Supplement Review: Dr. Martin's Saw Palmetto

 

It is pretty much impossible to know how well a supplement is or is not working based on the fact that what it claims is not backed by any official organization. While I cannot say that I notice my hair getting any thicker (which is not why I take it anyway), I have not had any issues with my prostate (knock on wood), so there is that. I can say that they are very easy to swallow and do not leave any kind of aftertaste. A bottle will last a few months, so it is a good value, and you can (as of this writing anyway) include it as a subscribe and save item so you can have it delivered at whatever frequency works for you.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Banshee: Season 1

 

Banshee was a series that aired on Cinemax from 2013 to 2016. It starred Anthony Starr as Lucas Hood (not his real name) a recently released ex-con who has spent 15 years in prison and who, through a crazy twist of fate, ends up becoming the sheriff of Banshee, a small town in PA abutting an Amish community. There he finds that his ex-girlfriend, played by Ivana Milicevic is married with a couple of children and hiding out from a NY crime boss named "Rabbit" ( played by Ben Cross). Lucas discovers that the town is basically run by an ex-Amish gangster named Kai Proctor (played by Ulrich Thomsen) and the two immediately become enemies. Lucas struggles to stay on the right side of the law while pretending to enforce the law. The rest of the cast is very strong and includes Frankie Faison as Sugar Bates, a retired former boxer and ex-con, turned bar owner, Hoon Lee as Job, a computer hacker, and Hood's criminal accomplice, Matt Servitto as Brock Lotus, the longest-serving member of the Banshee Sheriff's department who was passed over for Sheriff, Trieste Kelly Dunn as Siobhan Kelly, another deputy sheriff, and Lili Simmons as Rebecca Bowman, who lives a double-life as a devout Amish by day and a rebellious and sexually promiscuous party girl by night. She also happens to be Proctor's niece.

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, the show looks and sounds very good in the HD format. It is probably not a must-see in HD because there is not much in the way of special effects or things of that nature, but I do think that the colors pop very nicely and some of the landscape shots look great in HD. For extras, there are commentary tracks on six of the ten episodes, a making-of documentary called Banshee Origins that is split into 15 segments, a featurette on the opening title sequences and all the easter eggs and clues that are in each sequence, deleted scenes, and a trailer for season two.

Overall, the show is great. It is well-written and very well-acted. Be warned, however, that there is a lot of violence, sexual content, and nudity (mostly by Milicevic and Simmons, but pro wrestling fans may also recognize C.J. Perry, who was Lana in WWE topless in a sex scene with Starr). So, it is definitely an adult show that is not family-friendly. So, if that would turn you off to a show, then you are best just to skip this. If however, you are looking for a drama that is compelling and not like anything else out there, this is definitely something you should check out.

Product Review: Evelots Door Draft Stopper

 

If you have a door on which the other style of draft guards (those that slip under the door so that one side of the guard is on each side of the door) do not work, this is a great option, if you have a metal door. There are clips that can be used to secure it to a non-metal door, but those go under the door so if there is not enough space for the other kinds of draft guards to work, your door may not be able to close if you use the clips. However, if your door is metal this will stay in place without having to use the clips and does a great job keeping drafts from coming through.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 62

Day 62 was the last strength workout of the week. I was able to hit the 10 rep max on many more exercises in the circuits this time, so those weights will all be increasing with the next workout on Tuesday. I am probably going to add light weights to the lunge and squat sequences just to bump up the intensity level a bit.  

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 61

 Day 61 was the third sweat 3-4 workout this week. This one went much better than Wednesday's workout since I had more energy and did not eat before working out. So, I was able to put more effort into it. I did still have to pause a couple of times during ab-ripper, but I did eventually hit 20 reps for each of the moves.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 60

Day 60 was the second sculpt 3-4 workout this week. All of the weights I used for the various exercises are the same as I used on Tuesday. I was, however, able to hit the 10 rep max on a couple of the moves so the weight I use for those will go up on Saturday.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 59

Day 59 was the sweat 3-4 workout again. I did not have a ton of energy during this workout (it did not help that I ate too soon before working out) so I did a lot more modified moves and took a couple of rest breaks.  But, I did get through the entire workout and ab-ripper and got it done.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 58

Day 58 was the sculpt 3-4 workout from Power-90. This one is mostly the same workout as the 1-2 workout but adds a fourth circuit with different exercises (upright rows, forearm curls, max squats, max push-ups, calf raises, and supermans). As is the case in the 1-2 workout, one of the extras uses bands and the other uses weights and Tony uses weights. It is a good circuit workout that has a nice pace that flows well. It does switch things up quite a bit from the CE Push workouts, which is helpful to keep my body from adapting to the push workouts.

DVD/Movie Review: The Good Girl

 

The Good Girl is an independent movie that stars Jennifer Aniston (who was at the height of her Friends popularity) and Jake Gyllenhall as two cashiers at a large discount store. Justine (Aniston's character) is in a rut in her marriage to John C. Reily's character, who is a house painter who smokes dope with his best friend constantly and pretty much ignores her. Gyllenhall plays a guy obsessed with the novel Catcher in the Rye, so much so that he gives himself the name Holden. Justine ends up having an affair with Holden which goes sideways for her when she discovers how unstable Holden is.

For those who get the DVD, there are not a ton of extras, but they do include a commentary track on the movie with the director and writer, scene-specific commentary by Aniston, and a gag reel. So, while there is not a lot there, what was included was good.

Overall, the movie is very good. It definitely has the feel of a smaller budget independent movie, but that does not take away from its quality. Both Aniston and Gyllenhall do great work and Reily is far outside the comedy realm he is known for and also does great work. Of course, the movie has one of the few (if not the only) topless scenes Aniston has ever done, but it is definitely not gratuitous as the movie does not focus on sexual content. So, if you are looking for a good drama that is definitely not cookie-cutter, this is a good one to check out.

DVD/Movie Review: Just One of the Guys

 

Just one of the Guys is, partly, a cookie-cutter 1980s teen comedy, but it does deviate partly from being completely cookie-cutter. The story does not start as the "typical" teen romantic comedy, it actually starts out with a theme of sexism as a journalism student named Terri, played by Joyce Hyser, is not entered in a competition by her teacher that would land her an internship at a newspaper, she decides that it is because she is a girl and decides to enroll at a different school as "Terry" and hopefully get entered into the competition on her journalistic merit. From there it does get into the cookie-cutter 80s teen comedy with Teri falling for one of her classmates Rick Morehouse, played by Clayton Rohner, having to fend off a bully Greg, William Zabka, and being pursued as Terry by another classmate, Sandy, played by the utterly gorgeous Sherilyn Fenn. Of course, hilarity ensues as she tries to hide being a guy and then in the end has to reveal, in spectacular fashion, that she is not a boy.

For those looking to get the movie on disc, there is a Blu-Ray version out there that does have a commentary track with at least some of the cast members included. The DVD version just has the movie itself, no extras. It would be nice if there were a bit of behind-the-scenes material, but given that the movie was not anywhere near as big as some of the other 1980s teen comedies, it is not surprising that the release is pretty bare bones.

Overall, the movie is good. Probably better than it got credit for being at the time. It definitely does require some suspension of disbelief, just like movies like Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead require. It is definitely not something that a kid could pull off in real life. But, if you accept it for what it is and do not overanalyze it too much, the movie is enjoyable. The acting is very good, with Billy Jacoby who plays Terri's little brother, Buddy stealing nearly every scene he is in, and Fenn doing sultry about as well as she did in Twin Peaks. While I would not call it a must-see, if you are into 80s comedies, especially the coming of age movies like Fast Times, this is a good one to check out.

DVD/Movie Review: The Outlaw

 

The Outlaw is what passes for a comedy in the 1940s. It is a fictional story involving the character of Billy The Kid, played by Jack Buetel. He is being pursued by lawman Pat Garrett, played by Thomas Mitchell, but ends up shacking up with Garrett's girlfriend, Rio, played by Jane Russell. Russell, who grew up in the Midwest (in a very small town in Minnesota) was passed off as being Mexican in the movie. The comedy (I guess) comes in when pretty much all the male characters are much more interested in a horse than they are in Jane Russell. Of course, the movie starred Russell in her heyday, and the movie was, in its time, a bit controversial in the outfits that they put her in to show off how insanely hot she was back then. Of course, by today's standards, it is nothing, but back in 1943, it was a bit risque (although they never showed as much of her in the actual movie as they did on the posters for the movie). Overall, it was probably a decent movie for its time, but it definitely does not hold up well nearly 80 years later. There are several versions of the movie on DVD and even a Blu-Ray copy. The one I have just has the black-and-white version of the movie with no extras. There are colorized versions out there as well as some that have a commentary track by Russell, so you have to pay attention to what version you are getting if you are looking for the extras.

Book Review: Fall and Rise The Story of 9/11

 

Fall and Rise started as a newspaper article telling the stories of a couple of people's experiences during the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and eventually evolved into a full book. The book is told in basically three sections. The first focuses on the planes, telling the stories of the various passengers (with brief biographies of some, and why they were traveling) as well as detailing the movements of the hijackers to the point where the planes take off. The book gives the most detailed account that I have seen (from what can be pieced together) of what happened during each of the flights without going into speculation about things that are not definitively known.

The second portion of the book details what happened inside each of the buildings after the planes hit, including stories of people heroically helping each other inside the Pentagon, which is often given short shrift when compared to those of people in the Twin Towers. Again, the author tells the stories of people who made it out and those of people who did not, piecing together as much information as he could about where various people were and the actions they took.

The third section of the book is about the aftermath, basically about how people tried to put their lives back together after everything was over. This section talked about how people healed, or did not, moved on with their lives, or did not, and the overall impact the events of that day had on them.

The book is long, about 460 pages of the main text, but it is very hard to put down and can be read pretty quickly. Then there are a couple of appendices, one that lists the names of all the people known to have died in the attacks as well as the location of their names on the reflecting pools at the memorial, and one that lists a timeline of the major events of the day. Then, there are about 50 pages of endnotes listing the various sources of information and adding additional detail. The book gives a lot of information, including some that I have not heard before even after watching many of the documentaries and reading many of the books about 9/11. It really focuses on the human story and the toll that it took on the people who live through that day and the family members of those who did not. It is very well-written and evokes a lot of emotion. It is definitely worth reading.

