Ty Watches "Dave": Season Three Premier

Season three of "Dave" premiered last week. I have not watched the newest episode yet, but I am here to say that this show is still at the top of its game. I was trying to figure out what FX was going to do with "Atlanta" going off the air. That was their hit show that was weird but still wonderful. It was able to toe the line. "Legion" took it too far. "DEVS" didn't get more than one season. "Boy Meets Girl" was canceled too soon. I watched parts of all of these shows, but "Atlanta" was the only one that really nailed it. They crushed it from start to finish. But after watching the season 3 premiere of "Dave", I am confident that FX has found their next show to really give their all too.

They are letting Dave Burd and all of his creative people around him do what they want how they want and it is really working out in their favor. The first season was surprisingly good and, at times, dramatic. I didn't see that coming, but it hooked me right away. I was here for it, and then some. The second season was filmed at the height of COVID, and it showed, but they pulled it off. The second season was odd. They had wild storylines. They had crazy and cool guest stars. And in the end, it all worked out really well. I still think about the Benny Blanco episode. I go back and rewatch the Rick Rubin episode, it wasn't really Rick Rubin, a bunch. And the episode with Dave's manager where he argues about trash can placement in the street, that was golden. But I was curious about this new season. I really wanted to know which direction they were going to go in.

When the premiere showed them on tour, I was stoked. The second season ended with Dave and GaTa going on tour together. The third season picks up on that tour, with Lil Dicky being the headliner. The first episode of season three was great. It was all about Dave trying to find real, true love. He is with a fan at the start and it goes well until it doesn't. GaTa tries to tell him to enjoy it. His manager is focused on the tour. His friend is filming a documentary about the tour. Dave explains to all of them that he wants true love, and we are off. They go to a party in small town Texas where Dave meets fans and, eventually, a possible partner. He likes this girl. She claims to not know who he is, that she just went to the show with a friend. Dave is interested and spends the rest of the night with her and her friends. It all turns out very weird and ends up with Dave telling all of the people about life on tour. He gets real with them. He tells him about it all, mainly all the warts. They don't care. They want to party. He eventually bounces when he realizes the girl is a true fan and that her friends are taking advantage of him. The ending of the premiere is great because of how odd it is. I loved it.

There was a second episode. This one was even better. Dave is filming a music video, and as always, he is wound extra tight. The whole episode is kind of chaotic and nuts. There is constant movement and tons of stuff happening. It is anxiety ridden in the best possible way. The episode unfolds and we find out that Dave is making a video about his first true love, who shows up and plays herself in the video. But it gets much deeper than that. Dave and the crush get into it. We find out things about each of their pasts. And the way they figure out the video, and how it all comes together is what I love about this show. Like I said, the whole episode is fast paced and moving, but it ends with grace. It is fitting. I was moved by what I saw.

"Dave" is a very good, very well made show. I love that FX has, seemingly, given the creators full reign to do what they want how they want. I highly recommend watching. They are doing something special here. Now I'm going to watch the third episode because I am so stoked to see where it goes from here. 

Ty

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

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It's Time for Minnesota to Say Goodbye to the Rudy Gobert Experiment

I feel like I have to address the whole Rudy Gobert situation in Minnesota right now. I will do a full NBA playoff preview when the play in is done, but for now I want to talk about what happened the other night.

Rudy Gobert punched, well attempted to punch, Kyle Anderson on the bench during the final game of the regular season. This resulted in a suspension for last night's play in game against the Lakers. The Lakers won by the way. Gobert has come out and apologized, apparently he and Kyle Anderson have made up and they want to move forward. They do have another chance to make the playoffs if they beat the winner of the Pelicans-Thunder game tonight. But this whole season, and trade, has been a complete disaster for the Timberwolves.

I thought the trade was going to work. I figured they'd be a shoo in for the playoffs. I did not think they'd have to fight through the play in. I did not expect them to be 42-40 at season's end. I did not expect them to go scoreless in the last three minutes of the fourth quarter last night. I thought KAT and Gobert would work well together. Gobert is a great defensive player and KAT is a great scorer. It made sense to me. It never worked. They barely played together due to KAT's long term injury this season. But Gobert also took a major step back. He was not the all world defender he has been before. His pick and roll game has fallen off. He is a step slower. Anthony Edwards was asked to do far too much for this team. He is not ready to shoulder a load like that just yet. I am as big an Edwards fan as there is, but he needs more time to be the face of this team. He also had a great season by the way.

The signing of Kyle Anderson seemed fitting this offseason for the T'Wolves. I was bummed the Grizzlies didn't keep him. He is a good vet player who knows his role and speaks his mind. That seems to be the issue that caused the problem the other night. Anderson told Gobert to get some blocks. Gobert chastised him back and told Anderson to get more rebounds. Anderson started to yell back and Gobert decided he had enough. Apparently Gobert was playing through back spasms and he felt like his toughness was being called out. But to try to throw hands, come on dude.

Gobert seems to have a pattern. We all remember how he dealt with COVID. I mean, he is the match that lit the shut down of the NBA in 2020. He felt sick, swore up and down it wasn't COVID, touched a ton of mics, hugged teammates and laughed it off. Guess what? He had COVID. The season shut down. Donovan Mitchell tested positive shortly after all of this nonsense. His teammates came out and complained about his behavior. You could already see the cracks. I wrote back then that the Jazz were going to have to trade one or both of them. They eventually traded both and are doing a full rebuild. But then we have the on court issues with Gobert that I already mentioned. He also came out earlier this year and called out officials for being biased. I agree that refs are biased, but the T'Wolves have stars. They have players that fans want to watch. I could watch Anthony Edwards play all day long. And it is not like the teams he mentioned are world beaters. The Suns are the 4 seed. The Lakers are the 7 seed. They both can go all the way, but I assumed the T'Wolves could too. And now this punching incident. I do not know how the Wolves don't trade him at this point. They have to try and recoup something, anything from the trade this past offseason. The T'Wolves gave up so much. So many players and so many picks. The T'Wolves should try to get picks back. They have two stars, Edwards and KAT. They have a veteran point guard in Mike Conley. Naz Reid may be the best backup big in the league and he should be fully recovered from his injury in time for next season. Kyle Anderson is a more liked player, and that is now very clear. Gobert is not the answer. He may be toast in the league. His best days are clearly behind him, and he has some issues he needs to deal with.

I think it would be best for the T'Wolves to move on no matter what happens during the remainder of the play in. This trade has already run its course and it was not good. The Timberwolves must keep KAT and Edwards and build from there. That would be the best for this franchise's future. 

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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The Paintball Episode of "Community" is Still Classic Comedy

I've been rewatching "Community" in my down time lately. The show holds up. It is just as funny as the first time I saw it. The writing is top notch. The acting is great. The people this show introduced me to are pretty wonderful. I knew of, barely, Donald Glover. He is now one of my favorite pop culture icons. I also knew of Joel McHale. He really shines in this show. This was the perfect way to use his talents. Chevy Chase is Chevy Chase, but he too has his moments here. The show gave me my intro to Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Yvette Nicole Brown and Danny Pudi. They are all excellent in their own way, and they have all gone on to do some pretty great things. Oh, and please don't let me forget Ken Jeong. He is a revelation here.

