You don’t need liberty-aligned bloggers to tell you that the renewable energy scheme is an expensive scam. The state laboratory of California is doing a fine job of that. It is the movement’s mentor and demon poster child for failure.

And if you are saying it’s California, who cares? Several New England States (my corner of the world) have adopted the left Coast strut on energy transition. Vermont is the best example. They proudly look for ways to go 100% renewable without a care for what is going on in their mentor state and what it is doing to not just the poor (wealth transfer) or the economy but also how it has failed to reduce emissions.

California’s “renewable energy” incentives account for over 25% of electricity generation, driving the cost to an average of 28.9 cents per Kwh. They are not the highest in the US, but they rank third behind Connecticut and Hawaii, but not for long. Mandates continue to push prices higher, and the infrastructure projects necessary to accommodate the new energy future add tens of billions in spending, all of which will end in ratepayer bills.

Vermont, are you listening?

These are not the Emissions You’re Looking For

California leaped into the big green litter box years ago, and in the beginning, there were emissions reductions (again, based on the lie that this is good). But at some point, they stopped seeing improvement despite the continued rise in solar installations and electric rates.

CO2 Intensity – California: Image credit WUWT

 

The cost per kilowatt hour is up 109%, which means nothing to rich people with solar on their rooftops but everything to lower-income folks.

According to a study done for the California Public Utility Commission, residents who have installed solar systems have household incomes 68% higher than the state average. Ashley Brown, executive director of the Harvard Electricity Policy Group, calls the proliferation of rooftop solar systems and the returns they provide to lucky people like me, “a wealth transfer from less affluent ratepayers to more affluent ones.” It is, Mr. Brown says, “Robin Hood in reverse.”

For all their talk of climate justice, the Proglodytes have turned electricity (living, working, basic comfort) into a luxury more and more Californians can’t afford. It is an inevitable outcome playing out next door to me in Vermont. The Democrat legislature is not only pushing forward with its green dreams (remember, Vermont has legislatively linked itself to California’s emissions goals), but it is also ignoring and belittling anyone who dares to suggest it is bad for Vermont and Vermonters. This is the same template the Democrats in New Hampshire want to see deployed, and that is the goal at the national level: to make water and electricity (food, shelter) too expensive for anyone but the ruling class for no measurable gain.

Californians are paying a considerable price to reach a stated emissions goal they must lie to achieve, which means it will be easy for them. They’ve been lying about everything else.

Net Zero was never about fossil fuel emissions. It was a goal for your lifestyle. When they’ve wrecked enough of it and enough people with it, they’ll just declare wherever that is as almost there (you can never quite get there), which looks a bit like feudalism. They’ll be living in luxury, eating grass-fed beef, and you’ll have nothing to live for and a near-constant fear of a boot on your neck.

 

The post Green Revolution: A Wealth Transfer from Poor to Rich That Doesn’t Reduce Emissions* appeared first on Granite Grok.

Check out this email excerpt from Congresswoman Ann Kuster earlier this month about her support of the border – I think it’s pretty telling and hope she never gets re-elected (March 16, 2024):

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

“Last week, I wrote an op-ed in the Union Leader highlighting the essential role legal immigration plays in New Hampshire and beyond. [https://www.unionleader.com/opinion/op-eds/rep-annie-kuster-immigration-reform-will-benefit-labor-strapped-new-hampshire/article_7b236486-d65a-11ee-87b5-b7965a7df22b.html] [March 6, 2024]

There’s no question that our immigration system has been broken for decades. The situation at our borders is unacceptable. For too long, politicians in Washington [like her] have thrown up their hands and politicized the issue instead of … finding long-term, bipartisan solutions.

Leaving out present, emergency, short-term solutions by any party which we are crying for?

Real solutions are within reach.

Her citation to and support of the “Framework for Commonsense Immigration & Border Security Reform” does not reflect that assertion, nor does the partisanship in Congress, and is little more than a comprehensive spending plan – https://newdemocratcoalition.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/new-democrat-coalition-immigration-and-border-security-task-force-unveils_framework-for-commonsense-immigration-reform-calls-on-republicans-to-join-democrats-in-tackling-border-security.

We can increase funding and recruitment of Border Patrol agents to restore order.

Funding isn’t the problem, it’s the fact there is no wall – a strategy many countries use with success – and what about restoring order in the mainland 48 where the crimes are occurring daily?

We can improve technology at our ports of entry to strengthen drug interdiction.

Dog sniffers, which offer a lower-cost alternative and have the added advantage of being able to bite, might be more effective, e.g., the power goes out and the technology doesn’t work? What kind of tech are we talking about, massive machines or updates to existing ones?

We can expand the number of immigration judges … and give fast, fair, and final answers to asylum seekers.

Much better would be to hire lawyers on a contract basis rather than further bloat the cadre of permanent government employees which would happen with increasing CPB agents.

These commonsense steps will have a meaningful impact.

First, when? Second, you have not addressed deportation which you likely do not want to be bothered with. Third, your increased funding will increase taxes and inflation and further injure families and industries – not to mention increasing the wealth of Deep State.”

 

My conclusion is that she:

1. has known since she has been in office of the situation at the border, known it is “unacceptable”;
2. has politicized the border problem all the many years she has been in office;
3. is addressing long-term solutions and therefore is cruelly disinterested in addressing the horrible crisis Americans are facing and suffering right now [she of course is not the only one];
4. does not and/or is incapable of thinking beyond monetary solutions;
5. is plainly incompetent not to mention the wall when talking of increased funding;
6. reminds me of her comrades in the Biden/Democrat Administration not evacuating Americans in Afghanistan or in Haiti, the latter being brushed off, hiding behind their official warnings “we told you so, don’t go there” – the very warning given to nonessential personnel (families of diplomats), whom it did rescue. The FJB State Dept. blithely stated: “We have no higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas” – but did nothing. In the words of Rep. Lisa McClain, R-MI: “Those stranded in war-torn Haiti were left hopeless and without options. The State Department’s answer was to sign up for a notification system and wait for alerts: They offered no real assistance, no opportunities to be rescued, and no plan whatsoever.” Congress is doing the same to us, making us wait for something, but what.

The post Ann Kuster Takes a ‘Stand’ on Immigration and Border Security (Queue Laughter) appeared first on Granite Grok.

Jet-setting to COP a climate feel is the poster-boygirlmanthing of the globalist elite. We are so concerned about emissions we’re emitting tons of them, so you don’t have to – by which they mean you can’t. Their luxury is about saving the planet for themselves.

In other words, they are proglodytes are hypocrites. Modern-day Pharisees. Holy men draped in finery, pontificating about the needs of the poor while making more of them.

Planeteers, advertising how self-aware they are, continue to show up at protests bedecked in Vinyard Vines and NorthFace, wearing Apple Watches with iPhones, Beats headphones, and the keys to mommies Bimmer. Even the street class of climate zealots tends toward tax brackets above the middle class, evidenced by how the landscape looks when their protest is over. There is garbage everywhere because, at home, they pay someone else to clean up.

It has been our habit to insist that every new restriction, limitation, or demand from austerity begin with them. If every holy man should come to us barefoot and in rags, then so too shall yours. Bugs for dinner? You first. Net-Zero community? You first. Fifteen Minute cities, only EV transportation, no meat every day, right down the list to composting human remains.

It’s actually not as uncommon as you think. “Human composting is legal in Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, California, New York, and Nevada.” Delware’s legislature just passed a law to join the club.

The Delaware legislature has approved legislation that would allow residents to compost dead bodies instead of traditional burial in a casket or cremation.

Composting reduces the dead to soil using natural processes. As opposed to preservation using formaldehyde or cremation that releases carbon dioxide and mercury into the air, composting “uses large vessels to hold human remains together with straw, wood chips, or other natural materials for about 30 days,” the legislation explains.

The legislation now goes to the desk of Gov. John Carney, a Democrat, after the Delaware Senate’s 14-7 vote Thursday and the state House’s 37-2 approval in January. …

As with any idea burped out of the gut of the cult, this one is likely based on assumptions that turn out to be false. Composting does solve some problems with land management (fewer cemeteries) as well as what to do with the little people, but does it reduce “emissions.” The science, believe it or not, is not settled.

Composting can divert organic waste from landfills, reduce landfill methane emissions, and recycle nutrients back to soils. However, the composting process is also a source of greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions. Researchers, regulators, and policy decision-makers all rely on emissions estimates to develop local emissions inventories and weigh competing waste diversion options, yet reported emission factors are difficult to interpret and highly variable. This review explores the impacts of waste characteristics, pretreatment processes, and composting conditions on CO2, CH4, N2O, NH3, and VOC emissions by critically reviewing and analyzing 388 emission factors from 46 studies. The values reported to date suggest that CH4 is the single largest contributor to 100-year global warming potential (GWP100) for yard waste composting, comprising approximately 80% of the total GWP100. For nitrogen-rich wastes including manure, mixed municipal organic waste, and wastewater treatment sludge, N2O is the largest contributor to GWP100, accounting for half to as much as 90% of the total GWP100.

Not that any of that matters. Composting human remains, like the rest of the Cults manifold cures, isn’t about the things they claim. Legalized human composting is a waste management decision. Democrat rule leads to death. If we pretend that their incompetence can result in some good by abandoning tens of thousands of years of outdated notions about body, soul, and meaning, then game on. Your daughter may have been raped by an illegal immigrant gang member who is still alive and free. By composting her, we can renew the earth we’ve ceded to foreign invaders.

Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.

To avoid going long, you first? If cancer claims King Charles, a strong supporter of the Climate Cult dogma, think of all the emissions yo could reduce by just turning him with woodchips and straw for thirty days until he’s reduced to dirt. Everyone at the UN or the WEF or those who have attended a climate conference or spent any amount of time on a planning commission should have to sign up first.

No grave markers, no urns, and no placard unless they are responsibly sourced, fair trade, biodegradable signs attached to the tree your remains have fertilized.

In other words, you first.

 

The post What to Do with Climate Cultists When They Die? appeared first on Granite Grok.

The Senate passed an emergency appropriations bill on Friday night to avoid a government shutdown. This $1.2 trillion appropriations minibus includes $825 billion for the U.S. Department of Defense and $62 billion for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

It funds several key agencies and programs pertaining to financial services, labor, health and human services, and education. Nothing is ever as it appears in Washington. This bill is not about keeping the government open but about an opportunity to have a D.C. Pork fest. Congress got very creative as they ensured their vote with millions for pet projects for their constituents. None of these projects has anything to do with keeping the government going, just keeping the money we don’t have flowing.

Joe Biden’s comments about the bill:

The bipartisan funding bill I just signed keeps the government open, invests in the American people, and strengthens our economy and national security. This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted. But it rejects extreme cuts from House Republicans and expands access to child care, invests in cancer research, funds mental health and substance use care, advances American leadership abroad, and provides resources to secure the border that my Administration successfully fought to include. That’s good news for the American people.

The lines in this statement are Biden’s take on child care, cancer research, leadership abroad, and the laughable securing the border. Gaslighting is a 24/7 job for Joe. It is so easy to be free with American taxpayer money when the country is $34 trillion in debt. But then again, Joe’s kids have a habit of not paying their “fair share,” or any share, for that matter.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) may be an elderly lady, but she is still a fan of kayaking. She ensured an amendment was attached to the bill to secure $2.5 Million for a kayak facility in the small town of Franklin, NH. You might ask what a kayak park has to do with keeping the lights on in D.C. It doesn’t, but every Senator and Congressperson knows the opportunity before them when they can add to a huge appropriations bill with little chance of people noticing. Shaheen got busted on this one, as it hit FOX News all weekend as an example of the wasteful spending by Congress.

And that only scratches the surface. The partial budget deal—which contains six of the 12 appropriations bills that make up the discretionary portion of the annual federal budget—is overflowing with earmarks to fund lawmakers’ pet projects. All told, there are more than 6,000 earmarks in the bill, costing taxpayers more than $12.7 billion, according to Sen. Mike Lee (R–Utah), who has urged Republicans to vote against the package.

Plenty of others make no sense for the public to fund at all, like a $3.5 million earmark secured by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D–Mich.) for The Parade Company, which runs Detroit’s annual Thanksgiving Day parade, and a $2.7 million line item to help build a bike park in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia, a town with a population of less than 2,300 people.

With few exceptions, like Lee, the two Scotts (Rick and Tim), and Kennedy, who understand the game and would love to see pork projects disappear. This will never happen in the swamp we know as D.C.

The post Jeanne Shaheen Votes Yes For More Debt More Pork, and That $2.5 Million for Franklin appeared first on Granite Grok.

Oregon allows anyone from anywhere to obtain medically assisted death (with dignity) in the Beaver State, but it doesn’t always go as advertised, as in, ‘gee beave, I didn’t think it was gonna take that long to die.’

The new numbers come amid growing concerns that Oregon and other US states are liberalizing their assisted-suicide programs too quickly and following the example of Canada, where 13,241 people were euthanized in 2022.

What numbers? Oregan had a 21% increase in medically assisted suicides last year, with 367 known successes from the 560 people who were given drugs to kill themselves. My first question is, what happened to the death drugs given to the 193 people who didn’t kill themselves? The answer is that some of them may have killed themselves, and the state just doesn’t know.

And not everyone dies right away.

Ten people faced complications, such as vomiting up their drugs or getting a burning sensation in their throats. One patient took fully 137 hours — nearly six days — to die. OHA did not provide any more details about the slow death.

Vomiting and other complications are reportedly on the rise. A bad look for your death-with-dignity tagline. I can imagine someone saying, “I was expecting a peaceful departure surrounded by loved ones and a few of the state-employed “specialists” who convinced me this was the best way to go, but someone had to hold my hair while I puked in a trash can.”

I’m guessing they didn’t die unless it was out of embarrassment.

Oregon’s empathy has other features worth noting. While early adopters of Doctor-Assisted Suicide were on private health care, nearly eighty percent were on government health care.

“…health funding status changed from predominantly private (65%) to predominantly government support (79.5%), and there was an increase in patients feeling a burden and describing financial concerns as reasons for choosing an assisted death. There has been a reduction in the length of the physician–patient relationship from 18 weeks in 2010 to 5 weeks in 2022, and the proportion.”

A widening range of acceptable reasons to shuffle off the mortal coil is as common as the increased speed with which a “patient” may obtain approval for death drugs. States and nations that adopt it let mission-creep take control, and there’s never any turning or rolling back. Every new legislative session presents an opportunity to embrace more death.

Last year, Hawaii dropped the waiting period to 5 days. That’s barely time for a second date with Doctor Death. Not to be outdone, Colorado has legislation this year that reduces that waiting period to 48 hours. Ecuador’s highest court has effectively authorized Euthanasia without consent for those in a coma.

The Netherlands has justified the killing of chronically or terminally ill children without their knowledge or consent.

And then there’s Canada. It euthanized over 13,421 of its citizens in 2022, which is too low a number. It is looking for more reasons from mental health (including suicidal ideation), being a veteran, low income, drug abuse, long waiting periods for medical procedures or specific procedures themselves, or as a way to save the taxpayers a few bucks on government-run “care.”

On a brighter note, organ donations are up. And organ sounds a bit like Oregon.

The post Assisted Sui-Side-Effects: Burning Throat, Vomiting, … Taking Six Days to Die appeared first on Granite Grok.

Peter Sterling, Executive Director of Renewable Energy Vermont and one of the chief nit-wits in Montpelier lobbying for every policy imaginable to force you and me to cut our carbon footprints down to stone age levels (because of the “existential climate crisis”), was caught on a hot mic — during a Climate Council meeting no less!! — gleefully making plans for a spur-of-the-moment ski trip to Chamonix, France.

Skiing Chamonix France

I seriously doubt he’ll be getting there by hitching a ride on Greta Thunberg’s catamaran. And since his captured conversation is with someone about buying a season lift pass, he won’t be hiking up those Alpine Mountains once he gets there.

Oh, the hypocrisy! Mere words can’t express, so let’s roll the tape….

..

 

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.

The post Anti-Fossil Fuel Lobbyist Caught in Hot Mic Moment… appeared first on Granite Grok.

This blog is made pursuant to NH Rules of Professional Conduct 3.6 (c) (2).

Joa moves to dismiss his Disorderly Conduct charge due to the fact that there are no witnesses to his alleged conduct other than law enforcement officers.  Find that here.

This is not for the faint of heart. Dr. Levatino, speaking before the House Judiciary, explains the process of performing an abortion at 22 weeks gestation. He is glib and clinical, and if you don’t think you’ve got the stomach for it, stop reading now.

Congratulations, you’ve just performed a second-trimester abortion. You have affirmed her right to choose.

 

pic.twitter.com/0yluc2GCI2

— illuminatibot (@iluminatibot) March 23, 2024

 

The post Night Cap: Doctor Describes Preforming an Abortion at 22 weeks (Content Warning) appeared first on Granite Grok.

So I already posted some thoughts on the recent “debate” in the New Hampshire State Senate over illegal immigration: Adam Sexton Thinks Speech Codes Are “Interesting,” and The Becky Whitleys Are The “Dehumanizers.” I have a few more.

Predictably, during the “debate,” the DemocratCommunist State Senators’ defense of the illegal alien invasion of America was to insinuate that Republican State Senators who did not want to aid and abet the invasion were the moral equivalents of Adolf Hitler and Lester Maddox. And I say “predictably” because that is what Communists do … rather than attempting to defend the indefensible, in this case, their illegal alien invasion, they seek to stifle or at least shift the debate.

The NHGOP needs to understand that the terms “racist,” “white supremacist,” “homophobe,” “transphobe,” “Christian-nationalist,” etc. etc., etc., are simply the Woke-Communists’ equivalents for “reactionary” and “counter-revolutionary.” If you don’t goose-step along with the Becky Whitleys and the Shannon Chandleys, that makes you a “racist,” “white-supremacist,” etc., etc., etc. For example, here is State Senator Daryl Abbas in NH-NeverTrumpJournal:

Abbas noted his father legally immigrated to the United States from Egypt, but he still gets accused of advocating “white supremacism.”

