Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day Round 2 Day 29

Day 29 was the first Max Out Power workout in this round. It went very well. I could do the exercises unmodified (albeit slower than those in the video) for the entire warm-up (of which there is only one round) and the first circuit. So, basically, the first 10 minutes of the workout. Once I got to the push-ups I had to modify, and I definitely took a bunch of breaks later in the workout. But, it was probably my best workout of this round so far.

Product Review: TP-Link AC750 Wifi Range Extender

 

I live in a split-level townhouse with four levels. As a result, there are a lot of dead zones, especially if the router is set up in the basement. This works well to eliminate (or at least reduce) the dead zones. Setting up the extender is very easy. The setup amounts to just plugging the extender in near the router, pushing the WPS button on the router, and waiting for all of the lights on the extender to light up. Then, you can move the extender to whatever area of the house you would like. There are a couple of caveats. If you have multiple dead zones, for example, because you have a split-level house, you may need a couple of these, otherwise, if you try moving the extender too far away from the router (e.g., the router is in the basement and you move this to a third or fourth floor) it will not work (or will not work well). But, if you have a router in the basement, put one of these on the second level, and another on the third level, you should get a pretty good signal everywhere. Also, while it does give you decent internet speed, it will probably not match the speed that your modem or modem/router combination will (especially with a wired connection). That said, I think it does what it is supposed to, and I definitely recommend it.

Product Review: Everlast Folding Mat 72" x 24"

 

This is a folding mat that, when unfolded, is about the size of a yoga mat, but much thicker (a bit less than 2" thick) and softer (stuffed with foam). This is perfect for doing ab work, to kneel on when you do push-ups if you have to do them on your knees, and even doing stretching and some yoga. If it is on a hard floor it will definitely slide around so you would want to put something underneath it or use it on carpet to keep it from sliding. I do not think it would be all that useful when doing, for example, plyometric jumping and/or lateral moves as there is too much danger of it slipping when you land. But, for lower-impact things that require lying down or sitting, this is perfect.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day Round 2 Day 28

Day 28 was the first Max Cardio Circuit workout of this round, and it mostly felt like day 1 all over again. I did manage to make it to about eight-and-a-half minutes before maxing out, but I was pretty much gassed the entire time. I was able to do some unmodified moves, but not nearly as many as I would have liked to.

Textbook Review: Stewart's Calculus 6th Edition

 

This is the textbook that was required for my first two semesters of calculus when I was working on my electrical engineering degree. Then, in my multivariable calculus and differential equations classes, we switched to different books. The multivariable calculus book I had to use was not worth the paper it was printed on and my differential equations textbook, while better than that, was not all that easy to follow. 

This version of the book covers all levels of calculus including multivariable calculus and differential equations (there are also versions that just cover the single variable calculus material and versions that just cover the multivariable calculus material). I got this because I still tutor from time to time and need to keep up with the material. This, of all the math books I used, was one of the better ones, but not the best. It does give a decent breakdown of the theory in the chapter text and has good chapter summaries. It does fall into the trap that many math and engineering textbooks do in that the examples in the chapter text only help with the easiest problems, but if you get assigned something from the end of the problem set, you do not have a lot of guidance. 

So, I would definitely pair this book with something like Schaum's outline of Calculus, which definitely explains some of the theory better than the book does. But, the book makes a decent presentation of the theory and provides some useful examples, which is more than some other books do. It is not perfect, but if you pair it with a study guide or two with more worked examples, you can learn from this.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Librarians - Season 2

 

+++Warning, this contains a minor season one spoiler, but no major season two spoilers +++

Season two of The Librarians picks up months down the line from the defeat of Lancelot at the end of the first season. The individual Librarians have separated and retrieved different magical artifacts, only to be reunited at an exhibition in NY, only to discover that they have all been acquiring artifacts for a mysterious client who turns out to be one of the season-two protagonists. From there, the show follows the same format as it did in season one. A mystery/case-of-the-week intertwined with episodes that advance the main, larger serial arc. This season, the big storyline deals with Shakespeare's play The Tempest, and the fact that characters from literary works can come to life. 

For those who get the DVD set (the show was not released on blu-ray), the is a decent amount of bonus material including a gag reel, seven short behind-the-scenes featurettes, and ten (one for each episode) different "Directors of The Librarians" featurettes that are basically conversations with the directors of each episode that discuss how the particular episode was made. So, a good amount of material for those who like watching the bonus content.

Overall, the season is very good. The entire cast returns, and like in the first season, Noah Wyle's character Flynn only appears on a recurring basis because of Wyle's commitment to the series Falling Skies which was airing at the same time. Pretty much every character gets a "centric" episode, with all of the actors getting a chance to shine. There are also some recognizable guest stars this season including Drew Powell (from the series Gotham), Michael Trucco (probably most recognizable from the series Fairly Legal), and John DeLancie (who played Q on Star Trek: The Next Generation). So, if you liked the first season, then you will probably feel the same way about this one. 

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day Round 2 Day 27

Day 27 was the P90x Back and Biceps workout again. I was able to hit the 10 rep max for a couple more exercises this week, and some of the weight amounts for exercises I hit the 10 rep max for last week went up this week. So, overall, it has been a good couple of weeks with this workout.  

DVD/TV Series Review: Beavis and Butthead - The Complete Collection

 

One thing to be noted at the outset, this is not the complete series with the episodes as they aired. This is a repackaging of volumes 1-3 of the Mike Judge Collections, adding the fourth volume which was the limited run season that aired in 2011, and then the movie that was made during the original run of the series. In volumes 1-3 each volume is split between two discs. The first disc has the episodes and the second disc has the music videos that they could get the rights to. Anyone who watched the series in the 1990s, when it was originally on MTV probably remembers that in each episode, in breaks in the story, Beavis and Butthead would watch, and make fun of, music videos. Because of licensing issues, they could not get the rights to all of the videos that originally aired, so the solution was to remove the music videos and show just air the storylines (so each episode ends up being about 20 minutes long, give or take), and then showing the music videos on disc 2.  It should also be noted that not every episode that aired is included in the set. Most of the episodes that aired are included, but there are some missing. For the fourth volume, which is the 2011 season, all of those episodes are included as they aired. In that season, instead of watching primarily music videos, during the breaks in the story, they would watch, and rip on the MTV reality shows. 

The DVDs carry over all of the extras from the original individual collection releases. Those include deleted scenes, promo spots, and special appearances that Beavis and Butthead made (such as at the MTV music awards), and a multi-part behind-the-scenes/making-of retrospective where the creators of the show discuss how it was made, the influence on pop culture, and the like. The movie has a commentary track by Mike Judge which is really good, and the extras for the fourth volume include a good discussion from the Comic-Con panel between Johnny Knoxville and Mike Judge.

For most people, the show will probably be a blast from the past. You definitely have to enjoy juvenile and sometimes stupid humor, but masked in the humor was a commentary on topics like political correctness and the topical events that were happening in the 1990s. It is disappointing that not all of the episodes are included, and we cannot get the complete shows, as they aired, but this is probably the best set that is going to be released. So, if you were a fan of the show, it is definitely worth the pickup.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day Round 2 Day 26

Day 26 was the Recharge workout from CE. There is no huge update on it. My flexibility level remains the same and I have not noticed any big improvements or backslides over the course of the first month.

Textbook Review: Fundamentals of Electric Drives

 

This was the book required for my undergraduate electric drives class in my school's electrical engineering curriculum. This book is a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, according to my professor, it is pretty much the only textbook on electric drives that is suitable for an undergraduate-level class, as other textbooks get into detail that is appropriate for graduate-level classes. On the other hand, it has a lot of errors, most of which would be impossible to discover unless someone who knows the material tells you about them, such as errors in the equations. The book has a ton of equations, with little explanation beyond just a couple of examples in the chapter text of what they are useful for and how to apply them. The one plus is that the problem sets at the end of the chapter are short, but trying to figure out how to solve them with the instruction from the chapter text is not the easiest thing in the world. Unfortunately, the author of the book has passed away, so unless another professor takes up the mantle of updating the book and putting out a new edition, then this is the only edition that is going to be released, with flaws and all. So ultimately, if you are looking to teach yourself the material in the book, I would definitely look for a study guide so you can double check the material in the book, and if you have to use it for class, be prepared to ask a lot of questions.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Inferno

 

Inferno is the third movie in the adaptations of Dan Brown's novels based on the character of Robert Langdon (played in the movies by Tom Hanks). The movies are a bit interconnected, but mostly stand-alone stories, so this is somewhat of a sequel to the movies The Davinci Code and Angels and Demons, but you do not have to have seen those movies to follow most of what is going on in this one. The big thing you will miss if you have not seen the other movies is the development of the Langdon character because this movie pretty much just jumps into the story.

The main plot of this movie involves a plot by a billionaire scientist named Bertrand Zobrist (played by Ben Foster) to solve the world's overpopulation issue. Langdon wakes up in a hospital with no memory of the past few days and is immediately targeted by an assassin. With the help of his doctor, Sienna Brooks, played by Felicity Jones (probably best known for her role in Rogue One), he escapes and discovers he has clues to the plot, which points to some mass murder event and is based on Dante's Inferno (hence the title of the book). From there, as in the first two movies, the plot involves Langdon solving clues that point to even more clues, with a lot of twists and turns along the way.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the movie looks and sounds great in the HD format (with a lot of great location shots from where the movie was filmed), and has a decent amount of extras. Those include over 27 minutes of deleted and extended scenes, short featurettes on each of the main characters, a featurette on the filming locations, and a director journal, which is basically 10 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage following Ron Howard around and interspersing his comments. Then there is a featurette on the darker imagery from the movie and some trailers for other movies.

Overall, the movie is good, but probably not as good as the first two movies. The movie does adapt the book well, but like with the first two installments, there are definitely changes made. It seems more and more likely that this movie will be the last of the novel adaptations with Howard and Hanks at the helm, despite there being two other Langdon novels that could be turned into movies. In general, I would say if you enjoyed the first two movies you will probably enjoy this one, although maybe not as much. On the other hand, if you did not like the first couple of movies, this may not do much for you. That is, of course, unless the only reason you did not like the first two movies was because of the religious tones, but in that case, you are probably not ever going to watch this anyway. 

Product Review: MaxTeck USB 3.0 to HDMI External Video Card Graphic Adapter for Multiple Monitors

 

I got this to try and hook up a monitor with an HDMI connection to my computer. Unfortunately, it did not work either as just a plug-and-play device or trying to find drivers to get it to work. So, I would recommend looking for other options.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Interstellar

 

Interstellar was the first major movie written and directed by Christopher Nolan after his Batman trilogy ended. The basic plot of this movie is that in 2067 the Earth is becoming more and more uninhabitable because of a planet-wide blight/dust bowl, which is making it harder for food to grow. Matthew McConaughey plays Coop, an ex-astronaut turned farmer who is recruited for a mission to pilot an expedition to a series of possibly habitable planets to which advance scouts have already been dispatched. To get to the prospective planets, the ship must travel through a wormhole that opened near the planet Saturn. This requires him to leave his only child, Murph (played by Mackenzie Foy at the beginning of the movie, then by Jessica Chastain later on) on Earth, promising her that he will return. The rest of the cast includes Nolan veterans Anne Hathaway and Michael Caine, as well as Wes Bentley (from American Beauty), John Lithgow, Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, and David Oyelowo.

The blu-ray has a ton of great extras, and the A/V quality is stellar. The most comprehensive extra is an almost hour-long documentary on the science of Interstellar, in which Nolan explains what they did to get as much of the science correct as possible. This included using a physicist as a consultant to do things like help create the CGI black hole, and how the time aspects of the movie would work. Then, there are a series of 14 making-of featurettes titled Inside Interstellar, which details the process to make various aspects of the movie, and then the three trailers for the movie are included.

Overall, the movie is great. It is well-written and very well-acted. As an engineer, I like that they actually get a lot of the science correct (although some of it is embellished for dramatic effect), and they get concepts like gravity around a black hole and the resulting time dilation effects correct. McConaughey and Chastain are definitely the standouts, as they get the most material to work with, but the entire cast does a great job with their characters. It is an awesome movie and definitely worth multiple viewings.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day Round 2 Day 25

Day 25 was the last Friday Fight 1 for this round. I think this was actually my best workout of month one (no better time for that to happen) as I was able to do a lot more modified moves than in the other workouts. This is still a tough one for me because I get very tired during jumping-jack-based moves and have always hated push-ups, but I am definitely getting stronger cardio-wise. 

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day Round 2 Day 24

Day 24 was the last Tabata Strength workout for this round. I definitely still get very gassed during the workout and am maxing out at the same point in the workout. But, I can definitely mix in more unmodified moves.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Charmed: Season 5

 

The fifth season of Charmed was another transitional season for the show. One big, ongoing storyline was brought to a conclusion and the season finale was used to almost reset the show going forward (potentially at least). The season starts with Cole, having essentially figured out how to get out of the version of Hell that he was in at the end of season four, doing (yet again) the dance between being good and being evil. A little after the middle of the season, the show had its 100th episode which was kind of a flashback episode showing pivotal moments in Piper and Leo's relationship. Unfortunately, the show did not bring back Shannen Doherty or use clips of her, but they did find a sneaky way to get the character of Prue included (kind of). The season begins and ends with two-part episodes, with the season finale introducing a new character going forward.

The show continued to get recognizable guest stars and musical acts including Jamie Pressley, Melinda Clarke (from The OC and Nikita), Mark Sheppard (from Supernatural), Tobin Bell (from the Saw movies), Emanuelle Vaguer, Billy Drago, Tony Todd, Erik King (from Dexter), Eric Dane, Zachary Quinto (from Heroes), Norman Reedus (from The Walking Dead), Drew Fuller, and Scout Taylor Compton (from the Rob Zombie Halloween reboots). The musical acts included The Flaming Lips, Michelle Branch, and Pat Benatar. 

For those who get the blu-ray, it is yet another region-free set. There are no extras, just the episodes themselves, but there are captions in English and German for those who want and/or need them. The show gets a decent HD presentation, but given that the show has a lower budget than some shows had, the special effects can sometimes look very cheesy in HD. 

Overall, the season is a good one. Some of the issues that the show has always had, like relying on too many soap-operaish elements do remain in this season. And, as it has the last few seasons, it criminally underuses Dorian Gregory with Darryl only appearing in a handful of the episodes. On the plus side, they still show off Alyssa Milano's midriff and cleavage at every chance they get, and Rose McGowan, who was still hot and not crazy (at least recognizably so) at that point. Holly Marie Combs really did the heavy-lifting acting wise however and she definitely got the best material to work with and did a lot with her character. Ultimately, I think if you enjoyed the first four seasons of the show you will like this one, unless you only watched it for Shannen Doherty, in which case you probably will not.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day Round 2 Day 23

Day 23 was the last Sweat Intervals workout for this round. Again, I was able to do a few more reps of unmodified moves but maxed out pretty much at exactly the same point as I did last week.  

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: A Bigger Splash

 

A Bigger Splash is a 2015 movie starring Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Dakota Johnson. Swinton plays Marianne Lane, a rock singer who is vacationing in Italy with her boyfriend Paul ( Schoenaerts). Fiennes plays Harry Hawkes, Lane's ex-boyfriend who shows up at the villa Marianne and Paul are staying at with his previously estranged daughter, Penelope/Pen (Johnson). The plot basically involves Harry trying to win Marianne back and Pen trying to seduce Paul. It becomes a tale of jealousy and animosity, with a bit of a twist ending.

Overall, the story is okay, but a bit predictable. The movie is odd in a lot of respects, the first being that Swinton barely talks in the movie because her character had surgery on her throat. At most, she can whisper, so Swinton has to basically act non-verbally the entire movie. Fiennes' character, Harry, on the other hand, is totally extroverted and talks too much. Fiennes goes really over-the-top with his performance which some may like and some may find annoying. Johnson really seems out of place trying to play a seductress, which she does not have the personality for. Yes, she is hot and has no problem getting naked for a role (which she does in this movie), but she just does not seem to have the personality type to pull off the role she was trying to play.

For those who get the blu-ray, the A/V quality is good for a movie that is not special effects-laden. The extras are very bare bones, just the trailer, a stills gallery, and a handful of very short (anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes) featurettes that amount to being short character profiles

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day Round 2 Day 22

 Day 22 was the Tabata Strength workout again. As was the case with Monday's workout, I was able to do about the same amount of unmodified moves but I maxed out a couple minutes later than I did last week. This workout is still very tough because there is only one rest period, after the warmup, then you go from the five-minute mark to the end without stopping. I think once I lose about 20 lbs, it will make getting through this one easier, but not easy by any means.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day Round 2 Day 22

Day 22 was the last Cardio Challenge for this round. I would say that I did about as many unmodified moves during this workout as I did last week, and I maxed out at pretty much the same point during the workout as I did last week. So, no huge amount of progress was made during this workout. 

DVD/TV Series Review: Bad Judge: The Complete Series

 

Bad Judge is a show that got ragged on by the critics who totally overlooked the fact that it was a sitcom, and not supposed to be an accurate portrayal of how court typically works. It stars Kate Walsh (from Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice) who plays Rebecca Wright, a criminal court judge who basically presides over arraignment court for a person's first appearances after they are arrested and booked, who is still a wild child who goes out and gets drunk, has boy toys and drives around in a ratty van that is always breaking down. Basically, a judge who is herself one or two steps away from appearing in arraignment court. The concept of the show is basically like the show Night Court, except this one is set during the day in Los Angeles instead of New York. The show basically alternates between the quirky cast of characters that come through the court and the goings on in Rebecca's personal life.

The DVD set is basically a MOD set that does not have any extras. Had the show aired a couple of years later it would likely not have even gotten this release. So basically, you just get the 13 episodes spread across two discs and nothing else.

Overall, the show was good, and if it would have had enough time to really find its footing could have been very good. Certainly, for those of us who know anything about how the law and the legal system work, you have to ignore some things that the writers just get totally wrong (e.g., the fact that Rebecca would be writing an appellate court brief for any reason). Even with those issues, it was well-acted and had a great cast. Tone Bell who played the bailiff for Rebecca's courtroom, Tedward, pretty much stole every scene he was in. It also had a good guest cast including Angela Kinsey (from The Office) and Ryan McPartlin (from Chuck). Chances are, most people who are looking at this by now are doing so because they watched the show when it originally aired and looking to get the DVD. I do not know if it streams for free on any of the streaming services, but if you get the DVD set, you do not have to worry about it coming and going from the streaming services. If you are just looking for a sitcom, the show is good, but really never got a chance to find its footing or get a proper resolution before being canceled.

Product Review: Marilyn Monroe Wall Calendar (2017)

 

I am one who gets a new Marilyn Monroe calendar every year. I try, as much as possible, to go for ones that have pics that are not widely seen/well-known pictures of her. That, especially if you get calendars featuring her every year, is hard to do, but this one has a good variety. It does include some iconic shots such as the subway grate shot from The Seven Year Itch, but it also includes some pics that look to be more behind-the-scenes shots from photo shoots she did and are not ones that are some of the extremely popular pictures taken of her.

Product Review: Ninja B39010 Foodi NeverStick Premium 10-Piece Bakeware Sheet Set

 

This is a set of bakeware put out under the Ninja line of products. It is very heavy-duty and easy to clean. I have only made a couple of things on the cookie sheets so far, so if discover anything else worth noting I will update the review. But, when making biscuits they turned out perfectly and did not stick at all, and cinnamon rolls slid around like hockey pucks on the ice. Just nudging them with a spatula released them without a problem. 

The only thing I would have liked is a bit different selection of pans. You get two round cake/pie pans but only one bread pan. Personally, I would have liked a second bread pan and one less of the pie pans, especially since you also get a square cake pan. Also, it would have been nice to have a round baking sheet to make baking a large frozen pizza easier and a deep roasting pan. The pan that they call a roasting pan is pretty shallow and would be useless for something the size of a turkey. The selection aside, the pans are very high-quality, can be washed in the dishwasher, although they are easy enough to clean in a sink with some soap and a sponge that you do not need to put them in the dishwasher, and are much heavier than most other bakeware. They are certainly more expensive than a lot of other bakeware, but that is definitely a get-what-you-pay-for kind of situation. These are definitely worth it.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Forrest Gump

 

Chances are that most people looking at this by now have seen the movie at least one time, but for those who have not, Forrest Gump is the iconic 1994 movie directed by Robert Zemeckis (probably best known for directing the Back to the Future movies) and starring Tom Hanks as the titular Forrest Gump, basically telling the story of his life to random strangers while sitting on a bus stop in Georgia. Throughout the movie, we see that he was involved in many events throughout his life that allowed him to meet historical figures like JFK, President Johnson, and more. The movie is basically a history lesson of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, as told through the eyes and experiences of Forrest. The movie is notable for two things, the first being the almost seamless incorporation of Tom Hanks as Forrest into historical footage (basically an early version of the concept of Deep Fakes) in which it actually looks like Hanks belongs in the footage, and the second is Tom Hanks' wonderful portrayal of a developmentally disabled person. The movie also had a very strong supporting cast including Sally Field, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, and a young Haley Joel Osment in his first movie role.

There have been many versions of the movie on physical media over the years. The Sapphire series edition blu-ray, which was released in 2009 includes all of the extras released on the 2001 DVD, including two different commentary tracks on the movie, the first one involving Zemeckis, producer Steve Starkey, and production designer Rick Carter, and the second one by Producer Wendy Finerman. The other legacy extra is the ability to play the "Musical Signposts of History" version of the movie. This is a series of sidebars hosted by former Rolling Stone editor Ben Fong-Torres, in which he discusses the trivia of the film's many songs, while Zemeckis and music producer Joel Sill (both in archived footage) talk about song inspirations. When enabled, the film turns off and switches to these sidebars before resuming. The bulk of the extras are included on the second disc which includes several new making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes which range from about 15 minutes in length to around 30 minutes in length. Then there is a 55-minute roundtable discussion with Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Eric Roth, and Robert Zemeckis discussing the film at the University of Southern California. Then the rest of the legacy extras are included which are basically a series of short featurettes that each run about 2 minutes, give or take, and the theatrical trailer. So, if you like watching bonus content, there is a lot here for you. And, the A/V quality of the blu-ray is wonderful.

Overall, the movie is awesome and holds up very well even 25+ years later. The role is one of Hanks' best, and he deserves all of the accolades he got for it. If you have not seen the movie, it is most definitely worth watching and if you already love the movie the bonus material you get makes picking up the blu-ray well worth it.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Pray for Death

 

Pray for Death is one of the movies that Sho Kosugi made after the widely popular "ninja trilogy" movies made during the early to mid-1980s (Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja, and Ninja III: The Domination). In this movie, Kosugi plays a retired Ninja Warrior named Akira Saito, now working in an Office job in Japan. His American-born wife Aiko convinces him to move to Los Angeles where they open a Japanese restaurant, and immediately are targeted by a local crime boss Mr. Newman (played by Michael Constantine), and his enforcer Limehouse Willie (played by James Booth). Basically, much like Revenge of the Ninja, the plot involves Akira and his family being threatened until he has to dust off his ninja skills and take out the bad guys.

Overall, I would say that the movie is decent but not as good as Revenge of the Ninja or Ninja III. But, you obviously know going into a movie like this that you are getting it for the action, the ninja weapons, etc., and not the overall quality. This is also the first movie I have seen in which Kosugi was given a lot of dialogue and not overdubbed. In the Ninja Trilogy, at least some of his lines were very clearly overdubbed, and although he does speak with an accent, you can easily understand him. Also, this one did away with the ninja-versus-ninja final battle. That required the movie raising "regular" bad guys to the level of a ninja, which destroyed a bit of the mystique of ninja invincibility. I was not a huge fan of the ninja uniform that Kosugi wore in this movie, but that is a minor point.

For those who get the blu-ray, the extras include part 1 of a two-part interview with star Sho Kosugi discussing his life growing up and his career. The second part of the interview is available if you buy the Rage of Honor disc, so it kind of sucks that you cannot get both parts on this disc if you do not want the other movie. It also includes an archive interview and Ninjitsu demonstration with Kosugi from the film's New York premiere, and the theatrical trailer. So, the extras are good if you want to watch them. While the movie is not great, if you were a fan of Kosugi's other work, it is still worth checking out.

Study Aid Review: Schaum's Outline of Basic Electrical Engineering 2nd Edition

 

The title of this guide may lead some to think that this is really a starting point for someone that is either at the beginning of an electrical engineering degree program or thinking about electrical engineering as a major. And it is really not that so much as it is a guide that takes the large concepts that you learn throughout the course of an electrical engineering degree like circuits analysis, electronics (circuits made of diodes, transistors, etc.) digital logic, electric drives, etc., and condenses them into one guide. So, it is more a review of the core concepts of an electrical engineering curriculum and can be used as a primer once you graduate to brush up on concepts, prepare for the PE exam (for those who will take it), etc. It is not necessarily a guide that will be extremely helpful to use in an introduction to electrical engineering class that many schools have that gives you an idea of what you can do with the major, may have you build a couple of basic soldering projects or the like. It has some calculation mistakes in it (which knocks it down a star for me), but if you need to brush up on the theory for some reason, this is an excellent guide to get the big picture without all of the fine detail.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day Round 2 Day 21

Day 21 was the back and biceps workout from P90x again. I was able to hit 10 reps on just one of the resistance moves, so the weights will be staying at the same level for next week's workout. I was able to get a couple of more reps on some of the pull-down moves, at the end I was very tired, so on the max rep choose which kind you want to do at the very end of the workout, I was only able to hit 7 reps (with using 150 lbs of band resistance).  

DVD/TV Series Review: Kath & Kim: Season 1

 

Kath and Kim was a US adaptation of an Australian TV show starring SNL's Molly Shannon as Kathleen Day and Selma Blair as her daughter Kim Day. Kath is an overachieving go-getter who runs a salon out of her kitchen, and Kim is a slacker who wants to get by on her looks and her husband's, Craig, played by SNL's Mikey Day, meager paycheck. Kath has recently started dating the owner of a sandwich shop at the local mall, Phil, played by John Michael Higgins, and when Kim separates from Craig, she moves back home and basically gets in the way.

The show is one of those show-about-nothing sitcoms. There is a weekly theme or plot line but they are mostly self-contained. The plot lines that do go from episode to episode are really about Kim wanting to get back together with Craig, but wanting him to put in all the effort. The show is definitely a commentary on the whole celebrity culture (as Kath and Kim love reading the tabloids) and people who think they have a chance to become rich and famous themselves. The entire cast is great, but to me, Selma Blair is the standout playing a poor version of a spoiled rich brat. Plus, Selma Blair was definitely hot as fire as she was in skimpy outfits in pretty much every episode.

For those who get the DVD set, the 17 episodes are spread over two discs. There are commentary tracks on many episodes, a gag reel, and deleted scenes for people who like to go through the extras.

Overall, the show is very funny but got canceled before it really had time to find its footing. It was definitely on the goofier end of the sitcom spectrum, which may have been what doomed it as the female leads were both kind of vain and vapid and the male leads were doofuses. There was some character development over the course of the season, but it did not last long enough to do a lot of major character development. The show had a good supporting cast including Melissa Rauch in her second TV role and the one she had just before her big break on The Big Bang Theory, and the recognizable character actress Justina Machado. The show was also able to land Pamela Anderson in a guest-starring role. While I do think it is a show that is worth watching, just be aware that it never really gets a decent conclusion.

Product Review: M&M'S Peanut Chocolate Candy, 38-Ounce Party Size Bag

 

This is a large bag of Peanut M&Ms. Larger than what you can find in most grocery stores, and around the size that you can get at the warehouse clubs (in the plastic containers). So, if you like Peanut M&Ms and like the convenience of getting things through Subscribe and Save, this is a good option.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Enter the Ninja

 

Enter the Ninja is the first of the Cannon Films' Ninja Trilogy which consists of Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja, and Ninja III: The Domination. It is really only considered a trilogy because the same production company made all of the films, and real ninjutsu practitioner Sho Kosugi appeared in each of the movies (although he played completely different roles in each movie).

The basic plot of Enter the Ninja is that a mercenary named Cole, played by Franco Nero, is trained as a ninja in Japan. The movie opens at the completion of his ninja training in a great action sequence. One of his fellow students, Hasegawa, played by Sho Kosugi, resented having an American trained as a ninja, which sets up the end of the movie. The main part of the story starts when Cole goes to visit his war buddy Frank Landers (played by Alex Courtney) and his newlywed wife Mary Ann Landers (played by Susan George), who are the owners of a large piece of farming land in the Philippines. Cole soon finds that the Landers are being repeatedly harassed by a local land baron, Charles Venarius, the wealthy CEO of Venarius Industries, in order to get them to sell their property because, unbeknownst to them, a large oil deposit is located beneath their land. Most of the middle portion of the movie involves Cole beating up the local henchmen Venarius has hired to bully and coerce the Landers. At the end of the movie, we get the classic ninja-versus-ninja battle between Cole and Hasegawa.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the A/V quality is good, but not great. It is much better quality than the picture and sound on the VHS, which is how many of us in our mid-forties or older saw the movie when we were kids. But, it did not get a high-quality restoration and transfer given that it was an independent 1980s martial arts film. There are no extras on the blu-ray aside from the trailer for the movie.

Overall, this movie is a blast from the past for those of us who saw it as kids. Chances are, if you were into martial arts at all in the late 70s through the early to mid-80s, you probably loved this movie when the horrible acting and cheesy fight sequences (and Nero's 70s porn stache) were easily ignored. It is kind of hilarious to watch Nero in the fight scenes in which he is not in the ninja costume because it is clear he had zero martial arts training or skill. But, when the stunt guy is in the costume and fighting with Kosugi, those are good fight sequences. Kosugi was still pretty green as an actor (not that he was ever a great actor), but he could pull off the menacing bad guy very well. It does have one sex scene (which is pretty tame) and a lot of violence (but even that is tame by today's standards), as well as its fair share of stupid comedy (including a guy with a hook for a hand). You definitely have to take this movie for what it is, and as long as you do not expect more from it than being a cheesy action movie with ninjas, it is enjoyable. If you are looking for an academy award winner, this is definitely not something you will be interested in.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day Round 2 Day 20

Day 20 was the CE Recharge workout. Nothing new to report on this one as my flexibility has not changed much at all from the last few times I have done this.  

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day Round 2 Day 19

Day 19 was Friday Fight again. Now that I am a few weeks into doing this mixed modified and unmodified version of the workouts, I am noticing that I can do more unmodified moves in each workout, but I have to take longer breaks because I am getting gassed a lot faster in each workout. There are some moves that I still cannot do totally unmodified yet, so I do them partially modified, or do one or two unmodified reps and then switch to the modified versions. Doing the workouts unmodified is MUCH harder than the modified versions, and there is definitely a reason that everyone in the videos is in very good to great shape. But, I plan to keep on plugging away until I can do all of the workouts unmodified the entire time.

DVD/TV Series Review: Life As We Know It - The Complete Series

 

Life as we Know it was a coming-of-age teen drama that aired on ABC in the 2004-2005 season. It starred Sean Faris as Dino Whitman, a star hockey player for Woodrow Wilson High School in Seattle, Washington, and his friends Ben, played by Jon Foster, and Jonathan, played by Chris Lowell. The series is basically about the boys' navigating their high school lives with their girlfriends played by Missy Peregrym, Jessica Lucas, and Kelly Osbourne. The series was a bit unique in that it had the characters breaking the fourth wall and talking to the audience, and dealt with issues such as the effect of parents' separation due to an affair, the school-life balance, academic stress, and of course, the stress and pressure of sex. And, the show had a fairly controversial student-teacher sexual relationship storyline. The focus of the show was the teenagers, but the show had a strong cast of adult characters including Lisa Darr, D. B. Sweeney, and Marguerite Moreau, as well as a great guest cast which included Craig Ferguson, Peter Dinklage, Connie Britton, and Busy Phillips.

For those who get the DVD set, the thirteen episodes (two of which were not aired after the show was canceled) are spread across three discs. The extras include commentary tracks on select episodes, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and a photo gallery. So, a good amount for those who like watching the bonus features, especially for a show that was canceled without airing all of the episodes.

Overall, the show is very good. It dealt with issues that many people go through as teens (and adults). The student-teacher relationship storyline was probably what tanked the show. Of course, it was not the first or last time such a storyline had played out on a TV series; Dawson's Creek did a similar storyline years earlier, and more recently Hulu had the series A Teacher. But, Dawson's Creek was on a smaller network, and that kind of storyline was much less controversial in 2020 when A Teacher was made than in 2004. While the show had a ridiculously attractive cast, the writing was very good, and the young stars were very good actors. I have been surprised that only Peregrym and Lucas really had strong TV careers after this series ended. Given that the series ended abruptly, it never really gets a proper ending. The last show that aired is actually a better series finale than either of the two unaired episodes, but those do give you an idea of how the series would have progressed had it not been canceled. But, just know that the show does not get anything close to a satisfying ending. That said, I do think it is worth watching as the main themes of the show are pretty timeless and hold up well even years later.

Product Review: adidas Men's Athletic Cushioned Crew Socks

 

These are pretty standard socks. I would not say that they are very cushioned, but there is a little bit more material on the bottom than in the other areas of the sock. They are longer than most athletic socks tend to be. I would have preferred that they go just above the ankle, but those go up to the mid-shin. But, they are much better than the socks that go up to just below the ankle or right over the ankle joint (the no-show socks) because those tend to slide down my foot and get bunched up when I am working out.

Product Review: Echo Dot (2nd Generation) - Smart speaker with Alexa - Black

 

This is one of the early generation Echo Dots. As a result, it does not look as fancy and the speakers are not quite as good as those in the newer Dots. For example, if you play music through it, it can be a bit tinny when compared to the larger Echo units. But, if you are listening to talk radio, news stations, or things like that, it sounds perfectly fine. This has all of the functionality of the other Echo devices (aside from the Echo Show), and Amazon continues to release updates that allow them to do more and more. I generally use them to set reminders, play music, or use the intercom functionality (the drop-in feature). For music, it works well. The drop-in feature can be spotty. Sometimes it works great and sometimes it can sound like the person on the other end is in a tunnel, and will sometimes not shut off unless you tell it to stop multiple times. It also has issues with understanding some commands. For example, if you ask what the temperature is outside it generally will give you what you want. But, if you ask it to tell you the five-day forecast (or whether forecast or weather for the next five days), it will often come back with the "hmm...I don't know that one" response. Then if you ask it slightly differently it will say "here is the weather for the next five days" and give you the forecast. And, it is still not great with recognizing a real person's voice versus responding to the TV, even if you train it to your own voice.

Obviously, you have to consider whether you want an electronic device constantly listening to you. You can turn the microphone off so it cannot listen all the time, and you can go into the app and delete the recorded interactions. More and more it gives you features that can aid you in getting help, which is good if you live alone or have an aging parent or parents that live alone. These are fairly easy to set up if you are at least fairly tech-savvy. You do have to download the Alexa app and use that to set the dot up, but once it is set up you do not have to do much reconfiguring. Basically, if you can set up a wireless printer you can set this up. One thing I have found is that, if it loses connection to the internet, it is much easier to just unplug it for a few seconds and plug it back in than it is to go through the app and go through that process to get it reconnected to Wi-Fi.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Gotham: The Complete Third Season

 

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

The third season of Gotham is essentially split into two parts. The first part, which picks up six months after the end of season two, under the subtitle Mad City, in which Hugo Strange's (B. D. Wong) various beasts and freaks (including the Bruce doppelganger) released after the bus crash are roaming Gotham. Gordon (Ben Mckenzie) has become a private investigator after being fired from the GCPD Jervis Tetch/Mad Hatter, to find his sister Alice. Gordon discovers Alice's blood contains a virus which becomes a plot line that affects the rest of the season. Lee (Morena Baccarin) has moved on from Jim and resumes her job at the GCPD, and Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) decides to run for Mayor of Gotham. The major storyline involving Bruce (David Mazouz) this season involves the Court of Owls, a powerful group that basically controls Gotham, and then later in the season, during the Heroes Rise subtitle, The League of Shadows. This season does not end on a major cliffhanger but does set up potential season four story arcs.

For those who get the blu-ray set, the extras include deleted scenes, a portion of the 2016 Comic-Con panel, featurettes on The Court of Owls and the new villains, and a featurette on the episode directed by Ben McKenzie. And, the A/V quality continues to be top-notch, which is great given the heavy use of CGI effects.

Overall, the season is very good. Many of the characters continue to be some shade of gray morally. Some of the bad guys have a twinge of good, and some of the good guys take a dark turn this season. The show continues to have a strong supporting cast including Michael Chiklis, Jamie Chung, Ivana Miličević, Cameron Monaghan, James Remar, Paul Reubens (playing a similar role to his cameo in Batman Returns), and Alexander Siddig. In the third season, the show pretty much transitions from the procedural-serial combination that it has been in the first couple of seasons to a straight serial with a bunch of longer story arcs that run throughout the season and intertwine here and there. The show makes good use of the large ensemble cast and makes a good decision to make Bruce just one of the characters as opposed to the main character, especially since David Mazouz is still relatively young and not exactly physically imposing. So, if you can accept the fact that it is not really a Batman series, but want to see origin stories for the various characters, this is definitely worth your time to watch.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day Round 2 Day 18

Day 18 was the second time doing the Tabata Power workout. I was able to get about a minute or two farther into the workout today than I did on Tuesday, but was definitely very gassed during portions of the workout, especially during the shoulder exercises. But, I was able to get through it and again could do more unmodified (or less modified) moves than the last time.

DVD/TV Series Review: House: Season 4

 

Season four of House was, at least for me, an unexpectedly great season. I was worried about how changing the dynamic of the characters, with Foreman and Cameron quitting and Chase being fired would affect the show. Of course, Omar Epps, Jesse Spencer, and Jennifer Morrison all stayed on the show, but their roles were very different not being members of House's team. I think the writers did a great decision by having House hire 40 new doctors only to whittle them down to three in a reality-tv style competition. And, of course, he gave the characters nicknames instead of learning their actual names (for the most part). Some of the candidates included Olvia Wilde (playing 13), Kal Penn (playing 6/9/Kutner), Peter Jacobson, Anne Dudek, Edi Gathegi, and Michael Michele. The season is shorter (just 16 episodes) because of the writer's strike that occurred about halfway through the season. The show actually came back for four episodes after the strike so they could do their planned two-part season finale. 

The show continued with the case-of-the-week style procedural format, but the storyline about which potentials would make the cut was the main serial storyline throughout the season. Thankfully, the show abandoned the House pisses off the wrong person off storylines from season 1 and season 3, and just focused on the relationships between the characters for the serial arc.

For those who get the DVDs, there are a fair amount of extras which include a commentary track on part 1 of the two-part season finale, clips from the soap opera that House watches, featurettes on the writers and visual effects process, the new team, and the season as a whole. So, a lot there if you like the bonus material.

Overall, I think this is the best season of the show. I think all the new cast members did a great job joining an established and wildly popular show, and the existing cast did well with the changing dynamics. The two-part season finale was wonderful and set up season three very well. And, the show continued to get a ton of great guest stars including Frank Whaley, Thomas F. Wilson (from Back to the Future), Jeremy Renner (when he was still doing TV), Mira Sorvino, Fred Durst, and Ivanna Milicevic (who had done a lot of character work for many popular TV shows and would later star in the great series Banshee). If you are a fan of medical procedural dramas, chances are you watched House at some point. If you are one of the few who have not seen it, start at season one and watch it. It was almost always good, many times great, and sometimes the best show on TV. Definitely worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Mr. Robot: Season 2

 

Season two of Mr. Robot continues the strange trip that is the story of Elliot and fsociety versus E-Corp (or Evil Corp as the characters refer to it). Season two is set months down the line from the successful hack of E-Corp. Elliot, now knowing that Mr. Robot (played by Christian Slater) is really his dead father that he has been hallucinating is staying with his mother and trying to get rid of Mr. Robot, only to fight a losing battle with him constantly. Darlene (Carly Chaikin) is now in charge of fsociety and continues to try and take down E-Corp from the outside, continuing the hacks, while Angela (Portia Doubleday) is now working her way up the ladder at E-Corp. Tyrell (Martin Wallström) is missing and is mostly absent (at least in person for most of the season), and Joanna (Stephanie Corneliussen) is trying to find him while also having a fling with a new guy who gets more and more suspicious of her.

The show continues the serial story arc from season one, revealing more and more of the backstory and including a lot of twists and turns. Of course, the audience experiencing events from the perspective of a mentally ill character allows for a lot of weirdness, as things are definitely not always what they seem, and includes some crazy moments like a 1980s/1990s sitcom version of a family road trip with that featured the 80s sitcom character, ALF. The new addition to the cast this season is Grace Gummer, who plays Dominique DiPierro, an FBI field agent investigating the E Corp hack, and BD Wong (from Jurassic Park) makes a couple more appearances as White Rose.

For those who get the blu-ray set, the show once again looks and sounds great in HD. The episodes and the extras are spread out over three discs. The extras include deleted scenes for most of the episodes and a couple of behind-the-scenes featurettes. Not a ton, but what was included is good if you like watching the bonus content.

Overall, the show continues to be very entertaining. Like in the first season, there is a lot of violence, swearing, sex, and drug use in the show, so it is not family-friendly and will not appeal to everyone. It is definitely telling a long drawn-out story, so you have to watch from the beginning to have any clue about what is going on. The writing and acting are both top-notch and the show does a good job of revealing small details about the story while not giving away too much. It also blends the storyline into the real world (using clips of the mega-rich and politicians) to establish how the super-rich controls everything and why fsociety wants to take them down. It is definitely a great show and worth the time to watch.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Daredevil: The Complete First Season

 

Daredevil was the first of a series of more adult superhero shows that aired on Netflix starring Charlie Cox as Matt Murdoch/Daredevil, a blind lawyer by day and vigilante by night. Murdoch, while blind has enhanced senses that basically allow him to see something akin to radar pings. The season basically serves as an origin story for Daredevil, showing how Matt transitions to the guy in the suit. The crux of the season one storyline is Daredevil versus different criminal organizations which have exploited Hell's Kitchen in NYC since "the incident" which was the Battle of New York that occurred in the first Avengers movie, and ultimately pits Daredevil versus Wilson Fisk (AKA Kingpin) played wonderfully by Vincent D'Onofrio. The rest of the cast is made up of Elden Henson as Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, Matt's best friend and law partner, Deborah Ann Woll (from True Blood) as Karen Page, a legal assistant at Matt and Foggy's firm, and Rosario Dawson as Claire, a nurse that patches up Daredevil and one of the few who know his identity.

The series is basically a serial storyline in which the events of one episode build on another. The writing and acting are both top-notch, and the show has a lot of twists. Charlie Cox does a great job as the series lead, playing Matt as a conflicted, morally grey character who is also trying to keep his loved ones safe while meeting out unsanctioned justice. The show is rated TV-MA and is much more violent than any of the MCU movies. The show generally has more adult content than the movies including some swearing and sexual content. So, it is definitely not as family-friendly as the other MCU projects.

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, it is just a MOD set with the episodes but no other extras. So, the only reason to get this versus just streaming the series is to keep your MCU collection of physical media as complete as possible. That said, it is definitely worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Flash: The Complete Third Season

 

Season three of The Flash has a lot going on. The season starts out with a variation of the "Flashpoint" storyline from the comics caused by Barry going back in time and saving his mother from Thawne. The fallout from that action really carries through the entire season. Then, about a third of the way into the season we get the big Arrowverse Crossover, Invasion, that involved Arrow, Flash, Supergirl (although Supergirl did not get a stand-alone crossover episode), and Legends. The big bad of the season ends up being yet another speedster, this time Savitar, who makes the team's life miserable for the entire season. And, of course, the show does mix in a bit of the case-of-the-week procedural episode, but those are definitely fewer than in prior seasons.

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, the show looks and sounds great, as it has in the prior seasons. Most of the special effects are pretty seamless, however, when they show close-ups of Barry or Wally super speeding, you can definitely tell they are animated characters. The extras include ten different featurettes including one of the villains, the Gorilla City episode, a portion of the 2016 Comic-Con panel, deleted scenes, a gag reel, a conversation with the showrunner and director Kevin Smith (who directed one of the episodes), and a feature on the crossover event. Plus, the crossover episodes of the other shows are included so you do not have to swap out discs with the other shows (or even get the other shows' sets) to see the entire crossover storyline.

Overall, the season is very good, even though the evil speedster storyline is a bit derivative of the Zoom and Reverse Flash storylines in the prior seasons. There are several additions to the cast this year, including Harry Potter's Tom Felton, Tobin Bell (from the Saw franchise), Violet Beanne, Jessica Camacho, Jessica Camacho (from House and Covert Affairs), and Danielle Nicolet. Some of the new cast members would have their roles expanded and some were only around for this season. The big crossover event was very good, but the mini-crossover with Supergirl which was a musical episode that allowed the vocal talents of some cast like Mellissa Benoist and Grant Gustin to be displayed was very good as well. So, if you are a fan of the Arrowverse shows, and especially The Flash, you will definitely want to watch this season.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day Round 2 Day 17

Day 17 was the sweat intervals workout again. I maxed out at pretty much the same point as I did last week, during the wide pike-ups. But, I was able to do more unmodified moves overall during the workout than I did last week. So, I am making progress, but am not where I want to be. 

Product Review: Amazon Brand - Happy Belly Hot Cocoa Pods

 

If you have a coffee maker that can brew k-cups but hate coffee, this is a good alternative. This is good-tasting hot chocolate and you get a good amount of k-cups for a decent price. And, you can set it up as a subscribe and save item to have it delivered at whatever frequency meets your needs. They are definitely easier to use than "regular" cocoa powder mix (not that making cocoa that way is hard, but this is more convenient) and allows you to easily make one cup at a time. So, if you are not a fan of coffee, this is definitely a good option.