I just had to turn off The Innocents, which was playing on AMC's Fear Friday. The synopsis I just linked to says it all: "...creepy Gothic-style psychological horror..." I'd really like to watch the whole movie sometime, but perhaps with someone else in the room. And perhaps with the light on. And perhaps with my eyes closed.
Hats off to the director and cinematographer for knowing how to give the viewer just enough to be afraid without shoving "BE SCARED NOW" in our faces in big bright red drippy letters. Actually, I almost wish that they hadn't done such a good job. Maybe then I wouldn't have to hide under the covers.
PS - The Innocents is based on The Turn of the Screw, which I just now discovered is available as an online book.
Dianna and I made a trip to 4Jays in Antioch to pick up a TI-99 for her gaming pleasure. I was sucked into nostalgia land almost as soon as I opened the front door. Nintendos, Super Nintendos, and Commodore 64s, oh my!
Impulse buys ruled the day and left me the proud owner of an old-school clunky original Gameboy. But there's no time for idle chatter. There's Castlevania to be played.
I am officially a Ph.D. candidate. Nothing can stop me now! Muah-hahaha!
This entry has been brought to you by Post-Exam Scotch and Beer, "The Lunch of Champions" TM.
While out for coffee I just ran into premier Canadian science broadcaster David Suzuki (of The Nature of Things fame, which was rebroadcast on PBS). I say "ran into" because I turned around with my full cup of coffee and almost spilled it all over him.
Last night I went to the sing-along version of The Sound of Music with Dianna and Katie. This was the first time I'd seen the movie, so it was quite an experience. During some parts I found myself wishing everyone would just shut up so that I could figure out what was going on. But because certain songs are repeated over and over, I was able to do a bit of singing towards the end of the movie. And what I lacked in singing, I certainly made up for in prop-waving.
No, wait.... What I lacked in singing, Dianna made up for in Edelweiss-waving. I tried my best, but I was a hack compared to the Maria-lover sitting next to me.
During high school went to the midnight audience-participation Rocky Horror Picture Show in Portland every once in a while, so this was a strange nostalgic contrast. I had a terrible urge to do the Timewarp during "I am Sixteen Going on Seventeen". Would that have been so wrong?
Anyway, the "Sing-a-Long Sound of Music" was fun. Check it out at the Landmark California 3 in Berkeley.
Just one week until my qualifying exam. I really wish that I had scheduled it for an earlier date. I almost feel that I'm less ready now than I was a week ago. Three grad. students have already passed their exams and I can't help thinking that I could be done, too.
On the other hand, due to a recent breakthrough I'm about 50% of the way finished with one of the main goals I outline in my qualifying exam proposals. Since that proposal is supposed to cover the next 4 years of my life, that's a pretty big deal. My dream is to walk into the exam, start my talk, and after outlining Specific Aim 2, cross it out with a giant red pen.
Anyway, I'll be spectacularly unavailable over the next few days as I hurriedly cram in preparation. Wish me luck.
PS - New style. Hope you like it.
Love,
Jacob.
For hot Big-Brother-on-Big-Brother action (in San Francisco, no less), go here. Hopefully this will be taken to its inevitable conclusion. Maybe one day game wardens will down homeless men and women with sleeping darts and tag them with giant yellow flashing beacons. Their migratory patterns will then be studied by erstwhile graduate students who dream of an appearance on "Marty Stouffer Jr.'s Wild Urban America."
Yes, it's an April Fool's joke. Don't freak out just yet.
