Workout Update: P90X Day 84

Day 84 was another truncated version of yoga-x. This is really the only workout that I have consistently slacked off on during this round of P90x. As I have said before, it is my least favorite of the P90x workouts, not because I hate yoga, but because it is just too damn long. If it was cut down to an hour, it would be a great workout. But, the hour and a half length is too much most of the time, especially if you consistently do the x-stretch.  

Workout Update: P90X Day 83

Day 83 was x-stretch. Really, the only thing notable from the workout was that I was able to stay in the low-squat position the entire 45 seconds (or however long it is) without having to raise up at all. It took me until the last week, but I did get there. I still cannot get close to doing the shoulder stand into plow though, so I just do a butterfly stretch to work my inner thighs. 

Book Review: Red Sparrow

 

Red Sparrow is a spy thriller set in Eastern Europe. It is centered around a former ballerina named Dominika who, after an injury is forced out of ballet, and thanks to the connections of her uncle who is a top member of the Russian SVR, ends up going to "Sparrow School." The intention is for her to use her sexuality to seduce and/or blackmail targets of the SVR. She ends up becoming a much more accomplished agent and becomes entwined in a plot that involves moles for both the United States and Russia and essentially a game of chess between the CIA and the SVR.

The book, as most know, was adapted into a movie starring Jennifer Lawrence. While I do not think the movie was horrible, too much of the book had to be cut out, and things like the inner monologues of characters that really advanced the plot of the book, could not translate easily to film, and hence were removed. So, the motivations of the characters that we learn in the book are missing from the movie. I think finding a way to get much of that into the movie would have helped it. Thus, as is almost always the case, the book ends up being better than the movie.

Overall, the book is well-written and easy to read with a plot that flows well. The author is an ex-CIA agent who was stationed in that part of the world and draws on his experience, which gives a lot of authenticity to the story even though it is fictional. Each chapter ends with a recipe for some food item that was mentioned in that chapter. They are not key to the story in any way but are a unique addition to the book. It is a mix of action thriller, espionage, with a bit of sex thrown in. It is definitely worth reading, especially if you have seen the movie.

Workout Update: P90X Day 82

 Day 82 was the last regular resistance workout of this round of P90X. That means the last legs and back workout and the last ab-ripper x workout. Both went well. I was able to increase the weight on a couple of the exercises that used weights in the legs and back workout and again got in all the reps during ab-ripper. 

Product Review: Burnes of Boston LL2963 Level Line 24" Walnut Cambridge Ledge

 

I purchased this to display some knick-knacks above my fireplace. It was very easy to install, and I was able to put it up, without any assistance, in about five minutes. There is a plastic piece that the wood ledge mounts onto. The plastic piece has nail holes pre-drilled and a built-in level. So you just place it where you want to ledge to sit, nail the plastic piece into the wall, and then mount the ledge on the plastic piece. Very easy.

Workout Update: P90X Day 81

Day 81 was Kenpo-x. Overall, it went fine. Nothing much was different between the last time I did the workout and this time. I am at the point where I can pretty easily keep up with the people in the video now, although my balance on some of the kicks can still be a bit shaky.  

Workout Update: P90X Day 80

Day 80 was my last Back and Biceps workout in this round. It went well, with again being able to hit the 10 rep max on a couple of the exercises, but mostly (if I had to do the workout again next week) the weights I am using would remain the same. But, I was able to hit 12 reps on all of the pull-ups/pull-downs with the 115 lb band resistance (aside from the corn-cobs), so I continue to make progress there. On the ab-ripper warm-up I was again able to do all the reps but still had to modify some of the moves. 

DVD Review: The Good Fight Season 4

 

+++Warning, this contains minor spoilers from season three, but no major season four giveaways.+++

Season three of The Good Fight picks up basically after the Swat Team busting in on Kurt and Diane, and but is a twist episode in which Diane thinks the past three years has been a dream. Then, episode two picks up some time down the line after the events of season three in which the firm agreed to merge with STR Laurie. John Larroquette joins the cast as the managing partner of STR Laurie and basically the boss of Diane,  Adrian, and Liz. There are a couple of main plot points throughout the season. One is a plot involving something called Memo 618 that basically causes judges to throw out cases for the rich and well-connected. The other is life at the firm under the new management. Luca also has a pretty significant side-story in which she befriends a rich client and gets in with her social group.

There is definitely a lot of cast turnover this year. Of course, Rosie Leslie left the show after season three with Mia being written out as leaving with Roland Blum. Hugh Dancy joined the cast in a recurring role as an STR Laurie associate assigned to keep tabs on the Reddick Boseman team. And, the guest stars this season included Michael J. Fox, Gary Cole, Rob Reiner, and Raul Esparza. There is also a couple of Good Wife mentions in Will Garner being name-dropped, and a blink and you will miss it reference to Alicia. 

Overall, the show keeps up the same format, blending in real-world events with fictional storylines. It is, as it has always been, very political, and very much left-leaning politically (even though some of the characters on the show are conservative). So, anyone bitching about the fact that this season is political obviously did not pay attention to seasons 1-3. Yes, the writers (and at least some of the actors) hate the former guy and make no bones about it. But that was apparent from season 1 episode 1. For those who get the DVD set, it is just a MOD set with the episodes, but no extras. It does have English captions however for those who are hearing-impaired. It is shorter because production ended due to Covid before the last three episodes were finished, so there are only seven episodes as opposed to the usual ten. Also, because it is not broadcast on CBS and just airs on the streaming platform, like in past seasons, there is a lot of swearing, including liberal use of the word "fuck". So if that turns you off, then it is best to find another show to watch. But, if you have been a fan of seasons 1-3 you will probably like this one. If not, there is nothing in this season that is likely to convert you.

CD Review: Wanted Soundtrack

 

I mainly purchased this to get the song, "The Little Things" but was very pleased by the rest of the material. All of the other songs are instrumental, and make up the score of the movie. Personally, I did not really realize how good the score was while watching the movie, but the soundtrack really makes you appreciate how well it was done. I definitely recommend this.

Product Review: Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells

 

These are, unlike some Bowflex products, mostly good. However, there are a couple of things you need to keep in mind. First, and probably most importantly, they do have plastic parts, so you definitely do not want to drop them, especially on a hard floor. If you have relatively thick mats, like tumbling mats, it is possible they could be dropped safely, but most definitely not on concrete or some kind of hard flooring. I would be hesitant to even drop them on a carpeted surface. The inner mechanism could easily break in that situation, then you basically have a very heavy paperweight. Also, these are much bulkier than traditional free-weight dumbbells, which can be an issue if you have low ceilings and are doing shoulder-press type exercises standing up. I work out in my basement, which has seven-foot ceilings, and even though I am not extremely tall, I am tall enough that if I do standing shoulder presses with these I will easily hit the ceiling and put a nice gash in it. Finally, when you dial in a weight selection the locking mechanism does not always totally engage the plates so you may have to slightly turn the dial and/or jiggle the weights to get them out of the stack. The first two things are major, the other is relatively minor.

Overall, the ability to get 50lbs of dumbbell weight in a compact space is very nice. And for a lot of people, that is probably all the dumbbell weight they will ever need. The handle grip is much better than most dumbbells and they do not get slippery in your hands. I would highly suggest getting the stand that can hold them because constantly bending down to pick them up and put them back may be hard on some people's backs. They are also a lot cheaper than getting 50lbs of regular dumbbells, which is nice. I personally use these in conjunction with regular dumbbells, and for exercises where I am concerned about dropping them if I use max weight I use the regular dumbbells I use those, and for those, I am not concerned about it, I use these.

Overall, these are a pretty good option, but you do kind of have to treat them with kid gloves. Much more than you would ever have to with regular iron dumbbells. I have had these for years and never had an issue with them and do recommend them as long as you keep the things I mentioned in mind.

Workout Update: P90X Day 79

Day 79 was the last Plyo-X workout for this round. It was, at least for the beginning of the workout, the best I have been able to do. I was able to keep up with everyone and get much deeper into the squat moves than I had before. That resulted in my being pretty gassed by the end of the workout so I was having to modify a lot for the last couple of rounds of exercises, but overall, it was my best Plyo session. And, my legs are very sore today from all the squats, which is ultimately a good thing. 

