Happy New Year! A year of blessings & prosperity for 2009 to all!

2009 New Year ball drop live online/2009 New Year ball drop video

The annual New Year ball drop in Times Square, can anything be more exciting? Now on its 101st year, the dropping of the giant crystal ball atop Times Square will again attract hundreds of thousands of revelers, eager to participate in this American tradition of welcoming the New Year. People have come from all over the United States. and all over the world, for this experience. And this year it promises to be more exciting with the New Year crystal ball bigger and brighter than ever before. According to news reports and various online sources, for 2009, the Times Square New Years Eve crystal ball has doubled in size and is twenty percent more energy efficient than the previous one. The new ball incorporates 3500 lighting cues, weighs
11,875 pounds and is now a whopping 12 feet across. The flag pole that will hold it atop the One Times Square building has also been rebuilt and reinforced to accommodate the ball. When fully raised it will now be 475 feet above Times Square. And for the first time in its 101 year history, it will remain up all year round.

For those of you planning to join the hundreds of thousands who will welcome 2009 in Times Square, better be prepared for some chilly weather snow showers is forecast on Wednesday night. Moreover, it is advisable to go there early to get a good vantage point. Revelers from all over New York usually come early to reserve the choice spots along Broadway, from 43rd Street to 50th Street, and along Seventh Avenue, up to 59th Street. Also, try to get there before 6 PM to see the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball raised to the top of the 77-foot flagpole at One Times Square and lit. At exactly 11:59 p.m. EST, the Ball will make its 60-second descent down the flagpole to signal the start of the New Year.

For those of us who don't have a chance to go to New York to watch this tradition LIVE, there are several choices. One is to tune in to any of the major television networks. They will all cover this event as there is no exclusive carrier of the Times Square New Year ball drop. The most famous of these coverages is, of course, the other American New Year's Eve tradition, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on ABC. The show center around the New Year countdown and the dropping of the ball, after which musical number from the biggest names in the industry will be showcased. This year, Kelly Pickler is Dick Clarl's Times Square correspondent so it promises to be a night of un and surprises (remember her 'Are You Samerther Than a 5th Grader?' appearance two weeks ago?).

Another option is to watch the 2009 Times Square ball drop online. There are several websites that will feature live video streaming of the event. One such site is livevideo.com. They carried the event LIVE last year so I'm expecting them to do the same this year. Still, if you miss the changing of the year altogether, videos of the 2009 New Year ball drop can be found on YouTube a few hours after the live celebrations. I'm sure YouTube posters will try to beat one another in being the first to post the video so check out the site regularly. You may also check this page for such videos as I will post a copy at the earliest possible time.

For now, as we wait for New Year and the 2009 Times Square live ball drop, here is a video of last year's celebrations including the countdown and the dropping of the giant crystal ball.

Video: 2008 New Year Ball Drop Ceremony / Times Square Ball డ్రాప్

BTW, former US President Bill Clinton and his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton, have been given the honor of pushing the button to drop the crystal ball at Times Square this year. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Tuesday that he had selected the famous former first couple to push the ceremonial button at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday night, allowing the huge crystal ball to descend a pole to close 2008 and open 2009.

Zune stuck help / Frozen Zune troubleshooting / How to reset Zune

Frozen Zunes stuck upon loading, failures and Zune lock ups have been reported from all over. The web is right now besieged with searches for Zune troubleshooting and Zune reset procedures as thousands of users simultaneously experience the glitch. What can it be? According to reports, Zune users noticed the breakdown at around midnight last night with Zune models resetting or turned off. Upon turning them on, the unit freezes. At first many thought it was just an isolated case. But upon searching the web for solutions, many were surprised to find that thousands of Zune users suffered the same fate.

The crisis has been dubbed as the Zune Y2K9 bug, or Z2K9, because of the glitch's timing. Its proximity to the New Year leads many to suspect that it is a software glitch associated with the year end, much like the Y2K bug many feared at the start of the millennium. On the other hand, others contend it cannot be a glitch associated with the new year as 2009 was more than 24 hours away when it happened. What can it be then?

Zune Troubleshooting / How to Reset Zune

Nothing official has come out of Microsoft as of this writing. However, resetting may solve the problem. There are various solutions offered on the web. One is the following procedure offered by Dmodegirl. Just follow the instruction below on how to reset your Zune.

