A sparkling new 700-pound ball, tons of confetti, and over a million people helped ring in the New Year from Times Square last night/early today. Mayor Bloomberg and police Police Academy valedictorian Karolina Wierzchowska, who also served in the Iraq War, hit the switch that brought the famous Times Square New Year's ball down. The Daily News called it a "shimmering pole dance," and it was the 100th time Times Square has had a......

A look at some noteworthy programs this week: New York City Ballet: Bringing Balanchine Back (Sunday, 7:00 p.m. WNET 13) Kevin Kline narrates this documentary following the journey of the New York City Balet to St. Petersburg, the birthplace of its founder George Balanchine, where they perform at the storied Mariinsky Theatre. Great Performances Garrison Keillor's New Year's Eve Special (Sunday, 10:00 p.m. WNET 13 and NJN) we all know about the other hackneyed New......

The Times Square Alliance is getting ready for New Year's celebrations. They have been testing confetti for "airworthiness" - an especially important step since there will be 7,000 pounds of confetti dropped onto revelers. The 3 tons of confetti is actually much more than what is usually thrown on New Year's Eve - the Times Square NYE FAQ says that usually 1 ton is dropped. And this year, the confetti will have messages. The Daily......

The city is starting to brace itself for New Year's, with sanitation crews and the police at the ready. The weather is expected to break 50 degrees on Saturday, which means it won't be a New Year's Freezing Eve for once. Which also means insane crowds. (There is rain in the forecast, but that's supposed to clear up but hte evening). Have you rushed to the store to buy champagne, noisemakers, and low-fat food (for......

As we're suckers for anything that involves silly jokes with government officials, Gothamist loves knowing that departing Secretary of State Colin Powell will drop the Times Square New Year's ball with Mayor Bloomberg. Mayor Bloomberg said, "Colin Powell is the American dream come true. He's done everything his country has ever asked." We have a feeling that when Powell pushes the button that will drop the 1000 pound Waterford crystal ball, he might be thinking,......