Late night open thread

A quick public service announcement before bed. This year's Macy's New York City fireworks are being shot off on the Hudson River side of Manhattan and not the East River side. A few minutes after 9 pm Saturday the biggest and best show around will commence. The change this year is because we are celebrating the 400 year anniversary of Henry Hudson's exploration of the river named after him. The show is planning on shooting off 40,000 shells, a clip of 1500 a minute.

Giddyup.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Severe Thunderstorm Watch in effect until 7 pm tonight

For all of Hudson and other counties where people live near Hudson County and count their blessings each day. From Wunderground:

Severe Thunderstorm Watch 533 in effect until 7 PM EDT this evening...

Tonight
Mostly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms likely this evening...then a chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms after midnight. Patchy fog after midnight. Some thunderstorms may produce damaging winds...large hail and heavy rainfall this evening. Lows in the upper 60s. South winds 5 to 10 mph...becoming east after midnight. Chance of rain 60 percent.

So batten down them hatches mateys. And if you're on a train tonight and hear a pounding on your cars' roof it ain't Batman, it's hail the size of cornish hens.

BREAKING NEWS: Reports of big explosion in Newark, power outages there--UPDATED (2)

We don't have the details but JCD readers are calling in telling us there was a rather large explosion in downtown Newark and thick black smoke can be seen rising from the source. It happened in the general vicinity Newark Bears baseball stadium early reports tell us....

Will keep you updated...

UPDATE--NJ.com is out with the story that it is a transformer that blew causing minor injuries to three people. Power is out around Penn Station but trains ARE running now with NO delays....

UPDATE--4:14 pm--The power is back on in the affected area now in Newark. A friend of JCD emailed a few minutes ago and said it's back on. You know what that means, no slacking off tomorrow because you can't make "I didn't know if we'd have power or not" work for you. Everyone reads the JCD on matters of importance like explosions with injuries. Your bosses sure do. We don't miss on those.

See, you can make a difference in fighting the scourge of crime

Four losers were loading up their SUV with stolen goods when a citizen, like you or me, was willing to simply pick up the phone and call police. A man noticed three men loading his neighbor's belongings into a vehicle at Linden and Garfield at 2 am yesterday and made with the 911 call. The three crooked males, Edwin Ventura, and Freddie Mauricio, both of Jersey City, and Michael Lima of North Bergen were arrested along with female Soveira Polanco of Paterson who was sitting behind the wheel of the SUV (because women simply can't do the heavy lifting when it comes to crime and flat screen teevees).

All four were charged with burglary and theft. Book 'em Dan-O

Late night open thread

Let's practice parasailing like these pros before bed tonight. Nothing says fun like a ruptured spleen.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The difference between institutional theft and a guy with a handgun in an alley ain't much around here

Let's suppose a guy caught you in an alley alone and robbed you at gunpoint of $500. You did nothing wrong but you were still victimized. No doubt you'd see in a press release the mayor's office say something like "This is a tragic happening and we hope soon for the victim to be made whole" if they took time to comment on all the robberies in Jersey City. BUT, should the robbery be institutional in nature, ie the Jersey City Parking Authority putting boots on cars that didn't deserve to get them in a city run money grab that's too bad and we shouldn't worry about the victims here, after all, it'll cost us THEIR money.

Yep, over the last several YEARS, the JCPA has been booting cars they should only have been issuing $42 tickets for as a revenue stream. 'Cars can only be booted if the owner has three outstanding tickets and hasn't responded to notices to appear in court.' This however hasn't stopped JCPA from raking in some hefty cash. Maybe you had money STOLEN this way. Remember the above comment the city government may have put out, oh things are different when the city is the one stealing:

Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy is worried about the precedent of the city owning up to bad behavior.
"We should be cautious with reimbursements for past errors because of the potential financial ramifications for the city and ultimately the taxpayers." Steal from taxpayers, when caught say you can't just give money back after all, you're protecting taxpayers.

Got that? If a private individual stole from you, we wish you the best. If however it's the city taking your money, hey too bad, the city has designs on YOUR money, we should be careful about making you whole for the city's thievery.

If your head doesn't hurt after this one you're not paying attention.

Monday morning open thread

Johnny's got some work to do getting things back to workable here in the JCD offices this morning. Like Trixie mentioned bums got in the stairwell. We're sure gonna have a comment or two later on the illegal booting of vehicles over the last few years in Jersey City later and the mayor's troubling reaction...

