49 - 10. It is Great to Be a Florida Gator!!

Yessir, yesterday’s major ass-stomping by the Gators over those pathetic puppies, Oh, excuse me, I meant - the Bulldawgs, made up for last year’s un-sportsman-like conduct by the Georgia team, an act that will live in football infamy.

Let me share with you the headlines in the local papers:

“GATORS ROMP & STOMP - Tebow sizzles, Urban doesn’t call off Dawgs.” The Daily News

“GATORS RUB IT IN ON EMBARRASSED DAWGS.” The Post

“FLORIDA SETTLES SCORE WITH GEORGIA.” The New York Times

I had to leave the apartment with 5 minutes left in the game and the score 49-3 - I had a show downtown and had to pick up my ticket by 7:00pm. I wore the usual outfit, black, except for my Orange and Blue Gator cap. During the trip downtown 4 people hollered out - “Go Gators, etc. etc.”

As I was waiting in line to go inside my theater two women in their early 60s came up to me and said - “Go Gators.” Both had graduated from UF and both had children who were Gator grads. As I was leaving the theater after the show a young guy came up to me and said: “You guys played a hell of a game.”

On the subway back to the apartment I got a thumbs up from a huge black guy wearing a Penn State cap.

Yep, I am still glowing, basking if you will, over being a part of The Gator Nation. We are everywhere.

Can we go all the way to the BCS Championship Game? That I don’t know. We have two tough games as part of the regular season, South Carolina and Florida State, and then the SEC Championship game, probably against Alabama. Time will tell. We pretty much control our own destiny.

In the meantime, I just hope we take it one game at a time.

Have lots of other stuff to post and will so do later.

Go Gators!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

Friday - Election Research - Part Two

Now, dear readers, this is the second piece of election research for your consideration, this time involving Barack Obama and a series of admissions he made during his recent campaign trip in the crucial swing-state of Florida.

I have no idea why it didn’t get major media coverage, well, yes, maybe I do know, but it is not my job to be judgmental - it is up to you to decide.

This is the report in its entirety --
===========================
‘I Would Make A Bad President,’ Obama Says In Huge Campaign Blunder.

TALLAHASSEE, FL -- In a campaign gaffe that could potentially jeopardize Sen. Barack Obama’s White House bid, the Democratic presidential nominee told nearly 8,000 supporters Tuesday that, if elected, he would make a terrible president.

The blunder, captured by all major media outlets, but for some reason not widely distributed, occurred when the typically polished Obama fielded a question about his health care policy. Obama answered by saying he would give small business owners a tax credit to help them provide health care for their employees, and then added, “Now, I’m not completely certain that my plan would work because, overall, I think I would make a bad president.”

According to sources, before those on hand could fully process what Obama had said, the Illinois senator continued to stumble, claiming that, were he to win the general election, he’d have absolutely no idea what to do.
“My youth and inexperience would definitely make me an awful president,” said Obama, whose seven-minute misstep was further exacerbated when he called himself ‘no expert’ on the economy, “To be perfectly honest, I'd be worried about putting me in charge of the most powerful military in the world because I’m not any good when it comes to making important decisions. Also, I'm not sure how much I care about keeping this great nation of ours safe.”

“I’m an indeed elitist, I hate Israel, and I want to lose the war in Iraq,” Obama concluded, and then, seemingly unaware of the magnitude of his blunder, smiled, gave a thumbs-up to the stunned crowd, and urged his supporters to get out and vote on Nov. 4.

Immediately following the speech, Obama campaign officials released a written statement alleging that their candidate’s comments had been taken out of context. In addition, Obama’s top adviser David Axelrod claimed that the senator was quoting former president Abraham Lincoln when he said, “I am not the guy to head the executive branch of the United States government. Trust me. I’m really not.”

Beltway observers agreed that the gaffes could come back to haunt Obama on Election Day.

In notes taken by various sources, but for some reason never released, the following observations were made: ABC political analyst George Stephanopoulos said - “It’s just not the message you want to send to voters when you are up in the polls. Swing states like Ohio and Florida have historically leaned toward the nominee who thinks he’d be a good president, rather than the nominee who thinks he’d probably just screw everything up worse.”

An analysis of historical documents supports Stephanopoulos’ claim, and confirms that the past 55 winning presidential candidates - with the exception of a dying Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944 - all strongly maintained they would be good or great presidents throughout their campaigns, and never hinted otherwise.

Interestingly, an unreported CNN poll taken moments after Obama’s speech reveled that the candidate’s misstep may have simply gotten lost amid the 24-hour news cycle. Though most citizens said they would prefer a candidate who thinks he’d be a good president, 23 percent said they would still vote for someone who thinks he would make an “okay” president. Furthermore, 35 percent of citizens said they would vote for a a nominee who promised to be a serviceable, or even a so-so president. Forty-two percent of citizens polled said that, at this point, a “just plain bad” president would also be good enough, so long as the campaigns would finally be over and done with.

As of press time, the McCain camp has yet to respond to the potentially damaging blunder(s). However, many feel this is exactly what the Arizona senator needed following a mistake he made earlier in the week when he said that “a vote for McCain is a vote for mass gentrification.”
===============================
source: The Onion - Vol. 44, Issue 44

Wow and double Wow!! Why hasn’t this been reported, I ask you?

Both of these postings, McCain/Palin and then Obama, are the result of hours of tireless research. Process them as best you see fit, and then you decide who gets your vote.

You are welcome.

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

Friday - Election Research - Part One

As most of you loyal and faithful readers know, I spend most of my free time searching the various information sources available to me here in the Big Apple, to-wit: The New York Times, The Daily News, The Post, The Village Voice, CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News looking for important items that may have suffered from lack of broad exposure, for whatever reason(s).

I also rely heavily on: The Jon Stewart Show, The Colbert Report, Bill O’Reilly (God, I love that man), The Onion, and the World Wide Web aka the Internet.

When I find things, regardless of their sometimes controversial nature, I feel it my sworn responsibility to report/post them as part of my obligation to you for fair and impartial reporting. I must remain true to my mantra ... I report - you decide.

My recent research has discovered several very disturbing items regarding the upcoming election, involving each candidate, and I feel obligated to report each of them, so ...

I will start with a mailing from Cindy McCain, the wife of Senator John McCain. This is it in its entirety:
=============================
“My dear American Voter:

Normally, I don’t get out front and center like this, preferring instead to support my husband from the sidelines and let the pundits do the talking. But as Election Day draws ever nearer, I’d like to take this time to urge you to put “Country First” and cast your vote for my husband, John McCain! Because a vote for John McCain is not just a vote for experience, fortitude and American values, it’s also a vote for me, Cindy McCain, not tearing your ribcage open and spilling your steaming viscera into the street.

Let’s take back Washington and make America great again! Barack Obama has never fought for this great country like John McCain has. That’s a fact. So when you're in the election booth, ask yourself, do you want a president who believes in the strength of the American worker, or do you want me to rip off your limbs and use them to beat your skull to a bloody pile of skin and bone fragments? I think the choice is clear.

If you really think that a junior senator with no executive experience is the best person to lead us out of this economic crisis, then by all means vote for Obama. Just hope to God I never find out about it and, say, drive to your house in the dead of night, crawl through your bedroom window, and, in a calculated moment of seething rage, strangle you with my bare goddamn hands.

Do you really think Michelle Obama has the grace and assertiveness needed to be a good first lady? Do you think she has the poise and composure it takes? Consider this: Mrs. Obama might be younger and prettier than I am, but will she pull out your spine and howl like a hyena while drenched in the blood of your children? Because that’s just the sort of sick shit I’m prepared to do if you don’t vote for my husband. You hear that you Obama-supporting swing-state fucks? I'll fucking destroy you.

Oh, sure, I’m all smiles now. Got to give the cameras a happy face when they pull in for a close-up of me. Look at me. Look into my beady little eyes. See the way my delicate, birdlike head sits daintily on top of my poised, slender neck? Now imagine that head lunging in for the gruesome kill like the beak of a crazed, razor-taloned raptor intent on ripping open your jugular vein. Got the picture?

Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for this? How many millions of dollars of my own money I’ve put up to help finance my husband’s campaigns, only to see his character assassinated by members of his own party for decades? To see a shitbird like Karl Rove spread a rumor that John McCain had an illegitimate black baby and steal the South Carolina primary for Bush in 2000? To have the same party that condemned him as a “maverick” turn to him in desperation and champion the very qualities they once abhorred?

After all that, do you seriously think I’m going to stand idly by when the Democrats trot out a charismatic outsider-type of their own and blatantly steal my husband’s outsider act just at the moment of victory?

I WILL BATHE IN YOUR BLOOD, OBAMA-SUPPORTING SCUM!

Now, please please get out there and vote McCain/Palin on November 4th.

Fondly,

Cindy McCain”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
source: The Onion - Vol. 44, Issue 44

Wow!! Remember, I report - you decide.

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

Wednesday - lots to report

Monday and Tuesday were super blah days for me, mostly because of nasty, rainy, cold weather. It wasn’t made any better by a recurring problem with an upper crown that keeps coming loose. Had an emergency session with my dentist on Monday and was supposed to have my semiannual “cleaning/flossing-lecture” session on Tuesday, but, happily that was canceled at the last minute.

So my loyal and faithful readers, in the name of truth and honesty in reporting, and to maintain my reputation for integrity in blogging, I have to reveal that I had no entertainment events for either Monday or Tuesday. Yes ... there ... I have said it ... nothing ... nada. I can’t remember the last time this happened - 2 days/nights in a row staying in the apartment. It really did feel strange, eerie in fact.

The downtime did give me an opportunity to fill out my entertainment schedule for the next 8 days and if you take the time to read to the bottom of this posting I think you might agree that I have caught up and perhaps even exceeded my usual frenetic Big Apple entertainment schedule, so, without further ado --

Wednesday - 2:00 - “LaGuardia” - Off Broadway. “LaGuardia” takes place in 1945 on the last day of Fiorello H. LaGuardia’s third term as mayor of New York City. With colorful language and emotional integrity Mayor LaGuardia relates his rise to power and his successful fight against Tammany Hall and political corruption in New York City. Starring Tony LoBianco recreating his Tony winning Broadway performance.” (complimentary ticket)

8:00 - “Farragut North” - Off Broadway. “Stephen (John Gallagher, Jr.) is a wunderkind press secretary who has built a career that men twice his age would envy. During a tight presidential primary race, however, Stephen's meteoric rise falls prey to the backroom politics of more seasoned operatives, and his one night stand with a teenage staffer proves to be more complicated than casual. Farragut North is a classic tale of hubris set against a contemporary landscape about the lust for power and the costs one will endure to achieve it.” (discounted TDF ticket). The advance buzz on this show is very good.

