New Year's Eve, 2013

If you plan on celebrating New Year's with a drinking party outside your home, please insure you have a DD ( Designated Driver) in your party. If you are alone, take a taxi home. It may save your life.

Here in Northern California if you get a DUI( drinking under the influence) citation or conviction, it may cost you at least $2000 versus a taxi fare of around $60 to $200 depending in how far is your home from the bar or party venue.

The Katague's will be celebrating New Year EVE in their residence with just a glass of champagne and watching television. Unlike our New Year Eve escapade in 1970 ( excerpts attached in this posting), our NY eve celebration will be quite and relaxing and no driving in the California tule fog.

Again, To you my readers from 166 countries all over the world, I wish you a Safe New Year. May 2014 bring you Peace and Happiness. I also hope you continue reading and supporting my blogs( by clicking on my ads) for at least another year.



Our New Year Escapade,1970:

"The New Year's Eve of 1970 was one of the most memorable events in my life in the United States. It was a peculiarly distinct night that I endangered us, me and my wife Macrine, by driving into the unknown, for a chance to celebrate a late dinner out. It was also the night we got to meet and know friendly strangers, who invited us to celebrate the New Year's Eve in their lovely home.

In September of 1969, I found a new job with Shell Development Company in central California. It was an attractive job offer which was difficult to turn down. Our family relocated to Modesto, California, and we were excited about living in a new community, meeting new friends and getting to know new neighbors.

The city of Modesto is located right in the heart of the central valley of California. It is the land of fruits and nuts, and also the agricultural region of the state. The central valley is also known for its sinister side, its tule fog during winter, which covers much of the central valley in poor visibility mist. The locals called it the "soup". The tule fog is a thick ground fog that forms and settles in the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys of California's great central valley. This spectacle is named after the tule grass wetlands or tulares, as they are called, found in the central valley. Vehicular accidents caused by the thick and zero visibility tule fog, are the leading cause of weather-related casualties in central California.

During the last four months of 1969, we were occupied settling down and adjusting to our new home and community. We found a new school for our children, church, grocery, shops and parks. My life was thinly spread between my new job and home. We had no time to join any local group, and had no friends except for our neighbors.

Before the New Year's Eve, my wife and I wanted to find social interaction in our community, but we had no friends or family to visit nearby. We decided to go out for a late dinner in one of Stockton's nicer restaurants, to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. It is about twenty miles north of Modesto.

We reached the restaurant at about 9:30 pm, and the place was filled to capacity. We didn't realize that many couples had the same wonderful idea for the last night of the year. We had to wait in the bar before they could offer us a table. At the bar was another couple who was also waiting to be seated. They were a little bit older than us. The lady was of Asian ancestry and the man was Caucasian.

The couple appeared friendly, so me being the extroverted, outgoing and friendly individual, I started the introductions. I made small talk which initiated an animated conversation to pass away the time. We felt relaxed talking with the couple, and when we were called to be seated, we decided to get a table for the four of us together, instead of two separate ones.

Our dinner of steak and lobster was enjoyable. The conversation flowed freely, loosened by two bottles of wine. Based on our rapport and discussion, it appeared like the four of us were long time friends. We learned that the lady had Filipino ancestry. The couple is also Catholic, and has resided in Stockton for the last ten years. They had no children and had plans of adopting a child from the Philippines.

Their house was in a property near the restaurant, and a short drive away. We finished dinner and dessert at about 11:30 pm. Our new found friends decided to invite us to their home for an after dinner drink, and to avoid driving home in the highway at midnight, the New Year's Eve. With our adventurous spirit, Macrine and I trusted these strangers, and accepted their invitation without any fear or hesitation.

When we got out of the restaurant, the fog was already thick with only a few feet of visibility. I was not alarmed since the couple's residence was nearby. The house was tastefully furnished and decorated with several Philippine antiques that the lady had inherited from her Filipino grandparents.

We had a bottle of champagne at midnight and celebrated the arrival of the New Year. I only took a sip since I was the designated driver. We stayed at their home chatting and getting to know each other better. We talked about our families, interests, places we've lived and visited, and about the central valley. We ended the party at 1:00 am, and decided to go home.

As we stepped out of the warmth and comfort of their house, the cold air and the soup welcomed us outside; we could see nothing in front of us. It started to sink in my mind, whether we should proceed and drive through this very thick fog or not. I remember thinking; maybe we should pass the time somewhere, and let the fog go away before driving home. On the other hand, we could not delay the trip home to our children, and the babysitter also had to get home to her family.

I decided to start the car, drive slowly through the thick fog; my eyes open wide, a little bit nervous and anxious. We glanced at each other; my wife had the look of concern on her face. I remember her saying "this looks dangerous, and how will you see the road or the other cars on the highway". Seeing her worried look increased my growing apprehension of the peril of driving through zero visibility. The fog was so thick, my car's fog lights were useless, and we could only see a few feet away.

With arrogance, I was telling myself this was nothing to worry about. I've driven through blinding snowstorms, and snowy and icy roads in the Midwest. This would be easy; there is no rain or snow on the highway. I would manage this by driving slowly and totally focused on the road. Besides, at this time of the night there are few people and cars on the road.

Silence pervaded during the whole trip. No one dared to speak of negative thoughts. Both our minds were already consumed with thoughts of angst. I remember how distressing it was with all the worries racing through my mind. It made me imagine of graphic images of car wrecks, bloody and mutilated crash victims, and disturbingly, orphaned children left behind by foolish parents.

It took me a full hour to finally reach the safety of our home. It was a huge relief to find our children at home asleep. I was thanking all the saints in heaven that we were home safe and sound despite the danger that we just went through. The baby sitter was also pleased to see us back at 2:00 am.

Reflecting back to this experience, I cannot imagine that Macrine and I allowed ourselves to get to know and visit the home of complete strangers, who later on became our close friends. We continued our friendship with the couple until 1974, when we moved to the San Francisco Bay area. I lost my job from Shell Development Company when it closed the agricultural research facility in Modesto.

This was definitely one New Year Eve's escapade that we will always remember for as long as we live."

Ny Favorite Filipino Dishes

Kare-tripe and ox tail in peanut butter Sauce ( photo from lakbay.com)


Lumpia Shanghai (photo from photobucket.com)


Halo-Halo for Merienda( photo from freeweb.com)

My wife and I have resided here in the US since 1960. We have adapted to hamburgers, hot dogs, salad, cottage cheese, yogurt and typical US cuisine, fast foods, as well as filipino dishes that we craved once in a while. Cooking filipino food here is no longer a problem, since you can purchase ingredients in the Filipino-American store or an Oriental store(Chinese, Korean or Japanese). In the 1960's there was only one Filipino store near our residence in Chicago. We oftentimes have to shop in China Town downtown. Today, there are Filipino grocery stores in most medium-sized and big cities in US to cater to the expanding population of Filipino Americans who had immigrated to US in the 1980's.

We have resided in several cities here in US ( Sacramento, Pinole, Modesto, CA, Chicago, Kansas City and Maryland). Every time we moved, my first job was to look at the telephone directory for the nearest oriental or filipino store to our house.

The above two main dishes and one dessert or merienda are some of the dishes that my wife loves to cook every now and then to satiate our longing for filipino dishes. Not pictured are pancit( a noodle dish), Chicken or pork adobo( cooked in water-vinegar mixture), chicken afritada,(a chicken dish cooked in tomato sauce with potatoes and green peppers) and deboned and stuffed chicken called relleno. The above dishes are also the favorites of our children who grew up here in US and does not really know the cuisine of the Philippines.

