LIFE is a reverie for the judicious but simply a game for hoodwinks… an entertaining tryout for the affluent but a catastrophe for the underprivileged…and a never-ending encounter with uncertainty for those who relentlessly struggle for life isn’t just about finding one’s self but creating it… for life is what and how we make it!…
In our Filipino community, there seems to be a reluctance to engage in comprehensive estate planning through the execution of living trusts, wills, and powers of attorney. Instead, many families have traditionally relied on adding the children and other chosen heirs on the home’s title as joint tenants. This is not a smart solution. Joint…
Tuesday, March 1 was a big day on the road to November’s presidential elections. Unofficially nicknamed “Super Tuesday,” it is when a dozen states (and one US territory) held nominating contests to narrow down party candidates during the primaries. Also known as the “SEC Primary,” 661 Republican delegates and 865 Democratic delegates were allocated on Super…
GONE too soon—that is how many people in Philippine showbiz have described how they feel about the passing of box-office director Wenn Deramas last Monday, Feb. 29 due to cardiac arrest. He was only 49 years old. Deramas’ friend, talent manager June Rufino, told ANC that the director was rushed Capitol Medical Center at 2am,…
MANY people, desiring to save money, try to handle their immigration matters on their own, rather than hiring an attorney. They may have a relative in the Philippines being processed for an immigrant visa, and when they have any questions, they call or email the National Visa Center (NVC) for advice and guidance on what…
A LEGAL permanent resident is eligible to apply for citizenship if he or she has been a permanent resident for at least five (5) years and meets all the eligibility requirements. The legal permanent resident may file early if he or she has been a resident for at least three (3) years and has…
Yes, “golden age” was the phrase used by a New York Times article on the EDSA I celebration, with the second paragraph reading, in the man-on-the street-quote style of American journalism: “I think Marcos was our best President,” said a Manila resident who was born two years after the dictator was overthrown. “That was when…
Driving through Los Angeles’ Chinatown, Far East Plaza on Broadway is one of those complexes that is easy to gloss over. But with curiosity awakened and judgments of its outdated exterior aside, the two-story shopping center encases a culinary haven with options so abundant that multiple trips may be necessary. Inside, you can find Roy…
NEW Foreign bank account rules were aimed to fight terrorism financing, tax evasion, fraud, and money laundering. Sorry to say, but folks like me and you get snared in the process. If we don’t follow the new rules, we get penalized. Here is a written series of simplified articles on this subject to help you…
WHO won on “Super Tuesday”? As I write this on March 1, primaries and caucuses were held in a dozen states (and one US territory) to select a presidential candidate in both the Republican and Democratic Party nominating contests this year. In the most recent polls leading up to Super Tuesday, news organizations have projected…
FOR a country infamous for its “dirty politics,” conducting a peaceful and clean conduct of elections will be a challenge for the Philippine government. While the country’s polls have been automated since 2010, some Filipino voters still express concern over possible cheating in the general elections in May. About four in every 10 Filipinos believe…
Fil-Am Oscar winner Ronnie del Carmen, who co-directed and co-wrote “Inside Out,” wore a piña tuxedo by Hollywood Filipino designer Oliver Tolentino at the 88th Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 28. “Inside Out” won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film. Co-director Pete Docter and producer Jonas Rivera collected the award. Del Carmen personally was…
‘Inside Out’ Filipino director takes home prize Amid the glitz and glamor of the much-awaited Academy Awards, the 88th annual awards show was criticized after the show’s host, comedian Chris Rock, made race the butt of his jokes. “I’m here at the Academy Awards, otherwise known as the White People’s Choice Awards,” Rock said to…
“No one is spared from crime, however, at the center of the hurricane of crime, is a brotherhood of hard men, who fight for whatever justice is possible in this deadly world.” I went through the grinder back in the Philippines as a crime reporter of a tabloid, (People’s Tonight) that started off by exploiting…
TECH giant Apple and the FBI faced off Tuesday, March 1, in front of the House Judiciary Committee, arguing whether the agency should have the right to compel technology companies to assist the government in accessing encrypted devices. Apple and the FBI are engaged in a legal battle about if the company should be forced…
THE body of a missing German adventurer was found inside an abandoned yacht off the coast of Barobo in Suigao del Sur. Two Filipino fishermen over the weekend discovered the body of 59-year-old Manfred Fritz Bajorat inside a 40-foot yacht called Sayo, which had been sailing around the world for the past two decades. Bajorat’s…
HEAVY showers were expected in drought-stricken California this past February, but it ended up being the second hottest with an average low temperature of 65.9 degrees. “Everyone’s been asking, ‘Where’s the rain? Where’s the rain?’” said Matt Mehle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey. Although the state was forecast to experience intense…
ACCORDING to a new CNN/ORC International poll, Donald Trump is not leading among US voters after all. The poll, which sampled at least 1,000 telephone interviews with American adults between Feb. 24-27, and included at least 920 interviews among registered voters, concluded that both of the remaining Democratic candidates for president easily beat out Republican…
Aquino’s afflictions Undying hatred of the “Marcos past,” unreasoning fear of a “Marcos-friendly future,” and total rejection of any suggestion from any source that Filipinos had begun to rethink the real value of Martial Law and Ferdinand Marcos’ real standing among Philippine Presidents are among the saddest afflictions of President B. S. Aquino 3rd. These…
I have decided to prioritize this timely article related to the Year of the Fire Red Monkey hoping our dear readers can use the information as a good reference point in dealing with family members and business owners in the areas of relationships and growth. At the start of any new year everyone is filled…
Young client seeks chapter 7 relief for $$70K credit card debt Business owner files chapter 7 as losses mount CLIENTS are spouses who own and run a business together. They own an S-corporation that has been in business for 20 years. They have 10 employees. An S-corporation, as distinguished from a C-corporation, is one…
(Nurse fired for reporting safety issues awarded $1 million verdict) Q: I WORK in a company where a supervisor bullies employees into working long hours without extra pay, threatening to fire them if they refuse. I complained about this to HR. Last week, one manager told me in secret that there will be lay-offs in the…
1. DO not boast about how you got away with undeclared income or manufactured deductions. Ever heard of whistleblowers? They earn rewards of 15% to 30% of your assessments. If you have a tendency to be creative, keep it to yourself. Just shut up. Better yet, stop being creative. Remember the law of averages. Remember…
SLEEPLESS nights. Stressed out. Worried about the future. Always broke. This is what most people are going through when they are considering bankruptcy in order to get out of debt. The word “bankruptcy” often produces negative feelings because some people equate it with failure. But nothing can be further from the truth. Bankruptcy is not…
WHAT was billed as a debate among the candidates in the May presidential elections turned out to be a race against the clock for each speaker and an occasional exchange of light jabs. It wasn’t really much of a “debate” as typified by the war of innuendos and insults in the US between the Republican…
I WONDER if Manny Pacquiao anticipated such strong backlash regarding his controversial interview, wherein he compared gays and lesbians to animals. If you have not heard or read what he actually said, here is the quote: “Kasi para sa akin ito lang, common sense lang. Makakita ka ba ng any animals na lalaki sa lalaki…
How strange is this demented feeling when I realize that I have spent agonizing days before a pen and a notebook, with nothing better to do but jot down notes at random. I rap out sentences and it does not help me think, but only eases my crabbed heart. I wish a notebook could laugh….
JESUS, can we drink the cup that you drink or be baptized with the baptism with which you are baptized? Can we really do this? Can we accept failures? Can we accept imperfections in people, in church, in government and in business? Can we forgive and understand those who annoy us, who do not share…
AN Uber driver was charged Monday, Feb. 22, for six counts of murder, two counts of assault with intent to commit murder and eight charges of using a firearm while he committed a felony. Jason Dalton, 45, randomly shot six people at three locations in between fares while moonlighting as an Uber driver in and…
UNDER new provisions of a law signed by President Barack Obama this week, federal officials will enforce an 86-year-old ban on importing goods that were produced by children or slaves. “This law slams shut an unconscionable and archaic loophole that forced America to accept products made by children or slave labor,” said Sen. Ron Wyden…
