Posted by Elena del Valle on August 5, 2011
How to Protect Your Family’s Assets book cover
Photos: News and Experts
The average monthly costs of nursing home care in the United States are $6,470 (according to How to Protect Your Family’s Assets) and the American Association of Retired Persons estimates the median annual cost of a private nursing home room is $75,000. That is a lot of money for just about anyone except the very wealthy. As the country’s aging Baby Boomer population faces its future how will the millions of members of that generation deal with illness, nursing home issues and the related financial obligations they come with? Many, especially in these trouble economic times, feel unprepared to deal with retirement, the health issues that accompany old age, nursing homes and hospice care.
What is a family to do? K. Gabriel Heiser, J.D. believes those who prepare in advance and learn about the issues they will have to deal with deserve to take advantage of government programs and protections such as Medicaid. He has specialized on estate planning and Medicaid eligibility planning, trusts, estates, gifts, and related tax issues, since graduating from Boston University School of Law in 1983. The mistake a lot of people make is thinking that they can’t qualify for Medicaid, according to Heiser who is author of How to Protect Your Family’s Assets from Devastating Nursing Home Costs: Medicaid Secrets (Phylius Press, $47).
“Many feel that because they own a home or have some assets that they can’t qualify for Medicaid help with their nursing home and doctor’s bills,” he said. “The truth is there are a variety of assets people can own and still qualify. It’s just a matter of knowing the rules, and making a plan to meet those requirements.”
The 281-page softcover book first published in 2007 and reprinted annually through 2010 is bright red with big green, white and brown letters. It is divided into nineteen chapters: Introduction, What Is Medicaid?, What Is Covered by Medicaid?, Applying for Benefits, Medicaid Qualification Rules, Income Qualification Rules, Asset Qualification Rules, Transferring Assets, Trusts, Strategies to Qualify, The Home: Planning Ideas, Annuities, Promissory Notes, Transfer Strategies, Post-Eligibility Issues, Estate Recovery, Case Studies, Veterans Pension: How It Works, and Veterans Pension: Planning Techniques; and an appendix.
Heiser strongly urges readers to rely on the counsel of a professional and use his book to be informed and prepare questions for the professionals who assist them. All the “secrets” and tips he shares, he explains, are legal and ethical.
K. Gabriel Heiser, author, How to Protect Your Family’s Assets
“There are so many other rules that can benefit those who aren’t sure they’ll have enough when the time comes,” said Heiser. “The key is to plan now and act now. These laws exist for your protection, and avoiding the discussion and the planning necessary to take care of the potential complications just because it is an unpleasant topic will only result in a more unpleasant conversation when you realize you’re not ready when the worst happens. That can be a very expensive dilemma. Peace of mind right now, however, won’t cost a dime, and could save you hundreds of thousands of dimes later.”
Click to buy How to Protect Your Family’s Assets from Devastating Nursing Home Costs (5th edition)
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Filed Under: Books
Posted by Elena del Valle on August 3, 2011
Carlos Santana at Casa Noble
Photos: Casa Noble
A family distillery that manufactures Single Estate Organic tequila exported to 23 countries has teamed up with Carlos Santana to further its reach. The famous musician became part owner and board member of Casa Noble and will use his name to promote the tequila brand with 60 percent of its worldwide sales in the United States.
Although the details of the deal were not made public plans are in place, HispanicMPR.com was informed by email, to promote the brand through public relations strategies and social media. The owners, the Hermosillo Family, will be working personally with Santana around his concerts and directly with accounts and distribution to generate interest and awareness about Casa Noble.
“We also plan on creating an event where Carlos will participate and can have direct contact with Casa Noble fans. We want to let everyone know that the passion that he has for his music translates to the passion we all have for Casa Noble,” said Jose Hermosillo, chief executive officer, Casa Noble.
To date Casa Noble has relied on print media efforts to reach its target audience divided evenly between genders mainly in Mexico and the United States. Executives at the company are believers in community outreach, tastings and special events. The company has offered Fine Tequila Tastings in many areas in United States and Mexico. The Casa Noble brand has been represented in events such as the launch of Rolls Royce Fantom in the United States, the Guggenheim Aztec Exhibition, and Virgin Galactic party in Los Angeles, California.
“We have come together because I love the Tequila,”said Santana in a press release. “Passion, dedication and integrity is what attracted me to Casa Noble Tequila. I feel at home with my new family at Casa Noble. They strive for excellence and don’t take shortcuts. Just like the music of Santana, one note or one drop… they are the same thing. You have to feel each note from your heart. Casa Noble and my family have the same origin, Jalisco, Mexico. My family roots date back to the 1700’s in Jalisco. My father is a Huichol Indian. When I visited the distillery, I immediately felt spiritually connected to the Hermosillo family and Casa Noble. Together we celebrate the gift of life and all of the blessing that come with it. Together we can all make a difference in the world.”
