Facebook has been making a lot of changes recently. That’s an understatement, right? Well prepare for an even bigger one; one that overhauls the current user experience. The new Facebook design blows all previous tweaks away. After reading tweets and articles about the upgrade, (It’s still unavailable to the public, but you can get it if you go here and follow the steps). I took the plunge… and wound up in the depths of my entire Facebook history.

Most notable is the transformation of the Wall to the Timeline, which, all changes in the site aside, has me imagining my friends’ texts to me to check my “timeline” for some Imgfave link they posted. I don’t know how I feel about the new term yet, but I’m sure it’ll catch on.

Last week there was quite a lot of disappointment floating around the internet concerning Apple's recent iPhone 4S announcement. This seems due, in large part, to what the new iPhone 5 will potentially offer. There were rumors abound that the next iPhone would include a gesture enabled home screen, a teardrop design and a larger display, in addition to everything that was announced during the media event. A culmination of these things would have undoubtedly satisfied many people who feel the iPhone needed something to set it apart, not only from Android devices, but from the new model’s predecessors.

In 1971, a guy named Sam Peckinpah flew out to England where he proceeded to get black-out drunk and intermittently shoot a movie. The resulting film, “Straw Dogs,” is considered one of the greatest thrillers ever made due to its deep, thoughtful meditation on the nature of violence and its examination of the fundamentally broken relationship between two incredibly selfish individuals.  The 2011 remake predominately features a man being shot with a nail gun.

When we initially think of Playboy, two things come to mind: naked college girls and Hugh Hefner in his garnet robe and slippers. But these contexts are so twentieth century. The new Playboy brand consists of a variety of companies, including clothing lines and a suite at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas.

The movie “Drive” takes the deadest sub-genre in the entire world (heist movies) and twists every cliché and expectation associated with those films to make what may be the freshest, most exciting film of the year. It achieves this with exactly two car chases, several long periods of total silence and a plot that hibernates until roughly the 45-minute mark. You are probably thinking, “Well, that sounds really terrible!” and with any other less competently made film it would be. But with “Drive,” every decision is clearly deliberate; every minor detail contributes to the film’s overall style. It is nothing short of perfection through subtlety.

The casting is excellent, featuring TV favorites Bryan Cranston and Christina Hendricks, as well as the great Ron Perlman who finally gets some screen time not covered in monster make-up. But by far the best member of the cast is Ryan Gosling. This is a sentence I never thought I would conceive in my life. See, most people, myself included, best remember him as the dude in “The Notebook,” a film that everyone who’s ever been in a relationship has been forced to sit through at least once. But, in what is becoming a more common occurrence, my expectations were wrong.

Gosling plays the best maladjusted, socially-awkward loner since Travis Bickle graced the big screen. His smiles are inappropriately timed, his emotional responses are just a little off and he almost never blinks. You can tell that beneath his unassuming exterior there lies an ability for serious violence. “Drive” is one of those rare films where the hero actually feels more dangerous than the villains, a fact that owes entirely to Gosling’s masterful performance.

If I had to compare “Drive” to another movie, I would say it most resembles one of my all time favorite films, “Blade Runner.” Both have deeply flawed protagonists, slow plots filled with ambiguity, distinctive visual styles, excellent synth soundtracks and deceptive marketing campaigns portraying them as action films when they, in actuality, are something much more. This is basically the highest compliment I can give. Seriously, go see “Drive” now.

At present, lazy Americans all over the country are rejoicing in the midst of the four-week-long television series premiere season. At least people in the workplace have something new to talk about around the water cooler and college students have new things to tweet about that aren’t TFM’s or grievances over the new Facebook layout (spoiler alert, it’s going to change every year). Nope, now my news feed is congested with 50+ people every Wednesday night, all re-capping exactly what happened during Glee in such exquisite detail that I don’t even need to watch it to know who Rachel pissed off this week.

TV Guide is excited because this is the one time a year they actually have something to do. However, I do commend them for putting together such an extensive almanac for all-things fall television and do recommend that you check out the link above.

Since I’ve been in college, I can’t say that I’ve been following much TV (sue me, I’ve been busy being productive), but there are a few things that I’ve tried to keep up with.

House

Believe it or not, Hugh Laurie has been a sarcastic ass for eight seasons, and it still works. Although many of the medical cases have become a bit routine and predictable (it’s never lupus and House is never right on his first, second or third diagnosis) the plot has become a much more prominent element of the show. With the inevitable romance of Dr. House and Lisa Cuddy finally at a head, TV Guide tells us that the new season’s opener picks up a year later from where the show left off (House driving through Cuddy’s home in a fit of jealousy after seeing her with another man) with Dr. House having spent a good part of that time in jail. Lisa Edelstein (Cuddy) has decided to leave the show, subbing one of Dr. House’s colleagues in her position, stirring up a sure-fire game changer. Be sure to check it out Monday, October 3 at 9 pm.

The Office

Has NBC given loyal Office fans an appropriate length of time to mourn the loss of Michael Scott before attempting to start up a new season? Granted, there has been some hearsay about Steve Carrell making a few cameo appearances in the future, but I think we have all come to terms with the fact that the show will never be the same again. After last season’s epic fail of an ending (a montage of fake bosses i.e. Jim Carrey, Ray Romano and Will Ferrell), it’s hard to believe that this season will be much better. With Andy (“The Hangover”’s Ed Helms) appointed as the new boss, there’s really only one direction in which this season can go; downhill. The show premiered last week but you can catch it Thursdays at 9pm. Don’t get your hopes up or you might be disappointed... that’s what she said.

Gossip Girl

I never thought one of my high school guilty pleasures would still be alive and kicking by the time I made it through two years of college, but Gossip Girl has managed to keep fans intrigued in a plot that gets juicier with every season. The cast is growing up now but that clearly doesn’t stop them from their Upper East Side frivolities and now trans-continental adventures. The good news? According to TV Guide, the ever so moody Jenny and hovering Vanessa have been written out of New York City, at least temporarily. With the show premiering tonight, hopefully we take at least a few baby steps in finding out who is the real snitch behind it all. When can you watch it? That’s one secret I’ll never tell. Just kidding, it’s on Mondays at 8. You know you love me, XOXO.

There are plenty more shows on the radar this month, so be sure to wipe out your DVR and let your TiVo know what’s up. Of course, there are about 14 new “CSI” premieres, the new (and probably improved) “Two and a Half Men,” and the on-point “Modern Family,” as well. Just remember that Hulu was launched for a reason and the season premiere of “Private Practice” (Thursday, September 29 at 10 pm) will never be worth the sacrifice of a Thirsty Thursday.