I have head great things about both Java Concurrency by Brian Goetz, and Effective Java 2nd Edition by Joshua Bloch.  The real problem with both these books is they are hard to find in store.  I happened to come across both of them at my local Chapters, and quickly snatched them up.

I have been reading Java Concurrency over the past couple of days and I have to say this is one of the best Java books I’ve read in a while.  Brian Goetz has a way of writing that really helps bring complex problems into perspective.

One of my initial gripes about this book was the lack of exercises at the end of the Chapters, however now that I’m a little ways into the book I’ve noticed that the examples chosen for each Chapter progress almost as a set of exercises in themselves.  Not to mention that Brian picks examples that relate well to the real world, instead of most of the silly easy examples found in other books I’ve read.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to delve into the world of Java Concurrency, or even someone looking to freshen up on the latest stuff available in JDK 1.5 in terms of threading.  This book has really helped me in my pet projects and in my day-to-day work so I would definitely recommend getting it and keeping it close by.

I’ve yet to really get into Effective Java, but the little bits I’ve read here and there have really shown me that this this book lives up to all the hype about it.  Joshua is a smart man, and this book definitely reflects his intelligence.  It is well organized and shows you things about Java that you never thought even existed.  I’m really excited to delve deaper into this one.

I’ll write a more thorough review once I’m finished with it.  Anyway until next time …

My favourite part of the trip had to be the when my friends and I ventured down to Canal St, and China town. I have never experienced anything like that in my life, the amount of people and little shops on the street selling knock off everything was unbelievable. Looking for a follex? perhaps some Gucci sunglasses, they have it all and are willing to negotiate on price We happened to be in New York around the same time as Chinese New Year so the streets of China town were packed full of people celebrating and dancing around. At every corner there were people dressed as ritualistic dragons dancing and store owners presenting offerings for prosperous New Years.

Our best meal of the trip in my opinion was at this little Vegetarian Dim Sum place, where I got to sample of Simulated Shark Fin, Spinach, and Simulated Shrimp Dumplings which were all very yummy. We got the “real” tour of China Town thanks to my friends friend who actually lives in New York and worked for a long time as a designer in the China Town area. It was great because he knew all the cool places to checkout, and even took us on a little tour of Little Italy. Little Italy was great as well, but by that point the sun had set and I was beginning to freeze, so I have to say I probably didn’t enjoy it as much as I normally would.

My friends and I decided to get a NY Pass which got us into so many places for free and with line bypass. Our first use of this pass was a trip up the Empire State Building. It’s funny for such an amazing building the inside has to be thoroughly disappointing. Except for the main lobby where the architecture is breathetaking, the rest of the building is either falling apart or currently under “remodeling”. Once you get up to the top though, everything about the interior is forgotten. You are presented with a birds eye view of the entire city, and you really get a feeling for how big New York City is, and at the same time how small it is considering how many people actually live there. We were lucky since the day we went was a clear sunny day that allowed us to see the entire city.

Our pass also got us into all of the amazing museums in New York. We took our second day to tour around MOMA, Natural Science Museum, and the Guggenheim. I’m usually not a huge fan of Museums but I really did enjoy all of these, except for the Natural Science museum which I found somewhat boring. My favourite of the bunch was definitely the Guggenheim, it is a beautifully designed building and the exhibits were different from anything I had seen before. On display was a famous Chinese artist you used gun powder to create absolutely amazing “paintings”.

We also spent a lot of time walking around Central park as we made our way to the different museums, and I have to say I’ve never experienced something of that scale before in such a densely populated area. It was amazing to see all the beautiful apartments looking into Central Park, but even more amazing was that I felt like I wasn’t in the city anymore. It was like being transported into a beautiful natural wooded area, while still being steps away from the core of New York City. It really was quite an amazing feeling and I could definitely see why many New Yorkers spend so much time walking around Central Park.

I could go on and on about all the things we did and saw but I’d quickly fill up my entire blog, not to mention I just don’t have the patience to retell the entire story here.

I have to say that New York gave me this feeling that no other city has managed to give me. I felt like the city was alive, it gave me this energy that no other city has ever given me. There’s always something going on in New York, always places to go and see. Not to mention the history that engulfs the entire city. I loved the fact that you could just walk anywhere you wanted to go, there was no need to worry about getting into your car, just throw your favourite pair of shoes on and walk. Nothing was really that far and if it was it was only a short subway ride to get you there.

I really have to thank my friends for planning such an amazing trip, I really did enjoy myself and I can’t wait to go back. Hopefully next time I go it will be the summer time so I can enjoy more of the city without having to worry about freezing my butt off. I have also included the pictures from our trip.

It seems as though Diebold, you know the guys who make the electronic voting machines that even a child could hack, has been tinkering with some of the polling stations throughout New Hampshire in order to give Hilary Clinton a little boost in the polls.  Although the data is not 100% conclusive it does offer some interesting looks into what may be happening in the upcoming election.

Anyway this is a good read for anyone following what’s going on in Politics in the states or who generally follows Politics.

Diebold and New Hampshire

The Contrarian

Also I found these rather humorous images about Diebold.

Diebold Fixation Images

This is definitely my favourite

So I guess as of January I will officially be a Waterloo resident, so if anyone knows of any good places for me to live hit me up, because I’m looking for a place!

I guess back to my suffering with school work

RIM has been an amazing place to work, the people I met and the friends I made definitely make it a place that feels like home. There is nothing more rewarding then knowing that the work you do is being used by millions of people. RIM really lets co-ops flourish, I really got the feeling like I was a valuable member of the team, not just some guy who was there to do things no one else wanted.

Everyone always told me that being away at school and being on your own really changes you as a person and to be honest I never really saw the merits in it, but being out here has shown me what it is truly like. I appreciate things more now then ever before, and this time away from my family has only shown me how important they really are in my life. There is another kind of family though that is just as important, and those are your friends. This summer has been a difficult one, and I don’t think I ever could have made it through without the support of my close friends. The times we shared together, whether it be road tripping to London with Simran, camping with my Sister Jenni Trevor and Simran, or just chilling out in my room with Shannon for Tuesday night hat parties. You guys all definitely helped make this a summer to remember!

Life moves by fast, and I’m glad that I got to experience this Summer, and meet the people that I have out here. I really thought Waterloo was going to be a bore, and my life was only going to revolve around work, but it has turned out to be the exact opposite. I guess it won’t be so bad when I come back out here in January for my full time position. Yes that’s right I’m coming back out to the ‘Loo for a full-time position at RIM, as a Software Developer.

I accepted my offer on Friday, August 17th which means I’ll be doing this all over again in the Winter, and for a presumably longer time then that. I guess what they say is true for every closing door, there is always an one that is opening.

I guess it’s time to walk through that new opening door then.

The Canadian Cancer Society Relay For Life is an overnight non-competitive
relay that celebrates cancer survivors and pays tribute to the lives of
loved ones. It involves teams of 10 people who take turns walking, running
or strolling around a track to raise money to support the work of the
Canadian Cancer Society. It’s a night of fun, friendship and fundraising to
beat cancer.

Funds raised through Relay For Life make a difference. They help the
Canadian Cancer Society fund the most promising research projects in the
country, provide information services and support programs in the community
and advocate for public policies that prevent cancer and help those living
with it. Help me support the fight against cancer by pledging me for my
participation in the Canadian Cancer Society Relay For Life. It’s easier
than ever – just click the link at the bottom of this message.

Thanks,
Chris Boersma

Pledge Me Now

For starters I have been working my little butt off, and enjoying being out on my own in Waterloo. I have to say to finally be doing something I’ve been working so hard for, for so long is one of the most rewarding feelings you could have in life. Being out here on my own has definitely taken some adjustment, but in the end it has been an experience I would never change.

I guess I kind of lucked out in the sense that I wound up with some really awesome roommates, and in a job that really values it’s employees and creating an interesting work environment. Being on my own has really shown me the important things in my life, and the things that really matter, like family and friends because in the end those are the things that keep you together.

As for Waterloo itself, I have to say it’s pretty interesting place if you can find a road that actually stays straight for longer then a kilometer you have hit pay dirt. It has this weird feeling of being a city but at the same time being very country like. Drive a couple minutes West or North and magically you are transported to the country with all the farms and animals, but drive a little East or South and you are on the 401 or into Kitchener or Cambridge. It is definitely strange that way.

So far the parties have been great, the food amazing, and I have definitely made some memories that will last a lifetime, like toga partying

Anyway I guess I should get back to work

I would also like to say that I wish the major media outlets would stop their extensive coverage of the shootings. Having gone through the Columbine shootings, we can all safely assume that there will probably be some type of copy cat shooting over the next couple of weeks/months. I feel that as the media coverage grows for this horrific incident the likelihood of one of these copycat shootings happening will increase.

I do not feel like the media should not be reporting about this horrific day, but at the same time seeing pictures of a crazed gunman pointing guns at the camera, and playing his video for the entire world to see. This act does nothing but remind those involved about the atrocities they have experienced and ultimately gives the gunman exactly what he wanted, recognition and fame. If the media and authorities were smart, which I no doubt believe that deep down they are, they would keep coverage to a minimum, in order to prevent people from connecting with this shooter in the same manner that he connected with the shooters from Columbine.

Again I extend my condolences to anyone connected to this shooting in anyway, let’s hope that the media learns from their mistakes and at least tries to be a little more proactive in the coverage of this event, for the sake of us all.

This day is officially pleasing to me, since it marks the beginning of April and only 24 days till I leave for the ‘Loo, and all I can say to that is bring it on

So to everyone who’s had a prank pulled on them today, have a great one, and remember April Fools is is all about the joy of revenge, sweet sweet revenge

Here’s a link to some more of the phallic logos if you are interested, and obviously here’s the one that won.

Brazilian Institute for Oriental Studies