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

Exploring personalised solutions

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

Strategic light placement for accentuation

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

Employing dimmers and understanding colour temperatures

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

Merging style and functionality

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

Conclusion

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The School District Governance Association of NH is different:

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

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

So here’s the starting point:

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

What *does* “shall ensure” mean?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just a few thoughts to start the day!

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, too, with social promotion, IMHO.

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Originally published in 2002 but has aged nicely.

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

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

They love that—case in point.

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

 

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

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

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 17, 2023

 

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Biden does excel at one thing: Hurting Americans financially.

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 



 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

HT | School District Governance Association of NH

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pathetic.

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

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

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

 

“Twitter Killer” is dying already.

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

— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) July 13, 2023

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

It’s as if it didn’t ever exist.

 

 

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

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

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

9-11

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

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

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

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

It Will Never Happen Again

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

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

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

Covid-19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That being the case:

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

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

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

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

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

Tucker died in 1827 after suffering a stroke.

 

Mike Maharrey | The Tenth Amendment Center

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

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

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

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

Director Smolen,

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

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

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

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

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

-Skip

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oh, and before I forget, your OTHER claim?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a nice evening!
-Skip

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Auron MacIntyre (@AuronMacintyre) July 14, 2023

 

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

I listened to RFK Jr speak at PorcFest. I listened to Vivek being interviewed by Tucker Carlson at the Family Leadership Summit. I have some deep disagreements with both of these candidates on what I take to be fundamental issues.

I don’t want either of them to be President. Although to be fair, I don’t really want anyone to be President other than Ron Paul or John Valera. But what impresses me about them is that, in terms of raw intellectual power, they seem to be head and shoulders above anyone else who is trying to get the job.

So here’s what I would love to see. Not a debate in which each tries to show that his prepared answers are better than the other guy’s prepared answers.

Rather, a discussion in which they try to identify (1) what they actually agree on and (2) for the things they disagree on, the underlying principles (e.g., on what the purpose of government is and what the legitimate sources of government power might be) that lead to those disagreements.

Not Bobby versus Vivek. Rather, Bobby and Vivek.

That is, I’d love to watch them learn something from each other in real-time — something I think is pretty much impossible for any of the other candidates in the race on either side.

What’s interesting is that I think both of them would say, if asked, that what they really want from their candidacies — win or lose — is for certain ideas to be heard and seriously considered.

I think you could guarantee a huge audience for this kind of conversation. And it would provide a lasting record of what substantive political conversation could be, in contrast to the scripted, focus-tested, pandering crap that we usually get.

Does anyone out there know how to get these two guys into a room with a thermos of coffee (or a pitcher of beer) and a video camera?

 

The post Bobby and Vivek appeared first on Granite Grok.

The events of the past decade have underscored one clear reality, corporations are overly greedy and must be checked by governments. Indeed, that is the sole purpose of good government when it comes to overseeing the marketplace— to prevent large corporations from preying on the citizens.

Individual action is rarely effective in checking what is often known as vulture capitalism or predatory capitalism. It takes the strong collective action of a central federal government to employ law and force in protecting citizens’ life, liberty, and prosperity.

The USA was born and developed through its infancy as a bastion of free market capitalism. The 20th century’s most well-known stalwart defense against capitalism’s economic inverse, socialism, was spearheaded by McCarthyism — the effort to root out communists and communist-leaning forces from the federal state. In the past fifty years, however, communism and socialism— the authoritarian-leaning economic models— have insidiously crept into American political economic thought and culture. The advance was apparently so slow that nobody noticed until it was too late. What was begun during Obama’s presidency has continued under the Biden junta.

This effort is nothing short of a communist revolution in slow motion. You would think that school-aged children and collegebound folks would study about free markets— Rothbard, Locke, Von Mises, Hayek. But no, that’s not what is typically read in high school social studies classes’ sections on economics. Most professors assign Marx, and not Das Kapital, that treatise on the nature of capital and the backbone of capitalist literature. US students study the Communist Manifesto, which is essentially an essay on revolutionary ideology and class warfare and a seminal text of the global communist movement.

There is a distinct difference between Marxian communism, the revolutionary ideology designed to act as a wedge to facilitate political change and true communism, the small-scale kind practiced in monastic cultures. One is very stable and harmonious, and the other leads directly to installing puppet regimes. That is precisely what happened in the USA in 2020— the Democrat Party, backed by the Nine Eyes countries and China, conspired to force an extralegal electoral victory for Joe Biden.

