way to screw this up because that is what they do. This will be no fault of Hue Jackson's, but I guarantee that the Browns front office want a "sexy" pick, and not the sure thing. Trubisky is going to be a bust on the level of Ryan Leaf, so why wouldn't it be the Browns that make this horrific selection.

2. San Francisco 49ers- Myles Garrett. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch will be the big winners from the Browns blunder. Garrett is the safest bet in this entire draft. He is also the best player too. Shanahan has time to build, and he will get his QB eventually and install his offense, but the chance to take Garrett will be too enticing, and the correct choice, and he will be a corner stone for this new era of 49ers defense. Absolute homerun pick for the 49ers.

3. Chicago Bears- Jamal Adams. Adams is the best secondary player in the draft, and while the Bears need help everywhere on the field, Adams can come in immediately and solidify the defensive backfield. He may be a bit raw in coverage, but he is a hard hitter, he's coachable, and he is a workaholic. Adams will be a very good player for a long time in the NFL, and the Bears will be lucky to have him.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars- Leonard Fournette. I was going to go defense here, but the Jaguars actually have a decent defense. Fournette is the best running back in the draft, and while Blake Bortles is atrocious, Fournette can immediately take the pressure off him. I love Fournette and think he can be a better Adrian Peterson. He is big, fast and will run over dudes left and right. Fournette is going to be great.

5. Tennessee Titans- Solomon Thomas. The titans are a team on the rise. They have a QB, a running back, a decent O line and some good defensive players. They do need receivers, but no one on this draft warrants this high a pick at receiver. Solomon Thomas is a great defensive tackle, and he will help the Titans pass rush and in run support right away. Thomas played in a pro style defense at Stanford, so he is ready for the NFL. He will be a very good defensive lineman for awhile, and this will only make the Titans better.

6. New York Jets- Malik Hooker. The Jets need help everywhere, and I should expect them to take a QB or receiver this high because they have made some terrible picks as of late, but they will look to shore up their secondary right away. Hooker is a good defensive back from the University of Ohio State, but he does have hamstring issues. This could hurt him in the long run, but he is a ball hawking safety that the Jets could build their secondary around over the next few years. Time will tell with him, but he can help as a rookie.

7. Los Angeles Chargers- Marshon Lattimore. Two University of Ohio State players in the a row, and cornerbacks for that matter. The Chargers do need a QB to replace Phil Rivers soon and they need receivers, but they will look at defense this high in the draft. Lattimore is a fine corner and should start right away. I do not know how good he will be, is he more Stephon Gilmore, or any number of corners that can't translate college success to the NFL? We will have to see, but the Chargers will take a chance.

8. Carolina Panthers- Johnathan Allen. The Panthers do need offensive help for Cam Newton, but with Allen being the best D lineman in the draft, that will be too enticing to pass up. He can plug up the holes in their rush defense, and I think he will be a great pro. He will solidify that line which will open things up for the linebackers and secondary in Carolina. The Panthers will be very happy with Allen "falling" to them in this draft.

9. Cincinnati Bengals- Hassan Reddick. I see some saying that Rueben Foster, the linebacker from Alabama going here, but after his incident at the combine, and the fact that Reddick is better, I think this is a perfect spot for Reddick to go. He can start from day one, and will shore up the linebacking unit. He is a good tackler, can get better in coverage, but will work on his game and fit in very well in the NFL. I love Reddick and he is going to be a good foundation for the Bengals defense.

10. Buffalo Bills- Trade. The Bills have a QB, a good running back, a decent receiver, a good line and a decent defense. I think they can trade this pick for some later picks and maybe even a veteran. They don't need much in a draft, and I think they will trade this pick away. They need to replace Stephon Gilmore, so maybe they trade the pick for a vet cornerback and some later picks.

11. New Orleans Saints- Do whatever you can to trade for Malcom Butler. The Saints need help on defense, and Butler immediately does that. He is a very good corner and will instantly make one side of the field unplayable. He will shut down big time receivers, and make this team instantly better. They need Butler, and I think it will take the 11th pick to get him.

12. Cleveland Browns- John Ross. With their blunder at number one, the Browns will panic and take the fastest guy in the draft because they will assume that they need to pair Trubisky with a receiver. This will be brutal for both guys. Ross will not get a chance to use his gifts because the Browns are so bad, and Trubisky is not going to be good. The Browns 2017 draft will just continue to get worse and worse. They are going to blow this draft.

13. Arizona Cardinals- Deshaun Watson. The Cardinals need a QB to replace Carson Palmer, who maybe only has one or 2 more years, and Watson is the best QB in the entire draft. I think Bruce Arians realizes this, and he will pounce on Watson. I love Deshaun Watson, and I feel like this will be a perfect situation for him. He can sit back for one or 2 seasons. learn the NFL speed and game, and come in and be a very good starter after backing up a decent veteran QB. This is a perfect fit in this draft.

14. Philadelphia Eagles- Takkarist McKinley. The Eagles do not need any offensive players, but they do need defense, and McKinley would be a good fit for them at outside linebacker. He is a good pass rusher and would fit in perfectly. Honestly they could take any defensive player available, but I like McKinley best of the remaining defensive players.

15. Indianapolis Colts- Cam Robinson. The Colts need something everywhere, except QB, but they need to protect that QB first and foremost. Robinson is the best O lineman in the draft. I hate his love for guns, but the NFL and the Colts will overlook that because they need protection for Andrew Luck. Robinson can do that, and the Colts will take him as fast as they can.

16. Baltimore Ravens- OJ Howard. The Ravens need some kind of help offensively, and OJ Howard is the best tight end in the draft. He is big, strong, fast and can catch the ball. He will help out Flacco, who I think is awful, but he will make Flacco look as good as he can. This will be a very good pick for the Ravens and John Harbaugh. He could help put them back in the playoffs very quickly.

17. The Washington Football Team- Derek Barnett. Washington needs help everywhere on defense, and while I think Barnett will be just average, he will help out on the line. He is an okay pass rusher, and I think plugging him in on the D line will work for a bit. Barnett needs to care a little more about getting better, but he is very talented, and Washington won't let him go past the 17th pick.

18. Tennessee Titans- Mike Williams. Tennessee inexplicably has 2 first round picks, and 18 is where they will get some help on the outside. Williams is a big, strong receiver, that runs nice routes and can catch the ball He will become one of Mariota's primary guys right away. Williams proved how good he was in last year's title game, and theTitans will get a very good value pick here.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Christian McCaffery. McCaffery is a very versatile running back that will also be able to play the slot. He is exactly what Winston and the rest of that offense will need to push them back to a possible playoff berth. Tampa has good players everywhere on offense, except running back, and McCaffery will help make the running game a threat.

20. Denver Broncos- Trade for a QB. Somehow, some way, the Broncos need to offload this pick to get a QB. They have pretty much everything else, including a great, great defense. But, they need someone to com in and be a competent QB. I feel like making a draft pick now would be a waste. They should go out and try to get someone like Jimmy Garropolo or AJ McCarron, or someone else's backup to come in and game manage. That is what Denver needs.

21. Detroit Lions- Charles Harris. Harris is a great edge rusher that played on a bad Missouri football team. He was the lone standout, and that will pay off by him being a first round pick. He will pair great with Ezekial Ansah and they will form a very good pass rush duo. Detroit should need very little time to make this pick.

22. Miami Dolphins- Zach Cunningham. The Dolphins are set on offense, but they could use some defensive help. Cunningham reminds me a lot of Harris from Missouri, except he is a linebacker that played on a mediocre Vanderbilt team. But, he was awesome and I think the Dolphins would love to have him come in and play for them. He is a very good linebacker that can cover guys out of the backfield a little bit. This pick will really help the Dolphins.

