The super cool Real World house in the Dupont neighborhood of D.C.

I loathe checking my email.  I really do.  Because usually it just disappoints me by reminding me about my paper due the next day that I haven’t started or how my favorite band is playing the weekend that I happen to be going home.  So when I saw one with a subject line that read: “Cool opportunity in DC,” I eagerly opened it, only to realize that this was not a cool opportunity… this was an AMAZING, TOTALLY AWESOME, opportunity.

I was going to get to meet the Real World cast!

When word spread around GW that The Real World would be filming here, the student body went a little crazy. It’s all anyone could talk about. Where would they be living? Where would they be partying? How would we get an invite back to the swanky MTV pad?  I had been trying to spot these reality stars since September, but clearly my embarrassingly impressive stalking skills applied solely to Facebook, as I had no success tracking down any of the members.

But then I was offered the chance to meet and interview them! There was no way I’d be passing that up.

After two days of endless bragging and obnoxious excitement, it was time to go to the house.   Expecting to meet the stereotypical Real-Worlders – the “jock”, the “nice guy” the “party girl” the “bisexual”-  I stepped into the brownstone mansion in Dupont, and “seven strangers” eagerly greeted me. And I mean strangers. This cast was totally unlike any cast I’d ever seen in the 22 previous seasons of the show.

Perhaps influenced by their surroundings, the D.C. cast of The Real World was more real, involved and inspiring than ever before. Living in the heart of social and political change seemed to add an entirely new dimension to the housemates, and, for once, I think this 23^rd season of the Real World might be a little bit different than the others.  The idea that younger generations have become increasingly more involved and engaged in what’s happening in the country is clearly portrayed in these cast members as they’ve taken advantage of the endless opportunities the city offers, pursued their passions, worked for amazing organizations, achieved their goals and formed new perspectives on life and how to go about living it.

Allow me to introduce you to a few of the D.C. kids:

Josh:
By far my favorite of the bunch, Josh walked in sporting a black beater, tattoos coating his body and noticeable scars on his face.  But there was a whole lot more to him than his bad-boy appearance.  Josh blew me away with all of his ambitions, passion and excitement. I first asked him his thoughts on my “home” town. “DC is such a happening place, so driven for change,” Josh said.

D.C., it seems, is just like him. Between performing in his band, Funk Hop Rock, (a mix of Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Roots), working on making his vampire movie idea a reality, bartending, and hanging out with Spike from Top Chef to boost his cooking skills, Josh was constantly on the go.  He felt so privileged to be able to experience his Real World time in D.C. and wanted to take advantage of it as best he could.

Mike:

The biggest thing about Mike is his strong belief in taking advantage of everything that life has to offer.  When asked if he would consider appearing on Road Rules in the future, he said he has no concrete plan, so if offered the opportunity, then why not? “Fear Factor was my favorite show growing up.  I said to my mom, I’m going to be that guy eating a grasshopper.”

But there’s much more to this guy than his daredevil and spontaneous ways.  Mike also interns  for the Human Rights Campaign, the largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. He also works for Energy Action Coalition, a nonprofit organization that builds youth and student clean energy movement.

Emily:
Much like the cast members before her, Emily was full of energy and a desire to explore all of life’s offerings.  “I have life A.D.D.,” she explained, saying how she loves taking risks, and literally Googles new and adventurous things to do in DC.  When she’s not rock-climbing, glassblowing, jet skiing, writing poetry, planning benefit concerts, or mapping out trips to Uganda and Argentina, she is volunteering for African Action, an organization that works to change U.S. foreign policy to support African struggles for peace and development.

Her experience on the show has taught her that “its okay not to be figured out, life is about figuring yourself out, being figured out is so boring.”

Despite their different backgrounds, goals and passions, all of the Real World D.C. cast members exhibit one similarity, which Josh pretty much summed up:  “We’re not just people in our 20’s who like to party and have sex, we are trying to make a difference.”

After meeting the cast and being totally inspired by them I am extremely interested to actually watch the show. Will these cast members use their time in D.C. to actually motivate the viewers, or will MTV cut and splice them into flat, dramatic characters like every other season? Will they roam the city using their opportunities for good, or will they party all night and get into fights?

I’m hopeful this will be a new chapter in the Real World saga, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Real World, D.C. premieres December 30^th! Will you be watching?

