IN both fiction and reportage, I’ve always made known that the winding down of autumn and ushering of winter put me in a heavy and philosophical mood. I’m thinking about the deep and very private personal needs of people — a need that when met, gives us a sense of well-being, one of them the…
THUS the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian Exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Christ, fourteen generation. Matthew 1:17 Where are you from? What’s your last name? Are you related to somebody I know? These are questions we ask or hear from…
ABOUT one-fifth of ovarian cancer deaths could be prevented if women were given yearly blood tests that screened for the condition, a new study has found. The findings, published in The Lancet, a medical journal in the United Kingdom, are based on a 14-year-study of 200,000 post-menopausal women in Britain between the ages of 50…
THE United States and Cuba reached an agreement to restore commercial flights between both countries for the first time in more than 50 years, the State Department announced Thursday, Dec. 17. The historic achievement takes place exactly one year after the US President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced they would restore full…
Avoids shutdown in time for the holidays CONGRESS approved a $1.1 trillion year-end spending package on Friday, Dec. 18 that will fund federal agencies through next fall, avoiding a government shutdown in time for Congress members to return home for the holidays. With strong bipartisan support, the House overwhelmingly approved the measure in a 316-113…
Indubitably a “chip of the old block” and admittedly a spitting image of her mom, Lala Aunor, a former movie-TV popular teen personality of the early 70s and 80s, multi-faceted singer Marion Aunor is the niece of Philippine phenomenal Superstar Nora Aunor… no wonder she uncompromisingly carries on the legacy of excelling in the field…
Friend of shooters arrested and charged PRESIDENT Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle visited San Bernardino, California on Friday, Dec. 18, to meet privately with families of the victims of the mass shooting in the city that killed 14 and injured more than 20 others. The president was slated to stop in San Bernardino while…
A HISTORICAL moment for Filipino-Americans in the United States took place Friday, Dec. 18, when a middle school in Union City, California was officially renamed in honor of Fil-Am labor leaders Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz. Alvarado Middle School is now officially Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School, and is believed to be the first school…
TWO Filipina beauties are ready to face the international audience and determined to win the respective titles they are vying for. First up is Pia Wurtzbach, who is the Philippine representative in the 64th Miss Universe pageant. The 26-year-old beauty queen recently answered questions from fans via the official Miss Universe Facebook page. When asked…
WHO doesn’t love a little sunshine? Not only does it feel fantastic, but it also has numerous health benefits. Sunshine improves our mood, our immune functions, and catalyzes vitamin D production in our bodies. Vitamin D is important to our healthy smiles Vitamin D supports oral health in two ways: 1. It helps our bodies absorb and utilize calcium. One of…
(Part 1) FOR many people, attaining US citizenship is the final step in achieving their “American Dream.” After getting a green card, they eagerly count off the years until they are finally eligible to apply for naturalization. However, for some people, applying for citizenship could cause problems, issues, and even being stripped of their green…
JON and Kate own and operate a successful real estate business in California. In addition to owning a beautiful home, they had acquired several homes and apartment buildings which they rented out. In 2008, when the United States economy was struggling and the real estate business was sluggish, Jon and Kate decided to take a…
The influenza season is upon us once again. While flu is common and those afflicted usually recover uneventfully, this viral infection could be serious, or even fatal, for some people as discussed below. Statistics worldwide cite between 250,000 to half a million die of flu complications each year. What is Influenza? Commonly known as “Flu,”…
The candidates for the 2016 Presidential race are all ready to rumble. The top contenders are Mar Roxas, Jejomar Binay, Grace Poe, Miriam Santiago and Rodrigo Duterte. Mar Roxas is from the Liberal Party. He was the former DILG head and part of the hierarchy of the current administration. He is remembered with the Zamboanga…
WITH over 30,000 Filipinos living in Long Beach, conversations about raising the minimum wage and wage enforcement in the city are important issues to the Filipino community. Most Filipinos in Long Beach have settled in Westside Long Beach, an area tucked in between the 710 freeway and the bustling Port of Long Beach. Filipinos living…
