Events for the week

tuesday
november 8
Election Day: A plea for sanity from conservative Observer readers with voter registration cards--no matter how much you may hate Ann Richards' policies, doesn't handing the governorship of Texas to a coddled, not-so-bright investor whose half-acknowledged chief reason for running is to vindicate his father's two-year-old presidential defeat scare the hell out of you? Partisan politics are almost beside the point. If you can't bring yourself to reinstate Richards, take the day off. Kick back and turn the soaps on, or lounge in bed with a good book. You deserve it.

wednesday
november 9
Dia De Los Muertos: Art celebrating Dia De Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) is among the most popular for collectors of Mexican work. Much of it blends folksy, home-and-hearth kind of subjects with what may seem to Anglos like the macabre. Here the cultural divide widens, for if the average Mexican citizen's state of health is poorer than the average American's, his or her attitude towards death is generally much more sound. Day of the Dead art depicts the inextricable relationship between life and death by showcasing the skullface in revelry, in repose, and, above all, in tribute to ancestors. The Dallas Public Library and the Consulate General of Mexico in Dallas present an exhibit marking Dia De Los Muertos, the holiday in which those who've passed over but remain restless are honored by altars full of offerings and a candle to show them the way. In addition to art work, there is a traditional altar set up in the lobby of the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 1515 Young, throughout the month of November. It's free, of course. For information call 670-7838.