Viking Update

Remember the vikings?

So this is NOT a viking ship, it's made of eucalyptus and reeds.

It will be helmed by a German former middle-school teacher. He believes that indigenous peoples made it to America on these things. He's going to prove it by piloting the thing across the Atlantic.

Key Quotes:

Gorlitz maintains that the discovery of traces of tobacco and cocaine in the tomb containing the mummy of the pharaoh Ramses II in Egypt is evidence that there was trade between the Old World and New World.

"There's this 99.9 percent certainty that it didn't happen because we don't have evidence that it happened," said Kenneth L. Feder, an anthropology professor at Central Connecticut State University and author of "Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology."

Gorlitz is looking for more volunteers to sail with him in July and is trying to raise about $538,000 (€399,911) for the trip. He does not have a sailing license, but nevertheless plans to steer the vessel himself.
"It's like kung fu....The less you know, the better," Gorlitz said.

The construction engineer for the craft who will make the journey does not know how to swim. That's why the engineer decided to double the thickness of the ship's hull.
Gorlitz was not happy about the development. And according to Feder, the mixture of materials and various historical periods of time mean that the resulting trip will have little scientific value.

Yeah, so that was much of the article. But they're classic quotes!

Independent Movie Making in Jersey City

Well done. Apparently "Double Parked" has recognizable scenes of JC in it. I'll be renting it, and the reviews look good...

I'd love to hear from people trying to make movies in the JC! It's about time for another writing project for me...

Parrot Weirdness

So have any of y'all been to the key guy on Grove street? Have you seen his parrots?

Those guys are NOT in good shape. I'm not one to point fingers at people, because, hey, it's a free country, and people can keep their pets in the condition they want. (Maybe he's taking care of some sick parrots and should be commended, even!)

But some part of me wonders: Are they sick because they are inhaling metal dust all day? Seriously, they have like three feathers left! It's very strange...

This is NOT a picture of one of his sick parrots. Maybe, someday, I'll sneak a picture somehow.

This Has NOTHING to do with Jersey City

But it's funny as hell.

This cop thought he overdosed on marijuana. Silly cop. Silly 911 call.

Ah, JC in the News for All the Right Reasons

It seems that Jane Congema was beaten by about three teenagers while five more rooted them on.

All this for $2.50. Sounds like Clockwork Orange!

Listen, Jersey City's a big place, and crap like this happens in big cities. It sucks, but at least the cops are doing something about it, right?

Err, maybe? Check out this quote from the Jersey Journal article about it:

"Tell Comey this was a 'wolf pack' - they were out for blood and they got mine," Congema said, referring to a previous story in which Comey took The Jersey Journal to task for labeling as a "wolf pack" a group of feuding teens.

Comey didn't quibble about the term yesterday. "We have combated these groups in the past and continue to do so now," Comey said.

Come on, Thomas J. Comey "Chief of Police!" You can do better than that.

Cops Inspecting Random Bags Now

I'm sure you've seen this useless new gesture in your local path station. Cops pick out a random person or two to delay with a stupid bag search while thousands walk by.

This blog makes the point the money should have been used on improvements to the system, or maybe, JUST MAYBE, we could have regular all-night all-weekend service from Jersey City to 14th street.

No, instead we want to see those bags!!

This Building Not Long for This Earth

30 Montgomery Street has been sold (for $106 mill) and will be demolished, it seems!

Coming soon? Apparently, "a spectacular, mixed-use complex similar to the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle in Manhattan."

Well, that would be nice, especially if it comes with the WHOLE FOODS part!!!!

Vikings???

New York's Sixth Borough blogs about a planned Viking mission, launching from legendary Paulus Hook.

Huh???

Tax Abatement Bill Passed in State Assembly

Despite Healy's objections, the state assembly passed a bill limiting abatements to 10 years. 20 years has been the norm here.

Despite living in a condo that has lower taxes because of an abatement, I support this measure. When the big developers pay their 'payments in lieu of taxes,' a common abatement measure, the city does not have to share the money with local schools.

And we wonder why our local public schools are so poor.

Deadly Beetle Discovered in Jersey City in 2002

And now we are battling this deadly Asian beetle all over New Jersey, taking down infected trees and replacing them with un-appetizing Crabapple trees. Once again we prove that all good things start in Jersey City.

It's WAR!!! Draw up your battle plans!!!


This is NOT the beetle we are battling. However, it's pretty cool.

Barack UPDATE

Wow, I was right! Healy will endorse democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, along with Newark Mayor Cory Booker, at his fundraiser Monday night at the Liberty House Restaurant.

You can go, if you have $2,300 to blow on dinner.

Qien es mas guapo, Obama or Booker?

Gerald McCann UPDATE

So it looks like Gerry McCann (Holy 80's Mustache!) is being called to task for getting 200+ votes from assisted-living homes around the city. He beat Jenny Garcia by 21 votes.

Now Garcia is suing him. Right on!

Of course, it's kind of sleazy that Jerramiah Healy's aide is helping her, but c'est la vie.

Ashy Larry UPDATE

So it WAS the gun-store owner that fired shots at Ashy Larry after the comedian's show at Jordan's Lounge recently.

So THIS is what we sell guns for: so that we can shoot at people that double-park in front of our cars. That seems reasonable.

Yeah, yeah, there were fisticuffs involved. He must have really feared for his life, while fighting with a member of Ashy Larry's entourage. (He does look pretty scary in that picture.) Glad he could fire his .357 MAGNUM at the comediand!!!

Guns are fun, I'll admit it. Maybe I'm un-American enough to suggest we shouldn't ALL have access to them. And it might be nice to shut down that store.

How About More than 1.5 Good Music Venues in Jersey City?

Is that too much to ask?

The Lamp Post (where the bartenders are HOT and the beer is COLD!) gets written up as JC's almost-sole music venue (Iron Monkey, 58 Gallery get mentions).

Yeah, the Lamp Post is cool, but we need a little more. It's not good that I can count the number of bars I'm willing to go to in my borough on one hand.

And I still think there's room for more edgier bar/venues, in case anybody with money is listening. You'll get my dollars if you build it!!!
Having Galapagos-envy...

Barack Obama is Coming to Jersey City

All I know is that it clearly states on his agenda that he will be in glorious Jersey City, New Jersey. Unfortunately, I think it's a private event.

And the rumor is that he'll get the highly sought-after endorsement of Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy. Highly sought after because Hillary is cleaning up in Jersey right now, and any politician that will support him is highly sought after.

Is it wrong for me to say that I just like Barack's energy better than Clinton's? There's too much politician in her, which I feel from a combination of knowing her family some from school, and just straight-up media portrayal filtering down.

Really, though, I just want the one that can win, however hard THAT is to gauge.

Props to the Sixth Borough

For giving me a shout-out. I'll give one right back - http://newyorkssixth.com/.

I like the idea of a Sixth Borough, and obviously there are similarities between Hoboken and Jersey City. We are a borough with our own personality, and we belong. Right on brothers!

But with the particular brand of warts we got here in Jersey City, you just have to smile:

It's Jersey City baby!

Here's one of our finest citizens:

Just When Jersey City Was Almost Respectable

Some asshole had to go out and threaten Ashy Larry with a gun.

Not Ashy Larry! He's a cultural icon! Look at him!

Except that he was just fired from his radio job for playing "Are you smarter than an asian" and making other racist Asian jokes on the air.

So when he says "Rampant, overt and baseless hatred that lives and breathes on our streets daily. Jokes spoken in jest are not the root of evil in our society... it's ignorant, angry people that create chaos," it rings kind of like a pathetic attempt at defending himself, doesn't it?

Good year for Ashy Larry: first he alienates Chappelle fans by hosting the extra episodes of the show that Chappelle voiced his displeasure about, then he gets fired from his radio job for racist comments, and then he gets threatened by a racist wielding a gun!

Kucinich Comes to Jersey City

Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich dined at the Brownstone Diner on Jersey Avenue on April 21. Some interesting points:

* Why do they put ages in every news article when they introduce someone? It's mostly irrelevant, until it's revealing, and then it's almost rude. For example: Dennis is 60, his wife is 29. Irrelevant, revealing and rude at the same time? It kind of seems that way to me!

She's 29!!! 29!!!! Tell EVERYONE!!!

* This guy has balls. He called for the impeachment of Cheney, the most evil man in America. He doesn't pull punches.

* It takes a certain kind of ignorance to be a fringe presidential candidate. Dennis says "I'm ready to president now," and "I think Democrats want someone who can win in November." I like this guy, but I don't think he's going to win, and if the Democrats winning was my number one concern, I wouldn't vote for him. But he has to believe in order to go through this ridiculous process, so nobody tell him he can't win. It's much better to have his ideas get out there with 'presidential candidate' attached to them for now.

* I love when articles sum up candidates' positions in a sentence. Dennis is into abolishing nuclear weapons, universal healthcare... and year-round pre-K education? That was the third bullet point the journalist decided on? This is why he can't be considered a serious candidate: some of his ideas are kind of out there. And they help invalidate the rest of his set of good ideas.

* Like reviving new-deal-like WPA projects around America. He says he was reminded of his vision to revive domestic work programs while driving up the 1 and 9 and seeing "crumbling infrastructure." Yeah, no shit - that's my freaking commute, and I've complained here before about my shocks going. Let's give some people jobs and save my shocks. Great idea!

* Dennis reads the bills he votes on. The bar is that low. We pat congressmen on the back for actually reading the bills before he votes on those bills and makes laws. What if the bar was that low at your workplace? We'd all be superstars!

Jersey City Did What?

JC FORGOT to spend money!!! Amazing, they left $140+K in Homeland Security Funding on the table!

You would have thought they could have found SOME politician that needed an extension on his house or something...