The House Children and Family Law Committee (HCFLC) should not be allowed to hide low on anyone’s radar, no matter the amount of relevance one might think it has personally, professionally, or politically.  In this election year, most of us can agree that NH is a hot mess in many ways and is not exempt from its share of nationwide woes.

I invite like-minded people who have a stake in this committee’s affairs to comment, discuss with each other, and perhaps write their own articles.  There are lots of passionate hard working people who have subject matter expertise, personal stories, and a history of trying to help people.  Unfortunately, there is no shortage of bad actors and loudmouths promoting the wrong agenda.  On the “other side of the wall,” there’s a certain dumb blonde lawyer who’s always cosplaying Mrs. Helen Lovejoy into the mic when she’s pushing her partisan agenda thinly disguised as compassion.

Welfare school lunch comes to mind, but let’s get back to the House.

Our Speaker selects committee leadership and its members. I commented on a few committee assignments at the beginning of last year. And I also commented on the embattled Sanborns here. Let’s look at the team roster of the HCFLC here. There’s a lot of dysfunction to discuss.

The word “dysfunction” is often used in discussing family dynamics, which this committee should be committed to the preservation and improvement of.  I’ll jump back again to the “other side of the wall” again for a moment because the use of that word came to mind from when Sharon Carson, the sponsor of a failed Parental Bill of Rights(SB 272), used it while addressing the rest of the senate in a matter nongermane to the HCFLC.  Let’s dig in and discuss some of that dysfunction, shall we?

Starting with the chair, we have the arrogant, nasty, and pontificating charlatan Rep Pearson.

I’m talking about the father, not the son. There are too many “problem political families” in NH, as most Granite Staters know, and the Pearson family does not receive as much attention as the Sununus or the Greggs (more on them in a moment).  Chairman Pearson was the HHS chair last time around, and he was extremely condescending, long-winded, and rude with the gavel to members of the public, members of this committee, and other reps (both former and future).  Much can be said about him, but that could turn into a very long scenic side trip.  I have reason to believe that he was reassigned from HHS to HCFLC by the Speaker in the same way a disgraced senior priest is often relocated to another zip code hundreds of miles away is by the Arch Diocese.  Out of sight, out of mind, but let’s move on.

The vice chair, Patrick Long, a career politician, as seen here,  is a member of the enemy camp.  And he’s not the only enemy camp member in a position of responsibility.  The clerk, Peter Petrigno, is even worse!

The first time Petrigno got my attention was shortly after the 10/13/21 executive council arrests.  Elliot Axelman of the Liberty Block sent a post-incident survey to all 424 members of the legislature on what should be done about the Damn Emperor ordering unlawful arrests of his peaceful critics. Sadly, it received a bipartisan snub, for the most part, but some reps replied and even commented. Petrigno was one of the respondents and said some very hostile things about the 9 arrest victims.  I am unfortunately unable to retrieve that spreadsheet containing his words, but anyone interested in fact-checking it is encouraged to contact Elliot Axelman.  Petrigno also signed a May 2020 group petition to the Damn Emperor demanding that NH be masked.

NH House Dems Demand Mandatory Mask Order for Granite State

And here’s where he changes his tune with regard to authoritarianism: the SB 272 House Education Committee hearing on 4/18/23.  He and fellow HCFLC member and Milford Rep Maria “loca en la cabeza” Perez ranted their opposition to the Parental Bill of Rights.  Petrigno said into the mic, “No one has the right to compel someone to do something against their will.”

Dude, what about “mask choice,” huh?

Maria Perez is in a league of her own regarding her mental fitness. Much can be found on her if you do your own internet search, which I encourage you to do.  Why would the Speaker think such a lunatic would make good decisions that involve the well-being of kids?

And let’s talk about that Gregg in-law.

She’s got some domestic baggage that can’t possibly interfere with the ability to serve the best interest of ALL NH kids and families, now can it? And don’t let that son of a governor’s last name fool you into thinking she’s not a member of the enemy camp.  And the husband is definitely in bed with Nashua’s ruling class as he was just elected to public works last fall.

Jodi Nelson won a special election, but like Bill Boyd, quickly showed her true colors as a RINO in the way she voted shortly after being elected.

What a disappointment, but let’s move on.

Queen Heather, aka Rep Raymond, had the school gavel and ruled the Nashua Board of Education with an iron fist, muzzling the students and her fellow members.  I’m sure the recently ousted Paula Johnson has much to say about Heather, who called the police on Paula and took her drama show to national news, but just as relevant is her record with DSS.  A kid in the system died on her watch, as I noted in my earlier piece on committee assignments.

What kind of responsible leader would allow such a blemished record in a committee tasked with serving “the most vulnerable?”  I put those words in quotes because the enemy camp loves to use them when using said people as tools to advance their agenda.  Similar questions need to be asked in many government bodies, panels, boards, commissions, departments, and courtrooms regarding the youth center scandal.  I direct you to the multitude of articles by Claire Best here.

Committee members Debra DeSimone and Lorie Ball, though Rs on paper and possibly ok people at the time of committee selection have proven themselves enemies of RTK in the 2/1/24 roll call votes on HB 1002.  Unless it’s a family privacy issue, RTK is for everyone.

As for the following reps, Bickford, McMahon, Grossman, Gibbons, and Levesque, they voted ITL on HB 1308, parental access to library records.

And I would be remiss to ignore an opportunity to lampoon a LEVESQUE anyway, just saying, no disrespect against Neil from St A’s.

Seemingly there are only two good eggs in the HCFLC that I can confirm, one of them, Sheila Seidel, only by the way she voted on HB 1308.  Any additional praise for her is certainly welcome in the comments.  And the other is Sandra Panek for her unwavering activism in election security reform.  Sandra and Sheila can’t do the work of the whole committee, just like one member of a family can’t fix the whole family alone.  I suddenly think about Minuchin and his theories on enmeshment and disengagement.

It’s late in the season.  There are sure to be some senate bills coming to this committee later this spring, but readers should think about this toxic committee at election time and how to get some personnel changes to occur, if still necessary, after the election.  Replacing the Speaker, followed by replacing the chair, vice chair, and clerk, might be a good place to start.

The post Attention to Dysfunction in The House Children and Family Law Committee appeared first on Granite Grok.

Nikki Haley’s recent requests for federal Secret Service protection coincide with revelations that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s similar pleas in 2023 were coldly dismissed.

In such highly charged political times, understanding the guidelines that determine when candidates are afforded security at public expense reveals whether such rules are being applied fairly. It is striking that Barack Obama was provided Secret Service protection far earlier in his campaign, seemingly because of his skin color, but the federal government still refuses to supply security to a Kennedy despite that family’s tragic legacy of assassinations.

Recent disclosures regarding the Secret Service’s decision to deny Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. protection as he campaigns for president suggest the Democrats have become extremists willing to do anything to retain power. The U.S. government began providing protection to major party candidates following John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. However, it does not appear to have applied these protections consistently with its own guidelines in Bobby Kennedy’s case, undermining its stated purpose “to maintain the integrity of the democratic process and continuity of government.”

Secret Service guidelines provide the parameters of who qualifies as a candidate, the process by which threats will be assessed, and a timeline for protection -– generally, candidates are only provided protection within one year of the election:

Protection under these guidelines should only be granted within one year prior to the general election. Protection more than one year prior to the general election should only be granted in extraordinary, case by case circumstances in consultation with the committee, based on threat assessment and other factors.

Bobby Kennedy applied for protection in May of 2023, providing a detailed explanation of personal threats against him. This was denied in what Judicial Watch’s Tom Fitton called a “dangerous and vindictive” refusal by the Biden administration. Kennedy said there were two more denials of protection after that. It is unclear whether President Biden had any input into the decision, but Judicial Watch reported that Biden’s Homeland Security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, was the official decision-maker issuing the denial.

Surely, Bobby Kennedy should have been provided security by now, just nine months before the 2024 election.

Bobby Kennedy now polls above 20% as a third-party candidate, qualifying him for protection under the guidelines. Nikki Haley, who as a major party candidate must demonstrate a 15% poll support for 30 days to qualify, may have a hard sell. Kennedy has steadily gained in the polls despite obvious gaslighting, deplatforming, and biased attacks by the Democrat apparatus and its mainstream media propagandists. With Joe Biden’s mental competence obviously shattered, compelling Kennedy to absorb half of his campaign contributions to protect his life hardly seems like a boon for the democratic process. (Kennedy is a far superior candidate to either Biden or Harris).

