Okay, I admit I’m not very original for writing about the triple 9 event. It’s one of the top searches on Google today, so people are obviously interested in ways to appreciate the rare occurrence. And I’m fairly certain that I have at least one reason not on the other lists.

1. New releases

Anyone who reads this blog knows that Apple and I have a long and complicated relationship, but I still believe that once you go Mac, you never go back. Today’s Apple announcement included iPod/iPhone upgrades, lower prices and a revamped iTunes (which just happens to be iTunes 9). Read more.

And of course – you can’t mention today’s new releases without mentioning the resurgence of Beatle mania. The band is unique because it’s not the actual members that recreate the image of the Beatles. It’s the fans who find innovative ways to make the music relevant to a new generation. Whether it’s a happy melody or a politically charged ballad, from movie soundtracks to now video games, I think everyone can connect to their music. My mom was more of a Motown fan, so it wasn’t until my early 20′s that I experienced my own Beatle Mania. When I moved to London for a few months, a roommate shared her Beatles library with me. No matter where you walk in that city, the Beatles provide the perfect soundtrack. The night before I flew back to the U.S., I made the pilgrimage to Abbey Road and added my thoughts to the graffiti-ed fence outside the studio.

2. Baseball

While I don’t necessarily consider myself a baseball fan, I’ve always been intrigued by the game. It has a magical quality, tied into the cultural fabric of this country that gives it a significance much greater than players on a field. Regardless of how you feel about the game – it’s all about 9′s. Nine players on the field at one time, nine innings, 90 feet between bases and nine strikes per inning. MLB.com is celebrating with a $9.99 sale and a list of all-time 9′s.

3. Math

I’m definitely not a math enthusiast, but I appreciate a random fact to spice up a conversation every once in a while. Here’s a few to use at dinner tonight. 09/09/09 falls on a Wednesday in September, both of which have 9 letters. Sept. 9, is the 252nd day of the year. (2+5+2=9) And, if you multiply a single-digit number by 9, the resulting two digits add up to 9. Ex: 2×9=18 and 1+8=9.

4. Luck

While 9 may not have a lot of significance for Americans, for the Chinese it’s the second-luckiest digit (8 is the first). According to LiveScience.com, the number nine in Chinese sounds like the word for long-lasting. Emperors used to wear robes decorated with 9 dragons and the Forbidden City is rumored to have had 9,999 rooms.

5. Celebrations

Building on the Chinese idea of luck, more than 10,000 Chinese couples were expected to get married today. But Americans are joining in. According to CNN.com, The Stratosphere in Las Vegas is planning to marry off 99 couples at 9:09 p.m. for $99.09. And a 09/09/09 anniversary makes it a little easier for the calendar-challenged spouse.

6. No cats

Cats and I rarely get along. In the world of pets, I’m much more of a dog person. And even some cat lovers over at the comedy site Urlesque.com are fed up with the never-ending supply of cat videos online. They have declared 09/09/09 “A Day Without Cats,” – a Web-wide ban on cat videos. Perhaps something to do with a feline’s 9 lives…

7. History

A project called “A Day on the Planet” is looking for people all over the world to record their experience on 09/09/09 for a book that will summarize the experience of 7 billion people on the same day. They are accepting e-mail submissions through 9/25/09.

8. Clarity

I grew up in predominantly British culture but attended an American school, which meant I was perpetually confused about a variety of things including spelling, pronunciation and which side I should pass someone in the hallway. How to write out a date is one of many things the British and Americans disagree about. The Brits use Day/Month/Year, while Americans write it Month/Day/Year. I always loved that one day out of every month that didn’t require me to check and double check the order of numbers depending on who I was writing for.

The number 9 reason to love today…it’s my birthday. And no, I’m not looking for a flood of birthday wishes. But with all the attention focused on the significance of today, I can’t help but share why it’s important to me.

Posted under Apple, Holiday, My Adventures, Travel, Web/Tech

I love fireworks. I always have. I think it’s because I also like stargazing. Fireworks are just a little more sparkly and noisy.

