My Proof of Existence

Earlier this day, my wife and I went to Jollibee before going to church. We had a nice time as our daughter did. When my wife handed me my burger, my daughter is also reaching for the burger as she thought it was for her. :)

Any way, here's a couple of her picture with her mama and papa.

So now it's "room service na lang" in London after a "simple dinner" in New York: http://ping.fm/2DPvb have it your way then, Mr. Remonde

"Sinira mo po ang buhay namin. Sinira mo po ang pamilya ko" http://ping.fm/f0cEl

Android for your mobile phones

Check out this android, an application for your mobile: http://ping.fm/NUmaU

Saint Augustine: The patron saint of Iba, Zambales

"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you." -Saint Augustine
http://ping.fm/myliq

Blog title...

Why is the Philippines still poor? An analysis by Dr. Bernardo Villegas: http://ping.fm/xA5cv

The Road Ends Here

This is what happened to the part of the National Highway in Zambales in Carael, Botolan, Zambales. The damage was caused by typhoon Kiko that caused a major flood, almost submerging 10 baranggays in the town. This was taken August 12, 2009. The flood began Aug.6 and up to now, the road is still impassable.

The Long Ride

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kamalayan/2860230121/

I was checking my email's folders a while ago when I came across this sent item. It made me nostalgic. I suddenly remember my college days where I have to travel from our house in Novaliches to Sta. Mesa where I am studying. I used to take long bus rides and jeepney rides. On bad days, it takes around 2-3hours just to get home. And on good days, I sometimes get to ride with a pretty lass. This was just a few of the perks of commuting everyday.

I can relate to the story because I also eavesdrop on people conversing during the trip. I always smile and laugh privately whenever I see a couple fighting over some matters like when the girls catches the guy looking at other girls. I even tried to report to PREDA(People's Recovery Empowerment Development Assistance) when I was commuting home to our province a father verbally abusing his son who was crying in a bus. Unfortunately, they got off in Pampanga and PREDA's reach does not go beyond Zambales. If I were braver, I could've taken a video or even confronted the man. I felt sorry for the kid.

I have a lot of experience commuting back in college. Even just this last semester of the last academic year, I commuted weekly to Sta. Mesa and back to Zambales to attend
my classes as I was enrolled in PUP for my Masters in Psychology. I even get a chance to study during these long bus rides. I also used to do this on "Patok" jeepneys(the fast and plays outrageously loud music jeepneys), cramming for and exam in Abnormal Psychology while headbanging to loud Korn music.Those experiences helped shaped me as a person. I don't know how, but at the end of the trip, I always felt satisfied. Maybe because I quench my insatiable thirst for discovering the other side of life. These experiences makes what I learn from classroom discussions on Social Psychology a reality.

But just like in the story, sometimes you get on the same ride with some you know you'll never see again, although you wish you'd see them again. And also, I remember my girlfriend back in college. We would take the same bus going to school. I would wait for her to arrive from Bulacan on the corner of EDSA and West Ave., known as "Paramount" and we would take the bus bound for Cubao and take the jeep bound to "Stop N' Shop." I know it'll never happen again and it's not that I wish it'll happen again. I suddenly remembered my college life. Before we get far, here's a part of the article:


I rarely take the MRT.
I deliberately take the long route to work—by bus.
Call me crazy, but I do this for my soul: my bus rides
are the most therapeutic moments of my day. When I am
in a bus, I remember my dreams..
I look at people waiting for their rides. It is
amazing how you can measure the degree of timidity or
aggression in the people from the bus window. Some
people rush to meet the bus, certain that this bus has
the right ibabaw-ilalim configuration. Others approach
cautiously, a foot-in-the-other-foot-out expression on
their faces.
I eavesdrop on people’s conversations. There was one
girl who kept calling somebody on her cell phone.
Then I heard her saying, “Ganyan ka naman talaga, eh.
Lagi mo akong binababaan ‘pag nandiyan ang asawa mo.”
There! She was having an affair with a married man! I
have nothing against mistresses (what they do is their
choice), but this girl was obviously reckless at being
reckless!
R was—and he still is—the love of my life. I first saw
him in the library, sleeping. We were creatures of
habit, I guess. I always sat on the same table and he
would always take the table across me. We were both
there at the same time: from 1 to 4 p.m., Mondays and
Thursdays. I got into the habit of watching him frown,
watching him sleep, watching him talk animatedly to
his friends.
He became my classmate the next semester, and it was
not long before I was scalp-to-toe in love with him.
He was beautifully shy and broody, with sad eyes and
quiet ways. He had a sense of humor, too. And he was
the only person I know who could get drunk the night
before and still ace an exam.
And so I told him.
He just smiled and said nothing. It was a beautiful
silence. I was young and I gave myself license to be
foolish and crazy. I assured myself only a matter of
time before we would end up with each other, somehow.
We both graduated and found jobs.
And then a mutual friend told me he was leaving the
country for good in two weeks’ time. I was not
prepared for the way I reacted to the news. It was as
if a part of me had been wrenched, exposing a gaping
hole that I didn’t even know was there.
A week later I saw him as I was waiting for a ride. I
looked and he was there, like magic, like I wished him
out of thin air. He was smiling, walking toward me. My
heart was on wings. Destiny! I could talk to him
before he left! I suppose he saw that from the look on
my face and my smile…
But he just smiled, waved and walked toward a waiting
bus.
I bravely walked toward my bus, too. I didn’t shed a
single tear. But inside, I pondered on why we always
find ourselves on the fringes of the lives of the
people who are the front, left and center of our
lives.
We hadn’t seen each other for more than a year and we
probably wouldn’t see each other again. But the bus
was waiting and he had to catch that ride. He couldn’t
stop and talk. Just like that.
It was my longest bus ride, that trip from Diliman to
Ortigas. I thought about the stops and what I’d been
through: his silence, the waiting, the roller coaster
of emotions, his girlfriend, my replacement
relationships. It was a long stretch of highway and at
every point during those six years, I was hoping he’d
catch up with me and we’d ride off together. But he
wouldn’t even stop to say hi. The No.1 person on my
A-list wouldn’t even stop to say goodbye.
Yes, it has been a long trip and I am finally getting
off. Me and the boy with the beautiful silence—we will
never take the same bus ride. Ever.

-C.L.B.
________
Source: Youngblood, Philippine Daily Inquirer, July
14, 2001

Poor civilians caught in the crosfire

It is the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire are the ones suffering: http://ping.fm/RlI1n

Petition to Oust Willie Revillame Petition

Petition to Oust Willie Revillame Petition

At Supreme Court, she won some, lost big - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

At Supreme Court, she won some, lost big - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Shared via AddThis

Palace stinks with scandals - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Palace stinks with scandals - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Shared via AddThis

Sign every petition against the House Bill on Greyhound racing in the Philippines as sponsored by actor Sen. Bong Revilla http://ping.fm/oXmUd

knows Cotto won't accept the 143 or 144lbs fight with pacman, why not in 140lbs with Mosley? http://ping.fm/6Eo4r

is thankful to the Lord for this http://ping.fm/hQfcK

This was written last year, a young individual's view on the SONA of GMA http://ping.fm/OpiRD

What will the allies do now? http://ping.fm/roi1W

Confucius said, "If a ruler sets himself right, he will be followed without his command. If he does not set himself right, even his commands will not be obeyed." (13:6)
http://ping.fm/nw7T8

I'm a father!

June 7, 2009, the day I became a father to a wonderful and lovely daughter named Amara Radha.

Mike Tyson's daugther's tragic death

Another blow to "Iron" Mike Tyson's life. His 4-year old daughter died after being strangled to a safety cord of a threadmill in their home. Police said that Exodus(his daughter's name), may have been playing too near the threadmill when she accidentally got strangled by the safety cord.

This is a very sad story to
hear. I too will become a father soon, my wife and I are expecting a daughter. Their neighborhood loves Exodus because of her charms, she even says "Hi" to practically everyone she meets. And Mike Tyson's undergoing rehabilitation, he has been "sober" for the past 15 months based on the report I read in Yahoo.com

Please click on the title for the full article from New York Times.

Philippine health authorities track 50 people in swine flu alert

Philippine health authorities track 50 people in swine flu alert
The swine flu scare is now in Iba, Zambales. Please click on the title for the link to the article.
The wedding has been reported(via text messages sent to me) held in a resort named Balihambay located in Amungan, a barangay in the town of Iba(where I live).

Perv!

Perversion is a concept describing those types of human behavior that are perceived to be a serious deviation from what is considered to be orthodox or normal. Although it can refer to varying forms of deviation, it is most often used to describe sexual behaviors that are seen as abnormal or excessive. Perversion differs from deviant behavior, since the latter refers to a recognized violation of social rules or norms (although the two terms can apply to the same thing). It is often considered derogatory and in psychological literature the term paraphilia is now used instead, though this term is controversial.

Why is this my introduction? I got this definition from wikipedia This is in relation to the current scandalous personality Dr. Hayden Kho. You probably are well familiar with him.

I think he’s a PERVERT! and perverts are mentally sick.

Umami!

After a long time of wondering, now I know what "umami" is! I got so curious of "umami" because of a TV ad that keeps on saying "ang sarap ng umami."

According to umamiinfo.com, it is the fifth basic sense of taste. We are all familiar with the four basic sense of taste; sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Then there's "umami."

It came from a Japanese term, umami is a pleasantly savoury taste imparted by glutamate, a type of amino acid, and ribonucleotides, including inosinate and guanylate, which occur naturally in many foods including meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products. The taste of umami is subtle and many don't recognize it but it plays a major role in tasting and eating.

Now I know what umami is!

80s Nostalgia (part 2)

NAAALALA KO PA!
Si Nanay ay nasa bahay pag-uwi namin galing sa paaralan;Walang mga bakod at gate ang magkakapit-bahay, kung meron, gumamela lang;10 sentimos o diyes lang ang baon: singko sa umaga, singko sa hapon;Merong free ang mga patpat ng ice drop: buko man o munggo.Mataas ang paggalang sa mga guro at ang tawag sa kanila ay Maestro/a:Di binibili ang tubig, pwedeng maki-inom sa di mo kakilala.Malaking bagay na ang pumunta sa ilog para mag-picnic, o kaya sa tumana;Grabe na ang kaso pag napatawag ka sa principal’s office o kaya malaking kahihiyan kapag bagsak ka sa exams;Simple lang ang pangarap: makatapos, makapag-asawa, mapagtapos ang mga anak…Pwedeng iwan ang sasakyan at ibilin sa hindi mo kakilala; wala namang lock ang mga jeep na Willy’s noon.Mayroon kaming mga laruan na gawa namin at hindi binili: trak-trakan (gawa sa rosebowl ang katawan at darigold na maliit ang mga gulong, sketeng (scooter) na bearing na maingay ang mga gulong at de-sinkong pako para sa preno; patining na pinitpit na tansan lang na may 2 butas sa gitna para suotan ng sinulid (pwede pang makipag-lagutan) ; sumpak, pilatok, boca-boca, borador, atbp.Di nakikialam ang mga matanda sa mga laro ng mga bata: kasi laro nga iyon.Maraming usong laro at maraming kasali: laste, gagamba, turumpo, tatsing ng lata, pera namin ay kaha ng Philip Morris, Malboro, Champion (kahon-kahon yon!)May dagta ang dulo ng tinting na hawak mo para makahuli tutubi, nandadakma ka ng palakang tetot, pero ingat ka sa palakang saging dahil sa kulugo;Butas na ang sakong ng Spartan mong tsinelas - suot mo pa rin;Namumugalgal ang pundiya ng kansolsilyo mo kasi nakasalampak ka sa lupa.Sa modernong buhay at sa lahat ng kasaganaan sa high technology.. .. di ba minsan nangarap ka na rin… mas masaya noong araw!Sana pwedeng maibalik…Takot tayo ngayon sa buhay. Kasi maraming napapatay, nakikidnap, maraming addict at masasamang loob…Noon takot lang tayo sa ating mga magulang at mga lolo at lola. Pero ngayon, alam na natin na mahal pala nila tayo kayat ayaw tayong mapahamak o mapariwara.. . Na una silang nasasaktan pag pinapalo nila tayo…Balik tayo sa nakaraan kahit saglit…Bago magkaroon ng internet, computer, at cellphone.Noong wala pang mga drugs at malls.Bago pa nauso ang counter strike at mga game boys.Tayo noon… Doon …Tinutukoy ko ang harang taga o tumbang preso kapag maliwanag ang buwan;Ang pagtatakip mo ng mata pero nakasilip sa pagitan ng mga daliri pag nanonood ka ng nakakatakot saMga Aninong GumagalawUnahan tayong sumagot sa Multiplication Table nakabisado natin, kasi wala namang calculator.Pag-akyat natin sa mga puno; pagkakabit ng kulambo, lundagan sa kama ;Pagtikwas o pagtitimba sa poso; pingga ang pang-igib ng lalake at may dikin naman ang ulo ng babae;Inaasbaran ng mga suberbiyo;Nginig na tayo pag lumabas na ang yantok-mindoro o buntot-page.Nai-sako ka rin ba? O kaya naglagay ka ba ng kartonsa pwet para hindi masakit ang tsinelas o sinturon?Pamimili ng bato sa bigas; tinda-tindahan na puro dahon naman; bahay-bahayan na puro kahon; naglako ka ba ng ice-candy o pandesal noong araw?Karera sa takbuhan hanggang maubos ang hininga; pagtawa hanggang sumakit ang tiyan;Meron pa bang himbabao, kulitis at pongapong? O kaya ang lukaok, susuwi at espada?Susmaryosep ang nadidinig mo pag nagpapaligo ng bata…Estigo santo kapag nagmamano.Mapagod sa kakalaro, minsan mapalo; matakot sa berdugo at sa kapre;Tuwang-tuwa kami pag tinalo ang tinale ni itay kasi may tinola!Yung crush mo?Pag recess: mamimili ka sa garapon ng tinapay -alembong, taeng-kabayo o biscocho?Pwede ring ang sukli ay kending Vicks (meron pang libreng singsing) o kaya nougat o karamel;Kung gusto mo naman - pakumbo o kaya kariba,mas masaya kung inuyat;Puriko ang mantika, at mauling na ang mukha at ubosna ang hininga mo sa ihip kasi mahirap magpa-rikit ng apoy.Madami pa…Masarap ang kamatis na piniga sa kamay at lumabassa pagitan ng daliri para sa sawsawan; ang palutong pag isawsaw sa sukang may siling labuyo; ang duhat kapag inalog sa asin; ang isa-sang isubo ang daliri kasi puno na ng kanin…Halo-halo: yelo, asukal at gatas lang ang sahog;Sakang ang lakad mo at nakasaya ka kasi bagong tuli ka; o naghahanap ka ng chalk kasi tinagusan ang palda mo sa eskwelahan. Lipstick mo ay papel de hapon;Labaha ang gamit para sa white-side-wall na gupit;Naglululon ka ng banig pagkagising; matigas na amirol ang mga punda at kumot; madumi ang manggas ng damit mo kasi doon ka nagpapahid ng sipon, di ba? Pwede rin sa laylayan…May mga program kapag Lunes sa paaralan;May pakiling kang dala kung Biyernes kasi magi-isis ka ng desk.Di ba masaya? Naalala mo pa ba?Wala nang sasaya at gaganda pa sa panahon na yon…Masaya noon at masaya pa rin tayo ngayon habang ina-alaala iyon…Di ba noon…Ang mga desisyon ay ginagawa sa awit na sino ba sa dalawang ito?Ito ba o ito? Pag ayaw ang resulta di ulitin: sino ba sa dalawang ito? Ito ba o ito?…Awit muna: Penpen de Serapen, de kutsilyo, de almasen. How how the carabao batuten…Presidente ng klase ay ang pinakamagaling, hindi ang pinaka-mayaman;Masaya na tayo basta sama-sama kahit hati-hati sa kokonti;Nauubos ang oras natin sa pagku-kwentuhan, may oras tayo sa isat-isa;Naaasar ka kapag marami kang sunog sa sungka; kapag buro ka sa pitik-bulag o matagal ka ng taya sa holen.Yung matatandang kapatid ang pinaka-ayaw natin pero sila ang tinatawag natin pag napapa-trouble tayo.Di natutulog si Inay, nagbabantay pag may trangkaso tayo; meron tayong skyflakes at Royal sa tabi at pahihigupin ng mainit na Royco.Kung naaalaala mo ito… nabuhay ka na saKAPAYAPAAN!Pustahan tayo nakangiti ka pa rin!Kung naka-relate ka sa lahat ng nabanggit sa itaas, ibig sabihin lang niyan ay… …MATANDA ka na! he he he… pero kung hindi ka maka-relate, padala mo na lang sa akala mo ay kapanahunan nya ito para maalala din niya at mangiti rin siya.