Biden’s Banana Republic has been built on lies and toxicity. A self-proclaimed “uniter” who condemns half of Americans as domestic terrorists and racists, Joe B. has launched a woke federal government takeover for transgenderism, climate change, racism parading as restitution, and every other neo-Marxist, America-hating fad he can clutch. Like a corrupt third-world dictator, President Biden appears to be deliberately exposing Kennedy to assassination, or at least the anxiety that accompanies that ever-present threat -– Joe Biden could instead demonstrate his mental acuity (and human decency?) by calling for fellow Democrat Kennedy’s protection ASAP.

Jimmy Carter granted Democrat rival Ted Kennedy Secret Service protection in September 1979, 14 months prior to the election. Favoritism for people of color has extended to Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama: Obama received protection 18 months before election day, apparently premised on his skin color and threats –- apparently, threats against a white man don’t carry the same weight in America, even if leveled against a Kennedy.

An entire nation watched as John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated. The Warren Report’s “magic bullet” travesty has never satisfied the smell test for credibility: and neither does the denial of Bobby Kennedy’s Secret Service protection. Most major polls appear to simply sideline Kennedy even as his support grows -– especially among young voters. Sapping his campaign funds while exposing him to anxiety and possible murder appears to be the obvious, deliberate path of POTUS Biden.

Joe Rogan, citing that Kennedy has now been denied protection three times, called it “f***ing egregious.”

America witnessed the corrupt Democrat party machine deny Bernie Sanders a fair shot in its 2016 primaries, favoring Hillary Clinton in her doomed embarrassment of a campaign against Donald Trump. Now they witness an even greater display of naked-emperor shenanigans as an iconic Kennedy is thrown to the wolves –- and would-be assassins -– rather than allow his voice to be heard even by Democrat voters.

Voters are told it is Donald Trump who threatens democracy despite his four years of abiding by the laws that the Biden clan flouts. If a third Kennedy is slain, would there be any accountability by any government agencies? If the CIA didn’t kill John F Kennedy, Jr., it sure looks like the federal government is trying to kill this Kennedy now through base partisan nonfeasance.

Americans watching this treatment of Robert F. Kennedy. Jr. see that Joe Biden is hardly a kindly old gentleman with memory recall difficulties. If he hasn’t already, Donald Trump would do well to call for Kennedy’s Secret Service protection now that Kennedy meets all the requirements. Donald Trump can publicly rescue a Kennedy from the visible corruption of today’s Democrat party and “maintain the integrity of the democratic process” that the Democrats have visibly abandoned.

 

John Klar is an Attorney, farmer, and author. Mostly farmer… And Regular Contributor to GraniteGrok and VermontGrok.

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The Electric Vehicle (EV) has always been a Climate Pootemkin Villiage. The mirage of climate activism incarnate. Unaffordable but to a few who expect those beneath them to follow their example. A class that forced car makers to build them and taxpayers to subsidize something with significant manufacturing downsides to the planet.

New EVs are none of the things promised, were pushed too hard, too soon, and the glut of used single-owner and fleet vehicles are chickens coming home to roost.

Used EVs are likely one of the riskiest transportation investments you can make. Depleted battery life and the threat of having to replace the power pack are cost-prohibitive to the buyer and the dealer, who can’t promise to defray the cost when it comes time to replace it – an expense that often exceeds the resale value of the vehicle.

Given how much pricier used cars and trucks have been since Obama’s Cash for Clunkers (thanks again, Democrats), dropping used EV prices might look appealing, but the combustion engine will win out on reliability, affordability (repair and insurance), and compatibility with the world in which we actually live.

These long-range truths are causing buyer remorse for people who bought into the EV bait and switch. They aren’t green to build, are not charged with green energy (except in rare instances), are not green to decommission, lose range, are expensive to ensure and repair, and – at some point -owners might not be able to trade them in for another vehicle.

Dealers want to sell cars, but there’s a declining incentive to take a used EV in trade. What are EV owners to do with a used vehicle they want out of when there are too many on the lot already? It’s a fair question whose answer, if I were a betting man, will involve another taxpayer-backed incentive (bailout) to address the problem, first at the state and municipal level and then for private owners.

Every fool who bought in will want out and not have to pay for the cost of their short-sightedness.

Another bad situation created by the government at taxpayer expense whose end-of-life solution will cost taxpayers even more, just like the wind and solar boondoggles.

The post Has The “Success” of EV’s Caused Their Collapse? appeared first on Granite Grok.

As a parent, I am concerned with the rising use of recreational marijuana in society, especially in our youth and young adults. As a physician, I see firsthand the effects of Marijuana on health, and it is clear the marijuana on our streets in 2024 is not the same marijuana we or our parents may have smoked in the 1970s.

Daily use of Marijuana among Americans more than doubled in the decade from 2010 – 2020, during a period of time when recreational use of marijuana was legalized in many states. In this same decade, while teen cigarette and alcohol use both dropped, marijuana use among teens increased. Public health initiatives seem to have succeeded over the past generation in decreasing tobacco abuse, only to be replaced by a new addictive health harm.

So what’s in a name? Marijuana and Cannabis are terms that are often used interchangeably to refer to the same plant and the chemical compounds derived from it. THC (Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main intoxicating component of marijuana, which gives a user a euphoric high. But today’s marijuana is radically different from the pot of the past.

“Woodstock weed” from the 1970s contained roughly 3% THC (that psychoactive component above). Over the past 50 years, the potency of the marijuana plant through selective breeding has increased to an average potency of 23% THC found today. This potency of THC applies only to the marijuana flower (or bud) that is simply dried and smoked. You see, THC can be chemically concentrated into products containing 95 – 99% THC. THC concentrates come as shatter, budder, waxes, dabs, gummies, and edibles. Concentrates can be vaped, smoked, or eaten.

We want to thank Dr. Joseph A Ebner for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
You can review our ‘Op-Ed Guidelines‘ on the FAQ Page.

Comparing today’s marijuana to that of the past is like comparing Ford’s Model T car to a Tesla. Both are automobiles, but other than that, they share very little in common.

The health concerns with marijuana come from the highly potent forms found in today’s market, not available decades ago. Marijuana use is a serious public health concern identified in many State Departments of Health because of the significant number of negative health effects associated with it, such as impaired driving, child overdose, marijuana-associated nausea and vomiting, and addiction withdrawal. High potency and high-frequency marijuana use are also associated with severe impacts on mental health, prompting a warning from the US Surgeon General in 2019 about the adverse effects on the brain.

Marijuana in 2024 is highly addictive, and long-term use of marijuana is associated with the development of Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD). CUD is a problematic pattern of marijuana use that leads to worsened academic and work performance, resulting in significant functional impairment or distress with relationships at the workplace or in school. The defining feature of CUD is the loss of control over marijuana use and persisting in use despite knowledge of adverse consequences. Marijuana use can produce chronic mood changes such as depression, and studies also support an association between marijuana use and exacerbation of mania in those with bipolar disorder.

Approximately half of chronic users of high-potency marijuana will experience withdrawal symptoms upon cessation: sleep difficulty, irritability or anger, anxiety, headache, and depressed mood. These uncomfortable symptoms can be significant enough for the resumption of marijuana use in a large proportion of individuals, leading to years of addiction.

Perhaps most distressing to me as a physician is the substantial evidence that chronic marijuana use is associated with an increased risk of psychosis and the development of schizophrenia. Even more distressing is the fact that adolescents and young adults who frequently use high-potency marijuana are most at risk of this long-term, chronic mental illness.

Marijuana use is rapidly increasing concurrent with legalization changes throughout the United States. Youth use in legal states is higher than in non-legal states, even though no state has legalized recreational marijuana for children under 18. Parental marijuana use increases the likelihood of marijuana and tobacco use and opiate misuse among household children.

New Hampshire HB 1633 is another attempt to “safely” introduce recreational marijuana into our state (at a time when we are still struggling with an opioid epidemic). The reality is there is no safe way to introduce something that is unsafe. I hope as a parent you will educate yourself on today’s marijuana and share your concern with your state representative. To learn more about the negative impacts legalized marijuana is having on other states and on our youth, please take a few moments to review the 2023-2024 SAM Impact Report.

2023-SAM-Annual-Report

Joseph A Ebner, MD, FACOG
NH Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) Advisory Committee

The post Cannabis Use Disorder Is a Serious Public Health Concern appeared first on Granite Grok.

I saw a clip of a new MSNBC special, which aired on February 11th, called Black Men in America: Road to 2024, with Trymaine Lee, Charles Coleman Martin Jr., and Al Sharpton, to name a few. In this clip, these men stood around a pool table and discussed crime and how the black man is made into a criminal by the establishment’s (the implication being white folks’) deliberate defining of crime to include behaviors that are part of the “black culture.”

Their solution is to redefine crime.

I couldn’t find ‘just the clip’ anywhere, but the pertinent piece can be seen at 3:16-4:24 of this Matt Walsh program. They say “We can get rid of all the crime in America overnight, just like that. “All we need to do is “change the definition of crime.”

Setting aside the utter racism present in the clip, we can discuss the absolute ridiculousness of this idea to no end. Rape and murder are rampant in our cities. No problem. Lower the crime rate by making rape and murder legal. We don’t get rid of the behavior; we just don’t call that behavior a crime.

We see this idea being implemented across our nation right now and look at the results. Box stores closing in affected areas, because the theft of anything under $900 is no longer prosecutable, and filthy, dangerous, drug-infested streets strewn with human waste because we’re not going to enforce laws against street camping, are two obvious examples.

We want to thank Michelle Hoy for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
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I am appalled at the thought that people are naïve enough to fall for this pile of malarkey, but then I recall a casual conversation that I had with a 19-year-old young woman one evening. After splitting up with her boyfriend of two years, she was bemoaning the difficulty she faced in finding another prospective husband. “There is nowhere to go to meet someone,” she says, wanting to avoid bars and dating apps.

Realizing that I am treading on thin ice, I suggest going to a church’s meetings for singles. She admits that this is a good idea since she wants to avoid men looking to participate in hookup culture, but it wouldn’t be fair to a boyfriend candidate as he would be looking for someone with his beliefs, which she doesn’t share. Commendable, but to me, sad.

What aspects of the Christian religion doesn’t she embrace? Let’s look at a few of them. She supports sexual transitioning, not in children, thank goodness, and not the participation of biological males in women’s sports leagues, but she believes that the “transition” of one sex to another is an effective treatment for gender dysphoria and that it is morally acceptable; She supports gay marriage; She supports sexual activity outside the bonds of marriage; She supports abortion.

So, how does this all relate to the MSNBC special?

Both are further representations of the decline in our society. Today, the goal is to make everything that has been historically socially unacceptable okay. As a result, personal responsibility goes out the window. I don’t want to feel guilty, so let’s just make everything I desire acceptable. We can see how centuries of mores that have enabled us to build a stable society are being dismantled in the name of inclusivity and the promotion of mental health. (We can’t be burdened with guilt. That would be unhealthy, of course.) We no longer strive against the inner “natural man” to improve ourselves and stabilize society. No more “let your conscience be your guide.” We just go with whatever feels good at the moment.

This 19-year-old’s objections against Christian beliefs aren’t in its founding principles. They are against restraints on her behavior, restraints that are put in place to protect her and society in general. Let’s examine a progression…Avoid dressing provocatively. This will help you to avoid the temptation to participate in sex outside of marriage, which protects you against unwanted pregnancy, which protects against a child being raised without the influences of both a mother and a father, which protects our society in general from the damage that this leads to. Also, since my body tells me that I want to have sex, I need to support abortion so that I can do so without having to risk any of the ramifications thereof, just in case birth control fails.

We can see that the opinions of both this 19-year-old young woman and these men in the MSNBC program represent the decline in our society. There is no personal responsibility, and if society insists that there is or that there should be, we need to dismantle that preconceived notion. I’m not at fault. Society is, and it needs to be adjusted so that I can proceed with whatever behavior pleases me at the time, no matter what the resulting damage. It starts with how we dress and speak and how we treat our bodies and ends with the promotion of degenerative behavior, to the detriment of our society. God help us as we continue down this path!

 

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There are only 60 covered bridges left in the State of New Hampshire. I can’t say how many we used to have or what happened to them, but someone has proposed creating a loophole in the state’s existing prohibitions against video surveillance. Why? ”

Covered bridges are essential to [insert name of town(s)] history, identity, and sense of community.”

These landmarks attract tourists; if you don’t mind, it can benefit the local economy. But damage and vandalism result in significant costs, so I get why there would be some interest in using cameras to watch these precious things, and the proposed legislation to allow surveillance includes some restrictions.

Under Faulkner’s bill, such video monitoring could be used only to investigate damage to a covered bridge. All other unrelated footage would be erased after seven days. Faulkner said the legislation is “carefully crafted to respect privacy rights of those who drive through the bridge.”

On Feb. 2, an amended version of HB 1217 received unanimous bipartisan support from the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. As amended, the bill would also require the state to install signs 100 feet away from the covered bridges alerting drivers that they are subject to video surveillance – just as businesses are required to do.

The bill has broad support, coming out of committee with a unanimous recommendation to support it (Ougth to pass 18-0), and I doubt there is much that will stop it from getting to the governor and becoming law, but I have concerns. New Hampshire’s long-held commitment to prohibiting public surveillance has been eroding, and every piece of new legislation opens the door a bit wider. With a legislative wink and a tweak, almost everything can be labeled as “important to [insert name’s] history, identity, and sense of community.”

Well-intentioned, HB1217 will invite, if not new, clauses (exceptions, provisos, caveats) that expand the times and locations where surveillance is permitted and on increasingly broader terms.

I like Covered Bridges. There’s one less than two miles from where I type this. But I think I’d rather add a line item to the local budget for more insurance to repair or replace them than open the door further to a surveillance state we know cannot be trusted and a government that increasingly works harder to deny natural rights than to protect them.

We do, after all, as a state and a nation, have a history of protecting rights and some measure of privacy, and while spying on bridges sounds harmless or even necessary (they are just like traffic cameras, Steve – to which I also object, btw), abuse and mission creep are inevitable. Once you open the door, it is almost impossible to get it closed.

 

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Maybe it’s me. Perhaps we have first to define great. From Joe Biden down to Sandy Cortez, the entire left tries their damndest to convince the country the economy is booming, and we ignorant people of the land don’t understand it.

Sidebar: I am watching Piers Morgan interview Jay Leno. Leno just said he likes Joe Biden, and the economy is doing well. That is easy to say, sitting in your garage surrounded by $500M worth of collectible automobiles. For those who watched Jay Leno, the economy is destroying their retirement dreams. Anyone who still works for a paycheck knows Joe Biden’s economy, Bidenomics, is stifling American families, businesses, and the core of our once great country. Most Americans cannot afford a good life for themselves or their families. The inability to give our children the lifestyle we enjoy is depressing.

The facts and data we are given each week and month tell a different story than the one the President and his staff tell daily. Not to overuse the word, but like the border, crime, and our status on the world stage, we are being gaslighted about the President’s performance. The polls show the effort to distort, and the President’s performance indicates the American public is watching the President, as we are told to do, and we do not like what we see. The latest composite poll shows only 39% of the country approve of the President, while 55.9% disapprove. The Vice President should not laugh at her numbers, which are 37.1%/51.7%. Those are not numbers to brag about or run for reelection on.

The latest Wholesale Inflation Report was released this week. The Labor Department said Friday that its producer price index, which measures inflation at the wholesale level before it reaches consumers, jumped 0.3% in January from the previous month. On an annual basis, prices remain up 0.9%. Those figures are higher than the 0.1% monthly gain and the 0.6% yearly figure predicted by Refinitiv economists. These numbers seem small, and you have to remember the cumulative impact of inflation on the prices we pay for goods and services.

The low numbers mean inflation is slowing, but prices remain high. Some examples of today’s prices versus three years ago are Overall +17.9%, Energy +32.3%, Electricity +27.8, Food +20.8%, and Shelter +19.4%. The more significant numbers support the pressure we all feel on our checkbooks. The Core Inflation number, which measures Food and Energy, is 2% for the last twelve months.

When the Fed met recently, they hinted at the possibility of a rate reduction in March. With these numbers, the economy has no confidence to justify a rollback in rates. The high prime rate will keep mortgage rates high, car loans will be too high for some to buy a new car in 2024, and credit card and loan rates will stay pat or increase. None of the stats in the last two paragraphs tell the story of a hot economy under Biden.

