The Manchester Free Press

Sunday • November 24 • 2024

Vol.XVI • No.XLVII

Manchester, N.H.

How EU Law Has Made the Internet Less Free for Everyone Else

Granite Grok - Thu, 2024-05-02 00:00 +0000

If you have been using the internet for longer than a couple of years, you might have noticed that it used to be much “freer.” What freer means in this context is that there was less censorship and less stringent rules regarding copyright violations on social media websites such as YouTube and Facebook (and consequently a wider array of content).

Search engines used to show results from smaller websites often, there were fewer “fact-checkers,” and there were (for better or for worse) less stringent guidelines for acceptable conduct. In the last ten years, the internet’s structure and environment have undergone radical changes. This has happened in many areas of the internet; however, this article will specifically focus on the changes in social media websites and search engines. This article will argue that changes in European Union regulations regarding online platforms played an important role in shaping the structure of the internet to the way it is today and that further changes in EU policy that will be even more detrimental to freedom on the internet may be on the horizon.

Now that readers have an idea of what “change” is referring to, we should explain in detail which EU regulations played a part in bringing it about. The first important piece of regulation we will deal with is the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market that came out in 2019. Article 17 of this directive states that online content-sharing service platforms are liable for the copyrighted content that is posted on their websites if they do not have a license for said content.

To be exempt from liability, the websites must show that they exerted their best efforts to ensure that copyrighted content does not get posted on their sites, cooperated expeditiously to take the content down if posted, and took measures to make sure the content does not get uploaded again. If these websites were ever in a place to be liable for even a significant minority of the content uploaded to them, the financial ramifications would be immense.

Due to this regulation, around the same period, YouTube and many other sites strengthened their policy regarding copyrighted content, and ever since then—sometimes rightfully, sometimes wrongfully—content creators have been complaining about their videos getting flagged for copyright violations.

Another EU regulation that is of note for our topic is the Digital Services Act that came out in 2023. The Digital Services Act is a regulation that defines very large online platforms and search engines as platform sites with more than forty-five million active monthly users and places specific burdens on these sites along with the regulatory burden that is eligible for all online platforms. The entirety of this act is too long to be discussed in this article; however, some of the most noteworthy points are as follows:

  1. The EU Commission (the executive body of the EU) will work directly with very large online platforms to ensure that their terms of service are compatible with requirements regarding hate speech and disinformation as well as the additional requirements of the Digital Services Act. The EU Commission also has the power to directly influence the terms of conduct of these websites.
  2. Very large online platforms and search engines have the obligation to ban and preemptively fight against and alter their recommendation systems to discriminate against many different types of content ranging from hate speech and discrimination to anything that might be deemed misinformation and disinformation.

These points should be concerning to anyone who uses the internet. The vagueness of terms such as “hate speech” and “disinformation” allows the EU to influence the recommendation algorithms and terms of service of these websites and to keep any content that goes against their “ideals” away from the spotlight or away from these websites entirely. Even if the issues that are discussed here were entirely theoretical, it would still be prudent to be concerned about a centralized supragovernmental institution such as the EU having this much power regarding the internet and the websites we use every day. However, as with the banning of Russia Today from YouTube, which was due to allegations of disinformation and happened around the same time the EU placed sanctions on Russia Today, we can see that political considerations can and do lead to content being banned on these sites.

We currently live in a world with an almost infinite amount of information; due to this, it would be impossible for anyone or even any institution to sift through all the data surrounding any issue and to come up with a definitive “truth” on the subject, and this is assuming that said persons or institution is unbiased on the issue and approaching it in good faith, which is rarely the case.

All of us have ways of viewing the world that filter our understanding of issues even when we have the best intentions, not to mention the fact that supranational bodies such as the EU and the EU Commission have vested political incentives and are influenced by many lobbies, which may render their decisions regarding what is the “truth” and what is “disinformation” to be faulty at best and deliberately harmful at worst. All of this is to say that in general, none of us—not even the so-called experts—can claim to know everything regarding an issue enough to make a definitive statement as to what is true and what is disinformation, and this makes giving a centralized institution the power to constitute what the truth is a very dangerous thing.

The proponents of these EU regulations argue that bad-faith actors may use disinformation to deceive the public. There is obviously some truth in this; however, one could also argue that many different actors creating and arguing their own narrative with regard to what is happening around the world are preferable to a centralized institution controlling a unified narrative of what is to be considered the “truth.”

In my scenario, even if some people are “fooled” (even though to accurately consider people to be fooled, we would have to claim that we know the definitive truth regarding a multifaceted, complex issue that can be viewed from many angles), the public will get to hear many narratives about what happened and can make up their own minds. If this leads to people being fooled by bad-faith actors, it will never be the entirety of the population.

Some people will be “fooled” by narrative A, some by narrative B, some by narrative C, and so forth. However, in the current case, if the EU is or ever becomes the bad-faith actor who uses its power to champion its own narrative for political purposes, it has the power to control and influence what the entirety of the public hears and believes with regard to an issue, and that is a much more dangerous scenario than the one that would occur if we simply let the so-called wars of information be waged. The concentration of power is something that we should always be concerned about, especially when it comes to power regarding information since information shapes what people believe, and what people believe changes everything.

Another important thing to note is that just because it is the EU that makes these regulations does not change the fact that it affects everyone in the world. After all, even if someone posts a video on YouTube from the United States or from Turkey, it will still face the same terms of service. Almost everyone in the world uses Google or Bing, and the EU has power over the recommendation algorithms of these search engines. This means that the EU has the power over what information most people see when they want to learn something from the internet. No centralized institution can be trusted with this much power.

One final issue of importance is the fact that the EU is investing in new technologies such as artificial intelligence programs to “tackle disinformation” and to check the veracity of content posted online. An important example of this is the InVID project, which is in its own words “a knowledge verification platform to detect emerging stories and assess the reliability of newsworthy video files and content spread via social media.” If you are at all worried about the state of the internet as explained in this article, know that this potential development may lead to the EU doing all of the things described here in an even more “effective” manner in the future.

 

 

Mustafa Ekin Turan | Mises Wire We heartily encourage reprints and shares of Mises Wire articles. If you wish to reproduce an article in your blog, magazine, radio show, newspaper column, classroom material, textbook, discussion group, website, or any other venue, please do so. The original publication source must be included in an appropriate place.

The post How EU Law Has Made the Internet Less Free for Everyone Else appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

It Was a “Fine” Day to Sell Girl Scout Cookies – $400.00 Worth of ‘Fine(s)’

Granite Grok - Wed, 2024-05-01 22:00 +0000

Pinedale, Wyoming, is a cozy piece of nowhere nestled near the Wind River Mountains with a bustling population of just over 2000. It is also the county seat (Sublette), which might be why the holes running it fined a 13-year old 400.00 for selling cookies on the side of the road.

The story captured international attention. The UK Daily Mail Covered it. I went with Cowboy Daily for my source (since it was theirs, too), and while both do a fine job of outlining the particulars (relevant ordinances, mom’s refusal to relocate up the road when instructed), the real outrage goes unreported. First, the “particulars.’

In a report filed with the city, the officer claimed that she had instructed Emma and her mom to pack up the cookie boxes and move everything over to the old town hall parking lot at 210 W. Pine St. where it would be safer and legal.

The first was for unlawful obstruction of the road and sidewalk without receiving permission of the Pinedale City Council. The second citation was for “exception,” meaning that McCarroll didn’t leave 5 feet of unobstructed, continuous passage on the sidewalk as allowed by WYDOT.

The third citation was for parking a vehicle on the sidewalk.

Grand total of the fines: $400. But then came the legal bill.

Mom parked her car in her parent’s driveway while her daughter set up shop along the sidewalk of a “busy road.” I’m not sure what busy means in a town of 2,030 people, but I’d bet money it’s not. A confused discussion later and a city employee (how much taxpayer money did he waste doing this) captured photographic evidence, filed a complaint, and issued a fine (along with all the paperwork involved).

I’d like to assume it cost less than $400.00 to capture and process the violation and issue the fine,; otherwise, what’s the point of the fine? But where the government is concerned, you shouldn’t.

The 13-year-old’s mom hired a lawyer for more than the fine to argue the particulars, after which she still ended up paying the city $150.00.

This all seems excessive to me: the local ordinance, the code enforcement officer, the paperwork, the record-keeping, the lawyer, and the fine. Here’s how it should have gone down: Nothing should have happened except for Emma selling some cookies. If that’s too “free” for y’all, how about this instead?

Excuse me, do you live here?

No, my parents do, and this is my daughter.

If you could please make sure you’re not blocking the sidewalk, you can have a great rest of your day.

[Table leg stretching sound as Mom and daughter move the table back onto the driveway a bit more]

Thank you.

Thank you. Hey, would you like ot buy some cookies?

Am I asking too little?

The post It Was a “Fine” Day to Sell Girl Scout Cookies – $400.00 Worth of ‘Fine(s)’ appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Want to See “Action Civics” On Display? Look at Our College Campuses

Granite Grok - Wed, 2024-05-01 20:00 +0000

Many of us have offered repeated warnings about the focus on action civics in our schools versus a focus on academic content knowledge. The violence and anger directed at Jews we are seeing on college campuses, is what students across America have been taught.

Civics illiteracy is a big problem, and we know that in New Hampshire. New laws have been passed in an effort to improve civics literacy among the student population, but a better solution would be to develop quality academic standards, and test students on their knowledge.

New Hampshire does require students to pass the U.S. Citizenship test prior to graduating high school, so that was a step in the right direction. But there are still organizations like NH Civics, that continue to push the narrative that we need federal law to push more “civics action” in our schools.

Action Civics is CODE for, let’s turn your kids into illiterate political activists.

The Daily Signal picked up on this here:

 

Parents asking why their college student’s graduation is canceled this year need only remember when their child was in high school.

K-12 schools have been training students to disrupt the systems around them for years through the teaching of “action civics,” which primes students to be activists even if it deprives them of understanding if, when, or why a demonstration would be necessary.

This has been an agenda of Nellie Mae for many years. Nellie Mae has been instrumental in our own New Hampshire Department of Education, and in many of our schools. They offer schools grant money, school administrators respond by taking the money, and implementing the agenda from Nellie Mae. Money talks. Here you can see that they’ve awarded grants to Pittsfield public schools.

They even include a reference to Saul Alinsky at the end of page 1 (Introduction)

Who funds Nellie Mae? The federal government and the Gates Foundation. This is another way state and local communities lose control over their local public schools. They are paying public schools to turn kids into political organizers.

Screenshot

No one should be surprised by the disruption and violence coming from the trained Marxist calling for the “Final Solution.” Many of them interviewed cannot answer simple questions about why they are protesting. Illiteracy is common among trained Marxist activists.

When you refuse to demand better from your local public school, don’t be surprised by what they are turning out.

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Elliot Axelman Headed to Court on Sexual Assault Charges

Granite Grok - Wed, 2024-05-01 18:00 +0000

A local political activist is scheduled to appear in court on June 3rd. He is accused of a handful of charges stemming from an event at Porcfest (August 2022), including simple assault and sexual assault of a minor and false imprisonment.

Patch has all the details.

Elliot “Alu” Axelman, 31, of Heather Drive in Hooksett was charged by Lancaster police in August 2023 with false imprisonment, two counts of simple assault, and four counts of sexual assault, all misdemeanors. The charges stem from an incident at Porcfest in June 2022, an event he reportedly attended. The victim, a girl who was 14 at the time, was also at the event with her family.

According to complaints filed against Axelman, he was accused of “purposely (engaging) in sexual contact” with the girl “by touching her buttocks with his body, where such contact can reasonably be construed as being for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification” and there was an age difference of more than five years between them. The filing also accused him of applying physical force by holding her and pulling her toward him while touching her buttocks and “having her body touch his erect penis.” Axelman was also accused of kissing the child’s neck and holding her by her waist.

Axelman has been active in local politics for years and runs the website LibertyBlockNH. Axelman ran the NH House as a Republican a few years back, losing by 40 votes.

After the charges were filed, an arrest warrant was issued against Axelman in September 2023, and he was released on $5,000 bail. As a part of his bail, he was ordered to stay at least 1,000 feet away from the child, was not to be at the Roger’s Campground & Motel in Lancaster, where Porcfest is held, and needed to refrain from excessive use of alcohol.

More details here.

We’ll try to keep you updated if new information becomes available and when the case gets heard in June.

Correction: The alleged assault happened in August of 2022. The original article referenced last August (2023). It has been corrected.

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Meme Overflow

Granite Grok - Wed, 2024-05-01 16:00 +0000

As promised in Monday Memes, I have an overflow. My meme cup runneth over.  And yes there will be a Friday edition too.

Let the mayhem, mockery, and ridicule resume:

 

*** Warning, a few possibly off-color ones, in case tender eyes are about ***

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

 

Reminds me of this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where are the DADS?  More:

A group of middle school girls in West Virginia protested the fact that a biological male was allowed into their coemption.
In response, the board of education banned them from ever taking part in the competition again.

 

 

MHO of course.  Board, tar, feathers.  Some assembly required.

 

 

 

People DO NOT WANT to see the dark side of reality.

 

 

Many in my circles are exactly that.

 

 

No amnesty.

 

 

 

I’m still leery of Vivek in general, but that’s a great point!

 

 

 

 

 

Are Guns the Problem? – Walter E. Williams (walterewilliams.com)

I am very honored to have his picture, autographed to me, framed and on my wall at home.  And, parenthetically, years ago I saw a correlation between the introduction of TVs widely in society and an uptick in violence.  It wasn’t the programming per se; it was the mere fact of the “idiot box” in a majority of homes.  And while correlation does not equal causation, the data looked compelling nonetheless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A lot of people have no problem with panels 1-3; they somehow believe that being appointed or elected or hired into governmental jobs somehow erases human weaknesses.  Same with having a MD or PhD after your name… suddenly they become transformed into beings made from finer, more noble clay.

 

 

 

 

Wow!

 

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

PSA – PSA – PSA – PSA – PSA

 

 

I misplaced the text that goes with this, but basically it’s a chart of what percent of males & females loved their first intimate partner (not sure what language that is).  Not only is it disturbing that the trend goes down… to the point where half the people are giving themselves physically to people they don’t love or that, at least in this latest data point instance, more women than men now don’t love their first partner, there are other implications:

The Myth of Sexual Experience

Why Sexually Inexperienced Dating Couples Actually Go On to Have Stronger Marriages

Why, it’s almost as though Hashem’s wisdom of being chaste until marriage, and faithful within a marriage, works best.  Hmmm.  Related:

 

 

Understand this: There is a push for more and more casual sex hookups – the “hookup” culture – because the more partners you have, the less distinct each one becomes.  I’m not saying that you, whether male or female, will forget individuals, but when early sexual life becomes a quest for the next one, the next thrill-of-the-new, then you get bored with the same-old, same-old.  Marriage and the ruts you can get into become tiresome.  And it sets up comparisons to prior partners.  On “performance”.  On fun, on height, on wealth, on various bodily attributes (male or female), on all sorts of things.

 

 

Stability, dull stability and sameness, create a burr to do something “fun” again in the minds who have had multiple partners, especially the thrilling casual encounters.  And thus, marriages fall apart.  Partners cheat, looking for that thrill of the new.  The term is monkey branching – always reaching to the next thing.  And not only marriages fall apart, but harm to the children ensues.  They see, with their own eyes and feel, without a mature brain’s ability to handle it, the dissolution of their family – the one thing they should be able to count on.  With the subsequent dissolution of a sense of stability and anchoring.

All deliberate.  A strong nuclear family is one of the foundational elements of Western civilization.  Of course it’s under attack.  Just as is having a posterity.  Consider, as a concluding thought, the tale of these two women:

 

 

Who, on their death bed, is going to look back and think they had a more fulfilling life?  And who, on that same death bed, will have more people there… and more people who care when they’ve passed?  Let alone, in ten years, people who still remember them?

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

Links (some from me, some from my Jarhead friend):

 

Pro-Hamas Protesters Want Amnesty, Records Wiped To Avoid Future Consequences – Pirate’s Cove » Pirate’s Cove (thepiratescove.us)

Cancel culture works both ways, buttercup.  How’s it taste?

Does The CIA Run America? | ZeroHedge

All credit to my brilliant father who speculated along these lines at the time. I was very young with only the vaguest clue about what was happening. But I recall very well that he was convinced that Richard Nixon was set up in a trap and unfairly hounded out of office not for the bad things he was doing but for standing up to the Deep State.

If my own father, not a particularly political person, knew this for certain at the time, this must have been a strong perception even then.

You hear the rap that these agencies—the CIA is one but there are many adjacent others—are not allowed by law to intervene in domestic politics. At this point and after so much experience, this comes across to me like something of a joke. We know from vast evidence and personal testimony that the CIA has been manipulating political figures, narratives, and outcomes for a very long time.

Frank Herbert, author of DUNE (one of the top five sci-fi books I’ve ever read), said:

“Absolute power does not corrupt absolutely, absolute power attracts the corruptible.”

CONFIRMED: Federal Government Giving Voter Registration Forms to Non-Citizen Refugees | The Gateway Pundit | by Cristina Laila

Treason.

 

 

“Do Not Disclose This Is An Ad”: OnlyFans Creator Says Biden Admin Paid For “Full On Political Propaganda” | ZeroHedge

To paraphrase Andrew Breitbart, if you need T&A to sell your agitprop, your agitprop sucks.

Breaking JAMA study (Hu et al.) shows that the mRNA technology gene-based mRNA injection (Bancel Bourla Malone Weissman et al.) causes heart failure & seizures in children (FDA) aged 6 mths-17 years) (substack.com)

Kids, who were at a functionally-zero risk of fatality from Covid, were injected with something with substantially more risk – not just to hearts, but potentially fertility, plus myriad other possible adverse reactions.  Not to mention the incorporation of the mRNA gene sequence into their reproductive DNA.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

Loving your nation is now being a Nazi?

Yoram Hazony | The Virtue of Nationalism

 

 

 

It’s not “just” a job.  It’s not “just” following orders.  In many – most – instances, it’s a chance to be bad while being told you’re good:

 

 

This is, IMHO, an incredible insight into human nature.

 

 

 

 

 

Yet another seemingly-accurate prophecy of when the end is near.  From another culture.

 

 

 

But… but… but the Great Replacement is a myth.  Our intellectual and moral superiors have assured us so.

 

 

 

No.  Only with Israel, because everyone understands all these other places have zero care about what “the world” thinks.

 

 

 

 

Two things.  First, when in the history of America has it been proposed to forbid questioning the official story on anything?  And second, do these geniuses at the ADL and AIPAC not grasp that most people, including myself alas, will question the motivation… and, parenthetically wonder at Jews-behind-everything in that?  Jewicidal Yidiots.

 

 

 

 

Here we go again.

 

 

Remember, pre-WWII the “Progressives” and the Fascists were kissing cousins.

Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning

The Big Lie: Exposing the Nazi Roots of the American Left

And that it was the KKK, founded by a DEMOCRAT, that attacked blacks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

Pick of the Post:

 

 

Do I believe this?  Sadly, yes.  And if I were nabbed by that, I’d tell everyone I could about that restaurant’s deed.  But more broadly, this is an indictment on the general ethics and character of our society, that someone thinks this is a good idea to do.  Apparently enough someones that it’s a noticed.

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

Palate cleansers:

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

Come back on Friday for more memes.  Same meme time.  Same meme channel.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

For the entire sweep of my Jab-related cartoons, see here:

CARTOON: We Trusted the Science – Granite Grok

The post Meme Overflow appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Is DEI Ready To DIE

Granite Grok - Wed, 2024-05-01 14:00 +0000

Howard Johnson’s used to boast over thirty flavors of ice cream. It was great to have so many choices, but sometimes, you simply want a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I went through a period when all my cars were white. It was not a social statement. I love the clean look of a white car. I now drive a beautiful chocolate brown Jeep.

The color is not a statement, just a choice. Choices are wonderful, as is diversity, but only when organic. Would it have been any better for society if the government had forced Howard Johnson to have 35 flavors instead of 31? Absolutely not. Forced diversity is a subliminal form of racism and is harming the quality of American life.

When choices are limited by the boxes that need to be checked, then you do not get the best option for the situation. If you focus on politics, limiting the pool to a Black woman did not give us the best person for Vice President or Supreme Court justice. The choice satisfied certain voting groups, like Blacks and women, but shortchanged America by not putting the best person in place. This also happened at the state level when Gavenor Newsom used the same thinking to replace the late Senator Barbara Feinstein. Biden brags about his most diverse cabinet in history, but he does not discuss it being the least effective either. The administration’s focus on diversity and abortion has taken its eyes off the target issues like the border, economy, inflation, Fentanyl, and trade issues.

Our military effectiveness has declined as the WOKE culture infects all branches. The surrender of Afghanistan was an example. The military is more concerned about access to abortion and gender reassignment services than recruiting. We have not hit recruiting targets under Biden’s term, and people say it is because of the weak attitude of our Defense Department.

Colleges across the country are feeling the impact of “peaceful” demonstrations, which are a result of WOKE DEI thinking amongst indoctrinated students. These students have been told for 15-16 years how evil and destructive America is, and they are all feeling hatred and antisemitism. This environment is not sustainable, and Presidents are reaching out to the leadership, police, and the FBI to intervene. The institutions show their weakness by negotiating with protestors who have violated school policy by setting up encampments instead of taking charge and shutting them down.

The attention the WOKE is getting is all negative and is resulting in the slow, eventual death of Woke and DEI. Just like BLM was shown to be a sham and a Ponzi scheme, DEI has been exposed as a progressive attempt to reshape our culture and future direction, and it failed. These movements attempted to use the Millenials and Gen-Z groups that people recognized as young morons who were allowing themselves to be used as pawns by progressive operatives like George Soros.

DEI needs to die and should have sooner than this. It aimed to feature groups that wanted recognition when they should have earned it with merit. To isolate groups and elevate them above others is racism. Black History Month, Gay Pride Month, and Women’s History are all efforts to isolate and recognize one group over all others. How is this allowed when people are seeking equity and equality? How about we get back to celebrating humanity as a whole and let Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion happen organically?

 

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

It’s Forest Fire Season Already And I Still Have My Mud Season Decorations Up

Granite Grok - Wed, 2024-05-01 12:00 +0000

It was inevitable. My yard is still damp with March and April showers (and muddy in places), and the Fire department says the Fire Danger is High. Okay. We’ve also got reports of wildfires in Canada (are the arsonists starting early this year?), and me with my mud season decorations still up. What the heck!

Meanwhile, in Maine, a bit closer to where I sit than British Columbia, they are also reporting dryconditions and some brush fires. “Authorities have been fighting several small wildfires and brush fires around the state Saturday.”

If you look at this wildfire map, there are zero in New Hampshire or Maine.

 

If you look at the ARC GIS Map, there are reported fires (all from 4/27).

 

 

There are three in New Hampshire and three in Maine (it helps to have good tools), though I can’t say what the difference is or why Map One isn’t showing these events. I zoomed down on both to get them to show up. But we all have a similar problem.

Related: CO2 Increases “Linked to” Rising Education Costs and More Gun Crimes in Democrat Cities but not Forest Fires.

While we didn’t have much snow, we did have a lot of rain so it will be interesting to see how that plays out. The winter before last, the West and Left Coast got a lot of snow and rain. That tends to result in an increase in wild grass (as it does here), which is a fuel that lends itself to a potentially crazy wildfire season, but not last year. 2023 saw fewer acres burned in this century. The Wild West and crazy Left Coast didn’t burn as predicted. I blame Global Warming.

Fewer than 3 million acres cooked.

I can’t say with any certainty that people just behaved themself and listened to Smokey the Bear. Maybe the climate cult nutters were all up in Canada last year? They had a lot of arsonists starting fires north of the 49th parallel, much like Australia a few years back. Pro Tip: If the media is hyper-focused on some country and its unusual number of wildfires, human beings are very likely the reason why they started.

Climate nutters engaged in “real action,” starting fires and blaming it on Global Warming. So yeah, it is man-caused, but not because you drive an SUV.

Additional Reading.
Massive California “Wildfire” (Allegedly) Started by a Former Forestry Student Not Global Warming
Louisiana’s Largest Wildfire (ever) Was Man-Made, as in Arson
Are They Really “Wildfires” if You Arrested 79 Arsonists for Starting Them?
Australia’s Brush Fires – Arson is Playing a Huge Role
Suspected Arsonist Caught Starting Fires in Italy and Sicily

I have to go take my mud season decorations down, even though it is raining and still muddy.

The post It’s Forest Fire Season Already And I Still Have My Mud Season Decorations Up appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Things You Will Never Hear Sun-King Chris Sununu Say …

Granite Grok - Wed, 2024-05-01 10:00 +0000

Here is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis telling the Biden-Regime to pound sand in response to the Regime’s redefining Title 9 … which is supposed to protect girls and women … to accommodate men and boys who identify as girls and women: FLORIDA WILL NOT COMPLY.

But don’t hold your breath waiting for Chris Sun-King Sununu or his underling Sununicans, i.e. Imposter-Republicans, to say something similar.

Sununu-Republicans, AT BEST, pay lip service to the rights of female athletes … while they make common cause with the DemocratsWoke-Communists to turn New Hampshire into a sea of shanty-towns (ADUs) and apartment complexes, where single-family zoning is illegal. Ask them about it, and what you will hear in response is the usual pablum about EFAs and Parental-Bill-Of-Rights, neither of which will do a damn thing about protecting girls’ and women’s sports.

The post Things You Will Never Hear Sun-King Chris Sununu Say … appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

NY Judge Says Quiet Part Out Loud; Endorses Secession?

The Liberty Block - Wed, 2024-05-01 05:47 +0000

A judge in New York may have slipped up when he repudiated the US Constitution on the record during a trial. Essentially supporting secession from the federal government, judge Abena Darkeh proclaimed that the federal constitution did not exist in his courtroom. This decision absolutely violated the federal constitution and the US Supreme Court. 

The post NY Judge Says Quiet Part Out Loud; Endorses Secession? appeared first on The Liberty Block.

Night Cap: Tim Lang, How Would You Like a “Report Card Tax?”

Granite Grok - Wed, 2024-05-01 02:00 +0000

Did that title get anyone’s attention?  Hopefully, it will get Tim Lang’s sometime before the senate meets this Thursday, May 2.  On the agenda is the dastardly RTK Tax, known as HB 1002, which Tim Lang supports.

We know that Judiciary Chair Sharon Carson moved OTP, and her four peers went along with it. Shame on her and the two gentlemen lawyers on that committee! But shame on Tim Lang also!  I found it necessary to shame him to his peers in, but let’s talk about Tim for a moment and the background to this article’s title.

Tim is a member of the Senate Education Committee and was captured in Allison Dyer’s video montage when he asked the NTU lobbyist if teachers had an obligation, to be honest with parents and was given word salad for an answer, both to his question and even more snarky one to his follow up.  Keep in mind, dear readers, that this is the kind of treatment that Laurie Ortolano and her affiliates regularly receive from city hall.

SB 272, which was the senate counterpart of newly deceased HB 10, died an unfortunate death in the House when it was “indefinitely postponed.”  I leave it to you to look up what that means and why, as Senator Gray would say, “butts in seats” matters when the House is in session, but let’s get back to Tim.

Because another Parental Bill of Rights cannot be resubmitted until after the next election, Tim cleverly repackaged it and filed it as SB 341 with a new name.  Most people already know this, but I’ll point out again that I don’t have kids, but I made a special trip to Concord to speak in support of SB 341.  Not only did I do that, but I also made reference to his 3/7/23 question to the NTU lobbyist while at the mic speaking to him and the rest of his committee on 1/4/24.  This was something Tim and I agreed on, and I was happy to, as Nurse Terese would say, “lift him up in battle”(for parental rights).

Allison and I live in the same city as Laurie Ortolano, and it would be nice if Tim would “lift us up in battle”(against Nashua City Hall’s fortress of secrecy), especially considering that 2/3 of the city is being misrepresented in the senate by the mayor’s friend, neighbor, and water carrier, Rosenwald.

Public records should be open to the public, and Tim wants to tax access to them.  So, back to the question, “How would Tim like to pay a Report Card Tax?”

The post Night Cap: Tim Lang, How Would You Like a “Report Card Tax?” appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

House Gold Standard – May 02, 2024

N.H. Liberty Alliance - Wed, 2024-05-01 01:17 +0000

(white) goldstandard-05-02-24-H.pdf
(gold) goldstandard-05-02-24-H-y.pdf

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Trump Was Right — The EV ‘Bloodbath’ Is Already Here

Granite Grok - Wed, 2024-05-01 00:00 +0000

Ever since March 16, when presidential candidate Donald Trump created a controversy by predicting President Joe Biden’s efforts to force Americans to convert their lives to electric-vehicle (EV) lifestyles would end in a “bloodbath” for the U.S. auto industry, the industry’s own disastrous results have consistently proven him accurate.

The latest example came this week when Ford Motor Company reported that it had somehow managed to lose $132,000 per unit sold during Q1 2024 in its Model e EV division. The disastrous first quarter results follow the equally disastrous results for 2023, when the company said it lost $4.7 billion on the Model e for the full 12-month period.

While the company has remained profitable overall thanks to strong demand for its legacy internal combustion SUV, pickup, and heavy vehicle models, the string of major losses in its EV line led the company to announce a shift in strategic vision in early April. Ford CEO Jim Farley said then that the company would delay the introduction of additional planned all-electric models and scale back production of current models like the F-150 Lightning pickup while refocusing efforts on introducing new hybrid models across its business line.

General Motors reported it had good overall Q1 results, but they were based on strong sales of its gas-powered SUV and truck models, not its EVs. GM is so gun-shy about reporting EV-specific results that it doesn’t break them out in its quarterly reports, so there is no way of knowing what the real bottom line amounts to from that part of the business. This is possibly a practice Ford should consider adopting.

After reporting its own disappointing Q1 results in which adjusted earnings collapsed by 48% and deliveries dropped by 20% from the previous quarter, Tesla announced it is laying off 10% of its global workforce, including 2,688 employees at its Austin plant, where its vaunted Cybertruck is manufactured. Since its introduction in November, the Cybertruck has been beset by buyer complaints ranging from breakdowns within minutes after taking delivery, to its $3,000 camping tent feature failing to deploy, to an incident in which one buyer complained his vehicle shut down for 5 hours after he failed to put the truck in “carwash mode” before running it through a local car wash.

Meanwhile, international auto rental company Hertz is now fire-selling its own fleet of Teslas and other EV models in its efforts to salvage a little final value from what is turning out to be a disastrous EV gamble. In a giant fit of green virtue-signaling, the company invested whole hog into the Biden subsidy program in 2021 with a mass purchase of as many as 100,000 Teslas and 50,000 Polestar models, only to find that customer demand for renting electric cars was as tepid as demand to buy them outright. For its troubles, Hertz reported it had lost $392 million during Q1, attributing $195 million of the loss to its EV struggles. Hertz’s share price plummeted by about 20% on April 25, and was down by 55% for the year.

If all this financial carnage does not yet constitute a “bloodbath” for the U.S. EV sector, it is difficult to imagine what would. But wait: It really isn’t all that hard to imagine at all, is it? When he used that term back in March, Trump was referring not just to the ruinous Biden subsidy program, but also to plans by China to establish an EV-manufacturing beachhead in Mexico, from which it would be able to flood the U.S. market with its cheap but high-quality electric models. That would definitely cause an already disastrous domestic EV market to get even worse, wouldn’t it?

The bottom line here is that it is becoming obvious even to ardent EV fans that US consumer demand for EVs has reached a peak long before the industry and government expected it would.

It’s a bit of a perfect storm, one that rent-seeking company executives and obliging policymakers brought upon themselves. Given that this outcome was highly predictable, with so many warning that it was in fact inevitable, a reckoning from investors and corporate boards and voters will soon come due. It could become a bloodbath of its own, and perhaps it should.

David Blackmon | Daily Caller News Service

 

We want to thank The Daily Caller for being a partner and supporter of  Independent Media. Support Grok Media here; to donate by check email steve@granitegrok com for details.

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Diversity Means, Fewer White People

Granite Grok - Tue, 2024-04-30 22:00 +0000

Dutch Lawyer Eva Vlaardingerbroek has chosen a side, as she’d say. She is speaking out in defense of Western populations and their cultures in an effort to wake people up about the elite’s commitment to erasing them.

When asked, “So, how do conservatives deal with this Catch-22 of not wanting to be replaced in their native countries, but also not wanting to be attacked with this term?” She reples,

You can’t. That’s the thing, you can’t. So you have to pick a side. Of course, you’re going to be attacked if you say, “Hey, this continent, Europe, has been predominantly White for the entirety of its history, and now suddenly within one generation, a few bureaucrats have decided against the will of the people that we should suddenly be a minority. Why do we agree with that, or why do we allow that to happen?” If you say that, you are going to be attacked.

But the only other option then you have is saying nothing and have it happen, so the choice is yours, and I’ve made my choice. I think there are many ways in which you can defend yourself, of course, against this ridiculous attack, so I’m sure that they’re going say about me that I’m a terrible racist again. No, that’s not true. I don’t think that any race is superior to another. I just think that mine is also not inferior to that of others.

Is she brave or crazy?

Her approach can be summed up from the interview headline, ‘Explain to me why we don’t have the right to exist?’

 

 

More here.

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

A Modest Proposal for the Homeless Hotel Debacle

Granite Grok - Tue, 2024-04-30 20:00 +0000

It seems like we are enduring a constant kerfuffle over whether or not to extend the now-ended federally funded COVID-emergency “hotels for homeless” program with state tax dollars. Lots of them. Twenty million here, thirty million there….

The latest House budget proposal allocates a whopping $50 million. Clearly, Vermonters can’t afford this. But, as Ronald Reagan warned, there is nothing so close to immortal as a government program.

So, instead of pouring hundreds of millions of dollars year after year to put these 1500 individuals/families in a bunch of derelict motel-no-tells, how about we spend a fraction of that just one time to everyone’s benefit and be done with the problem? How? Buy these people a cruise ship!

I did the research!

We can get one listed on Yacht World for $33 million. That’s just the asking price. Surely, the state can use its influence to get an even better deal.  It can accommodate over 3500 people, and according to the description in the classified ad,

Most recently refurbished in 2016, this 880 foot luxury cruise ship welcomes up to 2,767 guests and 912 crew members. Passengers [Those experiencing homelessness] can enjoy a rock climbing wall, a basketball court and a casino, plus four bars and multiple lounges. Guests can also choose from six dining venues. Ocean View and Suite cabins, all of which come outfitted with flat-screen TVs and minibars. Thanks to a dazzling, top to bottom renovation, this popular 880’ cruise ship is more majestic than ever. Guests [Those experiencing homelessness] will enjoy a newly remodeled pool deck, 2 pools, 4 hot tubs, expanded Day Spa & Fitness Center, plus tastefully refurbished staterooms, featuring luxurious bedding and eye-popping flat-screen TVs and more.  

There IS more! Such as on-board medical/hospital facilities, a library, a conference center, laundry, and shopping venues.

What’s not to love? Park the thing in Burlington Bay or Shelburne Bay and leave them to it. I looked at the nautical charts and there’s plenty of space to accommodate the S.S. Bernie’s Mittens’ 28-foot draft. My idea; I get to name the boat!

Now, obviously the on-board Johnny Rockets and Café Latte-tudes aren’t going to continue operating following this change of mission for The Mittens, as she will affectionately be known, nor will the kiosks selling tacky clothing, commemorative key chains, and suntan lotion. But that infrastructure can be re-purposed and managed by the residents (or others, I suppose) for their own entrepreneurial enterprises. Open a convenience store… a salon… laundry service… a snack shack to serve the community. Put the inmates in charge of the operation and have them be responsible for the upkeep of their floating neighborhood.

If this idea works, great! We will have saved Vermont taxpayers tens of millions of dollars if not more, and we will have successfully provided not just shelter, but economic opportunities and the infrastructure for on-location support facilities for folks currently living in distress. If it doesn’t work and they end up just trashing the place, we can always take the thing out into the middle of the lake and turn it into an artificial reef for the benefit of marine life and SCUBA tourism — after disembarking the residents, of course. Maybe on the New York side.

The S.S. Bernie’s Mittens is currently berthed in Port Washington, New York. I bet we could have it here by Monday. Then maybe everyone could just shut the bleep up about this issue and can move along to solving the property tax crisis before the rest end up experiencing homelessness too.

 

Rob Roper is a freelance writer with 20 years of experience in Vermont politics, including three years of service as chair of the Vermont Republican Party and nine years as President of the Ethan Allen Institute, Vermont’s free-market think tank. He is also a regular contributor to VermontGrok.

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

SCOTUS Has To Protect Kids From Genital Mutilation Because The Rest Of Society Wouldn’t

Granite Grok - Tue, 2024-04-30 18:00 +0000

The U.S. Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling that blocked an Idaho law to protect children from irreversible procedures progressives tout as gender-affirming care for minors.

The question is, why did it take a SCOTUS ruling to prevent the transgender cult from harming American children?

Republican Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed HB 71 into law in April 2023, to the dismay of far-left activists. Little defended the bill, saying that he recognizes the role “society plays … in protecting minors from surgeries or treatments that can irreversibly damage their healthy bodies.”

HB 71 made it a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison for anyone caught providing puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or so-called gender-affirming surgery to minors. Predictably, the transgender cult immediately filed a lawsuit to block the bill from taking effect. The far-left American Civil Liberties Union brought the case on behalf of two families with children suffering from gender dysphoria.

“There is no justification for banning all gender-affirming medical care for young Idahoans with gender dysphoria,” Leo Morales, executive director of the ACLU of Idaho, said in a statement. “The ban prohibits care that the youth, their parents, and their doctors all agree is medically necessary, and which is supported by every major medical association in the U.S.”

The organization went on to say that HB 71 was part of a “trouble trend” to end so-called gender-affirming care in the nation. Clinton-appointed U.S. District Judge for the District of Idaho B. Lynn Winmill then granted a stay preventing HB 71 from being enforced.

“After carefully considering the voluminous evidence on this point, the court finds that the treatment for gender dysphoria — when provided in accordance with the guidelines published by (the World Professional Association for Transgender Health) and the Endocrine Society, and which may include medical interventions such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries — is safe, effective and medically necessary for some adolescents,” Winmill stated in the ruling.

Seriously, what is wrong with the adults in the room? Haven’t they heard the passionate cries from the thousands of detransitioners who were subjected to these treatments and now have to live with the life-long medical complications that resulted directly from these “treatments”?

Leaked documents from WPATH showed that it is impossible to give parents and their children informed consent regarding the effects of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and transgender surgeries. Despite their best propaganda to tell the world otherwise, these doctors admit that placing children on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones is not a temporary change. Young boys put on puberty blockers often suffer from severely underdeveloped sexual organs. Both males and females suffer drastic bone density loss and impaired brain growth that leads to issues with logical thinking.

The complications that arise from the surgeries are even more horrific.

Male patients who undergo vaginoplasty surgery to create a “vagina” where their perfectly healthy penis used to be, complain of painful urination, loss of sexual function, and in some cases, a pungent smell that never goes away. That smell, by the way, is likely from either necrosis (dying/dead tissue) or because their rectum is seeping feces into the surgical hole created.

