Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Late night open thread

If something is going to take 82 years to do it might as well happen in a Leap Day. The USA had never beaten Italy in a soccer match. Ever. In 82 years of trying they were 0-7-3. Italy had never lost an international match in Genoa. Both streaks came to an end today with this Clint Dempsey goal and a 1-0 USA victory.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Sad news today kids, Davy Jones of Monkees fame has passed at 66

So in our own little way we'll celebrate Davy with this little Monkees number 'Last Train to Clarksville'

Welcome to Leap Day!

Now, go get your umbrella. Not much in store weather-wise for February 29th this time around, we're expecting heavy rains later this morning and this afternoon. So get out there and run and around and make something of this once every four years free day. Say, free day, that sounds like a plan.

A little historical note on Leap Day, fellas, don't be surprised if a purty gal asks for your hand in marriage today:

"...a whimsical tradition dating back at least four centuries (and still trotted out at four-year intervals by newspaper feature writers) holds that leap years confer upon women the "privilege" of proposing marriage to men instead of the other way around. The convention was (in literature, if not in reality) that any man who refused such a proposal owed his spurned suitor a silk gown and a kiss — provided she was wearing a red petticoat at the moment she popped the question."

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Late night open thread

Some people need Hell. If you’re the type of guy who sees a hooker in an alleyway and instinctively thinks, “Hey, now there’s something I could rape and kill without any consequences,” then the concept of Hell might really keep you out of trouble.
--Sarah Silverman

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Remember the citizen initiative to bring attention to the crime issue here in Jersey City?

They have succeeded in getting two town hall-style meetings with Mayor Jerramiah Healy, Police Chief Tom Comey and several new detectives heading up the new Community Response Team.

Mayor Healy will no doubt get to double down on his "crime is not that bad the FBI says so" theme and tell residents, likely voting residents, it's all in the perception that roils from the media and the blogosphere. That could be a fun point of discussion. Or to a person who has had their house broken into and vandalized it DOES feel like a violent crime.

But back to the good of a citizen initiative. It's good this will be discussed openly and every question deserves an answer, not a spin answer. City council chambers, Thursday at 6pm, City Hall on Grove St.

280 Grove St.

Be there, Aloha.

NYPD Chief Ray Kelly REALLY thinks his jurisdiction reaches across the Hudson River

Yesterday Mr. "The Constitution is Really a Gray Area" Kelly said that New Jersey Lawmakers, Mayors and even Governor Chris Christie were wrong to even criticize his spying on Muslim communities since 9/11. Ray intoned he'd keep doing it.

We'll be brief then Ray. If we catch one of your wayward cops over here we may or MAY NOT participate in a "catch and release" program. If they're sticking their noses where they have no warrants, thus illegally spying on New Jersey residents, boy that could be a real problem over here. For you and for them. You know, pardon OUR sovereignty and all.

We value the rule of law here Ray, hopefully you and your spy ring won't have to find out how that gets enforced. We'd also certainly hope the police here in New Jersey get hold of your guys before many of the upset residents do. Do you think New Jersey police if approached couldn't help do it legally and right? Do you think they hate terrorists less than you Ray? Maybe they already had contacts in the areas. As Kids in the Hall comic Bruce McCullough once pointed out America (In this case specifically New York) "...that great lumbering beast that journeys tirelessly. Stops only to eat a clubhouse sandwich and pick its teeth with a matchbook cover and fall asleep with the teevee on....again."

So, are we as a state ok with freelancers working in their own shadow world?

Monday, February 27, 2012

Late night open thread

DId you know that until the mid-1800's marshmallows were used as a medicinal aid to soothe sore throats? It's true.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Devils at Rangers tonight at MSG

The trade deadline has come and gone and besides a couple minor deals neither the Devils nor Rangers went whole hog. Johnny thinks the Rangers were smart to not blow up their team for Rick Nash. Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make.

7:30 start tonight for teevee but it is sure to be a spirited affair with the Devils winning the last couple games against the Rangers and the Rags looking to defend the hallowed MSG ice over which they have two retired #9's.

The intensity now begins to ramp up and hockey gets even better. In the words of Jersey City native Martha Stewart "It's a good thing."

The failure of Mayor Healy's starry-eyed Snooki-mania

Mayor Healy, Jersey City here. Well of course not all of Jersey City, but we're guessing a pretty solid majority of Jersey City.

What were you thinking? When you decided to allow this Snooki and J-WOWW spin-off in Jersey City what information did you have that Dawn Zimmer in Hoboken and Cory Booker in Newark didn't have? Why would they turn this mess down (and Cory Booker out and out said it was over public safety and police distribution as to why the show was not welcome to film in Newark) and you allow it?

Saturday at LEAST 5 uniformed police stood around Mercer and Grove acting like total jerks to residents while the production crew shut down the intersection to film Snooki and J-WOWW walking from their pink-tinged Escalade to their new front door. All those police were needed somehow Mayor? Johnny was there, he was one of your taxpaying residents who was treated poorly by the JCPD. Johnny and five friends were waiting to get into Marco and Pepe's for brunch. The tables were full as was the lobby. We were waiting outside. A JCPD officer strolled over from doing nothing and told us we had to move along. Johnny and his party told the officer "NO, we're good waiting right here." He was more adamant "Move along, KEEP moving." Again we told him NO. "We have business with THIS restaurant we're standing in front of, we're causing no trouble." He walked away only to come back AGAIN after a couple minutes to again tell us we couldn't stand there.

Mayor Healy, is this what you wanted? People being harassed outside a Jersey City restaurant by your police? Do you want people to leave the downtown area and maybe go eat in Hoboken until we can not be bothered in OUR city in which WE pay taxes?

Once more, we told the officer we were, in no uncertain terms, NOT MOVING. We don't NEED to move. Finally officer friendly walked away to hassle people even FURTHER from where they were filming. Amazing.

Whom does the JCPD work for, MTV or Jersey City residents? Wait, don't answer that...

Yesterday the Jersey Journal reported that THREE JCPD officers stood outside the new Snooki residence on Mercer while NOTHING happened. THREE. No doubt the JCPD has no trouble with this arrangement. Maybe some free overtime being handed out on that duty.

Mayor (and Tom Comey) why does it take THREE police officers to watch Snooki's doorbell? That's just giving away free city resources. Why aren't two of these officers patrolling The Heights or Greenville (NOT free overtime)? On construction projects around town there is only one officer standing by yet Snooki has three. Mayor Healy, WHY is that?

We don't care if the show's producers are helping out with costs, they should be so don't say "The cost of three officers is taken care of." NOT The point. Why aren't the taxpayers in Greenville being given more police protection when police are clearly available? That IS the point.

Recently Mayor Healy sounded put off when asked if the Downtown was getting all the attention while other areas of the city suffer. Here is case and point. Case and point Mayor, your critics were right again.

And you made it so easy for them.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Late night open thread

A wonderful wonderful weekend with an old friend does a Johnny good. Saw Jersey Boys Saturday night, that's good fun. The equivalent of a really good popcorn movie. Always moving, giving insight into a really good story and soaring pinpoint vocals make it a good night out.

Johnny's skipping the Oscars tonight as none of the craptastic videos he submitted from his YouTube channel were even nominated. Heathens. Tell us who you are cheering for in theatrical terms if it please you dear Baudelaire......ACTING!

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Late night open thread

Johnny's got some out of town company jetting in this weekend so he's going to skedaddle out of the offices here and give the interns a couple days off as well. We'll see you back here Sunday night. Since you've all been so good let's reach into Johnny's sack-o-gifs and see what we pull out...


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

If you're like Johnny you're nonplussed by the Jersey Shore spin-off being filmed here

So, if you want to support those restaurants who, like you, have said "no way" to this televised claptrap read on. Three local restaurants are on record now saying their current clientele is far more important that signing a release waiver to allow the Jersey Shore spin-off to film in their restaurants.

