Saturday, December 31, 2011

Here we go, get ready to pop those corks!!

And OF COURSE we'll see the new year in with our favorite cut, the Rolling Stones with the best live version of 'Gimme Shelter' evah! Rock on citizens and we'll catch you on the other side of midnight!

Can you feel the excitement? Times Square is full up with a million people...

And if they can access the Jersey City Desk from over there on a mobile phone or iPad we hope they'll be singing along to this classic, Depeche Mode with 'Policy of Truth'

Now here's a real toe-tapper to jazz up your New Year's Eve

Mike Ness from 1999 with 'Don't Think Twice'.

Joe Jackson as midnight draws closer

Boy the helicopters buzzing the Hudson River are at critical mass it sounds like. A little easy breezy song from Joe Jackson and 'Steppin' Out', which just has the look and feel of a New York City New Year's Eve.

As we move into a balmy afternoon let's keep the fun quotient high

And we'll entrust Nick Lowe's wicked little number 'Switchboard Susan' and all of the double entendres contained therein to do the job.

Stuff some more bacon in your face this morning, you can work it off with Jack White and Wanda Jackson

WOW, Wanda Jackson and Jack and Meg White. Two eras and three greats. 'Thunder on the Mountain' and we believe you'll need a little dancing room so grab more bacon citizen and make some space.

Don't forget you party nuggets, Hoboken celebrates New Year's Eve on Central Time this year

So DO plan accordingly. Oh these quirky little things they try that make them Hoboken. The big toast in the Mile Square city comes at 1 am, not midnight...

Be ye warned...

New Year's Eve kicks off this year with Gorillaz!

Now with 40% more Mick Jones and Paul Simonon. An amazing cut (Whatever Lake Superior State University -- home of the fighting Trixie Action Space Punks -- telling us the word amazing is out) by an amazing band during their AOL Sessions.

Where's north from here?

Gorillaz with 'Glitter Freeze'

Late night open thread

No music series tonight as tomorrow we ring out 2011 and ring in 2012 with music galore in our special New Year's Eve day of fun and frolic.

Big win for Rutgers today over Iowa St. The Scarlet Knights' fifth straight bowl win. The kids in Piscataway have had a good 48 hours.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday, December 30, 2011

Rutgers football gameday!

Making the pivot from Rutgers hoops to Rutgers pigskin, the Scarlet Knights play in the Pin Stripe Bowl at 3:30 at Yankee Stadium vs. Iowa State. It what should be considered a good season in Piscataway (good but not great) Greg Schiano's charges can put a nice bow on a nice season with a win over the Cyclones. Iowa State won't be a pushover, having upset Oklahoma State in Ames Iowa this season, but Rutgers should still roll today.

A few questions now arise here at the end of the 2011 season. Will QB Tom Savage rejoin the team next season? Will Mohamed Sanu return? Sanu was a unanimous first-team Big East selection after setting a school and conference record with 109 receptions. He had 1,144 yards and seven touchdowns, both second-most in the league. He'd be horribly missed.

So, Rutgers returns to the bowl world after a disappointing 4-8 campaign last season. Here's hoping they can beat a battle tested Cyclones team over at the house Jeter built.

Fearless Forecast:
Rutgers 27
Iowa State 20

How about Rutgers basketball last night?

How long has it been since the Rutgers men have had such a huge win at the RAC (or anywhere for that matter?). The Rutgers men, behind 31 points from super freshman Eli Carter dropped #10 Florida in double overtime last night. The Scarlet Knights answered every question posed to them against a team ready-made to win close games like this. Head coach Mike Rice has to be pleased by this win, it's one of those you work on and try to be ready when the opportunity to beat a higher ranked team comes along.

Rutgers sure passed this final exam.

The Jersey City Desk has learned....

That thousands, tens if not hundreds of thousands of #OWS aka Occupy Wall St. protestors will gather tomorrow night in Times Square to make their point by ringing in the new year at midnight under the ball. No word from the Office of Whitewash over at City Hall but no doubt this news will have angered Mayor Bloomberg when it reaches his billion dollar desk. Be prepared to have to celebrate 2012 among pepper-sprayed residents and visitors, and truncheoned bystanders.

Arrive early, and bring your gas mask as Times Square on New Years Eve is fun for the whole family...

Late night open thread

"Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account."
--Oscar Wilde

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Thursday, December 29, 2011

We wonder, what would a 60% off shoes sale at Saks look like?

You know, if say cameras were allowed inside Saks for the Boxing Day (Dec. 26th) sale? Oh hey, we needn't wonder anymore.

Let the carnage begin...

Late night open thread

In England middle names were once illegal. Now you know.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Ruh ro, the Southern Baptists think we're a godless lot and they are coming to save us

You see, the more traditional black Baptist churches aren't enough according to The Baptists' North American Mission Board. The NYC area needs some white Baptist churches and they are willing to spend some $20 million dollars to take over existing churches and spread that Book of Mormon kind of religiosity. What the Southern Baptist group is doing is called "church planting" and it is being done with a focus on the NYC Area because according to the NAMB the NYC area "needs your help."

Johnny's first impression would be to lead these same Southern Baptists back to their Bibles, more specifically this verse:

Beware! Those who attempt to Prosthelytize in my name, but will not do as I do, are not of Father God. As I said to them, "ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets" (Matt. 23:30).

But since when has the Bible ever stopped a Christian from prosthelytizing? Christians (and any member of any religion really) should spend more time listening to atheists on these matters. Johnny finds in many cases atheists know as much if not more about the religions they discuss than many of the believers do.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Late night open thread

It was on this day in history that Radio City Music Hall opened in 1932. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and RCA funded and built this art deco masterpiece.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Ahhhh, that week between Christmas and New Year's

Which always affords Johnny a day of pure unadulterated online gaming......like now

Late night open thread

The Rangers took over the top spot in the Eastern Conference with a 3-0 victory over the bottom feeding Islanders tonight at MSG. Henrik Lundqvist is having a magnificent season thus far. The Broadway Blueshirts look like they are capable of winning the division but hey, it's early yet. Johnny is saving his pennies now for those playoff tickets.

The Devils seem to be shaking off the rust the last couple weeks and now sit seventh in the East after a 4-2 loss in Carolina tonight.

The Red Wings? Oh they won 4-1 in Nashville tonight.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Monday, December 26, 2011

If it is OK with you dear readers...

We're going to continue to not care about David Stern and his NBA players association. Until the whole naming convention of New Jersey vs. New York comes up when the Nets bail we're just going to skip covering the NBA. In our opinion never has so much been written about so little.

Now hockey on the other hand...

Now that the wrapping paper and gift bags have been disposed of....

What'd ya get?

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Late night open thread

We hope everyone had a fantastic day today and can carry the spirit of the day forward. At least another week.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and a happy sixth day of Hanukkah to all our Jersey City Desk readers. Have a wonderful peaceful day!

Late night open thread

Here is a holiday classic in the Space Punk household. It's an utterly perfect essay on the difference between the North American Santa Claus and the European St. Nicholas by David Sedaris. Gather the whole family around the computer make a cup of hot cocoa or splash some rum in your egg nog, this is a MUST hear.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

No Christmas Eve is complete without some Keef

Keith Richards with his masterful cover of the Chuck Berry song Run Rudolph Run. This song has been redone by no less than 20 other artists...

