A Friday Doubleheader For Billi Pod

Good morning my loyal and faithful readers out there in the vast wilderness and hinterlands.

Happy Friday!!

Well, the Spring-like weather in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, is now a thing of the past. It is back down to Winter-like temperatures==>37º @ 7:30am, rainy and majorly nasty.

Yeah, Happy Friday!!

This will be a somewhat briefer posting (OK ... hold the f**king applause) because I have a jam-packed day, starting with two routine doctor’s appointments in the morning and then two entertainment events ... so ... let’s get right to it with ...

Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s RATED P FOR PARENTHOOD, a series of comic and musical vignettes chronicling every stage of modern-day parenting==>A.

This show, in early previews, is extremely well acted and performed by a talented cast of 4 playing multiple roles. It is funny but also very thought-provoking regarding the sometimes uncertain journey down that bumpy road known as parenthood.

The house was 90% full and everyone seemed to be having a good time. If you need a smile-inducing entertainment event then this the show for you.

As I said ... I have two routine doctor appointments, the first at 10:45 and the second at noon. Then begins my Friday entertainment doubleheader ...

2:00==>THE GIG - “A used car salesman, a dentist, a real estate agent, a financial advisor, a deli owner and a music teacher, who get together once a week to play jazz, land a two week gig in the Catskills.” (Off Broadway - free ticket)

This show is another part of the York Theatre’s Developmental Reading Series and I will be attending, as usual, as a member of Dian Crystal’s posse.

Then for the evening is a show that I have been wanting to see ever since it opened in August 2011 ...

8:00==>TRACES - “A group of friends leave their mark in a run-down warehouse through acrobatics, music, and dance, fusing the traditions of circus with the energy of street performance.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This show has received very favorable reviews and I am really looking forward to seeing it.

What about the Oscar Awards Ceremony on Sunday night, you are no doubt breathlessly asking? ... well ... bottom-line ... Billi Pod could care less and has no intention of watching the entire boring and egomaniacal program - he has a show scheduled for 7:30 that night. Now you know ... you are so welcum ...

OK ... it is time to do some things and stuff and then head out ... so I will close with ...

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-185

Billi Pod Says==>TGIF To All Of His Worker Bee Friends

Good morning all of my loyal and faithful readers out there in the hinterlands and in the wilderness known as cyberspace.

I want to start this posting with a major TGIF shout out to all of my Worker Bee friends who are eagerly awaiting the 5:00pm bell so they can begin their weekend festivities/chores/whatever.

Just remember==>Worker Bees can’t start the weekend until the FINAL bell rings. It is your duty to remain active and productive until the very end of the your work week, but, of course, most of you Worker Bees know this ... but ...

Billi Pod feels it is necessary to specifically warn ...

Worker Bee #1 - whose name rhymes with==>Peed;

Worker Bee #2 - whose name rhymes with==>Beers;

Worker Bee #3 - whose name rhymes with==>Cypher; and

Worker Bee #4 - whose name rhymes with==>Bris

that he has received information from reliable sources that each of you have been attempting to leave your employment sites early on Friday afternoons. This is totally unacceptable so you are each warned that further transgressions will place you on Billi Pod’s Time-Out List and, trust me, you don’t want this to happen. So ... you are each warned, and ... you only get one ... so ...

Anyway ... moving on ...

Last night’s NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA concert earns another grade of==>A.

My discounted TDF ticket seat was excellent, in the orchestra, row S, seat 20. The performance, Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8, clocked in at 83 minutes and when it was over the audience gave the orchestra and guest conductor, Zubin Mehta, a roaring ovation.

We had hoped for an encore performance ... but ... alas ... it didn’t happen.

I am happy to report that no cellphones went off during the performance. The New York Times had a very interesting story about the culprit, who was ... tada ... a senior citizen ... with a new iPhone. Check it out ...

“Ringing Finally Ended, but There’s No Button to Stop Shame”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/nyregion/ringing-finally-stopped-but-concertgoers-alarm-persists.html?_r=2

Interestingly, the people seated around me were all talking about the incident and everyone, including moi, double checked to make sure our phones were silenced. Now ... if we could only silence coughing and sneezing ... oh well ... one thing at a time ... I guess ...

Tonight’s entertainment event is ...

8:00==>INSTINCT - “Four cohabiting epidemiologists fight to contain a potentially devastating virus, while trying to keep their relationships from unraveling - but nothing is more contagious than human desire.” (Off Broadway - $9.00 TDF ticket)

Without a doubt this show will fall into the “love-it or hate-it” category. It is playing at a theater on my block.

Looking forward to the weekend==>Billi Pod will be in a pro-football couch potato mode, without a doubt. Will make all of my entertainment plans around the BRONCOS/PATRIOTS game on Saturday night and the GIANTS/GREEN BAY game on Sunday afternoon.

Now before you get too judgmental I need to report that the weather in The Big Apple over the weekend is gonna be frigid. On Saturday the low will be 19º and on Sunday it will be 21º. I rest my case.

I am happy to report that Christian and Kelly Smith of Columbia, SC, and their posse, will descend on Polk F**king County aka PFC this weekend to visit Gina, Army Guy and Saylor. Nice!! Have fun!!

GO GINA! GO ARMY GUY!! GO SAYLOR!!!

Billi Pod

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

ALEX-143

To All You Worker Bees==>TGIF

A huge TGIF shout-out to all of my Worker Bee friends out there in the employment wilderness, at their desks, in their cubicles, taking lunch orders etc. etc. etc.

Guys and gals - Billi Pod knows that you are tired and looking forward to the weekend so you can, among other things: do your errands, do the laundry, go grocery shopping, mow the lawn, take the kids to soccer practice, wash the car and do the myriad of other things and chores that are part of your Worker Bee bland weekend lifestyle ... but ... remember ... none of this can start until AT LEAST 5:05pm.

Remember, too, it can even start later if your boss(es) feel it is necessary for you to put in some overtime. Remember, also, that you have no control over your employment environment since it was thus structured eons and eons ago.

Remember==>you are, and will always be, a Worker Bee, so just live with it. Actually, you have no choice but to live with it, so just move on ... OK?

Anyway ... it is bright, sunny and cold in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World==>34º at 8:00am.

Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s THE ATMOSPHERE OF MEMORY==>B.

This “dark” comedy about yet another mega-dysfunctional family is saved from mediocrity by a stellar cast headed by Ellen Burstyn.

Parts of the show are very funny although mostly it is in-your-face profane.

Billi Pod found himself liking the show a lot in the beginning but he later found the intense shouting, screaming and yelling in Act II to be a major downer. It could also be cut by at least 15 minutes.

Having said this, it is still worth seeing for Ellen Burstyn alone. It closes on Sunday.

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

8:00==>NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA @ Avery Fisher Hall - “Haydn: Symphony No. 96, Miracle; and, Bruckner: Symphony No. 7”

I am seeing this with a comp. ticket so I have no idea where the seat will be, but no matter because the important thing is ... I will be there for free. Yeah!!

Moving on ...

I have to admit, as pointed out by some recent emails, that I have been somewhat remiss in sharing with you loyal and faithful readers out there in vastness of cyberspace the results of Billi Pod’s continuing internet research. My bad!!

So how about this ... are you interested in knowing the loudest college football stadiums? Of course you are and they are listed at

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/894294-college-football-ranking-the-50-loudest-stadiums#/articles/894294-college-football-ranking-the-50-loudest-stadiums

For your instant edification the top 5 are:

1. Tiger Stadium, LSU==>“When your crowd registers on a seismograph, you come in at No. 1 on the list. LSU, the other Death Valley, is the most frightening place for a team to play, especially if your are unfortunate enough to be schedule for a night game. The stadium holds over 92,000 screaming fans and is a guaranteed sellout no matter who LSU is playing that week.”

2. Autzen Stadium, Oregon

3. Beaver Stadium, Penn State

4. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Florida==>“While some people may say that it feels like the fans are right on top of you, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, they practically are. Only feet from the sidelines, Gator fans have helped turn "The Swamp" into one of the most intimidating places to play. Opposing teams know that when these 92,000 fans get worked up and start doing the gator chomp that they are in trouble.”

5. Ohio Stadium, Ohio State

And, in the name of fair and unbiased reporting ...

15. Doak Campbell Stadium, Florida State==>What do you get when you combine great tailgating, a good party town and one of the better programs in the ACC? You get 83,000 fans packing the stands of Doak Campbell Stadium to cheer on the Seminoles.”

And finally, in closing, as you will remember ...

In my blog on Wednesday I said the following about Tim Tebow --

“Isn’t it ironic that somehow the Denver Broncos are winning with Timmy Tebow as their starting Quarterback even though his ‘stats” and ‘style’ aren’t up to ‘NFL standards?’”

“Eventually the League and the press are gonna learn that Tim Tebow is a winner, who finds a way to lead his team to victory, in any way he can.”

Well, he found a way last night, leading the Broncos to a win over the Jets with a 95 yard 4th quarter drive that ended with his game-winning 20 yard TD run, with 58 seconds remaining.

To say that the local media is stunned is an understatement. They are loathe to admit that it was Timmy who beat the Jets. Their spin is that the Jets basically beat themselves, although they admit to being “surprised” by Tebow.

Well you neigh-sayers - there are a LOT more “surprises” coming, trust me on this.

WAY TO GO TIMMY!!

Billi Pod

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

ALEX-86