The San Francisco Film Society wrapped its 54th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 21 - May 5) with 265 screenings of 193 films from 48 countries, which were attended by 278 filmmakers and industry guests from 22 countries around the globe.

"I had a hell of a good time!" exclaimed Frank Pierson, recipient of this year's Kanbar Award for excellence in screenwriting. "I enjoyed the informality of spirit and the professionalism of execution of the whole event."

This spirit was passed on to the audience, who helped the Festival to sell out 130 screenings during its 15-day run, emphasizing the strong demand for the unique programming that the Film
Society brings to the Bay Area. Of particular popularity were the 134 screenings featuring special guests.  

"Once again our audience brought a unique enthusiasm and knowledge to the Festival," said Graham Leggat, SFFS executive director. "This was combined with the Festival's original programming, headed by Director of Programming Rachel Rosen, which featured numerous live events and a record number of films by female directors.
Together they made this year's International truly one to remember."

The audience enthusiasm was also noticed by Nostalgia for the Light director Patricio Guzmán, who commented on the "excellent post-screening discussions."

Additionally, Film Society Awards Night, the organization's gala fundraiser, chaired this year by Melanie and Larry Blum, raised more than $500,000. Proceeds from this event benefit the
Film Society's Youth Education program, which serves roughly 10,000 Bay Area schoolchildren annually.

Star-Studded Nights

Film Society Awards Night
honored three world-class film talents at Bimbo's 365 Club on April 28.
Honorees were Oliver
Stone, recipient of the Founderʼs
Directing Award, presented by producer Ed
Pressman; Terence
Stamp, recipient of the Peter J. Owens Award for his acting
career, presented by Sight
& Sound editor Nick
James; and Frank
Pierson, who was presented his award by former president of the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Sid Ganis.

"It was a real epiphany
for me," said Terence Stamp. "The past few days have been a true
hallmark in my life. It felt like a whole evening of untethered love."

Attending the festivities
were director Lynn
Hershman Leeson of
!Women Art Revolution; board member Carla Emil and her husband Rich Silverstein of
Goodby Silverstein; Tom
Bernard, copresident of Sony Pictures Classics; board member Celeste Meier and
her husband Anthony
Meier of Anthony Meier Fine Arts; venture capitalist Dick Kramlich and
his wife Pamela;
board member Todd
Traina and his wife Katie;
gallery owner Serge
Sorokko and his wife, model Tatiana Sorokko; board member and
restaurateur Doug
Biederbeck and his wife Jennifer;
novelist Robert Mailer
Anderson and his wife Nicola
Miner; board member
Fred Levin and his wife Nancy
Livingston; filmmaker Jake
Kornbluth; art dealer Sabrina
Buell; president and founder of the Tin Man Fund Ann Hatch; head of
Chronicle Books Nion
McEvoy; former ambassador Jim Hormel; and Minority Leader of the
House of Representatives Nancy
Pelosi.

"Film Society Awards
Night was such a fun evening," observed an Awards Night guest.
"Bimbo's and the supper club format for the evening made it so intimate,
even though there were over 400 people. The Film Society really knows how to
put on an exciting large-scale event."

Numerous guests graced the
stage during SFIFF54, starting on Opening Night with Beginners director Mike Mills and actor
Ewan McGregor
and continuing throughout the Festival. Celebrated multimedia artist Matthew Barney was
in town to receive the Golden Gate Persistence of Vision Award. Film archivist,
programmer and showman Serge
Bromberg presented a display of some of the earliest examples
of 3-D films at the Castro Theatre.

"I was looking for an
excuse to come back here," said Bromberg. "The Castro is the right place to show
these films."

Legendary actor Terence Stamp
enthralled the audience during his interview with film critic Elvis Mitchell before
the screening of hard-to-find Frederico Fellini film Toby Dammit.
Up-and-coming actors Zoe
Saldana and Clifton
Collins Jr. entertained the audience while being honored with
the Midnight Awards. Director Errol
Morris returned to the Festival with his latest film, the
documentary Tabloid. 

"I owe my career in part
to the world premiere screening of The
Thin Blue Line at the Festival," reminisced Morris. "I
will keep coming back."

Writer/director/actress Miranda July was in
attendance with her latest work The
Future. Writer/actress Brit
Marling and actor William
Mapother presented their film Another Earth. The Mill and the Cross, the latest piece by
acclaimed Polish director Lech
Majewski, was shown to enthusiastic crowds. Director Maryam Keshavarz
brought her film Circumstance
to the Festival.

The Festival wound down with
a few final high profile screenings. The Centerpiece film, Terri, was shown with
director Azazel Jacobs
and stars John C.
Reilly,
Creed Bratton and
Jacob Wysocki in attendance. Closing Night then featured a
screening of On Tour,
which was accompanied by a performance by Mimi Le Meaux, Kitten on the Keys,
Evie Lovelle and Rocky Roulette, four of the burlesque dancers in the film.

Live & Onstage
Events

Kicking off the Live & Onstage
program on April 24 was the State
of Cinema Address, delivered by groundbreaking producer of
independent films Christine Vachon. Also on April 24 was From A to Zellner,
during which the prolific filmmaking duo the Zellner Brothers showcased selections
from their considerable collection of short films, complete with accompanying
song and dance numbers and their keyboard-playing grandfather. New Skin for the Old Ceremony
presented a tribute to the legendary Leonard Cohen on April 26. The event
featured 11 new short films inspired by his songs, a screening of the classic
documentary Ladies and
Gentlemen . . . Mr. Leonard Cohen and live renditions of several
Cohen songs by local musicians Kelley Stoltz and the duo Pale Hoarse. Composer
Stuart Staples collaborated with world-renowned French filmmaker Claire Denis
on Tindersticks:
Claire Denis Film Scores 1996-2009, in which Staples' band
Tindersticks performed live their original scores to scenes from six of Denis'
films. Finally, San Francisco's beloved Porchlight
storytelling series returned to the Festival, captivating story lovers on May
3. The event featured six storytellers accompanied by a video clips, each
telling tales of their filmmaking experiences.

Local Cinema

The 54th International
featured 23 local narrative and documentary features and short films. Among the
Bay Area features were The
Selling by Emily Lou, !Women Art Revolution by Lynn
Hershman Leeson, American
Teacher by Vanessa Roth, Better This World by Kelly Duane
de la Vega and Katie Galloway, Crime
After Crime by Yoav Potash, Miss Representation
by Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Something
Ventured by Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine. Bay Area shorts
were also abundant and included The
Cap (Arjun Rihan), Chromatastic (Kerry Laitala), Come to the Table
(Zoe Salnave), The
D Train (Jay Rosenblatt), Escape from Suburbia
(Mayana Bonapart), Fire
Bad (Isaac Wolfe), Independence in Sight (Sydney Paige
Matterson, Lauren Lindberg, Julian Compagni-Portis, Bonita Tindle), India Export
(Raphael Linden), Library
of Dust (Ondi Timoner, Robert James), The Math Test
(Sam Rubin), Play
by Play (Carlos Baena), Self Portrait as a PowerPoint Proposal for an Amusement
Park Ride (Jonn Herschend), The Snowman
(Kelly Wilson, Neil Wrischnik), Tourist
Trap (Skye Thorstenson), Young Dracula (Alfred Seccombe) and
Z-Man
(Nat Talbot).

Schools at the
Festival

This year SFFS Youth
Education's Schools at the Festival program celebrated its 20th anniversary.
Many filmmakers participated, with 23 local and international guests discussing
their films and craft in classrooms during the program's 31 school visits,
reaching 1360 elementary, middle and high school students. Teachers were also
invited to bring their students to 18 school screenings held at the Sundance
Kabuki Cinemas. More than 3,000 students from schools across the Bay Area
attended these Schools at the Festival screenings, part of the year-round Youth
Education program. SATF aims to develop media literacy, broaden insights into
other cultures, enhance foreign language aptitude, develop critical thinking
skills and inspire a lifelong appreciation of cinema.

An impromptu chant of
"Kids love movies!" broke out from the young audience at a screening
of the shorts collection Do You See What I See?, bringing this goal to
life. 

Salons and Master
Classes at the Festival

Participating in three Master
Classes, filmmakers and panelists engaged audiences with further discussion of
the ideas presented in their films and related works. French film critic Jean-Michel Frodon
explored the role of the critic in today's cinema; Frank Pierson
discussed the craft of screenwriting and how it has evolved through the years;
and finally, producer Alison
Dickey and director Azazel
Jacobs described their working relationship and how they came
together to bring this year's Centerpiece film to the screen. Two Salons
offered the opportunity for film scholars and filmmakers to engage in
discussions with local cinephiles and engage in in-depth conversations beyond
the typical postscreening Q&A. Author Susan Weiner lead Expressions of French Cinema,
and professor Bill Nichols explored The
Social Justice Documentary. In addition, SFIFF54 offered
industry members a number of professional sessions and networking
opportunities, an extension of the year-round Film Craft & Film Studies
program offered by the San Francisco Film Society.

Award-Winning Films

Eleven films were in juried
competition for the 15th annual $15,000 New Directors Award, given to a first-
time filmmaker whose work exhibits a unique artistic sensibility. The jury,
comprised of Nick James, Daniela Michel and Marie Therese Guirgis, chose
director Park Jung-bumʼs The
Journals of Musan (South Korea), explaining, "The
unexpected ways that the film fuses the personal with the sociopolitical makes
it truly original, especially its sophisticated use of imagery and point of
view."

The FIPRESCI jury, comprised
of Ulrick Eriksen, Barbara Lorey De Lacharrière and Adam Nayman, chose The Salesman by
Sébastien Pilote (Canada). The jury described it as "a first feature with
a precise sense of character and place, yet which is also provocatively
ambivalent about the value of work in the aftermath of local economic
collapse." FIPRESCI, the influential international organization of film
critics, supports cinema as an art and as an autonomous means of expression.
The San Francisco International Film Festival is one of only three festivals in
the United States to host a FIPRESCI jury and award a FIPRESCI prize.

The International awarded
close to $100,000 in total prizes this year with $60,000 to winners in three
categories: investigative documentary feature ($25,000), documentary feature
($20,000) and Bay Area documentary feature ($15,000). The Festivalʼs
Golden Gate Awards were held on Wednesday, May 4 at Temple Nightclub-Prana
Restaurant, with a jury comprised of Dan Krauss, Mike Maggiore and Esther
Robinson. The GGA for Best Investigative Documentary Feature was presented to Crime After Crime
by Yoav Potash (USA). Best Documentary Feature and Best Bay Area Documentary
Feature were both presented to Better
This World by Kelly Duane de la Vega and Katie Galloway
(USA).

The short film jury was made
up of Andy Gillet, Max Goldberg and Kim Yutani. They awarded Best Documentary
Short to Into the
Middle of Nowhere by Anna Frances Ewert (Scotland/England).
The Best Narrative Short was Blokes
by Marialy Rivas (Chile). First place for Best Bay Area Short went to Tourist Trap by
Skye Thorstenson (USA), with second place going to Young Dracula by
Alfred Seccombe (USA). The GGA Youth Work winner was Z-Man by Nat
Talbot (USA), with The
Math Test by Sam Rubin (USA) receiving Honorable Mention.
The Best Work for Kids and Families was Specky Four Eyes by Jean-Claude Rozec
(France), with Honorable Mention going to The Snowman by Kelly Wilson and
Neil Wrischnik (USA). The Best Animated Short was The External World
by David O'Reilly (Ireland) and Best New Visions was Lost Lake by
Zackary Drucker (USA).

The SFIFF54 Audience Awards
gave filmgoers the opportunity to select their favorite narrative feature and
documentary. The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature went to Denis
Villeneuveʼs Incendies,
with Takashi Miikeʼs 13
Assassins also scoring well with festivalgoers. The
Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature went to Yoav Potashʼs Crime After Crime,
with Kelly Duane de la Vega and Katie Galloway's Better This World
also tallying high votes from the viewers.

For information visit fest11.sffs.org.

For photos and press
materials visit sffs.org/pressdownloads.

San Francisco Film
Society

Building on a 50-plus-year
legacy of bringing the best in world cinema to the Bay Area, the San Francisco
Film Society is a national leader in exhibition, education and filmmaker
services.

The Film Society presents 300
days of exhibition each year, reaching a total audience of 130,000 people. Its
acclaimed education program introduces international cinema and media literacy
to more than 15,000 teachers and students and presents 120 classes and
workshops annually. Through the filmmaker services program essential creative
and business services, and funding totaling millions of dollars, are provided
to deserving filmmakers of all levels.

The Film Society seeks to
elevate all aspects of film culture, offering a wide range of activities that
engage emotions, inspire action, change perceptions and advance knowledge. A
501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, it is largely donor and member supported.
Patronage and membership provides discounted prices, access to grants and
residencies, private events and a wealth of other benefits.

54th San Francisco
International Film Festival

The 54th San Francisco
International Film Festival runs April 21 - May 5 at the Sundance Kabuki
Cinemas, the Castro Theatre, New People and SFMOMA in San Francisco and the
Pacific Film Archive Theater in Berkeley. Held each spring for 15 days, the
International is an extraordinary showcase of cinematic discovery and
innovation in the country's most beautiful city, featuring 15 juried awards,
200 films and live events with upwards of 100 participating filmmakers and
diverse audiences of 75,000+ people.

For more information visit sffs.org.

Bill Roedy, former Chairman and CEO of MTV Networks International, began working for HBO in 1979 when it was broadcasting only nine hours a day. There he learned that distribution was everything. It was to be his mantra at MTV—aggressive, creative, relentless distribution.

Roedy shares his experiences and lessons in What Makes Business Rock. From virtually nothing, he built MTV International into the largest media network in the world. For anyone involved doing business internationally, it is essential reading.

As manager of HBO’s national accounts, he learned that “In life as well as in business, the ability to sell is the foundation upon which success is built.” Some people don’t understand that he says, but even in Vietnam, although he had the formal authority to force troops obey my orders, I found that if people didn’t believe in the mission, I never got a total effort from them.” Leaders are always selling.

Although reluctant to leave HBO and move to London, in 1989 he became managing director of MTV Europe. What he inherited wasn’t working. He had to quickly create a better product, get more distribution and generate revenue. Getting the right people in place was crucial to creating an entrepreneurial organization. “Never take ‘No’ for an answer.” “Take chances.” “Break all the rules.”

Their objective was to be the most visually engaging channel in the history of European television. To make sure viewers always knew they were watching MTV, they put their logo in the corner of the screen and leave it there. No one had done that before. (Now everyone does.)

Here is a lesson every leader could bear to keep in mind: as a leader, your opinion matters—maybe more than you know. But it can actually be having a negative impact. The MTV playlist is extremely important to its viewers and giving them what they want to hear is essential to MTV’s survival. Roedy says that in the beginning he attended those meetings if only to be the voice of reason and a subtle reminder that they were running a business. “But after attending half a dozen of these meetings I realized I was making a huge mistake. I was much older than our demographic and my musical tastes were very different. I was skewing the choices older.” So he stopped attending those meetings. “As much as I enjoyed being part of that process, I had to remind myself that I was a manager, and I had to delegate decision-making authority to those people I trusted.” How many leaders, for all kinds of well-intentioned reasons feel they have to leave their fingerprint on everything, while they are in-fact stifling their people and skewing the results?

Roedy’s success at MTV can be attributed to the fact that he was always reinventing. “The longer you stay with the same strategy, the more vulnerable you become to your competitors.”

His most important contribution was the idea, “Think global, act local.” MTV was already local to Europe, but it had to be broken down to the national level, country by country. “Learn the local culture and reflect it in every decision we make,” was their business strategy. He created a structure similar to what he learned in the military: small operating units in the field fighting the competition. “My belief was that the local people would best reflect the needs, tastes, and desires of the local audience, and because their jobs would depend on the bottom line, they were much less likely to make risky or destructive financial decisions. In Vietnam, I had seen over and over the benefits of dealing directly with the loyal population own their own terms, rather than trying to impose our beliefs on them.” Because of the complexities of operating an international business, you need be there on the ground to really feel it.

On MTV Arabia for example, they broadcast the call to prayer on the channel five times every day. For Ramadan they produced an animated film explaining the meaning of that important religious holiday to young people in a creative way and refrained for a month from showing any music videos.

Throughout the book there are stories of music celebrities—singing karaoke with Bono and Bob Geldof dressed as a nurse in Tokyo at 4a.m.—and others like Sumner Redstone, Robert Maxwell, Jeff Bewkes, Nelson Mandela, Jiang Zemin, Fidel Castro, Tony Blair, and the Dalai Lama. They add color to the book and make it all the more interesting. But read it for the insights into global business.

Related Interest:
  More lessons from Bill Roedy can be found on the LeadershipNow Facebook page.
  What Makes Business Rock

* * *

"I am going to miss my son every day of my life but this, the death of Osama bin Laden, seems to be perfect closure for the foul and evil deeds that that man has committed. Bill Clinton made a real effort to root out Osama bin Laden. George W. Bush promised the American public that we will not rest until we have Osama bin Laden in our control, and then Barack Obama was able to make good the promises and efforts of his two predecessors. I'm very grateful to all three men for their strength and their persistence in this project." - Alice Hoagland, mother of openly gay rugby player and 9/11 hero Mark Bingham, speaking to the Bay Area Reporter.

RELATED: The documentary With You, The Mark Bingham Story previews at the Castro Theater on June 18th.

Several groups observed the 10th Annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy this week. According to the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, Texas taxpayers would save about $57 million a year, if the state's teen birth rate dropped to that of California. It's a pot of money that the state would probably love to have now. However, legislation proposed to curb the state’s teen pregnancy problem and save taxpayer dollars hasn’t gotten much traction. Medicare pays for the majority of the 54,000 babies born to Texas teens on average each year. That figure has some people wondering who’s having these babies and what’s being done about it. Dr. Susan Tortolero with the UT Health Science Center at Houston said about 32,000 of the 54,000 births are to Hispanic teens. Hispanic teens now make up the majority of all teenagers in Texas. “Some folks want to blame Hispanics for this high teen birthrate, but it’s really Hispanic parents,” Tortolero said. “Our polls say they want help, they want sex education and they’re looking for help on how to prevent teen pregnancy as well, and as a state, we’re just not giving it to them.” Texas passed up federal funds that 43 other states received for evidence-based prevention programs which have been proven to reduce risk behaviors. Abstinence-only wasn't one of the programs. Some of that money would have funded sex education for the parents of Hispanic teens. Robin Rosell is the director of the Tandem program at People’s Community Clinic in Austin. The program provides comprehensive medical care and social services to pregnant teens, 90 percent of whom are Hispanic. She doesn't believe Texas teens are getting adequate sex education in public schools, either. “I get very surprised by just the lack of some basic knowledge about their bodies and how to contracept,” Rosell said. “They just haven’t had access to a lot of that information.” Rosell added that many teen moms come from chaotic and troubled homes where the parents also got pregnant as teenagers. But she said it’s not just girls and parents who need sex education. “A lot of the girls, the father of the baby is a lot older, and I think for the younger girls there’s some coercion, not maybe physical or violent coercion but emotional coercion,” she said. Other experts like Barb Steinberg agree that talking about sex to teens goes a long way in preventing teen pregnancy. “Developmentally, socially, psychologically, physically, they’re interested in sex,” Steinberg said. “They want to know about it. They want to understand their bodies. If you talk to the majority of girls, they’re certainly not going to tell you, ‘I’d like to become a teen mom.’” State Representative Joaquin Castro has authored a bill to address the issue head on. He said everyone stands to win if Texas adopts a comprehensive, age-appropriate sex-ed policy. “I think we can all agree that the best possible thing in the world is for some woman, a teenage woman, not to have to decide whether she’s going to have an abortion or not,” Castro said. Castro’s bill and a companion bill in the senate have failed to get a committee hearing at the Capitol during this legislative session. Castro doesn’t think the legislation will go anywhere this year but said the stakes are too high to ignore the issue much longer.

May 3, 2011- I understand that training camp for the Atlanta Dream starts on May 15, 2011.  This is no secret, because I believe that training camp starts the same day for every other team of the WNBA.  This means that I have to reacquaint myself with the Atlanta Dream, which is a thankfully easy task.  The Dream are coming off a WNBA Finals appearance, and head coach Marynell Meadors has taken the approach of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" (or rather, "fix the only part that is broke"). I tried to think about how I'd explain the Atlanta Dream to someone who had never followed the WNBA.  In most sports, teams have one emblematic player that exemplifies the entire franchise.  For Seattle, it's two players:  it's Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson.  They're pretty much the Seattle Storm right there, and you can surround them with as many valuable parts as you care to, but it's Bird and Jackson (or Jackson and Bird) at the end.  For Phoenix, it's Diana Taurasi.  You might throw Penny Taylor in there if you're generous, but it's Dee.  Dee and only Dee.  For some franchises, that player is no longer there.  The Los Angeles Sparks are really still Lisa Leslie's team, even though Leslie walked off her memorial court for the last time in 2009.  In New York, despite the multiple homages to T-Spoon, that player is Becky Hammon, the little ball of fire that is no longer there and whose departure marked a decline in the Liberty's fortunes.  Her departure is a benchmark moment in that it seems you can divide the Liberty into its Hammon and post-Hammon eras.  The ghost of Hammon (or her jersey, anyway) still haunts Madison Square Garden.Sometimes, you can't characterize a team by any particular player.  The Shock was more characterized by its coach, Bill Laimbeer, than any of the talented players on Detroit's championship teams.  (They are now characterized by Nolan Richardson, more out-of-touch than awe-inspiring.)  Minnesota is characterized by injuries and lost potential.  The Sky are characterized by nothing at all, a team still in search of some basic identity.The Dream are much like the Shock in that it has always been a team characterized by its coach rather than its players.  Three players have carried the load for Atlanta fans and two of them have left under acrimonious circumstances.  The first year of Atlanta - the year with the 0-17 start - the Dream's offensive play maker was Betty Lennox.  It was clear that Lennox and Meadors didn't see eye-to-eye and when Chamique Holdsclaw took over, Lennox and the Dream's horrible 2008 season were treated as a bad dream, a mirage, strange days when Katie Feenstra and Ann Strother roamed Philips Arena and when the lineup was very much different and when WNBA fans in Atlanta were just glad to have a team, any team at all.  There was still one okay season left in Holdsclaw, and the Dream made the playoffs in 2009, but fate conspired to turn 2009 into a mocking joke - Atlanta was bumped out of its own arena by Sesame Street, Holdsclaw was ailing, Shalee Lehning's shoulder was busted and the Shock swept the Dream in the opening round with the Dream's season ending in the characterless shoebox of Gwinnett Arena in front of a sparse crowd.The next year, Angel McCoughtry - the #1 draft pick of the Dream - carried the team on her back the way she had carried the Louisville Cardinals on her back to a NCAA title game the previous year, the one in which she was drafted.  The Dream finished fourth, but swept past both Washington and New York to the WNBA Finals, where they would lose to a Seattle team that probably couldn't have been beaten by God that season.  Even so, the clear boss of the team was not McCoughtry but Marynell Meadors.  Meadors has made some unpopular decisions in her tenure as coach and GM.  Holdsclaw muttered something about broken commitments upon departing and made it plain that she was leaving because of Meadors.  Meadors put Shalee Lehning in as the starting point guard, forcing Ivory Latta to share time with her, then cut Latta, then brought Latta back, then let Latta go off to Tulsa, then put Lehning on the bench during the championship run.  Meadors has never been afraid to put anyone on the bench - not Lennox, not Holdsclaw, not McCoughtry.  If there was an WNBA team where the star scorer served as traffic director and ersatz coach, it wasn't going to be the one in Atlanta.  The only traffic cop on that team was Meadors.It's a role that Meadors is definitely suited for.  I remember reading in multiple places where it is said that Meadors's goal from high school was to be a head coach.  (Of course, Meadors was in high school in the 1960s and the WNBA was mere fantasy.  How many NBA teams were there back then?)   Back in Meadors's day, if you were over 22 and wanted to be involved in basketball at some level, you were a head coach, you were living in Europe...or you sold popcorn at a men's game.  Meadors ended up coaching at multiple colleges - MTSU, Tennessee Tech, Florida State, as an assistant at Pittsburgh - and in 1997, she ended up as one of the WNBA's first head coaches, steering the Charlotte Sting.I was not around to see her during her Sting years (the Sting aren't around now, either.)  For those who want to stay involved in basketball, there seem to be a lot more options.  One can play in the WNBA or in Europe.  One can work behind the mic like LaChina Robinson.  One can coach at the college level.  One can be an administrator.  In any case, a few coaches I've spoken to seem to treat the public relations aspect of the job as a burden, the act of talking to reporters as some odious part of life as a coach that is treated with the seriousness of a showdown at the O. K. Corral.  Talking to outsiders was just some bad part of being a coach that you put up with until the fun part of playing the game came back around.When you meet Meadors, however, it's plain - at least to me - that she likes coaching, likes talking to reporters, likes all of the parts of coaching life - even the disagreeable ones.  Why not? Coaching has always been her life's goal.  She has talked about retiring and playing golf somewhere but I almost can't see it happening.  She's already off to work with the USA Basketball Staff, and at her age (it has to be mentioned) she could have bowed out of that obligation the same way that Cappie Pondexter bowed out for a fashion show.  Instead, it's off to Vegas although I doubt that Meadors will be hitting the casinos.Meadors's decisions might be unpopular - but in the short history of the Atlanta Dream, she has always been the one making them.  Her detractors might claim that Carol Ross is somehow the power behind the throne - but Meadors could have just shut Ross out. If you're looking for anything that characterizes the Atlanta Dream, for better or for worse that person is Marynell Meadors.  Meadors chose all the players - not that every player she chose panned out (Tamera Young!  Chanel Makongo!).  She chose the strategy, even though having Shalee Lehning at point had its obvious weaknesses.  But the team lived and died by those weaknesses, and if your only use for a point is to shove the ball into the hands of Sancho Lyttle or Erika de Souza in the post, or to hand it to Angel McCoughtry or Iziane Castro Marques and then get the hell out of the way, then you'd be hard pressed to call that "weakness" - it was a strategy that succeeded more often than it failed.It's not really McCoughtry's team any more than it's Brittainey Raven's or Chioma Nnamaka's.   It's not Sancho Lyttle's team (not that Sancho would ever ask for that) or Brazil's team.  Lindsey Harding might be the last piece of the puzzle, but only Meadors knows what it's supposed to look like when it gets put together.  If Atlanta wins the WNBA championship this year, the last act will be Meadors putting the completed puzzle into its silver frame.

The Jubilee movement is special to millions of people who cut their campaigning teeth on it and learned from its success

Last week I was at a leaving do for Stephen Rand who left the Jubilee Debt Campaign after 10 years as co-chair. It was a moment for a bit of nostalgia.

Stephen is one of a number of people who have been with the Jubilee campaign since its beginning in the mid-1990s. People remembered how he got the first major charity, Tearfund, to send out a circular to its supporters in 1996 asking them to send money not to Tearfund, but to the Jubilee 2000 campaign.

That was one piece of a massive jigsaw that made Jubilee one of the most important global movements for justice of our time.

We chatted about the mass rallies in the late 1990s in Birmingham and Cologne, where a petition of 24m signatures was handed to the G8. We remembered the reconstituting of the campaign in 2001, and how it played a leading role in the Make Poverty History campaign, when more debt (this time the multilateral debt owed to the World Bank and the IMF) was cancelled.

There are many reasons why the Jubilee movement is so special for so many of us. First, it worked. For many years the economists of the World Bank and the British treasury had told us that debt simply could not be cancelled. It was a moral hazard. There were rules.

But they hadn't reckoned on the moral power of the human chain around the Birmingham G8 in 1998, chanting for debt cancellation – famously audible to the negotiators in their conference rooms. When debt cancellation finally became a reality for some countries, it led to increased spending on health and education, saving and improving millions of lives.

Second, the political consequences were often as important as the financial ones. It was while working on debt that I learned to judge campaign outcomes not just in financial terms, but in terms of power relations. The cancellation of debt, especially the second tranche of multilateral debt in 2005, meant that many countries regained some autonomy, and were more able to stand up against the pressure of donors when they tried to impose wrongheaded economic policies.

There were political costs too. The conditionality attached to debt relief was damaging, and many southern partners were unhappy with the deal. But, overall, it was a deal worth doing, because apart from its immediate results, it shifted our understanding of what it means to campaign on international poverty.

This is the third reason it was (and is) so special. There is an apocryphal story about Clare Short (the UK's development minister at the time) joking with Africa campaigner Bob Geldof that the British public would never understand a campaign on a complex financial issue like debt. They were wrong.

When the leaflets started going out, when the talks started to be given in church halls and scout huts, the British people were shocked to learn about the injustice that their country was inflicting on the world's poorest people. They got it. It was the first time UK charities, working with others across the world, had gathered en masse to fight against global unfairness. It was a paradigm shift. MPs elected in 1997 and 2001 were the Jubilee generation, and it still shows in the UK's relatively progressive aid policies.

Without the extraordinary success of the Jubilee 2000 campaign, would the more complex Trade Justice Movement have been possible? The same message of unfairness was at its heart. And it also led to significant shifts in policy, although not the radical changes that we all know are ultimately so hard to achieve.

Debt movements had existed for much longer in developing countries. It was Fidel Castro who first brought the prospect of debt cancellation to international prominence in a series of meetings and interviews as long ago as 1985. But the Jubilee brand was so powerful that at the turn of the millennium many autonomous southern campaigns joined under its banner, becoming Jubilee South, and constituting an important global voice for justice.

In a bold and pretty convincing reordering of the conventional approach to finances, Jubilee South claims that far from being debtors, the developing countries are creditors – after centuries of pillage, decades of unfair trade and harmful aid conditions, and now climate injustice.

There is still a lot more to do, which is why the UK's Jubilee Debt Campaign is still campaigning, along with the Jubilee USA Network and a host of other affiliated movements. As a consequence of its work against vulture funds, whereby private companies buy up developing country debt and force them to repay it, a bill has recently been passed in Britain to make this pernicious practice obsolete.

This month, the House of Commons will vote on whether to support measures to make the Export Credits Guarantee Department (which the debt campaign describes as the "Department for Dodgy Deals") more accountable to parliament and the people it affects.

At a time when mass campaigns on global injustice seem like ancient history as rich countries themselves struggle with deep financial problems, we should remember the great moments in the history of the Jubilee debt movement. We need to find that spirit again from somewhere. What will be the next Jubilee 2000? What will be the next Make Poverty History?

It was good to see Stephen again. He is just one of millions of people who got involved, stayed involved, and played his part in making the world a better place.

This Tuesday, the President will meet with Senior Administration officials and stakeholders to discuss the importance of fixing the broken immigration system for our nation’s 21st century economic and security needs so that America can win the future. The President will also discuss how we can work together to foster a constructive national conversation on this important issue as we work to build a bipartisan consensus in Congress.  After the meeting, several stakeholders will hold a media availability at the stakeout location outside the West Wing at 4:25 p.m.