Late night open thread

Yes Johnny is back from Michigan after a delightful trip seeing friends and family and visiting with other wizards. He made it safe and sound. Which brings us to:

PADOT, EPIC FAIL. That delightful 13 mile-ish construction hell on eastbound I-80 you foisted upon the general public around Bloomsburg in Columbia County, what were you thinking? There has been anarchy better coordinated. Signs giving differing information, no kind of plan to deal with miles and miles of backups inconveniencing several thousands drivers and passengers. All to make 3 lanes into 2 near the end. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation have got themselves one heinous unattended traffic clogging machine out there in Columbia County.

Really, get it together kids. It cost Johnny over an hour today. When you start stealing hours of Johnny's life he takes an active interest in you'n yours. He will get his vengeance in this life or the next.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Late night open thread

Well kids, Johnny's off back to Michigan for the week to hobnob with his fellow wizards. Hopefully if all goes well he'll be back with you next Sunday night. Even the interns get the week off. Kiki is heading down to the shore and Zoltron's off to Rhode Island to scope out spots for Johnny to vacation at in August.

If you're a reader here and find yourself on the 280 west and then the 80 west in the morning and have a guy behind you with a shaved head making faces and gestures at you to get in the slow lane, give a Johnny a break and get out of his way, he's got a 10 hour drive ahead of him. Somebody call the Sidetrack and tell 'em Johnny's coming back to town.

Should something big come up simply use this thread to express yourselves. You know the routine.

You folks be good and we'll talk next week.

In support of the Iranian citizens fighting and dying to make their votes count

As Johnny has said before, this site is for the most part about THIS surrounding area. That's why most of our readers come here, for news and infotainment and a few laughs about our fair city. However, when something is going halfway across the world far bigger and more important than this blog, we cannot ignore it. We fully support, commend, sympathize, and offer our thanks for those inside Iran who will not be silenced, who will not be intimidated and will not kowtow to the big bad bully known as a corrupt government. They were lied to, they were dismissed as bit players in an election whose outcome was obviously decided beforehand. THEY have the bravery to stand up to this sham (and when was the last time Americans as a group were willing to go to the mat for something they believe in by facing down police and government overlords?) and actually put their lives in jeopardy for the RIGHT thing and the JUST thing.

We'd say this about any people in this world with a just cause who live under a repressive, arrogant, corrupt government. If you think you need to spill blood to take your own destiny back, if you need to spill blood to take your voice back, if you need to spill blood to end your tyranny, you'll have Johnny's support.

We hope against hope the Iranian people are successful in this grand, important endeavor, by any means necessary.

People should not be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people"

The Clash said it best...

"Cause Jersey City is drowning and I, live by the river..."

Again with the flood watch Hudson County. From Wunderground:

Flood Watch in effect through Sunday afternoon...

This Afternoon
A slight chance of rain early...then periods of rain with a chance of thunderstorms. Some thunderstorms may produce heavy rainfall. Highs in the upper 70s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain near 100 percent.

Tonight
Periods of rain with a chance of thunderstorms in the evening...then occasional showers with a chance of thunderstorms after midnight. Some thunderstorms may produce heavy rainfall. Lows in the mid 60s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph...becoming northeast after midnight. Chance of rain 90 percent.

Late night open thread

Since not a lot of Amish tend to hang out here at the Jersey City Desk, here goes nothing...

An Amish lady is trotting down the road in her horse and buggy when she is pulled over by a cop.

"Ma'am," said the cop, "I'm not going to ticket you, but I do have to issue you a warning. You have a broken reflector on your buggy."

"Oh, I'll let my husband, Jacob, know as soon as I get home," responded the Amish lady.

"That's fine. Another thing, ma'am. I don't like the way that one rein loops across the horse's back and around one of his testicles. I consider that animal abuse. Have your husband take care of that right away!" instructed the cop.

Later that day, the lady is home telling her husband about her encounter with the cop.

"Well, dear, what exactly did he say?" asked Jacob.
"He said the reflector is broken," replied the lady.

"I can fix that in two minutes. What else?" wondered Jacob.
"I'm not sure, Jacob... something about the emergency brake"...

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with COWBOY JUNKIES!

