US News
Clintons to drop ball on New Year's Eve at Times Square
Dec 31, 2008, 15:35 GMT
New York - Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton, have been given the honour to push the button to drop the crystal ball ushering in the New Year at Times Square, news reports said Tuesday.
The traditional New Year's Eve celebrations at the landmark square will take place Wednesday night under a forecast of very cold weather with snow showers that may dampen the hopes of hundreds of thousands of revelers seeking a good time.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Tuesday that he had selected the famous former first couple to push the ceremonial button at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday night, allowing the huge crystal ball to descend a pole to close 2008 and open 2009.
Senator Clinton, a New York democrat and former US presidential candidate, has been nominated to become US secretary of state by President-elect Barack Obama.
'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,' he said.
News reports said this year's crystal ball is twice the size of the previous one. It is covered with 2,668 Waterford crystals, weighing nearly 12,000 pounds (6,000 kilos) and measuring 12 feet (four meters) in diameter. It is also 20 percent more energy efficient.
Bloomberg, who plans to run for a third, four-year term as mayor in 2009, said this week that a record number of 47 million people visited New York City in 2008, beating last year's numbers by one million visitors.
Tourists spent an estimated 30 billion dollars in 2008 while Wall Street was reeling under the financial crisis and the scandals of failed big investment conglomerates and banks. But the city's tourism office said difficult times are ahead for the city that used to brag itself as the world's financial capital.
'We all recognize that trees don't grow to the sky forever and that 2009 is going to be a tougher year in every sector in this city,' said Robert Lieber, deputy mayor for economic development. He was quoted by The Wall Street Journal.
'But the tourism sector will continue to grow in the long term,' Lieber said.
The city said more foreigners have visited New York in 2008, estimated at 9.8 million of the total of 47 million tourists.
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Older Talkback
page: 1
A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ESS PEE - the undisputed genius and intellectual Guru of all knowledge.
And the same wish to George W. Bush, the greatest President in American history. Never have so many owed so much to so little.
He is to America what Osama Bin laden is to Christian Aid.
His onslaught on the American way of life and national economy has been infinitely more damaging than WW1, WW2, Korea and Vietnam combined.
Well done Georgie boy - enjoy your retirement in your luxury mansion
spending all those millions of bucks you fiddled from the American taxpayer and banking system..
'Nice dress Hillary....very sliming...hey babe...Hallie Berry and Caroline Schlossberg are coming over for...uh...cocktails...yeah, that's it...uh... later...were you still going to that new Years eve ball, wearn't you?...I sorta was going to stay here and..uh..entertain them on my own...O.K.?'
..go compare GW Bush's net worth versus the Clinton's then ask, how a public servant can ammass over 91 million dollars as a Senator, besides Lyndon B. Johnson?
Do you actually think anyone pays Clinton to really speak? It makes Halliburton look like a lemonaide stand.
True, Bush never had a girl delivered like a pizza, by police, to a hotel room where he exposed himself and touched her against her will, or obtained 800 FBI files on his political opponents, or perpetrated an S&L scam, never fired fed prosecutors investigating him, never lost his law license for lying to a federal judge, or pardoned puerto Rican terrorists so his wife could win in New York, never just let Osama Bin Laden walk when Somalia offered him up on a platter, never perpetrated a travel office scandal, or sold influence to Mexico, China, Kazakstan, The Ukraine, or (fill in blank) for money, never pardoned anyone for money...
..but he did act on his morals and stood by them. You know, you're right, Clinton DOES have more experience...just the kind I'd rather not see.
Bush could be more like Bill if he'd just set up a foundation and sell his wife's influence for money under the cover of donations.
Be nice to ESS PEE - ED - he is the only one on this site with both a mountain of universal knowledge and a SENSE OF HUMOR.
I find ALL of ESS PEE`s articles fascinating, educational and most of all quite a giggle in places. He really is an expert comedian at times and VERY satirical - if you have the intellect to understand satire. Maybe THAT is asking a little too much.
Almost everybody else who writes on this site does not know how to laugh, they would`nt even laugh if you tickled their arses with a feather.
ESS PEE does ! You all want to try smiling - it won`t hurt too much and what the hell harm does it do to laugh at all this crap around us ?
Are you ALL boring, unsmiling, miserable, 'don`t understand jokes' mental delinquents in the US ?
Perhaps you are - I would be after 8 years of that catastrophic Texas turd-ball GEORGE BUSH Jr.
You should be OK after January when OBANANA gets going on you all.
Lock up your daughters - the GAIACOMM GOON has escaped again from his padded cell at the Funny Farm. They`ll get him, but it may take time.
He`s a raving nutter. Keeps putting all that crap about Gaiacomm`s new computer game all over these sites whenever he gives them the slip. Been going on for months now. He`s escaped more times than Houdini ever did.
He must be mind-blown that the end of the world will occur at the stroke of mid-nite and it will turn into a big pumpkin and all of us into frogs.
CROAK - CROAK
...given your type I'm surprised there is any asshole that you hate. You should quit sticking you tongue into your mom's so often, even if she says to keep doing it.
Well SED to ED, ESS PEE - like ya style chum.
AND again A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I don`t always say nice things about you, so be careful.
mom is dead like you will soon be sp4.
they wanted to get paid for America to have such an honor.
page: 1
AN EXPERT BALL DROPPERDec 31st, 2008 - 16:14:33
This guy dropped so many balls when masquerading as President that who better should drop this one ?
He`ll probably cock it up like everything else he touched.
Still, it will be rather different going for a BALL`S DOWN instead of a BALL`S UP.
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