Ty Listens to The "Ear Hustle" Podcast

Entering season 6, “Ear Hustle” is finding a great groove and is becoming one of the best podcasts available.

I was late to this pod. I heard one of the co hosts, Earlonne Woods, on a different pod a few years back and decided then that I was going to listen. I gobbled up the previous seasons. When I started listening, Woods was still in jail. They did, and still do, stories of what life is like inside San Quentin. I was fascinated. I never really dug this deep into prison life stories. I have watched movies and TV shows, but those were all hyper superficial. It was the cliché stuff. Shows like “Orange is the New Black” and “Oz” seemed like a good representation to me. I couldn’t have been more wrong. There is violence and very crazy stuff that happens in prison, but not like the Hollywood version according to these prisoners. Life seemed boring and pretty redundant. It seemed very structured and very quiet, for the most part. There were stories from certain people who dealt with abuse and violence inside, but those were few and far between. I thought this was interesting. It gave me a new outlook.

Earlonne Woods eventually got released, and that’s when this pod took an even bigger leap, and it really soared. They still have a person inside, he goes by the nickname New York, and we still get stories from the inside, but with Woods out, we are getting stories about prisoners that have been released. That’s equally fascinating. Some are doing well, others are struggling a bit and some are back in jail. There’s a few great stories about these guys. There’s one about a guy who got a job as a trash collector in a strip mall in San Francisco. The job doesn’t sound glamorous, but the way the gentleman describes it, you’d think he was a head honcho at a big corporation. He was thrilled to be doing something on the outside. There was another one, a sad one, about an addict who keeps relapsing and keeps ending up back in jail. Mind you we are still getting stories about guys in jail. There’s been excellent ones about music, taking care of animals, letters and the food. When the pandemic hit I thought that might have been the end, but they kept at it and kept making new episodes. They all had to be about guys who were released, but they also found new angles. There is an episode about kids who stay at a camp where they have incarcerated parents. That was powerful. They did a cooking competition. That was fun. They found ways to keep doing it and do it well.

They have released the first two episodes of season 6, and both are excellent. The first was them catching up with a few former guests. They were also able to get a mic back inside and have New York talk to people. The most recent episode was about visits in the age of COVID. It was eye opening.

This pod just gets better and better with each new season. I look forward to listening to “Ear Hustle” more than the other pods I regularly listen to. I highly recommend checking it out. Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods are great hosts, and New York does fine work as well. Check this pod out. You will really enjoy it.

Ty

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

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The Return of the Covidiots

They’re Back

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

Time for fun and games.

Right?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Ty Talks About the Biggest 2021 Oscar Nomination Snubs

Every year the Oscars seem to get something wrong, and I’m including winners and nominations. It happens all the time. “Inside Llewyn Davis” got nothing its year. “Moonlight” almost got screwed by “La La Land”. “Crash” won best picture. So did “The Artist”. This is a thing. But this year the snubs seem a little more apparent. There are a good amount too. Let’s discuss.

Regina King deserved a best director nom. So did Aaron Sorkin. Eddie Redmayne and the guy that plays Dr Manhattan on the TV adaptation of “Watchmen” should have been nominated for “Trial of the Chicago 7”. Daniel Kaluuya got a supporting actor nom, but it should be leading actor. The fact that Glenn Close got nominated for “Hillbilly Elegy” is insane. She was also nominated for a Razzie for the very same role. I think that’s the first time that have ever happened. All these snubs suck. Yet there are three blatant snubs in this go around that are so hard to ignore.

The fact that “Da 5 Bloods”, Delroy Lindo and Spike Lee are not even nominated is insane. The movie may be kind of scattershot, it may jump time a bit too much and it’s a little overlong, but it definitely deserves a nomination. For its faults, it’s still a very well made movie with a very good story. It is essentially an updated version of “Treasure of the Sierra Madre”, only better. The academy opened it up to ten movies eligible to be nominated and they only put in eight this year. The ones I’ve seen are good, and I’m sure so are the others. But come on, throw “Da 5 Bloods” in there. It is more than deserving.

I’m even more shocked that Delroy Lindo didn’t get a nom. He is wonderful and insane and scary and excellent and so memorable in this role. I was taken aback at how great his performance was. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I didn’t agree with his character’s point of view, but that was the point. Every time I think of that movie I think of him. Even more so than Chadwick Boseman, who was excellent as well. Lindo, much like the movie, should be nominated. It’s nuts that he isn’t. They could’ve easily replaced Anthony Hopkins with Lindo. I haven’t seen Hopkins movie, but he’s had his time. Now it’s Lindo’s turn. I’d also rather have Lindo in there in place of Gary Oldman. I haven’t seen “Mank”, and I don’t plan to, not a fan of “Citizen Kane”. I’d go as far to say that Lindo was better in his movie than Oldman was in his. Lindo may be the biggest snub.

Also, what does Spike Lee have to do to get an award? He didn’t direct just one great movie this year either. He also directed “David Byrne’s American Utopia”, and that could’ve gotten a best picture and director nom as well. Spike Lee is a preeminent director, yet he seems to always get passed over. It’s frustrating. The fact that he’s only been nominated five times, with only one win for adapted screenplay, is criminal. He should’ve won for “Do the Right Thing”. He should’ve been nominated for “He Got Game”. He got Ray Allen to give him a solid performance. “Inside Man” is one of the most underrated movies in history. I could say the same for “25th Hour”. “Kings of Comedy” is a crucial stand up comedy movie for people my age. And “Crooklyn” is quietly awesome. “Da 5 Bloods” and “American Utopia” are better than all these movies, save “Do the Right Thing”. If I were Spike Lee I’d be pissed off. This happens to him far, far too much. As much as I loved Lindo in “Da 5 Bloods”, I think Lee is the biggest snub of anyone that was eligible for an Oscar. I’m sure this sounds like whining, and I’m sure “Mank” is going to win everything because Hollywood loves movie about Hollywood, but come on. Give people the credit they deserve.

“Da 5 Bloods”, Delroy Lindo and Spike Lee were the biggest snubs. That is a fact.

Ty

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

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Ty Picks the 2021 Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament

The men's NCAA basketball tournament bracket was released last night. Last year this did not happen for the first time ever. COVID took it away. At the time I was upset, but it was the right decision. We did not know anything, and still are learning new things, about this virus, and to have had these kids play would have been a disaster. And while I still think this is not as safe as it could be, at least they are doing it bubble style and it is all in one place in a few different gyms. They are doing it safer, but it is still kind of tearing me up knowing that I am going to watch this and not feel so good about it. That has been my experience the last year watching sports, specifically college sports. But I will watch, and watch as much as possible, so that means I have a prediction for everyone.

Before I get into it, know that I have not won a bracket challenge in about five years, and I am really, really going out on a limb this year. I think this is going to be a chaotic tournament, but not until the second round. I think, for the most part, the first round will be chalk, with an upset here and there. But when we get a little deeper, it will be pretty wild. I have a total outcast pick as my title winner too. I just wanted you all to know that up front. Now let's get to it.

As I said, the first round is mostly chalk. I have all the 1 and 2 seeds advancing, I only picked one 12 seed to beat a 5, and I do not think any teams that play in the first four will win more than one game, the first four game. I have every Big Ten team, except Wisconsin and Maryland, winning at least their first game, with most making deep runs. I picked Rutgers to win in round one, and this is their first tourney appearance since 1991. I think the rigors of playing in the Big Ten is going to help these teams in the tourney. I'm also very, very high on UCONN and I love Oklahoma State, more on them later. But yeah, I am pretty much chalk.

Then it gets a little wonky in round 2. I have UNC beating Baylor. UNC is not as good as them, they did not end the ACC tournament as well as I thought they would, but I just have a feeling. Maybe it is because Baylor has kind of fizzled at the end here, and they may still be recovering from their COVID pause. I just do not trust them. This probably means they will crush and cruise to the Final Four. But where we stand right now, I think UNC will beat them. I also have Georgetown making a run to the Sweet Sixteen. They are rolling right now, they got a nice draw in opening with Colorado, and I have them facing UNC Greensboro, who I do have upsetting Florida State in round one. Winning these conference tourneys usually leads to some kind of success in the NCAA tournament, and I think a run to the Sweet Sixteen would be a huge win for Georgetown and Patrick Ewing right now. I have UCONN beating Alabama also. That kid Bouknight is so good, and such a good scorer. He reminds me of Kemba Walker when he was at UCONN. And I like San Diego State to knock off West Virginia and push to the Sweet Sixteen.

My Elite Eight is mostly high seeds, but I think some will have to fight to get there. I think Michigan is going to have to fight to beat LSU and Georgetown is going to be tough. Add on the possibility, which is very high, of no Isaiah Livers, and that makes it even tougher. But they do have the talent to beat those teams to make a run. Gonzaga and the university of Ohio State will cruise to the Elite Eight. There is no real resistance. I think in Baylor's bracket, since they will go out in round two, Purdue is going to have a fairly easy path to the Elite Eight. I have UCONN pushing their way past Alabama and Texas to make it to the Elite Eight. Again, Bouknight is that dude. Iowa will beat an undermanned Kansas team and make it. And Houston and Oklahoma State will make quick work of their opponents. Houston will cruise by Cleveland State, Rutgers and SDSU. Those teams will not provide much of a challenge. Oklahoma State is awesome, Cade Cunningham is legit and I think this team is going to go very, very far. I think they will crush Liberty and then make light work of Tennessee. That will leave us with a great matchup of Oklahoma State and Illinois. I think that will be a good to great game, and Cunningham is going to do something very memorable to win the game for Oklahoma State.

As for the Final Four, Gonzaga is going to blow out Iowa. Iowa does not play much defense, and they either dump it in the post to Luka Garza, who I find unwatchable, or kick out for three pointers. Gonzaga is going to shut that down with ease. I have Michigan being the team to finally stifle Bouknight and beat UCONN to move to the Final Four. They play great defense, and if Bouknight gets shut down, UCONN does not have enough scoring anywhere else. The university of Ohio State just outlasted Purdue in the Big Ten tourney, and I think they will do the same this time around as well. They have just enough scoring to win. And I have Oklahoma State and Cade Cunnignham doing it again and beating Houston with a great Cunnigham game or play. So we have two Big Ten teams, a Big 12 team and Gonzaga.

As much as it hurts me, Gonzaga is better than Michigan, and that is true even if Livers is healthy. They can out score them, and they will play enough defense to slow Michigan down. As much as I want Michigan to win, and will be rooting hard for them. Gonzaga is too good. In the battle of OSU's, I'm going with Oklahoma State and Cade Cunnigham yet again. He reminds me so much of Carmelo Anthony when he was at Syracuse for one year. He is so good and so crafty and so heady and plays the game like a seasoned vet. I also think the fact that the seeding group put them on the 4 line is going to piss them off and make them play even harder.

That means I have Gonzaga and Oklahoma State in the title game. And guess what? That's right, I have Oklahoma State and Cade Cunningham taking home the title, a la Carmelo yet again. Cunnigham is that good, Oklahoma State has been really good lately and I just have a feeling, in a season this weird, that a team we did not think about until very recently will win it all. I'm happy that the tourney is back. I will feel gross watching it, but I will watch it. And as good as the Big Ten has been this year, I still don't have one of the eight teams that made it winning it all. That is a bummer. But hey, at least I will get to watch Cade Cunningham even more, which is great. That kid is good, and if my bracket is right, he will win the title in his lone college season. That would be pretty cool.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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Stop Being Internet Jerks

Being a writer and podcaster is good and bad. I have talked at length about both of these things. And I am not here to talk about my personal experience with people who comment either nice or not so nice about my brother and I on the internet. We already did an entire podcast on that. Today I want to talk about people who troll on websites like Facebook and Bleacher Report and Instagram.

This has become a real problem. There are things said online, behind a screen name with no picture, that is so putrid, I do not even want to repeat it. There are some people that are so filled with hate and vitriol and anger and they just spew it on the internet for everyone to see. This obviously happens in politics all the time. I am a very liberal democrat, and I follow people like the Obama's and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and some local Democrats in Saint Louis, and some of the comments on their pages are heinous. These pages are supposed to be for people who actually like them, but you always end up with these trolls saying horrific things to them on their pages. It is so vile, and I always find myself thinking, why are you doing this? What good comes from this? You know they do not read these comments? It is so baffling to me. I used to comment on stuff, until I realized that it was fraught and pointless. It helps no one except the person making the comment, and they are usually so full of anger that one comment, or one thread, is not enough. They go on endlessly. If you don't agree with Biden and Harris, that is fine. But to make vile and insipid comments, that is childish and dangerous. And to do it online for the world to see, that is downright stupid.

Sadly I see the same thing going on with fan pages of sports teams I like. I am a humongous Michigan Wolverines fan, and I swear the people who comment most are fans of other teams. I ask again, what is the point? Why waste your time going on a Michigan page just to trash them? The university of Ohio State fans that do this. I have said many times that they are better at football than Michigan. That is a simple fact. But to go on a fan page, where almost everyone is a die hard, and write stupid things like "it has been x amount of days since Michigan beat us in football", why are you doing that? We all know it has been a long time. Hell, my wife knows it has been a long time, and she could care less. And to go on the page and constantly trash Jim Harbaugh, why? People at ESPN and Sports Illustrated and even Michigan's own websites do this enough as it is. I don't need to hear from some jackass in Columbus telling me the coach of my favorite football team hasn't lived up to the hype. I watch it every season. I'm aware, as are most normal Michigan fans. But we don't go on the university of Ohio State's web page and trash their basketball team, or their former coaches for illegally recruiting. It is a waste of our time.

I also see this trolling on movie pages. Why do people have to go and trash movies? What good does that do? I know not everyone is going to like the movies I like, but why say such hateful things to me for liking a movie like "Judas and the Black Messiah"? Someone who I have never met, who I have no interest in ever meeting, came at me online for liking that particular movie. They said some very nasty and tasteless and hurtful stuff. It was wild. I do not respond to these people, but that stuff does sting. And I do want to ask this person, why are you doing this? What good is going to come from this? How does it feel to trash a person you have never met, and never will meet? But I know this is a fruitless line of questioning. This person, and these other trolls, they will always think they are right because they are louder than me, or they can type in all caps.

