James L. Paris's Blog, page 188

Sweden Reinstates Border Controls���Sort Of

 By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Sweden, which has long supported a lax asylum policy, reinstated border controls on Thursday as the country sees itself overrun by migrants. 

The migration crisis that has hit Europe this year has been especially tough on tiny Sweden, a nation of under 10 million people (Los Angeles County has a higher population). As a matter of fact, as a percentage of its population, Sweden has ���welcomed��� more refugees than any other European nation this year. In addition to the constraints on housing and resources, the unchecked migration to Sweden has given rise to a pronounced backlash against the asylum seekers; anti-immigrant rhetoric in Sweden is gaining favor, there has been a rash of arson attacks against migrants this year, and the right-wing Sweden Democrats party has gained noticeable support, according to opinion polls.

Swedish police are now performing identification checks on train passengers traveling from Denmark to Sweden, and are doing the same at ferry terminals.

That said, it is unclear just what the return of ���border controls��� means, precisely. According to Anders Danielsson, the person in charge of the Swedish Migration Agency, border controls are not intended to stop those seeking asylum from entering the country. As he puts it, their cases will be heard, but that the country needs to ���regain control.���

To be honest, until Sweden decides to simply slam the door shut and prevent migrants from enjoying unfettered access to the country, there is no reason for anyone there to believe that government is doing anything close to ���regaining control.���

 

 

White House Secret Service Officer Arrested in Child Sex Sting

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Your government at work.

According to a criminal complaint that was unsealed Thursday, a member of the Secret Service assigned to the White House was arrested after sending naked pictures of himself to what he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

According to the complaint, several chats took place between the agent and the ���girl,��� who was really a detective of the Maryland State Police. In addition to allegedly having sent naked pictures of himself to the ���girl,��� the agent allegedly requested that they meet for sex. 

In his interview with law enforcement, the agent admitted to communicating with the girl/undercover agent while on duty at the White House. He further admitted to initiating communications with other girls whom he believed to be underage.

���Robocall��� Restrictions May Be Loosened for Government Debt Collectors

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

The FCC has, for years, worked to crack down on robocalls���those annoying, automated calls that typically come to your home and cell phone from companies entirely unknown to you, and which are usually conveying solicitations of one sort or another. As a matter of fact, it is now, presently, illegal for companies to robocall your cell phone without already having your permission. However, the proposed federal budget has in it a provision that would actually allow federal agencies with which you have an obligation of some kind���student loan, a mortgage, even a tax obligation���to robocall you without your permission, clearly moving backwards the efforts of the FCC (still a part of the same U.S. government, presumably) to limit the intrusion of these kinds of calls on America���s citizens.



One of the particular concerns of this provision that stands out to consumer advocates is that low-income folks, the precise demographic that is both more likely to be on restrictive cell phone plans and also likely to have obligations like those that would allow for these robocalls, could be negatively impacted in terms of the increased costs and reduction in plan minutes caused by such calls.

Although various kinds of obligations to federal agencies would allow for the robocalls, it is the problem of student loan delinquencies, in particular, that has apparently led the way in this effort to amend the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. President Obama is himself a supporter of the change, siding with education officials who believe that school loan delinquencies and defaults could be limited if borrowers could be contacted directly on their cell phones.
If the budget, including this robocall provision, is passed, the FCC will have nine months to get it going. This means that anyone with an obligation to a federal agency who���s having some trouble meeting it���can likely expect to begin receiving these calls around the middle of summer 2016.

Shopping for a Used Car? Put Some Knowledge On Your Side Before You Hit the Lot

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

In order to properly inspect a used car, you have to have at least a bit of knowledge on a wide variety of areas. There are a lot of components to a car, a lot of things to watch for. While it���s not reasonable for a layperson to become an expert in a brief period of time, it is possible to pick up valuable tips from a mechanic and put those to good use when you���re checking out the vehicle.

Take the matter of what���s coming out of the tailpipe when you start it up. Do you see blue-colored smoke? If so, the car is burning oil. If the smoke vanishes right away, the engine might have valve seals that are leaking after the engine is shut down. If the blue smoke persists, it could mean something worse, like worn piston rings. Black smoke? The engine is getting too much gas, and this means a problem with the fuel injection system. White smoke? The engine is leaking coolant into cylinders. This could be caused by leaking head gasket or intake manifold gasket, and the repairs could be very pricey.

What you see at the tailpipe when the engine is turned on is just one area of the vehicle inspection process that requires a close look���and there are lots of others, of course. The tips above are just a small portion of the information contained in Inspect Before You Buy, a great ebook on how to inspect a used car written by ASE Certified mechanic Jerry Ellingson.

Beginning with the exterior of the vehicle, Ellingson tells you what to look for, specifically, when evaluating the body and paint, glass and trim, wheels and tires, body panel alignment, and the trunk area. From there, he takes the reader under the hood, through the underbody, and throughout the interior. Finally, Ellingson informs you of what to watch for when taking your prospect for a test drive, from what to listen for when you first start the vehicle, to how to evaluate the handling and drivability, and much, much more. Ellingson also includes a comprehensive checklist as a part of the book (something you will want to print out and take with you, even if you leave the rest of the book home), as well as a list of automotive websites that you may find helpful when looking for a used car, including links to the wonderful Edmunds and NADA guides.

Related Article - How To Inspect A Used Car

Note that Inspect Before You Buy is not a book on auto repair, nor an in-depth manual on cars; it is not intended to be either of those. It is a solid, car-shopping guidepost that can be very useful in helping you to determine if you���re about to make a smart investment���or if you���re about to buy a four-wheeled ���money pit.��� The price is great, too���$6.95���and even at that, it comes with a money-back guarantee. If you���re already an expert when it comes to this stuff, this may not be for you, but if not, this could well be the most important money you spend on behalf of your next car purchase���and that includes the dough you drop on the car itself. Click Here To Get Your Copy Of Inspect Before You Buy.

Christian Social Media Star - 'Starbucks Hates Jesus'

His name is Joshua Feuerstein and he is considered a social media sensation. He has the Internet buzzing today over his charge that Starbucks hates Jesus. His accusation stems from the fact that Starbuck's new holiday cup design does not contain the word Christmas or have any traditional holiday symbols. It just so happened that while I was at my local Starbucks this afternoon, they were just putting up their holiday displays. Sorry to disappoint Mr. Feuerstein, but I can report that the word Christmas has not been deleted from Starbuck's marketing materials. The main display in the center of my local store has a large banner with the word Christmas in giant letters. There is also a substantial display of Starbuck's Christmas Blend coffee. I hate it when Christians end up looking stupid, and this appears to be another example of that. 

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

IHOP Sinkhole Swallows A Dozen Cars

You just finished your strawberry pancakes and walk out to the parking lot to find this. All kidding aside, I am seeing more and more stories about sinkholes nationwide. I am starting to wonder if there is something serious happening beneath the earth's surface. Here is another story from this summer when a sinkhole opened up under the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY. The scariest of all, was the 2013 sinkhole that swallowed a man alive in Tampa, FL. Oddly enough, this infamous Tampa sinkhole continues to open up despite being filled in by the city. 

Experts Say That 40% Of The United States Is Prone To Sinkholes

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

Drop Cable TV - Replace It With Free Internet TV

http://www.dropcabletv.info On this episode Jim shares details on a new report he has released that shows people how to drop cable TV and replace it with free Internet TV. Man who claims to be grassy knoll shooter to be released from prison, UFO over Los Angeles, Texas judge shot outside her own home, Fed rate hike more likely than ever, and Bitcoin jumps to over $400.

How To Rapidly Pay Off Student Loans And Reduce Payments

On this episode, student loan terminator Jan Miller joins Jim to discuss a wide variety of topics related to student loans. How to substantially reduce student loan payments and even qualify for student loan forgiveness. How to lock in your student loan interest rates, and even how to rehabilitate a loan that is in default. Practical ideas and solutions for anyone with a student loan debt (even co-signers).

Airport Screeners Allegedly Permitted Cocaine to Pass through Security Checkpoints

 By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

We���d like to think that, by now, there is some improvement in the quality of the airport screeners we all encounter when traveling, but it appears there���s still a long way to go.

On Friday, three screeners at San Francisco International Airport were arrested on charges related to defrauding the government and cocaine smuggling. The individuals, who work for a private security company contracted by the TSA to provide additional screening assistance at the San Francisco airport, are alleged to have accepted money in exchange for allowing passengers to smuggle cocaine through the security checkpoints. Two of the individuals charged appeared to be in supervisory positions with the private firm, Covenant Aviation Security.

According to undercover DEA and TSA agents, the defendants each allowed the narcotics to pass through the security checkpoints after verifying that it was contained in passengers��� bags through the X-ray screening device. Two of the defendants are currently free on $50,000 bond each, while the third is scheduled for a bail hearing Monday.

Public Outrage Prompts Mall to Reinstate Christmas Tree in Santa Display

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

A Charlotte, North Carolina mall has decided to change course in the face of a public backlash over its decision to remove the Christmas tree from its annual Santa display. SouthPark Mall had previously announced that this year���s mall Santa would be sitting under a model of a giant glacier, and not in the shadow of the traditional tree.

According to the mall, their reasoning behind the change was to be ���fresh and exciting,��� but the community was clearly having none of it. After getting pounded on social media, and finding itself on the receiving end of a Change.org petition that had 23,000 signatures by Sunday morning, the mall tweeted out the following message: ���We're adding key elements to the Santa set this week & listening to our customer feedback, we will now include a traditional Christmas tree.��� Given the direction of the social narrative these days, it seems revealing that the mall tweet included the adjective ���traditional��� when referring to the Christmas tree. Although the precise origins of the Christmas tree remain somewhat unclear, Christians the world over have long embraced the tree as an expression of the holiday season, often topping it with an angel or star to represent either the archangel Gabriel or the Star of Bethlehem.