Lunches

Tuesday, Noon, at the Cato Institute, catch Tyler Cowen discussing his new book Create Your Own Economy.

Wednesday, 11:30-1:00, at the Heritage Institute, there’s “Hurting of Helping Consumers? Destroying Federal Preemption One Industry at a Time.”

Also on Wednesday, 11:45 – 1:30, at the Hudson Institute, “Being Young and On the Front in the Nonprofit Sector.”

Talks

Tonight, Monday, at 7 p.m. Sen Barbara Boxer (D-Calif) is at Politics and Prose for her new novel Blind Trust.

Catch Michael Novak discussing the benefits of free enterprise at AEI @ 5 p.m on Tuesday.

The 14th Street Busboys hosts an author event with Marjorie Cohn at 6:30 p.m on Tuesday night. She’ll discuss and sign Rules of Disengagement: The Politics and Honor of Military Dissent, which “takes readers into the courtroom where sailors, soldiers, and Marines have argued that [the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq] are illegal under international law and unconstitutional under U.S. law.”

Politicos nostalgic for election fever can (sort of) relive the excitement at Politics and Prose on Wednesday night. Washington Post journalists Dan Balz and Haynes Johnson will discuss The Battle for America 2008, their analysis of race-, gender-, and class-based undercurrents of the Obama and McCain campaigns. 7 p.m. Call 202-364-1919 for more information.

Entertainment

Test your texting skills at DC9’s SMS Trivia Smackdown tonight, Monday, at 7 p.m. Instead of writing down or shouting out trivia answers, you’ll text them in to the host, with heavy rock playing in the background. Top prize is a $50 bar tab.

On Wednesday, bring your pet to Canines and Corks, a pet-friendly happy hour organized by the Washington Human Society at the Park Hyatt Washington Hotel at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10, for two drink tickets and complimentary dog treats and water bowls.

Pretty In Pink screens at Rossyln’s free outdoor film festival on Friday night. Before the screening (which starts at dusk – around 8 p.m.) there are 80s themed games and prizes at Gateway Park.