Sunday, July 31, 2011

Saturday Was A Terrific Doubleheader

On this beautiful summer morning in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, Billi Pod is happy to report to you loyal and faithful readers that his entertainment doubleheader yesterday was terrific ...


ALTER EGO==>A<==lots of fun with a very talented 15 person teenage cast.


This was the final of three performances and the house was filled with friends and family members who were laughing and clapping and some even with tears in their eyes. I am soooooooo glad that I decided to get a ticket to this event. I left the theater with a big smile on my face.


Then last night’s concert ...


MOSTLY MOZART CONCERT==>A<== a sublimely beautiful performance by a stellar orchestra.


I had a free ticket and an excellent seat in the center orchestra, 10 rows from the stage. Folks, it can’t get much better than this!!


When the hour long concert was over Billi Pod walked back to PHC, a distance of one mile, while listening to the second game of the Yankees/Orioles doubleheader on his trusty but aging Walkman.


Billi Pod is happy to report that the Yankees kicked-ass winning 8-2 in the afternoon game and then 17-3 in the night game. Yep, they scored 12 runs in the first inning.


Billi Pod has yet another entertainment doubleheader ...

1:05==YANKEES/ORIOLES @ Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed and Ego Built.


Freddy Garcia will be on the mound for The Bronx Bombers in this final game of the 4-game series.


Come on guys, Billi Pod needs a win to get his season record above .500.


Still nothing trade-wise. Have a gut-feeling that nothing will happen. The deadline is 6:00pm (EST) today


Then tonight is ...


7:30==>THE MAD SHOW @ York Theatre Musicals in Mufti Series - “A comic revue filled with songs, sketches and irreverent humor, spoofing everything from television commercials to the generation gap.” (Off Broadway - discounted TDF ticket).


To refresh your memories==>Mufti means "in street clothes, without the trappings associated with the original productions."


These shows are usually a lot of fun and this one sounds like a great way to end a double-doubleheader weekend.


GO YANKEES AND GO GATORS!!


Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

Saturday, July 30, 2011

AJ Burnett aka Loser Boi==>SUCKS ASS!!

OK, when Billi Pod left PHC last night and headed out to Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed and Ego Built, he knew that the weather was going to be iffy but, what the Hell, he wasn’t going to stay in on a Friday night, right?


Well, when he got to 161st Street in The Bronx it was lightly raining, which almost immediately turned into heavier rain. The tarp was covering the infield.


A couple of times it stopped raining but then it restarted. Would they get the game in? Billi Pod’s gut told him that they would make every effort to do so because of scheduling problems for a makeup game.


The game finally began at 8:50pm, a 1:48 rain delay, but no matter because The Bronx Bombers were playing the hapless Baltimore Orioles, owner of the worst record in the American League and were facing a pitcher whose season record was a pitiful 4-14.


I mean, come on people, this was the Yankees playing at Yankee Stadium before a near sellout crowd on a Friday night ... WTF could possibily go wrong?


Well, my loyal and faithful readers, pretty much everything went wrong for the Wankies, beginning with ... tada ...


AJ Burnett aka Loser Boi, our so-called No. 2 starter, who once again pitched well enough to lose. He only gave up 5 hits but they were two homers and three doubles. He also struck out 10 batters. Loser Boi remains winless in all five of his starts in July.


Then, the Yankee bats went dead against the 4-14 Orioles starter who gave up only 1 run on 4 hits, though 7 innings.


We lost 4-2 but folks, we were never in this game and it was extremely frustraiting to watch and, of course, Billi Pod was there until the bitter end, when Gardner struck out in the bottom of the 9th with the tying runs on base. Barf!!


It was well past midnight when a still frustrated Billi Pod opened the door to PHC. Man, was he hungry.


We have a day/night doubleheader against The Orioles today.


Moving on to ... oh ... did I say that ...


AJ BURNETT SUCKS ASS!!


The weather this morning in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, is really nice.

Today is an entertainment doubleheader for Billi Pod ...


2:00==>ALTER EGO - “What makes us who we are? When are the moments that we each discover our true abilities? How do we overcome challenges to discover our unique individual powers?

From super-heroes to Shakespeare, questions of character are explored in this new musical revue, performed by 15 talented teens.” (Off Broadway - $10.00 ticket).


It sounds very interesting and is playing at a theater on my block.


Then ...


