The image says it all!

Here's the traditional Christmas Day photo's with the family. The top photo is all my aunts and uncles and the bottom is my immediate family.

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas ( or other holiday) and a Happy New Year!

I had to snap a picture of the Buffalo Fire Department's mammoth Heavy Rescue truck as it parked outside my building. BFD has only one rescue unit for the entire city. The firefighters on this unit are the best of the best!

Yesterday I had the privilege of getting a personal tour of the Buffalo Fire Historical Society's Museum on William Street and North Ogden in Buffalo's Lovejoy section. I'm doing an article about the museum for Buffalo Rising so you'll get a sneak peak and some of the photo's. I must say the Pat & Margaret Coghlin, a father-daughter team, were absolutely amazing. Our conversation lasted into the wee hours of the morning and ended with a bite to eat at Alton's in Cheektowaga.

Their seasonal Christmas display won't be up much longer.

Here's a fire helmet from a lieutenant from Engine 34 who lost it in a hole burned in the floor at a house fire on Hertel Avenue.

This display holds fire department items donated from Buffalo's Sister City in Kanazura, Japan.

Here's a recently restored horse drawn wagon probably from the late 1800's.

Vice President of the Buffalo Fire Historical Society Pat Coghlin looks through an old alarm box book from 1912.

Some of their fire patch collection from departments all over the world.

A cast iron sign from Engine 20 which is the Buffalo Fire Boat Edward M. Cotter which is still in service.

Me and my friend Darrell just got back from seeing Milk, the story of the assassinated gay activist and former San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk. It was an amazing movie with great acting by Sean Penn. It was the perfect in site into gay activism on the heals of California's anti-gay Prop 8's (Marriage Equality) passage. The bottom picture is a photo I took last year of Harvey Milk Plaza at Castro & Market Streets in San Francisco. It's the exact corner where Harvey frequently set up his soap box to motivate the GLBT community into action.

While out Christmas shopping on Elmwood today I picked up a copy of the first ever Where Buffalo Roams & Shops coupon book. It was assembled by Buffalo First as a way to support local business. Pick one up for just $10 at most of the locally owned shops on Elmwood, Hertel, Allen or any of the other business districts.

Today I received this free sticker in the mail from Moveon.org. It commemorates President Elect Obama's Inauguration Day.

My brother arranged for a private tour of Shea's Buffalo Theater (c.1925) for myself and my sister-in-law Connie. What a unique experience! For just $8 per person you get the complete history, back stage tour, and even a peak at the dressing rooms where the actors ready themselves for shows.

We started the tour at the Main Street entrance. Here are the lobby stairs to the second level.

Looking towards the Main Street entrance.

A decorative lamp in the Members Lounge.

Moving on to the second floor. Here's a look down on the lobby.

A potrait of Michael Shea on the second level lobby. Many workers and volunteers swear he hunts the historic theater.

A close up of the unique decrotative seats.

An original decorative exit sign.

A look from the balcony towards the seating area.

Next we moved to the stage. Here's a look at Shea's legandary Wurlitzer player piano.

A closer look at one of the balconies.

Looking from the stage out into the seating area.

Behind the stage is 4 floors of dressing rooms for the actors and stage hands.

And lastly, the docks where all the stage props and wardroble come in.

As George W. Bush wraps up his last term take a look at a web site called Old American Century that shows just how his administration piggybacked on the ideas of Hitler and Mussolini fascism.

Me and my friend Darrell spent our Saturday afternoon at the new Burchfield Penny Art Center on Elmwood Avenue on Buffalo State University campus. It's Buffalo's first major new art gallery in over a century.

Onto the galleries.

The gallery that pays tribute to Charles Burchfield himself.

The gallery stairs heading to the 2nd floor.

Me and Darrell both enjoyed this piece.

You get a good feel for the curvature of the galleries walls in this picture.

This hanging piece casts a shadow on the gallery floor.

This unique art with hundreds of photo's placed inside jars stands out on the first floor.

A good picture of both levels.

A unique painting continues on to the floor.

A look down from the 2nd floor.

A cool piece of pottery.

Me in an upstairs sitting area.

This piece is actually an optical illusion.

A fun look at the staircase.

The 2nd floor looking at the main staircase.