Death of the Family Vacation

Recently I took my family on a short trip to southern Utah and Las Vegas. It was the free National Park weekend and after visiting some of the historic sites in Saint George, Utah, we headed off for LasVegas.

While the sin is still plentiful there, the family based attractions have stagnated. You can't see a pirate battle at Treasure Island anymore because its now a bawdy show featuring a bevy of female pirates.

For family based fare, the only thing really outside anymore is the volcano at the Mirage, and the water fountain show outside the Belagio. This is good and bad.

The Good
 Lets admit it. When you have a family in Vegas, the first rule you teach your kids is, "DON'T LOOK AT THE SIDEWALK!"

The Bad
You're driven inside for the hotels individual attractions. Why is that bad? A revelation came to me while sitting in the Venetian waiting for my wife and I's gondola ride. We were enjoying a pricey scoop of gelato with our daughters when I began surveying the businesses located inside. Every one was a expensive item shop. You know, those ones where everything inside is going to cost you hundreds of dollars--minimum. I even saw a kiosk for Ferrari watches, and if the real estate is too expensive for a full Ferrari shop...

Las Vegas has become a destination for the wealthy or single child family
Prices have gone through the roof, making a majority of the activities in Vegas beyond the ability of many middle class families.

Take for instance the following per person prices:

New York New York Roller Coaster - $14
Rio Carnival World Buffet - $32
Venetian Gondola - $19

For an individual couple, the price may not be that big a deal. But add in two or more children, and one-day in Las Vegas quickly becomes unaffordable. Vegas has attempted to make up for this discrepancy by offering low room prices on off days, but even then, a family may be forced to skip the Vegas experience for cheaper fair.

Walt Disney's vision wasn't a theme park for the Ultra-Rich
Unfortunately, there is a rapidly diminishing supply of cheaper destinations for families. Take for instance, Disney theme parks. According to an Orlando Sentinel article, a one-day ticket price (one park, one day) at Disney World rose from $59.75 in 2005 to today's $105. For a family of six, a trip to Disney can get quickly out of hand. Disney World attempts to make up for this ridiculousness by offering their three-day park hopper + water park passes for $388.75 each. That means, for a family of 6 (2 adults, 4 children) you'll pay $2332.75 for three days in the magic kingdom.

Today, according to the same Orlando Sentinel article, the average median income of families visiting their parks are in excess of $95,000 (in 2013). And Disney literally doesn't give a flying fig about lower income families getting into their parks. Take the following quote from the Orlando Sentinel:

"I do think that Disney's perspective is they're a premium-priced, premium product," said Scott Sanders, a former vice president of pricing with the company. "They believe that … there are some people who can't afford it, but there are a lot of people who are willing to pay for the experience."

And the trend is continuing throughout other theme parks in the country. Again, from the Orlando Sentinel:

Typically when one park raises prices, others follow suit. Universal Orlando has charged $96 and SeaWorld $95 for base tickets at the gate. "The minute you stop keeping up with the Disney prices, you automatically tell the general public, `Hey, we're not as good as Disney,'" said Scott Smith, an assistant professor of hospitality at the University of South Carolina.

So where does that leave us?
Sadly I believe the family theme park experience is over--or at the very least--become a once in a lifetime opportunity. Management in these establishments have lost their minds, but fortunately for them, there are enough wealthy to keep them operating.

But for the family based crowd, we are forced--perhaps wisely--into other options. The National Parks still have many destinations throughout every nation in the world. And camping or visiting reasonably priced hotels with our kids offer more relationship building moments than you'd expect. Better still, we have the opportunity to teach our children about thrift and family.

And that is something Walt would be proud of.

Be Who You Think You Are

A couple years ago I went to a Sunshine Lodge Writing Retreat. The entire weekend was amazing and filled with dozens of empowering moments (not to mention an uptick in my word count).

Saturday evening of the retreat, we drove down to the restaurant at the nearby Sundance Ski Resort. The event coordinator had called ahead, reserving a larger table in the back for our group of writers. I was having a ball drinking in the stunning view and fancy restaurant, so I was last to file past the waitress and waiter standing at the entrance to the back room. I gave a happy smile to each as I walked past them, then was surprised to hear the waitress whisper to the waiter, "Who was that?"

"Dunno," he replied in a hush.

I moved for a chair, stunned.

Did they think I was somebody famous? Maybe they were just buttering me up for a better tip. Why would they think either?

As I thought about it, I think I came up with the answer: I was acting like someone important.