80s Nostalgia

nung ikaw ay bata… nagawa mo ba to?– *kumakain ka ba ng aratilis?

*nagpipitpit ng gumamela para gawing soapy bubbles
na hihipanmo sa binilog na tanggkay ng walis tingting?

*pinipilit ka ba matulog ng nanay mo pag hapon at
di ka papayagan maglaro pag di ka natulog?

*marunong ka magpatintero, saksak puso,
langit-lupa, teleber-teleber, luksong tinik?

*malupit ka pag meron kang atari, family computer
or nes?

*alam mo ang silbi ng up, up, down, down, left,
right, left, right, a, b, a, b, start?

*may mga damit ka na U.S.E.D., Boy London, Cross
Colors, Esprit, Blowing Bubbles at pag nakakakita
ka ng Bench na damit eh naalala mo si Richard Gomez?

*addict ka sa rainbow brite, carebears, my little pony, thundercats, bioman, voltes v, mazinger z, daimos,
he-man at marami pang cartoons na hindi pa translated sa tagalog?

*nanonood ka ng shaider kasi nabobosohan mo si annie at type na type mo ang puting panty nya?

*marunong ka mag wordstar at nakahawak ka na talaga ng 5.25 na floppy disk?

*inaabangan mo lagi ang batibot at akala mo magkakatuluyan si kuya bodgie at ate sienna… nung high school ka inaabangan mo lagi beverly hills 90210?

*gumagamit ka ng AQUANET para pataasin ang bangs mo?

*meron kang blouse na may padding kung babae ka at meron kang sapatos na mighty kid kung lalake ka?

*nangongolekta ka ng paper stationaries at mahilig ka magpapirma sa slumbook mo para lang malaman mo kung sino ang crush ng type mo?
*kilala mo si manang bola at ang sitsiritsit girls?e si luning-ning at luging-ging?

*alam mo ibig sabihin ng time space warp at di mo makakalimutan ang time space warp chant?

*idol mo si McGyver at nanonood kang perfect strangers?

*eto malupet… six digits lang ba ang phone number nyo dati?

*nakakatawag ka pa sa pay phone ng 3 bentesingko lang ang dala?

*cute pa si aiza seguerra sa eat bulaga at alam mo ang song na “eh kasi bata”?

*inabutan mo ba na ang Magnolia Chocolait eh nasa glass bottle pa na ginagawang lalagyan ng tubig ng nanay mo sa ref?

*meron kang pencil case na maraming compartments na pinagyayabang mo sa mga kaklase mo?

*noon mo pa hinahanap kung saan ang Goya Fun Factory?

*alam mo lyrics ng “tinapang bangus” at “alagang-alaga namin si puti”?

*alam mo ang kantang “gloria labandera”.. lumusong sha sa tubig ang paa ay nabasa at ang “1, 2, 3, asawa ni marie”… hehehehehe?

*sosyal ka pag may play-doh ka at Lego… at nag-iipon ka ng G.I. Joe action figures at iba pa ang mukha ni barbie noon?

*inabutan mo pa yung singkong korteng bulaklak at yung diyes na square?

*lumaki kang bobo dahil ang akala mo nangangagat talaga ang alimango sa kantang tong-tong-tong… diba naninipit yun?

*alam mo yung kwento ng pari na binigyan ng pera yung batang umakyat ng puno para bumili ng panty… and shempre, alam mo rin ba kung ano binigay nya sa nanay nung umakyat ng puno?

*meron kang kabisadong kanta ni andrew e na alam mo hanggang ngayon.. aminin?

*laging lampin ang sinasapin sa likod mo pag pinapawisan ka?

*bumibili ka ng tarzan, texas at bazooka bubble gum… tira-tira, at yung kending bilog na sinawsaw sa asukal?

*kinukupit mo pa at nanonood ka ng mga porno tapes ng tatay mo na nasa BETAMAX format pa… at sanay ka tawagin ang porni as BOLD?

*takot ka dumating ang year 2000 dahil sabi nla
magugunaw daw ang mundo?

KUNG ALAM MO LAHAT DITO LAGPAS KA NA NG 25 YEARS OLD…

KAPAG HALOS LAHAT ALAM MO, NASA 23-25 KA…

Manny pacquiao

Nanalo si pacquiao sa laban nila ni Hatton. Pinabagsak niya si Hatton sa round 2 ng kanilang 'fight' (pronounced as 'payt' by pakyaw)

Sigurado, MADADAGDAGAN NA NAMAN ANG HANGIN SA ULO NYA, HINDI UTAK(WALA SIYA NUN).

Sinong naniniwala?

Intelligence is the capacity to understand the world, think with rationality, and use resources effectively when faced with challenges.

-David Wechsler (author of several intelligence tests for children and adults)

A divorce that saved a marriage.. An anonymous story forwarded on my email.

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner,
I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell
you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed
the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was
thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory
answer; she had lost my heart to Dew. I didn't love
her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce
agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.

She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The
woman who had spent ten years of her life with me
had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted
time, resources and energy but I could not take back
what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly. Finally
she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I
had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a
kind of release. The idea of divorce which had
obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer
and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found
her writing something at the table. I didn't have
supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep
very fast because I was tired after an eventful day
with Dew.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table
writing. I just did not care so I turned over and
was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions:
she didn't want anything from me, but needed a
month's notice before the divorce. She requested
that in that one month we both struggle to live as
normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple:
our son had his exams in a month's time and she
didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage

This was agreeable to me. But she had something
more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her
into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that everyday for the month's duration
I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door
every morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just
to make our last days together bearable I accepted
her odd request.

I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions. She
laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter
what tricks she applies, she has to face the
divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my
divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when
I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared
clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding
mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to
the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my
arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't
tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling
somewhat upset. I put
her down outside the door. She went to wait for the
bus to work. I drove alone to the office

On the second day, both of us acted much more
easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the
fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't
looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I
realized she was not young any more. There were fine
wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our
marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I
wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a
sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who
had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our
sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell
Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as
the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout
made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She
tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a
suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have
grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown
so thin, that was the reason why I could
carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain
and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I
reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's
time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father
carrying his mother out had become an essential part
of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come
closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away
because I was afraid I might change my mind at this
last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking
from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the
hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and
naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like
our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the
last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly
move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her
tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life
lacked intimacy.

I drove to office, jumped out of the car swiftly
without locking the door. I was afraid any delay
would make me change my mind. I walked upstairs.
Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I
do not want the divorce anymore.

-I had to cut to story because i'm running out of space for this post. This is a wakeup call for people who sees their relationship boring. Be creative. Try new things with your partner. Break the monotony

A teacher who changed my life.

I came across another article(this time an inspiring one) and I was moved. It was about a kid who was discovered to be totally deaf when he was three years old. He is Stephen J. Hopson from Michigan.

His parents decided to enroll him in a normal school (I remember Dick and Rick Hoyt, the father-and-son tandem who trekked 3,700+ miles across America despite the disability of Rick I strongly recommend watching that video in youtube.com entitled, "A Journey of Life Together"). When he was in grade 3, from almost the beginning of the school term, he was taunted (v. insulted) by his classmates. He began to feel inferior of himself and his capabilities.

His grade 5 teacher changed the way he looked at himself when she cried, "THAT'S RIGHT STEPHEN!" after he gave a correct answer. He became more confident and a better person.
You can click on the title of this post for the full article.

I suddenly remember one of my students who sent me an SMS last year that said, "Gudpm sir..muzta po..tnx po s mga tnuro nio sa amin..nga2mit q na po n0w.." it means, "Good afternoon sir, how are you. Thank you for what you've taught us. I find it useful."

I wasn't able to get his/her name though, but that message from my former student(+639105425*** is his/her number) is still in my inbox after almost 1 year(i got the message April 19, 2008).

Things like that makes me smile. With what i do everyday, for the past 6years, it has been a routinary task. But for some, what i do makes an impact in their lives. I never knew it will come to this point that I am helping shape the lives of others.

To my former student, whoever you are, THANK YOU!

The Beautiful Mind of John Nash.

I came across an article about Dr. John Nash(click the title of the post for the article), "the most remarkable mathematician of the second half of the century," according to Mikhail Gromov in 1997.

You're probably familiar with his name if you have seen the movie "A Beautiful Mind" starring Russell Crowe. The movie was inspired from a biography of Dr. Nash of the same title.

Dr. Nash told a reporter once, "If you're going to develop exeptional ideas, it requires a type of thinking that is not simply practical thinking."

And to describe Dr. Nash, i go for this one-liner, "simply a remarkable genius."

My Report in Advanced Psychometrics

TESTS FOR CHOOSING CAREERS AND SCREENING EMPLOYEES

Personality Tests: its value in choosing a career path
It is a very common activity for a person to feel dissatisfaction whenever he moves from one job to another and the bar of this dissatisfaction increases when he changes his job before six months. This dissatisfaction comes in one or it happens because of the mismatch of the job with the person.

This means a person chooses or caught in the wrong job, for example an art lover get caught in a financial institution. This kind of jobs mismatch makes a person feel uncomfortable due to which one changes the jobs instantly. One thing which a person can do to avoid all of this kind of discrepancy is a personality test. Personality test is a procedure which if one practices then he will get to know that according to his personality which a suitable job is for him.

Personality test is not a test for which a person needs to go to a doctor or because one can get through with this test on his own. This personality will surely help him to get a suitable job which also matches his attitude and that is the most important thing which one should take care about prior choosing a job.

If a person likes the work he does then he becomes less stressful and is less anxious and his job becomes an enjoyment for him. If a person is doing a work which he really wants and also which suites his personality becomes more potential and performs in a better manner and also in this state the person’s learning ability increases and that too with a very high rate.

To get through with a personality test is not a big hassle these days as it was in earlier period. If a person wants to practice a personality test then he can undergoes the test as these tests are available free of charge on the internet and one can find thousands of links in just a single go.

This can not be judged that all of the personality tests which are available online are useful because there are many tests which are permissible but also there are many which are used only for fun and entertainment. Most of the tests are free but still there are people who pay for these tests because they think that they will get the appropriate result from this service and they could be right as well.

If you want to be happy in your work, you need to find a career that suits your personality, meets your needs and helps you to achieve your personal goals. This article shows you how to use psychometric tests to identify the careers that you will enjoy.

It can be very difficult to separate the careers that suit your personality and abilities from the careers that would frustrate you or make you unhappy. To be happy and successful in a job, you need to ensure that your abilities, values and personality are well aligned with those needed for your chosen career and with those of the organization you work for.

Online psychometric tests are very useful for this sort of self-assessment - they are quick to complete and give you good information on which you can base your Decision Making.

An important approach is provided by Assessment.com with the MAPP test. This asks you a series of questions based on your work preferences, and then recommends the careers that suit your preferences

A different approach is provided by Analyze My Career provides a suite of powerful psychometric tests - its different tools help you to assess your personality and fundamental skills in key areas. From these, it is able to suggest a good range of occupations that will suit you. This approach is important in that it gives you an objective assessment of whether you have the skills needed to succeed in particular careers.

One of the most widely used multiple aptitude batteries is the Differential Aptitude Tests (DAT). First published in 1947, it was designed principally for use in educational and career counseling of students in grades 8-12 and adults with more than 9 years of schooling but who may not have graduated form high school.

The DAT comprises the following 8 tests: Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Perceptual Speed and Accuracy, Mechanical Reasoning, Space Relations, Spelling, and Language Usage. There is also a special form, the Differential Aptitude Test for Personnel and Career Assessment, in which each of the eight tests has been shortened and printed in a separate booklet. With this form, particular tests may be chosen for relevance to specific occupations and used singly.

It’s common practice in the employment advisory industry to provide tests for people to determine their career paths and preferences. The scientific basis of some of these tests, however, is debatable. That is a potentially serious problem.
When choosing a career, you need reliable information, and a lot of it. That includes career tests.

The original Myers-Briggs test is the actual scientific basis of most of what you see being called career aptitude tests. The difference between Myers-Briggs and others is that the Myers-Briggs people were fully qualified to conduct the tests, and did the actual research work to verify their results.

The Myers-Briggs test is actually a personality test, much more than a career-related test. Ironically, that’s why it’s a much stronger fit for most people as a career guide, because it deals with the person’s preferences.

Some people have begun research on character-based relationships with careers, but that’s relatively recent, and there’s obviously a lot more work to be done to provide good quality information to career seekers.

Perhaps worse, many tests around seem to borrow freely from each other. If you buy a few career books, and check out the tests they provide, some are so similar that it’s beyond any possibility of coincidence.

That rather undermines the credibility of the tests, too. The net and the media are full of recycled ideas, so why would these books be any different? It’s doubtful, even dealing with the same subject, that any two genuine sources could, or would, produce identical material.

Some of the exercises provided for career seekers and job hunters are much like homework, too. These questions can only be considered useful if they’re actually providing meaningful information for the users. The value of some tests is more than a bit debatable, when some questions provide roughly the same information than you’d expect on a drivers license.

Myers-Briggs tests are the actual, accepted, acknowledged, industry standard,
They’re accepted because their results are consistent and verifiable. Some people have even used their Myers-Briggs results in their resumes and CVs, as references. It’s worth noting that everybody in the HR industry knows what a Myers-Briggs test result means.
The reason these career tests are so important is because people do need the information career tests are supposed to give them. If the tests don’t deliver, they’re either useless, or misleading, which could be worse than useless.

It’s strange, really, that the employers, trainers, colleges, and everyone else in the employment arena haven’t insisted on a compulsory, reliable, testing methodology for all students.

The single biggest decision people make in their lives is their career. They need all the help they can get to make an informed decision. They’re under a lot of pressure to make that decision. Many people would say they’re put under too much pressure, too soon, at a vulnerable stage of their lives.

What’s the point of having whole generations of people groping about blindly for a career path? The world is seriously short of trained people, and if career tests are going to be a guessing game with no rules and no responsibilities, the situation could get a lot worse.

A few points about career tests generally, so you can do some quality control.
Next time you take a test, be critical, be demanding, and have a look at the quality and relevance of the questions:

1. Did you find the conclusions of the test hard to accept?
2. If, after taking the test, do you think you’ve received answers which are relevant and useful?
3. Did you learn anything new, which you consider helpful?
4. Did you just get the same information you already had, in a different form?
5. Have you seen any of the material in those tests anywhere else?
6. Do you consider that the information gained from the test would influence your decision regarding a career?
7. What do you think the test should have asked you, regarding your preferences?
8. Did you think the test was dumbed down, or written for adults?
9. Were you confused by the test, and found it vague in its results?
10. Do you consider the overall quality of the test of a high or low standard?

Taking a test is one thing, interpreting it is another. It’s the interpretation that has to be done scientifically, and properly researched.

Not to overstate the problems, but if the interpretation’s wrong, what use is the test? The possibility for sending someone down the wrong track is too high to be considered acceptable.

All forms of testing are supposed to be done on a reliable basis, and when researched, they’re checked to make sure results are consistent. Tests are supposed to prove something.

The early aptitude tests were based on demonstrated skills and ability to reason and solve problems. Educational testing works very much the same way, throughout school and high school. In fact, just about every form of testing works entirely on that basis. Even job interviews contain very much the same elements.

Career tests aren’t supposed to be guesses. Nor should people be paying for the privilege of taking tests where even the basic methodology of the tests is dubious.
You don’t get a drivers license on the basis of saying you’d like to buy a car. Why should you do a medical degree on the basis of a test that indicates you’d probably be good at playing Doctors and Nurses?

The only good thing to be said for some tests is that they use the Myers-Briggs test as a sort of template. That, at least, if done properly, won’t be totally misleading, although it would still be nice to know if the people creating the tests are qualified.
Take the Myers-Briggs test anyway, from the Myers-Briggs people, even if it costs a few bucks. Think about the results, and read what they have to say about their tests. Myers-Briggs don’t claim omniscience, just science.

That’s how this sort of testing is supposed to be done. The people taking the tests are supposed to be better informed, not just pigeon holed.

You know how hard it is to find the right clothes that fit well. Usually they have to be tailored to you. Your preferences in style, color, comfort, and the overall look are big factors. People prefer to be able to choose according to their own ideas, too. Some people insist on their own personal style. Others feel quite insecure wearing the wrong clothes.

How hard is it likely to be to find the right career that fits you?


Screening Tests: Choosing the Right Employees for the Job
Psychological tests are commonly employed as aids in occupational decisions, including both individual counseling and institutional decisions concerning selection and classification of personnel.

Organizations in the business and industrial sectors, in the federal, state, and local levels of government, and in the different branches of the armed services use almost every type of available test in personnel decision making. Multiple aptitude batteries and special aptitude tests have often been developed for occupational purposes, as have the situational tests(the term was popularized during and following World Ward II, it shows certain basic similarities to the job-sample techniques employed in constructing occupational achievement tests and to the performance-based assessment of educational achievement. In this type of test, performance is evaluated primarily in terms of emotional, interpersonal, attitudinal, and other personality variables of the test taker(the applicant), that may be advantageous to the company, rather than in terms of abilities and knowledge.

One of the most enduring typological classifications was devised by Jung (1921/1971) and has served as the foundation for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Two of the most fundamental premises used in interpreting the results of the MBTI (as mentioned earlier, it can also be used for screening applicants as it is valuable to the applicants in choosing a career) are (a) that all types are valuable and necessary and have special strengths and vulnerabilities and (b) that all individuals are more skilled within their preferred functions, processes, and attitudes. These characteristics have contributed to the popularity of the MBTI and to its application for a variety of purposes, including career guidance, counseling, and team selection and development.

Validation of Employment Tests
From the standpoint of both employee and employer, it is obviously of prime importance that individuals be placed in jobs for which they have appropriate qualifications. Effective placement also implies that traits irrelevant to the requirements of the particular job should not affect selection decisions, either favorably or unfavorably. If a mechanical ability test requires a much higher level of reading comprehension than does the job, its use would not lead to the most effective utilization of the personnel for that job. The simple psychometric fact that test validity must be ascertained for particular uses of the test has long been familiar. It has acquired new urgency because of the widespread concern about job placement of culturally and educationally disadvantaged minorities. An invalid test or one that includes elements not related to the job under consideration may unfairly exclude minority group members who could perform the job satisfactorily.

One approach to personnel selection uses assessment procedures that resemble the job situation as closely as possible. This resemblance, however, can never be complete. A probationary appointment comes closest to being a true replica of the job. But even in this case, the shortness of the period and the knowledge that the appointment is probationary may influence worker behavior in a number of ways. Job samples represent another attempt to approximate actual job performance. Here, the task is actually a part of the work to be performed on the job, but the task and working conditions are uniform for all applicants.

Some tests employ simulation to reproduce the functions performed on the job. Simulations merge imperceptibly with job samples. Another method is the assessment center techniques, which have been used largely in evaluating managerial or administrative personnel. A distinctive feature of this approach is the inclusion of situational test, such as the in-basket, a technique adapted for testing executives in many contexts. Simulating the familiar “in-basket” found on the administrator’s desk, this test provides a carefully prepared set of incoming letters, memoranda, reports, papers to be signed, and similar items. Before taking the test, the examinee has the opportunity to study background materials for orientation and information regarding the hypothetical job. During the test proper, the task is to handle all the matters in the in-basket as the examinee would do on the job. Other assessment center techniques may employ roleplaying, group problem-solving, and business games. A common feature is the use of multiple assessors and peer ratings.

Job Analysis and the Job Element Method
Content validation of personnel selection tests depends on a thorough and systematic job analysis. To be effective, a job analysis must identify the requirements that differentiate a particular job from other jobs. It should also concentrate on those aspects of performance that differentiate most sharply between the better and the poorer workers.

The Prediction of Job Performance
Also, many organizations require forecasts of future job performance in order to make personnel selection and placement decisions. For these purposes, the techniques of synthetic validation and validity generalization increasingly have become the alternatives of choice.

Synthetic Validation
The concept of synthetic validation is based on the job element method premise that it is possible to identify skills, knowledge, and other performance requirements common to many different jobs. Synthetic validity has been defined as “the inferring of validity in a specific situation from a systematic analysis of job elements, and a combination elemental validities into a whole.

Validity Generalization
Originally developed by Schmidt and Hunter (1977), this approach permits the application of prior validity findings to a new situation through meta-analytic techniques.

The Criterion of Job Performance
Within each validation studies, a single convenient measure of job performance typically has been used to represent “the’ criterion, regardless of the purpose of the prediction process. One new model of job performance which promises to play an important heuristic role is the multiple factor theory that John P. Campbell and his coworkers have been developing in conjunction with the U.S. Army Selection and Classification Project. Initially, it makes some fundamental distinctions between those aspects of work evaluation that are under the control of the worker (i.e. the behaviors involved in job performance itself—and those that are not—for example, the consequence of job performance(effectiveness), its relative costs(productivity), and the value placed on each of these aspects by the organization(utility). With regard to job performance itself, any job entails multiple performance components (tasks) and that the determinants of each component consist of various combinations of knowledge, skill, and motivational elements within the worker.


Reference:

http://www.fadvassessments.com
http://www.assessment.com
http://www.qksrv.net
http://www.aboutcareereducation.com

ANASTASI, A., & URBINA, S. (1997). Psychological testing. (7th ed., pp. 288, 449, 490-509). Philippines: Simon & Schuster Asia Pte Ltd.