This wet, dreary, overcast and overall morose weather is rough. Seriously, I look out the window here at Press Herald Plaza and want to put on some Ben Folds and crawl under my desk.

This might require some sort of thick-cut bacon infusion before this blog and the weekend go completely off the rails.

Ah yes, thank you very much Bacon Show. Happiness is a warm plate of Bacon Cheese Fries.

See, now you’re thinking of bacon too. Embrace that feeling friends.

Moving on:

FRIDAY:

• Button Mash-up: This one’s for all the electronica heads and hip-hop fans out there. The guys over at wepushbuttons.com are holding their third party at Geno’s tonight. The line-up includes Metris, Pentateuch (Moshe and the Rocket), The Secret Weekend (J.Hjort and Eric St. Pierre) and A-Frame and Mike Clouds.

  When you combined the families over at Milled Pavement and Brick City Media, this is the type of Brady Bunch you get – minus Alice and cousin Oliver. The show starts at 9 p.m. and it’s a $5 entry.

• Cause if you don’t know, now you know: Who out there does not know the words to at least one Notorious B.I.G. song: “Who Shot Ya,” "Gimme the Loot," "Hypnotize," "Mo Money Mo Problems" and the list goes on. Well if you don’t you might want to brush up before tonight’s B.I.G. party at the Big Easy. The party’s a collaboration between Cream Apparel - fresh off last week’s LabSeven mixtape release – and Boondocks, one of Portland’s hardest working DJs. If you hit up the Dre Day party a few months back then you’ve got a good idea what’s in store. Show starts at 9 p.m., $5 to get in. And oh yes, there will be free swag.

• Another cheap ticket: Over at Space Gallery tonight is Sacred Spring, which looks to be a cavalcade of local singer/songwriters. Show up at Space by 8:30 p.m. and here’s what you get: Moses Atwood, Jason Rogers (Diamond Sharp), Chad Chamberlain (Acta Non Verba), Betsy Upham, Chris Teret, Galen Richmond, Christopher Keister and Tim Burns (Phantom Buffalo), and as the commercials would say "much, much more!" Ten musicians in total, 18 + show. It’s $5.

SATURDAY:

• Is it safe to skate on the pier? Uh oh…derby girls loose in Old Orchard Beach. This sounds like a plot to summer movie. I’m seeing something with Brittany Murphy, Shannon Elizabeth, Rosario Dawson and Mandy Moore as the uptight daughter of the mayor who wants to put a stop to the derby. Something will burn, someone will cry, Bea Arthur will offer sage advice to the team and an ankle will be turned just before the pivotal derby bout. ANYWAY, the Vacationland Vixens will be down at the pier in OOB today beginning at noon as part of the Beer Festival.

  I swear this screenplay is just writing itself.

  For more derby shenanigans and info make sure to check out the Vixens on Wheels, the new derby blog on Mainetoday.

• If it’s a party you gotta have cake, right? Would you believe it’s been almost three years since Geno’s moved from Brown Street to Congress Street? Does this mean people will stop referring to the building at the old Skinny? This weekend they’ll be celebrating the three-year anniversary of the move with, what else? ROCK. The Pontiff’s, The Freeze and Two Saints will be playing tonight starting at 8 p.m.

SUNDAY:

• Because if you don’t stand for something… May 19 is El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz’s birthday. He would have been 82. Better known to the world as Malcolm X, we all know he was gunned down in 1965. For the second year in row a collection of local community action groups will be holding an event focusing on the legacy of Malcolm X as well as Martin Luther King Jr.

  “Malcolm & Martin: Transforming our community through human rights and economic justice,” will look at the difference and similarities in their vision for the future and the role of young people in social change. Groups such as the Center for African Heritage, the NAACP Portland branch, Boys To Men and Say it Loud are providing the discussion as well as hip-hop and spoken word. The group Bedford, Mass.-based group 3rd Eye Unlimited will also contribute a presentation on the growth of the hip-hop movement and its affects on young people.

MONDAY:

• Look, I just wanna talk: Tell your friends, neighbors, enemies and family (my polling numbers are very good with moms) to be back here on Monday for an online chat. The chat begins at 12:30 p.m. and the lines will be open for an hour. We can talk about graffiti and the new ordinance in South Portland, local hip-hop and favorite groups, the magic and myth of prom, or bacon. Lives, careers, hair styles and nicknames will be changed forever.

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