August 20th – Celebrate My Birthday With An Act of Kindness

For those wondering – the only gift I ask is an act of kindness done in my name on my birthday – August 20th.

Wherever you are in the world on August 20th; dedicate a moment to deliver an act of kindness. Volunteer at an animal shelter, hug your parents, check on an elderly neighbor, donate books, clothing, or food where needed.  Use this day to do share your love.

Let me know what you have done on August 20th – leave a comment, link a photo or a blog post sharing your act of kindness.

Thank you for helping to celebrate my birthday by making the world a little bit more happier 🙂

What a Wonderful World

Louis Armstrong was born today August 4th, 1901 and passed on July 6th, 1971.

His music is timeless and I had such fun putting together a selection of his songs and collaborations with other artists.  Take some time to sit back on this beautiful Sunday and enjoy the sounds of Louis Armstrong.

Happy Birthday, Louis!

What a Wonderful World:

Welcome To The World HRH Prince X of Cambridge

Tired but very happy Duke and Duchess of Cambridge introduce their newborn son to the waiting world.

 

UPDATE:  The royal baby shall be called HRH Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge.

July 4th – Independence Day

Happy 4th! I hope you are all enjoying the day.

It would not be Independence Day with out this unforgettable scene from ID4:

Speaking of Independence Day – I congratulate the citizens of Egypt for their persistance in holding their elected officials accountable to their promises and actions.

Obama administration backed Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi, ushered into power with the so called ‘Arab Spring’ has been ousted as president by Egyptian military leadership.

The celebrations in Tahir Square are incredible! Check out this video posted on Sky News of the Egyptians celebrating the removal of Morsi.

Doug Ross has a gallery of photos of protestors in Tahir Square holding signs that are not deferential to Obama.

The damage done by the Obama administration and then secreatary of state Hilary Clinton with their Middle East doctrine will take decades of careful handling to repair.

Your thoughts on Egypt’s Independence Day?

2013 1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut Half Marathon

Getting a bit excited about tomorrow’s half marathon in Pennypack Park famously titled 1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut Half Marathon. The hottest race in town – literally. Mid June is hot time to run in Philly and so is July, August, September as well.

You can check out my race recap from last year to get a feel for this fun, local race.

Recap:

A beautiful yet humid morning for a half marathon race in Pennypack Park.  This half marathon not meant to be a PR race as the hills on this course and a mile long trail run called Mount Cookoo will slow your pace.  The course has other features that make the event unique and fun.  I know of no other race where runners are serenaded  by “Uberhans”  the toughest accordian player in the U.S.  Oreo cookies at the finish line – yum! Also, who doesn’t like Bavarian food, beer and dancing post race?

 

The rains over the past few days made the trail extra muddy forcing me to walk carefully through mud puddles.  I am happy to report no falls or broken bones came from running this trail.  However, my running shoes collected a fair amount of mud during this run.  Earlier in the morning the were a pristine white with purple highlights.

 

 

This is a local race which raises funds to support Pennypack Park and HCM Foundation. The race course is set entirely within the bounds of Pennypack Park in a lollipop configuration.   You will start and finish at the same place. Those who have decided to run the Half Sauer Half Kraut Marathon will repeat this course twice.  I’ll never chose that option. FYI –  I’ve registered for the 2013 Philadelphia Marathon and with fingers crossed hope to get into the 2014 London Marathon.

Overall, this is a wonderfully well organized local race on a course that will challenge your running skills. I would definitely recommend the half marathon to intermediate to advanced runners.

Diner en Blanc Preview Party

Diner en Blanc Philadelphia (DEBphl) organized a preview party hosted by Williams Sonoma that included food tastings  from Garces Catering, DiBruno Brothers and Chef Tod of McCrossen’s Tavern. Guests munched and mingled while admiring several Diner en Blanc inspired tablecapes.

What is Diner en Blanc? Is is a chic picnic invented by François Pasquier and his close friends 25 years ago in Paris. A “friends and word of mouth” event that is invitation only keeping the character and dymamic of the event intimate and friendly. Invited participants are asked to dress in white, organize a high quality picnic meal with tables, chairs, glasses, silver and white linen.  The secret destination for this posh picnic is revealed when the invited guests are escorted there by their hosts.

Sweden’s Princess Madeleine Weds Her Prince – Chris O’Neill

Today in Stockholm, the youngest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden wed her American fiance, Chris O’Neill is an exquisite ceremony. The white tie event brought out glittering crown jewels and gowns from numerous royal families invited to the wedding.  With exception to HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco who wore no ribbon, crown or jewelry of any type to this wedding, also, her husband was MIA.

I have to say, the bridal entrance was the most touching one I’ve seen of all the royal weddings. I love how the children literally sung Madeline and her father down the isle to the waiting groom. Watch the video below and you’ll find yourself agreeing with my assessment of this beautiful, loving royal swedish wedding:

Congratulations, Madeleine and Chris, today is the begining of your beautiful journey together.  I wish the both of you all the best!

FTR Radio Partners with Smart Girl Politics for Operation Helping Hand

FTR Radio to partner with Smart Girl Politics for Operation Helping Hand, a three hour radiothon to benefit the Mercury One Charity 2013 Midwest Tornado Relief Fund.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 22, 2013 – Indianapolis, IN – FTR Radio is teaming up with Smart Girl Politics for a three hour radiothon to benefit the Mercury One Charity 2013 Midwest Tornado Relief Fund. One hundred percent of the money raised will go directly to relief efforts in Oklahoma.

The three hour radiothon will air live on FTRRadio.com Thursday at 8pm EDT.

“In the past we have asked our listeners to donate to various charities and have been overwhelmed by their generosity” said Thomas LaDuke, Executive Director of FTR Radio. LaDuke added that “FTR Radio and SGP have done other radiothons in the past and we hope to top our 2012 ‘Cancer Sucks Radiothon’ that raised nearly $6000 for the American Cancer Society.”

Jedediah Bila, Monica Crowley, S.E. Cupp, Erick Erickson and Dana Loesch are just a handful of the cable news contributors and talk radio personalities who have agreed to take part in Operation Helping Hand.

For more information on the radiothon and to donate, visit http://mercuryone.fundly.com/operation-helping-hand-for-midwest-tornado-victims.

I Run DC – Have a Tiffany&Co Necklace To Prove It

On Sunday April 28th, Washington DC played host to the inaugural Nike Women’s Half Marathon. For the past ten years, Nike has hosted this race in San Francisco. This is the first year this famous women’s race has been hosted on the east coast. My Team Philly running friends jumped at the chance to run this and had a great weekend and fabulous run. I even managed a modest PR/PB on this half marathon and is the natural result of what happens when you focus on more consistent training.

The race course is essentially the Cherry Blossom 10 mile plus an additional three point one miles tacked on to complete the half marathon distance.

Are You The Doctor?

Yes, I know there are  serious issues swirling around with Gosnell, Benghazi, IRS targeting political rivals, and the shocking shakedown of AP by the Justice Department.

We will process and discuss these issues in good time. What we need right now is a moment to chill and perhaps have a laugh before digesting the above mentioned issues.

So sit back and enjoy the comic relief of my favorite Doctor – David Tennant: