Watching my Phillies

Life is good when I'm home watching the Phillies.

Off to Las Vegas

First leg to Chicago, then to Vegas.  Arrived in rainy Chicago.  Hopefully be betting in a couple of hours.

Coffee Time

What more can I say?  Wawa coffee every morning; delicious!

One of my favorites - Thanks mom!

Open face Bacon, Tomato, Onion and Cheeze...I love them.  My record is 8.  Delicious!

Get your tickets here!

Can't believe the show is this weekend.  The shows are not quite sold out but almost.  Kelsie has been working very hard and is very tired.  Kathleen and I are very proud of her!

Casey has her Pups - 2/23/2011

2 boys and 4 girls.  Names in order of birth: Otis, Dude, Daisey, Squirt, Lilo (Pia) and Riley.

We've had to have someone stay with the pups all the time because their mother still trying to eat cords.

Looks like we will be giving them all away.

My girl has finally gotten her drivers permit!

I don't if I should be happy or sad right now.  Picture taken right after we pulled out of WaWa and heading to pick up Cella.

Disney World Christmas vacation 2010

Dino Land store...wow!

History was made today

Last night Roy Halladay pitched a no-hitter in his first post season appearance of his career.  It was magic to watch those pitches and time after time batters would swing right threw them.  The Phillies won 4 - 0 against the Cards.

So proud of my son, Anthony.

SGA breathes life into Cavalier

by Diana Campeggio

Posted on 22 September 2010. Tags: Athletic department, Cabrini Cavalier, Cabrini college, Cabrini mascot, Issue 05, SEal

The redesign of the new and improved Cavalier costume and logo hopes to promote a rejuvenated sense of school spirit throughout the Cabrini community.
The Student Government Association worked with both the athletic department and Students Engagement and Leadership to create an improved Cabrini icon that would help school spirit around campus flourish.
“I think that many of us on campus felt like we needed a new costume and a new design,” Anne Filippone, director of SEaL, said. “But Student Government was really the group that came forward and said we are lacking pride on campus and we needed to do something about it.”
The athletic department knew that a new mascot costume was needed because the previous costume was in pretty bad shape.
The departments came together in the spring of 2010 to come up with a contest in which students could submit their ideas to update the mascot.
“Let’s come up with a contest to develop a new logo and to design the costume to let the students feel included and invested and we get what we want which is maybe a little bit more school spirit, a new costume and a new logo,” Joe Giunta, director of athletics and recreation, said.
SEaL received eight different submissions for the contest from students, faculty and staff, alumni and even one parent.  The SGA, SEaL, athletic, marketing and communication departments came together to agree on a winner.
“I did have something in mind, yet I was open to what the students came up with and what they wanted,” Giunta said.
The students questioned why the previous mascot scarcely came to athletic games and other events on campus and were envious of Eastern University’s pride in their mascot.
“We are so competitive with them and we don’t have anything that rivals that,” Filippone said.
Students were also disappointed in the mascot’s lack of participation at sporting and campus events.
“Some of the students last year were angry that school spirit was lacking and it was something that we felt very passionately about,” John Solewin, president of SGA and senior political science and history double major, said.
In the end, the departments found two clear winners and decided on the ideas of two graphic design majors.
Anthony Casazza, ’10, who is behind the development of the logo while Brian Birdsall, ’10, designed the mascot’s costume.  They were notified at the end of the spring semester that the college was choosing their ideas.
Some people might think that the use of another logo seems unnecessary but in fact many schools have two or three different logos.  Cabrini has not had a logo that displayed the mascot for many years.
“I wanted to create something that was intimidating but also recognizable as a cavalier,” Casazza said in a recent telephone interview. “I think they needed a logo that showed the actual mascot.”
Casazza drew up several different logos before deciding on his submission.  Once chosen, he submitted several versions of the mascot logo in both black and white and variations of the school’s colors.  The only thing that Cabrini wished to change was the font type, which Casazza resubmitted.
The newly created mascot logo did not cost anything to develop.  Because the development of the logo was completely internal, with the help of the marketing and communication department, no money needed to go into the development.
The logo will begin to make its appearance on merchandise within the bookstore in a few weeks but is already available through the CAVS club, an organization that helps supports Cabrini athletics.  It is also swiftly adorning several sports uniforms and their gear, but the logo will soon be available for everyone to access.
SEaL will also continue to give out shirts with the new logo throughout the semester at different campus events and athletic games.
“It’s cool to have students and the whole community like a logo or a mark and to be proud of it and want to wear it,” Giunta said.
The mascot costume debuted at Move-In day on Aug. 19 and received a positive response from students.
“I was walking around with him and the turn out of kids that were flocking to him was incredible,” Solewin said. “Everyone wanted a picture, to give him a hug and I’m happy to see that our hard work paid off.”
The mascot costume was a larger financial investment but the campus completely supported the cost.  The cost of the costume was added to the athletic department’s budget for the year and no funding from other athletics was used in purchasing the costume.
Brian Birdsall was not available for comment on his role in designing the mascot costume.
“I’m not surprised he also won,” Casazza said. “He is very talented.”
The athletic department could not release the name of the person behind the Cavalier costume.  The school believes in keeping this a secret to promote the mascot as a symbol of Cabrini Cavaliers and not a man or woman in a costume.
“We knew of a student who was interested in doing it,” Giunta said, “and because we got the costume so close to the beginning of school and move-in day was the first day we rolled it out, this student was interested and available.”
The departments hope that students begin talking about the new costume and logo and embrace them positively.
“Students are really excited about it so I think that was the outcome we were hoping for and really wanted,” Filippone said.
The Cavalier has already been to Move-In Day, Cabrini night at the Phillies game, and the orientation picnic.  SGA has worked with the athletic department to set up a few larger athletic games that will be preceded with a pep rally, in which the Cavalier will attend.