For a female patient to have a phalloplasty surgery, the doctor typically removes skin, muscle, and veins from their thigh or forearm to create the new “penis.” While the skin grows back, everything underneath does not. Their fake penis is not sexually functional, meaning it does not grow when aroused; no orgasm comes from having it. All they are left with is the scars and pain from surgery.

These doctors are mutilating these patients in the guise that this will help their mental illness. All the bill does is prevent this from happening to children. It doesn’t stop adults from disfiguring themselves. No person in their right mind should be advocating for this to be done to children. Yet entire medical hospitals and court systems are advocating for this so-called care.

The Cass Report was a damning rebuke of the medical industry’s failure to protect children from harm. Due to its findings, the UK recently blocked minors from access to puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries. It found that the mounting issues from their prolonged use and the reality that the medical industry still has no clue about the extent to which the harm from being on them is enough to pause their availability.


Americans have to decide which side of this fight they will be on. Every day, the number of kids tricked into this life is growing. The social contagion grows faster than parents can stop it, and no one is coming to protect them. Sadly, this case had to go all the way to the Supreme Court to stop the madness. It should never have made it out of the doctor’s office.

 

Mary Rooke | Daily Caller News Service

 

We want to thank The Daily Caller for being a partner and supporter of  Independent Media. You can support Grok Media here or if you prefer to donate by check, email steve@granitegrok com for details.

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Quick Reminder: Please Vote for Comment of the Week Before 8pm This Evening

Granite Grok - Tue, 2024-04-30 17:00 +0000

The poll for the ‘comment of the week’ winner is still live and will remain open until 8 PM Easter Time. If you have not yet, please click over, check out the seven “finalists” for last week, and pick your favorite.

Each week, I choose a comment from each day, and readers then select a winner who can opt to be not only recognized by readers but also receive free stuff.

Since we started this new reboot of the previous giveaway, the number of votes has been few, and the margins of victory are slim. I’d appreciate it, as might those whose comments are up for the honor (what of it there is), if we could get more involvement.

Of course, the goal is to increase engagement, and that’s been successful. We’ve had some excellent back-and-forth on a number of posts and more reactions to posts and comments.I like to reward someone each week from among all of those, and I hope you’ll take a minute to help us do that.

You can find the comments and the poll here.

Thank You!

 

 

 

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Did Outraged Pro-Palestine Protesters at UNH Just Guarantee Speech Protections for Opinions They Hate?

Granite Grok - Tue, 2024-04-30 16:00 +0000

It tickles me to no end when I see students radicalized by woke teachers and professors, getty uppity about the Biden regime. Even in New Hampshire, where we’ve not seen the vitriol and violence from which years of progressive inculcation stems, they came out to shout some slogans and demand things.

Joe is, after all, Pretending to be the President. His staff and the folks running his government and pushing for war funding for places like Israel are all Democrats who came up the same way – radicalized in schools and Universities. It amuses me when their creations turn on them.

Calling for “intifada” and denouncing the American flag as “that dirty rag” and “this Nazi flag,” a small but vocal group gathered on Thompson Hall Lawn at the University of New Hampshire Thursday to join the wave of anti-Israel protests across college campuses.

If you spent a lot of money on the education of these students, you should request a refund—public school, college, all of it. They are demanding a cease-fire and a violent rebellion—the end of hostilities by Israel and the rise of hostility by Arabs in Gaza. But let’s not get mired down by the mangles intentions of pro-peace students. Don’t forget to ask for that refund. We’re here to discuss the timing. NH House Bull 1305 (HB1305) has passed the House and is in the Senate. It would secure Free Speech Rights in public spaces on college campuses by preventing the college or university “from discriminating against any religious, political, or ideological student organizations, even if the organization requires members to adhere to its beliefs, standards of conduct, or mission.”

188-J:3  Freedom of Association and Nondiscrimination Against Students and Student Organizations.  No public institution of higher education shall deny a religious, political, or ideological student organization any benefit or privilege available to any other student organization, or otherwise discriminate against such an organization, based on the expression of the organization, including any requirement that the leaders or members of such organization:

I.  Affirm and adhere to the organization’s sincerely held beliefs;

II.  Comply with the organization’s standards of conduct; or

III.  Further the organization’s mission or purpose, as defined by the student organization.

I’m already on the record defending peaceful pro-Palestinian protests. I’m pro-any-peaceful protest. So the local peaceful protests could not have come at a better time. The Senate is going to move this legislation forward, and under the circumstances, it would be awkward for anyone, regardless of party, to protest. And HB1305 is not a toothless gesture.

188-J:4  Remedies.  Any person or student organization aggrieved by a violation of this chapter may bring an action against the public institution of higher education and its employees acting in their official capacities, responsible for the violation and seek appropriate relief, including, but not limited to, injunctive relief, monetary damages, reasonable attorneys’ fees and court costs.  Damages awarded in an action brought under this chapter in 2025 shall not exceed $20,000, provided that the cap shall be annually adjusted thereafter based on the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, Northeast Region as published by the United States Department of Labor.  Any person or student organization aggrieved by a violation of this chapter may assert such violation as a defense or counter claim in any disciplinary action or in any civil or administrative proceedings brought against such student or student organization.  Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to limit any other remedies available to any person or student organization.

Students radicalized by woke teachers and professors, and their woke professors and administrators, may not realize precisely what this means. One of the many tactics used by the Left to silence opposing opinions or debates, even on campuses where speech is “protected” on paper, is to create a security situation—the threat of violence or unrest—administrators who demand exorbitant sums for security that make the “speech” impossible.

Denying the “speech” equal access under HB1305 can or will get them sued. It includes the school, professors who agitate to stop the speech, and even individuals actively preventing it.

HB1305 does not permit the narrow limitations recognized under law by the courts.

IV.  Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as preventing public institutions of higher education from prohibiting, limiting, or restricting behavior, conduct, or expression that:

(a)  Violates any law and could be subject to criminal action.

(b)  Is unprotected by the free speech provisions of the United States and New Hampshire constitutions, including but not limited to true threats and expression directed to provoke imminent lawless actions.

I don’t think peo-Palestinian protested calling for Intifada classifies as provoking violence or lawless action, but again, the likelihood of those radicalized students and professors exercising expression on (say) social media to organize opposition or a counter-protest to speech protected by HB1305 to which they object, could become evidence of a violation of the law if the counter-protest or action succeeded is stopping the expression.

That’s a hint.

So, here’s to peaceful protests, good timing, and HB1305.