A new analysis by NASA scientists reveals that it would take approximately 11 trillion gallons of water to remedy the drought that has plagued the Golden State for the last three years. Data was collected by NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites—which were the first to develop a calculation of how much water…
BY Resolution issued on December 1, 2015, the Second Division of the Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec) ruled that Mary Grace Natividad Sonora Poe-Llamanzares is not a resident of the Philippines for at least ten (10) years immediately preceding the May 9, 2016 elections, as required by Article VII, Section 2 of the Philippines 1987…
IT is very common for beneficiaries of family based petition to wait many years before their petition’s priority date becomes current. This is usually the case with US Citizen parent petitions to adult son or daughter. This is also common among petition’s between Siblings. What happens when the Petitioner dies? Are all those years of…
“THE success of Donald Trump has so defied the conventional wisdom of political punditry that a new genre of analysis has come into being. Call it Trumpology. It consists of reaching for exotic explanations from surprising sources. For example, Barton Swaim, who wrote ‘The Speechwriter: A Brief Education In Politics,’ hears magic in the Donald’s…
DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to stop crime and corruption if elected president of the Philippines in 2016. It seems that he will stop at nothing to get there. The no-nonsense presidential aspirant is on a mean streak lately and has been engaging his rivals in a political mudslinging. His first target was…
“IF you want to civilize a man, begin with his grandmother.” – Victor Hugo So, one moment you’re just a mother — and before you can blink and think that you have escaped the ties of children, their troubles and their demands; you feel a little tug, and next moment, you’re past that certain age,…
AS countries across the globe continue fighting against the Islamic State (IS), President Barack Obama on Monday, Dec. 14, said the US-led coalition is hitting ISIS “harder than ever.” “ISIL leaders cannot hide, and our message to them is simple: you are next,” Obama said at the Pentagon on Monday, following a briefing from his…
AFTER 13 days of negotiations on addressing climate change on a global scale, 195 countries on Saturday, Dec. 12, approved a historic, unprecedented climate accord that seeks to address global warming. Under the accord, known as the Paris Agreement, individual countries have committed to slash emissions and pledged to assist poorer nations to adapt to…
Asian Americans will benefit, experts say THE nation’s highest court has been debating a landmark case regarding US affirmative action in college admissions. The Supreme Court appeared sharply divided last week, as conservatives, including Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., believe that using affirmative action in admission decisions is “unneeded and unconstitutional,” reported the Los…
Client with good income wants chapter 7 to discharge $70K credit cards NO one has anything good to say about the IRS. Tax collectors were much hated even during the time of Jesus two thousand years ago. Jesus was walking along the street when He saw Matthew sitting in his tax collector booth, then Jesus called…
THIS column has often stressed the general rule that most employees should be paid overtime rate if they work more than 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week. However, there may be exceptions in the case of some who work in certain industries. It is in this instance that the employers’ classification…
HERE are the top 10 things the Internal Revenue Service wants you to know about this valuable credit: 1. If you qualify, it could be worth up to $6,143 this year. EITC not only reduces the federal tax you owe, but could result in a refund. 2. The amount of your EITC is based on…
COUPLES get divorced for various reasons. California is a no fault state. The reasons why a couple is getting divorced are often irrelevant to the issues of the family law case. Divorce is often a difficult and negative experience for most families. However, getting divorce may have some unintended benefits in the immigration law arena. …
FILING Bankruptcy is a serious decision for most people. Most don’t have a clue about how the process works until they actually consult with an attorney. Confusion often results from hearing conflicting personal opinions from people they know. Sad to say, well-meaning friends and family often give the wrong advice and the results can sometimes…
FOLLOWING the San Bernardino massacre that claimed the lives of 14 people and injured 21 others, people ask: when will these senseless killings end? When will Congress pass sensible gun control laws to keep high-powered firearms out of the hands of people who are not fit to own guns? Republicans argue against this — contending…