Jose Hermosillo, CEO, Casa Noble
“Of course, Hispanics are a very important segment for us, they know tequila and enjoy hi(gh) quality tequila and are willing to pay more for it,” said Hermosillo when asked about the importance of the Hispanic market.
Casa Noble representatives have been in attendance at consular events in Washington, D.C. and Dallas and Latino leader events. The company has a Spanish language website and Spanish language point of sale materials in Hispanic areas of the country.
“Santana’s love for the spirit of Casa Noble and his commitment to this new partnership is exciting for everyone involved with our brand. Santana’s personal philosophy of quality and integrity in the pursuit of perfection is synonymous with the Casa Noble brand of fine ultra premium Tequilas. The linkage between Casa Noble and Carlos Santana will create broader recognition that Casa Noble’s triple distilled, organically certified tequila is truly one of the finest ultra premium spirits,” said Hermosillo.
“We have been exploring this partnership for some time. This is a natural synergy; Casa Noble Tequila is deeply rooted in the pursuit of quality, craftsmanship and tradition. Santana through his life and his music has dedicated himself to those same values which are the key motivators behind this alignment.”
Casa Noble tequila is made in Mexico and has a Denomination of Origin (like wines) which specifies that it can only be produced in the state of Jalisco and parts of four other states. The company, now owned by the Hermosillo Family and Santana, has its distillery in the City of Tequila, Mexico and offices in Guadalajara, Mexico as well as in the United States. Its Asia base is in Singapore and its Europe base is in Germany.
Casa Noble tequilas, Crystal, Reposado, and Añejo, are made with blue agave, estate grown, picked and harvested by hand. After harvesting the plant is cooked in a traditional stone oven, leading to a natural fermentation and followed by distillation in traditional pot stills. After aging in French white oak the tequila is hand bottled at the estate. Santana has sold 90 million records and reached 100 million fans at concerts worldwide. The musician has won ten Grammy Awards, including a record-tying nine for a single project.
Posted by Elena del Valle on August 1, 2011
AARP Retirement Calculator in Spanish – click to enlarge
Photo: AARP.org
In October 2010, the American Association of Retired Persons, known more commonly as AARP, launched a retirement calculator as a retirement planning tool for its members. To date about one million people have made use of the online calculator. There are one million Hispanic AARP members among the organization’s 37 million members. Since older Hispanics are among the fastest growing segments of older people nationally it makes sense to target them.
Some believe reaching out to them in Spanish is a good way to do so. Earlier this month, AARP announced the launch of an online Spanish-language version of the original retirement calculator targeting some of the nine million (according to Diversitycentral.com) older Hispanics at aarp.org/calculadorajubilacion.
Rocky Egusquiza, vice president, Multicultural Markets, AARP
“With the launch last year of our bilingual Web site, Hispanics and Latinos 50+ have grown to expect high-quality content and trusted information from AARP,” said Rocky Egusquiza, vice president, Multicultural Markets, AARP. “This calculator continues to build on that promise and gives our growing Hispanic audience another tool to plan for their retirement security for themselves and for their families.”
According to AARP promotional materials, “Research has shown that using a tool like a retirement calculator can help people focus on the steps many need to take to get their financial lives in order.” The idea the organization’s staff have in mind is for users to rely on the AARP Retirement Calculator to evaluate their situation and figure out how to reach their retirement goals.
Andres Castillo, senior advisor for Education and Outreach, AARP
“For many, the first step to a secure financial future includes assessing when they can retire and what is needed to do so,” said Andres Castillo, senior advisor for Education and Outreach, AARP. “Whether an individual is starting at square one or needs to re-evaluate their original plans, the AARP Retirement Calculator is a tool that can help them determine where they stand and what they need to do next.”
The new calculator features a narrative, step-by-step design that AARP marketers expect will find the same popularity as the English language calculator has had to date. “We would hope, percentage-wise, that usage would mirror the English-language calculator,” said an AARP spokesperson.
At the end of the process users will be guided to additional AARP tools and resources about Social Security, financial planning and other aspects of retirement. The organization for retirees relied on its findings from a January 2010 survey by AARP, in collaboration with the National Hispana Leadership Institute and impreMedia to launch the AARP Spanish language Retirement Calculator. The survey was to a nationally representative general sample of 1,002 adults ages 45 and older and a targeted sample of 400 Hispanics ages 45 and older.
