Enjoying Season 4 of the TV Spy Thriller-The Americans

Just recently, I found another TV drama besides Game of Thrones and Outlander that I enjoyed very much. It is Season 4 of the The Americans at the FX networks every WED at 10PM.

The Americans is an American television period drama series created and produced by former CIA officer Joe Weisberg. The series premiered in the United States on January 30, 2013 on the cable network FX.

Set in the early 1980s during the Cold War, The Americans is the story of Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip Jennings (Matthew Rhys), two Soviet KGB officers posing as an American married couple living in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. with their unsuspecting children (Holly Taylor and Keidrich Sellati) and their neighbor, Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), an FBI agent working in counterintelligence.

The series' fourth season premiered on March 16, 2016. On May 25, 2016, FX set an end date for the series by renewing it for a fifth and sixth season. The 13-episode fifth season will air in 2017, followed by a 10-episode sixth and final season in 2018. For a review of Season 3 read the following:

http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/features/is-the-americans-tvs-best-drama-20150311

New Drug for the Treatment of Parkinson's Psychosis

As a former FDA employee in the Center of New Drugs and a primary caretaker for a love one with Parkinson, the above news attracted my attention. The new drug is Nuplazid or Pimavanserin manufactured by Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Pimavanserin was approved by the FDA just recently specifically for the treatment of Parkinson's disease psychosis.
It works in a different way than other antipsychotics: it does not block dopamine. It is a selective serotonin inverse agonist, meaning it targets serotonin receptors. This makes it a safer choice when treating people with PD that are experiencing psychoses, because it can reduce hallucinations without affecting motor performance.

NUPLAZID™ (pimavanserin) is the first and only medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease psychosis.

According to the National Parkinson Foundation, about one million people in the United States and from four to six million people worldwide suffer from Parkinson’s disease. An estimated 40 percent of these patients have Parkinson’s disease psychosis, a debilitating condition that is characterized by hallucinations and delusions, is associated with significant caregiver burden, and is a major reason for nursing home placement among Parkinson’s patients.

The following information is from the insert published by Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Inc.:

Important Safety Information and Indication for NUPLAZID™ (pimavanserin) tablets

WARNING: INCREASED MORTALITY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA-RELATED PSYCHOSIS
Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death. NUPLAZID is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis unrelated to the hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease psychosis.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE
NUPLAZID is an atypical antipsychotic indicated for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease psychosis.

QT Interval Prolongation: NUPLAZID prolongs the QT interval. The use of NUPLAZID should be avoided in patients with known QT prolongation or in combination with other drugs known to prolong QT interval including Class 1A antiarrhythmics or Class 3 antiarrhythmics, certain antipsychotic medications, and certain antibiotics. NUPLAZID should also be avoided in patients with a history of cardiac arrhythmias, as well as other circumstances that may increase the risk of the occurrence of torsade de pointes and/or sudden death, including symptomatic bradycardia, hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia, and presence of congenital prolongation of the QT interval.

Adverse Reactions: The most common adverse reactions (≥2% for NUPLAZID and greater than placebo) were peripheral edema (7% vs 2%), nausea (7% vs 4%), confusional state (6% vs 3%), hallucination (5% vs 3%), constipation (4% vs 3%), and gait disturbance (2% vs <1%). Drug Interactions: Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (eg, ketoconazole) increase NUPLAZID concentrations. Reduce the NUPLAZID dose by one-half. Strong CYP3A4 inducers may reduce NUPLAZID exposure, monitor for reduced efficacy. Increase in NUPLAZID dosage may be needed. Renal Impairment: No dosage adjustment for NUPLAZID is needed in patients with mild to moderate renal impairment. Use of NUPLAZID is not recommended in patients with severe renal impairment. Hepatic Impairment: Use of NUPLAZID is not recommended in patients with hepatic impairment. NUPLAZID has not been evaluated in this patient population. Pediatric Use: Safety and efficacy have not been established in pediatric patients. Dosage and Administration: Recommended dose: 34 mg per day, taken orally as two 17 mg tablets once daily, without titration. For details on the balancing act of treatment between motor symptoms and psychosis read the following: http://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons/non-motor-symptoms/Psychosis/What-are-the-Treatment-Options-for-Psychosis

Pineapple Guava-One of my Favorite Landscaping Plant

One of my Favorite Plant in My Yard

There is one plant in my yard that has attractive flowers but also edible fruits that I enjoy eating very much. The fruit is an excellent source for Vitamin C. It is my Pineapple Guava shrub, known also as Feijoa( Acca) sellowiana( see photo above). The following is a short video for additional information on this plant for your landscaping needs.



