There was something oddly familiar about the photo of Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. The resemblance is uncanny. Palin looks exactly like Dr. Jennifer Melfi from "The Sopranos".
And I don't know why I had not seen this before.
Here are the photos side by side:
Melfi is on the left. Gov. Palin is on the right. No, wait...maybe it's the other way...no, I was right the first time.
Strange, though that McCain is drawn to a woman that looks like Tony Soprano's psychiatrist. Go figure.
Yesterday, Samuel “The Justice” Alito dissed Tony “T” Soprano and Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri. Of course, it’s a bit ‘safer’ to do it now ----since Tony and Company are off the air.
The U.S. Supreme Court Justice, born in Trenton and who had lived in Caldwell [not too far from the Sopranos himself] criticized the HBO and 'The Sopranos' for Italian-American stereotypes.
Justice Alito said at Rutgers, “You have a trifecta - gangsters, Italian-Americans, New Jersey - wedded in the popular American imagination.” The Justice was speaking to a student group about the many unfair stereotypes of Italians in the United States. His program focused on how the chronicling of Italian-Americans' journey must be preserved as to its testament to the “true nature as a nation of immigrants."
On the Supreme Court, Justice Alito has often sided with another New Jersey born and bred Trentonian, Antonin Scalia. But, no one can deny that Justice Alito hands ‘justice’ a bit differently than Tony Soprano.
New Jersey is the only state without a state song. Our neighbor to the east, New York, has, of course, I Love New York. Our neighbor to the west has one with the appropriate title, Pennsylvania. But, New Jersey ---we ain't got nothin'.
We're not deficient in other areas, though. We’ve had a state flower since 1913: The Violet or Viola sororia [yes, I know that sounds like a character from The Sopranos.] We have a state bird: The eastern golden finch. We even have a state bug: The honey bee. How cool is that?
But, alas, we have the no state song. But it’s not like we haven’t been trying like heck to get one on the books:
Sometime after the American Revolution, our fourth governor, Gov. Richard Howell, tried to get down to business and pick a song. He wrote his own tune called "Jersey Blue", which was used in 1794 by New Jersey troops marching to help put down the Whiskey Rebellion. Unfortunately, the song never caught on beyond helping to quell the rebellion. Try as he might, Howell was not the Bruce Springsteen of his day, but you have to give the Gov major points for trying.
Later on in 1939 and 1954, both the state legislature and the Department of Education respectively also failed to come up with a worthy song, although they both tried in vein.
Red Mascara's "I'm from New Jersey" has been erroneously listed as the state song, but never became officially so. It passed four times in the Assembly in [‘66, ‘68, ‘71, & ’80]. It passed both houses in 1972 and 1979, but neither Governor William Cahill nor Governor Brendan Byrne signed the song in to law.
Of course, the Assembly approved in June 1980 “Born to Run" as the official rock anthem of New Jersey. The Senate never followed through ----so, how the hell did any senator get re-elected a year later after dissing the Boss that way?
Finally, in 1996, the state legislature called upon the State Arts Council to hold a contest for a state song, with mixed results. After reviewing more than two hundred entries ---including one from a fourth grade class in Bridgewater entitled “In New Jersey”, and one called "Be Proud to be in New Jersey" by a married couple from Springfield ---- Trenton politicos chose not a one. Nada Zip. Zilch.
So, mostly we don't have a state song because Trenton never picked one. Folks, just pick one. At this point, any song.
I recommend another song entitled “I’m From New Jersey”, this one by John Gorka. The lyrics are too true to behold:
I'm from New Jersey I don't expect too much If the world ended today I would adjust
I'm from New Jersey No I don't talk that way I watched too much TV When I was young
I'm from New Jersey My mom's Italian I've read those mafia books We don't belong
There are girls from New Jersey Who have that great big hair They're found in shopping malls I will take you there
I'm from New Jersey It's not like Texas There is no mystery I can't pretend
I'm from New Jersey It's like Ohio But even more so Imagine that
I know which exit And where I'm bound The tolls on the parkway They will slow you down
New Jersey people They will suprise you Cause they're not expected To do too much
They will try harder They may go further Cause they never think That they are good enough
I'm from New Jersey I don't expect too much If the world ended today I would adjust I would adjust I would adjust
When my New York City friends come to New Jersey for a visit, they lament over having to figure out how to handle jug-handle turns. They also love being able to make a right turn on a red light. They love our gas prices and the fact that they pump the gas for you, but they hate the toll roads. You gotta take the good with the bad in any state, I say. And the Garden State is no different.
Money magazine recently released their list of the “Top 100 BEST PLACES TO LIVE” in America. While no city in New Jersey made the top ten, we did place six towns in the top 50, and eight towns altogether. If you include all the towns nearby these eight, you get a pretty impressive number for a state the size of NJ.
The most impressive statistic: California has a population of 36,457,549 and 155,959.34 square miles of state ---- and they have the most number of cities in the “Top 100 BEST PLACES TO LIVE” at NINE. What about New Jersey? Well, with only 8,724,560 people, and just 7,417.34 square miles --- we have EIGHT cities in the “Top 100 BEST PLACES TO LIVE”. Our neighbors to the east and west of us have only 3 and 4 respectively in top 100.
Take that Los Angeles. Stick it where the sun don't shine, ‘Frisco.
"In her quest to become Miss New Jersey, Amy Polumbo based her platform on Internet safety, cautioning about the dangers of online predators. Now, the 22-year-old Howell Township college student claims she is the victim of a different kind of Internet predator -- one who is using photographs she posted on her own Web site to blackmail her into relinquishing the crown she won three weeks ago.” (Spoto, Star-Ledger)
As soon as The Sopranos leave the airwaves, somebody tries to blackmail Miss New Jersey? Coincidence? I don’t think so. Did someone at the pageant forget to pay the protection money? Hmmm.
Actually, I think it’s the first salvo in an attempt to get back the Miss America pageant to Atlantic City.
For years, the pageant was New Jersey’s own. Hosted by the likes of Bert Parks, whose statue appears in the plaza between the Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center, and the AC Expo Center. Mr. Parks is holding a crown, and if you place your head in the crown juuuust right, he will sing his version of "There She Is, Miss America"just for you.
The hallways of the Sheraton Hotel are decorated with dresses and crowns of the Miss Americas of old: There is the first Miss America, Margaret Gorman from 1921 [who, quite frankly, looks a little like my grandmother]. There is the 1988 Miss America with too many names, Kay Lani Ray Rafko, [now married with even more names --- Kay Lani Ray Rafko Wilson]. And the completely unbeatable deaf 1995 Miss America, Heather Whitestone McCallum.
As matter of fact, they are only missing two things in AC with regard to the Miss America pageant:
A tribute to my favorite Miss America contestant, former Miss New Jersey 1995, Dena Blizzard. She is now a very funny mother and professional stand-up comedian.
And, of course, the Miss America contest itself.
Once hosted by Parks and filled with sappy and saccharine tradition, ---and predictably held each year in AC over Labor Day Weekend.
Joey Novick, founder of New Jersey:Politics Unusual, is an attorney, professional stand-up comedian, professional keynote speaker, and a former elected official in NJ. He resides in Flemington, New Jersey, where currently serves as the Chairman of the Flemington Democratic Party. He is developing a one-man show about politics and humor in the Garden State. NJPoliticsUnusual has been recognized by Campaigns & Elections and SNJ Business People. Joey appears monthly on News-12 Power & Politics, sharing his keen insights with NJ's politicians. Contact Joey at joeynovick@earthlink.net.
Yesterday, Samuel “The Justice” Alito dissed Tony “T” Soprano and Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri. Of course, it’s a bit ‘safer’ to do it now ----since Tony and Company are off the air.
unfair stereotypes of Italians in the United States. His program focused on how the chronicling of Italian-Americans' journey must be preserved as to its testament to the “true nature as a nation of immigrants."
New Jersey is the only state without a state song. Our neighbor to the east, New York, has, of course, I Love New York. Our neighbor to the west has one with the appropriate title, Pennsylvania. But, New Jersey ---we ain't got nothin'.
on beyond helping to quell the rebellion. Try as he might, Howell was not the Bruce Springsteen of his day, but you have to give the Gov major points for trying.
contest for a state song, with mixed results. After reviewing more than two hundred entries ---including one from a fourth grade class in Bridgewater entitled “In New Jersey”, and one called "Be Proud to be in New Jersey" by a married couple from Springfield ---- Trenton politicos chose not a one. Nada Zip. Zilch.
The cynics among us always blast New Jersey at every conceivable moment for our high property taxes, high auto insurance rates, crowded highways, and sprawl being built upon more and more sprawl. We are the home of “The
Sopranos”, the state where Miss New Jersey was blackmailed, and where we see the backside of the Statue of Liberty each morning from our side of the Hudson. The state song should be “I’m from New Jersey” by John Gorka.
LIVE” in America. While no city in New Jersey made the top ten, we did place six towns in the top 50, and eight towns altogether. If you include all the towns nearby these eight, you get a pretty impressive number for a state the size of NJ.
Here are our proud winners:
And we have a better ocean than California, too. Everyone knows the Atlantic is better than the Pacific.
between the Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center, and the AC Expo Center. Mr. Parks is holding a crown, and if you place your head in the crown juuuust right, he will sing his version of "There She Is, Miss America" just for you.
Once hosted by Parks and filled with sappy and saccharine tradition, ---and predictably held each year in AC over Labor Day Weekend.
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