As the Rio Grande Dries Up, Canoeing Near Big Bend National Park Gets Harder
I had barely unbuckled my seatbelt and was already wondering if I had driven six hours across Texas for nothing. A once-in-a-lifetime river adventure had seemingly evaporated with some disappointing news. It was the promise of a four-day, 33-mile canoe journey in Big Bend National Park, snaking through awe-inspiring canyons on a mighty river, that […]
Consumption of threatened species is prohibited
Dear PAO, I work for a mining company somewhere in Luzon. During my stay at one of the mining sites, I befriended some of the miners and personnel assigned to that area. We usually drink after a week of work to unwind and rest. I often notice that during our drinking sessions, one of the […]
Preparing for a Total Solar Eclipse in Northern Maine
For generations, visitors to Maine have flocked east to the rocky coastline, with its lobster boats and crashing waves, or west to ski resorts, peaceful lakes and mountains. Few ever set foot in Aroostook County, a remote northern expanse where residents are prone to suspect — not without reason — that no one south of […]
Hospitals may not refuse treatment in emergency or serious cases
Dear PAO, I rushed my pregnant wife to the nearest hospital because she was experiencing excruciating pain in her lower back and abdomen and was heavily bleeding. We did not have enough money to make an advance payment to the hospital, not to mention enough time to look for sufficient funds. Yet the hospital insisted […]
A Mexican Drug Cartel Targets Retirees and Their Timeshares
First the cartel cut its teeth with drug trafficking. Then avocados, real estate and construction companies. Now, a Mexican criminal group known for its brutality is moving in on seniors and their timeshares. The operation is relatively simple. Cartel employees posing as sales representatives call up timeshare owners, offering to buy their investments back for […]
Purpose of acceptance fee | The Manila Times
Dear PAO, I have a problem regarding my land, which is also being claimed by my neighbor. I am now contemplating on filing a suit against my neighbor and have already talked to several lawyers who have asked for an acceptance fee. I am willing to pay the said fee, but I would like to […]
Hidden Cameras: What Travelers Need to Know
This month, Airbnb announced that, starting April 30, the company would ban the use of surveillance cameras in its rentals. The news was welcomed by those concerned about privacy. “Cameras are both creepy and a threat,” said Albert Fox Cahn, the executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, which has campaigned for a ban […]
Registration of vintage vehicle need not comply with the Clean Air Act
Dear PAO, My fascination for old or vintage cars started last month. I have been watching these cars which were featured on social media until somebody offered me a vintage car which is still in pristine condition. I am planning to buy the said vintage car, but my best friend discouraged me from doing so […]
Iceland’s Tourism Suffers Amid a Belching Volcano and Flowing Lava
The Blue Lagoon resort in the south of Iceland is a scenic network of steaming azure pools surrounded by dark rocks, where tourists dip in the geothermal water, have spa treatments and enjoy what the resort advertises as “a universe of radiant well-being.” But last week, a stream of radiant lava burst from a crater […]
Ownership of mortgaged property does not pass to the creditor
Dear PAO, Someone mortgaged her land to me four years ago. She promised me that if she is not able to pay off her debt in just two years, the mortgaged land will automatically be mine. It’s been four years, but the debt has never been paid. Is the land mine now? Can I already […]