This sucks. I lost a very good friend a few years back because I tried to communicate through social media, but they went too far. I know this all goes nowhere. I just wanted to point out how ridiculous and pointless this trolling is. It solves nothing. It makes people angry over nothing and it is cowardly and childish. Think before you type. Treat people the way you'd like to be treated if you met in real life. And stop trolling online. This internet madness has got to stop.

Ty

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

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Ty Eats McDonald's New Chicken Sandwich

It is time to spice you up

I assumed the spicy chicken sandwich wars were over. I personally declared Morning Glory Diner here in Saint Louis the overall winner. In the whole fast food game Popeye’s was the clear winner. To me it’s better than Chik Fil A or Burger King or Wendy’s, among many others. Popeye’s is still the winner, and by a lot. But my father informed me that McDonald’s had a new spicy chicken sandwich, and he heard it was as good as Popeye’s. I, naturally, had to test this.

Today I took the shot. My wife and I picked up our daughter from school and decided to pick up lunch from McDonalds. I got the spicy chicken sandwich meal, and saved the sandwich for last. This isn’t about the sides or drinks, but the fries were great, as always, and McDonalds has the best fountain Diet Coke. They won that years ago. Those were expectedly wonderful. Now was the time for the sandwich.

Upon opening it, it looks like all the other fast food spicy chicken sandwiches. The bun is glistening with what I assume is butter. There is a big hunk of beaded chicken, two pickles and a spicy sauce, most likely a sriracha mayonnaise. On the surface they are doing what the other spots do. The sandwich itself was solid. The bun was very tasty. It was covered in that butter like substance, and that’s always good. The pickles add a nice crunch and cooling element. And the sriracha mayo was fine. The chicken itself was fine. It was probably the weakest part of the sandwich, but it was still solid. It was a little dry, but the mayo helped. I am not a big pickle guy, but they work on these sandwiches. As I said, it’s a nice cool down. It gives you a break from the heat. It’s needed. The mayo was fine too, but there was far too much of it. I think they slop it on because that’s where the heat comes from. I’m not a big mayo guy in the first place, and when it’s covering every portion of my sandwich, it’s a bit of a turn off. It’s why I’m not a huge fan of Wendy’s chicken sandwiches. They smother their sandwiches with mayo. There was so much that my wife and I both scrapped some of it off. That helped to finish the sandwich.

I know it may sound like I’m dogging on it, but I did enjoy the sandwich. I ate the whole thing pretty quickly after removing some mayo. It’s tasty. But, it’s not as good as Popeyes or Burger King. It’s not close to Morning Glory Diner. But I do like it more than Chik Fil A and Wendy’s. I think a fourth out of sixth place finish is solid for McDonalds. They do so much other stuff so well, like the aforementioned fries and Diet Coke. They also have the best fast food double cheeseburgers and their quarter pounder is a classic. The chicken game is done better at other places, namely Popeyes, who specialize in chicken. It’s a solid sandwich, just not as good as others I’ve had.

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to "Roseville"

I know that I said there wasn't a lot of music I knew about coming out this year, but for the second week in a row I am going to write about a new album that I have been enjoying quite a bit. This album lands in the whole, "I'm sure there is new music coming out this year that I will love, I just don't know about it yet" category.

The album is called "Roseville", and it is a new solo album from one of my favorites, Har Mar Superstar. I am a big fan, and I also always find myself not knowing he has a new record until a day or two before it comes out. That is the same with this album. I loved the Heartbones stuff he was doing, but I had no idea he was working on a new solo album. Then I saw stuff pop up on social media that he was working on it and finishing it up and that it would be out soon. It came out last Friday and I have been listening to it a ton. It has pretty much replaced all the other stuff I have been listening to. It has definitely taken over Weezer's spot as my most played music on Spotify. This album is absolutely wonderful. With each new record, I feel Har Mar just keeps getting better and better. He is also making really cool throwback R&B/soul music. This new album sounds like part of it could have been made for Stax. It is so soulful and so full of sound and Har Mar's voice is purely wonderful on it all. From start to finish this is an album where no song should be skipped.

The record starts with that 70's type R&B/ soul music. The first four or five songs are classic throwback songs. The accompanying music is perfect for the sound he is going for. The addition of horns was a great choice. It makes the music sound fuller. It is perfect. When you get to the later half of the record it is a blend of 70's soul with his alternative pop sound. Personally I adore the songs "Neon Aglow" and "Hearts Have Misspoken". They both have that full sound, but the groove and the lyrics are like early Har Mar. These songs could have easily been on his early stuff, but they almost feel saved for this newer sound he aimed for, and nailed, on this new record. I will find myself dancing and singing along to both of these songs already. That is quick for me too. My son likes to listen to this record with me too. The funny thing with that is, he is 9 years old, only seems to like the music played on Fortnite, but he is so amped whenever I play "Roseville" now. I love it. He also thinks it's awesome that you can hear a dog bark at the end of one of the songs. He told me that he likes the music, but his favorite part is when the dog barks. That rules. My daughter likes pretty much anything I play in the car, but I have seen her get a little more dancy when I play this new record. I love it when musicians I like do stuff that I can enjoy with my kids too. "Roseville" definitely fits in that category. Har Mar is at a point for me that when he puts something out, I know it is going to be good. He is such a good songwriter and singer, and he seems to surround himself with really good musicians.

This record is great, and so is everything else he does. Of course I recommend this album. It is quick, sweet, well made, well produced and fun as hell. I appreciate new music too, especially during the pandemic. This record has put a smile on my face, and it feels much needed right now. Thank you Har Mar for the new music. It is awesome.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "The Sound of Metal"

Tuesday mornings have become my time to catch up on movies that I have wanted to watch, and haven't gotten around to for one reason or the other. This morning while both my kids were at school I watched "Sound of Metal". Let’s discuss.

This movie has been on my radar for awhile now. And, last night when my wife and I watched an episode of "The Boys", the ad beforehand was for the movie. I said right then that I was going to watch it this morning. I did and I was blown away.

“The Sound of Metal” is one of the better movies I have seen in quite some time. It is also very sad and dire and gut wrenching, but kind of uplifting near the end. For those that may not know, "Sound of Metal" is about a drummer in a heavy metal band that loses his hearing, and the trials and tribulations he faces when he realizes he is losing his hearing. Riz Ahmed plays the drummer, his name is Ruben, and he is amazing. His performance is right up there with Daniel Kaluuya from "Judas and the Black Messiah", and Delroy Lindo from "Da 5 Bloods". He is also better than Sacha Baron Cohen from "Trial of the Chicago 7". The difference here is, Ahmed plays a fictional character. He and Lindo are the only two that do that. Cohen is exceptional as Abbie Hoffman, and Kaluuya is magnetic as Fred Hampton. I come from the school that thinks awards should be given to original characters, and not someone playing a real person. This year is the exception, because Kaluuya is so great, but Ahmed is right up there too. He is tremendous. I fully bought in and believed he was Ruben and he was going deaf. Ahmed played the role to absolute perfection. He is also a recovering addict, and he pulled that off as well. He showed the grief and terror and frustration and willingness to do what he felt he wanted to do so well. The first couple scenes, when you can watch him begin to lose his hearing is relatable. He is trying to unplug his ears thinking that they may be popped. Or he tries to clean them out. All of the stuff we all do when our ears feel weird. When that doesn't work, he skirts getting the problem checked out because he has a show that night. The show is not great, and the lead singer of the band, and his girlfriend, exceptionally played by Olivia Cook, notice something is wrong. He gets help from a doctor, and this doctor sends him to a place for addicts that happen to be deaf. The scenes that take place here are wonderful and sad and touching and moving all at once. From when he first gets there, he doesn't want to be there, he feels it is a waste of time, to him figuring out sign language, to him helping the staff and students, and even him leaving to go get surgery, it is played and shot so well. Even with the surgery, spoiler alert, which doesn't work out like he hoped, it is done perfectly. I think what helps it work so well is how they use sound in this movie. This movie goes from very loud to silent to small noises, and at times, it hurts to listen. But this was done on purpose. The writers and director want us to go through this journey with Ruben. They want us to feel the things he feels. Now, I do not know what it is like to be deaf, I thankfully have my hearing, but there were times watching this that I just could not imagine how hard it would be, especially to go deaf later in life. But they do show some things that are moving for deaf people. The way musical vibrations are used in this movie is absolutely terrific. I assume this is how deaf people enjoy music, and it is done so well. When Ahmed and a young student go outside and play drum beats on an aluminum slide, I could have watched that for hours. Or when he teaches the kids how to drum, that made me tear up. When they all stand around a piano with their hands on it to "hear" it, it was truly amazing.

