Pedro's galaxy

Happy Birthday to me!

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:54:59 GMT

I'm 27 today! Best of all, people say I don't look my age :) . Best compliment anyone could ever have.

-pap64

The Bullshit Line

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 19:32:19 GMT

Recently, I stopped reading the online blog of a well known videogame analyst; Sean Malstrom. What caused me to stop reading his articles? He crossed what I like to call "The Bullshit Line". The Bullshit Line is an area of disrespect and disagreement caused by an opinion I refuse to accept or the person goes too far in explaining an idea or comment. This line I used to judge online analysts, commentators, reviewers and anyone that deals with opinion. If they cross the bullshit line they are done. Nothing in the entire world will convince me to go back.

Who have crossed the line so far? Go Nintendo, Sean Malstrom, Yahtzee of Zero Punctuation, The Nostalgia Critic and VG Cats.

Who have yet to cross the line? The Game Overthinker and The Angry Videogame Nerd. The Game Overthinker, however, is in a dangerous stance and may cross the bullshit line if he watches what he says. The AVGN has graciously stayed out of the line because even when he gets opinionated he confesses that his opinion doesn't reflect everyone's and actually posts facts so his information is less bullshit.

Now, how can these people avoid crossing the bullshit line? First, don't go overboard with your opinion. You may have the right to say what's on your mind, but not everything thought is valid and acceptable. Second, always be humble even in fame. One trend I notice with these guys is that once they gain popularity they think they own the internet and do whatever the hell they want and it ends up ruining their work. Yahtzee, for example, I thought was an excellent reviewer and a great, if cynical, alternative to the hype creating gaming media. But once he got famous and the imitators rose he just became more and more cynical to the point where it wasn't believable anymore and just started making bullshit claims to "please the fans".

Third, avoid bias. Malstrom lost me when he started placing old games on a pedestal and used that as a foundation for his analysis. Its understandable that all of us as thinking, reasonable human beings we tend to have preferences and love to express it. But when you tend to push that bias onto people and try to pass it off as fact then it gets annoying.

Note that I don't use this to judge people in general. This is mainly for people whose sole purpose is to comment on recent events and offer ideas and thoughts that we can use on our own thought processes. So don't worry, I'm not THAT judgmental. :p

-pap64

Huh, so I am the dumb smart guy...

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:44:35 GMT

The other day one of my classmates made a comment about my person that I found interesting...

We were talking about a curriculum design assignment and I mentioned how I suspected mine was full of mistakes and it likely was going to need fixing before it gets approved by the professor.

Then one of my classmates says "Oh don't be fooled by him. He might look lost and confused but he actually knows his stuff and ends up winning in the end".

I found this to be interesting because its true. I usually start being lost and confused when I am introduced to something new. Yet in the end I gain enough knowledge to surpass even my own expectations.

I think this is a good thing. Its best for people to think you are dumb and not worth abusing much than people seeing some smarts and using it to their advantage.

Of course, I am too smart for that :p .

-pap64

Real adulthood

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:27:13 GMT

Recently, I realized something when an older woman called me a "kid", even though I am in the process of entering my 30s.

By law, when you turn 21 you are an adult. You are allowed to drink, to vote, to drive and many other things that "adults" are allowed to do by law. When children turn this age they realize that they are now adults.

To me, just being 21 and older doesn't make you an adult. In fact you are still just a kid, except now you are entering the next phase of human life and are learning the responsibilities that come with being an adult, both socially and emotionally.

I notice this because even though people my age are adults they still...

- Throw tantrums when something don't go their way
- They are still prone to whining
- They still worry about being part of a social clique
- They are still in the process of discovering the opposite sex
- They still dream big
- They complain about adult responsibilities
- They worry about health, even the smallest illness is enough to worry
- And the biggest one of all... they want to be taken seriously as adults

From my experience older adults tend to avoid these grievances. That's because they have lived enough to know better. They already lived what we are just beginning to experience and likely know the consequences. They are ready so to speak.

So what I am getting at is that many of us in our 20s and 30s may be adults in the legal sense but mentally we are still kids growing up.

Of course, there are old people who still have the mentality of a 20 year old and will likely act like that. Its all in the mind and in the heart.

There's nothing wrong with being a kid. I say just have fun and learn from your experiences.

Just a little thought for ya'll .

-pap64

A great accomplishment

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:10:13 GMT

Wow. I have once again slacked off with my updates. A lot has happened since my last entry, so here it goes...

I have accomplished one of my biggest goals in my masters' degree classes; complete the first three chapters of a thesis being a freshman in my masters'.

Here's the whole story...

The university made the mistake of enrolling me in an online class which is actually meant for students who are nearing the end of their classes and about to start their thesis (the final requirement for acquiring the degree). I didn't realize I was in the wrong class until we started talking about the theme of the investigation and I had no idea what I was doing. It got so bad that I had to go personally talk to the teacher and see what we could do.

In the end, the class was already paid for and I am the type of guy who doesn't give up even if the odds are against him. So I decided to get help, learn a little more about how to write a thesis and spent the month of May working on it.

I am very happy to say that I successfully passed the class and while the paper only got an 86 the fact that I did it with very little information, knowledge of the subject and little experience with a thesis I was able to do a pretty damn good job!

Not to toot my own horn but I am very happy to know that I can do anything if I just put my mind into doing it.

This is going to be one interesting masters' course. I am sure of it.

-pap64

Great day, bad ending

Sun, 10 May 2009 06:11:43 GMT

Don't you just hate it when you have a day that goes exceptionally well until something happens that ruins it?

Today was a really good day, great even. I got mom some nice clothes that she liked and I helped my dad buy her a gift for mother's day. Then we all attended a special mother's day event that was held in the square and my sister even won 50 dollars in a raffle!

So just as we thought the day had ended while I was in my room I heard a cat screech, then I heard a lot of running and what sounded like one of my dogs was biting and hitting something. I run to their pen and look over and it turns out they had killed a kitten. It seems the kitten was walking over the hedge of the pen and fell in.

We were extremely devastated because we thought it was one of the kittens we have been feeding and taking care off for weeks now. My dad confirmed that it wasn't one of them. So even if some of our worry faded its still pretty heartbreaking to know that a kitten died.

Mom was extremely angry at the dogs, but I can't bring myself to hate them. See, they've never been taught to socialize with other people and animals. So whatever gets into their pen is attacked, whether it is a human, a chicken, a bird, a cat or hell even another dog. They were basically acting out of instinct and even protection.

Even though the kitten wasn't my own I still feel deeply saddened by the event. It was one of those moments you wish you could have prevented but you can too late.

This is exactly why I refuse to let any of my cats out. I know that they could encounter the same situation as this poor kitten and be killed.

Now I need some cheering up...

-pap64

Nintendo World Report Reviews

Fri, 01 May 2009 05:46:26 GMT

Like I mentioned a few entries ago I became a staff writer for Nintendo World Report, formerly known as Planet Gamecube. While I've been doing a lot of stories and previews the biggest assignments are reviews, especially since we get review copies from many companies.

Here are my first two reviews:
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars DS
Monsters vs. Aliens Wii

I'm very proud of my reviews. Right now I am working on my third assignment. I'll post that later.

I like being a staff writer!!!!! XD

-pap64

One question; One Honest Answer Challenge

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:47:41 GMT

I saw this on Alex's blog so I decided to try it for myself...

1 question.
1 chance.
1 honest answer.
That's all you get.

Any question, anything, no matter how crazy, dirty, or wrong it is.

But I dare you to repost this.
And see what people ask you!

So go ahead, any curiosity you may have about me will be answered. Ask away.

-pap64

KITTEH MAULINGS!

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 04:40:05 GMT

I is upset right now :( .

There was a cat fight outside the house and my cat Garfield got anxious. When he was watching it through the window he was breathing heavily and his heart was pounding. When I put him on the floor...HE MAULED MY LEGS!

In the three years that I've owned him this is the first time he attacks me. I don't understand why. I didn't attack him, annoyed him or said anything to upset him. The only logical explanation is that he wanted to view the fight and when I dropped him he just went nuts!

I'm so upset... :(

-pap64

Work update and a surprise...

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:34:34 GMT

Its been a while since I've updated about my job.

Well, last Monday was my "last" day with my students. Their hours were complete that day. It was pretty bad. Not because of the kids, they were fine. But because of ALL the paperwork I had to endure. It turns out that I made a mistake in all of the attendance forms so I had to start ALL OVER AGAIN, and hunt down the signatures of my students and their parents. This was bad because the company is very strict with the paperwork. If they see just one tiny mistake they will stop all work and demand for it to be fixed, or else none of the teachers get paid.

But on the plus side, I've got to meet many parents and see my students in their natural habitat. Most surprising of all, I realized that my students actually liked the classes! They kept telling me how they were upset when classes were over and were happy to see me one last time in their home. I even saw my own work on display in their fridges!

Overall, all the paperwork has been finished and now I wait till they tell us the date of the party. I really, really hope nothing shows up...

In other news...
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=18218
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=18217
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=18214

Just read who wrote these articles...

If you can't figure out find out next time.

-pap64

A very moving moment.

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:06:27 GMT

So today Easter Sunday me and my parents witnessed a very rare and wonderful moment of human kindness.

We went to Walgreens to buy some last minute stuff for my students. When we entered there was a young, homeless man in the entrance, looking in pretty bad shape. When we finished our shopping we step outside and we see a priest and his two daughters giving him food, money, a drink and the most important thing; words of courage, hope and faith.

