Attention geeks, nerds, dorks, and fangirls of the world: prepare yourselves, because Comic-Con International kicks off  this Thursday, July 23! (Yes, I know it’s exciting. Grab a paper bag and breathe.)

For those not in the know, the San Diego Convention Center becomes a mecca every summer for fans of comics, science fiction, fantasy, and a lot of stuff in between. But even if you’re not a fan of any of those things (or a self-proclaimed geek like me!), Comic-Con has expanded over the years to encompass whatever’s hot in pop culture.

So if you’re going to be in SoCal from July 23-26 and can get yourself a pass, here are some reasons why you should check out Comic-Con (and if you can’t go this year, definitely mark your calendars for 2010):

1.   Check out upcoming films way before they’re released and hear from the filmmakers and cast.
The movie panels are a big hit each year, and 2009 isn’t going to be any different. Dozens of movies are going to be previewed at Comic-Con, but here’s just a sampling of what’s on the schedule next week: Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Avatar, Zombieland, 2012, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (Heath Ledger’s last film), Astro Boy…and, of course, Twilight. Yes, the cast is going to be there. Including RPattz.

Cue fangirl screams.

2.    Sit in on discussions and upcoming season previews with the cast and crew of your favorite TV shows.
Get the scoop on TV’s most popular shows from the writers themselves (and the hott-with-a-double-“t” cast members!). Shows that will be represented include Smallville, True Blood, Heroes, Dollhouse, Family Guy, Chuck, Lost, 24, and Dexter. If I could just see Stephen Moyer, Milo Ventimiglia, Joss Whedon, and Kiefer Sutherland, I would be able to die a happy, happy woman.

3.   It’s not just about the shows, movies, and comics – there’s intellectual discussion to be found!
Comic-Con will be hosting several discussion panels with college professors, writers, and other experts on everything from parody in art to the anthropology of Star Trek. There are a number of panels relating to women in pop culture and comics specifically, so put your thinking caps on, ladies! Read More »

There are lots of things you don’t know about a man when you meet him at a bar. Like, where he lives. Or who he knows. Or, sometimes, his name (which makes the phone number exchange mighty awkward the next morning). It is all part of the mystery, the fun…and the nature of the situation. Usually it’s better that way; knowing that kid likes Star Wars is not going to help set the mood.

Or, I don’t know…knowing he has a girlfriend?

I found myself in that precarious situation this past weekend. I was hangin’ out when I was approached by a fine specimen of a man. He was tall, dressed really well and his smile made me melt. We totally hit it off and soon found ourselves making out in the bar like we were Freshmen at a frat party.

He invited me back to his place and, eagerly, I obliged.

When we arrived back at his place – which was a far cab ride from my own abode – he went to the kitchen to get some much needed water and I started to look around. And I began to notice a recurring theme: cute kissy photos of him and a very adorable looking girl. Tons of them. Everywhere.

Clearly, this boy had a girlfriend. Read More »

[There are some women out there that we just can’t get out of our minds. No, we aren’t switching teams - yet - but we do have some serious crushes on some pretty fierce females. These ladies are all special in their own right and we aren’t ashamed to tell the world we love them.]

When guys tell me that they think Natalie Portman is the hottest girl alive, I secretly jump for joy. I’ve been crushing hard on Natalie Portman for.e.ver, because on top of being a great actress, she also seems like a real person — the type of girl you’d want to be best friends with.

For starters she’s beautiful and brainy. I mean the girl is a Harvard grad! And brainiacs (OK, nerds) around the globe fell head over heels for her for her role as Padme Amidala in the Star Wars prequels. She continued to be loved by guys everywhere for her role in V for Vendetta. And I’m sure many guys fled to the theatres to see her naked in Hotel Chevalier.

But she isn’t just for the boys. She’s appeared in chick flicks such as Where the Heart Is, Anywhere But Here, The Other Boleyn Girl and Closer. Not to mention everyone’s favorite indie flicks, Garden State and My Blueberry Nights. Her roles have greatly varied, showing that she’s a versatile actress.

And, come on, Natalie Portman is absolutely gorgeous as well. She’s the muse of Zac Posen; guest-judged on Project Runway; posed as Audrey Hepburn on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar; and very few ladies can pull off a shaved head, but Natalie rocked it, along with some super cute boyish hairstyles while her hair grew back. Read More »

The first time I’d ever heard of Watchmen was when I went to see The Dark Knight. There was a trailer with an amazing Smashing Pumpkins song, and it looked pretty cool. The trailer mentioned something about being based off of a graphic novel, so when I got home I called the bf since he worked at a comic book store in high school. (Nerdcore, I love it.) He told me that it was really good, and since I’d never read a graphic novel before, it’d be a good one to start off with. So I went and bought a copy.

I FRIGGIN LOVED IT. Here’s why I’m stoked about anything Watchmen; book or movie:

1) Incredibly well written: The entire time, I couldn’t put it down. Without giving anything away, it’s about a group of masked vigilantes who are considered superheroes, but only one of them has an actual power. The world is going down the crapper and they have to save it. But there’s just so much more to it than that. It’s written amazingly and you get everyone’s background history. You really get involved. Plus it’s won a Hugo award and is the only graphic novel on Time magazine’s “Best 100 English Language Novels,” which means it’s not just me who’s thinks it’s amazing. Read More »

Men. Boys. Dudes. We love them, we hate them, we’re better off without them, and we are ALWAYS looking for them. We all know it’s hard to meet a quality man (and we all know the men we don’t want). So what do you do when you’ve exhausted your typical go-to options? Here you have it gals:

The 5 BEST places to meet men (According to ME!)

