“Holy sh*t, this is better than sex.”

And I totally meant it. That treat was pure heaven: creamy, sweet, indulgant…and I didn’t have to have awkward conversation with it after.

There aren’t many things I think that highly of, but I would give up sex for that dessert any day. (Or every day if it was fat free.) Like me, the rest of the CollegeCandy writers love getting frisky, but this week they weighed in on the very special things in life that are truly better than sex.

Olua: A good book. Call me a nerd if you want, but I’d usually rather be reading on an uneventful night than doin’ the dirty.

S.E. – Fordham: Gooey butter cake is way better then sex. It melts in your mouth, tastes like heaven, and is sweeter then any orgasm.

Kathryn S.: The thrill of the chase, because you can imagine “the perfect moment,” you don’t have to worry about “the morning after,” and because Chuck Bass instigated it on Gossip Girl.

Erica – Kent State: I don’t know why, but I am absolutely in love with pizza. I can’t tell you how many nights I have decided to skip going home with a hot guy in favor of returning to mi casa because I knew my roommates were going to order something from Pizza Hut.

Kari – FSU: My Sunday night routine: gooey pizza, fresh garlic rolls, a bottle of wine, True Blood, Entourage and a healthy dose of ice cream to get me through Little Britain so I can watch the Life & Times of Tim. Bring it on, Monday.

John – UConn: Fruit smoothies are perhaps the only thing better than sex, and mostly due to their convenience. A fruit smoothie can be enjoyed in class, while driving, while studying, and additionally a fruit smoothie never bruises your fragile ego, unless you make it REALLY poorly.

Noa – UC Boulder: Full House marathons (and not just because of Uncle Jesse).

Lauren – University of Michigan: Oreo milkshakes from Potbellys. Does sex come with mini Oreo’s on top? I don’t think so!

Suzanne – Tulane: Fitting into my skinny jeans

Heather – Penn State: Really great Italian gelato in the U.S. – it’s harder to get and it’s more consistently pleasing.

Elise – UCLA: PUMPKIN BROWNIES. Or a huge fatty slice of cheesecake with LOTS of graham cracker crust.

Carly – Grinnell: Dark chocolate, bread pudding, crème brûlée… I trust I don’t need to explain why.

Elizabeth – UA Huntsville: Cuddling up together to watch a movie or Ghost Hunters. It’s so relaxing and sweet and there aren’t any pressures at all (except to be quiet when they’re playing EVPs).

Sarabeth – University of Texas: Cheesecake. It’s amazing. ‘Nuff said.

Kelly – UMass: Nothing. and anyone who says something else is not having good enough sex.

What about you? What do you think is better than sex?

I have been reading some great books, but I’ve also been watching some horrible television.  Seriously, people.  There are shows dedicated to moving walls with holes in them and the jumpsuit-clad morons who try to jump through.  There are shows that obviously employ monkeys to write their dialogue.  There are shows that are politically based and hours long and amount to nothing!  Even HBO and Showtime can’t save me, because besides a few great series, the movies they show during the day should never have been made in the first place.

But wait!  There is some salvation – in the form of lesser known networks and their even lesser(er?) known shows.  Shows that are fantastic but rarely seen by the normal person.  Let me use my time on the couch to your benefit and educate you on the Top 5 Shows You Don’t Know Exist But Are Awesome.

Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations (Travel Channel): We’ve featured Bourdain a few times on our site, mostly because he’s an OGIF  (Old Guy I’d Like To…).  But here’s the thing, his show is actually awesome.  Unlike a lot of TV cooks, Bourdain seems to fully understand what it is to apreciate all types of food, and is pretty fearless when it comes to A) traveling around the world and B) eating random things from random places.

Bourdain isn’t interested in comfortable hotels and beaches, he wants the raw and real experience of each place he visits.  Because of this, No Reservations tends to be less about weird food and more about the people of this world; how different we are, and how weirdly the same.  Bourdain’s narration is funny, deep, and often pretty badass…plus?  He can’t stand Rachel Ray. Obviously, the guy knows what’s what in this world.

