Unbounded

Jesus dies and goes up to Heaven. The first thing he does is look for his father, as he has never met the man before and is curious as to what he looks like, and whether or not Jesus looks like his mother or father, etc. He looks high and low but cannot find him.

He asks St. Peter "Where is my father?" But St. Peter says he doesn't know.

He asks the archangel Gabriel "Where is my father?" But Gabriel doesn't know.

He asks John the Baptist "Where is my father?" But John does not know. So he wanders Heaven, impatiently searching.

Suddenly he sees out of the mist an old man coming toward him. The man is very old, with white hair, stooped over a little. "Stop!" Jesus yells. "Who are you?"

"Oh, please help me, I am an old man in search of my son." Jesus is very curious. Could this be his father? "Tell me of your son, old man."

"Oh, you would know him if you saw him. Holes in his hand where the nails used to be, he was nailed to a cross, you know..."

"Father!!!!!" Screams Jesus.

"Pinocchio!!!!!!!" yells the old man.

After weeks and weeks of wrestling my thoughts on whether I’d buy myself a copy of Levitt and Dubner’s Freakonomics (you see, some people become cheap when they’re flat broke and have no means of income yet. Damnit Ms. Dada, why won’t you call me?), I finally decided to buy myself one (after lingering in Fully Booked for an hour and a half, just staring at it) and I’m having no regrets whatsoever since. It’s both an insightful book and eye opener.

I have yet to read pass the book’s third chapter but already I’m having circling thoughts and personal reflections on various related events. I have also noticed that I haven’t really contributed anything meaningful to this group blog lately, heh.

So with this, I’m planning to write something up related to the psychology (and economics pala no?) of cheating, and information asymmetry, as paralleled in chapters one and two of the book.

1 . Incentives as a motivational factor for cheating among students.

Together with Anteola, Arellano, and Cabaluna, we once wrote this Experimental Psychology research (albeit poorly written then) on the different kinds of incentives that would motivate a student to cheat. I’m planning to expound on this and give my additional insights, heh.

2. Networking pitching process – it’s all about information asymmetry.

Having personally experienced being pitched by a networking agent, and actually being connected to one, I’m planning to give my additional reactions as to why this field leaves me much to be impressed.

Well, so much for introductions. Here’s to being a devil’s advocate.

If you don't give my football back, I'm gonna get my dad on you
I only kicked it over your fence and broke a silly gnome or two”

I was immediately captivated by the Jose +10 ad campaign of Adidas when I first saw it on Sports Plus. Not only was Jim Noir’s Eany Meany delightful (a feel-good jingle that’ll surely evoke nostalgic memories about our good ‘ol days), but the concept behind the commercial series was equally wistful.

Adidas understands as few others have that football is about dreams for over a billion fans worldwide. It gives these ordinary people an outlet for their imagination.

Few of them will ever get to play in a World Cup and even fewer will become legends, but every single one of these boys and girls will be transported from the reality of their lives by the fantasy of the beautiful game.

It shows the power of soccer to transform ([link]).

…Too bad Filipinos have little awareness and appreciation for the sport.

Still, the campaign’s charming. Simply charming.

____

The video: [link]
The press release: [link]
The Impossible team: [link]
Oh, and btw, viva azzurri!

“Mornin. I’m supposed to have a scheduled psychological testing today. Ms. _____ of _____ called me last night and told me that I could have my test anytime within the day, so here I am.”

“Oh. Your name sir?”

“Michael _____

“Ahh. Please sign the logbook and follow me to the other room to take the test…”

Welcome to _____, an HR outsourcing firm somewhere along the busy and congested Boni Avenue, in Mandaluyong City.

As you may have noticed, HR firms have come a long way from small, never heard Psychometric distribution offices, to Global HR consultancy and business process outsourcing companies. From what I understand, these third-party industries cater to a wide spectrum of services including headhunting, consultancy, assessment, recruitment, placement, and to compensations and benefits. I’m even seriously thinking of setting up one of these with a couple of associates in the near future when I get the chance, heh.

It’s nice to see that companies like these are growing like wild mushroom sprouts, but (there’s always a ‘but’) I was able to notice a number of glaring issues (at least, from the point of view of a tester) in my most recent foray into testing, that seriously needs to be addressed.

And just in case you’re asking, no, I’m not going to sugar coat my thoughts and opinions just because I’m a psychology graduate.

It is with my firmest conviction to say that most third party HR firms here in the country have abysmal testing conditions (‘shitty’ and ‘terrible’ are acceptable adjectives), which could in turn, affect a tester’s performance.

Let’s take _____ as a case in point.

When you realize that you’re taking your SRA’s, RAVEN’s, SCT’s, essays, IPAT’s, or whatever, in a testing room converted from a kitchen (that’s a room away from the reception area, with no doors dividing the two whatsoever), complete with pots, pans, and the kitchen sink; in a testing room where car exhaust and ambient noise can easily seep through the glass door; in a testing room where smucks linger in the room discussing what nots (two staff members were talking about financial matters the whole time that I was taking my test. One even handed checks to the other), as if they have the room to their own; and finally, in a testing room where you have a receptionist/facilitator handing to you photocopies of the battery with no instructions explained whether written or verbatim, you’re simply screwed. These unfettered testing conditions can easily throw you off.

Ideally, applicants would come in, take their tests, and end at the same time. But understandably, it’s simply not possible since HR firms like say, _____ have lots of clients, and each needs different batteries of tests to administer, even for the same position between companies.

Also, testing rooms should be quiet, well lit, good ventilation, and staggered seating arrangements.

Yet despite everything, HR firms like ____ simply neglected these most fundamental regulations. As far as I’m concerned, testing conditions in _____ leave little to be pleased.

I do hope that the PAP, or whatever, as long as some organization with an authority over this can look and regulate these test conditions.

When you have the biggest FMCG companies like _____ or _____ relying their sourcing on third party head hunting companies like _____ for the sole reason of downsizing and cost cutting, I will seriously doubt the test score validity and their assessment.

I’m planning to write a letter to the sourcing firm, and one to PAP.