Jersey Joe checks out some funny shots of people captured in the Google Maps street view car.
Google maps street view first started as an experiment, where they packed a computer and a camera into the back of an SUV and drove around, capturing whatever they found on their journey. It all started back in 2007, but now they have expanded to 7 continents and there’s no stopping their little car with the 360 degree camera on top.
Even in my neighborhood, they’ve shot the front of my apartment at least three times. They continue to not only update the maps and images they already have, but continue to constantly add more streets.
THE 411
What: Google street view
Purpose: online search tool
Launched: 2007
JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:
As I said in my blog, I believe this is one of the most incredible inventions so far of the 21st century. In fact, they have already captured history in the making. Several buildings burnt down just around the block from my apartment and Google Maps have captured what they looked like before the fire several years ago and have now driven back around the area to capture what the block looks like today.
This is extremely helpful in times of disaster or when you want to take a look back at a nostalgic photo, or see what your old neighborhood looks like today.
Try it out! Enter your home address and see what their car and camera has captured. If they don’t have you yet, rest assured – they will!
At least, we get to see lots of people, doing lots of crazy things as this car transverses our planet. For fun, I love typing in a random address and seeing what’s around. Think of it – you can explore strange new parts of our planet, without ever leaving your home! All you need is a computer and an address! So, if you can’t get there to see the real thing — it’s like a Star Trek holodeck, now you can have your own personal virtual tour!
Here it is – my fourth official season finale! True, I’ve only been writing on Been and Going since it launched about a year ago, but this blog has now been online for four complete years. It all started 182 editions ago on fierceandnerdy.com. As my season wraps, I always go back and update what I’ve written about. So, get ready as we take a quick look back…
You can click on the title of each blog to check out the original post.
This blogumn looked at the new Judge Judy slot machines that had just hit casino floors. At the time, the machines were highly popular and can still be found in most major casinos.
The popularity of this slot machine continues today. During a recent visit to Atlantic City, there was always somebody playing them and still had a line of spectators watching at both banks of machines I found at Bally’s and the Golden Nugget.
This blogumn took a look at one of my favorite video games of all time, Burger Time. The game is simple, you are the chef and your job is to assemble hamburgers in a crazy kitchen where the ingredients have come to life and are after you!
I love to play this game at Barcade, in Jersey City, New Jersey. Barcade is a cross between a bar and arcade that thankfully, is for adults only.
Sadly, the machine has gone missing from this location. Barcade is in the process of opening a new location in Manhattan and I can only hope that it will end up there. Both locations will only be a PATH train ride away.
In this special edition, I discussed the new Burger King Rib Sandwich that the fast food chain had added to their menu. It was their first big jab at McDonald’s by creating their own version of McDonald’s legendary McRib.
The Burger King Rib Sandwich was added to last summer’s menu and I judged it to be far superior to the McRib. While it did sell well, the sandwich finished its summer run and was removed from BK’s menu early last fall. Sadly, it has not returned and there have been no plans announced to bring it back. I hope that Burger King reconsiders and makes this a permanent addition to their menu.
In a little over a week after online gambling was legalized and officially launched in New Jersey, I tested out a few sites to see what all the hype was about.
Like it or hate it, online gambling has generated extra revenue for both the state and the Atlantic City casinos who took part in it. Sadly, the state overestimated how much revenue would be brought in.
The state was estimating that $10.6 million would be earned in just six weeks. The total earned was $7.3 million, which is still a success. The revenue earned from legal online gambling has saw steady growth from January – March, with April being the first to see a slight decline in the amount wagered. The state still expects continued growth moving forward.
This blog took a look back at the night I was there for the final moments of the Sands casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. With my old camera phone, I captured the final blackjack hand and security ushering everyone out, while the slots were being turned off. The casino was closed for a project, that was to build a mega casino and hotel in it’s place. Sadly, the economy went bust and the project never happened.
The Madison House, a hotel that is located across the street from the site, was once used as an additional hotel tower for the Sands. It closed when the casino did, but finally reopened this past January. Sadly, Tripadvisor reviews of the initial opening were terrible. Guests complained of slow elevators, filthy and outdated rooms, and a strong cigarette smoke smell. Many guests have commented that a renovation has begun and hopefully this will be a step in the right direction for the historic property. I plan to check it out as some point in the future.
The Sands site still sits unused, outside of a light up artist installation.
In this hilarious video I found online, we get to see TV’s Judge Joe Brown all liquored up and hitting on a group of women at some kind of resort. Joe even makes fun of his old TV show.
Since then, Judge Joe has gone back to being a lawyer in Memphis, Tennessee. Back in March, during a court child support preceding, he went on a tirade against the judge and it got him thrown in jail. (You can hear TMZ’s copy of the court room audio here.) He was sentenced to five days, but was released in a couple of hours. He is also running for District Attorney in Shelby County. Could it have all been a publicity stunt?
Time: new editions post Thursday at Noon Eastern / 9am Pacific
JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:
Thanks again for all your support and for checking out my blog. I love how we get to chat like this each week. As always, feel free to comment below each post or reach out to me on twitter @jerseyjoe50.
This summer, I have a quite a treat for all of you TV fans. Starting with next week’s blog, I am going to post 10 at a time, my 100 favorite TV show theme songs. You’ll get to see show opens from some of your favorite series and a few that I’m sure you’ve forgotten. Don’t miss it – starting next week!
Monday morning, people in the Los Angeles area were shaken awake by a 4.4 earthquake. While earthquakes are nothing new to California residents it still took some of the local news anchors by surprise on live TV. From the local news, to baseball games, to Judge Judy – let’s check out some awesome earthquakes caught on the air.
The greatest reaction to Monday’s earthquake had to be by the KTLA Morning News anchors. While a quake can be starting, should these two have kept a little calmer? You decide in this video that has gone viral…
http://youtu.be/SCJihgO5gmg
In Japan, broadcasters have earthquake warnings down to a science. The second the earth starts shaking, all shows are automatically interrupted by a series of audio chimes and a map, showing the location of the quake, and a computer voice giving viewers instructions.
This video was taken from the day of the big 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. What’s interesting is not only do we get to see the first warnings about the quake (with live shots of their parliament meeting being shook up) but also at 1:32 we see the local news report as it interrupts the programming and then the quake strikes the studio. Listen carefully to the studio crew’s reactions as well. (It’s subtitled in English).
But it’s not over yet, stay tuned for the most shocking part. At 3:30 the emergency computer kicks off the local news for a tsunami warning. Listen how the alert tone and graphics take a much more serious tone. The computers give viewers an estimate as to where the wave will hit, how high, and how much time they have to evacuate. This tsunami caused massive devastation, including the near meltdown of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant that has left numerous towns abandoned. The live news coverage of the whole event is shocking.
Back in 2010, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake was centered in Virginia, but the effects were felt up and down the east coast. First, it interrupts a live streaming news show in Washington DC…
…and then strikes a live mlb.com webcast from New York. At first, the guy on the right is so focused on baseball stats; he won’t stop talking and really becomes a bigger bonehead with what he says at the end of the event…
One of the most famous earthquakes caught on live TV was during ABC’s coverage of the 1989 World Series from San Francisco. Here’s what viewers saw (including me) from coast to coast as the quake strikes during pregame.
Lastly, only an earthquake can silence Judge Judy in her court. Here’s what happened when a quake strikes as she’s taping an episode. She is so out of there!
While we still can’t predict an earthquake, with everyone now armed with mobile devices, social media, and 24 hour news; video and news of the events go out to the masses seconds after it happens.
THE 411
What: earthquakes caught on TV
Where: mostly West Coast and Japan – but, pretty much anywhere
JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:
Having been through the New York earthquake, you almost don’t realize one is happening until it’s already half way over. I’m sure my friends in California who have been through bigger quakes will have a different viewpoint. I’ve only ever been through one and that’s good enough!
That live newscast from Japan during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami is really powerful. It captures the whole event as it happened and I applaud whoever uploaded it for giving us a glimpse of that terrible day. I’m not sure why we don’t have an earthquake warning system here in the US, like they do there. Along with the tsunami warning system, it certainly saved many lives that day. We have Amber alerts, Silver alerts, and the Emergency Alert System, so why not one for earthquakes?
Over the years, I’ve featured all kinds of “caught on tape” blogs. Well, this week is only for those who have a strong stomach! When a whale dies at sea, it usually washes ashore on a beach somewhere and causes quite a stink. It’s the job of local authorities to remove these giant animals before things really get bad. Well, take a look at these videos (WARNING: GRAPHIC FOOTAGE) and think of this the next time you have a bad day at work!
Whales are some of the largest creatures to inhabit our planet’s oceans. Ranging in size from 11 feet to 200 tons, the average life span is 77 years, but they can live well past the century mark. While known as a gentile giant, these creatures were nearly hunted into extinction, with 2 million being killed during the 20th century. Now, only a few countries are still on the hunt, while most have given up in hopes of growing the population. Whalers hunted them for oil, meat, and to make perfume out of their intestines. The issue of whale hunting was the subject for the time travel film, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
Sadly, after the long lives come to and end, many wash up on shore. If not taken care of, they begin to decompose in only two days. Who would want to be next to that giant stinky mess? After they pass, their stomach and intestines fill with gas. (Think of how you feel after eating a bloating meal!)
The following video was recorded last November in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands are about 200 miles northwest of Scotland with a population of about 50,000. While under Danish rule, the island is self governed and prohibit whale hunting. Therefore, the whale in the video was not hunted and died of natural causes.
I feel bad for this guy who had to go in and dissect the carcass for removal. He gets quite a surprise!
WARNING: GRAPHIC FOOTAGE. This did air on Faroe national TV across the island.
http://youtu.be/dCsMNurn3bQ
Since being posted, the video has scored over 4 million hits.
This is not the first time a whale explosion has been caught on camera. Back in November 1980, KATU News in Portland, Oregon was there as another whale washed ashore. This time, town officials decided to blow it up with dynamite in a huge public spectacle… which quickly goes wrong. WARNING: MORE GRAPHIC FOOTAGE taken from the original newscast.
Another video that has scored over 3 million hits.
THE 411
What: exploding whales caught on tape
Why: pressure builds up in whale stomach and intestines after death
JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:
These videos are kind of crazy! I think we’ve all learned not to cut into a dead whale. It’s amazing (and a little educational) how the build up of gas inside can cause such an explosion. The pressure was enough to destroy a car in the parking lot! How do you explain that to your insurance company?
Judging by the millions who have viewed these videos, just about anything can become a trending topic on the web.
For 15 seasons, Judge Joe Brown’s court kept law and order on daytime television. His clean cut, down home approach had zero tolerance for thugs and low lifes. After decades holding court both on and off television, Judge Joe has retired and a video you’re about to see is quite the change from his clean cut image.
Judge Joe Brown was born in 1947 and is a retired Shelby County, Tennessee judge. After years of holding court, he was thrown into the national spotlight after presiding over James Earl Ray’s last appeal in the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. He was removed from the case after making comments about the murder weapon to a local congresswoman. It was then; he caught the eye of producers of the hottest court show on television, Judge Judy.
http://youtu.be/z-xEgySJiUg
Judy’s producers noticed the unique way Joe operated his court room. He would listen intently for the facts of the case, picking up on subtitle facts, facial expressions, and mannerisms from the litigants. Once he was sure he found the guilty party, he would zero in with his down home, no-nonsense approach, and often try to instruct them on where they’ve gone wrong and what to do to put economy in the community instead of being, what he would often say, “a damn fool.”
Judge Joe Brown’s television series was launched as a companion show to Judge Judy on September 14, 1998. His main tagline: “protecting womanhood and promoting manhood.” The show was a ratings success and was recorded in the same studio, with a set located directly behind the back wall of Judge Judy’s, at the Sunset-Bronson Studios in Hollywood.
While Judge Joe scored moderate ratings in daytime syndicated television, during the 15th season, his ratings took a slide, and he was informed by CBS, the show’s distribution company, that he would be taking a pay cut. (He was the second highest paid TV judge, earning $20 million per year.)
Judge Joe was not satisfied with this (and reported pay cut down to $5 million per year) and his show was cancelled in spring 2012, with new episodes airing until June and reruns until September.
Since leaving TV, it looks like Judge Joe has been living the good life and enjoying his much deserved retirement. But, in the day of cell phone cameras, people still know his as a celebrity and a video that’s turned up on YouTube, shows a much different version of the clean cut Judge.
Take a look at him having one too many double Bombay Sapphires resulting in some slurred speech, posing for photos with women, and having a few foul mouth words about his former TV show. Note: Viewer discretion advised.
http://youtu.be/QCyHSEj0W94
Is Judge Joe done being on television. “I don’t do that bullshit, anymore…” seems to answer that question.
THE 411
Who: Judge Joe Brown
What: former television judge
Number of seasons on television: 15
JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:
As long as he’s not getting behind the wheel drinking and driving, let him enjoy his retirement. Everyone loses control when they’ve had a few too many (I’m not judging), just most of us are not on national television. Video like that is gold to the paparazzi. But hey, Judge Joe Brown is retired and doesn’t seem to care!
I also got a laugh at this parody of the Judge Joe video:
Sometimes you just end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Last weekend, my friends and I had one of those moments when simply trying to get some late night fried chicken.
(WARNING: strong language in video)
After living in Northern New Jersey / New York City area for all these years, one thing that I’ve come to learn is that each town, city, and suburb has their own iconic fried chicken joint. Many of these places are open until the wee hours of the morning and Hollywood Fried Chicken on Newark Avenue in downtown Jersey City is no different.
Hollywood Fried Chicken on Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ
The fried chicken is super cheap, super tasty, and probably not the best for you. The breading is not too spicy, but is crisp while the chicken inside remains moist. Their menu consists of fried chicken and all the sides, plus burgers and gyros. There are three locations in New Jersey and this restaurant has been a neighborhood staple for decades. Just say the name – and most locals know all about it!
And by cheap, I mean you can purchase a 15 piece chicken box with 2 sides and biscuits that will feed the entire family for $13! While there are dozens of door buster meal deals, an individual chicken wing starts at the rock bottom price of 75 cents!
The restaurant opens at 10am and doesn’t close until 4am. Those late night hours often make the place a last stop for those who’ve had a little too much to drink bar hopping all night.
We’re not sure what started the brawl. As we turned the corner from Jersey Avenue, you could hear lots of commotion and arguing going on inside the restaurant. Next thing you know it, one group is pushing the other and within a minute, people spill out the front door onto the street.
No one was seriously hurt and we left right after I stopped recording. We had a conversation with two other customers who were inside when everything happened. As one of them told us:
“It was stupid. One girl bumped into the other and things got out of hand.”
The Jersey City police heading toward the scene.
Within about 10 minutes after everything broke up and being called, the Jersey City police finally arrived on the scene.
The sad thing is in this day and age with all the lawsuits and cameras, a simple misunderstanding like this can really blow up into big trouble. While some of it was fueled by alcohol (and you could clearly see at least one girl, barely able to walk) too many people are looking to sue. Just watch daytime TV with all the injury lawyer commercials!
Hollywood Fried Chicken has a 3½ star rating on Yelp with reviews mixed from really good to really bad. Many of the reviews note the rowdy customers and late night drunks, but thank Hollywood for saving them from a massive hangover.
But, like it or hate it, the restaurant has a profitable business model. The place is always busy no matter what time of day and they turn out lots of chicken during business hours. They may want to add some more late night security, however.
Does your neighborhood have a late night chicken place like this?
THE 411
What: Hollywood Fried Chicken
Where: Jersey City, New Jersey
Date of incident: after midnight, January 20, 2014
JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:
The Hollywood Fried Chicken banana pudding.
The neighborhood along the Jersey City waterfront across the river from New York City continues to gentrify. What were once railroads and warehouses are now expensive rentals and high rise condos. Hollywood Fried Chicken has certainly seen the changes in the neighborhood over the decades.
The food is really good; sadly the crowd sometimes is not. I eat there on a regular basis; I just scope it out, first. If it looks packed and rowdy inside – I pass.
But, you’ve got to try their banana pudding! It’s absolutely succulent and quite the little hidden bonus item on their menu!
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JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:
