Randy's Guide LXXVI (76)

Today is Texas’ Alamo Day and TV host Ed McMahon’s 85th; Friday is singer Taylor Dayne’s 46th; Saturday is International Women’s Day; Monday is actor (and Huckabee supporter) Chuck Norris’ 68th; Tuesday is Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s 72nd and Johnny Appleseed Day; Wednesday is writer Dave Eggers’ 38th.


Local News Story
In Fresno County, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has tapped into cow manure for its latest renewable energy venture. BioEnergy Solutions and Vintage Dairy have teamed with PG&E to produce enough natural gas to supply about 50,000 customers. www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/04/BUEUVCV51.DTL


Change for Change
New charity to consider: My New Red Shoes. Founder 30-year-old Heather Hopkins, a Princeton University graduate, provides new school clothes to Bay Area homeless and poor children. www.mynewredshoes.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, Bay Area Community Services, and Blue Energy.

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


Weekend Weather
Bay Area: Chance of light showers Saturday night; otherwise, seasonably mild. Highs 63-68; lows 42-47.

High 29, Low 17: Anderson, IN (snow)
- One of 12 U.S. citizens were arrested in this town this week as part of a global child pornography ring that involved Australia, England, Canada, and Germany, with more than 400,000 photos and videos of children as young as five years old

High 36, Low 15: Brattleboro, VT (rain)
- As part of Tuesday’s primary election, residents voted to indict and issue warrants for President George W. Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney for crimes against their Constitution

High 48, Low 30: New York, NY (rain)
- New York police are searching for a bicyclist who is believed to have detonated a bomb at a military recruiting center

High 77, Low 50: South Pasadena, CA (partly cloudy)
- Starting this year, the first week in March here is officially No Cussing Week as a reminder to residents and visitors to be more civil

High 51, Low 39: Woodinville, WA (rain)
- The destruction of several new homes in a Seattle suburb has been blamed on the Earth Liberation Front


Environmental Tips
Aside from your satellite dish and box, electronics with a remote or digital clock can – and should – be safely shut off when not in use. The devices can eat up roughly $70-100 per year in electricity use and are often designed for periods to cool down completely.

Previous:
Reuse your newspapers before sending them into the recycling bin. They can clean windows (in lieu of paper towels), start chimney fires (instead of lighter fluid), and pad package shipments (rather than Styrofoam).


Music Videos
“The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson (New York)



Her songs have climbed from MySpace to Old Navy commercials, Regis & Kelly, and Grey’s Anatomy. She performs in San Diego (tonight), Anaheim (Sat), L.A. (Sun), Texas, North Carolina, New York, Massachusetts, Colorado, Oregon, and back to California.

Previous:
“Someone Great” by LCD Soundsystem (New York)



DFA Records co-founder James Murphy’s pet project has soared to critical acclaim and top-40 fame in Britain.


Movies (through Mar. 3)
#1 Semi-Pro (R): $15.1MM opening; 3121 screens; $4,830 per screen
#2 Vantage Point (PG-13): $12.8MM opening; 3150 screens; $4,070 per screen
#3 The Spiderwick Chronicles (PG): $8.7MM; $55.0MM overall; 3654 screens; $2,381 per screen
#4 The Other Boleyn Girl (PG-13): $8.2MM opening; 1166 screens; $7,035 per screen; about the two Boleyn sisters who leave country life for court life to woo the King of England

The Bank Job (R): Action comedy; about a car dealer who decides to rob a bank on London’s Baker Street

CJ7 (PG): Foreign sci-fi; about a poor boy who tries to becomes popular at his private school with his new toy

College Road Trip (G): Comedy; about a father escorting his daughter and her friends on their trip to tour universities; co-starring Martin Lawrence

Girls Rock! (PG): Documentary; about the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (PG-13): Comedy; about a middle-aged London woman who accepts a job as a social secretary; co-starring Frances McDormand and Amy Adams

10,000 B.C. (PG-13): Action; about a young hunter and his tribe who battle warlords to save his lover

This week’s movie pick – Charlie Wilson’s War (R): Philip Seymour Hoffman is an absolute delight as the CIA veteran who assists a Texas congressman in his efforts to block Soviet influence in Afghanistan.

This week’s video pick – Black Book (R): Unusual in that it’s a foreign film with an epic, big-budget focus; unbelievable that one woman endured such a journey in WWII.


Free Activities
16th Annual Celebrate Spring [Fri 9am-3:30pm, Sat 10am-10pm]: Boutique shopping, luncheon, a Tea Party, Evening Gala, and more. Proceeds benefit the Schools of the Sacred Heart. Free chocolates, Starbucks coffee, and family games. At the Convent & Stuart Hall (SF). www.celebratespring.org

Arbor Day [Sat 9am-2pm]: Plant a tree at Golden Gate Park, John Muir Elementary, or Koshland Park. Check out the Green Resource Fair and other activities at the African-American Culture Center (SF). www.sfarborday.org


Paid Activities
Event – Bark & Whine Ball [Th 7-10:30pm]: Live music from the Dick Bright Orchestra, a silent auction, and of course food. Proceeds benefit the SPCA’s Cinderella Fund. At the San Francisco Gift Center (SF), $20-150. www.sfspca.org/barkandwhine

Live Music – Bjorkestra / Realistic Orchestra [Th 8pm]: Double bill featuring a New York big band dedicated to Bjork’s music, and a 20-piece jazz ensemble with hip-hop influences. At the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (SF), $25. www.sfjazz.org

Film – Irish Film Festival [through Saturday]: Events include “Magners and Shorts” (short films with free Magners Cider) and “Documentary Program.” At the Roxie Film Center (SF), $10. www.sfirishfilm.com

Theatre – Sonny’s Blues [through Saturday]: Based on James Baldwin’s classic short story about two Harlem brothers. At the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre (SF), $22-95. www.zspace.org

Dance – Shen Wei Dance Arts [through Saturday]: At the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (SF), $26-45. www.act-sf.org

Theatre – Boston Marriage [through Sunday]: Based on David Mamet’s play about two early 20th century women who live together. At Theatre Rhinoceros (SF), $15-35. www.therhino.org

Comedy – Hal Sparks [through Sunday]: The star of “Queer as Folk” and “Talk Soup.” At Cobb’s Comedy Club (SF), $19-23. www.halsparks.com

Dance – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre [through Sunday]: At Zellerbach Hall (Berkeley), $34-60. www.calperformances.org

Event – 15th Annual International Women’s Day Celebration [Fri-Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm]: Exploration of various relationships that women and girls experience through the use of theater, music, and visuals. At the Women’s Building (SF), $5-50. www.locobloco.org

Live Music – Serj Tankian [Sat 8pm]: The alt-metal lead for System of a Down breaks away for a solo concert. At the Warfield (SF), $26. www.serjtankian.com

Live Music – An Evening with the Stars of Doo-Wop and Rock ‘n’ Roll [Sat 8pm]: Featuring The Platters, The Nelsons, and more. At the Herbst Theatre (SF), $35-75. www.cityboxoffice.com

Film – Central Mexico [Sun 2pm]: With live narration by Fran Reidelberger. Presented by the Golden Gate Geographic Society. At the Notre Dame Theatre (Belmont), $10.

Live Music – Vienna Choir Boys [Sun 3pm]: Founded as a musician group in 1498. At the Marin Center (San Rafael), $15-45. www.wsk.at

Previous: Theatre - Curvy Widow [through Sunday in SF]; Theatre - Blood Knot [through Sunday in SF]; Theatre - Wishful Drinking [through Mar 30 in Berkeley]; Theatre - Insignificant Others [through Apr 13 in SF] recommended