“When I hear that political rhetoric, do they even know what they’re talking about, or are they reading off a script? All that talk, all they’re doing as elected officials – there are people who think I work with hate groups because my Democratic colleagues put that in a press release.”

Of course they are reading off a script, Daryl. WAKE UP. You consider the very people who smear you as a “hater” as a “white supremacist” your colleagues?!?!?! They see you as the ENEMY … as a modern-day Hitler or Lester Maddox … as a racist, a white-supremacist, etc., etc. etc. And, yet, you refer to them as your “colleagues”?!?!?! WAKE THE F___ UP. You are dealing with Woke-Communism.

Woke-Communism, like all variations on collectivism … Nazism, Stalinism, Maoism, etc. … is a religion. Your “colleagues” are the equivalent of religious fanatics. The ends justify the means. The illegal alien invasion is a means to one-Party rule. You are merely an obstacle to that … an obstacle that must be removed by any means needed.

Take off the rose-colored glasses, Daryl. See your “colleagues” for what they really are.

The post Daryl … That’s The Whole Point Of Calling You A Racist, White Supremacist, Etc. appeared first on Granite Grok.

Nashua’s Superior Court civil judges appear to align with the Nashua City Attorneys on Right to Know (RTK) cases. Judges are required by their ethics rules and training to conduct themselves impartially, but this is not happening in Nashua. I’ve been before two judges for my cases: Judge Temple and Judge Colburn.

Both judges need refresher training on the impact of technology advancements on RTK requests.  These advancements, especially concerning data storage, fast document search, and retrieval, have been available for some time and continue to improve rapidly.  While document requests might have been burdensome and voluminous previously, they can now be efficiently and expeditiously executed. Even if unintentional, both judges are subverting the rules for fair hearings and trials by accepting the City’s Attorneys’ inaccurate assessments of the scope and timing of fulfilling requests based on their antiquated understanding of technology.

The court system is under-resourced, and attorneys are disinterested in RTK cases. Many attorneys are on the City’s payroll and hence ‘conflict out’ of taking these cases. Others must consider going up against the City a “professional risk” and decline. Typically, the only way to adjudicate these cases is to represent yourself. It is difficult enough to go to court without a law school education, but coupling that challenge with seeming unquestioned judicial acceptance of the city’s unreasonable claims of technological burdens results in an environment that is unfair to the citizens.

I attended a hearing with another pro se litigant who failed to receive her records for a Roby Park information request. Judge Colburn dismissed her case for failure to properly serve the summons. However, Attorney Bolton appeared to me to dissemble regarding the City’s receipt of the summons. The City’s vague claims were accepted while the litigant was held to an exact process. When the Judge issued the decision, she wrongly asserted that I counseled the pro se citizen at the hearing. She cited me for potential criminal action for falsely representing myself as the attorney for this pro se litigant. (See Footnote, pg. 2)

I am concerned that my city has worked tirelessly to criminalize my RTK efforts, even going so far as to have me arrested. Now we have a Judge abetting the City’s extraordinary retaliatory efforts to silence anyone who dares question them?  Judge Colburn claimed I had gotten up during the hearing, approached the Plaintiff, and given her advice. She was wrong; I did not leave my seat or approach the Plaintiff to make any statement. The Judge further stated that I was writing and filing for the Plaintiff. I sometimes assisted the Plaintiff with filings, but their writing was submitted. Judge Colburn sent a strong and threatening message that she did not want citizens working together to get into Court on records claims. Why?  Is the Court intent on preventing citizens from freely sharing information and thereby enabling city officials to dismiss RTK requests?

The citizen who filed for the records filed a reconsideration request and asked the Court to remove the accusation. The Judge struck the accusatory remark from the record.

Judge Colburn should also know that working with the outdated Court electronic filing system is difficult for people representing themselves. The court clerk who handles civil cases would prefer to work with something other than self-represented parties. Is it surprising that citizens will seek the assistance of citizens with experience filing in Court, given that no attorneys are available for these cases?

Nashua city leaders are frustrating to work with when seeking records. They don’t abide by the NH Constitution which states:

All power residing originally in, and being derived from, the people, all the magistrates and officers of government are their substitutes and agents, and at all times accountable to them.  Government, therefore, should be open, accessible, accountable and responsive.  To that end, the public’s right of access to governmental proceedings and records shall not be unreasonably restricted.  The public also has a right to an orderly, lawful, and accountable government. 

City leaders refuse to create public policy, procedures, and guidelines for handling requests. They’ve locked the doors in City Hall so citizens cannot speak with record experts within the Departments. They have hidden the RTK Administrator behind a closed door with no office hours or phone number. Nashua’s corporation council has a documented history of alcohol problems and anger management issues. He appears to have difficulty working with women and doesn’t like people who challenge him.  Many citizens who fall on the other side of a City issue in opposition to the elected body are closed off from equal access to information. These are the people challenging records.

Just because citizens represent themselves doesn’t mean that their arguments should not be fairly heard. The court system shouldn’t penalize citizens lacking legal training and resources, especially when the Court tolerates the City’s shortcomings and violating timelines and rules.  Ironically, pro se advocates are held to higher standards than professional attorneys. We deserve trained Judges who will expedite these cases and adjudicate them fairly and impartially.

The post Judges Should Conduct Themselves Impartially, but This Is Not Happening in Nashua appeared first on Granite Grok.

In 2018, New Hampshire legislators granted minority status to anyone who claimed that he or she has a mismatched gender identity. They were caught up in the belief that they were promoting “community, inclusion, privacy, and freedom,” as Richard Ober, head of the NH Charitable Foundation, wrote in his recent Union Leader op-ed,  “LGBTQ Granite Staters deserve to feel safe and welcome.”

That same year the American Academy of Pediatrics issued an ideologically driven policy that calls for the immediate, unquestioning embrace of a child’s chosen gender identity, advocates for immediate social transition, and encourages puberty-blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones.

Related: Rotting from the Head Down: The American Academy of Pediatrics Gender Policy

Inevitably, we have seen exponential growth in trans-identifying youth as activists and an opportunistic medical industry push teens and young adults with emotional disorders and autism down a path of irreversible harm. Medical associations ignore the systematic reviews in Sweden, Finland, and England that found no sound evidence of benefit to these dangerous experimental treatments.

New Hampshire’s Gender identity laws don’t promote the values of “community, inclusion, and freedom,” as Ober claims – quite the opposite. Girls are coerced by laws and policies to sacrifice their privacy, safety, and spots on the podium to affirm gender identities. Children are turned into life-long patients dependent on clinics for synthetic hormones. Anyone who says the obvious, that sex is binary and unchangeable, is labeled as transphobic and ostracized.

Virtue signalers like Ober want to march with Martin Luther King and stand against injustice. Activists took advantage of their vanity. The sooner we correct our mistakes, the more young people will be saved from this convoluted ideology.

The post Sorry, Ober. It’s Time to Scrap Gender Identity Laws appeared first on Granite Grok.

Time Magazine isn’t what it used to be, but they still think they are, so when this aging arm of the Government’s Public Relations Department publishes things, it is meant to mean something. Not New York Times, something, but something. Like how capitalism can’t solve the climate problem, China is where we should be looking.

That’s the opinion of some Swedish Professor of “something.”  Brett Christopher could teach left-handed albino lesbian studies (or economics or climatology), and he can’t be right from the start. “Renewables” are not the answer to any problem unless it is how do we waste money and cripple nations. They are not clean or green front end or back. But Brett Christopher is enamored of how quickly China built a bunch of infrastructure he labels as renewable, and why can we do that in the West?

Dumb and Dumber

Suggesting China as a role model for anything should be taken with a bit of Sino-cysm. The totalitarian regime need only point, and the entire system, from proletariat to politburo, under punishment of death, does what it is told. “No sire” or “But what about sire” are not options, which is what Christopher – like any proper white tower idiot – finds so appealing.  Whatever pops into Xi’s head can be turned into action with a word as if that is better than capitalism or the free market system that is meant to undergird it. It’s not.

The reality is Chinese central planners have made a colossal mess of their economy, because of their incompetence, economic mismanagement and Covid lockdowns. For at least 30 years the Chinese Government has been keeping interest rates too low to encourage development, but the result has been enormous resource misallocation and huge asset bubbles. The Chinese realestate bubble has popped, creating a catastrophic mess of bad loans in their realestate sector. Even worse, Chinese regional governments have for years been creating fake economic growth to meet central targets by issuing government bonds, and many are now likely bankrupt.

The other more obvious issue, and I’m sure you were yelling it at your phone laptop after the opening paragraph, is that China has been opening coal plants faster than Joe Biden can fall down the stairs. As many as two new plants a week. China emits more CO2 than the rest of the world combined because it built coal plants as a backup for all that unreliable renewable capacity Xi demanded (to make China’s capacity portfolio look good in the run-up to a global climate conference – or so the reporting goes). That thing Brett Christopher wishes we could do without the details so maybe he just hates free markets and capitalism, which makes more sense.

China, that great example of how to add wind and solar, couldn’t make them work either. What they can do, and are doing, is add generating capacity that does work and will carry most of the load until the wind turbines fail—and long after.

In that, I agree. We should follow Xi’s example. We need more coal (gas and nuclear) while skipping the part where the state rams wind farms up our asses. After all, the Green Dream is about using energy to achieve socialism and that’s the part about Xi we could truly do without.

 

-Check Out Steve’s New Substack–

The post Time Magazine Suggests China as The Model for Advancing Climate Justice appeared first on Granite Grok.

And yet another Monday rolls around, darn it!

Take heart – there will be both a Wednesday and Friday Edition.  Last week’s Friday Edition.

Remember, ridicule and mockery are effective weapons:

1. Ridicule cannot easily be fought
2. Ridicule makes the enemy angry, and angry people make mistakes
3. For those in the “squishy middle” a Thought Splinter (and Part II and Part III and Part IV) can often be hidden inside humor.

Now, let the mockery and mayhem begin.

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

I do have concerns about Tiktok being a spyware app, and the fact that it broadcasts different content messages depending on where you live, (e.g., China vs. the US), but I always err on the side of too much freedom:

 

“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.”

― Thomas Jefferson

 

 

 

I see, sometimes, people on the Left absolutely giddy about that.  Because “Orange Man bad”.  Trump is now the Left’s Emmanuel Goldstein.

 

 

I saw a Biden 2024 bumper sticker on a car that also had Bernie 2016.  Some people truly lack the capacity to learn.

 

 

And make sure you take choline supplements daily for a month or so before that booster – it’ll help it work better!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ronald Reagan: ‘If Fascism Ever Comes to America, It Will Come in the Name of Liberalism’ | Snopes.com

 

 

For readers in NH – most of you are here but not all of you.

 

 

 

Please get boosted.  Again and again.

 

 

 

What’s that New Testament statement?

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

 

 

 

 

A while back, having some blood drawn for lab work, I asked the tech if she’d noticed changes in blood after the Jab was introduced.  She immediately said that she hadn’t, but – and I’m certainly no body language expert! – it felt like she was uncomfortable with the question.

 

 

 

 

Got 19!

 

This is an incredible analogy.

 

 

Now, let’s assume this is both true, and deliberate.  How long have they been doing this research?  This has to have been decades in the making; and if decades and decades and decades, who provided the technology?  And reprising my entire DEPOPULATION essays:

The 7.3 Billion Dollar, er, Person Question – Liberty’s Torch (libertystorch.info)

Proverbs 16:18… and What’s Coming? – Granite Grok

Dark Thoughts in the Small Hours – Granite Grok

Borrowing from a Dog Food Ad – Urban Scoop

Depopulation Speculations – Granite Grok

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

PSA – PSA – PSA – PSA – PSA

 

 

Which reminds me, I need to make turmeric-ginger (with other ingredients too) tea soon.

 

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

 

 

 

 

I had to think about this for a minute.

 

 

Funny.  But what about whale calves?  (Looked it up – blue whale calves can be two tons!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which is one reason why I don’t drink when I go out (or much at all, actually).

 

 

We’ve come full circle.  And doubtless, in a few years, they’ll realize what they’ve done…

 

 

 

I lived in Pittsburgh for a while.  It was a beautiful place then.

 

 

The scary thing to me is that you can show this chart to the average Covidian, and they still won’t see anything.

 

 

Weep for those souls.  And to all the pro-Pali and pro-Muslim migration useful idiots, remember: FIRST SATURDAY, THEN SUNDAY.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stupid?  NO!  Diabolical.  Make civilization dependent on the sun, which is not just solar power but wind, and then reduce the sun’s influx.  Yet another way to depopulate.

 

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

 

Link section (some mine, some from my Jarhead friend):

 

The Best Ways to Kill Ants Using Borax – wikiHow

This looks interesting – instead of pesticides.

—

Don’t Want a Vaccine? New AI Tool Will Find You – Vigilant News Network

If you are “vaccine hesitant” what will happen?  Eventually you will be deemed mentally unfit.

It’s Turbo Cancer. We should have known. | Barnhardt

Most people who I know who took the Jab, I’ll be crushed if this happens to them (or other side effects).  A handful of others I know?  BWAAAA HAAAAAAA!  Sucks to be you.  In a couple of very specific instances, the sooner the better.

 

 

And related to that, look here – pushing bugs to eat, why?  Maybe because chitin feeds cancers?

 

 

COVID Vaccines Damage ALL Hearts, Study Finds (igor-chudov.com)

SASHA LATYPOVA raises a very troubling serious question of why is Moderna building massive factories, facilities across the world while demand for mRNA vaccine has cratered? (substack.com)

From what I understand, all vaccines are to be migrated to mRNA platforms.  There are also many new treatments that are based on mRNA technology.  This is big money.  With big money comes big bribery of regulators… and, doubtless, much less savory tactics to ensure compliance with corporate diktats.  Never mind, of course, the depopulation agenda that comes with mRNA.

—

Clubbings – Liberty’s Torch (libertystorch.info)

Interesting analysis of the GOP vs. Trump.  And an added observation: Most organizations, if they see their product / service is not meeting the demands of the market, take a hard look at someone who IS doing that and move to emulate it.

—

After the draconian dictates the CDC made about not using ivermectin to treat Covid-19 (causing some Dr’s to lose their licenses for prescribing it), the CDC has FINALLY admitted that Ivermectin is a valid treatment for Covid-19.  Gee, I wonder of all those doctors will be able to get their licenses back?

FDA Loses its War on Ivermectin: Agrees to Remove All Related Social Media Content and Consumer Advisories on Ivermectin Usage for COVID-19 | NC Renegades

Related to the above, the Covid-19 “jab” is shaping up to be a “12-sigma” event, which is something so catastrophic that the chances of it happening naturally are vanishingly close to zero.  Think about that as you hear of all the “turbo-cancers” and “died suddenly” that have been seen in the media recently:

https://100percentfedup.com/covid-jabs-unleashed-12-sigma-mass-death-event/

 

 

The average person doesn’t learn from statistics, or charts, or whatever.  They learn from personal experiences and tales told to them by those whom they know and trust.

—

Leo Hohmann: Liberal State Declares War on Small Farmers and Homesteaders: War on Food is Spreading in U.S. Through Land-Use Restrictions, Geoengineering and Waves of Propaganda | The Gateway Pundit | by Guest Contributor

Oregon’s government is loonie-leftie.  But this is a harbinger of what’s coming.  If, in WWII, the idea of the Victory Garden was essential to helping to feed America, what is banning that garden going to do?  (One person I know grows all her food.)  More:

Then They Came for Your Food | NC Renegades

—

The Music Stops as CNN Panel Guest Explains What Seizing Trump’s Property Could Do | The Gateway Pundit | by Jack Davis, The Western Journal

“If they take his stuff, he’s going to say that this is proof that the federal government and the establishment in the swamp in Washington, and all the politicians across the country and the attorneys generals and all of this, that this is a conspiracy to deny him the presidency,” he said.

And he’s not wrong about that.  And THAT is what has, I believe, the Left scared.  We know there is such a conspiracy, and they know we know.

—

Scientists Working to Create Human Embryos with DNA from Two Men | The Gateway Pundit | by Cassandra MacDonald

There is enormous wisdom in the line from Jurassic Park, from memory “Just because you could doesn’t mean you should”.

—

Here’s a video (4 minutes) with a software expert showing the Election Board of Brookings County, SC how vulnerable their election software is, and at the end, he open states that his life is at risk for showing this.  Someone in the comments is an IT expert and verified what was brought up:

The Feral Irishman: ” My Life Is At Risk” Watch and Listen……..Can Anyone In IT or Software Security Chime In?

More evidence that the 2020 election was rigged, and a Dem whistleblower stating that they are ramping up to do it again in 2024:

Exposing the DNC Plan to Rig the 2024 Election – Former WA State Democrat Operative Blows the Whistle on Dems (substack.com)

This lays out a very sobering thought:  We no longer have the United States of America, instead we now live in “Biden’s Banana Republic”.  Read the comments also, almost all of them are saying that we won’t make it to the election before a collapse:

Welcome to 2024: The Last Year of America? (emerald.tv)

—

Just as a reminder, in a declared emergency, the government (through FEMA) has the power to confiscate pretty much anything that they decide they need, and if you oppose them, they (or the armed folks with them) can arrest, detain, and even KILL you.  This article is from 2022, but it’s still very valid, and it shows the various Executive Orders that were signed over the years to make it all “legal”:

7 Prepping Items FEMA Will Confiscate When SHTF – Ask a Prepper

Remember what Jefferson said:

I have a right to nothing which another has a right to take away.

Thomas Jefferson, Memoir, correspondence, and miscellanies from the papers of T. Jefferson (ed. 1829)

—

Speaking of prepping, here’s a good article on storing water:

Bayou Renaissance Man: Yet another wake-up call about our water supply

This describes how Google (and several of it’s affiliates) changed it’s search engine in 2022 so what you see is almost ALL what the government WANTS you to see:

https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/how-your-search-results-changed-5612925

The climate change scam is starting to crumble, and this video shows it (1 hour 20 minutes, but really good):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmfRG8-RHEI

The Great Global Warming Swindle – BBC (rumble.com)

In the second one, which was pulled from youtube (of course), there are studies looking at LONG time sequences correlating earth’s temperature (such as can be inferred) and the cosmic ray influx.  Incredible overlap.

