Chrismukkah Sweeps the Nation

Entertainment often relates to pop culture and vice versa. Tonight's episode of The OC was a perfect example of that.

Tonight's show featured Seth Cohen's holiday "Chrismukkah". This combined holiday made its appearance last year during the shows first season and it didn't take long for it to catch on. Only a year later, Chrismukkah has made it's way into pop culture and everyday conversation... it has even been commercialized - Chrismukkah items are now for sale (to purchase your own items, check out The OC Insider). The above link is to a USA Today article which describes the trend and merchandise in greater detail.

For more OC info and to read recaps of last season's episodes to refresh your Chrismukkah vocab and memory, check out the show's official site.

Scrubs

Scrubs is one of my favorite TV shows. It's funny, sweet, and witty, and is thus on a completely different level than any other show on right now (such as 'reality TV'! but that's another topic altogether...)

It's much too complicated to concisely summarize the story line and characters, so instead, I refer you to the shows website, which does a nice job of this task.

Anyways, Scrubs is in its 4th season, but it's not too late to start watching now. I didn't start watching until halfway through the 2nd season and that's only because my roommate loved the show. At first I thought it was weird, since the humor is a little 'off' and the characters have a tendency to talk really fast, but after a while, the show just grows on you.

So if you get bored and need a little comedic entertainment to get through the week, I suggest you catch an episode. The show is on Tuesday night, at 9:30, so be sure to tune in next week!

Meet Me at 12

Since the holiday (& final exam!) season is fast approaching, I haven't had much time for entertainment in the form of books, movies, or TV shows lately. Instead, in between studying, I have been keeping busy shopping. For me, sometimes shopping is more entertaining than a movie! I love shopping, browsing, people watching, buying gifts and just dreaming about what I will be able to buy once I get a job!

There are so many places to shop by my house that it's quite possible to spend the entire day shopping. My favorite place is Twelve Oaks Mall because they have the best selection of clothing and accessory stores. Like any girl, my weak spots are nice dress clothes, shoes, and coats, so a few of the stores that I have frequented lately are Banana Republic, Nine West and Gap.

In addition to the mall, Novi also has a number of other shopping centers, including West Oaks I and II, Fountain Walk, and the Novi Town Center. So if you're like me and are looking for a break from studying, but don't want to check out a book or sit in a dark theater, then I suggest you take a trip out to Novi to check out our shopping scene!

The New Buzz Word

So it seems that blogging itself has actually become a form of entertainment! There are so many different purposes which blogs are used for that it can be a bit overwhelming for a novice. I suppose that's why the Merriam-Webster dictionary recently announced that the word blog was "one of the most looked-up words on its Internet sites this year."

From politics to news to pop culture, there's pretty much a blog for any topic you can think of. USA Today's website features an entertainment blog by one of their Life Section columnists, which is updated daily. This blog covers TV shows, music, celebrities, and much more.

And, like all other forms of entertainment, blogging even has it's own awards. For some laughs, take a look at the blogs in the Humor category or just peruse the multiple sites in other categories such as Best Liberal Blog and Best Sports Blog. Voting ends 12/12/04, so be sure to cast your ballot soon!

The Da Vinci Code Movie

History and art have always captured my attention, so when I first heard of The Da Vinci Code I knew I had to read it. This was awhile before it earned a regular spot on the best sellers list. I found the book to be a good read, so I wasn't surprised when the rest of the world caught on and generated a whirlwind of media hype. As rumors of a movie deal began to stir, I found myself wondering who would be cast and if a movie could be as good as the book. The main character in the novel is a professor with boyish charm and good looks, thus I imagined an actor would have similar characteristics. So imagine my surprise when I came across this article on USA Today which states that Tom Hanks is cast in the leading role! I mean, c'mon... Tom Hanks? He just doesn't fit the description for this role. Where's the boyish charm and good looks?? His last few movies have involved strange accents and a volleyball as the main supporting character; I can't see how he's going to pull off a handsome, brilliant, and intriguing professor. It appears to me that this film is on track to become another one of those movies that just can't compare to the original book.

For Love of the Game

My brother-in-law, Ken, is a huge Tigers fan. He even tried to talk my sister into having their wedding ceremony at the old Tiger stadium! So, even though he's in Iraq right now, it hasn't stopped him from keeping in touch with what he loves. In their spare time, the guys play ball against troops from all over the US. Other 'teams' have been getting t-shirts or hats from their hometown baseball teams, so Ken couldn't resist sending a letter to the Tigers. Sure enough, the Tigers responded and the whole team is now outfitted with classic 'D' hats!


The crew with Tigers hats!

Although the boys over there are keeping themselves entertained with America's favorite past time, they will soon be homeward bound! Please keep them all in your thoughts and prayers to bring them home safe.

(make sure the volume is turned on when you click on the link)

The HLO

Unlike many of my other fellow b-school classmates, I am currently living off-campus and commuting to school. I live with my parents right now in Novi, MI and drive about 45 minutes each way to class. To help contribute to the extraordinary costs of attending U of M, I am also working about 15-20 hours per week at a small private law office at home. I have worked there since high school and even though I had no interest in law at the time I began to work, I have become increasingly interested in the subject. The attorney I work for practices numerous types of law, including domestic relations, corporate, business formations, real estate, employment, negligence and personal injury, so I have had the unique opportunity to be exposed to a myriad of different cases. Since the office is so small, I also get a lot of hands-on experience in drafting legal pleadings and doing research and analysis. About once a week, the staff asks me when I am applying for law school, since they think I would do well in the field, but even though I find the subject interesting, I still don't think it's for me!

For more info about where I work: http://www.jjharringtonlaw.com/index.html

Test

Lauren Brennan

I am a student at the University of Michigan.

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Lauren Brennan, laurenkb@umich.edu

The OC