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.

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".

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.

The Pros and Cons of Playing House?

I'm not a big fan of debates. I always find myself at a loss for words, knowing (for the most part) where I stand on the issue but not knowing how to express myself (or defend myself). I may share a thought or two, usually lost in the escalating volume of conversation, before I shut down and sit back to watch the scene unfold. I get overwhelmed by the moment, but I appreciate the subsequent internal struggle as I try to figure out what I believe and what I could have said. And then I can blog about it.

Last night's topic: Pre-marital Cohabitation - Yay or Nay?

There are certainly arguments in favor of cohabitation. It allows the couple to spend more time together, share living expenses, test compatibility, and end the relationship without a messy divorce. Some say that the only way you can truly know your significant other is by living together. Others say that there is no financial sense in paying two rents when couples sleep over at one or the other's place. Certainly all valid arguments, I suppose.

I see myself standing more on the "nay" side of things. I hear people argue that some couples who live together are practically married, but they just don't believe in the institution of marriage. "We don't need a piece of paper to prove we love each other," they say. I say, if you are practically married, why not go ahead and make it a legal status? Married couples can file joint tax returns, act as next-of-kin in medical emergencies, and receive automatic inheritance in the absence of a will among other legal benefits, while cohabiting couples cannot. However, some couples head from cohabitation into marriage, because living together has established barriers to ending the relationship (e.g. shared mortgage, pets, furniture, and children). They marry, even if their relationship is not ready for such a commitment, because they feel trapped.

One of the big arguments against cohabitation is its effect on marriage. Research shows evidence that cohabitation before engagement is associated with lower marriage quality and higher divorce potential. Statistically, couples who lived together before getting married are more likely to divorce than couples who did not live together. Perhaps the correlation between cohabitation and marriage quality is connected to ideas and beliefs about commitment. Cohabitation may create unrealistic ideas about commitment prior to entering a marriage. Couples can easily move in together, and just as easily move out. If cohabitation qualifies as "practically married", or a "trial marriage" as it is often called, and marriage is simply a formality, how easy would it be to call it quits after they say "I do"? Does cohabitation lead couples to think more lightly of actual marriage because it is not much different from this trial period?

While cohabitation may not be much different from marriage in some cases, it seems like a poor imitation of something that is supposed to be sacred and special. Couples may not think much of marriage or realize how special it is supposed to be, because living together in a nominally different situation has lowered their expectations.

Finally, I think it is possible to really know a person without living together. It all depends on how much effort both people put into getting to know each other. What is a person trying to hide if they are a different person when you live with them? What does that say about the level of openness and honesty in the relationship? I cannot think of much you can learn about a person ONLY by living with him or her. Sure, there are the early morning and late night habits. But what does it say about how committed a person is to the relationship if the way he brushes his teeth or the way she sings in the shower is the deal breaker? You can learn just about everything by spending time in conversation with another person. And I think if you can learn so much about a person and still want to marry them, you can learn to live with them. It shouldn't be the other way around.

Resources:
The Pre-Engagement Cohabitation Effect
Qualitative Reports of Problems in Cohabiting Relationships

Only a teenage girl...

... could draw attention to insecurities I have tried to hide for years.

When I was about 10 years old, my ballet teacher noticed that my legs were structured a bit differently than everyone else. In the middle of barre work, she called the entire class over to ogle. I left that studio within a few years. At my new studio, I worked extra hard on my turnout, just so I could appear "normal" next to all the perfect ballerinas. Teenage insecurity does not disappear easily, even with age. Only in recent years have I become comfortable wearing dresses or shorts in the summer. To this day, I try to stand with my feet turned out so my leg structure is not so pronounced (and I realize that people will now be looking at how I stand).

Sometimes teenagers lack a filter and say whatever comes to their minds, but even if it is unintentional, teenage girls have a knack for finding where you are weak.

Mr. Creeper and Visiting Ladyfriend on Relationships

Ever since my staff found out that I have yet to have a first kiss, the topic has found itself as the center of conversation on multiple occasions. Fortunately a few of the girls understand my perspective and recognize that I'm just waiting for the right guy to come along. They see nothing strange about not wanting to kiss some random guy on the street corner on a Saturday night. Others, however, don't get it quite yet. One of the guys [jokingly?] considers it his obligation as a man to ensure that I have my first kiss by the end of the summer. Interactions with him have been rather awkward at times, to say the least. Other times, however, I relish the opportunity to take control of the joke (rather than be the butt of it) and tease him about his ideas of obligation and the title of "creeper" I have given him. Another person asked if I am saving my first kiss for my wedding day, perhaps a la the Duggar family of TLC's "18 Kids and Counting".

After last night's duty shift and one round of mafia at 1:30 am, conversation evolved into somewhat of an interrogation consisting of question after question about kissing and relationships, all directed at me. Have you ever had a boyfriend? Would you kiss a guy who has kissed other girls before? What if he's not a virgin? Then they started asking rather ridiculous questions specific to Mr. Creeper, who in fairness is an okay guy despite the title. Would you kiss a guy who is half-black, half-Mexican (which he isn't. Rather the question was asked by a co-worker's Visiting Ladyfriend, who apparently was misinformed)? What about someone who is wearing a green shirt, jeans, and Chucks the night that you kiss him?

Visiting Ladyfriend said my first kiss should just be a drunken mistake so I can get in some practice. Call me idealist or too traditional, but that's not what I want. Her manfriend asked if I drink, to which I said no. Visiting Ladyfriend called my sobriety my "first mistake". I accepted her comments and judgments solely for their entertainment value.

Then they proceeded to ask about my criteria for a guy I would kiss. I'm still not sure if they were asking out of curiosity or to calculate their odds of making out before the end of the summer. My mind went through my "list" - an actual written list of carefully considered qualities I'm looking for in a guy. Since I'm not planning on kissing just anybody, I suppose kissing and dating criteria are one in the same. Topping the list is strong Christian faith, no question. Cultural sensitivity is also pretty important to me, along with honesty, humor, the ability to maintain conversation, compassion, and a few other qualities.

Before the end of the night, I was called a "rarity", an "anomaly", and "straight out of the book" (referring to Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris, author of the ever popular I Kissed Dating Goodbye). I was presented with hypothetical (or "hypothetical" and not so subtle?) situations such as "What if you meet a guy - maybe you work with him - and you really hit it off, but he's not an 'active' Christian?" There were other questions like, "Have you ever really liked a guy and been tempted to kiss him?" (to which I say, I may be conservative and traditional, but I am human. And there's nothing inherently evil about kissing or intimacy, but rather the opposite. It's supposed to be something special, something that I don't want to share with just anyone). The whole conversation was rather amusing, though not entirely enjoyed, but thought-provoking at least. I was grateful for the distraction of impromptu waltz lessons that drew everyone's attention away from the conversation at hand. I'm inclined to think I haven't seen the end of this conversation.