Billi Pod Says==>Way To Go BIG BLUE!!

Yes ... my loyal and faithful readers ... major congrats go out to Big Blue and Eli Manning for their super-exciting and nail-biting 21-17 win over The Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, beating The Pats for the second time in 5 years.

Here are the headlines in the local papers ...

SUPERMEN!! MVP Eli, Tuck lead Giants past Pats.

New York Post

ELI SUPER IN BIG BLUE II - Manning again MVP at Brady’s expense.

The Daily News

THE TITLE COMES BACK - A Final Manning Rally Caps an M.V.P. Effort

The New York Times

But OMFG!! It seemed as if every 2 minutes they went to commercial break ... I know ... I know ... but come on guys ... it’s about the game ... not selling TV ads ... and ... oh ... wait ... Billi Pod’s inner self has just advised him in no uncertain terms that the event is indeed about selling TV ads and that without them there would be no Super Bowl ... right ... sorry inner self ... my bad ...

Anyway ... Billi Pod totally skipped the pre-game and half time programming ... at half time he actually switched channels for 30 minutes.

The big victory parade is scheduled for Tuesday at 11:00am starting downtown and passing through what is known as “The Canyon of Heroes” and ending up at City Hall Plaza for all of the ceremonies and stuff.

Yes ... Mr. Lard-Ass aka Governor Christie ... the victory parade is gonna be in New York City not over “there” in your pathetic cesspool known as New Jersey ... so stop your whimpering and crying and man-up for God’s sake ...

It is estimated that at least one million people will be along the parade route. Will Billi Pod be there, I know you loyal and faithful readers want to know? Nope!! No way!! Will watch it on the tube from the cozy confines of PHC.

Now that the football season is officially over Billi Pod has already begun the mental countdown to the beginning of baseball’s spring training.

Moving on to ... Billi Pod’s report card on yesterday afternoon’s pre-Super Bowl entertainment event ...

LOVESICK OR THINGS THAT DON’T HAPPEN, the musical comedy about that dreaded day (for guys) known as Valentine’s Day==>B

I thought that the cast and musicians did an excellent job but the humor got kinda old rather quickly and the show felt a bit too forced. Having said that ... it is still worth seeing.

As many of you readers know, Billi Pod regularly reads the comments on the theater-related chat board known as All That Chat

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/allthatchat/

and he sometimes posts under the user name of: ReverseSnowbird.

Well, yesterday one the the guru’s of the board, who posts as jesse21, made reference to a production that was being staged down at the NYC Skirball Center. It is a revival of the highly acclaimed Frank Loesser musical THE MOST HAPPY FELLA.

jesse21, whose opinions I trust and almost always agree with, gave the show a glowing review and mentioned that there was a performance for Monday evening (usually a very slow time) and ...tada ... senior citizen tickets were only $5.00.

This was all Billi Pod needed ... he immediately booked the show ... so ... his entertainment event for tonight is ...

8:00==>THE MOST HAPPY FELLA - “Before online dating, mail-order marriage provided confusion, heartbreak and romance. This Frank Loesser musical explores the love triangle between an older wine maker, a young waitress and a handsome foreman, in the rolling hills of Napa, California.” (Off Broadway - $5.00 senior discount ticket).

This production is part of the NYU Music and Performing Arts Department at The Skirball Center, down in The Village.

It is cold again in The Big Apple==>32º @ 8:00am but it has “warmed” up to 45º at 1:00pm, so Billi Pod has no excuse for not getting out there and doing his usual Monday errands and stuff ... so ...

GO YANKEES AND GO GATORS AND GO BIG BLUE!!

Billi Pod

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

ALEX-167

Billi Pod Says==>MONDAY SUCKS!!

Hello everyone out there in cyberspace

Yes ... Monday does indeed suck ... but ... Thank God it is finally above 32º in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World.

Billi Pod has tons of errands, things and stuff he has to do today ... the only problem ... it is gray, nasty and misting rain. Barf!!

It is supposed to be in the lower 50s later in the day ... we will see if that happens.

Really exciting football game last night, which, as you know, The Giants won in overtime and are on their way to Super Bowl 45 vs. The Patriots. Bring it on!!

These are the headlines in the local papers ...

“SUPER! - Giants outduel Niners, Pats next” - New York Post

“ONE MORE TYNES! - Giants boot Niners in OT, set up Super rematch with Pats” - The Daily News

“REMATCH - Giants and Patriots Win by a Foot and Will Reunite in the Super Bowl” - NY Times

Moving on ...

