Another Monday has rounded the calendar corner, which means it is time for another edition of Monday Memes – an ambitious imposter edition – doing my part to keep the meme alive until Nitzakhon returns from “special assignment.”

Nitzakhon is due to take the helm back beginning next Monday, so yippee for that, and he assures me he will have some on-the-ground reporting from his adventure overseas, which he will share with our readers upon his return.

While we wait –  I’d like to thank the numerous meme curators at Minds for most of this week’s cache.

And yes, there are at least a few that are bound to offend, so please scroll responsibly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post Monday Memes – The Last Ambitious Imposter Edition appeared first on Granite Grok.

The headline in VT Digger read, “Officials issue warnings about flood-related scams,” and, “Natural disasters make people more vulnerable to scams.” Surely, they do, and Vermonters should indeed be on the lookout for those praying on people’s fears and emotions in the wake of the tragic flooding so many areas of our state are experiencing.

But, ironically, the biggest scam artists of them all are those same officials telling us that if we just send them a few billion or so of our tax dollars over the next couple of years, they can change the weather and stop things like this from happening again in the future. Watch out for these scammers to double down in the days to come!

After Tropical Storm Irene, Vermont legislators had a choice to make. Should our policy be primarily geared toward preparing for the next extreme weather event by investing our limited resources in strengthening our infrastructure and disaster response capacity? Or should we instead put the overwhelming bulk of our efforts into stopping the next storm from occurring by lowering our carbon footprint? They chose the latter. How’s it working out?

This criticism isn’t hindsight or Monday morning quarterbacking. A look back at the September 7, 2021, meeting of the Vermont Climate Council highlights the issue and the problem with the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA), passed by our Democrat-controlled legislature over the veto of Governor Scott in 2020. During a discussion about how much “resilience and adaptation” the Climate Action Plan should incorporate (the terms in this context meaning preparations for weather-related events, such as floods), several members noted that the GWSA is very clear that its priority is greenhouse gas reduction, not adaptation.

 

 

As Council member Jared Duval reminded his colleagues, “I just don’t want to overstep our bounds when we know that the initial target for this plan is most focused on for 2025 and 2030 are about gross emissions reductions…. I want to make sure that in our attempt and responsibility to address adaptation and resilience that that does not become a way that we take our attention away from what is in the Act [GWSA], the very first thing listed,… the most present, legally binding requirement, which is this has to add up to a plan the meets the gross emission requirements.”

And, in the ensuing two years, they most certainly did not get distracted by addressing adaptation and resilience. At all.

Asked to respond to Duval, Chris Campany, one of the few voices of common sense on the Council and there to represent municipal governments (you know, the folks now dealing with flooded downtowns, washed out roads, etc.) was clearly frustrated. “Maybe the work of adaptation and building resilience is something they need to do in the legislature next session. Chairman [Tim] Briglan [of the House Energy & Technology Committee] actually offered a mea culpa that it [adaptation and resilience] wasn’t given equal billing in the original act.”

But the legislature did not take up adaptation and resilience in 2022 or 2023, instead putting their efforts into passing an estimated $2 billion over four years Clean Heat Standard “Rube Goldberg” carbon tax scheme on home heating fuels in order to reduce Vermont’s already minuscule carbon footprint.

Campany went on to issue the warning, “I can tell you in my work here [as a municipal planner] having gone through our biggest disaster since Irene on July 29th [2021], then dodging three potential direct hits from three other tropical storms…, in my world we can go negative emissions tomorrow and for everybody living in Vermont we’re still going to be dealing with the same issues…. I’m going to keep beating that drum [for adaptation and resilience] because of fundamental life and safety issues, whether we reduce greenhouse gas emissions or not.”

And here we are, more than three years after passage of the Global Warming Solutions Act, dealing with the same fundamental life and safety issues associated with extreme weather events.

We could have been spending our taxpayer dollars on things like shoring up our roads and bridges, strengthening our culverts, upgrading our sewage treatment facilities, investing in first responders and emergency equipment, and, where possible, relocating houses and buildings out of floodplains. They might have started on that last project by moving the Vermont Emergency Operations Center somewhere uphill from the banks of Winooski River in Waterbury, but no…. And it was one of the first places that needed to be evacuated during the storm. Brilliant minds at work!

Instead, our legislators decided to use that time, money, and effort mostly for subsidizing heat pump installations and electric vehicle purchases and building a bunch of EV charging stations – many of which are now underwater. Still waiting for the stories about the heroic role electric vehicles played in rescue operations. And I wonder how all of those solar panels have been performing under a month of rainclouds.

If we are expecting more frequent extreme weather events in our future, there are practical actions we can take to make sure future damages are limited. Unfortunately, the people we have elected to make these decisions would rather virtue signal to most radical activists, pouring our tax money down a rat hole that they privately (and some publicly) will admit won’t do a darn thing to affect climate change — or, as we just witnessed, prepare for it. We’ve been scammed. What a shame.

 

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

The post Biggest Flood Related Scam: The Global Warming Solutions Act appeared first on Granite Grok.

The thread that streams from one generation to the next is that the next generation are complete dunderheads. While there are more than a sufficient number in any generation that behaves in such ways to keep this saying around, this satirical (and hysterical!) video from Live Action offers proof.

“Now that Roe v. Wade is overturned, a woman can get pregnant just from having sex.”

Gosh, even at my now-advancing age, I never would have known that something that was never found in a document could magically make cavorting couples create something. And I have thought, for my entire marriage, all that was needed was that special nod, the shy smile, and a raised eyebrow asking that question.

 

 

 

Heh! The “dangerous path of abstinence”?

 

“The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion. Roe and Casey arrogated that authority. We now overrule those decisions and return that authority to the people and their elected representatives,” the opinion states.

 

Sorry, this did NOT remove a Right; it did give back the freedom (and responsibility) for each State’s people to decide for themselves whether to allow it or not instead of nine black-robed Justices.

It also makes fun of people that refuse to take responsibility for themselves – as it should.

And that does seem to be a generational issue.

HT | The Blaze

The post “Now That Roe v. Wade Is Overturned, a Woman Can Get Pregnant Just From Having Sex.” appeared first on Granite Grok.

Boston, Massachusetts, mayor Michelle Wu has done a decent job of making enemies on both sides of the aisle. The Democrat Mayor is often subject to disruptive first amendment exercises, which have become a list of names.

According to reports, the Boston Police Department requested a list of those names from the Mayor’s office. You could assume (true or not) that they intended to determine if any of them presented any real threat to the Mayor. And while that sounds like something the police are supposed to do, if the list reads like a who’s who of your political opposition on either side of the aisle, as Mayor, your first response should be to stop the list from leaving your office.

The optics are terrible.

Walking along a parade route with a bullhorn shouting at you for 90 minutes is annoying but protected speech. Business owners who objected to targeted taxes directed at them are also among the names, according to Fox News, and why would you even mention them? There are even political opponents who oppose vaccine mandates, which looks petty.

It happened, and now Mayor Wu’s enemies list is national news.

But that’s not what got my attention.

The report invokes Nixon’s name several times, but that story is fifty years old. Why reach that far back when there are examples nearer to our own that were more devious or sinister and – given Wu’s party affiliation, Democrat?

Hillary Clinton had stacks of FBI files on her husband’s “enemies” and used to build dossiers for future use when needed. Rumor has it Obama did the same thing.

Obama is credited with the partisan weaponization of the intelligence and surveillance states against his citizens and (more famously) used the IRS to infringe on the rights of non-profit groups to engage in opposition speech before the 2012 Election with no cries of interference from the Left. The IRS stonewalled and delayed applications for non-profit status, demanding unnecessary details not required from left-wing groups. There were threats of audits against organizers, lawfare, and other forms of intimidation.

That same administration later targeted and spied on a presidential candidate, using the weaponized FBI to target the same man as President, along with his campaign and White House Staff.

Again and again, the Left has shown their inclination to develop and work enemies lists, including – more recently, the railroading of J6 protesters incarcerated without due process rights and parents who spoke out at school board meetings.

By comparison, Nixon’s list looks like a love letter, so why pick him? He was a Republican. Better to remind us of that than the more egregious violations perpetrated by more recent Democrat administrations. All of which begs another question. Who asked the Boston Police to ask the Mayor’s office for a list?

That might be the best story of all.

 

HT | Gateway Pundit

The post Is Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s “Enemies List” the Story or is There a Better One? appeared first on Granite Grok.

For years we’ve been told that Renewables are THE answer to all the Greenie prayers (who or what they’re praying to or for remains a mystery). All we have to do is spend TRILLIONS of dollars to buy all this stuff from the Chinese, and then we’ll be all set…oh wait.

Germany has done that – their electrical prices have shot sky-high, and energy was rationed. Now, “Confronted by a toxic cocktail of high energy costs, worker shortages, and reams of red tape,” German companies are starting to head to the exits.

This, too: “They replaced decarbonization with deindustrialization.”

And then there’s California:

We’re finally having a summer heat wave out in California, after, it should be noted, an extremely cold summer so far, but that won’t slow down the climatistas. The chart below of California electricity sources as of 7:30 pm this evening is a little hard to de-cypher, but if you study it a bit you can see how crazy California’s fetish for wind and solar power is.

First, the inverted u-shape curve is wind and solar power, which spikes huge in the middle of the day. So much so, in fact, that we have a surplus of power that we export to other states (and may even pay them to take, though perhaps not on a region-wide hot day like today). See the red line at the bottom which is labeled “imports,” and you’ll see it goes negative mid-day, but we start importing power from other states again in the evening. If tonight is like last night, overnight we’ll be importing ~5 GW from other states.

…Natural gas (the orange line) has to double output to fill the gap, which means that wind and solar power actually have the real world effect of locking in natural gas production. This the greenies refuse to grasp.

I would prefer to say that last bit as “they don’t want to admit it or let you know this ‘issue'” exists.” They will not be so inclined to say, “Yep, NatGas saved our collective butts yet again.” It can happen – REs capacity rose in Texas, and their heat wave, REs made a significant difference – as long as the Sun was out.

Everything is always roses and unicorns with them – like the transgenders, there can be no dissent from their Narrative. But, there it is – actual data laying out exactly what most of us that follow this even superficially know – we’re rushing headlong into a wall of their making. The problem is, WE will be paying the price for their follies and overarching ideology.

Long term, does it make sense? Probably. Collapsing the time frame – a disaster in the making. We, as voters, need to make it clear to our elected representatives AND employees (re: the Administrative State) that we should be making that time frame determination for ourselves.

In the private sector – not the Government sector.

 

HT | Powerline

 

The post What the ‘Greenies’ Refuse to Grasp is a Gas! Gas! Gas! appeared first on Granite Grok.

The art of bedroom design entails combining a variety of components that individually add to the space’s comfort, elegance, and ambience. Lighting is one such important component that is frequently ignored. Lighting is a potent instrument that may change the mood and improve the aesthetic appeal of your space. It is not just a practical aspect. A bedroom that has been expertly lit can be transformed into a private haven that exudes class and elegance.

Exploring personalised solutions

You can seamlessly integrate lighting and storage in room design with a variety of stylish lighting options that not only illuminate the space but also enhance the functionality of storage areas. By strategically placing lights within wardrobes and shelving units, every corner is well-lit, making it easier to find and access stored items. This thoughtful combination of lighting and storage solutions creates a harmonious and efficient environment for individuals, optimising both aesthetics and practicality. Consider partnering with experts like those at myfittedbedroom.com for a professional finish.

Strategic light placement for accentuation

Deploying several light sources at different levels throughout the room is essential to creating a smart lighting strategy. Aside from the primary overhead lighting, think about adding accent lights to draw attention to artwork or architectural details and task lighting for dressing rooms or closets. Lights can be strategically positioned to create eye-catching focal points and to give your bedroom a cosy, welcoming atmosphere.By incorporating both natural and artificial sources, it is worthwhile to investigate the dynamic range of lighting as an extension of this method. During the day, natural light is a great advantage since it gives your bedroom a light and airy impression. The mood and vitality of the space can be improved by utilising large windows, skylights, or glass doors to take advantage of daylight.

Employing dimmers and understanding colour temperatures

The ability to adjust light levels can significantly improve the functionality of your bedroom. Dimmer switches ensure a seamless change in your room’s atmosphere depending on the time of day or activities. Additionally, it is crucial to understand colour temperature. Warm (yellow) or cold (blue) tones can be seen in lights. Warm lights create a calm and cosy ambience that is ideal for relaxing, whilst cold lights are appropriate for tasks that need attention to detail.

Merging style and functionality

Lighting serves as both a functional necessity and an accessory that gives your space a touch of elegance. A glitzy chandelier may add a touch of luxury to your bedroom, while modern pendant lights can give it a feel. Even a beautifully crafted table lamp can enhance the aesthetic appeal of your space. For a unified aesthetic, take into account how your lighting choices will work with the colour scheme, furniture type, and general theme of your bedroom.

Conclusion

More than just ensuring visibility is involved in creating a well-lit bedroom. The ambience, tone, and feel of your space can be greatly influenced by the right lighting, displaying your own taste and refinement. You can choose lighting fixtures from businesses like myfittedbedroom.com that not only illuminate your space but also exactly match the colour of your chosen wardrobe, giving it the finest potential appearance. Your bedroom is, after all, your sanctuary, and with the correct illumination, it can truly exude style and charm.

 

 

The post Illuminating Your Bedroom with Style and Elegance appeared first on Granite Grok.

There is no candidate more perfectly suited for the U.S. presidency in 2024 than Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

If anything, the United States of America as a country owes the Kennedy family for continuously allowing its members to be killed on U.S. soil and in U.S. airspace. That is a tragedy that too many are willing to sweep under the rug, for whatever reason. Mostly due to negligence for duty to nation and country. 

That is the primary plague sweeping the world right now. Too many people are distracted by screens, by false narratives in major media channels, and by their own state of spiritual and financial poverty to stand up and push back against the powers-that-be. 

There is a serious power problem on the planet today. A small group of entrenched corporations and wealthy individuals are shoving a disastrous and destructive agenda onto the entire planet. Rather than build a global society focused on developing a wealthier, healthier, and stronger planet, these corporations and select individuals are hell bent on forcing poverty, illness, and weakness onto as many populations as possible. 

RFK Jr. epitomizes the fight against that corporate fascism and will be the most effective champion of freedom, liberty, and prosperity to combat its pernicious influences. 

In order to elect RFK, the People of the United States must do one thing– speak to each other and spread his messages of intelligent skepticism, informed opposition to vulture capitalist corporatism, and democratically enforced global peace. Everyone in Washington, the globalist-corporatist leftist syndicated media, and what is called the U.S. deep state will push back against RFK’s messages. 

This pushback has already started. The U.S. Democrat Party attempted to stem RFK’s campaign by announcing that there will be no debates. What kind of party calling itself a supported of democracy refuses to hold debates? One that is essentially based on a lie. The name of the party itself has become a misnomer. This Democrat Party today is a party of thieves, criminals, communists, socialists, and totalitarians. Precisely the wrong lot to be anywhere near seats of power in the USA.

The current structure of the Internet has already been sown against RFK Jr. Due to Google, and its parent company Alphabet, internal corporate policy, most every search result is a hit piece on RFK calling him a conspiracy theorist, an anti-vaxxer, or some other trendy slur or smear. These are designed to trigger sheepish U.S. leftists into immediately rejecting RFK’s legitimacy as a candidate. 

Google’s complicity with globalist-corporatist fascism is another reason why speaking to each other in person is key. We must detangle ourselves from the Silicon Valley tech overlords in order to reclaim our sovereignty as individuals. This is part of RFK’s message as well, but it is implied. We must be able to live our lives without carrying a smartphone on our bodies. RFK has also spoken about the dangers of 5G technology and wireless frequencies. Indeed, there is key truth to this, and it resounds in RFK’s message of protecting and strengthening human health and individual sovereignty. 

Beyond speaking about RFK, the People of the United States must go out and make every effort to ensure that the U.S. Democrat Party does not commit egregious election fraud again in 2024. The field is already being prepared for fraud perpetrated by a widespread network of illegal immigrants and ultra-left brownshirts for the Democrat totalitarians. 2024 must be an election of integrity, and real democracy must prevail over the U.S. Democrat Party’s brand of totalitarianism.

Spread the word about RFK. By the best avenue for communication possible- word of mouth!

The post Why RFK is a Shoo-in for 2024 appeared first on Granite Grok.

Most folks know what the NHSBA stands for – The NH School Board Association. Frankly, it is the epitome of the Education Establishment. They know best. They will do what they want, and while they’d like “involved parents,” They don’t brook too much dissent.

Think of it as one of the Political Parties here in NH. They are the Elite that believe they should be running stuff.  There’s a reason why NHSBA belonged to the NSBA – the National School Board Association. You remember them – they worked with the FBI and other entities in the Biden Administration to label a lot of Parents as “Domestic Terrorists.”

The School District Governance Association of NH is different:

Giving voters a voice by empowering elected school district officials to reclaim control over budgets and curriculum.

The NHSBA caters to the insiders – the SDGANH caters to parents and folks that understand one thing: that Government schools are for the good of Parents and voters – they work for us instead of the other way around.

So here’s the starting point:

 

Ian wrote an article addressing the question as it relates to this: RSA 193-H:2 says flat out that: Schools shall ensure that all pupils are performing at the proficient level or above on the statewide assessment as established in RSA 193-C.

Read the article and consider whether his suggestion should be put into law. Perhaps as a bill next year.

 

With that as a background, an interesting conversation arose in the email group that I thought should get a wider audience and permission was granted. So…

 

Sidenote: You can get in on this Members only group – and yes, we (I’m a Lifetime member) cater to Individuals and not School Boards. Our own pockets – not School Board tax monies. Go here and Join us!

 

…NH State REp Kevin Verville rolled the ball faster (emphasis mine):

 

What *does* “shall ensure” mean?

There are two things that are difficult to reconcile:  Desire, and reality.  We desire that all students perform at some common minimum level by age.  We do not specify the age anywhere, except that we refer to it as grade level, which is also inaccurate, as we “socially promote” almost all students every year, so grade more often than not, refers to number of years attending school.

So I just stated the quiet part out loud, and revealed the decoder ring.  We socially promote students based on age, not based upon academic ability.  Why?  Because we do not want to commingle students across broad age ranges…such as having 10 year olds in the same class as 16 year olds.  OK, fair enough.

Except that when we promote on age, then we need to instruct at many different levels in each grade.  We used to “track,” group students by academic ability by grade.  We, far and large, no longer do that.  Now we “mainstream” students.  That is to say we work to ensure that this is a mixture of academic ability in each classroom, in each grade…almost always with one teacher per classroom.  If your gut tells you that this is a recipe for disaster in the traditional American public school, then you have good instincts.  The reality is that this “mainstreaming” system results, more often than not, in a race to the bottom.

The other elephant in the room is how American public schools deal (actually fail to deal) with discipline.  This is a topic for another day.

Unless we are willing to return to tracking, providing classrooms for students of particular academic abilities by grade, then we cannot improve the system.  An issue with tracking is that it provides an obvious, and accessible path of least resistance for “lazy” students.  That is to say, many students “self track” for the academic easy life.

Assessments were demanded as a vehicle for academic accountability.  We got the assessments, but not the accountability.  There are no easy answers…  Well, there is one “easy” answer.  That is expanded school choice.  When students and families can select the school, then there is competition, and the product will improve.  As long as the American public education system remains a monopoly we will get more of the same…no matter what.

Just a few thoughts to start the day!

 

And right on queue, the NHSBA, the NH Superintendents Association, the NH Principals Association, the NH teachers unions just had a cow! What, choice – and lose our stranglehold? What, tracking – and show that Individuals matter over our warehouse system? And ALL Unions went – competition?? With US?  NOOOOOoooooo!

And I responded, kicking off a line of Kevin’s (with a bit of editing):

 

We socially promote students based on age, not based upon academic ability

To your point – my two granddaughters.  One is autistic with a measured IQ of 42. She lives in her own little world but is nice, sociable (within her limitations) and generally happy. Can barely do the rudimentary academics required of her age (13). Yet, they continue to promote her and I made it clear to the staff (that were not happy with me) when her parents invited me to an IEP meeting,   that soon her peers will either start treating her either like a pet or be ignored completely [as being irrelevant] to their maturing lifestyles]. My prediction has come true.

I am now “DCYF entangled” again and may have our 11 year old granddaughter with us for a year [I think]. She operates, going into 6th grade, at a 3rd grade level – mostly not well.

I understand why the “mainstreaming” was tried – yet another “of the Left” experiment to wipe out more the “traditional stigma” set. I could go along with it as the intellectual deficits are not of the child’s own making. I do have problems in staff proclaiming “well, they ARE learning – but to the equivalent of the others? Especially those that could be learning more and faster and end up with Ian’s favorite phrase in concentrating (finally!) on academic achievement?

Who is being helped by this? When I visit the Grandson’s elementary school, I see, sorrowfully, kids in wheelchairs highly disabled: some deaf, some mute, and of extremely limited capacity. One is in the Grandson’s class. Even with a para-professional by her side, there are those staff members, on the QT, admit that there is little to no learning happening.

Before I get excoriated soundly, I sometimes think that the older manner, where we did divide kids into academic levels (for my time: basic, standard, honors, and advanced classes) was better for most but also had these kinds of kids that are now socially promoted without learning the academics, gathered together for more intensive and specialized helps for them. No, I didn’t care hearing about the worst treatment (“warehousing”) that that happened to some and the regular students joking about “the short bus” and “Room 101”. But is this working?

This social promotion of those ill-fitted to the normal system is like the homeless problem. While some choose it as a lifestyle, MANY shouldn’t be out there due to mental illnesses – the result of the mandated removal of asylums (and yes, that many rightfully had really disgusting conditions and maltreatment) for them. Now, to remove the “stigma” of being in one, we now have open air ones in major cities in the country – with little help at all and put many citizens at risk because of the crime behavior they exhibit.

In both cases, the babies were thrown out with the bath water; the pendulum went too far and now should swing back. There does seem to be movement for the adult homeless where even the Left is realizing that mistakes were made in the call for better treatment – but many of those turned out worse than the original problem.

So, too, with social promotion, IMHO.

 

While mainstreaming attempted to remove stigma, it created a worse problem – that the kids were only known by their grouped age and not about their capabilities (either intellectually or motivationally, which either (or both) was applicable.  People and kids are different. They think differently, behave differently, emote differently – they are just different. Mainstreaming just wipes that all out. It also started the process of wiping out of the idea of meritocracy in govt schooling (remember participation trophies and the self-esteem movement? Neither of those worked – just yet more education fads that blow in and then blown out).

Those that can’t keep up have their own niche in which they can excel at their own rate. Those of much higher capability get to do the same (and without being constrained by those of lesser capability) – faster and more information. Why is this a bad thing?

In both cases, I would like to think we’ve learned lessons to curb the excess in each area, both at the lower end and at the higher one. But does the Educational Establishment willing to do this? No, for if you read this, they are more apt to protect their Failure because of Power and Institutional Inertia. Oh, and money (emphasis mine, reformated):

 

For starters, schools have failed abysmally in their fundamental task — teaching basic academic skills — despite spending staggering sums. In 2019, annual expenditures for K–12 public schools totaled almost $800 billion, but, according to the Nation’s Report Card, barely one-third of public school students were “proficient” in math and reading pre-COVID, a dismal track record that worsened significantly post-COVID.

Nationally, just 26 percent of eighth graders are proficient in math, with 31 percent proficient in reading.

 

Which means 74% and 69% aren’t meeting what we expect them to. Or, as standards have been lowered (in part due to “Social Justice, Critical Race Theory, Preferred Pronoun mandates, and Social Emotion Learning” fluff), reaching those standards has spiraled even more downward.