23. New York Giants- Ryan Ramcyzk. The Giants need help on the O line, and Ramcyzk will do his best to help them. He is the second best offensive lineman in this draft, behind Cam Robinson, but this is a weak O line class. That being said, that is what the Giants need, and they will snatch up Ramcyzk late in the first round.

24. Oakland- Just take the best player available. The Raiders are pretty much set everywhere right now. They have a franchise QB, they are getting Marshawn Lynch, they have Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, a great O line and a passable defense. If they do need anything, I'd say take David Njoku, the tight end from Miami. He would be a good fit and I think Carr would throw to him a lot. He's not a great blocker, but he is a very good pas catcher.

25. Houston- Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is the second best QB in the draft, and the Texans will snatch a QB if Mahomes or Watson is available. He might have to play right away which could be a hindrance, but he could sit behind Tom Savage for a half a season, or even a whole one, then take over. He looks like he could be a good QB, and I think the Texans would be very pleased if he was still available at 25.

26. Seattle- Forrest Lamp. Seattle needs offensive line help, and while some think Lamp is the best lineman available, I do not, he will help on the O line right away. This team cannot protect Russell Wilson, but Lamp can help with that. Seattle has other needs, i.e., running back, receiver and in the secondary, but O line is their most glaring weakness.

27. Kansas City- Dalvin Cook. The Chiefs need a QB. Alex Smith just cannot get it done, but they can go out and sign a veteran, or wait until later rounds to draft one. That leaves them with a need at running back. Jamaal Charles cannot stay healthy, and I think Cook would be a good fit in KC. He is very fast and waits for holes to open up before he explodes through them. Cook would be a big step up at the running back position for the Chiefs.

28. Dallas- Jabrill Peppers. As much as this pains me, I love Peppers, but I loathe the Cowboys, he fits what they need. Peppers is a versatile defender that the Cowboys can plug into a lot of spots in their secondary. He can also help in their return game. The Cowboys are set on offense, but they need a lot of help on defense, especially in the secondary, and they will go out and get Peppers, "diluted sample" be damned.

29. Green Bay- Get a legit running back. I want them to trade for someone that is already a pro. As much as I like Ty Montgomery and Christine Michael, they are not starting running backs. They are backups at best, and Montgomery is a receiver anyway. Do whatever you have to do and go out and get a legit running back. That is the one position that could put the Packers over the top.

30. Pittsburgh- TJ Watt. The Steelers have a great offense and a bad defense. While he is not his brother, I watched a lot of TJ Watt this year, and he is a good pass rusher, a great tackler and has a "high motor". He seems like a Steeler already, and I feel like this is a match made in heaven for both the team and player.

31. Atlanta- Taco Charlton. The Falcons need some more pass rushers, and Charlton is a very good one. I watched him get better for four straight years at Michigan, and I think he would be a perfect fir for the Falcons. Let us not forget that they had a 25 point lead in the Super Bowl, and I feel like some more edge rushers would be great for them and would have helped them keep their lead. Charlton got better for four years, and I do not even think he is at his best yet. He will only get better.

32. New Orleans- Just like with the 11th pick, do whatever they can to get Malcom Butler. Trade both these picks if they have to. They need veteran help on defense and no one is better, and possibly available, than Butler. Do anything and everything possible to get Butler New Orleans. That is what you need.

There you have it, my first ever mock draft. I hope everyone has some thoughts and feelings about my choices, and if you do, please let me know in the comment section. Tomorrow starts the ten thousand year long coverage of the 2017 draft on ESPN, so tune in to that to see if I'm right about the Browns making horrible choices, or if they do the right thing and take Garrett first overall. This was fun.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. His mock draft submission was held until we could get a less diluted urine sample to test. 

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Who are the Real Top Players in the NFL Draft?

We have our own data to make semi-intelligent guesses.

The NFL draft is 2 days from now. Well, the first round that is. ESPN drags this damn thing out for like 5 days, but the big time guys will be coming off the board in the next couple of days. Tomorrow I will have my version of a "mock" draft for everyone. Today though, I want to talk about some of the prospects that are getting a little too much attention, or not enough.

First off, lets go straight to a few guys that played for my team, Michigan. What Jordan Lewis did was inexcusable and despicable. To put your hands on a woman is one of the, if not the, worst things a man can do. That should never, ever be tolerated, and I hope his stock falls massively in the draft. This was very upsetting to me because he seemed like a good kid. Then, he goes out and hits a woman. That is wrong on so many levels. It is frightening and appalling. Shame on you Jordan Lewis.

The next Wolverine I want to talk about is Jabrill Peppers. Yesterday it was reported that he had a "diluted sample" at the combine. Why is it coming out now, I have no idea. But, he has this "diluted sample". I have read and read about what this means, and I have to say, I do not think it is that big a deal. There are no steroids or illegal drugs that we know of yet. His people said that he was feeling ill and drank a ton of water while flying in for the combine. Again, I do not know if that is true, or why that would dilute someone's urine. All this being said, I feel like the people at ESPN, who have been covering this upcoming draft for what seems like years now, are trying to find anything and everything they can to discredit Peppers. I think he is very raw as a corner or safety, but I watched him play for the last 2 years, and that kid can play. He is never going to be on the level of the Ed Reed, Eric Berry and Troy Paulamalu, but I think he will be a fine nickel corner/safety, and a great return specialist.

As I said, I feel like ESPN has gone out of their way to chastise Peppers since he declared for the draft. They only had one story on Reuben Foster, who was asked to leave the combine because of how he handled himself during interviews at the combine, but he is an Alabama kid. ESPN will not attack the "almighty Nick Saban". Same can be said for Cam Robinson. Robinson is probably the best offensive lineman in the draft, but let us not forget, no matter how much ESPN refuses to talk about it, that he was caught in the offseason with unlicensed firearms. I'd rather have a kid that has a diluted piss test than a kid that had unlicensed firearms on my team. But, if you watch any ESPN coverage, you'd think Peppers broke the law and did the most horrific thing imaginable. But, their coverage of Foster and Robinson is only about how great of talents they both are, not the fact that Foster had to be removed from the combine and that Robinson likes to dick around with guns. It's almost like ESPN and Alabama are each dipping their hands in each other's honey pot. It is really rather disturbing.

I want to move on.

Lets look at the QB class this year next. I think that Deshaun Watson is unequivocally the best QB prospect in the draft. He won on the biggest stage during his college career, and the year he didn't win, it wasn't his fault, he was dynamic. He may throw a lot of picks, but so did Brett Favre and Tony Romo and Cam Newton. Watson is an incredible talent, and I think he will be a great pro. The fact that the draft "experts" rate a guy like Mitch Trubsiky ahead of him is laughable to me. Trubisky only played one full season, and when he was in a big game, he tightened up and looked afraid. He didn't play up to his competition. He did not win anything of importance his lone year as the starter at UNC. He has the look of a Tim Couch or Christian Ponder to me. Patrick Mahomes will be good, as long as he goes to a team where he can sit for a year or two and learn from a seasoned vet. He played in that crazy air raid offense at Texas Tech, so if he can have that time to be a backup and learn the NFL game, I think he can be a quality starter. I have no faith in DeShone Kizer. That kid is out of his god damn mind with the quotes he's been making lately. I'm all for guys that believe in themselves, but this kid has done nothing to back up that talk. He is a average to mediocre QB. I do not think he will ever start in the NFL.

