Latest News on Thunder Valley Casino, Lincoln, California

Last week was our lucky day at the Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln. Can you believe that I won $450 dollars in a penny slot machine with a minimum bet of 0.30 cents. The slot machine maximum bet was $3.00, but I have never or will never bet maximum on a slot machine. My wife and I go to the Casino on a weekly basis as part of our entertainment and we follow strictly our budget. The highest bet that my wife and I do is only up to 0.60c per click. So when I won the above amount I was shock but very happy. After 5 hours of playing, I went home with a net win of $350. My wife also won $60 that day. We go to the Casino almost every week for dining and a little slot machine gambling (limited budget).

Here's the latest news on Thunder Valley Casino published by the Philippine Inquirer dated August 5, 2011.

Thunder Valley Casino Resort Awarded AAA Four Diamond Rating.

LINCOLN, California—Thunder Valley Casino Resort is honored to join the elite ranks of AAA Four Diamond award-winning resort destinations. After a thorough evaluation of the luxury hotel and resort, Thunder Valley is the only AAA Four Diamond casino resort in the Sacramento region.

“We are very pleased with the results of the AAA evaluation,” said C.J. Graham, General Manager of Thunder Valley Casino Resort. “It’s a very rigorous process and achieving a Four Diamond rating is a testament to Thunder Valley’s status as a truly world-class resort.”

Establishments eligible for a Diamond rating undergo a meticulous evaluation including unscheduled evaluations by anonymous AAA professional inspectors. AAA is one of only two rating entities to conduct physical, on-site evaluations making it one of the most thorough rating systems in the United States. To achieve a Four Diamond rating an establishment must offer an extensive array of amenities combined with a high degree of hospitality, service and attention to detail. Four Diamond properties are upscale and progressively more refined and stylish. Of the 59,000 properties that are AAA/CAA-approved and diamond rated, just 3.6 percent have attained a Four Diamond rating.


The 297-room, 17-story hotel provides Sacramento’s only Four Diamond casino accommodations. Thunder Valley’s luxury hotel features 4 Beaujolais suites offering every amenity from a dry/wet sauna and ceiling-filled jetted bathtub to pool table, personal exercise room, dining room, and massage suite options. Every room at Thunder Valley features wireless Internet, VoIP phones, flat screen TVs, desktop work areas, 320-thread count sheets, down blankets and pillows, and European spa/showers.

Guests at Thunder Valley can also enjoy the 12,000 square-foot 24-hour health club and spa offering facials, massage therapy, pedicures, manicures and the signature 24-karat gold leaf facial. Just outside of the luxury hotel, guests can relax at the pool and hot tub surrounded by 10 private cabanas and the Coconut poolside bar.

“Receiving the Four Diamond rating is a tremendous honor,” said Kevin Thorstenson, Vice President of Hotel Operation at Thunder Valley. “It is a validation of our team members’ hard work and our efforts to provide each Thunder Valley guest with a VIP experience.”

Thunder Valley Casino Resort was opened by the United Auburn Indian Community in June 2003. The newly remodeled and expanded entertainment, dining and hotel resort is Northern California’s first casino offering all the elements of real Las Vegas-style gaming: service, cuisine and entertainment in an outstanding facility.



Located 30 miles east of Sacramento, Thunder Valley Casino Resort offers 200,000 square feet of gaming space including over 2,800 slot and video machines, 125 table games and a live poker room with space for 160 players. There are 14 restaurants and bars highlighted by the new High Steaks Steakhouse; Koi Palace; a 500-seat Feast Around The World Buffet and Thunder Café as well as Mingle Bar, Falls Bar, Thunder Bar and High Steaks Bar. Also on property is a new 3,700-space parking structure that leads directly into the casino and hotel.

The recent expansion of Thunder Valley Casino Resort includes a new luxury, 17-story hotel with 297 rooms including 40 suites. Inside the hotel is a 10,000 square-foot banquet and entertainment hall, meeting rooms, bars and a gift shop. The hotel has an expansive pool that includes private cabanas and Coconut, a poolside bar. The Spa at Thunder Valley will feature a wide variety of treatments including the exclusive 24-karat gold leaf facial. The expansion was completed in July 2010".

Note: The other Casino that my wife and I patronized (buffet and slots machines) once in a while is the Red Hawk Casino in Placerville. Both Casinos are within 30 minutes driving time from our residence.

In Memory of Dr. Fe del Mundo

I just read today that Dr. Fe del Mundo died at the age of 99. She was the first Filipina Pediatrician who was admitted to Harvard Medical School. She was born in Manila but has roots in Marinduque. She was a good friend of my late mother-in-law, Mrs. Elena Nieva Jambalos. The Katague Family are extending their heartfelt condolences to the Del Mundo Clan. I listed Dr. Fe del Mundo as one of my top ten famous Filipino-American in my blogs. The video below summarizes her life story.



