Spring has sprung. It is upon us in a scent that grows deeper, dizzying, improbable. It is too heady, too provocative to be diminished. Seeping through open windows, under doors, as you slip out of a doorway or slide out of a car. There it is—a scent that dominates the air, your bed clothes. It’s…
LOS ANGELES – President Barack Obama on Monday pushed for immigration reform at a citizenship oath-taking ceremony for 28 immigrants, and called for ‘political courage’ in doing ‘what’s required’ in making lasting changes to the flawed US immigration system. The president asked lawmakers to come up with legislation on comprehensive reform so that they may…
IN THE Central American Republic of Santa Banana, public opinion polls are routinely conducted to determine how candidates for political office rank, ostensibly based on the preferences of the voters. But the way the surveys are conducted is pretty much like the system used by the most popular photographic studio in the country, the Santa…
CATHOLICS all over the world celebrate Holy Week with a new pope: His Eminence, Pope Francis I. Chosen by a conclave of 115 cardinals on March 13, Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio, a 76-year old Jesuit priest from Argentina, is now the leader of more than 1.2 billion Catholics in the world. He has made history…
BEFORE we look forward to Easter Sunday, we are given a week-long final reminder of the implications of Christ’s Resurrection, from the cross to our daily lives. Far more than the happy ending is the journey we must all share with God’s only begotten son. Last Sunday, newly installed Pope Francis encouraged Catholics to be…
Using a false social security number is one way to obtain unauthorized employment. You might have heard how some undocumented aliens make up social security numbers or use the numbers of other people without permission. You might think this conduct is relatively harmless but it has criminal and immigration consequences. It is often punished under…
FACING serious debt problems can be depressing to a lot of people. It may seem like the end of the world. You may feel angry, depressed, guilty- or a combination of all three. You may even be blaming yourself for making the decisions that led you to your present situation. I’m here to tell you,…
AS I grow older and wiser in life and ministry, I realize how wicked a man or a woman can be, how evil can posses his or her heart and mind. The plots and scenes of malice, wrath, revenge, deceit, jealousy, hurt, murder and other forms of evil that many of us watch on soap…
In the continuing series of My close encounters with terrestrial stars I came to a point when I finally realized how significant those relationships I have had through the years. Just merely reminiscing vividly the colorful anecdotes and compelling fragments of the past lightens my sentimental loads. Telling and retelling these amusing accounts and biographical…
The State of the Vatican has no aimless, uninvited wanderers. You sign up for an escorted tour of the gardens, the museums, see the wonders such as the Sistine chapel where Renaissance artists have quarreled, fervent cardinals have elected popes, and hostile armies have encamped. This “extra” ordinary community is the world’s smallest nation and…
Albert Einstein once said, “in the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.” For Filipino-American Colonel Shirley S. Raguindin, the chief diversity officer for the Air National Guard (ANG), this quote sums up how she’s overcome obstacles in her life. From joining the Air Force to leaving home, Raguindin said while always mindful of her roots. She’s…
“ After filing a work comp claim, the employee experiences an adverse employment action, such as demotion, decrease in pay, decrease of work hours, loss of benefits, assignment to unfavorable tasks, suspension, or even termination. Such actions contradict California law, which prohibits discrimination based on disability or medical condition.” Q: WHILE using one of the common…
MOST of us take medical expenses for granted because we have to spend more than 7 ½ % for 2012 (10% for 2013 if you are under 65) of our gross income before we can deduct medical expenses. However, changes in health care plans make this a good time to brush up on 10 medical…
SHORT selling your home is such an important and stressful step in your life and it’s the springboard into your future so you wont have anymore sleepless nights. It is critical you interview and choose the right agent working for you not themselves. Never choose agent out of obligation just because you might be related…
LAST Wednesday, I wrote about the plan being discussed in the Senate to decrease the number of family visas to give priority to employment-based petitions, specifically for highly-skilled workers. Although there is no final proposal yet, the petitions that may likely be eliminated are those by US citizens on behalf of adult, married children and…
“PURITY of heart, then, is the miracle-worker’s greatest engine of wealth creation.” – Marianne Williamson, The Law of Divine Compensation, 2012. The New Pope Francis As the Lenten season progresses, reflection among Catholics intensify. With the selection of Pope Francis (who was named after Francis Xavier, one of the pioneering Jesuits), the energy of Catholics…
FILIPINO-American Councilmember Antonio “Tony” Cartagena of the City of Walnut is urging permanent resident aliens to take advantage of attending a free US Application Workshop through the Filipino American Service Group, Incorporated (FASGI) at the Walnut Senior Community Center, 21215, La Puente Road, Walnut, CA 91789, on Saturday, April 6, 2013, from 9am to 4pm….
