Getting Older Means You Can't Eat Pounds of Food in One Sitting

Lately I have been watching a good amount of "Man vs Food" on The Cooking Channel. It is just good noise for the background of the house, my kids like it and we all like to see if the host can finish their challenge they do at the end of the episode. I was watching it with my daughter last night while my son was at football practice and I think I uttered one of the first real, "holy hell I am almost 40 years old" phrases I've ever done. Let’s discuss.

We were watching this guy take down an eight pound cheeseburger, and when my daughter asked if I thought I could do that, I said, "first of all, my stomach would be a mess, and also, I do not ever want to eat so much food that I feel miserable for the rest of my day". Oof. That was like getting hit in the head with a mallet that said "almost 40" on it. I used to be able to pack in the food. I could eat. When I was above 300 pounds, it was nothing for me to eat a few double cheeseburgers, fries and a chicken sandwich. We have a restaurant here that does a 1 lb burger challenge, and although it made me sick, I finished it with ease. But as I have gotten older, lost weight and started to eat "better", the idea of stuffing that much food in my face has zero appeal. Sure it would be neat to have some people cheer me on while doing it, and getting paid to eat would be dope as hell. But the after effects just do not seem worth it anymore. I think that may be another reason I watch, just like watching skateboarding videos, I know I cannot/do not want to do what he is doing. I know that I would be hurting for days afterward. I know that the whole bathroom situation would be unpleasant not only for me, but for my family as well. The rare occasion when I overeat now, I just openly complain to my wife, who is very sick of hearing from me about it. I also lost a decent amount of weight, kept off over 60 of it, and doing the stuff that the host does on "Man vs Food" would ruin that for me. I know as I get older that the stuff I used to eat with ease will not be much of an option. I'm already struggling with spicy food, and I love spicy food. Mexican food is my favorite cuisine. I love nachos. But I cannot get all the heat on them that I used to. I love sport peppers on hot dogs. They make me instantly sick when I eat them now. I only want dry rubbed chicken wings, preferably with a non spicy rub. I cannot do spicy BBQ sauce anymore. I had some curry the other day and it about wrecked me. We took my son to a ramen restaurant the other week and I ordered my food with no wasabi or other super spicy additions. I just cannot do it anymore. And the copious amounts of food, that is completely off the table. The thought of eating that one pound burger makes me gag. Trying to throw down on chicken nuggets or fries from McDonald's is a non-starter. My wife always asks me what food I think I could eat the most of in one sitting and I always come up empty. I always find an excuse for why I'd have to stop. I think it is because I just don't want to eat like the host of "MVF" or like I used to before everything changed for me.

Now, I will not stop watching this show. I love it. But seeing him eat the spicy stuff or when the amount of food is over a pound, that makes me ill now. I know it makes him sick too. This is all a real sign to me that I am getting older and it is kind of a drag. I guess the silver lining with being this close to 40 is I know my limits. That is about the only good I can think of now. Oh well, I guess that's life.

Ty

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

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Over Easy is the Only Way to Eat Eggs

After taking my son to the orthodontist yesterday, the three of us grabbed some breakfast from a local restaurant. My wife is out of town for work so I thought it would be nice to eat outside together. I also did not feel like cooking anything, so it was a win win.

We went to The Shack. Again, it's a local spot that we all enjoy. We ordered our breakfast and waited. While waiting we began to chat. My kids like to talk about their favorite things lately, so the conversation gravitated towards breakfast. We all mentioned the usual stuff. I like sausage and eggs, my son is a breakfast burrito guy and my daughter loves waffles and pancakes. That was pretty much what we all ordered too. But my kids' meals came with eggs. My son got his eggs scrambled for his burrito. I got mine in omelette form. My daughter got her eggs sunny side up.

This piqued my curiosity. I have never made them sunny side up for her. I do not believe my wife has either. I have never seen her eat sunny side up eggs in her lifetime. I did not think she would eat them. I was wrong. She devoured her eggs. I couldn't believe it. I kept asking her if she liked them and I got the thumbs up. That is her sign for greatness. She kept mentioning them throughout the day yesterday too, long after we left breakfast. She asked for more sunny side up eggs this morning, which she devoured yet again.

This morning the conversation of favorites moved to egg preparation. Obviously my daughter picked sunny side up. My son is a scrambled man. And I, if I had to choose one, like my eggs over easy. That is the main point of my piece today. I want to explain why I think over easy eggs are the best way to have eggs anytime of the day.

Sunny side up I get. It is fun to say. It looks good. The yolk is right there, and that is where all the flavor lies. A good sunny side up egg is tough to beat. But I also know some people do not like to see the yolk. Some people might think that is gross. And I get that. Scrambled eggs are good too. I do like a nice scrambled egg. I love omelettes. I like a very simple scramble with some shredded cheddar cheese in there. But it is incredibly easy to over scramble eggs. They get tough, well as tough as eggs can get. They taste rubbery when over scrambled. They don't have the right consistency. Scrambled eggs are the easiest to make, but also the easiest to mess up in my opinion. Over and hard boiled is too much. The eggs become too gummy. The yolk is like eating chalk. You can plus up hard boiled eggs by making them deviled eggs, but it becomes an appetizer then. It transforms it from a breakfast food. Over medium is too close to the edge of hard boiled. They can also get gummy.

Then you have over easy. This is the best. This is the way to make eggs. This is the most delicious form factor. There is nothing quite like the perfectly cooked over easy egg. The way the yolk explodes is magical. The egg white is cooked on both sides. You can add it to any sandwich and it adds a ton of flavor. I like them on their own or with some kind of breakfast meat. It is the best. I had two this morning and was raving about how tasty they were. My kids looked at me like I'm nuts, but I know that I am right here. I believe there is no better way to eat an egg than to have it over easy.

Eggs are great. They are a wonderful source of protein. And I love that there are tons of different ways to prepare them. But over easy is by far the best way to have them. I know it and I think you do too. That's 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 Watches "Nope"

Over the weekend my wife and I went to see "Nope". I remember when the first preview came out I mentioned how this may be the movie to get me back into the theaters. I did see two movies before this one, but I was most excited about seeing "Nope" on the big screen. I am a big time Jordan Peele fan. I love "Key and Peele". "Keanu" is a delight. Both Peele and Keegan Michael Key were probably the only reason to ever watch "Mad TV". And "Get Out" and "Us" are masterpieces. I prefer "Us", but both movies are unique, original, scary, funny and just flat out good. There is a reason why Peele has won an Oscar and is making the type of movies he makes. He is masterful at his craft.

What grabbed me most about "Nope" was how little I knew about it. This was purposeful on my behalf, and I have to guess on Jordan Peele's side as well. I did not want anything spoiled for me. That was how I approached his first 2 movies and that is the only way to do it. I want to be shocked and surprised and think about the movie for days after seeing them. That is exactly what happened with "Nope". I had no idea. I only knew that Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer were starring in it. Even when people started to theorize what was happening, or more info was coming out, I stayed away. I had some downloaded podcasts I skipped because they talked about the movie. I didn't want to know. And it was perfect.

I was enthralled by this movie. I loved almost every second of it. I will try to be as spoiler free as possible, but some stuff may slip. Sorry.

"Nope" is very different from "Get Out" and "Us". It is more sci-fi than horror. There is some humor, but not nearly as much as Winston Duke gave in "Us". The movie is also very, very big in scope. It is a spectacle. A lot of people online have said that this is Peele's version of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", and I really agree with that sentiment. Peele goes for it in "Nope" and that is wonderful. He takes a big swing. Some stuff doesn't connect, but that is few and far between. There were a few little things I would have cut to make the movie a tight two hours, but that is me being very nitpicky with a movie I adore. The way Peele tells the story of this movie had me engaged the whole time.

