Randy's Guide LVIII

Today and tomorrow are part of Day of the Dead festivities; today is World Vegan Day; Saturday is actress Roseanne Barr’s 55th; Sunday is comedian Kathy Griffin’s 46th, Russia’s National Unity Day, and Daylight Savings Change (one hour back); and Tuesday is U.S. Election Day. Welcome to all new readers.

Local News Stories of the Week:

Stanford researchers have found that willpower can only go so far in conquering issues such as overeating, smoking cigarettes, and engaging in risky sexual behavior. Environmental cues and specific behavioral skills are also needed to overcome powerful emotions such as fear or pleasure. http://stanmed.stanford.edu/2007fall/main.html

Zipcar and Flexcar have agreed to merge nationwide for-profit operations. In San Francisco, the combined company will operate under the name Zipcar and face only one competitor, the nonprofit City CarShare. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/31/BASLT3KRD.DTL


Change for Change (repeat of last week)

Charity to consider: Blue Energy. The San Francisco-based nonprofit, which started as a graduate project at MIT, provides low-cost wind and solar electric systems in Nicaragua and eventually will spread its model worldwide. http://www.blueenergygroup.org/

Previous organizations Randy's Guide has spotlighted and donated: Common Ground Relief, LYRIC, Aldea Inc., Glide Memorial, City CarShare, Maitri, Loaves and Fishes, Friends of the Urban Forest, Farm Sanctuary, and Bay Area Community Services.

Donate through the non-profit's Web site or your corporate donation program.


Weekend Weather:

Great autumn climate, warming through weekend

High 64-67, Low 50: SF (beaches), Berkeley
High 69-73, Low 51: SF (downtown)
High 73, Low 47: Oakland, San Mateo
High 78, Low 48: San Jose

High 58, Low 30: Boise, ID (clear)
High 60, Low 40: Louisville, KY (partly cloudy)
High 83, Low 65: Miami, FL (partly cloudy)
High 55, Low 37: New Haven, CT (clear)
High 83, Low 53: Pomona, CA (clear)


Environmental Tip of the Week:

Even during winter, your car needs to be groomed occasionally. Check out car washes that recycle their water, or Eco Touch’s Waterless Car Wash product (http://www.ecotouch.net/).

Previous:

To prolong sponge life, wring them after each use, keep them dry between uses, disinfect by boiling them in water for three minutes, and avoid use on cutting boards involving meat. Also, look for plant-based, biodegradable sponges, such as Natural Value, or skip them and use dish towels.


Video of the Week:

“Oh My” by Office (Chicago)

The band has moved to a new label and re-released several of its hits this past September.

Previous:

“Find a New Way” by Young Love (NYC)

Debut album in January 2007; touring the East Coast before turning to the South and the West Coast (including an SF date on Nov 16).


New Films: {#1 Saw IV (R), $31.8MM, 3183 screens; #2 Dan in Real Life (PG-13), $11.8MM, 1921 screens; #3 30 Days of Night (R), $6.9MM, 2859 screens; #8 Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas IMAX (PG), $3.4MM, 564 screens}

American Gangster (R): Drama; about a drug kingpin who becomes a federal informant; co-starring Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington; directed by Ridley Scott

Bee Movie (PG): Animation; about a graduate bee who strays from making honey and befriends a New York City florist; featuring voices by Jerry Seinfeld, Annette Bening, and Chris Rock

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (R): Drama; about two brothers who botch the robbery of their parents’ jewelry store; co-starring Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei, and Philip Seymour Hoffman

The Gates (NR): Documentary; about the controversial public art installation in Central Park, first proposed in 1979 and finally completed in 2005

Have You Heard from Johannesburg: Apartheid and the Club of the West (NR): Documentary; about the anti-apartheid movement in the U.S.; director Connie Field after the Fri and Sat 7pm shows

King Corn (NR): Documentary; about the lifecycle of U.S. corn into high fructose corn syrup, cattle feed, and corn oil

Martian Child (PG): Comedy; about a sci-fi writer who forms an unlikely family with a close female friend and a young adopted boy who claims to be from Mars; co-starring John Cusack, Amanda Peet, and Joan Cusack

The Price of Sugar (NR): Documentary; about the Haitian sugarcane fields and the laborers who toil under slave-like conditions to produce sugar for the U.S. market; narrated by Paul Newman

Sharkwater (PG): Documentary; about sharks and the battle with shark poachers in Guatemala

Terror’s Advocate (NR): Documentary; about right-wing French communist Jacques Verges, who has been connected with Pol Pot, Slobodan Milosevic, and Saddam Hussein, among others.

Wristcutters: A Love Story (R): Comedy; about the afterlife of a suicide victim and his ex-girlfriend


Free Activities:

Carmen [Th-Fri 7:30pm]: 9 Conservatory voices present a narrated, concert adaptation of Bizet’s French masterpiece. At the Golden Gate Club (SF). Reserve at http://www.presidio.gov/ or 415.447.6274.

E-Waste Drop-off [Sat 9am-4pm]: Get rid of your computers, printers, TVs, DVD players, and other electronic devices to benefit area high schools. At Sunset Elementary (SF). http://www.ewastedropoff.com/

Annual Holiday Boutique [Sat-Sun 9am-3pm]: At St. Lawrence (Oakland). www.stlawrenceotoole.net/calendars/nov2006.html


Other Activities:

Film – 11th Annual International Latino Film Festival [through Nov 18]: Featuring 80 films from 20 countries, including festival guest Diego Luna on this Saturday. At various locations in SF, $6-500. http://www.latinofilmfestival.org/

Outdoors – Farallon Islands’ Whale Watching Tours [weekends through Nov 30]: Check out migrating blue and humpback whales, along with other sea life. Starting from Fort Mason (SF), $95. http://www.oceanicsociety.org/

Comedy – Kevin Nealon [through Sunday]: At Cobb’s Comedy Club (SF), $25-30. http://www.cobbscomedyclub.com/

Rock – Architecture in Helsinki [Th 8pm]: Australian indie pop octet, with Glass Candy and Panther opening. At the Fillmore (SF), $19. http://www.architectureinhelsinkicom/

Athletics – Icer Air 2007 [Fri 1-9pm, Sat 10am-9pm]: Featuring three venues – the Stadium, for skiing and snowboarding events; the Village, for motocross, BMX, and skating; and McCovey Cove, for wakeboarding. Headline music acts are Mos Def and Talib Kweli. At AT&T Park (SF), $10-30. http://www.icerair.com/

Festival – San Francisco Harvest Festival [Fri-Sun 10am-5pm]: Featuring eco-friendly arts & crafts, specialty foods, and live entertainment. At the Concourse Exhibition Center (SF), $4-8. http://www.harvestfestival.com/

Athletics – Bay Meadows final weekend [Fri-Sun 12:45pm-8pm]: Promotions galore at the closing weekend of horse racing at Bay Meadows (San Mateo). $3 grandstand seats + $4 parking. http://www.baymeadows.com/

Festival – 2007 Holiday Sample Sale [Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-3pm]: 100 companies sell their excess and discontinued products. At 888 Brannan (SF), $5. Bring non-perishable canned goods for $1 off admission. http://www.gcjm.com/

Festival – BookSwap [Sat 12-3pm]: Exchange books with other bibliophiles. At CellSpace (SF), $5 with books, $10 without books. http://www.swapsf.com/

Jazz – New Orleans Jazz Orchestra [Sat 8pm]: Directed by Irvin Mayfield, official Cultural Ambassador of New Orleans. At Zellerbach Hall (Berkeley), $22-42. http://www.calperformances.net/

Symphony – Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela [Sun 7pm]” Performing Shostakovich and Bernstein. At Davies Hall (SF), $25-81. http://www.sfsymphony.org/

Rock – Maroon 5 [Tue 7:30pm]: San Francisco local favorites, with The Hives and Phantom Planet opening. At the HP Pavilion (San Jose), $40-51. http://www.maroon5.com/

Previous: Opera – The Magic Flute [through Saturday in SF]; Theatre – The Bluest Eye [through Nov 11 in SF]; Jazz – 25th SF Jazz Festival [through Nov 30]; Theatre – The Color Purple [through Dec 9 in SF] recommended