Thursday, August 05, 2004
My housemates are driving me nuts. They have a group study session every day in the kitchen and family room. It's really annoying because after a long day at the office and an hour at the gym all I want to do is make myself some dinner and watch TV. When my house is turned into the DC library I can't do that. I'm really starting to get aggravated because I can't unwind... and I feel like I can't ask them to leave because, well, it's their house too.
In other news... I have two highschool co-ops coming in on Monday for two weeks. I have to think of an interesting case study for them to work on. I'm thinking maybe something about why people would want to buy BlackBerry insteady of Palm Treo. More specifically it would be interesting to know why people would prefer instant email push rather than checking at intervals... or how important AES security is rather than normal encryption/decryption. It's kind of hard to know what level of market research these students are capably of. I doubt they have used Gartner or IDC before.
In other news... I have two highschool co-ops coming in on Monday for two weeks. I have to think of an interesting case study for them to work on. I'm thinking maybe something about why people would want to buy BlackBerry insteady of Palm Treo. More specifically it would be interesting to know why people would prefer instant email push rather than checking at intervals... or how important AES security is rather than normal encryption/decryption. It's kind of hard to know what level of market research these students are capably of. I doubt they have used Gartner or IDC before.
Friday, July 30, 2004
I am really not enjoying my employment at RIM, I'm glad that I only have three weeks left and that the long weekend starts today.
Yesterday, my boss held a meeting about the launch of a new software product. There were about 15 people there, it was a lunch time meeting, and pizza was provided - but came half-way through the meeting. Try to picture this if you can... the meeting room was square, had a large table and a projector with a screen. There was a counter next to the screen. The pizza boxes were on the table, but my boss asked someone to pass them to me and put them on the counter next to the screen. So I did. Due to limited space, in order for anyone to get a slice of pizza, they would have to walk infront of the screen and block everyone's view, nobody wanted to do that so the pizza boxes remained unopened. No problem, I doubt anyone wanted to disturb the meeting anyway. Then about 10 minutes later, my boss stopped talking and said, rather flippantly to me "why don't you open those pizza boxes or something." Now, this put me in a difficult position - I wasn't going to open the pizza boxes because the pizza would just get cold, nobody got up to come and get any... and what was I going to do, walk around the room delivering a slice to each person? I'm not some pizza bitch!
What happened here? My boss was probably feeling uncomfortable because he had promised pizza, and now nobody could have any. So, rather than stopping the meeting and giving people time to get a slice of pizza, he made some comment that I should just "do something" as if that was going to solve anything... instead it just made me look like an idiot. Clearly the only resolution to the problem was for him to take a break from what he was saying, but it's easier just to put the pressure on the "kid".
OK, maybe I'm over reacting about this... but it really didn't help that at the same time, two people in the room were talking to each other on their BlackBerries and giggling - I'm talking 30 year old men here.
And, that is the epitome of what I hate about this place. I have never worked in an office with such a rude, unprofessional attitude. People sit in meetings and BlackBerry away even when you are talking directly to them - rude! And, every other time I book a meeting with someone (and they accept the meeting request) I get a little email from them 10 minutes after the meeting was supposed to have started saying that they won't be attending - RUDE!
People don't respond to emails that you send asking a question. If they don't know the answer, that's it. How am I supposed to know if I have the right person? There are 2500 people here, and I've only been here for 3 months! Why don't they tell me they don't know or forward it to someone who does?
Here's a great example of utter disregard for anyone else. I was given a spreadsheet from AT&T wireless asking for some product configuration info. i.e. dimensions of our packaging, weight of the boxes, how many cartons on a pallate etc. I am in marketing, I have only ever been to the plant once. I asked someone at the plant for info about the products, and a co-op student replied and told me most of what I needed to know, he even went and weighed some of the packages to find out for me. But, he didn't know how many cartons went on a pallate. So, I asked someone higher up. Instead of find out for me, he told me the dimensions of the pallate and told me to figure it out by myself. WHAT???? excuse me? I don't know anything about shipping! It's not like I was just filling out the spreadsheet for fun... AT&T is a HUGE customer, so, I had to send them a guess. Well, I hope that's OK.
Well now, I know that things are always easy in an office etc. etc. but, I have the advantage of having been a co-op student at one point. I have worked for several different organizations and none have been anywhere near as bad as this. I can understand a couple of missed meetings, but litterally every meeting I have called for people have either been late or not shown up at all. Talking on BlackBerries in meetings is a step above passing notes, and the attitude towards the students here is disgusting.
I am sick and tired of being treated like "just another co-op student"!! a) I'm not a co-op student, b) you shouldn't treat anyone like that.
There's my two cents.
BTW BlackBerry is a great product for businesses, I won't deny that.
