Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 40

Day 40 was Friday Fight Round 2 in Max 30 and Sculpt 1-2 (which was supposed to be yesterday's evening workout) in Power 90. I again made it through the Max 30 workout without stopping (aside from at the scheduled breaks). I felt that my stamina was a bit better than it was in the workout last week. And, in the Power 90 workout, the range of motion on my push-ups is improving. 

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 39

On Day 39, my schedule got mixed up a bit because I had an appointment in the morning, and by the evening, I did not feel like doing two workouts back-to-back. So, I just did Max Out Strength in Max 30. I barely (and I mean barely) finished without taking unscheduled breaks, with the caveat that I was going slower and using less range of motion on some exercises.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Charmed (2018)

 

This is the complete series of the Charmed reboot that aired for four seasons from 2018 to 2022. It was created by the original series' showrunner, Constance M. Burge, and starred Melonie Diaz, Madeleine Mantock, and Sarah Jeffery as the three sister witches known as the "Charmed Ones." Rupert Evans also starred as Harry, the whitelighter guardian of the sisters. The supporting cast included Ser'Darius Blain, Ellen Tamaki, Nick Hargrove, Jordan Donica, Poppy Drayton, Valerie Cruz, Natalie Hall, Craig Parker, Eric Balfour, Peyton List, and Lucy Barrett. 

The reboot series shared some similarities with the original series, but was also very different. While some similar storylines were used, the reboot series used much more serial storytelling where the episodes built on each other and did not have as many monster-of-the-week storylines. It also included real-world issues in the storylines, and definitely took a more "woke" stance (to the extent that is really a thing) on social issues. The series did get flack for not tying more closely to the original series or including any of the actors from the original series, although the showrunners indicated that was by design saying that they wanted to tell the story from a different standpoint. They came up with a clever explanation for why the Halliwell sisters are not mentioned in the series, however, if the show had continued, the writers were clearly setting up a tie-in to the original series.

The blu-ray set is a 16-disc set. Each season has its own case, holding anywhere from two to four discs, that is packaged in a decorative outer box. At least in the US, the blu-rays are only available in the complete series release, the individual seasons were only released on DVD. Most of the seasons have bonus content, including behind-the-scenes material featuring interviews with the cast members and showrunners, and gag reels. 

The series pays homage to, but is not a carbon copy of the original series. Some aspects of the reboot series were much better than the original series. For example, the special effects in this series are light-years beyond those in the original series. This version has much more diversity in the cast and in general the storylines are a bit less cheesy than in the original series. Although, this one  definitely has some of the same kind of soap opera-ish elements to the storylines that the original series had. Ultimately, this series was good, but if you really loved the original series this one might be too different for you. That said, I do think it is worth the time to check out.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 38

On Day 38, I did Sweat 1-2 and Ab-Ripper 100 in the morning and Max Out Sweat in the evening. Doing the Max 30 workout in the evening was definitely hard. I did manage to make it through the workout without breaking, but I will admit my range of motion and speed on some of the exercises was much lower than it would normally be. 

Book Review: Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire

 

The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire is a 2024 cannon novel written by Chris Kempshall and published in 2024. It is written from the point of view of a historian with the Resistance after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, chronicling the rise, fall, revival, and second defeat of Emperor Palpatine. The book is basically a summary of all the canon material from The Phantom Menace through The Rise of Skywalker. It is written more like a history book than a novel, and highlights major events and individuals in the Empire, the Rebel Alliance, the First Order, and the Resistance. It even includes footnotes to different sources. 

The hardcover version of the book is 375 pages long (excluding the index). If you have watched the various movies, live-action and animated series, and read some of the novels, you will know most of the information included in this book. Even so, there is some new material that has not been detailed, including more detail on some of the ancillary characters who didn't get much screen time in the movies. Ultimately, while I would not call this one a must-read, if you are more than just a casual Star Wars fan, it is worth your time to read. 

