Late night open thread

State trivia night:

This state is home to the first hamburger (1895), Polaroid camera (1934), helicopter (1939), and color television (1948). You have a 1 in 50 shot so give it a whirl. You can find the answer here.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

So, the Big Apple BBQ...

First here's a panorama of the fun in Madison Square Park yesterday (and the BBQ is going on today until 6pm):

Did you count the strollers? Here comes the waking that fine line without offending those with kids. The food of course is all first class or these pitmasters would not be at the Big Apple BBQ. Johnny, a veteran going back to the first BABBQ, expected this event would grow as people learned about how great it was.

It has reached critical mass, however. The event organizers, in a money grab have completely oversold the Fast Passes that allow holders along the inside of the BBQ tables, along the sidewalk, while those without use the streets for access. It began to really get crowded last year and Johnny suspected then they had oversold for what the event would well handle. However last year the Fast Passes were still quicker than not having one. This year that tipping point changed at some pitmaster stations. There were actually shorter lines for those without the Fast Passes and that is a problem. When you get the dozens of strollers inside that inner ring in the Fast pass area, they continually block the passageways, block food lines and block access to porta-johns. As always they seem to not notice they are holding people up. One woman with a stroller actually told someone Johnny was at the BBQ with to quiet down as her baby was sleeping in the stroller. Yeah, right, OK, lady. If you listen to music in the video you think she might have been a little out of line?

So yes, the stroller crowds are making the Saturday BABBQ their own to the chagrin of many of us veterans. Johnny thinks he'll try Sunday next year and if it's overrun with the strollers then he might have to give it up. A great event suffering under the weight of it's own success, both externally and internally.

Now, on with the pictures!

Late night open thread

What a long, fun filled day (Well fun filled until about midway in the second overtime of you're a Rangers fan). Johnny will have a full update along with moving pictures and a fair criticism of the Big Apple BBQ on the morrow.

Til' then.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Late night open thread

Time is what keeps things from happening all at once.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with RAY CHARLES!

Because sometimes you gotta get up, move the furniture to the edge of the room and get your dance on. Ray Charles with 'Mess Around' and unless you live on the ground floor somewhere your neighbors should be upset with you if you're doing this one right...

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with MINDY SMITH!

Making a long overdue Music Series debut tonight is Mindy Smith. Mrs. Johnny had long been a fan of Mindy (can we call you Mindy?) and when Johnny heard this song one day on the shuffle he wasn't where he could see who the artist was. A couple times he wanted to say Patty Griffin then, nope nope, not quite. Being a huge fan of Patty Griffin, it's wasn't a stretch for Johnny to start listening to and enjoying Mindy Smith's music. 'I Couldn't Stand the Rain' tonight as we dim the lights a little.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with PINK FLOYD!

In honor of the Big Apple BBQ and Block Party tomorrow we'll play off the Music Series to 'Pigs (Three Different Ones)' this week. When the song is over it'll almost be time to go!

It's almost here, the porkiest weekend of the year!

Too much pork for just one fork? Not possible. That's right BBQ fans, tomorrow and Sunday in NYC's Madison Square Park brings one of Johnny's fav-o-rite events all year, the Big Apple Barbeque and Block Party.

Pitmasters from all over the USA are gathering around Madison Square Park at 23rd and 5th Ave. as we speak getting ready to amaze your tastebuds and tickle your tummy. This is quite simply a wonderful event in the absolute best place you could have it in the city. It's just pitch perfect.

Temps tomorrow will be rising to around 83º degrees and it'll be in the 70º's under the canopy of trees in MSP. Add the beer tents and live music to the mix and baby, you've got something.

So come on out and eat yourself silly. You can learn more about the event here.

Here's Southern Culture on the Skids (Who played the Big Apple BBQ in 2012) with 'Too Much Pork for Just One Fork'

Late night open thread

In chess, there are 169,518,829,100,544,000,000,000,000,000 ways to play the first ten moves.

That'll be on Friday's quiz.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

A rainy morning in Jersey City; Also Johnny's getting soft in his old age

A few images from around town this rainy AM. The part where Johnny gets all soft and shows mercy was the part where he walked by a DPW worker idling nasty diesel fumes while catching a nap and 15 minutes later when he walked back by the nap sure seemed to be still in progress. Johnny chose to blur the worker's face. That won't happen often and no, Johnny had never seen or met this guy before. Can't civilians get tickets for just letting their vehicles idle? This truck was no hybrid.

So on with rainy Thursday and a homemade animated gif to boot...