It was quite the scene. Everybody who was at that store saw the guy, but probably didn't notice him till they saw the priest helping him. And it was very selfless. The young man looked pretty dirty, had many scars and probably had diseases on him. But that didn't stop the priest from putting his hand on his shoulder and head.

This was a fascinating moment that everyone should have seen. We live in a time in which people put anger, uncertainty and fear above hope, optimism and faith. They start to believe that humans are no longer capable expressing those feelings to each other. This is helped by the media who show nothing but bad news for the sake of ratings. But once we see moments like this we finally realize, if briefly, that we can make a difference, that we do care for each other and that love can reign over all.

I took pictures of this scene with my celphone so I can show my students and everyone else in my life to show that we can be more than just creatures filled with anger, that even for a moment love can be stronger than any other feeling in the world.

Lots of work!

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 05:05:54 GMT

PHEW!

In the last few hours I've been doing the following...
- Printing out tomorrow's class assignments
- Copying tomorrow's story to discuss
- Filling out a progress sheet for each student (that's 8)
- Completing each student's attendance sheet
- Checking out their workbooks and notebooks and see if they are complete and correct
- Saving today's work for those that missed today's class
- Print out some important forms
- Finally, checking out any stuff to do for my Master's classes

...And despite being tired, I am very happy to get everything done. Why? Because if my boss asks for something I can say "Oh, its already done".

Its just feels calming and satisfying knowing that all of the work is done, that you don't have to worry about rushing at the last minute. It gives me more time to relax after work. The more work I can complete early the better.

Maybe its just me, though. I admit I can sometimes be a workaholic, especially if I have the energy and mood for it.

Its something that my old New Hampshire chef and boss Leslie Reynolds told me; if you aren't satisfied with your work, make sure to completely finish it. You will feel better afterwards.

I say he's right. :)

-pap64

Revolutionaries?

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 04:34:37 GMT

I usually don't get political in my blog, simply because I hate politics and don't have the mind or the will to enjoy them. But last Friday during my first Master's class a classmate mentioned something that sparked my interest and I can't help but put in my two cents about it...

The topic was about the history of education in Puerto Rico, starting with the Spaniards and Indians and ending with our current regime.

The important thing touched upon this class is that when Spain lost Puerto Rico to the US in the Hispanic War the educational system completely changed, one that nearly forced the American lifestyle onto its poor and ignorant people.

In the 50s a revolution happened. A group of revolutionaries decided to stand up against the American Government ruling the Island at the time and forced them to give us the independence to run our Island our way.

Its a very long and convoluted story so I'll leave it there. But here's what makes things interesting. The classmate said the following; "Has anyone noticed that the people who are against the American Government are very highly educated individuals who have made their lives abroad and especially the US and return home to oppose the one system that HELPED them get the knowledge they need?"

Going even further, he mentioned that these revolutionaries didn't really help things as Puertorican education has been stilted by politics since then.

What happened is that early schools were very American. English was the only language spoken, the American flag was always respected and most of the knowledge imposed on the children were based on common American beliefs (from Holidays to Politics). When the revolution started all of this was debated, questioned and to a certain extend eliminated from our schools, leaving English as an optional second language rather than the obligatory idiom needed to get an education.

What my classmate suggest is that ever since this ended Puertorican education has not evolved to the same extend as the education in other countries, even those with a poor political climate. You still can't teach a kid English and they likely can't speak Spanish well either.

In other words; in their fight against the American Government these revolutionaries stilted our educations and limited its options, creating today's awkward regime. Ironically, many schools are named after these people and are considered heroes, when in fact they were merely looking to satisfy their agendas, not pleasing their people.

This is why I tend to question revolutionaries. Not saying that revolutions aren't needed. In fact, in Americans didn't have the courage to stand up against the English government they wouldn't be the powerful Country they are today. But the thing is that this revolution was made with the PEOPLE in mind. Yes, beliefs were also mixed in, but it was about giving people the freedom to run their country, create their laws and mold its history.

Many revolutionaries are just upset at certain beliefs and just want to attack the source, NOT thinking about the people involved. Very few care about their people. They just want their egos satisfied, especially since the ignorant will see THEM as the heroes.

I can't speak for American revolutionaries, but I can tell you that many of today's modern Puertorican revolutionaries are just angry people who want their belief to be heard, even if its at the cost of our freedom.

Really, what does climbing to the top of the Statue of LIberty and raising the Puertorican Flag do? You may hate the fact that the American Government run our island, but what do YOU suggest we as people do to prove our worth as people?

None of this gets answered or addressed. All they care about is that their egos are satisfied and agendas are met, the people be damned. And worst, the ignorant will applaud them as heroes when there are far more important people that are truly being heroes that being the best at what they are.