WDHS Marching Band Color Guard 2010

When Kelsie announced that she was joining the WDHS (West Deptford High School) marching band color guard, I was a little nervous. This would require a great commitment from her and I wasn't too sure she really understood the breath of it.  I am happy to report that she has made her mom and dad very proud!  She practiced very hard and it has all paid off.  I am so surprised at the transition she has made.  It is hard to believe that it is her out there.  I will be taking many many pictures of her for you all to see :)

Opinion from Linda (my sister) entitled: Embryonic stem cell research is insanity

The Reporter Online (thereporteronline.com), Serving North Penn, PA

Opinion

Letter: Embryonic stem cell research is insanity

Thursday, September 2, 2010

In a recent column on Judge Lamberth's ruling on Aug. 23 which halts federal funding of embryonic stem cell research (ESCR), Bonnie Erbe opines that "… to oppose help for fully formed human beings who are very sick and could possibly be cured, to 'save' a frozen embryo that will most likely never be implanted in a womb and therefore become fully formed, seems like insanity to me and like the height of cruelty."

Is ESCR morally complicated?

It seems to me that this comes down to just one question: Is the embryo a member of the human family? If so, killing it to benefit others is a serious moral wrong.

So what exactly is an embryo?

According to Robert George, writing for National Review, "Your life began, as did the life of every other human being, when the fusion of egg and sperm produced a new, complete, living organism — an embryonic human being.

"You were never an ovum or a sperm cell, those were both functionally and genetically parts of other human beings — your parents. But you were once an embryo, just as you were once an adolescent, a child, an infant, and a fetus.

"By an internally directed process, you developed from the embryonic stage into and through the fetal, infant, child, and adolescent stages of development and ultimately into adulthood with your determinateness, unity and identity fully intact.

"You are the same being — the same human being — who once was an embryo. It is true that each of us, in the embryonic and fetal stages of development, were dependent on our mothers, but we were not maternal body parts. Though dependent, we were distinct individual human beings." (When Life Begins, National Review.com, 11/2/08).

In 1981, a U.S. Senate judiciary subcommittee heard expert testimony on when human life begins.

The subcommittee report concludes, "Physicians, biologists and other scientists agree that conception marks the beginning of the life of a human being — a being that is alive and is a member of the human species. There is overwhelming agreement on this point in countless medical, biological, and scientific writings." (Subcommittee on Separation of Powers to Senate Judiciary Committee S-158, Report, 97th Congress, 1st Session, 1981).

To fully examine Bonnie Erbe's point, let's look at a hypothetical situation presented by Scott Klusendorf in his book, "The Case for Life":

"Suppose you oversee a Cambodian orphanage with 200 abandoned toddlers. The facility cannot care for them any longer. Water levels are critically low, and food supplies are exhausted.

"It's only a matter of time before starvation and disease will set in. A scientist has offered to take the toddlers off your hands and use them for grisly medical research designed to cure cancer.

"He confronts you with hard facts: Many of these children will die soon, and there's nothing you can do to prevent it, so why let all those organs go to waste?

"Nonetheless, you refuse. You could never, even for a moment, consider turning the kids over to the scientist on grounds that 'these kids are going to die anyway, so let's put them to good use.'

"True, given your impoverished circumstances, you are powerless to save them, but you would never be complicit in actively killing vulnerable human beings, which is what ESCR does."

ESCR — seems like insanity to me and like the height of cruelty.

Linda Nichols is a resident of Harleysville.

URL: http://www.thereporteronline.com/articles/2010/09/02/opinion/srv0000009230409.prt

© 2010 thereporteronline.com, a Journal Register Property

Katie's move in day at Rowan! (8/29/2010)

Katie starts here college journey at Rowan. We were happy to be able to see her off and on her way to what hopefully turns out to be a wonderful and rewarding ride. Good luck Katie!

Here's TCaz's location, courtesy of Glympse

TCaz's location: http://www.glympse.com/ZPB-751

TCaz says: Bacon Headquarters

Glympse.com - Share your where

Let Go Phillies (for Maggie's sake)

Please please please win this game!  Don't let the Astro's take 4 out of 4 games in your OWN park!  My brother Chris is at this game with his daughter (her first game) and I would really appreciate a win for HER.

Matthew heads back to College today

Early this AM, Matthew and Anthony got the van loaded with Matthew's college things.  Matthew is going into his Junior year at Cabrini.  He has gotten into the campus apartments and he is very excited about that.  As a Finance major, he is starting to take more and more courses related to his major.  This year should be a telling one.  Good luck Matthew!  Your Mom and Dad are very proud of you.

A very special Mosaic

I put this mosaic together for a very special person: Katie Knoblock.  I printed a 27" by 40" vinyl picture for Katie's high school graduation gift and presented it to her last Sunday night at her graduation party.  The mosaic is composed of nearly 800 unique photos (each one including Katie) and a total of nearly 4000 tiles.  It took me about 15 iterations to get it to a point that I liked.  Anyway, I just wanted to share it here.

A tribute to Onion

You are missed greatly but all the people that you have touched.

http://www.wdeptford.k12.nj.us/high_school/App_Tech/wdtvvideo/Oniontribute.html

WDHS Choir/Band Picnic 2010

Nice shot of Anthony, Mommy and Katie today taken at the WDHS Choir/Band picnic down at Snoopy Island. Much food was had by all. Weather was a bit overcast but overall, nice day.

Kids are really looking forward to California/Diney trip coming up this week! Ta ta for now!

Anthony's Graduation Invite - Cabrini College
Class of 2010
Major: Graphics Design
Minor: Philosophy

Look what I ordered!

Created with PicSay on my Droid

Tony

West Deptford High School's White Christmas Musical 2010

West Deptford's theater department once again did an excellent job with their play this year. Kelsie was in the ensemble and did a terrific job. Mommy and daddy are very proud of her. The entire cast and crew put on a top notch performance. Congratulations!

Daddy's Saturday morning breakfast

Always love cooking breakfast on Saturday morning. Nothing too fancy, just eggs, bacon or sausage, toast and something to drink. My family always picks at my bacon pile before I have a chance to plate the food. I blame Kathleen's side of the family for this behavior. In any case...happy eating !

The Ant Man strikes again...1981?

This picture was sent to me by Jean. Apparently she's been the one who ended up holding on to it. I sketched it back in 1981. I completely forgot about this picture. Jean says that she is going to get a better scan of it to me soon. Happy Holiday's everyone!

Lyons 2009 Reunion - Outer Banks, NC

On our way down to the Outer Banks, NC (Kill Devil Hills, NC) for Lyons Reunion 2009. This picture taken at Cheesapeak Bay Bridge/Tunnel. Traveled down with Kelsie, Anthony and Katie.

Sunrise on way into work - Beautiful

There I was, just driving into work like many other people that day and then I saw it out my rearview mirror. Beautiful! Thank You God.

Matthew's hospital room board

Underwood Memorial Hospital. Filled with drawings from his proud papa. Today marks 3 weeks and 2 days! He appears to be doing better. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Matthew's Hospital Stay

It's been 7+ days for Matthew's hospital stay. He has Acute Pancreatitis and the treatment is IV fluids; nothing down his throat. He has also been taking pain medication every 3 to 4 hours. Overall he is doing well and the nurses and doctors have been great.

Kathleen and I have been with him around the visitors hour's clock and then some. They don't kick you out here. Matthew has had many visitors. We are hoping that he will be released on Monday but we will have to see.

Thanks everyone for all your prayers and well wishes!

Margaret "Maggie" Grace Casazza

A baby girl was born on Wednesday, September 2. Margaret Grace Casazza was born at 12:03 PM weighing in at 6 pounds, 3 ounces, with reddish blond hair with blue eyes. She was delivered at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. Maggie was named after the grandmother's of Susan and Christopher. Congratulations mom and dad!

A wet Phillies Game

It was a very very wet night at Citizen's Bank Park last night. It was also Cabrini College Night. Kathleen and I took the kids and Katie to the game. The Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 4 - 2. We met Robin and Jean and introduced them to our children. The game itself had 2 rain delays and we did not get home until mid-night.

Kelsie and Anthony are on!

West Deptford Little Theater presents High School Musical 2 tonight and tomorrow night.  Anthony got involved because the guy playing the part of comic relief decided not to do it and they asked him to do it.  Anthony's girlfriend, Katie, is playing Gabriela, so this keeps him around her at all times.  In any case, the show should be good and Kathleen and I are excited to see them and many of our children's friends in the show.  Show time is 7PM at St. Matthew's School.  Break a leg!

Check out West Deptford Little Theater web site: http://www.wdltproductions.com/

Pat West Grad Party - June 2009

Fran and Joanne had Patrick's Grad party yesterday at Incarnation Church in Mantua yesterday. It was good to catch up with all the brothers, sisters, moms, dads, aunts, uncles and friends. Patrick is heading to Cabrini next year.

Just testing from Ping!

Need a central spot to post updates from? Try
www.ping.fm

My nephew Drew...making big strides in his life...Congratulations!

Drew writes:

"Greetings from sunny (not so much recently) southern california, the entertainment capital of the world and home to a brand new series on Discovery Science...Science of the Movies edited by yours truly!

It's a geek-tastic journey behind the scenes of various blockbuster films and TV shows, explaining cutting edge CGI and breathtaking stunts.  The host has a goofy sense of humor and does a great job (he's a pleasure to edit!)

