Quick hitters

Had a meeting in Cheektowaga this morning so I am a little behind schedule, so I gotta make this fast...

• If you have not RSVP'd for the tour and would like to do so, we need you to sign up ASAP. If we don't get about 8 - 10 more signees by tomorrow, the tour will be cancelled...which would be a real disappointment. Come on, everybody! I promise doughnuts and witticisms!
  
  
• I just dropped this in the comments section, but I wanted to add: if you decide to sign up for Twitter (please sign up for Twitter), my username is BK77. Friend me, and we can exchange "Tweets." I added my Twitter feed to the blog...look down and to the right.
  

That is all for now...

New event: realty award dinner

Buffalo.com photo by Tom Kuenzi.

Hey, here is an event that may be of interest...if fancy steakhouses and the "who's who of commercial real estate" get you moving, then this is the event for you. You'd probably only need to be there from about 6 PM to 7 PM, and if you wanted to stay for the awards, that would be up to you.

Anyhow, let me know if you're interested...


NEW YORK STATE COMMERCIAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® TO HOLD EIGHTH ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER


The Western New York Chapter of the New York State Commercial Association of REALTORS® is pleased to announce its Eighth Annual Awards Dinner and installation of officers’ ceremony.

This year’s event will be held on Thursday evening, February 12, 2009 at the Buffalo Chophouse Restaurant, located at 282 Franklin Street, Buffalo with a cash bar at 6:00 p.m. and dinner at 7:00 p.m. sharp. The swearing in ceremony of new officers will be followed by the presentation of several awards. Tickets may be purchased at a cost of $75 each by contacting any of the co-chairmen below, on a first come-first serve basis, as seating capacity is limited. Checks payable to WNY-NYSCAR. Valet parking will be available at the entrance of the Chophouse.

Awards will be given for Lifetime Achievement, Meritorious Service and for the Largest Broker Assisted Lease and Sale Transactions of 2008. We are very pleased to announce that the 2009 recipient for the Lifetime Achievement Award will be Merle Whitehead, President and CEO of Realty USA. This year’s Meritorious Service Award recipient will be Carl J. Calabrese, former Deputy County Executive of Erie County.

Do you use Twitter?

Are you familiar with Twitter? If not, it's basically a form of micro-blogging -- using your computer or, more likely, your mobile phone, you send "Tweets" of 140 characters or less to your Twitter account. These "Tweets" can be read by the network of followers you create, or aggregated into a larger search group - for instance, your Tweets can all be sent into the Buffalo search feed by typing a # before the word "Buffalo."

Why use Twitter? It's a way to send little updates about what you are doing throughout the day. If you are stuck in traffic, you can send a Tweet telling your friends to avoid the 1-90. If you are watching a movie and it's just garbage, you can send out a micro-review. If you bowl a perfect game, the world (or your network of friends, anyways) can know instantly.

Some people think this is the ultimate in narciscism. Others think that it is the coolest thing ever. Personally, my opinion is somewhere in between - I don't think the world needs to know every one of my profound thoughts, but it is kind of fun to share a few of them.

Plus, news-gathering organizations are starting to discover the power of Twitter -- the plane that landed on the Hudson a few weeks ago? The first photos to hit the Web were from someone's mobile phone - and were posted on Twitter. For years, reporters have sat around, listening to the police and fire scanners for breaking news - now, savvy reporters are doing the same thing with Twitter feeds.

Anyhow: I think it would be really cool to create a Buffalo.com Twitter group. Everyone could send in Tweets from their events, or just throughout the day...it would be interesting. Plus, it's like an instant survey - need some info, or an idea, or a tip, and you can find it from your network on Twitter. Oh, and there is an existing Buffalo Twitter group - check them out.

A lot of us spend the day in front of a computer...and all of us carry mobile phones. If this is something you would like to do, let me know, and let's get this started. Email me, or leave a note in comments.

A featured photo note

If you go to the Buffalo.com home page, you will notice that we feature 10 Spotted photos every day (or nine photos and one video, depending on how much new video content is floating around).

The tool we use to upload those photos favors horizontal photos: that is to say, "wider" shots.














Buffalo.com photo by Matt and Angela Brown.

Lately, a growing trend among our Spotted photographers has been to post vertically aligned photos.



















Buffalo.com photo by Dan Ruggiero.

This is not a problem on the actual Spotted site - we can crop and feature the photos on the Spotted home page using admin tools in the Spotted software. This is not the case in the Buffalo.com module (unfortunately).

Please make an attempt to post a decent number of horizontal photos with your galleries - photos and galleries featured on Buffalo.com get a lot more traffic than those that are not...and if we can't find any worthy horizontal photos in your gallery, we can't feature your photos on the home page, even if your vertical shots are fantastic.

Just something to keep in mind.

2-10 to 2-15 events

It was a slow Sunday at the Kirst house so I got a head start on the events list...will email it out tomorrow, too.

Tuesday

• A Celebration of Mark Twain. Little Theatre and Kaleidoscope Theatre Productions celebrate the writings of one of America's finest authors. 7:30 PM, Marie Maday Theatre, Canisius College, Buffalo.

Wednesday

• Heart of the City Neighborhoods, Inc. logo launch party. A hard-working not-for-profit reveals its new logo in a special launch party. 5:30 PM to 7 PM, Allen St. Hardware Café, Allen Street, Buffalo.
• HEART, Inc. Animal Rescue and Adoption Team benefit. 7 PM to 10 PM, Buckin’ Buffalo Saloon, 294 Franklin St., Buffalo.
• Night of 1,000 Divas. Charitable celebration of the 10th anniversary of O’Connell and Company featuring distinguished guests from dozens of local not-for-profit organizations. 7:30 PM, Riviera Theater, 67 Webster St., North Tonawanda.
• Big Band Dance with Jim Tudini. 7:30 PM, Kleinhans, 1 Symphony Circle, Buffalo.
• WBFO Wednesday Night Concert with Too Many Sisters. Local rockers perform live-to-air at WBFO’s Allen Hall performance studio. 7:30 PM, Allen Hall, UB South Campus, Buffalo.

Thursday

• The Music of Queen: A Benefit for the BPO. Live music from Black Widow and the sounds of the 1970s rock powerhouse in support of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. 6 PM, Hard Rock Café, 333 Prospect St., Niagara Falls.
• Hope for Cats, Inc. auction and vendor show. A benefit for local cat support organization. 6 PM, Magruders Restaurant, 4995 Broadway, Depew.
• Sabres alumni basketball: v. Frontier High faculty. Favorite Sabres from days past hit the hardwood against Frontier High’s faculty and staff. 7 PM, Frontier High School, 4432 Bay View Road, Hamburg.
• Canisius men’s basketball: v. Niagara. A fantastic basketball rivalry explodes in Buffalo. 7:30 PM, Koessler Athletic Center, Canisius College, Buffalo.
• Rated X: A Recital of Premieres. A night of new music with Jean Kopperud (clarinet) and Stephen Gosling (piano). 8 PM, Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall, University at Buffalo North Campus, Amherst.
• Distinguished Speakers Series: Donna Brazile. Former Clinton/Gore political manager speaks at UB. 8 PM, Center for the Arts, UB North Campus, Amherst.

Friday

• The Perfect Pair: Wine & Chocolate Tasting for Roswell. Chocolatier Dan Johnson will discuss gourmet chocolate-making techniques and innovations while guests sip red and white wine and sample premium handmade confections. 5 PM, Choco-Logo, 141 Broadway, Buffalo.
• Buffalo State basketball doubleheader: v. Cortland. Women’s game at 6 PM, men’s game at 8 PM. Buffalo State Sports Arena, Buffalo State College, Buffalo.
• Buffalo State women’s hockey: v. Neumann. 7 PM, Buffalo State Ice Arena, Buffalo State College, Buffalo.
• Wines of Chile dinner. An elegant social event with the UB Women’s Club. 7 PM, Buffalo Launch Club, 503 E. River Road, Grand Island.
• UB wrestling: v. Edinboro. 7 PM, Alumni Arena, UB North Campus, Amherst.
• The Trews. Canadian rock favorites perform live. 7 PM, Town Ballroom, 681 Main St., Buffalo.
• Canisius hockey: v. American International. 7 PM, Pepsi Center, Millersport Highway, Amherst.
• Orchard Park Youth Symphony Concert. An annual event where members of the Southtowns Youth Orchestra and Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra have an opportunity to perform with the seasoned players in the Orchard Park Symphony. 7:30 PM, Orchard Park Middle School, 60 S. Lincoln St., Orchard Park.
• Free Music Fridays at the Hard Rock: The Bleeding Hearts Band. Live music and good times at the Hard Rock Café. 8 PM, Hard Rock Café, 333 Prospect St., Niagara Falls.
• Finally Friday Singles Dance. 8:30 PM, Hearthstone Manor, 333 Dick Road, Depew.
• 103.3 Sexy Snow Bunny Contest. A new promotion and party sponsored by Labatt’s and WEDG 103.3-FM. 9 PM to 11 PM, Buffalo Sports Garden, 2945 Southwestern Blvd., Orchard Park.
• Roger Bryan and the Orphans. Local singer-songwriter headlines a full bill of local musicians. 10 PM, Mohawk Place, 47 E. Mohawk St., Buffalo.

Saturday

• Kiddie Character Carnival. Local kids meet their favorite cartoon characters and enjoy family-related fun. 9 AM to 11:30 AM, Boulevard Mall, 730 Alberta Drive, Amherst.
• Dash for the Dome 5K. A fun 5K and interesting after-party at one of Buffalo’s best-known landmarks. 10 AM, Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo.
• Boarding for Breast Cancer. A fun day in the parks to raise awareness for Breast Cancer. Special park clinic for women, pink ticket fundraiser, Burton Demos, Rail Jam and shopping reception party. 10 AM to 4 PM, Holiday Valley Ski Resort, Ellicottville.
• WNY Home and Garden Show. 10 AM to 8 PM, Agri-Center, Hamburg Fairgrounds, Hamburg.
• Canisius College synchronized swimming: v. Incarnate Word. 11 AM, Koessler Athletic Center Swimming Pool, Canisius College, Buffalo.
• UB women’s basketball: v. Northern Illinois. Breast Cancer Awareness/Pack the House Day for the Lady Bulls. 2 PM, Alumni Arena, UB North Campus, Amherst.
• Buffalo State basketball doubleheader: v. New Paltz. Women’s game at 2 PM, men’s game at 4 PM. Buffalo State Sports Arena, Buffalo State College, Buffalo.
• Buffalo State women’s hockey: v. Neumann. 4 PM, Buffalo State Ice Arena, Buffalo State College, Buffalo.
• Queen City Roller Girls: Valentine’s Day Massacre. The Devil Dollies skate against the Alley Kats. 7:30 PM, Rainbow Rink, 101 Oliver St., North Tonawanda.
• Buffalo State men’s hockey: v. Morrisville State. 7 PM, Buffalo State Ice Arena, Buffalo State College, Buffalo.
• Variety Club Dinner and Chinese auction. A special event for one of Buffalo’s hardest-working charities. 7 PM, Hearthstone Manor, 333 Dick Road, Depew.
• Canisius hockey: v. American International. 7 PM, Pepsi Center, Millersport Highway, Amherst.
• My Bloody Valentine’s Day 3. Big night of local rockers at one of Buffalo’s best music clubs. 9 PM, Soundlab, 110 Pearl St., Buffalo.

Sunday

• WNY Home and Garden Show. 11 AM to 5 PM, Agri-Center, Hamburg Fairgrounds, Hamburg.
• 16th Annual Cardboard Olympics. Creative cardboard sleds dominate the slopes in this good-time event. Noon, Byrncliff Ski Resort, 2357 Humphrey Road, Varysburg.
• Bored Games 2009. A festival of board games old and new – from Scrabble to Guitar Hero – and a qualifier for Scrabblefest 2009. 1 PM to 4 PM, Millennium Hotel Buffalo, 2040 Walden Ave., Cheektowaga.
• Dream Girl. The Playhouse of American Classics presents a “chamber theatre” production of “Dream Girl,” a play by Elmer Rice. 2 PM, Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, 25 Nottingham Terrace, Buffalo.
• High School Basketball: Canisius at St. Joe’s. One of the greatest hoops rivalries in Western New York. St. Joseph Collegiate Institute, 845 Kenmore Ave., Buffalo.
• Red Bull Snowscrapers viewing party. An exclusive viewing party of the "Red Bull Snowscrapers" event, Big Air in the Big Apple. 5 PM to 7 PM, Clubhouse Chalet East Bar, Holiday Valley Ski Resort, Ellicottville.

Phone = Dead

Here's one of the things I forgot: my work cell phone (390-2715) is dead and I left the charger in my desk at The News. Call me at 244-2557 if you have any urgent Buffalo.com needs this weekend.

Catching up for the weekend

Buffalo.com photo by Carey Colella.

I was out of the office today - had to go to Forestville for a funeral on my wife's side of the family. I apologize if I owe anyone an email or a return phone call, I will try to get to it ASAP.

A few notes:

• Please remember that we have a tour of The Buffalo News scheduled for the interns on Monday, Feb. 16 at 10 AM. Sign-ups have been a little light so far. If you can make it, it would be great to have you see the inside of 1 News Plaza.
  
  
• We are going to run some congratulatory advertisements for some of our 2008 intership award winners, so keep an eye on the print edition of The Buffalo News for to see some of your fellow writers and photographers (or yourself, depending on who is reading this). The ad schedule is as follows:
  
  Feb. 10 - Dawn Mongold
  Feb. 13 - Dan Ruggiero
  Feb. 15 - David Jarka
  Feb. 19 - John Kindelan
  Feb. 23 - Les Robinson
  Feb. 27 - Tom Proctor
  March 2 - Bill Parker
  March 6 - Lizz Schumer
  
  Now, there is a possibility that specific ads will be bumped if the paid ad inventory for that particular day's paper is sold out. If that happens, we will get you the new date ASAP. Congratulations again to all of our winners.
  
  
• Buffalo.com photo intern Nick Julian had a great idea a few weeks back - why don't we start a project where we photograph the sites of interest throughout Western New York and post the pics to Spotted? That way, anyone from outside of the community - or in WNY, for that matter - could get a good look at some of the great history and architecture of the region.
  
  Nick has already started with a gallery of photos from the Herschell Carroseul (sp?) Museum. They are kind of buried on the site right now, and I want to create a more prominent place for them...and for the other galleries we hope to get. Some places of interest could be the Central Terminal, the Richardson Towers...or any place you can imagine. I would love to get this rolling. Please let me know if you would like to be part of this project, and I can start working on booking tours for you.
  
  
• I feel like I had a bunch of other notes for you, but I am drawing a blank. If I remember what I was going to say, I'll type it up later.
  

Have a good weekend, everyone.

PS. Upload pet pics to the Puppy Love community gallery!