Administration officials expected to attend the meeting include:
Attorney General Eric Holder
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar
Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano
Valerie Jarrett, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor
Nancy Ann DeParle, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy
Melody Barnes, Assistant to the President & Director of Domestic Policy Council
Gene Sperling, Assistant to the President for Economic Policy & Director of National Economic Council
Austan Goolsbee, Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers
Cecilia Munoz, Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of Intergovernmental Affairs
Heidi Avery, Deputy Assistant to the President for Homeland Security

Stakeholders expected to attend the meeting include:
Leith Anderson, President, National Association of Evangelicals
Hon. Michael Bloomberg, City of New York 
Bill Bratton, Former Police Chief, City of Los Angeles and City of New York
Hon. Julian Castro, Mayor, City of San Antonio
Secretary Michael Chertoff, Former Secretary Homeland Security
Governor John Engler, President and CEO, Business Roundtable 
Hon. Eric Garcetti, City Council, President City of Los Angeles
Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, Former Secretary of Commerce
Raymond Kelly, Commissioner, New York City Police Department
Senator Mel Martinez, Former United States Senator/Chairman, Florida, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean JP Morgan Chase
Greg Page, Chairman & CEO, Cargill
Secretary Federico Pena, Former Secretary of Transportation and Secretary of Energy
John Podesta, CEO, Center for American Progress
Charles Ramsey, Chief of Police, City of Philadelphia/President, Major City Chiefs
Al  Sharpton, President, National Action Network 
Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Former California Governor
Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO
John C. Wester, Bishop, Archdiocese of Salt Lake City

Background on Administration Immigration Policy

President Obama remains deeply committed to fixing the broken immigration system.  The United States has been enriched by a steady stream of hardworking and talented people who have helped make America an engine of the global economy and a beacon of hope around the world.  As we work to rebuild the economy, our ability to thrive depends, in part, on restoring responsibility and accountability to the immigration system.  President Obama believes Democrats and Republicans should come together to tackle an issue that is critical not only to our national security but also to the economy and our global competiveness. 

The President has outlined a vision for fixing the broken immigration system through common-sense, comprehensive immigration reform grounded in the principles of responsibility and accountability:

• Responsibility from the federal government to secure our borders: Today, our borders are more secure than at any time in the past several decades. However, the Administration continues to refine and strengthen its strategy.  Enforcement resources should be increased where appropriate and focused on stopping potential terrorists and others who would do our nation harm.
• Accountability for businesses that break the law by undermining American workers and exploiting undocumented workers:  Employers that break the law by deliberately hiring and exploiting undocumented workers must be held accountable.  At the same time, we must give employers who want to play by the rules a reliable way to verify that their employees are here legally.
• Responsibility from people who are living in the United States illegally:  Those people living here illegally must also be held accountable for getting on the right side of the law, by admitting they broke the law, paying taxes and a penalty, learning English before they can get in line to become legalized and citizens.  Being a citizen of this country comes not only with rights but also with fundamental responsibilities.  We can create a pathway for legal status that is fair, and reflects of our values.
• Strengthen economic competiveness by creating a legal immigration system that meets our diverse needs: Our immigration laws should encourage high-skilled individuals we train in our world-class institutions of higher education to stay in the United States and create jobs, stop punishing innocent young people for their parents’ actions by denying children the chance to earn an education or join the military so they can earn higher wages and generate more tax revenues, provide farmers a legal way to hire the workers they rely on, and should respect families following the rules.  

The President takes seriously his responsibility to enforce our immigration laws and secure the border.  Over the last two years, the Obama Administration has dedicated unprecedented resources to secure the border, taken important steps to make interior and worksite enforcement of our immigration laws smarter, and more effective, and made improvements to the legal immigration system. 

• Dedicating Unprecedented Resources to Secure the Border: Today, there are more “boots on the ground” along the Southwest Border than ever before.  DHS has also deployed thousands of technology assets, including aircraft and Unmanned Aircraft Systems, and completed nearly all fencing.  Last year, Congress answered the President’s call to bolster the federal government’s efforts through the Southwest Border Security Supplemental Bill.  DHS is using these resources to build on their successful efforts to decrease the numbers of illegal aliens who cross the border and increase seizures of illegal currency, drugs, and guns that have led to thousands of criminal arrests and prosecutions.
• Making our Interior and Worksite Enforcement Efforts Smarter and More Strategic:  The Administration has laid out new enforcement strategies targeted at removing immigrants convicted of serious crimes and unscrupulous employers who seek to exploit both immigrant and American workers.  These new strategies are having real results with deportations of criminal immigrants significantly increasing and auditing and fines against employers who are not in compliance with immigration laws in FY 2010. DHS has also invested in implementing important reforms to the detention system, enhancing the security and efficiency of the detention system while prioritizing the health and safety of detainees.
• Improving our Legal Immigration System: The Administration is improving processing times and clearing backlogs of pending immigration applications, including fully eliminating the FBI National Name Check Program’s backlog.  DHS is also working to ensure that naturalization is accessible to all qualified legal immigrants.  Since January 2009, DHS has worked with the Armed Forces to naturalize 14,000 military personnel.  DHS is also devoting critical funding to support citizenship preparation and integration programs in communities throughout the country.  

Our efforts have been enormously successful, but we need comprehensive reform that demands responsibility and accountability from the government, businesses, and immigrants themselves.

Schedules are for Wed/20–Tues/26 except where noted. Director and year are given when available. Double and quadruple features are marked with a •. All times are p.m. unless otherwise specified.

ARTISTS' TELEVISION ACCESS 992 Valencia, SF; www.atasite.org. $5-6. "George Chen's Show," talk show, comedy, music, and more, Wed, 8. "OpenScreening," Thurs, 8. For participation info, contact ataopenscreening@atasite.org. "Other Cinema:" "Bill Daniel's Tumbleweed Crossroads," Sat, 8:30.

CASTRO 429 Castro, SF; (415) 621-6120, www.castrotheatre.com. $7.50-10. Elmer Gantry (Brooks, 1960), Wed, 7:30. With TCM host Ben Mankiewicz and star Shirley Jones in person; visit www.tcm.com/roadtohollywood for free tickets. "San Francisco International Film Festival:" Beginners (Mills, 2010), Thurs, 7. For tickets and info visit www.sffs.org. "John Waters' Birthday Weekend:" •Pink Flamingos (1972), Fri, 7:30, and Female Trouble (1974), Fri, 9:35; •Polyester (1981), Sat, 2, 5:30, 9, and Desperate Living (1977), Sat, 3:45, 7:15; •Serial Mom (1994), Sun, 1:25, 5:05, 8:45, and Hairspray (1988), Sun, 3:20, 7.

CHRISTOPHER B. SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER 1118 Fourth St, San Rafael; (415) 454-1222, www.cafilm.org. $6.50-15. Certified Copy (Kiarostami, 2010), call for dates and times. Poetry (Yun, 2010), call for dates and times. Potiche (Ozon, 2010), call for dates and times. Paul Jacobs and the Nuclear Gang (Landau, 1980), Mon, 7:15. With filmmaker Saul Landau and journalist Norman Solomon in person.

CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO Ocean Campus, 50 Phelan, SF; (415) 239-3580. Free. A Fierce Green Fire (Kitchell, 2011), Wed, 7.

MECHANICS' INSTITUTE 57 Post, SF; (415) 393-0100, rsvp@milibrary.org. $10. "CinemaLit Film Series: French Twist:" Man on the Train (Leconte, 2002), Fri, 6.

PACIFIC FILM ARCHIVE 2575 Bancroft, Berk; (510) 642-5249, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu. $5.50-9.50. "Film 50: History of Cinema: Fantasy Films and Realms of Enchantment:" Wings of Desire (Wenders, 1988), Wed, 3:10. "Alternative Visions:" The Saddest Music in the World (Maddin, 2003), Wed, 7:30. "San Francisco International Film Festival," April 22-May 5. For schedule, see film listings; for tickets and additional info, visit www.sffs.org.

RED VIC 1727 Haight, SF; (415) 668-3994; www.redvicmoviehouse.com. $6-10. The Big Lebowski (Coen, 1998), Wed-Thurs, 7, 9:30 (also Thurs, 2, 4:20). Reservoir Dogs (Tarantino, 1992), Fri-Sat, 7:15, 9:25 (also Sat, 2, 4:15). Baraka (Fricke, 1992), Sun-Mon, 7:15, 9:20 (also Sun, 2, 4:15). Valley Girl (Coolidge, 1983), April 26-27, 7:15, 9:25 (also April 27, 2).

ROXIE 3117 and 3125 16th St, SF; (415) 863-1087, www.roxie.com. $5-9.75. Carancho (Trapero, 2010), Wed-Thurs, 9. Even the Rain (Bollaín, 2010), Wed-Thurs, 7. Some Days Are Better Than Others (McCormick, 2010), Wed-Thurs, 7 and 9. Red, White and Blue (Rumley, 2010), April 22-28, 7:15, 9:15 (also Sat-Sun, 2:55, 5).

WOMEN'S BUILDING 3543 18th St, SF; www.coathangerproject.com. Free. The Coat Hanger Project (Young), Wed, 7. With director Angie Young in person for a post-screening discussion about reproductive rights in America. YERBA BUENA CENTER FOR THE ARTS 701 Mission, SF; (415) 978-2787, www.ybca.org. $6-8. "Fearless: Chinese Independent Documentaries:" Disorder (Huang, 2009), Thurs, 7:30. 

Music listings are compiled by Cheryl Eddy. Since club life is unpredictable, it's a good idea to call ahead to confirm bookings and hours. Prices are listed when provided to us. Submit items for the listings at listings@sfbg.com. For further information on how to submit items for the listings, see Picks.

WEDNESDAY 20

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Bridge, Big Light, Real Nasty Slim's. 8pm, $13.

Cypress Hill Warfield. 8pm, $45.

Dengue Fever, Maus Haus, DJ Felina Fillmore. 8pm, $22.50.

Fucking Buckaroos, Clepto, Mano Cherga Band El Rio. 9pm, $5.

Grand Lodge 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

Gregory Alan Isakov, Fairchildren Café Du Nord. 8:30pm, $14.

Janet Jackson Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove, SF; www.tickemaster.com. 8pm, $49.50-149.50.

Limousines, K.Flay, Young Digerati, Shitty DJ Independent. 8pm, $15.

Angie Mattson, Beth Waters Hotel Utah. 8pm, $8.

Movits!, Planet Booty, Coppe with Deghouls Bottom of the Hill. 9pm, $12.

Radiators Great American Music Hall. 9pm, $30.

Thralls, Night Surgeon, Bad Bibles Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $6.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Artofficial, Hot Pocket, Seneca, DJ A-Train Elbo Room. 9pm, $8.

"Jah Summit Live" Blue Macaw, 2565 Mission, SF; www.jahsummit.eventbrite.com. 9pm, $7.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Lynda Carter Rrazz Room. 8pm, $45-55.

Cosmo Alleycats Le Colonial, 20 Cosmo, SF; www.lecolonialsf.com. 7pm.

Dink Dink Dink, Gaucho, Michael Abraham Amnesia. 7pm, free.

Larry Jazz Band Showroom, 1000 Van Ness, SF; www.theshowroomsf.com. 7pm, $10.

Ben Marcato and the Mondo Combo Top of the Mark. 7:30pm, $10.

Michael Parsons Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:30pm, free.

DANCE CLUBS

Booty Call Q-Bar, 456 Castro, SF; www.bootycallwednesdays.com. 9pm. Juanita Moore hosts this dance party, featuring DJ Robot Hustle.

Cannonball Beauty Bar. 10pm, free. Rock, indie, and nu-disco with DJ White Mike.

Jam Fresh Wednesdays Vessel, 85 Campton, SF; (415) 433-8585. 9:30pm, free. With DJs Slick D, Chris Clouse, Rich Era, Don Lynch, and more spinning top40, mashups, hip hop, and remixes.

Mary-Go-Round Lookout, 3600 16th St, SF; (415) 431-0306. 10pm, $5. A weekly drag show with hosts Cookie Dough, Pollo Del Mar, and Suppositori Spelling.

No Room For Squares Som., 2925 16th St, SF; (415) 558-8521. 6-10pm, free. DJ Afrodite Shake spins jazz for happy hour.

Respect Wednesdays End Up. 10pm, $5. Rotating DJs Daddy Rolo, Young Fyah, Irie Dole, I-Vier, Sake One, Serg, and more spinning reggae, dancehall, roots, lovers rock, and mash ups.

Synchronize Il Pirata, 2007 16th St, SF; (415) 626-2626. 10pm, free. Psychedelic dance music with DJs Helios, Gatto Matto, Psy Lotus, Intergalactoid, and guests.

Third Wednesdays Underground SF. 10pm-2am, $3. With Ms. Jackson, DJ Loryn, and Becky Knox spinning electro, tech, house, and breaks.

THURSDAY 21

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Nicholas Burke, Infantree, Hugo, Damato Hotel Utah. 8pm, $8.

Crackerjack Highway 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

Harderships, Mammatus Knockout. 9:30pm.

Marchfourth Marching Band Independent. 8pm, $18.

Mimosa, Paper Diamond Dillmore. 8pm, $22.50.

Off!, Culture Kids, Ecoli Eagle Tavern. 9pm.

Valerie Orth, Stringer Belle, Audiafauna Café Du Nord. 9pm, $10.

Ty Segall, Royal Baths, TRMRS, Nick Waterhouse and the Tarots Bottom of the Hill. 8:30pm, $8.

Sparrows Gate, SentiMentals, Toshio Hirano Amnesia. 9pm, $7.

Subhumans, M.D.C., Vacuum Thee Parkside. 8:30pm, $12.

System and Station, Gold Medalists, Sprains Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $7.

Young the Giant, Man in Space, Strange Birds Slim's. 9pm, $14.

Zeds Dead Regency Ballroom. 8pm, $20.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Lynda Carter Rrazz Room. 8pm, $45-55.

Collective Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:30pm, free.

Dime Store Dandy Rite Spot, 2099 Folsom, SF; www.ritespotcafe.net. 9pm, free.

Organsm featuring Jim Gunderson and "Tender" Tim Shea Bollyhood Café. 6:30-9pm, free.

Stompy Jones Top of the Mark. 7:30pm, $10.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Country Casanovas Atlas Café. 8-10pm, free.

Jessica Fichot Red Poppy Art House. 7pm, $12-15.

"Twang! Honky Tonk" Fiddler's Green, 1330 Columbus, SF; www.twanghonkytonk.com. 5pm.

DANCE CLUBS

Afrolicious Elbo Room. 9:30pm, $5. DJs Pleasuremaker and Señor Oz spin Afrobeat, tropicália, electro, samba, and funk.

Base Vessel. 10pm, $10. With Three and Greg Eversoul.

Caribbean Connection Little Baobab, 3388 19th St, SF; (415) 643-3558. 10pm, $3. DJ Stevie B and guests spin reggae, soca, zouk, reggaetón, and more.

Club Jammies Edinburgh Castle. 10pm, free. DJs EBERrad and White Mice spinning reggae, punk, dub, and post punk.

Culture Corner Koko Cocktails, 1060 Geary, SF; www.kokococktails.com. 10pm, free. Roots reggae, dub, rocksteady, and classic dancehall with DJ Tomas, Yusuke, Vinnie Esparza, and Basshaka and ILWF.

Drop the Pressure Underground SF. 6-10pm, free. Electro, house, and datafunk highlight this weekly happy hour.

80s Night Cat Club. 9pm, $6 (free before 9:30pm). Two dance floors bumpin' with the best of 80s mainstream and underground with Dangerous Dan, Skip, Low Life, and guests. This week, celebrate Robert Smith's birthday with a Cure-themed night.

Guilty Pleasures Gestalt, 3159 16th St, SF; (415) 560-0137. 9:30pm, free. DJ TophZilla, Rob Metal, DJ Stef, and Disco-D spin punk, metal, electro-funk, and 80s.

Jivin' Dirty Disco Butter, 354 11th St., SF; (415) 863-5964. 8pm, free. With DJs spinning disco, funk, and classics.

Mestiza Bollywood Café, 3376 19th St, SF; (415) 970-0362. 10pm, free. Showcasing progressive Latin and global beats with DJ Juan Data.

Monsoon Season El Rio. 9pm, free. World beats with DJ ExEss.

Nightvision Harlot, 46 Minna, SF; (415) 777-1077. 9:30pm, $10. DJs Danny Daze, Franky Boissy, and more spinning house, electro, hip hop, funk, and more.

1984 Mighty. 9pm, $2. The long-running New Wave and 80s party has a new venue, featuring video DJs Mark Andrus, Don Lynch, and celebrity guests.

Peaches Skylark, 10pm, free. With an all female DJ line up featuring Deeandroid, Lady Fingaz, That Girl, and Umami spinning hip hop.

Thursday Special Tralala Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 5pm, free. Downtempo, hip-hop, and freestyle beats by Dr. Musco and Unbroken Circle MCs.

FRIDAY 22

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Amon Amarth Regency Ballroom. 9pm, $25.

Lynda Carter Rrazz Room. 8pm, $45-55.

Diego's Umbrella, Vagabond Opera, Mark Growden Independent. 9pm, $15.

Disastroid, Here, Fondue El Rio. 9pm, $8.

Endoxi, Bob Hill Band Union Room (above Biscuits and Blues). 8:30pm, $10.

Glen Fajardo and Eddie Cohn 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

Lost in the Trees, Sean Rowe Hemlock Tavern. 9:30pm, $10.

Mustache Harbor Café Du Nord. 9:30pm, $15.

Randy Newman Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness, SF; www.sfjazz.org. 8pm, $25-45.

Radio Moscow, Hot Lunch Thee Parkside. 9pm, $10.

"Sugar Rush: A Fundraiser Concert for the American Diabetes Association" Rasselas Jazz. 9pm, $10-20. With Jay Trainer Band, Ziva, Peggle Theory, For the Broken, and more.

Kurt Vile and the Violators, RTX, Carletta Sue Kay Bottom of the Hill. 10pm, $14.

"Yard Concert Fundraiser 2011" Dolores Park Café, 501 Dolores, SF; www.doloresparkcafe.com. 7pm, $20. With Audrey Howard, Laura Zucker, True Margit, Shelley Doty, Groovy Judy, and Sistas in the Pit.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Black Market Jazz Orchestra Top of the Mark. 9pm, $10.

Les Carnegie and the Jazz Vanguards Condor, 300 Columbus, SF; www.condorsf.com. 3pm.

Ensemble Mik Nawooj Red Poppy Art House. 8pm, $10-15.

Wobbly, Ensemble Economonique, Thomas Carnacki Lab, 2948 16th St, SF; www.thelab.org. 8pm.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Baxtalo Drom Amnesia. 9pm, $7-10.

Harvey Diller Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 9pm, free.

Lagos Roots AfroBeat Ensemble, DJ Jeremiah Elbo Room. 10pm, $13.

Yonder Mountain String Band Fillmore. 9pm, $25.

DANCE CLUBS

Afro Bao Little Baobab, 3388 19th St, SF; (415) 643-3558. 10pm, $5. Afro and world music with rotating DJs including Stepwise, Steve, Claude, Santero, and Elembe.

DJ Mei Lwun Medjool, 2522 Mission, SF; www.medjoolsf.com. 10:30pm, free.

Duniya Dancehall Blue Macaw, 2565 Mission, SF; (415) 920-0577. 10pm, $10. With live performances by Duniya Drum and Dance Co. and DJs dub Snakr and Juan Data spinning bhangra, bollywood, dancehall, African, and more.

Exhale, Fridays Project One Gallery, 251 Rhode Island, SF; (415) 465-2129. 5pm, $5. Happy hour with art, fine food, and music with Vin Sol, King Most, DJ Centipede, and Shane King.

Fubar Fridays Butter, 354 11th St., SF; (415) 863-5964. 6pm, $5. With DJs spinning retro mashup remixes.

Good Life Fridays Apartment 24, 440 Broadway, SF; (415) 989-3434. 10pm, $10. With DJ Brian spinning hip hop, mashups, and top 40.

Hot Chocolate Milk. 9pm, $5. With DJs Big Fat Frog, Chardmo, DuseRock, and more spinning old and new school funk.

Hubba Hubba Revue: The San Francisco Show DNA Lounge. 9pm, $10-15. Barbary Coast-themed burlesque.

PANTyRAID, LowRIZERz 103 Harriet, 1015 Folsom, SF; www.1015.com. 10pm, $25.

Psychedelic Radio Club Six. 9pm, $7. With DJs Kial, Tom No Thing, Megalodon, and Zapruderpedro spinning dubstep, reggae, and electro.

Rockabilly Fridays Jay N Bee Club, 2736 20th St, SF; (415) 824-4190. 9pm, free. With DJs Rockin' Raul, Oakie Oran, Sergio Iglesias, and Tanoa "Samoa Boy" spinning 50s and 60s Doo Wop, Rockabilly, Bop, Jive, and more.

Some Thing Stud. 10pm, $7. VivvyAnne Forevermore, Glamamore, and DJ Down-E give you fierce drag shows and afterhours dancing.

Soul Rebel Koko Cocktails, 1060 Geary, SF; www.kokococktails.com. 10pm, free. Reggae, punk, 2tone, oi, and more with Dougie, Tim, and Tomas.

Vintage Orson, 508 Fourth St, SF; (415) 777-1508. 5:30-11pm, free. DJ TophOne and guest spin jazzy beats for cocktalians.

SATURDAY 23

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine, Restarts, Dreadful Children, Bum City Saints Thee Parkside. 2:30pm, $10-12.

Eddie Cohn, Joyce Todd McBride and friends, Mindi Hadan, Con Brio Amnesia. 8pm, $7-10.

Foreverland, Sex With No Hands Bimbo's 365 Club. 9pm, $22.

Daryl Hance Brick and Mortar Music Hall, 1710 Mission, SF; www.brickandmortarmusic.com.

"Lyrics Born presents Continuum" Yoshi's San Francisco. 10:30pm, $26. With full live band and special guests.

Silly Pink Bunnies! Thee Parkside. 7pm, free.

Spectrum, Spyrals Hemlock Tavern. 9:30pm, $15.

Two Gallants Bottom of the Hill. 10pm, $15.

"UK Reunion Tour" Regency Ballroom. 8pm, $65-99. Featuring Eddie Jobson and John Wetton.

Yoni Wolf, Moore Brothers, Becky Wolf and Amy Miller Swedish American Hall (upstairs from Café Du Nord). 8pm, $15.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Erin Brazill 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

Garage a Trois, Amendola vs. Blades Independent. 9pm, $20.

Buddy Guy, John Németh Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness, SF; www.sfjazz.org. 8pm, $20-65.

Nucleus Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 9pm, free.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Back49 Riptide Tavern. 9:45pm, free.

Lady A and the Heel Draggers, Misisipi Mike and the Midnight Gamblers, West Nile Ramblers, Bootcuts, DJ Blaze Orange Café Du Nord. 8:30pm, $13.

Quijeremá Red Poppy Art House. 8pm, $12-15.

"Sounds and Rhythms of Afghanistan" Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness, SF; (415) 621-6600. 8pm, $25-75.

Craig Ventresco and Meredith Axelrod Atlas Café. 4pm, free.

Yonder Mountain String Band Fillmore. 9pm, $25.

DANCE CLUBS

Afro Bao Little Baobab, 3388 19th St, SF; (415) 643-3558. 10pm, $5. Afro and world music with rotating DJs including Stepwise, Steve, Claude, Santero, and Elembe.

Barracuda 111 Minna. 9pm, $10. Eclectic 80s music with DJs Damon and Phillie Ocean plus 80s cult video projections, a laser light show, prom balloons, and 80s inspired fashion.

Bootie SF: DJ Tripp's Birthday DNA Lounge. 9pm, $8-15. Mash-ups with DJ Tripp, David X, Mykill, and more.

Debaser Knockout. 9pm, $5. DJ Jamie Jams, EmDee, and Stab Master Arson spin 90s hip-hop jams.

DJ Clee Medjool, 2522 Mission, SF; www.medjoolsf.com. 10:30pm, free.

Fog and Laser Rickshaw Stop. 9pm, $7. DJs EmDee and RamblinWorker host this anything-goes, genre-free dance party.

4OneFunktion Elbo Room. 10pm, $5-10. Starship 27 Vol. 2 release party with guest performers Diabase, J-1, the 4OneFunktion All-Stars, and more.

Go Bang! Deco Lounge, 501 Larkin, SF; www.decosf.com. 9pm, $5. Atomic dancefloor disco action with Nicky B, Derrick Love, and more.

Mango El Rio. 3-8:30pm, $8-10. Sweet, sexy fun for women with DJs Edaj, Marcella, Olga, and La Coqui.

Reggae Gold Club Six. 9pm, $15. With DJs Daddy Rolo, Polo Mo'qz, Tesfa, Serg, and Fuze spinning dancehall and reggae.

Rock City Butter, 354 11th St., SF; (415) 863-5964. 6pm, $5 after 10pm. With DJs spinning party rock.

Spirit Fingers Sessions 330 Ritch. 9pm, free. With DJ Morse Code and live guest performances.

SUNDAY 24

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

"Aftermath: A Citizen to Citizen Tsunami Rescue and Relief Benefit" Thee Parkside. 8pm, $7-10. With Ass Baboons of Venus, Thunders, Tiger Honey Pot, and DJs Nako, Korri, and Lil Joe.

Alter Bridge, Black Stone Cherry, Like A Storm Regency Ballroom. 8pm, $28.

Eastern Conference Champs, Red Cortez, Apopka Darkroom Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $8.

"It Gets Indie: A Benefit for It Gets Better and the Trevor Project" Great American Music Hall. 7:30pm, $25. With Rabbit! and Handshakes.

"JAMband Family Festival" Park Chalet, 1000 Great Hwy, SF; www.jamjamjam.com. 11am, free. With Charity Kahn.

Tower of Dudes, Graves Brothers Deluxe, Tunnel Make-Out Room. 8pm, $7.

Two Gallants Bottom of the Hill. 9pm, $15.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Tom Lander Duo Medjool, 2522 Mission, SF; www.medjoolsf.com. 6-9pm, free.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Family Folk Explosion Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:30pm, free.

Louis Romero and Mazacote El Rio. 5-8pm, $8.

Tater Famine Thee Parkside. 4pm, free.

DANCE CLUBS

Batcave Cat Club. 10pm, $5. Death rock, goth, and post-punk with Steeplerot Necromos and c_death.

Branded James Rickshaw Stop. 8pm, $5. Benefit for Back to Business career workshops.

Dub Mission Elbo Room. 9pm, $6. Dub, roots, and classic dancehall with DJ Sep, Ludachris, and guest Janaka Selekta.

Gloss Sundays Trigger, 2344 Market, SF; (415) 551-CLUB. 7pm. With DJ Hawthorne spinning house, funk, soul, retro, and disco.

Honey Soundsystem Paradise Lounge. 8pm-2am. "Dance floor for dancers – sound system for lovers." Got that?

La Pachanga Blue Macaw, 2565 Mission, SF; www.thebluemacawsf.com. 6pm, $10. Salsa dance party with live Afro-Cuban salsa bands.

MONDAY 25

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Travis Barker and Mix Master Mike Independent. 9pm, $30-50.

Mad Rad, Mash Hall, Toast Elbo Room. 9pm, $10.

Paul Simon Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness, SF; www.ticketmaster.com. 8pm, $65-125.

DANCE CLUBS

Death Guild DNA Lounge. 9:30pm, $3-5. Gothic, industrial, and synthpop with Joe Radio, Decay, and Melting Girl.

Krazy Mondays Beauty Bar. 10pm, free. With DJs Ant-1, $ir-Tipp, Ruby Red I, Lo, and Gelo spinning hip hop.

M.O.M. Madrone Art Bar. 6pm, free. With DJ Gordo Cabeza and guests playing all Motown every Monday.

Network Mondays Azul Lounge, One Tillman Pl, SF; www.inhousetalent.com. 9pm, $5. Hip-hop, R&B, and spoken word open mic, plus featured performers.

Sausage Party Rosamunde Sausage Grill, 2832 Mission, SF; (415) 970-9015. 6:30-9:30pm, free. DJ Dandy Dixon spins vintage rock, R&B, global beats, funk, and disco at this happy hour sausage-shack gig.

Skylarking Skylark. 10pm, free. With resident DJs I & I Vibration, Beatnok, and Mr. Lucky and weekly guest DJs.

TUESDAY 26

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Civil War Rust, Cut Downs, Sheens Bottom of the Hill. 9pm, $8.

Jamaica, Chain Gang of 1974 Independent. 8pm, $15.

Outlaws and Preachers, Ghost Town Refugees John Colins, 138 Minna, SF; www.johncolins.com. 9pm, $5.

Ash Reiter, Radiation City, Phantom Kicks Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $6.

Sugarspun, Silver Threads El Rio. 7pm, free.

tUnE-yArDs, Buke and Gass, Man/Miracle

Whiskey Avengers, Franco Nero, DJ Ras Fank Elbo Room. 9pm, $5.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Quiet Echos Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:30pm, free.

DANCE CLUBS

Eclectic Company Skylark, 9pm, free. DJs Tones and Jaybee spin old school hip hop, bass, dub, glitch, and electro.

Share the Love Trigger, 2344 Market, SF; (415) 551-CLUB. 5pm, free. With DJ Pam Hubbuck spinning house.

 

Gaddafi Forces Accused of Firing Cluster Bombs, 17 Reportedly Killed in Attack on Misurata, TEPCO Seeks 9 Months to Repair Plant; Clinton Visits Japan, House Approves GOP Spending Bill, Report: Walker to Propose Emergency Management Bill, Michigan Emergency Managers Target Elected Officials, Teachers, Bid to Repeal Ohio Anti-Worker Law Approved, Study: Dangerous Chemicals Used in Natural Gas Fracking , Georgia Approves Anti-Immigrant Law, 13 Killed in Syria Crackdown on Protests, Cables: U.S. Funded Syrian Opposition, Yemeni Forces Fire on Demonstrators, Study: U.S. Drone Strikes in Pakistan Killed 957 in 2010, Slain Italian Peace Activist Honored in Occupied Territories, Cuba Marks 50th Anniversary of Bay of Pigs; Castro Backs Term Limits, Texas Psychologist Barred from Death Row Evaluations, OECD: U.S. Has Highest Incarceration Rate, 9th Worst on Social Spending, 43 Killed in Hundreds of U.S. Tornadoes

The San Francisco Film Festival begins Thursday, April 21, with Mike Mills and Ewan McGregor hosting a screening of the terrific new drama Beginners at the Castro, but until then, moviegoers can feast on this Saturday's "Heavy Metal Monster Mash" festival, featuring five rockin' adventures including Heavy Metal (1981), The Monster Squad (1987), Trick or Treat (1986), the low-budget Alice Cooper gorefest Monster Dog (1984) and...

