Comments Posted By Brian
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Making steps in the right direction
Read an article recently that had a couple of interesting things re: GLP-1 medication
1. Something like 12% of people in the US are now taking some form of GLP-1 medication
2. Patent for Ozempic just expired in India, and already, generic drug manufacturers are lining up to produce it. It is expected prices will drop significantly, with one manufacturer promoting a USD$15/ month cost.» Posted By Brian On 09/April/2026 @ 2:16 am
Chiang Rai, way up north, is a small big city. May tick a lot of your boxes, but the potential downside for you is that it is nowhere close to a beach. LOL
» Posted By Brian On 10/April/2026 @ 2:02 am
I think the reason that BKK is hotter on average is 1) the temp does not drop much at night (maybe a 15 F difference between daytime and nighttime) and 2) there is very little variation in temperature regardless of the month. It is 90 something in Jan, 90 something (or maybe 100 something in April), 90+ in July, 90+ in Nov. I looked and saw that Phoenix has avg. highs in the mid 70’s Nov – Feb
Almost all of my time in spent in BKK, so I guess that is my favorite. I like Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, though only go there for vacation.
» Posted By Brian On 09/April/2026 @ 2:05 am
Generally, April is the hottest time of the year in Thailand. April is when the sun is directly overhead.
Fun fact; when you take a 24/7/365 average temperature, Bangkok is the hottest city in the world.
» Posted By Brian On 07/April/2026 @ 10:51 pm
I assume that Swan, like most of Filipinos, is Catholic? Is she religious, or like me, Catholic in name only?
» Posted By Brian On 05/April/2026 @ 1:22 am
John, I am guessing you reposted that statement from President Trump somewhat tongue in cheek. Pretty dumb statement overall by him IMO.
Let’s say there are 5 producers of San Miguel Zero, each producing 20% of the total. One producer goes off line, and that is the one your bar buys from. You complain, and somebody tells you, “just buy from one of the other four producers.” But the other four producers already have contracts to sell to others, etc………… Not like “poof”, snap your fingers and magically, another beer factory has been built and is on line.
And the other part of his statement. Let’s say you get into a fight with a guy at Treasure Island (and he produces 20% of the San Miguel Zero in Baretto). Then you get mad when none of your friends jump in on your side. They’re like, WTF? Would have been nice to give us a heads up to prepare. LOL
Anyway, just trying to see if I can get your head to explode. 😛
(and yes, I do think something had to be done with Iran but as usually is the case with President Trump, he rarely has any coherence in his thought process or long term planning.)
» Posted By Brian On 01/April/2026 @ 9:19 pm
I dont disagree, but what are Trumps peace terms?
Killing the old leaders? done, though it is more of the same right now
Putting in a government friendly to the US? How has that worked in Libya, Iraq, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc.
Annihilating the country? Nah,long term negative consequencesSaw a meme that made me LOL. “Trump brags that oil never worth this much under Biden.”
We had to do something, but again, there doesnt seem to be any plan. Kind of like the dog chasing after and then catching the bus. Now what?
» Posted By Brian On 31/March/2026 @ 2:45 am
Re: Aeta village
These indigenous villages seem pretty isolated, even though they seem to be quite close to population centers. Do the residents intermingle with non-Aeta people? I would suspect that there probably some discrimination against them, even if it is done unknowingly. Trying not to sound too woke (LOL)Re: gas prices
If things don’t come to an end soon in the middle east, there will be a significant jump in prices of everything. For example, sending a truck full of imported goods from Manila to Baretto will cost more and the stores will have to increase prices.I mentioned before that something had to be done in Iran, but the thing that concerns me is that I have yet to hear any coherent information from the current US administration as to what is the end game. The goalposts seem to be constantly shifting or are non-existent at the moment.
» Posted By Brian On 30/March/2026 @ 4:26 am
Re: do overs
I vaguely remember reading a sci fi story (or maybe a short story), and the premise was that there are an infinite number of universes out there and each time a person come to a fork in the road, a new universe is created. For example, there is the universe where your first marriage fell apart and all these years later, you are in the PI. There is another where you and your first wife stayed together and in that universe years later, you are living in XXX, etc.I also find it interesting to think about, regardless of how improbable it is. If you are bored and looking for something to watch, there are a couple of parallel universe asian dramas out there that follow this type of storyline. A K-drama called “Familiar Wife”, a Taiwanese drama called “Life Plan A or B” and in addition, a US movie called “Sliding Doors”.
