Let’s say you had a buddy who was a drummer. Your buddy, when he wasn’t out playing massive stadium concerts, liked to practice his drumming, nice and loud, pretty much 24/7.
This buddy lived outside the city, where he’d never bothered anyone with his constant bashing and crashing. But the land around his drum studio was owned by developers who decided one day that it was prime property. The developers built lovely, stately homes all around Buddy’s place, and lots of blissfully unaware folks, who had been looking forward to the peace and quiet of their new country abodes, moved in, only to discover fairly quickly that Buddy was one noisy neighbour.
Complaints were lodged. Buddy was forced to reduce his drumming hours. Soon, no amount of drumming was acceptable. “These are our homes,” the neighbours insisted. “Your constant drumming is lowering our property values!” “But I was here before you came,” Buddy argued, weakly. “Didn’t anyone mention the drumming before you moved in?”
Somewhere in this analogy, I should try to work in the fact that more than 12,000 jobs and over 1.2 billion dollars are generated by businesses related to Buddy’s drumming. You can use your imagination for that part.
Perhaps you see where I’m going with this. It’s the kind of scenario the Halifax International Airport Authority is trying to prevent with its suggestion that future development in specific areas around the airport should be limited. The concern is that, if large numbers of people take up residence under the flight paths, there will most certainly be noise complaints from those residents.
But both Paul Pettipas of the Nova Scotia Homebuilders’ Association, and Halifax Regional Councillor Steve Streatch object to this idea, using a arguments so circular they make the head spin.
“We would certainly question why the airport would need a buffer when they have no complaints,” Mr. Pettipas points out in a recent article in the Chronicle Herald. He then goes on to rail about “the rights of landowners.”
Councillor Streatch’s argument is equally worthy of a good head-scratch. “The noise,” he has been quoted as saying, “has never been an issue.” So, why would allowing a lot more people to live there result in an increase in complaints?
Gentlemen, may I direct your attention to the cities of Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Victoria, Waterloo, Vancouver… and very likely every single metropolitan airport which is surrounded by residential development? The handling of noise complaints is, by necessity, a routine part of the management of these airports, and it impacts the way they do business.
I will even go out on a limb and suggest that some of the citizens who file noise complaints moved into those areas knowing full well that there was an airport nearby.
Can we not learn from the experience of other cities? A study done over a decade ago for the Waterloo airport said: “One of the most effective insulators against annoying sound is distance. If possible, an airport should be surrounded by a noise buffer area of vacant or forested land, and private property near the high noise impact area…should be used for activities that are less sensitive to noise.
“Proper planning … may protect the quality of life for those living or working next to an airport, as well as protect the investment and operation of the airport.”
Proactive planning or denial and wishful thinking? We can let Buddy keep drumming and driving the local economy, or we can move in and force him to take up the tambourine.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Code Census Rap, yo
The emergency department at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax was pretty busy back in early January. Every time they turned around they were calling Code Census to help clear the backlog of patients waiting to be admitted to a bed in the facility. That, in turn, was to make room for all the folks who were waiting to get into the ER itself.
Code Census is certainly not an ideal scenario for anyone involved, since it means sending people who need medical care out into the hallways on stretchers, in hope that some other poor patients who already have beds will get booted out of the hospital altogether, probably a little earlier than planned.
It’s all part of a system-wide bottleneck of resources for which there is no quick fix.
However, I’m going to suggest that, to a certain extent, we, the healthcare-guzzling public, the great unwashed and slightly sick-ish masses, are a fairly significant part of the emergency-backlog problem.
I’ve spent hours – probably totaling weeks – in the QEII’s emergency department, although I have to admit that I haven’t been there (silent thank you and knock on wood) since the department was revamped and the new building opened.
I know that sometimes – although certainly not all the time – some folks who aren’t experiencing a particularly urgent health issue decide that they should probably see a doctor. And some of these people think, “Hey, aren’t there a bunch of docs right in that building who could see me right away?”
If you’re one of these people, I would like to suggest that you visit your family doctor.
However, we all know that there are people in Halifax who don’t have a regular GP. In that case, I have three words, or two if we count a hyphenated word as one: walk-in clinic. There are convenient walk-in clinics all over this city. They take new patients, and anyone can just waltz in and be seen by a physician in a matter of hours – certainly fewer hours than would be spent hanging around the ER.
