Workout Update: Power-90 Day 83

 Day 83 was cardio and abs. There was really no big progress with this workout. I was pretty much the same as the prior ones have been. I was able to hit 18 reps on all the moves in the ab-ripper workout. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 82

 Day 82 was sculpt 3-4 again. I am up to 50lbs on the calf raises, but otherwise the weights for all the other exercises were the same. Nothing much else to report about this one.

DVD Review: Chicago Fire Season 8

 

+++Minor Spoiler ahead+++

Season eight starts off where season seven ended, with everyone inside the mattress factory. That fire has a big impact on the season, both because of a character's death, (chances are most people reading this know who, but I will not spoil it) that reverberates throughout the season, but is also incorporated into another episode later in the season.

The show continues juggling storylines that so every character (even Capp this year) has major involvement in at least one episode. It also saw the return of Gabby for an episode, with Monica Raymund making a guest appearance. The big "One Chicago" crossover occurs early in the season, with a storyline about a weaponized bacteria that would be somewhat prophetic once Covid broke out. Then, later in the season, there is another crossover episode with just Chicago PD. The season was a bit shorter (just 20 episodes) because production was shut down early because of the pandemic. As a result, the show did not end on any real kind of cliffhanger. The season finale ended pretty much just like a normal episode but did leave one of the characters at a bit of a crossroads. 

Again, as has been the case with the past few season releases, the only extras are the Chicago Med and PD episodes that were part of the crossovers. There are no behind-the-scenes features or anything like that. So, unless you are completing a collection (or just really prefer physical media to streaming) there is no reason to get this on disc if you are a person who usually only gets the physical discs when there is a lot of bonus material to watch.

Overall, the season is very good. The show does a good job keeping the storylines entertaining and giving all the actors something to work with. The acting and writing continue to be very good, and there are definitely some emotional punches this season. So, if you have been a fan of the prior seasons of the show, it is definitely worth checking out. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 81

 Day 81 was the sweat 3-4 workout and ab-ripper 200. This one was much like the last one. I did pretty well through most of it but did get gassed during the third round of jumping jacks. I was able to do 18 reps of all the ab-ripper moves but did have to pause a couple of times. I have one more week of these workouts, then I will be starting the Master's Series workouts for eight weeks before moving on to p90x. I have lost about 10 pounds of scale weight since starting Power-90, and have definitely lost some body fat. Hopefully, I can lose a few more pounds by a week from Sunday and drop another few percentage points off of my body fat percentage. I know that my waist has gotten a bit smaller (I still have a lot to lose around the middle) so I am hoping for at least a decrease in my waist size by a few inches (or more). I know I have lost more inches in my face and neck area (which is where I tend to gain weight last and drop it first) which I can easily tell visually. But I cannot tell visually how much I have lost around the middle. But, I tend to put on fat around my midsection first and that is the last place I drop it from. So, chances are I will have to get down under 200 pounds to actually see a significant reduction in my waist size. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 80

 Day 80 was the sculpt 3-4 workout. Again, it was mostly the same as Monday's workout with my reps maxing out between 11 and 14. I did not hit the 15 rep max for any of the moves. I was able to get in a couple of extra chair dips (with legs extended) and a few more squats on the max squats at the very end of the workout. So, overall, it was a good one.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 79

 Day 79 was cardio and abs again. The workout was pretty good. The third round of the jumping jacks, running in place, and run lunges always gets me (mostly the jumping jacks). I can get through the third round of everything else okay, but the third round of jumping jacks "kills" me every time. It does not help that I have detested jumping jacks even as a kid in school. I have never liked doing them and like them even less when I am not in great shape. Aside from that, the workout was fine. Next workout I am going to do 18 reps of the ab-ripper moves. I can do 17 for every move now, not easily but easily enough that I think I can add the extra rep for each move.

DVD Review: Chicago PD Season Six

 

+++Warning, spoilers from the prior season ahead+++

Season six of Chicago PD starts out shortly after the events of the season five finale. Intelligence is dealing with the fallout of Olinski's death, and Voight is suspended pending an investigation of the shooting of the suspect who ordered Olinski to be killed. That storyline is wrapped up fairly early in the season, and then the show continues with pretty much the same format as it has used in the prior seasons. That is, mostly case-of-the-week with larger story arcs intertwined. The season introduces two new characters to act as foils for Intelligence, Deputy Superindent Katherine Brennan, played by Anne Heche, and Superintendent Brian Kelton, played by John C. McGinley (who also has Mayoral aspirations). Of course, there are crossovers with the other shows (Chicago Fire and Chicago Med) that occur during the season (the big, three-show crossover occurring early in the season) and a smaller crossover with just Chicago Fire later in the season. And, apart from the crossovers characters from Fire and Med make cameo appearances throughout the season. 