Billi Pod’s report card on yesterday afternoon’s THE FALL TO EARTH, about a mother and daughter who are trying to make sense out of their son’s/brother’s suicide==>B.

Yes ... the acting is excellent but this grade may be kinda generous because I really wanted to bitch-slap the ditzy mother character who is involved in some totally unreal scenes, including pinching a female police officer.

Interesting note - the audience was about 80% female-over-60.

Tonight’s entertainment event is ...

8:00==>YOU ONLY SHOOT THE ONES YOU LOVE - “A 75-minute solo show written and performed by Jeffrey Sweet that weaves an anecdotal history of improvisation and comedy in the 20th century, transporting us from Chicago to New York to Toronto to Russia to London and back again.” (Off Broadway - $9.00 TDF ticket).

This is playing down in The Village at The Barrow Street Theatre, and, yes ... I double checked the date, time and venue location ... if you read yesterday’s blog you will understand what this means. If not ... then go back and read it ... It Is So Ordered!!

Sad news about Joe Paterno. It is a shame that his legacy is now and forever tarnished. The Daily News had this headline that pretty much says it all ...

“SAD. OLD. BEATEN. BR0KEN. - The coach who won and lost it all”

And ... speaking of sad, old, beaten and broken ... the circus show known as The Republican Party moves on to Florida, a state known for its political manners and decorum, for the January 31st primary vote.

Yep ... Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert couldn’t have scripted it any better than this.

Well, my loyal and faithful readers, even though it is still nasty and ugly out at noon, Billi Pod has to brave the elements because he really has to do things and stuff now ...

Later!

Billi Pod

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

ALEX-153

Monday Update and Billi Pod’s Dilemma

OH YES!!==>The Giants kicked butt yesterday in frigid Lambeau Field, eliminating the reigning Super Bowl Champion 15-1 Packers on a gutsy performance from Eli Manning and a smothering defense. Manning made all of the crucial clutch throws, including a ‘Hail Mary’ to clinch the victory.

The front page headlines in the three local daily newspapers pretty much says it all ...

“AMEN - Eli tosses ‘Hail Mary,’ crushes Packers.” - NY Post

“SUPER MANN - Eli’s Giants one away from Big Game.” - Daily News

“ONE STOP FROM THE SUPER BOWL - Hakeem Nicks and the Giants stunned the Green Bay Packers 37-20.” - NY Times

On this coming Sunday the Giants will face the 49ers in San Francisco in the NFC title game. The winner will advance to Super Bowl XLVI. The Niners are currently 2.5 point favorites.

Moving on to ...

Yesterday’s PSALMS AND SONGS FOR THE NEW YEAR @ Avery Fisher Hall was a very enjoyable entertainment event.

My comp. seat was super-excellent, in the orchestra, row U, on the aisle. AWESOME.

Kinda funny happening just before the concert began - a senior citizen lady was slowly coming down the aisle on her walker when her cellphone started to ring. She seemed to be totally oblivious that it was ringing. She just kept shuffling forward. Finally an usher came up to senior lady, asked for her huge purse and removed the phone. But ... she couldn’t figure out how to turn it off. Senior lady was continuing down the aisle. The phone was still ringing in the hands of the usher.

Finally an audience member, a 20-something guy, took charge and turned it off. The usher caught up to senior lady and put the phone back in her purse. There was a scattering of applause. Senior lady still seemed to be totally unaware about what had just happened.

You loyal and faithful readers remember my earlier posting and observations about this same subject/issue and senior citizens? Well ... I rest my case. I am, however, not making fun of senior lady for being at the concert. I am just commenting on the problems we senior citizens have with today's technology.

It is still majorly cold in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World==>17º @ 8:30am. Billi Pod may have to put his usual errands and stuff on hold.

Tonight’s entertainment event is ...

7:00==>THE PEACEMAKERS CONCERT @ Carnegie Hall - “This world premiere of the work by Karl Henkins weaves together texts from several of history’s greatest peacemakers, including Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., The Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa. The performance will feature over 300 musicians and choir members.” (complimentary ticket)

I suspect that my comp. seat will be in the upper nosebleed section, but no matter since the acoustics in Carnegie Hall are truly awesome - so much better than Avery Fisher Hall, the home of The New York Philharmonic.

I don’t know how many of you loyal and faithful readers will ever ‘fess up to making unwise decisions ... but ... since Billi Pod has to live up to his reputation as a fair and unbiased reporter ... he has an admission to make.

What, you are no doubt breathlessly asking? Well ... it goes down like this ...