Our children are brown and looked very Filipino, but they are as American as apple pie. In their college years, some of their friends called them “coconuts”. Their friends would comment, “ you guys are brown outside but very white inside”. That indeed is the truth!

My wife is an excellent cook. The saying " the way to a man's heart is through his stomach", applies to our life. When we were student at the University of the Philippines our romance was on and off, since I was not really ready to get married.
One day before my 21st birthday (we have not talked or seen each other for almost a year), I was surprise to receive a birthday gift from her. Her gift was a chiffon orange cake that she baked from scratch. It was the most delicious cake I have ever eaten. It reignited our romance and we started dating again. The next year we got married. I was only 22 years old at that time. The next year, we had our oldest son and I was already in US doing graduate work at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Do you have a favorite filipino dish or an some other native dish of your country of origin? I will appreciate if you share it with me and my readers.

Tora, Tora, Tora- The Real Story of Pearl Harbor

The series opens with the arrival of Mary Ann Singleton, a naive young woman from Cleveland, Ohio, who went on vacation to San Francisco and impulsively decides to stay. She finds an apartment at 28 Barbary Lane, the domain of the eccentric, marijuana-growing landlady Anna Madrigal. Mary Ann becomes friends with other tenants of the building: the hippyish bisexual Mona Ramsey; heterosexual lothario Brian Hawkins; the sinister and cagey roof tenant Norman Neal Williams; and Michael Tolliver, a sweet and personable gay man known to friends as Mouse (as in Mickey Mouse).

Beyond the house, lovers and friends guide Mary Ann through her San Franciscan adventures: Edgar Halcyon, Mary Ann's and Mona's boss; Edgar's socialite daughter DeDe Halcyon-Day; and DeDe's scheming bisexual husband Beauchamp Day all provide a glimpse into a more affluent Californian class, while Mrs. Madrigal's mother and owner of the Blue Moon Lodge brothel, Mother Mucca, brings mystery and comic relief. Mona's ex-lover, D'orothea Wilson, returns from a modelling assignment in New York, while Michael's lover and DeDe's gynecologist, Jon Fielding, becomes part of the social group. Michael's lovers later in the series include Thack Sweeney and the significantly younger Ben McKenna.

Realism in the series

Because installments were published so soon after Maupin wrote them, he was able to incorporate many current events into the plot of the series, as well as gauge reader response and modify the story accordingly. At one point Maupin received a letter from a reader who pointed out that one of the characters' names was an anagram, providing Maupin with one of the more memorable and surprising plot twists in the book. Maupin's books are also some of the first to deal with the AIDS epidemic.

Real life people such as Jim Jones and a thinly veiled Elizabeth Taylor are mentioned in the story lines. A prominent closeted gay celebrity is represented as "______ ______" throughout the third novel, with sufficient detail available to deduce that it could be Rock Hudson.

From Wikipedia

Vacationland

Filmmaker Todd Verow revisits his own youth for his latest work. The film's main character is Joe, who, like the director, grew up in Bangor in Maine. Joe, an 18 year old high school senior who longs to move away from poor white trash roots and this town, and dreams of attending art school, lives with his single mother and older sister Theresa on a notorious council estate called "Capehart Projects". Molested at the age of ten, Joe nevertheless decides to keep the incident to himself. He befriends an elderly disabled artist named Victor who hires him as houseboy/model. Joe moves in with Victor in his loft above the local opera house, hoping to escape Bangor with his help. He also works part time at a local market along with his sister, who wants to get out of town as much as he does. For most of high school, Joe has also had a crush on his best friend, Andrew, who plays on the high school football team. He also fools around with his French teacher, whom he blackmails into helping him apply to the Rhode Island School of Design. Andrew uses alcohol to try to relax with girls, but he hangs out in public bathrooms and lets strangers play with his leg hair and actually has a crush on Joe. Two girls they dated eventually convince them to explore their mutual attraction for each other. and they also check out the local gay disco. Joe is secure about his sexuality and his plans for school, although he has no idea where the money will come from, while Andrew continues to drink heavily while trying to reconcile what he wants to do with the rest of his life, and if Joe should be a part of it. One night, a face out of Joe's past returns to haunt him, and brings to the surface feelings he thought were long buried.

Merry Christmas to All

To All My Readers_Wishing You Happiness Today and Prosperity for this coming New Year, 2014-Enjoy this Christmas Light Show!

Penis Size and Lengh of Your Fingers

Is Your Index Finger Shorter than your Ring Finger? Interesting question? If you are curious, read on.. Penis Size: It May Be Written in the Length of His Fingers By Maia Szalavitz Click on video as follows:
Facts about penis size

Good Bye Lenin and Other Foreign Movies

Two traumatic events affect the life of East Berliner, Christiane Kerner. First, in 1978, her husband, Robert, runs off to freedom and another woman in the west, leaving her to take care of their two adolescent children, Ariane and Alex, by herself. Always a good Socialist, Christiane devotes her life to the cause as a symbol of anger toward her husband. And second, in 1989, she sees a now grown Alex marching in an anti-Berlin Wall demonstration and being hauled off by police. As a result, she suffers a heart attack and goes into a coma. While Christiane is in her coma, Germany drastically changes with the Wall coming down and the imminent official reunification of East and West into one. The Kerner's personal life also changes with all aspects of the new found capitalist world infiltrating their home. When Christiane emerges from her coma eight months later, her health situation is still tenuous. Any shock she experiences could possibly lead to another heart attack and certain death. To protect his mother, Alex decides not to tell her of the new Germany in which they live. He feels he can better protect her at home, where he can control to what she is exposed. Although most around him don't support the idea - including Ariane and Lara (Alex's Russian immigrant girlfriend who is also Christiane's nurse) - they go along with the extreme measures Alex goes to to recreate East Germany in their home. How long can they keep up the ruse?
- Written by Huggo

Serbis-Pinoy Movie

Witches, Paganism and Nudity

Here's a very interesting video from National Geographic about witches, paganism and nudity.

Female and Male Nude Dancing

nude dance with naked men - myTotti goes nackt from nackig on Vimeo.

UP Oblation Run, 2013

Photo from GMA News
It is mid December and its time for the much awaited annual Oblation Run at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City
Oblation Run 2013 raises awareness for Yolanda victims, environmental issues

Free Fall Movie from Germany

Free Fall | SIFF- Another Brokeback Mountain Movie from Germany

Malice-A Baldwin and N. Kidman

Andy (Bill Pullman) and Tracy Safian (Nicole Kidman) are a happily married couple living in a Victorian house that they are restoring in Western Massachusetts. He is an Associate Dean at a local college, while his wife teaches art to children. When a student is attacked by what could be a serial rapist, her life is saved by Dr. Jed Hill (Alec Baldwin), a brilliant surgeon who has recently joined the staff of the area hospital.

Andy recognizes Jed from high school. Money is tight, so Andy invites him to rent the third floor of his home with Tracy in order to finance the new plumbing. With his propensity to bring home sexual partners and to party late into the night, Jed quickly proves himself to be a less-than-ideal tenant.

When student Paula Bell (Gwyneth Paltrow) is attacked and killed, Andy finds her body in the garden behind her home, prompting Andy's friend, Detective Dana Harris (Bebe Neuwirth), to view him as a possible suspect.

While at the police station delivering a semen sample, Andy learns his wife has been hospitalized and is being operated on by Jed. In removing one of Tracy's ovaries, which has ruptured due to a cyst, Jed discovers Tracy is pregnant, but the stress of the procedure causes the fetus to abort.

Another doctor notices that Tracy's other ovary is torsed and appears necrotic. Jed consults with Andy and advises him to agree to the removal of Tracy's second ovary, rather than risk her life. Andy painfully agrees, since this will mean that Tracy can never have children. Jed overrules the protests of other doctors that the ovary might still be healthy and he removes it. The second ovary was in fact healthy. Jed, rather than bury the report, faces the consequences of his actions.

At a deposition, Jed's attorney Lester Adams (Josef Sommer) learns his client had been drinking prior to the surgery. His case is not helped when Jed responds to an accusation that he has a God complex by declaring that as far as medicine is concerned, he is God. His insurance company settles with Tracy for $20 million. She leaves Andy, not forgiving him for the loss of her ability to ever have children.

Andy accidentally discovers that the serial rapist is Earl Leemus (Tobin Bell), the college handyman, and apprehends him. After he tells Dana that Tracy had been pregnant before the surgery, the detective informs Andy that his semen sample indicated he is sterile and couldn't have fathered Tracy's child. Andy confronts Tracy's lawyer, Dennis Riley (Peter Gallagher), accusing him of having impregnated Tracy and colluding with her. Riley denies everything and suggests that Tracy’s mother might be able to offer him some insight. Andy was under the impression she was dead.

In return for a bottle of single malt whiskey, Mrs. Kennsinger (Anne Bancroft) tells Andy the truth about her supposedly sweet daughter: Tracy is a con artist. She had a relationship with a wealthy man who paid her to have an abortion, but Tracy kept the money and had it done illegally. Her mother also confirms Andy's suspicion that Tracy was pregnant by a Dr. David Lilianfield, who ultimately proves to be Jed.

Back at home, Andy discovers a hypodermic needle containing the fertility drug Perganol. He learns that an excess amount of the drug can cause painful ovarian cysts, thereby realizing that Tracy deliberately created her illness with Jed's help. An angry Andy confronts Tracy and tells her he wants half the settlement money. Also, if he should meet with an unexpected death, a letter will immediately be sent to the police department, directing them to interview the young boy next door. He implies that the boy, frequently seen sitting at his bedroom window, was a witness to the activities of Jed and Tracy.

Jed's reaction to Andy's demands is to give him what he wants. Tracy angrily refuses, saying that there was no way she was splitting it three ways. Tracy says they have to get rid of the witness because that is the only bargaining chip that Andy has on them. He refuses and slaps her for suggesting that they murder a young boy. Tracy attempts to pressure him into it but Jed won't go along, so Tracy pulls a gun and shoots him.

That night, Tracy waits until the neighbor's nurse next door leaves. She lures Andy away from his house with a misleading phone call, then breaks in and tries to smother the boy. When she wraps cellophane around his face from behind, she realizes that it's a dummy and she has been set up. Andy surprises her. Detective Harris, who was disguised as the nurse, returns and makes the arrest. As Tracy is led away, she sees the boy and his mother return. It is revealed that the boy is, in fact, blind.

Swan Lake Ballet in the Nude

Happy Together

Happy Together Movie by 5minArts

Yiu-Fai and Po-Wing arrive in Argentina from Hong Kong and take to the road for a holiday. Something is wrong and their relationship goes adrift. A disillusioned Yiu-Fai starts working at a tango bar to save up for his trip home. When a beaten and bruised Po-Wing reappears, Yiu-Fai is empathetic but is unable to enter a more intimate relationship. After all, Po-Wing is not ready to settle down. Yiu-Fai now works in a Chinese restaurant and meets the youthful Chang from Taiwan. Yiu-Fai's life takes on a new spin, while Po-Wing's life shatters continually in contrast.

Indian Casinos of Northern California

The newest and biggest Indian Casinos in Northern California, Draton Resort and Casino at Rohnert Park grand opening was last November 5. I applied for a players card two weeks prior to the opening and received a reply that I will received it before the opening day. Today 8 days after the opening no player cards have appeared in my mail box. I do not feel this is a good public relation effort from Draton. On the other hand Thunder Valley Casino (TVC) in Lincoln, I believe has the best public relation department of all the Casinos in Northern California.

Two weeks ago, I sent an e-mail to the four biggest Indian Casinos in Northern California (Numbers 1, 2. 3 in the list below and Draton ). I was asking for pay out percentages of their slot machines and some information on the manufacturers. Only TVC replied, the others Casinos ignored my question. The Vice President of Slot Machines Operations at TVC was very helpful and very patient in answering my questions. In addition he promised that the next time we visit the Casino, he will give us ( me, my wife and a neighbor) $50 each free slot play that day. Yesterday the three of us went to TVC and enjoyed our free slot play as well as a buffet dinner that the manager also gave us. This is an example of excellent public relation effort of a Casino. Needless to say, we will patronize TVC and not the other Casinos nearby.

If you have been following my blogs, I have already written a couple of postings on this subject. There are two Indian Casinos within 30 minutes driving time from our residence, Thunder Valley (TVC) and Red Hawk Casinos (RHC). TVC is the second most profitable casino in the US according to recent reports. RHC is only about four years old, but catching up in earnings with TVC. There are two other casinos within 90 minutes driving time from our residence.

The top ten Indian Casinos in Northern California excluding Draton are as follows: This is based on the total number of slot machines. Based on floor size Thunder Valley Casino is the number 1. If you enjoyed the Casinos, Northern California is an ideal place to live or visit.

1. CACHE CREEK CASINO RESORT, Brooks, California
Slot Machines: 3,130
Floor Size: 74,720 square feet
Table Games: 143
Tribal Organization: Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation

2. THUNDER VALLEY CASINO, Lincoln, California
Slot Machines: 2,700
Floor Size: 165,000 square feet
Gaming Tables: 105
Tribal Organization: United Auburn Indian Community

3. RED HAWK CASINO, Placerville, California
Slot Machines: 2,100
Floor Size: 88,000 square feet
Gaming Tables: 75
Tribal Organization: Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians

4. TABLE MOUNTAIN CASINO, Friant, California
Slot Machines: 2,000
Floor Size: 50,000 square feet
Table Games: 47
Bingo: 800 seat
Tribal Organization: Table Mountain Rancheria

5. TACHI PALACE CASINO, Lemoore, California
Slot Machines: 2,000
Floor Size: 140,000 square feet
Table Games: 56
Bingo: 850 seats
Tribal Organization: Tachi Yokut Tribe - Santa Rosa Rancheria

6. CHUKCHANSI GOLD RESORT & CASINO, Coursegold, California
Slot Machines: 1,800
Floor Size:
Table Games: 41
Tribal Organization: Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians

7. JACKSON RANCHERIA CASINO & HOTEL Jackson, California
Slot Machines: 1,525
Floor Size: 147,000 square feet
Table Games:49
Tribal Organization: Jackson Rancheria Band of Miwuk Indians

8. RIVER ROCK CASINO, Geyserville, California
Slot Machines: 1,600
Floor Size: 35,500 square feet
Table Games: 29
Tribal Organization: Dry Creek Band of Pomo Indians

9.EAGLE MOUNTAIN CASINO, Porterville, California
Slot Machines: 1,400
Floor Size: 70,000 square feet
Table Games: 13
Bingo: 450 seats
Tribal Organization: Tule River Tribe of Yokuts

10. BLACK OAK CASINO, Tuolumne, California
Slot Machines: 1,024
Floor Size: 22,500 square feet
Table Games: 27
Tribal Organization: Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk

My wife and I have visited all of the above casinos except numbers 5 and 6 and Draton.

