Here’s the deal, people. I love reality TV as much as the next person. I die over the fake words and ridiculous sayings that The Situation or Rachel Zoe come up with every week and immediately go ba-nanas figuring out how I will incorporate said words into my daily vernacular.

But I also love quality TV. You know, something with a plot line. Something with some drama (and I’m not talking about The Situation putting a tampon under Angelina’s pillow type of drama, thankyouverymuch). Something with a hunky male lead who doesn’t rely on a daily routine of GTL to maintain his hunkiness. Actors with actual talent. I’m talking about a show with a certain actor whose daughter once wore a vial of blood around her neck.

I’m talking about Lone Star.

If you didn’t watch Lone Star last week, well, you aren’t alone. Apparently no one did. Except me. And the cast’s proud parents. But you should. And by that I mean you should watch tonight. Because if you don’t it will probably get cancelled. And I will cry, partly because I’m PMSing but mostly because the show is good. Apparently, though, sometimes good just isn’t good enough and everyone’s getting worried; even the creator has been pleading for a “stunning upset”!

So here is my plea. In a list.
5 reasons you should be watching this hot, new show:

1) DWTS = meh. I mean really, it’s the same schtick year after year, week after week. Len has his panties in a bunch, Bruno has some over the top moment where he is obsessed with a dancer, Carrie Ann Inaba cries over a dance that touches her at her very core. Snooze. Fest. The number of viewers they got last week makes me sad for America’s taste in TV.

2) Lead star in Lone Star James Wolk = a hottie with a body. Yeah I said it. I shouldn’t have to extrapolate here on why you should watch, but I will. Hot man. No shirt. Cute side smile. Enough said. I mean if you’re going to drool over The Situation on DWTS who is a total butterface, why not change the channel for a man who’s got the whole package?

3) This show holds promise. Every critic says it’s great. The pilot demonstrated promise; the characters and storyline just need a chance to build. Sorta like Mad Men, the once unknown AMC show. Or like that econ teacher who SUCKED ASS the first week and is now the best teacher you’ve ever encountered. Give it a chance. We are all so used to reality shows where crazy sh*t happens in the first 5 minutes of every show that we forget what its like to have a storyline build week after week.

4) Everyone loves an underdog. Remember Arrested Development? Family Guy? Cory and Topanga in our ’90s bracket? Shows that were cancelled and then brought back? Let’s do it again! (Minus that whole cancelled part.) Don’t you want to say you were a part of the “Stunning Upset” that helped bring back some quality programming to television?

5) Bristol and The Situation will eventually (read: soon) get the boot and then what are you going to watch? The old lady from Dirty Dancing? Yeah right.

Lone Star airs tonight on Fox (and hopefully every Monday night after) at 9/8 central.

Looks like winning supersedes basic human decency in Philadelphia.

In case you wanted to see Heidi Montag in Playboy...

Online shopping just got even easier.

So this is what the perfect pet looks like.

Stewie Griffin is gay!? I knew I loved him for a reason…

How do you buy the perfect jeans?

My “researching,” as it were, has lead me to spot a couple snubs and surprises in this year’s crop of nominations.  The first (and most important) surprise is the acting and series categories were expanded to hold more contenders.  This is awesome because shows (that I adore) that aren’t normally included now have the chance at major awards.  This is not awesome because now I will have a major identity crisis during the actual awards show.  For example, Family Guy has gotten a nomination for best comedy series.  That puts the show up against others like The Office, 30 Rock, Flight of the Conchords and more.  Well…crap.  I love all of those.  WTF am I supposed to do now??

The reality series category held more shockers.  As in, no Jon & Kate Plus 8?? No Real Housewives?  Does the world hold no meaning any more?! Those shows are some of the best on TV – how do those Emmy people not realize that? Sure, Jon and Kate Plus Drama…and Ed Hardy is getting a little annoying, but don’t you want to see who went with who to the awards show?

And what Kate would do to dress up that hair?

Other things that surprised me: apparently some people still watch Two and a Half Men (who?? who are these people?), Conan O’Brian’s last season of Late Night was snubbed (nooooooo), and Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords is actually the lead actor…even though the show is about a two-person band and he has equal screen time with Bret McKenzie (hmm).

This is way too much emotion and information to handle without alcohol.  I’m going to calmly close my browser and walk away…to my TV.  Where I will patiently wait until 5pm when I can take a shot (or three) and start making my predictions.  Ahh, sweet validation.

The Craigslist killer: A BU student!

LC will be on Family Guy!?

Go Green…in the bedroom.

What is your Beer Google prescription?

Ew, Amy Winehouse. Ew.

You’ve probably heard lots of different reasons regarding why your face turns on you at whim, and some of it is probably true, but there are also some awful skin myths out there.

First of all, you’re not going to get breakouts from eating chocolate (or french fries)! The Vegetable Association of America made this up to scare you into staying away from delicious foods. Sure, if you ate chocolate for 3 meals a day for a week, your body’s natural balance would be thrown off, and yah, you’d probably breakout. But if you consume a normal amount of sweets, you’re fine. The reason greasy foods are associated with breakouts is because people tend to eat more of them when they are stressed. (You know you eat way more Reese’s cups when you are stressing over a big test.)

This leads me to my next point, which is that stress does cause breakouts. According to The Acne Resource Center Online, stress causes the adrenal glands to produce more hormones. The site also states that “It has also been established that psychological stress can decrease the wound healing capacity of immune systems up to 40%. This factor doubles the impact of stress on acne.” So when you’re stressed, you breakout, causing more stress, and prolonging the breakups. Great, right?

So stress produces more hormones, which produces more acne, but there are also other sources of hormones that produce acne. Your period creates elevated levels of hormones and so does birth control changes. Oftentimes birth control lessens acne, but some girls see an increase. More commonly, breakouts occur when a pill prescription is changed and hormone levels are increased.

Heredity also plays a part in breakouts, (yup, you can blame your parents for your pesky pimples). And, unfortunately, that is something that you can never change. Nope, not even getting older will help; there is no such thing as “growing out of acne.” (Please don’t hate me for that news – I’m only the messenger!)

So I guess I didn’t really tell you anything you can do to prevent zits, because there isn’t that much you can do, but – hey – now you know! Wash your face, but don’t scrub too hard; use non-pore clogging makeup; and try to de-stress. But other than that, there is no surefire way to prevent acne.

Don’t let this news stress you out (you might break out); there is some good news! You can eat that Kit-Kat and not feel guilty about it. And there is always spot treatments and cover up.

Does that help? Maybe just a little?

1. The Poo Calendar. There is no better way to start off the day than with a laugh. And there is no better laugh than the one that comes from discussing poo. Thankfully, now you can start off your day with a factoid about all things poo. A poo’toid if you will… With the “What’s Your Poo Telling You? Daily Calendar” They are not kidding when they write, “Who knew you could learn so much from poo?”

2. Crabtree and Evelyn Body Butter. It’s all natural, it smells heavenly and it makes your skin less like a dinosaur and more like a baby’s butt. What’s not to love about that? Not a thing. Not a thing at all.

3. Core Fusion Body Sculpt DVD. I have been going to Core Fusion classes at Exhale Spa in Chicago for almost a year. Their classes kick your ass. Hard. I am sore just thinking about it. But the results are more worth it than that large cheese pizza you housed when you got home from the bar last weekend (although that was worth it, too). And now, for those of you who don’t live where Core Fusion is offered, there is a DVD to give you the same kick-ass class (and results) in your own apartment. So push that Pizza box aside and start moving!

4. Catch Phrase Music Edition. Shouting out words to describe another word? Fabulous. We all know how great the original Catch Phrase is, but shouting out words, or, even better, SINGING off key to describe a song? Now that is something worth loving. Especially when drinks are involved.

5. Sweatshirt Fleece Robe. There is just nothing worth loving more than a Sunday afternoon on your couch with Friends or Family Guy DVDs, a large cup of coffee and this amazingly cozy robe.

Nipple Covers: Every girl needs em.

Johnny Depp is kinda weird…

Brad Pitt. OMG. So. effing. hot.

The perfect going-out-look for a crisp night.

Did Family Guy go too far?

So, The Hills is fake. I mean, we knew it, but we didn’t want to know it

Seriously – does Tara Reid work?

Ellen and Portia might be the cutest couple ever.

Oooo. A JoBro was spotted doin’ a little smoochy, smoochy.

Is Will Arnett getting another show!?

How many calories are you burning during sex? Find out! 

Need a reason to drink? Need some motivation? Too young to get into the bars?

These three games are sure-fire ways to get drunk and have fun without ever having to leave the house/dorm. Or simply as a little fun before the main event. Whatever. They are fun. Play them.

Beer Pong: This is the ultimate drinking game. If you don’t like beer, replace it with cider or Smirnoff or Bacardi (not straight up, please…you may die) or anything else tasty. Side note: In my recent travels abroad, I discovered that we Americans take this game very, very seriously. Do not attempt to cheat during a beer pong game. You will be seriously heckled and possibly thrown out. Unless everyone’s too drunk to notice (which is entirely possible).

Flip Cup: The first time I played this, I didn’t realize that the entire team had to flip their cups over. I thought the contest was over after the first pair. And everyone was just looking, and looking, and looking at me…

Kings: I couldn’t find a satisfactory link to rules, so here they are as I play it. (Which is the best way.):

First, place a large cup or beer mug in the center of the table. Then shuffle the cards and spread them in a circle around the cup. Each player will take turns picking a card from anywhere in the circle and following the corresponding rule.

Ace: God. The person who drew the card makes up a rule. The harder it is to follow, the better. For example, the prohibition of all pronouns (no “he”, “she”, “it”, “I”, or “you”).

Two: You. The person who drew the card picks someone else to drink. This is a one-time thing.

Three: Me. The person who drew the card drinks.

Four: Whores. Sorry ladies, I didn’t pick the wording. All of the women at the table take a drink.

Five: Waterfall. The person who drew the card starts drinking and determines the direction in

which the waterfall goes. He or she is also the person who may stop drinking first. Every consecutive person must continue drinking until the person in front of them has stopped.

Six: Dicks. Yes men, go ahead and wave them around. Take a drink.

Seven: Heaven. The last person to point to the sky has to knock one back.

Eight: Pick a mate. The person who drew the card picks someone who will drink at the same time as them for the rest of the game.

Nine: Bust a rhyme. The person who drew starts with a word and every person after must say a rhyming word, with no repetitions and no hesitations. If your brain freezes, you’re stuck drinking.

Ten: Categories. The person who drew picks a category and starts naming an item from that category. Everyone else continues in that category with no repetitions or hesitations, and you guessed it, the first person to crack drinks. Example: Fruit- kiwi, apple, watermelon, etc.

Jack: Thumbmaster. The person who drew becomes the Thumbmaster until the next Jack is drawn, at which point the new person is the Thumbmaster. This means that whenever he or she puts their thumb on the table, everyone else must put their thumb on the table and the last person to notice takes a swig of their drink. The object is to do it as surreptitiously as possible.

Queens: Questionmaster. This person becomes the Questionmaster until the next Queen is drawn. He or she will attempt to trick people into having to drink by asking them questions, to which the reply should only be another question, otherwise you’re tippin’ back your glass.

Kings: For the first three Kings drawn, the person who picked the card pours as much of their drink as they want into the central cup. The person who draws the last King must drink the entire contents of the cup. You do not want to get stuck drinking the cup in the middle. Especially if everyone at the table has different drinks. You end up with some kind of vodka-beer-Jager combo to swallow….and keep down.

More Drinkin’ Fun: If you’re feeling just a little bit racy, Never Have I Ever and My Penis, My Vagina can take you for a walk on the wild side. And, because I am verging on alcoholism, I like to drink on the weekdays during Family Guy. And then get seasick on the way home.

Here are links so that you can play and drink to your heart’s content:

Your guide to any drinking game you ever imagined, and some you haven’t.

For those nights when you also feel like getting drunk while watching TV.

I know, I know, there is no such thing as the “perfect” guy (so says my mother) but there is nothing wrong with having a list of qualities (doesn’t pick his nose, even when I am not looking, will rub my shoulders at the snap of my fingers) that I want in a potential boyfriend right? Right.

But after reading this article in the NYT, I have started to realize that while focusing so much on the type of guy I DO want (Has Jake Gyllenhaal broken up with Reese yet?!) perhaps I haven’t realized that there are certain types I DON’T. Things that maybe weren’t even a blip on my guy-dar and if not heeded could end up blowing up in my face.

