2016 Preview

2016 is going to be an awesome year, because it's divisible by 32, which is 2x2x2x2x2. Check out its binary representation: 11111100000. That's six ones followed by five zeroes. Awesome! It's also the last year divisible by 32 before 2048, which will be 2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2 -- eleven twos! And finally, let's check out the full prime factorization of 2016: 2x2x2x2x2x3x3x7. No 2-digit prime divisors, which is only the second time this has happened in my lifetime (the other time being 2000).

Anyhow, as I mentioned in my last post, I determined that I didn't do so well in 2015 because I lacked focus (of which I will give more details in a later post). Around August, I decided to hire a life coach to help me get back on track. We're still working on it, but I've come to learn what my main priorities are, and I'm already making headway.

After doing some math, I've determined that the fastest way for me to start earning a profit is to publish music (of which I'll give more detail in my Music blog when the time is right). A big chunk of my free time in 2016 will go into that venture.

My efforts in fiction writing will be less, but more directed. My life coach explains that a good goal has to be specific (S), measurable (M), actionable (A), realistic (R), and timely (T). So, if I can set more directed goals, it drastically increases the success rate of achieving the goals.

So, here's what I have for 2016:

• "Justice": Finish the 6th draft and submit to a professional editor (prior to self-publishing).
• After a couple of weeks preparation in January, edit/rewrite one chapter a week until the draft is finished.
• During the editing stage, research reputable editors, and choose one to go with.
• When the entire draft is finished, submit to the editor.
• If time permits, institute/correct editor's changes.
• Final preparations for the book will be done in 2017.
• "The Last Actuary": Prepare another short story for the 2017 Actuarial Speculative Fiction contest.
• Start writing Oct. 1.
• Finish first draft by Dec. 1.
• Submit for critique targeting first part of Jan 2017.
• Final edit and submission will be during Jan 2017.
• 26 magazine submissions (every other week).

There will be 5 goal review sessions at the end of every other month to make sure I stay on track. The first will be around Feb. 28.

There you have it: direct, actionable, specific goals. I'll let you know how it goes along the way.

Good luck with your own goals, and shoot for a productive year!

Mel's Year in Review: 2015

Okay, there's no way around it. In the world of fiction writing, 2015 is definitely the worst year I've had ever since I've started this blog. And there aren't any good excuses this time. No actuarial exam. No super stressful times interrupting my writing. The most I can come up with is depression and lack of focus. (I promise a blog post on that depression shortly, but for now, it's time for goals.)

Though, at the same time, I've made great strides with my music, in my day job, and in other aspects in my life.

Even with this being the worst year ever, I've still had some progress in fiction writing. Here goes:

• Short stories: In January I wrote and submitted "The First Actuary" to the 11th Annual SOA Speculative Fiction Contest. I didn't win a prize, but was told I came in very close. I submitted a few more stories to magazines, but had no bites.
• Planet Justice: I am back to my sixth edit. I'm currently up to 4 chapters out of around 23.

Other stats for 2015:

• 23 blog posts (a little more than half of my output for 2014).
• 10,385 pageviews bringing the total to 52,696 (up 25%).
• The Mormon Mel had 1 new post and 531 new pageviews for a total of 1,194 (up 80%).
• The Music of Mel had 22 new posts and 2,360 new pageviews for a total of 3,431 (up 220%).
• The Econo-Mel had 0 new posts and 180 new pageviews for a total of 1,635 (up 11%).
• My YouTube videos had 31,615 views for a total of 295,116 (up 12%).
• Adsense earnings performed so poorly that you're about to get an angry update post in another month or so.
• I reviewed:
• 10 movies
• 7 TV shows
• 1 book
• 15 short stories
• My personal favorite posts:
• Agar.io and the Seven Habits (where I find life lessons in a silly video game)
• The Google Earth Plane Game (where I get excited matching pictures from the airplane with Google Earth images ... using math!)
• What Me Lazy? (where I try to psychoanalyze why I stopped writing)
• One Space or Two? (where I explain why I get annoyed with people complaining about those still using two spaces between sentences -- those people need to read my post above on Agar.io and circles of influence)

How did you do in 2015?

Peanuts: Don't Miss It

Okay. For full disclosure, I must confess that I was Charlie Brown growing up, and to some degree, I still am. Who can resist liking the loser kid that everyone loves--the kid who tries everything he can even when everything goes wrong--the kid who never seems to get up the courage to talk to that little red-headed girl?

Yes, I'd most likely enjoy any revival of Peanuts on the big screen. I was doubly and pleasantly surprised to see the movie deliver more than what I expected. For starters, the writers didn't ruin it with some annoying modern formula gimmick. They stayed true to Schulz's original comic strip. The writers also refrained from adding those dirty jokes that "only the parents pick up on" that end up in most cartoons.

The result is good clean fun. Snoopy battles the Red Baron. Schroeder plays his piano any chance he gets. Linus carries his blanket. And Charlie Brown is back to chasing the little red-headed girl. This is one of those rare gems: a rated G movie that isn't boring, and it leaves you feeling good at the end.

I also recommend catching this movie in 3D if available. I found the 3D almost magical and very well done. I loved the juxtaposition of flat images at different layers among other three-dimensional objects. In fact, I'd go so far to say I enjoyed the 3D in this film more than most of the recent PIXAR movies released in 3D.

And one last thing. I just have to say this next part, even though it might be somewhat of a spoiler. In all the TV specials and movies, and in most of the comics, Charlie Brown always messes up. Something always happens when he's oh-so-close to his goal. For example, he goes to the national spelling bee and loses at the end because he can't spell the breed of his own dog. AAARRRGGGHHH! For years, I watched these shows, hoping that once--just once--Charlie Brown would succeed at something. I mean, if Charlie Brown could reach his goal, then maybe I could too?

Well, this movie delivers, and one of my life-long dreams is realized. Yay!

This movie is fun for the whole family. Go catch it while it's still in the theaters, and enjoy.

Patterson's Honeymoon

Why would a sci-fi buff such as I read a romance thriller book like Honeymoon by James Patterson and Howard Roughan? Because it was homework. I'm taking the new Patterson Masterclass course, which uses this book in examples. My reaction: I hope the course uses the book to show what works and what doesn't -- we'll see.

Craig Reynolds is an undercover detective investigating a series of suspicious deaths. Nora Sinclair is the black-widow woman who loves men and kills them. While this is all going on, the Tourist is trying to figure out what's in that suitcase that's getting people killed.

What works: the book is very easy to read. As one may expect from Patterson, it's a page turner. The prose is no-nonsense right-to-the-point English. That is, there's no flowery language to slow one down.

The well-planned-out plot is interesting enough to hold my attention, even though it uses many cliches.

What doesn't work: The book relies very heavily on "things aren't always as they appear." I love books that use this device effectively, but this isn't one of them. The writers withhold several details from the reader that are easily known to the characters. Thus the reader is the only one not in the know. Some reveals toward the end didn't even do anything for me.

Also, the characters are as shallow as they come. They exist, they do things, and it's hard for me to care when one of them bites the dust.

My recommendation: if you happen to be going on some beach trip, and you want to take a book to pass the time, and you don't want to remember the experience years from now, this is the book for you.

Goosebumps: Good Scunny Fun

"Scunny" is a word my kids taught me. It's "scary" plus "funny," which is what the Goosebumpsmovie is. Well, maybe more funny than scary, but if you grew up with the books and TV show, you'll most likely know what you're going to get. There are scary parts, but nothing that should scar your children for life.

The movie is cheesy, though according to my kids, it was nowhere near as cheesy as the TV show. The bad jokes are in there, but the special effects and actual acting are on a much higher level. Jack Black is funny as R. L. Stine, and his fake accent is hilarious. Stine sounds nothing like that, by the way, but it's fun imagining that he does.

The movie is a tad bit slow getting to the monsters, but the delivery is worth it. It's nice to get to know the kids before they get into trouble, and they're not just placeholders, but rather they are distinct characters that the audience seemed to enjoy.

My only complaint, which goes for many of Spielberg, Lucas, and other action movies, is that the problem is so drastic that if it were to really happen, it would wipe out everyone in a matter of minutes--no, make that seconds. The good guys are just that good in holding off the monsters--I guess.

My kids seemed to complain that some of their favorite books were not well represented in the movie, but they loved the ones they did see. My favorite was the flying poodle. (I'm not sure what that says about me.)

Since it wasn't filmed in true 3-D, we skipped that effect, though it appears some parts could be a little more enjoyable in 3-D.

Overall, the movie succeeds in capturing the essence of nearly all R. L. Stine books. It's a perfect Halloween movie for the whole family. Go catch it in the theater and enjoy.

The Martian: Really Good Science

When they were casting for The Martian, they were looking for someone with experience playing an astronaut stranded on a planet doing the best they can to get home. When they sawInterstellar, they knew they had their man.

Sorry, couldn't resist the joke. The two roles are similar, but in The Martian, Matt Damon is given much more material to work with, and he delivers like he never has before. He's funny. He's emotional. He makes the role believable.

Even though Damon is alone on Mars, a full cast of characters works together to try and bring him home. There is even friction on Earth as different parties deliberate on how to bring the task to pass.

And get this. The science is awesome. It's by far the most accurate science I've seen in a movie -- possibly ever. Hopefully this movie will inspire and push science ahead.

