Last call before 2016, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Rolling Stones!

As always, the last before midnight song, 'Gimme Shelter' live from Amsterdam. See ya on the other side Jersey City.

Get out on that dance floor my roaring cats and kittens...

...and 'Let it Whip' and be all Dazz Band with that smart cocktail in your hand. Remember, what goes down if it goes wrong comes back at that speed times two.

Bringing in some of that Detroit sound

Johnny wants a sound of back home and the Detroit music wheel stopped on the White Stripes and 'Fell in Love With a Girl'

Some dinnertime music as you prep your stomach for all that booze

Let's do that to the sounds of Bryan Adams, he's making a comeback you know. This song, 'Cuts Like A Knife' just like all those tequila shots will be doing to your stomach later on tonight.

Anyone doing it up big tonight?

Anyone going to a party so cool you'd call it a 'Glamorous Life' kind of party? Sheila E take it away!

Don't forget those tax deductions are due by midnight!

Let's take a break from the music for a quick second and remind everyone your tax deductions have to be made by midnight tonight to count for your 2015 taxes. Two groups near and dear to Johnny's heart could sure use your support in any amount. Let's help the wonderful dogs and cats who need our help but don't have a voice of their own. Your contribution helps them immensely.

See Spot Rescued
Liberty Humane Society

Click on either one to get to their contribution page. Both are 100% deductible organizations.

Now we're cooking with gas!

Nothing like hopping around and dreaming of making the beast with two backs underneath the strobe light. Points for anyone tonight who gets their pineapple kissed. The B-52's and said 'Strobe Light'

Let's get ready for the new year, if the new year was 1968

Ah, hippies. As Eric Cartman says they want to save the world but all they do is smoke pot and smell bad. But they too, back in their time, had happy messages of love and brotherhood and a positive outlook (On smoking pot and smelling bad), and that's one perhaps we can all take into 2016.

The Hippies, er, The Youngbloods and 'Get Together'

Kicking off New Year's Rockin' Eve Jersey City Desk style with a Midnight Rendzvous

And tonight aren't we all looking for a Midnight Rendezvous? The Baby's with the honors of going first this year.

Late night open thread

They say Alabama are the Immortals of the college football world. Immortals, tomorrow in the Cotton Bowl Johnny's Spartans shall put their name to the test.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Get those requests in for tomorrow's all-day music marathon

As all the regular crowd knows tomorrow in an unabashed tribute to great music. It's music all day long leading up to midnight and here's where the regulars have an advantage, they know the last song before 2016. If you don't know well then you'll have to tune in.

Late night open thread

If today is your birthday you share it with Brooklyn's own Mary Tyler Moore.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The Jersey Journal beat us to this topic this morning

Johnny had planned to write up a year in review post today and a guy he really likes, reporter Terrence T. McDonald at the Jersey Journal had written pretty good one himself. We're not going to try and cover everything he reviewed but we're going to expound on a few points he brought up.

If Johnny is giving out grades to Mayor Fulop it'd be in the C- to D+ range this year. His attorneys showing up at city council meetings where millions in tax breaks are being decided with their heads up their asses and not knowing the length of abatements they were even talking about and leaving. Bzzzzt. City Hall jobs that appear and aren't subject to any oversight or usual hiring practices. Bzzzzzt. That many of these jobs seem set-up to help the mayor's run for governor Bzzzzt Bzzzzt. Bubba Cowan's lawsuit, though dismissed sure brought up some interesting points. Especially that Robbinsville incident. The case might be dropped but it doesn't mean the original claim wasn't true. Administrative spending is far too high. City spending is far too high. This coming from a really liberal person, not some reactionary tea party goof, also someone who knows economics.

Fulop's mishandling of the election date change does at the end become a null because no matter how shady the original plan was, the people will get a full say on real numbers in the end.

The reval that's now coming is going to be pinned on the mayor just as it would have been under Healy or Cunningham. Someone was gonna get it. But it will be Fulop who has to sit there like a jackass in a hailstorm and take it. If he'd have just let the other 5% of it get done and dealt with it right after he became mayor he could have blamed it on Healy and it wouldn't have changed any of the tax breaks he planned to continue giving out. He'd have skated by but now that Drumthwacket is calling it's much much more troublesome.

Jackass meet hailstorm.

