Product Review: Guerrilla Military Grade Screen Protector 2-Pack For TI Nspire

 

This is a very good screen protector for the TI-Nsipire calculator. I have had it on the calculator for years and it has protected it well. Honestly, there is not really any reason for it to come in a two-pack, as most people are not going to get two calculators. But, if you know someone else who also has the calculator you could be magnanimous and give one away. Obviously, calculators do not get the same kind of daily use that a cell phone or even a tablet tends to, so it is not getting beat up as much. That said, the Nspire is not an inexpensive calculator, and this will help keep the screen protected.

Product Review: Texas Instruments Nspire CX CAS Graphing Calculator

 

basically give you exact answers to almost any kind of mathematical function. Of course, it does not show the work, so if you are taking a class, you still have to learn how to do the problems, but it is helpful for checking your work. The display is much, much better than the display on the TI-89. It does utilize the same kind of "stack" but it is much brighter and easier to see. And some things, like derivatives, integrals, and matrices are much easier to set up on the Nspire than they are on the TI-89. Another good feature is that you can have multiple windows open and go back and forth between them. Probably not something you would need for an exam (assuming your teacher allows you to use it), but it can be helpful when doing homework. Many teachers will not let you because this can also store PDF files (if you use the computer software that comes with it) so you could take a cheat sheet into an exam that is closed book, closed notes.

There are a few issues that I discovered along the way. The menus can be a pain in the butt to navigate unless you are using one of the common math functions. For example, the statistics material is hard to find and access. Second, you pretty much have to go to YouTube to figure out how to do things on it because it does not come with a manual that helps at all. And, doing some things like changing from Radian to Degree mode that is relatively easy on TI's other calculators like the 84 plus, and the 89, is tricky on the Nspire. Also, there is a very deceptive mode that is on one of the settings screens that says something like "press to test". At first glance, it looks like it would run some kind of diagnostic on the calculator, but what it really does is put the calculator into test mode which turns off most of the CAS functions, and getting the calculator out of test mode is very complicated, so much so that it is not worth ever activating. Basically, you need access to a second calculator that is not in test mode to connect to and go through a bunch of steps with the calculators connected to each other. So, if your teacher allows you to use the calculator on exams, but only if it is in the test mode, you are far better off using a non-CAS calculator. Also, on some of the derivative and integral solutions, it gives answers that are simplified differently than "normal" so it can be hard to check your answers. That said, one thing it can really do well is triple integrals in which you are integrating over dr, but also have r as a limit of integration. This is something that is done quite a bit in an Electric and Magnetic fields class (if you are an electrical engineering major). The TI-89 will throw an error, but the Nspire can actually calculate it.

Overall, I would say that if you are just taking lower-level math classes, then this is overkill. If however, you are going into an engineering program this will make your life much easier once you learn how to use the functions you need quickly. I cannot really say how it stacks up against any of the other CAS calculators (aside from the TI-89) out there. I know that some people love TI and some people hate TI, to the extent of breaking out in hilariously dumb arguments. But, I can tell you that you will probably not ever use every single operation the calculator is capable of, but if you are in an engineering program, it will help.

Product Review: Brita Basic Faucet Water Filter System

 

The filtration aspect of the filters is good. The drawback is that it only fits on certain types of faucets (older/ standard faucets that have the piece that can be unscrewed and taken off), and can be hard to get on. And, especially if you have hard water that results in scale build-up, water will start leaking from around the piece that screws onto the faucet. Plus, the handle on the side that controls filtered vs. unfiltered water can be hard to turn which may be an issue for older folks and/or people with arthritis in their hands. Some reviewers have complained that the handle on theirs snapped off. That never happened to me, but it would not surprise me. Ultimately, I switched from this to a Brita pitcher until I got a new refrigerator with a filtered water dispenser built in. Overall, I would say for as long as the filter housing holds up, this is good. The water tastes good and the filters are reasonably priced. But, if the housing breaks, then the cost goes beyond just replacing the filter and it is probably not worth it after that.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 81

Day 81 was sculpt 3-4 again. I am still taking it a bit easy with some of the moves to make sure I am protecting my back, but I can generally use the same amount of weight that I was using before the issue with my back arose. I am definitely getting stronger and hit the 10 rep max on a couple more exercises during this workout.  

Product Review: TP-Link N300 Wireless Extender, Wi-Fi Router

 

This is a good router that provides a strong wireless signal. It is not a "plug-and-play" setup. You do have to have some technical knowledge (or the ability to follow technical instructions) to set it up. I would describe it as being a bit more complicated than setting up a wireless printer, but definitely not impossible. Once it is set up, it does, like every router, go down from time to time, but it is easy to reset. So, if you are looking for an inexpensive router so you do not have to rent one from your internet provider, this is a good option.

Book Review: 102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers

 

102 Minutes is one of many books written about the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This one is almost 100% devoted to what was going on in the Twin Towers in the 102-minute time frame from when Flight 11 hit the North Tower at 8:46 AM to when the North Tower collapsed at 10:28 AM. Then there is a short epilogue that discusses the last handful of people who were pulled out of the rubble. The book does have a passing mention of the other attacks that occurred, but for the most part, it just details the stories of the people in the World Trade Center complex, including many stories of people who did not make it out but were able to communicate with the outside world.

One huge takeaway from the book is just how unorganized the rescue/evacuation effort was both because of the animosity between the NY fire department and police department, the two agencies' unwillingness to work with each other, and the poor design of the buildings. The trade center towers were allowed to be built ignoring existing code standards so that there were not enough stairways, the stairways were bunched together (and in portions were totally destroyed trapping people), and without much thought of evacuating disabled people who could not easily use the stairs. Also complicating the evacuation efforts were conflicting instructions being given by the 911 operators, with some telling people to get out immediately and others telling people to stay where they are and wait for rescue crews to get them. And, in the case of the South Tower, in which there was one passable stairway that people above the impact zone could use if they could get to it, was never communicated, in large part because much of the tower's PA system was knocked out. The book also details issues with the fireproofing and sprinkler systems in the buildings failing that allowed exposed steel to weaken which would eventually lead to the collapse of both towers.

The emotional punch really comes from the story of the people. If you have watched many of the 9/11 documentaries or read some of the other books written about 9/11 you may have heard some of the stories already. But there are some, like the heroics of Frank DiMartini and Pablo Ortiz who helped many people trapped on the floors just below the impact zone in the North Tower who were otherwise trapped because of jammed doors or debris get to the stairways, that has not been told in as much detail as they are in this book. The book also details many of the pleas for help that the people trapped above the impact zones with no way out were making as the smoke and fire were getting closer to them.

The book is not extremely long, just 263 pages of the main text, and then about 30 pages of endnotes. The endnotes are mostly just citing sources, but some of them do have additional detail. So, they would have worked much better as footnotes because they would have been easier to match up with the corresponding text. I definitely consider this one of the must-read books about 9/11.

Magazine Review: Vanity Fair Magazine July/August 2022 Dakota Johnson

 

The July/August 2022 issue of Vanity Fair features a cover story on Dakota Johnson, in which she, frankly displays more personality than she has in a lot of her movies. She comes across as funny, witty, charming, and having no qualms about being a smart ass. She talks about the chaos of filming the "fifty-shades" movies and her career in general. Then, there are several other good articles, one on Congresswoman Val Demmings and her run for US senate, an article on the January 6th attack on the US Capitol, one about the whole Brian Laundrie-Gabby Petito situation, and a very interesting article about the UK's conservative party's ties to Russian money. Vanity Fair, unlike some other magazines, has more than just one or two long articles. Some others have a long cover-story article, and then every other article in the magazine is a page or less. VF does have some short articles, but many of them are as long and detailed as the cover article. Definitely a good read.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

 

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey is a 2014 revival/follow-up to the 1980s Cosmos series created and hosted by Carl Sagan. This series was hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and curator of the Hayden Planetarium in NY, written by Sagan's widow, Ann Druyan, who had collaborated with Sagan on the original series, and produced by the creator of Family Guy, Seth McFarlane. The 13-episode season aired during the spring of 2014 on FOX. 

There are many similarities and many differences between that series and this one. Like the original series, this one covers many different topics in science, focusing on Astronomy but covering chemistry, physics, biology, and more. Each episode deals with a different topic and usually tells the story of one or more scientists that contributed to the field being discussed. The series did not focus on just the "big" names like Newton and Einstein but discussed other scientists and mathematicians like Halley, Hooke, Keppler, etc. In the original series, the stories of the historical figures were told using human actors, but in this series, many of the stories were told using animation and voice actors. I was not a fan of the animations when I first watched the show, but upon a subsequent viewing, they did not really bother me. And, of course, the CGI graphics are orders of magnitude better than what could be accomplished in the original series.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the A/V quality is fantastic. The visuals are fantastic (both the real and the CGI), and the sound is very good. The extras include an audio commentary on the first episode with Druyan, producer Mitchell Cannold, producer/director Brannon Braga, producer Jason Clark, and animation producer Kara Vallow, a 40-minute comic-con panel discussion, a 41-minute making-of documentary, a 35-minute portion of a dedication to Sagan at the Library of Congress, and interactive cosmic calendar.

Like Sagan before, Tyson can explain complicated topics in simple terms without sounding like he is talking down to the audience. Of course, the audience for this series was much larger than that of the original series airing on Fox versus PBS. Even though the series aired at a time when science was being caught in the middle of the idiotic political divide, the country has been marred in, for the most the show ignored all that and just presented the scientific fact and ignored science deniers. The one exception is the episode on climate change, which distilled the problem and the cause to very simplistic terms without hyperbole and included a clip of an interview from back in the 1960s in which an old guy who is certainly not a part of a "woke" mob and proving that scientists knew that the amount of greenhouse gasses being pumped into the atmosphere back then was a problem. Although, the dipshit politicians and their sheep, if they bothered to watch something educational, would probably accuse the guy of being part of some liberal cabal.  And there were clips from the original Cosmos series in which Sagan described the concerns and what the possible consequences could be (and then showed how many of those consequences have started coming to pass).

One thing I wish the show would have done a bit better is explain the scale of the cosmic calendar (e.g., that 1 month corresponded to approximately 1.2 billion years, 1 day corresponded to approximately 40 million years, and 1 second corresponded to approximately 440 years) so that when Tyson said that something took place at midnight on December 31st, people did not actually think he meant something happened midnight on some random December 31st, but instead meant about 3600 - 4000 years ago. Probably the best moment of the series is when they did a CGI zoom out starting on Earth through the solar system to the galaxy level to the famous "pale blue dot" narrative by Carl Sagan. Overall, the series is wonderful and definitely in my must-watch category.

Product Review: Leviton 88009 Double Toggle Switch, Standard Size, White

 

This is a standard-sized switchplate to cover dual switches. I got the white one which best went with the color I painted my walls, but there are several color choices. The one drawback as one reviewer noted is that the screws are kind of short which may or may not present an issue for you. But, overall, it is a good option if you are looking to replace your switch covers, and you can buy them individually so you can buy as many as you need and will not have to be in a situation where you have to buy multiple packs or a pack with way more than you actually need.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 80

Day 80 was the cardio workout and abs again. It went pretty much like the other two workouts did this week, with my stamina increasing again and getting to the point where I could make it through without stopping or pausing.  

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 79

Day 79 was sculpt 3-4 again. As I did on Tuesday, I made sure to warm up very well and was super focused on form, especially when using the heaviest weight. I only hit a 10 rep max comfortably on one of the exercises so the weight will mostly all stay the same for Saturday's workout.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 78

Day 78 was the Sweat 1-2 and abs. Again, I skipped the yoga portion and only did ab-ripper 100. I did feel like I had a bit better stamina during the workout than I did on Monday, and the abs workout did get a little bit easier.  It is interesting how much a week off can affect you, but thankfully my back has been fine this week and will hopefully keep being so.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

 

A Dame to Kill For is the 2014 follow-up to 2005's Sin City. It was again written by Frank Miller and directed by Miller and Robert Rodriguez. It brings back many cast members from the original movie, including Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Powers Booth, and Bruce Willis. It also brings on several new cast members, including Josh Brolin, Eva Green, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ray Liotta, Julia Garner, Lady Gaga, and Jamie Chung, to name just a few.  As was the case with the original movie, A Dame to Kill For will not appeal to everyone. It is filmed to have the look of a comic book and has a lot of over-the-top violence. I call it a follow-up to the original movie because it is not a straight sequel. Similar to the original film it is made up of several shorter stories involving different characters. Some of those stories occurred before the events of the original movie and some occurred after. One of the earlier stories involved Micky Rourke's Marv, and you definitely have to suspend your disbelief because even under the makeup, Rourke looks a lot older than he did in the first movie (and he did not exactly look young then). The story that involved Nancy, Jessica Alba's character, is a sequel to the events of the original film. The titular Dame is Ava, played by Eva Green, who is involved in one of the prequel stories. She gives a wonderful performance and again shows off her acting range.

The Blu-Ray's A/V quality is outstanding. The movie looks and sounds great in the HD format, and even though a lot of it was shot against a green screen (the movie uses a mix of practical effects and CGI) and a mix of black and white and color, everything pops in HD. And it is hard to tell what is CGI and what was done practically. The Blu-Ray is definitely light on extras as there are just a handful. Those include a 15-minute high-speed edition of the movie, which basically shows the movie against the green screen background (and with the nudity removed), a 14-minute character profile feature, a couple of short features on the makeup/effects and the stunts, and then the trailers. So, not a lot, but what was included is good.

Overall, the movie is very good. Chances are, if you are not a fan of the original movie, nothing about this one is likely going to appeal to you. It does have a lot of violence, that as I said above, is very over-the-top and almost cartoonish. There is also some nudity (mostly from the stunningly gorgeous Green), and a lot of skimpy outfits on most of the other women including Jessica Alba and Rosario Dawson who reprise their roles from the first movie. The movie is well-written and acted. There are a couple of cast replacements with Dennis Haysbert replacing the late Michael Clarke Duncan and Jamie Chung replacing Devon Aoki. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Powers Boothe do a great job in their roles, as does Green and Alba (whose role is expanded from the first movie). So, if you are a fan of the first movie, this is definitely worth picking up.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Nurse

 

Nurse is a B-Level, maybe even C-Level thriller that, instead of embracing its awfulness, tries way too hard to be serious. It stars Paz de la Huerta as Abby Russell/Sarah Price, a nurse who is also a serial killer who kills unfaithful men. It also stars Katrina Bowden as Danni Rodgers, a new nurse whom Abby becomes obsessed with. The problem is that the movie takes itself way too seriously instead of embracing what it is and going over the top with campiness, which would have worked a lot better. Another issue is that while Paz de la Huerta definitely has the looks to pull off the role, she does not have the acting range to give the kind of performance that would have made her character better. It should be noted that she unsuccessfully sued the movie producers after it came out, alleging that they had overdubbed her performance after she was criticized for giving a monotonic performance, which was an apt description. Of course, the suit was thrown out of court and went absolutely nowhere. If you have seen any of her social media posts, you know she has a history of saying crazy, off-the-wall shit, and a claim that they overdubbed her with someone who sounds exactly like her was pretty preposterous. 

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the movie's A/V quality is great. There are a handful of extras, including a director's commentary track, a short (about 8-minute) making-of featurette, and a 6-minute collection of video diaries with Bowden and Corbin Bleu.

Overall, the movie is okay but not great. It is a standard campy serial killer movie (I would not call it a traditional horror movie), more like a combination thriller-suspense movie with a lot of blood. Paz de la Huerta can definitely play a crazy obsessive and she is not shy about taking off her clothes. There is almost as much nudity in the movie as there is violence, so be aware of that if it is something that would bug you. You must be a fan of B-movies to even entertain watching this, but if you are, it is worth a look, but not a must-see.

Video Game Review: Batman: Arkham Knight

 

This is, at least for now, the final entry into the Arkham series of games. It brings back Kevin Conroy to voice Bruce/Batman and is a great gaming experience, expanding on what each of the prior games has done. It is very challenging, even in the easiest setting, and has enough side quests (including allowing you to play as Harley Quinn for a portion of the game) that you will not get bored with the story. It also incorporates the use of the Batmobile a lot more, with some points in the game in which you have to use it to get through a portion of the game. It is not just used to get you from place to place as in the prior games. The graphics look wonderful on the PS4 and (at least with the disc) the gameplay is very smooth. If you are a fan of the other Arkham games, this is definitely worth the pickup.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 77

Day 77 was the first sculpt 3-4 workout since throwing my back out. I made sure to do a much longer warmup (basically the CE warmup versus the Power-90 stretching) and made sure to be very careful with form, especially when using the heaviest weights. So far, my back feels just fine. I can tell I lost a bit of strength in the week off, but not too much. I was glad to be back at it. 

TV Series Recap: Breaking-Bad/Better Call Saul (Spoilers)

 

  

Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are basically extensions of each other as a series. Breaking Bad, of course, aired and ended first, with the death of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse getting away from the Nazi compound and evading the police. We find out in the El Camino movie that Jesse managed to get out of Albuquerque with the help of the vacuum cleaner guy and start a new life in Alaska. Better Call Saul, which was spun off from Breaking Bad, is partly an origin story for the character of Saul Goodman, showing his life before the Breaking Bad timeline as a two-bit slip-and-fall crook turned lawyer named Jimmy McGill who let greed and revenge rule his life (which is where most of the series spent its time) and partly a sequel to Breaking Bad, showing that Saul ended up managing a Cinnabon in Omaha Nebraska under the name "Gene".  Gene could not leave Saul totally behind, and as shown in the second half of the final season, he got greedy and ended up getting caught. 

Between the two shows, none of the main characters had what you call a happily ever after. The closest (at least as we know so far) was Jesse, which to me is actually the best outcome since he was the least "bad" of the worst people in Breaking Bad, never turned into the monster that Walter did, and was ready to let go of that life but was constantly pulled back in by Walter's manipulation. Of course, Walter ended up dying, and as we find definitively out in BCS, Skylar made a deal to avoid prison, and Gus and Mike were dead by the end of Breaking Bad so even if the authorities found out about their roles, they were not around to be punished either. So, ultimately, that left Saul/Jimmy to face the consequences of what happened during Breaking Bad. 

Jimmy was kind of a sad-sack character, at least initially in BCS, who had genuinely tried to move on from his small-time crime life to become a lawyer and follow in his brother's footsteps. Ironically, had his brother not torpedoed him, Jimmy probably would not have made the transition to Saul. But, that betrayal wounded him so much he would always give in to greed and would always get revenge on his perceived enemies, which inadvertently led to the deaths of his brother Chuck and to Howard Hamlin. And, his greed led to him running scams in Omaha instead of getting out when he could have and then taking risks that ended up with him getting arrested in a dumpster. 

Ultimately, Saul was never as evil as Gus or Walter, but he was responsible for Walter becoming as successful as he did and thus had culpability for the things Walter did. For the first time in a long time Saul, having negotiated himself a seven-year prison sentence when he was offered 30 years and facing life plus 180 years if he went to trial, did something against his own interests when he admitted to everything to save Kim, the only person he cared about as much as he cared about himself. So, Jesse ending up in Alaska living free and Saul in prison for 86 years seems to be where the last surviving characters from Breaking Bad should have ended up. Personally, I do not think there is any reason to revisit the Breaking Bad universe and I hope Vice Gilligan and Peter Gould leave it alone. I am not sure that a Kim-centric show is needed, or would be as good as either BB or BCS. I am fine with it just being where it is with everyone living the rest of their lives. If they did want to revive the universe again, a movie in the vein of El Camino with Jesse being caught and extradited to New Mexico with Kim representing him would be a good way to do it. But, I do not think another series is needed and I doubt that they could catch lightning in a bottle a third time and make a series as good as either BB or BCS.

Book Review: Dragons of Deceit: Dragonlance Destinies: Volume 1

 

+++Warning, this review contains spoilers from the Chronicles and Legends series of novels. If you have not read those books yet, proceed at your own risk.+++

Dragons of Deceit is the latest novel that Weiss and Hickman have written in the Dragonlance universe and the first since 2009 with the final entry of the Lost Chronicles trilogy. Of course, the Dragonlance universe started with their first novel published in 1984, Dragons of the Autumn Twilight, the events of which tie heavily into this book, which was a part of the Chronicles trilogy of novels and then followed up with the Legends trilogy. From there, a couple hundred or so novels set in the Dragonlance universe have been written over the years, with Weiss and Hickman returning every so often to pen new novels and/or trilogies.

This book spans multiple years, with the story beginning during the War of the Lance and the bulk of it happening after the events of the Legends Trilogy. The main crux of the story is that the daughter of a Solmanic knight named Destina Rosethorn loses everything when her father is killed in the battle of the High Clerist Tower. She is desperate for a way to prevent his death and finds a magic user who convinces her that there is a way she can save her father. She first has to find two artifacts, one that will require her to travel to the dwarven kingdom of Thorbidan and one that will require her to track down a Kender named Taselhoff Burrfoot. I will not spoil the exact plot, but there are ties into the other novels, especially Dragons of the Autumn Twilight and Dragons of the Winter Night, as well as loose tie-ins to the Chaos War novels. Several characters from the original Dragonlance novels appear in this book to varying degrees. Obviously, Taselhoff is one of the main characters, but Tika and Carmen are prominently featured, as is Dalamar. There is a larger end-of-the-world threat that only some of the characters are aware of, and more characters from the original series of books will be appearing in the later novels, including those who died during the Chronicles and Legends books. The book ends on a cliffhanger that points to where the story is going.

