Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 58

Day 58 was the corrective ankles routine in 645 and the two recovery routines in Lift 4.

I absolutely needed the foam rolling today. Even though the corrective ankles routine has you foam rolling your calves and quads, I still had a bunch of knots in my calves in the evening when I did the Lift 4 foam rolling. Thankfully, I got them out so that when I did the stretch routine I was getting deeper into the stretches.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: 2 Days in the Valley (Special Edition)

 

2 Days in the Valley is a 1996 crime drama/dark comedy written and directed by John Herzfeld. The movie stars Danny Aiello, James Spader, Eric Stoltz, Jeff Daniels, Glenne Headly, Teri Hatcher, Paul Mazursky, Greg Crutwell, and Marsha Mason in the larger roles. It also stars a very young Charlize Theron (who was only 19 at the time the movie was filmed) in her first movie role. The movie also includes several recognizable actors in smaller roles including Keith Carradine, Louise Fletcher (the nurse from One Flew Over the Cuko's Nest), Austin Pendleton, and a very young Cress Williams (from Hart of Dixie and Black Lightning).

The special edition blu-ray which was released in 2023, includes a remastered version of the movie, which looks and sounds great. The extras include a commentary track on the film by the director and a conversation between Herzfeld and Sylvester Stallone who were both students in the drama program at the University of Miami and have known each other for years. That conversation lasts about 35 minutes and they talk about their time in school and the movie. The most interesting thing from that conversation is how Herzfeld had to fight to cast and then keep Charlize Theron in the movie. The other extras include a 30-minute Q&A panel that includes Herzfeld, Theron, Headly, and Danny Aiello (by phone), a short (about 7 minutes long) archival making-of featurette made when the movie was filmed, about 7 minutes of B-roll footage which kind of doubles as a gag reel, and about 17 minutes worth of cast interview clips, also made as the movie was being filmed. Then there are several trailers, including the trailer for the movie (which actually gives away a lot), and trailers for movies like Out of Sight and The Usual Suspects. So, you get quite a bit of bonus content which is getting rarer and rarer these days.

Overall, the movie is excellent. It is well-written and very well-acted. Aiello and Spader are great in their roles as hitmen (very different hitmen), and Theron shines in every scene she is in. Teri Hatcher (who was coming off her role as Lois Lane in Lois and Clark) plays a very different kind of character than what people are likely used to seeing her play and Jeff Daniels is great as a vice cop with anger management issues. While it definitely has the feel of a 90s movie, it holds up well almost 30 years later. It is absolutely worth the time to watch.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 57

For Day 57 I did the corrective hips routine from 645 and Week 8 legs in Lift 4.

This week, the Legs workout is another 50/50. During the lifting portion you do the same exercises as last week, but switch up the order. Then, in the HIIT portion, you again do three sets of three exercises (jump sumo squats, triple bear, and catchers with the jump), each for 30 seconds. Then you finish with three sets of core, alternating between flutter kicks and high-plank leg lifts. 

The leg workout was brutal. It was very hard and I could barely do anything with good form by the end of the workout. But, I was able to keep lifting the heavy weights during the lifting, and even increased the amount of weight I was using on the pulse squats.  

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 56

For Day 56 I did the corrective shoulders routine from 645 and week 8's chest and back workout from Lift 4.

The Chest and Back workout was another circuit workout (so no HIIT) with two blocks of four exercises (two chest-focused exercises followed by two back-focused exercises in each block). Then you do a burnout round consisting of three sets of regular push-ups, back extensions, and wide push-ups, and, of course, you finish off with three sets of core. 

The workout was tough and again because you do not rest between exercises (and are lifting mostly heavy weights) you are getting some cardio in even though there is no HIIT. I do not think the circuit workouts are as tiring as the intervals or 50/50 workouts, but they are definitely not easy.

DVD/TV Series Review: Due South: The Ultimate Collection

 

Due South was a buddy-cop series that ran from 1994 to 1999. The first two seasons aired on CBS and the final season(s), which was really one long 26-episode season) aired in syndication from 1997-1999. The show was mostly a case-of-the-week procedural but did have some serial aspects that carried over throughout the series.  The series actually started as a made-for-tv movie that aired on CBS, and when it did better than expected in the ratings it was picked up by CBS. The premise is that a member of the Canadian Mounties (played by Gordon Pinsent)  is shot and killed in the Canadian wilderness. His son, a straight-laced Canadian Mountie named Benton Frasier (played by Paul Gross) investigates his father's death, which leads him to Chicago where he enlists the help of the detective assigned to the case, Ray Vecchio (played by David Marciano). When Frasier helps Ray solve one of his cases, Ray agrees to help Frasier with the investigation. Fraiser ends up staying in Chicago, working at the Canadian Consulate and along with his wolf, Diefenbaker, helping Ray solve cases as a liaison to the Chicago police. During the series, Pinsent would return as a ghost or hallucination of Benton's and "help" and/or irritate his son. The show was a mix of comedy, action, and drama and did very well with the "fish out of water" as Benton was overly helpful and polite in the harshness of Chicago. The show blended elements of comedy, drama, and action perfectly.

The key to the show was that it was always well-acted. Even in the last season after David Marciano left and the story became a little more campy, the acting was always great. One thing I had forgotten was how many guest appearances were made on the show. Leslie Nielsen was the big one, who appeared in a few different episodes. But Ryan Phillipe and Mark Ruffalo also guest starred in very early roles for both of them, as well as Maria Bello, Carrie-Ann Moss, and Malina Kanakaredes. Callum Kieth Renne joined the series in the third (and if you count it, the fourth season) when Marciano could not agree on a new contract.

I originally thought that the show should have gone on longer, but after watching the series again from beginning to end, I think that the show went out at exactly the right time. It told as many stories as possible, without getting extremely repetitive. It was definitely a show that was always being kept alive. It barely got a second season on CBS, then survived a couple more in syndication. A couple of the episodes from the series are on my list of all-time favorite TV episodes. 

In the end, I felt it did a fine job wrapping up everyone's stories and leaving the "continued adventures" to the imagination. It was one of the best series on the air at the time. It did not rely on gratuitous sex and violence to be entertaining. The stories always had a point, and the acting was great. It was a very underrated series, is definitely worth watching, and deserves a spot in any fan's collection.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 55

On Day 55 I did the two recovery routines from Lift 4 again. I returned to using the "regular" foam roller for the foam rolling routine. I will probably go back to using the rumble roller from time to time and I hope to eventually get to the point where I can use the rumble roller for all of the foam rolling. I plan on foam rolling on a daily basis going forward, so hopefully by using the rumble roller once or twice a week to start with, I can eventually use it every day.

DVD/TV Series Review: Baywatch Nights: Season 2 (German Import)

 

Season 2 of Baywatch Nights, the first spin-off of the wildly popular lifeguard show, Baywatch, aired in syndication during the 1996-1997 TV season. In season 2 the show was taken in a completely different direction from season 1. Unfortunately, that direction was totally off the rails, from hot but somewhat entertaining garbage to complete garbage. The entire premise of the show was switched from a crime drama to a paranormal thriller. Essentially, the show tried to do something similar to X-Files, but because the writing and acting (mainly due to Hasselhoff's hammy overacting) were so bad, the show never came near the quality of X-Files. It was just cheesy, not thrilling, suspenseful, or scary.

There was quite a bit of cast turnover this season. Both Gregory Alan Williams and Lou Rawls left the show (although Williams did have a guest appearance in the finale), and the roles of Donna D'Errico and Eddie Cribrian were very reduced. In D'Errico's case, she had moved over to the main show as a series regular, but Cribrian was absent from many of the second-season episodes, and when he was included, his character had very little to contribute. The big addition to the cast in season 2 was Dorian Gregory (best known for his role in the original Charmed series), who plays Diamont Teague, a paranormal expert, who helps Mitch and Ryan with the cases. The only notable guest stars during season 2 were the very recognizable character actor Erick Avari, and Alexandra Paul, reprising her role as Stephanie Holden. 

There are different DVD sets out there. Mine is a German import that requires either a Region 2 or Region Free DVD or Blu-Ray player to watch it. The DVD menu, titles of the episodes, and end credits are all in German. While the audio does default to playing in German, you can play the English audio track by switching the audio in your player's settings or options. There are a handful of extras included, two of which are specific to the show (two trailers and a photo gallery), and the rest (trailers for other movies and TV series). The trailers for the show itself are in English and the other trailers are all in German (and do include some nudity).

Season 2 is horrible. Unlike the first season, you cannot really say it's so bad it's good. The stories are dumb and there is little to no continuity with the main show. For example, Mitch and Ryan continue their on-again-off-again relationship tease, but on the main show, during season 7 (which aired the same year as season 2 of Nights), Mitch was in a relationship with Nancy Valen's character for a good portion of the season. The only good thing was Angie Harmon being willing to be in skimpy outfits from time to time, but that was not enough to save the show and it was thankfully canceled after this season. It does seem like the show was canceled after the season ended since it did not really wrap up the characters' arcs in any meaningful way. The only reason to get the DVD set is to maintain a collection, and there is really no reason to actually watch the episodes other than morbid curiosity.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 54

For Day 54 I just did the two Lift 4 recovery workouts. But, the twist was, for the foam rolling workout I actually used my rumble roller. For those who do not know, the rumble roller is a hard foam roller that has protrusions on the surface. The idea is that it helps with trigger points and myofascial release.  Because I already had a regular foam roller, when I ordered the P90X2 kit years ago I paid a bit extra to get the rumble roller. But, since I did not foam roll regularly, I could not use it (there is a reason Tony Horton is groaning throughout the X2 mobility workout). This time, I figured since I have been foam rolling every day for 7 weeks straight, I would try it. It was definitely tougher than the regular foam roller, but it was not as bad as I thought it would be. And, since the Lift 4 foam rolling routine is so short, it is the perfect one to try it out on. Once I got through that I did the stretch routine which went pretty much the same as it did on Wednesday.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 53

Day 53 was lower body foam rolling in 645 and Full Body HIIT in Lift 4.

The HIIT workout had a bit of a different format than the prior leg day HIIT workout. There are three blocks and a bonus round, which is the same as the other workouts. However, in this one, each block has two exercises, one focused on the legs and then one that is focused on the upper body (basically the chest and/or triceps doing push-ups). The two "easiest" moves (single-leg plyo jumps and push-ups with a hop or step-up in between that you do for 60 and 45 seconds respectively. The second and third blocks introduce harder moves like triple bear, tricep to wide plyo push-ups, box squats, etc. In each block, the amount of time you do the exercises goes down but the amount of rest between them (which is never long anyway) goes down. Then you do one bonus set in which you do all six moves for 30 seconds each and no rest between the moves, and then finish with three sets of core. 

The Lift 4 workout was tough. Everyone, including Niels, who never modifies, had to modify moves during the last block of HIIT and in the bonus set. It was that hard. The core sets actually felt like rest because the regular part of the workout was so hard. 

DVD/TV Series: Arrested Development: The Complete Series

 

There is a lot of subjectivity in liking any TV show, especially comedies. If you are a fan of irreverent, inappropriate, and at times uncomfortable humor you will love this series. By now most of the people reading this review will have at least some idea of what the show is about. An ultra-dysfunctional family trying to hold on to their riches when the patriarch (played perfectly by Jeffrey Tambor) is thrown in jail for SEC violations. While the only "normal" one in the bunch, Michael, played by Jason Bateman, tries to keep the business going and the family together. The series also starred Jessica Walters, Will Arnet, Portia de Rossi, Jeffrey Cross, Alia Shawkat, and Tony Hale. The guest cast was also great and included Carl Weathers, Liza Minelli, Charlize Theron, Ben Stiller, and a slew of others.

