Three Kings fiesta today, and other Filipino celebrations

 our city's main church has the Three Kings as their patron saint.

So tomorrow is the feast of the Epiphany, that celebrates the visit of the Magi to the Christ child. This older blog has photos and the story of the local church.

So we will have a big parade and parties in homes.

But we aren't the only ones celebrating:

in Manila they are preparing for the Black Nazarene procession. which essentially shuts down parts of Manila as millions join the procession.

  the Black Nazarene is a figure of Jesus carrying his cross, and people in the procession identify their sufferings with those of Jesus and ask him for help in their daily problems.

Wikipedia article.

secular video on the procession.

Later in the month: The El Nino celebrations,. 

The El Nino here is the Christ child, often pictured as a child with a hat. This depiction points to the legend of Christians jailed in a dungeon by the Muslim rulers of Spain. and a child brought them food. So this ElNino is also the patron of miners and POWs...this is from an AI summary but I don't know how to link it:

The devotion to "El Niño" in Spain centers on the Santo Niño de Atocha, the Holy Child of Atocha, a revered image of the infant Jesus depicted as a pilgrim in pilgrim's attire (hat, cloak, staff) who miraculously brought food and water to Christian prisoners in 13th-century Spain. Originating near Madrid under Moorish rule, this devotion highlights the Child's role as a protector of the vulnerable, pilgrims, and travelers, a tradition that spread from Spain to the New World, particularly Mexico and the Philippines. Key Aspects of the Devotion Origin Story: During the Moorish occupation, only children under 12 could bring sustenance to Christian prisoners in Atocha. A mysterious child, believed to be Jesus, appeared daily, carrying a basket and gourd that never emptied, providing hope and sustenance. Iconography: The image typically shows the Santo Niño in pilgrim's garb, often with a brimmed hat, cloak, staff, and a basket (sometimes of roses or food) and a water gourd, symbolizing his journey and aid. Patronage: He is the patron of pilgrims, travelers, prisoners, and children, invoked for protection, healing, and assistance in difficult times. Tradition: The worn shoes of the statue in Spain became a significant sign, as they were replaced but always found dusty and worn again, signifying his tireless journeys to help those in need. Spread: Spanish explorers brought the devotion to the Americas, where it flourished, especially in Mexico and the Philippines, becoming deeply embedded in local culture and traditions

 

the geopolitical story of 2025

 from StrategyPage, a site that gets things correct when they discuss areas of the world where I have personal knowledge, so their opinions are worth listening to. 

....

If you prefer to read the summary: LINK.

the long summary includes the dirty little secret of radical Islam. But it includes a summary of other possible war points.

more here: Trump policy.

Hello Kitty post of the day

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that is the founder of Sanrio, the company behind Hello Kitty.

Wikipedia on the history of Sanrio

after he added making sandals to his company, he  found that adding cartoon characters to sandals made them sell to more people, but it was expensive to pay royalties, so he hired his own designers.

BBC article: 

 In 1974, Yuko Shimizu started working for a company called Sanrio, which specialised in rubber sandals decorated with strawberry prints. Eager to create another best-selling product, the company started hiring lots of young illustrators to come up with a new winning design. Yuko and her fellow illustrators had a simple brief centred around the word 'kawaii', meaning cute. 

So Hello Kitty was not the only design they made. Back to the BBC article:

 Is Hello Kitty a cat? 

The inspiration for Hello Kitty came from Yuko’s childhood. I was thrilled and the memory stayed with me, so, I decided to create a character from the little kitten. “When I was a child, I got a small white kitten from my father for a birthday present,” she said. 

however as Hello Kitty fans know, the company has written the history of the character herself: 

 Sanrio have provided a detailed backstory for Hello Kitty. According to the company, Hello Kitty’s real name is Kitty White and she was born in England. She isn’t a cat. Instead she’s an eight-year-old girl and she has her own pet cat of her own called Charmmy Kitty.

bbc interview link 

caregivers: The Filipino OFW

 

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A reminder that the important things are not the wars but the family you love.

