EVENT GUIDE FOR TIMES SQUARE 2009, NEW YEAR'S EVE IN TIMES SQUARE
Feel free to let your hair down--or up--git back and git down and partay like it is 2009.
For 104 years, Times Square has been the center of worldwide attention on New Year's Eve, ever since the owners of One Times Square began in 1904 to conduct rooftop celebrations to greet the New Year. The first Ball Lowering celebration occurred in 1907, and this tradition is now a universal symbol of welcoming the New Year.
THE EVENT
4:00 p.m.
The Revelers
Revelers start arriving late in the afternoon on New Year's Eve. By approximately 4:00 p.m., the Bow Tie of Times Square (42nd to 47th Sts. between Broadway & 7th Ave.) is fully closed to traffic. Revelers are directed by the NYPD to gather in separate viewing sections. As one section fills up, the revelers are directed by police to the next viewing section. As the evening progresses, revelers continue to fill the Times Square neighborhood along Broadway and Seventh Avenue moving uptown from 43rd Street to as far as Central Park.
6:00 p.m. to 6:05 p.m.
Opening Ceremonies - Lighting and Raising the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball
The celebration begins with Univision host Raúl de Molina assisted by the actress Angelica Vale lighting and raising the brand new New Year’s Eve Ball atop One Times Square. Raúl and Angelica will be joined by representative of the Philips Lighting Company to flip the giant switch which lights the New Year’s Eve Ball and begins its ascent accompanied by special pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square.
6:05 p.m. to 6:17 p.m.
Musical Performance by Parachute
The Times Square New Year’s Celebration gets started with a musical performance by Parachute from the Nivea Countdown Stage at Duffy Island in Times Square between 46th and 47th Streets.
6:17 p.m. to 6:19 p.m.
New Year’s Eve Practice Kiss
Two revelers will be featured on the Nivea Kiss and Be Kissed Platform located on Fence Island between 45th and 46th Streets practicing their best midnight kiss…3..2..1.., Kiss like a billion people are watching!
6:58 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Hourly Countdown with Carson Daly
As we approach the New Year, Carson Daly will appear on the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”, read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year and lead the revelers in counting down to the end of the hour.
7:10 p.m.
Times Square 2009 Hats, Balloons, Pom-Poms, Confetti Bags and Scarves
The Times Square Alliance sanitation crews clad in bright red uniforms begin to distribute tens of thousands of fun handouts to the Times Square revelers for cheering in the New Year. Nivea is providing festive blue New Year’s Eve hats and blue balloons tied with silver mylar ribbons along with useful Nivea Lip Care product to keep our lips looking and feeling beautiful for that unforgettable kiss at midnight. 3 Musketeers is providing pom-poms to cheer in the New Year, confetti bags, and their delicious chocolate mini- bars. Pepsi is providing New Year’s Eve scarves to keep the revelers warm and happy.
7:25 p.m. to 7:35 p.m.
NBC’s New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly: Musical Performance by Ludacris
Ludacris performs “Stand Up” and “One More Drink” on the Nivea Countdown Stage.
7:45 p.m. to 7:47 p.m.
New Year’s Eve Special Anniversary Kiss
Two revelers will be featured on the Nivea Kiss and Be Kissed Platform for a special anniversary kiss…3..2..1.., Kiss like a billion people are watching!
7:58 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Hourly Countdown with Ryan Seacrest
As we approach the New Year, Ryan Seacrest will appear on the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”, read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year and lead the revelers in counting down to the end of the hour.
8:45 p.m. to 8:47 p.m.
New Year’s Eve Welcome Home Kiss
Two revelers will be featured on the Nivea Kiss and Be Kissed Platform for a long overdue Welcome Home kiss…3..2..1.., Kiss like a billion people are watching!
8:58 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Hourly Countdown with Surprise Guest
As we approach the New Year, a surprise guest will appear on the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers "Happy New Year", read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share her personal wish for the New Year and lead the revelers in counting down to the end of the hour.
9:40 p.m. to 9:55 p.m.
Times Square Sing-Along Featuring the Liberty Bells
The USO’s Liberty Bells lead the annual Panasonic Sing-Along from the Nivea Countdown Stage. The Times Square revelers will join the Liberty Bells singing “America the Beautiful”, “Shout”, and “We Are Family”.
9:58 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Hourly Countdown with Anderson Cooper
As we approach the New Year, Anderson Cooper will appear on the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”, read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year and lead the revelers in counting down to the end of the hour.
10:12 p.m. to 10:18 p.m.
ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve: Musical Performance by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift performs a medley of her hit songs on the Nivea Countdown Stage.
10:47 p.m. to 10:54 p.m.
ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve: Musical Performance by Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie performs a medley of his hit songs on the Nivea Countdown Stage.
10:58 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Hourly Countdown with Raúl de Molina
As we approach the New Year, Raul de Molina will appear on the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”, read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year and lead the revelers in counting down to the end of the hour.
11:11 p.m. to 11:13 p.m.
New Year’s Eve Practice Kiss
Two revelers will be featured on the Nivea Kiss and Be Kissed Platform practicing their best midnight kiss…3..2..1.., Kiss like a billion people are watching!
11:42 p.m. to 11:48 p.m.
ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve: Musical Performance by Jonas Brothers
Jonas Brothers perform a medley of their hit songs on the Nivea Countdown Stage.
11:55 p.m.
Pepsi Balloon Release
1,000 3-foot balloons featuring the words JOY, HOPE, and 2009 will gently drift down from setback roofs throughout Times Square onto the revelers below as they prepare to countdown the final seconds to the New Year. Pepsi is energizing the revelers by bringing back the big bouncing balloons that were last seen in 1999 as part of the 24-hour millennium celebration.
11:59 p.m.
The Sixty-Second Countdown
The Times Square 2009 Special Guest and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg push the Waterford crystal button that signals the descent of the New Year’s Eve Ball, and lead the final sixty-second countdown to the New Year at the Nivea Countdown Stage.
The New Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball
The lighted Ball descends 70 feet in sixty seconds. The Ball is a geodesic sphere, twelve feet in diameter, weighing 11,875 pounds. The Ball is covered with 2668 Waterford crystal triangles and lit by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs.
12:00 a.m. -- New Year's Day
2009 Sign
At the stroke of Midnight, the lights on the New Year’s Eve Ball are turned off as the numerals of the New Year “2009” burst to life shining high above Times Square.
Times Square Confetti Release and Pyrotechnic Effects
The world-famous New Year's Eve confetti is released from the rooftops of buildings throughout Times Square creating a celebratory blizzard of colorful confetti as revelers welcome the New Year accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects.
12:15 a.m. - End of Show
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Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Fred Armisen epitomizes SNL sketch comedy!
The writers with Saturday Night Live deserve a standing ovation. The opening skit satirizing the Board Games investigation was off the chain.
I can tell they read the transcripts and so I guess real life is more interesting than fiction.
I was surprised they had the balls to do the skit. I thought they'd back away because it is ongoing but thank goodness they didn't. It was the best sketch of the season, thus far.
Usually, at this point in the post, I would put up a clip of the discussed video but it is not on the NBC site. However, I will put this in it's place. Too bad if you missed the Blago cold open.
View the comedic genius of Fred Armisen.
I can tell they read the transcripts and so I guess real life is more interesting than fiction.
I was surprised they had the balls to do the skit. I thought they'd back away because it is ongoing but thank goodness they didn't. It was the best sketch of the season, thus far.
Usually, at this point in the post, I would put up a clip of the discussed video but it is not on the NBC site. However, I will put this in it's place. Too bad if you missed the Blago cold open.
View the comedic genius of Fred Armisen.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Fred Armisen on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
I can't wait to see this concept on late night. Fred should be on often. He is a comedic genius and he's cute.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Political Soap Opera focuses on wrong players
Obama, Jackson are not the problem as Blagojevich pouts, acts out as if he weren't invited to the party.
Appreciating the Political Soap Opera means reading the indictment for yourself.
Go here: Federal Indictment
If you want just a taste of it, read this:
My mouth fell open when I read this! Blagojevich only wanted to smear Congressman Jackson's good name as he eyed a run for the White House himself!
Rod wanted to run for president in 2016--so he wanted the Senate seat for himself if he couldn't make money from it.
He said being Illinois governor was holding him back and he would rather be indicted as a seated Senator because he could get more out of it than if he was governor.
..."Throughout the intercepted conversations, Blagojevich also allegedly spent significant time weighing the option of appointing himself to the open Senate seat and expressed a variety of reasons for doing so, including: frustration at being “stuck” as governor; a belief that he will be able to obtain greater resources if he is indicted as a sitting Senator as opposed to a sitting governor; a desire to remake his image in consideration of a possible run for President in 2016;avoiding impeachment by the Illinois legislature; making corporate contacts that would be of value to him after leaving public
6
office; facilitating his wife’s employment as a lobbyist; and generating speaking fees should he
decide to leave public office...."
