Gam Ja Gol - Koreatown Normandie and Olympic

This local K-Town strip mall men's joint has some of the best food in the world served at their humble tables. My family came from New Mexico where they worshiped chilie, pork and garlic just as much as our Korean brothers. My grandma, (may god have mercy on her soul) used to cook up a similar, but inferior pork and red chilie concoction. Her stew was top notch, five star stuff, and her family raised all of their own chilies and hogs. The mixture was served with hominy and called Pozole, or it would grace her perfect tamales. Sometimes she rolled it into a handmade, homemade flour tortilla for the perfect snack.

The Korean grandmother cooking at this place is making it happen! I brought my people from Lebanon, Greece, and Mexico here tonight, and they all compared it to their grandmother's food too. The panchan is good, nothing to write home to Dear Leader about, but respectable still. The Jap Chae was exemplary, and I wanted refill after refill of this great sesame flavored noodle dish fit for a chubby dictator in an army tunic and his favorite son.

The Pork Neck and Potato stew is the thing to get here, but I have never ordered anything else. The large for 4 people (enough for 6) is priced at a reasonable 34.99 and comes to your table in a bubbling cauldron with whole shiso leaves on top. It has some whole mustard seed in there too. There are pieces of pork backbone cooked so the meat be falling off the bone along with boiled potatoes in a deep rich red chilie broth. Wooooo Weeeee! That's what I'm talking about! It has the best chilie flavor that permeates everything, and leaves you licking your fingers. Just when you think that the meal is over, the waiter takes your leftovers and makes pan fried rice for your lunch tomorrow with sesame oil on top.

I think Korean food is the stuff my dreams are made of! The food of Korea is some of the most well thought out food of all mankind. This is some kick ass, filling homemade food that will warm your soul.

Why I hate the New York Times

This review telling you that this paper sucks is based on the recent New York Times puff piece by Jo Becker and Scott Shane entitled: "Secret 'Kill List' Proves a Test of Obama's Principles and Will" and another cream-filled piece in which they saluted the executioner in chief for launching an act of war against Iran. Cyberwar, but war nonetheless. Extrajudicial execution is just a bad idea. Period. You do something like that to someone and they spend the rest of their lives plotting to do the same to you. At some point, all of that hate gets hard to control. The drone strikes should not be glorified by any newspaper in this country. Declaring an illegal war against another country is a bad idea. Period. It too should not be glorified by any newspaper in this country. It is enough to gag a maggot. Especially when presenting Obama as a particularly moral man, who devotes himself to the "just war" writings of religious figures like Thomas Aquinas and St Augustine. Are you fucking kidding me people? Thomas Aquinas? St. Augustine? People who think about war as just are just assholes. Anyone who makes a kill list and then gets a robot to do it is a fucking coward. I think it is time to start putting nails back in the coffin of the military industrial complex not promoting its expansion.

I have some news for you assholes over there at the Times. The world is not a fucking videogame and America does not have special powers.

Clearly this paper has no balls. What kind of brainless chickenshit warmongering articles are these? I would expect jingoist drivel like this from a paper like the Rodong Simun, but am kind of disgusted that it is being printed here in what many consider to be the "best print newspaper in existence". I used to recommend this paper to a ton of people in the library. I will now recommend it only to wrap up fish and chips.

Devil's Canyon not too Devilish

The slight drizzle yesterday made for an interesting November trail run. This trail begins with a 3 mile run down some switchbacks and then along the floor of the canyon until you get to a little campground. It took me about 20 minutes to run down the trail, and it was mostly easy to follow. It is slightly eroded in some areas so you should exercise caution. There is water down there but is is swarming with pathogens, so you will need to use a filter.

Although this area was scorched by the Station Fire, there are many surviving conifers and what with all the water in the canyon, this area is remarkably green. The skeletons of the burned trees offer a nice contrast. There are a couple of nice rock formations. All the way down, there are nice campsites. I saw several deer, but just two other people.

My favorite vegan place in Southern California - Happy Family on Atlantic in Monterey Park

I have to admit that since I have been eating at this place for a long time so me and my family get outstanding service which amounts to special treatment. Well, I have to say that I would rather be a VIP here than at some stupid place like Maestro's Steakhouse where the people are as phony as the meat here. The new digs are pretty nice and the staff here rock. It has been my favorite fake meat place since the Fragrant Vegetable closed several years ago.

