Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Fall TV Lineup

As much as I may have ridiculed FOX in the past for their string of poor programming (Temptation Island or Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire, anyone?), I'm excited for the shows they have to offer this fall. I checked out the TV lineup - basic channels only since I don't have cable - and I've set up my list of shows to watch this fall. FOX is in the lead with 7 hours of programming per week that I plan to watch. Sadly, ABC is last with one hour of programming, even though they used to be the dominant network in my household.

Monday:
8pm - House (FOX) - Hugh Laurie is back as Dr. Gregory House for Season 6 of this unconventional medical drama (or maybe a comedy?). I didn't watch much of Season 5, but I am excited to see how House continues his brilliant work as a diagnostician within the walls of Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital - where he is now a patient. FOX is building anticipation for the September 21 season premiere with their mysterious "Snakes on a Cane" ads. SnakesonaCane.com posts a countdown to the show's premiere, along with a sticky-note that, as of today, says, "I was deluded into thinking I might be crazy." Interesting...


9pm - Lie to Me (FOX) - This show first aired this summer, and quickly caught my interest. It's a drama (riddled with wry humor) about a consultation firm that interprets microexpressions and body language to aid investigations - they are basically human lie detectors. It co-stars Kelli Williams, who I first saw in NBC's Medical Investigation, a show that I wish hadn't been canceled. Drama and real-life science come together in a fascinating TV show.


10pm - Castle (ABC) - Another comedy-drama that premiered this summer, Castle follows a murder mystery novelist who shadows the NYPD to get ideas for his new book and usually ends up helping them solve the case. The show features Nathan Fillion of Firefly and One Life to Live fame as the title character. On top of the murder mystery, the show features some romantic tension between Castle and Detective Kate Beckett, his main contact at the NYPD.


Tuesday:
8pm - So You Think You Can Dance (FOX) - For the first time, the hit summer series airs in the fall for its 6th season. Featuring Emmy-winning choreographers, the reality competition show puts dancers through an audition process before pairing the Top 20 dancers together to perform for America. The winner, based on viewers' votes and judges input, is crowned America's Favorite Dancer and receives $250,000. Usually on Wednesday and Thursday nights, the show is bumped up a night for the fall season. Performances air on Tuesdays, and results on Wednesday nights.


Sadly, SYTYCD is up against another of my favorite shows, NCIS, and its new spin-off, NCIS: Los Angeles. If dance is not your thing, check out the Naval crime investigation drama on CBS (8 and 9pm), also featuring comedic elements. Comedy-drama appears to be my favorite genre of television.


Wednesday:
8pm - SYTYCD results show! (FOX) - Find out which two dancers are eliminated, and which dancers live to dance another day.

9pm - Glee (FOX) - This show aired its pilot over the summer, after the American Idol season finale, and has been building up hype all summer long with TV commercials and mall tours. It's a musical comedy series about a high school teacher who decides to become the new advisor for the school's glee club, of which he was a member back in its glory days. We've already seen the show take on Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" and Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'", and commercials leave us anticipating "Golddigger", too.


Thursday:
8pm - Bones (FOX) - Entering its 5th season, Bones is another crime-solving comedy-drama, following FBI agent Seely Booth and forensic anthropologist Temperance "Bones" Brennan. There's murder, mystery, and of course, romantic tension between the two main characters. Another plus? David Boreanaz, who plays Booth, is the son of my local TV weatherman.


9pm - The Office (NBC) - It's back! Set to premiere its 6th hilarious season on September 17, The Office follows the employees at Dunder Mifflin paper company. This season, we're looking for some answers. Will Michael and Holly get back together? What will happen with the Dwight-Angela-Andy triangle? Is Pam really pregnant? Will Jim & Pam finally get married? Will the Dundies be held at Chili's this year?


9:30pm - Community (NBC) - A new series, Community follows a group of adults taking courses at the local community college. Among the cast is Chevy Chase and Joel McHale, though I'm looking forward to Ken Jeong as Senor Chang. Unfortunately, Community moves to 8pm in October when NBC stops airing SNL Weekend Updates.


10pm - The Mentalist (CBS) - Simon Baker stars as Patrick Jane, a consultant who uses his abilities in observation to solve crimes with the CBI (California Bureau of Investigation). Starting its second season, The Mentalist is yet another crime-solving comedy-drama that I thoroughly enjoy. The genre just doesn't get old.

Back to School Savings, Part 2

Here are some more tips that I thought of!

4. Make your own fun.
Going out every weekend, whether to the movies or bowling alley, gets expensive. Luckily there are plenty of free or inexpensive things to do for fun. Game nights are definitely popular. Maybe someone brought Apples to Apples or Scattegories from home, or the campus student center has a pool table for you to use. A pad of scrap paper can lend itself to a round of Pictionary Down the Lane for a night of laughter. Throw some snacks into the mix, and you have yourself a party. Other activities include movie nights - see what DVDs other people have, or head to your local Red Box and rent a movie for $1. Gather friends together to watch your favorite TV show each week. Get dressed up, grab a camera, and have a photo shoot with your roommates. The possibilities are endless!
Bottom line: Fun doesn't require money - just a little creativity at times.

5. Take advantage of being a college student.
The first part to this tip is the student discount. Local restaurants or stores may offer a 10% discount to college students. You may need to do some research to see what businesses have set up a discount program with your school. Of course, it doesn't hurt to ask about student discounts when you reach the register. The second part is on-campus activities. My school had free concerts every Wednesday night in the student union, and bigger events for a discounted price a few times each semester. On weekends, our lecture hall doubled as a movie theater where the admission is $1. There are also student recitals, residence hall activities, and many other school-sponsored events to fill your nights and weekends with free entertainment.
Bottom line: You can thank your school for more than just education.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Back to School Savings

or, things I wanted to say to the teenage shopper at Target.
Seeing as I am currently unemployed, I'm sure these tips will still come in handy for myself and others who are not going back to school.


She was leaving the store with her dad, a cart full of dorm room "essentials", and some charges on her parents' credit card. It was pretty obvious that she is college-bound, leaving home in the next few weeks. As I watched her walk away, I wanted to sit her down and tell her all the things she needed to know about going to college and saving some money. Her parents probably don't know any better - from the looks of her purchases, she is probably their first child going to the big school. Any parent who has already sent a child to college would have already known Tip #1:

1. Don't buy what you don't need.
This, dear teenage consumer, includes that neon green folding chair sitting in your cart. I'm not talking about cozy butterfly chairs or pod chairs, but the plastic church picnic type that usually require a bit of caution upon landing. You won't be needing that chair, but you could probably use the $9 (that is the actual cost of the chair pictured, also available in black and white). Colleges provide desk chairs, usually more comfortable and industrially sturdy, for your study time - that is, if you even use a chair while cracking the books. And folding chairs don't make for comfortable lounging. Beds, however, make for comfortable and readily available (and FREE!) seating options.
1b. A little research comes in handy when doing dorm room shopping.
Make mental (or written) notes when visiting college campuses or talk to students who have already lived in your dorm. Find out what you can leave at home, what's essential, and what comes in handy. You won't need a full-length mirror if there's already one permanently mounted to the back of the door. You won't need shelving units if there are book shelves built into the walls. AND you won't need toasters, 5-arm lamps, or candles since they are more than likely prohibited by your school. ALSO talk to your future roommate to figure out what they are bringing. Perhaps they have inherited a mini-fridge from their older brother who inherited it from a roommate who... etc., which means you won't need to buy one.
Bottom line: You don't need to buy everything on the list, or rather, everything the commercials make you think you need.

2. Make friends.
This is an obvious tip for your social life, but your wallet will also thank you for it. Remember that mini-fridge that was passed down from generation to generation? Free, thanks to some friends. That's how I scored the mini-fridge that I used for 3 years. During my first year, I lived across the hall from some juniors who were leaders on our floor. The apartment they were moving into for senior year already had a fridge, so they gave it to us for free. They got the fridge off their hands, and we got a free fridge. After I graduated, I passed the fridge on to one of my friends. I also passed along a loveseat and a rocking chair, both of which I got for free. It's amazing what people want to get rid of. I have also been able to get free clothes from friends - and strangers, too. Whether it was the changing trends or the Freshman 15, they had plenty of clothes that they didn't want anymore. Some floors set out boxes in their common areas, as a mini-Goodwill of sorts, where you can rummage through and take what you want or leave things of yours for someone else to claim.
Bottom line: One man's trash can be your treasure, though you don't have to go dumpster diving to find it.

3. Buy second-hand.
Speaking of Goodwill (or Salvation Army), buying second-hand is a great money saving tip and a fun outing for friends. The Salvation Army by my campus, or Sal Val as we lovingly call it, has half-off Wednesdays on top of the outrageous bargains you will already find there. It may take some searching, but you can find some quality items for great prices, including some vintage wear or ridiculous 80's dresses that make for some fabulous costumes. Besides the money saving, it's fun to go through the racks with friends and see what fun[ny] outfits you can put together.
Bottom line: Buying second-hand gives you first-hand savings. It's like giving your wallet and your wardrobe a high-five.

Well, it's now after midnight and apparently I'm out of ideas (for now). Stay tuned - I will update when I can think of something other than "Don't spend money".

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Return to Suburbia

At several points during the summer, I contemplated the idea of living in Boston year-round. "I probably could, but I think I would miss driving too much," was usually my response. I like the experience of being on the road, especially with a good soundtrack to keep me company, or good company to entertain me with conversation. After watching Elizabethtown, I've wanted to take a solo road trip around the country to visit a combination of significant and obscure landmarks. Driving is even one of my favorite activities on facebook.

Now that I have returned to the suburbs after a month in Boston, I'm not so sure I would miss driving as much as I thought. I spent the last six weeks relying on my own two feet and MBTA, with only one round-trip drive in a car during the entire time in Boston. I liked having unlimited rides on my T pass, giving me the freedom to hop onto a subway car and ride to the studio or the harbor or the beach. To my surprise, I really enjoyed walking too. Sometimes I walked with purpose, with the grocery store or a restaurant as my destination. I think more often than that, I walked rather aimlessly, choosing a direction and going, hoping I wouldn't get caught in the rain or become too tired for the return home. It was on these walks that I stumbled upon Chinatown, a festival for AccessSportAmerica, the Cheers bar, and a graffiti-covered railway bridge over the Charles River. I'm not usually one for exercise, but I enjoyed the time outdoors over the time spent idling inside. I don't really have the opportunity to explore or walk around aimlessly in the suburbs, though one would think it should be safer. Rather, pedestrians are limited to the shoulders of bustling roadways to get them from residential developments to shopping centers. The other day, I drove from my house to Chick-Fil-A across the street, a distance I would have walked without question in Boston. It's probably as far from my house as the Kenmore Square T stop is from our dorm. It seemed senseless to me, and with that I began to think I could do without driving and live in a city long-term, provided there is a good public transit system there. So at this point, I am allowing myself to look at jobs in Philadelphia, Boston, Washington DC, and Chicago (I couldn't afford to live in NYC...) and using an exercise ball I bought after driving to the store.