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Toy Hall of Fame Finalists

@iAmAviG

September 26, 2017

A few months ago I discussed the 2017 Video Game Hall of Fame finalists (of which Halo, Pokemon, Street Fighter and Donkey Kong made it in), and now it’s time to shift over to the standard Toy Hall of Fame.

The first class was inducted in 1998, and the hall has many great items in there, such as Barbie’s, Balls, and Bicycles, and some questionable ones, like Blankets and Sticks.
Their argument for the Stick is that it’s an all-purpose item, with many playing options…but I don’t think natural items should be in there, limiting the hall to just items that were thought out. For this reason, I agree that the pet rock isn’t in the hall…but am against one of this year’s nominations…without further ado, here is who I think should make it:

Matchbox Cars – its brother, Hot Wheels, was brought into the Hall in 2011, and Matchbox, the original car, is due to be honored.
Play Food – This toy truly expands the imagination, as kids can spend hours having dinner with their dolls, or serving their family members food, while Mom is cooking in the kitchen.
Uno – One of the best card games, and simplest for kids of any age to learn, it’s questionable as to why this hasn’t made it yet.

Questionable:

Paper Airplane – This one confuses my thoughts. While it is a natural item (like Sticks and Sand, which I argue against), it does take some skill and play to make it work. Anyone can pick up a stick and hit someone, and anyone can move sand around…but you can’t just pick up a piece of paper and throw it.
Risk – While Clue doesn’t make my cut, Risk is a different story. It takes great strategy and thought processes to get through this game, and for the hours that it’s entertained people, it deserves a chance.
Transformers – These are cool, and transformed the toy world, but until Matchbox Cars are in, Transformers can’t be.
Wiffle Ball – This is simply the ball, not the bat and the ball. And while I think the duo deserves to be in, I don’t know if one of them can make it without the other. Nothing says toy like “hitting someone in the groin with a wiffle bat”.

As for the rest of the nominees:

Clue – One of the best-selling board games of all time, I feel like it’s one of those that people own…but don’t play much.
Magic 8 Ball – It’s been around for 70 years, but I don’t think it’s good for more than a few minutes of joy (or a question or two).
My Little Pony – I’m not a brony, and probably don’t understand the craze, but this one isn’t for me.
Pez Candy Dispenser – Sure they have all sorts of characters, but this isn’t a toy.
Sand – Thank you God for making sand. It should go in the God Hall of Fame.

Trailers That I’m Eyeing — Jack Ryan, Punisher, Mindhunter, and Tomb Raider

@iAmAviG

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September 25, 2017

Usually, it’s at Comic-Con or some other time when large promotions are rolled out, but right now I have a few new trailers that are making me excited for upcoming programming/movies.

For starters: Jack Ryan is being made into a TV show on Amazon Prime.
We don’t have a date for it yet, but we know that John Krasinski is taking on the role previously made famous by Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin, and Chris Pine, of CIA Agent Jack Ryan, but we also don’t know which Jack Ryan we will see.
The original movies had the Tom Clancy storyline (The Hunt For Red October, Patriot Games, and Clear and Present Danger), with everything in order, and how it was supposed to be. But with Shadow Recruit they took the timeline and mixed it up a little, which as a Ryanverse purist, kind of annoyed me.
<Spoiler on the books> I don’t think we will see President Ryan here but I do think it’ll be an already established agent (Post-Red October).</Book Spoiler>

Here is the Amazon playlist with the five trailers, which are kind of vague and generic to this point…

Marvel has had some really amazing shows (see: Jessica Jones or Shield) and some really terrible stuff (see: Iron Fist or the rumored upcoming Inhumans). But the trailers for the upcoming Punisher have it looking like it’s going to be the best show they’ve done, hands down.

The release date is redacted to this point, but we know it will be in 2017, and if I had to take a guess, I would say it’ll be November 10th.
Why do I pick that date? It’s Veteran’s Day (Observed) in America, and he is a Veteran who is looking for revenge on his family’s deaths.

Mindhunter is one of the stranger FBI shows that have popped up over the years.

The FBI is digging into the craziest of psychopaths, to try to figure out what makes their minds tick, and once they know how their patterns of behavior, they will try to get ahead of the crazies.

Lara Croft is back.

It’s not the iconic Angelina Jolie that we all remember, but a reboot with a very promising looking Alicia Vikander.

Podcasts

@iAmAviG

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September 20, 2017

In the past, I talked about how I would listen to sports talk radio on my way to/from work. But with Hahn and Humpty first taking a turn towards the terrible (before the inevitable split up) and them knocking Le Batard off NYC radio, I turned to another option to fill my drive time: Podcasts.

I’ll admit straight off the bat: I can’t do daily podcasts. There is no one person that I respect enough, or care enough about, to listen to for an hour a day. I understand that WTF and NPR have “great daily podcasts”, but they just don’t do it for me.

So what/who do I turn to? Sports. And Barstool. But a mix of different sports and topics, so it doesn’t get repetitive and keeps things interesting.

Starting 9 – Former Perfect Game pitcher Dallas Braden and Barstool’s Jared Carrabis, a long time Red Sox fan who was instrumental in the Sox landing David Price, break down the baseball world. From weekly storylines to MVP and Cy Young races, and up and comers to stories from the locker room this duo is making baseball great again.
They also have a great variety of guests, with this fairly new show already having Brian Wilson, Aaron Boone, and David Ross, among others.
Spittin’ Chiclets – Stanley Cup winner Ryan Whitney and Barstool’s Rear Admiral cover hockey, which can be tough during the offseason.
I have only started listening to this recently, but have already enjoyed interviews with Martin St. Louis and BizNasty.
The Podfathers – A bunch of fathers discuss the troubles their kids put them through, and the give and take of being a parent, mostly from a comedic point of view.
Barstool Rundown – A rundown of some of the viral videos/stories of the day, published nightly.
NYCFC Nation Podcast – A group of NYCFC diehard fans discuss the going-ons with the team, from recaps and player searches to the ongoing stadium search. Personally, I think they ramble on a little long, but I still enjoy my one “local” sports podcast.

I would probably have a wider range, including the Le Batard podcasts, but I listen to them through the Google Music library, which doesn’t have as much of a selection as the other Podcast venues.

Jerry Before Seinfeld #Review

@iAmAviG

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September 19, 2017

One of the first comedy albums I heard growing up was Jerry Seinfeld’s I’m Telling You For The Last Time, but despite that, I gravitated towards Friends more.

Jerry Seinfeld (as well as Larry David) is a special kind of comedy, where you either enjoy their style or can’t stand it, but whichever way you go you are all-in to that opinion.

Back at “The Comic Strip”, the NYC club that started him off, Jerry shows again that he is a one-of-a-kind comic, as he tells the story of how he got his start.
Discussing “ins and outs”, “ons and offs”, “takes and gives”, as well as yo-yo’s dixie cups, childhood, and maids, he rolls from one bit to the next, in typical Jerry BB-Gun fashion.

I didn’t touch a thermostat until I was 28 years old. I was in a hotel room in Pittsburgh when I had the guts to make it a little warmer. I was terrified the whole night that my father would burst in: “Who touched the thermostat in here?!”

My one issue with Jerry is that if you’ve heard one of his bits, you’ve basically heard them all, but despite this, I found myself laughing at various points throughout the special.

Now that I’ve told you that he isn’t my style, looking at this as a whole, it wasn’t at all unfunny or bad, it’s just not my cup of tea.
I gave Seinfeld (the show) a try, watching all nine seasons, and I didn’t even hesitate before watching this special.

But when it is all said and done, it wasn’t the best Netflix has to offer, with Chappelle, Minhaj and even Dunham putting on better performances, but this gets an 8 out of 10.
And if you choose to argue me on that (because there is nothing Seinfeld followers like more than arguing that he is the GOAT), you better have watched the other three for comparison.

The Mayor #Review

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September 18, 2017

The Mayor is an upcoming show on ABC, premiering October 3rd, but the pilot is now available on Hulu.

A struggling 27-year-old rapper, named Courtney Rose, runs for mayor of Fort Grey, California, with high hopes of it boosting his demo sales. But when he wins the election, landing himself a role that can change the community, how will he handle the power that he suddenly holds?

Brandon Michael Hall plays Courtney, Yvette Nicole Brown is his mother, and Lea Michelle plays the opposing campaign manager turned Chief-of- (for a cameo from David Spade).

Yet despite that solid casts of leads, it’s the supporting cast that helps keep this show well above the “average” line, as Marcel Spears and Bernard David Jones bring the comedy and friendship to the mayoral office.

Once in office he starts doing real work, cleaning up the neighborhood and trying to improve the lives of the people living there.

This show is very promising, and quickly got added to my already busy Fall TV Schedule.

NHL 18 #Review

@iAmAviG

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September 15, 2017

NHL 18 is all about the new game features, and there are two that stand out to me, that make the game more enjoyable, one from a “gameplay” standpoint, and the other is “technical”.

NHL Threes

Threes is a 3v3 game, leading to a really fast paced game. No offsides or icings, and the only puck drops happen at the start of a period.

Penalties lead to penalty shots and play stoppages (goals, puck out of play, goalie holding on) lead to the opposing team getting the puck at center ice.

The games are played in “backyard rinks” in barns and other venues, and the gameplay reflects that. The announcers are laid back guys, not stiff broadcasters, and the players on the ice aren’t limited to current and former NHLers…there are mascots strapping on skates and bowling over players.

Game limits are either three periods (of 2-4 minutes a piece) or first to a goal number.
This is determined by a coin flip before the game, and the winner gets to set the rules.
And just like street rules, you can set it to “have to win by two goals” or to turn on/off the Money Puck.

The Money Puck is another tweak that makes the game feel more like an arcade mode.
There are three types of pucks in play for this game: Regular, Positive, and Negative.
Regular = 1 Point
Positive = 2 or 3 Points
Negative = 1 Point and the other team loses 1 or 2 Points

I’ve been hooked on this mode all week, trying to play my way across the country, and pick up better players, logos, jerseys, and arenas along the way.

Expansion Draft

The NHL added a team this year, and with it came a fascinating expansion draft (from a strategic perspective), and EA has given us the ability to draft ourselves.

You can expand to the 31 teams of this year, or even go and expand to 32 teams.

If you are the expansion team, you choose one player off each roster, piecing together a makeshift team, with the hopes of putting together some chemistry and a winning lineup.
If you are one of the current 30 teams you face the opposite challenge: Protecting your players from getting stolen away, and hoping that the right unprotected ones aren’t snatched away.

Gameplay and Final Thoughts

They have added new cameras in the audience, which adds a nice “realistic” touch to the broadcast. This includes more shots of random fans, and as faceoffs are about to drop you’ll get the camera shot from the stands zooming into the action at hand. These cameras also play nicely on replays.

Where Madden 18 had super long load times, this game is lightning fast. You hit start and the bar quickly fills up to launch your game.

All these things put together keep the steady pace that the NHL series has set in recent years, and it’ll get a 9 out of 10.

NASCAR Playoffs 2017

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September 14, 2017

2017 NASCAR Playoffs start this weekend, and to be honest, without Tony Stewart racing I’ve followed less this year.
That doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s going on. Danica leaving Stewart-Haas, me rooting for Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick to win it all.

But the biggest stories are the way Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson have absolutely dominated this year, each winning four races during the regular season.

16 Drivers. 10 Races. 4 Rounds. 1 Champion.

The drivers who will be competing for the NASCAR Sprint Cup are:

#78 Martin Truex Jr. – The speeds that Harvick showed in his winning year is now under Truex’ hood
#42 Kyle Larson
#18 Kyle Busch – 2015 Champion – Started 2017 slow, but has gotten hot of late
#2 Brad Keselowski – 2012 Champion – He has major up and down swings, and the start in Chicago may help him
#48 Jimmie Johnson – 7-Time Champion – He may have had a fairly light season, but it would be foolish to count him out
#4 Kevin Harvick – 2014 Champion
#11 Denny Hamlin
#17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – First playoff appearance, but his best track doesn’t come until Round 2…too little, too late?
#21 Ryan Blaney
#24 Chase Elliott
#31 Ryan Newman – Newman tends to surprise, and I wouldn’t count him out for a long run
#41 Kurt Busch – 2004 Champion – This years’ Daytona 500 winner, followed by a fairly terrible year
#5 Kasey Kahne
#3 Austin Dillon
#20 Matt Kenseth – 2003 Winston Cup Champion
#1 Jamie McMurray – Finished in 13th the last two years, his best finishes, hoping to make it out of the first round this time, but hasn’t won a race yet this year, which he’ll likely need to advance

Schedule:

Challenger Round

9/17 3PM – Chicago

9/24 2PM – New Hampshire

10/1 2PM – Dover

Contender Round

10/8 2PM – Charlotte

10/15 2PM – Talladega

10/22 3PM – Kansas

Eliminator Round

10/29 3PM – Martinsville

11/5 2PM – Texas

11/12 2:30PM – Phoenix

NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship

11/19 2:30PM – Homestead-Miami

Jeff Dunham: Relative Disaster #Review

@iAmAviG

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September 13, 2017

Jeff Dunham is back and heading to Dublin, with a new younger wife (there’s an eighteen year difference), a fresh set of twins, and a comedy special ripe for Netflix.

The real loser in the election? Bill. Because now Hillary is home every single night.

Walter: Back when I was a kid, time-out meant your mom had hit you senseless.
Jeff: What about your Dad?
Walter: She hit him too.

Our favorite ventriloquist will pull out most of his favorites. Walter will harp on that age difference, as well as the fact that Jeff is catching up to his own age, and Bubba J will be more than happy to pile on.

Bubba J: My daughter is black.
Jeff: Black?
Bubba J: Yeah, that was a tough one to explain to my wife. I had to swear up and down that I had not slept with a black woman.

Bubba J: My first girlfriend had her stomach stapled.
Jeff: Oh, was she a big girl?
Bubba J: No, she was the centerfold of a magazine.

Achmed the Dead Terrorist has new stories, including how his turbaned-self got stopped by immigration for a cavity search, and plays a game with Jeff of “Who’s on First, Kanye edition.”

Jeff: The big story these days are that group that wants to take over the world.
Achmed: Yeah. The Khardashians.

Jeff: Do you know who Kim’s stepfather is? She’s a wonderful woman.

Jeff also introduces a new character, native born Sheamus, the Irish baby, who is sure to make up for the lack of Sweet Daddy Dee.

Me mom would’ve preferred a C-section. It’s the difference between opening the convertible top and getting out of the car that way vs having your arse shoved out the key hole.

But by the time Peanut wraps up his set you’ll be sad that this special is coming to an end, as this is one of the best comedy specials Netflix has done, easily getting a 9.5 out of 10.

With your kids you can’t play hide-and-seek, because you can’t remember what you are looking for!

Emmy 2017 Predictions

@iAmAviG

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September 12, 2017

The 69th Emmy Awards will air this Sunday on CBS, hosted by Stephen Colbert, and here is my annual post, in which I post who I want to win…and in no way will ever be correct, since my views and the people who vote never line up.

Maybe one day I’ll get the rights to vote and this will hold more value…

Comedy Series – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt — Last year I wanted Master of None, but this year Kimmy outperformed Aziz.

Drama Series – The Crown — Netflix’s throne added this great show to their mix, giving a great background to Elizabeth’s life.

Variety Talk Series – The Late Late Show With James Corden — Carpool Karaoke, Riff-Offs, and Crosswalk Musicals keep him above the rest.

Reality-competition Program – The Amazing Race — I’m never not gonna vote for this as long as it’s on-air.

Lead Actor in a Comedy – William H. Macy <Shameless> — He is outstanding as Frank Gallagher, making the crazy show just that much more stable.

Lead Actress in a Comedy – Ellie Kemper <Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt> — Our favorite mole-woman continues to shine.

Lead Actor in a Drama – Liev Schreiber <Ray Donovan> — Liev’s role of Ray is one of the more solid characters on television, as he plays a dark role as a cleaner-upper for the rich and famous. He beats out Kevin Spacey, as this season was one of the weaker ones for Frank Underwood.

Lead Actress in a Drama – Robin Wright <House of Cards> — Where Kevin Spacey dipped, Robin Wright soared, as the show took an interesting ark this season. Claire Foy comes in a close second.

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Tituss Burgess <Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt> — It’s embarrassing that Alec Baldwin was nominated. The country is enamored by a terrible and overused role.

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Kate McKinnon <SNL> — Kate has changed the comedy landscape these days, and the upcoming Magic School Bus role should be perfect for her.

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series – Michael Kelly < House of Cards> — Doug Stamper is a bad@$$, like no other character currently on TV. He will do whatever it takes to protect his boss.

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Uzo Aduba <Orange is the New Black> — Crazy Eyes…is there really anything that still needs to be said about her character?

Character Voice-Over Performance – Seth MacFarlane <Family Guy>

Cuckoo #Review

@iAmAviG

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September 11, 2017

Cuckoo is a BBC show starring Andy Samberg and Helen Baxendale, that has recently shown up on Netflix as a “Netflix Original”.
They have tried for an American version, which never got picked up by any channel.

I’m going to focus on Season 1, which I find to be the best season of the show, after which they changed up some characters and actors.

Andy Samberg is a hippie named Cuckoo who marries a British girl during her year abroad in Thailand, much to the dismay of her parents.

From meditating naked on the kitchen counter to being stoned, there’s no end to how he’ll annoy his new father-in-law…so his father-in-law gives him some “go away money”, which he promptly spends on a potato van to sell “jacket potatoes”.

If you aren’t convinced enough to go through Season 1 by Andy Samberg, just get to the third episode, “Ken on E”, and the series should leave you intrigued.

Season 1 gets a 6.5 out of 10.

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