In a town full of power players and outsized egos, it takes hard work, a little luck and a certain amount of chutzpah to rise above the rest. The following 15 New Yorkers from fields as diverse as politics, fashion, entertainment, sports and the culinary arts were our brightest stars of the past decade, helping maintain the Big Apple’s rightful place as the center of everything current, exciting and vital.

1. Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue
2. Michael Bloomberg, Politician
3. James Gandolfini, Actor
4. Brooke Astor, Socialite and Philanthropist
5. Joe Torre, Baseball Manager

6. Mariah Carey, Singer
Billboard Magazine called Mariah Carey the most successful artist of the ’90s, but the 39-year-old diva got off on the wrong foot in the new millennium. Her relationship with Virgin Records ended in an emotional breakdown and her movie “Glitter” was widely panned by critics. But by decade’s end, the pop singer has returned to her throne atop the New York music scene. “The Emancipation of Mimi” was the best-selling album in the U.S. in 2005 and her most recent release “E=MC²” posted the biggest opening week sales of her career. But Carey’s success in the 2000s goes beyond her music. The singer married entertainer Nick Cannon in 2008 and her performance in “Precious” was the finest of Carey’s ever-evolving career.

7. Al Sharpton, Political Activist
8. Tom Colicchio, Celebrity Chef
9. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Actors
10. Madonna, Singer
11. Derek Jeter, Baseball Player
12. Robert De Niro, Actor
13. Eli Manning, New York Giants Quarterback
14. Rudy Giuliani, Politician
15. Jay-Z, Hip-hop Impresario

Source: New York Daily News

Live with Regis & Kelly

Format: MPG Size: 133 MB Capped by: Mariah Daily Year: 2009
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Source: February Sky

New York has no shortage of ways to ring in 2010, and one of the best is with a live soundtrack. The pop and jazz critics of The New York Times have chosen some of this year’s most promising New Year’s Eve events in the New York metropolitan region.

MARIAH CAREY New Year’s Eve as it should be: flamboyant, grand, emotionally conflicted, slightly manic, just a touch sloppy. Through all the iterations of Ms. Carey’s public image, the one constant has been her voice, which has never softened, even if it’s been underused in recent years. It’s almost certain, though, that in this show, the beginning of a two-month tour supporting her new “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel” (Island), she won’t be coy. There may be reveling elsewhere in the city, and an oversize scrum clogging Times Square just a few blocks away, but Ms. Carey’s performance is certain to be this night’s true spectacle. The bawdy R&B singer Trey Songz will open. At 9 p.m., Madison Square Garden, 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, Manhattan, (212) 465-6741, thegarden.com; $20.10 to $175.75.

Source: New York Times

More than 300 dancers performed to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” at Carousel Center, a mall in Syracuse, New York. With just one rehearsal these dancers created this amazing stunt!

Source: Carousel Center, Mariah Daily

December is the best month of the year to have a hit album. Album sales surge around this time every year as people search for last-minute Christmas and Hanukkah gifts. Some people who haven’t bought an album all year long will pick up a CD or two every December.

The list below shows the albums that sold the most copies in December of each of year since 1992. The artist’s name and album title are followed by the total number of copies the album sold that December.

Mariah Carey, Garth Brooks and Eminem each had the best-selling album of December twice.

1992: Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard soundtrack, 3,169,000

1993: Mariah Carey, Music Box, 1,706,000. This charted on Sept. 5 and wound up as the year’s #5 best-seller. It sold 95,000 more copies in December than the month’s runner-up, Snoop Doggy Dogg’s Doggystyle. Music Box featured back-to-back #1 hits, “Dreamlover” and “Hero.”

1994: Kenny G, Miracles-The Holiday Album, 2,550,000

1995: Mariah Carey, Daydream, 2,030,000. This charted on Oct. 8 and wound up as the year’s #4 best-seller. The album featured three consecutive #1 hits, “Fantasy,” “One Sweet Day” (with Boyz II Men) and “Always Be My Baby.”

1996: No Doubt, Tragic Kingdom, 1,548,000
1997: Garth Brooks, Sevens, 2,499,000
1998: Garth Brooks, Double Live, 2,157,000
1999: Celine Dion, All The Way…A Decade Of Song, 2,189,000
2000: The Beatles, 1, 3,205,000
2001: Creed, Weathered, 2,276,000
2002: Shania Twain, Up!, 1,409,000
2003: Alicia Keys, The Diary Of Alicia Keys, 1,701,000
2004: Eminem, Encore, 1,464,000
2005: Eminem, Curtain Call: The Hits, 1,383,000
2006: Hannah Montana TV soundtrack, 933,000
2007: Josh Groban, Noel, 2,183,000
2008: Britney Spears, Circus, 1,104,000
2009: Susan Boyle, I Dreamed A Dream, 1,770,000 (so far)

Source: Chart Watch

When she wasn’t dodging paparazzi while visiting Aspen on Monday, singer Mariah Carey was brightening the day for 35 abused and neglected kids.

