All Good Things! Goodbye for Now from [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

Just like the famous line that says “All good things must come to an end,” alas this is the final blogumn in this edition of Kicking Back with Jersey Joe.  Fierce and Nerdy will be changing formats, but we have one last chance to catch up! For over three years and 151 +6 blogumns, we’ve gathered each week to take a look at what’s cool, new, retro, and hip in our world.  We all work hard, but the point of this blogumn was to sit back and relax for a bit.  Hopefully, we’ve accomplished that and shared a few laughs.  I know I’ve learned tons writing this each week. It’s been fun sharing all my adventures with you, but I thought we should take a final look back at some of my favorite blogumns.   STAR TREK SLOT MACHINE Blogumn 1 – May 31, 2010 My first blogumn took a look at the brand new prototype Star Trek slot machine that I got to experience at the old Las Vegas Hilton for my 30th birthday.  A large group of my closest friends traveled to Vegas that spring, and we checked out the now closed Star Trek: The Experience. The slot is still one of my favorites, but sadly, it’s not really around as much anymore.  Many casinos have replaced it with Lord of the Rings, but the magic of this machine is still priceless.  It was one of the first slots, where you would earn medals, save them, and unlock new episodes!  The machine contains a zillion classic Star Trek clips and puts you right in an episode in multiple big money bonus rounds. It’s still online and entertaining gamblers at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  I had the pleasure of once again...

Whose Line is it Anyway? Makes a Hilarious Return to TV [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

It’s the comedy game where the questions are made up and the points don’t matter.  The hit TV series Whose Line is it Anyway? has returned to American network television after a six year absence with a new host.  I checked out if this new version lives up to the old and track down the show’s very different start.   The concept of the show is simple.  A panel of four comedians must create skits or songs on the spot using impro comedy.  Some sketches may involve props or a band, but each is performed cold with the performers having no idea in advance of what the scene will be, often at the audience’s suggestion.   It’s the unrehearsed nature of the show that’s led to some of the biggest laughs!   It’s not television, but radio we have to thank for giving Whose Line? it’s start.  And not American radio – but, British radio!   Whose Line? debuted on BBC Radio 4 in 1988.  The series was created by British producers Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson.  The original radio series lasted six episodes with Clive Anderson as host.  After the successful run, the producers wanted to move the show to TV, but the BBC was hesitant, and the show was picked up by rival network Channel 4.     The show was a hit for Channel 4 lasting for 10 series and 136 episodes.  Most episodes were taped in London, while some were taped in New York, and the entire last season was shot in Hollywood.   Reruns of the show were aired in the US on Comedy Central, although some were edited to remove or rearrange scenes that would be confusing or offensive to American audiences.   In the late 1990’s, comedian Drew Carey brought the show to the attention of the ABC television network.  Carey’s hit show, The Drew Carey Show, gave him some pull at the network, and one of his show’s co-stars, Ryan Stiles had been a performer on the British version for years.  Carey convinced ABC to air several test shows to see how it would perform.  With the low-cost nature of the production, ABC gave the show a green light, and episodes began airing in the US on August 8, 1998.     Carey would take over as host for the American version and would participate with the performers in a final sketch on the show.   Ideas for the random skits the comedians would perform often came from the audience.  Carey would reveal the name of the game and a brief description, then would ask the audience for topics or characters for the performers to play.  Several games were played during each episode and more content was shot than could be aired in the 30 minute time limit.  More risqué comments or scenes would be edited out or censored by the network.   Some of the regular games included:   • Song Styles – where Carey would take audience suggestions of musical themes the performers would have to sing such as doo-wop or rap, then would switch styles after a short period of time. • Irish Drinking Song – an Irish pub style drinking song about random subjects • Three Headed Broadway Star – where three performers would sing one word at a time to an audience member seated on stage in front of the performers • If You Know What I Mean – the performers would act out a scene ending each line with “If you know what I mean…” • Questions with Wigs – the characters would act out a scene wearing various wigs • Quick Change – the performers would act out a scene, when another off-stage would yell “change” and the performer who spoke the last line, would have to come up with another. • Props – the performers are forced to choose a random prop from...

Where In the US It Is Illegal to Enjoy Beer and Pretzels at the Same Time [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Beer and pretzels — a staple of pub fare.  It’s hard to imagine not washing down all that salty goodness without an ice cold beer.  But, in one US state, it’s supposedly against the law!   The internet rumor mill is all abuzz stating this law exists on the books in the state of North Dakota.   According to KFYR-TV, North Dakota Century Code Section 5-01-08 prohibits any person under the age of 21 to enter an establishment where alcohol is being served.  Code section 5-02-06 does allow for the exception if the food area is separated from the bar and the sales of food are equal to or greater than the sales of alcohol.   While most bars aren’t in danger of getting nailed for the law, that hasn’t stopped the internet rumor machine from saying it is officially on the books… and it OFFICIALLY is, but with a technicality.   Jay E. Buringrud, North Dakota Legislative Council, tells KFYR-TV this comes from twisting the language of local laws and statues.   “It’s a false interpretation, but the interpretation plays well as a crazy law,'” says Buringrud in the interview.   But, there is one way this crazy beer and pretzel law can be enforced.   If a person under the age of 21 enters a bar and orders a beer, is served, and then orders a pretzel or any other type of food for that matter – they are violating the law.  That underage patron and the bar could both be busted and fined.  While the KFYR report debunks the internet rumor as being completely false, common sense would say that it is technically possible – not just in North Dakota, but any other US state with the age 21 law.   All US states currently have laws which limit alcohol purchase and consumption to age 21 and above.  The only exceptions are in Kansas and Wisconsin where it is legal for under 21 persons to consume in the presence of a parent or guardian.  Many states still have laws allowing it with parental supervision in private homes.  In Puerto Rico and Guam, the legal age is 18.   The beer and pretzel combination are standard fare in German pubs, whose popularity have caused them to migrate to the United States.  In most US states, the legal drinking age is 21, but in Germany, kids as young as 14 are allowed to consume beer and wine, under parental supervision.  At age 16, they are free to imbibe and can fully go for the hard stuff at age 18.  Different culture – different rules.  In Europe, alcohol consumption by minors is considered tradition and is generally accepted.   Many forgotten laws and legislations still exist on the books in US states today.  Many have been around since the earliest days of statehood or Prohibition and they’ve either been forgotten or tied up in so much legal mumbo-jumbo that there’s no reason to waste time repealing them.   Also in North Dakota, another crazy law states it’s illegal to lie down and fall asleep with your shoes on!   Better yet – in Ohio, it’s illegal to get a fish drunk or fish for whales on Sunday!  So, jump in the car and take that party to neighboring Pennsylvania! THE 411   What: North Dakota law stating serving beer and pretzels is illegal   ND Code Sections: 5-01-08 and 5-02-06   Fact: true, with technicalities   JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:   I’ve never been to North Dakota in my life.  But, if I ever make it there, I’ll be sure to ask a bartender if they ever got busted for this law.  I love giant pretzels and couldn’t imagine not being able to wash one down with a cold beer.  But, sorry kids – keep it over 21 and drink responsibly… no excuses!   Image credits – kalleboo &...

From Urban Blight to Urban Delight – A Walk on New York City’s High Line [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Once it carried freight trains high above the New York City streets.  But, after being abandoned for decades the city has turned an eyesore into a treasure.  I finally got the chance to walk on the High Line Park and was absolutely stunned by what was up there.  And – there’s plenty more to come!   In the 1800’s New York City streets were packed with not only pedestrians, but railroad lines running right down city streets.  Although the railroads paid workers to walk in front of the trains waving flags, accidents happened often, and a large number of pedestrians lost their lives trying to cross.  The situation was so bad, that the line running down 10th Avenue was nicknamed “Death Avenue.”   In 1929, the city and the New York Central railroad agreed to elevate 13 miles of railroad line that included the High Line.  This eliminated 105 dangerous crossings on city streets.   The High Line officially opened to trains in 1934, but was not restrained to city blocks.  The elevated trestles ran over and through buildings and in some cases allowed direct access for factories to have deliveries right in their building.  Several manufacturing plants had the trains running right through them!  This saved time and money, since goods never had to touch a city street!   However, as shipping by truck became more popular by the 1950’s, the lower half of the structure from the current southern end at Gansevoort Street was demolished.  The final train ran on the rest of the line in 1980, when it too was abandoned.   Wild plants and urban explorers took over the structure which stood in ruins for decades,   In 1999, Robert Hammond and Joshua David, two local residents formed a non-profit group Friends of the High Line.  Their goal was to transform the abandoned structure into an elevated park as had been done to the Promenade Planteé in Paris.  Support for the project grew and in 2004, the city promised $50 million to officially create it.   After years of design and construction, the first phase of the park opened on June 8, 2009 from 20th Street to the end of the structure at Gansevoort Street.   The original rails and ties have been removed and plants, benches, and new lighting have been installed.  Thousands of native plants, flowers, and trees now stretch the length of the open portions of the line.  210 different species of grasses, coneflowers, and birch trees are featured.   Concrete walkways line most of the trail and parts are elevated above the structure on metal grates.  One section features a thin flow of running water over the surface that allows visitors to take off their shoes and splash about.  Each section of the trail has its own unique feature, such as lounges, benches, and even a lawn!   Several other sections feature rows of seats, arraigned in an auditorium style that looks out onto Manhattan streets.  Several high level promenades also offer sweeping views of the city.   It is on this section that the 337 room Standard Hotel is elevated on pedestals above the line.  The walkway passes underneath the structure, which opened in 2009.  Below the High Line, the Standard has turned the area into a ground level open space that includes several street side restaurants and a beirgarten.   Where the line passes through the Chelsea Market building, several street carts are lined up selling coffee, BBQ, desserts, Italian ices, and even crafts.  The Blue Bottle Coffee Cart has been noted as having some of the best coffee in the city.  Smokeline, a BBQ cart, has also been noted as having some of the best BBQ in the city.  The Chelsea Market passage also features dozens of tables with chairs and is often used to host art shows or bands.   Also at Chelsea Market, The Porch, a...

Kaboom! When Fireworks Fail [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

It’s time to once again celebrate our American independence and that means lots of fireworks! While some states highly regulate who can and can’t have fireworks, that doesn’t stop people from getting their hands on them! Take a look at these videos and you’ll understand how good times can go bad. Fast forward to 55 seconds to see what happens when this guy gets a lit bottle rocket stuck in the pants of his cargo shorts! This is one unhappy wake up call… And our grand finale wraps up with last year’s display in San Diego… that lasted about 15 seconds! Fireworks were first used to celebrate events in China as far back as the seventh century. Now, often computers control the more sophisticated displays, while the common man simply lights up his neighborhood! Some states have very little regulation on fireworks, while others ban them completely. Last weekend, I had the opportunity to visit a firework store in my old home state of Pennsylvania. As soon as you walk in, you are greeted at a counter that looks like it is right out of an auto parts store. They immediately scan your driver’s license, take your phone number, and print out a receipt you must sign that you will not light off any fireworks in the state of Pennsylvania that go up into the air. You are then greeted with two doors. Since, I am no longer a PA resident, I got to go through the OUT OF STATE door, and it is one massive store of fireworks. It actually was set up just like a Staples or Office Depot, with carts and aisles upon aisles of fireworks. You could buy sparklers for $1 all the way up to $1,000 box assortments. Most of the stuff was BUY ONE GET ONE FREE! It’s amazing that they have to have a sale at a fireworks store! If you are a Pennsylvania resident, you are forced through the PA door, which is basically four or five tables of sparklers, snappers, and those weird black snake things that burn on the sidewalk. Before you leave, there are several check out counters just like in any other store. I did not make any purchases; I was there with a group of friends that just wanted to browse around. Suffice it to say, the security at that fireworks store was as tight as a bank, or a gentlemen’s club! It actually felt wrong to be walking around in there! My first visit to a fireworks store was years ago in the Nevada desert. It was a small store off to the side of a truck stop and they enforced a strict NO CELL PHONE OR PICTURES rule. But, of course being in Nevada, there was a small casino in the back! Fireworks can be a fun filled part of the Fourth – just make sure they are in the right hands. And check your local laws to see what is permitted in your area.   THE 411 Name: fireworks What: pyrotechnic device to celebrate holidays Origin: China   JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS: Have a happy and safe 4th of July weekend – just be careful if you will putting on a display at home. Leave the big stuff to the professionals!   Image credits – SJPhotography &...

Super Mario Bros. vs. Donkey Kong on the Las Vegas Strip [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Can the Super Mario Bros. save the Princess from the hands of Donkey Kong?  It’s a real life video game that takes place up and down the Las Vegas Strip!  You can bet the tourist cameras are rolling and we get viral video gold!   This hilarious video was uploaded last December by the Youtube group known as Bangakang.  They have some pretty outrageous videos online, including jumping into the world’s biggest pile of leaves and creating a slip-n-slide with 52 gallons of chocolate syrup.  The last one sounds like a blast! Costumed characters are becoming all the rage in New York, Los Angeles, and on the Las Vegas Strip.  Usually, the performer (some of those dressing up don’t technically qualify as performers) will pose for pictures and interact with tourists for a small tip.  Just be warned: some of these guys can get hostile if you don’t tip.  One dirt bag was recently arrested in New York City for dressing up as Elmo and hurling racist slurs as tourists – all while having a criminal background.  Yeah, that worked out well… Super Mario and Donkey Kong made their video game debuts in arcades in 1981.  Mario was forced to climb a series of ladders to rescue the Princess being held by the large ape above.  Donkey Kong would get several sequels and Mario would be paired with his brother Luigi for their first sequel, Mario Bros, where they had to battle creatures in the sewers of New York.  Later, they would move into the Mushroom Kingdom to again save the Princess from the evil King Koopa.  Super Mario Bros. is one of the best and highest selling video games of all time. Costumes for Mario and Luigi are sold online and at Halloween...

The Greatest Ride at the Water Park [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

Aaaah!  Summer is finally here!  The piping hot days have most of us flocking to a water park at some point to keep cool.  While some head straight for the water slides or the wave pool, there’s one water ride I won’t miss that always cools my heart in the summer heat.   I stand in line, finally make it to the front, and pick up the big round inner tube.  I place it in the water and finally climb aboard… and float and float and float!  Round and round I go on the lazy river!   Sure, the lazy rivers can be just that – lazy.  But, thanks to technology this little trough of a river in the center of the park has grown up to be much more!   Most lazy rivers are a simple concept.  A large water pump slowly circulates a long ribbon shaped pool that snakes around and around a designated area of a water park.  Riders board at a certain point and lounge on an inner tube as the current gently sends them on a long, slow ride.  Some parks require floaters to get out once they’ve made a lap (quite annoying) while others will let you float until the park closes.   The water level is usually quite shallow, anywhere from 2’ to 4’ deep and the width is enough for several tubes to pass.   While a lazy river is found at most water parks, they can also be found at resorts, casinos, and even in the Mall of America!   Some of the more sophisticated rides include tunnels, soft water falls, or even interactive buttons that riders can push to release a flood of water or a rapid onto the course.   One of the...

NBC’s The Winner Is… Is Not a Winner [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

NBC has once again rolled out the summer reality / filler programming and on June 10th, gave us a first look at their newest summer series, The Winner Is.  The game show promises “six songs to a million” and has been heavily advertised on the network for weeks.  Being a lover of game shows, I had to check this out!   The Winner Is features six acts that go head to head over three rounds.  In round one the six acts face off in groups of two, hoping to be the favorite of the 101 music loving judges. The judges choose the acts they want to advance and their decision is revealed by large numerical scores that appear behind the contestants, only they are not sure whose score goes to whom.   After each singing face off, host Nick Lachey signals for a money box to appear from under the floor, starting with $10,000 in round one for the person who wants to take the bribe and walk away.  If the contestant or group believes they are the winning act, they should refuse the cash.  Taking the cash and walking away, automatically sends their competitors onto the next round, regardless of score.   If neither takes the bribe, the 101 judges’ favorite is revealed and the team with the lower score is eliminated.  The goal of the show is for the group to keep turning down the bribe offers with the hope of making it to the finale for the $1,000,000.   After round one, only the top three acts move on, with the act earning the highest score going straight to round three – the finals.     The bribe gets higher and higher as each round (and episode) goes on and the remaining two groups again face off in round 2, with the winner joining the last remaining act to face off in the final round.   The problem is – I don’t know what the winner of the episode is playing for.  The only promise made, was the winning act comes back on a later episode to compete for the million dollars.  The original tag line is six songs to a million and having seen them complete three in this episode, leads me to believe that there are three more rounds for them to face on another episode.  But, for winning the first game – they didn’t seem to get offered any cash!  So, the teams are playing for the chance at a million, if they can resist taking the bribe offers.  It’s really confusing.   Host Nick Lachey, is best known from his days as a singer with the boy band 98 Degrees.  He has hosted a game show in the past for NBC, the similarly structured The Sing-Off, which is why network execs probably looked for him to host this show.   Sadly, Lachey is very stiff in his hosting and is pretty much glued to the teleprompter.  His interaction with the contestants is cold and minimal and he did not look comfortable on the first episode.   The game play is basically several singing competition shows mish-mashed together.  If you watch The Voice or The Sing-Off, then you’ve basically seen this show.  The addition of the 101 judges with the large mystery score numbers behind the contestants is a neat trick, but not enough for this show to hold a format on its own.   Plus, who wants to watch a game show where you are not sure what the prize is for the episode’s winners?  Sure, you get to come back and play for a million, but the prize of advancing to another show is not a prize.  Why not just sing badly and take the first $10,000 bribe, because the odds of winning anything else, except the top prize – is remote.   THE 411   Name: The Winner Is…  ...

An Optical Illusion That Will Rock Your World [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jun07

An Optical Illusion That Will Rock Your World [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

Want to make your world all wavy and crazy for a few moments?  Just stare at this video for a few and prepare to be wowed!   It’s completely safe.  I tested it on myself and now I’m typing away at this blogumn.  The effects last about a minute.   The best advice to make this work properly is to click the maximize box at the bottom right corner of the video.  Then, place your face up close to your computer monitor and stare at the center screen so the image completely fills your field of vision.  Now, get ready for some fun!     One of the newest fads online is optical illusion videos.  There are hundreds, if not thousands, posted on Youtube.  Simply stare at the screen for a short period of time, and then look away when instructed.  I probably tried several dozen, with most giving me the same results as you hopefully just hot, and many did nothing at all.   When starting at an image for a long period of time, the brain becomes fixated on the subject, and almost records a negative image.  Quickly taking the object away, give you an opposite image left over in your field of view.  Since these videos are moving and only in black and white, the image is superimposed over what you are seeing for a few seconds, giving the illusion of movement.   A fun experiment we did in elementary school was to take a piece of green construction paper and stare at it for about a minute.  Take it away and you will get an exact red opposite image, stored in your visual field for a moment.  Try it!   The videos posted online are based on the same principle, but there are a few bad apples out there.   Some of these videos promise to offer self hypnosis or relaxation.  The viewer is suckered into watching and then after a few minutes – a big surprise.  The jokester will edit in a monster or zombie face and loud screaming to interrupt your serene session and scare the daylights out of you.  Just be warned if you decide to try a few more of these out…  I found out the hard way!   THE 411   What: rotating optical illusion video   Effects: causes visual field to wave and distort after watching for a few minutes   Available: Youtube and Facebook   JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:   Check this out.  The video I chose above should be safe unless you are prone to dizziness or epileptic seizures.  Use at your own risk and treat it as how you would react to a room full of strobe lights.  It’s a fun experiment that only costs two minutes of your time and is also great to share with the kids.   Image credit – Chambres...

Why Pennsylvania Residents and Visitors are Still Paying Tax on a 77 Year Old Flood [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

On March 16, 1936 unusually warm temperatures caused a rapid melting of snow which began to fill the rivers across Pennsylvania.  By early morning on March 17th, the rivers in both Pittsburgh and Johnstown began to overflow their banks and the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936 was on and it is still being paid for today.   By late morning, many cities were completely underwater, which lasted for five days.  It wasn’t until March 21st that the flood receded enough to allow clean up to begin.  The damage to homes, businesses, and the steel mills cost $4.19 billion in today’s dollars to Pittsburgh alone.   In Johntstown 30,000 were left homeless.  Check out this historic newsreel sensationalizing the devastation:     To help offset the cost, the Pennsylvania government quickly approved The Johnstown Flood Tax.  Although other major cities in the state were also affected, it was named for Johnstown which seemed to take the brunt of it.  The 10% tax was added to every bottle of liquor purchased by anyone anywhere in the state.   The tax quickly racked up enough cash to rebuild Johnstown and Pittsburgh.  However, the state never shut it down.  Instead, they expanded it and continued to fill the state’s money vaults.  The tax was raised to 18% in 1968.  Take a drive through PA, stop at a liquor store – and you’re paying it! The tax rakes in over $200 million annually.  The state places the cash in the general fund for use on various projects.   Trouble is, most people don’t realize they’re paying it.  It’s not marked as part of the additional 6% state sales tax on customer receipts from a liquor store.  I lived in PA for almost 30 years and I had no idea this was ever going on, since it was enacted long before my time.  I gave my PA grandmother a call and she had no idea about it, even though her family has been paying it since she was a child.   Pennsylvania residents have begun to express serious outrage with the state’s tax system.  In 2006, casino gambling was legalized and casinos were constructed.  The promise of permitting gambling was to give residents a break on their property and school taxes as the state’s cut from gambling would be able to cover the cost.  To this day, most residents never saw those tax cuts and instead, property and school taxes continue to rise.   A grass roots campaign has been organized to eliminate the tax at johnstownfloodtax.com and on facebook.com/RepealTheJohnstownFloodTax.   The flood tax has even been a target of conservative talk show host, Glen Beck who wrote about it in his book, Arguing with Idiots.   One of the solutions to prevent Johnstown from flooding again was designed by the US Army Corps of Engineers.  Large cement flood walls were constructed along the banks of each river in the city proper to help assist drainage and keep water moving downstream during times of high water.  After the walls were constructed later that year, the city was declared “flood free,” although that was not meant to be as the city flooded again in July 1977, again causing massive damage and requiring financial support from the state.  In this case, the flood tax worked, but it has been one of the few times since enacted that financial support was needed.   In March, State Representative Michael Sturla proposed an amendment to rename the tax the “Tom Corbett Liquor Privatization Tax” as part of an ongoing debate to privatize the state’s liquor control board and allow for more privately owned liquor stores to open.  Currently, the powerful liquor control board has a virtual monopoly on all sales of booze in the state.   THE 411   Name: The Johnstown Flood Tax   What: 18% tax on liquor purchased in the state   Where does the money...

Jersey Joe’s Year Three Round Up [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] May24

Jersey Joe’s Year Three Round Up [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

It’s Memorial Day weekend and not only does that mark the unofficial start of summer, but it’s also my SEASON PREMIERE!   This is my 141stblogumn (plus 6 for Fierce Anticipation) and kicks off my fourth year on F & N.  To start the new season off right, I want to update some of the great things we’ve talked about over the past three years.   THE SMURFS MOVIE Fierce Anticipation: The Jersey Joe Edition V – May 21, 2010 In my fifth fill in outing for Fierce Anticipation, I reviewed the live action Smurfs Movie.  Now, fast forward to 2013 and The Smurfs 2 will hit theatres on July 31.  While the first movie was set in New York City, this sequel is set in Paris as the gang tries to find a kidnapped Smurfette. I will probably skip this one.   THE BURGER KING RIBS EDITION Blogumn #2 – June 6, 2010 In my second official blogumn, I reviewed how Burger King went completely in a different direction by adding BBQ ribs to their menu.  While they tasted pretty good and sold out fast, the slow preparation time doomed them from future sales. But, Burger King hasn’t given up on ribs.  This summer, they are serving up the new Burger King Rib Sandwich to rival McDonald’s mega-popular McRib.  The sandwich is being served for a limited time only.   I SURVIVED THE BURGER KING WHOPPER PIZZA Blogumn #16 – October 1, 2010 Another discussion of a wacky Burger King product: their spin-off franchise Whopper Bar in New York City’s Times Square was serving up a $12 Whopper Pizza known as The New York Pizza Burger. The New York City Whopper Bar location closed last year.  However, locations are still open in other cities....

The New Burger King Rib Sandwich vs. The Legendary McDonald’s McRib: Jersey Joe Declares the Winner [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

This summer, another fast food fight will heat up and it’s not over hamburgers, but pork!  Burger King has just begun serving up a BBQ Rib Sandwich to take on the McDonald’s McRib: a sandwich so out there – it has a cult following.  Can this new BK sandwich take the crown from the McRib?  I’m already declaring the victor! The McDonald’s McRib may be one of the most mysterious, yet delicious sandwiches the restaurant has ever served up.  The McRib first went on sale nationwide in 1982 after a few months of test marketing. The sandwich consists of a pork patty, dill pickles, onion slivers, and BBQ sauce on a dusty 5 ½” roll.  The McRib was not an immediate hit and was removed from all menus in 1985.  Since 1989, it would reappear regionally for only a few select weeks of the year.  Not every McDonald’s carried the item and only in select regions of the United States.  (A rare exception was when it was briefly sold nationally in 1994 to tie into The Flintstones Movie and a McRib, Jr. was briefly sold in 2000 on a regular hamburger bun.) The limited availability of the sandwich gave it a large cult following with some McRib addicts (such as me) driving to another state to get one.  When I first moved to the New York City area, no local McDonald’s sold it, leaving me to drive to southern New Jersey or Pennsylvania. I also once got to enjoy a Double McRib, a sort of secret version, at a McDonald’s on the southern end of the Las Vegas strip. The sandwich became so popular; it was even parodied on an episode of The Simpsons and made fun of on How I Met Your Mother. A website, The McRib Locator, allows fans to track where the sandwich is being served in the United States each year. Even after a series of promotional campaigns saying they would end the sandwich, McDonald’s again serves McRibs nationwide for a few weeks each year.  It was last served in the US from December 2012 – early February 2013.  A location will serve what they have until supplies run out. Every time the sandwich is served, McDonald’s core sales increase by several percent.  People do flock to their restaurants for one.  When the McRib was offered for sale in New Zealand, it was supposed to be for a six week run to tie into the Olympic Games, but hungry fans exhausted supplies in days! Looking to cash in on the sandwich’s fame and to boost sales this summer, Burger King has introduced their own version: The Burger King Rib Sandwich. The Burger King Rib Sandwich follows the same basic build as the McRib, but with a few differences.  While both contain pork meat ground up into a boneless patty, Burger King’s seems to have a more solid consistency.  A Time magazine article has found the McRib is made with 70 different ingredients, including fillers that are also used to make athletic gym mats. McDonald’s McRib sauce is a bit spicy; where as Burger King’s sauce is a bit sweet. The pickles McDonald’s uses on their McRib are dill, where The Burger King Rib Sandwich’s are sweet. There are NO onions on the Burger King Rib Sandwich. McDonald’s uses a small hoagie style roll to serve theirs’ and the patty is rectangular, where as Burger King uses an artesian roll and their patty is circular. I hit the drive through at the Burger King near the Holland Tunnel and ordered up the value meal that includes fries or onion rings and a drink.  Both restaurants offer a small, medium, or large value meal.  I chose the medium for my dinner and the cost was $6.39, plus tax.  (Suggested price for the sandwich alone is $3.49) I could see the countdown clock behind the drive through window...

The Classic Video Game BurgerTime is the Real Hell’s Kitchen [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

You take an arcade game, add a hamburger-making chef in a kitchen gone wild, and you’ve got yourself hours of guaranteed fun!  BurgerTime, the 80s arcade classic still entertains in the 21st century and has players lining up for seconds! BurgerTime, created by Data East, was released in 1982 to arcades and the home video game market.  The original overseas title was Hamburger, but was changed shortly before release. The game play is simple.  You are chef Peter Pepper and your job is to assemble 4 hamburgers per level in a kitchen made of ladders and vertical platforms.  To do this, you must walk the length of the ingredient (2 buns, lettuce, and meat) that are positioned on each platform.  Walking across an ingredient will cause it to fall to the level below causing a chain reaction that will knock the ingredients to a waiting plate below.  Additional levels also add a layer of cheese and tomato. Assembling four burgers clears the level and the game moves on to the next scene. Sounds easy?  Not so fast!  Peter is being chased through each round by a team of enemy ingredients who want to smash him into hamburger! • Mr. Dog – a giant hot dog wiener • Mr. Egg – a giant sunny side up egg • Mr. Pickle – a giant pickle slice that appears starting with round 2   Touching an enemy in any way costs Peter a life.  The game begins with 5 lives. The enemies can be outrun, smashed by dropping an ingredient from a level above, or temporarily stunned by Peter spraying them with a pepper shot.  Peter begins the game with 5 pepper shots and can earn more by collecting bonus foods such as a cup of coffee, an...

The Attack That’s Closed Part of the Statue of Liberty for Nearly a Century [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

The Statue of Liberty has been standing guard at the mouth of New York harbor since her dedication on October 28, 1886.  She is a symbol of welcome to immigrants arriving to the United States.  She has been closed for six months due to damage from Superstorm Sandy.  However, one part of her structure has been sealed off to visitors after a terror attack nearly a century ago. Given as a gift from the people of France, Lady Liberty was designed and constructed by artist Frederic Bartholdi.  Completed in stages, parts of the new statue were displayed in both France, New York, and at international expositions before being crated up and shipped to the US.  Once the appropriate funds were raised, she was assembled on what was then called Bedloe’s Island, now known as Liberty Island. The statue, representing the Roman goddess of freedom, features one foot moving forward to symbolize progress and a broken chair at her feet.  She holds a tablet with the inscription July 4, 1776, the date of American independence from the British. New York City held its first ticker tape parade to celebrate that statue’s completion with President Grover Cleveland on hand for the festivities and dedication. The statue has welcomed millions of visitors over the years.  When the statue reopens, visitors will once again be able to climb the long spiral staircase to the crown and take a peek out the windows high above the harbor for spectacular views of New York City and the busy waterway. But, there was once another part of the statue visitors were permitted to tour, until a terror attack that occurred in 1916 known as “The Black Tom Explosion.” Black Tom was once an island in the New York Harbor located a short distance from the Statue of Liberty.  The island was connected to the mainland Jersey City, New Jersey by a long causeway and railroad track.  Eventually, the area between the mainland and island was filled in and officially became part of the city.  A huge pier and warehouses were also constructed on the site. The island became a major munitions depot where American companies were able to sell weapons and ammunitions, which were in large demand across the Atlantic for the upcoming World War I.  Being allied with France and Britain, they were the only two countries allowed to make purchases from the depot. After midnight on July 30, 1916, several small fires were discovered on the pier.  While some locals tried to extinguish the flames themselves, the Jersey City Fire Department was called in. At 2:08am, a major explosion took place with residents being shaken from their beds by earthquake like vibrations that registered between 5.0 and 5.5 on the Richter Scale. The force was so powerful, that windows were blown out all over Manhattan and as far as 25 miles away.  The Brooklyn Bridge was shaken, but undamaged.  The outer wall of Jersey City’s City Hall was cracked and a large clock in the Journal Square neighborhood over a mile away was hit and damaged. The noise and vibration could be felt as far away as Maryland and Connecticut. On Ellis Island, frightened immigrants that were being processed at the time were evacuated by ferry to Manhattan. The Statue of Liberty took $100,000 in damage after shrapnel pierced many parts, including several pieces that lodged in the arm.  As a result the torch, outer walkway, and arm were permanently closed.   The narrow hatchway inside that once welcomed visitors is still gated off to the public, but does allow access for employees to conduct repairs. According to historic records and government investigations, the munitions were set on fire by the Germans, who did not want the weapons to make it across the Atlantic due to a military blockade. Several different conclusions have been drawn as to how the fire was carried out, with one...

7 Up: Yeah, it’s Still Around [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

It’s the clear bubbly beverage your mom would give you as a child when you had an upset stomach or fever.  7 Up is part of America, but the classic citrus soft drink which almost disappeared from stores is fighting to make a come back. 7 Up, with its lemon line flavor, was created by Charles Lepier Gregg in St. Louis.  Having great success with his Howdy Orange Drink, Gregg turned his focus to lemons and limes.  After more than 2 years and 11 different formulas, he had his drink: a caramel colored “Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda.” Try selling that to a marketing agency, today! It was released two weeks before the stock market crash of 1929, and amazingly, the drink sold well. In 1935, the color was changed to clear, and the brand name to 7 Up..  Early ads promised “Seven natural flavors blended into a savory, flavory with a real whallop.” By the late 1940’s, 7 Up was the third best selling soft drink in the world! The recipe has been reformulated multiple times since the original launch.  It once contained a mood stabilizing drug, but that was removed in the 1950s.  The latest change was in 2006, when it rebranded itself as “all natural”–although after a few law suit threats the tagline was changed. Now it contains “100% natural flavors.” A common myth is that the name 7 Up represents the seven ingredients in the drink while another says that the ph is over 7. Both claims are untrue, and the real reason for the name is a mystery. The 7 Up brand has changed hands several times over the years.  In 1978 it was purchased by Philip Morris (the cigarette people), before being sold to an investment group in 1986. ...

Let’s Play the Feud! In Scratch Off Form [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Apr26

Let’s Play the Feud! In Scratch Off Form [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Survey says: It’s one of your favorite game shows, and now Family Feud has come to you in instant lottery ticket form. Players have the chance to win big bucks in the palm of their hands. But, even if you don’t scratch off a winner, this game has a second chance that could land you a game show lover’s dream vacation! Family Feud premiered on ABC television on July 12, 1976. A spin-off of the bonus round on the popular Match Game show, host Richard Dawson would ask two families a series of questions and they would have to find the most popular answers from a survey of 100 people. Get the most points, win cash. The show has been on the air with a rotation of hosts including Dawson, Ray Combs, Louie Anderson, Richard Karn, John O’Hurley, and Steve Harvey almost non-stop, except for a brief recess in the mid 90’s. Under current host Harvey, the Feud is drawing record numbers, although it is now syndicated to local stations. To cash in on the popularity of the show, the New York Lottery has partnered with MDI Entertainment, LLC to create an ultimate game show fan trip to Las Vegas. The ad campaign launched with a several hilarious commercials airing in the state. The Family Feud instant scratch off game provides the player with 12 chances to match up to 6 pre-selected numbers to win a cash prize, from $5 all the way up to a jackpot of $1,000,000 (paid in $50,000 increments for 20 years.)  Revealing a money bag symbol instantly awards the cash prize below it. Revealing a 5x or 10x symbol multiplies the winnings accordingly. Tickets in New York are $5 each (while a version in Michigan costs $2 each, with lower payouts). The player...

Could This Be the Best News Interview, Ever? [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Apr19

Could This Be the Best News Interview, Ever? [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

This may just be the funniest 30 seconds of TV you’ll ever see! I found this interview on the net a few months ago and it simply has to be shared. What should have been a story about an apartment fire, turns into comedy gold with this eyewitness. The 26 million people who have viewed this can’t be wrong! Sweet Brown escaped her apartment fire back in April 2012. The story aired on KFOR-TV, the NBC affiliate in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Since then, she has become an internet celebrity and has since appeared on local and national TV! And of course, there are several remixes: Not only has she appeared on Comedy Central’s Tosh.0, she was also named Jimmy Kimmel’s clip of the year!  But, she hasn’t stopped there.  She’s also had a toothache!  At least in this commercial for a local dentist office: All of this fame has taken her from Middle America all the way to Hollywood.  She now has an entire Youtube channel dedicated to her, featuring her various TV appearances and star meetings… that is, if you’ve got time for ‘dat! THE 411 Name: Sweet Brown What: Internet celebrity, thanks to an interview on the local news From: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Youtube channel: SweetBrownTVJesus JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS: You’ve got to watch and share these videos! She’s hilarious and was able to turn a dark fire into pure comedy! Just remember, in this day and age, you never know what will get caught on camera and end up on the internet! You could become an overnight internet sensation, too! Hopefully, for the right reasons! If you liked this post, please do us the further boon of Liking the Fierce and Nerdy page on FaceBook. Also, we’re giving great stream on Twitter, so do give us...

She’s the Queen of the Court and the Casino – The New Judge Judy Slot Machine [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Apr12

She’s the Queen of the Court and the Casino – The New Judge Judy Slot Machine [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

I’M THE BOSS, APPLESAUCE! She certainly is! Not only is she queen of the courtroom, she also the queen of daytime TV! Judge Judith Sheindlin’s ruled her TV court for 17 seasons and now she’s getting into the casino business! Introducing the Judge Judy slot machine! Oh yes – this is certainly real! Judge Judy passed the New York State bar in 1965 and was a prosecutor in family court. She was promoted to judge by Mayor Ed Koch in 1982, first to criminal court, then back to family court. Her no-nonsense attitude on the bench caught the eye of the Los Angeles Times in 1993. Followed up by a special profile on 60 Minutes, producers approached her to host her own court show with real cases and real rulings. After tooling with several names including Hot Bench and Judy Justice, Judge Judy hit the daytime TV airwaves on September 16, 1996. The show, which airs on local stations in various time slots, quickly clicked with viewers. Her “Judyisms” or snide phrases she uses to call out the litigants on the bench, have become part of American cannon. A few of these include: “I’m the boss, applesauce.” “Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining!” “Do I have ‘stupid’ written on my forehead?” The show features real cases that are taken from civil court disputes around the country. Researchers for the show scour upcoming court appointments and select cases that they feel will make good television. In order to appear on the show, both parties sign a waver, agreeing to be bound by Judy’s ruling. Technically, the show is not an official court, but “binding arbitration,” although the set and dressing appear to make the show a traditional court. Any funds that Judy orders to be paid are not actually paid...

Inside Gordon Ramsay’s Pub and Grill – Does His New Restaurant Cook Like the Fiery Chef? [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Apr05

Inside Gordon Ramsay’s Pub and Grill – Does His New Restaurant Cook Like the Fiery Chef? [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

MOVE YOUR ASS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU #$%&! DONUT?!?! No, I didn’t hear any fun expletives from the fiery host of the Hell’s Kitchen TV series, but I got to sample his world famous cuisine at his new restaurant Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill. The question is – does his food live up to his reputation? Keep on reading to find out! Chef Gordon Ramsay has been the host of Hell’s Kitchen on FOX since 2005, when the show moved across the pond to the United States. Created by Ramsay, the show aired live and with a different format in the United Kingdom, a year earlier. Ramsay, a British chef, restaurateur, and television personality actually started his adult life with dreams of becoming a football player. After a serious knee injury, Ramsay focused on his second love – cooking. By age 26, Ramsay began running several high profile restaurant kitchens and continued his culinary education with each step. Eventually, he became a partner in a London restaurant, where he would earn his first two Michelin Stars. Michelin Stars are awarded to restaurants based on the quality of the food and if the restaurant is worth making a special trip to.  Getting a star is rare and there are only 81 three star restaurants in the world. After Ramsay earned those first two, he ventured on his own, quickly began expanding his cooking empire, and earned himself a total of 15 stars. Known for his short temper, flying expletives, and no-nonsense perfection; Ramsay began appearing on television in the UK starting in 1998. FOX executives liked his style and brought him to American TV.  In 2006, he opened his first US restaurant in New York City. He also created and produced a number of other cooking related, shows both here and internationally....

The Bottle Boys: They Play Your Favorite Songs – on Bottles [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Mar29

The Bottle Boys: They Play Your Favorite Songs – on Bottles [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Direct from Denmark to you! The Bottle Boys are taking the hottest songs and performing them their way – with only bottles as musical instruments. The results are some striking tunes that you simply must hear! The five performers from Copenhagen, Denmark, each use a different type of bottle and style to produce a particular musical sound. Christopher Bogár – Chords Philipp Brodersen – Melody Johannes Ettrup – Melody Kaspar Frederiksen – Bass Martin B. Handberg – Percussion Some of the bottles are filled with water and played as pipes to give a piano/keyboard effect while others are simply plastic that you would recycle at home that gets hit for a  percussion beat. The Bottle Boys have become a hit around the globe, with a growing fan base in the United States, thanks to their performances on Youtube. Their videos have hundreds of thousands of views. The more people that subscribe to their channel, the more performances they promise to upload. Their songs range from Top 40 to movie themes and are often staged out in public on city streets. They have toured around the globe, including a few stops in the US. They first began uploading their videos to Youtube in 2007. THE 411 Name: The Bottle Boys What: musical group Location: Denmark Website: http://thebottleboys.com/ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bottlesonly Twitter feed: @TheBottleBoys JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS: They’ve uploaded a bunch of performance videos on Youtube and I first found them as a Youtube suggestion on the home page.  Take a listen – it’s really worth it. Hopefully, these guys will be making some more stops in the United States, soon.  I would love to see them in New York City or Las Vegas!  Their performances remind me of a more local or real Blue Man Group minus the flash. If...

Skip the Coffee – Go for Mountain Dew’s New Breakfast Drink [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Mar22

Skip the Coffee – Go for Mountain Dew’s New Breakfast Drink [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Coffee, a staple of the morning. Most of us need that caffeine jolt to get the day going. Mountain Dew is officially getting into the morning drink business with Mountain Dew Kick Start. But, does it provide the same jolt as a cup of Joe? Mountain Dew was first invented in 1940 with a reformulated version hitting stores in 1958. Brand and production rights were taken over by PepsiCo starting in 1964. The citrus-lime drink is known for its distinct flavor, high sugar and high caffeine content. PepsiCo has been experimenting for years with new flavors and variations to the extremely popular Mountain Dew brand. After adding several fan favorite flavors, they’ve decided to give coffee a run for the money and compete in the morning beverage business. Mountain Dew Kick Start is more than just a standard energy drink. Available in two flavors orange and fruit punch, the drink is half Dew – half juice. (Ok, it’s 5% juice, but you get the idea.) Seeing it recently introduced to stores, and being a big Mountain Dew fan, myself, I had to give this a try. Full disclosure: I’ve never really been a coffee drinker. Only recently, now that we have a flashy Keurig coffee maker at work, do I occasionally have a cup. Before that, I would maybe have two cups in an entire year. A bottle of Mountain Dew is always my choice. I’m not ashamed to take one into a 9am business meeting. Reading about this new product got me excited, finally a perfect solution! Seeing the ads when it was released, I’ve been looking for this in stores for quite a while. Finally, I spotted a sign on the door at my local 7-Eleven, they were advertising ‘Buy two, get one free.”  What a deal! I went for...

Jersey Joe Gets a Mall Massage [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Mar15

Jersey Joe Gets a Mall Massage [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

Shopping malls are plentiful in just about every state of the country. But in New Jersey, there’s a certain store that seems to be in just about every one – a massage parlor. Not, the illicit, happy-ending, adult ones – but the “my back’s sore from shopping can you rub it for a couple of bucks” ones. Each time I visit Atlantic City, I try to stop by Ping’s Place on the Boardwalk. The family run shop has been in business for a long time. While the Boardwalk is loaded with massage places, I tried Ping’s on my first trip to AC a decade ago, and now I stop by as a treat. For about a dollar a minute, they will massage your back, legs, neck, arms, and hands. You tell them how long you want to go, but I usually opt for the 20 minute session. They don’t use any crazy oils and you don’t have to get naked. I usually just lay down in a t-shirt as they play soft tranquil music and rub your cares away. Not only are these parlors plentiful on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, but also on other New Jersey shore town boardwalks and in their malls! The Shore Mall, in Egg Harbor Township, NJ, is currently undergoing a large de-malling construction project. The mall was once home to several of these mom and pop massage parlors, but as a wing of the mall is being demolished, they’ve simply moved to the nearby Hamilton Mall. I’ve shopped at the Newport Center Mall in Jersey City for years and have always noticed the set of eight massage chairs in the main mall walkway surrounding a kiosk. There’s no store to walk in here – you’re right out in the middle of the mall,...

The Two State Challenge: Can You Win with Scratch Off Lottery Tickets? [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Mar08

The Two State Challenge: Can You Win with Scratch Off Lottery Tickets? [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Spend a couple of bucks, scratch off the ticket, and win big! That’s the promise of instant lottery ticket games. They advertise big prizes for a few dollars investment. But, can you actually win anything on these? I bought a bunch from two different states to find out. Last year, my good friend Simon and I dropped $20 in a Pennsylvania Lottery ticket machine and ended up scratching off tickets for the better part of an hour. While the biggest amount we hit was only $20, we kept getting free tickets over and over that we kept cashing in. Pennsylvania gave us a lot of play, and our money back, for that $20 investment. But, are other states just as loose with their tickets? The New York Lottery recently installed a flashy, new lottery ticket vending machine at the Herald Square subway station. In addition to dispensing scratch off tickets, players can also purchase regular number games, such as Powerball tickets, from this machine. So yes, you can now legally gamble while riding the subway! I pass this machine every day on my commute to work so I decided that I would give the New York Lottery a try. I dropped $30 into the machine and chose a variety of tickets ranging from $1 to $10, ending up with 11 tickets in all. Several New York commuters cued up behind me to use the machine. Once I arrived home in New Jersey, I stopped in at a local convenience store, purchasing an array of tickets to see what kind of luck the Garden State lottery would give me. I asked for $25 in a variety of tickets. There are no $1 tickets in New Jersey so I had to plop down an additional $1. With that, the clerk handed me 13...

Fun Experiment: Can You Clean a Mirror with a Newspaper? [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Mar01

Fun Experiment: Can You Clean a Mirror with a Newspaper? [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

All families have home remedies and wives tales that have been passed down through the years: stress causes gray hair, frogs don’t actually cause warts, etc. One I’ve come across is that you can use a newspaper to clean a mirror. Sounds crazy enough, but there are dozens of web pages devoted to it. So, I set out to see if this is truth or just an old myth. The recipe is simple. Mix a quarter-cup of vinegar and two cups of water. Spray and coat the mirror. Take out an ordinary piece of newspaper, crumple it up into a ball, begin to wipe. Sounds simple enough. I snagged an AM New York on my way home from work, I already had vinegar in the cupboard, so I mixed up the solution and headed for the bathroom. I coated the mirror with the vinegar solution and crumpled up a page from the paper. (Sorry, to the author of the article on tourism in New York City’s Brighton Beach neighborhood.) I started at the top of the mirror going in circular strokes and it did not go so well. The whole thing was coated in large white, foamy streaks. It looked like a child went crazy with a tub of Noxzema. After a few more moments of rubbing, to my surprise – it really started working! With a little more elbow grease, I got the whole thing perfectly clean! It was as good as a bottle of glass cleaner could do from the store. If it worked on the mirror, I figured it has to work on other surfaces, so I tried wiping the sink and countertop. Big mistake. The newspaper left black streaks all over the counter top that I had to go back and wipe up with glass cleaner. There was one major...

David Letterman: Game Show Host [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Feb22

David Letterman: Game Show Host [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

Long before David Letterman became the king of late night, he was just another struggling Hollywood comedian. During the 1970’s, Dave was a fixture as a celebrity panelist on many game shows until he finally got a chance to host one of his own. Fortunately, that video has made it online and is hilarious! David Letterman grew up in Indianapolis and eventually worked as a weatherman in local television. He would eventually head to Hollywood, where he worked the comedy circuit and appeared as a game show celebrity panelist. Dave hosted a short lived morning show for NBC that led to his late night gig, Late Night with David Letterman. After a dispute over hosting duties of The Tonight Show, he moved on to CBS in 1993 and has been hosting his Late Show with David Letterman, since. One of Dave’s rarer TV projects was hosting the game show pilot, The Riddlers in 1977. Now a copy has been made available online. The Riddlers placed two teams, one made of five celebrities and one made of contestants with a common theme (five dance instructors were seen in this pilot). One player would read a clue and their partner would have to finish the answer to the hilarious riddle. Solving nine riddles wins $500 and a chance to play the Crazy Quotes bonus game. Missing a riddle, passed play to the other team. In the Crazy Quotes bonus game, players hilariously arranged themselves by intellectual ability to solve a series of more difficult riddles for a jackpot of $2,000. This pilot also features 1970’s celebrity guests Jo Anne Worley, Robert Urich, Joyce Builifant, Michael McKeon, and Debralee Scott. Take a look at the show that could have been, The Riddlers. Too bad – the game was just awful. The...

It’s the Game Show All About Love – Bring Back Love Connection! [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Feb15

It’s the Game Show All About Love – Bring Back Love Connection! [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Would you go on national TV looking for a date? How about a game show where old fashioned romance met modern (well, 1980’s) technology? We all tuned in to see couples air their dirty laundry about their first blind date. The ratings proved we loved it! So, why isn’t Love Connection still on the air? Love Connection, hosted by Chuck Woolery, aired in syndication on local television stations from September 19, 1983 through July 1, 1994, for over 2,000 shows. A one season revival hosted by Pat Bullard aired from September 21, 1998 – June 4, 1999. An updated version of The Dating Game, Love Connection producers would pick the three potential date candidates to choose from and a single guy or girl would have to choose a blind date from those three eligible bachelors or bachelorettes. The contestant would see a videotaped presentation on each, pick their favorite and immediately go on a blind date. After the date, they were not permitted any further contact until their episode was taped in front of a studio audience. The entire panel would return to tape the episode. The audience was shown a short snippet of the three potential date candidates and they would vote on who they think would make the best choice to date the contestant. The contestant would then reveal who they had picked and details of the date were discussed, while the other person was hidden backstage off camera and could only interact through a screen on the set. If the date went well, host Woolery would reunite the couple on the set, completing the “Love Connection.”  If not, that person would remain backstage. Whatever the outcome, the audience vote was then revealed and the contestant was offered a date with the audience’s pick, but they had...

Warning: Dial these Four Area Codes and Pay Big! [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Feb08

Warning: Dial these Four Area Codes and Pay Big! [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

These days, with nationwide long distance and cell phone plans, most of us don’t think twice about making a long distance call. However, there are four area codes that look like they belong in the US, but aren’t, and an accidental call to one could have you paying big. I discovered this about two months ago, when my grandmother received a call that she had won a large lottery jackpot. All she had to do was to send several thousand dollars, via Western Union, to a prearranged address. Then the lottery would send her the prize. Sound too good to be true? It is. Thankfully, she wasn’t stupid enough to fall for it. International lottery scams are on the rise. Crooks from overseas are trying to deceive, what they assume to be, rich Americans into sending them cash. While this type of crime has been around for many years, but recent news reports say this type of scam is the rise. Scammers will call from, what appears to be a, local United States area code. They will leave a number to call back, often in the same area code. Their number will also show up on a caller ID, although it’s often faked. Sophisticated computer programs can disguise the actual caller’s number and assign a false number to a caller ID. The victim will then either call them back or call the number left on the ID to see whose call they missed. And BANG. You will get a big fat charge on your phone bill. Plus, some scammers redirect your call to another number that can get charge even more. According to the FCC, the deceiving area codes are: 809, 649, 248, and 876.  While the caller will dial the normal 10 digit American long distance number, 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx, these are located internationally...

I Still Love My Starter Jacket [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Feb01

I Still Love My Starter Jacket [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

We’ve crossed into February and are about to hit the most brutal month of winter. Fortunately for me, I’ll be toasty warm thanks to my old Starter jacket! Read on as I reveal the secret to its long life! Now to be fair, I don’t have one of those super flashy ones with a thousand different colors that only look good with a pair of Zubaz pants. But, a decade and a half later, mine still looks as pristine the day I got it! Starter jackets were all the rage in the 1980’s & 90’s. Kids in my generation would beg their parents to pony up $150 for one, to show allegiance to a sports team, that in most cases, they aren’t even a fan of. There were several different designs of Starter jackets and all were popular. There are the satin baseball button up style, the heavy winter parka ski jacket style, and the pullover with a large front fanny pocket style. While some were mainly sold in simple team colors, others had neon, or loud patterns, and giant logo designs. Some varieties had one giant team logo covering the whole jacket.  Most also featured a half side zipper that allowed for easy access to your front jeans pocket. Some game officials would also use that opening to clip on a microphone battery pack. They were available for pretty much every team, in every sport, from pro to college. The popularity of the jackets hit their height in the early 90’s, when big time rap stars could be seen sporting them in music videos. It didn’t matter if it was 100° and they were lounging by a pool, it was still cool to be sporting their Starter jacket. At one point during the 90s, the jackets became a major status...

The Science of Happy Hour [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jan25

The Science of Happy Hour [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

It’s those few magical hours, when your favorite watering hole drops their prices, enticing you through their door. This marketing ploy to lure in thirsty drinkers has been going on for centuries. There’s more involved than just getting you to belly up to the bar. “Happy hour” refers to a certain amount of time set aside for restaurants or bars to offer a select menu of discounted food and drinks to gain customers. In the United States, most happy hours occur Monday through Thursday, when patronage at these establishments is often lower. In the beginning happy hour was only that – an hour. In recent years, it has been extended to “happy hours” often going on for the majority of an afternoon. The United States Navy may be the first to thank for establishing a happy hour as early as the 1920’s. No, sailors on ships weren’t getting crocked, but the term “Happy Hour” was used for scheduled entertainment such as movies or sporting events. It was basically a scheduled rest time for those on board to blow off some steam. When Prohibition hit the United States and bars were legally prevented from serving booze, thirsty Americans would host cocktail hours in the home or at a speakeasy before dinner, thus becoming ‘happy hours’. In order to get into a speakeasy, you had to know someone, or know the password, for fear that you could be the law, wanting to shut the place down. While happy hours are well known across the country: Massachusetts and Utah have completely banned them, as have clubs on military bases. In June 2012, Kansas ended their 26 year ban. A couple of year ago, Pennsylvania extended the amount of time a bar can market their happy hour from two to four hours....

Is He the Coolest Teacher on the Planet? [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jan18

Is He the Coolest Teacher on the Planet? [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Teaching can be one of the most under appreciated professions on the planet. Mouthy students, angry parents, and little pay make this one of the toughest jobs. Fortunately, one teacher kept his head cool when a gang fight breaks out in his classroom. Watch as he quickly and skillfully defuses the situation. There was no better way to handle this volatile situation than he did. He quickly stepped in and used tone of voice and authority to take control. While he kept the two fighting students in line, he never once started screaming, as many others would have in his place. His greatest line… “BEFORE I MAKE CHANGE OUT OF YOU… AND HIM!” Very well said and it caused the one punk to run out of the classroom. The diplomatic and controlling way he handled this would make him a perfect fit for President of the United States, don’t you think? Wouldn’t it have been great to see him lay the smack down on Congress, when they couldn’t get a budget in time for the fiscal cliff or get aid to Hurricane Sandy victims? I would also love to see him in addressing a foreign country that’s causing trouble? I’m sure he would calmly, but authoritatively handle the situation. If some bureaucrat gets in his face he could always “…squash this right now!” Imagine that with an army of well trained troops behind him! I would completely trust this guy with his finger on the button! According to comments on the video written by students, his name is Mr. Ruffin. The class this happened in was Algebra I at James Clemens High School, in Madison, Wisconsin. He is not currently listed as a teacher there, according to the school’s website, but the video was uploaded in 2011. When one room schoolhouses opened during...

It’s Lights Out for 75 Watt Light Bulbs [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jan11

It’s Lights Out for 75 Watt Light Bulbs [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Check your lamps and the supply closet. The government has pulled the plug on 75 watt light bulbs. The packs that are left on store shelves are it. While the 75 watt bulbs may now be gone – the feds aren’t stopping there! A quick trip to your local Home Depot or Target can overwhelm you with a giant selection of light bulbs. In fact, you may not even realize that the old school 75 watt incandescent bulbs are gone. But, if you have a lamp that calls for one – you soon realize, you will have to change. The incandescent light bulb can trace its start back to 1802, when British inventor Sir Humphry Davy passed a current through a thin strip of metal to light the first bulb. The light that was given off was very low and lasted only a few seconds. Over the next few decades, he and other inventors would try to refine the product. An incandescent bulb causes light by heating a filament wire to a high temperature by passing an electric current through it. The filament is protected by a glass dome. The bulb is screwed into a lamp or socket by lining up the metal grooves at the bottom. A total of at least 22 inventors have been listed as helping to perfect the modern incandescent bulb. In 1841, British inventor Frederick de Moleyns received the first official patent. In 1878, American inventor Thomas Edison would begin work on a more practical model that would be more affordable, brighter, and last longer. On October 22, 1879, he would create a bulb that would last for 13 ½ hours. He later discovered a bulb that could burn over 1200 hours by using a bamboo filament. It wasn’t until 1880, that another British inventor Joseph...

The Giant Snowflakes Hanging Over NYC and LA [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Dec21

The Giant Snowflakes Hanging Over NYC and LA [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

I first saw the giant illuminated snowflake hanging over 57th Street & 5th Avenue in New York City as a tourist well over a decade ago. It hangs right over the bustling flow of traffic and pedestrians. At the time, I thought it was only a cool decoration, but it turns out, this illuminated piece of frozen precipitation is helping a lot of children around the world. Get anywhere near the area and you’ll see tourists snapping photos, pedestrians looking up and cars slowing down. You can see it from blocks away. There’s no way you can miss this seeing giant snowflake! First erected in 1984, the dazzling snowflake quickly became a tourist attraction. In 2002, it was officially rededicated the “UNICEF Snowflake” by the Stonbely Family, to raise money and awareness for the organization. It acts as a beacon of peace for children around the world. When first constructed, it featured 12,000 handcrafted crystal prisms, was 17’ x 14’, weighed 1,600 pounds, and had 125 lights.  It was designed by Douglas Leigh, who also had a hand in designing lighting schemes for many New York City skyscrapers. UNICEF was created by the United Nations in 1946 to provide food and medical care for children in countries that were ravaged by World War II. Their work still continues providing education, nutrition, health care and sanitation to children in developing countries. UNICEF’s goal is to have zero children die from preventable causes. Each year, the flake is illuminated from Black Friday through end of January. The lighting ceremony is kicked off with a star studded black tie ball featuring appearances from big named celebrities.  In 2011, Angie Harmon had the honor of throwing the switch. This year, Katy Perry, Selena Gomez, Matt Lauer, Tony Bennett and many more were in...

Jersey Joe’s Easy Tip to the Ultimate Holiday Gift [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Dec14

Jersey Joe’s Easy Tip to the Ultimate Holiday Gift [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Still racking your brain looking for that perfect holiday gift? Here is my ultimate go-to when you need a present that’s thoughtful, quick and could actually put money back in your pocket!  There’s no need to rack your brain or worry about shipping or standing in long lines. It’s good for just about everyone from family to co-workers. Time is running out for your holiday shopping and my blogumn is here to help! So, as soon as your are done reading this – head on down to your local news stand or grocery store and pick up a pack of instant scratch off lottery tickets! You can be the hero of their holidays if they hit a big cash jackpot! With a simple $10 or $20 you can give a gift that can keep on giving. In a pinch, you can even get a nice holiday card or envelope and stuff a bunch inside. You can give them to your boss, a friend, or your grandmother. (Mine loves getting them!) I’ve done this for years, even giving to co-workers in the past. I was given a stack for my birthday this year and I kept winning over and over. It was a great feeling. I played for a few months by winning free tickets and small cash amounts that I simply cashed in for more. It’s up to the player how they want to spend their winnings, but the odds are pretty good they’ll at least receive a free ticket. Growing up in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Lottery airs this holiday classic commercial, that is simply revised every season (or as of last year, redone shot for shot in high definition.)  The ad agency simply overdubs the new games to match the original jingle. Lotteries have enabled governments to fund all...

He’s Hardrock, He’s Coco, I’m Joe! – Stop Motion Christmas TV Classics [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Dec07

He’s Hardrock, He’s Coco, I’m Joe! – Stop Motion Christmas TV Classics [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Ask anyone that grew up in Chicago or Western Pennsylvania about Hardrock, Coco and Joe and you’ll instantly bring a smile to their face. Three black and white Christmas stop motion classics have been airing on television stations since the 1950’s. They still delight kids of all ages to this day. Suzy Snowflake, Frosty the Snowman, and Hardrock, Coco, and Joe: The Three Little Dwarfs are two minute and 45 second short films that were broadcast on only two television stations in the US, WGN-TV in Chicago and WJAC-TV, the NBC affiliate in Johnstown, PA. Originally produced in the early 1950’s, these short films aired annually as part of children’s programming to get the little ones fire up for the Christmas season. These classics were seen by so many families over the years, they have become a holiday season tradition that even adults now look forward to. As the kids grew into adults, and children’s programming dwindled, their airing would no longer be restricted to just kids. On WJAC, they can be seen airing all over the programming schedule from prime time to Saturday Night Live to Channel 6 News 11 at 11. Growing up in Western Pennsylvania as I did, I would watch these over and over every year on WJAC. My grandmother still stops and pause for a moment to check them out, while she’s flipping through the channels. While the stop motion is very low budget and crude by today’s standards, those who grew up with these shorts have a special place for them in their heart. Seeing these as a kid, I knew Christmas is here! Thousands of viewers have checked them out on Youtube. Let’s take a look at each and uncover some little known facts! HARDROCK, COCO, AND JOE: THE THREE LITTLE DWARFS...

Escalator Madness! [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

The holiday shopping season is in full swing and loads of shoppers are hitting malls. Most major shopping centers are spread out over several levels, requiring a brief ride on an escalator to get from floor to floor. These inventions have saved us all from climbing flight after flight of stairs. While escalators are generally safe, sometimes things go wrong. Check out this video collection of escalator accidents and dumb mistakes.  Quite a few of these people didn’t quite make it to the top! The escalator, or moving staircase, was first patented by inventor Nathan Ames from Saugus, Massachusetts in 1859. His patent even mentions that the stairs could be carpeted or made of wood.  Another inventor, Leamon Souder, issued four patents for designs of his own, but none of their designs were built. Another inventor, Jesse W. Reno, patented his design for an “endless conveyor or elevator” in 1892. Reno, who graduated from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, installed this first ever escalator type unit next to the Old Iron Pier at New York City’s Coney Island, just four years later. At that time, Coney Island was a big booming summer destination for the crowds of New Yorkers who flocked to the beaches, rides and wacky attractions. This first escalator design was basically a giant belt. A few months later, his prototype would be briefly tested at the end of the Brooklyn Bridge. Parts of his design were purchased by the now famous Otis Elevator Company, who worked patents from several other inventors into the basic moving stair design we all know today. I’ve personally ridden two of the three oldest escalator banks in the United States: • Macy’s, Herald Square – New York City • Macy’s (formerly Kaufman’s flagship store) – downtown Pittsburgh, PA The Westfield San Francisco Center in California...

Rock You Like a Hurricane – With Books! [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] [BOOK WEEK II]...

Last week, I went through probably one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. Hurricane Sandy was barreling towards New York and I was right in her path. Stuck inside my flooded apartment, I was forced by my boss to find an uncongenial means to get to work. Without power, internet, and spotty cell phone service – I turned to books! Yeah, big deal, we all have books.  But, in this case – they were my lifeline. Stuck on the flooded New Jersey side of the Hudson River, and like thousands of others in my area, I was desperately trying to find a way across the river. While New York City is only a stone’s throw from the Jersey waterfront, in this case – it might have well been miles away. The state was no help. With PATH trains and the Holland Tunnel flooded, the Lincoln Tunnel and George Washington Bridge quickly became parking lots. Not sure what to do, I decided to try and drive in. Driving in my neighborhood quickly became next to impossible. Streets were flooded or littered with debris, while others were sparks of downed live eclectic wires. I was given permission from my boss to stay home for the day, but was told it was mandatory to report for work, tomorrow. Years before moving to the New York metro area, I purchased several guides to familiarize myself with everything from subways to flea markets. Frommer’s New York City Guide 2006 and Newcomer’s Handbook for Moving to and Living in New York City. I think I might have opened these books one other time before. Initially, I purchased these to read on my train commute to work, but never got around to really reading them. Since then, they have sat on a shelf collecting dust. Turns out…...

Canada Brings Back The Match Game [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Nov09

Canada Brings Back The Match Game [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

There was a game show from the 70’s that everyone was talking about. A simple fill in the blank game that could land contestants big money. It was their party and we were all invited. Now, Canadian television is trying to recapture the magic and bring back The Match Game! The original black and white version of The Match Game premiered on NBC December 21, 1962.  Most of the episodes taped back then were deleted by network executives almost immediately after airing.  At the time, videotape was expensive and the powers that be at the peacock network did not think that there would ever be a reason to re-run these shows. (They also lost the first Super Bowl and a lot of episodes of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson thanks to this practice.) This first version of the show had little resemblance to the more popular update which premiered on CBS, July 2, 1973 under the title Match Game ’73. The game is simple. Host Gene Rayburn would read a short story or phrase and the contestant had to fill in the blank.  Gene would then go to a panel of six celebrities who would give their answer to earn a match. Six matches won the game. Here’s a typical question: Dumb Dora was so dumb, she went to a hamburger joint and ordered a (blank)! A bonus round known as “The Big Money Supermatch” was then played. It was just one short phrase the contestant filled in the blank to match an audience survey. (This round surfaced as the premise for a spin-off. Family Feud debuted in 1976.) The contestant could then play for ten times his winnings by completing one final, exact match, with a celebrity. The magic of the 70’s version was the very loose format on...

A Cheap Way to Keep Your Vacation Going When You’re Back Home [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Nov02

A Cheap Way to Keep Your Vacation Going When You’re Back Home [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Most of us at once point or another have spent a few nights in a hotel room.  While many travel for business, it’s the big vacation that we all look forward to.  In planning your perfect trip, the hotel you stay in is a big part of the equation.  Well, I have a tip that will keep your vacation going, well after you’ve arrived back home. In picking the perfect hotel for vacation, your decision is usually based on three things: price, location, and amenities.  You might be looking for one with a giant pool, or one with activities for the kids, perhaps a casino, or one that is simply steps off the beach for under $100 a night.  Picking the right hotel can make or break a vacation, not just from a financial standpoint, but also for the fun factor. Whatever your choice, as long as you had a good time on your trip and enjoyed your hotel – there’s one simple thing you can do to keep the fun of the trip with you: TAKE THE COMPLIMENTARY SHAMPOO & CONDITIONERS. Why would I want to do that when I have the good stuff at home? The simple answer is YOU PAID FOR IT.  Most hotels include basic toiletries as part of your room rate and will replenish fresh bottles each day housekeeping cleans the room.  If you are staying multiple nights, keep putting the bottles away, each time they are restocked. Here’s the logic behind my reasons why… I first did this on years ago during a stay at the Borgata Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City.  I loved the special mint crème shampoo they had in the room and decided I didn’t want to just leave it behind to get tossed out. ...

Silver Strike! The Slot Machine That Hands out a Prize [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Oct26

Silver Strike! The Slot Machine That Hands out a Prize [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

When most people sit down at a slot machine, they are hoping to cash in on that big jackpot. Technology has changed the way we play the slots, but there is still one unique machine that hands out silver tokens and has collectors jumping.  Once these coins numbered in the thousands, now the historic Silver Strike slot machine is a dying breed with only a few left to play. Silver Strike slot machines were introduced by International Game Technology (IGT) in Reno, Nevada in 1992. At the time, slot machines were still in the early days of becoming computerized. After the introduction of Wheel of Fortune slots, which allowed players to spin the famous Wheel for bonus credits by landing on a certain symbol, bonus round machines took off with players, and the Silver Strike machine was not far behind. While the bonus round for most slot offers players a chance to rack up big credits, Silver Strike machine delivers a silver coin as a prize. During normal play you can bet the max of three credits, the third reel landing on the special Silver Strike logo activates the bonus round. The center chassis on the front of the machine will begin to spin and when it stops, one of a multiple varieties of silver clad slot tokens is dispensed. A special door opens with a fanfare and the coin is presented to the player. Each casino is responsible for the design and denomination of each Silver Strike token. When the machines were first installed, the coins were .999 silver, now many are silver and copper clad, but still have value. Each strike token is designed as a large silver casino chip, featuring customized artworks specifically designed for each casino. The player decides whether to keep the coin...

One of the Best Star Trek Commercials We’ve Never Seen [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Oct19

One of the Best Star Trek Commercials We’ve Never Seen [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Here at F & N, it’s obvious how much we love Star Trek.  Check out what happens when National Power and PowerGen from the UK writes a couple of fat checks to William Shatner and James Doohan!  You get one of the best Star Trek commercials Americans have never seen! While the commercial uses the sets from Star Trek: The Next Generation (meaning this was filmed in Hollywood), it features the movie era Kirk and Scotty and a shot of the Enterprise lifted from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. The meteor shower scene was well produced and could have worked well in an actual episode.  According to the copyright at the beginning, this was released in 1990. Kirk beaming up is the showstopper of an ending! National Power was formed in 1990 when the power grid in the United Kingdom was privatized.  This commercial was shot to invite investors to purchase stock in the companies. Powergen was formed in 1989 and was also looking for investors, but was taken over by E.ON, a German utility company. The British actor is Simon Cadell, who was famous for his role on the BBC sit-com Hi-de-Hi!.  He passed away a few years after this commercial was filmed in 1996. THE 411 Name: National Power / Powergen What: UK utility companies JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS: It’s too bad they couldn’t reuse some of this for electric company ads in the United States.  It could have worked for Con-Ed.  It would have been bad had it been used for Enron, looking for suckers to invest! I wonder if anyone in the US gets the Wally comment. Image credit: x-ray delta...

Nerves of Steel Needed -Take a Ride on the Pulaski Skyway [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Oct12

Nerves of Steel Needed -Take a Ride on the Pulaski Skyway [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

It’s a highway, 75 years old, that soars hundreds of feet in the air bypassing railroads, interstates, factories, multiple towns and even a canal. Thanks to the magnificent structure, it’s been made famous in books and movies, yet requires nerves of steel to drive. Take a ride on The Pulaski Skyway and find out how the mammoth structure earned its way into the history books! To be given the name “skyway” it must truly mean the highway soars way up into the air.  Seeing this structure in person turns you into a believer, it’s most certainly a skyway! The Pulaski Skyway runs from Newark to Jersey City, NJ, giving traffic an express route to the Holland Tunnel headed for New York City. The mega-structure totals 3.5 miles and opened on November 24, 1932, becoming one of the first super-highways in the United States. Made of numerous bridges, all connected into one soaring mega structure, the highway carries four lanes and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The structure is named for Casimir Pulaski, who was a Polish military leader that lead Continental Army troops in the Revolutionary War. Construction of the span resulted in 15 accidental deaths and one labor related murder. A local rumor says Jimmy Hoffa’s body is buried underneath, but there’s about a zillion rumors as to where he was finally disposed of. Trucks, pedestrians, and bicycles are prohibited on the skyway. The four lane highway barely fits onto the structure, leaving no room for a shoulder or sidewalk. In addition to the entrance at either end, two additional left exit ramps are located in the center of the structure to serve local streets.  While the speed limit is posted at 45 MPH, the road is a high speed free-for-all, since there is no...

TV You Were Never Meant to See – Extremely Different Wheel of Fortune Pilots [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Oct05

TV You Were Never Meant to See – Extremely Different Wheel of Fortune Pilots [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Every television show goes through a testing phase before making it to air. The first episodes, called pilots, are designed for producers and network execs to judge if a show is good enough for broadcast or if there are any changes that need to be made. Some shows go through multiple pilots and still never see the light of day. NBC took a big chance in the 70’s and made a big score picking up the now classic game show Wheel of Fortune. Wheel of Fortune scores with a premise as simple as hangman. Spin the wheel, pick a letter, and solve the puzzle. I did a full blogumn on the show’s origins a few years ago. Wheel, like many other shows, went through multiple pilots and hosts before making it to air. For the first time ever, portions of these test episodes have been leaked to the general public. The original premise for Wheel was to be a Shoppers Bazaar. In the first test pilot, shot in 1973 with a very different set was actually named Shoppers Bazaar. This unusual and clumsy pilot featured a very different version of the now classic wheel. Take a look a portion of this test episode that, until now, only NBC executives have seen. Look at the wheel! It’s right out of Las Vegas casino floor or a church bazaar. The show took way too much time in set up and all the prizes on the set got in the way. Plus, the contestants were not in control of the wheel, they were simply told to say, “STOP THE WHEEL!”  That premise would have gotten old fast. The puzzle board itself was also a very early working prototype. While it was mechanized, it was very small, and rather unattractive. Chuck Woolery, who did eventually get the job as...

Can You Cross a Cookie and Candy Corn? Oreo Thinks So! [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Sep28

Can You Cross a Cookie and Candy Corn? Oreo Thinks So! [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

For loyal readers of my blogumn, there is one thing that you’ve come to know. I love when companies take classic products and try to put a new spin on them. When I heard that Oreo was coming out with a candy corn flavored cookie – you know I had to give it a try! Since being introduced in 1912, Oreo cookies have earned the title of most popular selling cookie in the United States.  The recipe is simple, two chocolate cookies with a schmeer of vanilla icing in the middle. Pretty darn succulent! The original cookie was born at the National Biscuit Company’s plant in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. The artistic design for their “Oreo biscuit” was patented on March 14, 1912 to compete with a rival company, Hydrox cookies that launched a few years earlier. Oreo would become so successful, the block in front of their plant became known as “Oreo Way.”  Check it out on 9th Avenue between 15th & 16th Streets. The National Biscuit Company would eventually be known by today’s name – Nabisco. While only making minor changes to the main cookie over the decades, Nabisco has always sought to add different varieties to the line. • Double Stuf Oreos – first sold in 1974 featuring two times the amount of crème filling.  Once sold in multiple flavors including cool mint, chocolate cream, peanut butter and original. Only original is still on sale today • Football Oreos – shaped like a football, first sold in 1976 and I saw them on sale in Target last week • Big Stuf Oreo – I was a huge fan of these huge cookies that were basically gigantic individually wrapped Oreos with a ton of icing. Sold from 87-91 • Mini Oreo – mini versions sold...

They Finally Brought Back The Pyramid [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Sep21

They Finally Brought Back The Pyramid [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

It’s a classic American TV game show that we all love to play and now it’s back! This new version has been in development for years and sadly legendary host, Dick Clark passed away recently before he had to see the reboot. Here’s a look at how many times this show’s come back has failed and a preview so you know if the new version is worth your time. Here is your first subject… GO! People who are in show business… CELEBRITIES! You open up a magazine and the hot model in the middle… CENTERFOLD! Big Bird lives here… SESAME STREET! These are on the sidewalk in Hollywood… Um, uh, uh… Also in the sky…  um, uh… Dallas Cowboys logo… STARS! Score the most points in the opening round and you’re off to conquer the big pyramid for a chance at the big money. Of course, you’re constantly up against the clock. Just one wrong word or phrase in 60 seconds could cost you $100,000. When the Pyramid debuted in 1973, the board only featured a $10,000 jackpot. The show was first performed as a rough pilot presentation called Cash on the Line. It was presented to CBS executives in the Ed Sullivan Theater, New York. (Now home to the Late Show with David Letterman.) The execs liked the second part of the game and had creator Bob Stewart rework his pitch. Bob came back with the $10,000 Pyramid we all came to know, except with one change. The original bonus game consisted of 10 subjects in 60 seconds. This was dropped to the 6 subject bonus round still in use today. The bottom row of 4 subjects was simply nailed over with boards and painted silver that could be seen in early episodes of the show. (Look very closely at the publicity...

Dish Up Arby’s Curly Fries in Your Kitchen [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Sep14

Dish Up Arby’s Curly Fries in Your Kitchen [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Arby’s, the fast food restaurant known for excellent roast beef sandwiches, is just as well known for their succulent seasoned curly fries. Now, Arby’s is branching out by selling their fries in your grocer’s freezer. I put them to the test to see if what you cook at home is just as good as what you get at the drive-thru. Quick service restaurants began to take off in the late 1950’s thanks to baby boomers love of cars and the expansion of the interstate highway system. Food service veterans Leroy & Forrest Raffel decided they would open a different type of fast food restaurant that offered something other than hamburgers. On July 23, 1964, the first Arby’s was born in Boardman, Ohio, just south of Youngstown. The first menu featured roast beef sandwiches, potato chips and iced tea. The Raffel Brothers, who had owned a restaurant equipment business, wanted to call their eateries “Big Tex,” but that name was already in use by another restaurant in Akron, Ohio. They settled on Arby’s, which stands for “R.B.” the Raffel Brothers initials. Within a year, they sold their first franchise to a restaurant in Akron and the chain expanded quickly.  The famous “Arby’s Hat” sign was introduced in 1968. During the 1970’s, Arby’s introduced more, soon to be iconic, products including, Arby’s Sauce, Horsey Sauce, Beef n’ Cheddar sandwich and curly fries. By this time, the chain was opening about 50 restaurants a year. After being sold several times, Arby’s found themselves in the hands of Triarc Companies, Inc., who would later also purchase the Wendy’s fast food chain, making the two eateries temporary sisters. Triarc decided to spin-off Arby’s and retain a small stake in the company. On July 13, 2011, the deal was done with Roark Capital Group, taking control. Roark is...

Introducing The Hottest New Adult Beverage: Sweet Joe [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Sep07

Introducing The Hottest New Adult Beverage: Sweet Joe [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

It’s one of those things that I can now check off my bucket list – I got a drink named after me! Get ready to take a sip of the adult beverage that will have your feeling like you’re on a cruise ship or a Caribbean Island! You can say you gave it a try – before it swept the country! It all started on a Friday afternoon last year, when my friend Mike and I were hanging out at one of our favorite taverns, O’Hara’s Downtown in Jersey City, NJ. In the mood for something different; bartender Sibel Aydemir had an idea. After pouring a few bottles of this and shaking a mixing glass of that, she produced a very awesome looking orange-yellow mixed drink. Before I could even blink, a second one appeared in front of me. “Try this,” she says. After taking a taste, “Wow!” is all I could think to say. If I had closed my eyes, I could have been sitting on the deck of a Carnival cruise ship, somewhere in the middle of a calm ocean, enjoying a refreshing dessert. That’s right – this drink tastes like a dessert! Who doesn’t love desserts? The first taste sensation was that of eating a piece vanilla cake, with a hint of orange/pineapple icing. It’s truly a different taste and extremely refreshing. The Sweet Joe is made of: 1/3 Vanilla Cake Vodka (Three Olives is the brand she used, but others may be substituted) 1/3 orange juice 1/3 pineapple juice Pour into a mixer and shake.  Garnish with fruit such as an orange slice or cherry. While I prefer mine served in a pint glass on the rocks, others who are not a fan of giant sweet drinks suggest serving as a shot. With little recorded history on...

