Couple/think

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Couple/think is losing the / and is currently going through a major image rehaul! We’ll be back soon with more witty, informative posts (we like to think so, at least) and a new look. It’s all about branding, isn’t it?

With a different approach then our first reviewed blog, Get Rich Slowly, Wise Bread is a community of bloggers writing on vastly different topics under the financial advice umbrella. With the tag line ” Living large on a small budget ” the site encourages readers to make sound financial decisions without sacrificing the fun in life. continue reading »

Sometimes the name really does say it all. Get Rich Slowly is one of the most widely-read personal finance blogs out there because it provides advice for all of us from an everyday kind of guy. The blogger, J.D., doesn’t have a secret agenda to promote some side business, book or other project. He’s completely transparent with his devoted audience and openly admits that he’s no financial pro, but rather “just an average guy who found himself deep in debt.” If that isn’t a recipe for a successful blog, I don’t know what is. continue reading »

Today, we are kicking off a series (our first) spotlighting our favorite personal finance blogs. While we are by no means experts in this arena, after you take a look at the series of blogs we profile, you will certainly be enlightened in all things money. continue reading »

As I get older my perceptions on things change, and I feel like I’ve become cold to you. I wasn’t always this way, in high school I was up for any movie, any time, but back then it was more about the act of going to the theater than the actual film itself. And having the early arrival of facial hair allowed me easy entry into R rated films without the required parental supervision, thus elevating the cool factor even higher. That was over ten years ago and I can keep this inside anymore, movie theaters, we’ve grown apart, I’m sorry, really, it’s not you it’s me I’ve changed. Let’s just both go our separate ways.

You see, I’m not the eager throw caution to the wind consumer I once was. And in these tightening financial times I just can’t overlook the problems in our relationship anymore. I mean $8.00 for a ticket, come on how long did you think I could keep doing this, and I’m not even going to mention snacks. If I’m going to spend this much for a night out it’s going to be on a dinner with some alcohol included. And the crowd your hanging with, I just cant’ take it anymore. All these teenagers, who stand outside the ticket office, so I have to barrel my way through, take all the seats because their parents dropped them off an hour early, and then never stop talking and texting during the show. It’s gotten to the point of beyond repair.

Okay, I have to be honest; I’ve met someone else. She’s older, and I never meant for it to happen, but it did and I’m changed. Her name is Second Run, she only has one screen, older shows, and nowhere near the technology you do, but I think I love her. She’s less expensive, the audience actually watches the film, and when it was over she actually gave me a good night kiss (in the form of free mint). So, let’s not make a scene, it will be fine. You’ll find someone younger and more into the things you want. I’m sure we’ll run into each other now and again, but my heart is with Second Run now.

Although I’ve used the site for years, Facebook continues to amaze me. We all take mental memory lane trips every so often and remember the one friend from 10^th grade that convinced us to skip class and hang out at IHOP. Not too long ago, the best the Internet had to offer a wannabe private eye was Google. While googling the names of friends and family (and even yourself, oh John Mayer!) is irresistibly addictive, it doesn’t always work – especially if your friends’ last name is Smith, Jones, etc and pulls up 1000s of hits.

Enter Facebook (and MySpace, Classmates.com, LinkedIn, and xyz)! Finally you can find every long-lost buddy you’ve ever had and friend them, poke them, harass them to your hearts desire… IF they have a profile. I’ve found friends from as far back as elementary school and have had many an old connection friend me out of the blue.

So what’s the proper conversation etiquette once you do reconnect with an old friend on Facebook? My hunch is that many of us search for those names in our past and friend them only to gain access to their profile and snoop around. And then comes the inevitable comparison of who’s doing better – you or them – with careers, love life, pursuit of happiness and all that jazz. Guilty as charged.

But, more often than not (hopefully!), we are genuinely interested in reconnecting with that person and want to begin a conversation. You take the first step and put yourself out there with a quick catch-you-up-on-the-last-several-years-of-my-life email and click send. And then you anxiously await a response while the insecure “I wonder if they even remember me?” feelings start creeping up just like you were back in high school. It’s all part of the Facebook follow-through dilemma. If they do reply – than great – one more friend! But the absence of a response makes you wonder…

The worst is when one of your Facebook friends reaches out to you, you respond, and then NOTHING. I’m one of those types that have always struggled to keep up with the many people I’ve met and left throughout the years. Moving from city to city and onto new chapters in your life, it’s so easy to let old friendships fall by the wayside. However, I’m trying to remedy this issue by taking a Facebook follow-through oath of sorts:

I swear, to the best of my ability, to follow-through on every friend request and email I receive on a social network and to not make friend requests purely out of curiosity.

I’ll let you know how this all pans out…

Don’t tell anyone, but I have an HD DVD player.

I know it’s embarrassing, but it’s really not my fault. It was a gift, two years ago nonetheless. And it’s just an add-on to my Xbox360, so at least it’s not an expensive standalone player. At the time, I thought it was great–we could finally really start to enjoy our HDTV and watch our favorite movies on it. But, the HD DVD discs were expensive, like $30 a pop, and it took a while for most titles to come out. So, fortunately, we only purchased around six HD DVD movies before the format war really heated up.

Once the war broke out it was HD DVD in the early lead, then that other format (I refuse to call it by name) was catching up, then back to HD DVD, and so on. Finally, early this year the format “we do not speak of” won out and now I’m stuck with no way to get HD DVDs even if I wanted to. Well, I’m sure I could go on eBay and find them, blah, blah, blah, but seriously what’s the point? I was fine with watching all my fave movies in regular definition before and I sure as heck am not going to plunk down any more cash on that bl-bl-blasphemous format only to see it replaced in two years.

So, you know what? I’ve changed my mind. Go ahead, tell anyone you please you know some poor unlucky guy with a HD DVD player. I can take the ridicule. And in a two years, I challenge anyone to see if they have watched the HiDef version of Phantom of the Opera (disclaimer: also a gift) more than me.

Hi all, Couple/Think has been on vacation for the last week so thanks for coming around this way again. During our mini-vacay, Kirsten and I saw the movie “Iron Man.” It was thoroughly entertaining and fun–everything the studios are trying to achieve for their summer blockbusters. Before this flick though, our last trip to the movies was months ago for “There Will Be Blood.”

Typically, we’d go to the show at least twice a month. However, seeing as we’re just starting to emerge from the film dead zone known as “after the Academy Awards and before summer,” it’s been slim pickings. Still, even our DVD viewing has decreased since the first of the year and I wondered what could be the root of our movie apathy. I think we’ve been cursed by Rotten Tomatoes. Not a evil fairy godmother curse, but the curse of being ruined by everyone else’s opinion.

Rotten Tomatoes collects and organizes movie reviews and tabulates them into one overall score, known as the “Tomatometer.” Based on a percentage from 1-100, the better the movie, the higher the score. Kirst and I sometimes make a game out of guessing what a movie is going to score. For example, after seeing the preview for “What Happens in Vegas,” you could smell the stench a million miles away – and we were on the money with our guess of in the 20’s – the stinker scored a 28%. Gotta love that each movie has a “consensus” of the reviews – What Happens was “Mostly settles for derivative romantic comedy conventions.” Enough said, right? This information is very helpful because it guides us away from the money and time wasters. Yet, now it’s playing reverse psychology on me.

Instead of possibly taking a chance on a show that has a decent trailer, it’s always, “what does RT rate it?” before I’m even checking upcoming show times. And, what about the movies right along the pass/fail curve of 60ish%? Maybe I expect too much, but when I see movie in that score range, it will almost always get relegated to the “watch on DVD when nothing else is out catalogue.” I still love movies, let me rephrase, I love GOOD movies. RT has not diminished my enthusiasm, just increased my cynicism and skepticism.

Lack of good, consistent programming or problem with commitment? Well, when it comes to my television viewing habits – it may be a little bit of both. Reality shows have taken over TV Guide – American Idol, Survivor, Big Brother, Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, Hell’s Kitchen – the list goes on forever. I’ve watched all of these and more at some point in time, but realized that I have trouble remaining a loyal viewer. Why watch three months of Big Brother, three days a week and then Tivo the finale, only watching it a week later because there was nothing else on? The news of who won was plastered all over the Internet making it impossible to keep the suspense going – and, right after it aired, my mom immediately calls to give me the recap. “I haven’t watched it yet – don’t tell me!!” didn’t come soon enough.

None of that really made a difference though. My interest in television has really taken a nose dive. The writer’s strike didn’t affect me one way or the other because most of the TV I watch is unscripted. This year’s Academy Awards were the worst I can remember, and the ratings matched my disappointment. American Idol was hyped as the most talented season ever, but its viewership (including me) is leaving by the droves. Just a quick side rant—the show was rigged from the beginning to take David Archuleta to the finals… I can’t look or listen to him anymore because he’s devoid of any real personality and would only feel truly at home singing at a Disney theme park. Maybe that’s unfair, but that’s the fun of reality TV—we can judge these “real people” and feel better about ourselves in the process.

What has happened to TV? A headline in USA Today reads, “Top shows hit lows; was it the strike?” Doubtful. It could be a million and one things, but for me- it’s coming to the slow realization that maybe reality television isn’t the mainstay that everyone thinks it is and having a complete void of original, smart programming (i.e. Seinfeld, Sopranos, TGIF (remember that??)) is not without consequences… and viewers.