If you simply can’t decide how serious your problem is, not to worry. I’ve written a little “rap” to help clarify emergency healthcare for everyone. I think I’ve captured all the subtleties of the current health-care crisis here, and I will give ten dollars to the first person who records this and puts it up on YouTube. Until then, please imagine a nice backbeat, and me, in baggy clothes (per normal), busting a move while I spit this, yo:
Listen up, Halifax, if you’ve ever doubted
That the QEII Emerg is over–crowded
They’re calling Code Census like every day
And that means tons of patients stuck in the hallway.
So here’s what you should do if you’re feeling sick:
Take a moment to follow this little trick.
Ask yourself a question: am I gonna die?
Or is a big chunk of glass sticking out of my eye?
Am I bleeding profusely from an open wound?
Will my heart maybe stop if I don’t get there soon?
If the answer to these questions is maybe or no
Then a walk-in clinic’s where you ought to go.
That leaves the docs and nurses in emergency
For the people whose lives are at risk, you see.*
* Parody. Not actual medical advice.
Code Census is certainly not an ideal scenario for anyone involved, since it means sending people who need medical care out into the hallways on stretchers, in hope that some other poor patients who already have beds will get booted out of the hospital altogether, probably a little earlier than planned.
It’s all part of a system-wide bottleneck of resources for which there is no quick fix.
However, I’m going to suggest that, to a certain extent, we, the healthcare-guzzling public, the great unwashed and slightly sick-ish masses, are a fairly significant part of the emergency-backlog problem.
I’ve spent hours – probably totaling weeks – in the QEII’s emergency department, although I have to admit that I haven’t been there (silent thank you and knock on wood) since the department was revamped and the new building opened.
I know that sometimes – although certainly not all the time – some folks who aren’t experiencing a particularly urgent health issue decide that they should probably see a doctor. And some of these people think, “Hey, aren’t there a bunch of docs right in that building who could see me right away?”
If you’re one of these people, I would like to suggest that you visit your family doctor.
However, we all know that there are people in Halifax who don’t have a regular GP. In that case, I have three words, or two if we count a hyphenated word as one: walk-in clinic. There are convenient walk-in clinics all over this city. They take new patients, and anyone can just waltz in and be seen by a physician in a matter of hours – certainly fewer hours than would be spent hanging around the ER.
If you simply can’t decide how serious your problem is, not to worry. I’ve written a little “rap” to help clarify emergency healthcare for everyone. I think I’ve captured all the subtleties of the current health-care crisis here, and I will give ten dollars to the first person who records this and puts it up on YouTube. Until then, please imagine a nice backbeat, and me, in baggy clothes (per normal), busting a move while I spit this, yo:
Listen up, Halifax, if you’ve ever doubted
That the QEII Emerg is over–crowded
They’re calling Code Census like every day
And that means tons of patients stuck in the hallway.
So here’s what you should do if you’re feeling sick:
Take a moment to follow this little trick.
Ask yourself a question: am I gonna die?
Or is a big chunk of glass sticking out of my eye?
Am I bleeding profusely from an open wound?
Will my heart maybe stop if I don’t get there soon?
If the answer to these questions is maybe or no
Then a walk-in clinic’s where you ought to go.
That leaves the docs and nurses in emergency
For the people whose lives are at risk, you see.*
* Parody. Not actual medical advice.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Hoverboots Not Required
What does one pack when attending a “Podcamp” in the year 2010? Shiny silver spaceboots? Freeze-dried chipped beef? A vacuum-sealed packet of Tang?
Well, all of the above, if one is so inclined. But the Podcamp I’m referring to, despite the spacey-sounding name (“Open the pod bay door, Hal”), doesn’t actually take place in zero gravity, and you don’t really need to bring anything but yourself, your curiosity, and maybe a few pithy PowerPoint slides.
Podcamp Halifax 2010, which will be held at the Alderney Gate branch of the Halifax Public Libraries on January 24th, is an all-day “unconference” – an open, participatory, user-generated series of workshops for anyone interested in social media. Bloggers, podcasters, social networkers, and any folks who are curious about new media are encouraged not only to attend, but to create a presentation on a subject of their own choosing.
It’s sure to be an interesting day, because I can say from experience that Halifax has a pretty colourful social networking community. I follow a small army of Halifax businesspeople, community organizers, journalists, marketing professionals, artists and musicians on Twitter, and many of them are planning Podcamp presentations, on subjects ranging from “So You Want to Buy a Blogger” to “Social Media – You’re Doing it Wrong!”
