Middle-earth Coins, SW TFA International & Warcraft Trailers

My friend Hayley posted this article on my Facebook timeline and usually I don't like when people post things as I like to control what is on my own timeline but I was very thankful she posted this and she knew it was right up alley. It was a Middle-earth News story about a Kickstarter for a company making Lord of the Rings / Hobbit inspired coins. These are officially licensed merchandise.. which is pretty awesome.  Of course I had to contribute to the kickstarter, it had already made it's goal in just over 24 hours but they were doing lots of stretch goals and still had 20 more days left in the campaign. I went with the $65 "The Nine" package which meant I would get both set #1 and set #2 for a total of 9 coins. Containing one copper Farthing (1/4 penny), one copper Haypenny (1/2 penny), one copper Penny, and one copper Thrup'ny bit (3 pence), one copper Dwarvish Axe of Durin, one copper Elven Leaf of Hollin, one iron Eye of Sauron from Mordor, one bronze Brumby Penny of Rohan, and one copper Raven Penny of Dale Town.

Because I'm so behind on my blogging this kickstarter campaign ended a while ago and went way over their goal and them adding a bunch of stretch goals (additional coins) which I will be receiving as well. I don't know the exact count of coins that I will be getting but they're going to be awesome and I can't wait for them to arrive.

The second thing I want to share with you guys is the international trailer for Star Wars The Force Awakens. It does contain quite a bit of new material but still doesn't give away any of the plot or who these characters are. All this trailer does it get me even more pumped for the movie.

I got another screener.. this time for the comedy Trainwreak.

And there is one last trailer I wanted to share with you guys.. it's the the World of Warcraft movie adaptation, titled Warcraft. I've never played WOW but I have many friends who do and I have considered starting up many times. But this is a fantasy movie and I love fantasy and this looks amazing.. I can't wait.

LARPs The Series Ep 5 "Crossover" - My Thoughts

So we are half way through season two and I'm loving it. Not only have the episode doubled in length but the stories have delved deeper into the characters background and personalities. The fighting is amazing, acting is superb and the overall feel of the stories is grand.

This entire episode is about a different LARPing group in which our regular LARPer's join in for their third anniversary. What is great is this LARPing group is extremely different then our group. There's is a Steampunk LARPing group, set in a completely different world and they fight with cards which is very much different then the very tactile fighting that our group does.

Again my favorite character Arthur takes a turn for the worse. I really enjoyed his story in season one but towards the end of season one and the beginning of season two I haven't really liked where his character is going. When I first saw Arthur he was the one that I identified with most (hence why he become my favorite) but he's done things that I not only didn't see coming but he continue in his downward spiral. In this episode he poison one of the characters from the other group and she dies. She's been this character for the entire run of their LARPing group (which is a big deal) and though it looks like her and Arthur have an adversarial past and she's not the most modest person in the world, what he did was just plain mean and vengeful. I'm hoping we see him bounce back in the second half the season. He needs something good to happen for him.

Can't wait to see what happens next.. bring on episode 6!!

NerdStrong Gym - Front Squats

Thursday means Strength day. This is probably my least favorite type of workout but I know it's necessary for a nice well rounded workout week.

Today's build started with a 1 minute row, then 12x Air Squats, Banded Lateral Walks and 10x PVC Pass Thrus. Once we were done with those we did the entire thing all over again.

For Proficiency we worked on Wrist Wall Walk and Thoracic Foam Roll. This was more like a great stretching session, which was nice for a change.

The Quest was next and we were doing an EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute) for 12 minutes. We were working on Front Squats and had to do 3 reps per that minute. I teamed up with my barbell buddy Derek, so every 30 seconds we would switch off. I did find that I can't do nearly as much weight as I can do with my back squats and my form still needs some work but the 12 minutes flew by.

