Randy's Guide CVIII (108)

Today is UK and U.S. Mischief Night; Friday is Halloween; Saturday is Dia de los Muertos, All Saints' Day, and World Vegan Day; Sunday is Daylight Savings "Fall Back" and MSNBC commentator Pat Buchanan's 70th; Monday is Japan's Culture Day; Tuesday is Election Day, First Lady Laura Bush's 62nd, and comedian Kathy Griffin's 47th; and Wednesday is UK Guy Fawkes Night.


Election Recommendations
In lieu of local news, the below recommendations on key California and San Francisco propositions are meant as a guide - not a mandate. Always read the election manuals... or at least check out the summaries, supporters, and opponents on www.ballotpedia.com

California (12 total propositions)
* Proposition 1A: YES on high-speed rail between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
* Proposition 2: YES on improving conditions for farm animals.
* Proposition 4: NO on restricting abortion rights for minors.
* Propositions 7 and 10: NO on outside interests meddling with our strict environmental programs. Opposition includes the three major parties (Democrats, Republicans, and Greens); the Sierra Club; NRDC; San Francisco Chronicle; San Francisco Bay Guardian; and Los Angeles Times.
* Proposition 8: NO on eliminating marriage rights for same-sex couples. Join Governor Schwarzenegger, Senators Boxer and Feinstein, The Orange County Register, AsianWeek, PG&E, Apple, and the California Teachers Association in opposing this divisive measure.

San Francisco (22 total propositions)
* Proposition H: YES in joining Sacramento, Santa Clara, and other communities to move toward public, green power.
* Proposition K: NO on reducing law enforcement activities related to prostitution.
* Propositions R and U: NO on trivial measures renaming a sewage plant after President Bush and opposing additional funding for the Iraq War.
* Proposition V: YES in voicing support for reinstating JROTC programs in public high schools.


Change for Change
Congrats to San Francisco Health Services Coalition! I hope you all have reached out to this organization and supported its efforts.

New charity to consider: Natural Resources Defense Council. Reader Rene L. is a proud worker for NRDC and recommended its inclusion in the Guide. I appreciate its multi-pronged approach to environmental issues, with pressure placed upon various levels of our government. Though headquartered in New York City, NRDC has a regional office here in San Francisco. www.nrdc.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, Blue Energy, My New Red Shoes, College Track, Foundation for the People of Burma, Vital Life Services, Little Angel Fund, and now San Francisco Health Services Coalition.

Donate through the nonprofit's Web site or your corporate donation program.


Bay Area Weekend Weather
Likely showers throughout the weekend. Halloween revelers and Critical Mass riders be forewarned!

Highs: near 60 (coast) to near 70 (inland)
Lows: near 40 (north bay) to mid-40s (east bay) to near 50 (peninsula)


Environmental News
Let's try to avoid vinyl masks, disposable costumes, and chemical-laden makeup. Instead, try second-hand or homemade outfits, and use natural cosmetics that don't have parabens, phthalates, or formaldehyde.

Previous:
As part of the massive bailout passed by Congress, employers of bike commuters are now eligible for a $20 tax credit per month. In addition, solar tax credits (30% of purchase price) for homes and businesses have been extended for eight years.


Music Videos
"Kids" by MGMT (Brooklyn, N.Y.)

They've opened for Beck, Radiohead, M.I.A., and Of Montreal. Spin, Rolling Stone, and BBC have all lavished praise on the newcomers over the past year. Two dates in New York City this month, before heading to Europe in November, Asia and Australia in December.

Previous:
"My Old Ways" by Dr. Dog (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Dr. Dog, which evokes the psychedelic sounds of the '60s, has previously toured with The Strokes, The Ranconteurs, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. To celebrate its new album, the band will be on a month-long tour of Europe in November, including stops in Dublin, Stockholm, Zurich, Paris, and Amsterdam.


Movies (domestic revenues through October 26)
#1 High School Musical 3: Senior Year (G): $42.0MM opening; 3623 screens; $11,601 per screen
#2 Saw V (R): $30.1MM opening; 3060 screens; $9,822 per screen
#3 Max Payne (R): $7.8MM; $29.9MM overall; 3381 screens; $2,305 per screen
#24 Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (PG): $0.4MM; 284 screens; $1,403 per screen; the popular Tim Burton animated film has a limited engagement run in advance of Halloween and Christmas

Christmas on Mars (NR): Sci-fi; about the first Christmas spent on Mars, as envisioned by The Flaming Lips band

Delwende (NR): Drama; about a young woman in Burkina Faso who must suffer through an arranged marriage, a village bout with meningitis, and accusations of witchcraft; winner of two Cannes Film Festival awards

Eden Lake (R): Suspense; about a couple seeking a romantic getaway but instead find savage teens

Fear(s) of the Dark (NR): Animated; six short films focusing on various phobias, from insects to superstitution

Hounddog (R): Drama; about an abused 12-year-old girl in the South during the 1950s; co-starring Dakota Fanning

I've Loved You So Long (PG-13): Drama; about a woman recently released from prison and the sister who takes her in; co-starring Kristin Scott Thomas

The Other End of the Line (PG-13): Romantic comedy; about a long-distance connection begun through a call center; co-starring Jesse Metcalfe

RocknRolla (R): Drama; about a powerful London mobster and the son he thought was dead; co-starring Tom Wilkinson; directed by Guy Ritchie

Tru Loved (R): Drama; about a San Francisco girl with mixed-race, gay parents who moves to conservative Southern California and is asked out by the closeted quarterback

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (R): Comedy; about two long-time friends - and roommates - who decide to make some money by filming an adult video; co-starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks

DVD Pick - My Kid Could Paint That (PG-13): Documentary; about the prodigy four-year-old girl who blasted onto the modern art scene in 2004 and has raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars for her paintings; $231,000 domestic box-office


Free Activities
San Francisco Halloween Festival [Fri 4-11:30pm]: Featuring live music, a haunted house, face painting, costume contests, and a pumpkin pie eating contest. At AT&T Park's Parking Lot A (SF). www.sfhalloweenfestival.com

North Beach Halloween Extravaganza [Fri 5:30-8pm]: Featuring a puppet show, costume parade and contest, pumpkin-carving contest, and more. Sponsored by The Friends of the Joe DiMaggio Playground, the Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center, the Telegraph Hill Co-op and North Beach Kids. At the Joe DiMaggio Playground Clubhouse (SF). www.dimaggioplayground.org

Haunted Presidio Tour [Fri 6pm]: Meet at the Old Post Hospital (SF). Reservations required at 415-561-4323.

Halloween Skate [Fri 7:30-11pm]: Skate dance at Ferry Building, followed by 12-mile circuit around the City. At Ferry Plaza (SF). www.cora.org

Wonderfest 2008 [Sat 1-10pm, Sun 10am-6pm]: Featuring appearances by Professors William Dement, Robert Sapolsky, and Nobel Laureate Robert Chu. Discussions range from "Will Genetics Allow Us to Revive Extinct Species?" to "Are Dreams Psychologically Significant?" At Stanford and Berkeley campuses. www.wonderfest.org

Dia de los Muertos [Sat 5-8pm]: Featuring live entertainment, art demos, and more. At Courthouse Square (Redwood City). www.redwoodcity.org/events


Paid Activities
Event - Phantasmagorium [Fri 6-9pm]: Featuring spooky science exhibits, puppet theater, and more. At the Exploratorium (SF), free-$14 -- included with admission. www.exploratorium.edu

Event - Halloween Haunt [Fri-Sat 7pm-midnight]: Featuring haunted mazes, live shows, and scare zones. At Great America (Santa Clara), $35-40. www.cagreatamerica.com

Film - Rocky Horror Picture Show [Fri 11:55pm]: Special Halloween party and screening. At the Clay Theatre (SF), $8-10. www.landmarktheatres.com

Event - SF Ski & Snowboard Festival [Sat-Sun 11am-6pm]: Enjoy wine or beer tastings as you peruse the latest in snow equipment. Free lift ticket with admission. At Fort Mason (SF), $15-40. www.sfskifest.com

Pop - Madonna: Sticky & Sweet Tour [Sat-Sun 8pm]: At Oracle Arena (Oakland), $55-350. www.madonna.com

Jazz - Bettye Lavette [Sat 8pm/10pm]: Veteran Motown star, including previous tours with Otis Redding and James Brown. At Yoshi's (Oakland), $26. www.yoshis.com

Symphony - Dia de Los Muertos Family Concert [Sun 2pm]: Featuring Aztec dancers, traditional refreshments, and orchestral works by Ravel and Copland. At Davies Symphony Hall (SF), $8-57. www.sfsymphony.org

Theatre - The Quality of Life [through Nov 23]: About a religious Midwestern couple visiting their liberal family members in the Berkeley hills. Co-starring Laurie Metcalf and JoBeth Williams. At ACT (SF), $15-80. www.act-sf.org

Art - Maya Lin: Systematic Landscapes [through Jan 18]: The environmental artist is perhaps best known for her Vietnam War Memorial creation. Also the subject of the 1994 Best Documentary Oscar. At the de Young Museum (SF), $10 surcharge on admission. www.famsf.org/deyoung

Previous: Theatre - Radio Golf [through Sunday in Mountain View]; Theatre - Insignificant Others [extended through Dec 7 in SF]; Art - Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul [through Jan 5 in SF]


Upcoming Activities in December
Nutcracker by San Francisco Ballet [Dec 11-28 in SF]; Three Decembers, starring Frederica von Stade [Dec 11-14 in Berkeley]; Sarah Brightman [Dec 17 in San Jose]