Never forget... the local politicians in New Jersey who made ultimate sacrifice to install a 9/11 memorial in Washington Township. The memorial, which opened with pomp and bagpipes on Sunday, features a piece of World Trade Center steel and a granite stone inscribed with the names of the town's committee members and mayor. None of them died on 9/11, but each of them was bravely holding public office when the memorial was dedicated. Doesn't that count for something? Not if you ask the bagpiper. more ›

The "Jersey Fresh" and "Jersey Grown" labels have been around for more than a quarter-century, but they are about to get a bit more prominent in the Garden State. Last week Governor Chris Christie signed legislation that requires state agencies, whenever possible, to give extra visibility and accessibility to products from New Jersey. Whether or not consumers find the idea of produce from our southern neighbor enticing is another matter entirely. more ›

After giving some Democrats and NJ resident the opportunity to wonder why NJ Governor Chris Christie bothered to appoint a Lieutenant Governor if both he and Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno were going to be on vacation at the same time—which happened to be during Blizzagedon, which meant Democratic State Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney was the one calling the "state of emergency"— Christie fired back at a press conference yesterday. Why didn't he or Guadagno change their plans so at least one of them could be around? Well, Christie promised his kids the vacation to Disney World while Guadagno's dad has cancer and wanted to take a (possibly final) family cruise in Mexico. In other words, suck it, critics and reporters who had a slow news week and were looking for a scandalous story: more ›

A bill that would have granted same-sex couples the right to marry has been voted down by the New Jersey State Senate. Just over a month after New York State Senate rejected a similar piece of legislation, Garden State pols following suit, voting 20-14 against it. Gay marriage advocates had been trying to push the bill through before Gov. Jon Corzine, who supports gay marriage, leaves office on Jan. 19 and is replaced by Gov.-elect Chris Christie, who opposes it. more ›

Just days after the New York State Senate voted down a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, the Garden State is getting ready for the debate. According to the Times, the New Jersey State Senate's Judiciary Committee is gearing up for a vote on gay marriage as early as Monday — with the full Senate preparing for a vote possibly on Thursday. more ›

The NY Times reports on Mr. New Jersey's ties with the political elite. With it being common practice for high-ranking politicians to attend his concerts, it's seems it's a two way street, with Bon Jovi also showing his support at their functions.

He calls her “Mrs. C.” And she calls on him to add a little celebrity gloss to her presidential campaign. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a death investigation on Dekalb Ave. in Brooklyn, an unstable building on Cherry St. and Robinson Ave. in Queens, and a homicide on East 29th St. and 5th Ave. in Manhattan.
• Rudy Giuliani and John McCain have different views over torture.
• Texting and talking on the phone are about to be banned in the Garden State.
• It's possible that news of a sniper on the Saw Mill River Parkway was fake.
• Pakistani militants allegedly targeted NYC bridges in 2004.
• The shotgun wound victim from the illegal poker game hold-up died from his injuries.
• A wind advisory blows into the region thanks to Noel.
• Don't forget to set your clocks back tonight.

Hundreds of subway cars will be sleeping with the fishes - and much more aquatic life - as the MTA approved a plan to send old cars from the C and E lines to the Garden State for artificial reef-building. NYC Transit assistant chief of operations Mike Zacchea explained, "They create a cave-like structure that let young hatchlings mature. Within 30 days, marine life attaches to the car body." more ›

There's no session scheduled for the State Assembly Monday in Albany, but state senate leader Joseph Bruno took a break from barking back and forth with Governor Spitzer to draft a bill in an effort to lay claim to a half-billion dollars in federal funds targeted at improving transit. Senate Majority leader Bruno had the bill drafted and urged fellow lawmakers to convene in an effort to get the state's hands on $500 million in federal funds that New York is competing for, against other cities like Denver, Miami and Seattle. more ›

Oh, the dangers of the interwebs. Recently crowned Miss New Jersey Amy Polumbo held a press conference yesterday to announce that she was being blackmailed into stepping down after someone sent packages of photographs where she's in possibly compromising positions to her and pageant officials. The pictures had once been posted on Facebook. more ›

THEATER: The ever-diminishing returns for theater producers have conditioned many playwrights to pre-emptively cut costs by keeping their character census down. So it's nice to see Tribeca's Flea Theater making room for Mark Greenfield's new play, I.E., In Other Words. "Using highly stylized language, this Boy Meets Girl/Horatio Alger tale-gone-wild" involves thirty-three characters played by a cast of fourteen. Greenfield's sprawling canvas, which is still in previews, is stretched to accommodate "adventure, love, songs, and lots of punch lines." - John Del Signore more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a cyclist struck on Fresh Meadow Lane and 67th Ave. in Queens, a water rescue north of the GW Bridge in Manhahattan, and someone fatally jumped from a building on West 15th St. in Manhattan.
• The NYPD will boost efforts to get citizens to respect their authority by mounting Big Wheels Segways at beaches and parks this summer.
• Satellite radio duo Opie and Anthony have been suspended for laughing at the prospect of the Queen of England and Condoleeza Rice being violently raped.
• The last public figure who blamed NYC for the 9/11 attacks just died yesterday, so Rudy Giuliani tensed at the mention of an opponent's platform, probably out of concern for the guy's safety, when a candidate reiterated the allegation.
• Andrew Cuomo doesn't give a crap if the Dell Dude did attend NYU. The new NY State Attorney General is suing over allegedly deceptive advertising practices by the computer company.
• Plans for a new Hunts Point House of Detention in the Bronx have been arrested, as the owner of the illegal dumping ground adjacent to Rikers Island claims it's worth is $375 million and the City is considering eminent domain. We honestly do not know who to root for in this one.
• Seeking to rein in governmental waste, The New York Times reports that Albany lawmakers are seeking to rein in government authorities, in a colossal waste of publicly funded irony and spent credibility.
• We wonder if it's child abuse to expose an infant to Paris Hilton's spread-wide-open legs. Only time will tell the eventual damage.
• Because the military isn't experiencing enough heat these days, an F-16 fighter jet dropped a flare that ignited a good portion of the Garden State.

, it's always a joy to see Bateman on screen, and he does some hilarious work as the obnoxious, wheelchair bound Ex. You want to punch him in his ascot-wearing face nearly every time he's on screen, and that's quite a feat for a guy who most recently played such a winning TV lead. In addition to Bateman nearly every other supporting part is filled by a solid comedic performer like Rudd, Charles Grodin, Donal Logue, Fred Armisen, Amy Poehler and Amy Adams. Each of them take totally throw away moments and sell them with such comedic sincerity. Also the plot line about career woman Sofia trying to adjust to being a stay-at-home mom is done with welcome deftness. It'd be great to see Peet in even more roles like this where her sensitivity and likability can shine through. Producers Ted Hope, Anne Carey and Anthony Bergman (ie. former nurturers of directors like Ang Lee, Nicole Holofcener and Michel Gondry) obviously understood that even though screenwriters David Guion and Michael Handelman as well as Jesse Peretz are just starting out in the biz, they all have the goods. more ›

If there's one NY Times Weddings & Celebrations write-up you read this week, read the one for Claire Israel and Oren Silverstein. Not only did the couple get married at Cupid’s Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas (but they'll have another service in Brooklyn next month), they also described how their initial online courtship had its roadblocks:

When the couple met online in April 2005, Ms. Israel was as concerned about where Mr. Silverstein lived (New Jersey) as he was about who she lived with (her two cats). more ›

The Daily News reports that "scarecrow cars" are being used by the NYPD to deter crime, much to the dismay of the police union. Scarecrow crows are empty radio cars that are stationed on highways in hopes of scaring drivers to straighten up with their driving. more ›

When NJ Governor Jon Corzine was critically injured in a car accident two weeks ago, a commenter wrote, "Obviously, God wants Codey to be governor," referring to Richard Codey, the NJ Senate majority leader (pictured) who has served as acting governor under the three past NJ governors. And, apparently, so does Corzine himself: The NY Times has an article about how Corzine was often not in NJ before being injured.:

In the 450 days between his inauguration and his accident, Mr. Corzine notified Mr. Codey that he would be away for all or part of 111 days, and would sleep out of state on 77 nights... more ›

Governor Jon Corzine expects to be discharged from the hospital next week. Corzine has been at Cooper University Hospital where he has been recuperating after severe injuries after the SUV transporting him (where he sat seat-belt-less in the front passenger seat) crashed on the Garden State Parkway. more ›

NJ Governor Corzine showed the Associated Press that he's doing pretty well, sitting up (in red track pants, which is rather Fidel-ish) and reading his many get well cards. These are the first photographs of Corzine since he was in a car accident that left him critically injured and with 15 broken bones. Earlier this week, Corzine was still stuck in bed, but now he's able to leave bed and sit up. The cards look like they are from NJ school children; we hope that if they're making the cards during the school day, then there better be seat belts also drawn on them somewhere! more ›

Why did you decide to write about your formative years in New Jersey? Are you trying to provide inspiration to other young New Jerseyans? Or did NJ inspire you so much that you had to pay it forward? Wait, maybe that's the same thing. The decision to write about my formative years wasn't really anything calculated. I had been writing these short essays about growing up for a long time, mostly because I thought the stuff that happened was so funny - in a 'you can't make this shit up' kind of way. I never really thought to connect them, though I did think maybe there was a movie in there. But whenever I would tell people about my family - in a casual kind of way - they were always amazed, or fascinated, or frightened. So one day I thought that if I could find an emotional connecting tissue to hang the stories on, I'd have a book. more ›

