Thursday • November 20 • 2025
Vol.XVII • No.XLVII
Manchester, N.H.
If you’ve never heard of SAU 16 in Exeter, New Hampshire, then you’ve missed an opportunity to watch the decline and fall of civilization. It’s not quite as bad as Loudon County, Virginia, but if I had to guess, SAU 16 sees them as a role model for shoveling woke social justice garbage at kids.
Except that the folks in Loudon are pushing back a lot harder. A lesson for the parents in Exeter? As is this.
Grokster Ann Marie Banfield is out of the country but still on the job. She sent me this. It is a Field Trip permission slip she received (presumably form a parent in Exeter). Note the purpose -to meet student activists – with the note “no chaperones needed.”
Also from Ann Marie.
So your school district has been slipping for several years academically. What do you do? You send the 1st graders to the DEIJ director to learn how to become political activists!! I’d suggest a few parents join your kids on this field trip and video tape it. Just let them know you will be videotaping the presentation!!
That permission slip for parent approval – remember, these are first graders – caused a bit of a stir that produced this follow-up from the School/District.
And then this from Ann Marie.
SAU16 in damage control. They are working to turn 1st graders into political activists!! As I said years ago, Competency Based Ed is a way to change the values, attitudes, and beliefs in students. I rest my case. Nothing academic about this.
Rumor has it one of the teachers pretending to teach 1st grade is on the Zinn Ed Project list to teach CRT, even if it means they’d get arrested. If you recall, some states have passed laws (or tried) that would restrict aspects of critical race theory in public education.
I was not able to confirm or deny the rumor before publication, but it would not surprise me, given that this field trip is effectively a social justice activist training primer for six and seven-year-olds under the cover of a history lesson.
History as reimagined by the politics of the left.
HT | Ann Marie Banfield
The post School District is Sending Its First Graders on a ‘Field Trip’ to Learn How to Be Activists appeared first on Granite Grok.
Music is more than just sound. It is a powerful force that influences our emotions, thoughts, and actions. It can inspire us, motivate us, comfort us, and even heal us. Music can also shape our lives in unexpected ways, from enhancing our productivity to transforming our gaming experience.
In this article, we will explore the fascinating journey of music from Mozart to Slots. We will tell you how it has influenced various aspects of human society.
Mozart: The Genius of Classical MusicMozart was one of the most influential composers of all time. His music was admired for its beauty, complexity, and originality. Mozart’s music had a profound impact on the world of classical music, as well as on the minds of his listeners.
One of the most intriguing theories about Mozart’s music is the Mozart Effect. This theory suggests that listening to Mozart’s music can improve one’s cognitive abilities. It works for our memory, attention, and creativity. The theory is based on the observation that some people who listen to Mozart’s music perform better on IQ tests than those who do not.
However, the Mozart Effect is not a proven fact. It is still a subject of debate among scientists and psychologists. Some argue that the effect is too small or too specific to be significant. Others suggest that there may be other factors that contribute to the improvement in cognitive performance.
Regardless of its validity, the Mozart Effect shows how music can affect our minds in subtle and profound ways.
Rhythm: The Key to Mental Well-BeingMusic is not only about melody and harmony. It is also about rhythm. Rhythm is the pattern of beats and sounds that create a sense of movement and flow. Rhythm can have a positive effect on our mental well-being, as it can regulate our mood, stress level, and sleep quality.
Rhythm can also enhance our focus and concentration by synchronizing our brainwaves with the musical beat. This phenomenon is known as binaural beats or brainwave entrainment. It can help us achieve a state of relaxation or alertness by matching our brainwaves with those of the music.
Rhythm stimulates our creativity and imagination by activating different parts of our brain. For example, listening to complex rhythms can increase our problem-solving skills and divergent thinking. Listening to slow-paced or simple rhythms can improve our memory and recall.
Rhythm is not limited to classical music; it can be found in any genre or style of music that has a regular beat pattern.
Slots: The Adventure of GamingSlots are one of the most popular forms of gambling in the world. They are games that generate random numbers based on a set of rules and symbols. Slots are designed to provide entertainment for players who enjoy spinning reels.
But slots are not just online casino games; they are also soundtracks for gaming experiences. Slots use different types of sounds to create atmospheres and emotions for players. Some sounds are soothing and relaxing; others are thrilling and stimulating. They immerse players in games by creating a sense of realism and immersion. Soundtracks can also influence players’ behavior by affecting their expectations, decisions, and actions.
For example, some studies have shown that playing slots with energetic sounds can increase motivation. Playing slots with calm or relaxing sounds can reduce stress levels and anxiety.
Soundtracks are not only used in casinos. They are also used in other settings where gaming takes place, such as arcades, video games, or online platforms.
The Future: The Power of MusicMusic has been around for centuries; it has evolved with time and culture. Throughout history, melodies have also been used for purposes from entertainment to therapy.
Music has the potential to continue to shape our lives into the future. As technology advances, so does the production and consumption of music.
We can see more personalized soundtracks that match our preferences and moods. Captivating sound trills transport us to different worlds. We can hear more therapeutic sounds that heal us from physical or mental wounds.
We may also see more cross-cultural collaboration between musicians from different backgrounds. There will be more genres and styles of music to come, reflecting diversity. In the future, we can expect even more beauty and harmony in the music itself.
Music is more than just sounds. It is a universal language that connects us across time and space. It is an enchanting melody that guides us through life’s journey from Mozart’s elegance to slots’ adventure.
The post How Music Shaped Our Lives from Mozart to Slots appeared first on Granite Grok.
So, a new NBC poll shows “young voters” (39 years and younger) souring on Biden. BUT … it is not because of runaway inflation. Most of them don’t even know what inflation is. It is not because of the weaponization of government to deny the political opposition freedom of speech and due process.
They like that.
It is not because the Biden regime is “transforming” America through illegal immigration. They approve of that.
To cut to the chase … it’s because of the Biden regime’s support of Israel.
The youth vote is STUPID.
It will never not be crazy to me that young people are more turned off politically by the war in Gaza, than they are at the fact that they’ll never be able to afford a home or raise a family in this country https://t.co/aoIppp95YX
— a newsman (@a_newsman) November 20, 2023
The post The Youth Vote Is STUPID appeared first on Granite Grok.
Education Freedom, both the idea and its actual embrace, has seen significant growth in recent years—a result of policy choices by Democrats who hate it. COVID oppression locked kids down and out of schools for months or years – and parents with them putting Ed-Choice on the radar.
This is how it is, they said, to which more parents than ever replied, this is how it was – we’re done with that. The result has been a steady exodus from traditional government schools to charter schools, private schools (both affordable and not), home school collectives, and more of the traditional parent-child version people might picture when asked about it.
New Hampshire added Education Freedom Accounts, which recently survived a legal challenge and has had a number of education freedom options in place for years. Despite these improvements, the state ranked 18th on the Heritage Foundation’s recent Education Freedom Report Card. What killed them?
This will sound familiar—cost per student, results, and administrative overhead. And there is plenty of room for improvement. That said, we are in better shape – according to Heritage, than every other state in New England. While Maine is a disappointing 35th on their report card, Connecticut is 50th (Oregon was 51st), Rhode Island was 49th, Massachusetts ranked 47th, and Vermont 46th (New York was 48th).
We’ll look at Vermont because we like to pick on them and not just because we give a Grok about the state; it dropped 22 spots in one year.
Vermont ranks #46 in overall education freedom in 2023, dropping 22 spots, the largest one-year decline in the country. Vermont declined in every category, most notably a nation’s-worst 39 spots in transparency.
Ouch.
Vermont ranks 50th overall in return on investment (ROI) for education spending. Vermont spends the third-most per pupil among states, spending $22,281 in cost-of-living-adjusted terms annually. Vermont ranks 20th in its combined fourth-grade and eighth-grade math and reading average NAEP score. The Green Mountain State employs 0.75 teachers for every non-teacher in its public schools. Vermont’s unfunded teacher pension liability represents 10.1 percent of its state GDP. Vermont can improve its ROI ranking by lowering per-pupil spending, improving academic outcomes on the NAEP, stopping growth in non-teaching staff, and addressing its significant unfunded teacher pension liabilities.
Everything wrong with NH’s return on investment is worse west of the Connecticut River, and – a wake-up call – NH Dems want that for the Granite State. They are surrounded by bad examples, which they see as things for which they should strive, to hell with parents and students.
And Vermont? They want to be like Connecticut or maybe even Oregon.
The post Education Freedom: NH Ranked 19th While Most of New England is Ranked Worst in the Nation appeared first on Granite Grok.
