The loons in Europe like to leap before they look, especially when it comes to climate voodoo, so they make for a great example of how stupid things can get. Take the UK. It’s got a complex bureaucracy and layers of rules that make doing anything more difficult, even when the doing is done by some other part of the Government.

In its quest for net-zero common sense, the UK government wants to place 600,000 heat pumps in the next five years. They’ve even offered some fiscal incentives that pretend to save you money if you jump through the hoops with them. Except that they can’t.

 

In order to qualify for the government grant, heat pump installations must comply with regulations set out by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) – including a minimum level of noise disturbance to neighbours. It means a heat pump must not generate a noise louder than 42 decibels within one metre of a neighbour’s door or window.

Yet the report, which was presented to the Institute of Acoustics at a conference, found that of the top heat pumps from the five main manufacturers, not one device would meet MCS standards on noise unless the unit was at least 4m away. ..

To meet noise regulations and receive grant funding, some homeowners would have to build a sound barrier – potentially at a cost of up to £5,000 – said Jack Harvie-Clark, of Apex Acoustics. But even if sound-proofing was installed, it may not be enough to reduce the noise to an acceptable level.

 

Government at its best, yes? But what to do?

Most heat pumps (based on a quick internet search) run from 43 to 70 dB. The high end is annoying and distracting, but the lower levels are tolerable and would likely become little more than white noise you get used to or rarely notice. The UK problem might be resolved with a land-a-man-on-the-moon-like investment is a quieter heat pump, but more likely, they’ll change the notice regulations. But not before a protracted and expensive process because bureaucracies don’t work any other way.

Sometimes that’s a good thing. Slowing down the pace at which your rights can be taken from you is good. It might even provide time to stop the theft. But governments don’t give things back. Nor do they easily step away from a commitment to foolishness on the scope of climate. But there is a lesson to be learned if those in the colonies make time to learn it.

Heat pumps are noisy. If you expect everyone to get one, you might not be able to ignore all the impacts, thought they have turned a blind eye to so many already. What difference would ignoring a few more make?

 

The post When Government Mandated Heat Pumps Violate Government Mandated Noise Regulations appeared first on Granite Grok.

After weeks of Pro-Palestinian and Pro-Hamas demonstrations and walks in America and worldwide, it was time for a Pro-Israel demonstration in Washington, DC, as thousands of Israeli supporters from every state in the Union united on the National Mall.

The President has been playing both sides in this dispute so he does not offend either. Doing this has upset the supporters of Israel, who do not want to hear about cease-fires, which will only aid Hamas by letting them regroup during any pause in the fighting. A cease-fire will also allow Hamas to move the hostages around, making recovery that much less likely. Anyone calling for a cease-fire is not a steadfast supporter of Israel. Joe Biden is not the supporter of Israel he claims to be, just like he is not a practicing Catholic, as he professes. Biden is a charlatan who will say whatever is needed to appease the person or group in front of him. That is not what a leader does.

Who attends the demonstration on Tuesday is noteworthy, but who is absent is more telling. Both President Biden and Vice President Harris were in town but they did not support the thousands marching by showing up. Neither wants to offend the Radical Wing of the Party that supports Palestine, which does not exist, and Hamas. Again, this Administration would take a neutral stance rather than support the right and just position. It is a coward’s way of governing, but that is what we expect from Joe and Kamala. Also, it was far more critical for Biden and Harris to get to San Francisco to bend a knee for Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Security was evident, and rightfully so. The last thing our splintered country needs is an altercation between Israeli and Palestinian supporters.

There has been some destruction of property, including the defacing of the White House protective fence, and of course, we had the death of one Israel supporter in California. Still, we have not seen the type of violence and rage we saw at BLM or Antifa demonstrations in recent years. Mayor Bowser engaged the National Guard, and the Department of Homeland Security labeled this event a Level 1, the highest level of security.

Congress prohibits the DC Police or the Parks Department from issuing crowd estimates for events in the nation’s capital, but media estimates were over 100,000. This was an important day and event for America and Israel. We have seen massive gatherings of people around the globe in support of Palestinians but also against Israel. It has been discouraging to see this animosity toward the Jewish people. It was overdue for Israel to see a show of support like the thousands who traveled to be on the Mall. Our prayers were answered for a peaceful and positive demonstration, which is in stark contrast to the masses waving Palestinian flags and yelling death to Israel.

The post March For Israel Goes ‘Unnoticed’ By Biden Administration appeared first on Granite Grok.

Are you tired of being stuck in traffic or limited by conventional means of transportation? Look no further than the rubber boat with a motor! This innovative and affordable mode of transport is revolutionizing travel, offering convenience and flexibility like never before.

Exploring the Benefits of Motorized Rubber Boats

Let’s now take a look at the benefits of motorized rubber boats https://kolibriboats.com/us/catalog/motor-boats/.

Convenience

One significant advantage offered by these inflatable boats is their portability. They can be easily deflated and transported to any location without requiring specialized equipment or vehicles. Whether you want to explore serene lakes or navigate shallow rivers, simply inflate your boat using an air pump, attach the outboard motor securely, and you’re ready for an adventure!

Affordability

Compared to traditional modes of transportation like cars or motorcycles, investing in a rubber boat powered by a compact outboard engine is incredibly cost-effective. Not only do they have lower upfront costs, but they also have minimal maintenance requirements over time.

Accessibility

Motorized rubber boats open up opportunities for those who live near water bodies but don’t own expensive waterfront properties themselves – making it accessible even if you reside inland! Imagine spending weekends exploring nearby lakeshores at your own pace without breaking the bank.

Easy Maneuverability

An integral component of the rubber boat with a motor is the inflatable boat motor. These lightweight and compact motors are specifically designed for use on inflatable boats, providing excellent maneuverability in various water conditions.

Portability

Inflatable boat motors can be easily attached to your rubber boat without causing any damage or compromising its structure. Their small size allows you to carry them effortlessly wherever your adventures take you.

Power

Don’t let their compactness fool you – these motors pack quite a punch! With varying horsepower options available, they provide enough power to navigate through calm waters and even tackle mild currents effortlessly.

User-Friendly Operation

Operating an inflatable boat motor requires minimal technical knowledge or expertise, making it accessible for people of all ages and skill levels. Many models feature user-friendly controls that enable smooth acceleration and steering, ensuring a hassle-free experience on the water.

To Sum Up

The rubber boat with motor offers an exciting alternative means of transportation that combines convenience, affordability, and fun in one package! Whether you’re looking for leisurely rides along picturesque lakeshores or need a practical solution for short-distance travel near riverside areas – these versatile inflatables will never cease to amaze you!

So why stay stuck in traffic when there’s so much more waiting beyond the roads? Embrace this innovative mode of transport today; grab your own rubber boat with an outboard engine, and get ready for endless adventures!

The post Rubber Boat with Motor: A Convenient and Affordable Means of Transportation appeared first on Granite Grok.

Nikki Haley has been as on the rise as a candidate can be in this primary cycle, gaining ground on Ron DeSantis and making big media buys with all the swampy Neo-Con money she’s been getting. And good for her. That’s all part of the process. But it may have all been in vain. She just ended any hope she had of winning the nomination.

Emphasis, mine.

 

“When I get into office, the first thing we have to do, social media companies have to show America their algorithms, let us see why they’re pushing what they’re pushing,” Haley added. “The second thing, every person on social media should be verified by their name. First of all, that’s a national security threat. When you do that, people have to stand by what they say and it gets rid of the Russian bots the Iranian bots and the Chinese bots, and then you’re going to get some civility when people know their name is next to what they say.”

 

So, no! And I am a big fan of standing behind what you write and say, but anonymity is essential to the right to Free Speech. In its absence, there is no path for insiders and whistleblowers to reveal unpleasant truths, greed, corruption, malice, fraud, and even tyranny. Pseudonyms protect speakers and sources, neither of which should be unmasked by authors, editors, social media companies, bureaucrats, politicians, or presidential candidates promising to scratch a totalitarian itch.

We also live in an age where daring to disagree may subject you to more than despotic retribution from the state. We can now add doxxing and mob justice to the mix, where hordes of strangers plague your existence and drive you underground for daring to think outside some tiny ideological box.

Having the guts to privately express an unpopular opinion – heck, just being brave enough to explore a conversation about one – can cost you your job, career, and even your family. It is a culture that breeds silence in the face of oppression.

I get what Nikki Haley thinks she is doing, but what she has done is killed her presidential aspirations.

Support for this is a death knell or should be, for anyone running for Republican anything.

A spokesperson for the DeSantis campaign has stated unequivocally that this would be unconstitutional (obviously).

 

NEW: Nikki Haley asserts that allowing people to post on social media anonymously is a “national security threat”. She promises that as president, she will force “every person on social media” to be “verified by their name.”

I am no lawyer but isn’t this blatantly… pic.twitter.com/MD7CcBZL5r

— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) November 14, 2023

 

Vivek has also come out quickly to denounce it.

 

.@NikkiHaley is *openly* pushing for the government to use private tech companies to censor speech. This is a flagrant violation of the Constitution and straight out of the Democrats’ playbook. Any politician who thinks it’s OK for the government to use the private sector as its… pic.twitter.com/Cb1847r6CA

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) November 14, 2023

 

Haley has been pushing to get Gov. Chris Sununu’s endorsement, but I don’t think even he can ignore this gaffe. As for her other supporters in New Hampshire and elsewhere, she has put them in a very awkward spot. There is no way to comport Republican principles with this demand. They are incompatible.

So, yeah, I think Nikki is done, and her supporters need to back off before she takes them with her.

 

The post She Didn’t Mean to But Nikki Haley Just Ended Her Campaign for President appeared first on Granite Grok.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced surveillance efforts on Americans. She, through the New York State government, claims a need to target and root out hate speech on social media to create a safer and more just New York State.

• $227 Million for Gun Violence Prevention Programs
• $90 Million to Expand and Implement Discovery and Support Pretrial Services
• $143 Million in Investments for Mental Health Crisis Infrastructure
• $62 Million for Cybersecurity

 

So much for defunding “the police.”

 

Kathy Hochul announced that New York is “collecting data” from “surveillance efforts” on social media

Hochul says the social media analysis unit will contact people who commit “hate speech”

This is to “ensure safety” Even though they got rid of Guiliani’s Stop and Frisk which… pic.twitter.com/QjlPiXfRpz

— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) November 13, 2023

Her spending initiative includes heightened surveillance of New York’s citizens with an emphasis on proactive contact with individuals expressing hate speech online. But if you are being proactive against hate speech, aren’t you anticipating it, prevent it?

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

Some assert this next step raises questions about freedom of speech and privacy.

Why is it appropriate for state governments to be very focused on the data they’re collecting from surveillance efforts? Why do they need warrantless surveillance? What business is it of the state to be monitoring, let alone censoring free speech on social media platforms? How is that productive use of tax money? Do you think New York is alone in such efforts?

Where is hate speech defined? Who among us wants the State government to use police power to counter some perceived negativity? Who among us thinks speech police are appropriate? Incitement to violence is a different thing. It has been defined legally and adjudicated.

There is no right to feel safe.  With the government not securing our borders, sanctuary jurisdictions, most especially, to whine about not feeling safe is beyond the pale. New York does not want you to be safe, but it says it wants to defend you from not feeling safe. It is hypocrisy beyond ignorance.

Communist regimes like New York regularly employ extensive surveillance systems. There was the Stasi in East Germany, the KGB in the Soviet Union, and Mao’s People’s Army in North Korea, Iran, and Cambodia. These are or were states with widespread networks of informants and advanced surveillance techniques.

They are regimes that are about repression, power, and control. They routinely monitor virtually every aspect of daily life… just like New York’s state government now, it seems. It is a feature of the Democrat Party, not an option. You will submit. You will comply. You will own nothing, and you will be happy.

The post Millions Allocated to Spy on Citizens in Search of Hate Speech appeared first on Granite Grok.

Disney’s Marvel Studios has released another awful piece of garbage thinly disguised as female empowerment, and you’d be right to wonder if they are losing money on purpose. Or, is their goal to destroy the Marvel Movie franchise?

I doubt it, but they are afflicted with the social justice disease and big bags of money, and they don’t know anyone who disagrees with them or dares to. The offspring of that sort of arrangement is twaddle that reminds me of something I heard the other day about Joe Biden. There is allegedly a T-shirt out there that says, “I could sh!t a better president.” And while that sounds ‘offal,’ and I’m sure you could, while you are at it, can you move your bowels to produce a better Marvel Universe movie because Disney could use one of those. The early buzz – if you can call it that – it that its latest creation, The Marvels, is … bad.

 

The reason for failure seems obvious — Disney has done everything it can to gut the MCU over the last couple of years and create what online critics call an M-She-U, replacing beloved characters like Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor with female and minority knockoffs which don’t inspire the audience to come out and see the movies.

Couple the diversity castings with writers and directors who don’t seem to understand the superhero genre, and it spells disaster. Disney’s seen a string of failures since critics panned the first Captain Marvel movie. At that point, Marvel’s brand from Avengers: Endgame was strong enough that the film was lifted to more than $1 billion gross anyway, but those days are long behind as moviegoers don’t trust Disney Marvel to produce anything entertaining.

 

The projected 50-60 million dollar opening weekend came and went with only 27.5 million in the kitty. Disney spent ten times that much on production with very little hope now of recovering it, given the slow start, and they only have themselves to blame. Or do they? Some have decided that this lame opening weekend is the fault of men.

 

It’s really interesting to me that it’s all men who very are actively hating on The Marvels.

The movie isn’t perfect (read my review for my thoughts) but it doesn’t deserve the hate many (men) are giving it. pic.twitter.com/DrRkJWeFVn

— Tessa Smith – Mama’s Geeky (@MamasGeeky) November 8, 2023

 

Of course, because even men who are not fans of Marvel or superhero stories hate seeing attractive, fit women leaping about in skin-tight costumes on a giant screen. Especially the comic-book fan-boy types. That’s got to be why because those are precisely the sort of people who would come out to see a movie like this.

So. it is their fault. It’s an equity problem. People need to be forced – especially men – to pay inflated prices to watch poorly thought-out garbage because if they don’t, it will be their fault it failed. Disney is not obligated to produce anything valuable, and you should reward that. Did I get that messaging correctly? Should we blame colonialism, genderism (I’m not even sure what that is, and neither is it), and one or more types of privilege?

Hey, we made a movie with a woman of color in it, and that intolerable Brie Larson. Watch it, or you are a racist skeeving man-spreading bastard. And I don’t care if her first name is spelled the same as the pale, slightly grayish-looking cheese. Her real name is Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers, if you must know. And have you considered replacing her with that prancing doofus who wrecked Bud Light? We could marvel at how much better it was with Brie. That has to be worth something.

By the way, I just read that the next Captain America movie screened so badly that it has been pushed out two years for rewrites and reshoots.

Disney Magic appears to have taken on a whole new meaning part of which – and I have to ask – has to include telling what it is exactly that you mean by “men”?

 

 

The post Night Cap: “Disney Magic” Becomes a Curse as Another Movie Flops… appeared first on Granite Grok.

Democrats claim election fraud is a myth. But videos don’t lie. Roll the tapes:

On Nov. 1, Connecticut Judge William Clark overturned the results of the Bridgeport mayoral primary, calling video evidence of potential fraud “shocking.” Wanda Geter-Pataky, the vice chair of the Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee, appears to have been caught on video stuffing handfuls of ballots into a drop box outside City Hall.

On Oct. 25, in Paterson, New Jersey, the sitting president of the City Council, Alex Mendez, was charged with personally collecting large numbers of mail-in ballots in his district, destroying ballots that did not favor him, and replacing them with ballots that falsely chose him. New Jersey’s Attorney General Matthew Platkin states that Mendez “personally observed from his wife’s vehicle as a large, heavy bag, completely filled with ballots, was emptied into the Haledon postal box prior to the election.” (RELATED: BETSY MCCAUGHEY: They’re Not Coming After Trump. They’re Coming After You)

On Nov. 2, in Springfield, Massachusetts, mayoral candidate Justin Hurst was nailed by city election officials for allegedly buying votes during early voting. Videotape shows individuals being dropped off in black Suburbans and Expeditions and entering City Hall to vote. When they exited, a man “takes out what appears to be a large bundle of cash” and peels off a bill for each individual, according to an affidavit by election commissioner Gladys Oyola-Lopez.

In one week, election fraudsters were busted in three major Northeastern cities.

Leftist organizations such as the Brennan Center for Justice and the League of Women Voters claim voter fraud is a “phantom” and “extremely rare.” Don’t buy it. The evidence is all around us.

