Sydney, Australia--best year-end fireworks for most of the last decade--might have to share honors with London this year. (below)
Still, setting fire at midnight to Harbour Bridge keeps the Aussies at the top of the pack. (Bridge firefall at 10.10)
Will London's Eye wheel be open again for weeks? Call the fire inspectors.
Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Dubai and many other cities have their midnight sky shows up on YouTube.
Clip: City of Sydney via Global News
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The BBC steals a page out of Sydney's top-ranked Harbour Bridge celebrations and centers a flawless ballet of images, drones, fireworks and sounds on and around the London Eye.
Feed starts as Big Ben begins to toll midnight ...
Clip: City of London via BBC
"Here's to the years that won't be back
The days that dodged away
and left us here to play
a completely different game now ... "
The one song you need at midnight.
Gulp.
Clip: Dave Frishberg - The Dear Departed Past
An hour of Brazilian party music, starting with Flor de lis, Djavan's near-national anthem.
Filipi Luchi is the infectious lead vocalist on many of the pop clips featuring Quinteto S.A.
Quinteto S.A: Filipi Luchi. Vocals and Cavaquinho; Dodo Dias. tambourine; Edson Jr.; Serginho Brazil. Tantan; Rapha Hardt. Guitar
Clip: O Melhor da MPB em Ritmo de Pagode com a Banda Quinteto S.A.
"Kiss today goodbye
And point towards tomorrow
Wish me luck ... the same to you .... "
Clip: Shirley Bassey - What I Did For Love (1979 Show #3)
Song: Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban / from A Chorus Line ( 1975 )
"Another year has come and gone
Who cares if time gives us a licking
It's like that famous wrist watch
We just keep on ticking ... '
Clip: Michael Franks - The Kiss ( Sleeping Gypsy / Rhino ) 2003
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A staple on every variety show of the era, Maurice and Gregory were the Hines Brothers.
Broadway and movies included Eubie!, Sophisticated Ladies, The Cotton Club and Jelly's Last Jam. Plus dozens of appearances on Carson's Tonight Show.
In a clip above, Maurice dances in white spats.
Gregory died in 2003.
Clip: Gregory and Maurice Hines - Crazy Rhythm! - The Cotton Club ( 1984 )
Quinteto S.A, Brazil's top pagode prompters, doubles up as Quintal do Quinteto to offer some pre-New Year's party prep.
J.Bosco is a Brazilian cartoonist
Amorim is a celebrated Brazilian cartoonist.
Grab a stick and consider the cleverness of crows, along with some peckers, shafts and holes.
Web weirdo Zefrank clowns out a not-so-funny year.
Clip: Zefrank / Crows That Hunt With Sticks
"Even more amazing,
it just missed the visitor center ... "
--Richard Dragin
"I keep it on so that everyone will know
I went skiing that one time six years ago."
Ali Solomon / newyorker.com
Everybody's talking about Flash Gordon, cartoonist Alex Raymond's new space guy.
It's 1934.
Space hero Flash Gordon, his girlfriend Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov travel to the new planet of Mongo by rocket, where they meet evil ruler Ming the Merciless and his daughter Princess Aura.
Above, Flash (Buster Crabbe) jumps from rocket ship to rocket ship by parachute. He survived in comics, radio, TV, serials, and movies most of the 20th century.
"I think the contabulator wire shorted and the flux resistor (flux capacitors are found only in Delorians) added extra pressure to the rotary piston causing internal combustion. That is why he bailed out..."
Clip: Flash Gordon parachutes from a rocketship
"Lips are for kissing, my rabbits
If you've been missing the best of habits
Go find yourself a smooch-er
And you'll enjoy the future...
Have a ball, what's the diff if you goof
Give your all
Before this silly old, will-nilly old world goes poof ... "
Peggy Lee, with our annual reminder.
Clip: Peggy Lee - Life is for Living ( 1959 ) Capitol Records
Song: Sammy Cahn
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@VImessenjah