Comments Posted By John McCrarey
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Drain, you make some solid points about the contributing factors to a littering culture here. From my observations, people just don’t care. Poor kids throw a candy wrapper on the ground, and the parent says nothing. Middle-class folk in fancy cars roll down the window and toss out plastic cups as they drive. It’s insane.
Yes, I’ve seen what you describe where the yard of the poorest shanty is kept raked and clean, but the household trash is dumped into the vacant lot next door. Of course, out in the sticks there is no trash collection service, so I can kind of understand it, although I have seen people in that situation at least burn or bury the garbage.
I remember as a kid growing up in the USA there were lots of anti-littering commercials (like the crying Indian). It must have worked because, as an adult, I never even threw my cigarette butts on the ground. I just don’t see similar efforts here to change the litter culture.
Your observations about the old Navy base kind of prove that enforcement works, but I don’t expect that will ever be a government priority. Anyway, it is part of the Philippines experience, I suppose. I don’t like seeing it, but I don’t let it get to me like it used to.
Thanks again for sharing your insights.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/April/2024 @ 7:45 am
I can do one without the other
Well, the bright side for me is I’ve never had to pay taxes since I retired. It’s a pain to have to file to get my refund, but it is worth it. 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/April/2024 @ 8:06 am
Thanks for the berry good advice! Yep, still tweaking things as I move forward and learning as I go.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/April/2024 @ 6:23 am
Yes, it is. I can see the bridge from my house, but because of the river, you have to go all the way to the highway then back up to Alta Vista. The red dot is where I said “fuck that” and caught a trike.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/April/2024 @ 7:30 am
Yeah, there is signage up now saying Bridge #1 will be repaired. It is the only vehicle access to a large San Isidro neighborhood, and it is also only one lane. I don’t know how they can fix it without closing it, and I don’t know how they can close it without isolating several hundred homes. I hope no one needs an ambulance.
Yeah, it was just weird being told how to pronounce an English word. I should have said, Oh, you mean eun-saek?
Damn, now I remember! Love that version of the song and the ashes disposal. The worst part of dementia is all the cool things you forget.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/April/2024 @ 7:41 am
Well, there was nothing memorable about this skinny little waterfall. I’ve done several “falls” hikes, and they are all about the same–a trickle of water falling over a hill to a pond below. Getting there is always the best part.
I think the bamboo was left there to serve as a raft, but yeah, I get what you mean. Bacteria in the water never crossed my mind (well, except in the bay), but I’ve not heard of any creek swimmers getting infected. Don’t drink from it, though!
Divorce is illegal in the Philippines; I’d have to go back to the USA to do that. Or Jee Yeun could do it in Korea. It was her idea to begin with.
The way I see it, getting older and uglier is still much better than the alternative.
I just pasted that Quora answer from what I wrote there back in 2020. Looking at it now, I see I should have put the punctuation inside the quotation mark.
What? You don’t enjoy local cultural dances? Whatever floats your boat. 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/April/2024 @ 7:57 am
Kev, I finished Season 1 weeks ago and am just waiting for Season 2 to be released. I didn’t relate to it as well as I did “Shameless,” but it was still an entertaining watch.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/April/2024 @ 7:37 am
A journey that ended in Alaska
That’s Erik. He’s not a threat.
Yeah, accents are tough sometimes. When I first moved to Arkansas, understanding could be a challenge. My dad was from Memphis and did the “y’alls” but didn’t have the thick Southern drawl you encounter deep in the hearta.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/April/2024 @ 7:22 am
Nope, we weren’t going THAT far out of town. Cawag is on the far side of Subic, out near the shipyard.
That hill was steep but short. That made it doable.
Ah yeah, I remember Shady Grove as a stop on the Metro now. Never got off there, though.
Onelia does seem to have a kind heart. A few months back, both she and her daughter Jennifer sent me Facebook friend requests, and I was thinking, “Here we go with the money and help pleas.” Never happened; just an occasional good morning, John.
Yeah, I could have worded my barhop report better. I DID go to Roadhouse. And as I finished my beer, the thought occurred to me that I had a perfectly good roof to drink on with a better view. So, I paid up and left for home.
