Study Aid Review: The Linear Algebra Tutor - Volume 2

 

This is the second of a two-volume course on Linear Algebra that, when combined with the previously released Matrix Algebra Tutor (that covers the introduction to Matrix Algebra students generally see in College Algebra and the first couple of lectures in a Linear Algebra course) will cover about 80-90 percent of what you will need to know for an Introduction to Linear Algebra (or equivalent) course. The set starts out going over the various types of transformation matrices (which get used in computer science/software engineering), the rank and cofactors of a matrix, and the multiple ways of finding the determinants of a matrix (determinants are used in many upper-level engineering courses), finding a cross product of two vectors using determinants, and then ends with several lessons on eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Those lessons provide the most straightforward explanation I have seen for what eigenvalues and eigenvectors are, and why they are helpful.

As is the case with Jason's previous courses, he goes through many examples, step-by-step, explaining things as he goes along. He also provides a recap of every problem after he is finished solving it. The drawback, as always, is that you are limited to the examples that he shows, and he does not address every single topic that one is likely to see in class. He does encourage people to work the problems on their own after he has solved them to make sure people are retaining knowledge of what they have watched. But, this is truly a supplement to, not a replacement for, class lectures. If you are just trying to learn the material on your own, then this will give you a good overview of the main topics on the subject. If you are planning to go on to take any higher-level engineering classes you will use at least some linear algebra techniques in multiple classes. So, if you learn best by seeing example problems worked out, this is a very good study aid.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 71

Day 71 was the Recharge workout again. Thankfully, my back is feeling much better. It is basically back to normal. But, as I said in the prior post, I am not going to overdo it this week because I do not want to end up in the same situation I was from Saturday night through Monday evening (or worse). But, assuming all goes well with doing Recharge (and maybe one of the other low-impact workouts) I will resume with Stretch 3-4 on Monday. 

Video Game Review: WWE 2K15 - PlayStation 4

 

This was the 2015 release of the WWE's video game. It included a lot of legacy characters, including Sting (both the Crow version and the surfer version) as this was released just as Sting started making appearances on some of the WWE documentaries and was eventually brought in for what would be a lackluster run in the ring. The graphics are awesome, but the gameplay is very hard. Much harder than a lot of other games. And, the guide does not give you any help on how to execute anything more than basic moves. That is what knocks it down a couple of stars for me.

Blu-Ray/Movie Collection Review: Halloween: The Complete Collection (Limited Deluxe Edition)

 

This 15-disc set released in 2014 contains all of the original Halloween films (1-8), the two Rob Zombie remakes, and hours of bonus content. The set is probably overkill for many people, including casual fans of the original Halloween movie, especially now that it is out of print and very expensive. But, for those who are die-hard fans of the movies and love getting bonus content that comes with purchasing physical discs over streaming, this is a very good set. I will not spend much time reviewing the movies since anyone likely to be looking at this already is familiar with them. This set includes multiple versions of the original 1978 classic horror movie and its original sequels (plus Halloween III, which I personally do not count as a part of the Halloween series, and Rob Zombie's remakes). The movies range in quality. Most people consider the original movie the best, but opinions vary wildly on the quality of the other movies. For me, Halloween Resurrection is the worst of the bunch, but opinions definitely vary. Here is a breakdown of what you get on each disc:

Disc One: The first disc contains the original theatrical edition of the first movie. The extras include a great audio commentary track with John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis, an hour-long featurette entitled "The Night She Came Home," which chronicles Curtis using her (and the movie's) fame to raise money for charity through an appearance at an autograph signing/convention appearance. Then there is a ten-minute featurette on the neighborhood the movie was shot in showing some of the locations, a collection of scenes that played in the TV cut of the movie, the trailer, and TV and radio spots. There is also a new commentary track on the movie with the director of photography Dean Cundey, Editor Tommy Lee Wallace, and Nick Castle, who played Michael (aka "The Shape").

Disc 2: This disc includes the movie's theatrical cut with a commentary track by Carpenter, Curtis, and producer Debra Hill. The commentary track repeats a lot from commentary on disc 1 but does have some decent additions from Hill. Then there is an 87-minute retrospective documentary with the cast and crew members made after the original Blu-ray release. Then there is a fast film Facts featurette and the same TV and radio spots from disc 1.

