Overstep

Posted on October 3, 2019 by backuphill

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Government overstep is the first step to oppression.

Government redefining language for a political purpose.

Government control of thought and speech.

Government gone wrong.

Government legislating what you can or can’t say is a step in the wrong direction.

New York is shamefully destroying your rights in the name of “protecting” others’ “rights.” It is playing politics and redefining language in order to make political point. They have been doing it for a long time and this is yet another step in the wrong direction.

“Illegal alien” is now illegal to say in the state.

This is all kinds of wrong because changing facts and definitions of words to suit your agenda is beyond absurd.

Legal = you followed the law.

Illegal = you didn’t follow the law.

Alien = relating, belonging, or owing allegiance to another country or government

So, by looking at the definitions that are agreed upon internationally and also defined by law in the same manner, you are an illegal alien if you are a foreign person who lives in a country without having official permission to live there.

There is no gray area there. You are either legal or illegal.

Even if you entered the US by following the law, but stayed beyond the time set by law upon your arrival, you are illegal. There also is no gray area here.

The government has become the oppressor.

The government has overstepped its design and usefulness when it takes such actions.

…When…it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, …to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. … But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. …

– Declaration of Independence, 1776

As we see governments overstepping their bounds and interfering in the daily lives of every day citizens (at the literal and figurative expense of citizens for non-citizens), then the words of the document become more and more relevant.

History has a way of repeating itself.

Consequences

Posted on September 20, 2019 by backuphill

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Sorry, kids. You’re just gonna have to “deal with it.”

As much as you would like to not have consequences for your choices, even if those choices are based on good intentions, there are still consequences. There needs to be in a civilized society and you can’t change the rules every time they conflict with your beliefs.

I am not sure if you are aware, but right now there are probably hundreds (thousands?) of students in your community skipping school for climate change. Their intentions might be good (albeit questionable). Their intention is to draw attention to an issue you are concerned about. Great.

But, this can be effectively done on any other day at any other time. There isn’t a legitimate reason to skip school and I hope that the school district & school board in Seattle don’t bow to pressure and excuse these absences.

That also goes applies to these kids’ parents. Come on, parents, have a little integrity here! If you are a parent who excuses your child from school for such an activity then you are a part of the problem too. I know that is a bold statement, but you need to stop enabling bad behavior in your child.

Maybe you even agree with what your kid is doing, at least in the sense of the “cause.” Maybe you’re the permissive parent…you want to be “cool”…whatever…, but do you want to make a bigger impact with your parenting? Allow them the freedom to make the choice of staying in school or skipping it AND THEN let them deal with the consequences of that choice. Stop enabling everything your kid does. There are legitimate reasons for an excused absence from school and this isn’t one of them. You aren’t helping your child learn that making choices comes with responsibility.

Kids, stay in school.

Reflect

Posted on September 11, 2019 by backuphill

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There will be not be a regularly schedule Piss and Moan session this morning. We are only going to reflect gratitude and respect today.

Respect for those who lost their lives on this terrible day 18 years ago. Those who were attacked and those who rushed to help them. Those who helped in the aftermath and now suffer the lasting effects on their health. No matter how you look at it, a terrible price was paid during the terrorist attack.

Gratitude for those who rushed towards the danger and didn’t return. Those who rushed to fight the enemy and protect the freedoms we enjoy every day of our lives. Those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for us and those who have returned home wounded physically or emotionally. Thank you for doing what most of us can’t or won’t do.

America can never forget.

Don’t ever forget.

Don’t let those who hate this country destroy it from within. Don’t allow the freedoms that have made us targets, internationally and domestically, be eroded slowly and taken from us. Don’t take for granted the sacrifices of those who gave you those freedoms and protect those freedoms.

9.11 NEVER FORGET

Under attack

Posted on September 5, 2019 by backuphill

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Do you feel that? Likely you don’t. Do you hear that? Probably not. Do you care much? I fear you don’t.

Somewhere out there, someone is attacking you and what you believe.

Let that sink in for a moment. You’re under attack and you don’t even know it. Well, you may know it but maybe you don’t even care enough to do anything about it.

In the climate we live in today it is reasonable to believe that the freedoms you have right now won’t be there in the near future. All because a small minority of people scream loud enough in protest to catch the attention of the media who are all too happy to highlight the division because it generates ratings and clicks.

There once was something in America referred to as the “silent majority.” They could be from either party, but they rarely discuss what they feel or believe publicly. The silent majority still exists, but if it stays silent too much longer it won’t matter that they are the majority. We can express our opinions via our vote, but is that enough? In most cases policy is being made without a vote, either in the public or private arena. Perhaps the vote isn’t enough any longer. Perhaps staying silent isn’t an option.

The ideological attacks will continue and as fringe groups become more militant in their efforts to garner attention, the non-physical attacks are likely to become more physical. It is only a matter of time before the silent majority is beaten into submission by small, loud minority groups.

Lane closure

Posted on August 19, 2019 by backuphill

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I have said it in the past but I am going to say it again. Sorry if it sounds like I am a broken record, but WADOT (Washington State Department of Transportation) seriously has to do a better job – not just them, but the contractors they hire as well.

It was another painful travel weekend. It think it was three weeks ago I mentioned the reduction of lanes on a major interstate highway (it’s actually I-5, a federal highway) and how badly it affected the traffic on a Friday night. Well, this last Friday was no different. Miles and miles and miles of lane closures and not a soul in sight doing any work! While progress may be getting done, it surely doesn’t appear like it and they are in no hurry to get it done. It’s kind of ridiculous really.

So, yesterday (Sunday for those of you keeping track), a major north/south highway had ALL of the northbound lanes closed. That’s right, I-405 was closed with only one lane (a collector/distributor lane) getting by. That means five lanes diverted to one. To top it off, they didn’t close on-ramps that directly affected that one diverted lane, so merging traffic and diverted traffic had to fight for the same space. Ultimately, that mean five lanes got bottle-necked and didn’t have a steady flow. Kind of a CF if you ask me!

Look, I get that construction needs to get done. I am fully aware of the condition of the roadways. But, let’s be honest here. These days, there is never a good time to close highways and there is never a good time to avoid the hassle.

BUT, what doesn’t appear to be happening is that WADOT isn’t requiring construction crews to complete the work in the fastest time possible (overnight work, 24/7, until it is done). Traffic volumes are much lower at night and it affects for fewer people/travelers when work is done then. And, let’s face it, with the technology that is available these days there is no reason work can’t be done at night.

Get it together WADOT! You are costing people money and time.

Exactly the point

Posted on August 5, 2019 by backuphill

Data doesn’t lie.

That’s the point.

It doesn’t minimize tragedy, it puts it into perspective. Perspective minimizes fear and hysteria.

The hysterical reaction to the above tweet proves the exact point Neil deGrasse Tyson was making. If you make a spectacle of something (which the media and illogical hysteria do), then you will of course have a perspective that is disproportionate to the event.

Should we want mass shootings to end? Of course. But are they really as big of a concern as we are led to believe? No.

You are more likely to die of a medical mistake than from a mass shooting. Do we see any hysteria around this fact? No. What if the media published or ran a body count update every evening on the news just like they did during the Vietnam War? Would people more afraid to go to their doctor or the hospital? Probably.

You are more likely to die in an automobile collision than from a mass shooting. We don’t see a call to ban cars (or really bad drivers) do we? No. Because it isn’t highlighted in the news like shootings are. A body count each night would do that though.

Is that what it takes to make the news these days? A body count? It would appear so.

Americans like to grandstand about highly publicized events, but don’t really think about their own irrational fears. Do bad things happen each and every day? Yes. Can you live in fear of cars, doctors, guns, crowds, mosquitoes, or whatever? I suppose you could, but does it really do you any good? No.

Let’s not be hysterical and have a knee-jerk reaction every time something bad and tragic happens in the country. Because it does happen, EVERY DAY. You just don’t hear about it because it wasn’t highlighted by the media. That’s exactly the point of the tweet.

Delayed

Posted on July 19, 2019 by backuphill

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This post is officially brought to you by road construction delays.

It isn’t a sponsored post, but should be.

Road construction on my commute route that was supposed to completed by 5am this morning wasn’t done at the appointed time. This is on a major North/South interstate highway, mind you. Three lanes reduced to one. When I finally went past the choke point, the newly laid asphalt was still steaming. So, the delay was going to be at least another hour.

So, you know, just by that description, that you are going to get thousands of commuters and travelers who are going to get stuck in that backup. It took me 45 minutes to get through a section of roadway that normally takes less than a minute at highway speed.

I knew about the construction, but figured I would be going through the area almost two hours after the supposed wrap-up. No problem, right? Not so much.

So, my question is…do these construction companies get fined for not getting things done at the appointed and planned times? I mean this delay caused me (and I am sure thousands more) late for work. That’s lost time, lost production. So who pays for that?

Who answers and how for these sorts of things?

Guest WiFi – exercise in frustration

Posted on July 2, 2019 by backuphill

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This is a love-hate type relationship.

Have you ever been in a store and unable to get a cell signal? Yeah, it happens more than you think. Have you been in such a store only to find there is no “Guest Wifi” available to you? Irritating. I find this most irritating while shopping at Costco. I mean, come on, it’s a warehouse for crying out-loud. It wouldn’t be that hard to put wifi in the place.

On the other hand, there are those places that have “Guest WiFi” available but it doesn’t work or is slower than molasses (here’s one for you…electronics store Best Buy has spotty guest wifi). I was traveling recently and learned that there was a place nearby (a government agency, actually) that had guest wifi. So, I went to check it out. FULL signal, this is promising! However, no data transferred at all. It was basically the same as when you’re at home and you know the wifi is on and you get a signal but it has to be rebooted so it will allow the transfer of data. So, what was promising became just an exercise in frustration.

So, we are left with the love-hate relationship again. I love stores that make it available, but I hate places that have it and it doesn’t work.

Bent but not broken

Posted on June 27, 2019 by backuphill

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Can you believe some people use this as justification for breaking the rules?

Recently someone said, “Well, you never said I couldn’t…” – fill in the blank. They had bent the agreed upon limitation (rule, if you will) so that it could accommodate their desired outcome.

So, if that is the case, unless we explicitly define every possible circumstance then bending the rules is fine. Never mind the intent of the rule, or even the law.

That’s the problem today with society. We will do whatever we can to make things as easy and accommodating to get what we want. We find every way possible to bend the rules, which we know is wrong to do, just so we can get what we want.

Speeding? Oh, well, I was going downhill.

Cheating on a test? Well, is it really cheating if they didn’t say I couldn’t use the book?

Affair? It’s not an affair because we didn’t have sex.

Murder? Oh, well, I didn’t want the as yet to be born baby.

Sick day from work? No, I wasn’t sick but everyone does it. It was for my “mental health,” and go to the beach.

Which, or what, bent rule irritates you the most?

Drawn and quartered

Posted on June 21, 2019 by backuphill

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There are very few things in life that seem to warrant the old punishment of “Drawn and Quartered.” It used to be reserved for high treason, but it isn’t used anymore. Something about cruel and unusual…whatever…

I have determined, and I am sure many of you will agree, that this punishment should now be returned to service, not to be used for high treason but for something much worse.

Being the creator of spam.

In EVERY single form it exists.

We are all aware of the spam we get in our email. We are also all now very aware of those auto-dialers that create spam phone calls. Spam on social media is now a thing too. Here’s one you may or may not be aware of…

Have you checked your blog comments section for spam? Good grief. There is a lot of crap in that file. Thank goodness it gets filtered! But good grief, how do you get like entire Wikipedia science articles spliced into 18 different comments? Yeah, spam. Lots of it. It seems this is all hidden behind “proxy” type addresses, so it is easy to quickly decide it is spam and delete but the fact that you have to do it at all is really annoying.

So, I submit to you all that we bring this medieval punishment of “drawn and quartering” back for a 21st century crime. It might not stop the behavior as a deterrent, but it would be totally satisfying to see the spam creator suffer a just punishment.

Just saying.

#endspam

Who’s with me here? Do you agree? Do you have a better suggestion?