If you had a real working time machine, the temptation to use it as much as you could would be overwhelming, even when it doesn't make sense. Would you get stuck on trying to make everything perfect, just for the excuse to go back and forth? Doc's become a little obsessed, to the point where you might want to take his keys away and make him remain in one timeline for a while. Why make the 1985 Marty always save the day when you could just ask 2015 Marty to do the same? Or maybe even take care of the problem yourself. Maybe this is why Doc eventually decided to stay in the 19th century in the third film. No, right, that was for love. Studio C did a good job of recreating the characters of Back to the Future 2 in order to explore the absurdities of what that kind of power can do to someone.

(Image source: daddyisproudofme) 

Cats, like most animals, have developed camouflage appearances so that they blend into the background in their natural habitat. But they can also blend into the background in manmade spaces, like the kitchen cabinets, so they can hide and spy on their humans. Have you found the cat in the image above yet? It took me an embarrassing amount of time to see it, but now I can't un-see it. But that's just the beginning. In the picture below, you can easily see three cats. But there are four.

(Image credit: No_Internal9345)

The subreddit Find the Sniper is full of these kinds of puzzles -and they're not all cats. Bored Panda selected 30 very hard ones for a ranked list that may drive you insane. I believe finding the owl was the hardest. There are answers in the comments, but if you want to find the hidden thing on your own, you can click the credit under each photo and go the the original reddit post, where you can enlarge the picture greatly. If you try more than a couple, it will suck up hours of your time.   

Monday Jan. 24

GIRL TALK
8:00pm - Fillmore Charlotte
Tickets: $33.50

• Girl Talk is the pseudonym of DJ and remixer Greg Gillis. Everyone from Pitchfork to the New York Times Magazine has lauded various aspects of Girl Talk’s formula. The sample-based dance tracks have made Gillis a hero of the mash-up generation: each of his songs are built on recognizable samples of recent hit singles, re-contextualized into an entirely new piece. Girl Talk’s 5th album was released in November. http://www.livenation.com/event/0E004562F9D99F02?camefrom=CFC_BUYAT_pollstar&brand=

Tuesday Jan. 25

Great Decisions Lecture Series: HORN OF AFRICA
7:00-8:30pm – Charlotte Country Day School (Cramer Lecture Hall)
Admission: $10 (for individual lecture…discount for series registration)

• The Office of International Programs at UNC Charlotte, along with the World Affairs Council of Charlotte, coordinates a local community lecture series annually. Each week a local expert from nearby colleges and universities provides additional perspective on the topic of interest and answers questions regarding the information presented in the Briefing Book and through the lecture. Tonight, Dr. Kenneth Menkhaus, Davidson College will discuss the Horn of Africa as part of the series. He regularly serves as a consultant for the UN, US government, non-governmental organizations, and policy research institutes, and has provided expert testimony on two occasions before subcommittees of the US Senate. In 2002 he was recipient of a US Institute of Peace grant to study protracted conflict in the Horn of Africa. For more information or to register to attend, click below.                          http://oip.uncc.edu/great_decisions.htm

THE HARLEM QUARTET (UNC Chamber Music Festival)
8:00pm –Anne R. Belk Theatre/ Robinson Hall @ UNC Charlotte
Tickets: $9 general public, $7 for senior citizens and UNC Charlotte faculty and staff, and $6 for students.

• The centerpiece of the UNC Charlotte Chamber Music Festival (thru 1/27) will be a concert by guest artists The Harlem Quartet, including works by Dmitri Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev as well as contemporary jazz composers Chick Corea and Wynton Marsalis. Praised for its “panache” by The New York Times, the Harlem Quartet is currently the resident ensemble in the New England Conservatory of Music’s Professional String Quartet Program. Its mission is to advance diversity in classical music while engaging young and new audiences through the discovery and presentation of varied repertoire, highlighting works by minority composers. The Harlem Quartet made its acclaimed Carnegie Hall debut in the fall of 2006 and have returned to Carnegie on numerous occasions. In December 2009 the quartet played to performances at the White House for guests of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, and made an appearance on Christmas morning on NBC’s Today Show. http://unccboxoffice.universitytickets.com/user_pages/event.asp?id=246&cid=28

DAVID BROOKS – Op-Ed Columnist/Author
8:00-10:00pm - Charlotte Museum of History
Tickets: Free to members

• The Charlotte Museum of History’s “Distinguished Speaker Series” returns this winter with David Brooks, Op-Ed Columnist for The New York Times, Commentator for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and Author. David Brooks has a gift for bringing audiences face to face with the spirit of our times with humor, insight, and quiet passion. He is a keen observer of the American way of life and a savvy analyst of present-day politics and with the generous support from WFAE, Your NPR News Source, is free to members of the museum and guest. To check or change your membership status, please call (704) 568-1774 x.102.

