ART: The Year of the Dog is being celebrated in many ways, even through cute paintings of puppies, er, art. Elizabeth Berdann's witty, ultra-realistic oil-on-copper paintings of dogs are now on view. We think they're cuteoverload.com!

Now through March 23rd // Tuesday through Thursday, Saturday 10am to 2pm // Lesley Heller [30 East 92nd Street, 3rd Floor]

COMEDY PANEL: We can't imagine that disecting comedy is really all that funny, since laughing is somewhat a spontaneous reaction. However, that won't stop The Magnet Theater from hosting a symposium called: “Does Comedy Matter?". Those trying to answer this question are NYT Magazine contributor John Hodgman, the Onion's Joe Garden, Conan O’Brien writer Brian Stack, New Yorker cartoonist Sam Means, Daily Show creator Lizz Winstead, and Magnet Theater partner Armando Diaz. And, of course, you better come with some ideas because they want to hear what you have to say too.

Tonight // 9:30 to 11pm // Magnet Theater [254 W. 29th St] // $10

DISCUSSION: Tonight the New School presents "India & China: Who's Ahead?" as part of the Re-Visioning India & China: Authors & Artists series. Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Arjun Appadurai and Dean Benjamin Lee lead a discussion with contributing authors of Asia's Giants: Comparing China and India. The book reconsiders the conventional wisdom that China's performance (economically, socially, politically, and diplomatically) has been superior to that of India, and brings together new paradigms for evaluating the comparative performance of two countries. Or, if your brain has fizzled out by the end of the work week, just go to happy hour instead. We won't judge you.

Tonight // 5:30 to 7:30pm // The New School, Wollman Hall [66 West 12th Street, 5th Floor]

BOOK SIGNING: Does this sound more appealing if the book is being signed by former Velvet Underground frontman Lou Reed? Sure it does. The man himself will be on hand to ink your copy of Lou Reed's New York, his book filled with beautiful photographs, taken by him, of New York City.

Saturday // 3 to 5pm // Hermes [691 Madison Ave] // Free

COMEDY: Cubicle Improv invites Jews, Gentiles, and Sinners alike to come celebrate their birthday! "Happy Bat Mitzvah, Cubicle!" will be like the birthday cake you eat silently amongst your coworkers standing around the office, except funnier.

Saturday // 8pm // The Improv [318 W. 53rd St] // $5 plus 2 drink minimum