Seriously, could you imagine being told YOU had to sign some kind of waiver before you ate and one of your favorite restaurants? How much would you enjoy hearing from others YOU were filmed at a local eatery while the show was filming and that one of the show's actors made fun of you? Well bunky you needn't worry if your dining choices are Skinner's Loft, Barcade, or LITM (Love is the Message). All have picked YOU dear reader over Snooki and that kind of loyalty should be repaid in kind Johnny thinks.

Viva Hobbit-free eating!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Late night open thread

Here's something to wrap your mere human heads around before bed tonight. The wind speed in a stellar-mass black hole is 20 million miles an hour. Today's weather forecast will be dark with the complete destruction of matter with winds out of every direction at 20 million miles per hour. Here's Ted with sports...

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Movie trivia time

Basically because Johnny has no time for a real story....

In Blake Edwards' The Great Race, what prairie town does Texas Jack live in?

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Late night open thread

Our favorite New Orleans reporter Ms. Oddzymandias sent along some pictures of the Rex Parade in New Orleans to help us cap off Mardi Gras 2012. Thanks Oddzy!

Time for Jersey City, After Dark




South Louisiana Swamp Pop & Soul

With Little Bob and the Lollipops. It's not Mardi Gras related unless you have room on Fat Tuesday for a soulful and smoky beat from Louisiana.

Little Bob and the Lollipops with 'The Way It's Got to Be'.

More Fat Tuesday fun with Buckwheat Zydeco!

And of course his standard 'Jambalaya'. Get those toes tapping!

Fat Tuesday around the Jersey City Desk offices means a day of Cajun and Zydeco music

A few paczki's as well for the sugar but we'll start off Fat Tuesday this year with the Big Bayou Bandits performing 'Bayou Pon Pon'.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Late night open thread

Oh we're gonna have some fun tomorrow with the Mardi Gras theme. Get your Cajun on!

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

So Jersey City, it appears winter isn't coming...

What have you found to be the tangible benefits of a stunning lack of cold and snow?

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Late night open thread

The Devils won tonight in Montreal 3-1 and thus move into 4th place in the east and a home ice seed. If the playoffs began today the Devils would host the, ewwwww, Flyers. The New Jersey Six are 8-1-1 in their last ten games. Plan ahead and get tickets now for next Friday night at the Prudential Center. A HUGE measuring stick game as the Vancouver Canucks come to The Rock. How choice is that? The Canucks in town on a Friday night. Let's go Devils fans, sell that place out.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Sunday School

The Reverend Johnny this week wants his good readers to know that teenage alcoholics make God angry. Nothing makes the invisible man in the sky more upset than when you raid your parents liquor cabinets or run around town in your Buick Roadmaster all hopped up careening down Ventura Boulevard ruining lives.

This week Reverend Johnny would like to share this timely movie with our Sunday School class for our younger hipper readers in hopes they too won't become jackass teenage alcoholics and will just say no to AM radios in cars.

Late night open thread

Kevin Costner always sounds so calming and reassuring...

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Saturday, February 18, 2012

No, Mayor Healy, where there is a "disconnect" is between you and the voters

After Mayor Healy made his claims that crime was down and not as bad as it seemed in Jersey City during the state of the city address the other night a lot of people scoffed. A LOT of people. So, perhaps feeling like the question needed to be revisited, Mayor Healy had a press conference with police chief Tom Comey. Healy said there was a "disconnect" between the citizens and the crime numbers Healy is touting. When asked how this "disconnect" happened, Healy blamed the Jersey Journal, the internet and fine upstanding websites like the Jersey City Desk.

“It’s a perception. It comes from your newspaper,” he said. “It comes from the internet and the blogosphere.” said Healy to the Jersey Journal reporter asking the question.

So everyone, whenever Johnny posts a story on a criminal run amok in Jersey City, don't worry, that's just "perception." Johnny is just perceiving that there was a crime. When the Jersey Journal posts stories about crime happening or bad guys being arrested or people being killed, they are just perceiving there to be an issue. See how that works in Healyland®? If this kind of thing wasn't written about, discussed or worried about the perception Healy is anxious to promote becomes reality.

Sadly, the reality is, the "disconnect" is between Healy and the voters who walk the streets and put bars on their windows.

Perception indeed....

Late night open thread

Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.
--Plato

Time for Jersey CIty, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with NINA SIMONE!

Ten minutes of jazz heaven. Nina Simone with 'Sinnerman'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE CARS!

Ooooh, how you shake me up and down...

The Cars with a hot live version of 'Nightspots' from 1978.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with BLONDIE!

They had outstanding tickets, they had no car insurance, but they had lots of things to do...

Blondie with 'Susie and Jeffrey'. Oh, and the track runs on after the the song. Once the song stops, for god's sake move on.

Friday, February 17, 2012

We are aware of the technical difficulties

The program won't let us log into the WOPR and fix the issue you don't see before you.

Johnny will keep a top non-paid intern on this.

Take a look skyward Jersey City

You may well recognize Venus in the Western Sky heading towards the horizon but the other bright one up near it is the planet Jupiter.

It's a FACT!

An interesting commentary about the Mayor's State of the City speech last night

Political insider at the Jersey Journal, Agustin C. Torres, made a whale of a point about Mayor Healy's state of the city address last night. He felt with all of Healy's talk about the great new business and restaurant expansion, new construction, and the Sixth Street Embankment as High Line that the true heart of the city, Journal Square was being ignored.

Torres noted Healy was asked about this and didn't seem any too happy to respond.

Healy has done a lot of things for the city........from Grove St. to the river, but what of Greenville, The Heights, Journal Square, India Square et al. Has Jersey City under Healy, like Torres suggests, become 1789 Paris in A Tale of Two Cities? Have most of Healy's building and business initiatives favored downtown?

How much is being spent where mayor? Where are the police assets being spent? Downtown? The problematic Greenville area? Journal Square? What about the tax breaks? What part of town is getting them and are they equitable?

Last year at this time we were all hearing about the grand new development plan for Journal Square. Huge condo towers with businesses on the ground floor surrounded all throughout the neighborhood by newly opened supporting businesses and a grand new upgrade of the Journal Square PATH station. If you bring up this issue today you get the sound of crickets on a warm summer night.

A fair point by Mr. Torres should lead to a fair and lively discussion we think. Tell us your opinion in comments.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Late night open thread

Looks like the first place in the eastern conference Rangers got a pretty good look at how life might be out west as a middling western conference power, Chicago, came into MSG and ripped the Rangers defense to bits. You'd have thought the Chicago end was filled with shrieking eels the way the Hawks forwards were busting up ice and shredding the Rangers defense like a Ronco Chop-o-Matic® for at LEAST 5 breakaways and an easy 4-2 win. St. Louis still hasn't lost to an eastern conference team this year and don't get Johnny started on the roll the Red Wings are on. The east leaders are really gonna need to load up at the trade deadline to catch up to what awaits out west.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Once again, Johnny's got vision and the rest of the world wears bifocals

How long ago did Johnny start calling Jersey City "Cool City?" Almost from the start. The place needed a litle jazzing up when he got here and hence Cool City was born in Jersey City. Well NOW others are piling onto the meme, like today for instance. None other than the Wall Street Journal is following Johnny on this and they have written a very nice article on how Jersey City is now living up to its monicker of "The Sixth Borough" (At some point we're going to need to have a city-wide talk on this -- whether we want to be known as 'Wall Street West' or 'The Sixth').

So take some time and see what New York is discovering about Jersey City (well Grove Street area mostly) and then come back here with your opinions.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Late night open thread

"Black holes are where God divided by zero."
--Steven Wright

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Are all those news helicopters in Newark necessary?

Yes yes, we're all sad sad that a New Jersey signing sensation has passed but there were no less than four helicopters hovering over the New Hope Baptist Church. Four? Is there some story you can't get from putting reporters on the ground? Was the owner of the funeral home holding up signs for the helicopters as she told the media this would be the only memorial or event in Newark and it would be private? No. She told reporters standing next to her.

This media circus is really really distasteful in Johnny's opinion.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Late night open thread

Now that this Valentines Day nonsense is over we can all begin the buildup to St. Patrick's Day.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Jersey City Desk Free Day!

Johnny's really up against it today and thus, you citizen get a free day to talk about anything you please.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Late night open thread

Big upset in the hound group over at the Westminster Kennel Club show tonight, it was won by a cat.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

It's the 136th Westminster Kennel Club show tonight and tomorrow

Madison Square Garden will kick the Rangers and Knicks out for a couple nights while the dogs reign supreme.

According to the Westminster website if you're not planning on going here are your viewing options:
Broadcast Information

The Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding group competition will be televised live Monday on USA Network from 8-9 PM ET and continuing on CNBC from 9-11 PM ET. The Sporting, Working, Terrier, and Best In Show competition will be televised live Tuesday on USA Network from 8-11 PM ET.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Late night open thread

There you go...

David Posman, 33, was arrested in Providence, Rhode Island, after knocking out an armored car driver and stealing four bags of money. Each bag contained $800 dollars. However, the bags weighed thirty pounds each since they all contained pennies. The hefty bags slowed the fleeting criminal to a sluggish stagger. Police easily ran down and arrested the suspect.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The Grammy Awards are tonight

And who will win the coveted Best New Artist Award, Milli Vanilli, the return of New Kids on the Block or Jethro Tull? Pressing questions only the Grammy's can answer in their own insufferable way.

Late night open thread

“I don't visit my parents often because Delta Airlines won't wait in the yard while I run in.”
--Margaret Smith

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Saturday, February 11, 2012

The Powerball lottery is $325 million, c'mon, tell us the truth...

If you won the lottery at $325 million and took the cash payout option you'd be the proud new owner of around $203 million in Uncle Sam's best green pocket liner.

Tell us the truth, tell us what you'd buy. Some claim they'd never change and not buy anything of great value. In the words of Wayne Campbell, "Shuuuuh, riiiiight." Really, what's on the retail therapy to do list?

Late night open thread

Jeremy Lin, what lottery numbers do you play? He played at Harvard. He was buried deep on the bench a week ago and now he's making Kobe look like Johnny. Here's to an amazing night that made a lot of people happy.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS!

Anything worth doing is worth doing right and what better way to start off the music series tonight than turning your speakers up and getting your swerve on.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts with 'Do You Wanna Touch Me'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with DELERIUM WITH SARAH MCLACHLAN!

Put the headphones on. Turn the lights down. Play this song. Here is Delerium featuring Sarah McLachlan with 'Silence'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with PATSY CLINE!

Man oh man, nobody ever had a better voice than Patsy. Johnny is old enough to remember when the world was in black and white. You kids today have it easy and never knew a black and white world.

Patsy Cline with 'Walkin' After Midnight'

Friday, February 10, 2012

Wait, what's this? Snow?

Snow's coming good people of Hudson County and the surround. Snow mixed with rain will start tonight and then change over to snow bringing us 2-4" by the time it ends tomorrow afternoon. This will make for a messy commu---wait, tomorrow is Saturday. Forget the commute, enjoy the snow!!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Late night open thread

A little Mitch Hedberg before bed tonight.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

So Jersey City, the Snooki spin-off WILL be here in Jersey City

And when you can't get into certain restaurants because they are filming you can thank Mayor Healy. Unlike Dawn Zimmer in Hoboken who told the Snooki and JWOWW television producers in no uncertain terms they weren't welcome there (not even non-planned shots) Mayor Healy here is like a little child who hears the word television and goes crazy and actually tries to get this crap-trap show to make Snooki everyone's impression of a Jersey City resident.

Just once we wish our mayor would think about the residents of this city and the fact (according to social media polls) just don't want this crap in our city. WE are not that desperate mayor. WE are not like crows gravitating to the shiny thing. WE don't feel this show represents us at all and WE don't want the rest of the world thinking this is how we roll. We don't.

So the Snooki and JWOWW show/program/thing will begin filming February 17 at a two story firehouse at Grove and Mercer, right near City Hall, Marco and PePe's and the Beechwood Cafe.

Mayor Healy, if the filming of this show keeps Johnny from his weekend appointed breakfasts at either Marco and PePe's or the Beechwood Cafe production equipment is getting moved and producers and their hangers on are gonna be wearing syrup on their heads.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Late night open thread

It's almost as if winter sneezed this evening.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Mark Sanchez, the most popular Giant

Oh dear, this is not good.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Late night open thread

Let us travel together into The pit of Ultimate Darkness before bed tonight with Sir Simon Milligan and man servant Hecubus...


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Big doings tonight at the Jersey City Council meeting aside from the crime initiative

Could the city FINALLY settle the Sixth Street Embankment issue and give Jersey City it's own High Line? That is the message in today's Wall Street Journal who interviewed several Jersey City officials in the know over tonight's vote on the property. William Matsikoudis, Jersey City municipal attorney, who estimated the city has spent more than $500,000 in legal fees on the battle said "We're one step away from a settlement that will provide a world-class amenity for the people for Jersey City." Councilman Steve Fulop, a supporter of the plan, said he felt the plan would pass.

You can read more about the looooong sloooooow history of the Sixth Street Embankment over at the WSJ.

It's a day filled with Giant fun

The Super Bowl champs will have their parade through Broadway's "Canyon of Heroes' starting at 11 am today (take the WTC PATH kids) and then the scene shifts back to New Jersey (where the Giants actually play) for a 3pm party/reception at the New Meadowlands.

The Giants' victory parade, which will begin at Battery Place and Washington Street and continue northbound to Wall Street, will culminate at New York City Hall.

PATH will be running trains on peak-hours schedules meaning every 5 minutes instead of 15 through roughly 3 pm. NY Waterways will also offer more-frequent trips across the Hudson River today to accommodate Giants fans.

Make sure to collect the leftover ticker tape as we're going to send it off in truckloads to Tom Brady's house so he and his oh-so agitated wife can see what they missed out on.

We have an update on the planned anti-crime rally

The meeting will be inside at the Council meeting in City Hall Chambers. Leaders are also requesting citizens who are participating bring signs to help get the message across.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Late night open thread

If today is your birthday you share it with Yankee legend Babe Ruth. The Babe was born in 1895.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Technology trips up yet another remedial criminal

Omar Richardson took a picture of himself making an obscene gesture using an iPhone. No big deal, thousands of people take pics they wish they never had. The trouble for Omar was he was taking the picture on a stolen iPhone, one Jersey City police say he stole while wearing a mask. A week ago a masked man demanded the owner of the iPhone "Give me your keys and phone," after she exited her car on Armstrong Avenue.

Now the person who stole the iPhone could have been anyone. The robber was wearing a ski mask after all. All doubt was lost however when Omar took a picture of himself flipping the bird to the camera which he thought made him tough when in fact this particular iPhone had tracking technology on it and every picture taken showed up on the rightful owner's home computer. All the rightful owner then had to do was print out Omar's picture and take it to the Jersey City police department and soon enough a officer recognized Omar as the man on the stolen iPhone picture.

How to track Omar down? Easy, let him come to you. Police did some checking and Omar was due to appear in court last Tuesday on drug charges so after he showed up at the Central Judicial Processing he was arrested on the stolen cell phone charges.

Omar is cooling his heels in the Hudson County jail in Kearny on a $100K bond.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Late night open thread

Super Bowl Champions, again! They topped the Patriots for the title, again! New York tops Bahstun when the money is on the table, again!

Congratulations to the New Jersey Giants, Champions of the football world.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Giants football gameday -- SUPER BOWL Edition!!!!

Wow, Johnny's first ever Super Bowl edition of the Game Day post. Media Day the other day is well behind Johnny and he's ready to go, the stage and pressure do not phase him. This is no place for a nervous person.

