01.01
Someone dropped the ball last night. Thankfully, it signals a brand spanking New Year brimming with optimism (which you’ll hopefully be able to appreciate as soon as your hangover wears off.)
Speaking of balls (get yer mind out of the gutter…perhaps that can be your New years resolution) we did a little research on the infamous Times Square New Years Eve Ball, which has dropped every year in Manhattan (with the exceptions of 1942 and 1943 due to the wartime "dimout" in NYC) since 1907.
The first Ball, made of iron and wood and covered with one hundred 25-watt light bulbs, was 5 feet in diameter and weighed 700 pounds. Later in 1920, a 400-pound ball made completely of wrought iron replaced the original. Next, in 1955, the iron ball was replaced with an aluminum ball weighing a mere 200 pounds (like the one shown above from 1978.)
This aluminum Ball remained unchanged until the 1980s, when red light bulbs and a green stem transformed the Ball into an apple for the "I Love New York" campaign from 1981 until 1988. After seven years, the traditional glowing white Ball returned to Times Square. In 1995, the Ball was spruced up with aluminum skin, rhinestones, strobes, and computer controls, but the aluminum ball was lowered for the last time in 1998.
This year’s ball is a snazzy 12-foot geodesic sphere (shown below) and is double the size of previous Balls, weighing 11,875 pounds. Covered in 2,668 Waterford Crystals and powered by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDS, this is one glimmering (and pricey) Ball. Props to you if you got to see the sexy thing drop in person last night in Times Square.
So here’s to 2009. What’s not to be excited about? The fact that we’ve got a new president taking office in 20 days is reason enough to walk around with a goofy smile plastered on your face right up until January 20th. Rock on 2009…we love you already.