Taboo (National Geographic Channel): Do you like gross scenarios?  How about watching people do cringe-worthy things to their bodies?  I haven’t been able to get through an episode without closing my eyes at least twice, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t find the whole experience fascinating.  This world is huge, there are people out there who believe and do things you wouldn’t believe…truly, the best part about Taboo is that it’s completely real.  We are freaking weird, and this show celebrates that weirdness.  Isn’t it time you did, too?

Deadliest Catch (Discovery Channel): A documentary series on Alaskan crab fishermen.  It doesn’t sound interesting, but believe me, there’s nothing more interesting than watching these manly dudes take on ice, giant waves, and each other.  If you’re like me and have a thing for guys who look like lumberjacks (or crab fishermen), than this show is the perfect place to look for a potential husband.  Sure, some of the guys are probably legitimately crazy, but that just makes them more fun to dream about (mmm, crazy bearded manimals…)!

John and Kate Plus 8 (TLC): It’s not news that we at CC have a soft spot for this show about a family of twins and sextuplets.  There is just something inherently watchable about the Gosselins.  John and Kate are hilarious in their own ways (she’s kind of neurotic, he seems like he’s asleep half the time), and their kids are not only superbly adorable, but also really, really funny.  You would think that watching episode after episode of tantrums, screeches, and exhausting situations would totally turn anyone against having kids, but I have to say, the more I watch, the more I want some little mini-me’s of my own!  …Just not as many.

Ghost Hunters (SciFi): I’ve been watching Ghost Hunters for about 2 years, and I’m going to continue watching it until the last episode of the last season.  Is the show scary? Not really.  Sometimes they catch  weird sh*t on their tape recorders, and one time they literally caught a ghost on camera (I don’t care what you say, it HAPPENED!, but most of the time it’s just guys sitting in a dark room saying things like “what the frig?!” and “something just moved!”.  But because everyone involved in the show is just so damn real and normal, there’s a ton of strange entertainment value.

What do normal people look like when they’re watching a faucet turn on by itself? (it HAPPENED)  What do normal people do when they think something is chaising them?  Whether you believe in ghosts or not, this show is a funny and interesting look into how many people actually do.

[Any other lesser known shows the public needs to know about?  Spill!!]

(Photo from latimesblogs.latimes.com)

Now that we’re safely into our fall school schedules, fall sweaters, and fall sleeping patterns (staying up too late doing work, waking up too early to go to class), I think its high time to share a few of my favorite televised reasons to push away that term paper.

In no particular order of awesomeness:

• Chuck – Monday nights at 8/7 central, NBC – It’s very rare that a TV show makes me laugh out loud on purpose (I mean…Caveman? That just hilariously awful), but every week that I tune in, Chuck manages to make me chuckle.

The Mild-Mannered-Geek-Turned-Superspy plot allows for lots of explosions and cool fights, but it’s the interpersonal relationships between Chuck and the people around him that make this series truly pop.

Whether he’s stumbling awkwardly around his hot co-spy Sarah, dodging his sister’s (and lovably odd boyfriend’s) questions, or dealing with fellow nerd Morgan, Chuck’s life is never boring—so neither is the show.

Joshua Gomez stands out as the entertainingly awkward Morgan, and Adam Baldwin wins points for making his tough as nails spy John Casey funny when it counts most. As chuck’s sister, Sarah Lancaster is stable and adorable, while Yvonne Starhovski plays hot-spy-masquerading-as-a-wiener-girl Sarah with poise and just enough charm to be likable.

While everyone in the cast carries their own comedic weight, Zachary Levi is definitely a primo reason to watch Chuck in the first place.

As the show’s adorable nerd lead, Levi exudes just the right amount of clumsiness and budding self-esteem, and although it’s hard to believe anyone as yummy looking as him would be considered a geek, Levi plays his “everyman” role with an easy, friendly grace.

Plus, you can totally tell he’s ripped beneath those button-up shirts.

• Ugly Betty – Thursday nights at 8/7 central, ABC – Now in it’s second season, Ugly Betty continues to tackle stereotypes in funny, heartfelt ways. Reveling in minority and gay-centric characters and plotlines, Betty isn’t afraid to be edgy, but also isn’t afraid of trying to touch an audience with some old fashioned goodness.

The ensemble cast is strong, with stand outs Michael Urie as the flamboyant assistant to a fashion director and Mark Indelicato as Betty’s clothes and Broadway loving teenage nephew. Vanessa Williams and Rebecca Romijn are funnier than you’d think, and America Ferrera is quickly establishing herself as one of the best actresses of her generation.

Plus, haven’t you always wanted to know how bitchy things can get in Fashion?

• Ghost Hunters – Wednesday nights, 9/8 central, SciFi – I’ve spoken up for this reality show before, and I’ll keep doing it until I’m disappointed. Every week, the TAPS team, a group of “real” live ghost hunters, sets out to investigate hauntings all over the United States and beyond.

Spending nights in places you’d probably feel weird about being alone in during the daytime, the TAPS team do their best to document paranormal activity with video cameras, tape recorders, and personal experiences.

While they haven’t gone and found solid evidence supporting the existence of ghosties and spirits, every once in a while something pops up on the TV screen that one can explain—not even my hyper-scientific roommate.

If you’re a fan of waiting for inanimate objects to move, footage of people screaming “dude, run!” as they sprint away from something unknown, and creepy recordings of even creepier voices, then Ghost Hunters is definitely your newest favorite shows.

These are just a few of my current Work-Can-Wait obsessions. Know any shows the rest of us should be watching?

During the school year, I don’t watch a lot of TV. I don’t have enough time to sleep, let alone catch the newest episode of whatever Aaron Sorkin is writing in a coked-up stupor. The summer is my time to catch up, watch way too much crap, and reevaluate some of the best shows on television.

Here’s a summer list of MY must-see TV:

Ghost Hunters – Sci Fi network – The TAPS crew provide hours of “what the hell was that?!” fun in this little show on the geek channel. Ghost Hunters follows a crew of “real” paranormal investigators on their quest to find and document supernatural events. Most of the time, you just hear about things they see off camera, but every once in a while, there’s a creepy voice recording and a weird, un-explainable chair movement. It’s a lot more entertaining than it sounds…especially if you’re easily scared. Like me.

Supernanny – ABC – There’s nothing better than watching psychotic kids kick their parents’ ass, plus, TV nanny Jo Frost actually seems like she knows what she’s talking about. And I repeat…psychotic kids making their parents cry.

Top Chef – Bravo – Now in it’s third season, this show cements my belief that most chefs are egotistical crazy people with very little social skills. But that doesn’t mean they don’t make great TV.

Law and Order: SVU – NBC – I wish I could tell you why this show about sexually based crime is so watchable, but I’m afraid it will say something creepy about my psyche. Let’s just go with the reason that Benson and Stabler are badass.

Paula’s Home Cooking – Food Network – This lady makes Southern food like you always imagined; dripping butter, deep-fried, and glazed within an inch of it’s life. One time, I watched her make a bread pudding that included fruit cocktail, butter rum sauce, and 2 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. I went into sugar shock just imagining how it would taste.

Passions – NBC – This might just be the worst show on television. Horrible acting, horrible plots, horrible special effects…and yet, it’s been on for more than 8 seasons. If you like a little ridiculousness in your daytime soaps, this is the one to watch.

The Soup – E! – Joel McHale is a funny, funny man. And the clips he finds are miraculous. You will laugh. Guaranteed.

The Daily Show – Comedy Central – And oldie but a goodie, Jon Stewart never ceases to amaze with a fake news show that’s actually more real than a few network offerings.

House – Fox – I’ve watched this show from the beginning, and find myself more and more in love with House every week. He’s emotionally unstable, rude, hilarious, and a deeply troubled genius. Sounds like my kind of guy.

Have I missed anything fantastic? Let me know. I’m always looking for the next best televised thing!