Jobuggering

I can partially understand my parents' inquisitive demands to accept the counseling-related consultancy for a small private school around here. For all they know, I did graduate with a degree in psychology; general psychology for that matter. Sure, I had 100 hours of practicum for a clinical, industrial and school setting, but I don't think they'd even consider asking me if I did minor counseling sessions at all, which I didn't and there lies the problem with me accepting the offer. I would in a heartbeat if I were that determined to pursue a specialization in guidance and counseling. Then again, I'm not. And that's another problem. I don't have the small time experience, and I don't have the heart for it. So why is my simple "no" not enough to placate their nagging? I might as well submit my CV and wait for an interview so they can stop harping about it and they can see where I'm more experienced in. Apparently, not everyone's knowledgeable enough that a child/pre-adolescent's education and a school's disposition on discipline have a big factor in a guidance counselor's job description. Ask students these days what's the first thing they think about a guidance counselor and the answer will most likely generalize on a student having committed something mischievous to warrant a visit. There's the initial stigma. Then there's also the fact that problematic students' parents are often called to have a meeting with the teacher and guidance counselor. So whatever may happen in this possible consultation that they're pressing me to do, will have a butterfly effect on the dealings of the school towards their charges. Something I never gave a damn about. I'm no biggie on the human development although that is a handy tool in clinical psychology. And despite the fact that I've no love lost between me and the younger generation of the country today, I've no apparent interest too in destroying their elementary/high school experience by suggesting and making a curriculum worthy of being shredded in half a moment.

~

Discombobulated would be the best word apt for the current status of the project. Last week I went to the project manager's office, and he belatedly showed me that he actually did have the determination to read about the psychological testing two years ago when he was still into it. There's tons of books all right and at the back of my head I kept thinking why most of the books were about recruitment and selection. First, the project's name is carved as aptitude test review and redevelopment. Second, there is a separate project for procurement and selection. Therefore third, why is everybody on the team so bent on assessing the recruitment process of applicants? Are we forgetting that we are supposed to make a new test out of the blasted old one? We should not and never be concerned about the predicaments and hoopla around selection because the aptitude test we are working on is only one of the instruments for screening process.  Why then does everyone assume that the aptitude test will be responsible enough to cull applicants in determining whether these adolescents have the capability to perform and learn? In fact, it the project team even manages to produce a worthy aptitude test then even the most uneducated person in this god forsaken country will be successfully tested on his aptitude. So there really is no problem in dealing with half idiots and geniuses applying. Time is running out and so is the budget for the project. I can definitely say that the group members I have had during college performed better in dealing with project content, never mind if we don't like each other. Our grades rested on that obviously. But the team members' names and reputation also rest on the success of a new and concrete aptitude test. But as I would often remind myself, it's not like it's really my project. I'm just the mere researcher; I gather and collect data for them. I should never give a damn if the project's snowballing into a massive failure. I'm just not too sure what kind of fabrication and sweet lemoning I would endure to make the project look like a relative success when I'll be interviewed for a new job.

Las Leyendas

Whatever happens from tomorrow onwards, I will never ever forget that I grew up watching the two of you bring the best out of our club. Hala Madrid.

Shitload

What's with the new generation gagging for the sake of posterity? I'm not begrudging them of anything personal but I wonder what kind of life they're after once they beget their whelps. Haven't they even heard of the term career advancement or even post-graduate studies? It's not as poisonous and onerous as one might think to achieve. I can't even think why folks who are itching for the fuck of their lives could not even use contraceptives to save their arses. I doubt half of them are even planning to plunge deep into parenthood at the age of 18. It's not like they have enough support/maturity (psychologically, the most significant) of any kind to ensure that their children will have a proper life when they grow up. And pundits keep asking why the country's in a constant debilitating state. Fuck the church for standing their ground on banning contraceptives. Excuse me, this isn't a first-world country where teenagers have other outlets to focus on other than the usual wretched life, vices, peer pressure and piss poor grades in college. The adults themselves couldn't stop from breeding like the common dogs, what makes the adolescents all the better with that kinds of example? That rant sprouts from the recent news of my high school friend tying the knot in October because she got knocked up. Well, good for her and her kind. But then again, she's one of the persons I know who's hell bent on having a boyfriend since high school that it's no big surprise to hear that. I call that lacking enough aspirations in life. It's not like motherhood stops by the age of 26, for chrissake. It's practically futile to wish for the country's progress when there's enough problem to drown Luzon in 3 seconds flat.

Anyway, I'm practically being cajoled by the recent movies I've been watching on the bus. First, there was Indiana Jones and the Lost Crusade which I could vouch for the pure awesomeness and perfection of Harrison Ford and Sean Connery's father-and-son tandem. It left me laughing at every turn. Then there's The Last Airbender which I never was a fan although my sister and dad were. Saw the first twenty minutes or so and actually thought it might be a fun filled movie since I've no expectation on the storyline itself. Plus Robin Hood starring Kevin Costner. Alan Rickman's the sole factor why I'm determined to download the movie. Costner's just a second prize although the comedy factor is a big boon. I think it's also a fluke that I downloaded Mr & Mrs Smith again which as it turned out, an unrated/uncut version; I'm definitely going into hermit mode in my room to watch that later.

Ra-ra-rant! Rant!

I'll probably be stuck in the house for the rest of the week since office work can be done through emails and chat. My TOR's ready for pick up though so I'll drop by school tomorrow and submit it to the uni. Yvette's banning me from their house so there's no point loitering around Manila area unless I'm compelled to have a Quiapo stop over for some weird things/DVDs or something. Anyway, Cors is on her way back to the country today. It's too unfortunate that most Spain WC items are sold out; at least she still bought me a memorabilia; that Sergio Ramos Spain NT shirt will be in my grubby hands by my birthday. Then we'll spare enough time on Friday to watch Inception. It's a good thing though that I don't have to even exert effort to fend off film reviews and trailers, probably because most of my buddies have yet to see it too. I've seen the trailer when I saw Shutter Island which was months ago but I couldn't recall it. Those posters along Edsa are seductive to a fault. I can't get enough of them.

My right ankle is still bothering me but not so much that it requires immediate medical attention. Just little spears of pain at some angles which can be minimized though I hate it that I'm learning not to put too much pressure on that foot whenever my body's under duress. In all likelihood this might just be a big blinking signal for me to start exercising but I've never been an exercise junkie so try harder, body. My right index finger tremor also disappeared thank heavens for that. It was a hell to trying to sleep and feeling that finger involuntarily moving; besides, there's this slight numbness on that finger whenever that happens and I'm such a paranoid I hate the slightest discomfort from my body. I'm no hypochondriac though; heaven knows how much I hate feeling weak.

As for sports, there's enough World Cup withdrawal for me to turn a blind eye on the Open Championship. And it's been years since I've watched majors, and just as well with tennis. Back to football, the 2010/2011 season will kick off in August so there's enough time to get my bearings back and see what kind of fuckery Real Madrid will go into in another two months or so.

Oh I actually installed Kubuntu along with my Ubuntu. There are some glitches I'd like to polish such as my theme which is more for Gnome and the tons of doubled programs which I'll have to hide. I've yet to find anything cool or worthy with KDE; activating Kate's taking pretty long and so far, that's the only app I'm into since it has more settings than gedit. I'm giving KDE a week or month-long leeway though for all the trouble I've gone through to install it (in the wee hours of the morning that is). My mouth's all to be blamed for this though. I couldn't just keep my trap shut enough not to question the difference between Gnome and KDE because I'm not going to lie, Gnome's more for an end-user's vices and whatnots and flashy apps while according to Aya, KDE's moulded for a student's usage. That's my kind of thing to be honest but I've yet to see cool KDE apps to equate  that description. So far, after a year or so of continuous usage Ubuntu's living up to my needs and wants. Tarballs still make me go crazy but other than that, I've no reason to complain about them compared to my predicaments with Windows back then. And it's not like I left the world of Microsoft at all; I'm practically surrounded by XP and Vista in the house and at the office so I still know the twist and turns of Microsoft.

Europe was never enough! Viva España!

¡Vamos España!

Well, I've done my best or so I believe with my entrance exam. Not that the math was entirely an encouraging feat considering that the test wasn't even arranged by item difficulty and the first handed out. I can most likely say that I did pretty good on the verbal (unfortunate to have so few items) and the psychology review (which most are instinctive guesses for me). Not entirely too sure about the essay too with a rather apt prompt about Einstein's take on science and religion. The entirety of the test was pretty normal. I wasn't sporting sweaty palms but the usual way too cold room kind of fucked up with my concentration since I had taken a mild tendency to be a worrywart about my bladder's plaints.

Anyway, I can't believe the World Cup is over in a few hours. Typical expression, I know but I'm not one to count the days when the tournament's ongoing. It felt rather weird to have my top 3 teams I was vying for (Spain, Germany, Netherlands) to be on the top 3 in the tournament. Granted, I never wanted them to face each other perhaps except Spain and Germany having a past with the Euro2008, but that's how it would be in a few hours. I sent a last minute text to Anna hoping we could have a last minute meet up to watch the final match live and enjoy each other's company like 4 years ago. Turns out it's still a futile attempt on my part; not begrudging her of anything although I'd be happier with her sparing me a text or two for some explanation. I'm just hoping to the high heavens that I'll be able to watch the game without glitches in my internet connection. God knows what kind of fuckery I might spill when I call Smartbro's customer support in the middle of the match.

So, with me doing my best in my exam and managed to go to mass inevitably, I hope for Spain to do their best tonight.

¡Vamos España!

This.

I am going to church this Saturday to say my graces for this wonderful win against Germany and the finals versus Netherlands. I will have mass after 342348320 years of practising atheism so heaven help me I might burn like crazy.

No one can stop me.

Might as well pray for the success of my entrance exam on Saturday, too.

We're in the finals! Viva España!

First time semi-finals! Viva!

One step up

Turns out my dentist failed to meet up with my early Saturday appointment. I didn't have the energy to get mad since my sleep deprivation buggered me more than a failed check-up. My right foot's making a mountain out of a molehill here; or rather, it's me. Call it being paranoid, but I hate it when my mind automatically tries to deduct whatever scientific processes that might've led to my condition. I forgot to mention that my lower left back has been bothering me in the sense that it's more about my internal organs rather than muscle pain. Lower back means kidneys, which prompted me to ask Beth--who's family has a nice camaraderie with diabetes, UTI and kidney problems--whether I should be a tad more worried about what I'm feeling. She's two thumbs up about an immediate check-up since prevention is better than cure and all that jazz. The thing is, I'd hate to pay for something other than a pulmonologist consultation because hey, my number one fan is asthma. I'm not supposed to have something against my kidney functions. Sure I drink carbonated drinks as much the next fellow who lives in a tropical country, but I don't overdo it. Then there's the slight problem with my tendency to hinder myself from taking a pee whenever the urge hits me. A few months back, even at the slightest hint of my bladder bleating, I'd be off to the loo in a flash. My indolence and World Cup would be the obvious culprits in this. Anyway, I'll try to get a gratis check-up next week at the official hospital and perhaps a blood chem, too. I'll only pay for a neprhologist when I'm in enough pain to consider carving out my kidney with an earbud. I'm starting with the water diet though. No more iced teas and colas; might as well pay attention to my bladder's immediate needs again.

I'm still not over my appalling low grade result on my civil service exam from last year. Beth had mentioned that there was a pretty low passing rate for last year, something I should be grateful about. I am grateful that I passed the exam in one take however, I am not grateful for earning an upsetting grade that not even a grade 1 student can be proud of.

World Cup update: I was such a hypocrite to sleep off the second half of Netherlands - Brazil match provided that I was all for Netherlands to qualify for semi-finals. A few minutes after I cut off my stream, Sneijder netted another goal. Damn. I love Ricky but I would love to see more of Robben, Sneijder and of course van der Vaart to play better. I absolutely detest Robinho's attitude and his memorable breakdown during his stint at Real Madrid; seeing him with shit sprouting out of his mouth at every foul makes me want to strangle him. More drama was involved in the Uruguay - Ghana match though I have yet to see the highlights of the match with Luis Suarez transforming to a keeper in desperation. As for the second part of the quarter-finas, it's going to be a hell with Argentina and Germany facing off, Maradona and Jogi racing at the front. That's going to be way more interesting with both teams with awesome performances in their latest matches. As much as I want Pipita to advance further in his first World Cup and being a contender for the Golden Foot award, I'm torn for Germany even if not one of them is playing for Real Madrid. I would not grieve over Argentina qualifying though I'd be happier if Germany gets the ticket. Paraguay and Spain will also face off tonight with much anticipation for my team. Paraguay's defense helped them qualify this long in the tournament so La Furia Roja's tiki-taka will prove to be a good challenge on both ends. My body practically imposed a siesta early with my constant thoughts for the two upcoming matches that will strain my sleep cycle again. But hey, this event is held quadrennially even if I also have to wake up at ungodly hours when I watch La Liga matches nonetheless, World Cup has more significance. I miss Real Madrid terribly so though.

My Portugal - Spain World Cup match download is complete! Good diversion before Argentina - Germany. Too bad the commentators aren't English.

Hup-ping

I'm going spare over the project. "Why did I even renew my contract?" was my running internal commentary for the whole day the project team met for the usual weekly call. Seriously though, the idea of finishing the project and notching it on my CV is very tempting, but somehow, I find it maddening that the road to the project's completion is long, hard and absolutely painful to anyone's arse but my own.

As for my ankle that's been bothering me, it considerably swelled yesterday after being stuck in an air-conditioned room for several hours. The act of walking lessens the discomfort more than sitting and trying to find the perfect angle and posture to ease the dull pain in my ankle. Yel accompanied me to the station hospital with a doctor who should be ashamed for having an medical degree. Granted, my bad ankle is pretty minor but it doesn't mean he's past checking my afflicted body part and merely produce a prescription. I had gotten home when I  realized my ankle was pretty much swollen; I had to apply hot compress twice with the prescripted med to ease my mind. Fortunately, the pain dulled by morning though there's still some swelling that needs to me monitored.

My SIM card of nearly seven years finally gave up this afternoon. I've been forestalling my SIM card's replacement for about a year so I guess it's nothing worth crying over. Just too bad I still had enough unused load credits in my old SIM card. I'm still stuck with Smart; most of my acquaintances are under the same network. I'm no fanatic of either networks for the sake of an opinion. I had initially planned to try out Globe then realized that despite not using the call/text promos, I'm still familiar with Smart's services so there goes the ultimatum. Good thing all my text messages and contacts are stored in the phone memory so date loss is no problem.

A side note on tennis: I think I'm the last tennis fan to know of Federer's defeat against Berdych in Wimbledon. I don't have the particulars over match statistics except for a vague recollection of the 4-set scores for the match. Honestly, I'm not fond of Federer nor Nadal so either of them going down the top seed list will bear nothing but a minute or two of rumination over the players and their era of domination. I do hope new players will provide more talent and challenge for the veteran players lest most tennis fans will tire of it. The top players are as resistant in change as those in professional golf. And sometimes, that's one of the downsides in individual sports. Good job for the reed thin, bamboo tall Berdych, by the way. I became familiar with him when he had won the ATP Masters Series in 2005 against Ljubicic in a pretty good match.

Lastly, World Cup quarter-finals resume today with Netherlands and Brazil starting off by 10pm. I'm all for Netherlands' win here. They deserve it with their satisfying play and strategies and besides, I can alreadt feel Sneijder's desire to assist or net a goal in the match a thousand miles away from South Africa. Robben and Van der Vaart are also two of the reasons why I'm vying for their win. Needless to say, Kaka is also a current player of Brazil but I haven't been a big fan of the team. Argentina and Germany's face off will be legendary if not for the subtle mudslinging from Maradona and some German players.