Opinion | My Farewell Column
I never wanted to be a writer. I was an information designer. Becoming a columnist, like so many things in my career, was a bit of a fluke. As I end this column, I’d like to share the strange way that it began. After many years in The Times’s newsroom as a graphics editor and […]
Refusal to accept aquariums ordered upon delivery
Dear PAO,I’m a seller of made-to-order aquariums. Ordering from my store is straightforward — after a client places an order, I ask them to pay fifty percent (50%) of the price as deposit, with the remaining fifty percent (50%) to be paid upon delivery of the aquarium. The deposit is forfeited if they cancel their […]
Brightline Brought High-Speed Rail to Florida. Can the Public Sector Follow?
Firemen from Highland Beach, Fla., were heading to a conference in Miami; a money manager was on his way to his office in Boca Raton. Families with young children wearing Mickey Mouse ears and toting Little Mermaid backpacks, filled the train’s sun-soaked four-seaters on their way to or from Disney cruises and various theme parks. […]
As Unexplained Quakes Ease, Tourist Island Insists It’s Open for Business
Weeks after being rattled by thousands of mostly small-scale earthquakes, the island of Santorini, the jewel in the crown of Greece’s tourism sector, is determined to return to business as usual — even as the quake phenomenon remain a mystery. The tourism-dependent island, which had been enjoying a strong comeback after the coronavirus pandemic, is […]
Children prohibited to sit on front-row passenger seat
Dear PAO, While driving my 7-seater SUV along EDSA, I was apprehended because my 5-year-old son was sitting in the front passenger seat. I argued with the traffic enforcer because my son was wearing a seatbelt at the time. However, the traffic enforcer stated that my son should be seated in the back row seats […]
Can I Get a Refund After Booking the Wrong Hotel Dates Online?
Dear Tripped Up, Last Sept. 26, I booked a ski trip for my family at a Sheraton Vacation Club property in Steamboat Springs, Colo., for December — or so I thought. As soon as I saw the confirmation email, I realized I had actually booked a reservation for that very night, Sept. 26. I assume […]
What is a floating status?
Dear PAO, I have been a loyal and hardworking security guard in a security agency since I was 19. However, I was no longer given a new assignment after the company where I was formerly assigned ceased operations. I was told that I was on a floating status. I tried looking for its meaning under […]
Visting Shanghai Now: It’s a Blue-Sky, App-Based Life
On a recent visit to Shanghai, I looked up through the canopy of trees in the former French Concession district, and realized the sky was not the customary gray but a bright blue. At a busy intersection near Wukang Mansion, a century-old landmark reminiscent of New York City’s Flatiron Building, the scene was oddly quiet, […]
5 Train Stations Where You Can Get a Great Meal
With its copper bar and brass-rail-backed banquettes, Lazare evokes a traditional Parisian brasserie, but registers as modern with its exposed ductwork overhead and wall units filled with stacked white plates, pitchers, vases and other objects. Similarly, the stylish comfort-food menu includes Normandy oysters, onion soup and roasted sausage with buttery potato purée, as well as […]
SC may review conviction that has attained finality
Dear PAO, Is there a possibility for the Supreme Court to still review a criminal case that has already attained finality, but there was gross negligence on the part of the lawyer of the accused? X was charged and subsequently convicted for Estafa. X claims that his private lawyer not only failed to present his […]