Workout Update: Chalean Extreme Day 11

Day 11 was Burn Intervals again. The only thing notable is that I had a sore ankle today so it limited my jumping. So, I basically did everything low impact. The only move I was not able to do the entire set was the sumo burpees, but I was able to get through 10 of them. Everything else went well.  

Audio Book Review: Ultimate Goals

 

This is a better program than Tracy's other well-known program, The Psychology of Achievement. This one really expands on the concept of goal setting, and provides a lot of concrete steps on how to form realistic goals, and then how to try and implement them. Realistic being the key word there. He is very blunt about the fact that someone who is unemployed with no money in the bank is not going to make a million dollars in thirty days, so setting a goal to have a million dollars in thirty days, or even a year when you are in that situation is not realistic. Tracy has a nice conversational style of speaking, that is easy to follow. He can be a bit hokey sometimes, but usually not irritatingly so. This is definitely worth listening to multiple times.

Workout Update: Chalean Extreme Day 10

Day 10 of CE is the second round of Burn Circuit 2. Even though this one is a bit longer than the other BC workouts, I like it the most. It really gives a good burn in the biceps and triceps when you are done. And, one reason I tend to like CE more than P90X is that you only have to do 12-15 push-ups per workout, as opposed to hundreds in some of the P90X workouts (depending on your fitness level). I did max out at 12 reps on a couple of the exercises so those will be increasing in weight next time. On a couple exercises, I could barely make it to 10 reps, so overall, my weight selection was pretty good. 

Audiobook Review: The Psychology of Achievement

 

The Psychology of Achievement, by Brian Tracy, does have some good advice and information in it. Specifically, how to talk to yourself and goal setting. He does say things like you should tell yourself that you like yourself but literally repeating "I like myself" over and over. While that is a bit hokey, the discussion about figuring out your goals, and then cementing those goals by saying things like "I make [insert income per year]" or "I weigh [insert goal weight]" and writing down your goals on a daily basis are sound and helpful. Some of the law of attraction stuff is, as it has always been, kind of dumb, but he does go beyond just advising you pretend that you are something, but visualizing it and then taking concrete steps to make it happen. He also advises things like meditating (what he calls going into solitude) for 30-60 minutes, listening to "tapes" on a daily basis, whether self-help, something you want to learn, topical seminars, etc. Basically, that translates to these days listening to TED talks or informational podcasts. He also gives advice on how to brainstorm effectively and gives a lot of tips on becoming more creative.

All in all, it amounts to good advice to making yourself more productive and successful. The advice is generally practical (like do not set a goal that is unreasonable or incongruent with your current situation) and helpful. It will not turn you into a success overnight but will give you the skills, that if you implement them, help you become more successful.

DVD Review: Due South Season 2

 

The second season of Due South was the last one to be broadcast on CBS. It kept the case-of-the-week procedural format but did have callbacks to prior storylines. One of which resulted in the wonderful mid-season episode Juliet is Bleeding, which returned to the storyline between Ray and Frank Zuko, and guest-starred Carrie Ann Moss, who would of course go on to star in The Matrix in a few years. The Victoria storyline was mentioned a couple of times but never revisited, which I think was unfortunate. This season also introduced new characters that would appear multiple times throughout the series' remaining run including Camilla Scott as Fraiser's new boss, Inspector Thatcher, and bringing back the compulsive liar, Ian MacDonald, from season one. Leslie Nielsen also made his first appearance as the Mountie Sgt. Buck Frobisher. Romana Milano who played Ray's sister Franchesca also had a larger role this season.

The DVD series does not include any extras, just the episodes. The season continued to be well-written and acted. In the second season, the show was mostly still serious, with some comedic elements mixed in. It was not until after the CBS cancellation and picked up by Alliance and aired in Canada and in syndication in the US that it transitioned into a dramedy. As the show does not stream anywhere (that I am aware of) if you want it getting the DVDs is the only way to watch it these days (as I do not think it plays in syndication any longer either). It is definitely worth the pickup.