Today is a Good Day for My Awesome Wife to Turn 40

Yesterday I turned 40. Today my wife is doing the same. I love that our birthdays are a day apart. Hell, even our dog has a birthday on the 15th. Three in a row and it has always worked great.

Anyway, my wife is going through the same thing I did yesterday. She is much better at handling life milestones than me. She doesn't dwell on it too much. She uses so much energy focusing on my birthday that I think she may be a bit too tired to celebrate hers. I do everything I can to make it a special day. Massages, ordering or cooking dinner, keeping the kids out of her hair, anything to make her day as stress free as possible.

That is not the point of my blog today. I have sung my wife's praises multiple times on the site, and today will be no different. My wife is the best. I met her fifteen years ago, almost to the day of her birthday. We had our first date in December of 2007. It was the best night of my life. I tried to be all cool and hip and she saw right through me. I knew from that day on that I could be myself around her. She liked me enough to accept a date, and trying to be a little cooler was not working for me. When I relaxed it was great. We watched "The Office". We had dinner. We talked. It was great. There was an instant ease. I felt as comfortable around her as anyone I had ever met. She was easy to talk to and easy to have fun with. That has continued for the past fifteen years. Each new year of our relationship, my love grows deeper and deeper for her. She is my rock. She is the engine that runs our family. She has given me two kids. She was the one who suggested I become a stay at home dad over eight years ago. She works her butt off to provide for us and she continues to kick ass at her job. She is an attentive mom to our kids. She is at every sports game, gymnastics, soccer game and any other activity our kids have that she can make it to. She is an even more attentive wife. She is always there for me. In good and bad times she is there with a smile, joke or words of affirmation. Our little squabbles and "arguments" end so fast because she has become even more forgiving these past fifteen years. I mean, she pulled out all the stops yesterday. She ordered lunch for us. She came to pick-up. She dealt with bath time with our daughter. She was a great dinner date. It was perfect because she is as close to perfection as it gets. She is one of the smartest people I have ever been around. She is quick to help with homework. She will indulge me when I go off on politics and sports. She has a keen sense of how to deal with my nonsense when I think I am being smart. She also happens to be beautiful. I look at pictures of her and am amazed that she was willing to marry me. I am a beast and she is a true beauty. Every year she gets more and more beautiful.

My wife is the absolute best. I want to sing her praises from the hills. I don't have many hills nearby, but I do have a blog and I can do that here. These past fifteen years have been a dream come true for me. I am a better person for meeting and marrying my wife. While 40 may have been weird for me, my wife has not shown any signs that it is affecting her at all. She is a rock. She knows how to handle herself. I love you. Happy Birthday. And here's to 40 more birthdays, and then some. 

Ty

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

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Today is a Good Day to Turn 40

I turned 40 today.

I am not a big birthday person. I never really have been. Birthdays are cool when you're younger. You get to have a party, invite some friends over, go to dinner and get gifts. It is fun. I have a very good memory of a birthday when I was a child. It was 1996. I was turning 14. I had a small group of friends over, we went to Old Country Buffet and then headed back to my house. I wanted to watch the Heisman ceremony that night. Charles Woodson won it. It was great. Then my friends and I watched Michigan basketball beat number 1 Duke. I was ecstatic. I had a blast playing video games and hanging out with my friends after all the good sports news. But that was 14. Birthdays since then have been fine, but nothing too wild. When I turned 18 it was a small gathering and a dinner. 21 brought a snowstorm to Saint Louis. My brothers were all in town so that was cool. But I do not drink and the taste of beer that night turned me off forever. I got my wisdom teeth out right before 25 because I was going to be taken off my folks insurance. I started dating my wife shortly after that and she feels similarly to birthdays as I do. But she also likes to celebrate mine for me. We have done some fun birthday stuff. We went to Memphis when we turned 30. We did that again this past weekend as an early birthday present to both of us. I have gone to a few Grizzlies games on or near my bday. I usually go to dinner with my folks, which I will be doing tonight. At the start of the pandemic my wife did an excellent job of celebrating our birthdays and making it as normal as possible. But this one just has a different feel.

40 is a milestone. It has been a long time. 40 was when I would see all those "over the hill" cards when I was a kid. It feels like getting over a hump. I am already all creaky from running when I wake up, but I felt a little more creaky this morning. My oldest brother texted me and said that I am officially old now. It was in jest and I laughed, but he is also right. Other people I know who have just hit 40 this year warned me about it. I also did not want to leave my 30's. My 30's were great. My wife was actually talking about this this morning. Our son was 1 month away from turning 1 when we turned 30. My wife and I have celebrated our fifth and tenth anniversary, both in Mexico, in our 30's. My daughter was born right before we turned 33. I ran my first marathon at 38. Michigan has been a solid football team, save for 2020, all in my 30's. The Grizzlies are on the come up. Science has been crazy advanced in the last decade. I have found out who my true friends are this past decade. I have grown up emotionally and maturely. I don't do the nonsense that I used to anymore. I have purchased my most recent car on my own. I've made new friends in my 30's. I've done a lot in the past 10 years. I don't feel fully ready to enter a new decade. But I don't have a choice. This is life. We get older everyday. I have, and will, accept it. But it has a weird feel to it. I am just waiting for the shoe to drop and the pains and aches to become commonplace. But I am also optimistic, at least a little. Running will not stop. I see people much older than me still running. My kids are still young enough and we have plenty of time. My folks are still around, as are my brothers and sisters in law. My nieces and nephews are doing cool shit everyday that I get to be involved with. I am back to going to concerts and live comedy shows. I feel better about my anxiety and OCD. 40 is different. 40 is older. But 40 is also great. The older you get the more I appreciate things. This is a bad and good thing.

I just wanted to vent this afternoon. Thanks for listening. And here's to 40. 

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 "I'm Totally Fine"

Over the weekend my wife and I watched the movie "I'm Totally Fine". I heard about this movie while listening to "This is Important". This is the "Workaholics" guys podcast. I enjoy this podcast quite a bit. It is not a rewatch show. The guys get together once a week and just chat about life. They talk about past projects, their lives, Buzz Ball drinks and current projects. One of those current projects is "I'm Totally Fine".

Kyle Newachek and Blake Anderson are in the movie. Kyle Newachek is a producer. Harvey Guillen, who Newachek works with on "What We Do in the Shadows", has a bit part. But the stars of the movie are Jillan Bell, who was a main character on "Workaholics", and Natalie Morales, one of Bell's best friends. The movie has a fairly simple premise. Bell and Morales are best friends, they own a soda company and Morales' character suddenly passes away. Bell is left to grieve and spends a weekend on a getaway all by herself. She shows up at the AirBnb she is staying in and things kind of start to go nuts. Bell and Morales had a party planned on that weekend, but Bell forgot to cancel everything. They show up and she cannot get them to go away or not set up. So Bell is left to a bunch of food and party supplies. After a night of drinking, where she downs a full bottle of champagne, Bell falls asleep by a fire. While asleep, the lights in the house flicker and flutter and it gets windy and loud outside. When she wakes up she is groggy and hung over. She eventually drinks some water and clams down. While waking up someone hands her a coffee. She thanks the person using her best friend's name. She then fully wakes up and realizes she is seeing a person who looks exactly like her deceased friend. She starts to freak out. She believes she is hallucinating. She figures this is all in her head. The person who looks like her friend keeps telling her she is an alien who has come down to Earth to give her 48 final hours with her best friend. The alien has all of her memories and can communicate. Bell goes along with this thinking it is all in her head. But when she really dives in, she goes for it.

This is where the movie really grabbed me. I was hooked. To see the two of them go on adventures, have a party, tell secrets and revelations, it is all so well done. Bell and Morales have tremendous chemistry. You can tell they are friends in real life. Bell controls this whole movie. She is doing some of her best work. She handles this situation with her character in a very relatable way. She crushes it. Morales is so good as this alien. She talks like a typical alien the whole time. And while you think it would wear you down, it never does. She is so believable and does a wonderful job as an alien who is starting to have human emotions. Newachek and Anderson are there, but their parts are so small. This is Bell's movie and she nails it. Morales is there too, but Bell is the star. I loved watching her performance.

I've been thinking about this movie ever since Friday night. I have also thought about what I would do if this situation actually happened to me. If I was given 48 hours with a newly deceased. close friend, what would I do? They ask and answer this question so well in the movie. It is a tough, and deep question, but the way they handle it is tremendous.

I want more and more people to seek this movie out. I like small movies like this. The story is also unique and fresh. This is not a remake or a retelling. This is not a sequel. This is a fresh idea and a fresh movie. Check it out. Seek it out and check it out. It is really wonderful. 

Ty

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

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I Believe in Coach Prime at Colorado

Deion Sanders is moving from Jackson State to Colorado. I always figured Sanders was going to move on to a different job. I just thought it might be a bigger profile school.

Before I get into that, the job he did at JSU was incredible. In three seasons he had a record of 27-5. JSU went undefeated this season. They blew out almost every opponent. Sanders was able to pull in high profile recruits. "College Gameday" made an appearance at JSU this past season. Sanders was out there beating the drum for HBCU's, and he did a great job of getting them more recognition. I wonder what is going to happen now, with Sanders gone, to HBCU football. Time will tell. There are some big names coaching HBCU football teams, but they don't bring the same weight as Deion does, but they are still well known names. Now, let's talk about Deion taking the Colorado job.

I do not think this has to do with a paycheck. I know there are some rumors about money at JSU, but none of that has been proven. Deion is also already a very, very rich man. He played two sports professionally and played them both very well. He was a better football player, but he had the talent to be exceptional at two sports at the highest level and he was compensated as such. Money is not the issue here.

I think Deion took this job for the challenge. I think he did what he could do as best he could at JSU and he wanted another challenge, a tougher challenge. HBCU football is top notch now, so Deion was ready to try his luck elsewhere. Colorado is in bad shape. They have not had a winning record since 2016. They were bad last year and even worse this year. They won one game. Colorado was a big time player in the 90's, but they have not made a ton of noise since. Even joining the Pac 12 has not raised their level of play.

This is about as tough a challenge as Deion could get. This feels like a semi lateral move. I think Colorado is only a little better than JSU. But Deion is already changing things there. He told the current players to get in line or transfer out. He told them he was going to be bringing his own players over at crucial positions. The way he put the message out there was kind of messed up, but at least he was honest with them up front. And he is already showing his ability to bring over quality players. His son was the best QB in the SWAC last season. He is now a Buffalo. Travis Hunter was the number one overall recruit last season, Deion got him to commit to JSU on signing day and Hunter crushed in his freshman season. He is now a Buffalo. There are other players who have entered the portal and put it out there that they want to play for Deion. If I was a college player I would be tempted to go play for him. He was electric to watch when he played and I love the passion he has for the game. Deion is going to do just fine on the recruiting trail. The stuff that makes this job tough is competition. As I said, Deion will get solid players, top level recruits, but it is going to take time. Colorado is not a job that he will be able to switch in three years. It is going to take time. Colorado is not only very bad, they play tough Pac 12 teams. Travis Hunter should fit in fine at the D-1 level, but who knows about the other kids coming over from JSU. JSU is D-1, but they have not played athletes the caliber that they will see at Colorado. They are going to have to play Oregon. Oregon is very good and has top recruiting classes every year. Oregon State has continued to get better. Utah has won the Pac 12 twice. UCLA and USC have one more Pac 12 season before they bounce. The schedule is going to be hard at first. The weather is going to be a factor. It gets cold and snowy in Colorado. Some kids will have to adjust. The administration better give Deion time. He is going to need, at the very least, three years. I fully believe in him, believe in his recruiting and his excellent coaching. But he needs a long leash. The powers that be need to be patient. It will eventually pay dividends, but he needs time.

All in all I love this hire for Colorado. They had the best coaching hire in college football. Full stop. I also think this challenge is perfect for Deion because he is not afraid of anything. He will succeed. If he gets time. I'm so stoked to watch him coach.

Ty

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

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Baker Mayfield is not Going to Fix the Rams

Before the NFL season started I put the Los Angeles Rams at the top of my rankings. I figured they would be primed to make a run for a repeat. They were coming off a Super Bowl win, they had pretty much everyone back and the coach decided to stick around after flirting with retirement.

Well, things have not gone as planned. The Rams have had a bad season. As of today the Rams are 3-9. They are in last place in the NFC West. They have the second worst record in the NFC, behind only the Bears who sit at 3-10. The only team with a worse record is the Texans, at 1-10-1. The Rams are down.

The bad season isn't all due to the returning players. This team has been injured a ton this year. Cam Akers wanted to be traded, sat out a game and is still around somehow. Jalen Ramsey has not been as dominant. Aaron Donald has been on and off the injured list all season. They miss Von Miller. Cooper Kuup is hurt and regressing. The tight ends have not been there all season. The team is a mess.

Yet the biggest mess is at QB. Matthew Sarfford has taken a tremendous step back and is now hurt. Bryce Perkins has had some run at the position, but he isn't ready yet. John Wolford is trash and he is also hurt. It has gotten so bad that the Rams went out and claimed Baker Mayfield.

I have never been a fan of Mayfield's. I thought the Browns totally reached when they took him first overall in his draft. I was never sold on him in college. He was too small and did not really perform as a superstar in big games. He didn't have that it factor in college that some other star college players do. I know he won the Heisman, but the Heisman is a flawed trophy. I think we all know that. And Mayfield was never the answer with the Browns. Sure they went to the playoffs a few times, but they always came up short. The team tried to build around him, get players that fit his style, but Mayfield never changed his game. He wanted everyone to conform to his style in Cleveland. He thought he was a star because he had a ton of commercials during NFL Sunday's. His head got a bit too big. He even resorted to calling out other teammates and the front office. Again, it was never his fault, it was always someone else.

It got bad enough that the Browns traded him last offseason. They decided to go with Deshaun Watson, who brought a whole new set of problems to the franchise, and Jacoby Brissett. The trade of Mayfield to the Panthers did not garner the return you would think when trading a "star" player. The Panthers got Mayfield and all they had to give up was a 2024 conditional draft pick. The Browns were so eager to rid themselves of Mayfield that they traded him and still owed him 10.5 million dollars.

Mayfield wasn't long for Carolina either. He was not named the starter right away. Instead, Matt Rhule, who was horrendous as the head coach, had Mayfield and Sam Darnold fight it out. And Darnold won. Then he played poorly and they put Mayfield in. He wasn't any better. Mayfield looked slower, was not reading defenses, seemed a little frightened and got benched again. The Panthers just cut him a week ago. They just wanted him out. They did not want him anywhere near the team. He was put on waivers and the only team to put in a claim was the Rams.

That is how rough it is at the QB position for the Rams. They were the single team that claimed him, and now he will probably start in the Thursday night game. And I am sure the Rams will get housed by the Raiders.