The New England Patriots. They've been really good and won some incredible games but for the last three or fours years you just knew something wasn't right. "The homeless man" as Johnny's wife refers to the duds of Bill Belichick, or, "That jackhole who could win everywhere but Cleveland" as Johnny refers to him has been taking doll parts off of lesser dolls to patch up that really fine looking doll from 2004. Now it just kind of looks like this:

But Johnny you say, they ARE back at the Super Bowl with those parts falling off. Yes they are and they are a dangerous team. But just like the Giants weren't intimidated in 2007 they won't be today. That alone does not mean victory however...

The Giants offense is rolling along just fine thank you. Why change anything? The Patriots don't give up yards so much as they give up hectares (some science equivalency for our Canadian readers there). Just like the Packers got by with giving up a lot of yards but coming up with turnovers so too the New Englanders. The fact is the Giants just haven't been much in a giving mood this postseason so that just leaves the hectares. Belichick is no dummy. He can do a pretty good job at stopping one aspect of an opponent's offense. The Giants can win a shootout ala Green Bay, they can win a backalley fistfight ala San Francisco so again, advantage Giants. Unless Eli plays shockingly bad or the Giants fumble two or three times they should at the worst have a chance in the fourth quarter.

Tom Brady can put points up like a pinball machine, mostly because he has to. The Giants need to manage this. Killing it is near impossible but managing it is doable. Rob Gronkowski is going to play and most likely play well. The Super Bowl does that to guys not named Donovan McNabb or Fran Tarkenton. Max McGee, the MVP of Super Bowl I was incredibly hungover. Legend had it he was drinking because he was upset the Super Bowl committee had decided that afternoon all Super Bowls would have a Roman numeral after the name not the more conventional numbering convention used today. "I, nobody is gonna care about I...it should be 1 and only 1 and then 2 and then 3 and then 4 and then..." he was purported to have possibly said that night BUT the point is here the Pats offense can be managed. If the vaunted Big Blue pass rush can harass and or hassle Brady with just 4 you can plan the parade along the New Jersey Turnpike.

Special teams. The Giants special teams have been playing lights out. That doesn't mean squat. Special teams in playoff games are a game by game result. We really think of all aspects of football this one doesn't carry momentum. One fumble, one missed kick and suddenly they are bums. The kick coverage teams have been very very good. They need to be very good one more time. Lawrence Tynes needs to hit all his field goals one more time.

So, here we are, 12 hours from gametime and 11 hours of pre-game coverage to boot. You do get a cool Chelsea vs. Manchester United match from Stamford Bridge (Chelsea's home grounds) at 10:30 on FOX. All the prognosticating grows more intense, the bets get more serious, and the advertising becomes more cutthroat:


So come on back here all day and talk Giants and Patriots or Madonna at halftime or the ads or anything else Super Bowl related. Think of us as your online Super Bowl party.

One last thing...

Super Bowl Fearless Forecast:
New Jersey Giants 31
New England Patriots 30.9


Late night open thread

Even Jesus hates the Philadelphia Flyers. What cheap bastards they are. And acting the role of an Old Testament angry God and standing up to the slew-foot on Zach Parise is one Ilya Kovalchuk who beat down Flyers Brayden Schenn in a Biblical way. Kovalchuk rag dolls Schenn around for a while until he decides to knock him around a couple times before landing a righteous roundhouse which, in the words of Chris Farley in Tommy Boy, "That's gonna leave a mark."

As for the douchenozzle who stared this whole mess, the very weasely Zac Rinaldo, he got a $2500 fine for the slew-foot on Parise and compounded his debt to the NHL with another $2500 fine for a late hit on the Devils' Jacob Josefson.



Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Concerned citizens plan a crime rally at Wednesday's council meeting

Our friends at the Jersey City Independent passed this along to us and it's way too important not to share. A group of concerned citizens (who previously fought against the perception of crime in Jersey City when that was inaccurate) is holding a rally outside this Wednesday's Jersey City Council meeting to protest "insufficient action on the part of the city."

We agree. We also read Mayor Healy's response to some good reporting at the Jersey City Independent (Hey guys at least he knows who you are unlike this dump) on this topic of rampant crime. It was Healy you'll recall running those ads in 2009 that said he had a new computerized system for the JCPD that helped them map crime BEFORE it happened. It predicted where crime would take place. Healy pushed this meme again and again.

Time to recalibrate those computer mapping systems eh Mayor? The fact Healy had the cahones to try and use this quote in ending his reply to the Jersey City Independent says a lot:

"...‘Lies – damn lies – and statistics,’ still there are some easy figures the simplest must understand, and the astutest cannot wriggle out of.”

Yes Mayor, like crime IS out of hand in Jersey City and regular citizens can't wriggle away from it. We're sorry you'd choose to call the residents and people who oppose you "the simplest" and openly show your contempt for the people you think you somehow rule over but then again when it comes to crime stats, start in your former Deputy Mayor's office and work your way through the building.

We thank the Jersey City Independent for sponsoring this rally and taking time to care about your city more than issuing press releases and having people look up Leonard H. Courtney quotes for you to use in defense of what has really been an indefensible position.

Late night open thread

Have a good laugh on us. Click here.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with MAMAS AND THE PAPAS!

No band ever harmonized better, sorry, none. That's one of those Vincent Vega bold statements but Johnny is ready to back that mess up. Just turn your speakers up and close your eyes and get lost again in this brilliant song. The Mamas and the Papas with 'California Dreamin'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with LOS FABULOSOS CADILLACS!

The Argentine band out of Buenos Aires got a huge bump for this song when Joe Strummer included it in the soundtrack to Grosse Pointe Blank. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs with 'Matador'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE DOORS!

Now Johnny isn't probably going to tell you a lot about The Doors you don't already know so we'll just get to the song. Here are the Doors with 'The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)' to finish things on the music series this week.

Friday, February 3, 2012

So Giants fans, what's on the menu Sunday?

How are you planning on filling your eat hole on Sunday watching the Super Bowl? Traditional? Something upscale? Do tell us your food secrets for Super Sunday (whether you're a Giants fan or not).

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Late night open thread

The Devils beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-3 at the Prudential Center tonight, roaring back with three third period goals to win. Zach Parise scored two including the winner and David Clarkson also chipped in with a pair.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark






Jersey City's own weather prognosticator, Jebediah the Wombat gives his prediction!

Johnny ventured over to where Jebediah the Jersey City Wombat lives (under one of those hundreds of cinder blocks near the corner of Bay Street and Warren near the Powerhouse Arts Building) and as Jebediah came out from under his cinder block home Johnny asked him since he DID NOT see his shadow how much longer winter would last.

"Winter, said Jebediah, when the hell is winter going to START let alone end?" At which point he wandered back under the cinder blocks he calls home for another year.

That's just good reporting.

PATH service at Grove St. is suspended -- A woman jumped in front of a train

According to sources:

Port Authority Police spokesman Al Della Fave says the woman landed in the middle of the track as a PATH train rolled over her near the Grove Street station in Jersey City today.

No word on when Grove St. will be back up and running...

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Late night open thread

Famous last words night:

"How's this for a headline? 'French Fries."
--James D. French before being put to death in Oklahoma's electric chair in 1966

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Any of our dear readers Game of Thrones fans?

Johnny just can't get enough of the season two previews with the new season FINALLY on the horizon April 1st. If you haven't seen this one it's a keeper.

You win or you die, you'd think that would be pretty straightforward but in George R. R. Martin's world the chances of you dying vastly outweigh the chances of you winning.


Recently George R. R. Martin visited the Audible.com HQ out in Newark and Johnny wanted to pass this interview with him along...

Gremlins help sink the Broadway Blueshirts at The Rock last night

Former Detroit Tigers great and television play-by-play man George Kell used to say whenever a ball took a bad hop or the ball did something unexplained that it was the "gremlins" who got hold of the ball. Well last night at the Prudential Center and the Rangers holding a slim 3-2 lead over the Devils the Prudential Center gremlins decided to make an appearance...


After David Clarkson's happy accident the Devils went on to beat the Rangers in a shootout with El Diablo's netminder Martin Brodeur throwing a shootout shutout.

These two teams play again next Tuesday at MSG.