Cheating is a cakewalk because of accommodations pushed by Democrats, including universal mail-in voting and unmanned drop boxes.

Now is the time to scrutinize the 2023 races and plug the obvious gaps. Cheating should not determine the outcome of the highly consequential 2024 national election.

In Bridgeport’s 2023 mayoral primary, Democratic candidate John Gomes was ahead until he got crushed late in the process when absentee votes favoring incumbent Mayor Joe Ganim were counted.

One Bridgeport pol described the use of absentee ballots there as “an art form.” That “art form” may partially explain how Ganim, who was Bridgeport’s mayor from 1991 to 2003 — before serving seven years in federal prison for racketeering, extortion, filing false tax returns, and other crimes — was able to stage a comeback upon his release from prison and win election in 2015 and 2019. (RELATED: CHAD ENNIS: Mail Ballot Security Is Under Assault)

In Connecticut, Democrats are singing one song: Fraud is “unique to Bridgeport” and isn’t a problem elsewhere. Wrong.

Last year, John Mallozzi, then chairman of the Democratic Party in Stamford, was convicted of forgery and making false statements related to absentee ballots. His ruse was uncovered when a voter named on a fraudulent absentee ballot actually showed up at the polls.

Connecticut Republican legislators are pushing to improve voting security. Rep. Doug Dubitsky, a Republican, says, “this exact same thing could be happening in every single municipality in this state.” But Democrats, who control both houses of the state legislature and all statewide offices, refuse to tighten voting procedures.

That’s not hard to explain. In statewide races, including for governor or president, Republicans historically have been ahead until the absentee ballots in the Democrat-controlled cities in Connecticut are tallied.

Across the nation, Republicans are pressing state legislatures to eliminate drop boxes and bar third parties from collecting huge numbers of completed ballots — a practice called “harvesting.” Republicans also want to use software to match the signature on the mail-in ballot to the signature on the voter registration form.

Democrats almost universally oppose these safeguards, calling them “voter suppression.” “Cheating suppression” is more like it.

Perceptions of unfairness are corrosive. At a House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing in June, polls were cited showing 37% of Democratic-leaning voters and 71% of Republican-leaning voters doubt the honesty of elections.

Most European countries require voters to show up in person unless they are out of the country or disabled. These countries tried mail-in voting and eliminated it in the face of widespread fraud.

Americans need to get smart. Convenience shouldn’t take priority over security. Before you board a plane, you have to wait in line while your carry-ons are inspected. It’s inconvenient but worth it.

The same is true for voting. When you turn on the TV on election night to watch the returns, you want to know the results are honest, whether your candidate wins or not.

America has one year to get the job done.

Betsy McCaughey is a former lieutenant governor of New York and chairman of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths. 

 

Betsy McCaughey | Daily Caller

COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline, and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

The post Election Fraud Is Real — And It Needs To Be Fixed Before 2024 appeared first on Granite Grok.

Faced with growing American frustration over more than $100 billion spent on a failed proxy war in Ukraine, President Biden’s handlers have hit on a gimmick to convince us that this foreign aid is actually an investment in our own economy!

In his recent television address, Biden explained that as we transfer more weapons to Ukraine, we will then build new weapons at home to replace them. That, explained Biden, means more American jobs and a stronger American economy.

So, “Project Ukraine” is not really about foreign welfare but rather domestic corporate welfare for the military-industrial complex. Should that make us feel any better?

There is no denying that this nearly two-year Ukraine/Russia war has been a boon for the US weapons industry. Profits at the military-industrial complex are back to record highs after a brief slump during the Covid scare. And the money that goes to the weapons manufacturers also saturates Washington, DC: a little of it goes to the think tanks promoting war, another little bit goes to the political campaigns of candidates who promote war, and so on.

As Connor O’Keeffe reminds us in a recent article at the Mises Institute, the arguments that more war spending is good for the economy ignore the “broken window fallacy” as first explained by French economist Frédéric Bastiat in his essay, “That Which Is Seen and That Which Is Not Seen.” In the tale, a shopkeeper has a window broken and must pay to have it replaced. The locals view the mishap favorably, as they see the $50 for a new window to be a benefit to the glazier, which he will then spend, thus improving the economy as a whole. What is not seen, however, is what the shopkeeper might have done with that same $50 had he not been forced to replace a broken window. Perhaps he would have invested it in a way that created far more wealth and more jobs.

Unfortunately, Biden is not alone in coming up with new gimmicks to enable Washington to operate in a “business as usual” manner.

New House Speaker Mike Johnson has also been busy trying to convince us that sending money overseas is actually good for our own economy. Over the weekend, he appeared on Fox News to tell us that sending another $14 billion to the wealthy nation of Israel is Republicans “trying to be good stewards of the taxpayer’s resources.” How is that? Well, he came up with the gimmick that they would cut $14 billion from the IRS and send it to Israel.

Said Johnson, “Instead of printing new dollars or borrowing it from another nation to send over to fulfill our obligations and help our ally, we want to pay for it. What a concept! We are trying to change how Washington works.”

See the trick here? They are not “paying for it” by sending the money overseas, and they are not “changing how Washington works” by doing the exact same thing they always do: stealing from the poor at home to send to the rich in foreign countries.

Instead of trying to trick Americans into thinking that foreign aid and corporate welfare are good for our economy, why not just stop breaking all of our windows? Just end all foreign aid and corporate welfare!

 

Ron Paul | Ron Paul Institute

Copyright © 2023 by RonPaul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

The post Don’t Worry, It’s Not Foreign Aid…It’s Corporate Welfare! appeared first on Granite Grok.

Vote Republican! Vote Republican! Vote Republican! Yeah, right. I previously posted about how enough DC Republicans joined with the Democrats to reward that domestic terror institution called the FBI with a new $300 million headquarters.

The latest (11/14 – 10 AM) … DC-Republicans help the Democrats prevent the impeachment of Mayorkas. But just keep pretending that open borders are a D vs. R issue.

THREAD:

Here are the EIGHT REPUBLICANS who voted against Biden’s impeachment, as well as the ELEVEN REPUBLICANS who couldn’t bother to vote.

You will be surprised at some of these names.

But it is very important you identify them and challenge them about putting their stamp… pic.twitter.com/W9nZqB2zEY

— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) November 14, 2023

The post Nineteen DC-Republicans Help Democrats Prevent Impeachment of Mayorkas appeared first on Granite Grok.

Kudos to Governor Ron and the DeSantis campaign for pushing back on the Ronna National Committee (RNC). The Party tried to prevent presidential candidates from participating in an upcoming round table event in Iowa. The Party said it was a debate, and if they attended, they could be excluded from their debates.

Care of RedState.

 

“It has come to the attention of the RNC Counsel’s Office that several Republican presidential candidates have been invited to participate in an open-press event in Iowa in November at which they would ‘gather around the table to have a moderated, friendly, and open discussion about the issues.’ In other words, a debate,” the RNC counsel’s office said in a letter obtained by CNN.

“Accordingly, please be advised that any Republican presidential candidate who participates in this or other similar events will be deemed to have violated this pledge and will be disqualified from taking part in any future RNC-sanctioned presidential primary debates,” the office said.

 

DeSantis said, isn’t that cute, but I’m going.

 

.@RonDeSantis tells @wrmcduff he will attend the Family Leader Thanksgiving Forum in Iowa despite RNC warnings:

“I think it’s an important part of this process. It’s been a part of this process for a long time. There’s no way that should cause the RNC to penalize any candidate.” pic.twitter.com/kzwSbh2Fd6

— Kit Maher (@KitMaherCNN) November 11, 2023

 

That doesn’t leave the RNC with a lot of wiggle room. Their debates are already losing their audience. VermontGrok’s Rob Roper dropped a piece yesterday suggesting that folks like DeSantis and Haley might be better off if they stopped participating in those. Trump has fared well by refusing to add his ring to that circus. So, it has to be on people’s minds.

What exactly are these Republican Debates doing for me polling-wise?

Not a lot. I haven’t seen anyone move much after these debates except perhaps Vivek, but each debate brings a new version of him, so voters may not know which Ramaswamy they’ll be getting.

And the RNC hasn’t exactly gone out of its way to consistently ensure they have moderators that Republican voters might trust – especially primary voters, who are more tuned in than most of the electorate.

Good on DeSantis for standing up and saying this isn’t a debate and getting the RNC to back down. Now he needs to do something about his Nikki Haley problem, or he’ll be the defacto third-place candidate.

 

The post DeSantis Tells the RNC (very nicely) to Kiss His Ass … appeared first on Granite Grok.

As New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs) gain popularity, confusion about how the money is spent continues to cloud public discussion.

Contrary to some of the rhetoric used to describe the program, EFA funds are not exclusively reserved for covering tuition costs at private schools. A breakdown of authorized EFA spending in the last fiscal year shows that less than two-thirds of the money was spent on nonpublic school tuition, and some even went to pay for courses at district public schools.

From September 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, the Children’s Scholarship Fund New Hampshire, the state-approved administrator of the EFA program, authorized upwards of $10 million in spending submitted for approval by parents.

About 63% of those funds (nearly $6.6 million) covered tuition and fees at nonpublic schools. Of the 116 private schools that received EFA funds, 63 (or 54%) could be classified as “religious” schools—schools with a religious component to their operations or curriculum. The other 53 (or 46%) included secular nonpublic schools as well as alternative education providers and unconventional models, such as learning pods, microschools, homeschool co-ops, etc.

If tuition and fees at private schools accounted for only 63% of EFA spending in the last fiscal year, then where did the other 37% go?

Parents are allowed to spend EFA money on authorized educational uses, such as textbooks, instructional materials, tutoring, and some limited infrastructure such as computers and Internet services.

In the last fiscal year, parents spent 17% of EFA funds on textbooks, supplies, and other instructional materials, 8.4% on tuition and fees for summer education and specialized education programs, 5.2% on computer hardware, Internet connectivity, and other technological services, 2.6% on tutoring services, and 1.3% on tuition and fees for private/nonpublic online learning programs.

Parents spread the remaining 2.5% among educational services and therapies, educational software, fees for standardized assessments and other exams, school uniforms, tuition and fees at career and technical schools, tuition and fees at institutions of higher education, and individual classes, curricular activities, and programs at district public and charter schools.

In fact, New Hampshire families directed $27,328.88 to 12 district public schools to help pay for individual courses and programs offered at those schools to supplement their children’s education.

Tuition at nonpublic schools certainly accounts for a sizable portion of EFA funding, but focusing solely on tuition at these schools misses the broad variety of choices parents are making.

Whether it’s paying for a tutoring service like Mathnasium of Nashua, music therapy services at Manchester Community Music School, tuition at Saplings, A Forest & Nature Preschool, LLC, textbooks and supplies at Amazon and Staples, a class at Souhegan High School, or AP tests through the College Board, the EFA program opens up a host of educational options for families.

It also misses the important point that some families are choosing to purchase services from district public schools.

The portion of EFA spending at district public schools is small right now for two likely reasons: (1) Families using the program now are primarily seeking alternatives to the public school system, and (2) district public schools aren’t accustomed to marketing themselves to parents and providing a-la-carte services (in other words, competing for those dollars).

As EFAs grow, district public schools will need to adapt by offering services that attract parents who’ve been empowered to decide where to spend their state adequate education grants. When they do, their share of EFA spending will rise.

The competitive forces created by a growing EFA program can be expected to produce a net benefit for all students, those who use EFAs and those who don’t. Dozens of studies have already shown that the introduction of school choice programs produces positive results for students who remain in traditional public schools. There’s no reason to expect different results in New Hampshire.

According to the Department of Education, 4,211 New Hampshire students are currently participating in the state’s largest school choice program this academic year. That’s a 39% increase (1,186 students) from last year’s starting enrollment, and a 158% increase (2,576 students) from the EFA program’s first year in 2021.

As EFA enrollment grows, its competitive forces will strengthen, leading to further adjustments among all educational providers in the state and a larger variety of opportunities for New Hampshire students.

 

Mitchell Scacchi | JBartlett

The post NH Families Are Choosing To Spend Their EFA Funds in a Variety of Ways, Including at Public Schools appeared first on Granite Grok.

It would be an understatement to say that Greta Thunberg is a child of the Left. She was a darling, marketed alongside the climate lie to advance the redistribution of Western Wealth and the goals of global economic socialism.

Thunberg exploded in the progressive consciousness after a climate dog and pony show at the UN. Statues and murals followed. She was Time Magazine’s Marxist Person of the Year. It is all part of a crafted image repackaged to inspire young people to embrace the unscientific cult of Climate Change and the goal of destroying free markets and capitalism.

And you are what they feed you. Muppet Greta has grown up on a diet of political progressivism augmented by the hyperbolic popularity of a Left-Wing media darling. But she grew up. Not nearly as “cute” as she was (not that she ever was), the media lost some interest, but Thunberg still craved the glow. And not content to just be wrong about the Climate, Thunberg has expanded her ignorance.

She, who would protest to defend the rights of indigenous peoples, has decided that thousands of years of history in the area that is now Israel means that those who attack it have more rights than the Jews whose ancestors lived there.

Thunberg has chosen to be pro-Palestine (a label created when some white Europeans did something), siding with the pro-terrorism faction in the name of climate colonialism, justice, and diversity (Yadda Yadda). In defense of a religious “culture” and the violent ideology it spawns that is relatively new to the area but that has deliberately killed or run off Christians and Jews from every other corner of the Middle East but Israel.

As noted above, I suspect that after years of partisan fandom, she’s just itching to see her name in the press (though, more likely, she is just an idiot).

 

Greta Thunberg gets interrupted at a climate rally after she turns it into an anti-Israel rant. pic.twitter.com/lFBIhvck1E

— Catch Up (@CatchUpFeed) November 12, 2023

 

Not everyone is excited about how she chooses to branch out, but they may want to get used to it. If being an anti-semite proves to attract more glowing lights and microphones, she’ll be transitioning to full-time Jew-hater faster than the ‘consensus’ changes its mind to ensure the “science” still aligns with their politics.

 

 

The post If You Lay Down with Environmentalist Dogs You Might Wake up With Jew-Hating Marxist Fleas appeared first on Granite Grok.

After it decided to dump Fukushima wastewater into the ocean, several of Japan’s most prominent “customers” have banned seafood purchases from the country. Seeing an opportunity to help, the US government has offered to purchase tons of the stuff to feed its military.

Who knows what radioactive fish might do to our fighting force? Turn them into Aquaman? This is, of course, parody. The US Government isn’t trying to create super-soldiers. Their current mission appears to be a defense force made up of Corporal Max Klinger; only they are not dressing up as women to get out of the service. Under the Biden Administration, doing so is a fast track to promotion. Their motto might be strength through weakness, but you’d have to be strong for that to work. With fewer young men and women singing up, even staying only army strong becomes increasingly unlikely.

As for the fish, I can’t say one way or the other if they’d be radioactive or if that would have any detrimental effect on the US military. Still, China, South Korea, and Russia refuse to purchase the stuff, so America is coming to the rescue.

 

In an interview, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said the U.S. Armed Forces is ready to sign a long-term contract with Japanese seafood suppliers to help address the fallout from the restrictions and total bans made against Japanese seafood exports.

Emanuel added that seafood such as Japanese fish, scallops and other products will be served on U.S. Navy ships and stocked in commissaries and mess halls at 17 American military bases in the region.

However, Emanuel acknowledged that feeding Japanese seafood to U.S. soldiers is not enough to offset the economic downturn coming for the Japanese seafood industry, especially due to the loss of the massive Chinese market. But the move should be enough to make a statement about Beijing’s “economic coercion.”

 

China and Russia, I could understand. Weakening a US ally economically makes sense, but South Korea? Perhaps they are genuinely concerned.

And look at Rham Emannuel, not letting a crisis go to waste. What a guy. And who knew he was the US Ambassador to Japan? I had no clue.

As for the fish, they come from all around the Archipelago, not just near Fukushima. And anyone who knows anything about toxicity (if it even matters) knows that the dose makes the poison, and even if there are legitimate concerns near the decommissioned reactor (and I have no clue if there are), that doesn’t implicate all the fish in the ocean.

Obviously.

China and South Korea didn’t stop fishing. But feel free to boycott if it makes you feel better. As for our service members, I hear food on the ship is typically pretty bad already. Potentially radioactive fish might be a step up. Just don’t try to be Aquaman. Before the woke invasion of the industry, he was one of the least popular DC heroes. Now there is a pile of them, and Marvel has also done its best to ruin their Universe.

It’s almost as if the Comics is another institution the Left has set out to destroy. Leaving room for what? More Japanese Anime’.

 

HT | Natural News

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