Summer Fun

Well, this was a pretty intense couple of months. So many incredible events.

NDT did not disappoint, as I said before, he is an incredible science educator. The Barbra Streisand concert blew my mind, talk about a living legend! Jarre's concert was pretty unique and fun. Eddie Izzard was simply amazing - two hours of author event / stand-up comedy. Wonderful! Talking of living legends - the play reading of The Chalk Garden with Angela Lansbury was just great! The two comic cons I've gone to were the usual one-day affairs, but allowed me to meet for the first time or see again several absolutely marvelous people.

The big Trek convention in Vegas and the NYCC are upcoming, and I am really looking forward to them.

July 7th - trip to Maryland to see some convention friends
August 2nd-6th  - Star Trek convention in Las Vegas, NV

September 15th - Sir Paul McCartney concert at MSG (birthday present for Dad)
September 18th - An Evening with Judi Dench via The New York Times - TimesTalks
September 19th - Picturing the City: Illustrated Maps of New York City at NYPL
September 29th - October 1st - Star Trek convention in Parsippany, NJ

October 3rd - Greater Gotham: A History of New York City from 1898 to 1919 at NYPL
October 5th - NYCC Presents - Star Trek: The Next 50 Years
October 5th - 8th - New York Comic Con

October 16th - Frontiers Lecture: Endurance with Astronaut Scott Kelly at AMNH
October 27th - 29th - the fall Chiller Theatre
November 8th-10th - Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Boston, MA
December 14th - Andrea Bocelli concert at MSG

May 1st

And we are now in May. Thankfully, the weather seems to be cooperating, and it is finally getting warmer every day. What is new? Well, the NY / NJ Mineral Show was a great success - wonderful vendors, great exhibits - it felt bigger and better than last year. It was a struggle not to buy everything in sight. I did walk away with some wonderful purchases - two fossils, two minerals and a plush dinosaur. :D The Washington trip was fantastic, despite having to hobble around on a sprained ankle. Museums, excellent weather, good food - the trip truly left nothing else to be desired. The last two weekends were quite busy - between Chiller and the March (#StandUpForScience), and then the 9-hours-long Godfather event, it felt like I was barely home. Speaking of which - that cast reunion was truly unprecedented. Incredible to be there in person!

May 5th - TimesTalks event with Neil deGrasse Tyson
May 6th - Barbra Streisand concert at Barclays Center, Brooklyn
May 20th - Jean-Michel Jarre - Electronica Tour concert at Radio City Music Hall
May 22nd - author talk with Jeffrey Kluger (author of Apollo 8; co-author of The Lost Moon (Apollo 13) aboard USS Intrepid
June 1st - 4th - Wizard World's Philadelphia Comic Con
June 12th - OITNB Season 5 Debut Screening and Conversation
June 14th - an intimate evening celebrating Eddie Izzard's new memoir, Believe Me (info from his Facebook page)
June 19th - The Acting Company Presents: The Chalk Garden starring Angela Lansbury
June 30th - July 2nd - Denver Comic Con (trying a new convention!)
July 7th - trip to Maryland to see some convention friends
August 2nd-6th  - Star Trek convention in Las Vegas, NV

September 29th - October 1st - Star Trek convention in Parsippany, NJ

October 5th - 8th - New York Comic Con

November 8th-10th - Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Boston, MA
December 14th - Andrea Bocelli concert at MSG

Spring Updates

There is not much to update actually. I have had quite a bit of some science fun at the Brain Candy and Lawrence Krauss lecture at the AMNH (sadly, I couldn't make it to the Oddities market), other than that, March has been spent in anticipation of warmer weather and further events.

Upcoming events:

April 7th - 9th - NY / NJ Mineral, Fossil, Gem and Jewelry Show
April 13th - 15th - Washington museum trip with my sister
April - 21st - 23rd - Chiller Theatre at Parsippany, NJ (a maybe)
April 22nd - March For Science; I hope to attend the one in NYC
April 29th - Tribeca Film Festival is celebrating the 45th anniversary of The Godfather saga with the screening of The Godfather and The Godfather II, followed by the cast reunion! That's right - Coppola, De Niro, Pacino, Keaton, Shire, Caan, Duvall! Oh, my!
May 6th - Barbra Streisand concert at Barclays Center, Brooklyn
May 20th - Jean-Michel Jarre - Electronica Tour concert at Radio City Music Hall
June 14th - an intimate evening celebrating Eddie Izzard's new memoir, Believe Me (info from his Facebook page)
July 7th - trip to Maryland to see some convention friends
August 2nd-6th  - Star Trek convention in Las Vegas, NV

September 29th - October 1st - Star Trek convention in Parsippany, NJ

October 5th - 8th - New York Comic Con

November 8th-10th - Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Boston, MA
December 14th - Andrea Bocelli concert at MSG

Here We Are

And, here we are, in the new year. I cannot believe that it is the middle of February already.

January has been gray and uneven, which is hardly surprising given the current "climate" in the country. Nevertheless, a few things of note. I was unfortunately down for the count physically for the New York Women's March (I cannot remember the last time I was so sick for so long) but, at the very least, I had managed to attend The Ghostlight Project gathering in the Times Square. The RU Geo Museum mineral sale was somewhat uninspiring this year but, nevertheless, it was nice to poke around the tables. By far, the most fun in the last month or so was my sister doing a residency rotation in the city, so we hung out together as much as we could (further highlight of that being the discovery of the most amazing Italian restaurant in Manhattan - Becco).

Upcoming events:

February 28th - Adam Savage & Michael Stevens: Brain Candy at Beacon Theater

March 12th - First Annual Oddities Flea Market in Greenpoint, Brooklyn (info from Atlas Obscura)
March 15th-16th - New York Build Expo 2017
March 23rd - Frontiers Lecture: The Greatest Story Ever Told - So Far by Lawrence Krauss at AMNH
April 7th - 9th - NY / NJ Mineral, Fossil, Gem and Jewelry Show
April 13th - 15th - Washington museum trip with my sister
April - 21st - 23rd - Chiller Theatre at Parsippany, NJ (a maybe)
April 22nd - March For Science; I hope to attend the one in NYC
April 29th - Tribeca Film Festival is celebrating the 45th anniversary of The Godfather saga with the screening of The Godfather and The Godfather II, followed by the cast reunion! That's right - Coppola, De Niro, Pacino, Keaton, Shire, Caan, Duvall! Oh, my!
May 6th - Barbra Streisand concert at Barclays Center, Brooklyn
May 20th - Jean-Michel Jarre - Electronica Tour concert at Radio City Music Hall
August 2nd-6th  - Star Trek convention in Las Vegas, NV

September 29th - October 1st - Star Trek convention in Parsippany, NJ

October 5th - 8th - New York Comic Con

November 8th-10th - Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Boston, MA

Here's Hoping, 2017!

Hopes for a kind and calm 2016 did not exactly pan out. Inarguably, that year contained some extraordinary highlights and amazing events, but also considerable worries, losses and sadness.

Please, 2017, be kind.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Winter Is Coming

I already noted what an unusual year 2016 has been, and the past several months have certainly confirmed it and not in the best way. Who knows what 2017 will bring. Trying to hope for the best.

On the brighter side of things, the remaining events of the year have certainly been fun. The Front Page is an excellent play - the cast was magnificent! The Drama Bookshop's discussion with James Grissom was delightful, check out both his book and his blog. Northeast Con did not disappoint. This was a real retro-con, the way conventions used to be before the convention culture went mainstream and birthed the pop culture monsters like SDCC or NYCC. I hope the inaugural event was successful on the organizers' side, and they will do another one next year. Meeting Carrie Fisher was brief but truly lovely, she obviously enjoyed interacting with the fans who attended her book signing. Neil deGrasse Tyson is, without any doubt, one of the best science educators. The event at NJPAC was both informative and entertaining.

Next year is starting to get a few things planned already:

January 28th - Rutgers University Geology Museum Open House
February 28th - Adam Savage & Michael Stevens: Brain Candy at Beacon Theater

April 7th - 9th - NY / NJ Mineral, Fossil, Gem and Jewelry Show
August 2nd-6th  - Star Trek convention in Las Vegas, NV

September 15th - 17th - Star Trek convention in Chicago, IL

September 29th - October 1st - Star Trek convention in Parsippany, NJ

October 5th - 8th - New York Comic Con

November 8th-10th - Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Boston, MA

Continued Fall Fun

Just updating my small list of upcoming events, and starting to wonder what the next year will bring. 2016 has been most certainly a very unusual year. Anyway, though visiting the Star Trek art exhibit (again) did not pan out, the end of September did not disappoint and the NYCC-high beginning of October was definitely a highlight! Adele concert was truly mind-blowing; this is how you sell the Voice!!! Tyson and Co were great fun - I just love the AMNH events! NYCC was predictably crowded and overwhelming but offered a tremendous genre spread on its show floor and in its Artist Alley. Seeing and hearing Mel Brooks in person was indescribable - truly a living legend!

November 3rd - The Front Page, a Broadway play starring Nathan Lane
November 7th - James Grissom and Joanna Gleason discuss Follies of God and Tennessee Williams
November 11th - 13th - Northeast Trek Con in Albany, NY (another brand-new event)
November 22nd - Carrie Fisher at Strand Books
December 15th - An Evening With Neil DeGrasse Tyson at NJPAC
February 28th, 2017 - Adam Savage & Michael Stevens: Brain Candy at Beacon Theater

Amazing Summer #2 (Happy Birthday, Star Trek!)

My grand tour of summer conventions is complete - what a rush! I don't think I'll attempt to do five conventions in six weeks again, as it was extremely tiring, but what a fantastic way to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Star Trek! I suppose Wizard World's Chicago was a little bit off-topic, since I went there to attend the Back To The Future reunion, but I was still on a look out for Trek-related things and had a tremendous time. The new convention in New York City turned out to be a wonderful event - it had its pluses and minuses, but, unquestionably, it had some extraordinary programming. If someone could find a way to combine STLV and STM:NY, it would be the ultimate Star Trek convention. As such, I am very glad that we now have a variety of Trek conventions to attend!

Though September 8th has just passed with an amazing celebratory outpouring all over the world, the anniversary celebrations and events still continue, and, I suspect, will continue well into the next year. Overall, this anniversary has been an absolutely incredible experience!

September 16 -25th - Transported: Paley Center Salutes 50 Years of Star Trek
September 23rd - Adele concert at Madison Square Garden!!! (huge thanks to my sister)
September 27th - StarTalk: Everything You Ever Need to Know About Space Travel, Sci-Fi, the Human Race, the Universe, and Beyond (a book presentation by Chuck Nice and Neil deGrasse Tyson at AMNH)
October 7th - NYCC Presents: The 50 Year Mission: Star Trek Then, Now and Beyond (Scott Mantz interviews Mark A. Altman and Ed Gross about their The Fifty-Year Mission books)
October 6th - 9th - New York Comic Con
October 19th - The 2016 Urban Green Conference
October 24th - Young Frankenstein: A Mel Brooks Book: The Story of the Making of the Film (author event with Mel Brooks!!!)
November 3rd - The Front Page, a Broadway play starring Nathan Lane
November 11th - 13th - Northeast Trek Con in Albany, NY (another brand-new event)
November 7th - James Grissom and Joanna Gleason discuss Follies of God and Tennessee Williams
December 15th - An Evening With Neil DeGrasse Tyson at NJPAC

Amazing Summer

What an amazing summer! The continuing celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Star Trek is out of this world! Between all the news and events and collectibles and books, my days are full of Trek, and I wouldn't have it any other way! :)

Montreal Comiccon turned out to be a truly lovely experience - my very first trip to Canada, however brief, and a very nice convention to boot! Manhattanhenge was a nice event but not as impressive as I had hoped it to be, probably because the actual sundown was obscured by the buildings in the line of sight on the street selected for viewing by the museum.

Eddie Izzard is a true genius. His concert was a brilliant show; my sister and I had a tremendous time and actually managed to meet him and shake his hand at the stage door afterwards!

Continuing with the Trek theme: the Starfleet Academy Experience is an exhibit to be checked out. Great fun! I just might go again. The third reboot movie came out this summer - and I loved it!!! This movie had both the action and the spirit. As much as STID didn't feel like Trek, this movie most certainly did! Finally (as of this post), STLV hit the spot with 5 days of non-stop Trek! Highly enjoyable convention; it just doesn't get any less exciting!!!

August 19th - 21st - WizardWorld's Chicago Comic Con
August 26th - 28th - Star Trek Convention in Cherry Hill
September 2nd - 4th - Star Trek: Mission New York (a brand new con in the City!!!)
September 9th - 11th - Star Trek Convention in Chicago
September 16 -25th - Transported: Paley Center Salutes 50 Years of Star Trek
September 23rd - Adele concert at Madison Square Garden!!! (huge thanks to my sister)
September 27th - StarTalk: Everything You Ever Need to Know About Space Travel, Sci-Fi, the Human Race, the Universe, and Beyond (a book presentation by Chuck Nice and Neil deGrasse Tyson at AMNH)
October 7th - NYCC Presents: The 50 Year Mission: Star Trek Then, Now and Beyond
October 6th - 9th - New York Comic Con
December 15th - An Evening With Neil DeGrasse Tyson at NJPAC

June Updates

Washington trip has come and gone - great, great museums yet again (grandma enjoyed herself, and I got my own highlight - the National Gallery finally had my favorite Monet on display!). Angela Lansbury (truly, a living legend!) and Dana Ivey were phenomenal during the play reading - absolute delight!!! OITNB never fails to impress; the new season is heart wrenching and powerfully dramatic. The cast provided fantastic performances all around, and it was a pleasure to see them live in discussion. In addition, I had the pleasure to see "For The Love of Spock" again last Sunday. Fittingly, the showing was held at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater at Symphony Space.

July 8th - 10th - Montreal Comiccon
July 12th - Manhattanhenge at AMNH
July 16th - Star Trek The Starfleet Academy Experience at the Intrepid Museum
July 21st - Star Trek Beyond pre-premiere showing
July 22nd - Eddie Izzard at the Beacon Theater
August 3rd - 7th - the epic five days long 50th Anniversary Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas
August 19th - 21st - WizardWorld's Chicago Comic Con
August 26th - 28th - Star Trek Convention in Cherry Hill
September 2nd - 4th - Star Trek: Mission New York (a brand new con in the City!!!)
September 9th - 11th - Star Trek Convention in Chicago
September 16 -25th - Transported: Paley Center Salutes 50 Years of Star Trek
October 6th - 9th - New York Comic Con
December 15th - An Evening With Neil DeGrasse Tyson at NJPAC