Anyway, the other day while watching the initial paintball episode came on. I remembered this episode fondly. But I thought maybe it was just a different time in the world and maybe the more cynical side of me was going to rear its ugly head. I am here to say, this episode absolutely, 100 percent holds up. I found myself just as engrossed as I was the first time. Certain things would happen and it would flood back as a great memory. The episode works so well and it comes on so sudden.

The ep starts out like most "Community" episodes, but it delves into something so much different and amazing. When Jeff, McHale, goes to his car to nap, and then it says "1 hour later", it becomes something completely different. The show has the feel of a post-apocalyptic half hour. The camera changes. It looks dimmer and darker. When Jeff is walking around campus we all see people splattered with paint. He speaks to a student and the student fills him in on what has happened in the past hour. It is an amazing monologue from a bit actor on the show. From here on out it follows post-apocalyptic cliches, but does it so much better than most shows that are actually in that genre. Troy and Abed find him and take him in. They have a great talk off about what they should do. They also act like they are going to turn on one another, but never do. It is classic, but it is also hilarious. Troy and Abed are an excellent duo and they riff off one another so well. This episode is one of the best examples of their chemistry. When they meet up with the ladies in the bathroom it just gets better from there. From Troy trying to team up with Shirley, to Abed living his life through TV, to them using Pierce to get away from some intruders, to Britta and Jeff vying to help Shirley and then hooking up. It is all there and it all works to perfection. Even in the end, when everyone is out of the game except for Jeff, he doesn't have some epic speech about winning, he goes to the dean's office and demands to know why he did what he did and kind of goes nuts. It is too perfect. I also enjoyed the hell out of the way he got the dean with a paintball to the head and the dean didn't even flinch. When they see everyone cleaning up the day after the paintball game the camera goes back to normal and everything seems all normal again, except for the tension between Britta and Jeff.

This episode is so wonderful and so perfect and hits all the right notes. I actually feel like it is kind of underrated now. When it first came out it was this instant internet classic. People kept it in the consciousness for a bit, but I haven't heard much about it anymore. I'm here to try and change that the best way I can. Go watch this episode. In fact, go watch the entire series, well maybe up until Donald Glover leaves, and remind yourself how dope this show was. "Community" is a classic and it should be revered as such. And this paintball episode is perfect.

Ty

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

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My Adventures in Pickling

At the start of quarantine I got into pickling veggies. I needed something new to do, something different and something to occupy my time. I also got into cooking, what else could we do, and I found I really liked it.

Pickling became a big deal to me. I don't know why, but I get joy out of doing it. It comforts me and I have liked finding new things to pickle. One time my daughter and I even pickled a pickle. It was terrible, but we gave it a try. Whenever we do our veggie garden I like to try and pickle some of the veggies. I have done it with jalapenos and carrots most notably. I have also been into mini cucumbers lately, and I had to pickle some of those the other day. So I guess I am making my own pickles now.

The thing I like to pickle the most is red onions. I have tried yellow, white and now red onions. I have even contemplated doing those small onions they use on cooking shows, but I have not jumped into that quite yet. But the red onions are the absolute best. I think it is the sweetness that makes them taste the best. The white onions do get the pickle flavor, but they are kind of bland, as far as that taste goes. I could say the same thing about yellow onions. While they taste a little better, they still do not hold the same weight that red onions do. Pickled red onions make for the best accompaniment to some dinner dishes. I have found myself adding them to smash burgers I make at home. I used to do just pickles and sliced, fresh red onion, but pickled red onions have overtaken them all. I do not even need pickles on the burgers anymore. I love adding them to veggies. Whenever we roast veggies at home, and I have pickled onions on hand, I am almost certain to add them. It adds a little oomph. When I make steak I like to use compound butter and blue cheese. If I am feeling really risky, I'll add both of those and some pickled red onions. I love them in salad. The first time I had them was at a restaurant in Evanston with beets and goat cheese. We have done that multiple times at home now and it is amazing. I am a big fan, especially with the goat cheese. It is a great compliment to the heat from the roasted beets.

I have also tried many different pickling liquid recipes. I've done the classic vinegar, water and sugar. That is a classic for a reason. I've used rice vinegar and that adds nice acid. I sometimes use Splenda instead of real sugar and it tastes almost identical.

Today I tried something different though, and I cannot wait to taste them tomorrow. I simply googled "best pickling liquid recipe", and a ton of stuff came up. There were some recipes that were wildly complicated, others that were almost too simple. I decided to do one where I heated up the liquid and then let it cool completely. I have never done this before. I used red wine vinegar, water, smoked salt, real sugar, fennel seeds, ground mustard and ginger and whole black peppercorn. I heated it up over high heat until all the sugar and salt dissolved. I would stir periodically and then I let it fully cool down. I have since added it to the onions and now we wait. I am really amped about this new recipe I found online and I cannot wait to try them. My house does smell like pickling liquid, but that will go away soon, I hope. But that is not a bad price if these pickled red onions taste as excellent as they look in my fridge right now. Time will tell.

I want to close by saying, go pickle some veggies. It is fun, rewarding and they are tasty as hell when you find a recipe you like. I'm a fan and I think you could be as well. Pickling veggies is dope. 

Ty

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

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Losing Hunter Dickinson will Make Michigan Basketball Better

Michigan struggled on the basketball floor this season. Their women's team was good, but the men's team was wildly inconsistent. They never closed teams out. They had plenty of opportunities to get signature wins and they found ways to blow it. They never had a complete lineup. They lost games they never should have, let teams like Eastern Michigan stay in games way too long that they eventually won and they couldn't beat the good teams.

With a bad season there was a lot of blame to go around. Most people turned to Juwan Howard, but I do not put much of the blame on him or his staff. I do think the time is ticking, I'd give him two more seasons to turn it around. I turn to some of the players on this team. I think some of the guys that were counted on to be leaders got too big in their britches and thought they were better than they actually are. This team had no urgency. They had no killer instinct. They never showed the will to stomp an opponent out. That falls on players to me, especially now that I am a basketball coach. As much as I would love to go play, I can't. I'm too old and too out of shape. But the players play. The players are supposed to be the ones to take the coach's vision and show it on the floor. Michigan didn't do that. They took too many threes, couldn't rebound or get stops and they played too much individual basketball. Jett Howard wanted to average 20 a game. Kobe Bufkin was asked to do too much, mainly coming from teammates. And Hunter Dickinson only cared about double doubles.

Look, I get the hate surrounding Hunter Dickinson. He is an asshole. He is a jerk. He pops off at the mouth too much. He is soft. But he was Michigan's offense, and he was a Wolverine, so I rooted for him. But he endlessly frustrated me as a fan. He would do these amazing things in the post on offense. His jump hook was unguardable. He was a very good passer out of the post. He could, sometimes, fire himself up and he would throw down on dudes. But he was not a solid defensive rebounder. He was a below average post defender. Opponents would take their big man, who usually outweighed Dickinson, and that guy would cook against him in the post. It felt like all it took was one bump to the chest and Dickinson was done. He was also a very poor help defender. For a 7 footer, he gave up far too many uncontested layups and didn't block a ton of shots. So when he announced he was going into the transfer portal about a week ago I was stunned for a second, but I moved on pretty quick. I mean, the entire offense was built around his style of play. He was the driver of the car. He was the focal point for opposing defenses. So for him to transfer, it felt odd.

