Comments Posted By John McCrarey
Displaying 61 To 90 Of 6,593 Comments
Drain, and I just don’t understand their motivation. Who robs a homeless old woman?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/September/2026 @ 12:14 pm
Brian, yes, it was definitely cleaner there. I’ve seen crews walking the beach and picking up whatever trash the tide might leave behind. I have no idea why they don’t pay people here to do that.
As for transportation in Pundaquit, they have trikes, but that’s it. If you took a trike to San Antonio, you could catch a bus on the highway. I assume you could hire a driver there, so the biggest difference for me would be the added distance from the life I’m accustomed to. There are no Hash or hiking groups that I know of, the nearest hospital is in San Marcelino, 12K away, and it’s a public hospital, so I’d probably die even if I made it there alive. I’m not sure where the nearest grocery store might be, but my friend in San Antonio makes the hour-long drive to Royal once a week. I’d have the Beach Bar and Car Wash for drinking beer, but I expect that might get boring after a while. Anyway, living there is doable, but I prefer my Barretto life and its comparative convenience.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/September/2026 @ 5:08 pm
Kamatayan, shit happens. But the good here outweighs the negatives, and that’s why I stay.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/September/2026 @ 10:28 am
Brian, good to know you’re a fan of Garth; he’s a good one. Lucky you for getting to see him live.
Time will tell whether I’ve learned the lessons life has tried to teach me, but at my age, I won’t have much longer to fuck up. I think the relationship gaps you mention can be overcome, but the key requirement is that both sides must be walking on the same path to the future. I’m reminded of some old Jim Croce lyrics:
Like the fool, I am, and I’ll always be
I’ve got a dream, I’ve got a dream
They can change their minds, but they can’t change me
I’ve got a dream, I’ve got a dreamOh, I know I could share it if you want me to
If you’re goin’ my way
I’ll go with you» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/September/2026 @ 10:27 am
Anonymous, yes, I am very much over the feelings I once had for Paula. That was 4 years ago, and we have both moved on. Swan is the final love of my life.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/September/2026 @ 10:20 am
Becky, I have no clue what your comment is referring to, but certainly it is not about anything I posted. Please keep comments relevant. Thank you!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/September/2026 @ 1:05 pm
Brian, well, there are places in the Philippines with Muslim enclaves, and Westerners routinely get kidnapped for ransom or just murdered in the name of Allah. Only fools ignore the Embassy warnings to stay away. I walk through the slums here all the time and am greeted with friendly smiles. I wouldn’t want to try walking through a Chicago slum. So, I’d argue that Filipinos are less violent despite their circumstances.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/September/2026 @ 10:15 am
Dr. Greg, Gary is back home and recovering under his wife’s loving care. It seems he had the proverbial one too many beers that night…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/September/2026 @ 4:47 pm
Thanks for sharing, Brian. It was a day that changed my life forever.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/September/2026 @ 10:18 am
Brian, the link to the editorial is only for paid subscribers, so I’ll have to take your word for it. 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/September/2026 @ 9:25 am
Drain, yes. Not remembering the past can doom you to repeating it. Given who New Yorkers voted in as mayor, I’d say a royal fucking is on the horizon.
Glad you enjoy hearing about the bars. I’m toying with the idea of updating my Bars of Barretto series.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/September/2026 @ 5:03 pm
Dr. Greg, I flatlined on Ozempic, so Dr. Jo has switched me to Mounjaro. I start the higher dosage next week. Hopefully, I resume losing weight soon.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/September/2026 @ 1:13 pm
Brian, you are right, time marches on. I was born after the “day of infamy,” but I remember reading about it. Being in DC the morning of 9/11 made it up close and personal. It also changed the way I saw the world. Believe it or not, back then my main source for news was reading the Washington Post on the train commute to work every morning. After that, I discovered the internet and saw that mainstream media bias is in what they DON’T report. Now I have multiple sources and can make up my own mind rather than being told what to think. I haven’t voted Democrat since then.