Saturday, December 24, 2011

In the immortal words of Chris Kattan, "Sting all the way!"

Sting with 'Gabriel's Message'

Christmas Eve rolls on...

Here's Sheryl Crow with her breathy, funky version of 'Blue Christmas'

The Christmas Eve fun kicks off with Elvis

Here we go Cool Yule thrillseekers, kicking off Christmas Eve 2011 with Elvis Presley singing 'Here Comes Santa Claus'

Jets and Giants football gameday!

And have we got a Santa Claus special this afternoon from the new Meadowlands, Jets V Giants, New Jersey V New Jersey, Ryan V Coughlin and the team with the Santa looking head coach aren't lacking confidence coming into today.

Rex Ryan, who never met a microphone he didn't like, has been claiming this week is about the Jets "winning" New York. We'd say that even if the Jets win today and miss the playoffs in the AFC, a win today wouldn't mean Jack Squat...

First things first, if Mark Sanchez is feeling the effects of whatever head and or neck and or concussion that caused him to sit on the sidelines with a towel over his head to keep the bright lights out of his eyes last week this could get ugly for Gang Green. Both teams desperately need a win but the Giants are just about mathematically eliminated and will no doubt play with some desperation. It would seem each time the Giants have their backs to the wall they can come out with a strong effort especially from the front seven -- bad news for Mark Sanchez. While w're not sold on the local viewpoint being tossed around that Eli is an elite NFL QB he's still light years ahead of the Jets' 'Human Interception Machine'.

We KNOW the Giants can come out with a great defensive effort. We KNOW the Jets can too. What we don't know is if Sanchez has to come off at any point if Mark Brunell can do anything to move the Jets offense. We doubt it. If the Jets can gain momentum by running consistently it takes pressure off of Sanchez and puts it on the Big Blue secondary.

We can see the Jets winning this game. We can see the Giants winning this game. Rex Ryan has been talking....and talking....and his team is only 8-6. The Giants haven't said too much and are 7-7. Two teams enter, one team leaves, it's Christmas Eve Thunderdome in about an hour and our fearless forecast says:

New Jersey Giants 23
New Jersey Jets 21

Late night open thread

Back tomorrow night with a very special Christmas Eve music series. In the immortal words of the Go-Go Gophers "Whoo-pee-doo-pee, we have fun!"

Tomorrow's gonna be a ball. We even hear tell of a big football game at the new Meadowlands tomorrow afternoon...

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday, December 23, 2011

Jersey City Police Chief Tom Comey 1 -- Steroid using cops 0

Jersey City Police Chief Tom Comey did a good and proper thing. When he was tipped off that some of his officers were getting a LOT of steroids in a rather dubious way, from a doctor under investigation he did what a lot of company CEO's or HR directors would do, he made the cops pee in a cup.

Oh but the indignity from the cops involved, seven officers sued. How DARE Comey tell them that because they were suspected of using steroids they had to take the drug test. Wow guys, welcome to the REAL world. Know what, if that happens out here with us unwashed masses we get to pee in a cup and can be fired for the test results.

Comey, who was tipped to the steroid use by a New York City internal affairs captain, ordered his officers to undergo tests and put them on modified duty pending the results. Officers who had elevated levels of testosterone — a hallmark of steroid use — remained on desk duty until those levels returned to a normal range.

Thankfully the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia agreed with Police Chief Comey, police under him CAN legally be tested (like the rest of us at our jobs).

While we have a pretty positive view of the JCPD, these cops who sued need to wake up and smell the coffee. You were getting steroids in a system described as:

"...officers obtained prescriptions from a doctor who, authorities say, faked diagnoses in many cases to accommodate clients’ desires to get bigger and stronger. Some of the drugs were then sent by mail from a Brooklyn pharmacy investigators determined was little more than an illegal steroid mill."

Johnny would say someone with a prescription for medical marijuana from their personal doctor would be more on the up and up than these steroid clowns. But of course these same seven cops would most likely have no trouble arresting someone with a tiny amount of medical bud while overlooking their own legal drug issues, because after all, well they're cops and some think they are above the law they swear to uphold.

Good for Tom Comey for acting in the best interests of Jersey City.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Late night open thread



Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Joe Strummer Day continues with 'Police and Thieves'

It's Joe Strummer Day here at the Jersey City Desk

Celebrating the magnificent life and contribution to music by this incredible songwriter, performer and voice of a generation whom we lost far too soon nine years ago today...

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Late night open thread

Well we were going to do something different tonight, until we saw this in the bullpen. Holy crap, this looks incredible but then again, what do you expect from Peter Jackson?


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Hey Hey, how about Rutgers' Eric LeGrand!?

He got the fan's choice cover on this week's Sports Illustrated!! LeGrand's recovery from a paralyzing injury last season vs Army and his brave fight back have captured the hearts of Americans and LeGrand even beat out Barcelona and Argentina soccer superstar Lionel Messi for the cover, a fact not lost on LeGrand:

"I beat out Messi in this, and when I get well, I'll beat him out on the pitch (soccer field)," said a smiling LeGrand during a press conference to announce his selection at the Hale Center on the Rutgers campus.

Know what? We hope Eric gets to one day keep that date on the pitch with Lionel Messi, so long as it's not playing for Real Madrid.

Go get 'em Eric!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Late night open thread

Happy First night of Hanukkah everyone. Marian Gaborik led the Broadway Blueshirts to a win in Newark tonight and oh yeah, this:


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

It's the Battle of the Hudson River tonight in Newark

Rangers v Devils. Both teams are playing improved hockey and it would seem the Rangers are living right winning a game against Phoenix last weekend with .01 seconds left.

So, who ya got?

Monday, December 19, 2011

Late night open thread

It was on this day in 1777 the Continental Army under General George Washington enters its winter camp at Valley Forge, 22 miles from British-occupied Philadelphia.

It's a really good thing they sent ahead for those space heaters or Valley Forge really could have been a problem for the Continentals.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Hey Hepcats and Hepkittens, looking to book a New Year's Eve party?

We're passing along this list of New Jersey New Year's Eve club events you may want to look into. Book early and don't get shut out of the fun. Jersey City, Hoboken, Atlantic City and other exotic locales await. Check out the list here.

Do NOT forget that Hoboken, in one of those crazy hipster things that makes them Hoboken, voted earlier this year to celebrate THIS New Year's Eve 2012 on Central Time meaning they'll be toasting at 1 am while everyone else around here is staying on good old Eastern Standard Time with toasts and smooches to follow at midnight.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Jets and Giants football gameday!

Well pigskin fans, the Giants are about to kick off with the woeful Washington Redskins over at the new Meadowlands. Really, what can you say about this game that would lead anyone to think it will be A) close and B) exciting. Unless Tim Tebow was traded this week to the Skins they are doomed.

The Jets have a late tilt out on the left coast with San Diego. Know who Johnny doesn't like? That mouthy, bratty Philip Rivers. He sure chirps a lot for a guy who hasn't exactly lit the world on fire. Hopefully the Jets will shut his yapper and win their 4th straight.

Fearless Forecasts:

New Jersey Giants 34
Washington 14

New Jersey Jets 23
San Diego (Or Philadelphia) 20

Face palm

Late night open thread



Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Santa Con and Hoboken bar crawl all in one today?

Oh we think it's a fabulous idea. Johnny will be grabbing the PATH to Hoboken later to hopefully get video of when drunken Santas attack. A Santa bar crawl in Hoboken? Gentlemen and Gentlewomen, get your cameras.

Late night open thread

Chances of a white Christmas in New York City: 1 in 4.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with DAVE MATTHEWS BAND!

Get up outta that seat and get your swerve on with this catchy little number to start the party side of Friday night. Dave Matthews Band with 'Two Step'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with WILD CHERRY!

Bust out the bellbottoms, hair picks and lip gloss hep cats we're heading back to the 70's in the wayback machine tonight. What better way to celebrate that groovy decade than with the pride of Steubenville Ohio, Wild Cherry and the epic timepiece 'Play that Funky Music (White Boy)'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with DAVID BOWIE!

Johnny heard this song today and he harkened back to riding to school in his friend Roger's spotlessly maintained 1976 Buick Regal. Roger had an 8-track player and basically three 8-tracks; Changes One Bowie, Steve Miller's Fly Like an Eagle and Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here.

Harkening is a pretty good reason to play a song...

The Thin White Duke with 'Golden Years'

Friday, December 16, 2011

Scott Niedermayer will have his #27 retired by the Devils tonight

So if you're heading out to The Rock make sure to get there by 6 pm as the ceremony will begin shortly thereafter and you don't want to be the pantsload trying to get down the row to your seat spilling popcorn and beer on everyone while Mr. Niedermayer is speaking.

In a statement earlier to the media out at the Prudential Center Niedermayer said he was proud to be a Devil. As always the Jersey Journal has more on tonight's festivities...

The Devils will play the Dallas Stars after the ceremony. Say, didn't Dallas and New Jersey play an important game at some point?

What kind of a jackass steals an owl?

Really, what kind of goober would break into an bird rehabilitation center and steal an owl? One we hope is caught and kicked in the ass.

The Raptor Trust in Long Hill was broken into (actually cut into) and one of the many birds they are rehabbing, an Eastern Screech Owl, who was injured and is unable to fly, was stolen. Raptor Trust senior veterinary technician Cathy Malok said "I just hope the people who took him realize that this is the best place for him and that they bring him back safe."

The center has 80 aviaries. It rehabilitates about 3,500 birds and hosts 50,000 human visitors each year.

If you have any information on this theft please contact the Raptor Trust or the Morris County police.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Late night open thread

For the sake of all that is holy, David Villa get well soon. All of us 23 million Barcelona fans on Facebook wish you a speedy recovery from the broken leg. The soccer gods have forsaken us.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The Jersey City Desk would like to welcome Michele Massey the new Ward F councilwoman

Michele Massey was unanimously appointed last night to serve as Ward F councilwoman after Viola Richardson won an at-large council seat. Massey is a native Jersey City resident and runs the Monticello Avenue Main Street Program.

Welcome Michele.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Late night open thread

“Let's be naughty and save Santa the trip.”
--Gary Allan

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

It's a funny thing about campaign contributions -- Those who make them expect something for them

Unless it's someone's mom or relative who want to make a good-faith contribution because they really like their kid campaign contributions come with expectations from those who make them.

So Jersey City once again we head down the long, slow road of sleaze.

The FBI has been in touch with Jersey City Councilmen Peter Brennan and William Gaughan about brokerage services with Bergen County insurance broker Joseph Bigica whom the Jersey Journal calls a "prominent campaign contributor." When asked about Bigica Councilman Brennan had this to say:

"I don't really know the guy. I might see him once a year. All I know is he makes a lot of campaign contributions."

But yet he fills the coffers doesn't he Mr. Brennan? Do you have any other contributors you know of that simply just give a lot of money you have little to no contact with?

Again, campaign contributions come with strings. Like a no bid contract perhaps? It's been known to happen.

The Jersey City City Council in September 2010 unanimously awarded, without public bidding, a three-year brokerage contract to Frenkel & Co., a New York firm that has a consulting arrangement with Bigica, calling it "an extraordinary, unspecifyable service," according to The Record.

A NO BID Contract for a big campaign contributor? Certainly the Mayor's office is all over this and is mad as all get out. Oh wait, this is Gaughan and Brennan we're talking about.

Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said she had no idea why the no bid contract would be approved (uh huh) but it's OK in the end since the city saved 30 pieces of silver.

The FBI is snooping around City Hall, ah, just like old times here in Jersey City. Let's gather round the Christmas tree and Menorah in Grove Square sing the refrain from the Talking Heads song 'Once in a Lifetime'

Same as it ever was, same as it ever was, same as it ever was....

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Late night open thread



Time for Jersey City, After Dark

It's been a hard few days of partying in Hoboken

And we've got the stories to prove it, must be something about that holiday FuHo smell that drives people to do bad things...

* A man threw a whiskey glass into a woman's face while making unwanted advances

* A man says he was assaulted by bouncers at a bar in Hoboken after throwing a napkin on one's face

* Two men dressed in Santa garb cut in line on the cab stand in Fuho and wound up assaulting a female passenger and tossing her purse over a fence

Love it or hate it why does NOBODY carry egg nog?

Why does Johnny have to schlep over to Shop Rite to get goddamned egg nog? Why doesn't Duane Reade or some of the smaller local food markets carry it? Damn Jersey City, you're letting Johnny down...

Monday, December 12, 2011

Late night open thread

Anyone else notice the lack of a national beating of breasts and wailing like banshees over the fact the Indianapolis Colts are a mere three games away from tying the Detroit Lions dubious 0-16 record? Boy howdy when the Lions got within six games of going winless the media acted like Tiger Woods was unfaithful with dozens of hussies or something. The Colts? Nobody cares. Go figure.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

So, how do you prefer to Christmas shop?

Do you seek out the hot boutiques for very indie type gifts? Do you still have a love/hate relationship with the malls? Do you do your shopping exclusively online?

Give us your best tips and practices on finding the perfect gifts...

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Late night open thread

There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar. Try it sometime.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Jets and Giants football gameday!

What a GREAT Sunday we have here in the Tri-State and the surround for the Jets game at the new Meadowlands today against the Kansas City Chiefs. The sun is warm and the opportunities for the Jets are huge today. 8-5 is a MUST coming out of this game. Kansas City is an odd team, one which you never know what you'll get. Recently they played Pittsburgh tough before winning in Chicago. A loss for the Jets may mean they'll barely qualify for the playoffs if at all. They can't keep giving away games to teams like the Chiefs.

The Giants are 6-6 and one game behind the homestanding Cowboys whom they play tonight. Again, this is the kind of game that will define the Giants season. They are battling with Detroit and the Bears and Atlanta, all 7-5. Lose tonight in Dallas and the Giants are 6-7 and dancing to the Paul Simon song 'Slip Sliding Away'. Tom Coughlin needs to find the magic to get the Giants pass rush going and keep the Cowboys front seven from mashing Eli Manning into the turf. Eli CAN win games like this if he's vertical and his receivers are hanging onto the ball.

