Aviously

Speed Over Quality

@iAmAviG

January 23, 2017

Following the Rolling Stone article from a few months ago (which I discussed here), it’s important to look at other things that are affected by our need for everything NOW.

Everyone likes to get their information spoon fed to them as fast as possible, and if a news site doesn’t get up the story fast, they fear getting beat by a competitor…and they’ll take that risk of speed, instead of fact checking the article before posting it.

A good example was Friday as the new administration took office, all of the old stuff got rolled off the Internet and into Archives.
This included Twitter accounts (such as @POTUS and @WhiteHouse) and the actual website for the White House.
At the stroke of Noon, the Obama administration pages went into archives, while the primary pages were reset to Stage Zero, and started to get rebuilt for the new Trump presidency.

But that didn’t stop websites, such as Complex, from running stories about the Trump administration removing Climate Change, Healthcare, and Civil Rights from the White House website…and of course the Internet (and the social media beasts) ran with that, instead of remembering that this is standard protocol and not a “scrub of data”.

Complex, after a bunch of Tweets and pictures, added to the end of their story the following:

…The new site is poorly written and researched, as well as underdeveloped, so it’s possible that these scrubs are an oversight—plus, it’s standard protocol for incoming administrations to delete all existing materials on the official site…

So they basically acknowledge that their whole story is just about riling people up, and not actually factual, since it’s standard protocol and not the “scrub” that the article leads readers to believe (readers that we all know take the headlines and run, and will never read to the end of a story…too many words and all).

Time for the media, and anyone that wants to consider themselves as such, to start putting the facts up front, and stop being click-bait and the one that fans the flames of the Internet.

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates #Review

@iAmAviG

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January 20, 2017

Mike and Dave (Adam DeVine and Zac Efron) are the party animals of the Stangle family, but with their sisters’ wedding day fast approaching, their parents implore that they settle down and not ruin the day again.

Their past is full of them getting drunk and crazy and ruining every family affair, including possibly killing their grandfather, and in order to avoid that this time, the two of them must each bring a date to the wedding in Hawaii, and are only allowed to talk to them during their time on the island.

Somebody overcooked the soft pretzel.

So they put an ad on Craigslist for two girls for an all expense paid trip to Hawaii for two nice girls…and they get exactly what you’d assume to get off CL, with crazies, crossdressers and all sorts of people wanting freebies.

Enter Tatiana and Alice (Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick), who whilst being the exact girls that the boys aren’t supposed to bring, play the roles of “good girls”, faking it as teachers sand hedgefunders, and making Mike & Dave’s parents proud. Once in Hawaii though, anything could happen!

Fannie Mae and Bernie Mac.

The four of them are great in their roles, making this movie funny and enjoyable.

I’ll be honest with you, I need some clothes. I can’t continue to wear this horse.

This movie easily gets an 8.5 out of 10 on the scale of stupidity and hilarity.

2017 MLB Hall of Fame

@iAmAviG

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January 19, 2017

In the past I’ve talked about how Pete Rose deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

Yesterday the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) voted on their 2017 class, and the entries are: Jeff Bagwell, Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, and Tim Raines.

All three more than earned their place in the Hall:

Bagwell had a batting average of almost .300 (.297) and had over 1,500 runs and RBI
Pudge was a 14-time All-Star and 13-time Gold Glover, and holds records for a catcher including most Games, Hits, Doubles, Bases, and Runs

I have no words, best call ever! A dream that came true today! So thankful! Thank you thank you God bless you all #Pudge7HOF pic.twitter.com/Od0bNONZjv

— Ivan Pudge Rodriguez (@Pudge_Rodriguez) January 18, 2017

Raines was a seven-time All-Star but he was a beast on the base paths, with the highest stolen-base percentage of anyone in history (84.7%) beating Ricky Henderson (80.8%).

Trevor Hoffman missed the Hall this year by just a few votes, but he definitely deserves to be in. A seven-time All-Star, and during his time he set records for most 20-save, 30-save and 40-save seasons, and the highest career strikeout rate of any reliever, and his 601 saves was the most ever (until broken by Mariano Rivera (652)).

I think it’s also time for the Hall of Fame to let in the Steroids era, as the best players of their time, including Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and Rafael Palmeiro.

Ringling Brothers Closing The Tent

@iAmAviG

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January 18, 2017

1994 was the first time I went to see the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, where they unveiled the elephant siblings (Romeo and Juliet) to the world.

From Forbes.com

And through the years I’ve gone many times, and with their last shows approaching, ending right here in the New York area, I’ve bought tickets to see them one last time before they bring the Big Top down after a 146-year run.

Funundrums and Legends, Bello and more, I’ve always enjoyed the show they’ve put on. Weaving a story and excitement into the typical circus acts, from high-wire flips to motorcycles in a ball, lion tamers and elephants to horses and the human cannon.

While many have been upset over the years with the treatment of animals, there is something to the circus experience that kids playing on their phones just won’t get any more as more and more circus’ close (Big Apple filed for bankruptcy last year).

Regardless your opinions on it, it’s hard to argue with the fact that they certainly were The Greatest Show on Earth, and I hope they make my last show out of this world!

Jason Bourne #Review

@iAmAviG

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January 17, 2017

In the badlands of Asia Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is proving he’s still just as strong and able as he has ever been.
Meanwhile, Nicky (Julia Stiles) is in Iceland using her technological skills to infiltrate the CIA and grab old Treadstone files, including that of David Webb, for the purposes of uploading to the internet and exposing CIA secrets (ala WikiLeaks).

Nicky approaches Bourne with these files, in the hopes of him finally learning the truth about his past and how he got to be the agent he became.

But her hack was detected by CIA Agent Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander), who alerts the Agency and the Director of National Intelligence, sending them on yet another worldwide hunt of one of their best former weapons, with the Asset (Vincent Cassel) leading the chase.

With Lee in over her head, will matters be taken into more professional (read: old-school) hands, before the secret new program (Iron Hand) gets revealed to the public?

Tommy Lee Jones, leading the Agency, looks really old, but Vikander, Stiles, and Cassel make up for it. On the other hand, Matt Damon looks tired and bored acting in this movie.

The Jason Bourne series continued on its usual action packed pace, and there seems to be plenty of room to keep it all going, but this entertaining movie only gets a 7 out of 10.

The End of Twitter Eggs – Down With Fake Accounts

@iAmAviG

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January 13, 2017

Time for Twitter to remove the eggs.

What’s that? You don’t know what a Twitter egg is? Well, it’s the users that don’t have verification or a picture and stand behind these anonymous accounts with nothing but an egg as their profile.

@Twirpz

The problem is that these are the very people that bully others on social media, using race, homophobia and a variety of other techniques that they are too chicken to do as their actual selves.

I think Twitter needs to have two different types of verification. Keep the precious Blue Check Marks for those that Twitter deems worthy of getting the check mark.
But also allow people to submit identification to prove who they are, and let Twitter mark them accordingly, maybe with a Ribbon or something.

I’m not saying that everyone should be required to have a picture…but I think that they should have to prove to at least Twitter that they are legitimate.

Anyone who has a Twitter account wants that coveted blue check mark, but if they can’t get it, then at least let us stand out from the hundreds (if not thousands) of fake accounts that plague the social media world.

Edge of Seventeen #Review – Starring @HaileeSteinfeld

@iAmAviG

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January 12, 2017

Movie trailers tend to have the best jokes in them, and often times spoil the best parts of the movie, or even use up all the humor.

Edge of Seventeen is not that movie. The trailer jokes are gotten out of the way in the first few minutes of the movie, and after that it takes a slow incline to a decent movie.

Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) is a typical 17-year-old girl, living under the shadow of her brother, bullied at an early age by the other girls in school, ignored by boys, her dad dead when she was only 12, and when her one close friend betrays her trust, she doesn’t know where to turn.

But with a little help from her not so smart, slightly sarcastic teacher Max (played brilliantly by Woody Harrelson), Nadine tries to get her life back on track.
One of his pieces of advice to her?

