Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 8

Day 8 was the second time doing the Cardio Challenge workout. I did max out later into the workout than last week, around the 17-minute mark. The latter half of the workout with the burpees and the wide in-and-out abs shoulder-tap combination are killer, even doing the modified versions of them. Thankfully, there are quite a few scheduled breaks in the workout that make getting through it a bit easier. The cast members in this workout are mostly good. Again Shanita (or Shamita?) is slacking off throughout the entire workout, but at least during this one, she is way in the back corner. Half the time she is just back there flailing her arms around and then bending over like she has been shot. The other people in the workout, however, are mostly pushing hard at least until the last few minutes when everyone is pretty much gassed. It is kind of hilarious how Shaun T. tries to get people to talk when they are clearly out of breath so it usually comes out rambling that makes no sense.  

Supplement Review: Swanson Full Spectrum Suma Root 400 Milligrams 60 Capsules

 

Suma is a supplement that is marketed to do many things, from decreasing stress to aiding muscle growth, etc. While all of the claims are hard to verify, I do find that I feel like I had more strength during my workouts when using this. These are capsules that are very easy to swallow and do not leave a noticeable aftertaste. My only complaint about this particular brand is that it is not available as a subscribe and save item (at least as of this writing).

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Furious 7

 

Furious 7 is the 2015 entry in the Fast and Furious franchise. It was directed by James Wan and stars Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jason Statham, Kurt Russell, and The Rock. Ronda Rousey has an extended cameo appearance in the movie, and Paul Walker's brother, Brian, played a stand-in to finish Paul Walker's scenes after his tragic death partway through the filming of the movie. This movie is definitely a turning point for the Fast & Furious franchise, in large part because of Paul Walker's death. The movie, finally, deals with Han's death in Tokyo Drift, which on film occurred years earlier, but Sung Kang kept appearing in the subsequent movies always hinting that he would get to Tokyo. In this movie, it is revealed that Han was killed by the brother of Own Shaw (Luke Evans), Deckard, played by Jason Statham. The movie is essentially about the team trying to track down Deckard and get revenge for Han. The movie has the typical over-the-top action that has become the staple of the film series, especially after all the main actors returned to the franchise after Tokyo Drift. There are a lot of tongue-in-cheek absurd moments like The Rock flexing out of a cast and leaving the hospital to get back into the fight after he is sidelined most of the movie. The movie also introduced the character Mr. Nobody, a covert ops leader played by Kurt Russell, and the cameo appearance by Rhonda Rousey, who is basically in the movie to have a throwdown with Michelle Rodriquez.

For those who get the blu-ray set, the movie looks and sounds great in HD. Of course, there are a ton of special effects used throughout the movie, and everything looks wonderful and seamless. There are two versions of the movie, the theatrical and an extended edition that adds about a minute to the theatrical version. It is so inconsequential that it was really not worth making an extended edition. Then, there are about six minutes of deleted scenes, seven making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes that range in length from about six minutes to just over thirty minutes. Then there is a feature on the Race Wars festival, the music video "See You Again" from Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth, and a feature on the Fast & Furious-themed ride at Universal.

Overall, the movie is good but much more emotional than it was intended to be. It is the last entry in the franchise before it got completely ridiculous (although there are plenty of ridiculous moments in this one, too). I am sure most people know how the movie handled Paul Walker's death in terms of Brian's storyline. I will not spoil it for the handful of people who don't know, but I think it was very well done. The movie is 95% action, 5.9% tongue-in-cheek comedy, and .1% drama. The franchise has found the formula that works for it and stays in that lane. It does not try to be a best-picture candidate, so if that is what you are looking for, this is not it. But if you want to watch a fun action movie with a bunch of car chases and cool stunts, this is a good one.

Product Review: Brita Basic Replacement Filters Faucet Mount

 

The filters are good. Unfortunately, the faucet mount that they go in is not that great, especially after a few months of use, which makes this less of a good deal than it would otherwise be. You do get two filters, each of which lasts up to four months. As long as the faucet mount is staying in place, not leaking water around the part that twists onto the faucet, etc, they are great. The water tastes good and they are definitely less expensive than some other filtered water options out there. But, if the mount does not hold up and you have to get a new one, then they become a bit of a pain.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 7

Day 7 was the CE Recharge workout. Nothing really to report about this one. It went pretty much the same as the last few times I have done it.  

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 6

Day 6 was the back and biceps workout from P90x. It is actually my favorite of the resistance workouts in the P90x base program. It has a nice pace and is just pull-ups, a second back exercise that uses weights, and then two biceps exercises. It was a bit tough since I have not done the workout in a while, but I made it through. I used 110 lbs of band resistance for the pull-up exercises and was able to do anywhere from 4 (the corn cob pull-ups) to 10 (the switch-grip pull-ups).  I will do this one for the four weeks of month one of Insanity Max 30, and then will switch to the BodyBeast back and bicep workout when I get to month two. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Showgirls 15th Anniversary

 

Showgirls is a 2005 erotic drama starring Elizabeth Berkley, Gina Gershon, and Kyle MacLachlan. It is a movie that is panned, for good reason. The story is cheesy, the acting is bad (despite having some good actors and actresses in it), mostly because of really bad writing, and some of the sex scenes are so over-the-top (e.g., the scene in the pool) that they are funnier than they are sexy. Of course, the big deal about the movie back in the mid-1990s when it was made is that Elizabeth Berkley, who played the wholesome (mostly) Jesse Spano in the series Saved by the Bell, was going to be playing a stripper and doing her first nude role. Berkley plays Nomi Malone, who moves to Vegas to be a legit dancer. Of course, that does not work out, and she ends up dancing in a seedy strip club where she is spotted by Crystal Connors (played by Gina Gershon), the star of a local Cabaret show, who wants the producer, Zach (played by Twin Peaks' Kyle MacLachlan) to bring Nomi into the show. From there, it becomes a tale of backstabbing and sabotage and Nomi goes for the top billing in the show.

The movie was a huge flop at the box office but became a cult classic when it hit DVD. This is the 15th-anniversary blu-ray and does get a pretty good A/V upgrade from the DVD release. Most of the extras are ported over from the DVD release and include an entertaining commentary on the movie with "Showgirls enthusiast" David Schmader (none of the stars of the movie would touch this, apparently), a featurette called "Lap Dance Tutorial Featuring The World-Famous Girls of Scores" which is pretty self-explanatory, a trivia game, and the theatrical trailer. There is also a behind-the-scenes feature that is a production diary and shows how crazy director Paul Verhoeven was about the movie. That is the only feature that included any of the actual cast members, and then a new feature for the blu-ray release was a featurette with Shelia Kelley, who developed a program of exercise based on the movement of stripping. No new features with the cast members.

Overall, the movie is entertaining if you take it for what it is. Yes, it has a lot of nudity in it, and you can definitely tell that Berkley got into amazing shape for the role and really worked hard at the dancing. It most definitely would not get an NC-17 rating today as it did back then, but that was a different time. As I said above, the sex scenes were pretty laughable, but nothing that would garner the NC-17 rating nowadays. If you are expecting an award-winning drama or coming-of-age story, this is definitely not it. If you take it for what it is, you can get a good chuckle out of it.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Masters of Sex: Season 2

 

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

The 12-episode second season of Masters of Sex aired during the summer and fall of 2014. It continues the fictionalized biographical drama of William Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan) and their famous sex study. This season is set (mostly) between the years 1958 and 1961. Masters, having been fired from Maternity Hospital, tries to find a place where he and Virginia can continue their work on the sex study. Of course, being in 1950s Missouri, that is not an easy feat, and they end up opening their own clinic. They continue to engage in their very ill-advised affair that was teased at the end of season one, under the guise of being participants in the study. That storyline actually opens up a much larger story arc for Libby (Caitlin FitzGerald), who is being ignored by Bill more and more. We also get insight into Bill's childhood when his mother, played by Ann Dowd, appears partway through the season.

The Blu-Ray set is a four-disc set. The A/V quality continues to be very good, as the series looks and sounds great in HD. There are some special effects to make the show a period piece, but they certainly do not dominate the show. For extras, three different featurettes range in length from 18 to 26 minutes, one focused on the women in the show, one focused on the men, and one focused on the time period in which the show is set and the social issues occurring at the time. Then, there are a handful of deleted scenes. Of course, this is the last season of the show that would be released individually on blu-ray. Seasons three and four were not released in the US at all until a complete series blu-ray set was released after the series ended. So, that is a better pickup than this one and if you did get this when it was originally released, you have to decide whether to double dip.

Overall, the season is very good. Maybe even better than he first. It is a show about sex, but it is not equivalent to the late-night soft-core movies on Showtime or Cinemax. It does not have sex for sex's sake, and it shows how sex can be dark and dysfunctional and not just titillating. The show also deals with issues that are still prevalent in our society today, including race relations, interracial relationships, homosexuality, and more, and how all of those things have been stigmatized, especially when sex is involved. The second season did have some cast turnover with Nicholas D'Agosto having a much-reduced role but Annaleigh Ashford being promoted to a series regular. The season also had a strong recurring and guest cast, including Beu Bridges, Allison Janney, Betsy Brandt, Keke Palmer, Sarah Silverman, René Auberjonois, Christian Borle, and Courtney B. Vance.

If you liked the first season, you will probably like this one. If you have not seen the show yet, it is based on true events but definitely fictionalized. So, you are not getting a historically accurate documentary. It is well written and very well acted and definitely worth the time to watch.

Product Review: MESHA 1" Pair Jaw Barbell Collar Muscle Clamps Bar Black-standard Lock 1 Pairs

 

These do work on 1" threaded barbells, ez-curl bars, etc. But, they do not hold as solidly as the spring collars do. They can slip on and off the barbells even when you have them locked. They will not slide off easily, but if you pull them or if the weight plates were to slide against them, then they will move. So, if you are going to use these, definitely don't overdo it with the amount of weight because they can slide off and cause a major problem if the weight plates were to fall off. Using smaller plates, even several smaller plates (5-10 lbs) are not an issue, and realistically using 20 lb plates or even one 45lb plate on each side with these would not cause a problem. But, if you were to use multiple 45lb plates, that could be an issue.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Extended Edition)

 

The Desolation of Smaug is the second of what ended up being a trilogy of movies based on Tolkien's book The Hobbit. The first two movies basically tell the story from the book, which is much shorter than any of the Lord of the Rings novels, and then the last movie is adapted from some of Tolkien's other writings. This one is set after Bilbo steals The Ring from Gollum and tells the story of the group's journey to the Lonely Mountain to retrieve the Arkenstone, the object that will allow Thorin to rule all of the Dwarves. The journey to the mountain has its perils including a battle between Dwarves, Elves, and Orcs down a river and an attack by giant spiders. Then it becomes a cat-and-mouse game in the dragon's lair between Bilbo, Smaug (voiced wonderfully by Benedict Cumberbatch), and the dwarves. The end of the movie is basically a cliffhanger that sets up the third movie.

The extended edition of the movie is long, over an hour longer than the theatrical edition. It adds a lot to the storyline. Some of the additions are good, and for others, you can tell why they got cut out for the theatrical release. Of course, the real reason to get this set is the bonus material. As with the first Hobbit release and the LOTR extended edition releases, this has two Appendices, both of which contain over five hours of behind-the-scenes and making-of material. There is also a commentary track on the movie by Peter Jackson and his collaborator Phillipa Boyens, that provides a lot of insight on various shots and the filming process overall. The A/V quality of the blu-ray is great, and the numerous special effects look seamless with everything else.

Overall, the movie is good but does get a bit long at times. Thankfully, it is easy to take bathroom breaks at home because this would be a beast to sit through in a theater. Martin Freeman and Richard Armitage are great as the leads of the movie, and the supporting cast, including Ian McKellen, Ian McKellen, Luke Evans, Lee Pace, Orlando Bloom, and Stephen Fry (among others) is very strong. The extended edition is really best for die-hard fans and/or people who love tons of bonus material. If you do not fall into either of those categories, this set will very much be overkill for you. If you are in one of those categories, however, this is a must-have pickup.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 5

Day 5 was the Friday Fight workout from Max-30, which is definitely the hardest month-one workout. There is a warm-up that cycles through four different moves for two rounds. Then, instead of getting a break, you launch right into the workout. Each exercise in FF is a minute long, and instead of getting 4 or 5 breaks during the workout, you get two. One at the halfway mark and one at the twenty-six-minute mark. It is another total body cardio and strength workout that works the legs, core, chest, and triceps. 