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 37

Day 37 was Max Out Power in Max 30 and Sculpt 3-4 in Power 90. I again barely made it through the Max 30 workout without an unscheduled break, but if the third block did not switch to the core exercises when it does, I would have maxed out because I could not do another plank-based move at that point. In the Power 90 workout, I increased the weight for the back exercises up to 20 lbs and the forearm exercises up to 8 lbs. I kept the weight for the rest of the exercises the same.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 36

On day 36, I did Max Out Cardio in the morning and Sweat 3-4 and Ab-Ripper 200 in the evening. I again made it through the Max 30 workout without any unscheduled breaks (but not easily). In the evening workout, I was a bit tired, but I was able to get through it all and the extra 100 reps in the core portion, but I did have to pause a few times. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Big Bang Theory: Season 3

 

The 23-episode third season of The Big Bang Theory aired during the 2009/2010 TV season. All of the main cast members returned, and the show introduced new characters who would eventually become either series regulars or prominent recurring characters, including Melissa Rauch, Mayim Bialik, and Wil Wheaton (who plays a fictionalized version of himself). The show also brought back Laurie Metcalf, Carol Ann Susi, John Ross Bowie, Kevin Sussman, Christine Baranski, and Sara Gilbert to reprise their roles. The show also continued to get notable guest stars this season, including Lewis Black, Danica McKellar, Yeardley Smith, and Judy Greer (in a role almost as good as her role as Kitty on Arrested Development). The season picks up with the group returning from the North Pole after three months. Penny and Leonard finally make a go at a relationship, which runs into some speed bumps throughout the season. The show primarily sticks with the story-of-the-week format while calling back to previous events and jokes here and there. 

The blu-ray set is a two-disc set. The extras are on the second disc and include a set tour, a featurette where the cast answers questions about the season, and a gag reel. All totaled, the bonus content runs around a half an hour, give or take. By the third season, the show had found its footing and did not deviate much from what made it successful. While Sheldon, Leonard, and Penny are the show's focus, the writers give all the characters good material to work with, and all the actors do a great job. So, if you liked the first two seasons, this is worth watching.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 35

Day 35 was the two recovery routines from Lift 4. I missed doing them last week, but it felt good to get back to them. Especially the foam rolling, which I definitely needed. 

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 34

Day 34 was sculpt 1-2 from Power 90. Nothing really to report about this one. It went about the same as it has. Next week starts the second transition phase in which you do the 3-4 workouts with the 1-2 workouts sandwiched between them. It should be interesting to see if that makes either of the workouts harder or easier.  

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 33

Day 33 was Friday Fight Round 2 in Max 30 and Sweat 1-2 and Ab-ripper 100 in Power 90. I barely managed to get through all of FF round 2 without an unscheduled break. This is similar to round one, in that after the warmup, you go until the halfway point without a break. Then you get one additional break at about 26 minutes in. The Power 9 workouts were easy by comparison.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw

 

Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw is a 1976 action-thriller/crime drama starring Lynda Carter, Marjoe Gortner, Merrie Lynn Ross, Jesse Vint, Belinda Balaski, and Gene Drew. In the film, Carter plays Bobbie Jo, a waitress at a drive-in restaurant who wants to be a country music singer. She hooks up with a thief named Lyle Wheeler (played by Gortner). After they start running from the law, they meet up with Bobbie Jo's sister (played by Ross) and her boyfriend (played by Vint), and the four end up on a robbery and murder spree throughout the southwest while being pursued by a local sheriff. 

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is decent, but the film did not get an extensive restoration for the blu-ray release. It mostly looks good, especially if you like transfers that preserve a lot of film grain, but some film damage occasionally comes through. The extras include two different commentary tracks on the film, one by the movie's director, Mark Lester, and one by writer John Harrison. Lester discusses all aspects of the film and the process of making the movie. Harrison goes off on many tangents, including what many of the people involved in the movie did later in their careers. The extras also include separate interviews with Lester, Balaski, and Ross, the theatrical trailer, and two radio spots. The bonus content is quite interesting, including addressing the fact that Carter, who found religion after making the movie (and became massively popular because of the Wonder Woman TV series), did not want much to do with the movie and its promotion because of the nude scenes.

The movie is more of a cult classic than a great film. The best way I can describe its plot is that it is what you would get if you mixed the real-life Bonnie and Clyde and Billy the Kid stories with The Dukes of Hazzard. Much of the movie would have been written differently if it had been made today, including having Lyle follow Bobbie Jo home from work without talking to her and having her willingly jump in his car instead of calling the cops on him for stalking her. The movie's big attraction is that Carter was a couple of years removed from winning the Miss World USA pageant and had just filmed the Wonder Woman Pilot when the movie was made. Carter was absolutely gorgeous in her mid-20s, and the movie is one of the only (if not the only) times she went topless on film (and they are spectacular). Some of the dialogue is very cheesy by today's standards, and almost everything about it is unrealistic. That said, it is a decent low-budget action movie and is worth checking out.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 32

Day 32 was Max Out Strength in Max 30 and Sculpt 3-4 in Power 90. Max Out Strength was hard, and even doing the modified moves, I only made it 13 minutes and 44 seconds into the workout before maxing out. The longer sculpt workout went well, even with the faster pace.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Big Bang Theory: Season 2

