Comments Posted By John McCrarey
Displaying 751 To 780 Of 6,593 Comments
Mangor, I have no idea what you are talking about.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/November/2025 @ 10:19 am
Brian, hopefully you are right about someone stepping up, but Dave was always well-connected behind the scenes. During the scamdemic, he helped reopen the Barretto bars (with certain restrictions) earlier than anywhere else in Luzon. And his charity work was legendary. His Filipino workers were crying last night, including the handyman who has a prosthetic leg thanks to Dave’s generosity. The man’s a legend. Dave lost his battle with skin cancer after a two-year struggle.
No question there are more bars than customers necessary to make a profit.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/November/2025 @ 10:18 am
Stephen, never heard Gary called that before, so his fame must be fleeting. I’ll pass along your message next time I see him.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/November/2025 @ 8:30 am
Brian, yeah, for sure, none of those old buildings are salvageable. The workers were cleaning up the land, and the caretaker said it was for sale. They’d posted those no-trespassing signs since my last visit, and it does appear they ran the squatters off. What I don’t get is that, as nice as that spot is, the only road access is down a narrow block-long alley that wouldn’t allow two-way traffic—not seeing how that would work for someone wanting to build a new resort there.
Whiterock is a couple of clicks away, and I don’t drive. It does have a bar, but you have to pay an entrance fee to get into the resort—lots of better options closer to home.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/November/2025 @ 8:29 am
Thanks for the update, Terry. I got another email from SiteLock saying, “Your SMART PLUS scanner has been hard at work! During a recent scan, it found some insecure code and automatically patched it. We are happy to report that your site is now secure.” Hopefully, the issues have been resolved completely now.
When I logged on yesterday, I was getting one of those screens where I had to click a box to “prove I was a human.” Did you see that?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/November/2025 @ 8:22 am
The high spark of low sole boys
Glad you enjoyed it, Dan.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/November/2025 @ 4:31 pm
Thanks for the heads-up, Bob. I’ve contacted my security support, SiteLock. Hopefully, this is resolved quickly.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/November/2025 @ 8:07 am
Oops, thanks, Drain. Yeah, I’ve heard nothing but good about Siargao Island. No matter how you spell it!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/November/2025 @ 3:05 pm
Kevin, there are worse hells than stormy seas with plenty of beer!
Swan won’t eat the mashed potatoes at Treasure Island because she says they come out of a box. I guess the veggies are better than that.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/November/2025 @ 12:45 pm
Brian, for the record, I have no issues with immigrants who obey the law of the land. People will flee their homeland in search of better opportunities, and there is nothing wrong with that, provided they do so legally. People born into poverty here in the Philippines have few avenues to escape it, other than to move elsewhere. I understand that and can sympathize. And it ain’t the Filipino immigrants in the UK and USA causing the trouble.
As for how Filipinos view immigrants like me, I can only say what I’ve seen: they are genuinely friendly and welcoming. I think they understand that foreigners help a struggling economy, and as long as we respect the culture and don’t abuse their neighbors, they are happy to have us. When I walk through a slum village, candy or not, I am always greeted with smiles, a hearty good morning, and friendly questions like, “Where are you going?”. If I can’t find my way, they are always willing to show me. I never feel threatened or unwelcome. That’s what I love about this country.
Preferring to live here or in the homeland is a matter of personal choice. My pension is more than adequate to support a middle-class American lifestyle. But I don’t want one. As I’ve said before, I find the States to be boring and vanilla compared to life in Asia. Yes, I miss first-world amenities sometimes (Kevin’s picture from his hike reminds me of how much nicer it is in Korea). Still, otherwise, I am not unhappy with my decision to live in a poor country and make it better for some of the locals because I am here. I’d much rather pay for someone’s college education than their electric bill every month. And as I tell my recipients, don’t pay me back, pay it forward by helping others.
Always enjoy the exchange of viewpoints, Brian. Thanks for that!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/November/2025 @ 12:27 pm
Martin, thanks for sharing your viewpoints.
I agree, you would not be a good fit in the Philippines. Enjoy the vanilla life in your homeland!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/November/2025 @ 10:21 am
Brian, what I liked about the video was that this guy chose to live amongst the locals and was accepted into the community. I’ve fantasized about what that life would be like, but I don’t have the balls to try it. Hell, I bitch about a crappy hotel room I retreated to so I’d have access to electricity. But my observations looking down from my hilltop palace are consistent with the qualities expressed in the video. People are kind to one another and giving, especially among family members. If someone has 1000 pesos and another has none, they will share so that both have 500 pesos. And when the situation is reversed, the other will give.
I think if given the chance, more Filipinos would leave. What this country lacks is opportunity. That’s why OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) are the country’s biggest export.
Yes, I do think the countries you cite are worse than the Philippines. The Brits and Aussies I’ve met here are not pleased about the degradation of their homelands. For example, in the UK, Muslim immigrant “grooming” rape gangs run wild, and the government does nothing. But if you complain about it on Facebook, the cops will come arrest you for “racist” comments. Orwell’s 1984 missed it by 40 years, but now the government is using it like a “how-to” guide.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/November/2025 @ 9:32 am
Seeking shelter from the storm
Thanks for your understanding, Mister Invisible.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/November/2025 @ 9:53 am
Brian, yeah, and next time I’ll upgrade to a hotel that doesn’t offer rooms by the hour. I didn’t even want to think about what that shitty mattress had been through…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/November/2025 @ 9:53 am
Thanks, Coco. I’m safe and sound. So far.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/November/2025 @ 11:32 am
Kevin, I’ve seen it. Not over yet, but not as bad as some places.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/November/2025 @ 11:32 am
Brian, I know you’ve been to Thailand a lot. That’s where I was shocked by how many 7-Elevens I saw, especially in Pattaya—it seemed like there was one on every block. I didn’t frequent many, but they seemed like the typical convenience store setup. That’s how they are here in the PI, too.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/November/2025 @ 11:15 am
Bradbury, you’re no Ray, but not bad. I’m not understanding the ending, though.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/November/2025 @ 10:04 am
Koko, I will survive the typhoon. Thanks for your support.
Gary is married man and he used to own a bar in Angeles. You girls missed your chance.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/November/2025 @ 6:38 pm
Floribeth, Carrot cake is my favorite, but it doesn’t make me longer. Sorry.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/November/2025 @ 6:36 pm
Kevin, as a kid, my mom would make liver and onions for dinner a couple of times a month. The rule at our house was you stayed at the dinner table until you’d cleaned your plate. I couldn’t stand the taste of liver, so when she wasn’t looking, I’d drop it to one of our dogs under the table.
It’s probably the onions you don’t like.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/November/2025 @ 10:55 am
Dan, I’ve never had pickled herring, so I can’t say whether I like it or not. The others I never want to eat again.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/November/2025 @ 10:35 am
Floribeth, Google translate is your friend: You need mince for meatballs
Not to mince words about it.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/November/2025 @ 10:34 am
Kevin, I see what you did there. Nice job! I will think of ways to say things without that glyph, too. I’ll just act as if my board tab is not functioning as it should. That might work, don’t you think, Kivin?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/November/2025 @ 9:57 am
Thanks for sharing your insights, Brian.
It’s been seven years since I’ve been “home.” A lot has changed since then. That last trip left me feeling depressed; seeing my old house and the places I had shared with my wife were like salt in a wound. Since that time, things have gone south within the family. At this stage of my life, I honestly don’t want to deal with the drama. Maybe I’ll feel differently in the future.
Well, I didn’t get nasty or loud; I just said that I’d been given the coupon (they are dated and only good for a week) on Friday night and that I was here to use it. I guess Whiskey Girl’s position was that, since they didn’t bother to show up (despite being listed as a competitor), they had no obligation to honor the raffle prize. I was fully prepared to walk away, but then the manager relented. Anyway, Whiskey Girl has become a shithole, and I will never return. I got my free beers as my way of saying, “fuck you.”
As for popping the Asia bubble, I’m glad to be here. I read about the crap going on in Europe and Down Under and have no desire whatsoever to visit those shitholes. If I still had a sense of adventure, I wouldn’t mind checking out South America. I’ve never been on a cruise, but maybe that’s a good “old man” alternative. I do recall, when I visited the Bahamas, how much I hated it when a cruise ship came into port: masses of tourists swarming the streets, ruining it for the rest of us. We’ll see what the future brings.
Nope, no offense taken whatsoever. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/November/2025 @ 9:51 am
Dr. Greg, I ain’t afraid of no typhoon. They can take my electric, but not my power.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/November/2025 @ 10:26 pm
Kevin, that makes sense. Almoranus is German, and his co-Hare, Vienna Sausage, is, well, Austrian.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/November/2025 @ 8:18 am
Paploo, easy for you to say.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/November/2025 @ 8:16 am
Kevin, tell your Aunt Flo from Redlands that I never even noticed the period.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 04/November/2025 @ 2:25 pm
«« Back To Stats PageTerence, No, that wasn’t Myleen’s. We do go there once in a while. Best Mexican food in town!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 03/November/2025 @ 8:25 am