IS wine really good for our health? Yes, most particularly red wine, because it contains very potent antioxidants. But the benefits will, of course, depend on other considerations and factors. We do not recommend any alcoholic beverages to pregnant women, persons who are alcoholics or have history of addiction, those with liver, gastrointestinal or other…
IT’S almost a week after Valentine’s Day but we’re still hoping that people will continue to be in love and stay in love. I’m sure many people celebrated the day, and we’re curious how our favorite celebrities spent their Valentine’s. Some got flowers—while others declared how much love they are feeling for their special someone….
ELIGIBILITY for benefits under Section 3 of the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) is based on a mathematical formula, where you subtract from the child’s age the length of time it took USCIS to process and approve the petition. You take the date the petition is filed, and the date it was approved. How long…
THE overseas Chinese or hua-chiao is a term commonly used for the Chinese in Southeast Asia. In a broad sense, overseas Chinese refers to all Chinese who have left their home in China to live and work abroad. The Chinese migration to Southeast Asia, particularly those who arrived between the 18th century and mid-20th century…
CARLOS is a married child petitioned by his US citizen father. His priority date is October 30, 1992 and it’s just a matter of months before his visa becomes available. Unfortunately, his father who is 87 years old, suffered a heart attack after Christmas and is now in a care facility. He applied for a…
1. YOU are required to file a California tax return if your gross income exceeds: a. Single – $16,256 (no dependent). b. Head of household – $27,489 (with one dependent). c. Married filing jointly – $32,514 (no dependent). Taxpayers with dependents or who are aged 65 or over have higher filing thresholds. You turned 65…
MANY kababayans in America, even those among my own circle of family and friends, take their sweet time before taking the first step toward naturalization to become U.S. citizens. This, despite the pains and struggles of obtaining their Permanent Resident card (green card) so they can legally live and work in the U.S. Some have…
PRESIDENT Barack Obama welcomed leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Monday, Feb. 15, to discuss terrorism, maritime security, trade, and climate change. “Economic growth that is inclusive, creating opportunity for all; mutual security and the peaceful resolution of disputes; human dignity, including respect for human rights, and development that is sustainable…
Bruno Mars takes home 3 Grammys The 58th annual Grammy Awards, recognizing and celebrating outstanding achievements in the music industry, was a big night for artists including Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, and Bruno Mars. At the Premiere Grammy Awards Ceremony, most of the 83 awards in various categories were handed out. Only eight awards were…
Perhaps the heart is not just a sort of Valentine, or only the beating thing in a chest that sustains life. It is also the well, spring of all faith, hope and love—all the musings on the human heart’s meanings and metaphors, even humor, that jump starts the imagination about its significance as the most…
SUPREME Court Justice Antonin Scalia, known for his fiery, sharp rhetoric and ultra-conservative views, died in his sleep, as confirmed by the US Marshals Service and the Supreme Court. He was 79. Scalia died in his guest room at the Cibolo Creek Ranch in Texas while on a hunting trip, according to a statement by…
A FILIPINO man who admitted to conducting surveillance for a law enforcement task force in the Philippines linked to the disappearance of a number of opposition politicians was deported to the Philippines last week by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to a news release from the agency. Regor Cadag Aguilar, 42, was escorted…
AFTER a day of discussions on economic issues and trade, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) switched gears on Tuesday, Feb. 16, by working toward reaching a common stance on territorial disputes in the South China Sea. “The United States and ASEAN are reaffirming our strong commitment to a regional order where international rules…
THE first-ever two-day summit with President Barack Obama and 10 Southeast Asian leaders kicked off on Monday, Feb. 15 at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, California. The standalone meeting between the White House and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is meant to be a crucial step in the…
EXEMPTION Credits: a. $109 – Single, Married filing separately, Head of Household. b. $218 – Married filing jointly. c. $337 – Dependent. d. $109 – Age 65 or older. e. $109 – Blind. Exemption credits are phased out by $6 or $12 for each $1,250 or $2,500 that Federal AGI exceeds certain amounts over $178,706….
Seniors seek chapter 7 relief for $48k credit card debt Business owner with $1.0M labor lawsuits CLIENT is 65. He operates a service-oriented business with 3 outlets in strip malls. He has been in business for 8 years. Of the 3 outlets, two are losing money, while the third has some profit that subsidizes the…
MICHAEL Landri worked as a bartender for the Marriott Del Mar Hotel in San Diego. In December 2009, the hotel held its annual holiday party for its employees. Marriott managers provided each party attendee with two alcoholic drink tickets. Landri did not work but he attended the party later that night. Before coming to the…
I HAVE had many clients who come into my offices and ask questions about what to do with their child or children that are born out-of-wedlock, meaning the biological parents are not married to each other. Many concerns have to do with child support/financial help or biological fathers wanting to see their child or…
OF course not. Why should I pay taxes based on the highest tax rates? The lowest rates belong to joint filers and widows, followed by heads of household and single taxpayers. Certainly, it does not make sense to file married filing separate and pay those sky-high rates. Or does it? Let’s discuss the advantages and…
DO you have sleepless nights worrying about your credit card debts? Are you feeling hopelessly trapped with no way out? If you are up to your eyeballs in credit card debt and have no way of paying back what you had borrowed, a lot of things may be going through your mind at the moment. …
THIS is perhaps the reason why Filipinos are happy and resilient people despite all the challenges that they face: they continue to believe in love and happily ever after, in “forever,” as the Pinoy teleseryes call it. The question of whether there is “forever” has in fact been debated on in different teleserye and movie…
Love’s vistas are inexhaustible. But for all the ardency of love’s idealism and romance, it can only be taken as an act of faith. To be ruled under the spell of love is to be ruled by the possibilities of the unknown. Each encounter provides us with the opportunity to remake the past, and it…
RA Paulette has spent his life for the past twenty-five years pursuing his passion, which is transforming caves into breathtaking, poetic and massive pieces of art out of sandstones. Every day, alone with his dog, Ra Paulette would scrape and sculpture sandstones of Northern New Mexico’s caves. Some of his friends think that he is…
PRESIDENT Barack Obama on Friday, Feb. 12, designated three new national monuments over a land area of 1.8 million acres that will protect Southern California deserts. The move will create three national monuments — Castle Mountains, Mojave Trails and Sand to Snow — and will connect Death Valley and Joshua Tree national parks and the…
THE sixth Democratic debate aired Thursday, Feb. 11 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, hosted by PBS NewsHour. It was the second debate between only former First Lady and US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and Vermont Governor Bernie Sanders, and the final round before the Nevada caucuses. After a sweeping loss in the New Hampshire…
It’s always fascinating to listen to or watch a foreigner faultlessly singing Tagalog songs. Aside from the uplifting feeling of unexplainable pride inevitably induced by the situation, it indubitably gives the alien tongue the opportunity to communicate efficiently through music which the world relentlessly considers the universal language. Take the case of the pretty Russian…
CAN a region long overcast with unfavorable razzmatazz unveil its true wonder? Behind the prejudice and infamy, Mary May Portez follows the road less traveled to discover Northern Mindanao’s underrated beauty. From Camiguin’s rustic je ne sais quoi to Misamis Oriental’s burgeoning craft industry, traveling has never been this inspiring. Capping it off with an…
LET’S put the gossip aside about John Lloyd Cruz’s confirmed breakup with girlfriend, actress Angelica Panganiban—for now. There’s a new project coming up for the actor, and although it is a romantic movie, it does not involved rumored reel—and now real love team, Bea Alonzo. The exciting news is that John Lloyd will be officially…
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 priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date…
IT’S Valentine’s Day and Malena woke up to a bouquet of bright red roses and a box of chocolates by her bedside. There was a handwritten note from her husband , George, that said “I love you.” This made Malena smile. It’s times like these that she forgets her husband’s temper when he’s tired from…