I’m pretty sure I don’t have OCD, but sometimes I really convince myself that I do.  And by “sometimes” I mean “every time I watch Obsessed on A&E.” Although my habits don’t come nearly as close to those of the people on that show who have to touch the fridge 46 times before they can get some milk, I do have some quirks that make me go hmm…

I know a lot of people have weird things with numbers, but my thing with numbers is just wacky.  For example, when I’m on the treadmill planning on going for a run, I make sure I walk for exactly half a mile before.  The treadmill must say exactly .50 before I can start running.  .49 is not okay, and, to be honest, I’m not sure what I would do if it went to .51 and I wasn’t running yet, but I guess I don’t have to worry about that because I won’t let that happen.

Now, is that just routine or a blatant obsession?

Also, when I play tennis, sometimes I’ll flip the racket in the air and catch it.  And once I do it once, I make myself do it 3 times in a row before I can keep playing.  If I don’t catch it, I have to start over.  WTF?

I don’t know how or why I developed these odd OCD tendencies. I know they aren’t dangerous or cause me social problems (unless I meet someone who can’t handle my racket-flipping), but it’s just….weird. Why do I have to shower in the same order (face, body, hair, conditioner) every morning, or set my alarm clock to a time that ends in 3? And why aren’t I obsessed with something useful like cleanliness or staying organized? Or avoiding cake/chocolate/all things fried?

And am I the only one with a mild case of OCD? What sort of weird OCD habits do you have? Share ‘em here so we can all feel a bit better about ours!

Friend: I have to tell you something.
You: I know, I love The Real Housewives of Atlanta, too.
Friend: No, well yes, but that’s not it. You have to promise not to say anything, okay? Promise?
You: Well, yeah obvi. Your secret is safe with me.
Friend: I hooked up with Alex last night.

Okay, so here’s the problem: Alex isn’t just some guy. Alex is the guy with whom your friend is cheating (well this is the second time) on her boyfriend. Bigger problem: you happen to be really good friends with boyfriend boy.

Oy.

So, what do you do? How do you deal? Should you smack some sense into her? Pause, breathe and listen up. There is a right way and a wrong way to deal with this sticky sitch and, just so you know, leaving a handprint on her cheek is definitely the wrong way.

While what your BFF is telling you is hard to hear, she’s coming to you for a reason. It’s obviously been buggin’ her and she wants to get it out. This can be taken as a cry for help, or just because she needs to get it off her chest. Whatever the reason, you got some work to do, sister.

1. You need to evaluate your relationship with her.
If she is your best friend, then you are going to stick with her through this no matter what. No, that does not mean you are going to be supportive of this bad bad behavior and celebrate her mistakes, but it does mean that you are not going to run to Boyfriend and tell him what happened.

2. You need to make Friend understand why she is doing this.
People usually don’t just cheat because they are bored and don’t have cable. Most likely, there is an underlying reason for the behavior, whether that is jealousy, boredom, confusion, or just the fact that she knows she can get away with it. But in no way do any of these things make it okay. How much does she truly care about Boyfriend?

3. Is this what she really wants?
No one said relationships were easy. And college relationships are probably the hardest to sustain in a healthy manner. With constant temptation, alcohol flowing, and our hormones going crazy, college seems to be just one giant ad campaign for cheating mates. And for many people, they just cannot do it; they can’t handle a relationship. Maybe she is one of them. If Friend doesn’t want to put in the effort to make the relationship work, (that means NO cheating) then she doesn’t deserve to be in the relationship in the first place. Explain this to her, as hard as it may be. Tell her to put herself in Boyfriend’s shoes – how the hell would she feel? Is this really the type of person she is? If she doesn’t stop now, why would she ever stop?

4. Don’t forget about yourself!
Guilt trip her. Okay, not really, but kinda. Tell her how terrible you feel for knowing this and tell her it’s not fair to you to be put in this awful position. If she isn’t upset that you are upset, maybe this friendship needs to be reconsidered, too.

Look. This sucks. Cheating sucks. Knowing your friend cheats just sucks. But, ultimately, the decision of continuing to cheat, stopping, telling her BF, whatever, is hers. Not yours.  She is going to do whatever she wants, so the best thing you can do, without completely getting absorbed into her life, is just help the girl out. Give her advice by telling her what you would do. Don’t be afraid to be harsh, but don’t be too judgmental, either. Not only will that not solve anything, but it will push that girl right out of your life. Just sit back and be the best best friend (BBFF?) you can be.

