Grand Daughter Carenna Katague Thompson Spotlighted in School Newsletter

Carenna is freshman at the Elliott School of International Affairs at the University of Washington in DC. She a Student staff member and spotlighted on the current issue of their school newspaper-The Elliott Insider. This is a monthly newsletter for the Elliott Staff. In this November issue there is a list of the 2022-2023 Religious Holidays Calendar observed by Christians, Jews, Muslims and other religions of the World. A very informative calendar if you are interested of other cultures in the world besides your own.   

I am so proud of her accomplishments. Note that she mentioned in the interview  two favorite filipino food- Lumpia and Pancit . I am indeed s very, very proud LOLO  Here's the article. 

Meet Carenna Thompson Public Affairs Work Study Student

Favorite Halloween candy? Reese's, any Reese's product, but the original is the best. Your best ever Halloween costume and how old were you? In preschool, I dressed up as Mavis from Thomas the Train. Favorite Holiday and why? Thanksgiving. It's the food. We love traditional Thanksgiving food at my house and Filipino food like Lumpia and Pancit, so it's like my two favorite cultures coming together. What's your opinion on dressing up pets on holidays? As long as they're comfortable. I have a border collie corgi and sometimes I dress him up. Now more serious topics. What are you studying? International Affairs and Geography What do you hope to do in the future? Hopefully work for an NGO focused on climate change. You went to an IB high school in the Netherlands. What was that like compared to your typical American peers? What I really enjoyed was that I got to pursue my passions early, like Global Politics. It was an international boarding school so I got to live with and grow up with people from all over the world, so I think it broadened my horizons in terms of culture and experiences. What's the best thing about living in the DMV? The Mall and Rock Creek Park. I love just walking along the Mall, it's just a few blocks away and it's so spacious and open. Rock Creek is great because it seems like you're deep in the heart of nature even while you are in the middle of the city.

 Meanwhile enjoy this photo from my collection.

Where is Carenna in this photo?

 

Fifteen Free Streaming Services for Your Favorite Movies/Documentaries

 

The last couple of months I have been enjoying old but award winning movies and documentaries for free on my PC and TV as well as new releases ( The Watcher in Netflix and House of the Dragons on HBOMax). Although I have subscription to Amazon Pride Video and Netflix as well as free access to HBO Max and Showtime, once in a while I watched the free old movies on TUBI and in YOUTUBE. These channels have good collection of International old movies and TV series as well as documentaries.   

There are several free streaming services for TV movies, documentaries and other shows. The 15 are listed in the Reference at the bottom of this page. Of the 15, I have used TUBI, Peacock, YouTube, Filmrise, Vimeo and Crackle. Filmrise and Vimeo are not in the list.

My two favorites are the TUBI and Peacock Channels. Here are the names of the free TV streaming services, ( For description read the reference at bottom of the page.

Freevee, Roku, Tubi, Pluto, Peacock, Crackle, Kanopy, Popcornflix, Hoopla, Xumo, YouTube, Vudu, Yidio, Reelgood and DistroTV. 

Have you tried other free streaming services not in the list?

Note that the movies are free but are not ad-free. If you hate the ads these are not the channels you will enjoy, In my case, I just mute, when the ads are on. Here's the reference for your information.

 https://parade.com/943656/alexandra-hurtado/free-streaming-services-sites-tv-movie/  

Meanwhile, here's a list of popular ( subscription) streaming services in the US. My Favorites are Netflix, Prime Video, Showtime and HBQ Max.

https://www.justwatch.com/us 

Meanwhile enjoy this photo from my collection

A Perfect Rose from My Garden!!!
 

 

Are You a Dog or Cat Lover?

 

Batman and Robin( top photo)-My two current naughty but loving Companions

Last April, Ditas, Carenna and I adopted two cats who were only 3 and 4 months old. We named them Batman and Robin. The two were buddies in the Animal Shelter, sharing the same cage. They were both neutered males.  Batman was older and bigger. To my surprise the younger and smaller Robin has a more dominant and aggressive personality. Batman is calm and independent. Robin is mischievous, naughty and very needy. Both of them take turns setting on my lap while I am watching TV or in my computer. Adapting the two of them instead of just one is the best decision I have made.       

For the last six decades, the David B Katague clan had owned several dogs and cats. When the 4D's ( Dodie, Dinah, David E and Ditas) were growing up in Kansas City, and California) we have several dogs of various breeds, from German Shepherd to Chow Chow. We also had cats ( Kalua) for pets. However, we have more dogs than cats. Today, daughter Ditas has a dog ( Leif) and Dinah has a cat ( Mango) and I have 2 cats ( Batman and Robin). The other day Dinah and her Cat Mango visited me and we talked about the differences of the personality between dog and cat owners. Thus this blog.   

Mango-Dinah's Cat-Dinah said Mango reminds her of Kalua- our first pet cat
 

There has been an endless unspoken friendly war between cat and dog owners for years. How and where it began is a mystery and it will probably remain that way. It’s been researched and it’s been debated that there is a difference in personality between dog and cat owners. There is some truth in these facts that dog lovers tend to be more outgoing, adventurous and energetic whereas cat lovers are more introverted, sensitive and less adventurous. Here are the differences of owning a dog versus a cat(s). You probably know all these if you have dogs and cats before. For more details visit the site at the bottom of this page.

Owning a Dog

Dogs are extremely loyal: Dogs are usually 100% committed to you and will go to lengths to protect you.

Dogs are energetic and playful: Most dog breeds love to play and run around, so you’ll have to be quite an energetic person.

Dogs love to exercise: Dogs are great exercise buddies at least twice a day.

Dogs are family friendly: If you have a family, they’ll make great family members and they are lovable.

Dogs need training: Unlike cats, dogs need more training to avoid behavioural problems in the future.

Dogs don’t clean up after themselves: Dog’s don’t clean up after themselves like cats do.

Dogs are expensive: Dogs need dog food, yearly check-ups, grooming and dog kennels when you go away.

Dogs eat more than cats: Most likely, you’ll spend more on pet food if you own a dog.

Owning a Cat

Cats are very clean: Cats clean up after themselves and they don’t need regular baths.

Cats don’t need regular exercise: If you are a home body, then a cat is the perfect pet for you.

Cats are great company: Cats (usually) love to cuddle and snuggle on your lap. They’ll reward you with a purr.

Cats are more independent: Cats don’t need looking after every minute of the day.

Cats can be distant: Most cats leave when they feel they’ve had enough attention.

Cats love to claw furniture: If not taught not to, your cat will claw your curtains, couches, chairs or any other furniture.

Cats can’t be confined: Cats are not happy being kept ‘indoors’, so they’ll probably disappear for hours.

Cats are night owls: Cats love the night and they might keep you up during the night.

Cats vs Dogs Ownership Statistics

19 dogs for every 100 people

15 cats for every 100 people

https://www.petinsuranceaustralia.com.au/dog-lovers-vs-cat-lovers/

Meanwhile enjoy this photo of Sitka, Alaska sunrise by Ditas

 

 

Reality (Nonfiction) versus Fiction on Anti-Aging Agents

 

In my two previous blogs, I wrote about my unpublished novel, The Intellectual Migrants. In this fictional story the hero, Derek Belleza Katigbak was the first Filipino-American scientist that won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry because of his research on Anti-Aging Agents and Therapies.

The other article, I wrote was about the current research and clinical studies on Metformin- An approved drug for Diabetes 2- a very, very cheap and affordable drug.

I received a few comments on these two articles recently. Most of my readers were surprise but hopeful that the metformin research may yield positive results. The search for the Fountain of Youth will End if the results is Positive, 

So I am reposting these two blogs in case you missed reading them.

Fiction:     

https://theintellectualmigrants.blogspot.com/2022/10/my-unpublished-novel-intellectual.html

Reality: 

https://theintellectualmigrants.blogspot.com/2022/10/current-research-on-anti-aging.html

I hope you find this ant-aging research interesting. Meanwhile enjoy this photo from my album: Sitka, Alaska by Ditas

 

Finding the Right Home Care Aide that Fits your Needs is Not an Easy Process

Last week, I started searching for home care aide services that serves my area. So I searched on the Internet, and here's the response from Agingcare,com.

David,

Thank you for verifying your information with us. Here are the home care agencies in your city, as well as answers to frequently asked questions about home care, and a printable worksheet of interview questions for you to use during your conversations with each company.

One of our Care Advisors from AgingCare at A Place for Mom will follow up with you in about one week to make sure you have everything you need. In the meantime, if you have any questions or need any further assistance please feel free to reach out to us directly and we will be happy to help!

Home Care Companies Serving Fair Oaks, California

Golden Years In-Home Senior Care (916) 333-0383   Kindred at Home Sacramento (916) 826-1509   ActiveCare Services Inc (916) 993-6298   Pinkheart Limited Liability Co. (916) 412-3391

The four agencies above talked to me and gave their standard speech to convince me. The deal breaker was my need for a Filipino-American Aide. The only one that provides that requirement was Golden Years. Golden Years have over 100 aides, but only one Filipino-American. My need is only for Light housekeeping and transportation services to errands and doctor/dental appointments. The home care can provide services as listed in the above photo. Today, the Case Manager of Golden years visited me to officially sign for service next week, with 2 weeks of service deposit. I refuse to sign in until I could talk in person to the only Fil-Am aide they agency had. We have a date for Monday. In case you are curious, the cost of service is $35/hour with 15 hrs minimum per week required. It is not cheap, Two years ago, I paid $25/hr for Macrine. She needed more attention, bath, dressing help and feeding. I do not need medical care but just light housekeeping and transportation services. Wish me Luck for this Search! I hope this Fil-American  Aide and I are compatible.

 

Risks versus Benefits of Accutane for Acne Treatment

 

A close relative is currently getting treatment with Accutane. Thus this article. If I am to decide the risk of taking this drug is more than its benefits. Read the article at the bottom of the page and judge it yourself. Here's a summary of the article.https://www.drugwatch.com/accutane/side-effects/

Accutane Side Effects

Common side effects from taking Accutane (isotretinoin) are dry skin, chapped lips, vision issues and joint pain. The most severe side effects are rare and include birth defects, mental health problems and stomach issues. Some effects end after treatment, but others can be permanent.

What Are Common Side Effects of Accutane?

The most common side effects from Accutane are chapped lips (90% of users), dry skin and itching (80%) and dry nasal pages or mild nosebleeds (80%). Only 15 % of users have joint and muscle pain. These issues start between two to four weeks after starting the medication.

The prescribed dosage may determine the severity of any effects. People who take lower doses may not experience any issues, while those on higher doses may have more effects — and more serious ones.

Common side effects of Accutane (isotretinoin) include:

• Back pain, joint pain
• Chapped, dry lips
• Dry eyes
• Dry nose, nosebleeds
• Dry skin, rash
• Itching
• Thinning hair
• Vision problems

When you start taking isotretinoin, your acne may worsen temporarily before it gets better.

Most side effects from Accutane go away in a few days or weeks after you stop taking the drug. In some people, the effects lessen in the first few months of treatment, while in others they last the duration of treatment. If your side effects last more than a few weeks after you stop taking isotretinoin, talk to your doctor.

The medication also has some severe side effects. Left untreated, they can cause permanent problems.

Serious Side Effects of Accutane

Serious side effects from Accutane are far less common. Only 1 in 500 people report being affected severely after taking the medication.

Though rare, increased pressure in the brain, gastrointestinal disorders and other potentially life-threatening maladies have been reported. Accutane can cause permanent damage even if someone stops taking it.

Serious side effects of Accutane (isotretinoin) include:

• Birth defects and premature birth
• Miscarriage or infant death
• Depression, suicidal thoughts or behaviors
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis

Prolonged buildup of pressure on the brain can lead to long-term vision and hearing problems. In rare cases, permanent loss of eyesight and even death have been reported.

Other long-term issues from taking Accutane include erectile dysfunction, loss of libido, mental health problems, problems with bones, muscles and joints, blood sugar irregularity and diabetes. Babies whose mothers took Accutane while pregnant women have an increased risk of birth defects.

Serious side effects have led people to file Accutane lawsuits against the drug’s manufacturer.

 https://medshadow.org/9-facts-about-your-acne-drug/