Book Review: Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars

 

This novel is a continuation of the video game Fallen Order which was set five years after the events of Revenge of the Sith and introduced the various characters, including Cal Kestis, who was a Jedi Padawan who survived Order 66. The book assumes that the readers know the various characters from the video game. Chances are if you have played the game you are probably more invested in the characters than a reader who picks up this book for the first time, especially since there is not a ton of character development in this story. 

The story is basically set around a stormtrooper who is looking for the crew of the Mantis to help her defect, promising to help the crew locate a shroud that can mask force-sensitive beings and protect them from the Empire. Of course, things go sideways and the mission puts the group in the crosshairs of one of the Inquisitors, the Fifth Brother (who was played by Sung Kang in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series).

The book is set right around the time of the Solo movie, and the cover makes it clear that the character's story will continue in the video game Jedi Survivor (or Fallen Order 2). So, you can read between the lines about what the outcome of this book is going to be, but even so, it does tell a pretty good story. The only complaint I have about it is that it does get a bit soap-opera-ish with the romance plot(s) and could have done a little bit more character development for those who have not played the video game. It is a fairly short book, under 300 pages, and can be read pretty quickly. If you are a fast reader, it can easily be read in a day or two. Overall, I think it is a good, but not a great story, and while I would not say that it is one of the must-read canon novels, I do think that it is worth reading once. 

Book Review: Betrayal: The Final Act of the T***p Show

 

Betrayal is a great follow-up to Jonathan Karl's first book about the 2017-2021 presidential administration. Where "Front Row" chronicled events at the beginning of the administration up to just before the first impeachment, this one chronicles the end, with a major focus on the 2020 election and the events that followed.

Karl, who was the ABC News White House Correspondent during the shit-show that was the Orange Genital Wart's administration, and who had interviewed the Orange Shitgibbon many times throughout his career, including for this book (for the MAGATs who want to scream "fake news"). He definitely had an inside track to a lot of information, some of which was probably not widely known until the January 6th congressional hearings. He details the in-fighting that was going on behind the scenes between the "normal" people who knew that t***p lost the election and the "crazy" people who were throwing shit at the wall to see if anything would stick in trying to get the results of the 2020 election overturned. And how the plans went from a pressure campaign on local officials in various states, to trying to use the courts, to going back to pressuring local officials, to finally trying to pressure Mike Pence, who found a spine for the first time in at least four years and did not go along with the crazy plans that were being thrown out by t***p and his band of dipshits. 

This book is different from the first one in which Karl was mostly presenting facts, but keeping most of his personal opinions out of the book. Here, Karl clearly says that things t***p and those around him were doing and saying were crazy, nuts, lies, made up, etc. And, even though he did not come right out and say "t***p show" is a euphemism for "shit show", it does not take much reading between the lines to figure that out.

The book is just over 300 pages and is a pretty quick and easy read. The is not much in the book that is new, especially if you kept up with the January 6th hearings, but there are some fine details that Karl reports in this book that flesh out some of the reporting that was widely known (if you get your news from reputable sources). It is definitely worth reading.

Workout Update: P90X3 and PIYO doubles workout- Day 3

Day 3 was accelerator in X3 and Define Upper in PIYO.

Accelerator is basically an interval workout in which you do each move for a minute at two different speeds that Tony alternates. Define upper is an upper-body-focused yoga workout in which Chalene has you do a bunch of triceps push-ups and a bunch of core-focused moves. 

Both of the workouts are challenging. Thankfully each is short and modifiable. Accelerator is, of course, 30 minutes long and Define Upper is 20 minutes long. Pretty much anyone can be challenged in both workouts no matter what kind of shape you are in. 

Workout Update: P90X3 and PIYO doubles workout- Day 2

Day 2 was Dynamix in X3 and Define-Lower in PIYO. Dynamix is a flexibility workout in which you are constantly moving, so there are a lot of pulsing exercises or movements in which you go from side to side, plus the standard Yoga sun salutations.

Define lower is a short, just over 20 minutes, yoga routine focusing on the lower body, so you are doing several warrior and triangle poses, half moon, etc. Putting most of the focus on your legs, hips, etc. Of course, you get the option to modify, which includes using a chair for warrior 3 and half moon, which makes them much easier to do. 

Book Review: Cosmic Queries: StarTalk's Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going

 

This book is a combination of the two seasons of Cosmos that Neil deGrasse Tyson hosted, his Star Talk TV show, and the Star Talk podcast/webisodes mixed together. The book was written by Tyson and co-author James Trefil. In it, Tyson explains what the various sciences (basically physics, chemistry, biology, and astrophysics) have figured out about the origin of the universe, the formation of our solar system, life on Earth, the possibility of alien life elsewhere in the universe, and how the universe may ultimately end. As importantly he goes through things that there is evidence for, but is not well understood (e.g., dark matter and dark energy). He is able to explain the concepts clearly without throwing a bunch of equations in the book that would require multiple years of calculus to even begin to understand. In fact, the only equation in the book is the famous Drake Equation that is used to try to predict the number of planets or moons that may have intelligent life, and even in that case, he is really just explaining what the variables in the equation represents. 

The book is what I consider an intermediate length, at just over 300 pages. There are a lot of pictures in the book, both actual photographs taken through telescopes or the various probes we have sent out into the solar system, and artist renderings of how we think things look. And, some of the tweets that Tyson has tweeted over the years on various topics are included. So, the book reads fairly quickly. My only complaint is that throughout the book the authors include what amount to margin notes that delve a bit more deeply into something that was mentioned in the main text. However, the font used for these asides is smaller and the ink used is much lighter than the main text. So, unless you have really good eyesight, they can be hard to read, especially if you are at the point in your life where you need to use reading glasses or progressive lenses. That aside, it is still a good read for anyone who is interested in Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Workout Update: P90X3 and PIYO doubles workout- Day 1

Since I finished the three-week yoga retreat, as I said in my last post, instead of just repeating that one, I decided to switch to PIYO as my second, flexibility-based workout. PIYO is a combination of Yoga, Pilates, and Cardio, and was created by Chalene Johnson, the creator of Turbo Jam, Turbo Fire, and Chalean Extreme. 

