James L. Paris's Blog, page 121

Citizen of Netherlands Euthanized Due to Alcohol Addiction

According to the Independent, word has emerged of a resident of the Netherlands who was granted a request to be euthanized because he was���an alcoholic.

You read that right.

Earlier this year, on July 14, Mark Langedijk decided to end his own life, with the approval of the state, after he reportedly reached a point of abject desperation over his inability to successfully overcome his alcoholism. Although Langedijk had sought help for all of the eight years he was formally deemed an alcohol addict, and had made 21 separate visits to rehab during that time, he was unable to find any lasting relief.

The Netherlands passed a euthanasia law in 2002, something called the ���Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide (Review Procedures) Act,��� which basically says that euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are not punishable if certain criteria are met. These criteria include a determination that a patient���s suffering is unbearable and there���s no chance of improvement; that their request to be euthanized is voluntary and is made over a period of time; that the patient must be completely aware of all of their options; and that they must be at least 12 years of age (patients between 12 and 16 must have parental consent).

(So, no euthanizing anyone under 12 in the Netherlands? Well, THAT���S good to hear.)

The Netherlands has had a more benevolent view of euthanasia for a long time now, one that has placed the country at odds with much of the rest of the world on the hyper-controversial subject. Many U.S. politicians have pointed very critically over the years to the euthanasia laws of the Netherlands, with Steve Forbes saying back in 2000 that doctors there ���routinely kill patients without the patients��� permission because they want a hospital bed.���

Regarding the euthanasia of Langedijk, specifically, Fiona Bruce, a Conservative MP in Great Britain, said that his death was ���deeply concerning and yet another reason why assisted suicide and euthanasia must never be introduced into the UK.���

Continuing, Bruce said, ���What someone suffering from alcoholism needs is support and treatment to get better from their addiction ��� which can be provided ��� not to be euthanized.���

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

 

Dentist���s ���Purposeful��� Negligence May Have Infected 600 Veterans with HIV and Hepatitis

It just seems like America���s veterans can���t catch a break when it comes to their treatment ��� literally and figuratively ��� at VA health facilities.

In reporting by McClatchyDC, it has been learned that almost 600 veterans have been put at risk of contracting HIV, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C because a dentist working out of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Tomah, Wis. was cleaning and reusing his instruments, instead of using disposable equipment.

Victoria Brahm, the acting Medical Center Director at the Tomah facility, speaking at a news conference, said, ���It was purposeful that he was violating VA regulations. During all of the orientation, he used all of our equipment. He used it appropriately, so it was very purposeful from what we found in our investigation that he knew exactly what he was doing, and preferred to use his own equipment against procedure.���

The dentist in question has not been fired, but has been disallowed from providing care to patients while the investigation is ongoing. In accordance with federal law, he remains unidentified at this time.

The VA has reached out to all of the at-risk patients so that they may be tested for possible infections, and has said that if it is learned any were infected as a result of the dentist���s behavior, they will receive free medical treatment.

At this time, it is not known if, in fact, any transmission of infections occurred as a result of the negligent care procedures, but the VA is acting ���out of an abundance of caution,��� according to spokesman Matthew Gowan.

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Trump Says Business Will Have to Wait as He Assumes Presidency

Although not a requirement of law, President-elect Donald Trump has indicated through social media that he is in the process of taking the steps required to remove himself from any role related to the running of his vast and varied business empire while he occupies the Oval Office.

In a three-tweet ���series��� that appeared early Thursday morning, Trump said:

���I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my ...

���great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! While I am not mandated to ....

���do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses..���

Trump began saying during the campaign that if he won the election, his businesses would be placed inside of a blind trust that would be overseen by three of his kids. However, that way of handling what he supposedly wants to achieve is being questioned in some circles, as NBC News points out. For one thing, a blind trust is really no such thing if the person seeking to distance themselves from the assets knows what the (ostensibly) blind trust contains, as well as who���s in charge of it.

Additionally, while there is certainly nothing illegal about Trump���s children taking over his business interests in this circumstance, the lack of ���distance��� between dad and kids suggests that it���s a case of a distinction without a difference.

Speaking previously to NBC News, Gary Hufbauer of the Peterson Institute for International Economics said, ���It's hard to see how you keep this wall between you and your children ��� It's hard to imagine that Trump wouldn't know what was going on with these properties, with how they are performing, if money is coming in or not, and decisions on buying new properties. There's not the same degree of ignorance you would have with a blind trust.���

Apparently, the world will know more on December 15.

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Carrier Deal Will Not Signal Return of Factory Jobs to America

While Donald Trump���s perceived success at keeping air conditioner maker Carrier from moving to Mexico is being hailed by many ��� including Trump himself ��� as a sign that manufacturing jobs will, indeed, be on the upswing here in the United States, there are sound reasons to believe that such is not the case.

An article over at CNBC.com does a good job detailing the obstacles facing any effort to restore America���s manufacturing base to the kind of health enjoyed in decades past.

Although many U.S. citizens, understandably, cheer the news whenever it is revealed that jobs will be staying within the nation���s borders, the landscape of manufacturing, in terms of how things are produced at a nuts-and-bolts level (pun fully intended), has changed in a way that basically ensures worker numbers will not be what they once were.

An important illustration to that effect is that while employment within U.S. manufacturing has dropped significantly over the years���by about a third���output has doubled.

But how can that be?

The reason is automation, along with other, related improvements in production efficiency.

