(8:30 am - promoted by ek hornbeck)
 Happy Thanksgiving!
You know, back when I worked retail I was always happy to come in on holidays for a few reasons not the least of which was the time and a half. It was also dead slow which appeals to my laziness.
But most of all I felt I was providing a public service for people who needed stuff when most places were closed.
Just so I'm happy to provide a little light entertainment for you this Thanksgiving in case you need an excuse to get away from your relatives.
Or at least it will give me an excuse to get away from mine.
Anyway I'll start off this morning with a Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Open Thread. |
| At least that's what NBC is calling it. CBS is calling it just Thanksgiving Day Parade and as I recall at least 1 network used to cover some of the other big Thanksgiving Day Parades including the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia.
Not so much anymore.
There are only 25 Ballons in total. By comparison, the 16th Annual Stamford Connecticut Ballon Parade last Sunday had 17.
This is the 83rd Edition of the Macy's Parade.
To summarize the Wikipedia history for you, the parade started in 1924 with floats, costumes, marching bands, and live animals borrowed from Central Park Zoo. In 1927 the first balloon, Felix The Cat, was introduced.
In the early days they used to let the ballons just float away.
New Balloons
- Pillsbury Doughboy
- Ronald McDonald
- Sailor Mickey
- Spider-Man
Modified Parade Route
A new route has been established for the 2009 parade. From 77th Street and Central Park West, the route goes south along Central Park to Columbus Circle, then goes east along Central Park South. The parade then makes a right turn at 7th Avenue and goes south to Times Square. At 42nd Street the parade turns left and goes east, then at 6th Avenue turns right again. Heading south on 6th Avenue, the parade turns right at 34th Street (Herald Square) and proceeds west to the terminating point at 7th Avenue where the floats are taken down.
The 2009 route change eliminates Broadway completely, where the parade has traveled down for decades. The City of New York has said that the new route will provide more space for the parade, and more viewing space for spectators. Another reason for implementing the route change is the city's plan to turn Broadway into a pedestrian-only zone at Times Square.
It is not advised to view the parade from Columbus Circle, as due to higher winds in this flat area, balloon teams race through it.
The Stars Hollow Marching Band snoots the Macy's Parade because it's cold, windy, and expensive and parade marching is boring unless you want to learn a new routine that fits the confined space of Herald Square, but lots of bands from around the country think it a highlight destination.
You also see Broadway Musical Stars lipsyncing their hits which will always remind me of the Rickroll from last year.
| Hey Rick, it's Marvin. Your cousin, Marvin Astley. Remember that mediocre, generic sound you were looking for? Well, listen to this! |
Oh, and Foster's rocks. |
