Let me just state the obvious to start off — New Year’s Eve is overrated. Everyone always gets stressed out and anxiety-ridden making plans and picking outfits for a holiday that is usually a let down anyway. With Hollywood setting up unrealistic expectations for what a New Year’s Eve kiss should really be like, we wake up on January 1^st with a hangover and blurry memories of a sloppy makeout session we had with a stranger.

So why not just stay home for a cozy night in? You’ll save tons of money that would either be spent on a ridiculously expensive cover charge or an overpriced little black dress. This New Year’s Eve, I will be staying in instead of walking around the bitterly cold streets of Chicago in a mini skirt and platforms, and I could not be happier about it. There are tons of ways to stay in and still have fun on New Year’s, and here are just a few.

 1. Stay in and eat!

Free food? I’m so in! Food is the ultimate way to get anyone to come to a party. So why not have a few friends over and have a chili cook-off or a cookie exchange? Chatting and eating with your friends is a great way to bond and spend the last night of year with the people you love. Not only are you getting to chow down on some amazing dishes, but you also get to stay in (yay!) and avoid the stresses of splitting a dinner bill between 10 people on an overpriced meal.

 2. Stay glued to the boob tube

Staying in on New Year’s Eve offers the opportunity to stay in sweatpants the whole night and curl up on the couch with your significant other or your BFF and have a movie marathon!  If you both love Julia Roberts, ring in 2012 by watching Pretty Woman and My Best Friend’s Wedding. Or if you’re both Friends fanatics, watch all the New Year’s Eve episodes and laugh in the New Year. It doesn’t really even matter what you’re watching. Sometimes there’s nothing better than being curled up on the couch in a pair of sweats.

3. Babysit!

A friend of mine is getting paid a ridiculous amount of money to babysit on New Year’s Eve, and I think she is brilliant for doing so. Instead of spending over $100 on a “party package” that gets you “unlimited drinks” (should that even be legal?) and some appetizers, she is making double that by putting a couple toddlers to bed at 8 PM and then having some quality alone time so she can study for her GMAT and maybe watch the Times Square ball drop on TV. Though some would probably die at the thought of spending New Year’s Eve alone, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it especially when you’re making a couple hundred bucks. Talk about a happy new year, am I right?

So when December 31^st rolls around and you’re still on the fence about what you want to do, think about taking a less traditional route of celebrating and stay in instead! Eat some food, watch some TV, and have a relaxing night at home. Avoid the madness that is New Year’s Eve or as my worry-wart of a father calls it: amateur night.

Katie is finishing up her undergrad at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. She enjoys wasting hours on Facebook and tweeting things no one cares about. When asked the question, “Do you do marathons?” She promptly responds, “Of course! Which show?” Follow her @KatieGarrity!

Did I mention that the entire venue was crammed with kegs, Solo cups and celebs? Imagine a frat party. With Zooey Deschanel and Mary Louise Parker. Only the music doesn’t suck. And instead of your bestie making out with the make-shift bartender? A very sloppy David Cross is macking it with Amber Tamblyn.

The show airs tonight at 10PM on MTVu. And everyone who appreciates really good music (and booze) just needs to watch. Here’s a little taste of the going-ons:

- Me and my roommate – aka my assistant/Red Bull Vodka (more on that later) runner for the night – arrive and get placed in prime seating, inches away from the celebs and, more importantly, the open bar. We are closely behind some Real World d-bag who is waving to everyone in general admission. Bro, you are not famous. Sit down. Shut up.

- Pete Wentz in all his mangs (man bangs) glory gets on stage to kick off the Woodies, red Solo cup in hand and gives a big cheers to all the names here. Cam’ron‘s here? What!

- Matt and Kim start the awards with a nearly nude performance. Loving it.

-  Is this a hipster event? There are Ray-Bans everywhere.

- Is David Cross REALLY dating Amber Tamblyn. Oh, they’re making out. Gross. Tobias Funke, you cupid.

- 3!Oh!3! Presents an award, in full-on Gaga attire. Loving them.

- I am so excited for the Death Cab performance, I can barely contain myself. My roommate has become besties with the keg pumper and keeps getting yelled at by the surprisingly dour MTV security.

- Tech N9ne! Seriously, what other MTV show gives you Passion Pit and TechN9ne in the same time frame? Beautiful.

- Passion Pit: Amazing performance. Red bull vodkas, delicious. Even tastier when they’re free.

- Who is this Alexa Chung person and why is she at every event I go to for MTV?

- P.O.S. rocks out right in the crowd.

- Death Cab was phenomenal live. Especially “Sound of Settling.” They’re so good. SO good.

- Cam’ron spotted with huge posse. Now about to perform. Must. Hang. Out. With. Him.

- Leighton & Cyndi Lauper present Woodie of the Year… fingers crossed for Silversun Pickups. My bets are on Kings of Leon.

- Kings of Leon it is. SHOULD I PULL A KANYE?

