Book Review: Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil (Ascendancy Trilogy Volume III)

 

This is the third book in what is now the third overall (and second in official Star Wars canon) Thrawn Trilogy. This book concludes the events of the attack on the Chiss Ascendancy (the group of worlds in the unknown regions controlled by the Chiss and their ruling families) with the intent of starting a civil war between the ruling families. Probably more important to Star Wars fans is that it details the lead-up to how Thrawn ultimately became a member of the Empire after being exiled from the Ascendancy (which was hinted at in the first canon trilogy).  In this book, we find out that there is more to that story, and we get a hint of where Thrawn's actual loyalties lie. The book ends just after the events of the Revenge of the Sith and the fall of the Republic and the corresponding rise of the Empire.

I think the book was a good end to the storyline and is definitely better than the second book in the trilogy (Greater Good). Although this one does suffer from a couple of long stretches in which Thrawn is totally absent so if you are not really invested in the ancillary characters, the book may drag a bit. That said, there are some good action sequences, one of which is the final battle at the end of the book, that really displays Thrawn's ability at battle strategy, which is mostly what made the character so popular in the original Thrawn trilogy of novels that were written in the 1990s. While I still think that trilogy was the best one, this book is definitely worth reading for fans of the character to get his entire backstory.

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 15

Day 15 is the start of week three, of the three-week yoga retreat. This time, Ted, who you will recognize if you have done P90x2 and/or P90x3 leads the routines, with other cast members joining in to enhance or modify the moves. This routine is again a core-focused routine so it utilizes boat, downward dog crunches, etc. Then, in X3 it is back to the Total Synergistics workout. Again, my endurance is definitely challenged, but the workout is a little easier than it was last week (not by much though), so it is a matter of just plugging away and getting through it. 

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 14

Day 14 was the three yoga workout day. I did the "AM" workout in the early afternoon and then did the abs workout immediately after it. Then, just before bed, I did the PM workout. I could not tell if the AM workout was the same one from last week, but the abs and PM workouts definitely are the same as the week 1 versions. Day 7 is definitely a much less intense day than any of the others, with just a couple of flowing movements, but pretty much everything else is seated. The abs workout is definitely the most challenging of all of the workouts.

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 13

Day 13 was the 25-minute relax workout in Yoga, and The Warrior in X3. I still very much dislike (and borderline hate) the Warrior workout, but it was a little bit easier (just a little) the second time through it. It is possible to modify some of the moves, even though the "modifier" in the workout hardly modifies it at all, but even modified it is a very tough workout.

Product Review: Mavogel Cotton Sleep Eye Mask

 

This is a great sleep mask. It is very soft and blocks out all light (when it is positioned correctly). I have a floor lamp that dims on a timer, but I do sometimes get tired before it turns all the way off. I tried putting the mask on before the lamp was set to shut itself off, and I could not see any light through or around the edges of the mask. I also have blackout curtains that do a good job of keeping light from the outside to a minimum, but the electronics I use in my room always have some light that keeps the room from being completely dark, which I definitely need at night in order to sleep well, and this blocks out all of that light which would otherwise keep me awake.

It does take a couple of nights to get used to wearing this. It is a lot heavier than other masks I have tried and it has a tighter strap, both of which are ultimately good, but may be a bit uncomfortable the first night that you use it. The strap is adjustable, however, so you can loosen it up if it is too tight. While it does not always help me fall asleep faster, I definitely sleep deeper once I get to sleep when using this. So, if you are a person that needs absolute darkness to sleep, this is a good pickup.

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 12

For Day 12, I did the 20-minute flow workout and last week's 10-minute ab workout (which was one of the optional day 7 workouts that I skipped). Then, in X3, I did the challenge, which was actually supposed to be the workout on Thursday, but misread the days and did CVX instead. At any rate, I added 1 pull-up to each round and one push-up to each round. I did all the push-ups on my toes, except during the burnout when I switched to doing them on my knees to finish the entire 2.5 minutes.

