James L. Paris's Blog, page 120

Time Warner CEO: Democrats, Not Republicans, are the Real Threat to First Amendment

Although Donald Trump has made offhand comments during campaign season about what he sees as the need to put restraints on some elements of the media, it is the Democrats, says Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, who have represented the most pressing threat to First Amendment rights and free speech recently.

According to CNBC.com, Bewkes was speaking at Business Insider���s Ignition conference when he addressed the matter of how Democrats were seeking to manipulate the issue of campaign finance reform in such a way that the net result would be unconstitutional limits on free speech.

Some background: Hillary Clinton had maintained for some time that if she were elected, one of her priorities would be to seek the overturning of the Supreme Court���s 2010 ruling on Citizens United. The specifics aside, that ruling affirmed the right of corporations and labor unions to spend as much money as they want to try to sway people to vote for one candidate or another. To clarify, the ruling did not pertain to contributions made directly to candidates��� campaigns. However, the SCOTUS said that as much money as possible can continue to be spent by groups on advertising and the like.

Hillary, unhappy with the decision, sought a constitutional amendment to ���limit influence of money in elections.��� For many, however, the worrisome effect they see realized, were that to come to pass, is the loss of the constitutional right to free speech by those who have committed the ���crime��� of simply having more money than others.

���That was worrying me more because the press tends to miss that ��� because they tend to lean that way and therefore they were supporting what they were viewing, I think overly charitably, as something cleaning up money in politics ��� when in fact what it would do is restrain multiple voices,��� said Bewkes.

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Donald Trump Named TIME���s Person of the Year for 2016

To the surprise of no one, but a little surreal, nonetheless, comes the news that Donald Trump is TIME magazine���s 2016 Person of the Year.

Trump, appearing Wednesday on the Today show just after the announcement was made, had this to say about his selection:

���Me growing up reading TIME magazine, it���s a very important magazine. I���ve been lucky enough to be on the cover many times this year and last year, but I consider this a very, very great honor. To be on the cover of TIME magazine as Person of the Year is a tremendous honor.���

Still, Trump may wish to temper his enthusiasm just a tad. As so many others seem to do each year when TIME makes its choice, the President-elect seems to view the Person of the Year selection as though it is an entirely complimentary title. It is not, necessarily.

In fact, it���s worth noting that TIME���s selects as its ���honoree��� the person ���who had the greatest influence, for better or worse, on the events of the year.���

Indeed, the selection may not be complimentary at all, in Trump���s case. In closing out her write-up about the magazine���s 2016 choice, TIME���s Editor-in-Chief, Nancy Gibbs, says:

���For reminding America that demagoguery feeds on despair and that truth is only as powerful as the trust in those who speak it, for empowering a hidden electorate by mainstreaming its furies and live-streaming its fears, and for framing tomorrow���s political culture by demolishing yesterday���s, Donald Trump is TIME���s 2016 Person of the Year.���

What an honor.

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Cops and Firefighters Forge Physical AND Mental Toughness Through Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

While it���s no surprise that cops and firefighters would engage in recreational self-defense training as a way to keep their bodies in top-flight condition, you might be surprised to learn the degree to which they rely on such training to forge their mental toughness, as well.

Eddie Sebastia is a lieutenant with the Auburndale (Fl.) Fire Department. He is also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). According to The Ledger, Sebastia and a number of other area firefighters and law enforcement officers train in the sport at Carlson Gracie Lakeland, a Central Florida BJJ academy that can claim direct lineage to Carlson Gracie, one of the seminal figures in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

While Sebastia credits his ongoing training as a way to maintain a high level of fitness and fighting expertise, he also relies on the work to enhance his mental strength, as well.

���It helps with my discipline, my mental toughness and helps me to always think three steps ahead," says Sebastia about the mental and psychological benefits of BJJ training.

Sebastia goes even further in his declarations of the overall benefits of BJJ training, referring to the sport as ���the ultimate battle.���

The ultimate battle.

Indeed, it could be said that mastery of the mind���mastery of not just physical, but psychological strength���represents the difference-maker in winning so many key battles encountered throughout the course of one���s life.

Certainly embarking on a rigorous, dedicated, ongoing study of a sport like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu could help you achieve that psychological mastery. But what if it simply isn���t possible for you to embark on such a path? Is there anything else you can do to achieve a mindset of pure steel?

One way to help arrive at that end is to avail yourself of a top-notch course in mental mastery, a course designed by a person whose entire adult life has been dedicated to succeeding in realms that ask more, not less, of one���s mental dedication.

The renowned Strength Psychology program, designed by the amazing Mike Gillette, is just such a course. Mike, a self-described weakling as a child who, he says, was afraid of everything, sought to overcome his fears with such devotion that he became:

An army paratrooper.

A SWAT commander.

A member of the Martial Arts Masters Hall of Fame.

A counter-terrorism consultant to the Department of Homeland Security.

A bodyguard to Fortune 500 executives and film stars, like Sylvester Stallone, and���

A record-setting strongman who has been featured in Ripley���s Believe It Or Not and Guinness World Records.

Additionally, Mike has over 25 different use-of-force and weapons systems instructor designations to his name. He���s been an in-demand tactical trainer for a literal alphabet soup of elite government agencies ��� FBI, DEA, DHS and TSA (in fact, he literally wrote the training manual for those last two).

Needless to say, Mike is well-qualified to create a program of mental conditioning like Strength Psychology���and what a program it is: Packed inside of a two-set DVD and written companion manual is a wealth of ���tough mind��� training that combines training secrets from law enforcement, military training, sports psychology, hypnosis, martial arts, and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP).

Here���s just a tiny bit of what you���ll learn inside Strength Psychology:

The simple ���30 Second Mindset Switch��� you can INSTANTLY flick on in your head to do a 180 degree change in how you feel about fear.
Learn the tactics used by the world���s deadliest special forces units to access a high state of alertness, so you���ll be aware of present and future danger to yourself or your family on a daily basis.
The No. 1 killer question you MUST ask yourself the second you feel fear (forgetting this could be the difference between life and death).
The REAL reason you���ve hit the barriers and can���t level up your progress. (Here���s a clue: it has NOTHING to do with your skills, ability, intelligence or how hard-working you are and has EVERYTHING to do with a ���strange��� blindspot in your thinking.)
This barely scratches the surface. There is a wealth of amazing information inside of Strength Psychology designed to help you rapidly develop mental toughness and suppress the fear and self-limiting beliefs that sabotage your success

What���s more, all of this great material is available with a standard, rock-solid, 60-day money-back guarantee ��� go crazy absorbing all of the information, and if you don���t feel as though it���s worth the money within the first two months of your purchase, simply request a full refund.

To learn more about Strength Psychology, an absolutely fascinating, step-by-step blueprint for achieving the strongest mindset possible - or to just order the program outright - Click Here

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Poland Says ���No��� to U.S. Request for Extradition of Director Roman Polanski

It appears that Academy Award-winning filmmaker Roman Polanski will remain out of the reach of U.S. justice for the rest of his days. On Tuesday, Poland���s Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling that said Polanski would not be subject to extradition from that country. With this latest decision, the 83-year-old Polanski can now plan to live out his remaining years a free man, unburdened by any worry that he might be returned to the United States to face the legal consequences on which he skipped out several decades before.

For the last 39 years, Polanski has remained a wanted man in America in connection with a well-known case involving sex with a minor. Although there is a valid Interpol warrant that could potentially effect his extradition from 188 countries, he has managed to remain free by living and working in three nations that have seen fit to prevent his return to the United States: France, Switzerland, and Poland.

According to Fox News, Jan Olszewski, a member of Polanski���s legal team, said about the ruling by Poland���s Supreme Court: ���Game over. The case is definitively closed. We won in a fair struggle. We feel satisfaction.���

The legal machinations over the last four decades stem from an incident in 1977 when Polanski was arrested for the rape of a 13-year-old girl following a photo shoot. Although Polanski pleaded guilty to statutory rape, he was looking at only probation after a deal struck with the prosecution. However, when word reached the film director that the judge was prepared to reject the plea agreement, he skipped the country before sentencing, fleeing to Paris. Since that time, the U.S. has persistently sought Polanski���s extradition to America.

Roman Polanski���s 2002 film The Pianist earned him his first Academy Award for Best Director. He was nominated in the same category for Chinatown (1974) and Tess (1979), and was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Screenplay for 1968���s Rosemary���s Baby.

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Is There Any Truth To PizzaGate Or Is It Just A Conspiracy Theory?

On this episode, did Glenn Beck know about PizzaGate in 2013? What is PizzaGate and is it just a wild conspiracy theory? The bizarre tragedy of a fire causing multiple deaths at an Oakland warehouse known as the 'Ghost Ship.' Mark Wahlberg says actors should shut up about politics. Why has there been so little media coverage of the Tennessee wildfires? Christian TV stars under scrutiny for their views on gay marriage, and Hawaii is blanketed with snow.

 

The Politically Incorrect Guide To Catholicism

John Zmirak joins Jim Paris Live to discuss his new book, The Politically Incorrect Guide Guide To Catholicism. The discussion includes what Zmirak says are the actual Catholic teachings on issues such as gun control, immigration, capitalism, socialism, the right of self defense and national defense, sex, and celibacy. It is Zmirak's view that Pope Francis has strayed from Catholic Teaching and his liberal views do not accurately reflect the historical teachings of the church.

 

Four Resign from VA Health Facility After the Discovery of Maggots in Patient���s Wound

And MORE madness, courtesy of Veterans Administration health facilities.

Just a couple of days ago, this space detailed the dire straits potentially facing many vets who unwittingly found themselves victims of the gross negligence of a dentist working out of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Tomah, Wis. It seems that rather than using disposable equipment, in keeping with strict VA rules, the dentist was instead self-cleaning and reusing his instruments, exposing nearly 600 patients at the facility to the risk of HIV and hepatitis infections.

Now, in reporting by Townhall.com, comes word that an elderly veteran who was a patient at the Oklahoma Veterans Center in Talihina, Okla. back in October was discovered to have maggots essentially living inside of his wound.

Owen Reese Peterson, a 73-year-old vet, originally reported to the facility with a case of sepsis, a life-threatening complication of infection.

Peterson subsequently died of infection-related causes. On October 13, following his death, an incident report was filed that revealed the presence of the maggots in one of his wounds.

Although Myles Deering, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Veterans Center, declared it was the infection and not the maggots that caused Peterson���s death, that revelation hardly diminishes the shock of the incident, or provides much consolation to Peterson���s family. According to Raymie Parker, Peterson���s son, his own pleas to facility staff to have them provide better care to his father���s bandages went unheeded.
���During the 21 days I was there... I pled with the medical staff, the senior medical staff, to increase his meds so his bandages could be changed,��� Parker said. ���I was met with a stonewall for much of that time.���

Three nurses and a physician���s assistant have resigned in the wake of the horrible revelation about Peterson���s wound. The Oklahoma State Department of Health has been officially informed of the incident. Additionally, the matter was referred to the district attorneys of both LeFlore and Latimer counties for the possible filing of charges.

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Trump to Nominate Former Rival Ben Carson as HUD Secretary

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Monday that he would be putting up former campaign rival Dr. Ben Carson for the job of secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Although Carson has been going out of his way to keep a lower profile during the transition process, it seemed likely he was to end up serving the new administration in some official capacity. A worthy competitor during the height of primary season, Carson became a Trump loyalist as soon as he ended his own bid for the White House, and had been actively campaigning and otherwise speaking out on behalf of Trump right up until Election Day.

Jobs for which Carson was rumored to be a candidate included the top spots at Health and Human Services, Education, and Veterans Affairs. His selection to run HUD is a bit of a surprise, given his historical areas of professional expertise, but it is known that the plight of inner-city neighborhoods has always been near and dear to Carson���s heart; during the presidential campaign, Carson took Trump on a tour of distressed neighborhoods in Detroit, a visit that included a look at Carson���s own childhood home.

When Carson appeared on Fox News Channel���s Your World with Neil Cavuto last month, he addressed at that time the possibility of his coming to helm HUD in the new administration, as well as his own concerns about America���s urban areas, saying, ���Our inner cities are in terrible shape. And they definitely need some real attention. There have been so many promises made over the last several decades and nothing has been done, so it certainly is something that has been a long-term interest of mine.���

In his statement announcing Carson to the post, Trump said, ���Ben Carson has a brilliant mind and is passionate about strengthening communities and families within those communities. We have talked at length about my urban renewal agenda and our message of economic revival, very much including our inner cities.���

Dr. Carson must be confirmed by the Senate before his appointment to the position of HUD secretary becomes official.

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Think Survival Preparation is Just for ���Nuts���? Don���t Tell this Deputy Sheriff

With each passing day, it becomes clearer for people to see just how vulnerable they are to the problems that can quickly arise in troubled settings.

The coverage of the vicious wildfires that have done so much damage throughout east Tennessee in recent weeks has reminded many of the need to be able to persist without a variety of conveniences. On another front, the unfortunate deterioration in the tenor of communications between people of different political ideologies���a deterioration that has manifested itself, in some cases, in the form of full-blown riots on America���s streets���has prompted others to wake up to the very real possibility that social chaos may force them to fend for themselves for some period of time.

Given all of that, if you���re still not convinced as to the importance of having essential supplies set aside, consider taking a cue from Kansas City, Mo.-area sheriff���s deputy George Holt, who wisely and matter-of-factly says about simple prepping, ���We live comfortable now. Why not live comfortable (through) the disaster?���

KMBC News recently caught up with Holt as he was out stocking up on supplies at an area store. While watching Holt in action, KMBC heard more pithy, but sage, wisdom from the deputy: ���We pay car insurance in case something may happen. We get homeowners insurance in case something may happen. This is my own personal insurance.���

Particularly compelling to me is that these are the thoughts of a law enforcement officer who has, more than most of us, the privilege of government authority at his back, and yet, even with that, has decided that he is well-served by prepping.
At one point, Holt addressed the matter of food supplies, saying, ���Everybody depends on a debit card and running to the grocery store, when you could actually have food at home longer than a week or two.���

In point of fact, is there really any other single type of survival supply more essential than food?

Unfortunately, one of the problems with stockpiling food is that the supplies can be heavy, take up a lot of room, be tough to transport if you need to bug out, and be a challenge to hide from prying eyes.

Add to that, in the case of a lot of survival-specific food, that it often tastes terrible, and is not terribly nutritious.

That���s what���s so great about a discovery we���ve made here, something called American Natural Superfood. In addition to being nutritious, delicious, and easy to tote around, it is:

GMO-Free.
Dairy-, Milk-, and Whey-Free.
Soy-Free.
Gluten-Free.
Peanut-Free.
Shellfish-Free.
Hormone-Free.
Vegan-Friendly.
And made with no added sugar!

Most importantly, however, when it comes to its contents, it DOES have:

Greens and vegetables to provide all the missing vitamins and minerals the body needs.
Turmeric and cinnamon for joint support.
Probiotics and enzymes to support the immune system and help digestion.
Sea vegetables to provide essential nutrients and minerals for heart health, blood sugar levels and all sorts of other illnesses.
Flax and chia seed for brain-supporting Omega-3���s.

And maybe most important of all:

PROTEIN to feed the body���s essential functions, and create a complete, healthy meal-in-one mix!

In truth, American Natural Superfood may be one of the greatest innovations in survival food in many, many years.

Look, survival is obviously important, and food is, just as obviously, a big part of staying alive and healthy in survival conditions. In a world facing more trouble than ever before - a world in which even members of law enforcement don���t feel secure unless they have some survival essentials set aside - you would be well-advised to pay close attention to your own preparedness, including the quality of your emergency food sources. If you would like to learn more about American Natural Superfood, including how you can grab a free sample for yourself, Click Here.

 By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

VP-Elect Mike Pence Says Trump Simply Engaged in ���Courtesy Call��� with Taiwan President

President-elect Donald Trump had a conversation with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen this past Friday, and much of the world seems to have lost its mind about it.

Tsai placed the call to Trump to formally congratulate him on winning the presidential election. By accepting it, the next occupant of the White House drove China bonkers, and, in a matter of just a couple of days, has faced a great deal of criticism from a variety of sources for what is seen as an unfortunate breach of protocol.

When the United States re-established diplomatic relations with mainland China 37 years ago ��� a decision made by then-President Jimmy Carter ��� Taiwan, of course, became the casualty. Since then, mainland China became the only China, diplomatically-speaking, as far as the United States was concerned. Somewhat complicating matters, however, is that, despite the formal recognition of Beijing since that time, America has continued to sell arms to Taiwan in the interest of supporting and protecting another democratic regime.

The continued, unofficial relations with Taiwan on the part of the United States, to include the regular, ongoing sales of arms, has kept the United States in somewhat of a peculiar position vis-��-vis its official diplomatic posture with respect to the People���s Republic. Although the relationship is ideally seen by mainland China as in keeping with a ���One-China��� policy, the open, ongoing association with Taiwan means that the U.S. is not genuinely adhering to a One-China policy, and that has served as a regular source of irritation for the Chinese.

And Trump���s Friday conversation with Tsai, of course, in no way helped.

Mike Pence, the Vice President-elect, appearing Sunday on NBC���s Meet the Press, downplayed the significance of his boss���s interaction with the Taiwanese president, referring to the exchange as simply a ���courtesy call.���

Pence also pointed out that Trump engaged in a similar call with Chinese President Xi Jinping just after the November 8 election.
For his part, Trump himself took great issue with Beijing���s objections, combatively tweeting the following messages in succession on Sunday afternoon:

���Did China ask us if it was OK to devalue their currency (making it hard for our companies to compete), heavily tax our products going into..���

���their country (the U.S. doesn���t tax them) or to build a massive military complex in the middle of the South China Sea? I don���t think so!���

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large