After the show I will go downtown to the Lower Eastside to the trendy “Spitzers” to have a bite with student/bartender/manager Scott Reed. He will be working.

Thursday - this day starts off a bit differently with a 2:00 matinee, something that rarely happens on a Thursday.

2:00 - “Sessions” - Off Broadway. “Dr. Peter Peterson listens, advises and tests his patients. What good therapist wouldn't? At once a drama and a comedy with poignant and hilarious moments alike, Sessions is a new musical for a modern generation. After all, couldn't we all use a little therapy? Sessions offers a humorous, poignant and relatable look into the familiar worlds of self-help, personal growth and those long hours that many have spent on a therapist's couch.” (complimentary ticket).

8:00 - “Back Back Back” - Off Broadway. This is the very first preview performance of the world premiere - “Does greatness always come with a price? Can only someone with nothing to lose tell the whole truth? From the acclaimed writer of last season's MTC Stage II hit The Four Of Us and Bach at Leipzig comes a stirring new drama about America's favorite pastime. Back Back Back follows the turbulent careers of three very different teammates in baseball's steroid era whose clubhouse secrets bring them under federal scrutiny. This New York premiere reveals a riveting portrait of pressure, paranoia and payback in professional sports.” (discounted TDF ticket).

So, this all adds up to 4 shows in two mid-week days. Not bad, but there’s more ...

Friday - 8:00 - “American Buffalo” - Broadway. “ This new Broadway production of David Mamets noted comedic drama stars John Leguizamo, Cedric the Entertainer, and Haley Joel Osment. The play follows three small-time crooks who wax philosophically about society while conspiring to steal a rare and valuable coin from a neighborhood collector. Mr. Mamets stark, rapid-fire banter fuels this heist comedy and a heartbreaking portrait of criminal desperation.” (discounted TDF ticket)

This will be the first preview performance of this show and I am really looking forward to seeing it.

Saturday - today will revolve around the 3:00 Gators vs. Georgia game. Hopefully the Gators will kick butt.

Sunday - 7:00 - “Romantic Poetry” - Off Broadway. “From John Patrick Shanley, the Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Doubt comes this crackpot musical romance. Connie of Woodmere has just married Fred of Newark, but her exes are back in the picture and not sure they approve of the union. Mary of Greenpoint climbs Frankie of Little Italy's fire escape with amorous erotic intent - but things go awry as she reaches for her dream. They are all mad and they are all sane and they are all creating Romantic Poetry. Genuine emotion and the excitement of living an ideal crisscross this evening like a night of shooting stars.” (discounted TDF ticket).

Hum, opening night for this show was Tuesday and the early reviews ain’t very good. We will see.

Monday - 8:00 - “What’s That Smell?” - Off Broadway. “An absurd musical parody that charts the career of eternally up-and-coming (and fictitious) musical theater composer Jacob Sterling. A rare, up close and personal visit with an artist of questionable gifts who performs from his songbook and shares his human struggle to keep musical theater alive and well in the 21st century.” (discounted TDF ticket)

Tuesday - ELECTION DAY!!!! I will give you the benefit of my predictions in a later post.

8:00 - “The Atheist” - Off Broadway. “In this humorous play, Campbell Scott plays a crooked journalist who will do anything to make news. When Augustine turns a prominent local politician's tawdry tastes into a front page headline, the scandal backlashes with shocking consequences.” (discounted TDF ticket).

Kinda fitting for Election Day, don’t you think?

Wednesday - 7:30 - New York Philharmonic @ Avery Fisher Hall. The program is: Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1, featuring Lang Lang; and, Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9. (subscription series). Hopefully I won’t encounter the “Grabbing Women.”

IN SUMMARY - for the upcoming 8 days I will see: 1 Broadway show; 7 Off Broadway shows; and, 1 classical music concert.

Not bad, not bad at all.

Since the last posting I saw the following Off Broadway shows: “Saturn Returns” (very good); “The Rise and Fall of Anne Hall” (excellent); and, “Fault Lines” (super-excellent).

I hope The Rays can make a comeback, but I have a very bad feeling in my gut about it. If not, it still has been a terrific run for them.

Go Gators and Go Rays!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

Saturday - back into my Big Apple lifestyle

It is Saturday afternoon in The Big Apple. It is gloomy out and the Gators really kicked Kentucky’s butt, winning their Homecoming game by a score of 63-5. Bring it on Bulldogs - we will kick your butt too next Saturday!!

I have finished all of the delayed Paris Adventure postings and will now bring everyone up-to-date, so, starting with the trip from Paris back to JFK --

Wednesday - it was dark and dreary when I got up, finished packing, had my last Parisian breakfast of a croissant and coffee and was ready to head out at 9:00am. David did indeed come with me. We took the bus to the bus terminal at Gare l’Est and then walked the few short blocks to the mammoth train terminal Gare Nord. David made sure I got on the proper train headed to Charles de Gaulle airport. It was a few minutes before 10:00am.

The ride out to CDG went fine. Was at terminal 2 at 10:30am and then began long long lines starting with the check-in process (wasn't able to get an exit row), then passport control and finally a snail-paced security check-point. At all 3 locations people were very upset.