Product Review: Bowflex SelectTech 552 / 1090 Dumbbell Stand

 

This is the stand made to hold the Bowflex SelectTech dumbbell sets. I have the SelectTech 552 set (that goes up to 52.5 lbs, but this will also hold the 1090 set that goes up to 90 lbs. The stand is easy to put together and is very sturdy. It fits easily into a corner so it can be a bit out of the way in whatever room you have it in. Having the dumbbells up off the floor makes dialing in the resistance a lot easier, and saves you back not having to bend over to pick them up. I definitely recommend this if you have or are thinking of purchasing the SelectTech dumbbells.

Workout Update: P90X Day 78

Day 78 was my last Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps workout for this round of P90X. As I have said before, this is probably my least favorite of the resistance workouts. That said, I think that I had my best workout for this one last night. I was able to do better on some of the push-up moves, and I was able to hit the 10 rep max on a couple of the moves that used weights. So overall, I think it went pretty well, but I am still a long way from keeping up with either Dave or Phil.  

DVD Review: American Dad Volume 13

 

As most die-hard fans of the show know, the quality of the DVD releases has gone way down over the course of time. However, the one saving grace is that the episodes on the DVD were uncensored, so you would get the unedited jokes, f-bombs, and all. Now the MOD sets are just releasing the broadcast versions of the show, with the edits. And, they are not even captioning the sets as they have done in past years. So, really, the only reason to get this is if you already have the prior seasons on DVD and you want to keep your collection complete.

As far as the show goes, it pretty much follows the story-of-the-week format it always has. Some of the episodes they just plain make as weird as they possibly can. Of course, because it is a cartoon it is easy for the writers and showrunners to do so. I still think the best episodes are the ones that somehow involve Stan's job at the CIA, which the show has really removed as a focus. The show is definitely getting a bit long in the tooth but, like Family Guy, it seems that this one is going to go on as long as Seth McFarlane wants to continue making it. So, I cannot say that everyone, even people who have been fans of the show are going to like this season. Certainly, die-hard fans will probably still like it, even if not as much as in prior seasons, but if you have never liked the show, this season is not going to do anything to change your mind.

Workout Update: P90X Day 77

 Day 77 was a very shortened version of Yoga. I basically went until the break (after chair and twisting chair) then bailed out. I was not feeling very well at all, and figured it would be better to just rest instead of pushing through any longer. 

Product Review: Calphalon One Nonstick 11-Inch Square Griddle

 

I have mainly only used this for french toast and pancakes, and it works great for those. The heating is very even. I have never run into a situation where one pancake toward the center is cooked and one of the other ones on the edges is not. As long as you let the thing warm up, it cooks everything evenly no matter how things are distributed when you are cooking. It is definitely worth the purchase.

Workout Update: P90X Day 76

Day 76 was x-stretch. Nothing much new to report about this workout, except that I am closer to being able to actually put my elbow on the side of my knee on the seated spinal twists. I can get my low forearm over there now, where up until now I had to use my hand. So, I am definitely losing weight and getting more flexible.  

Workout Update: P90X Day 75

Day 75 was Legs and Back and ab-ripper-x. I was again able to do all the reps during ab-ripper, although still had to modify some of the moves. And, I was able to hit at least 10 reps on all of the pull-up moves with 110lbs of resistance, so I will be increasing that to 115 for the Back and Biceps workout next week.  

DVD/Movie Review: Halloween H20

 

Halloween H20 was released twenty years after the original movie and saw the first of what has become multiple returns to the franchise for Jamie Lee Curtis reprising her role as Laurie Strode. It is revealed that she faked her death (really the only tie-in to Halloween 4-6, otherwise it ignored the prior sequels aside from Halloween II) and is now working as the headmistress at an elite private school. She has a son played by Josh Hartnett who chafes under her strict rules meant to keep him safe from the ever-present threat of Michael Myers finding them and finishing what he started. Of course, Michael manages to track her down and the usual terror ensues.

