Naked City

Texas Environmental Democrats of Austin will hold a rally tonight (Thursday), 6:30-8:30pm at Threadgill's, 301 W. Riverside. All Dem hopefuls on the Travis Co. ballot have been invited. Iced tea and appetizers are free; bar drinks will cost you.

Vote2002 will hold a 40-hour voter registration marathon from 8am Sunday, Oct. 6, until midnight the next day, at the Fiesta supermarket at I-35 and 38th. Oct. 7 is the deadline to register for the Nov. 5 election. Several candidates and elected officials will attend. For more info, call 462-2727.

Austin's Police Oversight Citizen Review Panel will hold its first meeting Oct. 7 at 6pm at Waller Creek Center, 625 E. 10th. Prior to the meeting, Police Monitor Iris Jones will brief the panel on the Sophia King case. Citizens wishing to speak must sign up before 7pm.

Oct. 7 marks one year since the U.S. began bombing Afghanistan. Don't you feel less terrorized? With a replay now scheduled against Iraq, Green Party gubernatorial candidate Rahul Mahajan, photographer Alan Pogue, and other peaceful people will gather Saturday, Oct. 5 at Republic Square for a rally and march against the pending war. The rally begins at 2pm, with the march at 2:30pm to the Federal Building (Ninth and San Jacinto), followed by speakers and music. For updates, visit www.austinagainstwar.org. And tonight (Thursday), at 6:30pm, the Austin Open Public Forum is hosting a discussion of the war at the Windsor Branch of the Austin Public Library (5833 Westminster). For more info, call 451-7325.

The UT chapter of Amnesty International will host a speech by Colombian human rights activists Carolina Aldana and Eder Jair Sanchez on the actual impact of U.S. military aid intended to combat illicit drugs and illegal armed groups in that country. Tuesday, Oct. 8, 6:30pm, in the Texas Union Sinclair Room (UT campus, 24th & Guadalupe). Call 797-5576 or e-mail andes@igc.org for info.

State and local officials want more input as they prepare to create a regional mobility authority -- a sort of mini-TxDOT -- to build roads in Central Texas. (Travis and Williamson counties are on board, but the city of Austin has grave concerns.) Hearings will be held Oct. 8 at the TxDOT offices at 200 E. Riverside, and Oct. 9 at the Williamson Co. offices in Cedar Park (350 Discovery), both nights at 6pm.

National media activists Robert Lichter of the Center for Media and Public Affairs and Steve Rendall of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting will discuss "Media Bias: The Liberal/Conservative Debate and Beyond,-- at Bass Lecture Hall at UT's LBJ School of Public Affairs, Red River and 26th, Thursday, Oct. 17, 7pm. Call 471-1990 for more info.

Noam Chomsky roars into town for several events the weekend of Oct. 19. That evening, he's the keynote speaker at the Texas Civil Rights Project Dinner ($75) -- a fundraiser for TCRP (www.texascivilrightsproject.org). Earlier on Saturday, Chomsky will take part in a student conference on alternatives to globalization hosted by the Texas Fair Trade Coalition (Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 1206 E. Ninth, www.texasfairtrade.org). At noon Sunday, Oct. 20, Chomsky will speak at UT's LBJ Auditorium -- doors open at 11:30am (www.austinagainstwar.org).