quote:

Originally posted by mr chips

My apologies ,gentlemen, because I did not wish to bash New Jersey. I dislike theme restaurants that capitolize on pain and tragedy and I am well aware that New Jersey regiments fought with distinction in the War Between the States. But no major battles were fought in New jersey and again I fail to see the connection between Hot Dogs and the Civil War. And I promise not to let anyone in on Cape May, the Pine Barrens or the Delaware River.

Of course there is no connection between Hot Dogs and The Civil War, as was aluded to in some light-hearted posts. The fact that this strangely-themed hot dog joint in located in New Jersey is not the issue, I believe. The connection between tube steaks and a rebellion is tenuous in and of itself, and the location of it has no bearing on the lack of any apparent relevance in this theme.

When you say that "no major battles were fought in New Jersey", I assume that you are referring to the Civil War, and not The Revolutionary War. Of course, with the exception of Pennsylvania, no battles of The Civil War were fought in The North. But, if you study the history of The Revolutionary War, you will find that New Jersey was called "The Cockpit of The Revolution", due to its importance in that conflict.

I accept your apology, and I am confident that you did not intend to engage in any "New Jersey Bashing". In addition to the areas that you mentioned, you should be aware that there are many other areas of great beauty in this small state.

Those who only pass through on The NJ Turnpike are led to believe that most of the state is a smelly, highly polluted area, when nothing could be further from the truth. After all, when I drive through Gary, Indiana, I don’t assume that all of Indiana looks like that. When passing through East St. Louis, Illinois, I don’t automatically connect that economic situation with the rest of Illinois. But, for some reason, too many people seem to believe that all of New Jersey looks (and smells) like a few square miles adjoining the NJ Turnpike.

We have our problems, but then again, so do other states. Despite our problems, the incredible concentration of multi-millionaires in my county would seem to indicate that the quality of life is better-than-average. Would Malcolm Forbes, Jackie Onassis, the King of Morocco, Doris Duke, Douglas Dillon, and countless other mega-bucks types have located themselves in our midst if the state were as dreadful as the uninformed seem to think? Now that many of these people have passed on, their descendants have remained, and have frequently subdivided the old estates, retaining 30 acres or so for themselves, and allowing the remainder to be sold off to build some luxury homes for the newest crop of millionaires that our state has attracted. The last time that I checked, Somerset and Hunterdon Counties in Central NJ had the greatest concentration of personal wealth in the entire country.

Please visit our state, and enjoy the rich history, the great diversity of ethnic eateries, and the varied scenery. Just don’t move here. We have enough people already!