Sunday, October 31, 2010

Late night open thread

Well kids, Johnny's off for some late fall vacation down time down east in Maine until next weekend. We figured we'd kick Zoltron and Kiki the hell out so Johnny doesn't come back to beer spilled in the AP teletype machine and the bamboo tree in the lobby decorated with women's underpants.

Have a great week dear readers and maybe we'll come back with some stories of the Maine woods and a recipe for lobster milkshakes.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Halloween at Grove St. this afternoon

A few shots of some awesome kids in Jersey City in some awesome costumes...



Happy Halloween to all the readers of the Jersey City Desk

And today we have something special for you on such a spooky day before we all prepare to head over for the West Village Halloween Parade later today. If you are brave enough, click HERE and you can read the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the classic American short story by Washington Irving.

Late night open thread

Saturday night scoreboard edition

Oregon 53
USC 32
Their defense isn't much but boy that Ducks offense is a rocketship daddy-o.

Iowa 37
Michigan St. 6
A Big Ten co-championship is looking likely for Sparty and about 3 other teams tonight.

Connecticut 16
West Virginia 13
This year West Virginia is dressing up as a good team for Halloween.

Syracuse 31
Cincinnati 7
What the hell got into Syracuse? Wheaties? Spinach? A contract with Satan?

Lehigh 44
Colgate 14
Lehigh is ramping it up each week towards this being a special season in Bethlehem Pa. They finish with three games now on the road. Odd scheduling, that.

Penn St. 41
Michigan 31
Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio has as many Big Ten wins (2) in Michigan Stadium as Rich Rodriguez does. Ponder that and wonder why RichRod is on the hot seat....again. A 4-16 all-time Big Ten record.

Florida Atlantic 21
Florida International 9
Anybody else think Florida just has too damned many football institutions?

Yale 31
Columbia 28
Columbia was behind 31-7 at halftime and rallied but came up just short up in New Haven today.

Tonight's Jersey City Desk Game of the Week®
Sacred Heart 26
Monmouth 25
Marcel Archer plunged in with the winning touchdown from a yard out with 51 seconds to play for Sacred Heart as they got power up and won the game. The win ends a seven year Monmouth mastery over Sacred Heart. Like it says on the bottom of the Heisman Trophy, 'You cannot stop Marcel Archer, you can only hope to contain him'.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Saturday, October 30, 2010

New this fall in NYC: Shake Me Down Elmo

More than likely this Elmo won't be a big seller at Christmas. A surly Elmo, who is said to be quite effervescent and swears like a sailor (and who Johnny saw on his way to the MoMA a couple weeks ago) has been darkening sidewalks around Times Square. The New York Daily News had reported of this bad Elmo back in 2009 and apparently he's still around. According to reports:

"(Elmo was) ...aggressively courting tourists' cash for pictures, and cursing them out when they refused to pay up. He even lunged at the Daily News photographer who snapped his picture..."

Elmo, when cornered said to a reporter he wasn't rude at all, in fact it's the other people being rude to him:

"I'm not being rude. Taking an Elmo picture without paying is rude..."

And we thought Bert was evil

So readers, what made for a great treat in your Halloween sacks?

So tell is this sunny Saturday in Cool City, what were the treats in your Halloween sack and what candies were the tricks?

Late night open thread

Johnny read the other day that this here website was ranked #92 of the top 100 hockey infotainment blogs. Yay us! To that end the Devils got a much needed win with a hard working shoulder to the wheel effort, 2-1 tonight in Anaheim. Patrik Elias cranked home the winner for New Jersey early in the third period past Ducks netminder Jonas Hiller. Martin Brodeur had 27 saves for the good guys. The Devils have a late game Saturday at Los Angeles against the Kings. No worries bunky, it's not a school night, you can stay up late, pop some corn and watch the Devils til 1 am. Sometimes in life you gotta stop and smell the equipment bag.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with JOHN LEE HOOKER!

Let's get all bluesy tonight and pay homage to a magnificent musical style. We'll kick it off with the incomparable John Lee Hooker and his classic 'Boogie Chillen'. Yes, we know it's spelled differently in the title. Trust Johnny.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with KOKO TAYLOR!

Blues night keeps rolling with the raw stylings of Koko Taylor with 'Cut You Loose'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with MUDDY WATERS!

We wrap up this Friday night blues cruise with Muddy Waters with 'Mannish Boy' from 1971

It's a construction kind of day in the Powerhouse Arts District

Johnny was off to have a cup of good morning America down by the river this AM and chanced across a pretty massive undertaking in front of 140 Bay St. For all the world it looks like the entire building was getting a makeover but we were told it's just the roof being replaced. Trucks and trucks worth of roofing materials, giant cranes, forklifts and an army of men all out on a raw Friday morning in our fair city.


Thursday, October 28, 2010

Late night open thread

Halloween costume fail night

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Halloween eggings around New York City, one way to wind up dead

Halloween is a lot of things to a lot of people. For some it's about taking the wee ones trick-or-treating, for some adults it's an excuse to get tarted up and hit the town for some parties. In the midwest there were always corn mazes and hayrides along with cider mills. For SOME on Halloween and the night before, Devil's Night (some in New Jersey call it 'mischief night' so we're correcting that mistake here), it's a reason to cause mayhem, soap windows, teepee trees with toilet paper and yes, for some, to pelt people and or property with eggs.

Trouble is with eggs is they can leave a nasty stain on a car or house. It's one reason people get so aggravated when they, or their property meets with an egging. In New York City since 1984 there have been at least 24 people seriously wounded or killed over Halloween eggings. Some were shot, stabbed, some were beaten but all seriously. The New York Times talks about some of these cases and how oddly similar so many of them turned out to be. To get your learn on over this holiday angst, click the link above and read the story.

And leave your eggs at home this weekend.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Late night open thread

It's home shopping night at the Jersey City Desk...


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Well, Governor Out-of-State is going to kill the new Hudson River tunnel again

Despite being shown the cost overrun is not as massive as the one Chris Christie invents in his own head of 5.3 billion (in actuality it's only around 1 billion and Christie knows this), Governor Gone, who yesterday was all about helping the GOP raise money in Indiana, is going to once again cancel the Hudson River train tunnel unless somebody else (read Obama Administration whom Christie will then blast for spending) pays for it. See, so it's really not about spending or deficits or any of that. So long as somebody else pays for it, Governor Christie is OK with the tunnel project.

As we've clearly seen these past couple months Chris Christie is not about personal responsibility, he's sure not about creating jobs, and he's really not that into serving the New Jersey taxpayers whom he claims to love because if he did he MIGHT spend some work days IN the state of New Jersey not off galavanting the nation looking to promote his own cause. Seriously Guv, how many days have you spent on the road these last few weeks? People here need JOBS (which this tunnel project would have provided in spades), not some bloviating angry white guy looking to settle scores and promote himself.

Get your head out of your behind and start acting like a governor for ALL the people of New Jersey, Chris.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Late night open thread

How about the Flametrick Subs ode to George Romero's classic American flick 'Night of the Living Dead' before bed tonight? When you toss in Satan's Cheerleaders you've got yourself one smoking hot Halloween carol.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

So Johnny got a press release from a Teabagger...

...and there's nothing Johnny detests more than a lack of fancy book learnin' being outright celebrated so sit back and enjoy readers...

Dear Anthony Zanowic (candidate for NJ's 13th congressional district),

While we here at the Jersey City Desk love getting email from our readers, and yes we will act on press releases we think might move the local discussion along, we're not a mouthpiece for your extremist views either. Yes, Johnny thinks the Tea Party is nothing more than (Republican) anger with zero solutions behind it. Everything is Obama's fault (And it was the last guy who dropped America into a second depression, not the black guy, let's get that straight Tea Party), and the way to all encompassing prosperity isn't more tax cuts for the wealthy while cutting education. That's not what fueled the economic boom times of the 90's now was it?

Mr. Zanowic, Americans and especially people in NJ-13 need jobs. Jobs and jobs and jobs and yet your press release sent to the Jersey City Desk was nothing but faux right-wing outrage over poor Juan Williams getting sacked from NPR. How many jobs will this trumped up news story create? Exactly.

Know what else Johnny detests about the Teapublican movement? They deny science. After being presented with science fact they merely claim that God hasn't weighed in on that particular topic yet. Sorry, this immediately disqualifies a candidate in the Jersey City Desk's viewpoint. Science is science and denying it makes you look like a troglodyte.

So, Mr. Zanowic, next time have your staff or whomever sends out your press releases do a little research on whom you are sending it to.

Oh, and if you wanted to be the GOP candidate so badly maybe you should have won the primary.

Sincerely,
Johnny

Monday, October 25, 2010

Late night open thread

A trip to the side of ultimate darkness tonight before bed. As All Hallow's Eve approaches expect more Shocktober offerings sure to scare you out of your wits.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Holland Tunnel backups are no longer measured in miles but years

The Holland Tunnel is about to get a lot more congested and that'll mean traffic backups for at least the next five years. The Port Authority warns of a water main repair project that will keep the tunnel’s Hudson Street approach in Manhattan closed for five years.

Yes, five years. So all you crazy kids coming off of the Turnpike extension and or route 139 heading for the Holland Tunnel are going to have to be patient. We figure while you're being patient you can wonder about Governor Christie's plan to kill the new commuter tunnel so he can pretend he cares about saving money (1 whole billion dollars which the USA blows in Iraq roughly every day) all while turning New Jersey into nothing more than a bigger parking lot for NYC.

From the NY side of the tunnel the Jersey Journal tells us:

The tunnel’s Varick, Broom and Canal street entrances will remain open, and northbound motorists on West Street will be allowed to turn right onto Canal to access the tunnel.

Sit tight and turn up the radio kids, it's gonna be a long slog...

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Late night open thread

For the third straight season Johnny's Cleveland Browns beat the reigning world champions when they beat New Orleans today. Last year it was Pittsburgh and the Giants the year before who tasted the wrath of the Browns. It's just those other 15 games against the dregs of the league that seem to stump the Browns.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The Devils really have some issues

Not the kind of issues that can be remedied when players come back from being injured and contribute or a player being added via a trade to address a problem position. No, John MacLean, the Devils rookie head coach took it upon himself to bench $100 million dollar winger Ilya Kovalchuk before yesterday's disheartening 6-1 drubbing by the lowly Sabres. The players weren't told nor did they hear Kovalchuk was being benched until they arrived for the game at The Rock. The Devils couldn't even dress a full roster a couple nights because they were right up against the salary cap because they gave Kovalchuk $100 million dollars and now he's sitting out.

There seems to be something less than magical with the Devils makeup this season and makeup is something they'd better learn because at this rate they'll be trying to makeup ground all season just to make the playoffs.

Uneasy is the head that wears the Atlantic Division crown...

Late night open thread

Saturday night scoreboard edition

Missouri 36
Oklahoma 27
Oregon will no doubt take over #1 in the land after this result

Ohio State 49
Purdue 0
At the beginning of the football day around noon Johnny told Mrs. Johnny that Ohio State was going to swat Purdue like bugs to make up for the loss last week. The score Johnny predicted was 50-0. Johnny wins both showcases

Pitt 41
Rutgers 21
Too much Pitt defense for Rutgers to keep up with today

Michigan State 35
Northwestern 27
Next Saturday at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Michigan State will play their most important football game since 1966

Lehigh 32
Bucknell 10
Lehigh begins to pull away from the Patriot League

Syracuse 19
West Virginia 14
Tonight in Morgantown they're only burning the orange couches

Virginia 48
Eastern Michigan 21
After breaking a hideously long 16 game losing streak last week sadly we feel the Hurons may have started another one tonight

Penn State 33
Minnesota 21
Joe Paterno is holding raffles to play quarterback anymore

Maryland 24
Boston College 21
Fear the Turtows

Morehead State 21
Butler 20
Such a close game with thousands of people yelling for Morehead

Tonight's Jersey City Desk Game of the Week®
Navy 35
Notre Dame 17
Navy went 43 years in a row without beating Notre Dame. Now they've done is 3 times in 4 years. And that's hilarious

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Rutgers football gameday!

The Scarlet Knights will kick off, albeit with heavy hearts, in Pittsburgh today as they line up against the Panthers. Pitt will have a very nice tribute to Rutgers' Eric LaGrand who was tragically paralyzed from the neck down last week vs. Army.

The temptation for Rutgers to say "win one for Eric" is strong but let johnny pass along a story from long ago. Johnny was on his high school team and as usual, the team had lost that Friday night. Johnny got a phone call early the next morning to learn one of his friends and teammates and a team captain had been killed by a drunk driver along with two other classmates. The team had an upcoming game vs. Byron, an undefeated team well on their way to the state playoffs in Michigan. Johnny's team was merely a speed bump in their path. After one of the most difficult weeks of practice mentally, including a funeral, the coaching staff told us something very very wise, which was rather unusual for them. They told us don't try and win one for Ed. Imagine the crushing feeling you'll have if you fall behind to this team and you'll think you're letting Ed down. They instead told us to play like Ed would have played. Play every down like you were Eddie V. Our team did that cold Byron night, played like Ed would have wanted. The final score that night is burned into Johnny's brain; Brandon 12 Byron 6.

Hopefully the Rutgers coaching staff will have a similar message to the Scarlet Knights today. Play hard like Eric LaGrand did. Play all afternoon like Eric LaGrand would have. Make no mistake, life does go on and this is an important game for Rutgers in league play. A great season is still possible but the road games next two weeks will tell that story.

Today we hope for a cathartic experience for the Rutgers team and Coach Greg Schiano.

Our call?
Rutgers 27
Pitt 24

Big neighborhood clean-up in the Powerhouse Arts District today

This was passed along via the old email yesterday. It seems some residents in the PAD are readers of the Jersey City Desk and we're glad to have them.

Yes neighborhood clean-up fans, the residents in the P.A.D. are grabbing shovels and rakes and other implements of destruction and heading out and getting their hands dirty making their section of Jersey City a little cleaner.

The PADNA website (Powerhouse Arts District Neighborhood Association) says if you're gonna help out to meet at the Warehouse Cafe at the corner of Bay St. and Provost @ 10 am and the event runs until noon so you'll be home in time to catch some college football, a farmer's market or just a nice fall afternoon out and about in your own yard.

Be there, aloha.

Late night open thread

"At some point during almost every romantic comedy, the female lead suddenly trips and falls, stumbling helplessly over something ridiculous like a leaf, and then some Matthew McConaughey type either whips around the corner just in the nick of time to save her or is clumsily pulled down along with her. That event predictably leads to the magical moment of their first kiss. Please. I fall ALL the time. You know who comes and gets me? The bouncer."
— Chelsea Handler

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday, October 22, 2010

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE CHAMBERS BROTHERS!

All the way back to 1966 hipsters with a classic from the Chambers Brothers. This is one of those songs you know from note one. A very unique blend of sounds and it's one song that doesn't need any more cowbell.

'Time Has Come Today'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with JOE STRUMMER!

Historic audio tonight kids. Here is Joe Strummer playing an encore from his final live show at Liverpool University only a short month before his tragic passing. Phenomenal to hear the crowd signing right along with Joe. Johnny has a theory that when you write amazing and socially blistering lyrics people like to sing your songs outloud at volume.

The new groups are not concerned
With what there is to be learned
They got Burton suits, ha you think it's funny
Turning rebellion into money

All over people changing their votes
Along with their overcoats
If Adolf Hitler flew in today
They'd send a limousine anyway

Joe Strummer with '(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with NEKO CASE!

Johnny heard this Neko gem on the iTunes a day or so ago. Circus animals have such great lives don't they?

Neko Case with 'The Tigers Have Spoken'.

We're guessing 'amicable' = cash

Hey hey Hoboken, Buddy Valastro, FuHo's own Cake Boss WILL get to keep that show name after all. TLC (The Learning Channel which has very little to do with the actual Learning part) has come to an "amicable" outcome with Masters Software that owned the rights to the name CakeBoss for a software product they own.

No word of how much "amicability" costs these days but we're guessing it wasn't cheap.

At one point Discovery which owns TLC tried to get the Masters Software suit over the name thrown out as they argued 'television shows always win'. You of course remember the 'television shows always win' case from your schoolbooks along with Brown v Board of Education, Roe v Wade, and Bush v Gore. Luckily for the laws in America, 9th Circuit Judge Richard A. Jones was having none of that legal hash.

So, let's eat cake...

Johnny read this headline and thought something completely different...

OK, we are not making fun of this man nor the reason he decided to try and take his own life but this headline had Johnny asking "Whaaaaaaa?"

'Marlboro man shoots himself near town hall, Board of Education building'

Johnny was certain THE Marlboro Man had passed away in the last couple years of lung cancer so this particular headline seemed a tad odd...

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Late night open thread

Police in Los Angeles had good luck with a robbery suspect who just couldn't control himself during a lineup. When detectives asked each man in the lineup to repeat the words: "Give me all your money or I'll shoot", the man shouted, "That's not what I said!"

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Trump Tower is getting a couple new tenants this January

The Trump Tower here in Jersey City (King of all buildings that have purple lighting) is adding some new business this upcoming January. Buon Italia, a specialty food store located at Chelsea Market in Manhattan will be expanding and opening it's doors on the first floor after the first of the year. Also opening in the Trump Tower is a dentist's office and an organic nail salon. It was impressed upon Johnny by intern Kiki that an organic nail salon was indeed a good thing and her Thursday afternoons were now going to be booked.

Good help, it's at the nail salon on Thursdays.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Late night open thread

Coca Cola was originally green. It's a fact...


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

A debate Thursday night in Ward B should help you choose a candidate

A debate with the Ward B candidates, for the election on November 2nd will be held tomorrow night (Thursday October 21) and a Jersey City Desk regular wanted us to hip you to this important event. The particulars are as follows:

Thursday, October 21 · 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location Duffy Hall
725 West Side Ave.
Jersey City, NJ

Created By: The Jersey City Independent

More Info: There will be a special election for the Ward B City Council seat on November 2. Come meet the candidates at this West Bergen Lincoln Park Neighborhood Coalition/Jersey City Independent forum and find out what they stand for.

Candidates attending: David Donnelly (incumbent), Earlin Thomas, Diane Verlingo and Esther Wintner.

For more info, call 201-344-2060 or email info@jerseycityindependent.com.

Now that's news you can use out there in Ward B

ShowClix, EPIC FAIL

The New York Public Libarry is having a discussion forum with Mr. Keith Richards on October 29th. Unfortunately a company calling itself ShowClix is "handling" the ticket sales. The regular tickets are not on sale yet but tickets to friends of the NY Public Libarry (of which Johnny and Mrs. Johnny are) were supposed to be available today.

This is where the ShowClix EPIC FAIL comes into play. First off since their website kept coming back 503 and unavailable all Johnny could do was keep trying through his Firefox or Safari browsers which he did. Oh did he. Again and again he tried only instead of when he entered information the website always simply took him back to the event site. Yes, Johnny saw that, it's why he wanted tickets. Big time failure for ShowClix's website. Unavailable to unreliable in ten minutes (In fact Johnny spent 50 minutes trying to get the website to work as it should have and NEVER DID get tickets to this event). Then there was the long long long wait (over a half hour) where NOBODY came on the line. Only a recording saying they suddenly had more call volume than they knew what to do with (Well run company there ShowClix) as well as a message begging those on hold to talk up ShowClix on Facebook and other social media.

So, Johnny IS talking about ShowClix in the social media. They make you wish the event was done by TicketMaster and that's REALLY pathetic. Any time you the consumer wish an event was being done by TicketMaster, it's a sad day.

So citizens, the next time you see an event is being run by ShowClix, walk, don't run away from it. ShowClix lists (in their metatags are what bring up their name when you do a Google or Yahoo! search) the following terms in their metatags:

"...box office solutions, web ticket sales, web-based ticketing, online event registration, ticketmaster alternative, fair ticketing fund, showclix, showclicks, show clix, show clicks"

Well, we're adding another metatag for ShowClix....EPIC FAIL

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Late night open thread

It's ON Devils fans. Johnny got his tickets for the December 11 game when the hockey empire comes to town.

That night will redefine the title 'Boardwalk Empire'.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Leroy Reaves does NOT need the Clint Eastwood box set of DVD's this Christmas

Jersey City's own Leroy Reaves is already living the Clint Eastwood life. According to his own tenants, Reaves was told they would be having a guest stay over at their apartment. This must not have registered with landlord Reaves who, hearing the downstairs shower running let himself inside the unit and confronted the guest with his handgun. Not just confronted, more like menaced if the guest is to be believed.

The Jersey Journal picks it up at the confrontation part:

The victim said Reaves forced him to put some clothes on and once in the kitchen pressed the gun against him saying "Make this easy on me, pick up that knife".

Woooooo, how Dirty Harry.

But unlike Harry Callahan, San Francisco PD, Mr. Reaves is not a cop which makes pointing a gun at the head of one of your tenant's guests a bad thing. Police arrived on the scene after being called by the house guest and police took great measures to get Mr. Reaves to come out and discuss his actions. They banged on the door, blasted their sirens, used loudspeakers and yet Reaves wouldn't come out. Finally he did come out after police set up a perimeter, you know, the kind used for a man with a gun.

Reaves was arrested and charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, burglary and weapons offenses.

To quote Dirty Harry: "A man's got to know his limitations".

Monday, October 18, 2010

Late night open thread

Here's you some Monday Night Football


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The Jersey City Desk would like to send out the best wishes to paralyzed Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand

Eric Legrand was paralyzed from the neck down late in Rutgers 23-20 victory over Army this past weekend covering on a kickoff. Johnny and the staff here are huge college football fans and as much as we love the big hits we feel simply awful they can sometimes result in such a life altering injury. Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano who spent a couple nights in the hospital at LeGrand's side says he is in good spirits. Schiano also said nobody knows about the prognosis for LeGrand going forward, it's simply too early to tell.

Until we know more, for now, we can only send our best wishes to LeGrand and his family. We'll give the last word on this to Greg Schiano:

"He has a new set of challenges in front of him but there's no doubt in my mind Eric LeGrand is going to look those challenges in the eye like he has all the rest of them and overcome them.''

Spate of armed robberies of drug stores in Hudson County

And by spate we mean two (that police know of).

Two different drug stores, Carry Pharmacy on Bright Street at Jersey in Jersey City and the America's Pharmacy, on Summit Ave in Union City were both robbed since last Thursday by armed gunmen carrying large caliber handguns. In the robbery in Union City the gunmen were said to be masked. Cash and prescription pain killing medications were stoled at both locations.

As for the Jersey City robbery police said the men fled in an unknown vehicle but it would be our guess here that police in fact DO know what kind of car was used by checking various street cameras located near the scene. In fact we'd be rather disappointed if police had not checked out street cams around the time of the robbery and gotten a make or model of the vehicle. After all, it's why as a society we're told we need these cameras, to make things safer (of course the cameras everywhere never stop a crime from happening, they just make it easier to track down malfeasance, like this particular robbery).

If you have any information on the Jersey City robbery please contact (201) 547-5066.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Late night open thread

We're back up and running after a simply magnificent fall weekend with great friends around Jersey City and the Big Appletini. Ain't fall grand?

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Late night open thread

Seeing as how Johnny has some out of town company and is planning a fabulous weekend we're giving the staff the rest of the weekend off so they can go get lost in a corn maze. We'll be back at ya later Sunday.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday, October 15, 2010

Remember 5 O'Clock Charlie on the old teevee show M*A*S*H*?

Every day a poor poor pilot in a tragically underpowered airplane would fly in from North Korea with the one hand held bomb he could carry, and tried rather unsuccessfully to drop it in the M*A*S*H* unit's munitions dump? Ring any bells? Well apparently the spirit of 5 O'Clock Charlie lives on in Westwood, NJ.

The pilot, one Warren Saunders, was practicing a flight path to carry a banner over a football game in Westwood against Mahwah Saturday when for an unknown reason he decided to drop a wet toilet paper rolls near soccer players practicing on a field near the school. While no players were hurt or hit by the teepee shrapnel, Saunders was charged with violating a state aviation statute that prohibits low-flying acrobatic stunts over thickly inhabited areas or public gatherings.

Saunders later said the stunt was well intentioned.

Welcome to Westwood, home of 5 O'Clock Charmin.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Late night open thread

This is a public service announcement....with guitars!


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Pictures are worth a few dozen words

Feel free to comment on these pics Johnny has taken while out and about. The female Penguins fan with the Cindy Crosby t-shirt with the name "GOD" on the back raises interesting questions; Wouldn't God have more than one Stanley Cup title in 6 years? Wouldn't God be able to afford a REAL team sweater and not a t-shirt? Would God allow himself to be shut down by Henrik Zetterberg all the time? Would God EVER live in Pittsburgh in Mario Lemieux's basement? Inquiring minds want to know.

As for the second, it was taken outside the Synergy Fitness Club on Newark Ave. We don't normally advertise for folks but when you have a sign that good and topical, you win a place on the Jersey City Desk.


Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Late night open thread

Fright night this cool clear October night.

Sleep well


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Here's some pretty awesome video of Monday's freak storm

YouTube contributor ESBisMyMuse (click link for their YouTube channel) captured some amazing lightning footage over NYC on Monday night and we wanted to share it with you.

Meet Hoboken's newest resident, Sink E. Hole

Sink E. Hole is a new resident of FuHo, been around for a few weeks now. Although new, Sink E's status keeps growing and growing along Sinatra Drive. After the biblical rains of Monday night Sink E. got even bigger, and the possibility for growth keeps expanding. Now, Sink E. Hole has not announced plans to run for mayor of Hoboken but in some ways Sink E. could play a role in the next mayoral election, running on the failed infrastructure platform.

If you would like to meet Sink E. Hole by all means follow this link and have a look for yourself at the Mile Square City's newest star.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Late night open thread

"Whadda ya want for nothin'?"
-- Elwood Blues

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

You wanna support your local police and firefighters but when THIS happens....

Follow along on the saga of Brooklyn firefighter Pat Quagliariello and see if you can tell where the stench on this story stops.

Manuel Tzajguachiac was hit and killed by a heartless gutless driver who fled the scene at 65th Street and 20th Avenue in Bensonhurst like a coward.

Four hours after the accident, the firefighter, Quagliariello went to the 62nd Precinct station house and told the police that he was the owner of the vehicle and that he was represented by a lawyer. (Note he did not say he was driving)

He then clammed up. (This is where he could have told police who was driving, he refused which is most troubling).

NYPD released the firefighter, whose brother is a detective on the police force.

They did not give Quagliariello a breathalyzer. (Now remember here a man is DEAD and the favors are already being doled out).

When asked why Quagliariello was not given a breath test NYPD top cop Ray Kelly said because he was not arrested (Wow, that's some reasoning Ray. We were waiting for why he wasn't arrested and the answer most likely would have been "because he wasn't given a breath test". Specious reasoning Ray should be his new name).

Quagliariello’s certification as an emergency services technician was suspended for one year in 2005 for fraud and deceit in procuring the certification.

See where this is headed? Under a heaping pile of paperwork, legal motions and non-admissable evidence to protect a firefighter by the police.

And we want to believe in these guys.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Late night open thread

Music til dawn for a rainy October night on this internet radio outpost.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

There is only one thing we can say to people at the Jets game

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for northern New Jersey tonight, with wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour.

The storm may also bring about quarter-size hail. Cloud to ground lightning is also occurring, said the National Weather Service.

Yeah, the Devils 15 skaters plan is not working well

The undermanned Devils are showing fatigue and taking the tripping and holding penalties while generating zero offense. The Pens have doubled the amount of New Jersey shots

Dear New Jersey Devils -- UPDATED 2:49 PM

Do you ever look out at the crowd and somehow wish more fans had shown up? If you do let Johnny hip you to something that JUST took place. Johnny went online to see which, if any seats were left for today's matinee game vs the Penguins. In searching Ticketmaster online it showed no tickets left and immediately offered to send Johnny over to the 'Ticket Exchange' section. Anyone who doesn't follow sports the ticket exchange section is where you can go to buy higher priced tickets from those who have them because an event is sold out. It makes Ticketmaster more money no doubt and can be handy IF a game is sold out. But what if a game isn't sold out and you get the ticket exchange section anyway.

Like just now.

Johnny didn't think that since opening night wasn't a sellout an afternoon game in October would be a sellout so he tried calling the Devils to find out. He tried and tried and tried. Either the phone would prompt Johnny back over to Ticketmaster OR when trying to get in touch with a real person was met with phones that went unanswered. That's some FINE customer service for someone who wants to see a game. Called the main offices, nothing. Called another office listed on the website. Nothing. Finally Johnny decided to call the Devils team store at the Prudential Center and someone there (who was very kind) checked and said yes, seats were still available.

So, Devils, answer your phones, you don't exactly have customer services number too prominently located on your webpage. We know talking to customers is a real drag and a hassle for you but at least try next time. Ticketmaster, here's another case of tickets not being released to the regular guy who doesn't want to pay huge amounts for an afternoon game that is the third game of the year. Again, how is Ticketmaster even legal?

UPDATE: Johnny just learned the Devils will be playing with only 15 skaters against a team that makes it's living skating in Pittsburgh. Lou Lamoriello, Devils GM really backed the team into a corner injury-wise with the Kovalchuk signing. Not only did the Devils lose draft picks as the NHL got all mad at a franchise for outsmarting the league's crap salary cap but now WITH said salary cap the Devils are up so close to the cap that they simply can't just bring guys up to play for an injured teammate. The new guy's salary counts against the entire Devils total and the injured player still counts as well. UNLESS you waive the player, ie P.L. Letourneau-Leblond who was waived to Albany for the crime of being suspended for a game. Thanks for the cap Gary Bettman.

We'll try to overcome the BAD wi-fi at The Rock and let you know how this one goes.

Steve Fulop makes it official, he's challenging Healy in 2013

And he's announcing his bid now because in his words:

"“It is important that we start the process now, because the political organization in Jersey City has a tremendous advantage in infrastructure and fundraising, there’s a reason people refer to it as a machine.”

We can think of nobody better to contrast Mayor Healy's style with in a race for mayor. Fulop has not taken part in any of the shennanigans that Healy has, Fulop lacks the police record Healy has and Fulop also doesn't have several of his closest political allies either in or on their way to jail.

The Jersey City Desk welcomes Steve Fulop to the race for mayor, we hope he'll lay out his vision before too long.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Late night open thread

Come on out to Newark for the Devils matinee tomorrow, 4 pm vs Pittsburgh. It sure as hell beats Oprah plus Crosby or Malkin might get their teeth knocked in. Sure Gary Bettman would cry and cry but that alone makes it worth it.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

To keep up with the NY sports scene you need a program, or the Jersey City Desk

OK try to follow along. The Yankees have won their first round playoff series vs. the Minnesota Twinkies. They'll play the winner of the Tampa Rays and Texas Rangers who play again today in Arlington Texas with the Rangers looking to close out the Rays and set up a date with the Yanks in the ALCS.

Speaking of Rangers, the Broadway Blueshirts smacked the Buffalo Sabres around last night 6-3. The Islanders will host the Rangers in a rare Monday afternoon game at 1 pm. The Devils lost Brian Rolston and Anton Volchenkov to injuries in Washington last night in losing 7-2. The Devils are about to find out how devastating Kovalchuk's contract can be to a team right at the top of the salary cap. The Devils simply can't just bring guys up to replace injured players without first checking to see if that would put them over the cap. There is every chance the Devils play a roster spot short Monday as they too have an afternoon game vs the Penguins, this afternoon tilt starting at 4 pm.

The Giants play the suddenly hot Houston Texans in a 1 pm kickoff in Houston. This IS a big game for the 2-2 Giants. Lose and they're 2-3 and suddenly chasing weeks to try to get back to .500 and then above. Win and they'll stay up near the top of the NFC East. If there is any advantage for the G Men today it's that Houston has the worst ranked pass defense in the NFL. On Monday night over at the Meadowlands former Jet Brett Favre will lead the struggling Minnesota Vikings against the J-E-T-S. No word on if Favre has been sexting pictures of, ahem, 'Little Brett' to Jets team trainers and doctors and or staff as he is accused of doing (and which he won't deny) while he played in New York. You can read accusations here and here and see the alleged pics here (NSFW)..

Now you're set on sports for the next couple days.

Late night open thread

Saturday night scoreboard edition

Michigan State 34
Michigan 17
Sparty beats up on little sister for the third year in a row. Michigan hasn't beaten MSU in football or basketball in 1071 days and counting.

South Carolina 35
Alabama 21
Good for South Carolina, for a day anyway it wiped that smirk off Nick Saban's face

Boise St. 57
Toledo 14
Poor Toledo players will have to go home and get special Lasik surgery from looking at that crap-assed blue field all day.

Stanford 37
USC 35
Lane Kiffin sure is putting his stamp on the USC football program isn't he? What a mess

Wisconsin 41
Minnesota 23
Minnesota's head coach Tim Brewster got really pissy with Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema for going for a 2 point conversion with 6 and change to play. Hey Brewster, here's a clue, don't let them score a wheelbarrow full of TD's and you won't have to worry about Bucky running up the score.

New Mexico St. 16
New Mexico 14
Well with the way the rules are in college football these days SOMEBODY had to get a win today.

Lehigh 21
Fordham 17
You can't stop Chris Lum, you can only hope to contain him.

Vanderbilt 52
Eastern Michigan 6
EMU head man Ron English is getting closer to that elusive first win....ever

The Jersey City Desk Game of the Week®

Bryant University 25
Sacred Heart 24
Bryant's Jordan Brown ran wild in the 4th quarter in Smithfield Rhode Island today scoring on a 2 yard TD run and a 73 yard punt return for the deciding score on homecoming Saturday for Bryant. Jordan Brown may loot and pillage Smithfield for 24 hours.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Governor Christie has a re-think over killing the Hudson River tunnel project

And thank god for that. This tunnel project means jobs NOW and means profits yes for Christie's base (the land barons) later. It means less cars in and out of NYC and more places to start businesses here in New Jersey at the outlets of this transportation tunnel. We are so pleased U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was able to get at least a two week stay of execution for the project (which we think means they'll have alternative ways to fund this to make Governor Christie happier). This project is bigger than Christie's personal beliefs and yes, we also believe his posturing before he joins the GOP field for president in 2012. This project was envisioned as far back as 1957, an additional tunnel to the main hub at Penn Station in NYC.

We spend the amount of the cost overruns Christie is worried about per WEEK in Iraq (Um, Chris, who got us into Iraq? Your former boss did that's who and you weren't worried about the cost THEN). This project is vital to the needs of this state and we hope somehow it gets back on track and done. Forward thinking societies find ways to make projects like this happen.

Late night open thread

Rutgers (and why do they play on Friday nights like high schoolers?) got a 34 yard field goal from San San Te with a mere 13 seconds left in Piscataway tonight to tip UConn 27-24. Rutgers starts out the Big East season a cool 1-0 and improve to 3-2 overall. This win does help clean the skunk smell off of the Scarlet Knights from last week's hideous fail against lowly Tulane.

A little.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with LOUIS JORDAN AND HIS TYMPANY BAND!

Tonight fans a little something different on the music series. Tonight is a look back, waaaay back into American music and it's influence going forward.

There are a lot of people who think the rock and roll beat can in fact be traced back to Louis Jordan. But Johnny you say, that's a bold claim. Indeed it is. Tell you what. Play this song, the American standard 'Caldonia', and then go pick a song by another guy credited with inventing the rock and roll sound, Chuck Berry, and we'll bet you can hear a little of Louis Jordan in it.

Oh, and no, nobody's living room has been this utterly cool since this was filmed.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with BESSIE SMITH!

Our look back at tremendous American music marches on with legendary jazz singer Bessie Smith. Remember that hit David Lee Roth had in the late 80's with 'I Ain't Got Nobody'? Yeah that song was already sixty years old. You read that right, sixty.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with CAB CALLOWAY!

Simply magnificent, Cab Calloway in 1942 with 'Minnie the Moocher'.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Devils drop opener to Dallas Stars 4-3 in OT

The Devils dropped their season opener in overtime to Dallas 4-3 tonight in Newark. In what could best be described as a surprisingly good game for an opener, there was a lot of ebb and flow for both teams. The lack of those annoying holding and hooking and tripping calls often prevalent in the opening games of a season allowed for some open play. The Devils jumped out on top early 2-0 in the first period on goals by Travis Zajac and Zach Parise (Both powerful names on a Scrabble board). Dallas responded to tie it at 2-2 by the end of the first period. Dallas had the jump in the second period outshooting the New Jersey Six 12-5 yet allowed a Jason Arnott goal before scoring seconds later to tie it at 3.

It WAS troubling to see a third of the building empty on opening night. The Devils have some offensive skills people. Those who love offense will enjoy John MacLean's hockey club. Johnny is actually of the mind that adding a true offensive defenseman would benefit the Devils immensely. On the game winning Dallas rush it began with Andy Greene mistiming a jump up into the play which sent Dallas the length of the ice on a 2-1 which Loui Eriksson held onto and snapped past Martin Brodeur. Johnny thinks the Devils need a real whip smart offensive quarterback who knows when to jump in and when to stay back. A guy who can start New Jersey's lightning quick forwards up ice with a sharp first pass. Volchenkov was a brilliant signing in the offseason. A tremendous defensive defenseman who is always at the top of the blocked shots stats and eats major minutes.That aspect is covered. An offensive defenseman will be needed to play MacLean's up tempo style.

We'd love to hear what exactly the brouhaha was in the upper level midway through the second period. SOMETHING big was going on to the point the Dallas bench was fixated on whatever was happening. Their backup goaltender couldn't take his eyes off of it. If you know please pass it along.

Devils opening night on a BRILLIANT fall day, does it get any better?

Come back tonight Jersey City Desk fans for the music series (If Johnny doesn't go out for a few pops in the Ironbound section of Newark tonight) and full coverage of the Devils opener. Johnny's got happening seats and will have some pics to share and maybe a nice video clip he'd love to throw in Gary Bettman's face as being shown without the express written consent of the National Hockey League.

Boy howdy, can the weather get ANY better today?

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Late night open thread

Hockey's back!


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Governor Christie, about that $400 million for the New Jersey schoolkids you managed to lose

Oh sure, you said all kinds of things after coming up a couple points short. First you blamed Obama. That was really classy by the way, blaming a guy whose people practically held your representatives hands in TRYING to help you score enough points to get big money and no whammies. Then you started pointing fingers at almost any carbon unit in your sightline. It's what bullies often do when things blow up in their faces, place blame anywhere they can try.

So now it comes out you KNEW you could have secured the money by letting Education Chief Bret Schundler turn in a joint proposal from your administration and the NJEA. You were told there were more than enough points to secure the $400 million for schoolkids of the state you claim to represent. You KNEW you had enough points to get the cash but that wasn't enough for you was it? No, you had to be Big Bad Chris Christie, the tough governor who is setting some kind of example fighting the teachers unions to the death.

We quote Bret Schundler:

"We have an opportunity to win here, with union support, which is a rare thing," Schundler said he told Christie. "He said he didn’t care about the money … He said he hadn’t gone through hell with (the NJEA) so he could then cave in to them now."

Didn't care about the money. Except Governor, that money was for children, NOT so you could continue bloviating about how you stood up to the teachers union. You put YOURSELF ahead of the CHILDREN.

How noble of you. How classy of you. How conservative of you. How utterly irresponsible of you.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Late night open thread

Porcupines float in water. Just thought we'd get that out there.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Baseball and football and hockey, oh my...

Well sports fans, the baseball playoffs begin today with the defending World Champion Yankees in Minnesota for a matchup with the Twinkies. Can the Yanks ride but one top starting pitcher and once again get some October magic out of Derek Jeter? What are your thoughts?

The Jets and Giants are a month in, the Jets are looking strong while the G-Men are anything BUT strong. Again we'd love to hear your thoughts.

Finally, Friday kicks off yet another NHL regular season. Make your predictions now for the Devils, Rangers and Islanders. Johnny thinks the Devils will have a drop off this season but more on that as we preview things later this week. Where do you see the three NYC area teams finishing?

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Late night open thread

Only one US state does not have a McDonalds in their capital city. Can you guess which one?

Answer here.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Failed Times Square bomber gets our first Red Forman 'Dumbass' award

Faisal Shahzad, you failed. You will forever live your life knowing you had once chance to kill Americans and yet you failed, miserably. You set up an SUV in Times Square to blow up with ammonium nitrate and diesel fuel, three 25-pound propane tanks and two five-gallon gasoline canisters. If you were smarter and not such a failure and could read instructions right you might have pleased your evil masters.

But you're not, you're a failure AND a dumbass.

You'll get your mandatory life sentence in a Manhattan federal court today, sending you off to prison without your 72 virgins, without your river of honey and without your 4 whole fried chickens and a Coke.

Faulty wiring? Dumbass. Low grade fertilizer? Dumbass.

Some evil jagoff will no doubt succeed one day in blowing up a car in NYC, it's a reality we all live with these days. But it won't be because of Faisal Shahzad, because much like the guys who can't light their shoes on fire or those who can't explode chemicals in their underpants he's a failure.

Oh yeah, and a dumbass.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Late night open thread

While we were away the great Tony Curtis passed away. We wanted to pay a small tribute. Johnny's fav-o-rite Tony Curtis movie isn't his most famous or maybe even his best but it's always made Johnny happy to watch it. Tonight before bed Tony Curtis as The Great Leslie, Natalie Wood as suffragette Maggie DuBois, the perfectly sinister Jack Lemmon as Professor Fate and Peter Falk as his henchman Max.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Framed

An all too clever art type managed to hang a picture frame off of some fishing line to the lines overhead in the Powerhouse Arts District and in this wind today it'll frame many things as it swings, in this case the Trump Tower.

OK Hudson County and friends across the river...

Do tell where you hide the corn mazes and cider mills out here. Please alert the staff here where we can get our autumn on. Johnny saw plenty of roadside ads for corn mazes and haunted houses and cider mills all across Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania on his travels. He'd love to know where the great fall events are out in this tri-state neck of the woods.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Late night open thread

There is a Coastal Flood Advisory in effect from 3 am to 11 PM EDT Monday along *gasp* the coastal areas. By 11 PM Monday many can expect whales, dolphins, urchins and narwhals washed up in their yards. Please stop putting these in the city sewers people, they are your mess to clean up.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Johnny and the staff are back from vacation, what'd we miss?

So to ease back into things as we fire up the servers and turn the Wayback Machine back on we thought we'd let you vent or talk over recent events that happened while we were gone. Such as:

A suitable punishment, short of death for Rutgers peeping Tom and peeping Tomette Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei. Be creative, as they were, in disseminating Tyler Clementi's world before he jumped off the George Washington Bridge. The bidding opens at a year's worth of trash pick up along the Garden State Parkway in clown suits and could probably go all the way up to hanging them from jibbets (cages) over the Passaic River as bait for the Giant Space Cat head to devour.

Speaking of Rutgers, two straight losses have this season on a knife's edge. Are Greg Schiano's Scarlet Knights forever a 9-4 team or can they storm through the Big East and grab a rung on an upper echelon bowl game?

The Jersey City Artists Studio Tour continues today from noon to 6 pm. You can download maps to the artists studios here and here and here.

What about Jersey City's newest city councilman, Radames “Ray” Velazquez? Good choice? Bad choice? Give us a shout.

Good to be back Jersey City, good to be home.