I like to play games. I find it makes the campaigning much more fun. It also helps keep me focused on the task in front of me without worrying about the bigger picture — the omnipresent need to convince Philadelphians to vote for me on May 19th.

So, instead of constantly worrying about whether my campaign strategy makes sense or stressing about the intrigue involved with Philadelphia politics, I play.

Most mornings and evenings, I have stationed myself at a transit stop to greet commuters and hand out palm cards with information about my candidacy.

This is quite a week for the faithful with Easter and Passover arriving together. I was very happy to spend time with family at our Passover Seder and take a brief break from non-stop campaigning.

The Seder is the prayer-and-ritual-filled meal that starts the Passover holiday. Everyone gathers around the table and we re-tell the ancient story of the biblical Exodus and the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt. It is a timeless tale about the cruelty of oppression and the endless struggle for freedom and I always reflect on the messages of the text.

What a week it was. I am just catching my breath now after a whirlwind week of greeting commuters, delivering my stump speech to voters, and campaigning across the city.

Last night, a Philadelphia Common Pleas court judge threw candidate for District Attorney Seth Williams off the primary ballot for failing to disclose the reimbursement of certain campaign expenses as "income." I am no lawyer and will leave it to lawyers to comment on the merits of this decision. But as a Philadelphian, this process makes me sick… literally.

Several weeks ago, I was interviewed by Comcast in connection with my role as Commissioner of the Greater Philadelphia Mens' Adult Baseball League (GPMABL for short).

The interview focused on the league's involvement is the fundraiser "100 Innings for Autism." During the fundraiser, players from the GPMABL will play in 100 innings of baseball over a period of two days for the purpose of raising money for the Organization of Autism Research.

For more information about "100 Innings for Autism," please visit the event's website.

Tonight is my 11th wedding anniversary. Laura and I are celebrating with a quiet meal away from the campaign trail.

Laura is wonderful in every way and I am better in every way with her in my life…and just when I thought I could not appreciate her more, I do.

The Mandel for Controller campaign is energizing voters in meetings across the city. This weekend, we were in NE Philadelphia, West Philadelphia, Wissahickon, Queen Village, Bella Vista, Rittenhouse Square, and Bustleton — and we unveiled our campaign mascot (the Budget Bulldog) to help hammer home the message that Philadelphia needs a budget bulldog to root out the waste, fraud, and corruption in our government.

Today, I appeared on NBC10's Live @ Issue with Steve Highsmith. I was able to score a few points with regard for the need to answer President Obama's call for the need for heightened scrutiny with regard to the spending of stimulus fund.

Here's my favorite segment: