Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Kona Web Cam Live, Ultraman Hawaii 2010

The Ultraman World Championship is a three-day, 320 mile (515-km) annual endurance race held on the Big Island of Hawaii. This event attracts athletes who seek to explore the extreme in physical and mental abilities.

This live feed is in Hawaii throughout the Ultraman Championship:

Ultraman 2010 Live

Event Information:

The race is divided into three stages: The first is a 6.2-mile (10-km) ocean swim from Kailua Bay to Keauhou Bay, followed by a 90-mile (145-km) cross-country bike ride, with vertical climbs that total 6,000 feet. Stage two is a 171.4-mile (276-km) bike ride from Volcanoes National Park to Kohala Village Inn, with total vertical climbs of 4,000 feet. Stage three is a 52.4-mile(84-km) double-marathon, which starts at Hawi and finishes on the beach at the Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area. Each stage must be completed within 12 hours or less. The swim portion of stage one must be completed in 5.5 hours or less. Participants who do not reach the finish lines within the time limits are disqualified.

This event attracts athletes who seek to explore the extreme in physical and mental abilities. The race is limited to 35 athletes on an invitation-only basis and attracts participants from around the world, including Brazil, Canada, Italy, Puerto Rico, Spain, Sweden, Slovenia and the United States. Racers must have reached their 20th birthday prior to the start of stage one. Each racer must be accompanied by an individual support team of at least two people over the entire course. Many support team members are volunteers from the Big Island community.

Detroit Webcam, Michigan Thanksgiving Parade 2010 Live Feed

America's Thanksgiving Parade, is an annual parade held on Thanksgiving Day in downtown Detroit, Michigan. The tradition started in the city in 1924 by the J.L. Hudson Company department store.

This live feed is in Detroit for the 2010 Thanksgiving Parade:

Detroit Michigan Thanksgiving Parade Live

It shares the title for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, and is four years younger than the 6abc IKEA Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia.

Event Information:

The idea came from Hudson’s display director Charles Wendel after the success of the Eaton's Santa Claus Parade in Toronto. In addition to the usual floats and bands, Wendel obtained large papier-mâché heads similar to those he saw during a recent trip to Europe. The heads are made in Viareggio, Italy and remain a fixture of the parade to the present.

The parade was suspended in 1943 and 1944 due to material shortages caused by World War II, but Hudson’s resumed the event in 1945 and continued sponsorship of the parade until 1979 when the costs became burdensome. It turned the parade over to the Detroit Renaissance Foundation who produced it for four years. In 1983, Detroit Renaissance turned the parade over to the newly-created Michigan Thanksgiving Parade Foundation and the event became known as The Michigan Thanksgiving Parade.

State Street Chicago Webcam - Thanksgiving Parade Live

The State Street Thanksgiving Parade, currently title sponsored by McDonald's and officially named the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade (see below), an annual parade produced and presented by the Chicago Festival Association (CFA) and is often known as “Chicago’s Grand Holiday Tradition.”

This live feed is in Chicago for the 2010 Thanksgiving Parade:

Chicago Thanksgiving Parade Live

Event Information:

In 1934, the United States had been in the Great Depression for five years. Many leaders in Chicago searched for ways to boost the economy as well as public spirit. Walter Gregory, President of Chicago's State Street Council, proposed a Christmas parade to Chicago Mayor Edward Kelly in the hopes that it would improve the moods of Chicago residents. The Mayor agreed to the parade, being primarily interested in its potential to improve Chicago's economy.

Chicago's first Christmas Parade was on State Street on December 7, 1934. Gregory and a costumed Santa Claus led the caravan, which was filled with toys and various merchandise from State Street businesses. As the city's government officials had hoped, the parade contributed to desirable growth in the local economy and 1934 held the city's largest holiday buying period since 1927. This was both exciting and surprising for the entire city. Not only was it the Depression, but that day held dangerously low temperatures throughout the entire state. Some areas of Illinois were as low as fourteen degrees below zero (fahrenheit).

New York Thanksgiving Parade 2010 Live Web Cam Feed

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States.

This live feed is in New York City for the 2010 Thanksgiving Parade:

New York Thanksgiving Parade Live

Event Information:

In 1924, the inaugural parade (originally known as the Macy's Christmas Parade and later the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Christmas Parade.) was staged by the store. Employees and professional entertainers marched from 145th Street in Harlem to Macy's flagship store on 34th Street dressed in vibrant costumes. There were floats, professional bands and live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. At the end of that first parade, as has been the case with every parade since, Santa Claus was welcomed into Herald Square. At this first parade, however, the Jolly Old Elf was enthroned on the Macy's balcony at the 34th Street store entrance, where he was then "crowned" "King of the Kiddies." With an audience of over a quarter of a million people, the parade was such a success that Macy's declared it would become an annual event.

In addition to the well-known balloons and floats, the Parade also features live music and other performances. College and high school marching bands from across the country participate in the parade, and the television broadcasts feature performances by famous singers and bands. The Radio City Rockettes are a classic performance as well.

On the NBC telecast from in front of the flagship Macy's store on Broadway and 34th Street, the marching bands perform live music but most of the other live acts use pre-recorded music with the performers lip-syncing their singing.