• 2005: Year in Review

    Well, 2005 was quite an eventful year for me. One of my resolutions was to read more, and I definitely did that. I plan to do even more in 2006. After going through the archives for this year, I found some older posts with some nice insight here and here. I think it was partially due to more insight on my blog that it grew so much. ’05 was a great year for me internet wise.

    2005 was also a year of travel, concerts and new experiences for me. For one, Ireland. It was unlike anything I have ever done. Plus, I said I would never travel over seas. I am now glad that promise didn’t hold. In Ireland, I also saw U2, which kicked off my 2005 concert tour. I saw A LOT of concerts this year. All of the pics are here. U2(amazing), Bloc Party, Misfits (met Jerry Only), TransSiberian Orchestra, HIM, Dane Cook, and the best of ’05- CKY. I was especially excited for CKY to begin with because of the great time I had in 2003 when they played the Chance. Not only did they have a lot of energy this year (and then too) but we got to meet and take pics with everyone in the band. They are all about their fans, which is great to see.

    The last thing I want to talk about is programming and me in 2005. I have made some serious advancements in PHP/MySQL and Java. I have come to know that it really is something I enjoy and want to keep doing and get better at so I can do cooler stuff. No 2 programs are the same, and there is always ways to improve already existing programs. When I finish the book I am reading now, I will be reading a book on AJAX and the Java Cookbook, maybe doing 2 or 3 programs out of it a week.

    Thanks to everyone who read this and the rest of my blog in 2005. Its popularity grew and that really means a lot to me, because I don’t just feel like I’m talking to myself. I am glad my advice is reaching people. Later.

  • The Summer


    The GPO Building in Ireland

    Well, with Freshmen moving in today, the summer has officially ended. The summer of 2005 is definitely one to remember. While I worked hard in a job that I nor anyone else thought I’d ever have (construction), I did have a lot of fun. Some of the highlights include when I came to school for the weekend to paint, but really got nothing done, Fourth of July Weekend, all of those nights I played poker, and of course, Ireland. Ireland was a once in a lifetime experience for me, not in the sense that I will never go back, because I hope I do. But the whole experience- it was really my first time vacationing without my family- and my first time over seas. I didn’t know what to expect- but the trip was amazing because of the good company I had. My friend Sean, whom we stayed with was great, as was his family, who bent over backwards to accommodate us. Not to mention that not everyone gets to see U2 in Dublin, Ireland. I was a great way to end a 2 week stay. On the flight back, a handful of people sitting by me mentioned how the only reason the went to Ireland was for U2.
    It was tough to pick out one picture to encapsulate the whole summer in, but I went with the GPO Building in Dublin. I did want to choose a photo from Ireland, and I felt that this one was it because of the history of the GPO building and the fact that, in my eyes anyway, it’s a symbol of Freedom in Dublin and the rest of Ireland.
    School will be starting soon, and it will be back to class and another very busy academic year, as I am more involved this year than any other, HS or College. I consider myself very lucky to have the summer I had- all of the events, good and bad, made it a worthwhile learning experience, and one that everyone should have. Later.