Santa Monica Residents and Visitors Welcome the New Year

In contrast to the rest of the country, local weather was a balmy 53 degrees Farenheit in Santa Monica Sunday night as residents and visitors welcomed 2018.

Santa Monica had a mostly quiet New Years Eve 2017-2018. Some say that on evenings such as New Years Eve, Uber, Lyft and other ridesharing apps have transformed LA, since people are able to stay out late and drink, then return safely and legally home.

The SMPD tweeted: "Whether it is drugs or alcohol, if someone is impaired, they're a danger to themselves and others. Remember - designate a sober driver or use alternate transportation services. Happy New Year. Don't blow it! #DUIDoesntJustMeanBOOZE #DontDrinkAndDrive #ChooseYourRide". Police posted a photo of a car that was half police car, half taxi.

Sales of recreational marijuana became legal at the stroke of midnight. There are as yet no pot shops in Santa Monica, though Urba sells weed just outside the City limits on Pico Blvd.

The Malibu Bay Club and Marina del Rey both hosted fireworks displays at 9 pm Sunday night. Midnight fireworks displays are pretty much banned on the Westside, after a certain fireworks controversy involving Kim Kardashian 5 years back.

In New York's time square, Mariah Careh pulled off a feathery but flawless New Years eve performance, without the lip syncing and sound errors evident last year . Said the New York Times:

"It paid off. In a made-for-television act of pop culture redemption, Ms. Carey's performance made it to the finish line, except for the desire for hot tea. In subzero wind chill, who could blame her?

After "Hero" finished, the camera went back to (Ryan) Seacrest. "And that is why she is Mariah Carey," Mr. Seacrest said. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/01/arts/mariah-carey-new-years-eve.html?action=click&contentCollection=Asia%20Pacific&module=Trending&version=Full®ion=Marginalia&pgtype=article

New Year's Day, the Moon reaches an extreme perigee distance of 221,559 miles. When these events coincide (a full moon at perigee), it's called a "supermoon."

This will be the "biggest full moon of 2018," and the difference in the Moon's apparent size, compared with when it is positioned at its average distance from Earth, will be 7.3 percent. While that variation is not readily apparent to observers who are viewing the Moon directly, it is the first Supermoon on New Year's Day since 1937.

https://www.space.com/39243-new-years-day-supermoon-2018-really-so-super.html