Tuesday • May 24 • 2022
Vol.XIV • No.XXI
Manchester, N.H.
I wrote this 10 days ago and now we have the baby formula problem to add to the food shortages.
While I understand the importance of protecting our freedom of speech and the right to bear arms, we should be gravely concerned with outrageous energy prices and the “under the radar” war on our food supply.
Joe Biden, on his first day in office, signed executive orders destroying our energy independence, making the U.S. dependent on hostile foreign governments in the name of global warming. He sabotaged our energy needs and preeminence.
Driving down I-93 the other day I noticed the price of diesel gas was $6.25 per gallon. I thought about my recent road trip through six states to Delaware and how I encountered an endless stream of hero truck drivers keeping America fed and supplied with goods.
If the price of diesel fuel continues to escalate, as is the Biden Plan, the transportation of food and goods will be in great jeopardy shortly. Many of these truck drivers are independent and will soon find it economically impossible to bear the exorbitant cost of fuel. Who will replace them if they stop driving?
We want to thank Marie Bradley 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.
Now I’ve learned that 20 food processing plants in multiple states have been shut down due to suspicious fires, explosions, and animal destruction over the last two weeks. Additionally, the FBI’s cyber division issued a flash alert on 4/20/22 that “ransomware actors may be more likely to attack agricultural cooperatives during critical planting and harvesting seasons”.
When the food supply is already vulnerable, what is occurring is obviously suspicious and will lead to serious food shortages. This is not being reported by the mainstream media. Please read the article on “American Thinker” to learn more about the attacks on our food supply.
America as we’ve known it is being quickly destroyed by senile Biden and his puppet masters’ outrageous policies and inaction!
The post Diesel and Food appeared first on Granite Grok.
Americans ought to ask why the Biden Administration is moving to amend International Health Regulations (IHR) to give global unaccountable bureaucrats authority to license the Center for Disease Control to justify detaining American citizens?
Should Americans feel safe that these actions of far-off global government will act in the best interest of their health? George Orwell projected into the future how that Government will solve all our problems: “imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever.”
But, take heart! Our Christian Founding Fathers knew how the potential dangers of “treaties “ could compromise domestic law. So in their wise provision, they have provided a powerful tool to defend our Liberty from such infringements: “The Constitution is the solution.”
Within it there are blessings from their Biblical wisdom that tragically have been ignored by our leaders for well over a half-century. “Voting and trusting” has replaced this wisdom advocated by our founders: “ The Price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” State legislatures have a key role in harnessing such abusive rogue powers, ever-increasingly more since we joined the UN, that has threatened our People’s inherent rights.
We want to thank Russ Payne 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.
We, as citizens, must remind them they are bound to “Nullify” WHO’s power authorized by Article VI:
“This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States , shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any thing in the constitution or law of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.”
Notice these ingenious words defend the People of the several States from all Federal abuses of power by expressing the need for all “laws and treaties” to be made in “pursuance of the Constitution.”
The WHO is but another totalitarian tentacle of UN.
It isn’t by accident that this perversion of Article VI was ignored in 1945 by the major author of the UN Charter, Alger Hiss. He was its first Secretary-General and was also a major advisor to FDR at YALTA. Later, he was identified under oath as a Soviet agent. Since this UN treaty signing, first initiating the breaching of Constitutional limits by the UN , many UN agencies have usurped this power based on this perverted precedent. Without Constitutional limits being enforced, there is the potential for a 100% total government can increase.
As citizens today blessed with more freedom than any people who have ever walked the face of the earth, it is our generation’s turn to stand in the gap between freedom and slavery. Urge your State legislators to “Nullify” the World Health Organization’s (WHO) new Pandemic Treaty with the added amendments by the Biden Administration.
Let us use our freedom while there is still time, and for once prove Orwell’s prophetic words wrong by being a part of this call for action to defend our liberty through our State legislatures who are bound by oath to “Nullify” all federal abuse of power. Freedom is not free! A price must be paid for it in each generation.
For more information go to jbs.org.
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This week, the House met to agree (or not) on Senate amendments to House bills and set up Committees of Conference on those we want to either learn more or compromise between the House and Senate positions. SB 200, congressional redistricting, went to Committee of Conference, as expected.
My committee asked for a conference on HB 230, about child care licensing; the Senate made a number of changes and we want to go over them together. We agreed to Senate requests on SB 358, which was completely rewritten to revise the administrative rules process, and SB 313, where we added a new oversight committee for the office of professional licensure and made a number of other changes. All should be amicably resolved (I hope!)
There were very few debates; the only real one was on HB 1022, allowing pharmacists to dispense ivermectin by a standing order. The Senate had included a two-year sunset and a study commission; the debate was that ivermectin had not been proven to cure COVID. Well, no, but it has been proven to be safe to use, and if nothing else the placebo effect should be helpful. The House accepted the Senate changes, 157-148.
We want to thank NH State Rep Carol McGuire 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.
Most of the real action will be on the House bills the Senate loaded up with their pet positions. They had killed most of the House attempts to load up Senate bills, including SB 227, first responder death benefits with asset forfeiture reform; SB 299, increasing the penalty for escape plus cannabis legalization and home grow; SB 329, housing study commission with a revised procedure to override a local tax cap; SB 333, licensure of case management agencies, with a 7.5% state contribution to local retirement costs; and SB 438, “buy American” steel, with niche beauty services attached.
Representative Carol McGuire
carol@mcguire4house.com
The post NH State Rep Carol McGuire – Your State House 05/13/22: Winding Down appeared first on Granite Grok.
Ayup, we’ve been blogging a bit about his skills with people – Steve Tucker, the Curriculum Director reject from the Gilford School District is now, as word has come to me, 3-0 on managing and encouraging his School Principals working at Laconia’s Elementary Schools. Three for three…
…he encouraged them to quit. Leave. Vamoose. So what kind of hostile work environment has this petty, revengeful little man created such that ALL THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS have quit. In one year. Almost simultaneously.
Tara Beauchemin, formerly of the Elm Street School has just resigned. The reason? A little birdie told me because of Steven “I don’t know what the Scientific methodology is” Tucker.
So, dear reader, how BAD does a Superintendent have to be for three Principals, well beloved by their communities from what I’ve been told, up and leave?
And how BAD is Steve Tucker in LYING about Dave Levesque’s accepting a position in the Franklin School system? That Dave, who was watching the previous Tucker sponsored witch trial over Zoom, had to come in and confront Tucker for….what’s that going word…ah, yes….”misinformation. To correct the record – Dave had NOT accepted any such position.
Plainly speaking, Tucker lied. Which begs the question – how much has he lied in the past? And having lied, how much will he continue to lie in the future?
IMHO, Tucker was trying to cover his tracks “Oh, he landed nicely a couple of towns over”. So Dave’s PUBLIC hearing (Tucker wanted it non-public but Levesque used RSA 91-A to make it PUBLIC – bring lots of smoke and mirrors, Tucker!) is Wednesday, according to scuttlebutt. However, tomorrow is the next Laconia School Board meeting.
I also hear that the Board is starting to shift concerning Tucker – does he do a mean tap dance as well as he does in seeking retribution against employees that complained about Tucker’s hostile work environment? Shooting the messengers??
What about the others that you’ve been gunning for, Tucker? And what about that report?
The post Quick Thought – Laconia School District Superintendent Steve Tucker – such a MAHVALOUS Staff Manager, He is! appeared first on Granite Grok.
I should read it more often but I haven’t just yet. This post from there is from February and the numbers that will tilt to make SpaceX a more efficient, more cost-effective, and MUCH faster transport mechanisms have only continued to get better from it. What Brian Wang is postulating is that SpaceX’s StarShip, along with its mass-produced Raptor 2 rocket engines, may well put most aircraft manufacturers out of the Big Jet long haul biz both for passenger and cargo flights. It’s all about the payload, up-front and recurring costs, and turnaround times.
I’m not going to regurgitate and extremely detailed tabular data Wang has assembled outlining the costs of the “Heavy” jets but I would suggest that if you have the hankering of reviewing data, you should go and look. Instead, a few “narrative snippets (reformatted, emphasis mine). First the Summary:
I have some detailed calculations. Starship will double the payload capacity. Full fueling costs are about the same for the 1200 tons of fuel for Starship versus 50,000 gallons of jet fuel for a long-range cargo plane for each flight. However, twice payload means half the cost. Non-fuel costs for the vehicles and the frequency of flights are hugely in Starship favor. Starship should have twice the payload.