History tells us we will not see prices recede to 2021 levels should inflation be stopped. The higher prices we pay today are now the norm, the baseline. Our wages, SSA payments, or pensions have not come close to keeping up with the impacts of Bidenomics. So stop with the gaslighting. You have been a failure in every aspect of your job. You are officially the worst President in history. Jimmy Carter can rest easy. You have taken the baton from him and shown how your progressive, socialist policies could drive a country to the point of extinction. At some point, these Democrats who carry your water and tell us how good you are will need to save themselves. Then you, Jill, and Hunter will drink Keystone Light on a public beach in Rehoboth.

The post Joe, Please Stop Telling Us The Economy Is Great appeared first on Granite Grok.

A political canard runs rampant across our nation. The Billionaire Donor Class understands the fallacy of this canard and is financing Nikki’s (Name changers are like shape shifters. They cannot be trusted.) political ads “ad nauseam” to force “ whatever her name is” onto the Republican ticket.

The canard is that the Vice President does not matter. History shows us otherwise. Here is why!

Seventeen Vice-Presidents have become POTUS for one reason or another. On the Belknap County Republican Mount Washington cruise this summer I informed Vivek Ramaswamy of this lost historical fact. That means almost 40% of VPs have become POTUS.

We want to thank Charles Bradley for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
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Interestingly, the brilliant political minds in the early 20th century convinced President William McKinley, an Ohioan, to sideline the Governor of New York’s presidential aspirations by picking Teddy Roosevelt for VP. The assassination of McKinley launched the national political career of Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. TR dominated national politics for over two decades in the early 20th century. More recently, Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, LBJ, Gerald Ford and Biden, all held the office of Vice President. Additionally, several VPs were nominated, but defeated in the general election: Bob Dole and Al Gore spring to mind.

Another interesting historical footnote is that 7 or 8 POTUS’ have come from the great state of Ohio, a trove of electoral votes.

Hopefully, someone will let President Trump in on these historical tidbits. He may find them compelling. This forgotten history has enormous implications for the future of our Republic.

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Someone at the DNC or the Biden White House needs to take a bit more time vetting the “prosecutors” with whom they collude in their war on Trump. Fani Willis seems dirty, corrupt, and bad at keeping track of all the cash she gets and spends. On a positive note, her testimony may have harpooned Central Bank Digital Currency.

The pair of law enforcement professionals adopted the fraudster’s classic excuse: all the critical transactions that cleared everything up and resolved all the problems happened without records or receipts because it was all done in cash. They never wrote any of the payments down anywhere because they just trusted each other. They never mentioned all the cash payments in any text messages or emails or anything because just because. Mostly it was Fani paying Wade back, for squiring her through a series of sensuous, all-frills romantic vacations in exotic, high-roller destinations like Belize, Aruba, and Napa, California, where she toured wineries and noshed at five-star restaurants. …

The details of their alibis would only infuriate you, such as Fani’s claims she’s never used checks, that she keeps large amounts of cash around wherever “she lays her head,” but can’t account for exactly where the cash came from (“When I took out a large amount of money on my first campaign, I kept some of the cash of that”), and that she never asked for receipts or any statement in order to know how much to pay Mr. Wade, just his word, because he is such an honest fellow

You say there’s nothing wrong with cash – and I’d agree. Cash is King. Cash needs to stay in every way, but – despite all the Hollywood writers crafting scripts about criminals using digital currency to hide their crimes, cash is still king in crime, from protection operations, extortion, and drugs to prostitution, and it’s handy if you need to bribe government officials. You don’t want records of that or your tax evasion, which, as Jeff Childrers also notes at Coffee and COVID, they can never get rid of cash).

It is also a black thing, according to Fani Willis’… Father.

Called the following Day instead of Fani, who was expected to take the stand for cross-examination but never showed, Dad – a full-time Marxist, by all accounts, explained away all the cash-talk testimony of his daughter and her lover as having “always trained Fani to keep a lot of cash around the house because that’s a thing that black folks just do.“… “And his reason why black folks keep cash? Racism, of course. The magical invocation that explains everything and nothing at all.”

Keeping cash around, having cash, and paying with cash is something black folks do, he says, which means that its intended replacement, Central Bank Digital Currency, is not something in which the Black community is interested. Forcing them onto a digital dollar is racist and probably colonialist white supremacy.

The American uni party franchise of the NWO, led by the Democrat Party, has something of a problem if that is true. If black lives matter, so does cash, and we can’t have any of that digital racism you’ve got ready to go. People will need cash as an option, which puts a spanner in the works.

It won’t stop them. The Left-lead establishment has been screwing over Black Americans since before they were Americans, so they’ll figure it out, but as much of a mess as Willis is in, I couldn’t help having some fun with the testimony.

But what if CBDC is racist? The Media should do some polls.

 

The post Thanks to the Fani Willis Trial We Know That Central Bank Digital Currency … Is Racist appeared first on Granite Grok.

At the heart of any society is the family. A fair comparison is all the links of a chain that provide its strength. So it is that our American families are the beneficial links to our society. As such, it’s the little things within each family that bolster its inner functions, character, and purpose.

Today, this essential asset has disappeared. Therefore, a time out is needed so that we may reflect back upon those little things that always matter.

Each American generation drifts further from America’s origins. This is especially evident within the family since back in the day, families provided the classrooms and were the center for all activity. It was a more basic and demanding lifestyle, with each family member carrying their own weight.

Families have paid an admission fee for going along with today’s modern versions and it hasn’t been cheap! The cost has frayed its total fabric while adversely affecting each and every community.

It was only back In “the fifties” that times were generally happier with a bevy of smiles and laughter from America’s youngest. Family members greeted each other with warm hugs from our moms each morning, while at the end of each day, family chatter was easy, happy, and forthcoming. From our first remembrances, there existed this back and forth. Such daily routines molded Americans into an outgoing and friendly bunch, which was obvious when passer bys congenially greeted each other in public.

There was also a pre-TV time when young imaginations were developed when families listened to radio shows of the Old West and gangster stories. Then the “boob tube” invaded and became the family center for entertainment. It was then that conversations were first limited to commercial breaks!

Today, things have changed as quieter moments have become rare. When was the last time that the car was driven in total silence?, Hell, even our solitary moments when pumping gas have been invaded by a TV screen.

Another large hit affecting family unity has been the cell phone. No need to expound upon this other than to mention recent reports by knowledgeable officials and doctors cautioning about overuse and a growing reliance that may reach an additive level.

When driving on vacations, families formerly passed the time by playing make up games such as counting the number of vehicle makes, who first saw a different State license plate, then who knew that State’s capital, or even the first to spot a barn with red doors. While this was just innocent fun and meant to pass the time, it also formed a feeling of closeness and family togetherness just from the interaction of competition and laughter.

Today, as the family sedan has given way to the SUV or van, many vehicles are bought with a TV package because current vacation trips require a favorite movie so that the kids will be entertained and, therefore, quiet. No more of that constant “Are we there yet?” from the back seat. In fact, family conversations have since become minimal.

Dinner times were when each would tell of the day’s happenings, how the bike got a flat tire, what happened at school, or telling of the game played outside with friends. Also, the parents would tell about their day and of chores still waiting. Again, this was an interaction that tightened the parental/family bond with their children. This was what families did back then, wanting to know, understand, and “be there” for them, and yes, even when correcting their misbehaviors was necessary.

Back then, there wasn’t this urge to “be their friend.” Hell, parents had to do the spanking! Contrary to today’s standards, spanking, as a method of correction, is an expression of caring and love, plus it works! Parents were the adults, and what rights the kids would someday have were to be earned!

This barely scratches the family surface since the little things that define the family are endless. Each separate family had its own personality, its own make-up, and its own rules, but now the family is splintered and thus non-communicative. In a harsh but telling comparison, the lioness in the jungle tends and cares for her cubs more so than today’s parents!

Our Country’s future is dependent upon the family. Every child seeks learning and, yes, even correcting, but not when families remain in such a dysfunctional state! We need to reinstitute the little things. Hopefully, this review sheds light on the “why” of this current violence and hatred for anything that predates the current times. This reasoning is senseless and has become detrimental to all of America, including her families!

The post It’s The Little Things appeared first on Granite Grok.

The CIA is in the news of late. What’s not in the news, and should be, is Maximus. The question is whether the CIA and Maximus are one and the same. Maximus Inc. is a Government Services Provider operating in the US, UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Israel.

It primarily started out with Medicaid contracts tying it to Catholic Charities who provide healthcare and children’s services. From there, it has expanded into pretty much any Government-involved service that would make it easy to collect data. Data that could be used to make public services more efficient is also data that can be traded, sold, and used for blackmail, elections, and global control. Data can be leaked by the millions into the wrong hands. Maximus recently admitted to a data leak of information on 11 million people (roughly the individual populations of Cuba, Sweden, the Dominican Republic, South Sudan, and Jordan).

The following letter from Maximus to the Attorney General of New Hampshire provides a little insight:

“On or about August 13, 2023, Maximus’ ongoing investigation revealed that the copied files may have contained some or all of the following types of personal information of at least 6,376 known New Hampshire residents: The specific information impacted differed by individual depending on the government project at issue among other factors. Although the investigation determined the incident did not affect Maximus systems directly beyond Maximus’ MOVEit Transfer environment, Maximus continues to enhance its cybersecurity posture to safeguard against ever-evolving cyber threats, building on its written information security program.”

Maximus made the above data breach seem like not so serious of a matter. But that’s not quite true when you consider quite how wide-reaching Maximus’ tentacles go and quite how compromised state officials are in examining this with any real depth:

We want to thank Claire Best for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
You can review our ‘Op-Ed Guidelines‘ on the FAQ Page.

Maximus Inc. was started in 1975 by a DARPA Vietnam vet — David Mastran — just four years after a New York Times journalist obtained the “Pentagon Papers” — 7000 pages of documents “leaked” from the Department of Defense telling a very different story of the Vietnam war than had been presented by the Government.

DARPA is tied to JASON (July, August, September, October, November) and a secret group of scientists.

The same year that Maximus was founded, the “Senate Church Committee” was formed — a committee that would reveal the CIA’s clandestine human experiments, otherwise known as MK Ultra.

The CIA operated its MK Ultra experiments behind dozens of front organizations, from educational facilities to hospitals, prisons, and non-profits. Individually, many of these had no idea that the CIA was their employer.

The CIA is unlikely just to shut things down once one of its clandestine activities gets exposed. It is more likely to go underground and continue behind a different facade.

The CIA was recently cited in a lawsuit in Montreal by the families of MK Ultra survivors. The US argued for immunity.

All indications are that the CIA’s current facade is Maximus Inc., which, in September 2023, hired a new general counsel- John Martinez.

John Martinez’s background is in the CIA as well as other areas of intelligence and defense.

“Mr. Martinez was Raytheon’s Chief Cybersecurity and Privacy Counsel and also served as Senior Counsel for IIS’ Cybersecurity and Special Missions business. Mr. Martinez also served as Senior Counsel to a variety of IIS Mission Areas, such as Global Intelligence Systems, Mission Support and Modernization, and Navigation and Environmental Solutions. Before joining Raytheon in 2011, Mr. Martinez was the Deputy General Counsel for Intelligence at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and an Associate General Counsel at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) where he was Chief of the Director’s Review Group (DRG), the primary CIA focal point for Department of Justice and Congressional investigations into rendition, detention and interrogation matters. Mr. Martinez also served as Chief of the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center High-value Detainee Prosecution Taskforce and an operational lawyer in the Counterterrorism Center. Earlier in his career, Mr. Martinez was an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan.”

Maximus has a contract with the National Oceanographic And Atmospheric Administration business (NOAA).

The CIA just awarded a secret multibillion dollar cloud based contract to: Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Google, Oracle and IBM — the announcement includes reference to NOAA and thus implicates Maximus.

“”We remain committed to serving public sector organizations of all sizes, and this award builds on recent federal momentum for Google Cloud with NOAA, the U.S. Department of Energy, Defense Innovation Unit, U.S. Navy, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. Small Business Administration, and more.”

The contract and accompanying procurement documents have not been released to the public.”

Google is tied to Stanford (David Mastran of Maximus’ alma mater and scene of the Stanford Prison Experiment), the CIA and data collecting. It has also been sued for anti-trust. Apple was mentioned in the lawsuit. SIRI is tied to Apple and to Stanford.

“Siri is a spin-off from a project developed by the SRI International Artificial Intelligence Center.”

IBM is tied to Maximus Board Chief Bruce Caswell and Board Member Anne Altman who was general manager of IBM’s U.S federal government and industries. David V Mastran also had a company in the 80s that was making computers for IBM.

In October 2021, Maximus was awarded a $323 million contract from the SEC.

“We announced today that we have been awarded a contract from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) worth $323 million. Under the 10-year contract, we will expand our existing Enterprise EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval) System Support Services to encompass the entire EDGAR system. The contract was awarded using the SEC OneIT IDIQ.”

Gary Gensler, who heads the SEC, allegedly met several times with Sam Bankman-Fried of FTX, who, according to trial records, received guidance on which election candidates to invest in from his mother, who co-founded “Mind The Gap.” Mind The Gap hired Eric Schmidt (of Google)’s company “Civis Analytics” — a data gathering company.

Is Civis Analytics connected to Maximus? Maybe. The US Citizenship & Immigration Resources Center is a partner with Maximus’s AI and Advanced Analytics. So are the US Army and the CDC inter alia:

New York Prosecutors decided to drop charges against Sam Bankman-Fried for election campaign fraud.

John Martinez of Maximus started out as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan before his work for the CIA, Department of Defense, and Maximus. There hasn’t been a connection made thus far between Maximus and FTX and election campaign fraud, but that doesn’t mean to say there isn’t one, given the number of pies Maximus has its hands in, especially the SEC and the SEC Chief’s connection to Sam Bankman-Fried.

The US has very well-defined anti-trust and monopoly laws, except when it comes to Maximus Inc.

Bruce Caswell, who currently heads Maximus, joined the company in 2004 — the year it was granted a no-bid Medicaid contract in “First in the Nation” New Hampshire.

“Prior to joining Maximus in 2004, Bruce worked in several capacities for IBM, including Vice President of State and Local Government and Education, as well as Director of Federal Business Development within IBM’s Business Consulting Services. He started his career at Price Waterhouse’s Office of Government Services.”

As part of its no-bid contract with the state, a large private firm has proposed that New Hampshire ask for a special waiver enabling it to slash spending through a “dramatic” restructuring of its Medicaid program.”

On the board of Maximus is Kathleen Kerr. Prior to joining Maximus, her bio for the company states that she worked in New Hampshire for its Department of Health and Human Services/DCYF for 12 years. Her bio omits the fact that she worked for Policy Studies in New Hampshire as well which is exposed in the “Pentagon Papers” of 1971 tied to the Vietnam war and David Mastran, the DARPA Vietnam vet who founded Maximus. Policy Studies is also tied to Maximus. Kathleen Kerr had to have been involved in New Hampshire’s decision to give a no bid contract to Maximus. She was rewarded with a job at Maximus with her name now listed on multiple companies belonging to the behemoth.

“She also served for 12 years with the State of New Hampshire, Department of Health and Human Services, first as Chief Legal Counsel for the Division of Child Support Services and later as the Director of the Office of Program Support, where she was also Director of the state’s Title IV-D program.

While Kathleen Kerr was Chief Legal Counsel for the Division of Child Support Services (DCYF) in New Hampshire, the State knowingly covered up extreme child sex abuse at the Sununu Youth Development Center named after John Sununu, who was Governor of New Hampshire and White House Chief of Staff for George Bush Senior. Maximus registered in New Hampshire in 1992 while Bush was in office. John Sununu is registered with Boston Scientific at the Concord Building as of 1997. The same address, 10 Ferry Street, Concord, New Hampshire, houses the CIA’s “Dataminr,” the Department of Defense Contractor “Dyncorp”, the Children’s Trust Fund (tracking children), Quest Diagnostics, International Rescue Committee (tied to the UN) and Virtus LLC “Protecting God’s Children” founded by former Monsignor Edward Arsenault who was the “compliance” officer for the Diocese of Manchester but whose principal business was expanding the business of Catholic Medical Center and Catholic Risk Retention Management. These were tied to Medicaid, DHHS and DCYF (and thus Maximus’ interests). Maximus has contracts with Catholic Charities and is a generous donor to Catholic Charities.

John Stephen was the head of the New Hampshire DHHS when Maximus was given its no-bid contract for Medicaid in 2004. Despite questions over the high overhead fees for Maximus, the deal went through.

Records of David Mastran’s campaign donations to George Pataki, Rudy Giuliani, and others in New York and elsewhere suggest that campaign contributions to the powers that be in New Hampshire most likely greased the wheels there as well. Sam Bankman-Fried was buying his way in via campaign donations to candidates of both parties. It looks like that is what David Mastran was doing too. But for himself or for the Department of Defense or CIA or?

