Latest news with #JerseyShore
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Jersey Shore traffic: Volume rising on Garden State Parkway as sun lures beachgoers
The sun's out and temps are soaring for Juneteenth, which means the Garden State Parkway is already seeing heavy volume. If you're heading to or from the Jersey Shore, stay here for the latest traffic updates. As of 8:23 p.m., there is a fallen tree on the Garden State Parkway northbound lanes by Exit 109 (CR-520 Middletown). The right shoulder is closed. As of 7:50 p.m., there is a vehicle crash in the southbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway just north of Exit 82 (NJ 37 East, Toms River). One right lane is closed. As of 5:25 p.m. a disabled vehicle on the southbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway by Exit 98 (Rt. 138 Wall) is causing minor traffic back up. The right shoulder is currently blocked. .As of 2:30 p.m., there were delays due to volume in the southbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway from south of Exit 89A (NJ 70 East in Lakewood) to south of Exit 83 (Route 9 north in Toms River). As of 1:15 p.m., the 28 miles from the Raritan Toll Plaza to Exit 98 for Belmar via the express lanes of the Garden State Parkway was taking 37 minutes, up from 25 minutes Thursday morning. The 62-mile trip from the Raritan Toll Plaza to LBI was an hour and nine minutes via the express lanes of the parkway, up from less than an hour earlier. Motorists can shave a few minutes off of the trips to both Belmar and LBI by taking the parkway's local lanes, according to As of 10:15am, a collision on the Garden State Parkway local lanes southbound north of Exit 124 (Main Street in Sayreville) is hampering traffic. The right shoulder is blocked. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ traffic: Sun, rising temps lure beachgoers to Jersey Shore
CBS News
14 hours ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Barefoot Country Music Fest in Wildwood, New Jersey, paused because of lightning
The Barefoot Country Music Fest in Wildwood, New Jersey, was paused Thursday evening because of lightning nearby, the festival said on social media. "Lightning has been detected within 8 miles of the festival. Exit the festival grounds immediately and seek shelter. Stay tuned to the app/social for updates," the festival's Facebook page says. It's not clear what time the concert will resume. The four-day music festival on the beach in Wildwood features Jason Aldean, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Rascal Flatts, Jordan Davis and dozens of other artists. Staff at businesses in the area said they hope the festival brings a boost after a slow and rainy start to summer at the Jersey Shore. Severe storms swept through the Philadelphia area Thursday, causing extensive damage and power outages.
CBS News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
DJ Pauly D from 'Jersey Shore' returning to Pittsburgh's Rivers Casino in November
Celebrity DJ and 'Jersey Shore' star Pauly D is coming back to Pittsburgh's Rivers Casino this fall. The casino says Pauly D will be back in Pittsburgh for an event on Saturday, November 15 at 9 p.m. in the Rivers' Event Center. One of the most in-demand DJs, Pauly D performs over 150 shows per year, including residencies in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, the casino said. The casino says all of his prior shows in Pittsburgh have sold out and that the upcoming performance in the fall "promises to deliver another packed-house party to remember." "DJ Pauly D is synonymous with a good time, and we're thrilled he'll be back at Rivers this November to help us get the party started," said Shannon Redmond, vice president of marketing at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh. "Pauly D knows how to bring the energy whenever he visits us on the North Shore." Tickets for the event are on sale and start at $45.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who's looking for a man in finance? Seeing 'Materialists' with the TikToker behind 2024's viral hit.
MANHATTAN — When I met up with Megan Boni outside our local AMC, I'd had her song stuck in my head for weeks. The content creator, known online as Girl on Couch, went mega-viral last year with a catchy bop about what kind of guy she's looking for. 'I'm looking for a man in finance, trust fund, 6'5', blue eyes,' the now 28-year-old states with playful vocal fry in a video first posted to TikTok before it was remixed by DJs Billen Ted and David Guetta, transcending social media and climbing the charts. 'Man in Finance' might as well be the theme song for Materialists, which I saw at a press screening weeks before. On its first official day in theaters, June 13, Boni and I met up to see the film together. She grabbed a small popcorn and I got a small Icee, and we both headed inside the frigid theater, which was surprisingly packed for 2 p.m. on a weekday. I asked her what she knew about the movie, and she was only really familiar with its stars. She was dressed comfortably — as was I — but she was headed to the Jersey Shore to meet her parents after the credits rolled. I thanked her for coming to see a random movie with a stranger, and she joked that a free movie was always a good time. Boni is funny. Right now, she's still in New York City, living off the money from the record deal she signed in 2024, but she's hoping to break in to comedy. I'm hoping that she can help me, someone who hasn't dated in 10 years, crack how accurate this movie is in its assessment of modern love. In Materialists, Dakota Johnson plays a matchmaker named Lucy whose clients quantify their desires to her, treating people like math problems. They must be above a certain height, below a certain BMI, earn a certain amount of money and reach a number of other standards. A 6'5' man in finance with a trust fund and blue eyes would be a hot commodity, or what Lucy and her coworkers call a unicorn. Matchmakers use this information to pair people up, and people use this information on dating apps to weed through the masses to find those they might be attracted to. Lucy's also making her own matches. She's torn between two men: One is perfect on paper — kind with a job in finance (Pedro Pascal) — and one is passionate but hopelessly poor (Chris Evans). Boni and I sat in polite silence in plush reclining seats as Lucy's professional and love lives played out onscreen. I thought I had been struck by a sudden onset flu during the screening, but I had mistakenly flipped on the seat warmer button that I didn't know existed, resulting in both chills and a cold sweat. Boni was too focused to notice. For something that's billed as a romantic comedy, Materialists isn't particularly funny, so I was surprised when I heard Boni laughing throughout it, mostly at mentions of a leg-lengthening surgery that men can get to become taller. As the credits rolled, we chatted as we descended various sets of stairs and escalators, grabbing a seat outside the concessions area to chat. 'Can I be honest?' Boni said. 'I mean, it was bad.' She didn't like Lucy. Lucy's mean! For Boni, the moral of the story was difficult to detect — was it just that sometimes people are rich and sometimes they aren't and it's harder for the latter to find love? The character's choices didn't make sense to her. 'I guess it is accurate because some women are psychos,' Boni joked. 'It's not even modern, because the most unrealistic part is when they went on a first [official] date and [Pascal's character] gives [Lucy] a key the next day. I was like, 'What the f*** are you guys doing? He's gonna murder you in your sleep. And he probably would have because he had like no personality.' I asked her if dating now really feels like turning yourself into a commodity and weighing the qualities of others to calculate who a good match might be. Do people really look for love like they look for houses or groceries, with certain stipulations and nonnegotiables? Does she? Absolutely not. The 'Man in Finance' song is satire, she said. The list of qualities in the song was intended to make fun of the people who do that, and even more so, making fun of how it's easy to detect which men work in finance because of how they dress and carry themselves. (See: Light blue oxford shirt, black vest, brown loafers) 'I made the video because my goal at the time was to go viral whenever I could,' Boni said. 'I think it was, unfortunately, really relatable for women who only care about what their partner looks like on paper.' Lucy, obviously, cared a lot. Perhaps that was because of how her parents fought, raised her and talked about money — criteria that are mentioned in the movie as qualities that help matchmakers measure how compatible two people might be. Is Lucy even supposed to be relatable, or just an example of how thinking about dating all the time for work can drive someone crazy? Boni won't be seeking out Lucy's services, obviously, because she's fictional. But Boni said the popularity of her song has turned her off dating completely. People ask her if she's still looking for a man in finance all the time, and her answer is an emphatic 'No.' She never was. 