(Note: This review has spoilers near the end. I will announce spoilers are coming before I get to them)

On March 8th, Oz the Great and Powerful hit movie theaters. If you’re like me, you’ve been excited for this one since you first heard about it last year. After seeing it last night, I walked away disappointed. This morning, after thinking it over, I want to let you all know why I didn’t like it and see if anyone else agrees.

Oz The Great And Powerful

Oz The Great and Powerful follows Oscar Diggs, aka Oz, a clever but selfish circus magician who swindles his crowds with claims of true, powerful magic but when asked to actually help someone, he runs and hides. Oh, and he’s a womanizer who tricks pretty girls into being a part of his act (and falling hard for him) before he tosses them to the curb.

Oz has to run for his life in a hot air balloon after a girl’s husband finds out that Oz wooed her. Thank to the magic of tornadoes, he ends up in The Land of Oz where he’s quickly proclaimed to be the great wizard who will defeat the wicked witch and lead the people into a future of peace and joy.

The Review

I had 3 major issues with this movie. The first two aren’t spoilers, so keep reading if you’re curious.

The Story

While the story itself made sense, it wasn’t written well. Instead of a story that takes specific steps from one event to the next, Oz is thrown from place to place for no reason. Once he gets there, his motivations are ambiguous at best. At no point is something on the line. At no point does Oz really seem to be in any real danger. It’s a magical world after all and stuff just happens to move him from one plot point to the next.

The Characters

This may be the biggest blow to the film. There is no richness to any of the characters. And short of Glinda the Good Witch (played by Michelle Williams), the actors phone it in (though, a few do the best they can with a lousy script).

None of the characters really develop. All their emotions are told to us. “I am really upset”, “I am really scared”, “I am at the end of my rope.” Everyone says what they are feeling and no one shows it.

In addition, several of the character motivations and personalities change from scene to scene. The only person who doesn’t change is Oz, the character who’s suppose to grow because of his experience! Which leads me to the main reason I walked away from this film disappointed…

Oscar Diggs (aka Oz)

Warning, this part contains spoilers.

After Oz makes his way into the Land of Oz, he quickly meets Theodora the Witch (Mila Kunis). Like the women of Kansas, he quickly woos her with a gift (no one’s ever given her a gift before) and asks her to dance (something she’s never done). The people of Oz are afraid of witches and so she’s never really been shown kindness or interest. Add to the fact that he saves her life when they first meet and the girl falls hard for him. It’s even insinuated that they sleep together (something else I’m sure she hadn’t done before).

Later in the film, he blows her off for Glinda, the pain giving her a mental break down that ultimately leads (spoilers) to her becoming the Wicked Witch of the West. She turns from a sweet girl into the most cold hearted woman in Oz.

And what does the great wizard do to rectify this situation? Does he feel remorse? Does he attempt to redeem her? Does his personality change in any real way? No. He makes out with Glinda and tells Theodora, “You can come back if you decide you don’t want to kill the people of Oz anymore”.

He’s a scoundrel who never becomes a hero. He’s a manipulator who never sees Justice. He’s a fake who never becomes real. And worst of all, he abuses an innocent woman.

Final thoughts

There are a few really good moments in this movie. The first scenes between Oz and Theodora where he’s wooing her are very good. There are great scenes near the end where Oz is becoming The Wizard of Oz that is exciting and cool. Many of his interactions with Glinda are well done. There’s a good movie hanging around the edges of this one. Unfortunately, these brief moments don’t make up for a forced plot, bad characters, and an Oz the Great who isn’t great at all.

I wouldn’t recommend this for adults who enjoy these types of movies, and because of the character of Oz, I wouldn’t recommend taking children to see this either. He’s not a fool who becomes a hero, he’s a scoundrel who wins for some reason.

2 out of 5 stars.

Why is my paycheck smaller?

Turns out, the middle and lower class took a good hit under the new tax deal. A fairly substantial tax increase occured when Congress decided to let the payroll tax-cuts end.

In 2010, payroll taxes dropped from 6.2% to 4.2%. This gave my wife (and many others) over $1000 dollars in kept income over the course of a year (think of the things that kind of money could do in an IRA or going towards a nice vacation). Now that money is going back to the US Government.

If my taxes increased, why does everyone say there are only tax increases on the rich?

Congress and the President can tell you tax hasn’t increased for the middle and lower class because no new tax occured. Instead, they just didn’t continue a 2-year-old tax break. Basically, they can lie if they word it right

Why should I worry about $100 or so a month tax increase?

Because over the course of a year, $100 dollars turns into $1200. And $1200 dollars buys a lot. Think of what would happen if you put that money into an IRA, towards the purchase of a home, or saved it up all year to spend at Christmas time (saving yourself from the dreaded Christmas debt).

I’m not bothered by a tax increase, but when Congress goes around saying it has only raised taxes on the super rich while allowing everyone’s taxes to increase 2%, they’re lying and that bothers me.

This review is based on a free book I received as part of the Book­Sneeze review program. For info on how I do these reviews, check out my disclo­sure policy.

Who Do You Think You Are? Finding Your True Identity in Christ is the latest book by Mark Driscoll. In it, he works through the book of Ephesians using the letter to reveal the true Christian identity. The audience is anyone who struggles with their identity in Christ.

The Good

The information in this book is solid. He deals with the test well and doesn’t take bible verses out of context. Driscoll’s heart is evident in the many stories he places throughout the book, stories of individuals and families destroyed by sin, who have found their identity in Christ.

Also, he doesn’t make the “I follow Christ and everything is okay” fallacy. Many of his stories are filled with individuals who are satisfied in Christ while still living in pain and misery. It’s a beautiful picture of the sufficiency of Christ and an encouragement to all who are struggling with identity. Ultimately, Driscoll says, even if life sucks it doesn’t change who you are in Christ.

The Bad

There’s not a lot wrong with this book. If I had to find one critique, I’d say the writing style is sloppy. The sentences are written the same way Driscoll likes to talk (something he didn’t do in his other books). This means sometimes stories feel a bit confusing or the wording is jarring. It was sloppy enough for me to be bothered by it, but not bad enough for me to forgo reading it.

Final Thoughts

Who Do You Think You Are? is a great book written by a pastor to a hurting world. It isn’t the deepest theological book to come from Driscoll, but where is it written that everything he writes has to be Vintage Jesus or Doctrine? I enjoyed this book and I will certainly give it to friends as they grow in the understanding of their identity in Christ.

4 out of 5.

2. Very few people need high powered rifles. A true ban of high-powered weapons would probably be a good thing. However, the logistics of a ban make it almost impossible. I’m not going to get into every detail, but this article explains why an assault weapons ban is almost impossible. The short version: either government has to ban almost every gun on the market (which no one but the extreme left would support) or they have to create meaningless bans that gun makers can easily get around (which no one should support but many will).

3. A hard look at the data suggests gun laws don’t reduce crime, but gun ownership does. Guns were created so that the 6 and a half foot, 300 pound men can’t walk into the house of the 4 foot nothing, 100 pound woman, rape her and take her stuff. They are the great equalizers. A knife can’t do that. Neither can words. Except for one, all mass shootings  in recent history have happened in gun-free zones where the assailant knows he can make the biggest splash. In situations where an average citizen breaks the law and has a gun, these shootings are quickly cut short. Criminals aren’t stupid; they attack children because kids can’t defend themselves.

Conclusion

While there is some good to the idea of gun control, it’s a logistical nightmare for politicians, it doesn’t ultimately protect anyone, and the true data suggests that when more average, good citizens are armed, these tragedies don’t last as long and don’t harm nearly as many innocent.

These are my thoughts after listening to the two sides over the past few weeks and considering the realistic outcomes of either a gun ban or a return to the status quo. I do like the idea of having smaller clips, though I doubt that would make a significant difference in the tragedy in Connecticut where no one but the murderer was armed. I also like the idea of the average citizen being trained in the art of gun use, specifically cleaning, handling, and respecting guns. Could this help take off the stigma of guns or would it train up a generation of murderers I’m not sure, but I would like to continue to talk about the idea.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Not anymore.

The studios are crippled and their tried-and-true methods have fallen apart like the house of cards they were. If you plan to make it as a musician, you can forget about a studio.

2. Entertainment first, music second. In the past, minstrels would travel from town to town, playing in bars and local establishments, singing songs their audience could sing along too. If they were any good, a Minstrel might find she has a fuller purse and a full belly as reward at the end of her night.

Times have changed, but the ideas are the same. A musician’s audience no longer wants to buy CDs or wait in long lines, they want entertainment. Adele has one of the best shows in the business because she has mini-stand up sets between songs. Lady Gaga puts on one of the most outrageous (and entertaining) shows you’ll ever see, even if you don’t care for her music.

Your audience doesn’t come for your music anymore, they come for you. Musicians who don’t connect with their audience through comedy, showmanship, and especially YouTube will find themselves penniless and abandoning their dreams.

3. More work than ever. There is more work for musicians to do than ever before. Business partnerships are a must. Cold calling and marketing are new and necessary phenomenon for artists. So is developing a personality and learning the ins-and-outs of interesting video editing. When music is about connecting with your audience, the true musician accepts that their job starts at 9am, not as the curtains go up. Practice no longer stops at an instrument.

While it takes more effort, the opportunity is greater than ever. A musician willing to put in the work, learn their market, and focus their entire lives on their craft will learn that opportunity, money, and an audience are waiting.

To say there is more work is not a barrier but an encouragement.

There is more to be said, but this is a good place to stop. Give up your dreams of a studio magically giving you everything you want, work on entertainment with music as a piece of a greater whole, and do the hard work of marketing and partnerships, and you can make it in the music business.

Otherwise, get out of the way. The walls have fallen and many others are doing what you won’t.

This review is based on a free book I received as part of the Book­Sneeze review program. For info on how I do these reviews, check out my disclo­sure policy.

Wisdom Meets Passion is the latest book by world renowned career coach Dan Miller. In Wisdom Meets Passion, Dan and his son Jared come together to explain the difference between generation X & Y’s career goals and work ethics and how the wisdom of the older can be partnered with the passion of the younger to create change in the world while earning a profit.

The book is written mostly by Dan, with Jared injecting stories into the various chapters to show how passion has directed his career and his life.

The Good

Dan Miller is famous for good reason — his advice works. He is easily understood and his encouragements throughout the book will lead anyone into success in this new work environment. The stories by Jared are interesting, and usually are related to the point of the chapter. In addition, Dan Miller and Jared Angaza are interesting. They tell good stories, will make you laugh, and show you that work can be different than what your parents expected.

The Bad

This book isn’t necessary. Everything in this book is a rehashing of No More Mondays. I was excepting new insights and deeper interaction with his son. It’s more like they took No More Mondays, cut out some of the how-to sections and threw in Jared’s stories. A good book with good information, but not for those who have already read No More Mondays.

The other thing I didn’t really like were Jared’s stories. They were always interesting, but rarely enhanced the discussions going on in the rest of the chapter. I wish they explained more of the “how” it happened and less of “what” happened.

Final Thoughts

I give this book 3 out of 5. While an interesting read, it’s a mostly unnecessary in a Dan Miller library. I wish Jared’s stories were more informative and less descriptive. But I still thought the information Dan Miller gives is sound and it was a great shot in the arm for someone who hopes to live his life in the style Dan and Jared recommend. If you have to choose, I’d suggest picking up No More Mondays. If you don’t, it might be fun to pick up this book, read through it, and then enjoy No More Mondays with Jared’s experience in mind.

This review is based on a free book I recieved as part of the Book­Sneeze review program. For info on how I do these reviews, check out my disclo­sure policy.

Trent Butler’s Exploring the Unexplained: A Practical Guide to the Peculiar People, Places, and Things in the Bible is a part of Thomas Nelson’s A to Z series of books which is basically a dictionary style look-up for the Bible.

Exploring the Unexplained says it “answers all your questions about unusual, hard-to-explain, and difficult-to-understand stories in the Bible.”

I first got excited about the book when I read that I would “learn more about people like Enoch, Moses, and the Nephilim”, which are all subjects that interest and confuse me — especially the bit about the Nephilim (One of the Bible’s great mysteries).

The book is written like a dictionary where subjects are broken down alphabetically by name. Next to each word is the book, chapter, and verse where the word is found. Underneath there is a brief explanation of the word followed by an “issue” that you are asked to consider after you’ve read the explanation.