If you are a fan of Dragonlance, this is a must-read (as I would classify all of the Weiss-Hickman novels). They do a great job returning to the beloved characters without missing a beat. They also do a great job developing Destina as a character and providing her motivation before leaning heavily on the legacy characters. Therefore, it does not feel like she was just shoehorned into an existing story. Hers is an extension of the prior stories. The authors do a great job of setting up the larger story that will be told in the two remaining books of the new trilogy without giving too much away. It is a moderate length (just under 400 pages) but reads fairly quickly. So, if you are a fan of the Dragonlance universe of novels, definitely pick this one up.

Textbook Review: Signal Processing First 1st Edition

 

This book is used as a part of some electrical engineering curriculums for classes such as signals and systems or signal processing. Generally, it gives decent explanations of the introductory material, but it is very light on helpful examples, and thus, the problem sets can be very hard (if your professor assigns them versus making up his or her own problems). It does a bit of the review of the math you should already have been exposed to many times over in the first couple of chapters and then gets into the new material. Several of the exercises in the book are keyed to MATLAB, which some professors use more extensively than others. In terms of doing actual problems, the MATLAB material in the book is probably the most helpful. But, the book does follow the pattern that far too many math, science, and engineering textbooks do, in that they explain and give examples for the very basic material and then have problem sets with material that is much harder and sometimes impossible to figure out based on what you have read. Personally, I think that is fine if you are in a Master's level class as those should prepare you for real-world engineering problems that you have to figure out and will not have the ability to look up. However, at the undergraduate level, when you are learning the introductory concepts, the problem sets should be representative of the explanatory material so that if you have read the chapter text, you should be able to figure out the vast majority of the problems. So, overall, it is not the worst textbook out there, but it could be a lot better.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Game of Thrones: The Complete Fourth Season

 

Season Four of GoT combines storylines from three different books in George R.R. Martin's series of novels, specifically the second half of A Storm of Swords, along with elements of A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons. As has been the case in prior seasons, this season has a series of parallel story arcs that sometimes intertwine with each other. Daenerys Targaryen captures Meereen and decides to rule as queen of Slaver's Bay until she can permanently defeat the slavers while trying to consolidate enough power to return to King's Landing and retake the throne. At The Wall, the Night's Watch prepares for an invasion by the Wildlings, and in King's Landing a murder scandal plays out throughout the season. Arya is traveling across Westeros with the Hound trying to take out people on her "list".

There are a ton of extras for those who get the Blu-Ray set. There are 11 total commentary tracks (a couple of episodes get two commentary tracks and the third episode does not have any commentary). The commentaries generally rotate cast and crew/showrunner members and are all usually informative and/or entertaining. Then there are a couple of hours (give or take) of making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, some deleted scenes, a blooper reel, and some interactive material. And, the A/V quality is again top-notch. So, there is a lot there for people who prefer physical discs.

Overall, the season is very good. This season included several new characters played by The season introduced a number of new cast members, including Pedro Pascal, Indira Varma, Michiel Huisman, and Dean-Charles Chapman. Some of them would be around for a short time and others would remain past this season. As has always been the case, no character is safe on this show and there are definitely major deaths this season. The series continues to be very compelling and is very well written and acted (with definite kudos going to Alfie Allen this season). Even though there are fewer characters in the show than in the books (and even some of the major storylines from the books removed from the show) it is sometimes hard to keep everything straight, but overall I do think the show does a good job balancing the large ensemble cast and the multiple story arcs. There is still a lot of violence and sex in the show, but if you have stuck with the show through the first three seasons that should not be an issue for you. This season is definitely worth watching.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 76

Day 76 was the return to the Power 90 workouts. I did sweat 3-4 again, but skipped the yoga portion since I had done a week of yoga exclusively, and was pretty sick of it. I did find myself getting a bit winded in a couple of spots in the cardio portion, so I did have to pause a couple of times. But, I got through it and did ab ripper 100 instead of 200 because I was kind of gassed by the end. So, not the best workout, but it was better than doing Recharge day after day. 

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 75

Day 75 was the last day of my recovery week. I had planned on doing something other than Recharge, but I was not able to work out until later in the evening so I just stuck with the short workout. Thankfully nothing tweaked in my back so I will be good to go picking back up with the Power-90 workouts. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Banshee Season 2

 

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

The 10-episode second season of Banshee aired during the winter and spring of 2014. The season picks up after the events that ended season 1 (the shootout with Rabbit and his gunman). In the first episode, the FBI comes in to investigate the sheriff's department, and the head agent, played by Željko Ivanek, basically slaps everyone on the wrist except for Carrie, whom he threatens with criminal charges unless she provides the whereabouts of her father. The uneasy truce between Proctor and Hood is tenuous at best, and the post-credits scene from season one pays off with the real Lucas Hood's son, Jason, coming to town to figure out what happened to his father. The storyline with Alex Longshadow is resolved, with Nola (Odette Annabelle) getting a larger role this season and Rebecca (Lilly Simmons) going even farther into the dark side. We also see more of Lucas and Carrie's backstories as we see the events that resulted in him going to prison. There is also a post-credits scene in the season finale which sets up the season three storyline.

The Blu-Ray set is a four-disc set. As was the case with the season 1 Blu-Ray release, the show looks and sounds great in HD, and includes quite a few extras. Those include commentary tracks on five of the ten episodes, deleted scenes, trailers, and about an hour's worth of Banshee Origin webisodes that give the various characters' backstories. There is "Lucas" post-arrest negotiation for testimony when he was arrested after allowing "Carrie" to escape. We also see Carrie meeting Gordon and see Sugar and Protor's history with one another. Some of the webisode material was integrated into the regular episodes, but there is also a lot of extra material there.

Overall, the season is very good and continues to tell a compelling story. We still do not learn Lucas' real name and only get snippets of information about who he is. Antony Starr does a good job playing him as a cross between a straight-up lawman who cares about protecting the town's people (even if he uses highly illegal measures to do so) and a crook still committing crimes. The series continues to have a lot of violence, sometimes over-the-top violence, and a lot of sex and nudity. So, if those things turn you off, you definitely want to avoid this. But, if you are looking for a good adult drama, this is a great series, and the season continues with a strong storyline. It is a serial storyline, so you must watch season one first to follow what is happening.

Supplement Review: 5-Day Fast & Cleanse by Nature's Secret | 5 Day, 5 Part Program

 

This is basically a group of supplements to take while doing a five-day fast. If you have not tried fasting before jumping into a five-day fast, with or without supplements is not an easy feat. So, you may want to try a couple of smaller fasts first to ease you into this. Or, you can do what I did, and eat a very small dinner (basically just soup) each night. As others have said, the fiber supplement is kind of like chalk. If you mix it with juice and slam it, it is not too bad, but there are better fiber supplements out there. How well the liver and colon cleanse worked is hard to tell. I did have regular bowel movements throughout despite not eating much food so in that sense, I guess the colon cleanse worked. The one thing that was measurable is that the first night I slept like a rock for nine hours. I do not remember waking up or even moving much.

I do agree that day thee is the hardest one to get through. Once you get past that, the worst part is over. Also, I would strongly advise against working out beyond just a light stretching workout. I would not do any kind of weight lifting or intense cardio because you are probably not going to have the energy for it.

Textbook Review: Engineering Economic Analysis 11th Edition

 

This is a book for an engineering economics class, which you will be stuck taking regardless of what branch of engineering you major in. It basically covers how to value property, determine the life of assets, make business decisions based on an economic analysis of one choice over another, or inaction version taking some action, etc. I found the class mind-numbingly boring, which skewed my opinion of the book. Overall, I think the book does a decent job explaining the concepts but falls into the trap that many math and engineering books do (although there are some things that it does gloss over a bit). Namely, the examples in the chapter text show you how to do the most basic problems but give little or no help when solving the more advanced problems. And, of course, the answer key in the back only gives you the answers for some of the problems, so it is hard to check yourself.

So, I would say it is a pretty standard textbook in what it does and does not give you. It is not the best textbook I have used, but it is not the worst. Realistically, you will be stuck with it if your teacher assigns it, but you will likely not be able to learn everything you need to know for the class just by reading the book.