Randy's Guide CXI (111)

Today is Vice President-elect Joe Biden's 66th; Friday is Icelandic singer Bjork's 43rd; Saturday is "Persepolis" author Marjane Satrapi's 39th; Sunday is actress Miley Cyrus' 16th; Monday is Evolution Day; and Tuesday are First Daughters Jenna and Barbara Bush's 27th.


Short Survey
Help reader Nicole C. with her MBA project. Check out http://snurl.com/borrowsurvey to answer a few questions about your borrowing habits.


Local News
Another one bites the dust. The Chrysler Jeep dealership in San Francisco's Mission District shuttered its doors, sending its remaining inventory off for auction. Forty people are now unemployed. www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/20/BUCJ147H10.DTL


Change for Change
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 San Francisco Health Services Coalition.

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


Bay Area Weekend Weather
After days of record heat, the climate returns to normalcy. Coastal fog and cool evenings.

Highs: Coast (low-60s), bay (mid-60s), inland (upper-60s)
Lows: Inland (low-40s), bay (mid-40s), coast (upper-40s)


Environmental News
The Chevy Volt, due in dealerships in 2011, combines a larger electric battery with a gasoline tank. The first 40 miles can be purely electric, and the car can plug into any standard 120- or 240-volt outlet.

Previous:
It's time to think about your Thanksgiving turkey. Opt for an organic or heritage turkey to promote sustainable, healthier practices. Good Bay Area selections include Diestel, Mary's, and Willie Bird.


Music Videos
"Monsoon" by Tokio Hotel (Magdeburg, Germany)

Its oldest member turned 21 earlier this year. The East German quartet has amassed a plethora of awards, including several from MTV, and #1 singles around the world. You can either catch them in multi-band concerts next month in Phoenix and Anaheim, or watch their online television series.

Previous:
"After Tonight" by Justin Nozuka (Toronto, Canada)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgGkJez6pcM
Just 20 years old - and Kevin Bacon's nephew - the half-Japanese acoustic singer will stop by concert festivals in San Diego, San Francisco, and Cleveland in December.


Movies (domestic revenues through November 16)
#1 Quantum of Solace (PG-13): $67.5MM opening; 3451 screens; $19,568 per screen
#2 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (PG): $35.0MM; $116.9MM overall; 4065 screens; $8,614 per screen
#3 Role Models (R): $11.2MM; $37.6MM overall; 2798 screens; $3,985 per screen
#19 The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (PG-13): $0.5MM; $0.8MM overall; 38 screens; $12,484 per screen; about the son of a Nazi officer who befriends a Jewish boy held in a concentration camp

Bolt (PG): Animation; about a super-dog star of a hit television show accidentally shipped to New York City; co-voiced by John Travolta and Miley Cyrus

A Christmas Tale (NR): Drama; about a dysfunctional family reuniting for the holidays; co-starring Catherine Deneuve

Twilight (PG-13): Thriller; about a young woman who falls for an intriguing young man who turns out to be a vampire

Were the World Mine (NR): Musical; about a high-school production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and the havoc of the infamous love potion turned into reality

DVD Pick - Kansas City (R): Robert Altman's drama, set during Prohibition times in Kansas City, explores the interwoven aspects of criminal gangs and politics with a heavy dose of jazz. Co-starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Miranda Richardson, Harry Belafonte, Dermot Mulroney, and Steve Buscemi. Domestic gross: $1.4 million box office.


Free Activities
Norwegian Holiday Fair [Fri-Sat 10am-4pm]: At Norwegian Church (SF). http://sjomannskirken.no/sanfrancisco

Chanukah Faire [Sun 10am-2pm]: At Temple Emanu-el (San Jose). www.templesanjose.org

Sonoma Valley Holiday Artisan Faire [Sun noon-5:30pm]: At Sonoma Veterans Hall (Sonoma). www.sonomaartisanfaire.com

Pier 39 Holiday Tree Lighting [Sun 1-6pm]: Featuring holiday song performances and a tree lighting at 5:30pm. At Pier 39 (SF). www.pier39.com


Paid Activities
Event - Toni Morrison [Fri 8pm]: The writer of "Beloved" and "The Bluest Eye" speaks her mind as the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize. At Nob Hill Masonic Center (SF), $23. www.cityarts.net

Dance - Hip Hop Dancefest [Fri-Sat 8pm, Sun 1pm/7pm]: 10th annual. Featuring 22 companies from around the Bay Area and the world, a hip-hop documentary screening, and classes. At the Palace of Fine Arts (SF), $35-60. www.sfhiphopdancefest.com

Event - International Auto Show [starts Saturday, through Nov 29, 10am-10pm]: 51st annual. Featuring hundreds of 2009-model cars, SUVs, trucks, and vans. At Moscone Center (SF), $8. www.sfautoshow.com

Live Music - International Taiko Festival [Sat 7pm, Sun 3pm]: 40th annual. Featuring taiko groups from the U.S. and Japan. At Zellerbach Hall (Berkeley), $38-49. www.sftaiko.com

Live Music - Hellogoodbye [Tue 7:30pm]: The catchy song "Here in Your Arms" blasted onto the radio and "The Real World" back in 1996. With Ace Enders and PlayRadioPlay! opening. At Slim's (SF), $16. www.hellogoodbye.net

Theatre - Joe Turner's Come and Gone [through Dec 14]: After seven years on a chain gang, an African American heads to Pittsburgh to reunite his family. At Berkeley Rep, $17-63. www.berkeleyrep.org

Previous: Theatre - Shining City [through Saturday in SF]; Theatre - The Quality of Life [through Sunday in SF]; Theatre - Angry Black White Boy [through Sunday in SF]; Theatre - Insignificant Others [extended through Dec 7 in SF]; Art - Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul [through Jan 5 in SF]; Art - Maya Lin: Systematic Landscapes [through Jan 18 in SF]


Upcoming Activities in December
San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus [Dec 1 and 24 in SF]; Oasis, with Ryan Adams [Dec 2 in Oakland]; Charlie Hunter Trio [Dec 16-17 in Oakland, Dec 18-21 in SF]