Book Review: The Dragons: Dragonlance Lost Histories Volume VI

 

The Dragons, written by Douglas Niles and published in 1996, is a novel in the prolific Dragonlance series of fantasy novels, which began with a story in a Dungeons & Dragons role-playing campaign in the early 1980s and later expanded into the trilogy known as the Chronicles series. That series spawned hundreds of other novels, including this one. This book is part of a series of novels that fill in gaps in events mentioned but not fully explored in the Chronicles and Legends trilogies. This book details the lives of a number of good and evil dragons, some of whom are first introduced in the Chronicles series, but most are new to this book. The events begin about 8500 years before the Cataclysm (the big event in the Dragonlance setting that divides time periods), making it the first novel if you read them in chronological order, and end with the conclusion to the War of the Lance (which occurred 350 years after the Cataclysm and was the story in the Chronicles trilogy). In it, we learn about the dragons' role in the original war in which Takhisis attempted to take over, their subsequent exile from Krynn, and the good dragons' decision to return to fight in the War of the Lance. 

For years, the book was only available in mass-market paperback, and is now available in electronic form. The first edition of the paperback book is 315 pages long. It does spoil some of what happens in the Chronicles series. So, if you are just getting into the Dragonlance series and have not read the Chronicles trilogy (or have not finished them) and care about spoilers, then it is best to read this after those novels. Most of the book (about 3/4) is set in the centuries before the War of the Lance. If you have read the Chronicles series, the last 1/4 of the story will be more familiar and will probably read more quickly. While I would not say that it is as good as any of the novels in the Chronicles and Legends trilogies (basically, the original six books in the Dragonlance universe) and can be slow in parts, it is worth reading if that part of the story interests you. It is not, however, integral to the storyline in the "primary" novels, so you will not miss anything vital if you do not read this one.

Workout Update: P90X Day 49

On day 49, I did yoga. I was going to try and do more of the asana portion, but I did not get started until about 9:00 at night, so I again went up through the "chair" portion of the first part of the workout, then skipped to balance poses and went up to the yoga-belly-seven portion. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 48

On Day 48, I did the final legs and back workout for Phase II. It went pretty well. I decided to swap using the pull-up assist for a chair (since I bought a pull-up stand with a bar much higher than the old pull-up bar I had attached to a door frame in my old house). I found that using a chair works much better, so I was able to get a couple more reps in during each pull-up move during the workout.

Workout Update: P90X Day 47

I used Day 47 as a rest day, but did do ab-ripper in the evening. I was just not feeling like doing a long workout today, so I shuffled my schedule again.  

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Incredible Mr. Limpet

 

The Incredible Mr. Limpet is a 1964 comedy starring Don Knotts, Carole Cook, Jack Weston, Andrew Duggan, Larry Keating, Paul Frees, and Elizabeth MacRae. Most of the story is set in the 1940s during World War II. Knotts plays a bookkeeper named Henry Limpet, who loves fish and often wishes he were one. He attempts to enlist to fight in the war, but is denied due to poor eyesight. He is the classic wimpy pushover who is browbeaten by his wife, Bessie (played by Cook), and is mercilessly teased by his best friend George (played by Weston). When he falls off the pier at Coney Island, he transforms into a fish, and when he discovers that he has a powerful underwater roar that he calls a "thrum," he begins helping the Navy destroy German U-boats.

The blu-ray release is a single-disc release. The A/V quality is good, but it did not receive the high-quality restoration some older films have. If you have a decent home-theater setup, the movie will look and sound okay, but it will not be as good as those that receive an extensive HD transfer. There is a little over 20 minutes of bonus content, including an introduction to the film by Knotts, a promotional short film about the film's premier in Weeki Wachee, FL, a series of short segments in which Knotts reflects on the various actors who worked on the fim, and the theatrical trailer (which is preceeded by a promotion for the songs from the film which was relased as a single).

The movie is a bit corny and cheesy, but it was one of the first (if not the first) movies to blend live-action with animation. And unlike many of today's comedies, it is absolutely family-friendly and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. There is one sex joke at the end that is pretty mild and would probably go over most kids' heads, but there is no swearing or anything that is not appropriate for young kids. It holds up fairly well, even after 60+ years. Ultimately, the movie is a fun, offbeat film that is worth watching. 

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

 

The 30-episode fifth season of Bewitched aired during the 1968/1969 TV season. All of the main cast returned, including Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, and Agnes Moorehead. Erin Murphy, and/or Diane Murphy, and David White appeared in most episodes, and George Tobias and Sandra Gould appeared in a handful of episodes. Paul Lynde, Maurice Evans, and Bernard Fox also made several appearances throughout the season. Some of the guest stars this season included Isabel Sanford (best known for her role on The Jeffersons), Art Metrano (who would later star in some of the Police Academy films), and Danny Bonaduce.

As of this writing, the blu-rays are only available in the complete series release. In that set, the fifth season episodes are spread across three discs. The only bonus content is commentary tracks on a couple of episodes by Herbie Pilato and York's son. The restoration of the episodes is very good, but the HD format does show the limitations of 1960s effects. The individual season is available on DVD in a four-disc set, but does not have the commentary tracks that were done for the blu-ray release. 

The fifth season marked the start of the series' transition, as it would be the last season in which Dick York appeared due to a back injury that affected his ability to work. This season, he was absent for several episodes, and the writers found different ways to write excuses for Darrin's absence into the show. As a result, there were more appearances by characters like Uncle Author, Maurice, and Serena (with Elizabeth Montgomery pulling double duty). The writers continued to work in some real-world 1960s themes (including social themes like women's rights and civil rights) into the show from time to time (sometimes subtly, sometimes not), but mostly kept the show lighthearted and fictional. The show was definitely getting repetitive and recycling or repackaging old storylines. However, it was still very entertaining. The one issue I had with the show was that it would often reuse the same supporting actors in totally different roles. So, if you are big on continuity, there was not much in this show, as you would often see the same actors playing different characters just a few episodes apart. In one of the commentary tracks, Pilato mentioned that if Montgomery and William Asher (Montgomery's husband and one of the show's producers) liked someone, they would bring that person back multiple times. So you can definitely tell which actors they liked. 

Ultimately, the season is good, and the show continued to be funny in the fifth season, even if it was getting a bit stale. There are definitely some elements of the series that would likely not be used if it were made today, but it mostly holds up well. If you liked the first few seasons, this one is not as good as those, but it is still entertaining and worth watching.

Workout Update: P90X Day 46

On Day 46, I again swapped Yoga for Kenpo. For some reason, I just prefer keeping the yoga routine (especially that one) for the weekend. I am definitely getting faster and have more stamina during the workout, but I still have a ways to go before I am at the level I want to be with that one.

Workout Update: P90X Day 45

Day 45 was Back and Biceps again. Like the Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps workout, I was able to increase the amount of weight I used on a couple of the exercises, and do a couple more pull-ups, but overall it was pretty much the same as last week.  

Workout Update: P90X Day 44

Day 44 was plyo. I again decided to skip the last chunk of the workout (the "sports bonus"), mostly because I got a later start to the workout than I would have liked. Ultimately, however, it went fine. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 43

Day 43 enters the last week of Phase 2, which means the Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps workout again. No big changes from last week's workout. I increased the amount of weight I used for a couple of exercises during the workout, but for the most part, they stayed the same as last week. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 42

On day 42, I got a lot of exercise. In the afternoon, I had to shovel my driveway after we got a nice dumping of spring snow. Then, in the evening, I did yoga (which I had substituted earlier in the week) and ab-ripper. Basically, I stopped once I got to the core exercises in the yoga workout and then did ab-ripper since I generally like those exercises more.  