Overall, the season is very good. Each of the characters gets at least one episode that is centered on them, with Antonio getting an extended storyline that directly ties into the mild cliffhanger that occurs at the end of the season, and creates big problems for Ruzek and Voight. The writing and acting continue to be very good, and all the actors have the chance to give standout performances during the season. The cliffhanger at the end of the season is not as immediately dire as some of the cliffhangers for Chicago Fire have been with all the characters in a life and death situation but definitely sets up what will clearly be the early storylines for season seven.

For those who get the DVD, the only extras are the crossover episodes from the other shows so you can watch the entire crossover storylines without having to get (or watch) the discs from the other shows. There are no behind-the-scenes features, commentary tracks, or the like.

Ultimately, if you have been a fan of the prior seasons you will probably like this one. On the other hand, if the show has never done anything for you (or you were really only a fan of the actors or characters who left the show like Sophia Bush or Elias Koteas), then nothing in this season is likely to change your mind. 

Workout Review: Power-90 Day 78

 Day 78 was the sculpt 3-4 workout again. Thankfully, my rep count did not drop for any of the exercises this workout, but I did not hit the 15 rep max for any of the exercises in the workout. So, all the weights I am using will stay the same for the next workout. 

Book Review: Here, Right Matters

 

"Here, Right Matters" is a memoir by Alexander Vindman published in 2021. Vindman was the only person who was actually listening in on the phone call between t***p and the President of Ukraine, which led to the first impeachment, to publicly testify. The title of the book comes from what is probably the most famous line of his opening statement, telling his father not to worry about the fact that he is testifying in the impeachment case. It alternates back and forth between Vindman's early life, first growing up as an immigrant in America with his father, twin brother, and older brother, and then detailing his military career, meeting his wife, and having his own child, with the events that would thrust him into the national spotlight. It details his reaction to the call, why he felt he had to report it (and that he never thought it would become public), and why he testified even over the objections of his own father (who was an ardent t***p supporter at the time). The book also provides some behind-the-scenes details of both Vindman's closed-door and public testimony and finishes with a recounting of the end of his military career.

The book is fairly short (less than 250 pages) and is a fairly quick read. I like that it gives some insight into who Vindman is as a person and what caused him to do what he felt was right in reporting to his superiors what he believed to be misconduct on the part of t***p. While it is clear that he was no fan of t***p even before the impeachment mess and the fallout that stemmed from it, he saw himself as apolitical when it came to his job and his duty and unlike the boot-licking toadies that ran rampant in the first t***p administration (and even moreso in the second), Vindman was going to do what he felt was right regardless of his personal politics (which seemingly did have a more conservative bent, at least until t***p came along). 

Overall, the book is a good read. It can be a bit dry, but not overly so, and I, for one, was happy to support a guy who did what was right for his country. I definitely recommend it.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 77

 Day 77 was a rest day from the "regular workouts" but I did again, do a modified version of the T25 stretch workout. In that, I again replaced the downward dog portion with more hamstring-focused stretches. I am still very tight in my lower back and hamstrings, but I can tell my flexibility in those areas has started to slightly improve over the past month or so.

4k UHD Review: Zack Snyder's Justice League

 

+++ Warning, minor spoilers ahead +++

This is the cut of the movie, Justice League, that was released in 2021, which gets as close to Zack Snyder's original vision for the film as possible.  It stars Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck, Ray Fisher, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Jeremy Irons, Ciaran Hinds, and Amy Adams. It also includes actors whose roles were reduced or removed from the theatrical version, such as Jared Leto, Ray Porter, Harry Lennix, Amber Heard, Joe Manganiello, and Willem Dafoe. It also expands Jesse Eisenberg's role as Lex Luthor and substantially changes Amy Adams' role from the theatrical cut. Snyder's original vision was for a Justice League trilogy of films. Of course, Zack Snyder had to drop out of directing Justice League during filming due to a death in his family. At that point, WB decided to make it a single, stand-alone movie and brought Joss Whedon, who had helmed many of the very successful MCU movies, to finish it. Since Snyder originally intended to have a Justice League trilogy, a ton of content was cut out when it was turned into a stand-alone film. Whedon also re-shot some portions of the movie, mainly to add humor to the movie and make it "less dark" than Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman had been. The resulting theatrical version went over like a lead balloon (I think in large part because of Whedon's rumored behavior on set), and pretty much ever since the theatrical release, fans have clamored for and demanded the "Snyder Cut". The result is a four-hour-long movie that shows the direction Snyder had intended to take the films. 

As I mentioned above, Snyder had envisioned a Justice League trilogy of movies, with this movie split in two, and the third movie set in the nightmare world that we saw a glimpse of in Batman v. Superman. The biggest change from the movie's theatrical version is that Steppenwolf was not really the "big bad" of the film. In this cut, he is essentially a lackey trying to get back into the good graces of Darkseid after being banished from Apokolips. Lois's involvement in this cut of the movie is much different, and we get to see Martian Manhunter, who was removed entirely from the theatrical version. The characters of Cyborg and Flash are developed a lot more in this movie than in the theatrical version, and you get a lot more of each of their backstories (especially Cyborg). 

I have the UK import Steelbook. Like the US domestic release, it is a four-disc set with two UHD discs and two regular blu-ray discs. The movie is split into two parts, probably where Snyder had intended to stop the first movie had he been able to execute his original plan, with a little over half the film on the first disc and a little under half on the second. The first disc has the first two hours and forty-one minutes of the movie, and the second disc has the last hour and a half (approximately, excluding the credits). The UK import also has a 24-minute making-of feature that details how the Snyder Cut came to be and includes interviews with the cast and crew. Unfortunately, there is no commentary track on the movie. The UHD discs are region-free and will play on US players, and I believe the regular Blu-ray discs are Region-2 locked. But, there are no additional extras on the regular Blu-rays, so you do not have to watch them.

Overall, this cut of the movie is much better than the theatrical version. While I do not think the theatrical version is as awful as some paint it, it is definitely a lot more flawed than this cut (which, admittedly, has its own flaws). There are rumors that WB might restore the Snyderverse and let Snyder make the movie's third installment, but for now, the theatrical version is the official DCEU canon. I personally like the darker, edgier tone that this movie takes (it is rated R, mainly because of a couple of f-bombs that get dropped), and respect that they did not try to be a carbon copy of the MCU movies. That said, Ezra Miller's quips in the theatrical version were great, and while a couple of them made it into this one (including wondering whether Wonder Woman would go for a younger man), that is really the only thing I missed from that version. This is definitely worth checking out.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 76

 Day 76 was cardio and abs. This workout was a bit weird as some things I did much better than in prior workouts (the cross hops) and some things I was a lot more gassed during (the jumping jacks, which I always hate anyway). But, I made it through the workout without too much of a problem and was able to hit 17 reps on all the ab-ripper exercises. So, overall, it was a good workout.

4kUHD Review: Justice League (Theatrical Cut)

 

+++Warning, this contains minor spoilers from the movie+++

The theatrical version of Justice League was released in 2017. It continues the story that started in Man of Steel, and is the direct sequel to Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, and Gal Gadot return to reprise their roles as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Clark Kent/Superman, and Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. The new heroes introduced in this film are Flash (played by Ezra Miller), Aquaman (played by Jason Momoa), and Cyborg (played by Ray Fisher). Many of the supporting cast members from the previous films, including Amy Adams, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, and J.K. Simmons, also appear in this one. 

The theatrical cut of the film is definitely a mixed bag. As many are aware, during post-production, Zack Snyder had to step down due to a death in his family. During that time, WB decided, instead of doing a Justice League trilogy of films as Snyder envisioned, to make this a stand-alone movie. They brought in Joss Whedon to complete the production, which involved removing several story elements and conducting reshoots that significantly altered the overall storyline. After the tepid reception to the film by fans and critics, Whedon was blamed for ruining the movie, and indeed, his additions range from chuckle-worthy to downright stupid. There was, of course, his on-set behavior that was leaked out by Ray Fisher and later confirmed by Gal Gadot, which then caused an avalanche of accusations about him going as far back as when he was working on Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel, and pretty much ended (for now) his career. However, it is clear that Warner Brothers really was the entity that fucked up this movie, and caused a version of the movie that was totally out of place with the movies that had come before it was released.

As mentioned above, Zack Snyder had intended for Justice League to be a three-part story, with this movie split into two parts (which he essentially got to do with the Snyder Cut of the film four years after the theatrical release) then a third movie set in the nightmare world that was teased in Batman v. Superman. However, when Snyder had to step away from the movie, Whedon was brought in to cut the running time and make it a stand-alone film. The result is a mishmash of Snyder's story with Whedon's additions (mainly to add humor, as WB thought the DC movies were too dark and wanted to infuse some of what worked for the MCU into their movies). For the most part, the theatrical version is stuff Snyder filmed, with some changes like tweaks to the battle with Superman when he is brought back to life, Lois' role in the movie, the race between Flash and Superman at the end, and the really dumb subplot of the family living next door to the contaminated nuclear reactor (which was a fictional Chornobyl) who (for some reason) did not leave the second the aliens showed up. The biggest change in this version is Steppenwolf's arc (as well as his look), so a lot of his dialogue ended up changing.  And, the post-credits scene was quite different than the scene that came at the end of Snyder's version. But what Whedon cut was far more substantial than what he added (which is why Snyder still got the directing credit). 

The 4K set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a standard blu-ray disc. The A/V quality is outstanding, and the film looks and sounds wonderful in the UHD format. The UHD disc only contains the movie itself, and the standard blu-ray disc includes the movie and bonus material. The bonus content includes multiple behind-the-scenes features (clearly shot when Snyder was still on set, as Whedon was nowhere to be seen), deleted scenes, and a gag reel. There are also some featurettes on how the Justice League has evolved from the comics to the various animated series to live-action. It is a decent amount of material for those who like watching the bonus content. 

Overall, the movie is not as bad as its reputation suggests, but it was definitely not as good as the movie Snyder intended to make. I still think WB/DC would have been better off establishing the main characters through solo movies first, as was done with the main heroes in the MCU movies, then bringing them together for the big team-up. However, diverting from what Snyder had set up made the problematic DCEU even worse, as this movie feels out of place. Ultimately, it is worth watching if nothing else to compare and contrast with the Snyder cut of the movie, but it is not a film that needs multiple viewings. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 75

 Day 75 was the sculpt 3-4 workout again. There is really nothing much to report from this workout. The reps for each exercise were within the 10-13 range. On a couple of the exercises, my rep count actually dropped by one or two from the prior workout. I am not entirely sure why that happened. But, aside from that, I felt the workout was good overall.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 74

 Day 74 was cardio and abs. Abs went well, but I was a bit gassed during the cardio portion. I actually had to stop for a few seconds (not a full-blown rest) to catch my breath before I could continue. I am still getting used to doing a modified fast where I do not eat anything after about 4PM. It is a bit of a struggle and I do think it impacts my energy level when I workout in the evening, but I am dropping both scale weight and body fat, so that is good. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 73

 Day 73 was the sculpt 3-4 workout again. Pretty much everything was the same for this workout as it was on Monday. I did not hit the 15 reps on any of the exercises after having increased the amount of weight again. My plan is when I start P90x is to increase all the weights I am using for the various exercises that are repeats from Power-90 by five pounds and then shoot for the 8-10 reps range so I am building more muscle. The only weight that will go down is the calf raises because the legs and back workout in P90x has a total of 45 calf raises with your toes pointing in different directions for each block of 15 reps, and I know there is no way I would be able to do 45 total reps with 45 or 50-pound dumbells. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 72

 Day 72 was cardio and abs. I was a bit tired during cardio from lack of sleep the night before, but I made it through. I can do 17 reps on all of the ab exercises (so I am doing 170 reps). I hope to get to 200 by the time I get to day 90, but otherwise, I plan to continue doing the workout after the cardio workouts in the Master's Series set and will get all 200 reps in by the time I finish that 8 weeks. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 71

 Day 71 was the sculpt 3-4 workout. I felt like I was a bit stronger than during last Friday's workout, and I was able to hit 15 reps on the forearm curls in the fourth block. I have been dropping weight after a bit of a plateau. I am still carb cycling, but I backed off on my total calories a bit, and have stopped eating after 4pm, doing a modified fast overnight. I am still doing a free/cheat day (usually on Sunday) where I eat more calories so I am not worried about my body trying to go into starvation mode. I have not taken measurements since day 1, but I will do so two weeks from Sunday. I think I am losing more inches than I am losing scale weight given that my jeans are fitting a bit better. As I have said before, I really don't care what the scale weight is as long as I am losing inches. I am one of those that can put on both a decent amount of muscle and a lot of fat. The trick is always getting the fat off (which my body is very efficient at storing) to get the muscle to show. 

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

 

This is the sixth book in the Harry Potter series of novels. It really advances the story forward, not only revealing details of Voldemort's past but also finally revealing his weakness and, what Harry needs to do to defeat him. It also mixes in the "normal" school trials and tribulations like relationships, exams, and the like. The title of the book is based on an annotated potions book that Harry finds with notes by someone called "The Half-Blood Prince" that suddenly allows Harry to excel in potions, impressing the new potions professor, Horace Slughorn, a former Hogwarts professor who has a history with Voldemort when he was known as Tom Riddle.

As has been the case with most of the books, it contains a lot more material than was seen in the movie. There is a lot more to the Malfoy storyline, which in the book incorporates both Kreacher and Dobby, as well as having a lot more elements than was seen in the movie. It also develops the relationship between Ginny and Harry a lot more than the movie did. And, there is more to Harry and Dumbledore working together than we saw in the movie. It, like the prior two novels, was certainly long enough (at 650 or so pages) to be split into two movies, so if you have only seen the movie you will likely enjoy the book even more. 

As I said above, the book is long, but it flows well and makes for a fairly quick read. It continues to get darker in terms of the storylines and there are more characters in danger this year as the confrontation between Harry and Voldemort gets closer. It is definitely too dark for little kids but should be okay for most teenagers (as the books were written to become more adult as kids reading them aged). And, they are definitely good enough that adults can enjoy them too.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 70

 Day 70 was the T25 stretch video and a rest day from the Power-90 workouts. I again modified it with hurdler and straight leg stretches during the downward dog sequence so I could focus more on my hamstrings and lower back, which are always the tightest for me. If I decide to do a recovery week between the end of the 3-4 workouts and the master's series workouts, I will definitely incorporate this into the mix.

Workout Update: Power 90 Day 69

 This was cardio and abs again. It was probably my best workout of the week, but still not as good as prior workouts have been. I think I will do a recovery week before I get into the master's series workouts, in which I will do a few different stretching and yoga workouts but give myself a break from weights and higher-impact stuff. I will see how I feel at the end of the 90 days.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 68

 Day 68 was the sculpt 3-4 workout. I was able to make very slight progress in this workout. I hit the 15 rep max on a couple of exercises. Interestingly, my rep count actually dropped for a few exercises (using the same amount of weight as the last workout), which was the first time that had happened so far. I think it was probably from being worn out during the week due to family medical issues and lack of quality sleep. But, I made it through and was able to finish. 

DVD Review: Chicago Fire Season 7

 

Season seven of Chicago Fire pretty much follows the same format that the show has had from day one. Each episode is mainly self-contained. There are story arcs that weave through the episodes (both in the professional and personal lives of the various characters), and then the fire/rescue sequences that interrupt at pretty much any time. Then, of course, there are crossover episodes. This season there was a three-show crossover very early in the season with Chicago Med and Chicago PD, then a two-show crossover later in the season with Chicago PD. There is more cast turnover this year with Gabby off in Puerto Rico (Monica Raymund made a couple of appearances early in the season) and Annie Llonzoh joined the cast as the new paramedic, Emily Foster. The end of the season sees pretty much every member of the cast (again) in danger from an out-of-control fire, ending (again) on a cliffhanger.

For those who get the DVD set, the only bonus material/extras are the crossover episodes for Med and PD. There are no behind-the-scenes features as there were in the first few season releases. It is basically just a MOD DVD set with the episodes and that is it. 

Overall, the show is still good, and the writers have done a good job advancing the storylines to keep the show from getting stale. I think the cast turnover actually helps the show, even though it is sad to see characters leave. The acting continues to be very good, and the show does a good job balancing the large ensemble cast. I'd say if you have been a fan of the show's prior seasons you will probably like this one as well. On the other hand, if you have not liked the prior seasons of the show, this one will probably not convert you. If you only get the physical DVD sets when there are a lot of extras then you probably will just want to stick to streaming this (unless you are getting it to have a complete collection). 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 67

 Day 67 of Power 90 was cardio and abs. I really had to push myself to even do the workout. I was not feeling all that well by the time I had time to do it, but I was able to get through it doing the best I could. I did have to take a couple of breaks and modify the exercises more than usual, but I did not skip it, and was still able to get a good calorie burn. 

Workout Update: Power 90 Day 66

 Day 66 was sculpt 3-4 again. I was able to hit 15 reps on a couple of the resistance exercises and also increased the number of push-ups I could do increased on a couple of the push up moves. So, overall it was a good workout.