As for the bars, based on customer volume, I’d say Red Bar and Sloppy Joe’s are doing the best these days. Sloppy Joe’s is open 24-hours a day, features sporting events on large-screen TVs, and has a decent kitchen when hunger pangs hit. Red Bar has dancers inside, but I always sit on the patio out front and just enjoy watching the world go by.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/September/2026 @ 10:17 am
Miles, I’m not aware of any jazz bars in Barretto, but some places accept song requests. That’s probably the only way you’ll hear Coltrane…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/September/2026 @ 7:58 am
Ed, Swan does not smoke. It took me a minute to figure out what made you think she does; then I saw the pack of cigarettes on the table in that photo. Those belong to someone else who was sitting with us.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/September/2026 @ 8:48 am
Dr. Greg, nope. Ten days now with no running water in the house. Apparently, the water company is waiting for the river to recede before they fix the broken pipe. Well, the river won’t go down until the rain stops, and that ain’t happened yet. It sucks. I’m going to rent a short-time hotel room this afternoon. Not for sex, but for a shower.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/September/2026 @ 2:29 pm
Brian, well, I’m sans shower, but I rubbed myself clean with a wet cloth rag. I understand there is currently a leptospirosis epidemic in Manila caused by exposure to that nasty floodwater.
Regarding tipping, wait staff are notoriously underpaid everywhere it seems, but I don’t mind throwing some coin their way in recognition of good service. Hell, the term “tips” means “to insure prompt service.” (Hmm, maybe not. I should be TEPS, ensure versus insure.) Anyway, back when I was living my American life, 20% was my max. It sounds like I’d be a cheap Charlie there nowadays. But yes, I agree. Pay the workers a fair wage and let folks tip or not as they please. Then again, when California raised the minimum wage, lots of service workers became unemployed. Those kiosks in the fast-food joints for ordering are even here in the Philippines now.
Sounds like you have good cause to rant. That credit card thing would really piss me off. And the anti-tippers here are always ranting about American tippers spoiling the waitresses. You can’t win.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/September/2026 @ 2:27 pm
Brian, that’s why I let Swan handle the domestic help. She gets along well with her sister, and I expect they could resolve any issues that might arise. Sister Cyrene does have three kids and a hubby, but they are staying in the basement apartment downstairs. So far, so good.
The bars are running out of San Miguel Extra Light because it has become surprisingly popular with the expat crowd. I didn’t expect that would be the case. And the problem isn’t with the bars not ordering enough; they can’t get it. As weird as it sounds, San Miguel introduced a new beer and now isn’t producing enough supply to meet the demand. Welcome to the Filipino business logic.
There are no purchasing restrictions here that I am aware of. San Miguel sends around a truck and bars order directly from there. There are also several private beer distributors you can purchase from. That’s where the Hash gets the beer we buy.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/September/2026 @ 1:07 pm
Marco, what a stupid comment. NO respect.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/September/2026 @ 10:14 pm
Brian, but my water comes out yellowish, like a Peesner.
Yeah, it is crazy to see so many bars in such a small town. When one closes down, another takes its place. I go out every night for a few, but most of the expat community isn’t as dedicated to helping the bars survive. I’m expecting that one day soon there will be a reckoning.
Yesterday and today have been crazy with rain. Haven’t been able to even take a morning walk. I’ve been lucky to find a window that lets me sneak into town between the water drops. Still no running water in my house, though.
Yeah, there’s gonna be some wild times in Thailand. After so many months at sea, those guys have earned it. Here in Subic, when a Navy ship comes to port, the crew is confined to SBMA; Barretto’s whore bars are off limits.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/September/2026 @ 12:01 pm
Dr. Greg, I may ask the landlord about installing one. As a renter, any home improvements ought to at least be deducted from the rent money.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 03/September/2026 @ 2:11 pm
Drain, probably not. I’ve got some personal issues with the new manager there and I preferred the Jumpin’ Jacks vibe. Lots of other options if you are looking for take out.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 01/September/2026 @ 12:46 pm
Brian, yeah, I had that same thought…everywhere is flooding and I’m stuck in the desert.
Okay, the video title included “British Comedy,” so I was expecting humor. I guess the joke was on me. 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 01/September/2026 @ 8:54 am
Another circle on the carousel of life
Chop, Ha-ha! Actually, the Filipino way is always just one candle on the cake. But you are right; no way I could fit 71 candles on a cake, let alone blow them out.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/August/2026 @ 10:32 am
Bobby, yep, it was a fine day, and the food was as good as it looks.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/August/2026 @ 9:57 am
Thanks, Brian. Hopefully, there will be many more birthdays to come.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/August/2026 @ 9:55 am
Trent, Kevin has elected to no longer comment on the blog. He sent me a birthday greeting via email.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/August/2026 @ 3:14 pm
Coco, I don’t reply to messages after beer o’clock. No offense intended.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/August/2026 @ 8:45 am
Megatron, XL is real enough for me.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/August/2026 @ 8:45 am
«« Back To Stats PageCoco, thank you for the kind birthday wishes. I’ll take a pass on the pole dancing.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/August/2026 @ 8:47 am