The very, very short synopsis of the movie is about a family that has horses that work in Hollywood and they are losing money. There also happens to be an alien-like creature eating people on their land. The moral, at least in my opinion, and other people's that I have read, is you cannot tame a wild animal. Peele tells that story brilliantly. The movie is put into parts. Each part has a title, and it is an animal's or person's name. Then we get to see the title person/animal go through their story. It was fascinating. Again, I do not want to spoil anything, but Gordy was my favorite/most horrifying story in the whole movie. It was done exceptionally. The performances were really solid too. Kaluuya is great. He is dour and down and over his head and does not want to be in charge. Keke Palmer is fast paced, the heart of the movie, she is funny, quick witted and commanding. She deserves awards consideration. Keith David is barely in it, but he is memorable. Steven Yeun is dynamite. I was telling my wife how great his post "Walking Dead" career has been. He is doing wonderful things. Michael Wincott has the coolest voice I have ever heard. And Brandon Perea, who I have never heard of, is really, really interesting and does a very good job as an added person to Kaluuya and Palmer's family farm.

I have now listened and read other people's reviews of this movie and they are generally mixed. I think people expect too much from Peele. They want everything he does to be this thought provoking, mind melding process. I do not know how these people did not see that in "Nope". I have not stopped thinking about it since I saw it. It is living in my head at the moment. I keep going back and reading more and more about the movie everyday. I loved it and I definitely recommend it for everyone.

"Nope" is a spectacle that should be seen on the big screen. I know that I'm glad I watched it.

Ty

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

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"Comedy Bang! Bang!" is Great. "Comedy Bang! Bang!" is Greater Live.

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing a live recording of Comedy Bang! Bang!. As many of you know, I have been on the bandwagon of this podcast from the jump. It was the second pod I came to, and I have been listening ever since. I was a fan before I had kids, a fan after having kids, a fan since I have been married, basically Comedy Bang! Bang! has been in the majority of my adult life. My cousin, who is also a fan, came with me, and it was awesome. There are few shows that I want to go to now. I have seen a lot of bands I have wanted to see. I have seen a good amount of comedians I wanted to see. I have gone to poetry readings, live talks and gospel shows. I have seen a lot. So when something comes along that I haven't seen, I will go without a second thought. COVID be damned, I was going to this show. They were also pretty COVID safe in the venue as well.

Anyway, this show was amazing. There is something special about Comedy Bang! Bang!. Improv comedy is such a tough balancing act but these guys are pros. They are the absolute best at what they do. Scott Aukermann is a masterful host. The way he guides the conversation, how he goes from one guest to the next, how he rolls with all the punches, he is such a pro. I can think of no one better to host. He also happens to be very funny and very quick witted. He knows the game and he plays it so very well. He also had total control of the crowd from the jump. It was great. Second only to Aukermann is Paul F Tompkins. He doesn't host, but for all intents and purposes he may as well be the co host. He is so excellent at playing along with Aukermann. The way the two of them play off one another is magical. PFT is also very good at character work. He is so good at taking some random character and making it memorable. Last night we were treated to Brock Lovett. This character is based off of Bill Paxton's character in "Titanic". Obviously he takes a lot of liberties. He also makes it hilarious. The whole wet treasure thing is comic gold. This was also my first time seeing PFT live and he did not disappoint. Dan Lippert was next on stage and he played Bill Walton. I was pumped. Dan Lippert is newer to me, but Bill Walton is one of my favorite characters on CBB, and he was hilarious as ever. All of the weed talk, the psychedelics talk, the way he couldn't string together a proper sentence, it was all wonderful. He did some great stage work. The whole "Ring" scenario was incredible. At one point he called PFT by name and was told to run laps by Scott Aukermann. He had to do crazy stuff with his headband and the stuff in his pocket. It all worked. Carl Tart was the final guest, and being a big fan of his, seeing him live was an absolute treat. I was so pumped when he was announced. Tart is a great podcaster, a very good actor and one of the better improvisers in the game right now. He played the lead singer of the band Cameo last night and it was as funny as it got. He and Aukermann play off each other almost as well as PFT and Aukermann do. Tart kept trying to lead Aukermann into jokes, and that was awesome as well. There were so many special things about this show last night. When they all did stand up that was great. Hearing them sing a bunch of different songs done like the band Cameo was amazing. The way they tried to make each other laugh was perfect.

I am so very happy that I got to see this show last night. It was a "bucket list" thing for me and it more than lived up to the hype. I cannot recommend seeing CBB live enough if they come to your town, or even close to your town. It rules and is one of the funniest things I have ever witnessed. What a great, great night of comedy.

Ty

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

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I May Not Skateboard, but I watch the Cool Videos

To get out of all the awfulness that goes on in our current world I like to watch videos on Instagram. I like to see dog videos, basketball videos, cooking videos, anything that kind of lets me just melt away for a bit. My daughter will watch the dog videos with me. My son loves basketball videos. My wife and I have actually done some of the cooking stuff that we have seen there.

I have been getting a little, not bored, I just want something a little different lately. So I did a little searching. I watched some baseball and football videos. They are cool, but not as fun as the basketball videos. There are only so many times I can watch a person make tacos, or grill steaks, or make burgers before I get overly hungry and just want to eat. And then we have the dog videos. While they may be the cutest animals on the planet, it just gives me puppy fever. I will watch a few videos and ask my wife if we can get another dog, which always ends badly for me. My daughter will also ask and she gets the same result. I mean, I absolutely adore the dog videos, but it just makes me want another dog which turns into more heartbreak for me. But recently I have seen some videos that I have been vibing out to before bed.

I have always admired skateboarders because I cannot do what they do. My brother Seth has always been a very good skater, and I would go out and watch him skate and have a blast. I would also try to do what he was doing, but as I said before, I just don't have that ability. As much as I wanted to do even the most simple thing, ride the skateboard straight for a bit, I couldn't do that. Then I stumbled across some skate videos on Instagram. I was hooked. I think it actually started when I was on vacation. One day we were walking around Ann Arbor and I saw a kid skating. I was enamored. I stopped and watched him do cool tricks and ride down the street. There were a few of us watching him skate. I even lost track of my family and the time and had to catch up to them. But there was something about it that kept my attention. So now watching these skate videos on Instagram is just another way for me to waste time, but enjoy that wasted time.

I love watching skaters do the most mundane thing to some of the wildest tricks I could ever imagine. I remember watching "Jackass" as a kid and liking the movie for the pranks. But I was also drawn to skating in the movies. I also watched my brother's skate videos. I used to love when music videos had skateboarding in them. I just enjoy it. And it is all because I can't do it, as I said. It is cool to watch people do things that I can only imagine doing. That is why I love pro basketball and college football. I played those sports, was pretty good, but not good enough to play at that level. Skating is even more foreign which is even more enticing. And to have them edited down to 30 second videos, with all the coolest stuff the skater can do, that is perfect. I can go from one video to the next and be even more amazed with each view. This is very new but I am very into it.

Skateboarding is rad, and watching videos of the best of the best do it is even better. I recommend you check it out too.

Ty

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

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R.I.P. Vin Scully

The sports world lost another one yesterday. Vin Scully passed away at 95. That is a good, long and fulfilling life. Scully did a whole lot in the world of announcing.

