Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Restaurant Review: Hot Pot & Asian Grill

Hot Pot and Asian Grill
4038 Talmadge Rd.; Toledo, OH
Mon - Thu: 11:00 am - 10:00 pm; Fri: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Sat: 12:00 pm - 11:00 pm; Sun: 12:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Phone: (419)214-0600
Northeast corner at Talmadge and Sylvania

The Toledo Blade did a review of the Hot Pot Grill, which I will not link to here.  The restaurant reviewer didn't know what she was talking about, mainly because of her worldly experience (none), which was inversely proportional to her attitude - if the food doesn't look like a burger and fries, then what's it doing on my plate?  I couldn't let that one slide, so this afternoon I went over to see for myself.  Keep reading to get the straight money story on the Hot Pot and Asian Grill, and why people would want to eat there.

Sylvania Ohio Busybodies

I am, generally speaking, a live and let live sort of person.  I take pains to avoid irritating my neighbors.  I don't play loud music, I stay off their property and I don't get into loud, extended brannigans with friends and relatives at 3:00 AM (otherwise known as three in the damned morning) that involve the local constabulary.  I don't make comments about the length of my neighbor's lawn and wonder aloud if he's ever going to get off his dead ass and cut it. I don't offer him beer or wine in an effort to be friendly and sell him my current political agenda.  I figure the poor bastard has enough problems of his own.  I know I do.

Likewise, I expect the same from him.  I've found that most people will let me alone, excepting a few minutes of casual conversation now and again.  The only help from my neighbors that I would ever hope for is for them to call the fire department should my house ever catch fire, and if they see some low-life breaking into the house they might call the police and deliver an anonymous tip.  I don't expect them to ding the intruder while he's halfway in through the window.  For one thing, it might be me, as I've been known to lock myself out upon occasion.

This, then, is how good neighbors ought to act, and if we all did this, we'd all get along just fine.  We don't, but that's a topic for another day.  What happens in the middle of this pastoral scene is government.  Federal, State and Local, every single branch is populated with people who are convinced that they can run your life better than you can.  The city of Sylvania, Ohio is no exception.  Keep reading for the latest regulation to float to the surface.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Toledo Police Officers Falsely Accused of Racial Profiling

Back in April Toledo City Councilman Larry Sykes was stopped for a traffic violation by Officer Derek Cranford and Officer David Sprott of the Toledo Police.  If you believe Larry Sykes there was no reason for the stop, and in fact since Councilman Larry Sykes knew he wasn't doing anything wrong, he took his time pulling over.

The officer tapped on the driver's side window, startling Larry Sykes, who rolled down the window and cooperated fully with the officers.  The police officer asked the councilman where he was coming from, where he was going and if he had any weapons, liquor or drugs in the car.  The officer told Mr. Sykes that the reason for the stop was that the rear license plate was difficult to read, which prompted councilman Sykes to reply that it was probably dirty. The officer forced councilman Sykes to wait while the officer checked Mr. Sykes's license for any outstanding warrants, which took about 20 minutes.  Finding no warrants, Mr. Sykes license was returned to him and he was allowed to go on his way.

No citations were issued.

Toledo City Councilman Larry Sykes believed he was the victim of racial profiling, so he wrote a letter to the chief of police alleging police misconduct and abuse of authority.  The department of internal affairs started (and completed) a high priority, extremely thorough investigation into the matter.  Smelling offal in the water, the Toledo Blade started their own investigation.

That's when Toledo City Councilman Larry Sykes's story started falling apart like a cardboard box in a monsoon rainstorm.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

This Sucks Pond Scum

On Wednesday I get a call from someone I've never met informing me that an old friend just passed away of a heart attack.  I've known PartyMan for about 40 years, and although we'd lose track of each other from time to time we'd eventually make contact again.  About five years ago PartyMan called me up because he needed money.  I sent him three bills, and he paid me back several years later, with interest.

Five years back PartyMan calls me and says he's been to see the sawbones, mainly because he was too sick to walk to the bar.  So the sawbones runs a bunch of tests, and delivers the news.  And it isn't good.

Bad News: PartyMan has cancer.
Good News: It's cancer of the kidney, and it's operable.  So, with a little snick-snack-chop, PartyMan will be cancer free and all that implies.
Bad News: At some point in the past, PartyMan suffered a heart attack.  His heart is at 60% efficiency, and if there were any choice at all the sawbones would not take a knife to him, because, well, PartyMan is not a good bet.  PartyMan has no memory of suffering a heart attack, and that should tell everyone a little something about PartyMan.

PartyMan needed money for medication and to live on during recovery.  He asked me for $150 and I gave him $300 with the stipulation that:
  • He understands that the money does not come from me, it comes from the Lord.  Were it up to me, things would be a little different.
  • He would not spend the bread on liquor or other recreational substances.

And that was that.  So PartyMan survived the surgery, recovered and paid me back with a little interest.  Like I said, that was five years ago.  Since that time PartyMan went on disability and got inside a Section 8 apartment in a building downtown.  About a week ago last Wednesday he dialed 9-1-1 and the paramedics found him inside the apartment.  He'd stopped breathing.  He was comatose.

So they got him going again and took him to Saint V's in Toledo (Ohio), where he was hooked up to various machines that kept him breathing.  He lasted about a week and never regained consciousness.

In the meantime some people, whoever does these things, managed to find and contact a living relative (the dead relatives are ignoring the whole business), and PartyMan's brother and sister showed up to clean up the mess.  One way or another, they discovered Yours Truly, and I became involved.

I started calling people we both knew and discovered that another old friend, SunnyGirl, that I hadn't seen in a while was also deceased.  She had a four line obituary in the local rag and that was that.  No other information, not even the names of survivors.

Then I called a mutual friend, Big Daddy Fastbucks, and when I couldn't raise him I started to wonder just what was going on.  He finally called me back, and that's a relief.  He's doing well.

PartyMan was 60 years old.  SunnyGirl was 71.  Seventy-one doesn't seem all that old to me, but I guess it isn't the age so much as it is the mileage.

I caught myself making a list of dead friends, associates and casual acquaintances.  I think I'm depressed.

Mother's Day is this Sunday.  I think I'm going to work extra hard at giving my own dear mother a very nice Mother's Day.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

The Death Penalty and Vindication

My Internet buddy Jeff Gamso over at Gamso - For the Defense is against the death penalty.  So am I, generally speaking, mainly because we've all seen the results of our government in action in many other areas and We the People are willing to believe that Our Government would never send an innocent man to the gallows, or to prison, or pretty much anything else that could be construed as a gross miscarriage of justice.

Just how gullible are we, anyway?

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

May 6, 2014 ballot: Victory!

Here's a message to the Sylvania Board of Education from me, Mad Jack.

You Lose!


From The Blade: Unofficial Results of the May 6, 2014 Election as of 5/7/2014 9:02 a.m.

Sylvania schools 3.8-mill continuing permanent new tax levy for operating expenses
Votes
FOR              4,357
AGAINST     4,864


We the people, the Great Unwashed, the hoi polloi, the commoners that you and your ilk look down upon from the dizzying heights of your ivory towers, we've had enough of you and your demands for more, more and still more!  You're nothing but a bunch of chazzers.  You've been eating at the public trough for so long that you don't fly straight anymore.

In spite of you and your best efforts, your demand for more money failed.  Now we'll get to live in Sylvania Township for a while longer, no thanks to you.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Cinco de Mayo 2014

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  On this day back in 1862 the Mexican army kicked the snot out of the French army in Puebla, Mexico.  Contrary to popular belief, this is not about Mexico's independence.  This is about celebrating the culture of Mexico.

The Mexican war for independence started with Grito de Dolores (Shout of Dolores) on September 16th, 1810 and ended 11 years later on September 27th, 1821.