Have You Heard of Mikey Bustos-An Update

Here's the latest of Mikey Bustos video. I really love this one.



For some reason or another, This is the first time I have heard of Mikey Bustos. So I did some Internet search, and here's what I learned.

Bustos is born from Filipino parents in the Weston neighbourhood of Toronto. Before Canadian Idol, he worked as a temp at the Bank of Montreal. He attended St. Michael's College School in Toronto.

Bustos placed seventh runner-up in the finals of first season of Canadian Idol in August 2003, despite Chart magazine's prediction: "If we were to lay our bets today, ChartAttack’s money would be on Toronto contestant Mikey Bustos, a slightly strange-looking young man with a shaved head and the voice of an angel. From his very first audition where he floored the four judges, he established the largest fan base early in the competition, and made headlines all over the country.

After competing on Canadian Idol, Bustos began performing throughout Canada and the US at many events and showcases at top venues. Mikey also had special guest appearances and interviews at numerous radio stations including CHUM FM, CFMT, Z 103.5 FM, Flow 93.5 FM, Mix 99.9 FM, AM 680 News, CHIN Ottawa FM, CKMS 100.3 FM Waterloo, and has several times appeared on CTV (Etalk Daily/ Canada AM Live), CBC Quebec, and local stations like Omni1 and Rogers .
I enjoyed very much his YouTube satires on the Filipino culture and way of life. Very funny,indeed!


The term boat people as listed in the Wikipedia is as follows: Vietnamese boat people refers to refugees who fled Vietnam by boat and ship after the Vietnam War, especially during 1978 and 1979, but continuing until the early 1990s. The term is also often used generically to refer to all the Vietnamese (about 2 million) who left their country by any means between 1975 and 1995.

The number of boat people leaving Vietnam and arriving safely in another country totalled almost 800,000 between 1975 and 1995. Many of the refugees failed to survive the passage, facing danger and hardship from pirates, over-crowded boats, and storms. The boat people's first destination were the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, and Singapore plus the British colony of Hong Kong. The mass flight of hundreds of thousands of boat people from Vietnam in 1978 and 1979 caused an international humanitarian crisis with the Southeast Asian countries increasingly unwilling to accept more boat people on their shores. After negotiations and an international conference in 1979, Vietnam agreed to limit the flow of people leaving the country, the Southeast Asian countries agreed to admit the boat people temporarily, and the rest of the world, especially the developed countries, agreed to assume most of the costs of caring for the boat people and to resettle them in their countries.

Note: Macrine's hair dresser and my barber are also members of the Boat People.

Blooming Cacti in my Backyard

Cacti in the Front Yard of Chateau Du Mer, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines

The video below reminds me of the blooming cacti in my backyard here in Northern California. I have several cacti in my yard growing in pots and they are blooming right now. My complain is that the bloom would last only for a couple of days. But at the peak of their blooming days, the flowers are gorgeous and beautiful. View the following time-lapsed photography and you know exactly what I meant by the words beautiful and gorgeous. Perhaps you can give me other adjectives to describe your enjoyment of the cacti flowers.

If You’ve Never Seen a Cactus Bloom You Need to Watch This!www.artFido.com/popular-art

Posted by artFido - fetching art on Tuesday, 14 April 2015

My Favorite TED Talks

I was watching 60 Minutes the last Sunday and TED Talks was featured. I have viewed more than a dozen of TED Talks the last couple of years and I enjoyed all of the talks. But one of my favorite is the following video on a subject that have touched my life {neurological disorders(personal) and new drug discovery( professional)}.


Here's a short information on TED Talks from Wikipedia in case you are not familiar with this organization.

TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a global set of conferences run by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, under the slogan "Ideas Worth Spreading". TED was founded in 1984 as a one-off event; the annual conference series began in 1990. TED's early emphasis was technology and design, consistent with its Silicon Valley origins, but it has since broadened its focus to include talks on many scientific, cultural and academic topics.

The main TED conference is held annually in Vancouver, Canada, and its companion TEDActive is held in Whistler, British Columbia. Prior to 2014, the two conferences were held in Long Beach and Palm Springs, California, respectively. TED events are also held throughout North America and in Europe and Asia, offering live streaming of the talks. They address a wide range of topics within the research and practice of science and culture, often through storytelling. The speakers are given a maximum of 18 minutes to present their ideas in the most innovative and engaging ways they can. Past speakers include Bill Clinton, Jane Goodall, Al Gore, Gordon Brown, Richard Dawkins, Richard Stallman, Bill Gates, Bono, Mike Rowe, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and many Nobel Prize winners. TED's current curator is the British former computer journalist and magazine publisher Chris Anderson.

There are three other Ted Talks that I like, Bill Gates, The Next Outbreak( Ebola), Monica Lewinsky, The Price of Shame (public shaming) and Geena Rocero, Why I must Come Out( transgender and gender identity). How about you? Do you have a favorite TED Talks subject and video. Would you like to share it with my readers?

Bluebirds and a Mallard Duck in my Backyard-Praying for Rain

Today is another beautiful spring day here in Northern California but still a rainless day. The temperature this morning is in the mid 60's, but it is predicted to reach in the low 80's by mid afternoon. Yesterday there were six bluebirds frolicking in my backyard and one male mallard duck enjoying himself in the pool(see Photo)



I feed the blue birds bread crumbs and discourage the mallard duck in overstaying in the pool, because I do not like to clean his poo poo. I believe the ducks are in their way to the North for their spring break during their annual migration. The bluebirds are annual residents in my backyard and this summer will build their nests and raised baby birds in the shrubs and trees in my backyard. On winter time the blue birds disappears probably moving South for warm weather.