Disc 3: This disc includes the theatrical version of Halloween II, the sequel to Halloween that Carpenter reluctantly made in the early 1980s, continuing the Laurie Strode/Michael Myers story, picking up exactly where the first movie ended. There are two commentary tracks on the movie, the first with director Rick Rosenthal and actor Leo Rossi and the second with actor/stunt coordinator Dick Warlock. Then there is a 45-minute making-or retrospective documentary and an episode of "Horror's Hallowed Ground," which looks at the shooting locations, deleted scenes, an alternate ending, stills, the theatrical trailer, and TV and radio spots.

Disc four: This includes the TV version of Halloween II, which basically removes the gore and nudity from the theatrical cut and adds a few scenes to make up for what is cut out. It is not in HD and does not have a lossless audio track, so it is kind of wasted on Blu-Ray. Then, there is a copy of the Halloween II script.

Disc five: This has the hotly debated Season of the Witch, a sequel in name only that never should have been released under the Halloween name. Had it just been titled Season of the Witch and not Halloween III, I do not think the movie would have received nearly the backlash it received over the years. There are two commentary tracks on the move, one with the director Tommy Lee Wallace, Rob G. from "Icons of Fright," and Horror's Hallowed Grounds' Sean Clark, in which Wallace defends the movie, and one with lead actor Tom Atkins and BD/DVD Producer Michael Felsher. Then there is a 33-minute making-of documentary, another episode of Horror's Hallowed Grounds that visits the various shooting locations, a stills gallery, TV spots, and the trailer.

Disc Six: This disc includes Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, the 1988 movie that basically reset the franchise. It includes a great commentary track with stars Ellie Cornell and Danielle Harris and a second commentary with director Dwight H. Little and author Justin Beahm. This disc included an audio glitch (I never noticed it on my player, but it was noticeable on some tracks, so the studio offered a replacement disc). The only other extra on this disc is the theatrical trailer. The rest of the extras specific to this movie are, for some reason, on disc 15.

Disc Seven: This disc includes Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, and again has a couple of commentary tracks, one with Don Shanks (who played Michael) and author Justin Beahm, and the second with director Dominique Othenin-Girad and actors Danielle Harris and Jeffrey Landman. Then there is an "on the set" feature, which is just raw behind-the-scenes footage from when the movie was made, a promo for the movie, and the theatrical trailer.

Disc Eight: This disc contains the very controversial Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers. This was one of Paul Rudd's first movies and Donald Pleasance's last (he died during production). The movie had a good concept but was just basically a mess and totally screwed up Jamie's story (along with recasting her because Danielle Harris hated the script). This has just the movie's theatrical cut, TV spots, and theatrical trailers.

Disc Nine: This disc included, for the first time officially, the much bootlegged "Producer's Cut" of Halloween 6. The producer's cut does flesh out the story a bit more and fixes some (but not nearly all) of the issues that were present in the theatrical cut. There is a great commentary track with the writer Daniel Farrands and composer Alan Howarth, in which they discuss the differences between the theatrical cut and the producer's cut and why the producer's cut was ultimately not the version released. Then there are several making-of featurettes, some alternate and deleted scenes, archival footage, an interview with Danielle Harris about why she did not return for the movie, with a pretty hilarious quip about her pitch to the producers that she could be topless now that she was over eighteen to entice them to give her a larger role, a short tribute to Donald Pleasance, trailers, and promo reel.

Disc Ten: This has the great Halloween H20: 20 Year Later, which was the movie that I would have been perfectly fine with being the end of the series. It saw Curtis' return to the franchise and a great showdown with Michael. There is a commentary track with Sean Clark, who hosts director Steve Miner and actress Jamie Lee Curtis, an hour-long making-of documentary, scenes with the original score, vintage behind-the-scenes footage, a stills gallery, the trailer, and a TV spot.

Disc Eleven: This has the horrid Halloween Resurrection. It was an awful movie that ruined Halloween H20 in pretty much every way and was a total waste. It has a commentary track with director Rick Rosenthal and editor Robert A. Ferretti, deleted scenes and an alternate ending, a featurette that edits together the webcam videos, a 37-minute making-of documentary, a short set interview with Jamie Lee Curtis, a set tour, storyboard analysis, a stills gallery, tv spots, and the theatrical trailer.

Discs Twelve, Thirteen, and Fourteen are just the Rob Zombie versions of Halloween and Halloween 2. The same content was included in their Blu-Ray release, including the same commentary tracks, deleted scenes, bloopers, and the 260-minute making-of documentary for the first movie. There was nothing added for this release.

