Welcome

Welcome to my ever-evolving blog. It started out as a blog on Beachbody workouts and products, mainly when I was a Beachbody coach. I no longer coach, not because I don't believe in Beachbody's programs (I subscribe to Beachbody on Demand and use their workouts every day), I am just not a salesperson and hated that aspect of it. I am more than willing to answer questions about my experiences with their products and the various workouts, and I feel freer to do so without the appearance of giving a biased review of something.

I have also started adding reviews for various things I have purchased like movies, books, CDs, and other products. This was brought about by a fight with Amazon in which all of my reviews were removed over a completely bullshit allegation that I posted a review that violated their terms of service. After going back and forth with the morons in the community-reviews department (even after they admitted that my posts did not violate their guidelines) they restored my account (which took them six months to do), but I have been posting my reviews on my blog to have them preserved in case something like that happens again. And here, I will post uncensored reviews so I will swear from time to time and post reviews that may be longer than Amazon's character limit. Everything I post here on any topic or product is my personal opinion, and I take no compensation for any product reviews I post. I am a member of Amazon's vine program and because I get those products for free, I keep those reviews on Amazon only, but everything I have purchased with my own money, whether from Amazon or some other store/website/outlet, I will post here.  

I also plan to do some longer blog posts on various topics, such as how to learn physics, how to get through calculus, and longer reviews of workout programs as I do them. Basically, whatever strikes me as interesting at the time.  As you can see if you navigate around the blog, I had many years in between postings. During that time I was going back to school to get an engineering degree, and learning material that I avoided my first time through college was a different experience and one that gave me a lot of insight into how to do well in those classes, which I will try to impart here for those who are looking to get a science or engineering degree. 

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

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.

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