The SeedSing NHL Stanley Cup Finals Prediction

Welcome to the first ever, and probably last, SeedSing NHL Stanley Cup Finals prediction. We here at the website are not big hockey fans, but I thought with Ty out of town I would give the sports prediction blog a try.

Let me start with what I know about the two teams playing for the Stanley Cup. I know that the Florida Panthers play in Miami. This is their third straight trip to the finals (they lost last year to Vegas). The Panthers have a player by the name of Matthew Tkachuk, who is the son of Keith Tkachuk who played for the St. Louis Blues the last time I really paid attention to hockey.

As for the Edmonton Oilers I know they were really good when I was a kid. Edmonton is in Canada and a team from our friendly neighbors to the north have not won a cup in a really long time. That’s all I know.

With all my knowledge and borrowing the sports predicting skills from Ty I am going to say the Florida Panthers will win their first cup in a nice six game series. Why I am picking the Panthers you ask? They are from the United States and Edmonton is in Canada, and like I said a Canadian team has not won the Stanley Cup in forever. USA, USA, USA.

In all seriousness enjoy the Stanley Cup hockey fans. The NHL has the coolest trophy in all of sports and hockey is a pretty cool sport to watch. My fourteen year old is getting more into hockey and has been watching the playoffs and he’s been playing NHL 24 for the last month. He is the one that told me Florida would win. When I asked why he told me that Florida has more recent playoff experience, they won more games, and a team from Canada has not won in forever.

RD

RD Kulik is the founder and Head Editor for SeedSing.com

Support us on patreon.

SeedSing Classic: The Definitive Top 10 Little Debbie's Snacks

This article originally premiered on June 7th 2019

Growing up in the 1980’s and 90’s meant that your house probable had a few different boxes of Little Debbie treats. We would get one after playing outside, have a box handy when we played games with our friends, and definitely had one in our school lunches as our nutritionally mandated dessert. My lunches always consisted of a sandwich with mustard and one piece of Carl Budding ham, a baggie of chips, some form of fruit, a Mendota Springs, and a Little Debbie. That overtly sweet snack cake was the highlight of my entire school day.

Today I am feeling a bit nostalgic and thought it was high time we gave a definitive ranking of what are the ten best Little Debbie treats from my youth. I know there are some new treats in the collection of Little Debbies, but I did not have those in my lunches. If it came out after 1993, I did not eat it. Also there will be no “rolled” cakes on here. The rolled cakes suck, as do the Banana Twins and any marshmallow pie. Take my advice and skip those boxes.

Remember this is the definitive list. We have performed super science to get the correct rankings. Don’t agree? Come at us.

10. Pecan Pie

The mini pecan pie in the tiny aluminum tin is hard to find these days, but it does still exist. Many people hate this extremely sweet and sticky creation. Those people are wrong. The pecan pie has it’s problems (the sticky and sweet parts) but it was always a treat to gulp down a whole round pie in two or three bites. Just make sure you have some Mendota Springs to wash all that sweetness down.

9. PB Crunch

The PB Crunch was like a lower grade peanut butter Twix. Cookie, peanut butter and chocolate, plus the Twix like shape could confuse anyone’s eyes. While the peanut butter Twix is super deliciousness, the PB Crunch had a little blandness. Yet, peanut butter and chocolate can never be a total disaster.

8. Caramel Cookie Bar

Another Twix clone but switch the peanut butter for caramel. Also the shape was flat and not long and slender like the PB Crunch. The caramel was mildly gooey, and could mess up your nice Izod shirt with the popped collar, but was still a decent end to a balanced meal.

7. Cosmic Brownies

Many people are more familiar with the Walnut version of Little Debbie brownies, but if you got the candy sprinkled top of the cosmic variation, you were in luck. The brownie itself is another love it or hate concoction. It was more of a fudge like consistency and a fairly mild chocolate taste. Add the thick frosting (usually half the damn thing) and the colorful candies, the Cosmic Brownie was a faux chocolate delight.

6. Fudge Rounds

Here is where you start getting into some of all time great Little Debbie treats. The Fudge Round had a great cake top and bottom, and an awesome low grade chocolate mousse in the middle. All parts of the Fudge Round tasted amazing, it just usually suffered from not enough of the middle part. Many times that filling only covered half the cake sandwich. Little Debbie needs to do better.

5. Zebra Cakes

The two square cakes that come in the plastic package have many different versions. There are fancy, chocolate, and a variety of seasonal offerings. The OG Zebra Cake has them all beat. You can actually taste the chocolate and vanilla together. When you sit and peel the cake apart, outstanding. Pulling pieces of frosting off and unwrapping the cake was like a zen ritual to get you through the rest of the school day.

4. Oatmeal Creme Pie

I am not that big of a fan of oatmeal as my cereal or my cookie, yet the Oatmeal Creme Pie is all kinds of awesome. The grittiness of the top and bottom cookie combined with the ample amount of creme in the center is a tactile and taste sensation your tongue will thank you for.

3. Cherry Cordial

For some reason the Cheery Cordial seems to be a seasonal offering (Valentines Day I think?). That is not right because this is hands down a culinary masterpiece. You have another cake sandwich with a creme like filling. This time it is a cherry filling, vanilla type cake, and the entire thing is encased in a chocolate shell. The edges always have a little more crunch than the center, and it is glorious. This needs to be a year round thing.

2. Nutty Buddy

Peanut butter and chocolate are almost perfect. Add a couple layers of wafer cookies, and Little Debbie achieved near perfection. The Nutty Buddy is better than most candy bars, that is how good this thing is. It is another one of Little Debbie’s offerings that ask you to take the treat apart. Peeling layer after layer of cookie, peanut butter, and chocolate is the near perfect end to any meal. There is almost no equal to this delight.

1. Star Crunch

The Star Crunch not only equals the Nutty Buddy, it surpasses it. The caramel is not overly gooey, the cookie is the perfect balance of crunchy and chewy, the crisp rice adds an extra pop to every bite, and the chocolate brings the whole package together in one of mankind’s finest creations. The Star Crunch is a perfect dessert for any occasion. There is no snack cake/treat equal to the Star Crunch. It is quite simply the greatest Little Debbie ever made.

There it is, the definitive rankings of the ten best Little Debbie treats of my school days. You can not go wrong with any of these ten delights. One’s day is made all the better when devouring these creations. Now it is time for us all to go out and revisit some of the sweetness of our youth. I may just go and house an entire box of Star Crunch’s when I’m done writing here.

RD

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

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

My Toys Are Too Expensive

Yo Joe

I need to start the conversation and say that I am a 49 year old man. I have a wife, a mortgage, and a teenage son. I go to work with adults, I drive my family to weekend outings, and I eat in restaurants where I get served. I am a typical middle aged American man. Same as it ever was. Having said all of that, I also need to spend less money on toys.

Now when I say I need to spend less on toys I am not talking about things for my fourteen year old. I am talking about my toys. And before you start to giggle because you think I am talking about “adult toys”, calm down pervert, I am talking about toys you find in the toy aisle of stores. I’m talking Hot Wheels, action figures, and Lego’s. These are my toys and they are to damn expensive.

When I was a kid Star Wars and G.I. Joe figures were my main jam. Anytime I went to the store with my parents, I would always ask to get a new figure. It did not always work, but I did amass a pretty good collection. Then a few years ago Hasbro announced a premium line of six inch G.I. Joe’s, the Classified Collection, Star Wars had had their premium line The Black Series for a while. I always thought the Star Wars Black Series figures were overpriced and never went to get any of them, but G.I. Joe I was interested. The Classified Series came out and was priced at $20 a figure, and then not long after the price jumped to $24. I had major sticker shock. I could afford a figure every now and then, but I kept asking myself should I pay that much, I mean I am in my late forties.

