August 24, 2011
I think the writer hit it on the head, but I’m not as upset with the money as he is. I can’t believe this cost much money, but on the other hand this is the government so it probably cost more than my apartment building’s entire combined yearly income for the decade.
My issue is that I simply can’t believe that government feels the need to micromanage our lives so much, and thinks so little of us, that it feels that it has to tell us when to come in out of the rain, so to speak. As much of a nanny as NYC Mayor Bloomberg is, I have to believe that even he would find this silly.
Even worse, it is totally redundant. In order to use this, you have to know what the humidity is. Unlike the temperature, humidity isn’t something that is easily known. Hygrometers and psychrometers are nearly as common as thermometers so to use the app you need to look for the humidity in a weather report, which will also give the heat index. So if you go to get the information to use the app, you also get the information to make the app unnecessary.
The app also gives information on what to do, but that info isn’t even on the front page. You have to waste more time standing in the heat to load that page. And what information does it give? Drink water and take breaks. What government employee needs to be reminded to take a break? Most of them need to be reminded to do some work once in a while.
Again, it is just another example of how the gov’t thinks it needs to micromanage everyone’s life and treat them like babies. I’m not upset about the cost of the app, I’m offended that anyone thinks I am stupid enough to need it.
Mr. Blog's Tepid Ride 
And like so many “well meaning” government initiatives, this one is fraught with unintended consequences. First is the loss of productivity as people who are supposed to be working are checking their smart phones to see it it’s hot. And while their at it, they send a few emails and surf the net.
Plus I can see some unintended consequence headlines:
“Highway worker crushed by steam roller while checking heat index”
“Snow plow operator sues city for frostbite incurred while trying to check heat index”
You get the idea.
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Totally right. And when someone is in a location where they don’t get cell service and pass out from the heat they have a lawsuit againt the government. Oh our litigious society!
And I fully expect the steam roller crushing to come from Whatcom County.
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Yes! My examples were nods to two previous posts–the Whatcom County about the steam roller and the snow plow guy who took out the car.
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I forgot the snow plow video!
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The original snow blog is here.
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Still a classic. Genius.
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A government by the sheeple, for the sheeple, & of the sheeple….. ?
W / do they put the drugs in our water supply to keep us zoned out ?
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Yeah, I tend to think that the people get the goverment they deserve but it is a whole different game on the federal level.
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From an app telling what the heat index is to video surveillance monitoring performance & time used in non – productive activities = It COULD be a slippery slope.
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NYC Mayor Bloomberg just yesterday said he wants a camera on every traffic light in the city. How sweet.
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& not just NYC, either. This little podunk town w / I live has cameras at certain intersections. It starts out as a ” good thing “, then it could be a ” good thing ” w / the potential to be abused.
Imagine toilets in the workplace with sensors / filters tha could test for the presence of drugs. Someone had a dose of NyQuil on the job or just a tad before coming into work.
Kind of far – fetched, but you NEVER KNOW…..
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Those toilets already exist in- where else? Japan.
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Why does that NOT surprise me ?
How could they tell who it came from ? Worse than switching urine samples.
There was a guy who abstained from recreational drugs & alcohol, who SOLD his ” untainted ” urine to people wanting to pass drug tests, BTW.
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Keep fighting the Power, good sir!
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