THURSDAY, MAY 15

7:30 PM. George Johnson on "Beautiful Experiments." George Johnson, science writer for The New York Times, shows how diligence and a curious mind have led to remarkable scientific insights: Galilieo and gravity, Newton and light, and more. In The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments, he tells the stories of fascinating experiments that illuminate the history of science. Tickets $5 at the door only. Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Avenue, Seattle. Info: http://www.townhallseattle.org

FRIDAY, MAY 16

7-9:30 PM. Film: "King Corn." "King Corn" is a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation. With the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, and powerful herbicides, they plant and grow a bumper crop of America's most-productive, most-subsidized grain on one acre of Iowa soil. But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat and how we farm. Followed by discussion. Free, donations kindly accepted. Keystone Church, 5019 Keystone Pl, Seattle. Info: http://www.meaningfulmovies.org

SATURDAY, MAY 17

and Sunday, May 18. University District Street Fair. In the U-district, on "the Ave" (University Way) from Campus Parkway to NE 50th St, Seattle.

2:30 PM. Town Hall and Seattle International Children's Festival present Family World Music Party. The performance features Afro-Columbian singer Petrona Martinez performing the traditional style known as Bullerengue (rhythmic songs originally sung only by pregnant women). Also on the bill is Reem Kelani, one of the foremost scholars and performers of Palestinian music. Tickets $15/ $10, available at http://www.ticketwindowonline.com or 206-325-6500. Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center. Info: http://www.seattleinternational.org

4 PM. Second Annual Northwest Indigenous Film Festival. The festival will screen a diverse group of new and experimental short and feature films either created by, or made about, indigenous peoples. Tickets: $5-8.50 ($3 for students). Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave at Pike, Seattle.

SUNDAY, MAY 18

10 AM. Seattle Human Rights Torch Relay and Free Concert. A global grassroots campaign to raise awareness of, and stop, the Chinese Communist regime's human rights crimes prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Sign in 9:30 AM at Hing Hay Park (423 Maynard Ave S). Torch Walk leaves at 10 AM to Westlake Park Concert and Rally at Westlake Park, 4th & Pine Street Concert with Artis the Spoonman, JMinus, and guests. Organizers ask that no flags (i.e., Tibetan flags) be brought. Signs with a "Human Rights in Tibet" message are welcome. Info: http://humanrightstorch.org

2 PM. The Long Journey Home: Honoring the UW Nikkei Students of 1941-1942. This event will honor and recognize all Japanese-American students who were forced to leave campus in May, 1942, to report to internment camps. Kane Hall, University of Washington, Seattle.

5-7 PM. An Evening with the Snoqualmie: Celebrating the Sacred Mist. The Church Council of Greater Seattle and the Lutheran Public Policy Office of Washington invite you to enjoy an evening of dinner and fellowship with members of the Snoqualmie Tribe. Tribal members will share stories of the Falls including an update on Snoqualmie Falls legal status as a sacred place. This will also be a fundraiser to defray legal costs. $15 per person or $25 for two. Seattle First Baptist, 1111 Harvard Ave., Seattle. RSVP to the Church Council, 206-525-1213.

TUESDAY, MAY 20

7:30 PM. Arianna Huffington on "Right is Wrong." For Arianna Huffington, the problem with the Republican Party is not that it is at odds with the views of progressives but that it is at odds with the views of the American people. By significant majorities, Americans believe in the science of evolution, don't want Roe v. Wade overturned, don't want to ignore global warming, want good health care for their kids, and want to bring our troops home from Iraq. Tickets are $5 at the door only. Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Ave. at Seneca St, Seattle. Info: 206-652-4255; 206-624- 6600; or http://www.elliottbaybook.com; http://www.townhallseattle.org

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21

Noon-1 PM. Performance: "Faces of America." Written entirely from interviews and workshops held across the country "Faces" has been described as the first truly multicultural portrayal of Americans ever created, and "edu-tainment" at its best. "Faces" tells the stories of a rich variety of people, including a Japanese-Hungarian woman, an East Indian American woman, an African- American man, and a mixed-blood, lesbian American. Clock Tower Stage, South Seattle Community College, 6000 16th Ave. SW, Seattle. Info: Jo Anderson 206-768- 6455 or janderson@sccd.ctc.edu

