James L. Paris's Blog, page 173
March 14, 2016
Rubio, Kasich Now Say They May NOT Support Trump If He is the Nominee
Although Ted Cruz is still maintaining that he would support Trump if he proves to be the eventual GOP nominee in the race for the White House, Both Marco Rubio and John Kasich have begun to step away from earlier commitments they each made to do the same.
In the wake of violence that has emerged at Trump rallies in recent days, both Rubio and Kasich (and Cruz, for that matter) have placed much of the blame for the troubles at Trump���s feet, saying that he has created a climate, with his controversial rhetoric, that has actually served to cause the protestor violence that has quickly become a common sight at Trump rallies. In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Rubio said that he may no longer be able to commit to supporting Trump if he becomes the Republican party���s standard-bearer, citing his objection to the way Trump is ���dividing both the party and the country so bitterly." As for Kasich, he has even gone a little further in his suggestions that he may not support Trump, saying that the ���toxic environment��� Trump has created makes it ���extremely difficult��� for him (Kasich) to see himself as a Trump supporter during the general election campaign.
The simple fact is that it is comments like these, along with so many other sharp anti-Trump comments made by Rubio, Kasich, and Cruz in recent weeks, that make it basically impossible for any of these contenders to credibly campaign for Trump if he does win the nomination. Voters understand, during primary season, that intra-party candidates competing against one another will level policy-based criticisms���and even a few, low-level personal ones���in what is largely seen as a ���garden variety��� sort of way. However, when those criticisms cross the line to become acutely personal and very virulent, then those candidates lose whatever natural ability they once had to campaign on behalf of the eventual nominee.
Beyond blaming Trump for the violence that has broken out at recent rallies, the other candidates have publicly discussed how they might work together to derail Trump���s move toward the nomination. Amazingly, Rubio, while still claiming to be a sincere candidate for the nomination, has instructed his supporters in Ohio to cast their primary votes for hometown favorite Kasich���someone who has little national strength���simply for the purpose of defeating Trump!
The point is that the other GOP notables have engaged in so much explicit, anti-Trump targeting that it is simply not possible to walk that back sufficiently such that any of those, were they to actually take a stage somewhere for Trump in the fall, would be taken seriously by anyone. Cruz, Rubio, and Kasich might just as well come out right now and say they will not support Trump if he proves to be the nominee, because each has come out so strongly, and so personally, against Trump in recent days and weeks that any pro-Trump message they try to preach, going forward, will be immediately and justifiably discredited.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
March 13, 2016
Botched Painting of Jesus "Savior" Of Spanish Town
The Ecce Homo (���Behold the Man���) is a fresco piece painted in 1930 by Spanish artist Elias Garcia Martinez directly on the wall at the Sanctuary of Mercy church in Borja, Spain. As moisture had caused significant deterioration of the painting, an amateur art restorer who lives locally, Cecilia Gimenez, attempted a restoration of the work in 2012. Unfortunately, the restoration effort went horribly wrong, and what resulted was something that one journalist, BBC Europe correspondent Christian Fraser, called a ���crayon sketch of a very hairy monkey in an ill-fitting tunic.��� Ouch!
The unfortunate publicity that initially ensued made a laughingstock of Gimenez and anyone (and anything) else connected with the work, including the church and the town. For her part, Gimenez has claimed that the embarrassment and humiliation she suffered drove her to see a psychiatrist. However, as is said over and over, God works in mysterious ways, and perhaps He had a hand in what happened following the original dustup over the botched work: The painting has become a worldwide tourist attraction, and proved to be a blessing to a small community that would otherwise be in particularly bad shape during what has been tough times for the Spanish economy.
Borja has a population of just 5,000 people, and the horrible recession through which Spain has been going would normally exact an especially high price from such a small community. However, as a result of the unique notoriety now associated with the Ecco Homo, Borja has seen itself the recipient of a massive inflow of tourist dollars. Area restaurants and museums have benefitted substantially, and the proceeds from the one euro-per-person fee charged by the church to view the piece are split between a church-sponsored nursing home and Gimenez herself, who must care for a 56-year-old son with cerebral palsy.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
March 12, 2016
Suit Against Law School, Alleging Falsification of Graduate Employment Figures, Proceeds in CA Court��
A court case is now moving forward in California that has the potential to upend the way in which colleges and universities indicate employment data on behalf of graduates. For many years now, schools of higher education have been under fire for misrepresenting employment figures of their graduates, and law schools, in particular, have been the subject of much of the ire. Although other efforts to hold schools accountable in this area have failed, with most of the lawsuits being dismissed out of hand on the basis that schools have no responsibility for the condition of job markets, one such suit has been allowed to proceed, and the case is now underway in a San Diego state court.