Workout Update: P90X Day 41

I used day 41 as the off day this week. I had a party at my house, so, since I knew I was not going to be eating all that well, I just took the day off (but I did get in a session of ab-ripper in the evening.

Workout Update: P90X Day 40

Day 40 was the Legs and Back workout. The most progress I have made was on the Bulgarian Squats. My balance was better, and I could go a bit deeper on them. All of the rest of the exercises were pretty much the same. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 39

On day 39, I switched Yoga for the Kenpo workout. It went fine, really no better or worse than the last time I did it. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 38

Day 38 was the second round of the Back and Biceps workout. I again was able to increase the amount of weight I was using for a couple of the exercises. I had the same pull-up numbers from last week, probably because I was still not feeling great. I still cannot do corn-cob pull-ups for shit, but I can do a handful of the rest of them. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 37

Day 37 was plyo again. I was not feeling great and got a late start, so I ended the workout once I did the five main blocks and skipped the "sports bonus" portion. It was slow starting, but once I was warmed up, I made it through fine.  

Workout Update: P90X Day 36

Day 36 was the second round of Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps. Overall, the workout went well. I was able to increase the number of reps on some of the push-up exercises and the amount of weight I used for a couple of the exercises.  

Workout Update: P90X Day 35

Day 35 was the rest day, so I just did ab-ripper (since I did not do it on Friday after the Legs and Back workout). I am still doing 15 reps of all of the exercises except Mason Twists. I will probably bump it up to 20 reps soon (maybe next week, maybe the week after).  

Workout Update: P90X Day 34

Day 34 was Kenpo X. I am getting better at it, both in terms of my cardio stamina and speed. I still skip that beginning stretching (which really should be the cool down) and use the twist and pivot and punching sequences as a warm up. That knocks about 11 minutes off the total time of the workout which makes it more palatable.  

Workout Update: P90X Day 33

Day 33 was Legs and Back. I did find that it was a bit harder after the off week than it was in the last week of Phase I (especially the pull-ups), but I was able to get through it.  

Workout Update: P90X Day 32

Day 32 was Yoga. As with the past few times I have done the yoga routine, I focused on improving the parts that I can do well or semi-well, and altering the parts that I currently struggle with. Basically, I want to get stronger and more flexible and then work in the things (like the end of the moving asanas) that give me trouble.  

Workout Update: P90X Day 31

Day 31 was the first back and biceps workout in Phase 2 of P90X. It is the second "new" workout after the first month. Like the Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps workout, this one incorporates many of the exercises from Phase 1's Chest and Back and Shoulders and Arms workouts. And, it adds a couple of new exercises into the mix. It has two blocks of work with a one-minute rest between them. You alternate two back exercises (one that is a version of a pull-up and one that uses weights) followed by two biceps exercises. The workout ends with a strip set of bicep curls, where you do 8 reps with the heaviest weight you can use, then drop the weight (5 lbs or more), do eight reps with the lighter weight, and repeat that two more times. So, it is a challenging workout and it does get tiring toward the end, especially once you get to the point where you can do more pull-ups at the beginning.

Workout Update: P90X Day 30

Day 30 was plyo. Interestingly, I felt that I had a bit less stamina since I had not done this one for a week. Core synergistics and kenpo are the only "up-tempo" workouts that you do during the recovery weeks, but neither of them is as effective cardio-wise as plyo. But, ultimately, I go through it.  

CD/Music Review: Ashanti: Chapter II

 

Chapter II is the 2003 sophomore album by Ashanti. It features 20 tracks total, but some are very short skits or interludes that run around a minute or less, give or take (similar to those on her first album). The album features three singles, the most successful of which is "Rock wit U (Awww Baby)," which peaked at number 2 on the US Top 100. Like her first album, this one mixes R&B, rap, funk, hip-hop, soul, and pop and includes more upbeat dance tracks and ballads. The CD liner unfolds into a poster of Ashanti on one side, and pictures, lyrics, production notes, and a thank-you message on the other. Ultimately, the album has a very similar style and sound to her debut album, which some may like and some may feel is too much of a carbon copy of her first album. Personally, I liked her first album a bit more than this one, but ultimately, if you enjoyed her debut album, you will probably like this one. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 29

Day 29 was the first workout of Phase 2 of P90X, which meant doing the first of two new workouts, Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps. Several of the exercises are carried over from the Chest and Back and Shoulders and Arms workouts in Phase 1, but this one also includes a few new ones.  It also includes new cast members, one of whom does modified versions of the exercises. Overall, it went well.

Workout Update: P90X Day 28

Day 28 was the last day of recovery week, which I just used as a rest day. I do feel refreshed going into Phase 2 and the two new lifting workouts. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 27

Day 27 was the sixth day of recovery week, which meant yoga again. I just did the "main" part of it (up to the ab exercises) and skipped the end, which I will probably do going forward. There was no big change from when I did it earlier in the week.  

Workout Update: P90X Day 26

Day 26 was the fifth day of the recovery week, which meant doing core synergistics again. It really went exactly the same as Tuesday. I could do the same amount of reps and had to modify or skip the same exercises I did then. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 25

Day 25 was the fourth day of recovery week, which was x-stretch. As much as I hate the yoga routine, I love this. It is the perfect length (just under an hour), and it does not have a ton of overly advanced moves. Had this been included in Power 90, it would have been perfect to get people ready for the P90X yoga routine. 

4K-UHD/Movie Review: Dogma

 

Dogma is the 1999 film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It was the fourth film in what is known as the View Askewinverse, which is the series of comedies written and directed by Smith, which at the time, included the films Clerks, Mallrats, and Chasing Amy. It stars Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Salma Hayek, Jason Lee, Alan Rickman, and Chris Rock, as well as Smith and Jason Mewes as the characters Jay and Silent Bob. George Carlin and Alanis Morissette also have what amounts to extended cameos. Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson (who were the leads in Clerks) made cameo appearances, and Janeane Garofalo and Bud Cort have small roles. In the film, Affleck and Damon play fallen angels named Bartleby and Loki, who attempt to exploit a loophole in their banishment to Earth and re-enter Heaven, which, if successful, will wipe out everything in existence. Fiorentino plays Bethany, a counselor at an abortion clinic who is undergoing a crisis of faith and is recruited by the angel Metatron (played by Rickman) to stop them. She is aided by Jay and Silent Bob, as well as Rock's character Rufus, and Hayek's character Serendipity, while Lee's character, the demon Azrael, tries to stop her. 

The 4k set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a standard blu-ray disc. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is very good. It is definitely an upgrade over the initial DVD release, and a good, but not outstanding upgrade over the blu-ray (which had been out of print for many years). The UHD disc includes the two original commentary tracks, one with Smith, Affleck, Lee, Mewes, producer Scott Moser, and Vincent Pereira, which focuses on the movie itself, and the second is a technical commentary track with Smith, Moser, and Pereira in which they discuss more of the details about filming and getting the movie made. New features include a short introduction by Smith for the 4k release that plays after the disc loads, a new making-of documentary that runs almost an hour and a half that features updated interviews, a portion of a Q&A session with Smith after a screening of the film, an interview with Smith that runs about 15 minutes, the original trailer and a 25th anniversary trailer, and a few shorter featurettes. 

The standard blu-ray contains the films and both commentary tracks (although the track with Smith and the cast includes video pop-ups that are not in the version on the UHD disc), the intro by Smith, and all the legacy content carried over from the original release. Those include about an hour and a half of deleted and extended scenes, a 40-minute documentary focusing on the very stupid controversy surrounding the film when it was made, some storyboard sequences, more trailers and TV spots, among other things. As with the original release, most references to Miramax and Harvey Weinstein are censored from the extras (with only a couple of exceptions).

