Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 91

Day 91 was the sculpt 3-4 workout again. I hit the 10 rep max on a few of the exercises today and generally felt very strong throughout the workout. I have one more go around with this workout and then will be switching up again. This time I am going to do a modified version of Insanity Max 30 and (which has 5 workout days a week) and then on Day 6 I will do some arm workouts (either P90x shoulders and arms) or one of the Bodybeast arm workouts. Then, I will do another round of Max 30 less modified until I can make it through the program without modifying it.  

Product Review: ProTapes Artist Tape Flatback Printable Paper Board or Console Tape

 

I used this to make labels for drawers on a craft cabinet that I was using to store electronic components for my electrical engineering labs. Basically, I could put components like LEDs, resistors and capacitors of different values, etc., in the drawers and then mark the drawers so I could easily find what I needed. For that kind of thing, this works great as it adheres to the plastic well, and it is easy to write on. So, for that kind of thing, this works great.

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

 

The first season of Gotham included 22 episodes that aired during the 2014-2015 TV season. The story of Bruce Wayne/Batman has been told countless multiple times in live-action. In most versions, we see the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne in front of a young Bruce Wayne and then flash forward to his decision to become Batman (or once he is Batman). Of course, that pretty much has to be done in the movies so you can have an actual Batman movie. None of the movies or TV shows have told the story of what happened to Bruce as he was growing up, until now. Gotham is an origin story for Gotham City itself as well as the villains whom Batman would ultimately come to face when he grew up. The easy comparison to make is to Smallville, which showed a teenage Clark Kent before he became Superman. Here, a young Bruce Wayne, played by David Mazouz, has to deal with the trauma of the death of his parents, try to be a kid, and start his journey toward becoming a vigilante with the help of his butler, Alfred (played by Sean Pertwee). The rest of the first season cast included Ben McKenzie, Robin Lord Taylor, Carmen Bicondova, Erin Richards, Morena Caccarin, Cory Michael Smith, Donal Logue, Jada Pinkett Smith, Drew Powell, and had recurring characters including Carol Kane, and Peter Scolari.

The focus of the first season is really on the criminal underworld of Gotham, not controlled by Supervillains but by mobsters staking out their turf and the corrupt police department that largely looks the other way. At this point in the story Jim Gordon (played by The O.C.'s Ben Makenzie) is a rookie detective, paired with a grizzled veteran Harvey Bullock (played by Donal Logue). Bullock is one of the loo the other way cops, who sometimes dabbles in being corrupt, and of course, Gordon refuses to do either. The show is in part a case-of-the-week procedural and also has some serial arcs that play out throughout the season. The large ones this season involve mobsters Fish Mooney (played by Jada Pinkett Smith) who has ambitions beyond being an associate of mob boss Carmine Falcone (played by the recognizable character actor John Doman). We also get the introduction of the iconic bad guys including Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor), Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith), and Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova ). The show also has a very strong supporting and recurring cast including Morena Baccarin (from Firefly), Erin Richards, Drew Powell, Carol Kane, Peter Scolari, and more. There are also some swerves and misdirection when it comes to some characters. The season ends with a couple of cliffhangers and a couple of reveals that will set up season two and beyond.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the show looks and sounds great in HD. The show uses a mix of practical and special effects and everything looks seamless. The Blu-Ray set is a four-disc set. Each disc has deleted scenes for the episodes on that particular disc. All the other extras are on the fourth disc, including a three-part making-of featurette that lasts about a half hour. Then there is a 20-minute feature on designing the look of the series, a 26-minute feature on Penguin, and a 21-minute series of short web featurettes which has more cast interviews. Then there is a DC night at comic-con, a feature that lasts about half an hour and includes material from the other series, Flash, Arrow, and Constantine. Finally, there is a short gag reel.

Overall, the season is very good. Obviously, this is not a Batman show, as David Mazouz was just 12 or 13 when the season was filmed. In fact, while Bruce appeared in every episode, he was not always a focus of the episodes and was often just an ancillary character. While the show was on the air at the same time as Arrow, it was, aside from a blink and you'll miss it Queen Consolidated logo in the pilot, was never established as being in the Arrowverse. In fact, it is not clear exactly what time the show was set in as all of the cars in the show are older but they have cell phones. The show is well written and very well acted, with Mackenzie and Louge doing much of the heavy lifting on the "good guy" side of things. There are definitely some elements from the comics that are incorporated, but the show also aims to tell its own story and not be a carbon copy of any other variations of Batman. It is definitely worth watching.

Product Review: mediaxpo 25 Standard Single DVD Cases, 14mm, Black

 

lucky at least one or two cases will come cracked. If you are just looking for something to hold loose CDs or DVDs that you have burned then this gets the job done. If you want something to replace a broken DVD case, I would not pick these as they are probably less sturdy than the original case and just as likely to break in the future.

Product Review: Solder Sucker- desoldering pump

 

It does take some practice to be able to use it effectively. Mostly, to figure out the angle to hold it at when using it. I suggest watching some videos on desoldering a couple of times to get a feel for how to use one of these (if you are a beginner at soldering anyway). Once you get the hang of how to use a solder sucker, it is much easier to use than a solder wick and much more effective.

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

Today was the sweat 1-2 workout. I had to modify a lot today because I had to do the workout late, after dinner with family, so I was not able to do it on my normally empty stomach right after work. But, I pushed as much as I could without throwing up. But, it definitely was not my best workout.

Study Aid Review: Engineering Mechanics Statics Tutor - Volume 1

 

Statics is a course that is technically a part of the Mechanical Engineering curriculum, but it is one of the classes that every engineering major, regardless of what program they are in, has to take. It is generally taken after Physics I and II, and basically takes the static equilibrium problems (the problems about forces acting on things that are not moving), makes them harder, and gives you a full semester of them. Needless to say, it was not my favorite course (especially as an electrical engineering major).

This covers what amounts to the material that is covered in the first 2-3 weeks of statics. The first few lessons are review (a review of Newton's Laws, units, and a review of trigonometry, which is used extensively in Statics), then gets into the material that you will hit the ground with on day 1 of class. The material covered in this set includes adding vectors and resolving forces in two and three dimensions and finding resultant forces, etc., Basically, the material that is the foundation of the class and used in every topic going forward. As I said above, this set does not cover anything close to all of the material that you will see in the full semester. It will basically get you through your first couple of homework assignments and quizzes, but that is about it. But, it is also the material that, if you are struggling with it, you will have no shot at doing well for the rest of the class. So, while it would be nice to have a volume 2 and probably 3 available, this will still help you. I would actually pick this up before you start taking Statics, learn this material backward and forward, and it will set you up well for the rest of the class.

DVD/TV Series Review: Covert Affairs: Season 5

 

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

The final season of Covert Affairs picks up four months after Annie killed Henry Wilcox. She has been living off the grid but comes back into the CIA after threats of a terrorist attack arise. In doing so, she is hiding a respiratory condition that affects her ability to do her job. The show continues to be a blend of procedural, case-of-the-week shows with larger arcs that span throughout the season. This season sees Auggie's hacker ex-girlfriend Natasha brought back for a significant story arc. The show does feature the typical twists and turns and given that it is the final season it does a decent job at tying up the storylines of the various characters. Even though there was a slight possibility of it being picked up for another season by the time the season ended, the writers definitely used the final episode to get the characters in a place where life for them would go on and did not end the season on a major cliffhanger that would never be resolved.

For those who get the DVD set, there are only a couple of extras. There are some deleted scenes and a gag reel. It would have been nice if there were some cast interviews, something like a series retrospective, etc. But, this was just a very bare-bones DVD release.

Overall, the final season did a good job wrapping up the series. It was nice that Oded Fehr was brought back to reprise his role as Mossad agent Eyal Lavin for a couple of episodes. One thing that was definitely missing was finding a way to include Danielle for at least an appearance in the series finale. I am not sure if Anne Dudek's schedule just did not work out, or if she was never in the plans. But, given that the first two seasons focused so much on Annie and Danielle's relationship, it would have been nice to have a cameo appearance from Dudek. Aside from that, I think the writers did a good job wrapping up the show and gave everyone in the ensemble cast good storylines. I do think that the first two seasons of the show were the best, but if you stuck with it after that, the final season is still worth checking out.

Product Review: Filtrete Clean Living Basic Dust Filter, MPR 300, 16 x 25 x 1-Inches 6-Pack

 

This is a decent filter, especially if you have an older furnace that could not really utilize the more expensive filters. My furnace is about 20 years old and has been on its last legs for a few years. It still works, but the better filters that can trap pretty much every particle are a waste of money in it because they cannot provide good enough airflow through those. So, I have to use the more basic filters. This is not the most basic of the bunch, but it is pretty close. It is a good deal for six of them.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Bridge: Season 2

 

Season one of the Bridge was pretty closely aligned with the original source material, i.e., the Danish show from which it was adapted. Of course, it added other elements in specific to the Juarez-El Paso border, specifically, the police corruption in Mexico, the drug cartels, and the illegal border crossing to bolster the main murder mystery. Of course, that was resolved in season one, so in season two, the focus of the series shifts to the side stories of season one. So, this season really gets into the Mexican police corruption and the cartels. Where Marco (Demián Bichir) was the outsider in season one with the bulk of the show being set in El Paso, this time Sonya ( Diane Kruger ) is the outsider in Mexico for much of the season. This season also sees Franka Potente added to the cast as a fixer for the cartel named Eleanor Nacht who comes to El Paso and leaves a trail of bodies in her wake.

Unlike the season one release, which did get a Blu-Ray release, season two was only released on DVD. It got caught up in the physical media shifting from Blu-Ray back to DVD for many TV series because of lackluster Blu-Ray sales. So, unless the show was massively popular and had good overall physical media sales, they were no longer getting Blu-Ray releases. That said, the DVD set does have a handful of extras, including a couple of making-of featurettes and deleted scenes. So, it was more than just a MOD set which a lot of Fox series have become if they even get a DVD release.

Overall, the season was good but rushed. I believe the series was canceled before the season finished filming, so it seems like the writers crammed a bunch of material into the second half of the season to wrap up as many of the storylines as possible. But, it definitely does not feel like that show ever got a true series finale. So, while it is worth watching, it may not be a satisfying ending for you.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 89

Day 89 was the sculpt 1-2 workout again. I was able to hit the 10 rep max on a couple more exercises, and there were a couple of exercises that had the weight increased from the last workout. Overall, I felt strong during the workout and was able to maintain a good pace.

Book Review: Make: Electronics

 

This is a great book both for those who just want to get into making electronics and for the beginning electrical engineering student who wants to put the theory from class into practice. This book introduces the basics of the theory like Ohms law and then shows you how to assemble actual circuits and basic devices to see how things work in the real world. The author tells you what components and supplies you will need and walks through assembling different types of circuits. You can assemble them on a breadboard or actually solder components onto a circuit board.

One thing you will find if you are an electrical engineering student, you learn all this material in class and learn how to draw circuit diagrams, but when you get to the point of doing labs you have no idea how to actually hook up components. If you are taking classes on campus and have a TA right there to help you, it is not a big deal. But, if you are in a distance/online program, you are kind of on your own and it is not something that is completely intuitive. This will help you figure that out. It has a lot of good illustrations and corresponding explanations. So, whether you are a beginner electronics enthusiast or taking actual classes, this will definitely be helpful.

Product Review: Whey Protein Powder | Six Star Whey Protein Plus

 

This does taste fairly well for a protein powder, especially if you blend it as opposed to using a shaker cup. It does give you a decent amount of protein per scoop, but just be aware that there are 18 servings per container, so even if you just do one scoop every day, it is not going to last a month, so that may be a deal breaker, especially given the cost. Also, you are going to be paying for creatine as well, which may not be something you want. Finally, it does have high-fructose corn syrup, which is one of the worst ingredients in any product. Granted, it is at the bottom of the list of ingredients, so it is not as bad as it could be, but if you try to avoid that as much as possible, just be aware that this has some amount in it.