Carey rented the city-owned Aspen Recreation Center for four hours Monday afternoon to throw a party that the invited youth probably won’t forget.

“This is an opportunity they haven’t had before,” said Jude Liguori-Oliver, child protection services administrator for the city and county of Denver. “Many of these kids haven’t been out of Denver. A lot of them haven’t been in the mountains.”

The kids scurried up the recreation center’s climbing wall, swam in the pool and floated on the Lazy River, went ice skating, and were entertained by jugglers, magicians and storytellers, some of whom were dressed as elves. All of the kids were between ages 9 and 12. The child protection services department is working to get the children in safe and permanent homes — with their families whenever practical.

After playing at the ARC, the kids got a visit from Santa Claus, who was accompanied by Carey and her husband, Nick Cannon. The trio pulled up in a sleigh on wheels pulled by reindeer.

The children definitely knew their celebrity host. “Oh absolutely. As soon as she got off the sleigh they started screaming, ‘Mariah, Mariah, Mariah,” Liguori-Oliver said.

A specially decorated winter scene was created at the ARC where each child got to individually visit with Santa, flanked by Carey and Cannon. A professional photographer snapped their pictures, which each child will receive. On the bus ride home, the 35 kids and 15 staff members watched Christmas movies purchased by Carey. The 16-hour day was well worth it.

“It was just all about the kids,” Liguori-Oliver said. “We are very grateful. Mariah is a celebrity that gives back.”

Carey couldn’t be immediately reached for comment Tuesday through her publicist. She has a history of throwing parties in Aspen for less fortunate kids. She has hosted children selected by Liguori-Oliver for three years. The previous two winters they congregated at Bumps Restaurant at Buttermilk and went tubing in a special area created by the Aspen Skiing Co. Some locals said Carey has been hosting parties for the kids for about 10 years.

Carey is a longtime Aspen visitor, particularly around the holidays. She is usually tracked by celebrity photographers. Numerous online gossip sites tend to focus on what she’s wearing. There is rarely mention of her efforts to help underprivileged kids, and she didn’t visibly seek publicity for this year’s party. Word spread this year because it involved a public facility. Patrons were curious about why it was closed.

The recreation center was closed to the public between noon and 4 p.m., city recreation director Tim Anderson said Tuesday. Carey rented the facility for $1,000 per hour.

A man who helped Carey organize the party contacted the city about one week ago with an inquiry. Typically, the city wants to give ARC patrons more notice when there is a closure but Anderson and his staff felt the cause warranted the temporary inconvenience.

“It was a good thing. We felt a celebrity doing something for kids was a good thing,” he said.

City taxpayers benefited as well. The ARC’s total revenues for Monday were about twice as much as on Dec. 21 last year, according to Anderson.

The community recreation center is available for rent on a case-by-case basis. There is no set fee, but Anderson said the rent is higher in the evening, when the facility draws more customers. Carey’s party worked well because it was in the afternoon, which isn’t quite as busy, Anderson said. Anderson and Carey’s representatives negotiated a rent deemed fair to both sides.

“This was for some less fortunate kids so we held the price down a little bit,” Anderson said.

Source: Aspen Times

Under The Skin Of Mariah Carey – 4Music (Channel 4) Special

Format: WMV Size: Part One: 228.2 MB Part Two: 321.7 MB Part Three: 201 MB Capped by: Mariah Daily Year: 2009
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[ Part Two: DOWNLOAD MEGAUPLOAD | WATCH | SCREEN CAPTURES]
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Source: February Sky

I know I’ve been quite slow updated the gallery and videos I’ve just been really busy with my kids and sorting out Christmas, everything will be back to normal after the Holidays

Meanwhile here are some pictures of Mariah in Aspen…

MARIAH CAREY & NICK CANNON, ASPEN, COLORADO, DECEMBER 20TH, 2009

Source: February Sky, Mariah Source

Interview – Verissimo Canale5

Format: MPG Size: 96.5 MB Capped by: Mariah Daily Year: 2009
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Source: February Sky