 

The post Did Outraged Pro-Palestine Protesters at UNH Just Guarantee Speech Protections for Opinions They Hate? appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Why Are Corporations Geared Toward Kids Harboring Pedophiles

Granite Grok - Tue, 2024-04-30 14:00 +0000

This is not a new story, but it is certainly worth writing because these companies need to be called out for their complicity in harboring juvenile sexual predators. The Disney Corporation and Nickelodeon are both guilty of hiring known, convicted individuals or those charged with sexual offenses against children to work with children.

It is unconscionable for any company to condone pedophilia, but it is a new low in moral standards to put children at risk knowingly. What could possibly be the upside in the risk-reward equation to make such a decision? There is so much uncovered with this topic that it is exhausting. Today, we will highlight a few just to peel a couple of layers off this rancid onion. We are not looking at isolated instances but dozens over the last fifteen years. Enough to label this a pandemic of sickness.

The staggering figure was previously unknown but came to light after a recent HBO documentary, titled “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids’ TV,” included testimonials from child actors who allege they were subjected to abuse on the sets of Nickelodeon shows such as “All That,” “The Amanda Show,” “Drake & Josh” and “Victorious.” CNN reported over a decade ago that 35 employees of Disney had been charged and found guilty of sex offenses with children. This expose did not prevent Disney from hiring a former employee of Nickelodeon who had already been convicted as a sex offender. Does that make Disney progressive for believing in rehabilitation or complicit in the crime?

The Woke Left ate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis alive when he publicly exposed the Disney Company for knowingly employing pedophiles, but are now doing the same to Nickelodeon. These hypocrites won’t dare admit that someone with an “R” after their name was right.

Bill Maher, who, like Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, is starting to sound more Conservative with each issue, went on an eight-minute rant on his HBO show Friday night about the abuse of children by the Woke Liberals that have gone so far to the Left that they have fallen off the world of reality and common sense. It was an incredibly honest monologue you must see on X or YouTube if you do not have HBO.

Isn’t it time we grew up and stopped all the WOKE BS we are subjecting a generation to? As Maher said, these kids are not wannabe adults but submissive morons who will do anything to impress adults, even if those adults want to castrate or physically mutilate them in another fashion. From sexually offensive books in school libraries to drag queen reading hours in first-grade classes to creating sanctuaries for adolescents who want abortions or sex reassignment treatment, when are we going to realize it is adults enticing and entrapping children into a sick and twisted world? It is going to take politicians and a judicial system to grow some cajones to prosecute and convict some of these corporations and parent/sex offenders for what they are: pedophiles, the sickest of the sick.

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

WoLF Testimony in Support of New Hampshire Bill Protecting Single-Sex Spaces (HB396)

Granite Grok - Tue, 2024-04-30 12:00 +0000

My name is Lauren Bone, and I am the Legal Director of Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF), a national feminist non-profit organization whose mission is to advance, restore, and defend the rights of women and girls.

I am writing today to express our enthusiastic support for House Bill 396 (HB396), which would clarify that public entities are not prohibited from using biological sex to separate men and women in sports, jails, and prisons, bathrooms, and locker rooms. We particularly note with favor the inclusion of medical and mental health facilities where persons may be involuntarily committed since that is an extremely vulnerable population frequently overlooked by similar bills. We commend that and urge you to consider expanding it to any inpatient or outpatient program.

Men and women have specific innate physiological differences with social implications, including the unique ability of females (but not males) to become pregnant and birth children, including by rape; the increased vulnerability of females to numerous forms of sexual assault and other assault by males; and advantages associated with male physiology in athletics and other physical activities, including musculoskeletal advantages that cannot be equalized via pharmaceuticals or any other medical treatment.

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

There are other differences between men and women, including a greatly increased rate of violent crime and sexual crime committed against females by males, significantly increased rate of sexual exploitation of females by males, and certain disparities in employment and education. These population-level sex differences are not modified by a person’s self-identity as something other than their actual sex. Women in New Jersey and California prisons have become pregnant from being housed with men, and there have been numerous reports of sexual assault, as well as countless anecdotes of physical violence and intimidation, voyeurism and exhibitionism, and sexual harassment.

Sex-specific facilities and services are often necessary for privacy, modesty, religious observance, safety, and redress of historical discrimination and exclusion. Lack of access to such facilities and services limits the ability of women and girls to participate in public life. As such, outright prohibition on legal recognition of biological sex fails to consider the unique needs of women and girls, which can serve to unduly disadvantage them.

Inconsistency in definitions and in court rulings applying these concepts have led to endangerment and in some cases legal prohibitions against single-sex spaces, which was never the intent of Congress or of the state of New Hampshire in elucidating protections for women and girls in sex discrimination laws. As such, explicit statutory provisions such as those provided in HB 396 are needed to clarify the terms of prohibitions against discrimination based on sex.

This is a good bill, and a step in the right direction for protecting women and girls in the state of New Hampshire. WoLF urges the Committee to give it a favorable vote. Thank you for this opportunity to testify.

 

WoLF works to restore, protect, and advance the rights of women and girls

 

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

International Agricultural Platform for Farmers

Granite Grok - Tue, 2024-04-30 11:00 +0000

Being a modern farmer is not easy at all. The farmer controls all processes from a field with a growing crop to a garage with agricultural machinery. Future profits and the success of the season depend on his actions and decisions. For this reason, the farmer must be mobile and able to find the goods he needs as quickly as possible.

It’s for such purposes that the agricultural marketplace “VAS” was created: https://usa.vas.trade/.

The website covers all states of the country so that every user can buy agricultural products and quickly sell them everywhere. This new bulletin board consists of twelve big categories with the most common products and a various agricultural services.

In the “Agricultural vehicles and equipment” category, each site user can place an advertisement for the sale and purchase of tractors, combines and garden equipment. Not only purchase but also rent is possible; this information must be indicated in the ad.

The “Ready-made products” category is filled with products of plant and animal origin. Here farmers can find seeds for the future harvest and sell their ready-made goods at the right price. The price can be indicated wholesale and retail.You can set a negotiated price by simply clicking on the button when filling out the ad.

Agrochemicals is in the category of the same name for strengthening and protecting your plants.
Where can you find specialists to work in the field or build facilities on the agricultural marketplace? The “Services” category is ideal for finding workers for fieldwork, agricultural lawyers and accountants, marketers and many others.

You can register on the site in five minutes and all site options will immediately become available.
To communicate with each other, users can use chat and leave reviews for a successful purchase. Moreover, if you have any problems using the site, our 24-hour support service is always ready to help you. The agricultural marketplace “VAS” allows you to buy and sell not only new but also previously used goods.

The main thing is to indicate the condition of the product when you publish the ad. This service is not only a bulletin board, but also a place where the agricultural community can exchange experiences and find new contacts for work. The service is growing and developing like a living organism; new categories and groups of products appear every day so that everyone on the site can find exactly what they need.

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

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