skint pick
6:45-9pm: aretha franklin, barry manilow, shakira, jane krakowski, and other stars help light the 30,000 bulbs on the 76-foot norway spruce @ the rockefeller center christmas tree lighting ceremony
around town today
6:30pm: avant-rock band pere ubu's frontman david thomas chats with greil marcus @ the new school, $5 >>
7pm: brit chef/butter evangelist nigella lawson celebrates and signs her new cookbook ‘nigella christmas’ at b+n 86th/lex (also @ williams-sonoma chelsea tomorrow), free >>
7pm: mario batali talks shop with momofuku authors david chang and peter meehan @ strand books, free >>
7pm: amnh's after-hours series 'scicafé' explores the biology behind holiday madness with talk, 'naughty or nice: the biological basis of greed and altruism.' free >>
7pm-midnight: pretend your company can afford to throw a party at the metro metro holiday office party. $10 gets you a free drink, 2-4-1 all night, contest entry. bar 82 >>
7:30pm (+ 12/4, 5): dj spooky's multi-media 'terra nova: sinfonia antartica' mixes hip hop and sound recordings from the antarctic with video and live performance by the international contemporary ensemble, bam, $20 >>
7:30pm: choreographer twyla tharp discusses her new book 'the collaborative habit: life lessons for working together' @ b+n lincoln triangle, free >>
8pm (thru 12/13): pinchbottom burlesque presents ‘filthy lucre: a burlesque christmas carol,’ walkerspace, $20 >>
8pm: celebrate brooklyntheborough.com's (almost) 1st birthday party featuring authors nancy balbirer and cintra wilson, music from aeroplane pageant, the fearsome sparrow, more. free jameson 8-9pm. public assembly, free (rsvp) >>
8pm: save coney island's siren screen series brings 10 coney-themed shorts to black horse pub (park slope). all profits support save coney island. $10 >>
coming up
12/4 6-8pm: check out works by austrian and german artists klimt, schiele and others as neue gallerie holds its first-ever free friday >>
12/5 4-7pm: wolfcon 3! get your teen wolf thing on while you parade + bar hop with other furry friends. meet in union square >>
12/9 7:30pm: screening of 'green porno' plus q+a with isabella rossellini. $25 adm. gets you a copy of the book/dvd and two seats at the event. word brooklyn >>
sales, deals, freebies
5-10pm: score deals on dior, chanel and more at the sassy city chicks fashion bash. $20 2-4-1 vip tix get you a gift bag, cocktails and spa services ($3 admission otherwise). hotel penn. >>
grab one-day-only drink specials thru the end of the year via time out new york's hoiday drink calendar >>
groupon alert: get $35 worth of natural and organic groceries from fresh fanatic (fort greene/clinton hill) for $15 >>
winedanddined’s festive foodie holiday shopping guide (events, markets, gifts, more) >>
pee-wee's playhouse christmas special is streaming on peewee.com (via @popcandy) >>
free mp3: j.d. mcdonald 'boogaloo santa claus' >>
free mp3: the futureheads 'struck dumb' >>
free mp3: the bird and the bee 'please don't stop the music' >>
follow the skint on twitter for late-breaking info >>
