Workout Update: P90X3 and PIYO doubles workout- Day 68

 Day 68 was The Challenge in X3 and a Rest day for PIYO, although I did do the Sweat workout to make up for having skipped it a couple of weeks ago. I decided that the next workouts will be Job 1, which is a 20-minute circuit workout three days a week, and then cardio twice a week (HIIT on Tuesday and a less intense cardio on Thursday). Then, the second "workout" will be the XB flexibility series which is basically a set of stretching routines that run anywhere from 5 minutes to 15 minutes.

Book Review: Star Wars Mission to Disaster

 

This is one of the junior novels set during the High Republic era (the second/latter portion of the High Republic) between the events of the young-adult novel "Out of the Shadows" and the Adult Novel, "The Fallen Star". The main characters in this book are the young Jedi knight, Vernestra Rwoh, her padawan Imri, and Avon Starros, who was introduced in the book Out of the Shadows. The plot involves a Nihil attack on a peaceful outpost at which they abduct a bunch of children, including Avon, and force them to join their ranks. The Jedi have to both save the children and figure out how to get the people off of the planet because of an attack by yet another, new, Nihil weapon.

The book is just under 300 pages, and because it is a junior novel reads very quickly. It is written well enough that adults can enjoy it, yet it is age-appropriate for younger kids. If you are a fast reader (and are an adult) you can easily finish the book in a day or two. As is the case with all of the junior and young-adult novels, it fills in the main storyline from the adult novels and thus includes characters that the adult novels do not. I would not say that the plot is essential to the larger story, but it is still an enjoyable book and definitely worth checking out if you have read the other High-Republic-era books.

Product Review: Amazon Basic Care Naproxen Sodium Tablets, 200 Count

 

This is Amazon's equivalent to Alleve. They are the same size and shape as the name-brand and other store-brand generics, but you get a lot more of them in the package and for a much better price than you would find them in stores.

Book Review: The Man Who Warned America: The Life and Death of John O'Neill: The FBI's Embattled Counterterror Warrior

 

This is a biography of John O'Neill, who was basically the FBI's head of counterterrorism in the New York office until 2001, when he retired and went to work as the head of security at the World Trade Center, where he was about two weeks into the job when he was killed in the September 11th terrorist attacks.

The book details O'Neill's life from his time growing up in New Jersey, dreaming of becoming an FBI agent, to his death in 2001. The book shows him as a complicated figure who could be brash and overbearing at one moment and kind and generous the next. He would roll over people one second and seek their approval the next. The book does detail his messy personal life, dating (and making promises of marriage) to multiple women, while still being married to his first wife because of his Catholic faith. The book really focuses on how he was one of the first people to recognize and warn government officials of the threat of Al-Qaeda and worked to build a case against Osama Bin Ladin so the FBI could go into Afghanistan and grab him. It also detailed the way he butted heads with people in the FBI and how his penchant for bending the rules, and his personal life caused him to be passed over for promotions and ultimately forced out of the FBI. The book portrays O'Neill as really being married to his work, and being someone who rarely slept and was obsessive about getting everything perfect.

The book is a bit incomplete in that, while it does detail how O'Neill butted heads with the Ambassador of Yemen when investigating the bombing of the USS Cole, and his fights with FBI brass, it does not go into the infighting between O'Neil and the CIA agents in the "Bin Ladin Unit", and only touched on the refusal of the CIA to share information with the FBI (and pretty much specifically with O'Neill). The book also has a lot of inaccuracies about what happened on September 11th, such as misidentifying the pilot of Flight 11,  attributing the threats intended for the passengers of Flight 11 that were broadcast to Air Traffic Control as being made by the hijacker pilot of Flight 175, and getting some parts of the timeline wrong. The book was published in 2002, so certainly not all of the information that has been revealed since it was written was widely known when it was being written, but some of the mistakes could have been avoided with a little research and better editing. The does, however, provide some details about how O'Neill died that I have not seen widely reported.

Overall, the book is a good look at a man with a complex life.  The book is about 400 pages of substantive text, and then about 30 pages of notes. It is not an easy read, but it is not extremely difficult to get through either. People who read quickly should be able to get through it in a week or less, depending on how much time they have to read. I definitely recommend it.

Product Review: 6Pack Transparent Sticky Notes, Clear Sticky Notes, 3’’ x 3’’ Translucent Sticky Notes

 

These are transparent sticky notes that allow you to see through to what you are placing them on. They are great for students, especially those who are in STEM programs and who do their homework using an iPad or an E-ink tablet. If you are in physics or engineering classes and want to transfer a drawing from the book to your homework, you can trace the drawing from the book, and then trace it onto your homework and get a much better drawing than you would likely get trying to draw freehand. 

You can also use a highlighter on these, so you can put them on the pages of your book, highlight or mark up the book, without actually ruining the book. And, if you accidentally go crazy with the highlighting, you can remove the sticky note and redo it with a clean one. One thing to note when using these is that gel pen ink does smudge on them, so you will want to use a regular ballpoint pen or, if you do use a gel pen, use two of them, one to write on and one to put over the note with the writing to keep the ink from smudging when you close the book. 

Product Review: Preparation H Soothing Relief Flushable Cleansing Cooling Wipes

 

This is a three-pack of Preparation H wipes that relieve itching hemorrhoids but are not medicated, so they will not do much if you have inflamed or bleeding hemorrhoids.  In that case, you would still have to use a medicated ointment, but I think using these regularly can help prevent hemorrhoids from becoming inflamed. Of course, they are not really flushable, despite the claims. The only thing that should ever be flushed is toilet paper so I always just throw these in the garbage. 

Product Review: BOZHUORUI Stand Case for 10.3" Onyx Boox Note Air/Boox Note Air2 and Boox Note Air2 Plus ePaper Tablet

 

This is a case/cover for the 10.3" BOOX E-Ink Note Air series of tablets. Unlike some of the covers out there that hold the tablet magnetically, you slide this one into place (there is an open area that has fabric on each side that basically forms a notch that you slide the tablet into and then secure it in place by tucking a tab into place). On the plus side, there is no possible way for the tablet to accidentally fall out of the case, even if you were to drop the case. Also, the tablet sits recessed so when the cover is closed it does not actually touch the surface, which helps protect the surface of the tablet. 

There are, however, a couple of drawbacks to the design. First, because the fabric covers up some of the magnetic portions of the tablet, it is not as easy to just magnetically connect the pen on the side. The stylus can be magnetically connected to the side, but it is not as secure as some of the other covers that are available.  There is, however, a fabric stylus holder that will allow you to attach the stylus. Second, when the cover is closed, the power button and the port to connect the USB cable is covered, so you must have the cover open to charge the tablet or connect it to a computer if you will be moving files using the cable as opposed to wirelessly. 

The cover is made of a nice faux-leather material, and it looks very good. The cover does allow for a kickstand mode that will allow you to hold the tablet in landscape mode. The cover does not have a keyboard, so if you wanted to type with a keyboard you would need to use a Bluetooth keyboard. Overall, it is a good inexpensive case that protects the tablet well. 

Book Review: Proof of Collusion

 

The subject matter of the book is pretty clear from the title. In the book, author Seth Abramson, a former criminal attorney lays out the case that (and provides solid proof that) the former president, in the well-documented game of footsie that he played with Russia, starting long before he declared his candidacy for president and continuing to this day, was well aware of what Russia was up to during the 2016 election, and was more than willing to accept any help they gave him.

The book was written before the Mueller Report was written so Abramson was relying on the things that were already public before the Mueller investigation or had become public during the investigation, either because of the court cases that started springing up or the news reporting. The book lays out the orange genital wart's ties to Russia before he declared his candidacy for president when he was trying to get buildings built in Russia, to around the time when Paul Manafort was charged. Abramson rightly predicted that agent orange would be impeached, but he thought that he would be impeached because of the Mueller report, which of course he was not. And, he thought that there would be enough level-headed Republicans that would be willing to cut t***p loose, where, in reality, they would just toady up to him and lick his balls even more. Of course, Abramson could never have predicted that Mueller would punt on a determination of whether t***p should be charged or actually obstructed justice, and could not foresee that Bill Barr would swoop in and save t***p's ass because of it by totally misrepresenting the findings in the report before he released the redacted version.

Each chapter of the book contains a summary of the topics, then Abramson lays out the facts that were widely reported and then annotates the key factual points with even more detail. So, while the chapters can get quite long, there are a lot of natural stopping points. The substantive part of the book runs about 330 pages (if you get the hardcover version), and then there are over 100 pages of footnotes. So, for the Q nutjobs and MAGATs who will inevitably scream "fake news", he backs up pretty much every paragraph in the book with receipts. It is definitely worth reading. 