Re: GLP-1’s
Don’t know anybody using it and I don’t use it, but I thought/read that using GLP-1’s is a lifelong commitment. If you stop, there its a good chance that the weight will creep back up.Re: Song
I try to figure out what song you may pick. My (wrong) pick for today was Garth Brooks “The Dance”.» Posted By Brian On 26/March/2026 @ 2:28 am
What was your infraction that resulted in you ending up on the ice? LOL
» Posted By Brian On 25/March/2026 @ 2:13 am
Re: video
I think that the Filipiina Pea is being a bit disingenuous. I think that the main motivator that drives a first world/third world relationship is economic. So, the third world party in the relationship (99% of the time, the female) will try to be what the partner wants in order to get what she wants from the relationship. If that means being attentive, being a great sexual partner, so be it. I’m not 100% convinced it is an innate trait of Filipinas. As I have said before, I believe that all relationships are transactional on some level, so I have nothing against one that is based on economics.If being attentive, etc. was all that it took, then generic (you) would see more male expats dating older Filipino women.
re: sunset pics
Great pics!! You are living the dream. LOLre: empty bar
LOL. Somebody new will come into town and think, “Barretto is a great little town. The only thing lacking is another girlie bar!”» Posted By Brian On 23/March/2026 @ 7:29 am
Re: Ozempic
Seems like a lot of people have had good luck with it. Though there is some studies that recommend caution with mixing alcohol and Ozempic. #eekRe: two week millionaire
Was that a typo in how much the guy spent at the bar????? If my math is right, he spent over $8K!!!! If that is the case, then he is just not a two week millionaire, but most likely a whole year millionaire!!Re: Travel as you get older
Truth in the video. It can be mitigated a bit by money. Young and staying in a hostel? No problem. Older – get me a nice hotel. Young and traveling by overnight bus? No problem. Older – get me a private car or flight. Young and willing to take a flight with 25 stopovers and a crappy seat to save $100 bucks? No problem. Older – get me a non-stop in a better airline and better seat. etc.» Posted By Brian On 20/March/2026 @ 11:36 pm
>In the April 2018 LTG archives, I’m getting all philosophical about destiny versus free will. I’m definitely in the camp that we create our destiny through the exercise of free will. I smirked a bit as I read my speculations on applying all the wisdom I had gained from past mistakes to my upcoming life the Philippines. Let’s just say there were many more mistakes to come.
LOL. You probably should have done your deep dive through the archives when you first arrived in the PI.
» Posted By Brian On 19/March/2026 @ 11:59 pm
Happened to come across an article about a “digital nomad” in his 30’s who is living on Vietnam (I think) on something like $1000/month. Talking about how great he lives, but then mentions he is living in a hostel.
Umm, hard no on that. Sharing a room with 5 or so other people and having a communal bath down the hall at this stage in my life (or even when I was in my 30’s) would be just stupid. He then talks about how he has his bunk bed set up to give him privacy, etc. #headslap
» Posted By Brian On 19/March/2026 @ 11:48 pm
Re: Byeonsan National Park
Yeah, that does look like a nice area. I spent about 7 months in Seosan/Daesan area, and never made it there! LOL If I ever make it back to Korea, definitely have to keep place in mind for a visit.Re: Video
The guy sounds completely clueless. The idea of arriving and moving around a bit to check out different places makes sense, but the lack of knowledge about exchange rates is just crazy. I can see doing it for the first week or so, but after that……….. The one valid point he makes is that you CAN live on US$2000/month, but you wont be living high on the hog. Yes, that is more than the average Filipino makes by far, but really, who wants to move to the PI and live like a local? If (generic) you was just scraping by in the US, why would you want to come to the PI and just scrape by also?The guy didnt really go broke, as I assume he still had/has his pension. He could have adjusted and lived on the $2000/month if he really wanted. But, if the pension is not COLA’d (like yours is, correct?), he could be hurting in a few years if he has no backstop in savings.
Lastly, I am not sure I would call retiring at 65 early retirement. LOL
» Posted By Brian On 17/March/2026 @ 11:34 pm
Appears that you cannot access that PI forum without an account.
» Posted By Brian On 17/March/2026 @ 2:30 am
Nah, not TDS. They both suck. Just like you like to wind up the lefties, I find it funny that when Trump posts something like he did in 2024, those with inverse TDS (Trump Deification Syndrome) are all like, “he is spot on!! No more foreign intervention. The Democrats always get us into these messes, etc.”.
