Product Review: ProTapes Artist Tape Flatback Printable Paper Board or Console Tape

 

I used this to make labels for drawers on a craft cabinet that I was using to store electronic components for my electrical engineering labs. Basically, I could put components like LEDs, resistors and capacitors of different values, etc., in the drawers and then mark the drawers so I could easily find what I needed. For that kind of thing, this works great as it adheres to the plastic well, and it is easy to write on. So, for that kind of thing, this works great.

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

 

The first season of Gotham included 22 episodes that aired during the 2014-2015 TV season. The story of Bruce Wayne/Batman has been told countless multiple times in live-action. In most versions, we see the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne in front of a young Bruce Wayne and then flash forward to his decision to become Batman (or once he is Batman). Of course, that pretty much has to be done in the movies so you can have an actual Batman movie. None of the movies or TV shows have told the story of what happened to Bruce as he was growing up, until now. Gotham is an origin story for Gotham City itself as well as the villains whom Batman would ultimately come to face when he grew up. The easy comparison to make is to Smallville, which showed a teenage Clark Kent before he became Superman. Here, a young Bruce Wayne, played by David Mazouz, has to deal with the trauma of the death of his parents, try to be a kid, and start his journey toward becoming a vigilante with the help of his butler, Alfred (played by Sean Pertwee). The rest of the first season cast included Ben McKenzie, Robin Lord Taylor, Carmen Bicondova, Erin Richards, Morena Caccarin, Cory Michael Smith, Donal Logue, Jada Pinkett Smith, Drew Powell, and had recurring characters including Carol Kane, and Peter Scolari.

The focus of the first season is really on the criminal underworld of Gotham, not controlled by Supervillains but by mobsters staking out their turf and the corrupt police department that largely looks the other way. At this point in the story Jim Gordon (played by The O.C.'s Ben Makenzie) is a rookie detective, paired with a grizzled veteran Harvey Bullock (played by Donal Logue). Bullock is one of the loo the other way cops, who sometimes dabbles in being corrupt, and of course, Gordon refuses to do either. The show is in part a case-of-the-week procedural and also has some serial arcs that play out throughout the season. The large ones this season involve mobsters Fish Mooney (played by Jada Pinkett Smith) who has ambitions beyond being an associate of mob boss Carmine Falcone (played by the recognizable character actor John Doman). We also get the introduction of the iconic bad guys including Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor), Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith), and Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova ). The show also has a very strong supporting and recurring cast including Morena Baccarin (from Firefly), Erin Richards, Drew Powell, Carol Kane, Peter Scolari, and more. There are also some swerves and misdirection when it comes to some characters. The season ends with a couple of cliffhangers and a couple of reveals that will set up season two and beyond.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the show looks and sounds great in HD. The show uses a mix of practical and special effects and everything looks seamless. The Blu-Ray set is a four-disc set. Each disc has deleted scenes for the episodes on that particular disc. All the other extras are on the fourth disc, including a three-part making-of featurette that lasts about a half hour. Then there is a 20-minute feature on designing the look of the series, a 26-minute feature on Penguin, and a 21-minute series of short web featurettes which has more cast interviews. Then there is a DC night at comic-con, a feature that lasts about half an hour and includes material from the other series, Flash, Arrow, and Constantine. Finally, there is a short gag reel.

Overall, the season is very good. Obviously, this is not a Batman show, as David Mazouz was just 12 or 13 when the season was filmed. In fact, while Bruce appeared in every episode, he was not always a focus of the episodes and was often just an ancillary character. While the show was on the air at the same time as Arrow, it was, aside from a blink and you'll miss it Queen Consolidated logo in the pilot, was never established as being in the Arrowverse. In fact, it is not clear exactly what time the show was set in as all of the cars in the show are older but they have cell phones. The show is well written and very well acted, with Mackenzie and Louge doing much of the heavy lifting on the "good guy" side of things. There are definitely some elements from the comics that are incorporated, but the show also aims to tell its own story and not be a carbon copy of any other variations of Batman. It is definitely worth watching.

Product Review: mediaxpo 25 Standard Single DVD Cases, 14mm, Black

 

lucky at least one or two cases will come cracked. If you are just looking for something to hold loose CDs or DVDs that you have burned then this gets the job done. If you want something to replace a broken DVD case, I would not pick these as they are probably less sturdy than the original case and just as likely to break in the future.

Product Review: Solder Sucker- desoldering pump

 

It does take some practice to be able to use it effectively. Mostly, to figure out the angle to hold it at when using it. I suggest watching some videos on desoldering a couple of times to get a feel for how to use one of these (if you are a beginner at soldering anyway). Once you get the hang of how to use a solder sucker, it is much easier to use than a solder wick and much more effective.

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

Today was the sweat 1-2 workout. I had to modify a lot today because I had to do the workout late, after dinner with family, so I was not able to do it on my normally empty stomach right after work. But, I pushed as much as I could without throwing up. But, it definitely was not my best workout.

Study Aid Review: Engineering Mechanics Statics Tutor - Volume 1

 

Statics is a course that is technically a part of the Mechanical Engineering curriculum, but it is one of the classes that every engineering major, regardless of what program they are in, has to take. It is generally taken after Physics I and II, and basically takes the static equilibrium problems (the problems about forces acting on things that are not moving), makes them harder, and gives you a full semester of them. Needless to say, it was not my favorite course (especially as an electrical engineering major).

