Continuation of Ditas and Carenna Farewell and Carenna'd Graduation Party

 

Our Party with Patrick Mulvaney,* Head Chef Of Mulvaney B and L 

Last night, Michael**( see linkIn below) and Claudine Bustamante family from Southern California flew purposely to Sacramento to host a Dinner for Ditas & Carenna Farewell and also Carenna's belated graduation party at the famous Mulvaney's restaurant in Downtown Sacramento. I have heard of this highly rated restaurant from Ditas but have never eaten and tasted their delicious and hand-crafted American Dishes. 

Above is the menu for June 24. There is a separate menu for desserts only(below). 

First we have starters and the small plates on the menu-River Dog Red Leaf Lettuce with Ceasar Dressings, Twin Peaks Peaches with Hand-Pulled Mozzarella and the Hand Cut Pappardelle-Porcini Mushrooms etc.... We had it family style. The dishes were delicious specially the pasta Pappardelle. I will rate it 5 out of 5. I could rate it higher, but I can not. The Pasta was my favorite dish of the Night. Its a dish worthy of visiting Mulvaney's in the future. For a non-pasta enthusiast, I was surprised I love the dish so much. It must be the lemony sauce, and the Fromage Blanc and perhaps the Porcini mushrooms.

After the starter the five of us ordered a different dish from the Large Plate Menu. I ordered the Seared Sea Scallops. It was not as tasty as I expected and the Fiddlehead Ferns was hard to my 87-year old teeth. I will rate it 3 out of 5. Carenna ordered the Roasted Chicken. Ditas ordered the Wagyu Zabuton Steak, Michael the Pork Chop and I did not remember what Claudine ordered. Mathew- the Bustamante's 11-year old son had 3 Servings of Pasta for the Night. Looking at Mathew's face I could see he was enjoying the Pasta Dish very much. It was a delight looking at an 11-year old boy enjoying his dinner.

After our main dish we ordered Desserts from the Menu and Shared it Family Style. We have the Honey Blackberry Cheesecake, the Fig & Raspberry Crostada and the Dessert the named as Ding Dong and another dessert that Carenna ordered. 

With our meals, Ditas brought with her 6 bottles of White and Red Navarro Wines from her collection. Here more photos during our dinner.

In case you have not heard of Mulvaney's here a brief summary from their website.   https://mulvaneysbl.com/about/           

"Mulvaney’s B&L is many things. We’re a restaurant that specializes in hand-crafted New American cuisine, a farm-to-table devotee that celebrates the efforts of the growers, ranchers, brewers and winemakers who are our neighbors, purveyors and friends.

Set in a historic 1893 firehouse, with its original brick walls and soaring ceilings, Mulvaney’s B&L is also a nexus of Sacramento: a place where we serve up impeccable and creative fare (our menu changes daily in step with the local growing seasons), and facilitate the connections of the guests we love to host.

Our “wonderful old B&L” is the brainchild – no, the passion – of owners Patrick and Bobbin Mulvaney, who bring more than a half century and six time zones’ worth of experience to their mission. We strive to provide our guests with the best our region has to offer and a place to have their own culinary experience".

* Patrick Mulvaney is the head chef of Mulvaney’s B&L, a farm-to-table restaurant in Sacramento that focuses on local, fresh, and organic ingredients. Mulvaney began his culinary career in 1985 as a European apprentice, cooking under some of Europe’s most renowned chefs. Since then, he has worked in numerous restaurants throughout the country before settling in Sacramento and becoming a leading figure in the city’s farm-to-fork movement. 

For Michael Bustamante LinkIn read:

**https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-bustamante-86556b157/ 

Again, Thank you Michael and Claudine for the delicious dinner at Mulvaney last night.  What a gastronomic delight!! The Bustamante's were Carenna's Godparents ( sponsors) during her Baptism.

 

How Popular is Classical Music in the US Today?

I just finished watching a Prime Video movie-Nocturne. The film stars Sweeney as Juliet Lowe, a pianist in her last year of high school who is jealous because she is constantly overshadowed by her twin sister. In this movie there were discussions /dialogs on the relevance of classical music and also the declining popularity of this genre of music. This aroused my interest and here's what I learned from the Internet. 

 

How popular is classical music in the U.S. today? Here's the answer according to the site listed below dated Feb 10, 2021.

According to billboard/Nielsen, classical music had an overall 1% share of the market in 2019, or 12th out of 12 genres. This is the least popular music genre well behind the top four genres: R&B/hip-hop, rock & roll, pop, country, and even behind children’s music.

The top genres account for around 69% of the music with R&B/hip-hop by itself taking over a quarter of the share (27.7%). After the top four, Latin, dance/electronic, Christian/gospel, world music, holiday/seasonal, children, jazz and classical make up the other 18% of the market (the total does not equal 100%).

In 2009, classical music physical album sales had a 3% market share. So in the span of 10 years classical music, for the most part, lost 2% market share. This is not bad compared to rock, which in 2009, along with metal and alternative, had around 50% of the market share compared to 19.8% in 2019.

One item to note is that when it comes to digital album sales in 2019, classical music is ranked sixth out of twelve. Typically, people buy classical albums rather than individual songs because an album will have up to an hour of music and contain a few major works making it a good value. Example: if you purchase the album that contains Mieczysław Weinberg’s “Symphony No. 2” and “Symphony No. 21,” it has around 90 minutes of music and costs $10.

When it comes to money, classical music does make a little money comparatively. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the total revenue for the U.S. music industry in 2019 was $11.1 billion (not including concerts). This is nothing to laugh at and from RIAA data, most of the revenue in 2019 came from streaming and digital downloads.

If classical music in the U.S. had a 1 percent market share then classical music revenue for 2019 would be around $111 million. Of course, classical music does not rely on revenue alone to survive.

From a 2014 League of American Orchestras report, the average orchestra relied on only 40% of its revenue as earned income (mostly ticket sales), with 43% coming from contributed income (donations), and 17% from investment income. Overall, only a small percentage of revenue for classical music comes from music or album sales (streaming or physical).

In looking at the data from billboard/Nielsen and the RIAA, it seems that classical music in the U.S. is not popular nor does it make that much money, but for most people who listen to classical music, that is not why they listen. Classical music has always been the “art” music of Western culture and has always been monetarily supported by the patronage of the rich and of governments.

There was no mystical time in the past when classical music was the music of the masses; it has always been the music that tries to communicate a people’s culture, national identity, interesting and entertaining stories through long-form music, while also being an artistic form of entertainment. There have been a few exceptions when classical music had a wider audience such as classical popular theater (singspiel), the advent of radio when classical music provided a lot of the early musical content (and filler music), and the most exciting thing to ever happen to classical music in the contemporary world, providing music scores for films.

Reference: https://medium.com/@AmericanPublicU/popular-classical-music-how-popular-is-classical-music-part-ii-4040456752db

 

1.However, Classical music still matters because it holds within it the core elements of the natural human being, and raw emotions unaffected by human interference and illogical concepts of society in any period of history. Oct 2, 2018

2. Why Classical Music Still Matters - iClassical Academy

Why is classical music considered better? In at least one respect, classical music is superior to popular music. ... The greater potential for expressiveness in classical music is due, in large part, to it greater harmonic resources. The harmonies in classical music are more likely to be functional, more contrary motion is employed, and modulation is more common.Aug 30, 2016

3.How Classical Music is Better than Popular Music | Philosophy

Is classical music still relevant in today's world? So is classical music still alive today? The answer is definitely yes. It's amazing that pieces written 300 years ago are still relevant today, but it seems like this is simply proof of the timeless quality of classical music in the emotional and intellectual expression that classical pieces capture.

What is special about classical music?Whereas most popular styles are usually written in song form, classical music is noted for its development of highly sophisticated instrumental musical forms, like the concerto, symphony and sonata. Classical music is also noted for its use of sophisticated vocal/instrumental forms, such as opera.

5. The Effects of Relaxing Classical Music on the Body and Brain

Why does classical music make me cry? Classical music in particular steers a mysterious path through our senses, triggering unexpected and powerful emotional responses, which sometimes result in tears – and not just tears of sadness. Tears flow spontaneously in response to a release of tension, perhaps at the end of a particularly engrossing performance.

Personal Note: I have cried listening to several violin concertos and some piano concertos. How about you? I had numerous collections of old records during my college years that I have discarded in favor of tapes then disc then videos and now only on YouTube/TV. Here's Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez that touched my heart.

https://lifeinus1960present.blogspot.com/2022/05/music-appreciation-day-personal-stories.html

 

 

What A Beast!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Here's the 2022 Winner of the Cliburn Piano Competition, Forth Worth, TX, Yunchan Lin.

 

The ESIA, George Washington University, Washington DC

I am proud to announce that my youngest grand daughter, Carenna Katague Thompson has been accepted and will start her freshman year this Fall at the Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University in Washington DC. I did not know much about the university and its prestige, so I did some search and here's what I learn from Wikipedia. 

The Elliott School of International Affairs (known as the Elliott School or ESIA) is the professional school of international relations, foreign policy, and international development of the George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. It is highly ranked in international affairs and is the largest school of international relations in the United States.

The Elliott School is located across from the U.S. State Department and the Organization of American States, and closely to the White House, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. The Carnegie Corporation of New York ranks the Elliott School as one of the world's foremost, leading research institutions in the fields of public and foreign policy, hosting numerous research centers, institutes, and policy programs, such as the Institute for International Economic Policy and The Project on Forward Engagement.

Elliott School alumni and faculty have included ambassadors, diplomats, politicians, and public figures, including heads of state and government, U.S. senators, prominent politicians, NATO officials, U.N. ambassadors, and foreign ministers. From 2015 to 2020, the Dean of the Elliott School was Ambassador Reuben E. Brigety II, former U.S. Ambassador to the African Union and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. In January 2021, Alyssa Ayres was appointed as dean, the first woman to hold the post. 

For a List of some of its Notable and Distinguished Alumni and Faculty visit the 2 sites:

   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Elliott_School_of_International_Affairs_people

Meanwhile enjoy this photo of my recent purchase from Shef.com

A Fried Pompano prepared South Indian Style and our recent Father's Day simple lunch

 

Carenna, May your college life be challenging but rewarding, Lolo! Incidentally, Carenna was also accepted at UC Irvine for their Science Program.

 

Musings of A Happy Father on Father's Day

My 4D's-From left to Right: Ditas, Dodie, ME, David E(RIP) and Dinah

The Katague clan is planning to celebrate Father's Day this year with just a simple lunch tomorrow (June 19). The event is a 3-Event Celebration, Father's Day, Ditas & Carenna Farewell and David's E 90-Day Death Anniversary.

https://theintellectualmigrants.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-posthumous-awards-for-david-e.html

On this occasion, allow me to talk again on the accomplishments of my three living children as well as David E ( RIP) whose 90-Day death anniversary we are celebrating also today.  My apology to those who have already read on my previous postings on the subject of my children accomplishments.

https://theintellectualmigrants.blogspot.com/2021/09/my-four-children-accomplishments-in.html

1. Dodie-my oldest son

Dodie, my oldest son was born in the Philippines, but immigrated to US when he was only 18 months old. He has a law degree from University of California, Davis and had been a successful prosecuting attorney in Northern California for several years. He early retired last year to devote more time writing his 3rd novel.  He is married to his former classmate, Ruth Carver, also a lawyer and they have 3 children, Philip, Alix and Marina.  

Dodie Katague lived at Cloyne Court Coop from 1977-79 while he attended the University of California, Berkeley.  He graduated in 1981 with a degree in Geography. He graduated from the University of California, Davis, King Hall School of Law in 1985. Since then, he is a prosecutor in Martinez, California. Dodie is working on his second novel, "Rock Star Planet", a Young Adult science fiction adventure. He is now retired and finishing his third novel, "Devil Mountain DA", a fictional account of life in a dysfunctional district attorney's office. He early retired  to devote more time on his writing and travel with his wife Ruth( also a lawyer).

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?authorid=108890

2. Dinah-my oldest daughter

Dinah started her career in BSA/AML in 2011 at Bank of the West. Within three years she was managing a team of 27 contractors to clear the FDIC items of the previous year’s audit. She was instrumental in growing the new department of 5 to 42. In 2017, Dinah joined Umpqua Bank as the CDD/EDD Manager. She managed two departments of EDD Analysts and CDD Specialists. Living in the “heart of cannabis growing country”, Dinah navigated her teams through the intricacies of the current political climate regarding marijuana, hemp and CBD, to become the subject matter experts for the bank. In June of 2020, Dinah joined Technology Credit Union as the Compliance Officer/Manager of the High Risk Member Unit. Her main responsibility is to help create, cultivate, develop, maintain and monitor the marijuana businesses direct and indirect program for the credit union. Dinah has been accused by some of creating a “Dynahsty” where ever she goes and they would be correct!

 

Experienced Financial Services Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the banking industry. Skilled in Analytical Skills, Software Documentation, Leadership, Financial Risk, and Risk Management. Strong finance professional with a Bachelor of Arts focused in Liberal Studies from California State University-Sacramento.

Through the course of my 15+ years’ experience, I’ve enjoyed the chance to manage and motivate teams toward consistent success. Colleagues will tell you I have a deep and intuitive grasp of business and team capabilities, and use this instinctive approach to expertly allocate staff and resources. A focus of my work has been employee engagement: by promoting an engaged and collaborative work culture, I’ve been able to develop staff members and deliver key gains to the bottom line. I also pride myself on adapting readily to new work challenges and environments.Compliance Manager, High Risk Member Unit at Technology Credit Union (Tech CU) Technology Credit Union (Tech CU)

California State University-Sacramento

***

3. David E (RIP)- my youngest son 

David is single and currently works for the Federal Government (TSA) in Sacramento. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from UC Davis and a Masters of Science degree in Public Management and Policy with concentration on Information Systems from Carnegie Mellon University. He used to work for the Office of Management and Budget(OMB) in Washington DC during the Clinton and Gore Administration. During the time of his employment with OMB we received annual Christmas cards from the White House as well as special invitations to special events such as the Easter Egg Hunting in the lawn of the White House and Parties for OMB employees. David E is learning how to speak Tagalog. During our 50th wedding anniversary party in 2007, he addressed the guests in Tagalog and made a good impression. His Tagalog is improving but still has the American accent. Macrine and I are proud of his desire to learn the language of his ancestry. Without David's help, we will never be able to enjoy staying in our island paradise in the Philippines for as long as we desire. Today, he keeps me company in this big house and talks to me about his plans to retire in the Philippines. David E joined his creator March 17, 2022.

I received David's III life insurance proceeds the other day. Part of it will be allocated in establishing an endowment scholarship fund for deserving students at the University of the Philippines in Iloilo- my Alma Mater. This will be a good deed to honor David III memory.  I have initiated contact in the Philippines Office of Alumni Relations UPV on the details of this donation.

4. Ditas- my youngest daughter 

Associate Director for Communications, US Census Bureau *Civic Engagement & Community Outreach Expert * Chief of Staff * Energy, Water-Regulatory Advisor * 🧘🏾‍♀️Yoga/Meditation Teacher. For details visit her linkedin page as follows: 

 https://www.linkedin.com/in/ditas-katague/

This party is also a Farewell for Ditas and Carenna on their move to Washington DC soon. Ditas was appointed as Associate Director for Communications, Bureau of Census, Department of Commerce last April.

 https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022/ditas-katague-appointed-associate-director-communications.html  

Ditas and Carenna relocation to Alexandria, VA reminds me of our 12 moves in 42 years here in the US as follows: 

https://livinginmarinduquephilippines.blogspot.com/2019/07/our-twelve-moves-in-forty-two-years-in.html

Meanwhile enjoy these 2 photos:

 

These red mangoes are huge, luscious but not too sweet compared to the Philippine Guimaras mangoes. However it is very juicy, I almost choked with delight. The brown fruit are the kiwis and looks like Philippine Chicos except it is hairy. There are two varieties of oranges in the bowl-Navel and Valencia. The small green apples are from my neighbor orchard.

Fried Pompano( cooked South Indian style), I ordered from Shef.com for Father's Day Lunch

 

A Friendly Encounter with a 2nd Generation Fil-Am at the Bank of America

The other day, Carenna drove me to the Bank of America, Citrus Heights Branch. We did some business with David's Life insurance funds that I received as his beneficiary. During our visit, the teller who was a Caucasian middle age lady was surprise that I am not a member of their preferred customer award noticing the amount of balance in my checking and saving accounts.  I told her I will enroll if there are benefits. The teller then called the manager of the day ( in-charge of all the tellers that day). I notice he has Asian features, but was not sure if he has Filipino ancestry. This man was probably in his mid-30's. He initialed my deposit after checking if the teller deposit was correct and informed Carenna and I that after our transaction with the teller to go to another window and he will enroll me as a Preferred Member.  

While he was activating my account in the computer, I notice his name- Justin Sebastian. I was 99% sure he is a Filipino-American even though there was no trace of accent in his conversation with us. He started a friendly conversation about our plans for the day. Because of his friendly attitude, I was not hesitant to ask him if he has Filipino roots. When he said yes, our conversation run smoothly about Filipino food and restaurants, various dialects in the Philippines and playing mahjong. Carenna identified with a big smile when Justin mentioned playing mahjong.  I learned that he is a second generation Fil-Am ( born in US) but his parents were originally from Zambales, Philippines. It was a pleasant experience banking at the BA with a friendly 2nd generation Fil-AM.

Justin Sebastian enrolled me as a Preferred Gold Customer with the following benefits:

B of A Credit Card Bonus (25%), Advantage Savings Interest Rate Booster ( 5%), No fee transactions at non-B of A ATMs in the US, Foreign Exchange Rate discount (1%), New Mortgage origination Fee Reduction ($200), Home Equity Line of Credit interest rate Discount ( 0.125%)  and an auto loan interest discount of 0.25%.  This Preferred Reward Status is for customers who maintained a 20k to 50K three-month combined average daily balance.    

It was indeed a pleasure doing business with a friendly B of A employees like Justin Sebastian.  I hope there are more B of A employees like Justin Sebastian. Listen B of A Over-All Manager of the Citrus Heights Branch,  I recommend a Customer Service Award for Justin Sebastian.

 Meanwhile if you want to know more of the Filipino-American story read this:

 https://thefilipinoschool.com/the-filipino-story/

       

 

Two Old Award-Winning Movies on Prime Video for Your Enjoyment

There are two old movies on Prime Video that I enjoyed.  Both movies had several nominations but a few awards and had mixed reviews. The movies are Legends of the Fall and The Song of Names. Here are brief summaries of the two movies from Wikipedia.  

Legends of the Fall is a 1994 American epic historical drama Western film directed by Edward Zwick and starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn, Julia Ormond and Henry Thomas. Based on the 1979 novella of the same title by Jim Harrison, the film is about three brothers and their father living in the wilderness and plains of Montana in the early 20th century and how their lives are affected by nature, history, war, and love. The film's time frame spans from the early 1900s, World War I, through the Prohibition era, ending with a brief scene set in 1963. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards and won for Best Cinematography (John Toll). Both the film and book contain occasional Cornish language terms, the Ludlows being a Cornish immigrant family.

Award	Category	Recipient	Result
Academy Awards	Best Art Direction	Lilly Kilvert, Dorree Cooper	Nominated
	Best Cinematography	John Toll	Won
	Best Sound	Paul Massey, David E. Campbell, Christopher David and Douglas Ganton	Nominated
Golden Globes	Best Motion Picture – Drama		Nominated
	Best Director	Edward Zwick	Nominated
	Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama	Brad Pitt	Nominated
	Best Original Score	James Horner	Nominated

 

The second movie that I really enjoyed and made cry is The Song Of Names. It had also mixed reviews. If you enjoyed the violin, this is must see movie for you.

 

The Song of Names is a 2019 drama film directed by François Girard. An adaptation of the novel of the same name by Norman Lebrecht, it stars Tim Roth and Clive Owen as childhood friends from London whose lives have been changed by World War II. The film was nominated for nine Canadian Screen Awards, winning five.

Dovidl Rappaport, a 9-year-old from Poland who lost his parents and siblings in World War II, is also a prodigy at the violin. The Simmonds family adopt him and he is taken to England. Their son Martin starts bonding with his new adoptive brother as he likes Dovidl (anglicized to David) playing the violin.

David continues practicing the violin while still remembering his biological family. Years pass, and David and Martin are now 21 years old. There is just one day left for a concert featuring David, when he mysteriously disappears with his violin.

It is revealed that David had fallen asleep on a bus and visits a Polish Jewish community in Stoke Newington, asking them about whether his family is still alive. He is then taken to a synagogue, where a list of people with the surname Rapaport who died during the WW2 is announced (in the form of a song, to make it easier to remember). After finding out that none of his family has survived, David breaks down.

Years later, in about 1986, Martin is now 56 years old and is married. He learns about a violinist, who he notices plays in the same pattern as his brother David, who had disappeared about 35 years ago. Martin then sets off to Poland to find his brother.

After meeting David's former love, who says that David left on a plane but told her where he was going, Martin arrives in New York, where he finds David, married with children. Martin is furious with David and tries to persuade him to perform at a concert. David at first refuses, but then accepts on two conditions (not revealed in the scene).

Two months later, Martin and his wife attend the concert, where David first plays with an orchestra, and then has a solo performance, in which he plays the 'Song of Names', remembering his family. Martin then receives a letter from David stating the former must think of the latter as dead and they must never meet again. The film ends with Martin reading the Kaddish, having reluctantly accepted that David is now dead to him. 

If you are bored staying at home, these two movies will certainly entertained you.

I watched them on Prime Video but I believe both are also in Netflix or Hulu.

Here's the Trailer for the movie The Song of Names

 

Heat Wave in Northern California and Comcast Outage

Yesterday and Today was and will be another 3-digit temperatures here in Northern C alifornia. My Internet, TV and Land line phone was out for almost 8 hours yesterday . However, my I-pod and cell phone were working. After watering my plants, I had nothing to do so I decided reading the books in my collection. The above photo are two of my favorites-Fear and Full Service.  

Last night was indeed a very warm night. I had some energy to take photos of my front yard featuring my solar lights as well as David E(RIP) room and former Macrine's(RIP) office now my guest room. Here are the photos:

 Here are the Photos of the Guest Room and David E(RIP) former room

 

Stay Cool and stay inside! Have a Productive Summer to you All...

 

Congratulations to Catherine Sandoval on Her White House Nomination

 Photo Credit: YouTube

The White House recently announced the nomination of Catherine Sandoval for the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. My congratulations to a well deserved and long overdue nomination. May her Senate Confirmation  be fast and smooth.

Ms Sandoval was Ditas ( my youngest daughter) boss  when she was still working for the State of California. I met Catherine and her husband in our Fair Oaks residence about 2 years ago during the wake celebration of Macrine. Again my congratulations and more Power to you.  Here's the Press Release on her nomination. For other nominations read the site below. 

Catherine J.K. Sandoval, Nominee for Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board

Catherine J.K. Sandoval is a tenured Law Professor at Santa Clara University (SCU) who teaches and conducts research on energy, communications, antitrust, and contract law. A regulatory and legal expert for more than thirty years and a safety leader for more than two decades, her interdisciplinary work advances infrastructure safety, reliability, access, and equity. She directs three institutes at SCU Law. Sandoval served a six-year term as a Commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), appointed by Governor Brown and unanimously confirmed by the California State Senate. During her prior federal service, she served as Director of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC), Office of Communications Business Opportunities. Former California Governor Davis appointed her to serve as Undersecretary and Senior Policy Advisor for Housing, and previously as Staff Director of California’s Business, Transportation, and Housing Agency. In that capacity she worked with law enforcement including the California Highway Patrol to respond to infrastructure vulnerabilities and hazardous incidents. 

Sandoval hails from a trailer park, the barrio of East Los Angeles, and then Montebello, California, and became the first in her family to earn a B.A. degree. She was the first Latina selected as a Rhodes Scholar, the first tenured Latina Law Professor at SCU Law, and the first Latinx CPUC Commissioner. She served as a law clerk to Judge Dorothy W. Nelson of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She earned a B.A. from Yale University, a Master of Letters from Oxford University, and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/06/08/president-biden-announces-key-nominees-19/

 

 

Why Did It Took 35 Years to Develop a Malaria Vaccine?

Answer to the above Question: The parasite’s complex biology played a role in the delay, but experts say there was also a lack of urgency and funding.

 

My interest in Malaria started when I was growing up in the Philippines. My Father was a victim of this disease and his symptoms of chills and fever, I will always remember during the Japanese-American War in the Philippines (1941-1945).  THUS WHEN I joined FDA in 1990, I made sure I will have expert knowledge of drugs that will prevent/treat malaria.  As a result in 1993, I was granted my Expertise GS-14 specializing in Anti-Malaria and Anti-parasitic drug products as shown in the Press Release below( 2nd paragraph).  My interest with drugs for the treatment/prevention of malaria has never stopped even 20 years after my retirement. 

Press Release of My GS-14 Promotion, 1993

https://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/2019/10/drugs-for-treatment-malaria.html  

A malaria vaccine is a vaccine that is used to prevent malaria. The only approved vaccine, as of 2021, is RTS,S, known by the brand name Mosquirix. In October 2021, the WHO for the first time recommended the large-scale use of a malaria vaccine for children living in areas with moderate-to-high malaria transmission. Four injections are required for full protection.

Research continues with other malaria vaccines. The most effective malaria vaccine is R21/Matrix-M, with a 77% efficacy rate shown in initial trials and significantly higher antibody levels than with the RTS,S vaccine. It is the first vaccine that meets the World Health Organization's (WHO) goal of a malaria vaccine with at least 75% efficacy (Wikipedia).

For Details visit:

https://www.popsci.com/health/malaria-vaccine-2/?utm_source=Newsletter+Subscribers&utm_campaign=62522e0d3e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_05_27_02_49&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_387276506e-62522e0d3e-515735954#affinity=Health 

Meanwhile enjoy this photo from my album

 Night Light in My Front Yard

 

Take Out with Lisa Ling-Food and History of Asian Americans

Ditas alerted me the other day of this documentary of Lisa Ling. I have enjoyed all of Lisa Ling TV documentaries but Take Out is my favorite. The series does not only make me hungry but reminded me of the struggles Asian-Americans  encountered in the US.  EPISODE 1 is about the history of the first Filipino-American settlement in New Orleans and a must viewed if you have Filipino ancestry in your veins. 

I just finished all 6 episodes of Lisa Ling Take Out a documentary on HBO the other day. Viewing this documentary makes me proud of my roots as an Asian-American, but specifically as a Filipino-American. I recommend this HBO series to all Asian Americans.  It will make you hungry and learned a little bit of history and the struggle of Asian Americans for assimilation to the main stream life in White America.  A TV series worth your time.

"Take Out explores the history of the Filipinos in Louisiana, the Chinese in Northern California, the Vietnamese in Orange County’s Little Saigon, the Bangladeshis in New York, the Japanese in L.A’s Boyle Heights, and the Koreans in Fairfax County, Virginia—and how all of those immigrant groups used food to find their footing in the United States and understand themselves and the people around them". 

 

For complete details visit:

‘Take Out with Lisa Ling’ Is a Delicious Crash Course on Asian America

It’s a food show, sure—but it’s really more of a history lesson that’ll also make you hungry.

By Bettina Makalintal

January 28, 2022

https://www.bonappetit.com/story/take-out-with-lisa-ling 

Episodes

S1 E1 · Mix Mix

Jan 27, 2022

 

Three New Things I Learned Last April

Today is June 1. Time seems to fly fast with three events that affected my life; March 17-Sudden Passing of Youngest son, David E at 59, April 13-Appointment of Ditas my youngest Daughter as Associate Director for Communications, Bureau of Census and May 21- IB Graduation of Carenna, my youngest grand daughter from United World College at Maastrich, Netherlands. In addition, here are the three things I learned last April.  

You have heard of the saying "One is never too old to learn". It applies again to me last April.  I learned a new Tagalog word. I learned a Digital Magazine for non-fiction published monthly and last but not least, I learned of three new Filipino-news magazines that is geared to overseas Filipinos and Filipino-Americans. These items may not be new to some of you, so for those of you who already knew these items my apology. 

1.First, allow me to inform you of the Atavist Magazine. While I was searching for Caregivers(currently, I stopped searching for a caregiver. I found one last week), I found an article titled The Caregivers. I posted a short review of the article in my blogs a few weeks ago. It was a story that touched my heart- a story of love, art, dementia and prison.    

https://planningtovisitthephilippines.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-caregivers-true-story-of-love-art.html

The Atavist Magazine is a monthly publication of long form narrative journalism. It has been nominated for eight National Magazine Awards since its launch in 2011, and in 2015 it won for best Feature Writing with its piece "Love and Ruin," by James Verini. It was the first digital-only publication to receive the award. It was founded by Jefferson Rabb, Evan Ratliff, and Nicholas Thompson. The magazine launched in 2011. In the spring of 2015, the company released its free publishing platform, built with Google's Polymer. Fast Company wrote that the new system "makes it near-painless to create and sell beautifully designed long-form content across multiple platforms."  Many of its stories have been optioned for film/TV projects. The magazine is represented by Creative Artists Agency. The editor in chief is Seyward Darby. The art director is Ed Johnson. 

2. The second item I learned this week was the tagalog word niluklok. I was born and raised as an Ilongo. So my knowledge of Tagalog is limited to what I learned in high school and from daily conversation with my wife for over 62 years. Based on the context of the article, my guess was it meant appointed. The word was in www.abante.com.ph ( see link below*). I was wrong. It meant installed or seated.

* https://mymemory.translated.net/en/Tagalog/English/naluklok

3. The last item I learned last April were the three news sites for Filipino-American News in the Internet. The sites are listed below with the recent article on Ditas Katague Appointment as Associate Director for Communications, Bureau of Census, Department of Commerce.   I am familiar with the US/Philippine Inquirer and the Asian Journal but not of the three listed below.

https://www.abante.com.ph/pinay-niluklok-na-opisyal-sa-us-census-bureau/ 

https://www.goodnewspilipinas.com/filipino-american-ditas-katague-appointed-to-us-census-bureau-communications/

http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/in-brief/tag/Ditas+Katague

Ditas appointment received both National and International News coverage. Here are the sites and FB pages:

Two other sites besides the Bureau of Census that published Ditas recent SES appointment are the Asian Journal (https://www.asianjournal.com/usa/dateline-usa/fil-am-ditas-katague-appointed-associate-director-of-communications-at-us-census-bureau/ )  and the US Inquirer (https://usa.inquirer.net/98432/fil-am-appointed-to-a-top-u-s-census-bureau-post.) These two newspaper I am very familiar with. 

Their is a FaceBook page from the University of Southern California, Sol Price School of Public Policy that also published Ditas appointment. 

https://www.facebook.com/uscprice/photos/a.173066522728027/5408945755806718/?type=3

The the last but most popular site where Ditas appointment was published was the Facebook page of the Filipino-Americans for Biden as follows: It had more than 45 congratulatory messages and 12 shares.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=307402074868163&set=a.257879296487108 

The original press release of Ditas appointment was published at the Bureau of Census website on April 13.

https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022/ditas-katague-appointed-associate-director-communications.html 

Lastly here's Ditas Certificate of Appointment signed by Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo and Deputy Secretary, Don Graves.

Again, Good Luck Ditas in your new job in Washington DC. I hope this will be your most challenging but rewarding job in your public service career.