Tourists are flocking to the country's newest rising star, New Jersey, to see the locations where The Sopranos are shot. The award-winning show has spawned tours, tribute websites, and merchandise, all of which provide a boost to New Jersey's economy. After watching the show for 4 seasons and spending a fair amount of time in Jersey, Standard Deviance can certainly see the draw. Just check out these photos:



This abandondend building is Satriale's, the meatmarket/cafe where Tony's crew hangs out. Look at the fine architecture. The brown-beige color of the brick provides an excellent juxtaposition to the metallic silver of the window bars. What a gem.



Next we see the setting of Salvatore 'Big Pussy' Bonpensiero's meetings with the FBI, the meetings that ultimately led to his untimely demise. The landscaping here is truly extraordinary. By placing the wire fence in the middle of the grass, the designers allow for the grass to creep up the wire, creating a center of greenery in an otherwise barren lot. Additionally the red trailer shows the human nature of Jersey. Beautiful site.



Finally, we see the lot behind the Bada Bing, where Ralphie Cifaretto beat his pregnant girlfriend to death. The vinyl siding that can be seen on the building and the neatly stacked red bricks show the practical nature of New Jerseyians, while once again we see that lawn grooming is not their forte. The bleached-out nature of the concrete creates a beautiful texture for blacktop enthusiasts to enjoy.

As we have seen there is truly a plethora of sights to be taken in on a Sopranos tour of New Jersey. Who needs Manhattan when beauty like this can be seen on just the other side of the Hudson? Standard Deviance will be making her way to the PATH station tomorrow to further investigate this beautiful state. I suggest you do the same.

Filming locations for The Sopranos [About.com]
Tourism blossoms in the Garden State, thanks to the Sopranos [MSNBC]

So Janet lost a bit of her clothing last night. It didn't concern me too much since I was way too busy being part of a Rhythm Nation (and I don't want to hear any smack about the song, I love it). However, it seems everyone else is in a tizzy, so I felt Standard Deviance should address the issue. After pouring over all the halftime show coverage I have come to a conclusion:

The "wardrobe malfunction" was certainly intentional.

Evidence:
1) Most people do not wear nipple coverings just in case their clothes fall off
2) Check out the looks on their faces above. They don't look surprised.
3) Most importantly, IT WAS NOT A PASTIE! This was a nipple medallion. If you don't believe me, check out the photo (not work safe) here [Drudge]. As a female, I can assure you no woman in her right mind would wear a ring around her nipple for kicks. That hurts. Miss Jackson would have only done this in anticipation of someone seeing said nipple.

I rest my case.

CNN

In a bizzaro ruling, a Chicago judge banned R Kelly from speaking to Michael Jackson at the Grammy Awards. According to R Kelly's people, he had no intention of speaking to Jackson at the Grammys, and Jackson is not even planned to attend the event.

Basically this judge has ruled that one well-known sicko cannot speak to another well-known sicko. The judge better prevent R Kelly and Jacko from speaking to Woody Allen and Roman Polanksi before they all start a child brothel.

BBC

Standard Deviance is a huge fan of That 70s Show, mostly because Red Forman is very similar to an overbearing dad we know. So, by association, we love Topher Grace. And we felt he did a very nice job in Traffic. But Win a Date with Tad Hamilton? We know, we know, someone has to pay the bills, but this movie looks really bad. Kinda like From Justin to Kelly. Oh Topher, what were you thinking?



He even looks cheesy in his photos now. Come on, Topher. Where's that Eric Foreskin spunk?

CNN

Thank god, we were sick of it anyway. Hopefully she'll get back together with Puffy. He's funny. And better with his money. You don't see him losing thousands of dollars in Vegas. Newsflash for Ben: Losing lots of money means you're a bad gambler, not a good one.

New York Post

Everyone is going bonkers over the Nets moving to Brooklyn. The New York Times has literally 5 articles covering the subject today, a map of the Net's new digs, and a timeline following their history. Newsday covers on the protests of the residents surrounding the new stadium. But no one seems to be focusing in on the most important part of this story : THE YANKEES NO LONGER OWN THE NETS!

Let's look at the plight of a Boston transplant living in New York. Such a person might like to adopt a team to cheer for in her new town, but all New York teams seem to be unacceptable:

Yankees- hate them hate them hate them
Mets - They beat the Sox in 86, so that's out
Giants - Impossible to get a ticket for their games
Jets - The Tuna left the Pats for the Jets, and there's been a rivalry ever since
Hockey - Sorry, the Bostonian in question doesn't really follow Hockey
Knicks - age old rivelry with the Celtics
Nets - Owned by the Yankees and thus part of the Evil Empire

But now, the Nets are free! Transplanted Bostonians can rejoice - we can cheer for a New York team!

Buy your Net Tickets Now!

New Yorkish had a piece yesterday detailing Rachel Hunter's destruction of an entire Mexican villa by leaving burning aromatherapy candles while she went out to dinner. Reading Page Six today brought on an eerie sense of deja-vu. Apparently Natalie Cole, Nat King Cole's daughter and world-renowned screw-up, set a fire in the Mar-a-lago club in Palm Beach. She was preparing to perform when her two power strips, laden with numerous beauty tools, short circuited. Following these two stories, the question begs itself: are celebrities inherently pyromaniacs? Fire brings light and attention, which celebrities crave, and it also brings death and destruction, which any E!True Hollywood Story can tell you is the fated path for most celebrities. So, watch out next time you're with a celebrity and a lighter - you may end up singed.

New York Post