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Happy New Year

January 1, 2012 by · Comments Off on Happy New Year 

Happy New YearHappy New Year, 2011 is now just a memory, as 2012 has been welcomed in by revellers all around the world. Samoa was the first country to welcome the new year, thanks to a change in its prime position on the international date line. That country now celebrates first, rather than last thanks to the shift. Also greeting the new year well before the UK, New Zealand put on a magnificent fireworks display around Auckland’s Sky Tower.

Across the Tasman, the Sydney Harbour Bridge put on a magnificent display, as one of the most iconic international fireworks displays exploded in the shape of a cloud hinting that “every cloud has a sliver lining”.

Melbourne’s art centre spire exploded with flaming debris during the fireworks display on the Yarra River, though no revellers were injured in the incident.

Hong Kong shared its wealth with a £1m fireworks display lighting up the city’s glittering skyscrapers on Kowloon bay.

London’s magnificent display of fireworks launched more than the new year, it ushered in the Olympic year for the capital.

The London Eye and Big Ben were the focal points of the colourful fireworks displays.

Further north in Edinburgh, hogmanay was celebrated with a fireworks display that threw imposing Edinburgh castle into darkness. The usually dominant building played second fiddle to an impressive display of fireworks.

In New York, tonnes of confetti drifted onto Times Square as the famous ball dropped ushering in the new era.

The New Year’s Day parade will wind through London today from 11:45 am and 500,000 spectators who nipped last night’s partying in the bud early are expected along 2.2 mile route from The Ritz Hotel to Parliament Street.

Happy New Year 2010!

January 1, 2010 by · Comments Off on Happy New Year 2010! 

HAPPYNEWYEARHappy New Year 2010!:Happy New Year, 2010! It’s a new decade and even though it wasn’t rung in by watching Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, or New Year’s Eve Times Square Live, or drooling over Jennifer Lopez’ New Year’s outfit, or watching Dick Clark’s show with Ryan Seacrest and the live ball drop, or even catch the New Year Countdown online or Adam Lambert, or catch-up on Rush Limbaugh, I did get to spend it with family and we didn’t make predictions for 2010.

For me it started with the spiritually impossible situation of not being able to get out of O’Hare Airport to San Francisco. The last United Airlines’ flight I was listed for had an unbelievable 108 standbys. The United 767 used only held about 160 people. I was standby passenger number 52, and even though I’ve been in such a situation before and made it on board, it wasn’t happening this time.

So I wound up talking with my Mom and a family friend until 3 AM CST here in my hometown of Chicago. And during that time we watched a movie I stumbled upon and always wanted to see: The Ice Storm. Not to digress, but it’s an excellent movie that deals with family communication, or lack thereof .

At the end of it, FOX Entertainment CEO Tom Rothman, who hosts the show around which Fox movies were presented last night, obvered that The Ice Storm was about how we try to escape our family, only to have circumstances bring us back to our family.

That was wild.

I sat in total amazement. I’ve always believed in God, but never more so than last night because not only did that whole flight fiasco bring me to my small family, but talking about how things have changed was a great and necessary way to really take stock of how things have changed. Especially with so many people I’ve known who died in 2009.

Here I was worrying about meeting friends at the Balboa Cafe and whatever fun I would miss, and I was slammed into this very necessary event. In other words, having been with my family, I was seeking escape with the idea that I was headed toward something “more fun”, and all the way missed what family was about. Not any more.

Our families know who we are and accept us, period. They don’t have to be blood relations, just people who really truly love you without condition. And those people are there before you, but in the quest to be cool, all of us miss (and mistreat) those who really do care about us. In doing that, we lose the part of ourselves that sometimes we need to find just to successfully carry on.

So I’ve learned a lesson I’m passing on. Well, let’s say I got a refresher course. Family is important to me, but frankly I saw it as a burden at times. It’s not. It’s freedom and love.

2010 predictions comes later!

Happy New Year Charlie Brown

December 31, 2009 by · Comments Off on Happy New Year Charlie Brown 

Happy New Year Charlie Brown:Happy New Year, Charlie Brown” (8 p.m., ABC): In the animated special, “Happy New Year, Charlie Brown,” our round-headed hero plans to skip out of a big party to read “War and Peace.” To which we say: “Good grief.”

“The Real World” (10 p.m., MTV): Hard to believe, but “The Real World” is entering its 23rd cycle. This time, our hot-looking roomies convene in Washington, D.C., where their shenanigans just might be business as usual.

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