Looking back on 2016

Welcome to 2016. While everyone is reviewing what happened in 2015 I thought I would take the time to talk about what has happened in this current year.  

New Year's Eve in New York's Times Square came off without a glitch. By that I mean any sort of terrorist threat was prevented.  The only disaster they could not avert was the broadcast appearances of Jenny McCarthy and Ryan Seacrest on ABC. These two people are so unpleasant to spend time with they call the special "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve."  The implication in the title tells you that a dead man would be a better host than these two.

The alternative was to watch Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper on CNN. Not much difference except I like Anderson Cooper.  However, not when he is with Kathy Griffin.  I am not a Kathy Griffin fan. Mainly because I have a well defined line between what I think is funny and what is annoying.  Ms Griffin falls on the annoying side of the line for me, causing Anderson Cooper to become a giggling chorus boy. But..neither Seacrest, McCarthy or Griffin would be technically labeled a terrorist attack. So way to go Homeland Security.

On the first day of 2016 the Rose Bowl Parade came off without a hitch here in So Cal. Locally Stephanie Edwards and Bob Eubanks have been hosting the parade for 40 years and they announced this was their last one.  Since I arrived in LA, Stephanie and Bob have been the only ones to "call the parade" on my various televisions through the years.  I have to admit, next year there will be something amiss when I turn on the parade, their voices are the Rose Bowl for me.  All of us local fans were all hoping that the "unspecified threats" to the parade this year would not detract from their swan song exit.  Fortunately it did not.  There were no social disruptions nor terrorists operations of the festivities.  Although I have a theory about that. 

Although I can't prove it, I believe there has only been one actual Rose Bowl parade this millennium, they just keep replaying it year after year.  Think about it. They look exactly the same each year. Stephanie and Bob are always saying the same things. Who won the Governors Trophy last year? What was the theme last year?  What was the theme this year? The only thing Pasadena has to do is get some good insert footage of the college bands representing the Schools playing in the Bowl later and they are set. These two marching bands are the only thing that might identify one year to the next. 

So, although Homeland Security will take credit for another victory over terrorism at the Rose Bowl... We are not sure it even took place this year.  

That brings us up to date for this year and what a great year it has been.  Unfortunately I have broken all but one of my New Years resolutions already.  Oh well.  

All the best,

Jay