Goodbye 2010

It's the last day of 2010...

thanks to those who disliked me;
they made me a stronger person...

thanks to those who loved me;
they made my heart bigger...

thanks to those who were worried about me;
they let me know that they actually cared...

thanks to those who left me;
they made me realize that nothing lasts forever...

thanks to those who entered my life;
they made me who I am today...


Like birds, let us leave behind what we don't need to carry: Grudges, Sadness, Pain, Fear and Regrets.. Fly Light... Life is Beautiful...

For all my friends out there...Happy New Year 2011!

Happy New Year 2010

I wish Happy New Year 2011 to all readers.


Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. - Maria Robinson



New beginning

I emerge from the shadows of the passing year,

drained , exhausted yet still standing here.

The darkness replaced with rays of hope,

new focus on life and the strength to cope.

Realign the things that caused this stress,

sweep out the failures , put new ideas to the test.

A new beginning, one step at a time,

out of the darkness, let the new day shine!

- by Paul Roberts

Road safety: Have patrol cars on highways

My letter in the New Straits Times today (the same letter also appears in The Star)

Road safety: Have patrol cars on highways
2010/12/23
A. HASHIM, Sungai Petani, Kedah

The authorities should play their part in reducing the country’s accident rate, such as Monday’s, which claimed 27 lives.



AFTER three major accidents involving buses in October and this month, I thought bus operators, drivers and the authorities would take serious note and put safety first.

But I was wrong.

Not only did the Cameron Highlands bus accident come too soon, it was also the deadliest in the country.

In three months, 51 people died in four bus accidents. I now have serious doubt whether this carnage will ever end.

The main reason for the high accident rate in the country is the attitude of the drivers and lack of enforcement on our roads, though mechanical failure, road condition and other factors also contribute to it.

The only "serious" traffic enforcement are roadblocks and saman ekor, which have not been effective at all. Roadblocks only catch small offences and cannot be done on highways, while speed traps are not a deterrent, especially when the government gives a discount on the fines.

I lived and travelled all over the United States for five years. Throughout this period, I did not encounter any roadblock. But on the highways, there would always be a patrol car or two ready to pull you over if you exceeded the speed limit or drove recklessly.

The presence of the patrol cars also deterred crimes and provided quick assistance when there was an accident or traffic jam. To prevent bribery and for other reasons, the patrol cars were equipped with a video recorder. Maybe we should follow their ways.

If the government is serious about tackling this issue, I suggest the following:

- Increase the fines for speeding and other major traffic offences and impose demerit points. The fines should be progressively higher for repeat offenders;

- Rather than spending money on speed cameras and related equipment and resources, put patrol cars on highways and major roads to catch the offenders red-handed;

- Do away with roadblocks unless there is a manhunt or serious security threat. Let patrol cars roam the roads round-the-clock and pull over suspicious vehicles. This will also deter Mat Rempit and other crimes on the road;

- Do not give any discount for traffic fine; instead, impose interest on late payment;

- Implement jail sentences for serious traffic offences like extreme speeding or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs; and

- Increase inspection and monitoring of buses and their drivers.

The new year is just around the corner and it is time to make new resolutions. I hope that we have learnt our lesson and will do what it takes to make our roads safer.



Read more: Road safety: Have patrol cars on highways http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/23rd/Article/#ixzz18tSb7AxH

27 die in bus accident at Cameron Highlands - 20 Dec 2010 : Another tragedy in Malaysia

I thought there would be no more bus accidents before the year ends, after some tragic ones recently. Yet I was wrong. Not only that it came too soon- it's also the worst bus accident ever in Malaysia so far.

27 people have been confirmed dead following a bus accident at 11.30 this morning along Jalan Simpang Pulai - Kampung Raja.

The tour bus was coming down from Cameron Highlands when it lost control at a sharp bend. It reportedly hit the concrete divider before going into the opposite direction and overturned on a ditch. 22 people died on the spot, four died on the way to hospital, while another one died at the hospital. Three Malaysians are among the dead- the rest are Thai tourists. 11 people were injured.

