macbraughton - Latest Comments

Re: Canadian Market Just Doesn’t Get the Nexus One Google Phone

juliencarreno — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 06:08:00 -0000

its official, your wish has been granted. http://googlenexusoneboard.blo...

Re: Who Said Pigs Don’t Fly

Donnie — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 09:02:03 -0000

I miss you too, Jess... I guess we still need a little patience ;)

Re: Who Said Pigs Don’t Fly

JMFHicks — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 04:29:50 -0000

good but still doesn't compare to "patient's" on Paseo haha!!!!. Love you bro I miss you soo much.Words can't describe!!!!!!!

Re: Canadian Market Just Doesn’t Get the Nexus One Google Phone

Donnie — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:08:15 -0000

Looks like I may get what I'm asking for: WIND "chatting with Google" to bring the Nexus One to Canada: http://icent.ca/4a

Re: Open Web, Open Comments

juliencarreno — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:01:08 -0000

i dont have anything intelligent to say but i'll post anyway to see how this works :)

Re: Open Web, Open Comments

Donnie — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:59:39 -0000

You have to go into your FB account settings and pick a username. Right now it is just using the generic number of your account that you got when you signed up.

Re: Open Web, Open Comments

facebook-510875747 — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:55:01 -0000

ok, I gave it authorization to interact with my FB, but it isn't connecting with my profile for some reason. I am just facebook-510875747. :/ -Adriane

Re: Open Web, Open Comments

Donnie — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:05:09 -0000

Whoohoo! Facebook connect is working now on my blog. If only I had something clever to say...

Re: Open Web, Open Comments

Donnie — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:32:25 -0000

Having trouble getting the facebook sign in to work.

Re: Open Web, Open Comments

wobbix — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:35:09 -0000

Let's see how it works...

Re: Open Web, Open Comments

Donnie — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:27:18 -0000

I should edit my posts better b4 posting them 2 my blog, since they tweet out as soon as published now.

Re: Soft Morphing Mobile Robot

macbraughton — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:14:02 -0000

Yeah, I can imagine very small versions of Chembot using this unique method of locomotion to travel through one's blood vessels.

Considering the organization developing it, military applications are probably the intended use for it initially. Infiltrating an enemy facility for surveillance perhaps? This video is over a year old as well, so who knows what they are doing with it now.

Honestly, if you stepped on this thing you would probably just think it was a piece of gum somebody left lying around.

Re: Soft Morphing Mobile Robot

jules — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:28:35 -0000

fascinating. i wonder what applications they have in mind for this technology? medical perhaps?

Re: Toronto Emergency Services Down to 75% Staffing Levels

macbraughton — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:44:32 -0000

Well, apparently, Reality Check, hero's do stage because a hero such as yourself is not willing to identify themselves more than by an incredibly vague and self-righteous pseudonym.

From your banter I can tell that you have some experience with the system, though you're antagonistic to both paramedics and dispatchers makes me think that you're probably a self-loathing dispatcher.

For the public who has no idea how medical 911 calls are prioritized, Echos and Deltas are our highest priority calls. While I've been 25% on strike over the last three weeks, I've seen plenty of Echos and Deltas with much worse than usual response times. More often than usual there are more calls coming in than people to answer, also slowing our response.

I've also seen calls that are not considered a high priority wait for hours to be serviced, even when that involved a patient lying on the ground in severe pain the whole time. Granted, a cracked hip is not as high a priority as a heart attack, but from what I've heard it is damn painful. I would say leaving somebody who really has no alternative but emergency transport to hospital to wait hours is extremely demeaning and degrading.

This strike is not good for public health, no matter how the City of Toronto corporation tries to justify it.

Re: Toronto Emergency Services Down to 75% Staffing Levels

Reality Check — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:28:06 -0000

25% less staff on the road means that TRANSFERS are not getting done, and that business is going to private transfer companies. Emergency response times for Delta's and Echo's are probably better than before the strike. If any delays are occurring, its due to the EMD's taking longer to talk people into agreeing they are having trouble breathing or flu like symptoms, or making a call seem like a dangerous crime scene and staging vehicles around the corner because the caller "wasn't nice to them and wouldn't answer all the Q/A and SRI questions".

Hero's Don't Stage.

Re: The City of Toronto – Where all they Care About is the Garbage

Polly — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:34:26 -0000

Your heart and soul speak volumes, Jennifer. Even if we are loathe to speak the words aloud, you are not alone, my friend

Re: The City of Toronto – Where all they Care About is the Garbage

Jennifer — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:45:06 -0000

Yikes! Now that I re-read my own post, I do sound rather pathetic, don't I? In reality, I was trying to keep my anger in check and mitigate the venom which was seeping out as I was typing. Next time, I won't try and just let them have it with both barrels! Hahahahahaha!

I do thank you for your obvious concern and compassion. Take care!

Re: Toronto Emergency Services Down to 75% Staffing Levels

Judy — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:08:03 -0000

Hey Donnie... I think that people should also know that staffing is at 75% of our minimum. This means that while they usually staff above minimum (at least by 2) they are now going to be 75% of the least we ever have.

I'm off tomorrow and have heard that lots of us are.

Re: The City of Toronto – Where all they Care About is the Garbage

Wyatt — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:47:59 -0000

I apologize, I just re-read my last post, and just in case you didn't realize it was a typo, it should have read, "...try NOT to take it personally."

