Oh, What A Crazy, Crazy World We Live In . . .

Killed With A Single Senseless Sucker Punch; Video

Philadelphia Detective are now looking into if this brutal attack could be part of that knockout game, where people are unsuspectingly punched, or hit on the street. Anyone with information should call the Philadelphia police.

Go Ahead, Compare These Two For A Moment . . .

There Is No End; It Just Gets Worse And Worse!

“State Department Attorneys Said Tuesday The Agency Had Discovered 30 Emails Among The Records Recovered From Hillary Clinton's Private Server That Discussed Benghazi.” 

– Washington Examiner

“Today’s disclosure that 30 additional emails about Benghazi were discovered on Hillary Clinton’s private server raises additional questions about the more than 30,000 emails she deleted. Hillary Clinton swore before a federal court and told the American people she handed over all of her work-related emails. If Clinton did not consider emails about something as important as Benghazi to be work-related, one has to wonder what is contained in the other emails she attempted to wipe from her server.”– Jason Miller, Senior Communications Advisor, Donald Trump for President

A Question You Really MUST Ponder Today!

Yes, A Bittersweet Mix Of Feelings Now . . .

I love seeing the photos on Facebook and other social media sites of all the kids going back to school.
Yes, I understand it's a bittersweet moment for kids who are mostly bored with summer but still have that dread and anxiety that settles in this time of year.
Yet for parents it's still pretty much "the most wonderful time of the year" as that old Staples commercial so amply proclaimed. Understood!

But since it's been eons since I've been the parent of school-aged kids and ages since I've been an elementary schoolteacher (not to mention a student myself) this all has a whole different meaning for me now.
I look at these kids and I see the hopes and dreams of the whole country -- all the love, yearning and investment and all the promise of tomorrow.
I may not even know them that well but their wide smiles and bright eyes speak to me and I pray for them.
And while it's anyone's guess whether many members of my generation will even be around when they finally finish school, that doesn't deprive us of a stake in their future because so much is riding on them and their families and their schools and their teachers and their communities at this critical point in our nation's history.
What kind of society will we pass on to them and what kind of America will they build on that foundation?
Hold them tight in your hearts as you let them out the door. They truly are our most precious resource.
Avanti!

So Let's Just Give Them American Jobs, Right?

Maybe It's Time To Do THIS . . .

Here an idea: The opening weekend of the NFL this year happens to fall on the 15th anniversary of 9/11. 

In light of recent events, the best thing to do (and the best way to send a powerful message) is this: Boycott opening weekend. 

Don't attend NFL games; don't watch NFL games and let the sponsors of those broadcasts know what you are doing. 

Don't be a sucker or a shill for the NFL and their wimpy copout on America.

Remember: The NBA requires players to stand during the national anthem. This isn't about free speech. The league can and does set its own rules. This is about common respect. It's about decency.

When the national anthem is played, you stand out of respect in the same way that any of us would stand for the national anthem of another nation if we were on that nation's shores.

Boycott the NFL until this rule is adopted and imposed just as it is in the NBA. 

Wow! Don't Miss What He Just Said About THIS!

Now, Here's A Chance To Really Show Your Stuff!

Auditions for Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO), one of the nation’s most respected youth orchestra institutions, will take place between September 9 and 12, 2016. Young and talented wind, string, brass, percussion and harp players ages 6 to 21 will have the opportunity to obtain membership in these unique program divisions: the flagship Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO), Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra (PYAO), Bravo Brass, Philadelphia Region Youth String Music (PRYSM) and the Philadelphia Young Musicians Orchestra (PYMO). Training tomorrow’s leaders, Philadelphia Youth Orchestra organization engages young musicians from the tri-state region in pursuing musical excellence through learning responsibility, discipline, and character skills that enable students to build future success.

The PYO, PYAO, PYMO, and Bravo Brass Fall Auditions will take place in Center City Philadelphia at St. Patrick's Church Hall (240 S. 20thStreet). PRYSM Auditions will take place at Bryn Mawr College (101 N. Merion Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA). All auditions are by appointment only. For online registration, audition requirements for each ensemble, and additional information, visit www.PYOS.org. For questions about registration, contact the office at info@pyos.org or
215-545-0502.

Here is the schedule:

Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO) Conducted by Maestro Louis Scaglione — String, brass, wind, harp and percussion players (ages 14–21) — Saturday, September 10, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, September 11, 1 to 5 p.m. at St. Patrick's Church Hall

Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra (PYAO) Conducted by Maestra Rosalind Erwin — String, brass, wind, harp and percussion players (ages 12–18) — Saturday, September 10, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, September 11, 1 to 5 p.m. at St. Patrick's Church Hall

Philadelphia Young Musicians Orchestra (PYMO) Conducted by Maestro Kenny Bean – String, Wind, brass and percussion players (ages 10–17) -- Saturday, September 10, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, September 11, 1 to 5 p.m. at St. Patrick's Church Hall

Bravo Brass Conducted by Curtis Institute of Music’s Paul Bryan — Brass players (ages 12–21) — Monday, September 12, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., St. Patrick Church Hall


Philadelphia Region Youth String Music (PRYSM) Conducted by The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Gloria DePasquale — String musicians (ages 6–14) — Friday, September 9, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Bryn Mawr College

PYO President and Music Director Louis Scaglione is impressed by the expanded interest in PYO ensembles and looks forward to PYMO bringing additional opportunities to the students. He talked about PYO and said, “We take great pride in the fact that our students have the opportunity to become the musicians of the future and community leaders of tomorrow, as well as audience members and benefactors of the arts. The confidence our students develop and their motivation to excel during their tenure with us is evident in their subsequent enrollment in the country’s finest colleges and conservatories.”

Since 1939, the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra has offered superior instruction and performance opportunities to students selected through a competitive audition process. Young instrumentalists ages 6–21 are prepared to master large ensemble repertoire and are given the opportunity to perform in some of the most prestigious venues throughout the region.

About the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra: 
Entering its 77th year, the renowned Philadelphia Youth Orchestra organization, led by President and Music Director, Maestro Louis Scaglione, is one of the nation’s oldest and most respected community music education and youth orchestra performance programs, providing talented young musicians from across the tri-state area with exceptional musical training. 

Students go on to excel in many diverse fields, and it is with pride that Philadelphia Youth Orchestra notes that many members of the prestigious Philadelphia Orchestra are alumni. The organization is comprised of six program ensembles designed to meet specific needs and experience levels of students selected through a competitive audition process. The anchor group is the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO), conducted by President and Music Director Louis Scaglione, featuring 125 gifted instrumentalists who range in age from 14-21. 

Young musicians 12-18 years old are featured in PYO’s companion ensemble, the Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra, which is led by Director and Conductor Maestra Rosalind Erwin, who is Music Director and Conductor of Drexel University Orchestra. Philadelphia Young Musicians Orchestra (PYMO), directed by Maestro Kenneth Bean, is a beginning to intermediate-level full symphonic orchestra that provides most students with their first introduction to large orchestral playing featuring students age 10-17 years old. Bravo Brass, directed by Curtis Institute Dean of Faculty and Students, Paul Bryan, is an all brass ensemble for promising middle and high-school instrumentalists. PRYSM(Philadelphia Region Youth String Music) and PRYSM Young Artists ensembles provide string large ensemble and sectional master class instruction for beginning and intermediate musicians ages 6-14. 

The director and conductor of PRYSM is Gloria DePasquale, cellist with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and conductor of PRSYM Young Artists is Andrea Weber. Tune Up Philly (TUP) is PYO’s engagement program, directed by Paul Smith, that focuses on the creating and inspiring true community by providing children in underserved communities with invaluable opportunities to learn and perform a differentiated orchestral music curriculum. www.pyos.org.