Randy's Guide CXLVII (147)

Today is California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's 62nd and Vanuatu's Independence Day; Friday is British writer J.K. Rowling's 44th; Saturday is Switzerland's National Day; Sunday is Costa Rica's Our Lady of the Angels; Monday is television personality Martha Stewart's 68th; Tuesday is President Barack Obama's 48th; and Wednesday is Burkina Faso's Independence Day.


Local News
The San Francisco Giants are in position to play in the playoffs for the first time since 2003. Over the past few days, the team has traded for first baseman Ryan Garko and second baseman Freddy Sanchez in exchange for two touted pitching prospects. www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/30/SP241912VE.DTL


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
Persistent fog along the coast and parts of the bay, with mild sunshine for inland areas.

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


Deal of the Week
Free premium concert tour on the loose! Check out The Offspring in San Francisco (Friday 8pm), Montgomery Gentry in Dallas (August 5), T-Pain in New Orleans (August 11), and Dierks Bentley in Atlanta (August 18). Shows in Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Nashville have yet to announce lineups. Register for tickets at www.samsungsummerkrush2009.com/tour.asp while they last.


Deal of the Week II
I don't condone fast food, but if one of the companies gives away free edibles, I'll take it and run. Jack in the Box is offering two free tacos on Tuesday, August 4. Print the coupon here: http://coupon.jackinthebox.com.


The Environment
Avoid deodorant aerosols and antiperspirants that contain zinc, aluminum, formaldehyde, DEA, triclosan, fragrance, and parabens. Burt's Bees and Crystal Body are a couple of good options that won't harm your skin or local waterways.

Previous:
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 reduced sound transfer and the environmental factors. www.BondedLogic.com


Music Videos
"Woke Up Today" by Port O'Brien (Oakland, Calif.)

Tours with Modest Mouse and Bright Eyes brought them greater exposure. Their West Coast swing of concerts in June showed they can more than hold their own. Now their two albums' worth of material is heading to places like England, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and Belgium in August. www.PortOBrien.com

Previous:
"In the New Year" 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 New York City (August), Cambridge (September), Philadelphia (September), and Austin (October). www.TheWalkmen.com


Movies (domestic revenues through July 26)
In a bit of an upset, the Disney animated film "G-Force" opened as the top film with $31.7 million [rated PG, 3697 screens, $8,576 per screen]. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" fell to second place with $29.5 million [rated PG, $221.3 million overall, 4325 screens, $6,812 per screen]. The new Katherine Heigl comedy "The Ugly Truth" premiered strongly with $27.6 million [rated R, 2882 screens, $9,579 per screen]. And the horror film "Orphan" tallied $12.9 million [rated R, 2750 screens, $4,681 per screen].

Aliens in the Attic (PG): Family action; about kids on a family vacation who must battle diminuitive alien invaders; co-starring Ashley Tisdale

The Answer Man (R): Comedy; about a reclusive author, a single mom, and a man recently out of rehab; co-starring Jeff Daniels

The Collector (R): Suspense; about an ex-con who must escape a masked "collector" and save the family he was trying to rob

Funny People (R): Comedy; about a famous comedian who has a near-death experience; co-starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Eric Bana

Lion's Den (NR): Drama; about a beautiful woman who kills her two lovers and gives birth to a son in prison

Shrink (R): Drama; about a top psychiatrist who decides to take his first pro bono case, a troubled Hollywood starlet; co-starring Kevin Spacey

Thirst (R): Horror; about a priest who turns into a vampire

24 City (NR): Drama; about a state-owned factory converted into a luxury apartment building

Youssou N'Dour (PG): Documentary; about the Senegalese pop sensation

DVD Pick - Stop-Loss (R): With the IED drama "The Hurt Locker" quietly racking up dollars (and whispers about Oscar nominations), this film from 2008 seems like a good companion piece for its focus on the practice of resending troops back into the Iraqi conflict. Great performances by Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Domestic box office: $10.9 million; foreign box office: $0.3 million.


