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La Casa de Papel #Review

@iAmAviG

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February 14, 2018

La Casa de Papel (“Money Heist”) is a Spanish language TV show, which airs on Spain’s Antena 3, and on Netflix in America.
The first half of Season 1 is now available on Netflix, with no word on when the second half will appear.

The show focuses on an Ocean’s style robbery, with a hint of Inside Man mixed in. Our group of city named criminals takes over the Royal Mint of Spain, not to steal the money inside, but to print themselves fresh, untraceable, money. Which they will take guilt-free since it’s not coming out of anyone’s pocket.

Our narrator is Tokio (Ursula Corbero) telling the story of how The Professor (Alvaro Morte) planned and executed what is supposed to be the greatest heist in history. But things start going a little off the rails in the beginning, as the Professor has a strict plan and guidelines, which is followed, will lead to great riches for all 11 of our criminals.
They take city names, so as to remain anonymous even with each other.

There are 67 hostages in the mint, some of whom will go to any length to get out. Others will obey every command, fearing for their lives. And one is the daughter of a ranking official, and she may just be the most valuable commodity they have.

But even the best-laid plans can go to waste, but not much can ruin what is up on Netflix, as this show gets an 8 out of 10.

Below you have the trailer, and also a song that has gotten stuck in my head from the show…just like Chaiyya Chaiyya did with Inside Man.

HIT SUBTITLES ON THE TRAILER

The Athletic Hits NYC @TheAthleticNYC

@iAmAviG

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February 13, 2018

Back in October I talked about The Athletic and paying for your news, and how I had hoped that they would come to the NYC market.

Well, yesterday, February 12th, NYC officially launched on their website, and in anticipation of it I signed up a few weeks ago, and so far have not been disappointed.

The website does well at giving small stories and keeping you up to date on the going-ons of your teams, but I think they really hit it out of the park on their longform stories, or what they refer to as Ink.
My favorite has been from a reporter, Scott Wheeler, who spent a three-game, three-day, road trip with the ECHL’s Brampton Beast, traveling by bus during the NorthEast’s bomb cyclone. If this article showed up in Sports Illustrated it would take up 10+ pages.
BTW, if you sign up through this link to read the article, you will get 25% off!!

Another good read is the Ken Rosenthal article on Rich Dauer, the Houston Astros first base coach, who almost died during the Astros World Series victory parade. The race to save his life, amid the unkowning crowds celebration, and the luck of doctors.
Once again, if you sign up through this link to read the article, you will get 25% off!!

As for the New York section, they have gone all out and scooped up some of the best NY has to offer. Some of the people joining the team:

  • Marc Carig (Newsday) and Lindsey Adler (Deadspin) will be covering the Yankees and Mets
  • Shayna Goldman covering the Rangers – And she dropped a heavy #s article focusing on Brady Skjei for her first piece (LINK HERE)

When We First Met #Review

@iAmAviG

2 comments

February 12, 2018

Noah (Adam Devine) and Avery (Alexandra Daddario) first met at a Halloween party three years prior, and after a night of fun with photo booths, jazz bars, and cereal as a midnight snack, they quickly become best friends…

That’s right. Best friends. Friendzoned. And now, she is getting engaged to Ethan (Robbie Amell).

So after getting plastered at the engagement party, Noah heads back to that original jazz bar, with Avery’s best friend Carrie (Shelly Hennig) and the antique photo booth, discovering that with a little wish it can take him back in time to that first meeting, so he can try and get a different outcome.

DeVine is hilarious in this movie, and while it’s not the most original of ideas, they make this movie very enjoyable, with all the right feels.

It gets an 8.5 out of 10, and should be added to your watchlist!

My Next Guest: George Clooney

@iAmAviG

3 comments

February 9, 2018

It’s a once a month show, but despite being used to having David Letterman on every night, this feels like a great place for the newly retired late-night host.

Usually I don’t do reviews of individual episodes of a show, but Dave deserves this one. He has the ability to turn these short 50 minute specials into a sit-down autobiography that keeps you entertained throughout.

For his second episode, after the Barack Obama premiere, is George Clooney.

We couldn’t be more handsome.

From his time growing up in the house of television host Nick Clooney and trying out with the Cincinnati Reds, his past is delved into, leading up to his marriage with Amal and the birth of his twins.
And most importantly, how he got into the businesses that made him famous: Acting and tequila (Casamigos).

And just like the first episode, Dave goes on a journey, out of his safe zone of a studio and chairs, into the world that helped shape his guest, and his hometown of Augusta, Kentucky. Here he talks with George’s parents, and the Yazidi that the Clooney’s brought over from Iraq, to live his dreams in America.

Despite not liking Dave when he was on CBS (I was a Conan guy), this show has brought me a new respect for him, but now comes what I see as the weakest episode of Season 1, Malala Yousafzai.
I feel like Dave needs a little comic relief, and I just don’t see it coming in this episode.

Thoughts On No Thoughts

@iAmAviG

2 comments

February 8, 2018

I’m not gonna lie. Coming up with something to write about every day is not easy. Sometimes I end up with a really bad post…and sometimes I filibuster, like this post here.

But when I look back and realize that I’ve been writing one of these every single day since May 5th, 2014. That’s almost four years. And more than 900 posts.

And throughout it all, I’ve tried to keep close tabs on my reviews, in the menus above, and can you imagine if someone would actually read all those reviews? And there are a lot of them:

  • Books = 15+
  • Movies = 55+
  • Music = 15+
  • Tech = 15+
  • Travels = 40+
  • TV Shows = 110+
  • Video Games = 25+

Clearly, I favor TV shows, with over a hundred different shows and seasons covered, almost as many as books, movies, music, and video games combined.

I don’t really know why I take the time to write these…it’s not like anyone reads them…it’s more like I feel like I’ve committed myself to something, and I want to continue to see it thru.

Not like there’s anything else going on for me to do.

Dripkit Coffee

@iAmAviG

3 comments

February 7, 2018

People are pretty particular about their coffee. Some people like Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, some people like Nescafe or Sanka, and other people need that perfect pour over.

But making that cup of pour over coffee can be a hassle. You need to have the special cup to drip the coffee through, need a fresh filter to line your cup, and of course you need the fresh grounds on hand.

But what if you could have it all, in a disposable, easy to transport, little cardboard pouch. And that’s just what Dripkit is.

A perfect cup of coffee anytime, anywhere.

No grinding or measuring needed. Just rip off the seal tab, place the pouch over your cup, and add hot water.

Their website, Dripkit.coffee, went live yesterday, and you can order them now, in boxes of 10. This initial batch of coffee is from Guatemala, and then roasted and packaged in Brooklyn.

My co-workers, who are coffee snobs, devoured my initial 10-pack, and yup…I’ve already gone and ordered my second pack.

Zelle

@iAmAviG

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February 6, 2018

Everyone knows PayPal. Everyone knows Venmo. Apple Pay. Google Wallet. But does everyone know Zelle?

Transferring money digitally has become a way of life, especially for millennials, and why wouldn’t it be? It’s much easier to click a few buttons and send your friend $5, then to take the money out of your wallet, and then have to go to an ATM to refill the wallet.

But the banks aren’t such a fan of PayPal and Venmo. Why should PayPal be allowed to make money off your money transfer? Why should Venmo make 3% on all your Credit Card transactions? And if you want to quickly withdraw money from Venmo…you can have it in 1-3 days, for a fee of course.

A lot of banks have had internal transfers for years. Chase QuickPay. Citi PopMoney. But finally, the banks have all gotten on the same page and put up a front against the outsiders making money.

And that answer is Zelle. Zelle allows you immediate transfers of money within the network, with real-time cash transactions, at no fee to any of the users.

You just need to be part of the evergrowing network. And that network is pretty substantial, including Chase Bank, Bank of America, Capital One, TD Bank, and Wells Fargo, among others.

And transferring money is as simple as putting in the person’s email address or phone number, regardless their bank, and voila, your money will quickly disappear…or the request will go thru for that person to send you that long owed IOU.

Step Up: High Water #Review

@iAmAviG

4 comments

February 5, 2018

The Step Up series launched Channing and Jenna Dewan Tatum’s careers, and the two of them are Executive Producers for Step Up: High Water, a brand new YouTube Red TV show.

