Product Review: Samsung ML-2010 Laser Printer

 

I bought this printer for around $50-$60 years ago. It is most definitely NOT worth the $460 it is currently (as of August 2023) selling for on Amazon. It is still running, and I have never had any major issues with it, but there are some very irritating things about it. First, it loses connection to Wi-Fi a lot, and it can be a huge pain in the ass to get it reconnected. Sometimes, all you have to do to reconnect it is just unplug it and plug it back in, and other times you have to go through the Samsung utilities and fight with it for about 20 minutes to get it reconnected.

. It is definitely a get-what-you-pay-for kind of printer. It is not the fastest thing ever, and does make a lot of noise when printing (for those of you who care about that). And, it does jam every so often, usually on bigger print jobs. When it does jam it can be a pain in the ass to get the stuck papers out. On the other hand, the toner does last a long time, and if you are mainly printing word processing or text documents you will get a lot of mileage from one toner cartridge. It is not good for graphics-heavy documents. For example, I would use it to print off my physics teacher's lecture notes which he put online as PDF files. Some of the graphics printed off OK and you could actually see the pictures. Other times you would just get this dark blob where a picture or boxed-off equation was.

If you are looking for something that will give you high-quality print jobs, this is not it. But if you are looking for something to print a bunch of papers or text documents on, this is good if you can find it at the right price.

Study Aid Review: Math and Science DVD Bundle

 

I found Jason Gibson's DVDs when looking for study aids to use when I went back to school to get an engineering degree. I would use them to study prior to my upcoming classes so I could at least get an idea of what the material was about, and they were the best non-required investment I made while in school. This is a bundle of math and physics DVDs that have been released individually. He has now transitioned away from the DVDs to putting everything on his online site. I am going to just give you a summary of my impressions of the DVDs should you decide to try and pick up used copies.

1) The production quality is not fancy but gets better over time. The early DVDs were filmed with little to no production, and probably filmed out of his home. As he went along he started filming out of a studio, which is where all the new lessons he puts out are filmed from. Even from the studio, the lessons just have Jason in front of a whiteboard. There are no fancy graphics or frills.

2) Jason does make mistakes from time to time. He catches some of the mistakes as he goes along, some are caught and corrected post-production, and occasionally he misses one altogether. It shows that he is human. While one could argue they should be edited out altogether, and I think that is a reasonable argument to make, it has never distracted me from learning the material. Almost every teacher I have had has made mistakes in math when working out problems. My calc III teacher who has a Phd in math made calculation errors all the time, yet I could still get the idea of what was going on.

4) Jason will go step by step in solving problems. Even in the advanced calculus DVDs, he does nearly every algebraic step, even things that most people at that level can easily do in their head. If you get these DVDs you will become very good at algebra. And since it is the foundation upon which all levels of math and science are built that is very important.

5)The trig and pre-calculus DVD that is in this bundle does not cover all the concepts, so you may want to get the 2nd volume of the set. The one in the bundle will cover the unit circle, trig functions, the basic trig identities, right triangle trig, and graphing the trig functions. It does not cover trig equations, the law of sines and cosines, or the more little-used identities like the half-angle and double-angle identities. The second volume fills in those gaps. If you get that, the only concept from pre-calculus that will not be covered is conic sections.

6) In none of the DVDs does Jason touch on every concept you will learn in class. He hits the most important concepts, and the ones that if you don't know you will have no shot at learning the others. I would estimate that, depending on your particular teacher, if you learn the material on the DVDs you can expect to know 70% or more of what you would be asked on a final exam. In some of my classes, that percentage was closer to 90%. But you cannot expect to know everything for the entire class just from the DVDs. It is imperative that you do your homework problems and go to class to do well. While Jason does work through problems of varying difficulty they are usually not the hardest problems you will be exposed to.

7) The physics material is algebra-based more than calculus-based. He does not use calculus to derive the formulas for the most part. A couple times in the Physics 3 DVDs (which are not in this bundle) he will, but for the most part, he just gives the formulas and gives examples of how to use them. He does a great job of breaking down how the problems are worded so you really know what information is being given, and what the problem is asking you to do. Which, in physics, is over half the battle.

