BU is Getting Soft

So according to my recently home-on-break brother, BU's dorms are all going to be wired for cable when they return from break. And not just any cable, but like super, 118 channel, HBO and 5 movie channel cable. Well, if this were last year I'd say: ABOUT FREAKING TIME. But now that I am a graduate, I offer my grudging congratulations to current BU students but also say this: BU has gone soft, and it makes me sick. Yep, all of us last-generation BU-ites can tell our grandkids (or current freshmen) how we remember a time with a strict guest policy, no cable, and iron-fisted rule by a one-armed, tyrannical Chancellor named Silber. Come on BU, you're actually going to give in to the every desire of these spoiled new-school students who think that cable TV is a right, not a privelage only to be enjoyed during winter break and summer? Why not give them a new hockey stadium, brand spankin' new Hillel house, and really sweet new dorms while yer at it. Oh, so you already have ... Well, I guess these kids will never know the pleasure of finally configuring your antenna just right so you can make out the basic shapes of Homer and Bart Simpson on Sunday night. Good for them. Really. I mean it. Because there's one thing BU can never take away from its students, no matter how soft they get: having to endure the freezing, windy, snowy, icy, slushy, dirty, and just plain miserable miserable winter Boston weather. That is, unless they build a monorail.

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

- Watched Woody Allen's Annie Hall last night for the first time ever. I haven't seen many of Allen's movies and I knew this was his supposed masterpiece, and I wasn't dissapointed. No, his movies aren't my absolute favorites or anything, but it is especially funny and interesting how the cultural observations he makes in the film are still so applicable today. And the whole NY vs. LA thing definitely hit home for me, at this particular juncture.

- Speaking of cultural observations, I had a few comments about my recent anti-Chrismukkah posting. It is definitely a hot issue right now (The NY Times had an article on the cover of Sunday's Week In Review section about this very topic - which also mentioned Rabbi Shmooley!), and I also highly recommend last week's Newsweek (featuring Jesus on the cover) for a very interesting cover story about the nature of Christmas and how religion can be distorted and manipulated by history.

- Just finished reading Book 7 of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's PREACHER series. I'll probably post more about this another time, but suffice to say that even though I still have books 8 and 9 left to read, I can already say that Preacher stands as one of the greatest things I have ever read. If you can stomach some of the weirder stuff that Ennis has going on in the story, it really is a classic tale of America. Definitely check it out.

- Check out Sunday's Red Sox themed Boston Globe Magazine for a funny article by everyone's favorite late night host, Conan O'Brien.

- I am pretty skeptical about the New Jersey Nets' chances to improve much even with Vince Carter. I'm hoping that the Suns or Sonics, this year's most exciting NBA teams, can make legitimate runs in the West. Still, I am definitely looking forward to Christmas Day's SHAQ VS. KOBE rematch. After all the smack he has talked in the last few weeks, plus the fact that I have basically hated him since day one he stepped into the NBA, I hope Shaq-Diesel whoops that Jordan-wannabe all over the floor. And GO PACERS.

- I think that the FOX network may have reached a new low with "Who's Your Daddy?" Seriously, what are they thinking? If you watch this, you may be evil.

- Sunday Night Quick Reviews:

Arrested Development - Wow, another weak (for this show) episode. What is going on here? Like last week, a few laughs here and there, but overall this usually hilarious show was just underwhelming for the second straight week. Hope it gets its mojo back soon. C+

Malcolm in the Middle - Despite being in FOX scheduling purgatory, and a child cast that is quickly aging, this show's still got it. Great episode - Hal's mad dash for Christmas presents was brilliant, and it's a shame that the actor who plays Hal (blanking on his name right now) has yet to win an emmy for his inspired work on this show. A-

King of the Hill - Weirdest. Episode. Ever. Every once in a while this show does a really strange, disturbing episode (when Hank and Peggy start smoking, when Luanne marries a homicidal factory owner) and this was one of them. An old woman wants to DIE in Hank's house? On Christmas? Um, yeah ... but, points for daring to be different I guess. B

Final Thought:
What is with the word "Woot?" When did people start using this exclamation (apparently synonmous with "Woo-hoo!" or "Whoo!")? For some reason this word confuses and annoys me, and I say that anyone who wants to exclaim enthusiasm in written form should use "WHOOO!", "DAAAAAMN!", or, if necessary, "AWESOME, BABY!".