Ladies and Gentlemen, it is once again that time.
Soon our roads, Towns, Beaches and favorite places will become bloated with the masses of vacationers, tourists and worst of all: Bennys. Even as I write this at our command center, True Jersey Supply Co., located at 809 Main St. in Belmar the traffic outside grows thick and many people are already hitting the beach. And while many business owners and town officials may welcome them, there are many more who may discourage such an influx of visitors.
So on the eve of Memorial Day Weekend I'd like to introduce a few cool people and organizations that we have come in contact through the years that have an interesting view on perhaps the most aggravating aspect of the Jersey Shore Lifestyle.
Go Home Bennys. Com
This website has been a friend for a few years, while being a separate entity from our own site we share a similar message. They even offer a wristband that donates proceeds of the profits to Beach Clean - ups.
Mike Mullane and Friends/ The Bayonne Bleeders
Mike and His band have been great Friends and supporters for several years now. Mike is the man responsible for the songs "I'm a Benny" and "Benny Go Home" as well as many other great songs. His music focuses on the day to day struggles of raising a middle class family, and living in New Jersey.
Stephen J. Chernoski
Stephen is a New Jersey Born Film maker and Teacher from Hoboken, NJ. He's the writer and director of "New Jersey: The Movie" a film searching for the Cultural divided between North and South Jersey.
The Jersey Shore Roller Girls
As proud sponsor of the Shore's only All Girl Roller Derby league it would a shame to not mention the JSRG's. These girls rock Convention Hall in Asbury Park about every Month, facing other Women's Roller Derby Leagues and in exciting intra-league bouts. Their Next bout is June twentieth! Check out their website for details and tickets.
To all locals and Lovers of the Jersey Shore, have a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
My opinion on the seat belt crackdown at the Jersey Shore
This is an excerpt from an APP article out today:
While few will debate the safety values of wearing a seat belt while driving, I must draw attention to the supposed reasoning behind the states latest crackdown. Essentially, they argue that seat belts save lives, lives are valuable, so you must wear your seat belt. If you choose not to, then you are penalized via your bank account. It is of my opinion, however, that this is a most unfair, unjust, and downright fraudulent system not based on saving lives, but on lining the pockets of everyone from the state government right down to the individual officers themselves.
The problems begin at the outset, with the concept that seat belts save lives and therefore you must wear them. Why are seat belts the exception to the widely held view that, for the most part, individuals should be able to choose whether they want to put their lives at risk or not. I don't disagree that a seat belt may save your life, but so could eating better, not smoking, or leaving a high stress or dangerous job for something else. Yet the thought of being fined for eating at McDonald's, or smoking a cigarette (though one could argue the fines for smoking come in the form of high taxes), or working high rise construction is absolutely absurd to us. Yes, it could be argued that all of these things have different levels of risk and different costs to society, but at the end of the day they all carry significant risks (for some more than others) and yet we still, to one degree or another, accept that they are personal choices and that the consequences of those actions rest with the person who made them.
The reason for seat belts being singled out as a chief culprit in deaths (despite the fact that the leading causes of death in the state of New Jersey are heart disease, cancer, and stroke with vehicular deaths not even ranking in the top ten - http://www.state.nj.us/health/chs/stats98/mortality.htm) is because seat belt laws, like other vehicular laws, are easily enforceable by the states multitude of police officers patrolling the highways and side streets day and night. Ultimately, cash flows from the Fed through the state coffers and eventually down to the municipal level where overtime and bonuses are allotted based on gross revenues from tickets issued. In other words, seat belt laws, as well as other vehicular laws which punish drivers or passengers for behavior that doesn't put others at risk are entirely about money - not saving lives.
While this can simply be added to the ever growing list of unjust and unequally enforced state laws, I feel it is important for every New Jersey native and resident to be aware of the government forces which attempt to cover their own failings by pulling out the pockets of ourselves, our friends, and our children.
I personally think you should wear a seat belt. It may save your life, and, as Pam Fischer says above, if you won't do it for yourself then do it for your family - but do it because you choose to. Not because I think you should, or your neighbor thinks you should, or the government thinks you should - because the list of things the government thinks you should do 'for your own good' is pretty much endless.
This is a matter of the freedom of choice and the freedom to decide how to live our lives - even if it means putting them at risk, and it is fundamental to the independent ways in which we live, breathe, and die in Jersey.
Two dozen law enforcement agencies in Monmouth and Ocean counties will participate in an annual seat-belt enforcement campaign.
The agencies each received $4,000 grants for the national Click It or Ticket campaign, which will run from May 18 to 31.
"I think the one message we really want to get out to the public is the most effective safety device in an automobile is a seat belt," said Pam Fischer, director of the state Division of Highway Traffic Safety. "We really want everyone to understand how important it is to buckle up."