1. This Is Spinal Tap
Where: Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., 415-621-6120
When: April 16
Why: Spinal Tap is the gift that keeps on giving. No matter how often you’ve seen it, you’re still likely to discover a punch line missed, a gag overlooked. It’s one of the sharpest, most viciously dead-on parodies ever committed to film, but Rob Reiner’s classic mockumentary also boasts historical significance: Not only did it turn hair metal on its head, embarrassing rock luminaries like Steven Tyler, Robert Plant and Eddie Van Halen, it planted the seeds for star Christopher Guest’s own sublime satires, including Waiting for Guffman (1996) and 2000’s Best in Show (2000).

2. The Conspirator
Where: Embarcadero Center Cinema, 1 Embarcadero Ctr., 415-352-0835
When: All Week
Why: After Lions for Lambs (2007), his rumination on America's military presence in Afghanistan, Robert Redford returns to the director's chair for this Civil War-era drama about seven men and one woman charged with conspiring to kill the President, Vice President and Secretary of State in the wake of the Lincoln assassination. Inspired by real-life events, James Solomon's screenplay piqued Redford's interests as much for its historical relevance as its portrayal of a tense personal struggle. "This all took place just five days after the Civil War ended when armies were still on the battlefields and the peace was very fragile," he says. "This piece of our past seems to have slipped through the cracks in our history lessons but, ultimately, what drew me to this project was the deeply personal story that takes place inside this infamous event."

3. Miral
Where: Opera Plaza Cinema, 601 Van Ness Ave., 415-771-0183
When: All Week
Why: Based on the book by Palestinian-born journalist Rula Jerbeal, who also wrote the screenplay, Julian Schnabel’s epic portrait of four women struggling against the backdrop of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict sometimes feels like a didactic history lesson. Yet the journey of its titular heroine, played as a 17-year-old by Slumdog Millionaire’s Freida Pinto, lends itself to tense, turbulent drama, handsomely shot by the Diving Bell and the Butterfly director.

4. Bill Cunningham New York
Where: Embarcadero Center Cinema, 1 Embarcadero Ctr., 415-352-0835
When: All Week
Why: “We all get dressed for Bill,” says Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, paying the ultimate compliment to legendary fashion photographer Bill Cunningham, whose work has been featured in the New York Times for 33 years. But who is Cunningham, the octogenarian-about-town relentlessly searching for the perfect shot? Bill Cunningham New York leaves us with as many questions about Cunningham as answers. That we bother to ask them at all is a tribute to the film’s effectiveness.

5. Kill the Irishman
Where: Lumiere Theatre, 1572 California St., 415-885-3201
When: All Week
Why: Inspired by the true story of Danny Greene, a onetime labor leader turned gangster who rose to fame during the summer of 1976 as the man Cleveland's Italian mafia couldn't seem to murder, Kill the Irishman is a compelling chronicle of a man compromised by ambition and doomed by his brazenness, featuring a stellar cast led by Ray Stevenson, Christopher Walken and Vincent D'Onofrio.

6. Another Year
Where: Red Vic Movie House, 1727 Haight St., 415-668-3994
When: April 17-18
Why: Mike Leigh's latest is drama without a hint of artifice, the sobering portrait of an aging couple happy enough in their marriage but dismayed to witness the unmistakable decline of their friends. His narrative moves with no discernible momentum, adhering only to the relentless passage of time, and offers no simple solutions to the struggles of its protagonists. Yet the pain they inflict, on each other and themselves, and the dark humor Leigh extracts from their daily tragedies, are as sharply observed as the brilliant, overlooked performances of stars Jim Broadbent, Ruth Sheen and Lesley Manville.

7. The Big Lebowski
Where: Red Vic Movie House, 1727 Haight St., 415-668-3994
When: April 19-21
Why: So you can die with a smile on your face, without feelin' like the good Lord gypped you. Any questions?

Music listings are compiled by Cheryl Eddy. Since club life is unpredictable, it's a good idea to call ahead to confirm bookings and hours. Prices are listed when provided to us. Submit items for the listings at listings@sfbg.com. For further information on how to submit items for the listings, see Picks.

WEDNESDAY 13

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Broken Social Scene, Gord Downie Warfield. 8pm, $27.

Francis and the Lights, Oh Land, Sunday Ghost Café Du Nord. 9:30pm, $15.

Girls in Trouble, Jascha vs. Jascha Viracocha, 998 Valencia, SF; www.viracochasf.com. 8pm, $5-10.

Hammerlock, Scheisse Minnelli, Seven Crowns, Lecherous Gaze Thee Parkside. 8pm, $6.

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, Those Darlins Independent. 8pm, $18.

Lightning Bolt, Tits, High Castle Rickshaw Stop. 8pm, $12.

Majesty, Sweet Chariot, Tarantula Tango Knockout. 9pm, $6.

Curtis Peoples, Keaton Simons, Whitney Nichols Hotel Utah. 8pm, $10.

Porch, Bone Dweller Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $6.

Rural Alberta Advantage, Lord Huron, Birdmonster Bottom of the Hill. 9pm, $14.

Chelsea TK and the Tzigane Society, Parlour Suite, Starfish in the Clouds, Uni and Her Ukelele, DJ Neil Martinson Elbo Room. 9pm, $7.

Yacht, Bobby Birdman Bimbo's 365 Club. 8pm, $20.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Cosmo Alleycats Le Colonial, 20 Cosmo, SF; www.lecolonialsf.com. 7pm.

Dink Dink Dink, Gaucho, Michael Abraham Amnesia. 7pm, free.

Jazz All-Stars Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:30pm, free.

Ben Marcato and the Mondo Combo Top of the Mark. 7:30pm, $10.

New Rite Spot All-Stars Rite Spot, 2099 Folsom, SF; www.ritespotcafe.net. 9pm, free.

Rudy Simone 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

DANCE CLUBS

Booty Call Q-Bar, 456 Castro, SF; www.bootycallwednesdays.com. 9pm. Juanita Moore hosts this dance party, featuring DJ Robot Hustle.

Buena Onda Little Baobab, 3388 19th St., SF; (415) 643-3558. 10pm, $3. Soul, funk, swing, and rare grooves with residents Dr. Musco and DJB.

Cannonball Beauty Bar. 10pm, free. Rock, indie, and nu-disco with DJ White Mike.

Jam Fresh Wednesdays Vessel, 85 Campton, SF; (415) 433-8585. 9:30pm, free. With DJs Slick D, Chris Clouse, Rich Era, Don Lynch, and more spinning top40, mashups, hip hop, and remixes.

Mary-Go-Round Lookout, 3600 16th St, SF; (415) 431-0306. 10pm, $5. A weekly drag show with hosts Cookie Dough, Pollo Del Mar, and Suppositori Spelling.

Mod vs. Rocker Make-Out Room. 10pm, free. DJs all night spinning 60s pop; come at 7:30 p.m. (cover $7) for a live concert with Bond Girl and 10 ft. 5.

No Room For Squares Som., 2925 16th St, SF; (415) 558-8521. 6-10pm, free. DJ Afrodite Shake spins jazz for happy hour.

Obey the Kitty Vessel. 10pm, $10. With a Ladytron DJ set.

Respect Wednesdays End Up. 10pm, $5. Rotating DJs Daddy Rolo, Young Fyah, Irie Dole, I-Vier, Sake One, Serg, and more spinning reggae, dancehall, roots, lovers rock, and mash ups.

Strutter El Rio. 9pm, $3. DeeJay Andre spins electro, booty bass, hip-hop, and more for lesbians and friends.

Synchronize Il Pirata, 2007 16th St, SF; (415) 626-2626. 10pm, free. Psychedelic dance music with DJs Helios, Gatto Matto, Psy Lotus, Intergalactoid, and guests.

"When I Was a Youth: Big Up Magazine Issue Release" Mezzanine. 9pm, $10. With Breakage, Goth Trad, and a screening of the documentary Bassweight.

THURSDAY 14

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Cults, Magic Kids, White Arrows Independent. 8pm, $13.

Cute Lepers, Re-Volts, Complaints, Lydia and the Projects Thee Parkside. 9pm, $10.

Delorean, Water Borders Slim's. 9pm, $21.

"Eddie Dane Memorial" DNA Lounge. 9pm, $5 suggested donation. With Hi-Rhythm Hustlers and burlesque performances.

Ellie Goulding, Knocks Rickshaw Stop. 9pm, $13.

Joy Formidable, Lonely Forest Bottom of the Hill. 8:30pm, $12.

Lake, AgesandAges, Michael Beach Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $8.

Little Mercury, Exit Wonderland, Curly El Rio. 8pm, $5.

Vonda Shephard Yoshi's San Francisco. 8pm, $25.

Tomihara, My Second Surprise, Haberdasher Red Devil Lounge. 8pm, $6.

Two Door Cinema Club, Globes, Work Drugs Fillmore. 8pm, $20.

Matt Wertz, Ben Rector Swedish American Hall (upstairs from Café Du Nord). 8pm, $15.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Zach Hash Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:30pm, free.

Organsm featuring Jim Gunderson and "Tender" Tim Shea Bollyhood Café. 6:30-9pm, free.

Ken Sealy Rite Spot, 2099 Folsom, SF; www.ritespotcafe.net. 9pm, free.

SF Jazz Hotplate Series Amnesia. 9pm.

Scott Sier Café Royale, 800 Post, SF; (415) 641-6033. 8pm, free.

Stompy Jones Top of the Mark. 7:30pm, $10.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Meredith Axelrod 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

Bay Island Ramblers Atlas Café. 8-10pm, free.

Amy Obienski Mama Art Café, 4754 Mission, SF; www.mamasf.com. 8pm, free.

Yeye Suárez Red Poppy Art House. 7pm, $12-15.

"Twang! Honky Tonk" Fiddler's Green, 1330 Columbus, SF; www.twanghonkytonk.com. 5pm.

DANCE CLUBS

Afrolicious Elbo Room. 9:30pm, $5. DJs Pleasuremaker and Señor Oz spin Afrobeat, tropicália, electro, samba, and funk.

CakeMIX SF Wish, 1539 Folsom, SF; www.wishsf.com. 10pm, free. DJ Carey Kopp spinning funk, soul, and hip hop.

Caribbean Connection Little Baobab, 3388 19th St, SF; (415) 643-3558. 10pm, $3. DJ Stevie B and guests spin reggae, soca, zouk, reggaetón, and more.

Culture Corner Koko Cocktails, 1060 Geary, SF; www.kokococktails.com. 10pm, free. Roots reggae, dub, rocksteady, and classic dancehall with DJ Tomas, Yusuke, Vinnie Esparza, and Basshaka and ILWF.

Drop the Pressure Underground SF. 6-10pm, free. Electro, house, and datafunk highlight this weekly happy hour.

Electric Feel Lookout, 2600 16th St, SF; www.fringesf.com. 9pm, $2. Indie music video dance party with subOctave and Blondie K.

80s Night Cat Club. 9pm, $6 (free before 9:30pm). Two dance floors bumpin' with the best of 80s mainstream and underground with Dangerous Dan, Skip, Low Life, and guests. This week's theme is Duran Duran; come dressed as a member of the band and get in free before 11pm.

Guilty Pleasures Gestalt, 3159 16th St, SF; (415) 560-0137. 9:30pm, free. DJ TophZilla, Rob Metal, DJ Stef, and Disco-D spin punk, metal, electro-funk, and 80s.

Jivin' Dirty Disco Butter, 354 11th St., SF; (415) 863-5964. 8pm, free. With DJs spinning disco, funk, and classics.

Kissing Booth Make-Out Room. 9pm, free. DJs Jory, Commodore 69, and more spinning indie dance, disco, 80's, and electro.

Mestiza Bollywood Café, 3376 19th St, SF; (415) 970-0362. 10pm, free. Showcasing progressive Latin and global beats with DJ Juan Data.

Motion Sickness Vertigo, 1160 Polk, SF; (415) 674-1278. 10pm, free. Genre-bending dance party with DJs Sneaky P, Public Frenemy, and D_Ro Cyclist.

1984 Mighty. 9pm, $2. The long-running New Wave and 80s party has a new venue, featuring video DJs Mark Andrus, Don Lynch, and celebrity guests.

Peaches Skylark, 10pm, free. With an all female DJ line up featuring Deeandroid, Lady Fingaz, That Girl, and Umami spinning hip hop.

Thursday Special Tralala Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 5pm, free. Downtempo, hip-hop, and freestyle beats by Dr. Musco and Unbroken Circle MCs.

FRIDAY 15

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Blank Tapes, Little Wings, Kacey Johansing, Rad Cloud Great American Music Hall. 8:30pm, $13.

Burmese, CCR Headcleaner, Crib Death Hemlock Tavern. 9:30pm, $7.

"Cheerleader Graduation Party" Rickshaw Stop. 8pm, $10. With Cock-Ts, Devil-Ettes, Boner Jams, and Six Million Dollar Band.

Entrance Band, Rachel Fannan, Nick Waterhouse, Allah Las, DJ Selections by KC Bull Slim's. 9pm, $13.

Gr'ups, Swann Danger, Street Eaters, Hounds and Harlots Thee Parkside. 9pm, $8.

Katdelic, DJ K-Os Boom Boom Room. 9:30pm, $15.

Naked Fiction Amnesia. 7pm.

Night Call, Purple Rhinestone Eagle, Bad Dream El Rio. 9pm, $5.

Nodzzz, Art Museums, Gun Outfit Bottom of the Hill. 10pm, $10.

Residents Bimbo's 365 Club. 9pm, $30.

Raphael Saadiq, Quadron Regency Ballroom. 9pm, $39.50-49.50.

Scissor Sisters, Oh Land Warfield. 9pm, $37.

Upsets 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Emily Anne Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 9pm, free.

"B3 Bash" Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness, SF; www.sfjazz.org. 8pm, $25-60. With Dr. Lonnie Smith and Barbara Dennerlein Trio.

Black Market Jazz Orchestra Top of the Mark. 9pm, $10.

Chelle! and friends Red Poppy Art House. 8pm, $12-15.

Melees, Ken Sealy Rite Spot, 2099 Folsom, SF; www.ritespotcafe.net. 9pm, free.

Maceo Parker Yoshi's San Francisco. 8 and 10pm, $20-30.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Deke Dickerson, B-Stars, Golddigger Elbo Room. 9pm, $13.

Amjad Ali Khan Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon, SF; www.ciis.edu/publicprograms. 8pm, $25-100.

Amy Obienski Velo Rouge Café, 798 Arguello, SF; www.velorougecafe.com. 7pm, free.

Pine Box Boys, Hubba Hubba Revue, Possum and Lester Café Du Nord. 9:30pm, $14.

Shakulintang Rancho Parnassus, 505 Minna, SF; www.ranchoparnassus.com. 8pm, $10-15.

DANCE CLUBS

Afro Bao Little Baobab, 3388 19th St, SF; (415) 643-3558. 10pm, $5. Afro and world music with rotating DJs including Stepwise, Steve, Claude, Santero, and Elembe.

Chase and Status, 2cents, Lukeino, Kuze DNA Lounge. 10pm, $20.

DJ Momentum Medjool, 2522 Mission, SF; www.medjoolsf.com. 10:30pm, $10.

DJ What's His Fuck Riptide. 9pm, free. Old-school punk and other gems.

Dirty Rotten Dance Party Madrone Art Bar. 9pm, $5. With DJs Morale, Kap10 Harris, and Shane King spinning electro, bootybass, crunk, swampy breaks, hyphy, rap, and party classics.

Exhale, Fridays Project One Gallery, 251 Rhode Island, SF; (415) 465-2129. 5pm, $5. Happy hour with art, fine food, and music with Vin Sol, King Most, DJ Centipede, and Shane King.

Fubar Fridays Butter, 354 11th St., SF; (415) 863-5964. 6pm, $5. With DJs spinning retro mashup remixes.

Good Life Fridays Apartment 24, 440 Broadway, SF; (415) 989-3434. 10pm, $10. With DJ Brian spinning hip hop, mashups, and top 40.

Mary Anne Hobbs 1015 Folsom. 10pm, $15. With Joy Orbison, Kode9, Lorn, Gonja Sufi, and more.

Hot Chocolate Milk. 9pm, $5. With DJs Big Fat Frog, Chardmo, DuseRock, and more spinning old and new school funk.

Radioactivity 222 Hyde, SF; (415) 440-0222. 6pm. Synth sounds of the cold war era.

Rockabilly Fridays Jay N Bee Club, 2736 20th St, SF; (415) 824-4190. 9pm, free. With DJs Rockin' Raul, Oakie Oran, Sergio Iglesias, and Tanoa "Samoa Boy" spinning 50s and 60s Doo Wop, Rockabilly, Bop, Jive, and more.

Some Thing Stud. 10pm, $7. VivvyAnne Forevermore, Glamamore, and DJ Down-E give you fierce drag shows and afterhours dancing.

Vintage Orson, 508 Fourth St, SF; (415) 777-1508. 5:30-11pm, free. DJ TophOne and guest spin jazzy beats for cocktalians.

SATURDAY 16

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

All Time Low, Yellowcard, Hey Monday, Summer Set Warfield. 7pm, $27.

Arrival, Luvplanet, Relay Company Showroom, 1000 Van Ness, SF; (415) 346-5597. 8:30pm, $12-15.

Crazy Alligators Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 9pm, free.

Forrest Day, Bayonics, Ghost and the City Great American Music Hall. 9pm, $14.

Druglords of the Avenues, Fracas, Street Justice Bender's, 806 S. Van Ness, SF; www.bendersbar.com. 9:30pm, $5.

Duran Duran Fillmore. 9pm, $57.50.

Full on Flyhead, Lavish Green, Ben Benkert Band, Scholar and the Melting Pot Slim's. 9pm, $14.

Heavy Liquid, Tempermentals Thee Parkside. 3pm, free.

Maserati, Kenseth Thibideau, Glaciers Hemlock Tavern. 9:30pm, $10.

OONA, Super Adventure Club, Dogcatcher Bottom of the Hill. 10pm, $10.

Orgone, Quinn Deveaux and the Blue Beat Review Independent. 9pm, $16.

Residents Bimbo's 365 Club. 9pm, $30.

Stymie and the Pimp Jones Love Orchestra Café Du Nord. 9pm, $15-25.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Billy White Quintet West Red Poppy Art House. 8pm, $12-20.

JP and the Rhythm Chasers, Petunia and the Vipers Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa, SF; www.oldtimey.net. 8pm, $15.

Maceo Parker Yoshi's San Francisco. 8 and 10pm, $30.

Proverb Trio with Dafnis Prieto, Kokyai, and Jason Lindner Swedish American Hall (upstairs from Café Du Nord). 8pm, $30.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Culann's Hounds, Lucia Comnes St. Cyprian's Church, 2097 Turk, SF; www.noevalleymusicseries.com. 8pm, $20.

Octomutt, Lily Taylor Rite Spot, 2099 Folsom, SF; www.ritespotcafe.net. 9pm.

Craig Ventresco and Meredith Axelrod Atlas Café. 4pm, free.

DANCE CLUBS

Afro Bao Little Baobab, 3388 19th St, SF; (415) 643-3558. 10pm, $5. Afro and world music with rotating DJs including Stepwise, Steve, Claude, Santero, and Elembe.

Cock Fight Underground SF. 9pm, $7. Gay locker room antics galore with electro-spinning DJ Earworm, MyKill, and Dcnstrct.

Bootie SF: Bootiechella DNA Lounge. 9pm, $8-15. Coachella artists get mashed up by Adrian and Mysterious D, and more.

DJ Nik Medjool, 2522 Mission, SF; www.medjoolsf.com. 10:30pm, $10.

Fringe Madrone Art Bar. 9pm, $5. Indie music video dance party with DJ Blondie K and subOctave bringing the best of Coachella to SF.

Full House Gravity, 3505 Scott, SF; (415) 776-1928. 9pm, $10. With DJs Roost Uno and Pony P spinning dirty hip hop.

HYP Club Eight, 1151 Folsom, SF; www.eightsf.com. 10pm, free. Gay and lesbian hip-hop party, featuring DJs spinning the newest in the top 40s hip hop and hyphy.

Prince vs. Michael Madrone Art Bar. 8pm, $5. With DJs Dave Paul and Jeff Harris battling it out on the turntables with album cuts, remixes, rare tracks, and classics.

Saturday Night Soul Party Elbo Room. 10pm, $10. Sixties soul with DJs Lucky, Phengren Oswald, and Paul Paul.

Spirit Fingers Sessions 330 Ritch. 9pm, free. With DJ Morse Code and live guest performances.

SUNDAY 17

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

"Bands for the Rising Sun: Benefit for Japan Tsumani Quake Relief" Maggie McGarry's, 1353 Grant, SF; bandsfortherisingsun@gmail.com. 2-9pm, donations accepted. With Dyno Cats, Deepest Purple, Project Gojira, and more.

"Battle of the Bands" DNA Lounge. 5:30pm, $12. With Glorious Birds, Style Like Revelators, and more.

Black Wizard Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $6.

Foxtails Brigade, Rachel Fannan Swedish American Hall (upstairs from Café Du Nord). 8pm, $15.

Hauschka, Magik*Magik Orchestra Great American Music Hall. 8pm, $18.

Goh Nakamura, Come Gather Round Us, Yea-Ming Café Du Nord. 8pm, $10.

Vostok-Zapad Rickshaw Stop. 7pm, $25.

Wire Slim's. 9pm, $21.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

"Bruno's/Wayne Niethold Tribute" Public Works, 161 Erie, SF; www.publicsf.com. 4-10pm, $15-50. With DJ Chase Gowdy, Todd Sickafoose Group, Graham Connah's Sour Note Seven, Scott Amendola Quartet, and more.

Jennifer Bryce and Josh Workman Bliss Bar, 4026 24th St., SF; www.blissbarsf.com. 4:30pm, $10.

Jazz jam 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

Ellis Marsalis Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness, SF; www.sfjazz.org. 7pm, $25-65.

Tom Lander Duo Medjool, 2522 Mission, SF; www.medjoolsf.com. 6-9pm, free.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Andy y Callao El Rio. 4-8pm, $8.

Family Folk Explosion Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:30pm, free.

Silver Threads, Kitchen Fire Thee Parkside. 4pm, free.

Venezuelan Music Project Yoshi's San Francisco. 7pm, $16.

DANCE CLUBS

Batcave Cat Club. 10pm, $5. Death rock, goth, and post-punk with Steeplerot Necromos and c_death.

Call In Sick Skylark. 9pm, free. DJs Animal and I Will spin danceable hip-hop.

Chocolate Sundays Beauty Bar. 9pm. With DJs 4AM and Automatic Transmission, plus a drunken spelling bee.

Dub Mission Elbo Room. 9pm, $6. Dub, roots, and classic dancehall with DJ Sep, Vinnie Esparza, and guest DJ Ripley.

Gloss Sundays Trigger, 2344 Market, SF; (415) 551-CLUB. 7pm. With DJ Hawthorne spinning house, funk, soul, retro, and disco.

Honey Soundsystem Paradise Lounge. 8pm-2am. "Dance floor for dancers – sound system for lovers." Got that?

La Pachanga Blue Macaw, 2565 Mission, SF; www.thebluemacawsf.com. 6pm, $10. Salsa dance party with live Afro-Cuban salsa bands.

MONDAY 18

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

!!! Independent. 9pm, $20.

New Pornographers, Menomena Regency Ballroom. 8pm, $32.

One Way Station, Califia, Songs for Snakes Elbo Room. 9pm.

Spiral Bombs, Narooma, Hazel's Wart El Rio. 7pm, $5.

Tame Impala, Yuck Fillmore. 8pm, $20.

DANCE CLUBS

Death Guild DNA Lounge. 9:30pm, $3-5. Gothic, industrial, and synthpop with Joe Radio, Decay, and Melting Girl.

Krazy Mondays Beauty Bar. 10pm, free. With DJs Ant-1, $ir-Tipp, Ruby Red I, Lo, and Gelo spinning hip hop.

M.O.M. Madrone Art Bar. 6pm, free. With DJ Gordo Cabeza and guests playing all Motown every Monday.

Network Mondays Azul Lounge, One Tillman Pl, SF; www.inhousetalent.com. 9pm, $5. Hip-hop, R&B, and spoken word open mic, plus featured performers.

Sausage Party Rosamunde Sausage Grill, 2832 Mission, SF; (415) 970-9015. 6:30-9:30pm, free. DJ Dandy Dixon spins vintage rock, R&B, global beats, funk, and disco at this happy hour sausage-shack gig.

Skylarking Skylark. 10pm, free. With resident DJs I & I Vibration, Beatnok, and Mr. Lucky and weekly guest DJs.

TUESDAY 19

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Marcia Ball Yoshi's San Francisco. 8pm, $20.

"Beyond the Music Label Series" Boom Boom Room. 6-9pm, free. With Blind Willies.

Grooming the Crow, Scott Gagner El Rio. 7pm, free.

Janet Jackson Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove, SF; www.ticketmaster.com. 8pm, $49.50-149.50.

Pains of Being Pure at Heart Amoeba, 1855 Haight, SF; www.amoeba.com. 6pm, free.

Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Twin Shadow, Catwalk Great American Music Hall. 8pm, $17.

Rubber O Cement, Dental Work, Shortwave Surfers, Terror Apart Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $6.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Bomba Estéreo, Bayonics Independent. 8pm, $18.

Lumanation, Dubtown Dread John Colins, 138 Minna, SF; www.johncolins.com. 9pm, $5.

Sue Quigley Café Royale, 800 Post, SF; (415) 641-6033. 8pm, free.

DANCE CLUBS

Boomtown Little Baobab, 3388 19th St, SF; www.bissapbaobab.com. 9pm, free. DJ Mundi spins roots, ragga, dancehall, and more.

Brazilian Wax Elbo Room. 9pm, $7. Forro and samba with Razteria, DJ Carioca, and DJ P-Shot.

Eclectic Company Skylark, 9pm, free. DJs Tones and Jaybee spin old school hip hop, bass, dub, glitch, and electro.

Share the Love Trigger, 2344 Market, SF; (415) 551-CLUB. 5pm, free. With DJ Pam Hubbuck spinning house.

 

WASHINGTON - ITIF has long argued that any federal privacy regulation balance the need for privacy with the need for a robust commercial  Internet ecosystem. The Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights Act of 2011 introduced today by Senators John Kerry and John McCain correctly recognizes that a balance must be struck between regulations that slow down innovation and those that protect consumers. ITIF is also pleased that the legislation recognizes that importance of "growing the information economy." As ITIF has proposed, we agree that the Department of Commerce should take the lead on crafting data policies that can foster beneficial types of data sharing. And as ITIF has written previously, the goal of any privacy legislation should be to protect consumers while fostering competition, choice and innovation. While the ideal privacy legislation would focus on protecting consumers from harm rather than legislating data handling requirements, the legislation introduced today does provide a co-regulatory framework that allows industry to partner with government to potentially create more flexible rules for businesses that could help reduce the negative impact on the Internet ecosystem.

However, as ITIF has detailed repeatedly over the past few years, all of the economic evidence suggests that strict privacy regulations can have a negative impact on the Internet ecosystem. Misguided privacy legislation or the misguided administrative implementation of it could significantly erode the $300 billion in annual economic activity generated by the Internet in the United States. Before acting, policymakers should carefully consider the potential economic consequences of certain requirements, such as data minimization, that restrict current business processes, do not harm consumers, and can lead to the development of new products and services. Congress should also take the time to assess the efficacy of current enforcement mechanisms and the progress of industry self-regulatory efforts launched late last year before enacting potentially new policies that might impair these efforts.

There comes a time in each of Ryan Dempster's starts where you know, just know, that he's going to start giving up home runs.

But you'd think the manager of the team would start to notice after he gave up a home run to Bill Hall, then another ball which came within inches of being a second home run. That would have been the time to go to the bullpen, you'd think.

Instead, Mike Quade left Dempster in at 113 pitches, and Angel Sanchez -- who had not hit a home run and who had only 15 extra-base hits in 340 career plate appearances coming into last night -- lofted one into the Crawford boxes in Houston and a game that appeared easily in the Cubs' hands instead was now 5-4. Fortunately, John Grabow, Sean Marshall and Carlos Marmol kept the Astros from scoring again (not without some unneeded excitement) and the Cubs had a 5-4 win over the Astros, evening up their road trip record at 2-2.

So, Mike Quade -- next time you're hesitating in the seventh inning or so about taking Dempster out, just do it. I suppose one thought Quade had last night was "saving" the bullpen for tonight when James Russell starts -- but seriously, you've got to win the game you're playing.

Only one of the Cubs' 10 games so far this season has been decided by more than three runs -- the 6-0 loss in Milwaukee last Saturday night. Of the five wins, two are by one run, one by two runs, and two by three runs. The Cubs are currently 2-2 in one-run games, which is a distinct improvement over the early-season record in such games a year ago. But four out of ten games decided by one run? How about a nice blowout 10-0 win tonight?

There was, besides Quade's call to leave Dempster in too long, plenty of good to go around last night. Starlin Castro, placed in the leadoff spot due to the minor injury to Kosuke Fukudome, had three hits and scored three runs. Historical trivia: Castro became the first Cubs shortstop to score three runs in a game vs. the Astros since Ricky Gutierrez did it on August 22, 2000 in a 10-7 loss. Thanks to Ryan Deyoe for the heads-up on this one.

Cubs leadoff hitters are now batting .475/.553/.675 -- best in the major leagues to date. That breaks down as 19-for-40 with a double, two triples, a home run, seven walks and seven runs scored. What they need to do is take more advantage of all these leadoff spot baserunners. Hitting with RISP was better last night -- 4-for-9 -- after being awful on Sunday. The Cubs even stole their first base of the season last night, a swipe of second by Castro.

Attendance in Houston last night was 20,175 -- third smallest crowd in the history of Minute Maid Park -- and it looked like maybe half that number showed up. It's early in the season and the Astros aren't a very good team. But attendance numbers across baseball bear watching this season.

With their sixth straight, YOUR Cleveland Indians find themselves alone atop the AL Central and while the final turn around Amen Corner hasn’t even been made here in early April, the beginning to the 2011 season couldn’t be going much better for the Indians. Between sweeping the Red Sox and taking the first two in Seattle (against a team of former Indians led by their former manager), the Tribe has won with offense, won with defense, won with starting pitching, and won with the bullpen or some amalgamation of all of those components as the Indians are winning consistently in the early going, something not even the most optimistic among us would have guessed just two weeks ago.

Just 1 ½ years from the heartbreak of the CP Lee and Victor trades, the Indians saw Carlos Carrraso and Justin Masterson (occupying the 2nd and 3rd spots in their rotation) lead the Indians to two victories by combining to strike out FIFTEEN batters in 12 1/3 innings while only allowing 8 hits, 4 walks, and 2 earned runs between them. Two starts is just two starts (particularly in April), but Carrasco is three weeks removed from turning 24 in late May and has shown the flashes of top-of-the-rotation repertoire that was hoped for at the time of the deal while the just-turned-26 Masterson has, in his last 13 starts going back to last August, posted a 2.25 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP while whiffing 46 and walking just 16 in his last 60 innings pitched.

