American Sniper Review

Finally saw this much discussed movie.  I had heard how it ended so I was bit reluctant to see it.  However, overall I'm glad I did.  This is the story of Chris Kyle and his amazing story of becoming a legend in the SEAL teams for his sniping skills.  I thought Bradley Cooper did a wonderful job playing the main character and Sienna Miller had much more of a part than a traditional war movie allows.  What were the take-aways of this movie without spoiling it for you?

1. Did a great job showing the struggle of man to go from fighting a war to raising a family.  This is a struggle I only know the second half about.  Raising a family ain't easy.  However, I thought the writing and directing captured well the struggle of man going from war-time alertness to husband and dad.   I don't know from experience, but this transition is no easy one to take on.  Chris Kyle dealt with it, and still managed to adjust.

2. Showed the horrors of war and the struggles within a man to do what was right.  This movie did a great job showing how evil the enemy is.  So much so that I caution anyone with a sensitive stomach to be careful watching this movie.  Let's just say the bad guys were truly hideous in this movie.

3. I haven't read the book by the same name,  but I felt like the movie gave me the summation of it.  I usually prefer book reading to movie watching.  However, on this movie I don't think I will be reading the book.  It was powerful, well acted, and I felt like I understood Chris Kyle's life enough that I don't need to read the biography as well.

4. Finally I felt it was well-written and directed for a being a biographical movie.  Biographical movies are tough, because if they are too accurate they can bog down and get boring.  I never felt that with American Sniper.  The movie pace kept me interested and I never felt like it was getting boring dwelling on one part too long.  I think Clint Eastwood and the script writer did a great job distilling this movie into the time it took to tell the story right.

Negatives: Despite the good direction and excellent story-telling this movie did feature graphic violence and harsh language.  I would not recommend this for children or for those sensitive to war violence and colorful language.    Overlooking those traits,  you may be interested to watch the Chris Kyle story in American Sniper.

Are Video Games the Cigarette of the Modern Man?

In this day and age - Cigarettes and tobacco are getting less and less popular it seems.  CVS doesn't even sell tobacco products any longer!  There are anti-tobacco ads on TV and in the theater and all that is a good sign that people are waking up to the dangers of smoking and it is growing less and less popular to do.  However, video games seem to be rising in popularity as the average age of the American male playing video games seems to go up every year.  The games that are rated 17+ seem to attest that older and older players (or at least people interested in older rated material) are spending time and money on this hobby and it is becoming known to be quite addictive.  While there may be no physical addiction created like cigarettes there still is a psychological addiction as teenagers, 20-somethings, 30+ men and women are spending countless hours trying to beat levels and gain achievements at their new favorite past time.   So this brings me to my question :

Are Video Games the Cigarette of the Modern Man?

If so,  is this something we should be conerned about?  How bad is it that young men are spending time and money trying to level up their player rather than smoking and killing themselves physically little by little?  Well that is a complex question that has many parts to the answer.

Physically Speaking : Video Games are a better habit than Cigarettes

As far as I know no one has died of cancer from playing video games too long.  Sure you may not have much of a social life and your time in front of the console may be a bit over the healthy limit, However, as far as shortening your life - there is a clear win for video games as long as you supplement with regular exercise and a healthy diet.   Video games can be a healthy way to relieve some stress and can cause you to persevere under intense hand/eye coordination until you achieve the prize or win the game.

Mentally Speaking : Hard to Say

Cigarettes did no favors to your mental development,  but unless you are playing educational video

games it is a stretch to say that they help you grow and develop mentally.  In fact having a smoke and socializing with others on the back porch may in the long run prove to be more healthy mentally (at least socially) than grunting in triumph with a friend as you punch endless buttons and beat his character in the competition.   I'm sure there are healthy social video game avenues where people actually socialize while enjoying the video games - but I'm unaware of them in my limited video gaming at this stage in my life.  I enjoy playing games but I'm concerned what they are doing for the modern man.  

