Friday Follies...

Welcome to the weekend...and it's going to be a very nice day weather-wise here in the Heartland (at least where WE are), with temps topping out in the LOW 70s...now THAT I can live with (and so can our ELECTRIC BILL...LOL).

And I suppose that we'll be seeing those Halloween sales abounding very shortly, with Christmas sales right behind them...you know marketing LOVES to push things WAY in advance.

But, for now, we're going to see if we can get the next 72 hours off nice and easy, instead of with a ton of angst and trepidation.

So let's get rolling and get this load hauled to market.

*** First up, I want to thank ALL of you (deeply) that allowed this blog to PASS the 200K PAGE VIEW mark!

I checked the stats the other day and went..."WOW"...!

Two Hundred Thousand...I'm totally astounded by your loyal readership (or at least the ability to wander in here by accident, and poke about a bit...lol).
Thanks, again.

*** Yesterday, I was talking about the FWPD cruiser fleet taking a few whacks, courtesy of the dumbass drivers in and around this city, and then, as I was watching the local news, they mentioned this device that can potentially LOWER the number of crashes at intersections.

Made here in INDIANA, it's called the ELIMINATOR...and wouldn't you JUST know it...

WAY, WAY back on 27 August 2008, I posted here (check the archives for that date - it's THERE still) about a Fort Wayne City Council meeting I had just watched, where they discussed the possibility of using a device for "traffic light control" (priority vehicles aka police and fire) called...(...you guessed it...)...
THE ELIMINATOR...!

Well, at least I've been doing MY homework all these years.

Here's the website for the device:

http://www.collisioncontrol.net/

And coincidently, here is the story from last night's news (with video):

http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/technology-designed-to-prevent-emergency-responder-crashes

It amazes me that this city has not had the chance to USE this yet...Indy has done so for FIVE years - ditto for St. Louis.

And given the recent rash of accidents when citizens have crashed INTO FWPD cruisers, you'd "think" it was high time we gave this device a SERIOUS look.

Not so fast, believes FWPD chief Rusty York.
He's not convinced this will aid enough to pay for itself.
I dunno...weigh the COST of a damn police CRUISER (or a fire engine), fully-outfitted and the possible hospital costs of an officer or firefighter(s) AGAINST the price to hook up this device around town...I'm sure the OFFICERS (and FIREFIGHTERS) might believe OTHERWISE when THEIR LIVES are in jeopardy, right, Rus?
Seems to ME to be a "NO-BRAINER", Chief York...something you SHOULD be well-acquainted with...LOL.
Now, the interesting thing about traffic control devices (as I stated back in 2008) is that for a nominal cost (as much as a high-end radar detector), I can go to a website and get me a little thing that can CHANGE TRAFFIC LIGHTS for ME...!

((...WTF???...))
Yep, you heard me right...
YOU can have the ability to do what our FWPD chief would deny his officers.
(imagine that)

Now, THIS device, called the MIRT, is nowhere AS sophisticated as the Eliminator, BUT, what it does is trip the sensor that is built into those BIG RED "buttons" you push to cross the street, thereby turning a RED light to GREEN...pretty cool, huh?

Here's THEIR website with links for ordering:

http://www.themirt.com/
However, if you happen to be strapped for cash (and who isn't under THIS regime?), you can go to AMAZON and order up something called the the TRAFFIC LIGHT CHANGER, and THIS baby can be had for around $16, and is made for your moped, scooter or motorcycle.

Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Light-Changer-Specifically-Motorcycle/dp/B001DC7L42

Or THIS one for even LESS:

http://www.amazon.com/CHANGER-Trigger-Traffic-Signal-MOTORCYCLE/dp/B005UHUCKQ

But, if you wish to be REALLY up-to-date with your technology...they HAVE AN APP for it now (what...you thought otherwise?)

And here's THIS link:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/traffic-light-changer-make/id367093036?mt=8

There are a bunch more, but you can easily see that the CITIZENS can handily have more control over traffic signals than our police chief would allow for first responders.

Now, what all these other devices do (as I just said above) is trip the preemptive sensor in the signal...like pushing that button, if you were standing on the corner, waiting to cross.

The ELIMINATOR would work with ANY light, providing it was tied into the system.

I think that considering that the president and CEO of the company (Dave Gross) wants to GIVE the devices to Fort Wayne, I think it can only be a help, and not any sort of hindrance.

City Council should really think on this again...and 3rd district councilman Tom Didier should lead the charge, as he was one of those very interested back in 2008.

But, it's not like I wind up sitting at lights that don't change for no reason...as do we all, right?

*** I've been a "fan" of John Stossel when he used to be on ABC, and that was a long time.

I enjoy his take on the issues facing us, and the common sense reasoning behind why things need to change, or even if they don't.

He's got some great videos on YouTube, including one about those damnable BOOMCARS (and why the idiots have them).

Now, he's got a show on FBN (Fox Business) that is re-aired on Fox News (check listings for local times), and last night's show was nothing short of brilliant. I love when I hear the TRUTH being told.

He showed us TEN PROMISES that politicians don't keep...

(I supposed that time constraints prevented the other 379...LOL)

Here's a link that gives you a "CLIFFS NOTES" on the episode:

http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/stossel/blog/2012/08/16/politicians-top-10-promises-gone-wrong-airs-tonight-9pm-fbn

You have to say one thing about Stossel...he does HIS homework, too.

(wow, that's like DEJA VU...all over again...LOL)

It's definitely worth a watch...and you can learn so DAMN much in that hour.

And yes, KNOWLEDGE is STILL power, people.

*** Lastly today, Fort Wayne has a gang problem...a GROWING one, and we've recently had articles addressing the issue, but no REAL solutions, and sometimes, no idea how to even attempt to control the problem.

(I've got MY ideas, and that's why I'll NEVER be elected to public office...think Judge Roy Bean...or The Punisher...heh, heh, heh)

So, I'm going to do a gratuitous plug for another show on (this) Saturday called THE FORT REPORT.

It's on at 5:30PM (local time here) on Comcast channel 57 - FiOS channel 27, and is slated to have FWPD chief Rusty York on.

Kevin Leininger will be discussing the gang issue with him, and that should be (quite) interesting.

I know I will be watching...intently.

This city COULD have taken a more proactive stance with gangs and crime back when Helmke was mayor...and crack cocaine first came to town...but we see that was not the case.

And successive city leaders have followed suit and done as little as possible to keep the SE side (and now, parts of the SW side as well) from falling into the societal abyss.

I've always said that:

 "ANY CITY IS ONLY AS GOOD AS IT'S WORST AREA."

And that seems to apply all to well to the Summit City.

Remember, I come from PHILADELPHIA - a city that has had democrat leadership for way too long and suffers a worse fate than we do here, because THEIR problem is much wider spread, and was allowed to grow damn near exponentially over the past few decades.

I have already seen (back there) where Fort Wayne might be heading, and it's not a pretty picture.

I believe the citizens of Ft. Wayne have it within them (most of them anyway) to get all those "civil servants" to OWN UP to the problems, call them out on them, and get them rectified to the betterment of ALL the citizenry.

It's not a pipe dream...but it can be the future for this city.

And the future is one place where most ALL of us will be spending damn near ALL of our time.

Have yourselves a great weekend.

Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as always...

Stay SAFE out there, America.