They will be offering 10% off all comics and graphic novels until the end of the year.

Obelisk Shoppe has been under new ownership since January 1st. Since then Obelisk Shoppe has embarked on a gradual transformation. The new owner, Brett Serwalt, a San Diego resident since 1997, recognizes the need to redefine the business model away from the narrow focus of books and DVD’s. The goal is to create an evolving lifestyle boutique, catering specifically to the GLBT community, while also accepting anyone in the community. They will continue to offer the best in GLBT books, while also broadening their selection. Over the past year Obelisk Shoppe has introduced several new product lines, including men’s skincare and grooming products (such as the award winning ZIRH, and Anthony For Men), eye-catching fashion watches and jewelry, and now a latest category launch - COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS. They feature mainstream titles from DC, Dark Horse, and Marvel, as well as some very unique gay-specific and adult comics. Obelisk Shoppe is located in Hillcrest at 1029 University Avenue, between 10th and Vermont, across from the Ralph’s shopping center. For more information feel free to call 619-297-4171 or just stop in and see the change in products and atmosphere.

Assembly Member Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego), open carry presenters and legal experts will discuss gun-safety legislation making its way through the state Legislature in a panel discussion this Friday at the Catfish Club. Also to be in attendance is Robyn Thomas, Executive Director, Legal Community Against Violence and the open carry presenters. This will be an open panel discussion on public safety and the open carry movement. It will be held at 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm on Friday, July 23 at The Hall of Champions in Balboa Park, 2131 Pan America Plaza. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Wrap up your Pride Month at the 50 & Better Art show, taking place in The Center’s auditorium on Saturday, July 31, 5-8pm. Enjoy snacks and beverages while perusing the work of our 50 & Better Together art group. Buy raffle tickets for a chance to win a masterpiece of your own. Members of our 50 & Better creative writing group will also share their work. Entrance is free. For more information, contact Senior Abby Schwartz at (619) 692-2077, ext. 212, or seniors@thecentersd.org.

Early HIV Test now available for women on Tuesdays at Christie’s Place beginning August 3rd. The Women’s Early HIV Test will now be offered at Christie’s Place every Tuesday, 3-6pm beginning August 3rd, 2010. The Early Test is free and confidential and can detect HIV infection within a week after exposure. Christie’s Place is located at 2440 Third Avenue in San Diego.

Lyric’s “Jazz in North Park” Series, presented in conjunction with Holly Hofmann, has been so warmly received at the Birch North Park Theatre that concerts have been added through November 2010. The second half of the series begins August 4, when pianist Bill Cunliffe brings his Imaginacion septet to the Birch with San Diego’s own Coral MacFarland Thuet on vocals. Grammy-winning pianist Bill Cunliffe has developed into one of the premiere players on the West Coast jazz scene. Awarded a 2010 Grammy for his charts on the Resonance Records’ “Tribute to Oscar Peterson” CD from last year, Cunliffe is known for his adventurous piano playing and his capacity to work in a wide array of musical styles. Joining Cunliffe and his Imaginacion septet will be jazz and Latin singer Coral MacFarland Thuet, who sings in Spanish, English, and Portuguese with a repertoire of music from Latin America. This will be a wonderful evening of Afro-Cuban jazz.

“The venue and staff at the Theatre make it a wonderful place to present jazz: great vibe, good acoustics and musician-friendly,” said Music Director Hofmann.

The remaining Jazz in North Park shows run through November on the first Wednesday of the month. All performances begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $22 for seniors, KSDS 88.3 FM members, and Lyric Opera San Diego members, and $27 for general admission. Student discount tickets for $15 are available on the day of the show. Tickets may be purchased at the Birch Box Office, (619) 239-8836, and online: http://www.birchnorthparktheatre.net.

Learn to square dance with San Diego Finest City Squares. There is no dress code, and no partners needed. Classes are held on Wednesdays at 7:30PM, starting August 11, 18, or 25 at The War Memorial Building in Balboa Park, 3325 Zoo Drive (corner of Park & Upas). It is free through August, $5 thereafter. For more infomation you can visit www.finestcitysquares.org.

Mi Familia will premiere at The Center’s auditorium at 6 pm on Saturday, July 24. It is a documentary about families who love their GLBT children. It is a joint project of The Center’s Latino Services program and PFLAG, Mi Familia was filmed in Spanish and is shown with English subtitles. Tickets are only $5. For more information, contact Carolina Ramos at (619) 692-2077, ext. 116, or cramos@thecentersd.org, or visit the Latino Services Facebook page.

This will be an open forum to the public allowing the discussion of public health and confidentiality to be analyzed. Researchers claim that by studying the virus in the blood of many different infected individuals, it is possible to find patterns of transmission that can help our society better target programs that are likely to have the greatest impact on reducing further infection. A related opportunity is that the resulting information could, for example, identify a particular individual as being a frequent source of new infections. From a public health perspective, as we now do for tuberculosis, it would be in the interest of the community to intervene with that particular individual. The risk in this case is that doing so may not be clear or acceptable to those individuals. The challenge here is complex. The community of those at risk of HIV infection has a legitimate expectation that public health researchers would intervene to limit the role of an identifiable individual in contributing to further infections. However individuals who have agreed to participate in a research study have a legitimate expectation of confidentiality. While some people might argue that public health trumps the expectation of confidentiality, it is important to keep in mind that doing so could fuel distrust of the researching the community, resulting in decreased participation in research studies. In the long run, this would mean fewer opportunities to intervene either with individuals or with the larger community. The public is free to join in for this first ever public discussion of this challenging issue for research and our community. For more information or to register for this event you can go to http://www.ethicscenter.net/event/analysis-hiv-networks-can-we-protect-both-public-health-and-confidentiality or Exploring Ethics Forum 858-822-2647 info@ethicscenter.net.