Image by 20090104-addicted.jpg Addicted to Bad Ideas: Peter Lorre's 20th Century.

The Spoleto festival is like Christmas. You start hearing and thinking about it long before it starts. But we're happy to imagine 2009's performances and exhibitions. It's just the escapist buzz we need to overcome our holiday hangover. Hey, maybe that's why the schedule comes out now. Thanks, Spoleto!

Anyway, jump over to the City Paper for a roundup of this year's noteworthy performances. Or you can visit CharlestonLowcountry.com for more information about Spoleto's history, tickets and accommodations.

You can also snag some more information about specific events (and some video) on Spoleto's Web site.