As you will no doubt recall, in one of my postings from PFC aka Polk F**King County I made reference to visiting my storage unit to retrieve a painting that I was interested in shipping up to PHC. My intention was to retrieve only one, a rather large painting that I bought about 45 years ago and it is my absolutely favorite.

When I got to storage I started going through the other paintings and most of them were things that I had painted way back in my “artistic” period in 1975-76. I have 10 of them already on the walls of PHC.

Well, long story short ... I shipped the large painting ... plus ... gasp ... 6 other paintings that I had done. And ... they just arrived and I have just finished unpacking them and here they are.

The top picture is the large painting and the other two are my paintings ...

My dilemma is, of course ... where the f**k am I going to put them all? I basically have room for the large painting but not the others, which several also need to be framed. I am virtually out of closet space and this building does not have a tenant storage area.

If I put them under the bed ... then what was the purpose of going to the trouble and expense to ship them up here?

And, whatever I decide I am gonna need help in putting them on the walls, wherever they go.

Oh well ... I have made my confession ... and ... it has now warmed up to 30º so I think I will bundle up and head out to the grocery store.

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-146

Timmy and The Broncos Get Cold Cocked!!

Burrrrrrr!! It was 17º @ 7:30am in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World. Wind chill makes it even colder - estimated to be down to 4º. Burrrrrrr!!

And ... speaking of cold==>the Patriots cold cocked the Broncos last night. WTF!! Where was the defense? I mean ... Brady passes for 5 TDs in the first half? Get real people.

It was an embarrassing loss for Timmy’s team. At halftime I just turned the tube off and did crosswords until it was time for SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.

So ... on to other things ... like ...

Billi Pod’s report card on the Tennessee Williams so-called “comedy” PERIOD OF ADJUSTMENT==>NF<==as in Not Funny.

Yes, as I had predicted in yesterday’s posting ... there was an over-abundance of anger, frustration and yelling from the opening lines to the final bit some 2+ hours later.

Not sure why I didn’t leave at intermission but I didn’t. The theater was so cold that at intermission I had to put on my heavy jacket.

Now I know why Tennessee Williams wrote only one so-called “comedy.” So ... my loyal and faithful readers in the Tri-State area ... see this at your own peril.

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

2:00==>PSALMS AND SONGS FOR THE NEW YEAR @ Avery Fisher Hall - “An afternoon of choral masterpieces, featuring John Rutter's magnificent ‘Mass of the Children’ and Leonard Bernstein's colorful ‘Chichester Psalms’.”

(complimentary ticket)

Even though it is still very cold out I am lucky that this event is at Lincoln Center because the only time I will be out in the elements is walking from PHC the block and a half to The Port Authority Bus Terminal. The subway exit uptown is in the bowels of Lincoln Center ... so no exposure to the cold.

When the concert is finished I will return to the cozy confines of PHC to watch the GIANTS/GREEN BAY game @ 4:30 at frigid Lambeau Field.

The Packers, behind Aaron Rogers, who is having an awesome year, are 7.5 point favorites. I think this will be a shoot-out with the Packers winning by a field goal in the final seconds of regulation. We will see ...

Totally enjoyed SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, hosted by Daniel Radcliffe. The funniest skit was the one about Radcliffe being unable to leave Hogwarts, even some 20 years later.

Wow!! It is hard to believe that little Saylor Elizabeth Falletta is now one week old. It’s even more difficult to believe that her father, Army Guy, hasn’t already traded her in for a newer model.

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-145

The Gators Win!!

Yes, my loyal and faithful readers, John Scott Reed aka Fabson was indeed with me from the opening kickoff to the final knee during the Gator’s 24-17 win over Ohio State in The Gator Bowl.

This photographic evidence will serve as confirmation because I am confident that in the future he will deny his involvement in this “sporting” event.

Actually, we ate Domino’s pizza and wings as the Gator’s special teams rose to the occasion to lead us to victory, thus ensuring a winning season, pathetic though it may have been.

Soooooooooooo ... Billi Pod and Fabson say==>CONGRATS to The Gators and Coach Muskrat!!

In the name of fair and unbiased reporting I have to admit that I have reached college football overload. I can’t believe I was glued to the tube from 1:00pm, until after midnight - but I was.

Great games but ... enuff is enuff until the BCS Championship game on January 9th, when I will be down in PFC aka Polk F**king County.

Billi Pod has a Broadway show scheduled for this evening ...

7:00==>RELATIVELY SPEAKING - “Three one-act comedies about mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, parents and children, written by Ethan Coen, Elaine May and Woody Allen.” (Broadway - complimentary ticket).

