PixlBit

Good morning Pixlpeeps! It is a nice Friday morning here in sunny and warm Southern California and I am hoping to get this typed up quick so I can head out and do my morning walk, watch the random duck neighbors quack as they walk around, and then stop at the local Target afterward to pick up a CD. So how are you good people? Anyone going through BaD withdrawal? I’ve been checking out the blogs I have missed, and I kind of miss digging through my minifigure bins figuring out what the theme should be but other than that I am ready to get back to the regular Monday Friday schedule.

 

Chris Watches…

The Americans – Amazon Video: After finishing the main story for Mad Max on the PS4 yesterday I fired up the Amazon Video App on the PS4 and checked out the pilot episode of The Americans. I listen to a lot of the Tony Kornheiser Show and he loves this show. For some reason I stayed away but decided to check it out and it is really good. That opening scene set to Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk got me hooked. I love the concept of 80s America through the eyes of Russian Sleeper Agents. It’s also another TV show that I watch that includes flashbacks.

The Voice – NBC: Apparently this show and Dancing With The Stars seem to only have a month between breaks and this time Christina Aguilera is back as the female judge. I really like to watch the audition rounds but after that I lose interest unless there is a really talented person that I have to watch (hasn’t happened since the Danielle Bradbery season)

Billions – Showtime: I am caught up with the show and freaking Bobby Axelrod. Paul Giamatti’s whispering doesn’t bother me as much, but I do like the pissing match between Giamatti’s Chuck Rhoades and Damian Lewis’ Bobby Axelrod.  There has to be more to their story than two guys who don’t like each other, and some of that storyline is slowly being uncovered.

The People vs. OJ Simpson – FX: The trial has just begun, and the Dream Team is already working its magic. Also it is interesting to see how the politics behind the trial is working, and you see at least in this point of view, how the prosecution is starting to fall apart. I think everyone is waiting for the “If the gloves don’t fit, you must acquit” line from Johnnie Cochran.

Fuller House – Netflix: I decided to check this show out, because I used to watch Full House, and wow this show is not good. I am three episodes in and I am wondering why I am watching this. It’s just a bad reboot of the original and I thought there would be something a little different than “let’s bring in old cast members” show. I think the show was dealt a bad hand if it was just going to be almost a shot for shot remake of the original. If it kept the ties to the old show but created its own path I think it would have been better.

The OC – Pop Network: I own all four seasons on DVD but while eating lunch earlier this week I saw it was on so I checked it out, and wow I miss this show. It was a fun teenage drama, decent music, and some fun comedy thrown in. I want to rip my DVDs and place it in my iTunes library now.

As for other shows I think House of Cards is back and I tried to stay up last night so I can at least watch part of the first episode but I knocked out around 11:30. I’ll check it out today when I’m eating my Fillet O Fish for what I like to call Lazy Catholic Friday. I finished Agent Carter and as much as I like this show, my friend said it might move to Netflix and I think that would be a better home for it especially after watching Daredevil and parts of Jessica Jones. I know it won’t be as dark as those shows but it will be a nice compliment to Agents of SHIELD where they seem to share elements for their storylines.

 

Chris Listens To…

I finished this book

 

And it is terrible. You would think a book about the Simpsons would be fun. Some behind the scenes stories, retelling of what went on behind the scenes to create episodes, etc. Instead it is an author who breaks down various episodes, empties out a thesaurus, and tries to be witty. Easily the worst thing I have ever heard, and I am bitter that I spent a $1 on this audiobook.

 

I am currently listening to the Faith of George W. Bush. It seems like disc one talks about faith, and disc two is a biography. I am halfway through this audiobook and some parts are interesting. I think the best think I like about this, is that through the iBooks app on my phone I am able to speed up the drone of the reader to 1.5x normal speed. 2.0 is too fast and 1.5 seems like the sweet spot.

 

Last week I was at 13, 266 in unplayed tracks in my iTunes library. This week I am at

 

But I added a bunch of CDs to my library so that could be one of the reasons why there isn’t much separation from last week and this week.

 

Pickups!

Games

From the local Goodwill I spotted these items in the DVD section

 

Remember when Sony would mail out demo discs? This is how I first played God Of War (I have a bunch of these demo discs in a plastic bin and I have a random Playstation magazine still sealed with another copy of the GoW demo) Anyways I thought it would be cool to have the Killzone Demo but not at $3, even if it was a GameStop handout.

Oh back to what I picked up. I found one of them in the DVD rack and the other with the VHS tapes

 

The PS2 Code disc has the penny price which means it was going to be trashed but it looks like the former owner got one. I have one of these swap discs for one of the Tom Clancy games, and its fun to use as long as you don’t try to use too many codes at once (it freezes). Civ IV is complete and looks like fun. I have the first Civ game on original Playstation and I’d like to see how this game looks and plays.

 

Music

I bought a couple of CDs from Goodwill

 

Wham! and Madonna. I’m trying to collect the discography for Madonna, and I think I have this album on vinyl, but I wanted it on CD as well.

 

Speaking of discographies, I finished off Sade’s studio releases by picking up this copy of Soldier of Love. As for the Ladies of Jazz CD, I didn’t know it was a multiple disc release until I popped it into iTunes to add to the library.

From another thrift store across the street from Goodwill I found these albums

 

There were a ton of good R&B and Rap CDs at this location but each time I opened the case to check the CD, it looked like the former owner rubbed each disc on rocks and sandpaper. Seriously how do people not take care of their CDs especially when you spend $10-15 on each? It’s insane.

From the digital world

 

This is a mixtape that mashes up the instrumental and hooks from Sade with the MF Doom. It was released a couple of days ago and it currently sits on my phone.

 

Because I was a lot of the audition rounds on the Voice I tend to buy at least one or two singles and this is one of them

 

This guy killed this version of this song. My friend pointed me another version that was sung on the past CMA’s which is also very good.

 

Lego

I walked into Walmart wanting to buy some pasta and sauce for a not so lazy Catholic Meat Less Friday meal and walked out with those items and this

 

Since I already have the Hoth playset from a couple of years ago, it fits with the theme. I haven’t built it yet, but I will probably do that today while watching House of Cards.

 

Alright Pixlpeeps I am off to get my walking in and listening to some random tunes. Have a good weekend!

 

That’s all for now, more later!

-Chris

 

For my song of the week here is Adam Wakefield’s version of Tennessee Whiskey from The Voice