READ THE INDICTMENT FOR YOURSELF!
As close as November 3, the day before Barack was elected, Rod Blagojevich said he wanted to "keep it for himself" if nothing of value was offered to him.
In the earliest intercepted conversation about the Senate seat described in the affidavit, Blagojevich told Deputy Governor A on November 3 that if he is not going to get anything of value for the open seat, then he will take it for himself: “if . . . they’re not going to offer anything of any value, then I might just take it.” Later that day, speaking to Advisor A, Blagojevich said: “I’m going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain.” He added later that the seat “is a [expletive] valuable thing, you just don’t give it away for nothing.”
Apparently, Blagojevich was dangling the Senate seat out like a carrot, as he imagined he could be named the head of a private foundation or somewhere in and around The Presidency. He considered himself to be a "Free Agent"
Over the next couple of days – Election Day and the day after – Blagojevich was captured discussing with Deputy Governor A whether he could obtain a cabinet position, such as Secretary of Health and Human Services or the Department of Energy or various ambassadorships. In a conversation with Harris on November 4, Blagojevich analogized his situation to that of a sports agent shopping a potential free agent to the highest bidder. The day after the election, Harris allegedly suggested to Blagojevich that the President-elect could make him the head of a private foundation.
Later on November 5, Blagojevich said to Advisor A, “I’ve got this thing and it’s [expletive] golden, and, uh, uh, I’m just not giving it up for [expletive] nothing. I’m not gonna do it. And, and I can always use it. I can parachute me there,” the affidavit states.
Two days later, in a three-way call with Harris and Advisor B, a consultant in Washington, Blagojevich and the others allegedly discussed the prospect of a three-way deal for the Senate
7
appointment involving an organization called “Change to Win,” which is affiliated with various
unions including the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
On November 10, Blagojevich, his wife, Harris, Governor General Counsel, Advisor B and other Washington-based advisers participated at different times in a two-hour phone call in which they allegedly discussed, among other things, a deal involving the SEIU. Harris said they could work out a deal with the union and the President-elect where SEIU could help the President-elect with Blagojevich’s appointment of Senate Candidate 1, while Blagojevich would obtain a position as the National Director of the Change to Win campaign and SEIU would get something favorable from the President-elect in the future. Also during that call, Blagojevich agreed it was unlikely that the President-elect would name him Secretary of Health and Human Services or give him an ambassadorship because of all of the negative publicity surrounding him.
Rod Blagojevich has been under investigation almost the entire time he has been governor of Illinois.
Why would he think that the The 44th President of the U.S. would want him anywhere near him? What would give him this impression?
Keep in mind that all of the players knew about this long before we did. They are not surprised, we are.
Appreciating the Political Soap Opera means reading the indictment for yourself.
Go here: Federal Indictment
If you want just a taste of it, read this:
My mouth fell open when I read this! Blagojevich only wanted to smear Congressman Jackson's good name as he eyed a run for the White House himself!
Rod wanted to run for president in 2016--so he wanted the Senate seat for himself if he couldn't make money from it.
He said being Illinois governor was holding him back and he would rather be indicted as a seated Senator because he could get more out of it than if he was governor.
..."Throughout the intercepted conversations, Blagojevich also allegedly spent significant time weighing the option of appointing himself to the open Senate seat and expressed a variety of reasons for doing so, including: frustration at being “stuck” as governor; a belief that he will be able to obtain greater resources if he is indicted as a sitting Senator as opposed to a sitting governor; a desire to remake his image in consideration of a possible run for President in 2016;avoiding impeachment by the Illinois legislature; making corporate contacts that would be of value to him after leaving public
6
office; facilitating his wife’s employment as a lobbyist; and generating speaking fees should he
decide to leave public office...."
READ THE INDICTMENT FOR YOURSELF!
As close as November 3, the day before Barack was elected, Rod Blagojevich said he wanted to "keep it for himself" if nothing of value was offered to him.
In the earliest intercepted conversation about the Senate seat described in the affidavit, Blagojevich told Deputy Governor A on November 3 that if he is not going to get anything of value for the open seat, then he will take it for himself: “if . . . they’re not going to offer anything of any value, then I might just take it.” Later that day, speaking to Advisor A, Blagojevich said: “I’m going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain.” He added later that the seat “is a [expletive] valuable thing, you just don’t give it away for nothing.”
