Tuesday • November 26 • 2024
Vol.XVI • No.XLVIII
Manchester, N.H.
Two weeks after New Hampshire posted a record-low unemployment rate of 1.9%, Gov. Chris Sununu signed two bills to make it easier for licensed professionals from other states to work here.
New Hampshire requires state-issued licenses for dozens of occupations, from barbers and cosmetologists to doctors, landscape architects, athlete agents, and even foresters. For decades, anyone who held an out-of-state license to practice in one of these fields had to first get a separate New Hampshire license before being allowed to practice here.
House Bill 594 ends that regulatory nightmare and grants universal recognition for occupational licenses “substantially similar” to New Hampshire licenses.
Adopting HB 594 makes New Hampshire the only state in New England with broad universal license recognition. (Vermont recognizes out-of-state licenses for some but not all occupations).
Research on licensing recognition suggests that this should produce a noticeable increase in in-migration by licensed professionals who live in other states.
A study published in May by the Archbridge Institute found that universal license recognition produced almost a full percentage-point increase in employment in covered occupations and a 50% increase in immigration into recognition states among people who hold licenses that aren’t easily portable because the regulations vary a lot from state to state.
HB 594 allows the state Office of Professional Licensure (OPLC) to issue professional licenses to out-of-state applicants who hold a license in another state, provided that the other state’s licensing requirements are “substantially similar” to New Hampshire’s.
The “substantially similar” language is not ideal, as it often serves as a pretext for state licensing boards to reject license applications from out-of-state competitors. But HB 594 and a companion bill, House Bill 655, shift more authority from individual boards to the OPLC, which is expected to limit those anti-competitive board interventions.
HB 594 streamlines a tedious regulatory process for out-of-state professionals looking to work in New Hampshire. Not only did license holders have to obtain a separate New Hampshire license, but they often had to wait weeks or even months for their industry’s particular regulatory board to meet, consider their application, and vote on it.
Now, anyone with an active license in good standing from another jurisdiction can apply directly to the OPLC and obtain permission to work in New Hampshire almost immediately.
Once limited to only a few fields, such as medicine and hair care, occupational licensing “affects nearly 1 in 5 American workers,” research by the Institute for Justice shows.
By establishing a procedure to recognize most out-of-state licenses automatically, New Hampshire becomes a more attractive option for skilled individuals seeking to bring their talents to a new state.
For fields with critical labor shortages, such as nursing, the change could provide a desperately needed supply of new workers.
The greatest beneficiaries of universal licensure might be New Hampshire’s small businesses. Among the many trades affected by licensing in the state are tattoo artists, massage therapists, architects, barbers and cosmetologists, chiropractors, foresters, psychologists and other mental health professionals, real estate agents, occupational and physical therapists, and electricians.
An increase in skilled labor will benefit consumers, too. Occupational licensing has been shown in academic studies to limit the supply of service providers and increase costs. Universal recognition won’t necessarily lower costs across the board, but it could stabilize prices in fields with serious labor shortages. And by attracting more providers to the state, it can reduce wait times and increase access to services.
Gov. Chris Sununu’s signing of the two bills was immediately noticed by policy leaders in other New England states that don’t have universal license recognition. Responding to the news, the Maine Policy Institute tweeted, “File this in the big folder of things that NH does far better than Maine.”
According to USPS change-of-address data from Forbes, Massachusetts, which ranks fifth in the country for residents leaving the state, might want to keep a particularly close watch on the number of licensed professionals who disappear from state registries in the next few years.
Nationally, New Hampshire joins only 14 other states (Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming) with broad universal recognition laws, according to recent studies by the Archbridge Institute and Goldwater Institute.
Four states (Colorado, Montana, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming) require out-of-state licenses to be “substantially similar” to their own, like New Hampshire. But unlike five of those states (Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, and Mississippi), New Hampshire doesn’t require residency to receive a license to practice. This means that Massachusetts barbers or nurses could quickly be licensed to work in New Hampshire without moving over the border (where housing is extremely hard to find).
The companion bill, HB 655, consolidates and simplifies licensure authority within the OPLC, moving its authority to a separate location in state law and authorizing the OPLC to act more quickly and independently than in the past.
Taken together, these bills, now law, promote greater efficiency in state licensing and reduce bureaucratic barriers that never should have been erected in the first place.
Andrew Cline | JB
The post NH Becomes First New England State To Grant Universal Occupational License Recognition appeared first on Granite Grok.
We’d like to hit 25% of our fundraising goal by the end of June. We’re almost there, but there are only a few hours left, and we need some help to push us over the top.
If you missed the memo, and I can’t imagine you could – this is a big deal for us and me (It’s like, totally going to pay my wages for the next year), – ‘Grok has things that need doing, I’m getting laid off – so the full-time body we’re hiring is me.
We are trying to raise 15,000.00 every month for the next four months beginning with July, and we’re so close. If it were an unhinged liberal, they’d be spitting on us from here.
We need to raise just under 500.00 by midnight.
If you’ve been thinking about giving or giving again, you could be the donor that gets us over the top. Donations or commitments to donate by check will be considered in the calculations. And as a reminder, anyone who gives 100.00 or more is guaranteed 12 months of access to any ad-free VIP access portal when we finally get it built. Businesses that donate 100.00 or more can also get two weeks of complimentary on-page ad options.
We appreciate everyone who has helped us to date, and we know we can count on you to keep reading and sharing, so thank you.
You can use the GiveSendGo campaign page or donate through the website (PayPal). If you prefer to donate by check, please email me (steve@granitegrok.com), and I’ll give you the official Grok mailing address.
Thank You!
Note that as we are receiving contributions from three different methods, the only record of total progress is the graphics we update like this one.
The post We’re Just Shy of Our June Fundraising Goal – Can You Help Get Us There? appeared first on Granite Grok.
Now they have made it personal – even as I’m trying to help them.
Remember, they dragged us (TMEW and I) into this – we didn’t go calling them. As some readers may know, we are taking care of our Granddaughter and have been for over a month and a half.
Once again, we find ourselves “DCYF entangled.”
Unlike JR Hoell (DCYF tried to take his son away due to the meddling busybodies at CMC hospital over COVID ideology – Ivermectin – “ABUSE! HANG HIM!”), we are on the other side of the action. We are trying to do the right thing and are on the receiving end of the “data colonoscopy” just because we said we’d step up.
This is, however, giving me a fresh picture and a ringside seat of what may be happening to others (e.g., the rumor that some parents are getting railroaded if you reviewed my previous RTKs of that entity – there are more coming).
Wednesday, I received a call from my Daughter-In-Law to tell us that both TMEW and I may have been put at risk by DCYF. This was a brand new aspect of their process which I had never seen – and yes, I was outraged.
Here’s the email that I sent to those that I think are responsible and to one person that I think can remedy some of this (he did tell me to contact him anytime I needed anything).
A bit reformatted, emphasis is the same, with the correction of some minor grammar issues that I just saw. Take it in and think: this is the process by which Democrats wish us to accede: rule by the Administrative State. Which, as you will see, voids its own rules.
And yes, this email has my full email signature block – they know who I am (for whatever little it’s worth). Innocents have been redacted, the guilty (and those I feel are responsible) not so much.
—— Original Message ——
From “Skip” <Skip@granitegrok.com>
To “Amy.Fortin@dhhs.nh.gov” <Amy.Fortin@dhhs.nh.gov>; “Lavigne, Christy” <Christy.L.Lavigne@dhhs.nh.gov>; <redacted>
Cc “Martin, John” <John.B.Martin@dhhs.nh.gov>
Date 6/30/2023 12:56:37 PM
Subject Has DCYF now breached my PERSONAL information?
My Daughter-in-law, Mother of my Granddaughter, just called me to let me know that DCYF has released my personal information. According to her phone’s history, the call came in at 15:31 on Tuesday and lasted 9 minutes, 29 seconds. The number was 603-752-7800, which upon doing a reverse-lookup, was the Berlin DCYF office.
While she did not catch/remember the name that called, she was told that DCYF was contacting her family members and friends to let them know where my Granddaughter can be found to contact her and she remembered some of the family names enumerated over the phone.
HOW DARE YOU release my information to people that I do not know!
I’m not going to write another Right To Know but I DO expect that you all will tell me:
Oh, and my Daughter-in-law was told that since we are only “Fictive” Kinship care givers by this caller, any of these “family relatives” could demand that my Granddaughter be with them over us. As to that:
All that money spent and THEN we might not have Julie even having done EVERYTHING that has been asked of us by DCYF? And you wonder why people aren’t flooding your gates to become Foster Parents?
All because DCYF sent our contact information to people we don’t know (perhaps also in violation of RSA170-E:9, I(a) (13) as well? Let’s add Federal regulation 42 CFR, Part 2, shall we?).
Oh, and what about this:
[Added but not part of this email: I do wonder if the first charge was bogus as they knew they had nothing with which to prove it. I shall remain silent on the second – for now. Bait and Switch comes to mind – so does bullying and entrapment]
If what Lavigne told Dan is true, then why did DCYF contact My Daughter-in-law (now being a named a perpetrator) directly on concerning this release of our information? Isn’t that a violation of DCYF policy? Or was it a ploy to shove this disabled veteran into yet ANOTHER anxiety attack (see below)?
Congratulations on yet more stellar moves.
From:
Yes, we [TMEW and I] heard a good portion of that conversation as after asking me to come north, she simply put her phone down but DIDN’T break the connection as there might have been more to relay to me as I had already left. So we can attest to how you were relentless against a disabled veteran.
So this new incident isn’t adding much to being “awe-inspiring” from my point of view. “Thrilled” is not a word that fits the vocabulary that I am struggling with my digits from typing.
Oh, lest I forget, when I took my Granddaughter to the Laconia Child Advocacy Center at the direction of DCYF, specialist Amy Fortin (along with the CAC worker) demanded that I sign a legal document permitting that the information gained from interviewing her by the CAC worker (with Amy Fortin and the Laconia Police Detective supplying her questions via an earpiece) could be shared with other entities.
The problem with the waiver form that I spotted immediately was that I am not Julie’s parent and that I am not her legal] guardian so I was legally unable to give such permission. Still, both the CAC worker and Fortin insisted that I sign that form because they couldn’t proceed without it and they [continuted] to demand I obey over that for several minutes. I finally ended that conversation by informing them that I wasn’t going to put myself into legal jeopardy by signing something that I was legally unable to sign and left the room – I won’t be railroaded by people, as I told them, who didn’t do their homework well beforehand. As nice of a person the Laconia Police Detective was (I think he was amused over that last bit), I had no willingness to get to know him better while driving me to the Laconia Station if I had signed it.
Ms. Fortin was rather unhappy (mildly [speaking]) over that; she and the CAC worker, I surmise, found some other loophole to continue without my consent.
Oh, and let me leave this hanging out there? Did DCYF strictly follow its own Administrative Rules (re: https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rules/state_agencies/he-c6400.html) during this process – and that I, as a Foster Parent applicant in order to take care of my Granddaughter, will be held strictly to account?
No, Amy Fortin left a “shall” hanging in the wind (I’ve double checked that). As in that old joke about business travel, expense forms, and obstructive accountants, go find it (as in “find the boots”).
But as far as this last event, all I can do is quote my friends in the military often say: “OUTSTANDING!”. Wait until I start to really read through the Investigative Manual that Mr. Martin forwarded to me as I’m sure the results will be “interesting” (and I’m using the Engineer’s definition of the word). I’ll be following the investigation into the Berlin office intently as well.
So with all that said and written and written as appetizers, I return to the main course: what will your remedies be about releasing our personal information? I am willing to listen. I certainly have some things in mind but the ball is in your court.
I will draw this to a close with this admonition: consider Article 2-B:
[Right of Privacy.] An individual’s right to live free from governmental intrusion in private or personal information is natural, essential, and inherent.
Does DCYF, as the latest sexuality lingo goes, “affirm” this Right wholeheartedly? I have thoughts…
-Skip
Skip Murphy
Founder, co-owner
GraniteGrok.com | Skip@GraniteGrok.com | 603-630-6644
Dominating the political Bandwidth in New Hampshire
It will be “interesting” what this does. It took a couple of days to put everything into it that I thought belonged. I wonder he might be smiling, who might be grimacing, and who may be “twisting in the wind” knowing that, most likely, it will be a long time until Wednesday. Or later if the right folks won’t respond due to padding the long holiday weekend with vacation days for a “cheap week”.
And yes, the family members that know me have agreed to be my DEW line (now there’s a reference young’uns mostly won’t get).
The post DCYF Has Now Breached My Personal Information? appeared first on Granite Grok.
We’re going to need to demand reparations from Colorado. They keep wasting our money with court cases that mirror ones they’ve already lost at the High Court because of their so-called anti-religious discrimination commission.
While we’re at it, the lower courts beginning in Colorado, could use a bit of instruction on this as well. Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cake Shop has repeatedly defeated the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, which continues to try and infringe on his religious rights of Conscience. This time it was a web designer.
Lorie Smith, a graphic designer who wanted to expand into wedding websites, sought a ruling that Colorado could not enforce its anti-discrimination law against her. Smith opposes same-sex marriage on religious grounds and wanted to post a message on her page indicating that she would not design websites for same-sex couples.
“The First Amendment prohibits Colorado from forcing a website designer to create expressive designs speaking messages with which the designer disagrees,” Justice Gorsuch wrote for the 6-3 majority in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis. …
“Colorado seeks to force an individual to speak in ways that align with its views but defy her conscience,” Gorsuch wrote.
The three Liberal Justices dissented.
“New forms of inclusion have been met with reactionary exclusion. This is heartbreaking. Sadly, it is also familiar. When the civil rights and women’s rights movements sought equality in public life, some public establishments refused. Some even claimed, based on sincere religious beliefs, constitutional rights to discriminate. The brave Justices who once sat on this Court decisively rejected those claims.”
Sorry Wise Latina, but the government cannot compel her speech or expression, nor can they punish her for it. Woman. Speech. Rights. You are comparing women’s rights movements to the state of Colorado denying her a right that exists regardless of sex or gender (if that’s something you cling to). A thing for which men and women of all races fought to protect.
LGBT designers don’t have to do straight wedding sites; no one would try to make them. And that’s not discrimination.
One more point. What might be your position if Lorie Smith was a Hijab-wearing devout Muslim? The answer is that you’d never have to provide one. The appropriate Colorado Star Chamber would never consider pressing the matter, which proves another form of discrimination against Smith.
HT | NR
The post SCOTUS Has to Smack Colorado Around Again -This Time for Violating a Woman’s Religious Rights appeared first on Granite Grok.
So let’s talk about fringe conspiracies. One that immediately comes to mind is that the COVID “vaccine” is a vaccine. It’s NOT. It neither prevents infection nor, once infected, transmission to others. Yet Mikey Graham keeps pushing the conspiracy theory that the COVID “vaccine” is actually a vaccine.
And speaking of COVID, another conspiracy theory is that Sun-King Sununu’s “handling” of COVID saved lives. It did NOT. Study after study after study have shown that masking, social-distancing. lockdowns, etc. etc. etc. made NO difference. The outcomes were the same in places that did all or some of these things as in places that did none of these things. Yet Mikey not only keeps pushing the conspiracy theory that Sun-King Sununu was “following the science,” he also conveniently ignores the economic, social and health costs that Sununu’s go-along-with-the-COVID-crowd-policies caused … and when he does acknowledge the costs, such as in education, he acts as if Sununu should not be he’d accountable for his own ruinous policies.
And, of course, there is arguably the biggest conspiracy theory out there … that the 2020 election was NOT rigged. Apparently, even Mikey realizes how patently absurd such a claim is because he plays semantics … claiming that there is “no evidence of widespread voter fraud,” when he full well knows that the rigging took the form of Deep State interference (Russia bounties, Hunter Biden tax cheating, etc.), Big-Tech/Regime-media censorship (Hunter Biden laptop), Zuckerbucks, voting law “changes” to allow ballot-harvesting, etc.
Want to see a real conspiracy theorist, Mikey? LOOK IN THE MIRROR. All you are really doing with hit-pieces like this is engaging in PROJECTION:
The post Hey Mikey … Want To See A Real Fringe Conspiracist … Look In The Mirror appeared first on Granite Grok.
My good friend and the High Priestess of the Reformed Satanic Church of Keene, Aria DiMezzo, has begun her 18 month federal prison sentence for the victimless “crime” of selling bitcoin without a government permission slip. You can find out how to write her letters, send her books, or money for her commissary on her blog post here. Today she sent me the following blog from jail, as originally posted to her website, AriaDiMezzo.com:
As observed masterfully in The Gulag Archipelago, everything changes after the arrest–rather, everything changes *during* the arrest. I had previously divided my life into “pre-New Hampshire” and after moving to the Granite State, but the arrest, the violence of the FBI threatening to shoot me, and the traumatic reality into which I was thrust that the illusion of safety had been ripped away became the new dividing point for me. While they searched my house for people and weapons, and as I stolld in only panties and a blanket as early morning wintry winds of New Hampshire swept through my house more efficiently than any strike team, I said nothing but held out hope that they were there for my roommate, not for me. This pipedream was soon smashed like my front door, as they escorted me into another part of my house, closed the doors, disconnected my cameras, and told me that I was under arrest.
There are a few subtle, but important ways that my raid and arrest differs from those recounted by Solzhenitsyn. The United States has watched the rise and fall fo empires and ideologies, and has learned from the mistakes of Hitler, Mao, and the USSR. It knows that Americans would never allow the secret arrests, lack of charges, and other silliness of the USSR. Like other Communist rulerships, the USSR wielded uncertainty and terror as its primary weapons, but Americans would never allow tyranny to approach in such a way. The “rule of law” is too critical to the propaganda of the U.S., and such behavior would undermine the one great conceit underpinning the entire monstrous system: because of Democracy, that blessed thing, we are the government, and we create the law, and, as such, we do these things to ourselves; they are not done to us, against our will, by an unaccountable terrorist regime, because we consent to this! Even if you or I don’t, *we* do, and somehow this illusory entity is able to act without our actual consent.
The weapons of the USSR have been replaced by the loaded gun that is the Democracy, “the majority!”, and as long as that illusion is allowed to persist, the Americans will do nothing. Anything so crass as the Soviet display where a captive audience was forced to clap for Stalin for fifteen and more minutes, and Americans would revolt. In the U.S., no leader is supreme, or above any other person, and yet *is* above every person, a priest in this religion called statism, this wretched cult, and any decree they make must present itself as separate from the flesh herald–the priest speaks, but only, we are assured, to relay to us the message from our god, the unimpeachable and unknown Majority. Any display of respect or adoration must be made to the institutions, to the Church, and to the god–to do otherwise, as Trump did (and, indeed, Trump partially shattered this American illusion for millions), is to threaten to derail the entire system, leaving us at the mercy not of a benevolent majority but a corrupt tyrant.
And how could Americans not fall for the ruse? Nearly all childrens’ cartoons and coloring books present the Friendly Policeman, only there to help old ladies cross the street and to protect the children. And really! Is there anything more absolutely absurd in our world than how closely linked in the cultural zeitgeist are police and firefighters? How might we react if firefighters searched around for problems to justify their existence, and campaigned to legislatures for new regulations to make fires more likely (and, thus, their need to exist, and, critically, their *budgets* ever greater)? But we learn as children that these thugs who exist solely to use violence against us, are still somehow our friends, and rare is the person who succumbs to this constant programming for 18 years, and then breaks free.
Only someone with a severe credibility issue must inject phrases into their talks to assure you they are telling the truth. I listened to a few minutes of the President’s speech in Chicago on Wednesday, and he used the term “I give you my word” and “I’m not lying” at least five times in the ten minutes I tuned in.
I couldn’t take more than ten minutes because I was fact-checking while listening, and the Pinocchios were stacking up. The sad thing was the President was receiving applause for every lie. Think about it. When discussing with friends or colleagues, do you have to remind them you are telling the truth, or do you enjoy a level of credibility with them that truth is assumed and understood? Biden does not possess such a luxury. The American people doubt every word he says, and for a good reason. He has a long track record of distorting the truth.
Wednesday was an opportunity for Biden to go into friendly territory. He spoke to union and pro-union people who lapped up every word the President uttered about his infrastructure and economic plan. He boasted that the New York Times gave his economic plan to the moniker, Bidenomics. Within a few weeks, he will claim he came up with the title. After all, plagiarism lives in this man’s soul. Biden’s assistant press secretary introduced the term this week, calling Bidenomics the term of the hour, day, week, month, year, and campaign. That seems to be over-glorifying a plan that only about 30% of Americans believe is good for the country.
Here are the fact checks by the House Republicans of Bidenomics.
FACT CHECK: Recovery Versus Creation
BIDEN CLAIM: “(President Biden) proved that a strong recovery and support for households brings more people into the workforce: a higher share of working age Americans are in the workforce now than at any time in more than 20 years and higher than on any day of the prior Administration.”
FACT CHECK: Labor force participation was stronger under President Trump.
BIDEN CLAIM: Under President Biden, American families are “better off than before the pandemic: Americans have more net worth and higher inflation-adjusted disposable incomes and a lower uninsured rate.”
FACT CHECK: Wages are NOT keeping up with Biden’s inflation crisis.
BIDEN CLAIM: The White House is “working to bring down the cost of living, including by lowering drug prices. Inflation has come down 11 months in a row.“
FACT CHECK: Inflation is still high and causing economic pain.
BIDEN CLAIM: “President Biden and Congressional Democrats are delivering historic Investments in America that are creating good jobs around the country and revitalizing our communities.” The President “put policies in place that have contributed to more than $470 billion in private sector investment commitments.”
FACT CHECK: The “historic investments” made by Democrats don’t help the middle class.
BIDEN CLAIM: Democrats are “supporting investments that have resulted in 800,000 manufacturing jobs, nearly doubling manufacturing construction, and more resilient US supply chains.”
BIDEN CLAIM: Biden set “out to rebuild American infrastructure, so that we no longer rank 13th in the world but instead have world-class infrastructure.” The President enacted “the largest investment in combatting the climate crisis in U.S. history,” paving the way for hundreds of thousands” of good-paying jobs.
BIDEN CLAIM: “President Biden has signed legislation to reduce the deficit by more than $1 trillion” and is “committed to ensuring the wealthiest Americans and largest corporations pay their fair share and lowering prescription drug costs by cutting wasteful giveaways to Big Pharma.”
Government spending is the primary driver of deficits and President Biden and Congressional Democrats have engaged in an unprecedented $11 trillion partisan spending spree, including:
BIDEN CLAIM: “In contrast, House Republicans want to: Enact massive tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and largest corporations – adding trillions of dollars to the deficit in order to deliver a $175,000 average annual tax cut to the top 0.1 percent (incomes over $4 million).”
The Heritage Foundation explains:
Meanwhile, Biden’s supercharged IRS stands to target families making under $400,000 a year:
BIDEN CLAIM: “Our recovery is the strongest of any major economy.”
FACT CHECK: President Biden’s policies have driven us back into a recession.
After experiencing consecutive quarters of declining Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to start 2022, the Biden administration was quick to divert attention to alternative measures of economic output, such as Gross Domestic Income (GDI).
However, as House Budget Committee Republicans observed last month, these alternative measures no longer point in the administration’s favor. GDI – which measures the economy through things like income, profits, and taxes rather than production — has decreased in each of the past two months.
BIDEN CLAIM: “Family economic security is stronger than pre-pandemic.”
BIDEN CLAIM: “Gas prices are down from their summer 2022 peak.”
FACT CHECK: Gas and energy prices remain significantly higher than when President Biden took office.
This is a much longer post than my norm, but with this many fact-checks, I am more than confident that most people will be astonished by the number of interpretations or corrections of Biden’s “facts.” These fact checks are accurate. I give you my word.
The post Fact Checkin’ Lyin’ Joe Biden’ appeared first on Granite Grok.
The Democrat’s latest get-out-the-vote scheme already did its damage, so this seems like a moot point, but it does one thing. It saves taxpayers (or, more likely, their grandchildren) a trillion dollars plus interest.
SCOTUS has killed Biden’s effort to forgive or reduce student loans DEBT.
“Last year, the Secretary of Education established the first comprehensive student loan forgiveness program, invoking the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 (HEROES Act) for authority to do so.
“The Secretary’s plan canceled roughly $430 billion of federal student loan balances, completely erasing the debts of 20 million borrowers and lowering the median amount owed by the other 23 million from $29,400 to $13,600. … Six States sued, arguing that the HEROES Act does not authorize the loan cancellation plan. We agree.”
The HEROES Act is not a blanket permission slip to give away taxpayer dollars for government-backed student loans (full decision here). The Justices also note that MISSOURI is harmed by the move, giving it the standing necessary for the case to have legs. The HEROES Act did provide the Secretary of Education the authority “to rewrite that statute from the ground up.”
The program was paused when challenged and is not deemed illegal. The government cannot reduce or forgive student loans unless Congress revisits the statute or crafts a new one that specifically grants the Se. of Education this power.
That’s not likely to happen anytime soon but be prepared for it if we find ourselves saddled with a Democrat Majority House and Senate.
The post Breaking: US Supreme Court Rules Against Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Scheme appeared first on Granite Grok.
Nitzakhon is on special assignment somewhere in Asia, and he’ll be away for a few weeks. That’s a long time to go without Monday memes or the ridicule and collateral damage from overflows and Fridays, so I’ll do what I can to keep it going until he can get back.
I’ve also added a few pics that are not memes but that I stumbled across in my travels and were just too cool not to share.
Reminder – not everything in these meme posts will be kid-friendly. If you are the adult in the room, be the adult in the room.
Here we go!
*** No idea if this is true ***
*** Might be Chicago ***
Note: The DOJ did investigate Pence for classified doc handling – the case was closed without action.
*** A Democrat NH House Rep ***
*** My Response ***
And, as promised, some sort of kind of cool more inspirational fare.
The post Friday Meme Overflow ++ appeared first on Granite Grok.
We learned that when Republicans show up they can get the job done. You can see how razor-slim the votes were on some of these bills when they were voted on party lines – slim as in 1 vote! Two things we learned for sure this year: attendance matters, and so does “sticking together.”
We learned that 10 Committee of Conference Reports (and the respective bills) died because they were not signed off. That included the establishment of an election information/voter registration portal (SB70) and Licensure of Music Therapists (SB532), and a Therapeutic Cannabis bill (HB610).
We learned that aside from 8 bills on the Consent Calendar, we had a total of 10 Committee of Conference (CoC) bills to deal with today, and all of them were concurred with except 1. That one was SB61, the landfill siting bill. Arguments against this bill were so compelling that the vote total was flipped from 4 weeks ago when it passed the House 236Y-132N. This time, the concur on CoC went 134Y-238N! The House just decided that the Department of Environmental Services (DES) didn’t need to spend $200,000 on consultants to help them develop new rules for siting landfills. The House also did not see a need to put a 2-year pause on issuing new landfill permits because the landfill siting process takes 18 months anyway, and there are no current permits pending. Previous landfill siting bills have failed to get past the Governor’s desk. It is said that SB61 was one he would have signed. Be that as it may, I am certain we will be talking trash again next year!
We learned that Strafford County will have to come up with new County Commissioner districts, just like the nine other counties have. The CoC report for HB75 passed 186Y-185N after a Tabling vote failed 185Y-186N. No longer will there be “at large” elections for county commissioners in Strafford County? Well, at least candidates will save money on election signs next time around!
We learned that the school tuitioning bill CoC report for HB275 passed 187Y-185N. This was another win for School Choice as it allowed a pupil’s parents to pay the difference between a receiving district’s school tuition cost and the sending district’s tuition cap in a school tuition program. Again, House Democrats voted against parents and against School Choice.
We learned that the CoC report for HB315 passed by an astounding 275Y-98N. This was the “ban on gay panic defense” bill. The use of a person’s gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation cannot be used as a mitigating factor or excuse for murder. The bill bars a claim that a person should be able to argue for manslaughter vs. murder based solely on gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation of the victim. To be clear, this also does not limit a person’s ability to claim self-defense if they have committed a murder. At the end of the day, this bill makes it so that being who you are is never an excuse for violence against you.
We learned that the CoC report for HB536 was another narrow win for House Republicans as it passed 186Y-185N. This bill would allow for good faith negotiations for the purchase or lease of unused school district facilities. Apparently, House Democrats would rather have these buildings stay vacant and/or not be used by Charter Schools or other willing buyers/renters. This bill provides for much better use or disposal of school district facilities and is a win for municipal taxpayers. Class dismissed.
We learned that the CoC report for the energy bill HB281 passed 250Y-121N. House Science, Technology & Energy Committee Chairman Michael Vose (R-Epping) released the following statement: “This legislation is a resounding win for New Hampshire ratepayers and advocates for minimizing the size and influence of the administrative state. It removes unnecessary regulatory burdens, increases transparency on electric bills, and makes important changes to the Site Evaluation Committee. This bill will help us adequately meet the demand for energy, ensuring our long-term economic success.”
He went on to say, “This legislation repeals an out-of-date law requiring utilities to submit expensive and time-intensive reports to the Public Utilities Commission, the costs of which are passed on to ratepayers. As lawmakers, it is our duty to ensure laws are adapted to the times we are living. This section of the law made sense when utilities owned their energy production facilities, but that time has passed. This change will lower unnecessary regulatory burdens on the utilities and reduces the costs passed onto ratepayers.”
Furthermore Rep. Vose said, “It increases transparency for ratepayers by requiring electric bills to show the yearly price tag for complying with the renewable portfolio standard. This small change comes at no additional cost to ratepayers and allows them to see where their money is going. I am thankful House Democrats came around after they fought so fiercely against this common sense change.” If you recall, two weeks ago, when it came back amended from the Senate, House Democrats voted fiercely against HB281, with the first vote to Concur dying 176Y-180N and then the motion to Non-Concur and go to CoC passing 179Y-178N. What a difference a few weeks can make in the NH House!
We learned that HB221, the bill that contained language about game cameras being placed on private property, passed on a voice vote. This was after it had been pulled off of the Consent Calendar. There were some last-minute concerns raised about a private property owner not being able to take down unwanted game cameras without contacting law enforcement first. Another issue was that Fish and Game is essentially exempt from needing permission to post-game cameras on private property. Both of those issues will be addressed next year with an amendment to the language if this is signed into law by the Governor. We must not forget that the underlying bill regarding agricultural land development rights was also important and needed to be passed. This is a win for property rights, as no one should place game cameras on private property without first obtaining permission from the property owner.
We learned that Jack Sheehan was recognized by the House for his 14 years of service as the Sergeant at Arms staff. He is retiring, and we wish him well.
Additionally, we learned that over $20,000 was raised for Liberty House by our Legislative Golf Classic, and money was presented to Liberty House today by Rep. Michael Moffett (R-Loudon) and Rep. Jim Maggiore (D-North Hampton). A job well done by all!
We also learned that our House Session had a sweet ending as we all celebrated with the Speaker’s Ice Cream Social at the Upham Walker House.
Finally, we learned that the next time the House will convene will be for Veto Day in the fall. What bills that were passed by the legislature this year do you think will succumb to the Governor’s red pen? I guess we’ll see pretty soon! In the meantime, have a great Summer!
The post So Kids, What Did We Learn From This Week’s House Session (06/29/23)? appeared first on Granite Grok.
A lot of journalists these days have a vocabulary problem. In particular, they think that if someone wants to repair or reform an institution, he is anti-[that institution].
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to fix a broken government. That doesn’t make him ‘anti-government’ any more than someone who wants to fix his broken car is anti-car.
Kennedy believes so much in government that in his book about Anthony Fauci, he said that his biggest problem with the government’s response to COVID was that it would, in the long run, undermine the government’s ability to sustain the welfare state that it has built up over generations.
At PorcFest, he asked an excellent question: Why was the government’s response to a public health crisis handled by intelligence and military agencies? His answer wasn’t that the government should have just stayed out of it. He said that it should have been handled by other government agencies, like CDC and NIH.
If you criticize how your government has handled things, that doesn’t make you anti-government. It makes you a concerned citizen. It makes you an American.
I’ve been through this kind of thing myself. In Croydon, when I tried to fix a broken school district, I was labeled ‘anti-school,’ even though I had a long track record of speaking and writing about how the public school system could be changed to provide a better education for the children of New Hampshire. But as a member of the Free State Project, I was dangerous and, therefore, could be dismissed out of hand.
To illustrate how well this sort of thing works, at our most recent school budget hearing in Croydon, I proposed increasing the budget to hire reading specialists to ensure that whatever else they were doing, our students would become proficient in reading — something they aren’t doing now and have not been doing for a long time. Immediately, a couple of parents stood up and said: ‘I’m so tired of these Free Staters who just want to cut taxes and destroy the schools.’
If we want to have substantive policy discussions, we first have to stop using pejorative labels to short-circuit meaningful conversation.
In the current political climate, the only thing that many people feel they need to know in order to make their decisions is: Who are the bad guys here, and who are the good guys?
Labeling someone as anti-government (or anti-school) is effectively saying to people: You don’t have to listen to anything that this person has to say about why the government (or the schools) ought to operate differently. You don’t have to understand the questions he’s trying to raise, or the data he’s presenting, or the arguments he’s making, or the proposals he’s putting forth. He’s a bad person, so anything he says will also be bad, and that’s all you need to know about him.
The main function of journalism has turned into letting us know: Who are the bad guys here, and who are the good guys? Further analysis is not required.
In fact, further analysis is actively discouraged. Because once you know who the bad guys are, they must be defeated at any cost. And if things like civility and rationality and free speech and the rule of law must be tossed aside to secure victory, then as Nancy Pelosi said: “If there is some collateral damage for those who don’t share our views, well, so be it.”
I hope the editors at NH Journal will help lead journalism back to reporting what is being said and away from the current trend of signaling that we should ignore the people saying it.
Oh, wait — does that make me anti-journalism?
Originally published at NHJournal.com.
The post ‘Anti’ Labels Are Lazy Journalism appeared first on Granite Grok.
A rumor started going around not long after the “needle in every arm brigade” began treating untested experimental pharmaceuticals like priests proffering Holy Communion. Random batches of placebo were distributed as if this was a global human test trial, just as we’d suggested.
It wasn’t just us. There’s no math to suggest they could pump out this many doses quickly. At one dose per second, it would take 32 years to make the number they claim to have distributed with the promise of billions more.
Some people did something, and researchers in the EU who took the time to look discovered another inconvenient truth. The placebo batch myth is true, but it’s better – or I should say worse than that. The absence of adverse events most likely identifies people who got a placebo.
Reported adverse events were matched to vaccine batches and graphed.
The ‘green batches’ clustered around the green line have a moderate or moderately-high level of adverse events associated with them. … it represents the batch that was the used the most in Denmark, with somewhat over 800,000 doses having been administered. These 800,000 doses are associated with around 2,000 suspected adverse events, which gives a reporting rate of one suspected adverse event per approximately 400 doses.
There are then the ‘blue batches’ clustered around the blue line, which are obviously associated with an extraordinarily high level of adverse events. As Dyker notes, no more than 80,000 doses of any of the blue batches were administered in Denmark … these batches had as many as 8,000 suspected adverse events associated with them. Eight thousand out of 80,000 doses would give a reporting rate of one suspected adverse event for every 10 doses
Finally, we have the ‘yellow batches’ clustered around the yellow line, which, as can be seen above, barely gets off the x-axis. On Dyker’s calculation, the yellow batches represent around 30% of the total. Dyker notes that they include batches comprising some 200,000 administered doses which are associated with literally zero suspected adverse events.
As Dyker puts it, “malicious” observers might note that “this is how placebos would look”.
And malicious observers might be right.
These scientists are up in arms over the incomplete or absent quality control that would have discovered the placebo batches. Who is to say that wasn’t the point? The placebo batches events were allowed to slip out the door and into people’s arms. Every clinical trial needs a placebo group.
If the goal was to expose everyone to as much injury as possible, then the outrage might be justified, but a better question is why there were doses whose only advantage was the absence of a threat to human health.
And did the elites that lined up to get a shot, as an example on live TV, receive saline too? Plenty of folks speculated as much when reports of harm started piling up.
And what does this say about the intolerance of placebo-receiving experimental vaccine enthusiasts (who never knew and never will) that pushed for passports and restrictions on people who were no more vaccinated than they? Proud wearers of I’ve Been Vaccinated stickers that were unvaccinated and less likely to get infected or to spread the flu because of it. I find it all amusing. Saved by what may have been a deliberate circumstance.
There was no way to manufacture that much vaccine in the time provided. However, labeling stocked vials of placebo was likely within the realm of possibility. The absence of AEs in the control group meant millions would be “vaccinated” and experience no side effects because they got the placebo. The narrative mills would use that lack of harm as evidence against claims of vaccine injury in those who got either variation of the real thing and increased odds of damage or death.
Many people would get sick, some long-term, while others just dropped dead. A culling of the masses with another side-effect. Those who survived would need care, perhaps for years. Treatments, new vaccines. A veritable money-making machine for public health and big pharma.
Or maybe the Public Health Industrial Complex just wanted to play Russian Roulette with your parents, friends, wives, husbands, and children.
HT | DS
The post EU Scientists Verify COIVD Vax Placebo Batches Were Not a Conspiracy Theory appeared first on Granite Grok.
The polls continue to slide and show how little the American people think of the job performance of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. In fact, Harris dipped to the lowest approval rating of any Vice President in history.
Only 32% of Americans approve, while 49% disapprove, for a -17% spread. This rating is significant because of the age and condition of Joe Biden. Should the pair be re-elected, Joe Biden would be 82 when he takes the oath. She is literally a heartbeat away from the Oval Office.
Biden is not performing much better in the polls. His 41% approval is close to the lowest rating of his term. A staggering number is the 73% of those polled who do not want to see Joe Biden on the 2024 ballot. These deplorable numbers are for a President who claims to have one of the most successful ever. There is obviously a disconnect between his vision and American’s view.
The Democrats seem to be grooming potential replacements should they convince Joe and Kamala to step aside. This may be futile as Joe and Kamala must be pushed aside to make room for options. Joe’s ego and need for the money flow his career has supplied will not let him remove himself from the quest for reelection. He may also require the cover the office provides for him and his family. Kamala sees herself as a historical figure and wants nothing more than to be the first woman of color to be President. She does not want to earn the job. She feels entitled to it.
The Democrats have a weak bench. Their power people like Clinton, Sanders, Schumer, and Warren have been in Washington for so long that they no longer appeal to or identify with the younger voters. The Progressive fringe members of the Party are too far Left for most Americans and a general election. Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, and Joaquin Jeffries are sitting on the far end of the bench and are whispered about as potential candidates for 2024. None of these people have success stories on their resumes, and in the case of Newsom and Whitmer, their performances on the state level do not bear well on the national stage. None of these three would be a trade-up from Biden, and all would continue the movement toward a more Socialistic country.
So what are the options and game plan for the Democrats? The possibilities are few as Biden calls the shots as sitting President. He wants and needs the job. Impeachment is not a viable course. It would never get past the Democrat-controlled Senate, and nobody wants to see Harris elevated to the Presidency via Impeachment. The Biden Camp has shut down the Democrat Primary and Debate machines. He will go underground as he did in 2020 and let his spokespeople, surrogates, and the media campaign for him. This process is not how our President and supposed leader of the free world should be chosen. But that is what the American political game hated evolved to.
If the state of the union is not enough to convince voters that the Biden era is over, then the crimes of the family may take the wheels off the Biden Political Train.
The post Can There Be Worse Than Joe And Kamala appeared first on Granite Grok.
A car accident deposition is a vital part of the legal process for seeking compensation. The opposing attorney will ask questions to gather information and establish facts. Be prepared to answer these questions confidently. Here are some common questions.
Be honest and truthful in your answers. Don’t exaggerate or make up information. The opposing attorney will look for inconsistencies, so think carefully before answering. Be prepared for questions about the accident, your injuries, and damages.
Remember, these are general questions, and the specific questions asked during a car accident deposition can vary greatly depending on the circumstances of the case. Therefore, it is essential to consult with your attorney to prepare adequately and ensure you understand your rights and obligations during the deposition process.
In conclusion, a car accident deposition involves answering questions posed by the opposing attorney to gather information and establish the facts of the case. By familiarizing yourself with common questions and preparing truthful and concise responses, you can navigate the deposition process confidently and contribute to building a solid case. Remember to consult with your attorney for guidance tailored to your specific situation.
The post Top Questions in a Car Accident Deposition appeared first on Granite Grok.
Are you considering taking a professional certification exam but aren’t sure which one to choose? Look no further! In this blog post, we’ll be comparing two of the most popular and highly respected exams: CISSP and PMP. Both certifications are in high demand in their respective fields, but which one is harder? We’ll dive into the domains covered by each exam, the structure of the tests, and ultimately help you determine which exam is right for you. So buckle up and let’s get started on our journey to find out if CISSP really is harder than PMP!
Comparing the CISSP and PMP examsCISSP and PMP are both professional certification exams that hold significant value in their respective fields. CISSP stands for Certified Information Systems Security Professional, while PMP stands for Project Management Professional. Despite having different names, they share a lot of similarities.
One similarity between the two exams is that they both require extensive preparation before taking them. Both tests have broad domains that cover various topics within their respective fields, so you must be well-versed in these areas to pass them.
Another similarity is the structure of the tests. Both exams consist of multiple-choice questions and follow specific guidelines set by their respective organizations. The CISSP exam has 250 questions with a time limit of six hours, while the PMP exam has 200 questions with a time limit of four hours.
However, there are also notable differences between these two exams. For example, the domains covered by each test differ significantly from one another. CISSP covers topics such as security and risk management, asset security, communication and network security among others; whereas PMP focuses on project initiation, planning execution monitoring control and closing stages.
Ultimately it comes down to which field you want to specialize in or advance your career in when choosing between CISSP vs PMP certifications – cybersecurity or project management respectively!
The domains covered by the CISSP and PMP examsThe CISSP and PMP exams are two of the most coveted certifications in their respective fields. The domains covered by these exams vary significantly, reflecting the different skill sets required for each certification.
The CISSP exam covers eight domains, including security and risk management, asset security, security engineering, communication and network security, identity and access management (IAM), security assessment and testing, software development security, and operations security. These domains reflect the comprehensive knowledge necessary to design, implement, manage and assess IT systems’ cybersecurity posture.
On the other hand, the PMP exam is focused on project management principles across five process groups: initiating a project; planning a project; executing a project; monitoring & controlling a project; closing a project. These process groups cover various tasks such as defining scope statements or creating budgets that are critical to successful completion of projects within time constraints.
While both exams require extensive preparation before taking them on successfully – they differ greatly in terms of what is being tested due to their diverse focus areas.
The structure of the CISSP and PMP examsThe structure of the CISSP and PMP exams is quite different from one another. The CISSP exam consists of 250 multiple-choice questions, which must be completed within six hours. These questions are based on ten domains that include security operations, asset security, and software development security.
On the other hand, the PMP exam comprises 200 questions that are a combination of both multiple-choice and scenario-based questions. These questions are divided into five sections – initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing – each covering various project management concepts.
Moreover, while both exams require candidates to have significant knowledge in their respective fields of study, they differ in terms of content coverage. While the CISSP exam focuses more on information security topics such as access control systems and cryptography techniques; the PMP exam covers everything related to project management like risk management strategies or cost-benefit analysis methods.
Understanding these differences between the structure of these two certification exams can help you determine which one will suit your career goals better.
The difficulty level of the CISSP and PMP examsThe CISSP and PMP exams are both challenging in their own ways. The difficulty level of these exams depends on a number of factors such as the individual’s knowledge, experience and preparation.
The CISSP exam covers eight domains ranging from Security Operations to Software Development Security. With 250 questions, it tests your knowledge across all domains with multiple-choice questions that require critical thinking skills.go to website:https://www.spotoclub.com
On the other hand, the PMP exam is focused on project management concepts such as planning, executing and closing projects. It consists of 200 multiple choice questions covering five process groups – Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, Closing.
Both exams require extensive study time along with practical experience in their respective fields. However, many professionals consider the CISSP exam to be more difficult due to its broader range of topics and depth of knowledge required for each domain.
Whether you find one harder than the other will depend on your background in either cybersecurity or project management. Both certifications hold great value for professionals looking to advance their careers within these industries.
Which exam is right for you?Choosing the right exam is crucial for your career growth, and it all depends on your interests and goals. If you’re interested in project management, then PMP might be the right choice for you. On the other hand, if you want to pursue a career in cybersecurity, then CISSP could be more suitable.
It’s important to consider your current skills and experience before deciding which exam to take. If you already have experience in project management or IT security, then taking the corresponding certification can validate your knowledge and improve your employability.
Another factor to consider is how much time and effort you’re willing to commit. Both exams require significant preparation time, but CISSP may take longer due to its broader scope of topics. PMP focuses specifically on project management methodologies and practices.
Consider what certifications are valued in your industry or region of work. Some industries place greater value on one certification over another.
Choosing between CISSP vs PMP depends entirely on individual needs and aspirations; hence thorough research should precede any decision-making process concerning this matter.
ConclusionAfter comparing the CISSP and PMP exams, it’s clear that both certifications require significant effort to attain. The domains covered by each exam are quite different, but they both demonstrate expertise in their respective fields.
The structure of the exams also differs significantly, with the CISSP requiring a deeper understanding of technical concepts while PMP focuses more on project management processes and methodologies.
Determining which certification is right for you will depend on your career goals and interests. If you have a passion for cybersecurity and want to showcase your knowledge and skills in this area, then pursuing the CISSP may be the best choice. On the other hand, if you’re interested in project management or are looking to advance your career as a project manager, then PMP could be an excellent option.
In any case, both certifications are highly respected by employers worldwide and can help open doors to new opportunities. So whichever path you choose to pursue – whether it’s CISSP or PMP – remember that hard work pays off in achieving success!
The post Is CISSP Harder Than PMP? appeared first on Granite Grok.
We Americans are a unique nation in many delightful ways (forgetting how hard Progressives want us to be like other nations) thanks to our Founding Fathers’ political and historical genius. That sociological masterpiece we call the US Constitution.
That genius was in their foundational notion that Power is sought by all the wrong people and that they had to design their framework to isolate that urge to make it as difficult as possible to protect Society against the Government, the States against the Federal Government, and the Branches of the Federal Government from each other.
In the end, however, it comes down not to Government or Society but to us. What have we, individual Americans, done to protect that document by not allowing those that crave Power to aggregate and abuse it? Lately, I don’t think we’ve done much. 74% of us believe that the county is not on the right path. But it is a poll question that only asks that – not WHICH WAY or in which direction; are we giving up too much Freedom, or are we not giving the Government enough Power?
In Russia, we just saw an abortive coup. The Wagner mercenary army took over Russian army positions and leverage points and started to march to Moscow. Until it got aborted, and I doubt that few people, even in Russia, have a complete idea of what happened when the best army in Russia (a private mercenary force) stood down. What I do know is that The Truth About Guns had a piece that my bingo card would never have EVAH had.
Seriously, would any of us in the Freedom camp have thought this would happen? Emphasis mine, reformatted:
Russians Suddenly Discover the Value of an Armed Populace
Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky, a Russian businessman who has sought to unite groups opposing Putin, called on Russians opposed to the regime to arm themselves. Khodorkovsky wrote on his Telegram channel:
“Now we see that only armed people can resist the dictatorship,” “Now there is a small window of opportunity when there is chaos on the streets and the security forces are not in control of the situation.”
He said the dramatic standoff would likely result in further repression:
“If you see the strength in yourself in the future to become those armed people who will oppose Putin or Prigozhin, then it’s time to arm yourself,” he said. “Prigozhin is not our friend and not even our ally. He is a bandit and a war criminal. But his rebellion is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and there won’t be another like it for a long time.”
Who knew? Who knew that even people who have lived under totalitarian governments for over a hundred years would understand that the basis of our Second Amendment might be their source of freedom? The ability to defend themselves. Sure, at a high cost, most likely, and as we saw in our Revolution, few participated. Would Khodorkovsky find like-minded people?
From the little I know, the phrase is “If you are going to kill the King, KILL THE KING!”. And in this case, he’s staring at TWO Kings – mostly? Sorta? Prigozhin lit out to Belarus with no one knowing what the terms are (and what little we do know seems to be changing quickly).
Our Rights stem from God and are enshrined in our Bill of Rights.
Sidenote: with fewer and fewer Americans believing in God, are WE in trouble soon when we reach that tipping point that the Progressives are aching for in their “There is no God – WE are our own gods” and revoke it?
Russians have no such right in theirs. However, they understand that they need one.
Even if this coup goes away, the idea won’t. What will happen then?
The post There’s A Reason for Our 2nd Amendment and Now the Russians Understand appeared first on Granite Grok.
Sports can be divisive. Yankees vs. Red Sox. Michigan vs. Ohio State. El Salvador vs. Honduras. What? Yup. These two countries went to war in 1969 after El Salvador beat Honduras 3-2 in a FIFA World Cup (soccer) qualifier.
Then there was that preseason NFL game in San Francisco. After the 49ers hosted the Oakland Raiders, football “fans” got into some parking lot fights, and several people were shot.
But sports can also bring folks together. Like when our USA Olympic ice hockey team beat the Soviets in 1980. That “Miracle on Ice” truly united Americans—from Maine to California to maybe even Hawaii!
A local example of sports bringing people together occurred on June 26 when Loudon Country Club hosted the Legislative Golf Classic. This “scramble” event brought together Republicans, Democrats, libertarians, vegetarians, males, females, friends, relatives, lobbyists, good golfers, bad golfers, young golfers, and older golfers. One participant even celebrated his 90th birthday at LCC.
The golf event was a charity fund-raiser for Manchester’s Liberty House, which supports homeless and transitioning military veterans. I was happy to be on the event planning team as well as on a golf team—the Legislative Beer Caucus Founders.
As a former sports management professor, I know there are many crucial parts to these fundraisers. Numerous people must tend to many aspects, including player/sponsor solicitations, publicity, registrations, goodie bags, signage, raffles, and contest monitoring. Someone must watch the Hole-in-One competition to document a golfer getting an ace worth $20,000. (Before buying clubhouse drinks for all.) And someone must supervise the all-important traveling beer cart and the all-important Beer Cart Girl.
(One may wonder why there are never any Beer Cart Guys. And one can probably figure out why.)
Fortunately, LCC had the extremely capable Alina in charge of the extremely important traveling beer cart.
But there is one variable that even the best planners in the golf world struggle with.
The weather.
Ten days out, I woke up, and the first thing I did was check the 10-day forecast. There was a 90% chance of precipitation on June 26. A couple of days later an 80% chance. A couple of days later, there was a projected 100% chance of precipitation. My heart sank. It rained on a different golf scramble at LCC on June 24. The two-day forecast called for more rain on June 26.
Even the best golf planners can’t control the weather. Or can they?
I recalled that General George Patton summoned a chaplain during the darkest days of the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 and ordered him to come up with a prayer that would bring good weather for air support. Father James O’Neill was the chaplain who answered the call, and he wrote a beautifully solemn entreaty asking the Almighty to “restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend.”
The skies cleared, and the battle was won.
So, a la Father O’Neill, I offered up a weather prayer. I acknowledged that there were folks facing more dire situations than our scramble golfers. Certainly, the suffering people in Ukraine rated more divine intervention than our legislative linksters. But we wanted to bring folks of different political persuasions together to raise money for the homeless! I ultimately left things in the hands of the Great Greenskeeper in the Sky.
I awoke early on June 26 and looked out the window. It was cloudy but dry. And it stayed dry through the morning and into the afternoon as Republicans and Democrats laughed it up, hitting golf balls up and down the hills of Loudon Country Club.
My foursome encountered the extremely capable Alina and the extremely important traveling beer cart at least four times in five hours. And we all hit at least a few good shots—such fun.
And it stayed dry for the post-golf social, where Democrats and Republicans literally and figuratively embraced and laughed it up. We’d raised around $20,000—along with a few libations. After the final award was given, the legislative linksters headed for their cars when suddenly the heavens burst forth with heavy rain.
Perfect timing.
Somehow, I think Father O’Neill was watching from somewhere.
#####
State Rep. Mike Moffett of Loudon chairs the House Committee on State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs.
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The Florida governor running for president likes to tout how Florida passed “constitutional carry” legislation this year – under his watch. But a close examination of House Bill 543, and related laws that were unchanged, reveals that “constitutional carry” is illusory at best.
Open carry of firearms remains prohibited in Florida and constitutes a crime called “brandishing.”
You may conceal carry in Florida under the DeSantis “constitutional carry” law without obtaining a government permit or license if you are not a prohibited person. But the law did not change the fact that firearms are still not permitted to be carried, even with a permit, in any of the 15 places outlined in Florida Statute §790.06(12)(a), including most bars and lounges, any school, college, or professional athletic event not related to firearms; any meeting of the governing body of a county, public school district, municipality, or special district; any meeting of the Legislature or a committee thereof; any polling place; and any college or university facility (with only a few limited exceptions).
You can call it an expanded carry law, but it is not constitutional carry by even the broadest definitions.
Open carry (i.e. carrying on one’s person a firearm entirely or partially visible) without the necessity of obtaining a government issue permit or license has been the law of New Hampshire for many decades.
And while before February of 2017, carrying concealed in public required obtaining a pistol permit from the government in a relatively painless process; that changed dramatically on February 22, 2017, when the NH Governor signed a bill into law making New Hampshire the 11th state to have “constitutional carry” as a matter of law.
New Hampshire’s constitutional carry law is clean, pure, and straightforward. Unless a person is prohibited from carrying or possessing a firearm under state or federal law, they may carry a concealed firearm in nearly all public places without obtaining a government permit or license. You may not have a firearm, either openly or concealed, in a courthouse or in the sterile areas of an airport. And federal law imposes some restrictions on places where firearms are not permitted, such as post offices and a few other locations.
It’s not true constitutional carry, as in anywhere you have a right to be. Still, the bottom line is that New Hampshire has a more bona fide constitutional carry, while constitutional carry in Florida is a step in the right direction, but with a long way to go.
The post Florida’s Phony Constitutional Carry Law appeared first on Granite Grok.
I was watching Tucker on Twitter episode six, and he featured a story about an insufferable prick named Dr. Peter Hoetez. You’ve likely heard of him. Twitter users have amassed millions for his favorite charity if he will debate Robert Kennedy Jr. on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
The “Hoe” still refuses. It is beneath him. “One typically doesn’t debate science,” Hotez said.
The science of COVID, as with the Climate, is not open to debate. There is a revered text, psalms refigured to music, and a series of repetitious actions (kneel, sit, stand, and genuflect). These are their stations of the cross; masks, distancing, and mRNA vaccines that – like the CDC’s hospital protocols – are divine inventions of man and proof of Scientism’s will on earth.
Put another way; there is no second opinion. You can’t have one, get one, or believe one if it is not identical to the first opinion—another sheep in the heard or voice in the choir. You can’t ask another nurse, internist, or surgeon if they have thoughts outside the approved narrative. Excommunication awaits those deviating from the “faith.”
No Modern Martin Luther, No GalileoMartin Luther is revered as a true member of the resistance to the tyranny of his time, but anyone who attempts to nail lists on the CDC’s “church” door shall be canceled, “losing their jobs, their professional standing, their health, friends and family, even their children,” to quote Transcriber B. Denied a voice for practicing what can only be called the 21st-century equivalent of witchcraft—a theory of motion outside the approved dogma of the day that challenges the true COVIDISM.
Whatever the matter, the response to such heresy is medieval. Or, perhaps a better comparison might be Colonial Salem, Feb 1692 – May 1693—another “notorious case of mass hysteria.” Except that the modern one has taken an interesting turn. The 21st-century Court of Oyer and Terminer has released to the public reams of modern digital scrolls outlining how, in detail, the anti-science deniers were correct. Plain as day, in black and white.
From the CDC, FDA, and public health bureaucrats. It is not a secret anymore. There was more than one person behind the curtain hiding important details, but expert pricks like Dr. Peter Hoetez continue to spew that which the divine source itself has been forced to admit were either half-truths or lies. You can also find it in ads funded by the State of New Hampshire on Gas Station TV. Pay too much for gas and get trolled by the NHDHHS. Get the latest COVID vaccine!
Sure, the suppressed science has been forced out of the dark by court order, but that does not mean that these Pharisees of public health need to read them out loud—quite the opposite. They continue to repeat their lies, and when challenged, they call you liars, frauds, racists, and murderers. Your choice is still their choice or their choice, despite your having a right to a second opinion. Even the website patient advocate.org assures you of the right to a second opinion, a site that appears to be another victim of COVID Cash capture.
It’s tragic.
And while there continue to be acknowledgments that the COVID pandemic could have been handled differently, very little of that finds its way out of the mouths of many doctors, researchers, and scientists who are supposed to question everything. Who, instead, refuse to be challenged because to do so could give credibility to other arguments—the opposite of science.
Ep. 6 Bobby Kennedy is winning pic.twitter.com/jW51PYahLV
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 22, 2023
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The post You Are No Longer Entitled to a “Second Opinion”? appeared first on Granite Grok.
So, what happened during the Conway Public Library Drag Queen show held last Friday? My contact couldn’t make it inside the library to watch the proceedings because of “HATERS!!!” named Director David Smolen and White Mountains Pride Christopher Bellis. Why do I call them haters?
Because the advance notice said:
By increasing the visibility of materials and services for everyone in our community, we are establishing the library as a welcoming and inclusive center with free access to all ideas, without censorship or discrimination. By providing library users with the freedom to explore an array of viewpoints, we help them develop them into thoughtful citizens.
And as we saw in the previous post, for all of their word salads about equality, equity, inclusiveness, and welcoming, they are none of that. Plain frauds, these ones. The verbiage says one thing but as you saw in the video, it only goes just so far. The inclusiveness and the “welcomingness” only last until “The Narrative” is endangered as we saw how they “developed” an antipathy to those that possess other “ideas“.
Is “hypocritical haters” a more descriptive term?
But someone did get in and let slip what happened. And why would we all be surprised:
Costumes. Makeup.
This was reported as good as in “Look – kids having fun!” Groomers going, “Heh! Costumes? Makeup? Just like us, just like us.”
Did all of the parents catch the sub-messaging by “Reverend Yolanda” in “preaching to his new choir” in introducing a lifestyle/worldview/morality” that gets passed off as “reading children”? That’s right, him. Steve shared a good write-up on this pervert (all dolled up as an “artiste”); or, seeing that he calls himself a “Reverend,” is calling him a “missionary” a more descriptive term?
Roger Anthony Mapes 4 (Rev. Yolanda) was born in 1956 in the city of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He was raised as a Methodist, and then in 1974, he became an evangelical “Jesus Freak” and moved to a commune called Jesus Manor. He ended up leaving the faith to pursue a sinful homosexual relationship.
Mapes eventually went to theater school and moved to New York City in the early 90s, where he met a group called the Radical Faeries ; Mapes moved into a commune with them in 1993 in Vermont. The Radical Faeries are a worldwide network and counter-cultural movement seeking to redefine “queer consciousness” through “secular spirituality.” The Radical Faeries reject the classical understanding of men and women and the heterosexual relationship. They instead seek to destroy what they see as “hetero-imitation” by grooming children from an early age. They were born during the Sexual Revolution and grew rapidly under the supervision of communist Harry Hay, Don Kilhefner, and Mitchell Walker.
Adopting what totalitarian states have said throughout history, “We don’t need you – we’re taking your children”.
I have no idea what books were actually read on Friday, but one of Conway Public Library’s pages had a list:
I still have more, so we’ll do another iteration tomorrow. However, I will leave you with these from the “other side”: Critical Race Theory aimed at toddlers and in making recent parents guilty.
Really, we are supposed to listen to a Library that thinks it’s our Mommy and Daddy?
The post So About that Drag Queen at the Conway Public Library Last Friday…Part 2.1 (The Unsavory Bits) appeared first on Granite Grok.