Mike Guingona and Ramon Campos, Jr are My Third Cousins

From Geni.Com Readings This Week-Two Relatives from My Father  Side of the Family

1. Mike Guingona (b. 1962) is a notable figure in American politics, particularly recognized for his contributions to the Filipino-American community. Born in San Francisco, California, Guingona grew up in a culturally diverse environment that shaped his understanding of community needs and civic engagement. He pursued higher education at the University of California, Los Angeles, and later earned a law degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law. Guingona's political career began in Daly City, California, where he made history as the first Filipino-American elected to the City Council in 1993. His tenure was marked by a focus on community development and public safety, reflecting the needs of Daly City's diverse population. He served multiple terms as mayor, where he advocated for minority rights and worked to improve local infrastructure. Guingona's leadership extended beyond local politics, as he became a prominent voice for Filipino-Americans nationwide, fostering greater representation and participation in American civic life. His legacy is one of bridging cultural divides and championing inclusivity in governance.

For Additional Details visit: 

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

2. Geni's Relationship Finder just found a path between you and Ramon Campos Jr. in the World Family Tree. It turns out that Ramon Campos Jr. is your third cousin once removed.

 Ramon Campos Jr. was a Filipino basketball player who competed in the 1948, 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics. Campos was born in Iloilo City and started to play basketball at the age of 15. 

From Wikipedia: Ramón "Ramoncito" F. Campos Jr. (December 15, 1925 – May 29, 2017) was a Filipino basketball player who competed in the 1948, 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics.

Campos was born in Iloilo City and started to play basketball at the age of 15. In 1941, he was a member of the junior team of De La Salle College in the NCAA. Campos went to the University of Santo Tomas and played for the Goldies in the UAAP in 1946 and led the team to the varsity championship and in the National Open. Campos had his personal best of 52 points, which he scored when he was playing for the famed Sampaguita Pictures quintet made up of only eight players. His colorful career on the hardcourt also includes seven years with the YCO Painters during the 1950s. Campos retired from major competition in 1958.

Meanwhile, ‘Blue dragons’ come back home

Thrilling news for us reptile lovers: The bewitching blue iguana is back from the brink of extinction! The lizards are endemic to the Cayman Islands, but they’ve had a rough go of it in paradise: Habitat loss, hunting and attacks from feral cats and dogs drove their population down to fewer than 25 wild iguanas just two decades ago. So, the National Trust for the Cayman Islands’ Blue Iguana came up with a comprehensive species survival plan — collect eggs from wild nests to ensure they survive, then raise them in captivity for their early life before releasing them back into the wild as adults. All that lizard rearing has worked — over 1,200 of them have been released on the islands in protected areas where these beauties are more likely to thrive. Lastly, here are my wife's( Macrine Nieva Jambalos) and my other famous relatives, some I know, others I just learned from Geni.com   https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2025/05/tomas-confesor-another-filipino.html https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2025/06/lucrecia-roces-kasilag-is-macrines.html https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2025/03/a-confirmed-relative-teofisto-guingona.html https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2025/03/i-am-related-to-narcisa-buencamino.html

The St. Sebastian Painting Valued at $10 Million

From My Art Readings This Week

In 2014, Federico Castelluccio, best known as Furio from The Sopranos, walked into an art gallery in Frankfurt, Germany, and spotted a painting that didn’t quite fit its label. It was marked as an 18th-century copy, priced modestly at around $68,000. But Castelluccio, a passionate art collector and skilled painter himself, trusted his instincts. He believed the artwork was far older and far more valuable. He was right.

After purchasing the piece, he spent an additional $72,000 on restoration, scientific analysis, and expert consultations. The result was stunning. The painting was confirmed to be a 17th-century masterpiece by the Italian Baroque painter Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, better known as Guercino. The subject? A hauntingly beautiful image of Saint Sebastian, bound and pierced with arrows, rendered in Guercino’s signature dramatic lighting and emotional intensity.