Apparently, Blagojevich was dangling the Senate seat out like a carrot, as he imagined he could be named the head of a private foundation or somewhere in and around The Presidency. He considered himself to be a "Free Agent"
Over the next couple of days – Election Day and the day after – Blagojevich was captured discussing with Deputy Governor A whether he could obtain a cabinet position, such as Secretary of Health and Human Services or the Department of Energy or various ambassadorships. In a conversation with Harris on November 4, Blagojevich analogized his situation to that of a sports agent shopping a potential free agent to the highest bidder. The day after the election, Harris allegedly suggested to Blagojevich that the President-elect could make him the head of a private foundation.
Later on November 5, Blagojevich said to Advisor A, “I’ve got this thing and it’s [expletive] golden, and, uh, uh, I’m just not giving it up for [expletive] nothing. I’m not gonna do it. And, and I can always use it. I can parachute me there,” the affidavit states.
Two days later, in a three-way call with Harris and Advisor B, a consultant in Washington, Blagojevich and the others allegedly discussed the prospect of a three-way deal for the Senate
7
appointment involving an organization called “Change to Win,” which is affiliated with various
unions including the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
On November 10, Blagojevich, his wife, Harris, Governor General Counsel, Advisor B and other Washington-based advisers participated at different times in a two-hour phone call in which they allegedly discussed, among other things, a deal involving the SEIU. Harris said they could work out a deal with the union and the President-elect where SEIU could help the President-elect with Blagojevich’s appointment of Senate Candidate 1, while Blagojevich would obtain a position as the National Director of the Change to Win campaign and SEIU would get something favorable from the President-elect in the future. Also during that call, Blagojevich agreed it was unlikely that the President-elect would name him Secretary of Health and Human Services or give him an ambassadorship because of all of the negative publicity surrounding him.
Rod Blagojevich has been under investigation almost the entire time he has been governor of Illinois.
Why would he think that the The 44th President of the U.S. would want him anywhere near him? What would give him this impression?
Keep in mind that all of the players knew about this long before we did. They are not surprised, we are.
Oh, so all of a sudden, we're surprized.
Please. Read the newspaper sometimes. Illinois isn't the only corrupt state in our Union. Everyone feigns so much surprise.
Why is it we all know what "pay to play politics" means?
Patrick Fitzgerald could gray your hair with the stories he could tell--if he could tell it.
Where do you think writers get info to make the mob movies?
Kids nowadays seem to think being a gangster or hustler is good business. This is just grown people doing what they think they have to do. Everyone wants wealth and excessive wealth and they think that is a better way to it.
Not so. Ask Rod.
However, crime happens everyday. What I don't understand is the ease in which we want to write off the 44th President and the city from which he hails.
I had a friend call me last night screaming about the way Fixed News characterizes Barack. They have always done this.
"But why are they trying to implicate him in all of this," Toni said.
"I don't know. Maybe because it is their news station and they can do as they please or maybe because they are racists or both or neither--I don't know. I turn the news off after Wolfe Blitzer," I said.
Then she said something about they're going to gray his hair and I said running for president did that over time.
Then we changed the subject because we could not come up with a satisfactory answer.
We were stumped and saddened but used to corruption of some type being reported on the news.
The most shocking thing was the reading of the transcript by the feds yesterday. They said Rod was so overtly allegedly criminally involved that he threatened to pull a whole lotta other folk down with him in a very short period of time, so they had to stop him.
Now, that's the shameful part. The delusion of doing right. It's more shameful for Rod because he is a lawyer. He is expected to know the law whether he is a criminal attorney or not.
I guess that is why he was arrested at his home, like a gangster, one newsologist said. Or maybe he didn't want to cooperate with the fed's suggestions--I dunno.
People in Chicago said they feel bad about what happened, he seemed to start out helping those in need but they were ashamed their governor was arrested.
It is not mentioned if those same people were ashamed when other Illinois governors were arrested on corruption charges.
I guess because the national spotlight is on Chicago--in a good way--it just seems so sad to be knocked right down to the ground again.
Well, shit happens. The 44th still hails from Chicago and this scandal will go away soon. However, if behaviors aren't changed the outcomes will be the same and this scenario will be played out again and again.
Why is it we all know what "pay to play politics" means?
Patrick Fitzgerald could gray your hair with the stories he could tell--if he could tell it.
Where do you think writers get info to make the mob movies?
