Small venue, raucous show, lots of water, lots of beer. Plus . . . surfing, skydiving, bank robbing, and guns! I haven't seen the movie, but now I'm left really scratching my head -- this must be a truly weird film.

Point Break Live is a lot of fun, and quite funny. If you want to really be a part of it, you can sit in front and get drenched -- they provide ponchos. Otherwise, you can sit in the back and watch the excitement from a safe distance.

Our Keanu (picked from the audience) really got his timing and expressions right. Point Break Live is worth seeing whether or not you've actually seen Point Break, the movie.

Couleur Cafe has a very French feel to it. Not French like, "Dress up and hold on to your wallet. We're going out for French food," but French like a regular neighborhood bistro. If you go there, you'll actually hear the French language spoken in the cafe.

Sometimes the place seems unnervingly empty, but on weekend days, the patio fills with customers. They have some good seafood dishes, as well as eggs and sandwiches.

If you happen to work in the Crossroads building, it's often the only choice. I particularly enjoy the breakfast burritos, although they are a guilty pleasure. The sandwiches are pretty good, too. Nevertheless, their espresso is basically undrinkable. Skip it, but do get a cookie. Those are pretty good.

Beth and Ramzi have taken Chiotras Grocery, which already was a nice neighborhood store, and turned it into something truly special. They offer a good selection of wines, organic food, as well as sandwiches and coffee. More than once, I have mentioned to one of them that I like a particular item, only to find it on their shelves a few days later. Chiotras Grocery is a real benefit to Potrero Hill.

For some reason, they really like Rush at Thee Parkside. Are they Canadian?

Anyway, if you're ever playing Thee Parkside, you might want to throw in a few Rush covers.

Thee Parkside is a good place to go for a greasy meal and some beers, and to hear some live music. It's also the closest bar to Jackson Park, so if you're playing ball there, you can stop in for a drink at Thee Parkside afterwards.

Borderlands has an excellent selection, knowledgeable staff, and visits from well-known authors.

Dos Piñas is an easy place to go if you're in Potrero Hill. Located on the corner of 16th and Rhode Island, it's an easy walk from much of the neighborhood, as well as from Soma. We go there on a fairly regular basis.

The food is pretty good, the staff is friendly, and there's plenty of space. It's a good place to take kids, and they have high chairs.

On the downside, once you've experienced the better Mission burritos, Dos Piñas comes up a little short. The quality just isn't quite as high as, say, Farolito, Papalote, or Taqueria Cancun. They often make mistakes on our order, which can be frustrating when people have food allergies or when one is ordering for small children.

We're still happy customers, but if it wasn't the only choice, we'd probably go somewhere else.

Goat Hill Pizza has been a Potrero Hill institution since the 70s. Their pizza is quite tasty, as is their ravioli and lasagna. They serve wine and beer, and it's a pleasant place to take kids. We find ourselves there at least once a week.

Axis Cafe is a great place to get a good meal, drink some good coffee, and go online.

Relaxed atmosphere, good food, friendly staff. Moki's is a great place for a date night.

This is gonna be Little Fuzzy's last show! If you want to see Douglas Fir, Blue Spruce, Cherry Pine, Santa Cruise, and maybe even Freshnut, be at the Makeout room on December 12th!

Or is it vice versa? Either way, what's not to like? I try to catch them (at ever bigger venues) whenever they come to town.

When I was five, I loved the song, "Fly Like an Eagle." It wasn't really about the song, however. It was that it was a song about THE FUTURE.

Suzanne Vega is a musician of wide-ranging talents and interests, who has gone far beyond her folk roots.

In this documentary, Michael Moore presents stories of U.S. citizens who have insurance but who cannot get the medical care they need. He contrasts the system in the United States, where people are often denied care when they cannot pay, with those in Canada, Britain, France and even Cuba, where medical care is free.

Moore does a great job of showing the human side of the health care problem. If you like Moore's ironic humor, you'll enjoy this film. If you cringe at his confrontational style, you'll be relieved that he tones it down here, with the notable exception of his visit to Guantanamo Bay.

This film is also less explicitly partisan than his earlier works, and the health care issue concerns both conservatives and liberals. Some viewers might find his emotional use of personal stories manipulative, but this approach is to be expected in a Michael Moore film.

It's hard to do a good job of presenting policy in a film that lasts less than two hours. Nevertheless, this viewer left the film wondering why the U.S. can't build a health care system as good as those in nations like Canada, France, or Britain.

My wife was seeing this film for the second time because she enjoyed it so much. She thought it was improbable, however, that the Katherine Heigl character would end up with Seth Rogen's Ben Stone. I assumed she was referring to the discrepancy in appearance. Nope, it's not about looks. It's because Heigl's Alison Scott is ambitious and Ben is a total slacker.

Nevertheless, Ben's fraternity-like stoner lifestyle is a great illustration of how unprepared many parents feel for having kids. The interplay between the two couples -- one experienced and unhappy, the other totally new and bewildered -- lends itself to unexpected humor.

I thought the movie was very funny, although I can imagine it would be awkward to watch for couples on a first or second date. I wasn't laughing quite as loud as I did during "The 40 Year Old Virgin" (also directed by Judd Apatow), but I enjoyed it just as much.