DVD Review: Chicago Fire Season 9

 

Season Nine of Chicago Fire was the first post-covid lockdown season. So, it is a shortened season (just 16 episodes) because they started filming later in the year, and was a bit uneven because they had to tie up some of the storylines from the last season (most notably Stella taking the Leuitenant exam) then transition to the new season's storylines. There was really no tidy send-off for Foster beyond what we saw at the end of Season Eight when she decided to re-enroll in school. We do find out that she is working in a covid ward, but that is it. Of course, that means we get new paramedic(s) on 61. So yes, there is more cast turnover this year. The show also is playing up the "will they, won't they" between Brett and Casey, teasing them getting together and throwing obstacles in the way. There is no big "One Chicago" crossover this year with all of the shows, probably because of wanting to limit covid exposure between the various cast and crews of each show, but there were instances where characters from PD and Med made short cameos in an episode or two. 

Overall, the storylines this season were good, but as I said, a bit uneven. The show did not make the pandemic a focus (like Chicago Med does), but it is something that looms in the background. I did think the showrunners could not make up their mind with whom to cast as the new paramedic, which hurt the show a bit. I will not spoil anything for those who have not seen it, but I think the show could have handled that storyline and the characters better. Of course, there is a cliffhanger that leaves the fates of some of the cast members in a life-threatening situation as they fade to black, but this year it is not the entire cast in danger. The DVD set is just a MOD set, with no extras (but it does have English closed-captions), so unless you want the physical discs because you are maintaining a collection or just prefer discs to streaming, you do not get anything additional over streaming the episodes.

Workout Update: Power-90 Master's Series Day 5

 Day 5 was the sculpt 5-6 workout again. The workouts last week and over the weekend have been kind of all over the place because I have been dealing with a family medical issue and having a family member hospitalized. But, I have still managed to get my workouts in, even if they were not as good as I would have liked (which is a category that this workout definitely fell into). I am going to be maxing out at 10 reps so I will bump the weights up when I get to 11 reps, so the goal will be to lift heavier. Overall, the workout was fine, but I was a bit distracted and rushed during it, so I was not going all out by any means. Hopefully, things in my personal life will calm down this week and lead to better workouts. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Master's Series Day 4

 Day 5 was a built-in rest day for the version of the program I am doing. So, I did the T25 stretch workout, modifying it like I have the past few weeks to focus more on hamstrings and inner thighs by adding in the hurdler stretches, the straight leg stretch, and butterfly stretch. Tonight will be the sculpt 5-6 workout again. I will be back tomorrow with an update on how that went. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Master's Series Day 3

 Day 3 of the Master's Series workouts was cardio intervals and ab-ripper 200. This workout includes a warm-up section and stretching section that last about 5 minutes each, give or take. Then, the main workout consists of 11 moves, with each move lasting a minute. The minute is divided into three twenty-second blocks. For the first 20 seconds, you do a basic, less intense version of the move, in the next twenty seconds you do an intermediate version of the move (which usually means going faster, or deeper when you are doing squats), and then the last twenty seconds you go all out. About halfway through the round you stop and take a water break, then finish the rest of the moves. At that point, you do a second round of the same 11 moves with less time between each move, and again having a short water break at the halfway point. Tony recommends that the first few times you do the workout you do just the first round. I did both rounds but heavily modified the second round, a lot of times doing just the basic version of each move and taking breaks when I needed.

I was able to get through all 200 moves of ab-ripper. I was able to do it at a bit faster clip, and my form was improving. I am going to do ab-ripper three days a week so I can keep my core as strong as possible for when I start p90x and have to do ab-ripper x. 

Overall, this is a good workout. It is clear that the Master's Series was kind of the testing ground for p90x. A lot of the moves made it into p90x, but there are definitely some that did not. So, I think they were kind of weeding out and/or slightly changing some exercises as they were filming p90x. It is definitely a challenging workout, and you can make it as easy or as difficult as you need to based on your skill level and fitness level.

Workout Update: Power-90 Master's Series Day 2

 Day 2 of the Master's Series workouts was Sculpt 5-6. It is quite different from the sculpt workouts in the base program as it has two long blocks with a break in between. There is about 6 minutes of warm-up and stretching, then the main workout is about 35 minutes, give or take, and then there is a short cool-down. It is a total body workout that hits the back, chest, shoulders, arms, and legs. Again, many of the moves are things you will see in the various p90x workouts (and the Power-90 base workouts). It is definitely a more challenging workout than the 1-2 or 3-4 workouts (as you would expect), with different, more challenging variations of some moves, and some new exercises that are not variations of things from the 1-2 and 3-4 workouts. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Master's Series Day 1