Nixon Peabody law firm (founded in 1999 in Boston, Massachusetts and Manchester, New Hampshire) — whose partners included David Vicinanzo, a Clinton appointee federal prosecutor who’d also worked in the NH AG’s office, and Gordon J. MacDonald, whose claim to fame included working for NH Senator Gordon Humphrey and on Dan Quayle’s campaign.

He drafted the appeal for the defendant in Tessier v Rockefeller.

Gordon MacDonald also represented the Diocese of Manchester, settling dozens of claims against it for alleged child abuse, regardless of the validity of the cases. The Diocese of Manchester was not just the Church but everything that fell under its umbrella, from schools to nursing homes to clinics, hospitals, and shelters. His law firm, Nixon Peabody, replaced another law firm who’d had the business for years. Jeanne Shaheen was Governor of New Hampshire at the time. He seems to be the son of Gordon F.J. MacDonald, who attended Harvard, MIT, and Dartmouth (like Gordon MacDonald) who was tied to JASON, DARPA, and the CIA.

John Stephen left office, and David Vicinanzo donated $2000 to John Stephen’s political campaign in 2007. Today, Stephen has an office down the block from Nixon Peabody in Manchester, New Hampshire. Nixon Peabody’s business has ballooned in the healthcare business. Purdue Pharma is one of its clients.

“During his management consulting career, John has led efforts in numerous states to transform various aspects of Health and Human Services to provide better quality and access for beneficiaries. John recently led the TSG team in reviewing and analyzing the entire operations of the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS), Medicaid, Long Term Care, Behavioral Health, and Developmental Disabilities programs. After delivering its Assessment Report and Recommendations to a Legislative Task Force, John and the TSG team developed an implementation plan for the legislature to effectively monitor several Medicaid transformation projects in that state.”

John Stephen appears to be doing Maximus’ bidding to Maine:

Gordon MacDonald had to recuse himself from signing a letter with 39 Attorneys General about Big Pharma’s price-fixing due to his representation of Purdue. He’d defended the company against the State of New Hampshire right before he himself became Attorney General — managing to block an audit of internal documents.

Edward Arsenault (who worked with Gordon MacDonald from the inside of the Diocese) went to jail for defrauding the Diocese of Manchester, a dead priest’s estate, and the Catholic Medical Center, where he was in charge of increasing profits. He was released when Gordon MacDonald was the Attorney General for New Hampshire. Assistant AG Jane Young shook Arsenault’s handcuffed hands as he took the plea deal in 2014. She is now US Attorney for New Hampshire.

Gordon MacDonald had dismissed child sex abuse at the Sununu Youth Development Center for “Victim negligence,” and he argued that police officers with credibility issues should not have their names or records named public. He hired one of these officers for a Grand Jury Criminal Investigation into St. Paul’s School in 2017. The report, despite promises, was never made public. The police officer, James F McLaughlin, has a record of dishonesty dating to the 1980s when he worked with Sylvia Gale of the DCYF to frame Father Gordon MacRae, a priest in the Diocese of Manchester who was sentenced to 67 years in prison for sex crimes which his accuser later admitted he’d been coerced into fabricating — for money. Edward Arsenault had promised to get MacRae legal help under the condition that he sent his files to David Vicinanzo. Vicinanzo never picked up the case but is now representing the victims of child sex abuse at the YDC who were referred to him by his ex-partner Gordon MacDonald when he was AG via his client, the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence, who are also intertwined with the DCYF who allegedly instructed interns at the YDC to delete files.

If Maximus had never set foot in New Hampshire, would children have suffered in the Youth Detention Center? Would Father Gordon MacRae remain incarcerated? Would St. Paul’s School have been targeted for the Government to infiltrate it and install a “compliance” officer who introduced maxient.com software to analyze student behavior? Would New Hampshire have been fined $7.9 million for double billing of Medicaid? Would the state not have tried to prevent witnesses from giving testimony about abuse at the YDC? Would there be an opioid crisis?

The University of New Hampshire receives millions in research. Coincidentally, its areas of research align completely with Maximus’ area of business. The head of the UNH Board of Trustees just happens also to be the head of Catholic Medical Center — Alex Walker. Catholic Medical Center covered up medical malpractice and kickbacks.

The Government does not seem too concerned. Nor do the FBI. Nor does the CIA. The Police Chief for Concord, New Hampshire, comes from FBI training in Virginia, but he doesn’t have the time or resources to get the Concord Police accredited.

“Osgood is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, with a B.A. in Psychology; and Rivier University, where he earned a Master of Business Administration degree. He is also a 2008 graduate of the 235th Session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va., and has served as the Interim Police Chief since December 20, 2013.”

Concord Police Chief Bradley Osgood has admitted that witnesses are sometimes paid by the police for Grand Jury and that this is not always made known to defendants. UNH is closely intertwined with the City of Concord, its police department, and Merrimack County Prosecutors. By all appearances, New Hampshire looks like a haven for the US Government’s clandestine activities hiding behind Maximus and its intelligence agencies.

*A special thank you to the expert on Maximus: Jack Pendergrass. Jack has dedicated years to uncovering Maximus’ activities. You can find him on YouTube and Apple Podcasts.

 

The views and opinions expressed by contributors are those of the author and may not reflect the opinion or position of  Grok Media, GraniteGrok.com, its authors, advertisers, donors, or sponsors.

The post Is the CIA Operating a Power Grab Behind the Front of MAXIMUS? appeared first on Granite Grok.

In a world where the traditional structures of education are constantly evolving, the rise of homeschooling has become a prominent force, challenging the conventional notions of learning.

As Ivan Illich eloquently stated in his groundbreaking work ‘Deschooling Society,’ the essence of education lies in the pursuit of meaningful experiences facilitated by things, models, peers, and elders. In this era of millions of new homeschooling families, the importance of a multi-generational perspective and open dialogue surrounding education is more critical than ever.

Illich’s assertion that learning is a natural process that occurs through meaningful interactions with the environment, peers, and mentors resonates deeply in the context of homeschooling. Homeschooling, once primarily associated with a fringe movement, has now become a mainstream choice for families seeking personalized, flexible, and wholistic approaches to education.

However, the surge in homeschooling is not without its challenges. One glaring issue is the lack of a supportive community for these families. Our society, despite its interconnectedness through technology, is paradoxically segregated. This segregation impedes the formation of a robust homeschooling community where ideas, resources, and experiences can be shared.

In the spirit of Illich’s ideas, we need to foster an environment where generations come together to support the collective journey of learning. The wisdom of elders, the enthusiasm of youth, and the experiences of those in between can create a rich tapestry of knowledge-sharing that extends beyond the confines of traditional education.

The notion of homeschooling shouldn’t be confined to the years between 5 and 18; it’s a lifelong journey. From birth to the early formative years and then post-graduation, we are all perpetual learners. The current educational paradigm often neglects the intrinsic interests and individuality of learners. It’s time to collectively reimagine what education means in our society.

Quoting Illich, “Most learning is not the result of instruction. It is rather the result of unhampered participation in a meaningful setting.” This participation is not limited by age or stage in life. The exchange of knowledge and experiences among different generations is a cornerstone of effective homeschooling. As we navigate this educational landscape, we must strive to build a sense of community where families can come together, not just for support but also for the enrichment of their homeschooling journey.

In conclusion, the conversation about homeschooling must extend beyond the immediate family to include a broader community. We must draw inspiration from Illich’s vision of deschooling society and apply it to our collective efforts to create an inclusive, supportive, and multi-generational homeschooling community. Only through this shared commitment can we truly reimagine education and pave the way for a brighter, more interconnected future for homeschooling families.

 

The views and opinions expressed by contributors are those of the author and may not reflect the opinion or position of Grok Media, GraniteGrok.com, its authors, advertisers, donors, or sponsors.

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It turns out the Censorship Industrial Complex is not just real. It is a lot more complex than you likely imagined. It is currently centered in the US under the Department of Homeland Security, but there are a lot of players and moving parts, as explained by Tucker’s latest Guest, Mike Benx. And they meddle in elections.

These are the folks you heard about in the Twitter files and who are working – even now- to limit Democracy by silencing citizens engaged in public political debate in the name of protecting democracy.

Benz flawlessly explains the history and background as well as the reason for the current state of censorship around the world and in America, hiding behind the current anti-democracy narratives wrapped in terms like misinformation, disinformation, and malformation. Window dressing for legitimatizing government censorship, using AI and high-tech online surveillance of Americans to suppress, discredit, or censor anything or anyone it doesn’t like.