AARP, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization targeting people fifty years of age and older for membership, produces AARP The Magazine with a circulation of 35.1 million. It also publishes AARP Viva, a bilingual U.S. publication targeting older Hispanics.
Posted by Elena del Valle on July 29, 2011
The Gift of Success and Happiness book cover
Photos: Skyhorse Publishing
Are you happy? Are you successful? How do you measure success? Does happiness accompany success? Chip Sawicki, an adjunct professor at Wake Forest University, and Vernon Roberts, a leadership facilitator, believe they have the answers to these questions.
In The Gift of Success and Happiness Transforming Your Life Through Business Processing Principles (Skyhorse Publishing, $16.95), a 240-page softcover book published in May of this year, the two men discuss their ideas on how an ambitious person might achieve personal happiness and professional success. They believe it is possible to have both without sacrificing one in favor of the other. They also believe that finding happiness is in each person’s hands and the result of the decisions he or she makes.
Chip Sawicki, author, The Gift of Success and Happiness
Financial success results when people set and meet ambitious goals for themselves; happiness is the result of setting reasonable expectations that are fulfilled regularly; and it is necessary to contribute to the community in order to feel satisfied, they say in the Preface. According to them, making all these interconnected goals a reality requires planning; and, in the same way that executives in successful companies make plans to reach their goals people need to make plans to meet their interconnected goals and find well rounded happiness.
Vernon Roberts, contributor, The Gift of Success and Happiness
The book is divided into 14 chapters and three main parts, Primary Sources of Stress, The Core Elements of Life, and What Gives Our Lives Depth. In the book, the authors offer step-by-step plans that can be personalized for each major shift in a person’s life, such as: suggestions for a clear structure to balance success and happiness, self-evaluation worksheets, suggestions to develop the most important elements in a person’s life, ways to avoid unnecessary stress resulting from social, financial, and time management issues, and business ideas for productive decisions.
Prior to his position at Wake Forest University Sawicki was chief financial officer of the Texas Rangers and Stars sports teams and after that he was a stay-at-home dad. Roberts, founder of Evoke Learning & Performance, is a coach and performance consultant.
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Filed Under: Books
Posted by Elena del Valle on July 27, 2011
A scene from La Sangre de los Templarios
Photos: Vme
Next month programming executives at Vme, a 24-hour Spanish language network partnered with public television stations and available in 10 million homes across the country, hope to capture viewers attention with Estelares Vme, five international contemporary miniseries scheduled to air on four consecutive nights, Monday through Thursday at 9 p.m. (ET/PT), each week. Blood of the Templars, The Tunnel, D’artagnian and The Three Musketeers, Pompeii and Karol will air for the first time in the United States on Vme. Blood of the Templars, The Tunnel, and D’artagnian and The Three Musketeers were produced in Germany in the last decade. Karol and Pompeii were produced in Italy in 2007. D’artagnian and The Three Musketeers and Karol are available on the Vme website at cine.vmetv.com/estelaresvme
The first miniseries airs Monday, August 1 through Thursday, August 4, 2011 La Sangre de los Templarios (Blood of the Templars), tells the story of David, a teen raised by monks without knowing the identity of his parents. When a sample of his blood is taken doctors discover he is the genetic heir that unites the two ancient orders of the Priors of Zion and the Knights Templar. El Túnel (The Tunnel), set in East Germany in 1961, is the story of Harry Melchior, who as the Berlin Wall begins construction, decides to escape into West Berlin. Though his sister, Lotte, and her daughter must stay behind, Harry swears he will return to rescue them. Once on the other side, he and his best friend, Matthis, plan an escape mission to free their loved ones. The series will air August 8 through Thursday, August 11, 2011.
A scene from D’Artagnan y los Tres Mosqueteros
D’artagnian and The Three Musketeers is scheduled to air Monday, August 15 through Thursday, August 18, 2011. The series is based on the famous swashbuckling adventure of Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D’artagnian who strive to save the Queen of France from the sinister Cardinal Richelieu and the nefarious sorceress, Milady de Winter.
In Pompeii, scheduled for Monday, August 22 through Thursday, August 25, 2011, a Roman soldier returns to the the famous resort city after a lengthy absence in search of peace and quiet. Instead he finds a conspiracy that threatens the ideals of a just and honest Rome and the emerging Christian movement. His struggles appear doomed to fail until the volcano erupts forcing the citizens of Pompeii to take a good look at what’s really important in life. This series is noted for its special effects and cinematography.