Baker Mayfield is not the QB that many "draft experts" claimed he was going to be. He is not a team builder. He is not a team player. He only cares about himself and his endorsements. I would not be surprised at all if he is cut again before this season even ends. At this point, if I were the Rams front office and coaches, I would go with Bryce Perkins for the rest of the season. Try to see what they have in him. This team is not going to repeat. They are not going to even make the playoffs. Taking a chance on Baker Mayfield seems ill advised. Just a thought. 

Ty

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

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DMX Gave Us All a Big Gift with His Version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"

Last weekend my wife and I went to Memphis. Memphis is our favorite getaway. It is close, there is a ton of cool stuff to do, good food and it is relatively cheap. There are a ton of historical landmarks. On this visit we went to a Grizzlies game, hit up Silky O'Sullivan's, had BBQ and pizza and had a very nice brunch.

In the spirit of the holidays, we did a carriage ride and that is always a good time. We did a longer one this year, an hour, and the driver let us pick the music. He had a bluetooth speaker setup and told us we could play music or have him give us a tour. We have had the tour proper before, so we opted for music. Most of the music being played was Xmas music. My wife loves Xmas music and I find some of it tolerable. There was some hip hop and classic rock in there, but for the most part it was Xmas music.

At one point we listened to DMX, who I have a complicated past with, but I love his music. We did his famous stuff and it was kind of hilarious to listen to this hard core hip hop with a ton of people walking around Beale Street listening to every word. But, like a breath of fresh air, DMX's version of "Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer" came on.

I had never heard this before. I have heard a ton of hip hop artists do Xmas versions of songs. Run DMC is classic. I have heard a ton of others. But hearing someone like DMX, whose voice was so iconic and unique, do this particular Xmas song was incredible. It was also one of the funniest things I have ever heard. First off, hearing that DMX did this song as a dare essentially is amazing. The fact that someone said it would be funny to hear him do this, and then he did it, that makes me happy. Then, when you hear this version of the song sung by DMX, it is stunning. It is typical DMX. He has that gruff, grinding and hard core edge to his voice. But then the words start to come out of his mouth and it is jarring. When he starts to sing it, hearing him say stuff like, "all of the other reindeer/used to laugh and call him names", or "rudolph the red nosed reindeer/had a very shiny nose/", it is simply amazing. It sounds like one of his songs done by the world's best soundalike. It is all DMX, but there are no swear words. There are no dog barking noises. There is no reference to demean anyone. It is non-existent. It is just DMX doing a clean DMX version of this classic kids Xmas song. I did not stop laughing the whole time. I was literally doubled over when it was playing.

After we left the carriage ride and got back to the Air Bnb, I did a ton of research. I found out a ton about DMX recording this song. I watched videos of him doing this song. I read articles about the recording. I was amazed to see how seriously DMX took this insane situation.

I think this may be my new favorite Xmas song. I have listened to it a ton since we got home. I do not listen to a lot of Xmas music when I am home doing stuff, but this version of this song has shown up on a few of my holiday playlists since Saturday. I implore you all to go check this out. You do not have to be a hip hop fan or a fan of Xmas music to enjoy this whole process. I guarantee you will find something to love about DMX doing this type of song. And you will find something to love about his full process. Just putting this in front of your face or ears will bring the most Grinch like person some kind of joy. Go, go check this out now. I know you will love 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 Heisman Trophy Candidates are Half Right and Half Wrong

The Heisman finalists were revealed last night, and spoiler alert, obviously I am making a joke, all four finalists are QB's.

I'm not against QB's or anything, but it just seems like that is the only position that they want to award with the Heisman trophy. I understand that QB's are the "most" important players on the team. I get that they get all the shine. I understand that the fanbases put so much on who the team they root for puts in at QB. That whole scenario played out this year with Michigan. All the talk was about Cade McNamara and JJ McCarthy. That was the lead story all offseason. No one talked about who was going to replace Hassan Haskins. They made minimal chatter about replacing some d lineman. They barely mentioned the new offensive lineman, who give the QB all the time to throw the ball. None of that was as big as Cade vs JJ as the starting QB. And I am sure it is the same way with other teams.

Two of the four finalists fully deserve to be in New York. CJ Stroud and Caleb Williams are more than deserving. They have had tremendous seasons. They have both put up video game numbers. They have broken school records. They have been impeccable. Personally I think the award is already wrapped up too. I believe that Caleb Williams is an absolute lock to win the Heisman. He has been really good this year. He has done all he can to win the Heisman. It is not his fault that Utah beat USC twice. He put up big numbers in both games, even being injured in the Pac 12 title game. Williams has been consistently awesome all season long. As has Stroud. He had a few clunkers, Michigan and Northwestern, but even in those games he put up big numbers. He couldn't throw much at Northwestern, so he made up for it by getting a ton of rushing yards. In the Michigan game he went well over 300 yards passing. It was the turnovers and only two TD passes that held him back. He and Williams have been near locks all year to get to New York as Heisman finalists.

The other two QB's that are there, I do not fully understand the logic. Max Duggan is very good. He has had a very good season. He has weapons all over the field. He has put up decent numbers. But he has not been mentioned all year. I have not heard anyone say he should be a Heisman finalist. I watch a ton of sports talk shows and the name Max Duggan has not been mentioned once, until the Heisman finalists were announced. The Heisman finalists are usually touted all season, or at least after three games into the season. Duggan has had a very good year, but not a Heisman finalist type year. And Stetson Bennett, I mean, come on. He wasn't even 1st or 2nd team all SEC. He does not have humongous numbers. He has not done anything that has made me say "WOW" while watching him play this year. If anything he has taken a little step back this season. Bennett is a fine game manager. He does little runs here and there and makes a throw or two a game, but he is not a Heisman guy. The Heisman is not an award for a career. It is a year to year thing. Stetson Bennett should not be there because he has an otherworldly defense and doesn't have to do much as the starting QB. I am baffled by this invite. This is the one that makes no sense to me. I do not get it at all. I was stunned when I saw he was a finalist. It is baffling.

There are so many more deserving players. Blake Corum should be there over Bennett. Hendon Hooker had a far better season in the same conference. He is a better SEC QB than Stetson Bennett. So is Bryce Young. Deuce Vaughn would have been a better candidate than Bennett. I could go on and on and on. At least last season they invited and had some defensive players mentioned as Heisman candidates. This year seems like the Heisman voters just put some QB's names on a wall and picked the ones that they threw darts in. Max Duggan may be deserving, but there is no world where Stetson Bennett should be a Heisman finalist. That is a joke.

Ty

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

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The College Football Playoff Committee Got it Right

The final College Football Playoff rankings were released last night. I was watching to see who Michigan would be playing in the playoff. The Wolverines are one of two undefeated teams in the country, so it wasn't a matter of if they would get in, it was just a matter of who they would play. Honestly, I kind of wanted another the university of Ohio State matchup. I think that would have made for great TV. I think even more people would have tuned in than did a week ago. But it did not happen. And I get it.

What I want to say right off the top, the committee got it right. They picked the four most deserving teams to be in the playoff. The good news for next season is that there will be twelve teams and no one should gripe as much as they do now. But where we stand, where the committee ended up, they got the right teams. Georgia is 1, Michigan 2, TCU 3 and the university of Ohio State 4. Those are the correct teams in the correct order. Georgia and Michigan deserved the top two spots. As previously mentioned, they are the only two undefeated teams in all of division one college football. They both won their conference title. They play in the two toughest conferences in the country. They won most of their games comfortably. They have the most impressive wins. They earned these spots.

