Jakie and the Beadstalk

  DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — The Arts and Design Collective Dumaguete (ADCD), alongside the Duma LitFest team, will launch the inaugural 6200 BookFest from July 17 to 19 at Filinvest Mall in Dumaguete City, gathering national publishers, independent booksellers, authors, and readers in the Philippines' first UNESCO Creative City of Literature. The three-day fair, themed "Across the Shores," marks an expansion of Duma LitFest's literary initiatives by establishing a dedicated marketplace for publishers and booksellers while positioning Dumaguete as a meeting point for stories and literary communities from across the Philippines and beyond. Historian and author Ambeth Ocampo will serve as the fair's keynote speaker. Ocampo, a professor at the Ateneo de Manila University and longtime Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, is best known for his writings on national hero José Rizal, including the bestselling Rizal Without the Overcoat. He is also a three-time Nati...

  MANILA, PHILIPPINES  — Before sunrise in Marikina, Bianca, a 33-year-old virtual assistant, is already awake, working for multiple clients abroad. To her clients, she is reliable. At home, she is the eldest daughter trying to keep the household steady as prices rise and uncertainty becomes part of daily life. Bianca keeps her work organized and files her taxes. She does this because every filing helps prove that her work is real and her income is recorded, belonging in the formal economy. But that proof does not make life secure. Bianca is not poor because she lacks opportunities. She’s skilled and hardworking however she’s still living close to the edge. One sudden expense can quickly pull her financially backward making her poor. Bianca Reyes is a fictional character –– a composite inspired by data patterns observed in Taxumo’s 2026 State of Online Taxation Report. But her story reflects the reality of many Filipino online workers and independent earners who are filing ta...

The Tokyo International Projection Mapping Award Executive Committee is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of TOKYO LIGHTS 2026, a festival of light illuminating Tokyo’s nights, held over nine days from Saturday, May 23 to Sunday, May 31, 2026, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No.1, Citizens’ Plaza, and across the Nishi-Shinjuku area. During the event period, approximately 80,000 visitors from Japan and abroad attended, showcasing to the world the potential of Tokyo as a new nighttime tourism destination. On Saturday, May 30 , the awards ceremony for the 1minute Projection Mapping Competition , one of the world’s largest international projection mapping competitions, was also held, where the top prize-winning work among entries gathered from around the world was announced. In addition, at the Grand Finale held on the final day, Sunday, May 31 , official ambassador actor, Tao Tsuchiya appeared on stage alongside special supporters Honoka Tsuchiya and Shimba Ts...

 After a looong hiatus, I am back! Keeping my fingers crossed that I will be able to maintain writing about  life, laws, laughter, and whatever it is out there. Thanks for reading!

Have you seen this? It's for sale in one of the most popular online selling platforms. I am sooo scared! I shudder at the thought of someone wearing these. I shudder more at the title/description of the item for sale! "Hip-hop Act the role Ofing is Tasted". Wait, is it supposed to be eaten? What's funnier is that in the lowest portion: Buy 50 and save P8,785.00. Who in his right mind will buy 50 of these? Freedom of expression? Ok, fine. To each his own (gold teeth).

Hubby asked me about sarcophagus (plural, sarcophagi)  this morning. Since it had been a long time since I took World History, I tried to google stuff about it and mummies. Then I chanced upon this online article  that I thought would be great for kids. Illustrations were made by Isabel and Imogen Greenberg. Further googling revealed that they are sisters who are illustrators. They've written and illustrated several books on ancient Egypt and ancient Greece and other ancient civilizations. Talk about real talent! The article talks about what can be found in a pharoah's tomb. source