Foursquare: My New Addiction

Everyone these days is familiar with the social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter. Now, with smart devices like iPhone, Android, and Blackberry becoming increasingly popular, these social networking sites are developing apps so everyone everywhere can be connected at anytime.

One such app which is becoming popular is Foursquare. I downloaded it one day after reading about it on one of the blogs somewhere. Foursquare is a game in which a person can “check in” where ever they go using their smart phone. Locations can be found in the app or added by the user if its not in the list. While checking in, the user can earn badges for different accomplishments in the game. A full list of badges can be found on I Was Around. Also, much like other social networking apps, this is a great way to see where your friends are and what they are up to.

Foursquare also links up to the user’s Facebook and Twitter accounts where Check-Ins can be logged as status updates.

I included a video from Crackberry.com on the finer points of Foursquare. At face value, the app does sound somewhat boring however it can be addicting. I think all of you out there should give it a shot. Download the app from Foursquare.com and give it a try. While you’re at it, look me up and add me as a friend: Zak A.

Slainte!: Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Top ‘o the mornin’ to ya!

OK, that was cheesy, I know. I just had to get it out of my system. But today is St. Patrick’s Day, one of my favorite holidays. The parties, the time with friends and family, and of course, the alcohol.  What I’ve noticed however, is no one really knows what St. Patrick’s day is all about.

The history of St. Patrick is somewhat hazy, but from what I’ve read, Saint Patrick was actually born in England as part of a wealthy family. When he was 16 years old, he was taken prisoner by Irish criminals (why I don’t know) and was held captive for 6 years, during which time, he turned to Catholicism to get him through his captivity. According to legend, it was while he was being held prisoner that he heard what he called the voice of God which told him to leave Ireland. He then walked over 200 miles to the Irish coast where he supposedly heard another voice, this time from an angel, telling him to go back to Ireland as a missionary. St. Patrick proceeded to teach the Irish people the ways of the catholic church. One way he did that was by using the shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity (hence part of the significance of the shamrock in Irish culture). It’s not entirely clear when St. Patrick died, but some say it was on March 17, which is now obviously known as St. Patrick’s Day.

So now that we all know what St. Patrick’s day is all about, how do we celebrate it? Thanks to howcast.com, I found a video explaining how to celebrate the true Irish way.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! May the road rise up to meet you, and may the wind always be at your back! Slainte!

Medic Down: An Update

Yesterday I wrote about Paramedic Dan McIntosh who died in the line of duty on March 7, 2010. Originally, it was believed McIntosh was injured by a psych. patient while pursuing the patient after he ran from EMS.

It has now been confirmed that Paramedic McIntosh had a massive coronary while pursuing the patient and fell in the street, causing serious trauma.

In my previous post, I talked about EMS providers being more cautious about their surroundings while on a job. Although Paramedic McIntosh was NOT injured or killed by the patient, I still feel they were valid points to be made.

Of course, the thoughts and prayers of the entire EMS community are with the family and friends of Paramedic McIntosh. No matter how or why Paramedic McIntosh died, the EMS community still suffered the loss of a brother.

Medic Down: A Wake Up Call from Bensalem, PA

Image - Zak Adams

It’s easy to think that working in EMS is not a dangerous job. Not as dangerous at least, as firefighters and police. Most of the time, we don’t run into burning buildings or routinely have guns pointed at us. We treat the sick and injured. What’s so dangerous about the stomach flu or a few bumps and bruises after a fall down the stairs?

There may be nothing deadly about the flu or a few scrapes, but what about sitting in the back seat of  a crumpled soup can that used to be a car, while the fire department is using hydrolic tools nearly a foot from your head to cut the roof off just so you can extricate the patient? Or how about a simple “unknown problem” call? Could there be a loaded gun or a psych patient waiting just behind the door? Such was the case in Bensalem, PA yesterday.

Daniel McIntosh, a 39 year-old paramedic from Bucks County, PA was among the first on scene last night for a reported mental patient. For whatever reason, when the patient ran off, McIntosh chased him. McIntosh was found by his partner lying on the ground with a head injury. It is unclear yet as to how Paramedic McIntosh actually obtained the head injury. He was later pronounced dead at Aria Hospital. McIntosh was a 13 year veteran of Bensalem EMS and also a member of SWAT and was a tactical medic.

The suspect was apprehended by police and is currently detained, awaiting psychiatric evaluation to see if he is able to stand trial.

For those of us in EMS, whether volunteer or career, this incident should serve as a wake up call, a reminder that our profession can be dangerous. Too many times we as providers get complacent, not taking stock in our surroundings and the situation of the job we happen to be on.

Now, bear in mind I am not an expert on any of this. I don’t make a living lecturing on these topics, nor do I teach current or up and coming professionals in our field. I am merely making observations for the stand point of an active duty EMS provider. Yesterday, we in the field lost a brother in service. Hopefully, something can be learned from this tragedy.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Paramedic McIntosh’s family and friends.

Oh Blackberry… When Will You Finally Get It?

I love my Blackberry. It’s just that simple. Anyone who owns one, or any smart phone for that matter, knows how convenient and easy it makes life. And in the age of smart phones, what is the new addition among users? Applications.

