Comments Posted By John McCrarey
Displaying 2,251 To 2,280 Of 6,593 Comments
It’s official: I’m a Flat Earther
Kev, damn, the hits just keep on comin’. I had considered doing “apostrophe’s” as a joke, but the “hare’s” thing was just me being my usual stupid self. And then I put an exclamation point on dumb by posting that Quora answer that didn’t add up. Ignorance abounds!
Yeah, I’m not ready to give up the hope that I’ll regain whatever I need to do some hills again. In the meantime, I’ll keep going flat as best I can.
Yes, I’m feeling guilty about the delay in writing about “Shameless.” I hesitate to call it a review; I’m just going to share some thoughts and perspectives. I’m only on episode three of “Blue Eye Samurai,” just haven’t had much TV time lately. I’ll get back on it soon!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/February/2024 @ 7:40 am
Terry, yep, it doesn’t add up. I have no idea what I was thinking. Oh, wait. I wasn’t.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/February/2024 @ 7:21 am
Brian, geez, I posted that Quora answer two years ago and it has had over two thousand views. Nothing like telling the world, “hey, look at me! I’m stupid!”
Yeah, at least I can still walk, even if I can’t climb. One option might be to increase the distance I go when walking flat.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/February/2024 @ 7:20 am
Thanks, as always, for your support, Kevin. You are right; the blog is what it is, and that’s enough. LTG is going on twenty years now and was originally intended to be a way to stay in touch with friends and family when I moved to Korea. It devolved into politics for a while and now has become as much a personal diary as anything. Posting daily accounts of my “trials, tribulations, and adventures” gives me a sense of purpose, and I’ll selfishly continue to do so as long as I can.
It means a lot to have faithful readers like you out there, and I’ve always valued your words of advice and support.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/February/2024 @ 7:17 am
A day on the road and a night on the town
No, Hops and Brews is just two blocks off the highway–Sit-n-Bull’s old location. For some reason, when I’m thinking of places to eat I rarely consider this option. Were it not for having a special guest, I probably wouldn’t have thought about here. Weird.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 26/February/2024 @ 7:04 am
What? You’ve got me watching TV again, and now you want me to read? Dude!
To “have…the wisdom that comes with age plus the bodies of our youth” is indeed my favorite fantasy and my dream of the afterlife. (I just read the Wikipedia page for Old Man’s War. Sounds interesting.)
» Posted By John McCrarey On 26/February/2024 @ 7:18 am
Kev, I don’t know; a future featuring immortality could be even worse. Reminds me of the story I once read, “I have eternal life, and it is killing me.”
The nachos looked better than they tasted. I still ate them, of course.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 25/February/2024 @ 6:44 am
Hey Brian, thanks for the reminder. My Biden-like brain has failed me once again. Were you an LTG reader before we met?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 25/February/2024 @ 6:40 am
Kev, yeah, there ain’t much worse than feeling breathless. It is definitely not the way I want to go. For what it’s worth, I had a better night. I slept all the way through and woke up to a 94 oxygen level this morning. I’m still coughing and hocking up phlegm, so I’m hoping this is something not permanent like the COPD.
I’m going to visit a pulmonary specialist soon.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 24/February/2024 @ 7:37 am
Brian, a teetotaler like Kevin Kim promoting a bar is downright funny–
“I don’t even drink, and I love this bar!” could be the slogan.Dolce Vita was my Itaewon hang out for years. And I know several folks who took that tumble down the stairs. When were you there?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 24/February/2024 @ 7:29 am
Drain, I think you are right that there have been too many service-oriented issues. Perhaps when it is under new ownership, folks will give the bar another chance. Having the right manager and attentive staff are critical to success.
They call themselves a “sports bar,” but Harley’s has that market cornered. I think a friendly pub atmosphere could work…good prices, good food, good people. Anyway, I wish whoever takes over good luck.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 24/February/2024 @ 7:23 am
Geez, bad enough to be wrong without learning I was wrong about why I was wrong.
And now I have a headache. I think I’m too old to learn English.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 23/February/2024 @ 2:46 pm
I use the “pursed lips” breathing technique frequently, and it does help. I’ve tested it on my oximeter, and it does raise the number three or four notches in a couple of minutes.
Regarding the teddy bear, I always wonder what the back story is–how and why was it out here in the first place? There were no houses or shacks around.
Actually, San Mig Light is very popular here; I’d say more expats drink it than any other flavor. Red Horse is what the locals prefer. The Zero I drink gets some mockery for its weakness (3% alcohol), but I don’t care.
Yeah, and that Playmate by my side never asks for a lady drink!
It’s amazing how sloppy my writing gets, and my proofreading is no better. I’m going to miss a comma sometimes, but using the conjunction “it’s” instead of its (and vice versa) is worse than dumb because I know better. I made a few fixes in the original post, can’t say I caught them all.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 23/February/2024 @ 9:15 am
Hmm, you are right; that meat isn’t very medallion-looking. I’m not sure if Swan misremembered what she ordered or if the chef needs to see those links you shared. Still, it tasted good, whatever in the hell it was.
After almost twenty years of blogging, finding a post title I haven’t used before can be challenging. I’m not sure why that matters to me, but it does. My first two tries yesterday failed the uniqueness test, so “Bloody hell” worked on multiple levels.
I achieved my goal of surviving another challenging day, so that’s a good thing!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 22/February/2024 @ 5:40 am
Kev, the owner of Johansson’s, is a Swede. I’ve always heard it pronounced, “Yo Hanson.”
