In one of his eponymous lectures, Richard Feynman told a story about a lady who was pulled over for speeding.  Told that she was going 60 miles per hour, she replied that she’d only been driving for seven minutes.

‘How can I go 60 miles an hour when I wasn’t going for an hour?’

I couldn’t help thinking of this recently when I heard an ATF agent, Tommy Estevan, talk about a ‘switch’ that

turns a semi-automatic firearm into, essentially, a machine gun.  So, instead of one round being discharged from a firearm with the single pull of the trigger, when the switch is installed onto a  firearm, you’re looking at 1200 rounds with the single pull of the trigger within a minute.

Boy, that sounds like a lot of rounds!  But as Feynman’s driver might ask:  How can I fire 1200 rounds within a minute if I don’t have 1200 rounds? ¹

With a decent semi-automatic pistol, it’s not difficult to get 5 shots off in 2 seconds. That translates to 150 rounds per minute.  Which seems kind of slow, compared to 1200 rounds per minute.

But all of this ignores replacing empty magazines.  It’s not like there are belt-fed handguns. ²

So a more reasonable way to think about it is this:  If your gun doesn’t have ‘the switch’, you can empty a ‘high capacity’ 15-round magazine in six seconds.  With ‘the switch’, you can do that in one second.  And then, in either case, you have to reload.

One second, versus six seconds, to get off the same number of shots.  Somehow, it sounds less scary when you put it that way.

But scaring you is a big part of ATF’s mission.  And we can expect them to ramp up the scare stories now that Republicans in Congress have introduced a bill to repeal the NFA (which would give ATF no taxes to collect, and thus no reason to exist), and another bill to abolish the ATF.

It will be interesting to see which other Republicans support — and which RINOs oppose — these bills.

 

¹ Which, if we’re talking about 9mm rounds, would weigh at least 32 pounds, about as much as two bowling balls.

² Although I hope someone out there is working on that project!

The post The Bureau of Arbitrariness, Tyranny, and Fear appeared first on Granite Grok.

Remember when the NIH, CDC, WHO, and all the rest used to remind us about how cloth face masks couldn’t protect you from a virus? The experts were so adamant that back in 2003, you could get fined for claiming otherwise.

Related: If You Want to Attend SatanCon in Boston, You’ll Need Proof of COVID Vaccination and Wear a Medical Face Mask

 

Retailers who cash in on community fears about SARS by exaggerating the health benefits of surgical masks could face fines of up to $110,000.

NSW Fair Trading Minister Reba Meagher yesterday warned that distributors and traders could be prosecuted if it was suggested the masks offered unrealistic levels of protection from the disease.

“I’m sure everyone would agree that it is un-Australian to profiteer from people’s fears and anxieties,” Ms Meagher said. …

“Penalties can range from fines of up to $22,000 for an individual or $110,000 for a corporation,” she said.

 

Oh, how times have changed. Seventeen years later, you might get fined for not forcing people to wear them in your business (unless they were sitting down, of course).

That latter bit seems to have calmed down in the past 12 months, but the real issue is efficacy which, according to an industrial hygienist, does not exist for cloth or medical face masks.

 

Medical doctors are what they are, but they are not certified industrial hygienists. They are not experts in the field of workplace or public safety when it comes to real threats and solutions. They are not even experts in these fields regarding a hospital or clinical settings.

 

These masks will not get the job done for many reasons (listen to the testimony for a few) but mostly because they were never made to do that. Even N95 and K95 masks require special training to be remotely effective.

And to this day, if you grab a box of those medical masks, it says right on the side that it will not provide any protection because to state otherwise could (still!) get them sued.

I guess no one thought to get them a special dispensation from the public health pope.

Nearly everyone else got one.

 

 

HT | RCSB

The post “Distributors and Traders Could Be Prosecuted If It Was Suggested the Masks Offered Unrealistic Levels of Protection from the Disease” appeared first on Granite Grok.

COMPLAINT

SENT VIA EMAIL ONLY – electionlaw@doj.nh.gov –  December 21, 2022

– Dear Attorney General Formella,

The integrity of our elections is the foundation of our Constitutional Republic. That integrity is built upon election officials who understand and follow all election laws and procedures in a transparent manner. It’s unfortunate when procedural mistakes are sometimes made by local election officials during the management of an election. It’s unacceptable when procedural mistakes become commonplace and are not corrected. Whether intentional or unintentional, election officials must be held accountable for their actions when they fail to follow election laws and procedures, especially when failures have been identified and attempted to be remedied by your office.

As you are aware, Windham election officials violated a multitude of election laws and procedures during the November 3, 2020 general election. These violations were identified in your office’s joint letter with the NH Secretary of State that delivered a stern warning to Windham Officials on January 7, 2022.

Subsequent to that letter, it was our hope that Windham’s election officials would ensure strict adherence to the New Hampshire Election Procedures Manual when overseeing and reporting our elections. Unfortunately, election issues in Windham have continued.

With this in mind, it is with great sadness that we file this complaint for what we believe to be many more egregious mistakes and discrepancies regarding the inaccurate reporting of election results of the Windham September 13, 2022, primary election during oversight by the following election officials:

Peter Griffin, Windham Moderator
Betty Dunn, Windham Assistant Moderator
Galen Stearns, Windham Assistant Moderator
Nicole Merrill, Windham Town Clerk
Roger Hohenberger, Windham Selectman
Heath Partington, Windham Selectman
Jennifer Simmons, Windham Selectman
Al Letizio, Jr., Selectman pro tempore
Gene Van Loan – Election Monitor for the September 13, 2022 Primary Election

It is our belief that all of the individuals listed above, excluding Election Monitor Gene Van Loan, also oversaw the Windham general election on November 3, 2020, which produced the largest numerical election discrepancy in the history of NH. Many problems regarding that election were uncovered during your office’s joint investigation with the SOS’s office. That investigation, as well as the findings, led your office to appoint an Election Monitor. RSA 659:77 III,

Per RSA 659:60, the moderator, or the moderator pro tempore if the moderator is disqualified under RSA 658:24, shall oversee the counting of votes by other election officers, including the selectmen and the town clerk, and may discharge any other duties relating to the counting of votes. In your office’s Cease and Desist letter to Exeter election officials, your office acknowledged the joint responsibilities of all those election officials to oversee a town’s election as defined by law and the Election Procedures Manual.

When election officials discharge their duties, they do not discharge their responsibilities.

We believe the Windham election officials are collectively responsible for not following election laws and procedures for at least three state and federal elections in a row: the general election on November 3, 2020; the primary election on September 13, 2022; and the general election on November 8, 2022.

This COMPLAINT identifies concerns with the general election on November 3, 2020 and the primary election on September 13, 2022. While your office has already investigated the November 3, 2020 election and has issued it’s findings, we believe it is relevant to this complaint because it shows a continued pattern regarding the lack of due diligence by Windham’s election officials to follow simple election procedures that have been put into place to ensure confidence, accuracy and integrity.

The November 3, 2020 General Election
During the November 3, 2020 general election in Windham, a large number of documented mistakes were made. Many were not identified until after an independent audit was performed, as well as a year long joint investigation by your office and the Secretary of State.

Both of those investigations uncovered many violations of election laws and procedures by Windham’s election officials, as was documented in your office’s joint letter with the Secretary of State that was sent to Windham’s officials on January 7, 2022. That letter included the following findings:

“Windham’s election night results were not just imprecise, they were fundamentally flawed”

“Town election officials cut corners.”

“In the November 2020 General Election, Windham officials did not follow all of the necessary instructions and statutory requirements.”

“The Attorney General makes a finding that the November 2020 General Election returns from Windham had significant deficiencies.”

The independent audit that was performed during May, 2021 was expensive. It cost NH taxpayers over $770,000 and the findings contributed to a decline in voter confidence across the state. That costly lesson exposed mistakes that should not be repeated. One of those mistakes was the folding of absentee ballots through candidate ovals. When those ballots passed through the ballot counting devices, the folds were inaccurately interpreted as a cast vote – which triggered overvotes that caused all four Republican candidates in the Rockingham District 7 State Rep race to lose ~300 votes each (give or take 3 votes). Other times it incorrectly awarded votes to a Democrat candidate – which increased that candidate’s vote total by 99 votes that were never cast.

There are many issues identified in the joint AG’s and SOS’s letter to Windham town officials, as well as in the auditor’s report.

Unfortunately, based on pubic comments that have been made multiple times by some Windham election officials, it appears they do not acknowledge the failures and deficiencies that led to the poorly run election on November 3, 2020.

Per RSA 659:77 III, due to the issues that were discovered with the investigations of Windham’s General Election on November 3, 2020, an election monitor was appointed for the September 13, 2022 Primary Election.

The September 13, 2022 Primary Election
Even with the oversight of an election monitor during the Primary Election, there appears to be continued issues with Windham’s elections. We believe the election monitor for the Windham September 13, 2022 primary election failed to provide proper oversight as he did not prevent, nor catch many problems regarding election procedures and reporting errors in Windham.

We believe the issues identified below regarding the September 13, 2022 primary election clearly reflect an inability of Windham’s election officials to comprehend and implement their statutory obligations related to the reporting of election results, including but not limited to: the number of voters; the number of ballots received, processed and subsequently sealed in boxes; and even more importantly, the reported vote totals. Many statutory documents were submitted with significant defects multiple times. Each of which, we believe, are in violation of RSA 659:77 III.

The compiling and accurate reporting of election data is not difficult when strict adherence to NH’s built in checks and balances are followed. Those procedures can be found in the Election Procedures Manual as well as on the statutory election reporting forms. When followed properly, these procedures aid to identify and correct any errors prior to announcing election results.

We believe to the best of our ability, that many easily identifiable and glaring errors were ignored, and that these discrepancies should have been apparent to Windham’s election officials on election night – and corrected on election night – before announcing results.

There were multiple opportunities for all election officials to recognize the errors by cross referencing different sets of data that should match but didn’t, e.g. the number of announced voters on election night did not match the number of voters counted by the AccuVote machines (plus hand counted ballots) – nor did it match the number of voters marked as having voted on the Election Day checklist. Neither of those actual number of voters was close to the number of voters announced on election night at 2:35am.

In addition, the number of announced voters should also match the number of cast ballots that were documented on election night – but none of those numbers matched. The following list of issues represents missed opportunities for Windham’s election officials to follow appropriate procedures and accurately report election related results and data – but failed to do so.

The first error repeated the folding issue identified by the 2021 audit. After the debacle of the November 3, 2020 election, it is unconscionable that this mistake was repeated. The rest of the issues occurred on or after election night.

1. Ballot Folded Through Candidate Ovals
The Windham audit in 2021 proved that a fold going through a candidate’s oval can cause huge errors regarding election results. It is difficult to understand and accept that the same mistake was repeated again during the September 13, 2022 Primary Election. This link is an example of an absentee ballot that was received by a Windham voter. That ballot was folded through candidate ovals.

Ignored Discrepancies That Identified Glaring Errors

2. Discrepancy: Announced Voters on Election Night vs. Voters Marked on the Checklist
The number of announced voters on election night (3,724) is 959 more voters than the number of voters marked as having voted on the election day checklist (2,765). These numbers should match, but Moderator Peter Griffin announced 959 more voters on election night than actually voted.

3. Discrepancy: Announced Voters on Election Night vs. Voters Reported in the Moderator’s Worksheets
The number of announced voters on election night (3,724) is 971 higher than the combined number of voters reported on the Democrat and Republican Moderator’s Worksheets (2,753). Those numbers should be identical.

4. Discrepancy: Announced Voters on Election Night vs. Number of CAST Ballots Sealed in Boxes
The number of announced voters on election night (3,724) is 372 less than the number of cast ballots that were sealed into the ballot boxes on election night per the chain of custody records (4,116). These numbers should be identical. There cannot be more ballots cast than voters.

Table 1: The total number of cast ballots is 4,116 per chain of custody records

5. Discrepancy: Announced Voters on Election Night vs. Counted Ballots (AccuVote Counted Ballots Plus Hand-Counted Ballots)
The number of announced voters on election night (3,724) is 956 higher than the number of cast ballots on election night (2,768) per the AccuVote machines (see table 2 below) plus hand count totals. Those numbers should be identical. There cannot be nearly 1,000 more voters than ballots cast.

Note: Table 2 below shows a total of 2,705 ballots cast through AccuVote machines. In addition, there were 7 hand-counted Democrat ballots and 53 Republican hand-counted ballots listed on the Democrat and Republican Moderator’s Worksheets.

  Table 2: AccuVote Ballot Totals

6. Discrepancy: Number of CAST Ballots Sealed in Boxes vs. AccuVote Plus Hand-Counted Ballots
The number of cast ballots that were sealed into the ballot boxes on election night per the chain of custody records (4,116) is 1,348 higher than the combined number of AccuVote cast ballots plus hand counted ballots on election night (2,768). Those numbers should be identical.

7. Discrepancy: Announced Voters on Election Night vs. Number of CAST Ballots on Moderator’s Worksheets
The number of announced voters on election night and in the local paper (3,724) is 960 higher than the combined number of cast ballots as reported on the Democrat and Republican Moderator’s Worksheets (2,764). These numbers should be identical. There cannot be 960 more voters than ballots cast.

8. Discrepancy: CAST Ballots on Moderator’s Worksheets vs. Number of CAST Ballots Sealed in Boxes
The combined number of cast ballots as reported on the Democrat and Republican Moderator’s Worksheets (2,764) is 1,352 lower than the number of cast ballots that were sealed into the ballot boxes on election night per the chain of custody records (4,116). These numbers should be identical.

9. Discrepancy: Voters Reported on Moderator’s Worksheets vs. Number of CAST Ballots Sealed in Boxes
The combined number of voters reported on the Democrat and Republican Moderator’s Worksheets (2,753) is 1,363 lower than the number of cast ballots that were sealed into the ballot boxes on election night per the chain of custody records (4,116). These numbers should be identical. They are not even close.

10. Discrepancy: More Election Day Ballots Sealed on Election Night than Received From the Secretary of State
The number of Election Day ballots that were sealed into the ballot boxes on election night per the chain of custody records (6,303) is 1,333 more ballots than the number of Election Day ballots that were received from the Secretary of State as defined in the Moderator’s Certificate (4,970). These numbers should match.

Note: Table 4 below shows a total of 6,443 ballots were sealed into ballot boxes per the Ballot Chain of Custody records. 140 ballots are Absentee Ballots – as documented in line #9 of the Democrat and Republican Moderator’s Worksheets, and 6,303 ballots are Election Day Ballots (Cast and Uncast).

Table 4: Sealed Ballots

11. Discrepancy: Inconsistent Reporting of Uncast Ballots
The combined number of uncast ballots listed on line #3 on the Democrat and Republican Moderator’s Worksheets (1,147 + 1137 = 2,284) is 43 ballots lower than the total number of uncast ballots that were sealed into the ballot boxes on election night per the chain of custody records (2,327 – see Table 4 above). These numbers should be identical.

12. Discrepancy: Voters Marked on the Checklist vs. Voters Reported in the Moderator’s Worksheets
The number of voters marked as having voted on the election day checklist (2,765) is 12 more than the combined number of voters reported on the Democrat and Republican Moderator’s Worksheets (2,753). Those numbers should be identical.

13. Discrepancy: CAST Ballots on Moderator’s Worksheets vs. Voters Reported on Moderator’s Worksheets
The combined number of cast ballots as reported on the Democrat and Republican Moderator’s Worksheets (2,764) is 11 higher than the combined number of voters reported on the Democrat and Republican Moderator’s Worksheets (2,753). Those numbers should be identical.

14. Incorrect Number Reported for CAST Election Day Ballots (Democrat)
The “Total Number of Ballots Cast by ELECTION DAY voters” (line #5) in the Democrat Moderator’s Worksheet was incorrect. The entered value is 672. The value per the formula for line #5 should have been 715.

15. Unexplainable Reporting of “Grand Total Number of Ballots Cast” (Democrat)
The “Grand Total Number of Ballots Cast” (line #10) in the Democrat Moderator’s Worksheet is a sum of line #5 and line #9. The entered value in line #10 correctly matches the number of voters marked as having voted on the Election Day checklist (within 1). However, as can be seen in Issue #14, the value in line #5 is wrong. How can line #10 be correct (within 1) when line #5 is off by 43?

16. Inconsistent Reporting of the Number of Hand-Counted Republican Ballots
The number of Hand Counted Republican ballots in the Republican Moderator’s Worksheet (56) is different than the number of hand counted ballots on the Windham Town Clerk’s Hand Count spreadsheet (53). These numbers should match.

17. Incorrect Number Reported for AccuVote CAST Ballots (Republican)
The number of “Total Ballots Cast from the ACCUVOTE election results tape” that is entered in Section C of the Republican Moderator’s Worksheet is 1985 ballots. The correct number of Republican Ballots Cast is 1989, as can be seen in Table 3 below.

Table 3: AccuVote Republican Ballot Totals

Election Results: Republican Return of Votes

There were at least four versions of the Republican Return of Votes forms for the September 13, 2022 Primary. The first was created on election night, and at least three “CORRECTED” Return of Votes were produced between September 14, 2022 and September 19, 2022.

A summarized table of all four Republican Return of Votes forms highlights the differences between each version.

18. Republican Return of Votes CORRECTED Three Times
There appears to be a total of 85 modifications to candidate vote totals over three corrected Return of Votes forms. Depending on the race, those changes ranged from a single vote to as many as 69 votes. Collectively, the vote changes add up to hundreds of changed votes. There is no explanation regarding how the original mistakes were made, nor how any of the modified totals were calculated, recalculated, and in some cases recalculated again. In addition, it is not clear when these changes were made, who made the changes, who was present when the changes were made, and who approved the changes to be made.

19. Wrong Candidate Declared Winner AFTER Second & Third CORRECTED Return of Votes
The second and the third final CORRECTED Republican Return of Votes form changed the outcome of the State Rep Race for District 35, making Roger W. Fillio the winner over Julius F. Soti. The final correction was submitted to Secretary of State David Scanlan via an email on September 19, 2022 – three days after the statutory filing period had ended.

20. Correct Winner Declared After Recount – Restoring Election Day Result
A recount of the State Rep Race for District 35 that was held on September 20, 2022 reversed the outcome from the Official “CORRECTED” results, and Secretary of State David Scanlan declared Julius F. Soti the winner. The recount totals on September 20, 2022 were within one vote of the vote totals on election day – raising questions why the results were modified after election day that incorrectly changed the outcome of the election.

21. Wrong and Missing Undervotes and Overvotes (Republican)
There are many errors regarding the reported number of undervotes and overvotes for many races on each of the Republican Return of Votes forms – and in many cases there were no undervotes or overvotes reported at all. RSA 659:73 IV (k) & (l).

Election Results: Democrat Return of Votes

There were at least four versions of the Democrat Return of Votes forms for the September 13, 2022 Primary. The first was created on election night, and at least three “CORRECTED” Return of Votes were produced between September 14, 2022 and September 19, 2022.

A summarized table of all four Democrat Return of Votes forms shows and highlights the notable modifications between each version:

22. Two Candidates Received More Votes Than Ballots Cast (Democrat)
Correction #2 of the Democrat Return of Votes – marked “OFFICIAL RESULTS” – showed Maggie Hassan and Ann McLane Kuster received more votes that ballots cast. An impossible outcome.

23. Wrong and Missing Undervotes and Overvotes (Democrat)
There are many errors regarding the reported number of undervotes and overvotes for many races on each of the Democrat Return of Votes forms, and in many cases there were no undervotes and overvotes reported at all. RSA 659:73 IV (k) & (l).

“CORRECTED” Moderator’s Worksheets

There is a “CORRECTED” Democrat Moderator’s Worksheet and a “CORRECTED” Republican Moderator’s Worksheet.

This summarized table shows the differences between the original Moderator’s Worksheets and the corrected Moderator’s Worksheets to make it easier to understand how each issue below impacted the reported results.

24. The Secretary of State Only Received the Original Versions of Moderator’s Worksheets
To our knowledge, only the original versions of the Democrat and Republican Moderator’s Worksheets were delivered to the Secretary of State. This statement is based on a 91-A request to the Secretary of State and through communications with Orville B. Fitch II, Elections Legal Counsel. Shouldn’t the Secretary of State have copies of ALL the versions of the Moderator’s Worksheets (original and corrected)?

25. The Windham Town Clerk Only Had Corrected Versions of Moderator’s Worksheets
The “CORRECTED” versions of the Democrat Moderator’s Worksheet and the Republican Moderator’s Workheet were obtained from the Windham Town Clerk, who did not have a copy of the original Moderator’s Worksheets. Shouldn’t the Windham Town Clerk have copies of ALL the versions of the Moderator’s Worksheets (original and corrected)?

26. Corrected Moderator’s Worksheets Did Not Correct Reconciling Issues Identified Above
Minor changes were made to the “CORRECTED” versions of the Republican and Democrat Moderator’s Worksheets. None of the issues identified above were resolved with any of the “CORRECTED” Moderator’s Worksheets. The large discrepancies for each issue identified above only changed by small amounts.

27. Incorrect Number Reported for Election Day CAST Ballots (Republican)
The “Total Number of Ballots Cast by ELECTION DAY voters” (line #5) in the “CORRECTED” Republican Moderator’s Worksheet was incorrect. The entered value is 1958. The value per the formula for line #5 should have been 1936.

28. Incorrect Number Reported for Election Day CAST Ballots (Democrat)
The “Total Number of Ballots Cast by ELECTION DAY voters” (line #5) in the “CORRECTED” Democrat Moderator’s Worksheet was still incorrect. The entered value is 673. The value per the formula for line #5 should have been 715.

29. Unexplainable Reporting of “Grand Total Number of Ballots Cast” (Democrat)
The “Grand Total Number of Ballots Cast” (line #10) in the “CORRECTED” Democrat Moderator’s Worksheet is a sum of line #5 and line #9. The entered value in line #10 correctdly matches the number of voters marked as having voted on the Election Day checklist. However, as can be seen in Issue #28, the value in line #5 is wrong. How can line #10 be correct when line #5 is off by 42?

30. Incorrect Number Reported for AccuVote CAST Ballots (Republican)
The “Total Ballots Cast from the ACCUVOTE election results tape” on the “CORRECTED” Republican Moderator’s Worksheet was changed to 1990 ballots. This number is still incorrect. Table 3 above shows the actual number of Republican Ballots Cast from the AccuVote results tape was 1989.

Signature Requirement Questions

31. Moderator’s Signatures Are Missing
The area for the Moderator’s signature on the Names on Checklist and Names on Checklist Worksheet forms are blank. They are not signed. Do these actions violate RSA 659:73 IV?

32. Signature Question
None of the four Moderator’s Worksheets were signed by Moderator Peter Griffin. Mr. Griffin’s name is listed in the Moderator field at the top of the form, but the form was signed by Assistant Moderator Galen Stearns. In addition, the Worksheets were signed after the statutory deadline of 48 hours after the poll closed. Do these actions conform with RSA 659:73 IV?

33. Signature Question
The Moderator’s Certificate was signed by Assistant Moderator Galen Stern, not Moderator Peter Griffin. In addition, the Moderator’s Certificate was signed after the statutory deadline of 48 hours after the poll closed. Do these actions conform with RSA 659:73 IV?

Conclusion
We believe that many of the issues above should have been identified on election night, using the built in system of checks and balances as defined in the statutory reporting procedures and forms.

Per the AG’s 2019 Cease and Desist letter to Exeter, the responsibility and accuracy of counting the votes, reporting the number of ballots cast, and reporting of the votes cast, rests collectively with the moderator, the selectmen and the town clerk – and that it is their duty to ensure the accuracy of the tallies prior to the public announcement. Per the Cease and Desist Letter:

“It is the responsibility of the moderator to oversee the counting of votes. RSA 659:60. The selectmen and town clerk are required to assist the moderator in performing this task. RSA 669:58. ‘After the counting, the moderator shall make a public declaration of the number of the ballots cast, with the name of every person voted for and the number of votes for each; and the town clerk shall make a fair record thereof in the books or the town.’ RSA 669:58; See also RSA 659:70. Inherent in this responsibility is the duty to ensure the accuracy of the tallies prior to the public announcement.”

Your office’s Cease and Desist letter to Exeter noted the ballot count was 110 ballots higher than the number of reported voters on election night. A multitude of discrepancies in the Windham September 13, 2022 primary dwarf that number. A few examples:

• Issue #2 shows there were 959 more voters announced on election night than there were voters marked as having voted on the Election Day checklist.
• Issue #4 shows there were 372 more cast ballots reportedly sealed in the ballot boxes than there were announced voters on election night.
• Issue #6 shows there were 1,348 more cast ballots sealed in ballot boxes than counted by the AccuVote machines plus hand counts.

The issues identified in this complaint occurred with an appointed election monitor present.

There are many areas of concern identified. It appears: the announced number of voters on election night was over reported by 959; the reported number of cast ballots changed dramatically; hundreds of more ballots were sealed in ballot boxes than received from the Secretary of State; vote totals continued to change for nearly a week; simple math errors were made on multiple forms; some forms were missing signatures, and more.

This complaint raises many concerns and unanswered questions. As your office has pointed out, voters have a right to expect the number of voters, ballots and votes are accurately reported on election night. It appears that is not what occurred in Windham.

It is disheartening that it appears all of the time and expense of the Windham election audit was not taken seriously by Windham election officials. The audit uncovered the issue of votes being incorrectly counted by voting machines due to a fold going through a candidate’s ovals. Care and due diligence should have been taken by Windham election officials to ensure the same mistake was never repeated.

In addition, there were a multitude of easily identifiable and therefore avoidable reporting errors for the September 13, 2022 election where many warning signs were ignored. That is the second federal election in a row where numerous errors were produced, and it reflects poorly on every one of Windham’s elected election officials listed in this complaint.

It also reflects poorly on the Attorney General’s and Secretary of State’s Offices, and there remains a duty and obligation for additional action.

There are also issues related to the November 8, 2022 general election. An additional complaint related to that election will be filed with your office when it is completed.

Respectfully Submitted,

Ken Eyring
44 Indian Rock Rd, Suite 775, Windham, NH 03087
Ken@IntrinetSystems.com
603-327-7682

Thomas J. Murray Jr.
29 West Shore Rd, Windham, NH 03087
Tom@PuglieseContracting.com
781-389-6107

 

The post The Windham Complaint – September 13, 2022 Primary Election appeared first on Granite Grok.

We have lost our way in making decisions and setting policy in Washington. We used to have a process where Congress would pass legislation by compromising across the aisle, the Executive Branch would approve it, and the Supreme Court would step in if Constitutionality was in question. Discussion, compromise, bilateral, and bicameral were the norm and not the exception. That was then. Today is very different, and the new process is not serving the people.

Today, bills are pushed through by whichever Party is in power. It would be a smoother and easier process if the same Party controlled both chambers. Congress becomes a stalemate when we are split as we are after the 2022 Midterms. Not a bad thing because a stalemated Congress finds it difficult to spend our tax dollars.

Unfortunately, it also becomes lame when we need Congress to deal with a crisis. Our Border is such a crisis, and our deadlocked Congress gives rise to Joe Biden’s pen. On January 20, 2021, we saw how dangerous Joe Biden could be with a pen. The only redeeming quality of a Joe Biden Executive Order is that it will only last until January 20, 2025, when newly elected President DeSantis signs orders negating all of Biden’s actions.

In an effort to lessen the stress on the Border, the Biden administration earlier this month announced a new parole program for entrance of up to 30,000 eligible migrants a month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Under the new plan, a migrant must have a U.S. sponsor. Those who do not use the parole process to enter the country will be returned to Mexico.

These 360,000 immigrants will not be instead of the two million illegals that are entering our country but in addition. Biden is being creative by fast-tracking these hundreds of thousands of immigrants. This proposed policy has raised the ire of many states throughout the nation. Nineteen states have joined to sue the Biden Administration to prevent the validation of this harmful legislative proposal. Biden is set to go the Executive Order route to put this pan into play quickly.

Biden met last month with the leaders of Canada and Mexico and had a tremendous opportunity to discuss Border security, the spread of Cartel influence into America, and the production and distribution of Chinese-made Fentanyl. Crickets. There is no indication that any of these three topics came to the table. To not have a discussion and come up with a plan to address these issues is a gross dereliction of the President’s responsibility to protect the citizens of the United States. He had ample opportunity but failed us. According to reports on the talks, climate change took center stage, and there was no time for discussions on three significant issues for much of the country. Why?

One of the reasons is the financial connection between Biden and the Chinese. China has a deep hold on Mexico and is the only supplier of Fentanyl used by the Mexican Cartels. The Cartels are generating billions of dollars in revenue from selling Fentanyl in America and smuggling illegals across our Border. We know Biden is compromised and will not utter a word or take any action against the Chinese government, but it also looks like he is either beholden to or intimidated by the Cartels. This connection has to be investigated because the Cartels are entrenching in most of our states, and this will only lead to increased violence, drug use, and deaths. How much more proof do we need that Joe Biden aims to destroy America? I have seen enough.

 

The post Joe Turns Legislation into Lawsuits appeared first on Granite Grok.

Three Democrat legislators have proposed a bill to prohibit “armor piercing ammunition.” As is often the case, the devil is in the details. In this case, the entirety of the new legislation is very short and fairly straightforward.

The post Anti-gun leftist bill could ban common ammo in New Hampshire appeared first on The Liberty Block.

Concord, NH- House Majority Leader Jason Osborne (R-Auburn), Majority Whip Jeanine Notter (R-Merrimack), and Vice Chair of House Ways and Means John Janigian (R-Salem) released the following statement after public hearings

on HB15, relative to the rate of the business enterprise tax, HB133, repealing the communications service tax, and HB100, repealing the interest and dividends tax.

Please Submit Group communications or Press Releases to editor@granitegrok.com.
Submission is not a guarantee of publication.

Rep. Jason Osborne (R-Auburn)

“Make no mistake, New Hampshire has an income tax. Our tax on interest and dividends is the worst tax imaginable. By punishing saving, it restricts the very fuel of human prosperity. As soon as you enter the workforce, you are told you should be saving for your retirement. And what does New Hampshire do? After you have worked hard and saved, the state taxes you 5%.”

“It is our firm belief that Granite Staters and New Hampshire businesses should keep as much of their hard-earned money as possible. The three pieces of legislation introduced today ensures that happens. It is our goal to stop the collection of a seven percent tax paid by wireless consumers, further reduce business taxes, and repeal an unfair income tax on retirees and businesses. Our state consistently ends the biennium with a surplus. It makes more sense to keep money in the economy rather than have the state collect revenue we do not need.

“New Hampshire has a longstanding commitment to maintaining our overall low tax burden, and by lowering and eliminating taxes, it ensures we remain competitive. ”

Rep. Jeanine Notter (R-Merrimack)

“The business enterprise tax is a tax on the operation of a business. Between inflation and tough economic times ahead, businesses that may see a reduction in profits shouldn’t be overly penalized for continuing to operate. Every time Republicans have reduced business taxes since 2015 we have seen our revenue grow, and we should continue on that successful track record. Continuing to lower business taxes sends the message across the region and the country that New Hampshire is the right place to bring and grow a business.”

Rep. John Janigian (R-Salem)

“New Hampshire has been labeled as income tax free, but that is not the reality. Although we passed the phase out of the interest and dividends tax in last term’s budget, this tax still unfairly targets retirees for the next five years. It is not fair that the elderly and retirees are paying more in taxes because they saved, and as a result we are losing those people to other states. We want to stop the migration of retirees out of our state and keep them in our state to invest in New Hampshire’s economy. In order to make our state truly free of an income tax, we should be repealing this now, and I look forward to having this conversation with the legislature.”

xxx

Background:
HB15, relative to the rate of the business enterprise tax, is sponsored by Rep. Jeanine Notter
HB133, repealing the communications service tax, is sponsored by Rep. Jason Osborne
HB100, to repeal the interest and dividends tax, is sponsored by Rep. John Janigian

 

For Immediate Release
January 24, 2023
Contact: (603) 271-3665
House Leaders Introduce Tax Reduction Legislation

 

Reformatted – Links to legislation added.

The post New Hampshire House Leaders Introduce Tax Reduction Legislation appeared first on Granite Grok.

We received about 2 inches of snow yesterday and…

8:00 am: I made a snowman.
8:10-   A feminist passed by and asked me why I didn’t make a snow woman.
8:15 –  So, I made a snowwoman.
8:17 –  My feminist neighbor complained about the snow woman’s voluptuous chest, saying it objectified women everywhere.
8:20 – The gay couple living nearby threw a hissy fit and moaned it could have been two snowmen instead.
8:22 – The transgender man.. women…person asked why I didn’t just make one snow person with detachable parts.
8:25 – The vegans at the end of the lane complained about the carrot nose, as veggies are food and are not used to decorate snow figures.
8:28 – I was being called a racist because the snow couple is white.
8:30 – I used food coloring to make one of the snow couple a different color and be more racially inclusive.
8:37 – Accused of using a black face on the snowperson.
8:39 – The middle eastern gent across the road demanded the snow woman be completely covered.
8:40 – The police arrived, saying someone had been offended.
8:42 – The feminist neighbor complained again that the broomstick of the snow woman needed to be removed because it depicted women in a domestic role.
8:43 – The ‘council on equality’ officer arrived and threatened
me with eviction.
8:45 – The TV news crew from ABC showed up. I was asked if I know the difference between snowmen and snowwomen. I replied “Snowballs” and am now a sexist.
9:00 – I was on the news as a suspected terrorist, racist, homophobe, and sensibility offender, bent on stirring up trouble during difficult weather.
9:10 – I was asked if I have any accomplices. My children were taken by social services.
9:29 – Far-left protesters, offended by everything, marched down the street demanding that I be arrested.
9:45 – The boss called and fired me because of the negative association with work that had been all over social media.
10:00 – I cry into my drink because all I wanted to do was build a snowman…

Moral: There ain’t no moral to this story. It is what this world has become because of a bunch of snowflakes. (H/T Hrothgar)

Editor: Also found on Reddit and a million other places in many variations.

The post IT SNOWED LAST NIGHT! – [A story about snowflakes] appeared first on Granite Grok.

No matter how much you are involved with technology, nearly everyone who uses computers and the internet should be protecting themselves. It is even more important for businesses, but the reality is that everyone is vulnerable online.

Don’t worry, there’s good news. As more threats have arisen in the digital world, there are new solutions to respond to them. Whether you are an individual or the leader of a large company, below are five cyber security solutions that everyone should know about.

Firewall, Anti-Malware, Anti-Ransomware

The first solution is likely something you already know about. What do you typically do when you buy a new computer? You load it up with protective software. Every device in your network should have a firewall, which stops viruses and other malicious attacks from getting onto your computer. 

They should also have anti-malware and anti-ransomware measures. These effective programs stop harmful software from being downloaded on an attachment or by clicking on a link. Making sure your devices have these protections is imperative.

Encryption

Encryption is one of the most important cyber security solutions in general. Encryption is the intentional hiding of online content and metadata. It scrambles the data to make it appear random and difficult to decipher. This means that your online interactions, information that is inputted, where you were when you were online, and the messages that you send will be protected by the scrambling of the information tied to each data point.

There are all kinds of different encrypted channels. You can use encrypted web browsers—not the private or incognito mode. You can use encrypted messaging apps. You can encrypt your email. Just about everything can be protected with encryption. It’s even how cryptocurrency is protected.

Third Party Transaction Risk Assessment

When you’re in charge of running a business, there are a lot of transactions you need to keep track of. Nearly every single transaction is digital these days. Dealing with the ins and outs of digital transactions may not be your strong suit. That’s why you should work with third party risk assessors and managers. A company like RiskRecon can provide the third-party guidance that you need.

Not only will they alert you of possible holes in your security, but they will also provide solutions for tightening it up, preventing breaches, and what to do when there has been transactional fraud or hacking. Doing business with a risk assessment company will provide peace of mind and problem-solving initiatives.

AI-Protected Cloud Storage

Depending on the computer and the size of your overall operation, you are likely gathering data. Data is an extremely valuable asset for any business. The more information you have about the customers and their lifestyle, wants, needs, and behavior, you can better satisfy various demographics. Cloud storage is essential to keeping track of data, organizing, and analyzing it. There are multiple options to protect all this information.

One way is to use off-site services that separate your Cloud storage from your network and servers, making it difficult for hackers to get into it. Another solution is to use artificial intelligence (AI). AI is capable of organizing, protecting, and analyzing data faster than any human could. It can also protect it by identifying holes in your cyber security. AI can get the most out of your data, including keeping it safe.

Password Scramblers

Finally, another basic solution is to use password scramblers. It is difficult to come up with complicated, unique passwords for every different account you have. It’s impossible to remember them all. That’s why you should use a password generator, scrambler, and encrypted storage. These apps and services provide an easy way to come up with unique passwords that aren’t tied to your personal life. You should never use passwords for multiple accounts. If you keep them stored, encrypted, and generated randomly, you will be a lot better off.

Cyber security is the name of the game. With so many threats come an equal number of responses. Whether you’re a finance company, a consulting firm, or technological innovators, everyone needs to put in the effort to protect themselves and their work. Start with these five cyber security solutions but don’t stop here, there are plenty more ways to strengthen your devices, network, and servers against attacks. 

 

The post Five Cyber Security Solutions You Should Know About appeared first on Granite Grok.

Dropping dead is all the rage. You’re just minding you’re own damn business, and your heart stops working the way it has since birth. Or, maybe, you have a severe stroke ‘cuz reasons!

Related: The Myocarditis/Pericarditis Pandemic – Who Has to Die before You Believe?

Finding news stories published by the actual self-proclaimed actual media is easy. All you have to do is look. Search died suddenly or Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS) or all-cause mortality, and you’ll find your lap (top) full. Connecting them to the most obvious common denominator preceding this “epidemic” shuffling off of mortal coils is crazy talk.

Another conspiracy theory lined up to become next year’s truth. And while we wait, young, healthy people are dropping dead.

I’ve never heard of this guy, and I’m not gay or a gal, so I couldn’t speculate, but this guy (Jeremy Ruehlemann) is supposed to be a male supermodel. He was 27 years old.

 

CONFIRMED: 27 Year old model Jeremy Ruehlemann, who #diedsuddenly over the weekend, was CONFIRMED vaccinated https://t.co/p8Szw0Z0Zr pic.twitter.com/pBXuckS3CV

— DiedSuddenly (@DiedSuddenly_) January 24, 2023

 

Now he is part of history and gone way before his time. Look at this guy. He looks healthy to me. So, why is he dead? His father speculates that it was an accidental drug overdose. There was a history of prescription drug abuse, but the father admits he does not know.

We know he was a Jabbasaurus. We also know that the COVID-19 injections have some history of taking out young, healthy people. We do not know if using any other drugs complicates the relationship or the odds. We know very little, and it may be decades before all the consequences of this human test trial on billion of people are known.

Jeremy Ruehlemann is dead, and we can expect the game of “no, he didn’t die from the vaccine*” to begin or continue in much the same way the vaccine is safe and effective crowd lied, knowingly or not, to get people Jabbed in the first place. The way death with COVID was peddled as death from COVID, and so on.

Closer to home (as in, the more ordinary, average sort of lifestyle) is the loss of Jacob Sanchez. This Texas Middle-School teacher died of a sudden heart attack, collapsing in front of a room full of students.

 

Devine Middle School posted a tribute to Sanchez on its Facebook account.

“We lost a friend, colleague, and just a good man today. Jacob was the kind of person who would do anything to help out others. He was a kids’ teacher. He worked hard to connect with all of our kids not just our athletes. Our kids are going to have a tough time, but our DMS family will be there to help our kids as well as each other,” Darnell posted.

 

I’m sure the grief counselors were Joan/Johnny/Ze on the spot to help the tweeners come to terms with the sudden death of their teacher, and it is indeed tragic. He was only 35 years old and appears to have been in decent shape. That’s a very odd age for this cause of death. I wonder if there is any evidence of …

 

Im going to add this so everyone can know his vaccines status, since many are asking. pic.twitter.com/HQGNNutvOs

— Lisa Marie (@Lisamarie1577) January 23, 2023

 

There is, but as Jennifer Rosenberg notes in her reply, “We don’t know what could have caused it, only that it definitely wasn’t that thing.” And the band played on, which brings me back to the Related link above from November of 2021 – a few short months into the SADS Era, who has to die?

 

What will it take?

If I had to guess, a healthy child of yours dropping dead. I wish it didn’t have to come to that. Healthy kids have nothing to fear from COVID19 and should have a palpable fear of politicians, pharmaceutical companies (teachers unions, the medical-industrial complex), their narratives, and The Jab.

 

But healthy kids have died and are dying. We reported on a two-year-old who died within twenty-four hours of receiving a dose.

At what point is the number of deaths more weight than even the media can hold back?

 

 

The post Male Model Dies Suddenly, Middle School Teacher Drops Dead in Front of His Class appeared first on Granite Grok.

As promised in the last Monday Memes, I have an overflow. My meme cup runneth over.  Certain about a Friday Overflow-Overflow.

Also, for those prepper-minded… you are prepping, aren’t you???… my last two Survival Sundays:

Survival Sunday – Sunday PREP Edition – Granite Grok

Survival Sunday – Thursday SITREP Edition – Granite Grok

Now, let the mayhem, mockery, and ridicule resume:

 

*** Warning, a few possibly off-color ones, in case tender eyes are about ***

 

 

Or those who revere them…

“It is hard to free fools from the chains they revere.”

― Voltaire

 

If you grab a meme for your blog, or an email, or post on some SM, please do include a link to this post.  It helps Grok traffic, and gets me more infamy attention.

 

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

 

 

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

 

“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out… without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.”

– H. L. Mencken

 

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

 

“We are in a debt trap” – Nouriel Roubini on 10 ‘megathreats’ to our world and how to stop them

 

 

The world has created – from thin air – so much money, and so much parallel debt, that we could strip-mine the planet down to the MoHo and not repay it.

When it truly crashes, and I fear it’s coming soon, the entire world economy will grind to a halt.

 

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

 

     

 

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

 

 

One of the books I really wanted the kids to read – they haven’t because it’s boooooooring  (* me fuming*) – is Aesop’s Fables.  One such fable is this one, that echoes the above image:

Aesop’s Fable: The House Dog and the Wolf (aesopsfables.org)

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

I sign the pads for routine doctor visits – after all, I can always refuse anything.  But every time, now, when I’ve gone to the ER (or taken the kids to the ER) I have them print out the forms and explicitly state, sign, and date that I DO NOT CONSENT TO ANY VACCINATION; THIS NOTICE SUPERCEDES ANY TEXT IN THE ABOVE.

I then have them scan it in and attach it to my file, take the original, and take a picture and email it to myself.  Not PERFECT, but at least I have some way of recourse to show I refused it proactively.

 

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

 

 

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

 

Things have massively – and very abruptly – slowed down in my business’ revenue.  Not that I have any serious expectations of making up the difference with zazzle sales (unless one of these truly goes viral), but please do seriously consider a bumper sticker or mug… or three, as gifts.  Note – you may need to adjust age filter requirements to see them.  (No NSFW materials, never fear!)

 

Bumper stickers

On trusting Democrats Bumper Sticker | Zazzle

Show why you own guns! They’re TYRANT VACCINE. Bumper Sticker | Zazzle

Build Back Better – the hidden message Bumper Sticker | Zazzle

 

Or mugs

Free Judea Coffee Mug | Zazzle

Back off… we’re scientists coffee mug | Zazzle

 

Or T-shirts

Throughout History, Free Men Resist T-Shirt | Zazzle

Democrats: The Alien Within T-Shirt | Zazzle

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

The Taliban may not be educated to our own criteria, but don’t mistake a the lack of a formal Ivy-league education with a lack of shrewdness (and the above image is master-level mockery).  Not for nothing is there an old, old saying: When you shake hands in a Persian souk, count your fingers afterwards.

Speaking of nukes and such:

The 2nd Amendment is Obsolete, Says Congressman Who Wants To Nuke Omaha | Monster Hunter Nation

 

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

 

 

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

 

Pick of the post:

 

 

There is some controversy over how genuine this is (e.g., note the date).  But – channeling the late Maha-Rushie – do not doubt me on this: this will soon come to be the way of thinking of the Jabbed.  As the truth goes through the conceptual one-way diode and more and more people understand what the Jab has done to them… to their children… they’ll turn on someone to blame.  Some will, rightfully, blame the pharma companies and governments and such.  But I suspect many will be driven by white-hot fury at US, the Purebloods, the people they disdained as ENEMIES and ANTI-SCIENCE and so on who will now be understood to have been more informed and perceptive than their uber-intellectual / educated selves.  Channeling Sowell:

“People will forgive you for being wrong, but they will never forgive you for being right—especially if events prove you right while proving them wrong.”

In particular, when they’re being proven wrong by people who they derided and disdained as inferiors.

 

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

 

Carl Sagan On The Importance Of Free Speech And Skepticism

 

 

 

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

 

Palate cleansers:

 

 

More times than you can easily imagine.

—

 

I feel this some days.

—

The post Meme Overflow appeared first on Granite Grok.

Nashua officials selling projects to the elected leaders have mastered the art of the ambush. All too often, City officials are presenting information to Boards and requesting immediate approval for the project.

The elected officials are caving to the demands for immediate responses rather than reflect, contemplate, and verify data. This elevates the project risk.

Two new city projects on the horizon are the redevelopment of the Elm Street Middle School property and the EPA Superfund Mohawk Tannery property.

At the August 19, 2022 Nashua Housing and Redevelopment Authority (NHRA) meeting, Director Cummings and Director Sullivan presented a plan for the redevelopment of the Mohawk Tannery property that would create over 500+ housing units for the City. The City would be partially waiving the regulations for the newly adopted affordable housing act as the developer could not meet those requirements and maintain profitability. This project involves a complex and rarely executed funding deal.

The minutes reflect;

Mr. Tollner asked within what timeframe the City of Nashua would need a decision from NHRA. Mr. Cummings said he would like at least a consensus now that NHRA is on board as he wants to be able to represent it publicly to the Board of Alderman.

The NHRA gave consensus for the project.

On January 10, 2023, Director Cummings and the Mohawk project team presented to the Board of Alderman. The cache of materials was not provided to the members prior to the meeting. Director Cummings tries to deflect that he is looking for approval from the Board, but states:

We will not be looking for any type of approvals, we just want to get an indication as to whether we’re going in the right direction…

At a December 6, 2022, Joint Planning & Economic Development Meeting

Director Cummings and Mayor Donchess presented a plan to the Board of Alderman for the development of the Elm Street Middle School property. Once again, the presentation material was not provided to the Board in their packet, nor available to the public.

Director Cummings stated;

I’m looking to get some sort of go no-go direction on the city developing a strategic partnership with Riviera where we affirmatively go out to the marketplace and we speak with confidence that yes we do want two ranks on this we understand that there’s some trade-offs here one of them being is we’re looking at like a 50-year lease type conversation…”

The PEDC committee voted 7-2 to move forward with the project. Two members believed it was unfair to request an approval when a project of this magnitude was under a first review.

Nashua has many projects on its plate. Elected officials should not succumb to pressures from the Mayor and Directors for immediate approval. Please exercise the due diligence that your constituents expect and remember that it’s not your money. It’s taxpayer money.

 

The post Racing to Uninformed Decisions appeared first on Granite Grok.

As a citizen-legislator, I know very well how hard it is to pass a law. It shouldn’t be easy, but gosh, I sometimes wonder why it’s often so difficult. Still, it’s very rewarding to finally get a bill over the “goal line” and into statute.

Likewise, for rules. Rules are everywhere. Every organization has them, as do most families. My dad had a few rules, for instance. But he could change them as he wished—without a hearing, vote, study committee, amendment, or quorum.

Most organizations have rules which can usually be changed by processes somewhat more involved than those that governed my dad’s rulemaking—including the National Football League.

This brings us to football icon John Madden. While the late Hall-of-Fame coach is well known for the video gridiron game that bears his name, he also co-authored (with Dave Anderson) a best-selling book entitled One Knee Equals Two Feet (and Everything Else You Need To Know About Football).

The title referred to what constituted an NFL player being inbounds after making a catch. If one knee hit inbounds after a reception, then it was a catch. But each of a receiver’s two feet had to step inbounds for a reception to be a catch.

In college football, only a single foot needs to be inbounds for a good catch. That’s a much better rule.

The NFL requirement results in countless video reviews to determine whether or not both feet are inbounds. It takes up time in almost every game. It’s exhausting and unnecessary. Just adopt the college rule.

But nooooooo! (As John Belushi would say.) The NFL continues to stick with the One Knee Equals Two Feet rule. Adopting the college rule would result in more completions, fewer video reviews, and more scoring. But the NFL’s Grand Poobahs won’t “change the rule!”

(I don’t exactly know who these Grand Poobahs are, but they remind me of the ne’er-do-wells who sabotage the bills that I try to move through the New Hampshire House of Representatives!)

Anyway, as if things weren’t already bad enough, NFL officials sometimes STILL get it wrong after exhaustive video reviews—as when the Cincinnati Bengals were screwed out of a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs. Millions of fans watching replays on TV saw that Ja’Marr Chase clearly made an endzone catch for a TD that was overturned.

Even worse, think back to the Patriots’ epic loss to the Raiders in Las Vegas on December 18. (I know some of you have blotted it out of your memory. Sorry.) With the Pats leading the Raiders 24-17 with 32 seconds left, Las Vegas QB Derek Carr hit Keelan Cole in the back of the endzone for a TD. But upon further review, it was clear that Cole got neither a knee nor two feet inbounds after receiving the ball. While that was obvious to the millions watching on TV, the replay geniuses still ruled it a TD and the game was tied.

This, of course, set the stage for the zaniest ending in NFL history, when, with the clock already having run out, Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers tried to throw the football back to QB Mac Jones. It was picked off by Chandler Jones who ran it 40 yards into the endzone for a 30-24 Vegas victory.

Anyway. Non-ne’er-do-well readers surely get my point. Enough with the One Knee Equals Two Feet NFL nonsense. Adopt the college one foot standard.

This change has been proposed year after year after year after year to the Grand Poobahs. But the rule stays the same.

Happy Ground Hog Day!

The post One Knee Equals Two Feet—and Football Rule Changes appeared first on Granite Grok.

I have a question for those who adopted the terms vaccine-hesitant or anti-vaxxer. It won’t be many of our readers, but they may know folks or interact with them. Legislators and activists will have met a few.

When someone uses either term, you should be able to ask to see their vaccine card. You know, the passport (to them, it’s not protected or private medical information, right?).

If you got the Jab, you’ve got agency and shared experience. If not, you can still play along. The goal is not ridicule but coalition building. I’m serious, so hang in there a moment.

Ask if they got both shots. Which ones? How about a booster? Did they get one, two, three, or more injections, and how about the new bivalent? Any side effects? Many of the wielders of these terms will have had one booster, maybe two, rarely three. Very few got the bivalent. Uptake is very low.

Do they plan to get it, and if not, why did they change their mind?

If they say it’s because they got the other vaccines, you could say well (if you are the anti-vaxxer), I got other vaccines. Like, all of them from my childhood up to and maybe including flu and pneumonia shots as you age – assuming that’s true. Don’t lie.

You may have even got one or two of the mRNA things when it was all the rage or to keep a job (etc.). But then something changed for you. You decided that was enough. What changed your mind?

If they stopped at two or three, what changed theirs?

Isn’t that vaccine-hesitant?

The FDA has just announced everyone needs a COVID shot annually. If getting the thing is the morally responsible act for the community, and the powers that decide what that means said you need boosters and now the bivalent, and at least one every year, are you on board or not interested?

If you need help, the New York Times and the Washington Post have cracked this Seventh Seal. Doubt and mistrust about the vaccine messaging and the messengers are no longer verboten. The experts lied, which is an opportunity to establish common ground, build alliances, and address the greater threat.

They lied about many things, and it is okay to be hesitant now. You just took a bit longer to build your suspicions.

A government and public health cabal abandoned its responsibility to protect its citizens. It ignored what was before its eyes in favor of the approved response. It suppressed or even shouted down those who dared to stand up and question anything or everything.

Maybe you believed them, but now you don’t.

Anyone who stopped buying in or is no longer on board with bivalents or annual boosters must have a reason. They might be a potential advocate for the cause of transparency. Maybe they will listen to other experts?

And maybe they could use someone to listen to their story, help them find resources, and perhaps that person is you.

Or they might be the women on The View, in which case, ridicule the crap out of them. They earned it.

 

 

The post Doesn’t Stopping After The Second COVID Shot or the First Booster Make You Vaccine Hesitant? appeared first on Granite Grok.

It has been nearly three months since the first batch of classified documents was uncovered in the Penn-Biden Center. When the Biden lawyers came upon the documents and why the lawyers were there is a story unto itself, they did not notify the FBI or the DOJ. No, they called the National Archives, and they called the authorities. We have heard ad nauseam that the President takes the handling of Classified materials very seriously. If KJO uses that term more often, the American public may buy the concept. It is evident that Joe Biden disregards the idea of top-secret document control. How else can you explain him having documents from his time as a Senator? No Senator should ever have classified documents outside of a SCIF, let alone in his garage next to his Corvette.

Since the first week in November, four more sets of documents have been found. These docs were found in the Biden garage, home office, and the beach house. Some of these classified docs are at least 15 years old, which is how long Biden has been out of the Senate. We do not know what is on these papers, but we do know that it does not matter. If you have them, you have broken the law.

Over 1,500 boxes of materials from the Obama years are in storage at the University of Delaware for the Vice President Biden Library. Why have these not been investigated? Joe, his family, and any invited visitors have free reign of Biden’s properties while documents are still found. Where is the security here? How can we ever feel confident that documents are not being destroyed rather than turned over to authorities? We cannot.

We do not know how this will end, but we know that Biden’s plans for a re-election bid are deteriorating with each new discovery or press briefing. When KJP takes to the podium and avoids or deflects questions, Biden’s approval takes a hit. Nearly 70% of those polled believe that the White House is not handling this matter well. I think it is vintage Biden. He is averse to the truth and cannot accept accountability. The questions are getting more pointed daily., And the tone went dark today when Karine was asked if Joe Biden was involved in a cover-up. This situation has evolved from a Biden miscue to a potential criminal event. Not the story to build a campaign on for 2024.

The way the Democrats, politicians, and media supporters are lashing out at Biden is quite obvious. They must do this to distance themselves from a pending epicenter and preserve some semblance of credibility. Biden has been delaying his re-election announcement because he cannot catch a favorable day to declare. They may be best served by taking a break from the briefings. Some will claim they are hiding from the story, but if you march Karine Jean-Pierre to the podium not to answer questions, which is worse? This Doc-Gate also creates an eerie dark cloud that will take the wind out of the upcoming State of the Union.

There will also be questions about the untimely resignation of Chief of Staff Ron Klain. Is it a coincidence or tied to the growing scandal? You can be sure if Karine is asked, she will deflect.

The post Who is Checking the Trash, Shredded, Heck, Even the Ocean appeared first on Granite Grok.

As a long-standing NHGOP volunteer who has held multiple positions in the state party and knows a great deal about the party’s history with the multitude of its stakeholders, I am providing the insight I KNOW concerning the NHGOP election on January 28th.

While some might say the Republican party in NH is in “a good place,” others have a very different view and perspective. Over the past few election cycles, I’ve seen a decline in people’s faith in the NHGOP and its leadership. This decline is not just happening in NH; it is occurring across this great nation, many of which are described as “uniparty” nationally.

Having had hundreds of conversations with people over the last four years, I can conclusively state that the NHGOP is failing on many fronts and desperately needs fundamental change that doesn’t include doing the same old thing with the same old people (a.k.a. going along to get along.) If you don’t believe there are issues, you are NOT listening (as was the case in the Londonderry local Republican committee.) Undoubtedly, taking the time to listen to people to understand their views has been remiss in the state party leadership.

With the election less than a week away, it is time to think about the role the NHGOP plays and what is needed to ensure communication, messaging, trust, restore belief, party growth, fundraising, and unity. YES, REAL UNITY! The NH Republican party is split and broken, so it will take a group of remarkable individuals who stay true to the party’s platform (principles) to unite and find a way to reach common ground.

There are currently two individuals running for party chair with different backgrounds, skill sets, and motivating factors. Will Chris Ager or Lou Gargiulo be able to restore faith and belief in the party, bring in new people (which would include young people which the Dems have the corner on), and donors? While I respect both men, there is a difference to note on the path taken to run for the position of NHGOP chair. Chris ran for NH National Committeeman two years ago, knowing it was a four-year term. With two years left of the four Chris decided to run for the chair to eliminate Steve Stepanek (he said), who is the current NHGOP Chair.

When Steve announced he was not running again, what was Chris’s motivation to continue?

On the other side is Lou Gargiulo. As early as late last summer, Lou got approached by many grassroots patriots to run for the position of chair. Lou was very thoughtful with his approach and decision-making. He thought about it and talked to many of his volunteers, supporters, and newly elected representatives. While still deciding, he told me he needed to know he had the “Live Free or Die” people behind him. (This was after experiencing a grueling NH Senate run in a district the 2021-2022 Senate/Legislature re-districted him out of, and the NHGOP wrote off as “unwinnable.”)

Lou is a former state representative, was the state chair for candidate Donald Trump, is a current selectman, and is a successful CEO of his own company. Lou listens and works to find solutions with people; he is thoughtful, resourceful, filled with ideas, easy to work with, and always willing to talk with anyone. During his run for the state senate (primarily self-funded), he built an incredible team of volunteers, a united, motivated, and cohesive group that worked on his campaign and stood alongside him. In contrast, Chris is retired but has held various positions within his community and the NHGOP structure.

The most significant distinction between the two candidates I see is discernment and possessing sound judgment. As a leader, one should never disparage others, especially those with different abilities (for example, people with support animals). Doing so once can be excused; doing so throughout two election cycles shows a lack of judgment and discernment. Leaders have to lead by example. I finally heard too much from folks on this issue and called the person leading the charge with these statements. Unfortunately, the person I needed to confront was the sitting national committeeman.

Good leaders have a strong sense of self-awareness and humility. The best leaders are humble and understand their own personal shortcomings because it motivates them to have things to work on, work towards, and do better.

It is no hidden secret how much money the Democrats can raise. For the NHGOP to operate at an optimal capacity and level, lots of cash is needed. (I sat on the NHGOP executive board when we faced real financial hardships and had to make some difficult decisions.) As an entrepreneur, Lou has built a very successful business. Lou has established relationships, contacts, and connections within NH and well outside of NH to be a highly successful fundraiser. As National Committeeman, Chris has met with folks outside of NH, but will those other state committee folks be willing to help NH raise money? Does he have a proven track record of fundraising like Lou has?

While many want to line pockets from playing politics, the state parties must have money to operate and to see real change in NH; we need to step up our game and strategy big-ly! What concrete plans does each candidate have? This question needs firm answers because it is a crucial element of the role of the chair. The chair is eligible to be compensated. One man, Lou, has stated he will forgo any compensation. Will Chris do the same? A million dollars in fundraising equals a $100,000 payment to the chair.

Both Chris and Lou are good men, but they have different paths for deciding to run and different qualities to bring to the leadership role of party chair. One man is firm in his convictions, and the other frequently plays the typical politician role. The party has changed, and a new type of leader is needed. Questions (many hard ones) need asking, and those questions should not vary based on the audience or person the candidate is facing.

Will the state committee members elect more of the same on January 28th? Will the choice be to go with a new leader that will be strong and able to lead the state in a much-needed new direction? Are you ready to see some real Republican change for NH?

I really hope NH puts an end to the same ol’ same ol’ from the Grand Old Party.

 

The post What Will the Future of the NHGOP Hold? appeared first on Granite Grok.

Here we go again. A detailed complaint against Windham election officials was filed with the NH Attorney General’s office in December regarding the September 13, 2022, Primary Election.

The 2022 Primary Election complaint identifies ongoing issues and inconsistencies with NH election laws and procedures. That election is now the second federal election in a row where there appear to be continuing, disturbing failures by Windham election officials to follow simple election laws and procedures – AND wildly inaccurate reported numbers on election night.

The first time was Windham’s 2020 General Election, which produced the largest numerical discrepancy in the history of New Hampshire between election day results and a hand recount of the Windham State Representative race. That led to a forensic audit to determine the cause of the discrepancy.

Eight months after the 2020 General Election audit was completed, the NH Attorney General and Secretary of State delivered a joint letter to Windham officials. That letter identified over 130 violations of election laws and procedures during the 2020 General Election and informed Windham officials that an election monitor would be appointed to oversee Windham’s next election during the September 13, 2022, Primary. A rare occurrence.

But even with an election monitor present during the September 13th primary, it appears nothing has changed. The complaint regarding the September Primary Election outlines 33 additional concerns in detail (and there were more). It includes over 70 hyperlinks to official election documents that provide specific details for those concerns. With the detailed information provided on a silver platter within the complaint, the AG’s investigation should be simple and straight forward.

Assigning an Election Monitor for the September 2022 Primary did not produce the desired result.

To put it another way… how much longer will Windham’s election officials be permitted to do the same thing over and over again before the AG puts permanent corrective measures in place to ensure that Windham’s elections follow election laws and procedures?

More info to come regarding issues related to the Windham 2022 General Election…

 

The post Do Windham Election Officials Represent Einstein’s Definition of Insanity? appeared first on Granite Grok.

Ding! Ding! Ding!  We have WINNAHS as they know the answer to the question: Which of these Marketplaces has Government inserting itself?

Hospital Services? Think Medicare and Medicaid subsidies.

College Tuition?  Think Government “loan” subsidies.  And College textbooks are in that as well (but they’ve always been expensive).

Childcare & nursery school? Think Headstart (whose “benefits” disappear shortly after kids enter elementary school (itself subsidized).

And compare those to those things where government has a much smaller footprint relative to pricing (“Obama Phones” running contrary to that).

Anyone want to take my bet (remember, I am NOT a “betting guy”!) that if all of Government’s machinations relative to “higher education” costs went away, costs would plummet. After all, all those administrators may be Woke but they ain’t stupid when it comes to truckloads of bucks driving by…

(H/T” PostImage)

The post Data Point – Notice which Price Changes Can Be Associated with Government Meddling in that Marketplace? appeared first on Granite Grok.

Given the scope and history of using government schools to “teach” sex ed, the idea that they’d get this wrong, too, makes sense. What do I mean?

I think I summed it up nicely last February.

 

The Public Schools have been “teaching” sex-ed for (at least) five decades, and look where we are as a result? Unwanted pregnancy, single-parent families, sexually transmitted disease (STD), rape culture, mental health, the sexual assault of children, and suicide tied to sexual-related dysphoria.

Complete failure would be my diagnosis unless that was the plan, and plenty of folks would say yes, that was the plan.

 

Government-school-inflicted gender dysphoria is the newest normal for the Education Industrial Complex. In the course of abandoning academics, they’ve fostered a false culture of equity and diversity whose sole function is to destabilize families and future generations.

Mandating education at taxpayer expense that turns kids against parents (if they are lucky enough to have more than one at home if they are ever home) is genius if you mean evil genius.

Remember, families, are the enemy of Marxists. One-parent families make it easier for the government to declare itself the faithful guardian (which it has). And we know that with few exceptions, the atmosphere is hostile to ideas outside those approved by the Left, even when it kills the kids. And it kills them.

We’ve known for years that kids who grow up on the LGBT spectrum have higher rates of suicidal ideation.

 

Puberty blockers, for example, can kill kids. Transed kids are more likely to experience anxiety and attempt and succeed at suicide. Even in the most caring communities, they are more likely to smoke and abuse drugs and alcohol. These issues are endemic…

 

They blame you and your cisgender privileged culture, but new research adds meat to the bones of at least one part of the problem.

 

“Our behavioral and neurobiological characterization reveals for the first time that chronic leuprolide treatment, starting after the onset of puberty, exerts sex-specific effects on social preference, despair-like behavior and hyponeophagia, neuroendocrine responses to mild stress, and hyperactivity of the [dentate gyrus], a crucial neurobiological regulator of stress responses in mice,” the paper reads.

 

Add that to the results of this  2019 study.

 

Approximately 58% of transgender patients had at least one DSM-5 diagnosis compared with 13.6% of cisgender patients (p<0.0005). Transgender patients had increased prevalence for all psychiatric diagnoses queried (Table 1), with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder being the most common diagnoses (31% and 12%, respectively).

 

Anxiety and depression are leading causes of suicide. A majority of transgenders exhibit these conditions. They have an increased incidence of suicide or attempted suicide. Science suggests it is a side effect of puberty blockers.

It might be the drugs.

If you are an adult and have fully informed consent and continue with this form of treatment knowing the risks, more power to you. None of my business unless it’s taxpayer-funded. If you are not an adult and not the legal guardian, all sorts of problems arise, not the least of which is that minors cannot typically (legally) give informed consent.

I doubt any of these details are included before the treatment starts. Certainly not to children or their parents (if they are the woke sort who go along with it). So, little or no information at all, even though it is well-known that puberty blockers can chemically kill kids long before the psychological side effects nudge them toward suicidal ideation. Or, if you’re in Canada, well – they have a coloring book that normalizes asking the state to help you kill yourself.

It can’t all be a coincidence.

 

 

HT | Daily Wire

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We have had the good fortune of a warmer winter. It has been wet (very wet), but mostly rain and not snow in the southern part of New Hampshire. That has changed as it must. Winter always comes calling, and it often asks for a heavy price.

Successive snow storms, numerous power outages, the hum of generators, and the beep of utility and plow trucks as they back up. The meteorologists speak of winter travel conditions, meaning snowy or icy roads, but there are others. Downed trees, branches, and vehicles stuck trying to climb icy hills or other obstructions.

I passed a dozen places today where trees had been removed from the road and at least four where trees rested across the road leaning on power lines supporting them above the street.

It was a 12-minute trip.

A few hundred feet up the road from my home, a tree brought down the power lines early Monday morning by snapping the top off the utility pole to which they were still attached. It was an impressive sight, and it took work crews a while to get that addressed.

It is a busy road, so it got some priority.

We lost power for about  18 hours (+/-) and had no internet for at least 8 of that. The internet was down again this morning, but the power is still up.

It’s not the worst we’ve seen or the worst from this storm. But it comes with the territory. Lots of snow, mostly wet and heavy. White pines are everywhere and in abundance. That weighted snow has a way of bringing them (or parts of them) down, and they don’t always miss the infrastructure.

 

 

 

Or the phallic-shaped genderless snow figures.

That shot was taken around the corner from my home on a neighboring street. I was walking the dog and spent a good deal of time “watching my overhead,” as we used to say at UPS.

Beautiful but sobering. A loud crack sends you scurrying, but on slick pavement, that’s not so easy to do. The same applies to driving. If you are on tree-lined streets, you pay attention to the road and everything dropping or hanging over the road.

New Hampshire has hundreds of thousands (still) without power.

There will be people without power for days or even weeks, but it’s not extreme weather. We get this every year, and every few years, we get smacked around repeatedly in succession.

We’ve got another storm heading in Wednesday to Thursday.

Downstate, the flatlanders are getting some snow but mostly rain. That will be sloppy, but it will get the snow off the trees, providing some relief.

At least until the next hard freeze or snowstorm. They seem to be lining up as we creep toward February. Also not unusual.

I can’t tell you how glad I am that we got our generator wired into the house a few years back. It is worth the expense if you’ve not considered it – assuming you’ve got a generator. If not, buy one this summer when they are cheaper unless you can’t do without it now – but best of luck finding one.

Let us know how you fared, or are faring, in the comments.

The post Hello, Winter! appeared first on Granite Grok.

In my senior moment musings, I relive my childhood fascination with the fairy tales of Hans Christian Anderson and the Grimm Brothers. As a child these fairy tales provided endless amusement and incentivized me to learn to read.

Of course, age has provided me with a different perspective on the meaning and significance of these amazing tales. In my old age, I now realize the incisive political commentary of these geniuses, who were handcuffed by their governments from critical social commentary. So these brilliant minds crafted parables that immunized them from political persecution.

The Pied Piper of Hamelin is an ageless commentary on the inanity of humankind. The Pied Piper conned the entire village by musically luring the rats out of Hamelin. Then he enticed the children away from their parents and, in some versions, the children drowned or disappeared forever.

We want to thank Charles Bradley HERE 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.

Historically, there has been any number of Pied Pipers. Today, the Pied Pipers are dressed in many cloaks: Joe Biden, Klaus Schwab, the Obamas, and Bilary. These Pipers have mired a generation of children, known as Generation Z, in massive political myopia, which endangers our country.

Let’s take a look at the Pied Piper Biden’s catastrophic disasters of 2021 and 2022:

1. Afghanistan: Created a Taliban army, gave China Bagram Air Force Base, and left 10,000 Americans at the mercy of the Taliban.
2. Bidenflation: Despite denials, the poor and the middle class suffer from massive inflation in energy and food, not to mention the spiraling interest rates, which will probably lead to hyperinflation in 2023. Check the massive layoffs across the economy.
3. Southern Border invasion of millions of illegal aliens.
4. Weaponization of the DOJ, the FBI, and the CIA against the parents of school children, political opponents, and President Trump.
5. Sabotaging our energy independence on his first day in office and depletion of our National Oil Reserves for obvious political benefit in 2022 mid-terms
6. Appeasement of the CCP by accepting multi-millions of dollars, which I consider bribery
7. Blatant disregard of our national security classified documents over a thirty-year period and a cover-up of this abuse.

Luckily, for the children of Hamelin, the Pied Piper is a fairy tale. We must live with the catastrophic Presidency of Demolitioncrat Biden or, God forbid, worse. The question arises, “ Are We On The Eve Of Destruction?”

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