Pre-weekend Weekend Lunch Invite 50. The Quinquatiscential Hemicentiversary

Christmas shopping is ... uhh ... wrapping up. The oil in the car is changed. All the Christmas lights on my house work again. Susan Lucci, Eddie Vedder, and Corey Haim are birthdaymates today ... oh ... try not to think about that too much. Sorry.

Today is among the few last days to get to WBER website to vote for your favorite alternative songs of the year and your favorite alternative albums of all time. Last day is Friday, I think.

Movies

Movies this week:

• Any Given Sunday: When a devastating hit knocks a professional football legend and quarterback Cap Rooney (Denis Quaid) out of the game, a young, unknown third-stringer is called in to replace him.
• Cradle Will Rock: When controversy prevents their proper performance of a play by a socialist-minded composer (Hank Azaria), the troup moves to a smaller theater and does the performance on the fly. Note that it's considerably different from The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.
• Galaxy Quest: Aliens discover an old sci-fi TV series, think it's a historical document, and kidnap the stars thinking they're actual space heroes.
• Man on the Moon: Jim Carey plays Andy Kaufmann in a mostly biographical account of his life (Andy, not Jim.)
• Talented Mr. Ripley: Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) is sent to Europe to retrieve a rich and spoiled millionaire playboy, but when the errand fails, he kills the playboy and assumes his life,

Thursday

Mike Dambra is appearing with Nick Siracuse tonight, and Sunday at Comix Cafe (3450 Winton Place, 424-LAFF.) If you weren't smart enough to see him for free at the open mic nights, perhaps you should pay to see him, chucklebutt.

Today's "Safe Bet" is Ripton at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) Again, never heard 'em, but Kim (apparently) picks the great bands at the Krown.

Karaoke at Drinks by Mary Dawn (535 S. Clinton.)

WBER's Alternative Music night at Red (171 St. Paul.)

Friday!

Christmas Eve. That's it. Oh, to all the last-minute shoppers, enjoy the malls.

Saturday (Christmas)

FYI, O'Bagelo's is closed today and next Saturday.

Kim's pick at Monty's Krown (875 Monroe Ave.) is The Bloods and Ball Cheez Psychotics as part of a "White Trash Christmas."

Treehouse Cinema's Movie Night, 9:30 p.m., The Treehouse 693 East Ave.) This week: It's a Wonderful Life. As Carl from the Monroe County Baha'i Mailing List put it:

(can't help it...) Watch Jimmy Stewart one more time. It's good for ya.

Better hurry, because there's zero more shopping days until Christmas!

Sunday

I won't be there, but feel free to meet at O'Bagelo's at 165 State Street at noon today since they were closed yesterday.

Tonight is WBER's top 30 countdown of 1999 is tonight from 5:00 p.m. until around 9, I think. Be sure to listen in and see if you won!

Remember, Mike Dambra is appearing with Nick Siracuse tonight at Comix Cafe (3450 Winton Place, 424-LAFF.)

FOX's Sunday Night Animation Reruns:

• King of the Hill - Wings of the Dope The town becomes angel-crazy after Luanne thinks she sees Buckley's spirit bouncing on Khan's trampoline.
• Simpsons - Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner Homer affects the way trendy people eat when he becomes a local food critic, until he starts giving restaurants bad reviews.
• Family Guy (no Futurama tonight, I guess) - DaBoom Peter and his family take cover in the basement on New Year's Eve and emerge to find a different world.

Unnerving quietness.

Tuesday

Open mic comedy at the Colosseum Caffe (262 Park Ave.) starting around 9:00.

Open mic poetry at Java's (16 Gibb Street) starting around 9:30.

Wednesday

Tonight at George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) is Death Race 2000 at 8:00. This is the first occurrence of getting points for running people over I can remember. Maybe it came from elsewhere, but who cares, smartass.

South Park at Rohrbach's at 315 Gregory Street at 10:00. Today: another mystery episode.