This movie is going to stay with me for a long while. The stuff after he gets the implant, how it doesn't go the way he hoped and wanted, that was stunningly made. The way they used sound for that, the sound engineers deserve all the accolades in the world. This is a tough movie, but it is also a very, very good movie and well worth your time. It is on Amazon Prime right now, and I cannot recommend this movie enough. Go watch it. It is great.

Ty

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

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The NBA Actually Put on a Pretty Great All Star Weekend

Even though I don't think they should have done it, and I bet Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons would agree with me, I watched the NBA All Star game, and the skills stuff they did, and I enjoyed it. Sure it wasn't as intense and close and nail biting as last season's, but hey, it was still a good time.

I started on Saturday night by tuning in to the 2 on 2 game featuring four rappers. I'll admit, I do not know who any of them are, but the game was fine. I believe Quavo's team won, and that dude is a solid basketball player. He stole the show. And yesterday, I kind of checked in on all of the festivities. I watched the skills competition, and that was fun. Damontas Sabonis won, but I bet Chris Paul would have if he didn't blow that layup. Also, Luka Doncic looked totally out of sorts doing the skills. I'm sure he was going about 25 percent, but still, he was missing that pass far too much. Sabonis also got lucky that he faced Nikola Vucevic in the finals. Those two were bricking three after three. But still, I found myself enjoying it. Then we had the three point contest. I will tell you right now, this was the best event of the evening, and I am including the game itself. Steph Curry proved, again, that when he wants to be engaged, he is the best shooter in the league. Other guys had solid rounds. Donovan Mitchell and Zach Lavine put up some big numbers. Mike Conley, who was a late addition, gave Curry all he could in the final. But Curry just proved that he is elite. He proved that he is the best of the best. Reggie Miller even pushed him, asking if he told everyone in the contest that they would be coming in second. Curry did not answer, but I bet he said those exact words. And the way he won it, on the last shot, the moneyball, that is how these events should go. I also liked that he dedicated the trophy to Klay Thompson, and said that he was one of the only people who could truly beat him in a three point shooting contest. Steph Curry is a great dude.

The three point contest led into the game, and this was a blowout from the jump. Everyone knew that LeBron picked a better team right after the "draft" was done. He had Steph, himself, Dame, Giannis, Jaylen Brown. Chris Paul, Rudy Gobert, Luka and Nikola Jokic. He had shooting, defense, ball handling, passing and athleticism. Team Durant was great, but not on Team LeBron's level. Durant had Harden and Beal, Kyrie, Kawhi, Jayson Tatum, Zach Lavine, Donovan Mitchell, Julius Randle and Zion. They had a whole lot of shooting, and that is about it. They didn't really have size, due to Embiid being ruled out. Zion barely played, but man did he have some nice dunks. Kawhi seemed to be going about 50 percent. And Tatum, while being probably the second best defender on the team, only tried when he was guarding Jaylen Brown. Everyone expected that Team LeBron would win, and they did, in convincing fashion. As I said, Zion had some nice dunks, but that was about all the highlights Team Durant had. Team LeBron featured Giannis shooting 16 of 16 from the field. Dame and Steph were popping off threes from nearly half court and burying them. LeBron had one of his usual high flying breakaway dunks. CP3 was making great moves and setting up guys for easy looks. Rudy Gobert was throwing down lobs. Jaylen Brown was awesome everywhere. They just had the better squad. And even with the Elam ending, where teams did pick up the play a bit, Team LeBron had it in the bag. It was pretty rad to see Dame end it on a shot that was, maybe, a few steps in from half court. It was a fun game.

There was also the dunk contest at halftime, which I thought was a neat little wrinkle. Obi Toppin, Cassius Stanley and Anfernee Simons didn't light up the place, but it was still fun to watch these dudes do amazing dunks that we know consider average. That Toppin reverse between the legs was dope. The first Cassius Stanley dunk was rad. The stuff Simons did, considering he is "only" 6'3, it was amazing. It wasn't the best dunk contest, but it certainly was not the worst.

In the end, Giannis got the much deserved MVP, he shot 100 percent from the field, and they were able to pull this off and it was still fun. I may not agree with them in playing an All Star game this year, but hey, it was fun and it held my attention. The NBA is the best.

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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Blake Griffin Signing with the Nets Makes A Lot of Sense

I was going to take the day off writing, but I was just reading some news on Blake Griffin, who I wrote about a week or so back, and he has agreed to a buyout. It is not the trade I was expecting, but he will not be a Detroit Piston anymore. That much is true.

Then, almost right next to the buyout story was that five teams were interested, all of which are playoff bound teams at the moment.

Then, right after that story it said that he is expected to sign with Brooklyn.

This is why I am writing something right now. I wrote how I thought the Harden trade was not going to be a good fit. I was very wrong, at least so far. The playoffs will really show us if the trade was worth it. But adding Griffin to this mix, holy hell is this team going to be nearly impossible to guard. They will not not play much defense, but they won't have to when they are scoring 130 plus a night. This is a historically great offense without Griffin. And I know that Griffin has been bad this year, but is he really trying? Did anyone really think the Pistons were going to be a playoff contender? Do they have anyone other than Jeremi Grant and Saadiq Bey who are even worthwhile players or prospects? The answer is no to all of these questions. Griffin is also going to get some of the best looks of his career playing alongside Harden, KD and Kyrie. Add on the fact that Deandre Jordan will be clogging the lane, or more likely, opening it up for the other guys, and Griffin will be an excellent fourth or fifth option for the Nets. Sure Griffin has lost a step, can't jump as high, isn't as athletic and wants the ball, but man would this be a solid acquisition for a team that is already winning a ton, and climbing the ranks in the East. I'm sure the Nets will stick with their starters when KD comes back healthy, but adding Griffin, who they can stagger minutes with the starters with, that is going to make them lethal. The starting five has Harden, KD, Kyrie, Deandre Jordan and, lets say, Joe Harris. Again, not much defense, but KD is one of the best pure scorers, Harden is one of the best passers and three point shooters, and can also draw an annoying amount of foul shots, Kyrie is a wizard with the ball and can hit big time shots, Joe Harris is a solid three point shooter and Deandre can fill the lane if needed. The bench has guys like Bruce Brown who is finding interesting ways to score easy buckets, Jeff Green who is very athletic and has managed to stay in the league, Landry Shamet who can be a streaky shooter, Timothe Luwawu-Caboret who is young and athletic and Tyler Johnson who is inconsistent, but can make shots from time to time. Add Griffin to that group, and man do they have a ton of scoring. I'm sure they are going to get him for cheap, I'm sure this means some younger guys, or older vets, will lose playing time to Griffin, and Griffin will have to get into shape. But man, this fit is so much better than Miami, and I thought Miami was nearly perfect.

