Friday 11/13 – Thursday 11/19
14 SATURDAY When I tell people I’m a vegetarian, they usually either go on the attack (“Plants feel pain. Why don’t you stop eating plants?”) or say they’re vegetarian too–except for eating fish. The people at today’s Lifestyles of the Healthy and Human conference on vegetarianism will back me up: Fish are animals, so people who eat fish are not vegetarians. The guest panelists at the conference include Gene Bauston, author of Battered Birds, Crated Herds: How We Treat the Animals We Eat; Oprah mad-cow trial codefendant Howard Lyman; and Animal’s Agenda magazine founder Jim Mason, who will explain how meat consumption impacts the environment and the world economy. The conference is from 8:30 to 5 at Roosevelt University, 430 S. Michigan. Registration is $35 and includes a vegan lunch. Call 773-925-1277 to sign up.
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19 THURSDAY You’ve seen Titanic 30 times and know all the words to “My Heart Will Go On.” A chair signed by Celine Dion might be the perfect capper to your living-room ensemble. Or maybe you’d just like to put your butt on something the skinny Grammy winner has touched. Whatever your motivation, the proceeds from tonight’s Celebrity Charity Chair Auction will go to deserving groups like Big Brothers and Big Sisters, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, the Illinois Arts Alliance Foundation, and the Resource Center. Besides scores of chairs emblazoned with stars’ autographs, many made by furniture designers and artists will also be up for grabs. Doors open at 6 and the bidding begins at 7:45 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, 301 E. North Water. Tickets are $75. Call 312-527-5948 to reserve your spot.
