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Ever since it opened a few years ago, we've enjoyed the Brio Tuscan Grille in Cherry Hill at Garden State Park.
So, as soon as we saw that Brio opened at The Promenade in Evesham, we headed on over to this restaurant's latest incarnation.
Italians built their spacious country villas to escape the pressures of urban life and enjoy "La Dolce Vita" - the good life. And Brio aims to bring the pleasures of the Tuscan country villa to America.
In Italy, people mingle with family and friends and eat freshly prepared food from their grounds while surrounded by natural beauty. Brio works to recreate all that.
The new Brio at The Promenade is truly grand. Still, amidst its spacious old world surroundings (with room for families and larger parties) you will also find cozy corners and intimate settings.
We were joined by dear friends and sat at a comfortable table for four nestled between the larger dining area and the airy outdoor seating section.
Brio emphasizes high quality food, superior service, good value and a unique atmosphere. We found all these and more to be much in evidence. Our waiter was helpful and courteous. Menu items included a wide range of selections and options -- all nicely priced. And, although the restaurant was quite crowded, we were able to converse easily and enjoy a full evening without a high decibel level or unnecessary disturbances.
Brio's menu emphasizes steaks, housemade pasta specialties and flatbreads prepared in an authentic Italian oven and the restaurant serves generous portions of meats, pastas and roasted fish on large oval, hand-painted Italian plates.
To begin, our choices included the crisp lettuce wedge with Gorgonzola, bacon, Roma tomatoes and parmesan dressing; the chopped greens with tomatoes, olives, onions, cucumber, Feta and red wine vinaigrette and the Italian wedding soup. These dishes ranged from $4.95 to $5.95 and all were beautifully prepared and tasty. If you wish, you can add a chopped Caesar or bistecca salad to the main course for $3.95.
For the main course, I favored the pasta Brio ($16.35) which is a rigatoni with grilled chicken, and mushrooms but I wanted this dish with a red pomodoro sauce instead of the roasted red pepper sauce . That proved to be no problem, request granted -- and the dish was comforting though nonetheless zesty. Remember: If you don't see it on the menu, Brio will even create a dish just for you.
Guests enjoyed grilled salmon with Romano crusted tomatoes, citrus pesto, asparagus and crispy shoestring potatoes ($21.95) and angel hair pasta tossed with shrimp, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, feta and pine nuts ($18.35).
The bustling kitchen at Brio is open for all to see and many of these fresh and fragrant dishes are grilled right in front of you. Everything is cooked to order and I have to say that we did not have a single complaint. By the way, a basket of fresh and crispy bread will also be brought to your table.
For dessert, we selected from among the dolphinos. These are individual samplings ($2.95) of Brio's favorites including vanilla bean panna cotta, milk caramel chocolate cake, tiramisu, cheesecake and carrot cake. These marvelous tastings are just right!
We were so comfortable and contented at Brio that we really didn't want to leave. And no one rushed us out the door.
Brio says that in Tuscany the food is everything and it's meant to be a feast for all senses. At Brio Tuscan Grille the food is clearly the star but everything else (ambiance, service, value) harmonizes beautifully -- and that contributes to a feast for the senses and the pocketbook!
PS - Don't miss Brio Promenade's $5 martini night every Wednesday at the bar and the $2.95 Tuscan Taster Bar Menu Monday through Friday evening from 3 to 7 and again from 9 pm till closing.
In addition to the occasional homage to Moose, the world's cutest dog, we love animals here at DanCirucci.com. That's why when we read Kevin Riordan's article on the Almost Home Animal Shelter hitting tough times it broke our heart.
We've found out that if help doesn't come by Friday, this shelter for dogs, cats and other pets may have to close its doors. This puts a lot of great animals, who just need a loving family, in jeopardy.
During the Advent Season and Christmas Holiday, a lot of focus is placed on family. As the owner of a loving and loyal shelter dog who is more family member than pet, we should also help our four-legged friends.
You can find out how you can help by reaching out to Director Nancy Welsh. You can access the shelter's Facebook Page here.
The Republican National Committee launched a new web ad "Failed Promises: Scranton" ahead of President Obama's latest taxpayer-funded campaign visit to Scranton, Pennsylvania -- the 56th battleground visit and record of any president. The video highlights President Obama's dismal economic record in the state: unemployment up 19 percent, 37,900 manufacturing jobs lost in the state and 189,000 more Pennsylvanians living in poverty.
Tickets for Major Van Gogh Exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Go on Sale Tomorrow,
Thursday, December 1
REMEMBER: Philadelphia is the only U.S. venue for the first van Gogh exhibition to be seen in the city for over a decade.
Holiday gift tickets and memberships are available.
WHAT
Tickets for the much-anticipated exhibition Van Gogh Up Close (February 1 — May 6, 2012) will be on sale Thursday, December 1, 2011.
Van Gogh Up Close, a major exhibition organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Canada, presents a stunning range of masterworks including significant loans from museums and private collections in Europe, North America, and Japan. The exhibition will debut in Philadelphia, the only U.S. venue, before traveling to Canada.
Visitors may want to reserve early as exhibitions of works by van Gogh are exceedingly popular. Recent exhibitions in Tokyo and London drew exceptionally large audiences. The last van Gogh exhibition to be seen in Philadelphia—a show that was shared with Boston and Detroit—attracted some 300,000 visitors during its 12-week run.
WHEN
Thursday, December 1, 2011
WHERE
Philadelphia Museum of Art
26th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA
Tickets can be purchased:
· Online at http://philamuseum.org/exhibitions/743.html?page=2&ticket=1
· By phone at (215) 235-SHOW (7469) Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
· At the Museum Tuesday through Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Friday evenings: until 8:45 p.m.
DETAILS
Ticket Pricing:
Adult $25.00
Seniors $23.00
Students (with valid ID) and Youth (ages 13-18) $20.00
Children (ages 5-12) $12.00
Children 4 and under Free
Museum Members Free
Service charges apply for online and phone purchases ($2.50, Members and $3.50, non-members). Service charges are waived for Circle Level Members.
Holiday Gift Tickets and Memberships:
Gift tickets will also be available in a package decorated in the imagery of van Gogh’s 1890 masterpiece, Almond Blossom. Gift ticket recipients may redeem for any date and time throughout the run of the exhibition, based on availability. Gift tickets are $28.50 per ticket (includes $3.50 handling fee) and can be purchased by calling 215-235-SHOW (7469).
Gift memberships to the Museum offer exclusive benefits including free tickets and previews for Van Gogh Up Close. Memberships begin at $70.00. Call 215-684-7840 or visit www.philamuseum.org/membership.
Act now to stop the government mandate forcing all churches and private schools to fund birth control, sterilizations, and abortion drugs. Chip in now to help air this ad on TV!
Now that the Christmas season is here, it's time to put this to the test. Happy Holidays. Seasons Greetings. Merry Christmas. Which seasonal sentiment is your favorite? Which do you prefer to hear? Here's your opportunity to vote in our poll. Do you prefer a homogenized greeting or the more traditional expression of "Merry Christmas." The choice is yours but we want to hear from you. Vote in the poll at the top right hand corner of this blog. Let your voice be heard! We'll tabulate and report the results as we approach Christmas.
It turns out that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was speaking for more than a few of us yesterday when he expressed his frustration with President Obama and demanded to know: "What the hell are we paying you for?"
Because President Obama's Gallup's daily presidential job approval rating has now fallen below Jimmy Carter, giving Obama the worst job approval numbers of any president (at this point in his term) in modern political history.
Indeed, this is a shocking new low -- even for Obama.
On a side-by-side chart, Gallup puts Obama's job approval rating at 43 percent compared to Carter's 51 percent.
Here are the job approval numbers of other presidents one year before their re-election campaign: -- Harry S. Truman: 54 percent.
-- Dwight Eisenhower: 78 percent.
-- Lyndon B. Johnson: 44 percent.
-- Richard M. Nixon: 50 percent.
-- Ronald Reagan: 54 percent.
-- George H.W. Bush: 52 percent.
-- Bill Clinton: 51 percent.
-- George W. Bush: 55 percent.
A special message from Phyllis Schlafly at Eagle Forum:
Time is running out to save the Edison light bulb! Unless Congress takes action to repeal the so-called "efficiency standards" enacted under a liberal Congress, as of January 1, 2012, it will be illegal to sell the 100-watt incandescent light bulb.
Click here to sign the petition urging Congress to repeal the ban and allow us to keep our light bulbs!
The Edison light bulb is an historic symbol of American innovation, It is also a fine, perfectly safe and affordable consumer product that we like and prefer to the ugly, expensive, ineffective and toxic bulbs we will be forced to buy if the ban goes into effect.
Congress should not be picking winners and losers, allowing big corporate donors to dictate what consumer products we can and can't buy!
If we don't take a stand to save our light bulbs, what will they go after next? Sign the petition today!
Our Capitol Hill staff is working hard to keep the repeal at the forefront as Congress closes out the year. Conservatives in Congress are discussing several options for repealing the light bulb ban. The best hope is to attach repeal language to an upcoming budget bill or Continuing Resolution, which will be worked out in the next few weeks.
Please be sure to sign our repeal petition today and to forward this message to concerned friends and family. We need as many signers as possible, and our Capitol Hill staff will personally present the petition and signatures to Congressional leadership.
We want to be sure that they know that their constituents want them to fight to repeal the ban before it's too late!
Acting New Jersey Governor Kim Guadagno today, joined by Agriculture Secretary Douglas H. Fisher and Health and Senior Services Commissioner Mary O’Dowd, announced $1,363,600 in funding for the state’s six food banks to purchase healthy foods to feed the hungry this holiday season. This funding will ensure food assistance for those in need and is the second payment of the fiscal year. During the announcement in Hillside at the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, the three cabinet officials also, as part of the Administration’s ongoing ‘Season of Service,’ volunteered at the food bank packing bulk food into family bags for distribution. The Community FoodBank of New Jersey distributes 37 million pounds of food and groceries a year, ultimately serving 1,500 non-profit programs including 436 programs served by its Partner Distribution Organizations. Through their combined efforts, they assist 900,000 low-income people in 18 of New Jersey’s 21 counties.
“This funding comes at a critical time when local emergency feeding agencies are providing holiday meals to the people they serve, in addition to their regular food distributions,” said Acting Governor Guadagno. “But the state can’t do it alone. To tackle the hunger issue, we need members of the community to continue to come forward and donate food items, money and time to help our neighbors in need.”
Under Governor Christie, the State has committed $6,818,000 in Fiscal Year 2012 for the Department of Agriculture’s State Food Purchase Program (SFPP), which is allocated on a quarterly basis to food banks to buy fresh fruits and vegetables and other nutritious foods for distribution to their network of more than 700 food pantries, homeless shelters and soup kitchens. This latest SFPP payment is the second of the fiscal year.