FYI

 

 this guy is Venezuelan and happy.

And checking X, I find that someone noted all the signs of the leftist demonstrators in the USA were identical.

CHECK THIS OUT They’re getting sloppy

4 protests in 4 different states, pay very close attention to solid white signs with black letter writing

4 protests in 4 different states all have the EXACT SAME signs made in under 24 hours

Proof this is all PAID and ORGANIZED

1) New… pic.twitter.com/aoM8iGJsSd

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) January 4, 2026

and you know what is interesting about that post?? When I tried to embed it with my VPN/netherlands I get a page saying it is not available, but when I turned off the VPN I got the page to post that tweet.

So is Europe blocking these posts?

🚨 BREAKING: Chinese Communist Party-linked nonprofit is BEHIND today's pro-Maduro, anti-Trump protest in NYC

The People's Forum has ADMITTED to receiving over $20 MILLION from Neville Singham - an individual with well-documented ties to the CCP and living in Shanghai.

IMAGINE… pic.twitter.com/MqPijllA4U

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 4, 2026

Of course, most are leftist who believe in what they are protesting> but apparently they have no jobs or they have jobs they easily can take off from (e.g. NGOs) to protest.

when I was in medical school the ones involved in protests often hated medicine and often became involved in medical politics for that reason. However, even though to this day the anti Vietnam war protesters from back then still see themselves as heroes, they never bothered to pay attention to the refugees, either those with the SV govt, the Hmong, the Catholics, or (later) the Chinese ethnics who were ethnically cleansed from that country. Indeed, when I would bring it up, they would be clueless and indeed it might be because it was so poorly covered in the US MSM (but covered in the Catholic and Christian press, mainly because their NGOs worked in camps where these refugees fled).

it says a lot that there is only one movie about the Cambodian holocaust, and except for the beginning of Three Body problem, I can't think of any film/TV show that showed the horrors of the Red Guard revolution against teachers and traditional people.

so yes the USA is not perfect, but a China that is attacking the Philippines to steal their land, and also stealing islands from Japan, who recently is behind the coup in Korea, and is trying to steal land from India gets away with it. And all those lamenting Gaza care nothing when China reeducated one million Uighars.

at least on X we can find out what is going on and argue about it freely

Saber Rattling by China

 

Pangilinan: China’s military drills alarming to Taiwanese, Filipinos https://t.co/MSZL07rtlT

— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) January 1, 2026

.....

China doesn't need to invade the Philippines: They run the economy, undermine local businesses by dumping substandard goods that destroy local businesses, have thousands of military age men working for our casinos or here illegally, and could easily destroy the economy.

and something to remember: Obama pressured the Philippines not to stop China when they started digging up the seabase in the West Philippine Sea and said to take it to the UN: The UN courts said China did not have the right to do this but did not do anything to stop them. In other words, the UN was toothless, and the US was too busy pressuring the Philippines not to respond to China stealing their resources (fishing, and potentially oil) off the coast.

But China is also threatening Japan and India...

the bad news? A pro Chinese faction has manipulated Korea into getting rid of their president and take over, so Korea might not help.

Sigh.

 

Plsstics....

 

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🚨Massive MAHA win today on phthalate chemicals!

The Trump EPA just completed our TSCA risk evaluation of phthalates; the most comprehensive assessment of phthalates ever conducted by EPA. We are now announcing that, following gold standard science, promoting radical…

— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) December 31, 2025

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Phthalates and Their Impacts on Human HealthP

thalates are a series of widely used chemicals that demonstrate to be endocrine disruptors and are detrimental to human health. Phthalates can be found in most products that have contact with plastics during producing, packaging, or delivering. Despite the short half-lives in tissues, chronic exposure to phthalates will adversely influence the endocrine system and functioning of multiple organs, which has negative long-term impacts on the success of pregnancy, child growth and development, and reproductive systems in both young children and adolescents.

essentially, these are some of the chemicals in plastics that leech out into the enfvironment: or directly to you (plastic bottles leech it to you).

and these chemicals induce problems, including metabololic syndrome, aka pre diabetes and obesity.