Again my one nitpicky point is that you do not have the option to watch the modifier track and there are times when the camera that is following Shaun T around or panning the crowd does not show the modified moves, or just shows the modifier for a second. The cast in this workout is again made up of mostly "normal" people with a couple of fitness models and/or trainers mixed in there. Dea is one of the ones that I was contrasting with Shanita in the other workout. She is clearly not a fitness professional but she works much harder than some of the cast members who slack off when the camera is not on them and then ham it up when the camera is on them (which was something that happened a lot in the original Insanity workouts). Everyone in this workout works pretty hard and even though people are pausing and stopping after they max out, nobody seems to be half-assing it. It is another workout where even the modifier, who is in great shape, has to max out late into the workout. So, it is very challenging. Tomorrow I will be doing P90x's back and bicep workout, which are really the only two body parts that do not get worked to death in Insanity.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Killing: The Complete Third Season

 

The third season of The Killing essentially resets the series after the closing of the Rosie Larsen case. It is set one year after the events of season two. Linden (Mireille Enos) did not actually move to California and is working as a Transit Authority cop on a ferry. Holder (Joel Kinnaman) is still a homicide detective with a new partner played by the very recognizable character actor Gregg Henry, named Carl Reddick. Holder and Reddick investigate the disappearance of a young runaway that ties into an old case of Linden, which was briefly mentioned during season two. This ultimately leads Linden and Holder to once again partnering with each other to try and track down a serial killer. The season also stars Elias Koteas (probably best known from the series Chicago PD) as James Skinner, Linden's former partner and current leader of the Seattle Police Department's Special Investigations Unit, Bex Taylor-Klaus (who has had character roles on Arrow, The Librarians, and iZombie and a leading role in the Scream TV series), and Peter Sarsgaard as Ray Seward, an inmate on death row for the murder of his wife. Sci-Fi nerds will also recognize Aaron Douglas (from the Battlestar reboot) as a prison guard and Jewel Staite (from Firefly) as Holder's girlfriend.

For those who get the DVD set, it is just an MOD set without any extras. Just the twelve episodes across three discs. Like many other TV series that were not massively popular and/or highly rated, even though the first season got a decent blu-ray release, seasons 2-4 only received DVD releases, with seasons 3 and 4 just getting MOD releases.

Overall, the season is very good. The acting is great, and the writing is mostly very good. The writers do try to throw a lot of twists and misdirection as they did for the Rosie Larsen storyline. As was the case in the first couple of seasons, some of the twists worked and some were pretty silly. Peter Sarsgaard absolutely stole the show this season and had the best character arc of any of the characters. The season ends on a pretty big cliffhanger, which was a risky way to go given that the show was not a shoo-in to be picked up for a fourth season. Thankfully, Netflix revived the show after AMC canceled it so the storyline does get resolved. While it was not a highly rated blockbuster show with A-list stars, it was a smart show that had a very gritty and real feeling to it that many police serials and procedurals do not. While you do not need to have watched the first season to understand what is going on (for the most part) in this season, it is a good idea to watch the first two seasons before you watch this to get the introduction and development of the two main characters. It is definitely worth the time to watch.

Supplement Review: Honey Badger BCAA Amino Acids Powder | Vegan Keto Peach Mango BCAAs + EAA for Men & Women | Electrolytes for Hydration & Post-Workout Recovery

 

This is a good post-workout recovery drink mix that has a good blend of electrolytes and BCAAs that help with recovery. It does not contain creatine which, if you are someone like me for whom creatine does little or nothing, is probably good since you do not have to pay for it to be included. The peach mango flavor is okay at best. It definitely does not taste as good as say the peach mango crystal light mixes, but it is drinkable, especially if you just chug it. It mixes well in a 20 oz bottle just shaking it up, or you could use a blender, large or one of the portable ones, and either will mix it just fine.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: House of Cards: Season 3

 

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

Season three of House of Cards starts with Frank having successfully maneuvered his way into the Presidency after either killing or framing and/or sabotaging anyone who could stand in his way or take him down. Doug is recovering from the blow to the head he took when Rachel knocked him out and ran off at the end of season two, and there is friction between Frank and Claire that boils over by the season's end. The big political theme this season is Frank's America Works (or "AmWorks") program, which he initiates in an effort to show that his administration is making progress in helping the American people, and Claire becomes UN ambassador trying to amass power of her own. We also see some of the potential candidates to run against Frank, whom he of course tries to undermine in one way or the other.

