Zorgus Borgus

I just got bit by the love bat...

and it's driving me mad!!!

Short Review

Since nobody else appears to be updating, I guess I will have to take the wheel. I saw Inception recently, and I have to say it pretty much lives up to the (ridiculous) hype. It's pretty exciting and the multiple layers keep you interested. The rules are all explained without delving into the mechanics of shared dreaming, which would have been a nightmare (ha ha) to sit through. Instead, we get walked through the rules nicely as the story progresses, just enough to let us understand and not enough to bore us. Good acting and all that. Despite what you may have heard, the story isn't confusing at all; it's very straightforward and easy to follow as long as you can keep track of dreams within dreams (there are only three levels, so it's not like you'll forget what is going on). The ambiguous ending is well done even if it is obvious; if you know the premise of the movie, in fact, you can probably guess the ending without seeing it. Anyway, check it out if you somehow haven't by now.

Also, if you aren't watching the new episodes of Futurama, then you are missing out. They're even better now than before they went off the air.

Tragedy!

Cathy is ending! What will the world do without her?

The teeth of great lions are broken; the lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered!

Please take Funky Winkerbean instead!

Camden Yards

It's been a bit since my last update, so how about a short one. Over the weekend, I went down with two of my roommates to Baltimore, where we met up with Eric to take in an Orioles vs. White Sox game. Camden Yards, or rather, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, is a nice ball park, pretty large and very clean. It also has nice views of the city, if you are facing away from the field, with no walls to obscure your view, at least at the upper levels. I should have some pictures, but I have not received them as of now. Anyway, the White Sox, who are in a division race, beat the O's, who are only in a race in the purely mathematical sense of it is theoretically possible that they win something like 90% of their remaining games and all other teams in their division do horribly from here on out. So, Eric was happy with that. Baltimore fans seem pleasant, knowing that their team is pretty bad, and didn't mind sitting with a St. Louis fan, a White Sox fan, a Phillies fan, and a Yankees (boo!) fan. Afterwards, we enjoyed some Chicago style pizza near the park. I know that's weird. Next stop, NY, NY!

Cheesesteak

I finally had a Cheesesteak from the legendary Pat's. I don't have a picture of the "wiz wit" that I ate because I took it on my phone and I don't know how to transfer the pictures. Anyway, it was awesome, but if you go, be sure to follow their ordering instructions. They have them posted on a sign. You need to have your money ready when you order or they will start yelling at you. I can read, but apparently some people can't, so I got to witness that first hand. The reason for their strictness is the absurdly long lines they have, and thus the need to rush everyone through. Anyway, it was awesome, and I suggest it to anybody who loves great (but terrible for you) food. Maybe Geno's next time...

I Lament the Coming of 3D

Let me just say that Toy Story 3 is awesome, much cooler than Amtrak, which doesn't run sufficient numbers of trains over the July 4 weekend for me to get down to Virginia. I saw Toy Story 3 a little while back and I was very pleased, movie magic and all that. It provided a nice bit of closure to a trilogy that was good through and through, and had some of the best laughs of the series. An instant classic, yada yada.

I had to see it in 3D, however, which annoyed me right off the bat, since 3D tickets are more expensive, and movie tickets in general are too expensive, since you can't know going in if the movie is even going to be worth watching. There are hints, of course. If it is directed by M. Night whatshisface or stars Gerard Butler, you are probably better off saving your money. But that was not the case, and the movie turned out to be worth the price of admission, or at least what the price of admission would have been if it weren't in 3D and the theater didn't change management to some jerks who don't give student discounts when they think they can get more money out of you (any time they are playing anything you would want to see).

But my main quibble is that 3D doesn't work for me, at least not very well, and a lot of the time, just makes it look like things on screen are surrounded by halos of light or that there are two of them. When it does work, it doesn't really add anything to the movie as such, besides sometimes a headache. So, long story short, I wish 3D would die, but it probably won't because people have always appreciated flashy crap more than a good story, and we all know which of those thing Hollywood is better at churning out, anyway.

In closing, a joke from one of my roommates:

What's the difference between a teabag and England?

A teabag stays in the cup longer. Ha ha, take that, English people.

World Cup Update

I actually watched a game. It is still uninteresting, but at least when you are watching at a bar with a bunch of other people cheering for the same team, some of whom are dressed like Uncle Sam, etc., there is a good atmosphere. I guess I will just "root for" glorious Nippon now, although they will probably also lose.