Another Week of Productive Personal Blogging

Indiana Jones and Me

This week, I posted  eight articles in seven days.  For some reason, I feel energetic in spite of the very windy, and cool (but sunny) weather here in Northern California. Here's a summary of my blogs in case you missed them.

October 23-Choral Singing Reminds Us of Our Younger Days

https://whyretireinthephilippines.blogspot.com/2019/10/choral-singing-reminds-us-of-our.html

October 25-Carlos Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies at UC Davis

https://marinduqueonmymind.blogspot.com/2019/10/carlos-bulosan-center-for-filipino.html

October 27-List of Diabetes Drugs and Saving on your Prescription

https://lifeinus1960present.blogspot.com/2019/10/list-of-medications-for-diabetes.html

October 28-October is Filipino American History Month

https://theintellectualmigrant.blogspot.com/2019/10/october-is-filipino-american-history.html

October 29-The Jambalos Clan of Northern California Plus One

https://planningtovisitthephilippines.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-jambalos-clan-of-northern.html

October 30- Mirtazapine for Depression and Loss of Appetite

https://marinduquemyislandparadise.blogspot.com/2019/10/mirtazapine-remeron-for-depression-and.html

October 31- Eleven Years of Blogging and Counting and this Article(2)

https://divadbeugatak.blogspot.com/2019/10/eleven-years-of-personal-blogging-and.html

Articles Drafted for the Month of November:

Medications for High blood pressure, for Pain, STD, ED and Herbal remedies for arthritis . Also watch for my articles on my USP Involvement, Reading vs Television Watching, Marinnduque Putong, Cockfighting and Bull Fighting, and Cooking Quotations.   

Articles Drafted for December: 

Turning 85- what Have I done? First Winter Snow Experience, Recipes for tuna sandwiches and sardines, tours to Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, and memorable photos of yesterdays and the DC area. Last but not least is the California 2020 Census.

Do you have any suggestions of topics That may be interesting to my blog readers?   Medications for STD and ED had been suggested by a reader of my blogs.

Meanwhile enjoy this painting of my youngest daughter, Ditas

http://ditas-katague.squarespace.com/#/before-the-fall/

Eleven Years of Personal Blogging and Counting

This year is my 11th year of personal blogging. I can not believe that I have the patience and energy to attain this activity.

According to the article below 95% of bloggers give up between 31 to 33 months. This applies to both Lifestyle Blogging (LB) and Personal Blogging (PB).

For details about Lifestyle and Personal blogging read the following:  

https://www.writelaughdream.com/the-blog/personal-vs-lifestyle

I have been doing Personal Blogging since the summer of 2008. As of today I have written more than 4100 articles on almost all subjects based on my life experiences. Total page views from my 8 blogs is now over 4 million viewers.

I have about 100 viewers daily(total) and more than 600 comments as of today. My most commented blog with over 200 comments is

http://lifeinus1960present.blogspot.com.

In addition to my blogs, I have also a writing account with Hubpages.com ( Owned by Maven). I have written 25 Hubs(long articles) and all are featured as of today.  I will appreciate if you also visit my Hubpages.com account in addition to my blogs.

 https://hubpages.com/feed/

I do not write about politics, religion or sexual topics except on a few cases. These three subjects are controversial and attract more viewers, readers as well as comments. However, since I do not earn my living on my blogs, the number of viewers/readers is not my primary goal. My goal is to receive comments from my blogs. Knowing that readers like my blogs by clicking LIKE or sharing it in their Face Book page makes me happy. This is the primary reason why I am still blogging/writing for over eleven  years as of this month. My four most popular hubs are:

https://letterpile.com/inspirational/my-bucket-list-101-things-to-do-before-i-die  
(Over 9300 page views)

https://hubpages.com/business/caste-system-in-the-philippines ( over 5600 page views )

https://exemplore.com/paranormal/My-Encounters-with-Aswangs-Witches-Goblins-and-Ghosts-in-the-Philippines ( over 3800 page views)

https://hubpages.com/health/How-to-Live-or-Retire-in-the-Philippines-for-Less-than-1-500-a-Month  (over 1500 page views)

For details why 95% of bloggers quit read the following:  

http://feveredmutterings.com/95-percent-bloggers-give-up

or details on how I started blogging read the following:

https://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/2014/01/blogging-has-saved-my-life_4.html

I hope you continue reading my blogs. Have a Great Autumn Season wherever you are in this Planet Earth!

Mirtazapine (Remeron) for Depression and Loss of Appetite

Generic for Remeron

I have a closed relative with Parkinson Disease. Besides taking her (Sinemet) Carbo Levodopa(CBL)*, her doctor also prescribed Mirtazapine for her mild depression every now and then and loss of appetite. My closed relative suffers also from constipation, drowsiness, and lack of energy as a side effect of the drug or also with CBL. But her moods are stabilized, her appetite increased and she is gaining weight.   Here's some information on the Internet for Mirtazapine.

Mirtazapine is an antidepressant prescribe to treat depression. It is the generic version of the brand name drug Remeron. Mirtazapine belongs to a group of medicines called tetracyclic antidepressants. These medications help balance the chemical messengers, or neurotransmitters, in the brain that regulate mood.

Common side effects of mirtazapine include:

• Drowsiness
• Weight gain
• Dry mouth
• Increased appetite
• Constipation
• Lack of energy
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Serum triglycerides increased
• Dream disorders
• Disturbance in thinking
• ALT increased
• Swelling of extremities
• Muscle pain
• Confusion
• Urinary frequency
• Tremor
• Back pain
• Shortness of breath

Less common side effects of mirtazapine include:

• Mania
• Grand mal seizure

*For Side Effects of Carbo Levodopa click on:

• https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-3394-41/carbidopa-levodopa-oral/carbidopa-levodopa-oral/details 

The Jambalos Clan of Northern California Plus One

Alex and Yuka with Alexander Bernard, Roseville, CA

Alexander Bernard Chilan ( over 6lbs) greeted the world last Tuesday, October 22.  Dad Alex and Mom Yuka were super excited to have him a week earlier as expected.

Grand Mother Jean Maeda Jambalos was also super excited and very happy, since he is her first grand son.  Jean is Macrine's younger sister, now temporarily residing in Roseville, CA.

Alex Parents from Guayaquil, Equador, South America are also visiting their grandson.  They arrived last week and plan on staying for one month.

Guayaquil (officially Santiago de Guayaquil) is the largest city in Ecuador. It is also the nation's main port. The city is the capital of Guayas Province and the seat of Guayaquil canton. The city is located on the west bank of the Guayas River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Guayaquil.

Equador is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Ecuador also includes the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific, about 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) west of the mainland. The capital city is Quito.

Baptismal Party will be announced soon. Please joined me in congratulating the Parents and Grand Parents of Alexander Bernard.  Welcome to Planet Earth, Alexander Bernard Maeda Chilen.

Meanwhile here's some members of the Jambalos Clan in Northern California

Photo from Yuka Baby Shower Party Last August, Fair Oaks, Ca

   

October is Filipino American History Month

Fifteen Memorable Facts About Filipino-American History by Kevin Nadal

To celebrate Filipino-American heritage in honor of AAPI Heritage Month, I asked Fil-Ams from all over the country to share what they want the world to know about Filipino-Americans — what makes them memorable rather than forgotten.  This article reminded me of my recent article on Carlos Bulosan.

https://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/2019/10/an-update-have-you-heard-of-carlos.html

I am listing # 15 first, since I could identify with it during my employment with Food and Drug Administration from 1990 to 2002. I also added my own #16 at bottom of page.
  
15. And while May is Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, October is Filipino-American History Month!

Me pointing at my photo during Asian-American Week Celebration in FDA, 1998

Because of the unique experiences of the Filipino-Americans, Fred and Dorothy Cordova of the Filipino American National Historical Society declared October as Filipino-American History Month in 1988.

In 2009, both the U.S. Senate and Congress declared October as Filipino-American History Month. In 2015, President Obama recognized the month at a celebration at the White House.

1. Filipino-Americans are the second largest Asian-American group in the United States.

Courtesy of Liz Casasola

There are over 3.4 million Filipino-Americans in the country, the 2010 U.S. Census reported. That's about 20% of all Asian-Americans in the country!

2. Filipino-Americans are the largest Asian-American group in 11 out of the 50 states.

Courtesy of Greg Cendana

Filipino-Americans are the second largest Asian American group nationally, but they're the largest Asian-American group in 11 states, including California (which has the largest total population of Asian-Americans).

3. Filipino-Americans are one of the fastest growing immigrant groups in the United States.

Filipino-Americans are one of the largest foreign-born groups in the U.S. — about 5% of all immigrants in the country.

4. Filipinos were the first documented Asian people to arrive in the United States.

The first Filipinos landed in Morro Bay, California, in 1587, three decades before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. These Filipino men escaped Spanish galleon ships en route to Spain. Some Filipinos migrated in similar ways and settled in the bayous of Louisiana in 1763, giving Filipinos deep roots in the U.S.

5. The Philippines is the only country in Asia to have been fully colonized by the United States.

After the Philippines gained independence from Spain on June 12, 1898, it was then colonized by the United States. The country did not regain its independence until July 4, 1946. As a result, American English is the second national language of the Philippines, and the U.S. has since maintained a military presence in the country.

6. A quarter of a million Filipino-Americans are veterans of World War II.

More than 250,000 Filipino soldiers fought under the American flag in World War II. They agreed to fight in the U.S. military on the promise that the government would grant these soldiers American citizenship and full veteran benefits. However, these promises were not granted until President Obama took office in 2009, and hundreds of thousands of Filipinos did not receive the benefits they were promised.
Today, activists are working for Filipino-American veterans to be recognized with the Congressional Medal, as they are the only ethnic group who served in World War II yet to receive this honor.

7. Filipino-Americans contributed significantly to the American labor movement, particularly with the United Farm Workers movement in the 1960s.

• While Cesar Chavez and Mexican farmworkers are often credited with leading the Delano grape strike of 1965, Filipino-American farmworkers were the first to strike. Filipino-American leaders Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz reached out to Cesar Chavez to fortify the union.

While internal power struggles resulted in Filipino-Americans distancing themselves from the United Farm Workers, many historians and activists like Dolores Huerta credit Filipinos with being the first to strike.

8. Filipino-Americans have been a part of many advocacy movements throughout U.S. history.

In the late ’60s, Filipino-Americans were at the forefront of the fight for ethnic studies in San Francisco. In 2015, Filipino-Americans fought for the Alvarado Middle School to be renamed the Itliong-Veracruz Middle School after the Filipino-American labor leaders. The school was the first school in the country to be named after a Filipino-American. In 2016, Filipino-Americans successfully attained historical recognition for the South of Market (SoMa) district of San Francisco to be renamed SoMa Pilipinas.

9. Filipino-Americans have a significant presence in the arts and in hip-hop culture.

Lea Salonga was the first Filipina to win a Tony Award. Filipino-American musicians include Bruno Mars, Vanessa Hudgens, and Apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas. In hip-hop, many Filipino-Americans have excelled as DJs and beatmakers, like DJ Neil Armstrong, DJ Q-Bert, DJ Icy Ice, as well as b-boys and dance crews — including members of groups featured on America’s Best Dance Crew like the Jabbawockeez, Super CR3W, and Quest Crew.

10. Filipino-Americans are more likely than other Asian-American groups to marry outside of their race.

• Contemporary studies find that racial identity may influence Filipino-Americans who are in interracial and interethnic romantic relationships, in that those who are married to non-Filipino Asian-Americans tend to identify more as Asian-American, whereas those who are married to black Americans or Latinos are more likely to view Filipino-Americans as a distinct ethnic group and feel more connected with black and Latino communities.

11. One-fifth of the Filipino-American population is multiracial.

• Nearly 22% of Filipino-Americans identify as biracial or multiracial — much higher than the 8% of the entire Asian-American population who are multiracial. This phenomenon, scholars have argued, may be due to shared histories of colonialism, experiences with colorism and racial discrimination shared with black Americans, and shared American values, customs, and language with white Americans.

12. Filipino-Americans identify as members of many different religions.

• About 90% of people in the Philippines identify as Catholic, thanks to Spanish colonialism. Four to five percent practice another form of Christianity, and another 4–5% percent identify as Muslim.

13. Many Filipino-Americans also choose not to identify as Asian or Asian-American, often due to a history of exclusion.

• Research supports the idea that many Filipino-Americans do not identify as Asian or Asian-American. Potential reasons for this include having a darker skin color (or identifying as “brown”), having similar experiences with racism, or feeling excluded or marginalized in the larger Asian-American community.

Scholars have described how Filipino-Americans have historically felt marginalized in pan-ethnic Asian-American organizations, particularly given their lack of representation or leadership opportunities in these groups. Other researchers have found that many Filipinos identify more with Latinos than with East Asian-Americans.

14. Filipino-Americans have unique experiences with racism.

• Studies have revealed that Filipino-Americans experience a range of racial microaggressions, including that they are misperceived to be members of other racial groups like Latino, multiracial, black, or Pacific Islander. Further, many Filipinos report being told that they are not “Asian enough” — by both Asian-Americans and non-Asian people.

Discrimination from other Asian-Americans results in a unique racial and ethnic Filipino identity: Filipino-Americans might reject a pan-ethnic Asian-American identity and develop a strong, ethnocentric, purely Filipino-American identity.

Source:  https://www.buzzfeed.com/kevinnadal/fil-am-history-factsMeanwhile here's a short video summarizing Filipino-American history for your information:
https://youtu.be/7JlbyP3irNY

Allow me to add my #16:

16. Filipino Americans are involved in Science, Education, Health,Public Service and Politics:  (See my Pinoy Pride List)

https://hubpages.com/business/caste-system-in-the-philippines

List of Drugs for Diabetes-Save on Your Prescriptions

Just recently a close relative was sent to the emergency room, because her sodium level went very low due to a change of her diabetic medications- to a diuretic. Her Na/K level is good now, but this incident reminded me of an article about diabetes and available drugs in the market that I wrote a few years ago.

Today, some of the older drugs are cheap but the new ones are expensive. You need to inquire in how to save on your prescription drugs from your insurance carrier and from the supplier of the drug.

The following article I wrote last August, 2010.  A recent incident however inspired me to re post this. Every year before we leave for the Philippines for our winter sojourn, we request that our physician give us a 90 day supply prescription for all our drugs via a vacation over ride. One drug that I take as a type 2 diabetic is metformin, 1000mg once a day. For my 90 day supply, my co-pay is only $2.00. This drug maintains my sugar level from around 120 to 130 reading. Last week during my pre-snowbirding check up, the doctor suggested I take 1000mg extended release metformin for better control of my blood sugar. I consented to try it.

However, when I ordered this drug, my insurance told me it will cost me $250 dollars for a 90 day supply. I was shocked and I can not believe the difference. I insisted that the pharmacist call my insurance why this extended release formulation is over 100 times more expensive than the basic metformin. I was told this is considered a new drug thus much more expensive than the generic version I am currently taking. I know that new drugs are more expensive than generic drugs, perhaps 5 to 10 times but not over 100 times in this case. Needless to say, I did not buy the extended release metformin formulation. A lesson learned from this experience is to talk to your physician about drug prescription which can saved you money.

Here's a repost of my article about Diabetic drugs published in this site August 22, 2010.

My wife and I are type 2 Diabetic. Having work for new drugs development at FDA for a number of years, my interest in drugs has not diminished even though I have been retired from FDA since 2002. The following article is a reference for new, and old diabetic drugs for Type 2. This is a must read of you are a type 2 diabetic. It was compiled by Debra Manzella, R.N., former About.com Guide and updated May 2, 2010.

"It's been an exciting time for diabetes treatment - in the past year or so, several brand new medications have been approved to treat type 2 diabetes. These are not just new meds, they're completely new categories of drugs. What does that mean? These new medications work in completely different ways than the standard medications.

But does that mean that science is giving up on the old stand-by drugs? No, it doesn't. The oldies-but-goodies still do a good job, and coupled with the new kids on the block, blood glucose levels can stay even closer to normal and tighter control may be easier to maintain.

New Classifications and Medicines

DPP-4 Inhibitors: These drugs block an enzyme (DPP-4) that normally deactivates a protein (GLP-1) that keeps insulin circulating in the blood. Slowing the deactivation process helps reduce sugar production, lowering blood glucose levels.

* Januvia (sitagliptin phosphate): The first of the DPP-4 inhibitors to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Januvia is an oral medication which is taken once a day, either alone with diet and exercise, or in combination with other oral diabetes medications.

Incretin Mimetics: These mimic the action of incretin hormones which help the body make more insulin. They also slow the rate of digestion so that glucose enters the blood more slowly. People on incretin mimetics feel full longer, which reduces food intake, which helps some people lose weight while on the medication.

* Byetta (exenatide): Byetta is an injectable medication that is used in combination with other oral diabetes medications. It is not an insulin and it does not take the place of insulin. It is used for type 2 diabetes only and cannot be given with insulin. Byetta comes in a pre-filled injector pen. The dose is 5 mcg. to start, twice a day within 60 minutes prior to your morning and evening meals. Your doctor may increase the dose to 10 mcg. based on your results.

Antihyperglycemic Synthetic Analogs: These are medications that are created as synthetic versions of human substances, in this case a human hormone called amylin, which is used by the pancreas to lower blood glucose levels.

* Symlin (pramlintide acetate): Symlin is an injectable medication which is used with insulin for tighter blood glucose control. Symlin can increase the risk of severe hypoglycemia, therefore patients who are put on Symlin are selected carefully and monitored closely by their healthcare providers.

Older Classifications and Medicines

Sulfonylureas: These medications are the oldest of the oral diabetes drugs, and until 1995 they were the only drugs available for managing type 2 diabetes. Sulfonylureas stimulate the pancreas to release more insulin into the blood stream. Hypoglycemia can be a side effect of these drugs. Sulfonylureas can also sometimes stop working after a few years.

There are several "generations" of this classification of medicines. Second and third generations are more widely prescribed today.

* First generation: Orinase, Tolinase and Diabinese
* Second generation: Glucotrol (glipizide), Glucotrol XL (extended-release glipizide), Micronase or Diabeta (glyburide)
* Third generation: Amaryl (glimepiride)

Biguanides: These lower the production of glucose that is made in the liver. It also makes the body more sensitive to insulin. Cholesterol levels may be lowered as well.

* Glucophage, Glucophage XR (metformin): There is very little risk of hypoglycemia when metformin is used alone. Lactic acidosis can be a rare but serious side effect.

Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors: These delay the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose during digestion. This prevents blood glucose levels from peaking too high.

* Precose (acarbose)
* Glyset (miglitol)

Thiazolidinediones: Sensitizes muscle and fat cells to accept insulin more easily.

* Avandia (rosiglitazone)
* Actos (pioglitazone)

As of May 21, 2007, the FDA has issued a safety alert regarding the possibility of heart attacks or other fatal cardiovascular events when taking Avandia. Please call your physician to discuss alternative medications for managing your diabetes.

* Avandia May Cause Risk of Heart Attack and Death
* Avandia Linked to Increased Heart Attacks

Meglitinides: These stimulate insulin production when there is glucose present in the blood. If blood sugar is low, the drug does not work as well.

* Prandin (repaglinide)
* Starlix (nateglitinide)

If you are not a chemist( I am a chemist), the above names of drugs are hard to pronounce and spell, but I hope after reading this article, you did learn a little knowledge how these drugs regulate blood sugar in your body.

Also remember drugs is not everything! Watch out for your diet, exercise a little bit and avoid stress if you want to live longer in spite of your diabetes.

Attached below are new drugs for the treatment of diabetes

https://www.drugs.com/article/new-diabetes-treatments.html

Trulicity-One of the newest  and expensive drug for Diabetes

The cost for Trulicity subcutaneous solution (0.75 mg/0.5 mL) is around $800 for a supply of 2 milliliters, depending on the pharmacy you visit. You need this drug once a week. Prices are for cash paying customers only and are not valid with insurance plans. 

Carlos Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies at UC Davis

Yesterday, I received the following  four e-mails as a retired member of  the Philippine Academy of Science and Engineering (PAASE). I was surprise to read that not all of Our PAASE members were aware of the writings of  Mr. Bulosan. The e-mails reminded me of my article on my blogs on Carlos Bulosan posted on July 22, 2013 below.

Here are the five E-mails from members of PAASE :

 Assembly Member Rob Bonta Celebrates $1M  Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies

***********************************************************************************

1. DAVIS, CA  — On the occasion of Filipino American History Month, Assembly member Rob Bonta celebrates the recent $1M allocation from the state--an effort he led with support from the Filipino American community--to the Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies. The Bulosan Center was first established in 2018 exclusively through donor funds. A press conference will take place on Thursday, October 24th, 2019 at NOON in 3201 Hart Hall at the UC Davis campus.

The Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies is the first and only center in the University of California system and nationally devoted to promoting research on the Filipino American and diasporic community. Its mission is to uplift the voices of the most marginalized in the Filipino community in the United States and the diaspora through community-engaged research and by broadly disseminating knowledge about Filipinos to advance their rights and welfare.

Sample highlights from 2018-19:

●  preserved Filipino American history—initially with a focus on Filipino Americans’ leadership and contribution to the United Farm Workers (often attributed exclusively to Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta) through the publicly accessible Welga digital archive and developed curriculum with K-12 based on the archive’s sources;

●  disseminated the Filipino American historical experience to hundreds of Filipino American youth and community members through public exhibitions, workshops and lectures.

Some initiatives for 2019-20:

  *

National Survey, “Filipinos Count: A National Survey on the Health and Well-Being of Filipino Americans,” this survey is the first of its kind since the late 1990s;

  *

Lab for New Media Justice, to encourage experimentation with digital and other forms of media to further document the stories of everyday Filipino Americans as they struggle against racism, heterosexism, exploitation and other forms of marginalization, but to also “translate” Filipino American scholarship for broader consumption.

***************************************************************************

2.  California's allocation of $1M to the Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies at UC Davis is terrific and most welcome news. As for Carlos Bulosan, I regret that I am not familiar yet with his work, but will make an effort.

**************************************************************************

3. I wanted to share the announcement below with you. Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers put civil rights of Latinx people firmly in California history. What many people don’t realize is that many of the early founders were Filipino farm workers.  There is a growing awareness of Filipino contributions in California and the US. Prof. Robyn Rodriguez is a professor in Davis and started the first National program on Filipino Americans. There is now a Filipino Ethnic Study program in UC Davis.

*****************************************************************************

4. I am an offspring of the early field hands from Ilocos Norte who worked in the fields of Hawaii and California. While in high school my summer job was working in the lettuce and celery fields of Salinas and King City with my uncle who lived in Salinas. Lived in the ‘campo’ with ‘braceros’ and ‘manongs’, my uncle was a foreman for one of the farms, witness to a bit of their lifestyle. That view into the hard life of the ‘manongs’ was motivation enough to study hard and do physics.  Great to know about the support for Bulosan Center. 

 *******************************************************************************
5. We appreciated your sharing a bit of your family history with us and its roots that extended from the fields of Ilocos Norte to those of Hawaii and California.
Family histories such as yours in union with those of thousands of other Filipino -Americans and Filipinos in diaspora in the United States are absolutely and crucially foundational to the identities of Filipino-Americans both today and in future in that they help locate and even localize in America the deep-rooted genesis of the Filipino-American experience -- one that is in no way inequivalent and unequal to the experiences of the Anglo-Saxons and other immigrants who came here to the U.S. I fully salute the Filipino Ethnic Studies program at the Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies at UC Davis.

********************************************************************************

6. My article posted on July 22, 2013 (https://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/search?q=carlos+bulosan)

The prejudice against Filipino immigrants in the US and specially in California in the 1920s to 1940s is well documented. One of the well-known books, America is in the Heart, documenting the life of the Filipino immigrants at that time period, was written by Carlos Bulosan.  Mr Bulosan is my number one literary heroes of that time.

Like many Filipinos during that time, Bulosan left for America in July 1930 at age 17, in the hope of finding salvation from the economic depression of his home. He never again saw his Philippine homeland. No sooner had he arrived in Seattle, was he immediately met with the hostility of racism, forcing him to work in low paying jobs.

He worked as a farm worker, harvesting grapes, asparagus and other kinds of hard labor work in the fields of California. He also worked as a dishwasher with his brother, Lorenzo in the famous Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo. He was active in labor politics along the Pacific coast of the United States and edited the 1952 Yearbook for ILWU Local 37, a predominantly Filipino American cannery union based in Seattle.

Mr Bulosan died in 1956. To honor his memory, a Bulusan Memorial Exhibit located in Seattle's International District and in the Eastern Hotel features his literary works and manuscripts. One of his famous books, America is in the Heart based on his autobiography is now made into a Philippine movie, Hanggang Sa Muli.( Until Then)_ Till we Met Again),(Hasta La Vista).

One of the famous quotes from that book is timeless, as follows: "We in America understand the many imperfections of democracy and the malignant disease corroding its very heart. We must be united in the effort to make an America in which our people can find happiness. It is a great wrong that anyone in America, whether he be brown or white, should be illiterate or hungry or miserable."

Here are two videos of the highlights of Carlos Bulosan biography:

https://youtu.be/f1vNC0Y8cDo

https://youtu.be/ZQBTDxm8X4k 

Meanwhile also enjoy this photo of the sunset afterglow taken off the coast of Amoingon, Western Marinduque- our second home 

Photo Credit-Eli Obligacion

Choral Singing Reminds Us of Our Happy Days

University of the Philippines Student Catholic Action (UPSCA) Choir, 1953

The other day, after viewing Ronie's Nieva ( Macrine's second cousin) singing debut on her FaceBook Page triggered pleasant memories of our younger years and singing activities from our UP days -UPSCA Choir ( mid 1950's),  Marinduque Of the Capital Area Christmas Carols Group that Macrine organized ( mid 1990's) and the our Church choir activities here in Northern California ( both in Pinole and Fair Oaks) in late 1980's and 2010.  

When Macrine and I were students at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City (early-1950's), we joined the University of the Philippines Student Catholic Action Choir (UPSCA). This was an extracurricular activity that we both loved and enjoyed.

 https://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/search?q=Upsca+choir

So every time I heard choral music it reminds me of our student and younger days, making me  and Macrine feel young again.

Our Voice Recital Program with Voice Teacher Minda Azarcon, 1988

Macrine and I loved singing in the choir here in Northern California. In the late 1980's, we sang in our church choir on Sunday masses in Pinole, as well as with the UP Alumni, Berkeley Chapter Choir based in El Sobrante, California.

Nine years ago, we sang in our Church Choir here in Fair Oaks. We even sang a duet of Silent Night in Tagalog at the concert before the Christmas midnight mass.

Macrine and I had also organized the Marinduque Association of the Capital Area( MACA) Christmas Caroling Group in Colesville, Maryland in the late 1990's.

Macrine used to be a soloist. She sang soprano coloratura in her younger days. Today her voice is ruined by her cigarette smoking. Her last singing activity was being paid to sing for a friend's wedding in the Philippines as well as here in US.

Me singing solo and duet with Macrine at our residence in Silvercrest Street in Pinole, Ca. The bottom photo is view of our backyard and deck with the setting sun in the background hanging over the Pinole hills, 1989

I sang baritone, also comfortable with tenor. I could read notes, and took piano lessons, when I was a kid. I have taken only about six months of voice lesson, but did well on my first concert singing "O Solo Mio", an Italian song and Buhat, a Tagalog song. This shows that I am not only a frustrated writer but also a frustrated singer.

Meanwhile enjoy this video from the movie Sister Act with Whoopi Goldberg:

https://youtu.be/ctjG4MjJwEA

Drugs for the Treatment Malaria

From slideshare.net

One of the highlights in my employment with FDA was my promotion to GS-14 Expert Status in 1993. I started in 1990 as a Chemistry Reviewer (GS-13).

Press Release of My GS-14 Promotion, 1993

One of the areas of my FDA (GS-14) expertise was Anti-malarial drug products. Therefore, my interest with drugs for the treatment of malaria has never stopped even 17 years after my retirement.  This article summarizes the current FDA approved drugs for the treatment of malaria for your reading pleasure and information.

Antimalarial medications, also known as antimalarials, are designed to prevent or cure malaria. Such drugs may be used for some or all of the following:

• Treatment of malaria in individuals with suspected or confirmed infection
• Prevention of infection in individuals visiting a malaria-endemic region who have no immunity (malaria prophylaxis)
• Routine intermittent treatment of certain groups in endemic regions (intermittent preventive therapy)

Some antimalarial agents, particularly chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, are also used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus-associated arthritis.

Current practice in treating cases of malaria is based on the concept of combination therapy (e.g., Coartem), since this offers several advantages, including reduced risk of treatment failure, reduced risk of developing resistance, enhanced convenience, and reduced side-effects. Prompt and accurate parasitological confirmation by microscopy, or alternatively by rapid diagnostic tests, is recommended in all patients suspected of malaria before treatment is started.

Here's a short video made by WHO about malaria.

https://youtu.be/gwYIyjwYluc

The following list of medications are in some way related to, or used in the treatment of this condition. The Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control (CMC) of some of these drugs were reviewed and approved by me as the Chemistry Reviewer and Team Leader if the Division of Anti-Infective Drug Products from 1990 to 2002.

Drug name	Rx / OTC	Preg	CSA	Reviews	Rating
artemether / lumefantrine	Rx	C	N	4	9.0
Coartem	Rx	C	N	4	9.6
Malarone	Rx	C	N	3	7.0
mefloquine	Rx	B	N	6	2.8
doxycycline	Rx	D	N	5	8.0
Plaquenil	Rx	N	N	Add	0.0
chloroquine	Rx	N	N	1	10
hydroxychloroquine	Rx	N	N	Add	0.0
atovaquone / proguanil	Rx	C	N	3	7.0
clindamycin	Rx	B	N	Add	0.0
Doxy 100	Rx	D	N	1	10
primaquine	Rx	N	N	Add	0.0
atovaquone	Rx	C	N	1	10
Lariam	Rx	B	N	5	3.3
Doryx	Rx	D	N	Add	0.0
Cleocin	Rx	B	N	Add	0.0
Monodox	Rx	D	N	Add	0.0
Vibramycin	Rx	D	N	Add	0.0
Morgidox	Rx	D	N	Add	0.0
Oraxyl	Rx	D	N	Add	0.0
Vibra-Tabs	Rx	D	N	Add	0.0
Doryx MPC	Rx	D	N	Add	0.0
Ocudox	Rx	D	N	Add	0.0
Cleocin HCl	Rx	B	N	Add	0.0
					https://www.drugs.com/condition/malaria.html New Approved Drugs are Krintafel and Coartem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimalarial_medication