Wednesday Jan. 26

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus *Opening Night*
7:00pm – Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte

• Tickets: Various prices, with opening night discounts.
  The Greatest Show On Earth just got Greater with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Barnum’s FUNundrum!SM. Featuring 130 performers from six continents, almost 100,000 pounds of performing pachyderms, cowboys, pirates, and mermaids, Barnum’s FUNundrum! is a super-sized spectacle so massive you just can’t miss it! This monumental, once in a lifetime event celebrates the 200TH anniversary of the birth of the legendary P.T. Barnum, the Greatest Showman on Earth! and can only be experienced at The Greatest Show On Earth®, Barnum’s living legacy! Through Sunday January 30th. http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0E00454ECE298882?artistid=1362863&majorcatid=10003&minorcatid=29

BHANGRA Dance Demonstration
7:30-8:30pm – International House, 322 Hawthorne Lane, Charlotte
FREE

• Join International House for a free demonstration and lecture by Anish V. Thakkar on the art of Bhangra Dance, a high energy folk dance that originated in the Punjab region of India/Pakistan. For more information, contact 704.333.8099.

Thursday Jan. 27


TRICIA WAGNER – Book signing

• 7:30pm – Barnes & Noble (Morrison Place-4020 Sharon Rd.)
  Come meet local author Tricia Wagner as she leads a discussion of her new book “Black Cowboys of the Old West: True, Sensational and Little Known Stories From History.” http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/3081305

PIERRE BENSUSON
8:00pm – Evening Muse (3227 N. Davidson Street)
Tickets: $20 General Admission

• French-Algerian guitarist, singer and composer Pierre Bensusan has been described by the L.A. Times as "one of the most unique and brilliant acoustic guitar veterans in the world music scene today.’ In 2008, he was voted "Best World Music Guitar Player" by Guitar Player Magazine Readers Choice. Don’t miss this exciting show!                             http://www.theeveningmuse.musictoday.com/EveningMuse/moreInfo.aspx

Friday Jan. 28


Music & Museum Concert – “Viva España!”
5:00pm – Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
Tickets: $15/members; $20/non-members

• January's concert theme, ¡Viva España!, celebrates Spanish and Argentinean music and features artwork by Joan Miro. The Bechtler Ensemble (Paul Nitsch on piano, David Russell on violin and Tanja Bechtler on cello) will perform Circulo by Joaquin Turina, Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla and Granada by Isaac Albeniz as well as works by Manuel de Falla and Pablo Casals. Also on Sunday 1/30 @ 5:00pm.                 https://purchaseonline.bechtler.org/public/daily_events_list.asp

AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’
8:00 – McGlohon Theatre @ Spirit Square

• Tickets: $22
  Based on the music of Fats Waller, this hit Broadway musical re-lives the flourishing era of the Harlem Renaissance and turns the stage into a racy, raucous and playful evening of songs. Five performers present their interpretations of what it means to swing, while being backed by the Sign of the Times band, with direction by Jermaine Nakia Lee. *Performances through Sunday Jan. 30.

       


Saturday Jan. 29

“What My Mother Told Me: The Art of Maria Magdalena Campos-Pon” – *Opening Day*
10:00am – Harvey G. Gantt Center for African American Arts & Culture
Admission: Free w/museum admission (RSVP to opening is encouraged)

• According to David Taylor, president & CEO of the Gantt Center, "What My Mother Told Me’ may be one of the most important exhibitions the Gantt Center has mounted to-date." María Magdalena Campos-Pons, a woman, an expatriate, and a Cuban, makes art about identity and memory. Born in Cuba of Nigerian ancestry, Campos-Pons' work of the last 20 years covers an extended range of visual language investigations. It emerges from the early 1980s focus on painting and the discussion of sexuality in the crossroads of Cuban mixed cultural heritage to incisive questioning, critique and insertion of the black body in the contemporary narratives of the present. She has exhibited internationally since 1984 when she won Honorable Mention at the XVIII Cagnes-sur-Mer Painting Competition in France and the Bunting Fellowship in Visual Arts at Harvard in 1993. Solo shows followed at MoMA, the Venice Biennale 2001, Johannesburg Biennial, the First Liverpool Biennial, the Dak'ART Biennial in Senegal and the Guangzhou Triennial in China.                                                http://www.ganttcenter.org/web/page.asp?urh=ExhibitionsViewer&id=12

GAELIC STORM
7:00 – Neighborhood Theatre (511 E. 36th Street - NODA)
Tickets: $15/advance; $20/day-of-show

• Chart topping Gaelic Storm plays Celtic music that hearkens back to the traditional music of Ireland, but they are hardly traditionalists. Their music adds modern sounds and draws influences from American rock and pop, as well as music styles from around the world. If you’re up for a lively evening of music, this is where you want to be. http://www.neighborhoodtheatre.com/theatre/order/order.asp?shownum=616&eventnum=2222

Sunday Jan. 30

Charlotte Contemporary Ensemble
3:00pm –St. Albans Episcopal Church, Davidson, NC
Tickets: $15; Students & Seniors $10; Children under 12 are FREE

•  Join Cedric Meekins and the Charlotte Contemporary Ensemble on a journey through a rich blend of music, from traditional Spirituals to Gospel and contemporary choral works, as they celebrate more than 30 years of performances. Featuring the music of African American composers and arrangers, this concert will warm your spirit and soothe your soul.

          http://www.musicatstalbans.net/?page_id=9


Preview Discussion of VERDI's "La Traviata"
4:OOpm – The Wine Shop @ Foxcroft (Southpark/7824 Fairview Rd., Charlotte)
FREE

•  Opera Carolina presents one of the world’s most beloved operas, La Traviata. The timeless story of Camille is retold in Verdi’s classic of a Parisian courtesan who surrenders to true love. Join WDAV's Jennifer Foster for a lively preview discussion of the opera. Performances of “La Traviata” by Opera Carolina will take place Feb. 3, 5 & 6.                  http://www.operacarolina.org/#

• A hilarious “mockumentary” about a small town beauty pageant that turns deadly as it becomes clear that someone will go to any lengths to win. Starring Denise Richards, Ellen Barkin & Kristin Dunst. The theatre (along w/co-sponsor The Light Factory) will even have its own beauty contests following the film, with chances to win fabulous prizes.

• The clarinet takes center stage as the Blue Ridge Chamber Players and clarinetist John Sadak perform 20th century works including Prokofieff’s beloved Overture on Hebrew Themes and Alan Shulman’s Rendezvous, written for the King of Swing, Benny Goodman. The program concludes with American composer Charles Griffin’s homage to Irish and Appalachian folk music, Weaving Olden Dances, in a new arrangement commissioned by Charlotte Chamber Music.  **Evening concert includes a wine & cheese reception in the Carillon lobby.

• The Office of International Programs at UNC Charlotte, along with the World Affairs Council of Charlotte, coordinates a local community lecture series annually. Each week a local expert from nearby colleges and universities provides additional perspective on the topic of interest and answers questions regarding the information presented in the Briefing Book and through the lecture. Tonight, Dr. James Walsh, UNC Charlotte will discuss the Global Governance as part of the series. He is Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the Political Science Department, as well as the Director of the Center for Terrorism, Intelligence and Security Policy @ UNC Charlotte,. He received his doctorate in international relations from American University. For more information or to register to attend, click below.

• This photographic exhibition explores the role of women during the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Women fought as soldiers. They travelled with armies performing the work of nurses, cooks and aids. They were also victims of the fighting. The exhibition is made possible with special permission from the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia de México and support from the Friends of Art at Queens.

• The timeless story of Camille is retold in Verdi’s classic of a Parisian courtesan who surrenders to love. Based on the true romance of Alexander Dumas and Marie Duplessis, La Traviata (the fallen woman) tells the story of Paris’ most famous courtesan, Violetta Valéry, who leaves her destructive life to live with her first real love, Alfredo Germont. But social bias and Violetta’s failing health turn love to tragedy and remorse. Get swept up in grandeur of one of the world’s most beloved operas – La Traviata. Performances also 2/5 & 6.

• Broadcaster, author, advocate, publisher and philanthropist Tavis Smiley currently hosts the late night television talk show, Tavis Smiley on PBS and The Tavis Smiley Show, distributed by Public Radio International, as well as Tavis Smiley Reports,  four hour-long primetime TV specials also on PBS. He is the first American to simultaneously host signature talk shows on both public television and public radio. In 2009, Tavis Smiley was named one of TIME’s 100 “Most Influential People in the World.” For more information, call: 704 687-5323

• Tonight is the third of an ongoing evening event series that will be held the first Friday of every month at the new Mint Museum Uptown (500 South Tryon Street). Each First Friday centers on a different theme and features hands-on art activities for all ages, live entertainment, gallery tours, and refreshments.

• The Symphony welcomes guest conductor Maximiano Valdes, violinst Elena Urioste, and Metropolitan Ballroom dancers Clement Joly &Tatiana Kazakova to the KnightSounds stage for Tangos & Tapas, a program of exotic music from four Latin countries – Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. The sensuous rhythms will inspire you to kick up your own heels at the post-concert salsa dance party, featuring salsa band Orquesta Mayor, in the new Mint Museum. Meet new friends, mingle with musicians, and experience the orchestra in a whole new way.

• Family Day provides special museum tours and hands-on art activities for children of all ages. Art projects take place from noon to 4:30 p.m. in the museum’s classroom and video gallery. Family-friendly tours are offered on the hour from noon until 4 p.m. and highlight the exhibition Four Artists in Ascona: Benazzi, Bissier, Nicholson and Valenti, which opened January 21.

• During Open Studio Saturdays artists work in their studios with the doors open.  It is an opportunity for the public to meet the artists and learn about their art as well as view the current exhibition. 

• The trio first met in England while studying with iconic King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp. After touring together as part of Fripp’s League of Crafty Guitarists, the three guitarists convened in Los Angeles and founded The California Guitar Trio. Their music has been featured extensively on NPR, NBC’s Olympics coverage, and various CBS, CNN, and ESPN TV programs.

• This special screening showcases a new documentary, “Jail, No Bail”, about the Civil Rights sit-ins that took place in Rock Hill, SC in 1961. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Charles Jones, David Williamson, and others who took part in the historic events. Presented in partnership with South Carolina ETV and The Culture & Heritage Museums.  RSVP to 704.333.1887 ext. 501 or rsvp@museumofthenewsouth.org.

• Guillermo Bill will be playing the music….come and enjoy an afternoon of fun filled tango, milonga and vals.

• Band of Joy was the name of rock icon Robert Plant’s Black Country psychedelic folk group of the late ‘60s (pre-Led Zeppelin) and his revival of its name and spirit in 2010 is of no small significance. His top selling 2010 Grammy nominated album titled “Band of Joy ” pays tribute to American country + folk. Don’t miss this living rock legend’s swing through Charlotte!

• As part of their “Let’s Get Reel” series, on the 2^nd Tuesday of each month, The Mint welcomes you to stop by and hear some live music (by the Ocie Davis Trio, this week). Then settle back and watch a screening of Kathryn Bigelow’s Academy Award winning  film “THE HURT LOCKER.”

• The Office of International Programs at UNC Charlotte, along with the World Affairs Council of Charlotte, coordinates this "Great Decisions Lecture Series" annually. Tonight, Dr. Chris Van Aller, Winthrop University will discuss Sanctions and Proliferation: North Korea and Iran, as part of the series. Dr. Van Aller is Professor of the Political Science @ Winthrop University. He received his doctorate in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia. He specializes in International Relations, Post Soviet Politics, and European Politics.  For more information or to register to attend, click link above.

• The greatest love story ever told receives full musical expression in this romantic Valentine’s concert. In between the brooding and beautiful tales of young love, the CSO’s own concertmaster, Calin Lupanu, performs Tchaikovsky’s spectacular violin concerto, one of the most famous – and most difficult – pieces for that instrument. With Christopher Warren-Green, conducting and Calin Lupanu, violin, the program features TCHAIKOVSKY Romeo and Juliet and Violin Concerto in D major and PROKOFIEV Excerpts from Romeo and Juliet.

• Sweeney Todd is a musical thriller by Stephen Sondheim. A chilling, suspenseful, heart-pounding masterpiece Sweeney Todd tells the infamous tale of the unjustly exiled barber who returns to 19th century London seeking revenge against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. His thirst for blood expands to include his unfortunate customers, and the resourceful proprietress of the pie shop downstairs soon has the people of London lining up in droves with her mysterious new meat pie recipe!

• The Big Daddy Bluegrass Band rides again! It has been five long years since the BDBB has taken the stage. They make their return tonight for the debut of their new lineup which features some of the premier acoustic musicians working today. Steve “Big Daddy” McMurry, front man and founding member of Acoustic Syndicate, returns to the world of bluegrass music with a formidable arsenal of hot, young pickers. There are always great, guest musicians at their performances and you never know who will turn up to play.

• In support of her recently released book, “Into a Light Both Brilliant and Unseen: Conversations with Contemporary Black Poets,” Malin Periera will discuss her collection of eight interviews with leading contemporary African American poets. The book offers an in-depth look at the cultural and aesthetic perspectives of the post–Black Arts Movement generation.

• A "Knight" to Remember, in preparation of the upcoming tour to Scotland, is a cabaret style concert highlighting individual members of the Charlotte Children’s Choir Youth Chorale and Chamber Ensemble. Enjoy an evening of listening to timeless love songs ranging from contemporary popular music, jazz standards and favorite arias while you enjoy a wonderful meal. The CCC has won recognition for choral excellence in their appearances around the world. The Choir performed on “CBS This Morning” and was featured in the A & E television special, “Judy Collins Christmas at the Biltmore.” The choir made its Carnegie Hall debut as the featured choir at the 2005 National Children’s Choir Festival.

• Sounds of love will fill the Bechtler lobby February 13 when the museum presents a special Valentine's Day Music and Museum program. Chamber of Love: Sizzling Duets will feature music composed by Rachmaninoff, Casals, Kreisler, Gliere and Richard Strauss paired with artwork by Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle, two Bechtler collection artists who were partners in art and life.

• Don’t miss the chance to see folksinger Dan Bern with two Valentines Day concerts in this intimate setting. Email davidsonncmusic@hotmail.com to reserve tickets, making sure to specify what time and how many tickets

• The Office of International Programs at UNC Charlotte, along with the World Affairs Council of Charlotte, coordinates a local community lecture series annually. Tonight, Dr. Richard Buttimer, UNC Charlotte will discuss Responding To The Financial Crisis as the final lecture of the series. Dr. Buttimer, who has a PHD from the University of GA, is Interim Associate Dean for Faculty and Research as well as Professor of Finance at UNC Charlotte. He has published papers in many academic journals and is a member of the editorial board of The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics. His primary areas of research are the development of mortgage default models and the application of options theory to real estate problems.

• Don’t miss Flogging Molly’s exhilarating and explosive live show with their unique blend of traditional Irish music and rowdy punk rock. This L.A. based septet’s annual tour countdown to St. Patrick’s Day will also feature music from their upcoming spring release, recorded in Asheville. Also appearing is Moneybrother and The Drowning Men.

• Three generations of men (all played by the same actor), from slavery through Black Power, challenge Lewis to embark on a night journey combining past and present. Infused with abundant humor and woven through with original songs, BLUE DOOR is a tour-de-force for two actors, a vivid, exuberantly theatrical play about the African-American male experience. “Intelligent…unfailingly thought-provoking…Barfield poses sharp questions and counter-questions on contemporary black identity. Her vision is fearless and humane.” - The Los Angeles Times

• A full-fledged musical that recasts the MGM tradition in a gritty, near-documentary style. It tells the story of a young Boston jazz musician who drifts from affair to affair, his trumpet the only constant in his life. Jason Palmer, its star, was recently named by Down Beat Magazine as one of the top twenty-five “Trumpeters for the Future.” The film features all original music composed by Justin Hurwitz and recorded by the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra.

• Dr. Kimerly Rorschach, Director of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, talks about why universities have museums.

• IN THE HEIGHTS, winner of four 2008 Tony® Awards including BEST MUSICAL, is a sensational new show about chasing your dreams and finding your true home. You will be taken on an exhilarating journey into a vibrant Manhattan community; a place where the coffee is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three.  ***Ticket holders for the February 18th performance of IN THE HEIGHTS will have the unique opportunity to attend a pre-show event featuring a cocktail hour (cash bar), free hors d’oeuvres, and salsa dancing led by dancers from Metropolitan Ballroom! To SAVE $10 on tickets to IN THE HEIGHTS on Friday, February 18th visit www.BlumenthalCenter.org/salsa or call 704.372.1000 and ask for the “salsa” special!

• Expanding on the popular Bluebird Day of the past two years, the Garden celebrates our winged friends with a day of birds. Enjoy bird watching walks, demonstrations and mini-talks scheduled throughout the day, including the annual update on the Gardens' Bluebird Program. For a small fee, build your own bluebird house and mix up a suet treat for the feathered friends in your yard at home. ** A materials fee of $10 will apply for optional Bluebird house and Suet projects.
  Partnering Organizations: NC National Wildlife Federation affiliates, Gaston County P.A.W.S. and Mecklenburg County H.A.W.K.

• 2010 film about the legendary poem by beat icon Allen Ginsberg -- played by Hollywood actor James Franco. -- and the 1957 obscenity trial that followed its publication.

• The Friends of Music at Queens proudly hosts Red Priest, an acoustic foursome founded in 1997 and named after the flame-haired priest Antonio Vivaldi. Red Priest is the only early music group in the world to have been compared in the press to the Rolling Stones, Jackson Pollock, the Marx Brothers, Spike Jones and the Cirque du Soleil. The group has given sold-out concerts at many of the world’s most prestigious festivals, including the Hong Kong Arts Festival and Prague Spring Festival. Their repertoire ranges from obscure 17th century sonatas to the most famous works of Bach and Vivaldi, all presented in imaginative programs with cinematically inspired titles: “Priest on the Run,” “Nightmare in Venice,” “Pirates of the Baroque” and “Johann, I’m Only Dancing!”

• It’s family time Uptown! Try out a new scavenger hunt in the museum galleries, see a performer or artist demonstrating, and enjoy kid-friendly activities. Each month the museum will celebrate a new theme. This month’s theme:  Art, Supersized!

• Levine Museum of the New South presents its "New South for the New Southerner," an educational program for newcomers and native, Hosted by Levine Museum historian Dr. Tom Hanchetts. High-profile newcomers to Charlotte include Kathleen Jameson from Houston, director of the Mint Museum, and Christopher Warren-Green from London, conductor of the Charlotte Symphony. They'll share their personal puzzlements with Charlotte, plus tips for getting along in the Queen City. Program includes wine and dinner from Mert's Heart & Soul.

• Come hear a lecture by Jurgen Buchenau, Professor, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Chair, Department of History. Dr. Buchenau’s research interests include 19th and 20th century Mexico, Immigration, Mexico in world affairs, and the Mexican Revolution. He is currently writing a biography of General Alvaro Obregón, who commanded the winning faction in the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920).  Dr. Buchenau has also begun work on a book that will examine economic development, corruption, and political leadership to reconsider the consolidation of Mexican state in the 1920s and 1930s. ***Reservations are required: email programs@charlottemuseum.org  or call 704.568.1774.

·    In this highly anticipated engagement, MOMIX (internationally renowned contemporary dance company) brings its breathtaking fantasy piece BOTANICA to Charlotte. BOTANICA transports you to a fantasy world of surreal images and childlike wonder. Set to an eclectic score that ranges from birdsong to Vivaldi, BOTANICA reveals nature’s changing imagery in an unforgettable multimedia experience. Through Sunday 2/27.

• Charlotte ViewPoint, Novello Festival Press, the Queens MFA in Creative Writing program and The Arts at Queens host a reading of “Topograph,” a literary anthology celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Novello Festival of Reading. The anthology offers a fresh sketch of the current Southern literary landscape, including one-minute stories, fractured prose poems, fragmented pulp fiction and inventively structured memoirs. The book is a collaboration between Novello Festival Press and Charlotte ViewPoint, a community-based nonprofit organization that advances metropolitan ideas and art. Book contributors include MFA faculty Alan Michael Parker and Katherine Min. Prior to the reading, editor Jeff Jackson will answer audience questions about literary publishing and editing.

• The U.S. Ambassador to Singapore will discuss: Why Asia? Why ASEAN? Why Now? - How to be a Winner in the Global Marketplace. Prior to his confirmation, Ambassador Adelman served as a State Senator in the Georgia General Assembly and as an Assistant Attorney General in Georgia.  For the past twenty years he worked with the national law firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP.  He has taught courses in political science as an instructor in the Honors Program at the University of Georgia.  For many years Ambassador Adelman represented indigent veterans on a pro bono basis before the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, as well as served as a legal adviser to the state of Georgia’s largest domestic violence organizations.

• Come meet journalist LISA NAPOLI, as she reads from her new book “Radio Shangri-La: What I Learned in Bhutan, the Happiest Kingdom on Earth.” Ms. Napoli writes of a period when she was dissatisfied with her life and her work as a radio journalist when a chance encounter with a handsome stranger presents her with an opportunity to move halfway around the world. She decides to leave behind cosmopolitan Los Angeles for a new adventure in the ancient Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan—said to be one of the happiest places on earth - and helps to start Bhutan’s first youth-oriented radio station, Kuzoo FM. Lisa Napoli has worked as a journalist for NPR (public radio show Marketplace), a columnist at the New York Times CyberTimes, and an Internet correspondent at MSNBC. She began her career at CNN, worked in local news in North Carolina, and has directed several documentaries about Southern culture.

• Frequently comic, sometimes tragic, and often poetic, Rowing To America explores the experience of immigration, emigration, and migration through a myriad of culturally diverse one-act plays. These plays are directed, designed, and performed by students in the Department of Theatre and represent a clear but simple aesthetic approach to production and performance.

• The Flag of Hope is a social art project that will travel to 10 cities across North Carolina to promote multicultural awareness and hope within our diverse communities. Artist Edwin Gil will collect handprints and signatures on large canvases that will be fashioned into the nation’s first ever flag made with the handprints of North Carolina residents. Gil is a contemporary conceptual artist best known for his vibrant colors and proprietary paint technique used to achieve depth and movement in his works.

• Susan Graham and Plácido Domingo reprise their starring roles in Gluck’s nuanced and elegant interpretation of this primal Greek myth. Tenor Paul Groves also returns to Stephen Wadsworth’s insightful production, first seen in 2007. Patrick Summers conducts.

• 
  Join staff of the Botanical Gardens for an informative stroll through the delights of the Susie Harwood Garden. Yes, there is much to appreciate in a southern garden in winter – berries, bark, structure, and even flowers. Come enjoy this overlooked season, learn about some plants to add to your own winter garden, and choose from a prime selection of winter plants for sale. A short slide presentation will precede the garden walk.

• The Bechtler Ensemble is joined by special guest violinst Rosemary Furniss this evening. Furniss is one of the most respected violinists of her generation and is acclaimed for her solo performances and collaborations with renowned orchestras and conductors (including her husband, newly appointed Charlotte Symphony conductor Christopher Warren-Green who also leads the London Chamber Orchestra where Furniss shares the role of Artistic Director and Concertmaster). For this performance, the musical work of Brahms will be paried with the artwork of Julius Bissier. Bissier is featured in the exhibition Four Artists in Ascona: Benazzi, Bissier, Nicholson and Valenti on view now through July 5 in the museum's second-floor gallery.

• The Light Factory and Theatre 650 present this month’s Cult Movie Monday feature: SHAFT, the genre-defining blackploitation film,  directed by Gordon Parks. Come watch John Shaft -  the ultimate in suave black detectives. He first finds himself up against Bumpy, the leader of the Black crime mob, then against Black nationals, and finally working with both against the White Mafia who are trying to blackmail Bumpy by kidnapping his daughter.

• Feel the excitement of the bullfight and revel in the flair of the Fandango as you experience the flavour of Spain with classical guitarist Robert Teixeira and friends. From the intimate to the extroverted, enjoy an Iberian musical fiesta right here in Charlotte. Selections include: Joaquin Turina: La Oracion del Torero ; Luigi Boccherini: Guitar Quintet #4 in D “Fandango.”  Musicians for this concert are Robert Teixeira, guitar; Peter deVries and Kari Giles, violins; Vasily Gorkovoy, viola; Tanja Bechtler, cello. These concerts are performed by leading local and regional professional musicians that Charlotte Chamber Music compensates. The evening concert includes a wine and cheese reception in the Carillon Lobby.

7th ANNUAL CHARLOTTE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL –  Opening Night!

7:00pm – Sam Lerner Center for Cultural Arts/Jewish Community Center

• In honor of NASA’s 50^th Anniversary, the Charlotte Jewish Film Festival (March 3-13) will open with a screening of the 2010 documentary film: AN ARTICLE OF HOPE. An uplifting message of humanity, AN ARTICLE OF HOPE tells the remarkable story of Israel’s first astronaut and the journey of a tiny Torah scroll into outer space. Israeli Air Force Colonel Ilan Ramon and six other astronauts perished on Feb. 1st, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon reentry. Among the few objects that Ramon took into space was a miniature Torah that had survived the Concentration Camps of the Holocaust.  **Tiffany Russell, from NASA, will be the special guest speaker.

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

8:00pm – Charlotte Motor Speedway

• CIRQUE DU SOLEIL returns to Charlotte MARCH 3- 20 with a brand new live production:  TOTEM! Somewhere between science and legend TOTEM explores the ties that bind Man to other species, his dreams and his infinite potential.

• This benefit (which runs through Sun. 3/6) was created to showcase the local talent in our community and to support Matthews Playhouse and Theatre Matthews. For 16 years Matthews Playhouse has enriched the lives of performers and audience members alike with high quality plays and performances. This variety show will celebrate solo, small and large groups who have been invited to or successfully auditioned for a spot in the shows. Top performers will be recognized with a final showdown on the last evening.

• Experience the sounds of 1930s and '40s France when the Ziad Jazz Quartet performs the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. Featured songs include Nuages, Limehouse Blues, Minor Swing, Django, After You’ve Gone and Exactly Like You.

• This illustrated lecture about the life and works of Oscar Nemon, Sir Winston Churchill's sculptor, is given by his daughter Lady Young. The lecture traces Nemon's life from his birth in Croatia in 1906 to his very last sitting with Diana, Princess of Wales in 1985. Nemon sculpted many of the leading statesmen and royalty of the 20th century including the Queen, the Queen Mother, Margaret Thatcher and President Eisenhower. The lecture is presented with support from The English Speaking Union of the United States and the Friends of Art at Queens. Reception to follow the lecture.

• Motörhead's overwhelmingly loud and fast style of heavy metal was one of the most groundbreaking styles the genre had to offer in the late '70s. Currently on their 35^th anniversary tour, in support of their latest album “The World Is Yours,” don’t miss Lemmy and the band for a classic hard rock show! Be sure to also catch opening band CLUTCH, for some amazing, bluesy, hard rock.

• Davidson Community Players explores visual art with the thrilling premier of Masterpiece by the award-winning author Meir Ribalow. Based on the actual events of the 20th Century’s most notorious forgery scandal, the drama follows Flemish artist Han van Meegeren who successfully forges a 'masterpiece' by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer to retaliate against a hostile and powerful art critic. The painting is sold to the Nazis, and it is not until nine years later that a mysterious investigator appears and the unraveling begins. "A mesmerizing thriller about what constitutes great art and the relationship between love, art, and the truth." --Broadway World

• 19th century blacksmiths on the grounds providing demonstrations. 

• Levy is one of the artists at the forefront of reviving and preserving Ladino, a collective term for the Judeo-Spanish languages that date back to the 15th century in Spain. In her deep, spiritual and moving style of singing, Levy preserves and revives the most beautiful songs from the Ladino/Judeo-Spanish heritage, mixing it with Andalusian Flamenco. Her “Romance & Yasmin” created a stir amongst world music lovers across the globe. She’s performed at Carnegie Hall, with Jools Holland on his TV show in England and at WOMAD festivals. See why The Guardian says Levy "deserves global recognition... (her music is) powerful, passionate & intriguing. “

Wow. Amanda, get it together. Seriously.

Even though Bynes deleted the tweet within two minutes of posting it, Rihanna got wind of it anyway. Zing!

Guess the prep books didn't help much...

That "CACHINK" "CACHINK" signals the creative process.

So glad I live in the midwest! ...

George Takei really sucks—and he's proud of it!

The Star Trek legend and Internet darling had the prefect response this week for a Facebook troll trying to bring him down.

He shared a screenshot of the exchange with the caption: "Sorry, couldn't help myself.‪ #‎Trollololollol‬"

BOOM!

Takei is known for his epic Internet takedowns, so mark this one down as another win for Sulu.

inb4 "a woman's scorn"

It all starts with the anything-but-smooth introduction...

If this keep up I'll have no choice but to start calling dogs "goggies."

What's between aggressively keying a car and passively doing nothing? Passive aggressive cart block.

Plant-based paper has been used for thousands of years, but exactly how is it created from trees?

Vampire bats rely on amino acids from their blood diet to fuel their exercise, scientists discovered after observing the animals on tiny treadmills.