This show has received very very mixed reviews and my theatre-buddies are equally divided.

Despite this I thought I would give it a shot ... I mean ... a Broadway show for $4.00 ... why pass it up? Right?

Moving on ...

Folks ... I don’t know about you, but Billi Pod doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the results of the GOP caucus in that pathetic hinterland known as Iowa.

Does anyone ... and I mean ... anyone ... actually believe that the results of this will have any influence whatsoever on who is ultimately the Republican nominee?

That decision will ultimately be determined by the power-brokers in the party, behind closed doors.

Trust Billi Pod on this ... he knows how the political process works. Been there - done that.

Anyway ... in closing ...

As I write this ... oldest grandson Alex Falletta aka Army Guy should be about to arrive in Tampa, ending his long trip from Kuwait.

His wife and soon-to-be Mother, Gina, has elected to meet him at the airport, alone, so they can have some time together before the wave of family members and friends descend on them. Good! Billi Pod totally agrees!

See you guys soon!!

GO GINA AND GO ALEX!!

Billi Pod

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

ALEX-132

Billi Pod Says==>GO GATORS!!

Couch-potato thou name art Billi Pod.

Yes, almost football overload yesterday with mostly so-so results ...

JETS/DOLPHINS - pathetic performance by The Jets==>Rex Ryan, will you please shut the f**k up!!!

BRONCOS/CHIEFS - another anemic performance from Timmy. The Broncos lose their game but back into playoffs with an 8-8 record ... go figure.

GIANTS/COWBOYS - Eli leads the Giants into the playoffs in a very exciting game.

Billi Pod is still in couch-potato modality for today ...

1:00==>GATORS/OHIO STATE in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, on ESPN2

Yeah, two lackluster 6-6 teams fighting for “redemption.”

On a positive note==>John Scott Reed will come over to PHC and watch the game with me. Of course, I will have to give him a quick course on what “football” means and all of that stuff ... but he is a pretty quick learn. I have a Gator T-shirt and Gator cap ready for his arrival.

The Gator Bowl has been a very important part of Gator football history, so I want to share with you loyal and faithful readers a link to a terrific story called ...

“Gator Bowl Memories: Victory Over Tulsa in 1953 Gave UF First Bowl Victory in School History”

http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=22019

Seriously ... check this out ... it is wonderful trip back in history.

Boy, did this bring back memories for me because this was my freshman year at Gainesville.

Thank you, Vivian Garfein (J. Papa Hall’s longtime companion), for sharing this with me.

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-131

Billi Pod Was A Total Couch-Potato Yesterday

Good morning everyone.

CONGRATULATIONS (and not kidding) to all of my FSU friends out there in the vast hinterlands for an amazing comeback win (18-14) yesterday afternoon over Notre Dame in The Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando.

It was a very exciting game to watch and the ‘Noles came back from a 14-point second-half deficit.

The victory was FSU’s fourth consecutive bowl win, which is pretty awesome.

Yes, Billi Pod was a total college football couch-potato yesterday, including the Baylor/Washington game in the Alamo Bowl that didn’t end until after midnight.

In this highest scoring bowl game in history Baylor beat Washington 67-56.

Yes, I know ... this was another evening spent in front of the tube in the cozy confines of PHC, but ... remember ... Billi Pod has previously, on numerous occasions, admitted/confessed to being a huge college football fan, regardless of who is playing whom.

Tonight’s entertainment event is ...

8:00==>HOW THE WORLD BEGAN - “A high school biology teacher leaves Manhattan for Kansas and becomes engulfed in controversy over an offhand comment about the origins of the universe.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This show is in very early previews and is playing at a theatre on my block.

Actually, the theatre is directly underneath my building. I walk out my door, walk 20 feet and there is the theatre. Can't beat that.

On to other things and stuff ... like ...

In Thursday’s New York Times there was an article called: “The 75 Things New Yorkers Talked About in 2011.” To give you a flavor from the article, this is 5 "topics" I selected at random:

1. The G.O.P. debates. The best reality TV show not on Bravo.

12. Steve Jobs. Fittingly, many people learned the news of his death on their iPhones.

24. Keith Olbermann leaves MSNBC to go to Current TV, is never heard from again.

45. The heat wave in July. The hurricane in August. The blizzard in October. Mother Nature must be awfully angry about something.

61. “The Book of Mormon.” Never has blasphemy been so hilarious.

Well, my loyal and faithful readers, as much as Billi Pod admires and respects The New York Times, in this instance they are again 110% wrong because the truth is, there are only 5 things REAL New Yorkers ever talk about, and, as Billi Pod posted last year in response to a similar article, they are ... tada ...

1. How much better New York used to be.

2. How much better New York is than anywhere else.

3. Rent.

4. Food.

5. Yankees vs. Mets.

Once again, you are so very welcum.

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-128

It Was A Good and Bad Day

Good morning everyone!!

Yes, my loyal and faithful readers out there in the hinterlands, Saturday was a good and a bad day for Billi Pod, so let’s get right to it by starting with Billi Pod’s report cards on what went down yesterday ... the good and the bad ...

Let’s begin with ...

AN EVENING WITH PATTI LUPONE AND MANDY PATINKIN==>A+

In this two-act production, these highly professional and talented actors perform songs from Company, South Pacific, Anyone Can Whistle, Into the Woods, Roberta, New Faces of 1956, Gypsy, Follies, Merrily We Roll Along, Evita, Little Shop of Horrors, and Carousel.

Folks, this was heaven for musical theater-lovers like moi. The obvious chemistry between Patti and Mandy takes their performances to even a higher level. Billi Pod was transfixed through the entire show, which sped by.

Billi Pod is happy to report to you loyal and faithful readers that his comp. seat was awesome. Yes ... awesome ... and it wasn’t in the upper nosebleed section as he anticipated but rather in the orchestra, row J, far house left.

I left the theater thinking==>WOW! Over a 4 day period you have seen Hugh Jackman, Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin. It can’t get better than this!!

But, I am happy to report ... the day got even better. At 6:00pm I walked over to Sardi’s, the legendary theater district restaurant, to meet up with my dear friend David Huddleston and his wife Sarah Koeppe.

As I posted yesterday, they are in town for about a week to participate in the 40th anniversary of The Homecoming, a tv film that became the pilot for the Walton's. Unfortunately they are being sheltered in the remote outpost known as Newark.

With David and Sarah was their friend, Judy Haskell, a retired theater director and choreographer.

We had a great time and the food was excellent, as always. Thanks David and Sarah!!

On a personal side note to David==>Yes, David, there are actually two iHop restaurants in Manhattan ...

240 W. 35th Street

2294 Adam Clayton Powell Junior Blvd. @ 135th Street

You are welcome!!

OK, now you know what is coming next ... but I have to keep on because of my responsibilities as a fair and unbiased reporter ...

When dinner was over I raced back to PHC to catch the remainder of the GATOR/HALF ASS U game. I checked my ESPN app and the ‘Noles were leading 7-0.

Damn, just as soon as I turned on the tube John Brantley threw his second interception leading to another ‘Noles TD.

At half-time it was 14-0 and in my gut I had a feeling that the game was over. The Gator offense was inept, putting it mildly. The defense held the ‘Noles to 30 yards rushing and 95 total yards. Most of the time those numbers would reflect a victory. In this game they just made the loss even more painful.

It was an embarrassment for a program to look this inept for 60 minutes.

Here's the good news==>Billi Pod doesn’t think it can get any worse.

Things were so great around The Swamp for 20 years, but this nose dive from the top of the mountain has been amazingly rapid. No one (except perhaps Urban Meyer) saw it coming.

Last night was the low point, the bottom of the barrel of despair. At least Billi Pod hopes and prays it is. It can only get better ...

And ... please guys ... do not ... repeat ... do not accept any invitation(s) for a bowl game ... let’s just put this puke-inducing season to bed and move on.

So ... moving on to other things ... like Billi Pod’s next doubleheader ...

2:00==>MESSIAH: REFRESHED @ Avery Fisher Hall. “Jonathan Griffith leads the Distinguished Concerts orchestra and chorus in Thomas Beecham and Eugene Goossens's re-orchestration of Handel's holiday classic.” ($9.00 TDF ticket)

I am looking forward for the concert to lift Billi Pod out of his funk.

The weather today is beautiful so after the concert is over I will walk back to PHC, a distance of a bit over a mile.

Then for tonight is ...

7:30==>MAPLE AND VINE - “Katha and Ryu have become allergic to their 21st-century lives. After they meet a charismatic man from a community of 1950s re-enactors, they forsake cell phones and sushi for cigarettes and Tupperware parties.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This is playing at a theater on my block.

I hope that all of my Worker Bee friends out there in the hinterlands have a great end of the weekend in preparation for returning to their jobs at 8:00am tomorrow morning. Don't be late!!

GO WORKER BEES!!

Billi Pod

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

ALEX-95