Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Who will help bake the cake? Not I said the fox, Not I barked the lazy dog...

"Not I," purred the sleepy cat. "Not I," quacked the duck.

But as you know from The Little Red Hen children's story, they'll all be more than happy to eat the cake. Which brings us to the utter lack of interest or participation in the Powerhouse Arts District from it's newest residents at The One, The Trump buildings, and The Morgan. Johnny went to help friends clean up the PAD yesterday and he's worked on the Harsimus Cove clean up days. He believes in putting in the sweat equity for the neighborhoods he's near to make Jersey City a place everyone wants to live in. Know what Johnny's job he offered up was yesterday? A giant grid going around and cleaning up the dog crap that idiot owners and bad dog walkers just leave. He's used to doing it and it's disgusting for those without a dog. Went through two full rolls of poop bags. Yes, Johnny gets to call you lazy bastards out who didn't help.

When you have a dog you get to know a lot of people in a wide swath. You just do. Johnny saw people cleaning the PAD from 150 and 140 Bay St. He saw people he knew from The A building and the new Modera. Didn't see any of the others. Do they not all use the neighborhood (and this goes for every ward and neighborhood)? There were signs up. The only kind you don't feel like ripping down.

See, it's not just the two spring cleanups these three buildings have bailed on. They've bailed on the last two art crawls as well. Bet some residents from Trump, The One and The Morgan enjoyed the art crawl, it's just their heavily-abated buildings just decided to let someone else do it. Let them pay for it. All three broke the height levels in the PAD through the courts, they've not been good neighbors to begin with, and it's clear their investment in the neighborhood is mailing in the PILOT check to city hall. Didn't the city insist they have art spaces (Heck, Public Storage had to put one in per neighborhood agreements)? Why do these three buildings and their residents sit these events out at every turn?

If you see them, do ask. Then ask again if they don't have an answer. Still no answer? Give them a trash bag before they get to eat any cake.

Late night open thread

Some people in a certain part of town are going to have their hides tanned on the morrow. So, look for that.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with FIONA APPLE!

This song sounds better with age and it sounded good when it came out. Know that that means? It's aged to Music Series perfection. It's time to lead things off this week. She wrote this one, 'Shadowboxer' and her fabulous album Tidal when she was 17. Fuck Johnny gently with a chainsaw. He had kabillions of great ideas swimming in his head at 17 and the best way he expressed them out was throwing past-their-prime vegetables at cars and legalized hockey violence.

Well played Fiona.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE THE!

The The and a song Johnny likes to compare to a favorite sweatshirt in fall, 'Uncertain Smile.'

It always sounds good in whatever playlist or just freeplay it pops up in and pulls you in to the point that a minute or so in whatever you were doing is on pause.

Also that is not Johnny on piano in this song. That's just a rock and roll rumor. One he started.

'Uncertain Smile,' Mmmm, Downy fresh.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with BELLY!

Arbor Day right? All the databases, RTF searches, and common sense land us on Belly and 'Feed the Tree' as our tribute to this fine day.

Tanya Donelly in that leather coat is about he best thing you can find in the woods by the way, other than pots of gold and unicorns. Johnny's pretty sure the creepy woodsman guy grew up to star in Angry Orchard teevee ads.

Late night open thread

Autumn arrives in early morning, but spring at the close of a winter day.
 -- Elizabeth Bowen

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The Browns didn't screw it up!

(happy jumping around heart-y emoji pen)

Johnny kept waiting for the Brownies to blow it and then.....they didn't, in fact, they did an excellent job! As a Browns fan even the easiest of tasks makes your stomach hurt but tonight, YAHTZEE!

Late night open thread

On this day in 1667 John Milton sold the copyright to Paradise Lost for just 10 pounds.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

He's no Devil; NJ Devils netminder Cory Schneider to help out Liberty Humane Society

Again this year Devils netminder Cory Schneider will be making an appearance, autograph pen in hand, to help Liberty Humane Society raise funds May 6. For a $20 donation Schneider will sign a piece of memorabilia for fans.

We'd also like to point out Schneider isn't just someone who only shows up for the photo op so everyone feels good about themselves. No, he's truly involved:

"My wife and I always look forward to doing what we can to help animals in need," Schneider said. "Hopefully we can raise money and awareness for the organization. It would be great to see some animals get adopted by our awesome Devils' fans."

For the past three years Schneider and his wife, Jill, have been fostering animals for LHS. Jill is also an active volunteer and dog-walker at the shelter.

How great is that? An event that can turn Johnny into a Devils fan, if just for a day!

Late night open thread

A perfect song for tonight.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Here's the latest on the horror show that is NJ Transit/Amtrak and Penn Station

A story to kind of sum up what commuters can expect over the next few months possibly as Amtrak tries to get their shit together amid failing infrastructure. Expect a real shitshow.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The Jersey City Desk presents Art Corner

Shut up.

Fans of glass must be over the moon for the new and full exhibit that just kicked off and will run until October 29, it's CHIHULY at the New York Botanical Garden. You can find out more about the show and tickets at this fine link but Johnny was blown away by a Chihuly exhibit about 12 years ago in Dayton of all places. He sure can't wait to go to see this exhibit, Chihuly's first in New York in over ten years.

Late night open thread

Only one Lionel Messi, right Ronaldo? Do you see what he's doing in your house?

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

How was your Sunday Johnny?

Pretty good, pretty good. Ray Hudson, let fly with the analogies...

Late night open thread

“Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.”
 -- Mahatma Gandhi

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Come on out to the Hoboken Earth Day Tire Fire and BBQ!

Residents all over Hoboken are putting on their Saturday best clothes and heading on down to Sinatra Park for the annual Earth Day Tire Fire and BBQ!

The Hoboken FD has been collecting tires from the Hudson River all year, even importing some from the Passaic River for this year's Tire Fire theme: "It's Just Smoke, Settle Down." Over 1000 tires will be lit as residents and visitors sing the Deep Purple classic, 'Smoke on the Water' with special emcee Sooty the Clown. Sooty will also lead the children through town starting small trash fires with sparklers and motor oil.  A spokesperson for the Hoboken Fire Department tells the Jersey City Desk this year's fire should set the record and burn past the June 5th record set in 2011.

Other events are planned of course today all over Hoboken including a burning tire roll down First St., The Hoboken Conservatory of Science will have a special booth set up for kids called "So you wanna light your first tire..." full of tips on safe ways to handle gasoline and matches. The Cake Boss will deliver a special cake in the shape of burning smoking tires to Mayor Dawn Zimmer before the annual pushing of the burning tire pyres out into the Hudson River.

A new event this year is a 100 foot square tire base that grows in height like a pyramid with a Jersey City Citibike on top. You just can't spell 'fun' without FuHo.....kind of.

So come on out to FuHo today, bring the kids and tell the neighbors as this wonderful piece of Americana steps off once again. Free admission if you bring a tire. Hell, it's free admission even if you don't.

File photo of Hoboken Earth Day Tire Fire and Bar-B-Q ©2009

Late night open thread

I am a slow walker, but I never walk back.
 -- Abraham Lincoln

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE PRETENDERS!

Cover Song night is off to a fabulous start as we have The Pretenders paying homage to the Jimi Hendrix song, 'Room Full of Mirrors' which is gonna knock you back into your seat so hold onto your drink, bunky.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with ARETHA FRANKLIN!

How about a story about a cover song that was born out of spite and anger and strap right across its back?

In the mid and late 80's and early 90's Mick and Keith weren't getting along at all. At. All. They sniped through the press. Go watch the One Hit to the Body video if you want to see the tension between the two on full display. That was real and played up by the director for the sheer energy. You'll also recall the famous cover Bette Midler did of 'Beast of Burden' that was arranged by Mr. Jagger. This set Mr. Richards off to no end so to Detroit he went to one up Mick with the voice of God, Aretha Franklin to cover this classic, 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' and you can hear the snarl in this one too. With Keith on lead guitar you can't get a much better cover than this gem, born from spite.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with LETTERS TO CLEO!

Putting the finishing touches on Cover Song night with a smart and guitar heavy cover of Cheap Trick's 'I Want You To Want Me' that'll really send you off into the night with that pep in the step.

Late night open thread

We try to celebrate all the holidays in some fashion.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Thursday is science day

Today science fans we have a fabulous video of a third grade weather project that will have you enraptured by the video. That's right, a third grade project with a camera, a GPS tracker and a parachute falling from 89,000 feet!

Why are you still here? Go.

Late night open thread

30 years ago tonight America was introduced to their now favorite family as The Simpsons debuted in their first Tracey Ullman short.