List of Victims:

THE DEAD
--------

Malaysians:
1. Omar Shahidan, 48 (bus driver)
2. Soontorn Kian, 38 (tourist guide)

Thai nationals:
1. Nutthiya Inyim, 50 (female)
2. Poonporn Poolsaeng, 41 (male)
3. Sumruay Swatphet, 48 (male)
4. Puthnaree Akkrarachawwanont (female)
5. Pongthanest Akkrarachawwanont (male)
6. Sriwai Swatphet, 42 (female)
7. Prinya Prassakulchai, 48 (female)
8. Chutima Throukool, 25 (female)
9. Thitisak Pongtanarat, 51 (male)
10. Junpen Pongtanarat, 50 (female)
11. Phayong Kruanjili, 59 (male)
12. Ekachai Na Bangxang, 64 (male)
13. Mantana Phromduag, 51 (female)
14. Isariya Thiangtham, 25 (female)
15. Ampaiwan Thiangtham, 50 (female)
16. Maliwan Mekhmahaprom, 53 (female)
17. Natkritta Poolsaeng, six (female)
18. Weera Chuntanagon, 48 (male)
19. Pimontip Kodsa-at, 48 (female)
20. Pongsak Swatphet, 40 (male)
21. Malee Boonchun, 43 (female)
22. Phuwadit Thanasaktheenakum, 63 (male)
23. Tananthon Thanasaktheenakum, 63 (female)
24. Piyanon Klingchuay, 48 (female)
25. Uraiwan Laddaklom, 61 (female)

THE INJURED
-----------

Thai nationals:
1. Somchai Polanan, 63 (male)
2. Chirarot Bunthicinwiwatn, 43 (male)
3. Achara Wiwat, 36 (female)
4. Pramuaalrat Phimpahu, 44 (female)
5. Suchanchira Chaiaueai, 40 (female)
6. Thanvarat Poolsaeng, 36 (female)
7. Chucart Klungsuwan, 48 (male)
8. Rungnapa Klungsuwan, 53 (female)
9. Areena Songserm, 19 (female)
10. Darunee Songserm, 59 (female) - BERNAMA











Major bus accidents in Malaysia this year:

Dec 17: Four prison officers killed after a Prisons Department bus plunged into a ravine along the hilly and winding Tambunan-Kota Kinabalu trunk road.

Oct 29: Seven passengers, aged between 13 and 28, killed after their bus skidded and overturned at KM38 Genting Sempah, while enroute to Kuala Lumpur. It was later revealed the driver of the bus had no valid driving licence. (Refer my earlier entry)

Oct 10: Thirteen killed in bus crash along KM223 of the North-South Expressway (NSE), near the Simpang Ampat toll plaza. (Refer my earlier entry)

Will there be another one within the next 11 days???

The Virtual World

First we had virtual pets...now virtual girlfriends...what's next? Virtual family?
Virtual job?

Appy ever after: smartphone users find virtual girlfriend
AFP - Monday, December 13, 2010
File photo of a South Korean customer looking at the Apple iPhone 4 in Seoul. Lonesome South Koreans who have trouble finding true love can now get video calls from a beautiful and cute girlfriend -- if they download a smartphone application.
SEOUL (AFP) - – Lonesome South Koreans who have trouble finding true love can now get video calls from a beautiful and cute girlfriend -- if they download a smartphone application.

Nabix, a South Korean apps developer, launched one called "Honey, it's me!" on November 30 for iPhone users. It achieved 80,000 downloads a day during an initial free launch period.

There are a number of apps on the market that can make single men feel a little less lonesome, including a night time app that plays the sound of a female sleeping peacefully on the next pillow.

But the "Honey, it's me!" app appears to be the first to make video-calls from a virtual model. Mina, 22, video-calls smartphone users three to four times a day for some sweet talk.

Her messages range from "Are you still sleeping? Time for breakfast!" to "Good night, sweet dreams".

A Korean model posed for the video calls and recorded more than 100 comments to melt the hearts of single men.

"I've developed this application to console people for their loneliness," Kim Yoon-Kak, head of Nabix, told AFP.

Kim said usage had declined since the app went on sale for 1.99 dollars, but he planned to allow free downloads again from this week.

Early reaction to Mina has been enthusiastic. "It's a blessing for all single men," praised one of the users on Twitter.

"Mina called me while I was working overtime. This is just great," said another.

Nabix now plans new versions with more messages in English, Chinese and Japanese, both for free and with a charge for longer comments. An Android version will also be launched.