Randy's Guide CXLVI (146)

Today is Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's 73rd; Friday is retired Giants outfielder Barry Bonds' 45th and National Tequila Day; Saturday is Galicia's National Day; Sunday is Japanese musician Keiko Matsui's 48th and Liberia's Independence Day; Monday is Olympic gold figure skater Peggy Fleming's 61st; Tuesday is Peru's Independence Day; and Wednesday is Project Runway judge Tim Gunn's 56th.


Local News
The San Jose Civic Auditorium reopens on Friday after much of the $13 million in City-approved renovation funds has been spent to upgrade sound, lighting, visuals, restrooms, and concession stands. Upcoming performances include High School Musical and Crosby, Stills, and Nash. www.mercurynews.com/ci_12893100


Change for Change
Charity to consider: Darfur Sister Schools. Thanks to reader Megan D. for this tip. It's part of a conglomerate of programs patched together by the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict, which is co-chaired by Angelina Jolie. This particular effort focuses on more than 100,000 Sudanese children living in 12 refugee camps in eastern Chad. When you donate, please e-mail fundraiser Jason W. at jweeby@gmail.com for calculation purposes. www.educationpartnership.org/howtohelp/darfur

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, Ashoka, and Old Skool Cafe.


Bay Area Weekend Weather
Slight warm-up by Saturday. Cool, foggy beaches; warm, windy valleys.

Highs: upper-50s (coast); mid-70s (bay); low-90s (inland)
Lows: low-to-mid-50s


Deal of the Week
The weekend of August 15-16 will offer free entry to more than 100 national parks. Locations include Grand Canyon (Arizona); Joshua Tree (California); Muir Woods (California); Yosemite (California); Dinosaur Monument (Colorado/Utah); Everglades (Florida); Haleakala (Hawaii); Yellowstone (Idaho/Montana/Wyoming); Acadia (Maine); Glacier (Montana); Carlsbad Caverns (New Mexico); Crater Lake (Oregon); Bryce Canyon (Utah); and Olympic (Washington). www.nps.gov/findapark/FeeFreeParks.htm


The Environment
Insulate your home with recycled denim fibers from old blue jeans. You lose the chemical irritants and volatile organic compounds from other insulation materials, yet you gain peace of mind from both the warmer (or cooler) home and the environmental factors. www.BondedLogic.com

Previous:
EcoHaul has an excellent green debris removal service in the Bay Area. The company will recycle, reuse, and donate the materials leftover from remodels or moves. Their trucks even run on biodiesel. www.EcoHaul.com


Music Videos
"Four Provinces" by The Walkmen (Brooklyn, N.Y.)

The boys like going vintage with their amplifiers and instruments, like the upright piano and Farfisa organ. They'll be at the Treasure Island Music Festival in October; earlier programs are in Cleveland and Pittsburgh (July), New York City (August), and Morrison, Colo. (September). www.TheWalkmen.com

Previous:
"Half Asleep" by School of Seven Bells (Brooklyn, N.Y.)

The Dehezas, who are identical twin sisters, met Benjamin Curtis while both opening for Interpol and formed a band named after a mythical South American pickpocket training academy. Catch their dreamy pop in August (New York City); September (Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C.); and October (San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Portland, and Seattle). www.SchoolofSevenBells.com


Movies (domestic revenues through July 19)
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" swept to a remarkable opening with $77.8 million [rated PG, $158.0 million overall, 4325 screens, $17,997 per screen]. "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" picked up another $17.6 million [rated PG, $151.9 million overall, 3rd weekend, 3807 screens, $4,601 per screen]. Sacha Baron Cohen's "Bruno" plummeted to fourth place at $8.3 million [rated R, $49.5 million overall, 2nd weekend, 2759 screens, $3,015 per screen]. And Joseph Gordon-Levitt starred in the fresh indie comedy "(500) Days of Summer," which earned an excellent $0.8 million [rated PG-13, 27 screens, $30,907 per screen].

Captain Abu Raed (NR): Drama; about a lonely janitor at a Jordanese airport who finds a captain's hat

G-Force (PG): Animation; about a team of trained guinea pigs who are armed with the latest spy equipment

In the Loop (NR): Comedy; about a backwards attempt to stop a war envisioned by the United States and the UK; co-starring James Gandolfini

Irene in Time (PG-13): Drama; about the relationships between fathers and daughters

Lake Tahoe (NR): Drama; about a teenage boy who crashes his family's car and seeks help for its repair

Orphan (R): Horror; about an adopted girl named Esther who wreaks havoc on a married couple who previously lost a child during pregnancy

The Ugly Truth (R): Comedy; about a single television producer who is paired with a brash TV personality; co-starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler

DVD Pick - I've Loved You So Long (PG-13): A knock-out performance by Kristin Scott Thomas, which rightfully earned her an Oscar nomination, anchors this thoughtful drama about a French woman released from prison and placed with her sister. Domestic box office: $3.2 million; foreign box office: $16.2 million.


