Book Review : Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Prisoner of Azkaban is the third book in the original group of Harry Potter novels, thus it is set in the student's third year at Hogwarts. The book introduces several new characters, including the new defense against the dark arts professor, Professor Lupin, the titular prisoner of Azkaban (which is the wizard prison), Sirius Black, who is out to find Harry, and the Dementors, the guards at Azkaban who are trying to track down Black but also have a huge effect on Harry any time they come near him. 

This book is significantly longer than the first two, and as such, it has more content cut out for the movie adaptation than the first two books did. For example, the book has two additional Qiddich matches that were not shown in the movie, and there was more to the Buckbeak storyline than was shown in the movie. Also, some events played out differently in the book than they did in the movie, such as when Hermione decks Draco, Harry facing the Boggart for the first time, the circumstances of Harry getting his new broom, and the climax of the book when all is revealed has a lot more detail than was shown in the movie. And, some characters that were introduced in this book did not show up on film until the Goblet of Fire movie.

Overall, the book is very well written, and done in a similar (yet a bit darker) tone than the first two. As most know, Rowling anticipated that kids reading the books would age as they were released so she made them darker and more "adult-like" as each book was released. So, there is a lot more talk of death in this one and we learn more details of the night that Harry's parents died than in the first two books. While it is technically a book for kids, in the 10-13-year-old range, adults can easily enjoy it. Even people like me who were older than the target reader group when the books were originally published. I had seen almost all the movies before I ever read the books for the first time and I think I enjoy the books more having already seen the movies. Even though the book is longer than the first two (435 pages), it is still a fairly quick read, depending, of course, how fast you read and how much time you have to read. If you are a fan of the movies or the first two books, it is definitely a must-read.

TV Show Review: The Man In the High Castle Season 2

Season two of The Man in the High Castle in some ways fleshes out the season-one storylines (mainly, and probably most significantly, the jumping between dimensions/universes), and also begins some new storylines. The large one being the threat of imminent nuclear war between Japan and Germany which threatens almost everyone living in America. The show also introduces new cast members, including Bella Heathcoate, who plays Nicole Becker, Tate Donovan, who plays Dixon, a resistance member shown in one of the first-season films, and Callum Keith Rennie, (best known for his roles on Battlestar and the very underrated buddy-cop show Due South). He plays Gary Connell, a member of the resistance in San Fransico not about sacrificing anyone to get at the Pons. 

Overall, the show continues to be well-written and acted. While a bit more of the story is fleshed out, not too much is given away yet, and the 10-episode season continues to be a good length for the season. It gets in and out of the story without things getting stale, and leaves the viewer wanting more. As is the case with the first season, for those of us who still prefer physical DVDs or Blu-Ray discs to streaming, this is one of the series that Amazon only streams and has not released (and probably will not release) on physical media. So, if you want to watch it, you either have to be a prime member or pay Amazon to stream it.

It is definitely not a series for everyone. There is still a lot of violence, swearing, and some sexual content. There is not a ton of sex and nudity (nothing akin to Game of Thrones for example), but there is a bit. So if those things turn you off to a series it is best to avoid it. But, if you like dramas with a but if sci-fi and mystery mixed in, this one is definitely worth checking out. 

TV Show Review: The Man In the High Castle Season 1

The Man in the High Castle is an Amazon Original streaming show set in the early 1960s. It shows an alternate reality in which the Axis powers won World War II and essentially took over the world. In this reality, Hitler is still alive, ruling from Berlin, and the United States is divided between German rule (occupying everything East of the Rocky Mountains) and Japanese rule (everything West of the Rocky Mountains). The Germans have imposed their system of Aryan dominance on their portion of the U.S., and the Japanese have instituted their caste system. The Germans and the Japanese have what can only be described as an uneasy and untrustworthy alliance, and the Americans are basically indentured servants of the Japanese or (the ones who have not joined the Reich) living under the heel of the Nazis. Of course, there is are resistance groups that are trying to take down both Empires. There is also a sci-fi element (which you would expect from Ridley Scott), which highly suggests the existence of alternate dimensions or realities, where history plays out differently, including as we know it, in which the Allies won the war. This is mostly shown by videos put out by the titular Man in the High Castle, showing different versions of history than the one the characters live in.

The series stars Alexa Davalos (probably best known for her role on the series Angel) as Juliana Crain who has ties to the Pacific coast resistance, Rupert Evans as her boyfriend Frank Frink, Rufus Sewell as John Smith, a leader of the Nazi Reich in New York, Luke Kleintank, DJ, Qualls who plays Frank's best friend and co-worker, Ed McCarthy, Joel De La Fuente as the head of the Japanese police force, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as the Japanese trade minister, and Brennan Brown as an antique dealer.

The series is very well-written and acted. The 10-episode season is paced very well and does a good job establishing the characters and telling some, but not all, of their various backstories. It is a show in which the characters are almost all morally gray, with no absolute good guys or bad guys (at least in the main cast). The writers do a good job making even characters like John Smith, who is clearly on the side of evil have a human side. There is a lot of violence, swearing, and some sexual situations and nudity (although not a ton). So, it is definitely not something that you would want young kids watching.

Unfortunately, for those of us who still prefer physical DVDs or Blu-Ray discs to streaming, this is one of the series that Amazon only streams and has not (and likely will not) release on physical media. So, if you want to watch it, you either have to be a prime member or pay Amazon to stream it. So, if you are a prime member or are willing to pay to watch it, and are looking for a good drama/thriller it is a great series, and definitely worth checking out. 

Book Review: Star Wars Dark Legends

 

This is a collection of short stories that is what you would get if you combined Star Wars with kid's ghost stories told around a campfire. All of the stories are about 20-30 pages long, give or take, and basically deal with the Sith in some way, shape, or form.  One of the stories involves force-sensitive kids being kidnapped from an orphanage by an Inquisitor-like character, a story about what it is like to be a grunt on Vader's Star Destroyer, and a moon near a star with a damaged Kyber Crystal (like those that power sith lightsabers) at it core, whose solar flares send out dark side energy that makes anyone on the moon go crazy. 

Overall, it is a quick read, and while it is a kid's book, it is written well enough that an adult can enjoy it.  It is definitely not what I would classify as a must-read, however. It is totally ancillary to the main, canon, adult novels that are more heavily tied to the main storyline or characters in the main storyline. It is the kind of book that most people would get because they collect most of the Star Wars novels and it is a book that most people are likely to read once as opposed to going back to it multiple times.

DVD Review: Chicago Fire Season 4

Season 4 of Chicago Fire picks up immediately after the conclusion to Season 3 when Dawson finds the stripper dead in Casey's apartment. The season three loose ends get tied up fairly quickly into the season, and then the show goes on to new storylines. As has been the case with prior seasons, this one follows the format of larger story arcs that play out in between the various fire/accident calls the crew gets sent to. Some of the larger arcs this season involve Casey running for Alderman of the 21st  district, Chilli spiraling because of personal issues (much like other characters have), a medical issue for Otis, Joe trying to help another gang member get out, and of course, many love interests for Severide. 

The show also features many appearances from characters on Chicago PD and Chicago Med (which officially premiered during Fire's 4th season). And, there was the official "One Chicago" crossover event where each of the shows tied together in some way. Unlike some seasons in which there is a single storyline that crosses between each show, the event that gets the members of Firehouse 51 to Chicago Med was set up in the episode leading into the crossover, then a medical case that looked to be ancillary to that storyline ended up being the main part of the Med and PD hours of the crossover. 

For those who get the DVD set, the 23 episodes are spread over six discs. The bonus material includes behind-the-scenes material for most of the episodes, as well as the Med and PD installments of the crossover. A decent amount of material for those who like watching the bonus features.

Overall, the show continues to be well-written and acted, and blends a lot of action with elements of drama, comedy, and romance (it is a bit soap-opera-like at times). There is a bit more cast turnover this season, but not as much as the prior couple of seasons. I would say if you liked the prior seasons of the show you will probably like this one. On the other hand, if procedural shows with a large ensemble cast are not your thing, or if you have just not liked the prior seasons, there is nothing about this one that is likely to change your mind. 

Book Review: The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson

The Run Of His Life gives a detailed view of the O.J. Simpson murder trial from a quasi-insider's view. Toobin was a reporter, not a member of the prosecution or defense, nor did he personally know any of the people involved. But what he had was a ton of access to both sides. On the defense side, largely because of the article he wrote in the New Yorker detailing what at that point was merely a troubling past and a lot of red flags about detective Mark Fuhrman surrounding a possible racist past, and in the prosecution, because he was around the courthouse constantly and knew whom to talk to. As a result, he was able to provide a lot of narrative in the book about what was going on in both camps, and because he is a Harvard-trained lawyer, was able to provide a lot of insight into the (mainly poor) job that both sides did. So you find out things like what O.J. was really like behind the scenes (according to Toobin he was not involved in his defense strategy at all), Toobin also claims that Simpson's lawyers all knew he was guilty and did not care, not necessarily because they through every defendant deserved a zealous defense, but because they wanted to stick it to the cops, make money, or both, and that many of the defense attorneys could not stand working with each other. He presents the prosecution as being almost an equal mix of incompetence and arrogance, which, along with a jury that was mostly pre-disposed to acquit Simpson no matter what, made the outcome almost a foregone conclusion. He also presented a lot of inside knowledge on what was going on with the jury while they were sequestered as well as detailing a lot of behind-the-scenes details of what he saw as Judge Ito's utter incompetence and worrying as much about his reputation in the media as making correct legal rulings.

Overall, the book is very well written and sourced. While Toobin makes it clear that the evidence is overwhelming that Simpson committed the crimes, he is not biassed toward either side remaining neutral in his criticism and praise. He praised the few things that anyone on either side did well and excoriated the things they messed up. Unlike many who wrote books after the conclusion of the trial, he did not have a vested interest in presenting a 'side" or defending any action or decision. It has a lot of good information that even people who watched the trial from beginning to end and read some of the other books may not be aware of (or have forgotten over the course of time). It is definitely worth the read for those of us who lived through the trial, or people who are just fans of true crime books.

DVD Review: Chicago PD Season Two

The second season of Chicago PD follows a very similar format and tone as the first season. It alternates between cases from the intelligence unit (which is the focus of the show) and the main beat cops Burgess and Roman (played by Brian Geraghty) Burgess' new partner since Atwater was promoted to the intelligence unit. It is mostly, but not exclusively, a case-of-the-week type procedural which also crosses over with the "parent" show Chicago Fire, and a couple of times through the season with episodes from Season 16 of Law and Order SVU, which is also a part of the Dick Wolff production machine. In fact, in the crossover later in the season, a case that continued one of the SVU storylines from a decade earlier was brought to a conclusion. The events of that crossover would have ramifications that lead into season three, as one of the characters is at a major crossroads as the season ends on a cliffhanger. 

The acting and writing on the show are very good. The writers do a great job redeeming the character of Hank Voight, while still leaving him with a very hard edge. Of course, the show has a very large ensemble cast, and while not every cast member gets an in-depth storyline or even character-centric episode, the writers do a good job balancing the cast and making all the characters interesting. While season one really focused on the character of Antonio, this season, the focus is on Erin. We learn a bit more about Lindsey's background and meet her mother, played by Markie Post, who as some will remember was one of the leads on the great 80s sitcoms, Night Court. This season also introduced the character of Will Halstead played by Nick Gehllfuss (who has a small recurring role on Shameless before this) who would go on to play the same character (although written differently) on Chicago Med which would premiere the next season as another Chicago-based spin-off. Interestingly, Brian Tee who would also be hired for Chicago Med played a completely different character in one episode this season, which made it a bit surprising that he managed to get cast as Ethan Choi since the shows are pretty good about continuity. 

For those who get the DVD set, the extras include behind the scenes featurettes for some, but not all of the episodes (similar to what are included in the Chicago Fire DVD sets for seasons 1-3 of that show) and then the episodes from Chicago Fire and Law and Order SVU that were a part of the crossovers so you can see the entire story even if you do not watch the other shows. Overall, I would say if you like the first season and are a fan of Chicago Fire, you will probably like this season of PD. On the other hand, if you did not like the first season of PD, and/or the weekly procedural drama format does not appeal to you, then it is not likely that this is going to change your mind.

Product Review: PB-JIFE! The Ultimate PB knife

 

The PB-Jife is essentially a long, non-serrated knife made especially for large peanut butter or jelly jars. It has an end that allows it to scrape the various nooks and crannies of the large jars and is long enough that your hand never has to go into the jar as you scrape the bottom. I tried using this on a nearly empty jar of natural peanut butter which I had gotten everything out with a regular butter knife that I could. Using this, I got another tablespoon and a half of peanut butter out, enough to cover a rice cake or spread on a piece of bread. So, it definitely works. a lot better than a regular butter knife. While, contrary to their rather cheesy but memorable tagline, it may not change your life, if you eat a lot of peanut butter, especially if you get the large jars, this will definitely be useful.

Product Review: AUOON Silicon Clip On Strainer

This is a strainer that you can use on a pot to strain pasta, boiled vegetables, potatoes, or the like. It is made of silicon (mostly) so it is heat resistant. The only non-silicon parts are metal that attaches the clips to the body of the strainer. You can put the strainer on the pot before it heats up or after the food is done (although you have to be much more careful so as to not touch the side of the hot pan). It provides enough room on all but the smallest of pots to add food to the pot after the strainer is on. For something that you put in the water before it comes to a boil (like eggs, potatoes, or the like), you can certainly put the food in the pot first, then clip the strainer on, and then start the burner under the pot. 

I have used this to strain rotini in a medium-sized saucepan and in that situation it worked perfectly. It allowed the water to strain without any of the rotini falling out. The holes of the strainer are big enough that water can get through them quickly, but not so big that food can get through. The only thing that I think could possibly get through the holes is angel-hair pasta, but even that would have to hit one of the holes at just the correct angle. Also, you could run into a problem if you are boiling a bunch of potatoes in a large stockpot. In that situation, I could see potatoes potentially falling through the open side of the pan. But, for boiling and draining a serving or two of pasta, it works great. 

Product Review: The Advanced Calculus 2 Tutor, 14 hour video course

I found the Math Tutor DVD sets when I was in the process of returning to school about a decade ago to get an electrical engineering degree. I had to start over in math, a subject that I was horrible at when I was in college the first time around and was looking for study aids to help me get through the classes. Calculus II is very hard and very involved, especially if you get a very difficult teacher. Jason does a great job at breaking down the problems and walking you through, step-by-step, how to solve them. There is some overlap between what is on this DVD and what is in Jasons Calc I and II tutor. That is mostly the very basic material, however. Also, some of the integration techniques you will need to know if you take a Calculus II class in college is on that DVD set. Different schools will present the "first-year" calculus curriculum in a different order. In my calc I class we got to anti-differentiation/integration at the very end, then in Calc II picked up with applications of integration like area and volume (which is on this set) and then went into techniques of integration (like u-substitution, partial fractions, trig substitution, trig integration, etc), some of which is on this set and some on the previous DVD. So you really want to get both of those to catch everything.

This DVD set is a complement to, not a substitute for going to class and doing homework. For two reasons. First, as Jason states upfront, he does not cover everything you will be exposed to in class. He hits the areas that he feels are the most important. Second, Jason is not picking test and homework problems, and the only way to get an idea of what your instructor is going to focus heavily on is to go. For example, when Jason teaches improper integrals, he takes what I would describe as a less formal approach which will give you the correct answer, but omits some steps that the book (and possibly your teacher) will show. The technical way to do the problems however is the convert the problem to a limit introducing another variable like t and plugging that in as one of the limits of integration. If your teacher is a stickler for the "formal" approach you may get points taken off for omitting that step. An example of something you will spend some time on in class that Jason does not cover here is approximate integration which involves different rules for getting a decimal approximation. In my class, we also spent a chapter on differential equations, getting an introduction to them and how to approach solving some of the more basic types of differential equations.

If you learn all the material on this DVD set well, you will have about 75-85% of what you will need for the final exam. These are great to look over before you start class to get an idea of what you will be doing in class and during the semester if you don't fully understand a concept from the lecture or how the book explains it. They are also great to use as a final review (if you have time) when studying for a final exam. Jason selects problems as examples that range in difficulty level but are usually not as difficult as the hardest problems in the book (usually the even-numbered problems from the end of the problem sets). The examples you get here are most likely the types of problems you will see on a quiz or exam because they generally do not take a lot of time to solve, whereas some of the homework problems you may come across could be the one and only exam problem (if your teacher really wanted to be mean) because it would take the entire time to solve it. Therefore, if your learning style is conducive to learning from taking notes off a DVD presentation, this will be a great investment.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

This is the second book in the original Harry Potter series. It is set in the kids' second year at Hogwarts. This novel introduces a couple of new characters including the fan-favorite Dobby the house-elf, and the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Guildory Lockhart. It also expands Ginny Weasley's role as she is now a first-year at Hogwarts. And, of course, the novel moves the Harry vs. Voldemort storyline along, giving more of Voldemort's back story, including some of his early life. The crux of the story is that there is something connected to a Chamber of Secrets, which has been opened after 50 years, attacking students at Hogwarts.  The attacks threaten to close down the school, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione try to solve the mystery.

The book is a bit darker than the first novel, but given that it is only the second book in a series that was intended to mature as the children who would read it aged, it is definitely not as dark as the later books would become. Basically, Rowling intended that kids who read the book would be about the same age as the characters as the series went along, so about 11 when reading the first novel and 17-18 by the time they read the final book. So, while kids definitely have to be old enough to handle the characters being hurt and understand the concept of death, the subject matter is not too dark for most kids who are around 10-13 years old. And, of course, the book series is written well enough that an adult can easily enjoy it.

The book is slightly longer than the first novel, but not much. It is a fairly quick read for anyone who reads a lot and has good reading comprehension skills. For those who have only seen the movies, this, along with The Sorcerer's Stone, also happens to be the book that had the least amount of material cut out in the movie adaptations. As the subsequent books got longer, entire plotlines had to be removed. In this novel, while some things were pared down a bit in the movies, the vast majority of the story made it in. 

Overall, the book is very good, and is definitely not "just a kid's book". Like many good coming-of-age stories from the fantasy genre, it uses fantasy elements as metaphors for the experience of growing up and ties the difficulties of growing up into a world of magic. And, it is a story that holds up well even twenty-some years after it was written, and will probably continue to do so years from now.