A scene from El Túnel
Finally, Karol, due to air Monday, August 29 through Thursday, September 1, 2011, is a biography about the first man to rise above the Iron Curtain to become pope. The series includes a musical score by Ennio Morricone. Despite an assassination attempt to silence him, John Paul II is said to have helped topple communism, uplift a downtrodden Mexico, aid the destitute and sick in Calcutta and attend to AIDS patients in Africa.
Posted by Elena del Valle on July 25, 2011
Jorge Ramos, David Faitelson and Jose Ramon Fernandez, the E:60 hosts
Photos: ESPN Deportes
A team of eight reporters and hosts plus production staff will be responsible for E:60, the Spanish language sports network’s first news magazine was launched at 6 p.m. ET July 19, 2011. Hosted by José Ramón Fernández, David Faitelson and Jorge Ramos with Fernando Palomo, Fernando Schwartz, Guillermo Celis, Carolina Guillen and Martin Ainstein reporting the program will last one hour. The target audience are Hispanics in the United States. If the show becomes successful in the domestic market producers may expand its reach to Latin America. Scroll down to watch a video in Spanish about the program.
“With E:60, we are adding a new level of investigative reporting to our news, analysis and information programming that we offer to sports fans,” said Rodolfo Martínez, vice president of production, ESPN Deportes & ESPN International. “E:60 is sports news and more for our viewers; the show has in-depth analysis on the world of sports and athletes, as well as the impact that sports has in society.”
E:60 will present a six one-hour weekly editions from July 19 to August 23. E:60 is scheduled to feature stories about boxing, baseball and soccer stars, money and politics as well as profiles on backyard brawling, cockfighting, surfing dogs, supermodel kick boxers, Jamaican dog sledding, and alligator wrestling. The show’s format will feature a main story produced exclusively by ESPN Deportes along with segments previously featured on the English language E:60.
The E:60 team, Fernando Schwartz, Martin Ainstein, David Faitelson, Carolina Guillen, Fernando Palomo, Jose Ramon Fernandez, Jorge Ramos and Guillermo Celis
The program is on ESPNdeportes.com, ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPN Deportes La Revista and ESPN Deportes Movil. The first episode of E:60 includes a segment about the experiences of Latino players in Major League Baseball and their impact in the league. E:60 will give an overview of what players go through to be recognized by coaches and independent trainers, also known as “hustlers,” to achieve success. That show will examine the case of Brazilian soccer idol Bruno Souza, who allegedly planned the gruesome murder of his ex-girlfriend and mother of his child and is awaiting a trial date. Finally, the show will cover what the making of the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy by Tiffany & Co. the trophy over eight to ten weeks of manufacturing time.
ESPN Deportes offers multimedia sports coverage for U.S. Hispanic sports fans via ESPN Deportes television, ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPNDeportes.com, ESPN Deportes La Revista, and wireless through ESPN Deportes Mobile. ESPN Deportes television offers Spanish-language sports programming, more than 2,500 live or original hours of sports programming annually and available in 5.3 million Hispanic households.
Posted by Elena del Valle on July 22, 2011
De De by Patssi Valdez
Photos: Thomas Paul Fine Art
A West Hollywood, California art gallery specializing in twentieth century and contemporary American and European art will host a new exhibition, Valdez/Jacinto: 80’s Portraits, featuring the work of Patssi Valdez and Louis Jacinto. The exhibition will coincide with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s exhibition: Asco: Elite of the Obscure, A Retrospective, 1972-1987, and Pacific Standard Time (Getty Research Institute). Valdez/Jacinto: 80’s Portraits will run from September 17, 2011 until November 5, 2011 at Thomas Paul Fine Art, 7270 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles. A reception for the artists will be held at 6 p.m. September 17.
The artists are part of the Asco Movement (Disgust Movement) of the 1970s and 1980s named in reference to the feelings of its members at the exclusion of Chicano artists from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Thomas Paul Fine Art will showcase photographs from Valdez’ Asco period along with her most recent paintings and gouaches, offering an extensive view of her artistic career. Jacinto, another artist and photographer who worked in Los Angeles during that period, began photographing in Los Angeles in 1975. Valdez and Jacinto recorded the turbulent shifting of cultural identities and social realities that would form a part of the history of Los Angeles.
Sunday by Patssi Valdez
“We selected these two artists to showcase their works in conjunction with the LACMA retrospective of the ASCO group. Patssi Valdez was one of the four founding members of ASCO in 1972, and its only female member. Also, this show is part of the Getty Institute’s Pacific Standard Time project, a collaboration of exhibitions across Southern California that focuses on art in the LA area from 1945-1980,” said Thomas Schnebeck, gallery administrator, Thomas Paul Fine Art.