I do not often use the term ‘must watch,’ but you hshould watch this and then…watch it again. It is mind-blowing and, at the same time, not all that surprising given recent events. Benz’s understanding of the players, the history, and the tools seems unprecedented and almost impossible to believe until you’ve seen it and heard it for yourself.

 Mike Benz, is a former State Department official with responsibilities in formulating and negotiating US foreign policy on international communications and information technology matters. Mr. Benz founded FFO as a civil society institution building on his experience in the role of championing digital freedom around the world in the public sector.

Here it is.

 

Uncensored: The National Security State & the Inversion of Democracy

The national security state is the main driver of censorship and election interference in the United States. “What I’m describing is military rule,” says Mike Benz. “It’s the inversion of democracy.”

Ep. 75 The national security state is the main driver of censorship and election interference in the United States. “What I’m describing is military rule,” says Mike Benz. “It’s the inversion of democracy.” pic.twitter.com/hDTEjAf89T

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) February 16, 2024

The post Mind Blowing Revelations on Government Censorship And Election Interference appeared first on Granite Grok.

The new world of sustainable insects or bugs, fake food, and “re-wilding” our farmland (stay tuned for more). This is a follow-up to the article “No farms, No food” and the WHO, WEF, and globalists’ brilliant ideas to starve us into a fake bioengineered, bug-eating world while they enjoy “re-wilding” our farmland and eating meat.

This series is to enlighten folks about the market and help them become knowledgeable when buying food.

All we really need to know is the WHO, WEF, and globalists are positioning bugs as “insects generate significantly less greenhouse gas and use considerably less land.” Aside from fish bait and reptile food, it’s going to take lots of our money to make it sustainable and palatable for people. But if ole Bill G, rhymes with fake, has anything to say about it. You’ll eat them and like it! Just check out “All Things Bugs, LLC.”…

We want to thank Julie P. for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
You can review our ‘Op-Ed Guidelines‘ on the FAQ Page.

Bugs…

We’ve gone from bugs as pests that should be eradicated to bugs to eat. Some of the propaganda will have you believing that if it were not for the native Americans’ yen for bugs, the colonies would have starved. Most of history reports farmers’ woes with bugs. Like the weevil that ruined many crops, but there’s the bee that sustained them, they did not “eat them though. There is a small percentage of insects that find their way into food, but pesticides are efficient in eradicating most of our foods today.

The EU, Canada, and the USA have approved some species of bugs for human consumption. They admit it will be years before whole bugs will sustain the population therefore it’s primarily being used as fillers while they ramp up their propaganda and normalize eating bugs, check out Irish documentary Ireland 2050. Bug farmers are getting subsidies from the governments. Canada agri-food just poured $8.5m; the USA $1.3B in private funds and $2.2m in grants.

The government claims there is a consumer demand for sustainable bugs. The only drawback, besides consumers being repulsed, is volume and pesty food regulations. Where’s PETA when you need them? Far be it for anyone to stop those who enjoy a meal of worms, but like everything else today, it’s being done in such a way not many are aware. Are bugs good for people? They have high-quality protein, but the sheer volume you’d have to eat is huge compared to meat, dairy, and poultry. This a push to make bugs sustainable and slowly remove meat, dairy, and poultry (have to be careful as meat is getting a makeover too) while convincing the masses cows are the devil reincarnated that’ll destroy the world with flatulence…

Here’s what to look for so far. (This is a partial list of bugs and foods with bugs, and it is always prudent and advised to do your own research! )

Grillodes Siggilatus – dried crickets can be found in bread and breakfast cereal, biscuits, cookies, and crackers. Many contain 10% bugs.

Tenebrio Molitor – whole ground mealworms can be found in bread and breakfast cereal, biscuits, cookies and crackers, meat, burgers, and sausages and other innovative applications!

Locusta migratoria – whole ground grasshopper or locusts (a novel food, food not consumed by humans until 1997) approved and advertised on the EU as potato, meat additives, soups, vegetables, chocolate, nuts sausages, milk- whole ground grasshopper or locusts.

Acheta domesticus – whole ground crickets or locust approved in the EU and US and used in energy bars, snacks, smoothies, fours, and additive fillers.

And!

Cochineal bug, aka carmine, is a red coloring derived from crushed-up bugs used in coloring found in candy, ketchup, soft drinks, sausage, and crab meat.

Stay tuned for more on “No farms, no food.”

 

The post No Farms, No Food – The Bugs You May Already Be Eating appeared first on Granite Grok.

Medically Assisted Dying, which used to be a war crime and opposed by the American left as a form of Capitol Punishment, is the Depopulation Prog’s new Hot Ticket. With too many of the wrong sort of people on the planet, why not normalize suicide and then give them a reason to want to kill themselves?

Make people miserable, convince them to end it all, and then pat each other on the back about the deep well of empathy you’ve tapped into.

Democrat Empathy, for those keeping score at home, has produced record debt, inflation, economic misery, crime, and chaos. In the name of protecting Ukrainians, it scuttled a peace deal early on in the conflict, resulting in tens of thousands more wounded and dead. Lib-Empathy is what powers the sirens and lights as depleted police forces race to record another inner-city murder. It ends babies’ lives before they are born. Open border empathy has drawn millions of third-worlders into cities, straining resources, spreading disease, creating crime, gang wars, drug abuse, and overdose deaths.

The Left’s solution to all the misery they’ve caused is to pass legislation that will inevitably lead to the systematic depopulation of the autistic, sick children, mental health patients, people who are a strain on the public health system, low-income folks, retirees, veterans with PTSD, mental health patients, and the homeless. That’s not an exaggeration. Every one of those notions is either in practice in states or nations with medically assisted dying or has been suggested (tee’d up) by experts who are setting the table for the NWO concentration camp: the entire planet disguised as 15-minute prisons with walkable bug-food cafes watched by the all-caring A-eye of the surveillance state.

Death comes for us all; it is inevitable, but time has shown us that with Assisted suicide on the cultural menu, it could come a lot sooner than you think. Ecuador’s highest court has effectively authorized Euthanasia without consent – where the person is unable to give it (incapacitated, coma, etc). It is a small leap from requiring a family’s consent to the always fiscally-stretched state-run health system clearing the cost of that patient from the books to “save” taxpayers money. Boom. Gone.

This sort of abuse of chemical death is not just likely but expected.

In a similar vein, the Netherlands has justified the killing of chronically or terminally ill children without their knowledge or consent. Post-birth abortion by other means sounds like a stretch until you remember that ethicists have long argued that parents should have the legal right to kill their living children during the first several years of life. Leaping from the parents to the State was probably the plan all along.

In Colorado, they have legislation that would reduce the amount of time between being convinced you should kill yourself and medically assisted dying to 48 hours. The previous mandatory waiting period was 15 days (Hawaii’ shortened theirs to five days last year); because you can’t give them too much time to think about it, they might decide to live.

This should get those death-by-medical suicide numbers closer to Canada, which has been leading the pack on the speedy delivery of death for an increasingly longer list of ‘ailments’ like being economically disadvantaged (even if that is a result of deliberate government policy).

It’s the slippery slope. It is why I object to MAiD and assisted dying defined by the State. It will creep, expand, and be abused. And as awful as a terminal illness with chronic pain might be (yes, I have seen that in person), the threat to future generations of the liberty of the otherwise healthy is greater. It is a policy that, once allowed, will end with Euthanasia as a way to get rid of whomever the State defines as a burden sold as empathy.

They will claim to be doing you and them a favor.

 

The post Slippery Meet Slope: Colorado Assisted Suicide Bill Drops Wait Time To 48 Hours appeared first on Granite Grok.

Rep Arlene Quaratiello vented to me last night that the House Children and Family Law Committee gave her bill, HB 1308, the ITL with a 13-2 vote.  Arlene, as you can see on her home page here, is a librarian and has made a few Grok contributions as well.

The bill she sponsored, HB 1308, falls under the hot issue of parental rights.

It also sends my mind 40+ years back in time to share a personal story. At the request of my then-best friend, I loaned her my library card when she saw a book she wanted to check out. Being the dutiful friend, I obliged her without even caring what the book was or her trustworthiness in returning it on time. A few weeks later, a postcard from the library arrived that said, “Please return the overdue book, Can You Sue Your Parents for Malpractice? by Paula Danziger,” during the day while I was at school.

