Late night open thread

It's the Saturday night scoreboard show!

Rutgers 31
Tulane 6
Rutgers fans go crazy all week awaiting a very damaged Michigan team

Minnesota 30
Michigan 14
For only the second time in 25 years Minnesota holds the Little Brown Jug. The Little Brown Jug gets to go deer hunting this year how awesome

Maryland 37
Indiana 15
Maryland, like Rutgers, aren't the B1G's problem children this year

Florida State 56
NC State 41
A good old fashioned game of Playstation football

Kentucky 17
Vanderbilt 7
Kentucky just broke their 17 game SEC losing streak. Couches will pay dearly

Bucknell 20
Cornell 7
Would anyone at Bucknell like to explain this sudden change from bad program to awesome program and tell us it wasn't done by a magic ring and a wish from a leprechaun?

McNeese St. 61
Arkansas Tech 7
Old Arkie Tech just couldn't overcome that 54 point deficit

Montana State 29
North Dakota 18
OK, who had 8 and 9 in the squares? Nothing turns 'em out on Bozeman quite like when the UND come to town, attendance today at Bobcat Stadium 19,477

Maine 27
Towson 24
You wanna know what the difference was in this game? Three points, duh

Illinois State 55
Austin Peay 6
Peay, they just didn't have it in them today

The Jersey City Desk Game of the Week®
Norfolk State 15
Morgan State 14
Norfolk State's Tyler Clark got power up and scored a touchdown with :29 seconds to play and will be allowed to loot and pillage the greater Norfolk area for the next 24 hours. Please stay out of his way

With the scoreboard show tonight Johnny's off on vacation dear readers. Next week he'll be happily and merrily galavanting around the Hudson River Valley from Cooperstown to FDR's house. From Woodstock to Sleepy Hollow and everywhere in between. So be good, catch Johnny's vacation commentary and pictures on the Twitter, (@JohnyAction) and we'll see you back here late next weekend.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Rutgers football gameday!

Johnny sees an opportunity for Rutgers today against the Green Wave of Tulane in Piscataway. He sees an opportunity to work out the issues and timing with the running game now that RU's best runner Paul james, who really would have been good in the B1G leave no doubt, is out for the season. Rutgers is making it's name in the conference as a hard playing, hard working team that isn't afraid to give you their best punch. They're going to need that running game going next week in a very winnable game vs Michigan. Opportunities, hopefully, for some second team players to see some time because injuries happen. Repetition and timing are what the Scarlet Knights really need to perfect. Will Rutgers be looking ahead against Tulane? We'll know by the end of the first quarter. We'll see it in their urgency and discipline. Win today and it's another great week in Piscataway leading into the Michigan game.

Fearless forecast:
Rutgers 38
Tulane 20

Late night open thread

The dead of midnight is the noon of thought.
 -- Anna Letitia Barbauld

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE PRETENDERS!

Your face, consider it about to be rocked off. All over Cool City tonight lots of 'Tattooed Love Boys' out there looking for Ms. Right Now. Chrissie Hynde sings this song with such base sexuality it just steams up the place. It smacks you in the head a few times with James Honeyman-Scott's snarling guitar licks too. Put the good headphones on and turn the volume up because here it comes.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with MUDDY WATERS!

A proper bluesman in front of a proper band playing that vital blues music that rock and roll needs like peanut butter needs jelly. A case could be made it needs it today more than ever. After that fine Cage the Elephant and Black Keys show earlier this week out in the Brooklyn hinterlands, Johnny wanted to unleash a great live song tonight. Muddy Waters and his orchestra tearing up 'Got My Mojo Workin,' is a version you just have to hear and fits that bill nicely.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with MARVIN GAYE!

You just can't have a bad time listening to Marvin Gaye songs can you? You can feel introspective on some of his more serious music but sooner rather than later a song like 'I'll Be Doggone' is gonna pop up in the shuffle and that smile just permeates. It's cool, push the furniture to the outside of the room and glide around and feel good about life for the next two minutes fifty.

Johnny's seen a lot of construction vehicles but this takes the cake

In his last few years of walking the dire wolf through, and visiting friends in the Powerhouse Arts District, Johnny has seen just about every conceivable construction vehicle: Dump trucks, long trucks, short trucks, loaders, haulers, little golf cart zippy things but he had never ever never seen a construction vehicle like this before this morning:

Yes, the guys at Mill Creek rehabbing the building at Warren and Morgan have a horse trailer to aid them this morning. So either Mill Creek is putting in off-track betting and want some ambience in the lobby or maybe they are going to turn the famed Morgan Lot across the street into a horse track. What? It could happen. We could hold the Jersey Derby or SpacePunk Stakes over there. Johnny didn't see any sulky's lying around so we're guessing it could be thoroughbred racing.