If this happens, if Griffin signs with Brooklyn, as much as I want the Bucks and 76ers to play in the East Finals, I think this pushes the Nets to the top of the conference. In fact, I would go as far as making them the East favorites, and they would give any top tier team from the West a tough time. This would be a historic offense. This would rank right up there with Warriors when KD signed with them, or the 7 seconds or less Suns. This would be a big deal.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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Ty Watches Brian Regan's New Special "On the Rocks"

The other day I sat down, in between the movies I have been watching, and I watched Brian Regan's new Netflix Special, "On the Rocks". Brian Regan is one of my all time favorite stand up comedians. He is a lightning bolt. He is a force on stage. His facial gestures, the way he uses his body for his comedy, the way he uses his voice, it all works. He is also clean, which is an accomplishment, although it shouldn't be, and he still seems to absolutely crush every time he is on stage. He also keeps politics out of his act, which is smart and endearing of him.

Again, Brian Regan is simply one of the absolute best, and this special is fantastic. It is quick, funny, moving and perfect. It was also shot during the pandemic, which is wild. Apparently they made it in Utah, and there seemed to be about 100 or maybe 200 people in the audience, all of which were masked, and it is probably the first of its kind, with more of them to come. It was crazy to see all the masked fans, but I will say, it actually made me feel oddly comfortable. This is the new reality we live in, and this is as safe as a performer can make a stand up show now, and most definitely in the future.

This special was filled with classic Brian Regan bits, facial gestures and all. I was a bit on the fence about this special, I haven't heard much from Regan in the past few years, but he showed why he is one of the greats. From the moment he walked on stage with a full head of gray hair, to talking about his newfound OCD and anxiety, to his social anxiety, to his love for mayo, all the way to his impression of the person who invented the bagpipes, it was all hilarious. The gray hair was a perfect start. He mentioned it right away, talked about how COVID forced him to stop dying his hair, which made for a great bit inside a bit, and got it immediately out of the way, and did it very funnily. I loved the OCD and anxiety stuff. As a person who has both of those, it was nice to hear someone make a joke about it, to not take it so seriously but to recognize it. I loved the stuff about bookshelves. I have taken the exact tests he mentions in the special. I feel the same way about things that he talks about. I check the stove every night for example. The social anxiety was just as good. Hearing him try to shoehorn his way into conversations is exactly how I felt pre COVID. Those party going situations with strangers make me so uncomfortable, and to hear how Regan deals with it, I was rolling. When he talks about the lady who says that animals are smarter than people, that was my absolute favorite part of the special. The mayo bit I feel like was written for my wife. He loves mayo so much that he had to make a resolution around it. I have made that joke to my wife before. And when he described how he dealt with this, it was gross, but also one of the funniest things I have heard. And that closer about the bagpipes, it was classic Regan. He did facial stuff, he used his body, he used his limbs. When he performed this joke it was talking, but also very visual, and it worked like a charm. It was funny and goofy and silly and classic.

It was nice to see a new stand up special from one of my favorites, and one of the best stand up comedians of all time. Go check it out. You can watch it with your kids, and they will find it funny. You will also get to see one of the all time greats crushing at their profession. Watch this. It is well worth your time.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "The Trial of the Chicago 7"

Continuing my quest to watch historical movies, last night I finished “The Trial of the Chicago 7”.

It was great. I really enjoyed this movie. I know it may be weird to use the word “enjoy”, but that’s what I felt. There was a difference from this movie as compared to “Judas and the Black Messiah”. “Judas and the Black Messiah” was a better movie in my opinion, but it was bleak. That’s because it is more realistic, and it ended tragically. I know both movies are based on true stories, but “Judas and the Black Messiah” felt more real. But “The Trial of the Chicago 7” starts fast, moves fast, intertwines the multiple storylines fast and ends fast. It was a very quick 2 hours and 10 minutes, and I appreciated that.

The cast is great in this film too. John Carroll Lynch was dynamite as the conscientious objector and soft spoken father and husband. Yahya Abdul Mateen II was perfectly cast as Bobby Seale. He was a force. The three main lawyers, played by Joseph Gordon Levitt, Ben Shenkman and Mark Rylance did wonderful. I appreciated that Gordon Levitt didn’t have a “white savior” moment either. He played a republican lawyer, and he didn’t really change his attitude too much throughout the movie. Frank Langella was a monster, a racist and mean. He nailed the judge, and this judge was truly a monster. Eddie Redmayne and Alex Sharp were very good, especially Redmayne, as the young and opportunistic student democrats leader. Michael Keaton was spectacular in his five minutes on screen. But for me the true stars were Jeremy Strong as Jerry Rubin, and especially Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman. They knocked their roles completely out of the park. Strong was a perfect hippy, who happened to be extremely smart. He had some of the best lines, he was funny at moments and he really sounded and looked and acted like a hippy. I totally bought it. Cohen, he was a revelation. I know he can act. I’ve seen both “Borat” movies. I’ve watched his shows. He is good in bit parts in other stuff. But here he got to show his dramatic side, and man was he great. His line, “I’ve never been on trial for my thoughts” was powerful. I was stunned at how great he was in this role. He brought Abbie Hoffman back to life. It helped that he got to be a bit comedic, but when drama was needed, he nailed it. Delroy Lindo or Daniel Kaluuya deserve the Oscar, but Cohen is a very close third. The movie was so well done too.

The actors were great, as mentioned, but so was the writing and directing and recreating of this pivotal moment in American history. They showed the good and bad. They put in real footage with their shot footage, and it worked. The recreation of interviews and meetings and court scenes was great. The stories jumping back and forth in time was a great way to keep the story moving. I have no bad things to say about this movie. It is worth the hype. It lives up to it. It is a very well made movie that hits all the criteria for an Oscar worthy movie.

As I said, I think “Judas and the Black Messiah” is a better movie about this time period. But, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is no slouch, just a different perspective. Watch this movie too. It is also a very important one.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Judah and the Black Messiah"

This morning while my daughter was in preschool and my son was in elementary school, I decided to finally sit down and watch "Judas and the Black Messiah".

