An open letter to Ed Mullins, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association in NYC

Dear Ed,

Go screw yourself. We've all heard enough whining from Mike Bloomberg on the Community Safety Act to last us a lifetime. Word is the Mayor might even be dangling good paying jobs to get councilmen  to switch their votes. But you, all you need is a .15¢ ball point pen to sound like an utter and complete whiner. The pens, which read “Community Safety Act — Presuming cops guilty since 2013,” will be handed out around town to somehow help teach citizens that police need zero oversight. What an effective and completely childish act Ed. A pen? A pen whining about city policy? Just what is your problem with oversight Ed? Oh, that's right, presumption of guilt. That's SO FUNNY you'd snivel about assumed guilt because Eddie baby, here's what YOU said about presuming people guilty in May 2013:

“If you’re not a terrorist, if you’re not a threat, prove it,” he says.

Ed, you shit for brains, what's the difference? One is police and the other is everyone else? More and more your police are the problem. Stop and frisks go down and so does your crime rate. Facts are facts bubby. Do you realize what an utter crybaby you sound like?

Take your pens, go get your money back on them, and grow up you duplicitous tool and go read the constitution all the way through which you obviously missed in school.

Best,
The Jersey City Desk Staff

Late night open thread

Meanwhile, in Delaware...


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Let the root beer and Sprite flow freely again in the streets of New York City!

New York City's long nightmare of not being able to get enough cola-in-a-cup is over. A New York appeals court has upheld a ruling striking down New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's latest nanny-gram. You fat kids, this is like your Independence Day. You can go suck down an 80 ounce Diet Coke (the irony, it burns) to help keep that weight down. Everyone who attacked the ban is hereby ordered to their local 7-11 and get your brain-freeze on with a 75 ounce frozen Mr. Pibb in celebration.

You, citizen, walk right into your local participating bodega in New York City and proclaim "I live in NYC and I want the full Cornholio!"

Because AMERICA!

Laye night open thread

You know the rooster seen on the front of every box of Corn Flakes since 1958? He has a name. It's true. His name is Cornelius.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Johnny was NOT the guy who bought the $19 million lottery ticket in Kearny

So on we go here.

19 million bones, that's a pretty nice haul. Dollar Subs on Elm St. where the winning ticket was sold the said the winner has not come forward yet. Clerk Lisa Baez was picking her brain to see if she could remember who bought the ticket. She also had an idea about how to spend the loot:

"You can't be greedy in this world," said Baez, who added that she would give some of the money to the homeless and needy. "(If I won) It would be a blessing and I would have to give some of it away."

We like where her head is at with the sharing. So readers, what might you do with $19 million of Uncle Sam's best green pocket liner?

Late night open thread

A rainy Sunday night in Cool City is a great excuse to tune into 48:FM in Liege Belgium, us La Radio des Estudients Liegeois, and music til dawn on this internet radio outpost.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Did Channel 2 hire a vampire?

We kid we kid. We kid because we love.

Johnny is a victim of popular culture as much as the next fella and thus knows a vampire now when he sees one. 77% of all programming on the teevee and in movies has vampires so Johnny's Sherlock Holmes' style deductions aren't hard to come by. So, did channel 2 hire a vampire or not?

Happy Sunday!

Can anyone identify this flower? It's amazing looking. Johnny saw it, where else, walking the wolf. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Today screams for a news roundup

Actually it does. Lots of little stories that add up to BIG infotainment over coffee and bagels.

* Some flash in the pan named Bob Dylan performed at Pier A last night in the Big FuHo. Hoboken FD said that twelve people got their 99 Woodstock on and were treated for too much something or other. The fun part in this was watching Dylan's hosts mock him outright by doing their best impersonations.

* While we're in Hoboken this morning a retrospective: Maxwell's -- The Microbrew Years Killed the Place.

* Liberty Humane Society is fixing things up after a $15,000 grant from the Canyon Creek Ranch Better Way Project, a national campaign that assists pet organizations like as Liberty Humane Society. The money will help repair Superstorm Sandy damage and they're also getting more than 8,000 pounds of Canyon Creek Ranch dog and cat food.

* Healy allies are angry because new mayor Steve Fulop (who WON the election) used his clout in getting Dana Scott Eisenberg, a Regent Street man who volunteered on Mayor Steve Fulop's campaign, elected chair of the Jersey City Parking Authority Board of Commissioners. News Bulletin to the butthurt Healy folks. Elections have consequences. Now be gone with you.

* Dweedledumb and Dweedledumber robbed a bank in Fairview with a BB gun and a knife, left a trail of cash as they ran into North Bergen after which one carjacked someone and couldn't get the car in gear so naturally drove directly into a building, like ya do.

* Oh, by the way, The Port Authority pissed away $60 million of your tax dollars by insisting on paying higher insurance premiums than anyone would ever pay.

Late night open thread

This.Is.Cool. Beer labels in motion. Best website you'll see this week.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with k.d. lang!

You caught the no capitalization on her name did you? Well if she doesn't use capital letters why would we? Johnny loves k.d lang and has for years and years. There have been two absolute pitch perfect voices in Johnny's opinion, Patsy Cline and k.d lang. Just utter and complete singing perfection. Here is the song 'Barefoot' which is haunting, beautiful and impossible to listen to just once.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE MOODY BLUES!

You want a cold hard stark fact laid on you? Here you go, the lyrics to tonight's second song on the Music Series, '22,000 Days' from the Moody Blues:

22,000 days, 22,000 days it's not alot,
It's all you got 22,000 days
22,000 nights, 22,000 nights, it's all you know
So start the show 22,000 days

Yep, you've got 22,000 days and nights. How you gonna use 'em?

