Seven Up, Seven Down

Ups

1)      Town Hall Meeting with President Joel in the Heights Lounge.  Roomier than Morg, and, if you were able to grab one of those comfy leather couches or chairs, even better.

2)      Nate Jaret’s article on Shmirat Negia in Kol Hamevaser.  A great treatment of a complex issue.  Jaret especially shines when he describes last year’s article as an argument to “drop it like it’s hot.”

3)      ABC’s Modern Family.  A postmodern comedy in the mockumentary style of The Office, but with feel-good endings.  Hilarious and enjoyable.

4)      The Writing Studio at The Fashion Institute of Technology.  A welcoming and friendly place, with a whole lot of style and charm.

5)      YU’s New Torah Umadda Signal.  Though no superheroes have come running to the Nagel Atrium, the spotlight brightens the campus at night, giving us a new symbol around which to center.

6)      Hideki Matsui.  Even if he’s old and slow, even if the Yankees don’t resign him, even if they do but for too much, you have to admit that his World Series performance (8-13, 3 HR, 8 RBI) was classy.

7)      “Defying Gravity” from Glee.  Lea Michele and Chris Colfer are brilliant in this cover of the popular song from Broadway’s Wicked.  Worth a listen, if you haven’t already.

Downs

1)      2012.  A disaster movie that was a disaster.  If you like anything other than explosions (like, for instance, sensible plot or character development), don’t pay to see it.  For that matter, don’t even watch for free. Unless you’re in the mood for some first-rate trash.

2)      No Baseball till March.  A great World Series to watch, but now fans are left only with crazy trade speculations, season awards that will probably go to the wrong players, and a mostly-disappointing free agent class

3)      The Nets.  The YU Maccabeats have a better shot of winning a basketball game.

4)      People Who Talk on Their Cellphones and Think We Can’t Hear.  This just in: we can.

5)      Alternate Side Parking.  It just plain stinks.

6)      Midterms.  No breaks in shiur – actually, they have midterms too – and spreading them out over about a month makes midterms probably worse than finals.

7)      The New Sy Syms Newspaper. Unless they name it The Accountator.