The Good

The book is easy to use. The first thing I did was flip to the part on the Nephilim and I found it without issue. Also, for new Christians the book, chapter, and verse next to each name is helpful for finding information on the same subject through multiple books.

The Bad

Most of the explanations are short and unhelpful. The longer explanations are for subjects like the Nephilim, but instead of explaining the confusion and discussing different ideas about the Nephilim, he dives right in and says they are “children of humans and angels…”. Really? You know that for sure?

In addition, the “issues” at the end of each explanation are unhelpful and usually have very little to do with the issues in the text and more to do with random issues  loosely connected to a few words in the explanation. Since I’ve already talked about the Nephilim, I’ll use their issues as an example:

Tradition is filled with frightening horror stories of gigantic warriors. Be careful to note the reaction of your children to stories you tell or read, letting the children see the good side of the story rather than the fearful one. Why would the Bible want to scare us?

While that is an issue about “monsters” it isn’t an issue from the text and, honestly, isn’t an issue relating the Nephilim. Most of the issues I read were similar, having little to do with the text and mostly trying to create a family discussion. Also, this may just be me, but the answer the author seems to be looking for in “Why would the Bible want to scare us?” is “the Bible wouldn’t want to scare us”, which isn’t true. God scares us all the time. Jesus does too.

Final Thoughts

While I like the idea of this book, it fell short for me. Butler’s explanations don’t really explain much, and he’s too confident on the ambiguous subjects he explains fully. In addition, the issues aren’t helpful in explaining the text or dealing with real issues that text brings up.

I give this book a 2 out of 5. While seeing all the passages about a subject is helpful, and it’s possible to use this to find parts of the Bible you’ve never dived into before, the explanations and issues would hinder and confuse a new believer and leave a seasoned believer frustrated.

My first camera

If you knew me growing up, I have a picture of you. Probably dozens, if not hundreds of pictures of you.

I can’t remember how old I was when my parents first bought me a camera, but I couldn’t have been older than 6 or 7. It was an old film camera without a flash. Back then, every time you used a flash it burned out the bulb. My birthdays and Christmases were full of film and extra flashes – or the money to buy them. All of this was made more expensive by the difficulty of getting the film developed into pictures.

And yet, I still remember the joy of picking up my pictures from the developer. I would look through them and rejoice in the memories of the last few months of my life.

As I (and technology) grew, I discovered the joy of disposable cameras. For cheap, I could carry around a camera in my pocket and not worry if it got banged up a bit. I must have gone through a hundred or more disposable cameras while in High School.

In 2004, I purchased my first digital camera with the proceeds of my first job. It was the most expensive thing I had ever purchased. I used that thing until it could be used no more, used it’s photos to get my first photography gig, and later upgraded to a Digital SLR camera – my first professional camera.

This one was the one that took me to the next level. I learned how to crop photos, edit in Photoshop, and manipulate lighting. I started getting requests to take photos at events and eventually got paid for my time and my pictures.

But one day, I put my camera down and rarely picked it back up.

It’s not because I stopped liking pictures. Photography is still a joy of mine and every once in a while I take out the old camera and snap a few photos. However, I learned that life without the camera is much better than life with it.

There But Not

After years behind the camera I realized something: I  wasn’t enjoying these events, I was chronicling them.

The difference between chronicling and experiencing are massive. When I go to a friend’s wedding with my camera, I come back with beautiful photos but very few memories. My memories are or me, behind the camera, finding good shots and talking briefly about my camera and relationship with my friend. But when I set down my camera and experience the event, the most wonderful memories are created! I have good conversations with friends, I see all the funny and extraordinary events that happen, I am forced to open myself to people I can ignore behind my camera.

Ultimately, I realized I had to choose between my love of photography and my ability to experience life. After a lot of thought, I chose to experience life.

Now I spend time with my wife and friends instead of taking pictures of them, I enjoy weddings and other events without the hindrance of a camera, and while I don’t have many photos of the last few years I do have memories – wonderful, beautiful memories.

Experience Your Life

Next time your friend is about to do a trick, the fireworks are about to go off, or you’ve found a beautiful spot you’d like to remember put down your phone, your slr camera, and all your recording devices and enjoy the moment.

Watch the trick.

Enjoy the fireworks.

Experience the place.