Thomas Paul of Thomas Paul Fine Art
“As Patssi’s exclusive representative we are delighted to be able show works from her Asco period that have never been seen before. Additionally, we are pleased to represent the works of Louis Jacinto, a longtime friend of Patssi’s who documented Asco in the 80’s and produces similar work of his own.”
The exhibit will feature between 14 and 18 pieces of Valdez’ large photographs, each measuring about 32 x 48 inches, in editions of three. Ten will be Valdez’ other photographs and a few of her more recent surrealist paintings. The emphasis of the show is the photographs. Fifteen of Jacinto 80s photographs will be included. The photographs will be on sale for $3,000 to $8,000; the price of the paintings is to be determined.
“My paintings portray an actual and or imagined place that depict an inspirational or emotionally charged feeling or experience. They are snippets of environments that I consider meaningful and symbolic of my individual as well as collective Chicano experience,” said Valdez.
Photographer Louis Jacinto
Jacinto is a painter and photographer as well as a social and political activist. He photographed many Asco events in the 1970s and 1980s. According to promotional materials, as a member of the Asco collective, Valdez, an urban Chicana, strove to challenge and dismantle the sexist and racist images assigned to her. Photography offered the ideal vehicle in which to express her theatrical skills and sense of melodrama and to counteract the confining and unflattering images of Chicanas held by society at that time.
In her self-portraits, Valdez became the Chicana Hollywood icon that was missing from the big screen. These glamorous, positive images called upon a rejection of ethnic stereotypes in Hollywood and allowed her to cope with the emotional pain of her childhood.
Posted by Elena del Valle on July 20, 2011
Amaia Montero
Photos: Vme, Juame de la Iguana
Starting July 24 Vme will air four music specials produced in Spain in 2010. Three of the four programs, which range in length from 24 minutes to 47 minutes, were produced by Especial 40 Principales. The programs, airing for the first time in the United States on Vme, are Bosé Por Amaia, Do you Spanglish?, Shakira Integral, 24 Horas con Alejandro Fernández and De Gira Por España. Except for De Gira Por España they will air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.
Miguel Bosé
Hosted by Amaia Montero the music specials feature intimate conversations, backstage access, and performances. The first one, Bosé Por Amaia will air Sunday, July 24. During the program Miguel Bose discusses his music, his poetic lyrics, his sense of fashion, his love of cooking and his family.
Shakira
Do you Spanglish? airing on Sunday, July 31 is about the crossover attempts into Spanish by well known English speaking artists. The special showcases the efforts of Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, David Bowie, Avril Lavigne, Celine Dion, Justin Timberlake and Madonna.
Shakira makes a splash on Sunday, August 7 in Shakira Integral. Three years in the making, this program showcases the popular singer’s rise from a teen star in Colombia to an international celebrity. The producers relied on hundreds of interviews with fans, collaborators and leading artists to make the program which features highlights of Shakira’s live performances over the length of her career.
Alejandro Fernandez
Sunday, August 14 the final two music specials are devoted to Alejandro Fernandez, a Mexican performer. In 24 Horas con Alejandro Fernandez cameras follow the star through one complete day of his tour, accompanying him in the hotel, on the bus, backstage and during the performance. The show also features interviews with Fernandez and his crew. That same night at 9:30 p.m. De Gira Por España will follow 24 Horas con Alejandro Fernandez. That program takes fans behind the scenes and backstage for the making of a live performance.
Vme (pronounced veh-meh) is a national 24-hour Spanish network partnered with public television stations.
Posted by Elena del Valle on July 18, 2011
David Thompson, co-author, Wild West 2.0
Photo: David Thompson
A podcast interview with David Thompson, co-author, Wild West 2.0: How to Protect and Restore Your Online Reputation on the Untamed Social Frontier is available in the Podcast Section of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, HispanicMPR.com. During the podcast, he discusses reputation management online and his book with Elena del Valle, host of the HispanicMPR.com podcast.
David based the book on his experience as general counsel at Reputation.com, Inc., an online reputation management firm where he used to work. At the company, he helped many individuals and small businesses build positive online reputations with the hope that it would help them find success in their careers and industries.
In addition to being an author, he is a practicing lawyer at the Los Angeles based law firm of at Munger Tolles & Olson LLP. Highlights of his legal career include clerking for Justice Antonin Scalia of the Supreme Court, and for Chief Judge Alex Kozinski of the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. David received his J.D. from Stanford Law School and a B.A. from Yale University.
To listen to the interview, scroll down until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “HMPR David Thompson” click on the play button below or download the MP3 file to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save it to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the July 2011 section of the podcast archive.