We especially liked McDonald's take on the double-dippers that city council member Fulop raged against. There's a saying going around town, "Councilman Fulop would hate Mayor Fulop's guts."

Fulop also went through more spokespeople, most noteworthy new guy Ryan Jacobs who we hardly even got to call a spokesmodel before he left. Sad face. Quite interesting McDonald points out Fulop's known temper in dealing with staff when discussing all the disappeared spokespeople. Spokespeople, some of whom Johnny has known well don't normally get really rattled at public criticism to the point they'd keep quitting. Maybe it's someone else flying off the handle at fair critiques made of him and making life unbearable for those who spin his message.

Just a thought.

Late night open thread

Ya don't say...

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

If Johnny catches any of you at the Newark Airport's new CBGB's...

...That's a paddlin. One simply does not go into, patronize or buy anything from the CBGB's out at Newark Liberty International Aeropuerto (Sally Daft for the win!)....ever. Don't drop in and get Johnny a cute Ramones-themed gift. Does not want. What a hideous idea.

Late night open thread

Boy this city is careening rudderless right into 2016 isn't it?

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

1 year-old the latest victim of Jersey City gun violence

A 1 year-old was the latest victim of Jersey City gun violence as the car the baby was in was shot at Bergen and Harrison avenues earlier this afternoon. More from the governor wannabe at the link and the good news the baby will be ok.

Late night open thread

Johnny just saw a wrapping paper tumbleweed roll past on Montgomery near Grove St.. Take from that what you will.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with ELLE KING!

Tonight a tribute to all the ladies who (through no fault of their own of course) wound up on Santa's naughty or perhaps the more politically correct bad girl list. Again, Johnny doesn't judge, he just hopes you get all the loot you want. Starting off our Christmas Music Series is a classic tale of a gal on Santa's B-list. Elle King and 'Ex's & Oh's'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE FLAMETRICK SUBS!

Oh this IS a first time for The Flametrick Subs, on Christmas that is. But since we're all about the bad girls on Santa's list, they're perfect.

Now daddy's bought a shotgun
to keep the wolves at bay
But he's running out of ammo
and they just won't go away

'What Makes A Good Girl Go So Bad'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with PAT BENATAR!

One more sassy and brassy number for all the bad girls on Santa's B-list this year. Pat Benatar from the incredible album True Love and the track 'I Feel Lucky'

Merry Christmas from the Jersey City Desk staff!

Also, we'll be back for the Music Series tonight and your present is that we're not playing holiday songs! See ya tonight!

Late night open thread

Despite the weather this is NOT Santa Claus. If you see him come down your chimney tonight call 911.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The classic Carol of the Bells

Magnificent when in the good hands of the Moron Fishing Tackle Choir.

Another cup of Christmas cheer with Dave Edmunds

Johnny's second favorite holiday themed song but his favorite version of sone that's been covered over 100 times. Run Rudolph Run out there tonight and enjoy the warm weather.

The Jersey City Desk would like to get a forensic accounting of Jersey City taxes/books

More excellent reporting from Terrence T. McDonald at the Jersey Journal, who asks the hard questions and asks the right questions of the right people. To wit:

A rival of Mayor Steve Fulop is asking state officials to audit Jersey City's tax program, saying the city's recent move to halt new assessments of renovated homes was outside of Fulop's legal authority.

Bill Matsikoudis — a Fulop critic when he was top city attorney under ex-Mayor Jerramiah Healy — alleges in a letter sent today to state tax officials that "political concerns" appear to have been behind the city's request to stop the added assessments, which would have given over 450 homeowners a tax break.

This reval that was cancelled after being 95% done, Loans now to developers, the shifty none-too-aboveboard plan to declare City Hall a dilapidated property so the property next to it can be wink wink'd to developer friends of the mayor at an oh-so-special rate. Who benefits? The developer. Who pays? If you're reading this angrily most likely you and Johnny.

