Messenger Bags

One of the great things about going back to school is the new stuff you can buy, most exciting of which is your bag. Although many may opt for the back-preserving-yet-bulky, third-grader-like appearance of a backpack, those in the know choose the more stylish route when selecting their book wear. Messenger bags are the Trapper Keepers for the Millinieum, functional and hip. This academic accessory can hold about three tons worth of books and a small apartment kitchen without looking like a rucksack. The professional guise is not lost, but rather enhanced by the bag’s sleekness and overall coolness. Easy to manage both on and off the body, messenger bags can take you from Bascom Hall to a fine glass shop without the worries of daintiness or destruction.

Robert Downey Jr.

There are few people in the entertainment industry who can balance a Hollywood schedule and parole, yet Downey performs the trick masterfully. His run-ins with the law and “hobbies” seem to do more for his career than his states of euphoria. Coming off of a superb performance in last years “Wonder Boys,” the actor jumped screens and single-handedly revamped the sex appeal of “Ally McBeal,” earning a Golden Globe award and an Emmy nod in the process. Lately he can be seen in yet another medium, the music video, as he plays the Elton John puppet in “I Want Love.” John forgoes appearing in his own video, George Michael “Too Funky”-style, and lets Downey lip sync through the entire song. It is one of Downey’s best performances to date. Never overdoing it, like his drug problem, and never underdoing it, like some of his earlier film roles, Downey hits his stride and makes us eager to see what he has up his nose – er, sleeve.