I fully believe TCU is a fitting number three. They won almost every game. They had a shot in the Big 12 title game. They were inches away from a lead in overtime. They have impressive wins throughout the season. They remind me a ton of Michigan from last year. No one expected much from TCU, but today they are 12-1 and a very deserving playoff team. I am terrified of this matchup for Michigan. TCU has an elite QB, great athletes all around him and a very good secondary.

The number 4 spot was the only one that was kind of up in the air. I heard some people fighting for the university of Ohio State and others talking about Alabama. I am kind of stunned no one brought up Tennessee. Or Clemson. Hell, I would have looked at 10-3 Utah for a minute. Tennessee has the exact same record as Alabama and a head to head win. I know they got blown out by South Carolina near the end of the season, but they have that identical record. They also beat Alabama. They also held the first number 1 ranking in the first CFP. They have more of a beef than Bama. Clemson plays in a very, very weak conference, and they kind of struggled all year to get to 10 wins. But they won 10 games and their conference title. And they won it big. I think they had the biggest margin of victory of any power 5 team that played in their conference title. Look, I despise Dabo Swinney and Clemson, but they share the same record as Bama and Tennessee. But they have a conference title to add to their resume. And while Utah would have been an extremely long shot to make it, they are the Pac 12 champs and they dismantled USC, who was the darling team at the time of their conference title matchup. It was a foregone conclusion that USC was going to beat Utah and secure their spot in the playoff. Instead they got smoked and it was the second time Utah beat them this year. But in the end, the university of Ohio State was the correct choice. Their record is 11-1. Their lone loss was to the number 2 team in the country. The university of Ohio State beat everyone else on their schedule, and did it with ease. You look at a team like Penn State, who has two losses, they are to the university of Ohio State and Michigan. Both schools whipped them. They beat Notre Dame on opening weekend. They dismantled Iowa. They throttled every team in the Big Ten with the exception being Michigan. And Maryland gave them a run. But looking at all these teams resumes, really breaking them down and looking at schedules, the university of Ohio State is the most deserving. And I loathe that school. I never want to say anything nice about them. But it is undeniable. They deserve that fourth spot. They should be playing the number 1 team in the country. It makes sense. That whole Nick Saban talking tour on Saturday was pure nonsense. The fact that television programs gave him an outlet is laughable. And his statement, "how are they playing today" when asked about TCU and USC, at least those teams were still playing. At least they made it to their conference title games. The playoff is not about name recognition or how many times you have been there before. It is about performance on the field for this season, the 2022 season. And Alabama did not do anything even close enough to earn a spot.

I am not the biggest fan of the college football playoff committee, but they got it right this time. A broken clock is right twice a day. They did the right thing. I am pumped for this playoff too. We have the obvious reason, Michigan. But I am pumped to watch the other game and the championship. December 31st cannot get here soon enough.

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 So Ready to Go See "Cocaine Bear"

Bear regretting last saturday night

The other day I was checking out previews for upcoming movies. The impetus for this was checking out a good amount of best of lists and that turned into a deep dive which turned into what I want to see in 2023. I am also a big fan of movies that are released in theaters and on streaming at the same time. Anyway, during this deep dive I came across a bunch of people talking about a movie called “Cocaine Bear”.

I had actually heard the “Workaholics” guys talk about this movie a month or so back on their podcast. But I thought they were making a joke. I had no idea this was a real movie that was actually being made. So when I read what people were saying, I was shocked. Then I came across a two minute preview. I mean, of course I watched it right away, and of course it looks amazing.

The trailer was red band, which is the only way you should watch this trailer, and it was gory and bloody and foul and looks nuts. In said trailer we see the bear ingest the cocaine and madness ensues. The bear is on a murderous rampage. The bear’s face is soaked with blood, as is its fur. The bear is fast. It seemingly needs no sleep. It’s superhero tough. It climbs a tree in a matter of seconds. There is a scene in the trailer that shows it sniffing and choosing random body parts to eat. It’s wild! Then we have the humans involved. This cast is wild. Ray Liotta is in this movie and he looks crazy. I don’t know if it’s his last movie, but if it is, what a way to go. Keri Russell is the lead. I love this new direction she’s gone in post “Felicity”. Alden Ehrenreich and O’Shea Jackson Jr work for Liotta’s character, at least I think. Ehrenreich looks rough and Jackson Jr is missing a hand! Margo Martindale fires a shotgun out of the back of an ambulance. Isaiah Whitlock Jr is playing a cop. Jesse Tyler Ferguson is in this movie. The cast is absolutely incredible, and if the trailer is any indication, they’re giving it their all. They all look to be taking this insane situation seriously.

The thing that got me the most when watching the trailer was the whole “based on a true story” tag. I know that means they are glorifying the whole thing, and they will go over the top. But when you think about it, a bear did, indeed, ingest cocaine and went nuts. The writers took this true story and ran with it. I literally cannot wait to watch this movie. Hell, I might even go to the theater to see it on a big screen. If you haven’t seen the trailer, or even know about this movie, go check it out online right now. You will not be disappointed.

Ty

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

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Happy Retirement David Shaw

David Shaw has stepped down as the head football coach at Stanford.

Shaw was a great head coach. He followed Jim Harbaugh to San Diego, then to Stanford. When Harbaugh left to take the 49ers head job, Shaw slid right into his spot. It was a seamless transition at the start of his career. Stanford went to three straight BCS Bowl games in Shaw's first three seasons. Two of those bowls were the Rose Bowl. They won one of those Rose Bowl's, defeating Wisconsin. The next two years were a little tougher, but in 2015 the Cardinal were dominant yet again. They won the Pac 12, went to the Rose Bowl again and throttled Iowa. Stanford ended that season as the 3rd ranked team in the country, their highest ranking in 75 years. In 2017 Shaw would become Satnford's all time winningest head coach with a win over Cal.

Things haven't gone as swimmingly as you would hope the last few seasons, but he does still have some signature wins since 2018. Then, like he always seems to do, he walked away without much fanfare. Stanford got beat in their final game of this season, and a few days later, Shaw issued a statement saying he was retiring. He said that he didn't have it in him anymore. That the grind was getting to him. That recruiting was becoming tougher. I fully got all of it when I read his statement. Stanford is a tough, tough job. The academics to get into that school are insane. To do that and play football, it is a full time job. But Shaw had this team at some of its highest highs they will ever reach. He won with two and three star players. He won with kids that were more determined to be doctors and scientists than professional football players. He recruited kids who were valedictorians and salutatorians at their high school. NIL was never going to help Stanford be dominant, but Shaw still coached these kids up and had them ready all the time. The fact that they beat Notre Dame this year shows how great of a coach Shaw was for Stanford. He never backed down, but he also never talked a ton. He let the play do his talking. He coached these kids to always be prepared. Stanford was always disciplined. They never seemed to make stupid plays that killed drives or let teams march down the field. They were a sound, prepared and focused team. Even in the lean years they never let themselves beat them. They played smart football.

I also liked Shaw's attitude and energy on the sidelines. I feel like he understood that this was a game and he never seemed to let it take him over. His facial expression barely changed. He never got too excited at big plays or too upset at missed calls. He always had this calm demeanor. And he never said anything out of pocket during interviews before, during or after the game. David Shaw is the epitome of class. Whenever Michigan had a job opening, and Shaw was on their short list, I always wanted him to take the job. I would have been happy with him as head coach. I believe Stanford fans were very pleased with Shaw, as they should be.