Fischer said drivers and passengers who wear seat belts reduce their chance of being injured or killed in a crash by up to 75 percent.
"If you don't do it for yourself, do it for your family," she said of seat-belt use. "They want you to get home at the end of the day."
During last year's campaign, police in New Jersey issued 46,026 summonses for failure to wear a seat belt and 6,831 speeding tickets, and made 642 drunk driving arrests.
Seat-belt use tends to be lower at night, which can be a more dangerous time to drive, so nighttime enforcement will be part of this year's campaign, Fischer said.
While few will debate the safety values of wearing a seat belt while driving, I must draw attention to the supposed reasoning behind the states latest crackdown. Essentially, they argue that seat belts save lives, lives are valuable, so you must wear your seat belt. If you choose not to, then you are penalized via your bank account. It is of my opinion, however, that this is a most unfair, unjust, and downright fraudulent system not based on saving lives, but on lining the pockets of everyone from the state government right down to the individual officers themselves.
The problems begin at the outset, with the concept that seat belts save lives and therefore you must wear them. Why are seat belts the exception to the widely held view that, for the most part, individuals should be able to choose whether they want to put their lives at risk or not. I don't disagree that a seat belt may save your life, but so could eating better, not smoking, or leaving a high stress or dangerous job for something else. Yet the thought of being fined for eating at McDonald's, or smoking a cigarette (though one could argue the fines for smoking come in the form of high taxes), or working high rise construction is absolutely absurd to us. Yes, it could be argued that all of these things have different levels of risk and different costs to society, but at the end of the day they all carry significant risks (for some more than others) and yet we still, to one degree or another, accept that they are personal choices and that the consequences of those actions rest with the person who made them.
The reason for seat belts being singled out as a chief culprit in deaths (despite the fact that the leading causes of death in the state of New Jersey are heart disease, cancer, and stroke with vehicular deaths not even ranking in the top ten - http://www.state.nj.us/health/chs/stats98/mortality.htm) is because seat belt laws, like other vehicular laws, are easily enforceable by the states multitude of police officers patrolling the highways and side streets day and night. Ultimately, cash flows from the Fed through the state coffers and eventually down to the municipal level where overtime and bonuses are allotted based on gross revenues from tickets issued. In other words, seat belt laws, as well as other vehicular laws which punish drivers or passengers for behavior that doesn't put others at risk are entirely about money - not saving lives.
While this can simply be added to the ever growing list of unjust and unequally enforced state laws, I feel it is important for every New Jersey native and resident to be aware of the government forces which attempt to cover their own failings by pulling out the pockets of ourselves, our friends, and our children.
I personally think you should wear a seat belt. It may save your life, and, as Pam Fischer says above, if you won't do it for yourself then do it for your family - but do it because you choose to. Not because I think you should, or your neighbor thinks you should, or the government thinks you should - because the list of things the government thinks you should do 'for your own good' is pretty much endless.
This is a matter of the freedom of choice and the freedom to decide how to live our lives - even if it means putting them at risk, and it is fundamental to the independent ways in which we live, breathe, and die in Jersey.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Earth Day Clean Up 2009
Greetings fellow shore-lovers. With summer shortly approaching, it's time for us to start making our way back outdoors and into the streets... or in this case, the creek.
On Sat, April 18th, the NJ Community Water Watch and Benny Go Home are encouraging all of us prideful locals to take some time out of our schedules to give back to the community and clean up. This is part of a state wide effort to mobilize 1500 volunteers, media, and elected officials to highlight the need to protect and restore NJ water ways.
The local clean up is being held at Long Swamp Creek in Toms River, NJ. This is a vital waterway that flows into Toms River, which lets off into Barnegat Bay and the Atlantic Ocean where I know must of us enjoy spending time either in and around. For those who are not in the area, you can check out njwaterwatch.org to find out where the other clean-ups will be held.
The clean-up crew will be meeting at the Seacourt Pavilion in Toms River at 10am. For those of you unfamiliar, it's right across from the Ocean County Mall on the other side of Bay Avenue. The clean-up will conclude at around 1pm and we would really love your support. They are expecting about 100 people to show up for the event, but we would love to make that number 1000! That may not be reachable since people do have work and previous plans, but we'd really like to have a good showing.
We also ask that if you do attend, you rock your BGH apparel to really show the unity of us Jersey Shore locals. And if you can't attend, it would really help if you could spread the word. Re-post this in your own blogs, myspaces, facebooks, etc. This is a very good cause and we hope you all feel just as strongly.
LOCALS UNITE!
On Sat, April 18th, the NJ Community Water Watch and Benny Go Home are encouraging all of us prideful locals to take some time out of our schedules to give back to the community and clean up. This is part of a state wide effort to mobilize 1500 volunteers, media, and elected officials to highlight the need to protect and restore NJ water ways.