Through my writerly studies, I've learned from others writers that it's important to act and even dress professionally. Sure you can bum around in a t-shirt and jeans, but if you tried that in a professional workspace, it wouldn't fly. So consequently that night, I was dressed in nice jeans, a button-up shirt, sweater vest, and leather shoes (a wonderful neighbor with excellent taste gave me the shoes--I feel like a casual CEO when I wear them). My beard was well trimmed (a necessity for facial hair). I had on my best watch (a $25 Father's Day present from the Avon catalog, but it looks AWESOME), a silver Celtic braid wedding band ($10 from an incense shop), and my college ring (looks like it has a huge rectangular ruby with a diamond on top). When I dress up like this, I feel like Writer-Man, superhero writer.

So what? Who cares?

I care and so should you. Why? For two reasons:

First: everything I was wearing gave me self-confidence.

It may sound silly, but human beings really are affected by what we wear. For instance, I felt dressed up, which oddly enough, made me feel relaxed. I didn't have to worry what others thought about what I was wearing because I was putting my best foot forward. That took a LOT of emphasis off of me, giving me the opportunity to be myself.

Second: what I was wearing told others that I was serious about my work.

If you want someone to take you seriously, do you wear raggity clothes and don't shave? If you are asking for a raise, would you do it in a clown suit? No, you wouldn't. So don't broadcast that message to those around you--and even more importantly--to your self.

And So...

Try dressing up a little. Business casual should work if you normally slouch around in jeans and a t-shirt. Maybe NICE jeans and a t-shirt if your default is pajamas (just saying). Take yourself seriously. Get the self-confidence that makes others wonder who you are. You'll be glad you did.

Review: The Dream Keeper

The Dream Keeper by Mikey Brooks

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Amazon Blurb
Dreams: Dorothy called it Oz, Alice called it Wonderland, but Nightmares call it HOME. When an evil shifter takes over the gateway to the realm of Dreams, it falls to 14-year-olds Parker and Kaelyn to stop him. Their only hope lies with Gladamyr, the Dream Keeper, but can they trust a Nightmare to save their world?

The Good
I've always been a fan of mid-grade book series. Rick Riordan's, 39 Clues, J. Scott Savage's, Far World, and Brandon Mull's, Fablehaven. Now I can add one more to this list, Mikey Brooks', Dream Keeper Chronicles.

Like other middle grade series, The Dream Keeper features a boy/girl tag team. Mikey does an incredible job of bringing Parker and Kaelyn to life. My favorite aspect is the social bullying and peer pressure that Parker and Kaelyn experience in school, and how their adventures in Dreams help them overcome these influences in their lives. Mikey doesn't minimize bullying or peer pressure, but he crafts realistic experiences in the story that help the characters overcome/understand the pressures they face.

The Bad
Parker and Kaelyn are the main characters, but the Dream Keeper Gladamyr shares almost equal page time with them. While this works well later in the book, the initial introduction left me a little confused. Maybe it was necessary, but I would have enjoyed the introduction to the world of Dreams much more through the eyes of Parker and Kaelyn. Equally so, the revealing of Gladamyr's character and experiences would have been better through the eyes of the children. Excellent opportunities for dialog and connecting characters were missed.

My second complaint covers the narration of the audiobook. It wasn't bad, let me get that out! ... But it could have been better. I listen to a LOT of audiobooks, so I'm a bit of a narrator snob. My biggest complaint with Anthony Bianco, is that a few lines come off flat. I'm not sure if he's a new narrator or not, but Mikey Brooks had lines that really set up the scene, and Anthony blew through them. Like I say, most audio listeners won't catch this, but because I listen to so many, it could have been a bit better.

Oh, yeah. One other minor complaint(full sarcasm here). How Mikey discovered that incident I had in the girl's restroom--and wrote into his book--is beyond me. It scarred me for life and I thought everyone had forgotten it.

Mikey, whatever blackmail you're asking, I'll pay.

The Spin
If you're looking for a great mid-grade read, don't pass up, The Dream Keeper. Kids will identify with the characters and their experiences. But more than that, the story is exciting enough to read the other books in the series.

One other thing to keep in mind when picking up this book, it has an excellent resolution, but a killer cliffhanger at the end, so have book 2, The Dreamstone, handy. You've been warned.

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Review: Influx

Influx by Daniel Suarez

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Amazon Blurb: "What if our civilization is more advanced than we know?

The New York Times bestselling author of Daemon--"the cyberthriller against which all others will be measured" -Publishers Weekly) --imagines a world in which decades of technological advances have been suppressed in an effort to prevent disruptive change.

Are smart phones really humanity's most significant innovation since the moon landings? Or can something else explain why the bold visions of the 20th century--fusion power, genetic enhancements, artificial intelligence, cures for common disease, extended human life, and a host of other world-changing advances--have remained beyond our grasp? Why has the high-tech future that seemed imminent in the 1960's failed to arrive?

Perhaps it did arrive...but only for a select few.

Particle physicist Jon Grady is ecstatic when his team achieves what they've been working toward for years: a device that can reflect gravity. Their research will revolutionize the field of physics--the crowning achievement of a career. Grady expects widespread acclaim for his entire team. The Nobel. Instead, his lab is locked down by a shadowy organization whose mission is to prevent at all costs the social upheaval sudden technological advances bring. This Bureau of Technology Control uses the advanced technologies they have harvested over the decades to fulfill their mission.

They are living in our future.

Presented with the opportunity to join the BTC and improve his own technology in secret, Grady balks, and is instead thrown into a nightmarish high-tech prison built to hold rebellious geniuses like himself. With so many great intellects confined together, can Grady and his fellow prisoners conceive of a way to usher humanity out of its artificial dark age?

And when they do, is it possible to defeat an enemy that wields a technological advantage half a century in the making?"

The Good
An incredible high-tech thriller! A very engaging story that fascinated me with visions of possible future tech and a world were they are a reality. It also made me fear the groupthink of the BTC and organizations like them.

The characters aren't taken from your usual grab-bag either. Sure you get the 'science guy' and 'tech guy' templates, but Daniel Suarez tweaks them enough to make them fresh and interesting.

In all, an exciting thriller that will widen your perceptions.

The Bad
Some parts of the story felt slow, but really weren't. Due to the intense action, the 'slower' parts were necessary to give the reader breathing space before the action took over again.

My only real complaint, is in the time given to 'learning' new technology. Some of this is necessary because otherwise it would be unbelievable, but one section, about 2/3 through the book could have used some serious condensing. Just tell me they spent the day working with the device. Please, in the name of all that is holy, don't show it to me.

That advice may be counter intuitive to writers, but most understand that too much showing can kill as easily as too much description.

The Spin
If you're in to techno-thrillers or thrillers in general, you'll love this book. The future tech is intriguing without being overly complicated or boring and the characters are fresh enough that you enjoy cheering them on.




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Review: 14

14 by Peter Clines

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Amazon Blurb:

Padlocked doors. Strange light fixtures. Mutant cockroaches.

These are some odd things about Nate's new apartment.

Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn't perfect, it's livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don't nag at him too much.

At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela's apartment. And Tim's. And Veek's.

Because every room in this old Los Angeles brownstone has a mystery or two. Mysteries that stretch back over a hundred years. Some of them are in plain sight. Some are behind locked doors. And all together these mysteries could mean the end of Nate and his friends.

Or the end of everything...

The Good
14 is as unsettling as it is intriguing. I never knew what to expect, though some of my guesses came close to the mark.

Peter Clines did an incredible job with characterization, adding new characters regularly that draw the reader in. And the mystery in 14 unravels slowly enough that you're dying to keep reading without giving you so much that you can't absorb the insanity that is the character's new brown stone apartment.

The Bad
The ending felt a little Stephen King-ish, without sucking. I was still drawn in but... How does a writer describe the literal bending of reality? Either way, it worked. But my mind blew out long before then.

Very satisfactory ending ultimately.

The Spin
14 is a gripping horror/thriller that will keep you guessing. From the appropriately parsed mystery to the engaging characters, its a very satisfying read!




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Review: The Martian

The Martian by Andy Weir

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



The Good
The Martian begins with a bang, as an American astronaut is wounded and stranded on Mars. Left alone with his best chance of rescue years away, he scrambles to find ways to extend his meager resources.

Characters in the book are likeable, and at times, laugh out loud funny, especially the main character. It's almost impossible to NOT cheer for him. He's a problem solver with a monstrous slate of problems.

Pacing was well done--and though there is a LOT of science and math in this book--Andy Weir pulls off making every bit of it interesting. And lets admit it, when the difference between four and five watts will save your life, it's interesting. Mr. Weir explains why the astronaut does everything, and draws the reader in.

As far as the audiobook goes, the narrator is Ray Porter. Ray-frickin-Porter people! If you haven't listened to his audio work, you are truly missing out. He's my absolute favorite and the best in the business.

The Bad
My only complaint with this book was the ending. It was over far too soon. It was exciting and finished well, but I would have liked more. Just a little. 10-20 pages. 50 tops.

The Spin
This story is so good that it's being made in to a movie (coming out in 2015). That's good news for the book, bad news for the director and crew. They have to take a story with the action and thrills of Apollo 13 or Gravity, and bring it to life. If they screw it up, fans of the novel will not forgive them. A lot of the material will translate to film, but they'll have to make a slightly different approach.

Either way, read or listen to this one before the movie comes out. You'll be glad you did.




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