Swerved and Screwed Over from XPS

Hi, I'm AJ. TL Bebot's supposed-to-be-L2 then not anymore since I'm left in CBG Chat despite the announcement that I was already moving to XPS with her. I'm so royally pissed off with all these developments. Everything happened while I was on off and no one could provide me with a rationale as to why things happened except for "the powers that be".

I wasn't really looking forward to moving back to XPS, but I'm more accepting of the position now than when we were first sent there because 1.) I'm with TL Bebot, which makes the adjustment a little easier. 2.) I've already been with XPS, how much worse can it get than the first time? Now granting, I'm already listed and ready to go for XPS, when Hurrah! I get a text message from my TL that I'm not moving down with her, because I've been pulled back is beyond me. I called the boss [who I'm not sure, but probably made the decision] and mentioned that I have no choice. O rly? I went on dress down anyway because I didn't feel like complying. Yes, I'm cheap that way. I just got off the hook,

I got admonished [is that the term for nasermonan/napagsabihan] about my actions with endorsing the team on short notice and not to specific people because no one really looked after the team we left. I'm sorry, we were ON OFF AND I HAVE NO FREAKIN' IDEA AS TO WHO'S AROUND WHICH IS WHY I SENT THE EMAIL TO EVERYONE! I'm sorry, I was so steamed yesterday/early this morning. Read what I wrote and maybe it would be understood better.

I don't know. I feel so lost. It's as if I don't feel like working. I'm not sure, I felt a tad disappointed with the way things were handled. I'm still going to be in CBG Chat, which should make me happy, and under a TL I'm familiar with, but no, I am not happy.

I spoke to the team we'd be leaving behind, and apologized for the sudden changes and told them we really didn't have an idea that things would go down this way. If we knew, then we would have just let them sign their walking papers and bring them to XPS as well as they all wanted. Then again... "powers that be". I rest my case.

I couldn't dwell on these sad things, so, I'd rather just look forward and hope that things would turn out well moving forward. I'll miss being around TL Bebot. I spent over half this year with her in my first gig as an L2, and we get separated because of this? Take it away, Terence.

Terence: That's not cool!

Nuff said.

Recommended Reading: Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work

I just got my copy as a birthday gift from my bestest friend a couple of days ago. It is a very good read, as expected of Chicken soup books. I read it to keep me going despite the challenges of the job ahead. It keeps me motivated to do well despite some things that I consider to be unfair, and unprofessional in the workplace.



If one wonders why the series was ever called "Chicken Soup", here you go [credit goes to Wikipedia]:

The name "Chicken Soup" was chosen for this series because of the use of chicken soup as a home remedy for the sick.

Brock Lesnar is the UFC Heavyweight Champ

Yes, I did eat my humble pie after watching Randy Couture get beat in the second round last weekend. The underdog did not pull through this time, though for a certain time, he seemed like he had things going according to his plan, which is to keep Brock tied up in the corner. Turns out, there's more to that than just keeping that freak in the corner.

So, now what? Brock is the man, duplicating what Randy Couture did earlier in his career: win a championship by his fourth MMA fight. Randy did the same in 1997. It seems like a passing of the torch considering how everyone mentioned that Couture would be moving down again to Light Heavyweights and how much talent the Heavyweight division has right now which are very young. I'm not sure, but I'll bet that Brock vs. Couture 2 would come down the line sometime next year.

UFC 91 Prediction: Couture will beat Lesnar

As of right now, everyone who's into Mixed Martial Arts would be looking to see if former professional wrestler-turned-Mixed martial arts fighter Brock Lesnar would deliver and take UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture's Heavyweight Championship. Lesnar is considered as the favorite on this matchup due to his huge size and speed advantage, and the wrestling skills that are supposed to neutralize Randy Couture's equalizer. It comes with merit that Lesnar is a true freak of nature with regards to his amazing speed and strength. He dominated Heath Herring in his last fight, for crying out loud!

However, his opponent is someone who made a name at being the underdog. He seems to have, what, like a 90% win percentage as an underdog. He was the Heavyweight Champion and never lost before he left due to some contract disputes. He was never stripped of the title, too. Now that he's back, he's billed once again as an underdog. He's 45 years old and he's bound to lose these odds eventually, but critics have been saying that for 5 years and he's still winning. I won't really bet against Couture despite the huge disadvantage.

As Dana White himself mentioned during the preview for this fight, Randy Couture is a master tactician and can take advantage of the slightest mistakes of his opponents. Looking at Brock Lesnar, he has lost a fight to a veteran despite looking dominant. Remember Frank Mir? He became too aggressive, he forgot to defend himself and he lost via submission. That's one of the things he needs to address to ensure that he'd have a better chance of winning.

Thank You

To you.

I'd like to take this time to write this simple blog entry to thank you for making me feel as good as I've been for the past few months. I've gone to great lengths I hardly thought I'd ever go to with you. Thank you for making me feel super for all this time. It got me over a lot of the foolishness that I've gotten myself into and you taught me a lot of lessons in a way that only you could have.

I'm not sure what happened exactly, but it seems that you've moved on to other things and you really have gone your own way. We'd still see each other, but the feeling is no longer there. It's as if we agreed that we would no longer be the same, except that I wasn't told of anything.

I could get emotional here, and you know that I do have the tendency to do that, but I won't. I wouldn't make this into a rant and a cry-over-spilled-milk letter anymore. You did what you felt you had to do. I might never get the reason why you changed the way you treat me, and that is okay. I'll never claim to understand. I'll just say, it's what you wanted, apparently.

Thank you. For caring, for the love, for all the times you listened, and got me through the trying times. I no longer want to feel that I was left alone again, left in the air by what you suddenly did, but cold shoulder, getting cold feet, or what-not, I'm thankful for being close to me, for that super time I had when I'm with you. Thank you.

OMG~! Project PTC update

Well, after months of testing out if there is really a money making opportunity to be had online, here's the result:



Well, it ain't much, but I didn't spend anything for it, so I'll take it. My overall assessment of this paid-to-click industry would be for people who are damn popular and can get hoards of people to join as their referrals. If you have that capability, then you can earn a sizeable amount on a regular basis. Other than that, it takes way too long to earn enough credit to cashout. Like me, I didn't have any referrals and had to click away at advertisements till I reached the minimum.

So there. Just thought I'd share it.

Got Coffee?

Funny logo I found browsing around my normal reading places:



This should be cool in repackaging our local products for export. Haha.

Credit goes to Jessica Zafra over at her blog.

No, Miss Palin. Being close to Russia doesn't count as foreign policy experience.

The title above is based on a remark that Sarah Palin allegedly mentioned that she has foreign policy experience because the state where she came from [she's the governor of Alaska] is close to Russia. I just find it funny.

Thanks to a peculiar sleeping habit, sleeping at 4:30AM, I woke up at around 9AM just before my dad left to do some groceries with my aunt. I stayed at home and watched Game 2 of the Major League Baseball World Series. I'm rooting for the Tampa Bay Rays to win it all this year seeing that they overcame the defending champions Red Sox and my personal pick at the start of the season, New York Yankees. I enjoyed watching the game, though the only gripe I have with the game is that it takes so long to finish. The average game time is around 3 hours, so its not for everyone.

I finally got to finish reading The Bourne Betrayal today and it was a really good read if you're into that genre. I stayed online for a good part of the afternoon chatting with a lot of people [which doesn't happen often, mind you]. Former teammates, wavemates, and close friends were all online so I was able to somewhat catch up with what's happening with them.

I went out and had dinner with my bestest friend. It was just a short meeting, a little bit of catching up with each other. After the past few times wherein our plans didn't go through, this one did and this time, she's the one who waited for me, mind you though, not because I'm late. It's because she was so early. Before 9PM, I'm back at home, to the surprise of even my dad. Haha.

It's my college friend Lou Bryan's birthday today. There were initial plans to meet up and celebrate but I'm not sure if it pushed through. No matter, I'll just take the chance to greet him anyway. Happy Birthday! Hawohey~!