Applications allow smart phone users to customize his or her device and allow the information the user needs to be available whenever, where ever. I have several apps loaded on my Blackberry including Ubertwitter, Facebook Mobile, Four Square,  Be Weather, just to name a few.

However, Research in Motion has seriously dropped the ball when it comes to Blackberry’s App World. Recently Distimo, a mobile analytic firm, did a study on the several app stores popular today including Apple, Android, Palm, Nokia, Windows, and obviously Blackberry. The finding were astounding.

Apple is obviously leading the way with over 150,000 applications in their App Store, followed by Android in second (not even a close second). And where is Blackberry in the mix? 4th out of the 6 platforms looked at in the study, which is surprising considering even Nokia beat out Blackberry for app store size. Blackberry, Apple, and Android are the 3 major players in the smart phone market and yet, Blackberry barely makes a showing worth mentioning.

And that is only just the start. Even when one looks at the growth of all the app stores between December ’09 and January ’10, Apple leads the way (no surprise) with Android in second, and Blackberry 4th behind Nokia. Nokia?! Are you kidding me Blackberry? Way to let Nokia beat you out on this.

I think it’s safe to say that developers are still loving Apple and Android and are forgetting about Blackberry users. If you ask me, we, as Blackberry users, are getting shafted with available apps.

RIM, wake up! We need more apps and while you’re at it, how about a few more free ones as well? Is that too much to ask? You’ve dropped the ball and it’s time to pick it up…

Batman 3 Details Revealed!

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I love comic book movies. I have always loved to see how Hollywood can interpret some of my favorite stories and characters. Sadly, I am usually that geek sitting in the back critiquing the storyline and portrayal of the characters, annoying my friends with statements like “that’s not how that happened,” or “the director is way off!”

One of my favorites is, and has always been, Batman. Just the idea of a normal man taking justice into his own hands, looming in the darkest corners waiting to surprise and overtake criminals always intrigued me. I also think that is where my nerdy gadget fetish came from as well.  My first memory of the character is Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson portraying the epic battle of good vs. evil as the Dark Knight and the Crown Prince of Clowns.

Needless to say, when Christopher Nolan rebooted the Batman franchise, I was excited. The characters were refreshing, the feeling of the whole film just as dark and gritty as Batman should be.

Recently, more news came to light with regards to the third film in Nolan’s Batman franchise. According to ComicBookMovie.com, a “plot outliner” from Warner Bros. has released some possible details that may be included in the 3rd Batman film.

1. The Riddler will be the villain and he will discover Batman’s real identity

2. Arkham Asylum will be a large part of the story.

3. Several famous villains will make cameos including the Penguin and Mr. Freeze (prior to transformation)

4. Commissioner Gordon references Metropolis and Lex Luthor

5. Dick Grayson may make an appearance (most likely not as Robin however)

All of this is speculation and details are not entirely confirmed yet, but hopefully most of this is true. It sounds like this film could be the best Batman film yet.

Enough of the Snow

Finally, the snow has stopped. I don’t know exactly what the totals were, but when I walked out to my truck last night at 8:30, I could barely see it. Thank god it is black so it was easier to find under all the snow. Plus, digging it out was a chore, considering the snow was up to my knees.

But all that is why I drive a truck. Even though the snow was up to the bottom of my doors and I couldn’t even see my tires anymore, “Big Black Betty” was able to get out from her hole without any problem.

Yesterday I was sure I’d be snowed in at work and I almost was. The plan was to stay overnight at station and work a 36 hour watch. We were all squared away with Tostitos, salsa, nacho cheese, and Mt. Dew (the breakfast of champions). When that started to wear thin, we hunted for food around station and found enough pasta for dinner. Luckily, Doug found Ragu as well, considering the sauce he was trying to make looked like a tomato threw up in a pot.

Unfortunately, a phone call from home showed that I was needed else where to take care of my wife. So I braved the storm and made the trek home, leaving 2 crews at station to weather the storm.

So now, it’s back to work. The snow is over for now and luckily no one decided it was a good idea to try and drive anywhere during the storm. Hopefully, it’s a slow day today so we can all relax a little and recharge.

New Blog, Same Story

Hey world. It’s been a while since I’ve been around and blogged. Life’s been busy and things like “It Is What It Is…” tend to get thrown by the wayside.

But since I am sitting here, pretty much snowed in at work, I decided to jump in and post again. That’s right, snowed in. We are currently in the middle of the 2nd snow storm is less than a week, this one being worse than the first. There is well over a foot of snow outside and it’s not even close to being done yet. Roads all over the state have been shut down, no one is outside (thank god) and we are sitting here watching some TV show about an escape artist who builds devices to escape from using basic junk (thrilling, i know). We are dug in with Tostitos, salsa, cheese, and Mt. Dew. Not the best idea for food, but hey, we’ll survive for at least a little bit.

I’m sure I’ll be picking up more hours and surely some overtime in the process, but it still sucks to be stuck here with no easy way out.

Looks like I’ll be glued to this computer and my Blackberry for a while. Hulu, Facebook, here I come…