For those who get the blu-ray set, the show looks and sounds great in HD as it always has. The packaging is still awful, using the tight pockets to store the discs in that make them extremely hard to remove. For extras, there are two behind-the-scenes features, one that is generally about the season, and the second is about Doug's particular storyline.

Overall, the season is great and the series continues to be wonderful. While the acting is great all around, the standouts this season are really Michael Kelly (playing Doug Stamper) and Rachel Brosnahan (playing Rachel Posner). Their storyline is dark and crazy and they both do a great job. Robin Wright also knocks it out of the park with her ever-expanding role in the series. Of course, Spacy is a catch-22 these days. His portrayal of Frank is awesome, but it is hard to separate the allegations against him personally from his work on the show. But, if you can put that aside, his portrayal of this character is probably his best acting work ever. The series continues to be one that you hope is entirely fictional in its portrayal of the Washington political scene, but fear that more of it is true than it should be. I think it is still one of the best dramas ever, and definitely worth the time to watch.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Thor: The Dark World

 

Thor: The Dark World is a sequel to both the original Thor movie and The Avengers. It is set a couple of years after the events of the original Thor movie and sees Thor going through the nine realms cleaning up Loki's mess, which is also taking a lot longer because of the Bifrost having been destroyed in the first movie. Thor keeps track of Jane (mostly via Heimdall) but has not seen her in all that time, which makes for an awkward reunion, to say the least. Loki is imprisoned on Asgard, visited only by Frigga.

This movie sees the threat of Dark Elves, with the main antagonist being Makliketh (played by Christopher Eccleston), the leader of the Dark Elves who was defeated by Thor's grandfather. He is trying to capture a substance called The Ether, which can basically undo the Big Bang and bring the universe back into darkness. I will not spoil the movie for the handful of people reading this by now who have not seen the movie, but the plot requires Thor to return to Earth after Jane is put in danger and team up with Loki to take down the Dark Elves. It also sets up the concept of the Infinity Stones, which, of course, play a larger role in the following movies.

For those who get the 4k Disc set, the movie looks and sounds great in UHD. Not a huge jump from the blu-ray version of the movie, but noticeable enough that if you have a 4k TV and blu-ray player, it is worth the double-dip. The UHD disc just has the movie itself, and then the extras are included on the second disc which is a regular blu-ray. The extras include a commentary track on the movie by the director Alan Taylor, Marvel's head honcho, Kevin Feige, and Tom Hiddleston, who, of course, plays Loki. The commentary track provides some good insight into the process of making the film with some good behind-the-scenes details from Hiddleston. Then there is another Marvel's One Shot titled All Hail the King, which is a documentary about Trevor Slattery, the "bad guy" from Iron Man 3, showing what is life is like in prison and setting up the 10-rings storyline. Then there are deleted and extended scenes, a handful of making-of featurettes that can be viewed one at a time or all at once, and then a gag reel. So, a lot of material if you like to look at the bonus material.