Many US citizens rejoiced without understanding the implications of the result. Any who had qualms on economic grounds about the future of free market capitalism in the USA was in the minority. Capitalism is deeply unpopular in the USA and worldwide. It is so unpopular in China that the CCP brands it “socialism with Chinese characteristics”. Although China’s model is more state influenced than pure free market models, the point is important. Capitalism is not trendy. But why?

Why do people despise capitalism so much? This economic system is the one that is capable of bringing millions out of poverty. When an entrepreneur is able to freely build a business empire without being bound by necessary political favoritism and insularism that comes with socialist government administrations and bureaucracies, the entire society benefits, and many are lifted out of poverty. One would posit that capitalism is disliked simply because it is not widely understood. It takes a specific mindset to become a successful capitalist and to participate in the free market economy. If advanced economies like the USA do not tend their education systems and their cultures properly, the laziness and malaise that inevitably develops are perfect for breeding the kind of fat cat mentality that supports the socialists. Ask an American what capitalism actually is, and few would be able to tell you a clear, educated answer. Most have been trained to slander it.

The main primary cause of distrust of capitalism is that it is not practiced properly and intelligently. Whether by design or by destiny, most all capitalist models practiced around the world today lack governing systems to sufficiently redistribute capital and fail to protect citizens from vulture corporations with dynamic regulation. This is enlightened capitalism. The global economy’s structure has naturally permitted massive amounts of vultures, and enlightenment is nowhere to be seen.

Look no further than the recent COVID project for a clear example. The pharmaceutical industry gradually captured government regulatory agencies over a fifty-year period, starting with Nixon’s action protecting the pharma corps from downstream liability on vaccines and culminating in an engineered planetary plague that was essentially no more than a rebranding of the common cold but shook the foundations of the human civilization and unleashed a horde of petty tyrants. Pharma is an industry that sorely requires regulation. Some of the corporations there are notorious for nefarious business practices and have been sued cumulatively for hundreds of millions of dollars. Yet those companies still exist and come back again with bigger, more devastating effects.

Enlightened capitalism dictates a much stronger government policy framework surrounding business development. Corporations are not permitted to engage in money-making endeavors that involve harming humans. A more extreme version extends government protections to animals as well. All human business ventures should aim to promote the well-being and prosperity of all humans. Anything else is prevented. Adopting such an economic model would end war and reorient human civilization away from internal violent conflict and towards nurturing planetary culture that looks outwards to the stars. All industries can reorient to discover ways for massive opportunities to profit without relying on the negatives that the vulture capitalist model continues to inflame.

This is not a purely free market ideal, but it would certainly set guide rails on human economic activity toward a course for a much healthier and happier planetary civilization.

 

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Just when you think it can’t get any worse, the Federal Government is now attempting to change the rules on Medicaid billing for school services, and that will harm the most vulnerable children in our public schools. This would change whether school districts must obtain parental consent before billing medical services for special ed services that occur within the schools.

Parents in New Hampshire are asked to give their permission for schools to bill Medicaid for certain health services provided to eligible students. State and federal regulations require this consent. Federal regulations state that consent and notification must be obtained before using a student’s Medicaid benefits for the first time and annually after that.

So what would this change in rules do to children receiving special ed services in the schools?

The US DOE is stating:
“As there are no comparable consent requirements prior to accessing public benefits for children without disabilities, the removal of this consent requirement would align public benefits consent requirements for children with disabilities to those for children without disabilities and ensure equal treatment of both groups of children.”

This does not tell the whole story. School districts don’t ask for Medicaid information for children without disabilities because they don’t provide services for those students. But we are seeing comments from school administrators that indicate that asking for consent from parents is an “administrative burden.”  Parents have to consent when their Pediatrician requests insurance benefits, but it’s too burdensome for school districts to do the same?

A friend explained it this way:
First, the focus should be on fully funding IDEA; not on drawing from other needed funds. Mixing the funds from IDEA with Medicaid is a terrible idea, and only hurts the special needs child and their ability to get outside services paid for by Medicaid.

Second, the school accessing a child’s medical insurance could have the effect of hindering the child from receiving desperately needed services outside school. VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Schools do not provide clinic equivalent services and therefore should not receive funding intended for medically-necessary clinical services.

For example, if your child is evaluated by a neurologist or treating physician and recommends 5 units of speech per week, and the school system is only recommending 3 units of speech per week, then under the Current Rules, your child is entitled to receive the additional 2 units of speech per week through a private provider under Medicaid based on “prior authorization.” However, under the Proposed Rules, Medicaid can (and will) deny the additional services because it will treat the school-provided services as “medical services” and deny any other “prior authorizations” based on your treating clinician. (Sorry if that is confusing.)

Third, EQUAL treatment of children with and without disabilities is essentially discriminatory since ADA requires EQUITABLE treatment, allowing children to receive treatment according to their level and type of need. One size fits all changes to existing IDEA policy is a step backward for disability and education rights.

Parents need all the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions about their children’s healthcare. Parents currently have the right to withdraw their consent to bill Medicaid for school services if they have any concerns or preferences that warrant such a choice.

The fundamental right they have is the right to privacy. If you have any reservations about sharing your child’s personal and medical information with the school and Medicaid, you can choose to withdraw your consent. Protecting their children’s sensitive data and making decisions that align with their comfort levels is essential.

Additionally, suppose you feel that the Medicaid-funded services provided by the school have limitations or restrictions that don’t meet your preferences or expectations. In that case, parents have the right to explore alternative service providers. Their children’s care should align with their specific needs and offer comprehensive support. Parents have the power to seek out services that better meet those requirements.

Parents have access to other healthcare resources or private insurance that they prefer to use sometimes instead of solely relying on Medicaid for services provided at school. It’s within their rights to make decisions that they believe will offer their children more specialized or higher-quality care.

As parents of children with disabilities, they have the right to ensure the smooth implementation of their child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan. If parents are concerned that billing Medicaid for school services could impact the coordination between Medicaid-funded services and their child’s educational accommodations, parents have the right to withdraw their consent.

It’s important to note that if parents withdraw their consent, the school district will continue to provide all the necessary services required for their child’s education at no charge, as the relevant regulations are required for appropriate education (34 CFR § 300.154(d)(2)(v)(D)) . Their decisions won’t impact the quality of education and support their children receive.

Parents can request billing and claim records from their Managed Care Organizations (MCO) and their child’s school if they wish to review the details of the Medicaid billing.

NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICAID TO SCHOOLS BILLING AND POLICY GUIDANCE Reference Number SFY 2020-

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NH Medicaid to School, also known as the School Medicaid Administrative Claiming (SMAC) program, is a New Hampshire program allowing public schools to seek reimbursement from Medicaid for certain health-related services provided to eligible students. These services can include various activities such as screenings, assessments, counseling, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and transportation related to medical services.

Under this program, schools can bill Medicaid for services provided to students who are eligible for Medicaid and receive special education or related services through an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a Section 504 plan. NH Medicaid to School aims to ensure that students with disabilities or special healthcare needs can access the necessary services and supports to succeed in the educational setting.

The Medicaid reimbursement obtained through NH Medicaid to School can help schools offset the costs associated with providing these services. It is important to note that parents typically need to provide consent for their child’s school to bill Medicaid, and they have the right to withdraw consent at any time.

Specific procedures and guidelines for the NH Medicaid to School program may be outlined by the New Hampshire Department of Education or the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. Parents seeking to withdraw their consent for Medicaid billing should follow the steps outlined by these agencies and consult with relevant professionals or legal experts to ensure they navigate the process properly.
———
As a parent, it’s important to know that you have the right to consent or withdraw consent for your child to receive Medicaid-funded services through their school district. If you want to withdraw your consent for your child to receive these services or for the school district to bill Medicaid for your child’s services, follow these steps:

1. In writing, notify your child’s school district by emailing your superintendent, carbon copy(cc:) your entire IEP Team, and your Managed Care Organizations (MCO); WellSense, NH Healthy Families, AmeriHealth Caritas New Hampshire that you are withdrawing consent for Medicaid billing or services.

Your written notice should include the following:
**Your child’s name
**Date of birth, and
**A clear statement that you are withdrawing consent for Medicaid-funded services.

2. Suppose your child is currently receiving Medicaid-funded services through the school district. In that case, in writing, you should also notify the service providers and any other relevant school staff in writing that you are withdrawing consent for Medicaid billing or services.

Your written notice should include the following:
**Your child’s name
**Date of birth, and
**A clear statement that you are withdrawing consent for Medicaid-funded services.

Complete the section below ONLY if parent/guardian is withdrawing consent to access to the child’s Medicaid.
WITHDRAWAL OF CONSENT
Student Name: ____________________________________ Date of Birth______/_______/______
Medicaid ID Number______________________________________

As the parent/guardian of the above student, I withdraw my consent to allow the school district to access the child’s Medicaid. I understand that this means that the school district will no longer be able to use my child’s Medicaid to help pay for my child’s special education and related services. This withdrawal of consent is effective upon the school district’s receipt of the parent/guardian’s signed Withdrawal of Consent form.
Parent’s Signature _________________________________________
Today’s Date _________________________________________
Original to student’s file—–copy to parent/guardian(Page 34 New Hampshire Special Education Procedural Safeguards Handbook)

3. Once the school district receives your written notice, they should stop billing Medicaid for your child’s services. They should not provide further Medicaid-funded services to your child unless you provide written consent again.

4. Request that your letter withdrawing consent is added to your child’s education file. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Please add this document to my child’s educational file.

5. It is important to note that withdrawing consent for Medicaid billing or services does not impact your child’s eligibility to receive special education or related services through their school district. The school district is still responsible for providing these services to eligible students with disabilities, regardless of Medicaid funding.

If you have any questions or concerns about withdrawing consent for Medicaid-funded services or billing, contact your child’s school district’s special education director or Medicaid School Director for guidance and support.

NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEDICAID TO SCHOOLS BILLING AND POLICY GUIDANCE Reference Number SFY 2020-

 

 

The post Another Attack on Parental Rights That Will Hurt Special Needs Students appeared first on Granite Grok.

Geraldo Rivera left FOXNews last month after a twenty-year stint. It was a stint that may have gone on a bit too long. That statement has nothing to do with Geraldo’s age but his performance and contribution to the network and the programs that involved him. I have a couple of disclosures before I continue.

Geraldo owes me two hours of my life back since I wasted them years ago waiting for him to disclose the contents of Al Capone’s vault. I sat in suspenseful anticipation for him to enter the vault, only to be disappointed when it was empty. Such a disappointment and a waste of programming for someone who calls himself a journalist. The other disclosure is I am an avid fan of The Five. The show just celebrated its twelfth anniversary, and I have never missed an episode. The Five has outlived Bob Beckel, Juan Williams, and Geraldo Rivera.

Geraldo had lost touch with the audience. He was to fill the role of the Liberal piece of the band. He certainly accomplished this task well but had gone too far with his personal stories. During one recent episode, Geraldo watched intently as a very Liberal individual tried to defend their position. The topic discussed was the plan to force America to use Electric Vehicles. Geraldo went too far and claimed he was not only a supporter of EVs but was also in the market for a Bentley EV. Greg Gutfeld nearly came out of his seat. The two members of the cast continued to debate, and this may have been the confrontation that sealed Geraldo’s fate.

Geraldo could not leave quietly. He appeared on The View on Thursday and aired his grievance with FOXNews for ending his role with the network. Geraldo acknowledged his contentious relationship with both Greg and Jesse Watters. He believes that the management consistently sided with the others when the conversation passed debate. As a viewer, management was right. Geraldo was funneling his narcissism going on The View to disparage The Five.

Rivera patronized the ladies of The View as they fed off each other, taking shots at the number one daytime show on Cable News. Geraldo took the opportunity to air his thoughts on Donald Trump. He said he was once a fan of the former President but after Trump’s role in the January 6 insurrection of the Capitol. He says he will use all his efforts to ensure that Trump does not return to the White House.

Geraldo Rivera had a long career, from his start as a war correspondent to his role as a political pundit. He was the first journalist to unearth the conditions and handling of patients in mental health institutions. It is time for Geraldo to leave, and at 80 years old, he should have just kept his mouth shut and gone home to Cleveland to enjoy his Bentley EV. That would have been the classy way to end his decades of work. Geraldo’s ego would not allow that, and he needed another dose of spotlight before calling it a day. He got it, but at the expense of his reputation. The View was not worth the effort and was another bad decision on his part.

 

 

The post Geraldo, It’s Time For The Curtain appeared first on Granite Grok.

Join us for this Constitution Day Celebration on September 15th, 2023, from 6-8 pm; at the American Legions at 188 Eastern Ave, in Rochester, NH.

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

FREE tickets HERE!

Why? When we frequently return to the basics, as in sports, we must also return to the foundational principles of our Nation! How else will we know how to behave in society?
Here is your opportunity for your entire family to unite with your community and renew the founding principles that have given Americans the freedoms we enjoy today!

• Where did our Founders come up with this philosophy for our Constitutional Republic?
• How did such individual sovereign divided states agree to work together for the common good? (Can we apply their wisdom today in our society?)
• What was the founders’ educational experience that has withstood the test of time and produced the beloved national documents?
• Did the founders leave us any clues on how to preserve our Republic?
• What duties are you required to complete to be a good citizen?

We will play some games at this event. Other activities you will take home for later. This Constitution Day Celebration is a fun family event for all ages!

Want to volunteer? Email clmcc2befree@yahoo.com

Here is the link again for the free tickets. 

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