Reporters’ Notebook

A BLOOD DRIVE WAS HELD AT THE HARD ROCK HOTEL on New Year's Day. Officials said they weren't worried about donors showing up with too much alcohol in their system after a night of New Year's Eve revelry.

Donors with a lack of iron in their blood -- a common effect from excessive alcohol use -- are rejected, one employee said.

Besides, she said, folks with hangovers don't want needles stuck in their arms.

SCOTT WYLAND

NEARLY TWO HOURS BEFORE THE NEW YEAR'S EVE fireworks finale, one young woman in a tiny black dress apparently succumbed to the revelry.

She collapsed into her friend's arms on the Strip outside Paris Las Vegas. The crowd cheered.

When her friend's efforts to revive her failed, he let go and she conked her head on the asphalt. The crowd cheered again.

Eventually, several people came to help.

RICHARD LAKE

OVERHEARD ON THE SCANNER: "Get me a double double while you guys are out."

WORST PLACES TO HAVE VIEWED THE NEW YEAR'S EVE FIREWORKS show this year on the Strip:

1. From anywhere on the Strip

2. From anywhere else on the Strip

JOHN SEDO'S PATRIOTISM TOWARD AMERICA is second to none. Especially for a Canadian.

For eight years running, Sedo, from Alberta, has spent New Year's Eve on Fremont Street.

Sedo said he keeps coming to Las Vegas in part because he favors the United States to the Great White North.

"I love America more than my own country," he said. "I think I was born in the wrong country."

As proof of his claim, Sedo showed a reporter his cell phone. The monitor had a picture of an American flag on it.

His big wish for 2009, however, was something most everyone wants.

"I hope we don't have World War III."

DAVID KIHARA

KEVIN SCHAUB, 39, OF LAS VEGAS said he a good plan for beating New Year's Eve traffic, but it was vetoed by his girlfriend.

He wanted to leave their car parked alongside I-15 with its emergency lights on.

JAMES HAUG

TWO GUYS FROM SAN DIEGO CREATED A "WOOOOOO" wave on New Year's Eve as they made their way north on the Strip in front of Planet Hollywood Resort.

They screamed wildly as they stumbled forward, more or less, drinking from the spouts of one-gallon gas cans.

Really.

"Shell station, baby," said Javier Lopez, 26, whose gas can was full of vodka and juice.

"Wooooooo," said his friend, Tony Garcia, stumbling away.

RICHARD LAKE