Product Review: Creatine Powder | Six Star Creatine X3 | Creatine HCl + Creatine Monohydrate Powder

 

I am one for whom creatine, unfortunately, does not do much. I had tried just regular creatine monohydrate powder, mixed in all kinds of liquids, and that did not help me with muscle building, so I got this to see if the creatine mixed with sugar did anything more. Unfortunately, it did not. It tastes pretty good and mixes well even just in a regular 20 oz water bottle that you shake up. But, all it seemed to do for me is get me extra sugar, but I never did see any significant muscle gain.

Product Review: Zantrex-3

 

I cannot say that this did anything for me good or bad, either as a pre-workout supplement to give an energy boost or as a weight loss supplement. I never did feel jittery or get an elevated heart rate like others have noted, nor did I lose any weight incorporating it into my nutrition and workout regime. I used it when I had been on a pretty regimented nutrition plan and was working out daily, but had hit a bit of a weight loss plateau, and this did not really do anything to bust through that. It also did not have an effect on my mood or anything like that. So, I did not get any of the good effects but thankfully none of the bad ones either.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 88

Day 88 was the sweat 3-4 workout and abs. Yesterday I took a total rest day from working out, so not even doing the recharge workout. This one went okay, but I did get a bit tired during the workout, so I had to pause a couple of times. The abs workout went well, however, and I was able to get through that without pausing or stopping aside from taking just a few seconds between the various exercises. 

Product Review: Six Star Pro Nutrition Elite Series Casein, Triple Chocolate, 1.5 Pound

 

This is an excellent tasting slow digesting protein. It is a bit misleading in that the serving size is one scoop but on the front, it says 50g of protein in huge letters and then in smaller type below that, per two scoops. Realistically, most people really only need 25g of protein at a time because much above that will just get peed out. I think it is best either with ice cold water or milk, blended in a blender instead of a shaker cup. It does have some carbs in it, some BCAAs, and a "muscle and strength builder". The latter is likely some form of creatine, but the label is not specific. It says that you can take it between meals or before bed. I always take Caesin protein just before bed to help muscle repair overnight. It is no longer in stock, but it worked well so if you can find the updated version, it is a good choice.

DVD/TV Series Review: Hawaii Five-O (2010): The Fourth Season

 

+++Warning, my review contains spoilers from season three but no major season four giveaways.+++

The 24-episode fourth season of Hawaii Five-0 aired during the 2013/2014 TV season. Season four picks up immediately after the events that ended season three, with the ambush in Wo-Fat's cell. Of course, Steve makes it out and manages to arrest one of the gunmen. This eventually leads to a standoff with a group called NLM, who take hostages at the Palace to secure the release of the gunman. The story also ties directly to Kono and Adam's storyline in which they are hiding out in Japan. Obviously, the team is reunited, and then the story-of-the-week procedural aspect starts to play out again. This season sees a couple of notable additions to the cast. First, Chi McBride (from Pushing Daises) joins the cast as Lou Grover, a former Chicago cop who joins the Hawaii SWAT team and clashes with Five-0. He is initially a recurring character but gets upped to a series regular partway through the season. Also, Jorge Garcia (from Lost) joins the cast as a local conspiracy theorist named Jerry, who acts as a consultant for the team. This season does not really have a huge cliffhanger the way seasons two and three do, but it is more of a storyline transition.

Unfortunately, from season four onward, the season sets were only released on DVD despite the first three seasons being released on Blu-Ray. For those who follow the physical media market well know, physical disc sales, (especially Blu-Ray sales) for TV series sets have always been notoriously bad, so around 2013-2014, all but the most popular shows or special effect heavy shows were no longer released on Blu-Ray and either just did not get a physical media release, or was just released on DVD. While the show still does look good, especially when played on a Blu-Ray or 4k player that will upscale the video, it is a step down from true HD. Fortunately, this was released at a time when they were still including a significant amount of extras on the disc sets. The DVD set is a six-disc set with extras, including commentary tracks on select episodes, several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, a featurette on Chi McBride's character, deleted scenes, and a gag reel, among others.

Overall, the show continues to be good. The large ensemble cast is juggled well, but clearly, Steve and Danny are the two main characters, and Alex O'Laughlin and Scott Caan have great chemistry. The guest cast this season is good as well, with Henry Ian Cusick (from Lost), Nick Jonas, Terry O'Quinn, Robert Knepper (from Prison Break), Michael Madsen, and Melanie Griffith, among others making appearances. Some good episodes focus on Danny and Grace's relationship, as well as involving Lou's family. If you have been a fan of the show for the first few seasons, it is definitely worth watching.

Product Review: Oxford 31EE Ruled Index Cards, 3" x 5", White, 1,000 Cards (10 Packs of 100)

 

This may give you more index cards than you will need, but if you do things like write down recipes or make flashcards to study from, this is a great value. A much better value than purchasing them in a regular store.

Product Review: Elenco Electronics LEDK-80 80 pc LED Component Kit

 

I purchased this kit to have extra LEDs for my various circuits and electronics labs when I was in a distance learning electrical engineering program. It was helpful to have extras since I was not on campus to go to the physical lab with plenty of components. This is a good assortment of colored LEDs and does have a handful of blinking LEDs in the kit. This is probably more than anyone other than an electronics enthusiast who builds electronic devices, but if you need LEDs this will give you a good assortment, and I never came across a defective one in the bunch.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Hawaii Five-0: Season 3

 

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

The 24-episode third season of Hawaii Five-0 aired during the 2012/2013 TV season. The season picks up immediately after the events of the season two finale. We find out the fates of Kono and Malia, who were kidnapped by the dirty cop Frank Delano. We also get the reveal of Steve's mother, Doris (played by Christine Lahti), after the big reveal that she was alive, and find out that she faked her death for a reason that reverberates throughout the season. From there, the show reverts to its story of the week format with the serial arcs being intertwined throughout the season. Of course, the relationship between Steve and Doris is a huge part of the story as their reunion does not go swimmingly. There are two big throwbacks to the original series this season. One is a remake of the episode Hookman, which was directed by and guest-starred Peter Weller (of Robocop fame) that uses some of the same shooting locations that were used in the episode of the original series. And, Ed Asner's character from the original series was brought back in a case that involved art theft. Michelle Borth was promoted to a series regular this season, and Terry O'Quinn made several appearances as Joe White. There were also several notable guest stars this season including Carlos Bernard (from 24), George Takei (from the original Star Trek), Terrence Howard, Jimmy Buffett, and Rumor Willis playing a love interest for Max. The series ends on a couple of different cliffhangers, one involving Steve and one involving Kono and Adam.

The Blu-Ray set is a six-disc. The set includes a lot of extras, including deleted scenes, a feature on the Hookman episode, an audio commentary on Hookman, and a commentary track on Pa'Ani. Then there are two season-three specific making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes that each run 20+ minutes, a script-to-screen supplement that looks at the process of making an episode, a feature on the worldwide fan base of the show, and a nine-minute gag reel.

Overall, the season is very good. While the storyline with Steve and Doris is the focus of the season, this season gives Kono a significant storyline, and Grace Park does a great job. As does Ian Anthony Dale who has a large part in that story arc despite still being a recurring character. There are also a couple of episodes that incorporate Danny's daughter, Grace (Teilor Grubbs) into the storylines now that she is getting older, which also gives Danny more to do than just be Steve's bickering sidekick. The show is still action-heavy, but blends in drama, humor, and suspense and has a huge family theme. It is well-written and very well acted. So, if you liked the first couple of seasons, this is definitely worth the pickup.

Product Review: Crystal Light Green Tea Peach Mango Drink Mix On The Go 10-0.08 oz packets (6 Pack)

 

As most people who like crystal light are probably aware, the price in regular stores can fluctuate quite a bit, and the stock can be very limited, so there are times when your favorite flavors are not available. This allows you to get six boxes at a decent price. Note, this is the Peach Mango Green Tea which is different than the caffeinated Peach Mango version. The two taste similar, but not quite the same. The good thing about this one is that I can drink it any time of day without worrying about having too much caffeine keeping me up at night.

Study Aid Review: Schaum’s Outline of Feedback and Control Systems, 3rd Edition

 

As most engineering students know, Schaum's study guides can vary in both quality and function. Some are basically just a problems repository giving only minimal theory and then have a bunch of problems, while others do try to teach you the material and like textbooks will give the background/theory (but less than the regular textbooks go through) and then have problem sets. This guide is more like the latter

This guide is for a control systems class which is a class that pretty much every engineering major has a version of. The chapters are divided up into sections, and each section is enough theory to learn the material and it is presented in a more straightforward and concise manner than the textbook I used. One thing I like is that there is an entire chapter focused on designing control systems, which my professor loved and tested on quite heavily. So, I was able to get a lot of practice with design problems which helped immensely. So, if you are looking for a supplement for a control systems class, this is a good one to use.

Supplement Review: Nature’s Bounty Acidophilus Probiotic, Daily Probiotic Supplement

 

This is a good supplement to keep your gut healthy without having to eat a ton of yogurt or having to get the super expensive probiotics that have to be refrigerated. The tablets are not coated but they are small enough that they are easy to swallow without a problem. And, you can get this as a subscribe and save item and have it delivered at whatever frequency works best for you.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Horrible Bosses 2

 

Horrible Bosses 2 is the 2014 follow-up to the original 2011 movie, Horrible Bosses. It brings back Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudekis, Jennifer Aniston, and Jamie Foxx from the first movie, as well as Kevin Spacey in an extended cameo. The main additions to the cast are Christoph Waltz and Chris Pine. The supporting cast includes recognizable names such as Jonathan Banks and Keegan-Michael Key. This movie follows the continuing adventures of Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis), and Dale (Charlie Day), who have invented something called the "shower buddy" and get ripped off by Christoph Waltz's character Bert Hanson, who steals their idea and leaves them in financial ruin. So, they decide the best course of action is to kidnap Bert's son Rex (played by Chris Pine) and demand a $500,000 ransom. Of course, the plan goes sideways, and mild hilarity ensues.  

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The Blu-Ray disc includes both versions of the film: the theatrical version and an extended version that adds about 10 minutes to the movie. The extended version does not change anything; it just has a few more jokes in it. The DVD just has the theatrical version of the movie. Both discs include the bonus features. Those include a few making-of and in-character featurettes, one-liners that were cut from the movie, and some fake shower buddy promotional material. Nothing that I would say was great bonus material, but it is there for people who like watching it.

Overall, the movie is okay but not as good as the original movie, which was a mild hit in large part because of the cult following that Arrested Development had achieved by that time. Jason Bateman was as popular as he had ever been, and it was one of the first roles in which Jennifer Aniston really embraced doing raunchy comedy. The premise of this movie is just as dumb as the original movie's premise was, and some of the jokes, while good, were recycled. Aniston was pretty funny as the sex-addicted dentist who wanted to jump Charlie Day constantly, and she goes all in being raunchy and shedding the "good girl" image she had after Friends ended, and Jamie Foxx was again hilarious as MF Jones, who is continually telling the group how stupid their plans are. Really, of the new cast members, Chris Pine was given the most material to work with and seemed to have fun with the role. In an ironic twist, Kevin Spacey did have a cameo appearance as his character from the first movie, which is in jail, which may be a life-imitates-art situation at some point. While the movie did have a lot of very good actors, including Breaking Bad's Jonathan Banks, it was just not executed as well as it could have been. It is pretty much a tongue-in-cheek dumb comedy. If you do not expect it to be more than that, it is enjoyable. If you are expecting comedy gold, you will be sorely disappointed.