My only complaint is that I don't have the option near here to watch it in IMAX (or IMAX Digital). It's been pushed out by The Walk. Nonetheless, I did watch it in 3D, which added cool depth in some scenes. Ridley Scott chose to film in "real" 3D and not the fake/need-to-be-converted 3D, so there aren't any anomalies like Sandra Bullock's disconnected foot in Gravity.

Go catch this movie in the theater. Bring your friends. Go science! Enjoy.

New Shows - Fall 2015

For some people, this is the most exciting time of the year -- Fall premiere season. Overall, I'm impressed with more sci-fi offerings, plus a reboot of the Muppets. Who doesn't love the Muppets? This time I had to choose which shows to watch, knowing that I'm leaving some good shows off the list. (Hey ... that just means I can Netflix it later!)

Here are some new shows that I'm checking out.

---

Fear the Walking Dead (Sunday 9PM AMC)

The short six-run season is just about over. Despite its not-so-original title, I've enjoyed the first five episodes. This story shows us the beginning of the zombie apocalypse, a time when people are starting to figure out what's going on.

The first episode was a little slow, but the second and subsequent shows got a lot better.

It's a different kind of scary, mainly because the characters don't know how zombies work. None of them read Max Brooks' books, I guess.

The only disappointment I have is that the writers decided to skip a week, so I feel like I missed out on some of the action that attracted me to the show.

But hey. The season finale is this coming Sunday, and it looks like it could be fun.

The pilot episode is available for free on www.amc.com, and all episodes will come to Hulu sometime next year.

---

Minority Report (Monday 9PM FOX)

It's another one of those "I loved the movie" situations. Two episodes in, I'm impressed with the eye-candy (and yeah ... I'm talking about the special effects). The story is okay, but a little forced. Why didn't Dash do what he does earlier? Why is his brother so available and unavailable at the same time? And why is he a jerk?

The title is super-unoriginal. At least put in a subtitle. How about: "Minority Report: They're All Grown Up"?

I still had fun watching. It has potential.

---

The Muppets (Tuesday 8PM ABC)

My kids don't understand why I love the Muppets so much. They're just so ... so .... aaaaahhhaahhhahh! Wocka wocka!

I still haven't seen any episodes, but they're waiting on my DVR. I hear that Kermit gets a new girlfriend, and the format of the show is similar to "The Office." I also hear that the show is a little "adult" -- whatever that means. I'll watch an episode before I inflict it on my kids.

Update 10/13/2015: Okay, I saw two episodes, and I'm not sure if it works.  Most of the dirty jokes are funny, but ... IT'S THE MUPPETS!  I think it misses the point.

---

Heroes Reborn (Thursday 8PM NBC)

I'm one of those who stuck with the original series through the bitter end. I can't remember what happened in that last season other than some circus thingy, and how the first season was the best, but I'm ready for more.

The pilot episode was decent. Zach Levi plays a bad guy, but we all know he's going to turn good -- right? And it's so cute how he's all serious.

The show opens with a disaster, which I'm sure will be explained by the end of the season. And what's the deal with the black-hole-meets-aurora thingy?

I'm hoping for a fun first season back.

---

Shows that look good, but I passed due to time:

Limitless (Tuesday 10PM CBS)
Quantico (Sunday 10PM ABC)

Ongoing shows I'm still watching:

Continuum (Friday 11PM Syfy): The time travel mechanics have gone to plaid, but it's still interesting. It's in its last season, and it's still a lot better than the 5th season of Andromeda (which I couldn't finish).

Doctor Who (Saturday 9PM BBC America): Man that was one killer opening. What comes next?

The Simpsons (Sunday 8PM FOX): Ever faithful. Though I'm concerned with some of the directions they may go this year. (Note: the new Minority Report show predicts a 75th season of the Simpsons!)

The Last Man on Earth (Sunday 9:30PM FOX): The show got better toward the end of the first season. I want to see Phil get back at Phil #2.

Haven (Thursday 10PM Syfy -- starts back October 8): It's the last half of the last season, and I just got to see how it ends, even though by this point it seems like whatever the writers want to do.

The Walking Dead (Sunday 10PM AMC -- starts back October 11): Rick is totally awesome. What more can I say?

Getting Ready For the X-Files?

On January 24, 2016, the X Files are coming back to TV for a short mini-series.  If you're anything like me, I bet you missed seeing the original episodes that aired between 1993 and 2002.  I was just too busy with school and being married and all that jazz.

So, a few months ago, I decided to start watching all the episodes so I'd be all caught up and ready for the upcoming mini-series.  And wouldn't you know it?  It's not going too well.  As of a couple of weeks ago, I was in the middle of Season 3, and I realized: If I watched one episode a day (which I can't), I still wouldn't be finished in time.

Dang!

But all is not lost.  It didn't take long for me to realize that most of the episodes are "monster of the week" rather than "mythology" based.  I was getting frustrated.  I thought, "Can't I just watch the episodes that matter and skip all the fillers?"

Well, some people have put together lists.  This list is my favorite.  It not only lists "key" mythology episodes, but also throws in a few really good episodes.  It's less than half of what I have left to watch.

So now I'm back on schedule.  I've been trying it out for a week.  It's less filling, but I don't feel like I'm missing anything much.  Plus, I'm going to be ready!

Go, Mulder and Scully!  (I still think their names are hilarious.)

One Space or Two?

Even if you're not a writer, you've most likely heard someone go off the handle and say why we shouldn't use two spaces between sentences. Here's a good example:

Slate Magazine: Space Invaders

When I was young, I learned to use two spaces. And like Farhad Manjoo says, it wasn't just me. It's what everyone learned. However, when you use proportional fonts, one space just looks nicer than two. No one can explain to me why it does, but hey ... two periods is just "totally, completely, utterly, and inarguably wrong."

Why?

Because nearly every typesetter agrees it needs to be one space -- or at least that's what they say today. But wait ... twenty years ago when it was two spaces, were all those typesetters wrong?

I don't know. I suppose I could force myself to adhere to this new arbitrary rule. The problem is that it's ingrained into my psyche, much like how I go into auto-pilot when I play the piano or drive a car. There are so many little things that we do without thinking as we concentrate on the more important things. For example, if the car in front of me comes to a sudden stop, I think, "SLAM ON THE BREAKS!" I don't think, "Let's see. I need to take my foot -- my right foot over here -- take it off of this right pedal -- and apply downward pressure on this big middle pedal -- all while pulling on the steering wheel for extra weight and screaming obscenities." Whatever happens, it happens automagically and nearly instantaneously. If I were to stop and think about the process as it happens, I'd most likely crash.

Similarly, when I type, I prefer to think about what I'm writing, and now how I'm writing it. The two spaces just happen. Does that make me an idiot? Does that make me stubborn?

I'm not sure. When I read Manjoo's article, I can't help thinking, "Wow! Here's a man who thinks he's better than 99% of the world's population -- one who wastes his time getting angry over spacing in his friends' emails."

He states, "What galls me about two-spacers isn't just their numbers. It's their certainty that they're right." But wait! I'm not the one saying, "totally, completely, utterly, and inarguably wrong." I just don't care. I'm a writer, not a typographer. You might as well be some dork trying to tell me why your religion is right and mine isn't, because ... well ... that's exactly what it feels like. All these typographers have joined up with the Church of the One Space. It took the Chicago folks till 2003 to make the change, but as of today, they've all drunk the Kool-Aid.

More than once, Manjoo complains in his article about how many spaces he's had to delete in his editing profession. Please don't tell me that he removed each one of those spaces individually -- not in these days where you can convert two spaces to one in an entire novel in less than one minute with some simple mass search-and-replace schemes. You can even set up a Word macro to do it for you. Click a button, and WHAM, no more evil double spaces.

In fact, in writing this post, I typed with double-spaces, and then quickly removed the annoying &nbsp's that Blogger so nicely puts in for you.

Going forward, I will most likely continue to type with double spaces, because:

#1) I write science fiction, and most editors take or prefer monospace font, as described by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America.

#2) As I mentioned before, it is very easy to convert to just one space. If an editor really wants me to do the conversion, it's just click-click-click, and there -- it's done. All I care is that my story gets published.

#3) It's actually more difficult to mass-edit-convert from one space to two spaces.

#4) I've seen some proportional fonts where single spaces after a period actually seems to make it harder to read. This is one of those difficult decisions I'd prefer to leave with the editor and other experts. They'll make my story look good on paper.

#5) I think I'll enjoy continuing to anger typesetters. We definitely need more people in the world that get angry over nothing. Cue the rants on facebook!

So, is it one space or two? As a writer, I just don't care.

Pixels: Adam Sandler Does It Again

If you like Adam Sandler movies and video games from the 80s, you'll most likely enjoy Pixels. It's funny. It's cute. It has pretty cool special effects. It's even child friendly. It was exactly what I expected, and I enjoyed it.

What all that said, the plot was very light. It was nothing much more than a series of funny coincidences woven together into an excuse for a washed-up gamer to become hero of the planet. Yeah--your typical Adam Sandler movie.

Some things don't make sense, such as: had we launched a probe in 1982, it would not make it any than the inside of our Oort cloud by now. So, how could aliens intercept it? (Well, I suppose they could have been in the neighborhood.)

But who cares?

If you want a light movie with a hint of video game nostalgia (though only with the more popular games) and mindless fun, go catch this one in the movie theater before it disappears.

Weep -- whap -- woop.