Going out

        Cincinnati Pops: Last call for Erich Kunzel and his wandering orchestra, soon to finish up their tour of area parks. Today's edition gets you a reel full of movie themes, including Gladiator, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Gone with the Wind. 7:30 p.m. today, Woodland Mound, Anderson Township, free. 381-3300.
       Theater: Ensemble Theatre hits the switch on its new season with the uproarious one-man show Fully Committed, wherein local actor Bob Rais plays a busy New York restaurant reservationist and 30 over-the-top characters. Four week-stand opens 8 p.m. today,ETC, 1127 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, $22-$28. 421-3555.
       Extended hours: The Cincinnati Art Museum raises the curtain on its extended Wednesday evening hours with a reception and contemporary classical blast from the Arc Chamber Orchestra. 5-9 p.m. today, Regular museum admission ($3-$5) applies. 721-2787.
       Book signing: Noreen Palmerand Faye Childs, are at Joseph-Beth Booksellers signing and discussing their new Going Off: A Guide for Black Women Who've Just About Had Enough. 7 p.m. today, Rookwood Pavilion, Norwood. 396-8960.

Staying in

        TV picks: Sister Wendy Beckett explains it all to you again. The 67-year-old art historian returns to PBS to tour six U.S. museums, starting with Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and Fort Worth's Kimbell Art Museum. Sister Wendy's American Collection runs 8-10 p.m. Wednesdays through Sept. 19, Channels 48, 54, 16). • TV Critic John Kiesewetter also says Small Shots, co-created by former Blue Ash resident Chris Cox, spoofs Jurassic Park in Washington, Mo. (8 p.m., TNN).

Web site of the day

        Yo, travelers: Got a hot site here offering unusual, not to mention pricey, vacations. For the spaced-out souls among us, it's the site of the group that put millionaire Dennis Tito — the first space tourist — into orbit. They're taking reservations for future flights, along with a smattering of high-priced sub-orbital adventures, including an Antarctic expedition in January ($44,000) and Russian jet-fighter rides (up to $13,000). Check it out at www.spaceadventures.com.

Planning Ahead

        24 hours out: Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival updates itself by about 400 years when it opens its season with the contemporary comedy Fuddy Meers. 8 p.m. Thursday, 719 Race St., downtown, $15-$20. 381-2273.
       48 hours out: MainStrasse Village's popular Oktoberfest, a beer, brat and pretzel fest if ever there was one, opens 5-11 p.m. Friday at Sixth and Main Streets, Covington. 357-6246.
       72 hours 'til Saturday: Every kid's favorite purple dinosaur, Barney, runs uncaged at Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, belting out sing-alongs from his new “Barney, Let's Go to the Zoo” video. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 3400 Vine St., Avondale. 281-4700.

Buckle up for breakfast
Hope in her songs
Berry pudding luscious end-of-summer desert
Peter's Burg sends a taste of Europe home with you
Smart mouth
Body & mind
Breast cancer benefit walk registration open
This Healthy House
'Fully Committed' star juggles jobs on and off stage
One 'Amazing' show, one 'Lost' opportunity
Get to it