01.23.07
Posted in General at 9:14 pm by brmeyer
I was browsing through the pages of the most recent alumni magazine from Gettysburg College yesterday when I came across a photo of those fellow alumni that attended the fifth reunion of the Class in 2001 last summer. Could it have really been more than five years already? The world was a different place in May of 2001. When I graduated from college that year, I left full of enthusiasm and excitement about moving to another path in my life. I anticipated completing graduate school at Pitt and was excited about a future career in software development. I had hoped that I’d meet someone special not long after and be married. I was brimming with that confidence and intrigue about what was in store for me and how it would be a great thing to work in the professional world doing something that I know I would love and that would pose a challenge to me. Things don’t always work out the way that we want them.
Almost six years removed from my graduation from Gettysburg, I feel frustrated and unmotivated. I have met a wonderful girl that I have mentioned consistently in this blog for the past few months. She is unselfish and wonderful. She has listened to me vent over those parts of my life that haven’t quite gone the way I had wished. I work as a software developer for a local company, but it’s nothing like I had expected. I’ve met some great people and do enjoy the work. But to many of the people, it’s just another game of politics. It’s people acting like someone they are not. I’ve seen co-workers get screamed and cursed at simply for trying to care about the progress of the company by bringing issues to the forefront. Though there are some wonderful people that are very professional and fun to be around, the majority of the others make me feel like I am in a second grade classroom where little Joey yells at Suzy for taking his toy truck that he refuses to share. And when the teacher finds out that Joey isn’t sharing, Suzy is the one who is punished for the selfishness of Joey.
College never prepares you for the real world. It doesn’t teach you how to deal with the immaturities and varying personalities of people. The professors instill a basis of knowledge within you and hope that you will take that foundation and build on it through your own initiative and discovery. They can do no more and should not be held accountable for that. There are plenty of obstacles in the way in life. That I have learned quickly. The lack of professionalism in a workplace is a manifestation of the culture that has developed in this country. It’s always about the interests of one over another. It is not about being honorable while pushing through those obstacles. People will do whatever is necessary for them to gain material items. I will have no part of that. Education - from both my parents and school - taught me to work hard for myself to achieve my goals and dreams. I was not taught an ounce of immaturity or shown how not to be professional at Gettysburg College. Where was everyone else during that lesson?
“The easiest thing in the world to be is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don’t let them put you in that position.” -Leo Buscaglia, Author (1924-1998)
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01.22.07
Posted in General at 8:02 pm by brmeyer
I am again a bit behind with my journal entries. Last week was a difficult, stressful week back to work after an excellent week of training in Philadelphia. But some of that stress was alleviated when I visited the Animal Rescue League in East Liberty with Jess and her roommate. Since I’ve first known her, Jess has always talked about getting a cat. She’s showed me numerous pictures of ones that were available for adoption and had finally settled on a black tuxedo cat. Instead, as she strolled the cages at the adoption place, she ended up deciding to adopt Theo. No, not the talkative, upbeat kid from The Cosby Show! Theo is instead a small, black, and lovable kitten that Jess simply could not pass up! And boy is he a handful. I was the designated kitten-namer, but after not being able to agree on either of our favorites, we ended up naming him Pepsi. No one seemed to like the name, and Jess added another letter “p” not only to satisfy the masses but to be able to give him the nickname Peppy! He is so jumpy and hyper but absolutely friendly. He showed me his love by biting my ears while I tried to sleep this past weekend! You can see a picture of Peppsi below.
I have to say that the visit to the Animal Rescue League was also somewhat sad. It’s upsetting to think that so many good animals do not have a home and that it simply isn’t possible to keep them for long periods of time. I especially note this because of a kitten that seemed to take very kindly to me. I couldn’t talk Jess into getting two! Some local shelters, such as Animal Friends, do not euthanize animals. If you’re ever planning to adopt a dog or cat, please visit the Animal Rescue League to prevent unnecessary euthanizations. See the website link below for more information.
The Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania
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01.11.07
Posted in General at 11:55 pm by brmeyer
It couldn’t have been a more frightful and interesting on Day 4 of Java training outside of Philadelphia. Only a few minutes after walking to the Four Falls Corporate Center for class, the instructor told us about an accident at the intersection of I-76 and I-476. The brakes of a tractor trailer must have given out or the driver fell asleep because the vehicle plowed through the intersection, severely damaging several cars and injuring at least one person. Brian and I realized that this intersection was visible from the window in our hotel room. The repair crews worked most of the day and evening to fix the guardrail that the tractor trailer destroyed. We had to find an alternate route to go to eat at Lone Star Steakhouse late in the evening.
There was excitement during class today as well. While learning how to create graphical user interfaces (GUIs) using the Java programming language, the fire alarm in the building went off. Hundreds of people evacuated themselves in an orderly fashion, but we did not hear what caused the alarm to trigger. Two firetrucks showed up and somewhat speculated that people doing some construction work in the building may have caused the alarm to sound. We were out in the freezing cold for about ten minutes or so but quickly returned to class to finish our discussion of Java GUIs. What a day!
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Posted in General at 5:18 pm by brmeyer
Although already posted all over the Internet from news sites to other blogs, it’s also going to be an inclusion here. I’m mainly writing this because Jess has been harping so much lately on how she’d like to have a different wireless phone service and a cool new phone. Well, she can still have the same service but upgrade to an incredible phone. Apple yesterday unveiled the iPhone at the MacWorld conference in San Francisco. To be used with AT&T’s Cingular wireless service, the iPhone is slated to be available in June and, in short, includes a phone, a widescreen iPod, and Internet access. It finally seems as though all of our mobile technology devices are coming together into one. This has been predicted for several years now just as Bill Gates noted that gaming, television, music, and photos would all be assembled into one console a là XBox 360.
A list of Apple iPhone features:
- iPod for viewing music, movies, and TV shows on a 3.5 inch display
- Cell phone with visual voicemail to manage messages
- 2-megapixel camera and application to sync photos with a computer
- Advanced Safari web browser and an HTML-based e-mail client
- Easy-to-use application for text messaging
- Google Maps, weather reports, stock reports, and other useful widgets
- Wireless access for broadband-like web browsing
- Implementation of the Bluetooth v2.0 standard
- Touchscreen display for looking through photos, music album covers, etc.
- Sensors to rotate the display based on how the device is being held
More information is available on the Apple iPhone website.
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01.09.07
Posted in General at 12:21 am by brmeyer
I am in Philly! Well, just outside of it in West Conshohocken. It is a very busy area as it is at the junction of I-76 and I-476. The company sent myself and a co-worker - who just happens to be a friend of mine from my days at Langley - to get trained by a Sun-certified instructor in the Java programming language. We are fortunate to stay in the Marriott, which despite its shortcomings, is very close to the training center. We were actually able to walk there this morning thus avoiding driving all over this well-populated suburb to get trained. The ride here on Sunday evening was, however, awful. We left Pittsburgh at 3PM, and it soon began raining not long after that. It rained - no, it poured - the entire 300 miles. I think about all of the trips I made between Pittsburgh and Gettysburg when going to college, and this by far was the most treacherous trip that I ever remember.
The training is going well so far. There are only four people in the class, and it’s very hands-on. There is some information presented by the lecturer, but the lab exercises are quite fun and keep me interested. I’ve learned a few new things so far, but I’m looking forward to seeing the challenges that await me on the future advanced topics. As for the evening, Brian and I went to the King of Prussia mall and ate at Ruby’s Diner. It’s a nostalgic place that is set up like a 1950s diner. It definitely reminds me of Johnny Rockets, a similarly themed restaurant that Jess and I went to at Pittsburgh Mills. Hopefully, we will have the chance to see more of the historic sites in Philadelphia later this week.
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