Well, no matter how you word it, the only thing this administration can do is destroy. Four years past time for a change; I fear we won’t make it through four more.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/April/2024 @ 7:22 am
Not surprised, basketball is HUGE in this country.
She pronounces it “Shay”–not sure why it is spelled Shie.
Well, I usually stay on the floating bar until sundown, have dinner somewhere on the beach, and go home afterward. The barhop was caused by events outside of my control. So, it was God’s fault!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 04/April/2024 @ 7:39 am
Now I know. Thanks.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 04/April/2024 @ 7:31 am
Kev, at least it wasn’t as steep as Easter Mountain. Scott looked it up, and that one big incline to the top was forty-seven degrees! No way I could have done both of those on the same day.
It is sad that I’ve lost the ability to smell my own farts, but I’m still having a blast with Swan.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 03/April/2024 @ 7:14 am
Hello, Dan. Yeah, that gal was a hottie. You should have seen her dance!
Carol was wife #3 and was with me during our visit to Istanbul. Some great memories there. I moved to Korea the following month. Carol was supposed to join me there but changed her mind after I was gone.
I was brand new to blogging back then and didn’t know about comment moderation or spam blockers. I’m not sure what the point of those bot comments were, but these days they get blocked before I ever see them.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 03/April/2024 @ 7:09 am
At least I’m getting more creative with my fuck-ups…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 02/April/2024 @ 6:53 am
Yes, I can manage small groups, but the other day on that basketball court, there must have been 50 kids crowding around me. I knew I couldn’t accommodate them all. A fellow hiker told me don’t even think about opening your backpack or you’ll get mobbed. So, I just told the kids, “Sorry, nothing today,” and took off down the street. Several followed me for a while, but I just kept going.
Everything in moderation! I am actually quite proud of my ability to moderate my intake to avoid intoxication. Saturday was a rare exception, and I blame the SML’s higher alcohol content and my failure to reduce consumption accordingly. Lesson learned!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 01/April/2024 @ 7:11 am
Heh, I didn’t notice the big arm until you mentioned it. He must have been holding something is all I can figure.
It’s a small world! Glad Tom got to take a stroll down memory lane last night.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 31/March/2024 @ 7:45 am
I trust you much more than Grammarly. I don’t always follow the suggested changes (usually word choices) either.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 31/March/2024 @ 7:40 am
Well, originally, it was just “hurry November,” but that is kind of fragmented. After your comment, I asked Grammarly about it. It had no issue with the lack of a comma after hurry but did require one after hurry up.
And yes, there is no doubt it will happen again. I’m a SLOW learner.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/March/2024 @ 3:42 pm
Swan worked briefly at the Subiza Beach Resort, but the lack of customers didn’t warrant her continuing. She likes to stay busy.
It is good to be unintentionally funny sometimes. It worked better than the sarcasm I intended.
If I were to rewrite it, I’d say, “Hurry up, November!” I reckon a comma would have also been in order in the original version. Grammarly doesn’t think so, though.
I’ve pretty much acclimated to the heat here, but damn, these past few days have been hotter than normal. I’m ready to start bitching about the rainy season!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/March/2024 @ 7:39 am
Yeah, much respect. Best wishes for their continued success.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/March/2024 @ 7:20 am
Kev, talk about an early morning hike–Scott’s gal and her friends climbed Easter Mountain (real name, Mt. Booitlao) at two a.m. today and are waiting up there for the Good Friday sunrise. Damn, I can’t imagine doing that climb in the dark.
Those Fitbit measurements I posted were for the entire day. The only one (besides steps) I focus on is Zone Minutes (peak heart rate/cardio). A typical day is in the low 100s; I’m trying to get that up to at least 150 daily. The climb stats were off the rails.
Yeah, that last hundred yards or so is a very steep up. Forty-five degrees sounds about right. The path we took did have a couple of switchbacks.
Re: The Rite Spot, I have tarps on the front side to block the sun, but this storm came from the back with gusty winds. I just have to accept the fact that the roof isn’t an option on a rainy day.
The meds have made a positive impact. Still taking them until my follow-up with Dr. Jo in a week.
