Love It:

Why do we love any reality show? Not for the photo sessions; it’s obviously about the drama. The issues that come from 13 girls competing for the title of “prettiest” living together in a house is undeniable, and makes for many memorable moments. Remember when Shandi cheated on her boyfriend with the male model? Or when Joanie had her teeth pulled? How about Camille and her “signature walk” that was supposed to “make her famous?” And then there was Melrose always tried to give “advice” to everyone…

Bottom line: the “drama” in the show is funny! I’m sure it was a huge deal to Cycle 7′s Jaeda to get her hair cut short, but watching her melt down and cry because of it was hilarious for me!

If the contestants aren’t ridiculous enough, Tyra Banks is the creator and top-judge of the program. Don’t get me wrong, I love Tyra as a model and her talk show is a guilty pleasure on sick-days, but on ANTM she is just plain crazy. That being said, I will never get sick of  her wacky outfits and hairstyles, her bizarre criticism of the girls, her desire to be a photographer or her constant reminders to “smile with your eyes!” Plus she sings the show’s theme song! Girl does it all.

Finally, ANTM rocks because of one man: Nigel Barker. The multiracial “noted fashion photographer” and former model is so tasty. As if his face (and body!) weren’t enough, he also has that sexy British accent. Oh, and a wife. And two kids. But do you see any of them on the show? No. So for an hour each week we can dream.

Loathe It:

The show is getting boring. The same challenges are used yearly (we’ve seen the go-see challenge and ‘risque’ photo shoots practically every cycle) and it’s fairly easy to tell who’s going home on each episode because it’s generally the girl who gets the most interview time. Nothing is really unexpected at this point, the only thing that changes is what the girls fight about (granola bars?) and who wins.

I don’t know if this bothers anyone else, but I personally hate the constantly-changing real-model judge. First it was Janice Dickenson, then Twiggy, and now Paulina. Janice, even more than Tyra herself, was absolutely ridiculous, which made for some very hilarious and uncomfortable situations. Twiggy took some getting used to, but just as I was starting to warm up to her, Paulina had to step up! And homegirl is kiiiind of a beezy. Thank goodness Miss J (and Nigel!) are still on the panel, or the whole judging thing would be snooze worthy.

The biggest problem with the show however, is that the actual contestants seem to be getting more and more boring, in both their looks and actions. Where are the edgy girls? Or the girls of different races or culture? I don’t see them anymore! If that wasn’t bad enough, apparently when this cycle was filming, producers and camera people actually had to create drama for the girls to fight about so the show would be semi-interesting. It seems that competitive, tall, pretty girls just aren’t entertaining anymore. For this reason, the producers of the show have cooked up a great idea for the next season: allowing ONLY girls 5’7” and under to compete. Are short girls more evil memorable? We better hope that they are, or the next season will be even worse than the last two!

Final verdict? As long as Gossip Girl stays on Mondays, and Grey’s is on Thursdays, I’ll continue to devote an hour each Wednesday to Top Model (because what else would I do?). Otherwise I guess I’ll be seeing Tyra and the gang in syndication on VH1. Maybe.

Are any of you still watching ANTM, or are you over it? Let me know in the comments section!

You know, I realized shortly after I wrote about the top five small-space animals that, well, not everyone can have animals. Now, I know that there are certain people who sneak by their ordinances and ignore the rules of the college/landlord/whatever and keep their critters regardless of what is and isn’t allowed. But for people who do want to follow the rules or having a pet right now just isn’t feasible, how about brightening up your room with a little green?

Plants do a lot more good than people give them credit for. As we all know from third grade science, they take in the gross carbon dioxide we breath and give us back lung-friendly oxygen. They also do an amazing job of cleaning the air. They can also filter pollutants in our air – stuff that come from everyday house products like plain old bug spray, spray starch, and even glue. And studies have proved that in work places that had plants had up to a 40% reduction in headaches, sour throats, and coughs. There was also an 84% increase in well-being. If you don’t like numbers, though, let me put this in laymen’s terms: plants + your dorm = happier, healthier place.

So, how do you know what plants to get that’ll help the most? That’s why I’m here. No worries. Since I don’t have to lay things out the way I had to with the critters a few articles ago, I’ll give you nine – because I just couldn’t find a good number ten – of what I think are the best dorm-plants, once again in order of care. (If you’ve never really taken care of a plant before, check this site out first. Plants need more than just water and sunlight if you want them to be really awesome!)

Jade: I recently almost entirely killed one of these – because I didn’t water it for almost two months. It’s coming back now. That’s how hardy these things are. They like the average room temperature. They prefer bright light or full sun, but they can tolerate all the way up to partial shade. Allow the soil to dry a bit (stick your finger in the pot; if the soil is dry for the first inch, it’s time for a drink) between waterings. Jade is a pretty slow grower, so repot them every two or three years. (Aloe Vera are pretty much identical to Jade in care, so you can opt for either.)

Mother-In-Law’s Tongue (Snake Plant): These guys’ name always made me laugh, but despite the implied harshness, they’re pretty easy to take care of. They too like bright light or full sun. They can handle just about any temperature. Let the soil dry a little between watering on these guys, too. They’re a pretty slow grower, so repot them every two years or so.

Spider Plant: Don’t be creeped out by the name; these guys get their title because of the little baby plants they produce. (Share the abundance with a friend!). These guys can stand up to a lot of abuse. They like average temperatures and thrive in well-lit but indirect light. During spring and summer, keep the soil moist, but not sopping wet. During fall and winter, though, let the soil dry a little between watering. You can even mist them if you’d like, since they love humidity. Only repot them if you can see the roots coming out of the bottom of your pot.

African Violet: Another flowering plant, these guys will give you the cutest little flowers totally at random throughout the year. They’re another fan of bright light, but they don’t like full on sun a whole lot. Allow the top soil – about half an inch – to dry between waterings. DO NOT get the leaves wet! They’ll get brown and shrivel up. You really don’t have to repot these guys at all, because they really like being root bound.

Pothos (Devil’s Ivy): If you’re into vine-like plants, Pothos is your plant. They like bright light and enjoy partial sun. They’re okay in average room temperature, but they thrive in warmer areas (70 – 90 Fahrenheit). Let the water dry as much as you would for African Violets. They like misting too. Repot these guys during the growing season (spring/summer) only if they’re showing their roots.

Chinese Evergreen: These guys have HUGE leaves – and they get pretty big, too. Really, if you have one, you don’t need any other plants. They love shade and are great for rooms without much sunlight. They’re fine in average temperature, but keep their soil fairly moist (again, don’t drown the poor things). Repot them when they’re getting really rootbound.

Christmas Cactus: These guys have gorgeous flowers when they bloom (and incase you haven’t figured out when that is, it’s around Christmas). They love bright light/full sun, as well as warmer temperatures. Water them with the same frequency you would a Jade or a Snake Plant. Getting to flower can be a little tricky; check out this site for more care info.

Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily): You’ve seen them before, all lined up in malls and probably at Easter services. Their flowers are huge and gorgeous. They’re another one that like indirect light and average temperatures. Their soil should stay fairly moist, too. Take good care of them and they’ll always have a flower up for you.

These plants are all pretty popular, so it’ll be easy to find them at your local nursery (and sometimes you’ll even see plants like African Violets and Spider Plants in big grocery stores). And even though I put them in order of care, they’re all outrageously easy to take care of, so don’t worry if you’ve got a withered brown thumb – these guys can make any plant-killer look like a regular horticulturalist.