Shaw is an all timer. He is a great college football coach. He understood the assignment and passed it with flying colors. I also love his demeanor. The way he carried himself was excellent. He is the definition of acting like you have been there before. I did not realize that Shaw leaving college football would hit me like this, but that also speaks volumes to the type of coach and person he is. Enjoy retirement David Shaw. You have more than earned it.

Ty

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

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One Right, and Two Wrongs, on College Football Coaching Carousal

The next two days I want to talk about some college coaching changes that have occurred since the regular season ended. Today I want to focus on three new coaches. I got some feeling about all three of these hires, only one of which am I on board with.

The first is the one I like. I think Wisconsin hit an absolute home run when they lured Luke Fickell away from Cincinnati. Fickell has been up and coming for a few seasons now. He turned Cincy into a power. They are the first non power five school to make the playoff. They gave a good fight to Alabama last year. He has gotten solid recruits to commit. He coached some solid first round NFL picks in his time at Cincy. He was just waiting for an opportunity. And it is not like Cincy isn't a power, but Wisconsin is a better job. The facilities are better. It is easier to get higher rated recruits. They have a very historic past. They just needed a coach who can help usher them into this new era of college football. Fickell is the guy to do that. This hire, as a Michigan fan, scares me for the future. Wisconsin is down this season, but they will not be down for long. Fickell is going to get solid players, turn this team around and they will be back to being an upper tier Big Ten team. That is also another reason why I do not mind him leaving Cincy for Wisconsin. Sure, Cincy is joining the Big 12 next year, but the Big 12 is not the Big 10. The Big 10 and SEC will most likely be the only two conferences left in major college football in the next five to seven years. Fickell made the right choice. Wisconsin will be good again very soon.

Now to the other hires I do not like.

Matt Rhule is a big name in college football. He turned Temple around and then did the same thing with Baylor. He parlayed that into an NFL job and failed spectacularly. The Panthers were bad. He was under prepared. He didn't seem to have the edge needed to coach in the NFL. So I get the move back to college for him. He is the leader. He is the boss. He is the CEO. He gets to call the shots. He is also getting paid handsomely. But I just do not see this as big a move as some others do. I remember last year when Jim Harbaugh was flirting with the NFL, again, and Rhule was being mentioned as a possible replacement if he were to leave Michigan. I told anyone who would listen that I did not want that. Rhule is an old school type coach. He plays a boring style of offense. He likes to slow the game down. He wants to control the clock and play tough defense. He is an old school Big 10 coach. I will give him credit for letting his offense run a little more up tempo at Baylor, but that was when he had the athletes to do that. Nebraska has some athletes, but they do not have the type he had at Baylor. They also do not have the players to run Rhule's old school offense or defense. He is going to have to recruit and recruit hard. I do not know how much he will want to do that after being in the NFL for two plus years. Rhule also doesn't seem like the Midwest type. He's from New York. He played at Penn State. He has coached Temple and Baylor. None of that screams Midwest. I just do not think the transition is going to be as smooth as others do. It is going to take time, and as we saw with Scott Frost, Nebraska fans want success now. They do not want to wait. I think if the fanbase is patient it could pay off, but it is going to be two or three years before they are truly competitive under Matt Rhule.

The final hire, the one I despise the most, is Auburn bringin on Hugh Freeze. Freeze comes with a plethora of problems. He has been sanctioned to hell. He has all of his wins from Ole Miss vacated. He had to go back to Liberty to coach, but he was all but forgotten about by a bunch of college football fans. He also ended his Liberty tenure with a whimper. They got beat in their last two games after winning something like seven in a row. He also may be a decent coach, but there are too many off field issues with him. Freeze is a cheater. He has been condemned as a cheater. He got caught. But somehow he failed upwards. Auburn should have just stuck with Cadillac Williams. He did a good job taking over for that blowhard Bryan Harsin. He had that team and fanbase energized. And I understand that Freeze has kept him on staff, but now that he has a taste of head coaching, I cannot imagine Cadillac Williams sticking around too long as an assistant. This hire has me scratching my head more than any other so far. Freeze brings too much baggage and it is only a matter of time before he messes up again. Auburn could have done better.

Time will tell on all these guys, but Luke Fickell to Wisconsin is the only one that makes any immediate sense to me.

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 "Big Mouth" Season Six

Yesterday I finished season six of "Big Mouth". "Big Mouth" is the best show on right now that touches on puberty. Puberty, and growing up for that matter, is a pain in the butt. It is an awful time in your life. It is awkward and gross and disheartening. It is all bad. It is a necessary evil, but it is still very, very evil. "Big Mouth" puts that forth tenfold. They do not shy away from anything.

Everything touched on in the show, I have found a relatable time in my life. That was what drew me to the show in the first place, and that is what keeps me coming back. I remember thinking when it first came out that it would maybe be sustainable for two, three seasons. But they are now in the sixth, and they keep finding fresh ways to talk about this awful time in your life. And while it is still fresh, it is also more of the same. And I mean that in the best possible way. It is like being reacquainted with an old friend. It may feel awkward and weird at first, but then after a minute or so, it is just like the old times. I found myself right back in it after the first episode of the new season. It was great to see all these characters I have gotten to know over these six seasons.

Season six did touch on some new ideas. We got to meet Nick's grandpa and find out about his dad's athletic past. The sport was nipple twisting, but it was still pretty funny to see how they dealt with strained relationships. Andrew had to deal with a breakup of his own and his parents fighting. I like that they gave Andrew a little more of a storyline than just being a pervert. He showed a little growth. I like that. The whole scenario he was involved in in the finale was nuts also. It was wild. Jessi dealt with a new step sister, becoming friendly with her stepmom and finding out that even parents have real feelings too. Missy met and started to date a religious kid. He also happens to be asexual, and the way the writers put that across on screen was pretty rad. They handled it very properly. I also enjoyed the return of Nathan Fillion. Jay grew and found out more about himself just like Andrew. The only difference is that they kept him as gross as ever, but that works with Jay. He is supposed to be the gross one. He is the one we all look at and laugh about, but we all knew someone like him when we were growing up. I also enjoyed the hormone monsters having a baby and then introducing a few new hormone monsters from their spin off show, "Human Resources". There was far more singing this season, a lot more stuff outside of school and even some tech talk. The Apple brooch episode was phenomenal.

I adore "Big Mouth". I have said it before and will say it many more times, but this should be shown to every kid that is currently going through puberty. This show knows how to tackle it better than any show now or in the history of TV. "Big Mouth" is a special show that happens to be very well done. The writing is tremendous. It is at the top of the list. Go watch this show everyone. It is worth it.

Ty

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

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Season Three of "Love is Blind" is One Season too Many

As you all may have heard on a recent X Millenial Man podcast, I enjoy reality dating shows. As much as I wish I did not like them, they always seem to suck me in. I get invested and I want to see how they end. I also like to do further research and see if the couples are still together after filming ends.

One such show that came into my life at the start of quarantine was "Love is Blind". Netflix dropped the first season maybe only a month or two into quarantine and it grabbed me. The whole concept of the show is to see if love is truly blind. There are two dorms of the opposite sex. They have twelve men and 1twelve women living in these dorms and they date members of the opposite sex. But while they are on these dates they cannot see each other. They have pods and they can talk for hours on end, but they do not get to see what each other looks like. It is a very simple premise, but the way the show is made, it is very watchable. The first season also came at a perfect time. I was watching anything to take my mind off of COVID and this was a great distraction. It was perfect.

I enjoyed the first season so much, so when the second season came out you better believe I was tuning in. While still solid, the second season started to show its cracks. The show became more focused on looks. The show started to show its vanity. The contestants did not look like people we see in the world everyday. The cast was more beautiful, more vain, more into themselves and it became tougher to watch. But I still found stuff to hang onto. I still found myself rooting for and against some of the couples. I still had an opinion. It still held weight with me. I was still invested. I was so deep in this season that when the reunion was aired I openly yelled at my TV at some of the things these people were saying.

My wife and I recently watched the entirety of the third season. This may be it for me. The show has lost all of the good will it had garnered in the first two seasons. The contestants are as vain as ever. They care far too much about looks. They care far too much about others. None of these couples should be together or stay together. None of it works. They are too plastic, too fake, not real at all, they are all caricatures of everyday people. It is fully a farce now. It is not even close to what we consider reality tv anymore. I get that reality tv is almost as staged as basic cable comedy or drama, but this is taking it even further. The conversations these contestants have, both in and out of the pods, are asinine. They make no sense. The people involved go from one major point to the next, contradicting themselves all along the way. At multiple points I heard people say stuff like, "there is no way I can marry this person", only to end up marrying them. Or they will say to their SO, "I cannot envision my life without you", and then break up with them. It is maddening.

This season also makes women look insane. The people involved do not do a good job of putting women in a good light. They make them look nuts and drunk and spineless and mean and vindictive. I am fully on the side of the women throughout this entire season. They are right. The men are wrong. They are assholes. They are immature little babies. They blame everyone but themselves. They are ugly inside and out. "Love is Blind" season 3 tries to prop these men up and they fail spectacularly. I did not like a single male contestant on this show. I could not even find little things I liked about any of them. They are all awful. The women, while not being held up to as big a standard, can all do far, far better than the dudes they ended up with. In particular Zenabe. She is so, so, so much better than Cole. Cole is a monster. He gaslights people. He makes people feel bad about themselves. He asked his girlfriend if she were bi polar at one point. I mean, he is a scumbag. And when Zenabe goes off on him, that was probably the only point that I cheered during this season.

Season three of "Love is Blind" is a mess. The show has fallen off. It has lost its way. It has given in to reality tv dating show tropes. I never took it seriously to begin with, but now it is a total farce. The show does not work like it did in early 2020. The jig is up. The show does not have that oomph it once had. I do not know if I will be tuning in to season four at this moment. Season three was so bad and mean and gross that it may have lost me as a viewer. Time will tell I suppose.

Ty

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

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Bol Bol Makes The Orlando Magic a Worthy Watch

In lieu of doing my annual thanks post I usually do on Thanksgiving, I took the day off to reflect. I am very thankful for so many things, but I wanted to do something a little different, a little off the beaten path from what I normally do. This piece is going to meld the two things together for me.

I love basketball, as you all know very well. I especially love the NBA. In football I prefer college, but the NBA just does it for me. It is also very early in the season, so things are pretty wide open and kind of nuts right now. I like to watch all the teams, and having League Pass makes that a cinch. This means I have been watching a ton of Orlando Magic. Some might say too much.

Orlando is not very good, but they are fun to watch. They fly up and down the floor. They do not play much defense, but their offense is fast and tense. They love to get it up and down, and I love that style of basketball the most. I am currently coaching my 5th grade team to run, run and run some more. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it is a thing of beauty. I feel like that is what the Magic are doing right now. They are just throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks. They also have a core group of young players and they are a delight to watch. Even when they screw up it is still somehow entertaining. I like guys like Cole Anthony. He is fun and plays a little old school-ish. Franz Wagner is turning out to be a very solid pro on both ends. He is living up to the hype. Paolo Banchero was the correct choice at number 1. He is hurt now, but when he has played, he has looked very legit. He has the tools to be a star. Mo Bamba is playing more like I hoped he would when he first entered the league. He is a rim protector, a decent low post guy and can run for days. Jalen Suggs has looked better this season. Wendell Carter Jr has found a place that has let him figure it out and he looks like he is doing just that. Even Markelle Fultz, when not hurt, has found a style of play that works for him and the team. But the one guy that has impressed me the most, the player I like to watch the most on this team, the whole reason for this blog today, is Bol Bol.

Bol Bol was a very ballyhooed recruit. He was this unicorn that every major program wanted. He finally decided on Oregon. When I first heard of him, then saw him, I was skeptical. But then he played a few games for the Ducks. He was worth the hype. He was blocking shots left and right. He was scoring with ease in the post. He was pulling big guys outside and making threes. I was flabbergasted. I could not believe my eyes. But then he got hurt. He missed most of his freshman season. He then went pro, as expected, but slipped to the second round. The Nuggets drafted him. I liked this pick because he could develop with a very good pro team. He was going to be learning from some of the best. But they never played him. They could not find minutes for him. He'd get in blowouts and show flashes, but nothing was sustainable. He was then traded to multiple teams. He somehow ended up in Orlando before this season started, and I liked it. It reminded me a ton of when they acquired Fultz. Bol Bol was going to get to play, he was going to learn on the fly and the Magic were going to let him be himself. And so far, he has looked pretty wonderful. He is hitting threes. He is grabbing boards. He is blocking shots. He is putting up double doubles with ease. He looks to be having fun. He looks healthy. He looks like he is turning into the unicorn that everyone previously thought he could be.

Lately I have been watching a ton of the French kid, Victor Webanyama, and he is legit. He is going to be a star. But everyone says that no one has ever looked like this kid. Well, and he is not even close to this kid's level, but isn't Bol Bol kind of like the poor man's Webanyama? They both have similar games. The French kid is built better, but Bol Bol has gotten bigger since he entered the league. The French kid and Bol block a lot of shots. They both grab boards. They both can stretch the D. Again, Bol is not the prospect Webanyama is, but he is a very similar player. They have very similar profiles.

All in all, it has been an absolute joy to watch Bol Bol to this point of the season. I hope it sticks. I hope he becomes a regular starter in the NBA. I also hope he stays with this fun young core in Orlando. I feel like this team could be very good in two to three years if they stay put. Until that time comes though, I will sit back and gladly watch Bol Bol do stuff that I have never seen on an NBA floor in my life to this date. He is a fun player to watch.

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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Where are the Good Thanksgiving Centered Television Shows and Movies?

While walking past my wife's home office this afternoon I noticed some turkey stuff on her screen. As I got a closer look it was tv actors in turkey outfits or eating turkey. I asked what they were doing and she said they were having people put down their favorite movies or tv shows centered around Thanksgiving. It seemed like a relatively normal thing that offices do.

After looking at her screen for a minute I went for a run, and then my wheels started to turn. I think a lot when I am out on my own running. So I started to think of tv shows or movies that I enjoy centered around Thanksgiving. I have not seen "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" from start to finish in my lifetime. I remember my mom really liked a movie called "Home for the Holidays", which is solid but also very depressing. "Thankskilling" is also a solid option, but that is a movie that is so bad it is good, and I wouldn't necessarily call it a "Thanksgiving" movie.