8) Jason has also put out newer extra practice with derivatives and extra practice with integration DVDs to fill in the Calc I and II material. On those, he gives more examples of the various differentiation and integration techniques and gets to topics such as implicit differentiation and the disk/washer/shell methods for finding volume using integrals that are not on the two DVDs you get here. While the two DVDs in this set did help me get an A in Calc I and II, I wish the other volumes would have been out when I took those classes.

In all, whether you find these useful will depend on your learning style and some amount of subjectivity. If I had to go back and do it over I would have bought the bundle and saved a bit of money, but whether you get the entire thing, or just need a couple DVDs, I highly recommend these to anyone subject to the provisos I listed in the review.

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 38

Day 38 was another active-rest day doing the mobility and flexibility routine in 645 and the lower body flexibility routine in XB.

The XB routine went about the same as the last time, with no increase or decrease. As far as the 645 routine, I think this week's mobility and flexibility workout was my favorite in the program (so far). This one utilized some new stretches, including using the power loops for an assisted hamstring stretch. I really discovered where exactly I am tight in my hips and where I have above-average hip flexibility. 

Product Review: GT Express 101

 

The GT Express 101 was pretty dominant on the cooking infomercial circuit for a few years around 2010. If this were as nonstick as the infomercial claimed, it might have been a better idea. Unfortunately, however, it is not anywhere near that nonstick, which because of the way it is designed makes it very hard to clean thoroughly. 

The cooking surface is very small, which is good when it comes to portion control, but it is very hard to get even a small amount of food into it so your portions have to be smaller than you intend. If you use both sides, you can make enough for one person, but you cannot reasonably cook for two in it. The only thing that merits it getting two stars is that it does cook food pretty evenly, and does cut down (somewhat) on cooking time. That in and of itself however does not make all the other hassle worth it.

Product Review: TI-89 Titanium Graphing Calculator

 

This is probably one of the most powerful calculators out there, and as such you may or may not be able to use it in your classes (at least on quizzes and exams). If you are just taking algebra then this may be overkill for you because the real powerful features come when you get into calculus. It has algebraic symbolic capabilities, meaning it can solve equations and take derivatives and do most integrals for you, and give an exact answer not just a numeric approximation. It will not show you the steps, but it will give you the answers. Some teachers will not let students use it, even though just writing down the answer without showing any work will rarely (if ever) get you any points. One thing it is definitely good for even if you cannot use it on exams is for checking your work (especially when you are working on even number problems from the book).

There are a couple drawbacks to the calculator though. Sometimes, with very complicated derivatives and integrals the format of the answer will be given differently than what your book may simplify it to, and it is not always easy to see that it is a comparable result. This can be especially problematic when you have to do online homework and the program is picky about how the answer is entered. Second, if you are taking multivariable calculus, while this can graph three-dimensional functions, it gives you a very basic wireframe graph, that is hard to see the shape much less do any kind of analysis of it. Also, there are some functions that you can only access going into the catalog, and are not contained in the math, algebra, or calculus menus, so they can take a while to find. Most of the higher-level operations that you will use this for are however found in one of those menus.

If you are taking linear algebra and/or differential equations it is great. Once you learn how to enter the rows and columns of the matrices, you can do it very quickly off the home screen and row reduce or calculate the determinant in seconds. It can also solve first and second-order differential equations, which helped me immensely on my diff eq final, because I had one problem that I could not figure out initially, but I could see what the answer was, and as a result finally figured out how to get to it doing integration by substitution.

Overall, I think this is a great investment. It is not perfect, but for the price, it will help you, especially if you are in a program where you have to take advanced math classes.

Workout Kit/Program Review: ChaLEAN Extreme Workout Bundle

 

This is one of the Beachbody programs that do not get a lot of press (compared with P90X and Insanity), but is very good. In fact, I actually like it more than the original P90x program. Here are some of my thoughts.

1) Like p90x it is a 90-day program, but personally, I do not get as bored with this one as with p90x because you get new lifting workouts each month, and there is not as much repetition as with p90x.

2) The workouts are shorter. They last from about 30-45 min give or take, while many P90x workouts clock in at around an hour to an hour and a half. If you don't have as much time this may be a better option.

