Supergirl: The Complete Second Season – Blu-ray Review

“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.”

Superhero series and films have been a mainstay in our lives for decades. Whether it’s Marvel, DC, or another entity entirely, comic books and graphic novels have offered up a well-spring of material that creatives in Hollywood have adapted into both huge blockbusters and popular series. The vast majority of these properties have revolved around male superheroes; their female counterparts relegated to supporting roles as helpers or mere love interests.

In 2015, Supergirl premiered on TV and suddenly a strong female superhero was on the radar in their own series and saving the world just the guys. The original Wonder Woman (1976-1979) series starring Lynda Carter and 1984’s Supergirl were the last female-driven superhero TV shows prior to 2015’s Supergirl’s debut.

So what took so long?

The huge success of DC’s Wonder Woman at the box office (it’s the second highest-grossing movie domestically for 2017 with $405 million as of this writing), the popularity of the animated DC Superhero Girls franchise, and the increasing popularity of Supergirl show that there is a need for strong female superheroes in film and TV.

I hope this trend continues.

With season two of Supergirl, the adventures of Kara Danvers/Kara Zor-El (Melissa Benoist) become even more complicated and dangerous as she and her fellow metahumans encounter a whole new host of problems and villainous ne’er do wells that make her life in National City all the more difficult. Throw in her job at CatCo Worldwide media, her search for her father, a new love interest, and teaming up with her cousin (a guy named Superman) and there’s a lot for this Girl of Steel to grapple with.

This is a fun season of Supergirl. Along with all the action and solid effects, there are plenty of cameos from actors who are no strangers to the world of superheroes. Look for Lynda Carter (TV’s Wonder Woman), Teri Hatcher (Lois Lane in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman), Kevin Sorbo (Hercules), and Grant Gustin (The Flash), along with series regular Dean Cain (Clark Kent/Superman in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman).

There’s no limits to what Supergirl can do. She’s a strong and independent woman who is an excellent role model for women of all ages. And while she does face challenges that are much more daunting than what we mere mortals may face, her persistence and strength of character make her a shining example of integrity and courage for all who see her in action.

The Season Two Blu-ray includes the following special features:

Supergirl: Alien Fight Night
Dive into Survivors, where Supergirl and other downtrodden metahumans are forced to compete in Roulette’s Octagon.

Supergirl: 2016 Comic-Con Panel
Cast and executive producers talk up Season Two!

Supergirl: Did You Know?” Facts for Fans
The cast and executive producers reveal some of the show’s most fascinating secrets!

Supergirl: Aliens Among Us
Examine the outsiders from beyond the stars and the visual effects that bring them to life.

A Conversation with Andrew Kreisberg and Kevin Smith
Discover the director’s unique approaches to directing The Flash and Supergirl.

For more high-flying, superheroine excitement, I highly recommend Supergirl: The Complete Second Season!

Supergirl: The Complete Second Season is available NOW on Blu-ray!

What’s your favorite Supergirl moment? Leave a comment and let us know!

Hemp Socks Sample Pack Review

We all complain about our feet aches so why not treat our feet to socks that feel warm and comfy? I got the Hemp Sock Sample Pack at Hemp Authority to see what wearing hemp socks is like. I’m used to wearing thin ankle socks with my sneakers on a day to day basis. So I knew that this would be an interesting adjustment.

There are three socks that come with this sample pack: knit, crew, and ankle. They all have slightly varying materials. The knit sock is made of 53% Cotton, 23% Hemp, 13% Nylon, 7% Acrylic, 4% Polyester. The crew sock is 74% cotton, 25% hemp, 1% spandex. The ankle sock is 51% cotton, 42% hemp, 6% nylon, 1% spandex. I got large which is size 10-13.

Simply putting the socks on your feet already feel wrapped in like a soft blanket. They’ve made me wonder how I ever walked around the house without my socks on before. They instantly make you feel relaxed. That being said though they quickly made me realize how dirty the floor was as I saw these clean socks pick up dust and hairs where I previously thought there were none. After cleaning up the floors I went back to being relaxed and snuggled by my socks. I kind of like the knit and crew socks more than the ankle socks for this pleasure as they run longer up the leg. Easily I could see anyone wearing these to keep warm in the winter.