 Day one of the Master's series was the cardio 5-6 workout. It is similar to and different from the 1-2 and 3-4 workouts in the base program. It starts out with a warmup that includes running in place, jumping jacks, and then doing a dynamic kicking and swinging your arms (what Tony calls dynamic stretching in p90x). Then you do some static stretching and a couple of asanas from yoga. It is definitely not as much yoga as the 1-2 and 3-4 workouts had. Then you get into the main workout. That has three blocks of exercise. Each exercise lasts 30 seconds. You do all three exercises, then repeat twice. Then you have a short water break and move on to the next block with three new exercises that you repeat three times. The moves include some exercises that are on the p90x plyometrics workout, some stuff from the Kenpo workout, and some stuff from cardio-x. There is not a lot of jumping in this one, but there is a bit more impact than there was in the base Power-90 workouts. These workouts are meant to be a bridge from the base Power-90 workouts to p90x, so it stands to reason that the difficulty level is somewhere between the two programs. You can definitely tell they had started on p90x when filming the Master's Series workouts because the p90x promotional posters are hanging on the wall behind them. 

Overall, this is a pretty typical Tony Horton workout (cheesy jokes and all). If you have done p90x before a lot of what you see in this workout is familiar. If not, you will definitely see the moves again if you decide to do p90x. You can do some modification of the moves and slow things down if you need to, or you can try to keep up with what the people in the video are doing. This was filmed before the days when they had a dedicated modifier in every workout doing on modified moves, but Tony does tell you how to modify if you need to. Overall, it was a good workout and a good start to day 1 of the Master's Series.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 90

 The last day of the Power-90 base workout was the T25 stretch workout. I again modified it to add more hamstring stretches, during the downward dog portion but otherwise stuck to it. Overall, over the course of the 90 days, I went from 224.9 lbs to 213.8 lbs for a total loss of 11.1 pounds, More importantly, my body fat percentage dropped from approximately 35.6% to approximately 33%, and I went from a 49" waist to 47".

I definitely did not eat perfectly throughout the entire program. I did try to stick with 6 days of carb cycling and then one free/cheat day, but there were times that I ate more junk food during the week too. And, I definitely have not gotten as much sleep as I needed and have been under a lot of stress. So, given all of that, I definitely made good progress. Today I start the Master's Series workouts and will be rotating those workouts for eight weeks before I start P90X classic. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 89

 Day 89 was the final sweat 3-4 workout. I can’t say that i’m going to miss doing it, or at least parts of it. I start the master’s series workouts on Monday. I’m following an 8 week schedule that rotates the workouts so that the first few weeks are more cardio focused and the last few weeks are more strength focused. Basically you swap sweat 5-6 and sculpt 5-6 once a week. So in the first few weeks you are doing sweat 5-6 twice a week and in the final few weeks you are doing sculpt 5-6 a twice a week. Then you are mixing in new workouts, so there is more variety.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 88

 Day 88 was the last sculpt 3-4 workout. I did hit 15 reps on a couple of the exercises, but was mostly still in the 12-14 range. On standard push ups I was able to go from 10 reps on the fist day to 22. Heavy pants went from 20 pounds to 35. Military press went from 15 pounds to 22.5 pounds. Back scratchers went from 15 to 22.5 pounds. Back flys went from 15 to 17.5, as did swimmers press. Open curls went 12.5 to 17.5, and kickbacks went from 12 to 22.5. Lawnmowers went from 20 to 30, shoulder flys went from 10 to 15, and twenty-ones went from 8 to 17.5. Chair dips went from 13 bent knee dips to 16 straight leg dips. Over the last 45 days, calf-raises went from 20 to 50 pounds, and forearm blasts went from 3 to 10. So, overall I made quite a bit of progress, but I still have a ways to go.

4kUHD/Movie Review: Shazam

 

Shazam is one of the more lesser-known (at least to the non-comic book fans) of the DC Superheros. If you are old enough you may remember the cartoon that was on TV back in the 1980s. He is actually a kid named Billy Batson who is given powers by a Wizard that allows him to become a superhero with powers very similar to that of Superman when he says the word Shazam (and he is also transformed into an adult wearing a super-suit with a huge lightning bolt on his chest.

In the movie, 14-year old Billy is played by Asher Angel and Shazam/adult/superhero Billy is played by Zachary Levi, who was best known for the underrated series Chuck.  Billy is a kid who bounces in and out of various foster homes after running away from them trying to track down his mother who he has not seen since getting lost at a carnival when he was a little kid. He ends up getting his powers from the Wizard Shazam played by Djimon Honsou who is looking for a champion who is pure of heart to inherit his powers to battle the embodiments of the Seven Deadly Sins and their champion Doctor Sivana, played by Mark Strong. The rest of the cast is comprised of child and adult actors including Jack Grazer, Grace Fullerton, Marla Milans, Adam Brody, Faithe Herman, Ian Chen, Cooper Andrews, Michelle Borth, Jovan Armand, Ross Butler, Meagan Good, DJ Cotrona, and John Glover. Of the supporting cast, Borth, Brody, Good, and Glover are probably the most recognizable. I will not say what roles the supporting cast plays because it would spoil the end of the movie, but all of the actors do a great job with their characters.