There’s nothing like being outside on a warm July night, with your family, watching fireworks. One of my favorite 4th of July celebrations was on the banks of the St. Clair River, which separates Michigan from Canada. It was the biggest Independence Day celebration I had ever been to. The kind where the blankets and lawn chairs are lined up so close together you can barely walk between them. I was probably six or seven and I remember being fascinated by the fact that Canadians were across the river enjoying our fireworks.

Of course, just a few years later I was celebrating on foreign soil when my family moved to Africa. Fireworks were one of the things I missed most. We managed to always have a celebration with other Americans in the area. We would buy expensive imported mayonnaise for egg salad and make homemade marshmallows for our desserts. One year my sister had to go to school on the 4th of July because her school went year round and was run by a British administration, so an American holiday was not a reason to miss lessons.

Of course nothing beats the year I spent Independence Day in the United Kingdom. My American roommates and I spent the whole night at Planet Hollywood because it was the only place in London that we felt our red, white and blue attire would be properly understood. Drinking a Coca-Cola and staring at a poster of Elvis made it seem okay to celebrate our independence from the British. And while there were the bright lights of Piccadilly Circus, there were no fireworks.

Maybe that’s why I like fireworks so much – I’ve spent so many 4th of July nights without them.

But, I’m excited to have a front row seat for one of the best firework displays in the area this year! I’ll be helping out with the live broadcast of the Dubuque Fireworks Spectacular on the Mississippi River.

Since I firmly believe that everyone should get to see fireworks this weekend, we’re streaming the Dubuque fireworks online, just in case you’re stuck at work or at home. So be sure to check it out on KWWL.com tomorrow.

Otherwise, we’ve also got a list of firework celebrations across eastern Iowa.

Happy 4th!

Posted under Holiday

Well, I’m finally back from my mini-vacation. And after sorting through the 400 e-mails in my inbox (which actually isn’t bad considering how many days I was gone), I remembered that I had something special to share on the blog.

I’m used to working on Christmas, because, as I’ve said many times, the news never takes a vacation. But, it was a difficult holiday for my younger sister. Our parents are back in Africa and she didn’t feel much like celebrating.

But, as soon as I rolled into town, we plugged in the webcam and had a family Christmas via Skype. Dad read the traditional Christmas story. We opened our presents and showed them off via the webcam. That was a bit tricky because if you wave it around too much it’s a big blur. Plus the fact that my parent’s Internet connection is barely above dial-up and frequently goes out for hours or days at a time.

But, we managed to hang out long enough that I had them give a little shout-out to my blog readers.

So here it is, all the way from Tanzania to eastern Iowa.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

-jj

Posted under Holiday

It may be the biggest shopping day of the year, but I’m much more excited about the decorations. Driving to work this morning I could already see people stringing lights. I’m sure the unusually warm weather encouraged people to start today.

And while I have every intention of going home tonight and spending hours untangling lights and finding hooks for all of my ornaments, I’ve already started decorating at work.

I’ve decorated my Google Christmas tree, downloaded my snowglobe from Yahoo Widgets, activated my Christmas countdown on Facebook, switched to my falling snow screen saver and put lights around the border of my desktop.

All I need now is a mug of hot chocolate and video of a roaring fireplace to put in the video editor in my office.

-jj

Posted under Holiday

We asked people to tell us what they’re thankful for on KWWL.com – and every response involved friends and family. My list is pretty typical. I’m thankful for my family, my friends, a roof over my head, food to eat, a job that I love…and the Internet.

Yes. The Internet. I wouldn’t say it’s really the technology that makes me thankful, but instead, what it enables me to do. The Internet helps me communicate with our viewers. The Internet keeps me in touch with friends from my past. And thanks to the Internet and to Skype, I was able to talk to my parents on Thanksgiving, even though they are half a world away.

So, yes. You may think it’s ridiculous, but the Internet makes my list of things to be thankful for.

And I’m thankful for a great Thanksgiving meal. Everyone in the newsroom pitched in and we actually had a very impressive meal.

It was almost like a family Thanksgiving, minus the comfortable furniture and the afternoon nap. We took a break to eat and hang out, watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and It’s a Wonderful Life. Our 5 p.m. producer, Maria, even brought her dog, Fawn, to hang out.

Like I’ve said before, the news never takes a holiday. But that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate.

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you too have many things to be thankful for.

-jj

Posted under Holiday