Randy's Guide LXXVII (77)

Today is actor William H. Macy’s 58th; Friday is World Pi Day and Japan’s White Day; Saturday is Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s 75th and the Ides of March; Monday is St. Patrick’s Day and U.S. Presidential Nominee Cynthia McKinney’s 53rd; Tuesday is Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine’s 29th. Special congrats to Nick V. for winning the Oscar contest.


Local News Story
A San Francisco jury found SF Weekly, along with its parent Village Voice Media, in violation of California’s Unfair Practices Act. San Francisco Bay Guardian, a locally owned independent weekly newspaper, was awarded $6.3 million due to its rival’s repeated practice of selling advertisements at below market cost. www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=5876


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 showers through Saturday; otherwise, cool and mostly cloudy. Highs 55-60; lows 35-45.

High 75, Low 53: Tallahassee, FL (Friday storms, then clearing)
- The latest proposal from state officials is to hold a June 3 Democratic primary, along with mail-in voting, to allow the Florida delegates to be seated and counted at the national convention in Denver

High 80, Low 50: Tucson, AZ (sunny)
- Police seized 800 dogs, mostly Chihuahuas, and 80 parrots from an elderly couple’s dirty triple-wide mobile home

High 54, Low 30: Washington, DC (chance of rain)
- Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton tried to make amends with the African-American community by apologizing profusely for any misinterpreted comments made during her campaign

High 55, Low 40: Wichita, KS (mostly cloudy)
- A 35-year-old woman spent the past two years in her bathroom due to a strong childhood phobia


Environmental Tips
Plastics with #2-HDPE, #4-LDPE, and #5-PP are the safest for reuse – they’re generally found as part of grocery bags, sandwich bags, and yogurt containers. #1-PET, #3-PVC, #6-PS, and #7-PC are not safe for multiple uses, as they either are difficult to clean or leach carcinogens into food or water.

Previous:
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.


Music Videos
“LDN” by Lily Allen (England)



The up-and-coming British singer has a smashing debut album, successful fashion line, and now a talk show on BBC3. Look for her next album later this year.

Previous:
“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. Her tour moves on to Texas, North Carolina, New York, Massachusetts, Colorado, Oregon, and back to California.


Movies (through Mar. 10)
#1 10,000 B.C. (PG-13): $35.9MM opening; 3410 screens; $10,518 per screen
#2 College Road Trip (G): $13.6MM opening; 2706 screens; $5,026 per screen
#3 Vantage Point (PG-13): $7.4MM; $51.5MM overall; 3163 screens; $2,326 per screen
#11 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (PG-13): $2.5MM opening; 535 screens; $4,656 per screen; about a middle-aged London woman who accepts a job as a social secretary

Doomsday (R): Action; about the resurfacing of the deadly Reaper virus in the United Kingdom; co-starring Bob Hoskins

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who (G): Animated; about Horton the elephant and his suspicion that a speck of dust houses life in peril; co-voiced by Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, and Seth Rogen

Flash Point (R): Foreign action; about a police detective who is determined to break up a criminal gang

Funny Games (R): Remake drama; about a middle-class family who becomes terrorized by two individuals; co-starring Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, and Michael Pitt

Married Life (PG-13): Drama; about a married man who decides to murder his wife in order to be with his much-younger girlfriend; co-starring Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper, and Patricia Clarkson

Never Back Down (PG-13): Action; about a young man learning the world of street fighting as a newcomer to Florida; co-starring Djimon Hounsou

Paranoid Park (R): Drama; about a young skateboarder who accidentally kills a security guard; directed by Gus Van Sant

Sleepwalking (R): Drama; about a young man and his pre-adolescent niece who must live together after her mother skips town; co-starring Charlize Theron, Nick Stahl, Woody Harrelson, and Dennis Hopper

The Unforeseen (NR): Documentary; about a real-estate developer who battles Austin residents over pristine wilderness; co-starring Robert Redford

Netflix pick – Cavite (NR): A Filipino-American plunges into his poverty-stricken homeland under orders from a local Muslim terrorist. Tense, unnerving, and very real.


Free Activities
22nd Annual Kayak Surf Festival [Fri-Sun]: Kayak competitions, nightly parties. At Lighthouse Point (Santa Cruz). www.asudoit.com/kayak_fest

156th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration [Sat 10am-5pm]: Parade from the Financial District to Civic Center (11:30am); festival with live Irish music, arts & crafts, and food & beer. At Civic Center Plaza (SF). www.sfstpatricksdayparade.com

Iraq Moratorium Gathering [Sun 5pm]: To mark the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War, Sean Penn, Cindy Sheehan, Matt Gonzalez, and others will speak their minds. At Unitarian Universalist Church (SF). $5-10 donation. www.iraqmoratorium-sfbay.org

Irish Festival [Mon 9am-midnight]: Beach Street will be closed to traffic to bring in Irish coffees, Irish Lamb Stew with soda bread, Corned Beef & Cabbage, Guinness, and more. At Buena Vista Café (SF). www.thebuenavista.com

Iraq Protest Marches [Wed]: At Berkeley’s Marine Recruiting Station (all day), San Jose’s Martin Luther King Library (4pm), San Francisco’s Civic Center (5pm), Alameda’s City Hall (6:30pm), and Santa Cruz’s downtown (7pm). http://www.indybay.org/


Paid Activities
Live Music – The Bravery [Th 8pm]: At The Warfield (SF), $23. www.myspace.com/thebravery

Event – San Francisco Flower & Garden Show [through Sunday]: At the Cow Palace (Daly City), FREE-$65. www.gardenshow.com

Comedy – Margaret Cho [Fri 8pm, Sat 10pm]: At the Warfield (SF), $35-65. www.margaretcho.com

Live Music – Angelique Kidjo [Fri 8pm]: The pop vocalist from Benin tours following her Grammy Award in 2008 for Best Contemporary World Music Album. At Zellerbach Hall (Berkeley), $22-42. www.kidjo.com

Live Music – Directions in Sound: Notes from the Asian-American Underground [Fri 9pm, Tue 9pm]: Two different performances as part of the Asian-American Film Festival. At 111 Minna and Rickshaw Stop (SF), $8-15. www.asianamericanmedia.org/2008

Live Music – Blind Boys of Alabama [Sat 8pm]: The group of entirely African-American and blind singers harkens back to its roots in 1939. At Memorial Auditorium (Stanford), $12-48. www.blindboys.com

Live Music – Colm o Riain [Sat 9:30pm]: As part of the SF Irish Fest, with Lucia Comnes opening. At Café du Nord (SF), $15. www.cafedunord.com

Comedy – Lisa Lampanelli [Sat 8/10:30pm]: Appearances on Comedy Central and The Tonight Show. At Fox Theatre (Redwood City), $35. www.insultcomic.com

Film – 26th San Francisco International Asian-American Film Festival [through Mar 23]: At various locations in San Francisco, Berkeley, and San Jose. Tickets $8-11; programs $6-50. www.asianamericanmedia.org/2008

Theatre – Monster in the Dark [through Mar 23]: About a terrorized society who must confront a monumental flood. At CounterPULSE (SF), $12-30. www.foolsfury.org

Previous: Theatre - Wishful Drinking [through Apr 12 in Berkeley]; Theatre - Insignificant Others [through Apr 13 in SF] recommended