This covers what amounts to the material that is covered in the first 2-3 weeks of statics. The first few lessons are review (a review of Newton's Laws, units, and a review of trigonometry, which is used extensively in Statics), then gets into the material that you will hit the ground with on day 1 of class. The material covered in this set includes adding vectors and resolving forces in two and three dimensions and finding resultant forces, etc., Basically, the material that is the foundation of the class and used in every topic going forward. As I said above, this set does not cover anything close to all of the material that you will see in the full semester. It will basically get you through your first couple of homework assignments and quizzes, but that is about it. But, it is also the material that, if you are struggling with it, you will have no shot at doing well for the rest of the class. So, while it would be nice to have a volume 2 and probably 3 available, this will still help you. I would actually pick this up before you start taking Statics, learn this material backward and forward, and it will set you up well for the rest of the class.

DVD/TV Series Review: Covert Affairs: Season 5

 

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

The final season of Covert Affairs picks up four months after Annie killed Henry Wilcox. She has been living off the grid but comes back into the CIA after threats of a terrorist attack arise. In doing so, she is hiding a respiratory condition that affects her ability to do her job. The show continues to be a blend of procedural, case-of-the-week shows with larger arcs that span throughout the season. This season sees Auggie's hacker ex-girlfriend Natasha brought back for a significant story arc. The show does feature the typical twists and turns and given that it is the final season it does a decent job at tying up the storylines of the various characters. Even though there was a slight possibility of it being picked up for another season by the time the season ended, the writers definitely used the final episode to get the characters in a place where life for them would go on and did not end the season on a major cliffhanger that would never be resolved.

For those who get the DVD set, there are only a couple of extras. There are some deleted scenes and a gag reel. It would have been nice if there were some cast interviews, something like a series retrospective, etc. But, this was just a very bare-bones DVD release.

Overall, the final season did a good job wrapping up the series. It was nice that Oded Fehr was brought back to reprise his role as Mossad agent Eyal Lavin for a couple of episodes. One thing that was definitely missing was finding a way to include Danielle for at least an appearance in the series finale. I am not sure if Anne Dudek's schedule just did not work out, or if she was never in the plans. But, given that the first two seasons focused so much on Annie and Danielle's relationship, it would have been nice to have a cameo appearance from Dudek. Aside from that, I think the writers did a good job wrapping up the show and gave everyone in the ensemble cast good storylines. I do think that the first two seasons of the show were the best, but if you stuck with it after that, the final season is still worth checking out.

Product Review: Filtrete Clean Living Basic Dust Filter, MPR 300, 16 x 25 x 1-Inches 6-Pack

 

This is a decent filter, especially if you have an older furnace that could not really utilize the more expensive filters. My furnace is about 20 years old and has been on its last legs for a few years. It still works, but the better filters that can trap pretty much every particle are a waste of money in it because they cannot provide good enough airflow through those. So, I have to use the more basic filters. This is not the most basic of the bunch, but it is pretty close. It is a good deal for six of them.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Bridge: Season 2

 

Season one of the Bridge was pretty closely aligned with the original source material, i.e., the Danish show from which it was adapted. Of course, it added other elements in specific to the Juarez-El Paso border, specifically, the police corruption in Mexico, the drug cartels, and the illegal border crossing to bolster the main murder mystery. Of course, that was resolved in season one, so in season two, the focus of the series shifts to the side stories of season one. So, this season really gets into the Mexican police corruption and the cartels. Where Marco (Demián Bichir) was the outsider in season one with the bulk of the show being set in El Paso, this time Sonya ( Diane Kruger ) is the outsider in Mexico for much of the season. This season also sees Franka Potente added to the cast as a fixer for the cartel named Eleanor Nacht who comes to El Paso and leaves a trail of bodies in her wake.

Unlike the season one release, which did get a Blu-Ray release, season two was only released on DVD. It got caught up in the physical media shifting from Blu-Ray back to DVD for many TV series because of lackluster Blu-Ray sales. So, unless the show was massively popular and had good overall physical media sales, they were no longer getting Blu-Ray releases. That said, the DVD set does have a handful of extras, including a couple of making-of featurettes and deleted scenes. So, it was more than just a MOD set which a lot of Fox series have become if they even get a DVD release.

Overall, the season was good but rushed. I believe the series was canceled before the season finished filming, so it seems like the writers crammed a bunch of material into the second half of the season to wrap up as many of the storylines as possible. But, it definitely does not feel like that show ever got a true series finale. So, while it is worth watching, it may not be a satisfying ending for you.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 89

Day 89 was the sculpt 1-2 workout again. I was able to hit the 10 rep max on a couple more exercises, and there were a couple of exercises that had the weight increased from the last workout. Overall, I felt strong during the workout and was able to maintain a good pace.

Book Review: Make: Electronics

 

This is a great book both for those who just want to get into making electronics and for the beginning electrical engineering student who wants to put the theory from class into practice. This book introduces the basics of the theory like Ohms law and then shows you how to assemble actual circuits and basic devices to see how things work in the real world. The author tells you what components and supplies you will need and walks through assembling different types of circuits. You can assemble them on a breadboard or actually solder components onto a circuit board.

One thing you will find if you are an electrical engineering student, you learn all this material in class and learn how to draw circuit diagrams, but when you get to the point of doing labs you have no idea how to actually hook up components. If you are taking classes on campus and have a TA right there to help you, it is not a big deal. But, if you are in a distance/online program, you are kind of on your own and it is not something that is completely intuitive. This will help you figure that out. It has a lot of good illustrations and corresponding explanations. So, whether you are a beginner electronics enthusiast or taking actual classes, this will definitely be helpful.

