Oz - The Great and Powerful Movie

Since I grew up telling everyone that my favorite movie of all time was The Wizard of Oz (1939), I thoroughly enjoyed watching this prequel, Oz the Great and Powerful, and I'm happy that I caught it on the big screen.

This movie tells the story of how the Wizard made it to Oz.  If you know the original 1939 version, then you can probably guess how this movie ends.  That is, you know beforehand that the Wizard is going to be stuck there.

As the trailer shows, the director, Raimi, went to great lengths to match the feel of its predecessor.  The sets look similar.  The music is similar.  Even the plot lines are mostly consistent.  As such, I would expect most 1939 fans to enjoy this film the same as I did.

Just like in the original, the first part is in black and white, and in the original 4:3 aspect ratio.  But when they hit Oz ... watch out!  The color fades in and the screen moves to widescreen.  It was a pretty cool effect.  And as expected, "minor" characters in the beginning reappear as "major" characters later on.  So, this movie also has the possible interpretation of "the Wizard just bonked his head and went crazy cuckoo."  Only, in this version he doesn't wake up!  Oh no!

I missed seeing it in 3-D.  The reason is that when I checked Real or Fake 3D, I saw "The Wizard of Oz" listed as being "fake," but that's a totally different movie.  Oz the Great and Powerful is actually in real 3-D.  If you can still catch the movie in 3-D, it may be worth it.

The only complaint is that I'm not sure how well this movie can stand on its own.  Without its connections to the 1939 original, it's really some good eye-candy with an average plot.  It relies heavily in duping the audience, but then makes the mistake of having the characters duped as well, when ... if you think about it ... they must be really stupid, because how on earth could they not know that stuff?  Watch the movie, and then think about it.  There's even one revelation where a certain character acts one way before ... as if not knowing what's going on, and then immediately after the revelation, acts as if he knew the whole time.  Ooops.

Still, it's worth watching.  I recommend it for the whole family.

The Host - Not That Bad

I liked The Host.  My wife didn't.  She read the book, while I didn't.

Even though the movie feels like a low budget feature, I thought it was well written and was all around good sci-fi.  Be prepared for a major chick flick, though.

In The Host, the invasion has already happened.  Only a few humans remain unturned.  Near the beginning of the movie, Melanie is captured and is invaded by the persona called Wanderer.  Since Melanie is so strong willed, she resists and talks with Wanderer, and sometimes regains partial control of her body.

At first, Melanie's voice-over, as she "speaks" to Wanderer, is strange and borders on cheesy, but I got used to it quickly.  Though, there was one love scene later that used the voice-over technique, which didn't quite work for me. 

As you can guess with Stephanie Meyer's work, Melanie is in love with one guy, while Wanderer falls in love with another.  Too bad there's just one body!

The movie does have some pretty good moments and explores some areas I've never seen before.  Kudos to Stephanie.  The acting was decent.  The special effects were decent, though sometimes on the cheesy side.

My wife tells me the book was much better.  She says that it's almost as if the producers took the more "adult" novel and intentionally inserted the feel of the tweener Twilight series.  I can see that through the music they chose and their decisions to play up the love triangle aspect.  Perhaps one day I'll read the book and then hate the movie, but until that happens, I thought it was a good experience.  It was at least much better than the first two Twilight movies that I saw.

My recommendation: This would be a good movie to rent and watch with the honey when it comes out on DVD.  Though there are a few scenes that look cool on the big screen.

A Quiet Celebration

A couple of weeks ago, I announced my big stepping-stone event ... I earned my first paycheck through winning second place in the Actuarial Speculative Fiction Contest.  Despite how groundbreaking this is, I couldn't help but notice how quiet the celebrations were. 

Yeah ... it was very quiet.  Not that it's at all upsetting ... but where were all the trumpets and the heavens opening up and all that good stuff?

I suppose part of it was realizing how few of my friends even realize that I'm writing.  I think I told two people at work about my big win, and they both said, "That's nice," and we moved on to something else.

My gut tells me that's what it's going to be like with every award or paycheck I receive.  Here's a hypothetical situation I can imagine at work after I win a Nebula award...

"Hey Frank!  Guess what!  Did you hear the news?  I just won the Freakin Nebula award!  Come on ... do the dance with me!"

"Huh?  What's a Nebula?"

"You know ... sci fi books.  Like Ender's Game.  I'm in the same league as Orson Scott Card!"

"You're playing video games?  What kind of card did you win?"

"You never heard of Ender's Game?  There's a movie coming out."

"Oh ... like TRON?  Hey, have you finished up that TPS Report, yet?"

" ... "

Well, at least I got you guys.  I'm just letting you know that the celebrations don't last very long.  But the happiness ... yeah ... I still got that.  My writing is re-energized.  I finally have some real validation of the talent that I was wondering if I really had (as is evidenced in that wonderful last sentence I just wrote).  I may not be doing the dance, but I got my smile on.

My First Contest Win

I am resisting the temptation to write in ALL CAPS, but I'm excited to announce my very first REAL credit.  I placed 2nd in the Actuarial Speculative Fiction contest!





I also grabbed the "Most unique use of technology in a story" award.





So, Booyah!  First credit to put in my query letters!  Finally, something to put in my Schedule C - Income section!

The other winners are good stories, and I recommend reading them as well.  Also, check here to see an overview of all 18 stories.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a cover letter to write ...

Mister Six Digits

Did I ever tell you about the toughest student to walk into the BYU Math Lab?  We called him Mister Six Digits, because every time he talked, he never hesitated to remind you how much he made.  He was also very difficult to tutor, because if he couldn't understand you, he would tell you to go away.

My boss gave me the challenge to reach the guy.  I was one of the best tutors in the Math Lab at the time.  That's because of this little talent I have.  When I tutor, I not only look at the piece of paper, but I study the person -- their voice, their posture -- searching for any clues of understanding.  If I see that my approach is working, I continue.  If it's not working, I switch gears and try something else.  It's kind of like playing a musical instrument.

So, when Mister Six Digits put up his orange flag, the other tutors let me have him.  At first it was difficult to learn his style, but things started clicking.  He was understanding the math, and he was happy.  He learned my hours at the Math Lab and came at those times.  He told me that he liked me.  I was his favorite little nerd.  He would put his arm around me and give me fisty-pumps.

As he became more acquainted with me, he opened up ... well, kind of.  He would talk about being rich and successful in general, but would never go into details.  We math tutors tried to figure out how he was getting those six digits.  Was he an Amway dude who got in early?  Was he a drug dealer?  In Utah?  The best theory we could come up with was that his father owned a successful company and put his son into a management level position at the top.

I resented the guy, but I had a job to do, and I would do whatever it took to make sure this guy got the highest grade possible in his class.  However, it was difficult when he would say something like this ... "Do you know the difference between me and you?  I'm going to college because I want to, since I make six digits.  You're going to college because you have to."

There were so many responses I wanted to give, but bit my tongue since I had that job to do.  I would go home at night and unload on my wife and tell her what I wanted to say.  After all, how did he know that I wasn't making six digits?  Well, I wasn't.  Not even five digits.  But one day I'd catch up to him ... when my music and writing career took off.  It'll happen one day.  Right?

I didn't have to go to college, either.  If I wanted a real job, I could quit right then and there.  Right?  Well ... maybe he did have a point.

As the semester progressed, he got more and more on my nerves, but I was still the only person who could help him.  Then one day, he unloaded a big frustration on me.  With all the money he had in the world, he was unable to find a girlfriend.  He was feeling lonely.

And then the next week, he learned that I was married and my wife was pregnant with our first child.  He never knew before, because I don't usually wear my wedding ring.  He asked to see a picture of my wife, so I showed him.

He said, "Wow!  She's hot.  How did a loser like you find such a hot babe?"  He vented for another few minutes about how he still couldn't find himself a girlfriend and then he told me, "I'm sorry, but I can't concentrate.  Go away."

