-- Carmen Jones: Based off of Georges Bizet's famous French opera Carmen, the adaptation was made into a successful Broadway musical, and then a '50s film staring Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, and Pearl Bailey. Now, see it again on stage right here in SF. The curtain goes up tonight at the African-American Art & Culture Complex (762 Fulton); $15. -- The Halloween Friday Night Skate: Rollerskate (or blade) in your Halloween costume without breaking......

One of the best things about living in San Francisco is all the film festivals! We thought we were on top of them, and then we just found out this weekend that the SF Black Film Festival is starting later this week too. We can't keep up! The Ninth Annual Black Film Festival runs this weekend and next at the Theater Artaud and the African-American Art and Culture Complex, and is featuring African and African-American......

SFist Rita's watching the Schwarzen for the next two weeks as SFist Jon takes a well-deserved vacation! Approval levels in the 36 percent range -- are we talking about Bush or the California governor? What's the SchwartzenWatcher got cooking for you today? The governor's veto-happy! It's not just gay marriage, either -- he also just vetoed the bill that was going to double fines for traffic violators on 19th Avenue. Activists with relatives killed on 19th Avenue are furious, especially since Mr. Governor gave no reason for the veto except saying that we needed more traffic safety awareness in general. Personally, we're also impressed with the Examiner's headline on this article: "GOVERNOR STEPS IN FRONT OF HIGHER 19TH AVE. FINES." Now, we've been saying for some time, what kind of guy decides he's going to pick a fight with teachers, nurses, and firefighters in the first place? (you know, "People like me.") Aren't these the most beloved people in the world? Why not just take a stance against puppies too while you're at it? Well, ask and ye shall receive -- Schwarzenegger has announced that he will be vetoing a bill aimed at stopping the sale of puppies that are too young to leave their mothers by the puppy mill industry. We are so excited for protests with nurses in white uniforms, firefighters in suspenders, and little puppies with signs around their neck that say "ARF! for Angelides!" Grrrrrr, you say! What can be done? Well -- as SFist MattyMatt says, there's a protest tonight about gay marriage at the state building at 455 Golden Gate (between Larkin and Polk) from 4:30-7. If you're more of a uniony type, Alliance For a Better California is organizing a precinct walk about the special election on Saturday. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at the African-American Art and Cultural Complex at 762 Fulton Street. Picture from the OC Register...

This week on stage: a revolutionary "Richard III," the traveling medicine show returns, a piece about the American Taliban, and some shows you should see before they close....

Quick, name the poet who wrote these verses? "As we know/There are known knowns/There are things we know we know." Or these: "Things will not be necessarily continuous/The fact that they are something other than perfectly continuous\ Ought not to be characterized as a pause." John Donne? William Blake? Jewel? Nope, it's the words and wisdom of everyone's favorite Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfield. This Saturday night, the always rocking Noe Valley Ministry has a performance......