To do this, use a small screwdriver to pop off the plastic shielding where the zune cable plugs into and remove the two screws on either side of the plug. Next pop the cover off and locate the battery plug at the top left corner of the zune, using your screw driver, pop the cable connection half way off, and do this to the other plug on the right side. Wait 3 seconds, then push down the right connector and then the left battery connecter. Your zune should start up immediately. Press the backing of the zune down (make sure headphone jack is aligned) and put the screws and cover back in place.

Video: How to Reset Zune / Zune Resetting / Zune Troubleshooting

Ford introduces self-parking car/Ford automatic parallel parking car

Parallel parking. Are you one of those drivers who absolutely hate parallel parking, taking a few extra maneuvers to the left and right, forward and backward before finally sliding into your parking spot? Or do you belong to another group who fear the maneuver altogether? I must admit it took me quite a while before learning the techniques of parallel parking when I was just starting out, with a few dents and scratches that cost me quite a sum. But now, the fear of parallel parking may be a thing of the past as Ford has just announced that they have perfected the technology of self-parking cars! That's right, cars of the near future will automatically park themselves with a touch of a button, saving drivers a lot of time, money and
perspiration. You'll just sit back, relax and let your car parallel park itself - without a single scratch or ding to your bumper.

Ford president, Mark Fields, recently made the announcement that must have triggered millions of sighs of relief all over the world. The technology, he said, will debut as an option on the 2010 Lincoln MKS sedan and the new seven-passenger Lincoln MKT luxury crossover vehicle. The technology uses ultrasonic sensors on the front and back of the vehicle, combined with electric power steering to angle and guide the car into a parking space, all with the push of a button. Though Ford isn't the first car manufacturer to come up with such an invention (Toyota's Lexus uses a video camera-based parking system that calculates whether the vehicle has enough clearance for a particular spot, see below), Ford's technology is much easier to use and even works in downhill parking situations. Pretty good, huh?

But if you think the technology is fully automatic, with images of James Bond and his 'intelligent car' running through your head, think again. This is just a parking assistance technology. It still needs human intervention as the driver will still need to shift the transmission and operate the gas and brake pedals, while a visual or audible driver interface advises about the clearance from other cars, objects and people. Still, the driver will not touch the steering wheel throughout the whole process as the computer will do all the steering during the parking. The sensor system also monitors blind spots, and can notify the driver with a warning light in the side mirror if something is detected or if traffic is approaching.

And how much will this technology cost? Definitely not cheap, as the Ford president declined to commit to a price when asked about it. After all, it will save the driver a lot of money in the long run, won't it?

Lexus Self-Parking Technology/Automatic Parking

New Year's Rockin' Eve 2009/Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve

As the new year approaches and we bid goodbye to 2008, billions of people around the world together with their families celebrate the holidays traditionally. There are parties, food and booze, reunions, firecrackers, fireworks and champagne. For many, one New Year event that has become a tradition for millions especially in the United States is New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Hosted by Dick Clark, program consists of live video of Dick Clark in Times Square in New York City, counting down until the New Year ball comes down. However, ever since Dick Clark suffered a stroke in late 2004, Ryan Seacrest has been hosting the show outdoors at Times Square while Dick Clark offers comments from a studio.
After the giant New Year ball drops, the programs shifts to taped musical numbers from a variety of guest stars. The special is live in the Eastern Standard Time zone, and it is delayed for the other time zones so that they can ring in the new year with Dick when midnight strikes in their area.

It first aired in another network (NBC) in 1972 and 1973, afterwhich it moved to ABC in 1974 and has stayed there every year since, except on New Year's Eve before 2000. At the end of 2004, Dick Clark was unable to appear on the program while recovering from his stroke. Regis Philbin filled in as host that year. The following year Clark returned to the show though Ryan Seacrest took over as primary host. In the three and a half decades it has been on the air, the show has become a mainstay in American New Year's celebrations. Watching the ball drop on Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve is considered an annual cultural tradition for the New Year's holiday. Kellie Pickler, former American Idol contestant and country music recording artist, will be serving as Ryan Seacrest's correspondent for the majority of the show, replacing Marysol Castro. Among the performers this year are Fergie, as well as appearances by the Jonas Brothers, Robin Thicke, Fall Out Boy, Kellie Pickler, Jesse McCartney, Natasha Bedingfield, The Pussycat Dolls, Tyler Johnson, and Taylor Swift.

This New Year's eve will mark a slight change to the program as the title of the show will reflect Ryan Seacrest's major contribution as host. From this year onwards, it shall be known as the Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest.

2009 Dick Clark's New Year's Rockkin' Eve Show Video
2009 New Year's Rockin' Eve (Preview)

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2009 Promo Video

2009 Times Square ball drop online/2009 New Year ball drop video

Every year, as the clock nears 12 midnight on New Year's eve, millions of cheering revelers watch as the the ball drops on Times Square. Though the United States is one of the last countries to welcome the New Year being in the far end of the western hemisphere, the eyes of the world turn to the annual Times Square New Year ball drop as the dazzling crystal ball slowly makes its way down the flagpole of at the One Times Square building. New Year's Eve at the symbolic center of New York City has become more than just a celebration - it's a global tradition. The world holds its breath, and cheers as the clocks strike twelve, with an estimated one million people in Times Square, millions nationwide and over a
billion watching throughout the world united in bidding a collective farewell to the departing year, and expressing our joy and hope for the year ahead.

There's nothing quite like seeing the ball drop live in Times Square on New Year's Eve. People who have been lucky to experience the event say there's nothing like it, and feeling as the crowd counts down to midnight is unparalleled. For 2009, new Times Square New Years Eve Ball has doubled in size and is 20% more energy efficient than the previous one. The new ball incorporates 3500 lighting cues, weighs 11,875 pounds and is now 12 feet in diameter. The flag pole on the top of One Times Square building where the ball is hoisted has been rebuilt and now enlarged to accommodate the ball. When raised it will now be 475 feet above Times Square. And for the first time in its 101 year history, after New Years Eve, it will remain up all year round.

The event is covered by all television networks as there is no exclusive coverage of the event. But the most notable of all these coverages is the other New Year tradition of America, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. Hosted by Dick Clark for the past thirty-five years, the show is making way for some small changes this year with the addition of Ryan Seacrest's name in the show's title. It will now be called 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest'. Seacrest has gradually taken over the hosting of the show eve since Clark's stroke in late 2004.

If you are planning to see Times Square New Year ball drop event live, here are some tips from about.com:

If you want a good view of the famous ball dropping, you’d better get there early. Revelers begin to gather in the afternoon and the prime viewing areas fill up very quickly. The best viewing spots are along Broadway, from 43rd Street to 50th Street, and along Seventh Avenue, up to 59th Street.

Get there by 6 p.m. to see the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball raised to the top of the 77-foot flagpole at One Times Square and lit. At exactly 11:59 p.m. EST, the Ball will make its 60-second descent down the flagpole to signal the start of the New Year.

There will be no portable public restrooms available, although there is a new Charmin public bathroom in Times Square. Unless you're comfortable peeing on the street in December (and risking a fine and an embarrassing encounter with New York's finest), you are probably going to have to hold it for a while.

If you're planning to watch it online, YouTube and other video hosting services will definitely have coverage of the event. Here's a copy of how it happened last year. Please check back this page for the 2009 New Year Times Square ball drop this year. For thos who want to view it LIVE ONLINE, livevideo.com will be covering the event.

2009 Times Square New Year Ball Drop Video

Caroline Kennedy 'You Know'/Caroline Kennedy interview transcript

In the 2008 presidential election, Caroline Kennedy endorsed Democratic candidate Barack Obama for President early in the primary race. She was later handpicked by Obama as co-chair of his Vice Presidential Search Committee, and addressed the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. After Obama's victory and selection of Hillary Clinton as his choice for Secretary of State, Kennedy's name surfaced as a possible appointment choice for the soon-to-be vacant Senate seat from New York.

In December 2008, Kennedy announced her interest in the
Senate seat currently occupied by State Department-bound Hillary Roham Clinton, to be filled for two years by appointment of New York Governor David Paterson. This is the same seat that was held by Caroline's uncle Robert F. Kennedy from January 1965 until his assassination in June 1968, when he was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. Though Caroline Kennedy's appointment has been supported by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, State Assemblyman Vito Lopez, former New York City Mayor Ed Koch and the New York Post editorial page, she has received criticism on a number of issues. For one, she did not vote in a number of Democratic primaries and general elections since registering in 1988 in New York City. For another, Caroline Kennedy also did not provide details about her political views. And lately, she has likewise received criticism (and some ridicule) for her manner of speaking.

Caroline Kennedy has the bad habit of using (overusing) the phrase 'you know' when she speaks. And the media has been noticing this of late. In her recent interview with the New York Times, she used the phrase more 138 times over the course of a relatively short interview. It has gotten to the point that you can almost predict when the 'you know' phrase will come out of her lips. A sign of uncertainty, or insincerity? I don't exactly know, you know, what it means but it is certainly a stumbling block if she wants to embark on a political career. Her audiences may get distracted by all her 'you knows' and not listening to her speeches at all. The following is an excerpt of her New York Times interview:

New York Times: Let’s talk a little bit about some of the other candidates who are interested in this job. Andrew Cuomo: he’s been attorney general, he’s been a cabinet secretary, he’s been a close adviser to a governor. He has an extensive record and knows upstate like the back of his hand. Tell me why the governor should pick you over Andrew Cuomo.

Caroline Kennedy: I’m, you know, actually, Andrew Cuomo is someone I’ve known for many, many years and we’ve talked, you know, throughout this process, so, you know, we have a really good relationship and I admire the work he’s doing now and what he’s done, so I’m not really going to kind of criticize any of these other candidates, because I think there are a lot of people with great experience, and, you know, any one of which the governor could easily pick and they’d do a good job.

New York Times: I’m not asking you to criticize; I’m saying, why should he pick you over any of these other ones, what makes you the best candidate?

Caroline Kennedy: Well, it obviously depends what the governor is looking for. I can tell you what I think I’d bring to this, which is, you know, I’m not a conventional choice, I haven’t followed the traditional path, but I do think I’d bring a kind of a lifetime of experience that is relevant to this job. I think that what we’ve seen over the last year, and particularly and even up to the last — is that there’s a lot of different ways that people are coming to public life now, and it’s not only the traditional path. Even in the New York delegation, you know, some of our great senators — Hillary Clinton, Pat Moynihan — came from, you know, other walks of life. We’ve got Carolyn McCarthy, John Hall, both of them have an unconventional background, so I don’t think that that is, uh — so I think in many ways, you know, we want to have all kinds of different voices, you know, representing us, and I think what I bring to it is, you know, my experience as a mother, as a woman, as a lawyer, you know, I’ve been an education activist for the last six years here, and, you know, I’ve written seven books — two on the Constitution, two on American politics. So obviously, you know, we have different strengths and weaknesses. And I think I also bring kind of a lifetime commitment to public service, a knowledge of these issues, and I’ve spent a lot of time encouraging people, and younger people, to go into public service, through a lot of the, you know, nonprofit work I’ve done. So I think it’s a whole, it’s different, it’s completely different, and it really is up to the governor to decide who would do the best job. But in terms of a family commitment —

New York Times: But do you think, in your own view, those things would make you a better pick for this job than other candidates?

Caroline Kennedy: I think they would make me a really good pick for this job, and, um, it’s up to the governor to decide, you know, who would be the best. Really. And I think there are many ways to serve, and I’ve loved what I’ve done so far, and I plan to continue, I think, you know, serving and advocating for the issues that I think are important. So, if it’s this, that would be wonderful, because I really do think that the relationships that I have in Washington — you know, I worked hard on the Obama campaign, I have a good relationship with many of the people that are coming in to the administration, in the Senate, others, both sides of the aisle, you know, that’s the kind of work that I’ve done outside of politics. It hasn’t been sort of a partisan kind of career that I’ve had. So I think that at this point in time, that’s what people are looking for.

New York Times: Do you think you would be the best for the job of the people who are out there?

Caroline Kennedy: Well, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I would be the best. (Laughter) Do you think you’re the best for your job? I assume you do. Uh, yeah.

New York Times: OK. I just want to be clear, because you seem to be saying it’s up to the governor to decide —

Caroline Kennedy: Well, it is up to the governor to decide, and it is up to the governor to decide what’s best for New York. You know, I think that I could advocate for New York, I think that we are losing a very visible, very strong, very powerful advocate in Hillary Clinton, and I think it’s to New York’s advantage to have somebody who can, you know, bring attention to New York, you know, bring four people from The New York Times here to the coffee shop (laughter) and really put that to work for average people. This is not, you know, about me, it’s about what I can do to, you know, help New York get its fair share, help working families, travel the state, bring attention to what is going on up there. So that’s why I think I would be good.

How many 'you knows' did you find? Did you count them? He he. For the full transcript of her New York Times interview (and more 'you knows'), check it out HERE. BTW, I found the following video clip on YouTube. It's another Caroline Kennedy interview with more of her 'you knows'.

Caroline Kennedy 'You Know' Interview Video