• It's been a long and windy road, but it looks like Gisele Bundchen's quest to sell off her NYC real estate holdings is complete. Less than a month after she went into contract to sell her townhouse at 42 Barrow Street, the supermodel and new mom has officially sealed the deal. An entity identified as Barrow Street LLC paid $12.95 million for the 5,000-square-foot home, which is $1 million less than what she was seeking when she put it on the market in September. It's Gisele's second sale in recent weeks: She unloaded her triplex penthouse on West 11th Street back in November for $4.4 million. [Cityfile]

• You heard that Charlie Sheen was arrested on Christmas Day for threatening to kill his wife Brooke Mueller with a knife, right? Forget all about it, please. Really. According to Mueller, it was just "one bad night," she and Sheen really "love each other," and they're going to work out all their issues on their own, so she's asked a judge to drop the order of protection that she'd requested last week. Why the sudden turnaround? Rumor has it Sheen's willingness to renegotiate the couple's pre-nup may have encouraged Mueller to change her tune. [NYDN, NYP]
• Sorry, ladies: Rosie O'Donnell is officially off the market: The comedian has confirmed she's dating Tracy Kachtick-Anders, a Texas-based artist and "inventor." And it seems the couple met thanks to Rosie's blog, since Tracy is a regular commenter on the site. Cute! [People, Gawker]
• Susan Sarandon hasn't confirmed that she's dating Jonathan Bricklin, the three-decades-younger ping-pong aficionado who she was first linked to last week. But they were spotted sharing a late-night meal earlier this week. [P6]
• Right-wing blowhard (and longtime prescription drug user) Rush Limbaugh was rushed to a hospital yesterday after complaining of chest pains. [NYP]

Diane von Furstenberg's spent the past week on the slopes in Aspen; today she'll celebrate her 63rd birthday. Other people turning a year older on New Year's Eve: Val Kilmer is turning 50. Bebe Neuwirth is 51. Anthony Hopkins turns 73. Ben Kingsley is turning 66. Donald Trump Jr. is 32. Famed attorney Joe Flom is 86. Real estate developer Ed Minskoff is 69. Author Nicholas Sparks turns 44. Donna Summers is 61. Gong Li is turning 44. And New Kids on the Block alum Joey McIntyre is 37 as of today. A bunch of people celebrating tomorrow below.

• Will the LeRoy family be permitted to auction off Tavern on the Green's "disco lighting," logoed canopy, "revolving coat-check system," and wood paneling next month as they'd hoped? It seems a judge will have to decide. [Bloomberg]
• The week in reviews: Time Out's Jay Cheshes pans Le Caprice, calling it "overhyped" and "bland"; the Times' Sam Sifton hands out a star to Brooklyn's Purple Yam; and Alan Richman of GQ raves about Danny Meyer's Maialino.
• A woman has filed a negligence suit against White Slab Palace on the LES: She says a 150-pound stuffed moose head came crashing down on her. [WPIX]
• Lists: The Post's Steve Cuozzo shares his favorite dishes for winter; Sam Sifton lists 11 memorable dishes he consumed in 2009; the Times recaps its $25-and-under favorites this year; and a "best of '09" list via the WSJ.
• The forthcoming Shake Shack in Nolita will sport a rooftop terrace. [Eater]
• A bunch more NYE dining options, in case you're interested. [GS, Gothamist]

[December 30. Photo: Flickr/damonabnormal]

• You may not be able to tune into Fox as of tomorrow. The feud between News Corp. and Time Warner Cable has yet to be resolved, and if a deal isn't reached in the next day, you'll have to go elsewhere for your Simpsons reruns. [THR]
• There was no Christmas miracle for Harvey and Bob Weinstein this year. With Nine underperforming at the box office since its release two weeks ago, the brothers are now on the hunt for more cash to stay solvent. [Reuters, NYP]
• Condé Nast's war on the mystery hackers who managed to infiltrate the company's computer system in recent months is intensifying. [NYP]
• Remember when magazine readers would write letters to the editor? It turns out it isn't the most popular communication channel these days. [WWD]
• Susan Boyle is still No. 1 on the music charts. Well done, America. [EW]
• Sex doesn't sell when it comes to marketing movies. Allegedly. [CNN]

You can now zoom down the New York State Thruway and surf the web at the same time! Thanks State Thruway Authority! [NYT]

Not that this should come as news, but socialite Tinsley Mortimer isn't really dating Constantine Maroulis, the long-haired sixth-place finalist on the fourth season of American Idol. It's a "showmance," which means Maroulis signed a contract with the CW to play the role of the Tinz's love interest on Empire State, her upcoming reality show.

"The Top of the Rock observation deck gives visitors a 360-degree, panoramic view of New York City, and is located in what famous skyscraper?" When 300 randomly selected NYC residents were asked that question, 34 percent said they didn't know. Another 41 percent responded that it's on top of the Empire State Building. [NYT/City Room]

Bernie Madoff is back in his cell after a nearly two-week stay in the prison hospital. He'll be ringing in 2010 in the dark, though: The Butner Federal Correctional Complex turns off the lights at 11pm. [AP]

That unattended (and possibly nefarious) van in Times Square that prompted the NYPD to call in the bomb squad this morning and order the evacuation of thousands of workers in the area? It was nothing. And it's possible the van could have been sitting there for, like, months but no one took notice of it until now: "It wasn't clear how long the van had been there. A similar-looking van in the same location appeared on Google Street View in warmer weather, which suggests it could have been there for a while." [AP]

Jimmy Kimmel walking around SoHo yesterday with friends ... Diane Kruger shopping for baby clothes on the Upper East Side ... Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon arriving at JFK ... Sarah Jessica Parker walking to the public library in the West Village with son James ... Bethenny Frankel leaving Rockefeller Center yesterday after an appearance on the Today show... Ugly Betty's America Ferrera walking her dog on Broadway, just south of Union Square ... Catherine Zeta-Jones signing autographs outside the Walter Kerr Theatre on Monday night ... and Brad Pitt carrying daughter Shiloh on the set of Salt at Pier 66.

Thanks to a snafu in Congress that dates back to 2001, the estate tax won't apply during 2011. (The tax, which lays claim to half of a person's estate provided they have more than $3.5 million in assets, will return in 2011.) If you're thinking that legal technicality might encourage some rich people to try and hold off on dying until the ball drops in Times Square, well, you're right on the money. [WSJ]

• David Boies—the famed trial lawyer who represented Al Gore in the contested presidential election of 2000, and counts Michael Moore, George Steinbrenner, Calvin Klein, and Harvey Weinstein as a few of his high-profile clients—has picked up a new apartment on Fifth Avenue. Boies and his third wife Mary paid $7.75 million for a 35th-floor apartment at the Sherry-Netherland. The couple snagged a healthy discount, too. The seven-room spread first went on the market for $9.95 million in April. [Cityfile, WBM]

• Did you hear the story that made the rounds yesterday about how Tiger Woods' wife Elin whacked the golf champ in the face with a 9-iron after she discovered text messages from Rachel Uchitel, and the injuries he sustained in the aftermath (a fractured cheekbone, two cracked teeth) forced him to fly to Phoenix to have reconstructive surgery and explains why he's been out of public sight all this time? It probably isn't true, unfortunately, but it sure is an entertaining tale, isn't it? Also not true: The dubious reports that Tiger Woods has gone to rehab or is now shacking up with Rachel Uchitel, the later of which you can credit Uchitel herself with spreading as she desperately tries to cling to the spotlight. [DM, P6]
• Joe Halderman, the man accused of extorting David Letterman, has come up with a new—and very creative—defense. In a new court filing, his lawyer argues that if it isn't a crime for Tiger Woods' mistresses to seek payouts to keep their mouths shut, Halderman's attempt to get the TV host to pay him to stay silent about Letterman's flings shouldn't be a crime either. [NYDN]
• In addition to all the other horrible stuff he's accused of, Michael Lohan's ex-fiancée Erin Muller says he once beat her with a stilletto heel and "put a lit cigarette out on her scalp," too. Lohan's lawyer claims Muller is making it all up. And Michael himself has taken to Twitter to accuse Muller of drug abuse and incest. Because he's classy like that. [P6, TMZ, Twitter]
• Susan Sarandon was spotted sharing crepes with a younger guy at 2am in the Village the other night, but it wasn't Jonathan Bricklin, her ping-pong club business partner and supposed man-friend, alas. [NYDN]

Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer share more than a studio at Rockefeller Center—they're both celebrating their birthdays today, too. (She's turning 56; he's 52.) Embattled nightlife entrepreneur Amy Sacco is 42. Fox News' Sean Hannity is turning 48. LeBron James is 25. Allen Grubman, the mega entertainment lawyer and father of Lizzie, turns 67 today. Patti Smith is 63. Comedian Tracey Ullman is 50. WCBS reporter Marcia Kramer is turning 61. Movie director Bennett Miller is 43. Norman Goodman, the city's county clerk and the man responsible for sending you those jury summonses on a regular basis, is 86. Actress Eliza Dushku is turning 29. R&B singer Tyrese is 31. Former madam Heidi Fleiss is turning 44. And a golfer by the name of Tiger Woods is celebrating his 34th birthday today.

[December 29. Photo: Flickr/chrisinphilly5448]

• How did World News anchor Diane Sawyer do in her first week? Better than Katie Couric, but not as well as Brian Williams. (So-so, in other words.) [NYT]
• TV news: MSNBC is taking heat for not really covering the attempted terror attack on Christmas Day; NBC News has been scolded by a journalism ethics committee; CNN's ratings were down 30 percent in 2009, more than any other cable network; and ethics-free Fox News just recorded its best year ever.
• Comedy Central has canceled The Jeff Dunham Show, thankfully. [NYT]
• Know how TV networks give you the programming for free, but pay their bills by airing commercials? Yea, well, it isn't the best business model, FYI. [AP]
• How many product placements appear in Avatar? A bunch! [Brandchannel]
• Charlie Sheen's arrest hasn't hurt ratings of Two and a Half Men. Phew! [LAT]
• How did TMZ get duped by that JFK photo? Harvey Levin isn't saying. [NYT]
• Editor & Publisher's last issue has shipped and will close down on Thu. [E&P]
• Legendary caricaturist David Levine died today. He was 83. [NYT]

We can't imagine you were thinking about spending New Year's Eve in the middle of Times Square shivering with a million or so other people. But if you were contemplating the idea, you'll be pleased to hear that the NYPD is beefing up security for the big event and will have "radiation and biological detection devices" on hand, "decontamination facilities" at the ready, and sniper teams in position. (All you need to bring is a hat and a flask of whiskey hidden in your pants, and you'll be good to go!) Oh, and if you notice anything suspicious, don't hesitate to take Mayor Bloomberg's advice: "If you see anything, they'll be plenty of police officers to talk to. Walk up and say, 'Hey, I may be wrong, but that guy looks nefarious.'" (Just be prepared to explain to the cop what "nefarious" means, of course.) [Fox5]

Add poor Ponzi schemers to the list of people who suffered during the recession of 2009. According to the AP, more than 150 investment schemes collapsed this year, compared to 40 in 2008. [AP, WSJ]