Product Review: Whey Protein Powder | Six Star Whey Protein Plus

 

This does taste fairly well for a protein powder, especially if you blend it as opposed to using a shaker cup. It does give you a decent amount of protein per scoop, but just be aware that there are 18 servings per container, so even if you just do one scoop every day, it is not going to last a month, so that may be a deal breaker, especially given the cost. Also, you are going to be paying for creatine as well, which may not be something you want. Finally, it does have high-fructose corn syrup, which is one of the worst ingredients in any product. Granted, it is at the bottom of the list of ingredients, so it is not as bad as it could be, but if you try to avoid that as much as possible, just be aware that this has some amount in it.

Product Review: Creatine Powder | Six Star Creatine X3 | Creatine HCl + Creatine Monohydrate Powder

 

I am one for whom creatine, unfortunately, does not do much. I had tried just regular creatine monohydrate powder, mixed in all kinds of liquids, and that did not help me with muscle building, so I got this to see if the creatine mixed with sugar did anything more. Unfortunately, it did not. It tastes pretty good and mixes well even just in a regular 20 oz water bottle that you shake up. But, all it seemed to do for me is get me extra sugar, but I never did see any significant muscle gain.

Product Review: Zantrex-3

 

I cannot say that this did anything for me good or bad, either as a pre-workout supplement to give an energy boost or as a weight loss supplement. I never did feel jittery or get an elevated heart rate like others have noted, nor did I lose any weight incorporating it into my nutrition and workout regime. I used it when I had been on a pretty regimented nutrition plan and was working out daily, but had hit a bit of a weight loss plateau, and this did not really do anything to bust through that. It also did not have an effect on my mood or anything like that. So, I did not get any of the good effects but thankfully none of the bad ones either.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 88

Day 88 was the sweat 3-4 workout and abs. Yesterday I took a total rest day from working out, so not even doing the recharge workout. This one went okay, but I did get a bit tired during the workout, so I had to pause a couple of times. The abs workout went well, however, and I was able to get through that without pausing or stopping aside from taking just a few seconds between the various exercises. 

Product Review: Six Star Pro Nutrition Elite Series Casein, Triple Chocolate, 1.5 Pound

 

This is an excellent tasting slow digesting protein. It is a bit misleading in that the serving size is one scoop but on the front, it says 50g of protein in huge letters and then in smaller type below that, per two scoops. Realistically, most people really only need 25g of protein at a time because much above that will just get peed out. I think it is best either with ice cold water or milk, blended in a blender instead of a shaker cup. It does have some carbs in it, some BCAAs, and a "muscle and strength builder". The latter is likely some form of creatine, but the label is not specific. It says that you can take it between meals or before bed. I always take Caesin protein just before bed to help muscle repair overnight. It is no longer in stock, but it worked well so if you can find the updated version, it is a good choice.

DVD/TV Series Review: Hawaii Five-O (2010): The Fourth Season

 

+++Warning, my review contains spoilers from season three but no major season four giveaways.+++

The 24-episode fourth season of Hawaii Five-0 aired during the 2013/2014 TV season. Season four picks up immediately after the events that ended season three, with the ambush in Wo-Fat's cell. Of course, Steve makes it out and manages to arrest one of the gunmen. This eventually leads to a standoff with a group called NLM, who take hostages at the Palace to secure the release of the gunman. The story also ties directly to Kono and Adam's storyline in which they are hiding out in Japan. Obviously, the team is reunited, and then the story-of-the-week procedural aspect starts to play out again. This season sees a couple of notable additions to the cast. First, Chi McBride (from Pushing Daises) joins the cast as Lou Grover, a former Chicago cop who joins the Hawaii SWAT team and clashes with Five-0. He is initially a recurring character but gets upped to a series regular partway through the season. Also, Jorge Garcia (from Lost) joins the cast as a local conspiracy theorist named Jerry, who acts as a consultant for the team. This season does not really have a huge cliffhanger the way seasons two and three do, but it is more of a storyline transition.

Unfortunately, from season four onward, the season sets were only released on DVD despite the first three seasons being released on Blu-Ray. For those who follow the physical media market well know, physical disc sales, (especially Blu-Ray sales) for TV series sets have always been notoriously bad, so around 2013-2014, all but the most popular shows or special effect heavy shows were no longer released on Blu-Ray and either just did not get a physical media release, or was just released on DVD. While the show still does look good, especially when played on a Blu-Ray or 4k player that will upscale the video, it is a step down from true HD. Fortunately, this was released at a time when they were still including a significant amount of extras on the disc sets. The DVD set is a six-disc set with extras, including commentary tracks on select episodes, several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, a featurette on Chi McBride's character, deleted scenes, and a gag reel, among others.

Overall, the show continues to be good. The large ensemble cast is juggled well, but clearly, Steve and Danny are the two main characters, and Alex O'Laughlin and Scott Caan have great chemistry. The guest cast this season is good as well, with Henry Ian Cusick (from Lost), Nick Jonas, Terry O'Quinn, Robert Knepper (from Prison Break), Michael Madsen, and Melanie Griffith, among others making appearances. Some good episodes focus on Danny and Grace's relationship, as well as involving Lou's family. If you have been a fan of the show for the first few seasons, it is definitely worth watching.

Product Review: Oxford 31EE Ruled Index Cards, 3" x 5", White, 1,000 Cards (10 Packs of 100)

 

This may give you more index cards than you will need, but if you do things like write down recipes or make flashcards to study from, this is a great value. A much better value than purchasing them in a regular store.

Product Review: Elenco Electronics LEDK-80 80 pc LED Component Kit

 

I purchased this kit to have extra LEDs for my various circuits and electronics labs when I was in a distance learning electrical engineering program. It was helpful to have extras since I was not on campus to go to the physical lab with plenty of components. This is a good assortment of colored LEDs and does have a handful of blinking LEDs in the kit. This is probably more than anyone other than an electronics enthusiast who builds electronic devices, but if you need LEDs this will give you a good assortment, and I never came across a defective one in the bunch.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Hawaii Five-0: Season 3

 

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

The 24-episode third season of Hawaii Five-0 aired during the 2012/2013 TV season. The season picks up immediately after the events of the season two finale. We find out the fates of Kono and Malia, who were kidnapped by the dirty cop Frank Delano. We also get the reveal of Steve's mother, Doris (played by Christine Lahti), after the big reveal that she was alive, and find out that she faked her death for a reason that reverberates throughout the season. From there, the show reverts to its story of the week format with the serial arcs being intertwined throughout the season. Of course, the relationship between Steve and Doris is a huge part of the story as their reunion does not go swimmingly. There are two big throwbacks to the original series this season. One is a remake of the episode Hookman, which was directed by and guest-starred Peter Weller (of Robocop fame) that uses some of the same shooting locations that were used in the episode of the original series. And, Ed Asner's character from the original series was brought back in a case that involved art theft. Michelle Borth was promoted to a series regular this season, and Terry O'Quinn made several appearances as Joe White. There were also several notable guest stars this season including Carlos Bernard (from 24), George Takei (from the original Star Trek), Terrence Howard, Jimmy Buffett, and Rumor Willis playing a love interest for Max. The series ends on a couple of different cliffhangers, one involving Steve and one involving Kono and Adam.

The Blu-Ray set is a six-disc. The set includes a lot of extras, including deleted scenes, a feature on the Hookman episode, an audio commentary on Hookman, and a commentary track on Pa'Ani. Then there are two season-three specific making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes that each run 20+ minutes, a script-to-screen supplement that looks at the process of making an episode, a feature on the worldwide fan base of the show, and a nine-minute gag reel.

Overall, the season is very good. While the storyline with Steve and Doris is the focus of the season, this season gives Kono a significant storyline, and Grace Park does a great job. As does Ian Anthony Dale who has a large part in that story arc despite still being a recurring character. There are also a couple of episodes that incorporate Danny's daughter, Grace (Teilor Grubbs) into the storylines now that she is getting older, which also gives Danny more to do than just be Steve's bickering sidekick. The show is still action-heavy, but blends in drama, humor, and suspense and has a huge family theme. It is well-written and very well acted. So, if you liked the first couple of seasons, this is definitely worth the pickup.

Product Review: Crystal Light Green Tea Peach Mango Drink Mix On The Go 10-0.08 oz packets (6 Pack)

 

As most people who like crystal light are probably aware, the price in regular stores can fluctuate quite a bit, and the stock can be very limited, so there are times when your favorite flavors are not available. This allows you to get six boxes at a decent price. Note, this is the Peach Mango Green Tea which is different than the caffeinated Peach Mango version. The two taste similar, but not quite the same. The good thing about this one is that I can drink it any time of day without worrying about having too much caffeine keeping me up at night.

Study Aid Review: Schaum’s Outline of Feedback and Control Systems, 3rd Edition

 

As most engineering students know, Schaum's study guides can vary in both quality and function. Some are basically just a problems repository giving only minimal theory and then have a bunch of problems, while others do try to teach you the material and like textbooks will give the background/theory (but less than the regular textbooks go through) and then have problem sets. This guide is more like the latter

This guide is for a control systems class which is a class that pretty much every engineering major has a version of. The chapters are divided up into sections, and each section is enough theory to learn the material and it is presented in a more straightforward and concise manner than the textbook I used. One thing I like is that there is an entire chapter focused on designing control systems, which my professor loved and tested on quite heavily. So, I was able to get a lot of practice with design problems which helped immensely. So, if you are looking for a supplement for a control systems class, this is a good one to use.

Supplement Review: Nature’s Bounty Acidophilus Probiotic, Daily Probiotic Supplement

 

This is a good supplement to keep your gut healthy without having to eat a ton of yogurt or having to get the super expensive probiotics that have to be refrigerated. The tablets are not coated but they are small enough that they are easy to swallow without a problem. And, you can get this as a subscribe and save item and have it delivered at whatever frequency works best for you.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Horrible Bosses 2

 

Horrible Bosses 2 is the 2014 follow-up to the original 2011 movie, Horrible Bosses. It brings back Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudekis, Jennifer Aniston, and Jamie Foxx from the first movie, as well as Kevin Spacey in an extended cameo. The main additions to the cast are Christoph Waltz and Chris Pine. The supporting cast includes recognizable names such as Jonathan Banks and Keegan-Michael Key. This movie follows the continuing adventures of Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis), and Dale (Charlie Day), who have invented something called the "shower buddy" and get ripped off by Christoph Waltz's character Bert Hanson, who steals their idea and leaves them in financial ruin. So, they decide the best course of action is to kidnap Bert's son Rex (played by Chris Pine) and demand a $500,000 ransom. Of course, the plan goes sideways, and mild hilarity ensues.  

