opinion | Piss and Moan

Jury duty

Civic duty, but….

There has been a change in the way you have to find out if you are to report for jury duty and I don’t like it. I don’t know what other places have to do or go through for this process but from my experience here locally there has been a definite change and I don’t like it because it keeps you in a hold pattern for two weeks.

It used to be that you filled out the form, sent it in, then called at the appointed time to find out if you needed to report for the next week. For the second week, typically, it had been that you would have to call a second time for that week but not always.

So, I had a vacation planned last week and I also got notice that I would have to call for jury duty that week too. So, any plans I had (luckily just a staycation) were immediately out the door and I couldn’t plan anything either because I wasn’t sure if I would have to report. I called at the appointed time and they said call again in two days.

For the entire first week, and now for the entire second week, they have you calling every two days to see if you are going to report to the courthouse the following day. They are literally stringing you along for two weeks instead of just releasing you when they have nothing on the docket.

Highly irritating!

So, I have been in limbo for two weeks, playing jury duty roulette with vacation plans and work because they have a different way of doing things now.

Stupid.

Give up

Posted on July 18 by backuphill

What’s the deal with these spam sites? This guy has me deleting his subscription every other day or so. I have lost count, but I would bet it has been about 25+ times.

Click on the name and it takes you to a page where a webpage/blog isn’t even set up. There are about 5 (that I have counted) variations of this “site.” What is the point of all the attempts to spam me with subscriptions?

I wish WordPress had a way to block people who are obviously spammers.

Forced charity

Posted on July 13 by backuphill

Charity is great, but when it is forced charity, well, that Pisses me off. Then it isn’t charity, it’s just big business charging you a fee (read that as “tax”) to cover the cost of doing their business. So, I am going to Moan really loudly about this.

Cascade Natural Gas in Washington has asked the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission for a fee that will basically recoup the cost of it’s service to people who can’t afford it. Rather than covering that cost themselves and using it as a write-down on their taxes (I am sure they will do this too – as in, double dip), they are going to charge all their customers an extra fee on top of all the other fees to pay for a program most people don’t even care about.

There is no option to opt out. There is no option to opt in. It’s just, “Let me reach into your pocket once again and take your money without consent.”

I say without consent because the WUTC is an unelected, oversight board that is filled with people appointed by our governor (Democrat) and approved by the state senate (Democrat). Essentially, there is no recourse for customers because these things get hard stamped approval because – liberals.

I shouldn’t be forced to pay for something someone else can’t pay for. That’s robbery. That’s a tax. That’s coercion at it’s worst.

And, once again, it’s government approved.

Budget belt

Posted on June 29 by backuphill

Washington state has a new, dubious title – “Most expensive gas in the nation.” This is NOT a good thing, considering our population pales in comparison to that of bigger states. What it does do is punish everyone, including low-income people/families, for simply trying to get to work. This title, is one that will hurt our state’s economy for a long time because there is no relief in sight. Seasonal fluctuations have always played a role, but this new carbon tax is actually going to kill growth and the economy.

Budgets have to tight a lot more when fuel prices go up. Between high fuel, higher electricity, higher natural gas and propane, and inflation, there is little room for extras in most people’s budgets. Summer spending and, more definitely holiday spending, will take a hit as the price of everything continues to increase.

Anyone who argues that the new carbon tax isn’t harming the economy or causing fuel prices to increase is either delusional, a Democrat, or just plain stupid.

One such power hungry Democrat who’s agenda is done more harm to any state is the governor.

And, sorry, but our governor has always been the dude that passes the buck and never takes responsibility for anything. Once again, he blames everything but his policy. And, quite frankly, everyone knows his BS is flat out lies.

Lies, lies, lies. It’s almost comical that he believes a rational person would believe him.

I certainly don’t. I know better.

But, I will be tightening the belt (and that isn’t to keep my pants up) and spending much less.

Egg shells

Posted on June 9 by backuphill

Are you tired of walking on egg shells? Tired of looking over your shoulder at work, in the grocery store, at the ballpark, at your kids’ school? Are you one of the many many Americans that is tired of the cancel culture and tired of not expressing your opinion simply because you want to keep your job?

I came across an ad the other day that sort of struck a chord with me. It struck that cord because I work in education, which apparently is the center of hype-wokeness and also seemingly has no room for a variety of voices despite claiming the desire to be inclusive of all (if you agree with those who squawk the loudest).

Are you part of the “silent majority” that just wishes diversity and inclusion actually meant that, and that tolerance actually means being intolerant of ideas and thoughts that you disagree with?

I don’t work for this company. I don’t work for any company that uses this service….but I kinda wish I did, because then egg shells wouldn’t be what I walk on most days.

What do you think? Is there something to this movement? Are you a person who would like to get back to some common sense employment, employees, work?

Opinions?

Coffee art

Posted on June 7 by backuphill

I’ve watched videos. I’ve seen pictures.

I had questions and even briefly thought, “That’s kinda cool,” until I experienced it. I’ve had it handed to me over the counter at a couple different places and now I just kinda think, “Stop doing this crap.”

Who exactly is this for, me or the barista?

I don’t really think it is for me, honestly. I has to be for the barista but I can’t pin-point why…

For me, it doesn’t increase the taste of the coffee. It doesn’t increase my enjoyment of the coffee. It doesn’t give me “the feels” to have some cutesy picture or image in my coffee as I proceed to consume it. It does, however, appear to make by steaming hot cup of joe…cooler, and less enjoyable. I wanted it hot, not lukewarm because it took you an extra two minutes to draw a picture in my beverage.

For the barista, does it make you feel good about yourself? Does it help your self-image to give someone a cooler cup of joe? It there some special place in heaven (or hell) that awards you for your handiness with cold foam coffee art?

I don’t know. I just can’t stand it and it bugs me to no end that people waste time and good coffee to practice this stuff.

JUST GIMME THE JOE AND STOP PLAYING WITH MY FOOD/DRINK.

Lost gumption

Posted on June 2 by backuphill

Gumption

Not feeling great about the status of the blog at this point. I had fours posts in April and five in May. It appears all the air has been let out of the balloon and I have lost all my gumption. A part of me really cares that I can’t get stuff on the screen and then another part of me doesn’t really care at all.

I have stuff to say, but is it worth saying? It will just piss people off and, sure, that was part of the point of this blog but at the same time there is so much hate for the truth these days (and I mean REAL truth, not the “my truth” BS). The point of the blog was just to vent and get crap off my chest because I often don’t feel I can actually talk to the people around me.

Perhaps I care too much and should care less.

Perhaps I don’t care enough and should care more.

So, if you seen my gumption laying around anywhere tell it to “Go home” or put it in a box and ship it to me.

Influencer tendencies

Posted on May 31 by backuphill

I am not totally sure how the whole “influencer” thing start or how you achieve “influencer” status. Is it something you aspire to or do you just fall into it by having something go viral? I guess it doesn’t matter as I haven’t much desire to be an influencer, though having money for seemingly doing nothing would be nice.

A couple things that I have noticed about influencers:

Female influencers tend to
- Post a lot of clothing “fit check” photos
- Post videos of their makeup/skincare/hair routines
- Show more skin to get more clicks/looks/views/likes/shares
- Share a lot of food videos/pictures
- Shopping “haul” videos
- Product reviews…solicited and unsolicited
Male influencers tend to
- Post a lot of car videos photos
- Post a lot of prank videos
- Post “fit check” photos
- Share food and alcohol videos/photos
- Generally are way shallow in content

Did I miss anything? Is this how you get to be an influencer?

Anyway, I don’t know why I wrote about this today. I guess it was just on my mind and was wondering what others thought about the trend of “influencers.” Do you foresee a future with this trend continuing or do you think it will eventually tire itself out?

Cravings hate

Posted on May 11, 2023 by backuphill

Anyone else have episodes where cravings just wanna take over their life? I mean, like, you just wanna eat everything in sight or have a craving of something very specific and it can’t be satiated even when you are consuming it?

The last couple weeks I have had a severe craving for crunchy and salty.

Terrible. Terrible for me (not that I am a health nut or anything).

I seriously could mow through a whole bag of chips or pretzels or bags of popcorn or whatever. Doesn’t really matter as long as it is salty and crunchy.

Anyone? Anyone else?

Is the change in weather? Is it the change in body needs? Is it just all in my head?

I don’t know. I just wanna snack away…

Therefore, I am going to bury my head in a bag of something…I’ll come up for air when it is gone, or EMS will find me with my head at the bottom of a Lays bag with my mouth full…

**PS – I am not a bioligist, but I know without a doubt that I am a male and I am not pregnant.**

Washer dryer

Posted on May 8, 2023 by backuphill

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

Laundry for most is a chore, one that needs to be done (typically) once a week. Most people hate it. I am most people. That being said, there is another laundry task that is hated even more than washing the clothes you wear each week….washing the sheets on the bed.

Now, I know there are a lot of people who this task on a fairly regular interval because the thought of sleeping in your own body filth grosses them out. However, I would also bet that those people are probably women. LOL In my experience, men can go far longer with unwashed sheets than women can. Generalization, yes. Truth? Yes.

Anyway, back to the hated task.

The first problem with washing the sheets is it takes so dang long and it is such a friggin’ hassle. Strip the bed. Wash. Dry. Make the bed. The problem with this whole thing is the washing and drying part. In the process of making this happen, something happens in those damn machines that makes the process that much more infuriating. The washing machine twists and tangles everything all together and pulling them out of the washer to put into the dryer is a long string, of seemingly never-ending, moist fabric. It’s like that magician that pulls the boxers out of his pants and the clothes just keep coming.

The second problem with washing the sheets is that you typically have to dry them twice, which makes the process even longer. Because the washer likes to twist them into “ropes” or tangle them into balls of fabric, the dryer doesn’t undo the difficulties it just exacerbates them. Again, as the sheets tumble around in the dryer the dryer likes to make this twisted and tangled and bundled into a mess that has to be unwound if you want everything to be dried. Thus, once the first cycle is done, you have to basically take everything out, check to see if it is dry and then throw it back in for another cycle if not yet dry. Plus, if you have any actual clothing in with the sheets they will almost always end up balled up in one of the fitted sheet’s corners and almost always will still be damp. How does it know to go to the corner? A mystery for sure! But one that just adds to this unpleasant chore.

So, inventers, my challege to you is to make a washer and dryer that will not bind up the sheets, tangle the clothing, knot up towels, or clump items together like a rubics cube puzzle that has to be solved. Just wash and dry the items contained within.

That is all.