Randy's Guide CXLIII (143)

Today is the Year's Midpoint (182 days before; 182 days after) and Curacao's Flag Day; Friday is actor Tom Cruise's 47th; Saturday is the Fourth of July, reporter Geraldo Rivera's 66th, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner's 79th, and Raiders owner Al Davis' 80th; Sunday is Cape Verde's Independence Day; Monday is former President George W. Bush's 63rd, rapper 50 Cent's 34th, and Comoros' Independence Day; Tuesday is Ukraine's Ivan Kapala Day; and Wednesday is the annual Soapy Smith wake (in Skagway, Alaska and Hollywood, Calif.).


Local News
No Fisher Museum for San Francisco's Presidio...at least for now. Gap founder Don Fisher has called off efforts to build a contemporary art museum housing the family's prized collection. The Fishers will continue to look in San Francisco and elsewhere in the Bay Area for a suitable site. www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/02/MNJL18HMBA.DTL


Change for Change
Charity to consider: Old Skool Cafe. This San Francisco group, started and operated by Teresa Goines, trains and mentors at-risk youths for the restaurant and entertainment industries, in the hope of opening a 1940s-era supper club. In the meantime, they are available for event and catering services. www.oldskoolcafe.org

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

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, San Francisco Health Services Coalition, Natural Resources Defense Council, Bay Localize, San Francisco Women Against Rape, Sustainable Conservation, and Ashoka.


Bay Area Weekend Weather
Seasonal, with morning low clouds and fog, clearing to afternoon sunshine and warmth inland.

Highs: mid-60s (coast); mid-70s (bay); upper-80s (inland)
Lows: low-50s (coast); mid-50s (bay); upper-50s (inland)


Deal of the Week
San Francisco-based 7x7 Magazine, with a particular focus on events in San Francisco, is offering a free annual subscription. Go to www.7x7.com/promo and enter code X906MKT.


The Environment
Those free newspapers often clutter up our driveways, generate considerable waste, and flutter into the streets with reckless abandon. To stop delivery of the San Francisco Examiner, go to www.examiner.com/delivery/cancel; for those outside the San Francisco zone, you can check www.stopfreepapers.org to see if your newspaper group is listed.

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Summer driving season is here. That, undoubtedly, means extra stops at the fuel station. Try to refuel early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid fuel vapor leakage and to improve the density of the fuel purchased. Also, avoid topping off the tank beyond the automatic shutoff point.


Music Videos
"Sea within a Sea" by The Horrors (London, England)


The garage rock band released its second album earlier this year. Their current tour passes through England, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Japan, and France... catch them while traipsing through Europe or Asia this summer. www.thehorrors.co.uk

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"Stella" by Ida Maria (Nesna, Norway)


Her music has been showcased on "Gossip Girl" and Time Magazine. Her tour includes a stop in San Francisco on July 27, as well as shows in Costa Mesa (Calif.), Hollywood, San Diego, Las Vegas, Dallas, Chicago, and Morrison (Colo.). www.myspace.com/idamaria


Movies (domestic revenues through June 28)
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" overcame dismal reviews to muscle up $109.0 million over the weekend [rated PG-13, $200.1 million overall, 4234 screens, $25,736 per screen]. THe Sandra Bullock-Ryan Reynolds comedy "The Proposal" collected another $18.6 million [rated PG-13, $69.2 million overall, 2nd weekend, 3058 screens, $6,075 per screen]. "My Sister's Keeper," co-starring Abigail Breslin and Cameron Diaz, under-performed with $12.4 million [rated PG-13, 2606 screens, $4,774 per screen]. And lastly, the May-December romance "Cheri," with Michelle Pfeiffer, rolled out to an adequate $0.4 million [rated R, 76 screens, $5,338 per screen].

Downloading Nancy (NR): Drama; about a married woman who meets a man online and leaves her husband, who is left to figure out her whereabouts; co-starring Maria Bello and Jason Patric

Eldorado (NR): Drama; about a vintage car dealer who journeys with a would-be burglar to his parents' home

The Girl from Monaco (R): Drama; about a sharp French attorney who falls for a beautiful woman while on trial in Monaco

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (PG): Animated; about two woolly mammoths, a saber-toothed tiger, and a sloth who hijack some dinosaur eggs; co-voiced by Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah, and Denis Leary

Public Enemies (R): Drama; about John Dillinger and his infamous gang; co-starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, and Channing Tatum; directed by Michael Mann

Surveillance (R): Drama; about two federal officers who investigate a roadside rampage; co-starring Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond; co-produced by David Lynch

DVD Pick - Elizabeth: The Golden Age (PG-13): Though certainly not at the caliber of its Oscar-winning predecessor, this second look into Elizabeth's reign, with Cate Blanchett as the fierce Queen, is stirring and beautifully staged. It focuses on a heated battle over the seas between the nascent British and the powerful Spanish. Domestic box office: $16.4 million; foreign box office: $57.9 million.


Free 4th of July Activities [Sat, unless noted]
Antioch [2-10p]: 11th annual. Featuring a show & shine car show, hometown parade, and fireworks display. Along the historic downtown waterfront. http://rivertownevents.wordpress.com/fourth-of-july

Ben Lomond [11:30a-2p]: 114th annual. Featuring a flag raising, BBQ lunch, history tour, raffle, and more. At Alba Schoolhouse.

Berkeley [noon-10p]: Featuring an adventure playground, clown acts, sailboat rides, and a firework display. Along Berkeley Marina. www.anotherbullwinkelshow.com

Hayward [11a-3p]: Featuring patriotic art activities, races, and games. At Meek Park. www.haywardareahistory.org

Richmond [FRI 7-10p]: Featuring the Oakland East Bay Symphony and fireworks display. At Craneway Pavilion. www.oebs.org

San Francisco [1-9:30p]: Featuring cover band Tainted Love and a fireworks display. At Pier 39. www.pier39.com

San Jose [10a-3p]: 2nd annual. Featuring a parade and festival. Along The Alameda. www.rwbparade.org

Santa Clara [10a-10p]: Featuring a pancake breakfast, flag dedication ceremony, a petting zoo, and fireworks display. At Central Park. http://santaclaraca.gov/events/fourth-of-july.html

Saratoga [10a-noon]: Featuring a parade, ice cream and US flag for kids, and a volunteer band. At Azule Park. www.saratogahistory.com


Free Activities
Lavay Smith & the Red Hot Skillet Lickers [Thu 6-7:30p]: Internationally known for being one of the leading performers of classic jazz and blues. At Jessie Square (SF). www.ybgf.org

Temescal Street Cinema [Thu 8p]: "Drylongso" is about an Oakland woman who tires of her job and starts to document young black men in the community. "Smitten" is a documentary about eccentric art collector Rene di Rosa, who lives in Napa Valley. At the Bank of the West Building on Temescal Street (Oakland). www.temescaldistrict.org/cinema.html

WorldOne Festival [Fri 5-7p, Sat 10:30a-7p]: 11th annual. Sponsored by KECG 88.1 FM and 97.7 FM. Featuring live DJs, bluegrass music, reggae, and more. At Cerrito Vista Park (El Cerrito). www.worldoneradio.org

Fillmore Jazz Festival [Sat-Sun 10a-6p]: About 100,000 will descend onto 10 blocks for four stages of live jazz, including Kim Nalley, Spencer Day, Lavay Smith, and Marcus Shelby. Get some fried catfish, chicken & sausage jambalaya, crawfish etoufee, and peach cobbler while you're there. Along Fillmore Street, between Eddy and Jackson (SF). www.fillmorejazzfestival.com

San Francisco Mime Troupe [Sat-Sun 1:30p; Wed 6:30p]: 50th anniversary. "Too Big to Fail" is the production. Free shows at Dolores Park (SF) on Sat-Sun; $15-25 tickets required for John Wright Theatre (Fresno) on Wed. www.sfmt.org

Stern Grove Festival - San Francisco Symphony [Sun 2p]: 72nd season. Including performances of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" and Gershwin's "An American in Paris." With Inouye Jazz opening. At Stern Grove Amphitheatre (SF). www.sterngrove.org

Free Museum Day [Thu; Sun; Tue]: Berkeley Art Museum and Burlingame Pez Museum free today; Asian Art Museum free on Sunday; Cartoon Art Museum, de Young Museum, Legion of Honor, SF MOMA, and Yerba Buena Center Galleries free on Tuesday. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu www.burlingamepezmuseum.com www.asianart.org www.cartoonart.org www.famsf.org www.sfmoma.org www.ybca.org


Paid Activities
Preservation Hall Jazz Band [Sat 7p, Sun 2p/4p]: Famed New Orleans-based group. At Robert Mondavi Winery (Oakville), $60-190; and Marin County Fair (San Rafael), free-$14. www.PreservationHall.com

The All-American Rejects [Sun 6:45p]: Rock band from Stillwater, Okla., with hits including "Gives You Hell" and "Move Along." At Konocti Harbor (Kelseyville), $39-88. www.AllAmericanRejects.com

What the Butler Saw [through Sunday]: About a mental hospital spinning out of control. At the Marin Theatre Company (Mill Valley), $20-51. www.marintheatre.org

Jack Goes Boating [through July 19]: About modern love in Manhattan. At the Aurora Theatre (Berkeley), $40-42. www.auroratheatre.org

Lords of the Samurai exhibit [through Sep 20]: Featuring more than 160 works from the Hosokawa family clan, including suits of armor, swords, calligraphy, tea wares, and more. At the Asian Art Museum (SF), $5 surcharge for exhibit. www.asianart.org

Previous: Theatre - Monty Python's Spamalot [through Sunday in SF]; Opera - Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata [through Sunday in SF]; Theatre - Monty Python's Spamalot [through Sunday in SF}; Theatre - Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo [through Sunday in SF]


Upcoming August Activities
Art & Soul Festival [Aug 15-16 in Oakland]; Outside Lands Music Festival, featuring Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, and Beastie Boys [Aug 28-30 in SF]; Burning Man [Aug 31-Sep 7 in Black Rock City, Nev.]