- No. Too drunk and too far. I need pizza. All this kegger-ness is making me hungry. My roommate is being belligerent and yelling at hipsters. Mary Louise Parker is wasted with all of us. Dead Weather is performing. Hello, Jack White. Okay Time to go home.

- Oh, but not without being hit on by some dude claiming to be in Cam’ron’s posse. I dole out a fake number and exit stage right. PEACE OUT!

Seriously, mix up some cocktails and tune into the Woodies tonight. This is a show not to be missed.

I can’t believe we’ve never talked about them before on CC. Because Popchips are off. the. chain!

I had heard a lot about Popchips, but was a bit skeptical the first time I brought them home. That lasted about 2 seconds.

When I opened the bag, I could smell the deliciousness of the BBQ-flavored chips just waiting for me to devour them. And so I did. And they were awesome, down to the last finger-licking crumb. I found them to be light and airy, kind of like popcorn, but a lot more flavorful and crispy.

The best part is that they’re completely guilt-free! Since they’re not fried in oil, but rather “popped”  using heat and pressure (don’t worry, I don’t get it either) the chips have half the fat of a typical potato chip with no trans fat, no saturated fats, no cholesterol and no preservatives.

Here are the stats per ounce:

Potato Chips- 150 calories. 10g fat. 1g saturated fat.

Popchips- 120 calories. 4g fat. 0g saturated fat.

If that doesn’t make you wanna pop open a bag (teehee), maybe the 5 different and delicious flavors will lure you in. My favorites were the BBQ and the Sea Salt and Vinegar. But the Salt and Pepper, Parmesan Garlic, and, of course, Original were all great too (especially with some salsa on the Original – YUM).

Like they say: It was love. Without the handles. And that’s all the love I need.

None. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. They didn’t cut their $500 million budget to, say, $250 million. They exed the loans altogether.

MEFA secures loans for 40,000 students who live in Massachusetts, or who attend school there. Unfortunately, this year, the financing authority could not secure the money. Executive director Tom Graff blames “disruptions in capital markets.” So, just like that, 40,000 students are sh*t out of luck.

MEFA is the first to make headlines, but any financing authority could also be treading on thin ice. Which means that students across the country could be forced to drop out of college, or sell their souls to finance a degree that can cost upwards of FORTY GRAND per year at top-notch schools like Carnegie Mellon, Tufts, NYU, and Notre Dame.

When I was in college, I played my cards right, and managed to get through my degree with almost no debt, and decided to pursue a Master’s, rather than join the work force right away. With our declining economy, I am currently paying dearly for that decision. Sure, I have a MA, but with hundreds of thousands of workers being laid off across the country, I don’t have the experience to compete. I’ve been applying for job after job, to no avail. Even the number of job openings in dwindling, because companies are being forced to cut corners left and right.

So, MEFA has set up a hotline for students to call, but I’m not sure how much good that can do. It’s a scary time to be a college student in America. Bernie Pekala, director of student financial strategies at Boston College, spoke out about the current MEFA crisis: “[Students and families] have less obvious choices right now. They’re going to have to look at circumstances and try to come up with alternative financing options if they have utilized this as their main option or only option in the past.”

Many students are going to have to put their education on hold. Many others will complete their plans of study, and come out with a deep debt and fewer job opportunities available. I’d like to know if anyone out there is being effected by crises such as lack of financial aid, student loans, or the job market. Of course, there will be a lot of changes for the country soon (e.g. the upcoming election). Hopefully, things will take a turn for the better…asap.

I love books. I do. For me, reading is a passion, something I can’t imagine life without.

But sometimes, when it’s really super-summer hot, the thought of focusing your sweat-brimmed eyes enough to read a novel is just plain agonizing. Not to mention those dreadful rainy days when you are forced to stick it out indoors.

So here, for your viewing pleasure, I propose some alternative summer rentals (film = another love of my life). Some of these are weird and some are, well, weirder. But hopefully you’ll enjoy at least some of them as much as I have.

Oldboy

Okay, don’t watch this if you don’t like to feel very, very uncomfortable. (I do want to say, however, that this is my favorite movie of all time.)

Oldboy is a Korean film (director Chan-wook Park, for whom Oldboy is part of a trilogy; Park also directed the lovely I’m a Cyborg and That’s Okay), part of the wave of innovative Korean filmmakers that was going on a few years ago. It’s the story of a man who is suddenly kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years. By the time he gets out, the only thing he cares about is finding out who imprisoned him and why–and getting revenge.

Oh yeah, and it’s based on a comic book, so it’s extremely graphic. You’ve been warned.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

…In which the “angry inch” refers to the bit of man-part left over after a botched sex-change operation.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a phenomenal film about a transexual rocker who came to the United States to escape Germany before the fall of the Berlin wall. It’s a funny and sad story about identity and love…and did I mention it’s a punk-rock musical? Do not miss this one. I have yet to meet someone who’s seen this movie who didn’t absolutely love it.

Ghost World

Napoleon Dynamite ain’t got nothing on this quirky teenage coming-of-age story. Also based on a comic book, Ghost World features great talent Thora Birch and Steve Buscemi, and you also get a look at Scarlett Johansson when she was still cute… and could act.

Ghost World is a tale of slightly surrealist teenage dissatisfaction and choosing one’s own path to adulthood. Enid and Rebecca are inseparable when they’re misfits in high school, but when they graduate, things start to fall apart. Throw in Steve Buscemi as a very uncomfortable love interest, a weird old guy on a bench who is waiting for a bus that never comes, and a whole lot of sad music and funny moments, and you’ve got a really great movie.

28 Days Later

Don’t be disillusioned by the horror schlock that was 28 Weeks Later. The original of the to-be trilogy, 28 Days Later, is a brilliant comment on society without once becoming heavy-handed. When Jim wakes up from a coma, he finds his hometown of London all but abandoned…until he starts encountering zombies.

Under the guise of “horror movie,” 28 Days Later is funny and sad and so much more about the people in the movie than about the zombies.

The Host

Another in the new wave of Korean cinema, The Host is a monster movie. Let’s be clear about that–it really is a monster movie.

However, more importantly, it’s a story about a family’s love and dysfunction, and it’s at points both hysterically funny and incredibly sad. I, along with most of the rest of the audience when I saw this in the movie theater, literally both laughed and cried.

This is not a movie that is deeply intellectual (unless you’re thinking about the current Korean political situation, in which case, yes, it says a lot), but it is a real emotional ride and a joy to watch. This little gem has gone widely unnoticed, but I promise you won’t regret seeing it. Just make sure you watch it with subtitles, NOT dubbed.

Well, that’s all I got. Any other suggestions?

[Images courtesy of www.noelkingsley.com, cultmoviefinder.com, media.collegepublisher.com, www.digitallard.com, and suntimes.com]

Since their debut on the scene in 1994, reviews of Weezer’s subsequent albums have paled in comparison. Fans, myself included, have stood by the band as Pinkerton, The Green Album, Maladroit and Make Believe saw occasional commercial success with pop-like singles but nothing lasting.

But we held out. We found and embraced the good stuff (Pinkerton’s been in my heavy rotation since high school) where snooty reviewers and the general public saw weak pet projects. And now, for Weezer and music fans alike, the long wait may be over.

A few days ago, the band released their 6th disc, (a third self-titled album dubbed The Red Album), and early reviews of the album are positive. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping Weezer may finally get the respect they deserve.

One telling lyric says it best, “Timbaland knows the way to reach the top of the charts/Maybe if I work with him I can perfect the art.” It didn’t take production mastermind Timbaland, just a return to the riffs, attitude and fun that made Weezer famous. In the same vein, the video for Pork And Beans celebrates YouTube superstars with a veritable galaxy of accidental celebrities. Perfect, for the band’s return to critical and hopefully commercial success.

Before diving in to the new disc, take some time to embrace how far these fellas have come. I put together a playlist of some of my favorite Weezer tracks and you can listen to it online. I promise you’ll be a believer in 40 minutes or less.

Is anyone else out there a long-time Weezer fan? Or do you have experience following a band religiously despite sour albums, or bad press (I’m talking to you Guns N Roses fans)? And is anyone else excited to to purchase the Weezer album and the new one from Journey today…not that I am…I’m just wondering if you are…oh gosh nevermind.

Today’s as good a day as any to post a cheesy video, right? Sometimes I love music like this, it puts a smile on my face. You too? Get it here!

The Party Song

Add to My Profile | More Videos

From the album “I’m Only A Man”. Like it? Get it here!

Although the company has the word “ugly” in its title, models who represent Ugly New York are not unattractive, they’re just different than what one would normally expect a model to look like. Weird physical quirks are fine as long as the person has that certain style and confidence needed to be a model.

The company represents everyday people – businessmen, computer geeks, anyone who makes you turn your head and think “Wow he/she has something special about him/her”. Ugly New York gives people who never even considered the opportunity to model a chance to strut their stuff.

After viewing the talent on their site, it’s easy to tell that the company does represent some “classic” models. However, they also have their fair share of hairy bikers, aging women and quirky 20 and 30 somethings.

Ugly NY is inspirational in that it furthers the message that a person doesn’t need to look any certain way to be considered beautiful. A lot of the models for Ugly New York are even more attractive than your average runway model. The only thing I’d like to see changed is the name of the company. While its clever, it doesn’t accurately represent its models. Just because one girl has a lot of freckles and another has droopy eyelids doesn’t mean that they’re ugly. It just means they’re unique, which is what I think the agency has set out to convey in the first place.

Either way, let’s give it up for a company who’s not completely buying into the alien-model trend that’s been plaging the industry for, like, ever.

From the album WE WERE DEAD BEFORE THE SHIP EVEN SANK Buy it here.