The movie is really an origin story with Billy trying to figure out his superhero powers. Levi does a great job of playing a 14-year old kid stuck in an adult's body, and you get that he would be a kid not necessarily being a serious hero when he gets these cool powers. Mark Strong did a great job as the bad guy and really played a great villain. The movie really seems to be what DC wanted for its movies, as a mix of action, and comedy with a dash of seriousness mixed in. It feels a lot more like a Marvel movie than the other "Snyderverse" movies. 

For those who get the 4k set, there is a UHD disc that just has the movie, which looks and sounds great in the format. Then there is a regular Blu-ray disc that has the extras. Those include several behind-the-scenes and making-of features of various lengths, about 37-minutes of deleted and alternate/extended scenes, a gag reel, and a feature on the character of Shazam through the years. All in all, about two hours worth of bonus material (give-or-take). 

Overall, the movie is very good. Like I said, the tone is definitely different than the other DC movies, especially those that Zach Snyder directed, but it fits given the storyline. It is definitely worth checking out if you are a fan of superhero movies, and have not reached the superhero fatigue point yet. 

DVD Review: Chicago PD Season 7

 

The seventh season of Chicago PD sees more upheaval for the show, both in terms of cast turnover and from a storyline standpoint for the characters. As most are aware, Jon Seda was not brought back for season seven, and the show basically uses the season six storyline as a way to write him out. We also find out whether or not Voight killed Kelton (you can probably guess, but I will not spoil it for those who don't know how it turned out). The show does wrap up the season six dangling storylines pretty early on in the season, then the show gets into the arcs for the new season. The show gains a new cast member to essentially replace Jon Seda. Lisseth Chavez joins the team as Vanessa Rojas who was pulled out of the academy for an undercover assignment, then ended up with Intelligence, much like Ruzek joined the team. Hailey ends up taking her under her wing while butting heads with Voight along the way. Jay ends up with a story arc that plays out over the course of a few episodes, as does Kim and Ruzek. The season ends with a major storyline involving Kevin. Because the season ended early due to the covid lockdown, the show does not really end on a cliffhanger this season, just sets up a larger story arc. There are two crossovers this season. The first was the large "One Chicago" crossover with Med and Fire. That one ended up being a bit prophetic given the Covid outbreak that would hit a few months later. The second was a smaller crossover with Chicago Fire about 2/3 of the way into the season.

For those who get the DVD, there are no bonus features other than the episodes from the other shows that were a part of the crossovers. So, you can watch all the crossover episodes without switching discs (assuming you have the other shows on DVD too). So, if you are one who only gets the DVDs when there are a lot of behind-the-scenes or commentary tracks, the only reason to get this is if you have the prior season sets and want to complete your collection.

Overall, the season was very good. The writing and acting are still very strong, and pretty much every one of the main characters got some good material to work with this season. If you have been a fan of the prior seasons this one is definitely worth checking out. You definitely do not want to jump into this season without seeing the prior seasons because you will be missing some important character development and there are definitely some things that occurred in the prior seasons that impact this season. 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 87

 Day 87 was the sculpt 3-4 workout again. It was pretty much par for the course with the past few sculpt workouts. I did not hit the 15 rep max for any of the moves, but I got close on a couple of them. I only have three more workouts in this 90-day block, then I will be starting the master's series workouts on Monday.

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 86

 Day 86 was cardio and abs. The only good thing about this workout is that I was able to get in all 200 reps in the ab ripper workout. I did have to pause a couple of times, but I did make it. The rest of the workout honestly sucked. I was tired, had very little energy, and really struggled through it. But, I did end up finishing (with taking some breaks here and there). 

Workout Update: Power-90 Day 85

 Day 85 was the sculpt workout again. It went well, pretty much all the weight was the same as the last workout, and I got mostly the same number of reps in for each exercise. I am up to 50 lbs on the calf raises, but I can only do 12 reps with that amount of weight. Since the p90x legs workout has three sets of 25 calf raises (fifteen slow and ten fast in each set), I will probably drop down to 25 lbs when I get to that workout. I am in no danger of hitting the 52.5 lb limit of my select tech dumbells on any other exercise at this point, so I am not going to invest in any heavier weights yet. 

Workout Update: Power-90 day 84

 Day 84 was the T25 stretch workout again. I again adapted it to put a bit more focus on hamstrings, but otherwise followed it. I will do this workout one more time next Sunday and then will transition to x-stretch from p90x when I am doing the master's series workouts. I will do that mainly to get myself ready for the yoga-x workout once I actually start p90x about nine weeks from now, since the little bit of yoga included in sweat 1-2 and sweat 3-4 is not at all enough to get ready for the hour-and-a-half-long yoga-x workout. 

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, who 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 publically 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 t***p administration, 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.