Sporting event- Let’s face it, most men love sports. Men also love women who love sports… and women who wear baseball hats (trust me on this one). And being in a college town, there is no shortage of men or sporting events. So grab a baseball hat and head to the B-ball game!

In line for The Dark Knight (or insert other highly anticipated dude-flick here). Think about how many hours YOU waited in line for the Sex and the City movie, surrounded by all that estrogen (which confused your body so much that you got your period, TWICE). How happy would you have been if there was some man-candy there (gay or dragged along by his girlfriend clearly doesn’t count). Now reverse the sitch. 100 dudes, 1 chick. And a chick who is also waiting to see Batman (in a baseball hat)?! Done aaaand done.

Class: We all have that cute boy in class. The one who comes looking like a disheveled mess who was out partying all night – on a Monday - but is actually smart and eloquent and totally into today’s discussion (but not in the teacher suck-up sort of way). Class is a great time to actually get to know someone – because, lets face it- if you would have met him last night at the bar, chances are nothing would have come of it. So suggest a study date! Read More »

Post-college geeks aren’t the same as in-college geeks. These aren’t hipster boys who wear horn-rimmed glasses or cardigans with elbow patches. These boys aren’t geek chic. Post-college geeks are a special breed of boy. They are the freaks from Freaks & Geeks, and not in an ironic way. They played Dungeons & Dragons in high school (and maybe still secretly do) and can name all the aliens that appear in the Mos Eisley Cantina in “Star Wars.”

And they’re surprisingly date-able.

I sat down the other night with two of my geekiest friends, Patrick and Jeff (not their real names), to discuss geek love. I asked them why a girl should date a geeky guy, and they gave me an intricate look at the geek lifestyle and how it translates into relationships.

First, we lay down the definition of a geek. They explain to me the difference between a nerd, a geek, and a dork. In their opinion, dorks and nerds are both socially awkward beings –– dorks because they’re too dumb and nerds because they’re too smart. A geek, on the other hand, is the perfect specimen.

“How do you approach a girl you have a crush on?” I ask.

“I do that?” Patrick asks back. Jeff explains to me that geeky guys don’t approach girls they like in order to ask them out. Out of a fear of rejection, they try to be friends first. I ask the guys how well this works out, they agree: not well. Read More »

Are you in love with a geek? Got a few proud-to-be-nerd friends? Have a parent who’s still so into Star Wars you’re amazed that they ever got married and ending up having you?

If you answered yes to any of these questions and still can’t seem to find the perfect holiday present for the techie in your life, here’s a list of gifts that are sure to tickle their flash drive.

• AnnoyATron – ($9.99) – If you know someone who gets a kick out of watching people squirm, buy them a cheap and easy way to be the bane of their co-workers’ (or professor’s) existence! The AnnoyATron is a tiny device that once hidden, emits loud beeping sounds without any real rhythm. After a few minutes, most victims will probably go crazy trying to figure out what they’re hearing. A high tech version of the old cell phone prank. Nice.

• Micro Spy Remote – ($8.99) – Another way to piss people off! This tiny universal remote has the ability to change the channel on almost any television set. Whether your nerd is at the doctor’s, in a bar, or just at a friend’s house, stealthily changing the channels is sure to either A) confuse the hell out of people, or B) make them think they have a ghost. And believe me, when people really think there’s a ghost controlling their TV…it’s hilarious. Read More »

• C’mon everyone! Stop having lives and start watching TV! P.S. Cavemen premieres tonight… (Reuters)

• Finally, a class where the nerds will be cool! For a semester, at least. (The Crimson White)

• Honda Civic being sold on Craigslist has over 930,000 miles on it and is in seemingly great condition. One question: does it still smell like a guido or is that just a New York thing? (autoblog.com)

• “If I would’ve let him smoke crack in my house, he would still be alive, and I blame myself.” Ummm, I feel like that logic is somewhat flawed. (KCTV5)

• Another reason to go Green: Volkswagen is planning to release all future models with a hybrid option! (GoSunSolutions.com)

Damn you, Natalie Portman! I’ve been using this line for years! Now it’s never gonna to sound original.

Everyone’s favorite Harvard educated, beautiful, Star Wars (the new episodes, that everyone hated, and that I never saw, because I can’t understand Star Wars for the life of me) Queen apparently has no qualms when it comes to considering a relationship with another chick. Cue the lotion and tissues.

Who knows, maybe she really means it. Maybe it’s not just about publicity and making herself seem mysterious and worldly. So what that there’s never even been one peep of girl on girl rumor? So what she’s never been photographed so much as hugging another chick? Who cares that she hasn’t been in the public eye for a while and may need to remind people she still exists? Maybe she’s telling the god honest truth. I guess I should stop being so judgmental. I mean, just because almost every girl I know has uttered this line shouldn’t make me doubt Ms. Portman’s sincerity.

So…kudos to you, Natalie! If you want to go gay, the majority of the male population will completely, sincerely, 100% support you. I mean, we’ll all support you. I just think they’ll support you with extra energy.