The local clean up is being held at Long Swamp Creek in Toms River, NJ. This is a vital waterway that flows into Toms River, which lets off into Barnegat Bay and the Atlantic Ocean where I know must of us enjoy spending time either in and around. For those who are not in the area, you can check out njwaterwatch.org to find out where the other clean-ups will be held.
The clean-up crew will be meeting at the Seacourt Pavilion in Toms River at 10am. For those of you unfamiliar, it's right across from the Ocean County Mall on the other side of Bay Avenue. The clean-up will conclude at around 1pm and we would really love your support. They are expecting about 100 people to show up for the event, but we would love to make that number 1000! That may not be reachable since people do have work and previous plans, but we'd really like to have a good showing.
We also ask that if you do attend, you rock your BGH apparel to really show the unity of us Jersey Shore locals. And if you can't attend, it would really help if you could spread the word. Re-post this in your own blogs, myspaces, facebooks, etc. This is a very good cause and we hope you all feel just as strongly.
LOCALS UNITE!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Asbury Poetry
Recently I was contacted by a local poet who was eager to share with me some of her work. Feeling inspired, as many artists have been, by the mysterious streets of Asbury Park, New Jersey. She gave me permission to post her work on the blog, so now I present to you:
"The Roads in Asbury" by KaitlynHildebrandt.
Looking around the roads in Asbury.
Dead-end stops and one-way streets at every turn.
Lines of glittering lights scatter about the scene,
a gilded line of glory to the west.
To the east sits the wide ocean, untelling in its tales, 'til at sea you venture on patchwork sails.
In the middle, side-by-side, lie the sighing and straining hopes.
A dream once dreamt now sleeps again.
"The Roads in Asbury" by KaitlynHildebrandt.
Looking around the roads in Asbury.
Dead-end stops and one-way streets at every turn.
Lines of glittering lights scatter about the scene,
a gilded line of glory to the west.
To the east sits the wide ocean, untelling in its tales, 'til at sea you venture on patchwork sails.
In the middle, side-by-side, lie the sighing and straining hopes.
A dream once dreamt now sleeps again.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Employee of the Month
I think it's long over-due to salute a member of our faculty. He works hard and never complains, is always on time and preforms his duties with pride and excellence. I speak of the dedicated...
That's right, True Jersey Supply Co's very own Mannequin Skywalker. Mannequin Skywalker came to work for us after losing his job at Foot Locker last summer. As he's the quiet type we really don't know why he was let go, but we can't complain. During his tenor with our company his work has been nothing but exemplary.
When we were located in Convention Hall, Mr. Skywalker braved the frigid conditions of the Asbury Boardwalk winter while wearing nothing more than one of our awesome shirts. stoically modeling our newest designs in the display window of our Shop at 809 Main St. in Belmar, despite the fact that He doesn't have a head, He always keeps his chin up. He even keeps an eye on the place when we call it a night. Yes, truly Mannequin Skywalker has proved to be one of our most valuable members.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The Great Foos Ball Challenge!!!
Every Tuesday morning, I rise early and eat a hardy breakfast. I head out into the world ready to work my shift at True Jersey Supply Co. (located at 809 Main St. in Belmar). Unfortunately, Tuesdays aren't exactly the most happening day in Belmar, especially since the winter months have made walking down Main st. less than comfortable ( It was twenty-eight degrees Fahrenheit this afternoon). This means that after I finish filling the online orders, I have very little to do.
In our store we have been fortunate enough to have acquired both a Skee-Ball machine and a Foos Ball table. We encourage people to come to the store and play these arcade games for free, after all, Skee-Ball is an NJ past-time and Foos-Ball is fun under any circumstances. These items have helped greatly in combating boredom for us at the shop. But there are only so many times that I can play Jay Thompson before that too, becomes tedious.
In an effort to alleviate this boredom, I Challenge you! That's right, I Challenge all of NJ to come to True Jersey Supply Co., at 809 Main St. in Belmar on Tuesdays between 1p.m. and 5p.m. and play me in a game of Foos-Ball! If Your are able to defeat me in a game of Foos-Ball, you'll have your choice of three True Jersey Stickers, not to mention the inflated sense of pride in your personal Foos-Ball Skill.
So if your smart enough, quick enough, and lucky enough, you might beat me in a Game Foos-Ball!
In our store we have been fortunate enough to have acquired both a Skee-Ball machine and a Foos Ball table. We encourage people to come to the store and play these arcade games for free, after all, Skee-Ball is an NJ past-time and Foos-Ball is fun under any circumstances. These items have helped greatly in combating boredom for us at the shop. But there are only so many times that I can play Jay Thompson before that too, becomes tedious.
In an effort to alleviate this boredom, I Challenge you! That's right, I Challenge all of NJ to come to True Jersey Supply Co., at 809 Main St. in Belmar on Tuesdays between 1p.m. and 5p.m. and play me in a game of Foos-Ball! If Your are able to defeat me in a game of Foos-Ball, you'll have your choice of three True Jersey Stickers, not to mention the inflated sense of pride in your personal Foos-Ball Skill.
So if your smart enough, quick enough, and lucky enough, you might beat me in a Game Foos-Ball!
Friday, January 2, 2009
ATTN: Benny's On The Parkway
This post is directed mainly towards people from out of state, but I'm sure that some of the locals will feel my pain. Now, if you are part of the EZPass population, then you may not have experienced this problem, but for those who have, it's time someone says something.
There is pretty much one efficient way for the benny crowd to invade the shore... the Garden State Parkway. On said road, there are those annoying stops along the way that we like to call toll booths. Originally constructed as a way to recover the cost of the 172 mile freeway, the toll booths still stand to this day and have recently had a slight increase in price to take a bite out of the states enormous, and growing debt.
Now to get back on track, I'm sure there have been times when you've pulled up to the toll booth, change in hand, slowly rolling forward, only to come to an abrupt stop. Why? Because there is a car in the booth waiting to see the "Paid Thank You" screen pop up. You patiently wait at first, but after a few minutes and about four dollars worth of attempted payments, you use the only weapons at your disposal: a horn, the jersey bird, and enough road rage to earn 3-5 years in prison.
[[This is where I no longer care about grammar. This is purely for informative purposes. Although it won't reach my target audience, if you send people this way, perhaps we can make a difference.]]
A good percentage of the "exact change" booths on the parkway have some sort of flaw. If you run an EZPass, expect a $50 fine in the mail some time down the road, but if you fail to pay a toll in the exact change lane, don't wet yourself. A lot of them will not register that you paid the toll. Almost all of them have cameras that do not work or are pointed into the air somewhere, just in case aliens invade i guess. I'm not saying don't pay, but if you don't get payment confirmation, honk your horn and move along. There is enough traffic as it is.
Anyone from New Jersey will tell you, if you miss the urinal-looking change catcher, you honk the horn and move on. There is no need to spend $10 worth of quarters because you are paranoid that you're going to get a ticket. Save that change for the arcades that you will inevitably end up in, and NEVER... i repeat... NEVERRRRRRR get out of your car. What is that going to do for you? Absolutely nothing. You have a better chance of getting a ticket for that, seeing as how there are no pedestrians allowed on the Parkway.
--------
Okay, so I fell as if I have ranted for long enough on this topic. This is just something I feel strongly about an have experienced on many occasions, including yesterday. I urge people to get this message out there before the summer. We may not be able to stop every benny out there, but if we can get them to play by the rules, we're moving one step closer.
Thank you and goodnight.
There is pretty much one efficient way for the benny crowd to invade the shore... the Garden State Parkway. On said road, there are those annoying stops along the way that we like to call toll booths. Originally constructed as a way to recover the cost of the 172 mile freeway, the toll booths still stand to this day and have recently had a slight increase in price to take a bite out of the states enormous, and growing debt.
Now to get back on track, I'm sure there have been times when you've pulled up to the toll booth, change in hand, slowly rolling forward, only to come to an abrupt stop. Why? Because there is a car in the booth waiting to see the "Paid Thank You" screen pop up. You patiently wait at first, but after a few minutes and about four dollars worth of attempted payments, you use the only weapons at your disposal: a horn, the jersey bird, and enough road rage to earn 3-5 years in prison.
[[This is where I no longer care about grammar. This is purely for informative purposes. Although it won't reach my target audience, if you send people this way, perhaps we can make a difference.]]
A good percentage of the "exact change" booths on the parkway have some sort of flaw. If you run an EZPass, expect a $50 fine in the mail some time down the road, but if you fail to pay a toll in the exact change lane, don't wet yourself. A lot of them will not register that you paid the toll. Almost all of them have cameras that do not work or are pointed into the air somewhere, just in case aliens invade i guess. I'm not saying don't pay, but if you don't get payment confirmation, honk your horn and move along. There is enough traffic as it is.
Anyone from New Jersey will tell you, if you miss the urinal-looking change catcher, you honk the horn and move on. There is no need to spend $10 worth of quarters because you are paranoid that you're going to get a ticket. Save that change for the arcades that you will inevitably end up in, and NEVER... i repeat... NEVERRRRRRR get out of your car. What is that going to do for you? Absolutely nothing. You have a better chance of getting a ticket for that, seeing as how there are no pedestrians allowed on the Parkway.
--------
Okay, so I fell as if I have ranted for long enough on this topic. This is just something I feel strongly about an have experienced on many occasions, including yesterday. I urge people to get this message out there before the summer. We may not be able to stop every benny out there, but if we can get them to play by the rules, we're moving one step closer.
Thank you and goodnight.
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