Running back is about 2 dudes and then everyone else. Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffery are the 2 running backs in this draft. They can both be transformative players for whoever takes them. I like Fournette more, but McCaffery should be a good pro too. Guys like D'Onta Foreman, Dalvin Cook and Jordan Howard will be okay pros, but not on the level that Fournette and McCaffery have the ability to be. I will not discuss the other back that everyone in the sports media is trying to redeem.

Receiver is very ho hum to me. The only guy that stands out as a first round talent is John Ross from Washington. He is lighting fast and can change the game as a returner as well.

Flipping over to the defensive side, this draft is stacked with defensive talent. As far a D line goes, I love Johnathan Allen and Solomon Thomas, just like everyone else. The linebackers are good, led by Hassan Reddick. Secondary is loaded, but I think Jamal Adams from LSU is the stand out, along with Adoree Jackson. I've heard a lot of talk about a couple of the University of Ohio State(I know what I wrote) guys, Malik Hooker and some other corner who's name escapes me because I hate that team. Hooker is good, but he is oft injured. He had hamstring surgery in high school. I've never heard of that before. Both these guys will go in round one though. But, if I had a pick, I'd do whatever I could to get Adams. He is a workaholic that will only get better with professional coaching. And how Adoree Jackson is not a lock first rounder is baffling to me. He is a better version of Jabrill Peppers, and I am as big a Peppers fan as there is. Jackson is a very physical corner and can cover. He is also an excellent returner as well. He is going to be great.

These are just some of my quick thoughts on some guys I like and others I'm not so high on. Come back tomorrow for my "mock" draft to see where I think these kids will end up, or what I think certain teams should do in the first round.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is dumbfounded by ESPN's draft "experts". Those guys get paid to be dumb and wrong. How can he score an easy gig like that.

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SeedSing Classic: The Ohio Problem

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

As goes Ohio, so goes the nation.

That is where the problem begins for people trying to run for office in Ohio.  I have worked as a campaign consultant for nearly ten years to a number of candidates and causes in Ohio, I have always encountered the same problems. The Ohio Problem (as I have decided to call it) consists of the state gaining outside media influence and money every presidential election due to its perceived electoral importance.  This extra attention every four years causes the most talented, and professional campaign experts to migrate towards the high profile state and federal races.  This leaves mostly inexperienced campaign workers and volunteers to work on the local races. The existence of the Ohio Problem causes political amateurism and laughable local governance for a state that seems to always be front and center during a presidential election year.

What makes Ohio so attractive to the national political establishment?  It begins with basic demographics.  Ohio ranks as the seventh most populous state, and it is overwhelmingly white (over 82%). The median income in Ohio sits below the national average.  The unemployment rate sits slightly above the national rate.  This all shows that the residents of Ohio are usually the target of national political platform messaging.  There is no major demographic swing to alienate the residents on national politics.  The voters of Ohio turn out in record numbers for the presidential election, and their turnout in other years is usually a record low.

Why do Ohioans care so little for the local elections?  This begins with the local political parties.  Many of the same people have been in charge of their local county parties for almost a decade.  In Hamilton County (Cincinnati), the local democratic party has engaged in such amateurism as in endorsing ten candidates for a nine member city council, having their endorsed congressional candidate lose the primary to an unknown person who was not running an active campaign, and running candidates over and over again who have no ability to win the race.  These actions would get most party bosses tossed after one election cycle (I have seen this happen in Missouri, Wisconsin, and Illinois). These party leaders keep their jobs in spite of their failures. The response to the parties failures is to remind critics that Obama carried the county the last two elections. There is no interest or fidelity to the local governance of the people they are supposed to serve.  The strong republican area of Butler County, where the Speaker of the House John Boehner calls home, does not fare much better.  The local Democratic party has on occasion attempted to try new things and bring in new people. In 2012 there were some new candidates with broader appeal to the strong conservative voters of the area.  Before the end of May the party had lost any momentum because candidates were not fundraising, people in the party were looking for signs and t-shirts(again this was in May, nowhere near election time), and most of the resources were being hoarded by a small group of candidates. During strategy meetings the top priorities were knocking on doors, and getting people to vote for President Obama and Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown (both Obama and Brown received around 37% of the vote).  This showed a lack of interest in the local races in service to the national party.

Once the 2012 election had passed, many of the campaign consultants had moved on to other jobs.  A large percentage leave the political campaign world.  The ones left over are usually underpaid (if they get paid at all) and lose any loyalty towards the local party bosses.  While all campaign workers divest themselves from the system, all the county party leaders stay put to repeat the same mistakes in the next election cycle.  The next mistake turned out to be the colossal failure of the Ohio Democratic party during the 2014 state elections. Little known, and barely vetted, Cuyahoga County executive Ed Fitzgerald was tapped as the Democratic nominee for governor. Fitzgerald was going against incumbent Republican Governor John Kasich.  The poll numbers for Governor Kasich were trending below 50%.  The state Democratic Party brought in out of state consultants to run Fitzgerald's campaign.  There seemed to be no local campaign experts, because none were groomed during the 2012 elections.  By the end of August 2014, Fitzgerald's campaign imploded (go see for yourself,  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_FitzGerald).  The entire state ticket went down with Fitzgerald's failed candidacy.   Since the local parties went all in with the Fitzgerald campaign, their backyard races all suffered.  Once the dust settled on the disaster of the 2014 campaign, the head of the state Democratic party stepped down, and that was the only high profile resignation.  The local party leaders were once again in charge of the next election cycle.  The 2016 election looks to be run the exact same way, all the resources moving to secure the state for the presidential candidate at the expense of local officials. 

Ohio has twice gone to President Obama, yet the state is overwhelmingly controlled by the Republican party.  Every day the citizens of Ohio watch women's health freedom get stripped away, LGBT rights sit well behind the rest of the nation, and local tax dollars being sent to the state capital so the richest can get more tax breaks.  The Ohio Problem is what causes residents below the median national income and above the national unemployment rate to .vote against their own interests.

Ohio is not alone in this issue.  The same could be said about Pennsylvania, Florida, and to a lesser extent Michigan.

The Ohio Problem must be solved.

RD Kulik

Head Editor

This is the End of Blake Griffin's Clippers Career

The time has closed on Griffin and LA

With the news coming out this weekend that Blake Griffin will miss the remainder of the playoffs, I want to try and answer 2 questions. Is his career with the Clippers done? And, is he done as an "upper echelon" player in the NBA?

I have not been kind to Blake Griffin. I think he is wildly overrated in fact. I've never bought into the nonsense that ESPN, Bill Simmons, basically any sports writer from LA, saying that he is one of the best players currently in the game, and he is one of the best power forwards ever. That is utterly ridiculous. As far as the forward position goes, I'd say he is not even in the top ten of current players. As far as an all time great, there is no god damn way that's true. In the current NBA, I'd take guys like Giannis, Kawhi, LeBron, KD, Draymond, Hassan Whiteside, Kristaps Porzingis, Andrew Wiggins, Karl Anthony Towns, Boogie, Anthony Davis, and many, many more before I'd take Blake Griffin. All those guys are unequivocally better than he is at basketball. I will argue anyone on this. Hell, I'd even take LaMarcus Aldridge, and he is playing very poorly right now. Same goes for a guy like Robin Lopez or Al Horford. At least they will get on the court.

