Randy's Guide CXLIV (144)

Today is The White Stripes' lead vocalist Jack White's 34th and Morocco's Youth Day; Friday is British tennis player Virginia Wade's 64th (last Briton to win Wimbledon); Saturday is Mongolia's Naadam Holiday and musician Andrew Bird's 36th; Sunday is fitness trainer Richard Simmons' 61st; Monday is actor Harrison Ford's 67th; Tuesday is Bastille Day; and Wednesday is former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura's 58th.


Local News
San Jose resident Joey Chestnut remained as champion of Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island. During the 10-minute competition, Chestnut chomped 68 hot dogs, besting six-time titleholder Takeru Kobayashi's 64 1/2. Grand prize is $10,000. www.fresnobee.com/641/story/1514547.html


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
Same as last weekend: morning clouds, followed by afternoon sunshine and light winds.

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


Deal of the Week
Starbucks is offering 800 pints of ice cream every hour until July 19. Go to http://apps.facebook.com/starbucksicecream, and the recipient will receive a voucher in the mail.


The Environment
Ammonia and bleach are both toxic and can seep into the ecosystem to produce volatile organic compounds. Instead, use hydrogen peroxide or sodium percarbonate as disinfectants.

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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.


Music Videos
"Sleepyhead" by Passion Pit (Cambridge, Mass.)


This video's nearing 1.5 million hits - and no surprise, as it was spotlighted by iTunes, MTV, and Sony PlayStation. The synth pop group was named Best New Act in The Boston Phoenix, and #9 in BBC's Sound of 2009 list. July shows in Europe are followed by August shows in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia, and September-October programs in New York City, Austin, Morrison (Colo.), and Hollywood. www.passionpitmusic.com

Previous:
"Who Can Say" 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


Movies (domestic revenues through July 5)
Shia LaBeouf held off the competition, as "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" picked up $42.3 million during its second weekend [rated PG-13, $293.3 million overall, 4234 screens, $9,995 per screen]. "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" brought in the families to the tune of $41.7 million [rated PG, $66.7 million overall, 4099 screens, $10,171 per screen]. And the Johnny Depp gangster tale "Public Enemies" ushered in the adults with $25.3 million [rated R, $40.1 million overall, 3334 screens, $7,580 per screen]. In limited play, the Woody Allen comedy "Whatever Works" garnered $1.0 million [rated PG-13, $1.9 million overall, 3rd weekend, 353 screens, $2,720 per screen].

Blood: The Last Vampire (R): Horror; about a beautiful teenage girl who is actually a 400-year-old half-human, half-vampire

Bruno (R): Comedy; about an Austrian fashionista who travels the world; co-starring Sacha Baron Cohen

The Country Teacher (NR): Drama; about a teacher who leaves for the countryside, a teenage boy whom he mentors, and an ex-boyfriend who haunts him

The Hurt Locker (R): Action; about a small group of American forces who are specially trained to handle Improvised Explosive Devices in Iraq; co-starring Ralph Fiennes and Guy Pearce

I Love You, Beth Cooper (PG-13): Comedy; about a nerdy valedictorian and the hot popular girl who connect up on graduation night; co-starring Hayden Panettiere

Julia (R): Drama; about an alcoholic, compulsive liar who decides to commit a risky act; co-starring Tilda Swinton

$9.99 (R): Excellent film! Stop-motion animation; about a young man's interactions with a home-bound retired man, a debt-ridden magician, a boy with a piggy bank, and others in his apartment building; co-voiced by Geoffrey Rush and Anthony LaPaglia

DVD Pick - Wall-E (G): OK, so perhaps I'm one of the last to have seen this marvelous, ingenious film. Emeryville-based Pixar has done it again, as a lonely trash compactor on Earth meets a modern robot named Eve and escapes to a spaceship holding all of Earth's now-bloated descendants. Oscar Winner for Best Animated Film. Domestic box office: $223.8 million; foreign box office: $311.0 million.


Free Activities
InterHarmony International Music Festival [Thu 8p, Sat 3p]: Thursday's program is Student Festival Showcase II; Saturday's program is the Final Concert, featuring works by Handel, Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, and Bizet. At SFSU's Knuth Hall (SF). www.interharmony.com

Temescal Street Cinema [Thu 8p]: Featuring "19 Arrests and No Convictions," a documentary by Judy Irving ("Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill") about an Italian-American bar owner who regularly swam from Alcatraz to the mainland. At the Bank of the West Building on Temescal Street (Oakland). www.temescaldistrict.org/cinema.html

Film Night in the Park [Fri 8p, Sat 8p]: Featuring "Help!" on Friday in San Anselmo, "Buena Vista Social Club" on Saturday in San Geronimo, and "Manhattan" on Saturday in SF's Union Square. www.filmnight.org

Newark Hawaiian Festival [Sat 10a-5p]: 9th annual. Featuring Hawaiian entertainment, food, and crafts. At Swiss Park (Newark). http://home.netcom.com/~halkop/events.html

