Workout Update: Chalean Extreme Day 18

CE day 18 was the burn circuit workout again. I can tell that my stamina is increasing and I can do most of the cardio moves at the same pace as the group. My only real issue is that my knees have been acting up on me a bit so I have had to modify some of the moves to be lower impact than I normally would. It is a matter of still wanting to work out, but also being careful and not overdoing it. I still find Skip super annoying, and constantly want him to shut up during the workout. He definitely overdoes it on being "chipper" the entire time. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Dollhouse Season 1

 

Dollhouse was a series that continued Eliza Dushku's run of bad luck as a lead in a series that did not get much traction and was canceled early (the series Tru Calling being the first one). This series was one of Joss Whedon's post-Buffy series. The premise is that there are "dolls" who are people that have had their memories wiped and when they are hired for a job, they are imprinted with whatever memories, skills, emotions, etc., that is needed for whatever they are hired for. Then, when the job is done, the doll's memory is wiped and they return to their "blank" state which is very child-like. The jobs that the dolls are hired for can be just about anything, legal or illegal, and they (supposedly) have no memory of prior jobs once they return to the blank slate.

The series definitely takes a few episodes to find its footing and set up the characters and the world that they inhabit. The show includes a very strong cast including Fran Kranz, as the programmer who gives the dolls their memories (and takes them away), Dichen Lachman as another doll Sierra, Amy Acker, Enver Gjokaj, Tahmoh Pennikett, Miracle Laurie, Harry Lennix, Reed Diamond, and Olivia Williams. Like many of Whedon's other shows about midway through the season the story picks up, and we start getting more twists and backstories to fill in the questions that the initial episodes present.

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, the show looks and sounds great in HD. The extras include commentary tracks for a few episodes. One of them has Whedon and Dushku, one with Whedon alone, and one with Whedon and his wife and brother. The original unaired pilot is included, and a couple of making-of and behind-the-scenes features. A decent amount of material for those who like going through the bonus features.

Overall, the series is very good. It is a good blend of action and drama, with some comedy thrown in there too. It presents a lot of ethical questions (especially in the second season), and it has a lot of twists and turns. Obviously, there is the question of supporting Whedon's shows given everything that has come out about his behavior over time. Obviously, this came out long before any of that was ever public, and it does tarnish his image a lot. I look at it as, I liked the show before all of that came out, and many more people were involved in the production than him. That said, I will not listen to his commentary tracks anymore because you know some of the stuff he says, especially when he goes on about morals and ethics, is contrary to some of the things he was allegedly doing. I still think the show is worth watching, just know that if you do get into it, it only lasted a couple of seasons and was canceled before the entire story could be fleshed out.

Workout Update: Chalean Extreme Day 17

Day 17 of CE was the Burn Circuit 2 workout. Really nothing all that new to report from last week's workout, but I was able to hit the 12 rep max on a couple of the exercises. I still had to do some of the push-ups at the end on my knees, but I am getting much deeper into the triceps pushups when I do them on my toes than I have ever been able to before. So, I am getting better at them, and can tell that I am getting stronger overall. 

Blu-Ray Review: Ghostbusters (2009 25th Anniversary release)

 

Ghostbusters is the iconic 1984 comedy starring Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, and Rick Moranis (the last two in supporting roles). The idea is that a group of scientists (Ramis, Murray, and Akroyd) is convinced that ghosts are real (which is established fairly early on in the movie) and can be captured and stored. They end up purchasing a fire station and selling their services as Ghostbusters. Of course, by the end of the movie, there is a threat not only to New York City as a whole but to the world if the Ghostbusters do not stop it.

Chances are, anyone reading this by now has seen the movie at least once. For the handful who may not have, it is definitely an adult comedy. It has a lot of swearing and some sexually suggestive material (but no nudity). It is extremely funny with jokes that you may miss the first time around. Even with a large ensemble cast all of the actors get at least some good material, and pretty much every character gets at least one memorable line.