It's interesting because I had very little idea who Scully was until I started to watch shows like "The Simpsons". Every time "The Simpsons" would do something involving baseball and an announcer, the announcer always had this very distinct and unique voice. It made me laugh. I liked how they had the voice actor stretch their words and say stuff like "who nellie". It always worked on me. One day, I have to assume it was either RD or my dad, was watching a Dodgers game on TV and the voice sounded so familiar to me. I heard it from the other room and entered thinking they were watching "The Simpsons". When I walked in the room I asked what ep they were watching. I was informed it was a baseball game. That it was real. I was stunned. I couldn't believe that there was actually an announcer who sounded like the guy on "The Simpsons". This was when my mind was blown. Whoever was watching the game told me that "The Simpsons" were doing an impression of this announcer named Vin Scully. From there on out I was hooked.

I am not a Dodgers fan by any means, but hearing Scully call games was dope. I grew up in Saint Louis, so I had Jack and Joe Buck, which was cool. And being close to Chicago, I got to hear Harry Carey call games too. He was always fun. But none of them compared to Scully. There was just something about his voice. It was like a blanket on a cold day. He had this soothing way of talking about the game. The way he described what was happening was second to none. He stretched his words. He said things like "whoa nellie". He would get excited, but then immediately calm it all down. He was a true professional. It is a real bummer that he is gone.

In the past year we have lost Vin Scully and John Madden. Keith Jackson passed a while back. Stuart Scott was taken far too soon. Craig Sager died too fast after his diagnosis. It seems like all the great announcers are dying off, and that makes me sad. The good ones are leaving us with some retreads and also rans. It stinks. I'd much rather have Scully calling baseball games than Chris Bermann. I'd prefer to hear only Keith Jackson call college football games. Craig Sager was the perfect foil to the "Inside the NBA" crew. Stuart Scott was one of a kind, and maybe one of the GOATS on ESPN.

As said before, Scully lived a very long life, left a great legacy and will be remembered forever for his contribution to the game of baseball. But he will be missed and Dodgers games will never sound the same. RIP Vin Scully. Maybe you are calling games wherever you are right now. At least, that is what I hope.

Ty

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

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I'm Happy for Juan Soto

Let's talk a little about baseball today. As always I like to preface these talks with my little knowledge of the MLB. I only follow one baseball team, the Ballwin Outlaws, because that is who my ten year old plays for and I'm an assistant coach.

Major League Baseball used to mean a whole lot to me, but college football and basketball have completely taken over in my adult years. I do not know many players anymore, this fact was never truer to me than when my wife and I took my son to a Cardinals game this year and I did not know a single starter since Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols were not playing. But I do know the big names. I know who Aaron Judge is. I know who Yadi and Pujols are. I'm very aware of Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Shohei Othani. I could tell you who the "star" players in the league are right now, including Juan Soto. Now I do have to say that I had no idea who he was until last year when I downloaded a baseball game on my phone and he was the cover athlete. I had no idea who this Nationals player was, so I looked it up and found out he is a pretty damn good baseball player. It also showed on the video game I had. He could really mash the ball. Then my son watched the home run derby this year when we were on vacation, and Juan Soto went on to win that. I also read a story earlier this year that he turned down a contract offer from the Nationals in the 440 million dollar range for 15 years I believe it was. And then I saw that he wanted a trade, and that the Cardinals were one of the teams who could give one of the better offers. So I paid a little more attention to Juan Soto.

Soto was traded today, for what many analysts are saying is a good package, but it wasn't to Saint Louis, or New York, or the Dodgers. He was traded to California, to the San Diego Padres. At first I was slightly bummed. I thought the Cardinals had a real chance, and if they had traded for him, maybe, just maybe I would pay more attention to the rest of their season. But as I've had some time to sit here and think about the trade, I think it is kind of rad that he is going to play for the Padres. They already have a pretty dope lineup that includes Fernando Tatis Jr and Manny Machado, two more names I am familiar with. Adding him makes them damn near as lethal as a lineup you can get in the majors.

It is not just the fact that he is joining a cool, young and kind of hip squad in the Padres, it is where he didn't go. I am, for all intents and purposes, a Cardinals fan, but our fanbase is stuck up and rude. We act all high and mighty. We act like we deserve star players all the time. We say things like, "Saint Louis is heaven for baseball players". That is some nonsense. We also already have a decent enough team too. Adding Soto would have been unfair. I could say the same thing for the Yankees and Dodgers. Those teams are historic and really, really good right now, but they also buy or acquire their talented players. I believe Aaron Judge may be the only star player the Yankees drafted, or at least came through their minor league system. It is the same with the Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw. Everyone else of importance to those teams is a star player that the Dodgers or Yankees outbid everyone else to sign. Guys like Giancarlo Stanton, Mookie Betts, Antnoy Rizzo, Josh Donaldson, Trea Turner and David Price, just to name a few, were stars for other teams, mostly small market teams, that signed with one of the Yankees or Dodgers for boatloads of money. Or take a team like the Angels. Soto could have ended up there, in a humongous market, but he would have been stuck like Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani are right now. The Angels are going nowhere fast, and those two guys are stuck. The same would have been true for Soto. But there is something different, and cool, about him joining up with San Diego. It gives me a better feeling about baseball. He is going to a fun team, with great players who are young and talented and I believe this makes them the odds on favorite to make the World Series from the NL. While the Cardinals did not give up enough to get him, and will get their asses kicked by the Padres if they meet in the playoffs, this outcome is about as good as it gets for me as a novice MLB fan.

Good luck to Juan Soto and the Padres from here on out. Tony Gwynn would be thrilled that they are taking a real swing at a special season.

Ty

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

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R.I.P Bill Russell

Bill Russell passed away at 88 yesterday. I was out for a run, I got home, cleaned myself up and checked my phone. This is what I do every Sunday after my morning run. This is my routine. The first thing I saw when I checked was a whole bunch of people writing "RIP Bill Russell".

I did not want to believe it at first. I understand that he was old, but it seemed like Bill Russell was going to live for a bit longer. I figured he would make it to his mid 90's. He still seemed like he had time. I saw him at the Finals. I saw him on TV a lot during the NBA season. And he looked okay. Again, he had grayed and he moved slower than usual, but he still seemed to have it all together. He wasn't going away mentally at least. So when I read his family's statement on his passing, it hit me a little harder than I thought it would.

It is no secret how much I dislike the Celtics. They may be my least favorite professional sports team. But Bill Russell was the exception for me. He was a player who I never saw play, but knew all about his career. I feel like it is a prerequisite to know about Russell when you decided to get into basketball. He was a trailblazer. He was ahead of his time. He dominated. He did things that were unheard of back when he played. He would have thrived in any era with his style of play. He was a defensive first style player. He was the original rim protector. He was a skinnier, more athletic Shaq on the defensive end. He was impenetrable when protecting the rim. He is the greatest rebounder to ever play the game. Without his rebounding prowess there would have been no Moses Malone, Dennis Rodman, Andre Drummond, Tim Duncan, none of those guys would have had a role model to look up to in the rebounding game. I mean, you go look at his old stats and 40 rebounds pops up regularly. It is nuts. Russell was also a dominant low post scorer, but only did it when it was needed. He would put up points when he wanted to, or was asked. He could go for 30 with ease at any moment. But he was also the consummate team player. He did what was best for the team no matter what. If he was asked to only rebound, he did it better than anyone else. If he was asked to be a defensive force, he did it better than anyone else. If the Celtics needed scoring, Russell was more than capable of putting up massive amounts of points. He was Tim Duncan before Tim Duncan. He was the quiet superstar that did what was needed. He never cared about his own stats, he did what was best for his team. He was the antithesis to Wilt Chamberlain, another great. But, even with my disdain for the Celtics, I like Russell so much more than Chamberlain.

