Some recent hits and misses

A couple in each category.

Hit: Regina Spektor, Far. Don’t be deterred by Pitchfork’s gratuitously pissy (even by Pitchfork’s standards) review. Regina Spektor’s new album is quite good. I haven’t decided if it’s up to the standard of “Begin to Hope,” one of my favorite albums in recent years, but after a few listens, I’ve already latched onto a handful of wonderful, catchy songs (notably, “Folding Chair,” “The Calculation” and “Eet”). I guess I can understand if not everyone loves Spektor; some might find her excessively quirky or twee, but she’s also a very accomplished musician and songwriter.

Miss: Dunkin Donuts’ French Cruller, 2.0. A few years ago, the french cruller at DD was my favorite donut, edging out even the fresh-baked Krispy Kreme glazed. Then Dunkin’ took the donut off the shelf as part of an effort to expel all trans fats from the menu. When finally the donut showed up again, I was excited, then deeply, sorely disappointed. The new version is disgusting. I’m not sure what they used to replace those delicious trans fats, but I suspect it might be some sort of fossil fuel. I’ve tried to eat it twice (from two different DD locations), and haven’t even been willing or able to finish it—something that is completely new to me when it comes to donuts.

Hit: Glee (Fox). The pilot to this new serial dramedy debuted on Fox (and online via Hulu and on-demand) last spring, though the series itself will launch in the fall. It’s a self-aware and hugely entertaining show about a high school teacher trying to reclaim the glory of his alma mater’s show choir. It’s got a great cast and is chock full of cheesy ’80s anthems. What’s not to like? What remains unclear is whether the show can maintain its momentum as a weekly serial. It could be a challenge, but I’m willing to watch it try.

Miss: The 2009 pennies. In commemoration of Lincoln’s 200th birthday, you may have noticed some new one-cent coins in circulation. The front is the same, but in place of the Lincoln memorial on the back are a couple of scenes from Lincoln’s life. The first (and most hideous) shows Lincoln taking a break from splitting rails and sitting on a log reading a book. By his side is a sledgehammer that doubles as a carnival prop, and Lincoln doesn’t yet have the beard, but he does sport a bitchin’ blow-dried hairdo. The second shows a log cabin (presumably an artists rendition of Lincoln’s birthplace). Neither seems right to me, particularly because Lincoln himself was never fond of the “rail splitter” nickname or the born-in-a-log-cabin, though he tolerated them during elections. Plus, something about the pictures just seems off, like a gag gift or an arcade token. (As an aside, how is it the government is still making pennies? Is it even conceivable that it costs less than $0.01 to produce our lowest monetary denomination?) UPDATE: Some Googling reveals that there are four new penny designs, not just the two I mention in this post (and that I’ve actually seen in circulation). One of them (professional life in Illinois) I’m somewhat indifferent about, and the other three I think are awful.