3) You will be lifting heavy weights. You may get bulkier in the first couple of months, but you have to stick all the way through to lean out. The first couple of months focus on lifting very heavy weights, and depending on your metabolic rate and yes (what you eat) you may get bulky. The third month is the lean phase where you do more reps with lighter weight and will lean down. If you freak out in the first couple of months because you are getting too "big" then you are not going to get the intended results.

4) There is some, but not a ton of cardio in this program. If you are a cardio junkie, you may want to supplement this with a couple extra workouts. If you hate cardio, then you may really like this program because there are just a couple cardio workouts in the base program and they are relatively short.

Obviously, the best workout for you is one you can stick with. Some people cannot get into DVD workouts at all, and others have very strong preferences for a particular program. I cannot tell you what will be the best for you, but I personally think this is a good program. You have to be very careful ordering these programs from Amazon. Many third-party sellers jack up the price and give you bootlegged copies without all the documentation and missing DVDs. I suggest going through Beachbody to get it.

Study Aid Review: The Chemistry 1 Tutor: Volume 1

 

I am a huge believer in Jason's DVD sets. I stumbled across them a few years ago when looking for math supplements because I was returning to school after 12 years to get an engineering degree. With the aid of his DVDs, I have made it through all levels of calculus and a semester and a half of physics with a 4.0 GPA. I will be taking general chemistry next year and have started using this to get a jump on the concepts.

While the production style of Jason's DVDs has increased greatly (the first couple he put out was just his hand in front of a whiteboard), and now he has an entire studio he films in) his teaching style has remained the same. He assumes you know little to nothing about the actual subject. He just assumes that you have enough math knowledge to be taking the class, and works through the concepts breaking things down step by step.

What I love about his style is that he gives a bare-bones lecture and explains what you really know from the theory. He explains the subject without a lot of proofs or deriving of the formulas. He will occasionally derive formulas, but only when he thinks it is very helpful. Then he goes through several example problems and goes through them step by step so that you can follow the thought process. Which, as anyone who has taken a math or science class can tell you, knowing what to use and the process of how to use it are the most important things. He does a lot more spoon-feeding than your professor is likely to, and far more than the book ever will.

Some things to keep in mind. This is a supplement to, not a replacement for, going to class and doing homework. Even if you get all 4 volumes of his chemistry set, it is not likely going to cover all of what you are going to be exposed to in class. Given that chemistry books can be the size of a small phone book it is impossible to cram everything into one set. That is why he has been putting out multiple volumes since he started making DVDs full-time, but he still has to leave some out. The material in this volume will cover much of what you will get in regular high school chemistry (about 5 or 6 chapters) or the very basic chemistry class in college (the one that essentially crams a year of high school chemistry into one semester). If you are taking the class that is usually called General Chemistry in college (AP Chemistry in High school) however, this material will be covered early on in the class and in almost a review-like fashion in the first couple chapters of the book.

Jason picks the concepts that he feels are the most important ones to cover. I have noticed that many times the problems he works on are similar to what is asked on quizzes or tests, but not the only things that get asked say on a homework assignment. Similarly, he tends to show a range of problems from very easy, to moderately difficult. He usually does not show the hardest kinds of problems. So be aware that you may get homework problems, and sometimes even test problems more complex than what he shows here. But if you follow the strategies he gives for solving the problems you can usually figure out what to do one the harder ones.

The other thing I really like about these DVDs is that Jason follows the progression of the course. Yes, you can find lots of examples all over the internet of people doing problems, and I even look for those kinds of things when I am stuck on a problem if it is a type that Jason does not cover. But what Jason gives you here is like the pared-down lecture you would get in class in the order you will see the material presented. You can think of it as almost like a review day kind of lecture that you can watch over and over again. You do not have to go hunting for the material to learn it initially. It is easy to hunt for sample problems when you know what you are looking for, but another thing to find good explanations of the concepts which I think is important to have before you do problems.

Ultimately whether you are going to find these useful will depend on your learning style. No, you cannot interact and ask questions as you can in class or with a tutor, but you can watch the material as many times as you want until you get it. If you can learn from a video lecture, and use it wisely, it will absolutely help you understand the material and get better grades.

