Randy's Guide CLXXXIII (183)

Historic milestones this week: 21 years since the Tiananmen Square protests; 23 years since the short-cartoon premiere of "The Simpsons"; 49 years since the Bay of Pigs invasion; and 98 years since the opening of Fenway Park.


Local News
Yosemite is in full swing, with its famed waterfalls ushering in this season's snow melt. Check them out in the next month or two for peak flows. Entrance fees of $20 are waived between April 17-25. www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/15/SPL51CU3UM.DTL


Deals of the Week
Bring in a reusable travel mug into Starbucks, and receive a free refill of coffee today, April 15. www.starbucks.com/thebigpicture

National Parks Week is here, which means free entrance to all 392 national parks starting Saturday, through April 25. www.nps.gov/npweek


Change for Change
Charity: The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse. Founded in 1979, this Oakland nonprofit collects and sells donated materials for artists, teachers, and households (36,000 annual customers). Example items included antique linens, artificial flowers, yarn, and feathers. There are also periodic educational outreach programs that reach 20,000 students per year. www.creativereuse.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, Urban Solutions, and San Francisco Suicide Prevention.


Environmental News
More than 6 million tons of food are thrown away each year by Californians, making it the single largest source of waste at 15.5 percent. Farmers regularly plow under misshapen or excess crops, while restaurants and supermarkets rarely participate in food-rescue programs. www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/05/MNCK1CNVEH.DTL


Weekend Weather
A break in the spring rain. Time to hit the slopes before the resorts close at the end of this month. Sunshine galore!

Highs: low-60s (coast); mid-60s (SF); upper-60s (bay); low-70s (inland)
Lows: upper-40s


Music
"Harrowdown Hill" by Atoms for Peace

Radiohead's Thom Yorke has a new invention, with Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and other key musicians joining together last year. Their show at Oakland's Fox Theatre is sold out, but resale tickets are available at Craigslist. They'll also be at Santa Barbara Bowl and Coachella this weekend.


Movies {domestic revenues through April 12}
"Clash of the Titans" held on to first, with $26.6 million [3802 theatres; $7,005 per theatre; 2nd weekend; $110.2 million overall]. Comedians Tina Fey and Steve Carell helped carry "Date Night" to a strong $25.2 million opening [3374 theatres; $7,471 per theatre]. The Christian drama "Letters to God" premiered poorly with $1.1 million [897 theatres; $1,228 per theatre].

Breaking Upwards (NR): Drama; about a young New York couple who decides to strategically end their four-year relationship with rules and boundaries

Death at a Funeral (R): Comedy; about a family's secrets revealed during a funeral; co-starring Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Danny Glover, and Regina Hall

The Eclipse (R): Fantasy drama; about a widower in Ireland who sees terrifying ghosts, and the sci-fi writer who befriends him; co-starring Aidan Quinn

Exit through the Gift Shop (R): Documentary; about one person's quest to document graffiti, including works by British artist Banksy

It Came from Kuchar (NR): Documentary; about the underground filmmaking twins; co-starring John Waters and Atom Egoyan

The Joneses (R): Comedy drama; about a fictional family used for marketing purposes; co-starring David Duchovny and Demi Moore

Kick-Ass (R): Adventure; about a comic fan who decides to adopt a superhero persona; co-starring Nicolas Cage

La Mission (R): Drama; about a Latino family in San Francisco's Mission District; co-starring Benjamin Bratt

The Perfect Game (PG): Drama; about a ragtag baseball team in Mexico that dreams of playing Little League; co-starring Cheech Marin

The Square (R): Thriller; about an unhappy husband whose affair with an unhappy married woman leads to a possible getaway with heist proceeds

DVD Pick - Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (PG-13): Amy Adams, in another sparkling role, plays a perfect foil to Frances McDormand, the Miss Pettigrew in question. Domestic box office: $12.3 million; foreign box office: $4.4 million.


Free Activities
Underground Farmers Market [Fri 5-11p]: Featuring talks about Sour Flour's homemade sourdough (great bagels btw!), home brewing, and seed savings. Ample food vendors with churned bacon butter, homemade mustard, American Kobe beef brisket, and more. At SomArts (SF). http://foragesf.wordpress.com

Three Stories at Mission Dolores [Fri 8p, Sat-Sun 3p]: With the Sixteenth Street Players performing lively one-act plays by Chekhov, Giraudoux, and Glaspell. At Mission Dolores Auditorium (SF). www.missiondolores.org

Earth Day on the Bay [Sat 8a-5p]: Canoe paddling, shark feeding, music playing good times. At the Marine Science Institute (Redwood City). http://sfbaymsi.org/earthday.html

Cal Day [Sat 9a-4p]: Check out campus museums, pottery wheel demos, fraternity house tours, and more. At UC Berkeley. http://calday.berkeley.edu

* Cherry Blossom Festival [Sat-Sun 11a-5p]: Featuring tea ceremonies, a Sunday afternoon parade (from City Hall to Japantown), taiko, karate, shishu (embroidery), traditional dance, and more. In Japantown (SF). www.nccbf.org

Stanford Football: Cardinal and White Spring Game [Sat 2p]: With pregame and postgame autographs with the Stanford Football team. Optional tailgame buffet catered by Gordon Biersch ($25). At Kezar Stadium (SF). www.gostanford.com

Amoeba Records Day [Sat 10a-6p]: Featuring live performances by Jonsi, Holly Golightly, and others, as well as promo giveaways and surprises. At Amoeba Records (SF/ Berkeley/ Hollywood). www.amoeba.com

* San Francisco Sunday Streets [Sun 10a-3p]: 3rd installment of the year. Featuring an Earth Day festival at Heron's Head Park, free bicycle rentals, Family Wellness Fair at the Bayview Opera House, and more. From 3rd and King (South Beach) to 3rd and Armstong (Bayview). www.sundaystreetssf.com

San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, with Circus Bella [Sun noon-1p]: Featuring conducting lessons, Circus Bella performances, and music by Joplin and Mozart. At Laney College Theatre (Oakland). www.sfchamberorchestra.org

Urban Zipline [through Sunday, 10a-7p]: Arrive early if you want to zipline across Embarcadero Square. www.ziptrek.com/san-francisco-california


Paid Activities
Passion Pit [Thu 8p]: With Mayer Hawthorne & The County and Bear Hands opening. Sold out - check CL! At the Warfield (SF), $30 retail. www.myspace.com/passionpitjams

Hot Chip [Fri 8p]: With The xx opening. Sold out - check CL! At the Fox Theatre (Oakland), $30 retail. http://hotchip.co.uk

Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival [Sat-Sun 10a-5p]: 37th annual. Featuring a fleet blessing, boat building contest, bathtub races, and more. At Westside Park (Bodega Bay). www.bbfishfest.org

Music for Families: Musical Postcards [Sat 3p, Sun 2p]: Featuring the San Francisco Symphony performing works by Dvorak, Mozart, Rimsky-Korsakov, Offenbach, and others. At the Flint Center (Cupertino) and Davies Symphony Hall (SF), $7-60. www.sfsymphony.org

Macho Bravado [through April 25]: A sterile Korean American soldier returns from Iraq to find his wife and a newborn. At the Thick House (SF), $15-25. www.asianamericantheater.org

...and Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi [through April 25]: A Civil War mini-epic tracing the efforts of two men, one black and one white, for the same woman. At the Cutting Ball Theater (SF), $15-30. www.cuttingball.com

Previous: Theatre - Den of Thieves [through Saturday in SF}; Art - Cartier exhibit [through Sunday in SF]; Theatre - Vigil [through Sunday in SF]; Theatre - A Seagull in the Hamptons [through Apr. 25 in Berkeley]; Theatre - Equivocation [through May 2 in Mill Valley]