The movie is good overall but does have some silly points (pretty much everything with LL Cool J). I like that they changed the character of Laurie from being the scared weakling to being willing to stand up to Michael. This time, when she drops a weapon she picks up another one and does not assume he is dead. It sports a very recognizable cast (especially back in 1998) including Adam Arkin, Michelle Williams, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, and Joseph Gordon Levitt. It also had a pretty nice nod to the late Donald Pleasance and had a cameo by Nancy Stephens reprising her role as Marion Chambers, the nurse from the first two movies. There was also a fun cameo by Janet Leigh, who was of course Jamie Lee Curtis' mother and the original scream queen from the movie Psycho.

For those who get the original DVD version, the extras a pretty minimal. There is a short behind-the-scenes feature, a music video, and a trivia game. The extras released with the complete Blu-Ray set are much better and more extensive.

Of course, there have been other sequels after this one, including basically resetting the franchise with Curtis returning as a slightly different version of Laurie. Had this actually been the end of the Halloween franchise, as I think a lot of people would have liked, it would have been the perfect conclusion to the story. But, now, you really just have to look at it as one of the sequels and enjoy it (or not) for the story it tells. I think the original movie is one of the best, if not the best, horror movies ever, and while this is not as good as that, it is still very good and one of the best sequels that have been made. Definitely worth watching.

Workout Update: P90X Day 74

Day 74 was Kenpo-x. Nothing new to report about this one. It pretty much went the same as it has the past few times I have done it. I was a bit off-balance during some of the kicking exercises, but nothing too bad.  

Workout Update: P90X Day 73

Day 73 was the last of the shoulders and arms workouts. Again, I was able to hit the 10 rep max for some of the moves, and for others, I could only hit 8-9 reps. But, I did manage to increase the weight for all of the exercises by at least a bit from the start of this round to the end. So, that was progress. And, when doing ab-ripper I was finally able to do all 349 moves, hitting the 25 reps on all of the moves and the 50 for the mason twists (although I do have to keep my feet on the floor for that one). I did decide that my next workout will be a round of Chalene Extreme and then I will switch back to P90X. My hope is that I can get in good enough shape during the Chalene Extreme round that when I do P90X again I can do regular pull-ups instead of using the bands. But, if not, I should be able to do the 155 lbs of band resistance when doing the pull-up moves for round two of P90X. But, for now, I will be focusing on finishing this round of P90X and then on Chalene Extreme. 

DVD Review: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

 

Haloween Six, also called The Curse of Michael Myers, was really a mess of a movie. The mess, admittedly (by the producers) started with the production of the movie and carried through to the final product. It picks up years after the events of Halloween 5 in which Michael is broken out of jail and Jamie is kidnapped by the man in black. In this movie, we learn the identity of the man in black and find out that he is a larger part of a larger cult (essentially). The movie is pretty much non-sensical from beginning to end. The basic plot is that Jamie is pregnant (and it is very much hinted that Michael is somehow the father), has the baby, and escapes from the cult. Then, of course, Michael tries to track down the baby and in the process comes back to Haddonfield and wreaks havoc.

Really, the only thing that makes the movie worth watching is seeing Paul Rudd in one of his first major movie roles (this movie came out the same year as Clueless), as Tommy Doyle (the kid Laurie babysat in the original movie) who has become obsessed with Michael Meyers and seeing Donald Pleasance for the last time as Loomis. Everything else about the movie pretty much fell into the hot garbage category. Firstly, Danielle Harris, who was open to reprising her role as Jamie, hated what was done to the character so much she decided to not have anything to do with the movie. The plot was just stupid, and because the audience reception was so bad there were major reshoots done, including after Donald Pleasance died, that the character of Loomis was essentially written out offscreen.

This is just the theatrical cut of the movie. The disc does not include the producer's cut that was for years just available as a bootleg, but finally released in the Blu-ray box set a handful of years ago. I think the actors did the best they could with what they were given, which was not much, but Rudd and Pleasance did a really good job in their roles and basically kept the movie from being total garbage. I think if Jamie would have been incorporated better into the movie so that Danielle Harris would have come back, and they dispensed with the silly cult stuff, the movie would have been a lot better. That said, it is a very dark sequel, and it did have some good elements to it, just not enough (in my opinion).

If you get the original DVD release, you just basically get the movie itself. There are no extras (besides some coming soon trailers). Ultimately, the movie is not for everyone. Even for Halloween fans, it is not even close to being the best Halloween movie (or even the best sequel). So, I cannot say that even fans of the series are going to love it, but I still think it is worth watching as long as you temper your expectations.

DVD Review: The Good Doctor Season 4

 

+++Warning, this contains a major spoiler from season three, but no major season four giveaways. +++

Season four of The Good Doctor is definitely a transition year for the show. The first two episodes were geared toward dealing with the pandemic, with, as you would expect, a focus on how it affects the medical professionals. The characters on the show were also dealing with the loss of Doctor Melendez after his death at the end of season three. Nicholas Gonzalez did make a couple of appearances early in the season, but I have a feeling that storyline was cut back quite a bit because of the pandemic-specific episodes. From there, the show then pretty much went back to its format of a combination procedural/serial medical drama. It was mostly a case-of-the-week format with story arcs that wove through the season. There was also more cast turnover this year, mainly through additions to the cast with Noah Galvin and Bria Henderson essentially becoming series regulars as first-year residents. The season is full of emotional ups and downs for many of the characters with almost everyone facing some kind of crisis, or relationship issue at some point during the season. I will not give anything away, but there is a lot of drama pretty much all the way through the season. The show continues to be well-written and acted with all of the characters getting a chance to have good arcs and development. Freddie Highmore continues to do a great job in the lead role, but Paige Spara and Fiona Gublemann were also standouts this season, with very different story arcs. 

For those who get the DVDs, it does have a few extras including about 13 minutes of deleted scenes, a short gag reel, and a goodbye package to one of the characters/actors who left the show this season. Most fans of the show likely know who that is, but again I will not spoil it. 

Overall, I would say if you have been a fan of the show you will probably like this season. If you have not liked the prior seasons then this one is not likely to do much for you. Like most medical dramas, it can get a bit soap operaish, but for the most part, it focuses on the medical cases, so the soap opera-like elements do not distract from the show or dominate it. It is definitely a good season and worth watching.

 

Workout Update: P90X Day 72

Day 72 was plyo-x again. It went fine. Pretty much the same as it has the past few times. This was the first time I have done this workout in the morning on an empty stomach, so I was a bit more tired during the workout than I tend to be when I do it in the evening. But, I made it through.

Workout Update: P90X Day 71

 Day 71 was the last Chest and Back workout for this round of P90X. It actually went pretty well. I was able to hit 10 reps on each of the resistance exercises with the weights I was using and got at least one more push-up in on all of the push-up moves. I was also able to get 12 reps on each pull-up move with the 105 lbs of band resistance. So, overall, that went very well, and I made a lot of progress from day one. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 70

Day 70 was x-stretch. Overall, it went well. I would not say that my flexibility increased at all over last week. Everything felt about the same. My back was a little bit sore yesterday, so I did not even try Back Hero and just did Camel twice. Other than that, it went well.  

Book Review: Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows

 

This is one of the young-adult novels set in the high republic era, set after the events of the novel The Rising Storm, and the Nihil attack on the Republic fair. The aftermath of the attack is still being felt by pretty much all parties. The book is centered around the characters of Vernestra Rwoh and her padawan Imri, both of whom are trying to deal with force abilities that they cannot control and are struggling to understand, and Sylvestri Yarrow a hauler whose ship was mysteriously knocked out of Hyperspace and then attacked by the Nihil at the beginning of the novel. It also involves the already-established Jedi characters Reath Silas and Cohmac Vitus. It also brings back the Nihil character Nan who was saved by and then saved Reath in the novel Into the Dark.