OK that was the mandatory plug for the show.  Hope everyone is well and keeping busy, I've been working day in and day out for the last four months on this show and my first episode airs on Thursday night at  10 p.m.  In total there will be 6 shows edited by me, and all of them have been incredibly difficult to put together, while at the same time a whole lot of fun.  I work with a great group of people hailing from all over the united stated:  some are locals, a couple of people are from the philadelphia area, maine, boston, and even montana!

The editorial staff consists of myself and one other editor, we alternate shows and help one another out as much as we can.  I've been truly blessed to be so busy out here, editing shorts and working on graphics projects outside of work.  I've met some pretty cool people and seen my fair share of celebrities, although I still haven't learned to surf.  All in due time I suppose!

I've attached the postcard for our show, I hope you can all check it out!  It's for anyone who has ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of our favorite movies and TV shows...and it's great for the entire family!"

Linda and Don, I am sure, are very proud of their son.  Way to go Drew!  Congratulations.

Awards

Kelsie and Stephanie both received 2 awards from the Fine Arts department. This picture was taken at the annual picnic at Soupy Island in Red Bank.

Another picture from the road

I took this picture on my way back from north Jersey in Jan 09 while driving.  Enjoy!

Another year of bowling...The Jonas Sisters - 2009

I believe they ended up third from the bottom which is an improvement from last season's bowling. Kelsie raised her average and had a high game this year of 183 (Jan 10, 2009). Not sure if Kelsie will continue the bowling or not; we will just have to wait and see.

My niece: Haylie - Prom 2009

She's so beautiful!

Is it me?

Is it me? I don't know, maybe. Why is it that at least once or twice a week I have to stop by the High School to always drop something off for my daughter? This morning it was her gym clothes. Other morning drop offs include books, lunch money and signed parent forms. I don't remember having to do this with either of my 2 son's. I don't know, maybe it's just me. Maybe it's just that girls have to bring SO much stuff to school with them that fate is not on their side. I am amazed at how much STUFF she brings with her (including MY hair brush!). I don't know, maybe it's just ME!

Do you remember?

To Those of You Born
1930 - 1979

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE
1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.
As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes..
Riding in the back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren't overweight. WHY?
Because we were always outside playing...that's why!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Play stations, Nintendo's and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms.
WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10 th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with
disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.
If YOU are one of them? CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.
While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.
Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it ?

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:
'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'

For those that prefer to think that God is not watching over us...go ahead and delete this.
For the rest of us...pass this on.

Happenings this Week

- North Jersey twice this week...I must be one for punishment
- Heartsine moves office...truck called into duty to move servers
- Kelsie is sad that WDHS play is over
- Church Giving: Mr. and Mrs. Ellenberg
- Seth on FB...its about time
- Abad takes excellent pictures; also at NCAA tourny this weekend with ActionCam
- "G" summit this week
- FoxNation, Glenn Beck, Bill O'Rielly etc
- Layoff's at one of my clients
- Pres Budget...wow!

Beauty and the Beast

The West Deptford High School put on this years spring concert: Walt Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Both Kelsie and Stephanie made the cuts and had parts as "town people" and "flatware". Both roles were ensemble. They put in a lot of long hours and it was worth it. Kathleen and I saw all 4 shows this past weekend. Grand Dad and Grand Mom, Uncle Tim, Aunt Stacey and the girls, Aunt Anne and Lexie, Uncle Carl, Uncle Chris and Aunt Susan all made it to show. It was a big success. Congratulations to cast and crew for a wonderful performance.

Kelsie and Stephanie at Pops and Pasta Night for WDHS

We had a nice time at Pops and Pasta night at the middle school. Kathleen worked the entire night in the back serving food with Karen. Anthony and I sat with Mr. Fanelli and enjoyed the show. Some of the performances included: The Dance Team, Various Vocal Ensembles, Men's Quartet, Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Brass and Percussion Ensembles, Jazz Lab (which I thought was the best). We enjoyed all the performances.

Pictures from the event can be found here: http://cazphotos.photo-frame.com/main.php?g2_itemId=83987