Ah, perchance to dream.

Late night open thread

A great send off for a great player. #RE2PECT

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Is Johnny the laziest human in Jersey City?

Nah, not this time. He'll go on his own. He'll trudge off into the bloody rain and wind, walk uphill both ways, and go get his own vegetables. It's fine if some teenager doesn't have money in his pocket for a movie or a date (Johnny pays well) this weekend. It's fine if iTunes doesn't sell an album or two.

Now if it were snowing...

Late night open thread

A picture Johnny took yesterday of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower in Brooklyn.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

A test of your Jersey City cynicism spidey senses

Terrence T. McDonald has another great article shining the light of day on the sleazy world of Jersey City politics and the favors they grant. We'd like you to read this story about the wife of a Steve Fulop supporter was awarded a $77K contract for a few months work and come back and tell us how high your "this is just so wrong" spidey senses are tingling.

Late night open thread

Ok, first things first. Don't make book on the fact the 33rd St. line PATH train will be working in the morning. All signs point to no dice. Be ye warned.

Johnny went to the Barclays Center tonight all the goddamned way out in Brooklyn (sherpas cost money!) to see a really high energy rock and roll show just like the olden times. Cage the Elephant opened for the Black Keys and they both really gave the very raucous crowd what for. Just when you want to give up on music as nothing but label promoted contest winning rubbish you get a show like this that renews the faith.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Good morning Jersey City, our friends at the Port Authority have a message for you...

PATH Rail System @PATHTrain  ·  1h
JSQ-33 & HOB-33 suspended (track condition). @NJTRANSIT & @ridetheferry cross-honoring. NWK-WTC & HOB-WTC operating on/close to schedule.

There you go. No, this is not yesterday, just a replay.

Late night open thread

Don't take that bus.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

PATH is back up on the 33rd St. line

You may now feel free to move about the Hudson.

JSQ-33rd & 33rd-HOB PATH still shut tight

According to the Port Authority the JSQ-33rd & 33rd-HOB PATH line is still shut tight due to a fire over the tracks in NYC.

Late night open thread

A well-spent day brings happy sleep.
 -- Leonardo da Vinci

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

PATH has opened the NWK to WTC line because of the 33rd line NYC fire

The normally closed on the weekend Newark to the WTC PATH train IS now in operation because of a fire in New York City that has the 33rd line shut down.

That is all...

New Jersey Giants football gameday!

After two weeks the Giants can't get out of their own way. The offense is a mess and the defense got beat last week by a backup QB who hadn't played since 2010. They are 0-2 and if they get to 0-3 Johnny predicted Tom Coughlin's demise. Giants fans know exactly how last year started and with a loss to Houston today they are halfway there. Still, hope remains.

Eli has looked lost in the new Green Bay-type offense. He's a good QB and given time he'll pick up what needs doing. Time isn't something he has however. The quality of those running the rest of the cheese-based offense needs help, help that isn't coming in the form of Odell Beckham Jr. this week either. If Manning were going to be chased around by J.J. Watt and Jadaveon Clowney there would be no hope the way the Giants offensive line has played. Clowney however is out. So is top flight RB Arian Foster. The Giants ARE at home for what that's worth on this steamy September Sunday. At some point this team has to decide if they are going to make a stand or chase the Washington team to the bottom of the NFC East. Sure it'd be better if Jacksonville or Tennessee were at the New Meadowlands today but Houston it is. Sorry friends.

Fearless Forecast:
Houston 28
NJ Giants 17

Late night open thread

It's the Saturday Night Scoreboard Show!

Rutgers 31
Navy 24
Thank god Navy stopped running the ball down Rutgers' throats on that last drive and tried their luck at passing

Indiana 31
Missouri 27
That bad loss finds Missouri every year. Sooner or later that ziggy finds them like the Final Destination film series

Michigan State 73
Eastern Michigan 14
Somebody was going to pay for that Oregon loss. Oh look, Eastern Michigan

Utah 26
Michigan 10
Dead Hoke Walking! Here's a picture of Michigan Stadium after the game. Look at all those Wolverine fan tears.

East Carolina 70
North Carolina 41
You better believe Roy Williams will remember this score come basketball season

Florida St. 23
Clemson 17 OT
Jameis Winston is still a self-absorbed little bitch

Nebraska 41
Miami (FL) 31
Bo Pelini's cat Anya is a leading candidate to replace Brady Hoke at Michigan

Yale 54
Lehigh 43
Little schools, big points

Temple 59
Delaware St. 0
Temple beat Delaware St. 59-0 because they could

The Jersey City Desk Game of the Week®
Jacksonville 34
Pennsylvania 31
Jacksonville scored 15 points on their final two drives of the day to get power up and top Penn. D'Andre Randle scored the winner with 39 seconds to play and may thus loot and pillage Jacksonville for the next 24 hours

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

You've gotta get to Grove Street for a huge party!