The all you can eat cooked to order food can be a bit oily, and has msg, but what great flavor most of the choices have especially with the fresh chili and soy sauce on top. My favorites are the sesame house chicken (a batter fried button mushroom in sticky sauce with sesame), stir fried baby bean leaves, eggplant with basil, Chinese sausage with pickled cabbage, pork with broccoli, and the kung pao squid. They give you squab in lettuce cups and a fried egg roll now on the all you can eat menu. The only thing I don't like is the fish with the sweet reddish sauce. The other 90 choices are worth returning to try. Don't fill up on soup.

I originally came here as the reluctant guest of my vegan brother and was quickly won over by the price (it used to be about 5 bucks now it is13), and the overall quality of this place. The owners are gracious and are a huge asset to the vegetarian community. What a joy to come here with you family. Enjoy happy times with them here!

You Like Tasty Garden?

The food at this Taiwanese coffee shop is hit or miss. The waffle is fantastic, the iced tea in the boot shaped glass kicks ass with its free refills. My lychee drink was exotic, cold and delicious.

The food that we ordered was about 50%. The shrimp fried rice was a nice snack, competently prepared, but not gourmet. However, the Mapo Tofu was just a fucking abomination which had the taste and texture of a runny egg white mixed with soy sauce. I got some vegetables with nice greens and sauteed mushrooms. This was simple and the best thing we ordered besides the waffle.

The interior of this place is what it must look like when Prince throws up. What must of been going through the designer's head is anyone's guess. Although I am determined to try all of the places in this shopping center, I must say that Happy Family rules the roost so far. Go there instead.

Pure Life Alternative Bullshit Dispensary on La Cienega

If you like overpriced buds, then as Brigham Young once said several hundred miles northeast of here: "This is the Place". I was aghast at seeing an eighth of Private Reserve(read Bullshit Reserve) selling for 80 bucks. I do not like the vibe of this place or most of the people working here, though there are a couple of exceptions. Seems like the clerk is on roids. The cool guy I think is named Carlos. Also I got an edible here that was very strong, tasted like rasberry jam, but on the downside was 12 bucks. Most of the other bud selections are 50 bucks for an eighth not a place where they will bargain with you at all in fact will react with pedantic hostility when asked to do so. With several hundred places located in 10 mile radius from this place selling medical marijuana for around half the price, it was very easy to vote with my feet and walk away from this place.

London on Virgin Atlantic: Benny Hill and those Retarded Royals

I decided to visit England a little while ago. I had always been a great admirer of Benny Hill, the most influential Brit of the 20th Century, and I got a good deal on my ticket. The English people seemed pretty friendly. It is too bad that their government consents to being our pet poodle. When I got to London, I dedided to take a little trip over to Brixton. It seemed remarkably similar to one of our own marginalized areas, but I felt safer walking around because fewer people and their mothers carry firearms. I decided to buy some weed, but did not have any references. I asked a friendly bloke, and he told me to head up this street until I reached a pub named "The Plug", at which point I was to make a right and continue walking until I reached the Green Leaf Cafe. He told me to go in and order a Coke from the black geezer inside, and they would know what I came in for. I followed the directions, and arrived at the cafe and ordered the beverage like the guy told me. The guy opened a kettle on the counter, and showed me the merchandise. It was a little steep for 20 fucking quid, but when in Rome.

I got to visit the British Museum, and wound up taking three days there alone. The other museums that I visited, such as the National Portrait Gallery and the Tate Modern were awesome as well. I also visited the Tower of London, and Buckingham Palace. That Royal Family is ugly as fuck. If I had all that princely money, I would buy a new face and new hair color. I have no idea what the obsession with these inbred fucks is all about, but it was interesting to see the palace and crown jewels. The problem with Monarchy is that even the good kings are bad. I would like to see all their heads on pikes. Pikes Peak of course.

I thought the cost of food in London was highway robbery. The best deal that you are going to find on food is at the Kensington Farmer's Market. You can get a big sandwich for 2 pounds. Shawerma in Notting Hill is awesome too.

As to Virgin Atlantic, all I can say is that I took a smorgasborg of pills before I got on the plane, when I woke up mid-flight, and the balance when I arrived at Heathrow. I have no idea what transpired while we were flying across the pond. But it must have been okay, becuase they were not waiting for me with handcuffs at the terminal.