Of course, now, this is not the complete series of the show. This set has the three seasons that aired on FOX from 2003-2006 and were, in my opinion, the best seasons of the show. Of course, the show was revived by Netflix for two final seasons that were not nearly as good as the first three. 

What I loved about the show is that it would make fun of anything and everything. No topic was off limits, and they definitely pushed the boundaries of what could be put on TV. It did not rely on a laugh track to tell people when something was funny. It presumed the audience was smart enough to figure that out on its own. Ron Howard's narration was one of the best parts of the show. His quips were always perfectly timed, and set up and/or punctuated the jokes better than any laugh track ever could.

As I said, the humor is not for everyone. If you like shows like Family Guy, The Office, American Dad, and South Park, chances are you will love this show. Even if you are not a fan of all those shows but are a fan of comedies, then this is definitely one worth giving a try. I think it says a lot about the show that even after being off the air for years the entire cast is coming back to do the 10-episode season and the movie. Hopefully, those will be popular enough to give the show new life and keep it around even longer.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 52

Day 52 was upper body foam rolling from 645 and shoulders and arms from Lift 4.

This is the first workout that combines shoulders and arms. It was a circuit workout, meaning we did two quad sets consisting of a shoulder exercise followed by a biceps exercise, followed by another shoulder exercise, and finishing with a triceps exercise. You do three sets with no rest between the exercises. Then, you have a burnout round that has one shoulder exercise (swimmers), one biceps exercise (full curls), and one triceps exercise (triceps push-ups). You do each exercise for 30 seconds, and again have no rest between the exercises, and again do three sets. Then, as usual, you finish with three sets of core, this time alternating between dumbell drivers and weighted flutter kicks, doing each exercise for 30 seconds. 

This workout was kind of another shock to the body. I would say it was a bit easier than chest and back was earlier in the week, but not much. I absolutely had to reduce the amount of weight I was using by the third set for some of the exercises and the lack of rest between sets made it very hard to keep going.

DVD/TV Series Review: ER Season 8

 

This is, in my opinion, the best season of ER. That is due in large part to the storyline that leads to Anthony Edwards' departure from the show. From its inaugural season in 1994, ER was the show everyone had to watch and talk about. It was a ratings heavyweight for years. It was the show that helped turn George Clooney into a superstar and went on to become one of the longest-running medical dramas (and shows) on TV, with 15 seasons in total. By the 8th season, many of the original main cast members had left. This season would see the departures of Dr. Greene and Dr. Benton, but the return of Dr. Lewis. After this season the only two characters from the original (main) cast would be Dr Carter (played by Noah Wyle) and Dr. Lewis (played by Sherry Stringfield).

The DVD set includes the 22 season 8 episodes spread across 6 discs. The extras/bonus features are spread across all of the discs. Mostly, they include deleted scenes/outtakes and there is a gag reel on disc 2. There are not a ton of extras, and what is included is fine, it would be nice if there was some behind-the-scenes material and a feature focused on Edwards and his character. 

Personally, I think this season would have been the best spot to end the show. To me, the show just did not have the same feel after this season. That is not to say that there were not good characters, storylines, or episodes in the remaining 7 seasons, but I think the perfect ending would have been for Dr. Green to pass the torch to Dr. Carter and the series would have gone out on a high (albeit sad) note. The episodes "The Letter" and "On The Beach" were two of the best episodes in the entire series and would have been a perfect two-part series finale. And, the show never could have been accused of staying on the air too long had it ended at that point. I look at ER as two different series. The one that lasted up to this season, and the one that remained on the air from seasons 9-15. If you were a fan of the show at any point in its run, but especially a fan of the early years of the show, you will love this season.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 51

For Day 51 I did the corrective ankles routine from 645 and the two recovery routines from Lift 4.

I was surprised that I did not have as many knots in my legs today as I thought I would after leg day. I would not, however, say that my mobility or flexibility was any better today than it has been. I definitely have less pain in my IT band when I do the foam rolling than I did when I started Lift 4.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 50

Day 50 included doing corrective hips in 645 and Legs in Lift 4. 

This was another switch up, doing legs on Day 2 instead of Day 4. This was a 50/50 workout with a couple of twists. First, you do three exercises in each block (three blocks in all). All, back to back without any rest. Then, instead of the 60,45, 30, 15-second format for the HIIT, you just do three sets of three HIIT exercises (twisted mountain climbers, soccer sprints, and squat jumps) each for 30 seconds. Then, of course, you finish the workout off with three sets of core, alternating between prayer squats and bicycle twists.

This was another hard workout. You are still lifting pretty heavy (although I had to go lighter on a couple of the exercises since there was even less time between the exercises) and doing more reps in each block. Needless to say, my legs were toast by the end of the workout.

Book Review: On Top of the World: Cantor Fitzgerald, Howard Lutnick, & 9/11: A Story of Loss & Renewal

 

On Top of the World, published in 2003, is the story about Cantor Fitzgerald, the bond trading company that occupied floors 101-105 in the North Tower of the World Trade Center and lost nearly all of its New York-based workforce in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 

The book is partly a biography of Cantor CEO Howard Litnick, who was much reviled after 9/11 as he tried to balance holding the company together with trying to help the families of the people who died. Interwoven, are harrowing accounts (as much as can be put together) of the people who were trapped in the building after Flight 11 hit as they discovered they were stuck with nowhere to go. A handful of Cantor employees were in or around the building but not yet up to the Cantor floors when the plane hit and were able to get out. All of the employees who actually made it all the way up to the Cantor floors, however, were stuck with nowhere to go. Lutnick was on his way to the Trade Center when the plane hit (saved only because he took his son to his first day of kindergarten) and managed to get to the base of the towers. He recounted to the author his horror when he realized that the plane hit near the floors Cantor occupied (where all of his employees, including his brother were) and that it was people who worked at Cantor who were some of those that were jumping. 

What may be the most harrowing account in the book of the actual day is when the author gives vague details about how the people who worked in Cantor's Los Angeles and London officers could hear what was happening on the trading floor of the New York office through an in-house communication system. The employees listening on the conference system were imploring their colleagues to get out of the building and essentially listening to them die. The author does discuss some of the communications that the trapped employees were able to make to people on the outside, but he is very respectful and does not go into any gruesome detail. The author also discusses how the lives of the surviving loved ones of the employees who died changed after the attacks.

The hardcover version of the book is just under 300 pages. Most of the book is focused on the people who worked at Cantor and the effort to rebuild the company after 9/11. The book does go into the backlash against Lutnick and the attacks against him in the media. As I mentioned above, Barbash does discuss some of what happened on 9/11 itself, but the focus of the book was on the people who were lost and the people who helped keep the company going. The book is tough to read but is absolutely worth reading.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 49

Day 49 was corrective shoulders in 645 and the first Shred Week in Lift 4.

This week, the Lift 4 workout is Chest and Back. Until this point in the program, Chest has been paired with Triceps and Back has been paired with Biceps. This workout is a circuit workout, so we do 2 quad blocks. In the first block, you alternate chest, back, chest, and back. In the second block, you do two chest exercises followed by two back exercises.  Once you are done with the two quad blocks, you do a burnout round. In the burnout round you do three exercises, regular push-ups, back extensions, and wide push-ups. As has been the case in all the workouts, you get little to no rest between exercises and 30 seconds between sets. So, even though you are not doing any cardio during this workout, your heart rate will still get up there. Then, the workout finishes with the three sets of core. This time, you do weighted crunches followed by windshield wipers.

The Lift 4 workout was challenging. Even though you are doing the same moves, pairing chest exercises with back exercises is a shock to the system. I found that I could not lift as heavy as I could during the first 5 weeks when the larger muscles were paired with smaller muscles. Overall, however, it was a good workout.

Book Review: Star Wars: Tales from the Death Star

 

Tales from the Death Star is a collection of short stories in comic/graphic novel form. The main premise is that one of the kids living on the ocean moon Kef Bir in the Endor system where the remains of the second Death Star crashed is attempting to go out to the crash site to prove his bravery. A mysterious figure warns him against going by telling him stories of strange things that happened on the first and second Death Stars.

The hardcover version is short, coming in at just 96 pages, so it can easily be read in an hour or two, give or take. I will be the first to admit that graphic novels and comics (with a few exceptions) are not really my thing. I pre-ordered this before the cover art was available and from the initial description, I thought it would be a collection of short stories like what was released in the "From a Certain Point of View" novels. While the illustrations were great and I do like the fact that tales from both Death Stars were included, I do not think that the stories really added anything significant to what has already been put out there in the movies and books that have come before this one (unlike the Darth Vader comics, for example). So, unless you are really into collecting the comics, this is easily one you can skip and you will not miss anything.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 48

For Day 48 I did the two recovery routines from Lift 45.

Thankfully, there were fewer knots in my leg muscles today so the Roll and Recover routine was not as uncomfortable. And, I felt like I had a little more flexibility in the stretching routine. So, all in all, it went well. 

Book Review: State of the Union (Scot Harvath Series #3)

 

State of the Union, published in 2004, is the third in the long-running series of thriller novels by author Brad Thor set around the character of Scot Harvath. The plot of the book involves a threat from Russia, specifically, to detonate a series of suitcase nukes hidden in the United States unless President Rutledge announces a series of concessions during the State of the Union address. The events of the book are set in Germany, Russia, and the United States. Some of the characters from the two previous novels appear in this book, and a couple of new characters are introduced. We also get more character development and backstory for both Harvath and Gary Lawlor.

The hardcover version of the book is a moderate length, coming in at just over 330 pages. This book has a very similar tone and style to (and is a similar length as) the first two books, and has a good blend of action and drama with some humor mixed in. Thor balances the action with plot development well and as a result the book has a good pace. The chapters are kept relatively short so there are a lot of natural stopping points for those who take more time to read. If you are a fan of the first two books, or generally a fan of the genre, this is absolutely worth the time to read.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 47

For Day 47 I foam rolled in the morning, doing the lower body foam rolling routine from 645, and in the evening, doing the foam rolling routine from Lift 4. 

Each of the routines helped as I had a lot of knots in my various leg muscles. During the Lift  4 routine, my internet kept dropping so the stream would buffer. So, I just used that opportunity to foam roll longer, and really work out the remaining knots in my hamstrings and calves.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 46

For day 46, I just did Lift 4 Legs, which was the HIIT workout. I did not have enough time in the morning to do the foam rolling from 645 and by the time I had time to work out in the evening, I was not up for doing two. So, I will do the lower body foam rolling in the morning. 

The HIIT workout was tough (as usual). The "main" part of the workout was three sets of four exercises that you do for 60 seconds (single leg lunge jumps), 45 seconds (triple bear), 30 seconds (soccer runs), and 15 seconds (jump squats). After the third set, you do two burnout sets in which you do all four exercises for 30 seconds. Again, during the main three sets there is very little rest between exercises, and in the burnout sets there is no rest. Then, you finish with three sets of core which were side planks, 30 seconds on each side. I again was modifying during the workout left and right. Instead of doing triple bear, I was trying to hold the beast position (with my knees 2 inches off the floor) for as long as I could, dropping to my knees for a couple of seconds and holding again. The idea is that the next time I do the workout I will actually be able to do at least the actual modification of triple bear the entire time, if not the unmodified version.

DVD/TV Series Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Series

 

+++Fair warning, there are some spoilers ahead. Nothing that those who have seen the series don't already know, but just be aware.+++

I came on to the Buffy bandwagon later in the series run. The movie came out while I was in high school and I remember it being pretty bad, so I did not really have much interest when I heard that a TV show was being made. As a result I never watched one episode until the very end of the 4th season and then from the 5th season on. I just happened to watch that episode as a fluke because the WB happened to be the only channel I could get on my TV right after I moved and before I got Satellite TV hooked up. Needless to say, I am glad that I did.

Honestly, had I started watching at the very beginning I may not have stuck with the show. The first season (12 episodes) was really about the show getting a foothold, and establishing the characters. As a result, the stories did not always flow as well as they did in the later seasons. What the show did do well, even from the first episode on, was take the experiences that most of us had in high school and as teenagers in the 1980s or 1990s and present them as real monsters and demons. When you look back at it, the show tackled issues like living up to parents' expectations, peer pressure, abuse, rape, death, and sexuality (to name just a few) at a time when I was not politically correct to do so. The show, at its core, is really about growing up.

I personally think the show peaked with the 5th season. The perfect ending to the show would have been Buffy giving her life to save the world. While I did not hate season 6 and loved the musical episode in season 6, I just think that had it ended with season 5 the show would have probably never would have been accused of getting stale and holding on too long. In my opinion, season 3 was the best of the series. It had the best big bad(s) in the Mayor and Faith, the storyline behind Angel leaving the show, and really started giving substance to the supporting characters. I also very much liked season 4, which dealt with the core group going their own ways, and then having to come back together at the end. While that season saw the departure of Angel and Cordelia (aside from a couple cross-over episodes with the spin-off series, Angel) and the introduction of Riley and the Initiative, it was really about high school friends growing distant as they go to college. It also saw Anya (played awesomely by Emma Caufield) become a series regular. I know some people really hated the direction season 6 went and it did go much darker than many of the previous seasons, at least in terms of the main characters. The nerd trio was kind of lame, but I liked the direction they went in the last few episodes of that season and I do think the 7th season did a good job of wrapping up the story (especially after Firefly was canceled and Nathan Fillion came on).

Chances are anyone reading this by now is a fan of the show, or at least has seen enough of it to know what it is about. For anyone who is a total newcomer to the show, while I cannot say for certain whether you will like it or not, that is totally subjective and depends on your taste. I can tell you it was a funny, dramatic, well-written, and well-acted show. If you are a fan of Joss Whedon shows and movies in general and somehow have not seen much of the show (and I doubt that is possible) you will love it, especially from seasons 2-5. Of course, it has come out in recent years that the environment behind the scenes was very toxic, largely because of Whedon's behavior, which definitely sours some people's opinion of the show. I still think the show is enjoyable, but I definitely would not watch the bonus material that features him or listen to his commentary tracks anymore. Ultimately, in my opinion, the show was more than just Joss Whedon and I can support and enjoy the show even if Whedon may be a jackass. If your only experience was the movie, which was a lot more campy than the series, don't let that cloud your view of the series. Even if you are not totally into it in season 1, give it a chance. The series really takes off in seasons 2 and 3. If you were in high school at any point in the late 1980s or early to mid-1990s you will get all the references and jokes. Even if you were not, I think you will still find the show entertaining and far better than many of the shows that have been on the air since Buffy has been gone.

Book Review: Sisterhood of Dune (Dune #4)

 

Sisterhood of Dune is chronologically the 4th book in the Dune series of novels, and the first in the Schools of Dune trilogy. The book was published in 2012 and written by the duo of Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. 

This novel is set approximately 80 years after the victory over the machines at the Battle of Corrin. Some of the characters from the Butlerian era such as Vorian, Raquella, and Gilbertus do carry over into this book. There are two major themes in the book. The schools run by Raquella, and Gilbertus, and the hatred of Vorian by the heirs of Abulurd Harkonnen. Raquella formed the Bene Gesserit School (or the Sisterhood) and Gilbertus formed a school for people (known as Mentats) to learn to think like the machines did. The anti-machine Butlerian movement is still around and trying to destroy all remnants of technology, while underground groups are trying to bring machines back.

The hardcover version of the book is just under 500 pages long. The authors do a good job of moving in and out of the various storylines and intersecting them at key points. The authors do give signs as to where some of the storylines will go in the subsequent novels but do not telegraph the exact direction for any of the main arcs. It is absolutely worth the time to read.

Workout Update: Lift-4/645 Corrective and Foam Rolling Day 45

Day 45 was upper body foam rolling from 645 and shoulders in Lift 4.

The shoulders workout was a circuit workout with three blocks of lifting and HIIT followed by three sets of core. In each of the lifting blocks, you do two shoulder exercises followed by a 30-second HIIT exercise, back-to-back, for three sets. There are no exercises between exercises and 30 seconds between sets. So, you barely get a chance to catch your breath before you are back to lifting. This workout was tough, but not as tough as the chest and tricpes or back and biceps workouts from earlier in the week. I do think that the upper body foam rolling in the morning helped loosen up my lats and traps, which definitely helped this workout. The HIIT moves were not as bad in this workout (no Triple Bear or Mountain Climbers) as they could have been, but were still a challenge. 

DVD/TV Series Review: Angel Seasons 1-5

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from throughout the series+++

This is the Buffy spinoff series, Angel, which initially starred Buffy alumni David Boreanez and Charisma Carpenter, and later Alexis Denisof and James Marsters. Late actor Glenn Quinn also starred as one of the leads during the first season.

I stumbled on to Buffy and Angel rather late in the "Buffyverse's" run. I started watching the shows in what was the 5th Season of Buffy and the 2nd season of Angel (actually I first saw the season 4 finale of Buffy and season 1 finale of Angel the week before the season 5 and season 2 premiers, respectively, and then watched each show until they ended). Obviously, I have seen every episode since both shows were put out on DVD, but I remember becoming an instant fan of both shows, especially Angel, even without all the backstories. The overall theme of Angel was always the fight against evil, and how it never ends. The storylines on Angel tended to be more mature than those on Buffy, especially as compared to the first three seasons of Buffy. I really liked the show fleshed out Angel's backstory and his transition from Angelus to the good guy he would ultimately become.

Another storyline I loved from Angel was the redemption of Faith that started in season 1 and carried over to season 4. The whole story was well written and well acted and was probably not something that could have ever been done effectively on Buffy. The show also did well at making all the characters evolve, especially Cordelia and Wesley. The last season seems to be one that many fans either liked or hated. I loved the last season. The whole story of trying to fight evil from inside the belly of the beast was done well. And it had some of the best episodes of the series, including Hellbound, Smile Time, A Hole in The World, and Shells. I do think that the show did the character of Cordelia dirty and that Cordelia (and Charisma Carpenter) deserved a better ending than either of them got.

The ending to the series was rushed, mainly because the network canceled the show pretty much at the last minute. They actually had to go back and re-shoot some of the scenes for the last show after they knew it was going to be a series finale rather than the season finale. While not quite a Sopranos fade abrupt black screen, the series is not wrapped up in a nice tidy bow. It cuts off at the start of an epic battle, the conclusion to which we never know (unless you get the season 6 comic books).

This set is just a packaging of all of the individual season DVDs with all of the original extras. There has been another complete series set released, but this just has the original book-type cases. Chances are if you are reading this you already know at least a little bit about the series. While liking or disliking a TV show involves a large amount of subjectivity, what I can tell you is that if you have seen some of the shows and liked those, the series, on the whole, is consistently good with not many bad or "clunker" episodes among the 110 episodes. For some, the series may be a bit tainted by the allegations against Joss Whedon and how he treated the actresses (including Carpenter), but I see it as the series is larger than him, and choose not to let his jackassery ruin my enjoyment of the show.