According to CBC News in Canada, Aaron Trachtenberg is a resident in internal medicine at the University of Calgary. He has concluded that Medically Assisted Dying (MAiD) could save the Canadian Health Care System up to 136 million dollars.

I assume that’s annual savings, not that it matters to the soulless bean counters.

“In a resource-limited health care system, anytime we roll out a large intervention there has to be a certain amount of planning and preparation and cost has to be a part of that discussion,” Trachtenberg said, adding the provinces’ differing plans could impact the cost structure of implementation.

“It’s just the reality of working in a system of finite resources.”

The report estimated that about one to four per cent of Canadians will die using physician-assisted death. Of those, 50 per cent will be between the ages of 60 and 80.

This is a very public admission to a point I’ve made repeatedly. In any government-controlled system, the illusion of empathy ultimately boils down to a balance sheet. That might sound familiar, and it should. Socialists demanding things like government-run medicine always say it about private corporations. They leave out that private corporations don’t typically have law-making authority and police powers. On the other hand, the government has both with the added benefit of believing there is no power greater to check potential abuse.

Related: Read More about Medically Assisted Dying and the Slippery Slope

To be trite, a government with the power to give has the power to take it away. Governments run by these sorts of people -who are attracted to the role of the way pedophiles seek jobs with access to children – inevitably put the interest of the state ahead of its people. From Welfare to pensions to food aid to housing aid, the promise of a master indebted up to their gills cannot be trusted. Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not a new idea, but robbing Peter’s great-grandkids to pay Paul tomorrow is not sustainable.

Costs will need to be cut. Conversations about end-of-life care will result in the state counseling expensive patients to shuffle off their mortal balance sheet.

The researchers used numbers from the Netherlands and Belgium, where medically assisted death is legal, combined with Canadian spending data from Ontario. Trachtenberg stressed that means the work is theoretical and needs to be readdressed when Canada starts collecting large scale data at home.

The savings might be theoretical, but the power to coerce people to die – especially under the beady eyes of depopulationglobalists – is not. The state will find more reasons to use pressure and take citizens off the map, and they won’t lose a moment’s sleep about doing that.

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What the heck is happening in Maine? The Pine Tree State, Vacationland, has become a Progressive Wasteland. This state is not your Mother and Father’s Maine, where kids used to take time off from school to pick potatoes.

This beautiful state, with its rugged rocky coast, tranquil lakes, and majestic mountains, is being tarnished by its cities filled with homeless shelters and pot shops. Maine is also a complex state, with the Conservative residents of the rural countryside being dominated by the densely populated Liberal cities. This dichotomy is not a situation that is going to age well, and the Progressives are working hard to pass as many Leftist laws as possible before the Right rises and returns sanity to the largest New England state.

This trend can be seen starting in 2016 when marijuana was legalized for recreational use. This decision led to an industry that now ranks only behind Lumber and Lobsters in Maine. Some say it may have started earlier when the Catholic Church brought many Somali refugees to Lewiston and changed the demographics of the region forever. That scenario is now repeating in Portland with busloads of illegals who crossed the Rio Grande becoming the newest residents of Maine. The passing of the most liberal abortion law in the country this past summer and the invasion of the Chinese Cartel setting up illegal pot factories continue to make Maine unrecognizable. However, the Progressives are not satisfied, and this week, they are working on a bill that may make Maine a magnet for a new group of residents. Abortion stirred many emotions and piqued the anger of the true Conservative Mainers, but this new bill may bring those emotions to a boiling point.

Progressive legislators introduced a proposed bill this week that would not only make Maine a sanctuary state for young people who wish to be transgender but will allow the state to remove a minor child from their parents if those guardians are standing between their child and treatment to facilitate their transgender wishes. This bill is so bizarre for traditional Mainers who believe in God, two genders, the family unit, and the belief that the government has no place interfering with the family.

A Maine judiciary committee is moving to create a ‘safe-haven’ for teens seeking sex changes and protection from their parents, but critics have slammed the bill as ‘state-sanctioned kidnapping.’

The ‘Act to Safeguard Gender-Affirming Health Care’ would enable certain out-of-state teens to access hormone blockers or surgery without their parent’s consent, regardless of their own state’s laws.

If passed, LD 1735 would enable certain teens from states that have banned child gender-affirming care- such as Kentucky or Mississippi – to come to Maine, with or without their family, and access treatment.

The bill, brought by Rep. Laurie Osher (D-Orono) in April, would prevent Maine law enforcement from helping out-of-state authorities arrest or extradite patients, parents, or healthcare professionals. Maine would also be able to take ‘temporary emergency jurisdiction’ over minors from other states if they had been brought to Maine to receive sex change treatments. Osher is one of the leaders of the women’s, LGBTQ, and Jewish caucuses in Maine. She was reportedly asked to introduce the bill by advocacy group LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and instructed staffers to model the bill on similar legislation in California.

Maine is not California, and this Progressive movement can not be allowed to sink its roots deep into the Maine soil.

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RSA 654:34, which governs how voters may change party registration, makes a bizarre distinction. In one section (I), it says that if you decide to change from one party to another party on the day of a primary, you can’t vote in the primary of your new party.

But in the very next section (II), it says that if you decide to change from having no party to being in a party, you can vote in the primary of your new party.

Say what?  Whether you’re registered as a Democrat, or you’re registered as undeclared, in either case you have told the state, under penalty of perjury, that you are not a Republican.

So in both cases, to let you vote in the Republican primary makes a mockery of the whole idea of a party primary.

Would you be happy if a million Chinese nationals showed up on the first Tuesday in November, voted for who they thought should be our president, and then went back home?

That’s pretty much how GOP members feel when a couple hundred thousand non-Republicans show up on primary day to vote for who they think should be the party’s nominee.

But to make a distinction between cases I and II is like something out of Alice in Wonderland:

Before today, Tweedledum was not a Republican in a different way than Tweedledee was not a Republican, so Tweedledum can have a ballot, but Tweedledee can’t.  Or maybe it’s’ the other way around.

Suppose Tweedledum and Tweedledee both show up at their local polling place registered as undeclared.   Tweedledum switches to being a Republican for the day, and is handed a ballot.  Tweedledee switches to being a Democrat for the day… but changes his mind, and switches again to being a Republican for the day.  So he doesn’t get a ballot.

Is this not insane?  It reminds me of nothing so much as the ATF ruling that if you have an AR-15 with a pistol brace, it’s a pistol, but once you put the brace against your shoulder, it becomes a short-barreled rifle, even if no one else sees it.

As it is currently written, RSA 654:34 encourages people to pretend that they are not affiliated with a party, not because it expresses their independence but because it enables their capacity for interference in the affairs of either party.

If we want to discourage that kind of interference, we should let only registered party members vote in the primaries of their parties.

On the other hand, if we want to encourage it, then we should just let everyone (including people who aren’t registered to vote at all) vote in all the primaries at all the locations.  Ballots for everyone, everywhere!

But to jumble things up this way is just one more reason why anyone with sense must eventually agree with Mr. Bumble that ‘the law is an ass, an idiot’ and stop paying attention to it entirely — whether regarding primaries or anything else.

Which is to say, you can’t enact stupid laws without making the law itself seem stupid.  So we should stop doing that.

The post Primaries: My ‘not’ is better than your ‘not’ appeared first on Granite Grok.

Outside of the Granite State, where undeclared voters don’t necessarily pick the Republican Party nominee, the news about Nikki isn’t very pleasant for Nikki.

Yesterday, a Boston Globe poll called it Trump 52/ Haley 35 in New Hampshire. That’s not enough, but let’s say this is where the primary shakes out next Tuesday. What does the rest of America look like?

In another poll reporting Friday, nationally, Harvard/Harris has Trump/Haley 71/9. Morning Consult’s poll has Trump/Haley at 73/14. Messenger/HarrisX (Thursday) 72/13. DeSantis is ahead of Haley in the National Harvard Harris by one point and down two from her in the Morning Consult poll. They are statistically tied in America’s eyes.