But those Lee and Martinez deals were total busts, right?
Doesn’t the first couple of weeks feel like finally moving past those crushing couple of weeks in late July of 2009, when the Indians moved their stars for a bunch of young prospects, with no promise that they’d ever come close to returning to the level of success achieved (albeit inconsistently) in the mid-to-late-2000s?

Perhaps it’s premature to assume that this young Indians’ team has turned any kind of corner, but the positive signs are practically blinding in the early going and, given from where this organization has come from as recently as that fateful July in 2009, it feels good to watch a young team (once again) mature and…you know, win…because it feels like something that hasn’t happened in a while as that mid-to-late-2000s teams eventually evolved into a team that became too frustrating to watch (and this is cathartic to read if only to remember that 2009 team, prior to the trades) as a talented team struggled out of the gate regularly and never found themselves after the 2007 season.

The Indians turned the page and, while most Indians’ fans decided to simply walk away from the book, the truth is that the new page that is just now starting to be revealed looks like it could be one that could hold fans’ rapt attention. But to truly appreciate this quick start, maybe it’s time to take a quick look back, or at least a look South to realize the difficult decision the Indians made and why the situation they faced in 2008 and 2009 was far from unique as it’s one that seems to be playing out again in MLB before our very eyes.

As a roundabout way of getting to that, let’s acknowledge that the big news of the week (other than the Indians sitting in 1st place) was the retirement of Manny Ramirez, whose once certain HOF career has ended both unceremoniously and unexpectedly. While ESPN’s coverage of the announcement showed exactly two shots of Manny as an Indian, he will forever be remembered in Cleveland as a hitting savant, for causing Eck to be caught in a mid-WOW by the cameras in his walk of the mound, and for being the best RH hitter ever to don a Tribe uniform.

Both Castro and JoePos have terrific columns on Manny, his career, and his legacy, so I’m not going to attempt to best those efforts. Instead, using Manny’s retirement as the segue, let’s take a little detour before moving back to the Indians as Manny retired as a Tampa Bay Ray, even if his tenure as a Ray will be remembered as well as Johnny Unitas in San Diego or Willie Mays in Queens.

Regardless, Manny’s retirement prompted this piece from Jonah Keri over at Fangraphs as Keri attempted to quantify the effect that Manny’s retirement would have on the small-market example of what could be, that tour de force that is/was the Rays and their “brilliant” Front Office:
Given that the Rays already looked the weaker team on Opening Day, and have now lost their best player for what might be all of April, and one of their two best projected hitters forever, Rays management has to be giving serious thought to a change in plans.
--snip--
Tampa Bay was always going to face an uphill climb to remain an elite ballclub, given the many factors working against them. Manny Ramirez‘s retirement by itself doesn’t materially change the team’s outlook. But combined with all the other challenges the Rays will face, it does set the team back considerably in the here and now.

The Rays will rise again. It just might take a while.

This was written this week, after SIX games had been played and excuse me for a moment, but “break up the Rays” – that shining example of how an organization can overcome market inequities – has already become a talking point before mid-April and the conversation is coming from none other than Keri, who just published a book on how smart the Rays’ Front Office is, presumably given unprecedented access to pen, meaning that he probably has some pretty good insight as to how the Rays’ figure to approach this unexpected development. Keri’s synopsis, after SIX games, is that “the Rays will rise again” and that “it just might take a while”?

So, let me get this straight…injuries, departing FA, and bad luck can derail the best-laid plans for any small-market team, even that beacon of hope and Selig’s favorite team to point out how it “can be done” – the Tampa Bay Rays?
With Crawford, Pena, Garza, and their bullpen gone and Shields and maybe more not far behind, if they really do “break up the Rays”, what will MLB have to say then?

The Rays did everything right (assisted by an unprecedented run of high draft picks) and were set up to compete with the big boys for years to come…or so we were told to believe, and now the retirement of Manny Ramirez on April 9th causes an insightful writer who knows the inner workings of the organization to assume that the white flag is going to go up at some point this season?

Regardless, what’s also interesting is how the Rays could be approaching this, and how Keri, who was presumably unprecedented access to the Rays for his book, in that they’ll look to sell off pieces and parts that don’t fit into their future and live to fight another day rather than playing out the string and hoping (beyond hope) that things may turn around. The Rays had a nice little run (two 90-win seasons…why does that look familiar) and will now turn over their roster in an attempt to create the next incarnation of a winner in Central Florida.

While we certainly don’t know how the coming months of the season are going to go for the Rays, why does this sound so familiar?
It sounds like the Rays are ready to pull off a band-aid in…right off and are willing to endure the sting of the initial action in the hopes that the healing will come sooner.

Do you see where I’m (finally) going here, as what we are likely to see with the Rays this summer is the same thing that we saw the Indians experience in 2008 and, more acutely in 2009?

What happened in Cleveland a few years back and what is happening in Tampa (they of the “impossibly” deep farm system) is the rule, not the exception when it comes to small-market teams and now two-and-a-half years after the brutal disappointment of 2008, some of the fruit borne from the misfortunes of 2008 and 2009 are starting to ripen and what’s emerging is a wholly likable and exciting group of players in Cleveland that is doing something that hasn’t been done too frequently in April for Indians’ teams…they’re winning.

Yes, they’re winning – but it’s HOW they’re winning that is what has generated so much excitement as the starting pitching looks solid, the offense looks balanced, the defense has been tremendous and timely, and the bullpen is full of power arms to dream on, with more to come. But it’s more than that, as Anthony Castrovince put so succinctly earlier in the week after the Thursday win against the Red Sox:
I’m trying to think of a more fundamentally sound sequence of events turned in by the Tribe in the last couple seasons than what we witnessed in the eighth and ninth Thursday. Truth is, I can’t, though that might say as much about my memory as it does about the team.

I think that AC’s being modest here and he later goes on to write that “you love to see a young team do the little things right early on, even if it’s not necessarily the young players doing them, because that sets a proper standard” because if he thinks it has something to do with his memory, he should know that it doesn’t. The Indians of the last five to six years has been an unquestionably talented group of players that have been done in by injuries and bad luck (for sure) but also questionable usage of said talent and misappropriation of pieces and parts, particularly in the lineup and bullpen. Seeing Aaron Laffey come into the blowout on Friday and seeing Chris Gimenez get called up from AAA (referenced in the same article as Wedge’s issue with Jack Wilson being upset with playing in a new position…ahem…Garko in the OF), and the Front Office backing their manager as imprudent and incomprehensible as it may seem makes one realize what the Indians devolved into and what they should avoid devolving into again at any time.

Maybe that sounds like sour grapes and hindsight being 20/20, but the juxtaposition of where the Indians seem to be hitting their stride here (and who the opposing team’s manager is) should not be underestimated as there is a completely different feel to the start of the Indians’ season than any time during The Atomic Wedgie’s tenure in Cleveland, 2007 included.

Of course, the easy lines to throw out here are to make fun of the tired lines that become even more tired each time that they were trotted out there by the former Tribe skipper – “bowing your neck”, “trusting the process”, and…of course “grinding through it” – but the feel around the 2011 Indians’ team feels light years away from that, despite nearly everything else in the Tribe organization remaining EXACTLY the same except for the manager.

To that end, watching this Indians team win every which way but loose, it’s unquestionably exciting and while the “name” factor may not be there for many Indians’ players (save Carmona, Sizemore, and Hafner or, as he may be referred to again, Le Pronque), there is a very real possibility that Acta becomes the focus of this team this year while the Cleveland public learns about guys like Santana, Carrasco, Masterson, Brantley, and C. Perez or gets re-acquainted with The BLC and Asdrubal as more than just good players on a bad team.

What this 2011 Indians’ team looks like is a team with personality, a team that can take on the swagger of their closer or that can be as solid up-the-middle as any team that called the corner of Carnegie and Ontario home.

But truthfully, we’re still learning these guys…we’re still finding out who fits where and which players legitimately figure into the future. While it may be hard to remember 1992 and 1993 or 2003 and 2004, there were times that we didn’t know much more about those players than their potential and their numbers. The personality of those teams didn’t reveal themselves until they were winning regularly and the road to winning regularly was both exhilarating and revealing.

In two-and-a-half years, the Indians turned Blake, CC, Victor, Lee, and DeRosa into Santana, LaPorta, Brantley, Masterson, Carrasco, and Chris Perez – or 1/3 of their lineup, 40% of their rotation and their closer. If you want to include the 2006 deals with Benuardo turning into The BLC and Asdrubal, you’re now talking about 5 of the 9 spots in the lineup being filled by “fire sale” deals from 2006 to 2009, with all of those players under the Indians’ control through 2013.

Maybe The BLC gets his due on a winning (or at least exciting) team or maybe kids across Northeast Ohio start mimicking Santana’s habit of resting his mask on top of his helmet with the strap of the mask wrapped around the bill of his backwards helmet, just like they once parroted Victor’s kiss to the sky after a HR. Watching Tony Sipp mow down hitters in the 8th and seeing Chris Perez dominate in the 9th gives the sense that the Indians may have the most dominant back-end-of-the-bullpen since…the mid-1990s and these guys are damn fun to watch.

Do you remember the first time you saw CC charge off the mound, pumping his fist or saw Jake Westbrook or CP Lee hopping over that third base line at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario?

That’s what we’re on the precipice on with this group of players.
Sure, there’s Hafner and Choo and Asdrubal, who have been around for a while with Grady coming back probably later this month, but looking forward to every Santana AB THIS MUCH is something that I haven’t felt about any Indians’ player since…well, Manny.

As Indians’ fans, we fell in love with young and burgeoning teams in the not-so-distant past and this start for the 2011 Tribe feels like a courtship all over again. This 2011 team is playing like they’re having fun and they’re hard not to root for, given their potential and the nearly universal dismissal of them, both nationally and locally. By no means am I attempting to minimize the run of the mid-to-late-2000s, as there were moments that few will ever forget, but it feels like this is starting up all over again.

The sting of taking the band-aid coming off in July of 2009 is starting to abate…

We all may know how this may end for the Indians in a couple of years as it did for the Tribe in 2008 and 2009 and as it is currently falling apart in Tampa, with fans left sitting wondering if it really came crumbling down that far that fast in the world of small-market clubs in MLB, but with the Indians sitting in 1st place…I don’t care.

It’s time to enjoy the ride that a group of young, talented players can take us on…
It’s time to fall for this team, full of potential and promise, small sample size considered…

There is a line in a Mark Twain quote that may be applicable to what Indians’ fans are experiencing, with the memory of past heartbreaks too close to ignore, when he wrote to, “love like you’ve never been hurt.”

Indians’ fans – despite the hurt that you’ve endured, it’s time to fall in love again…

Lingerie has long been a lady thing. Lots of lace, ribbons and girly details ideally made to display womanly humps and lumps. Dudes can easily purchase a pair of Vicky’s panties to pretty up their anatomy but not all bodies can or want to rock their cock in female style. Options do exist.<!--break-->

These options, of course, vary from the stereotypical intimates that women are presented with -- guy lingerie, at least the kind available ready-made in San Francisco, strips away the uber femme touches and gets down to business in a more functional way.

“We sell underwear that enhances. It lifts, supports, and projects forward,” says Bill Tull, owner of Injeanious, a Castro shop with 20-plus years of catering to men’s need for awesome underthings. 

Tull tells it like it is: “Men want to look bigger.”

There are lots of chicks out there shopping for sturdy underwires and promising push-ups, and their male counterparts are looking to make their junk more visually appealing, too. Injeanious has got answers for any department that needs a little boost: padded fronts, padded backs, control tops, girdles, back-less, front-less, briefs, trunks, thongs, ball danglers, built-in jock-straps with added ass-lifting and even pairs that promise ample dick-lifting.

Injeanious employee Thomas Williams is currently obsessed with a pair of Andrew Christian briefs that feature a ‘hang free pouch.’ These hott briefs are a one-up on the traditional silk stunners—they’re made from bamboo! Earth friendly and delightfully soft.

“Underwear has come such a long way. It’s not just Hanes and Fruit of the Loom anymore.”

Color options run the gamut from stark white to naughty brights, but there isn’t a pinch of lace to be found at Injeanious. Black mesh presents a more badass choice and a few sheer, transparent fabrics (even one with polka dots) account for the more decorative options -- nothing too sparkly or sweet for the family jewels. Toll says there are no plans to include such items on his shelves.

“The customers are not interested. It’s just a bit beyond the pale.”

What they do want is obvious from one glace in the store windows: plump, engorged pouches. This is why they purposely overstuff the mannequins with big ol’ wads of potential penis. Guys are visual and they want to see it -- theirs or that of another, hanging out in a glorified satchel. Who needs bows and lace when you've got a bulge like that? It's simply unnecessary frill. 

Lingerie has long been a lady thing. Lots of lace, ribbons and girly details ideally made to display womanly humps and lumps. Dudes can easily purchase a pair of Vicky’s panties to pretty up their anatomy but not all bodies can or want to rock their cock in female style. Options do exist.<!--break-->

These options, of course, vary from the stereotypical intimates that women are presented with -- guy lingerie, at least the kind available ready-made in San Francisco, strips away the uber femme touches and gets down to business in a more functional way.

“We sell underwear that enhances. It lifts, supports, and projects forward,” says Bill Tull, owner of Injeanious, a Castro shop with 20-plus years of catering to men’s need for awesome underthings. 

Tull tells it like it is: “Men want to look bigger.”

There are lots of chicks out there shopping for sturdy underwires and promising push-ups, and their male counterparts are looking to make their junk more visually appealing, too. Injeanious has got answers for any department that needs a little boost: padded fronts, padded backs, control tops, girdles, back-less, front-less, briefs, trunks, thongs, ball danglers, built-in jock-straps with added ass-lifting and even pairs that promise ample dick-lifting.

Injeanious employee Thomas Williams is currently obsessed with a pair of Andrew Christian briefs that feature a ‘hang free pouch.’ These hott briefs are a one-up on the traditional silk stunners—they’re made from bamboo! Earth friendly and delightfully soft.

“Underwear has come such a long way. It’s not just Hanes and Fruit of the Loom anymore.”

Color options run the gamut from stark white to naughty brights, but there isn’t a pinch of lace to be found at Injeanious. Black mesh presents a more badass choice and a few sheer, transparent fabrics (even one with polka dots) account for the more decorative options -- nothing too sparkly or sweet for the family jewels. Toll says there are no plans to include such items on his shelves.

“The customers are not interested. It’s just a bit beyond the pale.”

What they do want is obvious from one glace in the store windows: plump, engorged pouches. This is why they purposely overstuff the mannequins with big ol’ wads of potential penis. Guys are visual and they want to see it -- theirs or that of another, hanging out in a glorified satchel. Who needs bows and lace when you've got a bulge like that? It's simply unnecessary frill. 

The Sonoma Film Festival and the San Francisco Women's Film Festival are both underway through Sunday, while Super, an ultra-violent comedy starring Rainn Wilson as a hopeless schlub turned vigilante superhero, ratchets up the body count at the Embarcadero. Elsewhere:

1. Bill Cunningham New York
Where: Embarcadero Center Cinema, 1 Embarcadero Ctr., 415-352-0835
When: All Week
Why: “We all get dressed for Bill,” says Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, paying the ultimate compliment to legendary fashion photographer Bill Cunningham, whose work has been featured in the New York Times for 33 years. But who is Cunningham, the octogenarian-about-town relentlessly searching for the perfect shot? Bill Cunningham New York leaves us with as many questions about Cunningham as answers. That we bother to ask them at all is a tribute to the film’s effectiveness.

2. Kill the Irishman
Where: Lumiere Theatre, 1572 California St., 415-885-3201
When: All Week
Why: Inspired by the true story of Danny Greene, a onetime labor leader turned gangster who rose to fame during the summer of 1976 as the man Cleveland's Italian mafia couldn't seem to murder, Kill the Irishman is a compelling chronicle of a man compromised by ambition and doomed by his brazenness, featuring a stellar cast led by Ray Stevenson, Christopher Walken and Vincent D'Onofrio.

3. Rubber
Where: Lumiere Theatre, 1572 California St., 415-885-3201
When: All Week
Why: If you’ve ever wondered whether contemporary filmmakers have run out of original stories to tell, look no further than Rubber, Quentin Dupieux’s cheerfully deranged tale of a killer car tire rolling down a barren interstate, using psychokinesis to obliterate anyone who stands in his way. On some level, it’s like cinematic performance art; not every gamble Dupeiux takes pays off, but you have to admire him for taking the risks.

4. Picnic at Hanging Rock
Where: Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., 415-621-6120
When: April 14
Why: A Valentine’s Day picnic at an ancient volcanic outcropping turns into a haunting mystery for the residents of a girls' boarding school when a few wandering teenagers inexplicably vanish. A disquieting exercise with a subtext charged by suppressed longings, Peter Weir’s 1975 masterpiece remains as ineffable as the conundrum at its core.

5. Win Win
Where: Bridge Theatre, 3010 Geary Blvd., 415-751-3213
When: All Week
Why: Thomas McCarthy (The Station Agent, The Visitor) returns to his hometown of New Providence, New Jersey, to capture the compelling trials and often laugbable tribulations of an elderly-law attorney (Paul Giamatti) and his burgeoning friendship with a gifted young wrestler, played by newcomer (and real-life Jersey state champion) Alex Shaffer. It's foolish to make such proclamations in March, but no matter: Win is one of the year's best.

6. Blue Valentine
Where: Red Vic Movie House, 1727 Haight St., 415-668-3994
When: April 11-13
Why: The best of intentions can’t rescue a flatlining relationship, a lesson learned through tears, small explosions and passionless embraces by Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams), a still-young married couple watching the embers of their romance turn cold in Derek Cianfrance's Blue Valentine. Where did their passion go? Cianfrance leaves that question to our imagination, and Dean and Cindy's cold civility – as well as the riveting, award-worthy performances of Gosling and Williams – gives Valentine its withering power.

7. Of Gods and Men
Where: Lumiere Theatre, 1572 California St., 415-885-3201
When: All Week
Why: Nominated for 11 César Awards including Best Picture, Xavier Beauvois' historical drama documents the lives of eight French Christian monks who share a monastery in the mountains of North Africa. When Islamic fundamentalists slaughter a crew of foreign workers, the monks refuse to evacuate, soon finding themselves stuck in an increasingly tenuous living situation and resigned to whatever fate brings.

Pop star Britney Spears visited the GLBT Historical Society Museum in the Castro last Sunday after her mini-concert at Bill Graham Auditorium where she was given a brief tour by curator Gerard Koskovich, who pointed out Harvey Milk's bullhorn in one of the display cases.

This is the third of my previews of the four Cubs full-season minor league teams. It's also likely to be the shortest of the four previews since I think that most of you are pretty familiar with the players on the Iowa Cubs.

If the Tennessee Smokies are loaded with prospects, the Iowa Cubs are not. It has been the pattern of the Cubs organization to keep the top prospects in Double-A and load up Iowa with minor league veterans who can come to Chicago at a moment's notice. There is some sense to having several veterans at Triple-A. If a major league player goes on the disabled list and is expected to return quickly, you don't want to disrupt the development of your top prospects by calling them up to the majors and having them sit on the bench. I think the Cubs maybe go a little overboard on this, but it hasn't seemed to hurt the development of Starlin Castro or Tyler Colvin, neither of whom ever played Triple-A baseball.  Andrew Cashner only threw 21 innings for the I-Cubs.

In case you don't know, the Iowa Cubs have been the Cubs Triple-A franchise since 1981. Only Omaha (Royals) and Pawtucket (Red Sox) have been affiliated with the same club longer.

The Iowa Cubs play in the Pacific Coast League. Deal with it.

However, there are a few names to watch this summer in Des Moines. After the jump, a look at the Opening Day Roster.

There are two players who aren't here in Iowa, and I'm going to address them first because I'm sure most of you will notice they're not here. Neither catcher Welington Castillo nor right-handed pitcher Jay Jackson are currently on the Iowa Cubs roster. Both of them are staying in Mesa for extended spring training as they deal with injuries. Castillo apparently has a minor hand issue that's supposed to keep him out for 7-10 days. I don't know what's wrong with Jackson, except that I know that his velocity was way down this spring. I'm hoping it's just a matter of building up arm strength.

Coaching Staff: The I-Cubs are led this season by Bill Dancey, a minor league veteran who is in his second season in the Cub organization after managing the Smokies last season. Dancey has been managing in the minors since 1979, and one of his players on his first team was Ryne Sandberg, the man he's replacing as Iowa manager. His 1604 minor league victories ranks him fourth among all active managers.

Iowa's hitting coach is Von Joshua, who has been the Iowa hitting coach for the past six seasons, except for a short detour for part of the season in 2009 when he was the hitting coach in Chicago. The pitching coach for the past four seasons in Iowa is former Cub hurler Mike Mason.

Pitching: Normally I lead with the starters, but the best prospect on the Iowa Cubs this season is Chris Carpenter, otherwise known as "The Good Chris Carpenter." Carpenter has been a starter in the Cub system previously, but last fall he was pitched in relief in the Arizona Fall League. In relief, he added about five miles per hour onto his fastball and was regularly clocking in at 97 mph. He even hit 100 on the gun once.  There were a lot of other factors that played into the decision to convert him to the pen as well. While he has been generally healthy for the Cubs, he had a lot of arm problems at Kent State. While he has a decent slider (or maybe a "slurve"), his changeup has lagged behind his other two pitches. And finally, the Cubs are just a lot more likely to need his help in the bullpen.

I don't know if Carpenter is going to start out the season as the closer and even if he does, I imagine that Esmailin Caridad will get some save chances. But he does have closer heat. If Carpenter pitches well to start this season, he could be in the bullpen in Wrigley by June.

The starting pitchers for Iowa are names you are probably already quite familiar with. Thomas Diamond will get the opening day start. Casey Coleman (assuming he doesn't get called up to Chicago to replace Andrew Cashner) will follow him. I've said this before: Coleman might not throw hard, but he throws smart. The Cubs signed former Mariner farmhand Austin Bibens-Dirkx out of the Independent Leagues in 2009 and he's pitched well for them ever since. His fastball tops out around 90-92, but it has good movement. He's also got a decent slider. He's not a great prospect and he's probably a bullpen arm if he does make the majors, but he's a really nice guy to have in Iowa.

The Cubs got Robert Coello from the Red Sox this spring. After getting shelled in his major league debut, he pitched pretty well for Boston last September. He'll be starting for Iowa, at least until Jay Jackson gets healthy, but his major league future is definitely in the pen. He combines a low 90s fastball with a forkball.

At this point, J.R. Mathes is as much an Iowa summer institution as RAGBRAI. This will be Mathes fifth season with the I-Cubs. He's the only lefty in the rotation.

Catchers: The catchers on the I-Cubs are Max Ramirez and Chris Robinson. Robinson isn't much of a prospect at this point, but he's a much better player than Neifi Perez, who we traded for Robinson back in 2006. He'd be an emergency option in Chicago.

Infielders: Third baseman Marquez Smith gets a lot of love around here, and there's a lot to like. His glove is decent enough to play 2B in a pinch. He's got some power and he hit .314 last season. However, he's already 26 years old and he's mostly a dead fastball hitter. He might have some use in the majors as a utility player.

Matt Camp is definitely a utility guy. He's an energy guy with speed and no power. He'll play all over the diamond for Iowa. Shortstop Jonathan Mota is a great glove, but he's never hit anywhere in the minors.

You already know who Bobby Scales is. He's a great example of an organizational guy who has a job because he's a great teammate. He's really not a bad player for Triple-A either, although at 33 years old he's clearly not a prospect. 

Scott Moore is one of two I-Cubs this season returning after a stint in the Orioles organization. He last played for Iowa in 2007.

Outfielders: Left fielder  Bryan LaHair tied for the I-Cub team lead in home runs last season at 25. At 28 he's really not a prospect anymore, and he was decidedly mediocre in his stint with the Mariners in 2008.  But he's got very good power and he hit .308 for the Cubs last season. The odds are against it, but I wouldn't rule out a chance for him to be a bat off the bench for the Cubs. Matt Stairs didn't get his major league career going until he was 28 either.

Fernando Perez is a Ivy League-educated poet, writer and pretty funny guy. He's also pretty fast. He'll need to hit better than he did in spring training to get back to the majors. Tony Campana is a little guy with tremendous speed. Still only 25, he hit .319 with a .378 OBP for Tennessee last year. His game is a lot like Perez or the recently-departed Sam Fuld.

Lou Montanez is also returning to Iowa for the first time since 2006. Ty Wright is a corner outfielder with some power, but not really enough power to be a right-handed corner outfielder in the major leagues. He struggled at Iowa last season after a mid-season promotion from Double-A.

We'll finish the previews tomorrow with the Daytona Cubs, the Cubs High-A team in the Florida State League.

Music listings are compiled by Cheryl Eddy. Since club life is unpredictable, it's a good idea to call ahead to confirm bookings and hours. Prices are listed when provided to us. Submit items for the listings at listings@sfbg.com. For further information on how to submit items for the listings, see Picks.

WEDNESDAY 6

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Ani DiFranco Fillmore. 8pm, $33.50.

Fences, Rin Tin Tiger, Passenger and Pilot Rickshaw Stop. 8pm, $10.

Emma Jean Foster and Glide Gospel 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

Aaron Glass and friends, Mowgli's, Sufis Elbo Room. 9pm, $8.

A Rocket to the Moon, Valencia, Anarbor, Runner Runner Bottom of the Hill. 7pm, $15.

Spider Heart Submission, 2183 Mission, SF; www.sf-submission.com. 10pm, $5.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Cosmo Alleycats Le Colonial, 20 Cosmo, SF; www.lecolonialsf.com. 7pm.

Dink Dink Dink, Gaucho, Michael Abraham Amnesia. 7pm, free.

Ben Marcato and the Mondo Combo Top of the Mark. 7:30pm, $10.

Michael Parsons Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:30pm, free.

Denise Perrier Rrazz Room. 8pm, $30.

DANCE CLUBS

Booty Call Q-Bar, 456 Castro, SF; www.bootycallwednesdays.com. 9pm. Juanita Moore hosts this dance party, featuring DJ Robot Hustle.

Buena Onda Little Baobab, 3388 19th St., SF; (415) 643-3558. 10pm, $3. Soul, funk, swing, and rare grooves with residents Dr. Musco and DJB.

Cannonball Beauty Bar. 10pm, free. Rock, indie, and nu-disco with DJ White Mike.

Jam Fresh Wednesdays Vessel, 85 Campton, SF; (415) 433-8585. 9:30pm, free. With DJs Slick D, Chris Clouse, Rich Era, Don Lynch, and more spinning top40, mashups, hip hop, and remixes.

Mary-Go-Round Lookout, 3600 16th St, SF; (415) 431-0306. 10pm, $5. A weekly drag show with hosts Cookie Dough, Pollo Del Mar, and Suppositori Spelling.

No Room For Squares Som., 2925 16th St, SF; (415) 558-8521. 6-10pm, free. DJ Afrodite Shake spins jazz for happy hour.

Respect Wednesdays End Up. 10pm, $5. Rotating DJs Daddy Rolo, Young Fyah, Irie Dole, I-Vier, Sake One, Serg, and more spinning reggae, dancehall, roots, lovers rock, and mash ups.

Synchronize Il Pirata, 2007 16th St, SF; (415) 626-2626. 10pm, free. Psychedelic dance music with DJs Helios, Gatto Matto, Psy Lotus, Intergalactoid, and guests.

THURSDAY 7

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Dark Star Orchestra Great American Music Hall. 9pm, $35.

Dodos, Reading Rainbow Fillmore. 8pm, $18.50.

Futur Skullz, Blown to Bits, Trouble Kidz, Born Uglies Eagle Tavern. 9:30pm, $7.

Heavy Metal Kings, Danny Diablo Slim's. 8:30pm, $18.

Hydrophonic, Burn River Burn, Electric Shepherd Bottom of the Hill. 9pm, $8.

Loto Ball, Moira Scar, Tunnel Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $7.

Peelander-Z, Anamanaguchi, Glowing Stars DNA Lounge. 8pm, $16.

Ron Sexsmith, Caitlin Rose Café Du Nord. 9pm, $16.

"Shock and Roll Therapy" Stud. 8pm, free. With Havarti Party, Poor Sons, Narooma, and Cool Ghouls.

Society 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

Sounds, K.Flay, DJ Aaron Axelsen, Miles the DJ Rickshaw Stop. 9pm, $14.

Tycho, Inu, Soma FM DJs Independent. 8pm, $20. SOMA FM 11th anniversary party.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

"Activating the Medium XIV: Radio: Chapter One" San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 151 Third St, SF; www.sfmoma.org. 7pm, $10. With Richard Garet and Jim Haynes and Allison Holt.

Raul Midion Yoshi's San Francisco. 8pm, $28.

Organsm featuring Jim Gunderson and "Tender" Tim Shea Bollyhood Café. 6:30-9pm, free.

Stompy Jones Top of the Mark. 7:30pm, $10.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Bill Monroe Tribute Band Atlas Café. 8-10pm, free.

Chris Milam Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:30pm, free.

Rafael and Ingrid Red Poppy Art House. 7pm, $12.

"Twang! Honky Tonk" Fiddler's Green, 1330 Columbus, SF; www.twanghonkytonk.com. 5pm.

DANCE CLUBS

Afrolicious Elbo Room. 9:30pm, $5. DJs Pleasuremaker and Señor Oz spin Afrobeat, tropicália, electro, samba, and funk.

Caribbean Connection Little Baobab, 3388 19th St, SF; (415) 643-3558. 10pm, $3. DJ Stevie B and guests spin reggae, soca, zouk, reggaetón, and more.

Club Jammies Edinburgh Castle. 10pm, free. DJs EBERrad and White Mice spinning reggae, punk, dub, and post punk.

Culture Corner Koko Cocktails, 1060 Geary, SF; www.kokococktails.com. 10pm, free. Roots reggae, dub, rocksteady, and classic dancehall with DJ Tomas' Bunny Wailer and Big Youth Birthday Celebration.

Diapers, Binkies, and Friends Knockout. 9:30pm, free. Dad-to-be Jamie Jams spins baby-themed jams with DJs Stab Master Arson and DJ Eli Glad.

Drop the Pressure Underground SF. 6-10pm, free. Electro, house, and datafunk highlight this weekly happy hour.

Electric Feel Lookout, 2600 16th St, SF; www.fringesf.com. 9pm, $2. Indie music video dance party with subOctave and Blondie K, plus guest DJ Candy.

80s Night Cat Club. 9pm, $6 (free before 9:30pm). Two dance floors bumpin' with the best of 80s mainstream and underground with Dangerous Dan, Skip, Low Life, and guests.

Wolfgang Gartner Ruby Skye. 9pm, $25.

