Comments Posted By John McCrarey
Displaying 901 To 930 Of 6,501 Comments
Brian, if you are a Garth Brooks fan, then you must have friends in low places. Like me!
Thanks for the insights into Brooks’ history. I’d never heard that before. Are you sure the video I posted is a cover version? That’s the one I’ve always listened to.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/August/2025 @ 2:18 pm
Brian, yes, he is a tad off-kilter but still better than the AI bullshit we’ve been invaded with. It’s getting harder and harder to find a video I can sit through these days.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/August/2025 @ 9:33 am
Joe, thanks. I haven’t been keeping up with the changes in SSA law. I don’t have enough quarters to be eligible, and my legal wife is Korean, so that won’t help. Not that it matters, “double dipping” isn’t allowed, so if I drew a SS pension, my CSRS would be reduced.
I am still freaked out that the government knows my address in the Philippines!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/August/2025 @ 9:31 am
QP, she was fun to be with most of the time. In the end, she didn’t want to join me to live in a “poor country.” Her loss.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/August/2025 @ 8:37 am
Brian, yeah, funny how that works. I always spend more than I would otherwise when I have a “discount” incentive. Hmm.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/August/2025 @ 8:29 am
Ya Kid, I’ll have to take you word for it, because I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/August/2025 @ 1:43 pm
Brian, Yeah, I have to be in the mood for Karaoke, and if I ain’t singing I don’t want to hear anyone else. That’s why the norebang in Korea is such a nice concept. Jumpin’ Jacks is going to do a private singing room thing. That’s the only one I’ve seen in the PI. Lots of videoke bars, but no private rooms. I hope it is the beginning of a trend.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/August/2025 @ 12:58 pm
Brian, for some reason, I’m just not into pools (heh). But yeah, a swim-up bar would most likely motivate me to dive in…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/August/2025 @ 9:24 am
Settle down, boys. Let’s avoid personal attacks in the commenting please. Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one. So, no need to be one. The comments are my favorite part of blogging and I welcome free expressions of whatever your thoughts may be, just keep them directed at the issues.
Thank you
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/August/2025 @ 12:30 pm
Brian, yes, I agree. One week wasn’t enough for Da Nang last time. Some of the shorter stays (Ba Na Hills and Hoi An) are just to flesh out some of what we saw last trip.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/August/2025 @ 9:50 am
Gary, I miss him too.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/August/2025 @ 5:19 am
Daeguowl, Yikes! One more milestone in my journey to mindlessness. Thanks for letting me know I messed up.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/August/2025 @ 5:19 am
Aloysius, thanks for the feedback on “The end of the road.” It was a big leap going from being a union man to working for the oppressors. But damn, after seven years, I was SO bored being a mailman. I made the jump into management in the job of Safety Specialist and justified it in my mind by convincing myself I’d be doing more good for the worker bees by keeping them safe. When I started representing the management side as a Labor Relations guy, I was still enforcing adherence to the collective bargaining agreement. That job made it possible to work at keeping BOTH sides doing the right thing. So, yeah, the money was better but that wasn’t the only motivation. I’m proud to say that the union leaders I dealt with respected me.
Swan isn’t as active with her meat sideline as she used to be, but she still has a few customers, including me.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/August/2025 @ 1:29 pm
Gary, when it comes to AI, I fear we are the eggs.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/August/2025 @ 9:49 am
You are bad to the bone, Rad.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/August/2025 @ 11:19 pm
I knew the accent was wrong in that video, but I didn’t get the AI vibe overall. It’s getting harder to detect.
Glad you finally got a laugh out of one of my joke memes!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/August/2025 @ 11:18 pm
Different URL, so I didn’t notice when I approved it from the bar. First AI comment is in a couple of weeks. I hope you aren’t serious about leaving.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/August/2025 @ 11:15 pm
Kevin, at least you had the balls to try it. There are some things I’ll never eat. Here in the PI, it’s balut (duck fetus).
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/August/2025 @ 9:31 am
Just can’t stand country music
Yes, that would have been torturous for you. I feel the same way about rap music at ear-splitting volume.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/August/2025 @ 9:30 am
Kevin, I was familiar with lyrics to the song, but exercised creative license to alter them to better suit my purposes. No one NEEDS a worthless post at LTG, but that’s what they GOT.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/August/2025 @ 8:35 am
Daeguowl, Ah, I heard somewhere that it had shut down for good. Glad to learn it has survived. Even when I lived nearby, I’d probably only visit a couple times per month, but I enjoyed the vibe. Reminded me of when I lived in Arkansas. What was the misfortune during your visit?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/August/2025 @ 8:32 am
Aaron, that’s a dart player named Alan. He throws a killer game.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/August/2025 @ 8:29 am
Brian, I like Pattaya, which is no surprise given my love of bars. Oddly enough, the crazy bars like on Soi 6 don’t appeal, but I like the beer gardens. Also, it is easy to get out of town and away from the hustle and bustle, like in Jomtien.
I don’t have enough history there to have noted the change in demographics, but I remember seeing lots of Indian restaurants.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/August/2025 @ 8:21 am
Kevin, well, in her defense, the Hare who wrote that passage is Filipina, so English is her second language. What she meant to say was the trail is marked with orange ribbons (tied on branches), shredded paper, and chalk marks drawn on trees.
I had the same thought about Always Wet hanging back with us because she knew the trail was poorly marked. But the tone of her voice when I couldn’t find my way had an “are you stupid or something” sound.
I’m not sure why they chose that route, but I felt lucky I didn’t lose an eye from those sticker bushes (one got me right between the eyes). And I don’t expect that waterfall will last longer than the rainy season.
I didn’t pay attention to the labels, but I’m sure most of the food offerings were catered. Smurf 69 dropped some coin for that impressive spread, that lechon (roasted pig) ain’t cheap (they average around 7000 pesos or $130).
I always have a box of Betty Crocker on the shelf when needed.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/August/2025 @ 12:57 pm
Brian, I like that Yoakam tune and used it once already as the daily song.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/August/2025 @ 12:33 pm
Brian, the candy giving is intended as a small act of charity, worthless though it may be. Seeing the kids scream with joy as we approach makes me feel good, selfishly perhaps. Maybe I could hand out flyers with healthy eating tips, but then I’d be accused of contributing to the litter problem.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/August/2025 @ 12:41 pm
Oh, and about the 150/100 peso “reward.” Yeah, it’s chump change to us, but for a girl whose salary is probably 300 pesos for her entire shift, it is a pretty significant bonus.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/August/2025 @ 1:26 pm
Kevin, Swan works throughout the week, filling little plastic bags with an assortment of candies (six or seven pieces per bag). When the kids line up, she hands a bag out to each one. Often, there is a parent or other adult standing nearby. So, the Sunday school teacher could just keep the kids in the classroom during the handouts. Attempting to dictate the content of what we freely give seems rude to me. Beggars can’t be choosers comes to mind (I know the kids aren’t begging, but you can accept what we offer or nothing at all.) There are some kids who decline, and that’s fine.
Yeah, the weather here makes rice a year-round crop, but rainy season is the big one because the fields are like lake beds, perfect for planting. At other times of the year, they have to pump water into the fields from wells.
So, thanks for confirming my suspicion that the content of the video was also fake. I’m not in favor of censorship, but I wish YouTube would require a disclaimer for fictional content. Oh well, we are likely doomed to an AI-dominated future of lies.
I might have been a little more adventurous food-wise during the Korea chapter of my life. I, too, drew the line at eating anything containing dog meat, though. The weirdest thing I recall eating was barbecue shell. When they plopped that still living clam on the grill, and it was squirming in the shell right before my eyes, it seemed almost cruel. Then again, it was pretty tasty.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/August/2025 @ 9:49 am
Thanks for the feedback, Brian. I don’t have any issues if someone doesn’t want their child to eat candy. We hand out 400 or more bags every weekend, and the parents usually call their kids to come runnin’ when they see us approaching. So, I’m not of a mind to deny candy to everyone because of the few who don’t want it. We will just bypass the Sunday school kids from now on. That leaves more for everyone else.
I’m not arguing that candy is a healthy snack, but the kids were serve are poor and likely couldn’t afford to buy the treats we provide them once a week. I don’t think we are causing any real harm with our project.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/August/2025 @ 9:26 am
«« Back To Stats PageKevin, oddly enough, I’ve acclimated pretty well to the heat. I rarely even use aircon in the house. Granted, it gets uncomfortable on the hikes occasionally, but you get used to it. Like I say, wet with sweat or wet with rain, does it make a difference?
“Too bad I’m way too old for her.”
That’s another nice thing about the Philippines. They say “age is just a number” here. You’re not even 60 yet, you’d be one of the youngest guys in town!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 04/August/2025 @ 10:01 am