There was nothing wrong with the taste of the “stew,” but to me, it was cube beef and gravy with potato chunks and beets on the side. Everything (plus carrots) should have been put together in a pot and stewed. Or call it what it is. I was expecting a traditional beef stew when I ordered, so I was surprised with what was served. I didn’t touch the beets and agree that almost any other veg when have been better. I don’t think I’ve seen asparagus since I moved here.
Very punny!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/February/2024 @ 8:32 am
Brian, those shots are ones taken by Scott. I’m not sure if he is using some kind of filter or what, but I’ll ask him about it.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/February/2024 @ 8:09 am
DS, Good ones!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/February/2024 @ 8:07 am
The tree was like some kind of metaphor–growing up straight and tall, then inexplicably takes a turn to the left, eventually realizes that was a wrong move, and so grows back right and healthy. There’s a lesson there.
There is some kind of algae growth in those stagnant river waters, for sure. This time of year, with no rain, there is no flow. It will be running strong and hard again soon.
Nope, not Mary; that’s the woman I last loved a couple of years ago. Mary was never more than a friend with benefits. She is back in town, but I’ve not seen her since her return.
The pageant photos are not the best, that’s for sure. There were some cuties competing, and #3, #8, and #9 were my favorites.
So many vices, so little time! Yeah, it is good to be drug-free (except for prescriptions, of course). Back when I was living in Stafford, Virginia, and commuting to DC, I never had the time or gumption to visit bars. That changed with my move to Korea (Itaewon) in 2005. Things have never been the same.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/February/2024 @ 5:38 am
It sounds like you have developed a good plan to enhance endurance–good luck with the implementation. I’m beginning to fear that my COPD has advanced, and my weakness and inability to tackle hill climbs is my new normal. Hopefully, I’m wrong about that, and this too shall pass in time. Still, cutting myself some slack now and then when I take a rest day is good advice.
I think having the goals you’ve set, twenty-six floors to climb conveniently located outside your door, and freedom from worry about the weather trumps any stairstep boredom issues. I just recalled the hours I used to spend on a treadmill, which is the epitome of getting nowhere fast. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/February/2024 @ 5:29 am
“Sorry, out of stock, sir.”
I’m going to order a couple more cases from the local distributor and keep it on hand. I can buy San Mig Light at Royal supermarket, so I’m never out of that.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/February/2024 @ 10:21 am
I joked about that–the neighbors couldn’t complain because they were all there!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/February/2024 @ 5:43 pm
I thought it sounded familiar! I’ll go back and re-read the review now.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/February/2024 @ 9:50 am
Kev, I wondered about the “old man” reference, too. It’s based on something Clint Eastwood said to him. Eastwood wound up using the song in his movie The Mule.
Yeah, that lasagna didn’t look like lasagna. I had a bite, and it tasted good, though.
To the extent that I’m not hocking up as much phlegm as I was, the carbocisteine seems to be working. My oxygen level is in the mid-90s most of the time. Still having issues going uphill, though, which is concerning.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/February/2024 @ 7:14 am
Kev, I just checked the settings on the phone cam and turned off the button that prevented flipping. You’d think that would be the default setting, but it’s not.
Actually, it was a couple of months later, so it wasn’t me! I could tell how unhappy she was working in the bar. I hope things are going well for her back home in the province.
I’m hoping for at least another decade before discovering how it all ends, but you never know.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/February/2024 @ 7:11 am
What I miss from my working life is the people. The day-to-day decisions that seemed so important don’t hold a place in my memory; it is my co-workers and teammates that mattered most.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/February/2024 @ 7:46 am
Honestly, the immigration process is pretty simple and easy. I fill out the extension form, give them my passport, and pay the fee (around 3000 pesos for 60 days). I’m in and out in 30 minutes or less. Yes, I see the same faces behind the counter all the time. There is a retirement visa I’m eligible for, and that was my intent when I moved here, but it’s more hassle than it is worth for me.
Swan said she liked her sandwich–it looked like roast beef to me.
Yeah, I took endless sea to mean the infinity of love. I guess that sounds more romantic than an “ever-expanding universe.”
Yeah, I keep wishing everyone a Happy VD, and none seem to get the double entendre.
I’m not sure I have any more lung options. If I don’t see improvement soon, I’ll visit the pulmonary specialist for additional guidance.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/February/2024 @ 5:39 pm
Pete, I had forgotten it was Macy’s wife who was involved in that scandal. He’s a good actor, so maybe he pretended not to know anything about the payoff.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/February/2024 @ 7:30 am
Not yet. Maybe less mucus, but still having breathing issues.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/February/2024 @ 10:03 am
Kev, yeah, it’s narrow, but there’s no traffic and plenty of light. One or two spots were a little dicey, and a false step would have caused a tumble down to the river, but we all handled it safely.
We see a tree; Mother Nature sees a bridge!
We ought to just call them a toilet and be done with it. And how did this “John” thing get started?
I’ve never taken Vapo-Rub in pill form, but if this stuff cleans out the mucus, I’ll be happy.
I’m going to share some thoughts on “Shameless,” but I’m no reviewer. That’s your job!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/February/2024 @ 8:54 am
«« Back To Stats PageKev, that’s a good idea for identifying the nameless road. I’ll give it a try.
Yes, I’ve heard of Rizal and see his name everywhere–I think every town has at least one street named after him. Hadn’t really read his history, though. I wonder what he would have thought about the American colonizers–probably the same. Your guess is as good as mine on Gomez; his name doesn’t come up. The other big hero is Andres Bonifacio , whose fame is similar to Rizal’s.
Ha! I thought you might recognize that shirt! I haven’t forgotten Lucky’s disloyalty, but I don’t exclude him from my life. Swan holds his leash on our walks, and he loves her a lot more than me.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/February/2024 @ 6:10 am