The final bit of the workout "The Battle" can be some of the hardest as we are already tired from all the other stuff we did and this one is a burner. For this one we had to do 4 rounds of :30 second 1 Hand Kettlebell Suitcase DL, :60 seconds of Facepeelers, :30 seconds of Standing Dumbbell Twists and :30 seconds of rest before doing it all over again.  It doesn't seem like much but 60 seconds, let alone 30 seconds is a long time.. well not when you're resting, for some reason when you're resting 30 seconds feels like 10.

Fantastic Beast Pictures & Dinner with Friends

Entertainment Weekly has a story about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, this is a Harry Potter Prequel that takes place 50 years before his story. They also released several photo from the set. You can check out the rest of the photos HERE.

Not much is given away but we do get to see some of the lead actor as their characters. Not much is known about the film.. but the film is rumored to feature an American wizarding school similar to Hogwarts, and will also visit the Magical Congress of the United States of America (or MACUSA), the U.S. equivalent of the Ministry of Magic. Eddie Redmayne is the main character Newt. I'm really looking forward to this trilogy.

Sad new today, Melissa Mathison, who wrote one of my all time favorite movies Steven Spielberg’s “E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial” died of neuroendrocrine cancer today. She was 65.

She recently reunited with Spielberg to write the screenplay for Roald Dahl adaptation “The BFG,” which is in post-production and will be released next year. Mathison, who was married to Harrison Ford from 1983 to 2004, had two children with the actor, Malcolm and Georgia.

I got another screener today.. this time it's Furious 7. I haven't seen any of these movies but I hear they are good and they are on my list to movies to watch.. so many one day I'll catch up. 

In the evening I set up a dinner with some friends. A group of us gathered in NoHo at a Lebanese restaurant that I really enjoy. Joining me for dinner was Will, Jen, Jes, Hayley, Robert, Cait and Dallas. I miss seeing these guys on a regular bases as we all have such busy lives these days. It's nice when we can get together and just catch up. Lot's of hilarity always ensues. It was a good night.

NerdStrong Gym - Dungeon Run

Today's CON workout is titled Dungeon Run and boy was it.. lots of different workouts in the battle portion of this Dungeon Run.

We started with a Run (of course) and then did 6x Perfect Stretch. This stretch is one of my most complicated stretches I think we do at the gym. It has lots of movement and a certain way to do them.

Next was did 5x Air Squats, 10x Banded Squats and 5x Air Squats again. It's crazy the difference you feel from the firs set of air squats to the second set after doing the banded one in-between.

No Quest for today's workout.. instead we moved on to a very long Battle. We had to do 2 rounds of 2 minutes of work and 1 minute of rest. We had to do Bird Dogs, Armless Sit Ups, Dumbbell Thrusters, Mountain Climbers, Bicycles, Dumbbell Curls and then Half Push Ups (with a 3 second hold).

Two minutes of each of these with a minute of rest (which feels like 10 seconds) it rough and when you finish one round you have to do it all over again and it's even harder. Once I got to my second round of mountain climbers I hit a wall and struggled to finish the rest but I'm happy to say I did everything.. I was tired and exhausted but glad I finished. 

And check out another great article that Geek and Sundry did on the gym.. HERE

NerdStrong Gym - Handstands and Mace Jousting

DEX day at NerdStrong Gym.. Dexterity days have a really wide range of workouts. For today's workout.. after we ran a lap as we all know Coach Blair loves to make us run laps.

We started with our "Build" 50x Jumping Jacks, 3x Calf/Hamstring Stretches, 2x Doorway Stretches and finished with another 50x Jumping Jacks. We moved on to "Proficiency" and did 2x Walking Rope Squat and then 3x Lateral Walking Push Up. These were some new moves that we (or at least I) have never done. Standing on a "battlerope' and doing a squat is difficult enough but then you have to side step on the rope a foot or so and do it again and again until you get to the end of the rope.  Doing the Push Ups on the rope wasn't as bad (at least not for me as I actually enjoy push ups now).

For the Quest we did 5x Ring Dips, 100x Jump Rope and :30 seconds Handstand Hold. Ring Dips are extremely tough as they take alot of tricep strength to do them properly, which I can't so I have to use a box to help with the dips. Jumping rope is fine but I really enjoy doing handstands so that was my favorite part of the workout.

We finished off with our "Battle". We had to do 5 Rounds of 10x Mace Joust (Right), 5x Strict Mace Squats, 10x Mace Joust (Left) and then 5x Strict Mace Squats. Depending on the weight (and I choose a heavy one) these got daunting after the first three rounds but it was a nice way to finish up with workout.

New Star Trek Series & Metroid: The Sky Calls

CBS Television Studios announced today it will launch a new Star Trek television series in January 2017.

We don't know much about it but this is what they have told us so far. The brand-new Star Trek will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966.

The new series will start with a special preview broadcast on the CBS Television Network. The premiere episode and all subsequent first-run episodes will then be available exclusively in the United States on CBS All Access, the Network’s digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service. This will be the first original series developed specifically for U.S. audiences for CBS All Access, a cross-platform streaming service that brings viewers thousands of episodes from CBS’s current and past seasons on demand, plus the ability to stream their local CBS Television station live for $5.99 per month. CBS All Access already offers every episode of all previous Star Trek television series.
Alex Kurtzman will serve as executive producer for the new Star Trek TV series. Kurtzman co-wrote and produced the blockbuster films Star Trek (2009) with Roberto Orci, and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) with Orci and Damon Lindelof. Both films were produced and directed by J.J. Abrams. The new series will be produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout. Kurtzman and Heather Kadin will serve as executive producers. Kurtzman is also an executive producer for the hit CBS television series Scorpion and Limitless, along with Kadin and Orci, and for Hawaii Five-0 with Orci.

I'm super excited for this though I don't like the idea that I'll have to pay for another streaming service to watch it.. but it's Star Trek and I'll pretty much do anything for a new Star Trek. You can read the original article HERE.

There is a short movie that I want to share with you guys. The creator is the husband of one of the coaches (Kimi) at NerdStrong, and the actress (on screen) is the wife of another coach (Blair) at NerdStrong. And my friend America did all the motion capture for this film. And if that's not enough they actually filmed some of it at the gym itself.

It's produced by Rainfall Films (coach Kimi's husbands company) and you might remember they produced this AMAZING Wonder Women short back in 2013, which you can watch HERE. That too had several of my friends in it.. but the one I want to share with you today is Metroid: The Sky Calls. It's based off a very popular video game from Nintendo. Hope you enjoy it, I thought it was a lot of fun.

Comikaze Con Day 2

So I went to an earlier workout class so I could get to the con a bit earlier then yesterday as the floor/con closes at 4pm and I wanted to get as much Hobbit cosplaying in as I could. I got to the convention center around noon and suited up (well put on my Hobbit feet) as I can't drive with those things on. I checked my weapon and met up with friends.

My friend Hayley changed into her Galaderial cosplay and we roamed the halls taking pictures here and there. I got to see more of the show room floor which is always nice, especially artist alley which has become of new favorite of mine the past few cons.

There was also this booth where they were taking "old style" pictures and Hayley and I got one together and it turned out great.. creepy, but great.

After the con closed at 4pm Hayley and I went out front and found a "wooded" looking area and Dallas took some cool pictures of us. As we stood there was had people come up to us and ask for pictures which we were more then happy to do. At one point I had a guy come up to me and ask if I wanted this HUGE Hobbit poster that he had won.. of course I said yes. Don't have a clue where I'm going to put it but it is pretty epic.

We hung around the con taking pictures for about an hour before heading to my car as I as once again taking Hayley and Dallas home.

This was a quick con for me. I only went two of the three days and with my workouts I got to the con well after they opened. I spent about eight hours total for the two days at the con. But with these smaller cons you really don't have to spend all day there. I only did the one panel (NerdStrong) yesterday and really didn't even look at what other panels they were having. Overall it was an enjoyable con and I got a little cosplay in as well.. which is always fun.

NerdStrong Gym - Escaping Madness (or not)

Today's Sunday themed workout was titled McMansion of Madness. It was set up like an escape room. We had to find our way out within 10 rounds or we would succumb to Madness (which meant we had to do 13 Double Burpees).

Coach David told us some great back story for this house (it involved the producers of the movie John Carter). We had no idea what we would encounter from room to room. Potential foes were Squats, Jump Squats, Push Ups, Sit Ups, 1 Ring / 2 Hand Row, Lunges, Dumbbell Press and Planks.

We spent 3 minutes in each room doing :30 seconds of work and then getting :30 seconds of rest. We had one minute of rest between rooms for us to choose a new leader and have that leader choose our next room.

We went from room to room and did Squats, Jump Squats, Push Ups, Planking, more Jump Squats, Lunges, more Squats, Sit Ups, more Jump Squats and finally Dumbbell Press'. We thought we made found the exit but it was a trick and in actuality there was no way for us to get to the exit with in 10 rounds so we all went mad and had to do 13 Double Burpees.. it was horrible.

Though I think this was set up so we would fail it was alot of fun not knowing what we ahead of us. Would love to do this workout again in the near future.

Comikaze Con Day 1

Stan Lee's ComiKaze Con is happening this weekend. It started yesterday but because of work I wasn't able to attend so after gym today I headed to the Los Angeles Convention Center. I got to the center around 1pm and the place was packed (come to find out that a Hockey game was happening at the Staples Center, which is right next door). So parking was crazy expensive (most lots were asking $40) I opted to try and get into the convention parking as it was only $10 a few years ago and though I assume the price went up I'm sure it's well below the $40 the outside parking was asking.

It took almost an hour to park but I was one of the last cars they let in the convention center parking and it only costed me $20. Once inside I had to find my friend Hayley and Dallas who were roaming the floor in the Game of Throne cosplay. I did not cosplay today as I knew I'd be getting there late and wanted to really roam the floor. I plan to cosplay tomorrow.

I met up with my friends and we walked around the many floors of the con for the next four hours. This con is about half the size of Wondercon which is about half the size of San Diego Comic Con. The cosplays were the best part of this con. Cosplaying has really taken off and there are so many talented people out there making some amazing costumes.

Nerdstrong had a panel upstairs around 4 so I left my friends and headed to the room. I met up with several other NerdStrongers and we waited for the panel to start. I'm happy to say that I have been to every single panel that NerdStrong has done so far and this was another fun panel. With exception to the really drunk guy being disruptive the first half hour (he headed out looking for the bathroom and luckily never came back).

Met up with my friends after the panel and roamed the floor a little longer until 6pm when the sales floor closed. I was taking my friends Dallas and Hayley home so we made our way to my car and along the way I ran into one of my coaches, coach Kimi who was waiting for an Uber ride. Since she lives right down the street from me I offered to take her home. So the four of us made our way to my car and one by one I dropped everyone off before crashing on the couch and relaxing the rest of the night.

Looking forward to going again tomorrow in my Hobbit cosplay as my friend Hayley will be going as Galadriel.  

NerdStrong Gym - Boss Monster Take Two

The Boss Monster is back.. we fought this Monster (workout) on the first Saturday of the month and then we fought smaller bosses the past three Saturdays to prepare of the second battle with this Boss Monster. Of course you are hoping improve upon how far you got the first time.

Here's the info about about this "Boss Monster"workout, we had a 45 minute time cap to do 460 meter run, 50x Kettlebell Swings, 460 meter run, 40x Push Ups, 230 meter run, 30x Goblet Squats, 230 meter run, 20x Burpees, 140 meter run, 10x Burpee Pull Ups, 230 meter run, 20x Head Cutters, 230x meter run, 30x Box Jumps, 460 meter run, 40x Slamballs, 460 meter run and finally 50x Sit Ups.

Now the last time I fought this guy I got to Box Jumps and did about half of the 30 that were required. So my goal was simple.. I wanted to finish Box Jumps at the very least. But I'm happy to say that I not only finished the Box Jumps, I went on an ran another 460 Meters around the parking lot and managed to get almost halfway thru the 40 Slamballs before time ran out this time. I was extremely happy with my results. Yes I didn't finish the fight but I got even closer this time around.