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with GOLDEN EARRING!

Now here's one of those songs that always goes down easy when you're driving somewhere, preferably on the open road but it'll work darn near anywhere. 'Twilight Zone' has been a standard on FM radio forever, and you kids will love this, it used to get played at high school dances. Go figure.

So here's the aforementioned Golden Earring with 'Twilight Zone'

It is balloon!

*tap tap* Is this thing on?

It is balloon!

No? No F-Troop fans still out there? That's OK. Larry Storch doesn't know who you are either.

Balloons, yes, and lots of them. Two balloon festivals are taking place this weekend in New Jersey; the QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Readington and the Hot Air Balloon Festival at the Warren County Farmers Fair. We highly suggest following this link if for no other reason that to see the balloon inspired by the shore's post-Sandy recovery, a 115 foot tall balloon that's shaped like a lighthouse. Compliments of Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning.

Everyone loves balloons. It just looks like a peaceful (sans the hot air blasts) way to spend some time enjoying life. Wouldn't it be wonderful if just for one day, one afternoon if a wondrous parade of balloons was allowed up the Hudson River just once? We know it's not that plausible as some may stray into some very tall buildings in the swirling winds of New York Harbor, and nobody wants to clean that up. Still, perchance to dream for the photo opportunities alone.

You can follow the link for all the information on exactly where the festivals are and how much tickets are (VIP packages are available). And if that weren't enough on Saturday night at the QuickChek Festival performing on the main stage, you can ride the storm out with REO Speedwagon which answers the question what ever happened to REO Speedwagon. Playing the hardscrabble world of balloon festivals.

Late night open thread

You could land planes on the 1978 Ford LTD. Look at it! From distance or from up close, it's a giant car. Seating for six full sized passengers and plenty of room means it had to come from somewhere and since they aren't making lanes any wider they made the LTD longer. And how about that trunk? "If you're in the mafia and need to dispose of multiple bodies at once, the 1978 Ford LTC can pull double or triple duty!" Lastly, was the Battleship USS LTD getting ready to shell the people near the stage? Why were these seemingly clean cut people sitting so far ba---wait, you smell that? Ahhhhh. That's why they parked on top of the hill.

Plus if you're driving home baked and get into an accident in the 1978 Ford LTD, it'll be nearly a minute before you feel it. We don't know if this car was a better idea from Ford as the ad says but we certainly know it was a bigger idea.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Turn off the computer, go outside

Lawdy lawdy Miss Clawdy have we got a day out there that feels more like late September than late July. Revel in this 73º day, you won't feel it again for a while. Go for a long walk in our fair city. Do that gardening project you had. Make sure to hit the Grove St. Farmer's Market today after 4pm. Go sit in J. Owen Grundy Park and read a book or eat lunch (but bring a sweater, Johnny was just down to the river with his dire wolf and it's a bit cool down there). And like Johnny, do have dinner sitting outside tonight.

Thank you weather gods...

Late night open thread

It's all summery and stuff. How many of the four Sasquatches in this picture can you find?


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Mayor Bloomberg vetoes the Community Safety Act

Yesterday while everyone was looking at Anthony Wiener's junk online, the actual Mayor vetoed the Community Safety Act which gives citizens more input in policing and appoints an Inspector General to oversee the, in our opinion, out of control NYC police. When someone who is paying out millions and millions in lawsuits for a wide-ranging array of cop offenses tells you they need no oversight, yeah, they need oversight.

The city council is expected to override Bloomberg's temper tantrum but that doesn't mean the mayor won't try to get back at those who voted for the Community Safety Act to begin with.

Jesus Bloomberg can be an idiot. Is it November yet?

Late night open thread

Watch this video of the Beijing subway and never again complain about your morning commute.


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The Jersey City Desk would like to congratulate new New York City Mayor Christine Quinn!

With the new disclosures of Carlos Danger it would appear that the seas have now parted and your crown awaits on a throne in City Hall. Just don't back down to Mayor Mike on the Community Safety Act, don't show your lady parts online and the job is yours. We wish you well in your time as Mayor (remember, two terms only) but if you still see the Countess Chocula tag around here you did that picture to yourself. We kid because we love.

Carlos Danger, lol, what a thimble-headed gherkin.

Jersey City will combine both police and fire departments into one

Mayor Fulop's idea, of combining both fire and police departments under one roof, to be known as the Public-Safety Department will more than likely be approved tomorrow night by city council. Last week as you'll recall the plan took heat from both police and fire department officials none too happy about the plan. Mayor Fulop expects great savings from combining the two departments.

History will be made tomorrow night, at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 280 Grove St., be there, aloha!

Late night open thread

“Life is not a song, sweetling.
Someday you may learn that, to your sorrow.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Let's get retro!

Johnny thinks everyone enjoys some historical images at some time online. Someone may dig into a family history or just want to know what something looked like back when. The past has a great pull. We've all been there. It's the one absolute we all share. Here's a fun retro look back at New Jersey's old movie theaters and drive-ins. As Johnny learned from reading the article not only did America's first movie studio, Thomas Edison's Black Maria, open in New Jersey (West Orange, 1893), the first feature film in movie history, "The Great Train Robbery," was shot in Essex County in 1903. It's the a Garden Stater's blood to feel connected to this.

Late night open thread

Music til dawn from Sing-Sing radio (96.7) in St. Malo France tonight on this internet radio outpost.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Governor Chris Christie is going to be on a new Michael J. Fox show

Governor Christie will be reprising his role as Mallory's dimwitted boyfriend Nick on Family Ties---wait, what? It's not Family Ties? It's Michael J. Fox's upcoming NBC sitcom (NBC? Oh boy the Tea Party will love that)? OK then, the Governor will have a cameo on a new show starring Marty McFly. Yeah, and?

Well, a question has been raised because some feel that Christie has been going on television (Fallon, Letterman, SNL) a little too much. Rubbish. It's his call. If he wants to do it let him. Christ, it's better than Snooki isn't it? If, like Darrell West, vice president and director of governance studies at the Brookings Institution says "If he ends up on ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ that’s gone too far."

Barbara Buono, (remember her? She's running for governor) desperate to nick Christie's armor and 40 point lead in the polls sure thinks she's seen enough of Fearless Leader:

"I think that the people of New Jersey deserve more than someone who just has his sights set on the Rose Garden," Buono said after a campaign event in Trenton on Thursday. "I’m focused on the Garden State, that’s the kind of leader they’ll have, not someone who calibrates every decision they make based on how it’ll play in the cornfields of Iowa."

So there's your Sunday morning discussion topic should you care to chime in.

(NBC Archives)

Late night open thread

Movie trivia night.

In the 1959 Hitchcock classic North By Northwest Cary Grant was actually older than his on screen mother Jessie Royce Landis.

Time for jersey CIty, After Dark

An app for Twitter wants more power over Johnny's info than the NSA and PRISM have

Incredible. All Johnny wanted to do was post a tweet in a contest for HBOGo mentioning his favorite Game of Thrones moment (Tyrion commanding the King's Landing forces in the Battle of the Blackwater while being dressed down by The Hound) and to enter one MUST allow a HootSuite app, a URL shortener called Ow.ly to speak for you. Yes, it's Orwellian in its permission level. The NSA or FBI can't do this. Just look at the permission settings they allow themselves:


Balls the size of Alpha Centauri. Who DO you think you people are? Ow.ly can update Johnny's profile? You can posts tweets FOR Johnny on his behalf? In the words of Eric Cartman to Mr. Garrison "Suck.....my....balls."

Good citizens please tell Johnny you're not signing on for things like this. This is disgraceful. A good reason to not use HootSuite.

Late night open thread

You kids don't miss school next Friday, chicken diapers are back on the menu!

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with JOHN LEE HOOKER!

A little blues music never hurt no nuthin' so let's get things started tonight with a true American musical legend, Mr. John Lee Hooker with his classic 'Boom Boom'. What a great version.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE J. GEILS BAND!

There's a forgotten party band from the past, no? Originally from Boston Johnny remembers The J. Geils Band setting up at the Pine Knob Music Theater in Clarkston Michigan for seemingly half the summer playing to one sold out crowd after another. They may have been from Boston but have truly become sons of Motown. Back in the day when you could have fun at concerts like bringing your own coolers in instead of being forced to buy fucking $10 beers from the venue and batting a beach ball around the lawn (Until security gets hold of it and gives you the look like "What if this went in your eye?") or toss a Frisbee. If someone hit your beer with a Frisbee back in the day just reached into the cooler and got yourself another one. You didn't have to go stand in line.

But back to Peter Wolf, Magic Dick and the crew. How about we initiate The J. Geils Band to the Music Series with 'Wildman'.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with JERRY LEE LEWIS!

Look, you can come to grips with the fact the Ferriday Fireball is a kind of creepy guy who could rock a piano better than anyone else in rock music history, or you can't. Johnny can.

Did your parents make you take piano lessons as a kid? Johnny neither. BUT he loves having the piano as an integral if too often rare part of the music genre.

Johnny remembers his dad's 40th birthday party. It was a surprise and guests and relatives came piling into the house like a Thanksgiving Day parade. One of the guests, while not an aunt in the legal sense, was one of Johnny's 'aunts' in name only. She played the piano harder and better than Johnny had ever seen or heard anyone do in person. He was smitten. You know the part where the pianist swipes their fingers across the 88's and you get that seminal sound from lot to high or high to low? The next morning Johnny looked at the piano and it had red streaks across the keys from her nail polish doing just that. Wanna know who else does that kind of well? Jerry Lee Lewis, closing out the Music Series this week with 'Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee'.

For those who enjoy such things...UPDATED

For those of you who like to listen in on the emergency broadcast channels channel 460.5500 has the heroes at the Bayonne FD fighting what sounds like one big fire. Best to them on this horridly hot day in their fight.

UPDATE 1:22pm "Somebody is stealing water we need to find another main." Doesn't sound good. In general it sounds like getting a steady supply of water to this fire is an issue.

UPDATE 3:12, the fire was in Jersey City on Boyd Ave. and 10 firefighters have been injured in this 4 alarm blaze. We apologize for the mislabeling of the town but Johnny was listening to Bayonne FD feeds and they were apparently assisting.

Update 3:31 pm The Jersey Journal has an incredible photo journal of this event. From firefighters battling down to the last bit of energy they could squeeze from themselves (heat index currently º108), to the incredible pictures of the fire itself taken from a roof cross the street.

They are also reporting this may have been a situation where the fire started in the basement at 40 Boyd in an illegal apartment set-up and work may have been being done on that unit. Stay tuned.

Does the comment made by a firefighter about somebody stealing water have anything to do with this possible illegal apartment?