The Danger of Video Game Addiction

The danger of this new addiction in the modern man's life is that it could keep them from befriending members of the opposite sex,  could keep them from finding a trade/career and begin to suffocate them socially from others.  Pretty soon they have to beat the game rather than finish their school project, work longer hours at work,  or take time off to catch up with family and friends.  This is all related to how many hours the guy is putting in on the game - but many men today are consumed with video games to the extent that they stall in their career, and never seem to innovate and find other productive uses for their time.  When addictions are absent in a man or woman's life it allows them to focus on who they are - and what they hope to become.  Cigarettes didn't really eat into a man's time as much as video games have the potential to do.  Therein lies the danger of video games.  They have the potential to so invade the free time of the modern man that they cease to become all that God has called them to be.  Video games can be a fun diversion but they can also become so all-consuming that higher priorities are left untouched in a person's life.

In Defense of Video Games

I'm not against playing video games.  I have a few of them myself and I think in moderation they can be a great way to relieve some stress.  I just write this article because I think they are becoming too expensive and time consuming in our modern American culture.  Spending 40+ hours a week of your free time trying to beat the next big boss may be gratifying,  but when it is all said and done - what do we really have to show for it?  A new XBox achievement?  A Playstation trophy?  These are fun prizes, but I hope our culture realizes there is so much more to life than that.  For one, getting to know God and enjoying the people He has placed in our life can be far more rewarding than any XBox achievement ever could be.  Video games are great - as long as they are occasional.  Turning off the console and talking to those around you can be so much more amazing if you try it.

News Flash: Liking Your Job is Crucial

Paul’s blog post reminded me of my parents quoting, Mary Kay, “If you act enthusiastic, you become enthusiastic.” We even had a coffee cup with that written on it that would tease me as I was trying to work on a school project, but I was never the most enthusiastic about hard work if it meant staying on task. I like play. I like being outside. I like my hobbies. I can hardly sit still to write this post, but Paul challenged me to live up to my half of this blog. 

A Day in the Life of  Recruiter
I used to work in recruiting and here was an actual conversation I had with a candidate offered a full time entry-level position. “Hmm. I don’t know. This job starts next week? Hmm. Summer just started.” She flips her brown hair over her shoulder. A recent college graduate. When I interviewed her before graduation, she was eager to find a full-time position. However, living at home had become comfortable. Too comfortable.  

“Yes, this position would start next week.” I say as I peek over the computer about to type her name as my cursor blinks like the hand of a clock. 

“Oh, I think that’s a bit too early to start working. I really wanted some time to go to the pool this summer.” She explains matter-of-factually. 

Stunned. I lamely reply, “Oh. Okay. When are you available for work?” Now, I’m frantically wondering how I’m going to fill this position on a Friday for a Monday start. I would be working late. I was not going to the pool. 

Work Ethic and Wrong Field
Yet, I’ve been hearing, “Love the job you have and you never work a day in your life" a lot lately. Is this really true? Where did this come from? My parents NEVER said any advice about loving your work. My Dad did say,“You have to have a FIRE in your belly.” I think this is more accurate. You have to have SOME natural interest in what you are doing for the long haul. For example, Paul became an engineer only after he spent a considerable amount of time in his youth discovering how much he enjoyed tinkering with computers. I think liking your job is important.and a lot of that does boil down to work ethic. Work ethic is, “a belief in the moral benefit of work in its inheritability to strengthen character.” I enjoy working with people that have a strong work ethic or character. They find pride in doing a great job no matter how tedious, minute, or monotonous. If you are in the wrong field like I was; you have trouble mustering up excitement when a coworker proudly shares her accomplishment that she just spent a ridiculous amount of hours (even personal time) looking at a bazillion pieces of data to find a tiny (but vital) error. Okay, so maybe, I did a pump fist in the air with her to celebrate, “Yay! Our spreadsheets will work again!” I was grateful she took on that project, incredulous she was so excited about it, and also wondering where the escape hatch was on the island. 

Career Switchers 

If someone is working to pay the bills, but the the current position is not a fit, they could use any personal time to explore future opportunities. Ideally, you figure this out around 20-something when you have personal time. I am not saying quit your current job and go into debt for another degree. No, I'm saying "Get your hustle on friend." The world is filled of hard-working people that are considered “career switchers.”  These are people that start out in one career and for whatever reason go in a different direction.Yet, age really doesn't matter if you are willing to make it happen. Some people, like the better half I share this blog with, are great with machines, numbers, and people. He’s a “triple threat” minus the acting, dancing, and singing. I think he’s a pretty swell guy, but unique to have figured out where his interests and talents intersect. A lot of people are more in limbo after spending so much time hitting the books rather than hands on job experience. It took me a lot of job hopping to learn that I am better suited to positions that are service oriented and fast paced. 

A few years ago, I was working alone in an office building that was so quiet I often talked to myself to stay focused. At 5pm one evening, the daycare across the street had a fire alarm start blaring. The Director came over during the evacuation and asked if the children could come into our expansive lobby because it was cold outside. We didn’t hesitate to say "yes" and while she called parents to explain where to pick up their children, I thoroughly enjoyed the children. I felt like the time with kids flew by and I came alive. I grew up watching movies from the 80s era like Big Business. So, wasn’t working with children,,, oh wait that’s another blog post entirely.

Go get 'em Tiger!  So, no need to love your job, but do you need to have an interest in it? YES. I do think that there needs to be some passion somewhere for the field to motivate you to stay sharp and keep growing. It keeps you saying yes to more opportunities for more skill development, the confidence of taking on new challenging projects, and not flipping the out when all goes awry. Otherwise, you will be trying to tread water until retirement.  If you find that your current situation warrants it, career switchers, are those that work hard at a job they currently have (stay financially stable) and build up their savings. Then they invest free time (instead of those video games, Twinkies, or um, poolside lounging) in a job that they are more suited to feeling successful at on a daily basis; rather than settling to become a constant clock-watcher. 

The Rewrite Review

I don't like all romantic comedies.  Some of them come off way too cheesy and not worth the time I spend watching them. Chrystal feels a bit differently, so I go along with viewing them many times.  I have enjoyed movies with Hugh Grant such as Two Weeks Notice, Nine Months, and Notting Hill.  This one came out recently (with no rating) and seems to be launched by a more independent label, so I added it to the queue to see how it was.  My verdict:  Way better than I expected.

1. For one thing the script writing was actually witty and funny and not just sophomore humor with constant sexual-based jokes.  So refreshing to actually have a movie that delivers funny lines rather than rely on sexual humor to make it a comedy.

2. Second thing this movie had going well for it was the casting.  Marisa Tomei and Hugh Grant were very comfortable in their roles and they played each part exceptionally.   This movie clearly proved that Hugh Grant can still do witty comedy well and he carried the movie very well.  I thought this movie was significantly better than one of his last movies : Music & Lyrics.   I'm not sure why, but overall it just seemed to be better written movie and a lot funnier than Music & Lyrics.

3. Last but not least, deeper subject content than your average movie.  How many romantic comedies discuss meaning in life, the emptiness of fame, or the importance of restoring family relationships?  Exactly.  This movie deals with many themes that other movies don't even mention.

On a personal note this was one movie both my wife and I enjoyed.  It is not often we find a movie or show that we both enjoy viewing together.  Not that we are stark opposites on all our movie tastes,  but finding a good movie that we both enjoy watching together is always a plus.   The script was great, the acting very polished, and it was a funny enjoyable story to watch.  If you are looking for a better-than-average romantic comedy - maybe you should consider The Rewrite.

News Flash: Loving Your Job is Optional

OK, here is something I have thought about that I think needs to be said:  you don't have to love your

job to be successful.  Maybe this is stating the obvious for some readers, and for them I encourage you to quit reading right now.  However, in this day and age of Millennial thinking - I think too many college graduates are coming out of school thinking they have to love their job or decline offers and stay living with their parents because it wouldn't be true to themselves.

The Millenial thinking in today's workforce seems to believe that if you aren't truly happy in what you do - you are better off doing nothing.  It stems from the root idea that being miserable at a job is merely existing and not truly living for all that you were meant to become.   I see some truth in this, but I don't think it tells the whole picture.   Movies seems to glamorize this concept.  From Tom Hanks in the movie Big where he gets this dream job of designing toys and of course is naturally successful, to many other movies Hollywood seems to love to sell this idea that you have to truly love your job to amount to anything in the workforce.  WRONG.  HOGWASH.  CRAZY.

The truth of the matter is that if you don't work in a hostile workforce, and you are good at what you do - you have a good chance of being successful even if it isn't your favorite thing to do in the whole world.  Sure, we all would love to take our hobbies - be it chess, surfing, mountain biking, movies, reading novels or what have you and do that for a living.  How many of us could honestly make a solid living doing it? I will be the first to raise my hand that as much as I love to mountain bike, go running, and play chess none of these hobbies are going to pay my bills at the end of the month.   So then comes the question - what can I do reasonably well that will help me pay my bills and give me extra time for the hobbies I want to do on the side?

Once you have a solid answer to this question you may have found your future career.  

It seems many young men and women don't agree today.  Many guys seem to leave college and think

that they are being insulted taking a job that doesn't pay the 6 figures they deserve (right out of college no less) doing things like video game design that they do anyway for over 20 hours a week. This is merely immature thinking.  Yes, you may get a great job working in video game design and feel like your main job is so fun you can hardly believe they pay you.  However, I would venture to guess that 80-90% of the American workforce is not doing that.   If you have a dream job right out of school - good for you! I wish you more success and happiness doing it, but for the 80-90% of people who feel that they wake up and have to work the job they have to "pay the bills" -  I don't think you are necessarily missing out on a good career.  There is an aspect of working hard so you can have a good weekend that many unemployed college graduates may want to think about.   Yes, it may mean starting off at a lower salary than you were hoping for.  Yes, it may mean long hours doing things that aren't as fun as your spare time in college allowed you to enjoy.   But hey - you are making a living and you can save for retirement - two admirable things that shouldn't be discounted when compared to eating Twinkies and living in your parent's basement because no one would pay you what you are worth.  I think loving what you do is a great thing - but it shouldn't be placed at the level that current entry level college grads are placing it.  Working hard and seeking to make the most of the opportunities you have been given can enable you to transform a simple job position into an opportunity for growth and wealth in your personal life.  No job is going to fulfill you completely.  Why waste time holding out for one that will?

The Martian Review (Some Spoilers May Be Present)

Space movies.  They seem to be making a comeback lately.  After Gravity and Interstellar another movie has come along with Matt Damon by director Ridley Scott called The Martian.  I enjoyed Gravity and really liked the thought-provoking Interstellar,  so I had to check this one out as well in light of the glowing reviews I had heard about it.  The story's premise is about a guy played by Matt Damon who gets abandoned for dead on the planet Mars. At this point in space exploration in our society Mars missions are common and a whole crew is at Mars doing experiments and trying to understand the planet better.  However, during dust storms (lots of them on Mars),  the Matt Damon character gets hit, and the crew in an emergency situation decide to launch off of Mars thinking he is a goner.

Matt Damon's character comes back to coherence and realizes he has to survive in which this movie becomes a tale of survival on a foreign planet.  This movie works on so many levels - let me explain:

1. Great plot pacing and development - story doesn't get too boring as it unfolds.

2. Humor kept on throughout the movie - keeps the laughs coming but not so much that it becomes a comedy.

3. Great acting by all the actors and actresses.  Matt Damon delivers a great performance and all his supporting actors/actresses do as well.

4. Great soundtrack choice.  I admit it.  I love good music placed within a good movie.  In fact, that could actually almost raise the movie a whole star in my rating if the soundtrack is well put together. The Martian has a great soundtrack including songs from the late David Bowie. 

5. Satisfying conclusion.  I feel like the movie does take a politically correct spin toward the end, but it still is satisfying to see the end.  I enjoyed it and Chrystal enjoyed it.  I felt it had more depth of story than Gravity, but wasn't as complicated to follow as Interstellar which also stars Matt Damon.  

Overall if you enjoy good science fiction,  you have to rent or buy The Martian.  It is a great story with great acting that really restores your faith in the science fiction genre of movies.  Sure, there may not be a lot of intergalactic warfare,  but overall it is a great journey to watch.

In Defense of Allowing a Larger Tax Refund

Well tax season is upon us,  and as I get ready to do my own taxes I'm reminded of the common advice I have heard throughout the years -  that you should strive to get a small refund back after you file taxes.   The argument goes like this - if your exemptions and withholdings aren't done properly you will end up with a large tax refund (or in a negative light - owing a lot of taxes) which essentially gives the government a free loan with your money and robs you of the interest you could be making on the extra money you see in your paycheck.   I can see the point in this argument and for some people that may make a lot of sense.  However, I don't believe that is wise advice for all people (and I include myself in that category).   Why is that? For the following reasons:

1. How many of us actually save the extra money we would have in our paycheck if we did our withholding numbers perfectly?   

For me, the temptation to use the money for other categories (not the saving one) in our budget would be too great.  If I was extremely disciplined in saving,  this could work out to my benefit,  but I believe more likely would be using it for other non-saving categories which would prohibit any windfall plans for the money after tax season.

2. How much interest do you really think you miss out on for giving an interest free loan to the IRS?

Depending on how much of a refund you are getting and the current interest rates of your investments,  I would guess it is $10 to $15 bucks over the course of the year tops.    Unless you are talking stocks / mutual funds with a tremendous return (which is always variable and more risky), the interest you gain by not getting a larger refund at the end of tax season may not be worth the chance that you would spend the money earlier.

3. The amount of value of this advice may also depend on what you tend to be more careful with - small amounts of money or larger (windfall) amounts of money.   

As mentioned in point #1 touches on,  if you could get $200 more a month back in each monthly paycheck or a $2400 refund at the end of the taxes, which do you think you would be more careful with?  Personally although financially there is no difference - I know for myself I would ponder more carefully what to do with $2400 given at one time then $200 a month more I see in my paycheck.  Now this may be a bad money practice,  but usually the larger the amount of money the more caution and consideration I give it.  A small amount of paycheck increase will probably just get used for other purposes,  but a larger refund gives me a chance to ponder how to best use the money.   Granted that may not be the best thought process,  but it how my mind works, and I think all savings/spending plans need to consider what is more effective for the individual.  

Summary:

So to summarize - maybe you can discipline yourself to save or budget correctly for the extra amount you make if you do your taxes perfectly and just owe the IRS $20 this year.  I personally find it more effective to give the government an interest free loan and then take the larger amount of money and carefully consider what to use the larger sum for.    Plus, as a bonus a larger refund gives me more motivation to do my taxes every year.  Getting $20 back seems like a small reward for the pain of preparing my taxes.   Just my two cents.

McFarland, USA Review

McFarland, USA is an interesting Disney movie about cross-country running.   I didn't realize when I rented it that it stars Kevin Costner who plays a cross-country running coach in McFarland.  In the beginning Costner's character hits some hard times due to anger at his rude students, but then he packs his bags and moves to McFarland which was a very low income area.   At first the movie shows the struggle of his middle-class family to fit in with the neighborhood,  but eventually they do and grow to love the neighbors and the community around them.  Disney has a reputation for finding stories like this one that deliver a feel-good root for the team sense as you watch the story unfold.   This one sets itself apart in several ways however like:

1. This movie is about cross-country running.  I've never seen a move about this high school sport.  Sure there are track movies out there, but cross-country running stories are not done too much.

2. This movie portrays overcoming low income circumstances to triumph in life.  It was encouraging to see the boys on the team rally together despite being expected to work hard long hours in their father's business.  These boys didn't have it easy but that proved to be an advantage in some ways as they had to race. 

Overall, it was a very engaging movie that I enjoyed watching.  It did come off a little formulaic,  but it wasn't so much so that I found it boring to watch.  I also enjoyed the follow-up stories and seeing the actual grown guys in the end.  I thought that was a nice touch to the movie.  Two thumbs up on this one.