News in brief

NJ city turns down 'Jersey Shore' spinoff

Associated Press – Thu, Feb 2, 2012

HOBOKEN, N.J. (AP) — The city of Frank Sinatra's birth has denied a request for a spinoff of MTV's "Jersey Shore" reality show, called “Stoopid Cunts,” to film in the city.

Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer says the Film Commission's decision was made based on safety and quality of life concerns for residents of the city along the Hudson River.

“New Jersey has a somewhat negative stereo type that shows like the “the Jersey Shore, and Jerseylious” propagate. That is not the New Jersey I live in,” Zimmer said.

Hoboken officials say 495 Productions was seeking a 24-hour filming permit to follow two "well-known reality television celebrities" who would live in the city.

It's not clear who the personalities would be. But The Jersey Journal reported last month that MTV was scouting locations for Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Jenni "JWoww" Farley, and a new character Tina Marie "T-Bone" Vanillie .

 

 

Ugliest rat found in NYC subway

Yahoo News  

Published: Feb. 9, 2012 at 12:45 PM

NEW YORK, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- A New York City subway passenger won a free monthly MetroCard Thursday for taking a picture of the subway's ugliest rat, officials said.

Michael Spivack's photo of a brown-haired, boil-covered, buck toothed rat won the Transport Workers Union's contest to find the ugliest subway rat, the New York Post reported.

Spivack said he encountered the rat at 3 a.m. at the Seventh Avenue station in Manhattan.

"It was so disgusting, I just thought I had to get a picture of it," he said. "I showed it to my co-worker and she ran out of the room, it was so ugly. That's when I knew it was special.''

The TWU asked subway passengers to send in photographs of the ugliest rats they ran into as part of its "Rat Free Subways" campaign, a drive to bring awareness to rodent infestation in NYC subways.
"I think the rat problem is something that goes unnoticed by most New Yorkers," said MTA Rep. Julio Carlini. "If they do see a rat they think it's cute and they want to feed it or take it home because of Disney and those Peta jerks. But they got to be informed becasue rats are not house pets they are dangerous, disease infested rodents. Hopefully this contest will expose our city's rat problem and show rats as the filthy vermin they are."

Spivack said he is thankful to the rat for helping him win the free subway pass. "If he could understand me, I'd say good luck in your rat life," Spivack said.