Alamo Drafthouse is the Only Way to See a Movie

Yesterday I really gave a poor review to "Jurassic World: Rebirth", and I stand by that. I couldn't find one thing I really liked about it. But, outside of the movie, the theater we went to was amazing, and I want to give that some shine today.

We went to see the movie at the newish Alamo DraftHouse here in Saint Louis. That was pretty much the only reason I agreed to go see that movie. I recommended we see it there in fact. I have heard a ton about the Alamo DraftHouse. A lot of the people I hear on the podcasts I listen to constantly talk about seeing movies there. My wife has to travel to Austin quite a bit for work and she has raved about the one there. I always heard about the theater, but never made my way downtown to see a movie. That changed on Sunday and I, while disliking the movie, had a great time at the theater.

When we walked in I was instantly in love with the theater. They had old school and foreign movie posters all over their walls. They put all those old posters in there amongst new movies too. For every "The Jerk" or "Napoleon Dynamite" poster, there was a poster for "Wicked For Good" or "Together". It was neat to see the movie posters from other countries for famous movies. They had what I think was a French poster for "The Jerk". There were a ton of Spanish posters for classics like "Jaws" and "Alien". They had old school American posters for movies like the aforementioned "Napoleon Dynamite" and other movies like "Big Lebowski" and "Being John Malkovich". It was cool to see all these posters plastered all over the walls. As we made our way to the theater for our movie, when we walked in I loved the setup of the theater. It wasn't like most theaters. Every seat was at the same level, but lifted the further back you go. There were no steps to get to your seat. No one had to go up or down. We were all at the same level, but we could all see the screen very well. The service was incredible. Our server had a "Threat Level Midnight" shirt on, if you know you know, and he was an absolute delight. He really helped to guide us through our first visit. After we ordered we watched the stuff on screen prior to the movie. This wasn't the typical commercials you get at every other theater. This was a curated show of everything pertaining to dinosaurs. We got old Weird Al videos from the first "Jurassic Park" movie. They showed old school cartoons that were all dinosaur related. They showed older commercials for toys from previous "Jurassic Park" movies. It was neat to see something a little different. And the food was so much better than it had to be. We got very big sodas and water to drink. My son and I had chicken tenders that were fantastic and plentiful. Our fries were very tasty. My daughter had a wood fired pepperoni pizza. She let me try the pepperonis and they were great. My wife had loaded fries and she couldn't even finish them. I saw other people order popcorn and it came in a big silver bowl and there was a ton. Someone got the churro varietal near us and I could see very mini churros mixed in. It also smelled delicious. Most theater food is run of the mill, but this was above and beyond. It seems like they care about the product they are putting out there, and I love that.

While the movie wasn't good, the theater and the product and the ambiance and experience was all great and I will definitely be back in the very near future. I now understand the hype I have heard for years in regards to the Alamo DraftHouse. It is great. 

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Jurassic World Rebirth"

I saw three movies this weekend, written about two that I liked, and now I'm going to talk about the one I wasn't so into.

My wife and I really love the original "Jurassic Park". It was one of my favorite movies growing up. I was obsessed with dinosaurs and seeing them "come back to life" was pretty important to me. They tried to make a few sequels that weren't so great. Although, I did find some things to enjoy in the third installment. Then Chris Pratt was tabbed to play the star in the reboot, "Jurassic World". These movies, especially the third one, were not for me. I am not the biggest Chris Pratt fan, the movies were dull, they had problematic storylines and they really phoned it in in the end. Hell, the third "Jurassic World" movie wasn't even really about dinosaurs. They decided to focus on giant mutated mosquitoes, and that was a bad, bad decision on their behalf. So, going into this new "Jurassic Park" movie, "Jurassic World: Rebirth", my expectations were very low.

And the movie delivered on those low expectations.

I told my wife after the movie was over that I actively disliked it. I couldn't find, for me, one thing that I really enjoyed. The story was slapdash and lazily put together. The direction was wonky and felt disengaged. Scarlett Johannson and Mahersela Ali are both way too good of actors to waste their time in a movie like this. It would have been better if they simply focused on Johnathan Bailey's character and just told his story. It's clear that the people behind Bailey are pushing to make him a star, and they should have given him the leeway in this movie to try out his stardom. He is already making a name for himself in "Wicked" and "Bridgerton" and this movie felt like another big shot for him. But he was not the main character, and I kind of think they should have made it all about him. But I also fully get it if you cast Johannson and Ali in a movie like this, they are going to be the leads. This was just another miss by the group making this movie.

As for the dinos, they were hideous and gross. This one, from what I can gather, was all about mutated dinosaurs, and I feel like they took that way, way too far. The D-Rex had what looked like a giant wart on the front of its head. It also had disgusting alien-like teeth that really bummed me out. I've always been a brachiosaurus guy myself, but they found a way to change these majestic creatures and gave them weird fin looking things on their necks. They also had some kind of hybrid pterodactyl-veliocraptor thing that was terrifying to see on the big screen, and not scary in a good way like the raptors in the first movie. They were gross and nasty and mean looking. I also very much dislike when an animal like a dinosaur can read human emotions and act on it. They did that far too many times in this movie. A guy threw a hammer at one, locked eyes with him and chased him down before eating him. The pterodactyl/veliocraptor thing was actively chasing down the humans in the movie. It was a total mess. And the whole family that got stranded at sea storyline was so pointless and added nothing but stress to the story.

I really do not like to sit down and bash stuff that I wish I had the audacity and intelligence to make, but this movie was very, very bad in my opinion. I do not recommend it. It does nothing to help the "Jurassic Park" movie. In fact, I'd say they may have to start all over because this was a total trainwreck. Clearly, I did not care for this movie. 

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 Fantastic Four: First Steps"

My son really wanted to see the new "Fantastic Four" movie when it came out, and we took him on Saturday. All four of us went. We figured this was okay enough for our 9 year old to see, even though she's not all that interested in superhero content.

I really didn't know what to make when this movie was announced. They have tried many times to make a movie from this material, and each and every one has been pretty bad. I saw the 2005 one when it came out simply based on curiosity. Superhero movies weren't really a thing back then and I wanted to see how they would try to pull it off. It wasn't a very good movie in my opinion. It was too dull and not as fun as I wanted it to be. The story was blah and I walked away not very impressed. I did not see the sequel. I had no interest at all. I watched the 2015 version when it came to streaming and that movie is out and out bad. It had a great cast and tried to go darker, both in content and color, and it seemed to have a good story behind it. That movie was unequivocally bad. It was a truly awful movie. Then, RD had me watch the very first one that Roger Croman made in the 90's. It was rough. The movie was boring, CGI and special effects weren't close to what we have today and the actors seemed like they never wanted this movie to see the light of day. So, having all of that in my mind heading into this version may not have been the best impression.

I will say, the casting was great. I love Pedro Pascal. I don't know much about Vanessa Kirby, but I know she is a highly regarded actor. Joseph Quinn has been a star in two main things, and this movie allows his star to shine through. And I adore Eben Moss-Bachrach from "The Bear". They nailed it. And, as the movie unfolded, I found myself interested in what was going on and following along with the story. They don't explain how they got powers, we are introduced to them as superheroes that the world already loves. I liked that. We don't need the backstory. Most people already know the Fantastic Four's backstory. And the rest of the way, the movie was a delight. The action sequences were great, especially the finale. I loved the whole idea of a pregnant superhero. Seeing people adore, then get mad at, and then adore them again felt as realistic as they can make a movie like this. And Vanessa Kirby gives a truly powerhouse performance. She is, hands down, the best part of this whole movie. I believed her character arc, how she reacted when she was giving birth, her refusal to bow down to anyone and how strong and powerful she proved to be in the end. She was awesome.

Overall, this version of "The Fantastic Four" finally found a way to make this group work on screen. I enjoyed this movie. I found it very solid and a good time. I wished they weren't going to make anymore of these, but we know that is not the case. I'd prefer if they just walked away knowing that they finally did it. I recommend this movie, especially for fans of superhero stories. 

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 "Happy Gilmore 2"

I watched “Happy Gilmore 2”. Let’s discuss

I was hesitant/excited for "Happy Gilmore 2". I was hesitant because they didn't have to do this. I know that the original "Happy Gilmore" isn't a great movie, but I love it. It is my childhood. I could, and still can for that matter, almost quote that movie line for line. I have tried to show it to my kids in the past, but they don't have the same fervor for it as me, and that's okay. Back in the day my friends and I loved it. We would watch it over and over again and I feel like they nailed it. This was a perfect movie for young me and for my fandom towards Adam Sandler. I loved him on "SNL", "Billy Madison" was massive for me and now he was doing a sports movie. Never mind that it was hockey and golf, two sports I have zero interest in. This was Sandler making a big sports comedy. That was all I needed. And I adored it. I was excited because it was like they were bringing the team back together. Pretty much everyone who is still alive from the first movie is back. And if someone has passed, it was rumored there would be some kind of tribute. They were also bringing in newer faces to the franchise, and some are people I like. And they got Kyle Newachek to direct the movie, and you all know that I really love "Workaholics". So, as my wife and I sat down Friday night to watch, I was amped, but I also had my guard up.

Look, much like the first movie, "Happy Gilmore 2" isn't in the pantheon of great movies, but I really enjoyed myself while watching. This movie is a love letter to the original, and I'm fully on board with that. The new cameos were plentiful. Some worked. I thought Bad Bunny was great. Travis Kelce allowed himself to be made fun of. Eminem did a bang up job taking on a major role from the first movie. Hell, I even thought Jon Daly did a fine job. There were a few cameos I was on board with, but Sandler is nothing if not loyal to certain friends of his. The golf was just as fun this time around. I still love to see how Happy swings that driver when he's on the course. The real pro golfers in the movie knew the assignment and had fun with it. Getting Benny Safdie and Haley Joel Osment to play the villain roles was quite the coup. And Haley Joel Osment was great. And the story of an aging former pro who stepped away from the game is the perfect role for Sandler at his current age. He can dress how he wants, cast friends and family and have a damn good time making a fun movie. But the star of the movie, and scene stealer for that matter was Christopher McDonald reprising his role as Shooter McGavin. The story they told about his current whereabouts was a perfect follow up after his end in the first movie. He was funny, he seemed to love this role and he was all in on every joke and every callback to the first movie. My wife said she saw someone say they want a lone movie about him now, and I'm here for that.

I liked this movie. I had a good time. I never felt like they were taking what they did in the first movie for granted. I am usually prepared to dislike sequels, but "Happy Gilmore 2" worked for me. It was everything I wanted it to be and they never tried to make it something different. I respect that and I recommend this movie. 

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to "Don't Tap the Glass"

In some stunning news to me, Tyler, the Creator put out a new album this past Monday, “Don’t Tap the Glass”. I knew very little about it, obviously. But I wanted to give it a few listens before I wrote about it.

Spoiler alert, it’s a great record. I have read, and agree with, people saying this is his ode to late 90’s, early 2000’s hip hop. That is what I grew up on. I do prefer 80’s and early 90’s, but my taste grew as grew and grew in 99-2000. I should have known by the cover that this was the case. He has big arms like Ludacris used to wear. He has a big gold chain like 50 Cent used to wear. He’s rocking a mustache. And he’s clearly in his bag. The record is 10 songs, clocking in a a neat and tidy 28 minutes. He comes out hard and fast. I read that he had a listening party the night before it was released. It had a 5 dollar cover charge and no phones were allowed. He wanted people to listen and dance and have fun with no worries of ending up on the internet the next day. He has some rules for the record when it starts. You need to dance, listen loudly and you’re not to tap the glass. I don’t know why, but I like these directions. It puts me in the mood to have a good time. And this album fully delivers on that front. The beats are heavy, loud and made to nod your head to. Tyler rips the lyrics in each song. He has become a better rapper with each new record. His talent continues to grow as he gets older. He also gives the listener something new with each album. He’s at the point where he cannot be pigeonholed. He’s too good and too multi talented. My brother said this record felt like a grown up version of “Bastard”, and I fully agree. And while it’s not as vicious lyrically as “Bastard”, “Don’t Tap the Glass” is through and through hip hop. I love the videos he has now put out. I also love reading all the theories and thoughts about this version of Tyler, the Creator. Tyler is in a groove for me where he is damn near unstoppable. My son asked me if I now like him more than Kendrick Lamar, and I think I do. I love them both, but the sheer magnitude and hit rate of Tyler right now feels unmatched.

This record is great. It’s a perfect follow up to “Chromakopia”. It gives us classic Tyler with a 90’s bend and I’m here for it.

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. Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne passed away a few days ago at the age of 76. This felt young to me, but I did see some clips from the final show that Black Sabbath just did, and it was not surprising. I guess he put everything he had left into that final show. I do want to say, I think it is awesome that he was able to do that before passing away. He gave his fans one last thing to remember him by, and from what I saw, he sounded pretty good for 76. He sounded a hell of a lot better than Bob Dyaln does now, and I adore Bob Dylan. But, for him to be able to put on this show with the remaining, and still alive, members of Black Sabbath, what a way to go out. I feel like it is almost fitting for him, but still tragic since he is now gone.

For me Ozzy got on my radar with his family's reality show, "The Osbournes". I knew a very little bit about him prior to the show, but the show put him on the map for me. He was always good for a great one liner or a zinger. I liked how he would say something kind or heartfelt to a family member and then tell them to "f off", except he used the full word. I will never forget when he helped his kids trash their neighbor's house, or yard or whatever, and he threw a rotten ham over the fence. He chucked that piece of meat, and when he ran off you could hear him cackling. He was the funniest one on that show, and that first season of the show was a big, big hit.

Through that show my dad and brothers started to tell me about his music career. When they first played "Crazy Train" for me I knew it right away because it was always played at sporting events. Hell, I bet it is still being played today. But his solo stuff never hit for me. Then my brother Seth introduced me to Black Sabbath. This changed my whole perspective on Ozzy. I instantly fell in love with Sabbath's music, and it was mainly due to Ozzy's voice. I loved their hits. "War Pigs", "Sweet Leaf" and "Changes" were the first ones I really loved. "Paranoid" hit me like a ton of bricks. I always assumed Sabbath was hard rock or metal, but my brother quickly showed me the error of my ways. I would play "War Pigs" over and over again. I loved that song, especially the message they were getting out there. The people who start wars never seem to fight them, instead leaving it to the poor. That is exactly what they were saying in that song. "Sweet Leaf" started with that loud cough, and then it became this excellent banger. I like that song as a pro marijuana song more than most psychedelic songs about weed. "Paranoid" has one of the best guitar riffs ever, and Ozzy's voice talent is undeniable when you hear him sing that song. But "Changes" has been my favorite of theirs ever since the first time I heard it. This is their ballad, their slow song, some may even call it a love song. I adore whatever they are trying to get out of the song. The lyrics are timeless and beautiful. This was the song that made me do a double take when I heard Ozzy sing because it is like nothing else in their catalog. It is such a pretty, sweet and tender song. Charles Bradley did it great justice when he covered it before passing. "Changes" is probably one of my favorite songs of all time.

Ozzy had a memorable and crazy life. He has left us with wonderful music and a hit tv show to keep his memory out there. And we can all go watch the final Black Sabbath show on the internet. Rest In Peace Ozzy Osbourne. I hope you're rocking out wherever you may be now. 

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 "Squid Game" Final Season

My wife and I just finished the final season of "Squid Game". Let’s discuss.

Much like everyone else, "Squid Game" showed up on my radar, was a massive hit and then they had to find a way to make more and wrap all that up in a neat little bow. I thought they achieved that with this last go round. I was talking to my buddy Kirk about it recently, and when I brought up the show, he asked me if it was worth watching. I kind of struggled with this question at first thought, but after a minute I told him I think it is good enough to check out. After saying this I thought about it even more, and I think they did the whole thing justice with how they ended the series. I feel like it was going to be impossible to please everyone watching it, but for me they were able to pull it off.

I do want to say, for those that haven't yet watched the new season, minor spoilers will be revealed today.

The final six episodes picked up right where the second season ended. The players that are still alive are now back to playing the games and player 456 is not in a good place. What I think makes this show work so well is that the writers have found a way to make me as a viewer care about people that I'm certain are going to die. I get invested in their stories, and when one goes it still kind of hurts watching it on the screen. But, the fact of the matter in this fictional universe is only one person can win the games. Everyone else is going to be killed, or off themselves because that is how violent the games get on this show. This time around they added the element of a baby being pushed into the games. One of the contestants is pregnant and in this third installment she gives birth. After she offs herself, the baby becomes a very integral part of the game. Player 456 is tasked with protecting the baby and he takes this job very seriously. But, the other players have different ideas. The sheer fact that I cared for that fake baby's well being proves how well made this show was throughout its run. I also liked that they changed the games that were played, with the lone exception being Red Light Green Light. The new games were just as wild and some felt even harder than the first time around. The hide and seek game was terrifying, brutal and tragic. The jump rope was even more frightening than the bridge from season one for me. And the final squid game was horrific in how easy and heartbreaking it was in the end.

My only gripe with the final season was the 6 months later addition at the end. I understand why they did this and why other shows and movies do it as well, but I like to imagine for myself what all these fictional people are doing now, or how their families are dealing with them no longer being there. But that is just a minor gripe and the last scene opened this show up to be made in different countries, which I find intriguing.

All in all I liked how this show went about its business and how they finished it all off. I thought they gave a solid ending that people shouldn't be upset about at all. They did it justice, they made me care and I was in on all six final episodes. "Squid Game" was really great and I think, years from now, we will look back on how awesome this show was and will appreciate it even more. 

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 "Eddington"

As well as seeing "Superman" last weekend, I was also able to get out and see Ari Aster's new movie "Eddington". It was a movie going kind of weekend for me. I feel like I'm paying for that now with how busy my week has been so far, and it's only Tuesday.

Anway, "Eddington" was a movie that came on my radar about two or three months ago. I like Ari Aster's movies that I've seen to this point. He makes interesting movies that can be scary, haunting and funny all at the same time. "Midsommar" kicked my butt and "Beau if Afraid" is a movie I still think about to this day. I haven't seen "Hereditary" yet, but that is only because I'm truly scared to watch it, regardless of how much people like that movie. Going into "Eddington", I was curious to see how he'd do a movie that takes place in May of 2020, right at the start of COVID and the pandemic here in America. I appreciate the fact that he wanted to make a movie about the pandemic and how it affected people differently.

"Eddington" focuses on Joaquin Phoenix's character Joe, who is a sheriff of a small town in New Mexico. Phoenix is incredible in this role. He takes this meager sheriff and turns him into a nightmare of the dark web and conspiracy theorist and someone who doesn't think before he speaks. He has a feud with the town mayor, Ted Garcia, played by Pedro Pascal. Whenever the two of them were on screen together it was this great blend of tension and anger and animosity towards one another. It's clear they each despise one another for similar reasons. Emma Stone plays Joe's wife, and she has personal issues. She is basically a homebody that thinks she always needs to rest. She has had past trauma and her doctor has told her not to get too stressed. This has turned her into a conspiracy theorist as well, and she kind of goes off the deep end. Austin Butler plays a cult leader. He has a small role in this, but man is he terrifying when he's on screen. Deirdre O'Connell plays Stone's mom, and she is as delusional as they get when it comes to COVID and conspiracy theories. Luke Grimes and Michael Ward play local cops who have different takes on protests and the pandemic. Cameron Mann and Matt Gomez Hidaka play high school grads trying to navigate life in early 2020. The cast is really good and they all do an admirable job in their roles. But make no mistake, this is Phoenix's movie. He is the star and lead here. Pascal has a big part too, but it is nothing compared to Phoenix. I feel like Phoenix and Aster have some kind of weird guy connection and they're going to see how far they can take it. So far it is working.

Like I mentioned before, the tension in the first 90 minutes of this movie is great. I would squirm and shift in my chair more than I thought necessary in that first part. I was invested in the feud and what was going to happen in the town and everyone starting their protests. Then there is a big shift that happens after a fundraiser at Pascal's house. This is where the movie kind of went off the rails for me. Don't get me wrong, I liked this movie. But this shift in tone is jarring and kind of comes out of nowhere. I feel like Aster had a really good idea and filled all of that within the first 90 minutes. But then he had to find a way to finish the movie and this is when he decided to go nuts. Some of the stuff in the last hour I still really like, but it pales in comparison with the first part of the movie. And the final 10 minutes is so depressing and so scary because it feels like what is going on today with politics, and that bums me out.

All in all I enjoyed this movie. It's the first movie that hearkens back to the pandemic in the right way so far for me. It tells that story best in my opinion. And if you're on the fence about seeing "Eddington", I say go just to see Joaquin Phoenix put on a masterclass in acting. His performance is worth the price of admission.. 

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 "Superman"

Last Monday I wrote about the alt right griping about the new "Superman" movie. I also stated how much I wanted to see the movie, even more so after all the complaining. Yesterday me and my family all went out to see it, and I really, really enjoyed my theater going experience.

I was going to like this movie from the get go. I wanted to see it, my son really wanted to see it and after seeing the "backlash", that made me more excited to see it. The movie is fun from start to finish. There isn't really a dull moment throughout. The battle scenes are fun, the villain is chewing scenery and the story is a fun and easy one to follow.

I really enjoyed the guy who played Superman. His name is David Corenswet. I didn't know much about him prior to this movie. I saw he was in "Pearl" and "Twisters", among other things. He was dynamite as Superman/Clark Kent. He had the look down pat. There were moments in the movie when he, to me, looked exactly like Christopher Reeves. It was uncanny to me. He played Superman great. He was sweet, he wanted what was best for the world. He fought injustice and he had some funny things to say throughout the movie.

Rachel Brosnahan was very good as an updated Lois Lane. I like how she questioned things and when she would get into crazy situations, like pocket universes, she acted like what was happening was nuts, because it was certifiably insane what she was seeing. I appreciate that from an actor.

I mentioned scenery chewing earlier, and Nicholas Hoult did just that as Lex Luthor, and he was awesome. He was so bad, with zero redeeming qualities, and that is exactly what I want from my villains. He was bad through and through.

My personal favorite part of the movie was the Justice Gang. Green Lantern, Hawk Girl and Mr Terrific made up the Justice Gang. Two thirds of the group did not like this name by the way. Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern was my favorite thing in the whole movie. He was gruff and mean and stupid and fun as hell. He seemed to be having a great time playing this character and that really came off watching him onscreen. Isabela Merced was Hawk Girl, and while she didn't have a whole lot to do in the movie, she owned the screen time she got. She was also pretty funny with her quips. And Edi Gathegi was dynamite as Mr Terrific. He was funny, the smartest one in the Justice Gang and had the most memorable performance of any of the side characters. I am stoked for him that he is getting to do more of this super cool, and new to me superhero. I really like what he did with this performance.

As for the story, and why I guess some alt right idiots are mad, it is all about big tech and how they are ruining our world. Luthor is out for nothing but clout and fame and fortune and will stop at nothing to get it. He even tortured poor Crypto by making him chase fake squirrels. Crypto was adorable by the way, but that also doesn't mean that people should be mindlessly adopting puppies right now, especially if they can't take care of them. Anyway, Luthor is your typical tech bro who has more smarts. Superman doesn't like what he is doing in other countries or on Earth. He is just trying to keep the world a nice, and as normal a place that it can be. And all along the way he and the Justice Gang have to fight in pocket universes, help fight wars that Luthor has helped to start, fight Earth breaking into two parts, fight the past and the present and everything in between.

When we left the theater I said to my wife that I like James Gunn's direction because he knows how to make "fun movies". And that is what this "Superman" movie is, a fun, sweet superhero movie. I really liked it and am curious to see where they go with this new vision. It is off to a very promising start for me. 

Ty

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

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Thoughts on Bradley Beal and the Clippers

Bradley Beal has been bought out by the Suns and is now a member of the LA Clippers. Let’s discuss.

This has been in the makings for over a week now. I saw the signing, and at first blush I thought it was okay. It didn't really move me one way or the other. Beal is a better scorer than Norm Powell, but he isn't as reliable. Beal misses more games than Powell, or so it seems to me. He also adds another ball handler to a team in desperate need of someone besides James Harden who can control and start the offense. But, Beal is old and he is coming to a team filled with vets.

Looking at the Clippers starting five, at least who I think should start, we have Harden at point guard, Beal at the 2, Kawhi Leonard at the 3, John Collins at the 4 and Ivica Zubac at the 5. Coming off the bench we have Brook Lopez, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nic Batum, Kris Dunn, Ben Simmons and Derrick Jones Jr amongst others. That is a bunch of well traveled veterans. As far as "young" guys they have on their roster, they all seem unproven. Kobe Brown has never been given a real chance. Patrick Baldwin Jr is on his third team already. I don't know a thing about guys like Kobe Sanders, Trentyn Flowers or Yanic Konan Niederhauser. These guys won't see the floor unless it is a true blowout or a bunch of guys have gotten injured.

When I look at this roster from a pure talent point, they have the guys to be a relatively deep regular season team. Bogdanovic is a step or two slower now, but he can still shoot. Brook Lopez could potentially start next to Zubac and push Collins to the bench. This would space the floor much better and give the Clippers two rim protectors. Nic Batum seems to be a guy that his teammates adore. And when he gets it going he can hit four or five straight threes in crucial moments. Kris Dunn is a zero on offense, but he is a hellish defender. He is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. Ben Simmons' story is simply becoming dull and boring. And Derrick Jones Jr can jump out of the gym. That's just the bench guys. The starters look pretty good too. Harden is still putting up very good scoring and assist numbers. Bradley Beal can still put the ball in the hoop and create open space from time to time. Kawhi Leonard is one of the better mid range scorers and he can still get to the rim. He draws a ton of contact and gets to the line as well. John Collins is a good rim runner for Harden and his shot is a little better. And if Lopez starts here instead of Collins, he can shoot the three, especially from the corner, and he is still an upper tier rim protector. And Zubac has gotten slower but surely gotten better each and every year he has been in the NBA. Last season he seemed to kind of put it all together.

Again, on paper, this team can get right back where they were last season, and maybe win a round or two this time around. But, and this is the big, big but in my piece today, this team will simply not be healthy enough to be a true contender. I saw a headline that showed Kawhi, Beal and Harden and it said, "who is stooping this team?". The response couldn't have been more perfect. It read, "doubtful, questionable and playoffs". That is exactly what happens every year, especially with these three guys, and why should we expect anything different now. Kawhi Leonard is one of my all time favorite players but he cannot stay healthy. He played over 40 games last season and we were all shocked. He can do so many things so wonderfully on a basketball court, he just isn't out there nearly enough to leave a true or lasting impact. Beal will miss anywhere from 20 to 30 games a year without a second guess. He will have a tweak or twinge that will sideline him for enough time that has an overall impact on the season on the wrong side and when he comes back he will need ample time to ramp up. And we all know playoff James Harden. There just seems to be something about the bright lights and big stage that makes him shrink. He is such an incredible scorer and an incredible creator, until we get to the playoffs. Then he passes up on open shots or passes too many times or never touches the ball. It is what it is at this stage in his career.

I have always had a soft spot for the Clippers and I want to see them do well. I mentioned my love for Kawhi. I also really like Ty Lue, Brook Lopez, Brad Beal and Nic Batum. Those guys will always have a place in my basketball heart. But, the injuries and mishaps in the playoffs are just brutal to watch year after year after year. I'd love for them to prove me wrong. Time will tell and I hope they exceed my expectations. With the addition of Beal I think they will look similar to last season, and that means another first round playoff exit. We will see. 

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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"Napoleon Dynamite" is so Good Even My Kids Liked It

I adore the movie "Napoleon Dynamite". This is no secret to the people closest to me. I saw it six times in the theater. I bought it the day it came out on DVD. I had a Vote For Pedro t-shirt. My folks would gift me random bobbleheads of characters from the movie. I had a very big doll of Napoleon dancing in his Vote For Pedro shirt. Hell, I was even in a fanclub for the movie, and the only other thing I go to bat for as hard as that is Michigan football. I'm a big time fan.

I often quote the movie, and lately that has ramped up since my son is now a moody teenager. He often says things like, "GOD!", or "GEEZE!", and when he does that it gets me started. One day, while on vacation, my son told me that he wanted to watch the movie. I guess they had started it a different night, but he said he felt guilty not watching it with me. And we happened to have one night where we stayed in and we decided to watch it from start to finish. I have tried watching it with them in the room before, but it never took. They never sat down long enough to get into the movie. So, with all of us being in a one story AirBnB, the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

Going into the movie I will say I was a bit nervous how my kids would see it. My daughter decided to join us, she wanted to take a break from drawing, and this made me even more anxious. She's as tough a critic as there is in the world. As we sat down and the movie started, I was right back into the world that the writers, actors and director created over 20 years ago. That is what I love about this movie, I can turn it on at anytime and be transported back to the first time I saw it. Luckily, for me, my kids were just as into it as my wife and I were. They were laughing when we were laughing. There were some jokes that I would laugh at, and then my kids would also laugh at, and I'd ask them if they understood why I was laughing. My 13 year old, for the most part, got the jokes. My 9 year old knew some of them, but she did admit that she was laughing from time to time because I was laughing. As the movie was going on my son asked me what it was rated. I told him PG. He said that seemed right because there were no curse words and no "adult moments", which is kissing in his mind.

That was when I realized that "Napoleon Dynamite" is truly a movie for anyone and all ages. There is nothing off putting or gross about this movie. It is truly just about a few months of a school year in a few kids lives. Sure, the bullies say some odd things to Napoleon, but it never gets out of the hand. The one bully that puts his hands on Napoleon is served his commuppence when Pedro's cousins confront him. And the kids in the movie are showing how to navigate high school with people that are your true friends. I hope my kids got that out of the movie, and I think they did when I asked them what they thought when the movie was over. My daughter simply said she liked it and it was funny. She also said she liked how much I was laughing. My son had a deeper response. He said he liked that Napoleon found the right people for him, that Kip found the right person to spend his life with and that Uncle Rico seemed like he learned from his mistakes. I thought that was very well put and a very solid summation of the movie.

This viewing made me like the movie even more than I already do. It truly does stand the test of time and, in the right setting, even cool, young kids will enjoy their viewing. "Napoleon Dynamite" is a classic and I'm so happy that my kids finally got to see this wonderful movie I've been yapping about their whole lives. 

Ty

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

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The Ocean is Better than the Pool

Last week in Florida we had the option to swim in a pool or the ocean. My family, like many others I suppose, chose to do both. We figured we would get the best of both worlds, and since our place was right by a pool, it was nice to wash the sand off from the beach in the local pool. But, the ocean is so much more fun to swim in than a pool.

I have thought about this for years, but it really came to a head for me last week. I asked everyone on the trip which they preferred, and they all chose the pool. When I asked why I got the usual answers. They like the pool more because it is enclosed, the waves only come when a bunch of people jump in, you can go from shallow to deep with ease and it is easier to play games. I prefer the ocean for the opposite of those reasons. I love how open the water is in the ocean. I wholeheartedly enjoy navigating the waves and jumping with them. Hell, I even like when a wave crashes over my head and forces me to swim. I like how it just gets deeper and deeper the further out you are from the beach. And as far as games or playing catch goes, it is so much more of a fun challenge to do in ocean water. I also like the toughness of open water swimming and the workout I get from swimming in ocean water. I was totally gassed each day when we returned. I made the mistake of going for a run after a beach day one day we were there. I was so tired after only two short miles into a four mile run. I couldn't figure it out during the run, but when I got back my wife asked how difficult it was after swimming in the ocean all afternoon. That's when it hit me that I had been working out without even trying because the water is tough and forces you to do work. I also really like how the water gets colder and colder the deeper you go out. If I got too warm in one spot I'd take a few steps deeper and it felt refreshing and cool. That was when I'd dunk my head under water just to get that same feeling all over my entire body.

I know people out there will complain about the algae and sand and everything else that goes with ocean water swimming. And sure, the algae got annoying after a while, but to combat that, I would just swim to a new spot. The sand was fine for me. It gave me a sense of where I was in the water and made me feel safe. I loved seeing the fish swim by, and I think a few probably bumped into me on their way to a cooler spot in the water. I thought it was rad seeing pelicans and seagulls flying all over the place. My favorite thing about this was when they would dive into the water looking for something to eat. That was so fascinating to watch. I would clock one and put all my focus on that for a good amount of time. And for the people who don't like the saltwater in the ocean, close your mouth when you go under. I saw plenty of people doing this and it works out great. I also saw kids with goggles and that is genius. That is like shallow water snorkeling for people.

The ocean is far better than a pool. We were meant to swim in open water in my opinion. A pool can be nice for a few hours. But the ocean is nice for an entire day, and then the next day you can go to a totally different spot and get a totally unique experience. A pool is a pool is a pool. The ocean is where all the fun can be had. 

Ty

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

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Thoughts on the Kevin Durant Trade

While I was gone last week Kevin Durant was traded to the Rockets. Let’s discuss.

We all saw this coming from a million miles away. I am glad he didn't end up in San Antonio, and Houston seemed like the most likely and his preferred destination. There were seven teams and a bunch of players involved in this trade, but the Rockets and Suns were the two main players. The Rockets acquired Kevin Durant and the Suns got Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the 10th pick in the draft and some second round picks. The Suns ended up selecting Khaman Maluach with the 10th pick, and the seconds moved around on draft night.

Pulling back and looking at this trade for these two teams, I feel like both teams got what they wanted in the deal. I'll start with the Suns. The Suns need to rebuild something fierce. They were in a terrible place when they traded for Bradley Beal last season. When that didn't work, the Suns didn't even make the play-in, I think the front office realized they needed to fully start over. I think they are currently in that process, and trading KD was the first step. Now they have to get rid of Bradly Beal, either buy him out or trade him, and they can really go into full rebuild. This will be a bummer for Devin Booker, but he must be happy in Phoenix because he just signed a humongous extension to stick around for a lot longer. The Suns did get two solid players in Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks. Green has shown flashes. He has up and down moments, but he proved he can score on a big stage in the playoffs last year. He also played poorly too. That cannot be overlooked. But now he is going to a place where he doesn't have to be the lone creator. He gets to play next to Devin Booker, who is better than Fred VanVleet and the other guards the Rockets have. That's no disrespect to them either. Booker is clearly a better player. Like or loathe Dillon Brooks all you want, but the dude is a menace on defense. He is a good, mean defensive player. He can also occasionally hit shots. But, much like the case with Green, Brooks won't have to worry about being on every single night. The Suns are not going to be good, and maybe the coaching staff will see what they have with Brooks at this stage in his career. I like the rookie Maluach here. He will get a ton of chances, and while he is raw, he was the second best player on Duke's team last season. He is also long which can lead to more blocked shots than others may think. The Suns, as I mentioned before, will not be very good, especially in the West, but they may be a fun League Pass team. I think Booker and Green can fill up the stat sheet, and I'm pretty high on Maluach in the long run.

The Rockets just jumped into the upper echelon of the West by adding KD. He has to be engaged and ready to play and give up some of the playmaking he may be used to, and I think he will be fine with that. He is old and oft injured, but he won't have to create nearly as much with this version of the Rockets. Fred VanVleet will find him for open shots. Alpernen Sengun will not clog the lane and can find him with some good passes. Amen Thompson will take a load off of him on defense. Steven Adams will protect him and has familiarity with him. Jabari Smith Jr is a solid big to put next to him. Dorian Finney-Smith is still a good enough three and D guy. And he and Jeff Green have been friends since KD was drafted by the Sonics. The Rockets have added a bonafide superstar scorer. They've also added a guy that knows how to win on the biggest stage. He can be a headcase, and if things go sideways quickly, it could be bad. But, if the Rockets meet expectations, this trade will look really good for one or two seasons.

I feel like everyone wins in this trade. Each team got what they wanted out of it and everyone seems happy. 

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 Alt Right has Convinced Me to See "Superman"

Hello all. I'm back from vacation and I already have a bee in my bonnet about something I saw on the internet the night we returned home. Let’s discuss.

I was looking at Facebook, I'm old and I guess I want to be stressed out by nonsense, and I saw some people talking about the new "Superman" movie. For the most part the talk seemed pretty positive. Most people seem to like this movie. I was running with Kirk yesterday and he told me he really liked it. It has gotten mostly positive reviews. Then I saw Dean Cain griping about it being "woke". I laughed that off because Cain is a has been that has no lasting memory or importance to the world. But then I saw more and more of the crazy alt right complaining that this new Superman movie is too "woke".

First off, there's nothing wrong with being a woke person. I consider myself woke. I want people to be treated fairly and justly. I think billionaires are the problem in this world. I feel like people that don't like "woke" people are simply racist and have zero sympathy or empathy. I want others to be treated accordingly and properly, and if that makes me woke, I'm proud to be woke.

I think the thing that makes me the angriest about all of this, that seems to be the most pathetic thing from all of this, is that these alt right maniacs now have an issue with Superman. Superman is the prototype superhero. He is here to help everyone who is in dire need of his help. He wants things to be fair and simple and just. He is the everyman hero, the farm boy who happens to be an alien and the first person I think of whenever someone starts to talk about superheroes. This is who the alt right is mad about. This is who they are deciding they need to come after and chastise for being "woke". This is the person that they're going to lay all their anger and hate towards now. If that is who they're mad at and angry about right now, I've never been happier and feel better about being a liberal. There are so many things wrong with the alt right, but for them to go after a fictional alien superhero might be the most disturbing and pathetic thing about their cult. Who cares if James Gunn, who is a wonderful director, made a "woke" version of Superman. That is well within his rights to do. All I ever heard from former alt right friends is all about their freedom of speech. That is exactly what James Gunn is using when making this movie. It is well within his rights and will and wants to make Superman be whoever he wants him to be. The only boss that Gunn has to answer to is the people at DC that hired him to make this movie. And they seem thrilled with what he has done. Also, the maniacs that go on the internet to gripe about this movie being too "woke", they don't have to see it. They don't have to spend their money to watch it in the theaters. They are wasting their own time just so they can go out and complain about this movie, while DC and James Gunn and the cast just take their cash. I don't go to movies I don't want to see or think I will not like because of who made them. I don't waste my precious time just so I can bemoan something I don't want to even watch. It feels like the alt right just wants to complain about anything that doesn't align with their amoral and horrific beliefs.

I mentioned it before, but I'm even happier that I don't have anything to do with the alt right. It seems like a sad place to be. I feel like the alt right is just waiting to mope about anything. I hope people see what they're saying about Superman and start to realize how petty and childish the alt right can be. They are the kid who takes their ball home when they're getting beat in a game. They're the kid who was never told no until they were an adult. And now they are the kids who complain about the all American superhero being too "woke". It's stupid and childish and disturbing that this is how low the alt right will go if they disagree with something. Personally, I cannot wait to see the new "Superman" movie. I already wanted to see it but now I want to see it even more and I bet I'm going to love it. 

Ty

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

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SeedSing Classic: I, Bald Man

This article was originally published on March 22nd, 2021

I am a bald man.

I think I have made that pretty clear on the website and on the podcast. I am not complaining about this either. At first it was frustrating. I used to have dreadlocks, and when I cut those off, I grew my hair out like all millennials used to do. But I noticed in my mid twenties that I was losing my hair. The anger subsided quick, and I just kind of dealt with it. What else could I do.

When my hair was first thinning out I tried to keep the cut short, to kind of blend it in. That worked for a while. I still have some hair in my wedding photos. Pretty soon after my wedding and honeymoon, I began to lose more and more hair. At this time I started to shave it with an electric shaver. My wife would cut it, or I would do it from time to time. I would forget a lot, and my hair would look rough. But when it got to that point, boom I turned on the shaver and took care of business. After some time, after my kids were born, my wife took over shaving my head. She would shave my head and trim my beard. It was a two for one type deal.

One night I decided that I wanted to see what it looked like when I used a razor. I'm not talking anything fancy, no straight razors or anything like that. I would use a BIC, or something similar. And it worked. My wife and I did not know what I would look like, if I would look any different, and I didn't. Shaving your head totally bald doesn't look much different from a close shave. The only real difference is you can see all the knicks and cuts in your head. You also need to use some kind of aftershave, or those cuts get even worse. This has become my new norm now. I shave my head, usually, once a week. I will go on a long run, and my cool down is a shower and shaving my head.

I come here today to tell you a tale of "horror" about waiting too long to shave your head. Keeping a schedule is key. You need to stay on it. You need to make sure that you do it the same day every week. It is just like shaving your face for work. If you miss a week, it will be a pain. That happened to me today. We are getting work done in our home, and we needed to be out by last Sunday, the 14th. I figured I would shave my head when we got to my folks house. No big deal. Well, the moving of objects out of the bedrooms in my home, and setting things out of the way so the workers wouldn't have to, took way more out of me than I thought it would. I was pretty exhausted when we got to my parents house. Add on the fact that my kids had to be cleaned, and my wife and I did too, things got out of hand quick. I got our clothes in the house, moved the stuff into our room in the basement, gave my daughter a bath and decided I was going to sit down before showering. When I finally got around to cleaning myself, I was too tired to shave my head. I just decided to do it the next day.

Well, the next day turned into an entire week. I just kept forgetting. What with my new living situation, getting my kids to and from school, stopping by the house to check on it daily, training for a marathon and trying to get some sleep, shaving my head became an afterthought, until today. I finally had time. My kids are on spring break, my parents were willing to watch them and I had a scheduled rest day. I just finished shaving my head, and it took over 30 minutes.

It hurt. I have cuts all over my head. I had to slop on the aftershave, and it hurts. The water was freezing cold by the end in the shower. When I first started to shave, the razor felt like it was cutting grass for the first time in two years. I would move the razor two to three inches on my head, and the razor would fill up with hair. I had to keep cleaning the hair out. It took forever to get one side of the top of my head barely shaved. I kept going over the same spot three and four times with little to no movement. I finally got through the top part of my head, and the back was untouched. Mind you, I kept going over the back with the razor, it was too full of hair to work. I kept at it, changing midway through for a less dull blade, and that helped, but man did it scratch my head up bad. I could see blood on the white razor. I knew it was bad, and when I finally, thankfully, got my head shaved properly, my teeth were chattering, and my head was on fire with all the razor cuts and burns. It was brutal, but I got it done, and I feel okay now.

I am writing this today to say, if you are a bald man like me and you have decided to shave your head, stay on schedule. I do not want anyone to have to deal with what I did today. It was all on me, I did not stay on course. But I will from now on. This was not fun, and it took way too much time. Stay on schedule. That is the lesson I am trying to pass on today.

Ty

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

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SeedSing Classic: My Toys Are Too Expensive

Yo Joe

This article originally posted on June 5th, 2024

Update: I now own 23 G.I. Joe Classified and have a pre-order for Cobra Commander in Battle Armor

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

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SeedSing Classic: Adventures with Spam

This article was originally posted on July 31st 2024

For years and years I have always looked the other way whenever I was offered Spam. I refused to try it. I was put off because it is meat that comes from a can. Worse, when it is released from said can, it comes out in a perfect block shape. I just didn't want that in my life. It seemed like I would get sick from it.

I was doing all the cliche things to avoid Spam. I didn't want it near me. I was like this with bologna for the longest time as well, until I tried some bologna at a nice bbq restaurant. That bologna was amazing and it opened my eyes to a whole new world of what I could do with that lunchmeat. The BBQ place smoked it. I have since air fried and pan fried it. I like to cut it into pieces and use it in my eggs. I have even tried just a plain sandwich, and it was excellent. And recently I have seen more and more people using Spam on the myriad of cooking shows I enjoy. I first saw it on "Man Vs Food" when Adam Richman went to Hawaii, and they used it in Moco Loco. It looked delicious. Then other people would use it in breakfast dishes. I also saw people using it in fried rice dishes. I saw people smoking it and pan frying it, just like I had with bologna. When RD and I lived together with a roommate, our roommate made us a breakfast casserole with Spam in it, and I loved that dish, although I wouldn't admit it back then. And when we were on vacation last week I chatted with my wife and brother about how I was becoming more and more interested in using Spam at home.

So, when I went grocery shopping this week, I bought some Spam. I didn't know how I was going to use it, or what I would use it in, but I knew I wanted to try it for myself. The first day after I bought it, I fried a few pieces in a dry rub and some butter. I did not need the butter, in hindsight, but I didn't know what I was doing at the time. After frying the Spam, I fried a few eggs and placed those on top of the Spam with some cheese. I put a little sriracha on top and sat down to eat it. It was great. The Spam added a salty ham-like flavor to the breakfast dish. The end of the Spam had a nice crispy edge on it, and I got a bacon sense when eating that part. I was hooked. Yesterday I wanted a sandwich, so I decided to fry the pieces again. This time I used the same dry BBQ rub, but I also added some garlic and herb seasoning and some Japanese BBQ sauce to cook it in. I let it sit in the pan a little longer too. I dismissed the butter and let the Spam do the work. After I finished frying the pieces, I put them on some sourdough bread with white cheddar and pickled onions. I then cooked the sandwich in the juices of the Spam. It was my take on Spam grilled cheese. This was my favorite dish I have made to this point with the Spam. It was excellent as a grilled cheese, and adding the Spam gives it a meatiness and saltiness that I crave with a lunch item. The Japanese BBQ sauce added a very nice sweetness as well. I'll be doing this again for sure. Today I decided to just simply fry the pieces and eat them like that with some cheese on top and pickled onions on the side. This was tasty as well. I got the full effect of Spam, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. When I ate it with some of the pickled onions, they added a great tartness to the meat.

I refuse to read what the ingredients are in Spam, but I now know that I am a true fan. I have enjoyed the hell out of these dishes I've made so far. I don't fully get why Spam is soft, but it lends itself very well to seasoning. It reminds me a lot of tofu. Tofu takes on whatever seasoning is used when cooking it. Spam is the same way. When I used dry rub, it tasted like that. When I used Japanese BBQ sauce that was the flavor that came through most. And pan frying it with no seasoning, when I ate it with cheese or pickled onions, that was the dominant flavor. It needs seasoning, and we have plenty in our house.

I will be buying Spam on a more regular basis now and trying many different methods of cooking it. I'm a fan. I'm glad I finally caved and tried it out. 

Ty

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

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Better Late Than Never on "Easy Rider"

I’m going on vacation next week, and since tomorrow is a holiday, this will be my last blog until I get back. What I want to leave you all with is my first experience seeing “Easy Rider”.

This movie has always been on my list of things to see, I have just never gotten around to it. Last night, at The Arkadin, they had Strange Brew, which is a very cool idea wherein the first of each month they show a cult movie. I fully understand “Easy Rider” is not a cult movie but with the 4th of July being tomorrow and how messed up the US currently is, “Easy Rider” felt like a perfect choice. I have heard a lot about this movie from my folks and my brothers. I’ve heard famous critics sing its praises. I have seen all kinds of memes and spoofs as well. Basically I know this movie without having seen it. Until last night.

First of all, this is considered a classic for good reason. This movie is incredible. From the acting to the directing to some of the things they did in the editing room, it was the first of its kind. There are so many movies since then into today that take from “Easy Rider”. From dissolve shots to lens flare to the color used in certain shots, “Easy Rider” was one of the first movies to ever do it.

“Easy Rider” is also the best, by a wide margin, of the bevy of motorcycle movies that came out in the mid to late 60’s. It has a real story that says something important and is pulled off beautifully. Peter Fonda was transcendent in his role. He had a quiet confidence about him. He knew the mission and stuck to the plan. He knew when and when not to have fun. He carried himself with an air of importance, but was never mean or cocky about it. This is one of my first experiences with Fonda as a leading man, and it was so easy to see why he was so successful for so long. Dennis Hopper pulled double duty, costarring and directing this movie. He was your typical hippy, but he was the first to play this type. He had issues with drugs and alcohol. He was mean. He was loud. He started stuff with almost everyone. But there were times that I felt for him and wanted him to be okay. He was out there just trying to live life as a free person away from the monotony of everyday life. Jack Nicholson was far and away my favorite character in the movie, and I thought it was his best performance. He’s only onscreen for about 15 minutes, but damn are those the best 15 minutes of the whole movie. I was liking the movie before he showed up, but when he got onscreen, that like flipped up love real quick. He brought humor and levity to the movie. His character, who also had issues with alcohol, had chosen a righteous path in his life’s work. He was fighting for things not many did back then. He was siesta smiling, always trying to ease the tension and knew right from wrong. What happened to him was so tragic, and when his character was killed, the movie took an even darker turn. The other actors did a fine enough job, but this movie was about these three and their mission to make it to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.

As for the story, it’s a road trip movie centered on bikes and hippies. The hippies, Fonda and Hopper, and to a lesser extent, Nicholson, are living life as free men, but some people don’t like that and they take out their anger in horrifying ways. The three try to stop and eat at a diner and leave when it gets scary. Hopper and Fonda aren’t allowed to rent hotel or motel rooms. The three men get brutally beaten, fatally in Nicholson’s case, by the patrons at the diner who forced them out. Hopper and Fonda are just simply driving their bikes back to LA, and two southern hillbillies decide to kill them because they have long hair and look like hippies. This is what is happening in our country today. People are being judged simply by looks. Only people with empathy want to get to know these guys, and the same is true today.

The host for last night said the movie might be better off being called “Hard Rider” because of the heavy tone, and I agree. It’s also disturbing how relevant it remains today. “Easy Rider” really needs to be seen by everyone for a myriad of reasons. I’m glad I can finally say that I’ve seen it and I love it. I highly recommend the movie.

Ty

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

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LeBron Doesn't Owe Anyone Anything

NBA free agency has come and been wild. It is usually wild, but it feels a little wilder this offseason. There's been a ton of player movement. Some teams have gotten better and others are shedding salaries and starting their rebuilds. One particular player that has been in the conversation as of late is the great LeBron James.

James owes this league and the Lakers nothing at all. He has done so, so much for the NBA in his 20 plus year career. He is an all timer. He is, in my opinion, the second greatest player to ever do it. He should get to pick and choose whatever he wants for the twilight of his career. So, when I turned on "The Zach Lowe Show" the other day, imagine my surprise when Lowe and his guest were outright hating on him. I was absolutely shocked when I heard the things the two of them were saying about LeBron. And the sheer fact that they were trying to tamp down what they said by adding a compliment at the end of their takedown, that just made me laugh. They were basically demeaning James' decision to opt into the final year of his contract with the Lakers. They kept saying things about how he is old and this isn't his team anymore. Lowe's guest sarcastically called James "48 years old". Lowe never once said anything nice about James until he was done putting him down.

This was racking my mind all evening and into today, which is definitely my fault. But I have heard all the hate James has received his entire career, sometimes from myself, and this segment of Lowe's most recent episode just hit me weirdly. After much thought, I think I have landed on why Lowe and guest were so tough on James. It is Luka Doncic. Lowe has always, and I mean always, stumped for white foreign NBA players. He is married to a Bosnian woman and, even during his tenure with ESPN, he has never once said anything really poorly at all when talking about NBA players from there, all of whom are white. And when Doncic ascended to the level he is currently at, Lowe has become his number one supporter. He will go to bat for him all the time. Since the trade to the Lakers, Lowe has made it his mission to demean and drag down Nico Harrison and the Mavericks. He claims to never listen to interviews anymore, but he is consistent with his mockery anytime Harrison is on a mic. He begrudges people who trash Doncic for his lack of defense and ability to stay in shape. He won't hear it. And this all should have clicked yesterday when I heard him mention the age gap between Doncic and James. I should have known then that, at least in Lowe's mind, the Lakers are no longer LeBron's team, they are Luka's team and Lowe is rolling with that, dissenters be damned. So, it makes sense to me now why he, after years of defending LeBron, is now coming down on him so hard. He mocked his age. He said that the Lakers don't need to build around him anymore. He said that he thinks LeBron isn't in it for titles anymore. He basically dragged his name through the mud for about an hour and I was floored. Like I said at the top, LeBron doesn't owe anybody anything. He has put in the time, effort and work to make it where he is today. He has made billions of dollars for the NBA, the Cavs, the Heat and the Lakers. He has given people like Zach Lowe a place to throw his dumbass opinions out there willy nilly. Luka will never achieve what LeBron has achieved, Nikola Jokic will never be the player LeBron has been for 23 years. These guys don't have what it takes, they don't have the will or the want to do the things LeBron has done.

Zach Lowe should never, ever slander a player of LeBron James' caliber especially because he has never done a single thing at the level LeBron has with basketball. I was excited for Lowe to come back to the podcasting world, but since he has become a member of The Ringer, he seems to be just another Barstool hot take moron who doesn't think before he speaks, and that bums me out. I'm still going to listen to his pod, but maybe I won't for much longer if this is going to be his attitude moving forward. 

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 Earth Is My Treadmill: A Personal Approach to Mindful Running

I don’t use meditation apps. I haven’t taken any formal mindfulness courses. I’ve never been to a retreat or followed a guru. But I run. And when I’m out there, something shifts.

Most of the time I’m alone, just me and my dog, Goat. No headphones. No phone. Just the sound of my breath and the rhythm of our footsteps on the trail.

Somewhere along the way, I started doing this thing. It wasn’t intentional. It just happened. I’d be running, probably lost in some thought about work or parenting or whatever else was chewing on my brain, and then I’d catch myself. In that moment, I’d flip my perspective.

Instead of thinking about myself running forward, I’d imagine the earth rotating beneath my feet. Like I was stationary, and the planet was carrying me along for the ride.

That little shift changes everything. For a moment, I feel completely present. The usual noise in my head quiets down. My body feels aligned with the ground. I stop resisting the motion and let it happen. I stop trying to get somewhere and just exist with what is.

It might sound strange, but it works. At least for me.

I didn’t learn this from a book. No one taught me how to do it. It came from spending enough time moving through the world to notice how much of that movement is mental. Sometimes the trick isn’t to push harder. Sometimes it’s just to look at things differently.

That shift doesn't last forever. Sometimes it only lasts a minute. Sometimes I forget to do it altogether. And sometimes it’s just a regular run, with sweat, sore legs, and Goat diving headfirst into something he shouldn’t. But when I do remember to shift, the whole run feels different. I feel different.

I’m not saying this is mindfulness in the textbook sense. I don’t really care what it’s called. What matters is that it brings me into the moment. Not in a performative way, not to impress anyone, but in a way that feels quiet and real.

Maybe it’s a trick of the mind. Or maybe it’s a way of remembering that we are not separate from the world. We are part of it. Moving and being moved. Running and being carried.

For me, that’s enough.

Kirk Aug

Kirk is a writer, beekeeper and a fellow traveller on spaceship Earth. Follow Kirk on instagram @kirkaug