When I got to my gate at 12:15pm I remembered I hadn't gotten the Paris T-shirt that my doorman Georgie had requested. Dammit. Luckily I was able to find a place and got one in the proper size for 13 euro.

We boarded at 12:40pm and my row was full, I had an aisle seat. Just before we pushed away a guy who had an exit row aisle seat asked me if I would like to change seats with him so he could be with his friends who were seated next to me. Of course I said yes. Awesome. Thank you HP!!

We pushed back at 1:30pm and were in the air at 1:45pm. The flight itself went OK and the meal was passable. I couldn't sleep and the choice of movies pretty much sucked, so I spent the time doing crosswords and playing solitaire on the iBook.

A very nice lady was seated to my left - in her 50s, Irish, married to a college professor, lives in Milan, works for some mega-big insurance company, and was coming to NYC to make a presentation to a group of executives of another insurance company that is considering a pending merger proposal. We had a nice ongoing chat and that helped pass the time.

Not sure what time we touched down. I do know that I had my duffle, cleared passport control and customs and was at the SuperShuttle station around 4:40pm NYC time, or 10:40pm on my body clock.

OMG!! - then The Norris Travel Curse made an unexpected appearance. I was picked up around 5:00pm and I was seated up front next to the driver. I thought I was the last pickup because the van looked full. Just before we departed the driver's cellphone rang and he got into a heated argument, in Spanish, with his dispatcher.

On our way out we stopped at the new Jet Blue terminal and picked up a young couple and that began the problem. Their destination was West 188th Street, which is at the very and I mean very tip of northern Manhattan. To make matters worse, it was rush hour and the traffic was horrible in every direction.

We finally made it up to their destination. Everyone else in the van lived in the Eastside between 51st (me) and 57th Sts. and it was obvious to me that the driver hadn't wanted to pick up the last couple for this reason. Everyone, except me, was really upset and were actually yelling at the driver after he dropped the young couple off and we started the long and snail-paced ride down and across Manhattan.

Much too long story short - it was 7:10pm when I opened the door to the apartment, yes, the ride from JFK had taken 2 hours, when it usually takes between 45 minutes and 1 hour, max. Oh well, at least I was home.

Immediately went to the grocery store for breakfast stuff and fruit and then to a pizza place for 2 slices and a sausage roll. Partially unpacked.

Settled in to watch the Rays/Phillies game, fixed the pizza, ate it (ummmmmmm, so good) and then promptly fell asleep and missed the final 3 innings of the game. As you know, The Rays lost.

Woke up after midnight and then didn't crash until 3:30am NYC time. It was a very lonnnnnnnnnnng day.

Thursday - can be summarized as getting settled back in, including finishing unpacking, going through the accumulated mail, going to the laundry, going to both grocery stores to stock up hot food for the weekend and spending time on the internet working on my weekend entertainment schedule and updating the Paris Adventure postings.

Oh, when I stepped on the scales this morning I wasn't surprised to see that I had lost 5 lbs. during my Paris Adventure. Just goes to show what reduced portions and lots of walking will do.

Went to an Off-Broadway show called Peep Show Male (complimentary ticket) - “a new musical comedy set in a gay New York City go-go boy bar, features an original book by Dave McCracken and musical gems mined from the heyday of Vaudeville and Burlesque. The bar is filled with a crazy collection of regulars that really let loose, derisively ripping into each other and anyone else who crosses their neon doorway, including a young shy guy just looking for a drink and a lost newlywed straight couple from Minnesota.”

Man, was this a God-awful mess. Thank God there was an intermission because I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there. I walked the 2+ miles back to the apartment while listening to the Rays/Phillies game - way to go Rays.

Friday - spent most of the day working on bringing the Paris blog up-to-date. In the evening I saw a show at Lincoln Center with a discounted TDF ticket - Saturn Returns - “The planet Saturn's orbital return to its position at the moment of a person's birth happens every thirty years. In Saturn Returns, playwright Noah Haidle uses this phenomenon to take a look at one man - Gustin (to be played at the three different stages of his life by Robert Eli, John McMartin and James Rebhorn) - during these pivotal moments as he confronts the three women in his life (all to be played by Rosie Benton).”

This was an excellent show with good writing and terrific performances by the actors and it was nice to get back into the theater groove.

Have a show tonight, of course, and then two shows tomorrow. Will detail about them later.

Go Gators and Go Rays!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

Tuesday - The Orsay - adventure almost over

When I woke up this morning it was dark and gray out and then later it began to lightly rain. Not good for my last full day in Paris. Over the evening David and I had discussed our plans and had decided that if the weather was bad he would opt out of the Orsay venture and that was fine with me. It would be another day on my own in Paree. We had our usual Parisian breakfast - croissants and coffee - and basically just chilled for the morning. Around noon it stopped raining but it was still nasty and chilly. I wisely decided not to walk to the museum this time, electing instead to take two connecting buses.

I left the apartment at 1:30pm, was on the first bus at 1:40pm and at the Orsay at 2:00pm. Big problem upon arrival - it had begun to lightly rain again and there was a long line at the ticketing area. Damn and double damn.

Now about the Orsay - the Musee d’Orsay houses French art of the 1800s (specifically 1848-1914) and picks up where the Louvre’s art collection leaves off. This means Impressionism. The Orsay houses the best general collection anywhere of Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, van Gogh, Cezanne , and Gauguin. It is my favorite Paris art museum. The reason for the crowd? Well, the Louvre is closed on Tuesday, that is why, and this is something I knew about but had forgotten to take into consideration in my planning.