Art historians were amazed. A painting of this scale and quality, lost for centuries, had surfaced in plain sight. Thanks to Castelluccio’s sharp eye, what was once misattributed became a rediscovered treasure valued at up to $10 million. It has since been displayed at major institutions, including the Princeton University Art Museum, where it continues to attract admiration and scholarly interest.

Castelluccio’s discovery is not just a story of luck, it’s a testament to knowledge, intuition, and a deep appreciation for art history. His find reminds us that the art world still holds hidden gems, and that sometimes, it takes a unique perspective to see beyond the surface.

Meanwhile, here are other paintings of St Sebastian:

 

For other Paintings of St Sebastian read:

paintings of St Sebastian

Moreover, Did you also know that.....

There’s something about Saint Sebastian that has drawn the queer gaze for centuries, and it’s not hard to see why. His story is drenched in both beauty and tragedy—an exquisite young soldier in the Roman army who defied imperial power to protect his fellow Christians, only to be bound to a post and shot through with arrows. Artists across generations couldn’t resist lingering over the moment of his suffering, painting his body taut and bare, the smooth planes of his chest interrupted only by the delicate cruelty of the arrows. What was intended as a depiction of pious martyrdom became, for many queer men, an image of transcendence through the body, of vulnerability made beautiful.

In the 19th century, as #homosexuality was still criminalized and coded language was essential, figures like Oscar Wilde found in Sebastian a symbol that could speak to desire, pain, and courage all at once. His image became a secret nod among men who recognized themselves in the soft curve of a hip or the serene expression that seemed to say: you can wound me, but you cannot take my essence. Photographers and painters of the modern era, from Mapplethorpe to contemporary queer artists, have continued to reinterpret him—not as a distant saint, but as a mirror for the way beauty, suffering, and desire tangle together in the queer imagination. He’s both untouchable and deeply intimate, a reminder that even in moments of persecution, the body can remain a site of power, defiance, and allure.

Lastly. Did you Know that.....

There’s a dragon out there with a sail on its back that literally runs across water when it’s freaked out. Meet the Hydrosaurus, also known as the sailfin dragon, and no, it didn’t escape from a fantasy movie. This beast is 100% real and straight out of the rainforests of the Philippines.

With its huge tail, freaky sail-like fin, and long claws, the Hydrosaurus looks like it should be guarding treasure or breathing fire. But instead, it’s chilling in tropical rivers, basking on rocks, and snacking on plants, fruits, and the occasional insect. It’s the largest of all the agamid lizards and can grow over a metre long!

Here’s where it gets even cooler: when predators get too close, this dragon zooms across the surface of water using only its back legs, Jesus-lizard style. That’s not CGI. That’s just peak reptilian drama.

And that sail on its back? Scientists think it helps with balance while running, soaking up heat, or attracting mates. So yes, it’s part superhero cape, part solar panel, and part pickup line.

These dragons are also shy and super sensitive to habitat loss, which means they’re now under threat. Logging, pet trade, and shrinking rainforests have made sightings in the wild rare, but not impossible.

So next time you’re trekking through the Philippines and hear a splash followed by something sprinting over water, don’t panic. You might’ve just met the jungle’s most stylish escape artist.

In Addition, Did you know that....

In the Philippines, karaoke isn’t just entertainment—it’s a cultural rite. From birthdays to barangay fiestas, no Filipino gathering feels complete without a karaoke machine.

And it’s unspoken tradition that everyone must sing at least one song, whether you're good or tone-deaf.

It’s practically a citizenship requirement—and yes, someone will sing "My Way" before the night ends (though hopefully, not start a fight).

The Vallejo Shakespeare Presentation of AS YOU LIKE IT

Last Friday, I attended Dodie's Shakespeare in the Park Performance of "AS You Like IT"at the Vino GodFather Winery Backyard in Mare Island, Vallejo, California. 

This is Dodie's fourth season with Vallejo Shakespeare. His previous shows include, The Tempest( Boatswain), Hamlet ( Polonius), and Winter's tale ( Shepard). Since his retirement from the Contra Costa County Prosecutor's Office in 2020, his other shows include Christmas Carol (Bob Crotchet), Sweat (Evan), Fences ( Jim Bono), The Musical ( Felipe Valenzuela), Willy Wonka (Grandpa George), and Chicago ( Fogarty). Between acting gigs, Dodie and wife Ruth travel the world. 

Dodie is my oldest son. He worked for the Contra Costa County Prosecutor's Office for more than 25 years prior to his retirement in 2020.  Besides his acting talent, Dodie can sing and play the guitar. 

Here are some photos Ruth and I took during the performance.   

Established in 2010 by Vallejo resident Dalia Vidor, Vallejo Shakespeare in the Park produces one live Shakespearean production each summer presented in outdoor settings free to communities around the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Vallejo Shakespeare in the Park presents an annual play where residents of all ages and economic backgrounds are invited to come together for free professional outdoor theater. Vallejo Shakespeare in the Park has performed in Vallejo, Crockett, Martinez, Oakland, Piedmont, and Benicia. Our aim is to provide an inspiring and educational live theater experience for our audience through intensive preparation and high quality performance, and broaden horizons and enrich the lives of local residents through a free classical outdoor theater performance. Our casts are made up of multi-ethnic actors of various backgrounds and experience levels. Vallejo Shakespeare in the Park also aims to provide professional performance opportunities to Bay Area actors of color, various gender identity, and women through non-traditional casting. We want our productions to reflect the community in which they are performed and help our audience connect to classical theater with exciting contemporary staging. We present a “bare-bones” production, concentrating on the actor’s performances and honest storytelling, with minimal set and modern dress. 

 

We believe the arts are an important part of the fabric of a community and we want to do our part to ensure a thriving arts environment and help raise the value of the arts as a public benefit. 

​

Vallejo Shakespeare in the Park is fiscally sponsored by the Greater Vallejo Recreation District (GVRD).

​

Meanwhile, Shakespeare’s As You Like It (first performed around 1599) is filled with witty exchanges, reflections on love and life, and some of his most-quoted lines. Here are some of the most popular verses, quotes, and soliloquies from the play:

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🌿 Most Famous Passages

1. “All the world’s a stage” (Act II, Scene VII)
   Perhaps the most quoted speech in the play, spoken by Jacques:

   All the world’s a stage,
   And all the men and women merely players;
   They have their exits and their entrances;
   And one man in his time plays many parts…
   (He then describes the "seven ages of man": infant, schoolboy, lover, soldier, justice, old age, and second childishness.)

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2. “Sweet are the uses of adversity” (Act II, Scene I)
   Duke Senior, living in exile in the Forest of Arden, reflects:

   Sweet are the uses of adversity,
   Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous,
   Wears yet a precious jewel in his head.
   (This expresses the theme of finding wisdom and happiness even in hardship.)

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3. “Blow, blow, thou winter wind” (Act II, Scene VII)
   A song that highlights human ingratitude:

   Blow, blow, thou winter wind,
   Thou art not so unkind
   As man’s ingratitude;
   Thy tooth is not so keen,
   Because thou art not seen,
   Although thy breath be rude…

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💘 On Love & Courtship

4. Rosalind on Love (Act III, Scene V)
   Rosalind, disguised as Ganymede, says:

   Love is merely a madness; and, I tell you, deserves as well a dark house and a whip as madmen do; and the reason why they are not so punished and cured is, that the lunacy is so ordinary that the whippers are in love too.

5. Touchstone the Clown on Marriage (Act III, Scene III)
   Touchstone’s comic pragmatism:

   As the ox hath his bow, sir, the horse his curb, and the falcon her bells, so man hath his desires; and as pigeons bill, so wedlock would be nibbling.