 

The 23-episode second season of The Big Bang Theory aired during the 2008/2009 TV season. All the main cast members returned for season two. The show added new characters who would become prominent recurring cast members, including John Ross Bowie (as Barry Kripke), Kevin Sussman (as Stuart, the owner of the comic book store where the boys hang out), and Christine Baranski (as Leonard's mother, Beverly). Sara Rue had a multi-episode arc as a love interest for one of the characters, and Sara Gilbert reprised her recurring role as Leslie Winkle. This is the season in which the show also started to get recognizable guest stars, including Octavia Spencer, Summer Glau, Jodi Lynn O'Keefe, Riki Lindhome, and Michael Trucco. Charlie Sheen has a small cameo, as does real-life Nobel Prize-winning physicist George Smoot.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The extras are all on the second disc. Those include a behind-the-scenes featurette, which includes interviews with the cast members and showrunners; a featurette on Professor David Saltzberg, the show's science consultant; and a gag reel. The show continues to be a strong comedy. It sticks mostly to the procedural story-of-the-week format, but the writers refer back to events from prior episodes occasionally. The writers continue to develop the characters and give all the actors great material to work with. There are definitely some jokes that would probably not be included if the show were written today, but even after sixteen years (as of this writing), the show holds up well. Ultimately, it is a good sitcom that is worth watching if you are into nerd pop culture and science.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 31

Day 31 was the Max Out Sweat workout in Max 30 and Sweat 3-4 and Ab-ripper 200 in Power 90. The Max 30 workout was hard, even modifying. I made it a bit over 19 minutes into the workout before I maxed out. So, I should be able to do all 30 minutes by the end of the four weeks. I was definitely tired during the Power 90 workout so I did it lower-impact and a bit slower than usual. 

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 30

On Day 30, I did Max Out Power in the morning and Sculpt 1-2 in the evening. I barely managed to make it through Max Out Power without taking a break. If the push-up section about halfway through the workout had been ten seconds longer, I would have maxed out there. But I made it through. The Sculpt 1-2 workout in the evening went fine. I think I am going to bump the weight I am using for the back exercises up to 20 lbs soon and shift back to 12 lbs for the shoulder exercises so I can maintain good form.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 29

Day 29 started Week 4 in Max 30 and Power 90. In Max 30, that meant transitioning to Phase 2 of the workout and doing Max Out Cardio. It is similar to the cardio circuit workout, but it does not have as many breaks, and there is a one-minute power move at the end of each block before you get to the break. I got through the entire 30 minutes without taking any unscheduled breaks. This week is another transition week in Power 90, doing the 1-2 workouts with the 3-4 workouts sandwiched between them. So, I did Sweat 1-2 and Ab-Ripper 100. Both went well without much difference from last week. 

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 28

On day 28, I did the Sculpt 1-2 routine from Power 90 in the evening. I am still dealing with family stuff, so my workout schedule was still messed up, but I finished all the workouts for the week (aside from the Lift 4 recovery routines).  

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Babygirl

 

Babygirl is a 2024 drama written and directed by Helina Rejin. It stars Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, and Antonio Banderas in the leading roles and Esther Rose McGregor, Sophie Wilde, and Izabel Mar in the supporting roles. Kidman plays a high-powered CEO of a robotics company named Romy Mathis. Romy has an unfulfilled personal life and uses a prim and proper facade, an air of control, and an attitude of not being bothered by anything to mask many insecurities. She begins having an affair with a young intern at the company, Samuel (played by Dickinson), as she explores her submissive side. 

The 4k release is a single-disc UHD release. The movie looks and sounds fantastic in the UHD format. The extras include a commentary track on the film by Rejin, which provides a lot of insight into the story and the filming process, some behind-the-scenes material, and deleted scenes. The movie is good, but it will definitely not appeal to everyone. It has a lot of sexual content, some nudity (much of the sex is covered up, but there are some nude scenes including topless and butt shots of Kidman), and a lot of swearing. Kidman does a great job playing a character who is not very emotive, which packs a punch the few times she expresses emotion. Despite having some star power, the film feels more like an indie movie than a big-budget blockbuster. Ultimately, it is a good film, so it is worth watching if those things do not dissuade you. 

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 27

On Day 27, I did the Sweat 1-2 and Ab-Ripper 100 routines in Power 90. Those were supposed to be yesterday evening's workout, but because my schedule got thrown off this week, I did it today, and tomorrow will be Sculpt 1-2.  

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 26

On Day 26 I did Friday Fight Round 1 in Max 30, and Sculpt 3-4 (which was supposed to be yesterday evening's workout). I made it all the way through the Max 30 workout, so I was able to get through all the round 1 Max 30 workouts (following the modifier) without stopping. The big proviso, however, is that the modified version of the Max 30 workouts are much easier than the unmodified versions.  In Sculpt 3-4 you do four rounds instead of three. In the first three rounds you do the same exercises as in 1-2 (save for decline push-ups) but you do more reps of the lunges and squats. In the final round, you do upright rows, calf raises, supermans, and forearm curls. Then, you finish the workout doing max push-ups and max squats. So, the workout is not impossible, but it is challenging.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 25

Day 25 got shaken up a bit because of a family emergency. I did do the Max 30 workout in the morning, and got through it without taking any breaks, but I was not able to do the Power 90 Sculpt 3-4 workout. My plan is to do that one tonight and then double up on the Power 90 workouts tomorrow (sweat 1-2 and sculpt 1-2).  

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Big Bang Theory: Season 1

 

The 17-episode first season of The Big Bang Theory aired during the 2007/2008 TV season. It was created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady and starred Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, and Kunal Nayyar. The show's premise is that two physicists from CalTech, Sheldon (played by Parsons) and Leonard (played by Galecki), meet their new neighbor, Penny (played by Cuoco), who Leonard instantly falls for. The circle of friends also includes two other CalTech scientists, an Engineer named Howard (played by Helberg) and an Astrophysicist named Raj (played by Nayyar). All the nerdy friends are socially awkward, with Sheldon being an arrogant know-it-all, who is also on the autism spectrum, and Leonard is insecure about nearly everything. Howard tries way too hard to hit on every woman he meets, and Raj cannot talk to women unless he is drunk. Penny is a party girl working as a waitress while trying to break into acting. The supporting cast in the first season includes Laurie Metcalf, who plays Sheldon's Mother, Sara Gilbert, who plays another physicist, and Carol Ann Susi, who plays the voice of Howard's mother.

The blu-ray set is a two-disc set. The episodes can be played with English captions and in a play-all mode (although the play-all mode does not allow you to pick up where you leave off). The two bonus features are on the second disc, a behind-the-scenes featurette that runs just under twenty minutes and a gag reel. The show is a pretty typical sitcom that primarily relies on procedural storylines that get resolved by the end of the episodes, mixed with longer character arcs. It is a mostly wholesome sitcom, but it definitely includes some sex jokes, and Cuoco is in skimpy outfits from time to time. It is filmed partly in front of a studio audience and uses a laugh track for the parts not filmed in front of an audience. 

The show is well-written, with many nerdy pop-culture references, and very well-acted. It also incorporates a lot of real-world science into the storylines. While the character of Sheldon became immensely popular (Parsons does a great job with the character and has great comedic timing), the entire cast plays their characters well, and the actors seem to have great chemistry. The show would become one of the most popular comedies in TV history (and was certainly the most popular sitcom of its era). The first season is mostly focused on character development and establishing the relationships between the various characters. Ultimately, it is a strong season that sets up the show well. Even though the first season is (as of this writing) about 17 years old, it holds up well (with many laugh-out-loud moments) and is worth watching.       

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 24

Day 24 was Sweat Intervals in Max 30 (in the morning) and Sweat 3-4 and Ab-Ripper 200 from Power 90 in the evening. In the Max 30 workout, I managed to make it through the entire 30 minutes without taking an unscheduled break. The Sweat 3-4 workout is almost the same as the 1-2 workout. All the exercises are the same, and you do the same four minutes of yoga at the beginning. The difference is that during the cardio portion, the pace is quicker, and you do an additional round of exercises for each block (except the kicking portion of the kickboxing block). Similarly, when you get to Ab-ripper, you are doing the same ten exercises, just adding an additional ten reps to each one. Those things definitely made the workout more challenging. I had to pause a few times during the workout, but thankfully, my stamina has been getting much better.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Power 90 Hybrid: Day 23

Day 23 was Tabata Strength in Max 30 and Sculpt 1-2 in Power 90. I again flipped the order of the workouts and did the Power 90 workout in the morning and the Max 30 workout in the evening. I again barely managed to make it through the Max 30 workout without taking an unscheduled break, but I was feeling it around the 25-minute mark. In the Power 90 workout, I increased the amount of weight I was using for the back exercises up to 17.5 and still did 15 reps.