This is what it looked like outside when I arrived --

Dammit - no way was I going to leave Paris without the Orsay, no way, so ... at 2:05pm I took out my umbrella and got into line. Luckily in about 15 minutes the rain stopped but it still took a long time to get inside the exhibition area because of a thorough security check and mandatory checking of backpacks. I was inside and ready to go at 2:50pm.

This is the main concourse inside --

I walked the bottom floor and then went to the upper level, 5th floor, and began making my way through the various rooms. There was a special exhibition investigating Monet’s influence on Picasso but the line for it was way way too long so I reluctantly passed.

Somewhere around 4:45 I came upon 2 Monet paintings that seemed to capture the same scenes David and I saw on our Giverny day-trip. Here they are --


And these are the last pictures I took on this 2008 Paris Adventure - how very fitting.

It had stopped raining so I again decided to walk back to the apartment. I walked nearly the entire length of Boulevard St. Germain to rue Monge and later calculated the distance to be 2.5 miles.

David had a plan for my last night in Paris. We took the Metro back to the St. Germain des Pres district (through which I had walked) and went to a restaurant called the Brasserie St. Benedict. It was a great choice because the meal was outstanding - I had soup l’onion, baked salmon and then shared a creme brulee with David.

We were back at the apartment at 10:30pm and I began the packing process. Will get up around 7:00am in the morning so I will have plenty of time to get to the airport no later than 11:00am for my flight departure time of 1:15pm. David remains adamant in his plan to go with me to the train station Gare Nord, although I really don’t need to be escorted there. But, this is his decision.

This will be my last posting from Paris. The next one will be when I get back to The Big Apple and get settled in.

This wonderful time far exceeded my expectations and I want to thank my dear friend and fraternity brother David West for his hospitality and friendship. THANK YOU ROOMIE!!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com.

Monday - I Venture to the Tomb of the Known Soldier

As mentioned in the last posting, today was to be another “on my own” day. I had a multitude of options, of course, and I ended up electing to visit Napoleon's Tomb at the Hotel des Invalides, which also houses The French Army Museums, so I would get two cultural events for the price of one.

David urged me to take public transportation but the weather was so nice that I opted instead to walk, a distance I later calculated to be a little over 3.5 miles on the route I took from the apartment to the Seine and then along the Seine to des Invalides. I left the apartment around noon and was at the tomb at 1:30pm. On arrival I discovered that it was undergoing substantial maintenance in the entrance area but that was really no problem.

This picture is ... tada ... Napoleon’s Tomb.

Of course others besides the Emperor are buried in the church, including family members and other war heroes.

Oh, speaking of members - did you know that it is alleged that Napoleon's penis was removed during the autopsy following his death and ultimately made its way into the hands (pun intended) of a recently deceased American urologist. For reasons unknown to me, David seems to be obsessed with this little known so-called “fact,” so I want to share with him and you, my faithful and loyal readers, a website that debunks the myth:

www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2487/what-happened-to-napoleons-penis

Hey, I report - you decide.

Anyway, after completing my tour of the tomb I then went to The Army Museums. The east wing traces uniforms and weapons through French history, from Louis XIV to World War I, with emphasis on Napoleon. I have to admit that I was about to OD on Napoleon so I pretty much just walked through this exhibition.

The west wing is devoted to weapons through the ages, including World War I. I spent a bit more time here.

The World War II Wing was the highlight. It is a series of rooms devoted to different aspects of the war. beginning with the Treaty of Versailles and ending with the surrender of Japan. I’ll bet you, like me, didn’t know that it was General Charles de Gaulle who won the war for us. Yes, the message was loud and clear - without his leadership and the courage of the brave French military, the Eastern half of the US would be under Nazi rule and the Western half under the Japanese. Now you know.

Anyway, at 4:15 I had had enough, so I headed out. Thought I would take buses back to the ‘hood, but the weather was still awesome so I decided to walk back. I took a different route which took me up to the Montparnarsse tower and the district and then back along Boulevard Montparnarsse to rue Monge and the apartment. I calculated the distance to be 4.0 miles, making the total for today 7.5 miles, not including the walks inside the museums. Not bad, Billi Pod, not bad at all.

It was 5:45 when I got back to the apartment and I have to admit to being a bit tired. In fact, I took a brief nap to rest my aching legs.

I told David that no way was I walking outside of the ‘hood, so dinner later in the evening was at the same restaurant where we dined the night of my arrival. I had a great Veal entree.

This was another awesome day in Paree.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, I think I will go to the Musee d’Orsay, just across the Seine from the Louvre. Not sure if David will join me or not. Rain is predicted. I can feel the beginning of the mental countdown to departure.

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

Sunday in Paris with Bill, David, Napoleon & Josephine

It was a chilly but beautiful morning. After having the usual croissants and coffee we headed out to Napoleon and Josephine’s chateau at Malmaison. We took the Metro (subway) for about 20 minutes to La Defense and then switched to a bus for the 5 mile trip to the chateau.

This was the home, with three hundred acres, Josephine bought for them while he was away fighting in Egypt. He brought back obelisks, but not the money she had expected.

We arrived at the property at noon to find that the house was closed for lunch. We had double-checked the hours of operation before leaving Paris but we were informed that our information was in error. No problem because it gave us time to walk around the grounds where Josephine had planted acres of roses and other flowering bushes.

It also gave me an opportunity to talk with David about his recent trip to the Scandinavian countries, something that is still on my “places-to-go” list.

At 1:30 we, and approximately 15 other history buffs, went in and wandered through the small three story chateau. The two most interesting rooms for us was Napoleon's small consul room and his study were he wrote the Napoleonic Code which still is the basic law in France and some areas of the law in New Orleans. After their divorce, due to his unfilled desire to have an heir with her, she lived at the chateau until her death in her formal bedroom, which still has the original, bed, furniture, etc. She died before he was defeated at Waterloo, but he chose to return to this small empty chateau to await what the British would do with him. They eventually decided he should be shipped to the island of Helena, where he died.

His bed is on the top and hers is the bottom.



After leaving the chateau we took the bus back the the La Defense area to switch to the Paris Metro. It was around 3:30 p.m. When we got to the terminal David insisted that we take the escalators up and out of the station. I didn’t know why, but what the hell, why not, thought I - if this is what “he” wants to do. Well, the reason he insisted became evident when I saw the awesome complex outside. No joke, it was breath-taking. The ultra-modern high-rise buildings that make up the complex of La Defense, where 150,000 work each day, is very very strikingly different from any other place in Paris, to say the least. This picture doesn’t do it justice.







When we got back to the ‘hood we went into a brasserie to hear one of David’s friends perform. The guy’s name is Jessie and he is an Apache Indian and is a very talented performer.

Headed back to the apartment, chilled a bit and then had dinner at a restaurant in the ‘hood.

This was an great day. I am certain that I would never have gone to the chateau on my own and I have David to thank for this excellent experience.

Monday I will be on my own again and I think that I am going to do Napoleon’s Tomb and then The Army War Museums.

Again, thanks roomie for your help in preparing this post.

Hum ... maybe I will start “A Moveable Feast” tomorrow.

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com.

Saturday - on my own in Paris

Last night David and I agreed that today I would be on my own during the day and then in the early evening I would come back to the apartment, chill, and then we would have dinner in the ‘hood.

So, we started the day enjoying coffee and croissants out doors at the Cafe Contrescarpe two blocks uphill from the apartment. It sits on the beautiful circular place Contrescarpe which is at the head of the famous pedestrian street rue Mouffetard. It is also the starting point for rue Cardinal Lemoine which goes past Ernest Hemingway's 1920s apartment where he wrote "The Sun Also Rises" and wrote about in "The Moveable Feast," his memoir of his early days in Paris. When we finished our croissants we went to a bookstore and David bought me a copy of “The Movable Feast,” which he gave to me with instructions that I HAD to read it while in Paris. Hum ... I wonder ...

While we were in the area we checked out the Hotel Grand Ecoles, across from Papa Hemingway's place, for future visitors who may not care for the limited space in David's apartments. I then headed down rue Cardinal Lemoine to the bus stop to head over to the art museum known as The Pompidou Center.


While some people hate modern art, I love it, and The Pompidou Center contains Europe’s best collection of 20th-century art. I got there at noon, bought my ticket for 9 Euros and the audio tour. When I was here in 2007 they didn’t have an English audio tour. As you can tell from the photos, the structure is somewhat “different” and it has been described as “exoskeletal,” and was quite controversial when it opened in 1977.

I went to the top, the 6th floor, and slowly worked my through works by Matisse, Picasso, Chagall, Dali, Warhol and others, ending on the ground floor around 4:00. Chilled a bit in the cafe and then decided that I would walk back to the apartment, so out I went.

The weather was awesome. My walk took me past Notre Dame and across the Seine and back to the apartment. I estimate the distance to be about 2.5 miles.

In the evening it was dinner around the corner from Place Contrescarpe at a family restaurant for my first three course meal of this trip: Soup l’ Onion, lamb and a good - read great - American-styled banana split. It was a perfect way to end a perfect day.

Tomorrow, Sunday, we are going on another day-trip out of Paris, this time to visit Napoleon's residence at Malmaison.

So, more to come. Thanks again to David for his help in preparing this post.

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

Bill, David and Claude Monet on Friday

I think it only proper to disclose at the beginning of this posting that David is largely responsible for most of the narrative, including the times and correct French names and references. I gave him this responsibility early on and after some griping and grousing, he accepted his assignment, so, without further ado --

It was a lovely morning on Friday, a bit chilly but not a cloud in the sky. We left David’s pad at 27 rue Lecepede (on the Left Bank) at 10:00am and took a bus to the rail terminal Gare Lazare where we bought round-trip tickets for the 55 minute trip to Vernon, where we would catch a bus to Giverny, the location of Impressionist Claude Monet’s residence.

The train ride was great. We zipped through the country-side as I was zoned-out listening to my Nano through David’s new Bose earphones. If I may digress a minute - I remain impressed with the quality of the public transportation system in France. The equipment is up-to-date, they run on a timely schedule, the cars are clean and the rides are very smooth. It was about 12:50 when we arrived in Vernon. We made a quick connection for the bus to beautiful Giverny.

In 1883 middle-aged Claude Monet and his wife and their 8 children from two families settled into a farmhouse in Giverny, located about 50 miles west of Paris. Monet would spend 40 years in his pastoral paradise which included a Japanese garden and a pond full of floating lilies. He died in 1925.

We first wandered around the gardens and then circled his lilly-filled ponds. Took lots of pictures. Then we went into his home which has been well-maintained. All of this took a couple of hours.

Had a nice lunch at an outside patio at a bistro at the Hotel La Musardiere. Then we walked to the Museum D’ Art American which displays works of various American artists who have formed a colony of artists in Giverny.

We caught the bus back to Vernon for our 6:05pm return train ride back to Paris. It was 6:50 when we got back to the terminal in Paris. I had thought we could come back to the apartment but David had something else in mind and I am so glad he did - he wanted me to see the sunset from the vantage point of the Basilica Sarce-Coeur in Montmartre. Wow!!

We had been there during my 2007 visit so I knew it would be quite a hike up stairs and steeply rising streets so I tried to talk David out of it, but he was determined to give me this opportunity, even though it would be extremely physically stressful on him. Bless his heart! That is called FRIENDSHIP. So, we took the subway from the train terminal and then a funicular (a cable car) up and up to the viewing point.

It was awesome to catch the sun going down as the city stretching out beneath us came to life. After resting a bit we took buses back to David’s pad, getting there around 9:00pm.

We opted not to go out, electing instead for a sandwich and stuff.

What a great day. We made tentative plans for Saturday - I will be on my own during the day and David will do stuff in the apartment and around the ‘hood.

Much more to come - be warned!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

So long and farewell to The Fucksox!! Yes!!

Way to Go Rays!! Would anyone, and I mean anyone, have predicted the final outcome of the ALCS back at the beginning of the baseball season? I mean, really, the newly renamed Tampa Bay Rays beating the defending World Series Champions, those hated and reviled Boston Red Sox aka The Fucksox, and going from worst to first and on to the World Series?

No one, not even the most rabid Rays fans, and rabid being a word not often associated with this franchise, would have put this young and inexperienced team into the World Series. But, they are there and I have a very good feeling about their chances of winning the whole thing in 7 games.

Unfortunately, the 6 hour time difference between the east coast of the US and Paris did not permit me to watch the game, but I will be back in The Big Apple on Wednesday afternoon with plenty of time to get settled back in and watch the first game of the World Series.

About my Paris Adventure - having a wonderful time and will post more details (no doubt more than you, my faithful and loyal readers need or want) later on in the day.

Go Rays!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

Yeah!! - I Am In Paris

I am so happy to report that I am in Paris. The Norris Travel Curse didn’t strike during any phase of the trip. The flight over went fine, except for a screaming baby the last 2 1/2 hours. The duffle arrived with me and I had no problems with clearing immigration/passport control. I had no trouble with the train into Paris or the walk from the train station to the bus depot or the bus ride to David’s Left Bank apartment. It was 11:00am when I arrived, or 5:00am on my NYC body-clock.

My body-clock is still on NYC time because, of course, I couldn’t/didn’t sleep on the flight over. During the mid-afternoon I got almost two hours sleep and that has helped a lot.

We have been on two different re-orientation walking tours and tonight we had a great meal at the same ‘hood restaurant where we ate on the first night of my 2007 trip.

At 11:00am tomorrow, Friday, we will head out via train for a day-trip to Giverny to see Claude Monet’s home and garden.

I regret that I was unable to make connection with Gisela Cardonne-Ely at JFK. Our departing flights were in different terminals.

OK, I have to admit that I am now tired. It is midnight Paris time and I will try to crash.

Go Gators and Go Rays.

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

Ready for My Paris Adventure

I am in the final phase of preparing for my highly anticipated trip to Paris to spend a week with my former law school roommate David West of Gainesville, FL, and Paris, France.

I will leave the apartment tomorrow, Wednesday, a little earlier than usual so that I can make it to the international terminal at JFK to, hopefully, have time to catch up with longtime friend and colleague Circuit Judge Gisela Cardonne-Ely of Miami, FL, who will be on a layover to catch a flight to Rome. Her flight leaves at 5:00 and mine leaves for Paris at 7:00 from the same terminal. My SuperShuttle pickup time is 2:30, so we should be able to connect, unless, of course, The Norris Travel Curse decides to rear its ugly head early.

Here are the details of my upcoming adventure --

October 15 - Wednesday - 7:00pm - depart JFK - Delta #8581

October 16 - Thursday - 8:50am - arrive Paris - Charles de Gaulle

David West
27 Rue Lacepede
Paris, France
33-970-449-516 (from the US)

October 22 - Wednesday - 01:15pm - depart Paris - Delta #8550
03:15pm - arrive JFK

Monday night I was able to spend some time with Sandy Mullon of Anna Maria, FL. She and her friends had a nice upstate trip to see the foliage and to visit Woodstock, among other places. Sandy and I went to see “Rock of Ages,” which I described in an earlier post. Our seats were in row D, far house right, about 6 feet from the blaring (and that is a mild word) speakers. Luckily, just before the show started we were able to move a couple of rows back and over. That helped a lot.

The house was packed and the audience was full of younger energetic people who were really into the show. Frankly, so was I since I knew all of the rock songs they played. I am also happy to report that I wasn’t the oldest guy in attendance but I am sure I was the oldest guy who really enjoyed himself.

When the show was over we had a late dinner at Angus McIndoe and then I walked Sandy back to her hotel, the Algonquin, on 44th Street. I walked back to the apartment while listening to the last innings of Phillies/Dodgers game, which, as you know, the Phillies had a comeback win, putting the Dodgers in almost an impossible comeback position, in my opinion. I hope I am wrong.

You also know that The Devil Rays beat the Fucksox on Monday night and then tonight they put on another ass-whipping, beating the woeful Sucks by a score of 13-4 in the cess-pool known as Fenway Park. They lead the ALCS 3-1. All the way Rays!!

I will have my trusty iBook with me in Paris and David has wi-fi access so I will be able to post, so ...

Talk with you from Paree.

Go Gators and Go Rays.

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com

Attention!! - What Would Happen If ...

Dear loyal and faithful readers - I know that I have failed to keep you abreast of the frightening underbelly of the looming presidential election. I have been too self-centered these past several weeks, opting to immerse myself in a pity-pot over the failure of the Yankees to reach the post-season. I admit to being mired in funkdom.

Well, I am happy to report that the other night, after taking some new and stronger meds, I found myself once again able to return to my first loves, internet research, prognostication, and fair and unbiased reporting.

So, I want to share with you the results of my efforts regarding the future of this great country after the upcoming election. The fact that the same results are reached, regardless of who wins, is indeed frightening, but it is my job to report - you decide.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF...

Barack Obama becomes President:

1. After long, costly and divisive recounts in North Carolina and New Hampshire, John McCain finally concedes to Barack Obama. The stock market surges with the news.

2. Upon his inauguration, Obama states once and for all that he is not a Muslim, disappointing Hamas leaders, who really regret throwing away their endorsement over what they saw as “coded phrases” during his campaign.

3. Critics of Obama are soon vindicated, however, when the president appoints William Ayers, Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Oprah to cabinet-level positions, saying at a press conference simply: “Suckers.” The stock market tanks again.

4. Joe Biden spends his first two months as vice president checking in at the Oval Office every day to see if there's anything he can do, only to be turned away, muttering under his breath about Scranton or broken kneecaps or something.

5. All of President Obama’s attempts to alleviate the ever-worsening economic crisis come to naught, from the Great Additional Bailout of February ‘09 to the Even Greater More Additionaler Bailout of March ‘09.

6. On April 3, 2009, China finally makes good on its promises to buy the U.S. outright and turn it into an amusement park.

7. Shortly after being deposed by his Chinese overlords, Barack Obama admits, finally, that he is in fact Muslim. “Suckers.”

John McCain becomes President:

1. After long, costly and divisive recounts in Wisconsin and New Hampshire Barack Obama finally concedes to John McCain, insisting that it is time for our fractured nation to heal. Seven state Supreme Court Justices resign in protest. The stock market disintegrates.

2. While Chief Justice Roberts recites the presidential oath at the inauguration, McCain becomes flustered, throws up his hands and screams, “if you think you can do it better, fine. I didn’t want the damn job anyway.” He then storms off the stage and locks himself in his nearby condo.

3. Sarah Palin does her best to fill the power vacuum, but she soon begins publicly criticizing herself for succumbing to Washington-style big government. She soon steps down under the pressure of her own accusations.

4. Following presidential chain of command, Nancy Pelosi becomes president, but spends her first two weeks gloating, completely missing the economy’s last great freefall.

5. Completely broke, the U.S. has no choice but to accept China’s offer to buy it outright.

6. A bleary-eyed John McCain comes out of hiding and attempts to declare war on the Chinese. He fails.

So, there it is - I report - you decide.

Billi Pod aka The Fair and Unbiased Reporter
wanjr@aol.com

KAPOW - GATORS AND DEVIL RAYS - KAPOW!!!

When I settled in to watch the 8:00 broadcast of the game between the 11th ranked Florida Gators and the #4 ranked LSU Tigers I had no idea that the outcome would be a 51-21 ass-kicking by the Gators. The game wasn’t even as close as that final score. The Gators kicked butt in every single aspect of the game behind the leadership of QB Tim Tebow.

Make no mistake about it, the Gators are back in the hunt for the National Championship.

The Tampa Bay Rays vs. The Boston Fucksox game also started at 8:00 on TBS so I was able to alternate between the two games, but honestly 98.9% of my energy and emotions were directed at the Gator/LSU game.

When the Gator game ended I switched channels and watched the rest of the baseball game, which turned into a nail-biter, to say the least. It went into extra innings with the score tied 8-8. The Rays won in the bottom of the 11th inning when B.J. Upton hit a sacrifice fly into shallow right field to allow the winning run to score from 3rd base. It was 1:36am. Wow!! Way to go Rays! The series is now tied 1-1 and the next game is Monday afternoon in ancient and fetid Fenway Park.

Unfortunately, things look pretty grim, in my opinion, for the LA Dodgers who now trail the Phillies 0-2. The series has moved to LA.

Just briefly - my show this afternoon, “Bedroom Farce,” was very funny and very well performed by an outstanding cast. I was really in the mood for something light and funny and this show fit the bill.

It was about 4:30 when I left the theater on 42nd Street & 9th Avenue and the weather was terrific - cool and clear, not a cloud in the sky. I felt great, so I walked the 2.5 miles back to the apartment.

I am happy to report that Sandy Mullon and her posse arrived and are now in upstate New York looking at leaves and stuff. They will be back in the City sometime tomorrow.

Wow, what a great day/evening.

Go Gators and Go Tampa Bay Rays!!

Billi Pod
wanjr@aol.com