Have you ever been in this icky situation? What did you do?

"Dude, we totally should have done the 10 year plan."

God, am I lucky to still be in college.  And no, I’m not just talking about the amazing carefree, party animal, parent-less lifestyle of mine (life literally does not. get. better).  I’m talking about the luxury of not having to deal with the real world in a currently not-so-great world.

As if graduating and moving on to becoming an adult and a real person (ew) isn’t bad enough, struggling to get a job doesn’t make it all any more appealing.  Nothing sucks more than going for an interview and then waiting to hear back…only to realize there is a great chance you won’t. Ever. At all. Just imagine how the class of 2009 feels, as fewer than a fifth of the graduating seniors have job offers. A fifth!!  The frustration and aggravation is awful, and people are being forced to completely alter their original life plans.

As a result, graduates are looking for alternatives to work, such as volunteering and participating in public service programs (applications for the Peace Corps were up by 16 percent this spring over last year!) and even going abroad to find other options. Others are expecting to attend graduate or professional school.

Even the lucky ones who do actually get offers aren’t so lucky.  Jobs for new college grads are paying less than in previous years.

It’s times and statistics like these that make me love my 2 hour art history class, which used to be quite a difficult task considering the prof is more interested in hearing his own voice than saying anything marginally interesting to us students. But I’ll take that over being a jobless grad any day.

Ugh. College, don’t ever leave me!

So don’t smoke and limit sun exposure and you’re okay right?

Ha, I wish.

New studies literally come out every day blaming everyday products for causing the disease. We are constantly being bombarded by contradicting information. Doctors say don’t have too much sugar because its not good for you and dentists say only chew sugar-free gum. Only problem is that most things that are sugar-free have aspartame, which, you know, causes cancer. Ok, so, fine; I’m willing to sacrifice my FAVORITE foods, drinks (bye bye, sugar-free vanilla latte) and my gum addiction if it means preventing some sort of cancerous growth inside of me.

But that’s not enough. It only gets better (or worse).

Studies have shown that there are cancer-causing substances in soap, toothpaste, shampoos, and makeup. So, no food, and no showering, and then I’m okay?

Nope, not yet.

Because if I decide not to shower, at least I should stock up on deodorant if I still wanna have friends. But that doesn’t work either, because, apparently, deodorant causes cancer, too.

Hmm.. alright. I’m sorta running out of options here.  Maybe I should literally just sit in a dark candlelit room (lights probably cause cancer, duh!) and relax all day, everyday with some books and music.  I’m safe then, right?

Nope. I must be crazy! That is the most dangerous option of all since candles cause cancer now, too!

What. The. H-E-Double Hockey Sticks? Is there anything out there that’s safe?!

Don't trust 'em. These things are dangerous.

They come in all different colors, styles, and sizes. They’re a part of our daily uniform during the summertime (Editor’s Note: And if you’re me, they stay in rotation until the snow begins to fall); we wear them to the beach, to work, or when we’re just hangin’ out in the house. Some people may hate on flip flops, but they are truly god’s gift to mankind (after Channing Tatum and Coldstone Creamery, of course).

A gift that can kill us all, according to a new study by TODAY.
Seriously, after reading this you might wanna think twice before flippy flopping around town.

After testing some footwear, health scientists discovered that there were more than – are you ready for this – 18,000 bacteria on just one pair of flip-flops. Did you just look at your feet in disgust? Yeah, me too. But what is even more disturbing than the number of bacteria on your favorite footwear is the type of bacteria that consumes them. We’re talkin’ bacteria from fecal matter (that’s poo, ladies!), skin and respiratory germs, even bacteria that causes yeast infections and diaper rash. Oh, and the scariest? The potentially lethal germ, Staphylocaccus aurerus (AKA staph infection).

Dr. Philip M Tierno, director or NYU’s Langone Medical Center, said that these bacteria “can give you a serious infection like a boil, or more serious, it could possess toxins.  They can make you very sick or kill you.”

Whoa, whoa, whoa; slow down there, Dr. Tierno. Does this mean I should fear my Havaianas more than I fear those creepy flasher guys that hide in parks when I go running?