After my intial shock I then I thought about the other stuff. The defense. The lack of rebounding. The lack of intensity when he wasn't getting touches. The dumbass things he would say in pre and post game interviews. And I kind of moved on. I figured, oh well, let's get ready for the Tarris Reed era of Michigan big men.

I really like Reed's game by the way, and he is a bruiser in every sense of the word. There is still a possibility of him coming back to Michigan, and if he does I will root for him. But if he does leave, I will not be too disappointed. He was a Michigan great. He will go down in the pantheon of Michigan basketball players. But I miss guys like Jordan Morgan, Mo Wagner and Robert Traylor. Those big men did the dirty work and did it with pride. I see that potential in a guy like Tarris Reed. Michigan also got a 6'10 kid from Seton Hall in the portal. And they were able to snag Caleb Love from UNC. That kid has loads of potential. Add on Nimari Burnett and the two recruits they have coming in, I'm a little more excited by what the Michigan men's basketball team has for next season.

In the end I look at Dickinson's posible transfer as addition by subtraction. The basketball team may not be handcuffed in trying to get Dickinson more involved. Maybe they can run some more. Maybe they will play a little faster. All of that sounds way better than what I watched last season. 

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to Codefendants

I mentioned that I was going to write about two new musical artists I have been listening to recently. The second one I will talk about is happening today.

My buddy Kirk, sometimes a contributor to the site and podcast, go running together pretty much every weekend. I look forward to these runs for a myriad of reasons. It is one of the best times of the week for me when we meet up and go outside. We talk about a bunch of stuff when we are out there. It is a great space to vent, catch up and talk about new stuff, or even old stuff, that we are into at the time. One subject that comes up a ton is music. Kirk and I are both music lovers, and the genres we listen to, we are very passionate about. We have some similar interests, but he is more of a punk rock fan and I am more of a hip hop fan. Last weekend when we were out he told me about a new group that he was listening to who he thought I might dig. When I asked him why he thought I'd enjoy it he told me that it was hip hop adjacent. I was intrigued.

Kirk is a NOFX fan. We have talked about the band a good amount. I knew of them when I was younger, but I've grown to know more due to these conversations we have had. He mentioned to me that Fat Mike, a NOFX member, had started a new genre of music called "crime wave". The genre name is rad, and after some research I found out that Fat Mike came up with the term. Kirk also let me know that there was a hip hop artist involved with the new band, and that the other members were pretty good instrumentalists. My family went downtown to watch my son sing the anthem with his school choir and on the way I decided I was going to listen to the band Codefendants.

I was instantly struck by the music. The first song I listened to is called "Fast Ones". It does not start as a punk or hip hop song. Someone is reading poetry over a drum beat. Then it gets more hip hop. A bass comes in and the drum beat gets more rap like. Then the whole group comes in and the song sounds full. It worked. I was hooked. I found myself nodding along like I had heard the song a million times. I was ready for whatever Codefendants had for me.

What I have found that I like most about this band is how different each song sounds. "Fast Ones" is pretty much straight forward hip hop, with a few distinct changes. But the other songs I have heard fluctuate. They have strings in their music. They have a song that has an orchestra playing behind them. They play acoustic music. There is punk. There is rock. They expand genres and that makes them great. The mere fact that they are not handcuffing themselves to one genre is what makes them so intriguing to me. Most artists I listen to stick to their genre. The Black Keys are rock. Kendrick Lamar is hip hop. Gary Clark Jr is blues/rock. But Codefendants can do all of that, and more. This is a talented group of vocalists and musicians. I have been endlessly fascinated by how different each song sounds with each listen. It almost feels like I am hearing new music each time. It amazes me how I can find something new and different I like each time.

These new artists I have been introduced to have been great for me personally. It is getting me out of this music rut I am in. I am forever grateful for advice on new artists to listen to. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go listen to Tobe Nwigwe and The Codefendants for a while longer. You should do the same. 

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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Ty Listens to Tobe Nwigwe

At the start of the year I made it a point to find new music to listen to. I have been stuck in a rut and I want to get out of it. So far it has been kind of at an impasse, but the past week there has been a change. Thanks to a friend of mine and watching Instagram reels, I have been listening to two new artists that I am really into and I will be spending the next two days talking about each of them. The first one is Tobe Nwigwe.

I was watching Instagram reels the other night, my wife is on a work trip and I have trouble sleeping and watching videos helps me doze off, and I stumbled upon Tobe Nwigwe. The song I heard was called "BRAVO" and it struck me immediately. The video was a tight closeup of his face and he was rapping. I was struck by his voice and the way he flowed. It hit me right off the bat. I dug it right away. I followed him right away and started listening to his catalog on Spotify the very next day. I have been primarily listening to his music, and the artist I will talk about tomorrow, exclusively.

I am really into Nwigwe. He is a Houston born rapper and he has that Houston style, but sped up. You can tell he has the drawl, but the way he raps is really good. His lyrics are packed with words and the words mean something. He isn't rapping about money and chains and cars. Nwigwe is really talking about something. He is putting himself out there and he is nailing it. I took to doing some internet research on him and was very pleased to find out he seems like a very good dude. He was a former football player who had to stop playing after college due to an injury. Instead of letting this sidetrack him he started a non-profit. He worked at that for a long while and then met and started dating his now wife. They decided to do music and they kind of blew up during the height of the pandemic. Now that I know who he is I can remember people sharing a video of him early on in the pandemic that struck me but I never followed up on it. I regret that now. I have since listened to almost his entire catalog and I cannot get enough of it. I mentioned his rap style and that is what makes it so easy to listen to. He is a master at what he does. The beats are an added bonus. The beats are awesome. They are easy to vibe to. They make you want to nod along. I have found myself exclaiming how dope the beats are when I am listening alone in my car. And that is a big deal to me. When I can talk to no one about how great the music I am listening to, that is the best compliment I can give an artist I have just discovered. I find myself, when listening to Nwigwe, having the same feelings as I did when I first heard Run the Jewels. I find myself craving it. I find myself humming the music during the day. My son and I were driving home from his baseball game last night and he was vibing along with me. I love that. I want him to listen to better hip hop and him vibing to Tobe Nwigwe is a good sign. I also read that Michelle Obama is a big fan, which is a humongous feather in his hat.

Go check out Tobe Nwigwe. He is doing something really cool that is also pretty important. I am going to go listen to some more of his music now. I suggest you do the same. 

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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UConn Proved Once Again that it is an Elite Basketball Program

The UConn men's basketball team finished its wonderful season with a title last night. They dominated from start to finish. Sure there were moments that SDSU made it close. I tuned in the entire game because it got as close as six points. But in reality I think we all knew that UConn was going to finish this thing off. And they did, in convincing fashion.

The Huskies were clearly the best team in the men's tournament. They proved it over and over. They won every game by double figures. No team really got close in the second half, with SDSU being the lone exception. This was also the first time I watched UConn closely and they really impressed me. But that is not the main focus of this blog today.

During the game last night the announcers gave the viewers a stat that really impressed me, and I bet a ton of other watchers. This title marks the fifth title that the UConn men's basketball team has won since 1999. In the past 24 seasons they have 1/5 of the men's college basketball titles. That is dominant. They are so good. I mean, all the basketball watchers know how dominant the women's team is. They are an incredible dynasty. They are akin to the UCLA teams from the 70's. But no one mentions the UConn men's team as a dynasty.

