Res Publica

Thursday04

OAK HILL PLANNING & ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK convenes its very first meeting tonight, open to anyone interested in maintaining the natural beauty of the Oak Hill area. 7pm. ACC Pinnacle Campus, 7748 Hwy. 290 W. [email protected].

POLITICAL ACTION BOOK CLUB Join in the discussion of George Lakoff's Don't Think of an Elephant! followed by a brainstorming session on changing the world for the better. 6:30pm. Wells Branch Library, 15001 Wells Port Dr., 989-3188. Free.[email protected].

Friday05

HOT SCIENCE – COOL TALKS Find out what the shrinking of Greenland's glaciers means for us in this talk from geophysics professor Ginny Catania. 5:45pm (activities/workshops); 7pm (lecture). UT campus, Welch Hall 2.224. Free. www.esi.utexas.edu/outreach/lectures.html.

WEIRDEST COMMUTE CONTEST Combat climate change, and help kick off Commute Solutions Month at this lunchtime party featuring a contest for those who arrive in the strangest forms of transportation. One past winner rode a motorized bar stool. Think you can beat that? If so, you might win a pair of tickets to ACL. 11am-1pm. Republic Square, Fourth & Guadalupe. www.rcride.com.

Saturday06

TRAVIS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY VOLUNTEER KICKOFF Eat breakfast, meet candidates, schmooze with elected officials, and sign up for a volunteer shift or three. 10am-2pm. Travis County Democratic Party, 1107 N. I-35. www.turntexasblue.com/savethedates.

Sunday07

ATHEISTS IN THE MILITARY A talk from retired Air Force Col. Oak DeBerg, presented by the Atheist Community of Austin. 12:15pm. Austin History Center, 810 Guadalupe, 371-2911. www.atheist-community.org.

OUR ENERGY FUTURE A talk from Michael E. Webber of the LBJ School's Center for Interna­tional Energy & Environmental Policy. 11:30am. First Unitarian Universalist Church, 4700 Grover, 452-6168. Free. www.austinuu.org.

PRIME TIMERS AUSTIN MEETING features special guest Tom Doyle, owner of Austin's first openly gay bookstore, Liberty Books, and one of five plaintiffs in Morales v. Texas, the challenge to the Texas sodomy law. Prime Timers is a group for gay and bi men 21 years and older. 2pm. Austin History Center, 810 Guadalupe, 499-7480.

Monday08

TRANSPORTATION POLICY BOARD PUB­LIC MEETING The Capital Area Metro­politan Plan­ning Organization wants your input on proposed changes to various transportation projects around the region. Fill out the questionnaire at www.campotexas.org, or attend tonight's hearing. 6pm. UT Thompson Center, 26th & Red River.

LIVE MUSIC TASK FORCE MEETING 6pm. City Hall, 301 W. Second, 974-2250. www.cityofaustin.org/council/livemusictaskforce.htm.

Wednesday10

OUT & EQUAL SUMMIT This national, four-day event addresses LGBT issues in the workplace. Wed.-Sat., Sept. 10-13. Austin Convention Center, 500 E. Cesar Chavez, 415/694-6518. www.outandequal.org/summit/2008.

TRAVIS COUNTY GREEN PARTY MEETING 7:30pm. Maria's Taco Xpress, 2529 S. Lamar, 444-0261. www.traviscountygreens.org.

UT RAIL MEETING When Austin finally gets streetcar service, don't you want it to run through UT campus? Meet like-mindeds tonight, and help make it happen. (See "Naked City" for more.) 6pm. UT campus, Goldsmith Hall, Rm. 3.120. www.rail4real.org.

Upcoming

SEVEN STRAIGHT NIGHTS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS You know you love the gays. But do they know it? It's important to show them – and your legislators – how you feel. Luckily, you've got seven whole nights to do it. Sun.-Sat., Sept. 14-20. Texas Capitol. www.sevenstraightnights.org.

Your Thoughts on ...

... URBAN RAIL The city wants your input on the light-rail proposal that would connect the airport, the Riverside corridor, the Long Center, the Central Business District, the Capitol, and the UT/Mueller/Manor Road areas of town. Public meetings will be held all week, each focusing on a different portion of the route. Downtown Core: Thu., Sept. 4, 9-11am, and Wed., Sept. 10, 6-8pm, at City Hall, 301 W. Second. Riverside Cor­ridor: Fri., Sept. 5, 10am-noon, at Daniel E. Ruiz Library, 1600 Grove; and Mon., Sept. 8, 6-8pm, at Montopolis Recreation Center, 1200 Montopolis. UT/Mueller/Manor Road: Tue., Sept. 9, 6-8pm, at Rosewood Recreation Center, 1182 N. Pleasant Val­ley. www.cityofaustin.org/downtown/dap_urban_rail.htm.

... THE STATE OF WOMEN'S HEALTH CARE Ladies: What are your health-care needs and priorities? The Healthy Women, Healthy Families coalition wants to know so that when the Legislature convenes in January, they can tell them about the health-care challenges Texas women like you face every day. See www.healthywomenhealthyfamilies.org to fill out the survey.