gong xi fatt chai!

Since I'll balik kampung and won't be able to online for a week, I'm going to take this opportunity to wish all friends and bloggers a very Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year. Hope this coming Dog Year will bring luck and good fortune to all of us!

america's next top model

I have to confess that I'm a BIG fan of reality shows. But of all the shows, there are only three shows that I loved most: The Amazing Race, The Apprentice and America's Next Top Model (ANTM). Yes, American Idol is not even in my list of favourite reality show.The criteria to be my favourite reality show are pretty simple:
1. good format
2. excellent editing
3. entertaining cast
4. intelligent host
5. lotsa dramas

However, I'm only interested to talk about ANTM because season 4 is on Channel V (Astro channel 72) right now. While you can also find season 3 on 8TV, I'm not going to talk about it because Channel V has shown it MANY times.

Yesterday, it was only the 2nd episode of season 4 (shown every Monday at 8 pm and repeated throughout the week). Last week, Tyra Bank, the gorgeous host and executive producer of ANTM, introduced to us the 14 finalists who came from various backgrounds and dream of becoming the next top model.

Of all of these girls, I have to say that my favourite is Naima, a 20-year-old from Detroit who works as a coffee shop waitress. After watching all the previous seasons, I knew that she has got what it takes and will go very far in this competition (spoiler: she did!). From the 1st and 2nd episodes, you can sense that Tyra and the other flamboyant judges loved her for being edgy and unique.

The best part about episode 2 was when they were experiencing their first photo shoots. Some were good but most of them were just clueless. Also there was this makeover session. One of the girls, Michelle, was shaking like she was being possessed when she had to go through a painful session of bleaching her hair to blond.

No point for me to repeat what happened in the show because you have to watch it yourself or read all the episodes from ANTM website. So far, season 4 is one of the best. Only into the 2nd episode and there are already a lot of drama (black girls = drama) and hilarious scenes. The format is solid and the cast is just beautiful and amazing!

science and math in English: the real challenge

When I read the news about students suing the government over its policy to teach Science and Mathematics in English, I was really excited because there will be a recent court case to be discussed in my educational law class.

At the same time, I felt disgusted because the four students were being manipulated just for the sake of the adults' (the people behind the scene which includes their fathers) political agenda. One of the student is only a Year Four student! For me, the father of this kid has already violated his responsibility as a father and denied his son's rights for better education (I bet many students don't know their rights yet).

I do agree that we must uphold the national language. At the same time we must also emphasize on the importance of English language. In fact, I believe students in kebangsaan schools should study both Science and Mathematics in two languages, Malay and English. However, I know this is not going to happen due to a lot of reasons like higher cost, lack of teachers and time constraint.

want to be a business and management book writer?

Any aspiring business and management book writer here in the blogosphere? If you are able to write in bahasa Malaysia, this is a golden opportunity for you. Read there following to understand how to can start to write for PTS (fyi, PTS is quite a significant publisher in the industry). Also I suggest you to join their workshop (check the info at the bottom of this post) to learn about KJ method, copyright, etc.

PTS Professional Publishing Sdn. Bhd. merancang untuk menerbitkan pelbagai tajuk buku bisnes sepanjang tahun 2006/2007. Jika anda seorang pengarang, pengamal (practioner), konsultant, ahli akademik dan berminat untuk menulis tajuk-tajuk bisnes, sila hubungi kami di alamat di bawah.

PTS Professional sedang mencari individu yang berminat menulis buku mengikut judul sebagaimana di bawah. Jika anda berminat sila hubungi kami di alamat di bawah bagi mendapat maklumat lanjut dan ‘booking’ judul buku yang hendak ditulis dengan segera.

En. Mohd Khairulanuar Manshor
Editor Perolehan
PTS Professional Publishing Sdn. Bhd.
No 3, Jalan Industri Batu Caves 1/6, Taman Perindustrian Batu Caves,
68100 Batu Caves, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Tel.: 03-6188 0316
Faks: 03-6189 0316
E-mel: anuar@pts.com.my
H/P: 012-2722392

Judul buku cadangan:
Usahawan Baru
1. Cerita-cerita Motivasi Usahawan Wanita
2. 101 Idea Bisnes di rumah
3. Kaya Dengan Pelaburan
4. Zakat Dalam Bisnes
5. Idea-idea Mendapatkan Duit Ketika Belajar

Memulakan Bisnes Sendiri
1. Memulakan Bisnes Restoran
2. Memulakan Bisnea Warung
3. Memulakan Bisnes Katering
4. Memulakan Bisnes Tuisyen
5. Memulakan Bisnes Ternakan Lembu/Kambing
6. Memulakan Bisnes Ayam
7. Memulakan Bisnes Ikan
8. Memulakan Bisnes Kedai Runcit
9. Memulakan Bisnes Kedai Runcit
10. Memulakan Bisnes Kedai Jahit
11. Memulakan Bisnes Perkhidmatan IT/Kafe Internet
12. Memulakan Bisnes Bengkel Motor/Kereta

Sales
1. Rahsia Menjadi Salesman Hebat
2. Teknik Berunding
3. Rahsia Sales di eBay
4. Menjual Produk Kurang 5 Minit
5. Cara Menjual Pada Syarikat Besar
6. Strategi dan Taktik Harga (Pricing)
7. Sales Menggunakan Emotional Intelligence
8. Membaca Minda Pembeli
9. Cara Meyakinkan Salesman
10. Sales Menggunakan Telefon, Emel, Faks, Surat dan Voice Mail

Kewangan Peribadi
1. Perancangan Kewangan Pelajar
2. Perancangan Kewangan Keluarga
3. Hidup Aman Tanpa Hutang
4. Cara Pinjaman Untuk Bisnes
5.Perancangan Kewangan Selepas Pencen
6.Pelaburan Yang Menguntungkan
7.Cara Terbaik Wanita Menggunakan Wang
8. Cara Pengurusan Kewangan di Zaman Umayyah, Abbasiyyah dan Uthmaniyyah
9. 1001 Ayat Financial Yang Perlu Diketahui

Pemasaran
1. Rahsia Menjual Lebih Banyak Produk
2. Pemasaran Secara Gerila
3. Seni Menentukan Harga
4. Brand Yang Menarik
5. Cara Menghadapi Pasaran Yang Kompleks
6. Strategi Marketing
7. Marketing Pada Sesiapa
8. Cara Marketing Pelbagai Bangsa

Perkhidmatan Pelanggan
1. Jenis-jenis Pelanggan dan Cara Mengatasinya
2. 101 Cara Hebat Melayan Pelanggan
3. Cara Customer Services Syarikat-syarikat Berjaya

Skil Eksekutif
1. Perbincangan Efektif
2. Pengurusan Projek
3. Soalan Lazim Ketika Temuduga
4. Pekerja Cemerlang
5. Bos Cemerlang
6. Masalah Pekerja dan Cara Mengatasinya
7. Tranformasi Tempat Pekerja
8. Motivasi Pekerja
9. Skil Presentation Untuk Eksekutif
10. Eksekutif 6 Sigma

Motivasi Eksekutif
1. Rahsia Kejayaan CEO
2. Pengurus Hebat
3. Kepimpinan Futuristik
4. Rahsia Cepat Naik Pangkat
5. Menjadi Bos Hebat
6. Tip-tip Untuk Eksekutif Muda
7. Eksekutif Berkarisma
8. Tip-tip Berbaik Dengan Pekerja
9. Bina Diri Sebagai Businessman
10. Bisnes Selepas Pencen

Target pembeli/pembaca:
1.Usahawan baru
2.Eksekutif dan Profesional
2.Pelajar lepasan SPM atau ijazah
3.Umum

Serahan manuskrip:
1.Tarikh akhir serah manuskrip ialah 3 bulan dari tarikh persetujuan
2.Manuskrip yang siap hendaklah diserahkan dalam bentuk hard copy dan soft copy

Hak cipta manuskrip & royalti:
1.Hak cipta atas manuskrip adalah milik penulis. PTS Professional hanya memegang hak eksklusif menerbit sahaja.
2.Penulis akan dibayar royalti berdasarkan jualan buku setiap tahun.
3.Kadar royalti adalah sebagaimana berikut:
7% daripada harga runcit buku (1 – 5,000 naskhah yang terjual)
10% daripada harga runcit buku (5,001 – 10,000 naskhah yang terjual)
11% daripada harga runcit buku (10,000 naskhah ke atas yang terjual)

Panduan untuk Penulis:
1.Manuskrip hendaklah ditaip dalam format berikut:
A4
1 ½ spacing
Times New Roman
Saiz 12
2.Jumlah muka surat manuskrip: (bergantung pada judul buku)
3.Gaya penulisan:
Berbentuk 'How to book' (panduan praktikal)
Berbentuk tip-tip pendek/petua/strategi (satu tip 1-3 muka surat)
Berdasarkan fakta
Memperbanyakkan contoh
Ayat yang pendek & mudah difahami
Sertakan kata-kata hikmat pendek (letak dalam kotak)
Perenggan pendek

Bengkel Penulisan Buku-buku Bisnes dan Pengurusan
Tempat: Taman Permata, Hulu Kelang, Kuala Lumpur
Tarikh: 21.01.2006 to 21.01.2006
Masa: Time : 10:00 Pagi to 5:00 Petang

PTS Professional Publishing Sdn. Bhd. akan mengadakan bengkel penulisan bagi buku-buku siri bisnes dan pengurusan. Mereka mensasarkan lebih 50 buah buku siri ini diterbitkan pada tahun 2006. Justeru, kami amat mengalu-alukan mereka yang berminat untuk menyertai bengkel ini.

Pengisian bengkel:
1.Teknik menulis menggunakan 'KJ Method'
2.Teknik adaptasi buku bisnes dan pengurusan sedia ada di pasaran
3.Hak Cipta untuk penulis
4.Pembentangan judul buku yang akan diterbitkan 2006

Penyertaan percuma. Makan minum tidak disediakan.Tempat adalah terhad. Hanya peserta yang mendaftar sahaja layak menyertainya.Untuk maklumat lanjut, hubungi Mohd Khairulanuar Manshor, 012-2722392 atau emel anuar@pts.com.my.