This novel is partly about the power struggle within the Nihil and a battle for control of the group and in part a thriller/mystery with the Jedi trying to figure out if the Nihil has a new weapon or if ships are getting knocked out of hyperspace due to some strange natural occurrence. I definitely think the book reads more easily now that many of the characters are established, as I had to spend less time trying to figure out (or remember) who all the characters were. I still think these novels would be better if they did more than name-drop Yoda. It does not make any sense that one of the most powerful Jedi at what is likely the height of his power would sit on the sidelines of the fight against the Nihil just to be mentioned by other characters. Not that he needs to be the focus of the novels, but he could definitely be utilized in some way.

Overall, I would say that even though the novel is one of the young-adult novels, and thus considered ancillary to the main storyline, it is as good and as enjoyable as the main "adult" novels in the high-republic series. It is not a difficult read, and at about 320 pages, depending on how fast a reader you are, it can be finished pretty quickly. I definitely recommend it.

Workout Update: P90X Day 69

Day 69 was a very modified Yoga-x. I had to do the workout later in the day than I wanted and I was not feeling well. So, I basically cut it short after the moving asana portion of the workout. I did not even attempt to do the balance poses. But, I did what I could, and thankfully feel better today, so I should be able to do x-stretch without any issues.  

DVD Review: American Dad Volume 12

 

American Dad, much like Family Guy (which was also created by Seth McFarlane) is a show that people tend to love or hate. By now, I think most people know what the show is, but for those who do not, it is an adult animated series that basically tells a story-of-the-week (sometimes stories-of-the-week) set around the character Stan Smith who works at the CIA and his family, which includes an alien named Roger and a talking fish named Klaus. Over the years the CIA part of the story has taken a large backseat to the quirky family life, which I think has taken away from the strength of the show. There are still episodes set around Stan's job, but not as many as there were in the early seasons.

For those who get the DVD set, it is a straight MOD release. Just the episodes. For some weird reason, it appears that Volume 12 was only released as a Region 2 set (the UK and Europe) and not in Region 1, so if you are in the US or Canada you need a Region free (or Region 2) player to watch this. The episodes are uncensored, so you do get some f-bombs being dropped that were bleeped out of the broadcast and streaming versions of the episodes.

Overall, I would say if you have liked the show up to this point you will still probably like this season (unless the shift from the CIA storylines really bugs you). On the other hand, if you have never liked the show, this is probably not going to do anything to change your mind.

Workout Update: P90X Day 68

 Day 68 was the Legs and Back workout with ab-ripper as the warm-up. Really, the only notable thing about this workout is that I was able to get more reps in with the 105 lbs of resistance on the pull-up moves than the last workout. Otherwise, it pretty much went the same as it did last week. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 67

 Day 67 was the Kenpo-x workout. I actually did the workout in the morning (which I am going to try to shift to for all of the workouts within the next few weeks) on an empty stomach. So, I did get a bit gassed at the end, but I made it through and was able to keep up pretty well. The only major change I made was backed off a bit during the active rest periods. I drank more water and jogged in place as opposed to doing the jumping jacks and x jumps. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 66

Day 66 was the Back and Biceps workout, with ab-ripper as the warmup. I was able to hit the 10 rep max on a couple of exercises, but the pull-up moves were still pretty tough with the 105 lbs of band resistance. I was able to do 13 towel pull-ups, but the rest were in the 8-9 range (and 4 corn-cobs). Overall though, I would say the workout went well. I was able to hit 23 reps on all the ab-ripper moves, so Friday I will be bumping that up to 24.

Workout Update: P90X Day 65

 Day 65 was plyo-x. I do not have any kind of huge update for this workout. I was able to push harder on some of the exercises, but others I still had to greatly modify. I am definitely not in the kind of shape where I can do all the moves unmodified for the entire time frame. And, I still just run in place during the rock star hops to protect my back.