Re: The City of Toronto – Where all they Care About is the Garbage

Wyatt — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:13:29 -0000

Don't let it get you too down Jennifer. I know it's tough but try to take it personally. Reading your post, you sound hurt by all this. If I am reading into this the wrong way, I apologize. Just remember that it's all a big game. It shouldn't be, but it is. Take care of yourself and your family. Let your frustrations out while standing on the picket line. See you there.

Re: The City of Toronto – Where all they Care About is the Garbage

Jennifer — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:55:58 -0000

I showed up for my regularly scheduled shift today. I even arrived early in case there was picketing at HQ to ensure that I'd be on the floor and ready to go on time. I was sent home -- alas today is my designated "strike day".

As I was leaving I looked at the faces of my fellow EMDs : stress, dread, resignation. Today is a Monday - the busiest day of the week; it's the start of summer tourist season - more people in the city; the weather forecast is for a gorgeous hot humid day - many of the vulnerable sick & elderly can not cope with it, let alone those who overdo it when they're out & about... and there will be 25% FEWER of us -- EMDs and Medics -- to help them all!

Most of the people I work with are in this business because they actually care about their fellow human beings. Beneath the self-preserving bluster and black humour lie hearts of gold and souls of marshmallow. It's hard enough to get us to take care of ourselves because we are the types of people who tend to give much more than we receive, who are, at the core, self-effacing. As EMDs, we toil in anonymity, with only rare appreciation and no recognition, often taking abuse from both callers and our colleagues on the road (we elect to believe this is out of frustration at the system and lack of any other outlet for it, not personal malice or disrespect). We must continually remind ourselves not to take things personally, derive satisfaction from the good we know we are doing, not what others perceive. At least we can hang up the phone or let the PTT button go. Our paramedic colleagues must deal with angry, abusive, freaked out and / or hysterical friends and family members "live and in person" while trying give the best possible care to the injured or sick. They can not walk away.

So now our employer wants to add to the stress -- let's make it even harder for them to care for themselves, let's burn them out more quickly. We've already gotten the message that we're not valuable to or respected by this administration: $262M for renovations to Sunnyside Park vs sick time for the people who faithfully serve those in need. Apparently a no-brainer for Mr Miller et al. $262 million? Seriously? For a park?... And your medics and EMDs are burning out by the dozens? Good choice.

Times are tough. I get that. I'm living that. Give us nothing then, but don't take away what we have. We deserve it. More than that, we NEED it.

Re: The City of Toronto – Where all they Care About is the Garbage

Polly — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:57:56 -0000

You're both correct-I was "ranting" out of control re: our own.

There would be no strike if there were. :)

Re: The City of Toronto – Where all they Care About is the Garbage

macbraughton — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:55:19 -0000

On the note of weather we (paramedics) are in the wrong union is a mute point at this time.

I agree with you, Wyatt. Now is probably not the best time to bring that up.

This is a management issue, and it is pure hypocrisy that City Councilors gave themselves a 2.5% raise this year and now want to try to get their pound of flesh from the workers.

Check out John Laforet's blog: http://bit.ly/Tqus7

Re: The City of Toronto – Where all they Care About is the Garbage

Wyatt — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:49:56 -0000

On the note of weather we (paramedics) are in the wrong union is a mute point at this time. I am not going to agree or disagree with this statement. I am however going to plead with each and every one of my brothers and sisters out there to support this job action wholeheartedly. None of asked for this, and all of us employees, citizens and management alike, stand only to lose the longer that strike continues. By supporting the job action firmly from the beginning we are affirming our intentions and sending a very loud and clear message to the public and our employer that we will not stand down on the issue of concessions.
The city is continuing to use the current economic situation as a scapegoat in order to take away the many hard fought rights that have taken years and years of bargaining to reach. A lot of the current concessions on the table would have very little to no financial impact on the city's budget. They are using the current economic environment to push their own agenda, and in doing so turning a blind eye to what really needs to be done. The inefficiencies that I personally see on a daily basis from, blatant waste to over management could save the city millions of dollars a year if dealt with. It is mismanagement that has got us in this mess. Both the local city mess, and the global economic mess that we currently fester in. I understand that tough times call for tough measures, but not at the expense of the lowly worker. It's time for the city to look in the mirror and take some responsibility for where we currently sit. Stand together, and stand strong. These aren't privileges that they're trying to revoke, these are rights that we have fought hard to get recognized over many years. It's time to stand up and be counted.

Re: The City of Toronto – Where all they Care About is the Garbage

Polly — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:38:33 -0000

As I drove in to work I listened to the radio stations commenting on the impending strike. The announcer mentioned that "Emergency Services" will not be affected and will be running full steam.
After the commercial break, she corrected herself and stated that Emergency Medical Services will only be running at 75%.
Do the people of the City of Toronto comprehend what that means? I seriously doubt it. What they will notice first is the inconvenience of the garbage and perhaps some inconvenience with recreational activities.

It is us, Local 70 and Local 416, that will be most affected. Our staffing numbers will be cut down so that there is a "degree" of service but not the standard we, as professionals, swore to uphold. We will continue to do our tmost to provide the same quality of service you are accustomed to. Sadly, our legs are being pulled out from underneath us by the very politicians you elected. We are being asked to provide an above standard of health care while being asked to compromise our own when we require compensatory healing time.

We should not be in the same union we currently take membership of.

We belong to our own union, to bargain for that which we are entitled to.

In solidarity to my brother, Hicks Donnie