Study Aid Review: The Chemistry 1 Tutor Volume 2

 

This volume of Jason's Chemistry DVDs picks up where his first one leaves off. Going into chemical equations, chemical reactions, and Stoichiometry. If you are taking college-level General Chemistry I it will, depending on how your book is laid out, cover about another 1.5 to 2 chapters of material. Jason gives a lot of examples of how to solve problems, but just as useful he gives you a ton of tips on how to approach the problems. In some instances that stuff is just as useful, if not more so, than going through the problems themselves.

The information Jason gives on balancing chemical equations, and a simple tip he gives (that apparently not all books and teachers tell you) for situations when you get all but one part of the equation balanced and the unbalanced part is not a clean even multiple of any others is worth the price of the set alone. And keeping true to the style of how he goes through the math and physics and circuits DVDs he always tells you why he is doing what he is, and walks you through step-by-step.

Whether you find this helpful or not will depend in large part on how you learn. If you are a book learner or need to interact with a tutor/teacher this will not help you much. If you are a visual or audio learner and the thought of a marker board lecture does not bore you to death, then this is a great investment. The thing that sets Jason's DVDs apart from some of the web-based material you can find is that is goes in order, and combines a lecture with problem-solving examples. He teaches you enough theory and background that you can understand the subject, but then gives you a lot more examples than you are likely to get in a traditional class. He shows you the kind of problems that you are most likely to encounter on a quiz or test (depending on your teacher), but usually not the hardest problems you might get as homework. I have most of Jason's material (aside from the basic math DVDs) and they have helped me get through all levels of math and physics with a 4.0 average. I still had to put in a lot of hard work of my own, but I would recommend his DVDs to anyone having trouble with the material or anyone who is looking for self-study material to get ready for a class.

Book Review: Inferno

 

Books, like movies, are very subjective. One person will think it is great, while another will detest it. Some people will always hate any novel Dan Brown puts out simply because of the subject matter in the Da Vinci Code, and others will let each book stand on its own merit. I am not going to spoil the plot in the review. The best way I can describe this one without doing so is to say that the pacing and tone are very much similar to the Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, and The Lost Symbol. The subject matter of the book is different. It does have the "race against time" aspect that the other books do, but it is much more centered around an ethical debate than it is around religion. There is a throwaway line about the Vatican hating Langdon, but outside that, the rest of the religious discussion is centered around the meaning of Dante's Inferno, and trying to figure out where something is hidden based on the messages in that book.

Like with the other books Brown works plot twists into this one. Where he succeeded in the other books however by keeping them to a minimum, he feels the need here to not only put in multiple twists but then twist those twists. It does get a little contrived and silly. If you can take the position that hey it is just a book and does not have to make perfect sense, then I think you can still enjoy it. If something like that would bug you then I think you should probably skip it. He does work a lot of geography, mythology, and science into this book, and I think those aspects are well-researched and presented without stretching them too much. There definitely needs to be some suspension of disbelief with the science part of it, but it is not so far outside the realm of possibility that it makes the story totally unbelievable. Although I think it gets closer to that line toward the end of the book when all is revealed.

I think if you really like Brown's other books, then you can also enjoy this one. While some of the plot points get contrived and silly (mainly the who is working for whom and which side people are on, character motivations, etc) toward the end, it did not take away from my overall experience. I did not feel like I wasted the time reading it. If you have been lukewarm on his other books, then this one may bug you.

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 37

Day 37 was the total body power workout in 645, and in XB I did the lower back stretch routine.

Total Body Power was another fast-paced workout with a few new moves (but still moves that have built on things from earlier in the program). They do, yet again, start to run out of time toward the end and cut the last block, which is a single plyometric move a little short.

The lower back XB routine was very helpful this morning since my back and hips were tighter than normal. It was a good way to loosen them up. 