Ryan Deschamps is one of the Podcamp’s organizers, and he explained to me that the event is organized according to the rules of “open space,” which follows these four basic principles: whoever comes are the right people; whatever happens is the only thing that could have; whenever it starts is the right time; and when it's over, it's over.
“There's just one law, usually referred to as the Law of Two Feet,” Deschamps told me. “‘If at any time during our time together, you find yourself in any situation where you are neither learning nor contributing, use your two feet and go somewhere else where you may learn and contribute.’ It's a self-organizing system. You're responsible for your own learning.”
That seems like a radical – and may I add, refreshing – departure from any conference I’ve ever attended. Deschamps says the open style of organization creates an ideal environment for people like himself who prefer a little more engagement with their education. “I like to have conversations. I prefer not to be in a presentation where I'm told what is right. I'd rather go head-to-head with that person; I find those kinds of things more meaningful,” he says.
Deschamps, because he is also the Alderney Gate library’s E-learning manager, has been instrumental in bringing the library onboard as a partner for this volunteer initiative. “I think the library got involved so it could show that this is a place where people can build connections. Halifax has a strong, strong online community, and I think there is a need for these people to gather so they can innovate and learn through one another,” he says.
Everyone is welcome to attend – whether they’re new to social media or they’ve been networking since the days before dogs and cats had their own Facebook pages. Participants are asked to register in advance (you can find the link via podcamphalifax.ca), and although this year’s Podcamp is already fully booked, Deschamps advises anyone who is interested to add his or her name to the waitlist, because he’s hoping to find more space.
And despite the fact that there will be no weightlessness or surly artificial intelligence, I’m looking forward to meeting many of the folks from the Halifax Twitterverse in person. I may pack my hoverboots just in case.
Well, all of the above, if one is so inclined. But the Podcamp I’m referring to, despite the spacey-sounding name (“Open the pod bay door, Hal”), doesn’t actually take place in zero gravity, and you don’t really need to bring anything but yourself, your curiosity, and maybe a few pithy PowerPoint slides.
Podcamp Halifax 2010, which will be held at the Alderney Gate branch of the Halifax Public Libraries on January 24th, is an all-day “unconference” – an open, participatory, user-generated series of workshops for anyone interested in social media. Bloggers, podcasters, social networkers, and any folks who are curious about new media are encouraged not only to attend, but to create a presentation on a subject of their own choosing.
It’s sure to be an interesting day, because I can say from experience that Halifax has a pretty colourful social networking community. I follow a small army of Halifax businesspeople, community organizers, journalists, marketing professionals, artists and musicians on Twitter, and many of them are planning Podcamp presentations, on subjects ranging from “So You Want to Buy a Blogger” to “Social Media – You’re Doing it Wrong!”
Ryan Deschamps is one of the Podcamp’s organizers, and he explained to me that the event is organized according to the rules of “open space,” which follows these four basic principles: whoever comes are the right people; whatever happens is the only thing that could have; whenever it starts is the right time; and when it's over, it's over.
“There's just one law, usually referred to as the Law of Two Feet,” Deschamps told me. “‘If at any time during our time together, you find yourself in any situation where you are neither learning nor contributing, use your two feet and go somewhere else where you may learn and contribute.’ It's a self-organizing system. You're responsible for your own learning.”
That seems like a radical – and may I add, refreshing – departure from any conference I’ve ever attended. Deschamps says the open style of organization creates an ideal environment for people like himself who prefer a little more engagement with their education. “I like to have conversations. I prefer not to be in a presentation where I'm told what is right. I'd rather go head-to-head with that person; I find those kinds of things more meaningful,” he says.
Deschamps, because he is also the Alderney Gate library’s E-learning manager, has been instrumental in bringing the library onboard as a partner for this volunteer initiative. “I think the library got involved so it could show that this is a place where people can build connections. Halifax has a strong, strong online community, and I think there is a need for these people to gather so they can innovate and learn through one another,” he says.
Everyone is welcome to attend – whether they’re new to social media or they’ve been networking since the days before dogs and cats had their own Facebook pages. Participants are asked to register in advance (you can find the link via podcamphalifax.ca), and although this year’s Podcamp is already fully booked, Deschamps advises anyone who is interested to add his or her name to the waitlist, because he’s hoping to find more space.
And despite the fact that there will be no weightlessness or surly artificial intelligence, I’m looking forward to meeting many of the folks from the Halifax Twitterverse in person. I may pack my hoverboots just in case.
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