James L. Paris's Blog, page 113
January 10, 2017
NBC New York Appears to Want to Tie Mass Shootings to Vets & Servicemen
There���s a rather bizarre item over at NBC New York that seems desperate to want to establish a connection between U.S. servicemen and veterans���and mass shootings.
And Alex Griswold over at Mediaite isn���t having any of it.
Griswold slammed NBC New York���s piece in large part by pointing out its woeful deficiencies, including the fact that while NBC is trying to illustrate a trend, it seems blissfully ignorant of the fact that there were no mass shootings by veterans from 1996 to 2010.
���The list itself is a bit odd, since there���s a fourteen-year gap between 1996 and 2010 where not a single veteran or serviceman carried out a mass-shooting,��� writes Griswold. ���Now usually, that���s a pretty good indication that your trend is nonexistent. But NBC dug up three shootings from two decades ago, and if you���re going to smear America���s veterans, why not go the full mile?���
Some who objected to Griswold���s take did so by suggesting he was missing the point of the piece over at NBC New York; that what the article there is saying is that our soldiers are returning from their combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as damaged goods, and so the article is really highlighting the importance of servicemen and veterans receiving proper mental health care.
Except, no, that���s not really what���s going on.
As Griswold rightly points out, ���NBC New York has never made a timeline listing every mass shooting carried out by those who follow a certain ideology. When people of those ideology commit those shootings, we are buffeted with assurances that it is wrong and immoral to stigmatize millions based on the actions of a few. That courtesy evidently does not extend to our men in uniform.���
In other words, this, according to Griswold, is the first time NBC New York has tried to establish a politically- or socially-based motivation for mass murderers in America, and the one they came up with was service in America���s military.
Nice.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
January 9, 2017
Former Mexican Presidents Antagonize Trump on Twitter
Vicente Fox, the former President of Mexico, has resumed ���trolling��� U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Twitter on the matter of his pledge to build a wall on the southern border at Mexico���s expense, as well as his standing as incoming president based on the accusations of Russian interference in the recent election.
As reported by a variety of news outlets, including KTLA 5, Fox, who has jabbed at Trump here and there for months now, resurfaced on Thursday when he tweeted, ���Trump may ask whoever he wants, but still neither myself nor Mexico are going to pay for his racist monument. Another promise he can���t keep.���
On Friday, Mexico���s former chief executive was back at it, tweeting, ���TRUMP, when will you understand that I am not paying for that f������ wall. Be clear with US tax payers. They will pay for it.���
He wasn���t finished. On Friday night, Fox took another swipe at Trump on the basis of alleged Russian influence in the U.S. election, referencing a U.S. intelligence report that said Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated an ���influence campaign��� designed to aid Trump���s White House bid:
���Sr Trump,the intelligence report is devastating. Losing election by more than 3M votes and in addition this. Are you a legitimate president?���
Not to be outdone, another former Mexican president, Felipe Calderon, got in on the act Friday, tweeting, ���To @realDonaldTrump : The more jobs you destroy in M��xico, the more immigrants the American people will have. Think a little!���
Although Trump referenced the issue of the border wall in a couple of tweets over the last several days, neither he, nor any member of his camp, has commented directly on the recent barbs from the former presidents of Mexico.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter Decides He���s Had Enough, Removes Capitol Art Depicting Police as Pigs
Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., like so many others, had a real problem with a piece of artwork that had been on display since last June at the U.S. Capitol.
The painting in question depicts police officers as pigs, and found its way to D.C. as a result of the artist, a high school student, winning an annual
Congressional Art Competition sponsored by Rep. Lacy Clay, D-Mo.
Hunter told FoxNews.com, ���I was angry. I���ve seen the press [reporting] on this for about a week or so. ��� I���m in the Marine Corps. If you want it done, just call us.��� Reportedly, Hunter unscrewed the piece himself and walked it over to Clay���s office, where he left it.
The painting had been a source of outrage among a vast number of law enforcement professionals across the country. Upon hearing that it had been removed from public display at the Capitol, Ron Hernandez, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, said that his group was ���very pleased.���
���At a time of our country facing rising crime and a shortage of those willing to work the streets as police officers and deputy sheriffs, we need to make it clear that depictions of law enforcement officers as pigs in our Nation's Capital is not acceptable,��� Hernandez said.
As for the painting itself, while it reflects a variety of images, the foreground primarily depicts a police officer in the form of a pig who���s pointing a gun at black protesters. The artist is David Pulphus, who, at the time he painted the piece, was a senior at Cardinal Ritter Prep in St. Louis, Mo. According to Rep. Clay���s office, in painting what he did, the student was engaging in a commentary reflective of his own experiences living so close to the troubles that plagued nearby Ferguson, Mo. back in 2014.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
January 8, 2017
New App Automatically Finds Online Coupon Codes And Deals
I love to save money (you probably already knew that). I love discounts and I love coupons, but (and this is a big but) I hate dealing with coupon codes and searching countless sites for the best deal. As much as I like online coupons, I don't use them all that often when I am online. In the past I have used Google to search for coupon codes, but almost always found coupons that would not work for one reason or another (expired, item I am buying does not qualify for that particular coupon, etc...).
Necessity is the mother of invention, and thus the creation of a great browser add-on called Honey (Honey is an app that you add to your browser). It is unobtrusive, and simply runs in the background. It is 100% free and you can grab it here. The app works with Firefox, Safari, and Chrome browsers.
I recently read an article about the app and I thought, 'what do I have to lose' and I installed it. Minutes later I was over at GoDaddy buying a domain name for a website I was planning to develop. As soon as I got to the shopping cart and was getting ready to pay, the Honey app went into action. Within a few seconds Honey found a coupon code that worked and I saved $8.00. I was thrilled and a bit surprised. I had no idea that something like a domain name purchase would trigger the app and generate what amounted to a 50 percent discount. Eight bucks in my pocket, and I didn't have to do anything but sit back and watch Honey do its thing.
I do almost all of my online shopping at Amazon since I am in their free shipping program (Amazon Prime). I really did not realize, however, how many products at Amazon qualify for a coupon code discount. Amazon couponing is a bit tricky as they don't offer any site-wide coupons (coupon codes must be found for each item individually). This would take a whole lot of work to find applicable coupons that might be available for the items in your Amazon cart at checkout, but Honey does it automatically for you!
As the graphic below illustrates, Honey not only searches for coupons but also for lower prices (who cares about a coupon if Honey finds the same item for $200 less!)
Honey works on literally thousands of online stores, you can even use it the next time you order a pizza online! Honey has another major feature that I have not even touched on in this article - cash rebates. To learn more about the cash back program - click here.
For more ways to save money when shopping online, check out my article on Amazon's Secret Hidden Deals.
Helping you make the most of God���s money!
James L. Paris
Editor-In-Chief ChristianMoney.com
Follow Me on Twitter Twitter.com/jameslparis
Christian Financial Advice
Jim Paris 24 Hour Radio
Responding to Anti-Settlement Resolution, Israel Cuts $6 Million from U.N. Funding
Israel is doing more than simply objecting to the United Nations Security Council���s December 23 passage of a resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement-building on the West Bank; they���re taking money, lots of it, off of the U.N.���s table.
As reported by a variety of media outlets, including Yahoo! News, Israel announced Friday that it would be withholding $6 million of the $40-plus million in annual dues it was to pay to the body in 2017 for annual dues. Israel���s U.N. mission cited such groups as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and the Division for Palestinian Rights that would no longer be receiving any of its money.
���It is unreasonable for Israel to fund bodies that operate against us at the U.N. The U.N. must end the absurd reality in which it supports bodies whose sole intent is to spread incitement and anti-Israel propaganda,��� said Danny Danon, Israel���s Ambassador to the U.N.
Although U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric indicated that they had received no notice from Israel directly regarding its decision, it is clear that some movement to this effect on Tel Aviv���s part was likely coming after the controversial resolution at issue successfully passed.
���I instructed the Foreign Ministry to complete within a month a re-evaluation of all our contacts with the United Nations, including the Israeli funding of U.N. institutions and the presence of U.N. representatives in Israel,��� Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said following the December vote.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
Still-Unexplained UFO Footage Released by Chilean Navy After Two Years
As reported by RT.com, the Chilean Navy just declassified video footage of an alleged UFO recorded by one of its helicopter crewmembers over two years ago, and no one anywhere can seem to explain what it reveals���making the subject a genuine unidentified flying object.
According to Chile���s Committee for Studies of Anomalous Aerial Phenomena (CEFAA), a specialized government group that works under the auspices of the Chilean Air Force and has, as its mission, the investigation of UFOs, the naval helicopter was on a routine patrol mission back in November 2014 when the on-board camera operator captured the object.
