Randy's Guide CX (110)

Today is "View" host Whoopi Goldberg's 53rd; Friday is Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's 54th; Saturday is America Recycles Day and Austria's Saint Leopold's Day; Sunday is Nigerian author Chinua Achebe's 78th; Monday is Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe's 74th and drag queen RuPaul's 48th; Tuesday is Latvia's Independence Day and Oman's National Day; and Wednesday is designer Calvin Klein's 66th.


Local News
San Francisco City Hall, San Jose City Hall, and Oakland City Hall will be among the sites of a nationwide, coordinated effort to protest gay marriage bans in Florida, Arizona, and California. More conservative towns like Bakersfield, Huntington Beach, Modesto, and Rancho Cucamonga will likely have smaller turnouts but also potentially bigger impacts. Rallies will be held in all 50 states at 1:30pm EST. http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/


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. http://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
Unseasonably warm, with possible record highs across the region.

Highs: low-70s (coast); upper-70s (bay); low-80s (inland).
Lows: mid-40s (inland) to upper-50s (coast-bay)


Environmental News
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.

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RecycleBank awards recycling households with redeemable points that can be used to make purchases for various stores or brands. Currently, 13 states, with communities ranging from Wilmington, Del., Lincoln, Neb., and Philadelphia, Pa., work with RecycleBank. http://www.recyclebank.com/


Music Videos
"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.

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"White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes (Seattle, Wash.)

Another up-and-coming American band with sold-out shows in Ireland, England, Belgium, and Australia. Their debut album came out in June, and their network television debut was on David Letterman in August.


Movies (domestic revenues through November 9)
#1 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (PG): $63.1MM opening; 4056 screens; $15,559 per screen
#2 Role Models (R): $19.2MM opening; 2792 screens; $6,865 per screen
#3 High School Musical 3: Senior Year (G): $9.2MM; $75.6MM overall; 3464 screens; $2,644 per screen
#26 Synecdoche, New York (R): $0.3MM; $0.7MM overall; 35 screens; $8,390 per screen; Charlie Kaufman's latest oddball comedy starring Philip Seymour Hoffman as an upstate New York theater director who braves the Big Apple for his latest production

Good Dick (R): Romantic comedy; about a lonely girl and the porn-store video clerk who likes her; co-starring Jason Ritter

JCVD (R): Drama; about Jean-Claude Van Damme being accused of a bank robbery upon returning to his native Brussels; co-starring Jean-Claude Van Damme

Quantum of Solace (PG-13): Action; about the latest adventures of James Bond, this time involving terrorists in a latin American country; co-starring Daniel Craig and Judi Dench

Slumdog Millionaire (R): Drama; about an uneducated street kid accused of cheating in an Indian game show; directed by Danny Boyle

The World Unseen (PG-13): Drama; about an Indian woman managing a cafe in South Africa during apartheid, and the married woman who catches her attention

DVD Pick - In the Valley of Elah (R): Paul Haggis follows up his Oscar-winning "Crash" with a compelling investigation drama that focuses on a former military officer attempting to uncover the truth behind his son's disappearance after his return from Iraq. Tommy Lee Jones received an Oscar nomination for his role as the father, with strong performances by Charlize Theron and Susan Sarandon. $6.8 million domestic box office; $16.1 million worldwide.


Free Activities
Fit, Form and Function [Thu 6-8pm]: 4th annual. Featuring the latest styles from Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, 2(X)ist, and Emporio Armani. Enjoy light hors d'oeuvres and hosted bar drinks. At Macy's Men's Store (SF). RSVP: 415.393.3724

Holiday Extravaganza [Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 9am-5pm]: 37th annual. At the Pleasant Hill Community Center. http://www.jhfestivals.com/

Cornucopia [Sun 10am-4pm]: Featuring live entertainment, art activities, a "Green" zone, and more. At Black Pine School (Berkeley). www.blackpinecircle.org/cornucopia

Light Up the Row [Tue 6:30-9pm]: 7th annual. Featuring NBC 11's Brent Cannon and Laura Garcia-Cannon, and Katee Shean of "So You Think You Can Dance." Along Santana Row (San Jose). http://www.santanarow.com/


Paid Activities
Event - Harvest Festival [Fri-Sun 10am-5pm]: Featuring 24,000 American handmade arts and crafts, live entertainment, a Kidzone, and more. At the San Mateo Event Center, free-$9 ($2 off coupons in the Chronicle). http://www.harvestfestival.com/

Event - San Francisco Green Festival [Fri noon-7pm, Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 11am-6pm]: 7th annual. Featuring 400 eco-friendly businesses (with ample free samples), 125 speakers (including Cornel West and Van Jones), organic vegetarian cuisine, and more. At the Concourse Exhibition Center (SF), free-$45. Note: Free entry with three canned food items. http://www.greenfestivals.org/

Live Music - The B-52s [Fri 8pm]: At the Marin Center (San Rafael), $35-90. www.myspace.com/theb52s

Live Music - k.d. lang [Sat 8pm]: At the Paramount Theater (Oakland), $25-61. http://www.kdlang.com/

Live Music - Joan Baez [Tue-Wed 8pm]: At Herbst Theater (SF), $50. http://www.joanbaez.com/

Theatre - Shining City [through Nov 22]: About a recently widowed man who sees his late wife, and the psychotherapist who tries to help him. At the SF Playhouse, $20-40. http://www.sfplayhouse.org/

Theatre - Angry Black White Boy [through Nov 23]: A satire/expose about efforts to manipulate race, culture, and history. At Intersection for the Arts (SF), $5-25. http://www.theintersection.org/

Previous: Theatre - The Quality of Life [through Nov 23 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
A John Denver Holiday Concert [Dec 4-14 in Walnut Creek]; Vienna Teng [Dec 13 in SF]; Dancing with the Stars: The Tour [Dec 19 in San Jose]