Hoboken
Emails Found on my Old Computer, Episode #2
11/30/01 2:33 a.m. SUBJECT: holy fucking shit you can pick up women at [local bar] the Far Side? i can pick up women at the PATH station! i went to “Max Fish” on Ludlow to celebrate the birthday of [freelancer] Jill, who botched a story for me and she’s so hot that i don’t care. […]
Bye-Bye, Barnes and Noble
At the end of the month, my local Barnes & Noble is shutting down. Blame the exorbitant main-street rents in this town. Blame the economy. Blame the iPad. Blame it on the rain and the bossa nova. Use any tired descriptive phrases you like: “closing the book,” “the final chapter,” (Chapter 11?). It doesn’t change […]
Emails Found on my Old Computer, Episode #1
I used my former home computer from late 2000 to late 2004. I’ve held onto some of my sent emails from that era that I found somewhat amusing. From time to time I may share a few of them here. Names will be altered to protect the innocent and/or prevent me from getting sucker-punched. 1/31/02 […]
Out of Time
My watch stopped Saturday at 9:30 a.m. I know this because, well, that’s when my watch stopped. I panicked a bit. This wasn’t a repair I could do by myself. I own a Swiss Military-brand watch, and not even a Swiss Army knife could pry open the back. And I haven’t had a lot of […]
The Crimes of Cammarano
In a rare moment of justice, Hoboken’s disgraced yuppie-asshole thug-wannabe child-mayor Peter Cammarano resigned in shame on Friday, a week after being arrested in the massive federal corruption investigation. Despite couldn’t-be-more-damning transcripts of his transgressions, Petey had denied any wrongdoing and vowed to stay in office. That is, until additional indiscretions came to light. In […]
Hablo Español. Un Poco.
I don’t mind too much when it rains on Saturdays. At least I get to enjoy a running joke with the counter guys at Piccolo’s. Though the cast of characters has changed over the years, they’re always from Mexico. And this has allowed me yet another opportunity to practice my rudimentary Spanish. From 7th through […]
Saturday Night Burger Buddy
“Excuse me, now, I don’t mean this to be something weird….” Oh boy, here it comes, something weird. He wants money. He must want money. 3:30 a.m. on the PATH train. It had been a long Saturday night, what with the college-radio friend’s art opening and the record-store friend’s friend’s band’s gig and the art […]
Sandwich Maker Gets Grilled
In a textbook example of backfiring advertising, a Quizno’s commercial inspired me to eat at Subway. Quizno’s was copying Subway’s $5 sandwich promotion, but Subway is closer to me. With Hoboken being such a quality sandwich town, I only find myself in the Washington Street Subway location a few times a year. But it’s always […]
Happy Fake St. Patrick’s Day
I’m typing quietly, with the lights out, so they don’t know I’m in here. Rations are low but must last until tomorrow. Each noise from the outside sends shivers down my spine. I cover my head with a pillow to drown it out, praying it will end. It is Fake St. Patrick’s Day in Hoboken. […]
Jack Silbert, curator