What else to do? Hm. Time to head over and watch Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart report the political news. Someone might note that it both Colbert and Stewart are comedians and not really news reporters, but then again, they make more sense than what most people come up with these days anyway, and in a more entertaining fashion.

TOIC Assessment Thoughts

So, in roughly 7 hours from now, I'll be sitting in a room with 13 other hopefuls taking a written assessment to become one of the five new TOICs for our Program. It is a huge moment for me because a.) It means I'm really leaving behind the TSR level and I'm per se, a manager if I make it and b.) It means that it's another step in my career in eTelecare.

With those in mind, there are thoughts that keep swirling in my head. A part of me is concerned because I'm not sure if I'm ready to fill the shoes of the leaders that I'll be expected to fill. I mean, all the leaders I've been under have their own distinct methodologies and styles to build their team. I feel that I have nothing of that whatsoever. I expect a lot out of a leader, and I'm sure that the same would be expected of me if I'm placed in the same shoes.

Another part of me knows that this would be the next step for me to take. I am quite happy that an opportunity like this presented itself. I mean, how often do you get a chance to move up the ladder? If I have to guess, not so often. With so many people leaving [I have my own theory there, but it heavily involves the terms Shift Teng and Trend Micro... haha!], now is the time for me to step up and grab the opportunity and see how I'll stack up. It gives me the opportunity to evaluate how I've fared so far and improve from there.

When TL Bebot offered to put my name for assessment, she told me of her experience that was similar to mine. She was an L2 as well before, and within 6 months, she had her own team. The question that she asked was: Did my TL recommend me because I'm ready or is it because the opportunity is here and it's a waste not to take?

Productivity > Negativity

It's a boring day, and I had nothing much to do. I tried writing a blog for my Multiply account, but I wasn't able to finish that. I might've been so bored that I opened up my Friendster account for the first time in over a month. My friendster account seems to be nothing more than a placeholder of my existence there. I hardly use it, and I don't update it anymore. I use Multiply for basically everything that I could use Friendster for.

 

So, enough with that and onto Friendster. I just got a couple of friend requests from former teammates and aptly processed them on their way. I checked out some of my friends' profiles and stumbled into one that boggled my mind juuuuuuust a little bit mainly because I've known this person quite well and she seems to be a very bitter person who seem to never get over the negativity in her past. She never gets tired of talking about her ex, her dad's mistress, how everything bad seems to come her way and her never ending obsession with resigning because she feels she's not being treated right. I was in her Friendster profile, just roaming around when I read this:

 

"I don't want to be alone. I want to be surrounded by happy people."

 

Isn't it ironic that a person who doesn't want to be alone, and wants to be surrounded by happy people is such a negative grouch? It's like asking for respect but not giving it yourself. It cannot be achieved by wishing ill will to other people, that much is for sure. Logic and positivity doesn't work with this person, that much I can assure you. One could not draw happiness [and in effect, happy people] in one's life by being so negative. It reeks of a huge ego, and being self-centered.

 

I liked this person for a time, and at first I was amused with her attitude. Straight to the point. However, she's too darn straight and pessimistic with everything. It's one thing to wish the death of another human being, when you are kidding around, and a completely different thing to really want it done. I tried my hardest and I tried to pull out all the stops to make her feel special and happy, but I guess that doesn't work with everyone. It doesn't mean that I gave up on the person, it is just that I don't want to do something for someone who doesn't want me around or is seemingly contented with the negativity. Hey, if it floats their boat, then so be it.

 

So, I'll opt to spend my efforts elsewhere, where it would be more productive, and I could think of myself for a change. I worry that for the past few months or so, I've gone out of my way for everyone and their dog to make them happy. I do not regret anything I've done because for the most part, it has turned out well and I'm also happy as a result. This person just made me realize how thin I may be spreading myself. I just want to focus on myself a little more this go-round. I don't want to leave myself behind and just always sacrifice for others. I may be a good person, but I'm no saint, either.

 

On Being Stood Up

For the last week or so, I've asked two girls out for a date. One is my bestest friend (I know, don't lecture me on how exaggerated the term "bestest" is, but it is a term of endearment) and the other is my former agent, who I'm still trying to understand what she is to me and what I am to her, really. Guess what, I didn't have any dates. None. Zilch. Zero. Not having a date was not the issue. Despite the fact that they agreed beforehand about it. Yes, I got stood up.

First, there was Cheng who was asking me what time I normally take my lunch. I told her I took it at around 3AM, but apparently it didn't work with her schedule, so we agreed to meet up after her shift [8AM, three hours after mine ends] and have breakfast together. We had it set down and we were constantly checking up on each other through email and instant messaging [one of the few perks I truly enjoy as part of the support group]. After my shift ended, she was asking as to what I'll be doing to pass the time. I told her I'll be sleeping for a bit. We agreed to it. She gave me a heads up that she didn't have her phone at the time and we'd have to communicate via our respective Messengers again. Fine, no problem. I slept until 7:30AM, giving me a bit of a headstart. I logged in again, but poof. She's gone from the messenger and I'm left waiting for almost an hour without any response. All I got the next day was a sappy explanation saying that she went straight home at 8AM. She didn't even inform me of any change of plans or apologized for any miscommunication. I don't want to get mad at her. I'm not sure if she forgot [but I mean... really?], but this is the second time that I got left up in the air on my own. The first time, she said she fell asleep in the office. Yeah. Kinda sucks, no?

Then there was Tintin. It was my day off and she had her shift in the office. I contacted her the day before asking if she wanted to have lunch with me after her shift, so that it wouldn't have any conflict with her schedule. She agreed. Next day came, and when I told her of the time, she just said she'd rather just sleep because she's feeling.. sleepy. Uhm, ok. So, I spent another day moping around at home with nothing to do aside from browsing the internet, and running around the compound for no apparent reason [It couldn't be exercise].

I feel dejected this week because of these developments. It seems that the people I like tend to avoid me, maybe its just me but then again, who can blame me? I've gone through a lot of things like this before but it still stings everytime it happens. Did I do something? Said anything? Yes, it sucks. I am upset because it seems that I'm being avoided. I feel hurt. I know that this paragraph is so exaggeratedly useless because I started ragging and ranting already. I already have enough concerns with my current position and team because of the virtual nosebleed sessions I get when I'm supporting them, and this is an unwanted add-on. So, there. I said it. I'm upset, though I never told both of them anything about it.

I took comfort from my superfriends Lyn and Diane. They are like my voices of reason, providing rationale in the seemingly messed up situations I get myself into. They're like my pillows on each side of my bed: they keep me from falling down. Though if I drool on either one of them, I'll probably get hurt. ^_^ V. I resolved myself not to worry about those things anymore because it's done, and in the past. Things could have gone a lot better, but there's no crying over spilled milk. I should just clean up whatever mess I have, and just take it from there.

Being stood up has been a truly humbling experience for me. It seemed that things were going my way for a little while, then this brings me crashing back down to Earth in an instant. Come to think of it, its not just the thought of being stood up that stings, it's also the thought that the people who you thought would come through for you would be the ones to leave you up in the air, without any real reason. It's one thing to be told of what would happen, its another thing to just be left waiting and moping. Then again, I hope its just me.

Breakfast at Kopi Roti

It's another boring trek home, and I wasn't even able to get some sleep beforehand. One glance at the fingerscan machine tells me its already 9AM, a good four hours since my scheduled logoff time. I don't have anyone to take the trip home with me today, so I was thinking of eating somewhere new, for a change. I remembered an old tip of my former teammate MJ. She said that the bread in Kopi Roti is wonderful and its worth visiting sometime. We planned to visit it before, but never got around to doing so. That was over a year and a half ago. With nothing much to do aside from sleeping, I hopped on a cab and headed to Kopi Roti in Katipunan, a quick 10 minute trip from our office in Eastwood.

Quick note: Kopi Roti originated in Singapore. Kopi = Coffee and Roti = Bread.

The closest branch was in Katipunan Avenue, in Quezon City, relatively close, but out of the public transportation's reach [I mean Jeepneys and tricycles]. The place itself is not too big; a few tables inside and much more set up outside. I was all alone, so I settled in the closest seat to the door.



I ordered myself a Kopi Bun, soft boiled eggs [which looked weird in the picture], and a cup of Kopi. I got charged for 105Php for the whole meal. There were a few people inside and most of the patrons are outside in the open area. I did not want to be outside since the branch was located along the busy streets of Katipunan, where cars drive by nonstop for most of the day [imagine the pollution].







I settled in and had a good breakfast. The Kopi Bun, the store's specialty is like a giant pandesal with a very creamy filling. The bread is very soft in the inside but the crust is very crunchy and chewy. It was very filling and the Kopi compliments it quite nicely.

The soft boiled eggs were something I'm not too crazy of. It was okay, but definitely not worth the price in my opinion. For 35Php, you get two soft-boiled eggs with what seems to be soy sauce and white pepper powder. It was a unique take on how to flavor the egg, but definitely not what drives the people to Kopi Roti.

After breakfast, I was thinking of dessert, but the Katipunan branch apparently doesn't serve the desserts in the pictures of their menu. Too bad, there seemed to be something really nice I wanted to try out. Oh well. ^_^

Project PTC

For awhile now, I've been researching online on things you can do to earn money online without pulling out any cash. Many of the sites I've been through sells "programs" to make me rich. Crossed those out. Others require you to install programs on your computer to forward your surfing habits to advertisers. X that out! Then, I ran into some sites that pay you to view advertisements for 30 seconds then give you $0.01 for each ad you view. Hm. Interesting, and no cash out too. Sure, 1 cent is low, but then again, you're not investing anything, except maybe a few minutes everyday. So, here I am on a little project to see if these Paid-to-Click (PTC) sites are for real.

I joined two sites for now, and I'll update this if anything happens when I reach the minimum for a payout. I'm posting the referral links, just in case you'd like to try out yourself. You wouldn't lose anything by joining under my referral, and it would hasten the process of me reaching the minimum payout level [which is at around $5.00, I think]. Anyway, here you go.

Why are there no menu, tabs or scrollbars when I open Task Manager in Windows XP?

When you open up Task Manager in Windows XP, there is no title bar, menu bar, or program tabs showing. Only the running applications, End Task, Switch To, and New Task buttons show up.

This problem is easy to fix, the Task Manager is running in "tiny footprint mode". To correct this, simply double-click on the border around the window and it will return to its normal state. To place task manager back in "tiny footprint mode" again, double click again on the border around the window.

AVG 8.0 error - A .bin file is missing

I just encountered a new issue with AVG 8.0 Free version. My system automatically performs updates with it, and suddenly, an error came up saying that a .bin file is missing. I was a bit worried at first because I thought I blew something up [oh noes!], but no. It's a known issue with the update manager component.

Here's what to do:

Download this:

Do a manual update and you should be all set. If it doesn't work, wait until tomorrow when AVG releases a newer update to address this. Hehe! ^_____^ V

Anti Theft Chip for Portables

Intel is currently working on a new technology to deter laptop theft. It has something to do with a chip that would disable the computer if it gets stolen. As to how exactly it would work is still not clear.

First thought that came to my mind was... great! Someone finally thought of adding a chip on the notebook that could possibly deter laptop theft. A few minutes after, I came to remember LoJack's anti theft software. So I guess it doesn't really recover that many laptops, eh?

Gasol goes to the Lakers

Sources around the league are reporting that the Los Angeles Lakers have acquired Memphis Grizzlies center Pau Gasol in a trade for 2 players and two no.1 draft picks.

It is said that Kwame Brown, rookie guard Javaris Crittenton, and two future number one picks would be sent to the Grizzlies in exchange for the Grizzlies' top scorer.

I don't see much reason as to why the Grizzlies agreed to the deal, especially since they drafted a quality point guard in Mike Conley Jr., plus it has been known so well that Kwame Brown is a bust. The only consolation is that Brown's contract is done at season's end and they can get $9 million in salary cap space.

The Lakers in the meantime got the Grizzlies' franchise player in exchange for a few pieces that they weren't using that much. The timing is really good too, considering that they have struggled since Andrew Bynum went down with an injury two weeks ago. Once healthy, these Lakers should be considered among the contenders.

So I guess the Grizzlies would be rebuilding while the Lakers are going all-in while Kobe Bryant is still in his prime. I hope it works out well for both teams in the long run. Now Kobe's got no reason to complain that management isn't surrounding him with talent. Haha.

Nadal and Federer fall, is this the end of an era?

Australian Open 2008 update: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer both got dismantled in their respective semifinal matches. This is the best showing of Rafael Nadal in a major grand slam outside of the French Open, but he became yet another name in the list of giants slain by unknown Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Roger Federer hasn't been setting the world on fire this Australian Open, but he's been winning. This not-so-A game wasn't enough this time around as Novak Djokovic got a measure of revenge over the dismantling he got from the Fed during the U.S. Open 2007 finals.

Now, what? This is a final no one saw coming. Here's my prediction: Tsonga would win tomorrow and be like Gustavo Kuerten, who was an unknown player when he won the French Open and became a top ten player. He won't become the World number one, but he'd be there in the top ten. I'm not sure about the ratings, but I'm guessing that Novak Djokovic would go to number 2 and Nadal falls to number 3.

Does this mean that the Federer/Nadal era is over? Hardly. This is just one major tournament. If the French Open comes along and neither one is in the final, then let's talk about a new era.

10:00AM Manila Time is the scheduled match between Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic. I say that Sharapova wins this major just because of the dominance she has shown. If you get the world number one Henin to lose 0-6, then yes, I'll pick you to win the tournament.

Women's World number one falls to Sharapova

Justin Henin falls to Maria Sharapova, 4-6 0-6 in the Australian Open. It is a matchup of two players I expect to go far in the tournament and either one winning was fine with me. What surprised me with this is that Justin Henin seemingly lost in an easy manner, being beaten 6-0 in the second set. With defending champion Serena Williams booted out of the tournament, I fully expect Maria Sharapova to come out strong and win the tournament, despite Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic still on the draw.

The Fed gets pushed to the limit on the third round of Australian Open '08

I was about to take a bath when I happened to catch a part of the action from the third round of the Australian Open. It had Roger Federer, the king of tennis, playing against the world number 49 Janko Tipsarevic. At first, I thought there was some sort of typo on the scores. It showed that it was 2 sets apiece and Roger Federer was trailing 7-6, though he's the one on the serve. The commentators spoke up and it was correct; Roger Federer is trailing on the fifth set on the third round of the Australian Open. That can't be right. Against an unseeded player, no less.

I watched for a bit and saw two things that probably caught my eye as to why The Fed was trailing. His backhand wasn't working as efficiently as it normally does [he hit the ball into the net over and over during important stretches], and that Tipsarevic has a knack for hitting shots with difficult angles on them. The fifth set of a Grand Slam tournament in Tennis does not have a tiebreaker, so one has to break serve. I personally was hoping that Tipsarevic would somehow upend Federer just so that I can see an upset, and he seemed determined to do so as well. That was until the 17th game of the deciding set.

The score was 8-8, Tipsarevic to serve. Roger Federer just whomped through the last game, service ace after ace [he had two aces and two serves that didn't get returned] to even the match. Tipsarevic raced to a 40-0 lead and seemed to be on his way to putting the pressure back to the Fed. Then, something happened. Federer fought back again and dominated. He had two break opportunities and he converted on the second one. The last game was just gravy as the King proved once again why he is the man to beat. He calmly served and dominated the last game en route to a spot to the round of 16. It was a great match to see.

The match itself lasted 4 hours and 27 minutes. Is this a chink in the Fed's seemingly invincible armor? We'll see. People who watched the match should take note that even if Federer wasn't on his A-game, he wouldn't be pushed to the limit by an unseeded player like Tipsarevic. People need to watch that match again to see what he was doing right.

I'm all for Rafael Nadal winning this tournament. I've seen more than enough Federer winning everything outside of the French Open and I'm tired of watching Nadal winning ONLY that Grand Slam year in and year out. I'll hope that Nadal and his giant arms would once again flap the normally unflappable king of tennis, Roger Federer.