Fast forward to 2026, and after Venezuela, Iran, (and he’s talking about Cuba), those same people are all on board with what he is doing. Gas prices down? Ummm, no. Unemployment down? Ummm, no. Not getting the US involved in foreign conflicts? Ummm, no.
He is a cult of personality. No matter what he says, even if it is completely opposite from previous statements, his acolytes think it is coming from God’s mouth. LOL
But in all seriousness, I do agree with us intervening in Iran. Some really bad actors there, and they have been a thorn in the world’s side for the past 40 years. But……………….. I have not heard a coherent plan coming out of the White House. When all is said and done, what are we trying to accomplish? My fear is that we end up with another quagmire like Iraq, Afghanistan, (or Vietnam).
» Posted By Brian On 12/March/2026 @ 11:13 pm
Re: Kamala Harris meme – so true.
But, so as to give both sides equal play, below is a tweet from President Trump from 2024 that isn’t aging well:
“STOCK MARKET IS CRASHING, JOB NUMBERS ARE TERRIBLE, WE ARE HEADING FOR WORLD WAR III, AND WE HAVE TWO OF THE MOST INCOMPETENT “LEADERS” IN HISTORY. THIS IS NOT GOOD!!!!”(Okay, the stock market is not crashing (yet). LOL)
Enjoy your getaway and glad the back is doing better.
» Posted By Brian On 11/March/2026 @ 10:45 pm
re: Sari sari stores
Not uniquely Filipino. See a similar type of store in Thailand, especially in the rural areas. Was in southern Thailand, had a scooter and there was a “sari sari” store just down the road. They would sell gas by the 1/2 liter, 1 liter, etc. They used old water bottles of various sizes and filled them with gas. Worked in a pinch.But like you, I am not sure how they make money. In Thailand at least, generally someone will go to Tesco, Lotus or similar and buy a bunch of stuff and then come back and resell in the sari sari store for a few baht (or peso) markup. Certainly not going be become rich, but if your labor costs are pretty much nil, and no cost for the store rental, I guess you can eke out some sort of living doing it.
Hope the recovery from the Hash fall is quick!
» Posted By Brian On 10/March/2026 @ 11:59 pm
Just another brick in the wall
RE: Litter
Does all the trash bother Swan, or having grown up in that culture, doesnt really think twice about it. Just wonder why littering is so ingrained in the PI culture, apparently more so than other countries.I’m not a neat freak, but damn!
Things can change, but it will take a concerted effort by all parties to do so. I believe I mentioned previously about traffic habits in Taiwan, and how ever the past 20 years or so, have gone from close to chaos to 180 degrees opposite. Combination of carrot and stick approach and it has worked.
» Posted By Brian On 09/March/2026 @ 10:54 pm
Re; out of stock items
Be prepared for it to get worse, and probably quite a bit more expensive for those imported things that make it onto the shelves. I think that the PI relies on the Middle East for more than half of its oil imports. Cost of shipping, when available is going to go super high in the near term. It will come back down to earth at some point. Just dont know when that some point is.» Posted By Brian On 08/March/2026 @ 11:47 pm
Just out of curiosity, how far is it from Royal to Sit-n-Bull? LOL
Re: Green bar renovations
For the most part, I have faith that the majority of people are relatively smart. But like you, I dont understand what bar owners are thinking. “Hey, we have hundreds of girlie bars in Barretto, and they are all fighting for the same small group of customers, and none of them do really well. Wouldn’t it be a great idea to open another one?!!!”» Posted By Brian On 05/March/2026 @ 1:21 am
Re: Matching shirts
Yup, a very Asian thing to do. You could do a poll on “Who wore it better?”, but I think we all know what the results would be. LOL(Good song pick. Had an uncle that turned me on to Yes. Definitely prefer the original lineup rather than when Trevor Rabin took over lead vocals. Recently listened to a new CD that Jon Anderson put out just about a year ago called “True”. Amazingly enough, even pushing 80, his voice has hardly changed. Not a bad CD – very much like an early “Yes” album.)
» Posted By Brian On 03/March/2026 @ 12:23 am
I dont disagree. But to think that Trump is some demigod is incorrect also.
It just makes me sad that the US is the most powerful country on earth, 3rd largest population, and the best two candidates we could come up with were Trump and Harris. IMO, neither are worthy of being the president. But, it is what it is. Maybe 2028 will be a change, though I seriously doubt it. #sad # disgustedwithpolitics #etc
» Posted By Brian On 08/March/2026 @ 4:39 am
Don’t mean to be a prick, but US unemployment is actually up since the election.
