Hello, Everybody!

Got this article via my Yahoo Alerts on Bette. You can do it, too -
it's easy!

This is an article on the Huffington Post site, by Andrea Chalupa:

"Bette Midler's Hulaween Ball: A Great Investment"

Last night, at Bette Midler's annual Hulaween Ball in the Waldorf
Astoria, the eco-diva raised $2-3 million for New York's Restoration
Project. Ticket prices were $630 for balcony seats to $63,000 a table
to raise money for an organization that clean-ups and revitalizes
community gardens and underserved parks in NYC.

The evening started off with Ms. Midler, dressed as a bloody chef,
working the room with the evening's MC, comedienne Kathy Griffin--in
an Uncle Sam-like get-up, urging guests to buy trees at $100 a pop for
the City of New York.

It's an amazing feeling to buy a tree; something that's going to last
through many a' economic cycle. It could in fact be the best
investment around. You can buy one too at NYRP's Plant a Tree.

Speaking of the economy, guests included Jimmy Buffett, dressed as
Christopher Walken's SNL character The Continental, the
smoking-jacket-wearing, champagne drinking cosmetics king. Buffett is
set to ride this economic tsunami, considering he's in the market of
escapism and tailgating parties, which should be resilient and up in
this recession.

Also in attendance was disco Foremother Gloria Gaynor whose "I Will
Survive" should be the anthem of this economy and on the playlist of
all the recent layoffs, along with Kelis's Caught Out There.

Other guests included pop rocker Pink, wearing a huge, frothy magenta
wig, Jann Wenner dressed as Jann Wenner, designer Michael Kors sported
a rug-size mane of black, thick luscious hair as Priscilla Presley,
and Suze Orman looked like a bush of money with hundreds of fake
dollar bills glued or taped or whatever on her gold jacket.

A man coyly smiling behind a giant frame dressed as Mona Lisa won the
best costume award. Other notable costumes included a group of dudes
wearing sparkling, shimmering head-pieces modeled after Las Vegas
Casinos, a glittering Marilyn, and of course, a Sarah Palin, or two.
When one Palin walked by my table, I made sure to pull an Alec Baldwin
and tell her: "You're a horrible person." "I know, don't vote for me!"
came the response.

Having gone last year, this year's Hulaween was jam packed, with
dozens of people hanging from the balconies. Cobwebs, spooky trees as
table centerpieces, snakes, and glowing skulls decorated the tables of
the Waldorf's grand ballroom.

The night came to an energetic close with a live performance by Gloria
Estefan and her Miami Sound Machine, all in Goth. Estafan rocked it,
wearing a long black wig with bangs, looking very Elvira. They
performed the hits: "Get on Your Feet", "Y Tu Conga," and "Rhythm Is
Gonna Get You" with Midler and Griffin dancing and getting some mic
action on stage.

After the performance, Midler ecstatically thanked everyone for coming
out, acknowledging that these are "tough, tough, tough, tough times."

When that's the case, it's always nice to get transported to Miami
through the Sound Machine and do a little greening for New York.