Product Review: WalterDrake Clear Magazine Storage Bags

 

These are decent, but not great, magazine storage bags. They can rip, especially if you lift one of them by a single handle. However, I generally use the handles and hold them under the bottom. The zipper is not heavy duty either, but I have not had a problem with any of the zippers getting stuck or breaking. So, if you are one of those who have physical magazines still this is a good way to keep them somewhat protected at a reasonable price.

DVD/TV Series Review: Nashville: Season 2

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from season one, but no major season two giveaways+++

The second season of Nashville picks up after the car crash that ended season one, revealing that both Rayna and Deacon survived, but Rayna has to be put into a medically induced coma. Deacon does not remember the crash, admits to driving, and is taken to jail. Obviously, neither of these things remain permanent, but the effects last throughout the season. The show basically then goes into the prime-time soap opera mode with the relationships of the various characters, platonic and otherwise, being front and center. One of the best storylines of the season involves Will (Chris Carmack) partially coming out, yet still trying to hide and maintain his public persona.

For those who get the DVD set, the extras are pretty light. The most substantial one is a feature on the music, where the stars of the show perform for a live crowd and the performers and songwriters discuss the songs. Then there are deleted scenes and a blooper reel. So, while there are no commentary tracks and a ton of making-of featurettes, what was included is good.

Overall, I'd say if you like season one, you will like season two. It is, most definitely, a soap opera that also happens to include musical numbers. Like any soap, daytime, or primetime, the relationship arcs can get a bit silly, but for the most part, I do think the storylines are well-written and not too over the top. The acting is great, with the entire cast giving great performances, and the music, even for people who are not otherwise fans of country music, is very good. I think the show does a good job of being authentic with the music but also choosing numbers that will appeal to more than just the hard-core country music fan base.

Product Review: MCR Safety 2235R Economy Polyvinyl Chloride Strap Indirect Ventilation General Purpose Goggle with Clear Frame and Clear Anti-Fog Lens

 

I purchased these to use in my chemistry lab. I was in a distance program that required on-campus labs in the summer. So, we did all of the labs for the semester over the course of a week. So, I had to wear these every day for hours at a time. They were very comfortable and never fogged up, even when also wearing my regular glasses. I know some reviewers did say they fogged up, but that was definitely not my experience with these. And, they are a lot less expensive than getting them through the bookstore. So, if you need safety goggles, I definitely recommend these.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Iron Man 3

 

Iron Man 3 gets unfairly (in my opinion) shit on as being one of the worst MCU movies. While I do not believe that it is as good as the original Iron Man, Avengers, Thor, or Captain America, it is definitely on par with (or even better than) movies like Iron Man 2 and Hulk (which are also not as bad as they are made out to be). It is a one-off story set after the events of The Avengers. Tony is suffering from a form of PTSD and freaked out about what he thinks is coming and what they will be up against. It does, partly, foreshadow the decisions that lead to Ultron a couple of movies down the line.

This is the eighth MCU movie (if you watch them in chronological order) and the seventh if you watch them in release order. The basic plot is that the US is being attacked by a mysterious terrorist called The Mandarin who is setting off bombs (and then hacking TV signals to brag about it). When Happy (played by Jon Favreau; not directing this time) is injured in one of the blasts, Tony challenges The Mandarin, which leads to an attack that renders Tony without a functional suit for a good chunk of the movie. The rest of the main cast includes Gweneth Paltrow as Pepper, and Don Cheadle as Rhody, each of whom has their roles expanded even more in this movie, Guy Pierce, Ben Kingsly, Rebecca Hall, James Badge Dale, Ty Simpkins, and Miguel Ferrer (in one of his final film roles).

For those who get the 4k UHD Blu-Ray, there are two discs. The UHD disc just has the movie itself, and the regular Blu-Ray has all the extras. The extras include a commentary track on the movie by the director Shane Black and the writer Drew Pearce, a 15-minute Agent Carter one-shot (basically a short movie) that shows how Peggy Carter (Hailey Atwell) becomes the director of SHIELD, 16-minutes of deleted scenes, a short gag reel, and a couple of making-of featurettes. So, not a ton, but what was included is good.

Overall, the movie is good, but not as good as some of the other MCU movies. It does further develop the characters of Tony, Pepper, and Rhody, and shows how Tony really completes the transition from selfish jackass to hero. Robert Downey Jr. is again great in his role and Ben Kingsly steals pretty much every scene he is in. Ty Simpkins also does a very good job despite being a relatively young child actor at the time. He had great chemistry with Robert Downey Jr., and the two played off each other very well. The movie is not without its flaws, but honestly, I think those are pretty minimal. There is an end-credits scene (no mid-credits scene) with Tony and Bruce Banner. It is pretty much a humorous scene, and unlike the vast majority of the MCU mid and end credits scenes, does not set up the next movie(s). I generally do think the movie is better upon a second viewing and is definitely worth watching.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 57

Day 57 was the return to the Power-90 workouts, specifically the sweat 3-4 workout and ab-ripper 200. The 3-4 sweat workout has the exact same moves as the 1-2 workout, but they are done faster, and, aside from the kicks, instead of doing two rounds of each three-move circuit, you do three.  The kicking sequence is, for some reason, kept to just two rounds. Then in ab-ripper, you do the same moves, just adding 10 reps to each move. 