Disc Fifteen: The final disc has basically all of the other extras. There is the 101-minute extended edition of the original movie, a 27-minute archive documentary, an interview with producer Moustapha Akkad, more stills from the first movie, an interview with the Season of the Witch's make-up effects artist, and the rest of the Halloween 4 and 5 extras (making-of-documentaries for each movie, TV Spots, stills galleries, and more Horror's Hallowed Grounds episodes).

If you love the Halloween Franchise and love bonus material, you have a lot. The only thing this set does not have are a couple of extras included in the releases and of course, the new Blumhouse movies. It is not a perfect set, as not everything is in HD, but the plusses definitely outweigh the minuses. It has hours and hours of bonus content to keep you entertained. The only drawback is that you may get sick of watching the movies multiple times to listen to all the commentary tracks (if you want to watch everything quickly). I definitely recommend it for fans of the series.

Supplement Review: Pre Workout | Six Star PreWorkout Explosion

 

I take this about 45 minutes before working out. The serving size is two scoops, but I find that one scoop is plenty for me. The directions do say to start out with one scoop to see how you tolerate it before increasing the amount. It definitely gives me the energy to make it through my workouts, which is helpful since I often work out in the evening, so it definitely gets me going again after a full workday. Working out in the evening is another reason that I do not take more than one scoop. I'd easily be up all night long if I took two scoops of this in the evening. So, if you are looking for a good, inexpensive pre-workout, this tastes very good and works as advertised.

DVD/TV Series Review: House M.D.: Season 1

 

Medical dramas can vary wildly in quality. Some are really good and become instantly popular (e.g., ER), some are good and never get good enough ratings to stick around, and a handful never really take off. This one, fortunately, is in the first category. It stars Hugh Laurie as Dr. Greg House, a witty, acerbic diagnostician with no bedside manner who does everything he can to avoid patients. He is the head of diagnostics at the fictional Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital (PPTH) in New Jersey. He leads a team of three young doctors, Dr. Robert Chase (played by Jesse Spencer), Dr. Allison Cameron (played by Jennifer Morrison) and Dr. Eric Foreman (played by Omar Epps). His boss, the hospital administrator and Dean of Medicine Dr. Lisa Cuddy (played by Lisa Edelstein) is constantly butting heads with him and is the only one who can sort of keep him in line and on his toes, and his only true friend is Dr. James Wilson (played by Robert Sean Leonard), head of the Department of Oncology.

The series is basically a case-of-the-week procedural, with some patient presenting with symptoms that nobody can figure out. Each episode, for the most part, is self-contained with House making a brilliant diagnosis by the end of the episode, usually saving the patient. There is a serial arc about midway through the season that involves Chi McBride's recurring character who immediately dislikes House and vice-versa. The season ends with a two-part episode that sets up part of the storyline going into season two. Because the series was written by David Shore and Bryan Singer (before he became one of the persona-non-gratis in Hollywood) the series was able to get a bunch of recognizable guest stars as well as several young actors basically just starting out. Those included Robin Tunney, Cress Williams (who would go on to star in House of Dixie and Black Lightning), Sam Trammell (from True Blood), Elizabeth Mitchell, Dominic Purcell (before Prison Break), Brandy, Harry Lennix, Leslie Hope (from the first season of 24), Amanda Seyfried, Nicholas D'Agosto, Sarah Clarke (also from 24), the aforementioned Chi McBride, John Cho, and Sela Ward.

For those who get the DVD set, there are six short featurettes that total about 20-minutes, give or take, The Concept (which is basically an overview of the show), the Casting Session with Hugh Laurie, Medical Cases (which talks about selecting the cases for the team to work on), a Set Tour with Jennifer Morrison and Lisa Edelstein, House-isms (in which the case discusses some of the better one-liners that House delivers, and one that is just entitled Dr. House, in which the cast and crew talk about the character. So, not a ton of extras, but what is included is good.