The film is good, but it will definitely not appeal to everyone. First and foremost, it is a crude comedy with crude humor (as is the case with most of Smith's movies). It happens to involve religion, unlike what some think, it does not make fun of religion or faith in general. It is a comedy that is set around religious concepts, some controversial and some not. Smith, who was a practicing Catholic for years, wanted to make a comedy that explored the religious dogma he learned growing up. He does poke fun at the Catholic Church, but not the concept of faith in general. Ultimately, if you do not mind crude humor and swearing, it is a good movie that actually teaches some aspects of Christianity and Catholicism, which some people may not otherwise know. If you can accept that, the movie is absolutely worth watching. 

Book Review: Star Wars: Trials of the Jedi

 

Trials of the Jedi, published in 2025 and written by Charles Soule, is the conclusion to the High Republic era storyline involving the Jedi and the Republic's fight against the Nihil. Obviously, we know that Marchion Ro would have to be defeated for the Skywalker era to occur, but this details how he was taken down and finally reveals the full history of the Nameless creatures and how they are tied to the mysterious blight that has been devouring planets. It also (at least potentially) sets up how the Sith line that went through Palpatine may have started. Since the events in the book are set approximately 130 years before The Phantom Menace, there would have been time for a potential Sith reveal toward the end of the book to make sense. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 420 pages long. It was a fairly quick read, but not as fast as some of the other High Republic novels, mainly because the storyline shifts between several different settings. Most of the story is set on the Namless' homeworld, Planet X, but parts of it are set on the planet Eridau, on Coruscant (both in the Jedi Temple and the Senate building), and on a world being consumed by the blight. Ultimately, it is a good conclusion to the bulk of the High Republic story (the Acolyte era is considered the end of the High Republic, and there have already been a couple of novels set during that time). The storyline in the novel starts out a bit slow, but picks up well in the last third of the book. If you have enjoyed the prior novels set during the High Republic era, this one is absolutely worth reading.

CD/Music Review: Ashanti: Self-Titled Debut Album

 

This is Ashanti's self-titled debut album, released in 2002. Ashanti had been writing for other artists, penning hooks for various rap and hip-hop artists. The album contains 17 tracks, some of which are very short "skits" or interludes that last around a minute or less. The tracks are mostly dance/hip-hop, fused with a bit of pop or ballads. The three hit singles from the album are "Foolish" (which spent several weeks at the top of the US charts), "Happy" (which reached the top 10), and "Baby" (which peaked at number 15). Some tracks are collaborations with Ja Rule, Irv Gotti, and one a remix of Foolish, titled "Unfoolish" features The Notorious B.I.G., using a sample of one of his tracks. The album's total run time is just over an hour.

The CD liner includes several pictures of Ashanti, a track listing with production notes, a separate track listing with lyrics for each track, and a thank-you note. Ultimately, if you are a fan of late '90s/early 2000s R&B and hip-hop, you will probably like this album. While there is some rap on it, it is mostly an R&B album that showcases Ashanti's wonderful vocal talent and singing. Some of the tracks, especially the skits, have swearing in them, so you probably want to avoid playing some of the tracks around young kids. It is absolutely worth listening to, with several tracks worthy of inclusion on one or more playlists.

Workout Update: P90X Day 24

Day 24 was the third day of recovery week, which meant doing Kenpo X. It went well. I noticed I could keep up with the cast more easily this time than in the prior few weeks. I skipped the useless stretching at the beginning and used the punching sequence as a dynamic warm-up. 

CD/Music Review: Anastacia: Freak of Nature

 

Freak of Nature, released in 2001, is the second studio album by Anastacia. Like her first album, this one blends sounds from different genres, blending funk, soul, pop, and R&B. The album consists of 13 tracks totaling just over 50 minutes. Most of the tracks are upbeat dance numbers, but on this album, she also includes more ballads. It was a good follow-up to her debut album, but it was not the same jump in quality that, for example, Adele had from her debut album, 19, to her second album, 21. 

The CD liner contains pictures, track listings (with production notes but no lyrics), and a thank-you message at the end. Ultimately, I would describe the album as good, but not great. I think part of the issue that Anastacia faced was that she came along at a time when the pop charts were dominated by people in their early 20s (Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera), and she (despite looking much younger than her age) was in her mid-30s so putting out songs trying to compete with the "pop princesses" just did not work. I think the album would have been a bigger success if she had stuck with material geared toward the age group beyond the clubbing scene. That said, it is still worth checking out if you liked her first album.

Workout Update: P90X Day 23

Day 23 was the second day of recovery week, which meant doing Core Synergistics. It is a full-body workout that uses exercises that engage your core. There are some Yoga exercises, such as Bow and Boat, as well as other functional exercises, like lifts and reaches, using small weights. Only a handful of exercises in the workout require weights, and they are all high-repetition exercises (to help with muscular endurance), so you will be using lighter weights (the heaviest that anyone in the cast uses is 15 lbs). Some of the exercises (even the modified versions) are very challenging and advanced (like the Dreya rolls toward the end of the workout). So, did as many unmodified exercises as I could, modified others, and skipped those I cannot yet do, even in the modified versions. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 22

Day 22 was the first day of the recovery week between Phases 1 and 2. That meant doing Yoga again. There was not much difference between when I did it on Saturday and today. But it was nice to have a day off from lifting. 

CD/Music Review: Anastacia: Not That Kind

 

Not That Kind is Anastacia's 2000 debut album, released after she gained notoriety on the late-1990s MTV talent show, The Cut. The album contains 13 tracks in all, including four singles: "I'm Outta Love" (the most successful and popular song on the album), the title track "Not That Kind," "Cowboys & Kisses," and "Made for Lovin' You." The songs on the album are quite eclectic in terms of sound. Some very much sound like late '90s/early '00s dance pop tracks (although slightly different from what younger stars like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were doing), Cowboys & Kisses is a mix of pop and country, and some are slower ballads. She has described her style as a mix of soul, pop, and rock, and that definitely describes the mix of genres on the album. 

The CD liner contains pictures of Anastacia, a listing of all the tracks with production notes (but no lyrics), and the requisite thank-yous. While Anastacia never broke out into superstardom, she has a very good voice and was one of the better lesser-known pop acts of that time. The album is absolutely worth listening to and has several songs worth of inclusion on one or more playlists.

Workout Update: P90X Day 21

Day 21 was the rest day, so I just did ab-ripper (which I skipped on Legs and Back day), again doing 15 reps of all the exercises except Mason Twists, which I did all 50 reps of. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 20

Day 20 was yoga, which I did up to the point of doing the ab exercises (so basically, I skipped the final 17 minutes). I did all of the moving asanas, but in the last block, where they do Warrior 3, Standing Splits, and Half Moon, I just held (or attempted to) Warrior 3 the entire time. I felt it was better to work on my balance than try to get into poses that I could not do all that well years ago, and definitely do not have the stamina or balance to pull off yet. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 19

Day 19 was the final legs and back workout for Phase 1. I used the same weight as I did last week for the weighted exercises, but I will be able to bump a couple of them up for the first workout in Phase 2. I was also able to get a couple of more pull-ups in on some of the pull-up variations. I am saving ab-ripper for the rest day. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 18

On day 18, I again swapped out Yoga for Kenpo, mainly because I did not feel like doing an hour plus of Yoga. There was nothing huge to report from this one. I was still not feeling great, but better than I did a few days ago, so it was kind of a middle-of-the-road effort.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 3

 