Reportedly, the crew first contacted airports and military bases in the area to see if any had picked up on radar what they were seeing right in front of them, but none had. Next, the crew made an effort to contact the craft directly, but was unsuccessful any response.
After several minutes, the UFO disappeared into the clouds, but not before releasing ��� two separate times ��� a substance that itself remains unidentified and that dissipated among the clouds.
Of particular note is all of the activity that took place during the previous two years to try to determine just what it is that the helicopter crew stumbled across. The investigation of the UFO included the assembly of a team of experts ranging in scope from astrophysicists, to aeronautical engineers, to image analysts, but no one was able to come up with a viable explanation for the object.
It remains, in fact, very much unidentified.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
January 7, 2017
Tom Cruise Moving to Clearwater, Florida to Help Shore Up Scientology Base
As reported by the New York Post through The Real Deal, a South Florida journal devoted to real estate, actor and high-profile Scientologist Tom Cruise is going to be moving to the Florida Gulf Coast city of Clearwater for the purpose of helping the Church of Scientology in its never-ending expansion efforts.
Cruise joins other celebrity Scientologists, including actress Kirstie Alley and actor John Travolta, in relocating to, or near, Clearwater, which has served as the geographical headquarters of Scientology since founder L. Ron Hubbard set up shop there back in 1975.
Unknown to many is that Scientology has essentially taken over Clearwater, thought by casual observers as being simply a classic, Florida vacation destination. There is, however, much more to Clearwater than meets the eye: The Church of Scientology owns a large number of the buildings that comprise the structural landscape of downtown Clearwater. In total, the church can claim nearly 70 buildings there, with a total value of roughly half a billion dollars. As for the residents of Clearwater, one in 10 is a Scientologist.
One of the more expensive Scientology individual real estate holdings in Clearwater is the Super Powers building, known more casually by Scientologists as the Flag building. As reported last year by the Daily Mail, in addition to serving as the official headquarters of Scientology, the Super Powers building is the location at which special courses are taught to members ��� at thousands of dollars a pop ��� which, they are told, will grant to them superhuman powers.
Yup.
As for Cruise, The Real Deal says he will be moving to a penthouse in Clearwater worth roughly $3 million, and that the unit comes complete with a room-sized flight simulator, a car elevator, and a rooftop pool, among many, many other features.
His new digs are also going to be just two blocks from the aforementioned Super Powers building, for whatever that���s worth.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
Chicago Torture & Fort Lauderdale Airport Massacre Just Latest Proof That Danger Lurks Everywhere
Despite how many will try to convince us that the world isn���t really as dangerous as we fear it is, the daily volume of very-troubling news stories from around the country - and from around the world - tell a much different tale.
Bottom line: You have to be on your guard at all times now.
The simple reality is that as many great people as there are all around us, there are profoundly evil people throughout our midst, as well. That���s just the truth of it.
In just the last few days, we have seen two particularly awful stories come to light that all too clearly illustrate man���s capacity to be thoroughly inhuman to his neighbor.
First, we learned that a special-needs teen was kidnapped and tortured in a Chicago apartment by four other teens. Then, on Friday, a man suddenly opened fire on random people waiting in the baggage claim area of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida. In the blink of an eye, five people merely going about their business as travelers were dead, and eight more were wounded.
So you want to do everything you can - EVERYTHING you can - to stay safe.
To that end, one of the best, most interesting resources available now to help keep you safe is a training that demonstrates many of the tradecraft techniques used by intelligence professionals to stay alive while they move about in their exceedingly dangerous worlds.
The training is called Spy Escape & Evasion, and it is taught by former CIA officer Jason Hanson.
Yes, the name is rather exotic, but don���t be misled. Although this product is every bit what it says it is, the techniques, and the manner in which they are taught, make this training highly useful to ���regular folks.���
Jason Hanson���s Spy Escape & Evasion training course is packed with great information to help keep you and your loved ones secure as you all go about your business in a world increasingly fraught with a variety of risks.
Here���s just a small sample of what you���ll learn:
The #1 way to create an improvised weapon if you don���t have any other way to protect yourself during an emergency survival situation.
Lock picking secrets that will allow you to quickly defeat doors and padlocks.
How to escape zip ties, duct tape, rope, even handcuffs in 30 seconds or less���without having to use a knife or sharp object.
How to create an escape and evasion kit, and the 23 critical items to include in it.
How to become a human lie detector, and the simple ways you can tell if someone is trying to deceive you.
How to avoid being the victim of a deadly home invasion.
And more���MUCH more:
The two most important items you need when planning to disappear.
How to use a ���break phone��� to ensure you stay several steps ahead of your pursuers (the secret of the break phone is one of the highest-level security measures you���ll ever hear about).
The 3-step process that must be followed if you want to remain off the grid for good���even out of the reach of the government.How to create decoys to throw people off your tracks so they eventually give up trying to locate you.
How to easily set up a secret email account that vanishes after just one hour.
The simple method of making untraceable phone calls.
How to find a ���safe house��� to use until it���s time to make your next move (this won���t cost you any money and will keep you safe, warm, and out of sight).
Even with all that, you���ll learn TONS more great information on how to stay safe and secure.
The Spy Escape & Evasion training course is available right now for just $27. What���s more, it comes with an ironclad, 60-day money-back guarantee. If, at any time during the first two months following purchase, you decide it���s just not for you���just ask for a refund; simple as that!
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
January 6, 2017
Pastor Robert Jeffress: Obama Has ���Blood on His Hands��� for Ignoring Christian Persecution
As reported by The Christian Post, Pastor Robert Jeffress, pastor of megachurch First Baptist Dallas, appeared Tuesday on Fox Business��� Varney & Co. to admonish President Barack Obama for his inaction on the worldwide persecution of Christians that has flourished over the last several years.
Discussing a report from Italian sociologist Massimo Introvigne that says over 90,000 Christians were killed in 2016, and that as many as 600 million face persecution simply for being Christians, Jeffress said pointedly that both Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry ���have blood on their hands��� because of both their unwillingness to act, as well as for things they���ve done to actually worsen the problem in some parts of the world.
Jeffress said that he believes President Obama is sympathetic to Muslims, and that it is this sympathy that has created a blind spot when it comes to the vicious treatment suffered by Christians around the world.
���I think Barack Obama thinks that Muslims are the ones being persecuted, and he has to change that. The fact is he is contributing to Christians being persecuted, not only around the world, but in America as well,��� claimed Jeffress.
While the pastor responded that he doesn���t believe the president is a ���closet Muslim��� when he was asked what he thought Obama���s ties to Islam might be, he did say that ���obviously, Islam has had a great influence in his life, through his father and stepfather.���
Jeffress hammered Obama and Kerry, as well, for their position regarding the recent United Nations resolution that demanded Israeli cease its campaign of building settlements on the West Bank. The U.S. declined to veto the resolution, which has further strained U.S.-Israeli relations.
Additionally, Jeffress suggested the veto is just the sort of behavior that has acted to give some Muslims a sense of entitlement when it comes to their efforts to persecute Christians, saying that ���what Muslims hate is that historically, Christians have been the Jewish people's best friend.���
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
Mexico Descends into Chaos Over Sharp Spike in Gasoline Prices
Prices at the gas pumps in Mexico have risen sharply, and the massive increases have been received none too well in America���s neighbor to the south.
According to the Daily Mail, protests over the price jumps have quickly morphed into riots in many parts of Mexico, with gas stations and countless numbers of other stores and businesses looted and destroyed.
The chamber of commerce in Veracruz, a city on the Gulf, said, per its initial evaluation, 50 different stores and other businesses there had suffered looting. Also, the National Association of Self-Service and Department Stores of Mexico said that 79 stores had been sacked and 170 were either closed or blockaded in central Mexico.
The catalyst for all of the trouble was Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto���s decision, announced Dec. 27, to deregulate gas prices. The deregulation is part of the president���s broader agenda to finally bring an end to the state monopoly of the oil industry there. By embarking on this path, the door is now open for foreign oil companies to begin exploration in Mexico and eventually begin importing fuel into the country.
Although most experts believe that deregulation will serve Mexico���s economy and its people well over time, it has also brought an end to the subsidies that had been keeping prices artificially low. As a result, prices shot up roughly 20 percent over the weekend, to 17.79 pesos (or 90 cents) per liter.
While that does not, at first glance, sound like a lot of money, it now means that four liters of gasoline, which is roughly equivalent to one gallon, are about $3.60, while the minimum wage for one day���s work in the country is 80 pesos, or about $4.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
