Rose Parade 2009!

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Welcome to the Rose Parade 2009! The parade put on every year by Southern California because we get New Year's Eve after everyone else has gone to sleep so, to get revenge, we'll have a big parade of floats made out of flowers and laugh at everyone who is buried under snow and darkness.

This is the 10am repeat showing, as there ain't no way I'm getting up at 8am on New Year's Day to see the original showing.

The big news this is year is that we have Stephanie Edwards back to host the parade with on-going commentary, trivia and silly little jokes with her co-host Bob Eubanks.

Our theme this time around: "Hats off to Entertainment" (this apparently includes books, music, movie and theater ).

There is now a wacky opening show on a "Top Hat" stage featuring "That's Entertainment" I'd say the parade really should fast forward a good fifty years but parades like this are, by nature, stuck in a time warp. It's sunny and pretty out there in Pasadena, and the dancers, in tuxes and white dresses, are just happy to be working.

 

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Everyone got breakfast? Lox and bagels for me.

Now they used to have a stealth bomber and airforce planes flying over in the opening, but I think all the military stuff is in used, um...elsewhere. Honda here has the first float, winner of the theme trophy, it's Asimo the Robot, complete with bow tie and top hat, and even start the parade he has to do his thing, which is to lift off the hat (hat's off, hah-hah. How clever), turn it so that the opening of the hat is up. Say, in a soft female voice, "Thanks for 50 years of American Entertainment. Happy New Year."

And then fireworks and streamers erupt out of the hat!

Oh, and he's decorated with brown and white rice for the body, and seaweed for the dark face plate. Sushi anyone?

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/art/rose/2009/honda.jpg

And with that done, the parade starts off, led by a Honda "Clarity"--a hydrogen powered car! Followed by a banner with the theme and marines on horses.

I miss the stealth bomber.

 

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Marching band. Marching band. Marching band.

And the next float. It's Trader Joe's float! It's called "Saturday Matinee." And features, the staples of the old Saturday Matinee, including a smoke blowing godzilla type dragon, a space saucer, a cowboy on a horse, a robot, a space alien, King Kong, and such, many of them wearing the old 3-D glasses. Cute.

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/art/rose/2009/traderjoes.jpg

 

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Okay. So we've had horses. A wacky float of a robots paying band instruments. A marine marching band...and now a float from RFD TV celebrating...Hee Ha? It's a steam train with American flags in front, and it's pulling a "rural" scene complete with square dancers, farm animals and a big red barn. I think this sums up America somehow....

 

[voluptuary_manque]

At 8:00 a.m. it was so foggy down here next to the ocean that if a parade passed, all you could do would be listen. Was the silly thing even visible?

 

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At 8:00 a.m. it was so foggy down here next to the ocean that if a parade passed, all you could do would be listen. Was the silly thing even visible?

I've special binoculars that go all the way from the beach to Pasadena where it is clear and beautiful.

So far, more horses, a "Safari" float (don't know how that ties into "hat's off to entertainment" but they always have at least one float featuring giraffes and elephants)...

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/art/rose/2009/rainbird.jpg

....and a swimming pool float. Meaning it had a swimming pool that kids were cannon-balling into.

Some pretty horses, and we saw the "queen and her court"--that's the rose parade queen and some 8 other girls all in pretty dresses and tiaras waving.

Another matching band and the typical "garden" float which features butterflies and flowers and such.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I've special binoculars that go all the way from the beach to Pasadena where it is clear and beautiful.

So far, more horses, a "Safari" float (don't know how that ties into "hat's off to entertainment" but they always have at least one float featuring giraffes and elephants) and a swimming pool float. Meaning it had a swimming pool that kids were cannon-balling into.

Some pretty horses, and we saw the "queen and her court"--that's the rose parade queen and some 8 other girls all in pretty dresses and tiaras waving.

Another matching band and the typical "garden" float which features butterflies and flowers and such.

The best part of watching the Rose Parade when I was a kid was the French toast and scrambled eggs Mom used to make. Now I can have the breakfast and leave the TV off. Best of both worlds.

 

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Okay. Someone did a "Midsummer Night's Dream" float. Fairies in flowers and dressed like flowers.

Ooo. Band from Hawaii. The girls in front are in yellow straw skirts. In fact they're all wearing those grass skirts and hawaiian shirts. Cool.

And they are followed by miniature donkeys pulling a little cart. Awwww!

 

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And USC's little float appears, as they're one of the two playing in the game, it's just big enough to hold a bunch of cheerleaders (real ones) waving their pom-poms). It is followed by the USC marching band.

Why do they always play the Notre Dame song?

Followed by a very pretty "country side" float with an idilic country inn, waterwheel, flowers, and such.

And we've got the Medieval Dinner folk on horses and wearing armor. Followed by a Camelot Float.

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/art/rose/2009/cerritos.jpg

 

[rgraham666]

You're very easily amused, aren't you, 3?

 

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And this is followed, appropriately, by a British band that won their way to the parade by, evidently, being on a reality show Royal British Youth Legion Band. They look like they're from Buckingham Palace.

 

[tickledkitty]

I love a parade.

 

[3113]

The best part of watching the Rose Parade when I was a kid was the French toast and scrambled eggs Mom used to make. Now I can have the breakfast and leave the TV off. Best of both worlds.

You've no sense of nostalgia.

You're very easily amused, aren't you, 3?

Yep, I admit it. Which makes me every man's dream girl in bed, no?

 

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Bollywood float. Very pretty Indian Wedding compete with elephant.

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/art/rose/2009/sierramadre.jpg

Followed by a tribute to Warner Cartoons featuring the Coyote chasing after the road runner.

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/art/rose/2009/newmexico.jpg

Okay, some boring floats and now...the dog on a skateboard float.

 

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Hmmm. Celebrating the joy of...Home Ownership (yes, that's what they said) a tribute to the Swiss Family Robinson, featuring that famous tree house.

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/art/rose/2009/realtors.jpg

Comments? I do wonder if that tree house is going to be foreclosed.

 

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B-2 Stealth Bomber! It just arrived! Yey! Military might.

 

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And here's the other side of the Rose Bowl...Penn State University. There are their cheerleaders and marching band.

And here's the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Again. Come on people! I wanna outlaw the following from the parade: Gardens, Safari's, kid's toys and Alice in Wonderland!

Cal-Poly's float has an amusement park including ferris wheel, carosel, rollercoaster, bumper cars...and this is small float. Not bad.

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/art/rose/2009/calpoly.jpg

And now we have a "Super Float" including live bands surrounding the float celebrating all kinds of music, and, on the float, Sesame Street characters like Big Bird. Followed by a big marching band. And a mini-float of Oscar coming out of his trash can.

I'm adding Sesame street to my list of no more floats with this theme!

 

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Finally! Someone went with the theme. A movie set of old Hollywood Babylon and a big camera filming it. It's called "The Epic" Nice. Impressive details.

Mexico's marching band have golden eagle helmets! Look like Hawkman's helmet. Cool. And the woman carrying the flag is dressed like an Aztec.

And China Airlines wins another award. Festival of lanterns float featuring a big, beautiful phoenix.

Another 3-D themed float, with a kinda cool dragon emerging from a drive-in movie screen.

And Jack-in-the-Box has a huge, multi-part float celebrating...um...Disco. Spinning records made of seaweek. And a live disco band. The float has 76 disco dancers escorting the float.

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/art/rose/2009/jack.jpg

 

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And the Fantasy Award goes to a float celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Wizard of Oz! Very cool and pretty much what you'd expect, including huge figures, emerald city, yellow brick road, etc.

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/art/rose/2009/bayer.jpg

But that's not the end! There's a celebration to Alaska float. No Sara Palin, but the float features the ubiquitous dog sled, masks from Native Alaskan tribes, bears, moose and such.

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/art/rose/2009/kiwanis.jpg

A nice little float featuring a classic, deco theater, red carpet, and such.

And a very cool float of mini-Los Angeles. It has the Watts Towers, Griffith Observatory, Hollywood Bowl, Disney Concert Hall, City Hall...

Interesting. A float with replicas of Leonardo Da Vinci's inventions--clockwork stuff. I dunno. This parade's getting a little elitist.

 

[Pornguin]

I always watch on HGTV, as they can talk knowledgably about the flowers used on the floats.

It's the only time I watch that channel all year.

 

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And that, Ladies and Gentlemen and Lesbians, is the end of the Parade! Photos have not come up on google yet, but when they do I'll come back and edit them in. Hope you enjoyed the play-by-play, and thanks for having New Year's breakfast with me and the Rose Parade.

Happy 2009

 

[rgraham666]

Yep, I admit it. Which makes me every man's dream girl in bed, no?

You're certainly one of mine.

As far as the B2 goes, I'm surprised they fly it at all. One bird in an engine and WHAM! $2 billion down the drain.

 

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As promised, the thread edited to include pictures of the floats. Enjoy!

 

[Katyusha]

And USC's little float appears, as they're one of the two playing in the game, it's just big enough to hold a bunch of cheerleaders (real ones) waving their pom-poms). It is followed by the USC marching band.

I scoff in that band's general direction. *scoff scoff* *disdainful sneer*

Why do they always play the Notre Dame song?

Eh?

 

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Eh?

My bad. It's actually the USC Trojan fight song. Which I guess is why they're always playing it.

Oh, and my condolences. Looks like the evil bastards...er...stole the game again?