DVD Review: M*A*S*H: Martinis and Medicine Collection

 

MASH was a long-running series set during the Korean war. It was based on a book and adapted from a movie and starred Alan Alda as Hawkeye Pierce, and a very strong ensemble cast that changed over the years and included Mike Farrell, Larry Linville, David Ogden Stiers, Harry Morgan, Loretta Switt, Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, William Christopher, Jamie Farr, and Gary Burghoff (who was the only cast member that appeared in the movie). It started out as a pretty standard sitcom, and then over the course of time as it became even more of an anti-Vietnam war show than it started out as, became a dramedy. It was mainly a procedural story-of-the-week type show but did occasionally have multi-part episodes or refer back to prior episodes. As most know, it started off as a show that was on the brink of cancellation in its first couple of seasons (saved only because the wife of the President of the network liked it) to having its series finale be the highest-rated television show in history, rivaled only in ratings by the Superbowl.

The DVD set contains the entire series on DVD and then bonus discs that include the movie and a ton of behind the scenes and making-of features, as well as the TV specials that were made after the show had been off the air. So, if you like going through bonus material this has a lot of it.

The big drawback to this set, as others have noted, is the god-awful packaging. Each disc is inserted in a very tight slot/notch that is very hard to get discs out without tearing the slot and/or scratching the disc. So, unless you are extremely lucky, one or more of the discs is going to get scratched up, and it is just a matter of will the scratch be bad enough to make at least a portion of the disc unplayable. That is why I give it three stars. If the packaging was better it would easily be a five-star set.

Overall, the show was very good (even if it got a bit preachy in the later seasons). It was well-written and acted. It is getting harder and harder to find the show in syndication now that it has been off the air for getting close to forty years, and even when you can find it in syndication, it is impossible to watch it from the first episode to the last in broadcast order. So, for those of us who were too young to see most of the episodes when they originally ran on TV, and only watched it in syndication, getting the DVDs or streaming the show is really the only way to see all of the episodes in order. The DVDs are the only place (as far as I know) to find all of the bonus material (although some of it may be on YouTube). I would really only recommend this set for die-hard fans of the show, and make sure to test the discs right away in case you get some unplayable discs.

Book Review: Path of Destruction: A Novel of the Old Republic (Star Wars: Darth Bane)

 

This is the first book in a trilogy of novels by the same author detailing Darth Bane's rise to power and the institution of the "rule of two" that is still canon (although often violated) based on the Star Wars movies, video games, and animated series. Bane starts out as a coal miner named Dessel in what is essentially a forced labor colony on a planet called Apatros. After a deadly encounter, he is on the run from Republic authorities and winds up at a Sith academy where he is a standout student. He quickly realizes that the Sith as they are currently constituted will end up destroying themselves and he manipulates events that allow him to institute the rule of two, one master to have power and one apprentice to crave power.

The story is very well-paced, intertwining action sequences with drama and intrigue. It is set well before the events of the prequel series (about 1000 years), so there are no "recognizable" characters in the novel, but it really does not suffer from that like some of the newer canon novels do. Even though this book has been relegated to Legends status after the takeover of Lucasfilm by Disney, the character of Darth Bane is canon from the Clone Wars series, and of course, the rule of two was mentioned in The Phantom Menace. And, because it is set so far in the past, it does not impact the stories that are currently canon, and at least parts of it could be brought into canon via new movies or tv series.

Overall, it is a very good book, telling a good story. And, it is one of the better stories outside of the Skywalker saga that there is. Hopefully, the book will be brought back into canon sometime down the line (or a new book that incorporates some of what is in this novel, such as has been the case with the new canon novels set around the character Grand Admiral Thrawn). It is definitely worth the read.

Workout Update: P90X Day 64

Day 64 was the phase 3 return to the Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps workout. My feelings about the workout have not changed. It is my least favorite of the resistance workouts, but I managed to get through it and did hit the 10 rep max on a few exercises. I also did ab-ripper as the warm-up and hit 23 reps for each of the exercises. So, overall it was fine, but I was glad to be done with this one. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 63

Day 63 was yoga-x again. I again went up through the balance poses. I am getting better at the moving asana portion, especially the last handful of moves with warrior three, and half-moon. Although I still have to use a chair for that portion, I do not have to rely on it as much. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 62

Day 62 was the Legs and Back workout with ab-ripper x as the warmup. Overall, both went well. On the ab-ripper workout, I was able to hit 22 reps for each, and then in Legs and Back, I used 105 lbs of resistance for the pull-down moves and hit at least 10 reps on each of those (although that was hard). 