The workout went okay. I did get slightly winded during the cardio portion and had to pause a couple of times during ab-ripper. And, my abs were definitely sore the next day. 

Product Review: LG BP250 DGBRLLK Blu-Ray and DVD Disc Player with Full HD Up-scaling and external HDD playback, Black (UK Plug)

 

This is a Region 2 Blu-Ray player that can be purchased through Amazon UK. Even though I live in the United States, but do have some UK releases of DVDs and blu-rays that have not been released in Region 1 (the US and Canada). Many studios are no longer putting out Region 1 discs (especially for TV shows) for anything but the big blockbuster movies, so I purchased this to have a player who can play the Region 2 (European) DVDs and blu-ray discs in my collection.

This, like the counterpart sold in the US, is a very bare-bones player. It is not Wi-Fi enabled so it does not have any streaming apps which the more expensive, higher-end players have. But it plays all my Region 2 discs just fine, and so far I have had no issues with the firmware being out of date. There is no display on the player itself, but the remote makes it easy to see information like time elapsed and time remaining. For anyone in my situation, in the United States looking for a Region 2 player, this will work fine in the US, you just need an inexpensive plug adapter that can convert a UK plug to a US plug. Once you have that, it powers fine from the 110v outlets. For those in the UK or other Region 2 countries looking for an inexpensive blu-ray player, this is a great option as long as you don't need or want a higher-end player such as a 4K Blu-Ray player,  or a player that can connect wirelessly to the internet. If you are in the US you will likely have to pay extra shipping costs to have it imported, but if you have Region 2 discs that cannot play in a region-free player (I have come across a couple), then this is a great option.

Book Review: Billy Summers

 

This is a crime/thriller novel by Stephen King about a hitman named Billy Summers, who only kills "bad" people, and takes one last job (which he is apprehensive about) to get a final payday and live out his life with a good nest egg. Believing that something is not right, he deviates from the plan, at which point things go sideways. I will not spoil the plot of the book, but it is basically three parts, the leadup to the hit where Billy dons a fake identity as a writer to set himself up in a position to make the hit, the aftermath in which he is waiting for things to cool down, and then a revenge story. There are some twists along the way that take the story in a couple of different directions, but that is the crux of it.

Unlike some of his other novels, this one does not have any supernatural elements in it, save one possible sighting of the Overlook Hotel, the haunted hotel from "The Shining" and "Doctor Sleep" (which by this point had burned down) when Billy is in Colorado. I would say that the story is more like the 11/22/63 novel (without the time travel of course) than it is to books like The Shining, The Stand, etc. The story is set in 2019 and 2020, and yes, King does mention the former guy (and, if you follow King on social media, you know he is clearly not a fan). However, unlike what the bitchy, whiny little MAGAts on Amazon would have you believe, King does not trash him on every other page. In reality, King only mentions his name a handful of times. When he does so, it is mainly in reference to characters in the book being supporters of the former guy, or characters whom Billy guesses (because of how they look and act) would be one of his supporters (usually because they are stupid and/or racist). But, if that is enough to trigger you (and probably says a lot about you), then you definitely want to steer clear of this.

I am not a hardcore devotee of King. I have read a few of his novels, some of which I really like (e.g., 11/22/63) and some I am lukewarm about (e.g., It). This is definitely in the category of one that I like. It has very good pacing and is a fairly easy read. It is just over 500 pages long but, if you are a fairly quick reader, depending on how much time you can devote to reading) you can get through it fairly quickly. I was able to get through it in less than a week reading between a half hour and an hour before bed each night. While the action in the book is pretty spread out, King does a great job of character development and setting up the action scenes so that the story does not lag too much or get too boring. I definitely recommend it.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: 300: Rise of an Empire

 

300: Rise of an Empire is set partly during the events of the original movie and mostly after the stand of King Leonidis. It is centered around Themistocles (played by Sullivan Stapleton probably best known for the series Blindspot and Strike Back) and tells a fictionalized version of the Battle of Artemisium and the Battle of Salamis, in which the Greek and Persian Navies did battle. The Persian navy is commanded by Artemisia (played by Eva Green of Casino Royale and Penny Dreadful). Lena Headey, Peter Mensah, David Wenham, Andrew Tiernan, Andrew Pleavin, and Rodrigo Santoro all reprise their roles from the first film. Heady as Queen Gorgo has a larger role in this movie than she did in 300, and Rodrigo Santoro as King Xerxes is more involved in this movie (meaning less of a background character) than he was in the first one.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the A/V quality is outstanding and there are quite a few extras. Those include about 35 minutes worth of making-of material (broken up into four featurettes), a 20-minute documentary on the real historical figures, and a short featurette on the actor's training regimen to prepare for filming the movie.

As the first movie was, this one is very violent with a lot of over-the-top dismemberment and killing. It uses a lot of slow-motion action, which does get a bit irritating sometimes. There is also quite a bit of sex and nudity, mostly involving Green who is never shy about nudity (or does not seem to be anyway). Of course, it is not a documentary so it does take liberty with, and embellishes real-life events. So, the movie is not going to give you a true history lesson, nor does it try to. It is just meant to be a blockbuster action movie that is loosely based on something that happened in history. The writing is okay, but the overall story is not as good as it was in the original movie, and the acting is good. Green is really the standout as Artemisia playing her as a ruthless and cunning warrior who counts on men to underestimate her. While I cannot say that everyone, even people who really liked the first movie, will love this, if you are a fan of action movies and do not try to overanalyze it, it is enjoyable.