Study Aid Review: Schaum's Outline of Advanced Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists

 

This is not really a book that is tied to any one specific course like the other Schaum's outlines are. This is meant to be more like a reference where you can go to look up concepts that you may have forgotten. It is like a condensed textbook that has the key things that you need to know but does not go into a lot of detail about the theory and do a bunch of proofs as a textbook will. Let's face it, we all forget things from class after a while, especially things that we do not use on a regular basis. Most people will be able to remember how to take simple derivatives or integrals, but far fewer people are going to remember how to set up a triple integral or do Laplace Transforms off the top of their heads after they get done with the classes where they have to use them. That is where this will come in handy.

I think the best way to use any of the Schaum's outlines is to use them in conjunction with learning the concepts in class (because they give you far more examples worked out than your book ever will) or as a reference guide once a class is over. At that point, you can use it as a substitute for your textbook because you will not be as likely to need all the detail and rigor of a full-blown textbook by then. It is not something that is going to be useful to teach yourself the concepts from initially. That is because of the lack of detail and the fact that some of the outlines are edited badly and can contain errors. Once you understand the material the errors and typos can be easy to spot, but when you are first learning that is not always the case. I have only glanced through this particular outline so far, so I am not sure how many errors (if any) are in this one. I know some of the outlines have more errors than others, but just be aware if something does not look right when you are working through a problem, it may not be that you don't know what you are doing.

Product Review: VIZIO VBR210 Blu-Ray Player

 

It does fine for what it can do (play DVDs and older blu ray discs). The people at VIZIO however, in their infinite wisdom, were too stupid to make a player with hardware that could be upgraded. So, per their tech support, no firmware upgrades are being made for the player. Hence, when it comes to playing many of the newer blu ray discs it is absolutely worthless.

This model is not being sold new anymore, but if you are looking for a lower-cost reconditioned or used blu ray player skip this one and spend a little more on something that has firmware that can actually be upgraded. This will work if you just want something that can upscale DVDs a bit, but that is about all this is good for.

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 36

Day 16 was the start of week 6 in 645, which meant the lower-body strength workout and for XB I did the lower-body flexibility routine.

The lower-body strength workout this week was tough. It started with an EMOM block and then blocks two and three each had three exercises that were performed for three sets. This week worked on balance, incorporating single-leg deadlifts into the workout and lateral movement by doing side-twisting lunges.

The XB routine was challenging since my hamstrings and hip flexors are tight. But, I was able to get a bit lower into the hamstring stretches. I definitely cannot do the half or full split (or even get close to either of those) however.

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 35

Day 35 was a rest day in 645 and for the XB routine, I did Restore.

For the first time in quite a while, I did the Restore routine in my room using my bed to keep my leg elevated. I can definitely tell that my balance is better than it was when I started doing the XB routines and I can get a bit deeper into the hamstring stretches. So, I am making progress.

TV Series Review: Heroes

 

++WARNING, there will be some spoilers from throughout the series in my review.++

Heroes was a show that aired on NBC from 2007 to 2010 (during its original airing) and had a true ensemble cast. The cast was made up of relatively unknown actors (at least when the series started) and the series served as the launching pad for the careers of cast members like Milo Ventimiglia, Hayden Panettiere, Masi Oka, and Zachary Quinto. It did have some recognizable, but not superstar actors and actresses such as Greg Grunberg and Ali Larter. There was no superstar actor that everyone would recognize in the cast so the writers had to balance the storylines to involve all of the main cast members. As a result, there were always multiple storylines going on, and it was truly a show that you had to watch from the beginning to really understand what was happening.

The first and second seasons were very very good. The first season was excellent, and like nothing that had been on TV. You knew from the first episode what the characters were going to try to prevent, but there was no way of knowing how it was going to get there. Because of the time travel aspect, the story came in bits and pieces and sometimes out of order. They did not reveal too much about each character too soon. We never got to see Sylar (the main antagonist) until midway through the season, and HRG's (or as we would come to know him Noah Bennet) past and motivations were kept hidden until almost the end of the first season.

I think the series had a clear goal of where it was going in the first and second seasons. You could tell that it was meticulously planned out. However the writer's strike ended the second season midway through, and it had to be cut short. After that, there were some stories from that season that were just abandoned entirely, and I thought those should have been wrapped up before proceeding how they did. It felt like after the strike the writers never had a clear plan for the show. I did not like how the third season made Nathan into a villain. He had always had a grey moral compass, but it seemed that had gone away at the end of the first season and with the second. But then he did a complete 180 (almost anyway) then they decided to try to make him likable again by giving the impression that he was just in over his head.

I think the 4th season actually wrapped the series up very well. While it was not intended to be the end of the show (it was not canceled until after the season had ended), it tied up everyone's stories and left a lot to your own imagination. The reason I think the show declined, is that while the main "big" storylines changed every season, the individual stories within that got very repetitive. They kept too many characters around for too long and kept the characters going through the same conflicts and experiences over and over. While this did change somewhat by the 4th season, I think too many people had abandoned the show by then.

I definitely think it is better to see the series all at once. The stories do tend to flow a little better than when there were months between seasons. Plus it is just easier to follow with all the time jumps, flash-backs, and character arcs. If you were a fan of the show, it is definitely worth adding to your collection. The series looks great on blu ray, and there are a lot of entertaining extras.

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 34

 Day 34 was cardio again in 645, and immediately after that was over I did the lower-back routine in XB.

The cardio workout was tough. Much tougher than any of the cardio workouts in Phase 1. In this workout, Amoila prepares you for jumping, including working on ankle strength and mobility. I was definitely sweating way more in this workout than I did in any Phase 1 workout.

The lower-back XB workout, which was one of the short ones, was nice to do after the cardio workout since my legs were already warm and stretched. This worked as a nice additional cooldown. 

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 33

For Day 33 I did the Restore routine in XB and then the first Phase 2 version of Total Body Tempo in 645.

It was nice to go back to the longer, 15-minute stretching routine. I also used my trigger point roller to work on my hamstrings, hip, and IT band before I did the routine which helped a lot.

The 645 workout was another total body workout, but it again focused mostly on the shoulders and core than it did on the arms when it came to upper body work. Amoila is very big on stability and working out dysfunctions in your body (at least in this program) because as he says during the workouts, if your body is not functional, the size of your arms or whether you have a six-pack does not matter. So, the first two phases seem to be really focused on working the non-glamour muscles (a bit of a shout-out back to P90x there). 

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 32

On Day 32 it was the upper body strength workout in 645 and I again did the hips and glutes 6-minute XB workout.

The 645 workout again mainly worked the shoulders, along with a couple of exercises focused on the chest and some that were core-focused. There is an EMOM block in this workout, which is four sets of tricep kickbacks. As the rest of the workouts in the first week of Phase 2 have, this one ratchets up the intensity of what has been done in the prior workouts. There are really no new moves in this workout, but there are some twists on the moves to make them more challenging. 

The hips and glutes workout went well. It is probably the one XB stretch routine that I do not have to modify much at all because I have a lot of mobility in the side of my hips (almost none in the front of my hips) so I can get really deep into the stretches.

 

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 31

Day 31 was the mobility and flexibility workout in 645 and the lower-body flexibility routine in XB.

The lower-body flexibility routine is mainly focused on the hips, specifically the hip flexors, and the hamstrings. You really only do a couple of moves, kneeling hip flexor stretches and transition into hamstring stretches as you lean back. Then, you can either hold the hamstring stretch or transition into a half-split or a full-split.

The 645 workout also focuses on hips and hamstrings and again has you do 7 total exercises for three-rounds. Most of the exercises are performed on the floor, with the last couple performed standing up. Then, at the end, you do squats with the power loops on. 

 

Book Review: Lolita-Introduction by Martin Amis (Everyman's Library Contemporary Classics Series)

 

Lolita is a book written by Vladimir Nabokov and published in 1955. The book is considered a modern classic (likely because of the film adaptation by Stanley Kubrick), but really it is just very creepy. It is a book that would never be made today, and honestly, given the subject matter, it is a bit amazing that it was ever published back in the 1950s.

The story is presented as a memoir of a middle-aged man using the pseudonym Humbert Humbert (being edited by an editor of psychology books). Humbert lusts after the 12-year-old daughter of a woman he is renting a room from (and eventually marries to be close to the daughter, Delores, whom he calls Lo, short for Lolita). If it just stopped there it would be creepy enough, but of course, it does not. While Nabokov does not explicitly describe the sex scenes and does not use obscene language, he is clear that Humbert repeatedly molests her. The crux of the story is about how both of their lives spiral down over the course of time.