Free Activities
Santa Clara County Fair [Fri-Sun 10a-8p]: Featuring live music, pet parade, stroller parade, youth talent show, petting zoo, and more. At Santa Clara County Fairgrounds (San Jose). www.thefair.org

San Francisco Mime Troupe [Fri 6:30p, Sat 2p, Sun 2:30p, Wed 7p]: 50th anniversary. "Too Big to Fail" is the production. At Ho Chi Minh Park (Berkeley), Mesa Park (Bolinas, $20 donation), and Mitchell Park (Palo Alto). www.sfmt.org

Peddlers Faire [Sat 8a-4p]: Featuring live jazz music, antique sellers, kids zone, and recycled crafts. Along Main St. (Martinez). www.mainstreetmartinez.org

Aloha Festival [Sat-Sun 10a-5p]: 15th annual. Featuring Polynesian dance, music, cuisine, arts & crafts, and more. At the Presidio Main Post (SF). www.sanfranciscoalohafestival.org

Fremont Festival [Sat-Sun 10a-6p]: 26th annual. Featuring two live music stages, a Kid City, Green Acres, wine garden, and more. "Largest street festival west of the Mississippi." Near Mowry and Paseo Padre (Fremont). www.fremontfestival.net

Summer Gardening Fair [Sat 10a-3p]: Featuring the installation of a victory garden, the exploration of a beehive, sale of special plants, and exhibit of butterflies. At the Botanical Gardens (SF). www.sfbotanicalgardensociety.org

Lakefest Oakland [Sat-Sun 10a-6p]: 2nd annual. Featuring live music, a green expo, farmers market, and more. Along Lakeshore Ave (Oakland). www.oaklandlakefest.com

Beaver Festival [Sat 12:30-6:30p]: Featuring live music, environmental displays, and guided tours. At Beaver Park (Martinez). www.martinezbeavers.org

AfroSolo Arts Festival [Sat 1-4p]: 16th annual. Featuring vocalist Nicolas Bearde, pianist Frank Jackson, and singer Raja Rahim. At Yerba Buena Gardens (SF). www.afrosolo.org

Taming of the Shrew [Sat 1p/6p, 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 San Felipe Park (Hayward), Centennial Park (Pleasanton), and Rengstorff House (Mountain View). www.womanswill.org/shrew

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

Film Night in the Park [Sat 8p]: Featuring "Iron Man" in Mill Valley or "Pretty in Pink" in Dolores Park (SF). www.filmnight.org

Jerry Day 2009 [Sun noon-6p]: 7th annual. Featuring musical groups Melvin Seals & JGB, Stu Allen, Check Engine Light, and Loco Bloco. At Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in McLaren Park (SF). www.jerryday.org

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

Stern Grove Festival - Kailash Kher's Kailasa [Sun 2p]: 72nd season. Featuring Bollywood superstar Kailash Kher and the Kamash brothers for an afternoon of Sufi folk rock. With Delhi 2 Dublin opening. At Stern Grove Amphitheatre (SF). www.sterngrove.org

Free Museum Days [Sun; Tue; Wed]: Asian Art Museum on Sunday; Cartoon Art Museum, de Young Museum, Legion of Honor, SF MOMA, and Yerba Buena Center Galleries on Tuesday; the Exploratorium (SF) and Bay Area Discovery Museum (Sausalito) on Wednesday. www.asianart.org www.cartoonart.org www.famsf.org www.sfmoma.org www.ybca.org www.exploratorium.edu www.baykidsmuseum.org


Paid Activities
The Fray concert [Sat 7p]: Modern rock. With Jack's Mannequin opening. At Shoreline Amphitheatre (Mountain View), $11-89. www.thefray.net www.jacksmannequin.com

The Unexpected Man [through Aug 15]: About two strangers on a train, one a famous novelist, the other an ardent fan. At the Exit Theatre (SF), $20. www.sparestage.com

Tinyard Hill [through Aug 16]: About love in Georgia during the 1960s, in the form of a country-pop musical. At Lucie Stern Theatre (Palo Alto), $29-67. www.theatreworks.org

Previous: Film - San Francisco Jewish Film Festival [through Aug 10 in SF]; Theatre - If You Give a Mouse a Cookie [through Aug 16 in Oakland]; Art - Lords of the Samurai [through Sep 20 in SF]


Upcoming September Activities
John Legend concert, with India.Arie [Sept 6 in Berkeley]; Monty Python's Spamalot [starts Sept 15 in San Jose]; Opera at the Ballpark: Verdi's Il Trovatore [Sept 19 in SF]