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🌲 Philosophical & Reflective

6. “True is it that we have seen better days” (Act II, Scene VII)

   True is it that we have seen better days,
   And have with holy bell been knolled to church;
   And sat at good men’s feasts; and wiped our eyes
   Of drops that sacred pity hath engender’d…

7. On Time and Change (Act III, Scene II)
   Rosalind (as Ganymede) speaks of love’s stages:

   Men have died from time to time, and worms have eaten them, but not for love.

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🎭 Witty & Playful

8. Touchstone on the Court vs. the Country (Act III, Scene II)

   When I was at home, I was in a better place: but travellers must be content.

9. Celia to Rosalind (Act I, Scene II)

   I like this place, and willingly could waste my time in it.

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✅ In summary:

• Jacques’s “All the world’s a stage” is the most famous soliloquy.

• Duke Senior’s “Sweet are the uses of adversity” shows Shakespeare’s love of nature.

• Songs like “Blow, blow, thou winter wind” capture the lyrical beauty of the play.

• Rosalind’s speeches sparkle with wit about love and identity.

Finally, here are 50 EXAMPLES OF METAPHOR

Metaphor is a figure of speech that says one thing is another to highlight a shared quality or create vivid imagery—without using “like” or “as.”

1. Time is a thief – It steals moments from us.

2. The world is a stage – Life is performance with roles.

3. He has a heart of stone – He’s emotionally cold.

4. Her voice is music – Pleasing and harmonious to hear.

5. The classroom was a zoo – Chaotic and noisy.

6. Ideas are seeds – They can grow into bigger things.

7. Books are windows – They let us see new worlds.

8. Hope is a light – It guides in dark times.

9. Fear is a shadow – It follows and dims experience.

10. Life is a journey – Ongoing travel with milestones.

11. An argument is war – Attack, defense, and strategy.

12. My memory is a sieve – It lets details slip through.

13. The city is a jungle – Dense, competitive, and wild.

14. His words were daggers – They hurt sharply.

15. Her smile was sunshine – Warmth and joy radiate.

16. The mind is a computer – It processes and stores data.

17. The internet is a highway – Fast routes connecting places.

18. His eyes were ice – Cold and unfeeling.

19. The news was a bombshell – Sudden, shocking impact.

20. She’s a night owl – Active and alert at night.

21. He’s a rock – Reliable and steady support.

22. He has a green thumb – Naturally good at gardening.

23. The exam was a breeze – It felt easy.

24. Time is money – Time has practical value.

25. The law is a shield – It offers protection.

26. Children are sponges – They absorb information quickly.

27. Love is a battlefield – Struggle, risk, and courage.

28. Laughter is medicine – It heals and lifts mood.

29. The moon is a lantern – Gentle light in darkness.

30. Their home is a prison – Feels confining and restrictive.

31. The crowd was a sea – Vast, moving mass of people.

32. Rumors are wildfire – They spread rapidly and destructively.

33. Silence is a blanket – It covers everything quietly.

34. Tears are diamonds – Precious and glistening in pain.

35. Words are bridges – They connect people and ideas.

36. Curiosity is a fire – It drives exploration and learning.

37. Anger is a storm – Turbulent and explosive.

38. Dreams are maps – They point toward desired futures.

39. Grief is a wave – It rises, crashes, and recedes.

40. Secrets are time bombs – Hidden, with sudden consequences.

41. Knowledge is power – It enables action and influence.

42. Hope is a feather – Light, persistent uplift.

43. Friendship is a garden – Needs tending to flourish.

44. Memory is a trail – Footprints leading back to the past.

45. Fame is a flame – Bright but dangerous and brief.

46. Poverty is a cage – Limits movement and opportunity.

47. Bureaucracy is a maze – Confusing paths and dead ends.

48. Data is the new oil – Valuable raw resource powering systems.

49. Silence is a canvas – Space where meaning can be painted.

50. Creativity is a muscle – It strengthens with regular use.

#learnenglishwithteacheraubrey

My Favorites are Numbers 2, 7, 22, 28, 35, 41, 43 and 50.  What are yours?