Quick take: Speaking of the ‘Grok getting recognized….

Grok LogoWe do work hard, we Groksters here at the ‘Grok.  No, we don’t do it for the fame, the glory, or the money (er, none of us earn a dime here (Unlike Zandra Rice Hawkins of Granite State Progress; an transplant supported by outside-the-State Billionaires) – we’ve found ourselves to be on solid ground when we realized that we should not give up the day jobs) – but we do have lots of opinions on a whole lot of subjects, issues, and events and we are not shy about sharing them from our Conservative / libertarian (note the small “L”) standpoints of free markets, fiscal frugality, Constitutional values, limited expressions of Government, and Individual Freedom and Liberties.

So when someone else gives us a H/T (Hat Tip) or asks us to speak or uses some of our material (in the way it was meant), it is most appreciated.  Four recent ones come to mind

  • The hard work that Grokster Steve has been putting in on GrokTALK! every Saturday morning resulted in a national syndication for our podcast (and soon, adding in live audio streaming and call-ins)
  • DaTechGuy (Pete Ingemi) had Grokster Mike on his syndicated radio show to share his views on “stuff”
  • And then someone walked up to TMEW and I in Lowes picking up a few things…

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Data Point: Who produces the most oil now?

Shale and fracking, baby!  Technological excellence at work.  And yes, this is driving all of the Enviro-DeIndustrializationers crazy (and Obama as well, I’m betting). (H/T: AEIdeas)

Nanny Staters – You don’t NEED to go that fast on Rt 93 (and its unnecessary travel to boot)

Speed Limit 70 NH Route 93 After doing GrokTALK! podcast in Concord this morning, I headed north on Route 93 in heading back to the Lakes Region.  Heavy traffic: lots of out of state plates and a bunch of boats and camping trailers being towed.  That said, the overall speed was quite high and then I remembered that the speed limit had just been raised from 65 to 70 MPH from Concord northward pretty much up to the border (excluding the Notch).  I would have to say that most folks were in the 70 to 75 mph range.

Then I also remembered what I had read in the Nashua Telegraph as first the Senate approved the higher limit and then again when Gov. Maggie Hassan signed the bill.  Concern for more accidents, more deaths?  Nope, what caught my eye was a crie du coeur from those whose Enviro mindset is that we peons driving at all is “a sin against GAIA” – we should NEVER be allowed to ‘create more pollution’ under any condition:

“…goal should be to increase fuel mileage and reduce unnecessary travel.”

The message?

  • How DARE you even think you should be able go faster! 

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GrokTALK! July 6th, 2013

This week on GrokTalk!… Skip, Mike and Steve open the program with some conversation about the visit of Gabby Giffords to New Hampshire and the out of state influence peddling of the left’s anti- gun agenda by New Hampshire groups and the Democrat party. Pam Tucker, New Hampshire House Rep (R-Greenland NH), and co-chair of … Read more

Data Point – Your degree DOES determine your future earnings.

“We show that there are large differences in unemployment rates, underemployment rates, and average wages across majors. In particular, we show that those with degrees in majors that provide technical training, such as “Engineering” and “Math & Computers,” or in those that are geared toward growing parts of the economy, such as “Education” and “Health,” … Read more

GrokTALK! July 6th, 2013 Segment One Gabby Giffords Comes to NH

Skip, Mike and Steve open the program with some conversation about the visit of Gabby Giffords to New Hampshire and the out of state influence peddling of the left’s anti- gun agenda by New Hampshire groups and the Democrat party.  We also talk about John Frobes Kerry’s floating office of the US Sec-o-State, Barack and … Read more

Conventional wisdom: Obamacare Delay – An actual train wreck in motion?

The day after that President Obama made a Royal Decree that contrary to his Oath of Office (“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”) decided … Read more

Do you know this Annie Kuster “camera grab-a-like”?

Angry Man in KeeneA loyal reader sent me this tip and asked if I could post it – we have another “Anybody recognize this guy?“?  If you know, let us know in the comments or email me Skip@GraniteGrok.com

I think most people who would venture here know about the Robin Hood operation out in Keene – the folks that have been staying a couple of steps ahead of the parking / meter maids and saving the car owners from tickets from overstaying their parking.  Heck, it not only went viral, it hit the major news networks!  I’ve heard of people doing this from time to time – mostly during prime shopping seasons and the shopkeeps and Chamber of Commerce folks have had “drop a dime” campaigns in the meters so as to draw in more shoppers to keep their tills tinkling.

Sidenote: with the newer centralized kiosks that spit out paper stubs to put under your windshield, this kind of “showing kindness to strangers” may get much harder.

However, not everyone is thrilled to their core about this (probably due to the way that the attendants have been swarmed by the “Merry Banders” with cameras.  I “get” the political street theater stuff and yes, sometimes it can be overdone.  But this “Angry Man” (not to be confused with Islamic Rage Boy……maybe) had NO reason to be angry.  First off, Derrick is just standing there with his camera focused on a car and a card that had been left behind when Angry Man drives up (starting at 2:07) and for no reason, unloads on Derrick and then steals his camera (is this typical behavior of Democrats, Annie, the taking of other peoples’ property by simply grabbing it?).

The worst? I think this guy has to reside on the Left side of the aisle- I really can’t believe that “Angry Man” actually said

“You have to respect other peoples’ Rights in this town.  Because we have to lose some of our Rights for you to GAIN your rights. You’re being rude!”

Spoken like a true “life is absolutely a zero-sum game” Statist.

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Can we try that?

After all, he keeps doing stuff not enumerated in OUR Constitution… (H/T: Liberal Logic 101)

Notable Quote – John Blackthorne

“There are no ‘mitigating circumstances’ when it comes to rebellion against a liege lord.” Yoshi Toranaga “Unless you win.” John Blackthorne H/T James Clavell

James O’Keefe – interviewed by El Rushbo!

I have had the privilege to interview James on a number of occasions, we’ve put up almost all of his investigative journalism videos (ACORN, Planned Parenthood, NPR, Teachers Gone Wild, and of COURSE, the First In the Primary Voter Fraud), and participated in the trip to the NH Department of Justice when he went to … Read more

Freedom is Sexy

Skip linked to this post (from here) and it seemed worth revisiting.  It remarks on how the Constitutional Republic is what is new and sexy and that what the progressive Democrat wants for your government is not new at all.  What they want is old and tired; a game used to deceive and control you. … Read more

Gabby Giffords Brought To New Hampshire By….Granite State Progress.

The local New Hampshire franchise of the Minnesota based radical left wing group Progress Now is living up to its mission statement;  24/7/365 progressive activism.  First it’s Newtown victims, then it is the Bloomberg bus, and now they’ve dragged Gabby Giffords to the Granite State in the latest in their series of high-profile efforts to intimidate anyone who will listen, into allowing Washington DC to write our gun laws for us.

Funny thing about that?  DC is one of the most dangerous, crime-riddled places in America to live or visit.  New Hampshire is one of the safest.

So why would we want to let out of state funded groups like GraniteState Progress, force us to let the “experts” in DC tell us how to legislate in pursuit of low crime and homicide rates when we already have the lowest homicide rate in the country and theirs is one of the highest?  Shouldn’t they be emulating us?

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July 4th – a parting quote from the Anti-Planner

“The Anti-Planner” is the online monniker for Randall O’Toole (whom I have interviewed in the past on MTNP) who is associated with the Cato Institute and researches, opines, and presents on the wrongs that are committed by land use planners and “Smart People” who believe they have better ideas of how we should live due … Read more

What would the Declaration of Independence Signers think of today?

From Gallup: not so much I think that they would be amazed at the riches and the power that “these United States” have risen to and delight in the technological progress that their genius in providing for a Government structure that allowed the Citizenry to have the freedom to follow their instincts, their hunches, and … Read more

So why do Progressives insist

Declaration of IndependenceFrom President Calvin Coolidge’s July 4th speech of 1926 – on the Progressive movement then gaining momentum (emphasis mine):

About the Declaration there is a finality that is exceedingly restful. It is often asserted that the world has made a great deal of progress since 1776, that we have had new thoughts and new experiences which have given us a great advance over the people of that day, and that we may therefore very well discard their conclusions for something more modern. But that reasoning cannot be applied to this great charter. If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that direction can not lay claim to progress. They are reactionary. Their ideas are not more modern, but more ancient, than those of the Revolutionary fathers.

“No progress“…”more ancient“.  “Silent Cal” was right – every move that Progressives make politically is to remove inalienable rights.  We see that We The People, more and more, believe that our Government (having been pulled downward by Progressives) has less and less of the sense of being led by our Consent.

And with this President, we see the demolishing  and disdain of the Founders insistence upon The Rule of Law (and thereby, no “ rule of the people“.

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“A properly functioning democracy depends on an informed electorate”

The failure of public schools to impart even rudimentary knowledge of self-government principles, natural rights theory and the rule of law is compounded by the suicidal abandonment of civic education. As Stanford University education professor William Damon notes: “Our disregard of civic and moral virtue as an educational priority is having a tangible effect on the attitudes, understanding and behavior of large portions of the youth population in the United States today.”

– Michelle Malkin

(emphasis mine).  Add this, too, by Thomas Jefferson (who WAS one of our Founding Fathers, if you were wondering) to the one in the title:

“The field of knowledge, is the common prosperity of all mankind.”

Sigh…sounds like the GPS’s of these chuckleheads were a few birds short and missed “The field”…

Should I dispair now?  Somehow, I get the feeling this is more of a “feature” of our Educational system than a “bug”.  I afear that old Ben may have been right: “A Republic, if you can keep it”.  You cannot keep something that which you know nothing about.  As Michelle Malkin puts it:

As we celebrate our nation’s 237th birthday, a crucial facet of American life has all but vanished. We have forsaken, in a systematic and deliberate public manner, one of our most fundamental duties: fostering civic virtue in each and every one of our citizens.

What does it mean to be an American? Politicians in both parties keep pushing to create a new “path to citizenship” for millions of illegal aliens. But if sovereignty and self-preservation still matter in Washington, citizenship must be guarded ferociously against those who would exploit and devalue it at every electoral whim.

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“June is ‘Worthless Degree Awareness Month’”

Via Vox Populi H/T Ace: “Now I’m going to teach you a hard, but very important lesson.  You see, I  don’t care how you feel.  I really don’t.  More importantly, neither does anyone else.  Only about 200 people on a planet of 7 billion actually care about your feelings, and that’s if you’re lucky.  The sooner you … Read more

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