I did pay that much. Right out of gate I found a Cobra Commander and I had to have him. When the Shipwreck figure was announced, I pre-ordered it. Today I own thirteen G.I. Joe Classifieds. Thats over $300 on action figures. Again, I’m a grown man.

Also, I play with these figures. Many contemporaries I know are collectors and get these premium figures and keep them in the box. Not me. The moment I get my figure I tear open the box. My Cobras all sit on my office desk, my Joes take up various poses on a display shelf in my home studio. I switch gear, make new poses, and try on every accesory ever few days. While I work, I do sound editing, I will fiddle with a figure to kill some time. And I did not stop with G.I. Joe. In the last few years I have bought a He-Man, Skelator, and Fisto (gotta have a Fisto), I have collected special edition Hot Wheels of The Simpsons Car, the flying time machine from Back To The Future and multiple Batmobiles, and I have a few Transformers led by my Hot Rod with The Matrix of Leadership. I have even gone back to the Star Wars well to get figures of Ashoka Tano and Clone Wars Yoda. All in all I have probably spent well over $500 to hold and pose action figures I loved as a kid.

I know I am lucky that I can go out there and spend money on something frivolous like an action figure modeled to be like the one’s from my youth. I just know that the price tag on these indulgences has given me pause. I wanted the Serpentor Classified figure, but I cannot find it for less than $100. Not going to make that purchase, I do have limits. Yet I know that one of these days these toy companies will find that right nostalgia point in my brain and make me forget the cost. I hope to be strong, but you never know.

Did Hasbro just announce an Iron Grenadiers figure? Sorry I have to go a place a pre-order.

RD

RD Kulik is the founder and Head Editor for SeedSing.com

Support us on patreon.

Is this the End of Sports?

Currently the French Open is on going, tomorrow night is the NBA Finals and then the Stanley Cup Finals begin on Thursday. Both leagues and international professional tennis did not get the most optimal matchups and the sports media will not shut up about it. “Ratings will be down” they say, “the gambling community is not happy” they cry. I personal believe the last point the sports media cries about, gambling, is why clean competitive sports is coming to an end. Let me explain.

In the NHL and NBA both playoffs saw a strong team from New York not make the finals, in the NBA the Knicks missed the conference finals when they were upset by the Indiana Pacers. The Dallas Mavericks did not have to play the defending champion Nuggets to advance, they got to face the young upstart Minnesota Timberwolves. In the NHL the defending champion Las Vegas Golden Knights were bounced in the first round by a big market Dallas Stars team, then Dallas was knocked out by the lower seeded Edmonton Oilers. Over in the east the little thought about Florida Panthers advanced to their second straight cup final over the massively loved New York Rangers. The biggest market to have their team playing for a championship is Dallas or Miami, and Dallas is a football town and most of you readers probably did not know the Florida Panthers played in Miami. For ratings and gambling, these matchups are not the best. Also the French Open, Novak Djokovic, the man everyone wants to watch, withdrew today with a knee injury. This is all not according to plan.

I listen to a lot of sports radio and I follow these sports personalities on social media. I hear each and ever “expert” complain about the matchups and then do an ad read for a gambling website. The studio show for the French Open is sponsored by Fanduel, the hockey and basketball arenas are covered with gambling adverts and every other commercial is telling you to bet. It is annoying and it is getting a little scary because if gambling means this much to the leagues, then getting optimal matchups, with the most popular teams and players, it means more money.

Before I go on I want to make it clear that I am not calling for a ban on sports gambling. I do not gamble myself, but is not for addiction or moral reasons, I just don’t like to spend my money that way. What I am afraid of is that all of our sports leagues/governing bodies have prioritized revenue more than competition. That is why in the span of less than five years we have gone from zero gambling to non-stop advertisement. I have no faith that the NFL, NBA, MLB, ATP, the Grand Slams, NASCAR, the NCAA, the IOC, FIFA, MLS, LIV Golf, or any other letter salad sports organization would take an opportunity to fix an income to drive more revenue towards their sport. I have no proof, but I think it is already happening. (When I have proof I’ll write about it here).

I am ranting here today because the last few days has been non-stop complaining from the sports media on the state of competion in our current professional leagues. The sports media is their for the management of these leagues, so anything they say can be directly tied to management. Seeing how greedy billionaires have become, and it is billionaires that run these leagues, I have little faith that competion will be important in sports moving forward. Only money will matter and getting rid of competition so management can make another couple of million dollars will win out.

When the French Open ends, the NHL Stanley Cup is hoisted, and a new NBA champ is crowned, the media people will complain on behalf of the league and the gamblers. The narrative will be set. The owners will discuss how to increase revenue, and competitive sports will be killed. I hop I’m wrong, but I am truly afraid the process has already started.

RD

RD Kulik is the founder and Head Editor for SeedSing.com

Support us on patreon.

Go Watch "Godzilla Minus One"

If you have a Netflix subscription in the United States then you can now watch the film “Godzilla Minus One”. If you have already seen “Godzilla Minus One” then you can watch it again. Either way what I am telling you to do is go watch “Godzilla Minus One” right now.

This is not going to be a review of “Godzilla Minus One”, I am going to save that for Ty when he gets back from vacation. What I am going to try and do is show my appreciation for a gem of a movie and hope to convince everyone, especially the people turned off by the pressence of Godzilla, to see this incredible movie.

“Godzilla Minus One” is one of the best movies I have ever seen that deals with survivors guilt. That guilt is not only felt by the main character, it is felt by the country of Japan post world war. All of the characters live with this guilt and deal with it in very different ways. Failed kamikazie pilot Shikishimi watches almost everyone around him die and he gets to live. Shikishimi’s fellow cremen on the mine hunting boat all have different war experiences. The kid is upset he was too young to fight. The Doc and Captain are bitter that the imperial Japanese government were so willing to throw away young mens lives for a losing cause. The engineer despises Shikishimi’s cowardice at first, but comes to realize that living is the greatest reward. Even Noriko tells Shikishimi that her parents told her to survive no matter what. She has lost everything but knows survival is the only thing left.

These stories sound depressing as hell. This is where “Godzilla Minus One” shines. The Doc’s speech after someone asks if his Godzilla killing plan is a “suicide mission” is amazing. The speech the Doc gives is poignant, heartfelt, and inspiring. He wants no one to die and he will not ask that of his men. The pleas of the kid to join the fight and the captain turning him down is heartbreaking and touching at the same time. The final moments of the Godzilla killing mission is equal parts horrifying, sad, and triumphant. You will experience all three of those feelings in the span of one minute. The last sequence and scene of this two hour movie is probably my favorite ending to a movie since “Babe”. The emotional payoffs in a movie like “Godzilla Minus One” do not come around very often is what I am saying.

I need to also talk about the big guy himself. I enjoy the recent American Godzilla movies. They are pure dumb enjoyment. The action is cool and the story is ridiculous. “Godzilla Minus One” is nothing like those movies. This Godzilla is a terrifying monster. The big lizard brings nothing but destruction and despair. The action sequences with Godzilla are loud, scary, and mesmerizing. The visual effects Oscar was very well deserved for “Godzilla Minus One”.

I hope I intrigued you enough to go out and experience not just the best movie of 2023, but honestly one of the best movies of the 21st century. I saw “Barbie”, “Oppenheimer”, and all the big films last year, none of them are as great as “Godzilla Minus One”. Do you think I’m just a fanboy and delusional? Well prove me wrong, go watch “Godzilla Minus One” and see the greatness for your self.

RD

RD Kulik is the founder and Head Editor for SeedSing.com

Support us on patreon.

Ty Predicts the NBA FInals

The NBA Finals are set, and it is two teams that I openly loathe. If you read my piece yesterday, you know why I despise this current Mavericks team. As for the Celtics, I've never been a fan. Let’s discuss.

As a kid I loved the Supersonics. The Sonics and Celtics weren't rivals, but I still rooted against the Celtics. It was also easy to hate on the Celtics as a kid because they weren't very good when I was younger. They had Rick Pitino as head coach for a bit, and those teams were horrendous. They would roll out guys like Ron Mercer, old Dominique Wilkins, Xavier McDaniel, Dee Brown and Dino Radja, to name a few. These were bad teams and I rooted against them throughout my childhood. But now they are good. Their best player is from Saint Louis. Jaylen Brown is a ferocious defender and dunker and he can shoot the rock. Derrick White was a perfect trade for them. Al Horford is consistent as hell. Kristaps Porzingis, when healthy, provides what they need from the center position in the modern NBA. The Celtics are legit. The Mavs are good as well, but this feels like found money for them. They are on a real heater. They are getting more free throws than their opponents. They are getting away with fouls constantly. They are setting illegal screens and getting away with it. They are the darlings of the league and it makes me sick to my stomach. But we are now here.

The Mavs and Celtics are playing for a title. One of the brighter young stars, Luka Doncic or Jayson Tatum, will get their first ring. Mark Cuban will go out a champ, or Brad Stevens will prove his move to the front office was the correct choice. And I will hardly watch any of it. I am wildly disinterested in this matchup. I truly do not care who wins. I'd love to see the Celtics lockdown both Doncic and Irving, but I really don't think I'll tune in for more than a half an hour total in this series. I don't like these teams. I think I have made that abundantly clear. I despise the two stars on the Mavs. I only root for Tatum because he is from my hometown, and I don't root for him all that often. But, I know the readers of my sports stuff want me to break it down, so I'll give it a go.

The Mavs have a better backcourt on offense. Doncic and Irving are better than Derrick White and Jrue Holiday on that end. But the Celtics backcourt is far more superior on defense. Holiday is one of the best perimeter defenders currently in the NBA. White is a nuisance. They are going to make it really tough for Doncic and Irving. But those dudes will get theirs on offense. And Holiday has been a non factor on offense. White is fine, but streaky. The Mavs have the backcourt advantage, As for the frontcourt, the Celtics are light years ahead. Tatum is a bonafide star. All these people saying he is "having a rough playoffs" are clearly not paying attention. He is excellent, he just doesn't run his mouth. He is a boring superstar, and I applaud him for that. Jaylen Brown is a force. That dude can play the game of basketball. He is very good, very intense and understands this game maybe better than anyone playing right now. And be it Horford or Porzingis, they can both shoot and rebound the ball. Horford is a better defender, but they are both pretty interchangeable. I'd happily take those three over Daniel Gafford, Derrick Lively and Derrick Jones Jr. Tatum is way, way, way better than Jones Jr. Brown is far, far superior to any 4 or any 5 on the Mavs that may guard him. And while Lively is very good and hyper athletic, he is a rookie and this is, by far, the biggest stage he has ever played on in his life. That is a lot to ask of a rookie. The frontcourt is clearly in favor of the Celtics. Both of these teams' benches are very plain. The Mavs bring PJ Washington or Daniel Gafford off the bench. They also have Tim Hardaway Jr, Dante Exum, Josh Green and Maxi Kleber. No one truly stands out to me. As for the Celtics, they are bringing Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet and Oshae Brisset off their bench. Again, none are world beaters. Then we have the coaches. Jason Kidd has proven his worth. He is getting the most out of this team. He has made the defense better than I ever imagined they could be. Joe Mazzula has the better team, has a better defense and the Celtics were the best team in the NBA all season long. They have hiccups here and there that they need to clean up. For the most part though, this is about as solid a team as the NBA has seen in a long, long time.

If I am looking over everything and trying to pick a winner, I have to go back to defense. The Celtics are a much, much better defense, and I think they will find a way to make guys other than Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving beat them. They will try to make Derrick Jones Jr hit shots. They won't allow the Mavs guards to throw alley oops with ease. They will make life tough, and when it gets tough for Doncic, he decides to whine instead of just playing through it. For defense alone I'm going Celtics in 6. 

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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I am Not Looking Forward to the Luka Doncic Lovefest in the NBA Finals

While watching game 4 of the West Finals the other night, I found myself turning it off. It looked like the Timberwolves were going to get beat, thus ending the series, and I just couldn't watch the end of the game. Luckily, the Timberwolves won, forcing a game five tonight. But, in all likelihood, this series is all but over and we will have a Celtics-Mavericks finals.

This was the worst case scenario for me. These are the two teams in the entire NBA I like the least. I have never rooted for the Celtics, and since Luka Doncic has come into the league, my hatred for the Mavericks has reemerged and remained high. I do want to say, if this ends up being the finals matchup, I will be rooting hard for the Celitcs. I cannot believe I just wrote that, but it is very true. I want to see Saint Louis' own Jayson Tatum get a ring. But, I will also be pulling for the Celtics because I have a deep, deep hatred of Luka Doncic. That is why we are here today.

Right off the bat, if he wasn't a good enough basketball to root against, I wouldn't write anything about him. He would be an afterthought. But, he is good. At least on the offensive end. So he is easy to root for, or, in my case, truly despise. I have never really liked him since he joined the NBA. At first it wasn't his fault though. It was the writers over at ESPN, namely Zach Lowe. I have written about Lowe's eroticism towards Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic. Since Jokic won it all last season, Lowe had more than enough ammo to shout his love for him from the hills. Now that the Nuggets are out, Lowe has his other white European player to heap endless praise upon while dumping on other players he deems less worthy. This has been happening since day one. Lowe will never, ever say a bad thing about Luka Doncic. And since I listen to Lowe's podcast, I have had to hear about it for a long while now. I will say, the more recent episodes that have some kind of love letter to Luka Doncic in the description, I have been able to easily erase and never listen to. But, it wasn't just Lowe. I got sick of hearing talking heads on tv expunge on his so-called greatness. He is some kind of wizard passing the ball according to them. I'll take Magic Johnson over him all damn day. They give him endless praise for his ability to score in tight spaces and to create said space. I'll happily take Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan for that any day. And, he is less than zero on the defensive end, which none of these fanboys seem to even care about anymore. They will sit there and spout off statistics until the cows come home, and when pressed about his horrendous defensive play, they try to move the conversation back to saying how great of an offensive player he is. It has gotten so bad that these talking heads will find the smallest effort he gives on defense and talk about his "improvement" on that end. It is akin to getting a participation trophy the way they glaze his attempts to play defense. And lately these memes of him shit talking opponents, that these same talking heads will gripe about when Anthony Edwards does it, they all love. They talk about his competitive spirit. They praise him for ripping out his opponents' hearts. They want him to continue to talk and talk and talk because that gives them the ammo they think they need to somehow prove his greatness. These are the same people that chastised Randy Moss when he fake mooned the crowd at Lambeau.  Being a Packer fan, I found it hilarious. They don't like the way Jim Harbaugh pressed the NCAA, but they love what Nick Saban and Luka Doncic do.. They feel entitled to say that Anthony Edwards should not have waved at the crowd in Denver when the Wolves closed out the Nuggets. They called that classless. But when they can watch their white savior stare down Devin Booker or SGA or AE, they love it. They beam with pride. And that disgusts me.

I wish I could remember which one of my friends posted this on Facebook, but they said that Doncic is incredibly sports hateable, and not a truer statement has been made in a long time. I also heard Carl Tart, I'm a big fan, say that anyone outside of Dallas who roots for Luka Doncic was probably storming the capitol. I couldn't agree more. This whole love affair with Doncic is coded racism from the nerds who work at ESPN. They have been waiting and waiting for someone, anyone to come along that doesn't look like Jordan or Steph or LeBron, and they have it now in Jokic and Doncic. And that bums me the hell out.

So, I guess I will end this by saying, if the Mavs do advance to face the Celtics, I hope Tatum and Jaylen Brown and Derrick White make life miserable for that prick Luka Doncic. Nothing will excite me more than to see that punk get his ass whipped. That doesn't mean ESPN will stop fellating him. But, it will restore my faith in basketball and the NBA. 

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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Ty Watches "Furiosa"

My wife and I saw "Furiosa" over the weekend. Let’s discuss.

This was a movie I was going to the theater to see no matter what. I have been looking forward to it since it was announced. Look, "Fury Road" may be the greatest action movie ever made. I think it is. It is full throttle, non stop action, and that is what I love about it. And it is not a "Fast and Furious" movie. Those have their place, but the whole "Mad Max" series has created a sci-fi world that absolutely fascinates me. It is the type of dystopic future movie that I am inclined to watch over and over again. And I have. I've seen the other "Mad Max" movies multiple times, with "Fury Road" leading the way, with at least a dozen viewings. So, giving me the backstory of Furiosa, Charlize Theron's character in "Fury Road", is all I want in a summer action blockbuster. We went out the day after it opened, we were in a relatively empty theater, and we sat back and watched.

My wife was not into the movie. These movies aren't for her. She likes her action movies to be superhero driven. But, I appreciate her wanting to go out and watch a movie series with me that I adore.

I loved this movie. Now, it is not on "Fury Road" level. That is a masterpiece. If "Furiosa" got to the level of "Fury Road", I don't think I'd have to watch any other action movie ever. But "Furiosa" has a place in my heart. I knew going in that this movie was going to be more of a story. George Miller told us that much during his interviews. And he and his crew told a great story. I loved getting to see where Furiosa came from and how she ended up where she did. Seeing her home, The Green Place, at its height, was pretty cool. It was also brutal because those of us that have seen "Fury Road" know the demise of The Green Place. And even in a movie that is more of a slow burn, we get a pretty dope chase scene right after Furiosa is captured. And the action sequences continue throughout the movie. There is a non-stop 15 minute action scene on a war rig that is one of the best things I've ever watched on any medium. It is a damn work of art. I also liked that we got to see Immortan Joe before he takes everything over. He is still evil as hell. We get to see The Bullet Farm and Gas Town before it all gets blown to hell. We see how some alliances started, and how some broke apart. We get to see early versions of the War Boys. We see the wasteland that has been created in this world. And it is bleak.

The performances in this movie are incredible. They bring back some of the people from the original movies. The actor who played Immortan Joe originally has since passed away, but his replacement did a damn fine job. The mothers in The Green Place are protective and totally badass. The first driver of the war rig may be one of the few people I have rooted for in this series. And then we have Anya Taylor Joy and Chris Hemsworth. Hemsworth is endlessly watchable as the main villain. He has no redeeming qualities. He is evil through and through. And I couldn't get enough of his work here. He really went for it and he definitely nailed it. I want to see him do more roles like this because he was truly foul and truly amazing here. Anya Taylor Joy did more than just justice to Theron's work. Joy embodied Furiosa. I read that she had to do a bunch of acting with only her eyes, she does not have a bunch of lines in the movie, and she hit a damn homerun with her eye acting. I know her story, yet I was endlessly surprised by what I was seeing. The final scene between her and Hemsworth is one of the best things I've ever watched. Joy was magnificent.

I loved "Furiosa". While speaking with a family member who also saw the movie on opening weekend, he said that, while not on the level of "Fury Road", he gave it an 11/10, he gave "Furiosa" an 8/10. I think that is fair. I'd probably go 8.5 or 9/10, but that is me. "Furiosa" is an achievement. I recommend this movie wholeheartedly. It will be on my best of 2024 list. I can already tell. Go see it now. I plan on going a few more times to see it in the theaters. Maybe I'll see you there. 

Ty

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

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R.I.P. Bill Walton

Hello all, and welcome back after my day off. I've got stuff to write about this week, namely my viewing of "Furiosa", but those other pieces will have to be pushed a day or so.

Yesterday, while swimming with family and friends, one of my family members informed me that Bill Walotn had passed away. I was shocked. I didn't truly believe him when he told me. We are both "CBB" listeners, and Bill Walton is a character that comes up on that show a lot, so I thought he was saying that the character of Bill Walton was going away. I was wrong, and he was right. The real Bill Walton, the actual person, has passed away at 71 years old.

Again, I was floored when I found out on my own time. He was only 71 years old. That, in today's world, is still relatively young. He always seemed so full of life and vibrant during games he was calling. There was, to me, no sign of poor health. I figured we were going to get 5-10 more years of his crazy stories he would tell while calling Pac 12 basketball games. Hell, I even loved it when he would go and call NBA games. He was insightful and hilarious. His nonsensical stories cracked me up. He was always quick with a joke. He would go on these wild tangents that were a true delight if you liked his longer stories. I would get excited when I would see him on a game that I had planned to watch. I know not everyone liked his play by play stuff. I did. It was a true joy for me. I think I liked it so much because he never took it too seriously. He understood that it was a game. Sports are not life and death. It is not the end all be all. I need to understand that even more. I need to be more like Bill Walton was when he was still alive.

He also happened to be an excellent basketball player. He was a dominant high school player. He was even better in college. He was on those UCLA teams that were damn near unbeatable. He was on the undefeated team. He was on the team that had a very long win streak. He learned from Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and kept things rolling at UCLA, winning national titles. Then he came into the pros as one of the better big men in the league. He was everything the Trailblazers could have wanted when they drafted him. He took them to places the team had never been before. He was an all NBa player. And while he never won a title with the Trailblazers, he made them a legit contender. He did get his ring with the Celtics, where he became a bench guy. He was ahead of his time as a player. He played free and loose. When he was dealt injuries, he took on a lesser role, doing what was best for the team. When he wasn't making shots, he became a ferocious rebounder. He did things to help the team.

Walton was incredibly outspoken off the floor. He was not afraid to challenge people. He would call out injustices. He would fight to help people anyway he could. He would say what was on his mind. He didn't care about his persona. And boy oh boy did he love the Grateful Dead and the whole hippy culture. He was one of the first dudes I saw that wore a headband. He had long, flowing blonde hair poking out of said headband. He was all about his tie dye shirts. I have to assume he engaged in smoking pot and other hallucinogens. He was all about, and I was here for it. I say, good for him for always being himself, no matter what the situation may have been.

This is a pretty sad one to lose. Bill Walton was truly one of a kind. He was about as famous as one can get, but it never seemed to really go to his head. The outpouring of condolences yesterday proves how important he was to a lot of people. Rest in Peace Bill Walton. Throw one down wherever you may be at this very moment. 

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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JJ Redick is Not What the Lakers Need Right Now

I find it fascinating and incredibly frustrating that the Lakers are seriously considering hiring JJ Redick as their next head coach. Let’s discuss.

This is the Lakers we are talking about here. They are the most storied franchise in the history of the NBA. They have had greats as their head coach. From Pat Riley to Phil Jackson to Magic Johnson to Paul Westhead. These are geniuses, Magic being a genius on the court, he was an awful head coach. But Paul Westhead, he revolutionized the game in the 70's. Pat Riley took over and won titles. Phil Jackson got Kobe and Shaq to work it out and win titles. These are some possible Mt Rushmore guys we are talking about here. And they are now in long, extended interviews with JJ Redick, who to the best of my knowledge, has not coached on any level.

Redick was a fine, run of the mill role player. He could shoot the three and hustle. That was what kept him around for so long. But he never won a title as a player. He was never an all star. He was never close to being all NBA. He was not a guy that you built a team around. And as an analyst, he is your typical hot take guy. He is like Pat McAfee, maybe just a little less annoying. He goes on shows and talks about "when he was a player" in reference to co-hosts who never played basketball professionally. He also has a podcasting empire, where he has a show that he and LeBron James host together. I tried listening to it because I like to hear LeBron talk basketball. And while they are both knowledgeable, it is boring as hell. And just because JJ Redick can sit there and shoot the shit with LeBron about some film they are both looking at, that doesn't make him a good coach.

Coaches are needed for different things now. This is a player empowerment era, which I am totally here for. But coaches kind of have to fit players. There are few coaches that can come in and run the team the way they envision. Frank Vogel, who was the coach of the Lakers in 2020, won a title and was just let go by the Suns after only one season. Darvin Ham, who led the Lakers to the West Finals last season, was fired after this season, and people were thrilled. The Bucks let go of their coach midway through the season, and they were 20 games above .500. Coaches have to know how to work for, not with, superstar players. You need a guy like Phil Jackson or Greg Poppovich. Mike Brown had to go through being an assistant again before he was able to get hired as a head coach, by the Kings. There is a lot more than just X's and O's that go into being a head coach now.

If the Lakers do hire JJ Redick, how is it going to be any different than when the Nets hired Steve Nash? That was who KD, Kyrie and Harden wanted. They got rid of a coach that took a Bad News Bears type of roster to the playoffs because he didn't vibe with the new stars. As for Nash, he never won a ring, seemed confused at times and was let go before he finished his second year. Who's to say that won't happen with Redick if he gets the job and the Lakers start next season 8-12 after 20 games. The West is only getting harder and harder, and LeBron is only getting older, and AD is one injury away from missing half the year. The Lakers don't have money or picks to get more stars. I keep saying that they can trade for Donovan Mitchell or Dejounte Murray. I ask, why would the Hawks or Cavs trade them away for future picks and league minimum players? They both have playoff aspirations, and you don't have to trade with the Lakers just because they are the Lakers. That is not how the NBA works anymore.

I don't think it would be in LeBron's or the Lakers front office best interest to hire JJ Redick. Just because he is friends with LeBron, and can talk shit on tv, doesn't make him a good head coach. That doesn't mean he can build the right staff around him. I would like to give the Lakers the benefit of the doubt and say they will hire someone else. But with each passing day, the Lakers naming JJ Redick their next coach seem likier and likier. And that feels off. 

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 Jalen Ngonda

I have recently come across the music of Jalen Ngonda. While looking at reels on Instagram, I watched a video of him performing live. I was blown away. His voice is soulful. It is as old school as it gets. The moment I heard his voice I thought of the old soul artists that my folks listened to in the house growing up. His voice can get high like Otis Redding's. He has some Al Green in there. I got Bobby Womack vibes from him. And to top it off, he plays guitar as well. He is an old school soul musician in the modern era.

I watched the first video, and like I wanted it to do, my Instagram algorithm kept giving me more and more of his work. I loved every new video I saw. I started to follow him on Instagram and started to listen to his music on Spotify. I'm all in now. I was hoping to be the first person to notice him, but he is getting more and more famous by the second. Since I first saw that video, which was about a month ago, he has been on a headlining tour. He has played festivals. He has made more videos. And to top it all off, he was recently hanging out with Elton John, posting a picture online for proof. It was amazing to see. I'm thrilled for him.

I want more artists like this to get their moment. They deserve their time to shine. We too often opt for bubble gum music fed to us by what I have to assume is AI. No one wants to go all out anymore. We want an earworm that we can hum along to while we go about our day. Jalen Ngonda is different. He is doing something cool. He is bringing back a sound that we all need right now. His music has a vibe. I dance along in my car when a song of his comes on. My kids have taken notice, and he is one of the few artists that they don't ask me to skip. He is damn good at his craft.

He reminds me most of early Leon Bridges. When Bridges first came out I had the exact same feel. He was a young dude who had an old soul. His first record is so great and so cool and so soulful. I ate that album up. He also dressed the part. He had a whole thing going on. I saw him on his tour for his first record, and it was everything I wanted it to be. Jalen Ngonda is giving me the same feeling. He wears old school t-shirts. He will sometimes be sporting a bucket hat while he plays. In the videos I have watched, he wears jeans. He dresses comfortably and sings like an angel.

I am curious to see where his career goes from here. I will most definitely see him live if/when he comes to Saint Louis. As I said above, I want him to get bigger and bigger because he is doing some cool music in an age where most people spit out dribble. Go check out Jalen Ngonda if you want to hear some old school, very well played soul music. He may be doing it better than any modern artist. 

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 "Mad Max: Fury Road" With His Son

Last weekend my son and I went to his uncle's house to watch a movie. The movie we decided upon was "Mad Max: Fury Road". Let’s discuss.

I love this movie. I have written about it. I am going to see "Furiosa" on Saturday. So is my son's uncle. We wanted to watch "Fury Road" before we saw "Furiosa", so it was a win-win for the two of us. It is no secret how much I adore "Fury Road", but I had no idea how my son would react watching this movie. He is all sports all the time. That is the only thing he truly cares about in the world at this moment. He plays and watches strictly sports. So him seeing "Fury Road" was a true toss up.

When the movie started he got quiet. That is not ordinary for my kid. He is loud. He wants to talk all the time. He is constantly asking questions. He just loves to chit chat. He would make a comment here and there, like saying how thirsty the movie was making him, but for the duration, he was silent as a street mouse. I would ask occasionally what he thought. He would shake his head and say that it is a good movie. I was beaming with pride. The action kept coming, that is what this movie does best, and I think that helped keep his attention. And when the movie would slow down, to tell more of the story, he was enrapt in what the actors were saying.

When the movie ended I had an inkling of what he would say, but I still had to ask. He told all of us there watching that he really enjoyed the movie. We were all stoked. I asked him what he liked best, and he told me when Immortan Joe got his face ripped off. He also said Immortan Joe's name correctly, which means he was really paying attention. When I asked him to elaborate more on what he liked, he was back to his normal self, talking a mile a minute. He told us that the movie looked like it was filmed on a different planet. He loved the action sequences. He liked Tom Hardy's performance as Max. He asked me a bunch if Charlize Theron was reprising her role as Furiosa. When I told him no, he said, "I hope this new person does a good job". To me, that comment means he is now invested in this world. He even liked how the movie ended. He was pleased with how they wrapped everything up. It was so cool to watch this movie through his eyes.

I have seen this movie so many times, well over a dozen by now. But watching my son watch the movie, hearing what he had to say afterward and seeing that he enjoyed it. it was like I was seeing it for the first time all over again. He has been bringing it up to me since Saturday. He has told his grandparents how much he liked it. My wife has had to hear his review a few times. And each time he brings up the movie, a big smile comes across my face.

You never know what your kid is going to like. You try to show them things that you like, but that doesn't always work. He has no interest in "The Sandlot", which bums me out. But, he is now a "Fury Road" fan, and that is pretty damn amazing. I will be curious to see if he wants to see, or would even like "Furiosa". Since "Fury Road" was such a hit, his uncle and I decided we are going to show him more movies we both enjoyed when we were younger. I'm sure they'll be hits and misses, but we hit a homerun with "Fury Road", and that makes me smile. 