Product Review: iRobot Roomba i7+ (7550) Robot Vacuum with Automatic Dirt Disposal

 

The Roomba i7+, when it works, works well. The problem is, if you get one that goes faulty, then it is a total pain. Mine has an issue in which it thinks that the bags, which if the design were better, would not be necessary, are full even when a brand new bag is in the unit, and/or thinks there is a clog in the tube that runs from the base where the robot docks to the bag when the dust bin empties. When I go to clear the clog I almost always find that there is none. Each of these causes the unit to go into kind of a locked mode. Thankfully, if I remove and then reinsert the bag the unit will unlock and it can be used again. Apparently, per an email exchange with their tech support, this is caused by an issue in which the robot and the dock do not communicate with each other correctly. If the unit is under warranty you are all good. If not, you are stuck spending $250 for a new dock/base. Of course, tech support could not assure me that the issue will not repeat itself, so for now, since I can get it to work with the removing and reinserting the bag trick, I will not purchase a new base. So, as far as pros go:

1. It has good suction power and will pick up most dirt on the floor, including edges.
2. The mapping feature is very good.
3. The app makes scheduling cleaning on a regular basis very easy.
4. It has voice assistant integration so you can use an Amazon echo (or similar) device to tell it to start cleaning.
5. The app makes it very easy to figure out how to perform maintenance like removing the brushes and so forth.

As for cons:

1. The issue with the base/dock and the robot is a big pain (if you experience it).
2. The bags are costly and, as I said, should not even be necessary. There are other self-empty robots that empties into a bin that you can just open and dump the dust into the trash.
3. The dust cup does not always empty properly which requires you to remove it and empty it by hand, which kind of defeats the purpose of the self-empty function.
5. It often gets stuck in the same place and does not learn where it gets stuck on the next run.

Overall, if you do not experience the issue with the base and the robot not communicating properly, then I would give this a solid 4 stars (as there still are enough cons to keep me from giving it a five-star rating). I rate this 2.5 stars because I can work around the issue with the base, but it does make using it harder than it should be, which definitely knocks it down from my otherwise four-star rating. For a unit that is as costly as it is, it should not have nearly as many issues as it does.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Client List: Season 2

 

+++Warning, this contains a minor spoiler from season one, but no major season two giveaways.+++

Season two of The Client List picks up with the police arriving in the middle of Rile and Kyle's argument. Riley, thinking the corrupt officer from season one is coming for her thinks she is going to get arrested, only for Kyle to be the one taken away. As the season plays out we get the obligatory love triangle between Riley, Evan, and Kyle, and Riley taking on more responsibility at The Rub, basically as the manager and quasi-owner. All while trying to avoid the police and competition from the owner of the local strip club. The actual Client List, with the names of all the clients of The Rub, becomes a MacGuffin throughout the season as all sorts of shady characters are trying to track it down.

The DVD release is just a MOD release with the episodes and no extras. You definitely want to check your discs as in my first set, disc two, even though it was labeled correctly had the episodes from disc one.

Overall, the series is good, but not great. It does not have any nudity but does show off Jennifer Love Hewitt's cleavage at every opportunity, and it, of course, has a lot of sexual content. So, it is not family-friendly in the least. It is definitely a cable soap opera and some of the plot lines are eye-roll-inducing. But, it pretty much stays in its lane and does not take itself too seriously. It does end on a cliffhanger that will never be resolved given that the show was canceled after the second season after Jennifer Love Hewitt's pregnancy and a reported dispute over who the father of a fictional child would be in the show. That said, it is not a major cliffhanger and so it is not really a disappointing end to the series even though it was not intended to be the end. It is a guilty pleasure show, and if you liked season one, you will probably like season two.

Study Aid Review: The Linear Algebra Tutor - Volume 1

 

This is the first of a two-volume set on Linear Algebra that Jason has put out (in addition to his Matrix Algebra tutor, which contains the introduction to Matrix algebra that students generally get in a college algebra course). In this set, Jason does a quick review of the introductory material and then gets into the content that you will get at the beginning of an introduction to linear algebra course (sometimes called elementary linear algebra or something like that). After going through the "basics" such as n-tuples, matrix arithmetic and multiplication, the dot product, and how vectors and matrices are related, he has several sections on solving systems of equations using both row-reduction methods and using inverse matrices. The second method will be used a lot in engineering courses as multiple classes (like Statics, Dynamics, Circuits, etc.) all require solving systems of equations, which is much easier when using inverse matrices.

To be clear, this set (and even combined with volume 2) does not cover 100% of what you will see in class. They do cover the big topics, but they are meant to be a study aid, not a replacement for going to class. This is best for people who are visual learners who learn best by watching examples. Obviously, you cannot interact via DVD, just rewatch and hope the concepts sink in. But, it is much less expensive than using a live tutor. So, there is a bit of a tradeoff. If used correctly, these will absolutely help you learn the material, and if you are taking a class, will help you boost your grade.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Breaking Bad: The Complete Series

 

Breaking Bad was the iconic series about a high-school chemistry teacher named Walter White (played wonderfully by Bryan Cranston) who finds out he has terminal cancer and decides to start manufacturing meth with a former student named Jesse Pinkman (played by Aaron Paul) so he can make enough money to set up his family for life. Throughout the course of the series, Walter transforms from a guy who is in over his head to a horrible character with almost no redeeming qualities who uses everyone around him. The series also stars Anna Gunn as Walter's wife, Skyler, Dean Norris as Walter's brother-in-law Hank, who is also a DEA agent who ends up looking for the mysterious new meth dealer, Betsy Brandt, as Walter's sister-in-law Marie, RJ Mitte as Walter Jr. Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo "Gus" Fring, a local drug kingpin with a cover as a business owner, Bob Odenkirk as the criminal lawyer, Saul Goodman, and Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut, an enforcer for Gus and private investigator for Saul. The last three also appear on the great spin-off series Better Call Saul.

Where the set really shines is with the extras. There are hours of extras for each season including behind-the-scenes featurettes, commentary tracks on select episodes, episodes of "Inside Breaking Bad" the post-show wrap-up that aired after many of the episodes, music videos, gag reels, photo albums, deleted and extended scenes, character profiles, a hilarious alternate ending to the series, and more. So, if you love the show and you love watching the bonus material, there is a ton here for you.

The series is widely regarded as one of the best shows of the 2010s. It was wonderfully written and very well acted, by everyone in the main cast and the guest cast. Cranston did a great job of transitioning Walter from a wimp to a monster over the course of the series, and Aaron Paul did a wonderful job playing Jessee as a guy who got in too deep with Walter and portraying Jesse's love-hate feelings toward Walter whom he saw as a father figure, yet knew only cared about himself and money. The series really boils down to the power of greed, and how it corrupts. Even though it has been off the air for nearly a decade, the show holds up very well and is definitely worth the investment. It had a lot fewer shows than many shows that stay on the air for five seasons get (just 62 total episodes), but it told a great story and if you are a fan of crime dramas, it is a must-watch.

Product Review: Fasmov Set of 4 DVD Storage Bags

 

If you are one who still gets DVDs or Blu-Rays these are almost a must-have if you need to move them. Each one holds approximately 35-40 discs, depending on the size of the case. It can hold most box sets, but cannot hold sets that are very oversized (like the M*A*S*H martinis and medicines collection). There are a couple of plastic dividers inside that essentially sections off the interior. They are needed for stability, but they can sometimes limit the number of discs that will fit if you put discs in any particular order. They are fairly sturdy, but you do want to pick them up using both handles otherwise they can rip. I find these much more convenient than using moving boxes as those can get quite heavy. These are very easy to carry and store. Definitely worth the pickup.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 56

Day 56 was the recharge workout. I would say that my flexibility level is the same as it has been for the past couple of weeks. No additional progress. That may change now that I am going back to the power-90 workouts and will get a bit more yoga on the cardio days.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 55

Day 55 was the last Burn it Off workout for this round. It went fine, again pretty much as the past few times I have done the workout. I actually swapped out a couple of the exercises in the workout with moves from Insanity to get a little better cardio effect, which I think makes the workout a bit better.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 54

Day 54 was the final Push Circuit 3 workout for this round. In this workout, I was able to hit the eight rep max for five of the nine exercises. During the four weeks of the Push phase, I was able to increase the amount of weight on just one of the exercises, but if I had one additional week I would finally be bumping up the weight on some. But, I was using between 22.5 pounds and 45 pounds during this workout, so I was lifting pretty heavy (for me anyway) from the get go.

DVD/Movie Review: The Guitar

 

The Guitar is an independent movie from 2008 directed by Amy Redford (Robert Redford's daughter) that involves a woman named Melody Wilder (played by Saffron Burrows) who finds out that she has terminal cancer. After losing her job and having her boyfriend walk out on her, she decides to live it up as much as possible, maxing out her credit cards, buying everything in sight, and getting into sexual relationships with a couple of delivery people played by Isaach De Bankolé and the crazy-hot Paz De La Huerta (probably first known for the great movie The Cider House Rules, then the series Boardwalk Empire, and a bunch of indie movies). During all of this, Melody teaches herself how to play the guitar, which is something she always has wanted to do.

The premise of the movie is good, but the execution is a bit off. Of course, you have to suspend your disbelief to think that a person who is diagnosed with terminal cancer is going to be able to rent out a high-end loft and is likely to get a bunch of credit cards (the latter probably being easier than the former). Plus, she does not appear sick until the end of the movie. Having known someone with throat cancer, that is not remotely close to real life. But, you have to accept that you are watching a movie and not a documentary. Certainly, the idea that someone in that position would say (or think) "screw it; I am going to do what I want with the time I have left" is not far-fetched, the issues with the movie are that the pacing can be slow and the dialog can be really dumb at times.

