Netflix Picks and Recommendations for 2018

Last year around this time, I did a recap of some of my favorite shows and specials on Netflix and since some time has gone by and new titles have been added, I figured I would make another list of recommendations to check out. Here are some of the tv series, comedy specials, and movies worth checking out now on Netflix:

Glow

Set in the 80's and based on a women's professional wrestling organization, Glow is one of my favorite new series available now. It features Alison Brie and Marc Maron as well as a large cast of characters as they try to put together a women's wrestling show from scratch. There is a good deal of drama, emotion, and even a great soundtrack! 

Haters Back Off

I reviewed the first season of Hater Back Off last year which I really enjoyed. Recently I got a chance to watch the 2^nd and final season which was very good as well! It is about a girl who wants to make it big as a singer and entertainer but is oblivious to the fact that she really does not have that kind of talent. This show is not for everyone but if you like quirky off beat style shows, I recommend checking it out. 

Somebody Feed Phil

Phil Rosenthal, the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond has started making documentary style shows such as “I'll Have What Phil's Having” and his most recent series “Somebody Feed Phil”. In these shows, he travels around to different countries and tries out some of the best local food. If you like travel shows and shows about food mixed with a little bit of humor, this is the show for you. 

Ozark

Ozark is about a family man who gets mixed up with the wrong crowd and ends up laundering money and working with drug cartel leaders. If the description sounds similar to Breaking Bad, it is because it is very similar. While it may not be quite as good as that show, it is still very suspense filled and enjoyable to watch. If you like thriller type shows, I recommend checking out Ozark. 

Ryan Hamilton – Happy Face

If you have not heard of comedian Ryan Hamilton yet, now is a good time to check out his new comedy special. His routine is professional and well polished and covers many original topics in a funny way. His style and even his voice can be compared to Jerry Seinfeld, so if you like Jerry, chances are you will enjoy this special. 

Fred Armisen – Standup for Drummers

One of the most unique and interesting comedy sets I have seen recently belongs to Fred Armisen with his Standup for Drummers. It is a combination of stand up comedy mixed with musical drumming performance and really shows a wide range of talent in both areas. Even if you are not familiar with drumming, this special is very funny and educational as well! 

Dave Chappelle – Equanimity

No stranger to the stand up comedy world, Dave Chapelle has some new specials on Netflix now including this new set entitled Equanimity. Dave has confidence and stage presence and is not afraid to talk about controversial issues and tell it as it is while maintaining a sense of humor. 

Crisetla Alonzo – Lower Classy

Another funny special is this one by Cristela Alonzo where she talks about her life growing up and some of the events that shaped her life to what it is today. It a good mix of comedy, nostalgia, and even some emotional stories mixed in at the end. 

The Founder

Also streaming now is the movie The Founder which is the story about how McDonalds was started and how it grew into the biggest fast food restaurant in the world. It stars Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc, the man behind the success of the franchise. It is an interesting story and fascinating to see what can result from hard work and perseverance. 

If you have any favorite series, specials, or movies on Netflix now, feel free to recommend them in the comments below!

Tub Spout Dripping – How to fix with new cartridge and tub spout diverter

For a while I noticed the tub spout in my shower had a slow drip when it was turned off. While it wasn't losing that much water, it was more of an annoyance because it would not stop dripping. Also even when the diverter on the spout was pulled up to turn on the shower, water would still drip out the bottom. I did a little research to figure out what needed to be done to fix these problems.

For the the slow drip when turned off, the cartridge needed to be replaced. This is a cylinder piece that is behind the handle that lets you turn the water on and off and adjust the temperature to either hot or cold. This can be done on your own, but I did have some help to replace this part. The exact steps to replace can depend on the model of cartridge and faucet you have but mainly it involves taking off the handle and pulling out the old cartridge for replacement. Also make sure the water is turned off before taking out the old cartridge.

Once the cartridge was replaced, it became so much easier to turn the water on an off. If the knob or handle in your shower is hard to pull or turn, chances are it could use a new cartridge. Not only is it much easier to turn on and adjust but now it no longer has the slow constant drip when the water is turned off.

Next it was time to replace the tub spout with the diverter. I picked up a universal tub spout at the hardware store for about $15. There are a few different kinds of spouts and different ways they can be attached. Mine was a screw on kind but some have a little screw on the bottom that must be unscrewed to pull it off. For the screw on kind, you just twist the spout in a counter clockwise direction. It might be a little difficult if it is stuck on there so it may need a little effort.

Once it is off you will be able to see how to attach the new spout. If it is a universal spout, it will have directions on how to attach the new spout. Also it is recommended to use plumbers PTFE tape to put around the threaded parts to help seal the connections. I actually had to adjust it a couple times and re-tape it a couple times because it was dripping from the back when I first put it back on.