The sun, the music, the food, the cars kept out of the area, you have to get down here Jersey City. The All About Downtown Street Fair is raging at Grove and Christopher Columbus area until 6pm.

Laye night open thread

How come elephants lie on their backs in fields?
So they can trip birds.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with PATTY GRIFFIN!

It's always a great Music Series when you can add some Patty Griffin. Johnny has seen her perform at least five times live and eagerly awaits a chance for a sixth. One of the true greats. 'One Big Love' getting us started tonight. Johnny and his love of redheads strikes again.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with BIG JOE TURNER!

WOW, what a classic. From 1954, back when the world was in black and white and you had to dodge dinosaurs going to the bus stop, here's Big Joe Turner with his fabulous live version of 'Shake Rattle & Roll'. What a treat it is to get to hear such a voice with a classic proper big band to back him, and the video quality is just icing on the cake.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with the YEAH YEAH YEAHS!

Putting the finishing touches on another Music Series, sending you rocking into this beautiful fall night with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and 'Heads Will Roll'

Y'arrrr Hoboken, you smell like a kettle of fish...

If it's September 19th it's "Talk Like a Pirate Day"! So tie the kids to the yardarm and and get down to your local tavern and have the tavern wench pour you a frosty mug of ale.

But go back and untie the kids later.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The Grove Street Farmer's Market is open until 8pm

This is the BEST time of year isn't it?

Late night open thread

On this day in history The Who gave their famous performance on the Smothers Brothers Show. Bette Davis fainted backstage from the explosion. More backstory:

Keith Moon was already in the habit of placing an explosive charge in one his two bass drums to detonate during Pete Townshend's guitar-smashing at the end of each Who performance. But for their Smothers Brothers appearance, Moon packed several times the normal amount of explosives into his drum kit, and when he set it off, a gigantic explosion rocked the set as a cloud of white smoke engulfed Townshend and singer Roger Daltrey. Though bassist John Entwistle never lost his cool, Daltrey practically flew downstage and when Townshend emerged from the smoke, his hair was almost literally blown to one side of his head. Though the incredible explosion has been rumored to have caused Pete Townshend's eventual near-deafness, credit for that should probably go instead to the Who's pioneering use of stacked Marshall amplifiers as a means of achieving maximum volume during their live performances.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

A whale of a story

Johnny was searching high and low today for a great story he could add some of that famous deep fried Johnny sass to but just found this. How wonderful. Close up pictures of a humpback whale off Rockaway. Fantastic shots, it'll make your day. Remember, getting in the water with a whale for a selfie or a picture together in New York waters means any money the whale hits you up for is completely voluntary on your swimming for your life behalf.

Late night open thread

Three men and a hotel room

Here's a brain teaser. Three men rent a hotel room which costs $30. But after they've checked in, the manager discovers he's made an error. The room was only $25. He goes up with five ones to give them. The men are appreciative of the refund but to make things simpler they each take a dollar and tip him the remaining two bucks. Since each man received a dollar back, they've now only paid $9 each for the room, not $10. Yet, if we add 9+9+9 we get $27. Then there is the two the manager received. That makes $29. Yet the total was originally $30.

Where is the other dollar? (Answer in comments)

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

City of Jersey City: There is nothing wrong with those speed bumps -- so we'll get right to fixing them

Jersey City put down some serious speed bumps recently to get drivers along Erie St. and Bergen Ave. and elsewhere to slow down. Trouble was the speed bumps were a little *ahem* high and angular. So much so that these speed bumps are already scarred with the paint and undercarriage metal from quite a few cars and trucks. When reached for comment on the height of the speed bumps even Game of Thrones' Jon Snow said "Those are seriously tall."

After putting up a strong front initially and invoking you know, the children (When you bring a "think of the children" mention into your argument you've already lost), city spokesperson Jennifer Morrill went on to say yes, the bumps must be adjusted:

“In addition to marking the speed humps with thermoplastic, reflective pavement markers, the contractor will also be lowering them."

There you go. They WERE put in wrong.

Late night open thread

I saw that show, 50 Things To Do Before You Die. I would have thought the obvious one was "Shout For Help."
 -- Jimmy Carr

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Mondays...

Of course it happened on a Monday. This poor person had a fine drive into Cool City this morning and is gonna come back to this. If by some miracle you're checking out the Jersey City Desk like a good worker should and you think that's your Audi and wanna be proactive email Johnny at the email addy in his profile and we'll check your license plate against the original picture. #OilyAudi

Late night open thread

Movie mistakes night. In the movie North by Northwest, in the shooting scene in the Mount Rushmore cafe, a boy in the background puts his fingers in his ears because he knows the shot is coming.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Want to see how Jersey City works?