Nadine. Maybe nobody likes you?

She faces the struggles that a lot of people find, not just in high school but throughout life, and pushes through the adversities.

Hi Nadine, wake up. You had a brain operation. It worked. It made you pleseant and agreeable. -Max

Spoiler free: The ending is enjoyable, and I really liked the comic towards the end!

This movie gets a decent 8 out of 10.

Why I Didn’t Get A New Phone In 2016

@iAmAviG

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January 11, 2017

For years I’ve gotten a new phone every year. Sometimes it was because the batteries didn’t last, sometimes the phones couldn’t handle new operating systems and other times it was simply to upgrade technology.

2011: HTC Incredible
2012: Moto Droid Razr HD
2013: Moto X
2014: Moto X 2nd Gen
2015: Moto X Pure
2016: ______

There just wasn’t any phone out there in 2016 that was worth upgrading to from the Moto X Pure, which has also been providing me with standard battery life, the same as Day 1.

For starters, phone prices went up. Whereas the Moto X’s ranged from $400-$500 the new Moto Z’s and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge were pushing closer to $800.
But if we go with the idea that “it’s worth the price”, what individual features are making me splurge on a new phone?

New camera? My phone sports a 21mp camera…theS7 Edge has 12mp, and the Z has the same 21.
Fingerprint scanners? Maybe. It’s a cool security feature.
Marshmallow vs. Nougat? Not a huge variety of features that warrant the change.

Battery life is the one big change, as upgrading from 3000mAh to 3500+ would be a nice advantage.
And strangely they’ve started to reduce screen sizes on newer phones, which reduces battery strain, making the extra mAh even more useful and long lasting.

But please, someone, convince me to change phones. Meanwhile, I’ll keep waiting to see what 2017 brings.

La La Land #Review

@iAmAviG

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January 10, 2017

Fresh out of the gate, La La Land let’s know it’s an old-school musical, and in that time period you’ll almost instantly know if you’ll like the movie or hate it.

The movie overall is…strange….the storyline is as basic Hollywood as you can get: Girl likes guy. Guy acts like @$$hole. Girl likes him anyways. He keeps putting her down. She wears him down. They fall in love.

No Jamaal, you be trippin’.

But then there is the musical aspect of the movie. While there is no standout song that you’ll be singing over and over, the soundtrack is enjoyable and the title track is catchy, leaving the notes stuck in your head.

But where it all really stands out is in the acting of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Their characters show a wide range of emotions and talents throughout the film, from acting to singing to dancing, pushing them to their full potential and with it the understanding of why they won Golden Globes this weekend.

The movie will also bring a fresh new interest to jazz, and may make some people enjoy it more than just in the elevator or while you slurp your soup.

I think this movie would also work wonderfully, and maybe even better, as a Broadway show.

If you had to pick one of this year’s big winners to watch, this may be the one to go with, and gets a 7.5 out of 10.

FLL Shooting Thoughts

@iAmAviG

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January 9, 2017

After the shooting at Fort Lauderdale airport on Friday, the focus of many people was on the wrong thing.

He took the gun out of his luggage and loaded it in the bathroom before returning to the baggage claim.

The fact that the gun was in his luggage was inconsequential. People need ways to transport personal property across the country, whether it’s a pet, a pair of slacks or a gun.
They aren’t allowed onto the flights in carry-on, but packed away in your suitcase, stored under the plane, there’s nothing wrong with that.

There is no difference between the fact that he had just gotten off a plane and someone who wanders into baggage claim.
Most airports have lax security in that area, as family and taxi drivers wander in to help arrivals with their luggage.

Maybe the solution is to add security measures to that area as well? Not necessarily needing a boarding pass, but passing through a security area when entering the airport.
Department of Defense has worked in the past, along with the NYPD, on long-range gun detection devices, that’d alert security personnel to incoming threats.
Throw those at the entryways/walkways leading up to the airports and you secure it just a little more.

But there is no difference between the fact that this happened in an airport or if it had happened in the Grand Canyon or Nashville or any other populated area.

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