From Wikipedia:

Fe del Mundo (November 27, 1911 - August 6, 2011) was a Filipino pediatrician. The first woman admitted as a student of the Harvard Medical School,she founded the first pediatric hospital in the Philippines. Her pioneering work in pediatrics in the Philippines in an active medical practice that spanned 8 decades won her international recognition, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 1977. In 1980, she was conferred the rank and title of National Scientist of the Philippines while in 2010, she was conferred the Order of Lakandula.

Del Mundo was born in Intramuros, Manila, her family home located just across the Manila Cathedral. Her father Bernardo served one term in the Philippine Assembly, representing the province of Tayabas. 3 of her 8 siblings died in infancy, while an older sister died from appendicitis at age 11. It was the death of her older sister, who had made known her desire to become a doctor for the poor, that spurred young del Mundo towards the medical profession.

Del Mundo enrolled at the University of the Philippines, Manila in 1926 and earned her medical degree in 1933, graduating as class valedictorian. She passed the medical board exam that same year, placing third among the examinees. Her exposure while in medical school to various health conditions afflicting children in the provinces, particularly in Marinduque, led her to choose pediatrics as her specialization.

For details of her biography please continue reading the Wikipedia article in the Web.

Top Ten Traits of A True-Blooded Filipino

Mano Po^-a unique Filipino Trait showing respect to the Old!( Probably no longer practice by the New Generation of Filipinos), but very popular in my Generation.

I found the following list of unique Filipino traits from a blog of a Filipina-American just recently (www.filipinainamerica.com). I found it amusing and interesting and appears I can identify to most of them, in spite of the long number of years that my wife and I have resided in US( since 1960). Here's the top ten:

You are a true Filipino if:( My comments are in parenthesis)

1.You have an accent even if you speak fluent English. Your accent reflects the intonation of your local dialect in Philippines.( I still have an Ilonggo accent).

2.You are religious and a Roman Catholic and go to mass every Sunday. (My wife and I have been practicing this in US since 1960).

3.You love rice and eat it for lunch and dinner.( My sister-in-law did this during her first 6 months in US. We only eat rice on dinner time).

4.You oftentimes interchange the pronouns “he” and “she”, as well as “her” and “his” in sentences.( I am still guilty of this).

5.You use the umbrella in the summer to ward off the sun. ( My wife do this in Marinduque, but not here in Northern California).

6.You eat your food with spoon and fork, but mostly eat with your fingers.(Not anymore, except during picnic times).

7.You try not to get fat because your relatives in Philippines will criticize you
( my sister follow this strictly).

8.You tend to grocery shop more in Filipino or Asian stores than in American supermarkets.( We used to do this during our first year in US).

9.You ask someone to “open” or “close” the light instead of asking to turn it “on” or “off”. The same thing goes for computer or the faucet. (I still do this today).

10.You eat pancit with rice or bread with spaghetti. When asked why you eat two sets of carbs in one meal, you just shrug your shoulders and act like it’s no big deal.
( We do not do this anymore).

If you find yourself agreeing to most of the statements above, you are a true-blooded Filipino indeed! If none of the above applies to you, even if you have Filipino roots or ancestry, you must probably have not lived in the Philippines.

Do you know of other unique Filipino characteristics? Please share by commenting in this blog. Thank You!

Quitting Blogging Only After Three Years?

Nursing Jobs-Image from nursingjobsusa.com (blogcatalog.com)

Not Me! It is a "Fellow Blogger" who also blogs about life in the United States and in the Philippines. Her blog is in the same niche as mine. I was surprise to learn she is quitting because she has already a lot of followers. In my case, I just can not imagine what to do with my time, if I stop blogging.

Anyway, here's an excerpt from her last post, titled "Good Bye". I hope my Fellow Blogger you do not mind if I quote you in this posting. I do understand your reasons for quitting and I hope you the best in your schooling. I feel however, that you are wasting your talent by quitting, since you are an excellent writer. Here's an excerpt from her announcement.

"Finally I'm able to muster up some guts to announce that I'm finally canceling this blog. In my 3 year journey as a blogger, my blogging hit a lot of rough roads and some pleasant smooth rides. Making friends is one of the greatest part of it. Honestly, I thought blogging was all that fun but it was not for me.

Schooling is very important to me. That's probably the reason why I excelled academically because I put great concentration and discipline to it. And now I need to work at it again.

I have made a lot of friends via my blogs. However, I have also met the most despicable person on earth through blogging. A person who hasn't seen me in person and certainly has no knowledge of me other than what I post here in my blog who has the galls to try to make me go down in hell. She's a nightmare and a nut job all rolled into one. I can't believe there are actually "beings" like her existing on earth.

So, today, I am bidding adieu to each one of you. After 15 days as of this writing, you will no longer see or access this blog and my other blog.

Thank you to all who have given me the good times, the encouragement, the good spirits, the knowledge, the laughter and the online friendship that I have gained because of you".

Note: Her main reason for quitting is so she will have full time to study for a nursing degree. But I believe, she has suffered from "blogger burnt out". She also mentioned that her blogs is already earning $100 per month from AdSense, but she said that is not important, since after finishing nursing, she will earned more than that. I say Good Luck to You. The nursing field is already very crowded here in US as well as in the Philippines. I have a niece who graduated last year from nursing school here in Northern California. At present, she is still looking for a permanent job. Nursing, believe me, is no longer a guaranteed profitable profession and in getting a job after graduation these days.

Biomass as Solution to Marinduque's Power Crises

Image from planetoverhaul.com

In my posting yesterday, I discussed the possible alternate energy sources to solve the long term Power Crises in Marinduque. On the top of the list is biomass. I personally believe that is the most feasible solution compared to other alternate energy sources( Geothermal, hydroelectric, wind, solar etc..)because Marinduque has an abundance of agricultural waste. This includes both terrestrial as well as aquatic matter such as wood, herbaceous plants, algae, aquatic plants and residues, like straw, husks, corncobs, cow dung, saw-dust, wood shavings and other wastes like disposable garbage, night soil, sewage solids, industrial refuse etc..So what is biomass? Please continue reading..

The term biomass refers to all organic matter generated through photosynthesis and other biological processes. In order to utilise these resources properly, biomass should be converted to energy. Three main approaches can be adopted for generation and proper utilization.

1. Collection of agricultural and forest residues to produce fuels, organic manures and chemical feed stock.

2. Collection of urban and industrial wastes as fuel in boilers and as a feedstock for producing methane and some liquid fuels.

3. Growth of some specific energy plants for use as energy feed stock and cultivation of commercial forestry, aquatic and marine plants for different products.

By a number of processes, the collected wastes can be converted into solid, liquid and gaseous fuels. The technologies include thermal, thermo-chemical and bio-chemical conversions. The actual processes in these technologies are combustion, pyrolysis, gasification, alcoholic fermentation, liquefaction etc.

The main products of conversion technologies are energy (thermal, steam, electricity), solid fuels (charcoal, combustibles) and synthetic fuels (methanol, methane, hydrogen gas etc.). These can be used for different purposes like cooking, lighting, heating, water pumping, electricity generation and as industrial and transport fuels.

Types of Biomass
Depending on the nature and availability of these wastes and organic residues they can be utilized in different manners as described here.

1. Fuel biomass

By some processes and procedures, biomass products like fuel gas, liquid fuels, gaseous fuels etc. are obtained, which are given here

a. Biomass from plants or animal origin are directly burnt for cooking and other purposes. Municipal and sewage wastes, industrial wastes and agricultural wastes are converted to energy which can meet the demand for energy in rural sector.

b. Paddy straw and rice husk can be profitably converted to fuel gas by thermal decomposition (Combustion)

c. Ethanol, which is used as a liquid fuel can be produced from carbohydrates by alcoholic fermentation.

d. When wood and agricultural residues are heated in the absence of air (pyrolysis), charcoal is the resultant product which can be used as a fuel more advantageously than wood.

e. By the process of gasification, gas is evolved which can be used as a fuel for engines.

f. Biogas, which is popular in rural areas is produced by anaerobic fermentation from farm wastes.

2. Feed biomass

Conventionally, crop residues are used as cattle-feed. However, some of them with high percentage of lignin or non-digestible constituents need certain treatments such as soaking in water, alkali/alcohol to make their use as a fuel. The oil-cakes of various crop seed like cotton, rubber, tobacco etc. can also be used as a feed after extraction of toxic materials.

3. Organic fertilizer biomass

Dry fermented slurry can be used as a direct organic fertilizer for crop land.

4. Fibre biomass

The fibrous agricultural wastes and residues are being profitably utilised for making pulp for cheap grade paper.

5. Chemical biomass

Highly siliconous agricultural residues like rice husk and rice straw can be converted into useful chemicals like morphous silicon, silicate products and solar grade silicon. Furfural an another chemical can be produced from biogases, cotton seed hulls, corn-cobs, flax fibres, oat hulls etc., which is used as a solvent for some petroleum products.

Source: www.world-agriculture.com