From the moment I heard of this movie, and saw the trailer, it was on my must watch list. I am really into African American history, I have read a ton on The Black Panthers, and this seemed to be the most real story to date on Fred Hampton, and his importance in American history. The cast is also absolutely top notch. I am a humongous LaKeith Stanfield fan. Love him in "Atlanta", "Sorry to Bother You" is one of my all time favorite movies, he was excellent on this most recent season of "The Eric Andre Show", the dude can act. I enjoy Daniel Kaluuya as well. He first appeared on my radar in the "Black Mirror" episode "One Million Credits". Then I saw "Get Out", which was followed by his role in "Black Panther" and I most recently saw him in "Queen and Slim". He's great. I am a Jesse Plemons fan too. He is becoming one of the nicest creeps in Hollywood. He is a force. All three of these guys are the main dudes in this story, and they all absolutely nailed their roles. Sure, Martin Sheen is eerie as J. Edgar Hoover, Dominique Fishback is wonderful as Deborah Johnson, Ashton Sanders, from "Moonlight", has a nice and important part, and Lil Rel Howery is only in five minutes of the movie, but man is he memorable. Really though, this is Kaluuya and Stanfield's movie, with some nice spot duty from Plemons.

In the movie Stanfield plays former car thief turned FBI informant Bill O'Neal. He is so good as the rat. He is squirrely and squirmy and it appears at times he is going to be had, but he always finds a way out somehow. Stanfield nailed the nerves, then belief, then betrayal and looking out only for himself to perfection. I openly rooted for him at times, but in the end, I loathed him. I know Stanfield and Charlamagne the God have some kind of beef over this role. What Charlemagne needs to understand, Stanfield is acting. He is not this person he is portraying. Charlemange needs to get off his jock because Stanfield was incredible. He is a creep, and he deserves all the bad he gets in the end. Plemons is the FBI agent who convinces Stanfield to be his rat. Plemons plays this role very monotonous, but it is clearly on purpose. He is an officer trying to catch someone who he believes is a "bad guy". He is as creepily quiet, and almost endearing in this role as he was on "Breaking Bad", or the season of "Fargo" he was on. He is really good at playing someone who is sympathetic on the surface, but in the end, is a real bad dude. The scene where he sees O'Neal at the Black Panther rally speech is frightening.

With all of the great actors in this movie, Daniel Kaluuya is the absolute star of this movie. Every award and accolade he is getting is totally understandable. He nailed it. He gives a powerhouse of a performance. When he spoke as Fred Hampton in this movie, when he had an audience, I felt it. I would go to battle with this man. He was so impassioned and powerful and commanding and thoughtful and political and downright charming. For every Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr, we also had a Fred Hampton. Someone who isn't as well known, or studied, but needs to be. And Kaluuya brought this person back to life. I was moved by his performance. I watched him jaw agape because of his tremendous performance. His speech scenes were the best, but the prison stuff was very good, and his death, the day before, was brutal and heartbreaking. Kaluuya should be one of the frontrunners for Best Actor. I'd say it is Delroy Lindo for "Da 5 Bloods", or Kaluuya for this role. They are head and shoulders above the rest of the pack this year. I loved him in this movie and in this role.

I highly recommend this movie for everyone to see. It is important American history brought back to life by some really great actors, writers and a director. Check it out. It is great.

Ty

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

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Thank the Gods for Grocery Store Workers

The most important shelf that needs constant stocking

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Reading is Fun

Quarantine has made me realize a lot of new things about myself. Let’s discuss.

Like a lot of people, I have loved being with my wife and kids. Luckily my kids have been able to go to school, in person, but we still have the nights and weekends. I have learned how to coach nine year olds playing basketball while they wear masks. It can be maddening at times, but I am getting used to it. I have realized I can run half marathons masked. Basically anything masked, I have gotten used to it, and it has been easy to do. I have also learned that maybe I do not have to go to as many live concerts or movies in theaters or sit down inside a restaurant. I can do all those things in the comfort and safety of my home. I do miss a few places, like Booches and Morning Glory Diner, but those will hopefully open back up when it is safe. And they are both doing takeout right now. I have also learned that my OCD prior to the pandemic has been a great help. I was already a neat freak, and since the pandemic started, I have had to change very little about my daily cleaning routine.

The one thing I did not expect, and have grown to love, is reading physical copies of books. I was never a big reader. I only did it in school when I had to, and as an adult, I only read stuff that was about Michigan football. Since the pandemic though, I have fallen in love with reading. I wrote about a great book yesterday, and that is one of close to twenty books I have read since last March. Again, that is a lot for me since I am such a slow reader. But I am finding out now with reading, I really enjoy it. It gives me a little getaway. I can escape into a book. I will read anywhere in my house, although the bathroom is my room of choice. I still have my preference for books, and that is non fiction. The only fiction books I like are sci fi, and even then, it has to be Phillip Dick books. I have read almost his entire library of books, and I adore them. But, outside of sci-fi, fiction doesn't do it for me. I tried to read some "Lord of the Rings" or the "Game of Thrones" books, and they bored me. But, give me a nonfiction book, about sports or comedy or bands I like, I will devour them, in my own way. I read Stephanie Wittles Wachs book in under a week. I read a book about "Saved by the Bell" and all the times Zack Morris lied in less than a month. I read the oral history of "SNL", which is an 800 page book. I finished multiple sports books that included "Paper Lion", "Overtime: Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines at the Crossroads of College Football" and "Loose Balls". I have read about Bill Walton's time in Portland, Magic and Bird's rivalry, the 1992 Dream Team and all about Michael Jordan. I have read books about music. I have read Chris Frantzs's book about Talking Heads. I'm currently reading a book about A Tribe Called Quest. I have read multiple comedy books, and will read more. I have more books on the list, including Michelle Obama's book "Becoming" , and I cannot wait to read them all and get new books.

This reading thing has become a hobby I look forward to since quarantine started. It is no longer a chore to read a book. I enjoy it. And while it bums me out that it took a pandemic to realize how much I like reading, hey, it is what it is. My teachers were right. Reading can be fun, and it is teaching me things that I never truly learned in school. Reading is fun. For real.

Ty

Ty Reads "Everything is Horrible and Wonderful: A Tragicomic Memoir of Genius, Heroin, Love and Loss"

Six years ago a very funny comedy writer, actor and comedian named Harris Wittels died. He died of a drug overdose. It was shocking.

I did not know Wittels personally, but I was a big fan of his work. His jokes on "Parks and Rec" were the absolute best. You could tell when it was a Harris Wittels joke too. It hit differently. When he started to show up on the show as Harris the animal control guy, he stole every scene he was in. I was just as big a fan of his "Comedy Bang! Bang!" appearances. He would go on with Adam Scott and Chelsea Peretti and they would do something they called "Farts and Procreation". These episodes are the best podcast episodes that have ever been made. They were bizarre and wild and very talky, but man was Harris Wittels funny, and he was the funniest one on these podcasts. When he would go into "Harris' Foam Corner", I would be absolutely rolling with laughter. I also enjoyed the show "Master of None", and knew he was going to work on that. I also have gone back and watched the episodes of "The Sarah Silverman Project" that he worked on, and those are best. He was a comedic genius, and to die at 30, that is tragic.

Life goes on, and, while still watching and listening and enjoying everything he was a part of, I moved on to other comedic stuff. But maybe a year or so back, Harris Wittels sister Stephanie Wittels Wachs was going on podcasts and promoting a new book she wrote. The book is called "Everything is Horrible and Wonderful: A Tragicomic Memoir on Heroin, Love and Loss". I listened to her talk about the book, and was intrigued. But, I had forgotten about it. Then, right before the holidays, I went back and listened to all of the "Farts and Procreation" stuff, all of "Harris' Foam Corner" and watched the episodes that he was on of "Parks and Rec". Then I remembered that there was this book out there about his last year on Earth, and the impact it had on his family and friends. I asked for it for Xmas and my mother in law bought it for me. I started to read it last Saturday, and I finished it this afternoon.

