Internet Research, Report Card and Today’s Doubleheader

Good morning everyone out there in the hinterlands and boondocks.

It is a bright, cold and windy Sunday morning in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World==>31º @ 7:30am. Burrrrrr!!

I hope each of my loyal and faithful readers are having a great weekend and that today will be an enjoyable Sunday for you, even those of you out there who are sending me snarky emails and texts about the lack of meaningful reporting and research in my recent postings.

Yes, you know who you are and so does Billi Pod. Have you forgotten the thought-provoking items that now appear at the bottom of each posting (with a couple of exceptions)? Where do you think they come from? Hum ... the answer is ... Billi Pod had to find them through his tireless internet research, that is where ...

Anyway ... I will take a moment to share something with you ... and that is the results of a recent survey by The Public Policy Polling Firm (I didn’t make that name up) regarding the most unpopular state in the Union ... and the results are that California is the most unpopular state. Wow, who would have thunk that California was more unpopular than that cesspool known as New Jersey? The top 5, in descending order, are ...

California

Illinois

New Jersey

Mississippi

Utah

The most popular state is Hawaii ... the ranking is ...

Hawaii

Colorado

Tennessee (what??)

South Dakota (what again??)

Virginia

So there you have it my loyal and faithful readers ... you are so very welcum ...

Moving on to my report card on last night's entertainment event ...

MANHATTAN CONCERT PRODUCTIONS: Debut Ensembles @ Alice Tully Hall==>A.

It was a totally enjoyable evening and each of the 3 performing groups, one chorus and two orchestras, did excellent jobs. Had an awesome seat in the 3rd row, house right.

The final number was Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien, performed by the Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra, and it was sublime.

Interesting side note - I was seated next to this couple, a bit younger than me, whose grandson, Zachary, a violinist, was performing with the Buffalo Orchestra. They had driven down from Buffalo to see him perform and they had an unobstructed sight line to him. The couple’s pride was palatable ... they were glowing ... and that made my experience even more enjoyable, it really did.

Billi Pod has yet another entertainment doubleheader scheduled for today ...

3:00==>PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA @ Avery Fisher Hall. “The program is: Steven Stucky (who??) - Silent Spring (New York premiere); Prokofiev - Violin Concerto No. 1; and Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5.” (discounted TDF ticket)

When the concert is over I will not come back to PHC, rather, weather permitting, I will leisurely walk from the Lincoln Center area in the Westside to the Midtown East area for my evening’s entertainment event, which is ...

7:30==>NOW OR NEVER - “Featuring the musical career of writer/performer Peter Land in music and words.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This show is playing at The York Theatre, one of my favorite venues, as you know.

I should be back in PHC around 9:30, with plenty of remaining time to watch, I guess, the 84th Annual Academy Awards Ceremony, hosted by Billy Crystal. You know, my loyal and faithful readers, I really don’t give a flippin’ f**k who wins in any of the multitude of categories. I really could care less about this year.

Up here in The Big Apple the media buzz is that THE ARTIST is gonna be the major winner. Big Deal. Outside of New York and LaLa Land, who else saw this movie? Yeah ... I know ... I rest my case ...

And, as is his custom ... Billi Pod will totally use the mute button for each and every acceptance speech.

So ... now ... everyone ... Billi Pod will close this Sunday posting with something for you to ponder ...

Think about it ... seriously!

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.”

ALEX-187