Oxymoron In The Tropics

I learned two very important lessons a long time ago. a)  Things happen and many times they will happen despite your best efforts. The roof may fall, your friends may go away, you may lose some money in a bad deal...and there's nothing you can do about it.  Once it has happened, the best thing to do is decide how you're going to handle it.  It's not as if you can take an eraser out and rub the incident from the pages of your life.  Although I have seen many people try to do this.  They may reject their friends, toss their child out of the house (and family tree!) or just pretend it never happened.  However this almost always ends up hurting them more. And one of the most infantile reactions would be to blame it on other people.  Hel-LO!  Grow up, will you?  It helps if you say (now repeat after me) : I am responsible for the things I do and the words I say and the stuff I eat . Then repeat every morning with a glass of water unti...

Oh, great great great news! 40,000 Civil Servants Given Option Of Pension Scheme November 27, 2008 18:17 PM PUTRAJAYA, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- About 40,000 more civil servants will be in the pension scheme following the government's decision to grant back that option to all those who had earlier chosen the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) scheme. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the move was to enable these civil servants to enjoy the medical and other retirement benefits provided by the government. "All this will be good for them in the long run," he said after presenting the Public Sector Quality Awards to the recipients at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre, here, Thursday. When I was a young teacher (very wet behind the ears!) attending an induction course years ago, one of the course presenters told us about the EPF and pension options. But the gist of his presentation was that EPF was the better option of the two. This, plus the fa...

First, a little background info for my friends not in the service. In December 2007, we attended a briefing where we were asked to nominate teachers for DG44, DG48 and DG52 posts as Form Six teachers in school. As my school had four Form Six classes, we had one DG52 post, three DG48 and five DG44 form six academic teachers posts. These teachers were not going to do any admin. We also had one DG44 Form Six Senior Assistant post and one DG44 Form Six Cocurriculum Coordinator. This was a great thing for teachers in school...at last they had another avenue for promotions, other than going into administration (as a principal, senior assistant or dept heads) or becoming GCs (master teachers). Of course they had to teach Form Six students, which isn't exactly a walk in the park. However, the people in the briefing room weren't exactly happy. And I knew why. Blow Number One was that the senior assistants in school (myself included) were to remain in the DG44 grade. I could fores...

Well, actually, it was an offer to attend an interview :) Two days ago, I went to the office and was told by a colleague that I had an offer letter from IAB to attend an interview for a post in Genting Highlands. She was very amused because she had received one as well (along with three other teachers in my school) and not one of us applied for the posts offered. (The posts were the usual DG44, DG48, DG52 pemangkuan...) Some would think..wow, a great opportunity! But I think not. First, I've already applied for a DG48 post as a Form Six Academic Teacher (more on this in the next post). The possiblity of my getting it is pretty good (fingers crossed!). Second, should I be successful in this IAB interview, I would have to move from comfortable familiar KK (and also home!) to the wild woolly highlands to work. I'd have to look for a place to stay, a new school for my son, my husband would have to re-establish himself all over again work-wise (he is not a civil servant easily t...

Today is the first real day of the year-end holiday! Yesterday didn't count cos I was at work till 4 p.m., sitting in a data meeting at the KK District Education Office. I didn't really mind that much as the officers in charge of the meeting were funny and cheerful. As usual. Well, they have to be as they were asking the schools to fill up a database. Usually a finicky messy crazy job. I didn't have to do it as my data officer was there. My job was to carry the school chops, school letterheads and responsibility to approve. Now what shall I do today? I plan to start off with a good hearty breakfast. Keeping in mind my latest resolution to try and make my blood as alkaline as possible. Next I may go to Karamunsing Complex to see what the Laptop Fair has to offer. Not that I want to buy a laptop. My Inspiron 700m is still serving me well. Then I may check my ebook folders. I've been downloading so many ebooks that I probably have a few hundred that I haven't ...

Actually, the topic should be 'Burnout, baby, burnout...' Burnout is every teacher's problem. Our work requires us to feel for our 'clients' (i.e. students) and in the process, treat them like our own children. The thing is, the emo can only be spread around so far... January launches us straight into sports activities (nothing can bond teachers and students together like sweating out on the fields...) and before we can even take a breath, it's already March and that means TESTS! For the teacher, this means cranking out 'quality' test papers, watching the kids take it and then marking them. Then it's analysis time, headcounts, item analyses etc etc ad nauseam. Overlapping the tests will be other cocurricular activities like debates, spelling bees, quizzes, choir competitions ...more ad nauseam. And guess who will plan organise referee these activities? Teachers la... I've run from debates in the morning to dramas in the afternoon and when ...

Doing admin at my place of work has made me realise how important people and their relationships with each other are in making sure the organisation functions well. I also see that there is no such thing as black and white, as in Mrs A is wrong and Mr B is right. Usually the conflict will have its roots in something else and most often, it's a 'minor' thing. But like a burr under a saddle or the pea in the princess' bed (remember the fairytale?), the 'minor' thing festers and festers and in the end, something blows up. So as an administrator, to ignore 'minor' things and to discount people's opinions and WORSE..to take sides, would be the beginning of major troubles in the organisation. For example, one of my friends' troubles began when she asked a very very simple question: Are you divorced? But the one who was asked that question took such violent offense that ever since that 'minor' question, she took every opportunity to undermin...

It's Wednesday and we're in the third day of the PMR exam. Left school at 4 pm just now and saw the PMR Exam Secretary sitting on a bench at the school door all alone. She looked limp. But still able to muster a smile... So I had to say,"Hey Jen, still alive? Ha ha..." She smiled........well, what else can you do when your mad PK says something like that. Especially after a memorable first day. Monday I roamed the Form Four classrooms, growling and threatening infanticide to anyone who dares to sing and shout out loud when the PMR exam is going on in the next block. Things didn't improve when three classes of Form Four entered their temporary classes and found out the fans were not working. So we had to do a quick reshuffle of classes. While the Form Four coordinator handled that, I walked over to where the Form Threes were assembled. I boomed out,"Dah periksa dokumen? Semua bawa kad pengenalan dan slip peperiksaan?" (Have you checked your docum...

Been 'lost in PTK space' for the past three weeks... why oh why did I register myself for a repeat of the PTK? Must be those dollar signs in my eyes :) Yesterday one teacher hesitantly asked me about the Form Six promotions. Immune to all the questions, and also rushing to a PPSMI meeting and lugging my unfinished PTK essay under my arm, I just said,"Don't worry don't worry...the dept will organise it." Today, TWO approached me at different times. The first wanted to know when I would organise the next filling-in-forms session. Blur me just said...wait wait... The second teacher was more specific. He said,"Have you checked the MOE website in the last two days? The letter and forms are THERE." A light switched on in my head. I put the PTK essay, exam timetables, PMR madness etc etc... ALL OF IT aside... and checked the website. Since my last visit 2.5 days ago, there was one crucial update. IT'S TIME FOR FORM SIX TEACHERS' PROMOTION OP...

Lee didn't get the gold.... oh well, a silver isn't anything to scoff at. That only means Malaysia needs to strive harder.

It's 12.45 a.m. and I'm dead tired. I've just returned from school.  The students participating in our Perkhemahan Perdana were supposed to have Cultural Night and I was looking forward to some interesting presentations.  Instead when I arrived, two students were down for the count...with hysteria.  One was screaming,"Stop the noise, stop the noise, why are you noisy?  Keep quiet, keep quiet, KEEP QUIET!"  Five men & boys were holding her down.  The other was already flat.  Then another student burst into tears and..well, you can picture the general degeneration.  The teachers and I went around, soothing the students and encouraging them.  I dispensed some blessed oil to the Christians. The teachers valiantly tried to keep the activities going but in the end, we had to stop on S's advice.  She said the spirits in the area were getting agitated and angry and things were only going to become worse.  Max ...

LEE CHONG WEI! SILVER OLYMPIC MEDAL!  GOLD IN SIGHT, GO GO GO.....! *now just need to put medicine on all the fingers i was biting on* That Korean Hyunil really put Lee through the wringer..

Today is the last day of school before a much-awaited one week break.  I should be happy, right?  Yes, I should be.  But I'm NOT! My troubles started yesterday when one of my colleagues reported the finding of a campsite in the hills behind the school.  So we (principal, senior assistants all) hitched up our baju kurung and climbed the hill.  Yep, there was a campsite all right.  Three pretty sturdy shelters.   On the way up, we also noticed that the 'campers' had ripped out the iron fencing supports, flattened the fencing and made a hole in the water tank with a convenient attachment.  Something tells me we've been sponsoring some people's water needs.   We noticed a path through the trees behind the shelters so we continued on walking.  And wow, we hit a bigger jackpot!  This time we found three wooden structures clinging to the sides of the hill.  Zinc roofs and even one mattress!  From the rubbish ...