Mayor Fulop chooses New York City deputy police chief James Shea as his Public Safety Director

Mayor Steve Fulop looked outside New Jersey to tap current NYC Deputy Police Chief James Shea as his top man for Public Safety Director. Shea gained attention for his part in the controversial (let's just call it what it is, racist) NYC "stop and frisk" policy. Since early in the campaign Fulop had been rather quiet on the subject after long ago saying he was against it. We were happy to have spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill reiterate Fulop's opposition yesterday when she said he's still opposed, adding that "profiling people via "stop and frisk' is not a policy we will undertake in Jersey City." Good call.

Fulop said of Shea, "His credentials are really impeccable." Fulop also cited Shea for a "track record of success in very, very tough areas."

What drew Shea to the position? "When I first met with Mayor Fulop, I was taken by his vision of a Jersey City for all of its residents." When asked about his initial impressions of what will become his new hometown Shea said he found Cool City to be "very diverse" and "very dynamic."

Welcome Mr. Shea, and understand, we're pulling for you. If you succeed in a professional way Jersey City wins. 

But we'll also be watching. With both eyes.

Late night open thread

Saturday we grab a teevee weathercaster and sacrifice them into the fires of Mt. Secaucus. You can't let weather go too long without a human sacrifice or sooner rather than later your yard will catch fire.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

As a former backyard astronomer this story made Johnny laugh and laugh

When Johnny lived way back in Ypsilanti he had himself a fine telescope. He'd spend hours looking at galaxies and planets and so forth. Since this took place at night (mostly) and since Ypsilanti was a college town often times students who had imbibed a wee bit would walk by and always ask what Johnny was looking at. He has seen the reaction from the two women in the Gothamist story from others. The first time they see Saturn's rings is a real zap for some people. They never ever imagined they'd see it with their own eyes.

Oh, and Johnny wasn't trickin'.

Late night open thread

The Jersey City Desk invites you to name that hairdo! Check out Awkward Family Photos for more.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Johnny was NOT going to wade into this George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin issue

Johnny has his own firmly held beliefs on just what happened and whether or not the jury was right or wrong. He wasn't going to even bring it up until he saw this. People are assaulting rock and roll stars of yore over this case. That's right, one Dinalynn Andrews-Potter walked up on stage and physically ATTACKED Lester Chambers at the Hayward Russell City Blues Festival in Hayward California, (Lester is formerly of the Chambers Brothers -- Time Has Come Today) because he dared dedicate the song 'People Get Ready' to Trayvon Martin's memory. Well Dinalynn couldn't have that and for reasons known only to her jumped up on stage and knocked Chambers backward with such force Chambers' son said his dad had "bruised rib muscle and nerve damage and he is sore all over." Chambers also is walking with a cane for now.

WTF people? Are we this far gone THIS is what comes to mind when someone dedicates a song? Jesus Christ Dinalynn don't listen to Kasey Casem anytyime soon. There is a strong movement afoot to charge Andrews-Potter with a hate crime. We'd be OK with that.

Late night open thread

OK chefs, open your baskets and here are your ingredients. Cod...beets...goat cheese...and Smarties. Your 30 minutes begins now.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Forgive Johnny for being a giant geek

But walking by a construction site off of Marin Blvd. this morning he thought the worksite looked a whole lot like an industrial-age Isengard from Lord of the Rings, which is the very thing Tolkien was warning against as a subtext throughout the entire trilogy.

Introducing the pile driver as Orthanc.

WJCD newstime is 11:29 and here's the weather

It's it a great day if you love a humid blast furnace because that's what we've got here at the mouth of the Hudson River. It's already 93º going up near 100º later today with no relief in sight. It's 91º in Newark, 92º in Union City and 93º in New York City. Traffic and weather together on the 9's.

Now back to the stacks of wax and platters that matter on WJCD, last on your AM dial but first in your hearts. Jersey City's secret shame 1660 AM.

The boil water for downtown CONTINUES today and may extend into Wednesday

Way to go United Water! Yes fans of drinking clean water, brushing your teeth and cooking food, the folks at United Water gave a 6am update and that along with last night's report by the Jersey Journal tells us this could be a while. United Water listed this number (201-767-9300) for media inquiries, just tell them Johnny sent you and he's kind of media. Besides, are you really going to get any info calling the main line?

Late night open thread

Ah continuity.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The boil water advisory continues for the downtown area of Jersey City

The Jersey Journal will help you out with a map of where the advisory is (Roughly from the Turnpike to Hoboken to the Hudson River to Grand) exactly and more particulars like what stage in the fix up United Water is in.

More as the United Water news merits on this internet infotainment outpost.

Science has never been the strong suit of the New York Post...

...or for any right wing publication for that matter. This though, wow, it really takes the cake. You may have seen the social media going crazy over the stupid SyFy movie Sharknado last week. The premise, should you not understand it from the title, says that sharks of huge size could be picked up in a tornado and flown about the city killing people. The Post gets partial credit anyway for pointing out a Sharknado would be darned near impossible. However, they insist THEIR idea of a Sharkicane is completely plausible:

If a raging hurricane were to strike New York City, it could suck up sharks and other sea creatures — triggering a Sharkicane, a horrifying real-life twist on the campy hit flick “Sharknado,” marine biologists warn.

Well of course that's NOT what marine biologists (other than marine biologist George Costanza) said that's just what the Post wanted to hear.

The full story and the full stupidity of the NY Post can be found here.

Late night open thread

"Smartness runs in my family. When I went to school I was so smart my teacher was in my class for five years."
 -- Gracie Allen

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

New film called 'Ghost Exchange' focuses on Jersey City helping provide an electronic backbone for Wall St.

Billions of securities transactions every day make it possible for Wall St. to do it's job. Without the data flowing through server farms as big as football fields the entire financial system would grind to a halt pretty quickly. More and more these servers handling billions of trades are done here in Jersey City as well as Weehawken and Secaucus:

The story notes that the headquarters for Direct Edge, the third largest U.S. stock exchange, is located in Jersey City. Equinix, a data center that is the primary facility for the Chicago Board Options Exchange and Direct Edge, is located in Secaucus. And Saavis, a data center that is a primary facility of BATS Global Markets, is located in Weehawken.

The third largest stock exchange here in Wall Street West. Pretty impressive. William O’Brien, chief executive of Jersey City’s Direct Edge in fact said, "The places that people are used to thinking about as the home of the stock market are really just glorified TV studios."

The film also discusses the issue of high speed trading, how secure and reliable all these data centers are and 2010's Flash Crash. It is available on iTunes. But first, a trailer...

Late night open thread

You didn't think you were going to get out of July without a fireworks failure video did you?


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Maybe Sigmund Freud was wrong in the case of NJ Transit driver George Simpson

Maybe a tunnel isn't just a tunnel.

George had most likely driven through the Lincoln Tunnel many times in his two and one half years as a bus driver for NJ Transit. Probably a few times through the Holland Tunnel too. Who knew all the while forbidden fantasies were on the boil? Well on June 24 Simpson (and there's no good way to say this) decided he could *ahem* handle his job of driving the bus through the busiest tunnel in America all while bopping the bologna. A librarian who was sitting near the front of the bus took copious amounts of video of the lewd act. She turned it over to NJ Transit who broomed the perv as soon as they saw it and issued a louder than usual apology that something like this could happen.

For his actions Simpson was charged yesterday in Weehawken Township Municipal Court with causing or risking widespread injury or damage.

He also faces charges of lewdness and reckless driving.

If he gets any jail time his roommates are just gonna love hearing what he's in for. There's going to be a new game called 'Bus Driver and the Warden's Wife' is Johnny's guess. You can guess who'll be wearing the dress.

We didn't see Sandra Bullock nor Keanu Reeves behave like this in Speed and we shouldn't see in in NJ Transit busses. NJ Transit will now be forced to put a 'No rubbing the rhubarb' clause in the employment agreement. Happy now George?

See Spot Rescued is holding an adoption event today

Our good friends at See Spot Rescued are holding an adoption event today at K9dergarten at 173 Newark Ave. from 12-4. What a great group doing wonderful work and some of these dogs who are available for adoption are so darned cute and love kids *hint hint*. Head on over, meet the pups, or maybe even make a donation. You might just bring home a wonderful new friend. Johnny speaks from experience. She's lying at his feet right now.

Jersey City will play host to a Cory Booker fundraiser with special guest TeeVee's Oprah!

And Jersey City gets a car!
And Bayonne gets a car!
And Union City gets a car!
And Newark gets a car!
And Hoboken gets a car!

Oprah Winfrey, the most powerful woman on the earth will host New Jersey senate candidate and local superhero Cory Booker at the Liberty House restaurant on August 1st for a fundraiser. Sure it's a great place to eat and rub elbows but maybe, just maybe, this event is in Jersey City because Mr. Booker was busy saving bridge painters whose scaffolding gave way and were dangling off the bridge and over certain death and missed Mayor Fulop's inauguration. That and it makes it close for NYC donors and Oprah fans by the millions to make it.

So there you have it. Street closing signs will go up on Tuesday most likely.

Late night open thread

“What hath night to do with sleep?”
― John Milton, Paradise Lost

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with AEROSMITH!

Because rocking hard at 2am on a Friday night is what is great about America. Aerosmith with 'Toys in the Attic'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with R.E.M.!

Always a welcome visit from R.E.M. on the Music Series. You just can't go wrong with R.E.M. unless it's that song about the goofball who attacked Dan Rather or Shiny Happy People.

Word.

R.E.M. with 'Radio Free Europe'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES!

There is a wonderful catalog of songs from Siouxsie and the Banshees we could use for the Music Series here. We're choosing 'Cities in Dust' because it really captures almost a desperation in Siouxsie's Sioux's voice. Something that really brings an incredible level of passion to this song. An all-time Johnny favorite.

Oh you bet we're going to talk about the New Jersey Devils today

Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek and GM Lou Lamoriello has a sad today. They both believed in Ilya Kovalchuk enough to trade away talent, draft picks (including a #1) to the Atlanta Thrashers now the Winnipeg Jets Redux. They were penalized by the NHL a #1 draft pick for a ham handed attempt to circumvent the salary cap. They inked Kovie to a 15 year $100 million dollar contract of which he was three years into. Yesterday he "retired" from the Devils and the NHL, only be reported to sign a deal Monday to play for SKA St. Petersburg in Russia's KHL.

The great Harry Neale, former NHL head coach and brilliant CBC Hockey Night in Canada analyst, said it best when he said sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make. Boy is he right.

But Johnny, how did it come to this? Why would Kovalchuk retire from the NHL, leave the Devils devoid of offense and sign to play in Russia? Let us count the ways.

Kovalchuk's mother was asked by Yahoo if he had enjoyed his time playing in the KHL during the lockout last year:

Did he like SKA during the lockout?
“Of course. Otherwise this question about leaving the NHL wouldn’t even be raised. And so it happened… Besides, there were some problems in New Jersey. You know there will likely be a change of ownership there. It’s unclear how everything will turn out.”

Wow, he only liked it because he got to try it. Yes the tax free thing is nice but again he wasn't hurting for money here.

So, what caused the lockout? Let's ask Gary Betteman and better yet Jeff Vanderbeek. Vanderbeek argued  for the lockout and that's when Kovalchuck fell in love with the KHL. In love so much when told by Lamoriello to report to the 'hurry up there's a season training camps', Kovalchuk decided to stay behind in Russia and play in the KHL all-star game. Ruh ro.

Ya know that 100 million dollars you reached deep and found for Kovie, Mr. Vanderbeek? If you'd have spent that better and paid Zach Parise a portion of that in renegotiations he'd still be a Devil. You knew Parise would never bolt in the middle of a contract. HE was a leader. While we're speculating if you'd have taken another portion of the $100 million you'd still probably have David Clarkson.

So now the Devils have nothing. No offense. A huge risk in Ryane Clowe after his concussion issues. Maybe one more year from Marty Brodeur. Ownership is in let's call it, flux. Money is needed. Ticket sales will suffer because of the product on the ice. The new playoff format is even more foreboding and unforgiving. Kovalchuck saw this too and did what Ilya Kovalchuk has done everywhere he's played, soiled his wittle baby diaper and left.

Late night open thread

Tonight's animated gif file is a Johnny original, taken tonight at Lincoln Center. Let the dancing waters keep you company all night long.



Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Mayor Fulop shakes up the JCPD hierarchy, gets our support

Business leaders like to talk about 'skin in the game' as a model to help everyone feel they have a stake in whatever outcome is desired. The feeling goes if you have a stake or an investment in something you will work harder to make it great.

Such is the thinking by new Mayor Steve Fulop who shook up the JCPD by making sure more residents of Jersey City are in key posts. Skin in the game. You're far more likely as a police captain to squash crime and make your city livable if you live in the city. You care at the end of the day. You go home to the city you work in, not a 30 minute drive somewhere else. You don't leave your patrol or command at the end of the day hoping to put Jersey City behind you for another night. You have a greater sense of pride if you work where you live.

We agree. Here are some of the new posts handed down by the Mayor (comments by city spokesperson Jennifer Morrill):

North District Commander Capt. Edgar Martinez, a city resident, was appointed by Healy and he has retained the position. Morrill called Martinez “a highly competent commander.”

City resident Capt. Michael Kelly has taken over command of the West District, city resident Capt. Daniel Solliti has taken command of the East District and city resident Capt. Joseph Ascolese has assumed command of the ESU, Morrill said.

Although not a city resident, Capt. Frederick Younger retained command of the South District due to a limited number of captains who are city residents, Morrill said. Younger “has a deep knowledge of crime, streets and the criminal players in the South District,” the spokeswoman said.

So there you go. We like Fulop's plan. We don't know why all Jersey City police don't live in the city they are sworn to protect. It would seem like a good idea. Now all we need is for Capt. Frederick Younger to move into the city.

Late night open thread

State trivia night. Which state is closest to Bermuda? Answer here.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Johnny was walking his dog through the Powerhouse Arts District this morning

There are at least three plots of land that are five feet wide by five feet square that aren't being built on. What gives? It would seem every other piece or scrap of land not occupied by a fire hydrant has a crane or bulldozers or many men climbing scaffolding on it. Better put something on those five by fives before grass grows. Also, if you want to test how well your Hear-o's work, (the things you stick in your ears at night to block noise) walk down 1st St. from Grove to the river. Jiminy Crickets.

Late night open thread

"I had only one superstition. I made sure to touch all the bases when I hit a home run."
-- Babe Ruth

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Sorry kids, out-of-town guests means a quickie news roundup

But these stories are about very important things your day would be bereft without.

*David Donnelly, former city council member will work for Mayor Fulop as a project manager to the tune of $80K. There, was that so damned hard to say? Why did it take repeated inquiries as to what Donnelly was going to do and be paid? Other administration officials pay can be found at that handy link above and a little left.

*A NYPD officer may have been talking on her phone when she ran down teacher Felix Coss killing him Saturday. Witnesses said Paula Medrano was on her phone when she hit Coss and investigators asked her for her phone which she refused to provide to police. NYPD will now subpoena her phone records or the NSA could just save time and fax them over.

*West Nile Virus carrying mosquitos have been hunted down, confirmed and executed on Staten Island and over in Queens. Still, more could be out there looking to ruin your summer.

*Finally, we have another winner of our Red Forman 'Dumbass' award. Do follow the link, mmmmmkay?

Late night open thread

Anybody else catch the Golden Corral video that shows a unique and oh-so-disgusting way of beating a bad score from the food inspector inside? If you look up irony in the dictionary it has these images:

Begs the question:

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Do not wander onto the MTA train tracks and urinate..

...the consequences in this case were fatal.

Matthew Zeno, 30,  and another man were walking north on the southbound side of the subway, near Union Avenue, when Zeno paused to urinate and inadvertantly contacted the third rail, according to the FDNY and NYPD. 

Yes we like to guffaw and laugh at silly stories sometimes but because of that we hope we have some cred here. If you should read this and in that moment when you and your friends have your camera-phones out and something that sounds like a really bad idea is about to be attempted, (like in Zeno's case getting down onto the tracks to begin with) stop. It's easy to just stop. Cellcams seem to have emboldened a whole new generation of daredevils. We get it. If someone else needs to do it badly enough, let them do it. Walking on subway tracks or train surfing don't look good on a resume. They look even worse in a funeral home.

The famed Jersey City tradition of 'The Running of the Badgers' kicked off today

Nine days of festivities, tradition and running from wild animals, just like Pamplona Spain. As you know here in Jersey City it's badgers, not bulls the revelers run with. Hey, with a bull the danger is real but lasts only a couple seconds. With a badger, boy howdy if one of those lays into your calf your day is shot. This morning's run through Hamilton Park only saw two runners with minor scratches and one bystander who got a nasty bite. Great fun as always was had by all. Runners and bystanders don't seem to get bit and clawed like they used to before 1994. That's when the Humane Society said the badgers had to be fed before the run. Eight more days of family fun and exercise Jersey City, get out there and have fun. Remember, you don't have to be the fastest person on the course, just faster than the person next to you.

Late night open thread

In England, middle names were once illegal.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

We think Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean Jr.might be getting ahead of himself on driverless cars

Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean Jr. (R-Union) is really excited about the driverless cars (some being sponsored by Google) and says New Jersey needs laws and rules and such for driverless cars and he thinks he should be the one to write them.

Sign says: Slow down.

First off driverless cars are further away than you seem to think. Want to know the sticking point you either failed to address or avoided? Insurance. If Johnny has a driverless car that is being driven by Google, with roadmaps by Google, with cameras and laser sensors to keep you safe from say a company like Raytheon why should Johnny pay for insurance? Let Google and Raytheon. They're the ones guaranteeing the vehicles are safe and ready to roll without accident. Let Johnny put it to you another way State Senator Kean Jr.; If Johnny has to pay for the insurance HE will be driving his car. No way in hell will Johnny ever give up driving his own car (ever) but if you expect people to be driven around in a driverless car the state or someone else is paying the insurance.

Got that? You better or this driverless car lark will fail even bigger than we think it will. Johnny doesn't pay insurance on cab rides and he's not driving then. Mr. Kean if you think somebody else is going to drive the populace you'd better figure out the insurance and liability on such matters before you go all Jetsons. You'd also better plan for the fact some people, like Johnny, actually enjoy driving and aren't giving up the keys, especially with a Michigan driving pedigree. Maybe Mr. Kean Jr. isn't confident in his own driving. Maybe he gets askeered driving in the Garden State.

99% of us are just fine driving ourselves. The rest own Toyotas.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Yes, we say this every time it gets ghastly hot

Make sure to check on those without air conditioning these next couple three days and get those in need to a city cooling center or any one of the nine public libarry branches. Also, it is imperative to make sure pets have water and shade or bring them inside if you can.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan is a very immoral man

Johnny's not just off on some anti-religious treatise this morning. No, he's making comment on the fact that Cardinal Timothy Dolan shielded money the Catholic Church had from victims of his priests rather than protecting the children from the actions of said priests. Who in God's name does that? Who actually puts the church coffers before the safety and well-being children in the parish? Cardinal Timothy Dolan does, that's who.

Johnny's long wondered about those who run the churches and their true charges, money vs. pastoring the flock and darned if money doesn't win every time.

“I foresee an improved protection of these funds from any legal claim and liability.” said Dolan in 2007. $57 million dollars moved to protect it, not the children, from the light of day. One heinous charge shows Dolan using some of the money to pay pedophile priests to go away (you know instead of calling the sheriff or something helpful).

These are simply IMMORAL actions by a man who decided his actual job was to protect money, not people. He'd rather see lives ruined than give up any coin his church has amassed. Kinda goes against those teachings of Jesus if you ask Johnny. Here's to a federal investigation of Dolan's actions.

How can people look at this man and praise him? Are your ideas on what is moral different than Johnny's? See if Johnny knows kids are being abused he's gonna tell a cop, or a prosecutor or Social Services, not move to protect piles of cash. Know why? As an Atheist Johnny still has a moral compass, something that sure seems to be lacking in yet another major religious leader.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE RACONTEURS!

We love Jack White. Detroit guy. Innovative. Creative. So goddammit why is the first 30 seconds of this song Joe Jackson's 'Is She Really Going Out With Him?' Well you tell us. It is isn't it? Once you come to terms with that fact the rest is pretty darned good (Or we wouldn't play it). So a Colbert-esque wag of the finger but then a solid 89 on American Bandstand's Smash it or Trash It.

The Raconteurs kicking off the Music Series with 'Steady As She Goes'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with SHEILA E!

Ahhhh, the glamourous life. Johnny knows nothing of that. Luckily, here comes Sheila E to tell us all about it in a percussion sort of way.

Sheila E with 'The Glamorous Life'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with TIM CURRY!

He does the rock ya know. No, really. Tim Curry with 'I Do the Rock'

Never expect Johnny in the office on NHL free agency day

Or trading deadline day for that matter. Free agency dawns and Johnny's Red Wings are doing what they do (Alfredsson and Weiss) while the Newark team took a big chance (concussion issues) on a good player in Ryane Clowe. While Johnny won't mention that team as long as Mr. Lockout Jeff Vanderbeek owns them (that may change soon and Johnny can stop holding his breath like a child) we hope that Clowe is able to rebound from the concussions. Nobody should lose a career to an injury. Sure it's the nature of sport that any game or play could be your last but the head shots in the NHL are a disgrace and the penalties and suspensions, while tougher, still are too weak.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Happy Independence Day!

Today might be a good day to look at your dwindling freedoms under George W. Bush, Barack Obama, the NSA, the FBI, PRISM, and the Patriot Act. Seriously, are you just going to give away your RIGHT to not be spied on with dubious warrant claims? Are you just going to give away your FREEDOM to not have your phone calls listened or your internet searches cataloged? Are you going to let National Intelligence Director James Clapper lie to Congress and not go to jail over the depth and scope of the spying? Guaranteed if you lied to Congress you'd be in jail yesterday.

So while you watch the teevee specials today on great Americans who built this land and gave us our birthrights, and watch the shells bursting over the Hudson River tonight ask yourself if you're just willing to accept what you're told by the powers that be or if you're ready to hold them to account.

Again, Happy Independence Day and Restore the Fourth!

Late night open thread

The Empire State Building is all lit up red, white, and blue. The WTC is lit up tonight as well. And Johnny's gonna try to stay lit this weekend as well. America!

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The more things change, the more they stay the same -- UPDATED

Well well well, that took all of a day didn't it? The day after the wonderful swearing in of Mayor Fulop and the city council, Joyce Watterman who won an at-large seat on the council -- wait for it -- wants to hire a family member for her staff. Yes Watterman wants her daughter Jennifer to serve on her staff and be paid the commensurate $15K a year salary.

So there's part one.

New council President Rolando Lavarro wasn't quite sure what to say in his first big test. After getting after Bill Gaughan's use of a family member on staff (And be clear, Jersey City has a looooong history of this sort of thing) Rolando seemed a lot less troubled about Watterman's decision:

Lavarro said hiring a family member “is not the approach I would take." But Lavarro said it’s difficult to find someone to do all the work of a council aide on $15,000 a year.

“It’s their decision, at the end of the day,” he said, adding that he believes Jennifer Watterman is “qualified” for the job.

Rolando Lavarro, you have Mayor Fulop on line 1:

Lavarro called about an hour later to reiterate his position: "I don't approve of it. Period."

Good to know Fulop has the city council president on speed dial. Now, there's nothing legally Mayor Fulop can do about this choice. The council chooses who the council chooses. But Fulop did strike the proper tone on this slippery slope:

"While by law her aide is only her decision and Jen is great, I think the appearance is not something I would think is favorable for her," he said. "I think another route would be better."

We agree with the Mayor. We here at the Jersey City Desk have nothing against Jennifer Watterman. We're certain she's a tip top professional who would serve her mother proud. The heck of it is this is bigger than just an appointment. This is the old Jersey City we're all trying so hard to move beyond. It's unfortunate those before Joyce Watterman abused the system.

It just sends the wrong message.

UPDATE: Ms. Watterman has decided against hiring her daughter. We commend her choice and once again say it's not about the fact her daughter wouldn't do a great job. It's just the message it sends at this point in time.

Late night open thread

“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.”
-- Marcus Aurelius

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

It's July already and the Super Bowl is only six months out -- Let the price gouging begin!

The Seville Motel, conveniently located on the rough and tumble section of Tonnelle Avenue, and where rooms rent for can $45 for three hours (call it the secretary special rate) is already getting walk-ins and calls about rooms for the Super Bowl (They don't advertise on social media and have no website). The cost for those rooms come Super Bowl weekend? Rooms will be $200-250, with a three-night minimum, said manager Ashok Panwala.

How's THAT for making some quick coin? We don't begrudge them. Hell all the hotels around here are doing this. Should some kind of Biblical miracle happens and the Lions make the Super Bowl Johnny's house is going to become a Motel 6.5 with all the Michiganders who'll flock out as if to see the image of Jesus on toast or the Virgin Mary in syrup. You better believe he'll make sure tributes are paid.

So, what kind of gouging are you finding or have you heard of dear readers? Anything really out there?Or perhaps you've chanced across someone who doesn't plan on upping the price of a burger from $9.95 to $16.95 at their restaurant.We'd sure love to hear about those places most.

Late night open thread

A very nice ceremony and good speeches from Senator Menendez, Governor Christie and the new Mayor himself. The old boater hats in the audience was a nice touch.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

A very nice piece on Jersey City and Mayor Fulop in the New York Times today

As you prepare your zodiac boat or maybe a canoe or a bass boat to take over to Mayor Fulop's inauguration, please take a few minutes of quality indoor time to enjoy a nice write up on our fair city by Kate Zernike at The Times. We think you'll like it.

Senators, governors, congressmen and women, citizens and fellow nere-do-wells, Welcome to Jersey City!

We have a full house of dignitaries here today for Mayor Fulop's (He became mayor at midnight) inauguration. Senator Menendez, Governor Christie, former JC Mayors, political media, and other big hitters in Hudson County so as Jersey City's Official Nere-do-Well® it falls on Johnny to offer the blanket welcome.

We hope you'll find the second-largest city in the Garden State to your liking as we have so many more amenities than the first-largest city. Please take a few minutes to enjoy our waterfront and the local grub. Best restaurants in the state right here so don't forget to eat. A lot of planning has gone into this shindig today so Johnny supposes we need to talk about this:

Monday
Overcast with a chance of a thunderstorm and a chance of rain, then thunderstorms and rain showers in the afternoon. High of 84F. Winds from the South at 5 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60% with rainfall amounts near 0.4 in. possible.

Monday Night
Overcast with a chance of a thunderstorm and a chance of rain. Low of 72F. Winds from the South at 5 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50% with rainfall amounts near 0.4 in. possible.

So, rain. Lots of heavy intermittent rain will fall on Jersey City today, with some moving into the area at press time. Flash flood warnings have been posted across the state. No word from the new city administration what happens in the case of a deluge at showtime. The graphic on the flyer simply says 'weather permitting.' Union County and Essex County already have tornado WARNINGS this morning and we anticipate things today will be done under a tornado watch. Plan accordingly and keep and eye on the sky.

Weather aside, please accept our hearty welcome to Cool City, enjoy your stay and spend money.

Late night open thread

I never yet feared those men who set a place apart in the middle of their cities where they gather to cheat one another and swear oaths which they break.
 -- Herodotus

Time for Jersey City, After Dark