Bill Russell was also a very important civil rights activist. He stood up for that he believed in and spoke his mind. He did all this in an era where it could have been detrimental to his personal and professional life. But he didn't care. He felt that he needed to be a voice. People listened to him. People respected him. His fans followed him. He used his voice for all the right things. And again, to do this in the 50's and 60', that took a serious amount of guts. And Russell continued all of this in his post NBA career. He has an excellent autobiography every basketball fan should read. He was a steady presence at many NBA games, mostly Celtics games. He would give speeches at awards shows and NBA banquets. There is one of the greatest interviews I have ever seen between him and Kevin Garnett. As a fan of both, I get chills just thinking about it today. Bill Russell was a giant in so many ways. He was a great basketball player. He was an excellent person. He was an activist. He was always himself. He never put on airs.

I am bummed that Bill Russell has passed away. I will miss him. I told my son the news yesterday and even he was devastated. He is 10. That is how far Russell's reach is in the basketball and real world. Rest In Peace Bill Russell. You lived a very full and very eventful life and you will be dearly missed. Enjoy your peace.

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 Rehearsal"

After returning home from vacation one thing my wife and I like to do is get caught up on some TV that we missed. We don't watch too much TV while on vacation. There is too much to do, we plan excursions, we go for dinner and then we are so tired that we crash at bedtime. The TV may come on from time to time, but it is not watched very closely. So arriving home, it becomes much easier to watch some shows that we didn't, or had to wait for.

One such show is "The Rehearsal". This is Nathan Fielder's new HBO show. I remember hearing about this show as much as two years ago. When "Nathan For You" was finished with its run, there were rumors swirling everywhere that Fielder wasn't done with TV, he just needed some time off to think of his next project. He also pretty much immediately signed a deal with HBO after "Nathan For You" was over. It was also rumored that HBO was going to give him carte blanche. He was going to be allowed to do what he wanted, when he wanted as long as he didn't go overboard. With "The Rehearsal" he has achieved something truly magical.

What I loved so much about "Nathan For You" was how uncomfortable it made me feel. The comedy was cringeworthy, but in the best possible way. Everything about that show worked for me as a comedy fan. It cemented Fielder as the modern day Andy Kaufman to me. "The Rehearsal" takes it five-ten steps further.

The premise of the show is to help people rehearse for real life events. The first episode was about a guy that wanted to tell his trivia teammates that he actually did not have a masters degree. The second episode was about a lady who wanted to simulate what it would be like to be a first time mom. But there is so, so, so much more to these episodes than just these baseline summaries. Fielder works with actors to not only help the person who contacted him, but also helps himself in dealing with the people. Fielder hires actors himself to portray the people he will be interacting with. It is wild to see. He has conversations with these people and the show will cut to him rehearsing with actors. He also tells the people all of this after he does the initial interview with him, and shockingly, the people are, for the most part, on board. Again, it is wild. But it gets even crazier. As Fielder is helping the people we see his full process. I'm talking notes, hiring other actors to help out, building extremely elaborate sets, using his own warehouse, having a computer constantly at the ready, having phone calls fully planned out. It is all there and it is all very comprehensive. There were many times I would say out loud, "wow", or, "oh my goodness", completely flabbergasted by what I was witnessing. But what really makes this show stand out is how well the cringe comedy works. I was so uncomfortable the whole time, yet I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. I wished there were more episodes when we watched the first two.

I am stoked to watch the new episode tonight, yet I know I will be bummed when the 30 minutes are over because I'll have to wait another week. I just can't get enough of this show. Yes it makes me uncomfortable, but I also realize that I am watching gold. This show is genius. I can see why it took so long for this to come out and why there are only six episodes. The amount of meticulous work that went into this show is the stuff of a mad scientist genius. It is truly masterful work.

Nathan Fielder has done it yet again. "The Rehearsal" is must watch TV for any comedy fan out there. Nathan Fielder is on a level only shared by Donald Glover. These people know how to make great TV.

Ty

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

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Biking and Running Mackinac Island

Today I want to talk about how I got around while on Mackinac Island. This will also wrap up my days of talking about my vacation. We did visit some friends in Chicago, but the last day on Mackinac was, technically, our last day of vacation. We drove home over the next two days with one stop in between. But being on Mackinac for a full day was cool.

As I said yesterday, there are no cars allowed on the island. There is no way to get them there, the streets are full of tourists walking, biking and running. It is kind of awesome to live like that for a day or two. The first day we were there we did some walking around. It was cool. You could go at a leisurely pace and stop wherever you wanted. The island was your oyster if you will. I also went on a run. I decided to do my own personal 5k. It ruled. The resort we stayed on had a big hill down to the mainland, and from there it was pretty flat. I was tired, but I was keeping a sub ten minute mile pace, which is good for me. It was also nice to see all the sights on my run. I got to see a myriad of horses. I dodged tourists left and right. The water was mesmerizing. You could see the bridge from where I went. The bridge is a big deal on Mackinac. It is a humongous structure. It is a sight to behold. I am scared of heights, so it was a struggle to look at. But when you see it from the island it is miraculous. Seeing it on my run was a nice break.

The weather was also perfect for my run. It was 70 degrees, sunny and there was a nice breeze coming off the lake. It ruled. I had planned on going trail running the second day we were there, but other stuff came up, more on that in a few. There were so many horses. I have never seen so many horses. They have carriage rides. The taxis are horse drawn. The delivery trucks and trash trucks are pulled by horses. It was neat. There was also so much horse droppings, but they had people cleaning it up everywhere. It was interesting.

The main mode of transportation on the island is by bike. Pretty much everyone brings a bike or rents one while on the island. It is the fastest and easiest way to get around. My brother and his wife brought their bikes. The rest of us rented. I loved every single second riding a bike. I am not much of a bike rider, but something about being on Mackinac, it just made sense. I said I had planned on going for a trail run on our full day there. And that was the plan. Then my son said he wanted to ride a tandem bike with me. I was all on board. It was his idea and I couldn't have been more eager to ride with him. We found a tandem bike with ease and started to ride. Miles helped a ton. He did so much peddling with me. I did not know what to expect, but he started to really get into it about three miles in. The island is an eight mile loop. I thought Miles was only going to want to go out and back about three miles. But the further we went the more he wanted to go. It was great. We ended up doing a full loop together. We stopped for pictures, to drink water and when we saw our family. We also ended up on the beach for a few minutes here and there. After our full loop Miles wanted some lunch and fudge, so I obliged him. He did so great on the bike that he earned it. So we did our thing. I figured he was going to be ready to return the bike, but he wanted to go out for more. Again, I obliged. We rode to Arch Rock, a great sightseeing spot. We saw the bridge. We hung out by the beach. We did another four miles. It ruled. I assumed I was done on the bike after three hours of riding with Miles. I was going to go on that trail run around two. But after meeting up with my mom, dad, wife, daughter and niece, my daughter said she wanted to go on a ride with me. I had to take her since I went all around the island with her brother. She is a bit too small for a tandem bike, so we rented a bigger bike for me with a wee ho attachment for her. The wee ho is a little seat that has a big buckle system. She had an absolute blast. We booked it around the island. We were cooking. I would look at my watch and would be astounded at how far we had gone in such a little amount of time. We made it around the full island in 45 minutes. I returned the bike. By that time I had gone 19 miles on bike around the island, 11 with Miles and 8 with Audrey. I was spent. Plus we walked over 12,000 steps on the island that day. The trail run got pushed because I was having too much fun with my kids on the bike. It is an experience I will never forget. I loved it so very much. I took so many pictures.

Biking is truly the best way to get around and sightsee on the island.

Ty

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

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My Adventure on Mackinac Island

The last part of our summer vacation found us in Mackinac Island. I want to spend the next two days talking about my time there. I had never been there before. I have been to the UP of Michigan a bunch, that was where we vacationed when I was a kid, but I had never been to the Mackinac side before. I was curious to see what it was like. In all seriousness, it looks like the rest of the UP. There are little shops, some motels, pasty shops and gas stations as far as the eye can see. But Mackinac is different. This is a fully different spot to visit.

To get to Mackinac you have to take a ferry to get there. I've only ever been on a ferry one other time in my life and it was to go to a restaurant in Illinois. It was a five minute ride across a tiny lake. Not much to write home about. This ferry ride though, this was where it was at. The ferry boat was humongous. It had two levels. There was an open spot on the top and an indoor area on the lower deck. It was rad. The day we got there it was raining and cold, so we sat in the lower deck. It was pretty cool. They kept a window open so you could feel the breeze from the lake. Also, the lake was enormous. The ferry ride was about 15-20 minutes long and it was very relaxing. I was sitting there looking out my window and just watched the ferry cruise along the lake. It was great. My daughter also had a very good time checking it out. She loved it more than any of us I think.

When you get to Mackinac it could be a total mess of people. But they know how to handle crowds and people getting on and off ferry boats left and right. I was impressed by how they managed the crowd. We were told where to go, where our resort was and how to get there, either by foot or by carriage. That is another thing about Mackinac, there are no cars on the island. They are not allowed. To get around you have to walk, take a carriage, run or ride bikes. Bikes seem to be the most popular mode of transportation on the island. More on that tomorrow.

When you finally settle and get out, Mackinac is like a tourist dream. There are kitchy shops as far as the eye can see. There are way, way too many fudge shops, but that is just maybe in my head since I don't like fudge. Also, Mackinac is kind of known for their fudge. I will say that my wife and kids have loved every bit of fudge they have had since we got home. There are also Adirondack chairs everywhere on the island. Each morning we would have breakfast sitting on an Adirondack chair and looking at the lake. Again, it was relaxing. I loved having my iced coffee and sitting on the lake with my fam. It was exactly what I like to do when I am on vacation. The restaurants were solid, and you could sit outside at any of the spots. It was also perfect weather every single day. The temperature never got above 75, there was hardly any humidity, and when the sun went down it was cool enough to wear sleeves. It was the best. The resorts were also very cool and comfortable. I have zero complaints about where we stayed other than everything is made for people under six feet tall, but that is just fine. I just had to duck down, which I do a lot already.

Mackinac Island is a very cool, very touristy and very fun place to visit. I'm so glad that I finally went. I will definitely go into more detail about the stuff I did tomorrow, but I just wanted to lay a baseline for how cool Mackinac is when you arrive. It was a blast. I cannot wait to go back.

Ty

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

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Adventures in Ann Arbor

After leaving Indianapolis we made our way to Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is no secret that I am a big time Wolverines fan. That is my squad. That is the only non-family thing that I actually love. So going to Ann Arbor is a pilgrimage for me if you will. I went a few years back, pre COVID, for a football game. That ruled. We also took my son there in 2019 during his Spring Break for a day trip while in Holland, Michigan. Ann Arbor is a great place to visit. It is a cool college town with like minded people. We all cheer for the Wolverines. The mood is more liberal there too, which is perfect for me.

One of the best things to do while in Ann Arbor is going to Zingermann's Deli. It is my favorite sandwich shop in the country. There is no better spot for a sandwich that I have found, anywhere in the country. The sandwiches are big, they are flavorful, they are worth the cost and they are simply perfect. I had their traditional Rueben. It comes with pastrami, cole slaw, swiss cheese and is on rye bread. It is as straightforward as they come and it is so, so delicious. I inhaled my lunch that day. I couldn't get enough of it. My wife had a Georgia Rueben, which had the same ingredients but they substitute the pastrami with turkey. She let me try some and it was very, very good. I enjoyed it quite a bit. My son had a sandwich that had roasted chicken and bbq sauce on it and that was great. Hell, my daughter's grilled cheese on rye was tasty. The whole place is simply the best. My wife and I each got a pickle, one that stated it had "extra garlic" in it. It was phenomenal. I couldn't get enough of it. I loved each bite. My daughter had real applesauce that even had a light red hue to it. It was fresh and delicious. I liked it quite a bit. Zingermann's Deli is a must stop when going to Ann Arbor.

After lunch we did some sightseeing. I took my son to the M Den to do some shopping. He was amazed at the amount of basketball jerseys they had. He was in heaven. He searched and searched and finally settled on an old school Juwan Howard jersey. It was dope. My daughter got some pom poms. My dad got a sticker and I settled on a lanyard. It is so awesome to walk into a store that is filled with the gear of your favorite team. It makes shopping fun. We had a good time at the M Den.

We walked downtown for a bit, but my wife, son, daughter and mom were getting tired so they headed back to the hotel. My dad and I had other intentions. We made our trip to the football stadium. I cannot go to Ann Arbor without going to Michigan Stadium, or The Big House. It is my church, if I believed in that stuff. It is my main reason, and thing I want to do when visiting Ann Arbor. My dad and I drove around the whole stadium and snapped a ton of pictures, or as my wife and mom said, too many. I love seeing the humongous block M everywhere. There is awesome Michigan artwork everywhere outside the stadium. The Crisler Center, where the Wolverines play basketball, is attached to Michigan Stadium. The player development center is right there too. But there is nothing like going to the very front of the stadium. You get to see the biggest block M. The entrance to the stadium is immaculate. The big screen in front has flashing images of all the different sports. You can read the fight song on one of the pillars inside the stadium. It is the absolute best. This was where I felt the most like a tourist and it was incredible. I simply cannot recommend The Big House enough.

Ann Arbor is pretty cool town. It is a must visit spot. It is one of the greatest places in the country without a doubt.

Ty

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

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The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a Must Visit

Hello all. I'm back from my vacation. It was great. It was relaxing and fun and I saw a ton of cool stuff and I'm going to spend the next four days going over some of the cool stuff I saw while I was gone.

I want to start with the first stop of the trip, Indianapolis. We spent a day and a half there. I had never spent any extended time in Indy. I always drove through or stopped for one night in a hotel. I never did any sightseeing or touristy stuff. This time we did. The Indianapolis Children's Museum was recommended to us by many people, including RD himself. I knew nothing of this spot. I did some research the night before we went and everything online made it sound like a perfect spot, especially for my kids. My son is ten, obsessed with sports and is very, very smart. My daughter is six, just as smart and loves pretty much any kind of toy that she can get her hands on. The Indianapolis Children's Museum was a perfect fit.

This place is four stories high full of all kinds of different activities that we all could partake in. Along with me, my wife and kids, my mom and dad came with us. We split up into two groups, boys and girls. Miles wanted to go with me and his papa, and Audrey wanted to have, in her words, "a ladies day". It was perfect. Miles, myself and my dad instantly made our way to the outside sports area. This was dope as hell. When you walk outside there are about a dozen different basketball hoops, ranging from five feet to ten feet. It was awesome. You could shoot, dunk and they even had shot clocks so you could get a quick one on one game in no time. Miles and I spent a good amount of time here. My dad also got some shots up. It was great. Right next to the hoops they had a football area. You could throw passes, kick field goals and run a "gauntlet". It was excellent. Not to be outdone there was a soccer field, a baseball diamond, a mini hockey rink, the biggest treehouse I have ever seen, a go kart racetrack and two mini golf courses. It was amazing. We were at the museum for about five hours and my three man crew spent about three and a half hours outside. It was truly wonderful.