Yesterday, my boss held a meeting about the launch of a new software product. There were about 15 people there, it was a lunch time meeting, and pizza was provided - but came half-way through the meeting. Try to picture this if you can... the meeting room was square, had a large table and a projector with a screen. There was a counter next to the screen. The pizza boxes were on the table, but my boss asked someone to pass them to me and put them on the counter next to the screen. So I did. Due to limited space, in order for anyone to get a slice of pizza, they would have to walk infront of the screen and block everyone's view, nobody wanted to do that so the pizza boxes remained unopened. No problem, I doubt anyone wanted to disturb the meeting anyway. Then about 10 minutes later, my boss stopped talking and said, rather flippantly to me "why don't you open those pizza boxes or something." Now, this put me in a difficult position - I wasn't going to open the pizza boxes because the pizza would just get cold, nobody got up to come and get any... and what was I going to do, walk around the room delivering a slice to each person? I'm not some pizza bitch!
What happened here? My boss was probably feeling uncomfortable because he had promised pizza, and now nobody could have any. So, rather than stopping the meeting and giving people time to get a slice of pizza, he made some comment that I should just "do something" as if that was going to solve anything... instead it just made me look like an idiot. Clearly the only resolution to the problem was for him to take a break from what he was saying, but it's easier just to put the pressure on the "kid".
OK, maybe I'm over reacting about this... but it really didn't help that at the same time, two people in the room were talking to each other on their BlackBerries and giggling - I'm talking 30 year old men here.
And, that is the epitome of what I hate about this place. I have never worked in an office with such a rude, unprofessional attitude. People sit in meetings and BlackBerry away even when you are talking directly to them - rude! And, every other time I book a meeting with someone (and they accept the meeting request) I get a little email from them 10 minutes after the meeting was supposed to have started saying that they won't be attending - RUDE!
People don't respond to emails that you send asking a question. If they don't know the answer, that's it. How am I supposed to know if I have the right person? There are 2500 people here, and I've only been here for 3 months! Why don't they tell me they don't know or forward it to someone who does?
Here's a great example of utter disregard for anyone else. I was given a spreadsheet from AT&T wireless asking for some product configuration info. i.e. dimensions of our packaging, weight of the boxes, how many cartons on a pallate etc. I am in marketing, I have only ever been to the plant once. I asked someone at the plant for info about the products, and a co-op student replied and told me most of what I needed to know, he even went and weighed some of the packages to find out for me. But, he didn't know how many cartons went on a pallate. So, I asked someone higher up. Instead of find out for me, he told me the dimensions of the pallate and told me to figure it out by myself. WHAT???? excuse me? I don't know anything about shipping! It's not like I was just filling out the spreadsheet for fun... AT&T is a HUGE customer, so, I had to send them a guess. Well, I hope that's OK.
Well now, I know that things are always easy in an office etc. etc. but, I have the advantage of having been a co-op student at one point. I have worked for several different organizations and none have been anywhere near as bad as this. I can understand a couple of missed meetings, but litterally every meeting I have called for people have either been late or not shown up at all. Talking on BlackBerries in meetings is a step above passing notes, and the attitude towards the students here is disgusting.
I am sick and tired of being treated like "just another co-op student"!! a) I'm not a co-op student, b) you shouldn't treat anyone like that.
There's my two cents.
BTW BlackBerry is a great product for businesses, I won't deny that.
Monday, July 19, 2004
I'm having one of those emotional breakdown days today. A friend of mine from school, Amanda, just sent out another journal entry about her ongoing trip to the South Pacific and Australia - I am so jealous. Why am I stuck at RIM working 9-5?
I have to pay $22,000.00 tuition next year and probably about $10-12K in living expenses, car, rent, bills, food, etc. that's like $34,000.00 for one year! I mean $34,000?!?!?!? 5 years ago I couldn't imagine how much money that was, and now I'm spending it. And what's worse is I only have about $12,000 saved.
And what do I get for this $34,000? a degree, and $20,000 of debt. It had better be a damn good degree. Non of this "we're willing to offer you a salary of $31,000!!" well fuck you... $50k and not a penny less.
I feel like I should just take the money I have saved at RIM fuck the masters, travel for 3 months, move somewhere hot like San Diego, find a job use my savings and investments to start a mortgage on a house, and get on with my life.
Fuck the masters degree.
Fuck the software industry (I hate software with a passion... if it was an ant, I would squash it)
And fuck snow (unless I'm skiing on it) - hell I'm not going to have kids... I'll have money... if I want to ski I'll fly to BC for Chrissake.
I appologize for the coarse language.
I have to pay $22,000.00 tuition next year and probably about $10-12K in living expenses, car, rent, bills, food, etc. that's like $34,000.00 for one year! I mean $34,000?!?!?!? 5 years ago I couldn't imagine how much money that was, and now I'm spending it. And what's worse is I only have about $12,000 saved.
And what do I get for this $34,000? a degree, and $20,000 of debt. It had better be a damn good degree. Non of this "we're willing to offer you a salary of $31,000!!" well fuck you... $50k and not a penny less.
I feel like I should just take the money I have saved at RIM fuck the masters, travel for 3 months, move somewhere hot like San Diego, find a job use my savings and investments to start a mortgage on a house, and get on with my life.
Fuck the masters degree.
Fuck the software industry (I hate software with a passion... if it was an ant, I would squash it)
And fuck snow (unless I'm skiing on it) - hell I'm not going to have kids... I'll have money... if I want to ski I'll fly to BC for Chrissake.
I appologize for the coarse language.
Sunday, November 30, 2003
OK, I need to vent. Why is it that UW's science server works just fine most of the time. I mean I love looking at the cheesy web pages and all - and it's great for course notes. SO WHY THE HELL DOES THE DAMN THING SHUT DOWN THE NIGHT BEFORE AN EXAM?? My course notes for marine biology are online. I was studying from them. I made the mistake of navigating to a different site and when I returned I found the server was gone. Oh and no, it's not in my cache or temporary files. So now I'm pretty much screwed, I needed the list of figures to study in the text book... I guess now I'll just have to remember all of them!
Maybe I'll just cut my losses, smoke a fat joint and pass out... maybe in the morning all my troubles will have magically dissapeared.
Maybe I'll just cut my losses, smoke a fat joint and pass out... maybe in the morning all my troubles will have magically dissapeared.
Monday, November 03, 2003
Midterms are finally over, for the most part, I'm taking one of those three midterm, no final classes (marine bio) - a bit of a pain in the ass. You'd think I'd be a little less stressed now that the worst is done but no. I have 2 papers, an assignment and a midterm (in marine). It doesn't seem like it's ever going to end... well I guess not until December 13th. Basically I think I've had enough of this degree and I just want to get it over with.
Is there an equivalent to frosh 15 in fourth year, only it's like a senior 10. Maybe I'm just drinking too much beer, smoking too much weed and not going to the gym regularly enough. Well I guess as incentive I have a SCUBA course starting in January, so I kinda don't want to be fat for that, and then Australia in April - definately need to be in shape for that. I think its just time I got off my lazy ass and did something about it, and maybe I'll go to some classes in my free time.
I feel like Mike and I haven't done anything fun in a while. We always make plans to do things and end up not doing them and staying home. I guess it's partially a product of being in a long distance relationship i.e. not having much time to spend together alone. But it does fit in nicely with my "sitting on my lazy ass" theme. I kinda don't feel motivated to do anything - study, exercise or have fun.
OK, I'm going to try to get more sleep, take my vitamins and hit the gym - if I can get through the 4 inches of mud infront of my house that is. Hopefully my next BLOG will be a little more "lively".
Is there an equivalent to frosh 15 in fourth year, only it's like a senior 10. Maybe I'm just drinking too much beer, smoking too much weed and not going to the gym regularly enough. Well I guess as incentive I have a SCUBA course starting in January, so I kinda don't want to be fat for that, and then Australia in April - definately need to be in shape for that. I think its just time I got off my lazy ass and did something about it, and maybe I'll go to some classes in my free time.
I feel like Mike and I haven't done anything fun in a while. We always make plans to do things and end up not doing them and staying home. I guess it's partially a product of being in a long distance relationship i.e. not having much time to spend together alone. But it does fit in nicely with my "sitting on my lazy ass" theme. I kinda don't feel motivated to do anything - study, exercise or have fun.
OK, I'm going to try to get more sleep, take my vitamins and hit the gym - if I can get through the 4 inches of mud infront of my house that is. Hopefully my next BLOG will be a little more "lively".
Sunday, October 12, 2003
Wow, I didn't realize it had been so long since I wrote. Things are getting busy at school, I have my first midterm next week and several looming assignments, the rest of the month is going to be nightmarish.
Mike came up for friday night and saturday we had martinis, exchanged gifts and went out for dinner at Del Dente's for our anniversary.
I don't know what I'm going to be doing a year from now and it's really stressing me out. I'm considering different masters degrees but it's tough, I'm not sure exactly what I want to study or where I want to do it. I don't even know if I want to do another degree or move back to Toronto and get my life started.
Mike came up for friday night and saturday we had martinis, exchanged gifts and went out for dinner at Del Dente's for our anniversary.
I don't know what I'm going to be doing a year from now and it's really stressing me out. I'm considering different masters degrees but it's tough, I'm not sure exactly what I want to study or where I want to do it. I don't even know if I want to do another degree or move back to Toronto and get my life started.
Sunday, September 28, 2003
Went to a kegger last night. I was having a really good time until I stupidly decided to walk down the street with Mike and Erica holding a cup of beer (Erica had beer too). Out of nowhere these two cops on bikes rode up and asked us if we were drinking alcohol (it was kinda obvious). Long story short - Erica and I both got $130 tickets. We decided to walk back to the party where we met the same two police officers crashing it and threatening big fines. A bunch of us went to the Silver Spur (a western style kareoke bar - yes, it's ok to laugh), had more to drink there then walked home in the rain. Overall I had a lot of fun, but I'm not looking forward to going to the court office tomorrow to get my fine reduced - after all I am a poor student.