The narrative out there says the majority of these five titles are considered "lucky". They won with Kemba Walker only after making the tourney due to his heroics in the Big East tournament. The Shabazz Nappier team grinded out a title over an 8 seeded Butler team. Emeka Okafor was so dominant that no one could beat them. There are seemingly a million excuses for why UConn continues to win titles. No one says this about Duke. They have three titles in the same span of time. Kansas won it all twice in the same time span. North Carolina has as many as Duke. Michigan State has one. Florida has two. Arizona has zero. Gonzaga has zero. Baylor has one. Oregon has zero. UCLA has zero. I could go on and on.

It is time that UConn be considered the bluest of blue bloods. They may have down years, but they always regroup and end up winning titles. I guess they don't get the love because they don't have a bunch of lottery picks, or high profile coaches or recruit a ton of one and done guys. They go out, play old fashioned basketball and win titles every five seasons or so. I was endlessly impressed by this number. I thought about it a bunch last night and even more this morning. UConn is a big deal. They may be the best men's and women's basketball programs in the country. Seriously. If you use numbers, they have the most titles. If you look at wins, they have the best totals. If you look at style, they clearly play a winning style. The Huskies are great. The Huskies should be the college program others strive to be. They are better and more prolific than any other program. Duke, Michigan State, UNC, Michigan, Gonzaga, they all wish they could be where UConn is right now. They all crave that winning tradition and dominance. They all want to be them. It is that simple.

While all the Duke fans will claim to be the best, or the UNC fans or the MSU fans or the UCLA fans, I say go look at UConn's brilliance over the last 24 years and tell me that I'm wrong when I say they are the premiere college basketball program. Congrats on yet another title. I guess we will see you all here again relatively soon. 

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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If You Run, You Need to Rest

Pictured: not running

It’s no surprise to any reader that I’m a runner. It’s part of my identity. I love the sport. It has, very literally, changed my life. It gives me something fun and important to do. I feel better after most runs. I love the endorphin rush I get from a race or a long run. I love the community. I love the friends I’ve made. Running is my favorite athletic thing to do. It’s the best.

Running these past nine years I’ve learned a lot about myself. I know when and what types of food to eat for certain runs. I am much better at hydrating. I know when and where to vent when I run with people. I know when to let them vent, when to be a listener. I know what I like and what I don’t when it comes to trail and road running. I know when I’m having a good run and when I’m having a bad run. But what I’m struggling most with now, what still causes mild stress for me is rest days.

I tried to do a run streak. I made it pretty far. I got very close to a full year. But it was causing me undue anxiety and stress. I would obsess and that’s no good with my OCD. It was a problem. After a visit with my therapist we decided I had to stop the streak and start adding rest days. In the long run my therapist told me it would help. And it has. Adding two rest days a week has been great for my physical and mental health. But on these rest days, Monday is one of those, I feel like I’m not doing enough. I’ve told myself many times that this isn’t true. I do quite a bit on these scheduled rest days. Today I grocery shopped and cleaned my house. Other days I take my senior dog out for short walks. I go out with my folks and spend extra time with them. I get stuff done around the house. I’m not being lazy, but sometimes I find myself craving a run. It’s hard to let it go at times. I feel useless. That’s the problem. I’m not being lazy. I’m not useless. I’m getting stuff done. I’m taking care of things that are more important. The house needs to be cleaned. My old dog needs an occasional walk. Sometimes things around the house need to be fixed. Just because I’m not burning 700 plus calories or logging 12,000 plus steps doesn’t mean I’m not getting work in. I just haven’t fully bought into all I’m saying yet. I’m finding it a bit easier to get there, but it’s definitely still a work in progress. It’s still going to take time. And I know I’m not alone. Runners are inherently obsessive. We like routine. We like the rush of a good run. I know more people who run feel the same way I do about scheduled rest days. I just wish it was easier for me to accept. I hope it will be no issue in the coming months, but who knows.

Rest days are a good, and important thing. I truly know this. I just need to get over my OCD and accept it.

Ty

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

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Ty's 2023 Men's Basketball Final Four Predictions

The men's final four is this weekend. I am going to do a preview and prediction. With that being said, take this prediction with the biggest grain of salt. On my personal brackets I have zero of the final four teams. I filled out multiple brackets too. This tourney has been nuts and all of my "bracket buster" picks were wrong. I also had Arizona in the Final Four. They got beat on the first day. I had Purdue making a run. They were the second 1 seed to be beat by a 16. I was sticking up for Marquette, and they were gone after the first round. I'm just saying, I may not be the best predictor out there. Just a heads up.

Where we stand, we have San Diego State, Florida Atlantic, UConn and Miami in the Final Four. There are two 5 seeds, a 9 seed and a 4 seed. That is wild. Two of the teams are from power 5 programs, but the other two are mid majors. Three of the final four teams have never been this far before. This is pretty much unheard, especially after the blueblood fest that was last season's final four. But I am excited for this four team crew. There is no team I dislike and no team I am a humongous fan of. I could care less who wins. If I am sticking up for any team it is SDSU due to the Michigan connection. But I have always liked UConn. Seeing a perennial football power like Miami here is rad. I am enjoying the whole FAU storyline that is going on. This is fun. This is why they put "madness" within the "March Madness" marketing.

With all that, I am most excited to watch FAU-SDSU. These are the two mid majors. These teams couldn't be more different. FAU wants to move up and down the floor. They want to shoot and shoot some more. They are fast and athletic and want a track meet. SDSU is all about their defense. I saw a stat in their elite eight game that said they have held their last five opponents below their season scoring average and 3 point percentage. I love that. They also like playing a half court game and shortening the other team's time of possession. They are a throwback team. They are also older and experienced. That is why I'm going with the Aztecs to make the title game. They have a little bit of everything, they have played a tougher schedule and they are coming off upsetting the number 1 overall seed. And their defense is otherworldly.

The "blueblood" matchup has UConn and Miami. Miami is fun. They are like a bigger FAU. They also have a ton of experience. They can also absolutely shoot the lights out. Miami deserves to be here. UConn should be the prohibitive favorites, definitely now. They have it all. They have size, athleticism, shooting, speed, experience and talent. They have been very good all season long. They have also been consistent. They are such a good, deep basketball team. They have also been destroying their opponents in the tourney. I think they will do the same to Miami. UConn is so good and they will overwhelm the hell out of you. In each game it is close for a half, and then UConn has put it on teams in the second half. I believe that will happen tomorrow.

So that gives me UConn-SDSU in the title game. And much like their entire tournament run to this point, I think they will be too much for SDSU. I will be pulling for SDSU. I'd love for them to prove me wrong. I'd love to see their defense play their best game all season long in the title game. But I just do not see that happening. UConn can counter anything SDSU might throw at them. They can also play the exact same thing, but their size and talent will win out in the end. UConn is going to win it all this season and announce their return loudly back at the top of men's NCAA basketball. They are loaded and they will win it all in pretty resounding fashion.

Now let's get to these games. I am pumped. 

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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The Sacramento Kings are No Longer Trash

The Sacramento Kings are back in the NBA playoffs. They have had the longest drought in professional sports, at 16 years, but now they are back.

I love this. I have always had a soft spot for the Kings. I rooted for them back in the late 90's, early 2000's because of Chris Webber. He was a Michigan guy, he was my favorite member of the Fab Five, I always liked him in the pros and I've always despised the Lakers. It helped that I enjoyed players like Jason Williams, Peja Stojakavic and Bobby Jackson. They had dudes they were fun to watch and easy to root for. It was simple to stick up for them, especially against the Lakers. The only Laker I liked back then was Shaq, but even when he went after the Kings, called them the Queens, look it up it is an amazing clip, I rooted hard against him.

Then they fell into a true era of mediocrity. They almost always missed on the draft. For every Boogie Cousins there's a Nik Stauskas. Some players the Kings have taken in the first round include Bysmack Biyombo, Spencer Dawes, Jason Thompson, Thomas Robinson, Ben McLemore, Willie Cauley-Stein, Marquese Chriss and Marvin Bagley. They have hit on a few. I mentioned Cousins. They also took De'Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell and Keegan Murray in the lottery. Tyrese Haliburton was a lottery pick as well, but they traded him last season in a much maligned trade. That trade ended up working out for them, but at the time, I crushed it along with a ton of other people.

Now it seems like the Kings finally have a quality team built around its best players. Fox is lightning quick, has improved his shot and is, by far, the most clutch player in the league. Keegan Murray has been as consistent as he was in college. He just broke the 3 point record for a rookie last night. He has been taking control on fast breaks here and there. He has been solid as a rock. Damontas Sabonis has been everything they hoped he would be when paired with Fox. They run a tremendous pick and roll game. They play extremely well off one another and they are incredibly tough to guard. Davion Mitchell is proving to be an excellent backup point guard and is their best defender, by a wide margin. Harrison Barnes is the vet that leads the locker room. He also has a winning past, has rings and can tell the younger guys what it feels like to play in the playoffs. Trading for Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk has been tremendous for this team. Both guys add shooting. Both can stretch the defense. Both are willing passers. And Monk has familiarity playing with Fox. That adds a ton. Trey Lyes and Alex Len add depth. And Richaun Holmes is still around and still hitting floaters. The team is constructed properly and they all know what they do best. Hiring Mike Brown was the first right decision this front office has ever made. They also let him hire his own staff and that was, again, a correct choice. This team is an offensive juggernaut. They are number 1 in the league. They can score and score and score some more. They are the team the Mavs thought they would be. Their defense leaves a ton to be desired, they have a lot of work there, but so far they have been able to outscore enough opponents to secure a playoff spot. They are also going to have home court in rounds one and two. They will most likely be the 2 or 3 seed. There is a world where I could see the Kings ending up in a game 7 in round two to go to the West Finals.

I love that the Kings are relevant again. I think the NBA is more fun when the Kings are not a joke. Also, imagine a first round matchup of Kings-Lakers. That would be awesome. It would take me back to my early years of being a NBA fan. Congrats on the playoffs Kings. Now make it last and become the perennial playoff team you are constructed to be. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "John Wick: Chapter 4"

I have just returned home from seeing "John Wick Chapter 4". The movie was wonderful. I loved every single minute of it. I could have watched another three hours and been even more satisfied. I thought thKeis was a perfect way to wrap this up, if that is indeed the plan. I will go forth with no spoilers, or at least I will try.

I have now seen all four movies in the theaters within their opening week. Each movie has gotten bigger and better. They have leaned into what they are doing and they are having an absolute blast while doing it. At one point during the movie today my dad leaned over to me and said, "I have lost count of the bodies", I nodded in agreement. This movie is the biggest of them all. This movie has to have the highest body count by a wide margin. This movie has a clear cut villain. This movie has the easiest story to follow, not that the others were hard. And this movie introduces some dope new characters that I hope will make their path in this world they have created. Donnie Yen's character, Caine, was my absolute favorite. He is a total badass. He is an expert with a sword. He is as capable as John Wick himself. And he's blind. That is not a spoiler, it is shown as soon as he appears. Hiroyuki Sanada is the Japanese version of Ian Mcshane. He is the Manager of the Continental in Osaka. He takes care of things and people he cares about. His fight scenes are rad. He was an excellent addition. Aimee Kwan is excellent as Mia, Sanada's daughter. She has less screen time than other people, but she could definitely carry her own movie if they do that. And Shamier Anderson, as The Tracker, was excellent. He reminded me of John Wick in the first movie. He has a companion dog. He is ruthless. He helps those who help him. And he is only in this game for one reason.

Outside the new characters, the setting and the fight scenes are amazing. This movie has sets in Berlin, Paris and New York, among other spots. Some of the shots they got in Paris alone were amazing. It made me really want to visit someday. I was floored. The fight scenes, and I have said this before, are like a violent ballet. They are amazing to watch. There is a scene shot totally from the top of a building and it is masterful. The way the camera moved and swayed and showed everything going on in each room was so cool. I was in awe while I watched. They have a scene at the Arc of Triumph that is so chaotic and wild and has an extremely high body count, and I loved every second of that. The scene near the end at the 222 steps was so incredible. That is the way to film a fight scene. The first big battle takes place at The Continental in Osaka in a back room with a ton of artifacts. It was dope. The use of nunchucks was cool as hell. It was awesome to see Keanu Reeves do what he did with those nunchucks.

I was impressed. "John Wick Chapter 4" was worth the wait. I did not know how they could top themselves but they sure as hell did. I am very curious to see where the series goes from here. There are many options. But again, if this is the end of it all, what a way to go. Go see this movie. It is right up there with "Mad Max: Fury Road" for me. It is an action movie masterpiece. 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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Ty Watches "Grand Crew" Season Two

When "Grand Crew" came out last year with its first season I really liked it. It is a funny, quick witted and very well made show. I enjoy the actors and the writers. They all come from stuff that I listen to or watch, so I was predisposed to like the show.

The first season came and went and it was great. I enjoyed every bit of it. It got better and better as it went on. That is the sign of a very good show. When they announced a second season I was stoked. I waited and waited and it premiered at the beginning of this month. The move to Friday night worried me, but in the age of streaming the day a show comes out on a network is not as important as it once was.

I got caught up on the first four episodes of season two yesterday, and I am here to say that season two is even better than the first. The show feels sharper. The writing is even funnier. The relationships are wonderfully crafted. The cast and crew seems to really be vibing off one another. The show works. But what I noticed, the highest compliment I can give a show that I watch, it feels comfortable. Watching "Grand Crew" in this second season is like wrapping a nice warm blanket around myself in the dead of winter. The show is engaging. The storylines with all the characters are funny and thoughtful. The love connections all work. The guest stars are wonderful and people that come from other comedy things I consume. The show feels like a throwback in the best possible way. I grew up with sitcoms in the house. My parents loved and watched shows like "Seinfeld", "The Simpsons", "Curb Your Enthusiasm". These are classic sitcoms that all work in their own way. I go back and watch these shows when I want to relax and go back to that time in my life. Watching "Grand Crew" yesterday gave me that feeling. I was sitting on the love seat and I just felt comfortable with each passing episode. I never grew tired. I didn't look down at my phone. I was engaged. I was focused. And I was completely relaxed. This show is thriving. They are doing pretty much everything right. Even with classic sitcom tropes, they nail it. They went to a psychic in an episode I watched and when it turned out she was a con artist, I didn't roll my eyes. Instead I found myself laughing. I liked the route they went with the story. I liked how they involved all the characters and showed their arc's in 22 minutes. It was a new interpretation of a classic sitcom story. And that is how every episode has felt to this point. The people behind "Grand Crew" seem to have a vast knowledge of what they are doing and they are putting it to use in the best way possible.