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 11

Day 11 was the 30-minute flow workout in yoga and CVX in X3. The flow workout was very good, incorporating nearly all of the moves (except some of the balance moves) that were in the prior workouts this week. It was pretty much non-stop until the end of the workout when they finish with some final stretches.

CVX was again hard, but a bit easier than it was last week. I again just used a 3lb dumbbell, and that was plenty, especially in the second rounds when you are going much faster and hence doing more reps.  

Book Review: Front Row at the T***p Show

 

Jonathan Karl has a unique perspective on the former administration having interviewed the orange genital wart early in his career when t***p was just a bullshit con artist real estate developer, and then a few times leading up to his announcement that he was running for president in 2016. Then, when t***p was in the White House, Karl was the White House Correspondent for ABC news. He also had known Sean Spicer for years before Spicer became the press secretary.

The book basically details the administration right up to the point just before the first impeachment. The final chapter of the book actually ends with t***p meeting Kim Jong Un at the DMZ on the border of North and South Korea and how he was pining for Kim to accept his invitation to meet. Then, in the Epilogue, Karl briefly touches on the first impeachment but does not go into a ton of detail about that because the book at basically been written and ready to publish just as all that was starting. So, at that point, Karl is mostly wrapping up his observations. 

A couple of interesting nuggets from the book are that t***p always thought of his whole brand as an entertainment act (hence the title of the book, which is also probably being used as a euphemism for "shit show" since it is fairly obvious that is how Karl saw that whole operation) and years ago admitted that he lied to get ahead, and just what a thin-skinned little prick Sean Spicer is and how he would get upset over even innocuous questions.

The book is just under 400 pages but reads fairly quickly. I would not say it contains a ton of material that was not widely reported, but it does contain some fine details that were not widely reported. Definitely a good read.

Book Review: Dumpty: The Age of Trump in Verse

 

This is a collection of poems by the actor John Lithgow that are basically a social commentary on the 2017-2021 presidential administration.

Lithgow basically excoriates the orange genital wart and people who were around him (the various cabinet members, etc.) and promoted his narrative (mostly FOX "News"). It is not really a collection of funny poems, but he does take some funny shots at t***p and those around him. But, they are mostly meant to be a serious commentary on the policies and craziness of that administration. I do think if there were more just totally humorous poems in the book it would have been better, but if you despised t***p and his band of dipshits, it is worth reading and can easily be finished in a couple of hours.

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 10

Day 10 was another double yoga day, with the balance workout in 3-week Yoga, and then the X3 yoga routine. The best thing about the balance workout is a great variation on tree pose that makes it a LOT easier for people who do not have great balance yet. And, it eases you into Warrior III much more than any of the P90X yoga routines do.

The X3 yoga workout is still challenging, but easier since doing the first Yoga workout in the morning. And, I have started incorporating the 3-week yoga modifications into the X3 routine when I need to, and they help immensely. 

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 9

Day 9 was the 30-minute stretch workout, and much like last week's workout, this one focuses the most on hip and hamstring flexibility. It does have some core work and some flow work (via slower and less intense versions of the sun salutations). 

In X3, the workout was again Agility-x. It was a little easier than last week, but still very challenging and hard to keep up with, especially at the end when Tony keeps reversing direction in some of the moves. It is definitely a workout that will be very hard if you still have a significant amount of weight to lose but should get progressively easier over time. 

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 8

Day 8 was the 30 min core yoga workout, expanding on the concepts from week one. This week, Elise is the head instructor, and the other cast members kind of rotate through the different workouts. While this one is core-focused, it includes a few balance moves and the sun salutation flows.  

In X3 the workout was Total Synergistics again. It is still not a workout I would say that I love, but it is better than The Warrior. There are some moves in the workout that I like and some that I cannot do very well, but I keep pushing forward with it, and hopefully by the end of the month it will be easier.

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 7

Day 7 was a rest day in X3. In Yoga, you have the option to do one or more of three different 10-minute workouts, an AM workout, an ab/core workout, and a PM workout. The AM workout is a short version of a flow workout, doing a couple of sun salutations and some breath work. The PM workout is meant to be done just before bed to help you relax and basically focuses on breathing and flexibility. I did not do the abs workout, but I plan to do it on Friday after the 20-minute flow workout.