So here it is ladies: The Guys Not Worth Taking, Dating, Marrying and the like:

Never date a dude who has no friends. At first, this rule seems a bit odd- if he has no friends, he will be close to me and only me! How wonderfully fantastic!! That is until you realize… no friends means the guy is unable to be intimate or close to anyone… yes, even you.

Besides, that means you will always feel guilty leaving him alone and friendless on a girls night out.

Never date a mama’s boy. I can tell you from friends’ experiences that these are the boys are the WORST. Sure, you want someone close to his family. But someone who needs to call his mother to consult where you should go for dinner? Or what shirt he should wear to the basketball game? Never a good sign. Ever. Ditch the dude who is constantly consulting his mother over you. There is a fine line between close and creepy (and pathetic. And annoying. Oh and did I say pathetic?)

Never date a guy who lets you make all the decisions, allll the time. You want someone who will sometimes counter your opinions and demands. But not all. “It’s good to have a doormat in the home, but not if it’s your boyfriend”

Never date a guy with no sense of humor. Let’s face it; (sadly) not every guy you meet makes you pee in your pants at dinner (literally) from laughing so hard. But someone who can never laugh at himself if he falls? Or make a joke? Or find humor in a situation? Or laugh at Family Guy?! Not only is that a boring relationship- but it will make it a brutal one. Who wants to date a Debbie Downer allll the time. No. Thank. You.

Never start dating a guy thinking you can change him. Been there, done that. Don’t think that all he needs to do is fall head over heels in love with you and then he will change his hard partying ways, will become overly romantic, stop smoking pot every night with his buddies or stop flirting with other girls when he’s drunk. People remain the same the majority of the time and you are just setting yourself up for headaches and heartbreak if you think and hope otherwise.

Never date a guy who is 1000% your opposite. Sure we all know that Paula Adbul believes that “Opposites Attract” but lets face it, our dear Paula is going through yet another breakup (not to mention the video features her dancing with a cartoon cat… hmmm.) I’m not saying to date your clone- opposites can be good, but, like splurging on a diet- the key is in moderation. (ex: I blast Backstreet Boys and he wants Phish.) In general- take a good look at his character, are his goals, morals, values and deepest beliefs worthy and similar to yours? Does he have the character traits that you think make him a guy of quality? Traits that are important to you and that you believe you have as well? If you are patient, willing to forgive and easy going and he is anal, blows up every time he’s angry and holds grudges- you may find yourself quickly not-so-attracted to all his opposites.

So there you have it- the guys not worth your while. So, add that up with the list of the guy you do want and well, some may say you’re being picky- I think particular sounds better. And fancier. And really, if people (your mother) calls you particular- pay no attention…After all, you deserve the best right? Right.

My third day of not drinking proved to be yet another day filled with self realization. I did more things that I haven’t done in a long time…and I have to tell you: I’m really proud of myself.

I spent all day in the recording studio laying down tracks for my new solo project. Guitars, keys, bass, vocals…everything. Although it’s kind of taboo for singers to drink in the studio…I can’t remember the last time that I recorded vocals without drinking beforehand.

Considering I had a pretty endless amount of money to spend on the recording and whatever expenses I incurred throughout my recording day; it was hard to not abuse the budget by buying alcohol. It was even harder because of this:

There had been a party in the studio where I recorded the night before. Someone left an unopened bottle of Grey Goose there. And there was cranberry juice already in the house. There were assorted six packs of beer left over. And bottles of wine everywhere. On any given NORMAL day for me, I would have been in Heaven. And you know what else? I would be in the studio again recording today to wrap up everything I didn’t finish yesterday. YET, because I was sober, I got every single track done.

I stayed admirably focused throughout the day and when I was brought a “Cranberry and Sprite” to drink…I only fantasized that there was some of that Grey Goose in it for…less than five seconds.

When the night finally wrapped up, I CHOSE to take a cab home. I used my brain and logically decided to spend the money….opposed to my typical: “Hey! I’m drunk! I’m not taking the train!” idiotic reasoning. When I got home, YES, I did want to unwind with a beer. But I kept my promise to myself and just watched Family Guy instead.

Today is Easter. Religious holidays are always grounds for drinking for me…so, seeing how today unravels should prove to be interesting.