Most of the supporting cast from the original movie, including Jamie Alexander, Renee Russo, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgård, Ray Stevenson, and Kat Dennings, appear. Zachary Levi replaced Joshua Dallas as Fandral, one of the Warrior's Three in Asgard, because of a scheduling conflict. The other notable addition to the cast is Jonathan Howard, who plays Ian, Darcy's intern, who is basically a lacky she "hires" to do the stuff she does not want to do as Jane's intern. The movie gets ragged on, but it is definitely not as bad as some make it out to be. It is definitely a filler story, but it does set up a lot of what is to come down the line, so it is essential to what is going to play out in the later movies. The acting is great from the entire cast. I would say that the supporting characters all kind of took a back seat in this movie and were not as involved as they were in the first one, but all of them made the most of their screen time. Kat Dennings stole pretty much every scene she was in, as did Stellan Skarsgård, who had to play Erik as stark-raving mad (with lucid intervals) because of Loki taking over his mind in The Avengers. There are some cameos, including the usual Stan Lee cameo, but also a pretty hilarious one by Chris Evans. The movie continues the mid-credits and post-credits scene tradition. The mid-credits scene set up the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the post-credits scene was a more humorous wrap-up of the movie. While it is not the best MCU movie, it is not as bad as some make it out to be, and is definitely worth watching.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 4

Day 4 was the first repeat workout of Insanity Max 30, the Tabata Power workout. I was able to make it about 50 seconds longer this time than on Tuesday, but the tricep push-up sequence is still killer. One thing that I do like about this workout is that the people in the video look like they are mostly "regular" people, meaning non-fitness professionals. And, they all push themselves very hard. I am especially impressed by Jackie, the cute redhead in the back left corner. She seemed to push all the time, even when the camera is not directly on her and while she is in good shape, she is not as shredded as some of the fitness pros in the video are. And, of course, the cop, Mike, who maxes out at like 27:55 is super impressive. It is a hard workout, but it is good and works every part of the body.

Product Review: Mueller Athletic Tape

 

This is typical athletic tape (at least it was when I purchased it). I know that some reviewers complain that it does not stick well, but that was not my experience. I did not have any problems with adhesion using it on multiple surfaces, including the skin. I am not sure if it has changed over the years or if third-party sellers are selling knock-offs, but the tap that I got worked.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Justified: The Final Season

 

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

The final season of Justified has a lot to do in the last handful of episodes. First, there is the Raylan vs. Boyd final act in which Raylan (with the help of Ava who now has to act as an informant against Boyd in order to avoid going back to prison) tries to take down Boyd for good via a RICO case for the murder of the corrupt federal agent. There is also the story of the larger mob, this season represented by Sam Elliott and Mary Steenburgen who plays Winn Duffy's widow. The series also brings on Deadwood alumn Garret Dillahunt (who is one of the most versatile bad guy character actors out there). The show does a good job tying up the loose storylines and ends with a sense of life goes on, and uses a four-year time jump to give an idea of how the various characters ends up.

For those who get the blu-ray set, the A/V quality is extremely good, as it has been in all of the prior season releases. The extras are not as extensive as they have been in prior years. There are deleted scenes on five of the season's thirteen episodes (9 scenes totaling 12:39 in length) a featurette titled "Directing the Show" (which runs about 11-minutes ) is a piece where actor/director Adam Arkin shows the viewer his process and approach to the show, while the crew discusses him as a director. A short feature on the locations used to portray Harlan and a feature titled "Dutch Speaks" (that runs just under 12-minutes), in which Elmore Leonard explains his origins in writing and inspirations for the story and characters that became Justified, and shares his thoughts on the characters.

Overall, this is a good final season of a great show. The writers did a good job tying things up while also finding a way to incorporate some characters from earlier seasons such as Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson), Dickie Bennett (Jeremy Davies), Constable Sweeney (played by the always awesome Patton Oswalt) did the same, and even has Arlo (Raymond J. Barry) return for a flashback. Like the prior seasons, this one does have a lot of adult content. I'd say the sex is toned down from prior seasons, but it is still violent and there are quite a few s-bombs that get dropped (but that is the worst of the swearing). Joelle Carter is really the standout cast member (although the entire cast does a good job) with her portrayal of Ava, who is an even more complex and conflicted character this season than she was in the earlier season. So, if you are a fan of the show, this is definitely worth the pickup.

Product Review: Spice Rack Organizer with 24 Empty Round Spice Jars, 396 Spice Labels with Chalk Marker and Funnel Complete Set

 

This is a great spice rack. It has three shelves, each holding 8 bottles that are angled when you insert them. There are several sheets of pre-printed labels with the names of almost every kind of spice that go on the lids of the containers. When you put the bottles on the rack they sit so that the lids with the labels face out so that you can easily see what is in them. If you have some spices for which there is not a pre-printed label, there are some blank labels that you can write on with an included chalk maker.

