Res Publica

For more details and events, see Community Listings.

Hey, candidates! If you'd like your campaign events listed, send details to calendar@austinchronicle.com.

Thursday19

AUSTIN WOMEN FIREFIGHTERS CALENDAR PARTY Schmooze with the Austin Fire Department's better half and buy a calendar or three. 6:30-10pm. Cool River Cafe, 4001 W. Parmer, 835-0010. ($15 per calendar; proceeds benefit the Firefighter Outreach Fund.) www.austinfirefightersfund.org.

CAP METRO SERVICE PLAN OPEN HOUSE Tell Cap Metro what you think of new service plan changes. 6-7:30pm. Pleasant Hill Branch Library, 211 E. William Cannon, 389-7565. www.capmetro.org/serviceplan2020 .

JUDGE OLGA SEELIG FUNDRAISER 5:30-7:30pm. Big Red Sun, 1102 E. Cesar Chavez, 848-3130. Donations appreciated. www.olgaseelig.com.

LOCAVORE DINNER Bring produce from your garden during the day to the chefs at Daily Juice to be whipped up into a meal. Tonight, BYOB and enjoy live music to celebrate Austin Green Art's fifth anniversary. 6pm. Daily Juice Cafe, 4500 Duval St. $25, suggested donation. www.austingreenart.org.

PARTNER BENEFITS RALLY City of Austin's got 'em. A good chunk of the U.S. government's got 'em. How come UT doesn't got 'em? Noon. Texas Union, UT campus, 24th & Guadalupe. www.utgsc.com.

RELIGION & POLITICS TALK Center for Inquiry presents Robert Jensen discussing his movement from atheism to Christianity and how religion can be consistent with radical politics. 7pm. UT campus, Chemical and Petroleum Engin­eering Bldg., Rm. 2.214. www.centerforinquiry.net/austin.

Friday20

BILL SPELMAN OFFICE HOURS An opportunity to chat it up with your local council member. 2-4pm. Starbucks, 9300 S. I-35, 974-2256. Free. deena.estrada@ci.austin.tx.us.

COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK APPRECIATION RECEPTION 4-6pm. Mexican American Cultural Center, 600 River St. www.caction.org.

PEOPLE UNITED features Pulitzer Prize-winning author Chris Hedges and journalist Robert Jensen on Christianity, corporate capitalism, and empire. 1pm. KOOP Radio 91.7FM. www.koop.org.

Saturday21

EMPTY BOWL PREVIEW PARTY First dibs at the handcrafted bowls that will be sold tomorrow; proceeds benefit the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas. 6-9pm. Mexican American Cultural Center, 600 River St. $75. www.austinemptybowl.org.

THE REAL MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS Meet the man who partly inspired the new George Clooney film. Local writer Paul H. Smith was assigned to the military psychic espionage program and wrote a book about it, Reading the Enemy's Mind. 7pm. BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar. Free. www.ionsaustin.org.

UT VS. A&M BLOOD DRIVE pits UT blood donors against A&M bleeders to see who comes out on top. One lucky donor will walk away with tickets to the big game. Sat.-Wed., Nov. 21-25. 206-1266. www.inyourhands.org/newsandevents.php.

WOMEN AND FAIR TRADE FAIR American Friends Service Committee hosts this gathering of eight cooperatives from around the world, sharing their stories of the adverse effects of globalization while selling handcrafted textiles, toys, pottery, and more. (See "Fair Squared.") Sat.-Sun., Nov. 21-22. 10am-6pm. 1221 E. Sixth. www.womenandfairtrade.org.

Sunday22

EMPTY BOWL PROJECT Delicious soup served in a one-of-a-kind handcrafted bowl ... that you get to keep! Benefits the Capital Area Food Bank's Kids Cafe program. 11am-3pm. Mexican American Cul­tural Center, 600 River St. www.austinemptybowl.org.

LAUNCH PARTY: GREAT PUBLIC SPACES FOR AUSTIN Join in on some yoga, street games, or a group mural – or just sit back and enjoy the entertainment. 1-3pm. HOPE Farmers Market, E. Fifth & Waller. www.hotpca.org.

PEACE CORPS GATHERING A potluck for past and future Peace Corps volunteers and their families. 11:30am. Girl Scout Cabin, 2317 Columbus Dr., Zilker Park, 669-1927. Free. www.hotpca.org.

PRISM: UT LGBT CATHOLICS Explore what it means to be Catholic and gay, or even gay-friendly. 6pm. University Catholic Center, 2010 University Ave., 476-7351. www.utcatholic.org.

Tuesday24

AUSTIN IONS MEETING Mark Sebesta, former Jung Society of Austin president, discusses shamanistic approaches to societal change. 6:30pm. First Unitarian Universalist Church, 4700 Grover, 258-9878. Free. www.ionsaustin.org.

OUTCAST A show for and about the Central Texas LGBT population, co-hosted by the Chronicle's very own Kate X Messer. Tuesdays, 6-7pm. KOOP Radio 91.7FM. www.koop.org.

Ongoing

ACCESS GALLERY HOLIDAY SHOW Support VSA arts of Texas and local artists with disabilities when you purchase any of the gift-worthy items from more than 20 artists. Through Jan. 9. Access Gal­lery, 3701 Guadalupe #103, 454-9912. www.vsatx.org.

PROJECT HELP This AISD initiative matches generous locals with needy families, providing them with gifts for the holidays. Call 414-3690 to register and receive a family's wish list. Wrapped gifts should be brought to the Alternative Learning Center, portable #451, 901 Neal, by Tuesday, Dec. 8. www.austinisd.org/academics/sss/projecthelp.