Consultants, of course and the rest they say they make up. What about the books alleged and proven mobsters have written? Where did they get that info? If we weren't so busy romanticizing crime and sociopathic behavior, much of this would not happen.
Kids nowadays seem to think being a gangster or hustler is good business. This is just grown people doing what they think they have to do. Everyone wants wealth and excessive wealth and they think that is a better way to it.
Not so. Ask Rod.
However, crime happens everyday. What I don't understand is the ease in which we want to write off the 44th President and the city from which he hails.
I had a friend call me last night screaming about the way Fixed News characterizes Barack. They have always done this.
"But why are they trying to implicate him in all of this," Toni said.
"I don't know. Maybe because it is their news station and they can do as they please or maybe because they are racists or both or neither--I don't know. I turn the news off after Wolfe Blitzer," I said.
Then she said something about they're going to gray his hair and I said running for president did that over time.
Then we changed the subject because we could not come up with a satisfactory answer.
We were stumped and saddened but used to corruption of some type being reported on the news.
The most shocking thing was the reading of the transcript by the feds yesterday. They said Rod was so overtly allegedly criminally involved that he threatened to pull a whole lotta other folk down with him in a very short period of time, so they had to stop him.
Now, that's the shameful part. The delusion of doing right. It's more shameful for Rod because he is a lawyer. He is expected to know the law whether he is a criminal attorney or not.
I guess that is why he was arrested at his home, like a gangster, one newsologist said. Or maybe he didn't want to cooperate with the fed's suggestions--I dunno.
People in Chicago said they feel bad about what happened, he seemed to start out helping those in need but they were ashamed their governor was arrested.
It is not mentioned if those same people were ashamed when other Illinois governors were arrested on corruption charges.
I guess because the national spotlight is on Chicago--in a good way--it just seems so sad to be knocked right down to the ground again.
Well, shit happens. The 44th still hails from Chicago and this scandal will go away soon. However, if behaviors aren't changed the outcomes will be the same and this scenario will be played out again and again.
Senate seat up for bid on e-Bay?
"Just bid $100,501 for Barack Obama's Senate seat on eBay, but I got outbid!"
-Tayzonday on Twitter
Why is a U.S. Senate seat up for bid on e-Bay?
Some say the bidding surpassed $10 million before it was pulled from the site!
-Tayzonday on Twitter
Why is a U.S. Senate seat up for bid on e-Bay?
Some say the bidding surpassed $10 million before it was pulled from the site!
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Michelle Obama: World's Most Visible African-American Woman
"Michelle Has the Power to Change the Way African-Americans See Ourselves, Our Lives and Our Possibilities"
NEW YORK, Nov. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Without even stepping into the White House, Michelle Obama has already accomplished a great deal in raising the profile of African-American women, Newsweek National Correspondent Allison Samuels writes in the December 1 cover, "The Meaning of Michelle" (on newsstands Monday, November 24). "When her husband raises his hand to take the oath of office, Michelle will become the world's most visible African- American woman," Samuels writes. "The new First Lady will have the chance to knock down ugly stereotypes about black women and educate the world about American black culture more generally. But perhaps more important -- even apart from what her husband can do -- Michelle has the power to change the way African-Americans see ourselves, our lives and our possibilities."
Michelle Obama challenges the typical stereotype of African-American women, including what is beautiful. Often, the standard of beauty for black women has meant fair skin, and dainty facial features, a limited scope that has had a profound effect on the self-esteem of many African-American women. Michelle Obama puts a new face on the standard of beauty. "Michelle is not only African-American, but brown. Real brown," Samuels writes. "In an era where beauty is often defined on television, in magazines and in movies as fair or white skin, long straight hair and keen features, Michelle looks nothing like the supermodels who rule the catwalks or the porcelain-faced actresses who hawk must-have cosmetics. Yet now she's going to grace the March cover of Vogue magazine -- the ultimate affirmation of beauty."
It remains to be seen what Michelle Obama will accomplish if she takes on substantial issues. "I'm hoping the whole "Mom-in-Chief" role will leave plenty of room for Michelle to tackle significant, meaty issues even if she's not clamoring for a West Wing office, Samuels writes. "But she'll have another dimension to worry about: if she focuses on the black community -- helping urban schools, say -- will her interests be viewed as too parochial? And while every First Lady -- and plenty of professional women -- walk the line between being confident and seeming like a bitch, African- American women are especially wary that being called 'strong' is just another word for 'angry'."
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