Free Activities
San Francisco Mime Troupe [Thu 7p, Sat 8p, Sun 7p, Wed 7p]: 50th anniversary. "Too Big to Fail" is the production. At Victory Park (Stockton); Mateel Center (Redway, $20-22); Cotton Auditorium (Fort Bragg, $20); and Arena Green Park (San Jose). www.sfmt.org

San Francisco Marathon Expo [Fri 11a-6p, Sat 9a-5p]: Featuring a variety of speakers, fitness vendors, samples, and race registration. Marathon on Sunday morning. At the Design Center (SF). www.runsfm.com

Taming of the Shrew [Fri 6p, 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 Hillside Lawn (Walnut Creek), Mosswood Park (Oakland), and Dimond Park (Oakland). www.womanswill.org/shrew

Film Night in the Park [Fri-Sat 8p]: Featuring "Who Killed the Electric Car?" & "Hidden Bounty of Marin" on Friday, "Forbidden Planet" on Saturday, all in San Anselmo. www.filmnight.org

2009 Bank of the West Classic [Sat-Sun 10a-8p]: Qualifying matches for next week's women's tennis tournament, which includes players Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Jelena Jankovic. At Taube Tennis Center (Stanford). www.bankofthewestclassic.com

Berkeley Kite Festival [Sat-Sun 11a-5p]: Featuring free kite making, taiko drummers, candy drops, Japanese kite teams, and more. At Cesar Chavez Park (Berkeley). www.highlinekites.com

Festival of the Chariots [Sat 11a-6p]: Featuring a free vegetarian lunch, parade, live music, and dance. At Golden Gate Park's Sharon Meadow (SF). www.garrywilliams.com/iskcon

Urban Arts Festival [Sat 1-6p]: 13th annual. Participate in aerosol and traditional painting, breakdancing, and refreshments provided by Rainbow Grocery. At Precita Park (SF). www.precitaeyes.org

Macy's Preview of SF Chefs Event [Sat 2p]: Featuring local chefs cooking up favorites, as a preview of the annual 4-day food and wine celebration in Union Square. At Macy's Cellar (SF). www.macys.com

Free Shakespeare in the Park [Sat-Sun 7:30p]: 27th season. Featuring "The Comedy of Errors" with a 12-actor cast. At Amador Valley Community Park (Pleasanton). www.sfshakes.org

Festa Italiana Street Fair [Sun 10a-5p]: 23rd annual. Featuring bocce ball, Italian cuisine, chalk art gallery, a 10am parade, 15 live bands, and more. Along B Street (San Mateo). www.festafoundation.org

San Francisco Theater Festival [Sun 11a-5p]: 6th annual. Featuring over 75 theater companies on 17 stages of 160 short performances, including Beach Blanket Babylon and Wicked. In Yerba Buena Gardens and nearby indoor facilities (SF). www.SFTheaterFestival.org

Up Your Alley Fair [Sun 11a-6p]: Leather and fetish event. Along Dore Alley, Folsom Street, and 10th Street (SF). www.folsomstreetevents.org/alley

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

Stern Grove Festival - The Lyrics Born Re-View [Sun 2p]: 72nd season. Featuring local hip-hop group The Lyrics Born Re-View. With The Mighty Underdogs opening. At Stern Grove Amphitheatre (SF). www.sterngrove.org


Paid Activities
Gilroy Garlic Festival [Fri-Sun 10a-7p]: 31st annual. Featuring ample garlic-laced foods (e.g. ice cream and alligator), professional chef cook-offs, four music stages, children's entertainment stage, and more. Over 100,000 in attendance last year. At Christmas Park (Gilroy), FREE-$12. www.gilroygarlicfestival.com

San Francisco Symphony with James Earl Jones [Fri 8p]: Featuring music by American composers Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, and George Gershwin, as performed by the San Francisco Symphony. Narration of Copland's "Lincoln Portrait" by James Earl Jones. Special performance by the UC Berkeley Marching Band. At Davies Hall (SF), $20-100. www.sfsymphony.org

Spencer Day [Fri-Sat 8p/10p, Sun 7p]: Young American jazz singer, born in Utah and raised in Arizona, has just released his third CD. At Yoshi's (SF), $20-30. www.spencerday.com

Traveling Circus and Medicine Show [Sun 7p]: Featuring Counting Crows, Michael Franti & Spearhead, and Augustana. At the Greek Theatre (Berkeley), $40-86. www.travelingcircusshow.com

San Francisco Jewish Film Festival [through Aug 10]: 29th annual. Featuring 71 films from 18 countries. At Castro Theatre (SF), Swedish American Hall (SF), Cellspace (SF), Jewish Community Center (SF), Roda Theatre (Berkeley), Cinearts (Palo Alto), and Smith Film Center (San Rafael). FREE-$225. www.sfjff.org

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie [through Aug 16]: Based on the beloved children's book by Laura Numeroff. At Children's Fairyland (Oakland), $10-12. www.activeartstheatre.org

Previous: Theatre - Wishful Drinking [through today in Berkeley]; Art - Lords of the Samurai [through Sep 20 in SF]


Upcoming August Activities
Better Than Ezra concert [Aug 12 in SF]; Third Eye Blind concert [Aug 17 in Oakland]; Cajun Zydeco Festival [Aug 22 in Fremont]