James L. Paris's Blog, page 193

Trump Makes Great Impression on Faith Leaders

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

What do we make of this?

According to reports, Donald Trump played host to a group of spiritual leaders, including some well-known religious personalities, in his office at Trump Tower on Monday. The meeting lasted two and a half hours, and concluded with the gathering praying for the Donald. Some of the recognizable names in attendance included Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, as well as TBN co-founder Jan Crouch.

Trump is known to be a Presbyterian, and has made references to his faith since he began his campaign for president. He has, however, taken some heat for being a bit of a ���fair-weather Christian,��� as it has been noted that Trump has not exactly evidenced much knowledge, historically, of Scripture, or that he has otherwise made faith much of a priority in his life. Trump has countered such criticisms by saying that his spiritual life is one that he keeps entirely to himself.

Whatever observers from a distance might think, it appears that Trump made a very positive impression on the group assembled in his office; it has emerged that his message was especially well-received by the African-American pastors in attendance.

Trump has always had the unique potential of appealing to both Republicans and Democrats as somewhat of a crossover candidate, one who manages to genuinely appeal to a broad swath on both sides of the political spectrum. If Trump, with his record of colorful rhetoric���can nevertheless convince a room full of religious leaders that he is a serious, sincere candidate, as well as a devout person of faith, then Trump may end up enjoying the luxury of having it both ways ��� he can still be himself, without worrying about losing support from those whose job it is, largely, to be critical of outrageous behavior.  

Georgia Boy Dies, But First Writes Note Thanking Mom And Dad

The parents of Leland Shoemake shared a note they found at their home, which was left by their son prior to being taken to the hospital. The six year old was fighting an amoebic infection, and lost his battle while being treated at an Atlanta hospital. His parents returned home to select the clothes he would be buried in and found this note.

 

Leland was a first grader at Pike County Primary School. He had been sick for almost a month. It is believed that he contracted the infection while playing outside. Leland also leaves behind a one year old brother. What are you thankful for today?

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 

 

Trump Unveils Tax Plan

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Donald Trump, who has ridden to the top of the GOP polls on a wave of bombast, has increasingly found himself on the receiving end of criticisms that bombast is ALL he has, and that there is, in fact, no meat between the bread of a Trump sandwich. The Donald, in part, attempted to hit back at those who say he���s short on specifics as to just what a Trump administration would do, when he unveiled on Monday his tax plan for the country. A closer look at the Trump plan seems to detail a vision of ���something for everyone,��� but clearly adopts an overall tone of populism. To wit, here is a key portion of the plan, taken directly from the source:

���If you are single and earn less than $25,000, or married and jointly earn less than $50,000, you will not owe any income tax. That removes nearly 75 million households ��� over 50% ��� from the income tax rolls. They get a new one page form to send the IRS saying, ���I win,��� those who would otherwise owe income taxes will save an average of nearly $1,000 each.���

Now, to be clear, there are already a great many people who do not pay income tax based on their relatively low earnings, but the Trump plan would expand that number some. It is, unquestionably, a way for Trump to burrow in directly to the financial interests of the country���s lowest-earning portion of the electorate, regardless of whether that is the point of this particular feature(you can be the judge of that).

The plan also takes direct aim at the estate tax, which he actually refers to as the ���death tax��� in his official plan document; in a Trump world, the onerous estate tax, popular with practically no one of means outside of the spongiest tax-and-spend politicians, would go away. This is not, of course, a populist stance, as the person to whom breaks for being a more marginal earner will appeal is not likely to have much eventual wealth to pass on to heirs. However, it���s an example of the ���something for everyone��� nature of the plan, wherein both poor and rich stand to gain by the election of Trump to the Oval Office.

The Trump tax plan also seeks to streamline the current rate structure. Presently, there are seven applicable rates at the federal level, but Trump���s plan would lower that number to four: a zero percent rate for earners up to $25,000; a 10 percent rate for earners up to $50,000; a 20 percent rate for those earning up to $150,000; and a 25 percent rate for everyone above that figure. What���s particularly noteworthy about the highest rate proposed is the extent to which it would lower the current rate, which presently sits at a whopping 39.6 percent.

As for corporate rates, as he has long promised, a President Trump would lower the corporate rates to 15 percent, without regard to size of company, which would make them competitive with the rates of many of the world���s nations to which U.S. companies flee in an effort to escape stifling taxation. However, this lower rate comes with an offsetting component that would see corporate deductions largely eliminated.

Cell Phone Security in the Age of the Smartphone

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Cell phones used to be just���phones. Years ago, while there were ways for those communications to be accessed, the idea of cell phones as prime hacking and eavesdropping targets was barely a consideration in those days. Now, of course, things are different, and it has a lot to do with the fact that cell phones are computers. ���Smartphones,��� as they are called, can do everything your laptop and desktop computers can do, which means they are every bit the targets for hacking as your stand-alone computers and tablets. If you���re like many folks nowadays, you find yourself increasingly reliant on your cell phones not only for your electronic communications with the rest of the world, but for things like banking transactions and other sensitive operations that are largely the centerpieces of your day-to-day life.

Given all of this, how much thought have you put into the security of your cell phone, to include your cell phone communications? Hacks of cell phones are becoming more common as it is recognized by criminals that so many people now perform so many operations on their cell phones, and the capturing of cell phone communications is now an ever-present threat, as well.

Specific Benefits On Just The Topic Of Cell Phone Privacy In This Course:

The best spyware and anti-virus software for your smartphone
The best way to backup and protect your smartphone content
Top encryption options to make your phone 'spy proof'
How to disable tracking on any smartphone

The Patriot Privacy Kit, a comprehensive, 142-page digital manual about how to stay safe, secure, and even ���invisible��� while using your various devices, has some great tips and resources on how to ���muscle up��� your protection as it pertains to your cell phone use. The Kit provides excellent information on antivirus products designed with mobile devices in mind, as well as resources that allow you to access the web on your cell phone without being monitored by your mobile Internet service provider, and even products that enable you to encrypt your calls and text messages (note: the person with whom you���re communicating has to be using the same service in order for it to work)!

Other Course Benefits:

 Move Past LifeLock: While a fantastic system that I recommend, it only protects about 10% of what really matters.
Avoid NSA flag words
Secure E Mail Options
Secure Internet Browsing Options
Password Security
How To Clean And Protect Your Computer
Lock Down Your Home Internet Connection
Properly Use A Firewall
How To Use Programs That Will Hide Your IP Address

The Patriot Privacy Kit is loaded with information on both online and offline personal security, and comes with a 60-day, money-back guarantee if you���re not satisfied. The bottom line is that as our dependence on the Internet and electronic devices of all kinds continues to grow, it���s important for those of us who are not ���techno-geeks��� to have a quality resource to which to turn so that we may be better prepared to stay as safe���including as anonymous���as we can when going about our business; The Patriot Privacy Kit is that resource. For more information, click here.  

Did Pope Francis Come To Power As The Result Of A Vatican Coup?

An interesting article here that Rush Limbaugh brought up on his show today. While we may never know what really happened to the prior Pope, this is a very fascinating, and frankly, believable narrative here. Pope Francis does fit the bill as a liberal that could be a transitional figure to move the church to the far left. 

The Mystery of Pope Francis: Was There a Vatican Coup? | Power Line

THE MYSTERY OF POPE FRANCIS: WAS THERE A VATICAN COUP? One thing that that has puzzled a lot of people since the selection of Pope Francis two years ago is how a left-leaning Pope could succeed two very serious conservative Popes���John Paul II and Benedict XVI���who you would have thought had stacked the ranks of the Cardinals with clergy that would perpetuate their theological and philosophical outlook. Was Benedict hounded out of office by some kind of internal Vatican scandal perhaps? Was there some ecclesiastical version of a coup? There���s no evidence that I���m aware of���until now. Three days ago the National Catholic Register ran a very curious article about the contents of a newly published authorized biography of retired Belgian cardinal Godfried Danneels (pictured left). 

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 

Obama Cuts Ties With His Kenyan Brother

On this episode documentary filmmaker Joel Gilbert discusses his two recent movies, Dreams From My Real Father And There's No Place Like Utopia. Among the topics covered include why President Obama has cut ties with his half brother Malik, was Frank Marshall Davis more than a mentor to Obama? Gilbert says that there is overwhelming evidence that Davis was the biological father of the president. Has the mystery finally been solved about Obama's college years? What will he do in his last few months as president? What will the lasting legacy of Barack Obama be, and will he be viewed as a failed president?

 

Cost Of Pope's Visit Still A Mystery

On this episode Jim discusses why he believes that the Pope's visit should have been paid for with private donations. Also, why did the Pope meet with only five victims of sexual abuse by the Catholic clergy? Is there more to the story of the John Boehner resignation? New scams are using the name of Publisher's Clearing House, AAA warns of staged accident scams, Bill Clinton blames Republicans for Hillary's e mail controversy, and California lake mysteriously runs dry overnight leaving thousands of dead fish behind.

Would You Know How To Protect Your Family In A Nuclear Attack?

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

I���ve written before about the Alive After the Fall package, and I���m doing so again here because it is something about which to rave, in my opinion. For those who are interested in how to persist through acutely distressed conditions, there���s no such thing as too much information, but I have to say that I continue to be impressed by the amount of information contained in just this one package. The basis of Alive After the Fall is the notably high risk of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack that can plunge an affected area into darkness, and the practical steps you can take to make it through the event should it strike your location. This said, one feature I especially like about the Alive After the Fall package is the wealth of information it offers on survival topics beyond the more singular issue of EMP attacks. One of the bonus special reports that���s included as a part of the package is the Nuclear Attack Survival Guide, and it contains a lot of solid information on a topic few consider nowadays���but should.

Many people tend to think the nuclear threat is a relic of the Cold War, and that they have nothing about which to be seriously concerned any longer in that regard. Wrong. As a matter of fact, it is reasonable to make the assumption that the threat of nuclear attack is perhaps greater than it has ever been. Why? Because of the rise of rogue states and non-state actors on the global conflict scene since the end of overt hostilities that characterized superpower relationships decades ago - Iran, North Korea, as well as al Qaeda and a host of affiliates and offshoots���those and many more nations and groups represent even more dangerous nuclear threats to the rest of us precisely because of the instability of the people who make up their leadership.

Nuclear Attack Survival Guide opens the way you would expect, with an overview of the likely effects of a violent nuclear event. It transitions from there into a good discussion about general perceptions people tend to have about the aftereffects of a nuclear explosion, and to what degree those are accurate���and inaccurate. The report then moves into discussions of practical steps you can take to help protect yourself and further your chances of survival during, and in the wake of, a nuclear event. Topics like how to protect yourself from flash burns, flash blindness and ���popcorn��� effects are covered, as is the subject of how to prepare for an evacuation. Water filtration and purification techniques unique to addressing fallout concerns are also detailed, as is the topic of how to turn your how house into an effective fallout shelter. Good stuff!

I���ve said before the Alive After the Fall package is comprehensive, and I meant it. The fact that it includes a separate report on how to persist in the face of a nuclear attack is a good example of that. Again, this is a subject that has come to be thought of as pass�� now that the days of superpower-based mutually assured destruction threats seem to be gone, when the truth is that the chances of a rogue operative coming to deploy a smaller, but still devastating, tactical nuclear device could be said to be greater than ever.

All together, including the Nuclear Attack Survival Guide, the material received in the complete Alive After the Fall package comes in at just under 600 pages. What���s more, your purchase is accompanied by a 60-day, money-back guarantee, so if you find it necessary, for some reason, to ask for a refund, you can have one for up to two months after you buy the product. Anyway, I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss another component of this great package with you. If you are like me, and always in the market for more information on managing distressed, even deadly, conditions, you should get a lot of mileage from Alive After the Fall. Click here to learn more.  

Why Those With Student Loans May Now Find It Tough To Get A Mortgage

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

I���ve written in various forums lately about how the student debt crisis has come to far outsize the issue of educational loan obligations, more singularly, and has resulted in further-reaching financial consequences for young adults beginning their journeys as mature consumers. Graduates carrying significant, monthly repayment obligations have found it more difficult to seamlessly enter the world of professional consumerism���cars, houses���with the money burdens lingering from school, and that unfortunate reality has stunted both their growth into full adulthood, as well as the growth of the economy, at large.

As it happens, conditions are not only not improving for this group, they have become just a little worse; the Federal Housing Administration, or FHA, one of the prime sources of low down payment mortgages, has recently made a key change to their borrower qualification standards that essentially makes ���official��� the increased financial hardships associated with massive student debt. Specifically, the agency has declared that two percent of a prospective, first-time borrower���s student loan balance must be included in the all-important debt-to-income ratio calculation, even if the loan is in deferment. Previously, loans that were in deferment for at least a year were excluded from DTI calculations. The debt-to-income ratio is one of the most important qualifying factors in obtaining a mortgage, and is a percentage expression of a prospective borrower���s monthly obligations versus how much he brings in each month; a debt-to-income ratio of 40 percent, for example, means that a person is paying out 40 percent of what earns in recurring monthly obligations. With an average student debt balance of around $30,000, this change now means that a typical, first-time mortgage loan applicant will have roughly $600 added to their list of monthly obligations, which will, in turn, push their DTI ratio higher, and perhaps to a point where he may no longer qualify for the mortgage.

The reality, however, is that as tough as this is on the younger borrower, it���s a prudent move; ���deferred��� loan payments are just that, deferred���they���re not canceled. This means that they will have to begin being made eventually, and when they are, the corresponding financial burden will have to be borne. This way, a more accurate, long-term debt picture of a prospective mortgagor can be known, thereby reducing (hopefully) the chances that he will fall into foreclosure down the road.

Trump To Boycott Fox News

Staff Writers Of ChristianMoney.com

Donald Trump announced today via his Twitter account that he will not be appearing on Fox News shows for the 'foreseeable future.' Trump's feud with Fox News began in earnest after he felt he was treated unfairly by moderator Megyn Kelly during the first Republican debate. It was believed that Trump and Fox had settled their differences, but recent attacks on Trump by guests on Bill O'Reilly's program have reignited the dispute. Fox News countered that it canceled Trump from appearing on tonight's O'Reilly Factor prior to Trump's announced boycott.