The Young Professionals Network of the Quad Cities and neXt Professionals have joined forces to host a "Rock the Vote" event on Friday, October 12, from 7 p.m. to midnight at John O'Donnell Stadium in Davenport. "Rock the Vote" is a nationwide movement that focuses on registering individuals to vote and getting them more informed about the elections. The Quad Cities event will features opportunities for people to register to vote, along with local bands such as Blue Fuzzy Monkey and Justin Morrissey & Friends.

When you pick up a book or magazine, your conscious mind is almost certainly looking at the cover and the text inside.

But what else are you processing? You might not realize it, but the book is sending signals about itself with cover art, typography, the thickness and texture of the pages, binding, printing mistakes, wear and tear, and heft.

River Action is hosting the second-annual Taming of the Slough Mississippi Adventure Race on Saturday, September 15, starting at 7:30 a.m. The race begins in downtown Moline at the Quad City Rowing Association boathouse at 17th Street and the Mississippi River. The canoe/kayak leg is one mile in Sylvan Slough; the mountain-bike leg continues onto Sylvan Island; and the run heads back through downtown Moline, finishing at Bass Street Landing for a post-race party. Register online at (http://www.riveraction.org), or for more information contact River Action at (563) 322-2969 or (dan@riveraction.org).

With a voice that sounds a bit like Michael Stipe gone folk, Richard Shindell's songs feel instantly familiar even if you've never heard him before. Those vocals are magnetic and dramatic, and the singer/songwriter pays as much attention to melody and musical settings as he does his words. But it's his first-person narratives that have garnered him critical praise and a loyal following.