I want this show to stick around. I want these actors to keep acting together in this scenario this show has created. I want to see more and more stuff like this on a modern sitcom. "Grand Crew" needs to stay on TV. This is a good show with a fresh take on old classic tropes. The writers are exceptional. I am going to continue to sing this show's praises because it more than deserves it. Go watch. I bet you will all enjoy it as much as I do. 

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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Ty Listens to T-Pain's "On Top of the Covers"

T-Pain rules. I am a fan. I liked his persona and how he carried himself a long time ago, but this dude is super talented. There is a reason he is a professional musician and I have now found it.

His new record, "On Top of the Covers" is amazing. I never really listened to his music prior to this record, but I have heard him on songs where he is featured. I also loved the episode he was featured in on the Netflix show "I Love Pop". He also made autotune what it is today and he has a place in music history. What was so great about his episode of "I Love Pop" was that it let him tell his story. He was also able to show off his singing ability. This was my first inkling that I liked his voice. I heard him singing without any help and it was damn good. Then I was listening to "CBB" recently and Scott Aukerman mentioned T Pain's new covers record. I thought it was a joke because they did a runner about it and then never mentioned it again. But then I was watching Instagram reels the other day, because I'm a hundred years old, and someone shared part of his cover of "War Pigs". I thought it was a one off, or maybe just something he did for fun, but hearing this made me seek out if there was an actual record. And much to my glee there it was. I found it on Spotify and started playing it right away.

I have been blown away by every listen. This record is an achievement. T Pain has some pipes and he showcases that on each and every song, except for the one instrumental, which I do not know if he is playing the instruments, or if he has a backing band. The record starts off with Sam Cooke's "A Change Gonna Come". This is one of the greatest songs to ever be recorded, and to try and cover it has been quite the process. T Pain does an excellent job. When I saw this was the first song I was skeptical, but then I listened and it took my breath away. T Pain nails it. It is one of the better covers of this song. Sam Cooke himself would be proud. T Pain does it justice and then some. He follows that up with "Don't Stop Believing". I am not a fan of Journey, or this song, but T Pain makes me like it. I really enjoy his take on this rock song. From there we get songs like "Stay With Me", "Tennessee Whiskey", "Sharing the Night Together" and the aforementioned "War Pigs". Each song is different and very well done. "Stay With Me" rivals Sam Smith's version. T Pain sings it the same, but brings maybe even more soul. I love this song and I love T Pain's take on it. "Tennessee Whiskey", according to my wife, is like a gospel version of one of her favorite country songs. I was nervous to play it for her, but she said she really liked it. She was humming T Pain's version of it the rest of the day. "Sharing the Night Together" is way more soulful and way more fun that the original. The original is usually the best version, but I prefer T Pain here. And "War Pigs" is rad. I like Black Sabbath. I enjoy their music. But it can be a bit much sometimes. T Pain does this classic song, one of my all time favorites in fact, justice. He crushes the vocals. You can tell he really wanted to show off on this tune. He puts his voice out there for all of us to hear and he is absolutely incredible. I feel like this is a song I can hear over and over again and never get tired of it at all.

I really, really enjoy this album. I'm usually critical of a covers record, but not here. This record rules. This is one of the best albums of 2023, and may go down as one of my favorites of the year. It is number one with a bullet right now. T Pain has done something amazing here and I applaud him for his effort. He hit a homerun here. Go listen to this album right now. It will blow you away. 

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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You Better Believe I will Go See Tommy Wiseau's "Big Shark"

I am a fan of Tommy Wiseau. He is an odd dude, but "The Room" is endlessly watchable, for how truly awful it is, and he has made quite the name for himself in the midnight movie circuit. He has built a following, his followers are loyal and people come out in waves when he is attending a midnight screening of his first movie. I have been at one of these screenings that he attended, and he made us wait and wait, but it was worth it in the end to hear him spew utter nonsense and watch the movie with us all. I am such a fan that I even watched his two part movie he made with Greg Sestero called "Best F(R)iends". That was a movie that kind of worked because there was an actual story to follow and Wiseau played a weirdo. It was kind of perfect for him.

When I checked on social media today, just doing some scrolling, and saw that he has a full trailer for a new movie, you better believe I was going to watch it asap. I have now watched it multiple times and I have some thoughts.

His new movie is called "Big Shark". The title says it all. The trailer is only about two minutes, but from it I can tell that he has some friends acting in it, he is going back to his "hometown" of New Orleans, this shark will let you run and even hide but will find you and that the effects are very, very, very bad. I'm not joking. The effects make "Sharknado" look good. They make "Army of Darkness" look good, and that movie was all about how old looking the effects are supposed to show on screen. Hell, it makes the old school movies my dad saw in the late 50's and early 60's look good. When you see the big shark near the end of the trailer it is the worst effect I have bared eyes on. It looks like a poor screen saver from the late 90's. The shark kind of looks like a great whale if I am being 100 percent honest. And it comes barrelling out the side of the road and it looks as if it is swimming in a shallow puddle while it attacks people. The trailer also starts with two dudes, the aforementioned friends, boxing each other, with no fans in attendance. It is almost like they are just fighting to fight. And the shark isn't even chasing those dudes when it appears in the trailer. There are two other random people it is chasing. I don't know what the boxers have to do with the plot, but I'm sure I'll find out when I see it.

That is the thing, I will see this movie to see how bad it can get. It feels like Wiseau has given in trying to make a real movie that critics and fans will like. I think he is just making movies for his fans now. I think that is the lane he has chosen and he is okay with that. As am I. But don't get it twisted, "Big Shark" looks like it is going to be even worse than any movie the SyFy Channel has put out. And those movies are very bad.

The thing that got me most with this trailer is the button on the end. The trailer, as mentioned above, is about two minutes long. Forty-five seconds of this trailer are an underwear ad. Anyone who has seen "The Room" at a midnight screening knows the commercial I am speaking of. But for those that don't, this is an odd turn to have at the end of your trailer. There are two dudes fake playing basketball. There is no rim within sight and no one is on a court of any kind. The guys also have jeans on, and that is a no no in the unwritten rules of pickup basketball. Then Wiseau shows up with a blonde wig and talks about love. Then some random lady pops up and says the same thing Wiseau does. Then Wiseau shows up yet again, saying the same thing. The commercial ends with a website to buy said underwear, which is www.thunderwear.com. I'm being totally serious. This is how nuts Wiseau gets with things. This commercial is unnecessary and not needed, yet I watched the whole thing and said "that Tommy is a wacko". To no one mind you.

Go check out this trailer. You will not be disappointed. And you are damn right I will see this movie, hopefully at a midnight screening that Wiseau himself attends. Fingers crossed. 

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.

Tales of My Adventures at an Indiana Pacers Game

I mentioned yesterday that I wanted to talk about the Pacers-76ers game my dad and I took my son to see. That is what I’ll be talking about today.

I love going to NBA games. They’re fun, fast paced, super athletic and they end in just around two hours. I also like watching the NBA live because I believe that pro basketball players are the most athletic professional athletes. I told my son that this is my version of ballet. To see grown men this big do the things they do is amazing. From the footwork to the ball movement to the stops and starts and sudden bursts, it blows my mind. If you ever get to see Joel Embiid play basketball live, do it. He is an amazing athlete. I’ve seen him twice this year and I’ve been absolutely blown away by his skill and how effortless he makes it look. It is wild to see the things he does live and in person.