The Auditor section on NJ.com this morning has a very interesting nugget about Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop heading north to raise money (and contacting those close to him personally to asking them to give more money) in Massachusetts for Democratic candidate for governor, Martha Coakley. The Auditor said other Jersey City notables and those working for the city heeded Fulop's call:

That included Fulop and the Jersey City Democratic Committee; Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, a Jersey City native and former deputy mayor; Andrew Hodulik, whose accounting firm does work for Jersey City agencies; and Gary Taffet, the former chief of staff to Gov. Jim McGreevey who is doing insurance work through Jersey City’s broker.

The Auditor heard that Fulop personally called New Jersey contacts to ask them to contribute.

So why would Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop be so darned interested in Coakley's campaign? Easy, and here's where you see how business in JC gets done:

One of Coakley’s supporters is Dan Fireman, the son and business partner of Paul Fireman, the Boston billionaire who owns a golf course in Jersey City and wants to build a 95-story casino and entertainment complex there.

And there you go, it's never what it seems, you're always being sold out if you're a regular taxpayer and not a friend of the mayor or a wealthy donor.

Late night open thread

It's the Saturday night Scoreboard Show!

Penn State 13
Rutgers 10
RU fans are going to wake up with one hell of a hangover. Gary Nova's FIVE interceptions doomed Rutgers

East Carolina 28
Virginia Tech 21
Va Tech won a huge game on  the road last week against the Buckeyes and just gave it back

Boston College 37
USC 31
USC won a huge game on the road last week against Stanford and just gave it back

Syracuse 40
Central Michigan 3
Good road effort from the Orange in what could have been a trap game

Old Dominion 17
Eastern Michigan 3
Is EMU through the wall they set up on opening day yet? Nope. We'll check back next week

Iowa State 20
Iowa 17
The corn tastes so much better the next day after you win the Cy-Hawk Trophy

Bowling Green 42
Indiana 42
We think the B1G might have some of that ebola going around...

Notre Dame 30
Purdue 14
...The symptoms include wheezing, losing to MAC schools...

TCU 30
Minnesota 7
...A general malaise, national embarrassment...

Washington 44
Illinois 19
...And high fever and diarrhea

Fordham 54
Rhode Island 7
In the battle of the Rams, Rhode Island learns they are but ewes

Charlotte 40
North Carolina Central 28
NC Central scored 28 unanswered points in the 4th quarter...and still lost 40-28

The Jersey City Desk Game of the Week®
Lamar 73
Texas College 0
Last week Lamar lost to Texas A&M 73-0. This week they beat the Texas College Steers 73-0. If college is about learning we'd say Lamar football players are smart -- and tired of running non-stop conditioning drills

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Rutgers football Gameday!

It's finally here. Rutgers tonight will truly enter the pantheon of big time college football, a game they helped invent, tonight at 8pm in Piscataway. The Scarlet Knights take on Penn State University in RU's first ever B1G conference game.

All those games against Cincinnati and Louisville UConn, and USF will now be replaced with Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State and yes, the Nittany Scourge. Big time. NCAA playoff conference. It all starts tonight. Rutgers is 2-22 all-time vs. their western neighbors. One of RU's mostest famousest losses was to a 1995 Penn State team that was loaded. PSU QB Mike McQueary, one of the main figures in Penn State's recent "troubles" as the guy who turned in Jerry Sandusky, was sent in against RU to mop up a big win for the Nittany Lions. Was Joe Paterno running up the score against RU here or is there a bigger question here. McQueary was later suspected of betting on college football, some say even his own games. The line on this one was 21 and to get there McQueary needed points. Let's face it, JoePa looks shocked and bummed McQueary did what he's about to do. Doug Grabner, the RU coach at the time, didn't seem to care who the hell called the pass.

Oh the intrigue! Oh the confrontations! Oh the foul language!

So they meet again today. Penn State is a big favorite. Rutgers is at home and will have a full house behind them. PSU fans are calling Rutgers home field (And again we're not corporate whores so it's simply the Rutgers home field or the like -- perhaps a piece of striped astroturf measuring 120 yards by 53 yards in Piscataway) Beaver Stadium East. Will it be today? Let's break it down.

Rutgers is 2-0 with a big win and PSU is 2-0. Rutgers has won on the road and at home and should be playing with a great deal of confidence. Worst case scenario? PSU scores early and then gets a quick turnover and makes it a two score lead early. They have the big boys to grind a game out at that point. Best case? RU gets a quick lead and lets their defense get into the game against a top flight QB in Christian Hackenberg. Johnny thinks, and it's an old adage, the team with the most rushing yards is going to prevail. Penn State has great potential with their two back system yet have struggled to really get it going. Rutgers has indeed had success and are going to need to use the run game to control tempo. Johnny will always take a proven commodity than the potential for one. Advantage Rutgers.