Overall, the series is great. The acting and writing are both top-notch. It is not exactly a politically correct show, and I am not sure some of what made it to air in the first season would fly today. But, the characters all have layers and are definitely not one-dimensional. Almost all of the main cast members get time to shine this season, and the show does a good job balancing the large ensemble cast. The best episode is probably the second-to-last episode of the season in which House is forced to substitute teach a class presenting three cases of leg pain to the medical students trying to see who can figure out what is wrong with each of them (which also includes pretty hilarious appearances by Carmen Electra). So, if you are a fan of medical dramas, and are one of the few who have not seen House by now, it is definitely worth watching.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 70

Day 70 was the recharge workout. I really needed it because wrenched my back in the last sculpt workout and could barely sleep Saturday night because I was having back spasms. This helped for a while, but my back tightened up again about half an hour after I was done. So, I decided that I am going to take a total recovery week, with no lifting or cardio workout to let my back heal. As I am writing this, it is Tuesday. Sunday night was awful, Monday was better, and I almost feel back to normal today. So, I will probably do Recharge again at least a few more times this week and then resume with Day 71 next Monday.

Product Review: Tartan Cable 4 Foot High Speed HDMI Cable

 

This is a good, relatively short (just four feet) high-speed HDMI cable. It is good for connecting a Blu-Ray player or one of the older gaming systems (like a PS4) to a 1080p TV or connecting a monitor to a laptop. It is not something that you would use to connect a 4k player to a 4k TV, however. It is good if you want a shorter cable, the only drawback is that it is not very flexible so if you have to bend the cable at much of an angle, this is not a good option. But, as long as you have a straight shot at the HDMI ports, and do not have a long distance to connect devices, this is a good cable to use.

Product Review: Air Fryer Disposable Paper Liners Square

 

As anyone who owns one of the air fryers (or the combination machines), they can get messy depending on what you are making in them. I have the original Ninja foodie combination grill, air-fryer, oven, etc, and tend to use the air fryer function the most. Depending on what I am making, it can collect a lot of grease in the bottom, even when air frying, so I got these to make clean-up a bit easier. Basically, you let the unit pre-heat like normal, then you put this in the basket and put your food in. They are not really sturdy enough to put the food in first and then put the combination of the food and the liner into the machine without risking spilling. It will definitely work better for larger items like chicken breasts, or a bunch of fries that can be pretty evenly distributed throughout the liner. This will help to keep the liner held down and not curl up during the cooking process. Things like meatballs, however, if you are just doing a few of them, will not hold the liner down well and the sides will curl up as it gets hot, which makes it a bit harder to get the food out at the end. You do have to be a bit careful taking the liners out so you do not spill any grease that has collected as you bring it to the trash can, but overall, they do work and definitely help keep your machine cleaner so you do not have to wash it as much.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Penny Dreadful: Season 1

 

The eight-episode first season of Penny Dreadful aired during the spring and summer of 2014. It was a horror series that aired on Showtime and starred Eva Green, Timothy Dalton, Josh Hartnett, Harry Treadaway, and Reeve Carney. It is set in England in the late 1800s is based on the old vampire, Frankenstein, and Dorian Gray stories. There are actually several different story arcs that are mostly independent of one another (especially in the first season) and then intertwine at points. The main storyline involves Dutton, Green, and Hartnett's characters. Dalton plays Malcolm Murray, a British explorer whose daughter, Mina, has been abducted. He enlists the help of Ethan Chandler (Hartnett), who is an American with great marksmanship and, along with Mina's best friend Vanessa Ives (Green), tries to find Mina to bring her home. They also enlist the help of a young Dr. Frankenstein (played by Treadaway), who, quite separately from the plot to find Mina, has created a literal monster (played by Rory Kinnear). Dorian Gray (Carney) basically seduces a bunch of people and sets his sights on Vanessa.

The Blu-Ray set is a four-disc set. The series looks and sounds great on Blu-Ray. The show uses a lot of practical effects, but there is some CGI, and everything blends seamlessly. The show uses a lot of shadow and darkness, which can border on being a bit too dark, but other than that, the A/V quality is fine. For extras, there are several short behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes that total about twenty minutes, give or take, in length altogether. They are all separate, however, range from about a minute and a half in length to just over three minutes and cannot be played all at once. Then there are two episodes from the Showtime series Ray Donovan.

Overall, the show is very good. It uses a lot of characters from old horror stories like Van Helsing, Dracula, Frankenstein, and more and weaves them into the story. The series is very well written and acted, with Green, who has a pretty incredible acting range, doing much of the heavy lifting. She can go from classic, gorgeous Victorian upper-class to raving psychotic with ease, and throughout the series, she does both. There is a lot of violence as well as sex and nudity in the show. So, it is definitely not family-friendly. But, if you are looking for something that is a good blend of horror and drama with a lot of the classic horror story characters, this is a great one.

