Friday, November 22, 2013
YMC Lame
I had not been in the Ketchum Downtown YMCA since 2003 or so, and wanted very much to go swimming on a Monday when the Los Angeles City Pools are all closed. So I came in here and asked for a trial membership (I was never gonna join anyway, I just wanted to use the pool) and discovered it was closed. What the fuck are they thinking? Is there a structural problem or something? Since I don't play racket ball, am not into mutual masturbation in the locker room, and would not want to catch someone's germs from a filthy exercise machine, I don't think I will ever return here. Not even to fart in a yoga class.
Union Family Dental and the Dingleberry Dentist
I cracked a tooth this afternoon and was in a great deal of pain within a couple of seconds. I called the office to let them know I was having an emergency and was on my way. I got there moments later and proceed to wait for two hours in excruciating pain. I felt like Dustin Hoffman in the film Marathon Man after Dr. Zell tortured him with dental instruments.
Instead of reading a magazine, I peered out into the parking lot of this place and watched the parade of prostitutes, pimps, cocaine dealers, heroin dealers, cops, johns, and regular people trying to do their laundry. I am telling you, this shopping center would give the Clinton White House a run for its money. No less than a dozen prostitutes working out of here. No less than 20 people milling about, up to no good, and dealing narcotics and crack cocaine. My ex-wife Ann should try and rent an apartment in this neighborhood. A guy in the filthy tenement across the street keeps a vigilant eye out for the cops on the fire escape on the third floor and whistles loudly and makes a clicking sound to warn the scofflaws and strumpets. Every once in a while, a patrol car from the LAPD Keystone Division which is responsible for this area, drives through the parking lot but long after these wily criminals have scurried to the relative safety of the laundromat and the donut shop.
First they took an x-ray. When the dentist finally examined me, I told him that I wanted an injection of novocaine and was willing to pay him any price for said injection. I seriously would have paid him 100 bucks in cash for that fucking shot.
He leaves me in the chair, and then the receptionist tells me to get up and tries to hand me a fucking referral to another dentist. It is already 5:30 mind you, and the place they referred me to was in the process of closing. Still no injection.
After flipping my wig in the office, the guy finally gives me a prescription for Tylenol #3. I promptly got that shit filled and took several of them at once.
I will never return to this place under any circumstances and will use my mom's dentist from now on starting tomorrow. Dr. Suharto was a complete failure as a dentist. He sent me away from his office in a frightening amount of pain without treating my cracked molar. He is a dingleberry among dentists.
Papa Cristo is Super Mario
I really like the food here and Super Mario is a super cool guy. He stocks some really good olives, vinegar, anchovies, olive oil, Greek Provolone, and nice fresh baked bread. Super Mario can also hook you up with a super delicious, tender, well seasoned whole grilled lamb for about $130.00. If you are an alcoholic, you can purchase several varieties of Ouzo here. The food available on the restaurant side is consistent, but not great. It is always better with some of the free roasted Serranos and garlic and some free green olives on the side. I like the lamb chops, the rack of lamb, grilled octopus, and the chicken souvlaki, but tend to think the gyro looks like processed, formed Skippy brand canned dog food. Lamb chops used to be a good deal but are not any longer. Prices for rack of lamb hover between 15-20 bucks. Grocery=4.5 stars Restaurant=solid 3 stars.
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!
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