Christie’s departure has not added to her “base,” while Vivek’s has added to Trump’s. The Never Nikki crowd has to be thrilled, but that’s not the only bad news for Nimarata née Randhawa Haley. On Friday, Republican US Senator Tim Scott (a former presidential aspirant) endorsed Donald Trump. Lindsey Graham already had, as has the current Republican governor of her home state, Henrey McMaster. (Trump is polling 52/22 against Haley in SC, so it’s not just state-wide elected Republicans).

And Sununu isn’t as popular here as he used to be, which happens when you act like a Democrat often enough that even Independents begin to wonder if they prefer the real thing.

Speaking of which, New Hampshire’s Governor, Chris Sununu, who is promoting Haley like his life depends on it, has won election four times, and not once did either of our US Senators endorse him. Neither Jeanne Shaheen nor Maggie Hassan has offered their support to Chris Sununnu. Maybe they’d like to endorse Haley, as some of their deep-pocketed Democrat donors likely have.

One more point. Haley began downplaying her own New Hampshire surge narrative on Friday. “I said we want to be stronger in New Hampshire — we’re going to do that,” Haley told reporters during a gaggle. “We don’t know what stronger is until the numbers come in.”

The Haley wave refined. As in, I’ve seen the national polls, and I should wave goodbye, but I’ve got all this Left-Wing and Uniparty Military Industrial Complex cash, and I can’t even give it to Trump.

“I don’t ever talk about coming up short or winning if you notice that. I’ve done neither one and I’m not going to until Election Day. That’s the only poll that matters,” Haley said.

And that motivates your supporters how, exactly?

Americans are hungry for a disruptor and whatever comes with it. You’ve been running as the anti-disruptor, and that’s not enough. Democrats don’t play nice or fair, use friendly language, or even act civil, even after claiming they are that very thing. This is a bare-knuckles street fight for freedom. The primary is meant to pick someone with thick skin and an elevated intolerance for bullshit. Our government doesn’t trust us, hates us, suppresses our natural rights, and even the GOP has failed to address systemic irregularities in election integrity.

In other words, maybe none of this matters, but then it does. You can win so hard that cheating can’t stop it, which Trump appears to be doing in the Republican primary. The sort of support a candidate will need to get past whatever the Left is planning for November. And that candidate is not Nikki Haley.

 

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Apparently, a man in St. Paul, Minnesota, was playing basketball in the gym of his local school on Family Night when his gun ‘went off,’ shooting him in the leg. As those of you who have been following the adventures of Alec Baldwin know, a gun doesn’t just ‘go off’.  Someone has to pull the trigger.

It is being reported that the man was ‘carrying the handgun on his body’, but ‘not in a holster’.  I’m having trouble imagining how that worked unless it was (1) loose in a pocket or (2) tucked into his waistband, Mexican Carry style.  Neither of those seems compatible with being on a basketball court.

In either case, I’m reminded of something that I read once in an article by Roy Huntington, the former editor of American Handgunner.  In his many years as a police officer, Huntington never saw a bad guy carrying a gun in a holster.

I’ve always seen that as a handy rule of thumb.  And I guess that remains true if we expand the word ‘bad’ to include stupid as well as criminal.

Public Service Announcement:  If you want to carry a handgun, please carry it in a holster that covers the trigger.  Incidents like this one make us all look bad.  The rights you save may be your own.  Or, more importantly, mine.

The post Is That a Gun in Your Pocket, or…? appeared first on Granite Grok.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Windham election debacles of 2020 (and 2022), you can search this site for the Windham election or follow this link and jump to 5 hours and 7 minutes. The Granite State has election integrity issues documented by the AG that have yet to be resolved, and one of them is alive and well for the NH Primary.

Note: the ballot pictured in the featured image above is from Windham – November 2022 election

Tom Murray and Ken Eyering explain the ongoing problems, the documentation in hand, and the blatant violations of NH election law – with a state-appointed monitor observing and no one held to account. As we note in the segment, starting at about 5 hours and 7 minutes, this is going on all over the state.

Tom is in the studio; Ken is on the phone – some browsers will block this video (Facebook) and may require permission to show it on the page).

 

 

I share that, to share this. It’s 2024, and one of the problems uncovered in 2020 was shadow votes created by folded ballots where the crease ran through an oval, which the matching read as a false vote.

According to a source, this problem continues to go unaddressed. “There are 14 towns with candidate Trump on the folds on the absentee ballots! His name appears in the slot position 15.”

Alexandria Bridgewater Concord Ward 1 Dunbarton Lebanon Ward 3 Lyme Lyndenborough Nashua Ward 6 Plaistow Rochester Ward 6 Springfield Sugar Hill Wakefield Weare

That source also claims that “They are also pulling the guards off the scanner feeders because of jamming issues. The election manual was updated making it a requirement to do a fold test. The town of Rye requested to do a fold test, and the Secretary of State’s attorney, Bud Fitch, declared it was not necessary.”

Given the state’s history of ignoring systemic election integrity issues, this is likely very reliable reporting, but we did not have time to confirm it.

Is it going to make much difference? No. With an estimated 330,000 Republican ballots being pulled and cast tomorrow – a record, by the way, for an NH primary – the number of absentee ballots won’t dent that but this should have been resolved. It should not happen. Every voter deserves to have their vote counted correctly, even for that stooge Haley.

Overvotes or double votes will fubar the process and the results and that’s unacceptable.

In other words, voters still can’t trust NH election results.

There’s no excuse for it after a costly forensic audit in Windham uncovered issues that we know are duplicated in towns all over the state. But if we were to focus only on the absentee ballot problem, it makes sense to tighten those rules regardless. Only those who are out of town or physically unable to get to a polling station on election day should be permitted to submit an absentee ballot, but then why should we expect anyone to enforce that election law either?

Don’t scoff. Watch the segment I noted in the Video above and then read this again.

 

The post Absentee Ballots Folding on the Bubbles Again – More Shadow Votes in Another NH Election? appeared first on Granite Grok.

I am the only NH Republican candidate in the FITN primary. It is mind-boggling to me that no one is questioning Trump or Haley about the basics of the US loss of sovereignty. We are in the deepest trouble we have ever begun.

In this article I am relying on iinformation submitted by two WHO Insiders to the “grand jury” plan of Reiner Feullmich.  He is now in jail in Germany for having done this.

In the third week of May, every year, the Member States of the UN meet in Geneva. This year they are planning to add words to the “Sanitary Conventions of 1850” that will result — amazingly — in the WHO having tyrannical powers over every nation including the United States. Here are the two Insiders:

Dr. Silvia Behrendt is an Austrian lawyer whose PhD is from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, on the topic of the International Health Regulations and the Executive Authority of the World Health Organization during public health emergencies of international concern. How does that sound to you?

Behrendt’s colleague Astrid Stuckelberger points out that “the underlying concept used for COVID-19 does not follow established scientific principles, but rather a different ideology which is framed as ‘global health security’ and means to treat health as a national security issue.”

Starting in the 1990s, Astrid says, “WHO institutionalized this new approach by the rapid setup of an entirely new division called Emerging and Other Communicable Diseases. And, interestingly, they didn’t engage the staff of the Communicable Disease Control Department at that time.”  Media coached us to believe that the SARS outbreak had bioterrorist potential. This political bioterrorist framing of the SARS outbreak led to the agreement of the international community that the old sanitary laws needed to be rewritten to include bioterrorism — without naming this goal officially at WHO.

Astrid Stuckelberger (who strikes me as a genius) says that the WHO’s architects arranged this new biosecurity approach “by the rapid setup of an entirely new division called Emerging and Other Communicable Diseases. And, interestingly, they didn’t engage the staff of the Communicable Disease Control Department at that time.” She sees the United States as the main architect of this. Astrid says: “This policy confirmed that the new paradigm shift was from lowering the incidence of regional endemic diseases to the sole focus on preventing the international spread in real time, and most preferably within a 24-hour time frame….” Wow.

Recall how we all fell for that hype? Now listen to Astrid again: “…the outdated sanitary laws called International Health Regulations [previously] had a very narrow scope and applicability only for yellow fever, black fever and cholera. So, particularly in the US, the bioterrorist scenario planning … within the military and at the academic level [held exercises] like Dark Winter. And those events ‘went real’ shortly after that.” OMG.

We want to thank Mary Maxwell for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
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Furthermore “the legislation in the US was prepared to curtail civil liberties for the fight against bioterrorism from 1990 onwards. This undertaking was started by the CDC and eventually finalized by professors from Georgetown University, like Professor Gostin, together with Johns Hopkins University, and it was called the Model State Emergency Health Powers Act”. Note: a model act is not law. It is a model that states can adopt or modify or ignore.

“The most important milestone in the revision process of the International Health Regulations, which is an international treaty, was the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome, abbreviated as SARS — accompanied by an alerted media attention that was not proportionate to the threat of the disease, which was remarkably low… Then the outdated IHR provisions of disease containment were replaced to include pathogens that pose a threat to national security and require an emergency regime…” OMG, OMG, OMG.   Think of all the current effort to criminalize “misinformation.”

Silvia Behrendt adds:  “If there is no test, you cannot qualify it as the new virus. That’s the problem. The most important thing everybody should know is that the proclamation of a public health emergency of international concern is connected to vaccine manufacturing…. It’s not the pandemic. There is no legal consequence if WHO proclaims or defines a pandemic. That’s just interesting for the media. But the public health emergency is connected to the regulatory pathway for emergency use authorization.” (See my article The DFA’s Authority Is Pure Bluff.)

Also at Reiner Feullmich’s hearings, Virginie de Araujo Recchia asked: “I would like to confirm with you that Mr. Bill Gates put pressure on the WHO to declare a pandemic and that we know that Charité Berlin, which is linked with Drosten, has developed these tests with the financing of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust. Can you confirm that?

Astrid Stuckelberger: “What we can confirm is that there is really a plan since 1999 that you can see chronologically with events that is mounting up GAVI from the Vaccine Alliance in UNICEF to start joining the United Nations, not only with UNICEF, but with the World Bank and WHO – through financing of this IFFI, the International Financing Facility for Immunization – so, they did a trio, the triad. [“Triad” is the word for it!]

“We have a press release signed by the Swiss government that shows that it was created specifically for Bill Gates, this international organization with total immunity [i.e., immune from lawsuit]. You cannot do anything. You cannot even take him to tribunal. They do their own tribunal if they have any sort of disagreement. [“Nemo judex, anyone?]

“That’s enough proof that there is a plan. And it keeps on. I mean, he [Bill Gates] is in the Strategic Expert Advisory Group. And they prepared even in 2016 an assessment report of this 2012-2020 Global Vaccine Action Plan, GVAP. And in 2016, they were very upset because they did not vaccinate the whole world.”

On that note, let me interject that this is older than you think. I believe the vaccination swindle began in 1798 when “country doctor” Edward Jenner allegedly figured out how to prevent smallpox, and gave the first kid an “inoculation” By 1802, President Thomas Jefferson was aiding the transport of vaccines by allowing free US postal delivery of them.

And by 1806, Spain had sent vaccinators out on “the Balmis Expedition” to cover all of Spain’s territory, including South America. Try to imagine a king reaching out to indigenous peoples for the sake of assisting their health by vaccination.  I don’t think so! (This is discussed in my 2013 book “Consider the Lilies.”)

Silvia Behrendt says “Member States gave their consent in 2005. They all said they wanted to have this new kind of rules for international law, and now they are obliged to implement it nationally. Or since 2007, it entered into force, and they are obliged to implement it. And for example, Austria, I’m living in Austria, we have no emergency clause in our Constitution, and [yet] and you still have the same regime.”

Astrid Stuckelberger:  “It’s the same with the millennium development goals and sustainable development goals, which seem to match 2000 to 2015, 2015 to 2030, the sustainable development goals. They’re doing a whole mechanism around this, and it becomes more and more obscure. And it is more and more obscure how much us, as citizens, really decide. And we don’t decide anything anymore because it becomes so complex and obscure.” [Bullseye!]

Reiner Fuellmich: “We definitely have to take our sovereignty back.” [As mentioned, he is in jail.]

Silvia Behrendt: “And in the EU they have created this HERA agency, which is the same, but probably much more coercive. And that’s a huge, huge problem. They have no authority in health matters, but they still pretend to have it and create the agencies and instruct on us, without democratic processes.”

Reiner Fuellmich: “HERA stands for Health Emergency Response Agency, right? And isn’t there a rumor that: if our national Member State governments in the EU collapse, then they’re going to take over and under the EU Commission, there will be a kind of a mini world government. Does it sound plausible?”

Silvia Behrendt: “I have no idea, but I’m sure they would love to.  [As for] The Rockefeller Foundation, I’ve met them in WHO, they come and sit in meetings, and they are NGO, we don’t know what they are.”

Reiner Fuellmich: “So, the non-state actors are also invited in this new treaty, which would take over literally, through the WHO Constitution – a world constitution – because of “pandemic.” So ultimately what we’re looking at is private associations, private individuals even, taking over our national governments through the World Health Organization, using health as a crowbar to do whatever they want.”  Remember that line: “using health as a crowbar”!

Astrid Stuckelberger: “You can see it through the financing because GAVI and private partners have started to invade and interfere the whole United Nations…. I was called to organize, for Switzerland, the whole United Nations Open Days for two days. I learned a lot about an organization that nobody hears about, which is really a private entity, called the UN Global Compact. [That] Global Compact is only private sector. They can, for example, finance – I mean, it’s open to partnerships.”  Global compact, anyone?

Commentary

I claim there has been a plan on the books since at least 1798, to take over the world. (Please see my 2022 book, “Keep the Republic, Kill the Takeover.”) It is unbelievably lazy and timid of us to let all the “pandemic” nonsense take place — with even an added genocide conducted via the “mandatory vaccinations.”

I was the first person (as far as I know) to rush to US District Court in 2020 and then to the First Circuit Court of Appeals, to try to get a restraining order against mandatory vax, based on the US Constitution’s Fourth Amendment. Even the appeal was dismissed without the other side being asked to reply. Needless to say, courts do not stand up to the Hidden Government. Courts are a cog in the wheel described above by Silvia and Astrid.

Please develop a new action plan. There is no time to lose. You need to think about how to deal with the financial ‘partnerships’ mentioned above. Or how about starting, if you are connected to any university, with the academic acceptance of the ‘biosecurity’ trick. And your local legislature’s swallowing whole the need to stop dissidents from publishing!

You can be sure that the militaries of this world will be the enforcers, and not just in their home country. As I published way back in 2011, in my book “Prosecution for Treason,” we have had since 1990 an unconstitutional entity called The National Guard Bureau, sitting in the Pentagon. It arranges “State Partnerships.”  No, not between Vermont and Utah, but between Michigan and Latvia, and between New Hampshire and El Salvador.  Almost every state in the US today has foreign troops stationed with the National Guard. Naturally, the narrative that goes with that is that the partnerships help less advanced countries learn the ways of democracy. Oh, please.

Neither Nikki Haley nor Donald Trump ever mentions this stuff.  DeSantis is a better bet. In his speeches in NH he shows respect for, and confidence in, the US Constitution.

We are going to lose national sovereignty, Folks.

Even at this stage, the US could pull out of the WHO. Of course Biden will not do that, and 2025 may be too late. Contact me at www.ConstitutionAndTruth.com. We can meet and discuss it.

 

I know that I’ve said a mouthful in this article, but don’t go to sleep. Don’t think that electing new politicians will change anything. They are all in on it, and so are academics. I think they are hypnotized. Ordinary selfishness cannot explain what our leaders do (as in “they want their next promotion, for which they must kiss butt”). Their intelligent brain has to tell them that the Takeover managers won’t look out for them.  Deals will not be kept. Even an idiot can see that.

 

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

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Florida Republican Congressman Byron Donald says: “ Trump has been there and done that!” Let’s see why: Trump secured the Southern and Northern borders. No Republican candidate has done that. Biden has allowed 10 million illegals (80% of military age) to infiltrate the United States and plans to continue this invasion. Nikki opposed the wall.

Trump unleashed American energy, headed to world energy domination. No Republican has done that. Biden destroyed our energy independence, not to mention Trump’s march to world energy domination.

Trump introduced $2.00 per gallon and 2% inflation. No Republican primary candidate has done this. Under Biden, food prices have risen 33.7%, energy 32.8%, shelter 18.7%.

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Trump corralled China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The Trump Tariff raised billions of dollars for the Treasury and convinced businesses to come home with his tax reduction plan.

Trump moved the U. S. embassy to Jerusalem, which every president since the 1950s promised but never did.

Trump exposed the vipers and vampires of the Federal “ Deep State” Bureaucracy and will eliminate them when re-elected.

Senators Mike Lee, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, together with 106 House Republicans and 22 other US Senators, have endorsed Trump because of his accomplishments as POTUS and Trump’s dedication to the rule of law. These Senators know Trump cannot be intimidated or bought. Trump is America First.

So on January 23, 2024, I urge New Hampshire voters to send our fellow Americans a message and vote Trump because Donald John Trump has “ been there and done that”! Our children’s and grandchildren’s futures depend on your vote. The State that started our nation has the opportunity to be the State that saved our Nation.

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I was disappointed, confused, and even angry when John Fetterman continued his campaign for Senator from Pennsylvania in 2022 after suffering a stroke. The stroke hampered Fetterman’s ability to speak or think clearly. He needed a teleprompter to read reporters’ questions or the Senate Chamber proceedings.

It did not appear that the candidate stood a chance against Republican Dr. Oz, but he won handily, and it looked like the voters of Pennsylvania had elected a damaged man. There was also the situation with Fetterman’s choice of attire. He opted out of traditional dress suits in lieu of shorts, hoodies, and sneakers. There was an effort to rewrite the Senate dress code to allow the Freshman Senator to sit in the chamber in his relaxed garb, but the Senate came to its collective senses and told John to get dressed or stay in his office. He dressed.

There was no secret as to Fetterman’s political leanings. He was undoubtedly more aligned with Bernie Sanders than Joe Manchin. His leanings, health issues, and disregard, or disrespect, for the Upper House did not endear him to Republicans who thought he stole the election from Oz. His performance in his debate with Dr. Oz was embarrassing, and he checked himself into a facility for treatment of intense depression. Nobody would bet on him serving out his first term. They may all be wrong.

John Fetterman will always describe himself as a Progressive. Still, his comments, stances, and criticism of the Squad and all Radical Leftists have given people, including myself, cause to take a second look at the former small town Mayor. Fetterman claims the Progressives have left the mainstream Democrats, and three issues in particular have separated Fetterman from the Progressive wing: Defunding Police, Israel, and the Border. These issues must be very strong as they are pushing the huge Senator toward the middle.

Fetterman is becoming a go-to member of the Democrat Party and is holding his own. It looks like prayers have been answered, and Fetterman is on the road to a full recovery. Even people like me, who thought he was a mockery of the Senate, hoped the man would recover from his stroke and bouts of depression. His becoming a moderate Senator is something many may have prayed for but held little hope of being answered.

Some of the issues that Fetterman has spoken out on are the chaos at the Border. Sen. John Fetterman lobbied for securing the U.S. southern border, telling CNN on Friday that 300,000 illegal immigrants attempting to enter the country are blocking legal migrants from their “American dream.” This comment flies in opposition to the Progressive policy of no borders. He also has asked that Robert Menendez be held accountable for his ethics violations. His support of Israel is in conflict with the Progressives who support Hamas and Hezbollah.

Fetterman will support and do what he can to bring Pennsylvania in for Joe Biden and his reelection campaign, but he has let it be known that he disagrees with many of the Administration’s policy positions. He may prove down the line to be as difficult for the Democrat Party as Joe Manchin has been. If that is the case, you will see Democrat support for Fetterman’s reelection a feeble effort. In the long run, it may be more than the Progressives walking away from Fetterman; you may see them eat one of their own.

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From the Women’s Defense League of NH

On Thursday, January 25th at 1:30 PM, a hearing is planned in the Senate Judiciary Committee for Michael Bloomberg’s Red Flag bill, aka ‘Extreme Risk Protection Orders’ (Senate Bill 360).

This legislation is some of the most draconian gun control legislation to ever be presented in the NH Legislature. Bloomberg’s organization has already spent over $1 MILLION to push NYC-style gun control in one of the safest states in the country.

Red Flag laws violate our 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendment rights that are supposed to be protected by our legislators. Even New York’s Red Flag law was struck down by their Supreme Court. Yet gun controllers continue to push the very same laws in the Granite State.

They claim these laws are about safety, but they literally have nothing to do with safety, and everything to do with gun confiscation. They are discriminatory laws that are only applied to law-abiding gun owners. They are laws that allow ‘thought police’ to make assumptions about what a person might do, sometime in the future.

You can find more detailed information and research about Red Flag laws here: www.stopredflaglawsnh.org.

What can you do? Show up to the hearing. Bloomberg’s out-of-state funded organization already sends people from various states in New England. Granite Staters in the 2A community must show up in force! Arrive earlier than the 1:30 timeline as the other hearings may finish sooner and to be sure to get a seat. The committee room isn’t very big.

You can also email and/or call the Senate Judiciary Committee Members to show your opposition to the legislation:

First Name	Last Name	Email Address	Phone
Daryl	Abbas	Daryl.Abbas@leg.state.nh.us	(603) 271-4151
Sharon	Carson	Sharon.Carson@leg.state.nh.us	(603) 271-3266
Shannon	Chandley	Shannon.Chandley@leg.state.nh.us	(603) 271-3092
Bill	Gannon	William.Gannon@leg.state.nh.us	(603) 271-3077
Rebecca	Whitley	Becky.Whitley@leg.state.nh.us	(603) 271-3092

You can also sign in against the bill on line. An example is below: https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/remotecommittee/senate.aspx

The post GUN CONTROL ALERT – Michael Bloomberg’s Red Flag Bill appeared first on Granite Grok.

I may up the memes per post, at least temporarily, as I have a surfeit of them – I don’t want them to get stale.  And note today’s just before the FITN primary Nikki section!

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 ***

 

 

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

 

Special FITN NIKKI Section!

 

 

 

Nikki Haley The Democrat’s Trojan Horse | Armstrong Economics

 

 

And kinda related – I was going to vote for Trump before anyway.  But this?  Icing.  If he does it of course – I expect TPTB to fight it tooth and nail, up to and including attempts to take him out.  Whether by jail:

The Fix Is In – Trump Goes To Prison | Armstrong Economics

Or… more permanent methods.

Alex Soros Tweets Out Bullet Hole and 47 — A Direct Violent Threat to Donald Trump! | The Gateway Pundit | by Jim Hoft

And no wonder they hate him:

 

 

They definitely do seem afraid of him – and are smearing him all around:

 

 

And this campaign promise is probably one reason why:

Donald Trump Just Killed The Fed’s ‘Digital Dollar’—While Quietly Leaning Into Bitcoin And Crypto Amid Price Boom (forbes.com)

For this promise alone I’d vote for him.  Nobody else has even mentioned this as far as I am aware.

 

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

 

 

But… but… but the Great Replacement is a myth.  Our intellectual and moral superiors have assured us so!  More on that – including our betrayal by the GOP Elites:

 

 

Ex-presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama team up, form NGO to help fly more migrants to US (bizpacreview.com)

FLY them in?  And… priorities,right?

 

 

 

I’m not necessarily a “raw foods” person.  But somehow, the more I think about it, cooking foods at that high a temperature can’t result in good things.  MHO.

 

 

 

Do I think there are reptilians hiding here?  No… but I’m a lot more open to just looking at evidence than I was five years ago.  And I will admit – there does seem, IMHO, to be an inhuman-level of long-term planning going on here.  The depopulation effort, among other things, seems to be over decades and even centuries.  Very few human endeavors last that long,  methinks.

 

 

Related – on “Disease X”:

 

 

 

 

 

Fix your own house first – including the actual genocide of white farmers.  “Kill the farmer, kill the Boer” ring a bell?

 

 

 

 

 

I miss Rush.

Remember, this is a religion to them.  They’re missionaries for Marx.  And…

 

 

 

 

 

F yes they should.  And as I keep saying, dipping a finger in indelible ink too once you’ve voted.

 

 

 

 

 

There’s a Yiddish proverb: “Who is happy?  He who is content with what he has”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am still dubious about the “Abraham Accords” – hopeful, but I understand the precedents of treaties in Islam.

 

 

 

 

 

How dare you believe your lying eyes and diminishing purchasing ability.  The State assures you that all is well.

 

 

 

I know far, far too many people who still believe the Jab saved them.

 

 

 

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

 

PSA – PSA – PSA – PSA – PSA

 

 

 

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

 

 

I wonder if this actually works.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using a less-charged example, I asked my kids if charity is a good thing.  Of course, they replied.  So I painted this scenario for them:

We’re walking down the street and I see someone with a sign saying they need help, and I give a buck.  Is that good?  Of course, they replied.  So what if I was walking with a friend and, after giving that person with a sign, I asked my friend to give a buck.  Is that good?  Asking?  Sure, they said.  So what if I, and that friend, both gave a buck, and hauled out a gun on the third person with us to give a buck as well?  Or even more, we declined to give but we knew they had a lot of cash in their wallet… so we just made them pay.  That’s theft!  Because it’s compelled.

My work here is done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

Selected links with comments – some mine, some from my Jarhead friend.

 

Biden Angry With Republicans Trying To Stop Kids Seeing Gay Porn – modernity (bolding in original):

During a radio interview, Joe Biden expressed disbelief that Republicans have a problem with gay porn books being made available to children as young as six years old in schools across the country.

Biden claimed that Republicans are trying to ban books, a tactic that has been repeatedly used to downplay the fact that sexually explicit material and books promoting transgenderism are being placed in school libraries.

“The idea that you can be told that you can’t read certain books. This is the United States of America, for God’s sake!” Biden stated.

Related:

Watch: Joy Reid Argues That Books With Rape And Pedophilia Should Be In Schools – modernity

—

Survey: Two-Thirds Of Elites Say There’s Too Much Freedom In America – Geller Report

 

They really do see The People as nothing but worker bees milling around producing what they want.  Related, you peasants aren’t allowed to see the Pfizer contracts:

European Parliament votes to keep secret Pfizer contracts withheld from public (dossier.today)

Globalists / Elites in general:

“We Were the Gatekeepers. We Owned the facts as Well” – Watch: Wall Street Journal Chief Editor Whines About Losing Control of the Narrative at Davos | The Gateway Pundit | by Jim Hoft

BREAKING! WHO Calls for Global Police to Arrest Journalists Who Speak out Against Pandemic Policies: Alex Jones (substack.com)

—

DOJ Admits Laptop From Hell Was NOT A Conspiracy | Armstrong Economics

This scandal is far more significant than the president’s son engaging in illicit activities with drugs, guns, and prostitutes. This scandal exposes the corruption across the intelligence community – the FBI, CIA, and DOJ are in the establishment’s pocket. Most damning of all, the laptop legitimacy proves Joe Biden’s TREASONOUS dealings with foreign actors. The former Vice President of the United States, now POTUS, sold state secrets for his own profit.

For those interested, this is a treasure trove:

Robert Hunter Biden’s Laptop – Thru The Looking Glass (l00kinglass.com)

—

FBI knew about ‘School Massacres Discussion’ Discord server that Iowa mass shooter was member of weeks before attack took place: report | The Post Millennial | thepostmillennial.com

 

 

—

Electric Vehicles On Collision Course With Reality | Principia Scientific Intl. (principia-scientific.com)

After Admitting Fatal Flaw in Electric Vehicles, the REAL Green Car Agenda Is Coming Out – The Liberty Daily

In parallel, electric cars also are – apparently – EM radiation zones.  A plus for the depopulationists.  Also, by forcing people to public transportation, it forces people into the cities.  The “15 minute” cities, of course.

—

Glazov Gang: Roger Stone on ‘Why the JFK Assassination Still Urgently Matters’ | Frontpage Mag

Video interview.

—

Illegal Alien Threatens Independent Journalist After He Was Asked Where He Was From: “You Find Out Who I Am Very Soon” | The Gateway Pundit | by Jim Hᴏft

Oh, that sounds perfectly fine.  Nothing to see here folks.  Related:

10/7 is coming to the US – Gun Free Zone

—

Amazon Unleashes Program Making Satan ‘the Good Guy’ * 100PercentFedUp.com * by Noah

Calling Evil good.

—

FBI And Secret Service Are Covering Up Their Role In Alleged January 6 “Pipe Bomb” Plot, New Evidence Suggests (substack.com)

Just how widespread is the rot?  It seems like everyone and every agency is utterly compromised.

—

Lastly:

US Military Released Bacteria to Test Biological Warfare (businessinsider.com)

This is an extensive list of how the US government has experimented on unwitting civilians over decades.

The CIA ran an LSD-fueled brothel – it’s a $10m mansion now | Daily Mail Online

And I’m sure this, too, was Safe and effective:

Texas children sprayed with dangerous pesticide DDT in 1940s clip | Daily Mail Online

And not just the US.  This German thing is… vile beyond imagining:

The German Experiment That Placed Foster Children with Pedophiles | The New Yorker

 

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

 

“When the American Spirit was in its youth, the language of America was different; Liberty, sir, was then the primary object.”

― Patrick Henry

 

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

 

Pick of the post:

 

 

Ouch.

 

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

 

Palate Cleansers:

 

—

—

 

I’ll show myself out.

 

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

 

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.

P.T. Barum claimed to have the greatest show on earth, he was the Greatest Showman as depicted in the movie that was so titled. He was the master of hoaxes and snake oil salesmanship. This is something that Donald Trump has lived his entire life emulating.

While Donald Trump comes on like P.T. Barnum with all-flash, pomp, and circumstances, when you look behind the curtain, you find this man is a lot of show, but it is like a wizard in The Wizard of Oz.

I am not criticizing all the things that he did and tried to do but there were so many things that he promised that were just smoke and mirrors to satisfy the people. These people never looked back at what was never done or even attempted.

He promised to cut spending and promised to make everything more efficient, only to turn around and sign the largest spending bill in the history of the country. If you heard, “Build the wall and Mexico will pay for it,” once you heard it 10,000 times, but very little was done. When they passed the largest Democrat-approved spending bill (7.8 Trillion Dollars), which was signed by Trump, not a dollar was appropriated for the wall.

How many times did you hear “Lock her up” referring to Hillary Clinton, only to see him praising her and Bill after the 2016 election?

.

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

He promised to fix the immigration system, and while he did stem the tide of people coming into the country, his promise to deport illegal immigrants turned into a State of the Union address to provide amnesty to nearly 2 million. At the end of his presidency, he actually deported fewer people than Obama in his 1st term.

Although he denies it now, he shut down the largest economy in the world and believed the lies of the pharmaceutical industry or a huge supporter of theirs, Dr Fauci, when it came to COVID. He continued on when states and governors defied him and opened, and he even begged those states to follow his orders to stay in lockdown.

He promised he would hire nothing but the smartest and the brightest people for all the positions in government, but many of his hires turned out to be fired or left. I guess they were not the best and brightest, or they had the audacity to question him. He, however, did not replace anyone in the FBI and the NSA or any of the other three letter divisions, keeping the holdovers from Obama, who did nothing but investigate him and his family.

When his admirers look at him now, it is like they are still looking at the Fiery Wizard with all the flash, pomp, and circumstances. They just refuse to pull back that curtain and see it is nothing more than an old man pulling the levers of The Greatest Show on Earth.

 

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

The post The Greatest Showman appeared first on Granite Grok.

I don’t think we have ever seen a candidate for national office who took this much abuse from the mainstream media. It was 96% negative press for Trump. Almost no mention of his tax cuts, his reduction in crippling federal regulations, which brought back manufacturing that Obama had sent to China.

Trump’s Abraham Accord to settle long term grievances in the Middle East. NATO was compelled to live up to the 1949 treaty to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense. Trump made the US energy independent, which grew our economy to its highest level in decades. Unemployment at record lows. Internationally, Trump would meet all our adversaries face-to-face. He knew he was operating from a position of strength, and he was not afraid to tell them potential damages that would befall them should they threaten our country. He dealt with Mexico and Canada and changed the Clinton-era trade deal that was not in the US’s best interest. He also got Mexico to stem some of the cross border illegal crossings.

Now, we see the total corruption that the Democrats have imposed on our federal government. Obama-Biden set the FBI and the DOJ into placing false charges on Trump before he even took office. Trump had to deal with career civil service types who supposedly took an oath to our constitution, but were deliberately making trouble for our elected President. Decades of Democrat control of our federal jobs have poisoned these people to a path of total self-serving and dedication to growing government no matter the cost.

Democrats are totally dedicated to the maxims of Vladimir Lenin. “The same lie told often enough becomes the truth.’ and “Always accuse your opponent of committing your own crimes.”  Democrats are out to destroy our country and our way of life to please the Dictators of the World and the World Economic Forum. Some of our own billionaires are part of this. They all want a Global Economy where they and their chosen elites use the rest of us as obedient serfs.

Only Donald Trump is tough enough and smart enough to stop their campaign. No one person has ever executed as many deals in his favor. He has the long-term view like no one else, and is always several steps ahead of the other party.

There are signs that the majority of our population are wising up to the phony “WOKE” baloney and the economy destroying “Human caused Global Warming Hoax.” Honest scientists are showing the evidence of Solar variations that have been going on for thousands of years. Our consumption of fossil fuels will have less effect on these cycles than a couple of volcanoes. The huge fortunes arrayed against our freedoms will be hard to defeat. I would ask for no greater leader to take on this fight than Donald Trump. He has taken on all the corrupt abusers of our laws and court systems. We need Trump!

The post We Need the Tough Guy appeared first on Granite Grok.

There is a disturbing trend at the Public Meetings of the Town Council, in which elected officials have repeatedly opted to take time after the closure of public comment to make inaccurate statements about citizens or events in town. This is a repeated pattern of behavior in which Council members are allowed to make statements, free from public rebuttal or examination, in an attempt to control the narrative surrounding town issues.

At the most recent public meeting of the Town Council on Friday, Jan. 12, the Council Chairman made vague, non-specific complaints regarding what he felt were “inaccuracies” in a “local publication.” Notably, Chairman John Farrell appeared to use this time to deride former Town Councilor Debra Paul, as well, as opposed to limiting his remarks to the content of the paper. This does not seem to be in line with the Council’s suggested rules of order and Chairman Farrell’s own previous statements, in which it was stated that attacks on individuals were not encouraged. Most notably, Farrell did not seem eager to apologize for wasting thousands of taxpayer dollars fighting Mrs. Paul over the release of documents related to Town Manager Mike Malaguti’s frivolous actions against Mrs. Paul. Despite Chairman Farrell’s claims that certain articles were one-sided, the majority of the story he referenced was comprised of court documents, highlighting a nearly nine-month wait through the courts, where, in the end, a judge ruled that the town needed to hand over the document and also pay all attorney fees associated with it.

Farrell also made an incorrect assertion that, in his opinion, the only reason Deb Paul chose to pursue a remedy through the courts was so she could print the sexual harassment letter in the newspaper. Thankfully, the judge did not agree, clearly placing the onus for frivolous behavior on the Town Manager.

Contrary to Farrell’s assertion, the letter was NOT published in this paper, though there were links published on the website to the letter for readers to verify its content. The story that was written at the time focused on the judge’s decision.

The Chairman also made references to an investigation that the town conducted into these matters but falsely claimed that Mrs. Paul was privy to the fact that an investigation was ongoing at the time; she was not.

Chairman Farrell refused to elaborate further.

In our opinion, Farrell has used his gavel repeatedly as a shield to hide behind while he pontificates on his version of the truth.

If the town felt that articles in the paper were inaccurate, they could have taken the opportunity we provide to request a correction to be run. It is noteworthy that this paper has not received any requests regarding the story being referenced.

It is clear that as long as Mr. Farrell is sitting in the Chairman’s seat, he will continue to try and “control the narrative” without allowing folks in opposition a chance to respond.

For us, as long as we continue to publish the Londonderry Times, we will continue to give folks a voice in the “letters to the editor” section.

The editorial is in response to comments made by Chairman Farrell at the 1/12/2024 Council meeting.

 

 

It’s important to note that Councilor Farrell Chose NOT to address the other comments made during public comment. Those comments are below.

 

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

The post For the Record, Defense of Public Comment appeared first on Granite Grok.

A meme recently raised eyebrows by comparing the cost of groceries purchased for twenty dollars in 1990’s Home Alone movie by child actor Macaulay Culkin with what that basket of goods would cost today. US food inflation has spiked in recent years, exacerbated by the COVID pandemic and substantial federal spending. Despite this, government and media reports claim inflation is cooling sharply and food prices are coming down. Consumers may be forgiven for being skeptical.

Biden’s approval ratings are subterranean, driven in large part by a struggling economy pummeled by record spending. Suddenly, Americans are told that these inflationary pressures are reversing due to Biden’s stellar economic policies. It is to be hoped that inflation is indeed cooling, but Americans’ grocery bills have yet to reflect that optimism.

Inflated Credibility

The government/media alliance that fabricated a Russia-Trump connection and covered up Hunter Biden’s laptop in 2020, might find it has credibility problems telling the public the economy is fine and that there is nothing to see behind that Federal Reserve curtain. Current Biden-exalting economic headlines sound less like news than they do reassuring soundbites courtesy of Karine Jean-Pierre. Reuters reported the rosiest of predictions, claiming recent numbers suggest the economy is “regaining speed after appearing to falter at the start of the fourth quarter.”

“This was yet another data set showcasing the durability of the economic expansion, thanks to a resilient labor market. The economy has defied dire predictions of recession from economists and some business executives going back to late 2022.

“The government reported on Thursday that core PCE inflation increased at a 2.0% annualized rate in the third quarter. That, combined with November’s mild gain, put the six-month core PCE inflation rate at 1.9%.”

Inflation Politics?

Such wishful thinking may prove short-lived. A frantic effort to bring down fuel and food prices as the 2024 election approaches may woo disillusioned Democrats, but these economic hijinks cannot endure. Indeed, the PCE price index relied upon by Reuters and others excludes fuel and food prices precisely because they are volatile. This has yielded a sort of inflation-gauging shell game, in which the government skews the data to procure sanguine predictions that do not jibe with consumers’ grocery store and gas pump realities. This is the difference between “headline inflation,” which includes these volatile, fundamental household expenditures for food and fuels, and “core inflation,” used artfully (as in the above quote) to pooh-pooh claims that consumers are hurting at the check-out counter.

When partisan forces corrupt the reliability of data, Americans must keep their eyes peeled. There are legitimate uses of core inflation figures, but to ignore food and fuel costs while telling Americans inflation is in the rearview mirror is disingenuous. Core inflation strips out volatile food and energy prices because they can be impacted by international geopolitics (think grain and energy from Russia and Ukraine) and environmental factors (such as drought, or unseasonable deep freezes).

Causes of Food Inflation

The Biden Administration has made geopolitical nation-building and climate change the two centerpieces of its foreign and domestic policies. Both efforts have driven up food and energy prices and will continue to do so. Closing pipelines and new oil exploration increases the cost of fossil fuels used to plow, sow, treat, and harvest hundreds of millions of acres of crops, as well as the costs of equipment, synthetic fertilizers, and transportation. Plastics for packaging and wages for grocery clerks have sharply increased in cost as well.

These increased overheads are directly connected to Biden’s energy and food policies (targeting cows and promoting synthetic meats also drive up meat prices). Yet these are precisely the costs excluded from the gushing claims that inflation has been conquered, and interest rates will soon start coming down. American consumers lack the luxury of recategorizing their monthly budgets between “core” and “headline” expenditures – they are always going to pay the headline.

Hazy Food Price Projections

That headline is not looking so optimistic. War in Russia continues, along with the food and energy pressures that conflict has inflicted on the world. The Biden administration has not diminished its assault on oil and natural gas resources, either, reducing supplies and driving up prices. The USDA notes: “In 2022, food prices increased by 9.9 percent. Food-at-home prices increased by 11.4 percent, while food-away-from-home prices increased by 7.7 percent.” Despite claims of lower “core” inflation, the USDA predicts food prices will not decline in 2024:

“USDA economists said in the forecast that food prices are expected to continue to decelerate but not decline in 2024. In 2024, all food prices are predicted to increase 2.9% in 2024, with a prediction interval of -0.9% to 6.8%.”

These food numbers, too, should be ingested with a large serving of salt. The “basket of goods” employed to calculate such predictions is subject to abuse. Just as Macaulay Culkin’s fictitious purchase in 1990 of Tide detergent, a gallon of milk, and a package of toy soldiers may not accurately mirror what most Americans drop into their carts, the USDA’s measures may bypass volatile products that are favorites at the dinner table. Eggs have skyrocketed; live beef prices have dropped slightly but are expected to rise substantially in 2024, as is chicken. Sugar, coffee, and soybeans are expected to drop in 2024 – but what of seafood, poultry, pork, and cheese?

The Future Food Inflation Climate

Food prices are difficult to accurately predict due to many variables impacting costs and supplies. American consumers would do well to stock up despite rose-colored predictions about core inflation. Joe Biden’s agenda-driven policies – especially geopolitics, and “rescuing” the climate by tamping down oil in favor of coal-fired solar panel manufacturing – will continue to disproportionately impact headline inflation. Core inflation is the number trumpeted by propagandists to sway voters; Headline inflation is the number that meets the consumer at the pay counter.

There are no signs that food inflation – or the Biden policies that continue to pressure food prices upwards – will broadly decline any time soon.

The post Night Cap: Food Inflation for 2024 – Understanding the Government’s Shell Game appeared first on Granite Grok.

Today’s (1/20) Real Clear Politics Average has Biden’s job approval at 40 percent. Stated differently and arguably more accurately, 40 percent of Americans hate America. The Biden Regime is, in reality, Obama’s third term, and the people really running the Biden Regime are hell-bent on completing Obama’s goal of “transforming” America into a socialist-based-on-woke, apartheid dystopia.

We are watching the Great Replacement before our very eyes and yet many of those who disapprove of Biden claim the open Southern border is merely “incompetence.” DEI is replacing meritocracy everywhere and yet many of those who disapprove of Biden intone “diversity is our strength” to rationalize discrimination based on race, sex, etc.. The Biden-Regime is filling the federal bench with the most radical left-wing activists imaginable, and yet many of those who disapprove of Biden content themselves with ‘Senator Kennedy really skewered that Biden nominee in the committee hearing.’

Forty percent of Americans hate America, and far too many of the other 60 percent are oblivious to or in denial about how the Biden-Regime is successfully “transforming” America into a socialist-based-on-woke, apartheid dystopia.

The post Forty Percent Of Americans Hate America appeared first on Granite Grok.

We announced it live on the air during day one of Radio Row, but if you missed it, Gov. Ron Desantis, just days before the NH Primary, has dropped out .. and Endorsed Donald Trump.

I’ll have more to say when I have more time, but my first thought was wow. My second was I know a few not-very-Trump-freindly DeSantis supporters who will be less than pleased. They can’t be taking this news well.

Here are Gov. DeSantis’ remarks and why he is supporting Donald Trump for the GOP nomination.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

– Winston Churchill pic.twitter.com/ECoR8YeiMm

— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) January 21, 2024

The post ICYMI – DeSantis Drops Out – Endorses Donald Trump appeared first on Granite Grok.

The Emmy Award-winning television show Survivor will be headed to the Green Mountain state to film their latest installment, “Survivor: Burlington,” this month. Airing its forty-second series since it debuted in 2000. The producers were looking for a location that could provide a unique set of challenges not yet faced by previous contestants.

Survivor has been known to fly its team to remote tropical locales, typically islands, where contestants need to work as a team in order to win the competition.  This will be the first time they compete in an urban setting in winter.

As they scoured the world looking for the best urban challenge, they were shocked to find Burlington, VT, had a D- rating for crime, putting it in the top 10% least safe cities in the United States.

“We were tired of always shooting in the tropics.  You can only get so tan and eat so many fish tacos before you feel like you’re going to lose it” remarked the show’s co-founder and host Jeff Probst.

“We knew we wanted somewhere cold to mix it up, and it came down to Chicago or Burlington.  We were shocked and pleasantly surprised Burlington had the worse crime rate.” said the Emmy award-winning host.

Pleasantly surprised?

“I drive a Tesla, and I love to ski,” remarked co-producer Mark Burnett, who also declared his love of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.

The series usually has two or three tribes, but will be adding a fourth this year.  Contestants were chosen at the Texas border, where their airfare and rooms were already paid for, saving the production team tens of thousands of dollars.

The emphasis on true tribal allegiance has been set by choosing undocumented migrants to represent their respective nations: Venezuela, China, Syria, and California.

The tribes will be released into one of the following hi-crime locations: City Hill Park, Ethan Allen Park, Battery Park, or Church Street. The contestants will begin the game wearing a pair of Darn Tough socks, a backpack, and a ski cap, yet otherwise completely naked so as not to arouse suspicion from locals.

Per the game’s format, the tribes will be given a series of tasks in order to win immunity, while the losing tribes will have to face secondary challenges to remain in the game.  Bananas Media was able to get a glimpse of the list of competitions and immunity challenges, some of which include:

Team challenges:

• BURLINGTON ROULETTE – contestants walk Church street blindfolded trying not to step on a needle; opt-out challenge is to take a COVID vaccine and not develop myocarditis, an auto-immune disorder or die suddenly before the end of the season*
• STATUTORY DRAPE – the first team to knock down a designated statue or completely drape it wins (teams will need to find or make their own drape)
• PRONOUN ASSASSINS – the first tribe to mis-gender ten local residents will gain immunity
• CAMPING IS IN-TENTS – contestants will have to steal a tent no greater value than $999 from a local outdoor store then erect it at a designated location, the first team to achieve full erection wins
• JUMPING JACKS & JILLS –  teams will be tasked with jump-charging an EV in sub-zero temperatures with the winning team able to both keep the vehicle running until sun-up and not get car jacked

Immunity challenges:

• BEETLEMANIA – first to drink a milkshake made of pureed dung beetles using a paper straw wins immunity
• SOLAR FLARE – first contestant to make a fire using only a solar panel wins immunity

 

Hidden immunity idol:

• SWING THE VOTE: Contestants will hang from a drone on a swing as they look for the hidden idol. The first to find it will be given a Dominion Voting machine to ensure they win the vote every time

 

Also seeing a return will be the Survivor feature Exile Island challenge.  Each week, at least one castaway will be sent to Isle La Motte (pop. 488), where they will be given a pair of ice skates, a gallon of maple syrup, and a Jeremiah Johnson Hawken muzzle-loaded rifle with one live round pre-loaded to survive the week or attempt to skate back over Lake Champlain to the mainland.

Burlington mayor Miro Weinberger was surprised to hear of his city being chosen for this unique event. When not engaged in acts of white supremacy, Mayor Weinberger spends much of his focus on getting the city to net-zero carbon emissions.  After hearing his Queen City ruled over Chicago for crime rate, Mayor Weinberger beamed with delight, noting the hard work and dedication necessary to achieve such a milestone.

“Defunding the police really helped.  We also set a standard of excellence for tolerance, which means tolerating things other cities won’t, like crack-heads, vagrants, men in women’s bathrooms, sex workers, and asylum seekers from known terrorist hot spots.  We may be a small city, but we’ve got a big city crime rate AND zero-carbon emissions. Can Chicago say that?  I doubt it.”

When asked if he’d be willing to fill-in if the show needs a replacement, Weinberger rejected the offer since he will be in Florida during the show’s shooting, where he will be training for his upcoming men’s over 35 baseball league.

*The Centers for Disease Control assert that COVID-19 vaccines are both safe and effective. 

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As reported here on Bear Pond Conservative Chronicles and other sources like The Maine Wire, the Chinese Cartel has set its sights on rural Maine and is now operating hundreds of illegal pot farms.

This assault on Maine began a few years ago when folks with Chinese links from New York and New Jersey started to buy properties in Maine and convert them to pot farms. The harvested product was exported up and down the eastern seaboard from Canada to Florida. These properties were bought with cash and modified with high-power electrical and climate control systems. The windows and doors were covered to hide the new purpose of the buildings, and neighbors were traumatized by the latest “industry” permeating their communities. The state seemed stymied to take action, and calls for help by Maine’s Senators and Congressmen remain unanswered by the Department of Homeland Security and Joe Biden’s Justice Department. Even though the Maine Congressional Delegation is predominantly Democrat (except for Susan Collins), the Biden Administration has ignored the pleas for help.

Local and state enforcement has stepped up, and though there have only been eight farms raided, it is a start with a lot of work still to be done. Plants have been confiscated, and the local operators have been arrested and charged. These people are just the foot soldiers in a much larger operation. This Chinese Cartel has money and power, and with over 200 locations statewide, many more sites need to be shut down before they feel the heat.

The biggest question I see in this story is why Maine. Maine is not alone, as this scenario repeats in rural Midwest and West Coast states. Oklahoma, New Mexico, and California have also been targeted. This multi-billion dollar operation is linked to the Chinese and is another example of China infiltrating our country for nefarious purposes. Whether it is buying agricultural land, land around sensitive military facilities and businesses, or setting up illegal pot operations, the members of this Chinese Cartel are not good neighbors or a positive influence in communities. Their actions are allowed because the Biden Administration is powerless due to their indebtedness to the Chinese government.

Like the other states dealing with this situation, Maine is large and predominantly rural, and it is difficult for strapped law enforcement to cover with their depleted staff. These illegal pot growers have space, privacy, intimidation of your neighbors, and a low chance of being caught and paying for your actions. Though marijuana laws are lax in Maine, unlicensed growers and exporters are not.

Recently, the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department led a raid on a property in Cornville, Maine, that led to the discovery of an illegal marijuana growing facility operated by two Asian males and an Asian female who spoke little or no English. Authorities reported it takes about a month to gather information and build a case strong enough to get the approval for a raid. The road is long to eradicate the Chinese Pot problem in Maine, but it must be done. Law enforcement deserves our support, as well as any information about locations you may suspect are being used as growing locations. Step up and say something. Let’s not let up until every one of these sites is closed.

The post Bear Pond Conservative Chronicles: Eight Successful Raids, Hundreds More Needed appeared first on Granite Grok.

On January 10th, Rep. Laura Sibilia (I-Dover) introduced H.634 – An act relating to school closures and the designation of a public school to serve as the public school of the district. It is another salvo against Vermont’s 150-year-old school choice system, “tuitioning,” and the independent schools that thrive – along with their students – as a result of this highly popular and effective program.

The bill is not remarkable as the VTNEA and their allies (like Sibilia) are doing all they can while enjoying supermajority, veto-proof power to eliminate any competition for the public school monopoly – and plunder the spoils of the vanquished. What is more remarkable is Sibilia’s explanations for why she is submitting this bill.

At one point in her testimony she says, “I’m very nervous. I have seen within my district, around the state, rural communities that are in stress contemplating, we’re going to shut down [the failing local public school] and just give our kids choice.”

Well, if that’s what the voters in your district want, why wouldn’t you support the wishes of the people who elected you? And why wouldn’t families want the ability to send their kids to the best school around, public or independent, that fits their child’s and their family’s needs? Not only does this practice lead to better student outcomes, parents being more involved in their kids’ education, and generally more satisfaction with a school, it also increases the property values in the communities that have it.

Sibilia should know this because, as she says, “I represent both choice towns and non-choice towns in my district. And my pledge to my choice towns when I ran was, I will defend what you have.” So much for campaign pledges, as this bill intends to do away with that choice by forcing those districts to designate public schools that the kids would be forced to go to, eliminating options such as Burr & Burton Academy, the Long Trail School – not for nothing, two of the top performing schools in the state – as well as other independent schools in the region.

These are schools Sibilia acknowledges her constituents are “really happy to send their students to.” But, she wants to kill that happiness and force the kids to go to schools the parents would not be really happy to send them to. Why?

Sibila calls the independent schools “aggressive,” whatever that means in this context. I think it means not rolling over to do what she is telling them is best for them, their students and the communities they serve. And she is using this bill to punish the Academies because, she is “extremely [emphasis in the original] disappointed that they have not come to the table [and accept designation]… “which I have districts that will not. They refuse.” For good reason. Let’s hope they continue to stand up to this bully.

Now, the spin Sibilia is trying to put on her position is that expanded school choice would “leave rural communities behind. “We simply don’t have the ability to do that with the number of buildings, with the terrain, with the transportation, with the dollars…. So, I will never support it.” Which begs the question, has the woman ever been to the Northeast Kingdom?

The NEK is the most rural region of our state, with some of the most challenging terrain. It also has near universal school choice, in many parts full school choice from K through 12. They have figured out the transportation. They spend on average less money per student and get better than average outcomes. Parents can choose schools like St. Johnsbury Academy – a top school in the state – Lyndon Institute, Thaddeus Stevens, Riverside, as well as public school options in Vermont and New Hampshire. It works! It works great.

Forcing tuitioning districts to designate public schools creates an issue even the House Education Committee Chair, Peter Conlon (D-Cornwall), certainly no friend of school choice, called out. “If the issue is geography, one could foresee a small high school closing, and the nearest high school is one of the four academies, and this would remove that as an option. And, I guess, some might say that doesn’t seem logical. [It’s not.] How would you respond to that?”

She gave a non-answer, but a revealing one. “This is an extraordinarily challenging opportunity, and if we can agree on what the problem is that we want to solve, and we can all come together we can solve it…. Again, I point to where are the academies? The academies are driving toward market-based solutions. And that doesn’t work for me.”

So that’s the problem she wants to solve: Letting her constituents decide what’s best for themselves and their families doesn’t work for her. She opposes a proven effective model that many of her constituents have and more want because under that model she doesn’t get the control – people do. That doesn’t work for her, and sadly it doesn’t work for most of the lawmakers in that building.

Conlon said he looks forward to discussing the bill in his committee further.

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

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