Putting my sneakers on they made the shoe feel tighter around my foot. Since they’re thicker socks that makes sense. Obviously if you’re wearing a winter boot you’ll totally love the thickness. I did find it nice though that my shoe wasn’t wobbling around due to that slight centimeter of extra space that previously wasn’t being filled by the sock.

But then I wondered if I went to the gym and ran around, whether or not my feet would sweat more or feel hotter than they did with my old socks. Surprisingly enough I didn’t feel like they didn’t. I tried my best and continued to wear the socks longer after the gym trip, but didn’t smell any strong odors. Maybe it’s because of hemp’s antimicrobial properties, or hemp being able to wick moisture well, or just the fact that these socks remain breathable.

The socks are knit in America and are made by a couple different companies like E.G. Smith and Brothers Earth Friendly Products. They both claim that portions of the profits are donated to environmental preservation.

These earthy socks seem like they’re built to last and in the process will keep my feet comfy all year long!

ONNO Hemp and Bamboo T-Shirt Review

I had a problem in my bed for a long time. It was hot under the bed sheets. Even with air conditioning I still woke up hot. It took a while to figure out a solution, but I did. I switched to bamboo bed sheets. This switch made me feel refreshed and ready to go after the first night of using them. I then thought if these sheets can make me feel that good why don’t I look at what I’m wearing and find better alternatives. We walk around throughout the day feeling hot and getting sweaty. Does it have to be like that?

I typically wear t-shirts and shorts. I thought that most of what I wore was cotton. However it tended to be more of a mixture of cotton and polyester, which simply put isn’t great for a variety of reasons. It took a while for me to find a replacement of basic colors with a good alternative material. I found the ONNO T-Shirt Company based in Boulder Colorado, which turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. T-shirts made with more thought and care for the people who wear them. They go as far as buying carbon offsets to balance out their environmental impact.

I never previously felt a bamboo or hemp tshirt. I had big hopes for the bamboo tshirt based on my bed sheets, but that was it. I bought their white color bamboo and hemp tshirts to compare. Lets just saw I loved both, but immediately ordered more bamboo tshirts. The bamboo tshirt was so soft and smooth. I knew it would be great for lounging around the house, hanging around outside, and going through more strenuous exercise at the gym. The tshirt is made up of 70% viscose from organic bamboo and 30% organic cotton. I don’t think I can ever go back to buying a typical tshirts at the mall. There are 19 different colors so that’s plenty to fill up a closet.

There are three things that are awesome about hemp t-shirts: they help block UV rays, wick moisture, and are antimicrobial. ONNO makes theirs with a 55% hemp, 45% organic cotton blend. The texture feels more like a typical shirt. Although they claim that over time with washes the t-shirt will get softer. The t-shirt itself feels thicker than the bamboo t-shirt, which leads me to being warmer especially in these hot summer days like a typical t-shirt does. I know that I’m going to start wearing the hemp t-shirts once winter rolls around and temperatures become around 60 degrees and below. I usually wear t-shirts in the winter time and freeze. So I know that the extra thickness might go as far as allowing me to wander around without a jacket for longer periods of time.

Bottom line is that I love both t-shirts. I can’t wait to fill my closet up with ONNO t-shirts and donate my old t-shirts. My life has been transformed.

Hemp Bi-Fold Wallet Review

As we all know after several years of use a leather wallet breaks down and becomes a nasty looking accessory with chips of leather flaking off. Instead of going down that road again with my next wallet, I wanted to pivot and look for alternative wallet styles.

I stumbled upon Hemp Authority, which sells Hempy’s various wallets. Hemp Authority is neat because they aggregate various American hemp products from apparel, accessories, beauty products, etc and strive to ship the products in a sustainable way.

While I can’t fast forward to see how well this hemp wallet holds up over time, I can already see some major differences when compared to a typical leather wallet. With my previous wallet it was super easy to leave a scratch mark with my finger nail, keys, etc. With my finger nail I could scratch over and over Hempy’s wallet and don’t see any scratches. That’s pretty impressive considering that it’s made out of 100% hemp. Who knew it would be that strong.

The Hemp Bi-Fold Wallet matched what I liked most about my old wallet, the plastic ID holder. In fact the way Hempy designed this wallet, there’s a front side plastic card holder and a back side plastic card holder, 8 card slots, and a cash pocket. I was a little afraid at first because the cash pocket is much shorter than I’m used to. However my bills were still able to fit in flat. It’s tall height makes the wallet easy to grip especially as you look for cards/money. The other aspect that helps in this process is the texture of the wallet. It’s both smooth, but rough enough to make it easy to grab out of your pocket.

I’m thrilled to finally replace my crummy old wallet with a hemp wallet that I know will last for a long time and is made in America in an eco-friendly manner.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Second Season – Blu-ray Review

“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.”

There’s something unique and special about this particular superhero series. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow takes us not just from one good guy versus bad guy battle after the next, but takes us through history as the Legends must prevent catastrophic events all over the world and all over time. Whether it’s Nazi-occupied France or King Arthur’s Camelot, this team of heroes has their work cut out for them as each mission becomes more complex with each decade they traverse through.

With its excellent ensemble cast, led by veteran actor Victor Garber (Titanic, Argo, Power), DC’s Legends of Tomorrow explores real-world situations with time travel and superheroes as an overarching factor. What would you do if you could go back in time and prevent tragic events from happening? How would you choose which ones to interfere with, to alter, or even eliminate completely?

Adding to the dilemma is that the villains – like Neal McDonough’s Damien Darhk and the Legion of Doom – have begun to time travel and influence and affect past events for their own diabolical purposes. Will the Legends be able to stop the baddies and save/change history without it resulting in total disaster for not only the world but themselves as well?

The series does an superb job with its production design and it’s a shame that series like this don’t get more attention and recognition when awards season comes around. While it may be a superhero series, it’s clear that great care and attention to detail were taken into account when creating the myriad historical periods the Legends inhabit throughout the series.

The second season Blu-ray includes the following special features:

Allied: The Invasion! Complex
Can DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Arrow, and The Flash vanquish evil and save Earth Prime?

2016 Comic-Con Panel
Join the cast and executive producers in San Diego!

Gag Reel

Get ready for some time traveling fun and excitement with DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Second Season!

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Second Season is available NOW on Blu-ray!

What’s your favorite time period explored by the Legends of Tomorrow? Leave a comment and let us know!

Swell Vision Atticus CR39 Sunglass Review

Does it make sense to put plastic on your ears? Most of us do it when we wear typical sunglasses. That idea sent me on a internet quest to find an alternative.

I stumbled upon Swell Vision, which is based out of South Carolina. Their frames are made out of bamboo. Of course this is far more sustainable than plastic! Exploring more about Swell Vision I discovered that they also put part of their sales towards supporting local Balinese children so that they can attend the Green School in Bali, Indonesia.

Within a week of placing the order I received the Atticus CR39 Polarized Bamboo Sunglasses. Immediately after I put them on I noticed multiple differences from my previously regular pair of shades. They are super light weight. Coming in at only 0.9oz you’ll barely feel them on your face or ears. That red pinched nose effect was greatly diminished even after wearing the sunglasses for several hours. The other noticeable difference to me was how breezy my face felt with the sunglasses. There was something to the design that allowed plenty of air flow helping me feel cool.

There’s lots to mention about the lenses as well. They’re CR-39 polycarbonate lenses that are impact resistant. Of course I’ve tried not to drop them to see how resistant they are. The lenses are UV400 which blocks 90-100% of UVA/UVB radiation. They’re polarized with an anti-reflective coating. What this all means is that you’ll see clearer on sunny days. You won’t get that awful glare. You’ll see deeper blacks, but not feel as if the frames make the world too dark. Maintaining the lenses is simple as they include a micro-fiber cloth and pouch.

Across the board these sunglasses hit every mark. They’re a cool design, have eco-friendly frames, are light weight, and have high quality lenses. If you want to be adventurous like me, take the plunge into the world of bamboo frames. They’re simply better than plastic frames.