Twins, Tal (Petrice Jones) and Janelle (Lauryn Alisa McClain) Baker are dancers back in Ohio, but when their mother gets arrested for drugs, they head to Atlanta to live with their hilarious Uncle Al (Faizon Love).

Atlanta is where they find High Water, a school for those who can’t afford more, but also one that specializes in arts. When Janelle goes for her audition, she meets Davis (Carlito Olivero) and Odalie (Jade Chynoweth). Meanwhile, Tal is trying super hard not to get mixed up with the Atlanta scene that can certainly lead to trouble. And no matter where they turn there is trouble and rivalries.

Ne-Yo and Naya Rivera are the big name stars that this show brings. Ne-Yo is Sage Odom, hip-hop Star and the creator of High Water, while Naya is Colette, the head of the school.

There are a lot of standouts but the biggest is Odalie. The dancing and moves of this show are outstanding, and her moments stand above the rest. Meanwhile, Naya Rivera has been fairly quiet since her Glee days, and this gives her a chance to show off her skills, in both acting and dancing.

Season 1 is now available on YouTube Red and while you will need a subscription to finish the season (or use a Free Trial?) the first four episodes are free.

Binge watch shows have a habit of trying too hard to make every episode count, as they try to meet an episode count, and if they cut one or two episodes they would be perfect. Step Up: High Water has no such struggle, as it feels like one giant Step Up movie, and full enjoyable from start to finish. So much so that I wanted to start watching it again the minute I finished…something that usually takes me a few weeks to do with really great shows (like Jessica Jones).
The music is great. The choreography is great. And the acting does enough for the great storyline.

Now let’s be clear, this show isn’t for everyone, as it’s certainly a small niche market. But for those who liked the Step Up movies, they are going to love this show, which gets a 9.5 out of 10.

theScore App

@iAmAviG

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February 2, 2018

For years I’ve been using the ESPN app to get notifications on all my teams. From top stories to score updates, the app was always there with the data I needed.

But it was during MLS Decision Day last season that I started to realize the app wasn’t cutting it anymore. As I waited for notifications on how the other teams were doing, the guy next to me kept getting the information minutes before I did. When I asked him what app he was using, he told me theScore.

But after that I didn’t think of it again, until the last few weeks, when the ESPN app stopped giving me all updates for the events. Games would go from 0-0 to 2-0, without any updates in between. So I decided it was time to cut ties with ESPN and move on over to theScore.

theScore was very simple to set up, and from Day 1 it is proving to be better than ESPN:

  • Updates very quickly after they happen in game
  • A live feed of news stories, pulled from Twitter and the likes, with videos. And unlike the ESPN app, there are no ads before the videos, since they are coming off social media
  • A cleaner interface for managing your notifications from each sport and event

theScore is available on Android and iOS.

The Big Sick #Review

@iAmAviG

no comments

February 1, 2018

The Big Sick is an Amazon exclusive movie, written by Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily Gordon, on the true story of their lives, starring Kumail and Zoe Kazan as Emily. The movie is directed by Judd Apatow.

Kumail is a Pakistani trying to make it in America. From a foreign land with customs like arranged marriages, and he is just trying to make it here as an Uber driver and comedian. But mostly he wants to be a comedian.

When he gets heckled by Emily, just a girl in the crowd, they start up a relationship…one that could never happen, because she is white and he can’t disappoint his parents by dating outside their culture.

But right after they break up Emily gets really sick, what will Kumail do to help her, and will he finally stand up for what he really wants?

You ever want to be in a relationship, so you can just finally relax?

The movie takes a few minutes too long to get into the good parts, and because of that I started this months ago, and never really had an urge to continue. But once I hit that catch, I couldn’t wait to finish the movie and regretted pushing it off as long as I did.

It is genre’d as a romantic comedy, and one of the funnier moments is when Ray Romano (playing Terry, Emily’s father) talks to Kumail about 9/11. Maybe I was overtired when watching it, but I was cracking up.
Holly Hunter plays Emily’s mother.

This movie gets a great 9.5 out of 10.

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