Actor Robert Downey, Jr. & Marvel Celebrate “Iron Man 3” with NYSE Opening Bell®

Actor Robert Downey, Jr., along with executives from Marvel Entertainment, LLC, visited the New York Stock Exchange this morning (April 30) and rang The Opening Bell® to highlight the U.S. release of Marvel’s highly anticipated film, “Iron Man 3,” on May 3.

Marvel's Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at this enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man? 

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale with Jon Favreau and Ben Kingsley, Marvel’s Iron Man 3 is directed by Shane Black from a screenplay by Drew Pearce & Shane Black and is based on Marvel's iconic Super Hero Iron Man, who first appeared on the pages of "Tales of Suspense" (#39) in 1963 and had his solo comic book debut with "The Invincible Iron Man" (#1) in May of 1968. Marvel's Iron Man 3 is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures and DMG Entertainment. Marvel Studios' President Kevin Feige is producing and Jon Favreau, Louis D'Esposito, Charles Newirth, Victoria Alonso, Stephen Broussard, Alan Fine, Stan Lee and Dan Mintz are executive producers. The film releases May 3, 2013, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Source: Marvel

Lost in Manhattan: Enter Olivia

Meg asked her former college roommate, Olivia, if she would be interested in my blogging project. I would have asked her myself but I am admittedly scared of Olivia because she is strikingly gorgeous, a Republican, and petite. Towering over most females I encounter at 5’7’’ since the age of 12, I have always found women shorter than me to be scary. Short women are closer to the ground and thus have the higher ground (no pun intended) and could push me over if they so pleased. Anyway, Olivia was 5’4’’ with long dyed black hair and had agreed to meet with me.

She invited me over on a Monday early afternoon to her place in Murray Hill. I grabbed my voice recorder & notebook as any good journalist would do and took the subway down there. Olivia lived on the 17^th floor in a one-bedroom apartment with the most spectacular view of the Chrysler Building. I was dripping with New York real estate envy.

The place smelled of cookies and cigarette smoke. Olivia was dressed in a green maxi dress with her long hair in a high ponytail. When I sat down she offered a plate of cookies, something she apparently baked on days when she was feeling “domestic”. I realized this was the first time I had encountered Olivia in the light of day as well as the first time she wasn't intoxicated.

Over delicious (organic) sugar cookies and glasses of soymilk, Olivia offered up some of her background: She was from Boston and had majored in Art History at Columbia where she roomed with Meg their sophomore year. In the summer before her junior year Olivia was working at Hooters over on 56^th and 8^th avenue, which is where she first met a man we'll call “Doc Holiday”. He was a surgeon from Atlanta who often traveled for specific operations in Manhattan.

Holiday was married to a woman ten years his elder, which made her about 55, as far as Olivia could guess. This wife was from old family money and had affairs with male models in their twenties, which left Holiday to as many women as he pleased. Over a late night of boneless wings and cheesy fries, Holiday fell for Olivia’s charm but mostly for how “perky” her butt looked in the orange shorts.  They soon began going out every time he was in town, but he loathed how they only interacted in hotel rooms.

In short, Holiday bought Olivia her Murray Hill one bedroom apartment to live in as long as she a.) kept it clean and b.) cleared her schedule when he was in town. I mentioned my comparison of her to Julia Roberts in ‘Pretty Woman’ and she laughed. She said Holiday wasn’t exactly prince charming, but he gave her a place to live and that was enough.

Olivia explained in a matter of fact and aloof air that she also has other wealthy boyfriends in town that “help her out” though she doesn’t consider herself to be a hooker. She has never had sex directly for money, but has made sure to surround herself with men who would take care of her. She would also never do porn because her “dad would most likely see it”.

I then asked if she knew other girls who had lifestyles like hers. Olivia said she had met other girls who accompanied Holiday’s friends to dinner parties, but she didn’t know if they were hookers or just lucky like her. When asked what she did with her free time she, with a wave of her hand, showed off the extensive art pieces that adorned her apartment. Olivia loved art, and invested her money wisely in buying and selling pieces she could afford.

“Would you open up an art gallery?”

“Not really. I’d actually like to open up a bakery some day.”

Olivia then asked me why I wanted to write about other people. I gave a long-winded explanation on how I wanted to write about life in New York City and what this certain group of people thought about the world but I didn’t want to write about just myself because I was tired of me and blah blah blah.

“So you’re like Harriet the Spy, but not trying to hide your spying.”

“Well, uh- I guess.”

“That’s cool, I liked that movie as a kid.”

“So you don’t mind if I use you for my project?”

“Go for it, Spygirl.”

And with that I’ve convinced 3 acquaintances into letting me write about their intricate and utmost personal lives for the Internet to see. Maybe this is what Ryan Seacrest felt like when he started the Kardashian show. However, I guess Parker would actually be the one most likely to have a sex tape…

Previously on "Lost in Manhattan":
1.) Gelato & an Idea
2.) Dirty Underwear & the Tardis

Lost in Manhattan: The Year I Was 22

There is a lot of stigma about 22 year old females in pop culture. Charlotte in “Sex and the City” yelled at her business successor: “You’re 22, what do you know about life!” Norah Jones sings the tune “She's 22” about the tramp who stole her boyfriend. In ‘You’ve Got Mail” Meg Ryan hashes out against “those stupid 22-year-old girls with no last name!”  Females in their 22^nd year are apparently notorious for stealing boyfriends & husbands, being perky, and ruining lives. I can promise you I was none of those things in the last year.

 However, I can tell you what I did do the year I was 22. I started off in my last semester at college where I was taking 21 credits (seven classes) in order to graduate on time. A professor told me that I wasn’t competent enough pass all seven classes on time and I, through a burst of tears, yelled back at him that I most certainly could. And I did.

It was the year I quit job after job because I refused to be treated with less than common fucking courtesy. (Just because a boss buys you beer to drink in the office or have ping pong competitions does not necessarily mean its good place to work). It was the year I had panic attacks at my bookstore job, reducing me to crying in the bathroom before every shift. It was the year I worked at The New York Public Library on 5^th ave.

It was the year I moved not only to New York City in my own studio apartment, but a studio on the Upper West Side (my dream home for as long as I can remember.) It was the year I met Karen Allen (Marion in 'Indiana Jones')- twice. The year I met Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan , and Peter Jackson  of 'Lord of the Rings'. The year I met Gerard Butler, Ryan Gosling, Damien Echols, Tom Wolfe, Robert Redford, and others. The year I sat with Frank Oz who gave me a huge bear hug after our interview. The year Alan Menken sang me Disney songs that never made final cut. The year I got really drunk with some 'Games of Thrones' cast members. The year I was in the same room as Robert Downey Jr and he winked at me.

It was the year I got not one, but two tattoos on the same day: a matching LOTR one with my best friend and another of a paper airplane from “Paperman”.  It was the year I adopted a little black cat from a garbage can the weekend before a hurricane. And then adopted a huge black cat from Craigslist that likes to eat sticks of butter and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. The year I got a job where I wound up being zero degrees away from Keven Bacon.

This was also the year I dressed up as femme Captain America and a drunk sorority girl took a picture with me then tagged me as Super Woman on Facebook. The year I got a papercut on my eye the morning after Thanksgiving and had to go to the emergency room. The year I got quad skates and resolved to be a Derby Girl. (That didn't happen.) The year I resolved to shake hands with Nick Fury. (I did. Cool dude, that Samuel L. Jackson) The year Liam Neeson said to me "I'm not a human being, I'm a badass."

When I was 22 I learned to not work in a place you hate going to. That barely making rent makes me a lot happier compared to having a big paycheck and being stuck with people I can’t stand. I learned that it’s okay to cut people out of your life that you don’t trust, or actually like. The year I found the best friends a girl could ask for. The year I stared getting requests from companies asking to work with me, instead of the other way around. 

Although, I'm glad I'm not 22 anymore, if only for the sole reason that Taylor Swift apparently has some song out about being 22 and that makes me want to vomit. Also, being 23 has a lot in store for me. If last year was a transitional year, this upcoming one will be the big game changer. I hearby resolve, on April 25th 2013, that by the time I turn 24 I will have two major life goals done. I won't tell you about them now-you'll just have to stick around to see what they are =)

I do have a small bit of advice for other 22 year olds out there: 1.) women will hate you because you're younger than they are. 2.) men that are mean to you are just pissed off that you won't fuck them.

and-> 3.) The only person who is a qualified expert on being you, is you.

As always, thanks for being around guys.

Lost in Manhattan: Dirty Underwear & The Tardis

I wasn’t 100% convinced about the blogging project. I didn’t want something else that I would eventually find boring and abandon yet again. However, I bounced the idea off an almost friend of mine that I met in my building this past february February.

Parker ¹ and I had met in the elevator: both of us holding bags of laundry and neither making eye contact. Except, nothing can stop a girl when she feels the need to fangirl out. In this incident, it was over my signed Captain America bag I had been wearing.  After the exasperated exchange of “where did you this bag!” (Etsy) “Did he really touch that bag?” (Yes) we warily tested the waters of social interaction that geeks sometimes find hard to do.

We bonded over the Marvel movies and the men who star in them while washing our dirty underwear in the basement laundry room.  Parker and I are of the same breed, though our sections of fangirling varied slightly: she was obsessed with 'Doctor Who', 'Sherlock', & 'Supernatural' and yaoi ²drawings of her favorite characters. I didn’t watch those shows but we agreed on the important things such as one fucks Han Solo, marries Malcolm Reynolds, and Kills Mr. Darcy.

Since then, sometimes we’ll text each other to see if the other wanted to do laundry together.  We also follow each other on Tumblr, but I didn’t know a lot about Parker. That is, until I brought up my blog project idea over laundry yesterday. She was immediately drawn to my idea because, much like most of our generation, we all were desperately curious as to what each other were up to. Parker liked reading blogs because a.) She was a self-confessed snoop and b.) She liked talking with other people who were in a LDR.

I didn’t know this, but apparently Parker was in the most modern of all romances: she was in a long distance relationship with someone she had met off of Tumblr.  Now this is something I wanted to write about because I loved hearing about couples that met off the Internet.

I probed her for more details and the jest of it was this:  Last August Parker started talking frequently with a mop top boy from the Great White North (Canada). They shared a rather obsessive (my wording) love of Doctor Who, and quickly fell "in love" but have yet to actually meet each other. However, they had plans to cosplay together at San Diego Comic Con this July.

It was hard wrapping my mind around the fact that they were maintaining a relationship that didn’t include any physical touch. In response to this, Parker admitted to spending the majority of her time on Skype that occasionally included “cam and phone sex”.  She also argued that due to her thesis and multiple jobs, she didn’t have much energy or the funds for a live in boyfriend. This situation gave her the emotional support she needed without having to spend too much time away from her computer.

I asked her if I could use her for my project and she agreed, but with some hesitation. I wouldn’t use their real names (of course), due to the fact that she has to keep her relationship a secret. Her boyfriend was “kind of Tumblr famous” for his 10^th Doctor cosplay.  She didn’t want anymore hate mail than she already receives from girls who are suspicious of their online flirting. 

“I shall call him The Tardis,” I promised. And it was so.







Check out the previous entry in the "Lost in Manhattan" series: Gelato & an Idea

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1 All names have been changed to protect the identity of the people involved. Under no circumstances will I reveal their personal information, including Twitter handles and photos of mentioned individuals.^↩

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2 Yaoi, also known as Boys’ Love, is a Japanese popular term for female-oriented fictional media that focus on homoerotic or homoromantic male androphillic sexual relationships, usually created by female authors.^↩

My Interview in the 'Philippine Star'!

Last month I was interviewed by the lovely Luis Katigbak for my experiences as a "geek girl" as well as a filipina. My mother's family is from the Philippines where as my dad's is from Norway. I liked to explain it as a "viking ninja" as well as really Asian and really White. The interviews was initially for the Filippino edition of Esquire magazine, but it was eventually cut. Instead Katigbak was kind of enough to publish it in another outlet he works for!

Thus, last Friday the interview was posted in the 'Philippine Star', one of the top 3 most popular newspapers in the Philippines!

One of my Twitter followers, Ardo in the Philippines  sent me this picture of the actually interview!

However, you can check out the full interview online here.

Thanks again Luis for spotlighting me! My pinoy family is incredible proud =)

Lost in Manhattan: Gelato & an Idea

         Last Wednesday I invited my friend to Meg ¹ to grab gelato at a place between our apartments on the Upper West Side. I had met Meg the same way I met most of my friends: off of Twitter. A while back I was searching tweets to see if other people were also hearing an “explosion” in my neighborhood. Meg was one of the fellow tweeters who thought it was an alien invasion. Like most friendships, we bonded over mutual fear that we would soon die at the hand of body snatchers.

Along with alien invasions, we soon discovered a shared love of Ally McBeal, fear of adult life, and frozen treats. At this most recent dessert trip, after a quick catch up on each other’s adventures (mine adopting a cat off the gayest black man in Harlem, hers of the woes of working as a secretary at Columbia), the conversation turned to my latest Internet endeavors.

She told me that she read my blog post about not being able to find something to write about. Admittedly, this is not a topic easily discussed with me. I hate getting writing advice from people, especially those who have no background in writing. Granted, Meg was qualified to give advice since she is a fellow writer, but more of the nonfiction/history variation. Still, I was not one easily open to hearing what I “ought” to be doing with my life.

However, she provided a good argument. I knew what I wanted to write about but I was too scared to. I wanted to write about life: life in New York City, life as a girl living on her own for the first time, and a life where I didn’t have a single idea what to do with myself. I want to be open and talk about matters that are important to me, but I don’t feel comfortable with people knowing such intricate details about my life.

Also, writing about myself gets to be rather boring. It’s not a thrilling because I’m myself every goddman day. What I want to do is write about life around me. What I did want to do was write about other people’s adventures, but I haven't know exactly how to approach that. This is an idea I was tinkering with for months.

I don’t want to be Gossip Girl, spreading the dirt on people I knew. That was cruel, childish, and tragically boring. That was when Meg offered up herself. She said that I could write about her adventures, a stenographer of sorts. If something interesting happened she would relay the story and I could post it online with my own added commentary.

She found this appealing because 1.) She was too lazy to do it herself and 2.) She signed a contract at work saying she wouldn’t discuss her workplace online. However, there isn’t clause saying that I can’t, under a pseudonym of course. I did admit that Meg had an appealing life for this sort of project: she was very much a New York girl in her earlier twenties everyone could relate to and yet had a side of trouble. Last year, during her final semester at Columbia, she had a minor affair with her history professor whom she was still in love with. He was the reason she now worked at the college, even though he currently doesn’t pay her much attention besides the occasional Snapchat.

Meg then also suggested that I talk to her former college roommate Olivia, whom I’ve met a couple of times. Olivia, on the opposite spectrum, did not have a job of any sort. She was pretty much Julia Roberts in 'Pretty Woman' post Richard Gere climbing up her fire escape. Meaning: she didn’t have to have a job because the gorgeous men who slept with her paid for her rent and clothes and all she had to do was stay beautiful and thin. I, on the other hand, couldn’t do either on my own.

I also suggested that I talk to my friend Henry, who loved men so much that he saw the fourth 'Twilight' movie in theaters four times, for “the visuals alone”.  He could provide the gay point of view to my discussions on life even better than Lady Gaga herself.

Still, I wasn’t exactly convinced.

Meg: It would be much better than the crap on that fat girl’s show

Me: You mean Lena Dunham?”

Meg: Yes.

Me: You really thought about this, haven’t you?

Meg: It was a boring day at work; nobody tried to steal my coffee.

Me: Nobody is going to want to read this.

Meg: We’ll see. 

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1 All names have been changed to protect the identity of the people involved. Under no circumstances will I reveal their personal information, including Twitter handles and photos of mentioned individuals. ^↩

Bookish Journal #8: I ♥ NY (But I Hate Writing About It)

“It is necessary to find one's own way in New York. New York City is not hospitable. She is very big and she has no heart. She is not charming. She is not sympathetic. She is rushed and noisy and unkempt, a hard, ambitious, irresolute place, not very lively, and never gay. When she glitters she is very, very bright, and when she does not glitter she is dirty. New York does nothing for those of us who are inclined to love her except implant in our hearts a homesickness that baffles us until we go away from her, and then we realize why we are restless. At home or away, we are homesick for New York not because New York used to be better and not because she used to be worse but because the city holds us and we don't know why.”

-Maeve Brennan

Here's the deal: I'm a 22 (practically 23) year old female living in New York City. I graduated from college last May (nearly a year ago already, Christ) and I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm blissfully happy and at the same time anxious out of my mind. The kind of anxiousness that catches you unsuspectingly while you make that first cup of coffee in the morning and suddenly your heart is racing, your hands are shaking, you're claustrophobic but too terrified to walk outside and hives starts flaring on your forearms and you have no idea how to calm these nerves except to sit the fuck down and read something familiar or eat a week's worth of strawberries from the fridge.

Maybe this does happen to you or maybe it doesn't. I think this is what Holly Golightly was referring to when she talked about the mean reds. I go from the happiest I've ever felt in my life while walking down Central Park West, watching all the people walk their dogs or ride vespas. But then suddenly I'm think ing about how I have no idea what sort of career I should pursue, how I need to lose weight, I need to eat better, I need more money in the bank, I need to be an adult damnit, I have to find direction, I sleep too much, I watch too many movies, I don't blog enough, I have nothing worthwhile to say! 

Mainly I've been fighting this sort of internal struggle, which doesn't really leave much energy for anything else. I worry so much about all the things I should be doing that I become so overwhelmed and end up doing nothing at all. But this is relatively normal, right?

Lately I've been concerned about blogging, specifically. I want to be a blogger like Carrie Bradshaw in Sex & the City where I write about my life and the tribulations of living in New York. I want to write like Shauna Reid, who documented her weight loss journey unabashedly and full of determination. I want to write about my life, and I always say I'm going to be more honest in my blogging. But when it comes down to it, I'm too scared too. 

I'm deeply terrified of being criticized for my writing. Mainly everything else (save for vanity) I don't care too much about, but writing has always been the one thing I'm good at. When I put myself and my most honest writing out there, the insecurities and the personal information I give out is used against me. I'm either harassed online by douchebag bottom dwellers of the Internet or made to defend my life choices by family members who stalk my blog. Carrie Bradshaw never had her mother call her a slut for sleeping with so many men. Not that I sleep with lots of men, I do sleep with one, but even then-> is talking about my sex life too much for blogging? Who even cares about that! I'm in a long term relationship, I don't have anything to bring to the dating/single scene of New York.

I like writing product reviews and giveaways (because hey, I love you guys and I love giving you free stuff!!) But even I get bored of that. My favorite bloggers are those who write about they see, so why the hell not do I write about that? Maybe I'm just not paying enough attention to what is around me.

So what do I want to write about? I struggle with this on a constant every waking moment of my day basis. I want to WRITE but I can't think of anything meaningful to say.

"There's nothing to writing, Gellhorn. All you do is sit at your typewriter and bleed."- Hemingway

 This quote is from an HBO movie titled "Hemignway & Gellhorn", which is about Earnest Hemingway and his third wife, journalist & war correspondent Martha Gellhorn. I have mentioned this movie and Gellhorn frequently on Twitter in the past two days because they have stirred up a sort of passion in me. But more about that later. This quote really stood out to me because at one part of the film, all Gellhorn does is complain about she cannot write. She is surrounded by war and history is happening all around her, yet she cannot find anything to write. Hemingway has no sympathy for her whining  instead barks at her to just write.

Apparently I need to do some fucking bleeding already. 

 However, I did buy a typewriter this morning at a flea market: a 1963 Olivetti Lettera 32 that is the color of Tiffany & Co boxes and in great condition. I bought it for $40 and I plan on using it as soon as the ribbon is delivered from Amazon. Perhaps that will invoke some inspiration in me. 

I also bought bread next to Tina Fey and her family at the market this morning too. She was wearing the most atrocious sweatpants every, pushing a stroller and she still looked fabulous. She is a successful writer, maybe some of her skills rubbed off on me in our passing.

Perhaps, I should buy one of those writing prompt books. Something like "365 Days of Writing Prompts That Will Turn You Into A Writer Or Your Money Back" type deals. I could do a writing prompt here on the blog, so then I  have to something to write about and you have something to read. After all, some of the best writing I did was from prompts in my writing classes in college. Well, not the ones where I was "write from the perspective of a sock who has lost its mate in the laundry" or where I had to pretend to be a bug. I fucking hate Kafka, get out of here. 

Who knows. All I do know is that I love living New York City but damn, do I hate writing.

Happy Birthday Robert Downey Jr!

Dear Robert Downey Jr,

Happy 48th Birthday!!

My undying (and at points obsessive) love for you has endured many grueling years but has ultimately paid off! To celebrate your special day, oh future baby daddy of mine, let us look at my most loved parts of your career thus far<3>

Only You (1994)

Who can turn down RDJ in a cheesy 90s romantic comedy?! He plays a charming American man who falls in love with Marisa Tomei's character, even though she is on a mad hunt for another man she's never met. I love this film because these two has splendid chemistry and RDJ is at his most charming.

 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

I consider this movie to be RDJ's true comeback after his April 2001 arrest. At that time he did not go to jail but was put on probation for the next three years and his movies between then and this one I didn't enjoy as much. (Those films include The Singing Detective, which was weird, & Gothika where, I must add, is where he met his wife Susan). This movie is the most well written & best casted film he's ever been in, in my opinion. You should all see it for the simple fact that it was written & directed by Shane Black, who also the director & co writer of Iron Man 3. Want to know why IM3 looks so good? Its because of Black. ;)

                      The Pick-up Artist (1987)

This was RDJ's first leading role! This will always be one of my favorites, despite the inclusion of Molly Ringwald. (I cannot stand her in any film, so its a big deal when I say that I thoroughly enjoy this movie.) It takes place mainly in my own neighborhood, the Upper West Side, as well as other locations such as Coney Island and Atlantic City. He plays Jack Jericho, a sweet talking womanizer who meets a woman who will do anything to stay away from him. Key scenes include him in a towel trying his pick-up lines on his reflection in the mirror.

Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus  (2006)

This is one of the strangest films RDJ has ever done. Nicole Kidman costars as the photographer Diane Arbus, who was known for black and white photos of deviant or circus folk-like people. This film is pure fiction, and explores what might have happened if Arbus fell in love with the strange & "deformed" man living in the apartment above her. RDJ as her neighbor, Lionel, is heartbreaking and odd, a performance you must see. 

Ally McBeal: Season Four (2000-2001)

I have many "feels" about this show, this particular season, and RDJ's performance. First off, this is my favorite role he has ever done, ever. You might notice that there is a lack of Tony Stark on this blog post. That is because the amount of charisma and love Tony has for Pepper does not compare in any way for the way RDJ's character Larry Paul feels about Ally McBeal.

Larry Paul is a fellow lawyer in Boston, and is the first real relationship Ally has on the show. He loves her in a way that puts to shame every other romance. He has a tortured past but loves Ally with every fiber of his being. He also has the best lines and scenes of the whole series.

RDJ was nominated for an Emmy and won a Golden Globe for his performance on Ally McBeal. He also was a featured writer and singer on the show soundtrack! He sang & played the piano on many episodes, melting your heart. Sadly, he was arrested in November and April of the season resulting in him being written off the show before the last episode. That will always be a major disappointment in my life because Ally & Larry were supposed to be married in the last episode but that all changed after the second arrest.

Below is a scene of Larry singing "Every Breath You Take" with Sting as a surprise for Ally's birthday

And this concludes my round up of my favorite Robert Downey Jr performances. Honorable mentions are Kirk Lazarus from Tropic Thunder, Sherlock Holmes, Tony Stark, and Mr. Willowby from Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree. What is your favorite RDJ performance?

P.S.- RDJ, I don't ever want children, but if you asked me to bear you more children, I would. In a heart beat. Just saying.  

Bookish Journal #7: GoT Party, Meeting Robert Redford, & Breakfast With Emilia

Hello all!

As you might have noticed, I've been rather quiet on the internet in the last couple of weeks. This tends to happen when you're real life become much too interesting to spend online! Here are some of the things I've been up to as of late:

1.) Game of Thrones Exhibit VIP Party: A week ago there was a party celebrating the opening of the free Game of Thrones exhibition provided by Time Warner and HBO in New York City. Pietro & I were one of the select people in the city invited to attend much to my fangirl enjoyment! The exhibit showcased costumes from the cast including Emilia Clarke's, Peter Dinklage's, and Kit Harrington's. You could also take a picture on a throne replica and play an archery video game. Endless plates of meat and a special GoT honey ale were provided and I will admit to getting more than just a little buzzed off that delicious ale.