NJ Governor Jon Corzine has been moved from intensive care as his condition improved to stable. The governor continues in his second week of recovery after a car crash on the Garden State Parkway which revealed his SUV (a state trooper was driving) was going 91 MPH while Corzine was not wearing a seat belt in the front passenger seat. However, the governor's chief of staff Tom Shea said that Corzine will not be getting back to work any time soon, "The state is in very good hands with acting Gov. (Richard) Codey." Shea added, "[Corzine]'s not as grouchy as you might expect him to be." more ›

With the NJ State Police confirming that NJ Governor Corzine's SUV was going 91 MPH on the Garden State Parkway during a crash that left a seat-beltless Corzine critically injured, it was only natural for reporters to ask Mayor Bloomberg his thoughts. And the NY Times' Diane Cardwell says that his "nanny tendencies...were on full display" more ›

How much of an emergency is getting back to the Governor's mansion for a meeting between Don Imus and the Rutgers women's basketball team? Because the NJ State Police confirmed that Governor Corzine's SUV, which crashed last Thursday along the Garden State Parkway, was going 91 MPH, well over the 65 MPH speed limit. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a large sinkhole at University Ave. in the Bronx, a carjacking on Foch Blvd. in Queens, and a hanging on Park Ave. in Manhattan.
• Not only was Gov. Corzine not wearing his seatbelt, his state trooper driver was doing 91 m.p.h.(!) right before the crash. The speed limit on the Garden State Parkway is 65 m.p.h.
• Nine people were injured this afternoon when the Staten Island Ferry made a "heavy landing" at the St. George terminal. Neither the boat nor dock was damaged and the incident is being attributed to the weather and currents.
• Mayor Bloomberg's appointment as head of the Word Trade Center Memorial Foundation last October is proving very profitable. Fundraising had stalled before his appointment, but the organization's fund has more than doubled since Bloomberg came aboard, to more than $300 million.
• A 16-year-old was fatally shot in the neck yesterday afternoon in Brooklyn. Police are searching for another teenager, but there is no known motivation for the killling.
• Site onNYTurf has a map titled "Pedicouncil or Pettycouncil" that shows where City Council members stand on a law restricting pedicabs in the city.
• The Brooklyn bookstore owner who plead guilty to helping fund terrorist organizations was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
• Brownstoner salivates at real estate porn involving a limestone mansion in Fort Greene.
• Curbed reports on the Chinatown apartment on Grand St. that suffered an impromptu demolition party as a hipster describes [we] "Tore the place down." There's also a crazy video of the incident taken by a passerby wondering why glass was flying out the window.
• Authorities are wondering how an off-duty parole officer staying late after a party in Asbury Park, NJ managed to accidentally discharge his weapon and shoot three restaurant workers with a single shot.

NJ Governor Jon Corzine may taken off a ventilator that has been helping him breathe since his Thursday night car accident on the Garden State Parkway. Yesterday, doctors removed fluid from his lungs (considered a routine procedure) successfully, and today, they will be performing another surgery to continue to clean up wounds from his left leg - when the femur broke, it punctured his skin. Corzine remains in critical but stable condition. more ›

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An SUV carrying New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine crashed on the Garden State Parkway in Galloway Township. After undergoing extensive surgery, Corzine has a broken leg, twelve broken ribs, a broken collarbone, and a broken breastbone; he also has numerous facial lacerations. He is in stable condition and remains in the ICU, but faces many months of rehabilitation. State Senate President Richard Codey, who took over for NJ Governor James McGreevey when he stepped down, will be acting governor indefinitely. more ›

I saw Zach Galifianakis(Comedy Central Presents, Comedians of Comedy, Dog Bites Man) at the UCB theater a few months ago and he was going some crowd work. Some lady said something, I don't remember what, but Zach's response was, "Don't get me farted." From that, you can gather two things: Zach Galifianakis is a comedic genius and you should definitely see him at Irving Plaza on the 24th of February. more ›

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Score: Gecko, 0, and People Tired of Ads, 1. more ›

grubbykid takes the time to consider how much space a Soho Mall would have if in fact Soho were put under a glass roof. Why? Well, to find out the "theoretical maximum leasable square footage," after news of the sharply increasing commercial rents in the neighborhood. And the square footage would be: 1,338,750 square feet! grubbykid has more details about how that number was developed, but that makes SoHo a small mall. The Garden State Plaza, just over the river in Paramus, has just under 2 million leasable square feet (it's the 17th largest in the country). Anyway, this map is fun and the only thing that's missing is for this to be on a kiosk, with color-coded key to where "Fashion for Her," "Furniture," and "Dining" are all located! more ›