Well yes and no.  The dirty grounds that we walk on (think about it: city streets, public bathrooms, etc.) contain a whole lotta nasty-I-don’t-even-wanna-knows on them, and since our feet are completely exposed when wearing flip flops, our skin is obviously coming in contact with ‘em. And sometimes those germs are lethal. So, what do we do about this?

Instead of ruining a cute summer dress with a not-so-cute pair of sneakers, just be wary and protect yourself:

- Avoid touching your flip-flops and your unwashed feet
- Wash your hands often
- Remove your shoes when you are in your home.
- Limit your use of flip-flops if you can.  I know it’s devastating, but try and save them for the beach and the pool, and wear more protective sandals for your daily wear.
- Toss those flips after a year. Yes, even those Rainbows.

Considering that flip-flops aren’t the best for walking anyway (they give you zero support and can injure your feet and calves) this new bacteria news might not be something to ignore.  Hey, if nothing else, it’s a good excuse to go shoe shopping, right?

I’m the president of the Anti-PDA club.

You wanna express your love with your man? Fine, but keep it in the bedroom. No one needs to see you shoving your tongue down his throat (or your hand down his pants) when they’re going about their daily business.

And you know what else we don’t want to see? You shoving your hand down your own pants to adjust those boy shorts that keep creeping up your crack. Seriously, people, there are some things that should be left in the privacy of your own room/car/bathroom. Let’s make a deal, shall we? You keep the following disgusting habits to yourself and I get to keep my lunch down.

Deal?
Deal.

Loogies
Ew, ew and more ew.   As if the sound hawking up some phlegm isn’t bad enough, having to actually witness that slop drip from someone’s mouth is just plain disgusting.

Nail clipping
Sadly way too common, people think it’s okay to just clip their nails (and toenails!) in the office, the train, the bus, in class, etc.  But no, no, no. That is not, in any way, okay. Seriously, no one needs to see your clippings shoot across the room and they definitely don’t want to have to sit down on the remains. And, PS, filing those talons isn’t OK either. The sound of a file against nails? Shudder.

Using snot filled tissues to clean your snot filled nose
I get it; no matter how gross the sound of whatever is coming out of there, sometimes you just have to blow your nose. But that doesn’t mean that grabbing a dry, already-used something out of your pocket and then using it again (only to then stuff it back into your pocket) is okay!  Ok, so you’re trying to be green, but there are other people around. And we can see the leftovers. Smearing across your face. OMG, barf.

Picking…well anything.
I understand that sitting in lecture halls in college is actually painful, (well, painful is an understatement), but that does not mean that picking your face apart in order to pass the time is acceptable. Zits and scabs shouldn’t really be picked at in the first place, but if you must, do it in private. AND, keep your hands out of your ears. Picking ear wax is nothing short of nasty.  Q Tips were invented for a reason.

Adjusting down below
It could be itching, picking your wedgie, whatever.  No one really needs to see you do it.  Attempting to do it subtly is one thing, even though there is no way to play with your junk subtly, but going elbow deep to adjust that thong should be punishable by law. For real.

Public bathrooms may be gross, dirty, and definitely smelly, but they are the one place where it is acceptable (in a stall, please!) to do your nasty deeds.  Respect other people in public and keep your dirty self to your dirty self.

Obviously no one learned their lesson from Paris Hilton (or Kim Kardashian, Leighton Meester, Screech, etc…). and clearly Vanessa Hudgens’ nude body all over the internet didn’t quite send the don’t-take-nude-pictures message either, because twilight star Ashley Greene has some not-so-PG photos circulating the world wide web.

And I just. don’t. get it.

How many people need to have their tatas posted on TMZ and passed around from blog to blog to news channel for the young stars in Hollywood to get the message? It’s like these girls secretly want their pictures all over the internet; like maybe they think it will help their career or publicize an upcoming film (real film, not porny film). If that’s the case, I’m pretty sure New Moon was going to do just fine without Ash’s nude photos, and I highly doubt this tween star’s career is going to benefit from her vajay being splashed all over the web.

But if it’s not for those reasons, then why the eff haven’t these people realized? Why do they continue to disrobe in front of their webcams? And WHY DO THEY SEND THEM OUT? Even internet whore Perez Hilton, who benefits most from these photo sessions, issued out a warning: “How many times do we have to say it? Do NOT take any nudie pics unless you want them to get out – because they will!”

This whole phenomenon boggles (or bottles) my mind. I don’t understand.
Tell me, have you learned this lesson yet? Would you send sexy photos?

