Randy's Guide CLXXV (175)

Historic milestones this week: 30 years since the Miracle on Ice; 40 years of National Public Radio; 47 years since the publication of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique; 85 years since the first issue of The New Yorker; 137 years since the first UC medical school.


Local News
First, my condolences go out to Tesla Motors and to three families for the irreversible losses from yesterday's plane crash in Palo Alto. A smaller story caught my attention: A man committed suicide atop the Forever 21 store along San Francisco's Powell Street on Tuesday afternoon. Eyewitnesses observed numerous people urging him to jump, using cameras and cell phones, and then laughing about the incident once it was over. What a sad day for us all. www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/scavenger/detail?entry_id=57406


Change for Change
In light of the above news story, I'd like to focus attention on San Francisco Suicide Prevention. It is the oldest volunteer crisis line in the U.S., with its first services (the crisis line) in 1963. That number 415-781-0500 responds to over 200 calls each and every day. The program also includes help for Spanish speakers, youths, HIV/AIDS patients, and drug rehabilitation. www.sfsuicide.org

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, Old Skool Cafe, Darfur Sister Schools, Rebuilding Together San Francisco, Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, and Urban Solutions.


Deals of the Week
Auntie Anne's is offering up a free pretzel (original or cinnamon sugar) on Saturday from 10am-3pm. You'll find them in most malls, including the San Francisco Centre, Serramonte (Daly City), Tanforan (San Bruno), Valley Fair (Santa Clara), and Southland (Hayward). www.freepretzelday.com

IHOP is attempting to match some of the gusto claimed by Denny's free grand slam meal promotion. From 7am-10pm on Tuesday, you'll get a free short stack of pancakes. Help IHOP meet its goal of $5 million donated to children's charities over five years. www.ihoppancakeday.com


Weekend Weather
The unusually warm weather, which brought us 10 degrees above normal, will disappear into a smattering of showers starting Friday afternoon into the foreseeable future.

Highs: upper-50s
Lows: low-40s (inland); mid-40s (coast-bay); upper-40s (SF)


Music
"Fables" by The Dodos (San Francisco, Calif.)

Noise Pop is upon us! A highlight is a quirky mash-up with this indie pop trio and the female-run, 28-piece Magik*Magik Orchestra at the Palace of Fine Arts next Thursday. Tickets still available for $25. www.dodosmusic.net


Movies {domestic revenues through February 15}
"Valentine's Day" scored the highest Presidents' Day weekend opening ever, with its parade of stars and timely topic pushing it to $63.1 million [rated PG-13; 3665 screens; $17,227 per theatre]. "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" lit up to the tune of $38.7 million [rated PG; 3356 theatres; $11,520 per theatre]. "The Wolfman" remake proved a draw for males and tallied the most for a werewolf film with $35.6 million [rated R; 3222 theatres; $11,035 per theatre]. Helen Mirren, Oscar-nominated for her role in "The Last Station," helped push its expansion to $0.6 million [rated R; 84 theatres; $7,223 per theatre; 5th weekend; $1.5 million overall].

2010 Academy Award Nominated Shorts (NR): Animation/live-action; featuring the 10 Oscar-nominated short films

Happy Tears (R): Comedy; about two sisters who return to their childhood home and confront buried memories; co-starring Parker Posey, Demi Moore, and Rip Torn

Harmony and Me (NR): Comedy; about a musician who refuses to let go of his girlfriend

Leonard Cohen: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 (NR): Documentary; about the 700,000 or so attendees, many of whom didn't pay admission, for a five-day concert on a British island, to see such acts as Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, the Doors, Miles Davis, and of course Leonard Cohen

The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (NR): Documentary; about the Vietnam War strategist who leaked top-secret documents to The New York Times

North Face (NR): Action; about the tragic attempt of four climbers ascending a Swiss mountain

Shutter Island (R): Thriller; about two U.S. marshals who investigate a woman's disappearance at a remote prison for the criminally insane; co-starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, and Michelle Williams; directed by Martin Scorsese

DVD Pick - The Hurt Locker (R): Director Kathryn Bigelow (ex-wife of "Avatar" director James Cameron) packs an intense wallop with this searing look at an IED team in Iraq. The ensemble works well together, with Jeremy Renner making the most of his role as a free-wheeling staff sergeant. Nine Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Director, Actor, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Music, Film Editing, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing. Domestic box office: $12.7 million; foreign box office: $5.0 million.


Free Activities
The Art of Noise [Fri 7-10p]: Opening reception for a Noise Pop exhibit displaying art inspired by music. Through February 28. At Project One (SF). www.p1sf.com

King Tut Free Weekend [Sat-Sun 9a-5p]: Featuring fortune tellers, tarot-card readers, a live DJ, hands-on art making, sword dancers, belly dancers, and free admission to the de Young Museum and the King Tut exhibit. Savings of about $30 per adult! Arrive early on the day you wish to reserve a timed entry ticket for up to four individuals. www.famsf.org/deyoung

Joe Goode: 29 Effeminate Gestures [Sat 4p]: Open dance rehearsal featuring Joe Goode and Miguel Gutierrez. At COUNTERpulse (SF). RSVP to rsvp@joegoode.org www.joegoode.org

Tulip Mania Tours [through Feb. 28]: Check out the many varieties including Flaming Parrots and Burgundy Lace. Tours are daily at 10am, with refreshments at the conclusion. Meet at Pier 39 entrance plaza (SF - North Point). www.pier39.com


Paid Activities
2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition [Sat 2-5p]: Featuring gold-medalist wines and artisan food samples. At Fort Mason Center (SF), $60-80. www.winejudging.com

Day of Remembrance [Sun 2-5p]: Featuring Assemblyman Warren Furutani (D-Long Beach), KTVU Jana Katsuyama, the Purple Moon Dance Project, a candle-lighting ceremony, and reception in remembrance of the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans. At Kabuki Sundance Cinema and Japanese Cultural and Community Center (SF), $10-15. www.dayofremembrance.org

Previous: Film - SF IndieFest [through Thursday in SF]; Theatre - Loveland [through Sunday in SF]; Theatre - Coming Home [through Feb. 28 in Berkeley]; Theatre - Oedipus El Rey [through Feb. 28 in SF]; Art - Cartier exhibit [through Apr. 18 in SF]