The taxpayers of Jersey City deserve a full accounting of all city finances on a forensic level by an independent firm. This means going back into the Healy years as well Mr. Matsikoudis and if any financial skullduggery was going on back with your guy we're guessing you all know a good attorney. No more trusting city hall or council. A full forensic accounting, if need be to be paid for by developer checks in lieu of real tax rates so it can't be argued the city lacks the finances to do so. No, a locally connected firm or the same old firm attesting to the numbers isn't enough anymore. There are of course many other things the forensic accountants can look into, departmental budgets (and we'll almost guarantee they find some questionable spending and practices under those rocks) and payroll and possible no-show jobs as a certain other investigation turned up quite by a drunken car accident this year. The point is, the taxpayers of our fair city deserve a complete check-up with X-ray machines of our finances. Anyone opposing such makes Johnny wonder about what exactly they'd be worried about someone finding.

Late night open thread

Johnny is tuning to his Listening Station of Doom® set-up and it sounds like someone got an ark stuck in the Lincoln Tunnel tonight.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

City Hall just seems disconnected

Not a happy ho ho ho commentary tonight but one that says from the top down city hall seems rather divested from the recent murder in Journal Square of the store owner and another now classified as a murder after an attack last summer. Council dares not say anything to upset the mayor and the mayor is doing as little as he can to talk about real city issues.

It's been one disappointing year at 280 Grove St.

Late night open thread

Johnny and the staff are back and we'll take you uninterrupted into the new year. No more travel.

Anything happen while we were gone (eyerolls)?

TIme for Jersey City, After Dark

Late night open thread

Last post for a week or so as Johnny's got some good weather reports for the next week to ten days and he's going to try the "Three Snowbelt Run" from here to his in-laws snuggled up against Lake Michigan. Going home to see family for the Christmas season for the first time in seven years. With any luck and if weather holds we'll have the Jersey City Desk back up and running before Christmas Eve.

Here, enjoy this yule log until Johnny and the staff return.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Late night open thread

Movie mistakes night.

In Back to the Future, when Marty wrote the warning letter to Doc before he goes into the future, the word "disaster" is the only word in the last line. Yet when Doc shows Marty the letter 30 years later after having been all taped up, yellowed and "terrible disaster" is the last line. That's one magic letter.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Go outside and play

Seriously, go outside, you'll never have a better December 13th to get out and about. Know how Johnny knows? In all the history of tracking temperatures NO OTHER December 13th in history has been so warm. Go shopping around town. Go get brunch, go for a walk, but go play and we'll see you back here tonight.

Late night open thread

Johnny was all up in this place we call Jersey City today. What a beautiful day to be out and about. Hopefully more of it tomorrow. Johnny will make a game time call on anyone going into the office based on the weather but right now he might just tell the staff to go outside and play.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Later night open thread

You know how in movies, especially space movies when a craft has to squeeze into a small space at a high rate of speed and if they are a good guy they just barely make it through with inches to spare?

Yeah, movies are great.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with FRANK SINATRA!

Well it's now past midnight on the eastern seaboard and Hoboken New Jersey which means today is officially December 12 and that makes it a cool 100 for Frank Sinatra. Look, we could sit here all night and debate our favorite Frank Sinatra songs but it's Johnny's blog so he'll go with his favorite, in a tribute to the good people of Hoboken who Johnny has been known to kid from time to time, 'Summer Wind'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE ARCS!

The Arcs were in town Wednesday in NYC and by all accounts played a really hot show. They had a female Mariachi band open and stay and perform some songs with them. Sounds phenomenal.

Good morning children, welcome to school with The Arcs and 'Outta My Mind'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with PETE TOWNSHEND!

Johnny will try to keep it short in heaping the praise on the guy who wrote the soundtrack to Johnny's angst-ridden teen years, who wrote the best album ever in Quadrophenia and let this song play you off on one of Johnny's twenty favorite albums, Empty Glass. Johnny still has that album and cover just waiting to be autographed one day. Played it down to the vinyl....twice.

Mr. Pete Townshend and 'Gonna Get Ya'

Late night open thread

You're probably right...

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Mayor Fulop folds; city will have a revote in November

After asking city council to stick their necks out for him in accepting the vote of several Jersey City residents on moving the election to November from May Mayor Fulop has decided we'll all have a neat-o revote to see if city elections will move. Some of these city council members Johnny has a hunch aren't real keen on running on a November ticket, one possibly for governor.

Terrence T. McDonald, you cover Jersey City better'n anyone, tell us what's what:

Voters already signaled their narrow support via a non-binding ballot question last month. Critics have argued that the low voter turnout indicated there is not wide support for changing the election date, a move that could not be reversed for at least 10 years.

Changing the quadrennial city elections to November would be key for Fulop's political future. If they remain in May, he would have to choose whether to run for re-election in May 2017 or run in the June 2017 gubernatorial primary. If the change to November is approved, he would have the option of running for re-election if his dream of becoming governor fizzles.

So November it is and Johnny has a hunch the city elections are going to stay in May but at least it'll be a fair drop.

Late night open thread

Dusting off state trivia night:

The first official school in the United States (back before there even was a United States of America) was founded in this state in 1696. Can you guess which one? Answer here.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

We have to wonder as a city...

Is the Jersey City police department spending extra time and resources on the Bay St. Towers (Formerly Trump Plaza) because of Donald Trump's incendiary comments towards Muslims? Do they feel the building could become some kind of target as resident's at Trump's NYC buildings think? And if in fact the JCPD are putting more resources towards policing the Bay St. Towers shouldn't the bill for that go directly to the Trump offices?

Of course we realize the JCPD would never indicate they are or aren't paying any more attention to a building one way or another (though at first glance it sure looks like it) but we have to wonder as a city if the bill for such shouldn't be sent along to the one causing the problems.

Late night open thread

Did you know then, paleontologists actually refer to the spiky end of a Stegosaurus tail as a "thagomizer" after this 1982 Gary Larson Far Side cartoon. Awesome!

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

If you're too stupid to live with Muslims in Johnny's Jersey City then feel free to GTFO

Go, git. Skedaddle. Fuck off. This Trump bullshit has really gotten those who live under the woodpile all riled up and people need to be smarter or get away from Johnny.

Today, some thimble-headed gherkin won't take credit for their cowardice sent a West Side Islamic Center mosque a letter calling Muslims "evil" and telling them to "go back to the desert,"

Sadly there's more

The letter, sent to the Al Tawheed Islamic Center on Logan Avenue, includes numerous disparaging comments about Muslims, and references comments Trump has made about "thousands and thousands" of people in Jersey City celebrating the 9/11 attacks, a claim that has been widely discredited.

"We do not want you here," the letter reads. "We do not like you. You are evil."

Gutless. Heartless, Uninformed. In a nutshell Trump and his watercarriers.

The Jersey CIty Desk is not going to tolerate this kind of shit. C'mon, make yourself known, coward.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

What is seen cannot be unseen

If you're like Johnny and you walk your dog all over Jersey City you will from time to time see chalk drawings, or stickers on common objects that just aren't right. Here be one. Oh, Kermit...

Late night open thread

Johnny is gonna open his own sports book after that prediction on the Jets and Giants game. Johnnybet.com is on the way!

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Jets and Giants football Gameday!

Two teams, one gameday thread, can't beat that when Johnny is feeling like a lazy bastard.

By rights and a lots of metrics the Giants should do well today. They have decided advantages at a couple of key positions, not the least of which is quarterback. Eli Manning is better than Grizzly Fitzpatrick, he just is. So why is Johnny leaning Mean Green on this one tight now?

The Jets we have a feeling are going to be able to run today. They're going to have to which means if Johnny knows it the Giants sure do and still the Jets are gonna be able to control the tempo of the game on the ground is Johnny's guess. The Jets average over 100 yards on the ground a game and we see nothing in Big Blue's resume this year that says that won't continue. We also don't think the Giants are going to be able to run, not that they ever seem to make it a priority. Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. will have to have strong days and stretch the field vertically and with no Darrell Revis in the Jets secondary there's no excuse not to. Eli seems to play better against teams outside the division if you ask us.

Again, there are a lot of reasons the Giants could and should win, this game has BIG playoff implications for both teams, ie a December gut-check. The Jets running game though, it'll open enough balls for Brandon Marshall for the Jets to pull off a close win.

Fearless Forecast:
J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets 23
NJ Giants 21


Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (file photo)

Late night open thread

One more time this year with feeling, it's the Saturday Night Scoreboard Show!

Michigan State 16
Iowa 13
Michigan State force fed Iowa on that final drive like geese making foie gras to the tune of 22 plays over 9:04 and 82 yards. Surgery without anesthetic. On to the playoffs

Alabama 29
Florida 15
Alabama it sounds like according to experts at this late hour are about to get a date with Michigan State, a team they just canceled a home and home series with

Texas 23
Baylor 17
Good, classless bunch of turds

Clemson 45
North Carolina 37
The ACC really needs officials who don't have seeing-eye dogs

Stanford 41
USC 22
Christian McCaffrey ran wild as Stanford punched their ticket to another Rose Bowl but who will await them, Iowa or Ohio State is the question

Houston 24
Temple 13
A nice little season for Temple regardless

Kansas State 24
West Virginia 23
Many a couch in Morgantown was saved in this West Virginia loss

San Diego State 27
Air Force 24
Will you look at that, something called the Mountain West has a title game

Linfield 38
Mary Hardin-Baylor 35
Linfield says they won but they're known cheaters, you can't trust a thing they say

The Jersey City Desk Game of the Week®
Louisiana Monroe 42
New Mexico State 35
Trey Caldwell returned an interception in the fourth quarter to help the Warhawks get power up and win just their second game of the season. As we all know, Trey Caldwell' may loot and pillage, well, since this is the last Scoreboard Show this year, until next August. Lookout Monroe Louisiana

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Yeah, OK, today is probably gonna be a lot about MSU and Championship Saturday

You may not know it from reading here but in day to day dealing with people and in general Johnny's fairly reserved. That's out the window. His Spartans are in Indianapolis tonight to look to go to the top four team playoff. A win over Iowa would do that. On Monday Michigan State's basketball team will be voted #1 in the country. It's a good time to be a Spartan.

Word on the street is there are a lot of other title games going on today. Glory be, we have ourselves a SPORGY!

Late night open thread

Is is Saturday night yet? Sparty On!

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with ELIZA NEALS!

Jersey City by way of Detroit (and Johnny's friend). One of the finest blues singers around. Don't take Johnny's word for it. Here's a real treat, Eliza Neals and 'Misery' and trust Johnny, you won't hear a better song tonight. Or this week. Or this month.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with STEEL PULSE!

If you are a fan of cover songs, you'll over this. If you don't love cover songs, this one won't hardly suck at all. Steel Pulse covering The Police standard, 'Can't Stand Losing You'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE B-52'S!

Perhaps it's just coincidence that the band is The B-52's and this song, '52 Girls' has 52 in it.

Perhaps

Late night open thread

January 31st, Prudential Center in Newark. Tickets on sale December 11.

Good luck

Oh, who is Johnny talking about? This guy and his E Street Band

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

This is what Johnny was talking about; A full throated citywide response to Trump's idiocy

Donald Trump lied about Jersey City on 9/11. It's been well documented what Donald Trump (and other FOX nutjobs) claimed to have seen in Jersey City on 9/11. Thousands or hundreds of Muslims (who in Eric Bolling's case said were tipped off the attack was coming so they COULD celebrate) did not ever celebrate the attacks on America. Still, with Trump appealing to the lowest common denominator as far as educated voters go, he seems to gain traction with the claim when it's not pushed back in his face. Today the Jersey City A-Team held a meeting to address Trump's stupidity and we are all for this pushback:

Fulop said Trump’s “hate rhetoric” was “ironic” since Jersey City has allows been a place associated with the American Dream.

During the question and answer session with the media, Fulop doubled down “that there is no record” to prove any celebrations occurred in Jersey City shortly after 9/11. Jersey City Council members Rolando Lavarro, Rich Boggiano and Michael Yun also took the podium at the event, as did Paterson Council President William McCoy – shooting down speculation that any celebrations occurred in his urban city, either. 

The Hudson County View has much more on the meeting but when Johnny called on a concerted effort from the top down, and not just leaving the fightback to citizens, this is exactly what he meant. Great job by the mayor and all involved to protect our good name.

Late night open thread

Tomorrow morning's NY Daily News.

Best.Headline.Ever


Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Red lights, foggy night

Out walking tonight Johnny saw this scene and it grabbed him, so he grabbed back and out it through a Lo Mob filter and voila!

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

EXCLUSIVE Downtown demolition video

Johnny called in a favor and got roof access near where the old Cooke Warehouse at Bay St. and Warren is in the final stages of demolition. What video, any closer and you'd have rubble on your keyboard.

Late night open thread

Ah the Browns....the Browns.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark