Atlantic City Boardwalk Cats

The hilarious “Atlantic City Warnings And Dangers” page on VirtualTourist — sample quote: “Another thing that really bothered us was the amount of peep shows and adult book stores in this town. This could be rather disturbing if you have small children.” — isn’t the only great thing about Atlantic City. There are also the boardwalk cats, groups of kitties that live on the beach under the boardwalk.

Cats got on the Atlantic City beach a long time ago, and the colony of feral cats is now fed by the AC Cat Action Team (CAT!). Thanks to them, the cats are among the most well-fed outdoor kitties you’ll ever see. It’s fun to walk along the boardwalk and check out the cute cats lounging around on the beach, chasing bugs through the sand dunes and even walking right up on the boardwalk (specially when there’s nobody around in winter).

Above is my favorite shot; I took it Sunday morning. So cute! There should totally be a sports team in AC named the Atlantic City Boardwalk Cats. This is so much better than “Surf” it’s not even funny.

Atlantic City & Other Bummers

Oh, let’s just start with one last great summer story. Two women in their 20s were down in Atlantic City, minding their own business and attempting to buy a little weed.

The Press of Atlantic City notes the two “approached a black man in his early 20s wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans and a black bandana.” Our two smart vacationers got into his car, where he drove them to a dirt road near the Atlantic City airport.

Then, of course, he made them strip, emptied out their purse and drove away. And the girls apparently didn’t even get any marijuana. This is truly the most depressing story in the history of this site.

I’d wager to guess most people stripped and robbed when attempting to buy weed don’t report it to the police, so who knows how long this has been going on. But it’s not like the cops don’t have their hands full with pot: According to just-released government statistics, almost 873,000 were arrested for marijuana law violations in 2007, 89 percent for simple possession.

The news isn’t all bad, though, as one can see from this YouTube video titled “WORLD’S LARGEST JOINT.” Watch it before Google takes it down!

Would-be drug buyers stripped, robbed in Atlantic City, police say [Press of AC]
Photo by Alejandro Forero Cuervo, Creative Commons License

A.C. Protest Turns Absolutely Awesome

An event yesterday was supposed to unite Atlantic City’s black community, but — whoops! — the Labor Day protest ended with four arrests.

Steve Young, an aide to Atlantic City Councilman Steve Moore (thanks for having non-confusing names, guys), said there would be 200 people at the protest. Instead, 10 showed up. But, wait, it gets better. The Press of Atlantic City writes that the protesters jumped up to a stage adjacent to one where a city-sponsored concert was being held. Then “King Jamir Shabazz, 37, a New Black Panther, began shouting racial epithets into the microphone, targeting white and black people in the crowd.”

“If you’re not willing to stand up, black men and black women, then get the hell in the river and drown with the jelly fish,” Shabazz shouted.

Yes, get the hell in that river right on the east coast of Atlantic City! With the jellyfish!

Things got a little funnier even after that; if any of the people who recorded it want to release video, please do so immediately.

More »

Atlantic City Will Not Store Your Heroin

Atlantic City law enforcement is still looking for the person who killed four prostitutes 18 months ago. They’re turning to the drug dealers and prostitutes themselves for clues (obviously), and are totally not going to arrest anyone.

Well, as long as you don’t do this:

Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel says the deaths are sufficiently similar to make it appear that they are the work of a serial killer. Housel is asking other prostitutes and drug users to tell police what they know about the case, with the promise they won’t be arrested.

“Short of putting a bag of heroin on the table and asking us to hold it while you talk to us, I can promise that you won’t be pursued for anything like that,” he said, referring to prostitutes or drug dealers who come forward. “Nobody is going to be scrutinized because of lifestyle choices in an investigation like this.”

Good advice for all situations, really: If you go to talk to a law enforcement officer, keep your heroin at home. Or at least in your pockets.

Prostitutes’ help sought to solve 4 killings [AP/Courier-Post]

Your Bikini Cover Photo Update

Kudos to Atlantic City Weekly for running what a down the shore newspaper cover photo should look like.

Beach Bars are Back [AC Weekly]

Lenin Statue In AC Upsets One Dude

Back in 2005, the restaurant Red Square opened at the Tropicana in Atlantic City — and up went a statue of Lenin, complete with a martini glass (at right, obviously). And since then one man with way too much time on his hands has been complaining to everyone he can see about the statue.

He claimed having a 15-foot tall statue of one of history’s most brutal dictators is an insult to thousands of soldiers who died fighting communism. He went on talk radio shows claiming the statue is anti-American, wrote letters and attended Boardwalk parades, urging Tropicana officials to take down the statue.

Now he’s claiming the statue is simply “bad luck” and should be taken down lest Atlantic City be smitten by God, who is apparently anti-communism. Wah, wah, a statue of Lenin with a martini in Atlantic City, I must protest! Geeze, what sore winners capitalists are.

Now, the statue of the murderous dictator Julius Caesar? There’s a statue worth protesting against.

Man wants to topple Atlantic City casino’s Lenin statue [AP/NJ.com]
[Thumbnail from Annika Lux]

Atlantic City’s Signature Attractions

And you thought the Trump Marina was classy: Ivanka’s pop has sold the Atlantic City casino to a group that plans to turn it into the Margaritaville casino; a KYW 1060 reports the “Maragitaville Marina Resort Casino” is “for those who are fans of the Buffet lifestyle as portrayed in his music.” Indeed! It will be the second Margaritaville hotel; another is under development in Biloxi, Miss.

That’s not all that’s going on in Lannick Siddy. The Borgata’s new $400 million tower is set to open sometime next month. Oh, sorry, not a tower:

Borgata executives resist using the term “tower” to describe The Water Club, preferring instead to call it a “signature hotel.”

Ahh, yes. Signature hotel it is. It will look so classy next to Kahunaville or whatever.

[one of these via Down the Shore with Jen]

Canseco, Someone To Fight In A.C.

Former roidhead and baseball star Jose Canseco is looking for someone to box him in Atlantic City, Dan Gross reports. I believe this is all the sport of boxing really needs to get back in the public eye again!

Those wishing to fight Canseco — at the Atlantic City Surf’s park, no less — are encouraged to email fightcanseco@aol.com, where your message will be sent back in time to 1996 when (1) people used AOL and (2) a boxing match with Jose Canseco might seem interesting.

Whoever fights Canseco gets a cool five grand.

Jose Canseco looking for someone to fight in Atlantic City [Philly Gossip]

CBS 3 Miffed Its Employees Still Remember Who Alycia Lane Is

Ha ha, apparently if your work fires your coworker you’re never allowed to see that person again. Or hang out with her boyfriend, at least. Yes, CBS 3 is upset some of its on-air talent went to Chris Booker’s birthday party.

Booker is, of course, the boyfriend of one Alycia Lane, who you can’t possibly have forgotten by now, but, hey, who knows?

Among staffers at the party were traffic anchor Bob Kelly, reporter Todd Quinones and meteorologist Doug Kammerer. We’re told that station management talked only with Kammerer, mostly for appearing in pictures on Q102’s website in which he was holding drinks. While several pictures of Kammerer remain on the site, at least one was removed this morning.

Gawd. How dare we live in a world where the public is allowed to know that Doug Kammerer drinks at an Atlantic City birthday party.

Oh, yeah, Lane is still suing the station, so that could have something to do with it.

CBS 3 upset over talent attending Alycia’s A.C. bash for Booker [Phillygossip]

Problem Gambler Can’t Use New Chips

Back in 2004, a man only identified as S.D. lost money in Atlantic City. He did the only sensible thing: He went to the Casino Control Commission and asked he be banned from gambling in Atlantic City for life.

Whoops! Turns out he loved to gamble, and since New Jersey shares its list of banned gamblers with other states, now S.D. can’t really gamble anywhere. Yesterday, a state appeals court ruled the Commission didn’t have to reverse the ban when S.D. asked.

It’s a shame for our mysterious problem gambler, since Atlantic City has introduced a new chip that’s worth $25,000. (We bloggers call that “a day’s pay.”) The $25K chip is the highest denomination the state offers, but Caesars notes they have special plaques for its customers who make single bets of $50,000 or $100,000. You may begin weeping now.

Court: Casino panel doesn’t have to lift voluntary lifetime ban [The Star-Ledger]
High rollers raise stakes with new $25,000 chip [AP/Courier-Post]