Fearless forecasts:

New Jersey Jets 24
Kansas City 13

New Jersey Giants 21
Dallas 20

Rutgers athletics are hemorrhaging money leading to a huge deficit

In these austere times we're living in to hear that an athletic program is losing money would not be entirely surprising. People do have less money to spend on a football or basketball game. Hell they're worried about food in the cupboard and immunizations for the children, not Greg Schiano's Scarlet Knight football squad, no matter how many gams they win.

Well, that point is being driven home in a great piece from the Star-Ledger this morning about the financial difficulties affecting the Rutgers athletic department brass about how much money Rutgers athletics is losing and how they have been putting up sandbags to staunch the bleeding but those sandbags are currently filled with student fees, tuition money (!?) and your tax dollars.

It's a great read on a troubling problem that is siphoning cash from your wallet sitting on your nightstand even as you look at it.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Late night open thread

Hey Real Madrid, meet the new boss, same as the old boss...


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

It's Hockey Afternoon in Newark®

Hockey Night in Canada comes later tonight. The Devils skate with the fly-by-night organization known as the Montreal Canadiens with the puck dropping at 1 pm at The Rock. It's a perfect day, afternoon hockey, maybe some drinks and grub in The Ironbound and back home in time for the 7 pm games. It's a little chilly but that's hockey weather bunky.

Les Habitants come in reeling losing 6 of 7 games. This is one of those games that the Devils are going to have pick up valuable points now so they don't have to go on a tear to try and make the playoffs like last year. Montreal has no powerplay to speak of which is why they traded for defenseman Tomas Kaberle. Kaberle may make his Montreal debut this afternoon after being traded by the Carolina Hurricanes. Who knew guys could play worse if they left Toronto? Kaberle is answering that rhetorical question this season.

Get on out to The Rock and have some funz. Bring your cameras to take a picture of Zach Parise so you can fondly recall his time in a Devils sweater.

Late night open thread

Tomorrow brings a Clasico from the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid as Barcelona (yeah!) takes on Real Madrid (boo hiss!). Goooooood watchin'.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with SMASHING PUMPKINS!

Johnny read once where Billy Corgan said this was the only real love song her ever wrote. It kicks off the music series this week. Smashing Pumpkins with 'Stand Inside Your Love'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with FRED WESLEY AND THE J.B.'S!

Earlier this year we played the J.B.'s with the short version of this song on the music series and sadly that link was lost to time. So tonight a fresh link and the utterly funkalicious long version of 'Doing it to Death'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with PETULA CLARK!

Earworm, Johnny can't get this song out of his head today. Maybe if it gets some airplay here tonight it will stop. Not that it's a bad song mind you, it's actually brilliant. Petula Clark with 'Downtown'

Friday, December 9, 2011

Mayor Healy would rather spend your money on protection at a fundraiser than his

Mayor Healy held a fundraiser the other night at Puccini's Restaurant while two on-duty Jersey City policemen stood guard outside. Now the mayor's minions are claiming that government official do get shot and we need only look at Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords to see this (albeit and isolated case we think). So then Mayor, since YOU are fundraising, and well since you haven't even announced you're running for re-election this is kind of a PRIVATE matter and in no way city related or tasked we sorta think the security detail should have been on YOUR dime. You're wasting our money so you can put money in your coffers for a race you may or may not run in? City Councilman Steve Fulop who IS running for Mayor in 2013 said this about the waste of taxpayer money:

“It is pathetic, as they know the city has a crime problem, and yet they take patrol officers from the busiest police district to watch over a political event,” Fulop said. “This is the type of judgment that explains why residents don’t feel safe”

Is this the biggest deal to ever hit this city? No. Does it show a complete lack of understanding on the Mayor's part about what everyone is going through financially? As per usual.

Just another day in HealyWorld®

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

It's been about a year, time for the MTA's inconvenient truth

As you'll recall, late last December this area had a whopper of a snowstorm. Legendary in fact. You'll also recall the utter ineptitude New York City responded with. Here in New Jersey there were problems yes but nothing like the hash the Big Appletini made of the blizzard. One story that stood out in helping explain the level of failure was that of the A Train stuck over by the Aqueduct and Rockaway Boulevard stations. Seven hours they sat. Waiting, not knowing, stuck inside. In a blizzard.

New York City Transit President Thomas Prendergast has looked over the reports of the past year, he's heard the experts and analyzed the data. He explained to a City Council hearing on winter preparedness what the data showed:

"We forgot about that train."

That answer is so Jeff Spicoli Johnny hears Ray Walston's voice as the timeless Mr. Hand in Fast Times at Ridgemont High "I Like that. That's nice. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to leave your words right up here for all my classes to enjoy, giving you full credit of course, Mr. Prendergast."

It won't happen again said Mr Eggonface as the MTA is now instituting 'Advocates' whose only job will be to care for the well-being of any stranded passengers. Kind of like a concierge when your train takes the ziggy. So problem solved and you can all go to sleep knowing a society of advocates have got your back.

Don't give them pepper spray.

Missing Jersey City resident Shannan Gilbert's personal effects found on Long Island

After searching for over a year for the whereabouts of Jersey City resident Shannan Gilbert, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer said her pants, shoes and purse were found Tuesday and her cell phone was found Wednesday in a marshy area near where she disappeared. Gilbert's actions that night, running from an unknown threat set into motion the discovery of ten bodies near Oak Beach and Gilgo Beach on Long Island's south shores.

Dormer said it was the opinion of police there that Gilbert had somehow drowned in the marshy area but yet provided no proof she had.

Johnny, a researcher and cold case expert doesn't think Gilbert met the same fate as those others at the hand of this so-called Long Island serial killer. One reason is that the killer of victim Melissa Barthelemy used her cell phone from Times Square to call and taunt Barthelemy's little sister. We have a feeling if Ms. Gilbert's phone was found by this asshat he'd have begun calling Gilbert's family on it. It's one of his thrills. He thinks he's smarter than everyone else (which is why he called from Times Square as the cell tower ping would show up anywhere the call originated, what better place to blend in with cell talkers than Times Square. 10 minutes of watching CSI would teach you this so we doubt the superior intellect of this killer) and enjoys taunting from afar.

Unless of course he couldn't find Gilbert's phone, which we think is a good thing. Police no doubt are looking to see what, if any more calls or text messages were made on her phone after that fateful night of May 1, 2010.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Late night open thread

They've closed the bridges in Manchester England tonight as both Manchester City and Manchester United bombed out of the UEFA Champions League 2012 tournament this evening. Within minutes of each other. Those are bitter scones man.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

If you're looking for holiday arts and crafts we've got you covered

The artist/residence space at 150 Bay St. will be having an arts and crafts sale this upcoming Saturday December 10th. According to our friends at the Jersey City Independent the sale will feature:

The sale will feature work from Muriel Favaro, Robert Koch, Lynda D’Amico, Robert Kogge, Karen Fuchs, Pamela Mijal, Dolores Jansen, Julie Lomba, Keith VanPelt, Shawn Lang, Ann Giordano, and Eliza Neals. Work will include (but not be limited to) handmade t-shirts, photography, ceramics, jewelery, paintings, pottery, and custom hats.

So get out there and put a little holiday jingle in the pockets of these fine Jersey City artisans and craftspeople and pick up something nice for Christmas...

Late night open thread

Movie mistakes night...

In Kill Bill Volume 1, in the big restaurant fight scene, Uma Thurman's double can be spotted from time to time as she is shorter and a little heavier than Thurman. It is especially noticable during the silhouette sequence.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

NHL realignment has come -- The Devils have new playdates

The NHL Board of Governors has voted on realignment and now only the players union stands in the way of approval. With the failure of the Atlanta Thrashers franchise, who moved to Winnipeg this year the NHL was 'west heavy' with more teams located in the western areas than the east. The NHL could just have swapped Detroit for Winnipeg moving the Red Wings east but a new and different plan was approved. There will now be four conferences; The Atlantic, the Northeast, the Midwest and the Pacific and they break down like this:

Northeast Conference: Boston, Buffalo, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay and Toronto
Atlantic Conference: Devils, Rangers, Islanders, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Carolina and Washington
Midwest Conference: Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, Columbus, Nashville, Winnipeg, St. Louis and Minnesota
Pacific Conference: Anaheim, Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose and Vancouver

The top four teams in each new conference would make the playoffs first two rounds of the playoffs would be within your new conference. Word has it that after one team emerges from each conference they would be re-seeded by record and you'd have a final four situation.

It sounds like decades of pointing out they were the only serious playoff contender in the Eastern Time Zone playing on Pacific time pretty regularly in the playoffs from the Red Wings has paid off. Johnny's solution would simply have been to put Winnipeg in Detroit's old spot and move the Wings to Atlanta/Winnipeg's old spot in the Southeast Division but nobody asked him.

So Devils and Rangers and Isles fans, whadda ya think? Workable? Do you hate it? Spit it in comments...

Monday, December 5, 2011

Late night open thread

Foghorns on the river tonight and out in the harbor. Such a wonderful sound to have drift in your windows at night. Beats the hell out of car horns.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

This morning's heavy fog is supposed to burn off by 9 am

We shall see but until then commuters be careful out there. That is some thick fog. Did you know researchers have found that drivers, when driving in simulated heavy fog actually speed up, WAY up while doing so.

So again, be careful out there this morning..

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Late night open thread

The bowl bids are out and Rutgers will play the Cyclones of Iowa State in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl Friday December 30th over at Yankee Stadium. Rutgers finished up this season at 8-4 while Iowa State was 6-6 with a huge upset over Oklahoma a few weeks back.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Jets and Giants football gameday!

Two New Jersey teams in desperate need of a victory take to the gridiron today with vastly different opponents standing in their way. The Jets are in Washington D.C. to take on the mostly hapless Redskins (does John Riggins still play for them?) while Big Blue has a markedly different task on the other end of the NFL power rankings. The undefeated and well rested (off since Thanksgiving Day) Green Bay Packers will bring their so-called invincible road show to the New Meadowlands for a 4:15 kickoff.

So New Jersey and New York football fans -- Can the Jets push the 'Skins around the park and get Mark Sanchez in some kind of rhythm? Can the Giants come roaring out of the tunnel and play nose to nose with Green Bay?

Johnny knows this, he wouldn't want to be on the Acela coming back from D.C. later this afternoon and early this evening. With all those Jets fans the bar car will run out of booze early. Then the Amtrak insurrection will begin. The cabin announcements won't so much be informative tidbits about stops and schedules but rather a screaming into the captain's microphone later translated to police as "J-E-T-S JETS! JETS JETS!"

We don't normally involve ourselves with national politics BUT...

Seriously Herman, Pokémon??!! In dropping out of the GOP primary yesterday Herman Cain said his previous comments about his the most inspiring thought "Life can be a challenge, life can seem impossible, but it's never easy when there's so much on the line" was actually lifted from Pokémon the Movie 2000. Herman doubled down on that by often bringing up this inspiring ideal on his campaign stops.

People now running for the office of President of the United States are saying Donna Summer songs in Pokémon flicks inspire them. No, doesn't just inspire them, its the most inspiring phrase they have ever heard.

Abraham Lincoln, now there was a guy you could quote. FDR, JFK, of course throw in the boilerplate religious leaders and great philosophers and you've got a pretty good list of 'A' material to work with.

We the people are drowning in Pokémon-thought. We're drowning in dumbed down being celebrated. We're drowning in academics being shunned as "them" and "they". We're drowning in the denial of science. We're drowning in the almost cocky way people deny science (And we give them tax breaks to do it).

This know-nothingism being celebrated needs to end and if those who embrace it need to be shoved to the perimeters of society sobeit. They can watch all the inspiring Pokémon movies they want while they are there.

Late night open thread

Saturday night scoreboard show

Wisconsin 42
Michigan St. 39
Sparty falls to 3-1 vs weasel based teams this year

LSU 42
Georgia 10
Give that dawg a beatdown

Oklahoma St. 44
Oklahoma 10
Did the Cowboys do enough to jump Alabama? Are you kidding? Upset the SEC? The NCAA? Never gonna happen

Southern Mississippi 49
Houston 28
Houston's undefeated season goes buh bye

West Virginia 30
USF 27
With the Mountaineer win many couch lives were saved

Montana St. 26
New Hampshire 25
New Hampshire's Mike MacArthur clanged an extra point off the upright with 6 seconds to play giving Montana State the win

Maine 34
Appalachian St. 12
The Bears from Orono PWN the town of Boone NC

Northern Iowa 28
Wofford 21
Wofford passed for a cool 21 yards all afternoon. Well done there

The Jersey City Desk Game of the Week®
Lehigh 40
Towson 38
Lehigh now moves to the third round of the 1-AA playoffs and will tangle with North Dakota St. next week. QB Chris Lum and WR Ryan Spadola are stupid good for the 11-1 Mountain Hawks

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Let's help some pets this holiday season

Some pet stores in Jersey City and Hoboken are taking part in and accepting donations for the Hungry Bowl Pet Food and Bedding Drive this holiday season. The donations will help feed and bed pets in Jersey City and Jersey City's biggest suburb Staten Island.

Donations can be dropped off at three locations in Hoboken - Cornerstone Pets, 105 Ninth St.; Hoboken Pet, 524 Washington St.; and Club H Fitness, 110 Sinatra Dr. - and Hound About Town, 17 McWilliams Pl., Jersey City.

Donations of opened food, full-sized litter boxes and pillows or mattresses will not be accepted.


The drive will continue until December 19th.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with KIM WILDE!

Like totally eighties on this one fer suuuure. Totally bitchin. Kim Wilde with the anthemic 'Kids in America'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with SUPREME BEINGS OF LEISURE!

Here's a stone groove with some great guitar hooks and a nice smoky feel. Turn this one up and give yourself some room to move. Supreme Beings of Leisure with 'Under the Gun'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with PAROV STELAR!

Well isn't this the smartest little number you've heard in a while? It caught Johnny's ear in a TeeVee ad.

Sassy. Brassy.

Parov Stelar with 'Booty Swing'

Friday, December 2, 2011

The nip in the air tells us it's Christmas tree time!

And Johnny's gonna tell you where to get the best Christmas trees at the very best prices around. Gather round kids and uh, don't tell anyone Johnny told you so (Because they'll never find this post, we're practically invisible to the outside world our Technorati numbers say)...

Hoboken and Bayonne have a very nice system of city parks. In these well kept and well manicured parks you'll find pine trees. Some taller, some shorter and some wider than others. As you walk through the city park window shopping, make sure to think of the right size tree for you. Don't be a Clark W. Griswold and get a tree ten sizes too big. Right size it bucko.

Now, we're not saying take a saw and climb halfway up the pine tree and top it (Like we did at the Ypsi City Desk), that would be wrong. But you know accidents do happen and as the commercial character 'Mayhem' teaches us freak wind storms come up, a car could you know, whoops accidentally back into a tree (four feet up), insect damage can also cause trees to topple. Just make sure you don't let these unfortunate acts of Craftsma-- er nature go to waste. Pick up the broken pine tree and take it home. It's super cost effective in these dire economic times and those spiders in the tree weren't gonna make it outside all winter anyway.

Voila, a cost effective well kept Christmas tree for you and yours this holiday season. As Jersey City native Martha Stewart would say "It's a good thing."

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Late night open thread

Comedy before bed night tonight with Lewis Black. He took a flight 22 hours to New Zealand. In his delectable cranked off style he's going to tell you about all of it. Put the headphones on if there are wee ones about. This is not to be missed...


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Get out the bad weaves and hair teasing products, you too can roll like Donald Trump

Now not here in Jersey City of course, though Trump does have his name on that horribly bland architecturally challenged building down on Washington Street, we mean you too can become a real estate magnate and own part of the Empire State Building. The Empire State Building is Johnny's favorite building in the world, always has been. Now Johnny and everyone else can get in on the ground floor (d'oh) and buy a piece of the iconic 102 story building. The building is controlled by Anthony E. Malkin and his father, Peter L. Malkin. They want to start an incorporated real estate company and part of their holdings in any coming IPO is the Empire State Building. So, you buy stock in the Malkins you buy a piece of the Empire State Building.

You probably won't be able to jump the line over there for a tour if you own stock, and sadly you probably won't be able to bring your own booze up to the Observation Deck as a stockholder but the idea you could be part owner of something The Donald can only dream of, well that'll set your hair to easy breezy mode by itself.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Late night open thread

"I once wanted to become an atheist, but I gave up - they have no holidays."
--Henny Youngman

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Boy the Port Authority really stepped in this one

And thus far all we have is silence from Our Governor "I never met a quote I didn't like" Christie and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

If our dear readers will recall, when the Port Authority was trying to justify the huge toll hikes they proposed they included the work on the new One World Trade, which was built into the cost. The said they new WTC was included in cost projections in both public comments and press releases.

As late as August 19th, after the money had been approved the Port Authority said in a press release the increase would cover the "completion of the World Trade Center."

Then they were sued by AAA who said that the WTC wasn't a transportation project, rather a building. But, in their legal filings in this case the Port Authority said NO money would be used from toll increases for the WTC.

So, um, Port Authority, which one is it? You simply CANNOT use pull the strings of patriotism while trying to gin up reasons for your toll increase. By basically using the attacks on 9/11 as part of your justification, THEN filing (they no doubt wish had never come out) on another case say "Wait, no money is going there, who on earth told you that?"

"It's got to be one or the other," said Genovese, vice president of AAA of New York, which filed the suit with AAA of Northern New Jersey in September. "They can't have it both ways."

Maybe someone should have brought this up from the Port Authority when they held their sham "open meetings" on this toll increase. Ready for what the Port Authority considers open meetings?

The mandatory public hearings on the hike were held on a single day, three days before the approval vote, all eight of them during rush hour and at Port Authority facilities not typically used for public forums.

It's our opinion that the Port Authority intentionally misled the public. They've clammed up and nobody is saying anything from their offices. The governors, again, are saying nothing.

It's pretty obvious what happened here and it's also apparent it is time to hide the cookie jar from the Port Authority bozos running the circus.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The Hudson Tea Building in Hoboken, celebrities, fine living and stalkers

Dateline Fuho: A woman who lives in the Hudson Tea Building says after turning down another resident for a date she's now been getting annoying and mysterious knocks on her door at all hours. She said she's lost weight from the harassment and is just too petrified to call police when the door knocking happens. Maybe it's Eli Manning wanting to go have a catch. Maybe it's former Kardashian Snipe hunting bagman Kris Humphries wanting to talk about where he might play in the NBA this season, or maybe it's the asshat who asked her out that simply can't take no for an answer.

You can read the article here and give us your thoughts in comments.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Late night open thread

Here now, a first half highlight from tonight's Monday Night Football game.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

How well do you know your accountant?

With the end of the year fast approaching, many citizens will be hunkering down with their accountants for some end of the year tax planning sessions. Then of course the game changes January 1st as people huddle with accountants over paying the 2011 taxes.

Did you know however that a record number of New Jersey accountants are lying about their education credentials? Not the kind of thing you'd like to find out after-the-fact no doubt. An article in NJ.com this morning says accountants are lying about the classes they have been taking for professional enrichment as well as ethics classes.

Read the article, take a look at what it is saying and then you might just wanna follow up with your own accountant and make sure they are all caught up on classes and can PROVE it to you.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Mayor Healy will be holding a fundraiser at Puccini's December 6th

And we encourage the hundreds and thousands of Jersey City voters and residents whom the mayor long ago stopped caring about to show up at Puccini's and let the mayor know that actually carrying out your duties as mayor include actually meeting with citizens (and citizens groups who might just ask hard questions) and not just singing karaoke in bars and showing up at ribbon cuttings and parades.

Again, Mayor Healy will be holding a fundraiser December 6th at Puccini's. He's asking $150-$300 a pop. If you'd like to be heard without becoming a Healy acolyte simply show up and start asking questions. Our goal would be between 50-100 people there that evening. By showing up and holding a camera to see just whom is on their way in to support the mayor would be a good thing as well. If you're going to support Healy let's make it very difficult to do it secretly.

Puccini's is located at 1064 West Side Ave.

#OccupyPuccini's

Late night open thread

It's the Saturday night scoreboard show

Connecticut 40
Rutgers 22
What a time for a stinker of a game. Rutgers will get to a decent enough bowl game but this season will be haunted by the Big East title that wasn't

Stanford 28
Notre Dame 14
Who knows, maybe 8-4 Rutgers can play 8-4 Notre Dame in the 8-4 Bowl

Northern Illinois 18
Eastern Michigan 12
Eastern Michigan's first non-losing season since 1995. Ron English whom we've hassled here before has helped pick this program off the mat

Utah State 21
Nevada 17
Here's a case of another lost program, Utah State, picking themselves up and fighting back to bowl eligibility

Michigan State 31
Northwestern 17
Sparty rolls into the Big Ten title game at 10-2 against...

Wisconsin 45
Penn St. 7
Hide the meats and cheeses Indianapolis, the Badger fans are coming to town. Keep your hands and feet away from their mouths

Stony Brook 31
Albany 28
Stony Brook came from waaaaay back to win their first round Division 1-AA playoff game

Air Force 45
Colorado State 21
The Air Force Academy becomes bowl eligible. Johnny likes Air Force, they have awesome helmets

USC 50
UCLA 0
And it's UCLA who will win the PAC-12 South after this crushing defeat and move on to play Oregon next Saturday in the Pac 12 title game. All because Pete Carroll had no control over the USC program and graft ran wild while he was in charge.....allegedly

Michigan 40
Ohio State 34
Yet another rivalry game that used to mean something. Michigan beats THE Ohio State University for the first time since the Unabomber was in grad school in Ann Arbor

The Jersey City Desk Game of the Week®
Florida Atlantic 38
UAB 35
Florida Atlantic coach and all around class act Howard Schnellenberger is retiring after this game. This was FAU's only win of the season and they send Schnellenberger out a winner. With FAU's win it means all DIvision 1-A schools won at least one game this year

Tim for Jersey City, After Dark

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Rutgers football gameday!

OK Rutgers fans, last regular season game of the year and YES, the Scarlet Knights CAN still make it to a BCS game but those chances are slim. Tom Luicci with the Star-Ledger explains how slim:

Three things now need to happen for the Scarlet Knights to have a chance at earning the Big East's automatic BCS bowl:
1. Rutgers needs to beat Connecticut on Saturday;
2. West Virginia has to lose in its season finale at South Florida on Thursday;
3. Cincinnati has to win its final two games, with the Bearcats at Syracuse on Saturday before closing out at home against Connecticut.


Ah yes, beating Connecticut.

Last week as you'll recall we gave up on the Rutgers running game and Jawan Jamison promptly ripped off a 200 yard afternoon on the ground. Could Rutgers maybe get another 100 yards out of Jamison? It certainly would be key. Now the Huskies are a strong defensive team especially against the run so not becoming too one-dimensional would go a long way. The Rutgers defense this season has been stout. They are the reason the Piscataway 11 are still alive for a BCS bowl game. They really have their work cut out for them today in UConn's two-headed QB system. Johnny McAntee can't can pass but can't run while Scott McCummings can run very well but probably couldn't hit water if he threw the ball out of a boat. Rutgers defense needs to communicate and know who is out there on every down.

Rutgers has pretty well owned Connecticut in football (And UConn returns the favor in hoops) over the years and it is our opinion that will continue for one more game.

Fearless Forecast
Rutgers gets power up and claims a share of the Big East title!
Rutgers 28
Connecticut 23

Late night open thread

Jim Morrison once sang "Cars hiss by my window..."

They certainly do.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE POLICE!

Wherever you're tuning into this song you'll soon have that certain kind of reggae sway going and the up tempo 2 and 4 will have your toes tapping. Goodness, someone watching you listen to this might just think you're having a good time or something...

The Police with 'One World (Not Three)'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with SHERYL CROW!

OK, we don't do it often but tonight is such a night. The tissues, go get them. It's a very heartbreaking song batting second tonight from Sheryl Crow. Johnny's always had a deep like for this one and it's called 'Home'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with GUSTER!

Johnny and his best gal caught Guster at the Wellmont Theater tonight out in Montclair and what a terrific show. Lots of energy, fantastic music and an overall bouncy vibe. If you're a Guster fan or just wanna see a great show they're playing the Wellmont again Saturday night. Showtime 8pm.

Here's Guster with 'Satellite'

Friday, November 25, 2011

We'd like to tip our cap to The Iron Monkey here in Jersey City

Every Thanksgiving for the last 15 years The Iron Monkey (99 Greene St.) has offered Thanksgiving dinners to the needy, homeless or whomever else may be in need of a great free no questions asked meal. Former Iron Money general manger Tara Werner said the kitchen and staff are all volunteers and they were able to serve more than 150 dinners yesterday. We'd also like to tip our caps to the following local businesses who also gave of themselves to make The Iron Monkey dinner a success; Made With Love Bakery, Starbucks, the New Jersey Beer Co., and the Restaurant Depot.

Thanks to all involved for making our city a better place to live.

Late night open thread

Ahhhh, another successful Thanksgiving Day.....unless you're the Detroit Lions.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at the Jersey City Desk

Johnny and all the interns and news bullpen hangers-on wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy your day and safe travels.

Could you hurry up eating and clearing the table? Christmas is at the front door and eager to start...

First off this Thanksgiving morning, a public service announcement

The dump in Stockbridge Massachusetts is closed today...

Late night open thread

Is it too soon to put the turkey in? Johnny's hungry now.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Late night open thread

Something new tonight on the late night thread. Linking to a Pandora music channel and on such a rainy night here in Jersey City. Music on this internet outpost til dawn...

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Eco-friendly Christmas lights illuminate the Central Ave. strip

AND we get a Mayor Healy sighting. We swear, if this guy doesn't start showing up for town hall meetings or city council meetings or some public event where everything isn't a tree lighting ceremony or a parade and HARD questions of his stewardship can be asked we're gonna pass out faux milk cartons around Grove St. and Journal Square with pictures of his eminence on them. Talk about an absentee mayor...

The lights, yes the lights, they look great and they are environmentally friendly relying on light-emitting diode (LED) lights which use far less energy. So get out there and waste some precious fossil fuels and check them out. They really do look good.

Mayor Bloomberg's favorite Thanksgiving Day parade balloon?

From 1937. No military-type outfit, no canister of pepper spray, no us vs. them mentality, just Officer "Friendly" with a night stick

Monday, November 21, 2011

Late night open thread

State trivia night.

The capital of this state has a working oil well on the capital grounds. Answer here.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Oh look, a kitty......

Johnny wanted to bleat on about this yesterday when the story broke but held his tongue. Odd he thought, that just when Mike Bloomberg and the NYPD needed a big dose of PR-juice after the disgusting and disgraceful way they cleared the park and attacked innocent civilians they magically got one.

Mr. Terror Lone Wolf guy they arrested who was a dangerous al-Qaeda sympathizer isn't turning out to be much of a threat at all. So much so the FBI even declined to get involved in this nationally important terror case:

Two law enforcement officials said Monday that the NYPD's Intelligence Division had sought to get the FBI involved at least twice as the investigation unfolded. Both times, the FBI concluded that Pimentel lacked the mental capacity to act on his own, they said.

The FBI thought Pimentel "didn't have the predisposition or the ability to do anything on his own," one of the officials said.


Mayor Bloomberg, just quit. You're really burying the memory two pretty positive terms under this manure pile third one. Just pull a Sarah Palin and slink off to go make money. Ok, then just slink off. Maybe then they'll call off the drums.

Thanksgiving dinner, your MUST haves

As much as you'd like to say you're not already thinking ahead to Thursday we know better. So while you're daydreaming about that big meal what is the ONE thing (besides turkey, potatoes and stuffing/dressing) you HAVE to have on your table or Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving?

State your case foodies!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Late night open thread

Sunday night football is on too late for Johnny's bedtime. He is looking forward to the Giants plucking the Iggles tonight. So, who ya got?

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

If you're wondering how Rutgers fares in the Big East football tie-breakers we've got you covered

If you're wondering how the tie-breakers int he Big East make shake out if and when Rutgers ties for the conference crown and hopefully snare a BCS bowl game. We hope you have some kind of advanced math degree:

Put it all together and West Virginia is probably in the best position to end up in the BCS in that scenario because of BCS rankings. In the “Mini-Conference” scenario, “Teams A & B are 2-1 (UL, WVU), and Teams C & D are 1-2 (Cincy, RU). The higher ranked of the 2-1 teams earns the bid. If the 2-1 teams tie for the highest ranking, the bid goes to the team that won the head-to-head match up.”

There's MUCH more to it and you can see the entire scenario here.

If it's Sunday it must be all about the arts here at the Jersey City Desk

Johnny, art lover. It's true.

Reading the New York Times tells us about a great exhibit at the Montclair Art Museum by animation and print artist Marina Zurkow. Well give you the link to the article here and then how to get in touch with the Montclair Art Museum here.

“Marina Zurkow: Friends, Enemies and Others” is on view through March 18, 2012, at the Montclair Art Museum, 3 South Mountain Avenue, Montclair; montclairartmuseum.org or (973) 746-5555.

Johnny will see you there in December...

Late night open thread

Saturday Night Scoreboard Show

Rutgers 20
Cincinnati 3
Perfect timing for Jawan Jamison to run wild over the Bearcats for 200 yards after we wrote off the Rutgers running attack this morning.

Baylor 45
Oklahoma 38
Sooner Bummer

Harvard 45
Yale 7
The Yalies take a beating at home

Michigan St. 55
Indiana 3
Sparty wins the Big Ten Legends division and will play in the first Big Ten title game

Lehigh 37
Lafayette 13
Lehigh goes undefeated in the Patriot League for the second straight year in mashing the Leopards

Wofford 28
Chattanooga 27
Mitch Allen had his Wheaties this morning and Wofford fans are glad

New Hampshire 30
Maine 27
The old border war goes to the Granite Staters this year

Notre Dame 16
Boston College 14
When Irish eyes are winning

Kutztown 20
Concord 17
Win one for dear old Kutztown

North Dakota 38
South Dakota 37
Armed incursions from settlers in North Dakota into South Dakota may continue

The Jersey City Desk Game of the Week®
Miami (FL) 6
South Florida 3
(insert baying hound sound here) bark bark bark woof woof, what a dog of a game. Certainly worthy of shame in the harsh light of the game of the week spotlight

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Rutgers football gameday!

Statement day down in Piscataway at High Point Solutions Synergy Analysis Zazzle Stadium at high noon today. If Rutgers wins, and with the fluffy dogs from the Nutmeg State up next for the Scarlet Knights, they'd have a great chance for at least a tie of the Big East title. Then the tie-breakers will do their thing.

But first the Bearcats from the far away and often strange land of Cincinnati.

OK, Rutgers can't run. We implore them every week to run and to keep trying to at least set some kind of offensive rhythm playing downhill football. In the esteemed words of Zorak "Yeah, we're not doing that." Somehow or someway Rutgers is going to need 20-24 points today. Rutgers has a strong defense, 11th in the nation in points per game allowed. Cincinnati will score. It's what they do. But the Rutgers offense on their way to those 20-24 point has to give the defense a breather by controlling the ball somehow. Quite a few of the Scarlet Knights games this season have been decided in the 4th quarter or later. The defense leads the way so keep them at their ready best when you need them most. Reverses count as running yards ya know.

Fearless Forecast:
On senior day San San Te kicks a field goal as time runs out
Rutgers 23
Cincinnati 20

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE VELVELETTES!

2648 W. Grand Boulevard in Detroit, better known at Hitsville USA and the Motown recording studios has created some of the greatest and most iconic songs and recording acts in pop music history. Tonight let's kick off the music series with an act you may not have heard of and so you're in for a treat. The Velvelettes with 'He was Really Sayin' Something'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE!

Incredible stuff hepcats and kittens from Florence Welch. They'll be playing Saturday Night Live tomorrow night in Midtown. Florence and the Machine with 'Im Not Calling You a Liar'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE NOISETTES!

Ladies and gentlemen, The Noisettes with wonderful melding of a couple different styles on 'Don't Upset the Rhythm'.

Friday, November 18, 2011

And if you're getting David Sedaris on Super Happy Fun Day let's double down with Amy Sedaris

Very few people can rattle David Letterman. You know, where Dave just kind of loses control? Yes, Amy Sedaris who can be found prowling the West Village on her knitted cell phone.

David Sedaris on the 'Stadium Pal'

Good stuff from David Sedaris...

Hey, it's Friday, let's have a Super Happy Fun Day!!

We haven't had one of those in months.

We see where Congress is slated to call pizza a vegetable for school nutrition purposes (Like when Ronnie Reagan tried making ketchup a veggie back in the 80's for this same reason).

So Jersey City, what do you like on your 16" vegetables?

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Juliet Supper Club, go for the celebrities, just leave when the shooting starts

Chelsea hotspot and celebrity hangout (on Monday nights anyway) has had it's second murder Tuesday morning in two months. Several NBA players (hey they had nothing better to do) and New Jersey Giants players were said to be at Juliet when the shooting started. A 43 year-old man was killed in the shooting while another was shot in the back, arm and rear-end. Another patron, a woman (who wasn't shy about tweeting her leg wound before trying to erase her Twitter feed -- that doesn't happen though) and five others were hit by gunfire.

The Juliet Supper Club has released a statement saying they may now close on Monday nights and just how seriously they take security in the club:

"Juliet Supper Club has always taken additional precautionary measures to ensure the safety of its patrons. Measures included male and female security guards responsible for searching patrons belongings, a mandatory coat check, and a strict dress code was implemented..."

Well your security guards sure missed one big gun it would seem Juliet.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Late night open thread

Hey hey hey, it's stupid people doing really stupid things. If you're gonna steal beer and munchies from the Stop and Go try and make sure there aren't four county sheriff's deputies already inside.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

When the #OWS gets out of hand or turns violent ask Mayor Mike why -- UPDATED

Look, we all know Mayor Bloomberg can't get enough of giving his Wall St. buddies handjobs, but now Bloomie thinks he knows the United States Constitution better than most legal scholars. Mayor Mike seems to be confused about the GUARANTEE of PEACEABLE redress of grievances. Of course this only matters to Bloomberg when his poor poor put upon Wall St. acolytes are crashing the economy and blaming teachers. Only then should we worry about rights -- rights for Wall St.

Well Mayor, it has come to this. You have badmouthed the people exercising their RIGHTS. You have turned to police on them to stifle free speech. When people have no outlets left to protest Mike guess what they do? And you'll be to blame for it when it does happen.

Shame on you. Shame.

Here's one of your boys now, he's the new face of YOUR police Department.

UPDATE -- Mayor Bloomberg's incredible comment this morning on this "No right is absolute." Um YES it is jackass it's WHY they call them RIGHTS. Oh and Bloomie, you just got slapped down by a New York City judge: "The order by Justice Lucy Billings set a hearing date for Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. and said that until the matter was considered at that hearing, the city and Brookfield Properties, the owners of Zuccotti Park, would be prohibited from evicting protesters or "enforcing 'rules' published after the occupation began or otherwise preventing protesters from re-entering the park with tents and other property previously utilized."


Monday, November 14, 2011

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Some gorgeous late season leaves

Still on the trees

Monday morning coffee klatch

So tell us about your weekends over coffee this morning. How is fall treating you? Any big Turkey Day plans?