Not in RU's favor today? The fact its a super duper big game at home. How often do really big celebratory games go sideways? This is an interesting phenomenon to Johnny and he has followed it over the years. A team retiring a players jersey almost always loses that game. Call it a distraction from the important routine of game day or loss of focus too often a big new stadium unveiling or the first time a team has played for X at home, they lose. Yes, that's sort of what RU is facing today. The emotion coming out onto THEIR B1G field is going to be overwhelming. That too can lead to substitution mistakes, penalties and missed tackles as players go for huge crowd pleasing hits rather than tackles. Penn State also is going to be coming out sky high as this week the NCAA lifted the last of their sanctions because of the Sandusky case and suddenly they ARE eligible for a bowl game. Who controls that emotional release better? We'll know by 8:30.

It's going to be a hard hitting game. It's going to be a nasty game. Probably some penalties. It'll be chilly. It'll be wet. A rivalry is about to be born. All common sense statistics point to a Nittany Lions win. Readers know when it comes to predictions Johnny left common sense in the rear-view mirror long ago.

Fearless Forecast
Rutgers 31
Penn State 30

Late night open thread

Sanitary Valet Cleaners, the only thing that separates us from chaos, and....Hoboken.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS!

How about we start off with this great remake of the Cole Porter standard done way back in the late 80's as part of the Red Hot and Blue album of covers of Cole Porter classics. From where Johnny sits the late 80's seem like a thousand years ago, when in fact it's only been a hundred. Fine Young Cannibals and 'Love for 'Sale'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with FRANK ZAPPA!

From time to time we're going to play a song that may, well, upset some sensibilities. This makes Johnny just giddy. It is his goal in life to be the hand grenade in the room anyhow which brings us to Frank Zappa tonight and the classic 'Catholic Girls.' Johnny eagerly awaits the hate mailz.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE DRIFTERS!

The Drifters sound is every bit as cool as the breeze blowing in off New York Harbor tonight. Wrapping up the Music Series here are The Drifters and 'Save the Last Dance for Me'

The Sun took a puke so look up in the sky tonight

The Aurora Borealis ie Northern Lights could make a rare appearance tonight over our area and in fact as far south as Kansas. A mass coronal ejection from the sun yesterday is hitting earth currently and may even interfere with some cell connections and the like. So if you can get to somewhere rather dark tonight or of the coronal ejection was indeed big enough, do look up to the north tonight and see what you can see.

Damn Johnny, you should have told us to wear sweaters today in your late night thread last night

Well yes, guilty as charged. But how exhilarating was that morning coolness and that northerly breeze? It does feel like fall out there today and we're guessing you have fall festivals on the brain just waiting to get out of work. Luckily, the Jersey Journal has you covered with this handy dandy guide to the fall festivals near and far in Hudson County. Get a cup of cider, maybe a donut or cruller, and have a look and plan your outdoor fall activities today!

Late night open thread

Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make a good use of it.
 -- John Adams

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Smile for your close-up Jersey City

Crews are currently filming what Johnny was told is a commercial (or parts of a commercial) on Morgan St. at Warren this morning. Take a look at the pics and from the looks of that buffet table they plan on being here for a while today.

One a side note, Johnny heard two jagoffs from the Mill Creek construction team working on the old dark brick building at Warren and Morgan looking at the commercial set-up and complaining it would make their trucks take circuitous routes to their job site and for them that was a problem. Hey, morons, how do you think the people in the Powerhouse Arts District feel when you block off entire streets for your worksites? How do you think they feel when half their roads are blocked for you and Goldman and Tish and Shuster and Toll Brothers? We're just glad to see film crews still heading over into the PAD after all the whitewashing of the character of the area from mayors Healy and Fulop along with the aforementioned developer vampires.

Late night open thread

Great show tonight from Spoon in Central Park along with The Operators and Chick Chick Chick. Johnny doesn't ever remember such a fine night as this for an evening outdoor show and he's been to at least a hundred. No, really, at least a hundred.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Newark schoolkids, about 150 in number, have taken over an intersection there to protest 'One Newark'

Newark schoolkids have decided they do not like nor want the controversial One Newark school plan being implemented city-wide. About 150 of them are currently having their voices heard by sitting down in the intersection of Broad Street and Raymond Boulevard. The student union leader had this to say:


Newark Student Union President Kristin Towkaniuk said the group plans to stay until Superimtendent Cami Anderson meets their demands, which include her resignation.

The students chanted "no justice no peace."

Towkaniuk advised the students to not resist arrest if it comes to that.

"Stay confident," she said into a blow horn. "Don't be intimidated."

While students spoke their true feelings the Newark schools Assistant Superintendent Brad Haggerty released a typical corporate-speak statement saying, “we are supportive of our students expressing their views on important issues and remain committed to continuing discussions with those who have concerns. However, every minute of instructional time counts and we must unite as a community in delivering this message to our youth."

Or, in the common tongue because so many are so mad we're letting this go but we want everyone to shut up and fall in line goddammit.

Late night open thread

If you're a fan of HBO's Game of Thrones or Bayonne author George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series did you know he'll be appearing at the 92nd St. Y on October 26th at 8pm to unveil his newest book? A prequel of sorts it's called "The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones." If you pop for a ticket you do get an autographed copy of the book. The raven sent this in the press release:

It is a chronicle which stretches from the Dawn Age to the Age of Heroes; from the Coming of the First Men to the arrival of Aegon the Conqueror; from Aegon’s establishment of the Iron Throne to Robert’s Rebellion and the fall of the Mad King, Aerys II Targaryen, which has set into motion the “present-day” struggles of the Starks, Lannisters, Baratheons and Targaryens.

GoT all that? Good, time for bed.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Here's one PATH fare increase Johnny's just gonna let slide

OK, the news, October 1 the cost of a ride on PATH goes up .25¢. A quarter. With that increase which was approved to kick in in 2011, the Port Authority (not known as the brightest bulbs sometimes) actually has plans and they are good plans. Let's head west and look what you are getting worked on with that two bits: A federally mandated elevator at the geodesic dome Grove St. entrance next to where all the construction is. Harrison is getting their house in order and part of that is a new and fancy dan looking PATH station. It'll tie in very well with the new downtown area being built along the lines and Red Bull Arena. Let's now head west, ok southwest to Newark Liberty International Aeropuerto. What's that? The PATH doesn't run out to Newark Liberty? It will soon friends, giving the area it's first NYC to EWK train connection.

That's a lot of bang for this .25¢ increase.

Late night open thread

The TMZ website said tonight they have overwhelming proof the NFL knew of the Ray Rice tape and turned a blind eye to it. We'll see but if that's the case quite a few NFL executives need to resign or be let go. The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office needs a good brooming too.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

New Jersey Giants football gameday!

It sort of almost kind of feels like fall this morning around north Jersey and what better way to usher in a new season of New Jersey Giants football! The Giants are the first of two Monday night football games tonight with a late game featuring San Diego and, whatever. Two Monday night games. Stupid.

To downtown Detroit we go friends, and Johnny is going to hip some of you tri-staters that some Giants fans are going to come back from Ford Field and actually have nice things to say about downtown Detroit. They may have a glazed look, but know this, they weren't drugged....by Detroiters. Downtown Detroit is a great chic place anymore and when was the last time you heard that? Greektown, games at Comerica Park and Ford Field going on side by side, Mexicantown, great restaurants, the riverfront riverwalk, casinos, Woodward Ave, Canada a bridge or tunnel away and always great music. If you get the chance another time Ford Field is a great place to see a game.

The Giants are looking down the barrel of a very middling season. They aren't the team they were even two years ago. Depth is a big issue except in the secondary, the defensive line has worn down meaning each time Eli comes on he feels he needs a 14 point drive. This leads to mistakes yadda yadda yadda. While we doubt Big Blue will lose their first six games this year (And if they start 0-3 we think Cranky-pants Coughlin gets broomed) but this is a difficult road game. Forget Detroit can suck 90% of the time yet beat playoff teams when all the lights are on at Thanksgiving 43-10. Try, really try to forget Megatron plays for the Lions. A road game against a team that was close to breaking through the year before is a tough draw.

By all accounts Matthew Stafford is excelling in Jim Caldwell's new offensive circus-style gameplan. By all accounts Calvin Johnson is in the prime of a hall of fame career. The one thing Lions' opponents may fail to account for is Reggie Bush who had a great season with Detroit last year, rushing for a smidgen over 1000 yards. Spend too much time on Megatron and the Lions tight ends and Bush will feast. Detroit also added Golden Tate from the Super Bowl champion Peahens. So for all the weaponry at Stafford's disposal tonight Eli isn't quite so lucky. The offensive line is a mess and the G-Men's #1 pick WR Odell Beckham Jr. won't play tonight. The lack of a good NFL offensive line should concern Eli Manning's wife more than anyone because next to sack-meisters Nick Fairley and Ziggy Ansah lines up one Ndamukong Suh, who let's face facts is capable of any evil. One day he's just going to pull someone's leg off and beat them to death with it. Detroit has their next Alex Karras on the field today. Ndamukong just pawn in game of life. If Eli can't hook up with Victor Cruz better than last year and the new running backs aren't good, oh boy, this could be a long night and season.

