GrokTALK! June 28th, 2014 – The Videos

OK, I’m later than normal.  Posting has been real light as my old laptop had “severe issues” after last week’s remote at the Londonderry Fish & Game Club & GrokShoot – had to spend most of last week trying to recover from that.  Thankfully, I had done a full backup the week before so most of my time as been spent trying to recover emails, email rules, and the assorted documents received from pre- to post crash.  It also has meant that my responding to emails and other inquiries, well, has gone by the board in trying to go from barely functional to mostly operational (yeah, in trying to process video, this new Windows 8.1 Essentials Live Movie Maker decided that the audio from “videos to be processed and posted” was going to be turned into mere “audio clicks”.  In the Grand Scheme of things, all in all, worse things have beset me in the past but man, talk about frustrating!  Hopefully things will get back to some semblance of normal this week and back to “posting regularity”.

In the meantime, here are the videos that accompanies Steve’s audio posting of this week’s GrokTALK!

Pre-Show: NH State Rep Marilinda Garcia (Candidate for NH GOP nomination for US Congress, NH CD-2) comes on to promote her “Race to Congress” event at the NH Motorspeedway in Loudon, NH and offer two GOLD VIP passes to the event to GrokTALK! listeners.

GraniteGrok went to the event last nite – will post up the video later on today.

The Pre-Show – which, btw, almost didn’t come off as it might – 5 miles outside of Concord, I get a call from Steve “Hey, you ARE going to be here – I sent you email that Marilinda Garcia was calling in early for the GOLD VIP Ticket giveaway (and YOU HAVE THE HEADSETS!!!!!).  Heck, I was just happy that I could resurrect my old laptop to do the livestreaming as it was a bit recalcitrant in attaching to the UStream servers.  Oh, and did I mention that TMEW’s laptop ALSO died this past week, so I had to reset up two new systems…..Rest of the videos after the jump. 

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GrokTV: Gilford School Board – the complete videos

I have always maintained that we at GraniteGrok always put up the complete video such that if we use an abstract from an event, especially where there might be some controversy, people can check the complete context of what was said (or what we say in response).  When I went to the last Gilford School Board meeting and Kurt Weber attempted to give “a civics lesson” and then the Board decided to go and codify EXACTLY what I was accusing them of (that of elected officials working hard to insulate themselves from the redress of grievances by those that had elected them, a Board that believes it is above criticism from the voting public).  I had put up a series of videos (here, here, here  and here) but failed to put up “the back context” – so here they are.

First is an amalgam of the excerpts linked to above:

An edited down version of the longer School Board meeting where only the Board’s spoken words served as the impetus of my comments during the two Public Input sessions (re: “go ahead and flap er gums ’cause we ain’t listening anyways”) during the meeting.

The full meeting video (sliced simply into smaller time slots) after the jump:

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GrokTV: Lakes Region Planning Commission Law Lecture – Bernie Waugh

Kerrie Diers (Exec. Dir. of the Nashua (New Hampshire) Regional Planning Commission) doesn’t care much that your land gets in the way of her planning (for your own good as in “WHY do our perceptions of the needs of the Collective have to give way to what Individuals own?”):

  • “Private Property Rights get in the way of good planning“
  • “Private Property Rights won’t let us have the discussions“

That is correct – I went to the LRPC’s (ye of the dealers of the Feds’ effort to federalize local zoning ordinances and land use by dangling “crack money” to the Regional Planning Commissions) Law Lecture held this past week at the Bean Conference Center in Laconia, NH.  There were two lawyers that discussed some of the changes to the law and what planning / zoning boards should be mindful of in rendering decisions.  Here is Bernie Waugh – Part 1 with the second and third parts after jump:

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Being Constitutional is everybody’s business and concern – not just the Judiciary

NH State Rep. Sandra Keans (R, now D): “I don’t try to justify anything by the Constitution, it’s not my job and I don’t want to do it”.

NH State Rep. Susan Almy (D): “Well, you don’t get to decide what is Constitutional and I don’t get to decide what is Constitutional, the judiciary decides what is Constitutional”.

of the Constitution?Actually, it is my job, and it is your job, and it is the job of those we elect and those that have chosen to be public servants. The Constitution(s) underlie everything we do governmentally and in that sphere, it determines how we are to govern.  It is NOT simply the job of the judiciary – it is the job of everyone concerned with governance and politics to know and to hold to the Constitution’s Letter and Spirit.  Else, we have anarchy and no longer The Rule of Law but will pass (have already passed?) to The Rule of Politics and the Dictatorship of the Ruling Class / Strong Man?  Certainly, Progressive Democrats dearly wish to “progress” past being Constitutional – but that will end up being regressive in result and for certain end up back into an Aristocracy mode of Rule – but with them at the helm.  Sadly, we see many Republicans (like the Rogue Republicans in the NH State Senate, chief among them NH State Senator Chuck Morse, NH State Senator Jeb Bradly, NH State Senator Bob Odell, NH State Senator Nancy Stiles and NH State Senator Dave Boutin) outright ignore these precepts as well.  Ditto for erstwhile, self-proclaimed “conservative” Scott Brown.

I come from a software background, the last 18 years dealing with manufacturing companies.  The difference between the winners and the losers organizations can be attributed to

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Problem is, Obama has said stuff like this before

This just struck me the wrong way, but given the attitude he exudes, I’m not surprised: Obama Jokes about Executive Order to Make Boys Play It’s funny, because President Obama issues a lot of orders. “And last month, three young girls wrote to me that boys aren’t fair because they don’t pass the ball in gym … Read more

Would you panic if the IRS smirked at you as he said…

….”I don’t think an apology is owed” No, I do believe that when the head of the IRS says that the American People are not owed an apology, he really does mean it.  Problem is, given this scandal, I believe that the rest of the IRS believes it too.  And most Federal bureaucracies as well.  … Read more

Notable Quote – Bertrand de Jouvenel, Don Boudreaux

… is from page 17 of Liberty Fund’s 1990 edition of Bertrand de Jouvenel’s book, The Ethics of Redistribution: Christ’s bidding to the rich is most imperative.  It is necessary to stress that while he urged the rich young man to “distribute unto the poor,” he did not tell the poor to take upon themselves to … Read more

Blog Headline of the Day – Irony lost on the Obama Administration

Courtesy of The Corner:

Obama declare ‘Broader ISIS Foothold’ against U.S. Interests, ISIS Gains Broader Foothold

ISISDetermined Weakness: I am now convinced that each and every foreign policy decision that Obama makes has one and only one purpose – to make the US less influential on the world stage.  Name one thing that President “Red Line – Aw, who cares” that has actually, concretely, either stabilized or enhanced our standing in the world.  When even the Polish leader says that the US is irrelevant, has the goal been reached?  On what global stage, in what hotspot, concerning what issue, does Obama actually have a decision stick?  How has he been able to move the needle to heighten the prestige, honor, power, or influence of the US?

Me neither. So here you have a rag tag bunch of religious fanatics that are looking to establish yet another instance of that which the Left is always accusing folks like me (an Evangelical Christian): a real Theocracy.  Already setting up Shariah courts in the areas they now control and as they establish their Caliphate, you can be sure there will be more.  And harsher than that already in Iran.  They simply could care less what he thinks or says, knowing that lately, he’s been a nothingburger on taking action. 

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It looks like NH GOP Chair Jennifer Horn’s Unity demand to vote for Scott Brown is being ignored by the troops

Do_As_Youre_ToldThat would not be the Elite troops that all want us to be Gene Chandler type Republicans (“Anyone with an R after their name is a good Republican”), just us “regular” troops.  Rather, this is yet another email that has come across my transom that shows that her message is rather “revolting” (name redacted to protect the revolutionary who believes that Principles matter):

There is no way that I will be willing to vote for Scott Brown. Simply because the man puts a R in front of his name, does not change what he has said and done (and remember the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, statements and actions). I will write in the candidate of my choice if Brown wins the primary (and many people have told me they will do the same, the Republican parties clear fawning over, and essentially pre choosing Scott Brown is disgusting). If Shaheen wins, as horrible as her voting record is, I am not certain that Scott Brown would vote any better/differently. Look at the percentage which Brown voted with Obama.

I agree.  When I was elected to my hamlet’s Budget Committee, I was not shy about speaking out (er, no surprise) and used any and all media to opine on its goings on.  This, as you can imagine, did not go over well and various schemes were tried by various dolts to strip away First Amendment Right to Free Speech.  Here, even though not a Government entity, the NH GOP is attempting to do the same thing in a slightly different manner: you will conform.

‘Fraid not, deary. 

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Data Point – Public confidence in the Mainstream Media

 newspapers: fallen to 22 percent, down from 23 percent last year and tying the record low in 2007. higher levels of public confidence in institutions that are often criticized by the press: the military (74%) small business (62%) the police (53%) organized religion (45%). Heh!: Faith in the U.S. Congress currently stands at seven percent, down … Read more

Papa “Pimp” Smurf and Scott Brown

Papa Smurf Pimping for Scott Brown

There’s a big shindig coming up at the Tuscan Kitchen in Salem this Monday.

Being RINO country, it’s no surprise that “Papa Smurf” Sununu is holding a Scott Brown event in Salem, with NH Senator Chuck “Live Free with Medicaid”  Morse.

It’s looking like the kick-off for the “Charge of the RINO Brigade” (or “RINOs Gone Wild @#!“) in a place where Brown, with his own kind, feels very, very safe…unlike debates, where actual, real, non-pretend New Hampshire Conservatives are likely to gather (see the “Scott Free” MBA Debate in Merrimack on June 18th here).

Fun Fact: In January, 2012, Senator Scot Brown (R-MA) was the ONLY Republican to join Democrats in voting for President Obama’s Debt Limit hike.

The email for this event says…

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But Obama could care less – seriously

Much has been made on the Conservative side of things of this latest NBC poll on Obama and his horrible public image.  Even the Left has said “Ciao, baby” (Chuck Todd said that his Presidency is over).  After all, when the public no longer has confidence in a second term President, isn’t that the start of the “lame duck” stage?

The percentage of Americans approving of President Barack Obama’s handling of foreign policy issues has dropped to the lowest level of his presidency as he faces multiple overseas challenges, including in Iraq, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.  Additionally, the public is evenly split on whether Obama is a competent manager of the federal bureaucracy. And a majority of respondents – 54 percent – believe the term-limited president is no longer able to lead the country.

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There is Government inflation, and then there is real inflation

We keep hearing that the inflation rate is low – between 1 & 2% since, well, for years.  Fine and dandy.  But you know, every time I go to the gas pump or to the local grocery store we habituate, well, we know that the “published” rate lies.  Of COURSE it lies – the government took out certain consumer purchases a long time ago.

You see, being the grey-haired guy I am, I remember the Jimmy Carter Presidency.  I became an adult, out on my own, and quickly learned all about the misery index (in which was buried the inflation rate).  So government, in order to make it self look better, took out “the volitiles” of the rate under the guise of “this is really what is important – and moved food and energy out of that equation.  You know, the stuff that almost every day tells we little people how poorly the economy is actually being “run” by our betters in Government (who do so with laws and regulations).

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From Public Servants to Rulers

Sadly, we see in this Obama Administration (but starting before it, I’m sore afraid) another instance of public servants now believing that they are above “their” law and have become Rulers when their illicit behavior affects those of us who are just law abiding – a double standard. From Betsy’s Page:

This gives the scandal new and legitimate legs, for a couple of reasons. First, despite having demanded these records from the IRS for over a year, the agency waited until now (and in a Friday afternoon document dump, no less) to inform Congress of the supposed loss of emails. That makes it look very suspicious, and put together with Lerner’s refusal to testify, even more so.

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Notable Quote – Ace of Spades

Reinforcing what I said here: While most Presidents would feel the evaporation of support and scale back their program appropriately, Obama has all but explicitly declared that he holds the American people in absolute contempt.He does not need public support to enact his agenda by executive tyrannical fiat, just as he does not need Congress. … Read more

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