Another Delco Guy In South Jersey

Wordless Wednesday

 

On Atlantic City

I spent two days last week in Atlantic City for a conference.  I tend to get there every year or so for one meeting or another.  Of all the vices I have, gambling is not among them, so it's not a place I generally go out of my way to get to.

Lured by $55 room rates (plus $10 per night fees) the conference this year was at the Tropicana, the Boardwalk casino complex best known for its addition of 'The Quarter,' a zone of restaurants, nightclubs,and boutiques as well as the hotel's problem with bedbugs. It was a nice place ot stay for a night or two, but the constant need to walk though the smoky casino to get anywhere and the uncomfortable accommodations for a meeting make it unlikely I will head back there for a meeting.

The breakfasts were good, but the dinner left me scampering to Red Square, where the food was better, the company was excellent and the TVs were showing March Madness.  People watching at Tango's, a lobby bar, was fascinating but the Boardwalk was really the place to be on the first few days of spring.  Day time highs were in the upper 70s, with mild evenings under a canopy of stars accompanied by crashing waves.

And as long as you don't stray from the boards and your hotel, AC doesn't seem so bad.  There are clearly corridors designed to get you safely from the Expressway to your destination, with giant signs pointing the way.  Even the Revel, set to open next week, already has its own giant 6 lanes of lighted safety to get even the drunkest gambler past the badlands and headed home.

It's a surreal town, with the wind turbines and downtown outlet mall, old and new convention centers, sprawling casinos bracketing vast stretches of poverty all set along a grand stretch of white sand. As much potential fun as AC seems to hold out as a possibility, I leave somewhat sad every time I am there.  I'm not good with being told what to do, and sometimes stray outside the guided tour of the city to see things that the casino folks would prefer we didn't realize were there.

Things like the closed baseball complex that has never been able to make a go of it, the eerily disused golf course, the rows and rows of empty houses, the massage parlors, and head shops. The vacant lots though aren't the part that bothers me the most. It's the slack-jawed vacant looks of those legions who sit tethered to a blinking machine, pressing a button all day and all night, silently watching their Social Security checks disappear.

Maybe it's not quite as gritty over at the Borgata, but the giant room size, gilt paint and high-gloss wax wasn't able to hide the uneven floors, raucously drunk herds of kids and vomit in the fake plants. Boarwalk Empire this ain't! I didn't see a tuxedo or even a tie on a guest in 2 days. Many folks are wearing thier best yoga pants and sweat shirts, casino loyalty cards ringing each wrist and neck.The younger crowd makes Snooki and The Situation look modest, staggering from club to casino in the most mini of skirts and the barest of chests.

I like to have a good time as much as anyone, but I can think of about a million places I would rather be than down in AC.  If they connected you better with the ocean and the Boardwalk, I might be swayed, but instead the casinos ignore their location once you are there, forcing you to wander the floor looking for an escape hatch.

REM's 1991 hit 'Shiny, Happy People' was playing as I soldiered to the conference Friday morning.  As I looked around at the rows and rows of slot machines, table games and security guards, seniors and slackers, bar maids and porters, I could not think of a more inappropriate song for the beginning of the day at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City.

Happy Friday!

These folks may be rushing beach season just a bit, but it IS spring and there are plenty of people enjoying the warm temperatures here in Atlantic City. With the high headed to near 80 degrees today and clear blue skies above the boardwalk, it's a great day for a walk by the ocean.

Everyone have a great weekend!

20 Years of Mr. Greengenes

 

 

Mr. Greengenes opened its 2012 schedule last night with a full house at PJ Whelihan's in Cherry Hill.  As I watched Bryen and gang plug in and warm up, I was struck that I had been watching these guys (or some incarnation of them) pack bars and clubs since I was in college. They led us bar to bar at the shore like pied pipers in the summers of my young adulthood.  My bachelor party culminated with me singing on stage with the band in West Chester.

Later on, after my marriage broke up, and I was looking for things to do on summer weekends without kids, MRGG brought me back to the Delaware beaches, rocking The Bottle & Cork and reminded me how much fun Sea Isle had been as a kid.

There we were when the Phillies won it all in 2008, at the Bike Race in Manayunk, the Hair o' the Dog, and Thanksgiving Eve. I've seen Harry leave the stage, play acoustic and make a triumphant return.

But last night, early in the first set, I leaned my tired 40 something year old body against the the wall behind the sound board and sipped a soda. The lights blasted through the smoky haze and '99 Red Balloons' gave way to 'Sweet Child of Mine' and 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' and I was taken further back than all that.  To a time when we were just out watching our buddies play in the cigarette smoke of The Old State Tavern, or in a fraternity house basement, or in a high school gym in Garnet Valley.

Back then it was still Bryen leading the show, but Harry was on the keys before Joe, Rob was playing lead guitar, Timmy wasn't behind the kit yet, no one had wireless mics and Chicken had probably helped do the load out. Most of the people at PJ's last night weren't even out of diapers yet back then, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' wasn't an oldie, Carlo still came out to see the guys play, and my name was the answer to a ZBT initiation quiz.

As the first set wrapped up and my soda was empty and my legs were aching, I decided that my night of nostalgia was over and headed home early.  As I walked across the parking lot, a 20 something young woman called to me from a car where she was putting on eye makeup. 'Is it really packed in there?' she asked.

Yep.  Twenty years later it's still really packed and everyone is still having a good time.

Iron Hill Maple Shade's Barrels Event

A couple of Saturdays ago I braved what passes for a storm this winter and headed over to the Maple Shade outpost of the Iron Hill empire for their annual Barrels event.  This year, brewemaster Chris LaPierre's theme was 'Bourbon and Bugs,' or beers aged in used bourbon barrels and beers brewed with wild yeasts.

 

For most, both sets of beers are a bit of a stretch. But you're a true beer aficionado if you enjoy the 'bugs' or beers brewed with the wild yeasts.  Generally tangy and often sour, these beers have an astringent mounthfeel and take some serious getting used to. With many qualities of good wines, these complex brews offer some amazing flavor profiles for those willing to stretch beyond the standard offerings of the local microbrew.

 

LaPierre had 5 wilds to choose from and I went with the tasting round of four ounce pours for $10.  The most interesting to me was the Heywood, a Belgian golden ale that was fermented in an oak barrel with a lambic yeast.  It was dry and sour and had a surprising blue cheese-like finish.  Fascinating!

While I thought all five of the wilds were excellent, the other real winner of the round was the Wine Barrel Wee Heavy, a souped-up version of Iron Hill's standard Scotch Ale.  Aged in a wet Pinot Noir barrel, with the same lambic yeast, this 11% ABV monster was all fruit up front and spice on the finish. If I had not been driving, I would have had a pint of this!

The Bourbons came next and were actually a bit disappointing.  While each had some good points, the bourbon characteristics of the barrel aging were pretty overwhelming.  I love LaPierre, and I had eagerly awaited this portion of the tasting, but these beers were generally a disappointment. 

I've been a fan of bourbon-aged versions of the Iron Hill Porter for years, since convincing the guys in Media it was OK to sell me growlers of it to take home back in the mid-90s. The Maple Shade Bourbon Porter was served on a nitrogen push and was the clear winner of the round, smooth and full with heavy vanilla notes from the whole beans in the aging barrel. I would have had a pint of this one as well. 

The other winner of the round was the Bourbon Bock, which tasted of marshmallow and biscuit and was reminiscent of a summertime s'more.  Sadly, the collaborative Bourbon Cherry Iron Fish I was really looking forward to was a real mess, tasting strongly of cherry cough syrup that overwhelmed the hops and the malt.

All in all this was a great afternoon of beer and conversation.  I had at least 10 different great conversations about the South Jersey beer scene with the folks I chatted with between sips.  There were plenty of knowledgeable home brewers in attendance as well, and  and learned a ton from them. I got to talk at length to the Iron Hill brewmaster Chris LaPierre as well as the owner, Kevin Finn.  I appreciated their insights into owning a main-stream craft brewpub and what it takes to compete in this market.

This was a once a year event at Iron Hill Maple Shade, but if you're looking for solid food and a great beer selection, they're open 7 days!

Wordless Wednesday - August 17, 2011

 

 

A New Day

  It started as just a hint of pink over the trees across the creek.

Then built into a glow in the trees that became a ball of orange.

Unfortunately, before the sun came over the trees, the clouds rolled in and all we got was a bright gray morning.

Still, the bright gray is better than the cold darkness and we've got the day underway!

The Village Pub - A Review

First, you have to know what you are getting when you go to "The Pub."  The floors are plywood.  The bar is plywood.  The biggest TV is 27 inches, it's on a stack of milk crates, and it was made in the Carter administration.

You aren't here for the ambiance.

What you are here for is surprisingly good, cheap Italian food, local color and/or a night of beers with your friends.  This local hangout caters to everyone from serious drunks to families out after a youth sports event. While the place is certainly clean, it's clean in a gritty, mellow way.

There is always a full roster of specials, heavy on the pasta and easy on the wallet.  I think they do a great job with their veal dishes. There is also a full bar menu with excellent wings and a chicken cheesesteak that is one of the best around.  Marinated chunks of chicken breast are grilled, slathered in cheese and dumped in a soft roll.  Not the standard prep, but a darn good spin on a classic.

Every tradesman in the area stops at the bar at least once a week for the cheap beer and the good conversation.  If you're looking for your son's basketball coach after the game, trust me, he's here.  I've even seen a bachelorette party here.

You'd never guess the place was any good from the road.  Or even from the dining table.  But trust me on this. The food is WAY better and the prices are better than PJs.  Sure, you aren't going to get 16 flatscreen TVs and seriously hot waitresses like PJs, but you'll thank me for telling you to sit down, ignore the wobbly table, grab a $2 draft and enjoy one of the specials.

Happy Halloween!

We hope you enjoyed trick or treating as much as we did!  Medford really put out a great spread for the kids!  There are some really spooky houses, especially our neighbor on Filbert Street and a very cool house on Branch Street that has scary speakers set up in the graveyard.

Happy Halloween!

Medford Halloween Parade

Burlington County came out in throngs tonight for Medford's annual Halloween parade.  Postponed from yesterday due to the wild weather, the party was in full swing tonight, as children filled their baskets with candy, classic cars rolled down Main Street, candidates pressed the flesh and floats of all sorts lit up the night.

I'm not sure how I have missed this event in my 10 years living in South Jersey.  It was way more fun that I would have thought possible for a cold Sunday evening.  While certainly a night for the kids, the folks at Braddock's Tavern also made sure the adults had libations. There was music and dancing and I'm glad I stirred from my nap in time to get over to the fun.  All the photos are on my Flickr site.

Whoever planned the event also had it wrap up at 8:20, so we could all get home to watch the Eagles smack the Cowboys around.

Just to Make The Night Interesting!

We've got a little water and gas main problem here in Medford. Kids are asleep and hopefully we get to stay. Lots of guys standing around deciding what to do right now.

Sigh!

Cherry Hill Median Wildflowers

I have the distinct displeasure of commuting along Route 70 from Medford, NJ to Philadelphia, PA Each day. It's a nasty mess of tail lights on the way in each morning and then again on the way home each day.  I do my best to keep my cool each day, listening to NPR or one of my Audible books, but there are still some days when I feel like my head is going to explode.

Cherry Hill is the worst of the commute traffic-wise.  It's seems like the idiots per mile quotient is the highest there.  On the other hand, the town has planted some great wildflower gardens in the median strip, so at least there is some beautiful color to look at this fall as we sit idling in snarled traffic.  The flowers seem to have peaked after looking for a long time like they were just uncut grass.

Some days, it's the small things you need to treasure!

Not A Bad Evening

I wish I had had my real camera last night to capture this beautiful sunset and moonrise.  The 8 megapixel camera on my HTC Incredible Android phone is pretty good, but doesn't do justice to the real thing.

Yesterday didn't go exactly as planned, but it was nice to be outside last night and enjoying the refreshing change in weather that rolled though the area yesterday.  The rain cleared, I handled some personal stuff and then had a fun night with the kids.  The weekend promises to be absolute proof that autumn is here, with high temperatures in the 60s and temps for Sunday night's Phillies game dipping into the 40s.

This is a great weather time of the year.  Spring has the greening and flowering trees and the sense of re-birth about it, but fall has great colors and events that close out the warm weather and get us ready for our long winter.  I'm enjoying the weather now, because I am pretty sure some more snow is not far away.

I hope everyone enjoys the Octoberfests, youth athletic games, car shows, food festivals and Phillies games this weekend. There's too much to do, but I will find a way to get to about 4 different events on Saturday! Have fun!

Tabernacle Teachers

My kids go to school where their mom lives in Tabernacle Township, one town over from where we live in Medford. It's a pretty good school district, perhaps not quite as technologically savvy as the Mount Laurel schools they used to attend, and not really very diverse, but just fine as public schools go.  The teachers are good people, the kind of folks who are active in their community, approachable and well-trained.

Tabernacle is a very small town and a pretty quiet place.  Everyone pretty much knows everyone else or at least knows someone who does.  News travels pretty quickly and sometimes it can be a bit like being in a fishbowl.  So I was pretty surprised when I began seeing singes like the one above on all of the teachers' cars in the parking lots in the morning when I drop the kids off.  I read the local newspapers every day (online of course) and there had not been a word mentioned about the the Tabernacle teachers not having a contract or their decision to work though the labor issues.

I have no idea what the contract status is, where the talks stand or what the potential is for a strike.  I am a firm believer in teacher unions and in their right to collectively bargain and in some cases, to strike.  Usually though, the issues are fairly publicly debated, sometimes quite heatedly.  It's kind of odd to see this quiet job action happening and not know what the issues are.

On one hand, I'd much rather have teachers working under contract.  Everyone - teachers, parents, students and taxpayers deserve the certainty that a contract brings to a school district.  On the other had, if talks are continuing and things will be settled soon, this kind of job action is really about the best you could hope for as a parent.  My kids aren't affected, there aren't 'informational pickets' in the morning, and presumably the contract will soon be worked out.

I hope.

NJ is Too Close to Call

In the last three days, I have had two calls from President Obama and another from Bill Clinton.  I feel so lucky to live in NJ.  Can they do something about my property taxes?

Seriously, in case you have been under a rock for the last 3 months there is a nasty battle for governor going on in New Jersey and based on the calls Another Delco Guy is getting, the Dems are running scared.  We're registered Independents here, so if the Dems are calling us to come out, then they think we might be on the fence.

Since it's traditionally the Independent vote that gets anyone elected in a New Jersey statewide race, this means something.

It means the Dems are afraid that Jon Corzine and his special interest pals are going down tomorrow to Chris Christie and his corrupt machine politics brethren. 

You don't need to read between the lines there, I don't like either of these guys.  Jon Crozine inherited a mess and he's managed to make it worse.  It;s been gridlock in Trenton, but gridlock is better than where this administration has us headed.  There is no GM bailout coming for NJ, so it's time to cut the public employees benefit programs and get spending under control by consolidating services and the state workforce.

Chris Christie?  Please.  A classic republican insider who has no clue who to govern.  It's about power and jobs to this guy and he's going to be part of the problem, not part of the solution.  Troubling to me as well is his "Do as I say, not as I do" approach to law enforcement and taxes.  Yeah - those ads worked for me. 

Chris Daggett?  Well, I don't know if he's a republican in sheep's clothing or not.  I'm troubled by his recent conversion to the Independent faith, but he's the guy with an actual plan.  I have heard the "you're throwing your vote away" argument, but it just doesn't apply here.  Daggett is the best candidate with the best experience and ideas.  Voting Daggett is not wasting your vote.  It's sending a message to Trenton that it's time to change the way business is done in this state ans that the guy to do it is Chris Daggett.

Get out and vote tomorrow.  And vote for Chris Daggett.

John Is Famous!

There are benefits to having a significant other who is in public relations.  One is that the kids get in the paper with startling regularity.  Emma has been a front page girl three times in the last year and today it's John's turn. 

He had a great time last week as the Coco Key Honorary Bat Boy at the Camden Riversharks game.  And now he's even more excited to be the focus of media attention for even a few days.

Special thanks to Brian Burgamy (#7) for spending some one on one time in the dugout with John and also to Dom Principato, of Deptford, who helped John get comfortable in the dugout before the game.

It was a thrill to be on a beautiful field playing catch with my son as the guys got ready to play last Monday.  Thanks again to everyone who made it happen, especially Char.

A Night in Westmont - Kitchen 233

I've just come in after digging out from the huge amount of snow dumped overnight here in South Jersey by that massive storm that paralyzed the region yesterday and last night.  Well.  Not really.  I'm really nibbling on chocolate chip cookies and thinking about what a great dinner we had last night.

We spent last night at Kitchen 233 on Haddon Avenue in Westmont.  We went there a few months ago for drinks before heading out to another Westmont spot.  As I left, I vowed to come back soon, having enjoyed a well-made absinthe cocktail and after looking longingly at the full page of entrees.

It's a stylish spot featuring top end seafood and steaks in a busy but surprisingly quiet dining room.  I started with a very smooth California Zin that wasn't too much for the perfectly prepared Caesar salad.  The dressing was the perfect blend of tangy and savory and the greens were crisp and freshly cut. 

A large serving of medium-rare Maine scallops were advertised as 'day boat' and 'porcini dusted.'  I'll assume the day boat part was true, but the dusting must have been microscopic, because I didn't see any.  The flavor though was perfect and the texture was firm but not rubbery, and had a nice buttery braising on the outside.  I generally eat everything put in front of me at a restaurant, especially one charging these prices, but the serving was large enough that I was full before the last scallop.

My companion raved about the seafood fra diavlo (too spicy for my palate) and our friends noted the excellent wild mushroom soup and the perfectly prepared signature salmon dish.

The table shared a huge trio of sorbets for dessert that had a bold mango, astringent lemon and sweet raspberry.  I had held onto a bit of my zin to see how it did with the desserts and it held up very well, pairing surprisingly well with the mango and raspberry.  Espressos all around prepared us for the ride home.

We lingered over dessert and chatted with our friends and were not bothered to move on.  The staff was unobtrusive in setting up the room for the next day.  The final bill with drinks and a 25% tip came to $205.  That's a special dinner night for sure, but not a bad number for four people who felt well-served and happy with the evening.

We were among the last out at 9:45 but the warm bar area was still busy with folks drinking martinis and wine.  The crowd was well-dressed, but had a local feel to it.  I think it's a destination bar, not a place people come to on a regular basis, but I could be wrong.

This is a very good place for a special dinner.  At the top end of the PJ Whelihan's empire, the folks running this place have worked out the kinks that Craig LaBan found in 2007.  The Yelp reviews are all over the place, but when you weed out the odd experiences, the basic theme of pricey but excellent food shines through.

My final comment is that it was a night that was about being with friends and we all had a great time.  The food and drinks paired well with the conversation and we headed out into a cold. wet night filled with warmth.

Blogging Out Hunger

2008 has been a time of nearly unprecedented economic stress but here in New Jersey and across the country.  As always seems to be the case, the folks hit hardest by the recent recession are, of course, the ones least prepared to handle it.

Those of us who are only marginally affected (so far) are doing what we can to help.  I know I see lost of folks stopping at the Salvation Army kettles and I've brought canned goods to about 4 food drives so far, but there still seems to be a lack of attention on the issue.

I hope that today can change that a bit here in New Jersey.  Last week one of the premier New Jersey Food bloggers, John and Lisa Howard-Fusco asked me to be part of today's Blogging Out Hunger.  The program was put together by Debbie at Jersey Bites, and I am blogger number 51 of 103 who will post today about how the recession is affecting the food banks of New Jersey.

In my regular job I help families figure out how they are going to afford to send their kids to college.  In a good economy it's a tough job.  In a bad economy, well, let's not go there.  I'm lucky to be at a school that has the resources to help.  For years though, I worked at a community college, where literally thousands of our students depended on public assistance, food stamps, church soup kitchens and the generosity of others to squeak by.

From that experience I can tell you that even across the fairly prosperous areas of South Jersey, there are unseen poor, forced to wear winter coats inside to keep heating bills low enough that they can afford to feed their kids.  They guy scavenging newspapers from your curb on recycling day is probably burning them to keep warm.

The recession is especially insidious becasue it's hit the middle class hard.  We're the traditional target population for the appeals by the food banks for funding.  And we're giving less because we have less to give.

But the problem has not gotten smaller.  In fact, food banks across NJ face demand that is far oupacing their ability to help.  Only though direct action can we turn this around.

Please go here and donate.  Today.  You never know when you might be the one in need.

Corzine to DC?

On a day where the Burlington County political landscape looks very different than it has for 33 years, things could be much much different state wide in January. 

Various sources are reporting that the Obama transition team is looking very hard at Gov. Jon Corzine to be the Treasury Secretary in the Obama administration.  A former US Senator and long-time Wall Street insider, Corzine seems a logical pick to help guide the corporate welfare trough bailout.

Corzine's administration seems to have stalled this year and his departure for the greener fields of a freshman presidential administration would leave the door open for Dick Codey to resume the gubernatorial duties for the 4th time.  Codey has done a workmanlike job in the post in the past but isn't likely to break up the Trenton logjam that he has been a central part of for 25 years.

Vetting is reportedly underway on Corzine, and that could take a while given the plethora of scandal-tinged behavior The Guv has been linked to.

Smoky Morning

The smoke hanging in the air here in South Jersey this morning has nothing to do with the torching the Rays pitching staff did to the Phils lineup last night.

Rather, the acrid haze is coming from a 1900 acre forest fire burning in the Pine Barrens about 30 miles from here.  Last night as I drove home from Matt's house, the smoke was chokingly thick on 295, causing drivers to slow to 45 mph. 

This morning, the smoke isn't thick enough to show up on weather radar, but it is enough to cause a tickle in the back of my throat.  Fire fighters are thinking that the 1-2" of rain forecast for tomorrow will help them get the upper hand on the fire.

The blaze is burning in a section of forest about 10 miles west of where I used to live along Route 563 South of Chatsworth.  There is absolutely NOTHING between the fire and my old house except tress and underbrush.  Not a single house.  Not a single person lives in that remote area of South Jersey.  Remarkable for one of the most densely populated states in the country.

When I lived there one of my major fears was a forest fire.  We did controlled burning to keep the underbrush around the houses to a minimum, but with the relatively unmanaged state forest just 2 miles away, the threat was still significant.  It's odd that when I was down that way Wednesday night, you couldn't smell the smoke there, but you can smell it here today!

Flickr user cawarfel has a great set of photos from the 2007 forest fires along Route 539 in the Pines.

A Rite of Fall

  Emma Selects 
  Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

On Sunday, as the Eagles were downing the Jets coming off the bye week, the family and I headed over to Johnson's Farm in Medford to pick out our pumpkins.  We, of course, took some photos.

It's a virtually required rite of fall for suburban families to trek to some local pseudo-farm with rides and face painting and fresh-baked pies to find the fall decor.  We joined approximately all of South Jersey on Sunday in a giant field/parking lot and surveyed the situation with dismay. 

Two different lines of over an hour before you got to get on the hayride out to where you could actually PICK pumpkins. 

People EVERYWHERE.  Tired children.  Swirling dust.

I punted.

We decided to select from the pallets of pre-picked pumpkins available for weenies like me.  The children chose $32 worth of pumpkins to decorate the front steps and house with.  That's over 46 pounds worth.

They enjoyed it immensely.    They also loved the side trip to Maggie Moo's on the way back home, though John would have preferred Coldstone.  When we finally staggered home, we put up the Halloween lights out front and the various orange and black decorations throughout the house.  Yes.  I said Halloween lights.

It's just amazing to me that Halloween and "harvest" have become such a holiday.  I can remember a few decorations as a kid and a trip to Linvilla for a pumpkin.  But I sure don't remember 2 hour lines and swarms of people at Target fighting over who gets the last set of faux tombstones.

When did this explosion happen?  I've heard the theory that hallmark is responsible for the geometric expansion of the Valentine's Day to the juggernaut of spending it is today?  Who is behind the Halloween/Harvest?  Pumpkin farmers?  Hay bale salesmen?

I went along  and all ... but I don't get it!

Chatsworth is Best -- At Something

  Sundown - Chatsworth Lake 
  Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

The tiny Burlington County crossroads of Chatsworth has been named to Adventure Magazine's 50 Best Places to Live.  Here's what they have to say:

Chatsworth, New Jersey
- Population: 1,364
- Median home price: $257,000
- The radius: Tiny Chatsworth is the unofficial capital of New Jersey's surprising Pine Barrens, a 3,000-square-mile (7,770-square-kilometer) spread of swamp-edged streams, stands of pine and cedar, and—in autumn—tracts of cranberries  (all that, just 37 commutable miles [60 kilometers] east of Philly). The best route is the 50-mile (80-kilometer) Batona Trail; while you're hiking, watch for the diminutive (less than the length of your thumb) Pine Barrens Tree Frog.

I have to say that I was stunned when I got this news today.  I lived in the town for three years and never would have considered it remotely possible that the town would be designated the best at anything except for perhaps "Best Cranberrying Village in the New Jersey Pinelands."  There are two part-time retail businesses and a motorcycle shop in town.  The post office is a trailer.  You can't grow a darn thing because the deer outnumber the people and eat everything.

But it is amazingly beautiful in its own way.  The people are down-to-earth and very nice.  Robin's Hot Dogs are the best around.  And as, the magazine notes, the hiking is outstanding.  (The part about it being withing commutable distance to Philly is crap.  Route 70 makes it a 90 minute trip during rush hour.)  Tens of thousands flock there every year for the annual Cranberry Festival in October.

Now I can say that i have lived in two different "Best" towns.  I am currently a proud resident of Moorestown, NJ, Money Magazine's 2005 Best Place to Live.  I have to admit that the remoteness of Chatsworth makes Moorestown a clear winner for me.  (That and the shops, neighhbors, parks, etc.)

Well congratulations to Chatsworth!

A Night In Camden

  Fireworks and the BFB 
  Originally uploaded by Cavalier92

There aren't many times when some says that they had a great night in Camden, but we sure did last night!

John, Emma, the GF and I headed over to Camden last night to catch a Riversharks game at Campbell's Field in the shadow of the Ben Franklin Bridge on Delaware River Waterfront.  We saw a Sharks win, fireworks and John got to run the bases.

6,810 South Jerseyans turned out to see the show and I didn't see many disappointed folks.  The minor league teams sure know how to entertain fans, with contests, a merry-go-round (Emma loved it!), three different mascots and a lot of fun.

We had great seats right behind home plate, but not the greatest for photos.  Still, I got a few and they are up.

Coincidentally, we met Bob Nehring, the Sharks' Director of Group Events this morning at Wawa and he was a really nice guy and seems genuinely happy that we had a good night at the park .

Get out to a game before the season ends!

Back from Gomorrah

Or Atlantic City.  Whichever you prefer.  The girlfriend and I headed down to AC last night for our anniversary.  We had dinner at Red Square, wandered through The Quarter at the Trop and had a good day today touring The Pier at Caesars and the outlets.    Lots of photos are up here. 

Red Square was pretty terrible. We thought that the food was average and way overpriced.  The service was pretty good and the manager did bring me a nice shot of Hangar One vodka.  Other than that, I've had much better meals for much lower prices.

Today we had a great day, primarily walking down the Boardwalk.  Next time you get a chance, stop by Caesars and see what they have done with the old Ocean One Pier.

Corzine Speeds Away From Hospital

I am not sure if Jon Corzine doesn't get it or if the New Jersey State Police doesn't get it. 

Yesterday, just moments after New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine noted that he had set a 'very bad example' his motorcade sped up I-295 to Drumthwacket at about 15 miles per hour above the speed limit.  Granted, it wasn't the 91 miles an hour that Corzine's motorcade was doing when his Suburban practically flew off the road, breaking darn near every bone in his body, but jeez guys, this looks REALLY bad.

Just minutes after Corzine says this:

“I set a very bad example, I hope the state will forgive me. I will work very hard to set the right kind of example.”

The assorted vehicles (including his new transportation mode, a handicapped-equipped van) took off at speeds the rest of us would be ticketed at.  And it's not like he's got a big meeting scheduled.  Was he going to be late for his afternoon nap?  I get the fact that speeding happens.  I do it every day.  But come on! 

No word if the driver was text messaging his girlfriend's husband while driving the guv's van.

Thanks to Flickr member Iirraa for the image!

Legal Silliness

I don't generally bash lawyers unless I have a really good reason to, but then nearly every day I see a news story that give me a reason.

From today's stupid lawyer tricks file comes this story.  Apparently Scotts Miracle-Gro Co., a $7 billion goliath in the gardening industry is so threatened by Trenton, NJ-based TerraCycle Inc., that it has sued the tiny worm poop purveyor from NJ.

Apparently Scotts Miracle-Gro feels it owns the right to use the colors yellw and green on gardening advertising.  At least that's what they say in their lawsuit.

I've attached images of the products below, courtesy of the website suedbyscotts.com.  It appears that website is related to the TerraCycle folks in some way.  But you have eyes.  You can see that there's a pretty substantial difference between the products.  Am I wrong here?

I think the real issue here is that the Miracle-Gro people aren't satified with 59% market share and are willing ot use their lawyers and the legal system to bully a small environmental fertilizer startup. 

I use Miracle-Gro and Scotts products a good bit.  I'd never heard of the worm poop guys before today, but I can tell you my next lawn fertilizer application will be with the little company that could's product.  The big guys should be ashamed of themselves.