Friday, February 28, 2014

Dear Dove, a New Jersey company should have known better -- UPDATED!

Using the "New Jersey is the armpit of America" is not a clever play on an old stereotype, it's just so old it farts dust. That'll look good on the billboards and help with travel and tourism eh?

If you haven't heard the Dove company (owned by #Unilever) is planning on putting up billboards in the Garden State this summer telling you to use Dove products on your armpits:

Dear New Jersey, when people call you the armpit of America, take it as a compliment.

Boy, makes you just want to run out and buy Dove products...not. Having worked in PR for years and years Johnny was not really that surprised to hear that the firm of Ogilvy & Mather was behind this blather. If you want underwhelming and uninspired, there you go.

So despite this "We think people in New Jersey will love this" company line from Dove, Johnny's guess is they'll be backpedaling before the first billboard profanes the highway.

UPDATE 3/1 11:51 AM: You killed it, we killed it, Dove killed it. It didn't last 24 hours:

Our intent with the 'Dear New Jersey' ad was to call attention to the fact that armpits can and should be considered beautiful and ask women everywhere to accept this as something that is okay. We did not wish to cause any misunderstanding or offense. We take feedback from our community very seriously and will not be running this billboard advertisement.

Ogilvy & Mather, LOL.

Late night open thread

What is the highest temperature ever recorded at the South Pole?

A) 8º F
B) 19º F
C) 30º F
Answer in comments

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Thursday, February 27, 2014

The folding the Parking Authority into other Jersey City departments isn't going so well

You remember then-candidate Steve Fulop's promise that if elected he'd roll the Jersey City Parking Authority into other department(s) and dissolve the existing autonomous department. That was then.

City Council president Rolando Lavarro said yesterday:

“We are going to table this ordinance tonight and form a committee.”

So why the delay gents (and ladies)? Is there a problem with the support to do this? Do some council members have cold feet? They all seemed on board with this when they ran on Fulop's ticket as well. Parking Authority Board Chairman Jack Tarantula addressed the council and said abolishing the department into another was not the right answer. He said tweaking might be in order but not getting rid of JCPA.

Johnny doesn't think much of city boards and "authorities" that take money from citizens when not one person on said board is elected. It's fine Mr. Tarantula wants to take time and lobby on behalf on the JCPA (and his job) but hear Johnny now. Your mayor and many city council members made promises to do away with the JCPA. Are they backing off? Is the mayor backing off? 

We sure hope not. Whatever department JCPA becomes it's STILL going to bring in the same amount of money it did before. Just because it gets eliminated does not somehow mean drivers in Jersey City are suddenly going to start obeying the rules.

Steve Fulop has decided now is the time to take some digs at NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio

In quite a shocker, the mayor of our fair city opened up a small can of economic whup-ass on the mayor across the river. Steve Fulop told the Wall St. Journal that in his opinion de Blasio's comments about asking the rich to pay more. Fulop said de Blasio's "polarizing" comments have somehow "terrified" NYC business interests.

Where to begin. Is this some kind of coded message to wealthy individuals and businesses to look at Jersey City? Was Fulop having a Goldman Sachs flashback to his days there where criticizing anything populist or that didn't make the rich richer was reflex? Was he merely trying to raise his own reputation? Johnny has a pretty good idea why Fulop said what he said, but it's far more interesting to speculate on the big picture.

What say you Jersey City?

Late night open thread

You remember the movie Risky Business with Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay, right? Well when that movie was released in China it had a different title due to a poor translation. The new title? "Just Send Him to University Unqualified."

One gratuitous picture of De Mornay as 'Lana' comin' up.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Sounds like the old Jersey City gravy train is back up and running

Mayor Steve Fulop has sent our city spokesmodel Jennifer Morrill to say this isn't his fault. Ward F councilwoman Diane Coleman, whom we have partly to thank for the continued gravy train, is too cowardly/busy? to release a statement on it.

So what is IT we're talking about? One Eugene McKnight, a former campaign manager for Coleman, just picked himself up a tony city job. He gets a yearly salary of $75,000 for working for the Jersey City Employment & Training Program.

Hmmmm, $75K, the amount McKnight ALREADY OWES Jersey City for his 1992 conviction on welfare fraud charges. He's paid back NONE of the $75K he owes from 1992 AND just landed a city job. He hasn't even tried to pay it back! 

So why should the other qualified candidates be discarded for this guy who shows his contempt for the city he works for daily? Again, Diane Coleman refuses to say. Steve Fulop sends out his spokesperson with a boilerplate "Don't look at me" comment.

Steve, Diane, here we thought the Healy days were over. Guess not.

NJ Transit, what asshats

Well NJ transit was either lying (our opinion) or simply inept once again. You'll recall the secret deal NJ Transit was trying to cut with the now disgraced Rockefeller Group by going around the Hoboken City Government for a new light rail stop in FuHo. How clandestine was the NJ Transit/Rockefeller Group deal? NJ Transit and the Rockefeller Group inked a non-binding agreement in June to continue with plans for a station in the northern section of the city, WITHOUT HOBOKEN INVOLVEMENT.

When Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer thought it was odd that NJ Transit wasn't producing the documents and plans about such a deal, NJ Transit said "Well, we don't have those documents."

Guess what, NJ Transit despite saying first they didn't have to produce them, then saying they didn't even have the unicorn documents, HAD the documents.

What assholes.

Late night open thread

Take your rest Jersey City, Johnny's Bannermen have this city well protected.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

NYC 911 calls being routed through New Jersey, like ya do...

Stop calling Johnny's house 911 callers in NYC. He's trying to remain helpful and is singing 'Soft Kitty' to callers until he can bounce the call the hell back to NYC.

Actually a smattering of 911 calls in NYC, most notably the Upper West Side are somehow hitting 911 call centers in the Garden State:

A resident, who did not want to be identified, told the news channel she dialed 911 after a neighbor in her apartment complex started banging on her door, yelling "fire." She said she was thankful it was a false alarm because the dispatcher who picked up the phone was from New Jersey.

A community leader in the area told CBS the issue is cell phone towers in New Jersey are picking up the calls from Manhattan.

Verizon said the company is still looking into the issue.

Oh, are our cell phone towers more powerful than yours? Is our technological prowess ruining your day? We'd suggest upgrades on your end NYC because the New Jersey system is certainly operating at peak capacity. At least that's what we told the people in Berwyn Illinois.

This upcoming Saturday afternoon See Spot Rescued is having another adoption event

Just look at these smiling faces. Wouldn't you just love one of them to wake you up in the morning to get them some pup grub and go for a walk? Of course you would. Saturday 1-4. Be there.

Late night open thread

One more time for Harold Ramis. Convicted? Never convicted...

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Monday, February 24, 2014

RIP Harold Ramis

You know Johnny's feeling thunderstruck when he posts a tribute to a celebrity. Perhaps the Carole King of comedy writing is gone. Harold Ramis passed away today at age 69.

He was a comic genius. Your first thoughts of him might be his great characters in Stripes and Ghostbusters. Then it starts to sink in he had a hand in writing and directing Caddyshack, National Lampoon's Vacation, Meatballs and Groundhog Day. He produced Back to School and Multiplicity. He wrote Animal House. If you're a male and Johnny's age, Ramis' quotes roll off your tongue daily.

One of Johnny's all-time favorite Ramis passive aggressive one-liners? "Aw, people don't talk about you behind your back....as far as you know."

So, yeah, Harold Ramis has passed but luckily his iconic works will live on.

What goes up....

...in this case is going to keep climbing. The new towers at 70-90 Columbus at the PATH station this morning as the two 48 story towers rise into the Jersey City sky. Now, take a close look at the image you see and then understand that M. Wilk Consulting and Real Estate say they will be open for people to move into in late 2014. That's this year. It's almost March. Now look at the image again.

Yeah, try 2015...

Late night open thread

“Candy is natures way of making up for Mondays."
 -- Unknown

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Jersey City's own Highline a step closer after Federal Court ruling

A Federal Court has said Steve Hyman has lost his lease! Everything must GO! Everyone knew the Sixth Street Embankment, sold to Hyman from Conrail, was going to end up in the hands of the city of Jersey City. First some backstory:

The previous owner of the embankment, Conrail, sold the property -- which  runs along the south side of Sixth Street from Marin Boulevard to Brunswick Street -- to developer and investor Steve Hyman for $3 million nearly a decade ago.

In 2012, the city and Hyman reached a tentative settlement in which the city would purchase most of the roughly mile-long parcel for $7 million and create a Highline-style park, while Hyman would retain one block. Hyman had wanted to develop the entire property.

So to court they went, Hyman and Jersey City, Jersey City and Hyman. Most knowing full well who was going to prevail. Wednesday a panel of federal judges agreed with Jersey City that the property was indeed a rail line which to make a long story short would give the city right of first refusal on the land which they would never do. Not Healy nor Fulop. In fact said Mayor Fulop:

"We are committed to this fight and partnership with the Embankment Coalition to create a world-class citywide park in Jersey City."

Hyman stands to get his original $3 million for the property.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Spring tease

What a badly needed glorious day. A tease of spring on the late afternoon air. Of course it all goes back to crap late next week but for today anyway, brilliant!

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday, February 21, 2014

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with kd Lang AND THE SISS BOOM BANG!

OK, Johnny saw "After Midnight" tonight over to Broadway and k.d. Lang as 'Special Guest Star' was simply unequaled. You can go ahead and put some fine singers in that role and they'll be good, some will be great but they won't be k.d. Lang. The celebrity speckled audience tonight seemed to realize this was something special having her sing those smoky blues and jazz songs from the Cotton Club era. Johnny sat there mesmerized watching and listening her up close and personal simply in awe of the best voice of our generation, if not ever. If you have a chance to catch her in "After Midnight" you do that.

k.d. Lang and the Siss Boom Bang with 'I Confess'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with LOVE!

You know, Love. You remember Love don't you? No? No on Love? OK, how about a quick refresher course on Love.

Love with 'My Little Red Book'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with ROBERTA FLACK!

Sometimes those old songs you remember from AM radio just sound so perfect on a Friday night. This is one. Roberta Flack with 'Killing Me Softly' putting the wraps on the Music Series for another week.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The kind of Jersey City Johnny wants to live in

Johnny was all prepared to go off on one of his usual scolds, whether it be the mess in Trenton, the weather-related mistakes being made here in Jersey City, or the Transit deal mess in Hoboken but something happened this morning that pushed all that to the back burner.

Walking to the Grove St. PATH Station with his wife and dire wolf in tow, Johnny saw a young gentleman stopping his morning routine to do something so cliche some people may be non-plussed. He was on his way to the PATH station, possibly to work or to meet someone. He saw an elderly woman pushing a walker with wheels on the still icy and snow piled sidewalks and intersections. This young man stopped and offered assistance to make sure this woman made it safely across the icy mess and get on her way safely. Five minutes out of his day for something so nice, something that shows he cares for people around him. Five minutes to do what he felt was right. Johnny dropped his wife at the PATH and started waking up Marin Blvd. in the direction the woman had set off in. He and his wolf caught up with her at 1st and Marin. Johnny picked up the cause of the first young gentleman and made sure this wonderful woman (her name is Dorothy and like Johnny she was originally from Michigan and she moved to NYC in the 60's and then to Jersey City some 25 years ago. She too had helped rescue dogs back before it was all the rage) made it past the ice and snow that Shop Rite refuses to shovel or plow or salt next to their store on Marin Blvd., and safely got her to BJ's where she was headed.

THIS is the Jersey City Johnny wants to live in. Johnny's not taking credit for something someone else started. He merely wants to pass along this story to ask YOU citizen what can you do daily with say 5 minutes to help make our fair city even better. Let this young man's kind act inspire YOU like it did Johnny.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Hey Jersey City, how would a statute like this grab you?

Brooklyn Councilman David Greenfield has an idea he's floating in NYC to cut down on property owners who simply refuse to clear their sidewalks (and note in the picture just whom owns that property) and Johnny personally would love to see this kind of thing adopted in Jersey City. Here's how Greenfield's plan would work:

"...Greenfield is proposing a law that would empower city-contracted laborers to shovel sidewalks that remain buried under snow, and then bill property owners $250 for the service.

If the bill becomes law, the city would hire more seasonal snow laborers, paying them $12 to $18 an hour to shovel sidewalks, the News reports. "My constituents were sick and tired of walking down the street and slipping and falling because some obnoxious homeowner has decided that they're exempt from cleaning their ice." 

Pretty straightforward AND job creating. If you won't shovel the city will and YOU will pay. We like that.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Where does a day go?

Johnny had much on his plate today. It was Thanksgiving size.

Sometimes you have to look outside your own block, city or even country. Johnny's gonna post a live link to television in Kiev Ukraine where rioting by anti-government protestors got real, real fast. 18 are known dead and the city is on fire. Here is your live link to unfolding world history.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Late night open thread

Johnny's gonna start his day tomorrow with a giant bowl of Freakies cereal from a box he's been saving since 1975. Hope that plastic seal kept it fresh.



















Time for Jersey City, After Dark

More snow doth come on the 'morrow

Be brave ye sons and daughters of Jersey City, snows cometh yet again tonight and tomorrow and you will be on your own, so sayeth the city. Mules bringing fresh salt supplies are few. Yonder castle at 280 Grove St. has sent a raven saying heavily traveled paths will get salt first, then yon goat trails.

The spring rains shall come and wash away this winter of our discount tent.

Every so often, one sentence in a news story really stands out

Reading Gothamist this morning Johnny clicked on a story that J-walking tickets under new Mayor DeBlasio have soared. By soaring Johnny means an 800% increase. They're not cracking down much at all on dangerous drivers (At least NYC monitors your EZ-Pass when you drive through the city so there's that. Oh wait, you didn't know NYC spied on your EZ-Pass if you're driving in Manhattan? Click here citizen) just dangerous pedestrians. New Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said last month that pedestrains cause 73% of car/ped accidents. Like Gothamist points out, those numbers clearly come from that cases reviewed by the Collision Investigation Squad, not DOT data.

As for that Collision Investigation Squad and their sheer lack of human resurces, here's the sentence that caught Johnny's eye:

"We also learn that Bratton has "struggled to find enough officers interested in the task" of investigating crashes, making it harder to deliver on his promise to bolster the ranks of CIS and therefore conduct higher-quality investigations."

"struggled to find enough officers interested in the task"

Are you the ball-less Police Commissioner Mr. Bratton? Struggled to find enough officers interested? Good lord is that what the NYPD have become? The top cop cannot give orders and the guys he'd give them to can just wave them off? Is that how it works at YOUR place of business? 

Johnny, I'd like you to go over the Smith Inc. account and make sure we billed the hours correctly. 
No, I really don't feel like doing that. I'm going to go over here and call a couple people but good luck on the Johnson account thing.

Johnny, the registers are very busy, go help the customers and open one up.
Ya know bossman, that sounds like a really important thing, but right now I'd rather go "reorganize" the magazine rack mmmmmkay?

Well, you tell us. Can't find officers interested in doing that?? NYPD Police Commissioner Bill Bratton ladies and jellyspoons, he'll be here nightly at least for the next four years...

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Late night open thread

Look at a map of the United States. Look for the easternmost point in the United States. Now look for the westernmost part of the United States. One more time, this time look for the northernmost part of the USA.

Did you find them all in the same state? If you didn't get the map back out. See comments if you're stumped.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

If you live downtown, Ward E Councilwoman Candice Osborne says do not drive!

Osborne Tweeted out this morning the roads downtown in her Ward are glare ice and she's asking residents to stay off the road. You can't have Candice without 'ice', lol...

The problem as it is with so many communities locally is no salt. Jersey City has run out. Then the people plowing compound the issue (Remember, Johnny's got winters in Michigan's Upper Peninsula under his belt and knows this shit) by scraping snow and scraping down until there is nothing left but ice. Leaving the snow would have been a better plan in this case.

Johnny is kind of sad that not all Jersey City council members aren't on Twitter to send out such warnings or alerts to their constituents.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Late night open thread

On average, 20 banks are robbed in he US a day. What is the average take in those robberies?
A) Less than $500
B) $2500
C) More than $5000

Answer in comments.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Spolier Alert: USA! USA! USA!

Now THAT is how you start a Saturday morning! What a game between the USA and Russian men's hockey teams. Pavel Datsyuk was incredible for Russia playing on one good knee and almost willed them to victory. It was St. Louis Blues player T. J. Oshie who stole the show with his 4 goals on 6 chances in the shootout. It should be noted in the Olympics in a shootout after your first three shooters the coach can go back and keep sending the same guy out. Luckily U.S. head coach Dan Bylsma did just that.

AMAZING game. If you didn't see it make sure you watch a replay. Great players playing a very up-tempo game, controversy, overtime, breakaways, then an eight round shootout.

To quote Eric Cartman, "Kiiiiick ass!"

Late night open thread

Say friends, if you're not doing anything important in the morning, enjoy your Cheerios or coffee and bacon and eggs as the Olympics provides some lite morning fare;

The United States of America vs. Russia in men's hockey. It's why they bother holding Winter Olympics to begin with. Russia has waited 34 years since that day to get a crack at the USA in the Olympics on Russian ice, it should make for some goooood watchin'. Game's at 7:30 on NBCSN.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with DONNA SUMMER!

First off apologies for the ad at the beginning of this song. Only two sources for the long version of the sultry, steamy, and oh so naughty Donna Summer classic 'Love to Love You Baby'. Johnny wasn't much of a disco guy but loved Donna Summer's voice and her work with Giorgio Moroder.

The 17 minute version for you lovers out there enjoying Valentine's Day night. Don't say Johnny never did nothin' for ya.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with RUBY YATES & THE SWINGING ROCKS!

Not every girl group in Detroit in the early and mid-60's became The Supremes or The Vandellas. Some toiled behind the scenes and yet made some of the best soulful music you'll ever let grace your ears. Here are Ruby Yates & the Swinging Rocks with 'It's Been a Long Time'

Friday, February 14, 2014

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with STEELY DAN!

Drugs?! This song is about taking drugs?? But Nancy Reagan said that was awful and made everyone say no. Chasing the dragon? Whaaaaa? Though you'd be disqualified for having heroin in your system, the idea of silver changing to gold for US athletes in Sochi isn't a bad idea.

Steely Dan with 'Time Out of Mind'

We'd like to tip our cap to Ward E Councilwoman Candice Osborne

As a backdrop to us being all complimentary and such, tonight is the night the PATH closes the Exchange Place to WTC line for over a year on weekends. What? You didn't get the eight day warning about this disruption? Well luckily for you Ward E councilwoman Candice Osborne did and has gotten some promises out of The Port Authority to try and help alleviate some of the mess. Osborne thus far has been able to get The Port Authority to increase PATH train frequency on the 33rd Street line to every 10 minutes during the day and every 15 minutes at night. She's in talks with the PA to find affordable ferries and to secure shuttle buses that would take PATH riders from the World Trade Center to Christopher Street where they could link back into the 33rd St. line.

Terrence T. McDonald has more on Osborne's efforts at the Jersey Journal.

Well done Councilwoman Osborne. It's a shame we haven't heard more from your colleagues on this but your work on this closure with such short notice has been more than admirable.

WTF Jersey City?! Clean your goddamned sidewalks

Dear business owners, property owners, construction companies who have bought a property, parking lot owners, and anyone else with a sidewalk. It's YOUR responsibility to clean that mess up. Stop acting like its not. Business after business without a clean walk, construction companies actually making sidewalks worse, this city is a wreck. We've heard nothing from the city on this. At least Healy's folks would try to shame people into cleaning their walks.

Johnny's neighbors last night came up with some wonderful revenge ideas for property, construction and business owners who don't clean their walks. Some suggested online whisper campaigns about business cleanliness which is devilish and a good hammer to make them comply. Property owners might wanna clean their walks because some of THOSE ideas went beyond devilish.

The citizens are fed up and those responsible can clear the way or deal with the citizen initiated blowback.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Late night open thread

"I think Bigfoot is blurry, that's the problem. It's not the photographer's fault. Bigfoot is blurry, and that's extra scary to me. There's a large, out-of-focus monster roaming the countryside. Run, he's fuzzy, get out of here."
 -- Mitch Hedberg

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Everything is closed today, go back to bed

The heavy stuff will be arriving shortly and will continue into early afternoon.  It's a mess. Go back to bed or put the boots and mittens on and take the dog and your camera and have some winter fun.

For those who need an excuse note Johnny will provide one here you can print out:

Dear ___________,

Please give ___________________ a pass on not showing up yesterday as the storm was just too much and one day without _________________ isn't going to kill you. They are a great asset to your organization and they were merely following the orders of state and city authorities to stay the hell home.

Best,
Johnny

Late night open thread

So it begins...

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

So sad: Harrison Mayor Raymond McDonough has passed away at 65

Harrison Mayor Raymond McDonough passed away after having a heart attack at his office today. That's just terribly sad. Our thoughts are with his family and friends and our friends out in Harrison tonight. More on this story here.

Winter Storm Cupid is intensifying, expect moar snowz

The National Weather Service has indicated that #WinterStormCupid could now drop upwards of 14" of snow and ice across parts of the Garden State tonight and tomorrow. The snow is expected to get here around midnight for Jersey City and the surround and once it gets going it'll get going fast and stick with us for a while:

Snow is expected to begin falling in New Jersey around midnight, and will continue throughout the entire day, impacting both the morning and afternoon rush hours, Pollina said. Bunker said the peak of the storm will be just in time for Thursday’s morning commute. The current winter-storm warning doesn't expire until 6 a.m. Friday.

Also of note for the surround, the temperatures are cold enough (No, reallllly?) for no icing to be associated with this storm, it'll start as snow and end as snow.

Well, get going, those stores aren't going to empty themselves...

Late night open thread

Johnny thinks the words you're looking for are "colorful" and "unpredictable."













Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

We're loathe to talk about the weather again but #WinterStormCupid cometh!

We've ALL had enough winter this year but Garden Staters when you remain tough and vigilant, the victory of April will be that much sweeter.

So yes, #WinterStormCupid (Of course Johnny is calling it Cupid and not the stupid other name the Weather Channel is using, it's almost Valentine's Day!) will arrive sometime tomorrow afternoon/early evening and bring upwards of 8 inches of ice, snow then more ice. Here's the word from the National Weather Service:

In a briefing issued at 4:30 p.m. today, the weather service's office in Mount Holly warned: "A strong coastal storm system is expected to impact the region starting Wednesday night & continuing into Thursday."

The storm could threaten New Jersey with "heavy snow, icing due to freezing rain, and coastal flooding," the weather service said, adding that "8+ inches of snow are expected where the heaviest snow band sets up."

Be brave New Jersey, be stronger than the winter storm.

Late night open thread













Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Monday, February 10, 2014

We're going to kick off the week with an open thread

So much has been going on around here lately, the weather, the spectre of Jersey City's mayor actually wanting casinos in JC, the Olympics kicking off this past weekend, more revelations in the Dawn Zimmer diary case vs. Chris Christie, down to one of Johnny's pet peeves where nobody takes responsibility for a property line and takes care of the sidewalk.

So what is it YOU want to discuss? These topics? Something bugging you? Let's hear about it!

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Sunday, February 9, 2014

We don't normally cover stories that happen outside the area here -- But we're going to make an exception here

Irony, it's always the irony. You remember McGruff the Crime Dog (Not Fred McGriff), the cartoon and later foam costumed dog who reminded kids in a very early "If you see something say something" program dealing with drugs and crime to, "Help take a bite out of crime."

OK America, sit down. McGruff has been a baaaaad dog. No, worse than pooping on the DEA Commissioner's floor. McGruff helped take a bite out a few dozen pot brownies it could be inferred:

Feb. 8 (UPI) -- An actor who visited schools dressed up as the famous McGruff the Crime Dog was sentenced to 16 years in prison after police seized 1,000 marijuana plants, 27 weapons and 9,000 rounds of ammunition from his house. John Morales was arrested in 2011 after Galveston, Texas, police pulled him over for speeding and found plans for two indoor pot-growing operations sitting on his front passenger seat.

When they got to his home, they found marijuana plants and weapons.

What a wonderful metaphor for the failed war on drugs. We'll let you have your say on this in comments. Bring your 'A' game...

So, are you someone who is really enjoying the look back at The Beatles 50 year anniversary of arriving in America?

Well then Lisa Rose with the Star-Ledger has a great story for you of how The Beatles hit NJ shortly after the Ed Sullivan gig only because of a snowstorm. A great read on a chilly Sunday morning about a train trip through the Garden State with John, Paul, George and Ringo some 50 years out.

Johnny was always more of a Rolling Stones guy than a Beatles fan, (later this same choice would be made between fans of Led Zeppelin and The Who -- rock is funny that way) but of course loves him some of that Beatles collection. Here's one of Johnny's favorite Fab Four tracks, 'Within You Without You':


Late night open thread

State trivia night:

The state house in this state is the oldest state capitol still in continuous legislative use. Answer here.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Saturday, February 8, 2014

We should add this to the sign for visitors coming into Jersey City through the Holland Tunnel

Welcome to Jersey City with these words under it:

Late night open thread

Off to bed, Johnny's got to get up early for his favorite event. Athletes cross country ski for 20km then take out their rifles and start shooting slow or clumsy spectators with rubber bullets. A two second time deduction comes with every paying customer plinked.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with MARIANNE FAITHFULL!

Though Johnny knows an awful lot about music and music history he always promised himself he'd never become like those stupid hipster doofus know-it-all boors who played really avant-garde music and thought they got cosmic brownie points in doing so.

So here's Marianne Faithfull kicking off another Music Series with 'Working Class Hero'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with DUFFY!

This song has so much Motown in it Johnny can almost picture W. Grand Blvd. in Detroit. Duffy with a golden soul nugget 'Mercy'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with COCKTAIL SLIPPERS!

From Norway with love it's Cocktail Slippers with 'St. Valentine's Day Massacre'

Friday, February 7, 2014

Ward E Councilwoman Candice Osborne is an emphatic NO on a casino in her ward

Johnny tweeted a question to Councilwoman Candice Osborne if there were any plans she'd support to put a casino in Ward E. Her answer? Absolute NO. The correct answer! Winner winner chicken dinner.

Can't get much more straightforward than that and we appreciate that kind of a no-hedge answer. In reading comments on this idea on the NJ.com website Steve Fulop would appear to have quite a fight on his hands over this idea. The Mayor should either deflate the trial balloon or start building the metaphorical breastworks around his city hall office because we can see right now this is going to be one difficult battle for him.

Steve Fulop says he's open to casino gambling here in Jersey City, what about you?

What do you think taxpayer? Would you like more tax abatements handed out after the city pretends to talk tough on them then give them out anyway? Would you like some more of your money to go to a casino? You know how this works. You help pay for it and get nothing in return. Let's look at Atlantic City. Low wages for the few "full time" jobs. Questionable people who tend to show up around casinos doing business on their behalf. How many casinos there really make money? Not with subsidies but really make their own money? Taxpayers help subsidize Atlantic City and what do they get back? Told the casinos aren't making money and can't contribute what was promised back to taxpayers.

Know who is making money? Wal Mart style casinos in Pennsylvania, is THAT what Mayor Fulop has in mind? He'd better clarify and clarify fast. In fact we'd love to hear the specifics of this pie in the sky idea he's latched onto to drop casinos in Jersey City. Whatever economic benefit he'll claim, yeah...

It's a Friday news roundup so put your cat clothes on!

News Roundups, you'll pay for the whole seat but you'll only need the edge!

* Ice monsters attacked people at the WTC PATH station this morning forcing them underground. The ice shard monsters jumped off the WTC onto unsuspecting citizens below.

* The unemployment rate fell to 6.6% according to the numbers people. Stupid Obama.

* Steve Sweeney is proposing casinos for places like Camden, Newark and Jersey City. Johnny cant speak for Newark or Camden (officially) but he can speak for pretty much everyone in Jersey City when he tells Mr. Sweeney to get bent if he thinks he's bringing casinos to our fair city.

Speaking of casinos and gambling is anyone else just sick and tired of this massive advertising overload trying to get everyone in New Jersey to gamble online? If someone came to New Jersey and turned on the teevee and spent any time looking at ads you'd think gambling is to NJ as cars are to Michigan. OK back to the news roundup.

* Jersey City Ward E Councilwoman Candice Osborne wrote an open letter to the boobs at the Port Authority who decided to give an entire eight days notice that the Exchange Place to WTC PATH route is no more on weekends for almost a year.

* Ms. Marvel, the story of a 16 year old Muslim teen girl living in Jersey City who just happens to become a superhero was released by Marvel Comics and is now on sale.

See ya back here tonight for the Music Series.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Late night open thread

Why is 'abbreviation' such a long word?

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Exchange Place to WTC on the PATH is no more on weekends for a long long time

We guess it matters how you think about Chris Christie and his lackeys at the Port Authority as to how you read this one.

The Port Authority has announced:

The shutdowns—between the Exchange Place station in Jersey City and the World Trade Center—are scheduled to begin Feb. 14 and continue on most weekends during 2014. 

So is this well-timed payback towards Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop or is the PA actually trying to fix the tunnels? They are claiming the need to get this Exchange Place to WTC line power-washed and brought in line with something called "positive train control" which is mandated by January of 2015. The Wall Street Journal has more:

The new signal system will be similar to the technology called "communications based train control," which is installed on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's L subway line. The system provides both protection against collision and the ability to run trains closer together, enabling operators to squeeze more capacity out of overburdened transit lines.

But the new system couldn't have been installed in time for the Dec. 31, 2015 deadline to install the federally mandated anticrash system. Many intercity railroads, which are subject to the mandate, have said they can't meet the deadline, including Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road.

So is the timing of this really a signal modernization and cleaning or is this a stick in Jersey City's eye? Before you answer remember that the new national WTC Memorial opens this year and the easiest way to get there from Jersey City and Hoboken was just cut off on weekends.

So there you have it and friends it will be up to you as to how you interpret it.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Feel free to share your ice storm pics and stories

Email Johnny and we'll get those up for you.

Why the Port Authority didn't extend PATH out to Newark Airport before is puzzling

So NOW the Port Authority, flush with a $27.6 billion plan, is planning to extend the PATH line out to Newark Liberty Aeropuerto. First off this is FANTASTIC. Johnny is gonna go do a happy dance for a second, he'll be right back.....

...OK, Johnny has made his last damned airport run once this is built!! Walk with people or drive them with their suitcases, should they need, to an existing PATH station near his house instead of driving out to Newark? Yes please! Moar of that!! You can read the AP article via NJ.com and see if this idea isn't a good one whose time was 10 years ago.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

By now you know it's going to snow again tonight

Some predictions have us under another 10" of white stuff by tomorrow morning. Some say it'll just be 5-8" (some consolation). By now you've made plans for it and are ready for round two.

But have you heard about Saturday? Yeah for once it might merit a trip to the store. You know those computer models they have for storms? They seemingly all vary this far out but you might just want to listen to this anyway even if you don't ever trust the weatherman.

29.3 inches of snow in NYC.

Got your attention? The Rapid Precision Mesoscale, or RPM model, shows a hellish storm:



















There are two other models of note. The GFS model (made right here in the USofA) says just a couple inches. You doubters have a good snork while the modeling system acknowledged as being the most accurate, European Center for Medium range Weather Forecasting, says 12-15" of new snow.

Bring those laptops home Friday night buckaroos because Monday could look a mess. We're gonna go ahead and call the Saturday storm #WinterStormNelsonMuntzHaHa

Monday, February 3, 2014

Late night open thread

Hang in there baby, March is coming...

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Every city has a story to tell in a snowstorm

All you need to do is open your eyes and listen...





A snowy Super Bowl hangover

A couple quick notes today as Johnny has other appointments. We think the chance for another outdoor Super Bowl, at least at the new Meadowlands was completely ruined by NJ Transit and their lack of planning and trains. Amazing to hear them talk about how well they did when in fact they sucked. We guess that's just how the leaders at NJ Transit view success. They need replacing.

Also Johnny wants to give a big thanks to the host of the teevee show The Soup, Joel McHale, who retweeted Johnny's picture below of the Empire State Building all done up in Seattle Seahawks colors to his 3.3 million followers. That was great.

More snow tomorrow night into Wednesday, yep you heard that right...

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Late night open thread

There were mob informants buried under that stadium who got less of a beating than the Broncos got tonight.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Seahawks beat a dead horse 43-8 to win the Jersey Super Bowl


OMAHA!

And the Seahawks jump offside...

If you want to go to the Super Bowl you CAN, the game is NOT a sellout

OK football fans, if you'd like to go to today's Super Bowl at the new Meadowlands there are still around 1,000 tickets left at online ticket brokers. Reports say they were around $2000 yesterday and the prices are dropping fast (some as 'low' as $800). We're not linking you to the ticket brokers, they should be illegal but if you still want to go to the game today, you still can.

We repeat the game is NOT a sellout.

Jebediah the Jersey City weather predicting wombat says six more weeks of winter

Jersey City's answer to Punxsutawney Phil, Jebediah the Wombat, came out of his den near the Powerhouse Building, walked over the Warehouse Cafe for a coffee, looked up, saw his shadow and told the assembled media, "You all saw it too, six more weeks of winter, see you losers next year..."

There you have it, not only do we have a Super Bowl here today in Hudson County but also the best weather forecasting rat in the business.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Saturday, February 1, 2014

La Conga Supermarket has the most wonderful one-off sodas inside

If you're ever on Grove St. near the PATH station head up Grove St., going north until you arrive at La Conga Supermarket at Bay. Near the back they have the most wonderful array of sodas and flavors you have most likely never heard of. Johnny's gonna kick back with a Merengue soda later on but that's just one of the many to be found at La Conga. Seriously, if you enjoy a little fun with your soda, stop in and grab one. They're priced to move!

Late night open thread

"I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury."
 -- Groucho Marx

Time for Jersey City, After Dark