At the time, I didn’t even know what malpractice was.  When I got home, my mother was furious, but I was equally furious at my friend for letting me get thrown under the bus by her irresponsibility.  Also, at the time, I didn’t know what conspiracy theorists were, and I got my first taste of conspiracy theory when my father came home from work a while later.

He accused my friend of plotting against them. Let it be known that this incident does not make for any family baggage but rather current humor because I haven’t so much as thought about it for decades.  It just goes with the territory of having a good memory.  And I never did read that book though I did read Danziger’s other book, The Cat Ate My Gymsuit, because its feline title got my attention.  Danziger’s books are appropriate for a youth section rather than on the shelf next to the Da Vinci Code.

Fortunately, there was no fine, and there is no “Mr Bookman” stalking me today.



My overdue book experience was from long ago and not so far away, when my mother knew the librarian and often ran into her around town. The local kids always knew that the library staff could and often would phone parents to report misbehavior when they saw fit.  Today, in the city, not even the Freedom of Information Act could help inquisitive parents.

Parents do have the right to inspect their kids’ library records.  As a property tax-gouged Granite Stater without kids, I support Arlene’s bill.  It’s a real shame that the House committee that received it doesn’t feel the same way.  This is the committee with a name that would suggest fighting for the family unit rather than the advancement of Marxism.  One might want to look into the Speaker’s feelings about the family unit because of how that committee is comprised, but there’s enough discussion on that for another time.

I’ll give you a free taste by mentioning that its vice chair is a Democrat, as is the nasty hypocrite clerk who took to the mic at a House Education Committee hearing against SB 272 (2023 – establishing a parents’ bill of rights in education).  Kudos to the two dissenting members, one of them being the election security reform advocate Sandra Panek. Sandra requested membership in the Election Law Committee, along with five other incoming freshmen who were/are essentially seasoned experts, but she was funneled into Children and Family Law, and the five others were sent elsewhere.

And while on the topics of parental rights and Library Lewdness and what the enemy camp might call “book banning,” the “other side of the wall” is also doing the people’s work of a similar nature.  My senator sponsored SB 523, which received some unwanted NTU attention.

If you would like to learn more about Granite State Library Lewdness and want to join forces with like-minded people, start here.

The post Interested in Fighting for Parental Rights and Against Library Lewdness? appeared first on Granite Grok.

Camp Constitution Speakers Bureau will be sponsoring a speaking engagement for Rev. Steve Craft at the Community Church of Alton, 20 Church St. Alton Friday, February 23—7:00 PM.

Rev. Craft’s topic is “Color, Communism, and Common Sense.” The presentation is based on a book written in 1958 by the late Manning Johnson, who left the Communist Party U.S.A. after realizing that the communists wanted to use black Americans to promote a race war. Rev Craft contends that the names are different, but the goals are the same. Rev. Craft will expose Critical Race Theory, which he calls “Crazy Racist Trash,” the destructive D.E.I., and what can be done to stop it.

Admission is free. Donations accepted.

Rev. Craft is a native of New Jersey. Author of Morality and Freedom; America’s Dynamic Duo.,” He is a graduate of Harvard University’s School of Divinity. Rev. Craft serves as the chaplain for Camp Constitution.

For more information, contact Hal Shurtleff campconstitution1@gmail.com (857) 498-1309

The post  Camp Constitution: Exposing CRT and DEI  appeared first on Granite Grok.

I can’t tell you how much “comedy” I’ve watched that’s not funny enough to share, but it’s been a long time since last I did, so that might give you some idea. But the drought has ended. This guy makes me laugh. Outloud.

He tells a series of jokes in succession, none of them terribly long, but the (IMO) get funnier the longer you watch. I know you’ll tell me in
comments if you disagree.

Bobby Tessel – He reminds me of Steven Wright without the droning straight-faced aspects but has a similar delivery.

center

The post Night Cap: If You Have a Few Minutes, I Think This Dude is Funny! appeared first on Granite Grok.

So … Kelly Ayotte’s campaign is based on not letting the Democrats “MASS up New Hampshire.” More specifically, Ayotte’s contention is that New Hampshire is just one election away from turning into Massachusetts because her potential Democrat opponents, Joyce Craig and Cindy Warmington, would turn New Hampshire into a “sanctuary state.”

For example:

But what else would be “MASSing up New Hampshire”? I would guess that subsidizing commuter rail to Boston would qualify as “MASSing up New Hampshire.” But my question is, why isn’t subsidizing solar … which essentially requires working and middle-class families to pay more for electricity so those better off financially can pay less, while virtue signaling … also “MASSing up New Hampshire”? I would much rather subsidize rail than solar, if the State is going to remain in the subsidizing business.

Another question. Why isn’t eviscerating local zoning laws in order to build apartment complexes “MASSing up New Hampshire”? Seriously, I really would like to know why the scared principle of “local control” means that local school districts can force students to wear masks, but that principle is somehow NOT violated by preventing the locals from favoring single-family housing.

One final (for now) question. Why isn’t complying with a court decision that, as a practical matter, orders the political branches to raise taxes by half a BILLION dollars “MASSing up New Hampshire”? I ask because, if the Sun-King Sununu Supreme Court upholds the trial court, I’m quite sure that eventually … that is, after claiming that “only a constitutional amendment” can save us … Ayotte will comply with the decision.

The post What, Just Exactly, Is “MASSing Up New Hampshire” appeared first on Granite Grok.

I like the EPOCH Times, but they’ve gotten a bit clickbait-y, at least in their email updates—Bad News for the Double-Vaccinated. SCOTUS Delivers Surprise Decision.

Yesterday it was “CDC Alert for ‘Unknown’ Outbreak” with a picture of a Cruise ship and “FBI Warning on ‘Extremely Alarming’ Threat.”

I am rarely rewarded when I follow these links, but I understand why they use them. It gets clicks. No matter how often you see it and go, ‘Click Bait,’ there is still some percentage of these that you’ll follow the way women who like bad men can’t stop dating them. It’s human nature. Some of the most well-trafficked sites on the internet readily admit to using clickbait headlines to draw people in because it works.

It is why what many of us scoff at as obvious phishing emails or texts keep coming. Someone, somewhere, is falling for it. Enough of them to make the practice worth repeating or emulating.

We try NOT to do that (clickbait), but I will admit to what we have done along the same vein. I’ll remove a state or a person from a headline to give it broader appeal, not out of a desire to be deceptive, but because it is likely relevant to your neck of whatever political woods in which you find yourself and excising the local reference widens the potential audience, in my opinion, to their benefit.

Allow me to explain.

One of the first things I learned while hanging out with former CNHT Chairman Ed Naile (he passed in January of 2022) was that if it is happening in that town, it might be or likely is in yours. People, government, and people drawn to government are an equation that inevitably results in a similar sum. Petty indiscretions become systemic corruption, which they will do whatever they can to hide.

Eventually, the system around the parts you can change rots or rejects the new people you put in place to try and fix it.

If we publish a story about taxes, embezzlement, or refusing to give up public documents, that’s a story in almost every town. Local school and town boards, zoning, you name it, your town has those people (not all of them or always, but enough of them), and that situation is happening or waiting to happen. If the lunch lady gets caught stealing 50,000.00 dollars, it is probably 150,000.00, and the watchdogs you elected are terrified you’ll find out how badly they mishandle your trust.

If you’d like an extreme example of how bad this can get, check out this recent interview with Grok Author Laurie Ortolano.

That’s how I justify it. All politics is local, and that includes yours. People drawn to positions of power are those most likely to abuse it, and your politicians are no different. If it is happening in Nashua, New Hampshire, or Burlington, Vermont, you’ve got those people in your town, too, and you need to try and keep them honest – that’s your job, but you need to know what to look for, and those stories we share help. They serve as cairns, waymarkers, and a road map to the potential for misfeasance or malfeasance.

Hopefully, that’s what we’re doing with the understanding that most of the headlines are written by the authors without too much interference from me. How are they or I doing?

I hope our readers will let us know if they think a headline is leaning toward clickbait, misleading, or – here’s the critical bit – fails to deliver on the promise of its words. Clickbait headlines are not bad if they deliver with the goal of creating something that convinces people to follow a link and then rewards them for it.

I suppose it’s not clickbait if it does that; it’s just a great headline, but you get my point. I hop.

 

 

The post Breaking, Bombshell, CDC, FBI, IRS, Bad News, Outbreak, Alert! appeared first on Granite Grok.