DVD Review: Animal Kingdom Season 5

 

+++Warning: This contains spoilers from Season 4, but no major giveaways from Season 5+++

The fifth season of Animal Kingdom starts out a bit slow and then ramps up in the final few episodes. This season, the storylines jump back and forth between the present day and flashbacks to young Smurf (played by Leila George). While there were flashbacks in season four, they are even more prominent now that present-day Smurf was killed off at the end of the fourth season. The beginning of the fifth season sees all of the Cody boys struggling to get their footing in a world without Smurf calling the shots. Pope and Craig spin out of control in their own ways, and Deran and J engage in a power struggle for leadership. For about the first two-thirds of the season, it seems like the show is trying to figure out how to tell the story without Ellen Barkin and then it really ramps up to a very good ending and sets up a major storyline (that loops back to the early seasons) that is definitely going to play a big role in the final season. 

For those who get the DVD, it is basically a MOD plus set. It does have captions and a few extras, including a featurette on Smurf's end, and a couple of short behind-the-scenes features on the fifth season. Nothing extensive, but what is there is good. But, if you are one of those who only get the physical discs when there are a lot of extras, you may just want to stream it. 

Overall, I liked the season, mostly because of the final few episodes. I do think the present-day storylines suffered without Barkin, but I thought Leila George does a great job as young Smurf. She does not try to copy what Barkin did outright, but sprinkled in things from her performance that showed how she evolved into the person we see in the first season of the show. And Shawn Hatosy deserves all the kudos for his portrayal of Pope and the range of performances he has to give to play that character. I would say if you liked the prior seasons, while this one is definitely going to feel different, it is worth sticking with.  

Workout Update: P90X Day 61

Day 61 was Kenpo-x. I did not have a ton of energy going into this one (I think because of the overall long week I have had), so I took longer rests during the active break (basically skipped the jumping jacks and the x-jumps), but otherwise pushed through the workout hard. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 60

Day 60 was the Shoulders and Arms workout (and ab-ripper for the warm-up). Overall, the workout went well. On the moves that were not included in the Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps or Back and Biceps workouts in phase 2, I could definitely tell that I had not done them in a few weeks. Thankfully, I am not too sore today (I think because of the post-workout supplement and getting a good night's sleep). I am glad that I switched things around and did x-stretch on Wednesday because there is no way I could have done this workout without risking hurting myself because of how sore my back was the day after I moved my mom to her new place. So, it is a good reminder that you do not always have to stick to a rigid schedule. Do what feels right that day. 

Supplement Review: Osteo Bi-Flex

 

I have issues with my knees, and this definitely makes them feel better when I am using it on a regular basis. It is a much better value on the subscribe and save subscription than getting them at one of the warehouse clubs, and they are much easier to swallow than some of the generic options with a similar formula as some of those are "horse-sized" and are not easy to get down if you are a person that has an issue swallowing pills.

Workout Update: P90X Day 59

Day 59 was supposed to be shoulders and arms, but I was so sore, including my back, that I opted to do x-stretch instead so I could recover from Monday and Tuesday, getting my mom moved into her new place. It worked wonders as I felt better after the stretching workout, and feel a lot better today. So, tonight will be the shoulders and arms workout.

Workout Update: P90X Day 58

Day 58 was tough. In the morning involved moving my mom into her new assisted living facility, then I was unpacking her for a couple of hours. So, I was very sore by the time I got home and did a very modified version of the plyometrics workout. I barely did any jumping at all and did not go all out. Between the workout and moving, I did get 15000 steps in yesterday, which is (I think) the second most I have ever done in one day. I think tonight I am going to do the x-stretch workout because my back is very sore and I do not want to make it worse by lifting weights. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 57

Day 57 was the first day of phase three, which was a return to the Chest and Back workout. It went pretty well, and I was able to do the pull-down moves with the 100 lb weight and hit at least ten reps on each of the exercises. I also did ab-ripper as the warmup and hit 22 reps on all the moves. I also got a lot of extra exercise in moving boxes to my mom's new place. So, it was a long day, but I got the workout in.