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 Greatness of Will Forte

I listened to a podcast recently where they talked about the movie "Nebraska". I remember liking this movie. I enjoyed what I saw. During the episode they mentioned how good Will Forte is in the movie. I then remembered that they were correct. Forte really shines in this role. He plays the drama really well, and when needed, he is a comedic genius.

This got me thinking about his other performances and how great an actor he has always been. I became aware of Forte from "SNL". I instantly liked what I saw. He was absurd and silly. He did sketches that I hadn't seen before on the show. He was doing some wild stuff, especially for "SNL", and I was in from that point on. I decided a long time ago that I was going to be a Will Forte fan. I followed his work after "SNL" to one of my favorite shows ever, "Clone High". He voiced Abe Lincoln, and I found it absolutely hilarious. He was one of the main characters, and he did some excellent voice acting. I then watched "The Brothers Solomon". When I first watched it, I did not enjoy the movie. It was almost a little too absurd and bizarre. The writers seemed to take the jokes too far. But I watched it again, older, and I found myself enjoying it a bit more. The movie is wild, but the jokes hit a little better the older I got. Some of the stuff I didn't get landed with me this time. He was barely in the movie "Beerfest", but he was memorable. He did some more voice work, and a few more movies with friends, some of which I saw, others I skipped.

Then "MacGruber" came out.

I have loved this movie since the day I first saw it. It is absurdist humor at its absolute best, and Will Forte crushes as the lead character. This is such a perfect role for him. He can go as big as he wants, and fans like me will love every second of it. I have watched "MacGruber" a bunch since, and each time I find something else that makes me laugh even harder. "MacGruber" is a stone cold classic.

Forte then had an excellent run on "30 Rock". He was great in that show. We have the aforementioned "Nebraska", in which he proves his acting chops. He appeared on the "CBB" television show a few times, each appearance funnier than the last. He did some work on "Kroll Show", an underrated gem. He did a few things with The Lonely Island, all of which he is amazing in his small roles.

Then we got "Last Man on Earth".

This is one of my favorite shows of all time. I think it was funny as could be, but it also had a bunch of dramatic moments, where Forte crushes it. When he finds out his brother is still alive, Jason Sudekis. The things between the two of them are touching as hell. I buy that they were brothers. When Sudekis leaves, presumably to go die, I was in tears. And the way Forte and Kristin Schaal work off one another on the three seasons of that show is a thing of magic. "Last Man on Earth" is a gem as well.

I really enjoy his work in "A Futile and Stupid Gesture". He does some good work in "Good Boys" and "Booksmart". During the pandemic he did some solid work. Peacock did a "MacGruber" show. It was funny, but not as funny as the movie. He has a recurring role on "Bob's Burgers". He's in "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story". He's done three episodes of "The Simpsons". He is endlessly memorable and quotable on "I Think You Should Leave". And now he has a new Netflix series called "Bodkin", which I will almost certainly watch very soon.

Will Forte is a true pro. He is endlessly reliable. He is hilarious and has proven he can do drama. Will Forte is awesome and I just wanted to give him some love today. Forte is great. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches the Trailer for "EA Sports College Football 25"

I think I have watched the trailer for the new college football team about a dozen times now. I am so very, very excited for this to come out in the world. I had my doubts. You can go back and read about said doubts. I had heard rumors for years and years, to no avail. And there was hiccup after hiccup when the game was officially announced. I didn't know if the players would give approval. When they did I thought the universities might have some issues. Then I thought EA was going to try and pull something.

But it is really real. It is coming. They have a trailer. The cover athletes have been announced, the cover has come out, the players have talked about it and we have live footage of the actual game play. And the trailer makes this game look as amazing as I have always remembered it being.

This looks like an actual football game. It does not have the video game stuff that I have grown accustomed to. I'm sure that once I play it some stuff will come up, but I don't even care at this point. They have the team entrances down pat. They have the rivalry trophies. They have the players' names on the back of their jerseys. They have the uniforms looking as clean as ever. Chris Fowler's voice is doing the voiceover for the trailer. They play some Guns N Roses to get you all pumped up. Hell, even when they show Wyoming kicking the ball off, I got major goosebumps. I did go on the Playstation website to do a possible pre order, but they only do it digitally. I'm so hype for this game, I want the physical copy. I want to see the players on the cover. I want to hold the actual game in my hands. I want the disc that lets you play the game. I want to see the inside of the game. I want the paper that comes with the physical copy. I am even contemplating buying a new Michigan themed controller. It has the design of the helmet on the controller. I know that is opulent, but at this point, all of that goes out the window when I am thinking about playing this video game.

July 19th cannot come quick enough. I am not going to wait in a line or anything, that is not me, but I plan on playing this game on that date. I will go to multiple stores if I have to. I will find this game. I am not a video game guy, but college football is another animal. This is the only video game I have ever truly cared about in my life. It is the only one that I have ever been good at in my life. I cannot wait to create a player. I'm going to build a dynasty out of Michigan in franchise mode. I will recruit and use NIL with the best of them. I will challenge my son to games. My wife used to play a bunch, and she has mentioned playing around with the game here and there.

This trailer is the best trailer to come out in a long, long time. It has me super excited, as well as millions of other people. So, we just need the 19th of July to come. Until then, I will be watching this trailer a million more times. 

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 Contestant"

Last night I finished the new Hulu documentary "The Contestant". I clocked this movie solely based on a picture. I was scrolling through Hulu one day and saw this picture of a gentleman sitting down with wild hair and a bushy goatee. It was at that moment that I thought, what is this, and I need to find out asap. I did a little research and found out it was a doc about the first "reality show". I watched one trailer and that was all I needed to watch. I started it the other day, but my son got home from school, and he was not interested. That is why it took me two days to finish.

I really liked what I saw. This is an eye opening doc. There are so many things in here that made me gasp and audibly say things to no one besides my dog. I could not believe what I was seeing. The movie is about a young actor in Japan, nicknamed Nasubi. That is the Japanese word for eggplant. He is called this because he has a very long face. He was bullied as a child because of this, but found out that if he made people laugh, he would not get picked on. After growing up and not enjoying the day to day office life, he decided to become an actor and comedian. He was amongst a group of other no known actors to participate in a new show. His ticket was picked and he was off to do a show, of which he had no idea what it was going to be. He is taken to a room, stripped of all of his clothes, has the essential things to survive, and is told that he can only leave the room when he earns 1,000,000 yen by mailing in postcards from popular magazines. This all takes place in the late 90's. So, Nasubi knows he is being filmed, but doesn't think it is ever going to see the light of day. He is also totally alone and the only way to get food, clothes and whatever else he may need, is to play these mail in postcard games from magazines.

The doc starts off goofy and funny, but it quickly turns dark, and kind of sad. You can see the struggles Nasubi is going through. You can see him starving. At one point, after he eats all of his rice, he is left to eat dog food. I was so sad for him at that point. Seeing him slowly lose his mind was hard to watch. He didn't deserve this, but he was there everyday, everything being filmed and watched and he kept plugging away at these postcards. The producers and creators of this show kept pushing. People kept tuning in, so they just kept it going. They moved him and gave him new tasks. He had to figure things out all over again. And he did. And he was eventually done with this, but it still felt like bullying, the way he was treated afterward. He became a caricature. I felt really bad for him because you could tell he was still really struggling with everyday life. He eventually used his newfound fame to help others. He did what he could for the horrific tsunamis and earthquakes in his hometown. He climbed Mt Everest to make money for another earthquake in Delphi. He did things to help others. Instead of trying to take his fame and become an actor or comedian known worldwide, he did things to make sure others were taken care of. Nasubi is a good dude who did not deserve to go through the horrific 15 months he did for content. I am so glad he came out of the other end a better person.

I recommend this doc wholeheartedly. It is a glimpse inside the awful world of "reality tv", and how it kind of got its start. And Nasubi is so much better than the people who used him for 15 months. "The Contestant" is a very good doc and you should watch it right now. 

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 a Bronny James Fan

The NBA combine came and went these past couple of days. A bunch of the top prospects opted out of most of the drills and scrimmages, but some kids were still there trying to up their draft stock. One such prospect is Bronny James. You may know who his father is, LeBron James.

Bronny has been living in his father's shadow since he showed a proclivity for basketball. I remember hearing about Bronny being a decent prospect coming out of high school in regards to playing division 1 college basketball. He moved high schools, played at a prestigious basketball high school and got some D-1 offers. I was hoping Michigan would go after him. He eventually ended up at USC, close to home, and they brought in a monster class. Bronny then had a scary cardiac arrest situation and that sidelined him for a while. He missed the start of the season. He was eventually cleared to play mid-season and he did.

He was fine. He did not set the world on fire. He played in Isaiah Collier's shadow. Collier is one of the top prospects in this upcoming draft. But, Bronny never really set the college basketball world on fire. He plays the game correctly, but that doesn't add up to eye popping stats or highlight plays. USC also played well below their preseason status. They were below .500. They didn't make the NCAA or NIT tournament. And they were easily bounced from the Pac 12 tournament in round 2. The Bronny NBA stock was relatively low.

Then he entered the draft and the transfer portal. He was maintaining his college eligibility, but he was also going to see what his NBA stock looked like. He had a damn good combine. His vertical is big. He had good form and shooting touch. He made a bunch of threes. And he participated in the scrimmages. He looked a little timid in the first scrimmage, but in the second one, he balled out. He looked to score. He was quick to make a move to get to the basket. He played solid defense. He made the correct pass. He showed he has a chance to be drafted. And

I'm here for it. There are people out there that are degrading him. They are saying he is not an NBA prospect. They don't want him to succeed. They are mad at him for no reason, other than the fact that he is LeBron James' kid. The hate he is getting online is brutal. I feel pretty bad for him. These keyboard warriors are calling him all kinds of things, and I am certain they wouldn't score a point against him in a game of 1 on 1. It is easy to shit talk behind a screen name. But these people hold no control over Bronny's NBA future. But because of these keyboard nitwits, I am becoming a big time Bronny fan. I want this kid to make it and have staying power. He is already an above average defender. He showed in the scrimmages that he can hit floaters. He can also spot up for the corner three. He makes the correct decision in a half court offense. He runs the break really well. This kid has the skills to make it in the NBA for a good long while. And he should make it based on his own skill and merit. There is clearly something there. He has the goods. Some team may take a shot on drafting him. Or if he doesn't get drafted, he will most certainly be on a G League team. This isn't the Ball family we are talking about here. Bronny is so much more skilled than LiAngelo Ball. He seems to be much healthier than LaMelo or Lonzo. He has been medically cleared by the NBA.

I'm on Bronny's side. I am rooting hard for him. When/if he gets into the league, I'll be excited to see him play either with or against his dad. 

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 the "Megalopolis" Trailer

RD texted me last night and asked if I had watched the trailer for "Megalopolis" yet. I had not seen it yet. I had actually forgotten about this movie. I feel like it has been shelved for a while, and I thought it may not ever be released. But RD saw the trailer, and the fact that he texted me about it, meant I had to watch this trailer as soon as I could. I had a bunch of stuff going on yesterday, but after my kids went to bed, I went to Google and checked this trailer out.

I cannot wait to give this movie all of my money. The few trailers that I watch, when they get me hyped up, that is a sign of a movie I will remember, be it good or bad. Before checking out the trailer, I asked RD what he thought. He told me that this movie was either going to be awesome, or be so bad that it is awesome. He compared it to a movie we both talk about a lot, "Southland Tales". Those that know that movie get the comparison. "Southland Tales" is a movie that I know is not well made. There are far too many stories going on, and they gave that director too much money and he went wild. But, it is a movie that I think about often. I have gone back and watched it multiple times. This is a movie close to three hours by the way. I have invested a ton of time into a movie that, as I said, I know is bad, but it is often on my mind. If "Megalopolis" gives me this, it will be more than worth the price of admission.

The trailer I watched was barely less than two minutes, but it has so much packed in it. Adam Driver is the star of the movie, and forgiving his wild hair do, look it up, he usually does a pretty damn good job in every movie he decides to do. This looks no different. I get excited when I see him in a movie, and for him to do something this odd and different, I'm there. I also saw that Shia LaBeouf is in this movie, and he has seemingly no eyebrows for some reason. LaBeouf has his personal issues, he needs real therapy, he has problems he needs to deal with, but in this trailer he is going for it. He looks like the anti-hero of this movie, and when LaBeouf goes for it, and is given proper direction, he does good work. Outside of those two people, I could not tell you who else is in this movie. I know there are a bunch of people, and they all seem to be doing their best, but their names escape me right now.

It also needs to be said, Francis Ford Coppola directs this movie. He is one of the greatest directors to ever sit behind a camera. He is a legend. His work speaks for itself. He has earned the right to make a movie this big and weird and interesting. I don't know what he last directed, but he appears to let it all hang out in the trailer for "Megalopolis".

I am being honest when I say this is one of the wilder trailers I've ever watched. "Megalopolis" starts with some people in a limo, a shot of the Statue of Liberty with fire in the background, other statues removing themselves, as if they have gained sentience, and sitting down. Then, as if you think the world may be ending, it shows people in what looks like an underground society living it up. And there are people who look worse off, trying to overthrow these other people. Oh, and Laurence Fishburne, I remembered another actor from the movie, giving us a voiceover that is very coy. This all takes place within the first 30 seconds of the trailer. It only gets crazier from there.

Go watch this trailer. Prepare yourself so you can go see it on opening day like I am planning on doing. I cannot wait to watch this movie and then have many conversations about it afterward. I am excited about this craziness. And either way, be it good or bad, we all win. 

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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Thundercat, Wooten, Claypool. Who is the King of the Bass?

While out for coffee this morning, a Thundercat song came on while we were driving back. I am a big Thundercat fan. He is a magician, a virtuoso if you will, on the bass.

When the song came on, my buddy Kirk mentioned that he just recently heard of Thundercat. I started to instantly sing his praises. I mentioned how I have seen other people online say that he is like a Transformer on the bass. He is an amazing bassist. I said, after heaping compliments on Thundercat, how I think he is one of the best bassists in the world. I mentioned that the only bassist that I think is better is Victor Wooten. Victor Wooten is truly one of a kind. I saw him live once, and boy oh boy was it amazing. I didn't know much about him when I went to the show, but I left a true convert. I was hooked. I devoured his whole catalog. I have been talking him up ever since. I said all of this to Kirk and my dad, and then Kirk hit me with a doozy. After saying that Wooten was the greatest bassist of all time, and Thundercat was second best, he asked me, what about Les Claypool? I had to sit back and think. I told him that he just shook my whole view on this topic. Les Claypool is also a wizard. He plays the bass like he is from another world. He also plays a bunch of different genres. He is stretchy. He can do some wonderful things on the bass.

Now I am stuck. I don't know who, of these three musicians, is the best at the bass. And I am sure that there are other bassists out there that I am forgetting. I don't listen to jazz or hard rock stuff where bass is a driving force. I don't know some of the underground or not yet discovered artists. Leave me alone. I am going totally based on my listening experience. These are the people I like. These are who I know and can talk a little bit about. If I didn't name your favorite bassist, I'm sorry. But also, get over it.

So, taking these three guys as my base, who is the best? Who plays the best? Who is the best writer of the three? Who has the longest staying power? Who is the most technically proficient? These are a few questions I have been pondering since we first talked about this about two hours ago. So, as far as who plays it best, or who is the most proficient, all three have their own high marks. Victor Wooten is the first person I ever heard play harmonics. He was also going wild at the live show. He was going fret to fret, string to string. He crushed. Thundercat, as previously mentioned, is a transformer. The stuff he does on the bass is second to none. He plays faster than Victor Wooten. He makes it look so easy, but what he is doing is incredibly difficult. He is the first person hip hop artists ask to be on their records. He is truly a virtuoso. As for Les Claypool, I mean, this dude is amazing. He literally shreds on the bass. He makes it sound like a guitar sometimes. He is almost too good at the bass. He has his own circus that he runs, and his band is who everyone wants to watch. He is the best of the best among a group of the best bass players in the US. As far as staying power, they all have a good deal. Thundercat has the hip hop community, as well as his solo stuff. Victor Wooten has a solo career, as well as playing with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. As for Claypool, he has his circus. He has played with many rock bands. He has his own band. They are all going to be around for a long time. As for writing, Thundercat isn't that great, but his playing hides that. Victor Wooten is more an instrumentalist than a writer. As for Claypool, I almost feel like he is goofing off when he writes songs, and that is a-okay. I also like his goofy lyrics. And his playing is pretty damn dope. So, I am still finding myself stuck. At moments it is easily Thundercat, but then I go back and remember all the stuff I just said about Claypool and Wooten. Wooten's live show is a core memory. But, I haven't seen Thundercat or Claypool in concert as of yet. And they are all incredibly proficient on the bass. If I had to make a pick, if I was somehow forced to, I'd go with Thundercat, but just by a hair. And that may change from moment to moment.

All in all, these three dudes are at the top of their craft. If you haven't heard these guys play, do yourself a favor and start right now. They are all more than worth your time. 

Ty

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

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I Think I am Chargers Fan Now

Football cannot come soon enough. I enjoy basketball, and the playoffs are good and fun, but my team is not in it this year. I am not a baseball fan at all. I am so bored by the games. I only like watching my son play, and I also coach that team, so I'm heavily involved. I am not a hockey guy. I don't watch car racing. I will goof around on Sunday's and watch "The Ocho" whenever ESPN puts it on for the day. Hell, I miss football so much, I have found myself watching UFL games with my kid because he is heavily invested in our local team.

I have found myself playing a good amount of "Madden" lately, in preparation for the college football video game release. As I progress in the game, I like to be different teams than just the Packers. The Packers are my NFL team. I have rooted for them my whole life. They are the team I want to see win it all. While not on the level of Michigan football, the Packers are very high on my rooting interest list. But, when playing "Madden", there has been one team I have been picking a bunch lately. That team is the LA Chargers.

This is probably an easy pick for people who know me. Jim Harbaugh is the new head coach there. They drafted Cornelius Johnson and my favorite player from the Michigan defense last season, Junior Colson. The coaching staff is made up of a bunch of former Michigan coaches. Harbaugh took those guys over with him when he took the job. I know some Michigan fans were bummed about this, but I understand why they went. It is the NFL. That is as high as it gets in football coaching circles. It was an obvious move. So, while playing the video game, and reading about their staff, and seeing who they drafted, the Chargers are now the second team I root for.

It has been decided. I am, along with the Packers, a Chargers fan. The Packers will be my priority. If the Packers and Chargers are playing each other I will root for the Packers. But, in any other scenario, the Chargers now have my fandom. I'm sure they are thrilled. But, this is where I stand now. Not only do I like the staff and some of the new rookies, I like their uniforms. I enjoy their color scheme. I love the lightning bolts they have on the helmets. Now that they have accepted that the powder blue is their primary color, they have hit an absolute home run. When they wear their 70's throwbacks, the color scheme is very similar to Michigan. It may as well be navy and maize. I think it is supposed to be navy and gold, but I like to imagine it's navy and maize. Along with the new rookies, I like Justin Herbert quite a bit. I have been a Khalil Mack fan ever since he was drafted by the Raiders. I wish Keenan Allen was still there, but hey, I will find some new wideouts to root for in LA. I am not crazy about a center d end and center on their team, but there is nothing I can do about that. And seeing all the offseason stuff with Harbaugh, him living in an RV, him getting his Michigan tattoo, him singing "Hail to the Victors" after drafting Michigan guys, I'm all in.

I think it will take a few seasons, the Chargers have talent, but not a ton of talent, so it is going to be a bit of a rebuild. But, I don't care about that. The Packers are in a good spot, and for the time being, I will enjoy my time cheering for the Chargers as well. Welcome to the fandom Chargers. I'm here and ready to root for you all. 

Ty

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

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I Did Not Grow Up Watching the Shows of My Generation

While on a walk this morning I was listening to the podcast "This Is Important". I enjoy listening to the "Workaholics" guys shoot the shit weekly. It is relaxing and fun for me. Today they brought up the cartoon "Talespin" and they totally sidetracked what they were talking about to talk about their memories of this classic kids cartoon from the 90's. I thought back and remembered seeing commercials for this show. I saw the toys in the store growing up. But, I do not remember watching it ever. I guess it just passed me by.

This got me thinking. My wife brings up old shows she watched while growing up and they usually go over my head. I am a day older than her, so it is not like we are from different generations. And when I get together with friends from childhood, the few I still see, they will bring up classic shows and it flies over my head then as well. I guess I didn't watch the shows that most people my age watched growing up. Besides "Talespin", my wife will bring up "Ren and Stimpy" a ton. I have only seen one full episode of "Ren and Stimpy". I thought it was gross as a kid, so I tuned out. My wife also loved "Pinky and the Brain", which was a sideshow involved with "Animaniacs". I know all the classic lines from "Pinky and the Brain", but I can't pull out the stuff my wife comes up with on a regular basis. I would float in and out on "Rugrats" constantly. I would watch it very closely for a season, then totally tune out. I've never seen a second of "Dexter's Laboratory" or "AAH! Real Monsters". I've only seen a handful of "Doug" and maybe an episode or two of "Rocko's Modern Life". "Johnny Bravo" is a complete mystery to me. As is "Gargoyles", which my wife adores. I know people are totally stoked on "X-Men 97" right now. I haven't even started it because I never watched the original "X-Men" cartoon. I did watch "Beavis and Butthead", as well as "Daria". But a show like "Recess" or "Batman; The Animated Series", never watched a second of them. I kind of wished I checked these out when I was younger.

I feel like I chose to watch stuff like "Sportscenter" or "American Gladiators" instead when I was younger and home on summer break. I have seen the entirety of "Good Times", which was a classic. But that was live action. I go in and out of "South Park", but can recite about 90 percent of "Seinfeld". I guess, growing up, my folks didn't really leave cartoons on tv. I know "Ghostbusters" had a cartoon, but I watched the movies. The same can be said for "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". I craved sports and live action as a kid. I enjoy animation much more as an adult. Maybe I should go back and check some of this stuff out, but I don't know where to even start. And there is so much current stuff that I want to see as well.

I guess I am asking some people around my age who watched these things, other than my wife, what I should check out? What is worth using my free time to binge? I can only watch the same shows over and over again, so I want something classic to check out. Let me know what is best and I will have a follow up to what I picked and how much I liked it. Be nice in the comments. And give me those suggestions. 

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.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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