Security guard at the NBA offices in Secaucus was phoning in bomb threats to his own building

Incredible. Jose L. Quesada Jr. who was (key word was) a security guard at the National Basketball Association offices in Secaucus and was calling in bomb threats such as:

"I put a bomb outside . . . Gonna kill all the NBA. . . . There's a bomb outside the complex in the parking lot. I put a bomb outside in the bush. No way out. Gonna blow up at 9:00 o'clock in the morning. Good luck . . . If you come out, it will blow up. "

Now being the master criminal he is, Quesada dialed in the blocking codes before the number so his call would show up a the NBA switchboard as 'Unknown caller' but when people like the FBI get involved this ruse quickly falls away. After three days of making calls Quesada admitted to investigators he indeed did make the bomb threats.

For his troubles (and it should be pointed out Quesada did not work for the NBA itself rather a security contractor) Quesada faces penalties of 5 years in prison and up to a $250K fine.

Late night open thread

"Most of the change we think we see in life is due to truths being in and out of favor."
--Robert Frost

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE ROLLING STONES!

A beautiful summer Friday evening needs something to bring a familiarity to it. Think back of summers past. How integral music was to your life in summer, where somebody always had a radio to listen to. To fill that bill here are the Rolling Stones with 'Tumbing Dice' from 1972. Nice to see Mick Taylor, not a lot of great video with him in the band out there.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with VINCE TAYLOR AND HIS PLAYBOYS!

Taylor was born in Britain and an obvious early convert to American rockabilly music. This song of course would go on to be a smash by The Clash. Debuting on the Jersey City Desk music series here's Vince Taylor and His Playboys with 'Brand New Cadillac'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with GRAHAM PARKER!

If you were young and hip and uber cool in 1979 like Johnny you'll easily remember the Graham Parker album Squeezing Out Sparks. We wrap up the music series tonight with the semi-almost kinda made it hit 'Local Girls'.

More news on Barcade thrill seekers

The good people at NY Eater have the latest news on the new Barcade coming to beautiful downtown Jersey City, just minutes off the turnpike!

Any early risers out there?

That's Jupiter way up next to the moon this morning. Now you know.

Late night open thread

Very nice to see the colors all aflutter high atop the Trump Tower tonight. You gave us a lovely blurple for so long there The Donald and then it went back to white. Now you give us a virtual Crayola 64 pack with crayon sharpener. What other light shows have you got up your sleeve you madman? Luckily all of Jersey City will get a chance to see this potpourri of color as the temperatures this weekend return to normal and folks go out to play at night beginning tomorrow. Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick it's about time that happened.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Hey kids, don't forget, we're in the middle of Hudson Restaurant Week

And now with a much cooler weekend on tap there's no reason not to get out there and enjoy some great meals from some fantastic local eateries. If you click HERE you can get the lowdown on all the participating restaurants, get a look at their fine menus and plan your afternoon or evening out right here in Hudson County.

What time is it? Time to eat

Late night open thread

With all this new traffic we thought we'd spiff up the place a little and work in a new image and logo thing. That picture was taken Memorial Day Sunday by the industrious Johnny. An added news feeder for everywhere around here, you kids are all set for a one stop potpourri of infotainment here what with all the extra links as well.

Yahoo can kiss our ass.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Well, we can see a new Jersey City bottomless pit-o-graft in the new Journal Square 2060 development plan

While we're hardly against refurbishing and re-doing Journal Square and a couple square block area in any direction, a plan that adds nine new zones and runs until 2060 is a prime candidate for graft. #1 this IS Hudson County. #2 This IS Jersey City. When you add #1 and #2 you tend to get slush funds, back room deals and sleazy individuals making a lot of taxpayer money they probably shouldn't have.

In all the excitement over the 50 year giant sized 60+ story building renaissance we failed to hear one important word that anybody from Jersey City should recognize, OVERSIGHT. If you don't like oversight call it accountability and right now we've heard no plans for that. We've heard about the nine new zones, the 57 acres of redevelopment, the jobs that will be created but nothing for this 50 years about stopping the sleazebags who have their hands out all over this fair county. From city council to the window contractor the potential of a lot of this money being misused is great.

Luckily we have a city council in Jersey City ready to stand up to graft and agents of graft. They will have to vote on this plan we're certain they'll make sure to ask about the points Johnny just made. Who are we fooling, they're moving boxes in their basements right now to make room for cash deliveries for special building favors. We've seen it for decades so why would this project be any different?

Johnny won't be alive to see this even completed. He hopes there are good paying jobs in construction to help the unemployment rate. He hope the Journal Square PATH station is a shining beacon. He would like to see 2 or 3 tall buildings of condos and apartments with businesses in the bottom floors. He would like to see some of the buildings reused and reclaimed like the Loew's Theater. He'd also like to know that if Jersey City residents pay for this they don't get robbed blind trying to do the right thing. Sadly, with today's Jersey City council and their cronies, that can't be counted on.

If you have business this afternoon at Newark airport or in Edison, leave yourself extra time to get around

The President of the United States will be arriving at Newark Liberty airport early this afternoon and then it's off to Edison for a meeting with local business leaders at a sammich shop. President Obama isn't expected to hang around the Garden State that long (the Secret Service told Johnny to stop calling for interviews) and should be back at Newark Liberty later this afternoon.

Obviously this means your commute times in these areas is gonna is going to grow. If you're headed to the airport or Edison today please plan ahead.

Late night open thread

Tonight's late night thread is brought to you by the scenic town of Negaunee Michigan.

Since we added a widget to supply you the discerning reader more news options on our right sidebar, a widget in which you click the name of a town and stories pertinent to that region appear, we've added the far off and as far away from the hustle and bustle of city life Negaunee Michigan and Goose Bay Ontario.

Negaunee news, for all your iron ore news needs. Make sure to check out Negaunee if you want to know the local snowfall totals where snow falls in feet not inches. Wanna know how the Northern Michigan University hockey team did? Well you know where to go.

Negaunee, just minutes from Ishpheming.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Looks like Buddy ain't the Cake Boss anymore, nice going TLC

See when big companies think they're big and important and above the little people they often overlook small items, like the fact TLC named their show about Hoboken cake maker Buddy Valastro "Cake Boss" even though they were told back as far as 2006 that the name was taken by a Seattle couple who produce software under that name. They told TLC they'd need to come up with something different.

Naturally being a big self important television network making crap shows (remember when The LEARNING Channel was about LEARNING and not about giving every midget and goofball a program) wasn't hearing any of this and decided to keep calling the show from FuHo Cake Boss.

Then now, the wheels of justice may turn slowly but they do turn and on July 16, Judge Richard A. Jones issued a preliminary injunction restricting the channel and the series from using the term, “Cake Boss.”

Oops, see what happens when hubris and the feeling "I'm just bigger than you and my lawyers will crush you" takes over?

So, does anybody have any suggestions for a new show name?

Late night open thread

With this post Johnny exactly ties the number of posts he made at the old Ypsi City Desk at 1801. Tomorrow we move on into unchartered blathering territory. 3602 posts overall. That's a lot of entertainment for no money. We're glad everyone keeps coming back as they do. You all know a good website value when you see one. Lots of sites stick cookies on your machine or try to sell you things or get information from you for their advertisers. Here? We're all about the snappy jokes, soul crushing news, sporting events and weather alerts without expecting anything in return.

Want the whole philosophy of this place? Johnny'd be writing the same exact crap for 10 people or 10 million. He'll just keep being Jerry Aldini and you guys keep being yourselves.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Chandelier at Loew's gets it's annual ten year cleaning

The magnificent chandelier at Loew's Theater has been getting cleaned recently, for the first time in ten years. The Jersey Journal has some excellent pictures and a history of the chandelier itself found here.

Late night open thread

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity."
--Albert Einstein

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Sunday with the Arts

Yes, it's time for a little high brow and intelligent yet soul searching time with the arts.

The Guggenhiem Museum is wrapping up an exhibit that sounds extremely interesting in the multimedia field called 'Haunted'. Haunted according to the website is a:

"Much of contemporary photography and video seems haunted by the past, by ghostly apparitions that are reanimated in reproductive media, as well as in live performance and the virtual world. By using dated, passé, or quasi-extinct stylistic devices, subject matter, and technologies, this art embodies a melancholic longing for an otherwise irrecuperable past. Haunted: Contemporary Photography/Video/Performance examines myriad ways photographic imagery is incorporated into recent practice and in the process underscores the unique power of reproductive media while documenting a widespread contemporary obsession, both collective and individual, with accessing the past."

Exceptional. Johnny hasn't been to the Guggenheim since the early 90's but will have to head uptown and see this.

As a bonus, here is the online exhibit.

Late night open thread

Jazz music til dawn on this internet outpost on a rainy, sultry Saturday night.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Google Earth tells us that Brooklyn might just be hiding something

An online friend pointed this out to Johnny, when you do a Google Earth search of these coordinates, you get this picture:

Heat warning locally from 1 pm until 9 pm tonight

Temps this afternoon could soar close to if not reaching 100º with a heat index in the 108º range. Please bring pets inside, check on senior citizens and those without air conditioning. Jersey City has designated many places around town as cooling centers today. The Jersey Journal lists them as:

Libraries:

Five Corners Library, 678 Newark Ave.; 12 to 8 p.m. today and tomorrow.

Glenn D. Cunningham Branch Library, 275 Martin Luther King Drive; 12 to 8 p.m. today; 10 am. to 6 p.m. tomorrow.

Miller Branch, 489 Bergen Ave. 12-8 p.m. today; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow.

Heights Branch, 14 Zabriskie St.; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today; 12-8 p.m. tomorrow.

Community centers:

Mary McLeod Bethune Community Center, 140 Martin Luther King Dr.; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and tomorrow.

Pershing Field Community Center, Pershing Field Complex, corner of Summit and Pershing Field Plaza, 12 to 5 p.m. today and tomorrow.

The following centers are available to senior citizens, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.:
The Joseph Connors Senior Center formerly the “Paterson Street Center,” 28 Paterson Street off of Central Avenue.

The Maureen Collier Community Center, 335 Bergen Ave., between Ege and Virginia avenues.

Water sprinklers

In addition, residents are welcome to cool off from this summer heat by taking advantage of the Water Sprinkler Systems open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the following locations. (Schedules are subject to change)

•Dr. Lena Edwards Park
325 Johnston Ave.

•Arlington Park
785 Grand St.

•Audubon Park
103-129 Bergen Ave.

•Virginia Avenue Park
74-80 Virginia Ave.

•Woodland Avenue Park
259-265 Linden Ave.

•Wilkinson Avenue Park
146-152 Wilkinson Avenue

•Terrace Avenue Park
Thorne Street and Terrace Avenue

•Roberto Clemente/ Enos Jones Field
Eighth and Brunswick streets

•LaPointe Park
90-92 Dekalb Ave.

•Thomas McGovern Park in Country Village
30 Sycamore Road

•Pershing Field Park
Summit Avenue and Pershing Plaza

•Rev. Ercel Webb/Lafayette Park
Lafayette Street (between Maple and Van Horne streets)

Beat the heat (Miser)

Late night open thread

"Practically everybody in New York has half a mind to write a book, and does."
--Groucho Marx

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Tornado Warning for Hudson County and everywhere around here

A tornado HAS touched down in Paterson and the possibility exists for more. Hudson County, Essex County, Bergen County and all of Manahttan are all under a tornado warning. Get the hell inside or somewhere safe. If you're a hipster and checking in wirelessly from say Madison Square Park you might wanna start filming the line in front of Shake Shack to get their reaction as they watch a tornado roar down 23rd St.

Find shelter, be safe.

Topical bonus music to hide by comin' right up

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE SWEET!

Johnny just shuts up night kicks off with The Sweet and the 1973 classic 'Ballroom Blitz'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with ARETHA FRANKLIN!

The Queen with 'I Say a Little Prayer'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with DIDO!

Johnny shuts up night concludes with Dido with 'Thank You'.

Arika Felder apparently missed the day of drivers ed class where they tell you not to flash other motorists

Arika Felder was having what we can only imagine was a bad day. To quote noted psychologist Butt-Head "She was like angry and stuff".

So angry and stuff that Felder jerked her car across three lanes of northbound traffic on the Garden State Parkway at mile marker 109 Tuesday evening around 6 pm. After effectively shutting down the Parkway, Felder began flashing the other motorists, like ya do. After flashing the public for a while and shutting down a major thoroughfare, police arrived on the scene as they often do. A New Jersey State Trooper approached Felder who ran back to her car with the officer in foot pursuit. The officer tried to stop Felder from driving off but was caught up in the car and dragged for a short distance as Felder took off before crashing her car into a concrete barrier shortly thereafter.

Both the officer and Felder were taken to the hospital with the officer being treated for minor injuries before his release. Felder wasn't injured in the accident but was charged with aggravated assault on a police trooper, eluding and resisting arrest and was sent to a state mental facility for observation.

Late night open thread

Some people just suck at crime.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Johnny's got a huge case of busy today

So please entertain yourselves today without anyone getting hurt.

Late night open thread

How was your day?


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Hudson County is under a severe thunderstorm watch until 9 pm

Be ye warned and keep an eye to the sky if you're out and about.

NHL calls shenannigans on Devils contract with Kovalchuk, voids deal

The NHL slapped Devils GM Lou Lamoriello's 17 year $102 million dollar contract with Russian winger Ilya Kovalchuk last night saying it was a blatant attempt to circumvent the NHL's salary cap system. According to the Associated Press the reason for the negated deal was this:

The contract was rejected because years of low salary at the end of the contract were added for the sole purpose of lowering the cap hit. The person added that no side believes Kovalchuk will play the final years of the deal at those terms. The star forward was slated to earn only $550,000 in each of the last five seasons of the contract that was to run through the 2026-27 season, when Kovalchuk would be 44.

Now teams like the Detroit Red Wings have offered contracts of a similar nature to stars Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen, huge money over at least ten years but the difference in those contracts is that they would expire as those two players are in their late 30's and not mid 40's. Unless your name is Chris Chelios and you can play until your 50's this deal really does smell of circumventing the cap. Anybody wanna guess how long it takes to get reworked?

Late night open thread

Notable quotes night:

All great men come out of the middle classes.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Caleb Holmes of Jersey City, we say thank you for your actions

For those of you who aren't familiar with Caleb's bravery, he and a couple friends came to the defense of three women in a Hoboken park who were being harassed by Mario Gerges who began hurling expletives at the women when they paid him no mind. Then Gerges grabbed one of the women's dresses to keep her from walking away. At this point Mr. Holmes and a couple of his well meaning and chivalrous friends told Gerges to stop harassing the women. It was at this point that Gerges and his cohort Ehab Habib challenged the good samaritans to a fight.

Mr. Holmes obliged and beat down Gerges like a bad habit at one point breaking a bottle over his head. See what happens when you write checks with your mouth your body can't cash Mr. Gerges?

Gerges, Habib, and sadly Holmes were arrested with Holmes being charged with aggravated assault.

Mr. Holmes, you did the right thing. Good for you and your friends not to allow bullies like Gerges and Habib to have the run of the streets. Whatever happens with your case going forward, know there are honorable men among you that think what you did was spot on.

Late night open thread

Johnny found out today his boss for the last 5 years in real life, isn't gonna be his boss anymore and truthfully that's rather sad. "C" was a great guy, handled crisis moments very well, allowed his team to do their work with minimal interference and always kept an even keel. In fact the ONLY drawback he had was that he was not only a University of Michigan grad, he was a die-hard Michigan fan. Here now in honor of "C" and more than likely the only time on a Johnny Action Space Punk blog, the Michigan marching band.

For you, buddy...


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Boy, you people are being spawled

So Johnny is given a link by a friend where you can take a paragraph or two of a story or blog post you've written, plug it in and it comes back to a famous author's style you most write like.

Now, go find something you've written, and plug it in HERE. Then you tell us in comments whom you write like.

Oh, and Johnny is spawling y'all, his came back as famous Irish writer James Joyce.

So disgraced former assemblyman Lou Manzo says Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan lacks integrity

OK, now that you have wiped the coffee off of your computer screen and keyboard after hearing Manzo claim ANYBODY lacks integrity, let's expound. Lou Manzo, who right now is facing several felony counts from the graft arrests last summer chimed in because he thinks for whatever reason Kagan's elevation to the Supreme Court in some small way impacts his own case. Yeah, we should do more of that as a nation, stop adding Supreme Court Justices or Federal Jurists because people like Lou Manzo see an advantage in their felony charged lifestyle.

Johnny used to be Manzo's neighbor in that they lived in the same building when Johnny moved here. After news of Manzo's alleged criminal enterprises where he turned potential office into an ATM it was all Johnny could do to not go upstairs and leave a message about his graft on Manzo's nose. Now, after hearing this utter crap, he wishes he would have. Johnny is just too damned nice sometimes.

Late night open thread

"Curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect."
--Steven Wright

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

A fine read this morning, a tale of sadness, backstabbing and the love of a NYC apartment

Johnny has no idea how William Glaberson found out about this story so he could write his article 'Nightmare in Apartment 9B' for the New York Times today but we're glad he did. Some fine reading to start out a sweltering Sunday.

Late night open thread

Click for the big version, you'll be glad you did

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The Jersey City Desk presents: Believe it or Don't

A pigeon flying by Johnny's windows and through a courtyard just melted in mid-flight.

Believe it, or Don't

About the only train running on time into NY is the old Rock Island Line

Sorry for the old Leadbelly/Johnny Cash reference there. The PATH trains are running from Journal Square to 33rd St. in Gotham only every 30 minutes now with delays expected even then. Just call it a limited schedule.

According to PATH Alerts this morning:
Due to necessary track rehabilitation Path Train service on the Journal Square to 33rd Street via Hoboken line is operating on a 30-minute schedule. Newark to World Trade Center line is operating on a normal weekend schedule.

Check the schedule of your train before heading out into the blast furnace today.

Late night open thread

If you don't go to your friends funerals, they won't come to yours.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with YAZOO!

Hey come on in it's ladies night here at the Orbit Room Lounge at the Jersey City Desk offices. Well drinks half price and liquor specials all night long. Let's kick tonight of with that oh so sultry sexy voice of Alison Moyet. She could sing the phone book to Johnny. Vince Clarke on keyboards and all things electronic, here's Yazoo with 'Don't Go'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with SHERYL CROW!

The Orbit Room is happy to offer ladies 10 drinks for the price of 1 tonight for the low low price of just 8 dollars (Don't laugh, Johnny and his good friend code name Paco used to head up to a meat market bar in Genessee Michigan called the Mikatam that served 15 for 1 drinks in huge grog mugs). That's a lot of alcohol, for just 8 dollars.

Here's a very conflicted Sheryl Crow in what Johnny thinks is one kick-ass creative video 'Anything but Down'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE SUPREMES!

Ladies night here at the Orbit Room wraps up with some of that Motown magic from writers Holland-Dozier-Holland and magnificent Supremes.

The Supremes with 'You Keep Me Hangin' on'

Tonnelle Circle at Route 1&9 is about to get WORSE if you can believe it

Yes, the world's biggest washing machine for cars will have one lane closed in every direction as a construction site is set up. The usual 15 minutes to a half an hour to get through that mess could now take even longer.

Happy happy joy joy...

Late night open thread

Sorry, as a Michigan State fan this never gets old


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Do you like to talk and text on your cell phone while driving? Save some rainy day funds

The state of New Jersey is about to get a lot tougher on talking and texting scofflaws with penalties that may include a suspension of your driving privileges after a third offense. State Sen. Richard Codey of Essex County is pushing for the Garden State to have the toughest talking and texting while driving laws anywhere in the USA. Codey has introduced a bill that would suspend drivers’ licenses for 60 days after their third offense. As the law currently reads, the fine is $100 for each offense (no points given). Codey wants to raise the penalty to $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second and $500 and the sixty day ban on driving for a third offense. He'd also like to see points assigned to drivers records if they are caught.

What say you citizens? Do you talk and text on your cellie while you drive (It's OK, you can be anonymous in comments)? Do you think bigger penalties will help curb this problem? Comment section awaits.

Late night open thread

We read that former Vice President Cheney underwent another heart procedure today meaning he must be running on hydraulics by now. We here at the Jersey City Desk would like to show an artist rendering of the Cheney x-ray released to the media.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

You kids have a day off

Johnny is feeling the weight of a migraine setting in and that's nasty business. Feel free to vent your spleens however...

Late night open thread

Notable quotes night

"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it."
-- Russel Baker

Time for Jersey City, After dark

First Bob Sheppard and now George Steinbrenner has passed

The former Yankees boss died today of a heart attack at age 80. There is so much to say about Steinbrenner both good and bad. The question before us is how will YOU remember Steinbrenner, as bully or effective owner or both? Whadda ya say Jersey City Desk readers,how will you remember George?

Here's something you won't see everyday

Tomorrow, two boats welded together will move a 350 foot long bridge weighing 2,400-tons, from up the Hudson River to Bayonne and the 5 mph journey should allow you the river watcher to see the whole shebang sometime tomorrow. The Willis Avenue Bridge replacement will stay in Bayonne until later in August before moving over to link Brooklyn with Manhattan.

At press time the Jersey City Desk did not have an exact time the bridge is due into Bayonne.

Late night open thread

It was a mere 206 years ago today that former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton died in Greenwich Village after being shot in the famous duel with Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr in Weehawken the day before. Street crime in Weehawken was out of hand in those colonial days. Carjackings, crack, prostitution, Weehawken led the infant United States of America in crime. You couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting guys dueling.

One wonders though as to why Alexander Hamilton is on the $10 bill, after all he lost. In America we like winners on our money.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Jersey City, what would YOU like to see in the plans to redevelop Journal Square?

Much has been made recently about a small handful of plans for Journal Square both in the long and short term. We'd like to know how you think Journal Square could best be brought kicking and screaming into the new millennium. Short of 'bulldoze it all and start over' what kind of development or non-development (sometimes the best moves are the ones you don't make) would you like to propose? Keep in mind Johnny has seen Jersey City government IP's hitting this site so maybe, just maybe, somebody with some clout may read your idea.

Late night open thread

Sure was nice of the Netherlands to goon up the championship of the World Cup today. Those guys were dicks. Johnny got to watch the match today with a bunch of people in a converted warehouse on Provost St. and when this was shown everyone had the same reaction you're about to have. Did we mention Holland played like dicks?


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

A quick look around the Powerhouse Arts District neighborhood a go-go

Some sad news to report his morning -- The voice of Yankee Stadium since 1951, Bob Sheppard has passed

Nicknamed 'the voice of God' by some New Yorkers, Sheppard had the pleasure of announcing some of the greatest Yankees of all time. He's overseen some of the biggest moments in New York baseball history from his perch in the old Yankee Stadium. Sheppard was 99 years old. Here's a clip of that most distinctive voice in a tribute to Sheppard with comments from some Yankees of lore...

Late night open thread

The Powerhouse Arts District's block party was indeed changed to Sunday with the threatening weather all day on Saturday. 11-6 on Provost between Bay St. and 2nd. Bands, a DJ, food, art, fun, the World Cup Championship on the big screen at The Warehouse (Johnny's got Spain), it can't be beat. Intern Kiki is threatening to head over and take some snapshots.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

An interesting idea being acted on in the Bronx

The area in the Bronx known as 'the Country Club' is more than likely less crime ridden than your neighborhood. Well-to-do communities often are. People in that area have one of the same gripes many citizens in many other cities and towns have, the police response they say, is lacking. Instead of sitting back and complaining, the Country Club homeowners are looking at doing something proactive; civilian crime patrols. Now this idea isn't new, it has been used in extremely high crime areas. But for the citizens to say the police don't respond and if they have to take patrols into their own hands they will is certainly catching local attention.

Police almost universally detest citizens patrolling. They like subservient neighborhood associations that start neighborhood watch programs. They do not like citizen patrols.

This does raise a valid discussion point on citizen patrols. Just how do they see themselves 'on patrol'. Now the Country Club neighborhood association wants to carry nothing more than cell phone with cameras for communication and to build a database they can share with police in pictures. Police sometimes rightly worry about citizen patrols too quickly becoming vigilante groups if the mood turns ugly. In fact the Country Club patrol wannabes know all to well the story of the arrest in 1996 of some Hasidic patrol members on charges that they had beaten a black man in Crown Heights. Valid questions need valid answers about exactly what kind of patrols are being used but on the other hand courts have ruled in people's right to protect life and property again and again.

What say you Jersey City (or anyone in the Jersey City Desk reading area), do you feel like police have things under control and your neighborhood has no need for such a citizen police force or do you read this and think that's exactly what our neighborhood should be doing?

Late night open thread

"I took my girl to dinner, and she laughed so hard at one of my jokes that she dropped her tray."
-- Jack Benny

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with FIONA APPLE!

Johnny would like to know whomever set this gal up with 88 keys so he can thank them. She was born to play and write awesome awesome songs like this. Johnny has no idea how the Britney's and Christina's of this world could look themselves in the mirror when at roughly the same time this 16 year old protege was recording intelligent, passionate, and prodigious hits, with wondrous lyrics as are on display here. Kicking off the music series tonight here is Fiona Apple with the smoky 'Shadowboxer'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with NEW ORDER!

Johnny knew this song would make it in the music series this week when it played on his iTunes on maybe Wednesday. What a smack up side the head with the old "Oh YEAH, that song, great tune". This'll take you back 25 years though is sounds as smart and pertinent as it did then. New Order with 'Regret'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER!

So Johnny called out across the bullpen here tonight and asked which artist we should choose for the last video tonight. Zoltron yelled out "Pablo Cruise". Yeah we're not doing that. Here's Mary Chapin Carpenter with 'He Thinks He'll Keep Her'. Johnny got to see her with a very special friend one night many moons ago out dere to da Meadowbrook.

Say bunky, do you love hot dogs, hamburgers and cold beer?

Then head on over to the Powerhouse Arts District's street fair scheduled for tomorrow 11-6. The fair itself will be on Provost St. between Bay and 2nd St. PADNA (Powerhouse Arts District Neighborhood Association) President Stacy Nusbaum is hoping for a huge Jersey City turnout:

"We want everybody (to come) from all parts of the city."

The Powerhouse Arts District, an 11 block neighborhood best known for it's iconic warehouses as well as the crown jewel the actual Powerhouse Arts building is one of Jersey City's trendiest and fastest growing neighborhoods. The center of the party will focus on The Warehouse coffee shop (See our links that don't stink for more on The Warehouse) offering a 2:30 big screen showing of the World Cup consolation game between Uruguay and Germany. There will be plenty of artists on hand with all kinds of swag for you, the discerning swagmaster. Music? DJ Dancing Tony has you covered there too.

This party should be on your to-do list. That said Saturday is supposed to be a rainy day and the fallback date on this is Sunday, same bat time same bat channel.

Late night open thread

Tonight before bed a few good minutes with the timeless Laurel and Hardy


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

This is EXACTLY why ESPN is rarely on in the Space Punk household

They're nothing but whores who actually try to interject themselves into the stories to try and grab whatever media attention they can while acting like nothing more than deer-ticks when it comes to sports 'reporting'. This entire LeBron James incident really is a nail in ESPN's coffin, hear that up in Connecticut?

Don't take it from Johnny, how about award winning author Mitch Albom in the Detroit Free Press:

"So let’s recap. An ESPN reporter got a tip that ESPN was going to break the LeBron news. The ESPN reporter contacted ESPN to get some confirmation. ESPN did confirm the news, but ESPN would not comment further to the ESPN reporter."

Pretty fracking disgraceful. ESPN have jumped the shark from being a sports network to being an entertainment network, no better than a show like Entertainment Tonight with sports highlites. They bend over backwards to be jock sniffers for players like Brett Favre and LeBron James. They're willing to turn their networks over to the inmates. They're willing to give up control to appease athletes they'll want access to later on.

No sports fans, ESPN isn't about sports, now they're about ESPN and sports personalities.

You can be stabbed, kicked punched and put in the hospital but if you have warrants, YOU get arrested

Rafael Ortiz is one unlucky cat. He was stabbed, and viciously beaten by a group of men outside of the Saddle Brook Marriott last week. After the beating and police response, Ortiz was sent to the hospital to be patched up. After he was patched up, Ortiz's luck (what little he had going) ran out as he was arrested for having $25K in outstanding warrants.

Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time....

Late night open thread

State trivia night:

What state in the nation is adjoined or touched by only one other state? Answer here

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Dear Hoboken EMT's, the herd was TRYING to thin itself

EMT's in Hoboken need to stop getting in the way of nature. Three Pennsylvania residents all agog at the fact they were outside Carlo's City Hall Bake Shop hoping to meet or see reality TeeVee show star Buddy Valastro of 'Cake Boss' fame up and passed out from the heat Tuesday outside the shop. We here at the Jersey City Desk try not to run stories on this mess as we try not to encourage The "Learning" Channel to come up with any more crap programs but when people are waiting outside in 102º weather and pass out on the sidewalk well we need to comment.

What is wrong with these people? Is their life THAT empty they'd risk heat stroke to see where they film a ridiculous program? Again, it's the herd trying to thin itself. We realize EMT's have a sworn duty but maybe in cases like this they could be more like NYC paramedics and when pressed into action press right back and claim it's lunchtime.

Note to citizens: If you are standing outside to see things on television and put your own health at risk Hoboken should start BILLING YOU for their services. Hey, times are hard and people are stupid, what are ya gonna do?

Johnny made it through an entire story without calling Hoboken Fuho...almost.

The truth is stranger than fiction in Raritan Township

Johnny would love to find a book that complies the oddest and head scratching police vehicle stops and exactly what they found. In Raritan Township police saw Jose Paneto transporting a passenger not wearing a seat belt. He was also stopped as he had items obscuring his view of the road. Fair enough. Stops like this happen all the time.

Except when they don't.

Upon further inspection they saw just WHAT was blocking his view, fireworks and lots of them. The back of Paneto's car was stuffed with fireworks. It turns out it wasn't the fireworks that really got Paneto in dutch. It was the fact his two sons were buried/hiding under the pile of fireworks. Much like in the World Cup intentionally hitting the ball with your hand gets you a red card, having your children travel under a pile of some of the most flammable materials will get you the child endangerment charge. Paneto was also charged with obstructed view and failure to use child restraint when required.

This is my son 'Black Cat' and my other son 'Super Screaming Whistler with Report'.

Late night open thread

What are ya gonna do?


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

102º

Johnny just went out for a short walk. Very short. He's lived many moons on this pebble we call earth but can't remember a hotter day. He can remember days AS stifling and blast furnace hot, but those could only ever equal today.

Your significant other might not have been drinking, they might really have seen the Queen of England

If you husband or wife or boyfriend or girlfriend burst through the door tonight with some wild-eyed tale about seeing the Queen of England around the city or later this afternoon at Ground Zero, they didn't drink their lunch, she really is in Gotham today.

Queen Elizabeth will indeed be touring NYC today and late this afternoon she'll be greeted by NY Governor David Paterson, our own Governor Chris Christie (Swear to god do not embarrass us) and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at Ground Zero. The Queen is expected to lay a wreath there and spend a few minutes reflecting on the loss of 67 British citizens on 9/11.

Maybe while she's there Mayor Bloomberg can tell her how he's been acting as a shill for the Trade Center site owner and that he's as much to blame for the giant hole still there as anyone.

There is a heat advisory in effect for today Jersey City

The mercury is supposed to hit 102º here today in cool city, and with humidity you can add a few degrees to what it feels like. Please take care and drink lots of water and it would be a very good idea to check on family and neighbors as well as pets who might not have the luxury of air conditioning today.

He's Mr. Hundred and One

Late night open thread

Sad news from the world of hockey tonight as the greatest enforcer who ever was, Bob Probert passed away after a heart attack with his family while boating on Lake St. Clair. The former Red Wings all star was just 45. Probert would take on all comers and didn't lose many, often getting stronger as the fight would wear on. Despite his drug and alcohol fueled setbacks Probert is still beloved by Red Wings fans and Johnny thinks it was because Big Bob was worth the price of admission himself.

R.I.P. #24

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Since this long weekend is about American history (for the most part)

We thought we'd hip you to this historical nugget:

George Washington was born on February 11, 1732, but in 1751 Great Britain changed from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. An act of Parliament added eleven days to make the adjustment complete and in 1752 Washington celebrated his birthday on February 22.

Late night open thread

Prague has the New Years Eve fireworks anarchy thing going. Apparently everyone brings their own and aren't real shy about lighting them off.

(Watch the volume on your speakers, this one tends to run on the high end)


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Great moments in fireworks history

Tofte Minnesota, show us what you got

The Jersey City Desk proudly presents 'Great moments in fireworks history'

That's right, great moments in fireworks history til dawn on this channel on your internet dial.

Every neighborhood has one of these guys, a guy whose heart is bigger than his brain and who loves the attention of being the neighborhood talisman. Guys like this.

Johnny cares not if you use fireworks but you gotta use common sense

A fireworks cautionary story from Long Island today where Eric Smith blew off his left arm at the shoulder (no, clean off) while looking down a homemade type of fireworks shooting mechanism. Smith was using a three foot metal tube to shoot fireworks mortar style out of and when one didn't go off he got caught looking down the tube when it finally ignited and took off.

Look, if you wanna blow things up, keep it on your property and at least TRY to be smart about things lest stories like this get used at cudgels on those of us who are for safe and smart fireworks usage. Johnny has been shooting off firecrackers and bottle rockets and M-80's for decades no matter how illegal they were in Michigan. Most decent fireworks are banned in New Jersey and New York (actually almost all the northeast), Johnny sees these nanny laws as insurance industry gifts. YOU have all the responsibility and YOU better be ready to take YOUR actions seriously especially after an accident. Don't blame the fireworks maker, don't blame the home of the place you were being irresponsible in fact don't blame anyone, it was YOU who lit the fuse. Johnny would love to see fireworks legal and 'no sue' laws associated with their legalization.

Be smart, don't be Eric Smith.

Happy Independence Day from the Jersey City Desk

Looks like that vision our forefathers undertook in 1776 paid off. Now look at us, we're as good as England at soccer.

Late night open thread

It's some classic Saturday Night Live late on a Saturday night in cool city. Bill Murray FTW


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Sadly, Johnny's dream World Cup matchup of Uruguay vs Paraguay is no more

Curse you David Villa of Spain, Johnny had a dream. A dream of the producers worst nightmare matchup in the World Cup final, two of the smallest markets in the entire world battling it out for world supremacy. Now, sadly, the battle of the 'Guay will never happen.

Don't misinterpret Johnny, he's all in with Uruguay at this point, thinking it'd be great to see David slew a Goliath. But an Uruguay vs Paraguay final would have had the guys who sell ad time crying.

If you are planning on heading to Hoboken for the Macy's fireworks here's some news you can use

People of Jersey City and outlying areas, if you are planning on taking in the Macy's fireworks from somewhere along the river in Hoboken, NJ Transit has some good tips on how to get there with the least amount of hassle. For Jersey City residents heading up to FuHo (And the Jersey City suits say our waterfront won't really have the most optimum viewing as that will actually be Weehawken and Hoboken) that'll mean taking the PATH train but elsewhere NJ Tranist trains will be your best bet.

Now if you have too much to drink in FuHo or become some kind of public nuisance and get arrested, try not peeing on their fingerprint machine.

Late night open thread

How about a riddle before bed?

"Whoever makes it, tells it not. Whoever takes it, knows it not. Whoever knows it, wants it not. What is it?"

Answer in comments.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with MAZZY STAR!

We'll kick off the music series tonight by letting Hope Sanoval's voice kind of work it's way around the room and really take hold of you. Here is the acoustic version of the song 'Bells Ring'. So intoxicating.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE TEMPTATIONS!

You can search this good world far and wide and travel by hill and dale and you'll never find a smoother sound than The Temptations singing 'Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)'. The almost tornadic strings are really too cool for school. To quote the great American thinker Butt-Head "Groove with me people".

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with DEVO!

Mick Jagger said this was the best version of this song he'd ever heard. He ought to know, he's sung it 5000 times at least.

Devo finishing off the music series tonight with '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction'

Hey kids, we have a vital fundraiser going on RIGHT NOW

Reader PM hipped us in the comments to the last story that a fundraiser is being held RIGHT NOW as in Friday today for the Jersey City Museum and the Jersey City Desk is certainly a friend to museums and art galleries.

The museum is at 350 Montgomery Street at Monmouth. Let's get out and show them the love. We're also going to link them up here pronto...

Brooklyn's popular Barcade is looking to expand into Jersey City

The good people over at the Jersey City Independent have the story and have an interview with the co-owner of Barcade, Paul Kermizian. The proposed site for the Jersey City Barcade would be near the corner of Newark and Barrow St.

Barcade offers microbrews, and the plan in Jersey City is to have up to 25 microbrews available as well as cafe seating and some sammiches. Now what sets Barcade apart from the usual arcades these days is their passion for the early video games people Johnny's age grew up with. Johnny will be very interested in playing something he has not for years, Galaga. Hell hath no fury like a bee.

Any of you readers have an old game you were addicted to back when pixels were as big as hams on some games?

Late night open thread

Tonight before bed a few good minutes with the old MST3K crew and their new project Cinematic Titanic. We could tell you the title of the film they're riffing on but it'll be all too apparent soon enough.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

It's a beautiful day to be outside

So go outside and play and we'll see you back here tonight. As you used to call them in school, Free Day!