Awesome Party Idea – Get a Dunk Tank! [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Aug31

Awesome Party Idea – Get a Dunk Tank! [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Every summer, I’ve thrown a small get together for my local friends. A few years back, I was looking to do something different to truly make my event stand out. After an interesting brainstorming conversation with friends Mike and Josh – a dunk tank was rented. I’ve seen these things at charity events and celebrations, but never gave a hard thought to getting one for myself. Turns out, it’s one of the greatest party ideas, ever! The device is simple; a person sits on a seat over a large tank of water.  Throw a baseball, hit the target, and the person falls into the water – getting instantly soaked.  A fence like metal cage encircles the tank, protecting whoever is sitting on the seat from getting hit by a wildly thrown ball.  Once in the water, the dunkee simply resets the seat and climbs back on up, and is ready to go again! With over a month until my gathering, I Googled ‘dunk tank’ and ‘party rental’ places in my area.  The first decision I had to make was which kind to go with… turns out, there are several options. A standard dunk tank is a large 500 gallon model, with the most popular brand known as an “Easy Dunker,” manufactured by Twister Display. These are the larger tanks used at fairs or for large outdoor areas. Most of these tanks feature a built-in ladder, a step inside the tank, and a large plastic viewing window in the front. These can hold about a 250 lb. person. The plastic tub is several feet wide and often requires towing with a trailer to the location. While this would work if my party were in an open field, I needed one that could fit onto a back patio. Fortunately,...

It’s Electric! The 411 on Lightning [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Aug24

It’s Electric! The 411 on Lightning [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

BOOM! There it is! Another flash of lighting and a crack of thunder. Nothing says summer quite like a big old thunderstorm, and while the lightning can be amazing to watch, it can also be quite dangerous. Some spectacular shots have been caught on camera and these videos, are, well, shocking! Say, let’s get out our camcorder and take some video of this thunderstorm – until lightning strikes that tree 20’ foot away! Love the slow-mo and the stills! That tree is totally lit up! In this next video from Australia, a crew of photographers is shooting an approaching storm when a large bolt strikes about 250 meters away. Check out how the dirt flies during the slow motion close-up! The Empire State Building was built to withstand lightning strikes as most skyscrapers are. Without the lightning rod on the top, the electric current would seriously damage the building, but being one of the tallest in New York City – it gets struck all the time. . In this shocking video from South Africa, lightning strikes during a live soccer (or football) game broadcast on TV.  Many of the players go down, some requiring CPR, and several being carried off the field in a stretcher. Next to Japan, where the local news has video of an elderly pedestrian getting struck by lightning in a crosswalk! Forward about 18 seconds in. Amazingly, the man is only dazed and walks off. In Texas, where severe lighting and storms knock out the power to a neighborhood. A local resident is recording video of the mass amounts of lighting strikes when one nails his neighbor’s house across the street. Fast forward to 1:05 to see the hit. Caution: the language is rather colorful. Here’s super-cool video of a passenger airplane taking off in San Francisco...

10 Fun Games to Spice Up the Next Summer Olympics [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Aug17

10 Fun Games to Spice Up the Next Summer Olympics [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Another summer Olympics has come and gone. The world was united for two weeks watching the best athletes trying to rack up the most medals for their country. While NBC tape delayed the best events in prime time, I have 10 games that could really add some humor and excitement to the next summer games in South America! 10. PLINKO Have Drew Carey wheel out this Price is Right pricing game.  The country that wins the most points, gets the gold! 9. LEMON ZESTING WITH GIADA DE LAURENTIIS No one can beat Giada when she’s zesting lemons on The Food Network! 8. CELEBRITY SKEE BALL The person with the most tickets wins gold – and a lobster harmonica! 7. THE AGGRO CRAG FROM NICKELODEON GUTS Do – do – do – Do You Have It? 6. MEGA MILLIONS DRAWING With special guest – Yoloaaaaaanda Vega! 5. MODELS & BUCKETS Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’s comedy gold! Here’s part 2 4. WHEEL OF SCHNAPPS That’s right… spin a wheel and whoever downs the most shots of various flavors of Schnapps walks away a winner!  Actually, they probably won’t be walking at all! 3. YARS REVENGE PLAY-A-THON Watch out for the flying rectangles! 2. HONEYMOON SLOTS TOURNAMENT 1. AMERICAN GLADIATORS – ASSAULT BY TENNIS BALL GUN Contenders ready!  Gladiators ready! THE 411 Next Summer Olympics: August 5 -21, 2016 Host City: Rio de Janeiro,  Brazil Number of Events: 304 in 28 sports JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS OK, I’m not being completely serious with these. However, I’m sure there’s a tournament for most of these already in existence, somewhere! What are your thoughts for some good games or events? Image credits: SouthEastern Star, Nico Paix, ebertek, Stepan...

How Tom Selleck Predicted Our Future [Kicking Back With Jersey Joe][Best of FaN]...

Originally published 2/3/12 – One of my favorite blogumns from this year!  It was great to look back on this classic TV commercials and see which AT&T products really did come true as predicted.  I remember how heavily these aired over several years.  Tom Selleck, the man who starred as Magnum PI and can currently be seen on CBS’ Blue Bloods is a man way ahead of his time.  Nearly two decades ago, his booming voice predicted some of the most common products and appliances we now take for granted!  Was he right?  Check out these vintage commercials I found! In 1993, AT&T began an advertising campaign showcasing all the future technologies that would soon be in everyone’s home that the phone company was working on.  AT&T was positioning itself as being cutting edge and state of the art as the telecommunications war was getting fiercer.  At the time, smaller phone companies were getting swallowed up and the first discount long distance carriers were coming online. AT&T wanted to make sure everyone knew they were the king of telecommunications and with this commercial campaign, gave us all a glimpse of the not so distant future… The first commercial in the campaign correctly predicted three common items: Downloadable books – When I was in high school at the time, we had a program called Access Pennsylvania.  With a special CD-ROM, you would search for the title of any book, magazine, or video in the cooperating districts.  You would then send a fax request and the library would overnight it.  We thought that was high tech!  Now, you can have a book downloaded electronically over the internet and read it on the train ride to work.  I see dozens of passengers on the subway reading their...

Thank You, Jimmy Fallon, for Your Thank You Notes Books [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Thank you, Jimmy Fallon, for turning one of your signature bits into a series of hilarious books.  Thank you, also, Jimmy Fallon, for allowing your newest book to play music! Late night talk shows have been a big television network battleground for ratings and advertising dollars since Tonight! starring Steve Allen began airing on NBC on September 27, 1954. Once Johnny Carson took over as host, he cemented the late night talk format and all of the networks, looking for extra advertising cash got into the game. After a whirlwind of host shuffling, and numerous mistakes by NBC, they did one thing right, and on March 2, 2009 Jimmy Fallon was hired as host of Late Night. It would take a few months, but Fallon made the show his own by banking on his sketch comedy experience and creating a different vibe from previous hosts.  Some of Jimmy’s signature bits include Celebrity Whispers, Models and Buckets, Slow Jamming the News, Cell Phone Shootout, Spin That Wheel of Carpet Samples and a ton more. Jimmy will also often invite guests to participate in sketches (such as 80’s dating shows or acting without hands) and his crew members have made several reality series parodies such as Jersey Floor and The Real Housewives of Late Night. The show also broke the television talk show mold by making frequent use of social media and the internet.  An entire team of bloggers are devoted to his website and interacting with fans online.  On the set, Jimmy has a Mac computer on his desk and plays weekly hash tag games on Twitter, where he will actually read viewer posts to a funny topic he Tweets earlier in the day.  Even before the show launched fans had the opportunity to choose on...

Steel Pier – The Most Historic Pier in America [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jul20

Steel Pier – The Most Historic Pier in America [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

It was once the most popular entertainment pier in America, featuring everything from Live TV, to Miss America, to big name stars. Anyone who was anybody could be seen at the historic Steel Pier, in Atlantic City, NJ. Once a victim of fire, neglect, and closure; the pier continues to reinvent itself with a wave of new additions. Atlantic City’s Steel Pier officially opened the gates in Saturday, June 18, 1898 featuring movie theaters, dance halls, live performances, attractions, concessions, and sharpshooter Annie Oakley headlining the festivities. The pier was constructed on steel pilings and wooden beams at a cost of $350,000. After being open for only a few short years, in 1904 a massive storm washed away a large portion of the pier and engineers at the time said it could not be rebuilt. Edward Bader (who would later become mayor of Atlantic City and have an airport named for him) took on the challenge and had his company reconstruct the pier for the following season. The pier, along with Atlantic City itself, gained much popularity during the summer months as vacationers flocked to the beach. Atlantic City is easily accessible from New York and Philadelphia by rail and city goers were eager to relax at the beach and escape the hustle and bustle. The pier was full of attractions for the whole family. The reasonable prices kept the people coming back again and again. In the early days, the pier was described as “an amusement city at sea” and “a vacation in itself.” The pier extended more than 1,621 feet out into the Atlantic Ocean and could accommodate large crowds gathering to witness the many acts. The entrance featured brightly lit billboards like those that would take decades to catch on in Vegas. Spot lights would shoot beams into...

Goodfellas on the Playground – The Yard – The Best Show You’ve Never Seen [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jul13

Goodfellas on the Playground – The Yard – The Best Show You’ve Never Seen [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Its part mockumentary, part satire, and a ton of laughs!  The Canadian series The Yard is now showing for free on Hulu and there are a million reasons why you should watch. The Yard is broken up as children operating inside several clique. Each group functions as a family looking out for one another while ensuring loyalty, respect, and power on the schoolyard.  Just like Goodfellas, where the mafia used guns and drugs, these guys are running a black market on hip trading cards and chasing girls. Take a look at the promo trailer for the series: The series is produced in the mockumentary style.  An un-seen documentarian (voiced by producer Paul Gross) records the students’ interactions and behavior during recess.  The real world scenarios are played out by the two top opposing schoolyard gangs, with follow up interviews with the kids. The main protagonist of the series is 12 year old Nick and the members of his crew: his younger brother J.J. who functions as the brains of the group, his friend Johnny who is the right hand man, a six year old sidekick Adam, and Suzi a big girl with muscle. Nick’s group humorously fights for power on the playground with stories and interactions that mock real world situations we face everyday.  Just like countries fight for global power with politics, these kids are fighting for playground power from bully Frankie and his henchmen. The acting by the kids is top notch.  You could easily see Ray Liotta or Robert DeNiro portraying these characters when they were that age.  The writing, camera work, and production values are absolutely top notch and of higher quality than many shows currently airing on American television networks. Frankie’s gang of bullies includes: “Pork Chop,” his brother Mickey,...

Did it Rain Chicken McNuggets on New York? 7 Fun Things Caught on Camera [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jul06

Did it Rain Chicken McNuggets on New York? 7 Fun Things Caught on Camera [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

New York – millions of people and millions of stories. Having lived here for many years now, I’ve seen some crazy things. Every once in a while when I’m out and about, I snap a picture to share along with my friends. Now, I’ve sharing them with you! It was a random Wednesday morning and I was walking to work. While stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change, I looked down and found this…! I’m sure these Chicken McNuggets didn’t really fall from the sky like rain, but it looks like someone lost more than half of their 20 piece order. I don’t know about you, but I usually don’t see the sidewalk littered with deep fried chicken parts often. Last month, I spotted this sign posted in a Jersey City bar, just across the river from Manhattan.  Read the last line very carefully… Doesn’t consuming beverages at a bar make you hydrated — or less thirsty? Apparently not here! So, come in thirsty – because you’re going home even more dehydrated!   We’ve all heard about the chicken that crossed the road… well, here’s the pretzel that crossed the subway tracks.  Somehow, I don’t think this story would be good for children, especially when the 3 train comes barreling on in!   Yes, this giant cockroach was recently caught in a Manhattan high rise! Feel secure that a few hours earlier, it was crawling across somebody’s desk. You should have seen my co-workers freak out when I carried this thing around!   How would you like to drive this van with a giant hot dog on top? This thing blew past me at about 80 MPH on the Garden State Parkway, heading south of the city.   No, this is not a prop from Saturday Night Live… this...

Bacon on an Ice Cream Sundae? – Burger King Says Yes!  [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jun29

Bacon on an Ice Cream Sundae? – Burger King Says Yes! [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Burger King has tried many interesting fast food gimmicks over recent years and now they’ve gone for the mother load!  Adding bacon to a hot fudge and caramel sundae! Is this new dessert worth your money? You know I had to give it a try! Burger King was recently unseated by Wendy’s, falling to third place in sales in the fast food burger wars. McDonald’s has been the real king for a long time. In order to get hungry hamburger lovers back, BK has introduced major changes to their menu and has added a large selection of limited-time only, summer items. BK has tried many novelty products over the years to try and gain an edge. Remember when they had sit down table service in the 80’s?  How about when they served BBQ ribs two summers ago? Now, new for summer 2012 – the Burger King Bacon Sundae! Adding bacon to just about any breakfast or sandwich makes it good, right?  Well, Burger King is hoping the same works for a sundae. Last Wednesday, I went the drive-thru at my local Burger King and ordered a meal and the dessert. I pulled forward to the second window and as soon as the waitress turned away to fill up my drink, I could see her getting to work on my sundae too. She first swirled vanilla ice cream into a sundae cup. She then added a few squirts of caramel, then chocolate fudge, and a little more ice cream. She then stepped away and when she returned, inserted a full strip of bacon on one side, followed by more chopped up bacon bits sprinkled on top. She placed the plastic lid on top and presented it to me. It took her all of 30 seconds to make. I couldn’t wait to try it. My...

J.R. Ewing and Dallas Live Again [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jun22

J.R. Ewing and Dallas Live Again [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

Last week, I was speaking with my grandmother who told me that she didn’t have time to talk because Dallas was coming on. I said “Hello – 1980!” The classic television soap opera is back as TNT picks up the story two decades later. I decided to check it out. Dallas reenergized the prime time television soap when it first aired on CBS as a five episode mini-series starting on April 2, 1978. In the late 70’s television was full of big name sit-coms, but a winning dramatic soap had been missing for almost a decade. Initially, the producers wrote the mini-series to be self contained, but once the ratings skyrocketed, the network immediately ordered a second season of 24 episodes that would begin airing the following September. The series centers around the Ewing family and the battle for control of the Ewing Oil empire. J.R. Ewing, played by Larry Hagman, is the head of the family who schemes, double-crosses, and sleeps with just about any woman to advance his oil empire and rake in a profit. Lying, cheating, and stealing served him well. The original series ran for 13 seasons from September 1978 – May 1991 for a total of 357 episodes. The show was appointment television at the time, especially after a move to Friday night during the second season. The original series is known for two of TV’s most classic moments: On the very final seconds of the third season finale A House Divided, while working late in his office, J.R. is shot by an unseen figure. The event skyrocketed the summer finale ratings with everyone guessing “Who Shot J.R.?” This was the first time a cliffhanger was used on TV to keep the audience hooked during the summer reruns. The hysteria was so great, Las Vegas and International...

DJ Kitty [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jun15

DJ Kitty [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

Move over Raymond, the Tampa Bay Rays baseball club has taken to the Internet and have added another mascot to the roster this season… direct from Youtube  – meet DJ Kitty! DJ Kitty started his life as a viral video posted to Youtube in 2007 of a real life cat playing the piano. The video was a huge hit and quickly scored thousands of views. To help fire up the fans in the stands while watching the game, the video was played on the Tropicana Field Jumbotron. As the team was heading to the playoffs in 2010, some of the players were kicking around ideas of how to energize the fans. They thought the cat idea was cute and loved how fans reacted to it, so they decided to give the feline an upgrade, especially after the Rally’s restaurant company had began airing commercials with a cat wearing a leather jacket. So, out went the keyboard and in came a turn table, a Rays jersey and authentic New Era cap. The video quickly became a hit with stadium fans and online. Within a few weeks 921,000 people had viewed it which is 30 times more fans than a regular season game! The video was featured in The Wall Street Journal, Time magazine online, and on ABC News. Darcy Raymond, the Rays’ vice-president for fan experience, told the Tampa Bay Timesthat he never expected to have such success from the video cat. “Never in our wildest dreams… The genesis really came from the players. They sparked it.” After another losing season and under-performing attendance numbers, the Rays’ marketing wizards decided to capitalize on the video’s popularity and turn the Youtube cat, into a full blown costumed mascot. Raymond, a large furry sea dog creature, is the team’s official mascot, but DJ Kitty...

Outsmarting the Telemarketers & Phone Scammers [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jun08

Outsmarting the Telemarketers & Phone Scammers [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

You’re sitting at home, enjoying a quiet evening and then RING!  You’ve just received an annoying call from a telemarketer.  But, you’re supposed to be on the National Do Not Call List, right?  It’s a growing problem and happens to my friends and I all the time. I decided to do my own investigating and see WHO is exactly making these calls and what we can all do about it. The first thing to understand is, most of these unwanted calls are being dialed automatically by a computer. In most cases, it simply runs down the phone book and dials number after number. Other times, it could be randomly dialing numbers in hopes of getting an active number. Once you say “hello,” the computer will transfer you to a real person for the sales pitch. Over the past few years, I have been receiving more and more of these calls on my home phone. Occasionally, I’ll even get one on my cell. I never give out my cell phone number, so I know that has to be a random dial. Either way, I never answer and they rarely leave a message. I’ve had my land line on the National Do Not Call list since it was created, but that has done nothing. A good number of the calls come up UNAVAILABLE or UNKNOWN CALLER on my caller ID. Some of the calls do contain a call back number. I decided to start dialing these numbers back and investigate who the company is and what they are up to. As I started writing down the numbers, I noticed a pattern. Since I have the Verizon FiOS Triple Play TV, internet, and home phone plan, I have nationwide long distance and it costs me nothing more to dial back the numbers. Not one time did I...

The Best Ride in the Amusement Park – The Swings [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Jun01

The Best Ride in the Amusement Park – The Swings [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

The lights, the rides, the excitement of the amusement park!  While some people go for the high flying thrills of the roller coaster, or birds eye views from the Ferris wheel, or to take out their road rage on the bumper cars – I’m going for the swings! Hands down, it’s the best ride at the amusement park.  OK, maybe I’m not being as objectionable as I should, but I don’t care – it’s just a good ride.  The Wave Swinger or “the swings” as I’ve called it since a kid, is one of the showplaces of modern amusement parks and the classic ride has been thrilling for generations. From park to park, the ride is known by many different names:  The Bavarian Wave Swinger, the swing ride, the swing carousel, yo-yo, Chair-O-Planes and more.  Each ride is almost basically the same with several rows of chairs suspended from a rotating disk, which once it begins to rotate and tilt, centrifugal force sends the chairs on a wave filled rotating ride soaring through the air. Wave Swingers have been part of amusement park fun since the early twentieth century, with portable versions being used for local fairs, and child size versions for kiddie land parks. The more modern version gained popularity in the 1970’s, when “Kettenkarussell” or Chair-O-Planes was designed by the Zierer amusement park company.  Located in Deggendorf, Germany; Zierer manufactures roller coasters, Ferris wheels, and wave swingers for parks around the world.  Many of their rides are featured at parks in the United States. Zierer’s sold about 200 of the swing units, but several other amusement park ride companies have their own versions with Bertazzon America, located in Tennessee as their main competitor. The basic ride is simple.  Guests enter through a...

Jersey Joe’s Year Two Round Up [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] May25

Jersey Joe’s Year Two Round Up [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

It’s Memorial Day weekend and not only does this mark the unofficial start of summer, it also marks my third SEASON PREMIERE! This blogumn officially kicks off my third year on F & N. Since we’re 93 blogumns in (plus 5 filling in for Ryan Dixon’s Fierce Anticipation), it’s time to update some of the great things we’ve talked about over the past two years. MOUNTAIN DEWMOCRACY May 7, 2010 [FIERCE ANTICIPATION: THE JERSEY JOE EDITION III] In my third blogumn filling in for Ryan, PepsiCo, the bottlers of Mountain Dew released three test flavors for the summer of 2010, allowing fans to vote on which they liked best to join the line permanently. They had tried this experiment in 2008 and it was a huge success. Mountain Dew White Out was the winner and went on sale on October 4th and is still on sale now.  For a brief time, Wal-Mart Supercenters also sold 2 liter bottles of Mountain Dew: Typhoon, one of the losing flavors.  In addition Mountain Dew: Game Fuel Cherry Citrus and Mountain Dew: Game Fuel Tropical were also on sale last summer to tie into the video game release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.  They were discontinued in December. PepsiCo has hinted that it has no plans to test more flavors, but a few new releases have gone on sale.  Mountain Dew Xtreme (grape flavored) in available in Saudi Arabia and Mountain Dew Grape is currently on sale in Japan. For summer 2012, a new flavor will appear in stores: Mountain Dew: Dark Berry as a promotion for the movie The Dark Night Rises.  It will have a mixed berry flavor and the cans will change color when chilled.  It goes on sale June 18th. THE SMURFS MOVIE May...

Blu-ray Blues [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] May18

Blu-ray Blues [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

Blu-ray discs – the little brother of DVD discs with a bigger punch. The latest fad in home movie viewing, allows movie companies to release a high definition picture and tons of bonus features onto a single disc. They’ve mostly replaced DVDs in stores and allow consumers to turn their homes into a personal movie theatre. While Blu-rays are jam packed with fun bonuses, they’re also full of downfalls. Blu-ray discs were officially released to the public in June 2006. The first films to be sold were: 50 First Dates, The Fifth Element, Hitch, House of Flying Daggers, Underworld: Revolution, XxX, and The Terminator. Now, most movies and TV shows are available in the format. The discs, which contain greater storage than a standard DVD, allow movie companies to release films in high definition picture quality to the home consumer market. With the addition of a high definition television, Americans can now get a movie theater experience at home. Many older films and TV shows are being remastered for re-release in Blu-ray, adding more bonus features, interactive chat and online connections to enhance the film experience. A standard DVD can hold 4.7GB of data, while Blu-ray begins at 50GB and up. But, all of these additions come at a price. When DVD’s hit the market in the late 90’s, they replaced VHS tapes as the preferred home video format. It’s hard to find VHS tapes still on sale in stores. Now, Blu-ray is doing the same damage to DVDs. A special Blu-ray player is required for playback and most are backwards compatible, which means they will allow playback of standard DVDs. Most of the players on the market also allow connection to the internet. Many of the newer films offer the ability download interactive features such as games or even...

Happy 30th Birthday to The Weather Channel! [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] May11

Happy 30th Birthday to The Weather Channel! [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Thanks to The Weather Channel, nobody ever has to wait for their forecast ever again! The cable TV channel revolutionized the way weather forecasts are presented on television. Last week, they celebrated their 30th anniversary. The Weather Channel launched in the United States on basic cable television on May 2, 1982. Founded by weathercaster John Coleman and newspaper mogul Frank Batten, the duo designed the 24 hour channel to provide round the clock forecasts and breaking weather stories across the United States. Currently on The Weather Channel, a lower third of the screen shows a graphic which gives viewers the current temperatures and local forecasts for their local area, during news and regular programming.  Every 8 minutes past the hour, the channel presents an automated weather report for the viewing area all to the tune of a smooth jazz background, known as Weather on the 8’s. Before the cable channel launched in 1982, viewers had to wait until 6 or 11pm for the local news or tune into a live radio station for the forecast. During a weather emergency such as a severe thunderstorm, tornado or blizzard, the local news would have to break into regular programming, but would get off the air as soon as possible.  When The Weather Channel took to the air, they immediately focused on atmospheric trouble spots. The station tracked storms across the country live, long before they become a threat and alerted viewers when to take action. TWC would then follow up after the storm with damage and flooding reports. The automated Weather on the 8’s are provided by a special computer device known as the IntelliStar, which is installed at the local cable company. The computer receives a signal embedded in the channel’s video that tells the computer when to...

Make Your Own Big Mac Sauce [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] May04

Make Your Own Big Mac Sauce [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

The Big Mac is the signature sandwich at the globally popular McDonald’s restaurant chain.  Their secret sauce recipe is a closely guarded secret, known only by the top company executives.  But, sometimes you’re craving one and you can’t make it to the restaurant.  Well, here’s my take on the secret sauce recipe that you can whip up in just a few minutes! The Big Mac was invented by Jim Delligatti, who was one of the first McDonald’s restaurant franchisees.  While, he invented the sandwich at his store on McKnight Road in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he first placed it for sale at his Uniontown, Pennsylvania location in 1967.  It was created to rival a similar burger being sold by the Big Boy restaurant chain. The original selling price was only 49¢ and was an immediate hit.  McDonald’s corporate took notice and added it to the menu at all McDonald’s within a year.  The rules for creating a sandwich like this have changed.  Delligatti could never get away with selling something like this today, as franchise licenses do not allow for the individual restaurants to sell or not sell any items that are not officially part of the menu, without special permission from corporate, which is rarely given.  (Corporate will test special menu items at select locations from time to time, however.) A television and radio jingle from the 1970’s best summed up what makes up a Big Mac sandwich: “two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onion, on a sesame seed bun.”  (What an effective song – I’m still able to recall that by memory and didn’t have to look that up!) The special sauce is what makes the sandwich.  It’s a form of tarter sauce that is delivered to each restaurant in sealed...

Atlantic City looks to make a big summer comeback [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Apr27

Atlantic City looks to make a big summer comeback [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Atlantic City, the original East Coast gambling and vacation destination has fallen on hard times.  Our lagging economy, high gas prices, and increased casino competition have squeezed the money tap dry.  But, thanks to big time renovations, new casinos, and a flashy new ad campaign they’re trying to woo visitors back to the beach! When casino gambling was legalized on the island of Atlantic City, New Jersey (yes, most people don’t realize it’s on an island) it was done as a means to support the dying tourist industry there.  In the 1970’s, the beach front vacation city had lost a great number of tourists as vacationers were choosing to fly to more luxurious destinations, instead of taking the Oldsmobile or railroad to town. When the first casino Resorts International opened in 1978, players lined up around the block and east coast gambling instantly became a major success.  More and more casinos opened and began to take serious chunks out of Las Vegas’ profits, which at the time was also in a decline.  Tourists at the time did not feel safe in Vegas’ mobbed up gambling halls. The city raked in money hand over fist and more and all going so well until 2006 when neighboring Pennsylvania decided they wanted a piece of the gambler’s wallets and opened a large number of casinos of their own.  That, along with the economic recession, dealt two serious blows to the economy.  A sweeping round of layoffs came for both casino workers and city employees. After several years of decline, the tourist dollars are finally starting to return.  Last December, after 40 months of declining revenue, the casinos reported a 4% increase in profits.  It’s still too early to declare a victory as January 2012 slot and table...

When the live lottery drawing fails [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Apr20

When the live lottery drawing fails [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

Recently, everyone had lotto fever as the Mega Millions jackpot climbed to a world record $656 million. While some of the winners are still in dispute, Americans flocked to their televisions to watch the live numbers drawing. This drawing went off without a hitch, but things don’t always go right on live TV! In most of the United States and in many countries around the world, televised lottery drawings are a legal form of gambling that allow viewers to bet on their favorite numbers in hopes of winning that fat cash jackpot. The earliest recorded history of a lottery dates back to the Han Dynasty of China between 205 – 187 BC.  This ancient lottery is believed to help fund the building of The Great Wall of China.  The practice then spread to the Roman Empire, where instead of cash, the winner would receive a gift.  Modern day Belgium and the Neitherlands are said to be the first to give away cash as a prize. In America, the first early lottery was held in 1612, under the direction of King James I in order to fund the new Jamestown, Virginia settlement.  Lotteries were often used to found new towns, universities, canals, and settlements.  Benjamin Franklin even used a lottery to purchase a cannon to defend Philadelphia around the time of the Revolutionary War. Corruption found its way into the lotteries and they began to fall out of favor with the general public; becoming mostly numbers games operated illegally on the streets.  Often targeting the poor, the seedy games could be played for as little as a penny.  Congress eventually banned the US Postal Service from mailing tickets and the Supreme Court finally banned selling them outright in 1892. The last official lotteries were gone by...

The Best Bargain in New York – The Staten Island Ferry [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Apr13

The Best Bargain in New York – The Staten Island Ferry [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Taking the Staten Island Ferry is like taking a little cruise, offering spectacular views of the Statue of Liberty and the New York City skyline.  I’ve seen it sailing back and forth at the mouth of the Hudson River and have discovered that the Staten Island Ferry is much more than just a floating bus. The Staten Island Ferry shuttles commuters and tourists back and forth from New York City’s fourth borough of Staten Island; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  The ferries depart from Whitehall Terminal in lower Manhattan and St. George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island.  During rush hours, ferries run every 15 to 20 minutes, slowly decreasing in service to 30 minutes on evenings and weekends, with once an hour service provided late nights. Riding the Staten Island Ferry is one of the best tickets in town as it’s FREE! But, it wasn’t always that way! In 1817, ferry service between New York City and Staten Island began under the ownership of former New York governor Daniel D. Thompkins.  Thompkins secured the rights to operate the ferry service and to build a bridge to the island (which never happened) in exchange for his development of the village of Thompkinsville, which is still a prominent neighborhood, today. When the Civil War began, some of the ships were commandeered by the US Army and never returned to passenger service.  With the opening of the Staten Island Railway in the 1850’s, the population on the island skyrocketed and the number of passengers on the ferries dramatically began to increase. Originally, the cost to ride was the same as the subway, a nickel.  But, as the cost of subway tokens went up, the ferry toll stayed low. The price rose to a dime in...

How to Know You’re an Idiot Driver: The One Question Test [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Apr06

How to Know You’re an Idiot Driver: The One Question Test [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

We’ve all been on the road at one point or another and encountered an idiot driver. Drivers operating a motor vehicle either unsafely or in a crazy, haphazard matter. Sometimes you just want to floor it and knock them off the road like a big game of bumper cars. Fortunately, high insurance premiums are the ultimate deterrent against that plan, so you just have to suck it up. But, could you actually be that idiot driver? From tailgating to drunk driving, there are a ton of no-no’s getting behind the wheel. When we first pass our driver’s tests, our heads are still swirling with the rules of the road. Most are really no brainers, but it seems that more and more drivers these days are getting lazy and forgetting one of the most very simple rules of the road. That can be narrowed down to one simple question: DO YOU USE TURN SIGNALS? When turning at an intersection or changing lanes, do you signal every time? It’s a simple yes or no. Sadly, more and more drivers can honestly say no and even more sad is that many won’t admit or do not know that they aren’t using their turn light. “Sometimes” is not a valid answer. That means that there are times when you don’t – so the answer is “No”. Scoring a no answer means you fail this simple test and you are, perhaps, an idiot driver. Living and working in the New York City metro area, I have seen my fair share of close calls by both pedestrians and motorists that are baffled when a driver suddenly whips to the right and tears off into a new direction, without making a signal. It’s like the rest of us are supposed to be psychic and know what’s going on...

Verizon FIOS vs. Cable – Jersey Joe Makes the Switch and Crowns the Winner [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Mar30

Verizon FIOS vs. Cable – Jersey Joe Makes the Switch and Crowns the Winner [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

I finally did it. I pulled the plug on cable and made the change to Verizon FiOS. I had seen the zillions of commercials touting everybody’s service as superior. Well, I’m spilling the beans and telling exactly why I made the change, how the installation went, which is cheaper, and the pros and cons of both! In my area of northern New Jersey, Comcast held the monopoly on cable television until Verizon began installing their FiOS service around town. Unless you wanted to switch to satellite television or back to an antenna, you were pretty much stuck with Comcast. Verizon FiOS operates on fiber optics. The television, phone, and internet signals are sent via fiber optic lines installed both above and underground. Traditional cable television is sent via copper cables also strung both above and underground. Many of the original copper co-ax cables have been around since cable TV service came to this area in the 1980’s. Before going digital, cable companies were only able to send a few dozen channels into the home. As technology improved, cable companies began to offer more. Hundreds of channels, on-demand services, telephone, and internet are all being pushed through the lines.  With the advent of digital television, channels are now sent digitally as ones and zeros, with all sets in the home required to have a cable decoder box. Comcast switched to this format for me a couple of years ago. There is only a certain amount of information that can be pushed along the single copper wire, which requires some cable companies to down convert their picture signals. This results in lower quality video on a vast majority of channels.  Certain channels such as HDNet and Discovery have clauses in their contracts that prevent the downgrading of their signals. Think of it as having to...

Jersey Joe’s Favorite Actress is Absolutely Kate Mulgrew [XXOO]

From the EiC: Thank you so much for joining us for our month long tribute to our favorite Lady Nerds. It did sooo well, and we’ll definitely be celebrating more nerds with you next March. Til then, keep on appreciating your favorite Lady Nerds.  We started the series with Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) from the original STAR TREK and we’re ending it with Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) from STAR TREK: VOYAGER. As you might have guessed by now, we here at Fierce and Nerdy love us some STAR TREK.  Jersey Joe says… Kate Mulgrew, best known as Captain Katherine Janeway from STAR TREK: VOYAGER, could quite possibly be one of the finest actresses on stage or screen. The role of Janeway was demanding for the actress, who had to endure long hours of filming with some outlandish acting situations. But through it all, she managed to grow the character. She took Janeway from tough as nails at the start of the voyage to letting her hair down and becoming a friend and guide by the end.  Along the way she was able to step out of the role and play such oddities as the queen of the Spider People or a tavern owner who was secretly fighting Nazis. She even got assimilated by and then defeated the Borg! With each character Mulgrew plays, whether on stage, screen, or film; she gives subtle hints and gestures to allow the audience to truly see and feel what her character is experiencing.  From a small grin with a piece of pecan pie to sheer hints of sadness when her husband sends her a Dear John letter, it is those little moments that allowed Mulgrew to truly open up her character to the audience.  Take a very close...

If Apple Computers Took Over the Game Show Jeopardy!  [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Mar23

If Apple Computers Took Over the Game Show Jeopardy! [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

What would happen if you take the legendary game show Jeopardy! and redesign the set as one big giant 1980’s Apple computer?  You get Alex Trebek’s first unaired Jeopardy! episode with a set that could quite possibly go down as one of the worst in television history! When a new TV series is launched, usually a first test episode, known as a pilot, is produced.  Pilot episodes are used to sell the show to a studio or network and to work out the kinks and casting in the new show.  Often times, these episodes never make it to air. Some famous pilot episodes include Star Trek with Jeffery Hunter as Captain Christopher Pike, instead of William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk; The 90’s sit-com, Full House featuring actor John Posey instead of Bob Saget in the role of Danny Tanner; the pilot of Lost in Space did not feature Dr. Smith or the Robot.  In September 1983, Jeopardy had been off the air for three years and television mogul Merv Griffen was looking to bring it back. Also popular at the time were the new Apple personal computers.  hese were the first computers produced for the mass consumer market. They were designed for the home and had everything an inexperienced user needed to open up the box, plug it in, and get started. The computers were a sales success and as more were bought up, the prices kept falling and more Americans were buying them up to word process and play games.  The design and operation are quite crude by today’s standards, but they still have a loyal fan following. The new producers of Jeopardy!, being the ultimate answer and question game, decided to integrate the design of a personal computer into the set...

Jersey Joe is Addicted to Shamrock Shakes [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Mar16

Jersey Joe is Addicted to Shamrock Shakes [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

You know you’ve got a hit product on your hands when loyal customers flock to Twitter and Facebook shouting with glee when it’s back! McDonald’s has that kind of hit with their glorious Shamrock Shakes. As soon as it reappears, fans are all over social media sharing their joy at the first sip. But this year, on my first attempt – I got shot down. Last March, I did an extensive blogumn on the history of the Shamrock Shake. But for the first time in decades, McDonald’s has officially placed them on sale in all locations coast to coast and is even backing them up with a big budget TV ad! McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes are available in three sizes: child small, medium and large. The seasonal milkshake treat is made with low-fat vanilla ice cream, mint flavoring, optional whipped cream and an optional cherry. They are a limited-time menu item, usually starting sometime in February. The green milkshake underwent a major upgrade last year with the addition of optional whipped cream and cherry. They then joined the McCafe line of upscale beverages. It is also now served in a clear plastic cup, which allows the beautiful green color to be seen, as opposed to the solid wax cups of old. The child’s small is 12 ounces with 540 calories, the adult medium 16 ounces with 680 calories, and the adult large 22 ounces with 840 calories. Growing up in Pennsylvania, these were always on sale during March and as soon as I would see the signs or the old Uncle McGrimmacy commercial, I insisted on heading for the drive-thru. Originally available coast to coast, McDonald’s scaled back sales in the 1990’s to make this more of a regional item. When I moved to the New York City metro area...

A Taco Shell Made of Doritos – What Took Taco Bell So Long? [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Mar15

A Taco Shell Made of Doritos – What Took Taco Bell So Long? [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Doritos tortilla chips – From Super Bowl to sleepovers, these snacks go everywhere and are eaten up by the millions. Now, the ultimate party treat just got better. Taco Bell introduces their newest creation – the Doritos Locos Tacos! Taco Bell’s newest menu item is an upgrade of their standard and supreme tacos, by replacing the classic taco shell with one made out of Doritos!  The experiment underwent testing at several restaurants last year, and now these taco upgrades are flying out the door! Taco Bell actually started off life as a hot dog stand, opened in San Bernardino, California by Glen Bell in 1946.  He would sell the original stand and open another focusing on tacos under the name Taco-Tia.  He would then gain a partner and start to sell franchises, including the first to a LA cop and the company grew rapidly. In 1978, PepsiCo would purchase it all. Taco Bell serves a line of fast food tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, novelty tacos, smoothies, and Mexican deserts.  The restaurant chain has grown significantly over the past few decades, including opening stores from Europe to Asia and on select military bases.  A number of Taco Bell Express locations are open in airports and colleges offering a scaled down menu. Some Taco Bell’s overseas and in Canada also serve French fries.  The fries are offered in two flavors, Fiesta Fries (served with nacho toppings) and plain.  Some locations also offer chili cheese and seasoned fries as well. The chain once had a popular Chihuahua mascot advertising patrons to “run for the border.”  Other past popular campaigns include “drop the chalupa,” “Think outside the bun,” and a Facebook promotion to gain enough signatures to get the federal government to produce more $2 bills to go along with...

One of America’s Oldest Bars, McSorley’s Serves Up a Glass of History [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Mar09

One of America’s Oldest Bars, McSorley’s Serves Up a Glass of History [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

“They were here before you were” is what the sign says on the front window. This iconic New York City bar has served up their homemade brew since the 19th century. While the world outside McSorley’s has dramatically changed, what’s inside has changed very little. St. Patrick’s Day weekend is upon us and people will enjoy piling into a local pub for libations and to celebrate the Irish, regardless of their own heritage. You can bet McSorley’s will be packed several patrons deep. I first visited the place many years ago while some friends were visiting town. We had read about the history and knew that this pub was something special, but were unprepared for what we found. It’s a time capsule back to the 1800’s. The antique bar, no stools, the old fashioned metal taps, no cash register, and sawdust floor. A working coal stove is centrally located and still keeps the place warm during the winter. It’s neat to see Houdini’s handcuffs clamped to the bar and wishbones, covered in decades of dust, hanging from the lamps. It is said these were left by World War I soldiers. When the soldier returned from battle, he would remove the wishbone he had left. The wishbones that remain are from the soldiers who never came home. The exact opening date seems to be in dispute. McSorley’s claims they opened in 1854, but according to notes posted online, the lot was vacant until at least 1881. At this point, when the place is over a century and a half old, who is going to complain about a few decades? Besides, it is listed as New York City’s oldest continually operated bar. The original owner, John McSorley, was born in Tyrone, Ireland in 1827. After a potato blight struck the country, he left for...

Dippin Dots – The Ice Cream of the Future Could Be a Thing of the Past [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Mar02

Dippin Dots – The Ice Cream of the Future Could Be a Thing of the Past [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Dippin’ Dots – those little balls of goodness, which market themselves as “the ice cream of the future”, has fallen on hard times. The company was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, despite turning a profit last year. Dippin’ Dots were invented in 1988 by Carl Jones, a microbiologist. Jones applied liquid nitrogen to ice cream, which cryogenically flash freezes, causing the mixture to break up into tiny balls.  The ice cream balls are stored at -40° below zero. Isn’t this what they did to Walt Disney’s head? Jones first tested the product with his family and friends before finally securing his original kiosk location at the now closed Opryland USA theme park in Nashville, Tennessee. The ice cream, sold in dozens of flavors, ices, and mixtures is available at amusement parks, boardwalks, sports stadiums, food courts, and movie theatres from coast to coast. I remember having my first taste at Idlewild Park in Ligonier, PA when I was a kid.  My family and I were mesmerized at the “ice cream of the future” and gave it a try. I had the Oreo cookies and cream, which are little chunks of Oreo cookies mixed in with vanilla ice cream balls. Some of the more exotic flavors offered include rainbow (which are several different sherbet flavor balls mixed together), Alien green (green colored vanilla dots with cookies), Liberty Ice (a blend of blue raspberry, cheery, and lemon frozen ices), and they’ve just introduced Rocky Road (a blend of marshmallow shaped balls, chocolate ice cream balls, and pieces of roasted almonds.) Any of their products can be ordered online and shipped to you in two days.  Prices start at $2.50 for a small package or $30 per gallon, plus shipping.  For the weight watchers, Dippin’ Dots...

King Cakes – The Cake with a Baby Baked Inside! [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Feb24

King Cakes – The Cake with a Baby Baked Inside! [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Why would anyone bake a tiny baby doll inside a cake? The king cake is a succulent and fun way to celebrate Mardi Gras. It’s time to introduce everyone to this dessert that’s just a darn good time! A few years ago, a friend from New Orleans introduced me to the tradition of the king cake. The large and colorful cakes are a part of the party fun at Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras (or Carnaval) is several days of eating, parades, dances, and partying. The celebration comes to a head with Fat Tuesday, the last night before the Catholic Lent season begins, and at which time the faithful are expected to fast and obey church law. There are many different varieties of king cakes and countries around the globe have their own versions, with many being served at Christmas time. The cakes are usually decorated in Mardi Gras colors: purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. Some of these high fat cakes are deep fried like a donut, while most are baked with some type of inner stuffing such as cream cheese, strawberry, or in true Louisianan style – cinnamon. The cakes are then coated with icing and sprinkles. I’ve enjoyed some on several occasions and each time it reminded me of eating a gigantic cinnamon bun. Most feature a small, plastic baby baked inside which is meant to resemble baby Jesus. Finding the piece containing the plastic kid, designates that person gets to receive special treatment such as “king of the day” and in many cases is expected to provide the cake for the next celebration. The host of the party can purchase a cake without the baby baked in, and insert into the cake just before serving to have an idea of where it is. ...

JCPenney: The American Icon Goes Through a Big Change [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Feb17

JCPenney: The American Icon Goes Through a Big Change [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

We’ve all shopped at a JCPenney at one point in our lives just as our parents did. The department store has been around for over 110 years and now the entire chain is undergoing a major change! Penney’s, as most of us call them, have anchored just about every mall built since the suburban population sprawl in the 50’s. The chain is well known for their clothes, makeup, and house wares; as much as they are known for their deep discount weekly sales. James Cash Penney opened his first store on April 14, 1902 in Kemmerer, Wyoming with help from two partners Guy Johnson and Thomas Callahan. The trio would open three more stores under The Golden Rule Store name, before the partnership was abandoned five years later. Penny would gain control and change the name to J.C. Penney Co. The chain grew very quickly and in 1928 opened their 1,000th store with profits of more than one million dollars per year. The chain held on, while many other companies folded, during the Great Depression and World War II. Most JC Penney Co. stores were open in downtown locations, but began to move with the invention of the Interstate Highway System. After the war, as more American’s purchased cars, the population began to move out of downtowns and into the suburbs. High speed interstate freeways not only linked states with fast, and convenient roads, it also linked city workers with their new suburban homes. With this population sprawl came the shopping mall. The shopping mall revolutionized the way Baby Boomers would shop.  They would no longer have to drive downtown, parallel park, feed a meter, and walk from store to store.  Now, everything they needed was under one roof; multiple stores, food courts, ample parking, entertainment and climate...

Outrageous Marriage Proposals Caught On Tape [Kicking Back With Jersey Joe]...

Valentine’s Day is all about love.  On the road to marriage the hopeful young man has to properly propose to his girl.  Some guys go through outrageous setups to pop the question, but things don’t always go as planned and we get to see some of the results – caught on tape! Our first video recently made national headlines when a girl turns down her would be fiancé in front of the TV cameras at a Houston Rockets game. That guy is certainly unhappy and I don’t think Clutch, the Rockets mascot is helping.  Although, the beer someone gave him – might! Another guy tries his luck, this time at a Minnesota Twins game… His reward – a slap in the face.  At least some of the fans sitting around him offered some support. Another guy tries in a mall food court, with a little “Sweet Caroline…” Maybe she ran out, because you’re proposing in a food court!  The ring was probably a BK onion ring, anyhow. This poor guy proposes in front of an overseas soccer game…  and she looks absolutely horrified! Now, let’s take a look at some very clever proposals – that DID work and have made some happy couples… You’ll have to skip the ad, but it’s worth it!  Watch in awe as this guy decides to dump green slime on his girlfriend’s head to propose and she is NOT happy about it.  I would never try this. Ummm, yeah… In the next one, you couldn’t ask for a nicer location – just don’t kick the ring box out of your future fiancé’s hand! Ever thought of proposing at 65 MPH along an interstate… these two made a long distance relationship a permanent one in this highly creative video: And...

Controversial Saturday Morning Cartoon That Never Saw The Light Of Day [Kicking Back With Jersey Joe] Jan27

Controversial Saturday Morning Cartoon That Never Saw The Light Of Day [Kicking Back With Jersey Joe]...

They’re a part of 80s pop culture and are some of the creepiest trading cards, ever! The Garbage Pail Kids disgusted parents and delighted children. After a big run at the box office, CBS ordered a Saturday morning cartoon series, but pulled it days before the premiere. However, unseen in the US since then, it’s finally seeing the light of day. The Garbage Pail Kids were released in 1985 as a series of trading cards with gum and stickers by The Topps Company. Topps is well known for their baseball cards, but also creates trading sets for everything else from basketball to Star Trek. The Garbage Pail Kids were designed to parody The Cabbage Patch Kids dolls that every kid wanted at the time. While the Cabbage Patches were cute and cuddly, The Garbage Pail Kids featured some type of comical abnormality — usually suffering a horrible fate. The original idea came from cartoonist and Topps consultant, Art Speigelman. Each kids name was a play on words to denote the situation depicted on the card. Interesting names such as Potty Scotty (a kid on a toilet pooping) to Nervous Rex (a kid chain smoking) were released in roughly 42 card sets. Each card would also feature an “A” and “B” version. Several of the cards could be flipped over and connected to complete a puzzle of a larger Garbage Pail Kid in nine card sets. Somehow, kids loved these things and more card sets were quickly put into production. Additional artists were hired and the quality of the names and drawings vastly improved with each new set. The cards were a hot seller and seen as a boy’s alternative to The Cabbage Patch Kids. In 1987, a live action movie was released to theatres to capitalize on the product lines...

The Ultimate Fountain Drink Machine [Kicking Back With Jersey Joe]

Over 100 soft drink choices are now available, all at the touch of a button, and you’re in full control! Back to the Future could have never predicted the amazing touch screen soft drink machine now appearing across the US. It will change the way you quench your thirst! The Coca-Cola Freestyle is a brand new, high tech, touch screen soda fountain that allows customers to choose their beverage with over a hundred different flavor combinations (some can offer up to 125). Many of these flavors have never before been seen in the United States. These fountains have been in the works since 2005 and testing began in 2009 in Utah, Southern California, and Georgia. 500 machines were sent to various restaurant chains in July 2010 and their numbers continue to grow. The high tech computer that drives the fountain not only helps you navigate to the beverage of your choice, but also tracks which flavors are running low, and records strategic marketing data that is instantly sent back to Coke. They can also troubleshoot themselves and send any error data back to the company. The machines are set up similar to an ATM. Each features a large touch screen, standard ice cube dispenser, and only one button. First, the customer decides on one of the base beverages by pressing the logo on the touch screen. Base beverages usually include: Coca-Cola Diet Coke Caffeine Free Diet Coke Coca-Cola Zero Sprite Sprite Zero Fanta Fanta Zero Minute Maid Lemonade Minute Maid Light Lemonade Dasani Dasani Sensations Powerade Powerade Zero Hi-C Mello Yello Pibb Xtra Pibb Zero Dr Pepper Diet Dr Pepper Seagram’s Lemon Lime Seltzer Barq’s Diet Barq’s While most flavors are available at any given time, not all of these choices are available at every location. The customer is then presented...

The Gambling Gourmet [Kicking Back With Jersey Joe] Jan13

The Gambling Gourmet [Kicking Back With Jersey Joe]

Too hungry to get up from that exciting blackjack game? Can’t stop for even a moment to get a bite to eat during that hot slot session?  The El Cortez Hotel and Casino, one of the nations oldest, has the answer – The Gambling Gourmet. Could this be the next trend in food? I had to give it a try! The El Cortez Hotel and Casino is located at 6th & Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, just one block east of the Fremont Street Experience.  The El Cortez was established before the glittering lights of the Las Vegas Strip. It was opened in 1941 as Vegas’ first casino resort.  The few other gambling halls that had opened downtown in the previous decade featured bare bones games, small restaurants, sawdust floors, and very small (or none at all) hotels, while the El Cortez had 59 rooms to offer. Within a few years of opening, mobsters Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky, Gus Greenbaum, and Moe Segway would purchase and run the property. A few years after, the previous owner J. Kel Houssels would buy it back, so the mobsters could go on to finance the construction of The Flamingo on the Vegas Strip.  (The money pit of The Flamingo would become cost Siegel his life, as he was gunned down in a mob hit a few years later.) Jackie Gaughan, a rising legend in the gaming world, would purchase the resort a few years later and it stayed in the family until 2009.  To this day, Gaughan still walks the casino floor and talks with visitors about “old Vegas”. The player’s club bears his name. When compared to other casinos in the area, the El Cortez is quite old and a bit run down, but...

Get Your Hands On Some Schweddy Balls [Kicking Back With Jersey Joe] Jan06

Get Your Hands On Some Schweddy Balls [Kicking Back With Jersey Joe]

Schweddy Balls – the newest Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor based on the Saturday Night Live skit has finally made it to your grocer’s freezer. The name is as hilarious as the skit, but while only available for a limited time, some shoppers are being forbidden from buying it. Schweddy Balls gets its name from the popular “Delicious Dish” sketch that originally aired on Saturday, December 12, 1998. The five minute sketch, starring Ana Gasteyer, Molly Shannon, and guest host Alec Baldwin was a parody of two DJ’s hosting a National Public Radio (NPR) show.  The two clueless hosts are sampling holiday recipes, when they are joined by Pete Schweddy, who runs a local bakery selling Christmas cookies. The sketch is a play on words, giving a sexual double meaning to his holiday treats. The joke at the heart of the bit is when Pete Schweddy says: “There are lots of great treats this time of year. Zucchini bread – fruitcake. But, the thing I like to bring out most at this time of year are my balls.” It’s brilliant writing and is absolutely hilarious. The skit now airs every holiday season on various Saturday Night Live Christmas specials. The Ben & Jerry’s ice cream company of South Burlington, Vermont is always on the lookout to create new and unusual ice cream flavors. To cash in on the popularity of the skit, they created the official Schweddy Balls ice cream. The ice cream is available only for a limited run, and after months of searching, it finally has made its way to my local grocery store. Ben & Jerry’s has been responsible for a number of novelty ice cream flavors over the years. Sold in small pints, the flavor joins a long line of flavors such...

Fly Your Own Flag With A New Era Cap [Kicking Back With Jersey Joe] Dec16

Fly Your Own Flag With A New Era Cap [Kicking Back With Jersey Joe]

Who’s your favorite sports team?  It’s often easy to tell just by looking up at someone’s head!  New Era caps are a big business and flying off the shelves again this holiday season.  While their popular with athletes, fans, and even gangs… this big time product has a long and proud history, and just signed a huge deal! I admit it. I wear my Yankee cap every single day. With a long city walk to and from work, I’ve gotten so used to the comfort and fit that I often forget it’s even on my head. It really comes in handy on those cold, rainy nights and helps to block out the sun on those bright mornings. (And hopefully deflect some pigeon poop should I become an unlucky target.) While, some simply wear the hats as fashion, I sport mine for the functionality as a huge fan of the team. Occasionally, I’ll sport my Pirates cap, (since I grew up in the country outside of Pittsburgh) and have been forced to wear a Mets cap a few times against my will. (No, you will not be hearing about that!) Aside from being the official cap worn by Major League Baseball players, the caps have found their way into pop culture. Outside of baseball fans, the urban crowd quickly started to buy them after the demise of the Starter brand clothing company. Starter had produced sports team caps for years, but suddenly they were bankrupt and off the market. New Era was already a hot seller with MLB clubs and rap videos. They took the space left over on store shelves. The New Era cap company was founded in 1920 by Ehrhardt Koch, a German immigrant. Koch originally named the company as E. Koch Cap Company and set up shop in Buffalo, New...

The Twelve Game Shows Of Christmas, Part II [Kicking Back With Jersey Joe]...

Last week, we took a look at the first six of the twelve game shows of Christmas.  We marveled at the Kmart decorations, we laughed at the holiday antics, and were ready to light up a Yule log while watching Debra Jo Rupp climb the Pyramid. Now, let’s complete the dozen with the final six best Christmas game show moments. Here’s how your favorite game shows celebrate the season… Pat Sajak spins the wheel every night on your TV, but he wasn’t the first host of Wheel of Fortune.  Here’s a clip of former host Chuck Woolery on a special Christmas episode.  Check out the old shopping round and marvel at what the contestant buys! The tinsel around the puzzle board – tacky, yet memorizing at the same time! Now, it’s the ho ho hotline with Santa!  Check out this 1990 episode of To Tell the Truth hosted by former Pittsburgh Steeler Lynn Swan! I have no idea who some of the celebrities on the panel are, but the ones involved with the Santa reveal was fun!  Think that number is still valid? Why is Bob Eubanks crying?  It’s because the Christmas Eve 1974 edition of The Newlywed Game was the series finale.  The show would return, and so would Bob, a few years later, but Bob got the ultimate gift that year – a pink slip. Let’s roll the dice!  Can this woman, who won’t shut up, clear the board to win $10,000 on this Christmas edition of High Rollers?  It’s Vegas gone television with giant dice! They really should bring that show back! Let’s rock back to 1969 and this black and white kinescope of the TV hit, Concentration.  They went all out to bring in kids from around the world and really...

The Twelve Game Shows Of Christmas, Part 1 [Kicking Back With Jersey Joe]...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and your favorite TV shows are ready to roll out their holiday episodes. I love game shows and love seeing how they too, dress up their sets to get into the spirit. Check out this first batch of blasts from Christmas past and how these shows raided K-Mart to decorate their sets! Thanks to YouTube, our first stop in the flashback machine is to Christmas 1983.  Bob Barker still had his brown dyed hair and coaxed the audience to let out a few ho, ho, ho’s!  Maybe they were hoping to reach into his pocket for the $100 after getting a perfect bid! I love how the first item up for bids was a fake tree! Too bad it wasn’t from Service Merchandise! Let’s jump forward for a bit to 2003, where That 70’s Show’s Debra Jo Rupp is about to make a run at a special Christmas Pyramid… let’s see if she can make it… Donnie Osmond was a good host for the show, but he’ll never replace the legendary Dick Clark! (Whose photo hangs at my desk at work!) From 1979: Can your favorite celebrities Beat the Clock to win all the prizes? Not if Monty Hall’s suit is too much of a distraction! I don’t know how that suit wouldn’t screw with the vertical hold on your set.  That was also the most creative use of stockings I’ve ever seen! The second round would make a good party game for kids, though. Speaking of kids, every kid wanted to take a run through the Fun House. This was the bonus round from the Christmas 1988 episode. Get ready to see all the 80’s prizes they could win… Oh, boy kids… let’s go for that grand prize trip...

It’s A [Adjective] Time To [Verb] Mad Libs!  So Grab Your [Noun] And Let’s Get [Action!]  [Kicking Back With Jersey Joe] Nov18

It’s A [Adjective] Time To [Verb] Mad Libs! So Grab Your [Noun] And Let’s Get [Action!] [Kicking Back With Jersey Joe]...

It’s the fun game that both kids and adults can play. Just grab the book, a pencil, your brain, and you’re ready for fun! Seriously, how could anyone screw this up!?!?! Growing up in the country, I was on the elementary school bus for well over an hour. First one on, last one off, and I absolutely hated it. Being a small country school, fundraising sales were common and had to be done since there was basically no budget for extra-curricular activities.  Every group and club was always selling subs, candy and even those holiday window stick-ons. But, you didn’t have to be in a club to be a sales target. It seemed like every other week, either a homeroom or reading teacher would hand out book club flyers targeted at students.  These flyers were the equivalent of mom and dad picking up the Sunday paper and scanning for the ads. These colorful flyers would peddle all kinds of age specific books and a few miscellaneous items. This was long before Amazon.com was a household name. I can still remember most of the clubs: The Weekly Reader Book Club, The Troll Book Club, The Trumpet Club, and Scholastic.  Each was a two to four page flyer of about 40 or so books.  When a student would make a purchase, the teacher would earn a few bucks to buy supplies for the class.  It seemed these things came out every week.  It was in one of those flyers that I first discovered the book, Mad Libs. The description read: “Have fun with your friends creating hilarious stories by filling in simple mystery words.” I was a child, so I can’t remember if that’s what it said word for word, but basically – you were filling in the blank. The reader would be...

The Worst Video Game Ever Made [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Nov11

The Worst Video Game Ever Made [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

With Halloween now safely past us, we’re officially into the holiday shopping season. Many Christmases ago, a big name video game was rushed to store shelves and officially became the biggest video game flop – ever! The production cost was so high; it nearly bankrupted the huge company behind it and ripped apart the video game world for years! In June 1982, Steven Spielberg released his mega blockbuster hit, E.T. into theatres. The film was the first to surpass Star Wars as the highest grossing film at the time and is ranked as one of the greatest science fiction films ever made. At the same time, the Atari Corporation was experiencing great success with their Atari 2600 video game console. The unit had been on sale since 1978, but now thanks to large demand lowering the cost, it was becoming more affordable for the masses. Millions of units had flown off of store shelves the previous Christmas. Americans were eager to plug this magic box into their TV and turn their home into an arcade! The Atari was the officially known as a “video computer system.” Up to this point, only single novelty video games were available for the home, with the most famous being Pong. Players loved being able to play video table tennis without having to drop a ton of quarters at the arcade and were hungry for more. Atari answered with their new console, the Atari 2600. It connected to a television set with a single cable that would be inserted to an exterior switch box, mounted on the back of the set. That switch box would change between the antenna and the game. If Atari would have included one of these in the box, it would have really saved a few trips to Radio...

Miracle Whip vs. Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, Which Team are You On? [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Nov04

Miracle Whip vs. Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, Which Team are You On? [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

How do you like your potato salad?  What’s your favorite condiment on a chicken sandwich?  Growing up in Western Pennsylvania, I was raised on Miracle Whip.  A recent conversation with friends seemed to inform me that I was brought up missing out on pure mayonnaise.  So, what’s the difference and which is best? Mayonnaise is condiment sauce made up of oil, egg yolk, vinegar or lemon juice. Early accounts say that as long as there has been olive oil, there has been some form of mayonnaise.  Another account says it was discovered accidentally by a British woman in 1459, who was trying to create a custard. However it happened, it appears the French first exported it into their country after defeating the British in a port battle in 1756.  The name was derived from the word moyeu, which is French for egg.  Another account says it may have finally earned the official name mayonnaise after Charles de Lorraine, duke of Mayenne, who finished his chicken dinner with the sauce on the side before being defeated in a major battle. While the are various reports of its creation overseas, the product’s roots in the United States is much more clear. In the US, mayonnaise was first sold in New York City’s Upper West Side. In 1905, the first ready made mayo was on sale at Richard Hellmann’s deli on Columbus Avenue. After being a local success, it was mass marked 7 years later and introduced as Hellmann’s Blue Ribbon Mayonnaise. At the same time on the West Coast, Best Foods created their own version of mayonnaise which became very popular on their side of the country.  Best Foods eventually bought the Hellmann’s company in the early 1930’s, but the demand was so high for both products...

The Ultimate Halloween Treat – Sour Patch Kids [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Oct28

The Ultimate Halloween Treat – Sour Patch Kids [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Growing up, they were my favorite part of Trick-or-Treating.  I couldn’t wait to get home and rip through all the tons of cavity causing candy in hopes of finding the greatest treat of all – Sour Patch Kids! Living in the Pennsylvania country, Trick-or-Treating was a time involved parental nightmare. We lived in the middle of nowhere, which meant that my mother was more than unhappy to get in the car and drive me from house to house.  I’m sure all the money she spent on gas far outweighed the cost of the candy! After what seemed like hours of driving, I would quickly run home and go through all the loot! The news always said to have your parents inspect your candy, but since we were always going to friends or my grandparent’s homes, that was no big deal. (Stopping at my grandparents was best – they gave out cash! OK, just to me…) Digging through my plastic pumpkin, I would dump all the candy out on the kitchen table: Peanut Butter cups… those were good, Hershey Bars – always a winner, anything Willy Wonka was a good score. The jerk house that gave out apples… Finally, I would find the holy grail of candy… Sour Patch Kids! Sour Patch Kids were originally developed in the 1970’s and sold as Mars Men.  After experimenting with adding a candy coating of sugar to gummy fruits, the Allen Candy Company of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada began to officially produce Sour Patch Kids. They produced the product until 1995, when the line was sold to Cadbury Schweppes, the chocolate and ginger ale people, who made the confection until they were bought out by Kraft Foods in 2010. Fortunately for all of us, Sour Patch Kids are sold in a variety of flavors....

Jaw Dropping Natural Disasters Caught on Camera [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Oct21

Jaw Dropping Natural Disasters Caught on Camera [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

It’s certainly been a rocky couple of years on planet earth.  Every continent has experienced at least one (if not more) major disaster(s).  With all the cameras and technology out there, the power of Mother Nature has been caught on tape. And based on these jaw dropping videos I found… she’s one mad mother! I don’t remember seeing many of these videos on the national news broadcasts.  Usually, after a few days, they move onto another topic and these images are left to live to the web.  With the technological age we live in, we are able to beam images of a natural disaster seconds after they happen.  When an area is struck particularly hard, it can take time for the infrastructure to be repaired and lives to be rebuilt, before these have a chance to be seen. On March 11, 2011 Japan was the epicenter of a massive 9.0 earthquake. Almost every citizen in this densely populated country had their cameras on at the time and now we can all relive those horrifying 60 seconds. Much of the rocking, rolling, and destruction was captured on everything from security cameras to cell phones.  But, the massive tsunami that followed brought us some of the most shocking footage of all. Check out this video from a car’s dashboard camera of the quake and the car suddenly being engulfed and floating in the wave! Take a close look – there are people still inside many of those cars! Here’s more rare earthquake footage.  A guy is walking in the park as the earthquake happens and he captures the ground moving and cracking apart! So, what would a massive earthquake look like inside a casino?  Check out this video from the Chilean earthquake in 2010. Casinos don’t miss...

Bring Back Crystal Pepsi [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Oct14

Bring Back Crystal Pepsi [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

It’s January 1993 and everybody’s watching the Dallas Cowboys take on the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII, when suddenly, during a commercial break, Van Halen rocks out to Right Now and the entire country is officially introduced to Crystal Pepsi. Crystal Pepsi, the clear and caffeine free version of the long standing Pepsi Cola was ushered in with a big money marketing campaign and a series of high concept commercials.  The spots, featuring images of being refreshed and free, promised “You’ve never seen a cola like this.”  They were certainly right, but no one could have predicted the disaster that followed. The idea for the clear Pepsi began in the 1980’s when many manufacturers started experimenting with clear products after seeing the success Ivory had by creating a transparent bar of soap. Pepsi reformulated their recipe by removing the dark brown color, the caffeine, and many preservatives. Crystal Pepsi first hit stores in several test cities in 1992.  Denver, Colorado; Sacramento, California; Dallas, Texas; and Providence, Rhode Island were the four lucky cities selected.  Congratulations to them!  The test run was a success and sales of the new clear cola in those cities did quite well.  Those who purchased the product gave the idea and taste “positive results.” Pepsi decided to give the clear cola a full national launch and officially add it to the Pepsi lineup of products in stores coast to coast in 1993.  Hearing this, Coca-Cola would quickly work on a rival clear cola, Tab Clear, and rush it to stores by Christmas 1992. Pepsi spent a massive amount of marking money to promote their new product.  The rights to Van Halen’s Right Now, which could not have been cheap, spearheaded the series of commercials that aired in a heavy...

Free TV and Radio Channels You’re Missing Out On [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Oct07

Free TV and Radio Channels You’re Missing Out On [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

There are tons of free television and radio stations on the air right now, beaming into your home and car, which most people don’t  know exist.  But fear not, I’m about to help you access these stations – FOR FREE! In a recent blogumn, I discussed how you can listen to distant radio stations from other cities.  Some of the stations that I talked about were digital sub-channels only. Sub-channels are additional channels that both TV and radio stations are broadcasting along with their main signals, for free.  These subchannels are often labeled .2 or HD-2 (and up), but these are completely different channels from their main station, so it’s like getting a second channel for free! As technology advanced, and the government stepped in, stations began broadcasting in digital. With an old analog signal, they were only able to send one channel of programming.  Now that stations are broadcasting in digital, which is nothing more than sending 1’s and 0’s over the air, they are able to send several different channels at once. The sad part is most TV and radio stations have done a really bad job implementing and explaining what these channels are.  But fear not – I’ll make it simple!  So, let’s look at TV first. TELEVISION Television stations make most of their money by broadcasting one of the major networks on their main feed.  This is usually the original analog channel number they were assigned when the station began broadcasting a long time ago. In 2010, when stations were forced to turn off their analog signals by our government and go strictly digital the original channel numbers became meaningless.  Stations were reassigned new digital channel numbers, but most continued to use the old number on-air, so viewers would not get confused. Many...

Whatever Happened to Heathcliff? The Cartoon Cat Who Used Up His Nine Lives. [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Sep30

Whatever Happened to Heathcliff? The Cartoon Cat Who Used Up His Nine Lives. [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

He was splashed all over the television in the 1980’s and could be considered a cheap version of Garfield, the famous cartoon cat. He even had two television series and a movie, but Heathcliff may be on the last of his nine lives. Like Garfield, Heathcliff was another orange, wise cracking cartoon cat spent most of his time knocking garbage cans in the air, trying to steal fish from the local fish store and winning over his girlfriend, Sonja.  At times he could be as outgoing as Garfield, but in contrast would often apologize for his mishaps and was generally less sarcastic. Heathcliff started as a simple Sunday newspaper comic in 1973. It was usually a single cell strip with a special Sunday edition that expands to multiple panels. In the fall of 1980, ABC would bring Heathcliff to television as part of their Saturday morning cartoon lineup.  Remember when there actually were Saturday morning cartoons?  He was paired with Dingbat and the Creeps, a vampire dog, and in season two was joined by another comic strip character Marmaduke. Heathcliff was voiced by one of the most legendary cartoon voice actors ever: Mel Blanc.  Mel, nicknamed “The man of a thousand voices” is well known as the voice of Bugs Bunny and dozens of other Looney Tunes characters, as well as Barney Rubble, Woody Woodpecker, and Tom Cat to name a few.  Heathcliff was one of the last new voices the actor would perform before his death. After two seasons and 26 episodes on the network, Heathcliff was cancelled and aired his last show in September 1982. While continuing on in the newspapers and now comic books, Heathcliff was brought back to the air for syndication in the fall of 1984.  Airing in syndication meant that...

Rock to Your Favorite Radio Station – Any Time, Any Where!  [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Sep23

Rock to Your Favorite Radio Station – Any Time, Any Where! [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Last year, I was far from Pittsburgh on vacation and wanted to hear the local broadcast of a live Steelers game. I had no internet access and was just chilling in my hotel room when I found the perfect solution that allows me to listen to radio stations from far away – the Iheartradio app! The free app was a simple download into my Android smart phone.  Within seconds I clicked on Pittsburgh and had the local broadcast, which was, thankfully, broadcasting the game.  Unlike satellite radio or television sports packages, you are getting the actual live broadcast, commercials and all.  The best part – it’s FREE! The Iheartradio app was created by Clear Channel Radio to allow more interactivity between their radio stations.  The app is most used on Android, Blackberry, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Windows 7 phones.  You can also listen for free and check out all the features on iheart.com. The app delivers instant access to over 800 local radio stations from across the US, exclusive digital-only channels, and rebroadcasts of popular national morning radio shows.  The app also allows for sharing of photos, video, and interacting with DJ’s. Downloading and using the app is quite easy, but it does count against your phone’s data usage plan.   Those on an unlimited plan will have no problem.  But, as phone carriers get cheap and begin to charge for excess bandwidth, you should monitor your data usage rate.  You will be able to listen for a good while without consuming too much data, but be forewarned – those overage fees can be painful! Iheartradio began as Iheartmusic.com and the website first launched in April 2008 giving listeners access to 750 Clear Channel Stations. In October of that year, the app was first released...

The Great Pennsylvania Casino Tour [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Sep16

The Great Pennsylvania Casino Tour [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

Pennsylvania legalized casino gambling in 2006, but the state’s casinos are about to pass Atlantic City in revenue to become the United State’s second gambling mecca, right on the heels of Nevada.  So, how did my home state turn into a gamblers paradise after years of shooting it down?  Some friends and I took a road trip to find out. The area where I live near New York City is littered with billboards and commercials for tons of casino action.  Take a simple ride on the subway, or a drive through the Holland Tunnel, and you will find ads for the glittering Indian casinos of Connecticut, New York’s Yonkers’ Raceway, several of Pennsylvania’s offerings, and Atlantic City – the giant who used to dominate the ads. Yonkers Raceway, just north of Manhattan, has recently dropped a ton of cash to overwhelm the local advertising, pushing their new craps games. PA’s casinos are right behind.  Emeril Lagasse’s face, touting his Sands’ restaurants and hotel tower, are plastered all over the PATH trains. The mascot squirrel on the craps table for Mt. Airy ads is all over the F train.  Some casinos are even sponsoring the weather on local TV stations, just to get attention. The New York area is definitely being targeted by the several Pennsylvania gaming halls that are just a short drive away.  We went for it, plotted our trip and decided that the best route was to explore the gambling halls in Eastern PA. After departing North Jersey, we went West on I-80 headed for the Poconos.  Our first stop was Pennsylvania’s first casino, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. MOHEGAN SUN AT POCONO DOWNS Total Number of Slots: 2,232 Total Number of Table Games: 82 Just a few minutes off of I-81 and the Pennsylvania...

How to (Nearly) Kill a Fast Food Chain [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

They once fought to become a big player in the world of fast food.  They were known for their hamburgers, fried chicken, roast beef, and fixin’s bar.  But after a major marketing mistake nearly killed the struggling chain, Roy Rogers is making a come back. In 1968, the first Roy Rogers restaurant opened in Falls Church, Virginia owned by the Marriott Corporation.  Marriott is well known for their hotels, but they also owned a series of failing restaurants known as Jr. Hot Shoppes. Marriott decided to make some major changes to stop the downfall.  The marketing team went into overdrive to rebrand the struggling chain. They chose popular western cowboy Roy Rogers for the name, based on the Wild West’s reputation for good beef and down home cooking.  They acquired the proper licensing to use the name and image and began to expand. They opened several hundred locations in less than two years, mostly on the east coast. Their menu concept was simple – burgers, roast beef, and fried chicken. All locations also feature a free Roy’s Fixins’ Bar – a small condiment bar full of lettuce, pickles, onions, ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, horseradish sauce, and more to allow hungry customers to dress their sandwiches any way they want. I love this feature, which includes handing out plastic cups to take your condiments to go if you are on the road. As the 1970s rolled on, more new locations popped up. In 1975 the company made national headlines when their Fairfax, Virginia restaurant was robbed at gunpoint. Five employees were sent into the freezer and each shot in the head. Only one person survived. The chain would recover and in 1980, would make a major step forward when it purchased Gino’s restaurants, adding 180 more stores. Gino’s...

Could This Be the Last Ride? [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]

ACES – The Atlantic City Express Service is a luxury train that whisks travelers direct from New York City to Atlantic City, NJ casinos with only a single stop in between.  While more upscale than a traditional train, the line is in serious danger of shutting down for good.  I recently took a ride to find out what could possibly be spelling the end for what should be a good idea. As I discussed in a previous blogumn, Atlantic City has long been a destination for vacationers to get out of the cities and head to the shore.  Its casinos and beaches are an ideal year round retreat and offer a variety of activities. Atlantic City has rolled in tourists by rail since the first train line opened in the 1800’s.  Most train service went direct to Philadelphia or New York. But starting in 1929, a new upscale line known as The Blue Comet took to the tracks to bring in the NYC city goers. The Blue Comet would take passengers from the now abandoned Communipaw Terminal in Jersey City (just a short ferry ride across the Hudson River from Manhattan) to Atlantic City in three hours.  These special trains were created to compete with rides being offered by the Pennsylvania Railroad that would take riders on a less direct route.  Blue Comet riders would enjoy assigned seating on special blue seats, an upscale dining car with special blue linen, and an upper level observation car with wicker chairs. The line was immediately successful and initially had a 97% on time rate.  As the great depression hit, ridership immediately fell.  The line was cut to one round trip train per day.  Some residents who lived in the rustic Pine Barrows of New Jersey, who...

David Letterman: Al-Qaeda Terror Target? [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Aug26

David Letterman: Al-Qaeda Terror Target? [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Al-Qaeda must be desperate, and on the losing end, in the War on Terror. Last week one of their members called for late night talk show host David Letterman’s tongue to be ripped out and silenced.  Wow, really? Letterman has been hosting his Late Show with David Letterman on CBS since 1993.  I’ve been watching Dave since I was a child and can’t even begin to think of television after 11:30pm on weeknights without him.  Dave had a long a crazy climb to the top, but he did it himself, and it’s like a rags to riches story Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 12, 1947.  He graduated from Ball State University in 1969 and had no clue what to do.  Letterman had worked as an announcer and newscaster for the campus radio station, but according to online reports, was fired after treating classical music with irreverence. With no clue what to do, Dave discovered Paul Dixon, host of The Paul Dixon Show, a Cincinnati based talk show that was also shown in Dave’s home town.  He immediately decided that’s what he wanted to do. Letterman began his official career as a talk show host for WNTA-AM radio and as a weatherman for WLWI-TV (now WTHR, the Indianapolis NBC affiliate.)  He became an instant hit thanks to his outrageous behavior in front of the camera.  He once congratulated a storm for being upgraded to a hurricane, blew up a model of the station, and predicted outrageous temperatures for fake cities. At the station, he also hosted a late night show, Freeze Dried Movies and Clover Power, a show that aired on Saturday mornings where he interviewed 4-H students about their projects.  In 1971, he also appeared as a pit reporter for ABC’s...

Resorts Atlantic City: The Roaring 20s Themed Casino with a Naked Circus [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] Aug19

Resorts Atlantic City: The Roaring 20s Themed Casino with a Naked Circus [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Resorts International opened as the first casino outside of Nevada to legally allow full casino gambling in the United States. The Atlantic City landmark has a long history that goes back way before blackjack was legal.  From it’s time as a hospital to it’s new found fame thanks to HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and a naked circus, Resorts has a colorful past that’s all tied together thanks to the spin on the of Wheel of Fortune! The block Resorts currently occupies started off as two separate three story boarding houses during the early days of Atlantic City, New Jersey’s vacation boom era.  The Chalfonte House opened in 1868 and The Haddon House opened a year later on both sides of North Carolina Avenue. In 1896, Haddon House was expanded into a full hotel and took on a new name, Haddon Hall.  The Chalfonte was reconstructed as well and welcomed their first guests as a modern hotel on July 2, 1904.  Haddon Hall would continue to add new wings and expand their room count throughout the 20’s.  Shortly thereafter, the entire complex was bought and merged into one large complex and renamed.  The new Chalfonte-Haddon Hall and was connected via a pedestrian sky bridge and at the time of the merger, the count was a whopping 1,000 rooms making it the largest hotel in the city. During the early part of the 20th century, Atlantic City was one of the premiere vacation destinations in the US and vacationers were packing the hotels, especially in the hot summer months.  The long boardwalk, numerous hotels, amusement piers, and easy train access would welcome visitors for long stays to enjoy the shore.  Only a few of the numerous hotels that were operational during that time still survive today, including part...

How Giant Ferris Wheels Will Change The World [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe...

Who doesn’t love a spin on a Ferris wheel? How about taking a ride high above the skylines of two popular American cities? A small Ferris wheel building boom is underway and the skylines of New York and Las Vegas could be in for a major change. While both projects have been on the table for years; our lagging economy has pushed back their opening dates. Recent developments have given them both a major step forward, reigniting hopes of taking tourists high in the air. I must admit, I get a little nervous about riding the super high wheels. I feel much safer on the ones with enclosed carriages. The one at Six Flags Great Adventure, and another on the amusement pier at Wildwood (both in New Jersey), are a little bigger than I can handle. When I was a kid, you couldn’t get me on one. I still shudder at the thought of riding one at some of the shady carnivals, but I’m more than happy to climb aboard the greatest of them all – The Wonder Wheel on Coney Island. Since the London Eye became a major tourist draw after opening in 2000, some US developers have added the wheels as a perk to some high profile construction jobs. Just a short train ride outside of Manhattan, is the new Meadowlands Sports complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, currently home to the New York Giants and New York Jets. As part of the redevelopment of the area, along with the new stadium, came construction of the IZOD Center (a concert venue and arena) and the Xanadu Meadowlands (a giant shopping mall.) The stadium and the arena opened to much fanfare in both 2010 and 2009 respectively. But, the mall that is a...

The Great Dessert From the South – Snowballs [Kicking Back with Jersey Joe]...

Seriously, isn’t that cool, colorful picture absolutely mouthwatering on this hot summer day?  During my trip to New Orleans, I was introduced to Snowballs, a most refreshing dessert.  They’re much more than just syrup and water!  While many cities have their own version of Sno-cones, the south does them best! Let me know if you can find one of these in a city near you! Snowballs are well known in the southern United States.  A Snowball is not a slushie, not sherbert, and not your standard ice with flavoring.  The consistency is just like new fallen snow. Fresh ice is shaved superfine from a brick of ice, and then doused with home made flavorings. Hansen’s Sno-Bliz was the location I visited to sample the dessert.  According to their website, the stand located at 4801 Tchoupitoulas Street in New Orleans opened in 1944; after selling the dessert on the street since 1938.  The ice is still served the very same way as it was in the beginning.  A worker shaves each cone from a massive block of ice, for every customer’s unique order, using a specially designed, saw-like machine. Standing at the counter waiting for your treat, you can see the gloved man shaving away.  From what I’ve been told, it’s hard job, so cold the ice shaver must wear gloves to avoid frostbite on his fingers. Each and every one is home made.  No machine pushing syrups with CO2.  There are also a massive variety of sizes, from a tiny cup to a giant trash can size that was for a frat party! The dessert can be served with multiple home made fruit flavored syrups, or a splash of condensed milk, marshmallow, crushed pineapples, crushed strawberries or whipped cream. Even ice cream can be added.  I...