After Thanksgiving near Downtown SD

I was kindly asked to guest blog by my complex, @VantagePointeSD, for their blog at http://myvantagepointeblog.com/:

I put together a list of after-Thanksgiving events near Downtown San Diego. You may have a few days off… take advantage of them  and enjoy the Holidays to the fullest!

• Charger’s 50th Anniversary Block Party! Join the 50 All Time Charger players of old and new at the upcoming Chargers 50th Anniversary Block Party on Friday, November 27th, 2009 from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm. $35 More Info
• Horton Plaza Ice Skating!  Open daily Nov. 19 – Jan. 10 (closed on Thanksgiving Day), 10 am-10 pm. Adults $12; Kids $10. More Info
• Teddy Bear Tea!  Bring the kids and their teddy bears, or your teddy bear, to the Westgate Hotel for sweet treats and storytelling followed by a visit from Santa. 2:30 pm Fri-Sun, Nov. 27-29, 2009 More Info
• Balboa Theatre’s USO Holiday Concert! Free annual event Dec 5th with the USO thanking the community for their support and efforts. More Info
• Military Writer’s Society Book Signing! December 2, 2009, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., 14 authors from the San Diego Chapter of the Military Writer’s Society of America will gather at the Veterans Museum and Memorial Center (near Balboa Park at 2115 Park Blvd) for a Symposium, Book Fair and Book Signing. More Info
• 32nd Annual December Nights at Balboa Park! Friday Dec 4, 5:00-10:00 p.m. and Sat Dec 5, noon-10:00 p.m. In the spirit of the holidays, participating Balboa Park museums open their doors free of charge from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. both evenings. The largest free community festival in San Diego! More Info
• Whale Watching! Starting December 12… a 3 1/2 hour cruise to see whales migrating down from the Arctic to Mexico. Adults $32 weekdays $37 Weekends, Kids $16/$19, Seniors/Military $25/$30. They also offer dining, tour, and birthday cruises. More Info

Love… it’s all you need (Review)

During Blogworld in Vegas, I had the opportunity to attend a comped performance of “The Beatles’ LOVE” by Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage. As part of the deal, I was to write a review of the show for my blog, which I am happy to do, because the show was amazing, the performances and music spectacular, and the theater itself stunning.

Love at the Mirage

I’m not a huge fan of the Beatles, but I left wanting to listen to more of their music. Some songs I recognized and have heard before, most I hadn’t, but they were all matched with tremendous visual performances on a constantly morphing stage. I wasn’t really following the characters of the performance too well… I assume they represent roles in songs, etc. There is a character list on the Love web site which may help, but none-the-less, the show was great, and well worth the money if you love music, love theater, and of course if you even remotely love the Beatles!

The cool Love sign

Walrus Eggman

Groupies

$3,000 Raised from the Tweet Your Heart Out Charity Auction!

Congrats to everyone that came out, bid, and participated in our 1st Charity Auction: we raised $3,000 for a great cause!

Exclusive date & dinner packages, including Yoga and Champagne at The Sofia Hotel, Dinner at Currant, Dinner at Stingaree,  Dinner Cruise package from Hornblower Cruises, and more, all included when you bid on San Diego’s most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes!

See the Bachelor and Bachelorette Showcase!

We raised $3,000!

Tweet Your Heart Out Bachelor/ette Charity Auction

Comic-Con Parties: tag/search using #ccparty

All the Comic-Con Parties! Tag/search with #ccparty

—For Friday July 24th—

(These are all public/non-rsvp events. Some cost, some require guestlist to avoid cover, etc.)

IHeartComix (@IHEARTCOMIX) Paper Heart Official Comic Con party at @VoyeurSD: http://bit.ly/T3VJE #ccparty

BBC and Adult Swim: The Mighty Boosh Party, 4th and B, 11pm. $5 advance/$10 door. #ccparty

Comic Strip blurlesque show, Ruby Room 10:30pm – 2am fishnetfollies.com #ccparty

Horror Film SHowcase and Afterparty, El Dorado Bar, 9:30pm – 2am #ccparty

Prism Comics presents Young Heros, Rich;s Dance Club 9pm #ccparty

PlanetIllogica.com Launch Party, Wonderhaus, 9pm #ccparty

The Infusion Project, Stingaree 9pm-2am Guest list: info@theinfusionproject.com, otherwise $20. #ccparty

Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School Afterparty Ruby Room 8pm-2am $6 w/badge, $12 w/o. #ccparty

Amanda Palmer CBLDF Benefit Concert, SD Women’s Club 7pm, $25 at the door #ccparty

Road Trip: Beer Pong DVD debut: Henry’s Irish Pub 4-7pm #ccparty

Special Comic-Con Tweetup Sponsor: Vertical Inc.

Special Sponsor: Vertical Inc., a publisher of Japanese graphic novels (aka manga), and other books in New York: http://www.vertical-inc.com/

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Vertical translates the best contemporary Japanese books. We select our popular novels, graphic novels, and quality nonfiction from a rich, variegated stock: Japan’s huge and vibrant book market.

In fields like animation and video games, Japanese entertainment thrills people worldwide. The Japanese book world’s offerings are equally entertaining. Until now, however, most Japanese books translated into English have been either literary classics or introductions to traditional culture meant for a limited circle of Japanophiles. Vertical publishes exciting titles that require no prior knowledge of Japanese culture and are not intended primarily to familiarize readers with it; we choose good reads with universal themes.

Read different. Read Vertical.

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They are giving away the night of the Tweetup:

- vol. 1-6 of Black Jack by Osamu Tezuka, the “godfather of manga” in Japan

- complete set of Dororo also by Tezuka

- complete set of To Terra, with a first volume signed by its creator, Keiko Takemiya