7:30==>MOSTLY MOZART CONCERT @ Avery Fisher Hall - “The one-hour pre-opening concert will feature the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra playing:


Mozart: Overture to Le nozze di Figaro

Mozart: Symphony No. 36 (“Linz”)

Stravinsky: Symphony in C.


This is a “free” concert but reservations are required. My seat is excellent, in the center orchestra, row K.


Let me close, my loyal and faithful readers with ...


AJ BURNETT==>YOU DOUBLE SUCK ASS!!


GO YANKEES AND GO GATORS!!


Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

Friday, July 29, 2011

Why Billi Pod Loves Living In The Big Apple.

Billi Pod’s awesome entertainment doubleheader yesterday was yet another example of why he lives in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World - a Thursday with two diverse but immensely enjoyable theatrical events ...


First, Chicago==>A<==it still packs a punch and it has, for the most part, a stellar cast led by the two actresses playing Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly.


The only weak link in the cast was the overweight guy who plays Amos, Roxie’s husband. His characterization just didn’t work for me. Maybe it was because I still have Joel Grey implanted in my theater memory.


Billi Pod is also happy to report that his comp. seat was excellent, rear orchestra, center. Nice!


Chicago originally opened on June 3, 1975 and ran for a total of 936 performances, closing on August 27, 1977. It received very mixed reviews back then.


The revival opened on November 14, 1996 and was met with praise from audiences and critics alike. It is now the longest running revival in Broadway history and, as I posted yesterday, it is ranked as Broadway’s 5th longest running show.


It is certainly worth seeing again.


The entertainment event for the evening was SOUVENIR STORIES==>8 interesting and well-performed short musicals.


As with any collection of short plays, some were better than others but none were bad, thankfully. The eight person cast was young and very talented.


Bottom line==>A very enjoyable evening.


Tonight’s entertainment event is ...


7:05==>YANKEES/ORIOLES @ Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed and Ego Built and, of course, AJ Burnett aka Loser Boi will be pitching.


Why, Oh Gods on High, does Loser Boi always seem to pitch when Billi Pod is in attendance??? WHY??

If The Bronx Bombers are to reach the post season Loser Boi has to step forward and become a consistently reliable pitcher.


Stop being a little bitch AJ and just man the fuck up.


Jus sayin’...


This weekend is also going to be awesome. Billi Pod has doubleheaders scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday. Details later.


I will close with a big TGIF shout-out to all of my Worker Bee friends out there in the vastness of cyberspace. Have a great weekend!!


GO YANKEES AND GO GATORS!!


Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Billi Pod’s Report Card On THE RAP GUIDE TO EVOLUTION

Billi Pod wants to start this 700th posting with his report card on last night’s entertainment event ...


THE RAP GUIDE TO EVOLUTION==>A<==interesting, entertaining and awesomely performed.


Canadian Baba Brinkman creates an entire hip hop show about evolution, with the wit, poetry, and charisma of a rapper and the accuracy and rigor of a scientific expert. He examines the origins of hip-hop and reflects on gender relations and inner-city violence.


He concludes with his solution to all of our problems==>DON’T SLEEP WITH MEAN PEOPLE:


“Don’t sleep with mean people, that’s the anthem

Please! Think about your granddaughters and grandsons

Don’t sleep with mean people, pretty or handsome

Mean people hold the gene pool for ransom.”


So my loyal and faithful readers in the metropolitan New York City area, put aside any misgivings you might have about the rap genre and see this show==>NOW!! It has an open-end run at the SoHo Playhouse downtown.

The Yankees basically sucked with yet another so-so performance [giving him the benefit of the doubt] from Phil Hughes. The hapless Mariner’s finally broke their 17-game losing streak behind stellar pitching from their ace King Felix Hernandez. They won 9-2.


The Bronx Bombers have the day off. On Friday the Baltimore Orioles come into town for a 3 game series.


Damn, the Boston FuckSox just keep on winning. Their offense is explosive.


As the trade deadline approaches there in still nothing about the Yankees. We need help in the starting rotation, make no mistake about it. Are you listening Hank Steinbrenner?


Billi Pod’s entertainment schedule is something a bit different for a Thursday ... first ...

3:00==>CHICAGO - “Broadway’s 5th longest running show, Chicago, tells the saga of chorus girl Roxie Hart who murders her lover and with the help of a shady lawyer becomes a vaudeville star.” (Broadway - complimentary ticket).


Yes, that is the correct day and time. Several long-running Broadway shows are experimenting with matinees on Thursdays and/or Fridays.


