In October, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), the conservator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, announced that they were going add a question about language preference to the redesigned Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA). Beginning in July of 2019, all mortgage applications will be required to ask the applicant what is their preferred language.…
As a Christian, Christmas means something to me beyond Santa Claus and presents. It is a deeply religious occasion. I think it’s great when people say Merry Christmas to me, and I especially appreciate it when people of other faiths say it to me. It shows that they respect me enough to recognize my culture…
It’s not a partisan statement to say that the massive tax reform bill – that will soon become the law of the land – is deeply unpopular. Given that tax cuts are generally a pretty easy thing to sell, it’s quite stunning to hear that according to the most recent Quinnipiac University Poll, only 29%…
While in NYC to see my daughter perform in a student play at Sarah Lawrence College in NYC, I got the chance to see John Leguizamo’s one-man show on Broadway: Latin History for Morons. I liked it, although I am pretty sure I saw John on an off day. He seemed a little low in…
Coco was a masterpiece from beginning to end; a technical phenomenon with a story that will make anyone, especially folks with knowledge of the Dia De Los Muertos theme, choke up with emotion. Coco is also breaking box office records around the globe including in China where it is already the biggest animated film ever.…
I read a very cool story about a young Latina entrepreneur who became motivated to start her own construction business when her father lost his job. Jennifer H. Ramos, the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants, launched Jen Contracting Group, LLC in her hometown of Arlington, Virginia. In addition to her construction business, she owns an online…
Very few politicians care about anything more than themselves. There are few exceptions and it seems as though it’s gotten worse over time. Today’s politicians spend most of their time shamelessly grandstanding, claiming to care about people, while in reality all they want is fame, money, and power. It’s just ego and it’s important to…
Speaking of ugly politics. The race for Governor of Virginia between longtime Republican operative Ed Gillespie and the Democratic Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam was as hard fought and nasty as everyone anticipated it would be. Gillespie, who for years pressed his Republican colleagues to make the party more welcoming to minorities, took a page out of Donald Trump’s playbook and released an ad linking illegal immigrants and his opponent to the vicious gang MS-13.
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are on the cover of Vanity Fair this week. The article tells a flattering story about their relationship and discusses their astronomical success and formidable challenges over the last two decades. Whether you are a fan of the two of them or not, you can’t help but admire their resilience and work…
Last week, the Ball family received worldwide attention, but not for the reason anyone would have hoped. While in Shanghai, China for a non-conference game between UCLA and Georgia Tech, LaVar’s middle son LiAngelo Ball, along with two of his teammates, were arrested by Chinese police for shoplifting at a high-end shopping mall. The incident…