—

Just after the omnibus spending bill got passed (of course), the DOJ has announced that they will be setting up a Federal “red flag” section to “assist” states with A) passing red flag laws (intended to take away firearms w/o due process of law), and B) to use the full weight of the DOJ (which includes the FBI) to help with searches and seizures.  So they can now go through EVERYTHING you have said (recorded from you phone) or written (on social media), and feed that info to your state’s “red flag” center.  Since Biden et.al. have been calling gun-owners and MAGA folks “domestic terrorists” and “violent extremists” for YEARS, this is nothing more than a way to target us and try to take away our guns.  Spicy time is coming:

https://pjmedia.com/victoria-taft/2024/03/23/bidens-big-f-u-to-americans-has-just-dropped-a-national-registry-to-track-dangerous-gun-owners-n4927588

Moonbattery Democrats Come After Guns With Red Flag Angle – Moonbattery

—

Also, the media and the powerful in government are REALLY pushing the “bloodbath” narrative with Trump, to the point they are now labeling him a “National Security Threat”.  He’s not a threat to the COUNTRY you see, but a threat to those in power (who are abusing that power to destroy the country).  What they are really concerned about is losing their power.  If he truly wanted to destroy the country, they’d give him free rein, as their goal is to destroy America.  We need to pay attention to this (along with a 100 other things, I know, I know).  This Epoch TV video (about 15 minutes) lays out the steps the government is taking to side-line Trump (or take him out completely):

https://www.theepochtimes.com/epochtv/the-bloodbath-narrative-is-part-of-an-ongoing-effort-to-designate-trump-as-a-national-security-threat-truth-over-news-5612909

—

Government Spending Bill, Signed by Biden, Prohibits U.S. Embassies from Flying Pride Flags | The Gateway Pundit | by Cassandra MacDonald

In the meantime, the Biden admin is suggesting loopholes for embassies to continue displaying the rainbow flags.

The report explained that Biden’s admin argued that while the banned flags cannot be flown “over” U.S. embassies, “it does not speak to displaying them elsewhere on embassy grounds or inside offices.”

This is a tawriya-like mental evasion and wordsmithing.  No wonder the Left and Islam get along so well.

—

Analysis Of 120 Years Of Data Show Clear Solar Influence On Rainfall In Germany. (notrickszone.com)

If the sun affects rainfall, it can affect other things.

This was actually one of the Thought Splinters that caused me to start questioning my climate alarmism – the absolute surety of the “scientists” that the sun played very little role in earth’s climate.  Huh?

—

Top U.N. Official Says White People Need to be Stripped of Any Power – The Lid (lidblog.com)

But… but… but there’s no war on white people.  Our intellectual and moral superiors have assured us so.

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

Pick of the post:

 

 

Would not surprise me at all.

 

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

 

Palate Cleansers:

 

 

Sounds painfully familiar.

—

—

 

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

 

Come back Wednesday for another edition.  Same Meme Time.  Same Meme channel.

Please do consider buying me a coffee.

Buy Me a Coffee

 

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

 

The post MONDAY MEMES appeared first on Granite Grok.

That’s right, I said that.  If the Hollis Police Chief doesn’t care to serve and protect Hollis until the moment of his upcoming retirement, I say that his retirement should be defunded.  Chief Hoebeke appears(looks and acts) like his Merrimack counterpart, Chief Levesque.

I was just about to say how to bring yourself up to speed, but this article is about “problem police,” and I don’t want to jinx any leadfoot readers who might find themselves in that snooty 30mph town in the near future.  Therefore, I will leave you this link to my recent article on Chief Levesque and sanctuary cities.

Merrimack and Hollis are not cities, but they have a few things in common. They’re suburbs abutting Nashua, so let’s hope that the Merrimack River will keep Hudson safe from all the political cancer that Nashua has spread to Merrimack and Hollis. There are a few symptoms to note. Hollis lost ALL its House representation in the last election and Merrimack lost 25% of theirs. Merrimack is a much bigger town, so they haven’t bottomed out in the House just yet, but let’s move on to the police.

As much as I despise public radio, it happened to be the source that brought this to my attention. You can click here for the article that comes with a 5-minute audio interview with Chief Hoebeke and see or hear for yourself. Hollis is just as much a sanctuary town as Merrimack. Notice the number of times he says “undocumented persons” in such a short interview. This police chief disgusts me, and I certainly hope that his retirement is sooner rather than later.

Given all the enemy camp talking points, he said, I sought to verify if he was a card-carrying member of the enemy camp, and my research is inconclusive at this time.  It appears that he lives in Bedford and is undeclared, noting that the data powering the Nosey Neighbor App is from 4 years ago. I have no reason to think anything has changed unless he went R just to vote for Nikki Haley and failed to switch back.  As I said about Chief Levesque, I don’t want to be accused of doxing Chief Hoebeke, so fact-check as you wish, but I’m guessing he’s NOT a fan of Denise’s hairstyle OR voting record!

The post Defund the Police (Chief)! appeared first on Granite Grok.

In the competitive landscape, it is significant for businesses across various industries to maintain an active presence on social media platforms. However, managing social media content efficiently requires significant time, effort, and meticulous planning. To address this challenge, users often rely on a variety of social media management tools that enable them to create drafts, schedule posts, and maintain a cohesive online presence.

The article will give you valuable insights and facts about the importance of maintaining SMM platforms. Also, we review the Agiliway experience in developing custom software solutions that simplify content management processes and employ innovative functionality to stay ahead of the market.

Social Media for Businesses Across Industries: Facts and Benefits

Conducting an active presence on social media platforms is no longer optional for businesses across various industries. It has become a critical component of any successful marketing and communication strategy. Here’s why:

1. Reaching a Wider Audience

Massive user base: Social media boasts billions of active users worldwide, offering businesses unparalleled reach and the potential to connect with a diverse audience that may not be accessible through traditional channels.

Targeted marketing: Platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn allow businesses to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors, ensuring their message reaches the most relevant potential customers.

1. Building Brand Awareness and Recognition

Constant visibility: Regularly posting engaging content keeps your brand at the forefront of your target audience’s mind, fostering brand recall and recognition.

Building relationships: Social media provides a platform for businesses to interact directly with customers, answer questions, and address concerns, fostering trust and loyalty.

1. Enhancing Customer Engagement and Interaction

Two-way communication: Online community allows businesses to have real-time conversations with customers, gather valuable feedback, and build stronger relationships.

User-generated content: Encourage customers to share their experiences and feedback, creating authentic content to build trust and attract new customers.

1. Boosting Sales and Revenue

Direct sales channels: Many platforms like Instagram and Facebook offer features for businesses to showcase and sell products directly through their social media pages.

Driving traffic to websites: Social media content can be used to drive traffic to your website, where visitors can learn more about your products and services, ultimately leading to higher conversions.

Social media offers businesses across various industries a powerful and cost-effective way to reach new audiences, build brand awareness, engage with customers, and drive sales. By leveraging the unique capabilities of these platforms, businesses can achieve significant growth and success in today’s competitive market.

Difficulties

Social media marketing offers multiple advantages, but it also comes with drawbacks and complexities. Establishing a robust social media presence requires dedication and persistence, since company owners need to regularly interact and provide content.

The first difficulty is mastery of the different platforms, as well as the capacity to produce compelling content, evaluate information, and make informed judgments that are so necessary for successful social media marketing. Each platform often has its specific requirements, algorithms, and regulations, posing challenges in predicting and sustaining success.

Social media, indeed, facilitates communication with your target audience but also allows them to openly express concerns and issues. This might inadvertently lead to the establishment of a public platform that may be harmful to a company’s brand if not managed well.

Assessing the efficacy and return on investment of social media marketing may be difficult due to the need to monitor several indicators, analyze intricate data sets, and infer reasons for customer behavior.

Having significant experience in software development and creating social media campaigns, both Agiliway development and marketing teams were involved in creating a solution that empowered clients with effective control over their social media presence. This tool subsequently gained widespread popularity worldwide. So, let’s review it in detail.

Background and Implemented Solutions into System

Despite the abundance of available solutions, each with its own unique set of features, businesses continually seek ways to differentiate themselves in the market. This is where Agiliway steps in.

The Swiss client approached Agiliway to enhance their all-in-one social media management platform, seeking to simplify processes and introduce innovative functionality to stay ahead of the competition. As part of the development team, Agiliway’s engineers undertook several key tasks, including implementing a feature for posting content from live streaming events, optimizing the user interface, integrating with social media APIs, and enhancing photo/video editing capabilities.

1. Live Streaming Feature: This feature allows users to pause live streaming, select desired moments to share with followers, cut them, and instantly post—all within one tool powered by AWS.
2. UI Enhancement: A significant challenge was ensuring consistent functionality placement across both web and mobile platforms, requiring meticulous adjustments.
3. Social Media API Integration: To accommodate constantly changing APIs, a simplified support process was established. Additionally, UI updates necessitated the development of mobile applications for iOS and Android.
4. Enhanced Photo/Video Editor: The platform now boasts a built-in editor, eliminating the need for external editing tools and catering to most user requirements.

The collaboration resulted in an extensive feature set for streamlined social media management. From scheduling to editing visual content, users enjoy a seamless experience without the need to switch between multiple tools. The platform supports all social media functions, including content upload, scheduling, posting, and comprehensive sharing and engagement statistics. To ensure future support simplicity, multiple open-source modules were utilized and customized as needed.

Value Delivered to the Client

Effective social media management solutions are essential for any successful business, given the necessity of a strong online presence. To remain competitive, these solutions must offer unique features that capture the audience’s attention.

The platform has gained widespread popularity worldwide due to its extensive functionality and intuitive yet sophisticated design. It includes essential features such as post-scheduling and previewing, performance tracking, and live event streaming and posting.

Furthermore, the platform is highly flexible and scalable, requiring minimal support teams and reducing additional expenses for our clients in terms of maintenance.

The post Revolutionizing Social Media Management with Agiliway Solution appeared first on Granite Grok.

A local New Hampshire Public School system has a problem—they all have issues—but this one is $800,000 over budget. The not-so-superintendent, William Rearick, says revenue projections were inaccurate, and now the School Board is drafting a list of things the district will have to do without.

It sounds exactly like how Democrats run state government: They overestimate revenues on purpose, spend them, and then cry about the need to ensure “essential services” (new government growth) as an excuse to raise taxes to cover any deficit. At the state level, the number is more likely to be in the millions or hundreds of millions.

The Auburn school district blew its budget by $800,000, and while I’m not familiar with how woke this district is, it should begin cuts with SAU and school admin overhead. The Board, however, is telling taxpayers something else.

Money for field trips, school bus transportation, classroom supplies and spring sports are on hold.

“Coach stipends, field upkeep, any additional equipment, refs, all those expenses, just to run the spring sports program, those will not be able to be funded,” said school board member Janice Baker.

Except for classroom supplies, little of this has anything to do with a school’s core purpose—those things we are meant to cherish. Kids who can’t read to grade level—whatever that means these days—should be the priority. Given how poorly most schools do, anything, sports, music, and whatever else should be on the cutting block until kids can read to grade level as required by law.

Recently, I was having a conversation in which I had occasion to bring up RSA 193-H:2, which says:

Schools shall ensure that all pupils are performing at the proficient level or above on the statewide assessment as established in RSA 193-C.

Note that it says shall ensure, not shall try, or shall hope.

Note that it says all pupils, not just some of them — the ones who don’t have special needs or suffer from test anxiety.

There is no need to look, peeps; Auburn is violating that law and is $800,000.00 over budget. Taxpayers might want to have a word about more than just cuts to things like stipends, field upkeep, and refs.

Have a word with the union and staff about compensation. Until all the kids can read and do math to grade level, no one gets better pay or benefits. Staff cuts seem like a good idea. Figure out what’s holding you back and fix it. If you don’t like that, take your ed degree or Masters someplace else (it’s not like it helped kids learn to read).

Auburn can probably find some stay-at-home moms and dads who will do better for a fraction of the cost.

Or, perhaps Auburn needs to outsource the business of teaching kids. The Board could solve the $800,000.00 shortfall by replacing the entire SAU with a private Education vendor. With all the money saved, you can start a local sports program that not-so-superintendents and school boards can’t cut when they get the revenue projections wrong.

You’ll get kids who can not only read but teach themselves and who want to learn.

You might also have enough money left in the pockets of “the community” to start private CRT, SEL, BLM, or Grooming clubs outside the schools (seriously, try to start one). No kids will attend, which tells taxpayers something about why schools can’t teach kids to read and what needs to change: the school board, administration, and curriculum. Maybe a handful of teachers, but most will embrace the focus on academics.

None of those things can or will happen unless taxpayers make it so. You will have to wade through the gauntlet of the education Industrial Complex and its intolerable zombie warriors, but you have this on your side. No matter what they throw at you, kids can’t read. How are they supposed to enjoy the grooming lit in the library if they can’t read?

 

The post School District Overspent – Has $800,000 Deficit (Still Can’t Teach Kids to Read at Grade level) appeared first on Granite Grok.

It’s the Great American “rite of passage”—getting your first library card!  The importance of a child having a library card has been celebrated from Arthur the Aardvark rapping “Having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card” to Francie Nolan keeping her first library card as a memento of her youth in one of the final scenes in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.  A child getting a library card has always been considered a positive step on the road to literacy.  Unfortunately, as with so much about libraries these days, times have changed, so parents may want to think twice before letting their children get their own library cards.

What most parents aren’t aware of when they sign their children up for library cards in most states is that the records of what their kids borrow are confidential even to their own mothers and fathers.  I could only find two states that provide an exception to these confidentiality laws:  South Dakota and Alabama.  The American Library Association website actually provides a page that links to all the states’ laws regarding this issue.

This lack of parental access is ridiculous when you consider real-life situations in which this confidentiality poses problems.  For example, a parent comes into the library without a child to return a bagful of books.  One of the items happens to be overdue, but library staff can’t tell a parent which one is late, so the parent ends up paying a fine and doesn’t even know what the fine is for.  Maybe there’s still a book checked out on the child’s account.  The parent didn’t put it in the bag of returns because it got misplaced at home; maybe it’s under a bed or in a closet or somewhere else.  This parent can’t even be told the title to make it easier to hunt for the missing book.

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

Aside from practical problems with this law, there is a more fundamental issue that reveals its inconsistency.  The American Library Association asserts on its website that “the parent’s role is to monitor his or her child’s individual reading life.”  In a similar way, last September, Dr. Nancy Pack, the director of Alabama’s public library system, defended the libraries’ collection development policies in a letter to Governor Kay Ivey.  She wrote, “Alabama’s public libraries will always value parental involvement in overseeing the materials their children borrow.”  She later wrote that “the responsibility for determining the suitability of library materials for children lies primarily with parents or guardians.”  To fulfill this role more effectively, however, parents need to know what books their children have checked out!   Even if parents do supervise their children’s activity in the library as they definitely should these days, it is easy to lose track of what books are checked out especially for parents of multiple children.

Since parents are generally not present when a child checks out books from a school library, it is especially important that they have access to their kids’ school library records. As children get older and venture into the “young adult” area of the public library, many parents will be concerned about what is being checked out from that section. While teenagers may not want their parents to know what they are reading, their privacy rights should not extend to their use of materials that they have not financially contributed to. Parents should be able to access their child’s library records for no other reason than this: as adults, they are the taxpayers who fund their school and public libraries.

Although the passage of legislation to give parents access to their children’s library records would not only improve library service but also support parental involvement in their children’s reading pursuits, it is difficult to get any sort of parental rights legislation passed these days. There is another solution, however: the “family library card.”  Some parents end up using an informal version of this type of account because it’s just easier. Rather than having to keep track of all the different books that multiple children have out, they just check all the family’s books out on one parent’s card.   The only shortfall of this method would be if the other parent asked library staff what books their kids had checked out; because of confidentiality laws, mom couldn’t have access to dad’s library records, and vice versa.  In a small number of libraries, a formal “family card” links all members of the family so that all records can be accessed by every member of a family.

Why do libraries push so hard for children to get their own cards?  Why is it rarely revealed to parents that their kids’ library records are confidential even to them?  It’s just another means to subtly undermine parental authority.  The American Library Association certainly supports the current laws that predominate in this country while opposing any efforts to change them. Such changes would violate something this organization holds sacred: “The Library Bill of Rights,” especially Article V which states that a “person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged” due to age among other factors. The American Library Association “opposes all attempts to restrict access to library services, materials, and facilities based on the age of library users” according to its own interpretation of “The Library Bill of Rights.” The ALA also questionably believes “that children and youth have the same rights to privacy as adults.”

Unfortunately, this great American rite of passage—getting a library card—just has too many drawbacks now because the type of material that kids have access to has changed so much in recent years.  In order to protect our most vulnerable citizens, we may need to have them forego this tradition. Sadly, reading porn (and other inappropriate material) “isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card.” Sorry, Arthur!

 

The post Keeping Secrets: The Confidentiality of Kids’ Library Records appeared first on Granite Grok.

As the world moves towards a more sustainable future, residential solar energy systems have become increasingly popular among homeowners.

Not only do they offer significant cost savings in the long run, but they also reduce reliance on non-renewable energy sources and decrease carbon emissions. However, to fully maximize the benefits of solar energy, proper management and maintenance are crucial.

In this guide, we will explore the best practices for homeowners’ effective solar energy management of their residential solar energy systems, ensuring optimal performance and longevity.

Want to know more? Then let’s begin!

Understanding Solar Energy Systems

Before we discuss solar energy management practices, you must first understand how home solar systems work. These systems typically consist of solar panels installed on rooftops or in open areas where they can capture sunlight. The panels contain solar cells. They convert sunlight into electricity using the photovoltaic effect.

The sunlight is turned into electricity. It powers appliances. Or, it is stored in batteries for later. In these cases, the solar panels make more electricity than needed. The extra can be fed back into the grid through net metering. This lets homeowners earn credits or get paid by utility companies.

Regular Maintenance and Inspections

Like any other home appliance or system, solar energy systems require regular maintenance to ensure optimal performance. Doing regular inspections and system maintenance checks can find issues early. They can also stop problems from getting worse.

Cleaning Solar Panels

Over time, dirt, dust, and debris can accumulate on the surface of solar panels, reducing their efficiency. Homeowners should clean their solar panels often. They should do this to remove any obstructions. The obstructions may stop sunlight absorption. This can be done using a soft brush, water, and mild detergent, or with specialized solar panel cleaning equipment.

Checking for Damage

Check the solar panels for any signs of damage like cracks, chips, or corrosion. Damaged panels can lower efficiency and might need fixing or swapping out. If you spot any problems, reach out to a solar pro. They’ll check things out and suggest what to do next. It’s crucial to deal with any damage ASAP to prevent more issues.

Maintaining the Surrounding Area

In addition to maintaining the solar panels themselves, it is also important to keep the surrounding area clean and clear. This includes trimming nearby trees or shrubs that may cast shade on the solar panel placement, as well as keeping gutters and drains free of leaves and debris. Blocking sunlight or slowing water drainage can greatly harm your solar panels’ efficiency.

Monitoring Performance

Keep track of your solar energy system’s performance by monitoring its output regularly. Many modern solar inverters have monitoring. It lets homeowners track energy and spot deviations. Monitoring can help detect potential problems early on and ensure that the system is operating efficiently.

Optimizing Energy Consumption

In addition to maintaining the solar system, homeowners can also optimize their energy use. This will maximize the benefits of solar power.

Energy-Efficient Appliances

Invest in energy-efficient appliances and devices to reduce overall electricity consumption. Energy-efficient appliances use less power. This lets homeowners use more of the electricity from their solar panels. Look for appliances with an “Energy Star” label. It means they meet government energy efficiency guidelines.

Time of Use Rates

Many electricity providers offer time-of-use rates, where the cost of electricity varies based on the time of day. Using appliances during off-peak times when rates are lower can save homeowners money. It also helps them make the most of their energy. This can be easily done by setting timers on appliances or using smart home technology to schedule usage during off-peak hours.

Insulation and Sealing

Improving insulation and sealing gaps in your home can also make a significant impact on your energy consumption. Proper insulation helps keep warm or cool air inside, reducing the need for heating or cooling systems to work harder. Sealing gaps in windows and doors can also prevent drafts, further reducing the need for energy usage.

Smart Home Technologies

Use smart home technologies. These include programmable thermostats, smart lighting systems, and energy management apps. They let you control and optimize energy use. These technologies allow homeowners to schedule appliances to run during peak sunlight hours. At these times, solar energy production is highest. This reduces their reliance on the grid.

Battery Storage Systems

Consider installing battery storage systems. They store extra solar energy. You can use it when sunlight is low or during a power outage. Battery storage allows homeowners to use more of their solar power. It also lets them become more energy-independent.

Investing in Quality Equipment

When it comes to solar energy systems, quality matters. Investing in top-rated solar panels and other components can significantly impact the performance and longevity of the system.

Researching Solar Panel Brands

Before buying solar panels, research different brands and models. Find the ones that offer the best performance and reliability. Look for certifications, like the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC). Also, read customer reviews to gauge product quality.

Working with Certified Installers

Hire top-rated solar panels in Salem with experience in residential solar projects. Professional installation ensures that the solar panels are positioned correctly for maximum sunlight exposure and that all components are installed according to industry standards.

Warranty and Support

Choose solar panels and other gear. They should have full warranties and good customer support. A strong warranty provides peace of mind and protection against unexpected issues that may arise with the system. Also, ask about the company’s customer support. Ask about their policies and procedures. You’ll need help if you have questions or concerns during or after installation.

Embracing Solar Energy Management

In conclusion, handling solar energy management well is key. It’s key for homeowners who want to use renewable energy and cut their carbon footprint. Homeowners can ensure their solar systems work well and last a long time by using the best practices in this guide.

So, whether you’re considering installing solar panels for your home or already have a solar energy system, remember the importance of proper management. It’s key to making the most of this renewable resource. With the right approach, solar energy can power homes efficiently and sustainably for years to come.

Keep the momentum going! Delve further into our treasure trove of resources by checking out more articles on our blog.

The post Solar Energy Management for Residential Properties: Best Practices for Homeowners appeared first on Granite Grok.

March Madness is back again, reminding us it’s time for this year’s VEGAS ODD ON THE ANTI-CHRIST! As the world gets crazier than a rainbow flag at a Hamas rally, we turn our sights to the coming of the lawless one prophecied in holy writ.

Despite the list missing some heavy favorites from years past, we are certain to have you looking over your shoulder and doom scrolling into the night as you try to put your finger on the answer to the question everyone is asking beneath their breath – are they/them the spawn of Satan?

Larry Fink (Co-founder/CEO of Black Rock) – (5-1) Sits atop the wealthiest and most powerful investment firm in the world at est. $10 trillion in assets.  On record stating “we need to force behaviors” has necessary control freak vibes associated with the master of disaster. Fink is short for Finkelstein or Rat Fink, both having strong A-C connotations.

Cons: No one believes the A-C will sport a comb-over or have a dad-bod causing this otherwise stout hopeful to remain on the fringes.

King Charles III (King of England) – (6-1) Pros: The 33rd Degree Freemason is finally out of his mom’s shadow and has the chutzpah to make his case as A-C.  Hellish sausage fingers are the stuff of demonic nightmares.  Deceased best friend Jimmy Saville and brother Prince Andrew are both notable pederasts.  Visibly unmoved at the assassination-type death of his first wife, Lady Diana, while alarmingly giddy about grossly inferior second-fling Camilla.

Cons: He shares the name with a popular breed of dog, and not one of the cool ones.  Sausage fingers indicate poor grip on world power.

Gavin Newsom (Governor of California) – (7-1) Pros: As if straight out of central casting the tall drink of unholy water is slicker than his stylist’s pomade.  Appears to possess the power of alchemy having turned the Golden State into the Porcelain Bowl State.  His handling of COVID saw the closing of churches whilst keeping strip-clubs open lending credence to an A-C ascension.  Is so good at lying it’s rumored he’s had twenty-seven nose jobs.

Cons: Got spanked in a debate with high-heel boot wearing Ron Desantis, who never used one Bible verse in the defeat—clearly a subordinate to Chinese CCP leader Xi Jinping.

Yuval Noah-Harari (WEF Consultant) – (8-1) Little known little man Harari is raising odds and cackles as possible A-C.  The bantam Harari has heavyweight potential thanks to openly blaspheming the Messiah while also being openly gay.  Author of the book “Sapiens,” Harari views God’s image bearers as “hackable animals”, a theory exercised by the Prince of Darkness since the beginning.  The sociopathic Harari believes in a future where the Mark of the Beast is a forgone conclusion and only the elite will outlast the “useless” people.

Cons: Lost to a girl in the first round of the Vegan world arm-wrestling championships.  Lacks both charm and charisma associated with A-C leaving many to believe Harrari is just a promising satanic yes-man.

Alex Soros (CEO of Open Society Foundation)  – (9-1)Pro: Child prodigy to long time A-C favorite, his father George Soros.  George considered himself a god so it’s no surprise his demigod-like son is getting noticed.  Sitting atop daddy’s fortune while being grandfathered into “the club” bodes well for any future A-C runs.  Current member of the WEF Young Global Leaders and CEO of the Open Society Foundation offer serious A-C street cred. A less than subtle call for Donald Trump’s assassination on Twitter was a big-time move.  Don’t hate the player; hate the game.

Cons:  Alex appears to be on the spectrum and not the rainbow one.  He’s also a UCal-Berkley grad which is a second-tier school where it’s rumored he graduated with a GPA just south of 2.5, well below serious A-C level genius, and hinting at a daddy’s money type incompetence disqualifying this otherwise favorable candidate.

Hunter Biden (Ukranian Energy Expert) – (10-1) Pros: The debauched son of the former Vice President has many of the qualities one looks for in the A-C: endless capacity for lust, immeasurable self-importance, death-defying ability to recover from self-abuse, international connectedness and bulletproof command over demonic legalists and sycophants who will defend him to eternal damnation.  Handsome, educated, appropriately named with well-hidden fangs all give “the Big Guy’s” baby boy a shot at the title.

Cons: The Little Guy is a bit of a whiner and is horrible with money, not to mention is utterly careless as he commits his serial crimes leaving a crumb trail even Hansel and Greta Thunberg could piece together.  The true A-C would be none of those.

Emanuel Macron (President of France) – (11-1) Pros: Central location as a ten-horned EU member positions Macron as a serious candidate.  Putting out the welcome mat for an Islamic horde invasion amongst historically Christian France has A-C potential written all over it.  Marriage to a trans-man embroiled in secrecy makes Macron a serious up-and-comer.

Cons:  Sissy boy demeanor and getting slapped by a fellow Frenchman without immediately casting him into hell leaves Macron on the bubble as a top performer.

