Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 85

Day 85 was the sculpt 1-2 workout again. This one went a lot better than Saturday's workout. I was not as gassed by the end and my strength was all the way back. I was still maxing out between 8 and 9 reps on all of the exercises, but I did not feel like I had to overexert myself to get through them. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Hawaii Five-0: Season 1

 

This is a 2010 reboot of the Jack Lord-helmed series that ran from 1968 to 1980. The 24-episode first season aired during the 2010/2011 TV season. It starred Alex O'Laoughlin, Grace Park, Daniel Dae Kim, and Scott Caan in the main roles. The supporting and recurring cast included Taylor Wily, Dennis Chun, Teilor Grubbs, Taryn Manning, Will Yun Lee, Michelle Borth, Masi Oka, and Mark Dacasos (among others). 

In this version, Commander Steve McGarrett, played by Alex O'Loughlin, is an ex-Navy Seal who returns to Hawaii to track down a terrorist who killed his father, Officer John McGarrett (played by William Sadler). He is tasked by the Governor of Hawaii to form a new task force with legal immunity to take down the criminal underworld of Oʻahu. McGarrett enlists Honolulu newcomer Danny Williams (played by Scott Caan), a divorced detective who moved from New Jersey to be closer to his daughter; Chin Ho Kelly (Played by Lost's Daniel Dae Kim) who is a disgraced police officer and a protege of McGarrett's father; and Kono Kalakaua (played by Battlestar Galactica's Gras Park) who is Chin Ho's cousin, a former surfer and soon-to-be Police Academy graduate.

The series is mostly a case-of-the-week procedural that does have some serial threads that span throughout the season. Those mainly involve the character of Victor Hesse (played by Buffy's James Marsters) and a former Chinese government agent turned criminal, Wo-Fat, played by Mark Dacascos. The series also had a strong recurring cast, including Taryn Manning as Steve's sister, Mary Ann McGarrett, Jean Smart as Governor Pat Jameson, Taylor Wily as Kamekona Tupuola, Will Yun Lee as Sang Min Sooh (who is a criminal who sometimes acts as an informant for Five-0, Michelle Borth as Lieutenant Catherine Rollins a love interest for Steve who helps on cases from time to time, and Masi Oka (from the series Heroes) as Dr. Max Bergman, Chief Medical Examiner. Some of those characters would have larger roles in later seasons, and others would be reduced. The season ends on a major cliffhanger going into season two with the fates of multiple characters hanging in limbo.

The Blu-Ray set is a six-disc set that has the episodes and extras spread across the discs. The show looks and sounds great in HD. The visuals of Hawaii are awesome, and the handful of special effects that are used in the show look great. The extras include several making-of featurettes titled "Shore Lines: The Story of Season 1," "Grace Park's Hawaiian Tour," "Legacy" (which compares the reboot with the original series), "Picture Perfect: The Making of the Pilot," "Re-scoring the Theme Song", "Inside Comic-Con," (which has a portion of the Comic-Con panel), and "Inside the Box" (which refers to a toolbox figuring prominently in the season's story arc). Also included are deleted scenes, a gag reel, CBS launch promos, and cast and crew audio commentaries on two episodes. So, there is a good amount of material for people who like watching the bonus content.

Overall, the series is a good police procedural. It has a good blend of action and drama, with a strong theme of family. O'Loughlin and Caan are great in their roles as McGarrett and "Dano" who bicker like an old married couple. O'Loughlin does a ton of his own stunts (which led to a back injury that would plague him throughout the run of the series) and does a great job as the series lead. The writers do a great job developing the characters and getting the audience to care about them, which is critical to the success of a series like this. They also do a good job paying homage to, but not being a carbon copy of, the original series. So, if you are a fan of police procedurals, this is definitely a good one to check out.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 1

 

The first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had to do much heavy lifting. First, it had to establish the characters in the TV series, including explaining how Coulson (played by Clark Gregg) survived the events of The Avengers movie in which it was assumed Loki killed him. Then, it was partly a story-of-the-week procedural in which Coulson's team would track down some superpowered individual (or sometimes someone who was just evil) and apprehend them. And then, the show played filler between the MCU movies, with this season having direct ties to Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The Hydra storyline from Winter Soldier would play a huge role at the end of the season. So, the show ends up being part procedural and part serial not only with story arcs that extend throughout the season on the show, but cross over with the MCU movies (basically playing clean-up crew after the heroics shown in the movies).

The series stars the aforementioned Clark Gregg and also stars Ming Na (from ER) as Melinda May, a badass S.H.I.E.L.D. weapons expert, Brett Dalton as Grant Ward who is a SHIELD black ops agent, Chloe Bennet as Daisy Johnson an anti-government hacker who Coulson recruits to the team (pretty much against her will), Iain De Caestecker as Leo Fitz and Elizabeth Henstridge as Jemma Simmons, the duo known as Fitzsimmons, who are the science and engineering experts on the team. During the first season, Fitz and Simmons mostly stay in the lab, but their roles expand as the season and the series goes on. Some of the characters from the movies, including Maria Hill (Colbie Smulders), and Lady Sif (Jamie Alexander) make appearances and Samuel L. Jackson does appear once as Nick Fury. Bill Paxton and Saffron Burrows also had large recurring roles during the season, as did J. August Richards who is probably best known for his run on the series Angel.

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, the show looks and sounds great. It is special effects heavy and the show did a good job making them look as seamless as they do in the movies. The extras include audio commentaries on three of the episodes, a 43-minute feature on how the MCU was built and came to fruition, a 13-minute feature on the show's first Comic-con appearance, and a 17-minute making-of feature about filming locations during the first season. There are a lot of spoilers in the extras, so you definitely want to watch the episodes first (assuming you have not already seen them).

Overall, the season is good. The show has to balance a lot, and I do think it did a good job putting the focus on the characters at hand and did not lean too much on the movies and the larger MCU. Of course, if you follow the series you know that by the end it was pretty much its own animal, and was pretty much ignoring what was going on in the movies, but that was definitely not the case in the first season. The acting was great, even with a cast that included a lot of relatively unknown (at the time) actors and the writers do a good job with all the intersecting storylines. The season ends on a couple of cliffhangers that set up what is to come in season two. So, if you are a fan of the MCU movies, this is definitely worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Fargo: Season 1

 

This is a series that is modeled after, and loosely, spun off of, the movie of the same name. There is actually a tie-in to the movie that is involved in one of the plot lines. As with the movie, this is a very untrue story set mostly in MN, in the towns of Bemidji and Duluth. It stars Martin Freeman (from the series Sherlock and The Hobbit movies) as Lester Nygaard, and Billy Bob Thornton as Lorne Malvo, a hitman who crosses paths with Lester in a hospital after Lester is decked by his high-school bully, Sam Hess. Malvo suggests that the bully should be killed, which Lester neither endorses nor rejects, and because Lester does not say no, Malvo ends up killing the bully which leads to an investigation of Lester, and things go downhill from there. Hess was loosely mob-connected, and the mob (out of Fargo) ends up trying to find out what happened to him, which also causes problems for Lester. The series also stars Allison Tolman as Deputy Molly Solverson, a police deputy from Bemidji, who is the only competent officer in the department, and Colin Hanks as Officer Gus Grimly, an officer from Duluth who has a run-in with Malvo. There are several recognizable stars among the supporting cast including Bob Odenkirk, Kate Walsh, Joey King, Oliver Platt, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Stephen Root, and Keith Carradine.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the extras include audio commentaries on three episodes which include the showrunner Noah Hawley and rotating members of the cast, a two-part making-of documentary, a discussion with Hawley and the cast members about creating the show, a feature about the character of Malvo, and deleted scenes. Some of the sets also come with a Fargo-themed beanie.

Overall, the series is great. It tells one long story and is more like a 10-hour movie than it is a TV show. There is a lot of violence and some sexual content, so it is definitely not family-friendly. Freeman is wonderful as Lester who is kind of like William H. Macy's character in the movie, but definitely, not a carbon copy, and Billy Bob Thornton dominates every scene he is in. It is a bit hilarious for those of us who actually live in MN to see what cities they decided to set the show in. As anyone who lives here knows, Bemidji and Duluth are nowhere near each other and there is no way that a quick trip can be made between the two cities, especially in the winter. And, of course, the show does do the very over-the-top accents just like the movie did. It is a great crime drama that has a similar tone to the movie but is definitely its own story and not just a remake or reboot of the movie. It is definitely worth checking out.