Of course in this world of many choices and many freedoms, there also exists the greyer side of the eb00k world where c0pyr1ghted books can be made available for d0wnl0ad.  The tech savvy people will know why some of my words are spelt strangely . A friend I know ;) is a member of a f0rum where these books are 5hared.... just imagine a community where each member buys a book to be read and disalin semula .  This can be done through simple scann1ng (sounds unbelievable, I know) or painstaking typing.  But some members are able to salin an entire book within three hours.  Editing is done individually or shared with others.  Imagine such a community where the members may number in the hundreds... Grey grey grey.... And may I remind you that this is a crime?

Here are some sites where you can find free ebooks...but when your title is too highly technical, you might need to do some digging.  It is unbelievable how many people out there are willing to scan entire books just to get them into ebook form.  But hey, if it lights their fire, who's going to complain... General Topics (Fiction and Non Fiction) http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page http://www.baen.com/library / http://www.freebookspot.com/ http://www.onlinefreeebooks.net/   (categories : automotive, business, engineering, gadget, hardware, health & medical, hobbies, programming & technology, sport & martial arts) http://knowfree.net / http://www.memoware.com/ http://www.zillr.org/ http://www.free-ebooks.net / http://www.ebooksread.com / http://www.ebooksread.com/ http://www.asksam.com/ebooks/ http://www.planetpdf.com/free_pdf_ebooks.asp?CurrentPage=1 http://manybooks.net/ http://www.getfreeebooks.com/ http://www.globusz.com/ (an online publishi...

Hey, Luke, a song you may find interesting, considering your past and current 'adventures'...:) Well, at least, life isn't boring. "Strange Relationship" Do you love me? Or am I just another trip in this strange relationship? You push and pull me and I'm about to lose my mind Is this just a waste of time keep acting like you own me I keep running, watch me walking out that door I hear you behind me Gimme that strange relationship Never felt pleasure and pain like this Something so right but it feels so terribly wrong I keep holding on Gimme that strange relationship One of us gotta let go of this I keep pushing and you keep holding on I'm already gone Do you love me? We break up and back together And I swore to myself never Oh how you do me You strip me of my honor And I don't ever think I'm gonna Break free of these mind games All I'm trying to do is modify my plan 'Cause I can't contain you Gimme that strange relationship Never felt p...

I was surfing the net when I thought of one of my favourite comic book artists - Michael Turner, creator of Witchblade and Fathom.  Once upon a time, I was a rabid (and this isn't an exaggeration) comic book collector.  Started collecting in 1981 and most recently, focused mainly on Witchblade, the Darkness and other Top Cow titles.  Fathom had beautiful art but I liked Witchblade better.  I could sit for hours reading the books.... the artwork, the dialogue, the very arrangement of the panels awed me.  If I ever felt depressed, a few hours of Witchblade would chase the blues away.  I've stopped buying WB because it's not Michael Turner doing the artwork anymore... but I always keep myself up-to-date, surfing the Top Cow site. Typed Michael Turner in Google and one of the first entries had this as the title : Remembering Michael Turner. Aw, man... I knew he'd been fighting bone cancer...but he wasn't supposed to lose.  He still had...

Today I went to the bank to apply for an SSPN (Skim Simpanan Pendidikan Nasional) account for Dylan.  The scheme was launched on 6 August 2004 but somehow I wasn't interested then.  Can't remember why....maybe because I was already saving money in ASB.  But just last week, I took a good look at it once again.  The magic phrase 'RM3000 tax relief' reeled me in.  Plus the free insurance (conditional, of course).  I don't think I can get the matching grant. As usual, I asked the bank officer many questions...some of which she couldn't answer.  So she picked up the phone and dialed the SSPN number.  Ten redials later and we gave up.  I even tried calling on my mobile phone.  Not that it made much difference.  Then she said,"Government bah kan..?" and looked at me and giggled.  Hmmm.... I looked at my watch and it was only 3.45 pm.  Well, nuts to them anyway.  ------------------ Update : It's been two years sin...

What does woman power mean? I believe that it refers to a woman's courage and endurance, no matter what happens. A woman who has power is a woman who fights for what she wants. She is... ... the schoolgirl speaking up for a place on the debate team. ... the sweeper lady who is fighting to put food on the table for her children. ... the housewife who is battling to keep hearth and house together. ... the bank officer struggling to balance accounts in time for her to rush home and have dinner with her family ... every woman who has ever hungered for something and fought for it no matter how many times she gets beaten down. And all of a sudden, I thought of Jessica Rabbit. Jessica Rabbit, the quintessential sex-on-legs who KNEW what she looked like and yet accepted it and still got on with her life with her darling Roger. AND she was willing to fight for that life. I really liked that about her... And the part in the film when she's revealed for the first time can still produce ...

For the past few weeks, a girlfriend of mine has been in agony over a loved one. But the way I hear it, she's better off without him. Heard a song on the radio that I'd love to hear her dedicate to him... Cry Me A River Now you say you're lonely You cry the long night through Well, you can cry me a river Cry me a river I cried a river over you Now you say you're sorry For being so untrue Well, you can cry me a river Cry me a river I cried a river over you You drove me, nearly drove me, out of my head While you never shed a tear Remember, I remember, all that you said You told me love was too plebeian Told me you were through with me and Now you say you love me Well, just to prove that you do Come on and cry me a river Cry me a river I cried a river over you I cried a river over you I cried a river...over you... And Barbra Streisand gives a killer version of this song.

Another great opportunity for our young people to show what they can do! The Royal Commonwealth Essay Competition has four different age bands, 'Classes'. Each Class offers five topics, plus the Commonwealth Question and the Charlton Athletic Community Trust Question. As we hope to reach a diverse student body across the Commonwealth, there are options for both academic and creative minds.  The Competition deadline is 1st March 2009   CLASS A - Born 1990-1992  1400-1750 words  All questions can be answered by writing an essay or a story which explores the topic in an interesting and relevant way.   Can I help you?  Bullying is an issue which concerns young people throughout the Commonwealth. Why does it matter and what can be done about it?   It is 200 years since Charles Darwin was born and 150 years since the publication of "On the origin of Species". In your view, what evolutionary developments are neede...

I'm a member of an online forum and one topic came up about an elaborate con job just to steal a mobile gadget.  But a very expensive gadget.  Read and be wary...there are people who are willing to go to all lengths for illicit profit. The post in MyPDACafe And if you're too lazy to click, here's the gist of it, spelling mistakes and all.  But you have to remember that this was written by a guy in mourning. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Well... before i start my ramblings... Data on the PDA Phone that was 'given away' HTC TYTNII Hw Serial ht548dv07365 I had a phone call to the office in the morning about 1030am asking for the sales person. This guy called Liew, introduced himself as a CFO of SJ resources. He says that his Director, Patricia is looking for purchasing some equipments as their company is going listed and has new product research & development... I did a google search, and this c...

Sometimes things happen that rattle me. They aren't earthshaking or life-endangering or stuff like that. But when they happen in a combination, I get rattled. So when that happens, I look for my security blanket. For some people, security blankets may mean an old teddy bear, a favourite rocking-chair or whatever. My security blankets are human beings who let me vent and they even go,"Uh-huh..." very patiently when I spout nonsense. My husband is one (obviously!) and I also have one in Johor, one and a half in KL and two in KK. But after pouring out all my fears and worries onto them, I feel so relieved. In case anyone wonders, this particular kind of security blanket takes about ten years to develop.

I'm sitting at my table, checking my email while keeping an eye on my five-year-old who is wrenching the life out of his PS2's joystick.  He insists on calling it a remote...well, whatever. This particular game he's playing is both entertaining and horrifying me.  The warthogs trying to flatten a panda are entertaining.  The lines scrolling across the screen at the beginning of every episode horrify me. Long ago, in a time of ancient timeless time.... (Huh?) Legend tells of a legendary warrior whose skills are the stuff of legend... (OMG.) Haven't the game writers heard of a thesaurus????  Now I'm not only worried about the violence level...I'm worried about the dearth of creative vocabulary on offer!

Some more info I got during my surfing... It's amazing how many of us take objects & services for granted (and some even dare to call it a NECESSITY!). The list below is of LUXURIES which, according to the dictionary means –noun 1. a material object, service, etc., conducive to sumptuous living, usually a delicacy, elegance, or refinement of living rather than a necessity: Gold cufflinks were a luxury not allowed for in his budget. 2. free or habitual indulgence in or enjoyment of comforts and pleasures in addition to those necessary for a reasonable standard of well-being: a life of luxury on the French Riviera. 3. a means of ministering to such indulgence or enjoyment: This travel plan gives you the luxury of choosing which countries you can visit. 4. a pleasure out of the ordinary allowed to oneself: the luxury of an extra piece of the cake. 5. a foolish or worthless form of self-indulgence: the luxury of self-pity. 6. Archaic . lust; lasciviousness; lec...

Didn't join in the mad hustle for fuel two days ago. Wouldn't have made it before midnight anyway. The crowds were unbelievable. So yesterday I went to the fuel station. Filled the tank up and for 43 litres, I had to pay about RM117. Wowch... Before I would have had to pay only RM85 (plus minus). 43 litres would only last me about a week and a half. But this has been coming for a long time... The Malaysian government couldn't have maintained the subsidies forever. So what does it mean for an ordinary civil servant like me? Less of everything I want and moderate amounts of everything I need. I surfed the net for strategies on achieving the above and here are some pointers I found: a) Buy less books. You can download thousands of free ebooks from : Project Gutenberg ( http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page ) The BAEN Library ( http://www.baen.com/library/ ) Free Ebooks.net ( http://www.free-ebooks.net/ ) and most online ebook sellers offer free ebooks (google and...

I've paid my dues - Time after time - I've done my sentence But committed no crime - And bad mistakes I've made a few I've had my share of sand kicked in my face - But I've come through We are the champions - my friends And we'll keep on fighting - till the end - We are the champions - We are the champions No time for losers 'Cause we are the champions - of the world - I've taken my bows And my curtain calls - You brought me fame and fortuen and everything that goes with it - I thank you all - But it's been no bed of roses No pleasure cruise - I consider it a challenge before the whole human race - And I ain't gonna lose - We are the champions - my friends And we'll keep on fighting - till the end - We are the champions - We are the champions No time for losers 'Cause we are the champions - of the world - Yeah... I know... overkill. But niiiiice overkill...

SABAH WON! We won we won we won we won we won....!

No matter how many times I've been involved (directly or indirectly) in a debate competition, I always get them butterflies in my stomach. Right now, I'm developing a butterfly colony. Complete with flyovers and helipads. The Sabah teachers' debate team are sitting in a Malaccan hotel right now, doing mock debates and trying to outwit each other. Sometimes these sessions frighten those who've never seen such a gathering. Sometimes the wounded storm off in a fury. That usually means it's time for coach to have a coffee break with said wounded. But managed very well, such a team can produce such beautiful verbal pyrotechnics onstage. Malaysian teacher debates are usually formal and rational ones. So everyone dresses accordingly in dark suits, strongly supported points and coolly sarcastic tongues. Unlike the Malay debate, the English debate relies more on verbal sleight of hand. Some would say verbal diarrhea. But personally I like what one friend said... ve...

Someone asked me how I wrote a speech. We-ell, it's no big secret...you write it just like you'd write an essay. Basic structure: point+explanation+elaboration. Of course, you'd need to pay attention to a few basic rules. 1. Keep your sentences short. Listening and reading are different skills. You can read long sentences because the sentence doesn't disappear. However, if your sentence is too long, by the time you reach the end, the listener would have forgotten the beginning. 2. Begin with a bang. You want people to listen to you...so you better grab their attention at the start. People normally decide within the first 30 seconds whether they want to continue listening to you or maybe it's better for them to flip open their phone and sms their fish. 3. Have a logical sequence. It's like a mind map... A connects to B which connects to C. But if you jump all over the place, you'll only befuddle people who will then open their phone to sms their fis...

Took a look at my counter...and found out the top ten keywords that search engines respond to with my blog address. 1. Fail Meja 2. PTK 3. Manual Prosedur Kerja 4. PTK3 DG44 5. PTK DG44 6. Oxymoron Lesson Plans 7. Oxymoron Lesson Plan 8. Oxymoron Worksheet 9. Kursus PTK DG 44 10. PTK DG 44 and among the strangest were 'wishabi', 'oxymoron for bill gates' and 'riding a dead horse solutions'. ??? Maybe I should set up databases for PTK and oxymoron lesson plans. What do you guys think? And this post will probably increase the probability of the above list being maintained...heh heh heh.

I was just about to tuck into a plate of sweet and sour fish with rice when my phone rang. It was Choo...and he said,"PTK results are out..check the website." Never has a plate of food disappeared so fast! Next stop was http://apps.emoe.gov.my/bppk/ ! I got...ARAS 3! Not sure what to kiss yet...the computer monitor or my husband! Never mind, hubby's at work. Yep, it's not Aras 4 but I'm satisfied with that. Now I can look forward to the next step....whatever it may be. Yes yes yes...!

A word of warning : The following is utterly sexist but because it made me laugh, I just had to put it into my blog. A new sign in the Bank Lobby reads: "Please note that this Bank is installing new Drive-through ATM machines enabling customers to withdraw cash without leaving their vehicles. Customers using this new facility are requested to use the procedures outlined below when accessing their accounts. After months of careful research, MALE & FEMALE Procedures have been developed. Please follow the appropriate steps for your gender." ******************************* MALE PROCEDURE: 1. Drive up to the cash machine. 2. Put down your car window. 3. Insert card into machine and enter PIN. 4. Enter amount of cash required and withdraw. 5. Retrieve card, cash and receipt. 6. Put window up. 7. Drive off. ******************************* FEMALE PROCEDURE: (Unfortunately, most of this part is the Truth!!!!) 1. Drive up to cash machine. 2. Reverse and back up the required ...

The dreaded deadline looms once again... and I haven't learnt my lesson! But I'm going to do it a bit better this year (fingers crossed). I'm gonna do it today. I hope.

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions: Why did God make mothers? 1. She's the only one who knows where the sticky tape is. 2. Mostly to clean the house. 3. To help us out of there when we were getting born. How did God make mothers? 1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us. 2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring. 3. God made my Mum just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts. What ingredients are mothers made of ? 1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean. 2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think. Why did God give you your mother and not some other Mum? 1. We're related. 2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's Mums like me. What kind of little girl was your Mum? 1. My Mum has always been my Mum and none of that other stuff 2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be...

It's almost the middle of April and I'm huffing and puffing and trying not to get my 'house' blown down... School tests just over and we're gearing up for first term exams. I find myself sitting at my table looking helplessly at exam analyses piled 6 cms thick and the discipline master's just sent me an sms telling me some interesting things about the creativity of kids in my school. Yeah, and also in the other millions of schools all over the world... It's also time for school debates, choral speaking contests, forum remaja etc etc ad-absolutely-nauseam. I'm also the absolutely insensitive administrator pushing painful stuff like debate competitions at my English teachers. Not only do I make them sit with kids and teach 'em how to debate ... I also hound them to take part in TEACHER debate competitions. Yup, I'm absolutely mean. But don't get me started about debates. I can go on and on about how good debates are at helping people build up...

I'm sitting in front of TV and computer... I'd have the radio on but afraid I'd miss out on important details in the cacophony. Malaysian Elections 2008 is BURNING HOT! And the fact that Sungai Petani, Kedah is won by PKR (opposition) just screams out '#@$#%^' to me. I don't believe things in that town don't move without the big M's fingers in it somewhere.... Apparently Kedah's gone to the opposition and Selangor might go that way too.... I won't be able to s l e e p!

According to ancient wisdom, "When you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount." However, in modern government more advanced strategies are often employed, such as: 1. Buying a stronger whip. 2. Changing riders. 3. Appointing a committee to study the horse. 4. Arranging to visit other countries to see how other cultures ride dead horses. 5. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included. 6. Reclassifying the dead horse as living-impaired. 7. Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse. 8. Harnessing several dead horses together to increase speed. 9. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase dead horse's performance. 10. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse's performance. 11. Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overhead and therefore contributes substantially more to the bottom line of ...

I've just returned from my PTK3 DG44 course and my first priority was sleep. But now I'm okay and ready to share info. First off, whoever tells you you don't need to memorize info for the PTK3 level of exam either has never sat for the exam or has photographic memory. I had to memorize the Twelve Pillars (Tonggak12), 16 moral values (nilai2 murni), civil servant ethics code, education ministry ethics code, steps in TQM, and ALL the govt vision aims objectives policies ... (hint: acronyms help). I only wish I'd done this BEFORE I went for the exam course. Second, the key word for this course is APPLICATION. They don't want to hear about the latest discoveries, theories or how long your bibliography pages are. They want to know how you translate govt policy into a plan of action. Third, don't take the assignment (15-25 pages) lightly. First thing to do is understand the question. Next is prepare an answer that fulfils all requirements. I'd advise you t...