[This post is old. To get the real, updated deal on Facebook creepin', click here.]

My day started off bad enough with ultra frizzy hair and sweat in every crack, crevice and fold on my body (thank you, hot and hazy NYC summer!). I didn’t think it could get much worse than swamp ass, but it did. Oh boy did it get worse.

Upon signing online for my morning FB stalk sesh I learned that Facebook has added a new application:  The Stalker Check app.

What is it, you ask? Why, it’s a way for everyone on FB to see who has been looking at their profile. Yes, that includes the guy I’m crushing on, whose pictures I may or may not (read: totes) check every day. And those cute boys I’ve met at the bar, whose profiles I check the minute I get home at 3am.  And my ex boyfriend, whose wall-to-wall with other bitches I tend to monitor. And those very bitches with their skanky photos and annoying status updates….

It’s not my fault!
I’m not a stalker at heart, Facebook just morphed me into one.
And now they’re going to ho me out?

Well, no not exactly.  As I desperately researched more about this app to figure out just exactly how much of my stalkerish self would be revealed, I learned some uplifting (relatively speaking, of course) things.

1. Although Stalker Check does show who is looking at your profile, it does not reveal just how many times you refreshed to see if Mr. Hottie had any more topless photos uploaded.

2. But there is a ranking list.  So the objects of your stalking desire don’t know how many times you looked, but they can see that you looked a hell of a lot more than anyone else out there.

This is just….awesome. I call bullsh*t on you, Mark Zuckerberg. What happened to the Facebook policy that “Recent activity will never be shown about whose profile you view”? Huh? WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT? It’s fine if you want to let my mom on, or implement the annoying Newsfeed (which, I admit, I sorta love), but this is going too far.

If I can’t stalk in the privacy of my own home, what’s the point of Facebook anyway?

So you’re determined to get those rock-hard, washboard, Jessica Alba abs. And you even stepped up the intensity of your workout by increasing those crunches and sit-ups to ensure that your stomach is flat in no time.

Well, its time to stop that.
Right now.

Turns out, crunches are not good for you.

I know you’ve spent your whole life thinking those painful and annoying little exercises were getting you one step closer to a Britney body (circa 2001), but, sadly, the main thing that crunches do is crunch your spine. And yes that really is as bad as it sounds. According to and article in the New York Times, the way to visualize this concept is to “think of the spine as a fishing rod supported by muscular guy wires. If all of the wires are tensed equally, the rod stays straight.” However, focusing only on the deep abdominal muscles can cause the spine to buckle. To avoid this, it is important to strengthen the entire core.

So what exactly is the core?

Many assume the core just refers to our abs, but the truth is the core includes our abs, lower back and pelvic muscles. Doing crunches only strengthens one set of muscles within the core, so it’s likely that this will destabilize your spine by pulling it out of alignment. This, in turn, causes back pain and can leave you lookin’ like a hunchback. Which, I’m pretty sure, is not the look any of us is going for.

The best thing to do then is to say goodbye to crunches and instead incorporate a core exercise program into your workout that strengthens all of the major muscles that girdle the spine. Just make sure when you do any core exercise that you pull in your belly button as much as possible to reduce injury to the spine and back.

Here are some awesome alternatives to the crappy crunch:

Side plank: Lie on your side, feet on top of one another. Balancing on one forearm, lift your body off the ground, contract your abdominals and relax your shoulders. Hold for 30 seconds. (You may want to look in the mirror to make your body is aligned)

Bird dog: Position yourself on all fours, then raise an alternative arm and leg out straight, pulling in your stomach muscles as tight as you can. Hold for 10 seconds. Switch arm/leg and repeat.

Bridge: This one is really great, because it’s simple and very effective. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor. Tightening your abdominal muscles, raise your hips slowly off the floor until your hips are aligned with your knees and shoulders. Slowly release about 90% of the way, and then repeat.

These moves are all usually covered in Pilates classes, so it might not be a bad idea to check a class out to get an idea of how to perfect the moves. There are also usually different variations to these moves, so you can try whichever suits your ability best. And, the best thing about them, is that they are not only strengthening your core, but they are creating a longer and leaner body, improving balance, coordination, flexibility, posture and physical strength, none of which your standard crunch can do.

Stop crunching and start focusing on your entire core. You’ll have that long, lean (and rock-hard) body in no time.