Book Review: Sandworms of Dune (Dune #23 Chronological Order)

 

Sandworms of Dune, published in 2007, is, as of this writing, the 23rd and final novel in the Dune franchise of novels. It is written by the duo of Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert, the son of the series' original author, Frank Herbert. It both finishes the story told in Frank Herbert's two trilogies and ties into the multitude of prequel novels (numbering 16 as of this writing), especially those set in the Butlerian Jihad era. This is actually the second part of the ending story that Frank Herbert had outlined before his death, the first part of which was told in the novel Hunters of Dune. The two novels tell the story of what happened to the group on the no-ship that Duncan Idaho and Sheeana stole at the end of Chapterhouse Dune during the intervening 25 years as they try to find a new Bene Gesserit homeworld while trying to avoid the mysterious enemy (who are revealed to be the thinking machines Erasmus and Omnius in Hunters of Dune), the face dancers, and the Bene Gesserit/Honored Matres hybrid group who are also hiding from the thinking machines. Omnius, who has a ghola of Paul (named Paulo) being trained by the ghola of Barron Harkonnen, wants to capture the ghola of Paul aboard the Ithaca to determine which is the true Kwisatz Haderach and use him as a weapon and take over the former Empire. 

The hardcover version of the book is approximately 500 pages long. It reads much like the other novels penned by Anderson and Brian Herbert. I am one who actually prefers their books to those written by Frank after the original novel. To me, Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune help make the second trilogy novels make a lot more sense. The story in this one flows well, and ties up both the prequel era storylines and Frank Herbert's original storylines quite well. Many characters are brought back via the ghola/cloning technology. Some are redeemed, others get the happy endings they never received in the original novels, and others get their comeuppance.

Because of the massive time jumps that occurred between novels throughout the series, there is room for other novels to be written to flesh out the earlier portions of the story. Still, Brian Herbert made clear that this will always be the concluding novel in the series, as they will not add onto the end of the story. To follow the story, you do need to have read Frank's original six novels, and at least some of the prequel novels, especially the novels The Butlerian Jihad, The Machine Crusade, and The Battle of Corrin. While I know there is debate about whether the entire saga is worth reading, and some will only read the original six novels, I personally think that if you are a fan of the sci-fi/fantasy genre, all of the books are worth reading, making this one a must-read to find out how the story ends.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 9

Day 9 was back and biceps. In week 2, this is a 50/50 workout. It has three lifting blocks: the first consists of two back exercises, the second is composed of one back exercise and one biceps exercise, and the third consists of two biceps exercises. Then, you do three blocks of cardio, following the 60, 45, 30 format, doing one-leg jump lifts, twisted mountain climbers, and 180 squat jumps (or squats with heel lifts) for the respective times. Then, you finish with core and stretching.

I was a bit surprised that my upper body was as sore as it was today, but the chest and triceps workout was kind of brutal. I definitely had to modify the cardio, but I did try to do at least a couple of unmodified moves before I dropped into the modifications. I am definitely looking forward to the rest day tomorrow.

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera: Stripped

 

Stripped, released in 2002, is the fourth studio album by Christina Aguilera. It was created during the period when Aguilera was attempting to shed her bubblegum pop teen persona, which led to her taking more control over her music and significantly altering her public image. The album includes 20 tracks (some of which are very short interludes as opposed to full-length songs), five of which ("Dirrty," "Beautiful," "Fighter," "Can't Hold Us Down," and "The Voice Within") were released as singles and achieved varying levels of success on the major charts. The songs on the album tended to touch on more adult themes than the songs on her first two albums, like love and sex, being in an abusive relationship, fighting through tough times, and the concepts of feminism and misogyny. The songs on the album incorporate elements from various genres, including pop, rap, R&B, rock, hip-hop, Latin, and soul, and feature a mix of songs ranging from upbeat dance numbers to ballads.

The CD liner includes pictures, lyrics, and production notes for each track, as well as several pages of thank-you notes. The wording is very hard to read because the text is tiny and printed in white against a silver background. Even if your eyes are relatively good, you have to hold the liner right up to your nose to read it. The album is good overall, although some songs are definitely better than others. It has an eclectic enough mix of songs that chances are, if you are a fan of late '90s/early '00s pop, you will like one or more songs on the album. The album marked a significant shift for Aguilera, and, of course, introduced her more mature and sexual "Xtina" persona, which she still occasionally showcases. While the album will not appeal to everyone, if you are a fan of Aguilera's music, it is worth listening to, and some of the tracks are definitely worth adding to a pop-oriented playlist.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 8

Day 8 was the chest and triceps workout for week 2. This week, it is a circuit workout, so you do two blocks of four exercises, doing each exercise (one chest, one triceps, one chest, one triceps) back-to-back with no rest. Then you do a bunrnout block alternating wide push-ups and triceps push-ups. Then you finish with core and a stretching cooldown. 

Even though many of the exercises in this workout are the same as in the week 1 workout, it was tough, because of the change in format, to use the same amount of weight for the exercises. I had to drop set a few of the exercises by the time I got to the second or third set in each block. So, it was definitely a challenge, but good nevertheless.

Blu-Ray/Movie Collection Review: Police Academy 1-7: The Complete Collection

 

Police Academy was a rather prolific series of comedy movies (at least at first) during the 1980s. They were put out in rapid succession every year from 1984-1989, and the final movie (yes, there are actually seven in all) was released in 1994, at which point the series was (thankfully) put out of its misery after the final two horrible entries.

The first movie, starring Steve Guttenberg, Kim Cattrall, G. W. Bailey, Bubba Smith, David Graf, Michael Winslow, Leslie Easterbrook, George Gaynes, and G.W. Bailey, is by far the best movie of the bunch. The subsequent movies varied in quality, with two and three being the best of the sequels (in my opinion), and the last two movies being the worst. The seventh movie was just plain stupid, with a bad plot, stupid sound effects inserted, and a feeling that what was left of the original cast was really just going through the motions. Steve Guttenberg stopped returning to the movies after Police Academy 4, which is the point where they should have really stopped.

This set is a seven-disc set, packaged in three keep cases (three discs in the first case and two in each of the other two) that can be kept in a decorative outer box. While it is a UK release, it seems like the set is region-free. I did not try playing them on a Region 1 player, but I have a region-free player, which, aside from one exception I have come across so far, can play DVDs and Blu-ray discs from anywhere, and it plays this set just fine. The extras vary from movie to movie. Each disc has a behind-the-scenes feature, which includes interviews with the cast and filmmakers. The length of them varies, with the longest being the one for the first movie (at about 25 minutes, give or take), and the others being around 7- 8 minutes. Then some of the discs may or may not include commentary tracks on the films, deleted scenes, trailers, specific character profiles, etc. It seems most of the interviews were conducted around 2004, before Bubba Smith and David Graf passed away, as they were both included in the interviews.

Overall, this set is a good, inexpensive way to get all of the movies in one collection. Even the best of them never tried to be more than they were, used very tongue-in-cheek comedy, and never took themselves too seriously. Over time, they became more and more slapstick and almost a caricature of themselves. The movies do have a lot of swearing, some violence, sexual jokes, and some include brief nudity, so the films definitely earned their R ratings. But, for those of us who grew up with the original movie, it is a fun blast from the past. Ultimately, if you are a fan of 80s comedies and/or a fan of the series, this is worth adding to a physical media collection.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 7

On day 7, which was the second rest day in a row, I did the stretching routine. I had intended to do both the stretching and foam rolling routines, but the evening got away from me a bit as I was working, so I just did the one.  

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bewitched: Season 1

 

Bewitched is the classic 1960s sitcom about a witch who marries a mortal while trying to keep up appearances as a traditional 60s suburban family. It starred Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, and Agnes Moorehead in the leading roles and David White, Alice Pearce, and George Tobias in the primary supporting roles. The 36-episode first season aired during the 1964/1965 TV season. In it, Montgomery plays a witch named Samantha who falls in love with and marries a mortal named Darren (played by York), much to the dismay of her mother, Endora (played by Moorehead). He is an ad executive and she is a housewife. They live a fairly typical suburban life, aside from the fact that she uses magic (sometimes unwittingly in front of her nosy neighbor, Gladys Kravitz, (played by Pearce)), and his mother-in-law uses magic to try to make his life miserable. The show also featured several guest stars (some of whom would become recurring characters in the series, like Maurice Evans, Marian Lorne, and Paul Lynde) and others who had early roles (or even got their start) on the series and would become big stars themselves, like Adam West, Raquel Welch (in a blink-and-you-will-miss-it background appearance), and Peggy Lipton. 