DVD/TV Series Review: Northern Exposure: Season 6

 

The 23-episode 6th and final season of Nothern Exposure aired during the 1994-1995 TV season. My feelings toward this season are mixed. It has some excellent episodes, including the wonderful season premiere in which Joel, after ingesting some concoction of Ed's when he is sick, dreams of an alternate reality in which he is a practicing doctor in NY, married to Shelly (who is a corporate lawyer) and everyone in the show has a role that is pretty much the opposite of their regular character. But it is also the season in which Rob Morrow's contract battle comes to a head, and he ends up leaving the show midway through the season (in another great episode). The showrunners, hoping to save the show, introduce a new doctor into the series, Phillip Capra (played by Paul Provenza), and his journalist wife, Michelle (played by Teri Polo), who move the Cicely from Los Angeles. At first, they are excited to be there, and then the writers start bouncing their story around so they love Alaska in one episode, hate it in the next, and the whole thing does not work. Rob Morrow did stick around for 15 episodes, with a much-reduced role in which his character moved to the wilderness to live with one of the tribes on a remote island. His last episode, entitled "The Quest," sees him and Maggie trek through the wilderness, looking for a magical city of the north. That episode would also mark the final appearance of Adam (Adam Arkin), the wacky, acerbic chef who has been a recurring character throughout the season.

In the final few episodes, the writers were just throwing things against the wall to see what would stick, including trying a totally out-of-the-blue romance between Maggie and Chris. Ultimately, the ratings got so bad that the show was canceled. It did have a series finale that, for the most part, felt like just another episode until the final scenes, over which the song "Our Town" (which, thankfully, Universal paid for the rights to) put a bow on the series.

The DVD set is a five-disc set. If you get the US DVD set, the only extras are deleted scenes for most of the episodes. Of course, the issue with the music in the US releases remains, with some, but not all, of the original songs from the show being replaced with canned instrumental music. As I said above, thankfully, the final song to appear in the show, Our Town, was used because the ending montage would not have worked nearly as well without it.

Overall, the final season was uneven, to say the least. The show definitely lost a lot with Rob Morrow's departure, and without him, the show could not have recaptured the fish-out-of-water aspect that made the show so good in the beginning. Unlike the show ER, which survived multiple cast members leaving and could plug new characters in for those who left, I equate Morrow's leaving akin to what would have happened if Alan Alda had left MASH. He was clearly the main character, and the show could not survive without him even though the other actors did a great job in their roles. Unfortunately, the show just petered out at the end and never got a great send-off.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 69

Day 69 was the sculpt 3-4 workout again. I was able to increase the weight on just a couple of the exercises from the last workout on Thursday and did hit the 10 rep max on a couple more tonight. My back was a bit sore this evening so I did dial things back a little, especially when using the heaviest weights. But, I got through it and am looking forward to the Recharge workout tomorrow.

Supplement Review: Nature Made Extra Strength Magnesium Oxide 400 mg,

 

I got these for my mom because she has to supplement with Magnesium. The pills she was taking were not coated and were quite small and would often get stuck in her throat going down and she would have to drink a ton of water to dissolve them and/or get them down. These are coated, which definitely makes swallowing easier, however, they are huge, about 2.5 times the size of tablets that were exactly the same dose. If these were small and coated they would be perfect, but there is a tradeoff...the coating makes them easier to swallow than the tablets, but they would be even easier to swallow if they were even a bit smaller.

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

 

+++Warning, this contains minor spoilers from the prior season+++

The fifth season of Justified introduces more of the Crowe family with Darryl (played by Michael Rapaport), who has a history in Florida with Raylan, coming to Kentucky after he learns that Dewey won a $300,000 lawsuit after suing the Marshal's office for police brutality. Daryl ends up taking over the businesses that Dewey bought with his money and basically becomes the season's big bad, along with his sister, Wendy (played by Alicia Witt). Boyd is working to get Ava out of prison while also working with Wynn Duffy (Played by Jere Burns) to control the Oxycotin market in Harlan County. This season also introduces a new love interest for Raylan, a social worker played by Amy Smart, and has an expanded storyline for Art. Unfortunately, the roles of Tim (Jacob Pitts) and Rachel (Erica Tazel) take a major backseat.

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, the show again looks and sounds great in HD. There are a bunch of extras spread across the three discs, including commentary tracks on selected episodes, deleted scenes, and a bunch of making-of featurettes that range in length from a couple of minutes to almost forty minutes. So, a lot of good material if you like the bonus features.

