By Jim Knippenberg
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Going out
Jesse Harris: The sweet and melodic guitarist from Norah Jones' Grammy-winning CD Come Away With Me is at the 20th Century with his own mellow singer-songwriter material. 8 p.m. today, 3021 Madison Road, Oakley, $10-$12. 562-4949.
Book signing: Author Jake Halpern is here to sign and discuss his quirky and inspirational new Braving Home: Dispatches from the Underwater Town, the Lava-Side Inn and Other Extreme Locales, all about people who won't leave their homes despite hurricanes, volcanoes and natural disasters aplenty. 7 p.m. today, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Rookwood Pavilion, Madison and Edwards roads, Norwood. 396-8960.
Outdoor movie: Farbach-Werner Nature Preserve shows off the family favorite Inspector Gadget outdoors on the big screen beginning at dusk today. Colerain Avenue and Poole Road, Colerain Township, free with Hamilton County Park District motor vehicle permit ($1 daily pass). 521-7275.
On TV
Critic's pick: Lifetime has a night full of Designing Women. At 7 p.m., Intimate Portrait profiles Delta Burke. At 8, it's a special with original stars Burke, Dixie Carter, Jean Smart, Annie Potts and Meshach Taylor, showing up to reminisce over clips. That's followed by three rerun gems. Designing Women Reunion, 8 p.m., Lifetime. (See story, C4)
• Professor Sherman Klump (Eddie Murphy) really wants to marry sweet Denise (Janet Jackson). But he can't until he gets rid of his crass inner voice, Buddy Love. Lots of sight gags follow. Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, 8 p.m., Channel 19.
New in E-games
High Seas: Sail the Spanish Main in this new release from Bethesda Softworks. In Pirates of the Caribbean, players assume the role of Nathaniel Hawk, a roguish pirate captain in the 17th century. Players may take on many different structured missions and quests, conduct trading or just run wild looking for treasure. Pirates has beautiful models of the vessels players encounter and a great navigation system. Controls are a little tricky at first, but get easier with practice. Its title is a tie-in with the movie hit, but the game has little to do with the film. (Bethesda; PC or Xbox; $49.99; T for Teens).
• Also this week: NCAA Football 2004 (EA Sports; Xbox, PS2 or Gamecube; $49.99; E for Everyone): Traditional college gridiron action, complete with fight songs and mascots.
Planning ahead
24 hours out: Rich Uncle Skeleton brings its jazzy, swingabilly sounds to Jack Quinn's Emerald Ballroom, 8 p.m. Tuesday, 112 E. Fourth St., Covington, $6. (859) 491-6699.
48 hours out: Romance-suspense author Catherine Coulter is at Joseph-Beth Booksellers to introduce her new thriller, BlindSide. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Rookwood Pavilion, Madison and Edwards roads, Norwood. 396-8960.
72 hours till Thursday: Ovation Theatre Company offers a pay-what-you-can preview of the comedy AVOW, about a young gay couple that asks their priest to marry them. 8 p.m., Fifth Third Bank Theater, Aronoff Center. 241-7469.
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E-mail jknippenberg@enquirer .com
