Friday 4/25 – Thursday 5/1
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26 SATURDAY The Chicago Greens–one of the groups that used to organize Chicago’s annual Earth Day festivities–started boycotting the event two years ago, when Com Ed became its primary corporate sponsor. This year Earth Day has been canceled altogether due to “today’s uncertain funding climate,” says the Chicago Earth Month Coalition, which is encouraging people to visit the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum on Sunday instead. Meanwhile, the Greens are holding a free lineup of lectures called Earthday: From Chernobyl to Baghdad, which will address such topics as the use of depleted uranium missiles in Iraq, environmental terrorism, clean-air struggles at the Fisk and Crawford coal plants in Little Village and Pilsen, and the transport of high-level radioactive waste through Illinois to Nevada’s Yucca Mountain (part of a measure signed into law by the president several months ago). It runs from 10 to 3 today at Columbia College’s Ferguson Auditorium, 600 S. Michigan; bring your lunch. For more call 312-939-2539.
The Field Museum’s Eternal Egypt: Masterworks of Ancient Art From the British Museum exhibit opened yesterday, exploring 3,000 years of Egyptian civilization through 155 works that complement the museum’s permanent exhibit “Inside Ancient Egypt.” To guide visitors through the maze of mummies and hieroglyphics, the Oriental Institute’s Robert Ritner will give an illustrated lecture called “Eternity Held Captive: The Social and Religious Context of Egyptian Art.” It starts at 2 at the Field, located at 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive and open from 9 to 5 today. Admission to the talk is $12 ($10 for students and teachers) plus museum admission ($10, $8 for Chicago residents, $4 for children under 11). To reserve a space call 312-665-7400.
30 WEDNESDAY Veronica Diaz opened her No Friction Cafe down the street from a Starbucks in Logan Square last year. She describes her place as “pretty multicultural,” with programming that includes live jazz, poetry, dance workshops, game nights, and exhibits by local artists. She also offers high-speed Internet access for $5 an hour. “It’s pretty friendly around here,” she says. “I’m Mexican, and a lot of people try to be cute and start speaking Spanish with me.” So tonight she’ll launch Spanish conversation tables, an informal (and free) night of dialogue in which people can sip joe and improve their language skills at one of the mosaic-covered tables designed by Diaz. It runs from 6 to 8 at the cafe, 2502 N. California (773-235-2757).
