I’m going to give you a clue for anyone who’s ever wondered what my secret identity really is: I’m not Josh Hartnett. I’m not even a fan of his, but I am a fan of 40 Days/40 Nights and since Ash Wednesday was oh, so, recent, I felt inspired to re-watch that rom-com romp. In case you’ve never seen it, it’s about a heartbroken Hartnett who is socially and emotionally crippled from being dumped by his long-term girlfriend that he takes a vow: no sexual gratification for Lent and thus freeing himself from her…influence? I don’t know, the logic takes some selling, I’m sure Sarah Palin could make sense of it. Being as this is the season of Lent, when good Catholic boys and girls are sacrificing one of their favorite luxuries for 40 days, I started to wonder, how productive an idea is this for the 21st century? I’m all for penance, don’t get me wrong, love me some BDSM, but while you can give up certain things, are their ones that you shouldn’t give up? I mean, Josh Hartnett becomes unable to work, have friendships, or eat pancakes. Is that healthy? Isn’t that going a bit too far? So, after some extensive research, I’ve come up with a list of 11 things that women should not give up for Lent, for the good of mankind.

initiating the gallery...

There you have it, ladies. 11 things you shouldn’t sacrifice for Lent. Some of these might be shocking. Some of these might be bewildering. But that’s the way it goes sometimes. What did I miss? What couldn’t you live without for 40 days and 40 nights? Before you even ask in the comments, don’t worry, this is just part one. Next time, we’re going to tackle the boys…figuratively speaking.

Fire in the hole!

The Dude

You wake up. You reach over to your bedside table, grab your ringing phone and click the dismiss button to stop the alarm. Phone still in hand, you rub your left eye, but leave the right one open and peek at the device in your palm. Eleven new emails and four texts. You check them sleepily–texts from your mom, your sister and two from your best friend. Then move on to the emails–one from work, a few from school, some announcing sales at your favorite stores and lastly, a notification that John Smith wants to be your friend on Facebook. John Smith? Who is that?

Getting out of bed, you plop down in front of your computer and pull up the social networking site. You check out John Smith, but still don’t know who he is. Then you realize he has sent you a message. “Hey, we met at a bar the other night. It wasn’t anything big, we just introduced ourselves. How are you?” You still don’t really remember him, but you accept the friend request anyway. Then you go back to your news feed, where you see that your friend in Texas has put up new pictures. Clicking through them, you realize you haven’t talked to her in almost two years, but still know most of what’s going on in her life. Read More »

Since I go to school in New York City, I walk about five blocks on the city streets to get to class every morning. And let me tell you, it’s dangerous out there. No, not because of muggings. Because of all the people who text and walk! Recently, the New York Times ran an article along with a funny short film about the dangers of texting and walking. Oops, guilty as charged. Their solution? Stand out of the way with your back to the wall if you need to send a text. This is a great start, but there are a few more things you should remember when texting… Read More »

As a certified 21st century girl, I love all forms of “e” (or “i” for all you Mac geeks) communication. Email, IM, tweeting, texting — they’re all great ways to stay connected. So why are movie theaters, schools and other public places getting so strict about them?

Well I guess maybe because there’s a time and place for everything, including texting.

Hate to sound like you grandma by saying things like “there’s a time and place for everything” but…here goes:

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We all remember seeing pictures of Paris Hilton at a club texting on her pink, bedazzled T-Mobile Sidekick phone. Well just as Paris Hilton has changed (her hair is longer), so has the T-Mobile Sidekick.

I got my hands on a T-Mobile Sidekick 4G, and I must say, it’s a pretty cool phone. It’s a texter’s dream. The sliding screen slides up to reveal a full keyboard, which is so much easier than texting on a touch screen (although you have that option as well). It also has Google Speak, so if you hate texting, you can just say what you want to text, and the phone will do the rest for you. It probably won’t pick up on your group of friends’ slang (“omg he’s sooooo adorbs”), but it will pick up on normal words (“I’m so drunk”).

The phone is an Android phone, so you have access to all Android apps. I’ve been playing Fruit Ninja Free in all of my classes to pass time. There’s basically an app for anything you want. You can get radio, Google Maps, Skype and a lot more.

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Ladies, we have all been there. It’s summer. There’s a bonfire. You look fabulous in your bikini. You’ve had a drink (or two… or three…). And that guy is hot. And you just want him to notice you and become your cabana boy for the next three months. It happens. But there is a very thin line between flirty and creepy.

Fortunately for you fabulous CollegeCandy readers, I’ve devised a simple yet effective checklist to ensure that your fine-tuned flirting skills do not wander into stalker territory.  Read More »

Renewing my phone plan last month lead my mom to take advantage of a BOGO deal on touch screen phones and she’s been sending text abbrevs and emoticons ever since. It’s exhausting. But apparently she and the Oxford English Dictionary have one thing in common: they’re finally catching on to the abbreviations and slang that us cool kids have been typing out for years.

Yes, it’s official, peeps. 2011 is leaving its mark (or blemish) on history with the addition of a few choice words to the good ole’ dictionary. Among the words to made the cut: “OMG,” “muffin top” and “LOL.” What a legacy we’re leaving behind for our children.

I can only imagine what those definitions are going to look like: Read More »

[He Said/She Said is a new series designed to help all our wonderfully confused readers figure out what he’s really thinking. So every week we’ll be throwing out a topic for debate…and unlike our fave dude, these guys won’t be sugar coating anything for you. But before you jump into their heads (which seriously will make you feel like you need to shower), check out what we think!]

Whenever I ask a guy for guy advice, he always says one of two things:

1. “Stop worrying about guys and just hook up with a girl….so I can watch.”
2. “Guys are not that complex. They say what they mean.”

I want to believe that (the second one; I usually just completely disregard the first one…after I smack him). I mean, he’s a guy so he should know, right? But hard as I try to take a guy’s word at face value, it’s impossible. They’re just so vague. And confusing. And what the f**k does, “whatever” mean?!?!

And that’s especially true when it comes to text messages. Read More »

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Question?! Answer: Ask TuffyLuv@collegecandy.com. At, like, your own risk. Or whatever.

Dear Tuffy Luv,
I am a freshman in college. I have been dating my high school boyfriend for more than a year now. He is everything I ever wanted in a guy and so ideal. He is so nice, patient, and kind. I had even been thinking about marrying him down the road. I could picture us together and I really thought that I loved him.

Recently however, I have been talking with an old fling. He randomly sent me a text awhile back and now it’s getting pretty flirtatious and I am left confused. He knows that I have a boyfriend and I’m not sure that he is even looking for anything serious. I really do like this other guy, but he is in school 10 hours away and wouldn’t be up for a relationship anyway. Is it bad that I am starting to have feelings for fling-boy all over again? Now I’m beginning to think that my boyfriend has stronger feelings for me than I do for him. That isn’t fair, right?

Even worse, when I was out with my boyfriend the other night he told me that I had been acting strange lately and confronted me. I didn’t tell him about this other boy, but basically I explained to him that I was having doubts. He was so kind about it. It made me feel even more horrible. So now I am left with the decision of whether or not to end things with my boyfriend. What do you think I should do? Do doubts mean he isn’t “the one?”

– To stay or not to stay

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