The 24-episode third season of Frasier aired during the 1995/1996 TV season. All of the primary cast members returned for season 3, and there was a new recurring character introduced in the season premiere: Mercedes Ruehl playing Kate Costas, the new station manager who immediately has tension with Frasier. There were several notable guest appearances this season, including Tony Shalhoub, Harris Yulin, and Jane Kaczmarek. Harriet Sansom Harris returned in her recurring role as Frasier's agent, Bebe, and Shelly Long made her second appearance in the series as Diane Chambers. This season, instead of a one-second, blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo like Long had in season 2, this time she actually has a storyline that makes another hilarious nod to Cheers and provides closure to Diane's and Frasier's relationship. And, of course, there is the usual cavalcade of celebrity voices playing characters who call into Frasier's show. This season, they include Matthew Broderick, Carrie Fisher, Terri Garr, Blair Brown, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Billy Crystal, Ed Harris, Laura Dern, Ray Liotta, Jodie Foster, Randy Travis, Katarina Witt, Mrs. Fields, and David Duchovny. The series continues to primarily be a story-of-the-week procedural, with serial storylines intertwined. This season, the main storyline spanning the majority of the season involves Niles' relationship with the still-unseen Maris. David Hyde Pierce really stole the show this season, playing Niles. John Mahoney,  Jane Leeves, and Peri Gilpin also had several wonderful moments throughout the season.

The blu-ray set is a three-disc set that is, as of this writing, still only available in the complete series release. The individual seasons are only still available on DVD (which is a four-disc set). All the bonus content that was included on the DVD release is carried over. Those include interview segments with Grammer and Pierce discussing the brothers' storylines this season, an interview with the series' art director, a list of some of the celebrity voices, and another featurette on the mystery of Maris. All of the bonus features are included on the third disc, while on the DVDs, they are spread across the four discs. The A/V quality of the blu-rays is good and a significant upgrade over the DVDs. However, in some episodes, I did notice that the audio and/or video were not as good as in others. 

Ultimately, the third season was strong, especially once the Maris-Niles storyline (and the resulting consequences) took off. The two best episodes of the season were episodes 13 ("Moon Dance") and 14 ("The Show Where Diane Comes Back"). The spoof of Cheers characters in episode 14 was hilarious, and the chemistry between Leeves and Pierce in Moon Dance was wonderful. So, if you liked the first two seasons, this one is worth watching.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Boogie Nights

 

Boogie Nights is a 1997 film about the golden era of porn and is very loosely based on and inspired by events in the life of John Holmes. It was written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starred Mack Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, Heather Graham, and John C. Reilly in the main roles, and Don Cheadle, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Luis Guzman, Nicole Ari Parker, Nina Hartley, Thomas Jane, Melora Walters, Robert Ridgely, Alfred Molina, Phillip Baker Hall, and Ricky Jay in supporting roles. The story begins in 1977, when Wahlberg's character, Eddie Adams, is discovered by Reynolds' character, adult film director Jack Horner, while working as a busboy at a Hollywood nightclub. Adams, who it is hinted is very well-endowed (and we find out at the end of the movie just how much so via a prosthetic penis), takes on the stage name Dirk Diggler and becomes the biggest name in porn as the story progresses into the mid-1980s. The first half of the film shows the glamorous side of the life of porn stars in that era, specifically the money, sex, and partying. The second half shows the dark side of that lifestyle and how the lives of some performers were ruined by the rampant drug use, the struggle (and sometimes inability) to get out, and how slimy some of the power brokers could be. Many of the events in the film are based on things that happened to real porn actors over the years.

The 4k release is a single-disc edition released in 2025 after the film was remastered. It carries over most of the bonus content from the original DVD release, but not all. The director's commentary track, deleted scenes, and music video are carried over, but the character profiles are not, nor is the ability to jump to specific musical numbers in the film from the disc menu. It also includes additional bonus material for this release, including more deleted and extended scenes focused on John C. Reilly's character, a two-part Q&A session, the first part featuring Anderson and Reilly, and the second featuring just Anderson, filmed in 2025. There is also a second commentary track featuring Anderson and many of the actors, spliced together from several conversations. It was not a situation in which the entire group was in a room watching the film and recording commentary as it played. Instead, it was created from several conversations, such as Anderson discussing the movie with some actors separately, and others where a couple of the actors were in the same place discussing the movie. In all, Wahlberg, Moore, Graham, Reilly, Cheadle, Macy, Guzman, and Walters all appear at various points in the second commentary track. Of the two, Anderson's solo commentary provides the most interesting details on the process of making the film. The A/V quality of the 4k restoration is excellent. The film looks and sounds great in the UHD format and is a very significant upgrade from the original DVD release.

The movie is well-written and very-well acted. While it does have a lot of nudity and sexual content (as well as fake drug use) it was not gratuitous and fit within the story being told. That said, it is definitely not family-friendly. It was the film that helped launch or further the careers of many of the cast members who would go on to become A or B-list stars, and revived Reynolds' career (even though he reportedly hated filming it and went on record as saying he never watched it). Ultimately, if you are a fan of good dramas, especially period pieces, this is absolutely worth watching.

Workout Update: P90X Day 17

Day 17 was the last Shoulders and Arms workout of Phase I. I was able to bump the amount of weight up for a couple of the exercises, but I mostly used the same weight as I did last week. I will probably be able to bump up the weight for some of the exercises that are included in the Phase II workouts after the recovery week, because there were some that I easily hit 10 reps on.  

CD/Music Review: Marc Anthony Self Titled Album

 

Marc Anthony's self-titled album was released in 1999. It was his fourth studio album and his second English-language album. It contains 15 tracks; most are ballads or Latin-dance tracks. Most of the songs are in English, but the last few are in Spanish. The most popular song on the album is probably "I Need to Know," which peaked at number 10 on the US Top 100 chart. The best song on the album, in my opinion, is the first track, which is the ballad "When I Dream at Night." The CD liner contains pictures, the track listings (which include lyrics and production notes), and the traditional thank-yous at the end. Ultimately, this is a wonderful album with a good mix of songs. While many pop acts back in the late 1990s sounded very similar, Anthony's album was not a cookie-cutter carbon copy of what was popular at the time. It is absolutely worth listening to with multiple tracks worthy of inclusion on one or more playlists. 

CD/Music Review: All Saints: Self-Titled Album

 

All Saints was a 1990s "girl group" from England. Their debut self-titled album was released in 1997. It contained 12 tracks, mainly ballads and R&B dance numbers, along with a couple of covers. The biggest hit on the album (and the best overall song) was the ballad Never Ever, which reached number one in several countries and peaked at number 4 on the Top 100 in the US. The CD liner includes pictures of the group members, track listings with production notes (but no lyrics), and separate "thank you" messages from each member. 

Of course, in the late 1990s, the Spice Girls were the dominant girl group, eclipsing all others, and All Saints did not gain much traction. Ultimately, the album is okay, but not great. The covers of Lady Marmalade and Under the Bridge were okay, but did not achieve the success of Never Ever, and the other tracks just sound like cookie-cutter '90s pop songs. While I would not call it a must-listen, if you were a fan of the group in the '90s or just a fan of '90s pop, it is worth checking out. 

 

Workout Update: P90X Day 16

Day 16 was Plyometrics. I felt pretty shitty during the workout, so I modified a lot, even modifying some of the modifications in the video. But I got through it, even if it was not the greatest workout I have ever had. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 15

Day 15 was the final chest and back workout for Phase I. My numbers did not increase substantially from last week, but I was able to increase the amount of weight I used for the standing rows (what are called heavy pants) in the workout up to 35 lbs.  For ab-ripper, I continued to do 15 reps on most exercises, except for the twists at the end. I did 50 reps of that one.