Gambling on Line: If you are lazy to drive or dress-up, you could always enjoy gambling by playing on line any time of the day or night with live dealers. Most of these on-line websites are outside the US. The one in England www.livecasino.uk.com comes to mind. You can play poker, black Jack and other games free for a while and then you are enticed to bit and play with money via credit card. Be careful again, this is also addicting and convenient.

May I reiterate that any form of gambling is addictive. Beware of "come-ons" and other advertising gimmicks targeted to senior citizens. Gamble wisely and stick to your budget and have FUN! Lastly gamble only the money you can afford!

Little Ashes

Paul Morrison, the director of "Little Ashes," a film about the strange, complex and forbidden love between Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca and surrealist painter Salvador Dali, talks exclusively with The Dish Rag about casting "Twilight" hero Robert Pattinson in the period piece.

At the time, Pattinson was just another undiscovered young British actor (he'd done "Harry Potter"), and little did Morrison know that this young man would draw unparalleled attention to his small film, which opens May 8, without a US premiere.

Paul Morrison: I love the fact that an audience is going to be drawn to the film, partly through Rob, that wouldn't otherwise get to this kind of movie. We played the Belfast Film Festival last week and there were quite a few of Rob's fans there, not the majority by any means, and they loved it and they really took to it, so it's great that kids will be reached by the movie.

Dish Rag: Playing Salvador Dali is a daunting role for a young actor.

PM: Yeah, I don't think Rob realized what he was getting into when he agreed to do it, but he really worked hard at it, he really grappled with it, and I think he's done something very extraordinary. It's so difficult to do, because you have to tread light all the time between playing Dali as a young lovable young man, which he was, and suggesting the kind of pastiche of himself that he became in later life, that he presented to the public in later life, and that's a very tall order, and I think Rob pulled it off.


DR: The resemblance is actually quite amazing.

PM: The intensity was important, but I wasn't really looking for resemblance. And in the performance, I wasn't looking for mimicry either.

DR: How did you find Robert Pattinson?

Head On Movie

The nineteen-year-old Ari confronts both his sexuality and his Greek family. Ari despises his once-beloved parents, former radical activists, for having entombed themselves in insular tradition; Ari is obsessed with gay sex, though he does make a unenthusiastic attempt to satisfy the sister of one of his best friends. At the same time, he's facing problems with his traditional Greek parents, who have no clue about his sexual activities...

Andrew Cunanan-An Infamous Filipino-Italian American

Cunanan was born in National City, California, to Modesto Cunanan, a Filipino American, and Mary Anne Schillaci, an Italian American. He was the youngest of four children. Modesto Cunanan was serving in the US Navy in the Vietnam War at the time of his son's birth. He murdered 5 men including Italian designer Gianni Versace.

At the time of the crimes, there was much public and press speculation that Cunanan's motives were tied to a diagnosis of HIV infection; however, an autopsy found him to be HIV-negative.

In order to piece together a motive for his killing spree, police searched the boathouse where Cunanan died. However, Cunanan left behind few personal belongings, surprising investigators, given his reputation for acquiring money and expensive possessions from wealthy older men.[16] Police considered few of the findings to be of note, except multiple tubes of hydrocortisone cream and a fairly extensive collection of the fiction of C.S. Lewis.

His motivations remain a mystery. Various theories include jealousy for Versace's role as a "gay icon", as well as necessity and opportunity in some of the other murders. Examination of his behavior from reports also indicates that he may have suffered from psychopathy, a personality disorder characterized by an abnormal lack of empathy.

Northanger Abbey- Jane Austin

Northanger Abbey is the story of a young woman, Catherine Morland, who is invited to Bath with family friends, the Allens, for the waters at Bath will help Mr. Allen's gout. Catherine (called "Cathy" by her many younger siblings) has been quite sheltered all her life, escaping only by reading Gothic novels, and so is delighted to go to Bath. Mrs. Allen introduces Catherine to the Thorpe family, including an older girl, Isabella, who befriends Catherine.

The girls have bonded over their love of similar novels, when their brothers arrive. James (Catherine's brother) falls in love with Isabella, a hardened flirt. Likewise, John (Isabella's brother and James's friend) goes after Catherine, who does not like John half so much as John likes himself. Catherine is in love herself, however, with a quirky young minister, Henry Tilney, whom she met at a dance. Catherine befriends Henry's sister, Eleanor, and goes on many outing with the two siblings, after their brother, Frederick, comes to Bath. Isabella, having learned that James (to whom she is now engaged) is poor, begins to flirt with Frederick Tilney. Eleanor invites Catherine to stay with her at the Tilney's home, Northanger Abbey; Catherine accepts with pleasure, though she imagines that the Abbey will be rather like on the gloomy castles in her books.

Catherine is, at first, welcomed by General Tilney (Henry's father), who has been bragged to by John Thorpe that Catherine (whom John thinks is in love with him) is an heiress. When he realizes that Catherine is not rich, however, he sends her packing. Back at home, Catherine is unhappy, missing Henry and disillusioned about her precious Gothic novels. Henry appears and proposes, however, and the story ends happily.

Grand Ecole Movie

Grande ecole: Paul and Agnes have been going out for quite a while and Agnes is shocked to learn that he'd rather live with two roommates on campus than move in with her. As soon as he meets one of his roommates, Louis-Anault, Paul's behavior changes - he is attracted to Louis without realizing so himself. Agnes, on the other hand, gets quite jealous and offers a bet: Whoever gets to have Louis-Anault first, wins... If she does, Paul will no longer explore his homosexual desires, if he does - she'll walk away. Meanwhile, Paul meets Mecir, a young Arab worker, who shows him there's more to life than elite colleges....

The 24th Day Movie

Tom (Scott Speedman) and Dan (James Marsden) meet in a bar and then proceed to Tom's apartment together. While there, Dan realizes that he had been in that same apartment before. Five years earlier, Dan and Tom had a one night stand there. According to Tom, that encounter with Dan was his first and only homosexual experience. Some years later, Tom's wife is found to be HIV positive. Despondent after receiving this diagnosis from her doctor, Tom's wife drives through a red traffic light and is killed in an ensuing collision. Subsequent to these events, medical tests reveal that Tom is also HIV positive. Tom blames himself for passing HIV on to his wife and, in turn, he blames Dan for passing the virus on to him. Reasoning that Dan, ultimately, is to blame for his wife's death, Tom devises a plan to exact revenge. He holds Dan hostage, keeping him bound and gagged to a chair in his apartment. He draws blood from Dan in order to conduct a test to determine Dan's HIV status. If Dan's test results are positive for HIV, Tom vows to kill Dan. If the results are negative, Tom agrees to release Dan unharmed. In the end, Tom returns to the apartment and lets Dan go. As Dan is leaving, Tom asks him when he had last been tested. A few moments later, he reveals that Dan's test was, in fact, positive. He decided to let Dan go because he realized that his positive status was the result of his choices which he couldn't blame on anyone else. The screen fades with Dan standing in Tom's doorway, in shock, and Tom resigned to his fate.

Mulligan's Forbidden Love

If you are homophobic, do not watch these two videos. It is a story of a young man who falls in love with the father of his best friend. I am not gay but I love romance movies gay or hetero or for that matter any controversial movies. Enjoy

Origin of the Word-Olympic

I saw this article from the status page of a FB friend. He said he does not mind if I share it with you, my blog and skrive.it readers.

A slave call girl from Sardinia named Desdemona was attending a great but as yet unnamed athletic festival 2500 years ago in Greece. In those days, believe it or not, the athletes performed naked.

To prevent unwanted arousal while competing, the men imbibed freely on drink containing saltpeter before and throughout the variety of events.

At the opening ceremonial parade, Desdemona observed the first wave of naked magnificent males marching toward her and she exclaimed: "OH!! Limp pricks!"

Over the next two and a half millennia that morphed into " Olympics".

Just thought I'd share this new found knowledge with you. You're very welcome!

Amistad Movie

Amistad is the name of a slave ship traveling from Cuba to the U.S. in 1839. It is carrying a cargo of Africans who have been sold into slavery in Cuba, taken on board, and chained in the cargo hold of the ship. As the ship is crossing from Cuba to the U.S., Cinque, who was a tribal leader in Africa, leads a mutiny and takes over the ship. They continue to sail, hoping to find help when they land. Instead, when they reach the United States, they are imprisoned as runaway slaves. They don't speak a word of English, and it seems like they are doomed to die for killing their captors when an abolitionist lawyer decides to take their case, arguing that they were free citizens of another country and not slaves at all. The case finally gets to the Supreme Court, where John Quincy Adams makes an impassioned and eloquent plea for their release.



This is a remake of the 3 Idiots Movie. I like the original better than this remake.


The Last Casino is a 2004 Canadian television film on the subject of card counting. This movie draws heavily from the ideas espoused in the book Bringing Down the House.

Mathematics professor Doug Barnes has big problems. He is seriously addicted to gambling, and is heavily in debt to a vicious gangster (the Usurer). Barnes has been banned from his local casino, and the Usurer wants his money back. Barnes has only one card left up his sleeve.

Professor Barnes is paid an unexpected call at his university office by the Usurer. Barnes explains he has had a bad patch; but the Usurer wants his money. Barnes quickly comes up with the idea of forming "a team" of card counters, telling the Usurer "It's the only way you'll get your money back". At this, the Usurer snips the tip off the professor's little finger as a warning to pay the debt; but tells him he will consider the proposal. Barnes goes ahead and recruits three of the brightest, if mostly impoverished students from the university, luring them in with the promise of $1,000 per night each for "doing a little math". He then goes ahead and teaches them the art of card counting. Whilst initially highly successful, the three of them soon begin to succumb to the tempation easy money presents, and the pressure is soon on them to raise the money necessary to pay the professor's debts.

Tripe Soup-Caribbean versus Italian-Filipino Version

Cow Tripe Soup-Italian-Pinoy Style
Yesterday, my next door neighbor who was originally from Italy surprise my wife and I with cow tripe soup that she cooked. She said she just makes this soup once and a while, but she was very grateful with us taking her out to the Casino every other week so she makes the soup as a special treat. I once mentioned to her that in the Philippines, one of my favorite dish is cow tripe cooked in tomato sauce with garbanzo beans and plantains.

I also know that the best tripe soup is the Caribbean version that a former college mate once prepared during one of our pot luck parties while I was still in graduate school. I also am aware that tripe has to be pressured cook so it will be tender or boil for at least two hours. During the boiling process, the fat that floats at the top of the pot is removed so that it still be a healthy meal for people who are overweight, diabetics or have high blood pressure like myself and my wife. Here's the recipe that my Caribbean friend gave me. He said this recipe was from his mother a native of Jamaica. The following recipe will served 6 and takes about 3 to 4 hours to prepare.

Ingredients:

2 Tsp oil
1 cup diced onions( preferably sweet onions)
4 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
2 lbs cow tripe, cut up and thoroughly washed
Salt and pepper to taste
Water
1 lb pumpkin (calabaza squash), cut into small sized chunks
2 lbs half-ripe plantains, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch
8 -10 okra
Dumplings (optional)

Preparation:

Heat oil in pressure cooker. Add onions and saute until translucent, 3-4 minutes

Add 2 sprigs of thyme and saute for 1 minute. Add tripe along with salt and pepper to taste and saute for 4 minutes. Add 6 cups water, stir and cover pressure cook and let cook for 50-55 minutes. Time begins from the first whistle.

Add enough water to make soup, cover pot and pressure cook for 6 minutes. Time begins from the first whistle. Release pressure cooker valve to let out steam and open pressure cooker. Add pumpkin, plantains and remaining thyme. Cook until plantains are almost melting. (Do not close pressure cooker at this stage, just rest the cover on top of the pot).

Add okra and dumplings to pot, cover and let cook for 7-9 minutes or until dumplings are cooked thoroughly. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Stir and serve.

The Philippines-Italian version is much simpler. Instead of plantain, my neighbor used potato cubes and no squash and okra are in the recipe. The pure Filipino version is very similar to the Caribbean recipe, but instead of okra, garbanzo beans are used. This soup is one of my favorite dishes. It is considered a main dish in the Philippines, not just a soup. There is a restaurant in Marinduque that prepares a delicious version of this tripe dish. Have You tasted a tripe dish?

Graton Resort and Casino Will Open On November 5

The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria are building a 534,000-square-foot casino resort at the northwest edge of Rohnert Park. After years of approval processes with the local, state and federal governments, the tribe celebrated a ground-breaking ceremony June 18, 2012. It is scheduled to open this coming November 5, 2013.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a 20-year state gaming compact with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, and the state Senate and House ratified it. The compact requires the tribe to pay $200 million for public safety and other community services. Estimated first-year revenue is $328.5 million and estimated 7th year is $392 million. Estimated permanent jobs is 2000 employees.

Gaming

317,750 sq-ft casino
3,000 slot machines
150 table games

Restaurants

The Marketplace - casual, 500 seats. Menu designed by Chef Douglas Keane the previous chef at Cyrus.

M.Y. China - Developed by celebrity chef Martin Yan.

Slice House - Developed by Tony Gemignani the chef behind Tony's Pizza Napoletana.

630 Park Steakhouse

Daily Grill

Parking

Parking for 5,500 cars

Hotel (later phase)

Six-story hotel with 200 guest rooms is in the planing stage.

My two favorite Casinos, Thunder Valley (TVC) in Lincoln and Red Hawk(RHC) in Placerville will now have competition. Hopefully with this competition TVC and RHC will offer more favorable promotion to retain its customers like me and other casino clients residing in Northern California. I am looking forward to visit this Casino.

Stranger by the Lake Trailers

STRANGER BY THE LAKE (Clip 1 - VOST UK) from Les Films Du Losange on Vimeo.

Stranger by the Lake is a 2013 French drama film directed by Alain Guiraudie. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival where Guiraudie won the award for Best Director. The film also won the Queer Palm award. It was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.

Lan Yu-Chinese Movie with English Subtitle

The movie is based on a novel published anonymously on the Internet in 1998. The filming itself took place in Beijing, without government permission. The movie, which was directed by internationally acclaimed director Stanley Kwan, tells a romantic and tragic love story of two men. It is based on the Chinese novel A Beijing Story by an author identified only as a Beijing Comrade, with "tongzhi" having blatantly homosexual overtones. Since this work contained positive depictions of gay men, explicit (by Chinese standards) gay sex scenes, and resurrected the ghost of Tiananmen Square, at the time, no mainland Chinese publisher would have dared to publish it. Nor would the author be safe from government reprisals.

Hence, its anonymous publication on the Internet. The story is set in Beijing in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and makes vivid reference to the Tiananmen Square massacre. The film can be counted as a mainland-made movie as most of the crew are from mainland China. Lan Yu received a brief mainland Chinese run during the Film Association of Beijing University-sponsored ‘’China’s First Gay Film Festival‘’ at Beijing University in December 2001. Although publicity for this film festival was low-key and mainly limited to the University's website and students had to sell tickets out of dorm rooms, all scheduled screenings of this film quickly sold totally out. This move have won several awards.

Dancing Ballet in the Nude

Pictures is worth more than a Thousand Words. Enjoy these two videos...

Are Solar Flares Prelude to Apocalypse?

Are these solar flares a prelude to the end of the world? I hope not! Another X solar flares occurred yesterday!
marinduque rising: Sun erupts with two major solar flares: From Space.com The sun erupted with two of the strongest solar flares it can unleash Friday (Oct. 25), just days after blasting an int...

My Name is Divad B Eugatak

Have you tried reading and spelling your name backwards? Is it readable? Do you like how it sounds? In addition have you tried creating anagrams of your surname?

My name ( David B Katague(pronounced Cat tag' gay) when spelled backward is Divad B Eugatak. The B which is Balleza my mom's maiden name will read Azellab.

Eugatak is readable and it does not sound bad. So today, I am putting Divad B Eugatak its presence in the INTERNET by creating a site at blogspot.com as follows: http://divadbeugatak.blogspot.com

I have also created 7 anagrams of the 7 letter Katague as follows: Ageatku, ataguke, aukgate, Eutakag, Ekgutaa, kuegata and Kaugate. I like the sound of the last anagram.

My spouse of 57 years Macrine Jambalos Katague will have another name as Enircam Solabmaj Eugatak. The name sounds like an Indonesian or an Arabic name.

My full name David Balleza Katague will read Divad Azellab Eugatak also sounds like an Arabic name.

I am writing this just for fun since I have plenty of time, so do not ask me, So What! I will tag this under the humor column of my skriveit.com account. I will never change my first name of David ( means beloved) to Divad, although Shakespeare in his play Romeo and Juliet says: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet."

Good Day or night to all you dear readers, try spelling your name backwards and let me know whether you like it or not.

Award Winning TV Soap Opera-Forbidden Love

The series has become well known for its groundbreaking treatment of LGBT characters, presenting bisexuality and homosexuality as normal, and homosexual and bisexual relationships as equal to heterosexual relationships on the show. For this reason, it has become popular with gay and lesbian audiences in Europe and the United States. Ever on the cutting edge, the series is not afraid to tackle controversial issues such as drug addiction and abuse, murder, rape, suicide, adultery, incest, homophobia, alcoholism, HIV, schizophrenia, miscarriage, kidnapping, and sexual confusion.

In 2005, Verbotene Liebe (Forbidden Love) received the prestigious Rose d'Or award for "Best Soap," and in 2010 was nominated for the category of "Best Soap or Telenovela." More recently, the show was nominated for eight German Soap Awards in 2011, winning three. The show is filmed at the Cologne-Ossendorf studios of the Magic Media Company, with outdoor scenes and exterior shots regularly shot in and around Cologne and Düsseldorf. In January 2011,the series began filming in high definition. Here's the story line of this award winning drama.

Christian is the younger brother of Gregor Mann (Andreas Jancke). During his childhood he had to cope with his mother's suicide and his father's gambling addiction. He was convicted when he took the blame for a crime committed by his father, Wolfgang (Jürgen Haug), knowing his father wouldn't be able to endure prison with a weak heart. While Christian served his father's sentence, his father died and it is revealed he was "in handcuffs" while visiting his father's grave. After being released, Christian moved to Düsseldorf with Gregor.

He starts dating Nico von Lahnstein (Verena Zimmermann), but breaks up with her and starts a relationship with Coco Faber (Mariangela Scelsi), when he discovers Nico made Coco write love letters to him and sign them as Nico, during a time he was in prison, falsely accused of assaulting Nico's boss.

Later, he meets Olivia's cousin and Charlie (Gabriele Metzger) and Lars' nephew Oliver Sabel (Jo Weil), who moves to the apartment Christian and Coco share with Lars, even if he's not totally comfortable with Oliver's sexuality. Christian begins to have relationship problems with Coco, resulting in her falling in love and sharing a kiss with Oliver, the latter which they decide to keep secret from Christian. However at the same time, Oliver begins to develop feelings for Christian, which are cemented during a camping trip to which he was invited on by Coco and realizes he has fallen in love with him.

When Christian finds out about Coco's kiss with Oliver, he confronts Oliver and accuses him of pretending to be gay in order to get at his girlfriend. At the boxing club later on, Oliver goes to him to insist the kiss meant nothing to him and kisses him on impulse. Christian rejects Oliver, shoving him away, stating he is straight. Against his will, and despite being angry because Oliver sent a sports college application for him, Christian starts dreaming and fantasizing about the kiss and becomes confused about his sexuality. He ends up breaking up with Coco as a result. After he admits his confusion to Coco, she leaves for Goa, India taking their dog Pepper with her.

He talks about his confused feelings with another man on an anonymous chat room, and when he discovers the other man is Oliver (who was unaware that he was chatting with Christian) when the two begin to exchange photos, the confrontation that ensues brings all their feelings to a head and results in Oliver and Christian having sex for the first time. Afterwards, Christian tells Oliver this first experiment convinced him he is not gay. Despite this, Christian still thinks about Oliver more and more often and becomes further confused about his feelings and sexuality. Later, his track entrance trial at the sports college doesn't go well, having two false starts, until Oliver shows up to support him which results in him passing with flying colors.

On a date with co-worker and friend Miriam Christian feels jealous when he sees Oliver dancing with another guy and starts a fight. Oliver manages to stop the fight and accuses Christian of being jealous, and follows him upstairs locked in his room. After Oliver stays at Christian's locked door all night, they both confess their mutual feelings and Christian lets Oliver into his room and they make love, finally becoming a couple.

They try to hide their relationship from other friends, but it is later discovered by Judith, their flatmate, and Olivia. To Christian and Oliver's surprise, the friends who discovered their relationship are fine with it and promise to keep it a secret.

In the meantime, Christian gets a boxing contract. He fires his first manager, a homophobic man, and hires Gregor, who turns out to be supportive when he discovers Christian in bed with Oliver, but he has to keep his relationship with Oliver hidden due to homophobia in the boxing scene, even though he wishes to come out no longer ashamed of his sexuality. Oliver, desperate for Christian's success, even goes as far as convincing Christian to pretend to date Judith as a beard. Christian wins his first fight and then comes out by publicly kissing Oliver in the ring, making himself known as "The Gay Boxer". However, Axel, the boxer defeated by Christian and who had before mocked Christian for suspecting he was in a gay relationship, attacks Oliver when he finds him alone in No Limits. The charges against Axel are dropped due to lack of evidence.

Despite an apparent successful recovery, Oliver develops an aneurysm that puts his life at danger as a result of the attack, and most of Christian partners become supportive of them, and the lesion gives the police enough evidence to arrest Axel. However, some time after this, Christian collapses while in the shower and is discovered by a horrified Oliver who takes him to the hospital. Despite insisting his collapse was a minor thing, it is confirmed that he suffers from a bacteria infection which has spread to his heart muscle called myocarditis, a result of a common cold not healing properly, which impairs him from doing any kind of professional sport. This abrupt change of life causes a short downward spin for Christian, having to give up his passion for boxing, but soon learns to change his life around until his infection heals. After a short time working as a park and forest administrator at the Königsbrunn Castle, Stella Mann notices that he has a gift for taming horses, and he starts training at Köningsbrunn as a professional Horse Trainer.

Christian and Oliver's first relationship trouble is caused by Rob, a party planner who is interested in seducing Oliver, and catches his attention by proposing business deals, while secretly attempting to use Oliver's bar No Limits as a base for drug dealing. Oliver perceives the suspicions of Christian as mere jealousy, and their relationship is further strained when Oliver begins to suspect Christian to becoming attracted towards women again, this being fueled when Christian shares a drunken kiss with Miriam during a party and when Rebecca von Lahnstein develops feelings for Christian and kisses him. Oliver soon bluntly asks him if he's into women again and Christian admits he's not sure, causing them to consider if their relationship is worth trying for. However after considering all the trials they had gone through together, the two decide to start fresh. In the end, Christian and Oliver reconcile thanks to a romantic trip to New York, and Rebecca manages to expose Rob as drug dealer to the police, who is imprisoned.

Christian, soon after their trip to New York, suffers an episode of chest pain and is taken to the hospital by Andi. However, Oliver is not allowed to know any details about him once at the hospital as he's not a relative of Christian, much to his and Christian's annoyance. When Christian goes to Sebastian von Lahnstein in order to file documents to fix any future health concerns for them hospital-wise, he suggests he and Oliver get married to avoid these limitations. Christian is wary to get married and says he and Oliver are fine with where they are in their relationship. Miriam also suggests the same thing to Oliver, who responds with excitement to propose to Christian and begins making plans to do just so. When Oliver proposes to Christian later on in No Limits, decorating it with Valentine's Day decorations, Christian is clearly shocked. Despite his earlier comments about not being ready for marriage, he says yes to Oliver's proposal.

Despite some conflict about how the wedding should be, Christian wanting a small and private wedding whereas Oliver wants a big and grande wedding party, they finally get married, and start talking about adopting a child. After learning that adoption takes up to several years for gay couples, they make an attempt to get known with a lesbian couple, in order to try for in vitro fertilization. However, the couple demands Christian and Oliver to sign a contract, planning for their future activities and decisions to ensure they will always be close to the child. Christian and Oliver, unwilling to commit to a rigid and tight plan, break up the agreement. Later they start acting as foster parents for Lilly, daughter of a Cameroonian man, during the time he is in prison, and while he looks for a job after his release. Oliver wants to foster another child soon after Lily's parting from their life, but Christian is unable to do this so soon after Lily's departure and still in pain from her leaving. This causing a strain on their relationship. However, Oliver soon realizes that he is willing to be with Christian despite being unable to have a family with him and makes up with him.

Their relationship takes a severe downward turn when Christian and Andi Fritzsche wake up after a party with Jessica Stiehl, who claims both of them had sex with her. This fuels Oliver's fear that Christian might leave him for a woman, and he asks Christian to move out. Christian lives at the stud farm in Königsbrünn for a while, until a fire destroys all his possessions, forcing him to move with Oliver's aunt Charlie, right in front of the apartment in which Oliver lives.

The couple drifts even more apart after Oliver witnesses Phillip zu Hohenfelden being hit by a car and thinks himself responsible, falling into depression. Christian starts an affair with Theresa Erzberger, a coworker at the stud farm, but breaks up with her when Theresa sabotages the training of Dana Wolf. Oliver attempts a relationship with Rafael Velasquez, whom he had met at vacations on Ibiza, and both agree to dissolve their marriage.

Distressed from Oliver's official departure from his life, Christian seeks for relief by returning to his box training club and accepts a challenge by a friend of Axel's, intending to get revenge for what Axel did to Oliver awhile back. The fight triggers his heart condition and results in a heart attack, which Olli ends up witnessing, sending him to the hospital. The fear of truly losing Christian causes Oliver to realize that he still loves him despite all the trouble the two have gone through together and break up with Rafael, reconciling with Christian and restarting their relationship. The heart episode severely impairs Christian, since any activity or situation that rises his heart rate would endanger his life. On January 3, 2012 Oliver and Christian got married for a second time in the cabin outside which they first fell in love back in 2008.

In late 2012, Christian is invited to work on England for several months with a worldwide renowned horse trainer. He and Oliver temporarily depart with a sweet moment and a kiss as Christian leaves.

In late 2013, Christian returns to the show, being seen walking through the street with his bags. During this, he gets a phone call which he tells the caller to stop calling him. Later, he hides in Oliver's room in the apartment where he pretends to be an intruder and handcuffs Oliver to a chair before revealing himself and putting on a strip show for him, reuniting the two. The two spend days happy together, but eventually get into an argument over whether or not Christian wants to continue traveling and working, thus spending months apart from each other again. During their fight, Christian leaves to walk throughout the city and, as he is distracted, gets his jacket is stolen from a running thief. Christian is unable to chase after him when he trips. As a result of the robbery, the thief is eventually in an accident which required surgery and is accidentally mistaken as Christian; scaring Oliver when he is called to be told about "Christian" being in the hospital. In shock, he wanders throughout the city and meets a friend who invites him under his roof to get out of the pouring rain. Oliver accepts and sits, fearing for "Christian". However, moments later, Christian comes into the room, revealing the big misunderstanding. The eventually make up, and Christian even says he wants to travel with him when they can when Oliver lets Christian take another year working. Once again, the two are happy once again and spend most of their time having sex together until Christian has to leave once again for his work. However, Christian still keeps getting regular phone calls from someone whom he keeps firmly saying to stop calling him.

Soon enough, Christian goes into the bathroom after a day in bed with Oliver to phone this mystery person back, talking in English. He tells the person to not call him again. As he goes on, Jessica walks in just in time to hear Christian say to the person, "We had sex. Once. And that's the end of the story. It happened because I was drunk!" After insisting that he was happily married, he ends the call and sees Jessica standing in the room. He initially hopes she didn't understand since he was speaking in English, but Jessica says that she understands "We had sex" very well in English. When she scolds him for sleeping with a man while drunk, Christian reveals to her that the person he slept with was actually a woman. Christian details how throughout the year he spent without Oliver, he had gotten lonely and went to a bar for a few drinks. He eventually got drunk and doesn't remember anything that had happened afterward, but woke up in bed with a woman. Jessica says that he can't tell Oliver, reminding him of what happened after their night together and the disastrous effect it had on him and Oliver. Dana walks in to get diapers for Max and Jessica immediately tells her of Christian's one night stand and that Christian can never tell Oliver. Dana is offended, believing it to be the right thing to do and how she (Jessica) had Hagan lie to her for weeks about cheating on her, but Jessica insisted it was different with Christian and that telling the truth would ruin the relationship on account of Christian's past. However, Dana firmly believes that Oliver deserves the truth.

Later, Christian is struck with immense guilt and eventually confesses his one night stand to Oliver. When Christian also reveals it was once again with a woman, Oliver points out how every time he has cheated on him it was with a woman, never a man, and that this must mean that he wants something that he (Oliver) can never give him. Oliver leaves in a huff to think and cry over Christian's incapability of being faithful to him. Dana eventually comes in to talk with Christian, and he tells her how he couldn't bear lying to Oliver any longer and had to tell him the truth, even if it meant potentially ruining everything they have together. He brings up how the worst part is that it is the same exact issue as it was in the past; him getting drunk and winding up in bed with a woman. He expresses his fear that Oliver will want to end their marriage together once again and Dana tries to assure him that they worked everything else like last time, but Christian says he promised back then that he would never cheat again. He insists that he loves Oliver, but hates how he still hurts him despite his love for him. Dana says she simply hopes Oliver will forgive him.

Some time later, Oliver returns home. He says he thought about how he wants their marriage to be, and doesn't want it like the way it currently is. He directly says that Christian can't be faithful, doesn't want any commitments and wants to sleep with whomever he wants. Christian is left confused, until Oliver declares he doesn't want to break up - he wants an open marriage. As he walks off, Christian is left shell shocked.

After this, Christian proposes to stay in Germany in order to regain Oliver's trust since he feels that Oliver does truly want an open marriage, fuming to Jessica later about the many former boyfriends he fears Oliver is going to be with, and is being stubborn. He continues to make many efforts to speak with Oliver, constantly apologizing, but Oliver rejects his offer and his many attempts to make amends. Believing things to be over, Christian books his ticket for England. However, hours before the flight, Jessica locks Christian and Oliver in their room together in an effort to force them to talk things through. During this time period, Christian once again declares his love for Oliver and convinces him that he is sincerely repentant over his infidelity. Oliver, still heartbroken, asks from him to give him all the details of his fling in England, believing it will help him to forgive him. Christian reiterates his love for Oliver, saying nothing will ever compare to being with him because his love belongs to him, and they eventually kiss and have make up sex.

Afterwards, Christian asks Oliver to come with him in England for a while. Oliver accepts his offer, believing that their stay in England together will help improve their relationship.

Scenario if Mt Malindig in Marinduque Erupts Today

Can you imagine a scenario if Mt Malinding in my beloved province of Marinduque, Philippines erupts today?

With the recent earthquake swarms and mild tremors in Marinduque in the news the first week of this month, I am beginning to wonder if these swarms are connected to the volcanic activity of Mt Malindig. I am hoping that an eruption would not happen in my lifetime, but the chance that this eruption will not occur is almost zero.

Assuming that the eruption is as intense in magnitude as Mt Pinatubo several years ago, destruction of the island particularly the town of Buenavista and Torrijos will be tremendous and catastrophic. The five star, Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa- the tourist jewel of Marinduque will be covered with volcanic ashes and will not be available for the enjoyment of our rich kababayans from Manila as well as tourists from Japan and Korea for quite a long time. The whole western coast of Marinduque, from Boac to Buenavista sites of beautiful homes and mansions owed by the Expatriate Marinduquenos and the rich businessmen from Manila and the location of several beautiful beach resorts ( including my own, Chateau Du Mer) will be a big mess. It will probably take several months or longer to bring it up to the pre-eruption conditions that we natives thoroughly cherish and enjoy. I hope this scenario will never happen, but we should be prepared and not surprise just in case this happens. Let me explain why this scenario could happen in the future.

Mt Malindig is considered a potentially active volcano, in part because of the sulfur and hot springs in Malbog, Buenavista. It has never erupted, but because it is an active volcano, the chance it will not erupt is nil. Its unique location, at the heart of Southern Tagalog Region, creates a panorama that encompasses Mindoro, Verde Island and Southern Luzon. It is the largest mountain in the island popular for mountain climbers and hikers. It is the home of different species of wild orchids and other endemic wild life in the island. Due to the elevation of more than 1000 meters above sea level, it is by Philippine environmental law a protected area. Mt Malindig is a stratovolcano with coordinates 13.2694 degrees North and 121.9922 degrees East.

The photo above is Poctoy White Beach with Mt Malindig in the background- the most photographed scenery in the islands. Let's hope that this eruption scenario will not occur for a long, long time. In the meantime, let us enjoy this beautiful mountain this summer, by hiking to the top, bird watching or just enjoying the panoramic view at the top. In a clear day, you can see Mindoro and the surrounding islands of the Southern Tagalog region.
Note: Today, Mt Malindig is dormant. There is a legend in Marinduque, why it has been dormant for quite some time. Evidently, at one time in the past, the volcano was showing sign of eruptions by the steam and boiling water oozing from top of the mountain. The local devotees of the Statue of the Virgin of Biglang Awa ( Perpetual Succor) prayed and prayed until the oozing of boiling water and steam stopped. When the faithful devotees of the Biglang Awa came to say thank you, by kissing the feet and gown of the statue, they observed that it was wet. The Lady of Biglang Awa is the patron saint of the town of Boac, capital of Marinduque. Today, there is a shrine built by the side of the Boac Cathedral in honor of Biglang Awa.Image from diosceseofboac.org

Genesis-Philippines New TV Drama

In my article the other day, I indicated that I have no desire to watch another Pinoy TV drama after the historic My Husband's Lover(MHL) ended the other day. MHL was the first Pinoy TV soap opera that I enjoyed very much because of its modern and timely topic favorable to the image of the LGBT community of the Philippines. I thought MHL will be my last Pinoy TV opera, but I am mistaken, because today at the invitation of my wife, I decided to watch Genesis, a new drama also by the GMA network. I am starting to enjoy the first 5 episodes and I have a feeling I will get hooked to it, until the end. Here's a summary of the TV drama from Wikipedia.

Genesis is a Filipino science fiction-drama series broadcast by GMA Network starring Dingdong Dantes, Rhian Ramos, TJ Trinidad, Lauren Young and Lorna Tolentino. It premiered on October 14, 2013 on the network's prime time block and worldwide via GMA Pinoy TV. Here's the plot and summary of this drama that I am beginning to enjoy so far.

In 2007, a series of catastrophic events happened during the Panagbengga Flower Festival in Baguio City. The festive occasion becomes a catastrophe as earthquakes and landslides follow after fragments of an asteroid hit the area. Isaak is quick to protect the vice president and his daughter Sandra who is with him in the occasion. He is also quick in bringing Sandra to the presidential chopper. Unbeknownst to Isaak, President Ramona ordered the helicopter to immediately pull out leaving the Vice President in peril.

Isaak tries to save the vice president from falling in a pit caused by the earthquake but it was too late and Edgardo dies. Isaak is devastated as he feels dishonored for failing to save the vice president. Meanwhile, at his hometown, he finds out that his parents died too and it was only Raquel who survived. As days go by, Isaak continues to mourn the death of the people dear to him. Raquel tries to convince Isaak to leave his job, start all over again in their hometown, get married and live a quiet life.

Sandra, on the other hand, has no idea on what President Ramona did and she doesn’t question Isaak’s loyalty to his father especially Isaak saved her life. Sandra and Isaak are both unaware of Ramona’s plot to kill the Vice President. Before everyone finds out about what she did and how she abandoned the vice president during the disaster, she puts the blame on Isaak over the death of the vice president. Thus, he was sentenced to life imprisonment and he was even proclaimed dead by Ramona.

As Raquel thought Isaak is dead, she is pushed to marry Paolo who promises her a better life for her and the baby she’s carrying. Meanwhile, Isaak serves his time in jail, growing more cynical with each passing day.

Five years later, Sandra is a strong candidate for the presidency and eventually, became the president of the country. After her inauguration, Sandra is called into an emergency caucus and discovers that the world is about to end and realizes that what happened 5 years ago in Baguio has something to do on the imminent destruction. However, the world government has been preparing for this all along through “Operation: Genesis.” It is like a modern-day Noah’s Ark wherein there are pre-selected people from all countries who will be saved in order to preserve the human race; and to be selected, one must be in perfect health condition.

Sandra knows exactly who to give the mission to. She discovers that Isaak is still alive, and immediately gives Isaak the presidential pardon because she believes that he is the only person who can be relied on and be trusted on this mission. In return, he will be given the chance to find Raquel and bring her along. He starts his journey in searching for these selected people.

In his search, he will once again cross paths with Raquel who is now married to Paolo. Isaak will also meet Raquel’s daughter, Osie who will teach him how to live life once again and hope despite the impending global catastrophe. And later on, he finds out that Osie is his daughter.

All throughout his journey, Isaak will meet different people from different parts of the country. And in trying to offer them a choice by saving them and by providing hope for others; he will come to realize that in the midst of destruction, love is the greatest salvation. And when chaos strikes, love will be their greatest strength.