City Belt

NEW JERSEY'S POLS: BACKING THE WRONG PRESIDENTIAL HORSES?

ShapTalk: Guest Commentary
By Michael M. Shapiro

Officials of both political parties should have learned a lesson from 2004 when key Democratic politicians, including Gov. Jim McGreevey, jumped on board with Gov.Howard Dean, only to see Dean implode soon thereafter, leaving them with little influence over Sen. John Kerry, the eventual Democratic nominee. Apparently, those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it. Approximately one month ago, a long line of Republican officials publicly announced their support for Rudy Guliani for president. Recently, a significant contingent of Democratic officials, including Gov. Corzine, publicly backed Sen. Hillary Clinton for President. Both groups of elected officials will find themselves on the outside looking in should the political winds afoot blow in an unexpected but likely direction.

THE THIRD DEGREE: PAUL MECURIO

By Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg

Paul Mecurio is an investment banker-turned-stand up comic who was on the original writing team for The Daily Show -- he's won an Emmy, a Peabody, and he's performing at Rascal's in Montclair through Sunday. He recently took some time to talk with City Belt about stand up, tough day jobs, and Henry Winkler's onion.

THE PEACH PIT: US WEEKLY, KING OF GOSSIP

By Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg

When I saw Us Weekly’s headline “Saint or Sinner” above a picture of Angelina Jolie, I felt like a heroin addict who couldn’t wait for her next fix. My subscription was coming in a few days; there was no need to shell out the money, I repeatedly told myself. Ultimately I soothed my cravings with Star magazine. But that’s like snacking on ice cream when you want crack. (Full disclosure: A grad school chum of mine works at Us Weekly. Holy shit. Is it just me or did that sound so classy?)

BUT I DIGEST ... AND THE WINNER IS ...

By Kimberly Kaye

A big thank you to all the dedicated eaters who participated in our "So You Think You Know Food" challenge; you have impressed me with both your imagination and culinary knowledge. While I would love to announce Jess Guyon of NY as our champion (her commitment to wit is unmatched in all capacities – she took the time to list 10 chefs/culinarians with the first name Herbert in response to question 6), we have an indisputable victor: Efrem Oshinsky! A shout out to the wonderful Taqueria, who will be feeding Efrem in celebration of his culinary prowess.

We would like to remind all contestants that the answers given must have been closest to those published in 1935 – meaning that some perfectly correct answers were not quite correct in the context of this quiz (which is wildly dated and often vague – see the author’s explanation of tempura if you don’t believe us).

Stay tuned for more interactive goodness like this in the future, and in the meantime – go eat something wonderful. Answers after the jump:

MOTUS IMAGO: GRINDHOUSE

By Nightdreamer

Oh my G! Where G stands for Grindhouse. I was lucky enough to belong to one of the few people who had the chance to watch an advance screening of Grindhouse. The movie theater was packed and I think people would have happily killed for the small magic blue ticket. 

Tarantino is back for good, along with his old friend and usual collaborator Robert Rodriguez. They‘re both back to back with a double-dose packed to the gills with guns, guts and gore. Robert Rodriguez -- the creator of Sin City, From Dusk till Dawn and one of the Four Rooms -- directs a thrilling film, Planet Terror, which works as a dedication to the old zombie-movies school, while Quentin Tarantino (QT) has created a bloodthirsty murderer whose weapon has four wheels and is Death Proof.   

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: 1 JERSEY AVE.

This photo was taken at, um 1 Jersey Ave. (you know, that part before you walk the plank to LSP?) in Jersey City by Flickr's Lugo Lounge.

Remember, folks -- you gotta be in it to win it! To be featured as Photo of the Week, and in our constantly updating Flickr badge in the right sidebar, tag your Flickr photos with CityBelt -- or you can just e-mail them to us.

MORE PHOTO OF THE WEEK

MOTUS IMAGO: THE FILM USER'S GUIDE

The weekly rundown: by Shane Smith

don't miss: 

Volver  I'm not a big fan of Almodovar or Penelope, but this is a good one. Landmark Sunshine (NYC)

 

don't bother:

Music and Lyrics  Hugh and Drew compete for Most Cloying Performance of the Year. cute soundtrack, though

POEM: ITINERARY

I consult a weathervane
But the wind disappears
Just a fallen arrow now

I open unsuspecting jars
And unleash my tongue
Lids stay sticky anyhow

I hail all rocks on water
That skip longer for less
Descent climbs offshore

Morning I steal for love
Afternoon I know is iffy
Night I see once on tour

-- Daniel Morris

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY & WOMEN IN POLITICS

ShapTalk: Guest Commentary
By Michael M. Shapiro

Fifty years ago, women would typically vote for the candidates their husbands voted for or would not vote at all. Times have thankfully changed and women now have a significant role in campaigns and elections. Whether it be the "soccer moms" of the 90s or the "security moms" post-9/11, the role of women in politics has taken on greater importance, especially in the last decade. As a significant voting block, women have become critical to the election hopes of any politician. However, the number of women serving in elected office continues to be dwarfed by the number of men who serve. In New Jersey, on the Republican side of the aisle, something is being done to address this problem: the Christine Todd Whitman Excellence in Public Service Series. Unfortunately, the Democratic Party currently has no comparable program.

YOUR FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS: THE ROADSIDE GRAVES' NO ONE WILL KNOW WHERE YOU'VE BEEN

By Tris McCall

From: The Graves still live in Metuchen, and I believe Mister John Gleason teaches primary school somewhere around there. But their new label – Kill Buffalo – is based in Brooklyn. Perhaps because of this, the Roadside Graves have come untethered from the Turnpike. These guys have always sung about the West; for the first time, they sound like the West. And they do it without falling into any of the Will Oldham clichés that are currently wrecking contemporary folk-rock.