Is there ANY band out there who can do a cover of a famous band's song and do a better job than the Cowboy Junkies? It's hard to think of one. In spite of some incredible hits of their own, Johnny is oddly drawn to their covers. We're gonna do something nutty here, since Johnny is going on vacation and you're not getting Friday night videos next week we're gonna splurge here and put in THREE Cowboy Junkies covers tonight, you can fight over your favorite.

We start with the cover of The Velvet Underground's classic 'Sweet Jane'


We'll follow that one up with a cover of U2's song 'One'. We think the clips used here are some movie we're not familiar with but whatever, the song's the thing.


And finally on your special treat night (Because you've all been so good), a Cowboy Junkies amazing cover of Bruce Springsteen's 'Thunder Road'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with JERRY LEE LEWIS!

The Killer, The Ferriday Fireball, and one of the founding fathers of this mess we call rock and roll. Johnny was thinking the other night about rock performers who were known for their piano skills. Of course Billy Joel and Elton John came to mind, and some of the techno keyboard masters like Yazoo and Depeche Mode keyboard maestro Vince Clarke were quick to follow but the best, the one guy you want playing the piano in your band would have to be Jerry Lee Lewis.

Here's the Ferriday Fireball with 'Great Balls of Fire' from 1958

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with NATALIE MERCHANT!

Natalie doing the solo thing here with Paul Schaffer and the kids on the Letterman show from 1987. While it's only Natalie she's doing a 10,000 Maniacs tune, "Don't Talk".

The warm breezes of summer mean one thing in New York City, it's murder season

The New York Times had an expose yesterday on the fact that when the summer breezes start to blow, when people start showing up at the Shake Shack in short pants, when people start wiling away their days at Coney Island, the murder rate really gets off its lazy butt and kicks in.

Some things you'd probably guess, men are more likely to be murderers and murderees. Women are most often killed by someone they know. But do you know where the murder rate is highest? Do you know the bloodiest block in Brooklyn?

It's a great morning read, it'll really help you start your day off right.

Late night open thread

OK boppers, music trivia night.

Which 1975 song do these lyrics come from? There's a hole in my head where the rain comes in...

The correct song makes you a winner, the correct band makes you a show off but that's a good thing.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Dear New York City PD, thanks for nothing

It seems the New York City police have nothing better to do than hang out in Easton Pennsylvania. Hey guys, what's going on in Easton Pa you're so damned interested in? The new casino there? Were you all gambling and maybe tipping back a few cocktails while protecting the Five Boroughs? Were you dining at Emeril's new joint?

We're curious here because some members of NYC's finest were in Easton and were outside of a Phantom Fireworks there and watched two Jersey City residents buying *GASP* fireworks. So the NYC po-po actually tailed the guys back here to the Big JC and then when they got within city limits they called the Jersey City cops and tattled. The Jersey City blues then pulled the guys over, involved a bomb sniffing dog and charged the two with possession of fireworks.

Dear god NO. Not fireworks. Heavens, fireworks are fun and make people happy so of course you'd want to be 90 minutes away protecting the Big Appletini from fireworks. Hey, NYC police, thanks very little. Next time you feel you want to protect citizens from themselves, try staying across the Hudson, there's plenty to do over there.

What police jackassery, worrying about fireworks. Great use of taxpayer money. Thanks mommy.

Oh, and by the way, there is every chance Johnny is gonna bring back a big load of fireworks with him from vacation next week. Maybe you guys should start setting up out of jurisdiction roadblocks now.

Flash Flood watch is in effect for Hudson County today

The Jersey City Action Weather Team in association with the National Weather Service (heh) is predicting 1-2" inches of rain today which could cause flash flooding across the Jersey City Desk reading area through tonight.

As always, if flooding does become an issue in your neighborhood, make your way to City Hall for a free canoe under Mayor Healy's "Free Canoes When it Floods Bad" program he ran on in the last election.

OK, we now know which Jersey City Municipal Council members stand with the taxpayers

And there are only three of them; Phil Kenny, Steve Fulop and Viola Richardson all voted against giving the deep pocketed Fisher Development Associates a further tax break at the expense of Jersey City residents. The rest of the council it should and is now noted are FOR city taxpayers taking on the burden of paying more for a private developers white elephant that has 269 units of which they have only been able to sell 24 of even after a 30% price drop.

The six of you are all on notice.

Late night open thread

Tonight, some old school comedy with Henny Youngman matching wits with Milton Berle who gets professionally heckled by Youngman. From 1966 at the Hollywood Palace, Uncle Miltie finds you can't beat the king of the one liners..


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Dear Jersey City Council, don't you dare allow luxury condo developer to reduce payments

Fisher Development Associates, owners of Crystal Point condos, luxury units on the Hudson River want to amend their payments to our fair city because times are HARD for them and they've only been able to sell 24 out of the 269 condos they built.

Know what Fisher Development Associates? Hard cheese. It's called the cost of, and risk of doing business. If the Jersey City Council allows you to change your PILOT agreement (Payments in Lieu of Taxes) then everyone who is experiencing hard times in these overall challenging economic times will want and expect a break. Shoot, if John Q. Public can't get tax breaks now, why should big deal condo developers get breaks. Here is what the developers want to get from Council:

A change in the PILOT agreement from 20 to 30 years and reduce the percentage of annual gross revenue paid from 16 to 11 percent for the first five years, with 13 percent payments for the next five years, and 16 percent payments for the final 20 years.

You're kidding right? Do you realize how much this would cost the taxpayers of Jersey City? Al Cameron, deputy director of the city's Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce has it right and is on the side of sound economics when he said the request should be rejected. Downtown Councilman Steve Fulop agrees, it's simply a way to shift Fisher Development's responsibilities onto the taxpayer.

The hell with this request. You pays your money and you takes your chances. Little guys never get breaks like this from the City Council, no way should a big deal developer, who can withstand the economic hit even better then the average homeowner get this request approved.

Council, we're taking names on this vote, just saying....

Late night open thread

State trivia night.

This state is considered the birthplace of the humble cheeseburger.

Answer here

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Hoboken HS basketball standout disappoints, attacks man and steals his wallet--UPDATED

Eddie Canary, listed at 6'2" and 175 in the team program is being charged with beating a man unconscious and then stealing his wallet. Ouch. It gets worse. The all county basketball star is then being charged with attacking another man a few minutes later. No word yet on what led to the supposed crimes.

We'll follow this story today and hopefully have an update later today to these sad developments.

UPDATE 9:46 am

Well it appears Eddie was indeed a very very naughty man. As the report gets fleshed out here, we find out Eddie who is a junior at Hoboken high is already 18 years old and therefore ready for the adult criminal justice system.

The story tells us Eddie beat a 21 year old man from Dover Plains NY unconscious near Third and Madison streets in Hoboken and took his wallet. That's classy. He, along with his posse of friends then took off leaving the victim face down and unconscious. Police caught up to Mr. Basketball Star in Church Square Park where he was beating yet another victim with his little friends.

You know what we love Eddie? We love big tough guys who travel in packs and attack people. That really shows how tough you are. You'd never think of taking on somebody one on one but when you get your little cement headed friends together you're all about the violence and intimidation. What a tough guy you and your friends are. We hope the Hudson County lockup has a basketball league just for you, but we tend to doubt it.

In the words of Sergeant Hulka in Stripes:

"Gutless.....punk"

Late night open thread

Our good friend Trixie Action Space Punk sent this to Johnny today. LOL does not describe the sentiment...unless your name is Big Time Sidney Crosby.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Hayden Planetarium ready to kick off super cool 'Journey to the Stars' show

American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium is getting ready to launch 'Journey to the Stars' an almost half hour extravaganza narrated by Whoopi Goldberg. The show tells how large stars figure in our very existence. Even though Johnny holds a grudge with Planetarium Director Neil deGrasse Tyson, and would happily debate him over the loss of Pluto as a planet, this show is gonna be delightful.

Late night open thread

Tonight we see a party boat epic fail. Whoever put the soundtrack to this gets the win.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Today was just a lovely day for walking around New York City

And picking up a few yummy treasures along Bleecker Street. Nice little art fair from W 10th Street south for a couple blocks as well. Know what really made the afternoon? An A capella trio who were belting out doo-wop songs on Bleecker at Leroy St. They were just exceptional. They went by the name 'Spank'. Fun stuff and some wonderful harmonies.

A good day in the city.

Cities and towns in New Jersey CHARGE residents to be able to hold garage sales?

Wow, Johnny was catching up on some reading and found cities and towns in the Garden State levy a fee against homeowners who want to have a garage sale. What's the point in that? Basically finding another way to skim off of homeowners? Some places charge as little as $5 but that's part of the point, how is a city going to pay for anything let alone balance a budget on a $5 fee? One moronic city government in Bloomfield has upped their fee to $25. Way to really show you hate your residents. A lot of garage sales that $25 fee would be half the proceeds. It's actually cost you more to have the garbage men pick that up in time and labor.

What idiocy. Are the police required to stand around and make sure nothing gets stolen? Are the local firefighters required to stand around in case a fire breaks out? If you're not committing local resources to the private sale, you're just stealing money from homeowners.

Late night open thread

Johnny gets to hit one of his favorite haunts in all of New York City tomorrow. He gets to go refill his coffee cupboard with the fantastic selection at McNulty's on Christopher Street between Hudson and Bleecker. That place is a serious coffee drinker's paradise. Great for the tea crowd as well. If you get a company plug on the Jersey City Desk you're doing something right, Johnny doesn't just give away free ad time.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Hoboken says now officially Peter Cammarano is the new mayor....BUT

Dawn Zimmer is still not going to concede until she decides whether or not to ask for a recount or challenge votes. The official count now stands at 6,188 to 6,027 in favor of Cammarano. This includes all machine ballot, absentee ballots and all provisional ballots. Said Zimmer: "I had 6,000 people who voted for me and hundreds of people involved in my campaign who wanted to make Hoboken better, I owe it to them to make sure this was a fair and honest election."

Zimmer has two weeks to decide to either challenge votes or ask for a recount. Cammarano is scheduled to be sworn in on July 1.

Late night open thread

Boy, Johnny's vacation at the end of next week couldn't come at a better time. Yes kids, brace yourselves, you'll be going without the Jersey City Desk for a whole week (perish the thought) after next Saturday night. You'll have to muddle through.

We still love our Red Wings and their dynasty. Win one of the next two and we keep it going. So much to be positive with when you're a Red Wings fan. Great front office, quality players who don't embarrass the logo on the front of the sweaters and you get to play in big games.

And if you happen to lose? Well, there's an answer for that too...


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with PINK FLOYD!

Yep, this sums it up.

Pink Floyd from the Live 8 reunion with 'Comfortably Numb'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with NICK LOWE!

More comfort music tonight from Johnny's personal archives. Here's Nick Lowe with 'I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES!

This one will have to be somewhat self explanatory tonight.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles with 'The Tears of a Clown'

The Bayonne Medical Center has ended it's lockout

In what can only be described as an utter failure on the workage and PR side of things, the Bayonne Medical Center has decided to end it's ill advised lockout of nurses and other health care workers.

Seeking to minimize the damage done to their reputation, the BMC allowed CEO Dan Kane to utter these words: "We are thinking about the needs of the community "We are civic-minded and were are ending the lockout in the interests of community."

Uh huh.

It had nothing to do with the fact you constantly needed to call back locked out employees to remain open. It had nothing to do with ham handed and botched testing and patient care from replacement workers. You keep telling the public whatever it is you want to BMC. The rest of us out here in a land called reality know what happened.

Late night open thread

Tonight a look into the amazing collection of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Johnny has a tremendous fascination with space and planets and galaxies and the like. He was very privileged earlier in his life to work in a small capacity on the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and The Jupiter Aurora project along with a probe to Mercury with some of the brightest minds on this planet. You can see many of NASA's Hubble collection here. Before bed tonight, an image of Supernova SN1987A or as we like to call it, Lloyd.

Supernova SN1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Glittering stars and wisps of gas create a breathtaking backdrop for the self-destruction of a massive star, called supernova 1987A, in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a nearby galaxy. Astronomers in the Southern hemisphere witnessed the brilliant explosion of this star on Feb. 23, 1987.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

A cautionary tale of proving a point over providing service

As Johnny fights a blistering migraine headache this morning, a quick medical story, and we mean quick. The Bayonne Medical Center has locked out it's unionized staff in a labor dispute (only to find themselves short staffed and having to call in some workers they themselves have locked out). They are also running the Medical Center with replacement workers.

Then comes this story about what's happening as a direct result to the patients who count on the BMC.

Nice.

Late night open thread

Tonight we enjoy the acting skills of Brak, Space Ghost and Zorak before bedtime. Good stuff.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Jersey City residents are tough

How tough are they?

They're so tough they don't even notice when they're shot. Seriously, bullets can simply go right through a Jersey City resident and they'll just keep walking. A 26 year old resident today was walking near Wegman Parkway and Ocean Avenue when he heard what he described as a shot. He just kept walking. He didn't even realize a bullet had entered through his stomach and out his back. It was only after he noticed blood he decided to seek treatment.

He was taken to the Jersey City Medical Center where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

You don't see that kind of toughness in say, mmmmmm, Hoboken residents. They scream and wail and cry and draw attention to themselves when they get shot.

Wussies...

Cammarano up 67 votes in Hoboken, Zimmer still won't concede

After the absentee ballots were counted, Peter Cammarano has taken a 67 vote lead over opponent Dawn Zimmer. However, Zimmer says there are still some provisional ballots to be counted so she's not ready to throw in the towel just yet.

Somehow, they find the courage to soldier on in Hoboken, without an official winner just yet.

Late night open thread

The incumbents ran the table in the Jersey City Council runoffs today as in Ward A it was Michael Sottolano victorious by a 1776-1331 count over challenger Rolando Lavarro. In Ward F Viola Richardson ran strong winning by almost 600 votes over Ronnie-Calvin Clark.

Up in Hoboken the Mayoral race between Dawn Zimmer and Peter Cammarano is very close. Zimmer leads 5786-5542 but there are over 700 absentee ballots to count and this race most likely will not be decided tonight.

Of course we will keep you updated tomorrow.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

It's runoff election day in Jersey City and Hoboken

In Wards A & F in Jersey City today it's a runoff election for the Jersey City Council and if that weren't enough fun, in Hoboken the runoff election for mayor is being held. So, if you're in one of these areas make sure you do your civic duty and get out and VOAT!

Late night open thread

Since NBC, the greedy and self absorbed National Broadcasting Company is right across the Hudson River, it's pertinent the Jersey City Desk tonight point out what jagoffs Jeff Zucker and the NBC family are being over rights to their NHL games. #1 it's our understanding they pay the NHL zero dollars and zero cents for the rights to broadcast the games and then make money selling ad time. That's the deal NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman helped negotiate but that's a rant for another day. Well they aren't letting the Penguins fans watch on the big screens outside Mellon Arena for those who want a sense of hockey community because it might cause a microscopic drop in ratings points which means a few less ad dollars for the peaCOCK network.

The Detroit Red Wings during the playoffs show the games on "JoeVision", or the big screens over center ice at Joe Louis Arena for away games. NBC is denying the right to hold "JoeVision" tomorrow night with game 6 of the NHL Final in Pittsburgh. The real kicker, and the point that should shame NBC's asshole beancounters to no end is when the Red Wings show the games at JLA, they charge the upwards of 15-20,000 fans $5 a head and ALL that money goes to charity, it always has. So, $75-100,000 will NOT be filling the coffers of charities in Detroit and the people who make money parking cars and selling hot dogs and soda pop won't get a paycheck that night.

Nice.

So instead of looking out for the people who watch his network, Mr. Zucker has decided his advertisers are more important. That's fine, it's his and his network's call. We here at the Jersey City Desk just wanted to get that out there and let you the readers of the Tri-State area know that the next time you see an NBC affiliate run one of those "We're a part of the community and we really really care about our local viewership" and "WE CARE promos" they love to slather their airwaves with, understand, no, they really don't. They care more about the people selling you Honda's, beer and high fructose corn syrup products than they do about your community at large.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Hey hey Rutgers football fans, a LIMITED number of season tickets will go on sale tomorrow

Rutgers says they have a 90% renewal rate for season tickets BUT since they have expanded the stadium they will offer season tickets starting tomorrow. Tickets are on sale as of 8:30 am at ScarletKnights.com or by calling the Rutgers Ticket Office at 1-866-445-GORU.

The prices for this Big East football feast are as follows:
Season tickets are $350 for sections 101 and 109 in addition to upper deck seating. End zone seating for sections 110 through 121 are $280 for the year.

That's a lot of Rutgers football for the money. Rutgers opens at home Monday September 7th at 4 pm in a nationally televised game vs Cincy-nutty.

Here's the Rutgers home schedule if you're still hemming and hawing over whether you should buy seats or not (OK the Howard and Florida International games should be free of charge, we'll admit that).

September 7 Cincinnati
September 12 Howard
September 19 Florida International
October 3 Texas Southern
October 16 Pittsburgh
November 12 South Florida
December 5 West Virginia

No PATH delays this morning...

We know tens of thousands of commuters check the Jersey City Desk before heading off to work and we are happy to announce that after a weekend of seemingly nothing but PATH train delays, there are no delays this morning. In other words, sorry, you have to go to work.

That is all...

Late night open thread

If you had a birthday today you share it with Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti) who would have been 92 today.

Everybody Mambo!


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Sunday open thread

Johnny's a little bit under the weather today, feeling craptastic so you're free to talk about whatever you wanna...

Late night open thread

On the precipice of a dynasty...


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

And, in the opposite corner from Cheyenne Cherry, meet Toni Clark

Toni Clark just completed her degree from Essex County College on Friday and walked with her class. An amazing story when you realize all while she was attending her classes and getting her degree, she was homeless. That's right, she slept on the streets while working towards and then getting her college degree.

Clark, who is 50, completed her degree without class textbooks, without a computer and with no real place to study and yet she finished with a 2.77 GPA. The college said they had no idea Clark was homeless. Said Clark:

"It's been hard. I was staying in (Newark) Penn Station, the airport. But you know, I was taking care of business and everything, but I just didn't have a home."

Simply amazing and inspiring, make sure to go ahead and read her entire story, it is inspiring.

There's a word for people like Cheyenne Cherry--skank

Now, first off, Johnny's not gonna pull any punches here, Cheyenne Cherry being 17 and all. The teenage crime wave from the Bronx is just that, a skank. Oh but Johnny, should an adult male be calling a teenage girl a skank, that's pretty harsh and over the top.

Read this piece and then at the end you can pass judgement on old Johnny.

Cheyenne Cherry was arrested for clubbing a woman in the head with jewelry in 2007.

Cheyenne Cherry was arrested and is serving 5 years probation for robbing a man of his iPod at gunpoint. She claimed it was a "joke".

Cheyenne Cherry was busted for larceny and extortion in a dog-napping plot in which her class act boyfriend shoved a BB gun in the face of a woman in a Bronx park and stole her teacup Yorkie dog. She then had the nerve to send friends over to collect the $500 reward after it was posted in the paper. She said it was all just a "joke".

Cheyenne Cherry is also now claiming her roasting of a kitten this past week in a 200 degree oven was also just a "joke". You read that right, she let a kitten die in an oven and again claimed it was just a "joke".

Know what Cheyenne, you are a joke of a citizen. So is the judge who let you out after this latest offense. You are obviously a menace to society, and a disgrace to all 17 year old females who don't act like you do. We think you're trying to game the system since it has let you get away with your garbage for so long. We can only hope you see the inside of a jail cell real soon. Would you think what happens in there to you would be a "joke" as well?

No, Johnny thinks you've earned the title of 'skank', in your attitude towards animals and your fellow human beings and you know what, we're really not that interesting in HOW or WHY you came to be this way. The fact is, you have and it's time to pay the fiddler.

It's not easy to call out the young 'uns, but sometimes one really really goes above and beyond and thumbs their nose at the rest of us and then it's time to give them the publicity they so richly deserve.

Late night open thread

Strange fact night:

Did you know polar bears are left handed? It's true

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with GREEN DAY!

Green Day, live and UNCENSORED and if you're familiar with this song, yeah, it has that word in it. Johnny used this version intentionally. He's not much for bleeping or scrambling lyrics to songs and always hated when it's done for him on the teevee and the radio. Besides, tonight is about rough and tumble rock and roll...

So without further ado here at the new and improved Jersey City Desk (now with clever pictures wooo) here is Green Day with 'American Idiot' on the BBC program, Later with Jules Holland.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with JOAN JETT!

We continue on a hard rocking Friday night with Ms. Joan Jett. Suggestive lyrics? Grinding gee-tars? Check. It's all here.

Joan Jett and The Blackhearts with 'Do You Wanna Touch Me?'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with MIKE NESS!

We end our music series tonight at the new and improved Jersey City Desk with some rockin and rollin and honky tonkin with the master of all things rockabilly, Mike Ness. Johnny and Ms Trixie caught Mr. Ness a few year back in Pontiac Michigan.