Each of the bottles has a shaker top under the lid that pops off so you can fill the bottle. The shaker top also has a tab that you can pull up so you can pour the contents out into a measuring spoon. The stand is very sturdy and can either sit on the counter or be wall-mounted. It is low profile so it can easily fit underneath an upper cabinet. It is a good way to keep your spices fresher than they tend to stay in the store-bought bottles, and if you buy spices in bulk from a warehouse club you can fill these and put the large bottles in a freezer to keep the extra fresh (and not take up a ton of cupboard or counter space). It also comes with a silicon funnel to make filling the bottles easy. So, if you are in the market for a spice rack, this is definitely a good option.

DVD/Movie Review Addicted to Her Love

 

Addicted to Her Love (also titled Love is the Drug) is an indie drama from 2006 directed by Elliot Lester. It stars  Lizzy Caplan, DJ Cotrona, John Patrick Amedori, Jenny Wade, and Jonathan Trent. The movie starts out telling what you think is going to be a typical good kid, falls in with the wrong crowd movie, and then takes a turn and becomes a very dark, unrequited love story. Caplan stars as Sara Weller, who is part of a close-knit quartet of drug users that includes her boyfriend Troy (Jonathon Trent) and their friends Lucas (D.J. Cotrona) and Erin (Jenny Wade) at a wealthy private school. John Patrick Amedori plays Jonah, a poor kid who gets into the school on a scholarship and tries to befriend the group of "cool" kids. Jonah becomes obsessed with Sara, and the film basically becomes about his obsession with her.

For those who get the DVD, the extras are pretty meager. There is a commentary track on the movie with the director and Amedori, a 12-minute-long making-of featurette, a photo gallery, some promos that play before the disc menu loads, and a trailer for the movie. So, it is not a ton, but it is there if you like watching the bonus content. Overall, the movie is very good. It definitely has an indie feel (much like the movies The Informers and Havoc). Amedori gives a great performance, and while I do not think Caplan gives her best performance in the movie, I think she did a good job even though her character was not always well written. It is definitely worth checking out if you are in the mood for a dark drama.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 3

 Day 3 was the Insanity Max 30 Sweat Intervals workout. It, like the Cardio Challenge workout, has a five-minute warmup that cycles through four moves/exercises, then several sets that consist of three exercises that last for thirty seconds. Each set has three rounds cycling through the three different moves, and then you get a break. I maxed out in this workout almost 2/3 of the way through making it to about 19 and a half minutes. 

This workout has the same problem as Tabata Power in that there are some exercises in which the modifier is barely shown, so if you are doing the modified moves and do not know what the modification is already you either have to guess or wait until the modifier is shown to know what to do. If you have already maxed out, that is fine, but if not, it kind of defeats the purpose of moving until you max out. So, as I said before, it would be nice if they included the modifier track. One thing that is on the DVDs that you do not have to sit through when using the BOD app is the warning screen with the pep talk voiceover from Shaun T that you cannot skip past. So, that is a good tradeoff.

One thing I like about the cast this time is there is a mix of "regular" people and people you can tell are professionally in the fitness industry. It is amazing that they keep allowing Shanita (Ms. "I wanna leave" in the original Insanity program) to keep coming back because she keeps demonstrating how little effort she puts into things. She was the first one to max out in the workout, in the first round of the first set after the warmup and break, and she was putting little to no effort into any of the moves and taking a ton of breaks throughout the workout. A good contrast is when the group is doing switch-kick punches and they are filming Shannon, who is going all out and you can see Shanita down the line totally half-assing it. Sarah, who is to Shaun's right in the front during this workout (who is clearly a fitness professional, or should be if she is not) is going all out the entire time and it is just hilarious to see the contrast with Shanita behind her stopping for about 10-seconds at a time. Now, I know the workouts are hard, and other people stop and pause throughout the workout. Even the people in the best shape have to at some point. But, when they get back into it, they are going at 100% again, and she clearly is not. Even the lady in the back (I cannot remember her name) who looks like a regular person just trying to be in the best shape she can be, who is not in as good of shape as Shanita seems to be, is busting her ass throughout the entire workout. But, most of the cast are really pushing themselves and you can tell how hard the workout is.

Supplement Review: Creatine Powder Unflavored Creatine Monohydrate

 

This is just standard creatine monohydrate powder. It is not the kind that gets mixed with some kind of sugar to aid absorption, nor does it have BCAAs as most post-workout powders do. Therefore, it is definitely not worth the nearly $50 price tag that it is now selling for. Especially when the container does not have a scoop and you get more containers than you get creatine. Overall, if you are a person that creatine works for, this will work for you, but you definitely want to price shop.

Product Review: Hinge Outlet Satin Nickel Wood Screws for Hinges

 

I got these because the hinges on my bathroom door were coming loose because the screws that came with the hinges were too short, and did not hold the hinges in place. These are twice as long as those screws and work as they should. No complaints aside from the fact that it would be nice if it came in a larger pack.

DVD/TV Series Review: Hart of Dixie: Season 3

 

Hart of Dixie most definitely embraces its soap-opera-like qualities over the fish-out-of-water aspects that the first couple of seasons had. It focuses a lot more on the various romances of the characters than it does on Zoe's adjusting to life in Bluebell. The season starts out with Zoe working in an NYC ER, having left Bluebell, seemingly for good at the end of season two. She decides that she misses Bluebell and returns, to a much different reaction than she expected. She has a new boyfriend in tow, a writer named Joel (played by Josh Cooke). The show is much more of a serial story now with the story arcs (mainly about the various characters' love lives) stretching throughout the course of the season than it is a story-of-the-week procedural.

For those who get the DVD set, it is a pretty standard MOD DVD set that just has the episodes, but no extras. There are captions in multiple languages, but there are no deleted scenes, gag-reel, etc., so really the only reason to get the physical disc over just streaming the show is if you got the first two seasons on disc and want to keep your collection complete.

Overall, the show continues to be good. I would not say that it is great, it is definitely a prime-time soap opera as opposed to a traditional medical drama. It does not take itself too seriously, blending in elements of comedy here and there, but it also does not lampoon the south and probably shows what life is really like in most southern towns as opposed to what people who do not live there think it is like. Some of the storylines do get a bit dumb, but on the whole, it is a good-natured character-driven show that is worth the time to check out if you don't expect it to be an award-winning drama.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Americans: Season 3

 

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

Season three of The Americans picks up sometime down the line from the end of season two. Most of the characters continue as they had, aside from Nina, who is now in a Russian gulag having been arrested for treason after Stan failed to save her from being arrested by the Soviets at the end of season two. As has been the case for the first two seasons, this season is a mix of a case-of-the-week procedural while having a running theme that goes throughout the season. This time, it involves the Soviet-Afghan war, and the Jennings trying to obtain information from the CIA's Afghan group. That storyline brings in Julia Garner to play the high-school-aged daughter of the head of the CIA's Afghan group that Phillip has to get close to in order to bug her father's home office, which presents a moral quandary for Phillip as she clearly has a crush on him. Phillip's relationship with Martha gets even more complicated as the bug he convinced her to plant in agent Gaad's office is discovered, and Paige continues to become more suspicious of her parents as time goes by.

For those who get the DVD, it is very bare bones. It does have a couple of bonus features, basically deleted scenes and a feature on the character of Paige. Of course, the first season was released on Blu-Ray, but from season two forward only got DVD releases. While the show does not really use special effects, the show does not look as good on DVD as it did on DVD.

Overall, the show continues to be great. The writers do a good job balancing the large cast and making nearly everything suspenseful. The writing and acting are still great, with the standouts this season being Holly Taylor, whose storyline gets more prevalent, and Annet Mahendru whose character is in a much different position this season from the first two. This season also sees Lev Gorn, Costa Ronin, and Richard Thomas promoted to series regulars. Again, the series is definitely not family-friendly as it has as much swearing, sex, and nudity as can be shown on basic cable. But, the stories are compelling and if you are old enough to remember the early to mid-1980s it will definitely give you a flash of nostalgia. So, if you like the first two season, this is definitely worth watching.