Past Three Days "Cheers and Jeers" Sum-Up

Cheers:

~ The line for and performance of the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of As You Like It. This is an all-day affair: the free tickets are some of the more sought-after commodities in this city, and the line can go for a mile. But the line is in Central Park, and everyone comes with blankets and bagels and good spirits, and fifers play their fifes. No better line experience exists that I know of.

~ Superchunk's Here's To Shutting Up. A particular highlight is "Florida's On Fire", track 4, the opening electric guitar of which makes the melody sounds as though it'll fall right on the beat, but when the drums-et-al kick in in the seventh measure its instantly clear that the melody falls between the beat. Consistently satisfying.

~ Stevie Wonder, for any- & everything.

~ DTUT, which, while a hike from Washington Heights, may have finally solved my WiFi + coffee + good atmosphere math problem.

Jeers:

~ The intermittent-at-best WiFi at the Mid-Manhattan branch of the NYPL. I'd rather be at Countee Cullen.

~ Unabashed people-watchers. This fellow at said branch won't stop with his undisguised, openly-smiling study of the (admittedly interesting) folks surrounding him.

~ Rainstorms which, even though you knew it was going to rain, even though you're two blocks from your destination, attain full rainstormhood just before you make it where you're going.