Grok summary because it is easier to understand than my descripgionn or the description on many medical sites like the one I posted above:

What Are Phthalates?Phthalates are a group of synthetic chemicals primarily used as plasticizers to increase the flexibility, durability, and longevity of plastics, especially polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Common examples include:

• DEHP (di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate)
• DBP (dibutyl phthalate)
• BBP (benzyl butyl phthalate)
• DEP (diethyl phthalate)
• DINP (diisononyl phthalate)

They are also used as solvents in cosmetics, fragrances, and personal care products to retain scents or improve texture.

Examples of phthalate chemical structures (e.g., DEHP, DBP, and others).Sources of Human ExposurePhthalates are ubiquitous due to their widespread use and ability to leach from products. Primary routes include ingestion, inhalation, dermal absorption, and medical procedures.

Source Category	Common Examples	Primary Exposure Route
Plastics & Packaging	Food containers, vinyl flooring, shower curtains, toys	Ingestion (leaching into food), inhalation (dust)
Personal Care Products	Fragranced lotions, shampoos, perfumes, nail polish	Dermal absorption, inhalation
Food Processing	Gloves, tubing in factories	Ingestion (contamination of processed foods)
Medical Devices	IV tubing, blood bags	Direct (during procedures)
Household Items	Paints, adhesives, air fresheners	Inhalation, dust

Visuals showing common sources like cosmetics, plastics, and pollution pathways.Nearly all humans have detectable phthalate metabolites in urine, with higher levels in children and women due to product use.Impacts on Human HealthPhthalates are classified as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), interfering with hormone systems. They have short half-lives but chronic low-level exposure causes cumulative effects. Vulnerable groups include fetuses, infants, and children.Key health concerns, supported by epidemiological reviews and animal studies:

• Reproductive Health — Strong evidence links prenatal exposure to reduced anogenital distance in boys, lower semen quality, altered hormone levels (e.g., testosterone), endometriosis, and fertility issues in adults.
• Developmental Effects — Associations with neurodevelopmental issues (e.g., ADHD, autism traits), lower IQ, behavioral problems, and childhood asthma.
• Metabolic & Other — Links to obesity, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, thyroid disruption, and potential cancers (e.g., breast).
• Mechanisms — Anti-androgenic effects, oxidative stress, epigenetic changes, and interference with nuclear receptors.

Infographics summarizing health effects and exposure risks.While some industry sources emphasize benefits (e.g., in medical devices saving lives) and low exposure risks, scientific consensus from bodies like the EPA and reviews highlights unreasonable risks at real-world levels, especially cumulatively.Regulations and Trends (as of 2026)

• US Federal → CPSIA bans 8 phthalates (>0.1%) in children's toys/childcare articles. EPA is evaluating risks for additional phthalates under TSCA, with recent findings of unreasonable risks in industrial uses.
• State-Level → Bans/restrictions in cosmetics (e.g., Washington), food packaging, and toys (e.g., New York effective 2025).
• FDA → Revoked many food contact authorizations; monitoring remaining uses.
• Global → EU has stricter limits; some countries ban specific phthalates in more products.

Exposure to some phthalates has declined due to substitutions, but replacements (e.g., DINCH) need monitoring.Reducing Exposure

• Choose phthalate-free or fragrance-free personal care products.
• Avoid heating food in plastic containers; use glass/stainless steel.
• Minimize processed foods and vinyl products.
• Dust/vacuum regularly to reduce household accumulation.

Overall, while phthalates provide practical benefits in plastics, substantial evidence supports minimizing exposure, particularly for reproductive and child health. Ongoing research and regulation aim to balance utility with safety.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

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one problem: how does one replace this chemical without a huge increase in prices and maybe replacing it with something else that ha it's own dangers?