The next day he put up a flag when he saw me, and we tried it for about a minute when he said, "I'm sorry, but you can't help me anymore.  I can't stop thinking about how you got that hot wife.  That's so messed up."

And that was it.  I probably helped him one last time on a particularly difficult math problem, but on the most part, he pushed me away.

I never knew what happened to Mister Six Digits after that semester.  Did he figure out his "girl problems"?  Did he learn any lessons from our exchanges?  Is he still making six digits?  Did he ever become happily married?

I came out of that experience happier and satisfied.  I didn't have six digits, but I received happiness through fulfilling the duties of my job, and going home each night to a hot wife.

Actuarial Speculative Fiction - 2013 - The Stories

Last month, I announced my participation in the 10th Annual Actuarial Speculative Fiction Contest.

You can see my entry along with the others at this link here.  Then after you've read the stories, you can vote by clicking on the "Vote for your favorite story" link.  The voting ends on March 15, so read fast so you can vote.  The chances of me winning that honor are slim, but I'm hoping for winning one of the judged prizes.

If you only have time to read a few stories before voting ... or if you just want to read a few without voting, I'm supplying this guide to the stories.  These synopses can help you decide which ones you'd like to read.

I'll get my story out of the way, first.  As usual, I'm a terrible judge as to how great my work is.  The common phenomenon is that I know in my head what I wanted to accomplish, and when I read my story, that's what I see instead of what I actually did accomplish.  As such, I never vote for my own story and I leave it out of the rankings that are to follow.

Actuarial Year - John Johnson, an actuary, awakes from a coma and realizes that the world is starting to go his way.  Is everyone becoming an actuary?  Or is John still in a coma?

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The following four are my favorites of the stories that remain.  Each of these follow an individual person's struggles or experiences, and also incorporates actuarial science to a satisfactory degree.  I predict that these stories would be enjoyable for actuaries and non-actuaries.  I will vote for one of these four.

Calibration (Steve Mathys) - In the not so distant future, probabilities rule everyone's lives.  Every night, probabilities are calculated on several yes/no events.  Then the morning of the next day, randomly generated numbers determine the actual outcomes.  Stuart lives a happy life until one day the answer to a certain question ruins his day -- big time.

Ever-Changing (Kevin Jones) - in a time when the world government establishes an annual budget and decides how resources are allocated, Henry (an actuary) is given a business opportunity that's hard to refuse.  Yet, he struggles -- is it best for his family?

Peanut Butter Cookies (Nate Worrell) - A robot is watching over Grannie and taking care of her, but is the robot as good as a human?  Plus, the insurance company is getting a little squirrely about the care.

Tolva (Jerry Levy) - Tim Tolva, an actuary, uses his skills to help design babies through manipulating genetic code.

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The following five stories are a close second.  And you may like one of these better than my top four.  They each follow an individual's journey, and should be enjoyable to the non-actuary as well as the actuary reader.

Activities of Daily Living (Carol Marler) - This is a study of a new type of assisted living, from several different viewpoints.

Discrepancies (Laura E. Kieft) - All Celine wants to do is find Kyle (an actuary), but soon will find out that Kyle has stumbled on a discrepancy that is making lots of people rich.  However, guess who's in charge of the show...

The Fountain of Youth (Ben Marshall) - There's a new drug in town, and it's called Time Warp.  Rumors are that it can extend one's life expectancy, so naturally, insurance companies are very concerned, and may do whatever it takes to make sure Time Warp never sees the light of day.  While Sam learns of this drug, his wife contracts a terminal illness, and Sam does everything he can to save her life.  NOTE: This well-written and enjoyable story would be in my top four, but it sits at my estimate of at least 8000 words, which is well beyond the 6000 word maximum of the contest.

Sources and Characteristics of Mortality Tables (James A. Keeney) - Al Payano, actuary is tasked to produce a mortality curve, yet there's a big spike in the data.  Why did it show so many 30-years old dying at the same time?  At the same time, he's receiving major pressure from his boss to produce results.  Al tries to get down to the bottom of the data issues, but starts to wish he hadn't.

The Trial (Rodge) - Dr. Lopez is diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  In an attempt to save his life, he agrees to be cryogenically frozen until a cure can be found.  19 years later, he's cured and revived.  However, the life insurance company is upset that they paid out a death benefit only to find out that he's alive again.

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The remaining stories are also interesting reads, but rather than following an individual's journey, they are really stories expanding on theories and hypothetical situations.  Actuaries will probably find these interesting more than non-actuaries.  Oh ... except for "Roxanne, Interrupted" which has nothing to do with actuarialism at all, but still well-written and worth reading.

My guess is that the judged technical awards will come out of this group.

The Actuaries of Boulder Ridge (Chris Fievoli) - shunned by society, actuaries who survive now live in a compound in the boonies of Montana.  They do their work in secret, even though standard insurance had collapsed.  The government is in a bad way, but one day the actuaries' biggest fears are realized: the government has found them.

An Actuarial Opinion (Mark Birdsall) - a group of actuaries has predicted the collapse of the US economy.  Can actuaries save the day?

Defending Your Life (Gregory A. Dreher) - James Johnson, personal actuary, uses his skills by helping people prepare for retirement.  But since the degradation of social programs and longer life spans cause retirement ages to be pushed into the 75 range, desperate couples find creative ways to get more money ... through innovative game shows.

Dreamliner (Rizwan Majeed Khan) - An actuary in the future makes a living in the secondary market insurance business.  One day he meets Michelle, an aspiring actuary, and taken by her, the narrator hires her and trains her to be his apprentice.

The Martian Paper Flea (Marilyn Dunstan) - Earth's magnetic field is dying and attempts are made to colonize Mars.  Peter Gabriel, an actuary, joins the colony and helps to assess morbidity and mortality.  As they come to learn that life once existed on Mars, they become exposed to a very interesting virus spread by the martian paper flea.

One Forecast of the Future (Scott McInturff) - Radha and Simon have just graduated with actuarial degrees, and they discuss their plans for the future.  NOTE: This story is very well-written, and I enjoyed it as an actuary, but not as a story reader since there really isn't any plot.  After introducing the characters, it turns into a long Ayn-Rand-like info dump.  I would love to read an action-thriller or some other story with a plot by this author.  Also, the word count is either right at 6000 or a little higher.

Roxanne, Interrupted (Walt Herrington) - this story is about Roxanne running from a pack of cyberdogs ... or is it.  The story is interrupted by some entity.  NOTE: This well written clever piece would possibly be in my top four, except it makes no mention of actuaries or the profession.  It's still an enjoyable read.

The Subprime Directive (Sean Behre) - an intergalactic committee has an interesting discussion concerning the death of the human race on Earth.  This is a clever analogy of our recent subprime market crash with a funny twist.

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I hope you enjoy reading these stories ... and if you feel so inclined, vote for your favorite one.

Zero Hour - A Familiar Story

After watching the pilot episode of Zero Hour, I feel like I've just watched an hour of National Treasure made for TV.  That could be good or bad.  In fact, I'll go as far to say that if you liked National Treasure, you'll love Zero Hour.

As for me, I didn't hate it, but I also didn't love it.  There was enough to keep it interesting, and I'm curious to see what the Nazis tried to do, and why it would be the end of the world.  It could be some fun Twilight-y Zone sci-fi semi-religious stuff.  Now, that would be awesome.

But just like in the Nicholas Cage thriller, the characters are nothing more than pawns moving on a board.  In other words, the story is all action and very little character development.  Maybe we'll get some of the latter later.

One part I found ironic was when Victor (the bad guy) kept referring to all those movies where this stuff happens, but this is real life.  I wonder if the writers were trying to be funny, because if they really thought "all those other stories are fake so this one must be real" would work, they were wrong.  It didn't work.  Instead it seemed like a funny joke.  Just like in all those "other movies and shows," this show has all the fun cliches.

I'll keep watching, because it is fun to watch.  But this will be near the bottom of my list until I get some other fun shows out of the way.

Last Resort - RIP

Last Resort was not one of favorite shows, but it was interesting enough to hold my attention for its 13 episodes.  It had some really good moments, but at the same time it had a couple of pretty boring parts.

My biggest complaint remains the same as when I reviewed the pilot episode.  Throughout the whole series, it felt like the writers tried to cram in so much into so little time.  The result was a lot of exposition without feeling.  In other words, I saw all the action happening, but I never really felt anything for any of the characters.  Even up to the end when the captain went down with the ship ... nothing.

Yet I still always wanted to see what happened next.  I'm at least glad that they tried to wrap up the show.  They did what I like to call a "Pushing Daisies" conclusion.  That's when you know your show is going to be cancelled and you're told that you can tweak your last episode, so you reshoot the last 5-10 minutes to quickly wrap things up.  The result was very disappointing for Pushing Daisies and it was equally disappointing for Last Resort.

The first 50 minutes of the finale felt like a normal season finale.  Even though the ship was run aground, there was that feeling that something would happen and they'd get that thing back into the water (like as was done in earlier episodes).  Then after that last commercial break, we saw the missile blow it to smithereens.  Kablaam!  We saw that one chick shoot the president.  We saw the XO reunited with his sweetie.  So, all the major loose ends are tied up, but there are so many other questions left unresolved ... like why did the US attack Pakistan again?

Great -- now the more I think about it, the more I get confused as I look over the last couple of months trying to figure out what I just watched.  Oh well.  At least it was fun, and I won't miss it very much.

Actuarial Speculative Fiction - 2013

Every other year, the Society of Actuaries hosts an Actuarial Speculative Fiction Contest.  The rules: the author has to be an actuary (including anyone who has taken one exam).  The story has to involve actuaries or feature some actuarial concept.

By now, you may be asking, "What's an actuary?"  My favorite answer to this question is: "A mathematician who predicts the future by examining patterns in the past."  That usually gets an oooh.

For me, this contest is the intersection between my day job and my aspiration as a writer.  By entering this contest, I can write stories geared toward other geeks just like me.  And I also get to read what my fellow geeks come up with.  Some of the stories can be quite good.

This is my fourth time entering.  My first three entries tried: #1) Funny, #2) Parody, #3) Action flick.  This time I went with a tiny bit of humor mixed with actuarial fantasy and exploring what happens when you turn someone's world around.  Will this be the time I win a prize?

You can see all eighteen entries by clicking here.  I invite you to read, and check out this crazy world of actuarial fiction.  Then if any story strikes your fancy, vote for your favorite story (instructions at the link).

In a couple of weeks, I'll present my own overview of the eighteen stories and pick my three favorites.

Happy actuarial reading!

200,000 Views on YouTube

As a composer/pianist/etc., I've been posting music videos on Youtube, and a couple of days ago, I hit 200,000 views.

Woot!

To celebrate, and at the same time, to introduce my writing friends to my world of music, here are six representative videos.

#1) My most popular video now has 58,000 views.  Someone asked me to arrange and play Chopin's funeral march on the organ, and at the time there weren't any such videos on Youtube.  I had no idea how popular this video would become (especially in Europe).  Listen to about 2 minutes of this, and then move down to my next video...



#2) Storm Etude is my own composition, a 7-minute experiment in orchestration.  I put together some virtual instruments to play it, and perhaps one day I'll get to hear it live.  Watch through the whole thing to get the full effect.



#3) For my sci-fi friends, here's what you get when you merge a popular tune with a Chopin prelude.  I first noticed that the two melodies where very similar and even in the same key, so I thought ... why not?



#4) Perhaps you like my writing voice, but what about my real voice?  Here's me singing some Handel.  The accompanist informed me at the time of recording that I needed to alter the return of the "A" theme the second time around, so I made stuff up on the spot.



#5) Here's a taste of some minimalist piano music.  I'm a huge fan of Glass, Adams, etc.



#6) And last but not least ... here is the video that started it all.  It's not particularly good, but it was my first, and I think it's pretty funny with all its mistakes and mishaps.  (At the beginning, I say "Pucker" with a "P."  I swear!)