No doubt the Lions well remember last Dec. 22 when the Giants but a dent hit in the Lions playoff chances 23-20. The Giants picked off Stafford twice and Megatron caught 3 balls all day. The Giants secondary had better be ready to help keep this game in the 20's as well.

Fearless Forecast (and yesterday's was a doozy kids)
Detroit 34
New Jersey Giants 20

Late night open thread

The Giants open their season tomorrow night in Detroit against the Lions. Though many experts are expecting a lot of offense tomorrow night did you know the Lions and Giants played the NFL's last scoreless tie in 1943?

It's a fact!

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

New Jersey Jets football gameday!

Is it? Could it be? YES! The NFL is back with games that count in the standings AND for player suspensions!

A gorgeous Sunday dawns for the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS home opener over at the New Meadowlands (and a reminder to our readers Johnny isn't getting paid to call the stadium in the New Meadowlands by it's corporate name, so he doesn't have to. Pony up bitches!). Game time temps in the mid to upper 70's and after this week's heat wave oh that's tasty. With a huge game for Rutgers next weekend against The Nittany Scourge could it be this area is ready to commit a whole weekend to football, not just Sunday?

So, football, yes, pigskins and X's and O's. The Oakland, Los Angeles, The Al Davis Death Star, Rancho Cucamonga, Oakland Raiders come a calling today, hey would you look at that, at the New Meadowlands of all places. We'll take kind of an overview look at the game because we don't have many trend lines and who knows what a real first game brings. Preseason means nothing. The year the Lions lost all their regular season games they won all their preseason games.  Geno Smith will lead a Jets team that with some hard work and a couple bounces, could be playing serious football in December. New England aren't what they have been. Miami is usually right around 8-8 always and Buffalo is, well, cold. But he has to lead and the Jets have to score points. Chris Johnson and Eric Decker you are up. Smith Johnson and Decker will have to shoulder much of the Jetropolitans offensive load. They'll for once have to cover for a defense that could leak in the secondary, for so long a Jets strength. 17 points a game isn't gonna feed any kind of good season.

The Raiders are coming off a league leading 11 straight seasons with a losing record. That's worse than Johnny's Browns. When you suck more than the Cleveland Browns you might be a black hole. Hey, isn't that the Raiders cheering section? Yahtzee! It seems like the Oakland Eleven will be going with rookie Derek Carr at QB today, something that should make Jet fans really happy. Two things happen in a rookie's first game. They talk about you on SportsCenter in glowing terms or Tom Jackson shakes his head while looking down watching your "highlights" roll across the screen. If Darren McFadden is healthy that could be a problem. Good player when he can play. James Jones from Green Bay and running back Maurice Jones-Drew from Jacksonville also moved west to be paid in pirate plunder rather than US currency. That's a good enough lot that if somebody gets on a roll the Jets could lose a winnable game. It goes back to the Jets offense scoring and holding onto the ball.

At Johnny's first college football game at now since lost to time Memorial Field in Marquette Michigan in 19&%, he learned his first college cheer to back those Northern Michigan Wildcats out on a real frozen tundra. Go ahead Jets fans, feel free to use it:

Hassle Them
Hassle Them
Make them relinquish the ball!!

Hassle Them

Hassle Them

Make them relinquish the ball!!

Fearless Forecast

New Jersey Jets 22

Chokeland Raiders 17

Late night open thread

It's the Saturday night Scoreboard Show!

Oregon 46
Michigan St. 27
Johnny's Spartans got outgunned in the second half

Notre Dame 31
Michigan 0
BREAKING NEWS: Notre Dame announces it would like to continue the series with Michigan, next week if possible

Virginia Tech 35

Ohio State 21

Urban Meyer has now lost 3 of 4 and Papa John's is running out of cold personal pizzas

Northern Illinois 23

Northwestern 15

Seeing a trend here? The B1G had themselves quite a day

Central Michigan 38

Purdue 17

Not.Even.Close. The MAC whips on the B1G

Rutgers 38

Howard 25

Hey! Look there, Rutgers upholding the conference honor already

Maryland 24

USF 17

The new turtles on the block are pacing the conference with Rutgers

Florida 65

Eastern Michigan 0

EMU has literally perfected the art of "picking up the check"

Texas A&M 73

Lamar 3

Lamar hit their high-water mark today midway in the 1st quarter when they kicked a field goal to make it 7-3. After that warm up the bus

The Jersey City Desk Game of the Week®

Georgia Southern 83

Savannah State 9

We're renaming the Georgia Southern Eagles the Flying Oprah's as 12 Flying Oprah's scored touchdowns today. YOU get a touchdown and YOU get a touchdown and YOU get a touchdown...

The Jersey City Desk Highlight of the Week®

Central Michigan punter Ron Coluzzi isn't used to tackling people. Note his poor form in going high on the ballcarrier. Note the similarities then to the old Pat Travers song, 'Boom Boom, Out Go the Lights'

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Rutgers football Gameday!

Sure it's a little late but Johnny didn't have to get up for soccer this morning so that just pushes everything back. Plus, as you well know, Johnny's a lazy bastard.

RU simply needs to play with the intensity (they currently trail little Howard 7-0) and greater team purpose they showed last week at Washington State in that stirring win. Run the ball, tackle people and don't screw up special teams.

Fearless Forecast
Rutgers 31
Howard 14

Late night open thread

"This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather."
 -- Bill Murray, Groundhog Day

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with SONNY and CHER!

OK, first things first. Johnny is a horrible person and if he weren't an Atheist and didn't believe in a heaven and hell he'd be going to hell for laughing at this picture. The overflowing irony of Sonny Bono wedged into two trees is just sublime.

Again, hell.

You can't think of the movie Groundhog Day and not think of the song on the radio every morning at 6:00 AM that woke Bill Murray to his daily nightmare, Sonny and Cher and the timeless classic, 'I Got You Babe' which is how we're going to kick off Bill Murray Day Night on the Music Series.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE BUS BOYS

Although Bill Murray had such a short little cameo in Ghostbusters we're still counting this toe tapper from The Bus Boys and 'Cleanin' Up This Town' on Bill Murray Day. Hey Aykroyd, be a lamb and get out of the shot and go get Bill.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with DAVID NAUGHTON!

We can't say what the best song we've ever played on the Music Series is. That'd be a tough call. This one, yeah this one would be a bottom five. So why Johnny, why play it at all? Easy, Bill Murray Day and if you've ever seen the dance scene from Meatballs to this song you'd know why it's all up in your face right now.

The music I guess, my feet just start tapping and I get all happy inside. I guess it's just something I was born with.
Kind of a birth defect huh?

Time for an afternoon snack

Will you look at that calendar -- September 5th -- Bill Murray Day!

Yes, it's true, today is national Bill Murray Day! So how about we start out with a small animation and we'll dig deeper into his treasured body of work (Check out our June 25th post on Bill) as the day goes on. Who knows, maybe even a Bill Murray themed-Music Series tonight isn't out of the question. Whadda ya think of that, Bill?

Late night open thread

Odd laws night:

In Trenton it's against the law to throw a bad pickle in the street. If you see someone in your neighborhood in Trenton throwing bad pickles in the street, or maybe it's your mom or dad throwing bad pickles, call Sgt. Stedenko with the Trenton PD.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Thinking outloud

Odd the confluence of events that would have three giant casinos closing up in Atlantic City the same week the HBO series Boardwalk Empire comes wheezing in over the finish line.

Late night open thread

Sunspot activity may be the primary reason for the beautiful sound of Stradivarius violins. It's true. This handy link will tell you why.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

After a long weekend is the perfect time for a News Roundup!

* As Dan Levin pointed out on Twitter, Mayor Steve Fulop has lost control of the police department. His promises about having to live in Jersey City to work here, his promises about cutting waste and departmental graft is just nowhere to be found. As per usual when tough questions need answering Steve Fulop is nowhere to be found. Here's a question for you Cool City, under Mayor Healy you always knew who was in charge of the JC police. Who's running the show today, right now?

* Yet another shooting in Jersey City. The Mayor sure talks big about this kind of thing but nothing much seems to change does it Jersey City?

* Jersey City Councilman-at-large Daniel Rivera was part of a book bag giveaway for local kids going back to school AND arranged for barbers to donate over 130 haircuts so kids can look their best!

* Everything dies baby that's a fact. But maybe everything that dies someday comes back. Put your makeup on fix your hair up pretty and meet me tonight in Atlantic City, where nobody will be...

* Governor Christie is threatening to do the right thing and end New Jersey's foray into the graft-laden world of red-light cameras. All over the country companies who run these shams are being caught making the bribes to municipal workers to get them set up. Yes, they even bribed people in New Jersey to get these cameras in place to soak you the taxpayer who never asked for them to begin with.

* It's September and that means...haunted house time? Really? Guess haunted things season normally reserved for October is getting a kind of Christmas-creep attached to it.

Late night open thread

What's that old saying about September? In like a blast furnace out like a comfy polar fleece.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Happy Labor Day!

To all the good boys and girls out there who work so damned hard the rest of the year, Happy Labor Day! Your hard work does not go unappreciated!

Late night open thread

Oldsmobile, there is no substitute.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark