Aviously

Because, aviously…

Rory McIlroy PGA Tour – Review – What. A. Failure.

@iAmAviG

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July 14, 2015

Over the weekend I got a chance to try out EA Sports’ Rory McIlroy PGA Tour which comes out today, and I gotta say, I’m not initially impressed.

rory mcilroy pga tour

The game is touted as a new start for EA as they move away from the Tiger Woods days into the future with Rory.

The new playing system of “Quick Rounds” is amazing, letting you play through a whole tournament in a matter of a half hour or so, letting you move through a career a lot faster than in the past.

But the game has flaws that bring it down. For starters the greens on screen all seem to blend together, making it hard to tell where the green and fairway separate, and at times seems to stutter.

Also the putting system needs an upgrade. There is no guidance to help users not familiar with the slopes of the green, and it seems at times like the flag and hole just aren’t there, as the ball seemingly passes through/over it.

While EA has pushed “No Load Times” between holes, you do get times where the screen just goes black as a tournament loads, random music will start and stop, and THEN the tournament starts up.

As the game currently stands it is only a 5.5 out of 10.

Batman: Arkham Knight – Review (and possible Spoilers)

@iAmAviG

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July 13, 2015

Over the weekend I finished Batman: Arkham Knight (minus a few riddler tropies), and initiated the Knightfall Protocol.

2891183-batman-arkham_knight-review_promo_20150618

This game was a great end to the trilogy, featuring a heavy storyline, and some very good gameplay.

Focusing on the Arkham Knight (who remains masked and anonymous for most of the game (although hints are dropped along the way)) and Scarecrow’s toxic fear gas, the game goes on a fairly straightforward story, yet the side stories are what helps build the game.

From Two-Face and Penguin to Harley and Firefly this game is loaded with all the characters that the Batman universe is known for.

Side missions include shutting down road blocks and watchtowers, rescuing the missing FDGC officers, and even saving a reporter who has gotten himself into an electrical mess.

One of the new features in this game was the Batmobile, which while super exciting at times, was often overused (how many “Boss Tank Battles” are we supposed to have?) and slightly cumbersome (taking a turn is not easy…and this from someone who mastered driving in GTA V).

Yet Batman’s arsenal of tools on his belt are just incredbile, from “Disruptors” (jamming guns) to Electrical Charges and of course the classic Batwings.

Overall it was a 9.5 out of 10 and a great game to play!

Avi To The Rescue

@iAmAviG

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July 9, 2015

Yesterday I mentioned that portable jumper cable to keep in your trunk, and a few days after I got it, it already came in handy.

I was driving home from work and saw a car parked on the side of the street, with the hood up, and cables in hand…the universal sign for “Help!”.

I pull up in front of him, and pull out my fancy looking case, and ask him if he wants to give it a try.

After giving it (and me) a strange look, since we are all used to that second car being there, he said that he’d give it a shot.

We hooked it up to his battery, he gave the engine a start, and less than 90 seconds after I had pulled up I was already driving away, with both our cars in working order.

So go ahead and buy the tools you need to keep your car, and those around you, in running order!

Songs #SOTD

@iAmAviG

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July 7, 2015

Let’s be honest, just because I haven’t done Song of the Day in a while, that doesn’t mean I don’t still have songs I am listening to!

Here are the Top 3 songs I’ve put on replay recently (not in any order 😉 ):

Fight Song – Rachel Platten

Shut Up and Dance – Walk The Moon

Ex’s & Oh’s – Elle King

 

MARVEL’s Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N – Broken and a Failure – Review – @DiscoveryTS

@iAmAviG

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July 6, 2015

I went Thursday night to Marvel’s Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. in Times Square, presented by “Discovery Times Square”.

station-exhibit-avengers-discovery

With their prices soaring into the $30-$40 range, one would expect an amazing experience (especially since it’s only a half-hour long). And the potential was certainly there.

Unfortunately half the machines were blocked off from public usage, and labeled as “Broken” (or had an ‘Agent’ standing next to it, directing people away), the good news should’ve been that half the machines were still in place.

Except that wasn’t the case. The rest of the machines all had their own glitches, preventing them from working correctly. For example:

  • One machine that was supposed to compare your height/weight to Captain America’s, measured my height at a whopping 0’0″. Now I knew I was short, but that’s a little low…
  • Comparing reflexes with Captain America…I’ve been playing video games for decades. My reflexes are pretty darn quick, and I am certain that I hit just about every single one of them. Of course when the game ended, I had a score of 1 vs. the Captain’s 17.
  • Shooting from your eyes like Iron Man’s mask, is a great concept, except no matter what you did you couldn’t get to the top of the screen, no matter how they configured it.

What a disgrace this place is to the Marvel name, and while it is a clear tourist trap, there should still be a level of standards that Discovery should try to meet.

With the broken rundown place, it can’t be higher than a 2 out of 10.

Romance on the Road: The First Road Trip as a Couple

@iAmAviG

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July 1, 2015

Great read before anyone takes a road trip, especially with someone they hope to continue to love!

Romance on the Road: The First Road Trip as a Couple.

NYCFC #HudsonDerby

@iAmAviG

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June 30, 2015

I went Sunday to Yankee Stadium for the first NYRB vs NYCFC game on our turf, and what turned into a disaster in the second half was a really fun experience.

Soccer at Yankee Stadium

This was the second time I went to a game this year and the stadium was even more packed this time, with only a stray seat empty. The full house led to a loud crowd, especially during the opening goal for FC (MY VIDEO HERE).

Future NYCFC players Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo were both in attendance (although the stadium choose a weird time to show them on the big board, right during a defensive stand…) and received a great ovation.

Lampard and Pirlo

Red Bulls fans also showed up in large numbers, and were given their own roped off section for the supporters, although their were other fans sprinkled throughout the stadium, leading to confrontations.
It also didn’t help putting them in the Upper Deck, as this led to them throwing beer down on the FC fans sitting below them…

Red Bulls Fans

Strangely after the half, NYCFC was all out on the field, warmed up and in position when the half-timer ran out, and the Red Bulls were still chilling in their locker rooms. Made for a fun picture (when up 1-0 and thinking they were too scared to come out 😛 )

Second Half Start

But in the end, a lackluster defensive showing led to a 3-1 Red Bulls win, and a very disappointed home crowd, mostly streaming out in the final minutes.

Final Score

Looking forward to August 9th and the third installment of this years Derby, back in Jersey!

Inside Out – Review

@iAmAviG

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June 29, 2015

I watched Inside Out over the weekend, and I highly recommend it for adults and kids.

Inside Out

It is the story of the emotions in a little girls (Riley) head and how they play out when she moves to San Francisco. These five emotions at play for Riley are Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling).

One character that you don’t see in previews/trailers, who ends up playing a big role is Richard Kind’s “Bing Bong”, Rileys’ imaginary friend from childhood.

This movie takes the viewers on an emotional roller coaster, as it explores what happens to the mind when long term emotions take over, and all you need is the absence of joy to destroy core joyous memories.

Mind workers were also shown in the mind, randomly throwing thoughts into her mind, like songs that she’d hum, simply because they put it there (like me and “Take Me To Church” these days…).

<Spoiler>
In a movie depicting an 11-year old fighting her own battle of depression, it was sadness touching happy thoughts that were destroying them, and ultimately it was sadness that will pull her out of the darkest parts. And on top of that, it’s ice skating that truly pulled her away 😉
</End Spoiler>

Anyone that has ever suffered from depression, or knows anyone that suffers from it, will find this movie touching and entertaining.

Rolling Stone magazine’s review says:

Kids will probably roll with the abstract punches thrown by this burst of pure imagination. Parents and adults will liekly be traumatized. You’ve been warned.

This movie shines and gets a 9.5 out of 10.

Take her to the moon for me 😥

Bing Bong

NYCFC Derby Weekend #WinNYCFC

@iAmAviG

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June 26, 2015

This weekend marks the second game between New York City Football Club (NYCFC) and the New York Redbull (NYRB).

The first match ended in favor of NYRB 2-1, but NYCFC heads into this game on a small winning streak and the Red Bulls having won their last game.

The intensity between fans has been at a high, with a lot of tension between the two groups, and I expect their to be a lot of incidents on Sunday, hopefully not in my section…although I’m only a few away from the “Away Supporters”.

Meanwhile the Empire State Building will be lit up in Blue or Red Saturday night, depending how voting goes via Twitter/Instagram/MLSSoccer.com, and in early voting NYCFC had a commanding lead.

This will also be the second time this year I am going to a game, more on that here, and it should have about 50,000 fans at the Stadium for the game, which guarantees a great environment.

NYCFC Field

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