My mind wandered to tv shows. There are a lot of tv shows that show a Thanksgiving, or feature a turkey, but no show has a real "Thanksgiving" episode in my mind. And let me be clear, these are tv shows that I watch. I've never seen "Friends". I stopped watching "New Girl" after two seasons. I do not watch a whole lot of regular channels tv programs. But I do watch a ton of "Simpsons". I was racking my brain. They have the episode where Homer is Mr Burns' prank monkey, but that is more of a Christmas episode. It centers on Homer being Santa in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. They also have other episodes that feature a turkey, but again, Thanksgiving is not the holiday being celebrated. I noticed someone on my wife's computer put the episode of "Seinfeld" on there where Newman imagines Kramer as a turkey. But this is not a Thanksgiving ep at all. This is all about Kramer using butter as sunscreen and shaving cream and he sits outside for too long. He also stays in his hot tub too long. There is not even a mention of any holiday within the twenty-two minutes. The closest I can think of a tv show that fully features Thanksgiving is "Bob's Burgers". They have full eps dedicated to the holiday. But, even within these shows, it is all about Bob's joy of cooking the meal. They do not give thanks. There is no real fighting. They do not have turkeys everywhere. The episodes are wonderful, some of my absolute favorites, but they do not scream out Thanksgiving like other shows do with other holidays. Hell, even a show like "The League", which is all about football, barely even mentions the holiday outside of one episode in a late season. I mean, look at a show like "The Office". Their Christmas episodes are legendary. I could say the same thing about "The Simpsons''. Outside "Treehouse of Horrors' ', they tackle Christmas the best. Back to "The Office '', they did a Valentine's Day episode that was classic. "Parks and Rec" also had some really excellent Valentine's Day episodes.

I just do not get why Thanksgiving does not get the love on the shows I watch. But please, tell me some good Thanksgiving stuff you all watch. I want to know what to seek out, what I should be watching this time of year. I am going to remedy my lack of seeing "Planes, Trains and Automobiles", but I need more recommendations. I want more as well. Enlighten me everyone. Tell me what to seek. Thanks in advance.

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 "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law"

Over the past week my wife and I started and finished the first season of “She Hulk”. It took me an episode or two, but I ended up loving this show. It is funny. It is very well written. It is well acted. The fourth wall breaking is wonderful. It’s like the popular mockumentary shows with a superhero as the star.

I also really enjoyed the cameos once I bought in to the fact that they were going to do this as fan service. As I said, it took me a few episodes, but I loved the addition of Hulk. He was important to help push along Jen Walter’s story. He was the reason she got the Hulk ability, and we needed that full first episode to get us to the finish line. I also like Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. He’s great. But after that first episode he only shows up here and there. It’s not overkill.

I think Tatiana Maslany was the best choice for Walters/She Hulk. She is so funny. She is relatable. She’s a great actor. She brings a unique voice to the MCU. I love that she got this role and she absolutely crushed. I can’t wait to see where she goes with this character from here.

Maslany’s co stars were wonderful. Her assistant at work was a great best friend at the office. The derpy guy they with with at the new office was great comic relief. Tim Roth, as The Abomination, was so funny. His story arc was fantastic as well. Jameela Jamil was so excellent as the influencer who happened to get minimal super powers. The addition, minor spoiler, of Daredevil really helped push the story along. The actors are wonderful.

I really liked the stuff they touch on in the stories. The trials and tribulations of women are at the forefront. They talk about walking home alone at night, getting hit on at work, trying to find good dates online, and so many other things, and they handle it so perfectly. The show got better and better with each episode. I found myself getting more and more into it with each new episode. I loved the tags on a few episodes, but I was also stoked they didn’t do it at the end of every episode. The finale was also a stroke of genius. They really turn the MCU on its head.

“She Hulk” is an excellent show and everyone should check it out. It’s got excellent performances, great writing and cool storytelling. Check it out.

Ty

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

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Better Never Than Late on "Don't Worry Darling"

A while back I wrote about all the off screen drama involving the movie "Don't Worry Darling". The trailers and the cast and then all that nonsense had me pretty hype to watch the movie. I also loved "Booksmart", Olivia Wilde's first movie, so I figured she was due for another solid outing. I was on board to see this movie. And it is now streaming on HBO Max. My wife also wanted to see it, it was her turn to pick the date night movie and she picked "Don't Worry Darling". We sat down and were both excited.

The movie, for me, did not deliver. Now, my wife liked the movie. She enjoyed her viewing experience. And Florence Pugh and Chris Pine did a very good job with little material to work with. Those are the things I enjoyed about the movie. But everything else fell very flat for me. It was not worth all the hype. The story and most other performances just didn't work for me. The direction felt clunky and forced. Some of the acting was very blah. And the stuff that was left on the cutting room floor, according to internet research, probably would have helped. But I was not feeling it.

Pugh, as previously stated, was solid. She did a great job in fact. She is very good in these horror/psychological roles. She knows how to do that. But Harry Styles is not a great actor. He tried very hard in this movie, but I just didn't buy his performance. He has a scene where he has to cry and act upset and it looked like a first time actor trying way too hard. He did some things well, but most of it was very forced and not so good. At least he can sing. Nick Kroll was underused. He did not get a chance to shine in a role that is very different for him. I wanted more. I could say the same for Kate Bertlant, who I also like very much. She had moments where it looked like she was going to go through some stuff, but they cut her off or cut away from her character. I wanted to know so much more about her. Her husband, played by Asif Ali, only had a handful of lines. He was not fleshed out at all. Kiki Layne had a very juicy role, got to do some decent stuff, but she was the person who was cut the most. Her role was, seemingly, very important to the story, but she was more under utilized than Kroll. That was a bummer. Pine's wife, played by Gemma Chan, had this eeriness to her, but she never got fleshed out either. That seemed to happen a lot in this movie. Wilde gave herself a supporting role, and it felt like they wrote her character more than any other supporting actor. She had a backstory and stuff that happened to her, but I was not given enough time as a viewer to really care about her. What happened was sad and devastating, but they did not reveal any of it until the very end. There was no time.

Therein lies my biggest problem with the movie. They had a great idea, they had a solid cast, they had people game for this movie, the set pieces were dope, but they did not go far enough with this story and these people living in this world. The movie was a shade over two hours, but it felt unfinished. It felt rushed. It felt like they were all trying to not get COVID, this movie was filmed during a surge from what I read. It just did not tell this interesting story in an interesting way for me. The way they got to the twist was slow, but once they were there, they went too fast. Pugh tried her best to pull it off. Pine was a great villain, but the rest was just too bland. When they flashed back and forth, Styles looked like a bad guy from an early 2000's indie movie, and not in a good way.

I don't know. The movie had all this press and all this build up, but it just didn't hit home with me. And that bums me out. I really wanted to like this movie. Or, at the very least, I wanted this movie to give me a story. I wanted it to be memorable. But it was just a very bland and boring movie that did not deliver. Oh well, at least I have the off screen nonsense to look back on in the future. What a bummer.

Ty

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

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An Ode to Jillian Bell and Her MVP Performance on "Workaholics"

I am rewatching "Workaholics" for the, what seems like, millionth time. I love this show. It is one of my all time favorites. I enjoy the comedy, like the acting and think it is one of the funniest shows of all time. Everyone on it is very good at their roles. But there is one actor who I think may be the unsung hero of it all. That actor is Jillian Bell.

Jillian Bell plays Jillian on the show and she is the best scene stealer and quite possibly the funniest person on the show. Every time she shows up I find myself laughing harder than normal. I did not notice this until very recently. On this most recent rewatch I am going through and doing my own personal best of. I pick out a few episodes when I turn it on that I love. These ones always hit. And whenever Jillian Bell shows up I get pumped. I was watching one yesterday and it really hit home how great she is.