'I mean, listen. Everyone agrees. If a man is hot, loaded, works in finance or is a lawyer or a doctor or has some other good job — that's hot. But that's a fantasy,' she said, starting to laugh. She was thinking about how Pascal's character, who lived in a $12 million Tribeca penthouse, only had one silk sheet on his bed. In many ways, Boni meets the criteria that a lot of men are most likely searching for. She's beautiful with perfectly highlighted blond hair, ridiculously funny and down to meet up with a stranger and see a movie on a Friday afternoon. She knows what she wants: She quit her office job when her social media profiles took off, she's taking the steps necessary to succeed as a comedian and she's congenial when questioned by a reporter about a viral post from last year. 'My parents are like, 'Well, don't you want to share your life with someone?' And I'm like, 'Yeah, I do, but I'm not one of those girls,'' Boni said. 'There are two types of girls: Those who make it their life's mission, and they're constantly let down. Psycho girls who go on dates every week. Then there's people like me who don't make that a priority.' Though she's not much of a dater at the moment, I couldn't shake the fact that commodifying yourself to become the most appealing possible package for someone else is still something that people do all the time online. Especially if you're trying to keep the followers you gained from a moment of peak virality and convert them to people who could sustain your work as a comedian. 'You want to appeal to everyone … but there's repercussions for being you sometimes,' Boni said. 'It's not just a dating problem. I think the internet's to blame … but I'm always trying to present myself in different ways in different places. I'm trying to be hot on Instagram. On TikTok, I'm trying to be a freak. I'm trying to get people's attention.' To be a modern woman is to be constantly thinking about what you have to offer and how other people might want to utilize that — not just in dating, but in everyday life.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Phillies minors notes on Alex McFarlane, Aroon Escobar and promoted players who've shined
Returning from Tommy John surgery was akin to relearning the game for High-A Jersey Shore pitcher Alex McFarlane. His presence on the mound, figuring out his flow while pitching, how to get out of bad innings and making in-game adjustments — all issues that McFarlane dealt with in September 2024, when he threw to live hitters for the first time in a year. Advertisement 'The mental side of the game is what I worked on a lot, obviously physically (as well),' McFarlane said. 'But the mental side is just as important. I took time to really understand how I handle adversity in any given game — just moving on to the next game, making an in-game adjustment, the little things.' The work began in earnest when McFarlane returned to the mound with Low-A Clearwater and continues now during an up-and-down High-A season, his ERA sitting at 5.72 and his record 0-6 through 11 starts. The 2022 fourth-rounder has started just 30 games across three seasons, spending some time on the development list in 2023 before returning for a handful of starts. He posted a 5.72 ERA in 50 1/3 innings that season before undergoing Tommy John surgery in the final month. The adversity of rehab — aches and pains, starting over — helped McFarlane prepare for the adversity he'd face when back on the mound. With each step, he's tried to remain calm and stay in the moment because, he said, 'once you get too far ahead in the future or dwell on the past too much, you start to lose yourself.' That mindset has helped amid difficult starts. Across three outings and 9 2/3 innings from May 28 to June 11, he walked eight and gave up 10 runs and 12 hits. In those moments, he's sought to learn, take it for what it is, and move on to the next outing. McFarlane uses a three-pitch mix that includes a strong slider. His stuff has impressed since he pitched for the University of Miami, but command has been a consistent issue; he averaged 6.79 walks per nine innings in 2023 and has logged 5.49 per nine this season. And McFarlane's strikeouts have dropped significantly since surgery; he has 33 in 39 1/3 innings this season as compared to 69 in 50 1/3 innings in 2023. Though it's good to be back, he said, there's work to be done. Advertisement 'It's not time for celebration,' McFarlane said. 'It's time to get on the mound and continue working and pushing.' Infielder Carson DeMartini was already somewhat familiar with his bearings when he was promoted to Double-A Reading on June 9. He played with his Reading teammates during spring training. He saw FirstEnergy Stadium's facilities when he visited for a High-A preseason scrimmage. The ballpark, which completed $45 million in renovations in 2024, still impressed DeMartini a few days into his tenure. 'I mean, you got the pictures hanging on the wall — Chase Utley right here behind us,' DeMartini said, gesturing to the photo behind him on the stadium's ground floor. 'A brand new weight room, state of the art kitchen, all that stuff is what I was looking forward to about professional baseball.' The familiarity has eased DeMartini's transition, and it's showing on the field. He's had a hit in all but one of his games in Reading, batting .320 with a .730 OPS. DeMartini has started the last four games at shortstop in place of Phillies No. 2 prospect Aidan Miller, who has been out due to skin irritation, according to Ty Daubert of Phillies Nation. But DeMartini has split time at third base this season, where he will likely return when Miller is back in the lineup. DeMartini credited some mental traits for his success: staying steady, working on his craft each day, and focusing on what he can control. Tinkering with his swing has also been valuable, helping him up his in-zone contact rate last season with Low-A Clearwater. 'That was the big kick,' DeMartini said. 'But really, here and there, (also working on) messing with where my feet are in the box, stance, working with some hand placements.' Prospect Aroon Escobar has stood out at Low-A Clearwater this season, hitting .315/.410/.500 through 55 games. It's unsurprising to the Phillies. Advertisement 'He's hit the ball,' Phillies director of player development Luke Murton said. 'He's hit it hard. He's swung at strikes. He's hitting all different pitch types. He's done outstanding defensively. He's done well in the infield, making all the plays, catching all the balls he should.' Escobar, who signed in 2022 as an international free agent out of Venezuela, is putting it together in his first healthy season in the United States. The 20-year-old second baseman entered Sunday ranked second in the Florida State League in hits and average, while leading in homers (10). He wasn't a standout in the Dominican Summer League in 2022 and 2023, then spent much of 2024 out with shin splints in rookie ball. But Escobar made his mark in just 24 games last year, leading the Florida Complex League Phillies (minimum 100 plate appearances) in average (.338), on-base percentage (.495) and OPS (.976). All of Escobar's starts this season have come at second base, though he played some third last season and has the arm for the position. He is not among a recent spate of promotions, though Murton said Escobar's performance ranks among many of the organization's hot starters. The Athletic's Keith Law had Escobar at No. 40 in his most recent list of the game's top prospects. 5-for-5 with a homer, 3 runs, and 2 RBI? Have yourself a day, Aroon Escobar 🙌 — Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) May 19, 2025 Here and there: • Among recent promotions: catcher Alirio Ferrebus, who slashed .267/.368/.478 in the Florida Complex League, joined Low-A Clearwater on June 10. Ferrebus can also play first base and showed an advanced approach at the plate with a strong walk rate in the FCL. The start to his Low-A career has been somewhat rocky, batting .100 with a .282 OPS through six games. • There have been some recent flashes of greatness from 2024 first-round pick Dante Nori with Low-A Clearwater: a career-high five-RBI game on June 8, going 3-for-3 with two walks and four RBIs on June 14. Those performances are welcome after Nori batted .218 with a .614 OPS in May, but finding a power stroke continues to be a struggle. He has one home run this season, which he slugged on May 10. His exit velocity sits at 86.7 mph. Advertisement • Pitcher Gabe Mosser made his first start for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on May 29. More exciting, however, was the Allentown, Pa., native's home debut in front of family and friends on June 12. He allowed two runs and three hits while striking out four over 5 1/3 innings. 'Full circle moment — same field, new chapter,' Mosser wrote in an Instagram post. The righty pitched in the Padres organization from 2018 through 2024 before joining the Phillies on a minor-league deal during the offseason. • First baseman Keaton Anthony has excelled since his recent promotion to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, slashing .333/.364/.429 (.793 OPS) in five games. Those around Anthony during his college days at Iowa said he had a knack for manipulating at-bats and finding the barrel. His average exit velocity of 92.1 mph sits above the Triple-A average, 88.6. (Photo of Alex McFarlane: Tom Priddy / Four Seam Images via Associated Press)