I'm sure will fight this boss again in the future and hopefully the next time I can kick it's butt and finish it. 

Finished My Whole 30 Diet

Today marks my final day on my "Whole 30 Challenge" diet. First of all I only lasted a week on the strict diet of now added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No alcohol, no grains, no legumes, including beans of all kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin). No dairy. This includes cow, goat or sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir, yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream.

I manged for a week before feeling tired and exhausted all the time. Workouts were extremely difficult and after working out it took me forever to recover. I knew there was no way I was going to be able to do this for an entire 30 days so I modified the diet. I gave up bread and pasta, additional sugar, alcohol, and eating out. And even with it modified I would say that I was about 90% successful. I did eat a hamburger bun once, mac and cheese, a few slices of pizza and a piece of cake on day 28. But other then those few slip ups I stayed strong and kept to the diet.

I don't really feel any different and maybe that's because I had to modify the diet, all I know is that I won't do it again as I was hungry all the time. What's great is that I didn't crave sugar, kept my intake for the 30 days well below 20 grams a day, alcohol isn't a problem since I drink only a few times a year but I found the hardest to give up and craved the most during those 30 days was bread. That to me was my biggest struggle.

What will I take away from this experiment, is that I know I can cut back on my carbs intake, especially bread and pasta. If I can cut those down to only a few times a week that will be huge. I gotta keep telling myself that I'm in this for the long haul. There are not quick fixes in health care, if you put the time in the results you are looking for will eventually happen.

Show I Worked On - Santas in the Barn

So here is a video presentation of the show I've been working on this past year (since February). It's called Santas in the Barn and it's gonna air on truTV at the end of November and into December. It's a reality show to find America's Best Santa Clause. I really enjoyed watching this show and I normally don't watch the things I work on since I see them over and over again but this one is alot of fun and I think if it can find it's audience can be extremely successful. Here's the presentation video they released for the Upfronts. This kind of gives you a idea about the series.

LARPs The Series S2 Ep4 - My Thoughts

Today a new episode of LARPs the Series was released.. S2 Ep4 "Retcon" In this week's episode of LARPs, everyone has their own story of how the game went down!

I really enjoyed this weeks episode, the way they structured it was really cool. The episode starts out with everyone gathering for food/hot tub after a intense day of LARPing. What makes this a really fun episode is that we get to see a specific fight scene from everyone's very different perspective.

Each one is shoot differently, acted differently and color saturation or lack there of from each persons tale is fantastic . Some are very different then the others (Will's in particular) while others are over dramatic (Brits) or under dramatic (Kat). I love the use of different music to express the different styles of story telling.

This series has really stepped up for it's second season.. I enjoyed the first season but every episode this season has taken it to new levels of awesome... this series for me is getting up there with great webseries like The Guild. Can't wait for the next episode.

NerdStrong Gym - Back Squat, One Rep Max 295 lbs

Today's workout was to find our One Rep Max for Back Squats. We did this about three months ago so I was looking forward to seeing how much I improved (if any).

We started with a nice warm up "build" 2 rounds of 150 meter rowing & 4x inch worms. Then 2 rounds of knee hugs, toy soldiers, butt kickers and high knees.

For Proficiency we worked with Bands.. we worked on Ankle Mobility and then Hip Mobility.

And the Quest was the One Rep Max for Back Squats. Before finding out ORM we started with a much lower weight and did 5 reps, we then added more weight and did 3 reps before starting to find out one rep max.

My previous one rep max was at 145 lbs, but since then I realized that I have much better form if I take my shoes off.. so I did that this time around. I started at 145 lbs and kept adding 20 lbs, I was shocked when I passed 200 lbs as I was lifting it with ease, so I continued to add 20 lbs and soon pass 255 lbs. What was crazy is that I wasn't struggling with the weight, which meant I was still far from my one rep max. I added an additional 20 lbs making my total weight lifting 275 lbs and then I started to feel it but pushed through and managed to finish the squat.

