Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

New Jersey Giants football Gameday!

Oh look, the Charlie Heger Ice Rink at Pershing Field is open! Let's go skating Jersey City!

If you have to watch the Giants and Jacksonville you feel free.

Late night open thread

It's the Saturday night Scoreboard Show! A Scoreboard Show AND a Music Series in one night? There ought to be a tax on that much fun!

Michigan State 34
Penn State 10
Michigan State won the toss and elected to beat the bejeesus out of Penn State

Ohio State 42
Michigan 28
In 1973, in their famous 10-10 tie Michigan and OSU had to wait for the athletic directors to pick a team to go to the Rose Bowl. At least two AD's chose OSU because Michigan QB Dennis Franklin broke his collarbone in the 4th quarter and they thought OSU would be a better bet to win. Now, 41 years later fate intervenes again and OSU will watch poll voters do to them what was done to Michigan with the injury to their star QB JT Barrett

Alabama 55
Auburn 44
Alabama, right on schedule

Georgia Tech 30
Georgia 24 OT
Wanting his MSU Spartans to move up in the polling Johnny angrily turned this game off when Georgia scored a TD with 18 seconds to go in regulation. Sorry Ramblin' Wreck, Johnny has learned his lesson!

Oregon 47
Oregon State 19
The battle for the old mill pond goes to the Ducks over the Beavers

Fordham 44
Sacred Heart 22
The Rams double up the Pioneers in their 1-AA playoff game

John Carroll 14
Wheaton, (Ill) 12
Congrats to John Carroll on the Division III playoff game but Wheaton from Illinois could also be read Ill Wheaton

Wartburg 21
St. Johns (MN) 10
Everyone will look stylish in these new WARTBURG shirts

Baylor 48
Texas Tech 46
Baylor almost rued the day

The Jersey City Desk Game of the Week®
Rutgers outscored the stupid Turtles 24-3 in a HUGE second half comeback that saw Rutgers assure themselves of a bowl game in their first year in the B1G. Good on them!

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Saturday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE SMITHS!

Sometimes you hear that song in the shower and you sing it and it sticks in your head all week until you can finally get some relief and put it up on the Music Series. Yeah, a song like that would be good here. The Smiths with 'Sheila Take a Bow' to get things rolling tonight.

Saturday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE EURYTHMICS!

Know what Johnny likes? Strong women. Know who's a strong woman? Annie Lennox. A once in a generation voice and an amazing talent but even she needs a man once in a while. Don't believe Johnny? Listen up, bub. The Eurythmics with 'I Need a Man'

Saturday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN!

How about a little bit of Jersey love for those Scarlet Knight of Rutgers who not only held their own in their first season in the B1G against all odds, they finished ahead of Michigan and Penn State. Bruce Springsteen wrapping up a belated Music Series with 'No Surrender'

Rutgers football Gameday!

Well fans here we are, late late November and a season that was supposed to be a soul-crushing doormat trip through their first season ion the B1G actually has a huge opportunity. Rutgers is 6-5 and they NEED this win today and here's why.

Northwestern and Illinois are fighting to be bowl eligible at 6-6, one will today. With a huge upset over the Buckeyes (and they almost did last year) Michigan is 6-6. If Sparty beats Penn State today they will be 6-6. That is just too many 6-6 teams to ASSURE a bowl game for RU. Yes, 6-6 qualifies you but if you think a small bowl game is going to take Rutgers at 6-6 over Michigan and Penn State at 6-6 you're fooling yourself. Don't think the B1G itself would lobby for RU to not go over Michigan or PSU, B1G Commissioner Jim Delany is NOT your friend RU. The B1G look at 6-6 teams doesn't even begin to count all the other 6-6 teams out there. If the Knights want a payout this year they MUST win today.

7-4 Maryland awaits in The Noob Bowl. Maryland is a one TD favorite BUT this is going to have to be a program win for Rutgers. Most of Maryland's success has come away from Byrd Stadium on the road. Rutgers must dig deep, stick to their game plan and cinch a bowl game. We think Gary Nova will shine today.

For God and Country....and a bowl game

Fearless Forecast:
Rutgers 27
Maryland 25

Late night open thread

Hey kids, Johnny has holiday company over and we'll get to the Music Series tomorrow night when things settle down. Hope your weekend is going well and the food is good.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Happy Thanksgiving from our little family to yours!

This truly American holiday and all that goes with it lifts Johnny up. A little soul searching and humility in giving thanks before eating like a T-Rex seems so, so, warm and familiar.

Johnny would like to give thanks to all of you who come here and read whatever Johnny has to say and putting up with him. Y'all are the best! Thanks.
Jersey City Desk file photo

Late night open thread

My cooking is so bad my kids thought Thanksgiving was to commemorate Pearl Harbor.
 -- Phyllis Diller

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Jersey City cops will soon be wearing body cameras

Actually officers in New Jersey's three largest cities, Jersey City, Newark and Paterson will soon begin wearing the body cameras that record what police are doing, seeing and hearing. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, in just one year of using body cameras in Rialto California: 

"...the use of force by officers declined 60%, and citizen complaints against police fell 88%."

So whats not to love, right? We wholeheartedly agree with Jersey City Mayor Fulop in having his police force wear the cameras. These cameras will protect our police, cut down on nuisance suits and give police an on the ground instant feedback machine to check who did what in a chaotic scene.

Good call by all three mayors!

Late night open thread

They say you're not supposed to put metal in a microwave oven. They're right.
 -- Stephen Wright

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

A Winter Storm Warning has now been posted for Hudson County and the surround for tomorrow

At the worst possible time for travelers, late tomorrow morning 4-6" of snow will fall in and around the Jersey City area. Anyone who needs to get out of town, this ain't no 1-3 as they were saying yesterday, this is now a serious storm. We're gonna call this one Winter Storm Milton Berle!

Say Jersey City, if you're going to deep fry a turkey Thursday, Musty the Bear reminds you to be safe

Musty the Bear, whose cave is near where the BJ's parking lot meets the Hudson-Bergen light rail tracks at Newport, reminds you to be safe. Musty says these are deep frying no-no's:

*Tossing balls of mashed potatoes at the hot oil like basketball jump shots
*Tossing cranberries at the hot oil like basketball jump shots
*Pretty much don't throw things in the hot oil
*If your turkey overflows the tub and catches your garage on fire, leave it go man, it's gone
*The less people with beers in their hands around the oil tub when the turkey goes down the better
*Get the oil to the proper temperature checking with a cooking thermometer, not the one outside the kitchen window

Musty thanks you and reminds you only YOU can prevent horrible turkey oil burns and garage fires.

Late night open thread

Beautiful weather today for a bike ride wasn't it?

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

It's time to play "Johnny's Best Guess!"

When it comes to this budding nor'easter and how much snow it might drop on the metropolitan Jersey City area, (including NYC) Johnny's best guess is around 2 inches of wet snow.

Please plan your Thanksgiving holiday travel on that.

Late night open thread

Like the man said, feed the crow! Go Browns!

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

In the dark of night, with no regard to rights, Jersey City executed a dozen of its top criminals

A mass execution of trash bags, killed by hanging, and left there to perhaps show other trash bags what happens when you fund terrorism, harm children or break leaving a mess on the kitchen floor was witnessed by this reporter this morning at Second St. and Washington.

Obviously the city is sending a message by leaving them there in such a high traffic area on a Sunday. BAD trash bags. SHAMEFUL trash bags. In the words of Judge Smails in Caddyshack, "Steve Fulop didn't want to do this to them but felt he....owed it to them."

No trial, no nothing. But uh, now that they're dead can we get them down?

Late night open thread

It's the Saturday Night Scoreboard Show!

Michigan St. 45
Rutgers 3
Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor > Snooki

Maryland 23
Michigan 16
Ann Arbor is closed, Moose out front should have told you

Alabama 48
Western Carolina 14
What is it with SEC schools scheduling a late November cupcake every year?

Wisconsin 26
Iowa 24
Bucky sets up a winner take all contest for the B1G West next week with the Minnesota Lundegaards

Western Michigan 32
Central Michigan 20
They're putting the Zoo in Kalamazoo tonight

Harvard 31
Yale 24
Harvard wins their 8th straight vs. Yale and wins the Ivy league title

New Hampshire 20
Maine 12
New Hampshire turned over everything but the combination to the state vault with all the gold in it, losing three fumbles and three interceptions yet winning anyway

Lafayette 27
Lehigh 7
The oldest rivalry in college football turned 150 at Yankee Stadium today

Minnesota-Duluth 25
NW Missouri St 21
Duluth spent the first three quarters on the team bus eating Cheetos and drinking Red Bulls before storming out in the 4th quarter with 19 unanswered points

The Jersey City Desk Game of the Week®
Wake Forest 6
Virginia Tech 3 2OT
This one has dibs on Game of the Year. It was 0-0 going into overtime meaning for the first time since 2005 nobody scored in a regulation game. That's worth the price of admission, huh? In overtime Wake Forest's Mike Weaver kicked two field goals after missing three in regulation so Mike Weaver may loot and pillage but only for 12 hours because he did miss three field goals...

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Rutgers football Gameday!

Welcome to the RU football Gameday Johnny has waited all year for -- The Michigan State Spartans.

Michigan State is proof Rutgers can succeed in the B1G. Michigan State had drifted for years in the conference without much to take away from, well any of it. Since Duffy Daugherty retired and after Nick Saban left in 1999 MSU fell into a general malaise winning only one Big Ten title in 1990. They'd have some nice runs and the occasional upset of Ohio State or Michigan but nothing you'd go up on rooftops yelling about.

Kinda sorta like Rutgers for the last 25-30 years. A lot of naysayers said Rutgers would be the doormat of the B1G this year and that has been far from true. Rutgers has established a calling card in only their first year as being a team that is difficult to play against and excellent on special teams. Quick, what's Maryland's calling card? Exactly. It's not as bad as all that Scarlet Knights fans. Mark Dantonio at MSU has taken overlooked two and three star recruits and coached them better than anyone else in the midwest and has become a national power in the process. Rutgers has a good coach in Kyle Flood. If he can have three or four years to get his guys in that FIT the program he's trying to build, and gets guys overlooked with something to prove and yes, nine or ten win seasons are not out of the question. Johnny's not saying it's going to happen overnight or that Rutgers will become Auburn or Alabama any time soon but RU is positioned well right now.

OK, football! This is an A gap blitz. MSU runs these a LOT:

See the two middle linebackers get a healthy running start at the opposing team's backfield? Yeah, and if Gary Nova does not handle these Pat Narduzzi blitzes Rutgers is in for a long day. Why can Michigan St. blitz like this? Their cornerbacks play tight press coverage and are very good at it. They know most long passes are not completed especially when A) the QB is under great pressure and B) The defender is good. The Spartans dare the opposition to throw long. In order for RU to keep things close and hope for an upset Gary Nova is going to have to hit at least three plays of 50 yards or more. He is going to have to prove to the 75,000 green and white fans on Senior Day he can go long and keep going long. Though not a strength Rutgers is going to need to run the ball against the Green Wall for around 100 yards to keep Nova upright when he passes.

When MSU has the ball they have perhaps the most balanced offense in the conference. Pro to be Connor Cook is not afraid to use his arm (Note: At least once a game he WILL throw a pass that makes MSU fans wonder if he's blind) and has a cadre of good receivers and one great one. Tony Lippett, (#14 in your program but #1 in your heart) has had a breakout season. He's big, strong, fast and makes great catches for long gains:

Getting back to how Rutgers can emulate Michigan St. by smart player selection; all everything running back Jeremy Langford was a third team defensive back after his freshman year. It cost MSU nothing to move him and see if his talents didn't fit better elsewhere. Smart good coaching can cover a lot of holes. Look at Langford now, over 100 yards for 13 straight games. He has 33 career TD's. All they did was move him.

Langford has fumbled in the past and as noted above Connor Cook is prone to a horrid throw every so often believing in his arm more than he should. Rutgers is going to need turnovers and will most likely need one of their patented blocked kicks for a score to keep it close and spring what would be a huge upset and BIG program win for Kyle Flood and RU.

All this being said Johnny is gonna go with his deep seeded loyalties today in the rain/snow/fog of East Lansing.

Fearless Forecast:
Michigan St. 45
Rutgers 14

Late night open thread

Yeah, Johnny's cheating on the calendar tonight sipping egg nog and listening to music and it's not even December yet. Go ahead, call the authorities Johnny dares you. The arrest, court case and publicity will only lead to more street cred.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with FLEETWOOD MAC!

Johnny can tell you without a doubt what his favorite all-time slow song is. Can you? Quick, Johnny will give you a chance to read this story and listen to this incredible song that long ago put a hook in Johnny probably no other slow song has. 'Sara' is simply a one of a kind and Johnny can tell you the very first time he heard it, camping outside one night in George Fischer's front yard in 1979.

That's a big fucking hook eh?

Get your learn on as Stevie talks about writing the song while you listen to what heaven sounds like.

"I wrote Sara on the piano, by myself. The original Sara was 16 minutes long. Like about nine more verses than what you hear on the record. It got edited down to 14 minutes, down to 11 minutes, down to 9 minutes, down to 7 minutes, down to 4 minutes and 40 seconds. I was to the point where I went, 'Is the word Sara even going to be left in the song?'

I knew that Sara would be very popular because I loved writing that song. I've had more fun writing that...I remember the night I wrote it. 'I sat up with a very good friend of mine whose name is Sara, who was married to Mick Fleetwood. She likes to think it's completely about her, but it's really not completely about her. It's about me, about her, about Mick, about Fleetwood Mac. Its about all of us at that point. There's little bits about each one of us in that song and when it had all the other verses it really covered a vast bunch of people. Sara was the kind of song you could fall in love with, because I fell in love with it..."
 -- Stevie Nicks, Tommy Vance show, May 1994

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with MARK KNOPFLER!

The king of Dire Straits has always done wonderful solo stuff. Interesting, great storytelling and as always terrific, thoughtful lyrics. Johnny is dedicating this song, 'Who's Your Baby Now' to all the gals who passed Johnny over and or god forbid broke up with him before he became rich, powerful, and above the law.

Whoa, Johnny, what brought this on? You're normally positive on people. Yes friends but news from back in Michigan has reached Johnny's ears by raven of a gal who quite pointedly told Johnny one day she was leaving him because he wouldn't make a good solid husband one day and her college psychology courses had taught and prepped her on how to pick the right man and stay married. She knew friends, she foresaw Johnny's failings. Next year is Johnny's 30th anniversary and now gal who bailed on Johnny recently began her third marriage so see, the vindictive story has a happy ending after all.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with PETER GABRIEL!

Ok, are you ready, by the time the song hits the line "Don't talk back, just drive the car" we want you spitting that out just like Peter Gabriel does. C'mon, loudly with seething contempt and let 'er fly!

Peter Gabriel with 'Digging in the Dirt'

The NYPD murdered an unarmed black man last night

It would be horrid enough just to say they murdered an unarmed man but with things being the way they are these days with police murdering a LOT of unarmed black men, well then this needs to be put on the table.

A rookie officer named Peter Liang got nervous and opened fire into a dark stairwell killing Akai Gurley and according to NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton this was just an accident so don't worry about it:

“What happened last night was a very unfortunate tragedy,” said NYPD Commissioner William Bratton at a Friday news conference. “... It appears this may have been in fact an accidental discharge.”

Yes, so whatever, no problem here right Mr. Bratton. Just let your unqualified officers just fire their big guns into dark stairwells every time they get nervous. What complete and utter shit. If someone had been horsing around with a gun and shot and murdered an NYPD officer they'd be filing terrorism charges about now. No apologies accepted until Peter Liang sits in a jail cell for his stupidity that cost another human being their life.

Late night open thread

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.
 -- Henry David Thoreau

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Breaking News: The weather is so bad in Buffalo the Jets game there Sunday is being moved

A neutral site game is what the Jets will face as yet another 3-4 feet of snow fell in and just south of Buffalo today forcing the NFL to move the game to either Detroit, Pittsburgh or Washington but no final announcement has been made yet. We'd expect tickets to be free, seriously on that, to help fill the stadium wherever it turns out to be.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

We have time for a quick news roundup this evening

* A Newark police officer chased down a suspect on horseback and made the collar. Go Dudley Do-Right go!

* The Port Authority CAN go ahead and raise tolls on bridges and tunnels in December after all.

* A Manhattan Federal Judge said a woman in North Bergen can KEEP a stolen 7.4 carat diamond, yowser.

* Eli Manning told Tiki Barber to shut his talk hole about Giants coach Tom Coughlin.

* Paul Mulshine has a great article on the Orwellian world of driving in New Jersey.

* And finally, since the weed is legal in Washington state why not have a YouTube video of three grandmas toking up for the first time.

Late night open thread

If I had nine of my fingers missing I wouldn't type any slower.
 -- Mitch Hedberg

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Oopy from Bullet Town meets Officer Friendly from Cool City

Shahouna Dutton needs a better nickname.

Dutton was out driving around with friends and pulled into a Wendy's drive-thru on Garfield when a full moon or something cosmic must have happened because it was at that very moment, in the drive-thru line Dutton got out and became "Oopy from Bullet Town." She began climbing through the drive-thru window, you know, like ya do. She got inside and Oopy then began assaulting employees and then threatened them with gang violence.

Oopy From Bullet Town. The Jersey Journal helps out in telling us Bullet Town is the nickname of the Booker T. Washington public housing complex where Oopy lives. No word on how Oopy came to be. There's much more on this at the link including Oopy's use of floor cleaner as a weapon and how police traced down Public Enemy Number Oopy.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

If you're someone who flips out over a bug in the house this story may not be for you

This is so cool; A family in Raritan Township shares their home with a small colony of bats. OK, first question answered upfront, NO the bats cannot get inside the home but due to a storm window that won't fully close they do have a family of brown bats hanging out between panes. Instead of freaking out, the family that owns the home decided to let bats be bats and have set up amazing webcams so people like you and Johnny can learn about these very secretive creatures. So much more on this story at the link.

Yadda yadda rain, yadda yadda flooding

You've seen it before Jersey City, heavy pre-winter rains moving up from the south. Savor the warm rain, tomorrow the wind chills are in the single digits.

Late night open thread

This'll put your head on a swivel if you have not heard the story before. In 1864 President Abraham Lincoln's son, Robert Todd, was on his was home to Washington D.C. from Harvard and was standing on a train platform in Newark. As a train began to pull out his jacket got caught causing Lincoln to lose his balance and start to fall onto the tracks. His jacket was grabbed by a stranger and he was pulled up and saved from severe injury or perhaps death. Lincoln immediately recognized the person who saved him, famous actor Edwin Booth, brother of John Wilkes Booth who would assassinate Lincoln's father the very next year.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Late night open thread

It's the Saturday night Scoreboard Show!

Alabama 25
Mississippi St. 20
Of all the teams vying for one of those four golden rings did anyone really doubt Alabama wouldn't get one?

Wisconsin 59
Nebraska 24
Melvin Gordon ran for a record 408 yards in THREE QUARTERS. Get the feeling the Nebraska defense feels like Kevin Bacon at the end of Animal House in 2-D?

Rutgers 45
Indiana 23
A bowl game chopping RU will go and good on them. Before RU fans throw back that last shot of tequila Tevin Coleman DID run for 307 on the Scarlet Knights, a sobering thought perhaps

North Dakota 30
N. Arizona 28
The streets of Grand Forks are rife with drunken revelers. Oh and North Dakota won

Lehigh 30
Colgate 27
The Mountain Hawks hang on in what has become a season of their discount tent

Michigan State 37
Maryland 15
It's pretty obvious Sparty should avoid teams that start with the letter O (Oregon, Ohio St.). Luckily Oklahoma is not on MSU's schedule anytime soon

E Kentucky 43
Murray St. 36
Murray St. led by 20 at halftime, blew that lead and made up for it by letting Dy'Shawn Mobley score all six touchdowns for E. Kentucky. Maybe they were sleepy Racing around like that all the time

Northwestern 43
Notre Dame 40 OT
If you laughed when you saw this score raise your hand. It's OK, nobody can see you. It's not hating if ND losing nourishes your soul

Furman 31
Wofford 14
P.J. Blazejowski had 305 yards on a perfect 15-of-15 passing, threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third for Furman. We wonder if he's any relation to Bill Blazejowski from the old movie Night Shift:

Jersey City Desk Game of the Week®
San Diego 32
Valparaiso 27
As long as Johnny has been doing the Scoreboard Show, as far back as Ypsilanti and never have two players been allowed to loot and pillage a town for 24 hours...until tonight.  Keith Williams threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Brandon White as time expired and the Toreros clinched a spot in the 1-AA playoffs. Commence to looting lads.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

On a completely unrelated to Jersey City note...

We think it's utterly hilarious the activist group Anonymous is taking the hoods off KKK members online after the gutless piss ants at the KKK threatened with physical harm and great violence any protestor in Ferguson Missouri over a possible non-indictment of Michael Brown's killer, Officer Darren Wilson. The KKK is losing their shit that in this brave new world where 1's and 0's run the world their 1950's tactics haven't caught up. Make sure to go check out all the racists that have been unmasked. Maybe ask their employers if they know they are employing someone from a terror group.

Enjoy the notoriety you racist warts on the ass of society. #Hoodsoff

Late night open thread

Johnny's favorite thing about cold weather? Going back inside.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE VELVET UNDERGROUND!

So let's try to get things warmed up a bit tonight with some great music at a great price (uh, that would still be free). The late and still so beloved Lou Reed out front on The Velvet underground's 'There She Goes Again'. If you're the type who enjoys learning a new language have we got a video for you!

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES!

Siouxsie Sioux was heavily influenced by the Sex Pistols as a young music fan. She followed the group on tour as one of the "Bromley Contingent" and helped shape the style of what was becoming punk rock in the London clubs. Truly a fascinating performer all these years. Here are Siouxsie & the Banshees with 'Cry'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with JUNIOR BROWN!

Junior Brown's guitar picking is so wonderful and spot on his lyrics sometimes get lost. A little rocka rolla tonight as we close up shop on another Music Series with 'My Wife Thinks You're Dead'

A great day for Jersey City and all New Jersey! The "Red Light Scameras" are going away!

The red light traffic cameras being used to milk Jersey City residents (and residents across the state) are no more after December 16th according to the NJ DOT. 

