When First Cousins Connect for the First Time

Ditas ( my youngest daughter) and Erico, Jr (Rick)- my nephew connecting in London, UK for the first time the other day. 

Ditas my youngest daughter and her first cousin, Erico, Jr (Rick) connected for the first time in London the other day. Rick is the only son of my younger brother Erico (RIP) from Jaro, Iloilo.  Rich has resided in London for several years and of course Ditas is here in US. However, she was in London this week on her way back to US after a 10-day visit to Carenna her daughter studying at UWC in Maastrich, Netherlands. Here are some of the photos, Rick sent me of their first reunion in London, the other day. They look so happy!!

 

  

I am so happy that my daughter and nephew have reconnected for the first time in their adulthood. As they say, Blood is thicker than Water. Hugs to you both.

This visit reminded me of our( Macrine(RIP) and I) vacation and trip to London several years ago today. See Link below:

 https://marinduqueawaitsyou.blogspot.com/2021/09/getting-lost-in-londons-underground.html

Studying Away from Home and Feel Homesick? Here's What to Do!

This article is inspired by youngest grand daughter feeling of homesickness while studying abroad in Europe for the last 2 years. Hang on there, my Pangga. The time is near for success ( less than 60 days)!

The feeling of homesickness is very common especially for students studying abroad or away from home. I have experienced homesickness during my first year of graduate school in Chicago, Illinois in the 1960's. The feelings of homesickness is accelerated during holidays and before examinations.  I described this feeling of being alone (in my autobiography). It was an experienced I will never forget. 

https://planningtovisitthephilippines.blogspot.com/2014/06/autobiography-update-chapter-6.html

My homesickness almost tempted to stop graduate school, but my ambition to obtain a doctorate degree helped me conquered homesickness and attained my goal to have a Ph.D degree here in the US in 1964.

Here's an excellent article on what to do when you feel homesick applied specifically for students studying away from home.  

Homesickness can lead to more serious mental health issues such as depression, so it's important that you confront it. However, always remember that it's perfectly normal to miss familiar surroundings and struggle to adapt to new ones - feeling homesick isn't a weakness or something to be embarrassed about.

The most reliable way to beat homesickness is to immerse yourself in university life, even though this can be daunting at first.

A great way to meet like-minded people is to join clubs and societies. It's also a good idea to visit places of interest in your new town or city and get involved in local events.

Even when you need to do something on your own, such as a piece of coursework, try to get out of your room. For example, study in the library or take your laptop to a coffee shop. Being among other people will help you feel less isolated.

Exercising, eating well and regulating your sleeping pattern are also essential.

In addition, it's important that you manage your relationship with home. Regular contact with friends and family is important, but at the same time you need to give yourself space to focus on your new life. Constant phone calls or social media messaging will exacerbate your negative feelings.

Here are 2 informative videos:

 

 For complete details visit:

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/applying-for-university/university-life/what-to-do-when-you-feel-homesick

 

Feeling Nostalgic Again for Chateau Du Mer

 

The Entrance to the Main House-Guarded by a Male and female Lion Heads

The other day, I saw a picture of Macrine's nieces enjoying buko ( young coconuts) in Amoingon, Boac.   It reminded me of Chateau Du Mer- our second home in the Philippines. I am attaching photos here of the main house as well as the beach house and conference hall taken a few years ago as well as some photos during the recent visit of Macrine's nieces from the US.

Chateau Du Mer Sign
 

Newly Painted Front Gate

The Long Driveway

The Bridge of the Beach House at Twilight

The Beach House

The Conference Hall

For more photos and a video of Chateau Du Mer visit:

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2021/08/photo-memories-of-chateau-du-mer-and.html

Here are the latest photos of the main house taken 2-22-22 in the afternoon time of 2:22 PM after almost three years of pandemic neglect and vacancy. The photos are courtesy of Ella Lazarte-Macrine's niece from the US. The bushes need trimming, lawn needs mowing, roofs of the main house and beach house needs repainting and the orchids are gone in the driveway.

I hope that sometime in the mid or late 2022, I maybe able to visit again and restore the landscaping of Chateau Du Mer. Seeing these photos makes me cry that I am not there in person to care and maintain the beauty of the landscaping of Chateau Du Mer.

Some of these photos were taken before the regular mowing and clean-up

The Beach House-Front and Side Views

The sea view from the balcony of the Beach House

The Bridge of Love-the Focal Point of the Beach House Landscaping

The Four Presidential Libraries That Macrine and I Had Visited

Visit to Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, 2004

There are 13 federally operated presidential libraries and museums in the US. Macrine and I have only visited four of them.

The first library we visited was the Lincoln Library in Springfield, Illinois. The second and third were the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri and the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, Kansas. The fourth library was the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California.

For the list of the other  presidential visit the website:  https://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/visit

Here are some information from Wikipedia on the four libraries that we have visited:

1. LINCOLN: The museum contains life-size dioramas of Lincoln's boyhood home, areas of the White House, the presidential box at Ford's Theatre, and the settings of key events in Lincoln's life, as well as pictures, artifacts and other memorabilia. Original artifacts are changed from time to time, but the collection usually includes items like the original hand written Gettysburg Address, a signed Emancipation Proclamation, his glasses and shaving mirror, Mary Todd Lincoln's music box, items from her White House china, her wedding dress, and more. The permanent exhibits are divided into two different stages of the president's life, called "Journey One: The Pre-Presidential Years", and "Journey Two: The Presidential Years", and a third, the "Treasures Gallery". Temporary exhibits rotate periodically. Past exhibits have dealt with the Civil War and Stephen A. Douglas. As of February 2014, a collection of Annie Leibovitz's photography, including photos of Lincoln's items, is on display.

2. TRUMAN: The Harry S. Truman Library and Museum is the presidential library and resting place of Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States (1945–1953), located on U.S. Highway 24 in Independence, Missouri. It was the first presidential library to be created under the provisions of the 1955 Presidential Libraries Act, and is one of thirteen presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration.

History: Funeral services in 1972 for Harry Truman—president of the United States 1945—1953. His wife opted for a private service rather than a larger, state funeral in Washington, D.C.  Built on a hill overlooking the Kansas City skyline, on land donated by the City of Independence, the Truman Library was dedicated July 6, 1957, in a ceremony which included the Masonic Rites of Dedication and attendance by former President Herbert Hoover (then the only living former president other than President Truman), Chief Justice Earl Warren, and former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Here, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Medicare Act on July 30, 1965. On December 11, 2006, Kofi Annan gave his final speech as Secretary-General of the United Nations at the library, where he encouraged the United States to return to the multi-lateralist policies of Truman.

Truman's office: when Truman left the White House in 1953, he established an office in Room 1107 of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City at 925 Grand Avenue. When the library opened in 1957, he transferred his office to the facility and often worked there five or six days a week. In the office, he wrote articles, letters, and his book Mr. Citizen. In 2007, the Truman Library Institute announced a $1.6 million preservation and restoration of his working office to preserve the artifacts it contains and allow for easier public viewing. The three-stage project completed in 2009 and features an enclosed limestone pavilion for better access and viewing and an updated climate control system. The office appears today just as it did when Harry Truman died on December 26, 1972.

Truman's funeral services Funeral services for Truman were held in the Library auditorium and burial was in the courtyard. His wife, Bess Truman, was buried at his side in 1982. Their daughter, Margaret Truman Daniel, was a longtime member of the Truman Library Institute's board of directors. After her death in January 2008, Margaret's cremated remains and those of her late husband, Clifton Daniel (who died in 2000), were also interred in the Library's courtyard. The president's grandson, Clifton Truman Daniel, is currently honorary co-chair of the Institute's board of directors.

Exhibits and program: Two floors of exhibits show his life and presidency through photographs, documents, artifacts, memorabilia, film clips and a film about Truman's life. The library's replica of the Oval Office is a feature that has been copied by the Johnson, Ford, Carter, Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush libraries. In an educational program called The White House Decision Center, school students take on the roles of President Truman and his advisors facing real-life historical decisions in a recreation of the West Wing of the White House. The mural Independence and the Opening of The West by Thomas Hart Benton adorns the walls of the lobby entrance. The mural, completed in 1961, was painted on site by Benton over a three-year span.

3. EISENHOWER: The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home is the presidential library, museum, and resting place of Dwight David Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961), located in his hometown of Abilene, Kansas. The museum also includes his boyhood home, where he lived from 1898 until being appointed to West Point in 1911. It is one of the thirteen presidential libraries under the auspices of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Admission to the Visitor Center, Boyhood Home, Place of Meditation (gravesite), and the archives is free. Admission to the museum is $12 for adults. The complex is open every day except New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

4. REAGAN: The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Center for Public Affairs is the presidential library and final resting place of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989), and his wife Nancy Reagan. Designed by Hugh Stubbins and Associates, the library is located in Simi Valley, California, about 40 miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles and 15 miles west of Chatsworth. The Reagan Library is the largest of the 13 federally operated presidential libraries. The street address, 40 Presidential Drive, is numbered in honor of Reagan's place as the 40th President.

When the Reagan Library opened it was the largest of the presidential libraries, at approximately 153,000 square feet. It held that title until the dedication of the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park in Little Rock, Arkansas, on November 18, 2004. With the opening of the 90,000-square-foot. Air Force One Pavilion in October 2005, the Reagan Library reclaimed the title in terms of physical size; however, the Clinton Library remains the largest presidential library in terms of materials (documents, artifacts, photographs, etc.).

Like all presidential libraries since that of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Reagan Library was built entirely with private donations, at a cost of $60 million (equivalent to $137 million in 2015. Major donors included Walter Annenberg, Lew Wasserman, Lodwrick Cook, Joe Albritton, Rupert Murdoch, Richard Sills, and John P. McGovern. For fiscal year 2007, the Reagan Library had 305,331 visitors, making it the second-most-visited presidential library, following the Lyndon B. Johnson Library; that was down from its fiscal year 2006 number of 440,301 visitors, when it was the most visited library.

On March 6, 2016, Reagan's widow Nancy Reagan died at the age of 94 of congestive heart failure. After the funeral, she was buried next to her husband at the library on March 11, 2016.

Meanwhile, enjoy this video-Adagio from the Secret Garden
   
https://youtu.be/uSDqT8ATBxU

 

How Many of these TV Shows Have you Watch?

I just finished binging on the 7 Seasons of the TV Series-The 100 on Netflix. I am enjoying the Series so much, that in case you have not seen it, here's a summary from Wikipedia.

The 100 (pronounced The Hundred ) is an American post-apocalyptic science fiction drama television series that premiered on March 19, 2014, on The CW and ended on September 30, 2020. The series, developed by Jason Rothenberg, is loosely based on the novel series of the same name by Kass Morgan.

The series follows a group of post-apocalyptic survivors, chiefly a group of criminal adolescents, including Clarke Griffin (Eliza Taylor), Finn Collins (Thomas McDonell), Bellamy Blake (Bob Morley), Octavia Blake (Marie Avgeropoulos), Jasper Jordan (Devon Bostick), Monty Green (Christopher Larkin), Raven Reyes (Lindsey Morgan), and John Murphy (Richard Harmon). They are among the first people from a space habitat, the Ark, to return to Earth after a devastating nuclear apocalypse. Other lead characters include Dr. Abby Griffin (Paige Turco), Clarke's mother; Marcus Kane (Henry Ian Cusick), a council member on the Ark; and Thelonious Jaha (Isaiah Washington), the Chancellor of the Ark and Wells' father. 

Here's a summary of Season 1: Enjoy!!!! 

The series is set 97 years after a devastating nuclear war wiped out almost all life on Earth. The only known survivors are the residents of twelve space stations in Earth's orbit prior to the war. The space stations banded together to form a single massive station named "The Ark", where about 2,400 people live. Resources are scarce and all crimes no matter their nature or severity are punishable by death ("floating") unless the perpetrator is under 18 years of age. After the Ark's life support systems are found to be critically failing, one hundred juvenile prisoners are declared "expendable" and sent to the surface in a last ditch attempt to determine if Earth is habitable again.

The teens arrive on a beautiful planet they have only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. However they discover that not all humanity was wiped out. There are people on Earth who survived the war, called "grounders" by the 100. The Ark consists of the space stations previously representing the nations of the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, China, Japan, India, Russia, Venezuela, France, Brazil, and Uganda. —Thomas O'Darren

Here's the list of the most popular TV shows across a number of categories for your information as published in the latest edition(2021) of Guinness World of Records.  

The latest edition of Guinness’ world records covers the TV landscape from 2019, identifying the most-in demand TV series across a number of categories. The results are as follows:

• Book Adaptation: “Game of Thrones” (HBO) 
• Legal Drama: “Suits” (USA Network) 
• Teen Drama: “Riverdale” (The CW) 
• Comedy: “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS) 
• Digital Original: “Stranger Things” (Netflix) 
• Animated: “Rick and Morty” (Adult Swim) 
• TV Series: “Game of Thrones” (HBO) 
• Reality: “The Voice” (NBC) 
• Children’s Show: “SpongeBob Squarepants” (Nickelodeon) 
• Horror: “American Horror Story” (FX) 
• Medical Drama: “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC) 
• Romantic Drama: “Outlander” (The CW) 
• Series Debut: “Chernobyl” (HBO) 
• Film Adaptation: “Westworld” (HBO)
  

I have watched and enjoyed with gusto Games of Thrones twice. I have also watched Outlander, American Horror Story, and have enjoyed the Voice on NBC. I have watched Chernobyl and part of Stranger Things. The other shows I have heard but have not watched. How about You? How many of these shows have you watch or currently following?. I love to hear from You. 

Meanwhile enjoy this photo from my collection:

 

The Award-Winning Movie-Lady Bird Filmed in Sacramento

 

I was finally was able to watch the Award-Winning Movie- Lady Bird filmed in Sacramento. Most of the scenes are in the neighborhood ( Fabulous 40) where my closed relatives also resides.

I have been planning to watch the movie Lady Bird filmed in the neighborhood where I have closed relatives residing nearby known as the Fabulous 40 neighborhood of Sacramento. It was only this week, I was able to watch it uninterrupted.

The movie resonates to me personally because I have a teenage grand daughter residing in the same neighborhood when the movie was released in 2017. The heroine ( Lady Bird) of the movie thinks Sacramento is dull and wants to go College in the East Coast or somewhere else away from Sacramento reminds me of her. Today, she is no longer a teenager and away from Sacramento( Europe), finishing her high school year.

The following are the awards and nominations of Lady Bird-one of the top ten films of 2017. 

Lady Bird garnered a variety of awards and nominations. The film was chosen by the National Board of Review, the American Film Institute, and Time magazine as one of the top 10 films of 2017. In 2018, Lady Bird was awarded The ReFrame Stamp in the 2017 Narrative & Animated Feature category.

At the 90th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Gerwig, Best Actress for Ronan, and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Metcalf. It did not win in any of the five categories in which it was nominated.

The film also received eight nominations at the 23rd Critics' Choice Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Acting Ensemble.  At the 75th Golden Globe Awards, it was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (won), Best Actress – Musical or Comedy for Ronan (won), Best Supporting Actress for Metcalf, and Best Screenplay.  At the 24th Screen Actors Guild Awards, it was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for Ronan, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for Metcalf, and Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

In a series of articles regarding the best of the 2010s in film, IndieWire ranked Lady Bird as the 10th best film of the decade. Rolling Stone ranked it 23rd, The A.V. Club ranked it 10th, Business Insider ranked it 5th, and Consequence of Sound ranked it 90th. It was the 13th most overall mentioned on best of decade lists tying with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse according to Metacritic. In 2018, IndieWire writers ranked the script the eighth best American screenplay of the 21st century. ^{( Source Wikipedia)}