Just a wee bit different look today, no? Now, before bed, one of Johnny's favorite Simpsons scenes ever, their take on Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven'

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Sometimes we talk music, politics, current events & sometimes we drop nightmares

Today is one of those nightmare days. Dateline Upper Pittsgrove Township NJ: Just follow this link if you want to be creeped out. We will tell you it involves a snake in the house so if that's above your creeped out paygrade level, skip this one.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

More info on the Easter night shootings that left one dead

A Jersey City police officer actually witnessed the gun-attack that murdered Jimmy Gregory and injured a young girl in a car at a nearby drive-thru lane. More on this developing story here.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The Mayor needs to understand the sound bite better

The mayor was on TV discussing the awful murder of Jimmy Gregory and shooting of a young girl on Easter. The mayor, too often defensive right off the hop did it again. He made a comment that the problem was too many kids had guns and that they then used them on each other, it bordered on that Captain Obvious ad character. No, it's deeper, it's much deeper. Yes, kids with guns is a big issue, thinking they are immortals and using them on each other for so little is worse. Refusing to cooperate is the biggest problem police have in solving crimes. These are all true statements but we have to look deeper and find the real issues that make what the morons do look acceptable. How do we make them look like the dead-enders with no future and no way out and are to be shunned; that would seem the place to start.

Take some of this magically performing city budget money and build a couple new community centers in Greenville. Put a couple others where your stats tell you a lot of kids get into trouble with idling crimes. Show them they still matter for God's sake. Show kids there's a safe place they can go to and better themselves.

Once kids get the guns we've all more than failed.

Late night open thread

No more Peeps for another year.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Happy Easter!

Or should we say Hoppy Easter for you bunny lovers out there? We here at the Jersey City Desk would like to offer a hale and hearty Happy Eater to our Christian friends celebrating today. Enjoy your day and hopefully it brings you happiness and peace and some god family time.

Late night open thread

All this Easter prep today...for an Atheist even. Johnny's gonna say if you get this in your backyard tonight you should probably just go ahead and shoot it, and then to an immediate head count of your kids.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Late night open thread

Mr. Moon will be hitting the skins all night to keep us entertained...and awake.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE ROLLING STONES!

It'd be a shame if the only time we heard from the lads was New Year's Eve. Let's all pile into that wayback machine and set it to 1966 and 'Complicated' kicking things off tonight.

How different the backing vocals sound with Brian Jones vs Mick Taylor or those times they tell Ronnie Wood "No, really we're tracking you in."

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS!

Johnny knew this day was coming. He knew he'd want to go with this song, 'Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You), but you dear reader would be so worn down by A Flock of Seagulls hair jokes over the years and relentlessly hearing the unspectacular 'I Ran' song you'd just tune out or think Johnny had gone mad just saying A Flock of Seagulls on the Music Series.

Trust Johnny. Get the headphones out. Have a beer, have a snoot of something, relax. Take a breath. Push play and close your eyes for five minutes thirty and see if Johnny was right.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with The J. GEILS BAND!

So sorry to hear of the passing earlier this week of J. Geils, leader of the band who passed at age 71. Truth be told, if Johnny had to list ALL the concerts he'd heard live he'd have to then admit he's been to more J. Geils Band shows than any other band. See, J. Geils was SO popular in the Detroit area they could play 15,000 seat Pine Knob for 6-7- and 8 nights in a row a summer. They'd all sell out. How it worked in Johnny's teen-angst world is you'd buy tickets to go inside and watch one of the shows and then just go pay to park outside the venue, listen to the concert for free and play frisbee, drink beer or Boones Farm wine and enjoy combustible refreshments for 4 or 5 other nights.

Feeling this one tonight for that awesome party band from Boston, here's 'Hard Driving Man (Live)' performed where else, Detroit.

Late night open thread

Bad Eli Manning, BAD.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Guess what? "By the Hour Construction Company", er NJ DOT...

Is now pushing the Pulaski Skyway job back until summer 2018. NJ DOT, the same people who thoroughly inspected this bridge top to bottom and agreed to, ie signed off on a two year job. Oops, this is New Jersey and this is by the hour work, they keep finding "things' and "issues" that keep the cost increasing and the union workers lolling around until now it's been delayed for a third time and will take at least twice the original time.

What inept shitheels in charge at NJ DOT, yet nobody gives them what they really need a thorough up the shorts and down the pants accounting by a US Attorney of just how and why this horseshit goes on.

Late night open thread

Of course you want to be sure. Johnny's question to you though is how much proof do you need?

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The time has come to confront and video both NJ Transit and PATH workers over attitude and service

"The way you get a better world is, you don't put up with substandard anything" said Joe Strummer and right now both NJ Transit and PATH are beyond substandard in customer service and service in general. Sadly, that will take you getting your cell phone out and asking questions of workers. Get your cell phones out when PATH and NJ Transit workers are being condescending or rude. Light 'em up. Confront their bad behavior, confront their lack of information. If workers start badgering a passenger for no real reason, get the cameras out. They simply do not have a right to treat you like this. Is everyone in the tri-state going to wait until someone gets bloodied and dragged like United Airlines before speaking up?

Bullshit. These are entities who take YOUR money to run on tracks YOU pay for. You are beyond part owner of the train system. This lack of information, surly employees and a general lack of caring about just who pays their wages is beyond broken, it requires citizens take matters into their own hands and act.

Attitude/surly employees - videotape it, post it
Broken trains - videotape it, post it
People standing around without being given any instruction - videotape it, post it
Late trains - videotape the time boards, post it

If you want better train systems serving the area, sadly neither NJ Transit or PATH give two shits about you as long as the money comes in, you'll have to do it yourselves. No, you're gonna have to let the employees you come in contact with know and keep letting them know.

Lather, rinse, repeat. Keep after them.

Late night open thread

Johnny's been here. He'd tell you of the wonders of the unknown worlds found inside but he'd be robbing you of the chance to enjoy the magic of The Mystery Spot if you're ever in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Johnny's least favorite day tomorrow, tax day

Not that he'll have to pay the government, heck no, he'll be getting money back. It's that 90 minutes every year sitting across the table from the accountant making the exact same small talk you made last year.

Cannot get out of there fast enough. Add faster.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Well now, would you look at this, the Reval's off to a rough start

Seems someone didn't think the reval on Mayor Fulop's property smelled all that good so she actually filed a tax appeal on him and the property. This will be a very interesting case, individually and how this works going forward. Worth a read before bed tonight.

Late night open thread

Well now, wasn't that the right way to send out a great building or what?

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

What a melancholy Sunday

It's gorgeous out there friends, Johnny's been to breakfast with Mrs. Johnny, out on dire wolf walks and yet he's still thinking about missing Joe Louis Arena after this afternoon's tilt with the New Jersey Six. So many GREAT memories there for Johnny. Atheist Johnny used to cross himself and point at the giant picture of the Production Line just inside the Gordie Howe entrance when he passed in and out of JLA. He was talking to the Hockey Gods, not the Sunday school one. He almost hit Sergei Fedorov with his hat the night #91 scored a hat trick. Chris Chelios carried Johnny's unique hat on the end of his stick the day Martin Lapointe scored a hat trick on Johnny's birthday. He took his friend Kevin to a Wings playoff game in 2008 vs Nashville and Darren McCarty scored 2 minutes in for him. Before the netting he remembers sitting six rows above the glass behind the Wings net and ducking (along with everyone else) when Al MacInnis would wind up for a 100+ mph slapshot. Johnny remembers drinking with friends and players at The Post nearby JLA til all hours, hitting the coney island and leaving downtown Detroit as those who were coming downtown to help run the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade were just arriving.

*SIGH*

The new place will be a dream but it won't be "home."

Late night open thread

Tomorrow the Devils and Red Wings will close Joe Louis Arena. Two teams accustomed to winning and winning big, neither of whom will make the playoffs this year. Odd that...

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Late night open thread

So, what were you thinking when you agreed to fly the prop thing?

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with MARVIN GAYE!

What a great song. Sounds good kicking off say a Music Series somewhere or in the middle of a party or in the club, its just always a welcome song. Oh, right, which song. 'Got to Give it Up' getting us started tonight.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with EDISON LIGHTHOUSE!

"Damn Johnny, I haven't heard this song since the last time I heard it."

Right? You did not wake up this morning thinking you'd hear 1970's 'Love Grows' before you went to bed tonight. The best part of this video? Johnny has seen government overthrows better coordinated. See if a couple minutes in if you cant tell where the "director' just went ahead and said, "Oh bollocks, why should I carry on?"

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA!

ELO was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tonight, what you'd do? Hey yo, just kidding friends,  Johnny kids because he loves.

ELO? 'Mr. Blue Sky' is on? Fuck all, let's get to the Waterford wave pool NOW! Somebody has to have a station wagon we can use.

The rumors are true, it's a Friday News Roundup

And of course that rumor was started by Johnny last night.

*Saint Peter's had a celebration yesterday for the CIT title won last week. A great story. The city should have thrown a parade.

*Despite flirting with the idea, Ward C councilman Richard Boggiano will not be joining the Fulop ticket and will run as an independent. Will Fulop decide to get someone on his team to run against Boggiano, a critic of his administration? Bet on it. Nidia Lopez is coming north!

*The scene outside of Dickinson High School was disturbing, awful and the powers that be better make sure this hideous crap does not happen again. Also, the kids who showed so little self-respect need to look into a mirror.

*A public shaming and a cake that now goes down in Jersey City political history have finally gotten Mayor Fulop to commit actual cash money to schools from the long-term PILOT abatements. Abatement Cake got schools funded, got shit done.

*Ward D Councilman Michael Yun has decided against a mayoral run but is trying to assemble a ticket to take away Mayor Fulop's council majority.

*Finally, on the lighter side, Jersey City is now filling potholes in Bayonne. Make sure you send 'em a bill DPW.

Be mindful to come back for the Music Series tonight.

Late night open thread

“You can't have the rainbow without the storm.”
 -- Shannon L. Alder

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

It's late and Johnny has been a busy bee all day

What that means for you dear readers is a News Roundup tomorrow. Plenty of things to talk on so look for it, ask for it by name.

Late night open thread

George is a radio announcer, and when he walks under a bridge... you can't hear him talk.
 -- Steven Wright

Time for Jersey City, after Dark

Johnny's first post on his new machine

This thing is big and strong and the sound is to die for. No slot for a CD or DVD. Didn't see that coming. Johnny's gonna have to do the old external hard drive thruput to copy music and photos over but that's life. Firewire meet Thunderbolt. It's big, it's bad and the hard drive has been christened Ser Gregor.

Late night open thread

New computer day at Johnny's house tomorrow. Always a big day. Johnny squeezes every little bit and byte out his machines. This last one lasted since 2007. It's been such a great machine and runs his apps and Warcraft so well he'll strip all the non-essentials, thus giving it more life as a gaming machine next to the new community computer. This was agreed to after much negotiation and the agreement to a new Mrs. Johnny's choice of desk.

Never can say goodbye...

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Johnny was reminded of an old Rodney Dangerfield joke reading this story

"My old man, he was quite the drinker you know? One day he saw a billboard that said 'Drink Canada Dry' so he went there."

Abel Parra Pena must realllly like Canada Dry and their fine line of beverages. Over a span of a few months, Pena supposedly admitted to somehow keeping some 3,239 cans of Canada Dry products, products he was supposed to be delivering to the Shop Rite on Marin Blvd:

A loss prevention officer for ShopRite found a $20,000 discrepancy in the company's orders from Canada Dry. Both companies held a meeting at the Metro Plaza location and called in Parra Pena, who regularly delivers to ShopRite, police said.

Either Canada Dry moves like Tide on the black market or again, Mr. Pena really loves this stuff. We all have our vices.

Canada Dry, America's first family of beverages.

Late night open thread

Lola will be running by all night...

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Get to Loew's tomorrow night or Big Brother WILL be watching

Loew's, in association with the Jersey City Free Public Library Foundation, is showing the George Orwell classic, '1984' tomorrow night inside Loew's. 1984 will be shown in theaters all across America tomorrow as part of the April 4th screen event and it's never been more pertinent. The first 100 attendees tomorrow night at Loew's will get a free copy of the book 1984 compliments of the Jersey City Free Public Library Foundation. There will also be a panel discussion after the film with Christine Goodman, the founder and past director of Art House Productions in Jersey City; John Beekman of the NJ Room of the Jersey City Free Public Library; a representative of The Jersey Journal; and Colin Egan, director of the Loew's Jersey Theatre.

Late night open thread

“I enjoy the spring more than the autumn now. One does, I think, as one gets older.”
 -- Virginia Woolf, Jacob's Room

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Johnny took a walk on a lovely Spring Sunday

While he was over by the Powerhouse he took a panoramic picture he was pretty happy with. It's full size for effect so if you click on it you'll get the whole big image.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Well that didn't take long; New Liberty SciTech Scity has a new AWFUL name

Oh, dear readers where to begin. Johnny's been in the news analysis biz long enough to know you dump your really bad news or figures on a Friday night so people pay less attention to it. Last night we found out the new "working name" of SciTech Scity to Liberty Science Development School OR LSD School. Good stuff huh?

Ringmaster, how long must this circus go on?