My wife, daughter and mom all had a blast really checking out the exhibits at the museum. They went to an area that had a whole entire Greece exhibit. They made olive oil, rode a fake plane and saw some snacks. They went to the American Pop and Barbie exhibit. They were filled with so many toys I think my daughter's head was spinning. She got to make her own Barbie too. They saw a ton of artwork. They got to do some math and science experiments.

We all went to the dinosaur exhibit and that was truly amazing. I am a dinosaur fan so this was a big deal for me. They had some of the coolest rebuilt dinos. They had them in real life situations. They had a fossil digging spot. They had real fossils mixed in with the fake ones. They had dinos all the way from the floor to the wall. It was so dope. I didn't want to leave this spot, but my son kept begging to go outside and my daughter wanted to spend more time with her mimi.

We went back to go to the outdoor sports area, but we stopped to check out the stuff inside before going back out. There were a ton of cool paintings of athletes in motion. They had a pitching machine where you could pitch virtually. They had Lego Nascar's. They even had a TV where you could make your own sports segment on the news. Both my kids loved this. It was also hilarious. My son had a green t-shirt on, and since there was a green screen behind him, all you could see was his head and arms. It ruled.

Hell, even the food court had solid food. This place was so worth the price. I simply cannot recommend it enough. We had some rain during the day, but that did not stop us at all. We went and hooped in the rain. I raced my son on the go-kart in the rain. We mini golfed in the rain. And it didn't slow us down one bit. The Indianapolis Children's Museum is a must stop for anyone going to Indy. It was wonderful.

Ty

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

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Let's Talk About the Current State of "Star Wars"

I am a big “Star Wars” fan. I am the right age to have experienced the original trilogy as a kid, the prequel trilogy as a cynical young adult, and the sequel trilogy as a father approaching middle age. I have seen all nine movies during their original theatrical runs, and I have watched every Disney + shows related to all things a galaxy far, far away. I guess what I’m saying is that I am a self proclaimed expert on “Star Wars” and I want to talk about my concerns of my favorite pop culture property.

The pre Disney days of Star Wars is filled with home runs and strikeouts. The originally trilogy, even Jedi, are all timeless classics. The Holiday Special is a special kind of crap that is a must see to believe. The Ewok adventure movies are unwatchable. The re-releases of the original movies are better than they are bad. Once the prequel trilogy came out, Star Wars was already a cultural juggernaut. I will address the prequels in another post, but the short story is that I do not hate them. The prequel era did lead to incredible Star Wars content with great video games and the “Clone Wars” and “Rebels” cartoon shows. I am going to forget about the “Clone Wars” movie as we should all forget that piece of Star Wars.

When Disney purchased Star Wars and announced plans for a sequel trilogy, I was very excited. My favorite pop culture property was in a good spot. I will discuss my thoughts on the sequel trilogy another time, spoiler - I hated The Rise of Skywalker. Along with the sequel trilogy we were give “Rogue One”, great, and “Solo”, better than it’s reputation. Many moviegoers seemed to be getting less and less excited for Star Wars in their movie theaters. Disney’s new cash cow looked to be drying up.

The launch of Disney + brought the first live action Star Wars show with “The Mandalorian” For over a year the public knew very little about this new Star Wars project. Once “The Mandalorian” premiered, and we all were introduced to Baby Yoda, Star Wars was back on top. Everyone loved “The Mandalorian”. The second season further cemented the new age of Star Wars. What seemed to not be working in the theaters, Disney had found a winning Star Wars formula on the small screen.

“The Mandalorian” was followed on Disney + with the last season of “The Clone Wars”, my favorite Star Wars thing ever, “The Bad Batch”, also awesome, “Visions”, go watch it now, and other small one off specials. We started to hear of new Star Wars movies being cancelled or delayed, and new Star Wars shows were being greenlit daily.

Speaking of the new shows, this year we have already seen two, “The Book of Boba Fett” and “Obi-Wan Kenobi”. This is where I am starting to ask questions about the future of Star Wars. Both shows I enjoyed, but I felt like they were both not really part of a larger Star Wars universe. I saw a meme when “Book of Boba Fett” was out that showed two kids playing with their Star Wars toys and it said “Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau writing the next Star Wars show”. It was cool, but also very true. “Book of Boba Fett” started with a story of redemption and then midway through it took a sharp turn into The Mandalorian and Baby Yoda are back show. It did end with Fett riding a Rancor so that was cool, but cool is not always good. “Obi-Wan Kenobi” seemed to go no where meaningful until the last two episodes. That last fight is awesome, but what were the five hours leading up to it for?

I know that I am being the typical comic book guy and complaining about something that has given me joy for years, but I am a big fan and want to see that fandom continue. I love G.I. Joe and am very sad that my son’s generation doesn’t even know what it is. Right now G.I. Joe only exists as a form of nostalgia, Star Wars looks to be going down that same path. The sequel movies leaned heavily on feeding that nostalgia, and shows like “The Mandalorian”, “Book of Boba Fett”, and “Obi-Wan Kenobi” are just continuing to add to our “remember this” buffet. If you only try to appeal to your aging fans, you will miss out on the next generation.

I do see a new hope on the horizon. “The Clone Wars” invented new exciting characters like Ahsoka Tano, and gave individual personalities to the clone troopers. “The Bad Batch” is telling stories away from the Luke, Reys, and Darth Vaders of the galaxy far, far, away. “Rogue One” took a minor plot point and created iconic characters and moments never seen in a Star Wars. I am thankful for the Dave Filonis and Jon Favreaus of the Star Wars world, but I am also hopeful that the Deborah Chows Taika Waititis get to put their unique marks on Star Wars. I will be there to watch it all, I just hope the next generation is on the couch with me and enjoying it as I have.

RD

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

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Ranking the Opening of Every Original "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" Cartoon

I have said this before and I am going to say it again, “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” was a big part of my childhood. The episodes aired on weekday afternoons in suburban St. Louis. I would rush home from school to watch my favorite toy line have adventures on my television. The next day my friends and I would talk about G.I.Joe, play with our G.I. Joe toys, and talk about what new G.I. Joe toys we wanted. I was more obsessed with G.I. Joe than I was even with Star Wars. I am still obsessed and even ranked all 95 episodes of the original Sunbow series. Today I’m going to rank the opening credits/song of the first Sunbow run.

Let’s get to it.

#5 The M.A.S.S. Device miniseries

First things first, all of these openings are great. The biggest thing that hurts the first miniseries is that it is the first. The creative geniuses working on the GI Joe cartoon would always find ways to improve the opening, and they did.

With that being said, this opening is still great. It introduces you the concept, the characters and even clearly tells you the enemy is “Destro and Cobra". truly a classic.

#4 Arise Serpentor Arise - Season 2

The dawn of a new era in GI Joe, the reign of Serpentor.

This opening, like it’s predecessors, is heavy on the action and the characters. Actually, there may be a pit too many characters. Still great and when you saw this opening you knew exactly what era of Joe you were getting.

#3 The Revenge of Cobra

The Revenge of Cobra was the second miniseries and saw the introduction of classic characters like Shipwreck, Flint, Lady Jaye, Zartan, Strom Shadow, and many others. All these new characters get great action moments throughout the intro. What places this opening ahead of the others is the great flamethrower morphing into the series title. Greatness all around.

#2 First Season

Yes the first season of GI Joe was after the third miniseries, that is not a typo.

What an opening. The line of Joe vehicles, the massive Cobra airship, all the punching, this is probably the greatest opening to a 1980’s cartoon, or any other cartoon, ever.

Nothing beats this intro, except…

#1 The Movie

The end of the Sunbow era brought the greatest cartoon intro ever made. The song slaps, the action kicks, the patriotism punches you in the gut. I just wish the movie that followed was as great as this opening.

Yo Joe.

RD

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

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The People Want Legal Abortion

I am writing to politely ask, no I mean I am loudly pleading that we all take one step back before we throw the whole country off a cliff. For the last few days, I have been monitoring the public dialogue and the public sentiment when it comes to access to abortion. It seems to me that a small, very loud, part of our society is losing their minds and in the process are driving our country to a place we should not go. Please, come back from the cliff of anti-abortion zealotry.

You may ask am I pro-abortion. I do not think that my opinion matters. I am a middle-aged white man and therefore should not be the sole decider for over half of the country’s population. I am not here to discuss my personal beliefs; I am here to ask the pro-life movement to take a moment and have a discussion with this country and to not just arbitrarily decide what you think is right and what you think is wrong. Going down that path is a losing proposition for your group and a losing proposition for any political party.

Following the Supreme Court Dobbs decision many of the leaders on the right-hand side of our political spectrum were saying that the Supreme Court did not ban abortion, it just pushed the decision back to the states, to the voters. In the weeks since this historic decision, my home state of Ohio has led the country in trying to pass draconian laws aimed at punishing anything and anyone connected to abortion. No compassion, just punishment. Many of these laws are being put forward without any common sense attached to them. One proposal would ban invitro fertilization. Why would we do that? Is it the intent for the right to lifers to add to the trauma of a couple desperately trying to have a baby? Some of our state leaders have used the Dobbs decision to float the idea of banning the use of contraceptives. Again, why invade the privacy of others and add to their anguish. It has gotten so bad that the life of the mother is not even takin in into consideration to feed the right to life’s desire to not consider anyone’s pain.

The wrongheadedness of these anti-abortion absolutists came to a head recently with the news that a ten-year-old rape victim had to travel to another state to get a procedure that was going to save her life. How did the zealots on the right respond? Many questioned the story itself putting the onus on a ten-year-old to prove her trauma and relive her nightmare. A ten-year-old had to fight against grown men who have political power. Once these men were proven wrong, they immediately went to the predictable playbook of playing the victim. I will say again, these men did not feel bad about retraumatizing a ten-year-old so they could prove their “pro-life” credentials. It is madness.

The fact is that a large majority of the country does not agree with the pro-life absolutists. The ten-year-old girl story further illustrates how out of touch these people are. The Supreme Court said let the states decide. So, I ask these leaders to do just that. Let the people decide. Being elected to office does not make you a king, you represent the people. We are currently in the midsts of an election that will decide leadership at every level of government. I know that if the pro-life zealots continue to push their non compassionate out of touch agenda, they will see the losses at the ballot box and they will once again be pushed off to the side and be labeled again as the fringe.

Let the people decide. Back away from the cliff. Be compassionate and solve the true problems facing the people. You are on the wrong side of this issue.

 RD

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

Come and support us and the podcast on Patreon.

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Why am I Still Playing "Cyberpunk 2077"?

I’m a big fan of the open world video game. I have written on this site about the early innovation of the genre with the original Legend of Zelda, the serene pleasure of Skyrim, and unlike Ty I think the latest Zelda game is the greatest video game ever made. Just the other day I finished Grand Theft Auto V for my third different console. Add in games like Minecraft and No Mans Sky and we are sitting in the golden age of open world games.  

In late 2020, after many delays, Cyberpunk 2077 was released into the world. The game had a lot of hype. It was supposed to be the evolution of games like GTA V. The game has Keanu freaking Reeves in it. Also as a teenager my friends and I played the Cyberpunk role playing game. This game seemed destined for my Xbox. I purchased it almost immediately after it was released.  

If you know about the early days of Cyberpunk 2077, you know the next part of the story. For those of you that don’t know what happened I can sum the saga of the game with one word, broken. Cyberpunk 2077 was broken when it came out. I am not saying it was less than the hype like No Man’s Sky when it was released. Cyberpunk 2077 did not work. Sure you could start the game, customize your character and start the story, but it would not be long before the game locked up. It happened to me when I first went to the ripper doc, and when I would try again it would lock up again. I did what the internet told me to to fix the game, but then I had a lame game that looked terrible. After a few months I gave up on Cyberpunk 2077 and went back to causing havoc in GTA V.  Recently I upgraded to an Xbox X and decided to give Cyberpunk 2077 another try. I heard that there was an update for the newer generation of consoles and that the game actually worked as it was supposed to. I downloaded the very large update and started the game once again.  

The good news is that I got past the ripper doc without the game locking up. Also, the game looks great and runs smoothly. Even the part when you get to play as Keanu’s character was pretty cool. The bad part, Cyberpunk 2077 is a boring game. I have put about ten hours in and I can count on one hand the number of fights I have been in. The story is pretty bland compared to other games in the genre. The gun fight mechanics are good once you know how to do them, but the learning curve is quite steep, and I have yet to figure out an easy way to know what weapons are better than others. The game is needlessly complicated.  It is quite frustrating.

Yet I am still playing Cyberpunk 2077. Part of it is that I want to believe the game is good. The potential is there. Another part of my compulsion to complete the game is because I want to experience the open world of Night City with the strongest character and the best weapons. I know it sounds stupid, but that’s what these games give us, a reason to be stupid.  

Would I recommend Cyberpunk 2077 to anyone. That’s hard to say, I have not finished the game. Maybe it gets way better the next ten hours. I have been with No Mans Sky since the beginning and that game is fulfilling its early promise these many years later on. Maybe Cyberpunk 2077 will develop the same way. I just hope this broken first fix later does not become the norm. If it does I will just go back to play good working games. Hyrule and Los Santos are always fine places to spend a few gaming hours.

RD

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

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Let's Make Movie Soundtracks Great Again

Over the last few years I have taken an interest in collecting physical media. It started with vinyl records, moved into Blu-Rays and 4K DVDs and now includes comic books. I have a running list at a local comic shop and a local record store for things I am looking for. The comics are easy, it is mostly stuff I read as a kid in the 1980s. The DVDs I collect are a mix of new and classic movies. The vinyl records, my most prized collection, are made mostly up of movie soundtracks, and I am finding that almost all of my wants come from films prior to 1990s.

What happened to the movie soundtrack? Now I know some of you are out there are saying, '“All movies have soundtrack, they have an Oscar for film score.” Yes, I know, but I am not talking about score, I’m talking about songs. The only current director I can see doing a proper playlist for his movies is James Gunn. Both “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies and “The Suicide Squad” have killer soundtracks that help tell the story of those movies. I also own all three of those records. All the other modern movies, and I am using the word modern to represent the entirety of the 21st century, have a score and one song that usually plays over the end credits. We can do better than that.

Back in the 1980s every movie had a soundtrack with songs, and many of these songs became instant classics. Try to imagine “Rocky III” without “Eye of the Tiger”. I bet you are humming the beat right now. There is no “Top Gun” without Loggins explaining a highway that leads to the “Danger Zone”. “The Karate Kid” is not only one of the greatest love stories ever, but it also reminds you that “You’re the Best” around and ain’t nobody gonna take you down. We learned in the mid eighties that “The Power of Love” is our key to getting “Back to the Future”. Before Optimus Prime fell in battle, he had “The Touch”. Not all of these movies are great, actually yes they are all great, but these songs are timeless bangers.

The movie soundtracks were not always populated with original music. The aforementioned “Harold and Maude” used music that was already popular. “The Lost Boys” used music from The Doors. “Vacation” used a Lindsey Buckingham B-side. Weird Al leant “Dare to Be Stupid” to a particularly stupid part of “Transformers: The Movie”. Even today, James Gunn uses classic songs from a bygone era to back his superhero spectacles much like the iconic soundtrack to “Dirty Dancing” and “The Big Chill. All these movies owe part of their legacy to the music supervisors who crafted these iconic albums.

Many of the movie soundtracks from the past are as important, if not more important, than the films they back. “Purple Rain” the album is “Purple Rain” the movie. The collection of Cat Stevens songs that accompany “Harold and Maude” bring an extra melancholy and quirkiness to another one of our greatest love stories. The Blondiesqu and rockabilly in “Streets of Fire” is one of the few redeeming spots in a mess of a movie. Many of these movies may have been lost to time if it was not for their epic soundtracks.

We need to bring back the classic movie soundtrack. Scores are great, but remembering my favorite movie scenes through songs with lyrics is a piece of heaven. Let me know if I’m just an old man yelling at a cloud, or let me know what other classic movie soundtracks need to be remembered. As Stan Bush tells Daniel and Hot Rod, we need to “Dare” to champion the reemergence of the movie soundtrack.

RD

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

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Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

I'm going on vacation next week. This will be my first real vacation in about two years. I did go to Gulf Shores last year, but that was frightening. I understand that COVID is still fully out there too. I got my second booster and I still wear a mask at most indoor places. I'm not going to go full on and act like the pandemic is over, but I am overly excited about this vacation because it feels like a real one.

This feels like the first real vacation I have had since my wife and I went to Mexico for our tenth anniversary three years ago. Sure, my kids are coming with us this year, but they are older and more self reliant now. They can entertain themselves. They know when to let me be. They understand that my wife and I need time just the two of us. They get it.

I am stoked. I am pumped. We are going to Indianapolis for two days, Ann Arbor for a day, then we meet my oldest brother and his wife and daughters for a day in Traverse City and two days on Mackinac Island. I have gone to Michigan forever, but these are spots I've only been to a handful of times, and as for Traverse City and Mackinac, I've never been. It is going to be cool to see a different side of Michigan than what I am used to.

I'm interested to see how much changes from the UP. We have always gone to Bessemer and Wakefield. Hell, we spend time in Hurley, Wisconsin. But those are off the beaten path hidden gems. Seriously guys, if you haven't gone up that way, it rules. It's got some dope bluffs to climb, Lake Superior is right there, the groceries are cheap and the cabins at the chalets are divine. But this time our destination seems more touristy and I'm fully in for all that entails.

I haven't done the tourist thing since Mexico. I can't wait to go to Zingerman's and Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger in Ann Arbor. I will also be taking both of my kids to the M Den and going to The Big House to take too many pictures. In Traverse City my brother has rented a canoe for us to use the day we are there. I haven't been on a canoe since I was 19. I feel like I'm going to love it. We are staying in a fancy log cabin there as well. I'm sure it is going to be rad and we will be roasting marshmallows at nighttime. And then we have Mackinac. All I know is, we have to take a ferry to where we are staying, there are no cars allowed, you have to walk and bike everywhere and that we are staying in a dope spot on the island. My son learned how to ride a two wheel bike for this trip. My daughter is more than capable on a bike with training wheels. My wife and I will get to go on night walks after the kids are in bed. I plan on taking her on a date if I can get my nieces to watch my kids for a few hours. It is going to be great, and I'm sure I'll have plenty to write about when I get back.

I just wanted to leave you all with my excitement of what I believe to be my first real trip since 2019. I'm taking next week off from writing, since I will be traveling. But like I said, I plan on having plenty to say when I return. I will see you all in a little over a week. Enjoy your week off and I'll enjoy my vacation. See you soon. 

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

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Thoughts on Donovan Mitchell and the Knicks

I have been reading since yesterday that the Knicks are putting together a potential trade package for Donovan Mitchell.

At first I got pumped. I am not a Knicks fan, but RD is, and the NBA is better when the Knicks are relevant. Even when they are not contenders, when the Knicks are in the playoff picture the league is in a good spot. Just look at two years ago when they made the playoffs as a 4 seed. Sure the Hawks beat them fairly easily, but the Garden was packed, the pre game shows were more lively and it felt like the good old days. The Knicks relevancy makes the game better, plain and simple. I do not think anyone can argue with me on this one. So this Donovan Mitchell news should be good news. It should have their fans riled up. They should be putting together a strong package to trade for him. This will make them an immediate playoff contender, especially in the East.

Since I am staying in and resting up to be 100% for my trip I have had time to really dive into if the Knicks can, and will, pull this off. Every year we have heard about the Knicks getting a big name in free agency or in a trade. The first time KD was a free agent he was going to go to the Knicks. He didn't even take a meeting with them. When Giannis was a potential free agent he was definitely going to meet with New York. He decided to take zero meetings and he re-signed with the Bucks. When Chris Paul was on the market he was going to be their veteran star that helped the younger generation. He signed with Phoenix instead. I went on the pod, and on the site, and said I thought that Damian Lillard was a near lock to join the Knicks. Welp, he just signed a two year extension, which means he has 5 years on his deal now, to remain in Portland. Every big name has gone elsewhere or stayed with their original team. I think Carmelo Anthony was the last real super star they signed, and he only gave them a few good seasons. All of this has made me hesitant about the whole Donovan Mitchell thing. It would be great if they were able to swing a package, keep the majority of the team intact and become a solid playoff team.

Looking at the East, if the Knicks are able to add Mitchell, they would have a shot to be a top 6 seed immediately. The only teams I can think of off the top of my head that would be ahead of them at the moment are the Bucks, Celtics, 76ers and Heat. If the Knicks were to keep their core and add Mitchell, I think that makes them instantly better than the Bulls, Raptors, Nets, Hawks and Cavs, all were playoff or play in teams last season. But here is the hard part. Here is where it gets difficult for the Knicks to pull this off. It is the whole keeping the core together thing I keep mentioning. The Knicks could trade the most draft assets, and that is what the Jazz want right now. That is where the deal starts.

We need to ask why would the Knicks give up their future to be, at best, a 3 or 4 seed in the East? Mitchell makes them an immediate playoff team, as I keep saying, but they are not a title contender just by adding Mitchell to the starting five. This is not like AD going to the Lakers. They were one piece away. The Knicks are not. And the Knicks would have to give up a hefty amount of those picks. I just don't like mortgaging the future of your franchise unless a title appearance is all but a guarantee, and unfortunately for Knicks fans, Mitchell doesn't vault them to title contention. Then you have this core group of guys. There is Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Immaunel Quickley, Obi Toppin and Derrick Rose. They also just gave Jalen Brunson a big free agent deal. They seem to have a group that kind of, sort of, fits on paper. Adding Mitchell, if the Jazz decide they want more than picks, will mean breaking apart that group. If I were the Jazz I'd ask for some of the picks and RJ Barrett. Or even Quickley. Maybe have them package Quickley and Toppin. Or put RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson in the deal. I don't know what the Jazz want, or how deep of a rebuild they are going to go through, but they are in the catbird seat. They have the power in these negotiations. Just like the Nets are doing with Kyrie and KD, I'd ask for more than I think I could get. And if the Jazz walk away, fine. The Knicks can save and go after yet another big name free agent next offseason.

I fully understand that the Knicks took a step back last season, and their fans want to be in title contention, but Donovan Mitchell, who is a great, great basketball player, one that I truly enjoy watching play the game, does not make them a title favorite. He makes them a playoff team, but not even a top 3 seed. I don't think I'd mortgage the future of the franchise if I were them. Also, this just seems like another big name for the Knicks that they won't get in the long run. Time will tell, but I am not holding my breath.

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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