No, Easter Mountain is the Hash name. I’ve not heard the locals call it by name, but this site says they call it Boovillao. The first time I climbed up to the peak in 2018, there was a Mother Mary shrine. It’s gone now. There is also a concrete pad indicating some kind of structure was up there in the past. Many locals make a pilgrimage to the top on Good Friday, but there are no religious symbols (unless graffiti counts) along the way.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/March/2024 @ 8:03 am
Thanks, Brian. I’ve got a few miles left in me yet.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/March/2024 @ 7:15 am
I haven’t heard any updates on Jerry yet, but the bone break was the worst of his injuries.
Thanks for the headache I got from the lesson on subjunctives. My ignorance of grammar abounds in new and interesting ways that are completely over my head, I fear.
I do see how I screwed up with the rooster farm. Unless I can convince you that it is the farm screeching, not the roosters. I’ll take the “L” and try to do better next time.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/March/2024 @ 6:31 am
HaHa! That’s it! A rooster has a right to the identity I assign through poor grammar!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/March/2024 @ 6:17 am
I totally agree with you on this, DS. China’s escalation with its water cannon attacks on fishing and supply boats can’t lead to anything good.
Every time I walk around SBMA, I think about how foolish and shortsighted the government was in chasing off their protector. The situation would likely be much different if the Navy were still parked in Subic and the Air Force were ready for action at Clark.
Ha! I was looking at the statue the other day. I guess now it could be interpreted as “please come back.” The people seem to be waking up to their peril now, and I sense a growing nationalistic fervor. Hopefully, it’s not too late.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/March/2024 @ 6:43 am
Kev, regarding the sunglasses, my sense is that Swan isn’t going for style, just functionality.
I don’t think the bay water is clear enough to make a transparent kayak worthwhile.
I enjoyed the post you linked. I honestly had no idea that some monks behave like that. Who do they think they are, Catholic priests?
I didn’t know the science behind the bad grammar in that Quora question, but I recognized the result. Hence my mocking answer.
I read right past that first-frame comma error you mentioned, but when I went back and looked, I saw it should have been a semi-colon.
REM, to me, always had a unique sound and some good songs. “Everybody Hurts” and “Losing My Religion” are a couple of my favorites.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/March/2024 @ 6:37 am
As a former resident of the Great State of Arkansas, my reaction to your joke was, “What in tarnation does that mean?” When I first moved there I was told that Arkansas is like heaven…because no one immigrates there.
Thanks for the additional religious info and insights. I’ve got your old post queued up and ready for a re-read.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 26/March/2024 @ 5:11 pm
Me neither; never been to one and never want to go. But they have cockfighting arenas scattered throughout the area where I live. And on my hikes I’ve passed several huge rooster farms where those birds are raised to be cocks.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 26/March/2024 @ 8:28 am
Thanks for those insights on Hindu/Buddhist notions of time and life’s journey. I don’t know much about either religion, but do their similarities derive from a common foundation (like Catholics and Protestants), or is it just a coincidence?
Kavanaugh has been one of my favorites for a long time. I learned of his former Priesthood long after I became a fan of his poems. But yes, your past and how you were raised are often reflected in your creative outputs. You might enjoy his My Easy God Is Gone poem. Similarly, I’ve always been a fan of Joni Mitchell’s poetic lyrics. She is one of the better songwriters of my generation (although these days, I have to ignore her politics).
It seems I’ve been going in circles my whole life–my fuck ups aren’t always the same, but they rhyme.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 26/March/2024 @ 8:25 am
«« Back To Stats PageWell, at least Bruce isn’t flabby or fat; I’ll give him that. He does sound stupid when he talks about politics, though.
Thanks for the translations. I didn’t even recognize the Hebrew. Appreciate the clip, but like you, I have no interest in the series.
Yep, Swan is like a dream come true. I’ll do my best to not fuck it up.
Heh, I guess I missed out on the severed-head fad. That’s the first one I’d seen, and it cracked me up.
I’ve noticed that restaurants that cater to a primarily Filipino clientele have smaller portions/lower prices. They do offer platters with several items for around 1500 pesos ($30) and enough for two that I might try next time.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 25/March/2024 @ 6:54 am