Randy's Guide CLXIX (169)

This week features: Led Zeppelin musician Jimmy Page's 65th, Morocco's Independence Resistance Day, and Johnny Cash's 1968 Folsom Prison performance.


Local News
The mysterious disappearance of sea lions from San Francisco's Pier 39 and Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf has an explanation: El Nino. It appears the warmer ocean waters have pushed the herring population north to Oregon, and this has shifted sea lion and pelican populations with them. www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/07/MN281BE41C.DTL


Deal of the Week
With operations in San Francisco and Petaluma, Barbara's Bakery offers organic cereals, cookies, and other snacks. Sign up for free samples at www.barbarassamples.com.


Change for Change
To start off the New Year properly, please consider donating to one of the following charities spotlighted in Randy's Guide during 2009:
Bay Localize, San Francisco Women Against Rape, Sustainable Conservation, Ashoka, Old Skool Cafe, Darfur Sister Schools, Rebuilding Together San Francisco, Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, and Urban Solutions.


Weekend Weather
Considering it'll be 20 at night in Florida, icy in Nashville, and snowy in Chicago, we're looking good. Slight chance of rain Friday and Saturday.

Highs: near 60
Lows: near 45


The Environment
My favorite three suggestions from 2009:
1) 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.

2) For clearing clogged drains, pour baking soda and vinegar down the drain, followed by three cups of boiling water. Don't use over-the-counter products like Drano, which will corrode the metal pipes and release toxic vapors into the home.

3) Switch one staple of your diet from conventional to organic. Choose something like eggs, milk, or apples that won't challenge your budget but will be a repeated purchase. The food should taste better and will not contain the chemicals found to be harmful to human health.


Movies
It's no surprise that "Avatar" has steamrolled over $1 billion in global revenues. Sandra Bullock, though, has quietly become the actress behind the highest-grossing female-starring film, namely "The Blind Side." Let's take a look at five top films (alphabetized) that I've seen from 2009, ones that you will hear more about during this award season.

1) Inglourious Basterds - Quentin Tarentino hasn't lost his knack for dialogue or pulp visuals. Christoph Waltz has already picked up numerous awards for his supporting role as a sadistic, meticulous Nazi.

2) Precious - After its premiere at Sundance, this little-film-that-could received a major boost from Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry. The two female leads, newcomer Gabourey Sidibe and comedian Mo'Nique, pack a powerful daughter-mother punch in this gritty tale that also features good bit parts by singers Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz.

3) Star Trek - The year's top action film manages to breathe new life into an aging franchise. J.J. Abrams, known for his deft touch with "Alias" and "Lost," compiles an attractive, talented crew for sequels to come. With ten films to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars this year, this is one that could very well sneak in.

4) Up - The sentimental allusion to Fenton's Creamery is worth a viewing by itself. Pixar creates a masterful story (now out on DVD) that makes full use of the wry comedy of Edward Asner. It'll surely get animated film honors... but why not for the big prize too?

5) Up in the Air - George Clooney is the man. His comic timing shows up in Wes Anderson's "Fantastic Mr. Fox"; here, though, he has a deeper turn as an airborne executive who lays off corporate employees for a living. This follow-up from the director of "Juno" is going to be a big winner this awards season.


Free Activities
Aquarium of the Bay [Thu 10a-6p]: Free admission for San Francisco residents - bring proof of residency. At Aquarium of the Bay (SF). www.aquariumofthebay.org

18th Street Corridor Art Exhibition [Thu 7-10p]: Featuring talented local artists from the Mission District. Fresh black beans and rice will be served - bring your own utensils to reduce waste. At 18 Reasons (SF). www.18reasons.org

Persephone's Bees concert [Fri 9p]: With the Dashing Suns and Make Me opening. Doors open at 6pm, with local art reception. At Uptown (Oakland). www.uptownnightclub.com

ACT: A Landmark Celebration [Sat 10a-5p]: Open House celebration in Union Square, with stage readings, self-guided theater tours, stage combat demonstrations, free refreshments, and more. Members and donors from 10a-1p; general public from 2-5p. At the ACT (SF). www.act-sf.org

Vintage Paper Fair [Sat 10a-6p; Sun 10a-4p]: Featuring antique postcards, trading cards, photographs, sports memorabilia, and more. At Golden Gate Park's County Fair Building (SF). www.vintagepaperfair.com

Street Utopia North Beach [Sat 5:30-9p]: Featuring "livable city" documentaries, street-cart food vendors, public speakers, local artists, and more. Near Columbus and Montgomery (SF). www.streetutopia.org


Paid Activities
Shen Yun performance [Thu-Fri 7:30p; Sat 2p/7p; Sun 2p; Mon-Tue 7:30p]: Catch the acrobatics of this popular Chinese dance troupe, which toured over 100 cities last year. With live orchestra. At the War Memorial Opera House (SF), $40-160; Center for the Performing Arts (San Jose), $40-110; and Community Center Theater (Sacramento), $40-90. www.shenyunperformingarts.org

Mochitsuki [Sat noon-4p]: Here's your opportunity to observe and participate in the making of traditional Japanese mochi. At the Asian Art Museum (SF), free with $7-12 admission. www.asianart.org

Kimya Dawson concert [Sat 4:30p]: Her collaborations made the big screen in "Juno," but she has had multiple albums with the Moldy Peaches and on her own. With Your Heart Breaks and Angelo Spencer opening. At the Rickshaw Stop (SF), $12-14. www.kimyadawson.com

Previous: Event - Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square [through Jan. 18 in SF]; Art - Prejudice and Patriotism: The Story of Japanese Americans [through Jan. 31 in SF]; Art - Cartier exhibit [through Apr. 18 in SF]