Comments Posted By John McCrarey
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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
Kevin, 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
Kevin, the back is almost back to normal. I’ve not used my nebulizer or inhaler for months, so I’m happy to be breathing easy again. As far as I know, my internal organs are still functioning up to par, so I reckon for someone on the verge of 70, I’m doing alright.
No, they are still going through the motions with the SOB, down to five bars and no promotion. Daddy Dave is struggling with health issues, and that’s understandably his primary concern these days.
Thanks for the dietary advice and tips. I’m a lazy fuck, so I tend to look for the easy way to go. Is CICO a waste of time? I’d rather count calories than content. Swan has been YouTubeing healthy, low-calorie meals she can prepare for me. We eat dinner out a lot, but eat breakfast and lunch at home.
Man, fatty carbs are SO delicious. That’s usually my downfall.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 03/August/2025 @ 10:04 am
Kevin, I’m familiar with the subtitle for The Hobbit, but it was not explicitly in my thinking for that post. I have this thing where I try to avoid replicating post titles. I had used “There and back again” previously, so I added the “then” to make an original title.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 03/August/2025 @ 1:17 pm
Kevin, actually, I think I meant to say “peruser.” I’m only a purveyor of bad writing.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 02/August/2025 @ 1:55 pm
Kevin, the dark sand makes sense given that the Philippines has several recently active volcanoes, including the famous one near me, Pinatubo.
Swan just called it a “meat pie,” but given your definitions, I suppose that means cottage pie. And thanks for teaching me the correct pronunciation of “pasties.” I also always thought it was said like “paste.” I’m not an expert on British food, and other than a couple of places, I don’t see a lot of English offerings. I may have had bangers and mash once, but I don’t remember anything special about it. I’m pretty Americanized in my eating habits, although in that context, I include Mexican delicacies.
Interesting info on the origins of “soccer,” I’d never heard that before, just assuming it was a Yank rendering. One of the big changes for me after moving overseas is having completely lost interest in professional sports. I was a rabid fan at one point, and now I don’t give a damn at all. Being surrounded by a lot of crazed expat fanatics, I know those kickball games come in various forms, some called footie, some Aussie Rules football, but mostly just football that ain’t the kind I grew up with.
As to the diet, we’ll see what happens. I had four beers last night and two gin and sodas. That’s down from my usual 8 to 10 drinks per night. I didn’t like the gin; even in low doses, I could feel it building up to the knockdown punch. Yeah, it is probably not the beer making the belly, I need to keep the other carbs down and skip the sweets. The beer does reduce my willpower in that regard. I’ve stocked up on sugar-free pudding, which I hope will become my go-to dessert.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 02/August/2025 @ 9:12 am
Kevin, yes I’m not a big purveyor of YouTube videos, but I’ve noted that it is getting harder and harder to escape the fakery that is AI. Most of the time the narration doesn’t even sound human. And the background photos seldom relate to the content being presented. Sometimes I just have to settle for “good enough.”
» Posted By John McCrarey On 02/August/2025 @ 8:51 am
Sorry for the late response, Gary. I think Strickland must have taken one too many hits to the head. We all know you have to be gay to join the UFC (ultimate fag club).
» Posted By John McCrarey On 02/August/2025 @ 5:20 pm
Brian, damn, you know me too well! Anyway, spreading my wings and trying new joints has been refreshing so far. We are becoming big fans of Jumpin’ Jacks lately.
Korea is a place I miss, but it is also my past. Last time I was there I felt totally out of place surrounded by memories of days gone by and unable to overcome the sadness they brought with them. Maybe enough time has gone by now that I could enjoy things as they are. Trying new places and having Swan along would help with that. I’ll have to check and see if it is hard for a Filipina to get a tourist visa.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 02/August/2025 @ 9:19 am
Kevin, now that I know Swan wants variety, Wednesday will be dedicated to trying somewhere new (or newish). I’d had that in my mind, but didn’t really act on it with regularity previously.
HaHa! Yes, wine and good music are prerequisites to remain on my list of places to go. Also, I’ll be avoiding places where the bartender calls me stupid (I’m looking at you, Cheap Charlies).
Music is a big part of the vibe I’m looking for in a bar. As an early-bird, I’m often the only customer in the place, so why play shit I don’t like? Barretto is full of old geezers who like the old stuff, not bullshit rap. And with over fifty bars to choose from, I can be choosy.
I guess one should never say never, but Cloud 69 crossed a line. If I can’t trust a bar to not pad my bill, it takes the fun out of drinking there. Maybe once my cognitive ability to remember is depleted, I’ll forget, even if I don’t forgive.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 01/August/2025 @ 9:45 am
Damn, one more piece of evidence that I’ve got a Biden-like brain. I had to check, but I DID post that meme less than a week ago.
I remember seeing the McGill Big 3 post and thinking yikes! It scared me to the core. Whatever triggered the current problems seems to be self-correcting. I’m going to get back with the program to lose some pounds tomorrow.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 31/July/2025 @ 9:12 am
Daeguowl, my normal handout to “Mama” is 100 pesos, sometimes 150. That’s enough for her to get some food and a beverage everyday. Inflation in the PI hasn’t been a problem (so far), so she’s doing alright. I know there are a couple of other guys who toss some coin her way when they see her. Hell, she may be making more in a day than a lot of the bargirls in town…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/July/2025 @ 2:22 pm
Kev, that thought about the belly weight crossed my mind, but Dr. Jo didn’t mention it. More likely, it just goes with the territory when you are an old fucker. It feels a bit better today.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/July/2025 @ 2:18 pm
«« Back To Stats PageGary, it’s a fair question and one I have no shame in answering. I give mama between 100-150 pesos when I encounter her on the street. That’s about ten bucks a week, which is enough to buy her a daily meal or two.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/July/2025 @ 2:17 pm