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The Blu-Ray disc includes both versions of the film: the theatrical version and an extended version that adds about 10 minutes to the movie. The extended version does not change anything; it just has a few more jokes in it. The DVD just has the theatrical version of the movie. Both discs include the bonus features. Those include a few making-of and in-character featurettes, one-liners that were cut from the movie, and some fake shower buddy promotional material. Nothing that I would say was great bonus material, but it is there for people who like watching it.

Overall, the movie is okay but not as good as the original movie, which was a mild hit in large part because of the cult following that Arrested Development had achieved by that time. Jason Bateman was as popular as he had ever been, and it was one of the first roles in which Jennifer Aniston really embraced doing raunchy comedy. The premise of this movie is just as dumb as the original movie's premise was, and some of the jokes, while good, were recycled. Aniston was pretty funny as the sex-addicted dentist who wanted to jump Charlie Day constantly, and she goes all in being raunchy and shedding the "good girl" image she had after Friends ended, and Jamie Foxx was again hilarious as MF Jones, who is continually telling the group how stupid their plans are. Really, of the new cast members, Chris Pine was given the most material to work with and seemed to have fun with the role. In an ironic twist, Kevin Spacey did have a cameo appearance as his character from the first movie, which is in jail, which may be a life-imitates-art situation at some point. While the movie did have a lot of very good actors, including Breaking Bad's Jonathan Banks, it was just not executed as well as it could have been. It is pretty much a tongue-in-cheek dumb comedy. If you do not expect it to be more than that, it is enjoyable. If you are expecting comedy gold, you will be sorely disappointed.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 87

 Day 87 was the sculpt 1-2 workout again. Like on Thursday, I think this one went very well. I felt very strong and actually hit the 10 rep max on a couple of exercises, and hit nine reps on a couple more. As I said before, I am going to do another week of the hybrid workout to make up for the week I lost because of the issue with my back. Then, I think I am going to do a hybrid with Insanity Max 30 and then maybe add one of the Body Beast arm workouts so I can work on cardio yet not lose strength because of not lifting. I have not completely decided that yet, but that is the way I am leaning.

Product Review: It’s Skinny Variety Pack — Healthy, Low Calorie, Low-Carb Konjac Pasta — Fully Cooked and Ready to Eat

 

I tried this because I do like pasta and would like a version that is a bit healthier. The packets give you a good couple of servings and the pasta (I have not tried the rice) does take on whatever flavor sauce you use. Unfortunately, the texture, at least for me, is horrible. I liken it to biting into a sponge, and you have to chew much longer than regular pasta to be able to swallow it. So, even though the nutrient macros are better than regular pasta, it is not something that I would get again.

DVD/Movie Review: Bound (2015)

 

Bound is a 2015 erotic thriller starring Charisma Carpenter, Bryce Draper, and Daniel Baldwin. Some B movies fall into the "so bad it's good" category. This is not one of them. Bound, (not to be confused with the 1990s erotic thriller starring Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon) tries to put a twist on the Fifty Shades of Gray storyline this time with an older woman (played by Buffy and Angel's Charisma Carpenter) trying to find empowerment through BDSM with a younger man (played by Bryce Draper). There were plenty of problems with the movie, the main one being that Carpenter and Draper had zero chemistry with each other, and the writing was horrible. As bad as the dialogue in the Fifty Shades movies could be, this was worse. It is a shame because anyone who is a fan of Buffy and/or Angel knows that Carpenter has really good acting chops and can definitely do more than just look pretty. Unfortunately, she is not given much to work with at all. But, then again, when a movie has Daniel Baldwin as one of the main characters and gives Terrell Owens an actual speaking role with more than one line of dialogue, you cannot expect much.

Had there been a better supporting cast, and just generally a better story, the movie could have been decent. But, you get the feeling that everyone was just phoning it in. While there is nudity in the movie and sex is definitely a theme, it is not really in the category of soft-core porn as some would make it seem. That said, it is not exactly something the whole family should sit around and watch either. Really, the only thing about the movie that is any kind of attraction is to see Carpenter, who was in her upper 40s at the time (and still gorgeous), do nude scenes. That is really the only thing that can bump it up to two stars. Otherwise, it is easily skippable and you are not missing anything.

Product Review: Quilted Northern Ultra Soft & Strong Toilet Paper, 18 Mega Rolls

 

Quilted Northern is very strong and very soft toilet paper. It gets you clean with just a fraction of what you would have to use with the cheap flimsy stuff. You get 18 rolls in all (three packages of six), and the rolls are very large, so they will definitely last a long time. And, it is nice to have as a subscribe and save item so you can replenish at whatever frequency you need.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Hawaii Five-O: Season 2

 

The 23-episode second season of Hawaii Five-0 aired during the 2011/2012 TV season. The season starts out shortly down the line from the events that ended season one. Steve is in jail after being framed for murder, and Kono is suspended. The cliffhanger from season one is mostly resolved in the first episodes as they had to find a way to get Steve out of Jail, although Kono's storyline extends further into the season. This season involves Wo-Fat (who was introduced midway through the first season) a lot more, and the team investigates ties between Wo-Fat and McGarrett's family in the process. There is some cast turnover, with Taryn Manning being reduced to a recurring role and the addition of Lauren German to the main cast as a Homeland Security officer named Lori Weston, who is assigned to the task force by the new Governor. Masi Oka is promoted to a series regular this season and Terry O'Quinn (from Alias and Lost) is added in a major recurring role, Joe White, who is a former mentor to Steve in the Navy. Ian Anthony Dale is also added as a recurring character Adam Noshimuri who is the son of the local Yakuza leader.

The series continues to be a combination of procedural case-of-the-week stories and serial arcs that span throughout the season. There are a couple of different crossovers with NCIS: Los Angeles, including a two-episode crossover in the second half of the season in which Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J appeared on Five-0 and Daniel Dae Kim and Scott Caan appear on NCIS. The season ends on yet another cliffhanger with a major reveal that involves Steve and sets up what the large story arc for season three will be.

The Blu-Ray set is a six-disc set that includes the episodes and a good number of bonus features. The A/V quality is great once again, especially the visuals of Hawaii that look great in HD. The extras include commentary tracks on two episodes, a few making-of and behind-the-scenes documentaries, a featurette on the NCIS crossovers, a featurette on real-life Navy Seal training, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.

Overall, the series continues to be strong in its second season. It does a good job balancing the large ensemble cast and has great guest stars and recurring stars. Ed Asner guest stars as his character from the original series August March, James Caan (of course Scott's father) makes a guest appearance and basically rips on Danny the entire time. Jimmy Buffett, Patty Duke, and Robert Englund also make guest appearances as do William Sadler, Michelle Borth, and Will Yun Lee, who steals every scene he is in as Sang Min. The show has a good blend of action and drama with some comedy (usually in the form of the Steve-Danny bickering) mixed in. It is well-written and acted, and while it does rely heavily on the original series, it is not a carbon copy of the original show. So, if you are a fan of police procedurals, this is a good one to watch, but definitely watch season one first so you are up to speed with the characters and the storylines.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 86

Day 86 was the sweat 1-2 workout and abs. Today I did the yoga sequence at the beginning, and I did get a bit tired in the middle (around the fast-feet, cross-hop sequence. So, I did find myself having to pause a couple of times during the workout. But, I ultimately got it done.  

Product Review: Kleenex Professional Facial Tissue Cube 3 Boxes

 

These are very soft tissues that will definitely keep your nose from going raw if you have a bad cold with a constant runny nose. You also get three smaller (square) boxes as opposed to the six or more of the larger (rectangular) boxes, so they are easier to store, and a perfect amount if you only have a one-person or two-person household. And, you can get them as a subscribe and save item and get it on a schedule that works for you without having to remember when you go to a store.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Following: Season 2

 

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

The second season of The Following picks up a year after the events of the season one finale in which Ryan (Kevin Bacon) and Claire (Natalie Zea) are attacked by Molly who turned out to be one of Joe's cult members. We learn that Ryan killed Molly but that Claire did not make it. On the first anniversary of Joe's death members of his cult stage and attack and the FBI brings back Ryan and Mike Weston (Shawn Ashmore). We learn that despite Ryan's claim of having no interest in Joe Carroll (James Purefoy), he and his niece, Max (played by Jessica Stroup) who is a New York City detective, are convinced that Joe is still alive and trying to track him down. Of course, Joe does turn out to still be alive and the season is about the hunt to track him down.

The second season is much like the first in that there is a story of the week aspect, but it is mostly one long story arc that plays out over the course of the fifteen episodes. The show is obviously very violent given that a murder cult is one of the main plot points. The show does go all in with twists, sometimes doing a twist just to put one in. It does try to have some kind of shocking moment every episode, which I think is unnecessary because at some point it gets kind of silly. But, if you are good at the suspension of disbelief and do not overthink it, you can look past some of the more eye-rolling elements.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the A/V quality is good and there are a fair amount of extras. Those include a making-of documentary titled Inside The Following that is broken into fourteen brief 1-2 minute featurettes are spread across the set's three discs, each one focusing on a different episode's production. Then there is an 18-minute feature titled Following Marcos Siega in which executive producer/episode director Marcos Siega discusses the challenging production of the second season. Then there is a 21-minute portion of the 2013 Comic-Con Panel, deleted scenes, an alternate ending for the season finale, a character feature on Joe Carroll, a feature on the Ryan Hardy and Mike Weston relationship, a feature on how the Joe Carroll mask was created, and a 5-minute gag reel. So, a lot there for those who like watching the bonus material.

Overall the show continues to be good. The twists can get a bit silly, but on the whole, I think the show keeps the audience in suspense and the writers do a good job balancing the ensemble cast. Purefoy is great and pretty much takes over every scene he is in. So, if you are a fan of crime thrillers, this is definitely a good one.

Product Review: Hemp Cream 2,500,000 XXL Blend

 

I got this for my mom to see if it provided equivalent pain relief that products that contain CBD provide for her joint pain and sciatica pain. Unfortunately, it does not provide the same pain relief for her, so she gave the rest to me. I have been using it on my knees and shoulder where I have slight pain (shoulder) and range of motion issues (knees). I find that it does about as good a job for my issues as something like Ben Gay or Icy Hot does, without the smell. However, the price is a lot more for a jar of this than it is for a tube of either of those, especially if you use a generic equivalent. So, overall, I would say that if you have minor pain issues then this will probably help you as much as anything else, but if you have more major pain issues, it may not.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Hannibal: Season 2

 

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

The second season of Hannibal starts off with a bang, actually foreshadowing a portion of the events that will end the season, then it picks up shortly after Will's (Hugh Dancy) arrest for the murder of Abigail Hobbs, having been framed by Hannibal (Mads Mikkelsen). The season cherry-picks elements from the various novels including Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs and puts twists on them. For example, Will is the one in custody and consulting with the FBI. Of course, he is trying to figure out a way to prove his innocence. This season introduces Mason Verger and his sister Margot and puts a twist on that storyline. The crux of the plot in season two is whether, and when the FBI will find out that Lecter is really the Chesapeake Ripper. Will is convinced of it and tries to get Crawford (Lawrence Fishburne) to figure it out predicting that Lecter would be throwing a dinner party after he has killed enough people to get fresh meat. The season again ends on a major cliffhanger going into season three (which was not assured when the season finale was filmed).

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, the A/V quality is stunning. The visuals are gory but amazing and it is really like a movie experience. The extras include commentary tracks on multiple episodes (seven of the thirteen, with one episode getting two different commentary tracks). The commentaries usually include the series creator Bryan Fuller and various members of the cast and crew. Then, there is an almost 90-minute feature on the making of episode five, three shorter behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes that generally discuss the making the entire season, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and nine episodes of "post mortem" in which Scott Thompson who plays Jimmy Price interviews various members of the cast. The nine episodes have a total run time of about 42 minutes. So, there are a ton of extras if you like watching them.

Overall, the show is great. It is very violent and bloody and definitely pushed the bounds of what was appropriate for network tv. If you are a fan of Fuller's other cult following shows like Wonderfalls and Pushing Daises, you will probably like this. Also, I think the show did a good job putting a spin on Harris' novels and so if you enjoyed the books, you will probably like the series too. It is different from the Anthony Hopkins-led movies, and Mads Mikkelsen definitely does not try to copy Hopkins, making his version of Lecter his own. The supporting and recurring cast is great and filled with recognizable stars like Gillian Anderson, Raúl Esparza, Cynthia Nixon, Eddie Izzard, Anna Chlumsky, Gina Torres, and more. The storyline is a nice blend of procedural and serial where the individual cases of the week all tie together. So, it plays out like a 13-hour horror movie. It is definitely worth watching.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 85

Day 85 was the sculpt 1-2 workout again. This one went a lot better than Saturday's workout. I was not as gassed by the end and my strength was all the way back. I was still maxing out between 8 and 9 reps on all of the exercises, but I did not feel like I had to overexert myself to get through them. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Hawaii Five-0: Season 1

 

This is a 2010 reboot of the Jack Lord-helmed series that ran from 1968 to 1980. The 24-episode first season aired during the 2010/2011 TV season. It starred Alex O'Laoughlin, Grace Park, Daniel Dae Kim, and Scott Caan in the main roles. The supporting and recurring cast included Taylor Wily, Dennis Chun, Teilor Grubbs, Taryn Manning, Will Yun Lee, Michelle Borth, Masi Oka, and Mark Dacasos (among others). 

In this version, Commander Steve McGarrett, played by Alex O'Loughlin, is an ex-Navy Seal who returns to Hawaii to track down a terrorist who killed his father, Officer John McGarrett (played by William Sadler). He is tasked by the Governor of Hawaii to form a new task force with legal immunity to take down the criminal underworld of Oʻahu. McGarrett enlists Honolulu newcomer Danny Williams (played by Scott Caan), a divorced detective who moved from New Jersey to be closer to his daughter; Chin Ho Kelly (Played by Lost's Daniel Dae Kim) who is a disgraced police officer and a protege of McGarrett's father; and Kono Kalakaua (played by Battlestar Galactica's Gras Park) who is Chin Ho's cousin, a former surfer and soon-to-be Police Academy graduate.

The series is mostly a case-of-the-week procedural that does have some serial threads that span throughout the season. Those mainly involve the character of Victor Hesse (played by Buffy's James Marsters) and a former Chinese government agent turned criminal, Wo-Fat, played by Mark Dacascos. The series also had a strong recurring cast, including Taryn Manning as Steve's sister, Mary Ann McGarrett, Jean Smart as Governor Pat Jameson, Taylor Wily as Kamekona Tupuola, Will Yun Lee as Sang Min Sooh (who is a criminal who sometimes acts as an informant for Five-0, Michelle Borth as Lieutenant Catherine Rollins a love interest for Steve who helps on cases from time to time, and Masi Oka (from the series Heroes) as Dr. Max Bergman, Chief Medical Examiner. Some of those characters would have larger roles in later seasons, and others would be reduced. The season ends on a major cliffhanger going into season two with the fates of multiple characters hanging in limbo.

The Blu-Ray set is a six-disc set that has the episodes and extras spread across the discs. The show looks and sounds great in HD. The visuals of Hawaii are awesome, and the handful of special effects that are used in the show look great. The extras include several making-of featurettes titled "Shore Lines: The Story of Season 1," "Grace Park's Hawaiian Tour," "Legacy" (which compares the reboot with the original series), "Picture Perfect: The Making of the Pilot," "Re-scoring the Theme Song", "Inside Comic-Con," (which has a portion of the Comic-Con panel), and "Inside the Box" (which refers to a toolbox figuring prominently in the season's story arc). Also included are deleted scenes, a gag reel, CBS launch promos, and cast and crew audio commentaries on two episodes. So, there is a good amount of material for people who like watching the bonus content.

Overall, the series is a good police procedural. It has a good blend of action and drama, with a strong theme of family. O'Loughlin and Caan are great in their roles as McGarrett and "Dano" who bicker like an old married couple. O'Loughlin does a ton of his own stunts (which led to a back injury that would plague him throughout the run of the series) and does a great job as the series lead. The writers do a great job developing the characters and getting the audience to care about them, which is critical to the success of a series like this. They also do a good job paying homage to, but not being a carbon copy of, the original series. So, if you are a fan of police procedurals, this is definitely a good one to check out.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 1

 

The first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had to do much heavy lifting. First, it had to establish the characters in the TV series, including explaining how Coulson (played by Clark Gregg) survived the events of The Avengers movie in which it was assumed Loki killed him. Then, it was partly a story-of-the-week procedural in which Coulson's team would track down some superpowered individual (or sometimes someone who was just evil) and apprehend them. And then, the show played filler between the MCU movies, with this season having direct ties to Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The Hydra storyline from Winter Soldier would play a huge role at the end of the season. So, the show ends up being part procedural and part serial not only with story arcs that extend throughout the season on the show, but cross over with the MCU movies (basically playing clean-up crew after the heroics shown in the movies).

The series stars the aforementioned Clark Gregg and also stars Ming Na (from ER) as Melinda May, a badass S.H.I.E.L.D. weapons expert, Brett Dalton as Grant Ward who is a SHIELD black ops agent, Chloe Bennet as Daisy Johnson an anti-government hacker who Coulson recruits to the team (pretty much against her will), Iain De Caestecker as Leo Fitz and Elizabeth Henstridge as Jemma Simmons, the duo known as Fitzsimmons, who are the science and engineering experts on the team. During the first season, Fitz and Simmons mostly stay in the lab, but their roles expand as the season and the series goes on. Some of the characters from the movies, including Maria Hill (Colbie Smulders), and Lady Sif (Jamie Alexander) make appearances and Samuel L. Jackson does appear once as Nick Fury. Bill Paxton and Saffron Burrows also had large recurring roles during the season, as did J. August Richards who is probably best known for his run on the series Angel.

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, the show looks and sounds great. It is special effects heavy and the show did a good job making them look as seamless as they do in the movies. The extras include audio commentaries on three of the episodes, a 43-minute feature on how the MCU was built and came to fruition, a 13-minute feature on the show's first Comic-con appearance, and a 17-minute making-of feature about filming locations during the first season. There are a lot of spoilers in the extras, so you definitely want to watch the episodes first (assuming you have not already seen them).

Overall, the season is good. The show has to balance a lot, and I do think it did a good job putting the focus on the characters at hand and did not lean too much on the movies and the larger MCU. Of course, if you follow the series you know that by the end it was pretty much its own animal, and was pretty much ignoring what was going on in the movies, but that was definitely not the case in the first season. The acting was great, even with a cast that included a lot of relatively unknown (at the time) actors and the writers do a good job with all the intersecting storylines. The season ends on a couple of cliffhangers that set up what is to come in season two. So, if you are a fan of the MCU movies, this is definitely worth checking out.

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

 

This is a series that is modeled after, and loosely, spun off of, the movie of the same name. There is actually a tie-in to the movie that is involved in one of the plot lines. As with the movie, this is a very untrue story set mostly in MN, in the towns of Bemidji and Duluth. It stars Martin Freeman (from the series Sherlock and The Hobbit movies) as Lester Nygaard, and Billy Bob Thornton as Lorne Malvo, a hitman who crosses paths with Lester in a hospital after Lester is decked by his high-school bully, Sam Hess. Malvo suggests that the bully should be killed, which Lester neither endorses nor rejects, and because Lester does not say no, Malvo ends up killing the bully which leads to an investigation of Lester, and things go downhill from there. Hess was loosely mob-connected, and the mob (out of Fargo) ends up trying to find out what happened to him, which also causes problems for Lester. The series also stars Allison Tolman as Deputy Molly Solverson, a police deputy from Bemidji, who is the only competent officer in the department, and Colin Hanks as Officer Gus Grimly, an officer from Duluth who has a run-in with Malvo. There are several recognizable stars among the supporting cast including Bob Odenkirk, Kate Walsh, Joey King, Oliver Platt, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Stephen Root, and Keith Carradine.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the extras include audio commentaries on three episodes which include the showrunner Noah Hawley and rotating members of the cast, a two-part making-of documentary, a discussion with Hawley and the cast members about creating the show, a feature about the character of Malvo, and deleted scenes. Some of the sets also come with a Fargo-themed beanie.

Overall, the series is great. It tells one long story and is more like a 10-hour movie than it is a TV show. There is a lot of violence and some sexual content, so it is definitely not family-friendly. Freeman is wonderful as Lester who is kind of like William H. Macy's character in the movie, but definitely, not a carbon copy, and Billy Bob Thornton dominates every scene he is in. It is a bit hilarious for those of us who actually live in MN to see what cities they decided to set the show in. As anyone who lives here knows, Bemidji and Duluth are nowhere near each other and there is no way that a quick trip can be made between the two cities, especially in the winter. And, of course, the show does do the very over-the-top accents just like the movie did. It is a great crime drama that has a similar tone to the movie but is definitely its own story and not just a remake or reboot of the movie. It is definitely worth checking out.