Coach Andrew suggested that I go up by increments of 5 or 10 lbs but I was getting tired and I knew I only had one or two more lifts in me and our time was almost up. I opted to go up another 20 lbs to make the total 295 lbs. Now everyone else was close to being done so all eyes were one me. I brought the weight up and prepared for the squat, it was heavy but I was feeling pretty good. I went down into my squat and stopped for just a few seconds at the bottom before pushing with all my might and standing back up. It took some effort but I knew I still hadn't found my one rep max yet.. but I called it quits as I was tired.

Looking back I kind of regret that I didn't try for at least 300 lbs as that's a real milestone but I can't be upset as I increased my One Rep Max by 150 lbs.. that's more then double my original ORM. Next time we do our One Rep Max I'll be sure to surpass 300 lbs.

Coach Blair thinks in time I'll be able to back squat 400 lbs. If he would have told me this yesterday I would have laughed but after doing almost 300 lbs today I can defiantly see myself lifting that much in a near future and it's kind of exciting.

After our one rep max we moved on to the "Battle" portion of the workout which was 5 rounds of 10x Weighted Sit Ups, 10x Sprawls and 10x Push Ups. I found out that I can't do weighted sit ups, even with the lightest of weights it puts a strain on my lower back and causes some pain. I so did regular sit ups instead. We only had five minutes to five rounds which meant you had to go full steam the entire time and even at that I only got half way through round 4 before time ran out.

Overall a great workout and I'm still in shock I was able to back squat 295 lbs..

NerdStrong Gym - 7 Minute Row Test

Today was our 7 Minute Row Test... but leading up to that we did a nice warm up "build". 230 Meter Run, 10x Arm Circles (forward and backwards), 2 sets of 5x Wall Squats and 10x Air Squats, then 10x Leg Sweeps (front to back) and then 10x Leg Sweeps (side to side).

For the Proficiency portion of the workout we had to do 2 minutes of couch stretching and 2 minutes of hamstring stretching. Couch stretching is one of the toughest stretches we do. I struggle every time I have to do them as I'm just not as flexible as I'd like to be. I use a pole to help keep me upright and if they ask for my knee to be all the way against the wall I can't get up on the other foot. I'm hoping in time my flexibility will improve.

The Quest was our 7 Minute Row. I know rowing is some of the folks favorite workout and I use to enjoy it as it really does give you a full workout but lately I haven't been a fan of this workout. The goal is to row 2000 meters in seven minutes, my previous number was 1476 meters and I'm happy to say that improved this time with 1540 meters. Still far off from 2000 but getting there slowly. It really is all about pacing and keeping the endurance up.

After a brief rest we moved on to our Battle. We started at Cone 1 with 5x Weighted Squats, then we dropped the weight and sprinted to cone 2. We then grabbed a heavy kettlebell and suitcase carried it to cone 3 and then back to 2 and then we sprinted back to cone 1. Took a :30 second break before doing it all over again another four times for a total of 5 rounds. It was rough especially after rowing for seven minutes. The only upside is that I was in the first wave of rowers so I actually had a bit of a longer rest then the ones who went second but honestly that didn't help much.. it was a tough workout.

NerdStrong Gym - Tightrope Walks & Slamball Battles

So much stuff for today's workout... look at that board.

We started with a nice "Build", up first was an Agility Ladder and we had to do 2x High Knees, One Forward, Two Forward, Two Lateral, Hop Scotch and finally In In Out Out Forward. We then did Shoulder Stretches and Tricep Stretches.

We then moved on to our "Proficiency" portion of the workout which was 3 rounds of 10x Knee Raises and 5x Inch Worms.

Then the Quest was next. This was a Slow Tightrope Walk. We started with 4x 1 Kettlebell Front Rack (alternating from arm to arm). We then did 4x 1 Kettlebell Overhead (alternating from arm to arm). Once we did those twice for both arms we grabbed a heavy dumbbell and did 4x 1 Kettlebell in Front Rack with Dumbbell in Farmer Carry and then 4x 1 Kettlebell in Overhead with Dumbbell in Farmer Carry. These were tough after the third and fourth pass. When you start out you walk in a straight line but then by the third time you are trying to stay in that straight line and it's getting more difficult.

