We journey once more into the midweek breach to embrace the meme and nothing but the meme! A hump-day tradition whose burden I assumed but not (perhaps) for very much longer).

Nitazakhon might be back to this one soon. We shall see.

But enough of this pithy banter.

Memes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post Midweek Memes – The Future Belongs to Those Who Believe In the Beauty of Their … Memes appeared first on Granite Grok.

Politics in NH are interesting, as I’m sure anyone who is paying attention would agree. Hot topics, promises, and clever lies abound.

I’d be seriously slacking in my role as a Homeschool Advocate if I didn’t take the time to touch on the hot topic that has plagued our community for a number of years and become a front-and-center key platform push for politicians in our state.

Let me preface my statements here by sharing that these are my own thoughts and opinions, based on years and years of experience, advocacy and work as a freedom-minded home educator in NH and Southern Maine. If you want a list of “who I think I am” you could easily find it outside of this blog post, but since people have asked I’ll touch on that, too.

What it comes down to is that I am a mouthpiece for the home education community and have been for some time. I feel comfortable making the blanket statement that the politicians, families and organizations I’m addressing here are made up of some good, well-intentioned folks, but also hope to convey that the elephant in the room is quite huge. There are politicians, families and organizations who are *not* and are benefiting financially and/or politically off of our misplaced trust and misinformation.

That last bit hurts some feelings, but I’ve never been one to mince words when it comes to the topic of home education freedom.

The EFA program is bad for NH home education.

There it is, friends! I’ve been everywhere from gracious, slow to speak, heavy on nuance to blunt and some have said downright aggressive on this topic, and it’s time to cut the coddling and tell you what I know.

We want to thank Amanda Weeden for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
You can review our ‘Op-Ed Guidelines‘ on the FAQ Page.

Myth #1: The EFA program is good for NH.

Truth: The EFA bill was rammed through our legislature because it couldn’t (rightly so) pass a straight vote. It was pitched as a way for less than one dozen, *low-income, urban* students to escape public school. The bill was sloppy, with no accountability for taxpayers, families, or the government. Those of us who follow the legislature have seen firsthand the hyper-partisan climate and the resulting onslaught of bills attempting to kill it from within. Families have been marketed and lied to regarding the implications of the program, and I have consistently, transparently shared the short and long-term devastation this program causes for home education in NH. None of this is good for our community.

Myth #2: It’s Your Tax Money Anyway, It’s “The Money Follows the Child.”

Truth: Anyone can easily and effectively debunk this often-repeated marketing tagline by simply looking at their tax bill. It’s not your tax money; it’s everyone’s tax money. The small fraction of money that one pays that actually ends up funding this program is minuscule in comparison to the award amounts and managing organization’s outrageous fees.

Those folks who believe that “taxation is theft” have been the most surprising in their enthusiastic support of this program, so much so that “school choice” has become part of the Free State Project platform. If taxation is theft, why are you just fine with everyone else paying for your kid’s pottery wheel and Jiu-Jitsu lessons? I surely don’t know. It’s not your money.

The fact that the majority of EFA families pay for private school tuition with the funds should alarm those of us who understand that the government runs what the government funds, but I guess that’s outside the scope of this article.

Myth #3: I’m still a homeschooler if I sign up for the EFA program.

Truth: Legally, the EFA pathway is a fourth, completely separate educational status according to the state. It is governed by a different and distinct set of laws than home education. EFA (government) funds can be used for a number of (government) approved vendors.

Although the EFA legislation was modeled after home education law, it is not the same. The long-fought, ongoing battle for parental rights, minimal requirements and freedom of choice in enrichment programs, curriculum, and other educational services is the result of persistent advocacy over decades.

Functionally, EFA families might choose to homeschool their children. EFA families might look similar in many ways to home educators, but they are not the same. There are yearly deadlines, databases and approvals needed in the EFA program. EFA families do not have graduation requirements Equal Access, or *the right to utilize whatever/whoever/whenever* they want to educate their children without purchase approval from outside agencies. This is not the same as RSA193:a home education. Can you call yourself a homeschooler? Sure, we can call ourselves whatever we choose, I’m convinced of that. But the fact remains that I have personally spent countless hours supporting freedom from these differences. I will not get caught up in semantics.

Myth #4: “It’s no big deal to take the money/Amanda, you’re just a rich, entitled person who doesn’t understand how this has changed My life!”

Truth: It is actually a big deal to take government money. Listen, I’ve been doing this a long time and have seen the culture shift in the home education community after COVID from that of home-grown, grassroots, connections-driven to “provide “x” for me, and if it gets hard, I’ll just send them to school mentality.

Parents are leaving public school in droves and expecting the same government-implemented supports, programs, freebies and resources. The “lifers” are fewer and those of us on the front lines to advocate are but a handful.

I’m old, I get it, but I have four children, one income, and a special needs child, and I have sacrificed untold hours and resources to home-educate my children over 17 years, and I have a lifetime left. I create, innovate, show up, support, and rally for our community. I, too, have exclusively shopped in the free section. I have had to say, “I’m sorry, but we can’t afford that price,” more often than not, so I figure out alternatives. The alternatives take a lot of sacrifices of time and energy- yet I’m beholden to only my family. I have spent hours driving all over the state, online consulting and volunteering in order to encourage the free market education community.

I have bartered, sat in countless meetings and legislative sessions, served on HEAC, and showed up at my local school board to fight for the home education community. I did it, and you can, too, *without working against the freedom to home-educate in NH.* I still do it, and I’m doing it right now. My youngest child cannot take the martial arts class that he desperately desires, yet the very first thing the Sensei said to me as I tried to barter my services for a discount was, “Just sign up for that Class Wallet; it would be free!” It wouldn’t be free, Sensei.

Your short-term ability to do extras or buy a brand new curriculum does not outweigh our freedom.

The long-term implications are clear, as in other states with similar programs: more government oversight, more laws passed, more narrow definitions and allowances, and more regulation. Accepting government money might change your life in seemingly positive ways right now, but it is devastating to our collective lives for these reasons now and in the not-so-distant future. This is a big deal, and I guess I do know precisely “who I think I am.” (my snark here is directed at the hate mail I receive from people who do not know me in real life at all)

Myth #5: A (any) managing organization’s administrator/vendor/politician is trustworthy.

Truth: There is an extreme conflict of interest happening with the EFA managing organization/vendors/politicians, the taxpayers, and the families involved. The managing organization makes a *whopping* 10% of all of the money that goes out the door. Look up how much similar program administrators get in other states for yourself – max 3 to 4 percent. The organization also manages the education tax credit, which is a true scholarship that needs to be fundraised from local businesses. The managing organization marketed directly to the ETC recipients to sign up for the EFA program, insisting that “there’s no difference” between the two programs. Both are income-based, but the similarities end there. The Administrator of the EFA program helped craft the legislation, markets the program at political events all across our state, and lies by omission during presentations by repeatedly focusing on emotional pitches instead of the facts.

I know families who feel “swindled” and “lied to” because the implications were never shared – “I was never told it was a different pathway/I had to turn things in/I’d be in a database/ I had to terminate my home education program.”

The EFA program has become a self-contained market where educational providers are racing to grab the cash. Scandals and closures are ramping up in NH and other states due to mismanagement. The “educational innovation” that is touted as the future is all based on families signing up for the EFA. Providers can (and do) charge exorbitant fees for their services *because they can* and freely market the EFA as the way to enroll. This is currently happening with Kaipod and Prenda. Can’t afford the thousands of dollars after the federal grant ends in September? Just sign up for the EFA! This is literally what I was told in person. These vendors are at the same info sessions and political events. At least one high-ranking politician, who is front and center of the EFA push in NH, benefits financially (personally) from the EFA-driven “learning co-op” that his wife directs. Let this sink in, folks. ***A leader in the legislature benefits financially from the expansion of the program.*** I’m not sure how this giant red flag has gotten a pass, but these obvious conflicts of interest have not gone unnoticed by the other side of the aisle or any of us who are paying attention.

Is it any wonder why the legislature has been absolutely swamped with targeted bills looking to control the program? To control everything from what is purchased, who purchases it, assessments, data, you name it. And as the title of this post states, it’s election season. I don’t care what side of the aisle one lands on; this is all incredibly murky at best, and if the (very partisan/close split) legislature, Governor, or Commissioner of Education changes, EFA families are all at risk. In mid-June, the vote to expand the program failed. If the Republicans lose any of these branches of government, “mean” blog posts are going to be the least of EFA families’ worries.

The managing organization and the Commissioner are both on record refusing the required audits of the EFA program, and a local State Rep said to me, “Kate Baker would rather close the program than share that information.” I hear, “Kate won’t let that happen,” when anyone questions anything that is troublesome on the horizon. It’s been happening for a number of years now. Is it a red flag that they refuse to share the required information for the required audits by the Committee tasked with overseeing the program? I’d say it is.

Myth #6: You need the EFA program to provide an excellent, tailored, engaging home education program for your children.

Truth: You don’t need government money, the strings attached, or the implications involved in signing up for the EFA program. There are countless ways to frugally curate your home education program. Coordinate, lead, barter, connect, pay it forward, sacrifice. Pioneers who came before us did it and we can, too. *Get involved and educate others on the value of the true freedom of home education!*

All this to say, don’t take their word for it. Heck, don’t take *my* word for it! Everything I have said here is publicly available information for those willing to uncover it. As with any election season, please consider your votes wisely. The Republican party is fully immersed in using the EFA program to help them get elected. The Democrats are fully immersed in using (killing) the EFA program to help get elected. Since none of them will actually admit any of this, all the more reason to get involved.

The post ‘Tis the (Election) Season appeared first on Granite Grok.

So-called independent web portals keep popping up in New Hampshire. They are well funded with professional staff, but try not to look it because they are actually partisan political fronts pretending to be unbiased, disinterested observers. They want you to trust them.

You can’t.

They may even say they care about New Hampshire, Live Free or Die! Granite Post News is one of the more recent inventions. Within seconds of clicking the link that hit my inbox, I could tell what this was. But before we get to that, here’s who they claim to be.

No one cares more about our state than the people who live here. And that’s us. Our experienced team of journalists all call New Hampshire home. We know you because we are you. We’re here to cut through the fog of disinformation and half-truths meant to confuse and distract from what we cherish most about our state and our country. That’s why we’re committed to reporting based on facts, science, and what matters most to Granite Staters.

They admit to believing in a living wage, centered reporting, quality education, and strong democracy. That sounds a lot like a Liberal-funded front group pretending to be something it is not. A band of locals who care about New Hampshire.

Related: Liberal Foundations Offer 500 Million In Grants to “Revitalize Local News” (You Mean Progressive Echo Chambers, Yes?)

Sorry. Not even close. But not everyone will notice or realize, so we are here to help.

Granite Post News is owned and run by Courier Newsroom. Courier is a creature of ACRONYM.

One newer group heralding the new era of pseudo-news outlets is ACRONYM, a liberal dark money group with an affiliated super PAC called PACRONYM. The nonprofit also is an investor in a for-profit digital consulting firm that gained notoriety for its role in launching Shadow Inc., the secretive vendor behind a vote tabulation app at the center of the pandemonium at the Iowa Democratic caucuses. ACRONYM announced it was divesting in Shadow Inc. shortly thereafter.

ACRONYM is behind Courier Newsroom, a network of websites emulating progressive local news outlets. Courier has faced scrutiny for exploiting the collapse of local journalism to spread “hyperlocal partisan propaganda.” It claims to operate “independent from” ACRONYM and says ownership is shared with “other investors.” But a new tax return obtained by OpenSecrets lists ACRONYM as the full owner of Courier as of April. 30, 2019, the most recent date on record. An ACRONYM spokesperson told OpenSecrets that Courier has attracted multiple private investors since that time.

Websites affiliated with Courier Newsroom that appear to be free-standing local news outlets are actually part of a coordinated effort with deep ties to Democractic political operatives. OpenSecrets first revealed the network’s digital ad spending at the Investigative Reporters and Editors NICAR conference in March.

ACRONYM has millions to spend on its networks and mission, and this isn’t our first dip of the toe into Couriers waters. In the run-up to the midterms, the same dark money was doing the same fake media song and dance. We uncovered four outlets in the Granite State of the original 51.

Granite Post News looks to be a bit less cut and paste, but the underlying partisan mission is the same.

Consider yourself informed.

And one more point, since this always comes up if an “outlet” or an advocate decides to play denier or engage in pushback. We have no issue with you being who you are. Just admit it. Let the people know, and they can decide how to value the opinion and reporting you have to offer.

 

The ‘Grok and Grok Media are reader-supported. No deep pockets. Just shoestrings and a strong desire to protect New Hampshire. You can begin or continue to support us and our mission here.  Thank You!

The post Granite Post News is “Part of a Coordinated Effort With Deep Ties to Democratic Political Operatives” appeared first on Granite Grok.

Suppose for a moment that you, the reader, live in the most corrupt and bluest city, and there are a handful of tireless truth seekers who keep getting knocked down by city hall, its agencies, activists, and even the courts.  How fortunate you are if you have such people willing to use their time, money, skills, and peace of mind to keep on trying!

This song is for them.

Also, suppose that you have zero representation in city hall or the NH legislature.  Let’s say for the moment that there is a member of the legislature (yours or someone else’s) who lives in your zip code and ought to be sympathetic to the local issues. Wouldn’t it stand to reason that such a person would go to bat for you and your local truth seekers, even if it’s someone not on YOUR ballot?

Now, recall Mr. Sylvia’s comment that the Senate is a place where good House bills go to die. It is also a place where bad House bills get rubber-stamped.

What about It?

Remember summer reading lists?  If you’ve been spared from them, I’ll say that you’re expected to read the book(s) and be prepared for a discussion in class that fall.  Another comparison is the book club, which is voluntary and, therefore, perhaps more accurate.  Anyway, you will get more out of reading the rest of this article if you first watch Melissa’s podcast called “How To Break Through Establishment-Controlled Legislatures.” Don’t be turned off by the 52-minute length; you can skip the unwanted content (ads, messages from the sponsor, etc.).

“How To Break Through Establishment-Controlled Legislatures”

 

Before she brings Emily and former Rep. Tim Baxter into the discussion, she focuses on a bad senate bill involving custody disputes, DSS, and placement of kids from broken homes.  I have no skin in that game, but the theme Melissa was illustrating resonated with me because of the similar Senate playing field forces involved with a bad House bill that the Damn Emperor signed on June 14.

Melissa mentions gatekeepers in her podcast and how the purse strings are controlled, but she’s classy enough to not name names.  Let’s just say that the lobbyist she is referring to has an unusual and frequently mispronounced name.  He is usually addressed by his initials and he’s been running the lobbying firm solo since the untimely death of his business partner, who also happens to be Queen Sharon’s predecessor.

You Can Help

Donating directly to the candidate, such as Emily Phillips, is a good start. I know broken records are commonly heard and read at campaign time, but I’ll share what I’ve heard from various Bible Bangers here and there over the years. “Faith without works is dead.” One of them, Nurse Terese, often makes comments like, “If you pray to God for a hole in the ground, don’t be surprised if you come into possession of a shovel.”

Terese also regularly says that courage breeds courage.  Melissa and Emily discussed the dynamics of the roll call.  I want to add to that the act of removing bad bills from consent.  Perhaps abolishing the institution of consent is worth discussing.  I have a Senator who regularly says, “Sometimes bills take multiple seasons to get things done, and the first one is to ‘just have a conversation.'”  I’m guessing the alteration of the consent calendar falls under the auspices of the Rules Committee, of which he is the chair.  Consider the seed planted and talk to Emily about consent because I predict a warm reception to the idea.

If we want different (meaning better) results in how the Senate behaves as a body, it’s time to get off the couch, open the wallet, and swap some keystroke time for in-person activism.  Please click here to offer Emily ways in which you are willing to help and remember that you don’t have to live in District 23 to help clean up the senate.

The post Fixing What’s Wrong With the New Hampshire Senate appeared first on Granite Grok.

The past few years have been plagued by all manner of professional fearmongering, not the least of which is the overuse of the term forever chemicals. It got popular with the media and “activists” at the same time the enviro-radicals were looking for a way to reduce water consumption.

Cleaning water is carbon intensive and emits things the Climate cult insists are dooming the world. None of that is true, but that’s their Modus Operandi for everything, including fossil fuels and your lifestyle. Make everything more expensive or harder to get, and meaningless emissions go down with your quality of life. Not sure you agree? You are living it right now.

Related: Would It Sort Of, Kind Of, Suck If That Facemask You Forced People to Wear Gave Them Cancer?

Water Water Everywhere

Water is no different. Armed with spotty science and scary language, the nation has quickly fallen under the pall of yet another assumption. First, that PFAS is a forever chemical – we still don’t know that. And second, if it is, it could accumulate to a point where it might cause cancer – the actual science is still out on that. But let’s say it’s true despite the rates of cancer for PFAS workers being at or below the average of everyone else (that data is older than the plot to use PFOA and PFAS as a tool, so apologies if it is outdated, or god help us accurate).

PFAS does accumulate in the human body. Most of us have some, and it has no meaningful effect and never will (which is why they labeled it a forever chemical). BUT – if, as advertised, and they are right about the risk, and this is bad because there is no mechanism to relieve it (natural or crafted in, say, a dual-use gain of function bio lab in Wuhan), and at some point, you might start popping tumors, then what are these same fearmongers prepared to do about this problem?

 These chemicals, which are used to enhance battery performance and reduce flammability, were found in high concentrations in environmental samples near EV battery manufacturing plants in the United States, Belgium, and France.

Ironically, one of the few retardants available to help firefighters extinguish lithium battery fires is a PFAS-based foam that is being banned everywhere that lithium vehicles are behind heralded (or is that mandated) as the future of all car fires. Fires that cannot be extinguished easily and are typically contained and allowed to burn …for hours, releasing hot gases from rare earth metals as well as (presumably) PFAS fumes into the local environment.

Related: PFOA v. Solar Panels: Proof That NH Democrats Are Not Serious About “Clean” Drinking Water

While supporters argue that electric vehicles are crucial for reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the potential increase in PFAS pollution presents a new environmental hurdle. As Guelfo stated, “Slashing [carbon dioxide] emissions with innovations like electric cars is critical, but it shouldn’t come with the side effect of increasing PFAS pollution.”

The research team conducted a comprehensive “cradle-to-grave” evaluation of bis-FASIs in lithium-ion batteries, testing more than a dozen batteries used in EVs and consumer electronics. They detected these chemicals at parts per billion levels, significantly higher than the limits recently set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for PFAS in drinking water.

Good times.

Oh, one more point before I go. Let us not forget that, per the reporting and research, lithium Battery manufacturers add PFAS to the product to reduce the risk of fires. In other words, fires are a known risk and side effect, and removing PFAS, presumably, would only increase the risk of adding even more toxic chemicals into the atmosphere from burning EVs.

Happy Greening the Planet Cultists.

 

The post Night Cap: Ruh-Roh – Lithium Vehicle Batteries Leak “Forever Chemicals” Into The Environment appeared first on Granite Grok.

State Rep Angela Brennan believes that in order to prevent a dictatorship, we must practice dictatorship. Sort of like the “to save the village, we had to destroy the village,” supposedly said by someone in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. Let’s put this as simply as possible so even Angie can (hopefully) understand it.

Joe BidenX is NOT and NEVER has been running the Executive Branch. He lacks and has been lacking the mental capacity to do so. Obviously, therefore, someone(s) else is running the Executive Branch. That someone(s) was NOT elected. This is NOT a democracy. Joe BidenX acting as a figurehead while some(s) UNELECTED others run the country is NOT a democracy. A dictatorship is a far more accurate description of what we have been living under since January 2021.

Needless to say, Angie … like all the other low-IQ, wine-mom, Woke-Commy-bots … believes that Trump is a dictator because she disagrees with Trump’s policies. Think about that … her definition of democracy is NOT majority rule (and to the libertarian nincompoops … yes, I understand that the President is elected by electoral votes). Majority rule, i.e. democracy … according to this low-IQ, wine-mom … is a dictatorship when her side does not win.

Want to see a dictator, Angie? LOOK IN THE MIRROR.

The post Dem State Rep. Angela Brennan – To Prevent Dictatorship, We Must Practice Dictatorship appeared first on Granite Grok.

For all the deniers out there who insisted the US government, under Joe Biden, wasn’t running a human conveyor belt operation from Central America into the American heartland, this is for you. Not only are they doing it, but they admit it, have set up offices in foreign countries to make it easier, and they are bragging about it.

Related: The Invasion of America is Being Managed by the UN and the Biden Administration

I’m glad I have an otter box keeping my phone safe because after watching this video, MY PHONE WENT FLYING ACROSS THE ROOM! The best part about this fiasco is, YOU AND I ARE PAYING FOR THIS ! pic.twitter.com/CqdEop4Xas

— Bobby D (@robertdunlap947) July 8, 2024

Take note unhappy inner-city neighborhood and urban dwellers outraged by what is happening. It is not only not an accident; it is deliberate, and they are still doing it (on top of the millions of border invaders they aren’t escorting into the country).

Elections have consequences

The post This Might Make You Mad appeared first on Granite Grok.