For those who get the DVD, it just has the movie itself. No extras. The DVD is now out of print, so it is expensive to get new. I am not sure if it is on any of the major streaming services, but you can probably find it if you look hard enough. It definitely has the feel of a small-budget independent movie, so if you do not like those generally, this is probably not going to be your proverbial cup of tea. It does have some sexual content and nudity in it, but that does not dominate the plot. I would not classify it as a must-see, but I do not think it is as bad as some make it out to be.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: American Hustle

 

American Hustle is loosely based on a sting operation that the FBI executed back in the late 1970s to early 1980s to take down a bunch of corrupt politicians. It stars Christian Bale and Amy Adams as a pair of scam artists who get caught by an FBI agent (played by Bradley Cooper) in a loan scam who offers to let them off the hook if they help him take down bigger targets. Jennifer Lawrence plays Bale's erratic wife who threatens to report him to the police if he leaves her. The movie is mostly a blend of drama and dark comedy that is kind of a heist/takedown movie with some romance (basically a love rectangle) mixed in.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the extras are pretty meager and include about 25 minutes of deleted scenes and a 16-minute making-of featurette. There are also some previews for other Sony movies. What was included was okay, but it definitely did not get a ton of extras, especially for a movie that had as much Oscar buzz as it did.

Overall, I would say that the movie is good, but not as good as some make it out to be. It does have a great cast and Cooper, Adams, Bale, and Lawrence all nail their roles. Bale, who can get into about any shape that is needed for a role is nearly unrecognizable overweight and balding. Adams does probably her best work (at least that I have seen) in this movie and both her and Lawrence are extremely funny, and Cooper is great as a crazy FBI agent. Where the movie loses me a bit is the pacing and the plot lines that kind of jump around. It is definitely a movie that you have to pay attention to constantly to follow what is going on.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Masters of Sex: Season 1

 

Masters of Sex is a fictionalized telling of the famous Masters and Johnson sex study. It stars Michael Sheen as William Masters who is a physician and researcher at Washington University in Missouri. He proposes to launch a study on human sexuality. Of course, this being the 1950s in an extremely conservative state, his proposal is shot down, but he starts the study in secret, hiring Virginia Johnson (played wonderfully by Lizzy Caplan), as his assistant. They recruit a variety of people including prostitutes, hospital staff, and intrigued couples. Despite the title, the show is definitely not tawdry. There is a lot of sex and nudity, of course, but much of the focus of the show is on the interrelationships between various characters and shows the toll that the research takes on the personal lives of both Masters and Johnson, especially Masters' relationship with his wife Libby (played by Caitlin Fitzgerald) who is unable to conceive a child, and Virginia's kids missing their mother. The show has a strong supporting cast that has a mix of recognizable, but not necessarily well-known actors such as Teddy Sears, Nicholas D'Agosto, Annaleigh Ashford, and Rose McIver, and established actors such as Beau Bridges and Allison Janney.

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, the 12 episodes are spread over four discs. The extras include a commentary track on the pilot episode with Sheen, Caplan, Fitzgerald, Sears, series creator Michelle Ashford, and executive producer Sarah Timberman, about thirteen minutes of deleted scenes, and a series of making-of featurettes that total over twenty-five minutes between them all that include interviews with the cast and showrunners. So, not a ton of extras, but what was included was good.

Overall, the show is very well-written and acted. The show not only tackles the subject of sex and the stigma that it had not only in the 1950s but really exists to this day, but it also touched on the topics of racism, homosexuality, misogyny, and more. There is a lot of nudity, sexual content, and swearing, but chances are people who would not want to see that kind of stuff are not likely to be considering purchasing this anyway. But, needless to say, it is not something that is a family-friendly show. While it does fall into the category of a docu-drama, the show does embellish some things about the actual events, so if you are looking for something that is more documentary than drama, this is not it. But, if you are looking for a good, well-acted adult drama, this is definitely worth checking out.

Just as a note, the series had a total of four seasons. The first two were released on Blu-Ray individually in the US, the third and fourth were not. The entire series was released as a Blu-Ray box set that has the same extras and bonus material as the first and second season individual releases. So, if you get this and then want the entire series, you would have to double dip.

Product Review: GLAD ForceFlexPlus XL X-Large Kitchen Drawstring Trash Bags - 20 Gallon Grey Trash Bag

 

These are good drawstrings trash bags. They are also scented so it can help mask, but not totally eliminate, the smell of rotting food, if you put food scraps in the garbage. My only gripe is that I have a garbage can that is very tall. The Simple Human type P bags (which are no longer available as a subscribe and save item) were a perfect fit for that can and these, while the largest that I could find comparable to those, are a bit smaller. For most cans, however, this will be just fine.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

 

Anchorman 2 brings back the entire cast of the first movie and sets them in the 1980s. In this movie, Ron Burgandy's (Will Ferrell) career is in a rut while Veronica's (Christina Applegate) is flourishing. Ron ends up at GNN (a riff on precisely what you think) a new 24-hour news network. He becomes a hit in the late-night timeslot, and hilarity (sometimes) ensues. There are two versions of the movie, the theatrical cut and an R-Rated cut that adds 25 minutes of running time to the movie and has many harder-edged jokes.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, there are a ton of extras. There is a commentary track on the R-rated version of the movie, about an hour of behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes, about 20-minutes of table reads, a two-part gag reel, deleted scenes, and over an hour and a half of extended and alternate scenes. So, you get a lot of bonus features if you like watching them.

Overall, the movie is good, but not as good as the first. It does have some funny moments for sure, and Christina Applegate is great in it, but I do not think it is as consistently funny as the first movie was. There were some good additions to the cast including Kristen Wig, James Marsden, and Megan Good, and there are a bunch of character actors that you see in many of the SNL comedies and Apatow's movies. There are also a bunch of cameos from A-listers including Will Smith, Liam Neeson, Amy Poehler, Kirsten Dunst, Tina Fey, Jim Carrey, and more. The movie was definitely commercialized and did copy some from the first movie, but in general, I would say if you liked the original, you will probably like this one too.

Product Review: Ziploc Gallon Food Storage Bags

 

You get more bags for a better price than you can get purchasing them in a regular store. And you do not have to buy in bulk and get way more than you need at a time (and have to figure out how to store the extras) if you get them at a warehouse club. Otherwise, they are the same bags (the non-slider version) that you can get in any store and perform exactly the same. It is just a much better deal.

Product Review: JFJ Easy Pro Video Game, CD, DVD, Blu-Ray Repair Machine

 

This does work to get discs that are unplayable back to working order. But, it is definitely messy having to sand then doing the buffing and polishing. Just be aware of that. Plus, the amount of buffing solution they provide is pretty small, and replacement is costly (to use the JFJ brand). Plus, you will have to replace the sandpaper pads once you use them a couple of times. So, this is not a one-time purchase. But, if you have a large collection of physical media, this is a good option if the discs get scratched up.

Video Game Review: Batman: Arkham Origins

 

This is the third game in the Arkham series of Batman games. It is actually a prequel to Arkham asylum set eight years before that game when Batman was still early on in his career. The gameplay and graphics are awesome and keep getting better as more games are released. It is much more challenging than the first two games, which in a way makes sense. If Batman is in his second-year things are going to be harder for him than when he has been fighting crime for eight or nine years. The one nitpicky point is that Batman can do things in this game that he did not do in the other games, set after this one. I get that they want to keep updating the games to make them more exciting and fun, but really at this point in the timeline, Batman should be working with less advanced gadgets and have less ability than he does later on. The only disappointing thing about the game is that Kevin Conroy did not return to voice Bruce/Batman, but Roger Smith did a good job with the voice work. So, if you are a fan of the Arkham games, this is a must-play.

Study Aid Review: The Laplace Transform Tutor

 

Laplace Transforms are mainly used as a technique for solving some types of differential equations. If you are a math major and have to take differential equations as a semester-long class you will definitely see it there, and if you are an engineering major that has to take the intro to differential equations class (either as a separate class from intro to linear algebra or in a class that combines the two) you will usually have a couple of lectures on Laplace transforms. If you get good instruction on how to do problems involving Laplace Transforms they are not all that hard. If however, your instructor just glosses over them, they can be very tricky.

In this set, Jason introduces the concept of Laplace Transforms, how to derive the basic transforms, then provides a table of transforms (which is generally what you will be allowed to use in class if you need the more advanced transforms). Then he solves a bunch of problems using the Laplace Transforms, including solving several differential equations. As he does in his other math and science sets, Jason goes through everything step-by-step. He does assume that you have the math skills needed to be at this point (so having taken algebra, pre-calc, and calculus I and II). He does not do a recap of the math, but since he rarely skips steps in solving problems (and never does in the first couple of examples he shows on a topic) you do get a bit of a refresher anyway.

Laplace Transforms is a topic that will come up at least a few times depending on what branch of science or engineering you go into. I was an electrical engineering major and I definitely had to use it extensively in one of my higher-level classes and a bit lighter in a couple of other classes. Unfortunately, I did not have a good grasp on the topic after my Calc 4 class (which is where I was introduced to the topic), so I got this to really figure it out. So, if you are a visual learner who learns best by watching sample problems being worked out, this is a great study aid.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Lost: Season 6

 

+++Warning, this contains minor spoilers from the prior season, but no major season six giveaways+++

The final season of Lost starts out back on the (seemingly) doomed flight that started the entire series. But, we find out that as a result of the hydrogen bomb that was detonated at the end of the fifth season, there are now two realities, one in which the plane never crashed and one in which it did. So, after doing flashbacks and flashforwards, this season does a "flash sideways" going between the alternate realities and seeing how the characters come out in each one. The season pays off the reveal of the smoke monster and basically reveals all about the supernatural aspect of the island. The end of the series works out to be a bit of a thought experiment (or at least a good discussion point) when it reveals what we are seeing in the flash sideways, and the last shot of the series is a nice bookend to the opening shot in the first season.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the A/V quality is again stellar, with the show looking and sounding as good as pretty much any movie. For extras, there are commentary tracks on four episodes, a 40-minute making-of documentary for the final season, an 8-minute recap of the series up to season six, and a few short (under 10 minutes in length) behind-the-scenes featurettes. There is also a series epilogue which ties up a couple of things that the series finale did not. So, all in all, a good amount of bonus material if you like watching the extras.

Overall, the final season was very good. The show ran hot and cold for a lot of people, with many fans disappointed (or downright mad) at how slowly everything played out. I do think being able to binge-watch the series (whether on disc or via streaming) does help with that and makes things easier to follow and, as a result, the series makes more sense. While the ending surely did not and will not appeal to everyone, I do think it was well done, even if not every character got a happily ever after ending. It goes without saying that you definitely cannot jump right into the final season and hope to understand what is going on. The show definitely has a serial storyline that has to be watched from beginning to end. It is, in my opinion, one of the best sci-fi/supernatural thrillers to be on TV in recent memory, and is definitely worth the time to watch.