Guilty Pleasures Gestalt, 3159 16th St, SF; (415) 560-0137. 9:30pm, free. DJ TophZilla, Rob Metal, DJ Stef, and Disco-D spin punk, metal, electro-funk, and 80s.

Holy Thursday Underground SF. 10pm, $5. Bay Area electronic hip hop producers showcase their cutting edge styles monthly.

Jivin' Dirty Disco Butter, 354 11th St., SF; (415) 863-5964. 8pm, free. With DJs spinning disco, funk, and classics.

Lacquer Beauty Bar. 10pm-2am, free. DJs Mario Muse and Miss Margo bring the electro.

Mestiza Bollywood Café, 3376 19th St, SF; (415) 970-0362. 10pm, free. Showcasing progressive Latin and global beats with DJ Juan Data.

1984 Mighty. 9pm, $2. The long-running New Wave and 80s party has a new venue, featuring video DJs Mark Andrus, Don Lynch, and celebrity guests.

Peaches Skylark, 10pm, free. With an all female DJ line up featuring Deeandroid, Lady Fingaz, That Girl, and Umami spinning hip hop.

Thursday Special Tralala Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 5pm, free. Downtempo, hip-hop, and freestyle beats by Dr. Musco and Unbroken Circle MCs.

FRIDAY 8

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Bryan Adams Warfield. 9pm, $25-85.

Akron/Family, Delicate Steve, Honeymoon, DJ Britt Govea Independent. 9pm, $15.

Buxter Hoot'n, Devotionals, Nick Jaina Café Du Nord. 9:30pm, $10.

Danielson, Battlehooch, Half-handed Cloud Bottom of the Hill. 10pm, $13.

Dark Star Orchestra Great American Music Hall. 9pm, $35.

Fiver Brown and the Good Sinners 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

Larry Graham and Graham Central Station Yoshi's San Francisco. 8 and 10pm, $30-38.

Hillside Fire, Narwhal Brigade, Ayurveda, Sandy Greenfield Band Kimo's. 9pm.

Hot Lunch, Blank Stares, Pre-Legendary and the Dreamers Hemlock Tavern. 9:30pm, $7.

Mantles, Wrong Words, Lenz, Wet Illustrated Knockout. 9pm, $7.

Or the Whale, Chamberlin, Steve Taylor Rickshaw Stop. 8:30pm, $12.

Protest the Hero, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, TesseracT Slim's. 8:30pm, $17.

Volbeat, Damned Things Fillmore. 7pm, $22.50.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Black Market Jazz Orchestra Top of the Mark. 9pm, $10.

Empty Space Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 9pm, free.

Madeleine Peyroux Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon, SF; www.sfjazz.org. 8pm, $30-75.

Redshift, Rootstock Community Music Center, 544 Capp, SF; www.sfcmc.org. 8pm, $10.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

"Cowpokes, Gunslingers, and Outlaw Country" Red Devil Lounge. 9pm, $12. With Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit, Whisky Richards, Tiny Television, and Preservation.

Tito y Su Son De Cuba Quinteto Red Poppy Art House. 8pm, $12-15.

DANCE CLUBS

Afro Bao Little Baobab, 3388 19th St, SF; (415) 643-3558. 10pm, $5. Afro and world music with rotating DJs including Stepwise, Steve, Claude, Santero, and Elembe.

Bass Time Continuum Session 4 Club Six. 9pm, $5. With Lotus Drops, Energy Alchemist, Bitch Plz, Benito, and Mr. Rise.

Blow Up DNA Lounge. 10pm, $10-15. "Miss Blow Up USA Pageant" with Jeffrey Paradise.

Cartagena! CD release party  Elbo Room. 10pm, $5. Cumbia with DJs Beto, Vinnie Esparza, and B. Cause.

Deeper 222 Hyde, 222 Hyde, SF; (415) 345-8222. 9pm, $10. With rotating DJs spinning dubstep and techno.

Dirty Rotten Dance Party Madrone Art Bar. 9pm, $5. With DJs Morale, Kap10 Harris, and Shane King spinning electro, bootybass, crunk, swampy breaks, hyphy, rap, and party classics.

Exhale, Fridays Project One Gallery, 251 Rhode Island, SF; (415) 465-2129. 5pm, $5. Happy hour with art, fine food, and music with Vin Sol, King Most, DJ Centipede, and Shane King.

Fo' Sho! Fridays Madrone Art Bar. 10pm, $5. DJs Kung Fu Chris and Makossa spin rare grooves, soul, funk, and hip-hop classics.

Fubar Fridays Butter, 354 11th St., SF; (415) 863-5964. 6pm, $5. With DJs spinning retro mashup remixes.

Good Life Fridays Apartment 24, 440 Broadway, SF; (415) 989-3434. 10pm, $10. With DJ Brian spinning hip hop, mashups, and top 40.

Hot Chocolate Milk. 9pm, $5. With DJs Big Fat Frog, Chardmo, DuseRock, and more spinning old and new school funk.

Rockabilly Fridays Jay N Bee Club, 2736 20th St, SF; (415) 824-4190. 9pm, free. With DJs Rockin' Raul, Oakie Oran, Sergio Iglesias, and Tanoa "Samoa Boy" spinning 50s and 60s Doo Wop, Rockabilly, Bop, Jive, and more.

Some Thing Stud. 10pm, $7. VivvyAnne Forevermore, Glamamore, and DJ Down-E give you fierce drag shows and afterhours dancing.

Vintage Orson, 508 Fourth St, SF; (415) 777-1508. 5:30-11pm, free. DJ TophOne and guest spin jazzy beats for cocktalians.

SATURDAY 9

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Jeff Beck, Imelda May Fillmore. 8pm, $75.

Danger Babes 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

Dark Star Orchestra Great American Music Hall. 9pm, $35.

Deskonocidos, Criaturas, Needles, Ruleta Rusa Knockout. 10pm, $7.

Funk Bros Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 9pm, free.

Larry Graham and Graham Central Station Yoshi's San Francisco. 8 and 10pm, $38.

Jesse Morris and the Man Cougars Riptide Bar. 9pm, free.

Papercuts, Banjo or Freakout Café Du Nord. 9:30pm, $14.

Pollux, Bonnie Dune, Lite Brite Bottom of the Hill. 10pm, $12.

Rise Against, Bad Religion, Four Year Strong Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove, SF; www.ticketmaster.com. 7:30pm, $32.50.

Shearing Pinx, Continues, Victory and Associates Hemlock Tavern. 9:30pm, $7.

Submarines, Nik Freitas Slim's. 9pm, $16.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Hypnotist Collectors, Shareef Ali and the Radical Folksonomy, Fancy Dan Band, Slow Motion Cowboys Hotel Utah. 8pm, $8.

Mamacoatl Red Poppy Art House. 8pm, $15.

Craig Ventresco and Meredith Axelrod Atlas Café. 4pm, free.

DANCE CLUBS

Afro Bao Little Baobab, 3388 19th St, SF; (415) 643-3558. 10pm, $5. Afro and world music with rotating DJs including Stepwise, Steve, Claude, Santero, and Elembe.

Bootie SF: Halloween in April DNA Lounge. 9pm, $6-12. Who says Halloween only comes once a year? Mash it up with DJs Adrian and Mysterious D, guest Faroff, and more.

Club Gossip Cat Club. 9pm, $5-8. Pay tribute to Janet Jackson and other 80s ladies at this party guest-hosted by the Bay Area Flash Mob.

New Wave City New Order Tribute Mezzanine. 9pm, $7-12. Celebrate "Blue Monday" on a Saturday with DJ Shindog, guest Andy T, and more.

Rock City Butter, 354 11th St., SF; (415) 863-5964. 6pm, $5 after 10pm. With DJs spinning party rock.

Same Sex Salsa and Swing Magnet, 4122 18th St, SF; (415) 305-8242. 7pm, free.

Spirit Fingers Sessions 330 Ritch. 9pm, free. With DJ Morse Code and live guest performances.

Spotlight Siberia, 314 11th St, SF; (415) 552-2100. 10pm. With DJs Slowpoke, Double Impact, and Moe1.

Tormenta Tropical Elbo Room. 10pm. Electro cumbia with Chancha Via Circuito, El G, and DJs Shawn Reynaldo and Oro 11.

SUNDAY 10

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Band of Heathens Slim's. 7:30pm, $15.

Let the Night Roar, Pigs Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $6.

G. Love and Special Sauce, Belle Brigade Fillmore. 8pm, $25.

Mark Growden and His Tucson String Band, Conspiracy of Venus Amnesia. 9pm, $10.

John Mellencamp Warfield. 7pm, $49.50-130.

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Now You, Listo Independent. 8pm, $18.

Whiskerman, 7 Orange ABC, Magic Leaves Bottom of the Hill. 9pm, $8.

David Wilcox Yoshi's San Francisco. 7pm, $25.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Assad Brothers Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon, SF; www.sfjazz.org. 7pm, $25-60.

John Santos Bliss Bar, 4026 24th St., SF; www.blissbarsf.com. 4:30pm, $10.

Tom Lander Duo Medjool, 2522 Mission, SF; www.medjoolsf.com. 6-9pm, free.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Family Folk Explosion Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:30pm, free.

Jenny Lynn and Her Gone Daddies Thee Parkside. 4pm, free.

"San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins" Croatian American Cultural Center, 60 Onondaga, SF; www.croatianamericanweb.org. 10am-5pm, $15.

DANCE CLUBS

Batcave Cat Club. 10pm, $5. Death rock, goth, and post-punk with Steeplerot Necromos and c_death. Dub Mission Elbo Room. 9pm, $6. Dub, roots, and classic dancehall with DJ Sep, Vinnie Esparza, and guest Adam Twelve.

Gloss Sundays Trigger, 2344 Market, SF; (415) 551-CLUB. 7pm. With DJ Hawthorne spinning house, funk, soul, retro, and disco.

Honey Soundsystem Paradise Lounge. 8pm-2am. "Dance floor for dancers – sound system for lovers." Got that?

La Pachanga Blue Macaw, 2565 Mission, SF; www.thebluemacawsf.com. 6pm, $10. Salsa dance party with live Afro-Cuban salsa bands.

MONDAY 11

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Elephant and Castle, Pixel Memory, Butterfly Bones Elbo Room. 9pm, $5.

Moon Duo, Royal Baths, Lilac Bottom of the Hill. 9pm, $10.

Scala and Kolacny Brothers Independent. 8pm, $25.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Broun Fellinis Yoshi's San Francisco. 8pm, $25.

Lavay Smith Orbit Room, 1900 Market, SF; (415) 252-9525. 7-10pm, free.

DANCE CLUBS

Death Guild DNA Lounge. 9:30pm, $3-5. Gothic, industrial, and synthpop with Joe Radio, Decay, and Melting Girl.

Krazy Mondays Beauty Bar. 10pm, free. With DJs Ant-1, $ir-Tipp, Ruby Red I, Lo, and Gelo spinning hip hop.

M.O.M. Madrone Art Bar. 6pm, free. With DJ Gordo Cabeza and guests playing all Motown every Monday.

Network Mondays Azul Lounge, One Tillman Pl, SF; www.inhousetalent.com. 9pm, $5. Hip-hop, R&B, and spoken word open mic, plus featured performers.

Sausage Party Rosamunde Sausage Grill, 2832 Mission, SF; (415) 970-9015. 6:30-9:30pm, free. DJ Dandy Dixon spins vintage rock, R&B, global beats, funk, and disco at this happy hour sausage-shack gig.

Skylarking Skylark. 10pm, free. With resident DJs I & I Vibration, Beatnok, and Mr. Lucky and weekly guest DJs.

TUESDAY 12

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Olof Arnalds Café Du Nord. 9:30pm, $15.

Amee Chapman, Jenny Kerr, Sugarplums Club Waziema, 543 Divisadero, SF; (415) 356-6641. 8pm, free.

Ms. Lauryn Hill Warfield. 8pm, $59.50-90.

Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group, Zachs Marquise Great American Music Hall. 8pm, $21.

Haroula Rose, TD Lind Hotel Utah. 8pm, $8.

Rural Alberta Advantage, Lord Huron, Vandella Bottom of the Hill. 9pm, $14.

Scala and Kolacny Brothers Independent. 8pm, $25.

Sydney Ducks, Something Fierce Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $6.

DANCE CLUBS

Boomtown Little Baobab, 3388 19th St, SF; www.bissapbaobab.com. 9pm, free. DJ Mundi spins roots, ragga, dancehall, and more.

Eclectic Company Skylark, 9pm, free. DJs Tones and Jaybee spin old school hip hop, bass, dub, glitch, and electro.

Share the Love Trigger, 2344 Market, SF; (415) 551-CLUB. 5pm, free. With DJ Pam Hubbuck spinning house.

 

Two San Francisco independent bookstores will close in coming weeks. Modern Times, a shop on Valencia Street, sold both traditional fiction and progressive titles. A Different Light, located in the Castro District, specialized in books for the LGBT community.

The Bay Citizen reports: “But in recent years the store [A Different Light] has struggled financially. Some publishers have complained about the bookstore not paying its bills on time. The store’s owner, Bill Barker, could not be reached for comment. The person who answered Barker’s phone would not identify himself and said the owner was ‘in the desert’ and unreachable.”

For Modern Times, their landlord decided to not renew their lease. However, the store could reopen. According to an e-mail sent to The Bay Citizen, Washington D.C.-based Busboys & Poets has proposed that the store set up shop on the East Coast.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

TODAY'S TV SCHEDULE

AUTO RACING

6:30 a.m. Sprint Cup: Practice for Goody's Fast Relief 500 SPEED

8 a.m. Truck Series: Final practice for Kroger 250 SPEED

9:30 a.m. Sprint Cup: Final practice for Goody's Fast Relief 500 SPEED

BOXING

3 p.m. Lightweights: Hank Lundy vs. Patrick Lopez ESPN2

GOLF

5 a.m. European PGA Tour: Trophee Hassan II (second round) TGC

7 a.m. LPGA Tour: Kraft Nabisco Championship (second round) TGC

9 a.m. PGA Tour: Houston Open (second round) TGC

12:30 p.m. LPGA Tour: Kraft Nabisco Championship (second round) TGC

6:30 p.m. Champions Tour: Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic (first round) * TGC

HORSE RACING

9 a.m. Trackside Live! FOXSP2

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

7 a.m. Houston at Philadelphia ESPN

8:10 a.m. Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs WGN

4 p.m. San Francisco at L.A. Dodgers FOXSP2

10 a.m. Boston at Texas ESPN

NBA BASKETBALL

2 p.m. Boston at Atlanta ESPN

4 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Phoenix FOXSP

4:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Utah ESPN

PREP BASKETBALL

9:30 a.m. Rise National Invitational (boys semifinals) ESPN2

11:30 a.m. Rise National Invitational (boys semifinals) ESPN2

TENNIS

7 a.m. ATP/WTA Tour: Sony Ericsson Open (men's semifinals) ESPN2

1 p.m. ATP/WTA Tour: Sony Ericsson Open (men's semifinals) ESPN2

SATURDAY'S TV SCHEDULE

AUTO RACING

4:30 a.m. Truck Series: Pole qualifying for Kroger 250 SPEED

6 a.m. Sprint Cup: Pole qualifying for Goody's Fast Relief 500 SPEED

8 a.m. Truck Series: Kroger 250 SPEED

1 p.m. NHRA: Qualifying for SummitRacing.com Nationals * ESPN2

GOLF

3 a.m. European PGA Tour: Trophee Hassan II (third round) TGC

7 a.m. PGA Tour: Houston Open (third round) TGC

9 a.m. PGA Tour: Houston Open (third round) NBC

10:30 a.m. LPGA Tour: Kraft Nabisco Championship (third round) TGC

3 p.m. Champions Tour: Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic (second round) * TGC

HORSE RACING

9 a.m. Trackside Live! FOXSP2

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

7 a.m. Chicago White Sox at Cleveland WGN

7 a.m. L.A. Angels at Kansas City FOXSP

10 a.m. Regional coverage FOX

MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

12:09 p.m. NCAA tournament Final Four: Butler vs. VCU CBS

2:49 p.m. NCAA tournament Final Four: Kentucy vs. Connecticut CBS

NBA BASKETBALL

2 p.m. Toronto at Chicago WGN

4:30 p.m. Oklahoma City at L.A. Clippers FOXSP2

NBA DL BASKETBALL

5 p.m. Maine at Erie * VERSUS

NHL HOCKEY

10 a.m. Dallas at Los Angeles FOXSP2

PREP BASKETBALL

6 a.m. Rise National Invitational (girls championship game) ESPN2

8 a.m. Rise National Invitational (boys championship game) ESPN

RODEO

2 p.m. PBR: U.S. Bank Invitational VERSUS

SOCCER

1:30 a.m. Premier League: West Ham at Manchester United ESPN2

7 a.m. MLS: Chivas USA at Toronto FOXSP2

9 a.m. Women's national teams: England vs. United States ESPN2

4:30 p.m. MLS: Philadelphia at Los Angeles FOXSP

TENNIS

6:30 a.m. ATP/WTA Tour: Sony Ericsson Open (women's final) CBS

* -- Tape-delayed broadcast

WEDNESDAY'S BIIF RESULTS

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Varsity

c Hawaii Prep def. Hualalai Academy 25-18, 25-10, 25-19

c Kealakehe def. Honokaa 25-14, 25-22, 23-25, 25-11

Junior varsity

Honokaa def. Kealakehe 2-1 (scores unavailable)

TODAY'S BIIF SCHEDULE

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Varsity matches follow 6 p.m. JV matches unless noted below

Keaau at Hilo, 6 p.m.

Kohala at Laupahoehoe, 6 p.m.

Pahoa at Waiakea

Ka'u at Kamehameha

SOFTBALL

Waiakea at Ka'u, 3 p.m.

Keaau at Pahoa, 3 p.m.

Kohala at Hawaii Prep, 3 p.m.

Konawaena at Kealakehe, 3 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

NCAA TOURNAMENT GLANCE

FINAL FOUR

At Reliant Stadium, Houston

Saturday's games

Butler (27-9) vs. Virginia Commonwealth (28-11), 12:09 p.m.

Kentucky (29-8) vs. Connecticut (30-9), 2:49 p.m.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Monday's game

Semifinal winners, TBD

NIT GLANCE

SEMIFINALS

Tuesday, March 29

At Madison Square Garden, New York

Wichita State 75, Washington State 44

Alabama 62, Colorado 61

CHAMPIONSHIP

Thursday's result

Wichita State 66, Alabama 57

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

NCAA TOURNAMENT GLANCE

FINAL FOUR

At Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

NATIONAL SEMIFINALS

Sunday's games

Stanford (33-2) vs. Texas A&M (31-5), 1 p.m.

Connecticut (36-1) vs. Notre Dame (30-7), 3 p.m.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Tuesday's game

Semifinal winners, TBD

WNIT GLANCE

SEMIFINALS

Wednesday's results

Toledo 83, Charlotte 60

Southern Cal 63, Illinois State 36

CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday's game

Southern Cal (24-12) at Toledo (28-8), 9 a.m.

HOCKEY

NHL GLANCE

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

x-Philadelphia 77 46 21 10 102 243 203

x-Pittsburgh 78 45 25 8 98 221 190

N.Y. Rangers 78 41 32 5 87 220 188

New Jersey 76 35 36 5 75 158 191

N.Y. Islanders 78 30 36 12 72 218 246

Northeast Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

x-Boston 77 43 23 11 97 232 182

Montreal 78 41 30 7 89 205 203

Buffalo 77 39 29 9 87 226 214

Toronto 78 36 32 10 82 209 238

Ottawa 78 30 38 10 70 181 239

Southeast Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

x-Washington 78 45 22 11 101 211 188

x-Tampa Bay 77 42 24 11 95 230 231

Carolina 77 37 30 10 84 220 228

Atlanta 77 33 32 12 78 212 249

Florida 78 29 37 12 70 188 216

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

Detroit 77 44 23 10 98 247 226

Nashville 78 42 26 10 94 206 184

Chicago 76 41 27 8 90 242 209

St. Louis 77 35 32 10 80 224 225

Columbus 77 34 31 12 80 206 236

Northwest Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

z-Vancouver 78 52 17 9 113 253 177

Calgary 78 38 29 11 87 237 230

Minnesota 77 37 32 8 82 195 217

Colorado 76 28 40 8 64 213 270

Edmonton 77 23 43 11 57 182 255

Pacific Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

x-San Jose 77 45 23 9 99 230 199

Phoenix 78 42 25 11 95 221 213

Los Angeles 77 44 27 6 94 210 184

Anaheim 77 44 28 5 93 223 223

Dallas 76 38 27 11 87 209 218

NOTES: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. y -- Clinched division; x -- Clinched playoff spot; z -- Clinched conference

Wednesday's results

Buffalo 1, N.Y. Rangers 0

New Jersey 3, N.Y. Islanders 2

Carolina 6, Montreal 2

St. Louis 10, Detroit 3

Anaheim 4, Calgary 2

Thursday's results

Toronto 4, Boston 3, SO

N.Y. Islanders 6, N.Y. Rangers 2

Atlanta 1, Philadelphia 0

Washington 4, Columbus 3, OT

Tampa Bay 2, Pittsburgh 1

Ottawa 4, Florida 1

Minnesota 4, Edmonton 2

Nashville 3, Colorado 2

Vancouver 3, Los Angeles 1

San Jose 6, Dallas 0

Today's games

Philadelphia at New Jersey, 1 p.m.

Chicago at Columbus, 1 p.m.

Calgary at St. Louis, 2 p.m.

Colorado at Phoenix, 4 p.m.

Saturday's games

Atlanta at Boston, 7 a.m.

Tampa Bay at Minnesota, 8 a.m.

Detroit at Nashville, 9 a.m.

Dallas at Los Angeles, 10 a.m.

Toronto at Ottawa, 1 p.m.

Montreal at New Jersey, 1 p.m.

Carolina at N.Y. Islanders, 1 p.m.

Buffalo at Washington, 1 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Florida, 1 p.m.

Edmonton at Vancouver, 4 p.m.

Anaheim at San Jose, 4:30 p.m.

SOCCER

MLS GLANCE

EASTERN CONFERENCE

W L OT Pts GF GA

Philadelphia 2 0 0 6 2 0

Chicago 1 0 1 4 4 3

New England 1 0 1 4 3 2

New York 1 0 1 4 1 0

D.C. 1 1 0 3 4 3

Sporting Kansas City 1 1 0 3 5 5

Toronto FC 1 1 0 3 4 4

Houston 0 1 1 1 1 2

Columbus 0 1 1 1 1 3

WESTERN CONFERENCE

W L T Pts GF GA

Real Salt Lake 2 0 0 6 5 1

Colorado 2 0 0 6 4 1

Los Angeles 1 1 1 4 3 5

Vancouver 1 1 0 3 4 3

San Jose 1 1 0 3 2 1

Seattle 0 2 1 1 1 3

FC Dallas 0 1 1 1 1 3

Chivas USA 0 2 0 0 2 4

Portland 0 2 0 0 1 5

NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie.

Today's game

FC Dallas at Columbus, 1:30 p.m.

Saturday's games

Chivas USA at Toronto FC, 7 a.m.

Sporting Kansas City at Vancouver, 1 p.m.

Houston at New York, 1:30 p.m.

Portland at New England, 1:30 p.m.

Seattle FC at San Jose, 4:30 p.m.

Philadelphia at Los Angeles, 4:30 p.m.

Sunday's game

D.C. United at Colorado, 1 p.m.

GOLF

HOUSTON OPEN

Thursday's first round

Note: Hawaii golfers in bold

Jimmy Walker 32-31 -- 63

Nick O'Hern 32-33 -- 65

Josh Teater 34-31 -- 65

Chris Kirk 32-34 -- 66

Steve Stricker 34-33 -- 67

John Rollins 33-34 -- 67

Nathan Green 32-35 -- 67

Brendan Steele 36-31 -- 67

Robert Allenby 34-34 -- 68

Marc Turnesa 33-35 -- 68

Vaughn Taylor 34-34 -- 68

Tommy Gainey 33-35 -- 68

Zack Miller 37-31 -- 68

Lee Westwood 36-32 -- 68

Robert Garrigus 31-37 -- 68

Padraig Harrington 33-35 -- 68

Bill Lunde 35-33 -- 68

Steve Elkington 35-33 -- 68

Brendon de Jonge 33-35 -- 68

Jarrod Lyle 35-33 -- 68

Ryuji Imada 34-35 -- 69

Charles Howell III 34-35 -- 69

Marc Leishman 36-33 -- 69

Brandt Jobe 33-36 -- 69

Alex Prugh 34-35 -- 69

Nate Smith 36-33 -- 69

Francesco Molinari 34-35 -- 69

Johnson Wagner 34-35 -- 69

Cameron Beckman 36-33 -- 69

Kris Blanks 36-33 -- 69

Billy Mayfair 35-34 -- 69

David Hearn 34-35 -- 69

Ben Curtis 36-34 -- 70

Retief Goosen 34-36 -- 70

Hunter Mahan 33-37 -- 70

D.A. Points 34-36 -- 70

Ben Crane 32-38 -- 70

Kevin Kisner 33-37 -- 70

David Mathis 34-36 -- 70

William McGirt 32-38 -- 70

Keegan Bradley 34-36 -- 70

Kyle Stanley 38-32 -- 70

Tim Petrovic 35-35 -- 70

Matt Jones 34-36 -- 70

Greg Chalmers 36-34 -- 70

Phil Mickelson 37-33 -- 70

Michael Putnam 35-35 -- 70

Erik Compton 35-35 -- 70

Kevin Stadler 35-36 -- 71

Fred Couples 35-36 -- 71

Robert Karlsson 34-37 -- 71

Angel Cabrera 36-35 -- 71

Alex Cejka 36-35 -- 71

Scott Stallings 38-33 -- 71

Fabian Gomez 34-37 -- 71

Scott Gutschewski 34-37 -- 71

Alexandre Rocha 34-37 -- 71

Brian Davis 37-34 -- 71

Joe Durant 35-36 -- 71

Jim Renner 36-35 -- 71

Gary Woodland 37-34 -- 71

Ernie Els 36-35 -- 71

Michael Bradley 36-35 -- 71

Paul Goydos 36-35 -- 71

Fredrik Jacobson 35-36 -- 71

Ross Fisher 37-34 -- 71

Chad Campbell 34-37 -- 71

Scott Piercy 36-35 -- 71

Troy Merritt 34-38 -- 72

Garrett Willis 36-36 -- 72

Matt Kuchar 37-35 -- 72

Tim Herron 35-37 -- 72

Rich Beem 37-35 -- 72

Andres Gonzales 39-33 -- 72

Paul Stankowski 38-34 -- 72

Blake Adams 33-39 -- 72

Kent Jones 36-36 -- 72

John Senden 36-36 -- 72

Anthony Kim 36-36 -- 72

Louis Oosthuizen 37-35 -- 72

Charley Hoffman 36-36 -- 72

Chez Reavie 37-35 -- 72

Steve Marino 36-36 -- 72

Webb Simpson 36-36 -- 72

Boo Weekley 34-38 -- 72

Michael Thompson 36-36 -- 72

Martin Piller 37-35 -- 72

Also

Dean Wilson 38-35 -- 73

Shaun Micheel 34-39 -- 73

Jhonattan Vegas 35-38 -- 73

J.B. Holmes 39-34 -- 73

Andres Romero 36-37 -- 73

Aaron Baddeley 35-38 -- 73

Scott Verplank 37-36 -- 73

Ryan Palmer 33-40 -- 73

Spencer Levin 36-38 -- 74

Davis Love III 37-37 -- 74

Pat Perez 39-36 -- 75

Stuart Appleby 41-34 -- 75

Justin Leonard 39-36 -- 75

Y.E. Yang 39-38 -- 77

KRAFT NABISCO

Thursday's first round

Note: Hawaii golfers in bold

Stacy Lewis 33-33 -- 66

Brittany Lincicome 34-32 -- 66

Sandra Gal 33-34 -- 67

Mika Miyazato 35-32 -- 67

Chie Arimura 34-34 -- 68

Jane Park 33-35 -- 68

Anna Nordqvist 34-35 -- 69

Reilley Rankin 34-35 -- 69

Karrie Webb 35-34 -- 69

Katie Futcher 35-35 -- 70

Mi Hyun Kim 35-35 -- 70

Morgan Pressel 36-34 -- 70

Yani Tseng 34-36 -- 70

Momoko Ueda 36-34 -- 70

Mariajo Uribe 37-33 -- 70

Wendy Ward 35-35 -- 70

Amy Yang 33-37 -- 70

Marcy Hart 36-35 -- 71

Mindy Kim 37-34 -- 71

Song-Hee Kim 35-36 -- 71

Ai Miyazato 37-34 -- 71

Shiho Oyama 36-35 -- 71

Stacy Prammanasudh 35-36 -- 71

Melissa Reid 40-31 -- 71

Alena Sharp 37-34 -- 71

Karen Stupples 35-36 -- 71

Also

Vicky Hurst 37-35 -- 72

Sophie Gustafson 38-34 -- 72

Paula Creamer 39-34 -- 73

Laura Davies 36-37 -- 73

Natalie Gulbis 36-37 -- 73

Juli Inkster 37-36 -- 73

Se Ri Pak 37-36 -- 73

Michele Redman 41-32 -- 73

Amanda Blumenherst 39-35 -- 74

Pat Hurst 36-38 -- 74

Michelle Wie 36-38 -- 74

Brittany Lang 34-41 -- 75

Suzann Pettersen 39-36 -- 75

TRANSACTIONS

BASEBALL

American League

BOSTON RED SOX -- Optioned LHP Hideki Okajima and RHP Alfredo Aceves to Pawtucket (IL). Placed LHP Felix Doubront on the 15-day DL, retroactive to March 22. Reassigned INF Nate Spears and INF Drew Sutton to their minor league camp.

CLEVELAND INDIANS -- Acquired OF Bubba Bell from Boston for cash considerations and assigned him to Columbus (IL).

SEATTLE MARINERS -- Selected the contracts of INF Luis Rodriguez and OF Ryan Langerhans from Tacoma (PCL). Placed OF Franklin Gutierrez, RHP David Aardsma and INF Matt Mangini on the 15-day DL, retroactive to March 22, and LHP Mauricio Robles and RHP Shawn Kelley on the 60-day DL.

TAMPA BAY RAYS -- Agreed to terms with RHP Wade Davis on a four-year contract. Placed LHP J.P. Howell on the 15-day DL. Selected the contract of RHP Juan Cruz from Durham (IL).

TEXAS RANGERS -- Selected the contract of RHP Dave Bush from Round Rock (PCL). Placed RHP Omar Beltre, RHP Scott Feldman and RHP Brandon Webb on the 15-day DL, retroactive to March 22, and RHP Tommy Hunter on the 15-day DL, retroactive to March 25. Optioned INF Chris Davis, OF Craig Gentry and C Taylor Teagarden to Round Rock. Reassigned RHP Brett Tomko to Round Rock.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS -- Named Roberto Alomar special assistant to the organization.