This is the first time I’ve ventured outside Memphis for a NBA game. I got way back into the NBA within the last 15 years, and started going to live games right before my son was born. Memphis was an easy pick. It was close, they weren’t always good so tickets were cheap and the arena is nice and has bbq nachos. I would go see the Thunder play there because I adopted them as my team when the Sonics moved. After KD left I was looking for a new team and Memphis made sense. So I adopted them and they’re my team. This made the decision to go there for games even easier. But I had already been to a Grizzlies game this season and their tickets are going up again since they’re good. My dad did some research and found that Indianapolis was only eight extra miles in driving distance, and similar tickets were far less expensive. So we got tickets having never been to a game there and took our chances.

It worked out great. The Pacers arena is very nice. It is a little smaller than the FedEx Forum, but that works in their favor. It feels more intimate. You could see everything. I was even able to spot the injured guys in street clothes. You could hear squeaking from the shoes. I could hear plays being called out. They had a mic in the rim so you could hear swishes. The games played during timeouts were fun. I saw a shrimp eating contest at halftime. They also did dunks off trampolines during a timeout. They had puppy races. It was dope. They packed a lot in and I appreciated that. I think they do a little more because the Pacers are mediocre this season and their two best guys were out. They had to find ways to make it more fun. The bathrooms were clean. The team store was two stories. They had escalators or stairs to get to different levels. They had windows where you could see outside within the gym. The floor was great, and that big P they paint with the basketball at center court was a sight to behold. I was into the whole experience at the Pacers arena. I thought they did an excellent job. And with Indiana being such a big basketball state, it all made sense in the end to me.

I walked away very impressed with the whole NBA live game experience in Indianapolis. I say go if you can while they’re still a middling team. It is worth your time.

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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The Garage is Must Visit if You Find Yourself in Indianapolis

Last weekend my dad and I took my son to Indianapolis for the weekend. I’ll write about the Pacers game and stadium tomorrow. Today I want to talk about a spot we went to before the game on Saturday.

We left Terre Haute in the morning and made our way to Indy. It’s only about an hour drive so we took our time. We couldn’t check into the hotel until four so we figured we’d get lunch and hang out before then. I was on search duty since my dad was driving, but he had already done his research prior to the trip and had decided we were going to check out this spot called The Garage.

The Garage is not a restaurant, instead it is a collection of restaurants. I was already stoked on this spot from what I saw online. Seeing it in reality was even better. This place was pretty rad. Like I said, there was a wide variety of food to try. There was not one through line. There was not just one cuisine to pick from. When we walked in I saw a full service bar. There were drinks galore. Then I saw a juice bar with açaí bowls. I was then drawn to a slice of pizza I saw. It was enormous. I saw a bunch of other spots after that. There was a burger joint, a sushi place, a greek restaurant, a taco truck like storefront, a poke bar, all kinds of stuff. There was even a barbershop within the confines of this place.

If you’re trying to imagine the size, it was like the first floor of the shopping mall. I kind of took my time and checked some spots out. My dad and son did the same. They took even more time in fact. They settled on a Greek spot. My son had dolmades, pita, hummus and fresh cucumbers and tomatoes. My dad had a very tasty looking gyro. It was stuffed with meat and tzatziki and feta. He said it was great. I leaned into the poke bar. I had been eyeing it since I saw it online. And it totally delivered. I got brown rice, seaweed salad, nori strips, a citrus ponzu sauce and tuna. It was excellent. I have been telling everyone about how good it was. I find myself craving it almost a full week later. I told my wife that this was a meal I’ll think about for awhile. It was that good.

Outside the food this place was pretty cool. The bathrooms were very clean and spread out from the food spots. There were tv’s everywhere. The men’s tournament was on so it was great for me and my kid. I already mentioned the barbershop with people getting haircuts. They had security and people cleaning tables consistently. The space was heated which was nice since it was so cold last weekend. And the people watching was next level. I love people watching and this was one of the best experiences I’ve had while doing it.

If you ever go to Indianapolis and want to check out some cool food, a different spot and some of the best people watching there is on this planet, check out The Garage. It was dope.

Check out the Garage Food Hall

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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Ty Watches "The Last of Us" Episode 3 "Long, Long Time"

Spoilers for anyone that has not seen the third episode of “The Last of Us”

We have started to watch "Last of Us" in my home. Many people have told us to watch and we are finally doing it. This show is incredible, but my goodness is it depressing and too close to reality. I fully believe something like this could happen, especially after how unprepared we were for COVID. I find myself depressed at times watching it because it feels too real. All that aside, the show is very well done, well written and well acted.

The first two episodes were a great way to get us into this universe, I guess it is based off a video game I have never played, but the third episode was something special. I had heard from the same people telling me and my wife to watch that this was the episode that would get us, both in good and bad ways. I also saw all the headlines when it initially aired and the hype was through the roof for me. The third episode exceeded my own personal hype, and then some.

This was a magical hour of television. I was in awe of what I was watching. I could not believe how they achieved their goal, and then took it even further. When the episode finished I told my wife that it was the best thing I have seen on tv in my entire life. We are two days removed from watching it and my feelings have not changed.

Nick Offerman played this doomsday prepper who wasn't going to leave his home when everything went down. He had a plan and he stuck to it. He had a fence around his property, he set up booby traps, he got what he needed to survive and he was living a quiet life by himself. Four years into everything a man trips and falls into one of his traps. Murray Bartlett, from "The White Lotus" and "Flight of the Conchords", played Frank. He was the person that fell. Bill, Offerman's character, helps him when he realizes he isn't infected, and expects him to leave by that night.

Frank ended up staying for the next 16 years. They fell in love. They had ups and downs like every couple. They showed each other things they had never seen before. They helped each other do things they had never done before. They made friends over the radio, most notably with Joel and Tess, the two main people from the Boston Quarantine Zone. They took care of one another. They exercised together. They painted and kept a garden together. They painted and played piano together. When Bill gets shot, Frank tends to his needs. When Frank grew ill, not infected, that needs to be said when talking about this show, Bill took care of him. They had this wonderful life together in this crazy time that this show and video game created. They found each other and they made it work. They seemed destined to find each other.

I was watching the episode and I couldn't believe how well they were showing true love. This is love. There are going to be fights, squabbles and arguments. Those will be resolved and laughed at later in life. There are going to be times when one partner has to take care of the other. They showed this masterfully in this episode. Couples are going to have their own personal preferences and styles and the way they showed them melding together was tremendous. I have never, in my life, seen a better version of true love portrayed on any medium. This was perfection.

This hour-long episode made me feel things I have never felt while engaged in pop culture. I laughed, I sobbed and I felt like it ended the best way it could have. My wife and I were puddles of emotion when it was over, but we loved what they had done. My wife can cry pretty easily at stuff like this, but it takes a lot to get me. This one got me and held me the entire time. I was consistently wiping tears from my face. My wife went through a ton of tissues. I was moved by this episode. This was perfection.

I do not know that anything will ever live up to what "Last of Us" did with their third episode. Shows like "Breaking Bad", "Better Call Saul", "The Simpsons" and "The Wire" may end up being better overall in the long run, but this episode of "Last of Us" might be the greatest episode of television that will ever exist. Even if you don't want to watch the show, or are a superfan of the video game and don't want to see a tv show about it, watch this episode. This is not in the video game, this is its own separate story and it is a masterclass in tv making history. My wife and I both said, and my dad for that matter as well, that Murray Bartlett and Nick Offerman, and the writers of this episode, should win every single tv award that they possibly can for this. This was a masterpiece and I am so thankful and grateful that I got to see.

What an absolutely wonderful hour of tv. Wow, just wow. My hat is off to you all. Thank you. 

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 2023 NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament

I have watched a ton of college basketball in my life and I think this weekend may be the wildest weekend of men's college basketball I have ever watched. There are always upsets.There is always a 12 or 13 seed that goes further than any of us expected. There is always a blue blood that bows out much sooner than we all predicted. But it feels like this tournament has had all of that, and then some.

The first day of March Madness gave us a 15 over a 2 seed. Princeton took down Arizona. I was a believer in Arizona. I had them going to the title game in most of my brackets. I had them in the final four in every bracket I filled out. Princeton beat them and did it pretty handily considering the background of each team. My brackets were busted on day one.

But that wasn't it. Virginia got bounced by 13 seed Furman on day one. This seems to be Virginia's new MO. They had the one title season, and no one can take that away from them, but the three other tournaments they have been to they have been knocked out by a double digit seed. That was more than enough to make day one crazy.

Day two came even harder. I was travelling with my dad and son, more on that to come this week, and Friday night had some wild outcomes. Florida Atlantic beat Memphis on a last second shot and Penny Hardaway chucked a water bottle. I would have done the exact same thing. That had to be wildly frustrating. Creighton and NC State traded buckets and played a very entertaining game. Oscar Tshibewe had 25 rebounds in Kentucky's win. Xavier had to make a furious comeback against Kennesaw State, and just barely did. Pitt held Iowa State to 41 total points.

Yet the upset to end all upsets came at the hands of Fairleigh Dickinson. I'm so sorry for RD's wife, but Purdue blew that game. FDU's average height is 6'1. Purdue has two 7 footers. One of which is 7'4 Zach Edey. He did his job, but Purdue couldn't hit a three to save their lives. FDU also ran and ran and ran all game long. They also made the plays when they needed to be made. They did the scrappy stuff and for the second time ever, a 16 seed beat a 1 seed, and they deserved the win. Purdue showed up like they were going to win by just walking on the floor. FDU had other ideas and shocked the world.

If that wasn't enough, the weekend gave us games just as wild as the first two days. Princeton came out and cruised over Mizzou. Again, sorry to RD, but those "nerds" did beat Mizzou's ass. They earned the sweet sixteen birth. Creighton also came out and smoked Baylor last night. Creighton looks like a sleeping giant right now. Florida Atlantic ended FDU's run, but it was a good, close game. FDU came out and played well again, FAU just played better. Tennessee beat Duke, and I loved it. Anytime Duke gets beat that is a good day for me as a basketball fan. Kansas State beat up on Kentucky. Maybe Coach Cal isn't the genius some think he is. He is a great recruiter, but his X's and O's need a lot of work. Michigan State came out and dominated the team I was rooting for, Marquette, yesterday. I despise that team and their coach, but they are made for March. Miami continued, for the most part, the downfall of the Big 10. Outside of MSU, the Big 10 has been wildly underwhelming and Miami crushed the Big 10 preseason favorite, Indiana. Penn State gave Texas a game, but in the end, Texas' talent won out. That was a fun game though. Gonzaga actually won a close game against a power five team. I was pulling for the Zags, but I thought they were going to blow it. This time they figured it out. Kansas is not going to repeat as champs. Arkansas played a better game and pulled out a close win. It was a sight to behold after the game too. Their coach went shirtless in the cheering crowd and their star player gave a phenomenal postgame interview. I'm not an Arkansas fan, but it was dope to see them win and how excited they were afterward. And try as they might, Northwestern couldn't knock off UCLA. The Bruins would build a lead, but the Wildcats kept climbing back in it. This game was in doubt with a minute left, but UCLA, namely Tyger Campbell, made their free throws, and may be one of the main favorites going forward.

All in all this weekend was wild and incredible. It helps that Michigan is not in the tourney. I'd be a lot more uptight if they were. This way I get to watch with no real rooting interest. And this weekend gave me some fun basketball to watch. Hopefully the rest of the tournament is half as fun as this past weekend was. But it is going to be a tough act to follow. 

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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So Long Aaron Rodgers

Being a Packers fan has its ups and downs. Sometimes they will enthrall you and deliver a title, but lately it is a good season ruined by a poor playoff performance. Things are not great.

I have never been a fan of Aaron Rodgers, ask RD, and that has come with a whole new set of problems following this team. Ever since the pandemic I have despised Rodgers even more. He lied about being vaccinated. He has claimed that the "woke mob" is after him. He goes on bs "darkness retreats". I have no problem with hallucinogens, but when Rodgers talks about it it drives me bonkers. And now he has come out and said that he intends to play next season, only he wants to play for the Jets.

That is all well and good. I have wanted the Packers to rid themselves of him for the past few seasons. I want to see what Jordan Love has as a starter. I don't mind if this team is not great for the next few years and piles up draft picks to get better. The rest of the division has gotten much better this off season, albeit on paper, and maybe it is just the Packers turn to be bad. But all of this posturing and whining and stating that he wants to play elsewhere next season, even though he is under contract, I just want this to be done. I want Green Bay to move on. The break up is ready. They need to rid themselves of this 40 year old cancer who showed major decline this past season. I'm done. I'm over it. Time to move on.

I will say, all this talk from Rodgers about where he "expects" to play next season, this has given Green Bay all the leverage. The Jets have made no qualms about wanting Rodgers. They said as much, their current players have been pulling for management to make the trade, other sites are already asking questions if Rodgers is one of the best QB's in the AFC and the market for other free agent QB's has diminished quite a bit. Green Bay doesn't have to do anything. They can sit there and wait for the best deal. If Rodgers says he refuses to play for the Packers, okay, eat his salary and let his punk ass sit. They have other options at QB. They already look to be retooling their offense with some of the moves they have made, or more so, have not made. Allen Lazard is gone. Aaron Jones has restructured his contract. Some O lineman look to be on the move. They are going younger at receiver. And they look like a team that is going to lean on defense for the next couple of years. I'm fine with that and so should the fan base.

If I'm in Green Bay's front office, I am asking for a Matthew Stafford type deal that the Lions got. I want a similar player and a boat load of picks. If they come with Zack Wilson, I'd ask for someone like Breece Hall or Garrett Wilson. So what if the Jets balk? Where else is Rodgers going to go? Who else can come in with a last minute deal that may entice the Packers? The only other team I would even talk to right now would be Baltimore, and that conversation stops instantly if they don't offer Lamar Jackson. Rodgers may think he has leverage, he may think he is playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers, but he screwed himself by revealing the single team he wanted to play for. That squashes almost all other options out there. He has painted himself into a corner, not the Packers. They don't have to make a move unless they are absolutely blown away by what the Jets offer. I would hold out as long as possible. I would wait and wait and wait for the Jets to blink. They have already corronnated this move, yet it hasn't happened yet. I'm sick and tired of this old ass has been, but you better believe I would make him wait and cringe.

The Packers are not the problem here, and they haven't been the problem for a long, long time. I hope when the season starts Rodgers is not there, but I would not do any type of deal unless I am secured for awhile. 

Ty

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

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