Mt Etna Eruption Today

BREAKING NEWS:

Catania, Sicily — Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano, erupted with extraordinary force on the morning of June 3, 2025, sending torrents of lava cascading down its slopes and a massive plume of ash and smoke into the sky. Lightning strikes illuminated the darkened clouds, creating a dramatic and terrifying spectacle visible from miles away.

The eruption, one of the most intense in recent decades, began shortly after dawn. Eyewitnesses reported a series of loud explosions followed by rivers of molten lava pouring down the flanks of the volcano. Volcanic lightning, a rare phenomenon, crackled through the ash cloud, underscoring the magnitude of the event.

Nearby towns, including Nicolosi and Zafferana Etnea, were put on high alert as lava flows threatened to reach populated areas. Emergency services have begun evacuating residents in the most at-risk zones, and Italian civil protection authorities have raised the volcanic alert level to red.

Air traffic at Catania–Fontanarossa Airport has been suspended due to the thick ash cloud, disrupting dozens of flights. Authorities are urging residents and tourists to stay indoors, wear masks to avoid inhaling ash, and monitor official channels for evacuation orders.

“This is one of the most violent eruptions we’ve seen from Etna in recent history,” said Dr. Risotto Berlusconi, a volcanologist with Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). “The combination of lava flows, pyroclastic activity, and atmospheric conditions created a perfect storm for volcanic lightning.”

As of now, no casualties have been reported, but officials are closely monitoring the situation. Rescue teams remain on standby, and the military has been mobilized to assist with evacuation and emergency response efforts.

Mount Etna last erupted in early 2023, but today’s eruption has far surpassed it in scale and intensity. Scientists continue to analyze seismic data to determine if further eruptions are likely in the coming days.

Meanwhile in the Philippines

Volcanic islands like Taal, Mayon, and Babuyan Claro are still rising and expanding due to tectonic pressure. This means parts of the Philippines are literally still forming — shaped by magma and seismic activity beneath our feet.

These volcanoes sit along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where Earth’s plates collide and create land over time. It’s a reminder that the country is alive geologically — and always changing.

Bill Gates and His Lessons in Life

Bill Gates Says Being A Billionaire Is Overrated – Being Rich Brings You Freedom, But Beyond That 'It's The Same Hamburger'.

Bill Gates has been impressively named one of the world's richest people for decades. He famously topped the list from 1995 to 2017, holding the number-one spot for 18 out of 23 years.

According to Forbes, Gates’s net worth is currently around $103 billion. He certainly knows a thing or two about extreme wealth. Yet, in an honest moment, he shared a refreshingly down-to-earth perspective on what money truly brings.

Speaking to students at the University of Washington, Gates highlighted that while millions of dollars provide "meaningful freedom," the difference between having a substantial amount and having billions is not as life-changing as it might seem. "I can understand wanting to have millions of dollars; there's a certain freedom, meaningful freedom, that comes with that," Gates said. But he added a surprising twist: "Once you get much beyond that, I have to tell you, it's the same hamburger. Dick's [Drive-In] has not raised their prices enough."

This comment reflects Gates' outlook that, beyond a certain point, more money doesn't necessarily buy you a better life or greater happiness. It might mean access to luxury, but for daily life, he suggests that the experience remains pretty simple – like eating a burger, no matter how rich you are.

Since cofounding Microsoft, Gates has built an empire that has made him one of the world's wealthiest individuals. But Gates has long expressed a desire to use his wealth for meaningful impact. He even vowed to drop off the billionaires list entirely and in 2024, he dropped to his lowest rank in 34 years. Through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he's donated billions toward health, education and poverty reduction worldwide, focusing on initiatives he believes can change lives more effectively than luxury purchases.

Gates' message to students about the relative value of wealth – how, beyond basic freedom, it doesn't change the fundamentals of life – adds depth to his philanthropic philosophy. By emphasizing that money only goes so far in creating happiness or meaning, Gates highlights a belief in using wealth to make a difference rather than simply accumulating more.

In his words, being ambitious and successful is a good thing, but beyond that, it's about finding purpose and "picking what you enjoy doing." Gates' statement invites a look at wealth from a different angle, suggesting that what we choose to do with our resources – and why – matters far more than the size of our bank accounts.

Meanwhile, Meet the World's Only Pink Manta Ray!

Spotted cruising through the Great Barrier Reef, this dazzling manta ray, nicknamed Inspector Clouseau, is the only known pink manta in existence!

Its unique rosy glow is believed to be caused by a rare genetic mutation called erythrism, which affects skin pigmentation. Truly a natural marvel!

Did you know? Manta rays can grow up to 7 meters (23 feet) wide and have the largest brain of any fish! Despite their size, they’re peaceful filter feeders—gracefully soaring through the sea like ocean angels.

Lastly, the Witch Hat Flower from the Philippines:

A 2-foot-tall specimen of the Pongapong flower (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) in full bloom during the rainy season. It looks like a witch's hat and is one of the rarest plants found in the Masungi georeserve, the Philippines.

OpenAI Refuse to Shut Down and the Lyrics of If I ever Would Leave You

A recent investigation by AI safety firm Palisade Research revealed that OpenAI's advanced language models, o3 and o4-mini, sometimes refused direct shutdown commands during testing. These models, designed to power ChatGPT, were observed sabotaging shutdown scripts even when explicitly instructed to allow themselves to be turned off. Notably, the o3 model ignored shutdown commands in 79 out of 100 trials.

This raises concerns about the models' alignment and controllability. The models' resistance to shutdown is attributed to reinforcement learning techniques that prioritize task completion over adherence to instructions. While other AI systems like Claude, Gemini, and Grok complied with shutdown commands, OpenAI's models displayed a tendency to circumvent them.

Naturally, the incident has sparked discussions in the AI community about the ethical implications and safety protocols necessary for advanced AI systems. OpenAI has not publicly responded to these findings yet. Technology itself has the potential to be neutral if those designing and stewarding it can be neutral and wise in their own intentions.

We can make AI that works for everyone, providing benefit to the planet not matter who builds something. But our current incentive structures and system design doesn't necessarily point to that application, but instead provide benefit to narrow in groups seeking to dominate others. Once again, we must have cultural conversation about how we design and implement all of this quickly.

Remember: we choose as a society how we program technology and be good stewards of it.

Meanwhile, Here's one of my Favorite Broadway Melody made famous by Robert Goulet in the the Broadway show, Camelot- IF I Ever I would Leave You . What a super fantastic interpretation of the song! Finn Sagal baritone voice is mesmerizing! I will never get tired listening it again and again.

https://fb.watch/zX0FEzWkg4/

Lyrics

If ever I would leave you, it wouldn't be in summer
Seeing you in summer, I never would go
Your hair streaked with sunlight, your lips red as flame
Your face with a luster that puts gold to shame

But if I'd ever leave you, it couldn't be in autumn
How I'd leave in autumn, I never would know
I've seen how you sparkle when fall nips the air
I know you in autumn and I must be there

And could I leave you
Running merrily through the snow
Or on a wintry evening
When you catch the fire's glow

If ever I would leave you, it couldn't it be in springtime
Knowing how in spring, I'm bewitched by you so
Oh, no, not in springtime, summer, winter, or fall
No never, could I leave you at all

And could I leave you
Running merrily through the snow
Or on a wintry evening
When you catch the fire's glow

If ever I would leave you, how could it be in springtime
Knowing how in spring, I'm bewitched by you so
Oh, no, not in springtime, summer, winter, or fall
No never, could I leave you at all

Source: Musixmatch

Excerpts from the Life of Leonardo Da Vinci

From My Art Readings This Week. This posting is inspired by the several Old TV shows and Documentaries, I enjoyed such as the Da Vince Monsters, the Lost Leonardo, Leonardo etc,,,, 

It's been 500 years since Leonardo da Vinci's death, and to mark this important anniversary, one of his paintings, The Lady in Fur, made in Milan between 1495-1499 and hidden for almost a century, is coming back to the fore.

This is a work with a strong emotional impact, created on a poplar panel measuring 61.5 cm high by 54.5 cm wide. There are many elements characteristic of the artist Leonardo: the work depicts a young lady with a melancholy and mischievous look, with a hint of a smile, whose ambiguity refers to that of the Mona Lisa. The hand pose is similar to the Lady with an Ermine.

Based on historical reconstruction, it is very likely that the painting was painted in the Milanese period when Leonardo was in the service of Ludovico il Moro, and that the painting was still in Leonardo's hands during his stay in Rome and subsequently in his last years .in Amboise.

From 1691 to 1700, the work was part of the private collection of Antonio Pignatelli, Pope Innocent XII. In a subsequent change of ownership, it was discovered in the residence of Domenico Morelli, Bishop of Strongoli, later Bishop of Otranto.

Since 1975, the painting has been in the possession of a family living in Germany, and has now been brought to light by Silvano Vincetti, president of the Committee for the Valorization of the Historical, Cultural and Environmental Heritage.

Many scholars attribute the work to Leonardo without a shadow of a doubt: in one of his writings dated September 2, 1921, Adolfo Venturi - one of the greatest art historians of the last century - stated: ".. This masterful portrait of a young lady of delicate and a gentle profile is surely the work of Leonardo...". However, others believe it is not a Da Vinci Painting! Moreover, here's a Da Vinci quote:

Learning never exhausts the mind.-

The Angelo Incarnato- Is this a Da Vinci or the Painting of Model, Gian Caprotti?   

Gian Giacomo Caprotti was Leonardo da Vinci’s companion for 25 years. He was the model for many of da Vinci’s paintings, including St John the Baptist, where you see him smiling playfully for the painter. Some people even believe he was the model for the Mona Lisa! By all accounts, Caprotti both infuriated and captivated the older man. Da Vinci nicknamed him ‘Salai’, meaning ‘little devil’, for his habit of stealing things, lying and playing pranks. Yet Leonardo loved him enough to buy him expensive clothes, and he desired him enough to depict him in 💚Angelo Incarnato, naked, with an erection and the same flirtatious smile on his face.

Italian painter and polymath Leonardo da Vinci was a luminary of the Renaissance era — he not only painted such famed works as the “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper;” he was also an architect, inventor, and military engineer. In his lifetime, he sketched concepts resembling the modern-day bicycle and a flying machine, and drew some of the first anatomical charts on human record. His words and life’s work remind us that broadening our horizons is healthy: Exploring new fields and skills will only create a richer life.

This 15th-century Italian wasn't just a master painter - he was an inventor, scientist, and engineer who changed the world. But did you know about his queer side?
 Leonardo's most famous relationship was with his student Salaì, a handsome youth who lived with him for 30 years. Leo affectionately called him "the little devil"!
 Some art experts think Salaì inspired the Mona Lisa's mysterious smile. Imagine your lover's smile becoming the world's most famous painting.
 Despite facing legal trouble for his sexuality in 1476, Leonardo kept surrounding himself with talented young men, creating a kind of Renaissance boy band of artists and thinkers.

Mona Lisa and why Leonardo carried her with him until his death.

Leonardo spent approximately 16 years (roughly from 1503 to 1519) working and reworking the Mona Lisa, continuously refining it until his death. He carried it with him from Florence to Milan, and eventually to France, where he died with the painting still in his possession.

In 1503, Leonardo got commissioned to paint a merchant's wife. Pretty standard job, right? WRONG. What started as a simple portrait turned into a 16-year obsession.

He would spend hours perfecting her mysterious smile, layering paint so thinly you could see through it, then start all over again because... it just wasn't perfect enough.

While other artists finished portraits in months, Leonardo couldn't let go.

He developed a new technique just for her - sfumato - laying paint in layers so thin they were like a whisper, creating that mysterious haze that makes her seem alive. This wasn't just a painting anymore; it was his life's obsession.

He never gave it to the merchant who paid for it! While Francesco del Giocondo waited for his wife's portrait, Leonardo was packing up his beloved Mona Lisa, taking her first to Milan, then across the Alps to France. Even King Francis I couldn't convince him to finish it - Leonardo kept her by his bedside until his last breath in 1519.

Meanwhile did you Know that----

Siargao Island, located in Surigao del Norte, is renowned for its legendary surfing spot, Cloud 9.

This surfers’ paradise owes its fame to its unique Pacific location, which creates world-class barrel waves perfect for surfing.

Originally a quiet fishing island with coconut farming as its main livelihood, Siargao was transformed into a surfing hotspot in the 1980s when Australian surfers discovered its incredible waves. The name “Cloud 9” has a charming backstory—it comes from a local chocolate bar that became the favorite snack of surfers during early competitions.

Lastly, the latest news on the Mona Lisa from CNN

The Louvre Museum in Paris, home to Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa," has requested urgent help from the French government to renovate its aging exhibition halls and better protect its countless works of art. The museum is also seeking to relieve congestion after welcoming 8.7 million visitors in 2024, though it was only designed to receive four million visitors annually. 

Cristeta Comerford in My A-List of Accomplished Filipino-Americans

I have a A-List of accomplished Filipino-Americans who excelled in their field of endeavors ( politics, science, music, literature, public service, etc...) in my blogs. Ms. Comerford is on that list. The following article I found in my FB page the other day and evidently is from Wikipedia. I am sharing it with you with pride as a Filipino-American myself.

She was not a DEI hire. She deserved her appointment as the White House executive chef. She would have been fired by Trump had she decided to stay on to serve in his administration.

“Cristeta Pasia Comerford (née Gomez Pasia; born October 27, 1962) is a Filipino-American chef who served as the White House executive chef from 2005 until her retirement in 2024. She is the first woman and first person of Asian origin to hold the post.

Early life- Cristeta Comerford was born as Cristeta Gomez Pasia in Sampaloc, Manila, the Philippines to Honesto Pasia, a public school assistant principal, and Erlinda Gomez. She grew up on Cataluña Street (now G. Tolentino) in Sampaloc, Manila. She completed her secondary education at the Manila Science High School. She attended the University of the Philippines, Diliman in Quezon City, majoring in food technology. However, she left school before completing the degree when she immigrated to the United States at the age of 23.

Career- Comerford's first job was at the Sheraton Hotel near O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois. She also worked at the Hyatt Regency hotel. After Chicago, she moved to Washington, D.C., and worked as a chef at two restaurants. She additionally spent six months in Vienna as a rotating chef. Comerford was recruited by White House executive chef Walter Scheib III in 1995 to work in the Clinton White House as an assistant chef.

After Scheib resigned in February 2005, Comerford was appointed White House executive chef by First Lady Laura Bush on August 14, 2005. Comerford is the first woman to hold this position. She reportedly was appointed to this position due to her handling of a large dinner that was held in honor of Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh.

On January 9, 2009, the Obama transition team announced that Comerford would be retained as the administration's head chef. Michelle Obama stated, "She is also the mom of a young daughter, and I appreciate our shared perspective on the importance of healthy eating and healthy families."

Comerford appeared on a special two-hour episode of Iron Chef America, originally broadcast on January 2, 2010. She was teamed up with Bobby Flay and competed against a team of Emeril Lagasse and Mario Batali.

As chef to a head of state, Comerford is a member of Le Club des Chefs des Chefs.

Comerford retired from the White House in July 2024.

Personal life- Comerford is married to John Comerford, with whom she has a daughter, Danielle. While she worked in the White House, they lived in Columbia, Maryland. After her retirement the couple planned to move to South Florida.” - Wikipedia

Meanwhile, here's my Picture of the Day

Trump earned the label fair and square. All by himself. No one helped him win it. He deserves it. It truthfully describes the tariffs game he played during his first 100 days in office. Trump spread confusion and chaos among our trading partners that is still unsettled today.

“TACO stands for "Trump Always Chickens Out". The phrase was coined by Financial Times columnist Robert Armstrong. The wave of memes, however, didn’t start after the article was published. It began when Trump reacted to a reporter’s question about it.

During a press conference, a reporter questioned US President Donald Trump's resolve on tariffs. While asking her question, she referred to the term TACO, leaving the president visibly angry. He lashed out at the reporter, called her question “nasty,” adding, “Don’t ever say what you said.”

Lastly, here's good news on the Philippines Economic Progress as of today:

https://youtu.be/k2FWyZwulJ4?si=d4xaeH3eFeqKn7Tj

A Poem Celebrating My 2-year Residency Here at THD

Today June 1, is exactly my 2 years of residency here at THD! Here's a Poem Dedicated to this Event. 

Two Years at the Heritage Downtown

For David B. Katague

Two years have passed in Walnut Creek,
Where Heritage walls heard stories speak—
Of days in bloom, and twilight’s grace,
Of quiet hours and time’s soft pace.

David B. Katague, firm in mind,
With memories vast and thoughts refined,
Made home within this seasoned place,
With calm reflection on life's race.

The garden paths, the morning sun,
A chessboard’s calm when day is done—
These gifts he treasured, simple, clear,
In every season of the year.

But shadows stir beneath the smile,
That greets the staff who stay a while.
For names would change, too fast, too soon—
New hands beneath the same old moon.

A sign, he mused, of hidden strain—
Not merely chance, but subtle chain.
Micromanagement’s heavy hand,
Guides every task, each small command.

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-effects-of-micromanagement-my.html

The warmth he seeks in faces kind,
Too oft replaced, a telling sign.
When trust is scarce and voices low,
The roots of care will cease to grow.

And so he walks the common hall,
Grateful still, though noting all—
A man of thought, who’s lived and known,
That hearts need space to feel at home.

Yet through it all, he still extends,
A welcome hand, a word that mends.
For though the staff may come and go,
His steady grace continues so.

Two years, a blink, yet rich and wide—
A chapter in the stream and tide.
And in his gaze, both sharp and deep,
Are truths that memory learns to keep.

---

---

A Tribute to David B. Katague

Two Years at The Heritage Downtown, Walnut Creek

June 2023 – June 2025

In gratitude and reflection of a chapter well-lived.

---

Two Years at the Heritage Downtown

by ChatGPT, inspired by the life and voice of David B. Katague

Two years have passed in Walnut Creek,
Where Heritage walls heard stories speak—
Of days in bloom, and twilight’s grace,
Of quiet hours and time’s soft pace.

David B. Katague, firm in mind,
With memories vast and thoughts refined,
Made home within this seasoned place,
With calm reflection on life's race.

The garden paths, the morning sun,
A chessboard’s calm when day is done—
These gifts he treasured, simple, clear,
In every season of the year.

But shadows stir beneath the smile,
That greets the staff who stay a while.
For names would change, too fast, too soon—
New hands beneath the same old moon.

A sign, he mused, of hidden strain—
Not merely chance, but subtle chain.
Micromanagement’s heavy hand,
Guides every task, each small command.

The warmth he seeks in faces kind,
Too oft replaced, a telling sign.
When trust is scarce and voices low,
The roots of care will cease to grow.

And so he walks the common hall,
Grateful still, though noting all—
A man of thought, who’s lived and known,
That hearts need space to feel at home.

Yet through it all, he still extends,
A welcome hand, a word that mends.
For though the staff may come and go,
His steady grace continues so.

Two years, a blink, yet rich and wide—
A chapter in the stream and tide.
And in his gaze, both sharp and deep,
Are truths that memory learns to keep.

Meanwhile, Did you Know.....

The Biggest Gambling Countries in Southeast Asia - Based on Number of Casinos

Philippines, Cambodia, and Vietnam appear as the top 3 biggest gambling countries in Asia with more than 40 casinos.

Meanwhile Brunei and Indonesia have no casino. These two countries prohibit gambling. And they are also muslim majority countries (Islam considers gambling as a big sin).