This quarterly distribution of SFPP funds includes:
· $904,331 for Community FoodBank of New Jersey (Hillside, Union County)
· $178,282 for Food Bank of South Jersey (Pennsauken, Camden County)
· $141,667 for the Foodbank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties (Neptune, Monmouth County)
· $59,640 for Mercer Street Friends (Ewing, Mercer County)
· $50,786 for Southern Regional Food Distribution Center (Vineland, Cumberland County)
· $28,891 for NORWESCAP (Phillipsburg, Hunterdon County)
Secretary Fisher noted, “Hunger continues to be an issue for many New Jersey residents, with emergency feeding operations throughout the state reporting new people coming to them for assistance every day. The SFPP not only assists the food banks with supplying much-needed food to their local agencies, but that the food has a good nutritional value.”
The amounts allocated to each of the six emergency feeding operations are based on the number of people they serve and other criteria. The first installment of $2,045,400 was distributed to the food banks in July and the remaining fund distributions are slated for February and May 2012.
The Department of Agriculture also coordinates the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program, which distributes United States Department of Agriculture-donated foods to the food banks. During the past year, the Department accepted 27 million pounds of federal foods through this program.
“Everyone should have access to healthy and nutritious foods regardless of income,” said Commissioner O'Dowd. “Even in tough economic times, no one should have to choose between buying food for their family or paying the rent.”
The Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is directly involved in hunger and food access through its ShapingNJ partnership of more than 170 organizations throughout New Jersey as well as other initiatives to improve access to fruits and vegetables in communities through farm markets, gardens and incentives for supermarkets to locate in underserved areas and corner stores to offer healthier, affordable food.
DHSS also administers a supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which provides access to healthy food for 186,000 low-income women, infants and children up to age 5. The program also provides nutrition assessment and education, breastfeeding support and referrals to local health and social service providers.
Through the Department of Human Services (DHS), the New Jersey Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (NJ SNAP) is administered as a safety net that supports low-income individuals, families and seniors by enhancing their food budget so that they can buy the groceries they need to stay healthy.
In addition, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority is working to help support not-for-profit organizations retain, grow jobs and expand their services to improve communities across New Jersey.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie unleashed his anger at the White House today demanding to know of President Obama: "What exactly have you been doing?"
Christie says Obama has been acting like a "bystander" instead of doing the hard, tough work of leading. He says he's tired of the "White House spin."
Of Obama Christie seems to be wondering why he became president in the first places, instead of staying in Illinois. The Governor added: "If he wanted to run for Senate again and just be one of a hundred I'm sure he could have gotten re-elected over and over again in Illinois.:
Doane Academy’s Aidan McManus was recognized as a New Jersey Hero on Wednesday, November 23 by New Jersey's First Lady Mary Pat Christie and Governor Chris Christie. At 8 years-old, Aidan already has three years and about $1,000 of fundraising under his belt, having written and sold comic books and hosted movie nights at Doane Academy.
The third grader with a big heart inspired the state of New Jersey’s “Season of Service”, a campaign by the Governor’s Office to help those in need during the traditional winter holiday season.
Aidan’s classmates and the seniors from his school family (Scarborough) came to cheer Aidan on as he received a pin and plaque from the first lady and governor.
A number of media outlets and blogs reported on the event at the Ladle of Love food pantry, an outreach program of St. Mary’s Church in Burlington City.
President Obama and his Democrat allies continue their "kill Romney" campaign - a mere 344 days before the general election - by launching a new attack ad in a half-dozen states they are worried about losing.
Sadly, this isn't surprising. You need no reminding that President Obama's economic record is the worst of any president in modern history. And to avoid addressing this administration's abject failure to create a single net new job, Obama's campaign continues to distract by focusing negative attacks against its greatest threat - Mitt Romney.
But it's politics as usual for the Obama White House. In 2008, Obama's political machine claimed a certain candidate "parses and calculates and shifts for political position," was "not seen as trustworthy by the American people," and ranked as "one of the most secretive politicians in America today." John McCain? No. His Secretary of State-appointee, Hillary Clinton.
Is that what they still think of our Secretary of State - or is this simply another example of knowing no bounds in seeking political power?
The American people have now seen what three years of "Hope and Change" looks like - we're not about to sign up for four more. Please share this message with a friend or family member and help us hold President Obama accountable.
And click here to find out how you can help Mitt Romney.
People have been complained about Christmas creep at area stores once again this year -- and rightfully so. You know what we're talking about: All those Christmas decorations at stores, malls and shopping centers that went up even before Halloween. It's downright creepy -- and greedy. But not atNordstrom. No -- the classiest (and arguably, the finest) department store simply refused to feature Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving. This is a long-standing Nordstrom policy that Nordstrom has no intention of changing it now. Isn't that refreshing? Isn't it yet another great reason to shop Nordstrom? Bravo to Nordstrom for once again resisting Christmas creep! Now: ready, set, head on over to Nordstrom throughout the Christmas season to enjoy the holiday the way it was meant to be enjoyed. And thanks, Nordstrom for keeping the faith.
Taking action to build on the nationally recognized success of New Jersey’s prisoner re-entry, rehabilitation and prevention programs, Governor Chris Christie today outlined an initiative to help even more offenders get the support they need to successfully re-enter society, break the cycle of criminality and lead productive lives.
Governor Christie outlined this cross-departmental Administration initiative at Cathedral Kitchen, a community service organization that serves meals to those in need in Camden. Cathedral Kitchen operates a culinary arts program which gives job training to unemployed, unskilled, homeless citizens, re-entering prisoners and parolees, helping them transition to a successful, productive life once they are out of prison.
The Governor’s re-entry initiative includes the expansion of the state’s successful Drug Court Program, the appointment of a Governor’s Office Re-entry Coordinator, the creation of a Governor’s Task Force on Recidivism Reduction, an ongoing program assessment, and the development of a real time recidivism database. These changes will allow New Jersey’s re-entry and rehabilitation efforts and programs to work together, to be guided and properly resourced based on results, and to ensure effective programs are expanded to serve as many individuals as possible.
“New Jersey has a strong record of helping rehabilitate offenders and providing the services they need to be successful in society, significantly decreasing their likelihood of reoffending and improving public safety,” said Governor Christie. “But we can do better to make our re-entry programs more efficient, successful and effective - helping even more individuals get the support they need to change their lives for the better and break the cycle of offending and reoffending."
Today, New Jersey is widely recognized as a national leader in reducing incidents of recidivism and reducing its prison population. The Pew Center on the States’ State of Recidivism report, “The Revolving Door of America’s Prisons,” identified New Jersey’s 11 percent recidivism decline as among the steepest declines for any state during the report’s study period, from 1999-2002 and 2004-2007. Since 1999, New Jersey’s prison population has declined more than 20 percent.
New Jersey spends over $225 million, not including over $40 million for the Drug Court Program, on its system of various re-entry and prevention programs across state government, but it is done in a decentralized manner with no mechanism to implement these resources strategically or measure program performance. The Governor’s initiative builds on the relative success of New Jersey’s existing system of re-entry programs in breaking the cycle of criminality and helping offenders lead successful lives after prison by addressing existing shortcomings and expanding those programs that are getting results.
Existing programs like the Drug Court Program, which serves as an alternative to incarceration for drug-addicted, nonviolent offenders, have already been effective in reducing recidivism rates among those they serve.
According to their October 2010 Drug Court Report, the rate at which drug court graduates are re-arrested for a new indictable offense is 16% and the reconviction rate is 8%. This is compared to re-arrest rates for drug offenders released from prison that stands at 54% with a re-conviction rate of 43%. According to that report, an average institutional cost per inmate is approximately $38,900, whereas the cost for an active drug court participant is roughly $11,379.
The Governor’s initiative will focus additional resources on this successful, demonstrably effective program and allow others to be similarly identified and prioritized to further reduce recidivism with programs that work.
Connecting offenders with the services they need to be successful back in society, whether it is recovery from substance abuse or the need for official identification, is critical to ending the cycle of crime. At present, a joint program between the state Department of Corrections and Motor Vehicles Commission (MVC) identifies qualified offenders on a quarterly basis, who are taken to MVC offices to obtain a driver’s license or non-driver identification card prior to the completion of their sentence. This program takes down impediments to successful re-entry resulting from the lack of official identification, which is often necessary to apply for a job, obtain housing, or connect with critical services like Medicare or food assistance.
“This initiative will build on our strengths by expanding highly successful programs like the Drug Court Program to get addicted offenders the underlying help they need, while also measuring and reforming or eliminating ineffective programs, and directing our resources in a smart, strategic and coordinated way to those programs that are making a positive difference in changing lives," said Governor Christie.
First Lady Mary Pat Christie has made re-entry and prevention programs that help ex-offenders and recovering addicts return to normal life a priority. New Jersey’s innovative prevention and re-entry programs aimed towards at-risk populations have been highlighted by Mrs. Christie for their work in providing the building blocks to self-sufficiency and a pathway to achieve life success. Several of the initiatives have brought recognition to the Garden State as a national model for the progress made in this area. An overview of Mrs. Christie’s efforts in this area can be found here.
The Governor’s initiative includes the following components: Expansion of the Drug Court Program
The drug courts presently accept approximately 1,400 new participants per year. Those new participants must volunteer for a sentence of drug court as opposed to incarceration. The Christie Administration initiative seeks to expand the drug court program by identifying eligible drug addicted non-violent offenders, providing them with clinical assessments to determine their suitability for drug court and sentencing those offenders to the drug court program regardless of their desire to enter the program.
This approach recognizes that one of the main impediments to treatment for addiction is the denial of addiction. Treatment systems that address the denial issue can ultimately be successful in treating a larger population of appropriate offenders. The Governor’s Re-entry Task Force will be tasked with working with the judiciary to facilitate a suitable expansion of this program beginning with two vicinages to be determined through this effort. Governor’s Office Coordinator for Prisoner Reentry
A collaborative vision is necessary to improve what is a comparatively successful system of re-entry services. That vision includes, as a first phase, centralizing and providing a formal management structure on the current, decentralized system.
Governor Christie today announced that Lisa Puglisi, an attorney with more than a decade of experience with the Attorney General’s Office representing the Department of Corrections and later the State Parole Board, as his Coordinator for Prisoner Re-entry to convey and implement the Governor’s vision for an improved prisoner re-entry scheme. The Governor’s Coordinator for Prisoner Re-entry will co-chair the Task Force for Recidivism Reduction and serve as the principle policy adviser to the Governor on re-entry and recidivism reduction policy. The Governor’s Task Force for Recidivism Reduction
There are more than just Corrections and Parole pieces to maintain and improve on the state’s public safety and prisoner re-entry mission. To address the current lack of coordination among the many treatment and reentry programs across state government, Governor Christie today signed Executive Order 83, creating the Governor’s Task Force for Recidivism Reduction.
The Task Force will be led by both the Chairman of the State Parole Board, James Plousis, and the Governor’s Coordinator for Prisoner Re-entry. Its members will include representatives from:
· Department of Corrections
· State Parole Board
· Motor Vehicle Commission
· Department of Human Services
· Department of Health and Senior Services
· Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
· Department of Law & Public Safety
· Juvenile Justice Commission
· Department of Community Affairs
The Task Force will develop recommendations for the Governor regarding how best to ensure the effectiveness and success of New Jersey’s efforts towards recidivism reduction, including an initial benchmarking study of existing program effectiveness and performance, and the development and implementation of a system to measure program effectiveness in an ongoing, real-time way.
Day-to-day implementation of the Governor’s initiative will be led by the State Parole Board Chairman Plousis, including the ongoing elements of the proposal such as collecting and analyzing performance data from various state departments for budgeting, programming and procurement purposes. Ongoing Program Assessment and Measurement
The Governor’s Re-entry Coordinator and Task Force will work to facilitate a professional benchmarking assessment that will evaluate the effectiveness of all re-entry programs offered. The path forward to improve prisoner re-entry requires the Administration to gauge the successes, failures and the depth of gaps in program delivery – inside and outside of prison.
Programming gaps will be rectified by expanding existing, successful programs and hitting capacity thresholds, particularly relating to program delivery within prison. With the parallel development of the real-time recidivism database, this assessment will remain an ongoing accountability tool, allowing the Administration to identify and remediate or eliminate poor performing programs, ensuring that resources are directed to the most effective and successful programs. Real-Time Recidivism Database
After the program assessment is completed, that data will be used to populate a database, which will allow the Administration to track outcomes for individuals and trends and level of effectiveness in programs in a real-time manner.
This project is currently in development through the efforts of the State Parole Board, Department of Corrections, the Juvenile Justice Commission, Department of Law & Public Safety, the Office of Information Technology and Rutgers University.
It's no secret that President Barack Obama can be icy and unengaged.
At times, he seems downright disinterested in the position he inhabits or the job he faces. And lately, he's not been terribly encouraging toward or praiseworthy of the American people, saying at various times that they have “fallen behind,” lost their “ambition and imagination,” gotten “lazy” and “a bit soft”.
This sort of approach can wear thin and one person that it's not playing well with is New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, one of America's most compelling new voices.
Today, speaking in a hard-pressed urban neighborhood in one of America's poorest cities (Camden, NJ) Christie noted that Obama had been disengaged from the work of the congressional super-committee that failed in its effort to come up with a solution to the nation's growing debt. And the Governor was incedulous at what he called the "White House spin" on the topic.
"They said the President didn't get involved in the work of the super-committee because he knew that it was doomed to fail. Well then, what the hell are we paying you for?" Christie asked.
Christie once again expressed his belief that the chief executive must be fully engaged -- that he must work together with people from both political parties to get things done. The Governor said this means finding common ground -- not steering toward compromising all your principles on one hand nor demanding that you get everything you want on the other -- but rather, facing reality and moving froward on what Christie calls "the boulevard"; the road that you're given to navigate within the political limitations that you're handed.
"The President of the United States is grossly failing to get the car onto the boulevard," The Governor concluded.
Bonnie & Clyde, the musical is now on Broadway. It's playing at the Schoenfeld Theatre where it is set to officially open this week.
This is the story of two small-town kids from the middle of nowhere became the biggest folk heroes in all America. They craved adventure—and each other. Their names were Bonnie and Clyde.
Laura Osnes (Grease, Anything Goes) and Jeremy Jordan (Newsies, West Side Story) star as the 20th century's most infamous duo, as the daring story of love and crime that captured the imagination of a country takes aim at a whole new generation.
Featuring music by Tony® nominee Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde), lyrics by Tony® and Oscar® winner Don Black (Sunset Boulevard), a book by Emmy® Award nominee Ivan Menchell and direction by Tony® nominee Jeff Calhoun (Newsies) this sexy new musical has claimed the Schoenfeld Theatre as its hideout. And after stealing hearts—and rave reviews—from the La Jolla Playhouse to the Asolo Rep, there may just be no stopping BONNIE & CLYDE.
To learn more, visit us at http://www.bonnieandclydebroadway.com
Join the gang on:
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Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BonnieClydeBway(less info)View comments, related videos, and more
Syracuse University has fired its assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine amidst continuing allegations of child sexual abuse.
Here is the complete statement, released tonight by Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor:
Dear Students, Faculty, & Staff:
Tonight, in the wake of troubling new allegations that emerged in the media today, I am writing to let you know that Bernie Fine’s employment at the University has been terminated effective immediately.
Frankly, the events of the past week have shaken us all. The taped phone call that ESPN revealed today was not provided to the University by Mr. Davis during the 2005 investigation by our legal counsel. Like the media review of the case a few years earlier, no other witnesses came forward during the university investigation, and those who felt they knew Bernie best could not imagine what has unfolded.