Book Review: Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service

 

Zero Fail is a book detailing major events in the history of the Secret Service, focusing mainly on the years from 1961 to 2020. The book lays out the good, the bad, and the ugly (sometimes very ugly) of the Secret Service over the years, and how the protection of the Presidents changed over the years, mostly in response to the JFK assassination and the attempted assassination of Ford, Regan, and Presidential candidate George Wallace. And, the book sheds a lot of light (and provides a lot of behind-the-scenes detail) on events like "Hookergate" and the intrusions into the White House complex by fence jumpers that occurred in more recent years.

Leonnig, a Washington Post reporter, does briefly discuss the origins of the Secret Service but the book mainly focuses on events like the JFK assassination, the attempted assassination of Regan, dealing with JFK and Bill Clinton's womanizing, how Nixon wanted to use agents to spy on his rivals, and how it basically became a frat with agents boozing and fucking anything that moved during their later years, and how the culture within the Secret Service caused embarrassment (at the very least) or put the lives to their protectees in danger. Some of the more interesting details involved how the different Presidents and First Ladies reacted to the agents, and as a result who the agents liked (Regan and the Bushes) and who they disliked or hated (Hillary Clinton).

The book is just under 400 pages but is actually a very fast read. If you read fairly quickly, you can easily get through the book in a week or less. The chapters are all relatively short (20 pages or less) so it is something that is easy to read just before bed and still finish a chapter before you get too tired. It is a book that is part expose, part history lesson, and part political reporting. If you are a fan of history and/or politics it is definitely worth checking out. 

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 6

Day 6 in Yoga was the 25-minute relax workout, this time led by Faith, who was the only cast member in this workout. The workout is much less intense than the flow workouts, focusing mostly on breathing and stretching, although you do a couple of half sun salutations. Those are as intense as the workout gets. This one does have a bit more of the woo-woo stuff that turns some people off to yoga, but she does not go overboard with it. 

Then the X3 workout, is my least favorite workout in all of X3, The Warrior. It is basically an MMX-inspired cardio workout that is extremely hard. Even the modified version is very hard. It is the workout that is going to challenge the vast majority of people the most of any of the X3 workouts. I am sure as I get fitter it will not bother me as much, but I remember when I first did X3 years ago, when I was in better shape, I was not a huge fan of the workout then either. But, I got it done.

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 5

The yoga workout for Day 5 is a shorter version of the flow workout. Just 20 minutes instead of 30, but has pretty much all of the same moves that were in the longer flow workout in a different order and not doing as many repetitions of the sun salutations.

In X3, the workout was CVX, which is basically a cardio workout that has you holding light weights for all but one of the moves. I used a 3lb dumbell for all of the moves and I was still very tired by the end. Tony was using a 12.5 lb dumbell and the modifier was using a basketball. You basically do a few moves with little to no rest, then you get a short break, enough to towel  off and get a sip of water, do a few more moves then get another break, etc.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: House M.D., The Complete Collection

 

This is a region-free import of the complete series of House M.D. on blu-ray. As most fans of the show are aware (at least those who are also fans of physical media), in the United States, the first five seasons of House were released on DVD and the final three seasons were released on blu-ray. But, the older seasons of the show were never released on blu-ray and there was never a complete US series release on blu-ray. To my knowledge, this is the easiest and most cost-effective way to get the entire series on blu-ray. While it is an import from Japan, the discs do play in region 1 (US region) blu-ray players and it does have captions in English on the episodes, but not on the special features.

House was a hit medical drama that aired from 2004 through 2012 starring Hugh Laurie as Gregory House, a brilliant, acerbic diagnostician at a fictional hospital in New Jersey who was addicted to Vicodin, hated seeing patients, insulted them (and his team of doctors) mercilessly when he had to interact with them, and thought everyone is a lying idiot. His team (in the early seasons) included doctors Cameron (played by Jennifer Morrison), Chase (played by Jesse Spencer), and Foreman (played by Omar Epps). In Later seasons Olivia Wilde, Peter Jacobson, Kal Penn, Odette Annabele, and Charline Yi would also play members of House's diagnostics team. House's only friend is an oncologist named James Wilson (played by Robert Sean Leonard), and the hospital administrator, Lisa Cuddy, who is always butting heads with House is played by Lisa Edelstein. 

The show was mostly a case-of-the-week procedural drama in which the team was presented with a patient with some weird medical issue that no one else could diagnose. Intertwined within the weekly cases were serial arcs that sometimes involved House pissing off the wrong person, the lives of one or more of the team members, or the like. The first seven seasons of the show were great. Season 8 is not as good because a pot point from season seven never truly gets resolved in a satisfying way. That said, the series has a nearly perfect ending.

The blu ray set has 39 discs, all of which are in huge keep cases. They are, unfortunately, the kinds of cases that require two discs to be stacked on top of each other, and the discs can on some tabs come loose and fall off and on others be damn near impossible to get off. The blu-ray set does have all of the same special features, including interviews, commentary tracks, gag reels, deleted scenes, etc., that were released on the US DVD and blu-ray releases. The A/V transfer of the early seasons is okay, but not great. The final three seasons which got original blu-ray releases have a much better A/V quality. The blu-ray menus are very bare bones and are hard to navigate at first, and the titles of the episodes are not listed on the menus. The only change to the episodes themselves is that the theme that plays over the opening credits is different than the one that played in the US (it is the European version).

Overall, the show is great. It is probably the best medical drama after ER (which is the medical drama by which I compare all others) that I have seen. It was well-written and very well-acted. It could be suspenseful, sad, and funny, all within the same episode. The show also got a lot of great guest and recurring stars throughout its run, some of whom were very well-known (e.g., James Earl Jones, Candice Bergen, and Sela Ward), and some for whom the show was one of their big breaks (e.g., Wentworth Miller, Dominic Purcell, Amanda Seyfried, Michael B. Jordan, Elle Fanning, Jeremy Renner, etc.). If you are a fan of the show, this is definitely worth the pickup.

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 4

Day 4 of the three-week yoga was a 30-minute flow workout. Basically, putting together all of the concepts from the prior workouts but having you move more, including doing the sun salutations so you are getting a bit more of a workout.

The day 4 X3 workout is The Challenge. In that workout, you set a goal for the number of push-ups and pull-ups that you want to do throughout the entire workout. The actual workout has you doing a pull-up move, followed by a push-up move, then preparing the same pull-up and push-up move again, before giving you a one-minute break. Then you do a different pull-up move followed by a different push-up move, do two rounds, and get another break. So, basically, you do four blocks, with each block having two rounds. It is an extremely tough workout, especially if you are not great at pull-ups and/or push-ups. So, I recommend setting your numbers for each low (I did 10 and 10) for the first workout and then increase or decrease reps once you know how that goes. 

4k-UHD Review- Batman Begins

 

Batman Begins was the 2005 reboot of the live-action Batman franchise which had mostly been killed off by the hot garbage of a movie that was Batman and Robin. This movie was co-written and directed by Christopher Nolan who, at the time, was best known for movies like Memento and Insomnia. It starred Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne, Michael Caine as Alfred, Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon (who was a Sergent at the time), and Morgan Freeman as Lucious Fox. It included a supporting cast of Katie Holmes, Liam Neeson, Rutger Hauer, Tom Wilkinson, and two who would become Nolan regulars, Ken Watanabe and Cillian Murphy.

The movie was another origin story for the character of Batman, but unlike other adaptations in which the murder of Bruce's parents is shown and then there is a time jump to him being established as Batman, this movie shows the process of Bruce becoming Batman, and what he had to do to get to that point, including training with the League of Shadows, a society of assassins who practice ninjutsu and want to restore law and order to the world. Then the movie shows Bruce returning to Gotham to take on the criminal underworld (mainly Tom Wilkinson's Carmine Falcone) that has taken over the city.

The 4k-UHD set is a three-disc set. There is the UHD disc that just has the movie, a regular blu-ray disc that also just has the movie on it, and then a second blu-ray disc that has all of the special features. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is very good, near reference quality, and definitely an upgrade from the original 1080p release. There are well over two hours worth of bonus content on the third disc, including several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, which detail nearly every part of the filmmaking process from the creation of the new Batmobile to the stunt training. The first six-minute opening sequence of the second movie in the trilogy, The Dark Knight is also included, as is the theatrical trailer for Batman Begins.

Overall, the movie is great. It is much better than the Joel Schumacher-helmed movies, and very much on par quality-wise with, but much different than Tim Burton's movies. Nolan grounds the movie in reality as much as he can, making Gotham look like a real city and using as few CGI effects as he possibly can. Bale, as much as he can be a jackass in real-life at times and seems to take himself way too seriously, does a great job both as Bruce Wayne and as Batman. He absolutely threw himself into the role (as he does for all his movies), and was really the first actor that I think nailed both roles in live-action. Katie Holmes was very good as Rachel Dawes, Bruce's childhood friend turned assistant District Attorney who was one of the few officials in Gotham who was not corrupt, and Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman were great in their respective roles. So, if you are a fan of Batman it is a must-see movie, and the 4k disc is definitely worth the upgrade. 

Book Review: Executive Power: (Mitch Rapp Series Book 6 Chronological Order; Book 4 Publication Order)

 

This is a continuation of the spy thriller/political thriller series of novels by the late Vince Flynn set around the character of Mitch Rapp. It is set down the line from the events of the prior novel, Separation of Power, in which Rapp was outed as a CIA asset by President Hayes after the mission in Iraq. Now, Mitch is basically saddled with an office job working for Irene Kennedy at the CIA, but he still manages to get into the thick of things (much to the displeasure of his boss, Irene Kennedy, and his wife, Anna). 

This novel has a couple of different storylines going on. The beginning of the book centers around an operation in the Philippines involving a corrupt general and a family of Americans being held hostage by terrorists. The main storyline in the novel is a plot that involves a Saudi Arabian prince who is working with a Palestinian assassin (who is also working with Ben Friedman, the fictional head of the Mossad, who has been a major character in the prior novels) in a scheme to get the UN to set up a Palestinian state.

In this novel, which is the fourth in the series if you read the books in order of publication, Flynn again blends real life with his fictional world. This was the first novel that was written after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and while Flynn does refer to the attacks, and does a play on names of one of the real 9/11 hijackers in naming one of his fictional terrorists, he does not extensively work the events of 9/11 into the book. Flynn also gives a nod to his Twin Cities roots by naming a character after a local reporter/talk show host. 

Overall, the book is another good action thriller. While I do not think the overall story is as good as the stories in Transfer of Power, The Third Option, and Separation of Power, it has a similar tone to all of those books there were just too many stretches in the book in which Rapp was absent or on the sidelines. That said, it is still worth reading.

DVD/TV Series Review: Animal Kingdom: Season 6

 

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

The sixth season of Animal Kingdom aired during the summer of 2022, and consisted of 13 episodes. This season is all about reveals. It picks up sometime down the line from the discovery of Catherine's body by the police at the end of Season 5. The cops in Oceanside officially consider it a cold case, assuming either Baz or Smurf killed her, and with both of them being dead, were not looking too heavily into the case. That is until a new cop takes up the case and starts looking at Pope. 

The show jumps back and forth between the 1990s, where young Smurf, played by Lelia George, is completely fucking up the teenaged versions of Pope (played by Kevin Csolak, who mirrors Shawn Hatsoy's performance perfectly), Baz (played by Darren Mann), and Julia (played by Jasper Polish), and the present in which J is acting as the de-facto leader of the family. 

In the past, we see the events that led J to hate Smurf and the entire family, and in the present, it is revealed exactly how much he hates them. We also see the events that led to Pope being arrested for bank robbery, which was the crime he had just been released for in the show's first season. I won't say too much about how things play out, but the show does provide some closure, but some things are not tied up in nice bows. For example, we never get a concrete answer as to whether Smurf actually had an incestual relationship with any of the kids, but it is strongly hinted that she did at least with Pope. Of course, that is not something that they ever could have filmed in the flashbacks since the kids were supposed to be in their teens, but Lelia George played Smurf just as creepy and skeevy as Ellen Barkin did.

For those who get the DVD, it is mostly a MOD set with the 13 episodes spread across three discs. It does have one bonus feature, which is an 8-minute-long series retrospective that includes interviews with members of the cast and crew and has some behind-the-scenes footage from the final season. 

Overall, the season is good. I think the material in the flashbacks is a bit better than the material in the present day, but Shawn Hatsoy (who also directs another episode this season) carries every scene he is in. Lelia George really nails young Smurf and does a great job portraying an absolutely horrible character that ruined all of her kids' lives.  I cannot say that everyone will love how the series ends, but if you have been a fan of the show up to this point, it is definitely worth seeing how it plays out. 

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 3

Day 3 ended up being a two-yoga workout day. In the morning, the three-week yoga retreat workout was a balance-focused workout. The hardest pose in that workout was tree, although there were a couple of good variations of it for people whose balance is not very good. Then, in the evening, I did X3 yoga, which is a very scaled-back combination of yoga routines in X1 and X2, yet still very challenging. And, thankfully, is only a half hour as opposed to the 90-minute slog that is X1 yoga and the hour-long routine in X2. Ted, who is one of the cast members in the three-week yoga program is a cast member in the X3 yoga video, as is Traci Morrow, who has been in nearly all of Tony Horton's major programs. She was probably in her late 40s when X3 yoga was filmed and in great shape, especially for having six kids. And, she laughs at all of Tony's corny jokes, so there is that.

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 2

Day 2 in Yoga was a flexibility-focused stretch workout, focusing on hamstring, hip, and spine mobility. If you have done any of the P90x versions of yoga you will recognize a lot of the moves, but they are done at a much slower pace in this program and with more variations when alternate modifications are available. 

The X3 workout was Agility-X, a cardio workout incorporating some plyometrics. Specifically, jumping or hopping laterally, from side to side, as well as forward and back. You have to put a couple pieces of tape on the floor parallel to each other with three marks at the ends of each piece and in the middle of each piece. Those act as targets for some of the exercises in which you will be trying to land on a particular target. It starts off pretty easy, but gets very tough by the end. So, even if you are in good shape and do not have to modify any of the moves, you will be tired when you get done with it.

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 1

Day 1 of this new round of doubles workouts consisted of Day 1 in the three-week yoga retreat, which was a core-focused 30-minute yoga routine, and then the total synergistics workout in X3. The yoga workout has three people, two doing unmodified versions of the workout and one person (this time Ted, who was a cast member in both the X2 and X3 yoga routines) doing modified moves. The routine is challenging but not so hard that it is impossible for a beginner to do. The workout was actually made for those who are either total beginners at yoga or who have done some yoga in the past, but got away from it and are out of practice, which perfectly describes me. 

For those who have not done X3 before, it is basically a combination of P90X and P90X2, using many of the same exercises as in those workouts, but condensed into a half-hour long routine (actually about 32 minutes with the cool-down). Total synergistics is hard. It has some exercises that use weights, some chin-up exercises, and some cardio moves and yoga moves (sometimes doing cardio and yoga moves with weights). A few exercises have you standing on one foot and lifting weights, which will probably be challenging for most people. For the most part, I used light weights, although there were a couple of different squat exercises in which I used a 20 or 30-pound dumbbell. There is a modifier doing only slightly less intense versions of each move, but honestly you may have to modify the modified moves if you are just starting out.

Workout Update: Lift 4/Beginner Pilates Doubles Days 55 and 56

For the last two days of this doubles workout I just did the two Lift-4 recovery workouts each day. I was a bit burned out on Pilates and just wanted to do short workouts each day. When I get a chance later this week I will give my impressions of each of the two programs. The next doubles program I am going to do is Beachbody's three-week yoga retreat and P90X3. After the three-week yoga retreat, I will figure out if I want to keep doing that or switch to one of the other flexibility-based programs as the second workout since X3 will last 12 weeks.