End Oct 24 = 4.1%
End Jan 26 = 4.4%https://www.bls.gov/charts/employment-situation/civilian-unemployment-rate.htm
Perception is what drives voters. I am guilty of it as much as the next guy. I do try and look past that, but it can be hard.
» Posted By Brian On 06/March/2026 @ 11:33 pm
Thought this was funny. LOL
“Trump warned me that if I voted for Kamala Harris we’d have higher prices and a government-run economy at home and new wars abroad, and I voted for Harris and that’s exactly what we got.”
» Posted By Brian On 06/March/2026 @ 4:27 am
I stand corrected on the federal workforce. #thumbs up on Trumps work in getting this done.
But, other economic data, mainly drawn from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, (https://fred.stlouisfed.org) shows quantitatively (not qualitatively) that the economy is about the same as under President Biden in summer 2024. Your perception may be that it is better, but the reality does not back it up. President Trump is a fantastic cheerleader and has so far convinced people that perception > reality.
Biden ran into the same problem in 2024. Qualitative economic data was not that bad, but the perception was the economy was in bad shape. Biden has nowhere close to the personal magnetism that Trump has and the Republicans were very good about shaping the perception in their favor.
Actually, Trump is running into a bit of the same problem right now. People are complaining about “affordability” of things, especially groceries. Republicans keep trying to hammer that things are not that bad, but there is a growing “perception” (true or otherwise) that the economy is not that good.
It will be interesting how the 2026 midterms go. My prediction (based on absolutely nothing! LOL) is that the Republicans will keep the majority in the Senate, but lose the House badly. That is not a bad thing, as studies have shown that the US government functions most effectively when no one party has control of the House, Senate and Presidency. Better to be a bit divided – forces the sides to work together.
» Posted By Brian On 06/March/2026 @ 4:00 am
I think I am a moderate in the way of a George Bush Sr. or a Clinton democrat. Dont know if I was ever a Republican or a Democrat, but as friend who has been a lifelong Republican told me, “I did not leave the Republican Party, the Republican Party left me.” I find it ironic that President Reagan is put on a pedestal by alot of current republicans, including Trump, but Reagan’s republican party and platform looks nothing like the current iteration of the republican party. (Free trade comes to mind but there are tons of other policy platforms that are different.)
Anyway, to address some of your points.
Abortion – agree with youSecuring the borders/deporting illegals – agree
>identifying fraud, waste, and abuse, reducing government bureaucracies,
You’ve got to be kidding me. The number of federal workers has INCREASED in Trump took office. Government spending is higher under the Trump administration vs. a similar point in the Biden administration. As to fraud, just do an internet search on what has occurred under Trump. (Trump coins, Truth social, Jared Kusher (son in law) getting a $2B investment from the Saudis for his investment fund even though he has never run an investment fund before). Just to name a few. Always just done real estate.>standing up for America’s interests on the world stage, freeing the people of Venezuela from cartel leadership, working on freeing Iranians, and maybe even Cubans soon.
I actually agree with this. I am more of a globalist than a nationalist. But I do find it ironic that he campaigned about getting the US out of foreign wars and conflicts, reducing military involvement abroad. And his supporters were all on board with this. Now, they are all on board with the opposite. Just proves to me that he has cultivated a cult of personality and whatever he says, regardless if it is 180 degrees earlier statements, is embraced by his followers.>I love the tariffs!
You do know that tariffs are paid once the goods cross into the US, so the importer is responsible for paying it? I fail to see how tariffs work in the way Trump expects them to. I am an engineer, so I like numbers. The trade deficit has INCREASED slightly since President Trump took office.>Enforcement of immigration laws:
I dont think we are on opposite sides. I am very much in favor of enforcement but also welcome legal immigrants. My concern is that there have been a number of cases recently where US citizens/green card holders have been picked up and detained for some period of time simply because they did not look american. I know I dont walk around the US carrying my passport/birth certificate, etc.>Gun rights:
So you do agree that there are (or should be) limits and what is acceptable for private citizens to have? What is that limit and how is it determined? Is an AR-15 with a bump stock capable of firing 150 rounds/minute okay, while an RPG that can fire maybe one round a minute bad?>As for foreign relations…..
