Two local groups, Pixie Mamas Dog Rescue and Pole Play Dance Studio, are coming together On December 19th at the Riviera Theatre to help raise money for mans' best friend (the 4-legged kind).

Pixie Mamas Rescue (PMR) is a group of volunteer dog lovers whose mission is to rescue, provide sanctuary, and ultimately to re-home abandoned, stray and neglected dogs. They also assist dogs who are unable to remain in their homes, no matter the reason.  Specializing in smaller breed dogs, sometimes known as "palm puppies," PMR understands that these small breeds are not simply fashion accessories, and they need as much attention and affection as any other breed.  Members of PMR endeavor to match these toy breeds with owners who understand this.

With a vinyl-spinning extravaganza from DJ Donny Shaft.

Five years ago, Buffalo-based powerpop act girlpope called it a day.

After playing a farewell show on November 27, 2004--an epic 3-plus hour event that included a set list picked by the audience (the band's entire catalog was placed on a carnival spinning wheel turned by volunteers)--that was that. Or was it?

On Saturday, November 28, five years after its last performance, nearly to the day), girlpope performs a one-off reunion show to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its heralded CD, The Whole Scene Going.

In its decade together, girlpope garnered a loyal following, toured regionally, released several critically hailed CDs, and was courted by a major label. At home, the band was the opening act du jour for many...

The night before Thanksgiving has long been considered the biggest bar night of the year.  Friends and family are in town and reunions are set.  But where are you going? 

I've always divided the bar scene of Buffalo into three sections.  The first being downtown, a.k.a. Chippewa.  I don't go downtown, so I'm not quite sure why I ever gave it a name, but I know many of you will heading there.  Midtown is Allen Street, including Mothers.  Uptown is all points surrounding Toro and Faherty's.  I have purposely kept the geographical distances close because these areas are all walking distance from me, especially considering the fact that I never go to "downtown". 

So chances are good I will be spending my "biggest bar night of the year" in either midtown or uptown.  However, there are a few solid events that are worth checking out Wednesday...

After taking a little ribbing about my recent vacation and surfing in Mexico (below), WBFO News Director Mark Scott, Newell and I rolled up our sleeves and got down to Buffalo business on this segment of the Buffalo Rising Roundtable.

Approximately $4.8 billion in High Speed Rail infrastructure investments in New York State are being pushed for in order to enhance travel in the Empire Corridor - connecting Niagara Falls to New York City, by way of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany - and the Adirondack Corridor - connecting Montreal and Plattsburgh to Albany.  Construction would begin in Spring 2010 and end by 2018, with the majority of this funding going to the State's 'Third Track Initiative', which will construct a third rail line along the existing line, dedicated to enhanced passenger service - at 110 miles per hour.

According to the High Speed Rail New York Coalition (including Representative Louise Slaughter and Assemblyman Sam Hoyt), New York is uniquely positioned to leverage substantial impact from federal High Speed Rail investment.  Specifically:

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Everyone's favorite mounted sheriff, Wayne Wolf, is back at it with a seasonal slant on keeping his off-duty horse gainfully employed.

A while back, Newell wrote a story about Habitat for Humanity's ReStore outlet on Amherst Street.  While he extolled the virtues of the store, he also lamented the unfriendly outside of the shop - so very opposite from what one finds within - and its lack of decent signage.

Plans for the Buffalo Powder Keg Festival are well underway. We've had an incredible response so far and the emails keep coming in. One question that keeps coming up over and over is, "What record are you going to try to set?" After looking at a few of the snow-related records out there, I'm pretty sure that I'm ready to discount any record setting...

Michigan Technological University has the record for 3,700 students entering into a snowball fight. North Dakota has the record for 8,962 snow angels. And a town in Maine has built the largest snowman at 122 feet.

Those are formidable numbers. So if you have any suggestions (I can't wait for some of the answers) for entering into a serious record attempt, please let me know. Other than that, we are building a solid team...

I have to hand it to The 2nd Cup Cafe for mixing it up downtown each and every month. Each time I stop in for a cup of coffee, the owner tells me about another live music performance or upcoming dance event. Many of these performances, like the Salsa Con Sabor, go until 1 o'clock in the morning. That's particularly impressive when you think that a lot of the other downtown commercial destinations pack up their bags early on Friday, only to turn the lights back on Monday morning.

From what I have heard, The 2nd Cup performances have been well-attended and have helped to attract a loyal fan base of people who not only come to the events, they also stop in for food and coffee. More and more cafes are attempting to incorporate dancing, open-mic nights, karaoke and live music into their repertoires. It's the only way...

I've always liked the description of Buffalo as the City of Good Neighbors. The massive volunteer effort for the Extreme Makeover project would seem to be the latest evidence that the slogan fits our city. Lately, I've been thinking of our weather as yet another asset in our region. So often people get defensive about Buffalo's reputation for lousy weather. I try not to, and here I'm making the case that Buffalo's weather is anything but lousy. I definitely wouldn't call our weather perfect - perfect seems only to apply to San Diego (if you don't mind smog) or anywhere in Hawaii - but I think we can make the case that Buffalo's weather is nothing to be embarrassed about.

I can only imagine the abundance of references to the weather during office small talk these...