Tuesday • May 14 • 2024
Vol.XVI • No.XX
Manchester, N.H.
Over at Mike Moffett’s post, Sports “Equity”, he talks about the recent decision by the US Soccer Federation to pay women players the same as the men even though the womens’ version of the game brings in FAR less money than the men.
The biggest reason is attendance – the female version just isn’t as exciting as the male version. They aren’t as good as the men as I’ve posted that female national teams get beat by high school boys teams on a regular basis here at GraniteGrok. Mike writes (reformatted, emphasis mine):
Further, consider the differing followings for men’s and women’s World Cup tournaments. The 2018 men’s World Cup soccer tournament was watched by a record-breaking 3.57 BILLION people. In contrast, the 2019 Women’s World Cup was viewed by “only” 1.12 billion, according to FIFA. Men’s World Cup soccer generates much more revenue than does Women’s World Cup soccer. Should that fact influence the compensation levels for our respective national teams? Some think so. But would that be “equitable?”
To pay the females the same rate as the much higher quality male players is not “equitable”, IMHO. Go ahead, convince me in the comments that I’m wrong. And that I’m wrong in stating that the US Soccer Federation is now engaging, not in “equal opportunity” but in “equal outcome”. And you know what that latter phrase is leading to, don’t you?
Anyways, NHnative left this there:
Step back from this for a second and understand that the goal here is to destroy all that unites us.
What is more uniting than a stadium full of fans?What is more uniting than the entire nation rooting for a team during the world series?
Look at the economy built around Super Bowl Sunday..
The goal is the destruction of America, one layer at a time.. one thread of the fabric of our society at a time.All this “Equity” stuff is but a means, a tool, for that destruction.
Think of it like a massive wind farm, they destroy the planet to “Save It”. It’s the same mentality, once you see it, you see it everywhere.
Destroying things to “Save Them”.
Equal Outcome is Socialism, boosting people to levels that they have not earned and bringing down excellence to a more common level. Do you really think that the US Women’s National Team could beat the US Men’s National Team? Of course not.
But paying the women the same dollars that the men get is demoting the men – their speed, their strength, their better “soccer IQ”, and their endurance. Better quality but “lesser pay” simply for political reasons.
Why work hard to be excellent when you see fewer people getting the same for less quality of work?
When no one is better than anyone else in any type of endeavor, it is a destruction of the human spirit for those well able to do far better.
The post Promoted From The Comments – The Real Definition of “Equity” appeared first on Granite Grok.
We know that HB1431 does not “out” children to their parents as described by Granite State Progress in this email to Governor Sununu:
http://act.granitestateprogress.org/letter/oppose-hb-1431-support-lgbtq-youth-letter
As your constituent, I urge you to oppose HB 1431, a bill that would force teachers and counselors to disclose the gender identity or expression of LGBTQ+ youth to their parents.
Schools are sometimes the only safe place for LGBTQ+ youth, but this bill would require mandatory, immediate disclosure to parents about student club and extracurricular activities, school counselor visits, and changes in gender identity and expression at school, with no regard for whether it puts a student in harm’s way or outs a child before they can have a safe and loving conversation with their family.
This legislation would interfere in parent child relationships, put LGBTQ+ students in danger, and undermine school efforts to create an affirming, inclusive learning environment for all students.
It is impossible to predict what harm this could cause a child who comes from an anti-LGBTQ+ home, and is particularly concerning given the high rate of suicide and homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth.
This would be devastating to the lives of LGBTQ+ youth and I urge you to please oppose HB 1431.
Here are the facts:
These progressive organizations are attempting to come between children and their parents, with no due process. One would think that if they were going to advocate for the State coming between parents and children, they’d at least target parents who have some sort of criminal issues that were directed at their children. Protecting children from abusive parents should be a priority for all of us.
But there is no reason to withhold information on children as a general rule. Where does it end?
In this case:
The Jacksons are filing the suit “on behalf of all other parents whose children were subject to physical examinations” and “given access to and/or distributed birth control without the parent’s knowledge, consent or opportunity to opt-out…,” the court papers say, adding that “the precise number of such persons is unknown…”
The Jacksons’ lawyer, Mary Marzolla, said that a physical exam and the administration of birth control constitute “health services,” and that providing those services to a minor without the consent of the parents or guardians violates Public Health law and parents’ rights.
State education law requires parental consent for health services, treatment, and remedial care. The School Health Examination Guidelines also say that distribution of condoms to high school students is a health service requiring parental permission.
As you can see, there are plenty of examples of school officials usurping parental rights and putting children in danger. Birth control pills are not without risks. Right now many females on birth control are experiencing blood clots after COVID. Those who are prone to strokes, because of blood disorders, are also at risk if they are placed on birth control pills. If a female student isn’t aware of this, she might not inform the doctor prior to prescribing the medication.
What People Taking Birth Control Should Know About COVID-19 and Blood Clots
Increasing evidence suggests that COVID-19 can cause blood clots, and the risk for those complications may be increased among people who are pregnant or who take estrogen-containing medicine (including some kinds of birth control). So researchers are warning that we need to learn a lot more about how these two factors could converge with potentially lethal results.
In a recent article, published last month in Endocrinology, the two authors lay out the emerging connection between COVID-19 and blood clots—and call for more research into how the coronavirus might impact those who are already at risk for developing blood clots.
There is a lot to consider when the State comes between a parent and child.
Call Governor Sununu and ask him to support HB1431. 603-271-2121
The post Who Wants to Stand Between Parents and Groomers in NH? Granite State Progress appeared first on Granite Grok.