With all this being said, he was a decent player once upon a time. He is nowhere near the explosive player he showed as a rookie, but he can still jump. His jumper looks disgusting, and it is not as reliable as one would want, but it goes in more now than it ever has. He has decent court vision too. He is an okay passer. Not this great post passer like Zach Lowe believes, but he is fine throwing lobs. But, even with the Clippers winning game three, then getting beat last night in game four against the Jazz, I do not think he will be in a Clippers jersey next season. The Clippers will probably get out of the first round, Chris Paul is playing out of his mind, and DeAndre Jordan is more than capable of making up for Griffin's lack of rebounding, but they won't go any further than the second round. They just don't have anyone else around Jordan and Paul, especially with Griffin out. Griffin wouldn't have made much of a difference, but it would have been one more guy for the Warriors to have to, at least, think about.

So to answer my first question, I think the other night was his last night in a Clippers uniform. He may love LA, but I'm pretty sure he despises playing with Chris Paul, and the Clippers have shown they are fine without him. Griffin is not the "super star", or leader of this team that he may have been 2 years ago when they were blowing a 3-1 lead to the Rockets in the second round of the playoffs. That was his best year, 2 seasons ago. That should be telling enough for the Clippers front office to be okay letting him go. That, and the fact that they play fine without him. The Clippers and Doc Rivers should focus on keeping Jordan and Paul, building the bench and getting a nice return for Griffin. I'm sure a team like OKC would let almost anyone, Westbrook being the lone exception, go in a trade for Griffin. If I were the Clippers I'd ask for a pick, Victor Oladipo, Andre Roberson and a bench guy and I bet the Thunder would happily make that trade. I'm sure the Knicks would be more than happy to part ways with Carmelo for Griffin straight up. I'm sure it won't happen because Phil Jackson would find some way to screw it up, but they should still try. I bet a lot of other teams would take a chance on Griffin. He is oft injured, but if he could ever stay healthy, he could help a contender as an instant offense off the bench guy, or be the "guy" on a middling playoff team.

This leads me to my second question I asked at the top. I never thought he was a top ten player in the league. I still think he is incredibly overrated. I was watching their playoff game the other night, and whoever the commentator was for ESPN said that the Clippers were "without their super star". That is so disrespectful to Chris Paul. When I think of the Clippers, I think of Paul, not Griffin. Even 2 seasons ago when Griffin was playing his best professional basketball, I still thought that team ran whatever Paul wanted them to do. He has been the leader, no matter how annoying and whiny he may be, the moment he was traded to the Clippers. So, not only do I not think he is a top tier NBA player, I think he is the third best player on his current team, behind Paul and DeAndre Jordan. Yes, Jordan cannot shoot free throws, and only dunks, but he is a better rebounder and defender, and I don't even think Jordan is that good at either of those things. But, he is better than Griffin.

Chris Paul is legitimately in the conversation as one of the best point guards to ever play. He is a big time pain in the ass for everyone, but he is good. Even I can't deny this no matter how much he bitches and moans or how dirty of a player he is. He is very good regardless of those things.

Another bad mark for Griffin is the constant injuries. He missed his entire rookie year with an injury. He seems to get small nicks and bruises that cause him to miss time. Other players will more likely than not play through this stuff, but not Griffin. He has also missed extended time in the last 2 playoffs. He cannot be counted on anymore to be healthy. That takes him out of the conversation immediately as an "all time great". There are so many younger, healthier, hungrier and coachable guys in the league that are going to, if they haven't already, surpass Blake Griffin.

I know the media wants to keep talking about him because he plays in LA, but he is irrelevant to those of us outside of the LA media bubble. I also, and I HATE the Clippers, think they are much more fun to watch when he is not on the court. They seem to be more cohesive. No one has to give him the ball because he just needs to touch it. The ball movement is much slicker and just flat out better. Griffin had his chance 2 years ago to jump into the upper level of NBA guys like LeBron, KD, Russ and Steph. He instead regressed and other guys like Harden, Kawhi, Giannis and Jimmy Butler are starting to become the "next generation".

I think Griffin is done being a "super star" if he ever was one. His time in the sun has come and gone. He also seems to be disinterested in basketball now too. He seems more focused on doing commercials and going to stand up and improv shows, which is fine. Follow your dreams Blake Griffin. I just want the Bill Simmons of the NBA world to stop telling me and everyone else how great of a player he is. He had one very good season. After that, he has either been a disappointment, below average or injured. I don't trust Blake Griffin as an NBA player anymore. He is done for all I'm concerned.

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 annual Clippers second round playoff flame out. It let's Ty know that there is order in the universe.

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Now We Have to Write About the Damn Unicorn Frappucino

Here is a pic of Ty's special coffee. It has cream and sugar in it.

I guess this week is going to be my old man grumpy week. Earlier I complained about music festivals. Yesterday I was shocked at how poorly all of the Celtics, except for Isaish Thomas, have been playing so far in the playoffs. I did write about my love for TV so far this year, but that is the only sign of happiness I have shown all week. I'm going to end the week much like it started, by complaining.

I am shocked and grossed out by this new drink at Starbucks, "The Unicorn Frappucino". I have no problem with frappucino's, or anything else at Starbucks for that matter. I love Starbucks and unicorns. Starbucks is second only to Tim Horton's, as far as my favorite coffee spot. I think unicorns are cool as hell too. I love the idea of a horse with a single horn that grants wishes, or whatever unicorns may do. More power to this majestic animal. But, what Starbucks has done is absolutely unnecessary.

This drink looks like an abomination. It looks like every kind of sugary candy, i.e., Skittles, Starburst, so on and so forth, that I gave up three years ago. It is hyper color for god's sake. It looks so sweet, I feel like it would immediately give me diabetes after one sip. All the things that go into this drink just do not make sense, especially on a Starbucks menu. When they introduce new or seasonal items, it has a theme that goes along with Starbucks. Pumpkin spice is big in the fall. They always have some kind of holiday drink with peppermint or cinnamon or some kind of spice that pairs perfectly with winter. Even in the summer they seem to introduce some kind of cold brew or something refreshing as opposed to their normal hot drinks. But this Unicorn Frappucino is just confounding.

The Unicorn Frappucino has a mango puree, some kind of sour powder, whipped cream and sprinkles. There is no coffee is this drink at all. I don't even think there is caffeine. That is fine, but it just seems lost on the menu, and the consumer. I have read multiple people's takes on this drink and they all seem to sound the same. I have seen stuff that says, "it's only good for one sip", or, "8 year old me would have loved this drink, but now that I have developed taste buds, it's disgusting".

All the comments seem to have that same sentiment. I read a story yesterday that said the employees that are making the drink have grown very disenfranchised with it as well. Apparently the powder stains their hands and people complain if it doesn't look like the pictures. Nothing ever looks like the picture. You ever seen a picture of a Big Mac or a Whopper, ordered it, and it looked like that same picture? No way. The picture is supposed to draw you in, and that is it. Food will never look like the picture. That would take far too much time.

To make matters even worse, my wife wants one of these drinks, but she is too embarrassed to order it. Do you know what that means? I have to get one for her because I could care less what the barista's at Starbucks think about me. My wife doesn't want them to think that she is the one drinking this thing. She'd rather they thought it was me, and I'm fine with that. I will not take one sip of this drink though. It sounds way too gross.

Another big issue I have with the Unicorn Frappucino is all the god damn pictures I have to see of it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. That is probably my least favorite thing about social media and food. Everyone has to take pictures of their fancy or different food and share it with their followers. I do not give a shit about what other people are eating or drinking. I only care about what myself, my wife, and most importantly, my kids are eating. I never, ever take pictures of my food and post it to any social media site. That is so stupid and vain. I barely put pictures of myself on there, so why would I put pictures of food or drink. It is a waste of time and storage on your phone or camera. People seem to be more obsessed with ordering the Unicorn Frappucino to take pictures of it rather than drinking it. Great, you just wasted 5 dollars of your money for a picture. It is so stupid.

I guess that is the main issue. We are all too consumed with image as a society now. It shocks me that people will buy one of these drinks, snap a photo of themselves with the drink, take a sip, realize it is gross, and throw it away. They just want people to know that they are one of the many thousands of people that bought the Unicorn Frappucino.

It is not just this particular drink that drives me nuts. I loathe when McDonald's busts out the McRib. I'm not a fan of chicken fries from Burger King. I think Taco Bell having breakfast is vile and disgusting. Everything Arby's does is gross. It's becoming an epidemic in the fast food industry, making newer and newer concoctions for people to talk about. It works, obviously. I'm talking about it today, and I'm probably one of the last people to bring it up. But, fast food places that have established themselves do not need to keep coming up with new, and disgusting, ideas. Stick with the basics. That is why you became successful.

One more thing, if anyone out there has had one of these Unicorn Frappucino's, please tell me about your experience because I have not heard one good thing about it, and I'm dying to know who actually bought one, and enjoyed it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is willing to buy your Unicorn Frappucino, but only if you post a photo of Ty on your social media.

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The Martyrdom of Bill O'Reilly

When will Bill join the ranks of the other saints?

Around my fourteenth birthday I purchased a book, I think it was called "Everything Women Know". The book cost $4.95 plus tax and it was filled with empty pages. My fourteen year old self, and my group of friends that was a typical boys only crew, had quite the laugh. My mother was not quite as amused as I was with the great joke book. She was first disappointed that I spent money on an idiotic thing with no lasting value, and she also did not want her fourteen year old to think sexism and misogyny were a good thing. I told her it was only a joke, there was no harm intended. She still took the book away, and to this day I have no idea when or where she disposed of my prized joke book.

Bill O'Reilly's career was a lot like the empty "Everything Women Know". He built a career on appealing to the lowest impulses in the white male mind. His ideas were empty, his contribution to America was non-existent, and his career will be remembered as a waste of time and money. He was  popular, to an extant, because of the backwards thinking he popularized. The only thing that motivated O'Reilly was money and a false sense of popularity. His absence from the airwaves will not cause any major changes. Years from now we will not even remember when or how Bill O'Reilly left the public conscious. His lack of substance makes his disposal not worth noting.

The end of Bill O"Reilly's career will be part of the ash heap of history, but his actual career paved the way for white christian male victimhood. People like Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, the resurgent Tucker Carlson, whoever the half wits on Fox Friends are, and the current occupant of the White House owe Bill O'Reilly a debt for the fact that he made white christian male victimhood acceptable in our culture. The fact that in 2017 we still have a discussion on racism towards whites only exists because of Bill O'Reilly. Rush Limbaugh became a force because he turned politics into an us versus them struggle. Bill O'Reilly made the us white christian men, and the them were everyone else. The them wanted to make scary changes that would cause white men to lose power, O'Reilly was the self annointed "culture warrior" who would stand against those scary changes. The modern day men's rights movement, the social ideas of the GOP, and the acceptance of bullying minorities found it's genesis with Bill O'Reilly and his Fox News show. 

Bill O'Reilly spent over two decades at Fox News. His time at Rupert Murdoch's Republican State media channel mirrors the rise of the 21st Century GOP. Everything bad against the Republicans was made into a struggle that Bill O'Reilly would bravely fight. The idea of not allowing your opponent a voice was perfected by O'Reilly. When Al Franken correctly called out Bill O'Reilly on lying about a journalistic award, O'Reilly's response was to yell "shut up". By the way, Al Franken is an influential United States Senator and Bill O'Reilly is now unemployed. There was the time O'Reilly told the son of a 9-11 victim to "shut up", then cut his mic. There were the many times that O'Reilly cowardly sent out his producer to stalk and harass journalist that O'Reilly did not agree with. O'Reilly never apologized for falsely accusing the Americans for slaughtering surrendering German troops during World War II (it was the other way around, but O'Reilly was trying to justify the US for slaughtering innocents in Iraq). There are many other instances, but my favorite is the time he tried to prove the existence of God by claiming the ocean tides were some magical unexplained phenomena. His defense against the "pinheads" that corrected him is the best example of white christian victimhood ever. 

The last clip is everything that Bill O'Reilly represents distilled down to one and a half minutes. O'Reilly is never wrong, and when he is wrong it is some grand conspiracy against him and all white male christians. Bill O'Reilly does not just claim to be the victim, he urges all like minded people to ignore facts, and fight against the progress of society. His antics on Fox News led to the demise of intelligent debate in our government and society at large. 

The saddest part of all of this is that Bill O'Reilly got rich off of this garbage. Fox News saw the dollar signs that a useful idiot like O'Reilly could bring in, and they ignored everything bad about their main talent. No matter what O'Reilly did, be it sexual harassment or any other despicable act, Fox News did not care and neither did Bill O'Reilly. The only thing that mattered was money. Fox News and Bill O'Reilly sold out American credibility for a few extra dollars. America be damned.

The ironic part of this whole saga is that money was the thing that finally got Bill O'Reilly fired. The loss of valuable advertiser revenue made the lords of Fox News come to the easy decision to let their main guy go. Note to people like Glenn Beck, that is what we call the free market at work. The hate, the bad old school ideals, the lack of journalistic integrity, the lying, the bullying, none of that ended Bill O'Reilly's career. Good old capitalism succeeded where common human decency failed.

The end of Bill O'Reilly does not end the disgusting views he popularized. Tucker Carlson is the current placeholder for O'Reilly on Fox News, and Carlson has had a career resurgence by embracing the white christian male victimhood line popularized by his predecessor. Sean Hannity has skyrocketed to the top of the cable news ratings by blindly toeing the line of white men good, everyone else is bad. Glenn Beck has spent the last few days diminishing the sexual harassment claims that brought Bill O'Reilly down, and whining about the loss of an old school voice. Bill O'Reilly will not be on the airwaves for the foreseeable future, but his poisoned doctrine will live on in the GOP thought leaders who still infect our television and radio programs. Bill O'Reilly's sins will live on with the help of the zealots he created. 

No matter how happy liberals may be today, the firing of Bill O'Reilly will change nothing. The people who continue in his misguided path will be more emboldened by O'Reilly's dismissal. They will see this as another unfair ill brought down on the white christian male. His accusers will be labeled as the real monsters. O'Reilly will live on as a martyr of the white male power movement. He will continue his lies, his bullying, and his destruction of valuable discourse. He will fail again, and he will claim victimhood again. Then one day Bill O'Reilly will disappear, and we will all wonder why they hell we wasted our time and energy on such an empty mind. Like how we question our youthful purchase of a dumb book.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. His favorite jam comes from an epic O'Reilly meltdown (NSFW). Can you do it live?  Come tell us. 

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

The First Round of the NBA Playoffs Have Gone as Expected, Except for One Series

Every NBA playoff series has played 2 games so far. I have some quick takes on all of them, then a very hot take on what is going on between the Bulls and Celtics. Lets look at the West first.

Golden State is doing exactly what everyone thought they would do. In the first game, both CJ McCollum and Damien Lillard went off, McCollum had 41 and Lillard had 34. The rest of the team scored 34 points. The game was close, then the Warriors pulled away late in the fourth. Last night, with Durant out with a calf strain, the Warriors throttled the Blazers. The Blazers gave the Warriors their best in game 1, and they lost by double digits. This is a sweep.