Music/CD Review: The All-American Rejects: Move Along

 

Move Along is the 2005 studio album by the rock band The All-American Rejects. It is the band's second (and most successful) studio album. It consists of 12 tracks, including three singles that reached the top 15 on the Top 100 chart: Dirty Little Secret, Move Along, and It Ends Tonight. Move Along is (in my opinion) the best track on the album, but all of the songs are good; they have a nice mix of sound and are not carbon copies of each other. The album definitely sounds like an early-2000s rock-oriented pop album and will definitely bring you back to that era if you lived through it. The CD liner features production notes and pictures of the band members. It does not have a "traditional" track listing and lyrics. Instead, it has pictures of handwritten notes for each track, containing some of the lyrics for each song. Ultimately, the album very much feels stuck in its era. If you are a fan of early-2000s pop, especially the non-boy-band rock portion of the genre, you will probably like this. If so, it is worth listening to and includes several tracks worthy of inclusion on one or more playlists.

Workout Update: P90X Day 14

On Day 14, I just took a rest day. It was very much needed, and I feel like I have recovered well from the prior week's workouts.

Magazine Review: Playboy: May 1982

 

The May 1982 edition of Playboy is a fascinating look into the past when read today. That month's interview, which, aside from the pictorials, was always the highlight of any particular month's release, featured Billy Joel, who was probably not quite at the height of his fame, but getting there. It was a wide-ranging interview that discussed his life growing up in the NY suburbs and how he broke into the music business, and the criticism he received from many sides. He was in his early 30s at the time, and still had the brash, tough-guy persona that he would mostly shed by the 1990s when he was in his 40s. The other interesting articles included one on Bobby Inman, who was the deputy director of the CIA at the time, one on the process of getting the movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas made, specifically what it took to get Burt Reynolds, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson on board with the film, an article about a study of the differences between men and women, and one about personal computers (which were in their infancy at the time). The article about men versus women is not quite what you might expect from Playboy; it discusses the differences between genders in how they handle stress, mathematical aptitude, how male and female bodies are formed in the womb, predisposition to different diseases, and how our brains process information. The article about computers is very interesting, given how they are used today versus how they were used back then. The 20 Questions interview featured the cast of SCTV, including John Candy, Rick Moranis, Eugene Levy, and Catherine O'Hara.

There are three pictorials this month. A celebrity pictorial featuring actress Rae Dawn Chong, the Playmate of the Month pictorial featuring Kym Malin, and one featuring an Ohio policewoman named Barb Schantz. Malin was definitely not one of the more notable playmates, but she did parlay her appearance into an '80s B-movie career, and Schantz's appearance in the magazine would get her temporarily suspended from her job and loosely inspire a TV movie the following year. 

Probably the most interesting thing about reading the magazine almost 44 years after its printing is the differences and similarities of things being discussed/argued about back then (for example, in the reader comments) versus things that are argued about today. Readers were submitting comments on topics such as drug use, gun control, and the political climate (which was not nearly as divided back then as it is now). The advertisements are quite something as well. There are a ton of car ads, and the cars that were supposed to be the top-of-the-line/futuristic vehicles were hilariously awful-looking (but inexpensive compared to today's mid-tier vehicles), and there were a ton of cigarette ads. Some of the jokes in the cartoons throughout were funny, and some made no sense (and probably required a knowledge of early 80s pop culture or news). Playboy was always controversial and never really shied away from controversy. There are definitely things throughout the issue that do not hold up well today, including a comment by Billy Joel in the interview that would cause major backlash if he said it today. Of course, opinions on Playboy have been divided for as long as it has been in existence, with some saying it exploited women (as certainly some of that criticism has validity, especially in light of recent documentary series about some of the behind-the-scenes stuff) and others saying it was a cultural phenomenon. Ultimately, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. If you do bother to do more than just look at the pictures in this issue, you will find it has content that makes for interesting reading, even years later. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 13

Day 13 was yoga. It was not as bad as last week, but I am still not attempting moves like the shoulder stand and crane. The first 50 minutes or so was not as hard (at least until the half-moon sequence at the end) as it was last week, but was still not what I would call easy.

Workout Update: P90X Day 12

Day 12 was the legs and back workout, followed by the ab-ripper routine. The pull-ups (which, to me, besides yoga, is the best measure of progress in P90X) were not as hard today as they were in week one. I again did 15 reps in ab-ripper, which were a bit easier today than on Monday.

Workout Update: P90X Day 11

On Day 11, I switched the order of the workouts and did Kenpo. That was in large part because I was going out to dinner and did not have time to do the 90 minutes of Yoga. I also shortened the workout by skipping the beginning because I have always hated that he goes right into cold static stretching (which he says in another video not to do). Essentially, P90X was when extended warmups and cooldowns were a big deal. So I just used the twist-and-pivot and punching sequence to warm up. 

Book Review: The Republic

 

The Republic is a book originally published around 401, based on the writings of Plato and the teachings of Socrates (whom Plato studied under earlier in his life). In it, Plato presents Socrates' idea of what makes for a perfect state/civilization/ republic, and the ideal traits of its people, especially its leaders. It is written as a long conversation and debate between Plato (writing as Socrates) and different philosophers. It is divided into ten different books/chapters, each exploring a different topic. I have the leather-bound Easton Press edition. This version was translated from Greek by Benjamin Jowett and first published in the 1980s. 

The book is just over 620 pages long. Before each book/chapter, there is a summary and analysis of the upcoming book that distills the content of that chapter, and after Book 10, there is a summary and conclusion that attempts to tie everything together. Unfortunately, those are not much easier to read than the chapters themselves; aside from the end-of-the-book summary, they do not really put the concepts into plain, modern-day English. However, in the margins of the text of the "books," there are annotations that explain some of the things being said by the characters. 

The book is a bit of a slog to get through. Of course, the text is translated from ancient Greek, which does not make it an easy read to begin with. Making it harder is that, while before each conversation (or shift in conversation), the speakers are identified, at least in my version, it is not always clear who is speaking at any given time. Generally, each new line or paragraph is spoken by a different person, but it would have been more helpful if it had been written like the script for a play, so you can easily identify when speakers change. The book is an interesting read (some of the discussion of tyrants and oligarchs remains very relevant), but it can be easy to drift off and lose focus while reading. Ultimately, it is not a book I would re-read many times, but if you are interested in philosophy and debate, it is worth checking out. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 10

Day 10 was the shoulders and arms workout (and ab-ripper). I was able to increase the amount of weight I used for some exercises from last week, and I was able to get to 11 reps on a couple more this week. So, I am making progress. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 9

Day 9 was plyometrics. It was pretty much the same as last week. As hard and tiring. In fact, on a couple of the exercises, I had to back off more than I did last week. So, I definitely feel the first week of the program. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 8

Day 8 was the second round of Chest and Back during Phase I. I improved slightly on some of the push-up and pull-up exercises over week 1, but those where mostly the same. I was able to hit 10 reps on a couple of the weighted exercises, so I will be increasing those next week. I also increased the number of reps in ab-ripper to 15, and that was a bigger change than I expected. 10 reps were easy, but 15 of all reps were very challenging, especially on the last few moves. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bewitched: Season 4

 

The 33-episode fourth season of Bewitched aired during the 1967/1968 TV season. All of the primary cast members (Montgomery, Moorehead, York, and White) returned for the fourth season, although Darren appeared in fewer episodes to give York a reprieve from filming due to his back injury that was causing him more problems as the series went along. Marion Lorne, Bernard Fox, and Paul Lynde also appeared in their recurring roles as Aunt Clara, Dr. Bombay, and Uncle Arthur, respectively. This would be the final season for Lorne, as she would pass away after the fourth season ended. Erin Murphy's role as Tabitha was expanded as she began to be given more lines as she got older, and the roles of both Abner and Gladys Kravitz were increased this season, with both George Tobias and Sandra Gould getting more screen time.

