Books --Self-described philosopher-comedians Tom Cathcart and Daniel Klein discuss Aristotle and an Aardvark Go to Washington. Imagine Jon Stewart after he stops shouting "Whaaaa??" takes some time off for a philosophy PhD, and returns to TV. Brookline Booksmith, 7:00 pm, free. --Find out why Drew Gilpin Faust is the president of Harvard, and you're not. Faust will discuss her book This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War at the Harvard Coop......

Got the feeling, power steering, Pistons popping, aint no stopping now! Panama, panama Panama, panama Now that the movie Superbad has revived Van Halen's song "Panama," it might be appropriate for Mayor Menino to upload the track to his iPod for his upcoming trip to Central America. The Mayor has managed to finagle his way into a trip with Carlos Gutierrez, the nation's secretary of commerce, to explore business opportunities in the region. He will......

Music, comedy, poetry, and audience participation filled the room. At first blush, it looked like an episode of Prairie Home Companion, but it was really musician/poetess Patti Smith performing at the Institute of Contemporary Art on Wednesday night. Patti Smith is famous for channeling the fierce, demanding forces of creation. In her interviews and in articles about her, she comes off more like a medium who needs the perfect conditions in order to let the......