18 December: New Jersey

It's New Jersey Ratification Day. Here are a few things you might not know about the US state of New Jersey.

1. New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the USA - 1,030 people per sq. mi., which is 13 times the national average. New Jersey has 21 counties, all of which are classified as urban areas. Not surprising then that New Jersey also has the densest road and rail network of any state. It has more engineers and scientists per square mile than anywhere else in the world. The fact that the number one industry in the state is chemicals probably contributes to that. Perhaps more surprising is that New Jersey has more Horses per square mile than any other state.
2. The second largest industry in the state is tourism - so some tourist highlights. Atlantic City is one of the biggest attractions and the place the street names in the US version of Monopoly come from. New Jersey also boasts the oldest seaside resort in the US (Cape May - lots of beach resorts actually since New Jersey is completely surrounded by Water except for about 40 miles along the New York border), the longest boardwalk in the world (in Atlantic City), the tallest water tower in the world, and a spoon museum featuring over 5,400 spoons from every state and almost every country. It has the most diners in the world and is sometimes referred to as the diner capital of the world, and holds the record for the most shopping malls in a 25 square mile area - seven. On a less positive note, it also has 108 toxic waste dumps, more than any other state, and North Jersey is the car theft capital of the world. More cars are stolen in Newark than in New York City and Los Angeles put together.
3. Ask anyone where the Statue of Liberty is and they'll probably say New York. Technically, though, Liberty Island is in New Jersey. The island is an exclave of the New York City borough of Manhattan, so portions of the island that are above water are part of New York, while all the submerged land surrounding the statue belongs to New Jersey.
4. The Dutch, Swedes, and Finns were the first European settlers in the area, although there were Native Americans living there before them. In 1664 the Dutch lost control of the land to British. Duke of York (later King James II) granted the land between the Hudson River and the Delaware River (the land that would become New Jersey) to two friends who had remained loyal through the English Civil War: Sir George Carteret (who was in charge of the east side) and Lord John Berkley (who was in charge of the west side). Carteret had been governor of the island of Jersey in the English Channel and he named the colony after it.
5. The capital, Trenton, which was made capital in 1790, is only the 10th largest city. The largest city is Newark and the rest of the top five are Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, and Edison.
6. The state symbols are: state insect, Honey Bee; state seashell, the knobbed whelk; state dinosaur, Hadrosaurus; state tree, red Oak; state bird, eastern goldfinch; state flower, purple Violet; and state mammal, horse. The motto is liberty and prosperity. Some sources said New Jersey is the only state without an official state song, but there were several mentions of a song called I'm From New Jersey, which is notable for being adaptable to any municipality with a two or three syllable name.
7. Famous people from New Jersey include Jack Nicholson, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Queen Latifa, Whitney Houston, Frank Sinatra, Grover Cleveland, David Copperfield, Abbot and Costello, Tom Cruise, Danny DeVito, Michael Douglas, Kirsten Dunst, Jerry Lewis, Bette Midler, Christopher Reeve, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Spacey, Meryl Streep, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Connie Francis, Deborah Harry, Paul Simon, Patti Smith, Frankie Vallie, Buzz Aldrin, Anne Morrow Lindberg, Toni Morrison, Dorothy Parker, Walt Whitman, "Stormin" Norman Schwarzkopf and Thomas Edison. The latter was nicknamed the "Wizard of Menlo Park" as this was where he came up with several of his major inventions - the phonograph, light bulb, and motion picture projector.
8. Ever wondered why bottled Water which originated in the high mountains millions of years ago has a sell by date? It's because New Jersey has a law requiring a sell by date for absolutely everything. It's also one of two states where self service petrol stations aren't allowed (the other is Oregon). There are some even wackier laws. Ice cream cannot be sold after 6pm unless the purchaser has a doctor's prescription. Cats in Cresskill must wear bells to warn the birds they are coming. Women must not walk down Broad Street, Elizabeth without wearing a petticoat. It's illegal to slurp your soup, frown at a police officer (or anyone at all in Bernards Township), delay a homing Pigeon or offer Whiskey or cigarettes to the animals in Manville Zoo. If you are a man, you may not knit during the fishing season.
9. New Jersey was the location of the first drive in movie, the first Indian reservation, the first organised Baseball game and the first professional Basketball game.
10. About 10% of all known minerals in the world can be found in the Sterling Hill Mine in New Jersey. 35 of these minerals have never been found anywhere else. 91 of the minerals are fluorescent.

My Christmas Novella!

A Very Variant Christmas

Last year, Jade and Gloria were embroiled in a bitter conflict to win back their throne and their ancestral home. This year, Queen Jade and Princess Gloria want to host the biggest and best Christmas party ever in their palace. They invite all their friends to come and bring guests. Not even the birth of Jade's heir just before Christmas will stop them.

The guest list includes most of Britain's complement of super-powered crime-fighters, their families and friends. What could possibly go wrong?

Gatecrashers, unexpected arrivals, exploding Christmas crackers and a kidnapping, for starters.

Far away in space, the Constellations, a cosmic peacekeeping force, have suffered a tragic loss. They need to recruit a new member to replace their dead colleague. The two top candidates are both at Jade and Gloria's party. The arrival of the recruitment delegation on Christmas Eve is a surprise for everyone; but their visit means one guest now faces a life-changing decision.

Meanwhile, an alliance of the enemies of various guests at the party has infiltrated the palace; they hide in the dungeon, plotting how best to get rid of the crime-fighters and the royal family once and for all. Problem is, they all have their own agendas and differences of opinion on how to achieve their aims.

Not to mention that this year, the ghosts who walk the corridors of the palace on Christmas Eve will be as surprised by the living as the living are by them.

Available from Createspace, Amazon and Amazon Kindle

New!

Secrets and Skies

Jack Ward, President of Innovia, owes his life twice over to the enigmatic superhero, dubbed Power Blaster by the press. No-one knows who Power Blaster is or where he comes from - and he wants it to stay that way.

Scientist Desi Troyes has developed a nuclear bomb to counter the ever present threat of an asteroid hitting the planet. When Ward signs the order giving the go ahead for a nuclear test on the remote Bird Island, he has no inkling of Troyes' real agenda, and that he has signed the death warrants of millions of people.

Although the island should have been evacuated, there are people still there: some from the distant continent of Classica; protesters opposed to the bomb test; and Innovians who will not, or cannot, use their communication devices.

Power Blaster knows he must stop the bomb from hitting the island. He also knows it may be the last thing he ever does.

Meanwhile in Innovia, Ward and his staff gather to watch the broadcast of the test. Nobody, not even Troyes himself, has any idea what is about to happen.

Part One of The Raiders Trilogy.

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