…and so is January. I’ve got big plans for February.
A quiet day of shopping and replenishing the cash supply, and then it was time to take myself out on a date. Table for one, please.
Placed my order for dinner, then strolled out onto the beach for a closer look.
And then, dinner is served.
After my meal, I was thinking I’d visit Whiskey Girl. It’s nearby and doesn’t require making a highway crossing. Alas, it wasn’t open yet. So, I did risk life and limb and dashed across the highway to Queen Victoria. Another gin and soda and a brief chat with one of my Alta Vista neighbors and his wife. They left, and my glass was empty, but none of the staff seemed to notice or care, so I paid my tab and left.
I wasn’t sure where my next stop would be, but my feet were taking me in the direction of Alaska Club. Sloppy Joe’s is next door, and I knew several of the people sitting at the outside tables, so I joined them. Around the time I finished my first drink, most of the group got up and left to play a pool league match. I ordered another and chatted with an old female friend I hadn’t seen for a while. She’s living with her new boyfriend now, and I was regaled with stories that reminded me of the drama that seems to be part and parcel of most relationships. She’s a good woman, and I hope they have a happy life together.
Time for that Alaska visit. Virginia and I made eye contact the minute I walked through the door. Naturally, I invited her to join me as soon as I was seated.
And we weren’t alone for long. Our waitress and the best dancer on the Alaska SOB squad, Karen, was being so sweet that I wanted to treat her to a lady drink. And another gal I’ve known since I moved here was hovering about in anticipation of participating in the bounty of a free-spending customer. Hey, the more, the merrier!
When I’d had my fill of fun at Alaska, I crossed the highway again to finish my night out at Whiskey Girl.
My favorite waitress, Jen, served me as soon as I was seated at a front-row table. Of course, Jen joined me to enjoy my company her lady drink commission. The dancers were actually putting on the moves enough that I noticed them.
All good times must come to an end, and my time had arrived. I said goodnight to the girls and gave manager Mark a hearty “fuck off, ya cunt!” as I departed. Being a Brit, I am sure he had a witty comeback, but I don’t recall what it was now.
In the non-drinking portion of my day, I spent some quality time with my boys.
During my internet cruising, Facebook memories reminded me of just how much things have changed since this post from five years ago:
An old friend of mine back in Korea sent me a message with a link to something called Sweatcoin. Apparently, you can earn bitcoin-like currency simply by walking, earning one coin for every 1000 steps you take. You can use these coins to purchase items on their website or donate your earnings to charities supported by the website. I’m not sure what the angle is because I don’t see any potential for profit (I didn’t sign up for the premium plan, so maybe that’s it), but I’ve decided to take the risk and give it a try (the risk is giving them access to things like your email and phone number). We’ll see what happens, but I’m going to walk regardless, so if I can “earn” something by doing so, why not?
I guess I must have been bored, but I decided to mess around with ChatGPT some more. One of the questions I asked was: Why do so many foreign men move to the Philippines?
There are several reasons why many foreign men move to the Philippines:
- Cost of Living: The cost of living in the Philippines is lower compared to many Western countries, making it an attractive destination for retirees and budget-conscious individuals.
- Friendly people: The Philippines is known for its friendly and hospitable people, which makes it a welcoming place for foreigners.
- Beautiful scenery: The country is famous for its stunning beaches, lush jungles, and scenic landscapes, which can be a major draw for people looking to enjoy a tropical lifestyle.
- Language: English is widely spoken in the Philippines, which makes it easier for English-speaking foreigners to communicate and integrate into the local community.
- Dating and Marriage: The Philippines is also a popular destination for foreign men seeking to date or marry Filipina women, who are known for their beauty, kindness, and traditional values.
These are some of the reasons why many foreign men choose to move to the Philippines. Of course, individual experiences and motivations will vary.
Those are all legit, and I guess you could call what goes on in the bars “dating,” although that’s a stretch. Maybe I’ll go back and explore the prostitution angle more in-depth with my new friend.
And that’s it for now. Got a feeding at Hideaway to prepare for. Back tomorrow, provided I’m still allowed to post.
Filipina women, who are known for their beauty, kindness, and traditional values.
…thought Chatgpt wasn’t meant to generalize. It’s answers are baf so no more please unless you outfox it or are the first to discover it has passed the Turing test. Apart from its coding uses it is just Google dressed up as a smart high school student wanting to be liked and trying to impress teacher. Now I’m off to see what it says about American women.
Being a Brit, I am sure he had a witty comeback, but I don’t recall what it was now.
Dangling modifier! If you start with “Being a Brit,” and the subject of the main clause is “I,” then you’re saying “I” [am] a “Brit.”
Rewrite:
Being a Brit, he doubtless had a witty comeback, but I don’t recall what it was now.
Dangling modifiers are called “dangling” because they’re left hanging with nothing to modify. My standard example:
As a child, French was difficult.
That should be:
As a child, I had trouble with French.
(because French is not a child)
Another one:
Not being Irish, it was hard for me to understand the culture.
Problem: the subject of the sentence is “it,” but “it” is not Irish.
Rewrite:
Not being Irish, I found it hard to understand the culture.
If you ever wrote an entry about forsaking the bars and spending your time contemplating nature while sitting alone and content at the beach, that’s when I’d suspect the entry was by ChatGPT.
As for ChatGPT’s reply to your question… that’s one thing we noted while testing the bot out in our office: it always answers diplomatically. But have you seen ChatGPT’s latest foray into wokeness? It’s getting worse by the day.
Thanks Kevin 👍
for the grammar lesson about the dangling thing.
that sentence was bothering me, but I didn’t know what was wrong about.
If it does turn out that our esteemed author here is a Brit….well, I would eat haggis and put on a kilt because that would be the day this world stops making sense.
That Virginia looks absolutely stunning. How do you get the ladies to pose like that for you? I was sure that taking pictures in bars was frowned upon, if not outright banned. Those who take pictures are seen as creeps who intend to not only jerk off to the pictures, or somehow post the pictures online to embarrass the ladies l ; I believe that is called doxxing.
Yet somehow you always manage to get clear, beautifully-lit pictures of many of the ladies that you consort with over a beer or 2. What is your secret? Are you a ladies-man who can charm any woman 👩, or do you have such an air of professional photography skills about you that they’re happy to model for you? You are a legend 🙌
And yes….I support you and Virginia making some fun times last longer. Though she is a bit on the youthful side, age is nothing but a number.
you could even rescue her if you tried hard enough. I kid , of course.
Also
I noticed that you’ve not mentioned that exotic girl that we were all enamored with a few weeks ago. Too many girls to discover , and sometimes it’s hard to keep track . I think all your readers have their favorites, almost like the NBA bracket.
Personally, I still put Joy at the top ; partly because she is just a regular. Joy poses with food in her mouth 😋 far too often for her to lose to the likes of Gen. And yes ,you are the prize in this case
Also
Sweatcoin sounds as much a scam as all the others. I’d say don’t pay for anything…but if you don’t pay for this service that you’re using, then you’re the product. Nonetheless, anything that’s gonna make your walking more fun and interesting, and then you can hit that 200 pound , then the ladies will be fighting over you. Hope you can handle the fame and fortune that comes with that
Robert,
I am but to please.
Virginia is cute, takeout sounds nice right now. Where is that damn passport?
Nice to see you back, Robert. No worries, I’m no Brit, although I’ve got some Scottish lineage.
As for the photos, I just ask the girl if she minds my taking a picture. They almost always agree, sometimes with the caveat that I don’t share it on Facebook. Some bars don’t allow photography, but most don’t care, especially if you are limiting the shots to people at your table. I wish I were more skilled with the camera, but as long as the beauty shines through, mission accomplished!
The exotic girl, Tanya, no longer comes to the Hash (her sponsor has moved on to someone else), but I believe she still works at Blue Butterfly, a bar I rarely visit. I’ll try and pop in for a visit and photo with her soon.
Yeah, that Sweatcoin sounds like a scam, but I’m not sure how they make their money. I’m certainly not going to give them any of mine. We’ll see what happens.
Kev, guilty as charged re: the dangling modifier. I think that’s the first time I’ve been called out for that offense. My excuse is that I was focused on getting my commas right. I’ll try and do better in the future. I enjoyed the lesson and the examples you provided. Thanks!
Wow, ChatGPT has lost all credibility with me now. It is one thing to use “nice” words (i.e. server versus waitress), but to distort facts and deny reality is blatant propaganda. No thanks!
I could see myself sitting on the beach contemplating nature…with an ice chest of beer next to me!
QP, I’ll let her know you’re cumming!
Dan, I just asked ChatGPT if it is wrong to cavort with prostitutes. As the answer began to be displayed (the first line said it was not right to have sex for money), the answer and my question were flagged with: “This content may violate our content policy. If you believe this to be in error, please submit your feedback — your input will aid our research in this area.”
Another example of how worthless this AI program really is–it doesn’t want to engage in real world issues.
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