"You can't ruin Chrismukkah. It's got twice the resistance of any normal holiday."

Hello Readers!

Well we’ve reached the end of the semester, which means this post will be my last for a little while. So, while I’ve got you in suspense here I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank you for reading my blog! It means a lot to me!

Anyways, in anticipation of summer vacation my show of choice for this week is The O.C.  As per the name, the show is set in Newport Beach, Orange County, California. The basic concept behind the show revolves around an affluent family who takes in a troubled teen when they realize he has no home.

Sounds like your typical teen drama, right? As much as I’d like to say you’re wrong, that’s exactly what this show is. While the plot may not be all that in-depth, and it sort of feels like a soap opera for teenagers, this show still holds a special place in my love for TV. It’s one of the first shows I watched from start to finish in binge-watching style.

But let’s get back to the show. Basically, the plot unfolds around 4 teenagers and their families. There’s Ryan – the strong, silent, adopted one, Seth – the geeky, always on the outside until Ryan comes around, Marissa – the party-girl, trouble-maker, and Summer – Marissa’s popular, quirky best friend. It’s the overlap of these friendships that I think make the show worth watching.

If you’re looking for something to get you ready for summer, tune in to The O.C. It’s only four seasons, so you’ll finish it before it’s time to get outside and enjoy the nice weather!

I hope you all have a fantastic summer!

Thanks for reading!

-Emily

My thoughts on watching sports - have fun and enjoy the game.

Hello Readers!

For those of you that don’t know, the Masters was on TV this past weekend. If you don’t know what the Masters are then you’re probably not a huge fan of golf. Well, I am. I love it! I mean sure it’s a pretty frustrating game most of the time, but there’s also the great feeling that comes along with sinking your putt.

The game itself is not what I want to talk about this week, however. The reason I’m bringing up golf is because sports are a huge part of watching TV. Personally, I don’t watch that many different sports, and usually I don’t watch anything all the way through, but I’m sure a lot of you guys do.

If I’m going to watch sports on TV, it’s usually because I’m spending time with my dad. It started when I was little. I was a tomboy and therefore spent a lot of time doing things with my dad. So, when he would sit down and watch a NASCAR race, I would sit and watch it with him. I remember watching history unfold during one race when two cars got stuck together, one a little ahead of the other, during the last lap. The guy who was locked in the front position won because there was nothing the other guy could do about it. Photo finishes are what NASCAR lovers live for!

As I got older, and we started to go out golfing more often, I got to know the game better and started to watch it on TV too. Golf tournaments are a bit of a commitment to watch though, so I only watch bits and pieces. The one tournament I try to watch a lot of is The Masters. As boring as watching golf may sound to you, a lot can happen over the four days at Augusta National Golf Course. More often than not, the pressure of the Masters gets into the heads of the golfers, and once that happens it’s pretty hard to recover.

Jordan Spieth, the winner of this year’s green jacket, didn’t let this happen to him. Through four days of play, he kept a clear head and hit the ball consistently well. From Thursday through Sunday, he broke numerous records including being the first player to reach 19 under par at the Masters, his halfway total of 14 under par on Friday broke the 39-year-old record set by Ray Floyd in 1976, and his 54-hole effort of 16 under was also a new Augusta best, he became the second-youngest player to win at Augusta, and just the fifth man to lead the prestigious tournament from start to finish. Even if you know nothing about golf, you have to admit that’s quite an accomplishment.

Anyways, the point I’m trying to make is that watching sports on TV doesn’t have to be about knowing stats and following every move a team is making. It can just be about spending time with your family like it is for me. Even if you know nothing about the sport being played, I say why not take the time to try to enjoy it anyway? You never know. It might spark in interest in something you didn’t even know you were interested in!

Thanks for reading!

-Emily

"Whatever it takes, I know I can make it through"

Hello Readers!

I’m going to talk about a good ol’ Canadian classic this week. Maybe you can guess it? It probably won’t take too long to rack your brain for Canadian TV shows. Well in case you didn’t get it, it’s Degrassi.

I started watching this show years ago. My sister was the one who introduced me to it with the episode where Ashley takes ecstasy. If you don’t recognize the name Ashley from the series, then you’ve probably missed out on Degrassi: The Next Generation.

This is where I started the show, but it actually goes back to the ‘80’s. From The Kids of Degrassi Street to Degrassi Junior High to Degrassi High, the show followed students basically through their entire school lives. Then came Degrassi: The Next Generation named as such because a couple of the stars from the previous shows are now parents of the kids in the show.

In 2010, the show dropped “The Next Generation” part of its name, and it’s now known just as Degrassi. The show doesn’t really have the same draw for me as it used to, but I’ve continued watching it mostly out of loyalty. Also, I like to support homegrown programming.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the basic plot line. Every few seasons the episode themes get recycled. There’s been teen pregnancies, drug addictions, suicide, cyber bullying, pretty much any issue the can affect young people today has been covered at some point on the show.

All in all though, it’s really not a bad show. If you want to start watching it, from Degrassi: The Next Generation to Degrassi there are 14 seasons, so it’ll take you some time to get through it. It’s not completely clear whether you have something to catch up to though. There’s no word yet whether Degrassi will be renewed for a 15^th season.

But if you’re looking for a new show, show a little Canadian pride and check it out!

Thanks for reading!

-Emily