These memories are better, and more powerful than any photo you will ever take.

And every once in awhile, after fully experience the moment, take a picture or two. Be satisfied with the few. You won’t regret it.

Today I have the pleasure of introducing my friend Mike. He’s a deep thinker and a local sports writer (with regular posts on Yahoo! Sports and Nolan Writin). I always enjoy hearing his thoughts, and the topic of this one will certainly get you thinking! This is the second in a two-part series click here to check out part one.

This is why I don’t eat with Emile…

But that’s not all, my friends!

There’s more to this than the plus and the minus. In thinking about it for at least a couple of weeks now, I’ve come up with several more ways in which your diet and your budget mirror each other.

It Pays to Plan Accordingly

If you sit down in your kitchen at the end of the month, calculate what you’ll make in the next 30 days, and decide how you’re going to spend your money, what are you doing?

If you sit down in your kitchen at the end of the week, write down what you want to eat in the next 7 days, and then go to the store to buy the stuff from your list, what are you doing?

See my point?

Theoretically, if you do your homework and plan ahead, you should be able to control where and how your money is spent. In the same way, you can also plan out your diet beforehand.

There’s no reason that a smart, capable adult can’t avoid excessive amounts of sweets and junk food, especially if you make your decisions before you even set foot in the grocery store.

You’re a Part of the Equation

How often does someone budget because someone else told them to? Almost never.

If you do sit down and do the work, it’s because you’ve decided that the way you were living your life no longer makes sense. Your priorities have changed and you’ve made the conscious choice to do things differently.

This applies to both your finances and your health. No one can nag you into improving yourself. It’s up to you to make that decision.

Do it for yourself and don’t blame anyone else if you fail. If you really want to change, you will.

Don’t Stop, Even When You’re Done

What do you do when you’ve finally paid off your credit card? Do you go apply for a new credit card and buy a bunch of stuff with it? Maybe you do, if you’re an idiot.

Unfortunately, this is what a lot of people do when they “go on a diet.” They eat right and exercise for a week or a month or 6 months; then they go back to doing exactly what got them into trouble in the first place.

Before long they’re right back where they started, but why does this happen?

Part of it, I think, is the way that our culture looks at dieting. If summer’s on its way and you want to look good in your swimsuit, then cutting out carbs for a few weeks is fine.

But a lot of people don’t need a sprint; they need a marathon.

For many people, it isn’t about quick fixes and “losing a few pounds.” It’s about deciding what your priorities are and then adopting a lifestyle that matches those priorities.

Crash diets generally don’t work long-term because they’re not supposed to work long-term. They don’t teach you how to eat better; they teach you how to cut corners without giving you the tools to live a better life.

If you really want to change, that change should be fundamental, not temporary.

This Isn’t About John McClane

When you were born, were you already bad with money? Were you already a gluttonous slob?

Hopefully you answered “no” to both of the questions above because the way that you eat and the way that you spend your money are both learned practices. You might have gotten it from your parents or from the culture; maybe you developed some of it on your own.

Regardless of where you learned it, you did learn it. If that’s the case, you can unlearn it too.

Habits aren’t impossible to break, but it takes time and effort and it won’t always be easy. Some of your habits may go back decades and you know what they say about old habits.

They die hard.

(See what I did there?)

Beware the Impulse Buy

Maybe this has happened to you before…

You go to Best Buy to get something that you need. Maybe your headphones broke and you need a new pair of headphones. You’re there with a purpose and you’ll be in and out in less than 5 minutes.

But then you see this sign over by the DVD section and it says that select movies are Buy 2, Get 1 Half Off. “Holy cow, what a steal!” you exclaim to yourself.

Before you know it, you’ve walked out of the store with 3 movies that you’d never intended to buy and, maybe, you were so excited about the unexpected “bargain” that you even forgot about the headphones that you came in for!

Maybe this has happened to you before…

You’re out eating with friends, having a good time. You’ve finished your meal and the waiter asks if any of you would like dessert.

You ponder for a moment because you did see the picture of the hot fudge sundae on the back of the menu and it looked really good and you’ve been really good on your diet for the last month and you’re an adult, so why shouldn’t you get a sundae if you want a sundae?!

Before you know it, you’re lying on the floor of your apartment in a sugar coma with hot fudge and shame smeared all over your face!

Generally you buy something impulsively because you assume that it will make you happy. It isn’t planned, it just sort of happens, and it can completely derail both your diet and your budget.

It also rarely makes you happy because it doesn’t take long for you to realize that nobody really needs to own Monkey Bone on DVD, even if it seemed like a good idea when you bought it.

Even If You Get It, You Might Not Get It

Watching how you spend your money should be easy, shouldn’t it? Most people would agree that it makes sense to have an emergency fund and savings and to live within their means. In fact, what disadvantages are there to budgeting? Don’t the pros far outweigh the cons?

So it is with dieting and exercise. Nobody really wants to be unhealthy, but many of us don’t even bother trying to change ourselves, even if we know it’s for the best.

Why not? Is it worth trading a longer, more comfortable life for the little bit of gratification that comes from an extra milkshake every couple of days?

Are you finally tired of rhetorical questions? Good, ‘cause I’m almost done.

One Final Thought

There’s more to the connection between personal finance and health than what I listed above. The fact is that, if you’re 30 pounds overweight, you’re costing yourself money down the road.

Being unhealthy takes its toll as you age. You might have knee problems later on in life, which could require surgery. You may also suffer from something more serious, like heart disease or stroke.

Some of those things may happen anyway, but some of it can be avoided. If you knowingly live an unhealthy lifestyle, you’re putting your life and your financial wellbeing at risk.

If you are going to put yourself at risk, don’t do it for an extra meat patty on your cheeseburger. Do it for something noble, like saving your ex-wife from German terrorists!

Are there other areas where finance and health intermingle? Are there other places in your life where the principles of budgeting can be applied? Let me know in the comments!

Today I have the pleasure of introducing my friend Mike. He’s a deep thinker and a local sports writer (with regular posts on Yahoo! Sports and Nolan Writin). I always enjoy hearing his thoughts, and the topic of this one will certainly get you thinking! This is the first in a two-part series s0, come back Tuesday for part two!

Obesity is a serious problem in this country. Countless Americans are overweight and many assume that they can’t do anything about it. They say that dieting doesn’t work for them, either because it’s too hard or they don’t have time or a hundred other reasons excuses.

But what if you started looking at it differently? What if you applied the principles of personal finance to your eating habits? Would that change the way that you thought about dieting and losing weight?

The Numbers Game

Budgeting is simple, right?

You figure out how much money you make and then you spend less than that amount. There is more that goes into it, obviously, but that is the essence of budgeting. That is it at its core.

So, what exactly is dieting? It’s the same thing!

Everybody takes in calories when they eat, but they also burn calories. If you eat better food you can control caloric intake. If you exercise, you can increase burn.

To lose weight, all you have to do is burn more than you consume.

Math! That’s it!

My First Budget

I’ve heard Alex’s story of the first time that he tried to budget. If you’re a regular reader of Entreprelife, you’ve probably heard it too.

He sat down one night and guesstimated all of his monthly expenses. He made a lot of assumptions and, as it turned out, he was way off in some areas.

I decided to do the same thing a couple of weeks ago, but with my stomach instead of my bank account.

For 6 days I ate the way that I normally do and at the end of each day I added up the calories using myfitnesspal.com. I decided that 1600 calories per day was a good place to set my “budget.”

This is how it broke down:

• Monday  +305
• Tuesday  +104
• Wednesday  +481
• Thursday –120
• Friday –73
• Saturday +392

All of these numbers are approximations, mind you, but it was an interesting experiment nonetheless.

Just like Alex, when he reviewed his first budget, I started to see where I was going wrong. Things like pancakes (800 calories including the syrup) can drastically affect your totals, though most of us wouldn’t think about it when we’re ordering a short stack at IHOP.

That’s really what this is about. If you stop and look at your finances, you’ll start to see that you’re not as good with your money as you thought you were.

Your diet is no different. Even if you’re pretty good, I’ll bet that you still have your trouble areas. I’ll bet that you can do better.

For instance, I drink too much sweet tea. It isn’t that I dislike unsweet tea. I actually really like it! I just like sweet tea better, even though I know it isn’t good for me.

Think about yourself for a moment. Are there parts of your diet that could be just a little bit better without much effort? Let me know in the comments!