Monday’s Report From The Big Apple.

Good afternoon my loyal and faithful readers. Right off the bat I will offer my apologies for failing to post to this blog yesterday - my bad - no excuse, just didn’t do it, sorry ...

So ... let me begin anew today with a huge shout-out to my dear friend and fraternity-brother Bob Kent of Jacksonville, FL, who is celebrating a birthday milestone today - the big SEVEN OH!! Wow!! 70!! Who would have thunk it?

Bob, aka BK to his friends, and I go back years and years to the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity house at the University of Florida. We are also both members of another “organization” that has been very important in being able to live our lives “One Day At A Time.”

SO, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BK - MANY MORE TO COME!!

Hope you caught Jesse Eisenberg & Mark Zuckerberg on SNL Saturday night==>it was classic SNL. Zuckerberg joined host Eisenberg for the opening monologue of the show. Eisenberg told Zuckerberg that he liked him on "60 Minutes" and then asked if he had seen "The Social Network." Zuckerberg, who has called the film inaccurate, responded that he had seen the film and that it was "interesting." Eisenberg accepted that answer and the two high-fived.

I think this link will take you to it, hopefully ...

Jesse Eisenberg Monologue

I have been a big supporter of THE SOCIAL NETWORK to win The Best Movie and Jessie Eisenberg Best Lead Actor in the upcoming Oscars, that is, until I saw Colin Firth in THE KING’S SPEECH last night. It is==>AWESOME!!

Came home and watched the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards ceremony and Colin Firth won for Best Male Actor and the movie won the Best Cast award, SAG’s equivalent of The Best Picture. These awards make Firth and the film front runners to win in the upcoming Oscars, without a doubt. You gotta see this movie.

[dammit it is now 12:45am on Tuesday morning - better late than never - I guess]

Anywho ... Monday was my usual errands day and I did get a lot of things and stuff done, and that was good, because the weather was clear but cold. Starting later this morning it is supposed to begin snowing again, with periods of heavy sleet lasting through Wednesday. F**K!!

This evening I finally got around to seeing LITTLE FOCKERS and I have to report in the name of fair and unbiased reporting==>I liked it and laughed a lot, but then, it is my kind of humor. I can, however, understand why some critics gave it very negative reviews.

I can’t remember the last time I have seen two movies on back-to-back days. Sunday was THE KING’S SPEECH and then Monday was LITTLE FOCKERS.

Just got through watching Justin Bieber (with his new haircut) on Letterman and I thought he did a good job and held his own with Dave, not an easy task

I think The Bieb will turn 17 next month and he has a movie, NEVER SAY NEVER, coming out February 11th. And, yeah, Billi Pod will see it, on a weekday morning to avoid the screaming tweeners.

This afternoon at 12:45pm I have my annual physical exam/evaluation with my Cardiologist, Dr. Fred Feuerbach, who is also a FaceBook friend. I feel fine, so I expect everything to go well. Will report when I know all of the test results.

Will close with two musings, to bring this blog up-to-date, so ...

Musings from THE MIND OF BILLI POD (a memoir in progress):

“A basket full of meatballs doesn’t mean you’re gonna make the soccer team.”

“The West Virginia Mountaineer’s mascot is a dwarf penguin.”

GO GATORS AND GO YANKEES!!

Billi Pod

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

Saturday In The Big Apple

Hello Everyone!

It is bright, sunny and cold in The Big Apple but no snow in the forecast and that is a good thing. Unfortunately it still can be pretty treacherous walking, especially at the slushy and icy crosswalks.

Had a nice lunch today with former Bartow, FL, residents Hank Campbell and his wife Susan. They now live in Valrico, FL, which is outside of Tampa.

We met up at Joe Allen and had a nice time just catching up on things and stuff, including lots of Gator talk.

Hank is a partner in a law firm in Lakeland, FL, and is the son of my former law partner Monterey “Buddy” Campbell, now retired after years of service on the Second District Court of Appeals. Hank’s younger sister Beth was in school with my son Bill III aka The Bill of Orlando, FL.

Hank and Susan are in The Big Apple for a whirlwind weekend visit. They are seeing DRIVING MISS DAISY today. I will see it on Wednesday, February 2nd.

So, guys, it was great being with you and have a safe trip home.

Billi Pod’s entertainment event for this evening is another classical music concert --

8:00==>ORPHEUS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA @ Carnegie Hall - featuring violinist Vadim Gluzman. Schumann’s Overture to Hermann und Dorothea; Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2; Pendericki’s Serenade; and, Brahms' Serenade No. 2 in A Major. (complimentary ticket)

The acoustics in this legendary venue are so good that it really doesn’t matter where my seat will be, and with a comp. ticket, it could be virtually anywhere.

And on this high note Billi Pod will close with the usual and now very highly anticipated ...

Musings from THE MIND OF BILLI POD (a memoir in progress):

“Carbon footprints only mean that someone was thoughtless, careless, barefoot and old like Larry King.”

GO GATORS AND GO YANKEES!!

Billi Pod

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

A Late Friday Report

Good evening my loyal and faithful readers. I know that I am late in making the usual posting, in fact, it is almost 10:00pm in The Big Apple, The Greatest City in The World. Yes, this will be a briefer report of what all happened today in Billi Pod’s world, so ... wait ...

Dammit, stop it ... I can feel the tepid applause ... I know who you are ... I know where you are ... don’t make me come down there and ... you know ... come down there and ... well, you know ... so ...

I am happy to report that it did not snow during the day, but it began to lightly snow just a few minutes ago.

As I had posted earlier, the main event for today was to be my 9:30am participation in the “Select-a-Seat Open House” at Yankee Stadium. I expected to have the option of moving my present seat, section 212, row 5, seat 17, (halfway between lst base and the right field wall) to a seat in the same section but further back, under the overhang, or perhaps even in another, more expensive section, keeping the same 41-game plan, of course.

Well, first of all, yesterday I got an email telling me that due to snow-related issues my appointment time had been moved forward to 3:00pm and that I needed to arrive at the stadium no later than 2:45pm.

That was really no problem, in fact, it fit better into my plans for Friday anyway. I got out to the stadium at 2:45, as directed, signed in, was given paperwork and taken to the meeting area where the details of the event were explained to the approximately 50 people in attendance for my time-slot. I won’t bore you with the details except to say that the crucial one was that you had to make a decision not later than 3:30. That would be when the next group would arrive.

We were told that the available seats would be marked in each section of the stadium, including their availability for which season ticket package.

I immediately went to my section. The snow was still very much a factor in that aisles were available, but sometimes rows were not. I should have taken pictures, but I didn’t.

OMFG!! There were NO seats available for my plan at all in my section, nothing, regardless of location. And, nothing was available in the more expensive sections adjacent to my present section but a little closer to home plate.

Bottom-line==>Billi Pod had traveled to the frigid Bronx for naught. Actually, it didn’t piss me off as much as I thought it would because I can live with where I am and I very much like the people I am sitting with, so ... to Hell with it ... Billi Pod is now ready for Opening Day on March 31st. CASE CLOSED!!

For my entertainment event for this evening I had thought I would see THE KINGS SPEECH, which has been nominated for 12 Oscars, including Best Picture. At the last minute, however, I changed my mind and instead saw ....

THE DILEMMA, starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James - “a ‘comedy-drama’ about a man who finds out that what you don't say to a friend is just as important as what you do.”

You know, the show started off on a comedic note but it then got more and more serious as it developed and it wasn’t nearly as funny as I had expected it to be.

As one of the critics said ... “the movie passes from broad comedy to earnest self-revelation to odd hints of perversity and then back to comedy again. Still, it’s something to see.” And Billi Pod pretty much agrees.

Last night’s NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC concert, featuring works by Beethoven, Sibelius, and Nielsen (who?), was==>super-excellent, as usual.

OK, folks, it is 10:30pm and Billi Pod is hungry, so he will close with the usual ...

Musings from THE MIND OF BILLI POD (a memoir in progress):

“When all is said and done, isn’t it all over?”

GO GATORS AND GO YANKEES!!

Billi Pod

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

Snow Pictures Outside My Building

Hello again.

In response to several emails and a text or two I will post 3 pictures taken just a few minutes ago, all outside my building, 420 W. 42nd Street, in The Greatest City in The World.

I don’t think they need any further explanations --

GO GATORS AND GO YANKEES!!

Billi Pod

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

OMFG!!!==>More Snow!!

Ok, I know you are getting tired of reading about the bad weather up here in The Big Apple but in the name of fair and unbiased reporting Billi Pod has to keep you loyal and faithful readers up-to-date on what is going on in his life in The Greatest City In The World.

So .... Gotham City is recovering from yet another major snow storm last night. It started snowing around 7:00pm and continued on through the night. Around 1:00am it had reached blizzard conditions and all of the windows in PHC were completely, and I mean completely, covered in ice. This had never happened during my tenure here.

Luckily this morning the snow had stopped and it is relatively calm out right now. I haven’t been outside yet but I know the sidewalks and crosswalks are going to be treacherous.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s posting, my entertainment event last night was at a venue that basically only exposed Billi Pod to the elements as he walked to and from the subway station in The Port Authority Bus Terminal, about 1.5 blocks each way.

I left a bit early for my 8:00pm show and the snow had just begun, so no problem ... BUT ... when the show was over around 9:30pm it was blizzard-like conditions outside. What made it worse was the fact that none of the sidewalks had been cleared so there was snow and ice every foot of the way from the PA back to PHC. The wind was howling.

As I was slowly and carefully, and I do mean SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY, walking back to PHC I have to admit, in the name of fair and unbiased reporting, that I was thinking to myself ... “self, you are f**king insane for putting yourself in harms way like this. You are almost 77 years old and you are risking serious injuries if you slip and fall.”

But, the inner Billi Pod responded ... “self, shut the f**k up ... you know that you are invincible and therefore immune from danger and harm so just keep your head down and keep walking.” So, Billi Pod did just that and made it back to PHC, freezing, covered in snow, but safe.

Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s show ...

THE ROAD TO QATAR==>very very funny, unless you are of Mid-Eastern heritage and/or a terrorist. They really skewered our perceptions of Mid-Eastern wealth, the role of oil in the scheme of things and the “relationship” between Muslims and Jews.

This was the second preview performance, so it is still a work in progress but the audience seemed to be really into the show. Most of the story line is told in song with very little dialogue.

I give it a thumbs up and recommend that you see it if you are in the mood for a kinda guilty belly-laugh.

Tonight’s entertainment event is --

7:30==>NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC @ Lincoln Center - Beethoven: Symphony No. 8; Beethoven: Ah, perfido!; Sibelius: Selected Songs for Soprano and Orchestra; and, Nielsen (who?): Symphony No. 2, The Four Temperaments. (discounted TDF ticket).

I am happy to report that my WiFi service has been restored. Received a rather strange email for the service provider, which I will copy below --

**********************************

Dear Natural Wireless subscriber,

We would like to update you on the unusual service disturbance you may have experienced in the last 36 hours with the Natural Wireless system.

The service disturbance is a result of an source outside of the Natural Wireless network attempting to make our computer resource unavailable to its intended users. This attempt consists of the concerted efforts of a person or people to prevent our service from functioning efficiently or at all. These type of attempts typically target sites or services hosted by high-profile companies such as banks, government Web sites, Google, eBay, and more.

It is important to mention that what we have been experiencing in the last 36 hours does not create any security risk to any information our subscribers are sending or receiving via their Internet connection. Our servers and our network remains secure.

We are in the process of isolating the source of this attempt and blocking it. Please bear with us while we are dealing with this unusual event.

******************************

Not really sure what all of this means but I am just happy that things are back to normal, at least for now.

And speaking of normal, I think it is time for Billi Pod to close in the normal way with --

Musings from THE MIND OF BILLI POD (a memoir in progress):

“When all is said and done, everything is pretty much over the hill and through the woods, despite what your next door neighbor says.”

GO GATORS AND GO YANKEES!!

Billi Pod

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

Billi Pod Has A Rant==>Natural Wireless Beware!!

It is snowing rather heavily this morning in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, but Billi Pod is not going to rant and rave about that, rather about ...

The crumby WiFi service in my building provided by Natural Wireless. On Monday night around midnight the service went down. Not the first time either. I called tech services (24/7 - they say) and after a very long hold got a recorded message that they were experiencing “service difficulties.”

Well, when I got up Tuesday morning the service had been restored but then again last night, around midnight, the service went down. Man, was Billi Pod pissed.

I again called tech services and after holding for 15 minutes finally left a rather nasty voicemail.

Guess what? At 8:30, no service, but an email (read on my iPhone using its 3G service) apologizing for the “inconvenience.” Around 10:30 service was restored.

Now, this is not a free service provided by the building, rather it is made available for a monthly fee, which is actually very reasonable.

What has Billi Pod upset is the unreliability and that is the reason for this rant. Be warned Natural Wireless, if you go down tonight you will incur Billi Pod’s awesome and internationally known wraith. You are warned!!

Now on to something more positive, like ...

Billi Pod’s report card on last nite’s concert by the

BUDAPEST FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA==>A<==for a very very enjoyable evening, highlighted by the final number, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. My discounted TDF ticket was also excellent, in the orchestra, row P, seat 10.

Tonight’s entertainment event is --

8:00==>THE ROAD TO QATAR! - “Two American ‘short Jewish writers’ are commissioned to write a mega-musical for the Emir of Qatar, including 100 actors, 40 camels, 17 fire-eating jugglers and Mohammed Ali.” (Off-Broadway - discounted TDF ticket)

Advance buzz for this musical comedy is very good. It is playing at The York Theatre in the basement of the CitiCorp building in Midtown East, meaning getting there will require minimal exposure to the elements.

Billi Pod is a financial supporter of this theater group and it is one of his favorite venues.

BREAKING NEWS==> Yesterday Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman dropped the bomb that most Yankee fans knew was coming - he openly discussed the “possibility/probability” that Derek Jeter would be moved from shortstop to centerfield.

As might be expected this set off a firestorm in the local papers --

“CENTER STAGE: Cashman - Jeter could catch on in OF” - New York Post

“THE DEREK DEBATE: Cashman stirs talk of Jeter switch to OF” - The Daily News

“Cashman’s Future Bet: Jeter to Center” - New York Times

Oh the drama!!

Well, my loyal and faithful readers, despite my warnings against any snarky responses to yesterday’s posting about living in the Northeast during the Winter rather than somewhere warmer, I did get several smartass emails and texts ... well ... here is Billi Pod’s reply (and, no, it won’t be GO F**K YOURSELF), briefly ...

It is Winter in NYC, nonetheless, over the upcoming 25 days, Billi Pod has already, yes, already, scheduled/booked the following entertainment events: 3 Broadway shows; 9 Off-Broadway shows; 4 classical music concerts; and, 1 comedy show. And you know, don’t you, that the unfilled dates will soon be booked.

Now, honestly, tell me where “out there” could I have the equivalent entertainment events available to me? Hummmmmmmmm ... I’m waiting ... Hummmmmmmmmmmm ... still waiting ... Hummmmmmmmmm ... I thought so ... CASE CLOSED!!

And, speaking of closing, let me do so with ...

Musings from THE MIND OF BILLI POD (a memoir in progress):

“My mind cannot handle rap music and gummy-bears at the same time.”

GO GATORS AND GO YANKEES!!

Billi Pod

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

Tuesday==>Another Damn Snow Day!!

Good morning my loyal and faithful readers. In The Greatest City In The World we had light snow flurries @ 8:30am this morning and the temperature was 28º.

Now three hours later the snow is coming down harder. All Billi Pod can say is that this is getting mighty tiresome and it’s only the end of January.

Yeah, yeah ... I know ... please no emails and/or texts ... I am here in the Northeast in the Winter by choice and ... yes ... If I wanted to, I could be somewhere else, in a warmer climate. All I can say is ... be careful what you wish for ... Billi Pod could end up sleeping on your couch for the rest of the Winter ... think about it before you send any snarky responses ...

Because it was so damned cold, Billi Pod stayed in yesterday during the day, meaning==>no errands and stuff.

It warmed up a bit in the evening (18º), so I met up with John Scott Reed aka Fabson for dinner at Joe Allen.

We had a great time and I am happy to report that he is enjoying his new career path as Director of Operations & Executive Assistant to the CEO, Lori Levine, of Flying Television, a talent booking and brokering firm.

Unfortunately for Billi Pod, the delicate and highly confidential nature of his professional responsibilities prohibit him from sharing even the smallest of “insider” details - dammit-to-Hell - and he won’t budge. Oh well ...

I hope the snow ends soon because I really have some things and stuff I need to do, including an overdue trip to the grocery store.

As might be expected there is a lot of ... woulda, coulda, shoulda ... stuff in the local papers over the Jets/Steelers game on Sunday.

Tons of second guessing. To all of this Billi Pod says==>Hey guys, the season is over, so let’s move the f**k on ... OK?

Kinda different entertainment schedule for the remainder of the week in that I have 3 classical music concerts on tap. Tonight is the Budapest Festival Orchestra, Thursday is the New York Philharmonic, and Saturday is the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

So, details about tonight --

8:00==>BUDAPEST FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA @ Lincoln Center - Haydn’s Symphony No.102; Haydn’s Piano Concerto in D major; and, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. (discounted TDF ticket).

Still snowing and it looks beautiful from way up here on the 41st floor in warm and cozy PHC. The snow flakes are huge.

I will close with the usual ...

Musings from THE MIND OF BILLI POD (a memoir in progress):

“Bright times depend on the amount of light at the end of the tunnel.”

GO GATORS AND GO YANKEES!!

Billi Pod

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

Monday and Billi Pod Says==>WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR!!

Well, my loyal and faithful readers, I guess you can say that it just wasn’t meant to be because The Jets ended up losing to The Steelers in a game they could have won.

As you know, the first half was painful to watch, and that is putting it mildly, because is was ALL Steelers. Oh, they may have “stolen” a TD on what was ruled a fumble rather than an incomplete pass.

The Jets made a game out of it in the second half but in the end a combination of a tough Steeler goal-line defense plus questionable play-calling by The Jets sealed the victory for The Steelers, giving them the opportunity to win their 7th Super Bowl.

In the name of fair and unbiased reporting Billi Pod has to acknowledge that the local papers have been pretty tough on The Jets:

“WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR (AGAIN) - The Daily News

“SAME OLD JETS!” - New York Post

“Brash Jets Hit Familiar Wall In Pittsburgh” - New York Times

This means that all three of Billi Pod’s teams - The Gators, The Yankees and now The Jets, have failed to live up to his expectations, leading Billi Pod down the road of disappointment and shame (in the case of The Gators).

God, I hate to say it, but I guess I have to ... WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR!!

And on this negative note we will move on to ...

It is freezing cold in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World==>6º at 8:30am. The wind chill brings it down below zero. Buuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrr!!

No way will Billi Pod leave warm and cozy PHC for the usual Monday errands and stuff - just let’em wait.

However, tonight I am meeting my young friend Scott Reed for dinner down in Chelsea, the location his choice. There is one caveat==>the restaurant has to be very very close to the 14th Street subway station.

Now I have no excuse for not finishing and then posting Billi Pod’s 2010 Entertainment Report, so ... I will end this posting with ...

Musings from THE MIND OF BILLI POD (a memoir in progress):

“Vomit and everyone is appalled. Comet and everyone is in awe. ‘See, letters do matter,’ said the letter-carrier.”

GO GATORS AND GO YANKEES!!

Billi Pod

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

Billi Pod Says==>GO JETS!!

Good morning my loyal and faithful readers from a bright but frigid Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World. It was 16º at 8:30am this morning and will be colder for the next two days. Oh well, on to important stuff ...

And, the important stuff is, of course, the Jets/Steelers game at 6:30pm. Billi Pod will stay in the cozy confines of PHC, on the 41st floor of 420 W. 42nd Street, and first watch the Bears/Packers game at 3:00pm, pulling for the Bears, and then what he believes will be a nail-biter, Jets/Steelers at 6:30pm.

As might be expected the local papers are filled with Jets stories, including one about a pep-rally in New Jersey where the elephantine New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said the following:

“I have one message for Mayor Bloomberg and Gov. Cuomo. When the Jets train, they train in New Jersey. When the Jets play, they play in New Jersey. And when they get a Super Bowl trophy, it’s coming to New Jersey!”

Attention Governor Sourdough Boy, Billi Pod has only one message for you in response==>GO F**K YOURSELF YOU PATHETIC BLOB OF LARD!!

WOW!! That makes me feel sooooooooooooooo much better. Anyway ...

Despite the frigid weather yesterday Billi Pod was out and about with his very interesting entertainment doubleheader, so he will now give his report cards on both shows --

FLIPZOIDS==>C+<==I really wanted to like this show, but the storyline made no sense to me, nor to the several people I talked with after the show was over.

The acting was very good and the young male actor who played the role of “the young social misfit” was excellent.

Having said all of that, it is kinda worth seeing with either a discounted or a comp. ticket.

HOW I FELL IN LOVE==>A-<==The storyline is believable and interesting and it doesn’t lead to a cliche-like ending.

This was the second preview performance and twice the actors had to ask for lines. Otherwise, the acting was excellent.

Billi Pod does recommend it. You will indeed laugh a lot.

OMFG!! The clock doesn’t seem to be moving at all. Guess I will just go into the bedroom and rearrange my sock-drawer or something like that ...

Or, maybe finish the draft of Billi Pod’s Awesome 2010 Entertainment Stats ...

Or, just close with the usual and highly anticipated ...

Musings from THE MIND OF BILLI POD (a memoir in progress):

“Frankness is a distant relative of the Loch Ness Monster, whose mother was Clueless.”

GO JETS AND GO GATORS AND GO YANKEES!!

Billi Pod

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