As of this writing, the individual seasons are still only available on DVD. The blu-ray release is only available in the complete series release. In that one, the fourth season episodes are on three discs. The episodes can be played in a play-all mode and with English captions. There are commentary tracks on two of the episodes featuring Herbie Pilato, who has written books about the series and a couple of biographies of Elizabeth Montgomery. The A/V quality is excellent; however, the upgraded video reveals the limitations of 1960s practical effects, as you can clearly see the strings used to make things fly and the makeup used for a missing tooth, which would not have been as noticeable in standard-definition.

In the fourth season, the show remained primarily a story-of-the-week procedural, although some storylines were referenced across multiple episodes. The show was not always great at continuity, however, as the writers would ignore events from a few episodes earlier (although some episodes were not aired in the order in which they were filmed, which could account for some of that). Also, since the series aired in the 1960s, there were jokes and story elements that would certainly not be included if it were made today. Even so, the writers used storyline elements as metaphors for the real-world political climate of the late 1960s and often slipped in metaphors for the civil rights and women's rights movements of the time. The highlights of the season were the Thanksgiving episode in which the characters were transported back to the first Thanksgiving and the episodes in which Montgomery appeared as Samantha's identical cousin, Serena.  Ultimately, the series was still good, but it was definitely getting repetitive by the fourth season. That said, it is still worth watching if you liked the first few seasons.

Workout Update: P90X Day 7

I mostly used day 7 as a rest day, however, I did do ab-ripper, since I had not done the third ab-ripper workout after either Legs and Back or Kenpo. I stuck with the 10 reps, and will bump up the number of reps to 15 next week. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 6

Day 6 was the Kenpo routine. It had been a while since I had done this one. It is probably the P90X routine closest to what was done in Power 90, as a good portion of the Cardio workouts in Power 90 included moves from this routine. For the first workout, I did not focus on following the number of reps the cast were doing, I just stuck with the time. If I could do more reps, I did. If I could not do as many reps as they did, I didn't. During the breaks, I skipped the x-jumps and just drank water during the last 30 seconds. I did not end up doing ab-ripper after the workout as I intended, so I will do it tomorrow. 

Workout Update: P90X Day 5

Day 5 was the legs and back workout. It is the second workout in Phase I that works the back, but this time, all with pull-ups. There are no weighted back exercises. Some of the leg exercises did use weight, but many of them are high-rep (24-25 reps) bodyweight exercises. I did not do ab-ripper after the workout since I had done the end of the Yoga workout yesterday, which includes a core component toward the end. I will probably save it for after tomorrow's KenpoX workout.

Workout Update: P90X Day 4

Day 4 was the workout that is the bane of the original P90X, Yoga. I did the entire 90-plus minutes for the first time in a long time and did much better than I anticipated. It is a double-edged sword: it is a much harder routine than it should have been, but it is also the routine where you can really measure your progress across all facets of fitness as the program progresses, because it involves strength, flexibility, and cardio endurance.  

I say it is much harder than it should have been because the original Power 90 workout, of which P90x was supposed to be an extension, had about 4-5 minutes of yoga at the beginning of the cardio workouts. It didn't have a separate yoga routine that could remotely prepare someone for some of the shit that gets thrown at you in P90X yoga. And, it is just way too long. It should have been 45 minutes to an hour tops, not anywhere near 90 minutes. But I got through it. I am definitely not as good at it as I was back around 2008-2009, but I got through it and will hopefully get back to being as proficient at it as I was years ago.

Workout Update: P90X Day 3

Day 3 was the shoulders and arms workout, followed by ab-ripper-x.

Shoulders and arms was not too bad. I was able to use the weight I finished Lift More with as the starting weight for this workout. Because I am doing 8-10 reps, I will be able to increase the amount of weight I am using for a few of the exercises next week. I still just did 10 reps for the ab exercises, and will evaluate whether to bump that up to 15 next week; as of now, I am leaning toward doing so.

Workout Update: P90X Day 2

Day 2 was the plyometrics workout. It is really the first "real" cardio workout I have had since the last round of Lift 4. It was challenging as I thought it would be, but thankfully, my cardio strength was good enough that I could make it through. I did have to do the low-impact modifications for some of the exercises, and I swapped out speed skaters for the guitar jumps because that one messes with my back, even when I was in great shape. But I was able to do unmodified versions of some exercises I thought I would have to modify. I definitely have room to improve, but I am happy with the first plyo workout of the program.

Workout Update: P90X Day 1

Today was day 1 of my original Beachbody program, and the third structured workout program I did (after Body For Life and Body Rx) when I began lifting weights: P90X. I know BODI released a new version of P90X with a new trainer, which was stupid for many reasons, including that Tony Horton recently created a new 90-day workout on the BODI platform. So I, like many people, wanted to support the original program. And, frankly, the best shape I have ever been in is after doing P90X and the original Insanity program. So that is my plan — to do a round or two of P90X, then transition to the OG Insanity.

So, today was Chest and Back followed by ab-ripper x. It is the P90X workout that uses the fewest weights. It consists mostly of variations of push-ups and pull-ups, with a few weighted exercises. I definitely found I'm no longer in "pull-up" shape, as I could only do 3-4 of each. That said, I did push-ups on my toes the entire time, and while I was only getting 10-12 per set (unlike the 20-30 that the cast were getting), I did not have to do them on my knees, and was getting lower down than I have in a long time. For ab-ripper, I did ten reps of each exercise (except for the mason twists at the end; I did twenty reps of those) and plan to increase by 5 reps each week until I hit 25. We will see how that goes. Ultimately, it was a good workout. It was tough, but it was very nice to have time between the exercises for the first time in a long time.

4K-UHD/Movie Review: The Dreamers

 

The Dreamers is a 2003 film starring Eva Green (in her first movie role), Michael Pitt, and Louis Garrel. The supporting cast included Anna Chancellor and Robin Renucci. It was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and based on a novel titled The Holy Innocents by Gilbert Adair (who also wrote the movie's screenplay). It was also the second-to-last film directed by Bertolucci, who is probably best known for the very controversial film, The Last Tango in Paris.

The events of the film are set in France in 1968. In it, Pitt plays an American college student studying in Paris. He is a shy movie buff, and during a protest against the firing of a theater director, he meets twins Theo (Garrel) and Isabelle (Green), the children of a famous French poet and fellow film enthusiasts his age. He befriends the twins, and when he is invited to stay with Theo and Isabelle while their parents are away for a month, they embark on a very unusual friendship.

I have the imported 4k release, which is a two-disc import set containing a UHD disc and a standard blu-ray disc. The UHD disc is region-free, meaning it will play on Region 1/US 4k Blu-Ray players. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is outstanding and a definite upgrade over the DVD. The standard Blu-ray disc is region-locked to Region 2, so you need a Region 2 or region-free player to play the content on that disc. The bonus content carries over most, but not all, of the features from the original DVD release and also adds bonus material not on the DVD release. The bonus content includes a commentary track on the film by Bertolucci, Adair, and the film's producer, Jeremy Thomas. It appears that the tracks were recorded separately and jump from one speaker to another, rather than being a conversation among the three. That is the only extra on the UHD disc. The rest, which include a making-of featurette, behind-the-scenes B-roll footage, cast and crew interviews, the original trailer, and a trailer for the 4K release, are all on the standard disc. It also includes a movie poster and several postcards featuring scenes from the film. 

The film is good, but strange. The relationship between Theo and Isabelle is cringe-worthy (borderline incestuous, but not quite) and is definitely not a traditional sibling relationship. The movie is definitely not family-friendly. It was originally released with an NC-17 rating, which is well deserved because it contains a lot of sexual content and nudity. It touches on some of the political turmoil of 1968, including the nationwide general strike and student riots in France, but it is mostly in the background until the very end of the film. It also includes clips from several old movies and a very good soundtrack (especially if you are a fan of late-1960s rock and blues). So, while the movie is good, it is definitely not for everyone. It is an erotic drama with a foreign-film feel and would definitely not be made the same way in the US. It was well-acted, especially since all the main actors were in their early 20s and did not have much acting experience when it was made. Ultimately, it is worth checking out if you are a fan of Green's (who has had the most success of all the actors since the movie came out), foreign films, and/or period pieces, and are not easily offended. 

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 56 and Program Review

Day 56 was the final day of this workout program, which was Lift More.  Even though the final workout of Lift More was on Friday, since I have not started a new program yet, I considered this weekend (and the two recovery workouts) to be a part of that. Today, I just did the roll and recover routine from Lift 4. 

My impression of Lift More as a program is mixed. I liked the smaller cast (there were four total cast members, and only two worked out with Joel on any given day, aside from the last workout in which all of the cast members participated), so it was easier to follow what was going on. I also liked that it was a program that built upon Lift 4, but overall, I liked Lift 4 much more.

I didn't like that he increased the number of reps per set from 10 in Lift 4 to 12 in Lift More, since 8-10 reps with a heavy weight is really the sweet spot for muscle building. Nor did I like that he alternated between the LIFT/HIIT and LIFT formats every other week for each workout. I found myself constantly adjusting the weight I was using, and since there were almost no breaks and the transition time between exercises was minimal (at best), it was extremely hard to keep up with the cast. There were times when they were six or seven reps into an exercise before I had started because I was constantly changing weight. Unlike Lift 4, in which you can pretty confidently go up in weight every two weeks, that is not the case with Lift More. Also, for the most part, the HIIT exercises were more strength-based exercises meant to burn out your muscles than they were cardio-based. So I did not feel my cardio improved much at all over the course of the 8 weeks. 

For equipment, you need a weight bench (and, depending on the height of your bench and ceilings, a step platform) and a pretty vast selection of free weights. You can use adjustable weights, but as I said, the transition time between exercises is almost non-existent, so it would be very hard to keep up if you are just using adjustable weights. And, the tracking sheets are god-awful. They took the Lift 4 tracking sheets and made them even worse (which I did not think was possible). The exercises you are doing on a given day are not grouped together, and you often have to go between two sheets of paper to write down what weight you used for a particular set. And, I refer back to the lack of transition time. And you do not get all that much time between blocks, so it is not like you can use that time to do it because you have to get your next group of weights ready.

Ultimately, it is a good program, but it is very hard, and some things about it are very frustrating. It is absolutely NOT a program that I would recommend for those who are beginners to lifting. I think you need to be intermediate to advanced to be able to do it well and keep up with the video. I am glad I tried it, but it is honesly not a program that I would go back to multiple times.

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 55

On day 55, I did the stretching routine from Lift 4. It went fine, no big improvement from last week that I can really report, however. 

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 54

Day 54 was the final day of Lift More, which was arms. It was a LIFT/HIIT workout with four blocks of superset, each one alternating between one of the biceps exercises and one of the triceps exercises. Then, you do HIIT, which brings back a "favorite" from Lift 4, triple-bear.  And, of course, you end with core and stretching. The workout was definitely tough, and I did drop-set on a few exercises. I did not try to raise the weight on any exercises, because I had pretty much been at the max that I could lift for each one last week. Monday, I start P90X for the first time in a long time.

Book Review: Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

 

The Diary of a Young Girl is a reprint of a diary kept by Holocaust victim Anne Frank. It was first published by her father, Otto, in 1952 and has been reprinted several times since. It chronicles much of the approximately two-year period between June of 1942 and August of 1944, when Anne was 13-15 years old and was in hiding in the attic of the building in Amsterdam (which is often referred to as the Secret Annex) with seven other people during the German occupation of the Netherlands. 

There are several versions of the book. The version that I have includes a foreword by Eleanor Roosevelt and is just over 240 pages long. My version also includes a 64-page supplement in the middle that provides background information and elaborates on details Frank wrote about in the diary. The book is very chilling to read because it can go from the kinds of things you would expect to read in the diary of a teenage girl, such as teenage angst about disagreements and arguments with her parents and sister, her crush on the boy who was a couple of years older than her, whose family was also hiding in the attic, etc., to her detailing the dread and panic the occupants felt about being discovered, particularly when they would hear noises from the other parts of the building, especially during the hours when it was supposed to be empty. She details a couple of instances in which the building was burglarized, and police investigated, which could have revealed the entrance to the annex where they were hiding. 

She also provides updates on the war and the anticipation that Amsterdam would soon be liberated by the Allies, and wrote about her hopes and plans for her future. Of course, those plans ultimately would never materialize as the group was discovered in August of 1944 and was among the last group of victims sent to the concentration camps from Amsterdam. Of the eight people hiding in the annex, only Anne's father would survive.

Ultimately, this is a book that everyone should read. For many reasons, it is as relevant in 2026 (as of this writing) as it was when it was originally published. It serves not only as a history lesson but as a warning if history is not learned from. 

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 53

Day 53 is the second leg day of the week, and the final one for the program. This is a LIFT-only workout, so you have three blocks of triple sets and a burnout block that uses the resistance loops. I maintained the same weight for each exercise, except the calf raises, which I only dropped to 35 lbs since they were paired with front-loaded narrow squats, which I cannot do with 45 lbs, which is the weight I have been doing calf raises at. And, of course, you finish with core and stretching. The core does require you to be in plank, but thankfully, it is the sways, which are not as bad as some of the other plank-based core (and cardio) exercises. Next week, I am going back to my OG beachbody workout, P90X. I made a goal to do it again when I was at or below 200 lbs, which I finally am. I am hoping I can get down to 185 by the time I am finished with P90X. We will see how that works out.

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 52

Day 52 was shoulders. It followed the LIFT/HIIT format. I did need to drop-set on a few exercises, but was mostly able to use the same weight from last week. The HIIT exercises were more cardio-based as they tend to be on shoulder days, and the core component was actually not bad. Overall, a good workout. 

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 51

Day 51 was chest and back, which was a LIFT workout (meaning three blocks of triple sets and a burnout block). It was another difficult one, but I went into it lowering some of the weight at the start, so it was easier. I still had to drop-set on a couple of the exercises, but not as many. And, of course, you finish with core and stretching. The core was not horrible, but not easy. 

Blu Ray/TV Series Review: Frasier: Season 2

 

The 24-episode second season of Frasier aired during the 1994/1995 TV season. All of the main cast members returned for season two. The series also brought in several recognizable guest cast members, including Shannon Tweed, Tea Leoni, Nathan Lane, John C. McGinley, and Diedrich Bader. The series also continued to tie to its parent series, Cheers, with Bebe Neuwirth reprising her role as Lillith, Shelly Long making a blink-and-you'll-miss it cameo appearance, and Ted Danson reprising his role as Sam Malone. The guest callers this season included James Spader, Lilly Tomlin, Amy Madigan, Alfre Woodard, Art Garfunkel, Kevin Bacon, Macaulay Culkin, Carly Simon, Rosie Perez, and Mary Steenburgen. The series remains a story-of-the-week procedural, although some events from prior episodes are referenced in later episodes. 

The blu-ray set is a three-disc set that (as of this writing) is only included in the complete series release. The A/V quality is very good, and the episodes were remastered very well. Extras include a commentary track on one episode by series creators Peter Casey and David Lee, featurettes on Roz, Maris, and Eddie, and a short making-of featurette featuring interviews with cast members and the showrunners, filmed toward the end of the series' run. The episodes can be played with English captions and played in a play-all mode. The commentary track can only be accessed from the episode-specific page. 

The series remains a well-written and well-acted sitcom. David Hyde Pierce was the standout this season, really fleshing out the character of Niles. The writing is generally very good, although some of the jokes are dated now and would be reworked or omitted if the show were made today. The writers did a great job retconning Frasier's backstory from Cheers in the episode in which Ted Danson appeared, explaining why Frasier never mentioned having a brother and said his father was a research scientist who had died. And, there were some good jokes about the characters Paul and Cliff from Cheers. Ultimately, if you liked the first season, this one is absolutely worth watching.

Book Review: The World of Ice and Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones

 

The World of Ice and Fire was written by George R.R. Martin and published in 2014. It essentially summarizes the backstory for Game of Thrones (some of which has now been adapted into live-action through series such as House of the Dragon and Knight of the Seven Kingdoms) and is further fleshed out in the novel, Fire and Blood. A little under half of the book is devoted to the various Targaryen rulers. Then the events of Robert Baratheon's rebellion are discussed, and the remainder of the book explores the various Kingdoms that make up the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.  So, it basically stops sometime before the original TV series (and the Song of Ice and Fire books pick up). 

The hardcover version of the book is about 320 pages long. It is a very large and very heavy book. While it has many wonderful illustrations, it also has a lot of text. It is not a coffee-table book in which pictures make up a large percentage; it is basically an illustrated novel. It is not the easiest read, as there are a lot of characters, and it is hard to keep them all straight, especially when he is discussing the Targaryens, because they all have similar-sounding or identical first names. Martin does not foreshadow the ending of the Ice and Fire series when/if he ever finishes it (which is looking more and more unlikely as time goes by). For example, there is no hint at Jon Snow's lineage. Which, regardless of what he changes from the ending the TV series writers came up with, will probably not change. One thing that would have been better is a more detailed backstory on the White Walkers. The book mentions them multiple times, almost in passing, but we do not get their actual history.  Ultimately, if you are a fan of the Song of Ice and Fire books and/or the live-action adaptations, this is definitely worth reading.

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 50

Day 50 was the start of week 8, which was again legs, and it again sucked. This week, the first leg workout is a LIFT/HIIT workout, so you do four blocks of supersets, followed by HIIT (alternating two exercises, one of which is completely new and requires a lot of coordination), and core. I did not try to increase the amount of weight I used from last week, since I was drop-setting nearly every exercise last week. The HIIT was leg-focused, so it was very difficult to do, even modifying, and the core had planks, which by the end of this workout were just cruel.  

Product Review: Hometopia Outdoor Faucet Covers

 

This is a two-pack of outdoor faucet covers, which is something that, if you are a homeowner in an area that has a harsh winter climate, is essential. I have one on the spigot on the front of my house and use the other to cover the end of a cord that connects to the battery pack for my robotic lawnmower. The battery pack itself can come inside, but the cord to the antenna stays attached to it, so I put one of these on the end to keep snow from damaging the connection end. They are very thick, and the strap to hold them closed has a velcro end to keep it secure. They keep moisture out and seem to protect extremely well. I absolutely recommend these.

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 49

Day 49 was the Lift 4 roll and recover routine. My legs definitely had some knots, so it felt good to work them out.  

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 48

On day 48, I did the Lift 4 stretching routine. No big change from when I did it last week. I was also going up and down the stairs a lot today, so I got more activity in than I normally would on an off day.

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 47

Day 47 was arms, and it was the LIFT format consisting of three triple sets and a burnout. The workout was challenging, and I did have to drop-set some of the exercises, but I was able to start with heavier weight on all but one of the exercises. I decided against using heavier weights for skull crushers because I was already fatigued by the time those came up, and I did not want to risk dropping the dumbbells on my head. 

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 46

Day 46 was the second leg workout of the week. It was not as bad as Monday's workout, but it was still a very challenging workout. This one followed the LIFT/HIIT format, and the HIIT was very tough. I was able to get at least one set of each exercise in at the higher weight, but had to drop-set some of them, even calves, which I have not had to drop-set at all so far. And, of course, you finish with core and stretching.  

Book Review: Star Wars: A Valiant Vow

 

A Valiant Vow, published in 2025, is a junior novel set during Phase III of the High Republic novels. It was written by Justina Ireland. It is set around the final battle between the Jedi/Republic and the Nihil. It is actually the second-to-last Phase III novel, leading up to the final adult book, Trials of the Jedi. In it, a group of Padawans and Younglings join Imri Cantaros, who is working to help people on the planet Archio, when the Nihil's Stormwall comes down. The Jedi have to deal with the Blight and Nihil scav droids, which begin attacking everything once the Stormwall is deactivated. Churro the Hutt, who was introduced in an earlier junior novel, is also heavily featured in this book. 

The hardcover version of the book is just over 260 pages, but it has some illustrations that reduce the substantive page count a bit. It read pretty quickly, and can easily be finished in a day or two. Ultimately, it is an okay side story, but not one I would classify as a must-read. 

Workout Update: Lift More: Day 45

Day 45 was shoulders. This week, it is a LIFT format, so there are three blocks of triple sets and a burnout block. I was able to increase the amount of weight I used for some of the exercises, but I was drop setting a lot, especially in the third block. The burnout was not horrible, and thankfully, the core component did not include any planks. 

Book Review: Edge of Honor (Scot Harvath Series #24)

 

Edge of Honor, published in 2025, is the 24th book in the long-running series of action thrillers centered around the character of Scot Harvath by author Brad Thor. Unlike most of the other novels in the series, the events in this book are set in the United States. In it, Harvath and his wife, Solvi, are thrust into the middle of what appears to be a terrorist attack near the Norwegian embassy, but it is quickly determined to be more than meets the eye. A series of interconnected attacks reveals a political conspiracy involving government officials that threatens to bring down the new President.

The hardcover version of the book is just over 320 pages. The style and tone are the same as the other novels in the series, so it will read as quickly or as slowly as those do (assuming you have read some or all of the prior books). The storyline in this book is mostly self-contained, so you can follow what is going on even if you haven't read the prior novels. However, it does help to have read the earlier books because by this point, the author does not rehash the backstories of the main characters; he just assumes readers know who everyone is. Ultimately, if you have enjoyed the prior books in the series or just enjoy the action-thriller/spy novel genre, this is worth reading.  

Product Review: Niffgaff Home Gym Storage Rack Organizer

 

This is a small rack that can be screwed into a wall that can hold lightweight fitness equipment like loops, bands, belts, jump ropes, or the like. It comes with multiple screws: one set for wood and another for drywall (along with anchors). It is very sturdy once it is mounted. The space between the extensions is not very wide, so you would not be able to put anything like a barbell or small dumbbells in it (and it is not sturdy enough to hold anything that heavy anyway). It is small, so if you have a lot of things you want to hang, you may want to get a couple of these or look for a larger one. Ultimately, however, if you have resistance bands or loops that you want to get up off the floor or don't want to hang on some other piece of equipment (or over a doorway), this is a good, inexpensive option.