Thursday

3 can pass on the details from last night's game. Augie won on a buzzer-beater. We were treated like VIPs and had a great time. It's nice to have friends like my pal Roy.

The running commentary in the local press is on the traffic camera systems that the city of Davenport has set up at several locations in the city. For both red light and speed enforcement. Some judge ruled last month that the tickets issued under the camera monitoring system were illegal. The city has been trying to figure out a response. Opinions among the public are widespread, ranging from rational to off-the-wall.

I'm not particularly troubled by the camera system. If it slows some people down, so much the better. I am critical of the city if they didn't have their legal eagles fully research the system in advance of adopting the program. It is more than a little surprising that the company selling the systems didn't have that ground covered beforehand. Then again, even cities need to remember the "buyer beware" rules.

Interestingly, the camera systems are not so much as "purchased" by the city as they are the core element of a partnership established between the system designers/sellers and the municipality. The system designers get the city to allow them to put in the equipment, and then once operational, the designers and the city split the fines collected from violators. Properly installed mechanically, and legally ok, it's a bit like automatically printing money.

Now one of the indirect effects of the traffic camera system that I do find troubling is the expansion of video recording of the general public. Almost any episode of CSI will at some point resort to the images of an ATM or airport security camera, or even one from the mall, and all of a sudden John Doe is center stage. See also, The Bourne Identity. It's always been that way in Vegas. The casinos are watching the customers, the bartenders, the dealers, the pit bosses, and the people who are supposed to be watching all those people. Now they have you on film in the Food Court at Northpark. Which, after the 100 person melee there last weekend, may not ultimately be the worst thing in the world.

As I frequently tell my pal Roy, you're not below radar, bud.

Since I probably won't add much to the blog tomorrow, good luck to 1 on her half this weekend. (I just talked to her. She's a little whiney because of a rush hour traffic jam.)

The DM Registered published the 2007 RAGBRAI route today. It's a north route that ends in Bellevue, which is a normal Sunday morning breakfast stop on the way back from Dubuque on the TOMRV ride in early June. RAGBRAI starts Sunday July 22, so any of the wedding revelers who have an inkling toward the ride will need to beat feet Saturday. Just joking.

Have a good evening.

Be careful out there.