Scam Alert

This arrived in my inbox today. Seriously, who falls for this crap?

From:	Katlijn Malfliet
Reply to:	Katlijn Malfliet
To:	b
Date:	Jul 25, 2010 12:14 AM
Subject:	My Funds Management Interest

Here writes Lady Shirley, suffering from cancerous ailment. When my late husband was alive he

deposited 7 Million Pounds with a bank in UK. Recently my doctor told me I have limited days. I

want you to use this gift to fund the less-privilege, contact my personal email:

shirobinson3@att.net for details. Thank you Katlijn Malfliet on behalf of Shirley Robinson

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Spoilers)

This post may contain spoilers.

As a treat for my mom's birthday (Saturday) the family went to see Disney's new Sorcerer's Apprentice movie. I'll just start off by saying that while I enjoyed it, it certainly isn't for everyone.

First off, manage your expectations. It is a Disney movie based off a Disney short film featuring Mickey Mouse. Do not go in expecting a bunch of gore, or sex, or even foul language. There isn't any. This movie is designed to be kid friendly.

Second, if you aren't a kid, or a geek, you probably won't like this movie. There are a lot of subtle moments that would only appeal to children or geeks who know what the references were. If you don't appreciate a good "These aren't the droids you're looking for," joke, then go watch another episode of American Idol, and forget about this movie.

Third, and most important, DO NOT TAKE THIS MOVIE SERIOUSLY! It is supposed to be a bit silly at times. No, it doesn't do stupid humor like Will Farrel movies, and no, it isn't sarcastic humor like an episode of the Daily Show. It is just good fun silliness, with a bunch of geeky references.

All right, for those of you who are still here, I'll just come out and say that this movie is 100% good, clean fun. I loved it! If you remember the short from Fantasia, with the enchanted mops, you're going to absolutely love when they recreate that scene. THEY EVEN HAVE THE MUSIC WITH IT! I literally died for a moment there.

Also, the explanation for how magic worked was awesome, as it lent the movie a bit of much needed plausibility. The idea that if you were able to use 100% of your brain you'd have strange powers is not new. I've seen similar ideas in other sci-fi movies and shows, most recently in Eureka, where a man's ability to use his entire brain gave him telekinetic and telepathic powers. Seeing the quasi-science method for explaining how magic works was very satisfying to my inner geek.

The magic battles are fun, especially when the heroes beat their foes through cleverness and strategy rather than through overwhelming power. At the end, when the Apprentice is fighting Morgana, he lays a trap for her, drawing her into the center of a jury-rigged Tesla coil, which allows him to destroy her.

Overall, I found it to be a fun movie that you could take the whole family to see, so long as you don't go in expecting Lord of the Rings. If you enjoyed the old Godzilla movies, you'll probably enjoy the Sorcerer's Apprentice.

What is Anime?

I will freely admit to being a geek. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm geeky beyond all redemption. When I tell people that I also like Anime, people usually respond in one of two ways: either they go into the 'how can a grown man watch cartoons' spiel, or they think I'm one of those hardcore otaku.

To be honest, I wouldn't call myself an otaku, if only for the fact that money (or the lack thereof) and laziness (or the overabundance thereof) have prevented me from experiencing all the anime series and movies out there that I would love to see. Moreover, I am not one of these 'purists' who insist on seeing anime in the original Japanese. Subtitles are a pain, and distract from the action. I would much rather be able to understand what's going on, and enjoy the images, than be constantly switching back and forth between words and image. I am nowhere near hardcore enough for Otaku status.

But I do take offense at the people who see anime as simply 'cartoons'. First off, the difference between anime and cartoons is simple. Cartoons are for kids. Anime is for adults, no two ways about it.

Moreover, to lump all anime together into a single category is as ignorant as lumping all movies and TV shows into a single category. Anime is a medium, not a genre. You wouldn't say that Gone With the Wind, Friday the 13th, and The Wild World of Sports belong in the same genre, would you? It shows the same ignorance to say that Ghost in the Shell, Spirited Away, and Blood+ all belong in the same genre.