Sanitation Crews Clean Up After Times Square New Year's Eve Celebrations
he New Year's Eve celebration went off without a hitch in Time Square last night. The worst job of the night goes to the New York City sanitation crew that had to clean up after more than 750,000 people. What an awful job. We hope your New Year's clean up is much easier than this. Take a look:
Lady Gaga is a Susan Boyle
fan. Gaga had this to say about the Scottish singing sensation:
"I love Susan Boyle. She is my woman of the year. She has achieved more in this year than most artists will in a lifetime.
"This time last year nobody even knew who she was and now she is knocking the world's most established artists off the album and singles charts.
Our styles are different. I don't know if we could work together, but never say never. It would be great to work with somebody of that talent."
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"I have watched the clip of her singing on BGT a thousand times and every time I see Simon Cowell's face it makes me laugh out loud. He thinks he knows everything but even he wasn't expecting that."
Both GaGa and SuBo landed high-profile gigs to bring in the New Year tomorrow.
Gaga will be performing at the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami for New Year's Eve, while Susan has already performed on Japan's hottest music show
Kohaku Uta Gassen. Susan was greeted at the Tokyo airport by lots of adoring fans.
We're still trying to wrap our heads around a Susan Boyle/Lady Gaga collaboration. But hey, why not? Gaga can play the piano and they can do a duet. It would be fab.
Susan's reaction to Japan is "Wow!" Susan is the first international singer to be invited on the show Kohaku Uta Gassen in many years. The show is watched by up to 40 million people.
Susan reportedly performed two songs, including a Japanese song that was included on the Japanese version of her album. Here's Susan's New Year's Eve performance of "I Dreamed a Dream":
Video: Top Chef's Carla Hall Cooks New Year's Eve Finger Foods
Top Chef finalist Carla Hall, who owns a catering company, shares some cheap and cheerful ideas for New Year's Eve entertaining. Carla whips up Grilled broccoli pesto and cheese fingers,
Tomato soup shooters with bite-size grilled cheese and Parmesan cheese and walnut crisps. Take a look:
See the recipes for Carla's New Year's eve finger foods here.
The Times Square Alliance recently tested its New Year's Eve confetti by dropping from an eighth-story window. The so-called "air worthiness test" seems to be working. The Times Square Alliance is also inviting people to come to the Times Square visitors center and write their wish on the confetti that will be released at midnight on New Year's Eve. Take a look:
Madelyn Fernstrom, the Diet and Fitness Editor for The Today Show, discusses hangover remedies that will come in handy if you overindulge on New Year's Eve. Of course, the best hangover remedy is not to get one in the first place, but if you are determined to indulge -- and make sure you're not driving if you do -- there are some things that will make the morning after less onerous, such as staying hydrated. Take a look:
Triangle Waterford Crystals Installed on New Year's Eve Ball
The Times Square New Year's Eve crystal ball had 300 new triangle Waterford crystals installed for this year's drop. The crystals this year will have an interlocking ribbon pattern woven into a Celtic knot. The design was created for the theme of 2010, "Let there be courage." Take a look:
Hillary and Bill Clinton to Initiate Ball Drop in Times Square Tonight
Mayor Bloomberg has asked Hillary and Bill Clinton to push the ceremonial button that signals the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball to begin lowering at 11:59 p.m. tonight.
Bloomberg announced the selection on Tuesday morning.
"I can't think of anyone I would rather stand at the crossroads of the world at the beginning of this new year than Bill and Hillary Clinton," Bloomberg said. "Both together and as individuals, Senator and President Clinton have brought hope and opportunity to New York, to the nation, and to the world."
This year's Times Square Ball is double the size of previous balls and is covered in 2,668 Waterford Crystals. Weighing nearly 12,000 pounds and measuring 12 feet in diameter, the ball is 20 percent more energy efficient than last year's - consuming only the same amount of energy per hour as it would take to operate two traditional home ovens.
Organizers of the New Year's Eve party say the bigger, brighter ball will remain in place all year atop the building at 1 Times Square to celebrate other holidays including Valentine's Day, the Fourth of July and Halloween.
They're a great choice to do the honors. It's going to be bitterly cold in New York tonight. Temperatures will in the teens and strong wind gusts will make it feel more like 0 degrees.
Update 1-1-09: You can see a clip of the ball drop in New York City here.
2009 is getting very, very close and many will be happy to see 2008 go. Not everyone will be going out this year for parties but everyone will get an extra second to party. Those staying in can watch Dick Clark, Ryan Seacrest and Ferbie on ABC, Anderson Coooper and Kathy Griffin on CNN or Carson Daly's show on NBC. Fox also has a show from Las Vegas hosted by Spike Feresten and Mark Thompson.
USA Todayreports that New Year's Eve spending overall is expected to be down.
High-end indulgence was the rage in the boom years, but today's economy means tonight will be "celebrated in a much more frugal way," says Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at trend tracker NPD Group.
For many, apparently, that means at home. For example, the Sommet Center in Nashville canceled a New Year's Eve concert with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Trace Adkins. Reservations dropped for the shindig at the Lexington Downtown Hotel in Kentucky. "It's really scary," says Angela Matherne, director of sales and marketing. "We had 2,000 (people) last year. If we get to 1,500 this year, we'll be lucky."
In New York City, sales of $85 party tickets at Divine Bar West are less than last year's. Co-owner Shari Schneider thinks that people are staying in to save money.
Those looking to glam up for the night could try a visit to the department store cosmestic counter. Newsdaywas told people should call for an appointment. NARS International Lead Makeup Artist Uzo shared some beauty tips with Newsday. Uzo says the biggest trend for New Year's Eve is "a bold red lip paired with velvety luminous skin."
"The biggest beauty trend of the season and for New Year's Eve is a bold red lip paired with velvety luminous skin. You always want to absorb any excess oil or shine on the face before you start," suggests Uzo. "Use blotting papers gently press on cheeks and T-zone, which will instantly eliminate excess shine and skin will be left feeling refreshed and ready for touch-ups."
"Next use concealer sparingly to under eye area, around the nose and lips to offset any darkness, redness and/or blemishes. Blend to a perfect finish using fingers."
Some more New Year's beauty tips can be found here, here and here.
Some other trends can be found in a Zogby/Times Square New Year's Eve poll. The poll found that many people kiss their pet on New Year's Eve. Pets get a New Year's kiss even more frequently than people do according to the national poll.
More people will kiss their pooch when the New Year rolls in than another human being, according to an end-of-the-year Zogby/Times Square New Year's Eve National Poll.
Women are 4.5 times as likely to spend New Year's Eve with a pet than men are. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to spend New Year's Eve with a pet.
"We've discovered over the four years that we've been conducting this survey that people love seeing in the New Year with their pet," said Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance. "I guess it's that pure joy and unconditional optimism that animals have that people love to be around."
People are pretty subdued after 2008 but at least most young people are still optimistic about 2009. The study found that 57.9 percent of young people expect 2009 to be better for them than 2008.
Photo: London's mayor has ordered a spectacular ten-minute fireworks display.
Preparations Ongoing for Wednesday's New Year's Eve Celebration in Times Square
Reuters has more details on the preparations for the ball drop in Times Square on Wednesday night. The Reuters video shows them installing the Waterford crystal triangles in the LED-powered Time Square Ball. It also shows people testing the confetti - they have to make sure the paper will float in the air. As we mentioned earlier details about the New Year's Eve ball can be found here.
2009 Times Square Ball Contains 2,668 Waterford Crystal Triangles
Pete Gravagna and Christopher Obianke from Landmark Signs install some of the 2,668 Waterford Crystal triangles that will be part of the 2009 Times Square Ball. The ball will set on top of One Times Square in New York and will make its annual descent just before midnight on New Year's Eve.
News10Now says the Waterford Crystal used on the ball was subjected to computer testing and wind tunnel testing to make sure it would survive tornado strength winds of 140 mph hour.
The ball this year is also a 12 foot geodesic spehere powered by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDS. It can create a plette of over 16 million colors.
The new Times Square New Year's Eve Ball is a 12 foot geodesic sphere, double the size of previous Balls, and weighs 11,875 pounds. Covered in 2,668 Waterford Crystals and powered by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDS, the new Ball is capable of creating a palette of more than 16 million vibrant colors and billions of patterns producing a spectacular kaleidoscope effect atop One Times Square.
You can read more about this year's Time Square Ball here. Below are some photos of what the ball will look like.
Photo: Countdown Entertainment
Update 1-1-09: You can see a clip of the ball drop in New York City here.
It's time to think about champagne and sparkling wines for New Year's Eve. But the choices are overwhelming. So many sparkling wines, so little time. There are sweet wines, cry wines, fruity wines, yeasty wines and the prices vary widely. Jim Clarke, wine director at New York restaurant Megu Downtown, who points out some of his favorite picks.
Five of Forbes' top ten picks include:
Champagne: Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 1999, $70, California
J Wine Co. Brut 2000, California, $50
Champagne: Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 1999, $70
Alsace: Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace NV, $15
Champagne: Soutiran Perle Noir Blanc de Noirs NV, $63
You can read the full article and see the slide show at Forbes.com here.
2009 is getting very, very close and many will be happy to see 2008 go. Not everyone will be going out this year for parties but everyone will get an 