For the Battle we had to partner up and do :30 seconds of work, :10 seconds of rest for three rounds of Plank with Low Fives (this is fun, you face  your partner and while you are low planking you are slapping hands back and forth. Slamball Sit Ups (you sit with you legs interlocked and do a sit up and pass a heavy slamball back and forth while you are doing it). We then did Standing Slamball Rotations (here you stand back to back with your partner and turn back and forth and pass a slamball between the two of you). And the final thing we did was a Wall Sit, while one is doing the wall sit with a mace the other person holding a slamball overhead, we switched off every :15 seconds.

It was alot of stuff but I really liked the Battle as it was with a partner and it's always more enjoyable doing the workout with a partner. 

X-Files Trailer, Extended Sherlock Special & Broadway HD

They released a new X-Files trailer for their upcoming mini-series. The more I see of this the more excited I get. I love me some Mulder and Scully.

They also released a new Extended Edition of the next Sherlock special. This is their first Christmas special and it's set in the past during the Victorian times. It's been forever since we have seen a new Sherlock and the more I see of this the more excited I get.

I came across this video and thought it was very cool.. it's the new Star Wars The Force Awakens trailer music but it's set to the original Star Wars trilogy footage. They work so well together.

I got another screener in "Straight Outta Compton". I've heard nothing but amazing things about this movie but I have absolutely 0% interest in watching it. I enjoy good drama but this to me is to much like real life, which again I don't mind from time to time but for whatever reason I have no inclination to watch this movie. Who knows maybe a friend will want to watch it and I'll watch with them but at this time I don't have any plans to watch it.

And the final thing I wanted to share is this new on-demand streaming of Broadway shows called BroadwayHD. I mean I don't know why no one has thought of this or tried something like this before as it's such a great idea. And yes it's not the same as being there but there are so many amazing stage shows that millions of people won't be able to see because they can't get to New York. I for one am super excited for this new service. You can sign up and get more information HERE.

On-Demand Streaming of Stage Shows

On-Demand Streaming of Stage Shows

Downton Abbey S6 Eps 5 & 6 - My Thoughts

I love watching the new season of Downton Abbey but the more episodes I watch the closer it gets to the end. Today episode 6 aired in the UK. So in this blog I'm gonna review episodes 5 & 6. Only two more after this and then the final Christmas Special.

So S6 Ep.5  1925. Mrs Patmore, Daisy and Andy help Mr Mason move into the farm; Daisy is jealous when she realises that he and Mrs Patmore like each other. Andy has offered to help with the pigs, and learn about farming, but reveals to Thomas, whom he has been avoiding, that he can't read or write; when Thomas offers to help him, he accepts. Edith appoints young Laura Edmunds as her editor, and also gets romantic with her friend Bertie. Molesley accompanies Baxter to the trial, but she doesn't need to testify. Carson, used to perfect meals and service in the servants' hall, makes nit-picking complaints to his wife about the food in their cottage, which annoys her – especially when he dares to ask Mrs Patmore to help his wife brush up on her cooking skills. Denker rudely confronts Dr Clarkson about going against Violet in the matter of the hospital; he complains, and Violet fires her, but she uses her hold over Spratt to blackmail him into speaking up for her, and she is allowed to remain.

Violet persuades Minister of Health Neville Chamberlain to visit Downton for dinner, but Robert suddenly collapses with a burst ulcer, and is rushed to hospital. He survives an operation, but Mary tells Tom she must take over the running of the estate, as her father must not be worried further. She is also suspicious about Marigold, after half-hearing a puzzling remark about the child. Before rushing off to the hospital, Cora, fed up at long last with Violet always getting her own way, tells Chamberlain to let the hospital merger go ahead and refuses to argue further with Violet.

Wow.. what an episode.. I'll start with one of the most shocking and gruesome scenes I've ever seen on Downton. Robert's ulcer bursting and him spewing blood all over the table and his poor wife. That scene was horrific yet it had one of the most heart wrenching lines of the episode. As Robert is lying on the floor dying (presumably) his wife by his side holding his head, she looks up at her and said "If this is it... just know that I have loved you, very, very much". Such a sweet moment and thankfully he doesn't die.

Daisy has been acting horribly this season, I'm glad she's growing and her mind is expanding to new possibilities for herself and other servants but man she's becoming a bitch. And now she's jealous that Mrs Patmore and Mr. Mason are interesting in each other.  You'd think she's be thrilled as Mr. Mason is like a father to her and Mrs Patmore has been like a mother and mentor but no, Daisy is being a bratty kid.

Carson is another one who's been getting on my nerves as he continuously belittles Mrs Hughes though it's just the way he was brought up and he's pretty set in his ways. Luckily Mrs Hughes has a huge heart and can forgive easily enough. 

I like the interaction between Thomas and Andy, I had always hoped that Andy would wind up being gay and get together with Thomas but it looks as though Andy has his eyes on Daisy.

Next was S6 Ep.6  June 1925. Carson continues to moan about things at the cottage not being 'up to standard', to the increasing annoyance of his wife, even complaining about how she makes the bed, and suggesting that she get some pointers on cooking from Mrs Patmore. The Board of the Downton Cottage Hospital decides to approve its merger with the Royal Yorkshire Hospital and invites Cora to be their new president in place of the Dowager Countess to avoid such situations in the future. Daisy continues to try to sabotage the growing flirtatious friendship between Mrs Patmore and Mr Mason, but is too blatant, and both realize what is going on. Mary takes Tom to London, where they meet Henry, who invites them to a motor-car race at the Brooklands circuit. Henry tells Mary he is falling in love with her.

Mary and Tom decide to open the house to the public for a day to raise funds for the hospital. Edith's beau Bertie persuades Cora, Mary and Edith to act as guides, but they turn out to be woefully ignorant about the house and its contents. Violet, having learnt of her demotion, arrives in a frightful temper, imperiously sweeping aside the hoi polloi, and angrily berates both Cora and Robert for their treachery. Carson questions Thomas about his meetings with Andy, causing him more distress and reducing him to tears of self-pity.

This episode was pretty much a continuation of last weeks episode.. Daisy still being bratty and Carson being a male chauvinist. We also get some forward movement in Mary and Henry's relationship.

I liked the idea of opening Downton to the public of a day and I wanted to punch Carson for the way he treated Thomas after finding Andy slipping out of his room after hours. Of course we all know that Thomas is teaching Andy to read but they are keeping it on down low. I know Thomas has been a dick from time to time but he's been softening the season and a half and I just want something good to happen for him. At this rate he's going to kill himself (I hope they don't end his storyline that way).

So two more awesome episodes and only two more left, then the Christmas special. As I said at the beginning.. I'm excited to watch more but the more I watch the less new there will be.

NerdStrong Gym - Back To The Future

In honor of Back to the Future Day we did a Back to the Future themed workout.

Started with a nice "Build" of 10x PVC Good Mornings, 10x PVC Figure 8's, 10x PVC Pass Throughs, 10x You Shall Not Pass' and finally 10x Air Squats.

For the workout itself, it was a team workout (Marty and Doc) so I partnered up with my buddy Adam. We began with a 1985 Meter Row, We took turns rowing roughly 200 meters each back and forth until we completed the 1985 meters. Next was 85x Front Squats, again this was a team workout so we did 20 squats each until we got through the 85. 19x Box Jumps were next and these we had to do individually, then 85x Push Ups which we did as a team. Next was x55 Pull Ups and since both my team mate and I can only do a few we opted to scale down to Ring Rows and did a combined total of 55. We then did x19 Burpees each before doing a 1985 Meter Run around the parking lot (that's eight times around). Again this was a team one so I would run once and then tag Adam and he would run once and so on. We managed to finish the run just in time.

Thanks Adam for being a great team mate and thanks to the coaches for the awesome workout.