This is one of the best, most brutal, most truthful, most gut wrenching books that I have ever read. And I absolutely loved it. When we get memoirs of famous people that die young, they are usually written by a parent or a journalist that covered them. This book was written by his sister. She was the closest person to him according to the book. It also gives the reader a whole different perspective. Stephanie Wittels Wachs knew her brother better than all of us. She was closer to him than anyone else. She loved him warts and all. She stood by his side, fought for and with him and loved him harder than anyone else. So to read about her experience, it was brutal and perfect. She told it all. We got the entire inside scoop of what his last year was like, and the horrific year that followed. This book moved me. I have never dealt with a tragedy that comes anything close to this. But I do have brothers. Reading this book had me question how I would react to a horrible scenario like this. I can say that I do not want to have to ever deal with anything like this ever. But that is what makes this book so great. She tells it all. She lays her soul bare. I respect the honesty that she wrote this book with. It had to be so hard and awful and terrible, but also maybe a bit of a good purging type thing. She says, and I believe it is very true, that she will never forget, that she will always think of him, that he will always be a part of her life, but that it is okay to live your life. To do things that the living do. It got to points in this book where I would, not stop thinking about Harris Wittels, but kind of want to know how Stephanie Wittels Wachs was doing, or her mom and dad, or Harris's friends and coworkers, or her husband and their baby were doing. Harris Wittels is the focal point, but this book tells stories of survivors as well.

I love this book. I love everything about it. I devoured every page. This is such a tremendous book that tells a harrowing tale, and I bet a ton of families would read this book and realize that, even if they think famous people's lives are so easy and great, they would change their tone. I may never know, or understand addiction. But this book shows its true colors. Read this book. It is wonderful.

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to "OK Human"

On a podcast earlier this year RD and I talked about what we were looking forward to in 2021 as far as pop culture and sports. One area that I had a bit of a harder time finding stuff was music. There just doesn't seem to be a whole lot of new stuff that I listen to that is coming out this year. Or, if some bands or musicians I like have decided to make some music for 2021, they haven't announced it yet. It will be a nice surprise.

One band I do like, I have liked them since I was in middle school, and I mentioned on that very podcast was Weezer, and they had announced a new record for this year. I think I got my signals crossed because, for some reason, I thought they were doing a Van Halen covers album. They had such success with the "Teal" album, which was all covers, so this seemed cool, even though I am not a Van Halen fan. It also seemed timely since, unfortunately, Eddie Van Halen passed pretty recently.

Well, Weezer did put out a new record, and it was not a Van Halen covers album. About a week or so ago, Weezer put out the record "Ok Human". I did not know anything about the album and I did not recognize any of the songs. But when I turned on Spotify on my way to take my kids to school, they sent me a notification that Weezer had a new album. So I listened right away with my kids in the car. And, like they always seem to do, Weezer made a really solid, very decent album. The record is short and sweet, clocking in at just over thirty minutes with twelve brand new songs. I like every song on the album. There have been some records of theirs recently where I feel it is fine to skip a track here and there. With the covers record, I only listen to the songs I liked. On some of the albums prior to that, I would only listen to the "hit" songs. Weezer, for me, really peaked with "The Blue Album", and got some underground notoriety with "Pinkerton". I still listen to those albums endlessly. I love them. I saw them tour with "The Green Album", but even that did not hit like "Pinkerton" or "The Blue Album". But "Ok Human" has something special that keeps me coming back for more.

The album flows very nicely. They have very short songs, almost like segues into the next three minute song, that blend perfectly. They slow some songs down, and others sound like they were recorded during the band's heyday. The opener, "All My Favorite Songs" reminds me of a grown up "My Name is Jonas" or "Surf Wax America", two of my personal favorites. "Bird with a Broken Wing" sounds like it could easily have been lifted from "Pinkerton". And I think that is why I keep coming back to this album. It is nostalgia food for me. The band still sounds great, like they did when I first heard them in seventh grade. But, just like myself, they have grown up. They are all adults now who have lived life. This record feels like they are having a good time making pop rock music, and I am totally here for that. With a band like Weezer, I do not listen to them to have my mind blown, and that is not a critique. I listen to Weezer because they are fun, my kids can listen with me, we can dance together, it is one of the very few bands my wife and I both like. They are just a fun band that makes fun music, and that is what "Ok Human" is all about. I

really dig this record the more I hear it too. I was listening to it earlier this morning and I said out loud to no one, "man, Weezer is a really great band". So while it wasn't what I expected when they announced a new record, I love it all the same. I recommend this album, obviously. It is another in a long line of very good Weezer records.

Ty

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

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Better Late than Never on "Eighth Grade"

This morning I finished the movie “Eighth Grade”, and now I am going to talk about it.

This movie was so many things, mostly great. In fact, it was uncomfortably great. I have put off seeing this movie for sometime now because I didn’t know what to expect. I saw the rave reviews, I am a Bo Burnham fan and I could’ve watched it in the theaters, but other stuff kept coming up. Then COVID hit, and I kind of forgot this was on my list to see. Luckily it was on Showtime last week, and I recorded it. I still waited about a week to watch, but I watched it and loved it. I was also very uncomfortable with some stuff, but that seemed purposely. This movie is supposed to be about how rough early teenage life is. It’s supposed to make us who are older remember how tough that time of our lives was. It’s supposed to make you cringe and talk out loud at the people on the screen. It wants you to have these visceral reactions. And this movie achieves that tenfold.

There was so much stuff in “Eighth Grade” that made me squirm, and then think about how I reacted when I was 13 years old. That may be the most awkward time in anyone’s life, and Burnham and Elsie Fisher portrayed them to perfection. From the pool party, to class superlatives, to meeting high school boys and girls, to having moments with your folks and finally finding your group of friends, it’s all there and it’s all wonderfully executed. Seeing Fisher, she played the main character Kayla, go through such panic when being invited to a pool party, showing up and having to interact with other kids, that was so well done. The stuff with her and her dad hit me right in the heart. From her being on her phone when he’s trying to talk to her, to him spying on her when she’s hanging out with the high school kids, to their very poignant and perfect and tear jerking bonfire talk, it was simply wonderful. I was in tears hearing him tell her how happy and proud and perfect she is. I know my daughter and I will have these moments in the future, and it was almost reassuring to see that, while it will be tough at time, it will also be so rewarding. Fisher was so so so great in the starring role. She played introverted and quiet and anxious and teenage so exceptionally. She was tremendous. It helps that she was the age of her character because she’s going through it right now.

The other kids were almost as good as Fisher. They didn’t have as much to work with, but they all played their roles great. I also liked the technology aspect of the movie. “Eighth Grade” showed how important and influential things like YouTube and Snapchat and Instagram are to the younger generation. Hearing these kids talk about how they got Twitter in middle school, or Snapchat in fifth grade, I mean that’s wild. Middle and high school was tough enough when I went, and cell phones were relatively new. I cannot imagine how much harder it is now, and how much harder and weirder it will be when my kids are that age. I have two nieces in high school, and I get glimpses how important Instagram is to them. It’s tiring to see from my perspective. This is a movie that is going to stick with me for a long, long time. I want this to be watched by kids that are in the 13-16 age range. It will ring so true for them I imagine. I also think parents of kids of any age should see this movie just to get a blip of what we are all in for in the near future.

“Eighth Grade” is a wonderful, timely and squirmy in all the right ways movie. I wish I’d seen it sooner, but at least I watched it. I cannot recommend this movie enough. It is so worth your time. Please go watch this movie if you can. It’s great.

Ty

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

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A Thank You Note to Daft Punk

Every morning after I take my kids to school, I sit down, have some coffee, eat some breakfast and read the news from the night before. To be clear, since the inauguration, by "news", I mean sports, pop culture, entertainment and music news. This is the stuff I am keeping an eye on for the most part. I do still read up on the vaccines, and when they may become available in Saint Louis by where I live. But outside that, it is all pop culture and sports.

This morning I read some pop culture news, specifically music news, that made me upset. But, after sitting on it all day, it actually makes sense, although I will miss any new music they could have, and possibly might still make. The news you ask? Daft Punk is splitting after 28 years together.

A few things to unpack here. I did not realize they have been together that long. I am, admittedly, a late comer fan of their music. But to think that they have been at this since I was my son's age is wild to me. They are also extremely prolific. They have recorded tons of songs, both for themselves and others. They may have only put out, officially, five total albums, but they are all classics. They toured sporadically, but their live shows were things of legend. The stories being told about them are tall tales that get bigger, and more crazy every single year. I remember seeing a DVD of a show they did at, I believe it was Coachella, in the early 2000's, that absolutely blew my mind. That was on DVD, imagine the people who saw it live. They have influenced countless musicians. Almost too many to name. They were one of the first bands to really take the whole imagery, literally and figuratively, and make it mainstream. No one was wearing helmets and dressing super nice until Daft Punk did it. Their imprint on electronic music may be second only to their idol, Giorgio Moroder. Hell, they may have even passed him. But for me, what was most important, they showed that electronic music wasn't just raves and pacifiers with drugs laced into them and glow sticks.

Electronic music became good, at least to me, when I first heard Daft Punk. My intro was the soundtrack to "Tron: Legacy". I did not like the movie at all, but the music was so awesome. I went out and bought the soundtrack immediately after watching the movie. I devoured it. Then I saw a documentary about them. Sure they are pretentious and kind of arrogant. But to see them make the music, it was amazing. They worked hard at their craft and were perfectionists as a duo. Then, like millions of other people, I went out and bought "Random Access Memories". That album is a triumph. It is a classic for a reason. Every song is great, and everything about every song is perfect. It is not only one of the best electronic albums of all time, quite possibly the best, but one of the greatest overall albums of all time, no matter the genre. They followed that up with one of the best Grammy performances I have ever seen. That was to be their last record, and why not go out on top. I know it came out eight years ago, but it is still played in heavy rotation everywhere. I hear "Get Lucky" about five to ten times a month to this day.

Let’s get back to the sadness, then realizing that it was the right move. I was bummed when I read the news. I figured they were working on something else. That they were going to make a really good record. They were just being overly critical because "Random Access Memories" is so beloved and great. But, pulling back on it, and really thinking about it, they do not have to do anything else. They already achieved greatness. They have already cemented themselves as an all time great duo. They will be Rock and Rock Hall of Fame members. They will influence even more people. Their music will live on forever. What else do they really owe their fans? Honestly? In this day and age, where everyone's a critic, you know some asshole would have panned a new record just to be a jerk. Daft Punk is above criticism at this point, as far as their music goes. So I get it. Walk away on top. Go out knowing you were one of the best ever. Don't make anymore. Leave behind that wanting. And the video announcement they made, it was pure Daft Punk, and simply perfect in every way.

So instead of being grumpy about it, I just want to thank Daft Punk for the music they gave all of us. They rule, and they are one of the best bands ever. Enough said.

Ty

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

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Luka Doncic Should Not Be an NBA All Star Starter

The NBA All Star game is right around the corner. I do not think they should play one. I was on board with them skipping all the random middle of the season things they normally do because this is not a normal season. They need to take every precaution necessary, and sending 30 players and their families to Atlanta for the weekend feels a little careless. But, I will watch, I like that they are doing the Elam ending again and I think a halftime dunk contest has the possibility of being amazing. But, I do have one big issue with the rosters.

Last night they named the starters for each conference and picked the two captains. Most of this was on the up and up. I think LeBron and KD are two excellent choices as captains. I saw that Steph and Kawhi are West starters. I think Embiid and Giannis more than deserve to start for the East. I will be curious to see who the reserves are, and I'm interested to see who the two captains pick for their squads. Again, I have one big time bone to pick, and I am not the only one who feels this way.

The fact that Luka Doncic is a starter for the West, over Damian Lillard, is appalling. I know it is stupid and pointless and who cares, especially this year, about an all star game. I also fully understand that this is a fan vote thing, but come the hell on. Why are some people so obsessed with Luka Doncic? Why do all the major media outlets put this kid on a pedestal? Why are people already calling this kid one of the greatest in the game? Why do some have him as one of the 10 best players in the league right now? How is he on people's MVP ballot at the moment? Luka is a fine player, but I am not a fan because of the media pushing him on me, and his on court attitude. I watched the first round series in the bubble last year, when the Mavs played the Clippers, and rooted so hard for the Clippers. I do not like the Clippers, but I wanted the Mavs, and even more so, Luka, to get beat. And they did. He had one good shot, and played a solid series, but his team got beat in six games, and that has been his lone playoff series to date. Luka Doncic is good, but he is not an MVP caliber player yet. He is not a player that can win you a title yet. He is not one of the ten best players in the league yet.

Doncic is nowhere near as good, or as offensively dominant, as Dame. Damian Lillard is one of the top five players in the league right now. He is the game’s best closer. He has ice water in his veins. He is a problem for opponents. He has dragged this Portland team to playoffs year after year after year, and played in a conference finals. He has beaten Paul George and Russell Westbrook. He took out the Rockets a few years before. He has ended James Harden's seasons many times. He is a bad, bad dude, in the best way possible. People may crush him for his defense, but he is better than Luka on that end. People will point out how they got swept by the Pelicans in AD's second to last year with them. Well, Luka has only won two playoff games. People may say Luka is more exciting. Those people are dead, dead wrong. An all star game is supposed to be a high scoring, fun game with wild shots. I would much rather watch Dame pull up from the logo for a long three than watch Luka dribble the clock out and try to draw a foul on a mid range jumper. I'd rather see Dame drop a sweet dime to LeBron for a dunk than see Luka not get a call he wants, and then endlessly complain to the refs about it. I'd rather see Dame making three after three after three than see Luka try his fade away mid range jumper. Dame is a better, and far more exciting player. He is a much more deserving player too. He has put in his time, paid his dues and earned the rest of the NBA's respect.

Call me a Luka hater all you want. I am. I'm also sick and tired of some NBA fans trying to find their "white savior". It is so annoying. Damian Lillard got robbed of a starting spot, and that stinks. He is so much better than Luka. It is not even close.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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