The movie has been released multiple times on DVD and Blu-Ray. If you end up with the 25th-anniversary set, it carries over all of the making-of and behind-the-scenes material from the DVD release and includes the commentary track with the director Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis, and one of the producers. The big addition to this set is a "Slimer" mode, which is a picture-in-picture viewing of the movie that has a ton of material including interviews with cast members and pop-up facts about the movie. There is also a preview of the video game that was released at the same time, and a feature on restoration of the Ecto-1 car. All in all, a bunch of good material for those who like going through the bonus material.

It is one of the best comedies not only of the 1980s but of all time. Even though it looks like a movie that was made in the 1980s, the story holds up even though it is now almost 40 years old. If you have not yet bought it on disc, you may want to get the 4K version, but if you are a fan of physical media it is worth picking up.

Workout Update: Chalean Extreme Day 16

Day 16 was the recharge workout again. Given that I only got a few hours of sleep the night before, doing recharge was actually very nice because I was not up to a very intense workout. Again, I can tell that my flexibility has been getting better through the P90X yoga and stretch workouts into this one. I still definitely have tight spots, especially in my lower back and hamstrings, but those are getting more flexible (slowly).

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Fringe Season 1

 

Fringe was a very unique series that ran from 2008 to 2013. It was part police procedural and part supernatural thriller that involved a division of the FBI headed by Lance Reddick's character Phillip Broyles that investigated a series of strange phenomena that would come to be called "The Pattern". Anna Torv played FBI agent Olivia Dunham who investigated Pattern incidents with the help of a scientist who had been in a mental hospital for years named Walter Bishop (played by John Noble) who had studied similar incidents before he went crazy, and his son Peter (played by Joshua Jackson of Dawson's Creek fame) who was basically Walter's babysitter after he was checked out of the hospital. Of course, there was much more to the plot as the series unfolded with a lot of twists and turns. It was created by JJ Abrams, so it has a somewhat similar feel to the series Lost, although in a totally different context. If you take Lost and mix in a bit of X-files and even some Twin Peaks, that is kind of what Fringe gives you. That said, it is definitely its own show and was not derivative of anything else at the time. It is a cross between a case-of-the-week procedural series and a serial series with a long arc that stretches through the season. Events in one episode most definitely impact other episodes down the line, so you really have to watch it from the start to get what is going on. The season ends on a pretty big cliffhanger and teases the introduction of a character that is played by a Sci-Fi icon.

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, the show looks and sounds great in HD. It definitely had, and made use of, a health special effects budget, and it is definitely worth watching in the high-definition format. The extras include commentary tracks on select episodes, several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, and deleted scenes for many of the episodes.  About an hour and a half plus of material (not including the commentaries).

While I cannot say the series will appeal to everyone, if you are a fan of the sci-fi/fantasy genre, chances are you will like it. It is a unique series in that not everything is made up. It actually does include some actual scientific concepts and then mixes them with totally made-up sci-fi stuff. It does have some violence and some gross visuals, but not much in the way of sexual content. It is very well written and acted, and definitely worth checking out.

Supplement Review: Premier Protein Shake, Caramel, 11.5 Fl. Oz (Pack of 12)

 

As most probably know, RTD protein drinks can range from awful tasting to pretty good. This is definitely on the pretty good (maybe great depending on your taste) end of the spectrum. You get 30g of protein, which is on the higher-end of the RTD spectrum for protein content, which is nice if you work out pretty regularly. It is a bit on the pricey side, with a case of 12 costing upwards of $20 depending on what the inventory levels are. But, if you can get it at a reasonable price, it is definitely worth trying.

Blu-Ray Review: Chuck Season 2

 

The second season of Chuck is where the series really hit its stride. The beginning of the season involves a storyline of a second intersect and the possibility of Chuck getting his normal life back, which is a blessing and a curse for him given his feelings for Sarah, and not wanting her to leave. Of course, plans go awry, and (since the show went on), he does not end up getting out. The season also expands the role of Fulcrum and the evil organization trying to get their hands on the intersect. This season also involves more of the Buy More group of characters, with hilarious results. We also get a ton of pop culture references in the season, the best of which is a "Die Hard" themed Christmas episode, that included Reginald VelJohnson, and an episode with a bunch of Back to the Future references, including a DeLorean.

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, there are a handful of short making-of and behind-the-scenes features, an 18-minute featurette on the stunt work, and a gag reel. Some sets have the 3D version of the episode Chuck vs. the Third-dimension and others have just the 2D version. There is also 10 minutes worth of webisodes. So, a nice amount of extras for those who like bonus features.

Overall, the season was great. The show continues to be well written and acted. This season also saw a ton of guest stars including, Melinda Clark (from the OC), Michael Clarke Duncan, Nicole Ritchie, Michael Strahan, Jordana Brewster, Morgan Fairchild, Bruce Boxleitner, Scott Bakula, Chevy Chase, Tricia Helfer, Jerome Bettis, and more. Matt Bomer also made an appearance as Bryce Larkin to throw a wrench not only into the intersect storyline but the Chuck-Sarah relationship. If you are one of the few people reading this who knows nothing about the show and are just trying to figure out if you want to watch it, I highly recommend it. It has a great blend of action, comedy, and drama (and having Yvonne Strahovski in lingerie on a regular basis does not hurt either). You definitely need to watch the first season in order for the second season to make sense because the show is much more of a serial storyline than a procedural one. And, if you liked or loved the first season, you will probably feel the same way about this one.

Product Review: OULII Toilet Flush Lever Handle Universal Toilet Handle Replacement for Toilet Tank (Side Mount)

 

I got this to replace the part on my existing toilet that had rusted through. The one that I was sent did not have any holes to hook the chain onto, but I could hook the chain over the bar and then use duct tape to keep it in place. So, it is not exactly how it is supposed to work, but it gets the job done. The only reason I knocked it down to three stars is because of the quality control issue of letting a defective part get shipped out.

Product Review: Coolmax ES-300 Esata to USB Adapter

 

If you have an external eSata drive but have a laptop with just USB ports, this will do the job. My laptop was able to recognize the drive without a problem, and everything worked fine.

Product Review: MANGROOMER Do-It-Yourself Electric Back Hair Shaver

 

The best way to describe this is that it works well until it doesn't. The one I owned went through batteries like crazy, and eventually putting in new batteries would not power it. And, because it is made of cheap plastic, the hinge broke and got stuck in one position. Thankfully, it was in the open position so I could still use it until the battery thing made it non-functional, but it was not as easy to store like that. So, it worked as intended until it did not, so I would look for other options.

Workout Update: Chalean Extreme Day 15

Day 15 of CE was the third round of Burn Circuit 1. I could tell in this workout that I am getting appreciably stronger. I was able to max out at the 12 reps on most of the exercises, aside from the very last shoulder raise at the end. And, I was able to do two of the three ultra slow pushups (8-counts up and 8 counts down) at the end on my toes, and go all the way down so my chest touched the ground. I still had to do the last one on my knees, but I am making progress.  

Product Review: WD My DVR Expander 500 GB eSATA External Hard Drive

 

I purchased this hoping to be able to expand the storage capacity on my Tivo 2 DVR. Unfortunately, this does not work with that series (although it may work with later versions of the TiVo DVRs) so you definitely need to make sure this is compatible with what you are trying to hook it up to. You can use it as an external hard drive for a regular computer (you may need to format it), but it is pretty bulky and not something most people are likely to use these days as external drives are getting smaller and smaller.

Product Review: Reebok Men's RBK Integrity Trainer Cross Training

 

These fit very well, have good stability, and are quite comfortable. They are very good for higher impact exercises like plyometrics or jumping that running shoes are not designed for. So, if you are doing workout programs like P90X or Insanity (or any other program that has a lot of jumping), these are a very good option. It would be great if there was a high-top version that provided a bit more ankle support, but even so, they are good shoes.

DVD Review: The Algebra 2 Tutor - 6 Hour Course

 

I found Jason's material years ago when I started taking math classes to get what would eventually turn into an Electrical Engineering degree. I was not a great math student my first time through college, so I was looking for any kind of study material I could find to help get myself ready for the classes I would have to take.

This set of DVDs covers much of the material that you would see in an intermediate algebra level course in college, as well as some of the material that you get in a college algebra course. At six hours it does not, obviously, cover an entire semester's worth of material. It starts out with graphing equations (pretty much of lines), then gets into the slope of a line, writing equations of lines, solving systems of equations, equations with radicals, fractional exponents, and then ends with polynomial equations and the quadratic formula. So, it covers a lot of key material, but as I said, it does not get into everything in a full semester-long course. But, if paired with Jason's other sets, the advanced algebra and matrix algebra tutors, you will get about 85-90% of what you will see in a college algebra course.

One thing to be aware of, this is a lecture-like series of videos with Jason standing in front of a whiteboard working on problems. So, you have to know what your particular learning style is. Even though it is lecture-like, it is not exactly the same kind of lecture you will get in a "regular" class, where professors tend to go through the theory ad-nauseum. Jason explains just enough of the theory to get you to understand the concepts but then goes through a bunch of example problems, step-by-step. He explains each step as he goes along and then recaps the process after the problem is fully worked out. He also gives hints about what can trip people up, and things to watch out for when solving problems. He also encourages students to go back and work the problems on their own to drill the concepts into their heads.

Overall, this is a great set, and if you are an audio and/or visual learner, this will help you a lot. It is a lot cheaper than an in-person tutor, but the trade-off is the lack of ability to ask questions or get help with real homework problems which you can get with an in-person tutor. With those caveats, it is definitely a good investment for anyone needing extra help with math or just wanting to learn the material on their own.

DVD Review: Bitten Season Two

 

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

The second season of Bitten picks up shortly after the events of the Season 1 finale. The entire pack is looking for Malcolm to bring him to justice for the attack on the pack and killing Phillip, which Elana is still reeling from (to some extent). She has embraced her role in the pack and has come to accept her feelings for Clay after finding out that he bit her to protect her. In the first episode, that storyline is combined with the new storyline that will play out for the rest of the season, that is the arrival of Witches. The season is kind of wolves v. witches theme, and kind of a wolves and witches team up to prevent a threat to each group.

The show continues to be very violent and has a lot of sexual content (and as much nudity as they could get away with). There may be a bit less sex this season than in season one, but not much less, and they definitely take advantage of showing off the ridiculously good-looking cast. All of the characters continue to evolve, especially Nick and Jordan, and all of the actors do a great job with their characters.

For those who get the DVD, the extras include deleted scenes, a portion of the NY comic-con panel discussion, a feature on the fight choreography, a gag reel, and the episode of the aftershow (that aired in Canada I believe) for the season finale. All, in all, about an hour and a half of bonus features, which is getting rarer and rarer for DVD sets.

Overall, the season is good. The show will definitely not appeal to everyone, but I think most fans of sci-fi and fantasy will like it. I have personally never read the books that the series was adapted from. According to the showrunner, this season deviated quite a bit from the second book, so people who are fans of the book may not like it that much. But, if you are a fan of the genre or just a fan of Laura Vandervoort from her Smallville or Haven days, it is definitely worth checking out.

Product Review: TP-Link AC750 WiFi Extender

 

I have a split-level townhouse that results in multiple Wi-Fi dead zones. I have a couple of these, and they all but eliminate the dead spots where I either get a very weak signal or no signal at all. They are very easy to set up. You plug the extender in near your router, press the WPS button on the router and the WPS button on the extender, wait for them to pair (all the lights on the extender to stop blinking), then unplug the extender and move it to where you want to boost the signal. My router is on the main level and I have one of these in my basement and one on the third level in my bedroom. I will very likely get another one when I set my theater room up on the fourth level. I definitely recommend these.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Dark Knight

 

The Dark Knight has the distinction of being in a class of sequels that overtake the original movie. It is, of course, the follow-up to 2005's Batman Begins, which pays off on the tease of the arrival of The Joker that occurred at the end of Batman Begins. The Joker was played, controversially until people actually saw the movie, by Heath Ledger. Internet chat rooms were lit with how horrible a casting choice it was, and as it turns out, Leger provided certainly one of the best, if not the best, live-action performances of The Joker ever. He definitely made the character his own and did not try to copy what Cesar Romero or Jack Nicholson did with other performances. I was, of course, Ledger's last full performance on film as he tragically died shortly after filming wrapped. His performance was so good that it won Ledger a posthumous Oscar.

The plot of the movie is basically Batman v. The Mob v. The Joker v. The System, all of which work with and against each other at times, and all of which are, at least to some extent, either corrupt or doing something less than righteous. The movie brings back much of the cast from the first movie, including Bale, Freeman, Caine, and Oldman. The role of Rachel Dawes was recast with Maggie Gyllenhall replacing Katie Holmes. While I think Gyllenhall did fine, I would have preferred the continuity of keeping Holmes in the role. Apparently, however, it was Holmes' decision not to return for the sequel so she kind of left everyone in the lurch. The big addition to the cast was Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent, the new District Attorney of Gotham. As pretty much everyone knows, Dent becomes Two-Face, and the one change I would have made to the movie would be to have Two-Face be unleashed a bit earlier in the movie so he had more screen time. But, Eckhart did a good job with the character for the short time he got to play the full version.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the movie looks and sounds great. The extras include several making-of and behind-the-scenes features, features about the various characters, stills galleries, trailers, and more. A lot of extras for those who like to watch them.

Overall, the movie is wonderful. The acting is great, and the writing is mostly good. There are some plot points that are kind of dumb, but they are very minor. Ledger's performance was definitely the highlight of the movie, even though he was not in nearly as many scenes as it seems like he was, and it rightly deserves its praise as one of the best comic book movies of all time.

Workout Update: Chalean Extreme Day 14

Day 14 was recharge and Ab-Burner. Both went well. I like doing recharge twice a week as opposed to the recommended one time, and I think doing it separately from the Burn it Off workout works well. Ab burner was much easier the second time. In the Burn Circuit phase, I think there is enough ab work in the regular workouts that you do not have to do ab burner more than once a week, but I may do it a couple days a week once I get to the other phases.  

Product Review: Mr. Pen- Small Hammer

 

This is great for putting picture hangers on the wall, or small things like that. The one area where you lose a bit of functionality because it is shorter than a "regular" sized hammer is if you are trying to remove nails, it is not as long a lever, which may be a bit problematic. That aside, it is a very good hammer, especially if you have smaller hands. If your hands are the size of baseball gloves, then this is definitely going to be way too small for you to use.

Workout Update: Chalean Extreme Day 13

Day 13 of CE was the 28 minute Burn it Off workout. I felt that my cardio endurance improved a lot from last week, probably because of the Burn Intervals workout mid-week. I was able to push harder on the exercises and did not have to pause as much. I still had to modify the burpees and cut it short at seven instead of the full ten, but that was really the only one I could not finish. 

Book Review: Helter Skelter

 

Helter Skelter is the novel written by Vincent Bugliosi, the lead prosecutor in the prosecution and conviction of Charles Manson and his followers for the series of murders that they carried out in the late 1960s, including the murder of the actress Sharon Tate. The book details not only the crimes but the investigation that was carried out and the prosecution of those involved. Most interesting, especially for those of us who are lawyers, is the strategy Bugliosi used to convict Manson even though he did not help carry out the murders, and his followers were basically brainwashed cult members who were reluctant to flip on him.

As anyone who has read any of Bugliosi's books, he has a pretty snarky writing style and is not shy about sharing his personal feelings about the people he is writing about. So, his characterization of Manson and his band of followers could be quite humorous at times. The book is organized into multiple parts that detail the murders, then detail the killers, the investigation of the crime, determining a motive, catching those involved, and the trial and its aftermath. It is a very entertaining read and provides a lot of information that only Bugliosi and a handful of other people were privy to. So, if you are a history buff and/or a true crime enthusiast, this is definitely worth reading.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Chuck Season 1

 

Chuck was a series that ran from 2007 to 2012. The basic premise was that a guy named Chuck (played by Zachary Levi) who works at a fictional equivalent of the Geek Squad (called the Nerd Herd) in a fictional version of Best Buy (called Buy More) had a supercomputer called the Intersect (basically a database with all the CIA and NSA secrets) beamed into his brain by his old college roommate who happens to be a CIA agent. He ends up with a CIA handler named Sarah (played by Yvonne Strahovski) and an NSA handler named John Casey. The theme of the show is basically a case of the week procedural in which Chuck has to use the information in his head to stop some evil plot. Much of the comedy is brought in by the fact that Chuck cannot access the information at will, and it comes to him in flashes, usually at some inopportune time.

The show definitely lives up to the hype that its die-hard fans give it. Unfortunately, the year it premiered the Bionic Woman reboot series got all of NBC's promotional budget and Chuck was hardly mentioned at all. For a lot of people, the allure to the show was the commercial that featured Yvonne Strahovski in lingerie (which she was in a lot during the series), but it was really a well-written and well-acted show that should have gotten a bit longer run than it did. Levi and Strahovski are great as leads playing fake boyfriend and girlfriend. They have great chemistry, and of course, the show teases the "will they or won't they" get together all season. All of the actors, including the group of rather pathetic Buy More ancillary characters, are great. Whatever you may think of Adam Baldwin in real-life, he does a great Job as Casey, a guy with no people skills forced to work in a store interacting with customers. Joshua Gomez steals nearly every scene he is in as Chuck's best friend, Morgan.

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, it looks and sounds great in the HD format. The extras include deleted scenes, a 27 minute "Chuck on Chuck" feature that has Levi and Gomez discussing the show, a gag reel, and clips from various actors casting sessions. All in all, a decent amount of material.

Overall, the show is great. It is old enough now that most people reading this likely know a lot about it, but if you are one of the few just trying to figure out if you should watch it, it lives up to the hype that die-hard fans give it. If you are a fan of 80s pop culture you will see a lot of references, especially as the season goes on. While the first season is short, just 13 episodes, it sets up the characters and the story well, and really makes you care about all of the main characters. The acting and writing are top-notch, especially the romance angle between Chuck and Sarah, and Chuck trying to keep his "regular" life and his spy life separate. I highly recommend it.

Product Review: Utopia Bedding All Season 250 GSM Comforter - Soft Down Alternative Comforter

 

This is a comforter that can be used in the summer (for those of us who need a blanket to sleep, even when it is warm) or winter. It is lightweight and very soft. You may, depending on how many blankets you need, want to have multiple blankets or a weighted blanket underneath it because it is so light. But, overall, it looks and feels great, and I definitely recommend it.

Product Review: TiVo TCD649080 Series 2 80-Hour Dual Tuner Digital Video Recorder (2008 Model)

 

This was really the best of Tivo. Because of streaming these boxes have pretty much gone extinct, but in the days of cable and satellite TV, this was great to get a ton of DVR space, and the guide was usually much better than what you got with any of the cable or Satellite TV services. And, it organized the recordings very well so you could always find what you wanted to watch easily, and if you had an entire season of a show recorded, the episodes would always be in order, which you cannot always get even on the streaming services' DVRs (Sling TV definitely comes to mind). The only drawback to it is that you have to pay for the expensive box, and then a monthly fee on top of that. But, if that is in your budget and you still have cable or Satellite TV, this is a good option.