We will have to agree to disagree. LOL I just dont think we are in a better position internationally vs. 10, 15, 20 years ago. For example, Trump gets pissed at Canada for some perceived slight, increases tariffs, etc. Well, Canada signs a deal to allow importation of Chinese made vehicles. Who will ultimately be hurt by this? Canadians? US automakers?>Sorry, if you honestly believe we were better off economically under Biden, I can only shake my head and say, seriously?
As I said, I am a numbers guy. Show me the numbers. Infllation? Unemployment? GDP? Manufacturing demand? Trade balance? Retail sales? Consumer confidence? Industrial production? As I mentioned earlier, I have been tracking these, plus others, and the numbers just don’t back up that the economy is better under Trump.>And at least Trump never molested his daughter in the shower.
Are you sure? LOL He has called his daughter a “hot piece of ass”. #eekTrump is a very very very good cheerleader and has done a good job fostering a cult of personality around him. I remember he accurately predicted that he could shoot someone on 5th Ave. in New York and none of his supporters would care.
Anyway, interesting discussion. It is always good to stretch the brain a bit. I think we are probably closer on a lot of subjects than we both think. If we ever have the chance to meet again in person, we will have to solve the world’s (and US) problems over a beer or three. LOL
Cheers!
» Posted By Brian On 05/March/2026 @ 1:10 am
Banning abortion in all cases. I think that is extreme.
Pushing gun rights at all costs. I dont get it. (Some) people say that the right to bear arms is written in the constitution and nothing can take that away. Well, my reply is that it has and can be interpreted differently. For example, I cannot go out and buy a RPG launcher. Ditto for a nuclear bomb. Does that infringe upon my right to bear arms? I am pretty sure that the writers of the constitution did not imagine the weaponry that exists today. For example, Free speech is not absolute. I dont think that anyone argues with that. You can’t yell “Fire!” in a crowded movie theater just to see how people would react. You would get arrested.
Arresting people based on the color of their skin. To whit, the recent ICE actions. Detaining people solely based on the fact that they look foreign. I am 100% all in on stopping illegal immigration. But it has gone too far. How would you feel if you were still married and in SC, and your wife was stopped on the street. Not perfect English, looks foreign……. How would you feel if the PI immigration police rounded up all foreigners in Barretto because they are white and possibly there illegally?
Maybe not extreme (but in my mind it is), all the stupid shit he is doing with tariffs. A lot of them are because some foreign leader doesn’t lick his boots, so Trump gets his undies in a bunch and says he is going to put a tariff on that country.Trump had the opportunity to be one of the better presidents, but he has failed miserably. I have been tracking 15 economic parameters (inflation, GDP, trade balance, # of federal workers, etc.) and 18 months since he won the election, the overall economy is certainly no better than it was under Biden, and in many cases, worse. “Let’s bring jobs back to the US!!!!” Will a US worker making Nike shoes be satisfied with $5/hr? Nah, we have to pay them $40/hr. Now, the $100 shoes are $250.
Foreign relations – do you really think that the US is stronger internationally and has better relations worldwide than 2 years ago? China is stepping into the void created by the US pulling back and the way we have disparaged our allies.
Anyway, I think he is a horrible human being. I wouldn’t let any female I know within 10 miles of him. And yes, that does matter when you are asking someone to be president of the US. People just say, “oh, that is just Trump being Trump.” Call me naive or living in a fantasy world, but holy shit, accepting that the way he acts is okay just boggles my mind. Dont think that would have flown in your or my workplace.
Okay, now rant is really over! LOL
What do you think are the positive things he has done in the last 18 months?
shutting down the border? check
?????» Posted By Brian On 04/March/2026 @ 9:02 am
«« Back To Stats PageRe: Iran
I get what you are saying, and I do agree that something had to be done. I just find it funny that President Trump (and his acolytes) was bashing other presidents when there was talk about invading or bombing Iran. But when he does it, all is good and righteous.I am fed up with both sides. I find it hard to stomach when either side tries to claim some sort of moral superiority over the other. Both are morally bankrupt IMO.
The US needs a centrist third party. The fanatical ~20% on either end seem to drive the conversation, AND seem to have an outsized voice in the primaries, so a lot of candidates make it to the general election who have no business being there. The middle 60% shake their heads in disgust and end up voting not FOR a candidate but AGAINST the other candidate. Unfortunately, the system is such that a it is difficult or almost impossible for a third party to make any headway.
Rant over. LOL
» Posted By Brian On 03/March/2026 @ 12:11 am