NEW YEAR'S DAY PARADE LONDON
tomorrow
ZZZZZZZZZZZ
I love a parade too, and here's some highlight's from the 2008 Rose Parade, Flower in the dirt, flowers and seeds
lions? or not?
"Happy Chinese New Year" is the greeting from Alhambra, which offers a colorful pagoda adorned with festive lanterns and ornaments and decorated in the holiday's traditional red and gold hues. Fireworks further accent the float, and the American Chinese Culture Association performs a
dragon dance alongside the float.
#15. Pasadena City College Herald Trumpets
The
nine herald trumpeters represent the top high school performers in Southern California.
#16. Macy's
The 2008 Rose Queen and Royal Court sit in an outdoor Renaissance garden setting framed by an intricately
carved Roman colonnade supporting entwined vines overflowing in peach and coral roses with lavender dendrobium orchids. Flanking the length of the float are sculptured urns with cascading rose arrangements.
#19. Wells Fargo
Each stagecoach is pulled by
four horses and is accompanied by an outrider. Wells Fargo staff wear clothing that would have been typical for the mid- to late-19th century.
#20.
"Preserving Celebration" the tower
Rain Bird Corporation
This float celebrates India's rich heritage with a magnificent Bengal tiger, lush foliage and temple ruins of the subtropical jungles. Whimsical monkeys demand attention with their antics as albino peacocks bask in thebeauty of the forest. Waterfalls cascade into lagoons as the jungle of exotic flowers, vines and gardens claim the lost ruins of civilizations past.#21. "Passport to the Future"
American Honda
As the float proceeds along the parade route, a stylish Honda Ridgeline- inspired truck will stunningly become an airborne craft and "blast off" with a replica of Honda's ASIMO humanoid robot at the controls.#26. Tournament of Roses
President
Tournament of Roses President CL Keedy and his wife Adrienne journey down Colorado Boulevard in a 1914 Rolls-Royce
Silver Ghost Touring Car owned and driven by Alan Clendenen.
#27. Virginia Military Institute
Regimental Band and Pipe BandThe combination of the Regimental Band and Pipe Band performing musical arrangements
specifically written for the combined ensemble of winds and pipes while on parade is the signature of this ensemble.
#31. "Celebrating our Rich Heritage" Farmers Insurance
The float honors Native Americans and the contributions they have made to the rich heritage of America. It will feature a large N
ative-American chief with a peace pipe.#34.
"Bon Voyage"City of Glendale
A classic
biplane soars from the runway, above a symbolic world globe, transporting its pilot and copilot to celebrations bounded only by the imagination - as family and friends wish them an enthusiastic "Bon Voyage." Depicted at the rear of the float is a
replica of the historic tower of the Grand Central Airp Terminal in Glendale.
#36. "The Magic of Mardi Gras" FTD
The artistic splendor, merriment and magic of Mardi Gras is celebrated in this regal and floral interpretation of Fat Tuesday. The float consists of three floral arenas with an oversized sculpture lion, bedecked in opulent royal jewels, featured at the front of the float. Taking center stage are ornately carved and vividly colorful busts of jesters and
Carnival Queen characters that slowly spin on a rotating crown amid
floral fireworks and exploding stars.
#38. "Jammin' Around the World" City of South Pasadena
A hot, live jazz band jams inside the World Stage - a
giant globe which transforms into a ribbon of floating musical notes.
#40. "50 Years of Space Exploration" JPL/Caltech
A half-century ago (Jan., 1958) the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Explorer 1 became America's first satellite to reach Earth orbit. Explorer 1 is depicted firing off the launch pad at the center of the float. In its wake arises a collection of historic JPL robotic explorers as well as planetary ports of call.
#41. Arizona Mini Mystique
The Arizona Mini Mystique is a miniature horse precision driving team consisting of eight drivers and horses pulling two wheeled carts, doing close order drills such as
pinwheels, spins, suicide charge, figure 8 and a Delta. These maneuvers are done to various selections of
upbeat music.
#42.
"Getting There is All the Fun" Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's "crewmembers" ride a flying auto/train towing a colorful travel trailer. And, adding to the fun of getting there, the happy travelers are relaxing with a barbecue, volleyball game, sunbathing, and even parasailing. The auto/train will soar to 35 feet as it flies along the parade route.43.
The Tiger Marching BandThe 250-member Tiger Marching Band from Alexis I duPont High School in Delaware have appeared in four Rose Parades, the Macy's Parade, 25 times in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade, the inaugurations of two Presidents, two Orange Bowl Parades, The Fiesta Bowl Parade, four times in the St. Patrick's Day Parade from Dublin and 5 times in the New Year's Day parade in London.
busy band!
44.
"Holy Ghost Festival"Portuguese American Community
The historic
crown used in Portugal's "Holy Ghost Festival" is the
center of this float. The rest of the float has a fountain and an arch that is typical architecture found in Portugal. The back of the float is surrounded by a large lace design.
45. Pasadena City College
Tournament of Roses Honor Band
The band traditionally performs its custom arrangement of "Everything's Coming Up Roses" every year, along with three other selections that tie into the parade's theme. This year, for its 79th appearance in the Rose Parade, the Honor Band will perform two special arrangements: "It's a Small World" and "When the Saints Go Marching In."why change NOW?
48. "The Place Where the World Comes Together"
Port of Los AngelesSix vessels make up a "floatilla," highlighted by a gigantic cargo ship and sleek cruise ship.
Both the container ship and the cruise ship have giant electric outlets on their bows, symbols of the Port's leadership in clean air initiatives. Escorting the main ships are a tug boat, Los Angeles Port Police boat, Los Angeles Fire Department boat and a fishing boat. The
fireboat will be spraying water from its hoses.
55.
"Celebrating the Treasures
of Egypt"Cairo-Los Angeles Friendship Comm
Leading the procession, a sacred falcon stands guard over stylized lotus blossoms from Upper Egypt and papyrus plants from Lower Egypt.
Featured against a splendid throne adorned with hieroglyphics are impressive statues of King Ramses II and Queen Nofretari.#57. Mayor of Pasadena
Mayor Bill Bogaard and his wife Claire are joined by Pasadena Public Schools Superintendent Edwin Diaz and his wife Delia in a 1911
Pope Hartford seven passenger Touring Car.
#58. "The World's Celebration Destination" City of Anaheim
The float demonstrates that all roads lead to Anaheim. A multitude of cars, buses and
even a helicopter transport the celebration-bound to the city's attractions and its palm tree-dotted environment.
62.
"Serving Children Worldwide" Kiwanis International
A charming storybook
ship depicts a celebration of travelers across the ocean. The riders are dressed in costumes native to various countries where children are served by Kiwanis International. The s
hip is under the command of a gigantic bunny. The colorful vessel rides acrest floral waves while a
mouse of a first mate, armed with his trusty map,
provides navigation.
#
66. "Joy to the World" Lutheran Laymen's League
A brilliant star announces the birth of Christ in a simple manger in Bethlehem, surrounded by animals and shepherds that join in celebration of the miracle. A trio of magi and a live camel walk alongside the float seeking the child heralded by the eastern star. Brilliant floral trees add majesty and color to the scene of rejoicing.
#72. "Lions Day with the United Nations" Lions Club International
A majestic sculpted lion's head, framed by the laurel wreath symbol of peace, is adorned by a golden "We Serve" medallion. Thirty outwalkers surround the float, bearing the flags of United Nation member nations.
#77.
"Guardians of Harmony" Cal Poly Universities
The float depicts a tranquil garden scene drawing on many aspects of the Chinese culture - including the Great Wall of China, balanced between the strength and beauty represented by a
dragon and the phoenix. Orchids mimic cherry blossom trees.
#79.
"Celebration of Life - Dia de los Muertos" City of Santa Fe Springs
This
two-unit float depicts many aspects of the festivities and the history of this 3,000-year-old holiday.
An elaborate sculpted candelabra known as the Tree of Life takes center stage. Intricate folk-art carvings of figures set in historical and religious vignettes create the base that is flanked with
animated candles. Three oversized reproductions of fanciful paper mache
skeletons flank the Tree of Life.
84. "On Track to the Future" City of Duarte / City of Hope
A whimsical train laden with toys and gifts provides the perfect setting for pediatric cancer survivors from the City of Hope. The train is decorated with vibrant yellow chrysanthemums and strawflowers and accented with orange dehydrated carrot and lentil seeds with green galax leaves and white button mums. note: this one was a engulfed in clouds of smoke going down the parade route, leaving a heavy trail of grey smoke.
#86. "Passport to Our World and Beyond" City of New Mexico
UFO enthusiasts and skeptics alike join in the festivities with this whimsical and highly animated float. A family of vacationing Roswell "visitors" arrives at the New Mexico Space Port. Luggage and souvenirs overflow from their space craft. Sitting at the base of the Space Port are experimental spacecrafts ready to launch.
#
88.
"Sharing World Literacy Day"Rotary International
A large wizard is the focal point of this float. He is sharing his wisdom with the viewers. He is surrounded by books and the importance of education. The
Wizard's wand will have strobe lights in the end of the wand to create flashes.
90. "Celebrate the World through Reading" City of
Palmdale
Set amid leather-bound books and parchment scrolls,
a wise old owl, dapperly attired in a tasseled mortarboard and velvety doctoral robe, encourages reading to the anxious-to-learn baby owlets. The library, overflowing with an abundance of reading materials, sets the backdrop as floral topiary trees and golden rose gardens complete this setting.
here are some photos in no special order:
the volcano too!
ok back to the dragon:
ST. JOHN DAMASCENE ON DRAGONS
St. John Damascene's epistle is about dragons. Before citing his words, let us concentrate our attention on the translator's commentary. Two things are immediately evident. First, judging from the lines in italics, Fr. Maxim considers St. John Damascene's scientific views on the issue to be at least archaic. In other words, he definitely considers the accounts of the meetings of people and dinosaurs described by St. John Damascene not to be authentic. Second, Fr. Maxim absolutely rightly frees the Father from any suspicions of the inclination towards "mysticism and search of the mysterious".
In fact, St. John Damascene is an author of the greatest intellectual and spiritual power, so it is clear that he is an absolute stranger to any gullibility or fable-telling. Moreover, what the epistle in question has for its direct object is the exposure of fables and superstitions of all sorts. So St. John Damascene was an absolutely reliable witness who, in addition, had in his possession all the scientific knowledge of his epoch. Let us remember, for instance, that quite a good few of his classical book "An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith" is devoted to purely scientific data. The science in those times was descriptive by nature. It did not penetrate into the essence of things but recorded the natural phenomena rather accurately. Thus, if we deal with a well-educated scholar of that epoch, who was also independent of any hoaxes, we have every reason to consider his evidence before trying to judge the extent of its scientific reliability.
"Some people contrive", St. John Damascene says, "that dragons can both take the human form and turn into serpents, sometimes small, sometimes huge, differing in body length and size, and sometimes, as was already stated above, having turned into people, start to associate with them, appear to steal women and consort with them; so we would ask [those who tell such stories]: how many intelligent natures did God create? And if they do not know the answer, we will respond: two - I mean angels and humans... So He created the two intelligent natures; but if a dragon changes its form while associating with people, becoming at one moment a serpent, at another a man... so it follows with all possible clarity that dragons are intelligent beings exceeding men greatly, which has not [ever] been true, and never will be."
"Let them also say who in particular tells about it ? For we trust the teaching of Moses, and, more exactly, the Holy Spirit, having spoken through [the prophet]. This [teaching] reads: And God brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them; and whatsoever [Adam] called every living creature, that was the name thereof (cf. Gen. 2:19). Hence, a dragon was one of the animals (italics mine - Rev. T.). I am not telling you, after all, that there are no dragons; dragons exist but they are serpents borne of other serpents. Being just born and young, they are small; but when they grow up and get mature, they become big and fat so that exceed the other serpents in length and size. It is said they grow up more than thirty cubits; as for their thickness, they get as thick as a big log. Dio the Roman (ab. 155 - ab. 236 - Rev. T.) who wrote the history of Roman empire and republic, reports the following: one day, when Regulus, a Roman consul, was fighting against Carthage, a dragon suddenly crept up and settled behind the wall of the Roman army. The Romans killed it by order of Regulus, excoriated it and sent the hide to the Roman senate. When the dragon's hide, as Dio says, was measured up by order of the senate, it happened to be, amazing, one hundred and twenty feet long, and the thickness was fitting to the length."
"There is one more kind of dragons; those have wide head, goldish eyes and horny protuberances on the back of the head. They also have a beard [protruding] out of the throat; this kind of dragons is called "agaphodemons" and it is said they have no faces. This dragon is a sort of beasts, like the rest of the animals, for it has a beard, like a goat, and horn at the back of its head. Its eyes are big and goldish. These dragons can be both big and small. All serpent kinds are poisonous, except dragons, for they do not emit poison."
Thus, the main purpose of the ancient author is to persuade his readers that dragons are real leaving creatures and not mythical personages like ghostswww.creationism.org/crimea/engl/al1.htmThe above papal medal of Pope Gregory XIII, designed by L Parm, is dated 1582, marking the year of the Gregorian calendar reform. On the reverse of the medal is a winged dragon / serpent encircling a ram's head. As previously mentioned, the dragon is the biblical symbol of Satan (Rev 12:9). The serpent that is chasing or devouring its tail is called
Ouroboros, Uroboros, or Oureboros. The ram's head is also a satanic symbol, and is frequently associated with the Egyptian deities, such as the god Amon (Amoun, Ammun, Ammon), the king of all gods, who was also regarded as the sun god, and Khnum, who created mankind on his potter's wheel from the
mud of the Nile.
The intended symbolic meaning, however, is undoubtedly that of Aries the Ram, the first sign of the Zodiac, which symbolizes the Vernal / Spring Equinox, and Draco / Drako (or Ouroboros) the serpent depicting a cyclical returning. Pope Gregory XIII had modified the calendar specifically so that the Vernal Equinox would remain relatively constant, on or about March 21st, which is the beginning of the Zodiacal year, when the Sun crosses the Equator and enters the astrological sign of Aries. This had the desired result of returning Easter to the time specified by the Nicene Council (325 A.D.).
A
second pope, Paolo V (1605-1621) also used a winged dragon on his heraldic shield along with an eagle. In the Vatican Gardens there is a fountain called the Fountain of Towers, bearing the inscription and papal shield of Paolo V, in which the central figure of the fountain is a winged dragon centered in water spouts. Flanking either side of the fountain are fortress like towers topped by sculptures of winged dragons. Because it somewhat resembles an altar, this fountain has also been called the Fountain of the Sacrament, or in Italian, Fontana del Santissimo Sacramento. The spray of water from the dragon's mouth is said to imitate the rays of a sunburst monstrance.
fountain of TOWERS, Vatican
the young maximus he: "
[p. 269] Whatever Roman elements the barbarians and Arians left … [came] under the protection of the Bishop of Rome, who was the chief person there after the Emperor’s disappearance… [p. 270] The Roman Church in this way privily pushed itself into the place of the Roman World-Empire, of which it is the actual continuation; the empire has not perished, but has only undergone a transformation … That is no mere “clever remark,” but the recognition of the true state of the matter historically, and the most appropriate and fruitful way of describing the character of this Church. It still governs the nations … It is a political creation, and as imposing as a World-Empire, because the continuation of the Roman Empire. The Pope, who calls himself “King” and “Pontifex Maximus,” is Caesar’s successor." www.aloha.net/~mikesch/dragon.htm
the dragon tower
The Long Ta Tower, Heilongjiang Broadcast and TV Tower, 336 meters high, ranks as the 22nd highest in the world and the seventh highest in Asia. It is a comprehensive multifunctional tower that integrates transmission of broadcast and TV, tourism, sightseeing, food and beverage service, advertisement propagation, environmental and meteorological monitoring, microwave telecommunication and wireless communication together.. The tower base consists of the underground floor and the first four floors above ground.
The base is made into a spherical crown. The tower body is built into a regular octagon. The tower appears to be a parabola. The tower halls are located from 181m to 206m, c
onsisting of a flying saucer in the bottom and a ball-shape hall on the top.
looks just like the one in Bagdad.
a bridge by a fountain
Lions! Tigers! and Bears! Oh MY!
Artist(Band):Queen
queen dragon
Words and music by Brian May
Take me to the room where the red's all red
Take me out of my head-'s what I said yeah
Hey take me to the room where the green's all green
And from what I've seen it's hot it's mean
-Gonna use my stack
-
It's gotta be Mack-Gonna get me on the track
-Got a dragon on my back
Take me to the room where the beat's all round
Gonna eat that sound - (yeah yeah yeah!)
Take me to the room where the black's all white
And the white's all black take me back to the shack
-She don't take no prisoners
-Gonna give me the business
-Got a dragon on my back
-It's a dragon attack
Get down - I said so
Hey hey - All right
She's low down
-She don't take no prisoners
Go down
-Gonna give me the business
No time
-Yeah chained to the rack!
Show time
-Got a dragon on my back
Show down
-Go find another customer
Slow down
-I gotta make my way