Randy's Guide CCLXXI (271)

Dear Randy's Guide Reader,

The only news to share this week is that the holidays are upon us. Please find every moment away from the hustle of work to share with friends, family, colleagues, and those less fortunate than you. The true joys of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are the foods, the laughter, the memories. . . not the big-screen TV deal at Best Buy or Wal-Mart.

** For those remaining in the San Francisco Bay Area over the next week, here is a partial list of holiday activities **

- Contemporary Jewish Museum is free on Christmas Day (www.thecjm.org)

- The Golden Girls are reimagined with four drag queens through Friday night (www.trannyshack.com)

- Smuin Ballet's Christmas Ballet has two more available shows (www.smuinballet.org)

- Kwanzaa delivers seven days of free activities in the SF community (www.kwanzaasanfrancisco.com)

- Kung Pao Kosher Comedy offers Jewish-laden humour over Chinese cuisine (http://www.koshercomedy.com/kungpao)

- San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus performs three programs on Christmas Eve (www.sfgmc.org)

- American Conservatory Theatre's "A Christmas Carol" runs through Christmas Eve (www.act-sf.org)

- Union Square Plaza's ice skating rink provides 90 minutes of fun amidst holiday shopping (www.unionsquareicerink.com)

** And for those in a charitable mood, here is a full list of the non-profits that have received donations from Randy's Guide **

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, San Francisco Suicide Prevention, The East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, Shanti, Curry Without Worry, SF Neighborhood Theater Foundation, La Cocina, Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Northern California, The Bike Kitchen, and First Graduate.

Thanks for your continued readership. What started as a whim has turned into something bigger. Cheers to another year of guiding you through the San Francisco Bay Area.

warm regards,

Randy