Blu-Ray/Movie Review: American Ninja 4: The Annihilation

 

American Ninja 4 is the (almost) final movie in the American Ninja franchise of movies, and one of the final movies released by Cannon Films (which also released the "Ninja trilogy" in the early 1980s, along with a string of low-budget movies and the disastrous Superman IV.) 

This movie was released in 1990 and brought Michael Dudikoff back into the franchise, having his character "Joe Armstrong" team up with David Bradley's character Sean Davidson. I think the studio was probably trying to recapture the magic of the first movie, which was an unexpected low-budget hit in 1985, but ended up just making a movie that was even worse than the awful American Ninja 3. The plot basically cherry-picks elements of the first three movies, adds a couple of twists to the rich bad guy part of the plot, and sprinkles in a bit of "Mad Max" dystopian renegades. And, much to Michael Dudikoff's disappointment, did not bring back Steve James to reprise his character, which if you watch the making-of featurette, was a conscious decision by the producers not because James turned them down.  Needless to say, that combination did not work.  The fight scenes are awful, and the "main" evil ninja is a white guy with an eye patch. He is not even remotely threatening, and the henchman ninjas are totally pathetic, like killing themselves on an obstacle course pathetic.

The movie clocks in at just over an hour and a half, which is a similar running time to the other movies in the franchise. The A/V transfer of the blu-ray is good, but not great. About what you would expect of a low-budget early 90s movie. For extras, there is a 15-minute making-of featurette that was produced in 2016 and is mostly a conversation with the director of the movie, Cedric Sundstrom, a music video that has clips from each of the four movies set to a bad 80s song, and the theatrical trailer. This is basically the final movie in the series because, while American Ninja 5 was made with David Bradley as the star, he played a completely different character, and Dudikoff did not return for that one.

This is a movie that you have to take for what it is, a bad, low-budget action movie with bad acting and writing. It is basically something you would get just to keep a collection complete, and maybe watch if you are in the mood for a cheesy action movie. 

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 27

Day 27 was the last day of Phase 1 in 645 and was the cardio workout, and for XB I did the 6-minute upper body mobility routine.

The cardio workout in  645 was not a de-load workout. It was the regular kind of workout doing 7 moves for four rounds. Some of the exercises in the workout are the same as in the prior workouts, and some of them are new.

The upper body mobility routine was fairly good. It is one in which you are on the ground the entire time, and do exercises that work your forearms, shoulders, and core. 

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 26

Day 26 was Restore in XB and the Phase 1 de-load version of Total Body Tempo in 645.

Restore went pretty well. I actually used my handheld trigger point roller (which is similar to a foam roller, but is made of plastic and has three spiky balls on the roller that you can use to roll your legs and lower back) before the routine. I think that helped me get a bit deeper into all of the stretches.

The 645 workout was similar to the other workouts this week. The warm-up was longer,  then there were three blocks of exercises. The first two blocks had two exercises, and the third block had three. For each block, you do two sets of each exercise, and there is no rest between the exercises, but 45 seconds of rest between the sets.

Book Review: Why America Slept: The Failure to Prevent 9/11

 

Why America Slept is a book by Gerald Posner, probably best known for his book about the JFK assassination, Case Closed. The book was published in 2003 and details the lead-up to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and what was known and missed by various entities, both in the US and overseas. 

Posner, in the author's note at the beginning of the book, states that he began investigating the attacks relatively shortly after they occurred. Of course, twenty years later a lot more is publicly known than was known in 2001-2003 when he was investigating and writing this book. That said, Posner was able to uncover a lot, including material about what might have been known by the German government (where three of the pilot hijackers had been studying before they were recruited into the plot that would become 9/11) and what members of the Saudi government and/or royal family may have known. Posner also details much of the pissing contest that was going on between the CIA and the FBI not only at the time but throughout the two agencies' history, which led them to either not share information or ignore information that came from the other agency. Posner also excoriates the Clinton administration for being more concerned with public relations and looking tough than they were about actually going after Osama Bin Laden, even when they knew he was a threat, and the Bush administration for basically sitting on its hands for too long when it came to going after al-Queada. The chapter about the Saudis is particularly enlightening as it sheds some light on at least some of what is probably in the redacted portion of the 9/11 Commission Report, which many feel was redacted to protect the Saudis and our access to their oil. In the end, 

Posner argues that if the various agencies like the CIA, FBI, and INS would have worked together and not ignored red flags, if the Clinton and Bush administrations had done a better job going after al-Queada, and if local law enforcement in NY would have done a better job investigating what was essentially an al-Queada cell (although loosely affiliated) that pulled off the 1993 WTC bombing and the murder of the head of the Jewish Defense League a few years before that, 9/11 may have been prevented.

The book is relatively short, about 240 pages overall. Most fast readers can probably finish the book in a day or two (at most). The substantive portion of the book is just under 200 pages, then there are several pages of notes, a bibliography, and an index. The main text includes some footnotes that flesh out the material in the text, then there are a bunch of endnotes that mainly cite specific sources, but a few of the endnotes also provide some additional context to the main text. It is absolutely a book that I consider to be a must-read, even if you are someone who has read many of the other books and/or watched evens some of the many documentaries about 9/11.

Book Review: Oath of Loyalty (Mitch Rapp Series #21)

 

Oath of Loyalty is the 21st book in the prolific Mitch Rapp series of novels, and the 8th book written by Kyle Mills after taking over the series from the creator, Vince Flynn, after Flynn's death in 2010. The book, published in 2022, is set immediately after the events of the prior novel, Enemy at the Gates. I will not spoil the plot too much, but it is basically about the fallout of the events of the prior novel and includes more than one cat-and-mouse game involving Rapp. The book ends in a way that the next book could go in a totally different direction or the plot line could be continued in the next book or in later books. 

Overall, this is probably the best book in the series of the ones written by Kyle Mills. The book is just over 350 pages and is a very fast read. It has a very good blend of action and suspense, and Mills does a good job getting to the end with readers wondering how everything will play out. Mills again weaves in elements of real life into the book, specifically the political divide and hatred of the "other side". The fictional President Cook is clearly a play on t***p, but a much more dangerous version because, unlike the real thing, Cook is actually smart. Mills even goes so far as to call Cook's followers cult members, which is exactly what t***p's ball washers are. And, Cook's Wife is clearly a play on Hillary Clinton, written as ambitious and power-hungry in a marriage of convenience. It is absolutely a must-read for fans of the series.

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 25

Day 25 was the Refresh routine in XB and Upper-Body Strength in 645.

During Refresh, I felt like I had a bit more mobility than I did the last time I did the routine. This is one that challenges me, but it does not really have any moves that I hate in it, so I will definitely work it into the rotation until I finish the entire 645 program.

The 645 workout is the de-load week of upper-body strength. It again mostly focuses on the shoulders and back, and not much on the biceps and triceps. There is an EMOM block of lateral raises, and for that block, you do four sets. For the other two blocks, each consisting of three exercises, you just do two sets of each exercise. In this workout, there is a longer warm-up and a longer cooldown. The warm-up and cooldown are each about ten minutes, give or take, and the main workout is about 25 minutes. 

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 24

Day 24 was the Restore routine in XB and the mobility and flexibility routine in 645. 

Restore went well. I actually felt that I could go a little bit deeper into the various hamstring stretches and I could bend a little farther in the seated hip stretches at the end of the workout. 

The 645 workout does not really change during the de-load week. You still do seven exercises, back-to-back for three rounds for the main part of the workout. Then, instead of breath work to finish it out, you do a few balance exercises which (apparently) prepare you for what is coming in Stage 2 of the program.

Book Review: Star Wars - Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade

 

Rise of the Red Blade is the newest canon novel in the Star Wars timeline. It is set over a span of many years, starting during Episode II, giving an alternate view of the Battle of Geonosis, which started the Clone Wars and ends in the years between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The main character is Iskat Akaris, who is a Padawan at the Battle of Geonosis, becomes a Jedi Knight after the battle when her master is killed, and eventually becomes one of the Inquisitors. 

I will not go into too much of the plot so I do not spoil it for people, but the book is partly about how Iskat is turned, but it also, toward the end of the book, provides a lot of insight into how different Inquisitors were turned, and what their lives were like after they were. We learn how deeply Palpatine's agents were embedded in the Jedi temple, and how some of the Inquisitors were basically groomed whole they were Jedi.  And, we also see another perspective of Order 66 and learn that Order 66 for the groomed Jedi did not occur the same way as it did for other Jedi. The book does feature a lot of main characters from the Skywalker saga including Yoda, Mace Windu, Palpatine (both as Chancellor and as Emperor), and Darth Vader. If you have watched the Rebels animated series, the Obi-Wan series, and/or played the Fallen Order video games, some of the Inquisitors featured in those appear in the book as well. 

The book is just under 350 pages, and it reads very quickly. Fast readers can definitely finish it in a couple of days. The story flows very well, and I like that the author spends most of the book detailing Iskat's life before she was an Inquisitor and building up to her turn. It is definitely one of my must-read canon novels. 

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 23

Day 23 was the Energize routine in XB Stretch and the de-load version of Total Body Power in 645.

Energize is definitely a routine that I am going to stick with as I finish the 645 program. It is a blend of the routines from XB that I really like and those that I do not like. So, doing this routine is a way to advance to the routines that are a bit harder. 

The 645 workout was another de-load workout so the warmup was much longer (almost 20 minutes) and in the first two blocks, you only do two sets of each exercise. The focus of the exercises is on the shoulders, core, and chest in blocks one and two. In the third block, you do four sets of lateral bounds. In the first two sets, you go slow and try to balance yourself between the jumps. In the final two sets, you jump continuously without resetting. For the exercises in which you use weights, you are using the heaviest weight you can use to do 10 reps. The workout is challenging but is a bit less intense than the workouts in the prior three weeks. 

Book Review: Letters from an Astrophysicist

 

Letters from an Astrophysicist is a book by Neil deGrasse Tyson (who hosts Star Talk and the recent Cosmos reboots, as well as appearing on docuseries like The Universe) in which he prints responses to letters (or emails) he has received, social media interactions, and letters (or social media posts) that he has written directly. In some instances, he also prints the text of the letters he received and then his response, and other times he just summarizes what the person wrote to him and then prints his response.

The topics of the letters in the book vary to anything from the origin of the universe to the possibility of alien life, to the great science versus religion debate. Tyson shows responses to letters that thank and congratulate him and "hate mail" that he has received. His responses definitely give you an interesting look into his view of science, technology, the universe, politics, and a whole host of other topics. The book is relatively short, just under 300 pages, and fast readers can easily get through it in a day or two. 

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 22

Day 22 is the start of week 4 in 645 and the final week of Stage 1. So, today's workout was lower-body strength again. And, in XB it was the Restore routine again.

Restore went about as well as it did a couple of days ago. No gains or losses in my range of motion.

The final week of stage one is what Amoila calls a "de-load week". It is akin to what P90X called a recovery week. This is a bit different, however. Instead of just doing low-impact workouts, you are still doing the same kinds of exercises, you are just reducing the number of sets (aside from during the EMOM block). In the EMOM block, you still do four sets, but for blocks 2 and 3, you do three exercises, back-to-back like usual, but you only do two sets. So, you are cutting (approximately) 30-60 reps out of each block. The workout is still 45 minutes long, but to make up for the time lost to the reduced number of reps the warmup is much longer (about 15 minutes) than usual. For the exercises that you use weights, you are still doing 10 reps with the heaviest weight you can use for 10 reps. For the bodyweight exercises you are doing those for 35 seconds, doing as many reps as you can in that amount of time. 

Product Review: TodoMedia Slimline 6mm Single 1 Disc Blu Ray DVD Case, 6mm Blu Ray Cases (10 Pack)

 

As anyone who collects physical blu-ray discs knows, the cases can become damaged during shipping. This is a pack of 10 replacement cases that can be used to replace a damaged, single-disc case. Or, if you burn your own blu-rays you can use it to package your own discs. One thing to note, these are very thin. The spine is just 6 mm thick, which is much thinner than many blu-ray cases that most movies come in. As a result, if the case you are replacing is thicker (e.g., 11 mm) then the cover art will probably not fit in this case. So, unless you just want to have a variety of replacement case sizes on hand, make sure to measure the width of the case you are replacing to make sure that these will work for you.

Book Review: Enemy at the Gates (Mitch Rapp Series #20)

 

Enemy at the Gates is the 20th book in the prolific series of novels started by Vince Flynn and continued by Kyle Mills. The book, published in 2021, was the seventh in the series that was at least partially written by Mills. As most fans know, Mills finished the novel "The Survivor", which Vince Flynn started, but was not able to finish before he passed away.

This novel was really the first hard reset of the story that Mills did. That was something that Flynn did every couple of books, but the first six books that Mills wrote had a storyline that was fairly continuous. The events of this book take place six months after the events of the book, Total Power. In this one, there is a new President who has autocratic tendencies and is distrustful of the CIA in general, and Irene and Mitch (who is still not technically working for the CIA anymore) specifically. The plot involves an attack on a medical research facility in Uganda that is funded by the world's first trillionaire, and headed by a brilliant scientist who is working on a way to create a vaccine that can kill all viruses, even the common cold. The new President is hesitant to launch a rescue mission and does not want Rapp to get involved. 

The book is relatively short. The hardcover version comes in at exactly 340 pages. It is a relatively quick read, and fast readers should be able to finish it in a day or two. Mills has really found his tone and voice with the series. He definitely pays homage to Flynn's work and stays true to the characters, but does not do a carbon copy of what Flynn did. For example, where Flynn would identify what party the various politicians belong to, Mills goes with the Veep formula and keeps it ambiguous. In this book, President Cook and his wife seem like an amalgamation of t***p and the Clintons, which was a good move (in my opinion) since he cannot be accused of bias against either one. Mills does weave some real-world topics into the book, specifically the political divide and the hatred the two parties have for each other and things like COVID. It is definitely a good book that is worth reading, especially if you are a fan of the series.

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 21

Day 21 was a rest day for 645 and the mid-day move routine in XB-stretch. 

Mid-Day move is an okay routine. Not my favorite of the group, but not one of the ones I dislike either, so I will mix it into the hybrid program as I continue the 645 workouts. 

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 20

Day 20 was cardio in 645 and Restore in XB.

The cardio routine did not really recycle the week 1 exercises like the other workouts this week did. Instead, there were 7 different exercises that you again do for 45 seconds with minimal rest, just 15 (or so) seconds between them, and then you get a 45-second break after you do the entire block of exercises. You do the block three times, get a one-minute rest, then do all seven moves again for 30 seconds, then do a cool down.

This time I did the XB Restore routine immediately following the 645 cardio workout. Interestingly, even though I was very warm having just done cardio, I did not really feel that my range of motion was any better for any of the moves. 

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 19

Day 19 was Total Body Tempo in 645 and Unwind in XB-Stretch.

Unwind is one of the 15-minute routines in XB that I like and will definitely keep doing after next week. It really focuses on the upper body, especially the neck, shoulders, and lower back. All of which get very tight if you have a job that requires you to be sitting at a desk all day.

Total Body Tempo again had the exercises from week 1 (or slight variations on them) but used higher weights (where appropriate) and upped the amount of time doing the exercises that did not use weights to 45 seconds. Again, the focus of most of the upper-body exercises was the shoulders, so I did not use extremely heavy weights because my shoulders tend to be weaker than say my triceps. But, it was a good workout. 

Book Review: Legend: The Life and Death of Marilyn Monroe

 

Legend is a biography of Marilyn Monroe written by Fred Lawrence Guiles and published in 1984. It is actually a follow-up to his 1969 bio of Marilyn entitled Norma Jean. In this book, the author adds more details that he was keeping secret when the first book was published. Specifically, Guiles adds details about the fact that Bobby Kennedy was having an affair with Marilyn and the extent of their relationship, which he either left out or obscured in the prior book (which the author discusses in the prologue).  

I would say that the book focuses on the highlights (not necessarily the high points, but the key events) of Marilyn Monroe's life. Basically, the details that are very well known or for which he could get corroboration through interviews (such as with Authur Miller). The discussion of her death is mostly confined to the second to last chapter of the book. Guiles early in the book dismisses the notion that she was killed, and at the end of the book details the number of pills she was able to get ahold of up to the day she committed suicide and argues that she was essentially reaching out to people who, if they would have gotten her help in time, could have saved her. The author also notes that Marilyn had two other nearly identical suicide attempts that were thwarted by Miller, who, of course, was not there when she died which supports the argument that her act was intentional and not accidental.   

The book is right around 500 pages. The substantive bio portion is about 445 pages, then the rest of the book includes a filmography and an index. The filmography is interesting in that it not only lists Marilyn's films from 1948 to 1961 but shows the credits and adds one or two critic reviews so you can see when she starts getting credited when she starts to get higher (and eventually top billing) and when the reviewers start to focus on her performance. The book is not hard to read, but it does have a lot of detail that (for me at least) made it a little slower to read than I normally can get through a book of that length. Most of what is in the book is now pretty well-known, a lot of what the author talks about is known in even more detail than he gets into in the book. Even so, it is still an interesting read and worth checking out.

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 18

Day 18 was the Restore routine again in XB-Stretch and Upper Body Strength in 645.

I felt like I was not quite as flexible in parts of the Restore routine as I was a couple of days ago, but in parts of it I felt that my range of motion was a little better. So, overall, I would call that a wash. 

Like the other workouts this week (aside from the flexibility workout) in 645, total body power repeated the same exercises that were done in week one. The difference is that the number of reps dropped to 10 reps and for the bodyweight exercises (basically the planks) the amount of time went up to 40 seconds. The workout was challenging again, even modifying some of the moves. But, it is clear that all of the workouts build on each other to prepare for what will come in the subsequent weeks. So, the intensity level ramps up a little, but not too much.

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 17

Day 17 was again a low-impact day. The XB routine was Signature Stretch and the 645 routine was mobility and flexibility. Signature Stretch is probably my least favorite routine in XB stretch. Mainly because I do not have anything that is high enough to put my leg on to really do the routine as Andrea does it. 

The 645 routine was another good one. Again, it has seven moves. Most are new, but a couple of them are ones that have been done in prior weeks. Most of the moves are done on the floor or in plank. Once you do three rounds of the seven exercises, then you do a few standing exercises and finish with breath work. 

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 16

Day 16 was Restore in XB Stretch and Total Body Power in 645.

Restore was similar to a couple of days ago. My range of motion was not any better or any worse as I did it.  

For the 645 workout, we again go back to the same exercises as we did in week one (or slight variations), but we drop the number of reps (to 10 reps) for the exercises that we are doing for a set number of reps, or up to 40 seconds for the exercises that we do for a set period of time. The workout was a bit easier this week than it was in week 1 despite increasing weight. That said, because there is so little rest between the exercises, it is still very challenging. 

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 15

Day 15 is the start of week three of 645 and nears the end of the adapted version of XB stretch that I have been doing. So, today was Mobility in XB and lower body strength again in 645.

Mobility is definitely one of the routines in XB that I am not overly fond of. It is very hard to do correctly if you are not limber and especially if you are not limber and carrying extra weight.  

For the 645 workout, you go back to the same exercises as week 1, but you increase the amount of weight you use for the weighted exercises and reduce the number of reps (down to 10 reps). For the exercises that you do for an amount of time, you bump the time up to 30 seconds. The first block is the EMOM block doing banded goblet squats, then the second and third block has three exercises that you do for three sets, again with no rest between exercises but 45 seconds of rest between the sets. 

The workout was good, and very challenging with increased weight. It was as much a core workout as it was a lower-body workout. Interestingly, Amoila says during the workout that he does not recommend crunches for people who are beginners because of the stress on the back, but recommends strengthening your core by doing the kinds of exercises in this workout (like low-plank, the DB chops, etc.). 

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 14

Day 14 was the Restore routine again. I did this one in my room using my bed as support as opposed to in my basement where I use a folding chair. As I have said before, the experiences are quite different as my bed is much higher so I don't have to bend over as much to get my hands on either side of my foot. But, I do not have anything to use for balance in my room, so the routine is more difficult in different spots depending on where I do it. That said, my balance is getting better because I was not stumbling when I was doing the hip flexor tuck unders. 

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 13

 Day 13 was the Refresh routine in XB and Cardio 45 in 645.

The Refresh routine is the one I was supposed to do on Thursday, but looked at the calendar incorrectly. This one felt a little easier than the last time I did it, but it is still not easy for me. It has a mix of sitting and standing poses/stretches and has a big focus on hip and lower back mobility and flexibility. Which, along with my hamstrings (which some of the stretches work on as well), are definitely where I am tight. 

The cardio workout followed the same format as last week. After about a 10-minute warm-up, you do seven moves basically with no rest between them. Then you get a 45-second break and then do the seven moves again. There are four rounds in total. For the first three rounds, you do each move for 45 seconds, and in the last round, you do them for 30 seconds. You do a bit of jumping, a bit of forward, backward, and lateral movement, and even one core-focused move. Again it is challenging, but not impossible even for a beginner or someone who is out of shape.

Book Review: Total Power (Mitch Rapp Series #19)

 

Total Power is the 19th book in the prolific Mitch Rapp series of novels. It was published in 2019 and is the sixth book in the series written (in whole or in part) by Kyle Mills, who took over the series after the death of its creator, Vince Flynn.

In this novel, Mills mostly resets the storyline. He does reference some of the events of the prior novels, but that is mostly done tangentially. The plot of this book is the takedown of the United States' electrical grid and a plot by the book's main antagonist, to keep the grid offline for a year, sending the US into the dark ages and killing millions of people. In a note at the beginning of the book Mills calls the subject matter (and his research of it) scary, and like Flynn did in the book Transfer of Power, he left details on exactly how such an attack could be pulled off intentionally vague. As someone who had to study how power systems work in school, and did a senior project on faults in a power system, I definitely agree with his assessment of how scary an attack on our power grid could be. 

The book is about 370 pages long and reads fairly quickly. It has a very similar style and tone as the previous books in the series, especially those written by Mills, and can easily be read in a few days. The book mixes the action with plot advancement and even introduces a couple of new characters who could have larger roles in the subsequent books. It is definitely worth reading for fans of the series and/or the genre.

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 12

Day 12 was the Restore routine in XB and total body tempo in 645.

Nothing new to report about the Restore Routine. It went the same as it did a couple of days ago with no additional gains in flexibility, but no losses either. 

The 645 block was focused on the shoulders and chest. It has three blocks. Each block has three sets of two or three exercises with no rest between the exercises and 45 seconds of rest between the sets. 

In the first block, you do two moves, lying close presses (basically presses with the dumbells squeezed together) and then you do what Amoila calls T raises, in which you bend over and do a fly with your thumbs up (so it is hitting your rear delts). For each exercise, you do three counts down, focusing on the eccentric or lowering part of the motion. 

In block 2, you do eccentric push-ups, (one count up and three counts down) and then you do beast underswitches. For those, you basically go from beast mode and do a clickthrough so you are doing a "reverse beast" with your but toward the floor. 

The final block has three moves in which you do kneeling shoulder press in which you turn away from your bent knee as you press, then you do the bananas from P90x, and then you do an offset carry in which you hold one weight above your head and the other weight at your side and march, 17.5 seconds on one side and then switch to the other side.

The 645 workout is again challenging, but not overwhelming. I found myself getting very tired even with light weights and on a couple of the moves I actually had to decrease the amount of weight I used for the second and third sets.