Our backyard pool where the mallard duck likes to swim and the blue birds like to frolick back and forth from their nest on the shrubs around.

The whole state of California desperately need rain. I have stopped watering my yard to conserve water but this is not enough. We need rain and so hopefully this video may be of help. Please pray for rain!


As of today, rain is predicted for this coming Saturday. The rain dance above must have work.

Dinner for Four from your HoneyBaked Ham Store

In my recent posting, I discussed that ordering dinners and meals from restaurants is not new to me. However, last week was my first time to order a family meal from the HoneyBaked Ham store near us.

I have been ordering for the last 5 years just ham, or turkey from the store. I have not tasted the side dishes that you can order for the family meals. The store offers 10 side dishes to accompany your meals. You can order one or ten side dishes if you desire. The meals can be ordered for 2, 4 or 8 persons without reservations. If you plan a party with more than 10 persons, it is recommended that you call ahead for reservation.

Last week, I ordered a family meal of ham and roast beef( tri-tip) for 4 with four side dishes. I selected the cranberry salad, pecan stuffing, mash potatoes and baked beans. The meal cost me only $34.99. The side dishes I ordered were delicious specially the cranberry salad. We happened to have a guest, a new-found relative from the Lodi-Stockton area for the occasion.

The other side dishes available are spinach Alfredo, creamy corn, gravy, potato salad, cheese potatoes or yam souffle.

The store also sells more than a dozen sandwiches for only $5.99. My favorite sandwich is the HoneyBaked Ham Hawaiian. It consists of the ham, Swiss cheese, champagne mustard and pineapple ginger chutney. Their best seller according to the store manager is their Honeybaked Ham Classic consisting of the ham, Swiss Cheese, lettuce, tomato, tangy Mayo and Rich Hickory Honey Mustard. Bread choices are croissant, multi-grain, marble rye, sweet white, sourdough or Hawaiian roll.

Besides the Ham, I have ordered the smoked and oven-roasted Turkey Breast. I like the smoked turkey breast better than the oven-roasted. The store also offers Barbecue Baby Back Ribs, but as of today I have not tasted the Ribs. I plan on ordering the ribs the next time I do not feel cooking our dinner.

So if you are lazy to cook with or without company, buying your meals from the Honeybaked Ham store is another alternative you can do besides ordering meals from regular restaurants such as Olive Garden, Red Lobster, El Tapcio ,El Torrito or from Chinese or Filipino restaurants in your area. Bon Apetit!.

Note: Of course if you want to save a little money and do not count your calories, the other alternative is to buy your meals from the fast restaurants chain, MCdonald, Carl Jr. Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger KIng, etc,,,

A Guest Article-Chasing the Wind

I was reading my FB page the other day and find this article worthy of sharing. I do have permission from the author to repost excerpts of his article. The author is a relative who belongs to the Balleza clan with ancestral roots from Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, Philippines.

Barotac Viejo is a small town in Iloilo, Philippines where I finished my elementary and high school years. If curious please read my blog, Where the Heck is Barotac Viejo, Iloilo? in this site, dated December 18, 2014. http://davidbkatague.blogspot.com

"CHASING THE WIND" by Alfredo(Toto) Balleza Brilliantes

I want to share my life perspective to you my friends.

I came from humble beginning with nothing but my desire to succeed. Armed with intelligence and perseverance, I go through this competitive material world to get what I want not what I need to enjoy life.

I did not know then the difference between "want “and “need", neither the difference between "enjoyment” and “happiness".

In my pursuit of what I “want” and “enjoyment” , I traveled through life like I am traveling thru the far horizon in the desert and because of the heat of the sun I did not see the beauty of the surroundings. I did not see the beautiful creatures that I encountered along the way and breathe taking beauty of the landscape. Just like the heat of life that we experience on the way to attain what we want and enjoy in this secular and material world.

I labored to gain knowledge and equip myself to lead others, to have commanding position and have economic advantage from others.

I labored to be recognized, to be popular and stand above my peers.
I labored to get the best of material things; top of its class, i.e., watches, camera, cars and big houses and nice pieces of furniture.

Before, I said that if I can get the Nikon camera I will be happy. If I get that Rolex watch, I will be happy. Same with the big top of the line SUV and nice big house, I will be happy. I got all those, it made me proud and feel that enjoyment of fulfillment. Not realizing that s soon as you attain what you what you want, here is another one lining up. I realize later that there is no end of wanting. All of these are vanity.

I have learned throughout the years that everything is "meaningless". All of knowledge, material, position and power that you got would be nothing. You leave all this behind when you die. All our labor is like chasing the wind.

We should not learn from experience but rather from the written word of God.

I hope it is not too late for me to find the true happiness. I replaced my Rolex watch on my wrist with a rosary bracelet. You do the same you will have peace. Believing in God, in the family and in good friend are the real happiness in life.

TO THOSE WHO ARE HUNGRY OF WEALTH AND POWER, I suggest you READ THE BIBLE.

Some of the Comments from his FB friends:

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? - a verse from Matthew

True happiness is not found in any other reward than that united in God., walk with faith in Him, rejoice the beauties of nature and all His wonderful creation and cherish His most greatest love gift, our family ..... - what more can the heart of man desire??

No matter who you are, what you are in this world. You should find the purpose of GOD why he create you... Every single living things are had their purpose... If you find it... Real happiness will blossom deep inside your heart...

My Comment: Yes, indeed I could relate and identify with this article. It reminded me of the following video.