Also before putting on the new spout, I noticed there was some space around the pipe and the wall where you could see in. I decided to cover up this extra space with some clear tape to help prevent any water from leaking through and going behind the wall.

As I installed the new spout, my main concern was that it might not line up exactly right, but the way it threads on a little bit at a time and has the rubber washer inside, it gives it some ability to adjust more than you might expect. To get a good seal, I found it became pretty snug with the spout facing upward and then I just turned it an extra half turn to line it up with the bottom. This gave it a secure fit and seal so no water dripped out.

Once it is all done, test it out to make sure everything is working well and there are no leaks from any of the connections. If there are still leaks, you might have to try it again and add some more tape and try to tighten it a bit more. Hope this helps and good luck!

Amazon Locker Review – Trying out the self service delivery option

Recently I was making a purchase at Amazon and while I usually have it delivered to home as usual, I noticed they had an option called Amazon Locker where you can have it delivered to a secure location near by. This option is particularly useful for areas where it is difficult to have packages delivered safely. I never had a problem with the traditional delivery, but I was curious to try out this service so I decided to give it a go.

At checkout, it asks for your location to help find the nearest Amazon Lockers. I found one near by located in the Whole Foods a couple miles away so I set it as the delivery point. What's nice is there is no extra charge for this service so anyone can use it to have packages delivered without having to pay anything extra.

Before placing the order, I played around with the shipping options to try to compare the prices. Amazon seems to make this more difficult than it needs to be because it will not tell you the cost of shipping until you get to the end. I usually go with the free shipping but I was in a bit of a hurry so I tried out the 1 day shipping. Somehow it gave free shipping even with this option. I'm not sure how that happened, but usually it would charge for the 1 day shipping.

So the next day, I keep an eye on the tracking but it does not show up on time as expected. The tracking showed they tried to deliver it late at night after the store was closed so they were not able to get in to access the locker. A little inconvenient but it should be delivered first thing the next day right?

Another day goes by and still it does not get delivered. So I contact customer service to see if they can check on the status. They said it was supposed to be delivered on the first day or the 2^nd day but for some reason it was not. They said they would send out a new order and the original order would return to them.

Again this was more of a delay than I expected, but the new package did show up in about 1 day. They emailed me an access code and barcode to take to the locker. I went to the Whole Foods and found the Amazon Locker up at the front.

With the barcode from the email pulled up on my phone I approached the screen and scanned the barcode to the scanner. Immediately a locker opened up and I was able to retrieve my package. It was surprisingly simple and fast once it actually got there. I figured there would be a bunch of screens to go through and it would be confusing, but it was about as simple as can be.

Later that day I get another email saying the original package has now been delivered. Somehow it must have gotten re-routed back to the locker. It said if it is not picked up within 3 days it will return automatically for a refund, so I let the 3 days pass and it was picked up to be returned back to Amazon.

Overall, even though there was a little bit of a delay and confusion on the shipping, I would use the Amazon Locker service again. I think it is a great way to have packages delivered securely especially if the item is valuable and you do not want it left outside unattended. I recommend giving it a try in case there is one near you.

Fetch Rewards Review – Trying out the receipt scanning rewards app

As someone who does a good amount of grocery shopping, it peaked my interest when I heard about apps that allow you to earn rewards by scanning receipts. In the past, I had looked up several of these apps, but none of them ever panned out or turned out to be worth the trouble.

Recently, someone recommend trying out Fetch Rewards. It is an app for iOS and Android that lets you earn rewards points for scanning your receipts, so I figured I would try it out. Downloading the app and setting it up was pretty easy. They don't ask for too much information other than the basics like name, email, and phone number.

You can start off with 2,000 points by using a referral code such as Q8RWJ. This is pretty good because 2,000 points is equal to $2 worth of rewards and you can start redeeming rewards at 3,000. I used a code and it applied the points to my account after I scanned my first receipt.

The rewards are e-gift cards to many popular retailers like Amazon, Target, Walmart etc. They start at $3 for 3,000 points and go up as more points are earned.

So how does the app work? Basically you just use the app to take pictures of your receipts. It gives you points for each receipt and gives bonus points if items on your receipt are from the participating brands. These are popular brands that you will recognize in most stores. As long as the pictures you take are clear, it usually processes the scan within a few seconds and awards the points.

In case there is an issue or the images were not clear, it may say “processing” and can take a little longer. I have found that even when they have to check it, the turn around time is usually pretty quick. Also make sure to double check that you get credit for all your items. Sometimes items do not get picked up in the scan depending on how a store lists them on the receipt.

For example say you buy Lays chips, but the way it was listed on the receipt did not get recognized by the app, you may have to put in a request for it to be reviewed so the proper points can be added. They are good about this and usually they review and give you the points within a few hours.

You are able to scan receipts from the past 14 days so if you have some older receipts, you may be able to scan them right away. They have a limit of 14 receipts per week. I had some saved up from the past 2 weeks so I scanned them in. I actually got to 3,000 points within about 1 day so I was ready to cash them out for a reward.

I decided to redeem them for a Target e-gift card. At first when I went to redeem, it said I did not have enough points even though I did. I sent them an email to see what was going on. Then I checked later in the day and it worked so maybe it needed some time to process before redeeming the points.

Redeeming the points was pretty easy. They send a confirmation text and then they send you the code for the gift card. I double checked the balance on Target just in case and sure enough it had $3 credit.

So I would say if you do a lot of grocery shopping it is worth trying out the app to scan your receipts. It can take a while to earn the points, but if you start with the 2,000 from the referral code, you can get to 3,000 points pretty fast.

I will probably stick with it since it is kind of fun and pretty easy to scan the receipts. If you would like to try it out, you can download it for free from App Store or Google Play.

Update 9-14-18:
I am still using the Fetch Rewards app for receipts and it is still going well. I have been able to redeem the points for gift cards every few weeks or so. It's a nice little reward for something that is pretty easy to do. They have improved the scanning feature of the app and overall it works very well. I recommend trying it out if you do a lot of shopping.

Update 8-22-19:
It's been about a year and I am still using the app to scan my receipts. It still works great for earning rewards. I usually cash out with Target gift cards. The only issue I have noticed is sometimes the app will crash if I scan several receipts in one session, but if that happens, I just open it up again and it is back to normal.

It looks like they are still running the promotion where you can get 2,000 points by using promo code Q8RWJ. That is equal to $2 right off the bat just for signing up and scanning your first receipt. If you do a lot of grocery shopping I highly recommend it!  

 

Update 9-14-21

I don't shop as much as before so I have not been using the Fetch app as much, but I do log in every so often to see if they have any receipt promotions. I noticed they often have promotions where you get get hundreds of points just for scanning one receipt which is definitely worth it. It's nice to be able to cash out the points for gift cards! 

Lightning Cables Review – Apple vs Five Below vs Anker

If you have an iPhone or any portable Apple device, chances are you are familiar with the Lightning USB cable used for charging and data transfer. I started out with the stock Lightning cable that came with it. It was good for a while but one day the phone dropped from about 2 feet up while the cable was plugged into the phone. It landed in a way that bent the tip of the cable and cracked the plastic casing.

Luckily the cable still worked, that was until months later when it dropped again in the same way and bent the cable even more. This time it must have damaged the cable enough because it did not work anymore. So I had to find a replacement cable.

I did have an extra cable on hand because I had previously purchased a Lightning cable to go with a car charger to use in the car. Lightning cables tend to be pretty expensive, for example the stock cable sells for about $20. You can find them cheaper made by other companies. I ended up finding one at the store Five Below for $5. This was about as cheap as I could find them.

The Lightning cable from Five Below is a couple inches shorter than the Apple cable. The one I got has a woven texture and it is thicker compared to the Apple cable which is more of a rubber like plastic and thin. They also have the traditional rubber plastic cable option. The ends of the cables are similar in construction and size. After using the Five Below cable only a few times, I noticed the casing on the ends started to separate. The cable still works and they are still in place, but I have to be careful unplugging it because the plastic can slide off. The cable was cheap so I guess you get what you pay for, but I would have expected it to be a bit more durable than that.

I still wanted a replacement for the stock Lightning cable to use as my main charging cable inside so I could keep the Five Below cable in the car. After doing some research, I decided to go with the Anker PowerLine Lightning cable. I had purchased a battery from Anker a while back and was pleased with it so I thought I would give the cable a try.

The Anker PowerLine cable was about $8 so it was a little more than the Five Below cable but less than it would cost to buy a replacement cable from Apple. It is about 6 inches shorter than the Apple cable which is not great but it is still usable. The PowerLine series is one of the better cables from Anker and you can tell by the build quality. The cable itself is thicker than the Apple cable and the end parts are more significant and have a sturdy feel. They make it easy to grasps the ends of the cable to make easy to handle and unplug.

So far I have only been using the Anker cable for a short time but it seems to be charging fine. I was worried the larger end parts of the cable would cause an issue when trying to plug it into the phone with a case, but it fit perfectly even with the case. I will update this article if there are any changes over long term use.

If you are looking for a cheap cable, the Five Below will work in a pinch, but don't expect it to be the most durable over time. The Anker seems to be have a good combination of quality and reasonable price so I would recommend checking it out in case you are in need of a replacement lightning cable. 

 

Update 2-3-21:

Just an update to this review, after a few years the 5 Below cable no longer works. For some reason when I plug it in now, the phone will not accept it and it refuses to charge. 

 

The Anker cable is still working good. In this case, it looks like it is worth spending a bit more for a better quality cable that will last longer.

 

Trying Some New Grains – Quinoa, Millet, and Amaranth Review

Recently I started looking into new grains to try out as alternatives to common grains such as wheat and rice. The first grain I tried out was Quinoa which seems to be growing in popularity and can be found pretty easily at most stores. It is pretty easy to make and has a similar taste and texture to rice but has more protein. It can be a little more expensive compared to rice, but I find it is a good option to add to the regular rotation as a staple grain.

Another grain I tried out was Millet. This grain looks like little round beads. It cooks very much like the other grains with a ratio of 1 cup grain to 2 cups water. It also has a good amount of protein like Quinoa. The end result is a fluffy grain that has a little bit of a corn tortilla taste. I was pleased with the outcome overall and liked it enough that I will probably add it to the regular rotation of grains. Not to mention, the price for Millet is pretty reasonable and I found it to be less expensive compared to some of the other grains.

The final grain I tried out was Amaranth. This one has very tiny grains almost like sand. The directions said to rinse the grain first, but I'm not sure how they expect you to rinse it considering the grains are so small. A strainer would probably not work unless it was super fine, and trying to rinse them in the pot does not work because some of them float and some of them sink and they kind of stick together. They also seems to be affected by static electricity so they can be kind of hard to work with.

Cooking the Amaranth was pretty straight forward like most of the grains. I did not like the cooking aroma very much. I'm not sure if it would be any better if I was able to rinse them ahead of time. After it wass done cooking, I found the grains to be about the same size and they held their shape well. They have an odd texture when eating them because they are so small that you can't really chew them, but they have enough substance where you feel like they should be chewable. Overall I did not notice much of a flavor from the Amaranth. Based on this first experience I would probably not rush back to buy it again.

If you are looking for some new grains to try, I would recommend Quinoa and Millet as both have a good amount of nutrition, are easy to cook, and have a pretty good taste when mixed with other ingredients and seasonings.

Are there any other grains you have tried that you would recommend? Feel free to leave a comment about them below.

Update 2-14-18:
I tried out one more grain called Bulgur. It is a wheat that has been parboiled, dried, and cracked into smaller pieces. The grains are similar in size and appearance to brown rice. I choose this grain because it has a quick cooking time at about 12 minutes. Overall the aroma while cooking was pretty good. The taste is mild as most of these grains tend to be. Texture is similar to brown rice but possibly a little more firm. This grain has a good amount of protein as well at 6g per serving. Overall I was pleased with this grain and would recommend it as an alternative option to rice.

2018 Shop Play Win Monopoly Game - Rare Pieces

Note: This page is for the 2018 Monopoly Game. For the 2019 Monopoly Game visit this page here.

Each year for the past few years we have been keeping track of the rare pieces for the Shop, Play, Win Monopoly game. For 2018, the game is back and again we will be keeping track of the rare pieces needed to win. Feel free to comment below to discuss the game and post which game pieces you have and which ones you need.

Having followed this game over the past few years a few observations can be made. One is that it is very hard to win prizes. Each prize has at least 1 rare game piece which is needed to win. The bigger prizes have a rare and a semi-rare game piece that are needed which makes them even more difficult to win.

It is easy to find the common pieces over time as long as you shop on a regular basis. If someone finds a rare piece, they are likely to win that prize. Do not expect someone to give you a rare piece or trade a rare piece for any common pieces.

If you have found a semi-rare piece, you may be able to team up with someone who has found the rare piece for the same prize.

This game has many different participating stores such as Albertsons, Jewel-Osco, Safeway, Pavilions, CARRS, VONS, Randalls, Eagle, Pak ‘n Save, Tom Thumb, ACME Markets, Shaw’s / Star Market, United Supermarkets, Market Street, Amigos, United Express, and more.

Official rules and the odds of winning can be found on the Shop Play Win site.

The Collect and Win Game runs from February 7^th to May 8^th 2018. The last day to claim prizes is May 29th 2018. Good luck!

Rare Pieces List:

108AH
110BB, 116BH*
119CC
121DA
126EB
132FD
135GC
138HB
144JD
145KA
149LA
154MB
159NC
164OD
166PB
172QD
173RA
179SC
181TA*, 182TB
189VD*, 190VE
193WC, 194WD*
199XD, 200XE*
203YB, 206YE*
207ZA, 209ZC*
213AB
218BC
220CA
227DD
228EA
235FD
237GB
242HC

Numbers with * indicate a semi-rare piece.

Comments are moderated and will show up below once they are approved. Please be patient as it can take up to 12 hours for comments to be approved.

Claims of rare pieces must be able to show proof.

Be cautious of anyone trying to sell a rare piece. There are scammers out there who say they have a rare piece when they do not.

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