Palo Alto Clay & Glass Festival [Sat-Sun 10a-5p]: 17th annual. Featuring 175+ clay and glass artisans. At the Palo Alto Art Center. www.acga.net

Los Altos Festival [Sat-Sun 10a-6p]: 30th annual. Featuring three stages of live entertainment and six local wine vintners. In downtown Los Altos. www.downtownlosaltos.org/events/aw_main.html

Bastille Weekend [Sat-Tue 11a-9p]: Featuring Saturday 7p concert with Opera San Jose, Sunday 1p French Poodle parade, Monday and Tuesday petanque, and Tuesday 7p/8:30p Cirque de la Bastille. At Santana Row (San Jose). www.santanarow.com

San Jose Obon Festival [Sat-Sun noon-8p]: Featuring taiko drums, buddhism lecture, chidori band, bingo, and more. At the San Jose Buddhist Church. www.sjbetsuin.com

Taming of the Shrew [Sat-Sun 1p]: Since 1998, San Francisco-based Woman's Will, an all-female production company, has performed free (and paid) shows throughout the Bay Area. At John Hinkel Park (Berkeley). www.womanswill.org

San Francisco Mime Troupe [Sat-Sun 1:30p; Wed 6:30p]: 50th anniversary. "Too Big to Fail" is the production. At Golden Gate Park's Peacock Meadow (SF) on Saturday, Glen Park (SF) on Sunday, and Mill Valley Community Center on Wednesday. www.sfmt.org

California Fresh BBQ Event [Sat 2p]: Wexler's Executive Chef Charlie Kleinman will be showcasing barbecue food with a healthier take. At Macy's Cellar (SF). www.macys.com/store/event/index.ognc?action=search&storeId=212

Chinatown Night Market [Sat 4-9p]: Featuring live entertainment, chef demonstrations, and multiple food vendors. In Pacific Renaissance Plaza (Oakland). www.oacc.cc

Petaluma Art & Garden Festival [Sun 11a-5p]: 8th annual. Featuring a Santana tribute band and free ice cream for kids. In historic downtown Petaluma. www.petalumadowntown.com

Oakland Museum of California [Sun noon-5p]: Featuring exhibits on the African presence in Mexico, California artist Squeak Carnwath, Oakland High's Visual Arts Academy student collages and totems, and the future of Sequoias. www.museumca.org

Stern Grove Festival - Joan Baez [Sun 2p]: 72nd season. The long-time folk singer, who has taken up root in Woodside, will likely sing in front of a packed crowd. With Blame Sally, a modern folk collaboration of four San Francisco area women, opening. At Stern Grove Amphitheatre (SF). www.sterngrove.org

Merola Summer Concert [Sun 2p]: Semi-staged excerpts from opera favorites, as performed by the Merola Opera Program. At Yerba Buena Gardens (SF). www.ybgf.org


Paid Activities
Midnight Mass [Fri-Sat 11:59p]: 12th annual (and final). Featuring host Peaches Christ and actress Linda Blair. "Roller Boogie" on Friday night, "The Exorcist" on Saturday night. At the Bridge Theatre (SF), $13. www.peacheschrist.com

Scottish Highlands Games [Sat-Sun 10a-5p]: 35th annual. Featuring sheep dog demonstrations, mansion tours, bagpipe bands, and highland dance. At Dunsmuir Estate (Oakland), $8-12. www.dunsmuir.org

Death Cab for Cutie concert [Sat 6:30p]: With Andrew Bird opening. At the Greek Theatre (Berkeley), $43. www.deathcabforcutie.com

Chris Botti with the SFS [Sat 8p, Sun 2p]: Featuring the jazz trumpeter with the San Francisco Symphony and conductor Sarah Hicks in her debut. At Davies Symphony Hall (SF), $20-85. www.sfsymphony.org

Golden Gate Park Band [Sun 1p]: 127th season. This week's theme is Bastille Day Celebration. At the Music Concourse Bandshell in Golden Gate Park (SF). www.goldengateparkband.org

Tori Amos concerts [Mon-Tue 8p]: At the Paramount Theatre (Oakland) and Center for the Performing Arts (San Jose), $40-56. www.toriamos.com

Giants County Fair [through July 19]: With specialty days such as SF Zoo Day (July 12), LGBT Day (July 15), and Filipino Celebration Day (July 16). At McCovey Cove (SF), free-$20. www.sfgiants.com/fair

Watchmen exhibit [through July 19]: Featuring artwork from the Dave Gibbons comic and subsequent hit film. At the Cartoon Art Museum (SF), free-$6. www.cartoonart.org

Wishful Drinking [through July 23]: Two-hour autobiographical show with Carrie Fisher. At the Roda Theatre (Berkeley), $16-71. www.berkeleyrep.org

Previous: Theatre - Jack Goes Boating [through July 19 in Berkeley]; Art - Lords of the Samurai [through Sep 20 in SF]


Upcoming August Activities
Rod Stewart concert [Aug 4 in San Jose]; SF Chefs: Food & Wine event [Aug 6-9 in SF]; Julius Caesar [opens Aug 21 in San Rafael]