National League

COLORADO ROCKIES -- Selected the contract of 1B Jason Giambi from Colorado Springs (PCL). Placed RHP Aaron Cook on the 15-day DL, retroactive to March 22.

HOUSTON ASTROS -- Placed RHP Alberto Arias, C Jason Castro and INF Jeff Keppinger on the 15-day DL, retroactive to March 22, and SS Clint Barmes retroactive to March 26.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS -- Placed C Dioner Navarro, INF Casey Blake, RHP Jon Garland and RHP Vicente Padilla on the 15-day DL, retroactive to March 22, and OF Jay Gibbons retroactive to March 26. Selected the contracts of RHP Lance Cormier, RHP Mike MacDougal and INF Aaron Miles from Albuquerque (PCL).

NEW YORK METS -- Placed OF Jason Bay and LHP Johan Santana on the 15-day DL, Bay retroactive to March 25.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES -- Selected the contract of RHP Jose Veras from Indianapolis (IL). Designated RHP Ramon Aguero for assignment. Placed RHP Brad Lincoln, RHP Jose Ascanio and LHP Scott Olsen on the 15-day DL, retroactive to March 22, and C Chris Snyder retroactive to March 25.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS -- Selected the contract of RHP Miguel Batista from Memphis (PCL). Placed RHP Adam Wainwright on the 60-day DL and INF Nick Punto on the 15-day DL, retroactive to March 22.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS -- Selected the contracts of INF Alex Cora, RHP Chad Gaudin, OF Laynce Nix and 1B/OF Matt Stairs from Syracuse (IL). Released RHP Joe Bisenius, RHP Tim Wood and OF Jonathan Van Every.

BASKETBALL

National Basketball Association

NEW JERSEY NETS -- Signed G Mario West to a 10-day contract. Waived G-F Quinton Ross.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS -- Recalled RW Tomas Kubalik from Springfield (AHL) on an emergency basis.

DETROIT RED WINGS -- Assigned G Thomas McCollum to Grand Rapids (AHL).

OTTAWA SENATORS -- Signed F Stephane Da Costa to a two-year contract.

PHOENIX COYOTES -- Assigned D Oliver Ekman-Larsson to San Antonio (AHL).

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING -- Reassigned G Jaroslav Janus from Norfolk (AHL) to Florida (ECHL).

SOCCER

Major League Soccer

D.C. UNITED -- Signed G Bill Hamid.

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION -- Signed D Otto Loewy. Waived D Seth Sinovic.

Women's Professional Soccer

SKY BLUE FC--Signed F Adriana Martin Santamaria.

COLLEGE

NCAA -- Granted Mississippi DE Kentrell Lockett a sixth year of eligibility.

COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION -- Signed commissioner Tom Yeager to a four-year contract extension through June, 2015.

HOFSTRA -- Signed men's basketball coach Mo Cassara to a five-year contract.

WASHINGTON -- Announced junior G Isaiah Thomas has declared for the NBA draft.

WRIGHT STATE -- Named David Korn men's assistant soccer coach.

WYOMING -- Named Larry Shyatt basketball coach.

The subject deserves a book. If it were a book, the destruction of democracy in the United States by special interests could be told through the all-out war by the GOP to stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from waking from its decades-long sleep. This federal agency is a regulatory Rip Van Wynkle, jarred from hibernation (imposed by industry lobbyists placed inside the agency as political appointees) to find the world of regulations changed drastically from its formation in the 1970's by a Republican president.

The example I would use, in this book to explain to the American people, is the effort by the US EPA to reign in the ongoing, lethal pollution of Florida waters from nutrients. One of President Obama's greatest achievements-- and least noted-- is his insistence to base environmental policies on science not the marketing budgets of big polluters. In taking this firm stance, he has triggered the fury of funders of the Tea Party like the Koch Brothers; billionaires whose profits are maximized when regulations are lax and unenforced.

Most public attention to the EPA by the mass market media is focused on climate change issues. Big Oil and Big Coal are spending millions against the US EPA intention to regulate carbon dioxide emissions that are turning the atmosphere into an oven. The water quality issue-- pollution as a result of fertilizing farms, lawns, and tolerating unlimited runoff of roadways and from urban areas into canals, streams, rivers and bays-- is under the mass market media radar, but the Florida example proves the point that of all Obama's initiatives, including health care, foreign policy, and taxation, it is the effort to regulate polluters that generates the most instant push back from the big contributors to the conservative, extremist right.

In Florida, the polluters control the legislature through lobbyists. In the current session of the Florida legislature, they are using the economic Depression in Florida to eliminate every regulation that hinders growth, conveniently sliding by the fact that a desperately polluted Florida will be unattractive to any investor, except one who seeks out a state with the least regulations. That's right: the new GOP slogan could be, "Come to Florida, we're too poor to clean ourselves up or even care!"

On the issue of the executive and legislative branches of government taking on the US EPA in Florida, the record is clear: Governor Rick Scott and the GOP legislature have taken every opportunity to express their objection to new EPA nutrient rules. Never mind the fact it took environmentalists more than a decade and important federal litigation to get EPA to face up to its responsibilities under the Clean Water Act to tame the pollution of Florida's waters. We are too poor to be clean is one part of the message, reinforcing a key GOP tenet that you can only protect the environment to the extent that profits from exploiting the environment generate revenues to afford regulation of polluters. It is part of the mad, inchoate logic of the "free market" capacity to regulate itself better than punitive laws and rules.

Now, in Miami-Dade County a new county commissioner-- Lynda Bell-- is picking up the cudgel on behalf of her campaign contributors and lobbyists. On April 4th, she has sponsored a resolution from the County Commission to object to new EPA rules to limit phosphorous pollution. What Bell knows about this issue could fit on the head of a pin. But she is just doing the work of her prophet, Natacha Seijas the former county commissioner disgraced by voters in a recent recall election.

If Bell is the worm's eye view of legislative attack on the EPA, then the bird's eye view would be the organizers of anti-pollution regulation efforts in Florida: Big Sugar. Billionaires like the Fanjuls of Coral Gables and Palm Beach routinely invest tens and hundreds of millions in lobbying against laws that restrict their massive blanketing of the former Everglades, now sugar fields, with nitrogen and phosphorous. The fertilizer is needed to augment land that has been exhausted to the point of disappearance in order to grow one of the most heavily subsidized industrial crops in America: sugar.

You see: Big Sugar is FOR federal regulations that protect its profits, like the Farm Bill, and AGAINST regulations that limit its profits, like the 10 parts per billion nutrient standard; the kernel in the corn of state-wide nutrient standards opposed by the Florida Chamber and Associated Industries. (Let's see the Tea Party take on Big Sugar and Marco Rubio, strongly supported by Big Sugar.) The Florida Independent took a look at the Fanjuls yesterday in a well written if not ground-breaking, "The Fanjuls, the Koch Brothers of South Florida."

How do these predatory practices add up to the federal judiciary is a more complicated point to unwind in a short blog post. Suffice it to say; this is the most important part of the Fanjuls game and one their lobbyists know perfectly well. All the huffing and puffing by the GOP wolves on the EPA water quality issue in Florida take place in the context of twenty years of litigation in federal court on Everglades water quality. Think of the battle to force EPA to regulate pollution in the Everglades-- facts long-ago determined by federal courts-- as a template for state-wide nutrient pollution issues.

Environmental non profit groups (I am conservation chair of Friends of the Everglades) have struggled through this time to raise funds to initiate highly complex litigation against government agencies, including the EPA!, for its failure to enforce pollution limits and remedies against Big Sugar's pollution. Fighting on the other side are law firms founded by Ramon Rasco (Rasco, who is also the chairman of US Century Bank-- the region's zero ranked sprawl advocate also recently hired former Steel Hector's Joe Klock who has represented the Fanjuls for decades) and the State of Florida itself, taking marching orders from Gov. Scott and the legislature, to corner and box any federal judge who gets it in his or her uppity head that they can mess with the prerequisites of the powerful in the world's most outstanding democracy.

The polluters' trump card: GOP presidents who have approved federal judges who pass muster and meet the quality control standards of Big Business. Proxies of the president like Karl Rove understand perfectly well how federal district cases on the environment can be appealed and even end up crashing into the U.S. Supreme Court. It's all about politics.

The so-called judicial conservatives are "activists" on behalf of causes Big Business supports. If somehow a federal budget emerges in the next few weeks, with or without anti-environmental riders including one that would prohibit EPA from imposing pollution standards on Florida waters, no one will cheer the impending gridlock more than Big Sugar and its billionaires who know that for the foreseeable future, there have never been better conditions to buy the legislative and executive branches. Limits on campaign contributions have been thrown to the wind by the US Supreme Court. It's not just political offices that are for sale. In Florida, everything is for sale. Just look at what Miami-Dade's Miguel Diaz de la Portilla is proposing with SB1690 -- to remove limits on state campaign contributions-- for evidence that the doors to the prisons have been thrown open and the keys to the jail thrown down the sewer grate. (Click 'read more', for three important articles including the one on the Fanjuls, "The Koch Brothers of South Florida".)

The Fanjuls: The Koch brothers of South Florida?

By Kyle Daly | 03.31.11 | 10:59 am
The Florida Independent


Following revelations of their involvement in the war on public unions in Wisconsin, the once-anonymous Koch Industries Executive Vice President David and his brother Charles have in a short time become boogeymen of the left, the liberal answer to the man behind many conservative conspiracies: George Soros — something David groused about in a recent, fawning Weekly Standard profile.
Meanwhile, other billionaires and multimillionaires who have used their wealth to fund their agendas have managed to slip under the radar. Among them are the Fanjul family — Florida sugar magnates who also happen to be friends and neighbors of David and Julia Koch.
Like the Kochs, Alfonso “Alfy” and José “Pepe” Fanjul are two of four brothers who inherited a massive conglomerate from their father — in their case, Cuban sugar kingpin Alfonso Fanjul, Sr., who fled Cuba when Fidel Castro came to power. Unlike the Kochs, Alfy and Pepe are by all accounts still on good terms with their brothers, Alexander and Andrés, though Alfy and Pepe are higher profile and are the top executives at Flo-Sun, Inc., the family sugar empire.
Flo-Sun owns resorts in the Dominican Republic but gets most of its revenue through its American Sugar Refining division. American Sugar owns the C&H;, Florida Crystals and Redpath Sugar brands, but its largest and best-known subsidiary is Domino Foods, Inc., producer of Domino Sugar. All told, Flo-Sun is estimated to pull in about $2.5 billion annually.
The Fanjuls, however, are not necessarily the easy liberal targets that the Kochs are.
To begin with, Alfy is a devoted Democrat. In the run-up to the 2010 election, he gave $37,230 to nine Democratic candidates for U.S. Congress. The biggest recipients of his largess were Kendrick Meek, who lost his Senate bid to Marco Rubio despite former President Bill Clinton’s vigorous campaigning, and Ted Deutch, the Broward County representative (and, given their Palm Beach headquarters, the Fanjuls’ own congressman) who overwhelmingly defeated Republican Ed Lynch in a special election in April of last year.
Despite Deutch’s party affiliation, based on his policies and his voting record in the Florida Senate prior to becoming a U.S. representative, Associated Industries of Florida gave Deutch an 80 percent “business friendly” rating, the third highest of any Florida Democrat analyzed, and the highest of any Democrat now serving on the national stage. His general voting record in U.S. office, however, has been overwhelmingly along party lines.
Pepe Fanjul, meanwhile, gave $40,100 to nine Republican candidates prior to the 2010 election. He gave the most to U.S. Rep. David Rivera, he of numerous ethics troubles. Should Rivera remain in office, he has pledged (.pdf) to oppose any legislation addressing climate change that would increase any amount of government spending. The pledge he signed was originated by Americans for Prosperity, a limited-government organization funded by the Koch brothers.
The second largest recipient of Pepe Fanjul’s campaign contributions was freshman U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, whose dedication to loosening environmental regulations on corporations like Flo-Sun has previously been reported by The American Independent.
Of course, for mega-corporations like the Fanjuls’, just giving to favored candidates may not represent the best Washington investment for their money. Lobbying is where the Fanjuls put in major cash.
Flo-Sun spent $695,000 (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) in 2010 alone lobbying the House, Senate and the U.S. Department of Agriculture on industrial waste regulations, food safety rules relating to sugar and elements of the Clean Water Act that affect the Florida Everglades.
Neither the Fanjuls nor their lobbying firms are required to disclose exactly what’s discussed in lobbyist meetings or which politicians have agreed to meet with them — though it would certainly strain belief to suggest that they’re spending almost a quarter-million dollars a year to argue in favor of deeper government regulation. Since 2005, Flo-Sun has spent $3.65 million lobbying the federal government.


orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-scott-maxwell-money-politics-0330120110329,0,2725932.column
OrlandoSentinel.com
Just what we need: More big money in politics
Scott Maxwell
TAKING NAMES
March 30, 2011
Florida lawmakers are among the most innovative pimps you'll ever meet.
Just when you think they've exhausted every possible way to prostitute themselves, they come up with something new.
The latest proposals have politicians trying to raise campaign-donation limits — by stratospheric proportions — and setting up political slush funds where they can accept unlimited amounts of cash.
Sure, our state is in a financial crisis. And yes, there's talk of de-funding everyone from veterans to the disabled. But darn it, if legislative leaders can't find an easier way for Big Sugar or the billboard industry to give them $50,000, what's the point of being in office?
We'll start with Senate Bill 1690 — the one to boost maximum contributions from $500 up to $10,000.
That's for the gubernatorial races, anyway. Donations would top out at $5,000 for other statewide candidates; $2,500 for legislative races; and $1,000 for local ones.
The bill's sponsor, Miami Republican Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, says his plan has nothing to do with wanting more money.
Of course it doesn't.
He says he just wants to free up legislators to spend more time with their constituents. If they can take big chunks of cash, they won't have to waste time chasing down all those pesky little $500 ones.
"What you'll see," Diaz de la Portilla told the News Service of Florida, "is candidates being able to spend a lot more time campaigning and being out there with voters…"
I see. You know what else might help you guys save time? If we just let you accept briefcases full of cash. Maybe some cars, boats and jewelry too.
I'm sure there are any number of companies — like a casino giant desperate for you to legalize gambling on South Beach, for instance — that would gladly fork over $250,000 in unmarked bills.
And think of all the extra time you hardworking public servants would have if you didn't have to waste time worrying about silly things like jobs or mortgage payments either.
(More on this bill in the newest installment of the Malarkey Meter at orlandosentinel.com/takingnames
The other big-money idea lawmakers love is leadership slush funds. So they're bringing those back, too.
They voted to do so just last week.
We're talking millions of dollars — unlimited donations to funds controlled by the incoming legislative leaders from each party. Future leaders, like incoming House speakers and Senate presidents, will now be allowed to take big checks from special interests and then redistribute the money to their friends' campaigns — in chunks as big as $50,000 each for legislative races and $250,000 for statewide ones.
How is the average Floridian supposed to compete with that?
You can't. In fact, this toxic combination of money and politics was such an obvious recipe for corruption that Florida lawmakers outlawed leadership slush funds more than 20 years ago.
On the day after the state House took action back in 1989, the Sentinel headline read: "HOUSE CLEANS ITS IMAGE BY PASSING BILL."
But we're now in a new era in Florida — one in which politicians seem to care a lot less about their image.
So I have an idea of my own. If we can't get them to clean up their act, at least we can make the money easier to follow.
My idea: Sponsorship patches.
You know, like NASCAR.
If a corporate interest cuts a sizable check to a politician — be it through increased campaign limits, leadership slush funds, political parties or third-party groups — then that politician would have to wear a patch with the donor's logo.
This way, if a lawmaker tries to ram through some surprise piece of legislation allowing oil drilling in our shallow waters, for instance, you can simply look at his suit jacket and say: "Oh, I get it! Senator Smith is sponsored by the Florida Association of Petroleum Patriarchs!"
Think about how much easier it would be for you to understand why a lawmaker was voting to cut school funding — so that he could give an extra tax break to high-end yachts — if his suit pocket is clearly labeled: "Sponsored in part by the Florida Yacht-Hawkers Association."
We may not be able to stop these guys from acting like prostitutes.
But at least we can make it easier to see who their johns are.
smaxwell@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-6141
Copyright © 2011, Orlando Sentinel


Florida Legislature proves once and for all that it is for sale
By Howard Troxler, Times Columnist
In Print: Sunday, March 27, 2011



These are harsh words for a Sunday morning, but the occasion screams out for them. I take them from the Bible; please forgive me.

The Florida Legislature proved this past week, once and for all, that it is the utter Whore of Babylon.

It is now legal in our state to pay off the Legislature directly. Who says so? The Legislature.

This is not a joke.

This is not satire.

This is Florida — where the laws of our democracy are now openly, officially For Sale.

On Thursday afternoon, with greedy lip-smacking speed, the Legislature voted to relegalize a bygone and corrupt institution, outlawed in this state for more than two decades, known as "leadership funds."

These "leadership funds" are campaign slush funds operated legally and officially by the leaders of the Legislature themselves:

The speaker of the Florida House and his chosen successor, the "speaker designate."

The president of the Florida Senate and his successor.

The leaders of the minority party in the House and Senate.

So now, just as it was in Florida's corrupt past, if you are an interest group that wants a law passed, you simply go to the leaders of the House and Senate …

And you pay them off directly.

I feel the need to repeat: This is not a joke.

This is now the law of Florida, as of Thursday — for they tripped over themselves to make it effective immediately.

And so this is our stewardship of the great nation birthed by Washington and Jefferson and preserved by Lincoln.

This is the American legislative process once practiced by Clay and Webster.

This is what we have come to.

"Lawmakers" walking around with open gunny sacks, selling the democracy, frankly, proudly, wickedly, shamelessly, amorally.

Good God.

• • •

If you tell yourself a lie, and if everybody around you tells the exact same lie, and it is vitally important that all of you believe it — then all of you will believe it.

Especially if you all profit from it.

And so every single person in Tallahassee who voted for this outrageously wicked law on Thursday will tell you exactly the same lie:

It's an improvement.

It's a reform.

Here is Tallahassee thinking. Here is how they rationalize it:

See, it will be better if interest groups can just pay off the Legislature directly. We will list the contributions in a separate report and everybody can see it. This will be more "transparent."

Yes, a nice, separate report! Makes me feel better!

Except for two tiny, teeny things:

1. The money is laundered anyway.

They turn right around and pour their ill-gotten money into local elections around the state to perpetuate their power. Local candidates Smith and Jones are still being bankrolled by corporations, or unions as the case may be, hidden through the leadership funds.

2. The second teeny, tiny problem is, in case I have not adequately mentioned it …

THE LEGISLATURE IS BEING PAID OFF

Good grief! Jehoshaphat! Are you kidding me? Are you kidding?

In what universe should the very writers of law in a democracy operate their own slush funds, into which those seeking favorable treatment can pour money?

Listen:

If you are personal friends with, or a fellow Rotary member of, a Florida legislator who voted for this — heck, if you are married to someone who voted for this — you will want to believe him or her. This is human nature. It is loyalty. It is understandable.

Ed Hooper of Clearwater. Peter Nehr of Tarpon Springs.

Jeff Brandes of St. Petersburg, who promised to take people to the "woodshed." (Did he mean, so they could give money there?)

Jim Frishe of St. Petersburg. Dana Young of Tampa. Will Weatherford of Wesley Chapel, the next speaker, whom I like tremendously.

I am sure that if you are among their friends or family, you will want to believe them. They will speak very smoothly about it.

But here is the reality. Here is the truth.

Legislators. Sworn to the sacred duty of writing the laws of a free people. Taking legal, direct payoffs from those seeking favorable laws.

If you can swallow that, then your moral relativism knows no bounds.

• • •

Here is who voted for this from our part of the state, and who voted against it.

Senators voting yes:

Dennis Jones, R-Treasure Island; Jack Latvala, R-St. Petersburg; Jim Norman, R-Tampa; Ronda Storms, R-Brandon.

Senators voting no:

Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey; Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland; Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa.

House members voting yes:

Larry Ahern, R-Seminole; Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton; Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg; Rachel Burgin, R-Riverview; Richard Corcoran, R-New Port Richey; Jim Frishe, R-St. Petersburg; Rich Glorioso, R-Plant City; James Grant, R-Tampa; Shawn Harrison, R-Tampa; Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater; John Legg, R-New Port Richey; Seth McKeel, R-Lakeland; Peter Nehr, R-Tarpon Springs; Rob Schenck, R-Spring Hill; Jimmie Smith, R-Inverness; Greg Steube, R-Bradenton; Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel; Dana Young, R-Tampa.

House members voting no:

Janet Cruz, D-Tampa; Richard Kriseman, D-St. Petersburg; Betty Reed, D-Tampa; Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg.

Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city!

By now, you've already drafted your fantasy team(s) and have set your lineup(s) for Opening Day. (Happy Opening Day, by the way!)

While some sites make lazy claims by promoting top 100 players as breakout candidates, I choose to dig much deeper. Heck, I've seen Drew Stubbs flagged as a 2011 breakout performer on several occasions.

How can a guy who hit 22 HRs and stole 30 bags last year be dubbed a future fantasy star? He's already a top-50 player in my mind. He's already risen from the depths of the waiver wire, just as I had predicted he would at this time last year.

In the 2010 version of the All-Breakout Team, I also called the emergence of Will Venable, Mat Latos and Chris Perez. Of course, I also labeled Scott Sizemore as a breakout performer, but that's besides the point.

With this list, I hope to highlight at least one player at every position who (like Stubbs last season) will emerge from out-of-nowhere to become fantasy relevant. Enjoy!

Matt Wieters (C—Bal)

Okay, so I'm not digging too deep with this one, but many have already soured on the 24-year-old. Allow me to set you straight. Despite a regression in his batting average (from .288 in '09 to .249 last year), the switch-hitting catcher made significant improvements with his walk (7.3 to 9.4 percent), strikeout (24.3 to 21.1 percent), and contact rates (77.2 to 82.7 percent). His above-average bat and power potential didn’t suddenly disappear. In his age-25 season, a line of 15 HRs, 75 RBI, .280 average is very realistic. (Currently owned in 91 percent of Yahoo! leagues.)

Also keep your eye on: John Jaso (C—TB)

Freddie Freeman (1B—Atl)

Freeman is part of a studly youth movement in Atlanta that will probably wind up producing 14 consecutive division titles. He made his major league debut last September, and hit his first home run off of Roy Halladay. The 6'5", 220 pound left-handed hitter displays a smooth swing, good plate coverage and the raw power to generate 20-plus home runs annually. He’ll likely begin the season batting eighth, which won’t do him any favors. Don’t overestimate the 21-year-old in his rookie season (first base is extremely deep) but understand that his keeper value is high. He could post a line similar to what Ike Davis did (71/19/73/.264) in 2010, perhaps with a higher average. (Currently owned in 38 percent of Yahoo! leagues.)

Also keep your eye on: Kila Ka'aihue (1B—KC)

Danny Espinosa (2B—Was)

Espinosa hit .270/.365/.455 in parts of three seasons in the minors, including 22 HRs, 25 steals and a .268/.337/.464 slash in 481 at-bats last season between Double-A and Triple-A. The Nationals believe Espinosa has double-digit pop and speed. Bill James is even predicting 21 bombs and 19 steals from the 23-year-old (he’ll turn 24 in April). Scouts have questioned his ability to hit for average (James projects a .255 BA), but his 20/20 potential is intriguing. He’ll begin the season batting seventh, but could move up if he hits. (Currently owned in eight percent of Yahoo! leagues.)

Also keep your eye on: Dustin Ackley (2B—Sea) and Tsuyoshi Nishioka (2B/SS—Min)

David Freese (3B—STL)

Freese was on his way to a respectable rookie campaign last year until ankle surgery ended his season in late June. The 27-year-old (he'll turn 28 in late April) has hit at every level. In fact, he hit .300 or better in each of his four seasons in the minors, and posted a .296 clip in 240 at-bats with the Cardinals last year. Given a clean bill of health, he's penciled in as the Cardinals' No. 6 hitter this season. Double-digit home runs and perhaps 75 RBI should ensue. (Currently owned in 45 percent of Yahoo! leagues.)

Also keep your eye on: Mike Moustakas (3B—KC)

Alcides Escobar (SS—KC)

Escobar gets the nod here—not because I'm particularly high on him, but because there are very few candidates at the position. Starlin Castro is younger and more equipped to help your fantasy team, but Escobar is flying under the radar after his struggles last season. The 24-year-old was sent to Kansas City this offseason as part of the Zack Greinke trade, and will likely bat seventh to start the season (opposed to eighth—in front of the pitcher—where he primarily hit last season). He maintained an excellent contact rate last season (85.6 percent) despite a paltry .235 batting average (thanks to a .264 BABIP). He should turn it around in 2011, and has the potential for 75 runs, 20-plus steals and perhaps a .280 batting average. (Currently owned in 25 percent of Yahoo! leagues.)

Also keep your eye on: Troy Tulowitzki and Hanley Ramirez, because they're oh-so fun to watch!

Ryan Raburn (2B/LF/CF/RF—Det)

Raburn is one of the true draft bargains this year (current Mock Draft Central ADP: 309), while his second base and outfield eligibility offer potential monster value. Over the last two seasons (632 at-bats) he's posted 98 runs, 31 HRs, 107 RBI, seven steals and a .285 average. Now permanently installed as Detroit’s everyday left fielder, batting sixth behind Ordonez, Cabrera and Martinez, RBI opportunities should be plentiful. A line of 80/20/80/5/.280 is well within reach. (Currently owned in 67 percent of Yahoo! leagues.)

Peter Bourjos (CF—LAA)

Baseball America ranked "Speedy Petey" as the Angels' No. 2 prospect at this time last year—one spot ahead of Mike Trout. The 24-year-old (Happy Birthday!) hit .293 with 141 stolen bases in his five-year minor league career. He possesses game-changing speed and defensive ability; the former could yield 30-plus steals in his first full season with the Angels. Bourjos also has gap power, which could translate into double-digit bombs this season. Don't be turned off by his .208 average in limited time with the Angels last season—it was caused by a freakishly-low .228 BABIP. Installed as Anaheim's No. 9 hitter, a dynamic power/speed combo (perhaps 10 HRs, 30 steals, .270 average) could ensue. (Currently owned in 23 percent of Yahoo! leagues.)

Also keep your eye on: Michael Brantley (LF/CF—Cle)

Mike Morse (1B/RF-Was)

Continuing the late-bloomer theme of this article (he turned 29 last week), Mike Morse checks in as the most likely right field-eligible breakout candidate. Technically, he's the Nationals' everyday left fielder, but he qualifies in right (and at first base) too. Morse broke out, in a way, last season, whacking 15 HRs while hitting .289 in 266 at-bats. He carried his hot-hitting into the spring, hitting nine HRs. He's expected to bat fifth this season behind Werth, Zimmerman and LaRoche, and could approach 20 HRs, 80 RBI to go along with a .270-.280 average. (Currently owned in 41 percent of Yahoo! leagues.)

Also keep your eye on: Domonic Brown (RF—Phi)

Jordan Zimmerman (SP—Was)

Now 20 months removed from Tommy John surgery, Jordan Zimmerman appears primed to resume his development as a frontline starter. He was hit hard upon his return last August (4.94 ERA in 31 innings), but he followed it up with a decent spring (3.91 ERA, 15/8 K/BB ratio in 23 innings). The 24-year-old (he'll turn 25 in May) possesses four pitches with above-average potential. Before surgery, his four-seamer sat at 90-94 mph with heavy riding action. His slider and curve both have plus-potential. He also boasts advanced command, made evident by his 2.87 walk rate in 122 1/3 major league innings. The Nationals may limit his innings in 2011 to avoid the Verducci Effect, but he should offer a sub-4.00 ERA with a useful strikeout rate (career 8.75 K/9) in a pitcher-friendly park. (Currently owned in 63 percent of Yahoo! leagues.)

Also keep your eye on: Jhoulys Chacin (SP—Col)

Craig Kimbrel (RP—Atl)

Kimbrel shined down the stretch for the Braves last year, striking out 40 batters in just 20 2/3 innings while posting a minuscule 0.44 ERA. The soon-to-be 23-year-old features a mid-90’s fastball with excellent sink and a slurvy slider, both of which are plus-offerings. He’s expected to share the ninth-inning duties with Jonny Venters this season, though Kimbrel offers greater upside. The only downside to his game is a Carlos Marmol-like command. In 151 career minor league innings, he posted a 5.7 walk rate. Expect 20 saves to go with a sub-3.00 ERA and boatloads of strikeouts in 2011. (Currently owned in 82 percent of Yahoo! leagues.)

Also keep your eye on: Drew Storen (RP—Was) and Aroldis Chapman (RP—Cin)

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: FANTASY BASEBALL INSIDERS

Fantasy Baseball Insiders’ 2011 Big Board:

• 2011 Big Board: The Top 100 Players

2011 Position Rankings:

• Catcher
• First Base
• Second Base
• Third Base
• Shortstop
• Outfield
• Starting Pitcher

Latest from Fantasy Baseball Insiders: 

• Prospect Report: Giants’ Brandon Belt Wins Starting Job
• The Top 10 Rookies in 2011
• 2011 Closer’s Corner: 16 MLB Teams Have a New Source for Saves
• 2011 Closer’s Corner: Papelbon, Cordero & Rivera Are the Only Reliable Options
• The Verducci Effect: Why 11 Pitchers 25-and-Younger May Regress
• 2011 MLB Team-By-Team Spring Training  Injury Report

30 Teams in 30 Days Fantasy Preview:

• Baltimore Orioles
• Boston Red Sox

Previous articles from Fantasy Baseball Insiders: 

• Sleeper Alert: Danny Espinosa
• The Enigma That Is Russell Martin
• Adam Wainwright to Undergo Tommy John Surgery: Updated Pitcher Rankings
• Keeper Conundrum: Bryce Harper or Mike Trout?
• The Sub-2.50 ERA Curse: Why Five Elite Starting Pitchers May Regress in 2011
• 2010 Batting Average on Balls in Play Leaders: What to Expect in 2011?

 

Dividing Old Havana from Chinatown is Cuba’s Capitolio Nacional, a monumental edifice with a fateful past. El Capitolio was conceived during the Roaring ’20s, when the island led the world in sugar exports and the future seemed sky blue.

President Gerardo Machado dreamed of turning Cuba into the Switzerland of the Americas. He decided that his 4 million countrymen needed a domed capitol building even taller and more ornate than the one he toured in Washington. So Cuba’s Congress dutifully poured 3% of the country’s GDP into their new home. (This would be akin to the US Congress spending $420 billion for a new office today, but let’s not give them any ideas…)

It took 8,000 skilled Cuban laborers just three years to complete El Capitolio, which featured gilt ceilings, a giant diamond embedded into the pristine marble floor and the world’s third-largest indoor statue. However, the showy project couldn’t have been more poorly timed. Work completed in 1929, just as America’s stock market crashed and the Great Depression unfolded.

The Smoot-Hawley tariffs crushed Cuban sugar prices by 74%. When El Capitolio’s ribbon was cut in 1931, Cuba’s economy lay in tatters. Machado was forced out of office, and his dream building would perform congressional service for only 28 years before Fidel Castro’s revolutionaries swept into Havana and opted for more austere premises. I don’t need to recite the history from here, which you probably well know.

The winds of change are gathering in Cuba, though. Since Fidel Castro’s health nearly failed in 2006, power has passed to his younger brother, Raul Castro. Raul has quietly reshuffled more than 30 cabinet members to prepare his party and people for a sweeping economic policy overhaul – Perestroika al Cubano. Even the semi-retired Fidel seems to have glumly accepted that change is inevitable, candidly admitting to a visiting US journalist that “the Cuban model doesn’t even work for us anymore.”

The global economic crisis whacked Cuba hard. Venezuela cut back on its largesse as its own economy worsened. Tourism and remittances softened, while nickel export prices tanked. Furthermore, three severe hurricanes left a wake of destruction in 2008. Unable to service Cuba’s estimated $21 billion foreign debt, and running out of generous leftist patrons to hit up, Raul Castro has, apparently, decided he has little choice but to pry open Cuba’s economy.

Castro’s wild card is Cuba’s oil and gas reserves. The island currently produces 60,000 bbl a day. But its US-facing northern waters hold an estimated 5-20 billion barrels of oil and 20 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. (Note: This compares with 29 billion barrels of oil reserves in the entire US.) Accessing this undersea oil requires the sophisticated drilling technology the US excels in. But as long as sanctions remain in place, the US oil majors are excluded from that bonanza. Amidst the applause of oil industry lobbyists, the dance for reengagement has begun, with both partners taking some unprecedented steps.

Raul Castro has issued a far-reaching five-year road map for Cuba’s future economic reform. The proposed changes would put Cuba on a very similar path to that taken by China in the 1980s and Vietnam in the 1990s. Here are some of the ideas: permit real estate transactions amongst Cubans, merge the two-tier currency system, close down inefficient state enterprises, decentralize state ownership, facilitate private ownership of businesses, distribute idle land to farmers, open state-owned wholesale markets and further encourage foreign investment – particularly in tourism.

In recent months, some planned reforms have already been implemented in an effort to delay Cuba’s impending insolvency. Costly subsidies on sugar and personal care products are being scaled back. The government announced plans to shed 500,000 state workers (that’s 10% of the country’s government work force in a country where 85% of workers work for the state) and guide them somehow into the private sector.

Cubans are being encouraged to grow and sell their own fruits and vegetables. The government is inviting foreign investors to develop 10 golf course estates in Cuba, with a new law allowing 99-year land leases to foreign buyers of plots in such projects. In the old days of Fidel’s revolution, such policies were unthinkable.

So what is the potential for a liberalized Cuban economy?

Just look 90 miles across the straits to Florida. A million Cuban-Americans call Miami home. Cuba has 60% of Florida’s population and 80% of its landmass, but greater natural resources and a much longer coastline, so one might conclude that the two are of comparable overall potential.

Perhaps to underscore their similarities, remember the fact that England and Spain cleanly swapped the two in 1763. Today, Florida’s economy is 12 times larger than Cuba’s. One reason is that Florida gets 20 times as many tourists as Cuba, plus an inflow of affluent retirees.

When the US government stops restricting its citizens from traveling to Cuba, the island will become an instant tourist magnet. Offering short flights, sunny beaches, cool music, “old world” architecture and cheap surgery, Cuba should have no problem drawing several million American tourists a year, as further-away destinations like Costa Rica have done.

Should reforms become comprehensive enough, agriculture seems an obvious investment play: Half the land is arable, labor is cheap and rain is plentiful. Cuba’s once-vaunted sugar industry stands in disarray, with 80% of the old mills shut down. However, today’s high sugar prices provide ample incentive to revive the sector, along with other traditional crops such as cigar tobacco.

Despite its long coastline, fisheries and aquaculture remain largely overlooked. Cuba is a world-class producer of nickel, but other mineral deposits remain underexploited. And then there’s the oil. The entire power system needs to be updated, financial services developed, retailing expanded – the opportunities seem endless.

Beyond the subsidized basics, most consumer goods have to be imported, and imports draw heavy duties. Telecom services are costly due to government monopolization and inefficiency. The list goes on. In this environment, it is tough for most Cubans to get by unless they receive remittances, tourist gratuities or tea money.

All in all, we eagerly await the implementation of Cuba’s economic reforms. As this process unfolds, Cuba could transform into one of the world’s most attractive frontier investment destinations. America has a long track record of turning bitter rivals into productive partners (a recent example being Vietnam), and re-engagement with Cuba could be one of Obama’s most notable foreign policy legacies.

Some frontier investors are not waiting for that and are already investing in Cuba. While 100% foreign ownership is permitted, most investors enter joint ventures with Cuban state enterprises, which typically contribute land, labor and sometimes capital. Over 250 such joint ventures exist, mostly for specific sectors or projects. Investments are made in foreign currency, eliminating exchange rate issues, and there are no restrictions on capital repatriation. Corporate income tax is 30% for joint ventures and 35% for wholly owned foreign companies, but tax holidays of five-seven years are available.

A few Cuba-focused investment groups have been established that non-US investors can access. Canada-listed Sherritt Group is a major player in Cuban nickel mining and, formerly, telecoms. A private investment group backed by European investors, Coral Capital has restored Havana’s historic Saratoga Hotel, which was recently ranked by Conde Nast as the 16th best hotel in the world. Coral is now planning a number of golf course, marina, housing and hotel projects, as is Leisure Canada, a Canada-listed investment vehicle.

Regards,

Douglas Clayton
for The Daily Reckoning

CUBA: Preparing for Perestroika originally appeared in the Daily Reckoning. Daily Reckoning founder Bill Bonner recently wrote articles on stagflation and the great correction.

Join the conversation about this story »

Whoever thought Britney Spears had lost it ... boy, were you ever wrong.

PHOTOS: Britney Spears Bares Bod In City By The Bay

The 29-year-old Mississippi-born beauty, a mother-of-two, showed off her incredible figure -- particularly her derriere -- in front of 5,000 fans at San Francisco's Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on Sunday. Part of the event will be broadcast on Good Morning America Tuesday, as host Robin Roberts, fresh off her testy chat with Chris Brown, joined Spears onstage at one point.

PHOTOS: Britney Spears Tantalizes In Turquoise

The resurgent chart-topper changed costumes several times during the event, wearing luscious get-ups like a a silver sequined body-suit and a black leotard that accentuated her tremendous physique. She looked stunning in a series of outfits as she sang Hold It Against Me, Big Fat Bass, Till The World Ends.

PHOTOS: Britney Spears - Gleeful In Yellow String Bikini

The production was top-notch as well, as Brit’s elaborate stage set up was enhanced by a firework finale that ended the show. The 29-year-old Toxic singer has hit the road in promotion of her upcoming album Femme Fatale, the follow-up to her 2008 smash-hit Circus.

Britney Spears and Jason Trawick Go Shopping In Maui

"The energy, the people, the dancing the music, Britney -- it was tremendous!" Roberts said following the set.

The sexy songbird tweeted about the great time she had in the city by the Bay following the Sunday show.

"Just wrapped GMA. I love love love you San Francisco! -Britney," she tweeted, later adding, "Leaving the Castro District. I wanted to see more but I could barely get out the car!!! I love you all SO much ... PS - Even my dad had a great time!"

She also thanked Jersey Shore's Pauly D "for keeping the crowd pumped at my Vegas show on Friday night."

Check out GMA Tuesday, as the show will air clips from Sunday's concert, as well as a special announcement from the singer. 

Watch a preview of Britney's GMA appearance on RadarOnline.com

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And here we thought San Franciscans only lined up for new Apple products. The scene outside Bill Graham Civic Auditorium this morning outmatched the fervor of any iPad release - complete with drag queens in school girl outfits, gaggles of bubbly tweens and of course, a solid gay fan base, many of whom had camped out overnight to secure a good viewing of Britney Spears' highly-anticipated free concert. The show, which was originally slated to go down in front of the Castro Theatre but was canceled last week due to rain concerns, sold out in less than 14 minutes as a ticketed event. 

The bonanza was a promotion for Britney's new album Femme Fatale -- and this morning, she sang (lip-synched) and shimmied to three of her new songs ("Hold It Against Me," Big Fat Bass" and "Till the World Ends") for the Good Morning America cameras, which were taping the whole affair to be broadcast on next Tuesday morning's show. Brit's a little careful on stage these days, always looking a bit afraid she's gonna fall (legitimate concern). But she and her fem-bot body suits were looking pretty good -- and did some convincing hip thrusts and confident side-stomps amid an army of 1,000-calorie-a-move backup dancers, explosions and hair blowers. Overall, she put on a pretty exhilarating show. "Till the World Ends," the last and best song she performed, is a seriously pump-ed up party anthem, and is no doubt on repeat at one of the many Castro after-parties this afternoon.

It was a carefully orchestrated television event for GMA - and heavily make-up-ed hosts Robin Roberts and Sam Champion came on and off the stage between  songs to gather soundbites for the show. At one point, Roberts teased to the cameras that Britney had made a "major announcement" to her backstage. She obviously couldn't blow the news before the show aires on Tuesday, so we'll have to tune in next week to see what it is. Bets?

 

Photos by Misha Vladimirskiy

And here we thought San Franciscans only lined up for new Apple products. The scene outside Bill Graham Civic Auditorium this morning outmatched the fervor of any iPad release - complete with drag queens in school girl outfits, gaggles of bubbly tweens and of course, a solid gay fan base, many of whom had camped out overnight to secure a good viewing of Britney Spears' highly-anticipated free concert. The show, which was originally slated to go down in front of the Castro Theatre but was canceled last week due to rain concerns, sold out in less than 14 minutes as a ticketed event. 

The bonanza was a promotion for Britney's new album Femme Fatale -- and this morning, she sang (lip-synched) and shimmied to three of her new songs ("Hold It Against Me," Big Fat Bass" and "Till the World Ends") for the Good Morning America cameras, which were taping the whole affair to be broadcast on next Tuesday morning's show. Brit's a little careful on stage these days, always looking a bit afraid she's gonna fall (legitimate concern). But she and her fem-bot body suits were looking pretty good -- and did some convincing hip thrusts and confident side-stomps amid an army of 1,000-calorie-a-move backup dancers, explosions and hair blowers. Overall, she put on a pretty exhilarating show. "Till the World Ends," the last and best song she performed, is a seriously pump-ed up party anthem, and is no doubt on repeat at one of the many Castro after-parties this afternoon.

It was a carefully orchestrated television event for GMA - and heavily make-up-ed hosts Robin Roberts and Sam Champion came on and off the stage between  songs to gather soundbites for the show. At one point, Roberts teased to the cameras that Britney had made a "major announcement, " to her backstage. She obviously couldn't say what it was to the crowd and blow the news before Tuesday, so we'll have to tune in next week to see what it is. Bets?

We'll publish pics from the concert in a bit, but for now, enjoy one of the many amateur videos of the extravaganza now popping up on YouTube.

 

She's just days away from the release of her new album Femme Fatale, and Britney Spears was busy offering up a performance in San Francisco, California on Sunday afternoon (March 27).

Following comeback gigs in Vegas a few days prior, the "Hold It Against Me" songstress churned out a free mini-concert at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium - with the material being taped for her upcoming "Good Morning America" special set to air on Tuesday, March 29th.

Tweeting to her millions of fans throughout, Brit wrote prior to the show's kickoff, "Getting ready to take the stage in beautiful San Francisco."

About an hour and a half later, the 29-year-old excitedly tweeted, "Just wrapped GMA. I love love love you San Francisco!"

Unable to stay in City by the Bay for all that long, Spears also posted a pic of her pops posing alongside two dudes in drag before closing out her messaging by writing, "Leaving the Castro District. I wanted to see more but I could barely get out the car!!! I love you all SO much. PS - Even my dad had a great time! "

Easy Destination Blog (blog)

Britney Watch: Queue Outside Bill Graham Civic Auditorium SFist People are already lined up outside Bill Graham Civic Auditorium to catch Britney Spears' free mini-concert for Good Morning America. Although she was supposed to perform in the Castro, Spears changed locations due to concerns over the weather. ... Britney's Free Indoor ConcertNBC Bay Area Britney Spears SF show not drumming up tourismSan Francisco Chronicle Britney Spears Free Concert Failed To Boost San Francisco TourismEasy Destination Blog (blog) all 7 news articles »

The Cubs managed to get Carlos Pena for only $5 mil this year ($5 mil deferred until 2012) and stole Kerry Wood for $1.5 mil.  Factoring in arbitration raises though, they only have a few mil left to work with, so what are the rest of the possibilities for the Cubs offseason?  In this article I’ll look at free agent possibilities and later will look at trade possibilities:

 

The position players all look set and will probably break down to 13 people:

Starting lineup:   Castro, Colvin, Byrd, Ramirez, Pena, Soriano, Soto, Dewitt

Bench: Fukudome, Baker, Barney, Hill

As always, no great leadoff options and Hill’s offense is nonexistent.  Having said that, Fukudome makes  a more than capable backup in case Soriano continues his 3 year decline or Colvin suffers from the sophomore slump.  I like Baker in a platoon at 2B with Dewitt but not crazy about Pena playing everyday as he’s always struggled against lefthanders….an average lineup at best, unless Ramirez rounds back into a 110-RBI threat in his contract year.

Possibilities: Not much affordable that’s still out there since the Cubs already missed the boat on a couple of possibilities.  SF only paid $1 mil for Pat Burrell to come back and I would’ve offered $2.5 to make him the right-handed part of a RF-platoon.  They could still go out and get Reed Johnson back for $1.2 mil to spell Tyler Colvin against left-handed pitchers and provide late-inning defense for Soriano.  In the infield, what about Cristian Guzman as a superutility player and right-handed platoon option?  He does have a .329 avg and .816 OPS against left-handed pitching the last 3 years, so you could play him at 2B and Jeff Baker at 1B for 6 innings until the other team’s bullpen comes in.….if Bill Hall can get $3 mil, I might offer this to Guzman only if the club can’t afford to get anybody else on the roster.  Otherwise, might offer Mike Lowell $1 mil to be the platoon 1B option and bat off the bench.

Current Grade:  C

 

Starting rotation: Zambrano, Dempster, Silva, Wells, Gorzelanny

Say what you will, but Zambrano managed to turn around his season once he was back in the rotation for good, and Dempster has continued to surprise me by throwing  great innings for a 3^rd consecutive year. Wells and Gorzelanny are average starters for the back end and Silva’s always an injury risk.

Possibilities: I see Casey Coleman getting lots of average fill-in innings once again. Although I’d prefer having a low-base guy like Brandon Webb or Chris Young waiting in the wings, I see them signing for more with other clubs….if you can’t get either of them, Kevin Millwood’s stock has never been lower so you could probably get him for just $2 mil plus incentives….this might all change if Andrew Cashner looks good as a starter during spring training and unfortunately I don’t see them trading Silva now while the free agent market looks as bad as it does for teams looking for pitchers….

Current Grade: C+

 

Bullpen: Marmol, Marshall, Wood, Grabow, Cashner, Samardzija, Maine

The late innings look good and I expect Grabow to bounce back as a decent middle reliever (although a really expensive one at $4.8 mil…..)  This is Samardzija’s last year and the club is paying him $3.5 mil so I expect him to get his final shot at a bullpen spot in spring training.  Scott Maine impressed down the stretch last year so lets hope he doesn’t turn into another pumpkin like Esmailin Caridad and Justin Berg did this year after their 2009 stretch runs……

Possibilities:  This is the one area where I think the Cubs will probably make their remaining moves. Middle-relief is thin again and they could probably use a left-handed specialist.  I might offer Joe Beimel $2.25 mil annually to fill that role, and if he turns the club down offer $1.5 to Lance Cormier. Strangely, Cormier is a right-hander who has been better against left-handers, with a 3-year OPS-against-lefthanders of .686.  Brian Fuentes, Octavio Dotel, and Jon Rauch will probably all cost $4 mil or more, so I would take a flier on Takashi Saito.  Strangely, this guy continues to fly under the radar but there have been few relievers in the last five years that have been as good as this guy if you really crunch the numbers. He’s terrific against left-handers and even better against right-handers.  Many teams will try to lowball him with incentive-laden deals due to his advanced age and injury concerns, but I would offer a deal guaranteed to blow away the competition: 1-year, $3.5 mil guaranteed, with vesting option for 2012 based on innings pitched.

Current Grade:  C+

 

Final free agent possibilities: 

Player                                   Role                                                                                       Contract

Reed Johnson                   4^th OF against LH pitchers                                              1 year, $1.2 mil

Mike Lowell                        1B against LH pitchers and RH bat bench                1 year, $1 mil

Kevin Millwood                 5^th starting pitcher                                                           1 year, $2 mil guaranteed

Joe Beimel                          LOOGY relief specialist                                                   2 years, $2 mil in 2011

Takashi Saito                      right-handed relief, 7^th inning                                     1 year, $2.5 mil with $1 buyout

 

Total cost in 2011:  $8.7 mil

 

Ultimately, the everyday lineup and starting rotation still aren’t great but the bullpen and bench are a little better.  That might be all we can hope for this offseason before some of the big contracts (Ramirez, Fukudome, Silva, Grabow, Samardzija) come off the books after 2011…

If we had a Hot Stove, we could draw up chairs and spend a couple of days chewing over what the Astros have done with their middle infield. Today, it appears they'll open the 2011 season with Clint Barmes at short and Bill Hall at second.

These moves are about adding power to a club that desperately needs more. They were dead last in the NL in home runs in 2010. They hit so few it's tough to comprehend how they won as many games as they did. It tells you (a) how good the pitching was, (b) how good a job Brad Mills did and (c) how the chemistry of the new guys made the whole greater than the sum of the parts.

The Astros got nine home runs from their second basemen and shortstops last season, and since they're committed to Brett Wallace, Jason Castro and Michael Bourn, GM Ed Wade wanted to add power in as many other areas as possible.

They're hoping to get 30 from those two positions this season, and if they do, the moves will have worked out the way Ed hoped. Interestingly, the Astros were in on Orlando Hudson until the very end. When he signed with the Padres, Wade turned to Hall.

The Astros see Hall as a first-rate baserunner. Defensively, he may be similar to Keppinger, but they're getting him for home runs. Terry Francona offered an unqualified endorsement.

Barmes is a definite defensive upgrade at short. He struggled offensively in 2010 and gets into stretches when he tries to pull everything. But he has gap power and gets into stretches when he's unstoppable.

One possible explanation for his 2010 was that his dad was dying of bone cancer and his wife had a problem pregnancy. The Astros compare him to Hunter Pence in terms of enthusiasm and makeup.

Today’s Idol Appearances

• Crystal Bowersox performs on the Ellen Degeneres Show
• Katharine McPhee appears on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno
• Anoop Desai appears on the Monique Show, BET 11 pm.
• David Archuleta performs with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, Salt Lake City. (Dress Rehearsal)
• Lee DeWyze performs at the Alice 105.9 Sweet 16 concert in Denver, CO
• Adam Lambert, Glam Nation plays Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA
• Jason Castro performs at A Kurt Bestor Chirstmas Abravanel Hall, Salt Lake City Utah
• Kelly Clarkson plays at a benefit with her backup singers, Jill and Kate, for the Houses of Hope orphanage. Nashville, TN.
• Bo Bice performs at the Red Rooster in Nashville for a Toys For Tots benefit.

***

More Headlines after the JUMP…

***

Jennifer Hudson Gives Back

GIVING BACK: Academy Award-winning actress and R&B star Jennifer Hudson has teamed up with the WGN-Channel 9 morning news show crew to ask the public to donate new and unwrapped toys to be given to the kids at the Abraham Lincoln Center. And on Dec. 22 from 10 a.m.-noon, Hudson will sing a Christmas song and present toys to hundreds of kids from the center in conjunction with the “Winter Wonderfest” at Navy Pier. This event is open to the public.

Read more at Chicago Sun-Times

***

MIFFED Simon Cowell had to fork out £100 in extra duty to Customs officers – to take his favourite beer on holiday.

The X Factor guru, 51, was stopped as he tried to import ten cases of Sapporo to Barbados.

Simon – estimated to be worth £165million – had flown in the yeast-free Japanese lager on his private jet on Tuesday.

But he was less than pleased when officials told him he was over the duty free limit and would have to pay up – or lose the lot.

Read more at The Sun

***

The End: Final ‘Larry King Live’ Airs Tonight

He may have gotten out of touch, he may have been famously unprepared for his interviews, and he may have been responsible for his show hemorrhaging viewers to average underwhelming 700,000 a night, but Larry King is still an institution. After more than 25 years and about 50,000 guests, the 77-year-old interviewer tonight will host the final installment of Larry King Live, his primetime talk show on CNN. More than a dozen guests are expected to stop by, including King’s pals Ryan Seacrest, whom he tipped as his potential successor, and Bill Maher.

Read more at Deadline

Bevan Dufty Photo By Bill Wilson © 2010 By Chris Roberts SFWeekly.com Bevan Dufty’s bid for mayor started strong: The outgoing Castro District supervisor raised $100,000 before any of the rivals he’ll face in November 2011 had even declared their candidacies. But that was way back in 2009. Now, according to the most recent campaign finance records, he [...]

Music listings are compiled by Cheryl Eddy. Since club life is unpredictable, it's a good idea to call ahead to confirm bookings and hours. Prices are listed when provided to us. Submit items for the listings at listings@sfbg.com. For further information on how to submit items for the listings, see Picks.

WEDNESDAY 8

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Andrew Jackson Jihad, Hard Girls, Royal Monsters Bottom of the Hill. 9pm, $10.

Blackstone Heist, Deathjazz, Lloyd's Garage Elbo Room. 9pm, $7.

*Blind Guardian, Holy Grail, Seven Kingdoms Regency Ballroom. 8pm, $26.

Chairman Wow Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:45pm, free.

Greenhornes, Hacienda Independent. 8pm, $15.

David Liebe Hart, Hot Panda, Chris Thayer, Donny Divinian Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $7.

Reckless Kelly Slim's. 8pm, $16.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Belanova Fillmore. 8pm, $39.50.

Gaucho, Michael Abraham Amnesia. 7pm.

Farmer Dave Scher, Chapin Sisters, Neema Café Du Nord. 9pm, $15.

DANCE CLUBS

Booty Call Q-Bar, 456 Castro, SF; www.bootycallwednesdays.com. 9pm. Juanita Moore hosts this dance party, featuring DJ Robot Hustle.

Cannonball Beauty Bar. 10pm, free. Rock, indie, and nu-disco with DJ White Mike.

Hands Down! Bar on Church. 9pm, free. With DJs Claksaarb, Mykill, and guests spinning indie, electro, house, and bangers.

Jam Fresh Wednesdays Vessel, 85 Campton, SF; (415) 433-8585. 9:30pm, free. With DJs Slick D, Chris Clouse, Rich Era, Don Lynch, and more spinning top40, mashups, hip hop, and remixes.

Mary-Go-Round Lookout, 3600 16th St, SF; (415) 431-0306. 10pm, $5. A weekly drag show with hosts Cookie Dough, Pollo Del Mar, and Suppositori Spelling.

Open Mic Night 330 Ritch. 9pm, $7.

Red Wine Social Triple Crown. 5:30-9:30pm, free. DJ TophOne and guests spin outernational funk and get drunk.

Respect Wednesdays End Up. 10pm, $5. Rotating DJs Daddy Rolo, Young Fyah, Irie Dole, I-Vier, Sake One, Serg, and more spinning reggae, dancehall, roots, lovers rock, and mash ups.

Synchronize Il Pirata, 2007 16th St, SF; (415) 626-2626. 10pm, free. Psychedelic dance music with DJs Helios, Gatto Matto, Psy Lotus, Intergalactoid, and guests.

THURSDAY 9

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Heather Combs, Edie Carey, Aiden Café Du Nord. 9pm, $12.

Ex-Boyfriends, Complaints, Bruises Eagle Tavern. 9pm.

Alan Iglesias Biscuits and Blues. 8 and 10pm, $16. Stevie Ray Vaughn tribute.

Little Teeth, Blackbird Raum, Future Twin Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $6.

Mike Pinto Band, Jahlectrik, She Beards Bottom of the Hill. 10pm, $10.

Millionyoung, Teen Daze, Great Mundane Rickshaw Stop. 8pm, $12.

Needtobreathe, Daylights Fillmore. 8pm, $20.

Randy Rogers Band, Whiskey Dawn Independent. 8pm, $15.

Lenny Williams Rrazz Room. 8pm, $35-45.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Graham Connah Socha Café, 3235 Mission, SF; (415) 643-6848. 8pm, free.

SF Jazz Hotplate Series Amnesia. 9pm.

SF State Afro Cuban Jazz Ensemble Coda. 10pm, $10.

Swing with Stan Rite Spot, 2099 Folsom, SF; www.ritespotcafe.net. 9pm, free.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Alhambra Valley Band Atlas Café. 4pm, free.

Mission 3 Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:45pm, free.

DANCE CLUBS

Afrolicious Elbo Room. 9:30pm, $10. DJs Pleasuremaker and Señor Oz, with guest Nappy G, spin Afrobeat, tropicália, electro, samba, and funk.

Base Vessel. 9:30pm, $10. Featuring Hot Natured (Jamie Jones and Lee Foss).

CakeMIX SF Wish, 1539 Folsom, SF; www.wishsf.com. 10pm, free. DJ Carey Kopp spinning funk, soul, and hip hop.

Caribbean Connection Little Baobab, 3388 19th St, SF; (415) 643-3558. 10pm, $3. DJ Stevie B and guests spin reggae, soca, zouk, reggaetón, and more.

Club Jammies Edinburgh Castle. 10pm, free. DJs EBERrad and White Mice spinning reggae, punk, dub, and post punk.

Drop the Pressure Underground SF. 6-10pm, free. Electro, house, and datafunk highlight this weekly happy hour.

Electric Feel Lookout, 3600 16th St, SF; (415) 431-0306. 9pm, $2. With DJs subOctave and Blondie K spinning indie music videos.

Good Foot Som., 2925 16th St, SF; (415) 558-8521. 10pm, free. With DJs spinning R&B, Hip hop, classics, and soul.

Guilty Pleasures Gestalt, 3159 16th St, SF; (415) 560-0137. 9:30pm, free. DJ TophZilla, Rob Metal, DJ Stef, and Disco-D spin punk, metal, electro-funk, and 80s.

Jivin' Dirty Disco Butter, 354 11th St., SF; (415) 863-5964. 8pm, free. With DJs spinning disco, funk, and classics.

Kissing Booth Make-Out Room. 9pm, free. DJs Jory, Commodore 69, and more spinning indie dance, disco, 80's, and electro.

Koko Puffs Koko Cocktails, 1060 Geary, SF; (415) 885-4788. 10pm, free. Dubby roots reggae and Jamaican funk from rotating DJs.

Mestiza Bollywood Café, 3376 19th St, SF; (415) 970-0362. 10pm, free. Showcasing progressive Latin and global beats with DJ Juan Data.

Motion Sickness Vertigo, 1160 Polk, SF; (415) 674-1278. 10pm, free. Genre-bending dance party with DJs Sneaky P, Public Frenemy, and D_Ro Cyclist.

Nacht Musik Knockout. 10:30pm, $4. Dark, minimal electronic with DJs Omar, Josh, and Justin.

Peaches Skylark, 10pm, free. With an all female DJ line up featuring Deeandroid, Lady Fingaz, That Girl, and Umami spinning hip hop.

Ümloud DNA Lounge. 7pm, $10. Play Rock Band onstage to raise money for Child's Play Charity.

FRIDAY 10

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Seth Augustus Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:45pm, free.

Dave Rude Band, Angels of Vice, Dead Neck Bottom of the Hill. 10pm, $12.

Dead Souls Knockout. 5pm.

Hanni El Khatib, Th Mrcy Hot Sprngs, Hairspray Hemlock Tavern. 9:30pm, $8.

Fleeting Trance, Stymie and the Pimp Jones Luv Orchestra Make-Out Room. 7:30pm, $7.

Kottonmouth Kings, (hed)p.e. Slim's. 8pm, $25.

"Lusty Lady Kinky Kiss-Mass" DNA Lounge. 9pm, $12-15. Burlesque show plus Destroyer, Minks, Trixie Carr, and Horror X.

Magic Bullets, Sleeptalks Knockout. 9pm, $7.

Soulive feat. Karl Denson, DJ Harry Duncan Independent. 9pm, $22.

Kim Wilson Biscuits and Blues. 8 and 10pm, $24.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Bryan Girard Trio Cliff House, 1090 Point Lobos, SF; (415) 386-3330. 7pm, free.

Greenhorse Amnesia. 7pm.

Greg Rite Spot, 2099 Folsom, SF; www.ritespotcafe.net. 9pm, free.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Bossa 5-0 Socha Café, 3235 Mission, SF; (415) 643-6848. 8pm, free.

Right On Time Dolores Park Café, 501 Dolores, SF; www.doloresparkcafe.com. 7:30pm, $10.

Ozomatli Fillmore. 9pm, $26.50.

DANCE CLUBS

Exhale, Fridays Project One Gallery, 251 Rhode Island, SF; (415) 465-2129. 5pm, $5. Happy hour with art, fine food, and music with Vin Sol, King Most, DJ Centipede, and Shane King.

Fat Stack Fridays Koko Cocktails, 1060 Geary, SF; (415) 885-4788. 10pm, free. With rotating DJs B-Cause, Vinnie Esparza, Mr. Robinson, Toph One, and Slopoke.

Fo' Sho! Fridays Madrone Art Bar. 10pm, $5. DJs Kung Fu Chris and Makossa spin rare grooves, soul, funk, and hip-hop classics.

Fubar Fridays Butter, 354 11th St., SF; (415) 863-5964. 6pm, $5. With DJs spinning retro mashup remixes.

Good Life Fridays Apartment 24, 440 Broadway, SF; (415) 989-3434. 10pm, $10. With DJ Brian spinning hip hop, mashups, and top 40.

Heartical Roots Bollywood Café. 9pm, $5. Recession friendly reggae.

Hot Chocolate Milk. 9pm, $5. With DJs Big Fat Frog, Chardmo, DuseRock, and more spinning old and new school funk.

Indy Slash Amnesia. 10pm. With DJ Danny White.

Rockabilly Fridays Jay N Bee Club, 2736 20th St, SF; (415) 824-4190. 9pm, free. With DJs Rockin' Raul, Oakie Oran, Sergio Iglesias, and Tanoa "Samoa Boy" spinning 50s and 60s Doo Wop, Rockabilly, Bop, Jive, and more.