In this particular episode TAC, the company they work for, is selling a new female based product. All of the male salesmen are horrible at their jobs so they get replaced by the women. The women crush it, mainly Jillian. The success goes to Jillian's head and she starts to treat Blake like an object. Seeing her go from such a sweet, nice person to this mean and vindictive salesperson is a masterclass. She is so funny and scary. When she reveals her tattoo, that whole scenario is magic. When she exclaims, "I need my first cup of coffee ever", I laugh harder each time. She does such a great job.

It is not just that one episode. When she runs for snack manager, that is a classic for fans of this show. When she tells the boys about a promotion, and the way she just blindly goes about her day, genius. When she and Blake get a cat and co parent, oh man, that is some kind of wonderful. When she helps out the guys with their backyard wrestling, that is awesome. I love when she has to take over the office because Alice is sick and it is a disaster. And only someone like Bell could pull this off so well. Her timing, the way she plays this character, her comedy, the line delivery, it is all top notch. I find myself constantly impressed.

I have seen a ton of other stuff that Jillian Bell has been in, and it is all good. I adore "Brittany Runs a Marathon". It is one of the few movies that have made me cry, and that is due to Bell's performance. She is awesome as the villain in "22 Jump Street". It is a true tour de force villain role for her. "Sword of Trust" is an indie favorite of mine, and she is great. "Idiotsitter" is a highly underrated comedy and she was clutch on that show. She is probably the only funny part in "Fist Fight". I loved her in "The Night Before". Bell is a great actor. But it is her work on "Workaholics" that introduced me to her and it is my favorite thing she has done. I do want to see her new movie, "I'm Totally Fine", but I do not think it will be better than "Workaholics".

Seriously, go check out Jillian Bell’s work on this show. She is amazing and really took this role and ran with it. Anyone that can deliver a line, "I'm looking like a boss though, in head to toe Costco" is going to have a special place in my heart. Jillian Bell crushed it as Jillian on "Workaholics".

Ty

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

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An Ode to the Great Movies from the Safdie Brothers

While channel surfing the other day I came across the movie "Good Time". For those that may not know, "Good Time" stars Robert Pattinson and Benny Safdie. They are brothers who are running from the police after a bank robbery gone wrong. Safdie is the brother with a problem and Pattinson is the brother trying to help the only way he knows how.

This movie is incredible. This is the third time I have watched it and it gets better every time. Pattinson delivers a powerhouse performance. This is the movie that I saw him in when I realized he could really act, that he wasn't just the kid from "Twilight". He and Kristen Stewart have gone on to have very successful careers since that movie.

What stood out most this time from watching "Good Time" was the direction of the Safide brothers. They both directed the movie. Benny Safdie was also in it, but he and his brother, Josh, are credited as co directors. This movie is anxiety riddled. It is fueled with intense moments. I found myself on the edge of my seat and I already knew what was going to happen. But watching Pattinson running around New York with all kinds of shady people made this movie that much more intense. Whether he is trying to break his brother out of a hospital with a police guard standing watch, or tricking a family into letting him in, or dealing with a formerly incarcerated alcoholic, it is all just pure chaos in the best possible way.

The Safdie brothers seem to thrive on making movies that freak you out without having jumor scares or built in scary stuff. There is a scene in "Good Time" where they are at a theme park after dark, and when Pattinson's character turns all the lights on, the noise from the park scares me. I think that is because I am so caught up in the madness that is occurring at any given moment. And nearly the exact same thing happens with the other Safdie brothers movie I have seen, "Uncut Gems". "Uncut Gems" is one of the best movies I have ever watched. They take another actor, Adam Sandler, and put him in these crazy situations, all of his own doing by the way, and Sandler nails it. It is his best non comedic performance in my opinion. When Sandler has good writers and directors attached to a genre he may not be all that comfortable with, he usually delivers. The Safdie brothers made a movie that fits that perfectly. Sandler is a degenerate gambler and habitually cheater in "Uncut Gems". He is slimy and smarmy. He treats people like human ATM machines. And he does pay a horrific price in the end, but again, it is all because he doesn't know when to quit. And the Safide brothers do a wonderful job of showing his day to day life in this movie. It is also anxiety fueled. There are moments in "Uncut Gems" that scare me and it is not a scary movie. The Safdie brothers get a tremendous performance from Kevin Garnett, who is essentially playing a heightened version of himself. They got The Weekend to play a total scumbag in this movie, and he nailed it. Idina Menzel, who plays Sandler's wife, is not your typical put upon wife in this movie. She is tough as nails and commits. I really feel like that is due to Safdie brothers direction. "Uncut Gems" is a must see movie. It was the last movie I saw in the theaters prior to the pandemic, and I was stoked to tell people that.

I guess what I am trying to get at today is how well the Safide brothers make these specific types of movies. They are scary without being horror. They have funny moments without being a comedy. These are crazy dramatic scenes without their movies being full on dramas. I don’t really know how to categorize their movies, and maybe that is exactly how they want it to be. All I know is, I am a fan of their work and I cannot wait to see what they do next. I read they are working with Sandler again, so that could be very cool. Until their new project comes out at least I have "Good Time" and "Uncut Gems" to hold me over when I want to be stressed out in a good way while watching a movie.

Ty

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

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An Ode to Gil Ozeri, "Comedy Bang!Bang!" Greatest Guest

This morning during my run I listened to the newest episode of “Comedy Bang! Bang!”. It has to be my favorite podcast. It’s my favorite that I don’t cohost for sure. I love pretty much everything about the show. It’s the best improv comedy show. It’s the funniest show. Scott Aukermann has turned it into an empire. They go on tour. I saw a live show and it ruled.

What makes this show so great for me are the guests they have after the main interview. I love the main interview, but it’s the next people that make this show the best. Aukermann usually has two of his buddies on and they play characters. No one is ever themselves. This is where the show jumps from great to classic. Any number of his friends are awesome too. But this newest episode may have my favorite buddy of Aukermann’s featured.

Gil Ozeri was the final guest and he was a delight. He okayed a “busy guy”. He referred to himself as the “busiest man in the world”. He says he’s a husband and a father to many kids. That he owns multiple businesses. That he helps everyone when he can. And he kept getting calls throughout the final twenty plus minutes. His phone kept ringing and each ring was a different person. He sold a movie, talked to his mom’s gynecologist, had an alarm for his viagra, talked to business partners, had a painting commissioned, I could go on and on. But something that shouldn’t have worked was dynamite. I found myself howling. I was still listening when I finished my run and I laughed even harder after catching my breath.

This is what makes Ozeri such a great guest. He goes for it. There is no joke he isn’t willing to run with. He has an idea for a character and he makes it work. He is an excellent improviser. He is so good at just going with the flow. After listening to him today I thought about other times he was on the show and it made me smile. The fact that he is so game makes it so wonderful. Just in this past year he’s been on two other times and they were both equally phenomenal. He was Dr Sweetchat the Small Talk Robot right at the beginning of the year. That is such a memorable character. The robot is on the plug bag song. I have listened to this episode multiple times and I laugh harder each time. It will be a classic for sure. It already is for me. He was on again awhile after that. He went on with one of his improv groups, Hot Sauce. That group includes Ozeri, Adam Pally and Ben Schwartz. That is a murderers row of improv people. And Ozeri was the funniest. He plays a singer and the songs he makes up are awesome. I have listened to those aplenty since his appearance this time. They are amazing.

What makes Ozeri so extra great is the fact that he’s been around “CBB” since the start. He first appeared on episode 151 and has been on a bunch since then. I just wanted to give him a shout out today because I really appreciate how hilarious he is. I want others to check him out too. Gil Ozeri is really great at what he does. Seek him out people.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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