The individual seasons have been released on DVD, both in the colorized version and the black-and-white version (which the first couple of seasons of the series aired in). The series has been released on blu-ray in a complete series release and in two-season sets (with seasons 1 and 2 packaged together, seasons 3 and 4 packaged together, etc.). On the complete series set, the first two seasons are in black and white, as they were originally aired. The A/V quality of the blu-rays is good, but not outstanding (especially the audio). The HD video restoration does look very good, most of the time, but can be uneven. One big drawback to watching the episodes in HD, however, is that when they are using prosthetics (such as fake noses) it is extremely obvious in HD, as you can very clearly see the makeup lines. On the complete series release, the first season episodes are spread across three discs. There are commentary tracks on a few episodes featuring Dick York's son, Chris, Herbie Pilato, who authored several books about the series and a biography of Elizabeth Montgomery, and historian Rob Ray. The episodes can also be played with English captions. The commentary tracks are somewhat informative and provide some information about the series (like the fact that rehearsals for the pilot started on the day JFK was assassinated) and the cast (like the fact that Alice Pearce took the role of Gladys despite having a terminal cancer diagnosis). Chris York also tells stories about his dad.

The series is primarily a story-of-the-week procedural, but sometimes events in prior episodes are referred back to. The acting is good and the cast all play their roles well. Of course, the series is the product of the 1960s, so some things about it are very dated and would not be used if the series were made today. Some of the storylines were very chauvinistic about the roles of men and women. But the show also included themes of inclusion and acceptance of differences, and included black and asian actors, and had actors that would later be known to be homosexual. It is a very nice blast from the past for people who are old enough to have watched it when it aired initially or those who watched the reruns in syndication. Ultimately, it is a good, but dated, sitcom that is worth watching, especially if you watched it when you were younger.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Killing: Season 3

 

The 12-episode third season of the series The Killing aired during the summer of 2013. It is set one year after the events of the Rosie Larsen case, which was the focus of Seasons 1 and 2, and is tied to a case that Linden (played by the returning Mireille Enos) had referred to during the Larsen case. At the beginning of the season, Linden had left the police department and was working for the transit authority. When Holder (played by the returning Joel Kinnaman) and his new partner discover a string of murders involving runaway teenagers, which points to Linden's prior case and brings into doubt the guilt of the man she arrested, Ray Seward (played by Peter Sarsgaard), who is on death row. The rest of the cast includes Elias Koteas, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Aaron Douglas, Jewel Staite, Ben Cotton, and Gregg Henry. 

The DVD set is a very bare-bones three-disc set. It just includes the episodes. There are no bonus features, and the episodes are not captioned. The actual episodes are very good. It is well-written and very well acted. It is a serial drama in which the storyline builds throughout the season. It does not have much action, but it does have some psychological thriller elements. The series maintains the gritty, real-world tone that the first two seasons had. Like the first two seasons, this one has its share of twists and turns, but the mystery is ultimately resolved by the end of the season, and it does not carry over into the fourth season (although the fallout from the season finale's events certainly does). It does contain some swearing, violence, and sexual content, so it is not appropriate for young kids. While events from the prior seasons are mentioned, you do not need to have watched the first two seasons to follow what is going on in this season. Ultimately, if you are a fan of murder mysteries, especially if you watched and enjoyed the first two seasons of the series, this one is worth watching.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 6

Day 6 was a rest day in Lift 4, so I did the roll and recover workout, which is an approximately 10-minute foam-rolling routine. It had been a while since I did that one, and I definitely had knots in my thighs and hamstrings, but not as bad as I expected. And, my legs were not as sore as I expected them to be. We will see if that is still the case tomorrow, however. 

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 5

Day 5 was the fourth and final regular workout of the first week of Lift 4, which was the Legs workout. This week, it is a 50/50 workout consisting of three blocks of weighted exercise, in which you alternate two exercises, and then three rounds of cardio, performing three moves for 60, 45, and 30 seconds, respectively, with 15 seconds of rest between each exercise and thirty seconds of rest between each set. Then you finish with three sets of core (alternating two exercises) and stretching to cool down. I again found that the exercises were much easier after doing 25-minute speed train, especially because I had the tempos (which Joel alludes to in Lift 4, but does not really stress) ingrained. And, doing 10 reps is easier than doing 60-second sets (which usually amounted to 15-20 reps). But, I will say that when you do the lifting portion correctly, the cardio portion is very tough, especially in the third block. 

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 4

Day 4 was the shoulders workout, which this week is an interval workout. So, you do two weighted exercises, followed by a 30-second cardio exercise in each of the three blocks. Then you finish with core and a stretching cooldown. I was still quite sore from the first two workouts this week, so lifting even 10- and 12.5-pound weights was tough, especially at the beginning. I again found that the practice with the tempos from 25-Minute Speed train really helped with the lifting in this workout, as I stayed with the cast members on the rep counts much better than I did when I had done Lift 4 before. So ultimately, it was a good workout. 

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera: Mi Reflejo

 

Mi Reflejo, released in 2000, is the second studio album by Christina Aguilera. It was recorded entirely in Spanish and included 11 tracks in all. It included Spanish-language versions of five tracks from her self-titled debut album (Genie in a Bottle, Come on Over Baby (All I Want is You), I Turn to You, What a Girl Wants, and Reflection), four original tracks, and two covers. 

The CD liner includes pictures of Aguilera, lyrics, and production notes for the tracks, and a thank-you note (all written in Spanish). As with the first album, some of the tracks showcase Aguilera's vocal range, but overall, like her debut album, this is mostly a bubblegum pop album. She can get a bit overzealous with hitting high notes, much like Mariah Carey, which can be a bit annoying.  Ultimately, if you were a fan of her debut album, you will most likely enjoy this one. 

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 3

Day 3 was the mid-week rest day in Lift 4. I did the stretch routine, which runs about 10 minutes. I decided to hold off on the foam rolling routine until Saturday, after leg day, when it would be more helpful. My upper body is definitely sore today from the first two workouts, but the soreness is not horrible. 

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera

 

Christina Aguilera's self-titled debut album was released in 1999. It contains 12 tracks, including the hit singles "Genie in a Bottle," "What a Girl Wants," "Come on Over Baby (All I Want is You)," and "I Turn to You." The first three reached number one in the US, and the last one reached number three. The album blends pop, R&B, and hip-hop, featuring a mix of upbeat dance numbers and ballads.  

The CD liner includes lyrics and production notes for each track, interspersed with pictures of Aguilera, and ends with a thank-you note. The album definitely falls squarely in the realm of teen pop, but also showcases Aguilera's vocal range and talent, which was much stronger than that of other pop stars of the era. Although it is now 25 years old, the album holds up fairly well over time. Chances are, most people who will be interested in the album now are those who were teenagers or in their early to mid-20s when the album was first released. However, if you are a fan of late '90s/early 2000s pop, this is worth listening to. 

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 2

Day 2 was the back and biceps workout from Lift 4, and this week it is a circuit workout, doing two quad blocks consisting of four exercises that you do for three sets. You do each exercise back-to-back with no rest (aside from the time it takes to transition from one exercise to the next). In each block, you alternate a back exercise with a biceps exercise. Then, you do a burnout block that just consists of two exercises, back extensions and biceps curls, then you finish with the core block and stretching to cool down.

I definitely felt yesterday's workout, mostly in my arms from the triceps work, more than in my chest. As with yesterday's workout, I was able to lift a bit heavier doing the exercises than I did in 25-Minute Speed Train since we were doing 10 reps as opposed to a 60-second set. The tempos from 25-Minute Speed Train definitely helped, as I really did not have to think about tempo as I was doing the workout.

Book Review: Black Ice (Scot Harvath Series #20)

 

Black Ice, published in 2021, is the 20th book in the series of action-thriller/spy novels featuring the character Scot Harvath written by Brad Thor. At the beginning of the story, Harvath is in a helicopter that is about to crash in the Arctic. Then, it flashes back 72 hours to tell the story leading up to that point. We discover that while spending time in Norway with Solvi, introduced in the previous novel, Near Dark, Harvath sees a Chinese spy whom he believed he had killed years ago while walking around Oslo. From there, the story involves a plot involving China and Russia and control of the Arctic Circle. 

The hardcover version of the book is 320 pages long. If you have read any of the other novels in the series, the story has a similar flow and feel. As such, the book will probably read as quickly or as slowly as the others have. Like the prior novels, this one has a good blend of action, suspense, and drama (with a bit of humor and romance sprinkled in). Thor does refer to some real-world events in the book, but for the most part, the book steers clear of real-life events and politics (for example, COVID-19 is not mentioned at all). Thor does sprinkle in a bit of political intrigue, but his books are not overtly political. While this is the 20th book in the series, you do not really need to have read the prior novels to follow what is going on; however, it does help to have done so because there are several established characters in the book that Thor assumes people already know and does not spend much time setting them up. Ultimately, if you are a fan of the action-thriller or spy novel genre, this is worth reading.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 1

Today marked the first day of Lift 4. This is Joel Freeman's second complete program, in which he was the sole trainer for BODI (he was a co-trainer on the Core de-Force program). It was also the first non-sport-specific program(his first full program, 10 Rounds, was a boxing-based program).  This is the first time I did Lift 4 after doing the 25-minute speed train workout. Today was chest and triceps in the 50/50 format, in which you do all the lifting first, then do cardio, then finish with core and stretching. 

The lifting portion was a bit easier than in the 25-minute speed train workout since you are only doing 10 rep sets, not sixty-second sets. All of the lifting is done with a 2x2 or 2x1 tempo. Then, you do three rounds of cardio, following a 65-45-30 format in which you do the first exercise (soccer runs) for sixty seconds, the second exercise (mountain climbers) for forty-five seconds, and the third exercise (catchers) for thirty seconds. After that, you finish with three rounds of core, alternating between rope climbers and bent-knee windshield wipers, and finish with stretching to cool down. I found the cardio and core portions of the workout to be the hardest because even though you do some cardio and core in 25-minute speed train, it is once a week, and the cardio does not get your heart rate up as much as the cardio in Lift 4 does. Also, the workout was about 15 minutes longer than the 25-minute speed train workouts. But, it was a good way to kick off the week and a new workout program.

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 56

Day 56 was the last workout of the 25-minute speed train program. It was the second of the two flexibility routines. While I still prefer the first one, this one did grow on me a bit throughout the program. So, my plan going forward is to complete another round of Lift 4, followed by the follow-up to that program, Lift More. Then, I will probably try Tony Horton's (who has returned as a BODI trainer) new program, The Power of 4. 

CD/Music Review: Adele: 19

 

19, released in 2008, was Adele's debut album. It features 12 tracks, and the title was selected based on her age during production of the album (which she has made a tradition with her subsequent albums). The album was a bigger hit in the UK than it was in the United States, but the single "Chasing Pavements" was a moderate hit in the US. It and the song "Make You Feel My Love" are the two best songs on the album, but every song on the album is good and highlights Adele's vocal talent. Despite her age at the time, the album has a much more adult contemporary sound (as all her albums do) than it does a pop sound. The CD liner features the song lyrics and production notes for each track, pictures, and a thank-you note on the final page. Ultimately, while this album was not a massive hit like her subsequent albums (especially 21 and 25), it is terrific, and listening to it, you can tell that Adele was destined for stardom. It is absolutely worth listening to if you are an Adele fan or just a fan of the more adult-oriented singer-songwriter genre.

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 55

Day 55 was the last "real" workout of the 25-minute speed train program, which was core-cardio. This week, the workout uses the Give Me Five format. So, in each of the four blocks, you did a pre-fatigue exercise for 60 seconds and then four 40-second sets of the second exercise. I actually prefer this to doing four blocks and a burnout round, even though you do every exercise for a longer overall period of time. 

CD/Music Review: Aerosmith: Big Ones

 

Big Ones, released in 1994, is an album that is mostly a compilation of recent (at the time) hits from Aerosmith. The album includes 15 songs in all. It is not really a greatest hits album as it does not include songs spanning their entire career. Instead, it features the hit songs from their late 80s/early 90s albums Get a Grip, Pump, and Permanent Vacation, such as "Rag Doll, and" Janie's Got a Gun." Crazy, "Livin' on the Edge," etc. It also includes a couple of previously unreleased songs that the band recorded during a break on one of their tours. 

The CD liner unfolds like a poster. On one side, it has pictures and production notes, and on the other, it has the lyrics for all the tracks. Ultimately, if you are a fan of Aerosmith's late '80s and early '90s hit songs, this is absolutely worth listening to. 

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 54

Day 54 was the last lower-body workout of the program. It uses the Dirty MOFO format. The four exercises in this workout are front-loaded squats, sumo deadlifts, alternating front-loaded lunges, and calf raises. With the five sets, you increase the weight as the time decreases, and then stay with the heaviest weight you can as the time increases again. On some of the exercises I had to step the weight back down, and on others I was able to keep using the heavier weight for the 40 and 60 second sets. 

CD/Music Review: Aerosmith: Get a Grip

 

Get a Grip, released in 1993, was Aerosmith's 11th studio album. It continued to blend hard rock and pop that characterized their sound throughout the 1980s and 1990s. It featured 14 tracks, including the hits "Livin' on the Edge," "Crazy," "Cryin'," and "Amazing," as well as the popular track "Eat the Rich." Cryin' and Crazy were massively popular due to their music videos, both of which featured Alicia Silverstone at the height of her fame, and the latter featuring Steven Tyler's then relatively unknown daughter, Liv. 

The CD liner includes pictures, lyrics for each track, and a thank-you note from the band. Ultimately, the album has an excellent mix of songs and features some of the band's biggest hits of the '90s. It is absolutely worth listening to and has many songs that are worth adding to a playlist.  

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 53

Day 53 was the final upper-body workout of the program. It used the burnout format, which meant doing three sixty-second sets of a weighted exercise followed by a 45-second burnout set that used a band or bodyweight. This workout used most of the tempos that we have used throughout the program, including 4x4, 3x1, and 2x2. Joel encouraged starting with heavier weights and drop setting as needed, which I did in each of the four blocks. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Bolero

 

Bolero is a 1984 romantic drama starring Bo Derek, George Kennedy, Andrea Occhipinti, Ana Obregon, Olivia d'Abo, and Greg Bensen. It was written and directed by Bo Derek's husband, John. The plot involves an orphan heir to a massive fortune named Ayre "Mac" McGillvary (played by Bo Derek) looking for the right man to take her virginity after she graduates from college. She travels the world with her best friend, Catalina (played by Obergon), and chauffeur, Cotton (played by Kennedy), looking for the perfect man.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is good, but not outstanding. Given that it was a low-budget B-movie when released, it is not surprising that it did not receive a high-quality HD restoration. There are no bonus features with the release, just the movie itself, which can be played with English captions.

It was a very controversial movie for its time, because of sex scenes that rival the soft-core "Skinemax" movies, and the fact that d'Abo, who was 14 when the movie was filmed, appeared nude (although not close up, and not in sex scenes). It could not get a traditional release because it would have received an X-rating (even though there are no explicit sex scenes) since the NC-17 rating did not exist at the time. The movie itself is bad. The acting and writing were horrible, but anyone who is old enough to remember Bo Derek's heyday knows that her movies were not made because of their award-winning content. They were made because she was hot and willing to get naked at the drop of a hat. It was a bit funny to have Derek, who was almost 30 when the film was released, playing a 23-year-old recent college grad, but again, the details were not important. The movie does have a lot of nudity and several sex scenes, so it is not family-friendly. Ultimately, it is not a movie that you would watch because you want to see quality acting and writing, but if you are into cheesy 80s movies that show a lot of skin, it is worth checking out.