In X3, week 4 is the transition/recovery week, so today's workout was Isometrix, which is a yoga workout with all balance poses. There is no warm-up or cool down, you just start the routine cold, but because you are balancing and using your core the entire time, you warm up pretty quickly. Basically, in the workout, you alternate between a mat-based balance move and a standing balance pose, holding each move for 45 seconds on each side. If you have done any of the P90x yoga routines you have seen all of the moves that are in the workout, but it is really just holding them much longer than you have before.

The first PIYO workout is called Align: Fundamentals, which is basically a tutorial in which Chalene shows you the various types of moves that you will be doing throughout the program, breaking down both the modified and unmodified versions of them. So, it is a little slower and she does not always do each move on both sides of the body evenly. But, it is very helpful, especially if you are a beginner (even though Beachbody labels the program as an intermediate one).  

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 21

For Day 21 I just did the AM and abs workouts in Yoga, back to back. These are the only repeat workouts in the program, which is nice. I did not do the optional X3 workout (which is just a flexibility workout). So, this marks the end of the three-week yoga program. I can definitely tell that, between this and the beginner's Pilates workout, I am a bit more flexible. So, I decided instead of doing this again for my flexibility workout, I am going to step it up a bit and do the Chalene Johnson Pilates/Yoga/Cardio workout PIYO as my second workout of the day. 

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 20

Day 20 was the relax workout in yoga (and also the last regular workout of that program) and The Warrior in X3. I am still not a fan of The Warrior, but it is getting a little easier to do (at least some of the moves).  That is definitely a workout for which you need to be in very good cardio shape to be able to do well, even the modified version (which is barely modified). And, at least for guys, if you still have the spare tire gut, you really have to get rid of that before you have a hope of being able to do this workout well.

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 19

Day 19 was the 20-minute flow workout in yoga and  CVX in X3. Again, the flow workout was challenging but since it was a bit shorter it was not too bad. CVX was still very hard and a 3lb weight is perfectly fine for beginners. You will still get a challenging workout. There are even points with using the 3lb weight I have to modify because I am still getting very tired out (usually in the jumping-jack moves). 

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 18

Day 18 was the 30-minute flow workout in the three-week yoga program and The Challenge in X3. The flow workout was hard, probably the hardest routine of the bunch, which makes sense given how the program is laid out. The Challenge was still difficult, but a bit less so than the first couple of weeks, and I was able to bump my number of reps up for both the push-ups and the pull-ups.

Book Review: Memorial Day: (Mitch Rapp Series Book 7 Chronological Order; Book 5 Publication Order)

 

At the time it was written, this was the fifth novel in the Mitch Rapp series of spy/assassin novels by Vince Flynn. It is the seventh book if you read the series chronologically, and the second book in the series written after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. While the prior novel, Executive Power, did mention the 9/11 attacks, this was the first novel in which Flynn built the storyline around the fallout from the attacks. The plot of this book is that what was left of Al Qaeda planned another attack using a cell located in the United States to launch another attack on the country, this time using a nuclear bomb. Rapp discovers the plot when he is helping clear out a stronghold in Pakistan and then has to return to the US to attempt to foil the plot. 

The book is fairly fast-paced with an engaging story. Flynn does introduce a couple of new characters in this novel, the most prominent of which is Peggy Stealey, who is a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in charge of Counterterrorism, who, of course, butts heads with Rapp, and her boss, the Attorney General, Martin Stokes, who is angling to replace the Vice President on the ticket. Mitch's wife, Anna, is mostly absent during the events of this book, essentially written out as visiting her family in Wisconsin for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.  

In my opinion, this was the best book in the series (up to that point), and I think told a much more realistic story than Flynn's prior novels did (in which Iraq was made out to be a much larger threat than it really was). Of course, the plot and the characters were made up (he even refrained from using the names of the real Al Qaeda leadership), but Flynn again blended elements of real life into his story, including the controversy over whether torture (or the threat of it) should be used to interrogate terrorists at a time when the "enhanced interrogation techniques" used in real life were coming to light. Flynn does, despite the fact that he himself was a conservative, remain mostly apolitical in the storytelling and includes characters from both sides of the political spectrum, writing Rapp to pretty much despise all politicians and especially their hangers-on.  The story in the book is mostly self-contained, but there are definitely elements in the book that could be brought into the plots of the subsequent books. I started reading the books in chronological order, so this is the farthest in the timeline I have gotten, so I am not sure how much from this book will carry over into the other books, but it definitely seems like Flynn was setting some things up in this book that will pay off down the line. It is definitely worth reading if you liked the prior novels in the series. 

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 17

Day 17 was another double yoga day. The three-week yoga workout was another 30-minute balance workout, that actually did not have any super challenging balance moves in it. The tree pose was probably the hardest one, but there were a lot of crescent poses throughout. Then, it was X3 yoga again, which, like the other X3 workouts does get progressively easier as you do them, but I am definitely not anywhere near being able to do the advanced poses. 

Workout Update: 3-week Yoga/P90X 3 Day 16

Day 16 was the 30-minute stretch workout in the three-week yoga program and Agility X in X3. The yoga workout did not really have any new moves, just new combinations and slight variations on what they have shown in the prior workouts. The agility workout in X3 was again a little easier, with my endurance getting a little better, but I still have to modify the workout a bit.

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.