You Know You’re From Jersey When…

I know it’s kinda lame, but I miss Jersey. (I edited some out because there’s so many. You can find more here and elsewhere on the web.)



You know you’re from New Jersey when…

You know that the only people who call it “Joisey” are from New York (usually The Bronx) or Texas;

You don’t think of fruit when people mention “The Oranges”;

You know that it’s called Great Adventure, not Six Flags;

You’ve known the way to Seaside Heights since you were seven;

You’ve eaten at a diner, when you were stoned or drunk, at 3 A.M.;

You know what a “jug handle” is;

You don’t think “What exit (do you live near)?” is very funny;

You know that WaWa is a convenience store;

You know what jimmies are;

You know it’s funnel cake, not fried dough;

You know that “Acme” is an actual store, not just a Warner Bros creation;

You get excited when Shop Rite has its annual Can-Can sale;

You know that a “White Castle” is the name of BOTH a fast food chain AND a fast food sandwich;

You know that the state isn’t all farmland or one big oil refinery;

You know that there are no “beaches” in New Jersey–there’s the shore–and you don’t go “to the shore,” you go “down the shore.” And when you are there, you’re not “at the shore”; you are “down the shore”;

You know how to properly negotiate a circle;

You knew that the last sentence had to do with driving;

You know that this is the only “New” state that doesn’t require “New” to identify it. Try Mexico, York, or Hampshire – Doesn’t work, does it?;

You know how to translate this conversation: “Jeet yet?” “No, jew?”;

You only go to New York City for day trips, and you only call it “The City”;

You know that people from the 609 area code are “a little different”;

You know that no respectable New Jerseyan goes to Princeton – That’s for out-of-staters;

You live within 20 minutes of at least three different malls, six movie theaters and nine diners;

You refer to all highways and interstates by their numbers;

You know that people from North Jersey go to Seaside Heights, people from Central Jersey go to Belmar, and people from South Jersey go to Wildwood – It can be no other way;

You weren’t raised in New Jersey–you were raised in either North Jersey, Central Jersey, or South Jersey;

You don’t consider Newark or Camden to actually be part of the state;

And finally…

You’ve never pumped your own gas!

I’m Not PC, I’m a Mac

Nine times out of ten, the term “politically correct” is used in a satire form. But the scary thing is that the use of political correctness (PC) as a tool of restricting free speech (and free thought) is a reality. It is a reality based upon cultural Marxism: that everything is related to the power struggle between the classes. PC has been adopted by the American Left and is used to intimidate people they don’t agree with. Look at what happened to Don Imus.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t be careful of what you say based upon the circumstances because there can be repercussions. My point is that you shouldn’t be AFRAID to say certain things. Someone will always take offense to something said. Does that mean you should verbally walk on eggshells your entire life? Constantly worrying about offending someone’s race, gender, religion, culture, sexual orientation, (fill in the blank), is the real crime. Jacques Barzun once said, “Political correctness does not legislate tolerance; it only organizes hatred.” Political correctness is not about teaching tolerance of “otherness,” it’s about teaching ignorance about the “oneness” of human nature.

I see people as individuals, not as members of groups. That is not to say I do not make generalized comments about groups of people, because I do. But what I say is not targeted to an individual member of said group, it’s about the party or culture as a (socially-constructed) whole. Just a few questions, I’ve been pondering…

Why is it wrong for me to use the term “fag”? Answer: because I’m not a member of that “group.” Why is it wrong for people to use the term “colored people” and “Negro” today when organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and United Negro College Fund (UNCF) still exist? Is the term Asian offensive? Some say yes because it groups all Asian nations into a unified term; some say no because it groups all Asian nations into a unified term.

This is just a glimpse into the way I look at the world (in a totally non-PC kind of way). So as you continue reading my blog, be aware that I will probably offend you in some way. It’s not that I don’t care, it’s that I do. I care about free speech and I care about humanity (spambots aside).

- extraordinarIAN



Writer’s note: My name is Ian Mac (from MacPhail, which is Scottish.) That’s why the title is ironic (if you’ve seen Apple’s “PC vs. Mac” commercials). I shouldn’t need to explain these things, but just in case you didn’t know.

Senior Year

Senior year was awesome, but it was nothing like you might expect. Half my class (the part I was in) wasn’t at the AVPA campus or even the MCST campus at all. The ones of us who had at least a 3.0 GPA took all our classes at the local community college. We were also required to do an internship, which would give us enough credits to officially graduate high school. Being at CCM was incredible. There was so much freedom; I got to choose all of my classes, drive to school, and go wherever I wanted for lunch. And more than that, I was with mature college students. CCM offered such a diverse environment and I met people of all ages and backgrounds; I even befriended a 30-year-old woman in one my night classes.

Going to CCM really changed my perspective on a lot of things. Despite attending a “different” school by going to AVPA, I had felt incredibly sheltered and cut off from the rest of the world. The opportunity to go to college my senior year (I am aware it was just a “community” college) helped me realize there was more to life than just the things within my comfort zone. Not only did I get this remarkable experience, but I also got 20 credits which would transfer to a four-year college.

Freshman Year

Freshman year of high school was quite an interesting experience. It was really a fresh start for me (no pun intended). The thing I remember most about that year was the beginning of my relationship with my fellow classmates and the attempted assimilation into the mainstream of the school. You see, AVPA was directly attached to BHS, but it was separate school. We were known throughout the “normal” high school as being the “Academy kids.” Half of our day was devoted to BHS classes (like math, world language, and gym) and the other half was exclusively Academy classes (meaning media, theatre, and humanities). For obvious reasons, my classmates and I loved our Academy classes and loathed the others.

From the first day, there was an obvious division between the two schools. Being part of the minority in a large school, we were the ones ridiculed and antagonized. The offenses aimed at us were mostly due to that fact that we were seen as being “different.” Although I had to deal with catty remarks on almost a daily basis, I was never physically confronted by someone outside of the Academy (but I know students who were). Among other things, the harassment took its toll on my classmates and, as a result, many dropped out of the school. In spite of it all, the ones of us who remained were stronger and more unified than ever before.



QOD: “The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.” – Ralph W. Sockman