Synchronicity and Tea

Events of note for the week of May 31-June 6, 2006.

Send listings two weeks in advance to braincity@seattleweekly.com. For a more complete list of events, go to www.seattleweekly.com.

Come to Order! Ever wonder about how fireflies flash in sync or why the human heart beats rythmically? Professor Steven Strogatz of Cornell University will give a lecture on the study of spontaneous order as it arises in nature. He is the author of Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order. Kane Hall, room 120, UW. Free. 7 p.m. Wed., May 31.

Seattle Weekly PickWarriors for Peace Yazir Henry, an anti-apartheid combatant turned peace activist and scholar, will address the questions: How does one make the decision to take up arms in a political struggle? Once the armed struggle has ended, how does one build peace post-war? Henry has been a member of the military wing of the African National Congress, imprisoned for terrorism and treason, and is a co-founder of the Direct Action Centre for Peace and Memory in Cape Town, South Africa. Kane Hall, Room 210, UW, depts.washington.edu/chid/clowescenter.htm. Free. 7 p.m. Wed., May 31.

You Know You’ll Go Everyone is welcome at the CDM Psychic Institute’s weekly meditation hour, followed by a psychic reading demonstration. The meditation hour is designed to teach techniques to help reduce stress, experience inner peace, and consciously create a life. CDM Psychic Institute, 2402 Summit Ave., Everett, 425-258-1449, www.c-d-m.org. Open to donations. Meditation at 7 p.m., psychic demonstration at 8 p.m. every Wednesday.

Hugging Saint Humanitarian Amma, aka the Hugging Saint, embarks on an 11-city tour of North America, offering her healing embrace to all. Amma has been granted official nongovernmental organization status by the United Nations and oversees a vast international network of groups providing direct aid, education, and social programs. Seattle Center Fisher Pavilion. Free. 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thurs., June 1.

Seattle Weekly PickTour, Then Tea See the developments in South Seattle Community College’s 6-acre arboretum, with landscape horticulture students on hand to answer questions. Highlights include the recently completed Coenosium Rock Garden, which boasts a world-class collection of dwarf conifers and alpine plants. Then attend a short program to recognize student accomplishments, enjoy tea and pastries, and complete the day with an illustrated lecture by Lynn Thompson, coordinator of the Seattle-based Great Plant Picks program and a graduate of the landscape horticulture program. South Seattle Community College Arboretum, north entrance, www.dept.seattlecolleges.com/arboretum. Tours begin at 1 p.m., tea at 3 p.m., and lecture at 4:30 p.m., Thurs., June 1.

Meaningful Movies Battle for the Minds, a 52-minute film documenting the rise of fundamentalism in America’s largest Protestant denomination and the impact it has on women, will be shown by the Wallingford Neighbors for Peace and Justice. Keystone Church, 5019 Keystone Place N. Free; donations accepted. 7–9:30 p.m. Fri., June 2.

Change Your Mind Themed stages will offer Buddhist teachings, dance and music, and workshops; and there will be a meditation marathon and a free docent tour of the Seattle Asian Art Museum’s Buddhist art during the seventh annual Buddhist Festival and Change Your Mind Day. Volunteer Park lawn, Capitol Hill, www.nwdharma.org. Free. 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; art tour at 1 p.m. Sat., June 3.

B-I-N-G-O Dress up, enjoy cocktails and dinner, and do some good at the Lifelong AIDS Alliance’s Black Tie Bingo. Glamazonia will preside over the evening, assisted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Among the guest callers will be King County Executive Ron Sims and Librarian Action Figure Model Nancy Pearl. W Seattle Hotel, 1112 Fourth Ave., www.llaa.org. Beginning at 6 p.m. Sat., June 3.

What’s With Medicare Part D? The Older Women’s League, King County Chapter, will host Janet Varon for an update on what is happening with Medicare Part D. Varon is the administrator for the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations. OWL is a grassroots organization focusing on issues unique to women as they age. University House, 4400 Stone Way N., www.scn.org/hoot. 11 a.m.–noon Sat., June 3.

Forum on Truth and Justice Linda Biehl and Ntobeko Peni of the Amy Biehl Foundation will share their experiences of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the transformative process of healing. They will be joined by Yazir Henry, a former African National Congress guerilla. The program will include students from Seattle and South Africa, performing under the direction of artists from Book-It Repertory. Town Hall Seattle, 1119 Eighth Ave., 206-652-4255, www.townhallseattle.org, 206-322-7904, 7:30 p.m. Sat., June 3.

Seattle Weekly PickKatrina Benefit The Total Experience Gospel Choir is the host for an evening to benefit the hurricane victims in Louisiana and Mississippi. Among their guests will be soloist Josephine Howell. Town Hall Seattle, 1119 Eighth Ave., 206-652-4255, www.townhallseattle.org, 206-322-7904, www.totalexperiencegospelchoir.org. Suggested donation: $20/$10 for students and seniors. 8 p.m. Sat., June 3.

Celebrate the Guide Join the celebration and release of the student-created Seward Park Field Guide. More than 400 middle-school and high-school students were involved in the planning, writing, and illustration of the field guide, which includes ferns, flowers, birds, mammals—almost every living thing in the park. Expect performances by Dred-I hip-hop, the Washington Middle School Jazz Band, and the Langston Hughes Youth Arts Center Troupe, among others, and hands-on activities such as all-ages environmental art and Blue Heron dugout canoe tours. Seward Park Amphitheatre (rain site: Rainier Valley Cultural Center, 3515 S. Alaska St.). 1–5 p.m. Sun., June 4.

Road Food Peter Greenberg will discuss and sign The Traveler’s Diet: the Road Warrior’s Guide to Eating Right, Staying Fit, and Losing Weight. His book discusses, among other things, how time zones affect metabolism and what to eat before stepping on an airplane. University Book Store, 990 102nd Ave. N.E., Bellevue, 425-462-4500, www.bookstore.washington.edu. Free. 7 p.m. Wed., June 7.