According to plaintiff Anna Alaburda, she decided to enroll in the American Bar Association-accredited Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego in large part because the school claimed a graduate employment rate of just over 80 percent nine months after degree conferral. However, after her graduation in 2008, she sent her resume to 150 different law firms but received just one offer, for a position that paid less than offers she received from other companies in unrelated fields. Now burdened with over $150,000 in student debt, Alaburda has filed suit, alleging that Thomas Jefferson used false advertising to encourage enrollment, and that this false advertising included intentionally-misrepresented figures related to graduate employment. Appearing to bolster her case is a claim by a former career services employee at Thomas Jefferson, Karen Grant, who says that she had been told by the school to falsify employment data.
Interestingly, the plaintiff may have some relevant, case-related shortcomings of her own. For example, law school alleges that Alaburda was offered a full-time position as an attorney (presumably the one job she admits to being offered) at $60,000 per year, plus benefits, but that she turned it down because the firm refused to pay for her bar dues, and because she would have had to travel to San Bernardino for a month of training. The reality may well be that Alaburda has had a firm hand in her own lack of success since graduation from law school. However, even if that is so, it is reasonable to suggest that such is separate and exclusive from any material misrepresentation of employment data that Thomas Jefferson may have committed.
The matter of graduate employment data posted by schools has long been controversial. Many schools are known to include as ���employed��� in their figures those graduates who, subsequent to graduation, find work in any field, at any level, whatsoever. The problem with that, of course, is that prospective students and parents typically infer from a school���s published data that it is referring to employment in a field related to a graduate���s academic discipline, when that is very often not the case.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
Dad Who Allegedly Killed Baby Son in Hot Car Death Indicted on ���Sexting��� Charges
The case of Justin Ross Harris, an Atlanta, Georgia husband and father who is facing murder charges in connection with the ���hot car��� death of his 22-month-old on in 2014, took an even more sordid turn when he was recently indicted on eight counts related to ���sexting��� with minors. According to Cobb County police, Harris left his son strapped in a car seat when he entered his workplace for the day, during which he engaged in the alleged sexting with three girls under the age of 18.
According to the indictments, Harris is accused of possessing digital photos of the genitalia of two of the girls, sending pictures of male genitalia (presumably his), and also sending "detailed verbal descriptions and narrative accounts of sexual excitement and sexual conduct.���
Harris��� attorney, H. Maddox Kilgore, tried last year to have the murder and sexting charges severed so that Harris would be tried separately for the crimes, but Superior Court Judge Mary Staley denied the request. Kilgore claimed that Harris��� transmission of the sexual pictures and messages, as distasteful as that might be, did not show his ���disposition��� to killing his son. However, based on testimony provided by Cobb County Detective Phil Stoddard at the probable cause hearing, Judge Staley concluded that there was enough evidence showing a possible relationship between the alleged sexting activity and little Cooper Harris��� death such that she would not sever the two charges.
Jury selection for Harris��� murder trial is set to begin April 11. Harris��� wife, Leanna, filed for divorce last month.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
March 11, 2016
Unarmed Self-Defense Training for Active Shooter Situations: Good Idea���or Not?
Training to defend���unarmed���against a person with a firearm is fairly controversial within self-defense circles. The key objection registered is that, in such a situation, it is unrealistic to expect an unarmed person to be able to effectively disarm or otherwise neutralize an armed threat, and that the only place that ever seems to happen is in the movies. On the other hand, there are those who say that in circumstances where an active shooter clearly appears bent on doing harm, even maximum damage���such as that which is wrought in the cases of mass shootings about which we unfortunately read all-too-frequently���that one should be as well-prepared as possible to try to defeat that threat, because what does he really have to lose in that circumstance?
While there is hardly a uniform, always-valid answer to which is best, I tend to lean more toward the latter philosophy. I believe that one should basically never choose to engage an armed threat if he has no weapon and when it seems apparent that complying with the armed person���s directives will see him emerge from the situation unharmed; however, I also believe that in active shooter situations, where it becomes clear that no amount of compliance will assure anyone���s safety, it is best to be prepared to do what you can so that you at least give yourself a chance at surviving.
This news item from Denver, Colorado���s Fox31 details how one area instructor of Krav Maga, a street-practical self-defense system with roots in the Israeli military, is training local residents to defend themselves against someone with a gun. We will likely see more of this as people recognize that there are now greater numbers of threats posed by people who, again, are simply interested in doing maximum damage, rather than ���merely��� using the threat of being shot as leverage to gain something else, like money.
This said, training as an unarmed person to at least deflect an active shooter threat requires great dedication, great vigilance. While I certainly see value to possessing that skill set, it is one that must be constantly practiced if you plan to ever actually deploy it in a real-life situation, should the need arise. For that matter, the same can be said of any self-defense training in which you engage, including that where your anticipated threat comes from another unarmed person.
On that note, if you would like to devote yourself to some time in learning at least basic, simple-step (relatively) self-defense techniques, then I encourage you to take a look at a great piece of unarmed self-defense instructional material called 15 Brutal Fight Enders. 15 Brutal Fight Enders is a two-DVD set that teaches simple moves designed to quickly and effectively end a street conflict. A wide variety of techniques are demonstrated by a host of quality instructors, including former U.S., Israeli, and Russian military special operators, hall of fame martial artists, even a one-time federal prison inmate. There are so many scenarios and defenses covered that it���s not possible to describe them all in this space, but they include techniques to defend against punches, bear hugs, headlocks���how to respond to an attack using head butts and bites (that���s right, I said bites)���even how to effectively use improvised weapons, including a comb, to defend yourself. The total length of the video trainings is a little over an hour and a half.
Remember, though, that as with any illustrated techniques, their effectiveness for you will correlate largely to the degree to which you devote yourself to ongoing training ��� learning how to execute these techniques effectively once does not mean that you will be able to do so forever, if you do not practice regularly; just something to keep in mind.
Anyway, one of the best features of 15 Brutal Fight Enders is the price - you pay just the cost of shipping. You not only receive the 15 trainings, but four more bonus trainings, as well as another bonus item all about the application of non-verbal cues in a threat environment. Additionally, not only do you receive the physical DVDs, but you also get immediate access to the material through digital downloads, as well. All free, just pick up your own shipping cost ��� Click here to learn more.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
Florida Legislature Passes Law to Protect Clergy Who Refuse to Perform Same-Sex Weddings
Both parts of the Florida legislature have passed a bill that would grant legal insulation to members of the clergy who refuse to perform same-sex weddings. The bill is now on its way to Gov. Rick Scott���s desk, and he is expected to sign it without delay.
Called the Pastor Protection Act, the legislation provides that religious organizations refusing to perform same-sex weddings cannot be sued as a result of having made that refusal. Unsurprisingly, Equality Florida, a prominent LGBTQ advocacy group in the state, registered its strong opposition to the measure, and many of the Democratic lawmakers in Florida said that such a law is not needed because clergy already enjoy legal protection by virtue of First Amendment.
However, many do not see it that way, particularly in light of how hyper-litigious American society has become. The bill���s sponsor in the House, Scott Plakon, says that he began working on the bill even before the U.S. Supreme Court���s monumental decision on same-sex marriages rendered last June, and Aaron Bean, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, said that Florida clergy are ���worried about their religious freedom.���
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
March 9, 2016
California State Assembly Weighs Bill That Would Allow Schools to Expel for ���Sexting���
A new bill has been introduced in the California State Assembly that would allow schools to expel students for the practice of ���sexting,��� which is to send a sexually-explicit photo of oneself to others via a cellphone. There are presently over 20 states that have some kind of anti-sexting laws on the books, and while California already has laws related to cyberbullying and so-called ���revenge porn,��� this is the first time that a law has been proposed in CA that seeks to directly address the problem of sexting by minors.
While it is sad that trying to control the practice of minors sending out naked pictures of themselves on their cellphones seems to require legislation, it is good to see states at least trying to crack down on the whole sordid thing. Unfortunately, in this day and age, there is very little, from a practical standpoint, that can be absolutely done to curb the behavior; if a minor (or any person, for that matter) is bent on sending a salacious picture of himself/herself from one cellphone to that of another (or group of others), no statute will be able to prevent that from happening. Nevertheless, as we can no longer seem to rely on the good judgment of either kids or parents these days, ���something has to be done,��� as is so often declared, and it is good to see some efforts being made to push back against ���sexting��� by minors, particularly in the more historically ���tolerant��� and ���progressive��� states like California.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
Survey Reveals that Only 57% of Americans Possess Even Basic Financial Literacy
April is Financial Literacy Month in the United States (do they have it anywhere else?), and, based on the results of a recent global survey on money smarts, it looks like our nation will be setting aside a month devoted to the subject for some time to come.
According to the data compiled by the folks behind the Standard & Poor���s Ratings Services Global Financial Literacy Survey, only 57% of Americans passed the test, which by no means asked respondents particularly challenging money-related questions. That result puts Americans behind Canadians, Germans, and residents of the United Kingdom in basic understanding of matters financial. Furthermore, the survey revealed that American teens have a level of understanding of basic financial issues that ranks them between teens of Russia and Latvia.
The survey asked five questions. Here are two of them:
1. Suppose over the next 10 years the prices of the things you buy double. If your income ALSO doubles, will you be able to buy less than you can buy today, the same as you can buy today, OR more than you can buy today?
2. Suppose you put money in the bank for two years and the bank agrees to add 15 percent per year to your account. Will the bank add MORE money to your account the second year than it did the first year, or will it add the same amount of money both years?
Assuming you want to take the quiz for real, which you can do by navigating to the appropriate page from the embedded article, I won���t reveal the answers to these two questions, but you now have some idea of the level of financial acumen assessed by the survey. While the questions are not perfectly written, those who do not overthink them should be able to get a good read on their own level of basic financial knowledge, and decide if they have any ���remedial��� work to do.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
March 8, 2016
Paula Jones Sounds Off on Clinton Sex Scandals and Cover-Up in Blockbuster Interview with Breitbart News
Paula Jones, the former Arkansas state employee who alleges that she was sexually assaulted by then-governor Bill Clinton, and who later sued Clinton for sexual harassment, gave a detailed interview with Breitbart senior investigative reporter Aaron Klein in which she declared that the ���truth��� about Clinton���s misdeeds with women would ���destroy��� Hillary���s political career.
During the interview, which aired on Tuesday, Jones said, in part, that Hillary has never met with any of Bill���s accusers, and that she (Jones) feels that it is because Hillary knows that the allegations made by each of the women against Bill are true. Jones went on to say that Hillary is exhibiting a great deal of nerve by running for president, especially because she is doing so, in large part, on the basis that she is a representative of female empowerment.
It was May 8, 1991 that Paula Jones had her alleged run-in with Bill. On that date, Jones says that she was picked out by Clinton and escorted to his hotel room at the Excelsior in Little Rock. As she tells it, when she arrived to his room, the governor proceeded to grope her and expose himself to her, whereupon she exited the room as fast as she could. In civil proceedings that followed, Bill Clinton ultimately agreed to an out-of-court settlement that saw him pay Jones $850,000.
According to Paula Jones, Hillary owes a public apology to all of the women who have publicly accused Bill of sexual abuse. She further accused the media and other various organizations of applying a double standard to its coverage of Bill Cosby and Bill Clinton, pointing out that while Cosby is finding himself increasingly ostracized by much of society for the allegations of sexual misconduct made against him, Clinton continues to find himself a media darling, and able to fill his schedule with guest speaking engagements that earn him millions.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
Pastor Who Delivered Invocation at Cruz Rally Gunned Down Just 24 Hours Later
Pastor Tim Remington delivered a well-received invocation at a rally for GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz in Coeur d���Alene, Idaho on Saturday, but, just 24 hours later, the local religious leader found himself the victim of a vicious attack, gunned down in the parking lot of his church following his Sunday service. The shooting was caught on video surveillance footage, and a suspect has been identified: 30-year-old Kyle Odom, a local resident. At this writing, a manhunt is presently underway for Odom. Although having been shot in the skull and back, Remington is expected to survive.
While questions have understandably arisen over whether the shooting was in any way connected to Remington���s appearance with candidate Cruz the day before, members of Remington���s Altar Church are speculating that it may instead be related to pastor Remington���s work on behalf of drug addicts. Remington is a former street minister from Southern California who, it is said, spent a great deal of time there trying to help those caught up in the web of substance abuse, and who continued similar efforts when he moved to Idaho.
The Cruz campaign issued a statement following the attack: ���Our prayers are with Pastor Tim, his family, and the doctors who are supervising his care. We pray for his full recovery and are thankful for the efforts of law enforcement to ensure the attacker is swiftly brought to justice.���
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