Product Review: Epson WorkForce WF-7610 Wireless Color All-in-One Inkjet Printer with Scanner and Copier

 

This is a beast of an all-in-one printer. It is very heavy and does take up a lot of space, which definitely bucks the trend of making everything electronic smaller. It does have a very good flatbed scanner that, at least for scanning most documents, works great. I am not one that is into photography, graphic design, or the like, so I am not really interested in great picture quality when it comes to printers. But, for printing and scanning documents like forms, then it works fine. It does, as many wireless printers do, lose internet connection from time to time, and can be kind of a pain to reconnect. Sometimes it is easy to reconnect and sometimes you have to go through the menu multiple times to get it to work. And, the paper feeder is not great. Sometimes it legitimately jams and sometimes it thinks it is jammed when it is really not. Hopefully, they worked out some of these issues in the newer version, especially for the price given that it is not an inexpensive printer.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 84

 Day 84 would have been sculpt 3-4, however, I had a family emergency yesterday and had to skip my workout, so Day 84 ended up being sweat 3-4 tonight. I definitely had to tone it down today because my foot was hurting. I had to wear my copperfit arch supports and that made it a bit better and allowed me to get through the workout, but I was definitely not going to push my luck because there was a little bit of soreness while I was doing the workout, even though it had gotten better throughout the day.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Fargo (Remastered Edition)

 

Fargo is an iconic movie from 1996 that is a blend of drama and comedy. The plot is fairly simple. A rather pathetic used car salesman in Minneapolis named Jerry Lundegaard (played by the great William H. Macy, who was probably at the height of his fame due to his recurring role on ER) hires a couple of hitmen out of Fargo North Dakota named Showalter (played by Steve Buscemi) and Grimsrud (played by Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife Jean (played by Kristin Rudrud) in order to get ransom money from his wealthy father-in-law that he will split with the kidnappers. Of course, things go pear-shaped as they are transporting Jean from Minneapolis to a cabin in Moose Lake. The focus of the investigation by Marge Gunderson, an officer in the Brainerd police department, shifts to Jerry who acts more and more squirrely and guilty as the case unfolds.

For those who get the restored Blu-Ray, the movie looks and sounds very good in HD. I would not say that it got as good a restoration as some of the older movies that are being released on Blu-Ray (and especially on 4k now) are getting, but it is improved over the original DVD release. The extras are all carried over from the Blu-Ray release. They include a commentary track on the movie by the cinematographer, a 27-minute making-of documentary, a trivia track, an article about the movie, tv spots, a photo gallery, and the trailer.

The movie gained notoriety for the over-the-top accents used to depict how people in MN and ND talk. While you can definitely hear some of that accent in people, especially people in their 80s and up, it is definitely not as pronounced as they make it seem. But, for those of us who live in this region (who do not get offended by the parody), it makes it even funnier. The story is not really true, despite the opening title card, and while the cities mentioned in the movie are real, the Cohen brothers clearly did not consult a map when coming up with the cities to set the movie in as Brainerd is about 80 miles on the opposite side of MN from Moose Lake and nobody going from Minneapolis to Moose Lake would go anywhere near Brainerd. That said, it is very well acted with Macy and McDormand being the standouts, but really all of the actors doing a great job. Certainly, the Cohen brother's movies never appeal to everyone, but I think this is definitely one of their best. It is a very dark dramedy and can be bloody in parts. But, if you are in the mood for a somewhat offbeat movie (and are one of the handful reading this who has not seen the movie yet) it is definitely worth checking out.

Product Review: Cleanze Antibacterial Hand Sanitizing Wipes

 

These are a bit easier on your hands than hand sanitizer and are a convenient way to "wash" your hands if you are not in a place with easy access to soap and water. They are perfect for keeping in the center console of your car or glove compartment or to take along when you travel.

Product Review: Hеmр Gummies

 

The dose is two per day. I generally take one in the evening after I workout to help wind down, and then one right before bed. I have found that I am sleeping more soundly most nights. I do not think that it does anything for pain relief, but I really do not have chronic pain of any kind (at least not so far) so I cannot say how it does or does not help with that. I did wrench my back about a week and a half ago and I did not notice that this really helped with that pain level. But as a supplement to help relax, I do think this works well and the gummies taste very good.

DVD/TV-Series Review: The Americans: Season 2

 

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

Season two of The Americans is set a few months down the line from the events that ended Season one, with Elizabeth being shot. She and Phillip concoct a story about having to visit an ailing aunt to explain her absence while she recovered from Paige and Henry (and to a large extent Stan). Paige begins to become more and more suspicious of her parents as the season goes along, with a very strong, will he figure it out vibe. As was the case in season one, the series has a blend of procedural and serial elements. There are self-contained missions and several story arcs that thread throughout the season. One of those involves the murder of another pair of illegals whose lives are fairly similar to the Jennings. Then there are several missions that involve the Jennings trying to steal stealth technology and the precursor to the internet called the ARPNET. There are several additions to the cast this year with Susan Misner (who plays Sandra Beeman), Annet Mahendru (who plays Nina), and Alison Wright (who plays Martha) being promoted to series regulars, and the addition of Costa Ronin as Oleg Igorevich Burov, a new KGB officer working out of the Soviet Embassy.

For those who get the DVD set, there are a handful of extras including a featurette on the real "Directorate S", a featurette on the morality (or lack thereof) of the series, deleted scenes, and a gag reel. The show was not released on Blu-Ray, which sucks for those of us who prefer that format and purchased season one on Blu-Ray. But, Fox has a strong preference for just streaming shows and is putting fewer and fewer shows out on Blu-Ray and only putting some out on DVD. So, the fact that this one got a physical release at all, given that it never had a huge fanbase, is kind of surprising.

Overall, the series continues to be great. The acting and writing are both top-notch, and the show is definitely a blast from the past for those of us who actually grew up in the 1980s. The early seasons of the show were set in 1983 when I was still pretty young, but I do remember some things about that time and I think they recreate it pretty well. There is still a lot of violence and sexual content (and as much nudity as they could get away with on basic cable) so it is not family-friendly, but if you watched and enjoyed season one, you already know that. To me, the show is, along with Breaking Bad, one of the best dramas of the 2010s, and is definitely worth watching, especially if you are into crime and spy dramas.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 83

Day 83 was the sweat 1-2 workout and abs. I definitely had a better workout this time than I did last week. I had a lot more stamina and could go faster than I could last week, so I finally feel back to where I was before hurting my back. Even though I am coming up on 90 days, I am going to do an extra week to make up for the week when I was just doing Recharge and then figure out what I want to do from there.

Product Review: Crystal Light On The Go Green Tea Raspberry, 10 Count Boxes (Pack of 6)

 

This is one of the best flavors of Crystal Light but is getting harder and harder to find in stores, especially the on-the-go packets. And, in a regular store, one box of ten packets often costs over $5.00. This is not as good a deal as it used to be, but, it is still a better price per box than you are likely to get in a regular grocery store if you can find it at all. I definitely recommend it.

Product Review: Hanes Men's T-Shirt Pack, Essential-T Cotton T-Shirt 4-Pack

 

These are pretty standard cotton t-shirts. They fit pretty well and are not too tight in the shoulders or waist. The only drawback is that they use the old-school tags that are sewn onto the shirt as opposed to printing the information from the tag onto the shirt itself. So, the tag can be itchy on your neck unless you cut it off. Other than that, however, I have no complaints and would recommend these if you are looking for a reasonably priced pack of t-shirts.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Batman: The Movie (1966)

 

Batman, the movie is essentially a longer (just over an hour and a half) version of one of the very campy 1960s TV series episodes. It was actually filmed between seasons one and two of the show. It is basically a team-up between the series' villains, Joker (Cesar Romero), Penguin (Burgess Meridith), Catwoman (Lee Merriweather, who took over for an unavailable Julie Newmar), and Riddler (Frank Gorshin). Of course, they try to lure Batman into a trap, including kidnapping Bruce Wayne. Like the TV show, the movie is very campy and tongue-in-cheek. The two most memorable scenes are Batman running around trying to dispose of a huge bomb without endangering anything from puppies to nuns (my Torts professor in law school could have easily made an exam question out of that) and the shark repellant scene. Of course, the '60s series is totally different from any recent versions of Batman, which makes the character very dark and violent. But, given the time in which the show aired, that is what they could get away with, and they were not going to change the movie's tone to be inconsistent with the show.

For those who get the special edition Blu-Ray, the extras include two commentary tracks on the movie. One by the screenwriter and a great one with Adam West and Burt Ward, who are pretty hilarious. Then there is a series of featurettes, the main one titled Batman: A Dynamic Legacy, which is a 30-minute retrospective on the series' impact. Then there are separate features on the heroes and the villains of the show, and a feature on the Batmobile. It also includes the featurette from the original 2001 DVD release that contained interviews with the surviving cast members. So, if you like watching the extras, there is a lot there for you.

Overall, you must go into this knowing what it is and is not. If you are not a fan of the 60s TV show, watching this will be a waste of time. It has the same cheesy, campy tone, and the plot makes as much sense (or does not) of any of the plots in the TV episodes. It is funny in parts, eye-roll inducing in other parts, and you have to know you are not getting anything close to "The Dark Knight" version of the character. While the movie does look and sound pretty good in HD, I would not say it got an over-the-top restoration like some older movies have, so really, the main reason to get the Blu-Ray over streaming it is for the extras because you have the tv series on disc, and/or just a preference for physical media. If you are in one of those categories, it is a good pickup.

Product Review: M-D Building Products 3525 M-D 0 V-Flex Weather-Strip with Adhesive Back

 

The stuff is easy to install and while it sticks in place it does work. The problem, however, is that it does not stay in place. It starts losing its adhesion quickly (especially if you use it in a door frame where you are constantly opening and closing a door. And once it starts to peel up, you cannot reapply it.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 82

Day 82 was Recharge from CE again. Thankfully, I managed to keep all of the flexibility I had gained from doing nothing but Recharge for that recovery week I did a couple of weeks ago. I was actually able to get a little deeper into most of the stretches. So, progress is being made. 

Study Tips: How to survive Physics

Physics is one of those classes that people either avoid (those in the liberal arts majors) or begrudgingly take because they have to (engineering majors). Physics is an interesting subject that basically gives you insight into how things move, and how things like electricity, magnetism, gravity, thermodynamics, etc., work. But, the concepts can be bogged down in a lot of math and the problems are often harder than the underlying concepts. There are, in most college curricula at least two versions of physics and sometimes three. There is always an algebra-based physics class that you can take after taking algebra and/or precalculus (which someone in a non-engineering track can take if they want) and a calculus-based course (which is what anyone who wants an actual physics or engineering degree has to take). Some colleges also offer a course that is titled something like Physics for Presidents, Physics for Poets, or something catchy like that, which basically introduces the concepts but has little to no math in it at all. The dirty little secret for those who have to take calculus-based physics is that there is actually very little calculus used. That, of course, depends on your teacher, but most of the time, calculus is used to derive the equations, but then you just use algebra to solve 90% of the problems. So, what teachers usually do is assign the harder problems in calculus-based physics and assign the easier problems in algebra-based physics. Occasionally, you do have to use calculus on some homework problems, and I think I had one exam problem between the two semesters of calculus-based physics that required using the cross-product from Multivariable Calculus, but everything else just used algebra or trig. So, here are some tips to make it through. 

First, if you are a freshman if your college offers it, take a physics for poets type class. One that is for liberal arts majors, that has no math, that will introduce you to the concepts in physics. That will help you wrap your head around what you will be learning. If your school does not have such as course, UC Berkley has a course that you can find on YouTube here: 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaLOVNqqD-2Ep5N9os9jWMSkxK_TLki9h

Second, when you are in algebra and trig, do some of the word problems. I know that when you are in math class, word problems are the bane of your existence and you dread the thought of them showing up on an exam. But, many of the word problems at that level are just very easy chemistry, physics, or engineering problems. And, if you are going to take those higher-level classes, every single homework and exam problem is going to be a word problem, so the more comfortable you are with them the easier they will be. I am not saying do every word problem since you are only going to have so much time to devote to homework, but do one or two from each problem set to get your feet wet.

Third, if you can afford to do so, take algebra-based physics before you take calculus-based physics. This will get you a huge leg up in calculus-based physics because you will be used to doing problems and you can figure out what concepts are hard for you and get a lot of practice.

Fourth, find a good supplement, especially if you cannot follow what your teacher is saying. My physics teacher was a nice guy but was not always great at conveying what he knew to everyone else. Also, he expected you to learn the concepts from the book, and then he would show a bunch of example problems. So, he rarely ever gave a good introduction to the concepts. All of this made the class harder than it should have been. I used Jason Gibson's Physics Tutor DVD sets (some of which I have reviewed on this site), but also used Khan Academy and just some general YouTube videos. There are also some good book-based supplements like Homework Helper's Physics and Schaum's 3000 physics problems book (which are under the study aids tab). 

Fifth, work on as many problems as you have time for. The only way to get good at physics problems is by doing them. Obviously, do your assigned homework, but do as many different types of problems as you can. I would make up my own mock exams with different problem types from the concepts that could be on an exam.

Sixth, if you can get old exams, do so. I had a friend who took physics with the same teacher I had the year before I took it, and I got all of his old exams. This helped me see what kinds of questions my professor tested on and what I could expect. The professor reused a couple of the same questions, but for the most part, I did have different questions on every exam, but I was rarely ever surprised by anything.

Seventh, make notes in your book if you can have open-book tests. Most teachers allow you to have at least a cheat sheet or your book. I would make notes in the margins of my book for things to watch out for on different types of questions or things to remind myself of and basically annotated my book to help me remember things or reword concepts so I understood them. One to note, in homework problems, you will often be solving for one or two things, but on exams (especially in calculus-based physics), teachers will give you problems that will require you to solve six or seven different things. And, often, each thing that you solve for is then used in the next part of the problem. Sometimes, one part of the problem will require you to solve something that is not asked for, and you have to figure out how to solve that first and then use that to solve what you are asked for. For example, there are a bunch of different equations of motion that have variables like time, initial velocity, acceleration, and the like, as variables. Many times you will need to solve for time in order to be able to calculate something like initial velocity (using a different equation), then use that to solve for final velocity. But, you will not be told you have to solve for time, so you just have to know that. So, practicing compound problems is essential, and why it is always a good idea to get sample exam questions if you can. 

Eighth, try to get together with a study group. Sometimes, you will know things that others in the class do not, and other times, someone else will understand something better than you. If you get together with three or four people to study, it will save you time and a lot of frustration when you are stuck on something. 

And finally, keep your algebra and trigonometry skills up. Being good at algebra will not guarantee you ace physics, but if you are not good at algebra, you absolutely will not do well in physics. You will also need to be comfortable with trig concepts, as you will use triangles and angles constantly in physics problems. If you get bogged down with the math, you will take way too long to work through the problems. Most teachers will let math mistakes slide since they are not teaching a math class, but if you cannot manipulate equations well, you will lose needless points. Tied in with that, always solve the equations symbolically first, and then plug in the numbers at the last step. Basically, the equations will have a ton of variables in them. You will be given some of the information and then have to solve for something variable in the equation. Figure out what you need to solve for first, then manipulate the equation so that you have the variable you want to solve for equal to all the other stuff, then plug in the numbers for the other stuff and find the number you need. That will reduce the number of math mistakes you make and show the teacher you understand the process. Then, if you plug something into your calculator wrong you only lose half a point as opposed to losing 3 or 4 points.

Physics is a foundational class that you will have to take to get into any engineering classes, and engineering classes are mostly just applied physics classes themselves. They take one chapter from physics, turn that into an entire semester, and make the problems harder. So the better you understand physics, the easier your life will be. At some point, I plan on putting up my physics notes as well as working a bunch of homework and exam problems and putting them on the site. So, keep an eye on that tab in the future. I am not sure when I will get to that because I do want to go through the math material first just to get my math skills back up, but I will get to physics as soon as I can.

Supplement Review: Rising Pharma - Mag64 Magnesium Chloride with Calcium Tablets

 

I purchased these for my mom because her cardiologist recommended she switch from Magnesium Oxide to slow-release Magnesium Chloride. These are much easier for her to swallow than the two types of Mag-Ox supplements she tried, one of which were very large, but coated gell-caps and the other was a smaller uncoated tablet (which tended to get stuck in her throat until they dissolved all the way). This combines the best of both worlds. They are tablets (just slightly larger than the uncoated Mag-Ox tablets she tried) and they are coated, which makes getting them down a lot easier. The price is better than getting them through a local store (they are an over-the-counter item and can be very expensive, especially if they only have one brand), and you can get them as a subscribe and save item so you do not have to remember to resupply.

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.