Of course Billi Pod has seen this show several times over the years but who can pass up an opportunity to see a Broadway classic with a comp. ticket? No one. Oh, I am relatively certain that my seat will be in the nosebleed section but no matter ... being there is what is important to Billi Pod.


And then tonight is ...

8:00==>SOUVENIR STORIES - “Eight original short plays that explore how simple objects can capture our memories and hold our meaningful experiences.” (Off Broadway - $9.00 TDF ticket).


This is playing at a theater on my block.


So, everyone out there in cyberspace, I think you will agree that this is a pretty interesting day for Billi Pod ... but ... remember ...


I only report - you decide.


Oh, I will close by observing that this is the 700th posting to Billi Pod Blogs since its creation on April 6, 2008. Who would have thunk it? The page-views for the past 11 months have now reached 13,000+ ... how about that!!


GO YANKEES AND GO GATORS!!


Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

CC Sabathia Was Awesome!!

Last night’s YANKEES/SEATTLE game was emotionally draining in more ways than one.


Our ace CC Sabathia was on the mound and he was awesome. He flirted with a perfect game through 6 innings and didn’t give up a hit until the top of the 7th. That was the only hit he gave up. he went 7 innings, giving up 1 run on 1 hit and striking out ... gasp ... 14 batters.


The 14 strikeouts was a career high. To add to the emotional drama unfolding before our eyes, the weather suddenly turned bad and there were two rain-delays, the first for 34 minutes and the second for 14 minutes. Each time the ground crew unrolled the tarp on the infield. It was really nasty.


As you know, my seat is in the open, so each time it began to rain Billi Pod scurried to find a seat under an overhang. Fortunately he found one each time.


Would CC have pitched a no-no but for the rain delays? I, of course, don’t know, but I do know that he was as sharp as I have ever seen him. The crowd was really into the game, pitch by pitch, standing and clapping. It brought back memories of being present when David Cone pitched his perfect game and Billi Pod (not known by that then) was there.


The final score was 4-1 and the game was over at 10:31. The Mariner’s struck out a total of 18 times and they have now lost 17 in a row.


This afternoon their ace King Felix Hernandez will be on the mound and he will be facing Phil Hughes, who desperately needs a good outing.


Billi Pod’s entertainment event for tonight is ...

8:00==>THE RAP GUIDE TO EVOLUTION. Well, I guess the title pretty much says it all, but this is the press blurb: “Baba Brinkman creates an entire hip hop show about evolution, combining the wit, poetry and charisma of a great rapper with the accuracy and rigor of a scientific expert.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)


Yeah, I know ... Billi Pod ain’t into rap music at all, but the show has gotten excellent reviews so he thought he would give it a crack (pun intended).


I am fed-up with the fiasco in DC. This is why the average person hates politicians and why government isn’t trusted. It is politics over reason and it just makes me want to puke.


GO YANKEES AND GO GATORS!!


Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Billi Pod Does Some Fair and Unbiased Reporting

Hello everyone out there in cyberspace.


It is a beautiful day in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World==>73º @ 8:30am. Yeah!! It will climb to the upper 80s later in the day. There is a nice breeze coming off The Hudson River, so this will be a walk and wander afternoon for Billi Pod.


OK ... in the name of fair and unbiased reporting Billi Pod has to report that yesterday’s staged reading of THE SHOW OFF was just barely tolerable.


Yes, I am aware that it was a “staged reading” and that it is set in the 1920s, but the problem is with the book not the acting. It just isn’t funny and I think that view is shared by most of those in attendance because many left at intermission and those that didn’t just looked plain bored when it was finally over. The audience response was tepid. Billi Pod stayed until the bitter end.


If by chance the producers Google their show ... guys ... no way will you find an audience for this show ... so just give it up, it’s not worth the risk. Jus sayin"...

Last night The Bronx Bombers added to Seattle’s misery, winning 10-3 - the 16th consecutive loss for the hapless Mariners. Freddy Garcia had another excellent outing again proving his value to the team.


Even though they scored 10 runs, the team mightily misses A-Rod’s bat and presence. His rehab in Miami is progressing well and it is reported that he may be back in the second week of August. Billi Pod certainly hopes so.


Tonight our ace CC Sabathia will be on the mound looking for his 15th win. Billi Pod will be there for his 25th game of the season.


Again, in the name of fair and unbiased reporting Billi Pod has to reveal the team record for the 24 games he has seen thus far this season ... tada ...


12 wins and 12 losses and that doesn’t make Billi Pod happy at all. No, he doesn’t expect them to win every game but he wants them to have a better record than .500 ... so ... get with it guys ... man up and get with it.


Time to post this and then head out for at least 90 minutes of walk and wander.


GO YANKEES AND GO GATORS!!


Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

Monday, July 25, 2011

The Heat Wave Is Over==>Thank God!!

A nice way to begin the week==>the heat wave is over, Thank God!!


This will be a somewhat briefer posting [OK ... OK ... stop the clapping and cheering or Billi Pod will come out there and bitch-slap you ... I know who you are and where you live ...] because this is errands day and I also have a show at a rather strange time this afternoon. More about that later ...


First, Billi Pod’s comments/observations on yesterday afternoon’s YANKEES/OAKLAND game==>strange.


To begin with ... it was hot and muggy and then there was sprinkling rain at the beginning and the end of the game. I didn’t move at the early rain but when it started again later in the game I was able to move back under an overhang.


We won the game 7-5 but, gasp, the heart of our bullpen almost imploded. What do I mean? Well, our 8th inning setup-man, David Robertson, and our Hall-of-Fame-To-Be closer, Mariano Rivera, gave up 3 runs in the 8th and 9th innings. OMFG!!


It was almost an AJ Burnett aka Loser Boi moment. Weird, very weird!! But ... bottom line ... we got the win.


Anyway, tonight the Seattle Mariners come into town for a 3 game series. They are reeling from 15 consecutive losses. Hopefully The Bronx Bombers can add to their misery.

Billi Pod’s scheduled entertainment event today is ...


4:00==>THE SHOW OFF - “A richly comic caricature of the bluff and bragging of American business life, as Aubrey Piper struggles to satisfy his enormous egotism and yet preserve his self-respect.”


This is a staged reading featuring Broadway legend Joyce Van Patten. It is a free ticket and will be followed by a wine and cheese reception. Billi Pod will stay for the cheese.


May catch a movie this evening, or maybe stay in and watch the Yankees game ... we will see ...


OK, now it is errands time, so ...


GO YANKEES AND GO GATORS!!


Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Where Did The Summer Go??

Good morning my loyal and faithful readers out there in cyberspace.


Billi Pod is happy to report that it is predicted to be somewhat “cooler” today==>only 93º. Where, oh where, did the summer go?


Just joking==>it is still hot, humid and unpleasant in The Big Apple.


Had a very enjoyable evening last night @ THE SAMUEL FRENCH SHORT-PLAY FESTIVAL. All six plays were very interesting and well performed.


This whole event has been very enjoyable and I am glad that I was able to see as many shows as I did. How many you are breathlessly asking? Well, the total number of short plays Billi Pod saw was==>19. Of course, some were better than others but none of them were “bad.” Unfortunately I will miss the finals today.


So, kudos to my new FaceBook friend, Katy DiSavino, and her colleagues at Samuel French for a job-well-done.

Yesterday afternoon AJ Burnett once again earned his title of Loser Boi, pitching well enough to ensure the Yankees would lose 4-3 to Oakland.


How ironic that former Yankee Hideki Matsui hit a home run in the 7th inning to score what would be the winning run. He has homered in 5 of his last 6 games in Yankee Stadium. The Yankees should never have let him go, in Billi Pod’s humble opinion.


Today==>afternoon game @ 1:05 with Bartolo Colon on the mound. Billi Pod will be there. Thankfully his partial-season-ticket seat is out of the sun.


GO YANKEES AND GO GATORS!!


Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

Saturday, July 23, 2011

104º In The Big Apple ...

Of course the hot topic today is the heat wave engulfing the Northeast.


Yesterday, in The Big Apple, The Greatest City in the World, it reached 104º with the so-called “feels-like” index topping off at a sizzling 115º. Since Manhattan is really a concrete jungle, walking around felt like being in an oven.


The subway ride out to The Bronx for the YANKEES/OAKLAND 7:05 game was as unpleasant as I expected. Oh, the cars are cool but the stations were swelteringly hot and it was also rush hour so the cars were packed and running slow, for some reason.


When Billi Pod got to his usual seat, Main Level, section 212, row 5, seat 17, at 7:00pm, it was announced that the game-time temperature was 104º - WOW! I have to say, however, in the name of fair and unbiased reporting, that it didn’t feel that hot, it really didn’t. Yes, it was icky, sticky, sweaty, drippy hot ... but not oven-like as it had been in Manhattan.


The Bronx Bomber’s bats were scalding as we cooked Oakland, winning 17-7, although Phil Hughes had a terrible game, giving up 7 runs on 9 hits in only 4 1/3 innings, in fact, he couldn’t protect a 14-2 lead and was taken out of the game before he qualified for the win.


Not a good sign at all and that is putting it mildly.


Game 2 is this afternoon at 1:05pm with AJ Burnett aka Loser Boi on the mound for The Bronx Bombers. Why do I have the gut feeling that he will pitch only well enough to insure another loss? We will see. Hope Billi Pod is wrong.


Tonight Billi Pod has a doubleheader at the SAMUEL FRENCH SHORT-PLAY FESTIVAL. He will see 6 short plays @ a theatre on his block. The shows are:


First @ 6:30 --


Beautiful Hands - “Tells the story of a young black couple in 1930s Georgia and their decision on how to begin their new life together.” Running Time: 25 Minutes.


First Breath After Total Devastation - During a catastrophe of epic proportions, two strangers are confronted with the question, ‘Who can we really turn to in times of crisis?’” Running Time: 20 minutes.


Spats - “Jones attempts desperately to get back to work after his predilection for a certain dapper shoe accessory sparks an unforeseen fad and/or revolution.” Running Time: 10 minutes.


Then @ 8:00 --


Why Pluto Is A Planet - “A gay teenager travels to Pluto to meet Marilyn Monroe.” Running Time: 30 minutes.


Tower of Toys - “On a rainy afternoon in Lower Manhattan, a lesbian couple considers the future of their shaky relationship.” Running Time: 22 minutes


Dead-Nosed - “Santa’s original eight reindeer are conspiring to murder Rudolph.” Running Time: 20 minutes.


As I have previously posted, these are playing at a theater on my block. As a side note ... I will have to wear a long-sleeved shirt because the venue, The Lion Theatre, is freezing cold. That’s right ... freezing cold ... on Thursday night several audience members were wearing sweaters even though it was in the upper 90s outside.


Well, it is time to post this and then settle in to watch the Yankee game ... so ...


GO YANKEES AND GO GATORS!!


Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

Friday, July 22, 2011

By The Way, It’s Hot In The Big Apple.

OMFG!!==>It will reach 101º in The Big Apple today. Not sure what the “feels-like” temperature will be, but just heard on the radio that it is estimated that it will be in the neighborhood of 110º - Wow!!


On the same radio newscast they just reported that the Columbus Circle subway platform just measured in at 120º - Double Wow!!


This ain’t gonna be a “walk and wander” day for Billi Pod that is for certain and he ain’t gonna leave the AC in PHC until it’s time to head out tonight to Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed and Ego Built, for the YANKEE/OAKLAND game. I know that the subway rides to and from The Bronx will be very unpleasant.


OMG!! I just went downstairs to check out the outside temperature for myself and when I walked out of the lobby onto 42nd Street it was like walking into an oven. No, I’m not exaggerating or being overly dramatic folks ... that is how it felt. Remember, I grew up in Florida, so I understand heat and heat usually doesn’t bother me ... but ... this is brutal brutal brutal.


Hopefully we won’t have any major power outages as we did in the not-too-distant past.

Let’s move on with other things and stuff ... like ...


Billi Pod’s SAMUEL FRENCH SHORT-PLAY FESTIVAL doubleheader last night, with 6 plays, was excellent.


Again the house was full with a very enthusiastic audience. I am so glad that I decided to immerse myself in this interesting theater event. Have a doubleheader again scheduled for Saturday.


Before the show began I got interviewed by one of the staff. It was taped and I think it will be posted later on their FaceBook Wall.


As a reward for my 60 seconds of fame they gave me a OOB Logo T-shirt, which sells for $17.00. Nice.

Last night The Yankees lost 2-1 in a pitchers duel between CC Sabathia and James Shields. CC pitched a complete game, giving up 2 runs on just 5 hits, but, unfortunately, the Bronx Bombers bats couldn’t reach Shields. CC lost on his 31st birthday, his first loss since June 9.


We now trail The FuckSox by 2 games in the AL East.


Tonight Phil Hughes will make his second start since coming off the DL. He had a good first outing last week against Toronto


Damn, I feel like a shut-in.


Oh, did I say that it is f**king HOT!!


WTF==>The 10th Douchiest University In America???<==WTF!!


GO YANKEES AND GO GATORS!!


Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”