Starship starts off at half of the loaded cost per flight and four times cheaper per ton of payload and then will proceed to be ten to fifteen times cheaper. Plus they will have some initial new no competition markets for ultra-fast delivery.
About the “heavy” jet costs:
The average price for a pre-owned BOEING 787-8 is $175,000,000. A new 787 is about $300 million. A $87,500,000 loan over 120 months including $364583 per month in interest equates to a $4,387,575.02 per-period payment. Based on 450 annual owner-operated hours and $4.25-per-gallon fuel cost, the BOEING 787-8 has total variable costs of $4,056,300, total fixed costs of $532,500, and an annual budget of $4,588,800. This breaks down to $10,197 per hour. Currently, higher fuel costs push this towards $11,000 per hour…A fully fueled 747 costs about $280,000 per long flight. A A350 might be fully fueled for $170,000 per long flight.
And for Starship? The cost savings are almost immediate if a trip (passenger or freight) isn’t orbital – just go up high enough to then descend. And Musk’s folks have all of that stuff down to a “T” – minimal testing is required, IMHO.
Point to point SpaceX Starship (no heavy booster needed for non-orbital flights) will be able to carry 180-230 tons in payload. This about double the payload of the largest long haul airplanes. The cost for each Starship is currently about $30 million – made mostly of steel and with 6-9 Raptor engines. Raptor 2 engines are half of the cost of Raptor 1. SpaceX will mass-produce Raptor engines and targets engines costs getting down to $200,000 to $300,000 each. This would put the price of the SpaceX Starship as low as $3-5 million each. The SpaceX Starship is already 5 to 10 times cheaper than an airplane. The SpaceX Starship costs will become sixty to one hundred times cheaper.
That’s what happens when new tech is brought into an “established” industry – a new way of looking at a problem and then working towards it. This is a TOTAL disruption of the airline industry financial story.
…SpaceX Starships will be 20 times faster than current passenger aircraft. They will be able to have ten to twenty long-haul flights per day versus one to two long haul flights for passenger aircraft. This means more flights in a day to spread labor and other non-consumable costs.
…SpaceX will be start at four times lower cost per ton of cargo payload for earth-to-earth long distance delivery and then drop to ten to fifteen times cheaper.
Passenger flights for SpaceX Starship will be moving 1200-2000 people per flight. People will be seated like being strapped in for a roller coaster. The flights will be 30-45 minutes long and involve no food or restroom breaks. People will load, fly up and then unload. Again the costs of each flight will be reduced for each person because more people will be on each flight.
SpaceX will be able to bring costs down below $1000 per long haul ticket and then approach $300-500 per long half ticket.
And instead of the regular passenger cattle-call way of loading passengers on and then off, SpaceX will further use the idea of cargo containers that are loaded into a freight cargo jet for passengers as well:
I believe that the passenger compartments might be swapped in and out of each Starship using a Mechazilla.
A fast load in and out could then take less than a minute. The cargo or passenger section gets leisurely loaded and unloaded and then the section gets lifted in and lifted out.
So all the time necessary for cargo (passengers, freight) is spent “offline” while waiting for a StarShip land, being serviced for its next flight; that becomes the bottleneck instead of folks stowing their carry-on luggage and squeezing into their seats yielding even faster turnaround times.
I’d certainly try it!
The post Data Point – SpaceX Is about to Disrupt the Airline Industry appeared first on Granite Grok.
The alternate title for this post is America First Vs. America Last. There could not be two opinions or philosophies that are more diametrically opposed. Sovereignty Vs. Open Borders. Limited Government Vs. Central Government.
This administration is in no way committed to America First and is more concerned, as the Radical Left, with tearing down all borders and destroying our nation’s sovereignty.
Nationalism aligns with the Conservative sector of the Republican Party. Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan were prime examples of leaders committed to Nationalism and America First. These men and their followers drive the Left crazy and are accused of being isolationists with no concern for the global society. This accusation is based on a false belief. Nationalists believe that we have to have a sovereign country and a society in harmony at home before interacting outside our borders. The borders need to be secure, and the military equipped and ready to defend on all fronts. The economy must be sound and employment levels adequate to meet demand. Your trade balance must be in equilibrium, and your leaders must be strong enough to fend off threats from rogue regimes.
Nationalism celebrates our collective pasts and recognizes our faults and efforts to correct them. It is an acknowledgment that we are not perfect but strive to be the best we can, and most of all gives the freedom to allow each individual to excel to their highest levels. It is individual rights with a common goal of excellence for all. It is what we have sent our men and women to battle to fight for over two hundred and fifty years. It was the brainchild of a few men wise beyond their years who crafted documents that saw into the future, and we still live by today. It was called an experiment that has served generations well when allowed to work as designed. It is why people from all corners of the world have risked everything to come here and enjoy the American Dream.
On the other hand, Globalism strives to stifle individualism. It is the dream of Progressives who, by definition, are forward-thinking with no regard for the past. That is why those who aspire to this philosophy are so quick to destroy any records of our history. They do not want people to look back and relish in their path, but to only look to tomorrow and how all can unify as one. Personal achievement is of no importance, for it is only the success of the collective which is the priority. Borders mean nothing, for they denote a difference, which is antithetical to their plan. To look back is only to show how evil those who went before us were and how the new vision of the future is pure.
The irony is that though Progressives preach equality, it requires a certain few, the anointed, to guide the flock, and this is where the system breaks down. This is where you have the haves and the have-nots. Progressivism, or Globalism, is a two-tier model. This fact destroys the theory of DEIJ and shows it as a scam perpetrated on the many by a chosen few. There may be equality in the masses, but that does not apply to the elite who shall rule and reap the rewards from the efforts of their minions. This fault is why Globalism will never work. There are no incentives for the individual, and eventually, they will recognize their plight and turn on the leaders.
The biggest contradiction for Globalists is why with all of our faults, why with us being the worst Racists man could imagine, and why people die in their efforts to breach our borders with our oppressive ways. These global migrants have one dream: to be a part of our experiment, for it is still superior to any other on earth.
Ray Writes for GraniteGrok.com and the Liberty Loft
The post Nationalism vs. Globalism appeared first on Granite Grok.
Although I finished my previous post concerning the bad Customer Service experience we had, as well as emailing its contents to the two entities whose dreary jobs must be in handling complaints, late last night, I kinda figured that some kind of contact would be made by now. After all, one (that would be me) would be a mere anecdote. Two, the lady customer who also experienced the same problem, starts to think “perhaps there’s a real problem”.
However, no contact – no email, no call, no smoke signals. So I called them: 603-723-0864. Hit “0” when the automated attendent said “Customer complaints” and was routed to nice sounding lady, after hearing why I was calling, said she’d transfer me…and then promptly picked up again as the right person was in a meeting. Took my name, my phone, and I gave her my email address.
Then for giggles, told her that my email to them has probably now been seen by 8-10,000 people as I run the largest and most influential NH political blogsite. Kinda stunned silence at the other end.
Let’s see how long it now takes – although I’m heading out shortly to take the Grandson to a book faire.
To Be Continued – the case of “you can order your hamburger anyway you want but you can only order it in the way we allow you to“.
The post So McDonald’s Thinks It Can Force “Ordering Compliance”? The Follow Up – Part 1 appeared first on Granite Grok.
The year was 1992. It had been thirteen years since college graduation and the newly board-certified Urologic surgeon finally had achieved society’s green light to care for human beings. Thirty years later he had seen much of what the medical world could offer; surviving the journey by relying on his training, continued learning, and a time-tested medical method to solve complicated problems.
First, the chief complaint obtains the history from the patient, then a physical exam, and after appropriate objective data was obtained a diagnosis was made. It was then his responsibility, using the best evidence-based information, to treat the patient. He had seen what happened when a diagnosis was delayed or incorrect.
Delaying a diagnosis, or the wrong diagnosis led to the advancement of the disease often making treatment much more difficult and sometimes impossible. Sadly, the patient often made things harder by not being willing to accept their diagnosis.
Why do the progressive elite fear people like Elon Musk and Donald Trump?The usual answer is these folks cannot be controlled, but the real answer is Musk and Trump types can solve difficult problems progressive elites do not want solved.
We want to thank J Betti for this Op-Ed.
Please direct yours to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
Not being beholden to special interest, the need for power or the dogma of progressivism (think climate change, equity, and gender identification) these gifted individuals can use a version of the medical problem-solving approach to make a proper insightful diagnosis. Clearing the way for effective evidence-based treatment. Issues such as suppression of free speech and minority poverty along with its pernicious dependence on government can be addressed. Problems elite progressives need to keep unsolved in order to maintain power.
Elon MuskBorn to a Canadian mother and South African father Elon Musk’s rise to being the richest man on the planet in no way reflects the “Elites” of the world. Although he graduated from the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania, he never took the path of the typical Ivy League woke CEO.
Not constrained by woke corporate brainwashing and motivated only by wanting to do the right thing Musk probably used a decision process not much different from the standard medical technique. He made the diagnosis that the entire world was on the brink of losing “free speech.”
Realizing he was the only person with the resources to put a stop to worldwide woke propaganda, Musk bought Twitter.
To a mind like Musk’s, this was not something done in a capricious fashion. He did not like where the progressive elites were taking the world, knowing the end result would be the catastrophe of socialism. When Musk is done with the company, he will not only have saved the planet from an Orwellian future; Twitter will be even more profitable, and Musk’s massive wealth will once again expand.
The Progressive elites are beside themselves with anger. Losing their ability to suppress free speech and the inevitable exposition of the media/Democratic Party’s coordinated suppression of Hunter Biden’s laptop/Biden family corruption will be a brutal blow to progressive power.
Donald J TrumpDuring the ramp-up to the 2016 Presidential election one of Donald Trump’s most famous quotes was asking the black community; “what the hell do you have to lose.” With this one statement, Trump showed he had gone through the necessary decision process and diagnosed the disease which is pandemic in the black community. For the last 50 years, they had listened to the little progressive devil on their shoulder whispering the lie that assimilating into America’s culture and chasing the American dream was bad, and it was white systemic racism that kept them down.
After Trump was elected, he did something no other president ever accomplished. Criminal justice reform was enacted and paradoxically Joe Biden’s signature legislation, which placed massive numbers of blacks in penitentiaries, was partially reversed. Trump permanently funded Traditional Black Colleges.
Ben Carson, his HUD Secretary, pioneered enterprise zones. Trump’s economy was so strong black unemployment dropped to the lowest on record. For the first time Blacks could see hope. Sadly, the virus came, and George Floyd died under the foot of a white policeman. The progressives jumped on the opportunity to enrage the black community and Trump’s Black Renaissance was destroyed.
Fifteen months after Joe Biden took officeThe black community is no longer striving to achieve. They have been told because of systemic racism they are owed “Equity” and do not have to earn their place in society. Universal standards of excellence have been abandoned because progressives say race is all that matters.
Math is racist and 2+2 does not equal 4. Proper use of the English language is racist. Pointing out the breakdown of the black family and the fact that 70% of black children are raised in fatherless homes is racist. Standardized tests are racist.
The easy way out is to blame someone else for your lot in life and the progressives are right there to reinforce the toxic false systemic racism equity narrative, and then gleefully harvest the black vote.
If the patient (in this case the affected minority group) does not accept their true diagnosis treatment is impossible. Until black leaders accept the true diagnosis, that much of their plight is black culture driven and then call out the self-serving progressives for their part in encouraging the corrosive culture, it is only going to get worse.
Cognitively impaired President BidenBiden lacks the capacity to methodically analyze the big problems America faces. The people around Biden and the majority of progressive lawmakers have perverted the diagnosis process in favor of their personal woke agenda and their failed treatment results are plain for all to see.
The border is now overrun with illegal immigrants, human trafficking, and smuggling of American-youth killing fentanyl is a daily occurrence. Ukraine is on fire; the stock market is in free fall with inflation destroying retired folk’s savings. Our cities are war zones. Food shortages loom Think baby formula) and the cost of energy/living is soaring. In short, President Biden and his progressives do not possess the skills or refuse to deal with objective reality in order to make the correct diagnosis and institute an evidence-based treatment.
In order to save AmericaThe 2022 elections need to be a Republican landslide. But all this will accomplish is to slow America’s progressive induced decline. In 2024 we need to elect a President with the strength and character to ignore the power-hungry special interest/woke progressives and put America first.
Solving the difficult problems facing America requires empathy for the inevitable hardships that will come with the needed treatment. Despite these hardships, the new President’s resolve in the face of the painful treatments must be unwavering because there is no easy way out {Think President Lincoln}. The longer the delay in diagnosis and treatment, the more painful the remedy will be, and many of these problems have been festering for generations.
The person who rises to this very high bar has yet to surface but clearly cannot come from the progressive camp. When this person wins the 2024 presidency America will finally move from the malpractice of President Biden’s administration to a place of a correct diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. And once again become the shining light on the hill, the land of opportunity with equal justice and liberty for all.
2022 is here! Vote!! And 2024 is right around the corner!!!
JBetti can be read on his Substack and the Newsletter is free at Jamesabetti.substack.com
The post America is Suffering from Political Malpractice appeared first on Granite Grok.
They’re flying so thick and fast it is amazing. And take heart – there will be a Meme Overflow and I will back-edit to include the link.
Remember, ridicule and mockery are effective weapons:
1. Ridicule cannot easily be fought
2. Ridicule makes the enemy angry, and angry people make mistakes
3. For those in the “squishy middle” a Thought Splinter (and Part II and Part III) can often be hidden inside humor. And I’m working on Thought Splinters IV among a couple of other essays, but they’re not ready yet.Now, let the mockery and mayhem begin.
*** Warning, a few possibly off-color ones, in case tender eyes are about ***
>>>>>=====<<<<<
>>>>>=====<<<<<
My favorite for this batch.
See you tomorrow for the overflow.
The post MONDAY MEMES appeared first on Granite Grok.
Last week, the Grandson had to have a tooth removed (lower front as his permanent tooth had erupted behind that baby tooth) and a couple of cavities filled. TMEW promised him that later on that day, we’d take him to McDonald’s. Well, that didn’t happen as he, like many kids his age, bit his lower lip. Several times, as the case turned out, due to the numbness of the area. It blew up so bad that we took him back to the dentist the next morning. “Normal” we were told and he was much better than a lot of the kids who had had the same procedure.
Anyways, this post isn’t about the Grandson, the two teeth that actually got extracted (same condition, the other side), his first visit from the Tooth Fairy (yeah, inflation got invoked when she waved that magic wand), or even the size of his lip or how awful it looked (he’s fine, now – it’ll be completely healed in a few more days) – it’s about the treatment by the MacDonald’s in Laconia, NH we endured when we went to honor the promise we had made.
And THAT’s when the problems started. So, I decided to play by their rules and let the young lady’s manager’s manager’s manager know of what transpired – and the lady customer that came in after me as well.
So here is the email I sent both to the manager’s manger’s manager – the first email is what she gave me and the second was what was on the “Complaint Sign” taped to an outside door:
—— Original Message ——
From: “Skip” <Skip@granitegrok.com>
To: bos.1693@us.stores.mdc.com; macdonaldsfeedback@hotmail.com
Sent: 5/15/2022 11:54:15 PM
Subject: Today’s experience at your McDonalds in Laconia, NHDear Mykle and “MacDonalds Feedback”,
Yes, I’ll go along with this charade as the DNS for us.stores.mdc.com doesn’t resolve (even though I was told by the manager on duty you are the person to complain to and that you are the “contact to corporate”). As to the second email address, I would have imagined that an actual commercial entity, the size of even one MD store, would be using an actual domain name and not a mere hotmail.com domain. That said, let me continue.
So this afternoon, The Most Esteemed Wife and I took our Grandson to your store in Laconia to honor a promise to him made before his dentist appointment a few days ago (it was clear, right after the appointment, that had been a rather silly idea at the time). Upon walking in, we went to the traditional register station and began to wait for a warm body to appear on the other side of the counter – that was not going to happen.
I was then summoned to your automated kiosk by one of your young lady employees who told me I had to use the kiosk to order our meals – like it or not. It was mandatory to use the kiosks and that the traditional registers were not be used. When I complained, I was told, as if I was the age of my Grandson, that using the traditional stations were verboten (my choice of word – I’m betting she would not have that in her vocabulary). If I felt uncomfortable, she condescendingly said she would operate it for me – and then smiled as if I was some dufus just off the street.
I informed her that operating them was not going to be a mechanical issue – I spent 40 years in the computer industry and hold an MS in Computer Science. I just didn’t want to use it with the registers behind me. She said that the kiosks were there due to staffing issues and she’d be happy to click in our orders. I said this was rather poor customer service in being forced to use them.
To be honest, I then angrily started to punch in our order – first TMEW’s and then the Grandson. Then the Good Lord above decided to make life hilarious. Not for that young lady but for me. You see, I wanted the breakfast sausage burrito for my late lunch. Having already scanned the kiosk’s menu, I knew that they weren’t there (I used to design user interfaces years ago) so I knew what the next step had to be.
Your employee certainly didn’t. And she spent a few minutes “in waste” and finally announced, after fumbling around the menu system, that she would complete our order…
…at the traditional register station behind us. Yes, I said “I knew we’d be back here” having already figured it out as the “BREAKFAST” option on the Left Sidebar was not present so why did you waste our time? She punched my burritos in and I paid – a second time:
(Kiosk and Register)
After payment, I asked to talk to her manager. She, in turn smiled a lot but continued the patter that I SHOULD be using the kiosk because they don’t have the staff to both take my order and then make it. I guess she thought she was being amusing and cutsie – “See, I can’t be MAKING your order if I’m taking it, that’s why we have the kiosks that you should be using. And I can’t take orders through the drive through at the same. So, the kiosks are easier for everyone!”.
Except for the tremendous hassle for simply wanting two breakfast sausage burritos. That weren’t on the kiosk menu. She was rather unbelieving when I mentioned the word “choice” and “Customer Service” in the same breath. The impression that she gave was that I was to do what I was being told to do – and like the experience. Except I hated it. And she simply ignored it.
Truth is – I hated it then and I’m hating hating it even more as I type this. Unfortunately, I think I enjoyed writing my missive about the T-Bones manager who couldn’t get my Prime Rib order correct after sending it back to the kitchen 5 times – much more humor involved. This, not so much. I guess with the higher price on the Prime Rib, there was more room for hilarity. I next saw that manager next door – demoted to Friendly’s. I guess corporate enjoyed my missive – they made multiple attempts to “make it up to me”. I refused them all.
So, all in all, in an attempt to save both time and money, your company failed at both – in taking MORE time to do what should have been done correctly the first time IF I had been allowed to choose without coercion, thus costing you more in wages in time spent. And costing you a 4 decade long customer as well; there are other “choices” in the area.
And if you think I was the only one, not three minutes after we were served, ANOTHER customer came in and started to complain about having to use the kiosk – she refused to. At that point, I spoke up and said to that lady customer, about my age,: “You go, girl – I just went through all this as well. Very poor Customer Service”. She thanked me for speaking up – and announced that she’d never be back as well.
Same employee that “served” me and the lady made it clear she was rather unhappy – at us.
The other customer came over and we spoke for a few moments. She recognized the website that was on my cap and asked my name. I told her and that the website is the largest and most influential political blogsite in NH. She smiled and said that her brother, who was outside, really liked the site. I had the chance to chat with him after I took a snap of your sign:
Still incredulous about the email address: McDonaldsFeedBack@hotmail.com. Anyways, now you know my complaint – very poor Customer Service and condescending attitudes. However, I dryly point out that YOU, upper management, have put them into this position so YOU folks are the ones ultimately at fault – your employees were put into that situation while you don’t have to suffer the consequences of your decisions or policies.
Oh, by the way: I always ask for the hot sauce packets, which I can always get at any other MacDonald’s – except for yours that only stocks the mild stuff. Why is that?
OH, by the way – the new interior construction is rather sterile – the previous renovation was much more inviting and cozy feeling even if it had little use due to COVID.
You got rooked.
And today, so did I.
-Skip
Skip Murphy
Co-Founder, co-owner
GraniteGrok.com | Skip@GraniteGrok.com
Dominating the political Bandwidth in New Hampshir
Oh, and this:
If ALL customers HAVE to use the kiosks, WHY are there so many “Table Tents” ready to go at the traditional register stations if customers are required to use the kiosks?
Oh, and that lady customer’s brother is a big reader of GraniteGrok – hopefully we supply far better customer service than McDonald’s did today.
The post So McDonald’s Thinks It Can Force “Ordering Compliance”? appeared first on Granite Grok.
When Doug and I started GraniteGrok, things were fine and dandy as we were blogging about State and National level issues (for the most part). Then we discovered that wasn’t holding water any more as we found, under the rubric of “What’s happening in our town is happening in yours”, we took a look backwards and saw that we were doing more Gilford politics than not. Figuring that folks might not like that emphasis, we started our first “MicroGrok” (even as we didn’t think of it in that fashion) in starting GilfordGrok. We now announce that it is growing up: LakesRegionGrok.
It worked for several years and was quite popular as we reported what we saw (and what a lot of the good ole boys wished we hadn’t). However, over time, Doug had left and I finished my 3rd (and last term) on the Budget Committee and it fell into disuse – and I deleted it (wished I hadn’t, in retrospect). Then “stuff” started back up and I recreated it.
But folks from other town surrounding our hamlet asked if they could put things up; politics and culture started to heat up. Gunstock Mountain Resort, Gunstock Area Commission, Gilford Schools (Superintendent Kirk Beitler, Critical Race Theory, Policy JBAB), Laconia Schools (yes, Superintendent Steve Tucker, along with the same issues, add a sense of entitlement and a bad sense that he could met out retribution to employees that oppose him)…..things were expanding beyond Gilford.
So GilfordGrok, as of last week, is now LakesRegionGrok – all of that content has been moved over. Now, we can service an expanded area, hopefully expanding coverages by interested folks, and if so moved, some new writers. If you live in the greater Lakes Region (or an interest in it) and are unhappy with how the Liberal (snicker) are treating you on the “inclusive” Facebook Community pages (under whatever name), we have a home for you.
For more information, email me at Skip@GraniteGrok.com!
Oh yeah, if someone wants to create a logo and suggest a tagline, I’m willing to look and listen!
The post Announcement: GilfordGrok is now LakesRegionGrok! appeared first on Granite Grok.
Supply chain issues are mounting, exacerbated by numerous policy choices going back years, but that’s too much detail. You can’t be expected to understand that. Besides, The Net-Zero Intelligence Left has chosen to blame climate change.
Salon wants you to understand the answer to a crucial question but it’s not the one you think. Here’s the answer.
The product shortages are caused by the fact that most of our goods are transported across long distances to be used for manufacturing, sold or otherwise utilized. Imagine a giant spiderweb stretching all across the planet. Like a baseball smashing through each strand, unexpected problems can destroy key routes that allow our supply chains to operate.
That is why climate change in particular is expected to lead to many more product shortages. Dr. Thomas Goldsby, a professor of supply chain management at the University of Tennessee — Knoxville’s Haslam College of Business, tells Salon that volatile and unpredictable weather patterns will fundamentally change our economy.
The rest of the piece is rehashed AGW talking points, and that’s important because of the question (emphasis, mine).
As the economy continues to falter, the name of the game is product shortages. Supply chain disruptions have left grocery store shelves bare, forced gamers to suffer console and headset shortages and led to microchip shortages across the electronics industry. Higher prices for consumer goods are partly a result of such shortages. Now that Republicans are drawing attention to a baby food shortage, the question seems to have been politicized: Should the supply chain issues be blamed on the party which holds power?
Should the Supply chain issues be blamed on the party in power?
Nowhere after that point does Salon state the obvious (for Salon). Yes, if it’s republicans. If Republicans were in power, it would be entirely their fault, so everything that follows that question is a lie.
Your expert commentary and the spun-up or fake states from the climate echo chamber are all BS. If Republicans were in power, shortages would be their fault. High gas prices, Vlad, Ukraine, everything would be placed at the feet of “the party in power.
But Democrats are in power, and Global Supply Chain and Global Warming both have global in them. “Winner!”
It is then a simple leap to connect them and impress upon people that both are real and that Democrats can’t help it. But the truth is quite different. The Democrats invented global warming as an excuse to take over the economy. And this is what happens to an economy when they do.
It’s not the first time Democrat Socialists have wrecked an economy, but it might be the last unless we blame the party in power.
So, let’s make sure we do that because they earned it.
HT | RCS
The post Salon Blames Baby Formula Shortage on Climate Change To Avoid Telling the Truth appeared first on Granite Grok.
The New Hampshire School Board Association has bailed on its policy JBABA, the transgender guidance proposed to NH districts a few years back, leaving districts facing lawsuits in the lurch. That would be SAU16 (Exeter), SAU37 (Manchester), and SAU73 (Gilford).
Interesting.
Over and over again, I was told that Policy JBAB was a direct result of the passage of the Democrat-sponsored bill, SB263 (below), back in 2019 (and signed by Gov. Chris Sununu). It added gender identity to the “protected class” of people and I’ll come back to that in a few minutes.
As you may know, I brought suit against the Gilford School Board over JBAB for two things: Coercive Speech (anyone on school grounds MUST use “preferred pronouns” contra the US and NH Constitutions, as well as demanding that their staff LIE to Parents about the transgender status of their child.
Well, fellow Grokster Ann Marie Banfield put in a Right To Know/RSA 91-A demand to the NH School Board Association (emphasis mine):
Pursuant to the Right to Know Law (RSA, 91-1), I am requesting public access, within 5 business days, to the governmental records:
1) A copy of all correspondence from the New Hampshire School Boards Association to school administrators and/or board members in New Hampshire referencing board policy JBAB from September of 2021 until today. This would include emails, directives, policy recommendations, press releases or any other form of written communication.
Per RSA 91-A:4IV(C) If you deny any portion of this request, please cite the specific exemption used to justify the denial to make each record, or part thereof, available for inspection along with a brief explanation of how the exemption applies to the information withheld.
Please let me know when these records are available for inspection or you may email the records to me at Banfieldannmarie@gmail.com.
Thank you for your lawful attention to this matter.
While NHSBA Exec. Dir. Barret Christina protested (but only a bit) that the NHSBA is a private entity, he did send some documents which Ann Marie shared with me. One was labeled “NHSBA Spring 2022 Policy Updates” and had this in the Table of Contents which NATURALLY caught my eye:
Special Statement Concerning Former Sample JBAB ………………………………………………. 4
Let me give you, IMHO, the real short Executive Summary: Oh Crap! Captain, full Cover Our A$$e$ mode! Emphasis mine
Special Statement Concerning Removal of Former Sample JBAB
In February 2022, NHSBA removed former optional sample policy JBAB – Transgender & Non-Conforming Students from its sample policy database. Sample JBAB was released in 2015 after NHSBA received requests for such a sample from multiple NHSBA member districts.
Since 2015, when NHSBA first made sample optional policy JBAB available in the NHSBA policy database, the legal protections based upon gender identify and the legal landscape relating to gender identity has changed in several important ways. The two most significant developments are:
1. In 2020, the United States Supreme Court decided the case of Bostock v. Clayton County. That case concerned employee protections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,. In its opinion the Court stated: “It is impossible to discriminate against a person for being … transgender without discriminating … based on sex.” Bostock v. Clayton Co., 500 U.S. ___ (2020). Although the Bostock decision specifically concerned Title VII, education attorneys and legal commentators throughout the country believe that the rationale in that case extends equally to Title IX of the Education Acts of 1972, which prohibits discrimination against any person “based on sex” relative to any “education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
This was about a gay man working for the Government who started to play in a gay softball league and was fired for being gay. It said NOTHING about preferred pronouns / Coerced Speech / Canceling Freedom of Speech and NOTHING about lying to Parents about the transgender status of their child. It had nothing to do with Gender Identity but, as you see above, transgender/legal activists decided to run with it as if it did.
2. In 2019, New Hampshire passed RSA 193:38, providing in part: “No person shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in public schools because of their … sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, ….”
Although it appears clear from the Bostock decision and RSA 198:38 that discrimination of a student or employee based upon gender identity/status is unlawful, what those authorities mean, and what constitutes prohibited discrimination, are still open questions. There are a myriad of issues concerning transgender protections in public schools currently being litigated in New Hampshire and throughout the country. Disputed issues include athletic participation, directed pronoun usage, parent right to information, student privacy, and others.
Note the couching of the language that the NHSBA tries to foist off on School Boards: while Bostock was about sexual orientation, the NHSBA left “that arena” and immediately flipped and entered “the transgender arena” – with no intervening law. It’s like what the Left has done – redefining “gender” (which historically was just a more genteel Victorian way of talking about “sex”) to be about “identity”. Is being homosexual now a gender identity, in support of yet another political agenda item that the NHSBA is pushing, or a sexual attraction one?
Can’t have it both ways, can they?
Again, see SB263 below – tell me, upon a plain reading of the actual words, do you see “preferred pronouns”? Or “we can now lie to parents”? So, let me give you a better translation of the bolded words above. After all, they sound so innocuous, don’t they?
…Right after Jeanine Onos, Chair of the Board, made it clear that if you have any questions or concerns, we are to ask the school Administrators. OK, you set the New Rules, I just followed it to the letter.
NHSBA sample policy AC includes the prohibition against discrimination based upon gender identity. However, that policy does not in and of itself provide guidance to school staff or students about how that prohibition is achieved. Former JBAB included a multitude of provisions local districts could consider in the effort to protect against unlawful discrimination based upon gender identity. However, NHSBA believes that the unsettled in this area of law, indicates that local boards should seek advice from private counsel to determine the best course of action in their respective districts to meet the legal requirements and minimize litigation exposure. This suggestion extends to Districts which have previously adopted sample JBAB or other policies addressing protection against discrimination based upon gender identity.
They realize that they’ve now been Mike Tyson’d: “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
The problem is that they lined up several School Districts to get the punch in the mouth instead of themselves. Now they are running away from what they’ve done knowing Tyson is coming for them?
The above is just GREAT! Notice how carefully they just shoved the legal responsibility from themselves onto the School Districts. They wrote it, they have attorneys on staff to vet what they wrote, they publicized the Policy, they have given advice about it to multiple Districts and NOW they are effectively telling Districts:
Sayonara – You’re on your own with this! Good luck!
They are to rely on their own (mostly, IMHO) scumbag Ed lawyers on this? They know that the legal mud is flying toward the automated air recycling device on the ceiling and they are now running away as fast as they can.
My counsel to my school board would be to sue the NHSBA. Tackle them, be those Lilliputians that tie down “NHSBA Gulliver,” and have your way with them.
SB263:
SB 263 – AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
03/28/2019 1141s
03/28/2019 1290s
8May2019… 1690h
2019 SESSION
19-0995
08/05
SENATE BILL 263
AN ACT relative to anti-discrimination protection for students in public schools.
SPONSORS: Sen. Sherman, Dist 24; Sen. Fuller Clark, Dist 21; Sen. Hennessey, Dist 5; Sen. Levesque, Dist 12; Sen. Rosenwald, Dist 13; Sen. D’Allesandro, Dist 20; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Rep. Cannon, Straf. 18; Rep. M. Smith, Straf. 6; Rep. Altschiller, Rock. 19; Rep. Janvrin, Rock. 37; Rep. Ley, Ches. 9
COMMITTEE: Judiciary
—————————————————————–
AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill creates a cause of action for persons injured by discrimination in public schools.
This bill also creates a cause of action for the attorney general in cases of discrimination in public schools.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
03/28/2019 1141s
03/28/2019 1290s
8May2019… 1690h 19-0995
08/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nineteen
AN ACT relative to anti-discrimination protection for students in public schools.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Subdivision; Discrimination in Public Schools. Amend RSA 193 by inserting after section 37 the following new subdivision:
Discrimination in Public Schools
193:38 Discrimination in Public Schools. No person shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in public schools because of their age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, marital status, familial status, disability, religion, or national origin, all as defined in RSA 354-A. Any person claiming to be aggrieved by a discriminatory practice prohibited under this section, including the attorney general, may initiate a civil action against a school or school district in superior court for legal or equitable relief, or with the New Hampshire commission for human rights, as provided in RSA 354-A:27-28.
193:39 Discrimination Prevention Policy Required. Each school district and chartered public school shall develop a policy that guides the development and implementation of a coordinated plan to prevent, assess the presence of, intervene in, and respond to incidents of discrimination on the basis of age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, marital status, familial status, disability, religion, national origin, or any other classes protected under RSA 354-A.
2 New Subdivision; Opportunity for Public Education Without Discrimination a Civil Right. Amend RSA 354-A by inserting after section 26 the following new subdivision:
Opportunity for Public Education Without Discrimination a Civil Right
354-A:27 Opportunity for Public Education Without Discrimination a Civil Right. No person shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in public schools because of their age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, marital status, familial status, disability, religion or national origin, all as defined in this chapter.
354-A:28 Procedure on Public School Complaints.
I. Any person claiming to be aggrieved by a discriminatory practice prohibited under RSA 354-A:27 may initiate a civil action in superior court against a school or school district for legal or equitable relief, or file a complaint with the commission as provided in RSA 354-A:21. The attorney general may also initiate such a civil action in superior court or by complaint with the commission.
II. Any complaint filed with the commission pursuant to paragraph I shall comply with and be subject to the procedures outlined in this chapter, with the exception that such complaints may be removed to superior court at any time in compliance with RSA 508:4
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
The post School Board Assoc. “Bails” on Transgender Policy – Abandons Districts Facing Lawsuits from Parents appeared first on Granite Grok.
I don’t know how many “takes” it took but this ‘mom’ looks like a natural as she gives us a spot-on street reporter news update “Live from outside her son’s bedroom,” on an “Incident at the Olive Garden.”
It sounds to me like she could do this for a living. It’s funny while still looking exactly like you’d expect.
HT | iFunny.co
The post Mom “Reporter” Live Outside Her 2-Year Olds Bedroom appeared first on Granite Grok.
I am not a fan of outgoing White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. She was condescending and arrogant. She lacked credibility for someone who claimed to represent the most transparent administration in history, and her comments were often rebuked. She often gave the impression that she was not the spokesperson but was calling the shots. To circle back, I will not miss our daily dose of Jen Psaki, and she has found an appropriate landing spot at MSNBC.
Enter Karine Jean-Pierre. JP moves up from the assistant role to take the podium on the main stage. She has been there as a fill-in and, in my opinion, has not earned her promotion. She does not have command of the position of the President across the spectrum of issues, and “circle-back” will be her best move.
The Biden team is not a good administration to be the front person. The approval ratings are abysmal, and many of the President’s positions are not aligned with public sentiment. The one thing Karine will have in her favor is a soft media group that continues to cheerlead for the President. This advantage may be short-lived as the mainstream media appears to be stepping up their game as continuing their blind support for a failing President is not a successful or profitable position.
I found it offensive, but in line with this administration’s MO, when Jean-Pierre was introduced as the new Press Secretary, there was no mention of her credentials or fitness for the job. Instead, there was an emphasis on the number of boxes Karine checked. Black, check. Female, check. Gay, double-check!. Diversity, not excellence, is key to Biden and the country loses again.
One of the biggest lies continually pushed by Psaki was how accessible Biden is to the media. Her claim that Biden speaks openly once, if not twice, per day is not valid. Biden has fewer press conferences than any of his predecessors, and when he does speak, it usually requires staff to clean up quickly. Biden’s performance dispels any thought that this administration is transparent.
So, where do we stand now? We have a failing President and now an incompetent Press Secretary. We have continued to claim that America deserves better, but at this point, we have to lower our expectations. That is something we should never have to do when talking about the President of the United States, but it has become necessary. Whether it is Mayor Pete, AG Garland, Mayorkas, or any of the cabinet speaking to the press or before Congress, their credibility is always called into question. Three Pinocchios is a typical score for Team Biden. Harris is not exempt. When Joe lets her out, she is a quarantined embarrassment and fodder for FOX News. If there is one consistency we can expect from our Executive Branch, it is incompetence which explains how we have lost all traction gained under Trump in just fifteen months. The unanswered question is how low Biden can drag us.
This article was first published on The Liberty Loft thelibertyloft.com
The post New Post-Psaki Era is Not Good News appeared first on Granite Grok.
Not too long ago I was sitting in a regular meeting of a regional Republican committee, listening to (mostly older) people talk about how schools have changed over the years — since they were in school, and since their kids were in school. One guy said that when his kids wanted to play baseball or football, he had to pay for their uniforms, help pay for travel, and so on. Someone asked him:
“What if you couldn’t afford it?”
“Then they didn’t play. You know, that was just tough sh!t. It’s just life. I knew that, and they knew that.”
I then half-jokingly suggested that perhaps someone should introduce a ‘Tough Sh!t Act’ in the next legislative session, to remind everyone that just because you can’t afford something that you think would be nice, that doesn’t justify forcing other people to buy it for you. It’s just part of life and always has been.
It’s interesting to think about how such a statute would be phrased. I guess this is where Legislative Services would come in handy. But it might look something like
AN ACT relative to the improper use of taxes.
ANALYSIS
This bill prohibits the use of taxes to pay for non-essential goods and services.
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Three
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
Recognizing that it is a normal condition of life for people to want things they can’t afford, and that a desire does not constitute a need, no RSA may authorize the use of money raised by taxes to pay for non-essential goods and services, including but not limited to non-academic school programs, post-secondary education, recreational facilities, and elective medical procedures or prescriptions; and any RSA that makes or relies on such authorization is hereby repealed.
Effective Date. This act shall take effect 1 minute after its passage.
I wouldn’t expect this to pass — and if it did pass, I wouldn’t expect it to survive the judiciary, which would declare that high school football is an ‘academic program’, that braces and birth control are not ‘elective’, and so on.
But wouldn’t it be fun to question the people who would show up to oppose it, and see what kinds of ‘arguments’ they would come up with?
The post The Tough Sh!t Act appeared first on Granite Grok.
Each Sunday, I want to take a step away from daily politics and focus on someone who has done extraordinary things or who we may need to know a little better. This week’s focus is on Tulsi Gabbard.
Gabbard is a former Congresswoman from Hawaii and an Iraq War Veteran. She is the first female war veteran to run for President of the United States. Tulsi had many disadvantages in 2020. She was from Hawaii, which made her little known in a very crowded field of Democrats. She was overshadowed by Mazie Hirono, a far-left Senator from the island state. She was the only moderate Democrat in a field of Progressives pushing each other to the left. She had a calm, measured voice of reason.
She struck fear in the Democrat Party, prompting Hillary Clinton to attack her, claiming the Russians were grooming Gabbard as an asset. The claim was absurd but enough to destroy the candidacy of the young upstart Gabbard. Gabbard sued Clinton for defamation but later dropped the suit. She stood out in the debates as someone with strong opinions from the middle of the road.
Gabbard forfeited her seat in Congress to concentrate on her Presidential run and now has more questions than answers about her political future, if there is one. She has been a complicated person to pigeonhole into a particular philosophy, and suffice to say, she was one of the most independent members of Congress.
Tulsi may be out of politics now, but she is not silent. She is a Democrat though her party and media wing hold her at bay. She is not today’s Democrat, and I have thought for some time that she aligns more to the center/right than the left. She is a frequent contributor on FOX News and appears with Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity. Her conversations with these two are always congenial and meaningful. Not to say that is unusual for a Democrat, but she comes to the air with facts and not emotion, which is unusual. It is also refreshing.
Miss Gabbard can give a multifaceted opinion on various topics. As a woman, veteran, and former member of Congress, she examines the many sides of an issue. She recently spoke of her concern about Russia resorting to nuclear weapons out of frustration in not being able to overthrow Ukraine quickly. She believes the conflict could have been avoided if the Biden administration had acted preemptively instead of taking its typical proactive approach.
She has a problem with the formation of a Disinformation Board and calls the Biden administration authoritarian and overbearing. She also refers to Biden as a dictatorship that is not looking to resolve the Ukraine conflict but to destroy Putin and Russia.
Tulsi Gabbard’s political future is unclear. She is too liberal for Republicans and too conservative for Democrats. That sounds like the type of person we need in public office. We do not need more divisiveness in our country but more of a movement towards the center by both sides. Should that ever happen, both parties will find Tulsi already there, waiting to get this country back on track. In the meantime, I look forward to hearing more from this patriot on FOX News, where she has found a platform that welcomes her views.
Ray Writes for GraniteGrok.com and the Liberty Loft
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The post Sunday Spotlight: Tulsi Gabbard appeared first on Granite Grok.
My recent post about the latest Ukraine grift, the House passing … over the “no” votes of ONLY 57 Republicans … $40 billion MORE to go into that Black Hole known as aid-to-Ukraine, has generated some interest.
Since I drafted that post, Senator Rand Paul procedurally blocked the quickie vote sought by Schumer and McConnell:
My oath of office is to the U.S. Constitution, not to any foreign nation. Congress is trying yet again to ram through a spending bill – one that I doubt anyone has actually read – and there’s no oversight included into how the money is being spent.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) May 13, 2022
The vote, I believe, is scheduled for next week.
If … IF … Chuck Morse and Kevin Smith were America-First Republicans, they would be opposing this bill and hammering Hassan for supporting it.
Ukraine does not need another penny in military aid. Ukraine already … thanks to the billions worth of state-of-the-art weaponry already provided by the United States and NATO …undeniably has achieved military superiority over Russia … a country whose military, as I have previously noted, is obsolescent and hollow.
This latest bill is gratuitous overkill:
Putting the 43 billion for Ukraine into context pic.twitter.com/dK9oW2pS8V
— Darren J. Beattie (@DarrenJBeattie) May 13, 2022
And it is obscene, given that our country is experiencing a baby formula shortage.
But crickets … CRICKETS … from Chuck and Kevin.
Evidently, they agree with Senator Hassan and the UNI-PARTY that we need regime change in Russia … no matter what the cost in Ukrainian and Russian lives, and no matter the economic cost to the American people … so the globalists can swoop in and exploit its and Ukraine’s natural resources.
The post Chuck and Kevin Are Giving Hassan a Free Pass on the Ukraine Grift appeared first on Granite Grok.
First, remember I am merely an “enlightened amateur” as far as anything survival goes. Please vet & check on your own. Consider these to be priming the pump for your own investigations.
Second, the hour is late and I fear bad times are imminent, but even a month of food, water, etc., puts you well ahead of most of the sheeple. IMHO, set your minimum sights on a three-month period.
Third, two things will be critical for having the best chance of making it through:
Fourth, as you read here, note that I present an aggregation of articles that I think are interesting, but I do not have time to vet them. Caveat emptor.
Note: I’d wanted to be at the Grok meetup, but one of my kids is sick with the flu. For the past few days, walking around in stores, etc., it seemed like every third kid or so was coughing, sneezing, etc. Guess it landed in our household. Not worth my salt as a dad if I left home. I do intend to be at the next one, whenever & wherever it is…
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I was rereading my essay Rome, er, America and saw that I had this quote at the top. True.
“The worst thing about living in the declining era of a great civilization is knowing that you are.”
– Robert Heinlein
Related:
I wish the resemblance weren’t so close…
>>>>>=====<<<<<
New Feature – main URLs of various prepper sites, to grow as I find new ones. Most have daily articles. Please recommend others in the comments.
Ask a Prepper, how to prepare, survive and thrive, latest news
Mother Earth News
The Organic Prepper Home – The Organic Prepper
SurvivalBlog.com – The Daily Web Log for Prepared Individuals Living in Uncertain Times.
SHTF Blog – Modern Survival
And two aggregate sites listing their top favorite sites:
TOP 50 SURVIVAL & PREPPER BLOGS
The 50 Best Survival Blogs
>>>>>=====<<<<<
Short of years of preparation and untold wealth, you cannot possibly be fully prepared for everything. But even some preparations, ideally at least 90 days of food, water / water purification, etc., puts you head and shoulders in front of the vast majority of the sheeple who will be in jaw-gaping astonishment when the SHTF. The only relevant questions are:
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As I watch open calls from the Left to become violent – whether over abortion or other things – let me remind them:
I can think of a few people for my “Personal Accountability List”…
>>>>>=====<<<<<
Top of the fold:
Victory Day in the Motherland – The Burning Platform
Countdown to WWIII
Pushing-pushing-pushing Russia into a corner.
A U.S. Policy Of ‘Bleeding Russia’ In Ukraine Is Reckless In The Extreme (thefederalist.com)
Get ready. In my mind related:
UKRAINE Shuts Off Europe’s Gas
This will not, I don’t think, damage Russia who has other potential customers. It will damage Europe. And lastly:
The Polish Prime Minister called for the eradication of the “Russian world” as a “cancer”
Demolition of monument to Soldiers of the Soviet Army allowed – AzeriTimes
Russia calls on Bulgaria to ensure the protection of the monuments to Soviet soldiers – Russia – Daily News (txtreport.com)
Why Washington Wants WWIII
All these things will put the vast majority of Russians even more on the defensive and hostile to everyone else. Setting one people against another. Divide and conquer while the Globalists position themselves. Well… that and to eliminate the chance that their Covid fraud would become broadly understood.
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Frozen: How Canada’s Banks Betrayed their Customers During the Emergencies Act | C2C Journal
A good friend of mine asked their bank whether they would, if ordered to by fedgov, freeze their account. The answer was YES, not surprisingly. Thus they are withdrawing massive amounts of their money. Remember, a Canadian single mother had her accounts frozen over a $50 donation; Single Mother’s Bank Account Frozen Over $50 Donation to Freedom Truckers ⋆ Things have gone sideways in Canada. ⋆ Flag And Cross.
I, too, anticipate a painful conversation with my accountant. When I put out a feeler about cashing out my entire investment portfolio, he said that my cashing out on my investments would result in the severing of our decades-long relationship. Understand that this man was my parents’ accountant before mine, and he has been a solid resource and good person in my life. But his absolute, IMHO willful, blindness to anything outside his normalcy window means that were I to accede to his directives and leave my money in the system, it would mean it could be frozen too if President Potato issues directives to target the finances of his political enemies no matter how small. Or just outright seized as some Globalist decided I have too much beyond my “fair share”…
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Presented, quick hit style, are some links. Print them out and start a binder – if the SHTF badly enough you won’t be able to retrieve these off the net or, possibly, even off your computer (I remember one Y2K event I went to – someone was selling survival info on CDs… yeah, useful when the power’s out!):
10 Firearm Lessons Learned from an Animal Attack – The Organic Prepper
How To Preserve Foods In Honey – Ask a Prepper
50 Prepping Items You Can Buy From The Thrift Shop – Ask a Prepper
What Do You Do If A Venomous Snake Bites You? – The Organic Prepper
Grow Your Own Mushrooms – Mother Earth News
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Deep State / Coming Tyranny / WEF / Globalists:
Joe Biden Is Threatening Our Freedom of Movement | RealClearEnergy
If you cannot move freely you can be herded.
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Shortages (broadly):
and
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Another reason for the supply chain crunch: daft personnel policies
More on supply chain:
Motorists beware: a diesel shortage may lead to a gasoline shortage, too
ANOTHER CRISIS IS LOOMING: Major Trucking Firms Prepare for “Imminent Diesel Shortage in Eastern Half of US” – Blame Emergency on Joe Biden (thegatewaypundit.com)
No diesel for trucks means no deliveries to retail stores. Gasoline. Food. No heating oil or propane deliveries. And so on.
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It’s Probably Nothing
Shortages of cooking oil and flour in Europe reported. Canada too:
FOOD CRISIS: Canada Faces Cooking Oil Shortage
Buy it now. Could be a good trade item for later, assuming things don’t descend into true Mad Max territory.
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Orban: Shortages of Ukrainian and Russian Grain Means ‘Famine in Many Parts of the World’, More Migration Pressure
More fuel for a borderless world and the Great Replacement.
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Inflation (broadly):
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Italy: Food Prices Set to Rise 12.7% April-May
Report: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware Gas Prices Hit ‘All Time Highs’
Inflation Rises, Not Falls In April As Predicted…
How about them gas prices?
With Gas Prices at All-Time Highs, Biden Decides to Cancel Oil and Gas Lease Sales in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico
UK: Inflation Crisis: People Facing ‘Real Food Poverty for the First Time in a Generation’ — Supermarket Boss
BREAKING: US Producer Price Index – A Measurement of Inflation – Reaches 11% in April
Heating Oil Costs Are Rippling across My Life and Family – Granite Grok
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The Grid & Energy In General:
BLACKOUTS COMING SOON?
Without diesel fuel, coal trains won’t move. That’s 10% of America’s electric generation. So add increased demand from AC and electric vehicles with reduced supply. Cue up the Supply & Demand curve. And then watch your wallet…
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US Social Stability (broad catch-all):
REPORT: JUSTICE ALITO AND HIS FAMILY FORCED TO MOVE TO A SECURE LOCATION
Regardless of which side of the abortion debate you’re on, IMHO this is unacceptable. Related:
Related to the crumbling of the foundations of society:
https://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/sunglasses-theft.mp4
As I understand it, in multiple cities across the country chain stores are pulling out as they suffer losses that are economically unsustainable. Related:
California smash and grab burglars use sledgehammers in Beverly Hills jewelry theft (nypost.com)
And now consider this:
I am sure that stuff like this happened for decades. Disgusting, but not unheard of. No, what’s indicative of a breakdown of morality in our general society is that the man videoed it. Also remember that people videoing themselves during commissions of crimes, even brutal crimes, is now commonplace. We used to have people who did bad things but now we have people who do bad things and have no problems recording themselves, or even posting those deeds publicly.
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Pennies, pounds, and politicians
A society that cannot fix small things cannot fix large things.
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If We Cannot Secure Voting, We Will Perish – American Thinker
TINVOWOOT. More:
Borepatch: What happens when tens of millions of Americans become convinced that elections are shams?
What happens? Nothing good. Related:
BEYOND FISHY – 2000 MULES
DESPICABLE: ‘2000 Mules’ Reveals 200+ Mules In Maricopa County, Possible 207,435 ILLEGAL Votes Trafficked In Arizona – RINO AG Mark Brnovich Does NOTHING
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It’s going to be bad
The patterns are there. People are pointing them out.
We’re in a bubble that is about to burst.
Now is the time to clear your plate of debt and batten down the hatches.
Meanwhile, to keep my Covidian wife happy and distracted, I’m taking out a loan to redo the kitchen. I find the irony painful: she grew up in the USSR. She lived through its break-up. And yet she – to a near-pathological panicked denial – will not see what’s happening. I don’t want to do this, but this will keep her thinking about the project, not French-kissing her Covidian BFF’s ass and thinking about Jabbing the kids.
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World Stability (broad catch-all):
Sweden Would Strengthen The NATO Alliance
Remember what I’ve been saying again and again and again? Every nation taking every “logical” next step until the every nation is bound up – whether internally or externally – by commitments that make the shooting inevitable?
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Germany’s Top Banking Chief Warns of Bankruptcy Tsunami Amid Stagflation Threats
So many potential failure points around the world. Related:
Cyberattack knocks out Russian video platform Rutube – Insider Paper
And going the other way:
Maybe real. Maybe false flag. But regardless, it’s cranking up.
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Gardening, animals, etc.:
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Home Dairy Cow: My Newbie Experience Buying a Milk Cow (survivalblog.com)
I do not have nearly enough room to do this. Alas.
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Planning Your Garden? Read This First. – The Organic Prepper
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Tech security:
Biden Disinformation Czar Demands Power to Edit Other People’s Tweets
Seven Hairy Hells. On the new internet Fascism:
Only Internet Fascism Can Save Democracy – Daniel Greenfield / Sultan Knish articles
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Self-defense:
Court slaps down California ban on selling semiautomatic rifles to young adults – TheBlaze
A sliver of good news.
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Catch-all miscellaneous:
Some well-done work. Having said that, some of these look far more intense than the average Joe-sixpack work. And a fly in the ointment – there is a company in NH, and doubtless others elsewhere, that make man-portable equipment that can scan home walls for concealed compartments, firearms, etc. Now, this presupposes that there is sufficient manpower and their having time to do such an extended search of homes.
Additionally, I remember applying for a job here years ago, and was told they have van-based scanners that can scan pedestrians without their knowledge, consent, or a warrant. I remember asking “How is that legal”? and being assured it was. How? I mean, it’s one thing to have event or location security where people know they’ll be searched, but just being able to scan people walking on the street??? I would not doubt they have man-portable scanners for homes as well.
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Wrap-up commentary if I am moved to do so:
I am becoming more and more terrified. Not at any of the above; that’s “baked in” to my mentality already. Anything I read now is just minor tweaking of where I’m at mentally.
No, I’m becoming more and more terrified of conversations that I have with people who say MEH to everything. MEH to the ever-clearer dangers of the Jab, MEH to inflation and/or recession, MEH to the possibility of WWIII, MEH to the clear and present threat of a nascent “Ministry of Truth”, MEH to the possibility of food shortages, MEH to the threat of an EMP or calamitous cyber-attack on power and other infrastructure, MEH to the WEF / WHO takeover of America (or any other country), MEH to the implications of open borders with the flood of illegals coming in, and broadly MEH to anything that might disturb their view that the world is calm. Brings to mind this guy:
But that’s not the point. Reality is about dealing with what IS. Survival is about recognizing dangers, and then taking action: working to ameliorate those dangers or at least have plans in place for if those dangers materialize. That the vast majority of people are intentionally and willfully blind to this is pathological level DENIAL. When reality hits they will not just be unprepared physically, but fragile mentally… and will snap. And in snapping will lash out at, and snitch on, anyone who has been more aware and putting things away and prepping – for they will be furious. Not, of course, furious at the situation or those who deliberately engineered it. Furious at you for your having had more foresight, more insight… white-hot fusion-level furious at having to admit that you were right and they were wrong – for having to consciously admit this will drive them to question what else you were right about, and they wrong. Assuming the ability (electricity & internet) still exist, they will look, and will not like what they find… and they will be even more furious at you for having seen what they did not on so many things.
Because of that fury at said revelation, they will take that fury out on you. They will also be furious at you for possibly rebuffing their “I’ll just come to your house” mentality when they do, as though they are entitled to partake in what you have simply because they present themselves. What did I say in a prior Survival Sunday?
So I’ve spent countless thousands of dollars buying food and myriad other things, putting an enormous amount of thought into what I need for myself and my family to get us through what I think are dire times just ahead… and you think you can just drive up to my house and say “TA DA I’m here, feed me and my fam”? And I’ll just do it? And when the second family shows up, and the third, and the fourth? All expecting that I’ll just open the locks and provide from my own preps?
Let alone put my life on the line to protect them? For I know several people who have said “I’ll just come to your house” and when I ask if they’ll pick up a gun and defend the house, it’s “Oh, no, I could never shoot another person”. That IMHO is the definition of Useless Eater.
Ultimately, if “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” then IMHO “Right behind a woman scorned is one whose smug sense of mental, emotional, educational, and cognitive superiority has been shattered by the realization that someone they disdained & ridiculed was more insightful than they”.
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LET’S GO BRANDON!
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If Don Trump Jr were getting checks from pharmaceutical reps to pimp Ivermectin, that’d be big news. You’d have a hard time not knowing about it. Public interest, and all that. So, where is the 24/7/365, wall-to-wall, “breaking news” coverage of this?
Last year, the National Institutes of Health – Anthony Fauci’s employer – doled out $30 billion in government grants to roughly 56,000 recipients. That largess of taxpayer money buys a lot of favor and clout within the scientific, research, and healthcare industries.
However, in our breaking investigation, we found hundreds of millions of dollars in payments also flow the other way. These are royalty payments from third-party payers (think pharmaceutical companies) back to the NIH and individual NIH scientists.
We estimate that between fiscal years 2010 and 2020, more than $350 million in royalties were paid by third-parties to the agency and NIH scientists – who are credited as co-inventors.
It’s not news to people in the news business because, in their minds, that’s how the business they want done gets done. Ethics, efficacy, integrity, and even public health and safety take a back seat. Give them room to destroy, to borrow a line from former Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. It’s Manny being Manny.
When in Rome! Growing grass. Drying paint. Too many idioms? It does not mean what you think it means. It means what they think it means.
Nothing to see here. Just move along.
In other words, no one inside that laundromat will look sideways at this unless it might blowback on them, and this applies to their advertising agencies (dba: the corporate media).
If they didn’t make space, it’s not a thing. But it is a thing. Fauci and many others are trading your money for personal wealth. That’s DC, but it gets murkier in the shadow of COVID.
They did not want us to know that they knew their “cure” was neither safe nor effective, but we found out.
They do not want us to know that their treatment protocol is responsible for more deaths than actual covid (death by hospital), but that’s becoming clear too.
Add to this Fauci lying about funding the gain of function research in Wuhan that resulted in COVID.
That “the government” owns the patents for the virus, the test kits, and the “cure” that doesn’t work.
They do not have any financial interest in the things they tried to prohibit or ban that are proven effective in early treatment, like Hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin.
And they shut down your business, your job, your life, your booming economy, and even your president to keep all the parts in the scheme moving and hidden.
Follow the science but not the bought and paid for science. The science of kickbacks and backroom deals focused on profit and power at the expense of people.
Does anyone recall Democrats pretending to oppose that sort of thing?
Now they are fighting hard to keep these truths hidden. There is more, and they do not want to part with it. It has to be pried from them (and ignored by the corporate media). And it is damning or they’d just let it out into the sunshine.
And if they can find a way to stop the prying they will and we should see that as a reason try to pry twice as much.
| Epoch Times
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