The history of Christmas as we know it
FOR many people, Christmas is “the happiest season of all,” and “the most wonderful time of the year.” It is a Christian holiday that honors the birth of Jesus Christ….
Read More
Chapter 13 plan confirmed but job loss imminent parents qualify for Obama amnesty
Chapter 13 confirmed ON DEC. 17, the court approved my client’s Chapter 13 case in Riverside. In Riverside, the 341 meetings presided by the Chapter 13 trustee are held in…
Wrestling with an angel
Everybody has a story to tell. But we stop telling stories when we start to lose that sort of time—pausing time, reflecting time, wondering, while life rushes us along. Very…
Police departments warned after assassination of two New York City cops
POLICE departments and union leaders nationwide are warning officials to wear bulletproof vests and avoid making inflammatory comments on social media after two New York City Police Department officers were…
Driverless cars are perplexing for California
THE California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will miss a Jan. 1, 2015 deadline for regulations regarding future cars, as regulators are still determining how safe driverless units are. Until…
North Korea sends threats; no proof of involvement in Sony cyberattack
FBI investigators have linked the costly Sony Pictures cyber attack, which exposed sensitive corporate information including terrorist threats against moviegoers, to North Korea. The hack also prompted the studio to…
Pope Francis: the ‘sweet scent of Jesus’
FILIPINOS are excited about the coming of Pope Francis to the Philippines on January 15-19, 2015. As many Filipinos would say, “This is a good start for the New Year!”…
Tuloy and Pasko sa 2014: Giving thanks to these Fil-Am Christmas heroes
DESPITE all the crises and challenges our kababayans have experienced in 2014, the Filipino spirit in us continue to rise above them all and look for reasons and means to…
Waking up sleeping dogs and Grace Poe’s surge
I FIRST heard the expression from David Tanner, country manager of Beecham Products at the time that our ad agency was helping the British corporate giant establish a foothold in…
How do I report gambling winnings and losses?
• Gambling winnings are always taxable and must be reported on your tax return – with or without form W-2G. • Gambling income includes winnings from lotteries, raffles, horse and…
Consumer alert: How safe are your personal information online?
A JURY in Santa Clara County recently issued a verdict of $16.5 million against an online dating website service for disseminating members’ private information to thousands of websites that members did…
Why are so many people applying for loan modification again?
IF you’re one of the many people who got approved for loan modification many years ago under the HAMP Program, chances are that you obtained a low interest rate of…
Sony hack linked to North Korea; ‘Interview’ cancelled
Federal investigators have now connected last month’s cyber-attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment to North Korea, according to an official’s announcement made Wednesday, Dec. 17. It remains unclear how the government…
Getting around the residency requirement in a divorce case
Under Family Code Section 2320, a judgment of marriage dissolution (divorce) may not be entered unless one of the spouses has been a “resident” of California for six months and…
December’s Gifts
IT comes to us wrapped, not in tissues and ribbons but in cherished events of ceremonies, celebrations, and connections, through parties that constellate about the holiday seasons. Guests that trooped…
Millions of cars recalled globally due to Takata air bags
More than 20 million cars worldwide have been recalled due to defective air bags manufactured by Japanese company Takata Corp. At least five deaths have been linked to faulty Takata…
Sprint sued for ‘cramming’ unauthorized phone charges
THE Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Wednesday, Dec. 17, sued Sprint for “cramming” its customers by illegally billing them for millions of dollars in unauthorized charges. “Consumers ended up paying…
AAPI community drives forward with AB60 implementation for California
LOS ANGELES – There are 416,000 undocumented Asian Americans in the state of California, according to a report. That means thousands of drivers on the road who cannot get a proper…
Obama: 2014 ‘a breakthrough year for America’
PRESIDENT Obama said on Friday, Dec. 19 that 2014 has been “a breakthrough year for America,” focusing on achievements of the past 12 months and the prospect of compromise with…
California receives $5 million for earthquake alert system
THE $1.1 trillion spending bill approved by Congress included an allocation of $5 million toward an earthquake warning system in California that would begin next year. Scientists have attempted to…
Public funds growing oil rail transportation industry
SAFETY concerns are accompanying a rising number of oil-laden freight trains throughout various cities in America, and a Reuters report shows that taxpayers in certain areas are financing the expansion…
Kaia Alanna: An impressively prolific raconteur at 12
One of English philosopher and essayist Francis Bacon’s popular quotations states: “Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse,…
Immigration: New year, new hope
On November 20, 2014, President Obama unveiled a number of executive proposals, which will provide deportation relief to many hardworking immigrants, documented and undocumented. The proposals are also aimed at…
California receives $5 million for earthquake alert system
THE $1.1 trillion spending bill approved by Congress included an allocation of $5 million toward an earthquake warning system in California that would begin next year. Scientists have attempted to…
LA fire cause determined
FEDERAL investigators have concluded the massive fire that engulfed an entire apartment complex under construction in downtown Los Angeles was deliberately set. Investigators digging through the rubble and damage left…
AAPI community drives forward with AB60 implementation for California
LOS ANGELES – There are 416,000 undocumented Asian Americans in the state of California, according to a report. That means thousands of drivers on the road who cannot get a proper…
2014 Simbang Gabi Services METRO NYC/ NJ/ CT
Researched, prepared and designed by Robert Pérez De Tagle, IPEAK NEW YORK Dec 6 @ 2pm: Simbang Gabi sa Katedral, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, NYC (one day only) Dec 19 @…
AAPI community drives forward with AB60 implementation for California
LOS ANGELES – There are 416,000 undocumented Asian Americans in the state of California, according to a report. That means thousands of drivers on the road who cannot get a proper…
California receives $5 million for earthquake alert system
THE $1.1 trillion spending bill approved by Congress included an allocation of $5 million toward an earthquake warning system in California that would begin next year. Scientists have attempted to…