DEBTOR walks away from his residence because it is under water with no equity whatsoever then files for Chapter 7 relief. The house is worth $300,000 but the mortgage owed is $400,000. Debtor obtains a discharge of all his debts including the mortgage. Six months post-discharge, debtor receives a real estate tax bill for $4,000…
In the continuing series of My close encounters with terrestrial stars I came to a point when I finally realized how significant those relationships I have had through the years. Just merely reminiscing vividly the colorful anecdotes and compelling fragments of the past lightens my sentimental loads. Telling and retelling these amusing accounts and biographical…
A young Fil-Am unprecedentedly shines in the recent staging of Lyman Frank Baum’s classic fantasy novel, The Wizard of Oz, at the Quibbletown Middle School’s Drama Club in Piscataway, New Jersey. A budding Broadway talent and potential beauty queen, Alyssa J. Shoemaker more than justifiably fits her role as Dorothy Gale to a T. As…
Angeles City moves with the frantic pace of a bustling metropolis. You can sense it with the whizzing jeepneys and cars, people crossing the streets, and the establishments ecstatic with trade all under the bright sun. This is not a surprise for a city that was founded way back in 1756. It breathes with activity…
The snake oil scam of yesteryears took decades to travel from town to town. Obviously, that saved a lot of “potential” victims. With the advent of the internet age, scams, in general, including fraudulent health products and unfounded “food supplement” claims are disseminated with lightning speed around the globe through the world wide web, reaching…
People around the world are actively following the news concerning comprehensive immigration reform (CIR), hoping that the Democrats and Republicans in Washington can work together and pass a law overhauling our immigration system, and possibly grant amnesty to illegal aliens in the US. The Los Angeles Times recently reported that an influential Republican senator (Sen. Lindsey Graham)…
SMOKING kills, as advertisements would say it, but it remains a choice. If you smoke, you know that cigarettes are harmful to your health, but you still choose to do it, no matter how society tries to stop you. This week, professionals in the international tobacco industry, visitors and exhibitors are all looking forward to…
POOR Jun Magsaysay and Dick Gordon must be agonizing over what they should do to improve their rankings in the current senatorial race. Should they learn to dance Gangnam style like some lady candidates? Should they appropriate a movie star girlfriend? Should Dick be more likeable? Should Jun wave the “Magsaysay is my Guy” flag,…
Little girls grow up, marry and change their names. It was one of those Beverly Hills weddings. The groom sneaked in, unnoticed at the ultra conservative church of The Good Shepherd. On the other hand, the bride emerged from a lily white stretch limousine. She hitched up her handwoven French lace wedding gown and treaded…
ONE of the more compelling reasons why many kababayans are pushing for the passing of a comprehensive immigration reform is to facilitate the speeding up of family reunification. This is especially true for those who have been waiting for many years for their ates or kuyas (with their spouses and kids) to finally re-join the family, after being left behind in…
I KNOW that the current economy has caused a lot of financial problems for a lot of people. Most families are struggling financially every month and are living paycheck to paycheck. Chances are you know someone who is perhaps facing foreclosure because they can’t even afford to pay their mortgage. Maybe they’ve lost their job….
LOS ANGELES – Filipino-American Rico Foz was only seven years old when he was first exposed to an environment of smoking. His father was a smoker who worked for a tobacco company. Often, Rico would be asked by his dad to buy cigarettes at the store. With very little knowledge on the habit’s negative impact…
Habemus Papam. “We have a pope.” The Vatican has finally chosen its new pontiff in 76-year-old Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who has been named as Pope Francis. As the symbolic white smoke clears and rejoicing among Catholics linger, expectations from the new pontiff remain high — will he be able to revive the Catholic…
