on the list

Christmas pub crawls Apparently, nothing says Christmas like heavy drinking. In the next week, three bar crawls, all called "12 Bars of Christmas," will roll out in Minneapolis. Today's runs along 1st Avenue in downtown, where most bars will have drink specials. Organizers expect hundreds of people. For the bar list, go to www.12boc.com. The other two crawls happen next Friday. One will run along Lyndale Avenue in Uptown. Commemorative Santa hats will be available and some bars will have specials. More info at www.myspace.com/12barsofchristmas. The third crawl also runs along 1st Avenue. Unfortunately, registration has closed (participants get a special T-shirt). Maybe next year, huh?

Lizzy comes home One funny woman from New Hope is back in the Twin Cities for a weekend of shows at the Joke Joint. Comedian Lizzy Cooperman has been making a name for herself in Los Angeles, most recently with a funny performance on "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" -- highlights included a grandma in 2067 reflecting on her youthful MySpace exploits. Watch it at www.myspace.com/lizzycooperman. (8 p.m. Fri., 7:30 and 10 p.m. Sat. and 7:30 p.m. Sun. 2300 E. American Blvd., Bloomington. $8-12. 612-327-0185. www.jokejointcomedy club.com)

Droppin' science If you haven't heard, sci-fi geeks and science nerds have been competing in a monthly science trivia night at the Nomad in Minneapolis, sponsored by the Bell Museum of Natural History. Teams of up to five people answer questions about everything from "Star Trek" to real current events. The night is hosted by local Doomtree MC Dessa, a science geek herself who worked as a medical technical writer before becoming a rapper. Winners receive gift certificates, and best of all, they get to do "shots with me at the end of the night," Dessa said. (8 p.m. Wed., 501 Cedar Av. S., Mpls. $10 registration fee per team. To register, call 612-626-1897.)

TOM HORGEN