Dylan Mulvaney (personality) –  (12-1) Pros: Mulvaney’s mere presence causes the skin to crawl.  He/she single-handedly destroyed iconic brands Bud Light and Target by simply endorsing them which rings true of the thief who comes to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10).  Mocking God’s sex-binary scores major blasphemy points.

Cons: Owns more push up bras than can do push-ups.  Recent near mental breakdown reveals weakness not associated with the coming conqueror causing A-C stock to drop significantly.

Chris Rondeau (Founder of Planet Fitness) – (15-1) Pros: Planetary aspirations move Rondeau into the pack.  Deceptive gym model where exercise is sold but discouraged also a plus.  Persecuting Christian women by allowing perverted men to shower with little girls in PF women’s bathrooms has big-time A-C energy.

Cons:  Hails from Portsmouth, NH which is mentioned nowhere in the Bible.  Recently fired by company he founded, also not good.

Seth Dillon (CEO of Bablyon Bee) – (20-1) Pros: Being head of the leading Christian satire site Babylon Bee provides deep cover for the prince of deception.  Time spent in leadership over a group generating fake news (re: lies) offers a proving ground for global fakery associated with the demon-man.

Cons: Strong orthodox background, mockery of Satan himself, repeated sharing of the gospel with world leaders and potential A-C’s like Elon Musk, and attacks by the beast’s media system make this a long shot for the betting public.

Karine Jean-Pierre (WH Press Secretary ) – (25-1) Pros: Masterful ability to open mouth and pour out lies makes KJP one to look at.  Karine (6) Jean- (5) Pierre (6) needs minimal mathing to become the Number of the Beast.  Beezlebub-like hair and wardrobe have fans rooting for KJP as A-C.

Cons: The A-C is not a woman, however KJP is not sure what a woman is, leading bettors to keep wagers low.

Rachel (Richard/Dick) Levine (Asst. Sec. of Health) – (30-1) Pros: Ghoulish countenance and 4-D chess-level blasphemous existence have many wondering if “Admiral” Dick can go all the way.  Calls for nationwide “gender-affirming care” for children drip with God-hating A-C energy.  Willingness to gaslight reality at the cost of sacrificing his own genitalia shows serious Anti-Christ potential.

Con: Horrible sense of make-up and style cause the ex-Dick to fall flaccid among serious rivals who have the requisite panache associated with the coming conqueror.  Harvard pedigree used to be a plus but has been cheapened of late thanks to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy failures (see: Claudine Gay, Ketanji Brown-Jackson).

 

Pale Riders and Dark Horses:

Adam Kinzinger – Notable turncoat whose Machiavellian nature is as real as his ability to cry on command.

Lebron James – refers to himself in the third person as “King James,” which is more likely a coping mechanism for realizing he’ll never be better than Larry Legend.

Adam Sandler – Uncanny portrayal of Satan’s spawn as Little Nicky has some wondering.

Jeffrey Epstein – A posthumous return of the hated billionaire pedophile would catapult him to the top, especially given that he didn’t kill himself.

Mr. Beast – Don’t let the endless attempts at do-goodering fool you, his name is Mr. Beast.  Nuff said.

Harry Sisson – Popular social media influencer has the right psychopathic energy for the position, however his perpetual pre-pubescent soy-boy charm leaves him at the back of the pack for serious contention.

Tom Brady – the six-time Super Bowl champion has an insatiable appetite for domination.  Divide his jersey number (12) by two and add his six titles and you have the makings of an A-C champion.  Ex-wife Ghiselle was a witch adding to his mystique, however his pro-MAGA stance drops his chances.

Gordon Ramsay—He has the potty-mouth and disdainful character to come out of Hell’s Kitchen as Hell’s maitre de. However, his life of generous service to failing restaurateurs indicates very un-A-C tendencies.

Keith Richards – The death defying lead guitarist of one of rock ‘n’ rolls seminal super bands appears to be walking the earth like an immortal.  Insiders tell us Sympathy for the Devil was autobiographical.

The post Night Cap – Banana’s: Third Semi-Annual Vegas Odds on the ANTI-CHRIST! appeared first on Granite Grok.

Parents in Hudson, NH, were surprised to learn that a political activist from Black Lives Matter would be speaking to students next week. Like many parents, they are reluctant to challenge school administrators for fear that their children would become a target for retaliation.

After receiving numerous messages from parents, I decided to contact the Principal of Alvirne High School to question this decision, and request that parents and members of the public also be able to attend. Here is the email I sent to the Principal:

Dear Principal Beals;

My name is Ann Marie Banfield, and I am a parental rights advocate in New Hampshire. Today several parents contacted me about an upcoming presentation for the students who attend Alvirne High School.
————————————————————————————–
Good Afternoon,

Alvirne HS will be having our first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) presenter on Wednesday, March 27th from 8:45-9:45am and 9:50-10:50am . There will be no Flex that day.

As done in the past, students will be attending by the hallway locations of their 2nd period class allowing for mixed grade levels to attend. Here is the schedule:

Assembly 1: 8:45 – -9:45 (Alvirne 1st and 3rd floor classrooms) Class Time: 9:50-10:50
Assembly 2: 9:50 – -10:50 (Alvirne 2nd floor and all CTE classrooms). Class Time: 8:50-9:45

Samrawit Silva will be presenting on Advocacy/Inclusion/Microaggressions/Privilege (from the lens that we all have it).
Kimberly
—————————————————————–
Since Ms. Silva is part of the leadership team at Black Lives Matter NH, parents would like to attend this meeting. I want to also request that any member of the public be admitted to this meeting with students. Since this is a public school where public funds are involved, we’d like to monitor the message students will be receiving during this presentation.

If you cannot accommodate additional members of the public please explain why. A recording or livestream might be acceptable.

The reason for this request is, Ms. Silva acts as a political community organizer. And while I respect her role, we all know that her message will revolve around a biased political message. Parents and residents should be able to access what information will be shared with their children, and students in their public school.

Now that the district is inviting individuals who represent political organizations, how can others schedule different political organizations so they can present their viewpoint to the students? For instance, I already had one parent ask how they can set up an event with a pro-2nd Amendment political organization.

Please also be advised that I am attaching a 91-a/Right to Know Request below.

Since this is a Diversity Equity and Inclusion speaker, I am going to assume you will be inviting speakers from pro-life organizations, Americans for Prosperity, the Catholic Church, Protestant Church, Jewish religion, and from the Muslim faith. If the goal is “diversity,” I expect that means these organizations will be contacted by a member of your staff to also present their viewpoint to the students too.

————————————————–

Pursuant to the Right to Know Law (RSA, 91-1), I am requesting public access, within 5 business days, to the governmental records:

1) All materials, videos, documents, books, hand-outs, power-points, etc. that students will access during this presentation
2) All correspondence, text messages, emails, notes, etc. between SAU81 staff and anyone presenting during this presentation
3) All correspondence, notes, emails from meetings where school board members and staff communicated about this presentation
4) What, if any, academic content will be covered during this presentation?

Per RSA 91-A:4IV(C) If you deny any portion of this request, please cite the specific exemption used to justify the denial to make each record, or part thereof, available for inspection along with a brief explanation of how the exemption applies to the information withheld

Ann Marie Banfield
TRUST REQUIRES TRANSPARENCY

==================================================================================

After this became public, parents and residents began sending emails to request that they attend this presentation. Some parents requested that they cancel the presentation, due to the political bias they believed would be presented. Parents could see that there was no alternative viewpoint that would accompany this message.

I received an email back that indicated no one else would be allowed in to watch the presentation:

I have to admit, I wondered, what do they have to hide? I even suggested that the presentation be live-streamed or video taped if they could not accommodate the large crowd that was now planning to attend.

It wasn’t long after that email that Mr. Beals sent another email notifying that the presentation had been postponed:

The presentation was postponed, to which I replied:

Mr. Beals,

Thank you for the update. I expect that any political organization invited to speak to students will include an invitation to the parents, and be open to the public to attend. I would expect the same for any political organization no matter what message they bring to the students. By refusing this request, it gives the impression that there is something to hide.

All of the materials I requested should be readily available right now. All of the materials should have been requested and reviewed by your prior to scheduling any political speaker. This should have also been presented to the school board, and put up for a vote.

Enrollment is dropping in public schools across this state. Parents are pleading for a return to a focus on academic excellence in the classroom. It looks like there is plenty to focus on here:

The best thing you can provide your students is a quality public education, especially for your minority students. There is a constant struggle between those who want school choice for families, and those who do not. This example that you are setting feeds into the argument that families need an alternative education option through the scholarship program and EFAs.

With all of the learning loss during COVID, I’m embarrassed to see our public schools shift their focus to pushing a political narrative on someone else’s children. If parents are interested in this political narrative for their children, they can certainly seek that out on their own.

Parents are not always comfortable expressing their views to you because their children attend this school. I was shocked by how many families in your district reached out to me in ONE night.

Sincerely,
Ann Marie Banfield
===============================================================================

Whether you are a democrat or republican, we need to demand better from our schools. Go back to focusing on the core academic subjects. Stop pushing a political narrative on our kids. That’s how you support public education, and that’s how you support LITERACY.

The post Hudson : Alvirne High School Calls In Black Lives Matter to Meet with Students appeared first on Granite Grok.