^{Here are five reasons why you have to watch the movie from indianaexpress.com}

^{https://indianexpress.com/photos/entertainment-gallery/five-reasons-why-you-should-watch-lady-bird-5080302/2/} 

Love Letters to California from the NY Times-Its Valentine Day

Happy Valentine Day to All. I also love California in spite of the housing costs, taxes and sometimes traffic. Here's a reprint of love letters from the NY Times today about the Golden State.  I also considered California my first home. 

My second home is Boac, Marinduque, Philippines, Chateau Du Mer. 

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2022/02/home-is-not-place-but-in-heart.html

Here's the reprint from todays NY Times for your reading pleasure. 

"It’s Monday. On this Valentine’s Day, we’re celebrating a special kind of love.

The Great Highway in San Francisco.Beth Coller for The New York Times

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re talking about love.

Not romantic love, but an equally real, possibly just-as-corny type of affection — for the state of California.

Dozens of you wrote to me about why you love Carmel-by-the-Sea, Atascadero, Napa, Laguna Beach or the Golden State as a whole. As is appropriate for this holiday, your proclamations were sweet, passionate and largely unconcerned with our state’s shortcomings.

You told me: California might be burning, drying up, wildly expensive and slipping into the sea, but you adore it all the same.

Honestly, me too. Enjoy.

“I tried to move away from San Francisco during the pandemic, back to my hometown Baltimore. I made it one year and three months before the City by the Bay called me back.

Every block of San Francisco holds some sort of beauty. Magical succulents, gorgeous hilltop views, colorful Victorians, and people, being themselves in whatever way they want to be. I have felt the most intense sense of belonging since I have returned. My heart will always be in San Francisco. I am in love with this city.” — Ali Moss, San Francisco

“Having grown up in Minnesota where winters are quite cold, I especially love winters here in Escondido. The clear blue sky, ridges of hills surrounding you and the warmth of the sun on your skin even with a cool 60 degree breeze. Add to that the sounds of all the birds and it is a magical morning. After 2 years of Covid, taking a deep breath is truly a pleasure I enjoy every day.” — Mark Vaughan, Escondido

the main story

In 1964, my family moved to Hacienda Heights, and for the most part, I have been a Cali Girl ever since. Hacienda Heights is almost the perfect place to live. We’re close to the beach and the mountains. On clear days, from the roof, we can see the snow-topped Big Bear. The freeway access is wonderful, although rush hour traffic has radically changed.

I took my first freeway drive on the 57 freeway the day it opened to the public. There were no cars, so our drivers ed teacher let us go 65 m.p.h. What a thrill!” — Mari Turner, Hacienda Heights

“The Golden State nourishes my soul/Her bounties both tactile and visual/

A state so bounteous with culture and spirit/ More than enough for just the residents in it/

Patchwork quilts of flax and pine/ Deserts, mountains, shimmering coastline/

California, mi amor, will you be mine?” — Masahana Kato, Los Angeles

“Though I am grateful to be studying in Europe this semester, I dread spending Valentine’s Day without you, my dearest Berkeley.

Continue reading the main story

If there is one thing that this distance has made me realize, it is that nowhere in the world can outshine your indisputable strangeness. From the dinosaur man of Sproul Plaza, to the street artists on Durant, to the contrast between the $8 lattes and $1 tacos, no two days in Berkeley can be the same.” — Jessica Blelloch, Madrid

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Big Sur.Jason Henry for The New York Times

“My Dearest California,

I tried to leave you once. It was decades ago, and you’d put me in a funk for the same reasons you drive others away — the traffic, the cost of housing, and, for me, missing my family and a hometown I still adore.

Continue reading the main story

So I got into my car and headed for the coast. But before I reached Big Sur I realized why I had to stay. Where else in the world could I get in the car and, in hours, arrive at the white beaches of Carmel? The cobalt blue waters of Lake Tahoe? The neon mustard on the Kelly green hills of Napa? Even though your scope and intensity can drive me completely mad, you’re the most gorgeous, complex state I know. I love your geography, your ambition and your open-minded, forward-thinking people, which I shall never take for granted.

California, we have been through much together these past few years — fires, drought, Covid. And yet, those unfortunate developments have only made me fear losing you and intensified my appreciation. As I gaze out my window at the beauty of bare oaks against a cornflower winter sky, you, my dear, are my home. Even when you break my heart, I will always love you.” — Lisa Wrenn, Walnut Creek

Note: The David B Katague clan have resided in the San Francisco Bay Area( Pinole) for more than 12 years, 5 years in the Central Valley (Modesto) and currently enjoying the beauty of the Sacramento Area since 2002.  I agree 100% of the sentiments listed above. Again Happy Valentine to All.

Meanwhile enjoy this photo of my orchids:

 

Betting on Line on the Super Bowl LVI

I will not be watching the Super Bowl alone this afternoon. How about you? A you a Football Fan?  Are you betting on line? I am not surprised if you are.

Betting on line is legal in 30 states, but not yet in California. Anyway, I am still watching the game in spite of the fact that two of my favorite teams ( SFO and KC) lost their divisional championship play offs to the Rams( LA) and Bengals ( Cincinnati) respectively. We have resided in KC for 5 years and more than 3 decades in Northern California, if you are curious for the reasons why I love the Chiefs and the 49 Niners.  

This year super bowl is historic in many ways. 

 Super Bowl LVI between the Cincinnati Bengals (+4)

is set to make history, as it will be the lowest-seeded Super Bowl matchup in the game’s 56-year history.

Both the Bengals and Rams entered the postseason as their conference’s No. 4 seed. Cincinnati finished the regular season 10-7 and as NFC North Champions, while LA finished 12-5 as NFC West champions.

Super Bowl LVI will be the first Super Bowl ever without at least one No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 seed. Per Yahoo Sports, it surpasses 2011’s Super Bowl XLV between the Green Bay Packers, who were the No. 6 seed in the NFC and Pittsburgh Steelers, who were the No. 2 seed in the AFC as the highest-seeded Super Bowl in history.

 https://www.legalsportsreport.com/sports-betting/super-bowl/ 

 Here's the history of the Super Bowl (Wikipedia):

 The Super Bowl's origins lie in the creation of the American Football League (AFL) in 1960. Started by a group of businessmen who wanted their own pro football franchises but were frustrated by the NFL's unwillingness to expand, the AFL forged ahead as an alternative league playing a more wide-open brand of football.

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

Speaking of Football, here's an excerpt from my article on my Hate and Love of Football.

" Having been born and raised in the Philippines until I was 23 years old, the game called American Football was not in my vocabulary when I was a teenager. It was only in 1960 when I attended graduate school at the University of Illinois that I learned what the game is all about. To me it is a very complicated game, compared to basketball or baseball the sports that I am familiar with. However, it was not after I finished my graduate studies, that I learned to enjoy this game. At first it was the college football, followed by the professional football( NFL) and later on the high school football games that I followed. I started following high school games when my youngest son started to play in the Pee Wee league (Grades 7 to 8) and then later on the Junior Varsity team( Grades 9 to 10).

After the kids went to college, my wife and I lost interest in both the high school and college games. The only exception was the annual rivalry between the UC Berkeley Team( The Bears) versus Standford, known as the Big Game. This was because our youngest daughter was a cheer leader for UC Berkeley. It was only in the 1980 to 1990 when we move to the San Francisco Bay Area that my wife and I became avid fans of the SF 49's team. The names Joe Montana and Steve Young are names of SF quarterbacks that will always linger in our memories.

Joe Montana was the SF quarterback that made me love the game of American Football. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with San Francisco, where he played for the next 14 seasons. Traded before the 1993 season, he spent his final two years in the league with Kansas City. While a member of the 49ers, Montana started in four Super Bowl games and won all of them. Montana was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000, his first year of eligibility".

For the whole article read:

https://planningtovisitthephilippines.blogspot.com/2019/02/our-love-and-hate-of-american-football.html

Power of the Dog and Nightmare Alley-Two of My Favorite Oscar Nominated Movies

Two of my favorite movies that I have just enjoyed received several Oscar nominations the other day. Power of the Dog receive the most nomination(12) and Nightmare Alley had 4 nominations. Power of the Dog is streaming on Netflix and Nightmare Alley on Hulu.  I highly recommend these two movies if you have not viewed them. https://www.google.com/search?channel=fs&client=ubuntu&q=oscar+nominations+2022

From Wikipedia: The Power of the Dog is a 2021 Western psychological drama film written and directed by Jane Campion. It is based on Thomas Savage's 1967 novel of the same name. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Shot mostly across rural Otago, New Zealand, the film is an international co-production between New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. The Power of the Dog covers themes such as love, grief, resentment, jealousy, and human sexuality.

The Power of the Dog had its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2021, where Campion won the Silver Lion for Best Direction. The film had a limited theatrical release in November 2021, and was released to stream worldwide on Netflix on December 1, 2021. The Power of the Dog received universal acclaim from critics, who praised Campion's direction and screenplay, cinematography, score, and performances of the four leads. It was highly regarded as one of the best films of 2021 by multiple top-ten lists.

It has received many accolades including a leading 12 nominations at the 94th Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and was named one of the best films of 2021 by the American Film Institute. It also received seven nominations at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, winning Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for Smit-McPhee and Best Director for Campion, and 10 nominations at the 27th Critics' Choice Awards, including Best Picture. 

 

In 1940s New York, down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle endears himself to a clairvoyant and her mentalist husband at a traveling carnival. Using newly acquired knowledge, Carlisle crafts a golden ticket to success by swindling the elite and wealthy. Hoping for a big score, he soon hatches a scheme to con a dangerous tycoon with help from a mysterious psychiatrist who might be his most formidable opponent yet.https://www.unilad.co.uk/celebrity/bradley-cooper-says-filming-full-frontal-nude-scenes-for-six-hours-was-pretty-heavy

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10411737/Bradley-Cooper-says-filming-frontal-nude-scenes-Nightmare-Alley-intense.html 

 

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/mexican-directors-film-nightmare-alley-earns-4-oscar-nominations/ 

My Prediction: Power of the Dog will win the Best Picture Oscar for 2022.

Figure Skating in the Winter Olympics

 

Last night Nathan Chen gold medal performance in Beijing inspired me to search for the history of Figure Skating. I enjoyed very much Chen's performance ( see video), but I was more moved by Jason Brown emotional free skate ( 6th place finish) to the music of Schindler's List.    https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/sports/beijing-winter-olympics/watch-nathan-chens-gold-medal-winning-free-skate/2754676/

 

Jason Brown-Figure Skating is a Lonely Sport

For complete details on the history of Figure Skating visit the following site:

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

For movies about Figure Skating read:

https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/photo-gallery/47090633/image/47090644/I-Tonya 

Other TV Trivia Game Shows Similar to Jeopardy

I have enjoyed Jeopardy since 1984 with Alex Trebek( RIP) as host. Just recently I have followed the Chase hosting by Ken Jennings also on ABC. I was curious what other TV shows are available similar to Jeopardy. 

In the link below are 10 TV shows available for Streaming on Hulu, Netflix and other streaming sites. One on the list that I have enjoyed are the shows How to Become a Millionaire and Jeopardy-the Greatest of All-Time. 

"When it comes to game shows, only a few have the prestigious legacy of NBC's Jeopardy. Started back in 1964, it's likely more well-known thanks to its revival, which premiered in 1984 with Alex Trebek as the host. The brainy series, which fields a series of historical, literary, and pop culture references to its contestants and requires them to answer in the form of a question, is both smart and accessible, intellectual and broadly-appealing. It's hard to find too many games shows with that crossover appeal. But Jeopardy has done it, and it gained a massive audience thanks to that celebrated mixture".

Here are some game shows you can watch and/or stream if you love Jeopardy.

Jeopardy: The Greatest Of All-Time (Hulu)

If you're a Jeopardy super-fan, then you'll definitely want to check out Jeopardy: The Greatest Of All-Time. In this spin-off game show, which is also hosted by Alex Trebek, three of the long-winning Jeopardy contestants — Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer, and Brad Rutter — compete against one another with a top prize of a million dollars, as well as the claim that they're the GOAT (Great of All-Time) of Jeopardy. The show ran for four episodes back in January of this year, which means that it's a pretty quick binge if you want to check it out. All four episodes, which aired on primetime on ABC, can be found on Hulu. Check it out to find out for yourself who is truly the greatest Jeopardy player of all-time — though there's a chance you already know the answer to that one.

Stream It On Hulu.

Source:  https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2496345/game-shows-to-watch-or-stream-if-you-love-jeopardy

Not listed in the above link is the ABC show-The Chase as follows:

https://abc.com/shows/the-chase

The End of Amy Schneider 40-Day Winning Streak on Jeopardy

 

I have been a fan of the TV Show, Jeopardy on ABC for a number of years. However last year and this year 40 day winning streak of Amy Schneider has really attracted my attention. Her winning streak has captivated the nation and the more than 11 million fans of Jeopardy. Her 40-day winning streak ended last Jan 26th last month.

 Amy is an engineering manager from Oakland, California. She made history as the first woman to win $1 million on the game show and the first transgender contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions.

In case you have not heard of Amy Schneider here's a write up of her biography and jeopardy achievements from Wikipedia. 

Amy Schneider is an American engineering manager and game show contestant. She held a 40-game winning streak on the game show Jeopardy! from November 2021 to January 2022, the second-longest win streak behind only Ken Jennings (74 games), who hosted the show as she competed. She is the most successful woman to ever compete on the show, both in terms of her streak and $1.3 million in winnings.

Schneider is known for her skill in the Final Jeopardy! round, having responded incorrectly only eleven times in her run. She lives in Oakland, California. Across all American game shows, she is the eleventh highest-earning contestant of all time.

Schneider is a trans woman. Throughout her run on Jeopardy!, she expressed admiration for past champions Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer, Matt Amodio, and Julia Collins. On a January 2022 episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Schneider said that she hoped Jennings would assume the permanent hosting position of the program, citing his comforting and empathetic presence.

Jeopardy! streak

Schneider's first victory occurred on the November 17, 2021 episode, dethroning five-day champion Andrew He. In the following 14 games, she only missed one Final Jeopardy! question. She missed a second in her 16th win. In total, Schneider has won over $1 million on Jeopardy!, the fifth-most winnings of any contestant on the show in all play. Schneider is the first openly transgender contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. Her winning streak came one year after the first openly transgender contestant, Kate Freeman, competed and won on the show.  Schneider, who viewed Freeman's victory and several other trans contestants' losing appearances on the show as inspiration, has described the significance of having a trans identity: "The fact is, I don't actually think about being trans all that often, and so when appearing on national television, I wanted to represent that part of my identity accurately: as important, but also relatively minor." After passing Matt Amodio's 38-game winning streak in the episode aired on January 24, 2022, Schneider took second place for the most consecutive wins in Jeopardy! history, at 39, only behind Ken Jennings' 74 consecutive wins.

Schneider was defeated in her 41st episode, aired on January 26, 2022, finishing in second place to Rhone Talsma, a librarian from Chicago, Illinois. Schneider's winnings totaled over $1,300,000, ranking her fourth in most money won in regular-season play behind Jennings, James Holzhauer, and Amodio.

For details read this link:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2022/01/27/jeopardy-winner-amy-schneider-loses-rhone-talsma/9227733002/