Inside Dante’s ‘Inferno’
The memory of what is irrevocably lost is the true meaning of Hell in The Divine Comedy. Dante Alighieri is considered as the Father of Italian Poetry. The poetry of…
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$25 million payout in Trump University class action
Is non-admission of guilt the same as innocence? SONNY Low is a 71-year old San Diego resident, who took the free introductory Trump University seminar. Trump University persuaded Low to pay…
Keep your hopes up in this uncertain time
QUESTION: I don’t know what to do. Trump will become president and I’m afraid he will deport everyone who is not here legally? What can I do? Answer: First of…
New California laws 2017
“ Workers in ‘substantially similar’ jobs but of different races or ethnicity will need to be paid equal wages.” (Part 2 of 2) TEXTING While Driving: Texting is already forbidden,…
Why most people feel powerless over debt problems
IF you are experiencing debt problems, you may find it difficult to talk to other people about it to the point that you are not getting the help that you…
Obama honors journalists at last press con: Paging Presidents Trump and Duterte
ONE THING that we the people in the news industry will surely miss about Former President Barack Obama is his acknowledgement of the important role the PRESS (news media) plays…
Once upon a press club
Once upon a time, there was a press club in the heart of a city where everyone lived in harmony. Photographers and writers were affable and comrades among themselves. They…
An open letter of gratefulness to the Obama Family
Nov. 4, 2008 was the day President Obama was elected president of the United States. He entered humbly into the ‘land of milk and honey’ where he would later bring…
Paula Morandarte captures the world’s true color through her lens
Gender equality or gender egalitarianism has long been resolved following a series of international decrees stipulating non-discrimination among sexes…thus, the plodding emergence of the outright recognition of women to stand…
Showing off the beauty of the Philippines
THE Miss Universe pageant that reels off in the Philippines this January and will culminate in the final selection of winners in Metro Manila on January 30 is much more…
United States citizenship
MARIO, was admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) when he was 18 years old. Now he wants to apply for citizenship, but the…
Is your broken marriage really ‘fixed’?
IF a person is ever caught in a fi xed marriage (married solely to obtain immigration benefits), the consequences (or punishment) could be severe. A fixed marriage finding by the…
Superbug kills lady
Alarming news, warning to all “PUBLIC health officials from Nevada are reporting on a case of a woman who died in Reno in September from an incurable infection. Testing showed…
Thank you for your service, President Barack Obama
IT was President Barack Obama who welcomed me and my family when we took our oaths as new citizens of the United States of America in 2012. It was during…
ASEAN at 50
THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is turning 50 years old this year. The 10-member organization will celebrate a milestone, from starting as a loosely constructed regional association at…
The ‘immortality’ of Filipino matinee idol Ian Veneracion
Guys, seriously. Is Ian Veneracion a vampire? I was looking at his pictures from the time he started showbiz and pictures from his newest teleserye, “A Love to Last,” and…
Mama Bares: “Once Upon a Playdate” encore concert
If you haven’t had a chance to go to the Hollywood Pantages to see “The King and I,” then you still have time before they leave town. The final performance…
Chapter 7 to discharge credit cards, loans
CLIENT is 64, a young senior. I say young because I consider seniors in their sixties as still active and robust. Except for more white hair, they still feel like…
Disclosure of text messages, e-mails, and Facebook info of a spouse or significant other may constitute domestic violence
DOMESTIC violence is abuse perpetrated against a spouse, former spouse, cohabitant, former cohabitant, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, the mother or father of your child, your child. Family Code Section 6211. …
Gender equality: A winning fight for a women’s basketball coach
Mary Burns worked as the women’s basketball coach at San Diego State University (SDSU) for 16 years, and was considered the “winningest coach in SDSU women’s basketball history.” However, during…
Debt forgiveness without bankruptcy?
You’ve probably seen a lot of these ads: “Settle your debts for pennies on the dollar!”, “Reduce your debts legally without filing bankruptcy!” “Stop bill collectors now and pay them…
Mithi Aquino Thomas: her vicarious roles as mother, wife and ‘trailing spouse’
Modernity has significantly brought about an immense amount of change that affected not only the social and cultural aspects of life but, most of all, the basic unit of society…
Don Darryl Rivera: IN HIS OWN WORDS
HOW is it like being on Broadway? It’s so exciting here, there are so many opportunities. And to somehow represent the Filipino community on Broadway is really cool, too. Was…
The February 2017 priority dates
EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A…
Do you have a stomach ulcer?
WHAT is a stomach ulcer? A stomach ulcer, also known as a gastric ulcer or peptic ulcer, as the second part of the name suggests, is a “wound, an open…
Fil-Am artist Rea Lynn de Guzman: Reconnecting with her roots, heritage and history
ONE way to reconnect with one’s roots is by creating artistic pieces, whether in writing, sculpting, painting and more. In mixed-media installations, some people would think it is just a…
“#LeniLeaks” : Are criticisms of Duterte’s drug policy and the call for his resignation an act of sedition OR free speech?
Many kababayans in the Philippines and here in the United States have been asking me about the truth behind #LeniLeaks — a trending topic on social media that talks about…
God, I am old!
In silent hot rebellion, we cry silently, “I have lived my life – haven’t I? What more is expected of me?” With a certain haughtiness, one realizes that we have…
2017: What’s IN and what’s NOT
The year 2016 has been an interesting year in terms of fashion and lifestyle, which also means the fashion icons and newsmakers of 2016 had their moment. 2016 was a…
Proving your citizenship
A little known provision of a new law could result in a denial of health care benefits to an estimated 50 million Medicaid (California’s Medi-Cal) enrollees. This includes hundreds of…