Book Review: Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis: A Comprehensive Photographic Journey and Visual Biography of a Hollywood Icon

 

Metamorphosis is primarily a picture book containing pictures from throughout Marilyn Monroe's adult life, spanning from before she began modeling to shortly before her death. It contains many of her well-known and famous pictures, along with some that had not been published before the book was released. There is a mix of color and black-and-white photographs, some of which, even if you are someone who gets a calendar featuring her every year, you probably have not seen. The book has some text. The longest is at the beginning, an introduction that gives a short biography of her life, and at the end, which reprints an interview she gave toward the end of her life. Throughout the book, there are quotes from people who knew and worked with her (and a few from Marilyn herself) that give some insight into her life and who she was behind the scenes. To the extent that you can draw conclusions about her from those, she was a very shy and self-conscious person, and was very much a perfectionist, which often made her difficult to work with because if she did not think she was not doing something right, she would stop, regardless of what the director said. You also get the impression that Marilyn was a character that she slipped into. Many people said that she absolutely lit up in front of the camera (especially when she was getting her picture taken), and that when she was not performing, she was almost unrecognizable.

The hardcover version of the book is just under 300 pages, but since it is mostly pictures, you can easily read the text in a short amount of time. If you wanted to have it published as a coffee-table book, be aware that it includes one of the topless photos from the photoshoot she did before she became ultra-famous. Ultimately, this is one of the best books out there for anyone who is a fan of Marilyn Monroe and is absolutely worth the pickup.  

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 16

Day 16 was Lower Body Circuit 1 for week 3. I can definitely tell I am getting stronger and the workouts are not as much of a bear as they were in week 1. I was able to increase the weight I used for almost every exercise in the workout, and my range of motion is getting better. I will be glad to be done with the 20 rep sets, however, as those can get to be a bit much, depending on what exercise I am doing.

Book Review: Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter

 

Take Me To Your Leader is a book by Neil DeGrasse Tyson published in 2026. It is a book about the possibility of alien life and provides humorous takes on what an actual alien encounter (which Tyson makes clear he does not believe has ever happened) might entail. Like most of Tyson's books, this one mixes humor and science to make the concepts clear and easy to understand. 

The hardcover version of the book has just under 200 pages of substantive content. Then, there are a few pages of notes and an index. The book is well-written, funny, and easy to follow. If you listen to Tyson's podcast or watch or read some of his interviews, you'll find some of the content very familiar. You absolutely do not need a science or engineering background to understand the science content (which is probably lighter in this book than in Tyson's other books). Ultimately, if you are a fan of Tyson or just science (especially Astronomy) in general, this is absolutely worth reading.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Everly

 

Everly is a 2014 genre-mixing film that combines action, drama, horror, and suspense.  It was directed by Joe Lynch and adapted from a story that Lynch wrote with the screenwriter, Yale Hannon. It stars Salma Hayek, Akie Kotabe, Laura Cepeda, Jennifer Blanc, Hiroyuki Wanatabe, Togo Igawa, Gabriella Wright, Masashi Fujimoto, and Aisha Ayamah. In it, Hayek's character, Everly, who has been forced into working as a prostitute for a Yakuza overlord named Taiko (played by Wanatabe), is attacked in the high-end apartment where she is kept prisoner in a building owned by Taiko, when Taiko discovers that she has been working with the police to take him down. Everly manages to kill her attackers with a gun she had hidden, and resolves to try to get to her mother and daughter to get them the money she has stolen from Taiko so they can disappear. She discovers she is trapped in the building as more people come to try to collect a bounty on her head.

The blu-ray is a single-disc release. The movie looks and sounds good in HD, but since it was a low-budget film, it did not get an extremely high-quality transfer. The bonus content includes two commentary tracks. The first is a feature commentary by Lynch, producer Brett Hedblom, and editor Evan Schiff. The second is a technical commentary featuring Lynch and the cinematographer, Steve Gainer. Also included is a music video for the version of Silent Night by Raya Yarborough and Bear McCreary featured in the film. 

The first thing to note is that the film is extremely violent (in a very over-the-top way), with a lot of blood and guts. So if that is not your thing, you should absolutely skip it. There is also a lot of swearing and very brief nudity.  There are easy comparisons to films like Kill Bill and Die Hard, but it is not nearly as good as either of those movies. Hayek does a good job in the role. She is the only person in the movie with any real name recognition, and she absolutely carries it. If you listen to the commentary, you will discover that Kate Hudson originally signed on to play Everly but eventually had to drop out and was replaced by Hayek. It would have been interesting to see what she would have done with the role, as her performance would probably have been quite different from Hayek's. 

Ultimately, it is not a film that will appeal to everyone. The movie is a bit unique in that it is an action film set almost exclusively in a single location, Everly's apartment. Nothing in the film is remotely realistic, so you definitely have to suspend your disbelief and just go with it. If you can do that, it is worth watching, but it is not a must-see.

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 15

Day 15 was the beginning of week 3, which meant doing the first upper-body circuit workout again. It went well,l and I was able to increase the amount of weight I used for most of the exercises. I kept the weight the same for a couple of the exercises as I used last week. I was also able to get deeper into tricep dips, but I still had to bend my knees, especially in the first set, because 20 reps after you have already done 48 reps of overhead extensions is a lot. 

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Days 13 & 14

Days 13 and 14 were rest days (with optional steady-state cardio). I did not work out either day, but I did walk a couple of miles around my neighborhood each day to get in some non-impact exercise.  

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Eurotrip

 

Eurotrip is a 2004 teen comedy written by Jeff Schaffer (who also directed), Alec Berg, and David Mandel, starring Scott Mechlowicz, Jacob Pitts, Michelle Trachtenberg, Jessica Boehrs, and Travis Webster. The supporting cast includes Vinnie Jones and Nial Iskhakov. The film also features cameo appearances by Lucy Lawless, Fred Armisen, Kristen Kreuk, Jeffrey Tambor, Diedrich Bader, and Matt Damon. All of the actors making cameos were great, but Lawless and Damon's cameos were particularly notable. 

The basic story is that a guy named Scott (played by Mechlowicz) gets dumped at his high school graduation by his girlfriend (played by Kreuk), and finds out she has been cheating on him constantly. He confides in his German pen pal, Mike (Mieke; played by Boehrs), whom he believes to be a guy. When Mieke suggests that she come visit him, Scott writes an angry email and gets blocked, only to hilariously find out Mieke is a hot girl. He is then convinced by his friend, Cooper (played by Pitts), to go to Berlin to find Mieke. In Europe, they meet up with their friends, twins Jenny and Jamie (played by Trachtenberg and Webster). While there, typical teen comedy hijinks ensue.

The blu-ray is a single-disc release containing the unrated version of the film. It does not include the theatrical version. The A/V quality is good, but it did not get what I would describe as a reference-quality HD transfer. But for an early-2000s comedy, it looks and sounds perfectly fine. There are several extras, including deleted scenes, a hilarious bit about who would get the directing credit since Schaffer, Berg, and Mendel could not share directing credit, a featurette on the nude beach scene, and outtakes. There are two different commentary tracks on the film, each featuring Schaffer, Berg, and Mendel. In the first, they provide a pretty typical director commentary talking about the casting process, the shooting locations, etc. In the second, they basically drink through the entire film, drinking whenever anyone swears, there is nudity, or there is underage drinking shown (and take shots when someone screams). 

The movie is a pretty typical early-2000s raunchy teen comedy. There is a lot of nudity and sex, several drug references, and swearing. There are definitely parts that some people will find offensive, so it is definitely not family-friendly or for those who are easily offended. Ultimately, I would say this is a middle-of-the-road early 2000s comedy. It was not the best of the comedies released at the time, but it was not the worst. It is a movie better known for its cameo appearances than its main storyline, but the main story was still enjoyable. If you are a fan of raunchy comedy, this is worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 8

 

The 24-episode 8th season of Frasier aired during the 2000/2001 TV season. All the main cast members returned. The only notable omission from the cast was Dan Butler, who had been moved from a series regular to a recurring character and did not appear at all this season. The guest and recurring stars this season included Saul Rubinek, Jean Smart, Anthony LaPaglia, Alan Tudyk, Teri Polo, Victor Garber, Gary Cole, Kim Coles, Rene Auberjonois, Fisher Stevens, John Glenn, John Michael Higgins, and Jennifer Coolidge. Bebe Neuwirth also reprised her role as Lilith. The show did have some celebrity voice cameos this season, including Stephen King, Wolfgang Puck, Melissa Etheridge, and Bernadette Peters.

The season picks up right where season 7 left off, with Niles and Daphne driving away from her wedding. We discover they only reach the end of the driveway before deciding to go back and face everyone. The first handful of episodes involve the repercussions of ending their respective relationships and provide a way for the writers to present hurdles to them being together. Jane Leeves also took time off due to her real-life pregnancy (which was not written into the show, although her weight gain was), and missed four episodes about 2/3 of the way through the season. As with prior seasons, the show remains primarily a story-of-the-week procedural, with longer arcs and callbacks to earlier episodes mixed in. The big arc this season is Niles and Daphne's relationship. Both David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves are hilarious at points this season, and continue to be the highlights of the show. 

As of this writing, the individual seasons are not available on Blu-Ray, only as part of a complete series set. In that set, season 8 is on three discs that are in their own keep case. There are no bonus features included in the season 8 discs, but the episodes can be played with English captions. The individual seasons are available on DVD as a four-disc set. The A/V quality of the blu-rays remained good, though at times the picture quality is not as good, likely due to the condition of the source material (presumably film).

While the show was getting a bit long in the tooth by season 8, it remained good and had very funny moments. The writers did a good job keeping the storylines interesting, especially the main relationship between Niles and Daphne. There were probably not as many laugh-out-loud moments as in the earlier seasons, but it remained well-written and acted. Ultimately, if you have been a fan of the series up to this point, this one is worth watching.

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 12

Day 12 was the final workout of the week, and was lower body circuit 2. It has the same format as yesterday's workout; two blocks with three sets. Each set has 12 reps (aside from the final set of the very last exercise, which has 24 reps). It is still a challenging workout, but easier to get through the second time you do it. 

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 11

Day 11 was upper body workout 2. It was the second time doing the workout, and as with the other workouts this week, it was easier to get through it the second time when you know what is coming. Also, having only 12 reps in each set and only two blocks makes it seems like it goes faster, even though the length of the workout is pretty similar to the other workouts. I was able to increase the amount of weight I used for some exercises, but held a few of them at the same weight I used last week. 

Book Review: World Book Encyclopedia of Science: Plants

This is another volume of the World Book Encyclopedia of Science set, first published in 2014 and updated in 2019. This volume is devoted to plants. It covers many common plant types, including where they grow, how they spread, and their various traits. It also provides information on broader scientific processes, such as photosynthesis and evolution (and how plants were used to study evolution), and bios of some of the scientists (such as Darwin) who used plants in their research. 

The plant volume is a bit longer than the volume on space (which as of this writing is the only other volume I have read). This one is just under 300 pages, excluding the index. Like that volume, this one lists the content in alphabetical order and includes instructions for experiments that can be performed at home to study some of the concepts listed in the book. While the set is geared more for school-aged kids (middle school on up), it has enough detail that adults can learn from and enjoy the content without getting bored or lost. If you are interested in plant life, biology, or just science in general, it is absolutely worth reading if you can track down the set or the individual volume. 

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 10

Day 10 was the total body circuit workout. Like the first two workouts, this one is a bit easier to follow after doing it the first time. However, I did find myself struggling to keep up with Shaun and the two cast members in the second block/circuit during the bench sit-down squats and transitioning to the ab exercise. In the second and third sets, I was finishing the sit-down squats as they were starting the ab exercise. I was able to raise the amount of weight I used for all the exercises from last week, however. 

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 9

Day 9 was lower body circuit 1 again. As with yesterday's workout, I found this much easier to follow (not necessarily easier to do) the second time around. I was able to increase the amount of weight I used for all of the exercises, and my range of motion in the squats and lunges continues to improve. The workout is still tough and very fast-paced, but it is easier when you know what to expect. 

CD/Music Review: Anastacia: Evolution

 

Evolution, released in 2017, is Anastacia's seventh studio album. Like most of her prior albums, this one blends elements of pop, dance, rock, R&B, and soul, mixing slower ballads with faster, more upbeat tracks. There are 13 tracks in all. The only single released for the album was "Caught in the Middle". The album charted modestly overseas in Europe, but did not really get much traction in the US. If you want the physical CD, you will likely have to pay for an import, but it is available digitally. The CD liner contains the lyrics for each track, production notes, a handful of pictures of Anastacia, and a couple of pages of thank-you notes. 

Those who have followed her career know it has been interesting. Although Anastacia hit the music scene around the time people like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were dominating the US Top 40, she never achieved the same level of popularity in the States as they did. I think her sound was similar enough to younger pop stars that people who had outgrown pop were probably not interested in it, but different enough that the teenagers and college kids who were listening to pop at the time never got behind her. Even though she is much more popular in Europe, she does have a solid fanbase in the US. Even though the album was not a massive hit, it is still good and absolutely worth listening to. Ultimately, if you liked her prior albums, you will probably enjoy this one. 

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 8

Day 8 was the start of week 2, which was the first upper-body circuit again.  It is much easier to follow after you have done it once. That is not to say the workout itself gets easier, but once you know what to expect, you can flow from one exercise to the next more smoothly. I was able to slightly increase the weight I used for some of the exercises. However, since you are still doing 20, 16, and 12 reps in the three sets in each circuit, you will probably not be able to significantly increase the weight unless you went way too light on the weights in week one. 

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Days 6 & 7

Days 6 and 7 in Dig Deeper are rest days; alternatively, there is a steady-state cardio workout. I just took both days off; however, I walked about 2 miles each morning and did quite a bit of yard work each day, so I was still quite active. It was definitely nice to get a break, given how many reps of weighted exercises you do during the week in each workout. 

Product Review: Zulay Rechargeable Frother

 

This is a rechargeable frother with three interchangeable heads: a single frother, a double frother, and a traditional whisk, which can be used for tasks like beating eggs. The frothing heads are perfect for mixing coffee and hot chocolate, especially if you are adding creamer or protein powder. It also comes with a USB-C charging cable. It has three different speeds. The only negative is that there is only one button, so you have to cycle through all three speeds after it is turned on in order to turn it off. It would be better if it had a separate power button so you can just turn it off and remove it from what you are mixing without having to speed it up, even for a second. That said, it still works well and is absolutely worth the price.

Product Review: ENJOYBASICS 3 Tier Expandable Shoe Rack

 

This is a shoe rack that can expand from just under 18 inches wide to just under 33 inches wide. It is an all-metal rack that is extremely easy to put together. There are six expandable rails that are secured to the end pieces with screws that have a knob end. It does not require any tools to put together. One person can put it together in under ten minutes. They say it can hold up to 12 pairs of shoes. I think it depends on how wide the shoes are, but realistically, it can probably hold six pairs if it is collapsed, and nine to twelve when fully extended. A couple of caveats. It is probably not something that would hold high heels well. It is best for flats or small-heeled shoes. Also, if you have something with a higher top, those will only be able to go on the top rack, and very large boots will not fit on it. It also probably would not hold really small children's shoes because they would probably fall through the rails. However, for a single person, or even a two-adult household, it is perfect and will easily fit in a mudroom, front entry, or front closet. It is absolutely worth the price if you are looking for an inexpensive way to keep a handful of shoes organized. 

Magazine Review: FHM July/Aug 2000 (Issue #3)

 

FHM is a magazine that debuted in 2000 (the July/Aug edition was actually the third edition of the magazine to be printed). It was much in the vein of Maxim, in that it was tailored to late-teen to mid-twentysomething males, both in terms of the articles' content and the pictorials and interviews with models and actresses. The featured interview and pictorial in this issue is with Alicia Silverstone, who is also on the cover. The interview covered her acting career up to that point (including the notorious Batman and Robin film), her animal rights stance, and lame attempts by guys to pick her up. Ali Landry was also interviewed about her rise to fame after being featured in a Doritos Super Bowl commercial. This issue also included interviews with Cheech Marin, David Blaine, Jack Black, and Stan Lee. 

The articles are mostly tailored to topics such as sex, great vacation destinations, men's fashion, and things that were big in pop culture at the time. The most serious article involves the rise of piracy in different waterways.  The advertisements were pretty interesting as well. There are a lot of ads for DVDs (which were gaining in popularity at the time) and the requisite cigarette ads that were still prevalent in magazines. Ultimately, FHM was a good fluff magazine with lots of pictures of hot women and articles geared toward young men. And unlike the few remaining print magazines still around today that are razor-thin and barely have 50 pages, this actually had quite a bit of content and was nearly 200 pages long. It is worth reading if you can track down a copy, as long as you do not expect award-winning journalism. 

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 5

 Day 5 is the end of the first week of Dig Deeper (unless you do the optional steady-state cardio routine on one of the two off days). It is the second lower-body circuit of the week. It follows a very similar format to yesterday's workout, with two blocks/circuits with weighted exercises and a core exercise. Each block has three rounds/set, and you perform 12 reps of each exercise in every set. Also, like yesterday's workout, it goes quickly and has a bit of a cardio effect, even though you are not doing any traditional cardio. 

CD/Music Review: Anastacia: Resurrection

 

Resurrection is the 2014 studio album by Anastacia. It was her sixth studio album, and, when it was released, her first album with original material in over five years. Like most of her albums, this one did not gain much traction in the US but was a hit in several European countries. Also, like her prior albums, the songs are a mix of pop, rock, soul, and R&B. It contains more slow, ballad-like tracks than the upbeat dance tracks featured on her earlier albums. Although there are a couple that fall in the latter category.

It contains 10 tracks in all, some of which were written and recorded during her second cancer diagnosis, so some of them are absolutely inspired by her personal experiences. The CD liner includes lyrics and production notes for each track, a few pictures of Anastacia, and the usual thank-you notes on the final page. Overall, the album is very similar in style and tone to her prior albums. I would not say that there is one or two standout tracks on the album, but there are no bad songs. Ultimately, if you have liked or loved her previous albums, you will likely enjoy this one. 

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 4

Day 4 is the second upper-body circuit workout of Phase 1. This one has two blocks/circuits, each with 4-5 resistance exercises (mostly using dumbbells, with a couple of bodyweight-only exercises) and an ab/core-focused exercise. As with the other workouts in this phase, each circuit is performed three times, but in this workout, each set has 12 reps. The total workout time, including the warm-up and cooldown, is just under 50 minutes. The "main" portion of the workout goes by quickly, however, since you are almost constantly moving, and the rest periods are short. I was not sweating as much as I was in yesterday's total body circuit workout, but my heart rate did get over 130 a few times. 

Workout Update: Dig Deeper: Day 3

Day 3 of Dig Deeper is a total-body circuit workout. It follows a similar format as the first two workouts. In this one, you do four circuits of three exercises: an upper-body exercise, a lower-body exercise, and a core-focused exercise. You also do three sets for each circuit/block. The main difference between this one and the first two workouts is that you do 16 reps in each set, as opposed to the 20, 16, 12 format.  

It is a good workout, but tough. It goes by fast. In some of the exercises I fell behind the cast and was ending the prior exercise while they were starting the next one. There is very little rest between sets or blocks, so your heart rate will get up there, and you will be sweating by the end, even if you do not sweat much while weight lifting. 

Book Review: David Copperfield

 

David Copperfield is a novel by Charles Dickens that was first published in the mid 1800s. It is a fictional coming-of-age story of a boy named David Copperfield who survives a traumatic childhood dealing with a cruel stepfather, being sent to a horrible boarding school, forced to work in a factory, etc. He eventually begins to study law, becomes a successful author, and marries his lifelong friend. Although it is a fictional story, it is based on elements of Dickens' own life. 

The Easton Press version of the book, which is included in Easton Press' 100 Greatest Books Ever Written collection, is just over 820 pages and leather-bound. It is, honestly, a very hard book to read. The pace is slow, there is no tight central plot, and the main character is just recounting what he observes. Unlike some of Dickens' other novels, such as A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations, this one was hard for me to get into, and I often found my mind wandering while reading it.  I never connected with any of the characters, and just found it a slog to get through. While it is interesting because it is based on aspects of Dickens' life, and I wanted to like it more than I did, I would not say it is a must-read. 

Product Review: Pestie

 

Pestie is a bug control subscription service. It claims to be customized to the types of bugs in the area you live. It ships throughout the year, basically quarterly, just before winter, early spring, mid-summer, and early fall. You have the option to pay as you go, when each shipment is sent out, or pay once a year, which has a higher upfront cost but is ultimately less expensive. There are also options for a single application or, if you have a larger area to spray (such as a large deck or patio), a double (XL) application. The first shipment includes a spray applicator and charging cable (which you keep and reuse), a bottle of concentrate, a pair of latex gloves, and a bag for mixing the concentrate (to which the applicator attaches). In every other shipment, you get a new bottle of concentrate, gloves, and bag. The price for a single application, if you pay per shipment, is about $43; on the XL plan, it's about $90 per shipment (as of this writing). On the yearly XL plan (which is what I subscribe to), you pay a little over $200. Either way, it is much less expensive than paying for a pest control company to come out and spray. 

Basically, you fill the bag with water up to the fill line, pour the bottle of concentrate in the bag (and rinse the bottle with water to get everything out), then attach the applicator to the bag, and start spraying. Primarily, you go around the perimeter of your house and spray from the ground about 2 feet up. I also spray around the windows on the ground floor and doors, around my garage doors, and my back deck and patio. I also spray in the unfinished storage room in the basement, around my sliding door, and inside the garage. 

I originally purchased a subscription when I lived in my old townhouse, because my association would not spray around individual units. The main issue at the townhouse was paper wasps, and Pestie really helped reduce their numbers. I moved into a new house last year and had a lot of spiders and boxelder bugs both inside and outside. It took a couple of applications, but I now notice a drastic decrease in the amount of boxelders and spiders inside the house. When I first moved in, there were tons of spiders on the back patio off the basement, and now there are almost none. So, it is definitely working.

The company has wonderful customer service. I had an applicator that was not working correctly, and they immediately shipped a new one. Also, when I discovered that one application would not provide enough coverage for my new house, they sent a second kit out free of charge and switched my subscription to an XL plan. Ultimately, if you are looking for a more affordable pest control option, this is a very good one.