As Drew Greenblatt, owner of wire basket maker Marlin Steel puts it, ���When those jobs come back, they're going to be different jobs, and there will be less of them because we're so much more productive that we used to be.

���You're going to have an American worker making 80 grand a year ��� one guy running a robot ��� rather than 10 Chinese workers in a room doing it by hand. We're not going to get the 10 jobs coming back from China.���

Any improvement in domestic manufacturing jobs is still seen as a good thing, to be sure. However, the reality is that technological progress, in the form of production automation, will likely prove to be the chief culprit in keeping the number of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. from ever again realizing the peak levels enjoyed nearly 40 years ago, when they numbered nearly 20 million.

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

 

Statue Of Jesus Survives Fire

ChristianMoney.com Staff Writers

The pictures of the devastation from the Tennessee fires are breathtaking. As an editorial team, we are very surprised how little national media attention has been given to this incredible disaster. According to Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, it is the worst fire in the state in 100 years. As with all tragedy, there are always those moments, when a picture says a thousand words and offers a glimmer of hope. We could not help but take notice, and be touched by the amazing story of an entire house that burned leaving only one item among the ashes. 

Beloved Tennessee Tourist Area Ravaged by Stunning Outbreak of Wildfires

The southeast United States��� worst drought in almost a decade is one of the principal factors being blamed for the terrible wildfires consuming a popular tourist destination in eastern Tennessee.

The area, which has been the site of assorted wildfires for many weeks now, saw its worst nightmare come to life in the form of a massive conflagration centered on the beloved vacation cities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

CNN.com reports the death toll from the wildfires throughout Sevier County has reached seven, with several more people still listed as missing. Additionally, around 15,000 acres have been burned by the fires, and over 700 buildings have been damaged or destroyed, according to Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters.

As for the cause of the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge wildfires, that remains very much under investigation. What is known is that the fire that started it all was ignited many days ago on a mountain trail several miles away from the city of Gatlinburg. From there, high winds literally fanned the outbreak such that it was soon on a path headed right for the more populated centers of the region.

National Park Service spokeswoman Dana Soehn said that investigators are already under the impression that the fire was ���human caused,��� but no other information has been forthcoming from authorities.

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

 

Donald Trump and Mitt Romney Dine Together in Swanky NYC Restaurant

OK, well, you have to admit���this is at least a little weird.

After all of the acrimony, and it was acrimony, between Donald Trump and Mitt Romney during the former���s ultimately successful campaign for the White House in 2016, it seems surreal that not only would they have made peace this quickly, but would appear to be getting on like the best of friends.

But that���s exactly how it looks.

In what was reportedly their second face-to-face meeting since Trump won the election, the pair, along with Reince Preibus, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, dined Tuesday evening at Jean-Georges, a (very) fine French restaurant adjacent to Central Park.

The Daily Mail Online reports that, following the meal, Romney was very complimentary of both the content of his dinnertime discussion with the President-elect, as well as of the man himself.

Romney said that his conversation with Trump was ���interesting and engaging,��� and that it centered on ���affairs around the world.���

���I happen to think America's best days are ahead of us and I think you're going to continue to see America lead the world in this century and what I've seen through these discussions I've had with president-elect Trump... as well as his selection as part of his transition - all of those things combined give me increasing hope that president-elect Trump is the very man that can lead us to that future,��� said Romney.

Romney is still believed to be the man to beat for the secretary of state position in Trump���s cabinet.

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Tom Cruise Used Actress To Attempt To Stop CBS Scientology Investigative Report?

By ChristianMoney.com Staff Writers

We continue to be very surprised at the apparent lengths Scientology leaders will go to stop unfavorable coverage. We have made repeated attempts to book Leah Remini as a guest on Jim Paris Live to discuss her book. The actress, known for her role on 'King Of Queens,' was a member of the Church Of Scientology for 30 years. In addition to her book titled, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood And Scientology, her movie "Scientology and the Aftermath" premiered on A&E on Nov. 29.

Was Glenn Beck Warned About PizzaGate In 2013?

By ChristianMoney.com Staff Writers

ChristianMoney.com became aware today of a very interesting YouTube video titled, Did DC Whistleblowers Give Glenn Beck The PizzaGate Pedophile Scandal Info In 2013? It is a chilling video to watch, and Beck has never said another word about the "scandal" he references. For those not familiar with the term, PizzaGate is a reference to an alleged child sex trafficking ring being run out of Washington, DC. The allegation claims that that this is D.C's deepest darkest secret and involves both Republicans and Democrats, and many of D.C's elite. The conspiracy also suggests the involvement of Satanic rituals.

The claims of child sex trafficking have been burgeoning in recent weeks as a result of anecdotal evidence from WikiLeaks e mails and the Weiner sexting case. It is interesting to note that there is a media blackout of sorts on the topic. It is considered a 'conspiracy theory' and fake news. Even Reddit has banned the PizzaGate board from its site.

The name PizzaGate originates from the claim that the child sex trafficking ring is operated out of a D.C pizzeria.

 

Hillary's Veep Blames Ohio State Knife Attack On Guns

By ChristianMoney.com Staff Writers

No, this is not fake news. Former vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine said that he was saddened by the ���senseless act of gun violence��� (referring to the Monday knife attack). A Somali immigrant injured eleven people by driving a car into a crowd and then attacking bystanders with a butcher's knife. A gun was used by an Ohio State Police officer to shoot and kill the attacker.