Oh Glee, how I love thee.

This generation I am proud (?) to be a part of is full of pop culture consumers. Celebrity gossip, new music and hit TV shows are more apt to be topics of conversation than global concerns. Wait. Let me rewind. There are plenty of intelligent, well-read twenty-somethings that are highly interested in current events, change and making a difference. However, a great deal of GenY kids are immersed in the social media game. I am guilty of indulging in daily helpings of pop culture. Sue me. One of my fairly recent indulgences is GLEE. Yes, I am a gleek. I will sing it loud and proud (if only I was blessed with Rachel's vocal chords). What IS it about this show? Many boys have asked me this... some even admitted to not watching because they were afraid they would get hooked. First and foremost, the music. The New Directions continue to impress me weekly with their spot on covers of pop songs. Tonight's "Dog Days are Over" absolutely knocked me out. Florence is mah gurrrlll. If you are too embarrassed to become a gleek but appreciate pop music, do yourself a favor and download some of the songs on Itunes. You will not be disappointed. Second, the creator- Ryan Murphy- and his brilliant writing. He had me hooked on his guilty pleasure nip/tuck during senior year of college. The days of McNamara & Troy after Rock & Roll & Rebels film class with Novel Girl and Tuna. Third, that cast. Jane Lynch is perfection as Sue Sylvester, "People who dress like librarians? All sex addicts." Every single member of that Glee club is oozing with raw talent. Where were these "kids" two years ago? Tonight my fb status paid homage to the gorgeous guys of glee. Puck needs to be my FWB (friend with benefits). Homeboy pulls off sexy-badass-with-a-soft-side like it's nobody's business. Finn. Oh Finn. The boy next door... the star quarterback dreamboat that every girl wants to take home to Mom and never let go. Shame on Rachel for screwing that one up. Although, I can't blame her. Not only is PuckERMAN a sexy badass, he's a sexy badass Jew. Then there is Kurt... sassy, chic, fabulous Kurt. He would be the ultimate gay best friend. Finally, Sam... this season's newcomer with platinum locks and a perfect pout. Rory Rose has called dibs on this young stud. While I am well aware that my "Dear Santa" status will not come true, my sister did inform me that she recently read that Cory Monteith (Finn) is going to find a job in construction when all of this is said and done. There is plenty of that kind of work here in the city by the sea. Hey, a girl can dream! Matt Rutler is proof that us small town normal folk have a shot at scoring with major A-listers. For those of you who are unaware, Rutler is a member of the Nate Mott Band and graduate of Roger Williams University, located in my little hometown of Bristol, RI. I used to watch him rock out at a small Irish pub. Matt left the East coast for LA LA land a few years ago and came back this weekend to introduce his new lady to the rents. This new lady happens to be the one and only (wait for it) Christina Aguilera! Apparently he figured out how to rub her the right way. How's that for some pop culture consumption, kids?

The ultimate college experiment.

Thanks to technology, specifically social media and networking, we live in a world where information is abundant and insanely accessible. While this fact is detrimental to my level of daily productivity, I am grateful for the endless entertainment. This week Chi Girl passed on a gem that I could not resist blogging about. In the spirit of research and perverse curiosity, Karen Owen, a 2010 Duke graduate, created an "Official Fuck List," in which she ranked 13 subjects based on a raw score. The raw score was calculated using a range of criteria created by Owen, including physical attractiveness, size, talent, creativity, aggressiveness, athletic ability, and entertainment. The results of her research were compiled into an in-depth, creative, witty, incredibly descriptive Power Point that she sent to a few of her friends. She never intended for the document to go viral, but recently one friend forwarded it to another and it spread like wildfire. I admire this girl for having the gall to do something that frat boys do so frequently. Jezebel said it well, "Here's another reminder that women can be as flip, aggressive and acquisitive about sex as men. And there's nothing wrong with that, as long as all parties are consenting." I think Karen and I would get along famously. You go, girl. To read the complete Power Point and Jezebel article, click here.

Penelope Trunk's article (what a name), "Does the Duke 'Sex Thesis' Empower Women?" mentions a recent sex study conducted at Indiana University that indicates that Americans have quite the sexual repotoire. Turns out having an FWB (friend with benefits) is popular not just among 20 somethings. 13 percent of men and 11 percent of women between the ages of 19-59 said their last sexual encounter was with a friend. Another interesting finding: 18% of women admitted to trying anal sex before their 18th birthday. I guess the "exit only " mantra that my friends and I follow isn't trendy with the youngins.

I'd like to take this opportunity to make a text-to-self connection, as any good educator would. Last night I had dinner with my grad school cohort to celebrate the conclusion of our classes. One of the moms in the program has been known to engage in some dirty sexting with her husband. She was kind enough to share their mobile correspondence from Thursday night: "Am I going to get celebratory sex tonight?" Her hubby: "Hell yeah. I'm going to cum laude, cum laude all over your face!"

So here's to women having a healthy sexual appetite and the openness to share the dirty details.

Tell her why she rocks.

Facebook is a funny place. Not funny haha... funny in a spooky, creepy, I-didn't-mean-to-stalk-you-but-I-did kind of way. After seeing The Social Network, I became even more fascinated with this virtual party we have all been attending for the past 6 years. Fun facebook story of the week: A few friends were "liking" the mural shown below. I proceeded to follow suite because I, too, like it. A lot.

Just now I clicked on the event page connected to this mural and noticed it was a contest submission for the new rag & bone location on Elizabeth and Houston. "Vote for Joshua Schwartz's rag & bone Mural" was the title. My silly brain association led me to Josh Schwartz, Providence native and creator of three of my favorite series, Gossip Girl, The O.C. and Chuck (marry me Zachary Levi?).

My next thought was "why is Josh Schwartz entering a mural contest for a fashion line?" After bbm questioning Novel Girl, I discovered that JoshUA Schwartz is NOT the TV producer, but the artist boyfriend of her dear friend Sabotage. Go here to find out how to vote for his beautifully simplistic mural.

Once I recovered from my own stupidity, I posted the mural pic to Teddy Jams' wall... not because I was fishing for compliments, but because it reminded me of him. He tells me why I rock often. All girls should be so lucky. Over an after dinner beer on date four, he opened up and told me what he likes so much about me, "You see the world in brighter colors." I can't think of anything sweeter than that. Free advice for my male readers: Tell. her. why. she. rocks. Most likely, she already knows she does, but don't be afraid to tell her why you think so.