Since I last wrote to you, we have been cooperating fully with the authorities. On Friday, November 18, as the District Attorney has noted, we turned over to his office the results of our 2005 months-long investigation. Also on November 18, our Board of Trustees retained an independent law firm, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, to review our procedures in responding to the initial allegations when they first came to the University’s attention. I fully supported that decision and it is vital that we examine our protocols and actions in dealing with such serious allegations. We need to learn all we can from this terrible lesson.
All of us have the responsibility, individually and collectively, to ensure that Syracuse University remains a safe place for every campus community member and everyone with whom we interact on a daily basis on campus or in the community as part of our learning, scholarship, or work. We do not tolerate abuse. If anything good comes out of this tragedy, it will be that this basic principle is reinforced.
Now that the Christmas season is here, it's time to put this to the test. Happy Holidays. Seasons Greetings. Merry Christmas. Which seasonal sentiment is your favorite? Which do you prefer to hear? Here's your opportunity to vote in our poll. Do you prefer a homogenized greeting or the more traditional expression of "Merry Christmas." The choice is yours but we want to hear from you. Vote in the poll at the top right hand corner of this blog. Let your voice be heard! We'll tabulate and report the results as we approach Christmas.
Despite repeated assaults from secularists, self-styled "progressives" and those who would make Christianity itself a bad word, Christmas has a way of surviving,.
Maybe it's the wonder of holiday finery or the bright lights that beckon us everywhere or the good feeling that comes with the fresh scent of white pine or douglas fir. Whatever it is, people of good will are drawn to Christmas and all its trappings.
And nowhere is this more evident than at beautiful Waterloo Gardens in Devon, Pa. on Philadelphia's Main Line.
We visited Waterloo over the weekend and the photos below will show you what we found: Christmas, in all its splendid glory!
The Star Ledger of Newark says that New Jersey Democrat legislators should get behind Governor Chris Christie's for public employees' sick and vacation days reform because New Jersey cannot continue to afford the present system which is calls a "golden parachute. Here are excerpts from the Star ledger's editorial:
Sick and vacation pay have become budget-busting golden parachutes. . . .
Municipalities must pay whopping bills that have been decades in the making. Many don’t have the cash on hand, so they’ve had to borrow.
That’s right: While towns are laying off cops and teachers, they’ve been forced to borrow money to stuff the pockets of retiring workers who have saved hundreds of sick and vacation days. It’s fiscal insanity. . . .
Here’s the problem: Democrats still want to give public workers a going-away present. . . .
If Democrats concede this practice is wrong, why would they let it continue? Are they representing the public worker unions, or the taxpayer? . . .
Gov. Chris Christie wants to stop this now. Under his plan, a cop would get what he or she has accumulated, but earn nothing more. He’s absolutely right. Why should taxpayers be forced to pay for benefits that far exceed anything they get themselves? Sick days should be just that: Days to use when you’re actually sick.
Democrats already have backpedaled from $15,000 to $7,500. They should keep going — to zero. . . .
So, Newt Gingrich has been endorsed by the [once] vaulted Manchester Union Leader which is supposed to give Newt a leg up going into the New Hampshire presidential primary.
As Joe Biden once said, this is supposed to be a "big f - - - ing deal." But it isn't, and here's why.
To begin with, newspaper endorsements generally don't count for very much anymore because the age of print is over. Most newspapers are struggling to survive. Their circulation has plummeted. They're dinosaurs.
But beyond that, remember that the Union Leader has a rather sorry track record with its endorsements.
In 1976 the paper endorsed Ronald Reagan but then-President gerald Ford went on to win.
Remember Pete duPont? That's who the paper endorsed in 1988 but George H. W. Bush won. In 1992 the paper endorsed Pat Buchanan but President George H. W. Bush went on to win the nomination again. In 2000 the Union Leader backed Steve Forbes who lost to John McCain.
So, with or without the Union Leader, Mitt Romney remains the clear front runner in New Hampshire. In fact, a statewide poll release just last week shows Romney with a commanding 41% to 14% lead over the former Speaker of the House.
It's called a Christmas tree.
Please don't call it a holiday tree or a seasonal tree or a family tree or whatever.
And remember that the best Christmas trees reflect the caring attention of those who lovingly decorated them. So, every Christmas tree should be unique and should express something about its owner or owners -- their lives, experiences, hopes and dreams. Since none of us are perfect our tress needn't be perfect either.
In fact, a tree that is too perfect - too symmetrical, too new, too staged - somehow doesn't look quite right.
A Christmas tree needs to exhibit some character; something that gives it its own special identity.
So, do take some time decorating it -- even if it takes several days to finish the job.
But don't worry if the garland doesn't loop quite right or if a few of the ornaments seem scruffy or if the lights don't seem perfectly even.
Have you heard the song "Dominick The Donkey" also known as "Dominick The Christmas Donkey" or "Dominick The Italian Donkey"? You can listen to the songhere. This song, recorded in the 1960s by Lou Monte is one of those ethnic, holiday, novelty songs that people have long since forgotten about. The song was written by Raymond J. Albanese, known professionally as Ray Allen. Among his other hits was "Peppino The Italian Mouse."
Many of these types of songs were full of stereotypes but this was in an era that predated political correctness.
The lyrics include these lines: "When Santa visits his paisons, With Dominick he'll be. Because the reindeer cannot, Climb the hills of Italy. "
Thank goodness, Americans of Italian descent have moved well beyond Dominick The Donkey and similar creations. But today, even though we boast two members of the United States Supreme Court, we sometimes seem to be stuck with far worse stereotypes, such as those in "The Sopranos" or (dare I mention it?) Jersey Shore.
So, looking back on it, Dominick was really rather innocent -- especially in today's world where the culture has been so coarsened.
Now that the Christmas season is here, it's time to put this to the test. Happy Holidays. Seasons Greetings. Merry Christmas. Which seasonal sentiment is your favorite? Which do you prefer to hear? Here's your opportunity to vote in our poll. Do you prefer a homogenized greeting or the more traditional expression of "Merry Christmas." The choice is yours but we want to hear from you. Vote in the poll at the top right hand corner of this blog. Let your voice be heard! We'll tabulate and report the results as we approach Christmas.
The 2011 Hess Toy Truck is at Hess gas stations now.
This year's version of the truck carriesa race car and, for the first time in the nearly 50 years since the first Hess trucks came out, both vehicles have lights and sounds.
The truck, requires two C batteries, has 34 lights with flash settings; sounds for ignition, horn and back-up alert, and a pull-out ramp with automatic hydraulic sound. It's quite sophisticated.
The car needs two AA batteries and is modeled after an American stock car. It has 10 lights and an engine sound effect.
The truck (with the car) sells for $26.99.
Hess has been selling these toy trucks since the early 1960s when the company's founder, Leon Hess decided that he wanted to provide a fun, high quality and affordable toy for families during the holiday season.
The first truck was introduced in 1964. It was a tanker that could be filled with water and emptied through its delivery hose. It retailed for $1.29, including batteries. The truck was obviously a great value and beca,e an instant success. Hess stations couldn't keep the thing in stock.
Great attention to detail and their limited availability have made the Hess trucks highly desirable. Now, collectors are a big part of the annual sales.
The Hess truck maintains the original commitment of Leon Hess. Over the years, models have included fire engines, helicopters, a police car, an airplane, and even a space shuttle. Each year the truck is introduced with a distinctive holiday TV commercial.
Today, the Hess toy truck has become a lasting family tradition that extends across generations.
BTW: If you have that first 1964 truck (the one that sold for $1.29) and it's in mint condition and still in its original box, you should know that it now commands $1,600.
Today, Governor Chris Christie and Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno encouraged New Jersey residents to take part in the 2nd annual “Small Business Saturday,” a nationwide campaign led by American Express to highlight the importance of small business across the United States, this Saturday, November 26, 2011. Residents are encouraged to use the Saturday after Thanksgiving, between "Black Friday" and “Cyber Monday” – traditionally two of the busiest shopping days of the year – to shop at small businesses around the state. New Jersey businesses with less than fifty employees make up over 96 percent of all businesses statewide and employ more than 35 percent of our state’s workforce, according to Department of Labor & Workforce Development data.
“This Thanksgiving weekend, Mary Pat and our family will join millions to mark the unofficial kick-off of the holiday shopping season,” said Governor Christie, who proclaimed this Saturday ‘Small Business Saturday’ in New Jersey. “For thousands of small businesses statewide, this will be a critical period for sales. As the driving force of our ongoing recovery, it’s important that we show them our support and appreciation by shopping locally this Saturday. I encourage New Jersey residents to support our small businesses within the state by taking part in this nationwide campaign.”
The Christie Administration has made advancing small business assistance and advocacy services an important pillar in its overall economic development strategy, providing over $180 million in targeted tax cuts for New Jersey businesses. Last month, the Administration announced the state was approved by the U.S. Department of Treasury for $33.8 million in funding to further encourage small business lending and job creation. Just last week, the state renewed its partnership with not-for-profit economic development corporation UCEDC to expand the array of training, technical and financial assistance services available to entrepreneurs and small businesses across New Jersey.
“Through the ‘100 Business Initiative’ tour and my ongoing travels throughout the state, I can personally attest that one of New Jersey’s greatest assets is our community of small businesses,” noted Lt. Governor Guadagno, who leads economic development efforts for the Christie Administration. “I strongly encourage shoppers to support these entrepreneurs on Saturday and throughout the year to help boost local economies by buying at locally owned businesses.”
With Black Friday in full swing and Thanksgiving turkeys relegated to leftover masterpieces, the Christmas season is now truly upon us. And while many are hunting for doorbusters and bargains galore, others are prepping for that great Christmas tradition: the community holiday parade.
There are a lot of great parades throughout South Jersey. Here are some of our favorites:
Haddon Heights: Tonight at 6:30 p.m., starting at Station Ave.
Collingswood: Saturday at 10:00 a.m., running along Haddon Ave. beginning at Zane Ave.
Pennsauken: Saturday at 1:00 p.m., on Westfield Ave., staring at Cove Rd. and down to 44th St.
Merchantville: Friday, Dec. 2, starting at Wellwood Park (Maple and Liden Aves.) at 6:00 p.m.
Mount Ephraim: The annual fire holiday truck parade is on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 7:00 p.m., beginning at Market Street and continuing up Kings Highway.
Hope to see you at one of these great holiday events!
It's one of the most famous moments in pop culture history.
Indeed, it's probably also one of the most memorable moments in the history of the American presidency.
Marilyn Monroe. JFK. Madison Square Garden. May 19, 1962.
At a big 45th birthday bash and fundraiser for the President, Marylyn Monroe sang "Happy Birthday" -- or, to be more exact: "Happy Birthday, Mr. President."
Much was made about Monroe being late. But then again, she was always late -- notoriously late. And of course she was sensuously breathless -- or at least must people thought the breathlessness was part of a deliberate sensuality that Monroe produced just for this occasion; part of the act.
But now, the secret behind the breathless performance has been revealed.
Monroe was out of breath because she got lost on the way to the Garden's makeshift stage.
And she couldn't find the right door to make her grand entrance.
So, as she ran around trying to find the door she ran out of breath. Finally arriving on stage, she was unable to sing properly.
This is the way the story is now being told by actress Joan Copeland, 89 who was there that night. Copeland says Marilyn was in a rushed state as she had missed her cue. She was anxious anxious as well.
So, that's what produced the iconic moment. That and a flesh-colored, strapless, backless gown with 2,500 strategically placed rhinestones.
There was only one Marilyn. Only one JFK. And only one night like that.
Ohhhh. . . . yeah, there were more than a few turkeys this year and we've had a hard time picking the ten biggest jerks of all but we've finally settled on the ten and only.All of these people (or groups of people) have one thing in common: at one point or another during the course of the year they made absolute fools of themselves.
In no particular order, here they are:
1) Joe Biden. This guy has a habit of being a jerk but this year he sorta outdid himself. He actually said that if the President's job bill didn't pass women would get raped.
2) Anthony Weiner. Let's just say that he certainly proved to be aptly named. We'll leave it at that.
3) Graham Spanier, Jerry Sandusky, Joe Paterno and maybe a few others. For purposes of this list, we'll count them all as one -- and include all of the irresponsible people who've apparently dishonored tthe good name of a great university. Shame on 'em!
4) Rick Perry. We could have told him he shouldn't have run. But would he have listened? We doubt it.
5) Kim Kardashian. If you fell for that phony romance and marriage go ahead and add yourself to this list.
6) Andy Reid. Not our favorite person to begin with but it just got worse and worse. If the Eagles wanna ever get to the Super Bowl they've got to get rid of him.
7) The Occupiers. Disgusting, dirty and beyond disruptive, they stood for nothing and accomplished less.
8) Debbie "Blabbermouth" Schultz. This woman never stops yapping. The Chair of the Democratic National Committee makes a fool of herself nearly every time she opens her mouth.
9) Charlie Sheen. Winnnnning? NOT!
10) The Phillies. The Greatest. The Bestest. The Mosted.The Chokiest, Biggest El Foldo EVER! What a disappointment!
Today, as we gather with friends and family in the comfort and safety of our homes, we give thanks to all those who, in the service of our country, are far from home, facing hardship and danger. On Thanksgiving, we celebrate the bounty of America, but let us never forget that our peace, prosperity and plenty have been hard earned by countless men and women who have put country before self. --Mitt Romney
We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing; he chastens and hastens his will to make known; the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing: sing praise to his Name, he forgets not his own.
Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining, ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine; so from the beginning the fight we were winning: thou, Lord, wast at our side: all glory be thine!
We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant, and pray that thou still our defender wilt be. Let thy congregation escape tribulation: thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!
To me, this painting by Normal Rockwell perfectly expresses the spirit of Thanksgiving and it also perpetuates a sense of simple goodness and decency. This painting was created in 1951 for the Saturday Evening Post.
Today marks the 4th birthday/anniversary of the Dan Cirucci Blog.
And that's appropriate because we are incredibly thankful to all of you for your support and encouragement from Day One - November 24, 2007.
This blog started almost as a dare when Aimee Cirucci challenged me to do it and broadcaster Dom Giordano of Live & Local Talk Radio 1210 in Philadelphia asked me why I didn't have a blog.
Since our first blog post four years ago we've posted EVERY SINGLE DAY and that includes Saturdays, Sundays. Christmas, New Years and the 4th of July. We haven't missed a day and we've posted more than 5,000 times during that period.
At the same time, nearly 300,000 visitors came to the blog, piling up more than 700,000 page views. And we've had visitors from every continent and from the far corners of the world.
Our most popular post? Well it was those 2010 Philly Naked Bike Road photos. Those have been viewed nearly 17,000 times. After that, our post on the bikini and how it was born and why we like it was viewed nearly 7.500 times. When actor/comedian Leslie Nielsen died, nearly 3,500 people came to this site to read about it. And, most recently this new video on President Obama has been viewed nearly 3,000 times -- and that's just since November 19. The Obama video is great and I urge you not to miss it.
One of our biggest thrills was when Rush Limbaugh read directly from this blog on his radio show. We also got a great lift when New Jersey Governor Chris Christie looked to us and said: "This guy's got a great blog!"
Some more stats: Nearly 10,000 people have visited this blog from Germany (the largest number of visitors beyond the USA) and Great Britain has logged 8,000 visitors while Canada has logged 7,000 and India has attracted more than 3,000.
We also want to thank the wonderful Blogs Lucianne Loves which has generated more than 15,000 visitors for us. And we are also grateful to all of those who have included us on their blog rolls and to everyone who has encouraged us. Special thanks as well to the many of you who have invited us to parties, events, businesses and attractions so that we can share what you're offering (and your successes) with our many visitors.
And, if you'd like you can click here to see our very first posts.
Finally, we are grateful that good health, stamina, family, friends and colleagues have allowed us to keep at this endeavor every single say, day after day for 1,461 days or 35,040 hours or 2.1 million minutes.
God willing (and the creek don't rise) we'll be here tomorrow and the days that follow.
As long as you keep visiting, we'll posting.
Thanks!
