• Listening to Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings by Counting Crows #

Over the course of the last two weeks I have managed to add more items to my plate than I am really able to digest. I quit the job I have had for the last six years. This should leave more room on the plate, but I wasn’t happy with that so I had to go and get another job.

I am the systems administrator for a theatre here in town. So I am going to work during the day, and at night, I am finishing my degree in Information Systems. This certaintly isn’t enough right? (Did I mention that I am a full-time student because I really want to finish my degree by the end of the year?) So what did I do? I picked up another job. I am also the network administrator at a minor league baseball team here in town.

Yeah, I am losing my mind right now, and am about to miss sleeping.

I am so busy in fact that I forgot I had even started this post 4 days ago, and have just gotten around to seeing it again. It isn’t much, but I have finally published it.

• Choosing a color in the color war? Orange team! #
• Just got back from seeing the MoonShine Cherry band play. John Woolf was back in town this time. It was a great night, and I got a poster. #

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There are a lot of studies out there about the effectiveness of Red Light Cameras (RLCs). The majority of the independently funded and academically funded studies find that installing RLCs will actually increase the number of accidents at intersections rather than reduce, which is of course why they were installed in the first place right? To reduce accidents.

Others will claim them to be nothing more the revenue generators, arguing RLCs can obviously capture more drivers running red lights than having a police presence at every intersection.

Recently, here in Montgomery, AL, the city has put RLCs at strategic locations around the city. Let me point you to some stories that have been out recently that should show why the city should have never put the cameras up in the first place, but more importantly, why they need to take them down before it hurts them.

This article shows studies of RLCs and their lead to an increase in accidents.
This article shows why the city of Dallas has found their red light cameras to be so effective in reducing red light running (while not mentioning the increase in accidents), that the city is taking them down because they are not gaining the revenue they used to.
Some of the worst offenders are not using RLCs to reduce accidents, instead they are only using them to generate revenue by making the yellow light shorter. Shameful!

I hope these articles and links have proved to be more than enough information to see how devastating RLCs really are. They don’t make the city any more money, and they increase the number of accidents from people slamming on their breaks to avoid receiving a ticket from a machine that can’t make judgment calls. Let the city know how you feel, and back it up with the solid information I have provided here.

It has been a long time since I have last posted to ye ole blog. Other than the normal twitter updates, I have had much time to spend on updating my public written record, so at this time I would like to give a noteworthy update.

Enough talk about updating. I have a new job. I know. That was sudden. “John, why haven’t you mentioned this before?”

I will tell you why, because all of the people I know that read my blog I have already mentioned this to before. (As as side note, if I do know you, and you didn’t know I was taking new employment, well, I guess I didn’t know you read my blog.) I start work for a non-profit at the beginning of next week as a system administrator. I am not going to name the place, nor am I going to mention real names on here. (One does not kiss and tell, you know)  As a matter of record, I haven’t mentioned names and places on here for some time. I bet if you looked back into the archives of this very site you would find some mention at one point or another, which is quite alright, again, it is a matter of public record once it hits this page.

I am drasticly awaiting Friday. That is the day I say goodbye to the company I have worked for the last 6 years. Although I will be sad to leave, this is a positive move for me, and I hope those at my current employment can understand my reasons for leaving. (pssst, it has nothing to do with you!)

Again, just updating you on the essentials. Oh, and now would be a good time for me to welcome a new reader to my blog.  Hi Grandma, glad you could come a visit.

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• @JPhilipson I completely agree with you about Flickr. The explore pictures I have, I don’t like as much as ones that get passed over. #