The book is relatively short, at just over 330 pages and it reads fairly quickly. Personally, I would not put it in the ranks of a classic novel, but it is a tragic story with a very dark plotline. 

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 30

For day 30 I did the lower back routine in XB stretch, and the total-body power workout in 645.

The lower back routine is really lower back and hips, doing variations of the Heisman stretch and hip swivels.

The 645 workout again amps up the intensity of the workout. This time, blocks one and two each have three exercises, some of which are compound moves such as a hammer curl into a shoulder press, and then there are core-focussed exercises like walkouts to planks, but starting in a squat. The last block has a single compound move that you do for four sets. Of course, all of the moves can be modified as you need, but even doing a modified version of the exercises is tough.

Book Review: Fairy Tale

 

Fairy Tale is a novel published in 2022 and written by the prolific horror author, Stephen King.  I would not say that this is a horror story per-se, but there are certainly some scary elements to the story. The book starts out as a story about a high-school kid who befriends the local grumpy old guy who lives up the street from him, then it becomes a story to save a dog, and then the story ends with a battle to save a strange fairy-tale-like land from an evil that threatens to destroy it. As disparate as those plot points sound, Kimg ties it all together into a story that, while strange at times, makes sense.

The book is relatively long, at just under 600 pages (for the hardcover version), but it is a pretty fast read and it is hard to put down once you get started. I read very fast and was able to get through it in a couple of days. And, it really only took me that long because I read at night before bed. There were no obvious easter eggs to King's other work that I noticed. Although, I will be the first to admit, I am not a King aficionado, so there may be something I missed. He does manage to get a dig in at the orange genital wart even though the book is set before agent orange's presidency. I'd honestly give the book 10 stars if I could. It is absolutely worth reading if you are even a casual fan of King and/or are into the Fantasy genre.

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 29

Day 29 was the start of Phase 2 in 645, which was the lower-body strength workout, and in XB I did the 6-minute total body flexibility routine.

The XB routine was pretty good, but I think it was more focused on the lower body flexibility than it was on the upper body (which was mainly the shoulders).

The 645 workout was tough and very tiring. It was much faster-paced, going back up to 15 total reps for each move. I found myself sweating a lot more in this workout than in previous workouts. Toward the end of the workout, they start running out of time, so it gets even faster in the last few minutes (although you do fewer reps for the final set of block 3). There are three blocks in the workout. The first is an EMOM block doing deadlifts. The second and third blocks both have three exercises that you do for three total sets. The format is the same as in Phase 1. There is no rest between the exercises and 45 seconds of rest between the sets. 

Workout Update: 645 and XB Stretch Hybrid - Day 28

 Day 28 was the rest day in 645 and in XB I just did the hips and glutes 6-minute routine. 

I really like the hips and glutes routine. It does not have too many advanced moves so people who have a limited range of motion can still do it without too much trouble. And, it works two areas in which I am very tight, so that helps me a lot.

Study Aid Review: Pre-Calculus Demystified

 

What is in this book is very clear and straightforward. There is not a ton of jargon like you get in the textbooks and what theory it does cover is basic and understandable. It covers the theory you need to know and does not go wild with proving or deriving the equations. And, the examples that are shown are clear. One thing I really like is the book goes into detail on comics. Conics are always covered at some point in pre-calculus, but very few supplements go into any depth. 

What knocks this down a bit for me is that it only has 1 chapter on trigonometry. The curriculum from school to school can be different. Some schools have trig as a completely separate class, and others run precalc classes as essentially a quarter to half advanced algebra, half trig, and then a few other topics depending on how much time is left at the end of the semester. If your school does the latter, while this book will give you the basics of trigonometry, what you will need to know for a class will be much more in-depth than what you will get here.

It does do a good job of explaining the basic trig functions, graphing trig functions, and some of the trig identities. Basically, the trig that the book presents is the stuff that, if you do not know it, will make the rest of trig impossible. Just keep in mind, however, that depending on your class curriculum, you may need a supplement that goes deeper into the trig material than this does.