Thursday, May 24th

You can call him Al! Call him fat, call him a tubby genius—whatever—we love ourselves some Al Gore, and still hope against hope that he’s going to get on the treadmill of life and take Hillary out of the 2008 race (if Bill’s jolly John Thomas doesn’t take her out first!). Tonight, Mr. Gore pops up (boi-ingggg!) at the 92nd Street Y for a little chat with dark prince Charlie Rose about his new book, The Assault on Reason. Hey, speaking of big asses, you like big-ass ships? Look no further than the Queen Mary 2, docked in the very England-like Brooklyn, where the New York City Opera and Brooklyn Academy of Music will be piped aboard for a gala evening. If you throw down some sweaty bucks (not euros—at least not yet), you’ll get some booze, food and dancing to Peter Duchin and his orchestra, plus a performance by Patti LuPone. And for those who agree that Marilyn Monroe (we mean you, Norman Mailer, you stud!) is a more compelling cultural figure than Marilyn Manson, a portfolio of pictures from her last photo session, taken by Lawrence Schiller, will be on display at POP International Galleries in Marilyn Monroe 12. We’re coming up on the 45th anniversary of Ms. Monroe’s passing, so prepare yourself for all things Norma Jean. Next! The New Yorker’s Brit gal, Rebecca Mead—who got to have her wedding cake and eat it too by writing a “smart” book about nuptials (One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding)—comes to the New York Public Library to chat about the topic with the deliciously hunky Henry Alford. If you’re the type who gets a masochistic thrill from hearing an English rose like Ms. Mead mock American culture, this is for you.

[Al Gore and Charlie Rose, 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue, 8 p.m., www.92y.org; the Britannia Ball, Queen Mary 2, Brooklyn, 718-636-4182; Lawrence Schiller’s Marilyn Monroe 12 exhibit, POP International Galleries, 473 West Broadway, opening reception 7 to 9 p.m., 212-533-4262.]