I got to meet the cast that showed up but the highlights of the evening including talking with John Bradley-West (Sam) and Kit Harrington for a while! Sam and I discussed the best places in the city he should visit while Kit and I debated on whether or not we should have a meat throwing contest. To top off the night we were sent home with incredible goodie bags which included a bottle of the ale, playing cards, an etched beer glass, and more! Being a journalist may not pay much but you get invited to all the best parties and you get to meet fantastic people.

Which leads me to 2.) Meeting Robert Redford. I saw a screening of his new film he both directed and starred in called "The Company You Keep" and it is by the far the best movie of 2013 as of yet. It is a masterpiece of filmmaking with an incredible cast. My mom was so excited for me to meet him that she kept texting me the weekend before and the morning of fangirling about it. I couldn't get a picture with him, but he was wonderful to talk to and is still as dashing at the age of 76. And I grabbed his coffee cup ;)

3.) Seeing "Breakfast At Tiffany's" on broadway: Pietro and I were able to see the 2nd showing of this and I completely fell in love with it. This play is based more on the novella set in the 1940s and has major differences from the vastly popular 1967 movie with Audrey Hepburn  You can read my full review of it here. Emilia Clarke of "Game of Thrones" fame is marvelous as Holly Golightly, and I would highly reccommend catching a show if you have the chance.

Those are just the main things I've been up to as of late, but I'll blog more about the lesser exciting ones soon. (Such as why I binge watched all of season one of "My Mad Fat Diary" in one sitting because it's  fucking brilliant)

Until next time,

Motivational Mondays: Pat Loika, Comic Book Expert Extraordinaire!

Happy Monday guys! This week's motivational interview is with Pat Loika, known for his charming interactions both online and in person as well as his astounding comic book collection. Pat lives in San Diego, CA (home base to the mecca of nerdom) and spends his time as a writer, illustrator, and podcaster. He is a wonderful person and a stellar artist that inspires me to be a better person and geek!

1.) You have a predominant voice in the comic book community, how do you interact with other fans? 

I'm mostly known for my online interactions. I started through creator forums, but now I primarily do it through social networking like Twitter and Facebook. Of course, the podcast adds another dimension to all of it since I get to chat with creators. I enjoy chatting with other fans who enjoy the same things I like, and being able to interact with the folks that make comics. I've been blessed with the good kind of notoriety, thankfully! 

2.) You have the most impressive comic book collection I've ever seen! How many trades do you have? Any all time favorites? 

Heh. I have about 4,000 trade paperbacks/hardcover books, and about 4 longboxes of single issues. I love getting the oversized hardcovers and omnibus books. They just look cool on a shelf, and it's always to read an entire run by certain creators all in one book. Some favorites include the Fear Agent Library Edition HC and the Thor by Walter Simonson Omnibus. 

3.) You have recently have decided to make a huge life changing decision, tell me a bit about this process you're going though. 

I got hospitalized last October and learned that I am diabetic. Throughout my hospital stay, I lost a considerable amount of weight. I came out of the hospital realizing what I needed to change, and it was the amount of food I take in. It was tough to limit myself, it was tough to not drink soda...but it was worth it. I'm now a hundred pounds lighter than I was a year ago. Never thought that getting hospitalized could be the best thing that could happen to my health...and it was. 

4.) What advice would you give those new to the geek community, and how to find others who share their interests? 

Focus on talking about the things you like, and be respectful of what others enjoy, too. People will more than likely converse with you and geek out on how much you loved the new issue of X-Men, and people will be likely to just ignore you when you're complaining about a tiny continuity gaffe. Enjoy the books you like and keep things positive. You make more friends that way. 

 5.) Tell me a crazy story about something you've seen!

I've seen a LOT in my time. The convention stories I have could fill up an entire book! If you ever see me at a con, ask me in person. :)

Make sure you check out Pat on Twitter and on his Instagram where he posts beautiful pictures of San Diego and various conventions!