Night & Day Events

Thursday, September 30
Men and women have lived together since the dawn of humanity, yet they still don’t know how to get along. Are we not evolved? Do chimpanzees quibble over whose turn it is to clean the melon rinds out of the sleeping nest? Does the lioness ever say to her lion, “You’re not going out in that mane, are you?” It’s a fact of nature that creatures of every species must mate to survive. The problem arises in the sticking-around-afterward part. But before hitting the eject button yet again, try the couple-communication class at the University of Missouri Extension Center (1507 South Noland Road in Independence) from 6 to 8 p.m. today and continuing every Thursday for the next four weeks. The cost is $117 a couple — roughly the price of dinner, drinks and a movie. To register, call Nina Chen at 816-252-5051.

Fret not, singletons; we haven’t forgotten you. (We can’t — we are you.) The Hall Center for the Humanities presents “Security in the New Age of the 21st Century,“ a lecture by former U.S. Senator Gary Hart, at 7 p.m. at the University of Kansas’ Lied Center (1600 Stewart Drive in Lawrence). The first presidential debate screens immediately afterward, and Hart moderates a discussion. We’re so glad we’re unattached. Call 785-864-7822 for more information.

Friday, October 1

Sometimes when we walk past storefronts, we swear those mannequins are moving. Pre-Sex and the City Kim Cattrall comes to life in all her blond glory, and our mind’s soundtrack starts playing Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.” Ah, Mannequin … yet another stunning Andrew McCarthy-James Spader tour de force. Why can’t it be 1987 every year? Anyway, that’s what we thought of when we heard about “Display,“ a 15-minute Aha! dance-troupe piece set to music by Ingrid Stolzel at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. in the window of the Dolphin Gallery (1901 Baltimore). Call 816-523-6732 for more information.

Saturday, October 2

As a decorating motif, death has yet to catch on in the mainstream. Though goth culture and the resurgence of zombie movies such as 28 Days Later and Shaun of the Dead are doing their part to spread the undead, we doubt we’ll see a coffee table made of human bones at Pottery Barn anytime soon. American purveyors of aesthetics could take a lesson from Mexico’s D a de los Muertos festival, which proves that death is a great excuse to throw a fiesta. For decorating tips, we’ll stop by the Mattie Rhodes Art Gallery (1740 Jefferson) and check out its D í a de los Muertos exhibit. The opening celebration continues today from 1 to 9 p.m. with mariachis, dancers, drummers, circus performers and even a costume parade, which we’ll watch from a safe distance — some of those people may not be in costume. Call 816-221-2349.

Sunday, October 3

Sociologists say that urban loft living is appealing because it reflects the aesthetics of contemporary art galleries and offers people who are seeking culture capital a nostalgic retreat into the safety and sterility of a converted industrial space. We just think it would be cool to live way up in an old factory. Lofty Ideals spotlights 16 downtown lofts, providing insight into a life free of the walls, carpet, doors and other trappings of the proletarian house dweller. Today, we can pay $25 and see the lofts on our own, whereas yesterday, on the guided tour, we might have had to be around people who actually can afford urban living. In any case, all the money goes to the Kansas City Free Health Clinic, which we never want to see converted to lofts. Call 816-777-2764 for details.

Monday, October 4

The city’s One Percent for Art program, which dedicates 1 percent of the cost of municipal construction projects to artwork for those projects, is seeking ideas for the convention center renovation and expansion. Interested artists should send their résumés, ideas and sample slides by 5 p.m. today to the Municipal Art Commission. (There’s a whole process and lots of rules, so call Porter Arneill at 816-513-2529 for details.) The budget for the entire program is $1.2 million. That’s a lot of money, honey — so get crackin’.

Tuesday, October 5

Comic books, a field long geared toward guys, has seen a recent surge in popularity among teenage and twentysomething females thanks to Japanese manga. As The Boston Globe reports, the girls dig it because a lot of it is like “the O.C. in graphic novel form.” We want to know what all the fuss is about, so we’re checking out author and expert Frederik Schodt’s lecture “Japanese Manga and American Comics: The Pop Culture Mind-Meld” at 7:30 p.m. at KU’s Alderson Auditorium (on the fourth floor of the Kansas Memorial Union, 1301 Jayhawk Boulevard). Schodt’s presentation is only part of the university’s fiftieth birthday celebration for, um, Godzilla. Throughout October, the campus hosts book signings, exhibits and readings, culminating in a three-day conference and film festival. History professor William Tsutsui and Japanese-studies librarian Michiko Ito have invited a host of Godzilla and monster experts, and a documentary film crew plans to be in Lawrence to interview fans. For more information, call the school’s Center for East Asian Studies at 785-864-3849.

Wednesday, October 6

Grossology, the exhibit at Science City in Union Station (30 West Pershing Road), may be designed for kids, but interactive features such as “Tour de Nose,” “Gas Attack,” “Urine the Game” and the “GI Slide” inspire us not only to go but also to drag all our friends. Because in a culture racked by neuroses over appearances, where even a single divot of cellulite on the back of a thigh is considered unattractive, anything that celebrates the lower functions of the body should be enjoyed by young and old alike. After all, we all look the same on the inside, and even Gisele Bundchen has to let one rip every once in a while. The exhibit is free with Science City admission ($8.95 for adults; $6.95 for seniors and children). Call 816-460-2020 for more information.