 

In Detroit, only 3 percent of fourth graders are mathematically proficient…

…while twenty-three Baltimore public schools reported exactly zero math-proficient students. Government schools, which enroll almost nine out of ten American children, repeatedly fail to deliver on their promises but are rewarded with big budgets and near-monopolistic power.

In government, failure is generally rewarded, which is why there’s so much of it.

 

This will continue as long as Parents stay ignorant of what is going on and are assuaged by seeing A’s and B’s on their kids’ report cards, never knowing it’s like the old-time wild, wild West facade main street buildings.

Anyways, there’s more to come in this conversation – Grokster Ian is up next!

 

The post A Conversation I Think That The Education Establishment Will Abhor appeared first on Granite Grok.

When President George W. Bush used the term “Islamic Fascism” in a speech, the Bush-bashers, Islamic propaganda organizations and the rabid left unleashed a campaign of assault on the President for insulting the Muslims and sullying the sanctified religion of Islam by linking its name with fascism.

Opportunistic Democrats were just too happy to lead the attack on the President. An aspirant for the presidency, to the left of the [left] Democratic Senator from Wisconsin, Russ Feingold, was so indignant by this “horrific” slander of the President smearing the stainless name of Islam that he found it his solemn duty to write a letter to the President lecturing him on his unacceptable use of the terms. Did the President slander Islam, or are people like Feingold Bush-bashers who, for their reasons, would never miss an opportunity to berate President Bush and those who support him?

Let the facts decide. “Fascism is a radical political ideology that combines elements of corporatism, authoritarianism, nationalism, militarism, anti-anarchism, anti-communism, and anti-liberalism.” –Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia. Let us examine each characteristic of fascism, one at a time, and see if the President was justified or did he indeed misspeak.

Radical: Islam is so radical that even the term “radical” does not adequately depict its true character. The founder of Islam, Muhammad, behaved in extreme ways whenever he could. Early on, in Mecca, among his tribe of Quraysh, he was ridiculed as a Crazed Poet. Ordinary residents of Mecca scorned him in their habitual way of treating the mentally deranged. What did Muhammad do? He personified meekness itself. He faced extreme indignities, did not fight back, and suffered abuses. Time was on Muhammad’s side. Before long, he attracted followers, some of whom were men of power and influence, such as Omar, Osman, and Abu Bakr. Then the pendulum swung.

The long-suffering meek became the tyrannical avenger. He ordered all the idols in the idolatry of Mecca destroyed, including the one called Allah. Yet, he selected the same name for a non-corporeal deity who commissioned him as his messenger. Then Allah’s messenger Muhammad set out to systematically exterminate people he perceived as his tormentors and enemies—Jews of Medina, among others. As for the teachings of Islam, “radical” is the most fitting term. The Quran is full of black and white, right and wrong, acceptable and unacceptable. Men who didn’t convert to Islam were labeled infidels and slaughtered; their women and children were taken with all their belongings as booty. It was either Islam’s-way or the highway. This radicalism is very much in action today.

Political Ideology: Islam is and has always been political, in the form of Imamate, Caliphate, or by proxy, where Islam, through religious divines, controlled the state. Saudi Arabia, for instance, does not even have a constitution. The Quran is the constitution. The country has a king. Yet, the king is the supreme enforcer of the laws dictated by Islam. In another Islamic country, Iran, where the mullahs rule the mullahs, the constitution is squarely based on the Quran. Many regulations are strictly drawn from the Shariah. The mosque is the state, and no competing political ideology is permitted.

Authoritarianism: Islam is theocracy, the rule of the clerics. The dictatorship runs from the top to the bottom in a strict hierarchy, with Allah at the top, his Prophet, the Caliphs or the Imams, and the lesser men of cloth along the chain of command. No one is allowed to contest or dispute the word and actions of the authorities. Islam and democracy, therefore, are inherently irreconcilable. In some Islamic circles, Muslims speak of Islamic Democracy—an oxymoron.

Nationalism: To Islam, there is only one worldwide nation, the Islamic Ummah. To Islam, the earth is Allah’s, political boundaries are arbitrary, and there is only one legitimate nation—the nation of Islam. The idea of one world, one country, is not new to Islam. A number of secular rules, rulers, and movements had aimed for the same objective. Alexander the Great, for instance, strived toward this goal, and so did Communism, and the World Federalists still held the vision of world unification.

Militarism: Jihadists are the army of Allah. The use of violence as an instrument of policy has been and continues to be central to Islam. Muslims war under the firmly-believed and widely-cherished set of rabidly militaristic ideas. “No matter which side is killed, Islam is the victor,” and “You kill them, you go to paradise; you get killed, you go to paradise” are two examples of exhortation to jihadism and war.

Anti-anarchism: Islam does not even tolerate the basic rudiments of liberty. Anarchism can be considered as liberty gone amuck. So, Islam is anti-anarchist as a matter of course. Furthermore, the very name of Islam means “submission.” And anarchism is 180 degrees from submission—Islam is the absolute rule—anarchism is the rule of no rules.

Anti-communism: Islam is based on believing in a supreme being, Allah. This fundamental precept makes it incompatible with any materialistic philosophy, including communism. Islam, furthermore, places great importance on the rewards and punishment of the next life and denigrates the value of material existence—ideals disharmonious with the central tenets of materialistic Communism.

Anti-liberalism: Islam contends that it has the perfect divine prescription of life, brought to mankind as its eternal charter. Hence, human interventions and inventions are unacceptable and detrimental to implementing the ideal edicts. Liberal ideas trigger change. To Islam, any change from the perfect design of Allah necessarily is in error and must not be allowed. Islam fully meets each of the eight distinctive features of fascism. “If the shoe fits, wear it,” as the saying goes. Islam is fascist. Muslims and their apologists are guilty of denial and dishonesty. They have no grounds for objecting to the contention that Islam is fascism. President George W. Bush did not misspeak. If Muslims find fascism repugnant, then they should reconsider being Muslims.

 

Originally published in 2002 but has aged nicely.

The post ICYMI – Is Islamic Fascism a Slur? appeared first on Granite Grok.

One of the pillars of the Democrat party is ending the lives of children: abortion, mutilation, and pharmacological transitions, which lead to more suicides. I don’t think Democrats like kids unless, by that, you mean standing on their bodies or their graves to accumulate campaign wealth and political power.

They love that—case in point.

A popular topic among disarmament Dems is gun deaths. Using flawed CDC data, they claim things like,

 

Guns are the leading killer of children in America, and the numbers are rising.

What has our nation come to when children cannot attend a birthday party without fear? When parents have to worry every time their kids walk out the door to school, the movie theater, or to the park?

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 17, 2023

 

Children can attend most events without fear unless you happen to be there, Joe – or your son Hunter ‘What Gun Law’ Biden, but let’s not derail the current train of thought.

 

[T]he CDC figures used by Biden count 18 and 19-year-olds–i.e., people of voting age–as children. When the CDC figures are adjusted to count only ages 0-17 it is immediately evident that motor vehicle deaths surpass gun deaths.

And Crime Prevention Research Center’s John Lott used a recent Real Clear Politics column to draw attention to the fact that children age 0-17 also die more frequently from accidental suffocation than from accidental gun deaths.

Lott, who points out the problem that 17-year-olds pose via their prime age for gang affiliation, noted, “Even if we are counting 17-year-old gang members as ‘children,’ the White House’s claim is incorrect. In 2019 and 2020, more minors died from suffocation.”

 

If you are old enough to vote, you’re not a kid; ask Brattleboro, Vermont, where those ages can vote legally as soon as this year. We may also want to make adjustments for other adulting-like activities like getting the aforementioned abortions (age 13), legal surgical or pharmacological mutilation, and emancipation is a thing in most states by the age of 16.

Childhood is a diminishing feature in progressive America, partly thanks to gangs recruiting kids in cities controlled by Democrats up to their eyeballs in progressive anti-gun laws.

 

 

 

We don’t have a gun violence problem; we have a Democrat problem. Maybe the CDC should look into that public health menace.

The post Sorry Joe, Guns are Not the Leading Cause of Death among Children appeared first on Granite Grok.

A recent poll shows 34% of Americans approve of our economic “leadership.”  This assessment coincides with the President’s ‘Bidenomics’ plan. The talking points claim to be a vision of prosperity. It actually is a drug-induced nightmare that would have you believe fair taxes on the rich will always fund dependable government investment in the economy; writ large, Nirvana. And we all know Nirvana ended Kurt Cobain.

We want to thank Marc Abear for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
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Do you believe your economic situation has worsened under the leftists in office today? Biden has placed the highest financial burden on Americans going back to the last financial meltdown.  Government regulation is a significant added cost attached to every transaction in the economy.

The added costs from Biden era rules, including both their current and future costs, amount to almost $10,000 per household this term.  Allowing this insanity to continue means Biden’s rulemaking, assuming a second term, almost reaches $60,000 per household.

Failing economies and consumer pain are hallmarks of Democrat leadership. Under Obama, household costs rose by $4,000 annually.  Biden continues to look for ways to increase that pain through limitless regulations from myriad federal agencies.

We are facing regulations imposed on the automobile industry, particularly concerning fuel economy and emission standards.  They threaten national mobility. The loss of the ability to get to work will stop the economy. They are requiring EVs with no way to produce them, insufficient electricity to power them, and no grid to deliver the electricity even if we had enough… which we do not.

Then there are gas prices. Biden dumped the SPR on the international market to mitigate prices last time they rose.  What are we going to do this time? Meanwhile, OPEC is cutting production to drive up prices.  And still, in certain regions, consumers continue to face gas prices approaching $5.00/gal.

Regulations implemented in the areas of health, labor, telecommunications, and consumer finance are costing you. Can you name any benefits? These regulations account for about two-thirds of the overall rise in costs experienced by Americans.

And don’t forget, a portion of our financial strain is from inflation. Inflation only affects food, rent, and transportation… Biden is claiming “victory” over the economy. What do you think? Is Biden the winner? What did he win for you?

Biden does excel at one thing: Hurting Americans financially.

 

The post Biden Does Excel at One Thing: Hurting Americans Financially. appeared first on Granite Grok.

The Hollywood writers have been on strike since May, and nobody noticed. This week, the actors and actresses joined the writers; again, nobody noticed. The actors and actresses in Hollywood are the most narcissistic people on earth and survive from self-aggrandizing under the watchful eyes of most Liberals. Some of the more fortunate land million dollars contracts while some hope to just squeeze by, from role to role. They claim this strike is about the impact of AI on the Hollywood community. It is about preserving their power and residuals.

Fran Drescher is the SAG-AFTRA President and is best known for her role in the sitcom, The Nanny. She is the equivalent of a one-hit wonder in the sitcom world. That one hit has parlayed her net worth to $25 Million. She has no conception of what it is like for Americans to work hard to develop a lifestyle that is also good for the future. We are to feel bad for her and her colleagues who have been rewarded with fortunes for portraying someone else. Since they live in a different world, reality is a difficult concept.

The writers have been on strike since May. Reruns have filled the prime time, and the nightly talk shows were rated so poorly that they fell behind Gutfeld on FOXNews. That is embarrassing enough. They should take some time off for reflection. It may not be the fault of the writers but a lack of talent. Or, could it be that WOKE thinking is not as popular as New York and Los Angeles.

These self-centered individuals have no consideration for the ancillary industries that support the TV and Film world. The stage crews, wardrobe, lighting, and camera crews are all out of work, and pay, until the egomaniacs resolve their contract disputes with management. How about limo drivers, restaurant owners, and shop owners? Will they recoup their losses as millionaires quibble. There is no union for these people who rely on their weekly pay to support themselves and their families.

The issue that is the primary concern of the actors and writers is AI. This is very shallow and a mask for the real reason. The concern is AI will replace either the writers or actors. AI has been around for years. Granted, it has become more sophisticated, but there is little chance that a computer and hologram will replace a leading man or woman in upcoming episodes of your favorite weekly shows. This argument is convenient because AI is a hot topic and a mask for the real concerns of money and power.

TV and films have lost their relevance. They are not producing any new content. Blockbuster shows are typically rehashes of old material, and the budgets are so large they cannot be profitable. Studios like Disney want to be part of the political narrative. Rather than staying neutral and entertaining the entire spectrum of audiences, they want to control the culture, and their stock prices and investors are the losers in this game.

The post Hollywood Is On Strike. Who Cares appeared first on Granite Grok.

I have known Cindy Bennet for a while now, and while we may not always be on the same paragraph on things, I admire her as she’s SMAHT, is aware of what’s going on in a whole range of issues, is thoughtful and great to talk to. She also has a YouTube channel here.

The money line from below is that “the main problem with the current education system is that we give a lot of money and we don’t get very good results.”

 



 

She’s right, and if you want to pick a fight with me over that, first do your homework and tell me the following things about your District:

• What is your current direct/indirect labor cost ratio (e.g., by headcount and total burden cost, the number of “everyone else”/”those that are teachers”)
• What is the rate of increase in the District’s cost to taxpayers?
• Look at your NAEP scores and tell me the IMPORTANT measure (or should be) of “student achievement” is: what are the percentages of BASIC, Proficient, and Advanced student groups in your District?
• And given those answers, are you happy over that achievement (or lack thereof) at the level per child you are paying?

I dare say most of us SHOULD be saying no and demanding higher standards from those we employ in our education staff.

And for full disclosure, I am friends with both Jodie and Ian Underwood and have been for many years (and I wouldn’t want it any other way). And, while Jodie is an occasional contributor here (I wish she’d write more – hint, hint), Ian has been a Grokster for years after I had read his Second Amendment testimony to the Democrat-controlled NH House – he made my head hurt, but I LEARNED another viewpoint that I hadn’t before contemplated. Since then, I have bought stock in aspirin firms because he keeps doing it (only kidding, only kidding – but still appreciating his “out of somewhere” take on things that ONLY make sense if you are willing to think his reasoning through as then it starts to make sense.

Back to the book – should our education system ONLY be judged on how much we spend, or is it about how much students actually achieve? Are we placing the right emphasis on the right things? What Ian has taught me is that the answer is no – we aren’t, especially with Wokeness sweeping through our schools and taking attention away from academic rigor and replacing it with topics that should be left in the hands of parents (as you all well know from my “…Stack of Stuff” posts).

Bare Minimum Books is here – go take a gander at the rest of the books! The Croydon Budget Battle can be found here or on Amazon.

And no, this is not a paid ad; I just want him to write here more often (smirk).

 

HT | School District Governance Association of NH

The post Shoutout to Grokster Ian Underwood – a Book Report on Ian’s Books appeared first on Granite Grok.

I’ve known what a woman is my entire life. Women are great, and there’s one in particular of whom I am very fond—my wife. But our world has manufactured frauds. Social constructs whom we are expected to accept as genuine despite their inability to pass even the most basic quality control test.

Piers Morgan asked Rosanne Bar about being a woman, and she rewarded him with a very amusing answer.

 

Piers Morgan gets the most memorable answer to the question ‘what is a woman?’ yet…@therealroseanne | @piersmorgan | #PMU pic.twitter.com/Eti32yV59P

— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) July 10, 2023

 

 

The post ICYMI: Rosanne Barr’s Answer to the Question, ‘What is a Woman?’ appeared first on Granite Grok.

“Conservative media” in New Hampshire … Mikey Graham’s NH-NeverTrump Journal, Jack Heath’s radio show, Drew Cline’s radio show, etc., etc. … are primarily shills for the NHGOP elites (which they are a part of) and the NHGOP Establishment (of which they are also a part).

A recent post in NH-NeverTrump Journal shows that the elites/Establishment think it is normal for the judiciary to set education policy:

 

 

In the post linked to in the tweet, NH-NeverTrump Journal states:

Could the next 60 days see an end to New Hampshire’s school funding system as we know it?

Rockingham Superior Court Judge David Ruoff told lawyers Wednesday he is set to rule sometime in the next 60 days

… Ruoff initially ruled in ConVal’s favor, agreeing the state is not paying enough per pupil, but he left setting a particular amount to legislators. On appeal, the Supreme Court ruled Ruoff needed to hold a trial and set a specific dollar amount.

New Hampshire upped its per pupil adequacy grant this year to $4,100. But the plaintiffs in the ConVal case are looking for just short of $10,000 per pupil. Ruoff listened to weeks of testimony this year; his highly anticipated ruling is pending.

With approximately 160,000 students in the state’s K-12 public schools, a $10,000 adequacy payment would cost state taxpayers $1.6 billion yearly.

This definitely is NOT normal. How much to spend on public education and what taxes should fund that spending is questions of POLICY, not questions of law … and as such, are supposed to be decided at the ballot box, not in a courtroom. Yet NH-NeverTrump Journal, and by extension, the NHGOP elites and the NHGOP Establishment, think it is totally normal for the judiciary to usurp the democratic-process.

But no appeal to common sense, no amount of legal argumentation demonstrating yet again that the NH-judiciary’s education decisions are totally illegitimate will matter. If Judge Ruoff says $10,000 is the number required by our sacred constitution, the NHGOP elites/Establishment will once again sonorously proclaim that while they disagree with the decision, we must all respect the decision.

And then most everyone will fall in line … just like you wore your little masks, and kept to your six-foot “social distancing” and took your COVID “vaccines” … blithely ignorant to the fact that they are supporting autocracy, not the “rule of law,” by normalizing a blatant violation of the separation of powers.

And when the elites/Establishment tell them “only a constitutional amendment” can save us, they’ll repeat it as their mantra, blissfully unaware that what they are really saying is that judges get to rewrite the constitution as they see fit as long as they can get one-third of the voters to agree with the rewrite.

Pathetic.

The post NHGOP Elites/Establishment Are Normalizing Autocracy appeared first on Granite Grok.

I feel certain that the FBI, CIA, CDC, WHO, and others, have been encouraging Marxist meat puppet Mark Zuckerberg-er Meister Berger to replace Twitter with something they can control ever since Elon bought Twitter—a suitable propaganda tool of equal measure.

But will it? Measure up? Facebook/Meta launched Threads with much hoopla and acclaim from the disinformation media, but it is beginning to look like Zuckerberg’s Threads are the emperor’s new clothes.

 

“Twitter Killer” is dying already.

Twitter vs Meta’s New App (Google Trends) pic.twitter.com/nBy0luFbOI

— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) July 13, 2023

 

To its credit, someone once said, if you don’t like it build your own, so they did, but it almost immediately entered rubber-necker territory. Well, will you look at that? What a terrible accident. I hope everyone’s okay…and back to life as it was before Threads.

Facebook, sorry, Meta has to be optimistic ‘cuz it is just getting started, and that’s fair. They may still need to get the bot accounts up and the fakebook fact checkers – checking, but no shadow banning. Facebook is upfront about throttling your reach and limited access to your thoughts on its other anti-social media platforms, and Threads is no different. There are community standards and something about polite discourse that will justify censorship to secure the partisan echo chamber.

Threads did come out the door hot with about 100 million sign-ups, but interest and interaction began to wane almost immediately.

 

“[T]he first 72 hours of Threads was truly in a class by itself.” However, Bartolacci also pointed out that recent data suggests a significant pullback in user engagement since Threads’ launch. Tuesday and Wednesday saw a 20 percent decrease in daily active users compared to Saturday, and a 50 percent decrease in user time spent, from 20 minutes to 10 minutes.”

 

Everyone on Instagram likely got many hints to get in early and check it out, and they did. Threads is Instagram’s text app, and you have to have an Instagram account to have a Threads account. Built-in users and multi-platform growth made the boom of an opening easy, but they can’t make you use Threads. Instagram users took a bit of the serpent-offered apple, set it down, and walked away – at least for the moment. But Meta, as in I never ‘Meta’ Zuckerberg platform that didn’t censor content, appears to have done a lot right with the interface and integrations, according to reports. Will it be enough?

Time on page is a big deal, and while it is fair to say that Threads hasn’t been around long enough to be all that interesting, it won’t get that way if people do not stay on the platform and give others a reason to use it and stay on it. And while Twitter’s claim to fame is a series of car wrecks people look at as they drive by, Threads can’t expect to be or beat Twitter without being the same thing but better and promising to be the gatekeeper of what passes for congenial interaction isn’t inviting, even to most liberals – especially when so many familiar and established left-wing echo chambers are already in place.

Threads might be another social to keep up with from a customer base with no bandwidth left to engage, even if they are self-proclaimed members of never-Twitter. It reminds me of online news startups that promise to deliver something new but look and act like every other digital media doorstep. I already get that propaganda. Why would I need yours?

Time will tell, of course, and Threads will likely hang on for years, but Google came late to the social platform game with their own branded Facebook-like engagement product. I used it, but very little. It is gone, and I can’t even remember what that was called.

It’s as if it didn’t ever exist.

 

 

The post From the Emperor’s New Clothes to The Mark Zuckerberg’s New ‘Threads’ appeared first on Granite Grok.

With the son of the man who introduced the New World Order to America in place, George W. Bush’s mandate was to further his father’s agenda of extending government control over American citizens and empowering the tentacles of a One World Government into foreign lands.

Recognizing that no Collectivist movement can succeed unless it has control over the direction of its citizens and insider intelligence of those who oppose them, Globalists and President G.W. Bush needed a Pearl Harbor “crisis” to move their agenda forward.

9-11

That crisis came compliments of a group of Muslims, perhaps even orchestrated by the CIA and FBI on Sept. 11, 2001.

Globalists everywhere celebrated the attack on America as their goals were now being accomplished before their very eyes. Their desire to instill fear into the hearts of Americans has been achieved as Americans became willing to exchange their freedom for a false feeling of security. Their goal to destroy our free constitutional Republic is accomplished as we allow the government to further intrude into our private lives in the name of “national security.”

Following the events of that day, Americans have experienced a wholesale loss of personal freedom in payment for a manufactured security “crisis.” The Bush administration introduced its NEW NORMAL, the “War on Terror.” Within weeks, Americans saw their constitutional guarantees of freedom stripped away by the “Patriot Act” with its plethora of legislative changes, significantly increasing the surveillance and investigative powers of law enforcement agencies in the United States.

In what could be described as a coup d’état, globalists in our government also created a new fascist government initiative dubbed “Homeland Security.” They renewed their criminal government intrusion into the private lives of Americans once used by Richard Nixon in his war on anti-war protesters, environmentalists, and civil rights activists.

It Will Never Happen Again

In the wake of the Globalist manufactured attack on America, we keep hearing, especially politicians saying, “We must do what needs to be done so that it never happens again.”

No, we don’t need to ensure it never happens again… we need to get to the root of the problem and why we allowed it to happen. While some may feel a sense of security giving up their rights as American citizens, the result will be… It WILL happen again. It MUST happen again because their agenda is not yet complete. Only next time, it will be more significant and even more dramatic.

As expected, the next stage of globalism is related to our money. Given the looting of the American economy in recent months and years by the corporate banks, along with Barack Obama’s favorable Socialist view of transferring wealth, the world will once again be brought to her knees by a change in our banking system, transferring more power and money to the International banksters and moneychangers. Obama’s change was used to set up hyperinflation, destroy the dollar, and introduce a global currency expected to come soon.

Covid-19

Early in 2020, the world was to be introduced to a novel coronavirus. And, it was to prove even more significant and dramatic than previous crises. This one not only struck America but the world. Economies everywhere were devastated; many industries shut down, millions were thrown into unemployment, and a new normal for conducting ongoing business was introduced with more state control through private/government partnerships.

When it comes to civil liberties, freedom, and the Constitution, recent American presidents have brought change… not the kind most people wanted but more of the same erosion of personal freedom, invasion of privacy, and dismantling of the Constitution.

Hate crimes and other Orwellian thought crime is likely next on the new world order agenda. We already see the seeds being planted for the next Pearl Harbor Event. Something will explode on the world scene, taking the suppression of dissent of those who oppose the New World Order agenda to a new normal.

The post Facts, Reality, Wake Up. We Are in Deep S***! appeared first on Granite Grok.

On July 10, 1752, St. George Tucker was born. He wrote the first systematic commentary on the U.S. Constitution and was one of the most influential jurists and legal scholars during the formative years of the United States.

Tucker was born near Port Royal, Bermuda. His father, Col. Henry Tucker, was a prominent merchant. His grandfather on his mother’s side was a future chief justice of Bermuda.

Tucker moved to Virginia in the fall of 1771 to attend the College of William and Mary. He studied natural and moral philosophy under Reverend Thomas Gwatkin. At the end of 1772, he dropped out due to a lack of funds and took on an apprenticeship in the office of George Wythe, a prominent Virginia lawyer who mentored Thomas Jefferson and other influential Virginians.

In the spring of 1774, Tucker was admitted to the Virginia Bar and launched into law. But after the passage of the Stamp Act, many Virginia county courts closed, along with the General Court of Virginia. With few legal business opportunities in the colony, Tucker returned to Bermuda.

During the American War for Independence, Tucker initially got involved with a family-run smuggling business on behalf of the Patriot cause, helping move food and supplies between the colonies, the Caribbean and Europe. In the spring of 1779, he enlisted in the Virginia militia as a private. With his political connections, he was quickly commissioned as a major. Tucker fought in the battle at Guilford Court House, North Carolina, and suffered a bayonet wound to his leg. He was also later wounded by an exploding shell during the Battle of Yorktown while serving as an interpreter for French officers.

After the war, Tucker resumed his legal career and eventually become one of the most influential jurists in the United States. He served as a judge in the General Court of Virginia (1789–1804), the state Court of Appeals (1804–1811), and the U.S. District Court for the District of Virginia (1813–1825). He also served as the rector and a professor of law at the College of William and Mary where he revolutionized legal education.

In 1803, Tucker published a five-volume edition of Sir William Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England titled “Blackstone’s Commentaries: With Notes of Reference to the Constitution and Laws, of the Federal Government of the United States, and of the Commonwealth of Virginia.” It was the first major treatise on American law.

That same year, he also published “View of the Constitution of the United States with Selected Writings,” the first comprehensive commentary on the U.S. Constitution. The book became one of the country’s primary sources on constitutional law, informing the opinions of judges, lawyers and politicians for the next 50 years.

Tucker viewed the Constitution as a compact between sovereign states delegating limited power to the general government.

“[Federal] jurisdiction extends to certain enumerated objects, only, and leaves to the several states a residuary and inviolable sovereignty over all other objects.”

As historian Clyde Wilson put it, “His strongest point of insistence is on the necessity for governmental power to be restrained within specifically delegated limits.”

Tucker argued that since the federal government had “no existence but under the Constitution, nor any rights, but such as that instrument confers,” it could not wield any power “but such as is absolutely necessary for the performance of a duty prescribed and enjoined by the constitution.”

That being the case:

 “The powers delegated to the federal government, are, in all cases, to receive the most strict construction that the instrument will bear, where the rights of a state or of the people, either collectively or individually, may be drawn in question.”

Tucker was also publicly opposed to slavery, an extremely radical position for a Virginian in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

In 1796, Tucker published a pamphlet A Dissertation on Slavery: With a Proposal for the Gradual Abolition of it, in the State of Virginia. It was later appended to his edition of Blackstone’s Commentaries. Tucker wrote that the abolition of slavery was of “the first importance, not only to our moral character and domestic peace, but even to our political salvation.”

“Whilst America hath been the land of promise to Europeans, and their descendants, it hath been the vale of death to millions of the wretched sons of Africa. . .Whilst we were offering up vows at the shrine of Liberty…whilst we swore irreconcilable hostility to her enemies. . .whilst we adjured the God of Hosts to witness our resolution to live free or die. . .we were imposing on our fellow men, who differ in complexion from us, a slavery, ten thousand times more cruel than the utmost extremity of those grievances and oppressions, of which we complained.”

Tucker went so far as to submit his proposal for gradual emancipation to the Virginia Assembly. It was unsurprisingly, rejected.

Tucker died in 1827 after suffering a stroke.

 

Mike Maharrey | The Tenth Amendment Center

The post St. George Tucker: Our Original Originalist? appeared first on Granite Grok.

The Conway Public Library got an RTK from me. Given how the Director answered a Conway resident and patron of the library, I decided to vary from my normal laid-back replies (“strains of “I’ve got to be ME, I’VE GOT to be MEEE!” wafting in the background).

It’s also clear Director Smolen has a bit of a problem either with reading retention or comprehension, as my answer had “Your library management system, Aspen Discovery, is able to generate such a file” in it. Or he just doesn’t like being challenged.

—— Original Message ——
From “Skip” <Skip@granitegrok.com>
To “David Smolen” <dsmolen@conwaypubliclibrary.org>
Cc jcousins@conwaypubliclibrary.org; jlaracy@conwaypubliclibrary.org; “kbennett@conwaypubliclibrary.org” <kbennett@conwaypubliclibrary.org>; jcicero@conwaypubliclibrary.org; “cgenest@conwaypubliclibrary.org” <cgenest@conwaypubliclibrary.org>; “alibby@conwaypubliclibrary.org” <alibby@conwaypubliclibrary.org>; jwright@conwaypubliclibrary.org
Date 7/11/2023 11:23:57 AM
Subject Re: response to your RTKL request

Director Smolen,

Apparently you have not read the actual text of RSA 91-A or understood its precepts. For remedial training (which should be done for all public officials; elected, appointed, or hired), I would suggest you contact the New Hampshire Right To Know (RTKNH -> https://righttoknownh.wordpress.com/need-help/)

It is not up to the Requester to do the work outlined in a Right To Know Demand. It is the responsibility of the Responder (that would be the Conway Public Library with you as the Director) to Follow the Law and supply that which is being demanded. That would be a file containing the data elements enumerated the RTK – that would be an EXCEL or  CSV file as outlined in my RSA 91-A letter to the Conway Public Library.  Your library management system, Aspen Discovery, is able to generate such a file.

Seeing that you have had your LMS in place for a while, I have to believe that you know how to carry out that operation;  a correct assumption? If you are unable to carry out that operation, I’m sure that your Support folks at Aspen can assist you.

FYI, “LMS” standing for “Library Management System”.

Thus, your answer below does not satisfy my request and you need to try again to honor the Law.  When will you have the Responsive Record (the card catalog) sent to me?

-Skip

Heh! Not TOO bad, I’d say. Just Follow The Law, if you would please – with a wee bit of emphasis.

However, David Smolen was not pleased and tried what a couple of other librarians have done in refusing to abide by RSA 91-A: like the “Limited Public Forum” phrase usage back here, he’s thrown chaff into the wind, thinking I’d be blinded by his brilliance. Yeah, sure – been there, done that, so just answer the dang question. At this point, he’s either that stupid in not knowing his own system or believes “I’m blinded by [library] Science!” that he’s pitching.

This guy is special (emphasis mine), so a fisking is in order:

—— Original Message —— From “David Smolen” <dsmolen@conwaypubliclibrary.org> To “Skip” <Skip@granitegrok.com> Cc jcousins@conwaypubliclibrary.org; jlaracy@conwaypubliclibrary.org; “kbennett@conwaypubliclibrary.org” <kbennett@conwaypubliclibrary.org>; jcicero@conwaypubliclibrary.org; “cgenest@conwaypubliclibrary.org” <cgenest@conwaypubliclibrary.org>; “alibby@conwaypubliclibrary.org” <alibby@conwaypubliclibrary.org>; jwright@conwaypubliclibrary.org Date 7/12/2023 3:07:40 PM Subject Re: response to your RTKL request

Hi, Mr. Murphy, library records are not kept in .csv or .xls format. They are kept in the .mrc format. 

I said generate. Anyone doing a professional level LMS development effort would never use CSV or LMS files – but he thinks this is a chance to lecture me. However, he’s trying the bluffing game thinking I’m stupid in this area.

The library is under no obligation to provide you with an alternative file format. I am happy to export the files to you in the .mrc format. You can then download an editor here https://marcedit.reeset.net/ to view the records. 91-A:4 Minutes and Records Available for Public Inspection. –VII. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require a public body or agency to compile, cross-reference, or assemble information into a form in which it is not already kept or reported by that body or agency.

You know,  I truly believe he doesn’t know his own system – it is considered to be a point source entity even has a lot of moving parts (display files, query files, storage files, index files, txt files, menu files, code files, code libraries, et al).  Notice that he’s spending more time to debate me than just pushing the button to generate the file (3-5 minutes top, two minutes to email or upload to Dropbox).

I did speak to our vendor about turning the info into a .csv file. The charge would be $250 per hour which would be your responsibility to pay. Please let me know how you would like to proceed. Sincerely, David

So he wanted to know how to proceed – so I told him EXACTLY. HOW. TO. CREATE. THE. FILE. After all, since Aspen Discovery is open source, so all of the code and documentation is there. Thus, I told him where to go (snicker), took him to task and to the woodshed:

—— Original Message ——
From “Skip” <Skip@granitegrok.com>
To “David Smolen” <dsmolen@conwaypubliclibrary.org>
Cc jcousins@conwaypubliclibrary.org; jlaracy@conwaypubliclibrary.org; “kbennett@conwaypubliclibrary.org” <kbennett@conwaypubliclibrary.org>; jcicero@conwaypubliclibrary.org; “cgenest@conwaypubliclibrary.org” <cgenest@conwaypubliclibrary.org>; “alibby@conwaypubliclibrary.org” <alibby@conwaypubliclibrary.org>; jwright@conwaypubliclibrary.org
Date 7/12/2023 4:30:52 PM
Subject Re[2]: response to your RTKL request

I spent 40 years in the computer industry with an MS in Software Analysis and Design.  I know that almost all Library Management systems can export their contents of some manner to CSV files.  Aspen Discovery has the ability to create the desired .CSV file demanded: https://help.aspendiscovery.org/help/users/lists#Cell-1001-PanelBody

And Aspen Discovery has the ability to create lots of types of lists – including one that would have the data elements listed in my Right To Know. And your use of RSA 91-A:4 is off base and let me tell you why:

91-A:4 Minutes and Records Available for Public Inspection. –VII. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require a public body or agency to compile, cross-reference, or assemble information into a form in which it is not already kept or reported by that body or agency.

And given that I have read ALL the documentation (after all, Aspen Discovery is open source software so ANYONE can read and use it), and that I know how DBMS systems work, you’re attempt to hide behind 91-A:4 is about as stupid as your word salad about “limited Public Forum” (btw, you got it the meaning of that backwards). Anyways, I digress…

Are you informing me that the data records and associated data elements within your library system’s schema don’t exist? Are you claiming that the distinct data tables residing in your single library system (normally and customarily considered to be “a point source”), along with the keys linking that data to other related tables for the entity colloquially known as a “book”(or other media types) within that same database system are to be viewed as “numerous sources”?  Or are you claiming that none of that exists?

That’s a bit of a stretch and doesn’t pass the computer science smell test.

Are you also telling me that the file that traverses the necessary and existing data tables, linked by existing keys, that provides the demanded “list of Responsive Records” (e.g., the Card Catalog) at the push of a button as “output” also doesn’t exist (e.g., a “Report”) in the CPL System?

I HAVE the instructions that (see above, Open Source Software) as long as that query file has not been removed from your system (which would ALSO be a violation of RSA 91-A:4, III concerning on record retention) with a single button press tell Aspen Discovery to execute that query file (e.g. a Report query file) output that list of demand data element to a .CSV file.

Are you saying that such directions don’t exist?  Or saying that you are refusing to use that which is already part of your system? Or simply making a play to be seen as being ludicrous in attempting to make me think that you would have to scurry around inside your server (or your hosting service server(s)) to gather such information manually?

Thus, I am not demanding records from “numerous sources” but are found with ONE source – your library system. Running a report is not “assembling data from “numerous sources”.

The Conway Public Library has a digital catalog of all the books/media in the library and can be produced in a manner shown above.

Thus, your answer is insufficient for the purpose of my demand. I will repeat – it is for a listing of the books (and the demanded data elements as title, author, ISBN, et al) contained within the Conway Public Library electronic card catalog.  The receiver of such a demand is required to supply that demanded set of Responsive Records. It is not up to the demander to find them.  The burden is on the receiver to comply.

This is no different than when I have, in the past, demanded complete Municipal or School District payroll information from their accounting systems.  Or are you holding that there is no similarity other than the subject matter? Remember, RSA 91A specifically calls out this kind of demand. I can start doing so if you continue to be recalcitrant. After all:

I-a. Records of any payment made to an employee of any public body or agency listed in RSA 91-A:1-a, VI(a)-(d), or to the employee’s agent or designee, upon the resignation, discharge, or retirement of the employee, paid in addition to regular salary and accrued vacation, sick, or other leave, shall immediately be made available without alteration for public inspection. All records of payments shall be available for public inspection notwithstanding that the matter may have been considered or acted upon in nonpublic session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3.

And as the demander, I do not have to tell you WHAT I am looking for – your duty is to provide the information and not force me to do searches on your system to find out what I am looking for. Or are you going to dispute that as well?

Oh, and before I forget, your OTHER claim?

The library is under no obligation to provide you with an alternative file format.

Er, yes you are and – I want you to follow the Law as written and as described in my Right To Know:

V. In the same manner as set forth in RSA 91-A:4, IV, any public body or agency which maintains governmental records in electronic format may, in lieu of providing original records, copy governmental records requested to electronic media using standard or common file formats

This was affirmed in the Green case that mandates that such electronically kept information must be provided using common file formats.  Your existing query file (e.g., “Report” can output a .CSV file that can contain all of the information that meets the specification I have provided. A CSV file is a common file format – a .MRC file is not UNLESS is it one of these:

• A script file for IRC
• 3-d grid of voxel for CryoEM or ET
• Python library files (think programming code)

Or a few others. I admit, acronym usage within the computer industry is often “overloaded” and must be determined which definition is meaningful only by context. There are other uses for “MRC” as well.

Ball is now back in your court. Just remember, RSA 91-A has “teeth” that I would have no problem employing.

Have a nice evening!
-Skip

So that was two days ago. Thus far, radio silence from Director Smolen. I’m betting that he’s reached out to a lawyer. Good – I’ll RTK those transactions as well.

The developing-lesson is this: it is far easier and far less stressful to just do what is demanded in an RSA 91-A.  It would have cost him 15 minutes top.

However, I’m betting that he’s hunched over his keyboard removing certain database records right now. Sorry, Director Smolen – if you ARE doing that, I’ve already got markers all set in place.

The post Conway Public Library Needs Remedial Instruction in NH’s Right to Know Law and Then Some … appeared first on Granite Grok.

How was the 2020 election rigged? Let us count the ways … or better yet let’s just peruse this article in the Federalist:

… 2020 was unlike any election in American history. One need not declare that it was “stolen” to admit that it was obviously rigged. After all, the people and institutions that rigged it have freely admitted what they did. They suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop story, censored what Americans could say on social media, introduced unprecedented changes to our voting system under the pretext of pandemic precautions, and poured hundreds of millions of dollars into putatively nonpartisan local election offices through Mark Zuckerberg-connected nonprofits for the sole purpose of turning out Democrat voters in swing states.

Yet even Republicans who are aware that the 2020 election was rigged seem to believe that somehow 2024 will be different … that somehow Election Month will revert to Election Day; that the Communists Democrats and their allied groups won’t ballot-harvest; that the voters whose reality is shaped by social media will somehow see the Biden-Regime as it really is; in short, that it will be a free and fair election.

This kind of thinking is DELUSIONAL. It’s like sending the cavalry to charge the Panzers again and again. The GOP needs to change its symbol from the elephant to the ostrich.

The GOP has no plan to deal with the ballot harvesting scam and no hope of catching up with the party that implemented it in the first place

In the classic cycle Dems change the rules and benefit from being the first mover

— Auron MacIntyre (@AuronMacintyre) July 14, 2023

 

The post GOP Should Replace Elephant With Ostrich appeared first on Granite Grok.