San Jose Animal Activists

I just wanted to quickly plug a new organization dedicated to making San Jose the model of animal welfare awareness. San Jose Animal Advocates is trying to spread the word about local animal shelters and rescue groups and hopes to make the community more aware of pet overpopulation and encourage residents to make a difference in the lives of animals. Fore more information, please take a look at their website right over here or a recent article published on them in the Rose Garden Resident.

Spirit of Japantown Festival in San Jose!

Looks like a great event is coming to Japantown this weekend in celebration of its 120 year history. All sorts of Japanese cultural entertainment, food, art & crafts, music, and exhibits are taking over 7 city blocks in Japantown! For more information, check out this link.



Also, an inside scoop on some of the food there from Kathy Sakamoto: "Spirit of Japantown FOOD!: Willydog (kimchee burritos-yes-that's what we said!), TREATbot, Tengu Sushi (sushi and spam musubi), Mariani's sausage sandwiches, Yogurtworks, Nijiya Market (okonomiyaki, yakisoba), LOCO GRINDZ-fried rice & noodles, Portuguese sausage, Quickdog "traditional"hotdogs!, Jamba Juice, House of Si...am (Thai food from the two sisters!), Corn-fu (kettle korn), Momiji Kayo Club gyoza..G.Biersch, Sapporo, Primo, Kirin, Ito-En drinks...more!"

San Pedro Square Market Update! Veggie Box and Crewners Sign Leases!

Over the next few weeks we will be revealing several of the tenants coming to the San Pedro Square Market, Downtown San Jose's entertainment-oriented version of the Ferry Building or Pike's Place scheduled to open early next year! This is why every sentence is ending with exclamation marks! Below are two of the establishments with official, signed leases:

Veggie Box: Fresh from the Valley of Heart's Delight, Veggie Box brings the best of California produce, gourmet goods, and prepared foods to the San Pedro Square Market. Owner Diana Foss is committed to serving only the finest fruits, vegetables, and gourmet goods. She will offer products which are simply not available anywhere else. Taste the difference that truly local makes.

Crewners: A unique, yet traditional barbershop offering precision haircuts and straight razor shaves for gentlemen. Crewners includes a beautifully restored vintage barber chair. Owner Dan Dixon is the most talented and charming barber you’ll ever meet.

SJ Development Forum: clubHOUSE Coming Soon to Downtown!

Posted by "guru_ck":

The signs from Hawgs were taken down yesterday and the new signs for clubHOUSE were put up today. Can't wait to see the interior when it opens.

AXIS Promo

With the upcoming San Pedro Square Market, Little Italy, and several new restaurants... it looks like AXIS residents have a lot to look forward to over the next few months. Have a look below at the latest AXIS promo from WMS Media:

The Tech Awards 2010

Just a quick post to share the video feed for this year's The Tech Awards.  You can see all of the action just by clicking here. Press release below.




Science and technology innovators from around the globe recognized
for their groundbreaking work
Live webcast to announce The Tech Awards laureates 2010

SAN JOSE - Via live webcast, The Tech Museum will introduce 15
technology innovators who have developed or applied technology
toward the common goal of improving our world and its people.
The webcast will include a brief overview of each laureate
project, details on The Tech Awards, an appearance from a
former laureate and an opportunity for a virtual Q&A.

WHEN:

Tuesday, September 21, 2010
11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (PST)

WHERE:
Live Webcast – http://www-
waa-akam.thomson-webcast.net/us/dispatching/?
event_id=78a4893aac2d554ad74281ef1633e7cf&portal_id=fc99
82d27a02c2490a53aed0ac754b6f

LAUREATES: For more information on The Tech Awards,
The Tech Awards Laureates and their projects, go to http://
www.techawards.org/.

The Tech Museum established The Tech Awards in 2000 in
partnership with presenting sponsor Applied Materials to
celebrate technology and innovation benefiting humanity.
Since then, the program has recognized 230 laureates whose
creative applications of technology tackle crucial issues in the five
following areas: environment, economic development, education,
equality and health. A major corporation or foundation sponsors
each category: Environment (Intel); Economic Development
(BD Biosciences); Education (Microsoft); Equality (The Swanson

Foundation), and Health (Nokia).

The laureates will be honored at The Tech Awards 10th
Anniversary Gala on November 6, at the Santa Clara Convention
Center and will be joined by keynote speaker Her Majesty Queen
Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, this year's James C. Morgan Global
Humanitarian Award recipient.

Brightmillion Playing at Johnny V's Downtown

Great indie band is coming to Johnny V's on the 26th. They'll also be doing an afternoon show earlier that day in San Jose's Streetlight Records. You can have a listen over at their Myspace page (start with Wasting Away, I really like that one).


** BRIGHTMILLION ONWARD & UPWARD TOUR 2010 **

Los Angeles Alternative rock band Brightmillion will be on tour in Sept/Oct 2010 and will be playing in San Jose, CA Sept 26th @ Johnny V's

9pm 21+
Johnny V's
31 East Santa Clara Street
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 947-8470

"It’s hard to believe that Southern California’s Brightmillion is a duo. That is not because they can raise an unholy racket like other rock duos including The White Stripes and the Black Keys, but because their songs on Myspace including “Wasting Away” and “Even Though” are so radio ready that it’s hard to imagine that just two people can create such a polished product." - Monterey County Weekly

BURN THE FLOOR Sets Downtown San Jose on Fire!

Okay, I think it's time for me to come clean with everyone. The show "So You Think You Can Dance" has become a guilty pleasure of mine. Perhaps around season 2 or 3, my wife started watching it and I was forced to be a passive viewer. I would sit on the couch with a laptop in front of me, doing work or surfing the web... not really paying much attention to what's going on. A season later, I would put down the laptop anytime a hip-hop routine came on. Fast forward to their last season and magically the laptop was nowhere to be found whenever the show came on.

What I think that show really did for dance was take decades of tradition, and modernize the heck out of it so that even people that know absolutely nothing about dance (e.g. me) can enjoy it. BURN THE FLOOR essentially did the exact same thing to ballroom dancing. They took elements of traditional ballroom as well as jazz, contemporary, and even paso doble routines and made it so that literally anyone can enjoy it. This isn't just a good show for people that like watching dance... it's a good show period.

The routines are simply amazing. You'll see moves that human beings shouldn't be able to physically pull off. What's even more impressive is how these moves can be consistently executed throughout the performance without any slips or falls. The level of talent required for this show is off the charts... all of the dancers were at least great, and some were astounding. The "So You Think You Can Dance" graduates--Pasha, Anya, Ryan, and Ashleigh--were definitely in the astounding category. There was even a special cameo from "So You Think You Can Dance" judge, choreographer, and hot tamale train conductor, Mary Murphy!

Backing up the dancers are twin percussionists and talented singers that help keep the mood lively from curtain to curtain. The sets were fantastic. Choreography? As good as it gets. How about the pace? The show never got boring, even for someone with a very short attention span (last time I saw The Nutcracker, I fell asleep at least 3 times). In a nutshell, this is the best show I've seen at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. If you're interested, I would try to get tickets before they're all sold out. Here's the direct link!