SEEKING EMPLOYMENT:World's most powerful industrialized nation seeks jobs so its president can cut taxes for the corporations that outsourced those jobs in the first place. It's bad enough that the unemployment rate is up again after the short dip it took a few months ago. What's even more discouraging is the significant number of people who threw up their hands and stopped job-hunting altogether. For those still on the prowl for employment, the Fort Lauderdale War Memorial Auditorium (800 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale) hosts a "Business Expo and Job Fair," sponsored by local chambers of commerce. Featuring representatives from more than 200 local businesses -- including 20 Broward County agencies and several universities -- the expo draws upward of 3,000 attendees. The $10 admission includes a raffle, food and drinks, live entertainment, and -- hopefully -- the prospect of employment. The expo starts at 5 p.m. Call 954-565-5750.
FRI 26
Gentlemen, grab your sport coats; ladies, your bikinis! We're going to Palm Beach, dahhhlings, to have a look at some mega-yachts! You might wanna perfect that Thurston Howell impression if you intend to pass as a qualified buyer during the 19th-annual "Palm Beach Boat Show," which runs Thursday through Sunday in downtown West Palm Beach (Flagler Drive between Banyan and Fern streets). Can't quite afford any of the 900 boats ($300 million worth) on display? Then stick to the fishing clinics and fashion shows. Marine scientist/artist/all-around-fishing-guru Guy Harvey will be hanging around his booth Friday afternoon and all day Saturday, and in past years, celebrities like Alan Jackson and Serena Williams have been sighted shopping for a little sumpin'-sumpin' to tie up at their docks. Admission costs $10 for adults and $2 for children ages 6 to 12. Call 800-940-7642.
SAT 27
Anyone who read the book Bet You Can't likely accepted Vicki Cobb and Kathy Darling's challenge to try folding a sheet of newspaper in half more than nine times. And failed. And subsequently tried ripping the book in half. Origami, on the other hand, may be frustrating at first, but it's at least doable. In fact, you'll feel quite the accomplished paper-folder once you get the hang of the centuries-old Japanese art. Just follow the instructions laid out by Michael La Fosse as he presents a series of demonstrations at the "Origami Extravaganza" at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens (4000 Morikami Park Rd., Delray Beach). Whether you're a novice, know-it-all, or somewhere in between, the five 45-minute sessions will give you a much-needed ego boost after reading that damned book. The folding starts at 11 a.m. Call 561-495-0233.
SUN 28
A public library's discussing graphic novels with teenagers? What gives? Doesn't the name Michael Powell mean anything to them? Well, you can hold your high horses; it's not that type of graphic novel. Instead, the Broward County Main Library (100 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale) is continuing its series of "Manga Musings," discussing the popular Japanese comics in novel format. This month's title is Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball, Volume I. Mangas are to Japanese kids what Harry Potter books are to Americans, in popularity, at least. Imagine if, instead of the bespectacled sorcerer, our hero were a monkey-tailed boy named Goku who was on a quest to collect dragon balls... er... OK, so maybe this isn't helping describe the graphic nature of the book, but the event has been approved for ages 13 and up. It's as safe as Harry Potter. The musings begin at 2 p.m. Call 954-357-7444.
MON 29
If you hate it when deliciously good-looking waiters come to tend to your every need and drown your ego in compliments ("Oh, honey, you look so good today! Can I do anything else for you?"), then by all means, stay out of Hamburger Mary's (2449 Wilton Dr., Wilton Manors). But if, like us, you think this campy, cozy eatery is the perfect place to chill out and dish over a dish ("That Ashton Kutcher should accept more acting parts that don't require speaking"), then grab a barstool, order some chow, and settle in for "Martini and a Movie" nights. Who cares what cinematic classic they're showing this week? If the film sucks, the good company more than makes up for it. Call 954-567-1320.
TUE 30
Who goes to see Way of the Groove play every other Tuesday at Alligator Alley (1321 E. Commercial Blvd., Oakland Park)? "Whoever's into some good, funky music," says 21-year-old Julius Pastorius, the group's drummer. Julius and his bass-playing brother Felix are the twin sons of the late, great Jaco Pastorius, considered by many to be the greatest bass player who ever lived. The elder Pastorius was known to say, "I'm a rock star, not a jazz player," because his considerable talent shone across genres. Well, it seems like the genes have been passed on, 'cause the baby Pastoriuses (Pastorii?) and their bandmates -- Colin James on sax and keyboards and Adam Lucas on guitar -- mix a good dose of funk with their jazz fusion. They have rock-star chops and rock-star looks to boot. The lights go down and the amps go up at 9 p.m. Call 954-771-2220.
WED 31
In a 1999 interview with The Onion, Alice Cooper pointed out the obvious problem with most of today's nu-metal bands -- they don't seem to enjoy themselves. But at least a few pay homage to metal's theatrical roots, such as Iowa's Slipknot, whose members wear matching jump suits and refer to themselves as numbers and their fans as maggots. Though a far cry from the over-the-top stage theatrics of GWAR or Marilyn Manson, Slipknot still has the sense to do something, unlike the boring, angry-frat-boy shtick employed by bands like Limp Bizkit. After an extensive hiatus -- and despite what seemed to be its certain demise -- Slipknot is back for the long haul. And if you're a true maggot, you'll happily serve your masters as they come to town on the "Jägermeister Music Tour," which rolls into Sound Advice Amphitheatre (601-7 Sansbury's Way, West Palm Beach).Maybe if we're lucky, Number 6 will revive his old tradition of splitting his head open. Now that would be entertaining. For $27, they damn well better do something. The industrial-clad cornhuskers grind it out after Fear Factory and Chimaira open at 7 p.m. Call 561-966-3309.