These cameras, which found their ways into cities illegally via bribes, and never did improve safety as they always claim in a cash grab, are no more and for this we can all be thankful. Civil liberties can breathe easier today.

It's getting to be that season, hockey and food drive season!

Johnny hasn't been spending too much time covering either the Devils or Rangers (coming in 2015 Islander coverage when they move off the island!) because October and November. BUT Devils fans tomorrow night at the Prudential Center is a very important game and thew Devils need your help to help others. Saturday night (A Saturday night hockey game--sweet) the Devils will face off with Patrick Roy's underachieving Colorado Nordilanche. It's always great to see Roy dealing with mediocrity especially when so much was expected of HIS team. When the coach is the biggest name on the bench he's the one going to take the heat. Paaaaaaaaa-trick! but Johnny digresses...

The IMPORTANT part of tomorrow night's game is YOU the fan. The Devils are hoping to break their record of 20,000 pounds of food for our friends in need this holiday season. If just the idea of giving canned goods and feeling good about it AND a Devils game weren't enough the Devils are going to sweeten the pot; any fan bringing in ten or more items will get a voucher for A FREE GAME LATER THIS SEASON! That is a great deal friends. Good on the Devils.

We're going to give the Jersey City Desk famous last word to Prudential Center president of business operations Hugh Weber:

“We have an obligation as an important community asset to help create positive changes in peoples’ lives, especially when it comes to basic necessities like food.”

Jersey City Desk file photo

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

A Jersey City fire inspector got what you may call an 'unhappy finish'

Phillip Procaccino was a Jersey City fire inspector with the key word in that sentence being "was." Procaccino it turns out was taking bribes from massage parlors in order to receive occupancy certificates and would also tip off the owners of the joy houses when any kind of inspection was coming, whether it be from police or other city officials so they might hide any evidence of what was really going on at the sites. Procaccino, had previously worked as a zoning inspector for the Jersey City Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce's Zoning Division, so one might say he's one of those city employees who was a jack of all trades yet master of none. When asked about his long service to the city, Jersey City spokespersona Jennifer Morrill had this to say:

"Procaccino was a long-time city employee hired by the previous administration who worked in various departments.''

An unhappy finish all the way around then...

Late night open thread

Movie trivia night. Name that movie!

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

We were going with another story this morning until our friend Smarty Jones at The Mile Square View hit us with this...

Oh what a great article. Johnny wishes he'd written and done the Photoshopping on this one. Beth Mason's dog was attacked by either a Rodent of Unusual Size out of the Princess Bride or a possum or giant-ass raccoon. Most people would simply not walk their dog where wildlife lives up to its name but being a city counsellor Mason is demanding action from the highest offices in Hoboken.

Instant classic Smarty Jones! #PrayForHoboken

Late night open thread

If today is your birthday you share it with Demi Moore and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Happy Veteran's Day!

We'd like to take a moment to say thank you to all our vets out there! Johnny wouldn't be free to write half the shit he writes if it weren't for the brave men and women of our armed services.

Late night open thread

I shaved my commute time in half by changing my car's horn to sound like gunfire.
 -- Unknown

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Welcome to today's totally random photo of the day

Late night open thread

Perfectly placed ad, really...

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Dear Jets, Johnny is going to need your addresses for this year's Christmas cards

Bravo! Well done! Beating Pittsburgh to put the Browns into first place by themselves in mid-November? That's Christmas card list stuff. Please have your people get the addys to Johnny's people.

Late night open thread

Sorry friends, it's very late and Johnny is far too tired for a proper scoreboard show.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Late night open thread

I downloaded an app that tells me which of my family members and friends are racist, it's called Facebook.
 -- Unknown

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with LUSCIOUS JACKSON!

Many moons ago Johnny was at a party and this song, 'Naked Eye' came on the sound system. A guy Johnny was talking with made a point of telling him Luscious Jackson was an all-girl band like he'd solved the Zodiac killings.

"Did you know Luscious Jackson is all girls"

"Yes, and?"

"Well they're all women."

"Yes, and?"

"All of them, even the drummer."

"Gina Schock of the Go-Go's and Sheila E are drummers."

"Don't you think it's strange all of them are women?"

"Excuse me, I have to go stand over there."

NYC's Luscious Jackson and 'Naked Eye' getting things started right tonight.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with KELLY HOGAN!

The gal with the golden voice, Kelly Hogan because sometimes Johnny just likes a good country song. This song, 'Plant White Roses' was originally done by Magnetic Fields and it evokes a Saturday night show down at Renfro Valley in Mt. Vernon Kentucky.

So good. From her recent album I Like to Keep Myself in Pain here is Kelly Hogan and 'Plant White Roses'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS!

Wrapping up the Music Series how about a salt of the earth performer and band in Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with one of their salt of the earth songs, not a top hit or chart topper or great video but a great song that still sounds great today, 'American Girl'

BREAKING NEWS: An explosion and fire on MTA A train line at 181st St.

A story you'll no doubt want to follow, an explosion and train fire late this morning according to witnesses down below on the MTA A line at 181st St. Gothamist has more and Johnny will monitor his Global Listening Station of Doom.

Looks like Steve Fulop IS running for governor

Jersey Journal reporter par excellence Terrence T. McDonald shared this Tweet this morning about a webpage (we're guessing Facebook) from Fulop ally Chico Ramchal. Draw your own conclusions:

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Goddamn right, FIRST PLACE Cleveland Browns.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

BREAKING NEWS -- Jersey City to ask JCMC to handle ambulance contract

Our friend Terrence T. McDonald has a scoop at the Jersey Journal which he has confirmed with city spokesperson Jennifer Morrill that the City of Jersey City will ask the Jersey City Medical Center to handle the much debated city ambulance contract. Last year you may recall Mayor Fulop said he wanted Care Point to handle the city's contract but after a lot of public outcry a new panel was commissioned and the vote was 6-0 in favor of JCMC.

Terrence T. has much more on this including a surprise commission member and how the JCMC only sent a proposal for the entire city when asked to draw one up for half the city.

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Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.
-- William Shakespeare

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Remember Remember the 5th of November

The Gunpowder Treason and plot;
I see of no reason why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

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Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Why does Mayor Fulop refuse to lead on Jersey City schools?

Candidate Steve Fulop worked hard to get his candidates on the Jersey City Board of Education and School Board. In the past his ticket won an almost clean sweep of the positions up for voters. Fulop spent a lot of political capital on getting these seats filled with his supporters.

So why now does he refuse to lead? Jersey City schools have been under state control LONGER than Newark Public Schools. Fulop has a lot of the folks he wanted running things in place so why oh why do the Jersey City schools still look like they do? A giant brawl yesterday (though it certainly wasn't the first and won't be the last) downtown leading to fifteen student arrests, schools falling apart around students and teachers and what does Fulop do? He gets miffed the Board of Education didn't want his idea to get builders more of a tax break by putting in tiny "pre-K" spaces in their new buildings (and a side note here, the mayor and city councilors have been told by the citizens around town they'd rather not give abatements and screw these "pre-K" centers Fulop seems to be hot on -- he's just hot on giving away resident tax money to developers we think) he fought so hard against until he became mayor. See a pattern here Jersey City? Fulop fought against things in sound bites as a city councilman but once he became mayor he turned into Mayor Steve Healop.

Now we hear Fulop is having nothing to do with the BOE this election season. Wonderful. Way to divest yourself completely from a vital city issue. Being a pissy pants does NOTHING to help Jersey City children succeed Mr. Mayor. Throwing up your hands because the BOE didn't want your abatement schemes doesn't help one Jersey City child get into college.

Is the Mayor moving away from our failing school system because he fears it will be an albatross when he runs for Governor? The very idea someone who claims to love Jersey City as much as our mayor (and we have zero reason to doubt that love) yet would even consider leaving JC and running for Governor while kids are locked in a failed school system is abhorrent. You wanted the Jersey City gig Mr. Fulop. The voters gave that to you. Now, get in there and lead lead lead until you're blue in the mouth. You took an oath to work for all residents, not just the well heeled developers with names like Trump and Goldman. Time you started acting like it. Try working as hard so Jersey City kids can get an education to prepare them for this world as you do to get tax abatements for the rich.

Late night open thread

So when do the stores start putting out the Thanksgiving candy displays?

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

A tape measure fell 50 floors this morning killing a man

The new building going up at the corner of Marin and Columbus (70-90 Columbus) downtown run by Panepinto Properties and Ironstate Development became the scene of a tragedy this morning when a man delivering sheet rock to the worksite had no idea a tape measure had somehow been dropped from 50 floors above and it sadly hit him in the head, killing him. He was pronounced dead later at Jersey City Medical Center. He was not wearing a hard hat said Jersey City public safety spokeswoman Carly Baldwin. No word on how the tape measure became dislodged or was dropped.

You just never know people, tell the kids and family members you love them every day before you head out that door.

Jersey City Desk file photo

People are moving into the new WTC today

When you glance across the river today and your eye fixes on the new WTC take time to appreciate that after 13 years someone is showing up to work at the WTC site. Conde Nast is moving a small portion of their workforce into 1 World Trade this morning. It has certainly been a long, tragic, frustrating, maddening and triumphant thirteen years. While the site is 60% rented Johnny is still waiting to take his massive camera lens up to the observation deck there when it finally opens.

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What a perfect football weekend. If you were wondering about no stories today Johnny plans a football weekend with friends once or twice a year. Today was NFL Red Zone all day with a Sunday Night game dessert. Nice and chilly with the windows open, lots of warm cider and best of all, a Browns victory!

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

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It's the Saturday night Scoreboard Show!

Auburn 35
Ole Miss 31
Ole Miss is excused from further playoff discussions

Notre Dame 49
Navy 39
The Irish escape Navy once again. They'll claim this to be a great victory. It's not

Ohio St. 55
Illinois 14
The Buckeyes roll into East Lansing next weekend on a hot streak

N. Arizona 29
Weber St. 22
It's odd a team scores exactly 22 points in a quarter, it's just an odd football number. In the first quarter today Weber St. scored 22 points to go up 22-0. Not to be outdone N. Arizona came back with 22 points in the 2nd quarter to tie it at 22 all. 2's might be wild but Weber St. is 0-9

Bucknell 27
Lafayette 24 OT
We just like saying "Hot Bison"

Butler 62
Morehead St. 52
If Morehead had Moretime they might have pulled this one out. Our Playstation Game of the Week

Youngstown St. 28
South Dakota 17
The calendar turns to November and the Penguins get winning

Slippery Rock 29
Edinboro 7
Slippery Rock football, you'll pay for the whole seat but you'll only need the edge

The Jersey City Desk Game of the Week®
Florida 38
Georgia 20
What an impressive win for an SEC team. Because of this expect Florida at 4-3 to crack the Top Ten later this weekend.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Rutgers football gameday!

Are you in your seats yet RU ticket holders? We know it's dumping buckets of rain outside and you'd prolly rather be in your RV or under a tent (that's left standing from the wind) before heading into the Scarlet Knights Football Stadium as late as possible. Coach Kyle Flood however has said be IN your seats at kickoff for Wisconsin. So good luck with your soaked selves. The rest of us will watch on the teevee.

It's homecoming in Piscataway and here come the Hungry Hungry Badgers and THAT famed offensive line. Across the front Wisconsin usually has five cave troll-sized human beings that act like road graders. It's no surprise that Wisconsin has had running backs like Ron Dayne, Montee Ball and now Melvin Gordon. Nope, there's nothing fancy about Wisconsin. They are going to run the ball down your throat up by ten, up by twenty, down by five or down by twenty-one.

This should greatly worry Rutgers fans as after the last two weeks of not stopping Ohio State or Nebraska's running games, here come the pros. Like Johnny said last week, if they didn't stop Nebraska from running they had no chance. They didn't. Maybe coach Flood can work on a defense this week that can keep eight or nine in the box at time sand force Bucky to throw. Johnny will throw out this number, on this wet windy day if the Rutgers defense can force Wisconsin to throw twenty times they have a chance.

That chance would be greatly enhanced if Gary Nova were running the offense today but that's questionable. If redshirt freshman Chris Laviano plays he's gonna need to have the game of his young life.

Wisconsin sometimes goes to sleep on the road (see Northwestern), they have done it before. Who knows, if Rutgers blocks a punt or field goal on a wet day and make a couple breaks that will take pressure off the RU offense. Still, Johnny's seen this game before. Wisconsin runs ball and keeps running ball to control time of possession. Their opponents see the ball two, three or four times less than they are used to and the pressure to score builds quickly. The Badger offense works much like a python or boa constrictor. Even in the rain.

Fearless Forecast
Wisconsin 44
Rutgers 17

Late night open thread

Charlie Brown is the one person I identify with. C.B. is such a loser. He wasn't even the star of his own Halloween special.
 -- Chris Rock

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with STEVIE WONDER!

How fortuitous Halloween would fall on a Friday and allow us a theme tonight, the wonderment of Halloween and all things spooky. We're gonna kick off the Music Series tonight with Stevie Wonder and the timeless classic, 'Superstition'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with 10,000 MANIACS!

'Candy Everybody Wants' is a clear choice here tonight on Halloween.

Hey, Hey, give 'em what they want. Looking at the freeze frame from the YouTube clip Natalie Merchant wants candy right fucking now.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE FLAMETRICK SUBS!

The poster band for Halloween wrapping up a very special Music Series this week. The Flametrick Subs with that giant bass sound and sonic lead guitar on 'What Makes A Good Girl Go Bad'