Overall, the series continues to be very strong. It is very well-written and acted, with Olyphant and Goggins doing the heavy lifting, but all the actors doing a great job regardless of how big or small their roles are. The series has a great slate of recurring and guest stars including Danielle Panabaker, Sam Anderson, Mary Steenburgen, Stephen Root, and Adam Arkin (to name just some). As has been the case in prior seasons, there is quite a bit of violence and sexual content in the show, and it can push the boundaries of what can be shown on basic cable. If that does not bother you, however, it is well worth watching.

Product Review: Champion Jacket Mens Big and Tall Hoodie Anorak Windbreaker Jacket for Men

 

This is a pretty standard windbreaker. It is rain-resistant (to an extent) and has a hood which is nice. What knocks it down a star for me is that, while it does have zippered side pockets. It does have a large front pouch-like pocket (that extends all the way across the belly) that does not zip and it does have a hiddle zippered front pocket between the chest and belly. Given that you have to pull it over your head to get it on or off (the front zipper only goes partway down the jacket so you can get your head in), there is a risk of things falling out the sides of the pouch-like pocket. Thankfully, that pocket is pretty deep so as long as you are careful taking it off you won't end up with everything falling out of the pocket. But, since it has the zippered hidden pocket in front anyway, I think it would have been better if they had just gone with "regular" side pockets that can zip up to hold things like keys.

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

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from season three, but no major season four spoilers.+++

Nikita's six-episode fourth and final season aired in the winter of 2013. It was always a bubble show on the CW, but thankfully, it was given a very short final season to wrap up the remaining storylines. The story picks up three months after the events that ended season three, with Nikita on the run after being framed for killing the President. She returns to the United States in an attempt to clear her name and faces multiple setups by Amanda to deepen the frame. Ultimately, the episodes amount to Nikita versus Amanda and the effort to bring Amanda to justice. I will not spoil anything, but the show wraps up the lingering storylines and provides the fans a glimpse at how life turns out for the various characters.

The Blu-Ray is a single-disc set that is basically a MOD disc. There are no commentary tracks, behind-the-scenes material, or the like. The show packs a lot into the six episodes to tie everything up. That is a blessing and a curse because there is no filler, but the plotlines seem rushed. The Blu-Ray is very expensive to get six episodes and no extras, so the only reason to get it versus streaming the show is to keep a physical disc collection complete. The show looks and sounds great in HD, but you are paying for a full-season release and getting less than half a season's episodes and no bonus content. But, it is good that the show did not end on the season three cliffhanger and was allowed to wrap everything up.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 68

Day 68 was the cardio and abs workouts again. Today was a struggle as I did not have a ton of energy at all. I think because I did not sleep all that well the past couple of nights. But, I pushed through as hard as I could and did make it to the end. I just had to chalk it up to not being my best workout. 

Product Review: GUM - 516VP Technique Sensitive Care Toothbrush with Quad-Grip Handle, Full Ultra Soft Bristles, Twin Pack

 

This is a good toothbrush that does a great job reaching all teeth, even the back ones, and has very soft bristles, which is great if you have sensitive teeth or gums. And, the price is better than what you will find in a lot of physical stores. Plus, it is available as a subscribe and save item so you do not have to remember to replace them. I definitely recommend this.

DVD/TV Series Review: Northern Exposure: Season 5

 

+++Warning, this will contain a minor spoiler from season four, but no major season five giveaways+++

The 24-episode fifth season of Northern Exposure aired during the 1993-1994 TV season. It is a double-edged sword for me. There are some excellent episodes in it, but you can also tell that this was the point at which Rob Morrow's contract situation came to a head without either side willing to budge, and, as a result, his role was reduced even more than it was in Season 4. There are some episodes in which Joel is an ancillary character or barely appears. That is fine for an episode or two, but it happened often during this season. That said, there are some excellent episodes in the season, including the episode in which Shelly hallucinates her daughter at various stages of her life (which includes a very young Kaley Cuoco), an episode in which Maggie agrees to be homecoming queen for the local high school (which includes a young Jack Black), and an episode in which the residents of the town have dreams about one another.

The only bonus content in the DVD set is under 40 minutes of deleted scenes. There are no gag reels, commentary tracks, behind-the-scenes material, or the like. And, of course, there is the issue with the music. As with the DVD releases after season 2, Universal did not pay for the rights to some of the songs that played when the show originally aired, opting instead to replace the songs with canned instrumental music. In some cases, the replacement music did not matter (aside from being annoying). Still, in the cases in which the songs selected for the episodes are directly tied into the storyline of the episodes, it definitely takes something away. The only way to get the episodes with the original music is to pay for the imports (such as the Region 2 Blu-Ray complete series) because the show was released with the original music in Europe. This means you need a DVD or Blu-Ray player that can play Region 2 discs and will pay higher prices for the discs themselves.

Overall, the season is good, but not as good as in the first few seasons. This is largely because Rob Morrow, who was clearly the series lead, had a much-reduced role as the season went on. It did not seem like he was phoning his performances in or not doing a good job with the character because when he was on screen, his performance was as good as in the prior seasons, but the show without him was just not the same. That said, the season is still worth watching.

DVD/TV Series Review: Arrested Development: Season 4

 

The first three seasons of Arrested Development which aired on Fox were comedy gold. Those seasons made the show one of the best comedies ever. Season four was a revival of the series that aired on Netflix. In some ways, it extended the original story and in some ways, it told a new story, and it is hard to tell which of those the writers wanted to do. What also complicated the season is that the story was told out of order. Basically, each episode was devoted to a specific character to bring you up to speed on what happened to that character from the time the original show ended up to the present. And essentially you would see one character's version of events in one episode and another character's version of events in a different episode. So, jokes would be set up in one episode and paid off one or two episodes down the line. Once we get caught up with each character, then the remaining episodes are devoted to just a couple of storylines that bring every character together.

The main story involves the lead-up to Newport Beach's Cinco de Cuatro and the events that lead each of the characters there. The jokes are updated to the present day to include references to building a wall (which goes about as well as it did in real life) and spoofing the superhero movie craze. Of course, Ron Howard's great narration is also included. All of the main cast members return to the show, and several of the recurring cast members from the show's original run, including Henry Winkler, Ed Beagly Jr., Judy Greer, and Liza Minnelli (among others), and new guest stars including Isla Fisher, John Krasinski, and Seth Rogen make appearances during the season.

The DVD set has just the episodes. No extras (which is definitely disappointing). Overall, the season gets shit on a lot, but I think that is unfair. It had a lot of funny moments, but they were definitely more spaced apart than they were during the original run of the series when I found myself laughing pretty much the entire half hour during every episode. I think they would have been better off just doing a time jump and writing the series more like how the original episodes were written. And, I think they should have used the fact that they could actually swear on Netflix instead of bleeping out the swear words like they did when the show was on Fox. That said, it is still worth watching.

DVD/TV Series Review: Covert Affairs: Season 4

 

+++Warning, this contains minor season three spoilers, but no major season four spoilers+++

The fourth season picks up with the aftermath of the kiss between Auggie and Annie that ended season three, with the two of them officially in a relationship that they still have not disclosed to Arthur. That thread does ripple throughout the season, especially toward the end. There are two other major storylines during the season. The first is a scandal involving Arthur, and the second is a wrap-up to the Henry Wilcox storyline that has persisted from season one. Those two story arcs are actually heavily intertwined as Henry (Gregory Itzin) is heavily involved in both. Itzin plays scummy characters very well, as he showed on 24, and he does a great job this season.

The DVD extras are pretty sparse this season. There is an Auggie character featurette, a short reel, deleted scenes, a "Covert Affairs Prequel", and an "action reel". Definitely not as much as what was included in the DVD releases for the earlier seasons.

Overall, the season is good. It does take on a darker tone this year, which helps keep it fresh. I do think that the show misses something by removing the dynamic between Annie and her sister with Anne Dudek having left the show after finding out about Annie's real job. I think that relationship should have expanded as opposed to contracted in the show and would have made for some good side stories. But, it continues to be well written and acted, with Piper Perabo really growing into the role as the series lead.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 67

Day 67 was the sculpt workout again. This one pretty much went exactly like Tuesday's workout, using the same weights for most of the exercises, and bumping up the weight on a couple of them. I was able to hit the ten rep max on a couple more exercises this week, although in all of the exercises for which I increased the weight from the last workout I was maxing out at eight reps.  

Product Review: Copper Fit Health Unisex Arch Relief Plus with Built-In Orthotic Support

 

These are a good arch support option at least if you are like me and need arch support but do not have fallen arches or plantar fasciitis which may require more extensive orthotics. You can use them in practically any shoe or boot, with or without socks. They do take a bit of getting used to since they are strapped to your feet as opposed to being an insert, but once you get used to them they are not all that noticeable.

DVD/TV Series Review: Northern Exposure: Season 4

 

The 25-episode fourth season of Northern Exposure aired during the 1992-1993 TV season. This is the season when the show started to go downhill. This is largely due to the fact that Rob Morrow's contract dispute saw his character seeing less and less screen time and, thus, removing a large part (Joel's fish-out-of-water and acclamation story) of what made the show great in the first couple of seasons. Season three did continue the Joel and Maggie love-hate relationship. They introduced a new potential love interest for Maggie in the form of Anthony Edwards, who played Mike Monroe, an environmental lawyer who is allergic to everything and lives in a hermetically sealed bubble in the middle of the woods. Edwards would leave toward the end of the season after he landed the series lead on ER, so his storyline fizzles out. The season continues to be a story-of-the-week procedural, each episode focusing on a different character's storyline. Pretty much every character gets a significant story arc for at least one episode, including Ruth Anne, who attempts to learn to drive, an episode in which Chris loses his voice, and an episode in which Maurice is modeled for a wax sculpture. Shelly also gets a considerable storyline this season when she becomes pregnant in a story arc that continues into season five (if you read through some of the other reviews, it is not confusing that she does not have the baby during this season).

The DVD set is a six-disc set. Much like with the prior seasons, the extras include deleted scenes and gag reels. The one plus is that there are no more double-sided discs, at least on my set. The music issue is a big sticking point for the US releases. Again, Universal replaced some, but not all, of the original music with canned instrumental tracks, so they did not have to pay for the rights to some of the songs used in the show. Of course, the show aired in the early to mid-1990s, and the DVDs were released in the 2000s, so the rights to use the music likely had to be renegotiated when the DVDs were released. This resulted in some songs being ditched if they were too expensive, which detracted a bit from the storylines as there were times when the specific song choice was made because it tied into the story in the show. That is not to say they are unwatchable with the replacement music (at least not for me), but they are different if you see the show as it originally aired.

The season is good, but as I said before, it is not as good as in the earlier seasons. You can tell that Rob Morrow is in fewer scenes, especially as the season goes along, and the show is just not the same with Joel as a more ancillary character. That said, all of the actors really stepped up and brought great performances this season, and their contributions should not be overlooked. The show continued to have very good, although sometimes quirky and silly, and raised topics like homosexuality, and climate change (yes, it was a known thing even back in the 90s), long before any other network television show was. It is still one of the only shows I can remember (along with another 90s series, Due South) that extensively used Native American actors and incorporated Native American culture. So, even though it was not as good as the first couple of seasons, I do think it is worth watching.

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

 

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

The 22-episode third season aired during the 2012-2013 TV season. It picks up after a short time jump from the events that ended season two, with Percy being killed and Amanda dispatched (and now on the run). Nikita (Maggie Q) is now back in the fold at Division, running it along with Michael (Shane West) and a CIA analyst named Ryan Fletcher (Noah Bean). They are trying to hunt down Amanda (Melinda Clarke) who is now fully the series' "big bad" and Alex (Lyndsy Fonseca) has mended fences with Nikita and is again a part of the team. The show continues to blend mission-of-the-week self-contained stories with the larger arcs that run throughout the season. The big story arc being the cat-and-mouse game between Amanda and Nikita/Division that plays out throughout the entire season. The season ends on a minor cliffhanger, although a fairly closed-ended one because the showrunners were not sure whether the series would get a fourth season.

The Blu-Ray set is a four-disc set. As was the case with the first two seasons, the A/V quality is stellar, but the bonus content was very scaled back from the prior physical media releases. There are only 11 minutes of deleted scenes and a five-minute gag reel—much less than the season one and two releases received. Overall, the season was very good, even though the ratings did not really reflect the quality. This season definitely took the show in another direction, which was good, and necessary to keep it from becoming stale. All of the actors did a wonderful job with their characters, and the new cast members fit in well with the existing cast. So, if you liked the first couple of seasons this is definitely worth sticking with. If you are a fan of action/dramas and are looking for a show you have not seen, you definitely need to see seasons one and two to really track what is going on in season three since most of the characters are established and the serial storylines are an extension of the prior seasons.