Did you know that in the recent Space mission there's a Puertorican astronaut, the first one in fact? Not to mention that one American Idol contestant was Puertorican and in the recent International Baseball leagues the Puertorican team came pretty damn far against the world.

I say this because there's a likely chance that these people won't get the credit they deserve and be placed among "revolutionaries" who think are helping the island but are really just helping their egos inflate more.

Sorry for this being too political but my classmate made a really good point and I can't help but agree with it.

-pap64

OMG FIRST PAYCHECK!

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 06:44:46 GMT

One of the nice surprises of the week was me getting my first paycheck! It was surprising because they had told me we would get paid at the end of the tutoring session. But my boss came by and told me she had a surprise for me and lo and behold, there it was! It made me all kinds of glee on the inside!

But I now feel bitter because I nearly spent all of it. Its like I didn't have a chance to fully enjoy it, or buy something FUN.

This first paycheck was basically spent buying the needs. First, I needed a new printer because my old die refused to print in either color or black and no matter what I did to it the printer refused to properly worked. It was one of the reasons I had such a bad week; many of my lesson plans and activities required the printer. So on the morning that I cashed my check I went a bough a new one right away.

It doesn't help that I could have gotten the same model for a far better price, but I was so, so rushed and so NEEDY for a printer that I just bought it no questions asked.

I then had to pay my health insurance because at the moment I was not insured and due to some nasty coughs lately better be safe than sorry.

The last big purchase was a nice, big executive chair for my computer station. My old chair broke years ago, but due to ingenuity and elbow grease me and my dad were able to keep it running...till it finally decided to break down and die. So for the last few months I've been using a small lawn chair. I am amazed I was able to go this long without having back and neck injuries.

Then I just bought some flea treatment for my kitties, a big bag of food, some batteries, paper and underwear.

By the end of the day I was down to 50 dollars, more or less.

*Sigh...

They need to pay me a big wad of cash, though. So hopefully I'll be able to get my wants and be happy with my paycheck!

-pap64

First day of my Master's

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 05:18:41 GMT

Well, this is it. Today I go back to school after a one year hiatus. My first class starts at 5. I hope that I made the right decision and this actually helps me in my career. I am worried that things might get harder, but this is the whole reason behind my decision.

Wish me luck!

-pap64

Bad day at work

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:50:06 GMT

Looks like Al is not the only one with bad days around here!

Even though today was a pretty bad day the whole week in general has been bad. My printer died on me, I wasted a lot of money on ink and paper and I couldn't do a proper class because of it.

Yesterday and today were definitely the worst days at my job yet. I simply CANNOT tell the kids to work on their individual notebooks because otherwise they lose it and its chaos at the zoo. All that we need is crap flinging and we are set...

Seriously though today was really, really bad. One girl started crying because I separated her from her friend, despite the fact that all that she was doing was being a pest, one kid REFUSED to be seated inside and only worked around, a group of girls just started doing whatever the hell they wanted and no matter what I did, said or even threatened to do I just lost them completely...

The worst part is that this leads me with my confidence shattered and I wonder if the problem is me or the kids. I didn't have days like this before. In fact up until this week things were running very smoothly!

I think that once I have an organized class from start to finish they finally begin to roll on. But since my printer was on the fritz I relied on the course's guide book and told them to do the exercises. This doesn't work at all because then I have 8 kids screaming to get my attention just to find out what "touch" is.

The only bright light in this is that...

1. My boss is very considerate and understands the situation. She understands that an after school program is likely to create antsy kids, especially since they are in school since 7:00 AM and leave at 5:30. That's harsh. I always refused to start in school after it was over so I can understand how they must feel, especially when they have me as a teacher (I give them a lot of work that keeps them occupied till time is up). The only suggestions she offers is to try and reward their GOOD behavior once they actually finish their work. Bah, I never believed in rewards...

2. Funny enough ALL of the classes were terrible. Apparently all of the teachers were having the exact, same discipline problem with their students, so at least I am NOT the only one.

I think this affects me so personally is because when I was doing my practical I was working so hard towards making a good class that when my teacher grabbed me by the arm and pulled me into her chair and told me I was doing everything wrong, it was one of the most humiliating and traumatizing moments of my life.

This is what I worry about: I try to be as fair, open minded and balanced as the curriculum allows me to. I try to incorporate classic schoolwork with new methods of teaching. I often feel as if college taught me a highly romanticized view of public education and not enough skills to take care of these discipline issues.

So, am I worthless as a teacher because one kid refused to do his work and started lashing out? Just exactly what am I doing wrong? The good teacher doesn't work. The bad teacher definitely doesn't, so what does that leave me.

The reason why this gets me so much is because at the end of the day I feel as if I wasted my time trying to discipline and not enough time trying to do what I was taught; teaching the fundamentals.

Everybody from relatives to teachers at schools and higher ups have said that I have the makings of a great teacher in me because I am smart, creative, empathic and fun. But how is this possible when a bad day like today happens? Where does the romance end and reality begin, and vice versa?

I guess the real question to this is; Am I a good teacher? Am I doing a good job? Despite the circumstances are my intentions and ideas well placed?

Its just a series of questions that keep bugging me because I am the type that wants to do well no matter what, and if I feel as if I didn't accomplish anything I keep wondering how can I improve on that. And if things don't change despite my intentions then what do I do next?

I also worry that this short experiences are the kind that mark my future career. I mean, if I do terrible with a small class how can they give me a job in which I take care of 20 or more? I already proved myself that I CAN teach a class of 20 adults and I feel confident about that. But how will this experience affect my whole outcome?

OK, this went on for far too long. But I guess you kind of understand what I am saying. I guess many of you have left wondering if you are actually good at your job after a bad day where nothing was solved.

I plan on toughening up. I only have two more weeks left, and by golly I wouldn't be surprised if they end up being my toughest two weeks yet. I definitely don't plan on giving up.

I am still alive after all...

-pap64

Creating a lot out of nothing

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:14:11 GMT

One of the things we are taught is that teachers must be creative enough to create a class out of nothing, because he or she WILL find that the school won't always have what they need in order to give a proper class.

In my case, my printer/scanner is pretty much on the fritz. Despite having brand new color and black ink it refuses to print in color AND black copies appear smudgy and with lines all over it. Meaning that I can't print out copies for tomorrow's work.

What do I do about it? Simple, I have my students do work on their workbooks, write something on the chalkboard and they write it on their notebook, then if there's time we play a game about story telling and creating.

See what I did? Despite not having the tools to create an elaborate class I had more than enough to create work for me and my students in a short period of time.

This is useful because this is how the greatness of a teacher is valued. The reality of the situation is that not all schools will be lucky with funding, leaving many teachers with little to no materials to work with. They usually have a guide book, some text books and the topics as mentioned in the curriculum. Then its up to the teacher to create classes with what little they have.

We've been taught that you can make a compelling class with just a piece of paper, pencils, rulers and imagination. The key is on the subject and how its taught, not on what the teacher uses because let's face it, you may have all the materials in the world. But if your students learned nothing then its time to change strategies.

Fascinating, no? OK not really. I am, however, proud that I was able to find a solution to my predicament before it was too late.

-pap64

Update on work

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 03:16:09 GMT

I've been meaning to make an entry regarding my job, so I might as well do one.

With tomorrow it will be three weeks since I started my new teaching/tutoring job, with about two or three weeks till its over. How has it been? Its been great, despite some issues expected with the territory.

I think that unlike my own persona I've become the demanding teacher who gives his pupils a lot of work. I have two reasons for this...

1. I've always believed that practice makes perfect and topic exercises work better than me explaining them in front of the classroom. There's the chance that the student will forget what I said, but will keep in mind what he did because of the constant repetition of skills. In other words, the more he/she does the more likely he/she will remember it when its time to do it on a test.

2. It keeps them occupied for two hours straight.

Now, some modern teachers will say that this is barbaric and not truly enjoyable, but think about it for a sec...

You are 10 years old. School ended an hour ago. But you are still there because your parents signed you up to an after school tutoring program. And it lasts for two hours. Sure you still get a snack, but its two more hours in school, especially since you've been there since 7 in the morning.

OF COURSE YOU ARE GOING TO FEEL ANTSY!

You will feel anxious, bored and even angsty. What's a teacher to do? Keep them occupied. I bring them lots of stuff to do so the two hours go flying by. And it works most of the time.

My routine is this...
- I review the past day's topics
- I hand in today's assignment
- They work on it
- When they are done, we review the answers and clear any doubts
- The last few minutes I like to call "Recreational time" in which the kids draw, paint, play a game with me, so on and so forth, but even then I still reinforce the knowledge they have gained during the last hour

And it has worked for me. Of course, I sometimes think that my old College teacher would be upset because not only do I give them work I tend to be a disciplinarian, an old stereotype of the teacher that College is trying to avoid. But her input might have been important when it was all for College. As in, I have to do what she says or else she'll fail me. But she's not anywhere at work, meaning that its MY class and MY time. I do what works for me and the students. I'll only change my routine and teaching methods when I see it fit and if my bosses say it needs to change.

After my practical I realized that half of what College says about education is highly romanticized. Yes, I believe that a teacher can be more than just a guide book, homework and a ruler. But you can't always be an innovator nor be Mr. Rogers. I learned that if you are too nice your students will see you as weak, if you are an asshole they will hate you. Both the old and the new school of teaching fall under either category. I am trying to find a sweet balance in which I can be nice and an innovator but be a strict disciplinarian.

I like to call it "being sweet and sour".

But enough about my rambles...

What I find surprising is that even though this is supposed to be a class for kids who are falling behind in their work half of my students are brilliant. Many of them finish their work ahead of schedule and get their answers right. It leads me to believe the reason why they are here is because their parents wanted peace and quiet for two more hours.

This is another reason why I hand in a lot of work. The smart kids will grow bored if I tell them to wait till everybody else is finished, so they will start talking, find excuses to go outside and lose general interest. If I give them work they will concentrate on it, even if the grumble about it. It keeps them challenged and occupied till the class is over.

I think today, however, I might have gone overboard with the work. But that's because I HAD to keep them working till the last minute. The problem is this...

Technically, class ends at 5:30, but because the school buses arrive at 5, the program sometimes let them go earlier. BUT in the event that we get a visit from someone we want to keep the kids inside working. This leads to a lot of anxiety because they KNOW class ended and can't wait to go home. I've made the mistake three times of letting them go at 5, and then getting reminded of the policy. Its a frustrating system that could be worked with. Its even more frustrating that we being the LAST classroom in the school we get the notice to go home last.

Tomorrow being their last day of the week, I will give them lighter work, and focus on crafts and activities at the last half.

I like to be fair. If they worked hard and did it well, they deserve a reward. I can't always be sour, no? :p

But overall, its been a great experience where I have met lots of new people, and even found old schoolmates working as teachers there!

I've also been working on my Master's registration. I decided to take a course in June, and already reserved classes for August. I think I might be done sooner than expected!

Sorry for my ramblings, but I felt you should have an update on my situation.

Here's a funny video to make up for it...

-pap64

"Still Alive": A great motivational song...or the GREATEST?

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 02:30:48 GMT

You know what I recently realized? Portal's ending theme "Still Alive" might be a great motivational song once you analyze the lyrics and the music.

The song is all about finding success in failure, enjoying your spoils and be thankful that you are still alive and you were given another chance to try again.

Of course, this was sung by a psychopathic, evil computer who used humans as a way to test insane and cruel tasks, and the song is her telling us that she is very much alive and ready to strike when given the chance. But there's no denying that there's still a perky, positive attitude that really does motivate you to try again despite circumstances.

I know its a song I listen to whenever I had a bad day. I just say "I'm still alive and tomorrow its another day to try again".

So to cap off this entry here's a very special version of the song as sung by the Pyro from "Team Fortress 2":

Enjoy :D .

-pap64

Have you ever...

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 01:16:50 GMT

...Wished you could take your clothes off when they were bothering you?

Today, I went to the Department of Education in order to get some paper work done. Of course, I have to dress all fancy like because they judge people on appearance (they even have a sign on the waiting room; "please dress accordingly to your profession"). After I was finished we had to do some errands for work and check out some stores. By the time the afternoon was coming to an end I REALLY wanted to get out of my work clothes. My dress pants were constantly sliding down and my shoes were hurting my feet.

I just wanted to strip down and keep walking, all while sighing a huge sigh of relief. But since public nudity is a problem I just had to put up with my uniform for 3 to 4 more hours.

Next time, I'll bring a change of clothes so I can get out of my work clothes as soon as I am done with the office.

Random blog, I know, but the stress of the day, along with my hurt feet and the possibility of a cold starting has me in a somewhat insane train of thought.

On the plus side, it gives YOU the opportunity to image a disrobed Pedro in public.

...OK that was really nasty, my apologies.

-pap64

FOR SALE! MANLINESS IN COLOGNE FORM! CHEAP!

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 03:28:09 GMT

For years now, women have gotten the worst treatment out of advertisements for personal care products.

As this Dove commercial explains...

...the commercials for these products have shown a level of beauty so unattainable that women felt bad about it. And why is that? Because its the thing men want it seems.

Every product for better health and beauty seemed aimed at women, even if men could use it. All of this was made in the promise that you would get acceptance from society and most importantly, men.

Since men pretty much rule the world why need to cater to THEIR needs and THEIR insecurities?

Well, we can proudly say that out social fears are the stuff of advertisements.

Like I already mentioned, for years now commercials for health and better care products have aimed directly at women's insecurities for years, while men for off pretty easily. But this isn't the case now. With more and more men, especially young men, aware of their care and beauty many companies have sought to sell them products that not only catered for their needs it would do wonders for their confidence and security.

Or long story short...dude gets to bang the girl.

And as a male...I am disgusted.

For years now AXE has sickened me with their commercials for their deodorants, body spray and body wash products. First, it shows that the only reason men groom themselves is to get laid. OK OK, we all admit that we want to look nice in case there are some pretty girls around us. Girls don't like the smell of ass and gasoline at any time of the day. But men groom for other things too, like gatherings, work, meetings and any other event that requires the best look. But no, the only reason AXE products exist is so men can attract women.

Second, they are rather sexist. I mean, they ALWAYS show women going crazy at the smell of an AXE product. To a certain extend I understand that this is parody. But even then, its kind of annoying that all women lose it at the sight of something that excites them.

Finally, in all of these commercials the guy ALWAYS showers himself in cologne. I thought this was a big turn off for women since they don't want strong smells around them. It can be nauseating. I know because as a young kid I made the mistake of using too much cologne and I made girls sick. So I don't know how they can show men boldly spray the cologne all over their bodies, as if that will do wonders to their sex life.

Perhaps the worst offender were these ads for AXE shampoo. They were bad because they really implied that men with average or bad hair can't get girls. How they did this? They got these handsome models and gave them really bad wigs to wear, then they went around trying to pick up girls, but all of them got rejected at the implication that girls hated their hair.

Then the angry women looked at the screen and said "If these men couldn't get girls, what chance do YOU have?"

OK, once more, good hygiene is needed. But to imply that men need almost perfect hair in order to pick up chicks? Not only is this saying that women are incredibly shallow its saying that confidence, charms and attitude matter not if you don't get a decent haircut.

Even worse than this, one commercial showed the same girls at a mall, but they released a pig. The pig ran through the mall and jumps on this guy who was minding his business. Then the girls aggressively grab the guy and watch his hair on the spot, while one girl was shouting through a megaphone "Its proven fact that one of the biggest turn offs for a girl is bad hair!".

Talk about humiliating and degrading! I now see why many women see beauty product ads as pure bullshit.

But the ones that really hurt me is "Old Spice", mainly because I like their products. They have these ads in which they show these tough, rich and powerful men as nerds and weaklings, saying they got where they are because of Old Spice. Its not as bad as the AXE commercials, but its clearly targeting at those young men who feel insecure.

Once more, I believe that this is parody. But even then its quite stupid to believe that these men got where they are not because of talent, confidence , skills and even LOOKS. They got there because of good smell.

Maybe I am acting like an old fart. Maybe I am missing the point of these ads. Maybe I am overthinking this a bit too much. But still, deep down I believe that these ads for male healthcare products are no better than those ads in which show a vision of beauty women can never achieve.

Its sad that these companies would aim so low as to strike at men's confidence and telling them they need their products in order to succeed. Hygiene is importance, but you can be the nicest smelling guy in the world, but you can still be the biggest jerk in existence. And no body spray, shampoo or cologne can help you achieve the most important thing in life; the love and respect of a women.

With that in mind, trim your nose hairs, wash your feet, iron your shirt and be a gentleman!

-pap64

How long can you hold a grudge?

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:34:08 GMT

Yesterday while I was waiting for my ride to work a guy walks by my house. Mom looks at me and says "Do you know who that is?". I looked at him and realized that it was my old 4th grade bully! Of course he said hi and both mom and dad responded back. Me? I just raised my hand and looked away, muttering "bastard" under my breath.

Now, I've always believe that its silly to hold a grudge, especially if the events happened so long ago its worthless now.

But this guy...he made my school life miserable.

There wasn't a DAY he didn't bully me into the point of tears. Seriously he emotionally and even physically abused me, stole my stuff and destroyed it. Worst, he convinced other kids to try and bully me, all in the effort of making me cry by the time school ended.

It got so, so bad that my mom almost took him to court because the bullying almost crept into harassment. He was transfered to another school, but was only for a few weeks. He stopped bullying me for a couple of days...but then returned to his old self.

Its was because of him that I grew a hatred of school and other students because I was never happy. All I wanted was to do my school work and be a good student, but this was apparently impossible for others to accept.

He was one of the people that damaged me and caused me issues that would take years to forget.

So now I see him as an adult and I can't help but feel anger because of the pain and emotional suffering I went through.

But mom, being the good woman that she is, said "You have to remember that he liked suffered just as much as you did, perhaps even worse", suggesting the reason he bullied me was because he was the one having a miserable life.

This really made me think. Am I being childish by holding a grudge or is it normal to feel anger towards someone that caused you a lot of pain? In technicality, I should be the bigger man. The adult in my mind is saying to let it go because at this point I did far more things and came out on top, but the kid is saying to be angry and kick his ass, end what started those years ago.

A hard thing to ponder, no?

-pap64

First day of my new job!

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 05:45:28 GMT

Today was the big day! Today I would break out of my rut and do something with my life!

And...

It went better than expected!

First, the road to the school wasn't as bad as I expected. It was a good 20 minutes. Long ride, but a nice one. Today was also a very nice (and hot) day, which made things even brighter.

As soon as I arrived I looked for my boss and started to work right away. For real. The reason I even got this job in the first place is because the original teacher got sick and needed to get surgery, so I quickly became plan B. So as quickly as I got the offer I started to work with my students.

Much to my delight they were a very nice group of kids. A tad noisy and talky, but were more than willing to work, paid attention and were MUCH smarter than I expected. They even asked if it was OK to write in cursive handwriting... CURSIVE HANDWRITING! IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL! I was stunned to say the least. When I saw that I knew I was going to work with a nice group of kids.

The 2 hours flew by quickly, much to my surprise. It was a very nice experience, one I will be praying hard that lasts till it ends next month.

The best thing is that I found an old classmate of mine who lives in town and asked her if we could carpool and she said yes! So now I don't have to put pressure on my parents and their car just so I can get a car ride to work.

So overall it was an awesome first day on the job. I am hoping really hard that this continues on till the end of my shift and nothing major happens *knocks on wood.

OMG I AM SO HAPPY!

-pap64

...AND I AM GETTING A JOB TOO!

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 04:36:36 GMT

And the surprises just keep on coming...

In the evening I received a call from the woman who wanted me to work as a tutor last summer but due to some internal issues the job was busted. She told me that they have a group of students and needed a tutor, so they called on me and asked if I was willing to do it.

Of course I said yes!

This, however, is bittersweet.

First, the job offer takes place in a school somewhat outside of my hometown. I don't know where it is, but they tell me it can be a 20 to 30 minute ride back and forth. Second, I don't have a car so I have to ask my dad to give me a ride every day for one month and a half. I feel bad for this because I don't want to put pressure on anyone, and considering the price of gas it just pains me. Finally, I am praying hard that I don't have to work Friday. Last time I talked to them about this they told me I would get Fridays off. The reason I want Fridays off is because I have classes that day, and I can't fail that now that I am primed and ready to get my Master's.

In the end, after much talking I decided to accept the offer because, quite frankly, I need the money and the experience. I really do want to do this but I don't know how the ride will be.

On the plus side the offer is a really good one. I can't say details because I don't have them and I don't know what's changed between now and last summer.

Here's hoping every turns out fine despite my worries.

-pap64

OMG I AM GETTING MY LIFE BACK!

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:39:47 GMT

Today, I made a very important decision.

In December of 2007, I successfully completed my BA in Elementary Education, and Graduated in the summer of 2008. What I thought would be a great opportunity to grow professionally as a human being has turned into Hell.

Since finishing College I've been unemployed. I only worked for two months as a teacher in an adult class. But right after work was over I was left with no job and no money for the rest of the year.

Worst of all, the process of working for the Department of Education has been painful to say the least. First I needed to get a certificate, and that was a long, arduous process. Then, I needed to submit my job application, and when I asked for information, the person working the line treated me with a lack of respect.

So I've been very depressed about it since. What pains me is that all of my peers and all of my teachers, professors and people I've worked with say that I have a lot of talent, wisdom and determination to do great things in life. But in the year since I've finished college I've done nothing and have nothing to show for it. It pained me knowing that my best friend who only has two years of college and a high school diploma is now owning his first business and has appeared on CNBC because of it, and me being the higher educated friend is doing absolutely nothing.

So after receiving a letter from my college I decided to do something about it and gather more info regarding my Master's degree. I told my counselor that time was not an issue whatsoever since I wasn't married, live right next door to the institution and could dedicate myself to my studies. The problem was money. I was able to pay through my associate's and BA thanks to a government program, but they don't work with Master's education.

So my counselor recommended me I get a student loan, and further educated me regarding payment. First, he said that if I get a student loan if after paying for a semester I have money left instead of wasting it I save it on an account, and only use it for my needs (like paper, ink, computer repair etc.). Once I was done with my studies I could take what I had saved and use it to pay off part of my debt. Even if it doesn't pay it off completely at the very least I will have a small debt rather than having a big one.

Also, in the event of not finding a job after college the bank can't force me to pay and will give me a year. Once I do find a job I can start payment, and then I can even pay it off completely.

Next are the classes. Its going to be a one year course, two classes per week (one friday and one saturday), leaving me the rest of the week to either have a small job or completely focus on my studies.

With my Master's I can work on all elementary levels, work on private schools and will look better on my resume than an associate's and a BA.

So with all of this in mind I decided to go for it! I start next month, and should be done sometime next year. Best of all, I will get a shiny gold medal at graduation! EEEEEH!

So long story short: I got tired of doing nothing, so I will do something, and that is getting a Master's and no one is going to stop me!

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...OMG I AM GOING TO HAVE A LIFE AGAIN!!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEH!

I AM SO HAPPY I COULD JUST...SPAZ DANCE!!!!!!