DVD/TV Series Review: Baywatch Season 4

 

The fourth season of Baywatch aired during the 1993-1994 tv season. The show brought back most of the regular cast, although there was (again) a bit of a shakeup with Kelly Slater starting out as a series regular and then being downgraded to a guest star for a couple of episodes, and then eventually being written out (despite the clip of him surfing still being used in the opening credits). The show followed the same format as being a procedural drama/prime-time soap opera. For the most part, the episodes were stand-alone but there were a few two-part episodes during this season and a flashback episode that brought back some prior guest stars. Toward the end of the season, there is a great episode entitled "Rescue Bay" that pretty much breaks the fourth wall and makes fun of the series and the fact that it was canceled by NBC after its first season.

The show continued to get quite a few recognizable guest stars this season including Michelle Williams (in her first acting role), Wendie Malick, Mary Lou Retton (playing herself), Carrie Ann Moss (from the Matrix movies), Martina McBride, Kassie DePavia (who starred on the daytime soap One Life to Live for years). Old-school wrestling fans will also recognize Giant Gonzalez and Jimmy Hart, and this season would be the first appearance of Yasmeen Bleeth (who would eventually become a series regular), as Stephanie's sister. This season would also mark the final appearance of Richard Jaeckel, who was definitely experiencing health issues. John Allen Nelson also made his yearly appearance as Court, although the writers put him in a storyline that could end up writing the character out of the series.

The show is what it is. It is a very tongue-in-cheek drama. The actors and writers have no problem poking fun at themselves and not taking things too seriously. The show does an okay job juggling the large ensemble cast, but the episodes do generally tend to focus on one or two characters, and there are several episodes in which Pamela Anderson is absent and even an episode in which Hasselhoff does not appear I would classify most of the episodes as okay and a couple of really good episodes in which the acting and writing were done extremely well. And, there are a couple of really dumb episodes. So, it was a mix. But, we did get a clip of Hoff in concert when Mitch was daydreaming of being a rock star, so there is that. Ultimately, if you accept the show for what it is and what it is not, you will probably enjoy it, even the parts that are so bad they are good. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: American Ninja

 

American Ninja was the other series of cult-classic martial arts/Ninja movies (the other being the Ninja Trilogy, Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja, and Ninja III: The Domination, which starred Sho Koshugi) that were put out in the 1980s by Cannon films and Golan-Globus productions. The plot is set around the character of Joe Armstrong, played by Michael Dudikoff, in one of his early roles, a Private on an American military base in the Phillppines. When a convoy moving not only weapons but the daughter of the base's colonel (played by Julie Aronson) is attacked by rebels and a band of evil ninjas, Joe is forced to fight to save the Colonel's daughter. From there, the movie becomes a mix of an action-drama, a romance story, and a story of a reluctant hero. The rest of the main cast includes Steve James as Corporal Curtis Jackson, Don Stewart, as a French arms dealer, Victor Ortega, Tadashi Yamashita (who had black belts in multiple martial arts styles) as the Black Star Ninja, and John LaMota, as Master Sargent Rinaldo. 

The blu-ray, which was released in 2016, got a decent A/V transfer, so it is definitely an upgrade from the VHS version, which many people who are old enough to remember the movie probably owned. There are a handful of extras that were made for the 2016 release, including a commentary track that is basically a conversation between producer Elijah Drenner and the director of the movie Sam Firstenberg (who also directed Revenge of the Ninja and Ninja III) that provides a lot of details about the production of the movie and a lot of interesting tidbits, including the fact that the movie was originally developed for Chuck Norris, who passed on the role because he did not want to have his face covered. Then, there is a 22-minute behind-the-scenes/making-of featurette that includes interviews with Dudikoff, Firstenberg, Aronson, and the stunt coordinator, Steve Lambert, and the theatrical trailer.

Ultimately, this is a movie that is mostly an action movie that will appeal to those who were kids or young adults in the 1980s. The story is pretty cookie-cutter and the script was nothing to write home about. Dudikoff, who had no martial arts training before he was cast in the movie, actually does a very good job in the action sequences, and did a lot of the fight work himself. He actually looked very fluid and looked like he had practiced martial arts for years (unlike Franco Nero in Enter the Ninja who looked absolutely awful in the fight sequences he performed). The problem with this movie is that the script was pretty bad, and Dudikoff had to play Armstrong with almost no personality. Steve James and Phil Brock (who played the comic relief in the movie) probably had the best material to work with. It very much feels like a low-budget 1980s action movie and would probably not be made the same way today as it was back then. But, if you accept the fact that you are not going to see an Academy Award-winning drama and accept it for what it is, it is enjoyable.

Product Review: BOOX Magnetic Pen2 Pro with Eraser Feature

 

This is a stylus that works with the BOOX series of E-ink tablets. I have the Note Air 2 Plus, and the stylus that comes with it does not have an eraser end, which makes it kind of a pain when you are writing, because in order to erase you have to switch from the pen to the eraser using the icons on the screen and back to the pen. This allows you to turn the stylus over and use the eraser end. The only real trick to erasing with this is that you have to push down on the stylus when you are using the eraser end in order to get the writing to erase. 

As far as the writing experience goes, it uses nibs that do have to be replaced when they wear down. One drawback to this is that it does not come with extra nibs, but the stylus that comes with the tablet itself does have extra nibs. How quickly the nibs last will, of course, depend on how much you use them, but I have found that with what I would call regular use, writing on the tablet multiple times per week, the nibs last quite a while. The big plus, for me anyway, is that the stylus does not have to be charged (unlike the Apple Pencil that works with iPads), so you do not have to interrupt what you are doing to recharge the stylus (which could definitely interrupt your work flow, especially if you are taking notes "live" during a meeting, a class lecture, or something like that). 

Book Review: The Last Man: (Mitch Rapp Series Book 13)

 

The Last Man is the 13th book in the Mitch Rapp series of novels, regardless of whether you start reading the books in chronological or publication order. The book was published in 2012 after Vince Flynn had written the two prequel novels, American Assassin and Kill Shot, in which he went back and told the story of Rapp's early career. This would also, sadly, be the last complete novel in the series written by Flynn who would pass away a year later after battling cancer for three years. Flynn actually worked a cancer storyline into this book by giving one of the characters a terminal diagnosis.

The Last Man does another reset of the story, while still including characters from the prior novels and referring to old storylines. The crux of the story in this novel is that a CIA analyst in Afghanistan is kidnapped, and Rapp is dispatched to find him. While investigating the kidnapping, Rapp, Scott Coleman, and Mike Nash uncover a larger conspiracy.  He also weaves in some real-world elements like the animosity between the CIA and the FBI, corruption and anti-American sentiments in the governments of countries that are ostensibly an ally of America, and the like.

After Flynn passed away, it was initially unclear whether the series would go on. As most are aware, the series was passed to author Kyle Mills, who would complete the next book (which Flynn had started before he died) and write many additional novels. The book is moderately long at just over 400 pages, but it reads pretty quickly. and is hard to put down. If you are a fast reader, you can get through it in a few days or less. If you have been a fan of the prior novels, you will probably like or love this one. 

Product Review: HOMAR No Tie Shoelaces

 

This is a pack of 20 silicon laces that insert into the holes of shoes that allow you to turn any pair of sneakers into no-tie shoes. The laces are of different sizes ranging from 1.6 inches to 3.15 inches. They are hard to get in and out, especially if the lace holes on your shoes are small (you may need to use tweezers or something with a narrow tip to help push them through the holes). So, you want to choose your lace size correctly the first time. I would suggest removing them from the cardboard and holding them against the span of your shoe and don't just assume that the smallest one will go in the bottom holes. Once they are in, they will keep your shoes on your feet pretty well, even when working out, and make it very easy to get your shoes on and off.

Workout Update: P90X3 and PIYO doubles workout- Day 67

Day 67 was Yoga in X3 and Sculpt in PIYO. Unlike the two workouts yesterday, I mostly like both of these workouts. In X3 yoga I mostly skip crow (I have to keep both my feet on the ground), and in the warrior-3, half-moon, and twisting-moon sequence I just stay in warrior-3 the entire time. But otherwise, I can do the modified or unmodified versions of the moves. In sculpt I find it easier to do the tricep dips using the power stands instead of a chair, so I made that modification. 

Workout Update: P90X3 and PIYO doubles workout- Day 66

Day 66 was the Pilates workout in X3 and Core in PIYO. As I have said in prior posts, I am not all that fond of either of these workouts, but I got through them and did my best. I think each of them would be much easier if I were in better shape, but I am definitely not there yet. 

Workout Update: P90X3 and PIYO doubles workout- Day 65

Day 65 was Accelerator in X3 and Sweat in PIYO. Accelerator was still tough for some of the moves, but I liked doing the more intense cardio again. It is similar to Triometrix but different enough that it is not boring. One thing that I liked a little better about the original P90X is that you had two workouts that were almost all cardio each week, whereas in X3, some weeks have a couple of multiple cardio workouts and others have just one.  

Workout Update: P90X3 and PIYO doubles workout- Day 64

Day 64 was the isometrix workout in X3 and Buns in PIYO. Isometrix was a little easier than it was the last time I did it. My balance is slowly getting better, but definitely not where I would like it to be. I was even a little better in the "bound dog" poses, but could not do the version where you lift one of your legs while doing bound dog. But, I am making progress. The Buns workout in PIYO went pretty well too, and I can tell that I am getting better at the various kinds of squats.

Workout Update: P90X3 and PIYO doubles workout- Day 63

Day 63 was a rest day in X3 and Drench again in PIYO. Drench went the same as it did yesterday. It was not any easier, but not harder. Since I am going into my final week of this round of workouts I am trying to figure out what I want to do for my next workout or workouts. I am not sure what that will be yet, but I am leaning toward a lifting-focused workout paired with the Tai Chi workout, called Tai Cheng that was put out by BeachBody a while back.

Workout Update: P90X3 and PIYO doubles workout- Day 62

Day 62 was Eccentric Lower in X3 and Drench in PIYO. Again, nothing really to report about either of the workouts. I am still using the same weight in the Eccentric workouts and some moves in the Piyo workouts are getting easier and some are still very hard. 

Supplement Reviw: Amazon Basic Care Vitamin C Supplement Drops

 

These are equivalent to the name-brand Vitamin C drops that you can find in most stores. They taste the same and have the same amount of Vitamin C per drop as the name brand (and with these, you get an assortment of flavors instead of just one flavor), but you get a lot more of them for a lot better price than you would pay in the stores. In the store, you would get far fewer per package and pay about the same price as you can get this one for. They are not cough drops but do provide some soothing relief when you have a sore throat. They do have some sugar, but not a crazy amount. But, you would probably not want to take a ton of them in a day, especially if you are eating low-carb or carb-cycling. 

Supplement Review: fitcode Flexcode Ultra Premium Joint Support, Glucosamine, Turmeric, MSM, Chondroitin, Hyaluronic Acid

 

This is a supplement that provides joint support with the main ingredients being Glucosamine, MSM, Chondroitin, and Hyaluronic Acid. Each bottle gives you a 30-day supply (60 capsules) and directs you to take two capsules per day, preferably with food. The capsules are easy to swallow and do not have much of an aftertaste, especially if you swallow them with something that is flavored. 

It is always hard to tell how much any supplement is doing for you, but I have had a bad knee for most of my life and one of my shoulders has started to have issues with mobility as I have gotten older, and I do think that both of them feel better as I have started taking this.  So, if you have issues with any of your joints I would recommend trying this to see if it helps you.

Workout Update: P90X3 and PIYO doubles workout- Day 61

Day 61 was the rest day for PIYO and Pilates in X3. I still feel the same way about the X3 Pilates workout. I will do it, but I don't really like it and can't wait to get it over with. It is fine if you are ready for advanced Pilates, but if you are a beginner, much of it sucks. 

Workout Update: P90X3 and PIYO doubles workout- Day 60

Day 60 was Triometrix and Buns. Trio was pretty much the same as it was last week, as was the Buns workout. Each workout has a lot of Squats which I like, but my legs were definitely tired during the second workout.

Workout Update: P90X3 and PIYO doubles workout- Day 59

Day 59 was Eccentric Upper in X3 and Core in PIYO. Again there is nothing all that new to say about either of those workouts. I have been using the same amount of weight in EU the past few weeks, but I think, for most people, that is not one in which you are going to be able to do a marked increase in the amount of weight you use because you are lowering the weight so slowly (if you are doing the moves correctly).

Workout Update: P90X3 and PIYO doubles workout- Day 57

Day 57 was MMX is X3 and Sweat in PIYO. The MMX workout is still a bit tough, at least the moves that have the sprawls. The rest of it is not too bad, but I am definitely slower at getting down and up when doing those. Even though I did not like the Sweat workout in PIYO as much when I first did it, I actually don't mind it now. It is a little longer than some of the other workouts in PIYO, but not so long that it starts to get boring by the time you near the end.