We know that the education system in this country has been indoctrinating our children for decades. The process began in the colleges and universities where the Progressive and Socialist professors programmed the easily influenced students who thought they were
preparing to teach. They would graduate and go on to teach, but they were also, unwittingly, becoming part of the legion of influencers.
These students graduated and moved on to high schools and K-12 schools and began to spread what they had been programmed. The people at the top of this scheme were patient and realized it would not be until an entire generation had traversed the sixteen-year training to realize results for their efforts. The secret to success is consistency, patience, and building a high confidence level between the children and teachers. The students had to buy into the new dogma they were being fed. They also had to keep a lid on what was happening behind the curtain. The parents must not interfere with the process. It all worked for decades until the Pandemic pulled back the curtain.
When schools shut down during COVID, and remote learning replaced brick and mortar schools, parents were exposed to the tainted curriculum their children were involved in, and they exploded with anger. They wanted answers from their local school board and a seat at the table to decide what their children would be taught. The Boards closed ranks and resisted the parent interference. The battle lines were drawn, and the conflict got ugly.
Teachers’ Unions went to the Biden administration and demanded help shutting down parental involvement. The Justice Department classified these parents who attended school board meetings as “domestic terrorists,” which led to parents being arrested for showing concern for their children. Parents did not concede, and they got angry and took their fight to the ballot box. Governors and local officials who were sympathetic to the school boards paid the price of being removed from office. Entire school boards were replaced by candidates committed to involving parents in the process.
The other elements exposed in the curriculum were CRT, gender orientation, and alternative sexual lifestyles. Parents were furious. Government support for educators or parents depended on the color of the state. Blue states defended the schools while Red states sided with the parents. That alignment did not work out well for the Governor in Virginia as the Republican blitz of Governor, Lt Governor, and Attorney General seats in a traditionally Blue state. Those results may be a harbinger of things to come in November.
Hillary Clinton coined a phrase when she was First Lady. She said, “it takes a village” to raise our children. Parents disagree, and they want the village replaced with their input. This battle is not going to fare well for school systems. As schooling returns to the classrooms, parents continue to monitor what is happening in the classrooms. They do not want their children, especially in grades K-3, exposed to any talk of sex, gender, or racism. The parents argue that they are the ones who should share their values on these subjects with their children and not a teacher. Families are entitled to their values, and school boards, and teachers, do not share these values.
Parents will win this fight if they stay vigilant and continue to use the two powerful tools in their bag, their money and vote. Test scores and graduation rates show that educators have failed us. Angry concerned parents will get us back on track.
Ray Writes for GraniteGrok.com and the Liberty Loft
The post Families Have Values, School Boards Do Not. appeared first on Granite Grok.
When you have to fight or seek assistance to stop pornography from entering your public school, those in charge should never be allowed near children again. At what point will all parents demand better from those who care for their children?
It’s a good thing we are seeing some parents fight back. Finally.
John Rich from the country music group Big & Rich met with Tennessee Governor Lee who agreed that there was a problem with the pornographic literature that was permitted, for children to view, in school. The Governor has agreed to intervene. But this will take time. He is looking to draft legislation, so in the meantime, these children are still at risk of being exposed to pornographic material.
You can watch the interview with John Rich here:
Let’s not forget that some of this obscene material has been found in schools in New Hampshire. Bedford parents for instance, objected to some of the books found in their school library.
Please watch this video where the host admits he has had to deal with this in his school too. This is happening in many schools across the state and nation. You need to start a petition to remove the administrators if you find this in your school. Ask your local county attorney if the materials qualify as obscene and ask that they do something to intervene. These people should never be around children.
The post Country Music Star John Rich Asks Governor to Stop the Pornography in His Child’s Public School appeared first on Granite Grok.
As you put together your future advertising budget, you’ll probably ask yourself whether it’s an excellent time to spend money on marketing. Isn’t everything getting more expensive nowadays? Shouldn’t we hold on to our cash?
This metric might help you with that question. The average small business gets back $3 in revenue each time that brand spends $1.60 on ads.
That’s a compelling reason to put together a winning advertising plan. And we are here to help with our guide to forming the perfect advertising strategy.
Your Business StrategyNever pay for an advertising campaign because you think it’s the right thing. Advertising must always tie in with your high-level business goals. That will keep your strategy focused and effective.
So the first thing you want to do when putting together an advertising plan is to consider what your business needs to achieve in the next twelve months.
Do you want more customers? Do you want to launch a new product? Do you want more website traffic?
Advertising GoalsOnce you know your high-level goal, you can translate this into advertising goals. Make these specific and measurable. For example, write down how much traffic you want and your time frame.
Target MarketYour next task is to find out more about your customer. That will help ensure your advertising is reaching the right people. Research your existing customers and use that to develop a customer avatar.
Find out as much as you can about their demographics, interests, and behaviors. The more information you know, the more effective your marketing plan is.
Campaign Timeline and BudgetYou won’t want to burn through an entire year’s ad budget in the first month! So put together a detailed timeline of when you plan to advertise and your budget.
Once you have this information, you can start digging into the detail. Decide what type of campaign you’ll need at each point in that timeline to help you hit those company advertising goals.
Don’t forget about significant annual advertising events that you might need to add to your plan, such as Black Friday.
PlatformsOnce you have an overview of your campaigns, it’s time to find the perfect platform for your paid ads. You might choose to run a campaign across multiple platforms to get maximum impact.
Make sure you pick the most suitable platforms for your target audience.
It’s always tempting to pick the trending platform, especially if ad costs are low, but if your audience doesn’t use that website, it won’t bring you the results you need.
MetricsFinally, think about how you’ll gather and monitor data for your ad campaigns. Will you use a professional analytics tool? Or will you rely on reports from the ad dashboard for each platform?
That is a vital step in your business advertising plan because you’ll need those metrics to help you optimize and improve your ads. For example, Google ad optimization will help you position your search ad on the best keywords.
Find Your Winning Advertising PlanThe prospect of growing your business via advertising is exciting. But you’ll still need the right advertising plan if you want your marketing campaigns to succeed. Use this guide to help you get started.
And for more marketing tips to help you fine-tune those ad creatives, browse our latest business articles.
The post How to Create a Solid Advertising Plan for Your Business appeared first on Granite Grok.
The White House is faced with a huge conundrum. Do they let the President out of the house and let him speak and answer questions or keep him under wraps. If they muzzle the President, he faces criticism and increased speculation about his health and mental acuity. If they take off the reins and take their chances, he inevitably says something that requires a clean-up in aisle 5. Aisle five is the shiniest in the store; it has been cleaned so often.
That may be an attempt at humor in the first paragraph, but that is to temper the seriousness of the situation. The real question is, who is in charge in today’s White House? Who is so powerful in the White House staff that has the authority to edit the President’s actual words into what he really should have said? If the President says something, shouldn’t that be the official statement of the Executive Branch? The answer is obviously yes, but not in the Biden White House.
The latest example was this weekend when a White House pool reporter asked Joe Biden if he was prepared to use the military force of the United States to protect the sovereignty of Taiwan. He emphatically responded yes. He said that if China were to attack Taiwan, as they have threatened to do, we are under agreement to support Taiwan militarily. The White House was so quick to react that they issued a correction before the last period of the President’s statement.
The obvious question is why the person who “corrects” the President insists on remaining anonymous? According to a White House official, who refused to identify himself, the President meant that we would support Taiwan with equipment and arms, similar to how we are supporting Ukraine. The President did not mean we would put U.S. boots on the ground in Taiwan.
China responded as quickly as the White House staffer behind the curtain. They were not pleased with the President’s flippant remarks and went to the airwaves to denounce our President’s words. As the President spoke, the Secretary of State Antony Blinken shifted uncomfortably in his chair and went for his cellphone. I bet if you went to his call history, you would find the number of the anonymous staffer.
It is ironic that the agreement with Taiwan, The Taiwan Relations Act, was signed in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter, who has slid into the number 2 President on the Worst Ever List. It is a consensus that Joe Biden now holds the top spot, and with his recent performance, there is little chance of him relinquishing the title.
There is no way that Joe Biden will be on the 2024 ballot. He is not capable of the rigors of the job today, let alone what his mental capacity will be in two years. It would not be fair to talk about Biden’s age when talking about his ability and readiness for the top job in the country. There are people in their 80s who are sharp as a tack, and then there is Biden. He was not ready in 2020, but his condition was hidden as he was hunkered down in his Delaware basement. His handlers will not be able to use that game plan again.
We are stuck with this puppet President until 2025, along with his keeper behind the curtain. Indeed an embarrassing situation for America, but 81 Million voters created this mess. One thing is for sure. A staffer is permanently assigned to aisle 5 with a mop in hand.
Ray Writes for GraniteGrok.com and the Liberty Loft
The post Let Him Speak, Then Clean Up the Mess appeared first on Granite Grok.
Chris Sununu, Governor Groomer, is in trouble. His favorability has been collapsing in recent months, but it’s worse than he realizes. I don’t know many Republicans who like him much anymore, and now he’s decided to piss off parents across the spectrum.
Not a good idea.
And the genuinely amusing thing about it is that if Sununu does veto this bill, it is to appease the left, and wouldn’t losing re-election be the best way to do just that?
We’re talking about HB1431. A simple piece of legislation that Mr. Sununu has promised to veto. But the bill does not do anything discriminatory but does clarify that the kids belong to the parents and the parents have rights in that relationship that the state should not deny.
The general court finds that it is a fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their minor children. The general court further finds that important information relating to a minor child should not be withheld, either inadvertently or purposefully, from his or her parent, including information relating to the minor’s education. The general court further finds it is necessary to establish a consistent mechanism for parents to be notified of information relating to the health, education, and well-being of their minor children.
HB1431 ““would give parents the final word on their child’s health, education, and welfare.” That’s the opposition’s position, by the way. The one Sununu is backing. That’s not your job it belongs to the state and you don’t need to be involved?
We’re talking about people’s kids, and by promising to veto HB1431, Governor Groomer is telling those parents (and there are a lot of them) to f**k off. Parents who might tell Governor Groomer to f**k off in November. And it’s not a stretch to suggest that.
Moderates are not all that indifferent to a real Democrat in the governor’s office, and neither are actual Democrats. And I think this is a straw that breaks a lot of camels’ backs.
I don’t want a Democrat governor, but all the projections suggest Republicans will keep the majority in the New Hampshire Legislature after November. If we take the Legislature we’ll probably hold the Executive Council (EC) as well. And Sununu?
If you can live with the stalemate for two years (GOP Legislature and EC with a Dem Governor), this is your chance to jettison governor Groomer.
And at this point, given the collapsing polls, Sununu may need them more than they need him.
Vetoing HB1431 is the final straw for many and if so, Sununu loses in November, and many Republicans who would never say it out loud will be happy to see him go so they can replace him with a real Republican in 2024.
Or, assuming it passes both chambers again (this week), and that looks likely, Chris could just leave it and let it become law without his signature. That might save him. Or perhaps Governor Groomer knows this and he’s working overtime to keep it from getting to his desk at all.
We’ll know soon enough but until then, contact your State Representatives and your State Senator and urge them to vote for HB1431. And sign the letter to Gov. Sununu asking him to sign the bill or allow HB1431 to become law.
If you missed it, Skip, Mike, and I talked about this at some length in the most recent episode of GrokTALK! that aired yesterday.
You can also listen on Spreaker, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or YouTube.
The post Will Vetoing The Parental Rights Bill Cost Governor Groomer His Re-Election? appeared first on Granite Grok.
It’s difficult to know where to begin when talking about what’s happened in the Upper Valley since COVID hit back in 2020. However, the most obvious place to start is with businesses and the lack of help.
From small businesses to larger franchises there seems to have been a disappearance of willing workers and everyone on both sides of the river is wondering “Where is everybody?”
Local business Allan’s vending has weathered the storm however the cost of gas along with the loss of some accounts due to the shift in employees working from home has put them in tough spots with reports of food shortages looming.
“We’re doing ok but it’s difficult to even get some items,” says Scott Allan who began running the operation for his family after his parents moved out of the office into semi-retirement. If the gas and lack of items aren’t enough, their trucks were hit repeatedly over the past several years for their catalytic converters. It’s anyone’s guess how things will shake out in the coming months, and the lack of qualified help has everyone concerned.
Pat Lundrigen who owns Lundy’s Landscaping and Auto Garage has seen three-quarters of his business disappear thanks to unwilling workers and the rise in lone landscapers. Were it not for his Auto Garage the landscape business he started back in his teens might not be viable.
“People don’t want to work and this next generation has no work ethic,” he says as he looks at his 14-year-old son Ryan who may or may not take on the family business someday. It’s anybody’s guess and Ryan, a standout baseball player, is just as disturbed by his generation’s lack of grit when it comes to his favorite sport. A sort of distant hope that things can get better seems to hang in the air as we consider the future.
Mary Hitchcock has always dealt with attrition as hospitals are wont to do, however, the current pattern in nursing is one that can’t be sustained. The rise in travel nurses, who see sometimes twice the pay as local staff, is bleeding both finances and morale.
“We’re operating sometimes two-thirds below our normal staff. The burnout is everywhere and nobody wants to get paid half of what someone who’s just passing through for a few months is making for the same job” explains a nurse who prefers to remain anonymous.
“We don’t have any OR (operating room) nurses, so surgeries are getting delayed.” This reminds me of the number of botched operations and third attempts among my friends and clients of late. One of my clients, a 21-year-old college student, is headed in for her third knee surgery on the same knee in three years. Her dad says he will not be paying for this one. Medicine is starting to feel third-world, and the third time is not the charm when we’re talking about surgery.
When asked what the solution is she doesn’t see one given the staffing issues that have existed since she’d gone into nursing. It’s just worse now with no apparent strategy given by administrators. A re-branding by the Dartmouth-Hitchcock board and marketing department is like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound.
A visit to Applebee’s in West Lebanon Sunday evening for my son’s sixteenth birthday found three-quarters of the tables empty yet the hostess told us the wait would be forty-five minutes.
“Forty-five minutes with all of these open tables?” I asked incredulously.
“We only have two waitresses and one of them, this is her first night. We only have one cook too.”
Offered to sit at the bar, we sat down only to listen to a disgruntled customer complaining about all of the food allergy accommodations she needed that weren’t being met. The bartender, Lexi, also new to the job, had to field the passive-aggressive comments from the woman who seemed more interested in complaining than enjoying a meal with her company. A capable manager came to Lexi’s rescue, however, the specter of wondering if this is the “new normal” we were warned about by our opportunistic world leaders who don’t seem to understand the better part of Build Back Better.
Leadership seems to be the real issue along with the ideologies that inform them. Luckily in the states, we still have the opportunity for local and state leadership to circumvent the failing state of the globalist vision that, for all its “Greats” and “Betters” is delivering neither.
Better for whom? So far the people and businesses of the Upper Valley beg the question.
The post Upper Valley Update: Business As Unusual? appeared first on Granite Grok.
Surely, lots of students from all around the world dream about earning their diploma in a foreign university, and there’s a good reason for it. Essentially, studying abroad offers all possible student life experiences at their very best. The independence is full, there are lots of new people to meet, and plenty of new things to learn. Yet, in order to start gaining those experiences, one must make some effort first. There’s nothing extraordinary about translating documents required to enroll into a college or university abroad, yet one might find themselves in a somewhat inconvenient situation if they go unprepared.
Why Even Bother?Before even enrolling in a university or college in another country, some might ask themselves, is it really worth it after all? Well, the answer here is certainly “yes,” no matter what kind of university you pick and what country you might need to travel to. If you’ll ever have a good reason to contact The Word Point, studying abroad would definitely be one of them. Here are only a few examples of how you can benefit from studying in another country.
If you conduct your education in a different country, you can:
Surely, enrolling in a foreign university is not the easiest feat, without mentioning studying there. Yet, challenges are worth worrying about only if you don’t know how to deal with them. And, while the challenges of student life can be solved right on the spot (and are often fun to solve), the challenges of enrollment are a different thing. You need to research the enrollment process in your target country, as well as collect and prepare all the documents you need.
Why Is Proper Document Preparation Important?Essentially, documents play an extremely important role when it comes to important life decisions and steps. So, of course, as you enroll in any university in any country, you must have your documents ready to go One important difference in enrolling in a foreign university is that you should have those documents not just neat and ready, but also have them properly translated. Here are the documents that you’ll need to get specially prepared for a foreign university in most cases.
Because the education system is not unified across the world, the documents from the list above might not always be issued in internationally accepted languages, like English. At the same time, some subjects might be titled differently in different languages or have different scopes in different countries. Essentially, that’s why the translation of those documents is required in the first place, to avoid any conflicts, misunderstandings, or inconsistencies that might arise. When studying at a foreign university, the only time when you might not need to put forth such an extended effort is when you buy a research paper online, as you can purchase it even before you enroll in the school. Otherwise, you need to comply with the requirements of the modern world and get your essential documents translated.
Nothing You Can’t Manage
As you can see, there are not that many documents you might need to translate to enroll in a foreign university. You should look into translating just a handful of papers, not all of which may be required by certain universities. So, if you’ve ever felt in doubt about trying to get into a college or university in another country, leave all that doubt behind and start paving that path today. No matter how much effort you might need to make to enroll in and then graduate from that school, it’s totally worth it.
BIO:
Joanne Elliot career is truly fascinating for being rather diverse and rich despite its relatively short span. To that, Joanne always puts his all into writing and thinks that there’s much more to discover and share. And indeed, life often offers interesting lessons and findings quite unexpectedly, so Joanne doesn’t intend to stop his ever-lasting research.
The post What Paper You Should Translate to Study Abroad appeared first on Granite Grok.
NEWS ITEM: The U.S. Soccer Federation has announced a deal to pay the U.S. Men’s National Team and the U.S. Women’s National Team equally, eliminating a contentious pay gap that saw female players earn significantly less.
“Equity” is a common buzzword nowadays—kind of like “diversity.” It does seem equitable that members of our men’s and women’s national soccer teams be compensated similarly. Still, some feel that the quest for equity sometimes creates unfairness.
Men’s World Cup soccer has been around for almost a century. The first women’s World Cup was awarded in 1991. Does longevity matter?
Some wonder.
Further, consider the differing followings for men’s and women’s World Cup tournaments. The 2018 men’s World Cup soccer tournament was watched by a record-breaking 3.57 BILLION people. In contrast, the 2019 Women’s World Cup was viewed by “only” 1.12 billion, according to FIFA.
Men’s World Cup soccer generates much more revenue than does Women’s World Cup soccer. Should that fact influence the compensation levels for our respective national teams? Some think so. But would that be “equitable?”
Consider the disparate compensation levels for NBA and WNBA players. The average annual NBA salary is $7.5 million. The average WNBA salary is $121,000. That’s hardly equitable.
But the average WNBA attendance is around 2600 per game, as compared to an average NBA attendance of over 17,000 per game—92% of capacity.
So should market realities impact compensation levels for men’s and women’s sports?
Some wonder.
Federal “Title IX” legislation passed in 1972 prohibited sex-based discrimination at educational institutions receiving federal monies. Over time this helped create a whole new world of opportunity for female athletes. As a father to some fabulous Concord High School girls’ soccer players, I’m especially grateful that they had sports opportunities earlier unavailable to girls.
Still, sports equity came with a price. To accommodate Title IX requirements, countless male sports programs were eliminated.
Consider college wrestling. In 1982 there were 363 NCAA wrestling teams. In 2001 that number had dropped to 229 and dropped further still over the following years.
Was that “equitable” for wrestlers?
Some wonder.
Others feel the quest for “equity” negatively impacts education. Honors programs have been eliminated in California and elsewhere. Identifying and supporting gifted and talented students is not seen as “equitable” to progressives seeking those “level” playing fields—so to speak.
It may be “equitable” to teach to the lowest common denominator, but is it fair—or right—to hold back gifted students in the process?
New Hampshire is somewhere around 50th in the nation in terms of identifying and supporting gifted students. Fortunately, Governor Chris Sununu signed HB319 last year which finally requires school districts to pay some attention to this neglected population.
A facile reverence to “equity” creates new challenges. Ask those wrestlers whose programs disappeared. Or male swimmers, gymnasts, cross country runners, and so many others whose teams were sacrificed at the altar of “equity.”
Should reasonable qualitative fairness trump mandated quantitative equity in some sports situations?
Some wonder.
#####
State Rep. Mike Moffett of Loudon is a former professor of Sports Management.
The post SPORTS “EQUITY” appeared first on Granite Grok.
Students are often tasked with writing assignments, as this is an important skill to develop. Some of the most common assignments are essays and research papers. Suppose you have experience with one and not the other. In that case, you might want to read this article as we explore the basic similarities and differences between an essay and a research paper.
Essay vs. Research Paper: 3 Similarities and Differences
Before we can begin to analyze the similarities and differences between an essay and a research paper, we must define what they mean.
An essay is a short piece of writing that is usually used to test students’ writing skills and an ability to explore certain topics and draw conclusions. It involves writing from a certain view on a topic, so an essay on a particular topic might differ heavily in content depending on the writer.
A research paper is usually longer, and it involves a lot of information gathering, experiments, and deep analysis. While the writer’s talent is important, ultimately, the result of a research paper would be based on the research results and not the writer’s creativity.
Similarities 1. Need for critical thinkingWhile research papers tend to involve a lot more critical thinking, essays are by no means left out. You need to present your argument straightforwardly, whether writing an essay or a research paper. This requires a bit of critical thinking, as you need to draw links between the arguments and conclusions you mention in your writing.
2. A single theme or topicWhether you’re writing an essay on medieval tools or a research paper on alternative energy sources, you need to have a specific theme and stick to it. Attempting to cover more than one topic will almost certainly lead to confusion on the reader’s end. However, many students tend to stray from the main topic and have trouble keeping to a single point in their essays. Such students often reach out to GrabMyEssay or another academic writing service to get an essay sample or order a custom research paper. Hired academic help is an excellent option because the essay you receive will be straight to the point.
3. Writing structure is maintainedWhile an essay and research paper might differ in content, a writing structure remains. This is important to guide readers as they progress. For example, conclusions might be drawn before supporting evidence. A piece of writing without a structure would be poorly graded.
Differences 1. Final lengthAn essay can vary between 1 and 3 pages with multiple paragraphs. This will depend on the topic you’re writing on, but most importantly, on the teacher’s requirements. On the other hand, research papers take about 15 pages. A research paper must include its information sources, an outcome of conducted experiments, and much more.
2. The time it takes to completeDepending on the essay topic you’re assigned, you might need to do a bit of Googling before you can write a proper essay. A research paper requires gathering information, too, but generally takes a lot longer to finish. A research paper will require you to conduct studies, experiments, surveys, etc. Analyzing the information you’re getting from these different sources can be challenging. Hence, research papers are much more time-consuming.
3. Level of formalityEssays usually give writers greater freedom when choosing words, grammar, and writing style. An essay typically reflects the author’s viewpoint. A research paper requires the final work to be based on evidence rather than views. Writing is relatively strict.
Grab a Pen and Dig In!Writing is a skill that can take a while to master. However, enough practice should help you learn fast. Whether you’re writing an essay or a research paper, you need to make sure you understand the requirements of the tasks before writing. This will save you time and help improve the final quality of your writing.
Author’s Bio
Joanne Elliot is a freelance writer and English tutor. She enjoys working with students and professionals on their writing assignments. Joanne understands what it means to be a good writer, so she regularly shares helpful articles on the subject.
The post Essay vs. Research Paper: Similarities and Differences appeared first on Granite Grok.
I want to say that I am a strong advocate for our public school system in the order of the excellent education I received 56 years ago. We need to reinstate educational excellence in our institution of public education. This is what I want. This is what parents want and this is what Commissioner Edelblut wants in my conversations with him.
I am concerned that democracy is threatened. But the threat comes from the institution of public education itself and not the Commissioner. Horace Mann, the founder of the American public school system, is quoted as saying that “public education is the cornerstone of our community and our democracy”. This is the educational philosophy that Edelblut wants to restore to public education.
Unfortunately, the institution of public education expelled Mann’s philosophy many years ago and replaced it with the educational philosophy of Dr. John Dewey. Dewey’s philosophy is to destroy the value of our individual Rights and our free-enterprise system and replace it with a collectivist economy like that of Soviet Russia.
We want to thank Joseph Mendola for this Op-Ed. If you have an Op-Ed or LTE
you would like us to consider, please submit it to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
Dewey visited Stalin’s Soviet Russia and was amazed that children could be indoctrinated with a collectivist economic system and built a case for destroying the free-enterprise system that made America the greatest economic system in the world by lifting more people out of poverty than any other system.
After returning from Stalinist Russia, Dewey wrote a series of articles in the New Republic magazine, Impressions of Soviet Russia, that explained all he witnessed in the Russian school system. That philosophy was then taught in American Teachers Colleges that the rights of groups should prevail over individual Rights; it still is taught to our future students today. Need any more be said about how public education today is the threat to our democracy and not Commission Edelblut.
Some educators take issue with the NH law that prohibits “divisive concepts” from being taught in the classroom. President Biden ran on the platform to unify our nation not divide it more. The word “divisive” is defined as language that divides us, not unites us. We need to teach our children what unites us as a people and that which divides us. Even Vice-President Harris, in her remarks at the installation ceremony of Justice Jackson to the Supreme Court, quoted the Preamble to the Constitution which says” we the are achieving a more perfect union.” This is unifying language.
Some educators say that we should be teaching that we are a systemically racist country. You do not elect an African-American President of the United States twice and appoint an African- American woman to the US Supreme Court if we are a systemically racist nation. These are the accomplishments we need to teach our children not that we are systemically racists.
Commissioner Edelblut home-schooled his children because he wanted to give them an excellent academic education. He had the financial resources to have that choice. The Commissioner wanted to have parents who do not have such resources to be able to home-school their children if they thought their children would get a better education in another school. That is why he promoted the Education Freedom Accounts so parents of lesser means could have a choice in how their children are educated.
The institution of public education is a monopoly. As it is with most monopolies, they eventually deliver a mediocre product or service at an ever-increasing cost to the customer. The customers of our public schools are parents and taxpayers. This is what we have in New Hampshire. We graduate students across the state on average with barely a 50% proficiency in grade-level reading and math skills. We cannot keep doing this and expect our graduates to achieve success in this highly technical society we live in.
The only way to get a monopoly to deliver at its highest level is to create competition to that monopoly. And that is what “school choice” is designed to do. Competition will require public education to return to its position of delivering an excellent academic education that I received 56 years ago. This is what Commissioner Edelblut wants for our students: excellence in academic education.
Since the concept of family values means different values to different families, educators need to stick to the teaching of academics and stay out of our living rooms where parents will teach their children their family values.
We cannot afford to abandon the values that our nation created. These values are equal access to education that can be found in the Education Freedom Accounts for parents and that, as an imperfect people, we are still striving to be a society that believes we are all created equal and that each day we are striving to create a more perfect union.
The post What Is Education’s Role in America Today? appeared first on Granite Grok.
We want to thank John Burtis for this Op-Ed. If you have an Op-Ed or LTE
you would like us to consider, please submit it to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
The post Disinformation Is the Information They Won’t Give You appeared first on Granite Grok.
Why is the Parental Rights Bill (HB1431) needed? It is needed because we have examples of groomers who are GROOMING and SEXUALIZING children IN our public schools. They are telling children to HIDE this from their parents.
The 603 Alliance also put out this fact sheet:
Here are the facts:
Listen to this parent describe what happened to her daughter in her local public school. Parents are now considered evil until proven innocent.
We currently have a parent in Manchester NH suing that school district from hiding information from her. Let’s not also forget Kristie Torbick, school counselor, who groomed and then sexually abused a student in Exeter.
So who will Governor Sununu stand with? Groomers or parents?
Governor Sununu has already said he’s going to VETO HB1431 because it included a provision that would require school personnel to divulge information under certain circumstances. Here is the language he just can’t seem to accept:
“The right [of parents] to be notified promptly when any school board, school district, school administrative unit, school administrator, or other school employee initiates, investigates, or finds the need for any action by school authorities relating to the student pursuant to school policies governing student conduct, truancy, dress code violations, sexual harassment, bullying, hazing, behavior management and intervention, substance use, suicide prevention, gender expression or identity, disability accommodation, and special meal prescription.”
Here is the final version agreed to by the Senate and House.
The opponents say that they don’t want school officials to “out” children to their parents if they are experiencing gender confusion. That puts the State between parent and child. But who is better to help their child wade through these feelings than parents?
They argue that some parents may not be “supportive.” That may be the case. But unsupportive parents do not give up their fundamental rights when their child walks through the door of a school. Those parents might not be supportive of many of their child’s decisions in life, but should a public school then stand between a parent and child? Shouldn’t that be reserved for abusive and neglectful parents, through a court system? Since when is it ok for the State to come between a parent and child?
As we learn from the parent in the video, she exposes an agenda in public schools to groom and sexualize children in school. If this was such a good thing for children, why is there a need to hide it from the public?
Some of this deals with psychological issues, and counseling a child. Shouldn’t that be handled by educated professionals? Someone who has clinical training, holds a PhD in Child Psychology, and follows a strict code of ethics?
Instead you have political activists who are pushing children into a lifestyle that they may not even want for themselves. In cases I’ve been involved in, some of the children have been sexually abused or felt pressured by their peers or even people working in the school district.
Should children who experience gender dysphoria or same sex attraction be nurtured and cared for? Of course. But this notion that the State should come between a child and parent under these circumstances is wrong and dangerous.
In the video, the parent also reveals how the district wants to keep suicide attempts hidden from parents. At what point will everyone realize how dangerous these groomers are to children? When they are dead?
Call Governor Sununu and tell him to support HB1431, the Parental Bill of Rights in New Hampshire. There is no good reason for the State to come between a parent and child unless due process is involved and a judge orders it. 603-271-2121
The sexualization and grooming of children needs to stop:
The post Groomers and Governor Sununu VERSUS Parents appeared first on Granite Grok.
It is unarguable, at this point, that if you still support Governor Groomer … a/k/a Sun-King Sununu … you are neither a conservative nor even a Republican. You are a corporatist, a cultist, benefitting from the Sun-King’s grift, BUT you are NOT a conservative or a Republican.
But some good news: NH-NeverTrumpJournal has made the case … unintentionally I am sure … why the “lesser of two evils” rationale for voting for Governor Groomer does not apply in this year’s gubernatorial race:
The post NH-NeverTrump Makes The Case For NOT Supporting Governor Groomer appeared first on Granite Grok.
The NH legislature is currently considering HB1431, the Parental Bill of Rights. The final bill will be voted up or down by the House and Senate this Thursday, May 26th. We need all hands on deck to make sure that this legislation makes it to the governor’s desk. Although Governor Sununu has threatened to veto the bill, we believe he may reconsider his position if he hears from enough New Hampshire voters.
Organizations like GLAAD, ACLU-NH, Granite State Progress, the AFL-CIO, and others insist that HB1431 is dangerous because it “would give parents the final word on their child’s health, education, and welfare.” Yes it would, and that’s exactly how it should be. Here are the facts:
Please Submit Group communications or Press Releases for consideration
to editor@granitegrok.com. Submission is not a guarantee of publication.
Here’s what you can do to help:
#1: Contact your State Representatives and urge them to vote for HB1431 this Thursday
#2: Contact your State Senator and urge them to vote for HB1431
#3: Thank NH House Majority Leader Jason Osborne and Speaker Sherm Packard for ensuring HB1431 passed with agreeable language through the Committee of Conference (Speaker: sherman.packard@leg.state.nh.us, Majority Leader: Jason@Osborne4NH.com)
#4: Co-sign the Letter to the Legislature and Governor Sununu in support of HB1431. Tell them there should be no more secrets between parents and their children.
#5: Support the Billboard Campaign. Our friends over at RebuildNH are investing in digital billboard advertising to help increase awareness and promote the passage of this bill. Please consider making a donation to help fund that effort.
The post URGENT CALL TO ACTION: Parental Rights Bill HB1431 appeared first on Granite Grok.
As we are near the middle portion of 2022, many colleges have begun considering applications. At times, there might be some challenges that limit students’ abilities to apply on time, and colleges, with this in mind, often extend their deadlines to accept late applications. In this article, we’ll be going over four colleges you might want to consider applying to in late 2022.
1. McGill University
If you’re an international student looking for good study abroad programs in Canada, McGill University is a great choice. It’s a public university that is located in Quebec, Canada. It was founded in 1821 and is one of the best universities in the world, according to data from QS World University Rankings. Tuition costs are relatively low, especially if you’re a Canadian citizen. On average, living expenses in Quebec are about CA$17,000 a year. Application fees vary between CA$50 to CA$120. The late application deadline for 2022 is January 15th.
2. University of WyomingThis public university was established in 1886 and has remained one of the best destinations for students looking for quality education. This University is located in Wyoming, United States. The average cost of living there is $15,000. This university has an acceptance rate of 96%, which is rather high compared to most schools. The application fee is $50, and the deadline is August 10th.
3. Swansea UniversityThis public university is located in Swansea, Wales, and is home to some of the most advanced research projects. It was founded in 1920 and is one of the oldest colleges today. The average cost of living in Swansea is £1,400, making it quite expensive for most students, especially for students from low-income countries. Tuition isn’t very cheap either – you can expect to pay about £18,000 on average. The application fee is £20, and the deadline for late applications is June 30th.
4. Indiana UniversityThis public university is located in Indiana, United States. It was founded in 1820 and, since then, has continued to offer students a high-quality education at moderate tuition costs. This college has a 77% acceptance rate for their bachelor’s degrees, so you might want to use I Hate Writing to find the best writing service to handle your college application. With hired expert help, you will get a stellar application essay that will make getting into a college you want so much easier. The application fee at Indiana University is about $80, with the late application deadline being August 6th.
ConclusionWhile many colleges accept late applications, you might still want to consider applying early. Some institutions accept students on a rolling basis, which means that if you apply late, you might find that there aren’t that many spaces left. This can limit your chances, so it’s always good to apply early. Make sure to prepare your documents on time, and your college application process will be smooth and hassle-free.
Author’s Bio
Joanne Elliot is a freelance writer focusing on writing content for students. She enjoys what she does as it allows her to share helpful advice regarding college. In her spare time, Joanne loves going to the gym.
The post List of Colleges that Accept Late Applications for 2022 appeared first on Granite Grok.
As promised in the last Monday Memes, I have an overflow. My meme cup runneth over.
Now, let the mayhem, mockery, and ridicule resume:
*** Warning, a few possibly off-color ones, in case tender eyes are about ***
>>>>>=====<<<<<
>>>>>=====<<<<<
Lots of good ones, but my pick for best of the lot is this one. This – as a part of Obamagate – makes Watergate look like a minor misdemeanor. I call this high treason.
The post Meme Overflow appeared first on Granite Grok.
There are many discussions happening right now regarding HB1431, the Parent’s Bill of Rights. Those who oppose it appear to be focused on one aspect alone: how they believe this bill would endanger students struggling with gender identity. Those who share this viewpoint do so despite the actual language in the bill, which only requires schools to provide notification to parents if the school finds the need for any action involving their child.
To those who believe that parents, and not school personnel, are the rightful, legal caregivers of a student, the language in HB1431 seems fair and reasonable. For those who believe that children must be protected from their parents, and school is the safest place to do that, then this bill is viewed far differently.
So how do we reconcile these polar opposite perspectives? We could test the limits of the parental notification argument by using a different scenario because that is really where we can gauge the strength of a reasoned assumption. Hypothetically, what would people think if we were talking about Christianity and not gender issues?
We want to thank NH State Rep Sue Homola for this Op-Ed. If you have an Op-Ed or LTE
you would like us to consider, please submit it to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
What if a deeply religious teacher felt compelled to provide students with a safe place to discuss their emerging Christianity because he/she felt that the suppression of a student’s innate moral beliefs was leading to increased depression? What if this kind teacher provided this outreach service after school, and invited students who he/she felt were personally struggling and who needed to hear the word of God? What if the kind teacher decided to call this after-school activity the “Art Club” so it would not attract any unwanted attention, and he/she could discreetly invite and encourage students to participate? What if this kind teacher then used this opportunity to expose the students to Christianity, and made sure that each God-curious student knew that the teacher would guide them through any questions they had? And what if this kind teacher encouraged the “Art Club” students to keep the conversations they had on Christianity a secret, because there was a concern that some of the students’ atheist parents would strongly object to their student’s newfound faith?
How would those who oppose HB1431 feel about parental notification then?
Very different, I surmise.
The post HB1431 and the Logic of Parental Notification appeared first on Granite Grok.
Mark Wauck, Meaning in History: Something I Don't Get About The FBI's Alfa Bank Hoax Investigations
It looks like FBIHQ referred the Sussmann hoax material to the NYO—a logical step. NYO jumped all over the referral and within a day told FBIHQ that it looked like complete bullshit, but that there was some aspect that they were referring to FBI Chicago. That means that, as far as the NYO was concerned, the case was complete, except for a bit of tidying up by FBI Chicago. The NYO FFI would shortly be closed.
[...]
As things developed, FBI Chicago came to the same conclusion as the NYO, after independently examining the exact same data. The only difference is that FBI Chicago took a bit more time. In any event, that seems to have stymied FBIHQ.
If this is what happened, the implications are rather stunning. It would mean that Durham is very close to a major conspiracy case based on an abuse of investigative authority by the FBI/DoJ and involving the very top level of management.
Mark Wauck is a retired FBI agent.
Read the rest here.