Looks like it's being broadcast live on ABC and NBC from 11 pm to 1 am local time here....

Followed by college football bowl game starting at 1 am on ABC.

A bit of wholesome, good old fashioned, family friendly fun.... and a change of pace from the normal concerns we deal with here day in and out.

Interesting... I just see that a Thailand themed float won the top award in this year's competition at the Tournament of Roses Parade.

Tournament of Roses officials announced the winning floats in judging for the 2012 Rose Parade, bestowing the Sweepstakes Award on Dole’s “Preserving Paradise” float.

It was the second consecutive year a Dole flat won the tournament’s highest honor. This year’s entry featured a temple styled after Thailand’s Royal Palace, along with an elephant, a tiger and, of course, lots of fruit.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/rose-parade-winning-floats.html

Here's a bit of background about the award-winning float, including a photo of the float in preparation. I saw it on TV tonight, but haven't found a photo yet of the completed float that's still in the parade as I post this...

http://momsla.com/20...e-parade-float/

Here's a description of the float and an artist's rendering of it.

Theme Behind “Preserving Paradise"

DOLE is celebrating the unsurpassed beauty of Thailand, one of the many areas where DOLE grows their fruit, with this floral salute and is honored to join Thailand in conserving Earth’s most precious natural resources and protecting endangered species. Traditional Thai dancers will flank the “Preserving Paradise” float which features an opulent royal palace, a majestic elephant, whimsical birds and butterflies, life-like leopards and tigers, and of course, fresh and healthy fruit grown by DOLE just for the Rose Parade.

http://www.ocfoodies...cky-fan-ride-ro

The parade is nice but they have more awards than bowl games, which is saying a lot.

Same like the beauty pageants.... there's a "Miss This" or "Miss That" for everything....

But in this case, the Thai themed float actually won the top, No. 1 award from the whole thing.

Same like the beauty pageants.... there's a "Miss This" or "Miss That" for everything....

But in this case, the Thai themed float actually won the top, No. 1 award from the whole thing.

I wonder how much that cost?

(The float I mean).

Quite a few bananas and pineapples...no doubt...