San Antonio may be getting a lot of calls, go watch David Fizdale's rant, it is tremendous, but the Spurs are clearly the better team. Memphis is old, and Mike Conley is really the only guy that has showed up. Marc Gasol has been rendered moot, Tony Allen is injured, Vince Carter is old and no one else is doing anything. The Grizzlies had a decent run, but with this as their nucleus, they will not win a title, and they won't get out of the first round this year. Kawhi is a beast and he is dominating this series, as expected.

Houston and OKC has not had the excitement that I expected. The Rockets smoked OKC in the first game. Last night was better, but even with Russ having a 51 point, 10 rebound and 13 assist game, it didn't matter because no one else is showing up for the Thunder. James Harden has been great, and this series has even furthered my belief that Westbrook is the MVP. Harden has a much better supporting cast, and it is showing. I still think OKC will win 2 games, but I do not think it will go 7. Guys like Enes Kanter, Steven Adams and Victor Oladipo need to start playing much better if they have any shot at pulling an upset.

The Clippers-Jazz series is very hard for me to get a grasp on. When Rudy Gobert went out in game one I figured the Jazz were done. Then, they won. The other night, the Clippers came out blazing, but the Jazz made it close, then Chris Paul made some big shots to pull out the win for the Clippers. I don't know if Gobert is coming back, but I don't think it matters. Blake Griffin looks awkward, DeAndre Jordan isn't doing much, but Chris Paul is the best player in the series. Gordon Hayward has been ice cold, George Hill cannot guard Chris Paul, and without Gobert, the low post is wide open for the Clippers.. I still have the Clippers in 7.

Now, the East. I'll save the Celtics-Bulls for last. So, lets look at Cleveland-Indiana. Cleveland is up 2-0, and it looks like they will sweep. I know the Pacers had a shot to win game one, and the final score of game 2 looked close, but I do not feel like the Pacers are any threat. And what's with Paul George calling out his teammates all of the sudden? Sure, he should usually get the last shot, he is their best player, but CJ Miles, who was wide open and is a good shooter, took the right shot in game 1. George should have never publicly called him out. Then, to throw the whole team under the bus after game 2, that was wild. He clearly wants out of Indiana. The Cavs are still horrible at defense, but I still see them winning in 4 or 5.

So far the best series of the first round, in either conference, has been the Milwaukee-Toronto series. It's tied at 1-1, and both game shave been good. Game 1, Milwaukee used a great, great game from Giannis Antetokoumpo and pulled away late to win by double digits. Game 2 came down to the very end, but Kyle Lowry hit a big shot to help the Raptors pull away late in game 2. There are good players all over the floor. Thon Maker has been playing great for Milwaukee. Giannis is cementing himself as a bona fide star and the rest of the team is doing their jobs. Kyle Lowry was horrible in game one, but bounced back in game 2. DeMar DeRozan has been steady. Serge Ibaka has been good and PJ Tucker is doing what they brought him in to do. This series is going 7, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Bucks or Raptors won. But, the Bucks look like they will be a very, very good team in a season or two, especially if this core stays together. This series is their coming out party. They are a ton of fun to watch.

The Wizards have looked better than the Hawks so far. Well, I should say that John Wall has looked better than anyone in the series so far. He is a man on a mission and he is showing out. I picked the Wizards to sweep, and I still feel like it could happen. John Wall is on fire right now and he just looks unstoppable.

Now, for the most surprising first round series. The Bulls and Celtics has not gone accordingly. I assumed that the Celtics were going to cruise. They had a better team, a better coach and are the one seed. The Bulls came in with a plethora of problems. They were a mess to be honest. Fred Hoiberg looked like a coach begging to be fired. Rajon Rondo was barely playing and looked disengaged. Dwayne Wade was coming off an injury. Jimmy Butler was disgruntled. This looked like an easy 5 game win for the Celtics. Then, tragedy struck. Isaish Thomas' sister died in a one car accident one day before game one. I cannot imagine the pain and sense of loss that he is feeling right now. This is a horrific, terrible tragedy. I am shocked that he is out there playing. And what Charles Barkley said, and I love Barkley, was wrong and insensitive and mean and uncalled for about Thomas crying on the floor during shoot around. Thomas can cry and grieve however he wants anywhere he wants. He lost a sibling. That being said, he is the only Celtic that has shown up. He is doing exactly what he has done all year. He may have had a subpar game 2, but he is facing double and triple teams, and no one is making open shots when he passes the ball. Marcus Smart, Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley are ice cold from three. In fact, they can't seem to hit a shot from anywhere. Then, the Celtics frontcourt has been an abomination. This was the thing that all Celtics fans worried about the most, their rebounding, but the Bulls are crushing them on the glass. I was listening to "The Lowe Post" podcast this morning, and Tom Haberstoh said that Rajon Rondo has grabbed more offensive rebounds than Tyler Zeller, Kelly Olnyk and Amir Johnson combined. That is appalling. The Celtics are being exposed. They are a poor defensive team, they can't rebound, Isaish Thomas is scoring, but can't defend anyone and they look like they have already been beaten. Jimmy Butler is clearly the best player on the floor. Playoff Dwayne Wade has shown up, and that is the best Wade. Rondo has all of the sudden remembered that he is a good point guard. And the Bulls front court, mainly Robin Lopez, are dominating the Celtics frontcourt. I am shocked most by this series of all the first round series.

With all this being said, all of these are best of 7, and a lot can change over the course of 5 more games. These are just my takes from the first 2 weeks of the never ending first round of the NBA playoffs. Most of my predictions are still in tact, minus the Celtics-Bulls, and I cannot wait to see where we go from here. I love the NBA playoffs.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest NBA writer on this planet we call Earth.

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Ty Watches the Best Television (So Far) of 2017

With season three of "Fargo" premiering tonight, I want to talk about how incredibly good television has been in the first few months of the year.

2017 has been pretty dreadful so far, except in pop culture. Pop culture such as music, sports and television has been very, very good, with television standing out most. I watch a lot of TV obviously. I seem to write about 4-6 new or old shows a month. 2016 was great too. I mean, we got "Atlanta", and that is the best show I have seen in quite some time. But, for the most part, every show I've sat down and watched in 2017 has been very good, both new and old. I am very stoked for "Fargo" tonight. The first 2 seasons were incredible, and every trailer I have seen for season 3 has looked great.

The greatest television right now is on FX and FXX. FX has the best original programming on all of television. "Taboo" was incredibly weird, historic and very violent. And I loved every single minute of it. Tom Hardy was great. Go back and read my review of the show. It was awesome. Season 12 of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" was great as well. The show is as funny as ever, and, spoiler alert, I do not think Dennis is leaving the show. The second season of "Baskets" just added on to the greatness of the first season. That show is sad and dark but it has its funny moments too. Louie Anderson is phenomenal on the show as well. He is well deserving of all the accolades. Shows I do not even watch like "Archer" and "Feud" seem to get glowing reviews across the board. Also, FXX gives us every "Simpsons" ever, and I will be forever grateful for that.

But, the crème de la crème of all the FX shows is "Legion". "Legion" is one of the most original, yes I know it uses X-Men stories, but very loosely, and innovative shows I have seen. It ranks right up there with "Atlanta" for me. They are different shows, but they are equally great. "Legion" has the pedigree to be a classic. The show is shot beautifully, acted tremendously, directed phenomenally and written perfectly. The cast is absolutely incredible. If you are not watching "Legion", start watching it immediately. It is the best show of 2017 so far, and to be honest, since "Atlanta" and "Louie" aren't coming back for awhile, or ever, "Legion" will most likely be my show of this whole year.

Moving away from FX and FXX, HBO has had some very good TV so far, and some of their classics are back. RD has been the biggest advocate of "The Young Pope". He has said nothing but glowing words about it. I've heard other people say how great it is too. I haven't watched it yet, but I will. My wife watched "Little Big Lies", and she loved it, as did most critics. "The Leftovers" just started its last season, and the reviews have been excellent. My mom and dad both love that show.

For the shows I actually watch on HBO. Pete Holmes' new show "Crashing" was funny and heartbreaking. This was the perfect vehicle for his comedy. The show is a comedy, but there is a lot of drama as well. It toes that line very well. "Veep" is back and it is nasty and funny and sharp as ever. "Veep" is the perfect type of show for the madness that is our current abomination of a "government". I'm very excited to see the rest of where this season takes us. "Silicon Valley" starts this Sunday and I know that it will be great because it has been great since its been on TV. I'm very pumped for that show to come back. HBO definitely has had some great TV in 2017.

I do not watch many other shows on premium cable. I did watch, and loved, "The Knick", but not much else. That is going to change in May when "Twin Peaks" comes back to TV, on Showtime. I have been catching up on the first couple of seasons to get ready for when it comes back on.

Going away from cable and getting to national TV, there are some real gems out there right now. I'm a big fan of "Trial and Error" on NBC. That show had its season finale last night. I hope it is not its series finale because that show is very funny and a perfect "Parks and Rec" or "The Office" replacement. I wrote about the show when it premiered, and I hope the brass at NBC give it a second chance. Remember, both "The Office" and "Parks and Rec" looked dead after their first season. Now, they are looked at as classics. "Brooklyn 99" is back and just as funny as it has always been. "Making History" is another new Fox show that I'm a fan of. It's about a guy with a time machine and he uses it to his advantage. Adam Pally is very funny and the supporting cast is good. I do not think it will get a second season, but if this is its only season, it will be remembered. "Last Man on Earth" is still wonderfully bizarre. "Bob's Burgers" is still doing its thing. And "The Simpsons" just continues to stay steady and be great. I do not watch CBS, but I'm sure they have some good new shows. In fact, I have heard some great things about a show called "Superior Donuts". To be honest, CBS seems like an "old person" channel. Too many procedurals and laugh track infused comedies. ABC doesn't really have any highlights either. "Modern Family" is still on, but that show has become very blah for me.

Finally, we have Netflix, and other streaming devices. This is the place to be for new TV shows. Shows on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, whatever, can do whatever they want. I personally do not have Hulu or Amazon, we only have Netflix, but I have heard some great things about the other streaming networks. "The Mindy Project" seems to have found a second life on Hulu. "Difficult People" gets phenomenal reviews from everyone. But, I do watch many Netflix shows. My favorite Netflix show is "Love", and season 2 was just on. I watched it all, and reviewed it, so you can go see my thoughts there. "Master of None" season 2 is coming in less than a month. The rebooted "Mystery Science Theater 3000" just released all their episodes last Friday. Marvel and DC has plenty of hit shows on Netflix, a lot of which will have their next season's premiere before 2017 is done. Streaming is the wave of the future, and right now the future looks bright.

Outside of the shows and Networks I have already mentioned, Comedy Central has a great new show, "Gorburger" on. "Detroiters" just wrapped up its first season, and that show is hilarious. "Jeff and Some Aliens" is bizarre, but very funny. Comedy Central has some good stuff that came out this year. I know the show is corny, but my wife loves "Pretty Little Liars", and their final season premiered on FreeForm last night. MTV is still plugging along with their endless run of "Teen Mom" or "16 and Pregnant".

I'm sure that I have forgot some other stuff, but the majority of what I just mentioned has been an absolute homerun and proves that 2017 may be the year for TV. If you take away anything from my piece today, please let it be that you start watching "Legion". It is a dynamite show. Keep it coming TV in 2017, you have been great to us so far.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He also forgot to include the greatest reality show of all time on his list, the incomparable "Bar Rescue".

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Let Me Respectfully Explain Why Musical Festivals are the Worst

Behold the natural beauty of the modern music festival

Today I'm going to put on my old man hat, pants, short shorts, whatever you want to call it, and complain about music festivals, mainly, Coachella. First off, I love, love, love music. I have made that abundantly clear on the site. Next to my family and sports, music is the biggest thing in my life. It has shaped my style, my thoughts and how I perceive the world today. The music is not the problem with Coachella and all other music festivals in general. The music is most definitely great at most of these festivals. The fact that people and bands I love like Kendrick Lamar, Radiohead and Run the Jewels headline these fests are great. The problems I have are the people, the attire and how commercial all of this stuff has gotten.

The bad stuff started a long time ago when some morons decided we needed a Woodstock 2. First off, the original Woodstock was a free event held at some family's farm. Woodstock was meant to bring people together, in a trying time, through music. Sure, there were some wildly dressed people and many of the memories and pictures we all know and see now have to do with the mudslide. But, for the most part, the original Woodstock is remembered for Jimi Hendrix and the like that played some of the best music of their careers. Then, Woodstock 2 came along. You know what most people remember about this crummy festival? Well, I remember the horrific lineup, the fights and the fires that were started, and people complaining how expensive everything was, including bottled water. That is where the biggest problem with festivals nowadays lies. The prices for merchandise, food and drink is utterly ridiculous, and it all started with Woodstock 2.

Of course that was a tremendous failure, and festivals were very sparse afterward. People just didn't want to deal with the headache anymore. Sure, there were still one or 2 day things. We had situations where there were 3 stages and the whole thing would start at noon and end after midnight, but nothing too big.

Then, in the early 2000's, Bonnaroo came along. I remember first hearing about this fest. This was during my jam band phase, and Bonnaroo had them all. I remember wanting to go to it so, so bad. But, I couldn't afford the tickets, and I do not like camping, so it was out of the question. I bought the compilation CD that came out, and listened to it a bunch. I figured I'd go in the future, but not at the current time.

As the years passed, I got less and less interested because it started to become this over crowded, pop obsessed, image driven festival. What started as a much better predecessor to Woodstock than Woodstock 2, was becoming just as commercialized and stupid, for lack of a better word, in my opinion. When bands like U2, who were great in the 80's, but not in the 21st century, are your main headliners, no thank you. They have tried to do other things, like add a comedy event, but I still have no interest. First off, it is in the dead of summer, and I have no interest in hanging out with a bunch of smelly, sleep deprived and drug infused music fans. I'm a nightmare when I'm sleep deprived. Put me with a million other sleep deprived people and I would go nuts. It doesn't help my case that I'm not a "partier". I have no problem with people doing drugs and drinking, as long as they aren't hurting anyone. But, I do not want to hang with people for 3 or 4 days that are just straight up binging. That is the worst. Bonnaroo is so off my radar now, when someone says that they are going, I always think to myself, I can't believe that it is still a thing.

I did try the whole festival thing about 12 years ago though. I found a festival called Wakarusa being held in Lawrence, Kansas. It had a good lineup, and I thought that I could handle the camping. I even went with my oldest brother, his wife, some of their friends and my niece, when she was a tiny baby. I thought this was the ideal situation. I was wrong. I was miserable. I was constantly harassed by hippies and stoners all weekend long. I was made fun of because I was not drinking and or doing drugs. I thought it was going to be like going to a Widespread show, where everyone is welcome, but I was wrong. I felt secluded. I could not believe how mean these supposed all loving people could be. To make matters worse, there was no time to see the bands I wanted to see because schedules always conflicted. I would catch 15 minutes of Robert Randolph, sprint over to the second stage to catch 15 minutes of Keller Williams, then run again to see North Mississippi All Stars encore. This was incredibly frustrating. Add the fact that I was getting little to no sleep, I was ready to go home by the second morning. Luckily for me, so were my brother and his wife. We left early. All the excitement I felt a month before Wakarusa was demolished within an hour of being there. I have never even thought about Wakarusa again, until I decided to write this piece today.

Here in Saint Louis we now have LouFest, and I have absolutely no desire to go to this. The prices are outrageous, there is usually only one, maybe 2 bands worth seeing, and it is so commercialized that it is disgusting. LouFest is utterly ridiculous.

They also have the Roots N Blues BBQ/Music Fest in Columbia. I have been to this twice, and both times, I was ready to leave the moment I entered the park. I immediately regretted my decision to go. This has gotten way out of hand too. They sell way too many tickets, and for a smaller college town like Columbia, they cannot handle the amount of people. I vividly remember going to see Buddy Guy, and leaving after his first song because there were too many people, I felt like I was in a sardine can, and I couldn't even see or hear Buddy Guy. Never again for Roots N Blues. There is other stuff like Lollapalooza, the Gathering, and I'm sure other things I can't think of now that I will never go to because festivals are the worst. 

Finally, what sparked this whole idea today, we just had Coachella this past weekend. I will never, ever ever ever go to Coachella. I stated at the top that the lineup is second to none. But, no matter who plays, even if Bob Marley and Robert Johnson were to rise up from their grave, I will not attend. First off, it is in the desert at, or near the beginning of summer. No thank you. Second, this festival over sells every year. There are so many people there. Third, it is straight debauchery. My brother has been to Coachella once, and from what he told me, it was absolutely intense and insane. Not for me.

But, what I find most appalling about Coachella though is the fact that it has become some kind of crappy second hand fashion show. All the pictures you see are of celebrities, or faux celebrities, and what they are wearing. I could care less what Vanessa Hudgens, Cam Newton or any of the god damn Jonas Brothers are wearing at Coachella. I had to scroll through 4 or 5 different stories that talked about the "fashion" or the "famous faces in the crowd" before I got a small review of Radiohead's problems with sound, or how great of a set Kendrick Lamar did. That is a big, big problem. Coachella is the definition of image. People care more about what the bands, performers, or even worse, the crowd is wearing, or what they look like. Coachella should be about the music first, the art second, then everything else last. I do not care about anything from Coachella, except the music. How long until Coachella is just as much a laughingstock for outsiders, such as myself, as Burning Man is? Not too far away I'd guess.

Festivals have gotten a well deserved bad rap. They are wastes of time, in my opinion, and they are just a big cluster. I'd much rather just see the bands or performers when they come to, or near, my hometown. The fact that I got to see Run the Jewels in Kansas City, or that I'm seeing the Chance the Rapper here in Saint Louis, at their own headlining shows, sounds so much more appealing than fighting with thousands upon thousands of sleep deprived, smelly music fans. I LOVE live music. I LOATHE festivals. Simple as that.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He used to be with it, then it changed, now what is it is confusing and strange. It did not take Ty long to morph into Grandpa Simpson.

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The Knicks are an Embarrassment

This flaming wreckage is going to be our Knicks photo until Jackson is out.

The saga of the New York Knicks just continues to get weirder by the day. I saw a few weeks back that Derrick Rose, who called this specific Knicks team a "super team", disappeared from the team for a few days in the middle of the year and claimed he wanted a max contract, now is injured once again and is now saying that he wants to go to a team in title contention. Money suddenly doesn't matter to him. Then, Joakim Noah got suspended for drugs, and to add to his shame of a contract and downward spiral of his current career, has rotator cuff problems and needs surgery. He will be out 4-6 months. The Knicks are nearly at rock bottom.

When I did not think things could get any worse, or more weird, the Knicks decided to pick up the last 2 years of Phil Jackson's contract. That is such a horrible, terrible idea. What has done besides say nothing and do nothing but bad things for the team he once played for? He has been an absolute train wreck as the player personnel guy, and the Knicks have only gotten worse and worse with him at the helm. The only good thing he has done, which was draft Kristaps Porzingis, he belittled the kid and said he wouldn't be able to make it in the league. He also was the guy that brought in Rose and Noah, and gave Carmelo a max contract, instead of trading him.

Then, it just keeps getting worse from here everyone, sorry Knicks fans, during Jackson's end of season exit interview with Carmelo Anthony, he said that he does not see a future where this team can win with him being the focal point. That is fine, and I even agree with it. But he made this public knowledge. He said it at a press conference for all reporters and fans to see. He made it known to the world that he wants to get rid of Carmelo Anthony. This was the problem. The sentiment is correct, but the delivery, a total disaster. This is going to drive the price way, way down on Carmelo. His price wasn't that high to begin with, I wouldn't trade anything except a second round pick for him, but now it is even lower. All 29 other teams know that the Knicks want to offload him, so they can low ball the hell out of them. I remember that the Clippers seemed to be the surest team at the last trade deadline to get him, and they offered nothing of true value. I think they were willing to part with JJ Redick, Austin Rivers and some second round picks. That is not a king's ransom by any means. I remember hearing that the Cavs would be willing to trade for Carmelo Anthony straight up for Kevin Love. Now, I feel like they wouldn't trade Iman Shumpert for Carmelo. The Bulls were in the mix for him, but now they would not have to offer anyone, Rajon Rondo included, worth any value to get him.

This is all on Phil Jackson. He made a very stupid decision in making this well known that Anthony was available. This was the latest in a long line of idiotic decisions from the once great coach.

To make things even more stupid, after the exit interview Carmelo goes on Instagram, because why would anyone anymore talk face to face about their problems anymore, to complain about Phil Jackson and the Knicks front office. I get it. The front office is a nightmare, but talk to them in person. Everyone who follows you on Instagram, for the most part, is a fan of yours, so of course they are going to agree with you. I agree that you need to get out of that situation, but you put yourself in your current situation. You demanded the trade while on the Nuggets, causing the Knicks to give up any kind of chance in the near future, and then you signed the max deal, with a no trade clause, when you had the chance to sign with a contender a few years back. Air your anger out, but don't do it on social media. That makes you look like a spoiled child. I hate that social media is where current athletes go to gripe about their situations. It is embarrassing. But, we are talking about the Knicks.

Finally, it was reported that Kristaps Porzingis skipped his exit interview because he is "frustrated with the direction of the team". Again, I agree with him, but this is a childish way to go about handling your business. Do the exit interview. It is part of your job. You are a professional, and anyone in a profession needs to do an exit interview. Just skipping it is like when a kid says they will do one thing, but just decide they don't want to anymore, but they don't tell anyone. Porzingis could have easily talked about his frustration in the exit interview, but he chose not to go. He chose to continue to let the Knicks run this franchise as dysfunctional as they have been for over a decade now. He is the guy they should be building around, and with this action, I'm sure young guys coming in the league to play for the Knicks will think it is okay for them to skip exit interviews if they are frustrated too.

Look, the Knicks are a mess. I waited until today because I thought some more stuff may happen. Nothing else has happened yet, but give it time. This team is a disaster, and until they rid themselves of Rose, Noah, Anthony, Phil Jackson and James Dolan, they will continue to stink on and off the court. Also, Porzingis needs to grow the hell up and act like a professional, especially if he is the future and the guy they will build around. The Knicks are a joke, and that makes the NBA not as fun as it could be. The Lakers may be bad, but I kind of feel like the Knicks are in a worse spot, as we speak. It will not get better until Jackson is gone.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He thinks the only thing that can help the Knicks now is Whoopi Goldberg as coach and / or Lil Bow Wow hitting the floor. 

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