7:30 PM. Fareed Zakaria: Rise of the Rest. Former PBS host and present editor of Newsweek International, Fareed Zakaria, has written a new book titled, "The Post-American World," whose thesis is that the US will no longer dominate the global economy, orchestrate politics, or overwhelm cultures in the foreseeable future. The growth and influence of countries like China, India, Brazil, and Russia will reshape the world. Tickets $5 at the door only. Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Ave. at Seneca St, Seattle. Info: http://www.townhallseattle.org

THURSDAY, MAY 22

5:30-7 PM. Campaign to raise $150,000 by asking Seattle-ites to reinvest stimulus tax rebates in housing program for vets and other homeless. Support Our Vets, Bring Them Homes, a grassroots organization founded by a Seattle grandmother, is urging recipients of the Bush administration's so-called Economic Stimulus Payments to donate part or all of their payments to Lake City Court, an affordable housing project being built in North Seattle. The new construction project will have 75 units, 38 of which are specifically designated for housing chronically homeless veterans.

Those who wish to dedicate all or part of their stimulus rebate to the program can send their tax deductible contributions to: LIHI, 2407 1st Ave., Seattle, or go to the website: www.lihi.org/stimulus

FRIDAY, MAY 23

7-9:30 PM. Film: "American Democracy Movie Night." This month's is "Cheney's Law." Frontline examines the battle over the power of the presidency and Cheney's way of looking at the Constitution. As the White House and Congress continue to face off over executive privilege, the terrorist surveillance program, and the firing of US attorneys, Frontline tells the story of what's formed the views of the man behind what some view as the most ambitious project to reshape the power of the president in American history. Discussion will follow. King County Library Administrative Services Office, 960 Newport Way, NW, Issaquah.

through Monday, May 26. 11 AM-11 PM. 37th Annual Northwest Folklife Festival. Experience music, food, arts and crafts from a variety of Seattle's ethnic communities. Over 7,000 participating artists and 270 vendors will give visitors the chance to celebrate cultural traditions from all over the world. With 27 stages and venues throughout the 74-acre Seattle Center campus, it's one of the largest free events in North America. This year, the Northwest Folklife Festival focuses on the cultures and traditions of Native Americans who make their homes in the cities of the Pacific Northwest. Free and family-friendly, (suggested donation is $10 per person each day, and $20 per family with children each day). Seattle Center. Info: http://www.seattlecenter.com/festal

WEDNESDAY, MAY 28

7:30 PM. Forum: Death with Dignity or Assisted Suicide? Oregon is currently the only state in the nation that allows assisted suicide or patient-directed dying. Former Governor Booth Gardner has filed an initiative here in Washington which, if passed, would allow some terminally ill patients to receive medication to end their lives. Medical professionals and ethicists discuss the ramifications of the issue, and take questions from the audience. Tickets are $5 at the door only. Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Avenue, Seattle. Info: http://www.townhallseattle.org

1-2 PM. Lecture by Prof. Andrew Frank. Dr. Andrew Frank, professor of engineering at the University of California at Davis, is at the forefront of the alternative technology and Electric Vehicle Movement. His UC Davis FutureCar and FutureTruck teams have consistently placed in the top rankings of these competitions. It is his theory that consumers will not only reap the benefits of lower operating costs, but also improved performance with plug-in hybrids. Clock Tower Stage, South Seattle Community College, 6000 16th Ave. SW, Seattle. Info: Jo Anderson 206-768-6455 or janderson@sccd.ctc.edu

THURSDAY, MAY 29

5:30-10 PM. Raoul Wallenberg Dinner. Keynote speaker: Manli Ho, daughter of Consul General Feng Shan Ho, who helped thousands of Jews from Vienna escape the Holocaust during WWII. $35. Nordic Heritage Museum, 3014 NW 67th St, Seattle. Reservations: Sharmon Cooper 206-789-5707, ext.10.

FRIDAY, MAY 30

7-9:30 PM. Film: US vs. John Lennon, plus the Short: "I Met The Walrus." Followed by discussion. Free, donations kindly accepted. Keystone Church, 5019 Keystone Pl, Seattle. Info: http://www.meaningfulmovies.org

For an excellent and much, much longer compilation of upcoming and ongoing progressive events in Seattle, check out Jean Buskin's Peace Calendar: http://www.scn.org/activism/calendar/ or e-mail her at bb369@scn.org. Also, check out http://www.seattleactivism.org.

Eat the Airwaves

Hear Eat the State! political commentary on Mind Over Matters every Saturday morning from 8:30 to 9:00 on KEXP 90.3 FM. If we can get up that early, the least you can do is turn on your radio and listen! If you can't - you can listen to archived programs on the web.