Some Thing Stud. 10pm, $7. VivvyAnne Forevermore, Glamamore, and DJ Down-E give you fierce drag shows and afterhours dancing.

Treat 'Em Right Elbo Room. 10pm. Groove Merchant's 20th anniversary celebration with Groove Merchant DJs and guests.

Two Kinds of Stupid Holiday Party Rickshaw Stop. 9pm, $10. Live sets with K. Flay and TigerCat, plus DJs Brother Grimm and BAS.

Vintage Orson, 508 Fourth St, SF; (415) 777-1508. 5:30-11pm, free. DJ TophOne and guest spin jazzy beats for cocktalians.

SATURDAY 11

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Dandy Warhols, Blue Giant Regency Ballroom. 9pm, $27.

Family Scott, K-9, Psychology of Genocide Thee Parkside. 3pm, free.

*Forbidden, Evile, Gama Bomb, Bonded By Blood, Fog of War DNA Lounge. 2pm, $20.

Donald Glover, Childish Gambino Slim's. 9pm, $15.

Golda + Guns, Sugarspun, Skyflakes, Apple Orchard, Little Bits Rock-It Room. 9pm, $6. San Bruno fire victims benefit.

Derick Hughes Biscuits and Blues. 8 and 10pm, $20.

Chaka Khan, Chrisette Michele Warfield. 8pm, $45-82.

Phenomenauts, Neutralboy, Murderland Thee Parkside. 9pm, $10.

San Cha, DJ Moxy 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason, SF; www.50masonsocialhouse.com. 9pm, free.

Shannon and the Clams, Night Beats, Outlaw Hemlock Tavern. 9:30pm, $6.

Soulive feat. Karl Denson, DJ Harry Duncan Independent. 9pm, $22.

Voodoo Glow Skulls, Jokes For Feelings, Rockfight Bottom of the Hill. 10pm, $12.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Bill Carey Socha Café, 3235 Mission, SF; (415) 643-6848. 8pm, free.

Emergency String X-Tet with Rent Romus Meridian Gallery, 535 Powell, SF; www.meridiangallery.org. 8pm, $10.

Emily Anne's Delights Rite Spot, 2099 Folsom, SF; www.ritespotcafe.net. 9pm, free.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Ozomatli Fillmore. 3 and 9pm, $10-26.50.

Zoyres Revolution Café, 3248 22nd St, SF; (415) 642-0474. 8:45pm, free.

DANCE CLUBS

Bar on Church 9pm. Rotating DJs Foxxee, Joseph Lee, Zhaldee, Mark Andrus, and Nuxx.

Bootie: Holiday Party DNA Lounge. 9pm, $6-12. Xmas mash-ups with Adrian and Mysterious D.

Club Gossip Cat Club. 9pm, $5-8. Tribute to Nine Inch Nails.

Cockblock Rickshaw Stop. 10pm, $7. Queer dance party with DJ Nuxx and guests.

Frolic Stud. 9pm, $3-7. DJs Dragn'Fly, NeonBunny, and Ikkuma spin at this celebration of anthropomorphic costume and dance. Animal outfits encouraged.

HYP Club Eight, 1151 Folsom, SF; www.eightsf.com. 10pm, free. Gay and lesbian hip hop party, featuring DJs spinning the newest in the top 40s hip hop and hyphy.

Rock City Butter, 354 11th St., SF; (415) 863-5964. 6pm, $5 after 10pm. With DJs spinning party rock.

Same Sex Salsa and Swing Magnet, 4122 18th St, SF; (415) 305-8242. 7pm, free.

Spirit Fingers Sessions 330 Ritch. 9pm, free. With DJ Morse Code and live guest performances.

Spotlight Siberia, 314 11th St, SF; (415) 552-2100. 10pm. With DJs Slowpoke, Double Impact, and Moe1.

Tormenta Tropical Elbo Room. 10pm, $5-10. Electro cumbia with Natalie Storm, Max Glazer, Sabo, Disco Shawn, and Oro11.

SUNDAY 12

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

"Anais Mitchell Presents: Music of Hadestown" Great American Music Hall. 8pm, $21. With Thao Nguyen, Sean Hayes, John Elliott and the Hadestown Orchestra, and Michael Chorney.

Jon Anderson Regency Ballroom. 8pm, $37-55.

Arsis, Powerglove, Conducting from the Grave, Absence Thee Parkside. 8pm, $12-15.

"Battle of the Bands" DNA Lounge. 5:30pm, $12. With Astronomy Lounge, Madman's Lullaby, Smash Atoms, and more.

Black Crowes Fillmore. 8pm, $60.

Karina Denike, Upsets Rite Spot, 2099 Folsom, SF; www.ritespotcafe.net. 8pm, free.

Gene Taylor Blues Band Slim's. 8pm, $21.

Stornoway, Head and the Heart Independent. 8pm, $14.

Toiling Midgets, White Pee, Bloodfucker Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $7.

Joe Louis Walker Biscuits and Blues. 8 and 10pm, $20.

JAZZ/NEW MUSIC

Valeriana Quevedo, Larry Vuckovich, Jeff Chambers Bliss Bar, 4026 24th St, SF; (415) 826-6200. 4:30pm, $10.

FOLK/WORLD/COUNTRY

Amy Obenski, Erica Sunshine Lee, Jess Brewster Yoshi's San Francisco (in the lounge). 8pm, $7.

Whiskey Richards, Leo Rondeau Thee Parkside. 4pm, free.

DANCE CLUBS

DiscoFunk Mashups Cat Club. 10pm, free. House and 70's music.

Dub Mission Elbo Room. 9pm, $6. Dub, dubstep, roots, and dancehall with DJ Sep, J Boogie, and guest Ross Hogg.

Gloss Sundays Trigger, 2344 Market, SF; (415) 551-CLUB. 7pm. With DJ Hawthorne spinning house, funk, soul, retro, and disco.

Honey Soundsystem Paradise Lounge. 8pm-2am. "Dance floor for dancers – sound system for lovers." Got that?

Kick It Bar on Church. 9pm. Hip-hop with DJ Zax.

Pachanga! Coda. 5pm, $10. Salsa dance party with Orquesta La Moderna Tradición.

Religion Bar on Church. 3pm. With DJ Nikita.

Swing Out Sundays Rock-It Room. 7pm, free (dance lessons $15). DJ BeBop Burnie spins 20s through 50s swing, jive, and more.

MONDAY 13

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

C-Money and Players Inc. Elbo Room. 9pm, $10.

Ed Jones Rite Spot, 2099 Folsom, SF; www.ritespotcafe.net. 8pm, free.

Tame Impala, Stardeath and White Dwarfs Independent. 8pm, $15.

DANCE CLUBS

Black Gold Koko Cocktails, 1060 Geary, SF; (415) 885-4788. 10pm-2am, free. Senator Soul spins Detroit soul, Motown, New Orleans R&B, and more — all on 45.

Death Guild DNA Lounge. 9:30pm, $3-5. Gothic, industrial, and synthpop with Joe Radio, Decay, and Melting Girl.

Krazy Mondays Beauty Bar. 10pm, free. With DJs Ant-1, $ir-Tipp, Ruby Red I, Lo, and Gelo spinning hip hop.

M.O.M. Madrone Art Bar. 6pm, free. With DJ Gordo Cabeza and guests playing all Motown every Monday.

Manic Mondays Bar on Church. 9pm. Drink 80-cent cosmos with Djs Mark Andrus and Dangerous Dan.

Network Mondays Azul Lounge, One Tillman Pl, SF; www.inhousetalent.com. 9pm, $5. Hip-hop, R&B, and spoken word open mic, plus featured performers.

Skylarking Skylark. 10pm, free. With resident DJs I & I Vibration, Beatnok, and Mr. Lucky and weekly guest DJs.

TUESDAY 14

ROCK/BLUES/HIP-HOP

Badly Drawn Boy Café Du Nord. 8pm, $25.

Black Crowes Fillmore. 8pm, $60.

CCR Headcleaner, Bleak Ethnique, Tongue and Teeth Hemlock Tavern. 9pm, $5.

Dominique Leone, Ash Reiter, Poor Sweet Creatures Amnesia. 9pm.

Low, Charlie Parr Great American Music Hall. 8pm, $17.

Man Among Wolves, Damaura, Red Light Mind Bottom of the Hill. 9pm, $8.

Bob Margolin Biscuits and Blues. 8 and 10pm, $20.

DANCE CLUBS

Bombshell Betty's Burleque Bailout Elbo Room. 9pm, $10. With Fromagique and the Burlesqueteers.

Eclectic Company Skylark, 9pm, free. DJs Tones and Jaybee spin old school hip hop, bass, dub, glitch, and electro.

Share the Love Trigger, 2344 Market, SF; (415) 551-CLUB. 5pm, free. With DJ Pam Hubbuck spinning house.

Womanizer Bar on Church. 9pm. With DJ Nuxx.

Populist: The column that's already bored of the royal wedding

Speech of the week

Tina Fey picks up the Mark Twain for humour: "I hope that like Mark Twain, 100 years from now people will see my work and think: 'Wow, that is actually pretty racist.'"

Presidential cameo of the week

Bill Clinton has filmed a walk-on part for the upcoming Hangover sequel. Coming soon: Jimmy Carter voices an otter in Kung Fu Panda 2, and Dubya steals the show as the midriff of the next Human Centipede.

Conspiracy update of the week

Looks like they ARE out to get new US TV conspiracy thriller Rubicon – it's been canned before the second series.

Medieval dude news of the week

Eastbound & Down's Danny McBride is teaming up with James Franco for Your Highness. Could be the best history lesson since Bill & Ted.

Presidential cameos of the week #2

Get far enough in Call Of Duty: Black Ops and you can defend the Pentagon from zombie attack with playable versions of presidents Nixon, JFK and Castro. Lock and load!

Potted Hogwarts review of the week

It's Harry Potter and the deathly hollow camping trip.

Ultra-speedy Top 40 to Glee cover of the week

Glee do Cee Lo's Forget You. As sung by Gwyneth Paltrow. Obviously.

twitter.com/guideguardian guardianguide.tumblr.com

Grant's Shaq Thompson sprints away from a pack of Wood pursuers. Thompson finished with 237 rushing yards.

All games tonight at 7 p.m.

River City at Grant

Records: River City Raiders 10-1, Grant Pacers 11-0

Outlook: The No. 7-seeded Raiders, fresh off a 22-17 upset of defending Sac-Joaquin Section D-II Rocklin, take on the ultimate challenge in facing a Pacers team that is ranked No. 1 in California (Cal-Hi Sports) and No. 4 (ESPN RISE Fab 50), No. 11 (Maxpreps.com) and No. 16 (USA Today) nationally. The Raiders will need extraordinary performances from everyone, especially free safety-running back Jonathan Dunn – "I think he is trying to be our best player," says Raiders coach Art Bustamante – defensive back Chris Carter and running back T.J. Soto. Grant has allowed an average of 50 total yards through the last four games.

Vacaville at Folsom

Records: Vacaville Bulldogs 10-1, Folsom Bulldogs 10-1

Outlook: Something has to give in this D-II matchup of Vacaville's punishing running game (averaging 55 points per game) against Folsom's cut-you-to-ribbons spread passing attack (averages more than 50 points per game). Fourth-seeded Vacaville has won seven in a row; fifth-seeded Folsom 10 since its opening game loss to Grant. Folsom QB Dano Graves continues to marvel in passing for 2,649 yards and 48 touchdowns for the Bulldogs, ranked No. 8 by Cal-Hi Sports. Junior Melvin Mason (1,238 rushing yards, 18 touchdowns) and senior Quincy Forte (1,181, 15 TDs) lead a Vacaville offense that rushes for 417 yards a game.

Lincoln-Stockton vs. Pleasant Grove at Sheldon

Records: Lincoln Trojans 8-3, Pleasant Grove Eagles, 10-1

Outlook: A bruiser of a D-I quarterfinal for the top-seeded Eagles, who are very familiar with the Trojans. The Eagles beat Lincoln 28-21 earlier this season, withstanding a late Trojans rally. Last year, Lincoln won a regular-season matchup 29-28. Pleasant Grove FS-WR Kyle Castro is the state interception leader with 12 while RB Mark Jenkins is seventh in rushing (2,027 yards) and ninth in scoring (32 touchdowns).

Whitney at Del Oro

Records: Whitney Wildcats 7-4, Del Oro Golden Eagles 7-4

Outlook: The Golden Eagles and Wildcats proved that the section's new playoff seeding format needs tweaking. The 11th seed walloped No. 6 East Union 58-7 in Manteca in the opening round of the D-III playoffs while 14th-seeded Whitney beat No. 3 Pioneer 27-22 in Woodland. Del Oro is on a roll with 6-foot-4, 315-pound Ryan Cope leading the way for RBs Nick O'Sullivan and Kenny Andri and junior QB Bobby Heatherington getting better by the game. Whitney's 6-3, 210-pound junior QB Jake Rodrigues is No. 3 in the state in total offense (3,220 yards).

Vanden at Casa Roble

Records: Vanden Vikings 7-4, Casa Roble Rams 8-3

Outlook: This D-III playoff game will test area curfews as both have prolific offenses through the air and on the ground. Casa Roble averages 418 yards, Vanden 395. The 16th-seeded Vikings helped turn the D-III field on its head by crushing top-seeded Manteca 55-22 in the opener while the No. 8-seeded Rams belted Sacramento 63-21.

– Bill Paterson

Schedules are for Wed/17–Tues/23 except where noted. Director and year are given when available. Double and triple features are marked with a •. All times are p.m. unless otherwise specified.

ARTISTS' TELEVISION ACCESS 992 Valencia, SF; www.atasite.org. $6. Cine Barrio presents: Los Bastardos (Escalante, 2008), Fri, 8. "Other Cinema:" Future So Bright (McCormick), plus other "psycho geography" films, Sat, 8:30. Calvin and Sweetpea (Fletcher, 2007), Sun, 8.

CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF INTEGRAL STUDIES 1453 Mission, SF; www.ciis.edu. Free. "Queers, Gringos, and Other Deviants," films from Mexico's School of Arts of the State University of Morelos, Wed, 6:30.

CASTRO 429 Castro, SF; (415) 621-6120, www.castrotheatre.com. $10-15. Grease (Kleiser, 1978), Wed-Tues, 7:30 (also Sat-Sun, 2:30). Presented sing-along style.

CHRISTOPHER B. SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER 1118 Fourth St, San Rafael; (415) 454-1222, www.cafilm.org. $6.50-10.25. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Alfredson, 2009), call for dates and times. Inside Job (Ferguson, 2010), call for dates and times. Leaving (Corsini, 2009), call for dates and times. Vision: From the Life of Hildegard Von Bingen (von Trotta, 2009), call for dates and times. "San Francisco Grand Opera Cinema Series:" La Boheme (2008-2009), Thurs, 7; Sat, 10am. Today's Special (Kaplan, 2009), Nov 19-25, call for times. Breath Made Visible (Gerber, 2009), Sun, 4:15.

FOUR STAR 2200 Clement, SF; (415) 666-3488; www.lntsf.com/2010_chinese_american_film_festival. $7-9. "Fourth Chinese American Film Festival 2010," Wed-Tues.

HUMANIST HALL 390 27th St, Oakl; www.humanisthall.org. $5. Sicko (Moore, 2007), Wed, 7:30.

MAGNET 4122 18th St, SF; www.tolerance.org/bullied. Bullied: A Student, a School, and a Case That Made History, Sat, 7.

MECHANICS' INSTITUTE 57 Post, SF; (415) 393-0100 (reservations required). $10. "CinemaLit: Lights! Camera! Action!": Day for Night (Truffaut, 1973), Fri, 6.

PACIFIC FILM ARCHIVE 2575 Bancroft, Berk; (510) 642-5249, www.bampfa.berkeley.edu. $5.50-9.50. "Alternative Visions:" "Surface Tension: Short Films by Morgan Fisher, Hollis Frampton, Owen Land, and Robert Nelson," Wed, 7:30. "Carl Theodor Dreyer:" Michael (Dreyer, 1924), Fri, 7; Medea (von Trier, 1987), Fri, 9; The Master of the House (Dreyer, 1925), Sat, 6:30; Leaves from Satan's Book (Dreyer, 1921), Sun, 2. "Radical Light: Alternative Film and Video in the San Francisco Bay Area:" "1990-1999," Sun, 5:15.

PIEDMONT 4186 Piedmont, Oakl; www.landmarktheatres.coom. $8. The Room (Wiseau, 2003), Sat, midnight.

RED VIC 1727 Haight, SF; (415) 668-3994. $6-10. Life During Wartime (Solondz, 2010), Wed, 2, 7:15, 9:15. Bold Native (Hennelly and Suchan, 2010), Thurs, 7, 9:30. Inception (Nolan, 2010), Fri-Mon, 8 (also Sat-Sun, 2, 5). ID (The Film), Fri, 4. Soul Kitchen (Akin, 2009), Nov 23-24, 7:15, 9:25 (also Nov 24, 2).

ROXIE 3117 and 3125 16th St, SF; (415) 863-1087, www.roxie.com. $5-9.75. Carlos (Assayas, 2010), Wed-Thurs, 6:45. Exit Through the Gift Shop (Banksy, 2010), Wed-Thurs, 10:15. Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields (Fix and O'Hara, 2010), Wed-Thurs, 6:45, 8:30. "Destroy All Movies!!! Punk-Sploitation Double Feature:" •Times Square (Moyle, 1980), Fri, 6, 9:45, and Surf II (Badat, 1984), Fri, 8. "Nine Nation Animation," Nov 19-25, call for times. "Midnites for Maniacs: Back to After School Specials Triple Bill:" •A Movie Star's Daughter (Fuest, 1979), Sat, 7; Rich Kids (Young, 1979), Sat, 8:15; Stoned (Herzfeld, 1980), Sat, 10:30. "Animals Are Absurd!," co-presented with McSweeney's, Sat-Sun, call for times. "Magyar Tales of Kornél Mundruczó:" Delta (2008), Nov 22-24, call for times; Johanna (2005), Nov 22-24, call for times.

SAN FRANCISCO LGBT CENTER 1800 Market, SF; www.queerculturalcenter.org. $10. "Between Sizes: An Evening with Skinnyfat," films about body image, Sat, 7.

VICTORIA 2961 16th St, SF; www.sfcinema.org. $10. San Francisco Cinematheque presents: "New Landscapes for the New World: Contemporary Spanish Experimental Cinema," Wed, 7:30.

VIZ CINEMA New People, 1746 Post, SF; www.vizcinema.com. $10. Electric Button (Moon and Cherry) (Tanada, 2004), Wed-Thurs, 5, 7:15. Kamu Gaidan (Sai, 2009), Nov 19-Dec 1, check website for times. YERBA BUENA CENTER FOR THE ARTS 701 Mission, SF; (415) 978-2787, www.ybca.org. $6-8. "Remembering Kazuo Ohno:" An Offering to Heaven (2002), Thurs, 7:30; •O, Kind God!, and Flower (2001), Sat, 7:30; •Kazuo Ohno (Schmid), with "Admiring La Argentina" (1994), Sun, 2.

CNC Journeyman Lathe machinist

Labtronix manufactures Precision Machined Products for the Semiconductor and other Hi-Tec industries. We are a growing company looking for experienced people to join our team.
CNC Lathe Programmer/Machinist position involves taking raw materials such as Stainless, Aluminum and Plastics and machining them to print to fabricate piece parts and final assemblies. Advanced knowledge of CNC Setup and Operation is required. Customers are sophisticated Manufactures who require strict conformance to drawing specifications and tolerances. Work directly with Manager and Engineering dept. Must have strong communication and documentation skills.

Requirements include

Ability to use hand tools and Machinery skillfully including;
CNC Lathe
Calipers and Gauges - Mechanical and Digital for measuring to .001 inch
Mechanical scale in inches and Millimeters
Grinders, Sanders
De-bur Tools
Cutoff Saw
Manual Lathe

Education and Training

Minimum Ten years experience in manual and CNC machining. Ability to communicate well verbally, and read/write directions in English.
Technical Requirements
b. Ability to read written instructions and follow verbal instructions.
c. Read and interpret assembly drawings and Blue Prints
d. Read bill of materials and identify all components specified.
e. Ability to setup and operate equipment listed above without supervision.

Necessary Traits include:

Self-motivation, able to accomplish high level of work with supervision
Team player, Working well and communicating with all members of workgroup.
High Skill Level. Consistently building product that meets or exceeds specifications.

Full time W/Benefits
3200 Investment Blvd
Hayward, CA 94544
Fax (510) 786-3268
richardk@therm-x.com

Break Operator Hayward

Labtronix manufactures Precision Sheet Metal products for the Semiconductor and other Hi-Tec industries. We are a growing company looking for experienced people to join our team. Journeyman Break Operator position involves taking standard raw materials such as Stainless, Aluminum and Steel and fabricating it into complex parts. Advanced knowledge of Setup and Operation is required. Customers are sophisticated Manufactures requiring conformance to drawing specifications and tolerances. Work with Manager and Engineering dept. Strong communication and documentation skills required.

Requirements include

Ability to use hand tools and Machinery skillfully including;
Amada RG series break press
Calipers and Gauges - Mechanical and Digital for measuring to .001 inch
Mechanical scale in inches and Millimeters
Grinders
De-bur Tools
Cutoff Saw
Drill Press
Hardware Installer

Education and Training

Minimum Ten years experience in setup and operate Break Press. Ability to communicate well verbally, and read/write directions in English.
Technical Requirements
b. Ability to read written instructions and follow verbal instructions.
c. Read and interpret assembly drawings and Blue Prints
d. Read bill of materials and identify all components specified.
e. Ability to setup and operate equipment listed above without supervision.

Necessary Traits include:

Self-motivation, accomplish high level of work with little supervision
Team player, Working well and communicating with members of workgroup.
High Skill Level. Consistently building product that meets or exceeds specifications.

Full time W/Benefits
3200 Investment Blvd
Hayward, CA 94544
Fax (510) 786-3268
pepe@labtronix.com

This is an occasional report on return visits to restaurants that I’ve already reviewed.

Can this Neighborhood Spot Live Up to Perfection?
3870 17th St., San Francisco
Castro neighborhood
PH: 415.621.3870
Open for dinner, Tue.–Sun., 5–10 p.m. (till 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday)
Reservations, major credit cards accepted
($1.50 per person San Francisco health surcharge added to bill)
www.frances-sf.com

Original visit: February 2010

One of my favorite new restaurants is Chef Melissa Perello’s Frances, which has redefined dining out in the city’s Castro neighborhood. Opened for almost a year, it has garnered every major magazines’ “Best New Restaurant” accolades, and recently was awarded a Michelin star.

Frances’ popularity has made it difficult to get a reservation, often requiring a booking two months in advance. That’s exactly what I did two months ago when I randomly picked a date for a future reservation, and last Saturday my reservations finally arrived and I returned for dinner with my friend Hector.

We arrived for our 8:15 p.m. reservations and were quickly seated at our tiny table, squeezed in with others along the wall. I had forgotten how tight the space can be, and also how loud. At the peak of a Saturday night, the chatter around us was deafening, making it difficult to chat with each other.

We dove into Perello’s seasonal menu, which continues to highlight local ingredients in a few select dishes, starting with tiny starters called bouchees to just four large plates.

Unlike me, Hector has no problems eating deep-fried foods, so he started with the Applewood Smoked Bacon Beignets ($6.50), which were five golden brown balls served with a maple crème fraiche and chive dip. Hector said he enjoyed it but didn’t get much of the bacon or maple flavor. I tried a tiny bit and the beignet texture seemed dense but still light, and I felt the chive dip had more of a seaweed flavor for some reason. It was good but didn’t seem to taste like how it was advertised.

I ordered the Comice Pear Salad ($11), which was built on a plate of escarole and mustard greens. You probably can’t see the pear pieces, but they were warm and were mostly hidden under the greens. The pear was nice and sweet, but the overall salad was overdressed. Every green leaf was covered in the vinaigrette with pancetta, and it just seemed to mask the natural flavors of the various ingredients.

Chef Perello does a wonderful job of mixing textures, like the crispy shallots added to the salad, which included the unusual flavors of mustard greens. Still, nothing could save the salad from the drenching.

I should note that Chef Perello did not seem to be working on this Saturday night. She often can be seen expediting the dishes coming out from the kitchen, which means she keeps a keen eye on the quality of each plate. But without her at the gate, I think the kitchen was slacking as evident by the salad and my main course.

I went with the California Black Cod ($25), which was served with its crispy skin and placed on top of a pile of roasted red kuri squash puree and what seemed like regular mashed potatoes. The dish also had a sauce of melted leeks and some chanterelles. Again with the texture, Perello adds crispy greens (that looked like kale or spinach) as a garnish, which I thought was a nice touch.

The cod was good, but seemed a bit overcooked. And then while I enjoyed the mash of squash and potatoes underneath, it seemed like the sauce made everything soggy and slightly greasy because my stomach felt uneasy afterwards. Something about the plate was just off as my stomach was telling me all night.

Hector did fairly better with his Five Dot Ranch Bavette Steak ($26), which was cooked per his request of medium rare. It did look good and he really liked the butter beans served with the meat, but he felt the meat was a tad more medium than rare.

We ended our night with the Quince Upside-Down Cake ($7.50) just because we both liked the idea of trying this season’s quince. The cake was served with some fresh huckleberries and a chantilly cream. The cake had the consistency of a pound cake, and wasn’t super sweet, so I liked it. But the cream had an odd sour flavor that I didn’t enjoy. Hector thought it was supposed to offset the cake’s sweetness, but I just felt the two didn’t work well together on the plate.

Side note: Hector tried the house red wine, which since the restaurant opened has been served in the unique price point of $1 per ounce. A carafe of wine is brought to the table with measurements on the side. At the end of the meal, the server sees how much wine is left and charges you for the balance. Hector liked the wine but thought it had a light body. He still ended up drinking eight ounces.

On my return to Frances, I continue to be impressed by the creativity of the menu developed by Chef Perello. The charm of the restaurant’s décor still makes this one of the most comfortable and stylish spots in town. But my latest dinner – on a Saturday night no less – makes me think that there may be some chinks in Perello’s highly buzzed armor. It seems that when she’s not watching the kitchen, her staff can be a bit off, which is a shame given Frances’ young reputation.

Update experience (previously 4.25 stars): Hate to do it but I’m going to have to knock off a quarter star, giving Frances a revised 4 stars. It’s still a remarkable restaurant but needs to maintain its consistency in the execution of Perello’s dishes.

The cover of the Bill James 2011 Handbook features the Reds' Joey Votto. Last year's edition featured the Rays' Evan Longoria, who went on to a fine year and led his team to the postseason. Let's hope that isn't the case for Votto in 2011.

Every year, James posts projections for future performance. His chapter this year, as it does every year, runs down both some of his biggest misses (mostly, from projecting players to play full-time and they didn't, either from injury or bad performance) and also the ones he got right. What's notable about this is that only one Cub -- Micah Hoffpauir -- is mentioned by James in either category. James projected Hoffpauir to be a useful spare part, hitting .276 with a .487 SLG in 156 AB with seven home runs.

That'd have been useful, all right, but it didn't come close. After the jump, some (not all) of the Bill James projections for Cubs hitters and pitchers for 2011.

Jeff Baker: .281/.336/.448 in 366 AB; 24 doubles, 11 HR, 51 RBI
(Comment: this one's likely to be a huge miss)

Marlon Byrd: .281/.339/.428 in 566 AB; 35 doubles, 14 HR, 72 RBI
(Comment: Looks about right)

Starlin Castro: .310/.359/.428 in 565 AB; 39 doubles, 4 HR, 60 RBI, 15 SB
(Comment: we'd all be real happy with this)

Tyler Colvin: .259/.307/.471 in 514 AB; 25 doubles, 24 HR, 75 RBI
(Comment: that'd be good, too)

Blake DeWitt: .252/.327/.372 in 341 AB: 17 doubles, 6 HR, 40 RBI
(Comment: I think he'll be better than this and get more time. You may disagree)

Kosuke Fukudome: .263/.367/.431 in 490 AB; 34 doubles, 14 HR, 60 RBI
(Comment: If this is it, they really do need to deal him)

Aramis Ramirez: .275/.342/.498 in 472 AB; 28 doubles, 24 HR, 89 RBI
(Comment: this is clearly influenced by his last two injury prone years. He'll be better)

Alfonso Soriano: .257/.317/.474 in 483 AB; 31 doubles, 24 HR, 66 RBI
(Comment: influenced by injury filled 2009; he will be better, I believe)

Geovany Soto: .276/.373/.486 in 434 AB; 29 doubles, 20 HR, 72 RBI
(Comment: works for me)

And, just for grins:

Adam Dunn: .247/.373/.511 in 587 AB; 31 doubles, 39 HR, 102 RBI
Adam LaRoche: .261/.333/.470 in 536 AB; 38 doubles, 24 HR, 86 RBI

Pitchers (note -- there was no projection given for Andrew Cashner):

Casey Coleman: 6-7, 4.11. 23 games, 15 starts, 114 IP, 44 BB, 59 K
(Comment: skewed by his relief appearances in 2010. If he makes the team, it'll be as a starter)

Ryan Dempster: 12-11, 3.83. 34 games, 34 starts, 199 IP, 89 BB, 192 K
(Comment: probably about right, except I think he can drop that ERA about half a run)

Tom Gorzelanny: 7-8, 4.06. 28 games, 26 starts, 133 IP, 56 BB, 106 K
(Comment: too low on the W-L record; like Coleman, he'll start if he's on the team)

Carlos Marmol: 6-4, 42 saves, 3.14. 79 appearances, 83 IP, 51 BB, 105 K
(Comment: too high on appearances and IP; too low on strikeouts)

Sean Marshall: 4-4, 0 saves, 3.84. 75 appearances, 68 IP, 25 BB, 56 K
(Comment: he'll probably pick up a random save or three. Also, the ERA looks too high)

James Russell: 2-4, 0 saves, 5.71. 61 appearances, 52 IP, 15 BB, 39 K
(Comment: they don't have a lot of data to go on. This could be one of their big misses a year from now, because I think Russell is on target for a big improvement)

Carlos Silva: 6-9, 4.80. 24 games, 24 starts, 133 IP, 25 BB, 61 K
(Comment: impossible to project, really, based on his injury history)

Randy Wells: 11-12, 4.12. 31 games, 31 starts, 211 IP, 65 BB, 152 K
(Comment: that projection gives him an average of seven innings per start. If so, he'll be a lot better than the projected numbers)

Carlos Zambrano: 14-11, 3.67. 33 games, 33 starts, 221 IP, 100 BB, 188 K
(Comment: too high on the walks, I think. I'm projecting Z to have a big year in 2011)

And just for grins:

Kerry Wood: 4-3, 25 saves, 3.48. 57 games, 62 IP, 28 BB, 69 K
(Comment: that'd be a decent year for him as a closer; he could possibly be one somewhere. Obviously, his numbers would be different in a setup role)