Rock steady.

Here's Mike Ness with 'Don't Think Twice'

The Jersey City Desk Action Weather team has an announcement

The wet droplet thingies falling from the sky is called "rain". This "rain" will continue throughout the day. Check back later for the definition of the word "flood".

Hal Turner says he will fight extradition to Connecticut

As we noted yesterday, hate speech kinda guy Hal Turner (Sean Hannity's BFF) is in deep doo doo for comments he made towards a couple of Connecticut legislators (and one could argue the Connecticut state police), and has decided to fight his extradition from New Jersey to the Nutmeg State.

We're not so sure about that. Connecticut has some nice areas and Turner doesn't even know which part he'll be headed to. It's got to be better to have a vacation there than simply staying here and rousing up his minions in his day to day drudgery of blogging and screeching hate speech into a microphone. Live a little Hal. See the world. Take a few years off.

New Jersey will be here when you get back...

Late night open thread

Stupid Flanders had us thinking all day, how about before bed we enjoy a few good minutes with some EARLY Simpsons. You remember the ones on the old Tracey Ullman show. Here's one from 1988 called 'The Pagans'.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Imagine Johnny's surprise when he read the following headline in the Wall Street Journal

"Playboy Enterprises Names Flanders as CEO"



Gives a whole new meaning to "Hide-ily ho" doesn't it?

North Bergen's own 'mouth that roared', Hal Turner arrested for inciting violence on his blog

North Bergen right wing radio host and blogger Hal Turner was arrested yesterday and is awaiting extradition to Connecticut for commentary on his blog to "take up arms" against two Connecticut lawmakers.

Johnny is all about the freedom of speech. He hates these ridiculous laws namby pamby's are trying to institute for supposed cyber-bullying. That being said you cannot say "take up arms" against ANYONE. In this day and age, as we saw in the murder of abortion provider George Tiller, people can and are incited to kill people because of things they read and things they hear online, or in group meetings. It's not just that his threat was aimed at Connecticut lawmakers Sen. Andrew McDonald and Rep. Michael Lawlor over Catholic Parish finance, it's that he made them at all. This IS yelling fire in a movie theatre in our estimation.

You cannot and should not be allowed to sit behind your keyboard and call for violence against others and hope and or expect one of your readers (or in radio's case listeners) and when it actually comes to pass sit back and say "Whoa how the hell did that happen? I'm completely innocent of course as they were just thoughts, words if you will. THEY killed him, I didn't".

We wonder what Turner's BFF Sean Hannity will have to say about all of his.

Late night open thread

Sadly, the music world has lost one of it's most powerful voices tonight as blues legend Koko Taylor has passed away in Chicago at ago 80. She lived an amazing life and the daughter of sharecroppers. Koko was discovered by the legendary Willie Dixon in 1962. She even had a small part in the David Lynch film 'Wild at Heart'.

More on this amazing woman's life here.

Here is Koko Taylor with 'I Cried Like a Baby' from the 1988 Philadelphia Folk Festival. RIP Koko...


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

That alarm you may or may not hear today in Bayonne is the Emergency Broadcast Network

While everyone else in Hudson County WILL hear the sirens from the Hudson County Office of Emergency Management between 2-3 pm today, Bayonne may not. That's why they test folks, as last time they ran the test sirens they were barely audible in Bayonne. The good news is we DID hear them here in Jersey City. So that sound you hear today (and tomorrow in Kearny, East Newark and Harrison) is just a test......we hope.

Late night open thread

As expected it'll be Republican Chris Christie and incumbent Democratic Governor Jon Corzine facing off in November. Maybe Christie should ask Bruce Springsteen if he has permission to use his songs as it's apparent to Johnny the Boss and Chris Christie aren't ideological soulmates.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Primary Day in New Jersey

In the blue corner you can choose between Democratic candidates Governor Jon Corzine, Roger Bacon, Carl Bergmanson and Jeff Boss. In the red corner you can choose between Republican candidates Chris Christie and Steve Lonegan.

Corzine is a shoo-in most likely but on the Republican ticket it promises to be closer.

Go get out there and VOAT!!

Late night open thread

We'll TRY to be around for you more tomorrow but Johnny is still bogged down with other jazz.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Monday open thread

As promised, here's your open thread, go crazy.....