Courts divided over home value dates for junior lien strip plans in Chapter 13
Homeowners like the idea of getting rid of the second trust deed on their residence in a bankruptcy. The second trust deed could be a home equity loan or home…
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Filipinotown: Voices From Los Angeles for February 15, 2014 book launching at SIPA (Search to Involve Pilipino Americans)
3200 West Temple Street – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. “You have spawned a unique form of cultural activism not witnessed by the world in a long, long time.” Reme-Antonia Grefalda, Our…
H-1B filing season is here
STARTING April 1, 2014, the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) will begin accepting cap-subject filings in the H-1B classification. The April 1, 2014 filings are for employment beginning in…
Listening to and learning from you
A CRITICAL component of personalized patient care is cultivating the art of listening. One of the most important reasons we use social media is to be sure it’s easy for…
More on the Vhong Navarro-Deniece Cornejo drama, Kris Aquino’s new show with Boy Abunda
MANY were shocked when the news broke out that dancer/actor and TV host Vhong Navarro was beaten up by a group of men in a condo in Fort Bonifacio, Makati. …
E-cigarettes: Harmful
The world is always fascinated by new discovery and novelty. One such item is the electronic cigarettes. Since medical science has shown that there are around 4000 (not 400) toxic…
Renew your PH passport 2 months before traveling
SAN FRANCISCO—Is your Philippine passport still valid? If the answer is no, don’t wait until you have travel plans. Apply for your passport renewal at the earliest opportunity. Check if…
Enduring hormonal mischief
It is the new perspective coming into view in every woman’s major life passage: a mid-life agitation, literal and poignant. First, the gushing, like the reddening of a dying tree…
Reparation
IN one of his most remarkable songs, popular singer/songwriter Elton John said that sorry seems to be the hardest word. This is true for most people. A sincere apology is…
Triple victory for Pinoys in the Superbowl
YES, the National Football League championship game last Sunday, February 2, made us all want to snooze as early as the first quarter. The Seattle Seahawks, after all, “butchered” the…
Benito M. Miranda, Commissioner
COMMISSION ON AGING, TORRANCE, CA Benito M. Miranda has been a dedicated champion for the Filipino American community since his college days at Woodbury University in Los Angeles. He was…
2014: Year of the Wood Horse
Bright red lanterns, Chinese songs, lucky charms, lucky colors, assorted fruits and tikoy – these are just some of the elements that will give you a festive mood. The Chinese…
The Elysium, Philippine Style
I saw a movie the other night that reminded me of the Philippines. “Elysium,” starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, is set in the year 2154. It’s about a man-made…
A Palm Springs weekend
This year-round oasis is a timeless, limitless haven that spells an unparalleled sense of escape, adventure, recreation, and relaxation at your own unique way of playing. It is where you…
CA tax changes for 2013 tax returns
MINIMUM Wage –Minimum wage increases to $9 per hour effective July 1, 2014. Medical and Dental Expense Deduction – Federal law made it tougher to deduct medical expenses by raising…
Val Villarba & Mike Florendo: A tested partnership defying all odds
The highly rewarding field of Physical Therapy has generously accorded a huge opportunity for resourceful and collaborative advocacy whereby simultaneously promoting evidence-based practices and practical communicative relationship with patients. The…
Welcome, Year of The Horse
IT CAN be deemed as a love-hate relationship. Despite protests against China’s so-called “bullying” in the territorial dispute in the South China Sea, the Chinese influence is very much alive…
It takes a snake to tempt Eve
THE 2013 Survey of Enterprises on Corruption conducted by Social Weather Station tells us that the Bureau of Customs, the Land Transportation Office, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department…
PLDT US representatives pay courtesy call to Consul General De La Vega
LOS ANGELES – Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) US Representatives paid a courtesy call on Consul General Maria Hellen Barber De La Vega on January 28, 2014 at the Philippine…
Pinoy caregivers protest against unfair employer in Fresno
FRESNO – A group of Filipino caregivers staged a protest on Thursday, January 23, against their employer, Bedford Care Group of Fresno, who owes them around $1.6 million in back…
Fil-Am Seahawk Baldwin: Ready for his first Super Bowl
NEWARK – Doug Baldwin barreled into the collective consciousness of Filipinos with one single act: he entered the CenturyLink Field in Seattle proudly carrying the flag of the Philippines to…
Sam Durant’s: Pigs and Gold
Thursday, February 6 – Tuesday, March 18, 2014 Opening reception for the artist: Thursday, February 6, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. At the Eastern Star Gallery at The Archer School…
Treatment of non-filing spouse income in bankruptcy
CAN a spouse file for bankruptcy while the other does not? For instance, husband’s gross income is $3,000 monthly. Wife’s income is $8,000 monthly. Husband has $100,000 of credit card…
Characterization of gifts and bequest during marriage in divorce cases
GENERALLY, property acquired during the marriage are considered community property. However, property acquired by “gift, bequest, devise, or descent” are the acquiring spouse’s separate property. The issue becomes more complicated…
Does employer’s hiring of young attractive females over males qualify as free speech?
KYLE Hunter is a weather forecaster and broadcaster for over 23 years, who won several prestigious awards. He sued CBS Broadcasting, Inc. for discrimination, alleging that two of CBS’ television…
Need help with debt but too embarrassed to ask?
HAVE you ever faced a situation in your life where you needed help so badly but you were just too afraid or embarrassed to ask for it? Perhaps you felt…
House GOP unveils immigration ‘principles’
On January 30, 2014, the House GOP released its “Standard for Immigration Reform,” which proposes to allow undocumented immigrants to legally live and work in the US, if they “come…
The wisdom of God
“VANITY of vanities. All things are vanities!” Some thinkers say that these words from the Book of Ecclesiastes are the harshest words of the Old Testament Bible and yet the…
Relief and benefits available while waiting for immigration reform
(Part 2) In a previous article, I discussed various forms of immigration relief and benefits that are available now, which you (or your children) could be eligible. Here are some…