There are six reasons why pineapple guava should be in your landscaping list as follows:

http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/13877/5-or-6-reasons-to-grow-pineapple-guava

Pineapple Guava Flower

A Red Crape Myrtle Tree for My Yard

The Dynamite Red Crape Myrtle that blooms light red the first year and then get deeper each year.

For the last 4 weeks, I had been searching for a flowering shade tree to replace the maple tree that died in my front yard this year. After reading the Internet and talking to the neighbors, I decided to buy a crape myrtle which blooms during summer to late Fall.

I purchased a 15-gal tree that is about 6 ft tall from our local Lowe's Nursery. I paid $69.99. I have my gardener picked it up in his truck. He planted the tree immediately and charged me another $100.

According to the Nursery brochure this variety is pest and disease resistant as well as highly drought tolerant. It will bloom during summer and last until late Fall. The mature height varies from 20 to 25 ft and the mature width from 10 to 20 ft. The botanical name is lagerstroemia indica. For more information on flowering shade trees see:

http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/CrapeMyrtles.htm?gclid=CIfj6q6e6cwCFQ2QaQodLzIIWw

Windows 7 versus 10

Last week, my son wanted me to try Windows 10. Currently, I am happy with my Windows 7. I tried Windows 10 just for a few hours now. I notice the resolution and speed is better. However, I am not sure if I really need to upgrade since I am not into Gaming. So I did some search on Windows 10 differences with Window 7 and here's what I found in the Web. It is a very informative article. I like to hear from you if you have similar experiences as discussed in the more than 700 comments in the article as follows:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/windows-10-vs-windows-7

Here's the conclusion from the above article:

There's nothing wrong with sticking with Windows 7, but upgrading to Windows 10 definitely has plenty of benefits, and not too many downsides. Of course the fact that it's a free upgrade right now makes it even more tempting.

Windows 10 has a lot of genuinely useful new features, as well as key improvements to old features, compared to Windows 7. None is enough on its own to make an upgrade necessary, but when combined they do make a compelling case.

You’ve got better search, window management, file management, gaming tools and more. Windows 10 is faster in general use, too, and the new Start Menu is in some ways better than the one in Windows 7.

The only real sticking point is that Microsoft wants you to sign in with a Microsoft account and if you choose not to you lose some features. Features that shouldn't need to be linked to any online account. You certainly can get away with a normal 'offline' version but Microsoft really doesn't want you to, and that's something we're not keen on.

Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/windows-10-vs-windows-7#CE2u7i3UcP40ToSJ.99

Better Late than Never-Games of Thrones

Last week, I posted my addiction for the TV drama, Outlander which is in its 2nd season currently. Last week, I started watching Game of Thrones which premiered in 2011 and now in its 6th season. For the last couple of years I have read and heard that Games of Thrones is one of the most entertaining, widely acclaimed and awarded TV drama series that had been created, but sadly I never had the time to watch it.

Last week I started watching Season 1 and for the last 7 days I had been watching the series. Today, I am now in Season 5. I am now hooked to the series and I am not disappointed. I would agree with the critics acclaims of this HBO TV drama regarding the story scope, acting, complex characters, production and entertaining values. If you have not heard or read about Games of Thrones, here's a summary from Wikipedia.

"Game of Thrones is an American fantasy drama television series created by show runners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. It is an adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R. Martin's series of fantasy novels, the first of which is titled A Game of Thrones. It is filmed in a Belfast studio and on location elsewhere in Croatia, Iceland, Malta, Morocco, Northern Ireland, Spain, Scotland, and the United States, and premiered on HBO in the United States on April 17, 2011. The sixth season of the series premiered on April 24, 2016, and the series has also been renewed for a seventh season to air in 2017.

The series is set on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos and interweaves several plot lines with a large ensemble cast. The first narrative arc follows a civil war among several noble houses for the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms; the second covers the attempts to reclaim the throne by the exiled last scion of the realm's deposed ruling dynasty; the third chronicles the rising threat of the impending winter and the legendary creatures and fierce peoples of the North.

Game of Thrones has attracted record numbers of viewers on HBO and attained an exceptionally broad and active international fan base. It has received widespread acclaim by critics, particularly for its acting, complex characters, story, scope, and production values, although its frequent use of nudity, violence, and sexual violence has attracted criticism. The series has won 26 Prime time Emmy Awards, including the Prime time Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2015—when it set a record for most wins for a series in a single year—and numerous other awards and nominations, including three Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, a Peabody Award, and three Golden Globe Award nominations. From among the ensemble cast, Peter Dinklage won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for his performance as Tyrion Lannister.

I am Hooked to the TV Drama-Outlander

I watched TV for only about 3 hours per day. I rarely watched TV soap operas or drama series except for The Tyrant last year and My Husband's Lover( A Pinoy Soap Opera)about two years ago. This year I got addicted to a British-American drama, Outlander. It is now in its Season 2, Episode 5. I missed Season 1 but I was able to watch the whole 16 episodes in My PC for three days in between my duties as a primary care giver of a Parkinson Disease affected loved one.

Season 2 will have 13 episodes that I am looking forward to enjoy. Each episode is only about 1 hour without a commercial.

Outlander is a British-American television drama series based on the historical time travel Outlander series of novels by Diana Gabaldon. Developed by Ronald D. Moore and produced by Sony Pictures Television and Left Bank Pictures for Starz, the show premiered on August 9, 2014. It stars Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall, a married World War II nurse in 1945 who finds herself transported back to Scotland in 1743, where she encounters the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and becomes embroiled in the Jacobite risings. As of April 30, 2016, 20 episodes of Outlander have aired.

My Favorite Acrostic Poem on Mothers Day

Mother's Day is the second most popular holiday as far as gift giving( flowers and chocolates) here in the US, Christmas being the number one. This day is dedicated to MUMs, MOMs,or MAMAs all over the world. My own mother died 27 years ago, but every year, I dedicate this acrostic poem to her. I also dedicate this poem to all mothers of the World.

There are hundreds of poems in the web about Mothers and Motherhood. But the following acrostic poem is my favorite. I will always remember all the things she had taught me such as being frugal and be responsible for my actions. To all my readers, Happy Mothers' Day and enjoy the following poem.

M - O - T - H - E - R

"M" is for the million things she gave me,
"O" means only that she's growing old,
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,
"H" is for her heart of purest gold;
"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
"R" means right, and right she'll always be,

Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER,"

A word that means the world to me. Howard Johnson (c. 1915)

For more mother's day poem, visit www.mothersdaycelebration.com

Today, I like also to remember my Mother by revisiting and posting an excerpt from an article Tribute to My Parents, in my autobiography, http://davidbkatague.blogspot.com

"My mother, Paz Barrido Balleza and family are big landowners in Barotac Viejo and the neighboring towns of Banate and Ajuy. The Balleza family were considered rich at that time. She was born on January 14, 1909 and is the youngest of three children, the only girl with two older brothers, Modesto, Jr (lawyer) and Jose who are much older than her. My mother’s parents both died, when she was only in high school. So, she was under the care of her oldest brother, Modesto. At that time, Modesto Balleza family had a big house in Iloilo City, just across the street from St. Paul Hospital and one block from Assumption College-an exclusive and private school for girls.

My mother went to high school at Assumption College until she was a junior. In her senior year, she met my father, fell in love with him, stopped school and got married. My mother with tears in her eyes told me that the reason she married without finishing high school was to get away from the control of her oldest brother. When their parents died, there was no will. Thus, the Balleza properties (rice and corn lands, coconut plantations, fish ponds) were all under the control of her two brothers.

The division of property according to my mother was very unfair. The brothers claimed the best rice lands to themselves. What was left for her to inherit were the properties in the distant barrios, rice land with no irrigation, except for one parcel of rice land (20 hectares) near the town. Of course, she did not receive one-third share of their parents' properties. When she married, control of her properties was given to her. My Dad then helped her manage the rice lands and other properties.

My mother was very frugal. She would not leave a morsel of rice on her plate. I remember her saying, “If you do not finish your food, God will punish you”. So even today, I always have a clean plate after lunch or dinner. My mother had a strict budget and allocated 10% of the farm income into her savings. By the time, I was in college, they had enough savings to purchase a commercial property in Iloilo City. With the back pay that my father received having served as a Dental Officer in the Philippine-American Army from 1941-1945, they were able to build a commercial building at Iznart street, just across the YMCA building, etc...". For the whole article, you are welcome to read my blog dated 12/15/11 as indicated above.
The David Jamili Katague Family, Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, Philippines, 1956 My Mother Front Row on the Right. I am in the Back Row, First from the Left.

How about you? Do you have pleasant memories of your Mother? I will be delighted to hear from you!

Mothers Day and Our 59th Wedding Anniverary

Our Wedding Photo, May 8, 1957, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines

Macrine's photo at our Golden Wedding Anniversary

This Sunday, May 8 is Mother's Day. It will also be is our 59th Wedding Anniversary and the 55th birthday of our oldest daughter Dinah. There will be no big celebration, but a quiet dinner of lobster with White Reisling wine. Macrine and I thanked the Lord for attaining another milestone in our married life. To celebrate this day, I am reposting an article I wrote two years ago titled Some Photos Down Memory Lane as follows:

Katague and Thompson Wedding, Shingle Springs, California, 2002

The following photos are old but it always remind us of our younger and happy days, now that we are in the twilight stage of our life. The photos remind us when we were still young, healthy and strong and were active with community involvement and try to touch the lives of others. The other photos were part of our personal life and activities. I hope that looking at these pictures will tell you, that we tried our best to be good citizens of the world and not a burden to humanity.

Our Golden Wedding Anniversary, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines

Thanksgiving Photo of the David B Katague Clan, Walnut Creek, California 2008

Macrine and I with Bishop Evangelista, Retired General Recaredo Sarminento and Thelma Santos, in Mogpog after distribution of Food and Goods as Relief to the The victims of Typhoon Reming in Mogpog, Marinduque, 2008

Macrine at Victoria Harbor, British Columbia, Canada after our high tea at the Empress Hotel-one of the many treasured vacations that we have taken since 1960.

Photo of siblings and in-laws during my niece wedding, Dr D'Wanie Katague Gregorio-Conlu, Iloilo City. Not in the photo are sisters Agnes and Myrla and brother Dolce Ruben.

Macrine and I with Lito and Olga Quiazon at Los Angeles, California during one of the many reunions of members of Marinduque International,Inc- a humanitarian non-profit organization with goals to help the needy in our second home-the beautiful island of Marinduque. Marinduque as of today has no air transportation services and its transportation infra structure( air, sea and land) should be the number one priority of its politicians, I truly believe.

I have more than 900 hundred photos of the various events in our life but I will end this photo tour not to bore you. Needless to say, Macrine and I had fruitful and productive personal and professional careers. We have traveled to more than sixty cities and countries all over the world and have resided in all regions of the US except the South. Currently we are enjoying the last stage of our lives. We certainly have touched the lives of others. As the saying goes, "You only lived if you have touched the lives of others".

Again, thank you Lord for this day. To all our friends and relatives, our million thanks for your love and support during all these years.

Replacing My Grass Lawn with Drought Resistant Plants

My front lawn after the removable of a 30-year old dying maple tree

I am doing some research on drought resistant plants to replace the grass in my front yard. I have called for estimates from two landscaping design companies in our area. As of today, I have not seen the design that will highlight drought resistant plants.

I saw four photos of drought resistant plants in the web and from the website of American Landscape Design of Sacramento as follows:









What is your favorite design and plants? Any ideas and suggestions will be appreciated. I am leaning towards photo #2.

The Month of May in the Philippines

Macrine and I dancing the Rigodon de Honor during the May Flower Ball and Dance culminating the whole Month of May Celebration of Flores de Mayo in the Philippines.

Today is May 1. It reminded me of an article I wrote 3 years ago on the month of May in the Philippines. I am reposting it case you have not read it!

"
Today is the start of the May Flowers Festival or the Flores de Mayo Festival in the Philippines. This Festival lasting for the whole month is in honor of Mary, the Virgin Mother. This is celebrated in all the towns in the Roman Catholic parish churches in the Philippines. However, the celebration of this Festival that I will always remember are the celebrations in my hometown in Iloilo when I was growing up and the one in Marinduque a few years ago when my mother-in-law was the Hermana. The Hermana was the over-all chairperson for the whole month of festivities which included a daily offering of flowers to the Virgin Mary along with the recitation of the Rosary. The month is culminated with a Parade and Dance participated by the whole town. During the Gala Dance, the Rigodon de Honor is danced by the prominent officials and matrons of the town.

The Santacruzan refers to the pageant on the last day of Flores de Mayo, held in honor of Reyna Elena and Constantine finding the True Cross in Jerusalem.

The following video reminds me of my childhood years in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo when My late mother was also very active with our local parish church.


The Sagala A Sagala is a religio-historical beauty pageant held in many cities, towns, and even in small communities throughout the Philippines during the month of May. One of the most colorful aspects of this festival, the pageant depicts the finding of the Holy Cross by Queen Helena, mother of Constantine the Great. Many movie and television personalities participate in the events and are featured in major sagala. This festival was introduced by the Spaniards and has since become part of Filipino traditions identified with youth, love, and romance. Prior to the Santacruzan, a novena is held in honor of the Holy Cross.

The procession itself commemorates the search of the Holy Cross by Reyna Elena and her son, the newly-converted emperor Constantine. After the Holy Cross was found in Jerusalem and brought back to Constantinople, there was a joyful celebration for thanksgiving.
Reyna Elena
Reyna Eléna (Queen Helena) - the last member of the procession, she represents Helena of Constantinople who found the True Cross; this is alluded to by her attribute, a small cross or crucifix that she carries in her arms. This considerably prestigious role is usually awarded to the most beautiful girl participating in the pageant. In some communities, the identity of the woman who will portray the Reyna Eléna is kept a secret until the day of the procession. Constantíno - the escort of Reyna Eléna; traditionally a young boy representing the Emperor Constantine.

The procession is accompanied by the steady beat of the rondalla, playing and singing the Hail Mary ("Dios Te Salve"). The devotees walking with the procession hold lighted candles in their hands and sing the prayer as they go along.

After the procession, there is a pabítin that serves as a culminating activity for all the children to enjoy. A Pabítin is a square trellis to which goodies (candies, fruits, small trinkets, etc.) are tied with strings. This trellis in turn is tied to a rope and is suspended on a strong branch or pole. Children then gather under the trellis as the it is slowly lowered. They then jump as high as they can to try to pick the goodies while someone jerks it up and down repeatedly until all the goodies are gone. It is customary for males attending the Santa Cruzan wear the traditional Barong Tagalog and that the females wear any Filipiniana-inspired dress. Pabitin is similar to the Mexican celebration of the Pinata.

This year celebration of the Flores de Mayo in the Philippines will probably be not as festive and peaceful because of the election on May 13. I just hope there will be no killings, murder and goons activities related to the election. But realizing the history of the elections in the Philippines dominated by family dynasties, vote buying, corrupt and greedy politicians, it will be a miracle if no killings will occur this month. I am praying and hoping for a peaceful election this year particularly in my second home-the beautiful and scenic island of Marinduque ".