** Something that I got in my mail **

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year – old grandson.

The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.

“We must do something about father,” said the son.

“I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the
floor.”

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.

Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly,

“What are you making?”

Just as sweetly, the boy responded,

“Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.” The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note, I’ve learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things: a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I’ve learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life. I’ve learned that making a “living” is not the same thing as making a “life..” I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back I’ve learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. I’ve learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch — holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.

I’ve learned that you should pass this on to everyone you care about .I just did.

My apologies to all my friends and loyal readers of this blog as there has been no new post until today. I just need  to tell all of you that I am currently in a work related crisis of the colossal proportion. The magnitude of the crisis is giving me no desire and motivation to put up a decent entry and I am not sure when the next entry will come as I am in the midst of trying my best to resolve this unexpected problem.

So please bear with me and wish me luck and send me your prayers!

Thanks and I will be seeing all you again!

With Google Maps at my disposal, I have no need for a global positioning system (GPS) device. I was thinking dreaming about getting myself a GPS enabled cellphone but since I discovered what Google Maps can do, I can just forget about GPS. GPS may have its own advantages over Google Maps but what Google Maps have what I need and therefore, that is good enough for me.

Using Google Maps for the first time: I had the opportunity to use it for the first time when I had to visit a client in Batu Pahat, Johor last Wednesday. They have shifted to a new office that was quite a distance away from the old place. I am not at all familiar with Batu Pahat and therefore, it would be an opportunity to put Google Maps to the test.

It is simple to use. I have already saved my home location and all I need to do is get the direction to my client’s place by by entering his new street address. Once that is done, I was given a map and a detail instruction to follow. My client had advised me to take the Ayer Hitam exit since that would make my finding the new place easier and due to that, I just need to drag the exit suggested from Yong Peng to Ayer Hitam and Google Maps plotted the new directions for me to follow. It was as simple as that.

On top of that, I was given the estimated mileage to the location as well as the estimated time that the trip would take. With that I was able to provide my ETA to my clients and it was quite accurate. Based on the ETA given, the average speed calculated was about 70 km/h. That must be the combination of highways and normal road used. Anyway, I managed to find my clients new place easily with the help of Google Maps.

Google Maps vs GPS: During lunch, I told my client that I found my way using Google Maps. He has a GPS enabled Blackberry cellphone and I have Google Maps loaded to my cellphone and we decided to run some test for the fun of it. The first task was to locate his house. Google Maps managed to locate that within seconds while his GPS system returned an “address not found” message. Round one goes to Google Maps.

The second test was to do the “Where I am” task. Google Maps showed my location within seconds while even after a few minutes, the GPS was still searching for a satellite. Google Maps scored again.

In conclusion, Google Maps is a good alternative to GPS and all I need was an internet enabled cellphone for it to work.

To use Google Maps on your computer, go to http://maps.google.com/.

To use Google Maps on your cellphone, go to m.google.com/maps on your cellphone or go to http://www.google.com/mobile/default/maps.html on your computer.

Hey didle didle… It’s Friday again and it’s time to write about the beautiful Malaysia again. I left my wallet at home today and luckily I managed to find enough coins in my car to pay the toll to the office. If not, I had to do that cat face, the one that the cat with the big eyes in Shrek…, and get away without paying the toll… one more time…

This post is neither about me forgetting to bring my wallet nor will it be about the toll that I have to pay but it will be more than just that.

How many months have passed since the historical victory of the opposition parties in the last general election? Many months is the answer. Not an exact answer but should be good enough. What has changed besides the people and parties leading some of the states?

From where I am standing sitting typing, I do not see that anything has really changed. Where are the pre-election promises made? Now you know… When the so called pro government mainstream media talked about the bad sides and the failures of the newly elected Pakatan Rakyat government, they and their die hard supporters screamed about how unfair the news are lately. Have they ever stepped back and looked at how such opportunities are given to the media?

That’s the beauty of politics. Good politicians would look for sensitive issues to politicize and for as long as there are gullible people out there, these schemes would work wonderfully. All they need is to work on the emotional aspects of these people and they would get truck loads of fanatic supporters who would miserably fail to see beyond the reality of promises made.

For example, you live at some places where you know that once you drive out of your house, you have to pay toll and when you do that, the image of Samy Vellu will be popping up automatically… So when somebody promised that if they are elected, you would not have to pay toll anymore, some of you got really elated!

You voted and a new government was formed. Even a stuttering Chief Minister would not bother you as you were so confident that the changes were finally here. After a few months, that was the only change that you would ever get.

Well, don’t blame them. You are the one who have failed to see that to do something such as getting rid of tolls on our road is not as simple as the promises made There are legal implications, contractual details and many others have to be taken care of before it can be done. In the end promises were promises and you will be waiting for the cow to jump over the moon….

So, when the new government could not deliver the promises, what do they do? Don’t ask me. Anyway, I like to touch a bit on the die hard, fanatical supporters of a political party. These are the people who thought that they are always making the right choices and would not listen to anything else…

For example, what benefits would you get when a political party that you support wanted to change how the street signs should be written? Would it give you better income or your child would be smarter by doing that? Is this something that really needs to be looked at rather than the failing global economy?

For all I know if that is approved, some politicians would be laughing all the way to the bank after securing some contracts to replace the street signs, one way or another. And you will get brand new street signs and throw a party, at your own expenses, to  celebrate the victory… That’s pathetic!

As for me, it does not matter who rules this country but what matters is whether the government can bring the changes that the people wanted and walk the talk by delivering the promises made. The promises made should be realistic and not just for the sake of winning votes by taking advantage of lots of politically blind people out there.

As for those who would do anything for your beloved political party, make sure that you know the difference between “will try to do” or “will do” and “have done that” as it is very easy to use “will do” than “have done” when saying something…

So, hey didle didle, when will I stop paying toll? When will I get free water? Is there any new hope in the new year? New Year… New What?

Are we doing things for us, our children, our future generations, our country or just for some charismatic politicians?

I need to go home and get my wallet.

By the way, this post came right out of my head without any draft and therefore, I should stop before I give you some headaches…

Ps:
Will somebody please fix all the pot holes in Shah Alam before somebody got seriously injured or died or should we wait for the next general election for that to happen?

Pss:
It is too early to wish happy New Year, so I will do that later…

Psss:
I am not an UMNO, PAS, DAP or PKR member…

Updated 8/12/2008 2320 hours!

I read on the Saturday (6/12/2008) Star newspaper that the driver of the car or the fourth person who has no seat belt to wear at the rear seat will not be fined although the law is there after taking into consideration the rest of the factors involved.

*** updated ***

Come 1^st January 2009, Malaysians are required by law to wear the rear seat belts while traveling in a car. I have nothing against that law as it is for our safety and bla bla bla… The law states that all the rear passenger of a car must wear the safety belts and therefore, it is against the law to carry more than three people in your back seat since there are only three seat belts available.

Now, this is the thing that hit me. Like being hit by a balloon filled of water. It’s not painful yet a bit unpleasant and made me wet…

What about those family who has four kids? Let’s say they are aged 5, 6, 7 and 8 years old. Are you going to leave one at home just because of the new law? What happened to the family holidays and Cuti Cuti Malaysiathat the government has been eagerly promoting? They would tell you go buy an MPV or get a second car. Or worse still, just leave one behind…

They don’t care. Those people who got together and come up with this law don’t care. They are one of those who are provided with a car by the government and with their fat salaries and “other” incomes, they can then by a big fat MPV for their wives. Why should they care?

If the price of an MPV is as cheap as a Proton Saga then may be that would make some senses but you can wait until the cat plays the fiddle and the cow jumps over the moon since that is not going to happen. Not in this lifetime for sure… Imagine if that happens… You can then buy a Perodua Kancil for a price of a motorbike…

When later you start reading news about how an 8 year old child died after being left alone since there was not enough seat belts in the car or a 6 year old got kidnapped while taking the bus alone, due to no more seat belt in the car, so that she can join her parents somewhere, you will start pointing finger to the authorities… But, the problem is always that when you point a finger, there will always be at least three other fingers pointing back at you. Try point your finger to someone now and you would see what I mean. You just can’t win. Even when the little dog laughs when the dish runs away with spoon, You still can’t win…

So what can you do? If you can’t afford an MPV or a second car, do not make more than 3 children. You can forget about your extended families as they do not have seat belts reserved for them anymore. Grandpa and Grandma can no longer join the fun… You can also choose to use our “world class” public transportation system to go around with you whole family. Which world is our world class referring to again? Well those are just some ways that I can suggest to you. Think about other ways yourself please….

Why is the rear seat belt very important? It is the same principle as the seat belt on an airplane. It does not really save you but in an event when your plane is going down, you would not be bouncing everywhere and messing up the whole cabin with your blood and etc. You keep the mess to your own seat. The same goes to the rear seat belt in the car as well. You would not see something like the picture above anymore. Neater, isn’t it?

Well it doesn’t hurt me yet as I only have one child and today is Friday. So, hey didle didle, have a good weekends and Salam Aidil Adha. That dies not rhyme… So, sue me!

People who arrived at this page were looking for:

We believed it!

We grabbed it!

We will be going to Jakarta and Surabaya again next year! Read about it at We Got Free Seats from AirAsia.

People who arrived at this page were looking for:

There are two things that I find these two public figures have in common. The first one is both wanted changes in their countries and the second thing is they both walked…

While Obama walks into the White House and becomes the first African-American president of the USA, Anwar walked out of the Parliament after a heated arguments about the Malaysian Budget 2009 with the Finance Minister.

So, while Obama is walking with a victory in his hands, Anwar is walking with… I have no idea…

Americans wanted changes after being stuck for a long time under the Republican government and Barack Obama told supporters that “change has come to America” as he claimed victory in a historic presidential election. Obama could bring some good news to the world with his promises on changes to America’s foreign policies and that could be benefited by a country such as, Malaysia.

Read more at Obama: ‘This is your victory’.

That’s on that part of the world. On this part of the world, Malaysians wanted changes as well after being stuck for a long time under the Barisan Nasional government and Anwar Ibrahim has promised the changes and yet all that we can see is some kindergarten level acts in the Parliament from him and his team.

I would agree that some of the ruling MP’s have problems with the “brightness” of the grey matter inside their heads but for the Oppositions to put up such as show by walking out of the Parliament have somehow gave me the impression that their brightness are of the same level if not worse…

Read more at Opposition MPs Stage Walk Out In Parliament.

I will keep my seat on the fence so that when they fight, I can see who is winning. May be I will laugh a bit when they do that but seriously, that is no joke…

Smoking is not cool! Quitting from smoking is cool! Do you know that 30,000 Malaysians suffer from lung cancer annually? Having lung cancer is not cool. Giving second hand smokes to those who do not smoke is not cool too. Blogging is cool. You will find out after reading this entry to the end.

I am not a smoker and I do not hate smokers but if smokers can quit, I would like them better. Think about the money that you can save by quitting.

Did you know the positive effects of quitting begin within the first hour of not lighting up?

1. 20 minutes after quitting, your heart rate and blood pressure drops to normal.
2. 12 hours after quitting, carbon monoxide levels in the body returns to normal.
3. 24 hours after quitting, the possibility of a heart attack decreases.
4. Between 2 weeks to 3 months, blood circulation and lung function improve.
5. Between 1 to 9 months after quitting, cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out to the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs and reduce the risk of infection.
6. 1 year after quitting, the risk of a heart attack is halved.
7. 5 years after quitting, the risk of stroke is reduced to that of a non-smoker.
8. 10 years after quitting, risk of lung cancer falls to half that of a smoker.
9. 15 years after quitting, the risk of a heart attack or coronary heart disease is the same as a non-smoker’s.

These cool facts came from Pfizer: The Quitter’s Guide To Becoming A Champ. It is a new site that was built to help smokers quit. Go there and find out more if you want to quit.

Next, Blogging is cool when you get a cool award from a fellow blogger.

Thank you nikillas for this cool award! May you and all bloggers have a cool blogging day!

This is one of the hottest news in Malaysia at the moment. It is about a Bollywood actor that was awarded the title of Datuk by the state of Malacca, which is equivalent to a knighthood in Britain.

Most people in Malaysia based on news and blogs, do not agree with the award and many feel that the award should have been given to Malaysians that are more deserving than him. To make the matter worse, which many feel and I agree, it was an insult to the country when Shah Rukh Khan himself, could not be bothered to turn up and receive the award.

He also named Azean Irdawaty, M. Nasir, Kuswadinata and Ruminah Sidek as artistes deserving to receive the Datukship. He added it was an insult to Malaysians that Shah Rukh Khan did not turn up to accept the award. — Datuk Mustapha Maarof in ‘Malaysians more deserving of Datukship than Shah Rukh Khan’

Even Lim Kit Siang, the opposition leader, could not resist in taking part in condemning the presentation of this award as quoted from Khan award upsets Malaysian locals;

If Shahrukh Khan deserves the award, then other foreign stars including Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones who shot the Hollywood movie “Entrapment” in Kuala Lumpur in 1999 should also be given similar recognition, he said.

I made a search at Negaraku! (at 11:00 am) to see how many bloggers have blogged about this topic and these are what I found:

1. Lagu Inikah yang Membawa Shahrukh Khan Mendapat Gelaran Datuk? by Hasbullah Pit
2. Datuk Shah Rukh Khan kempen untuk Ali Rustam? by Tok Mudin
3. Shah Rukh Khan Terima Anugerah Datuk dari Yang Dipertua Negeri Melaka? by Oh Bulan
4. Datuk Shah Rukh Khan, WTF? by Noktah Hitam
5. Bila Masa Pula PAS Melaka, Selangor, Perak Kurniakan Datuk Pada Shahrukh Khan? by Hasbullah Pit
6. Kecek-kecek tentang Datuk Shah Rukh Khan by Tok Mudin
7. Datuk Shah Rukh Khan, WTF? by Cekik Darah
8. Datuk Shah Rukh Khan.. the most ridiculous thing of 2008 by Kwong Fei

So what is your opinion on this? Any die hard fan out there?

Have you ever wondered how safe your neighborhood is? Can you safely leave your doors or your cars unlocked? Mariano Pasik from Buenos Aires came up with the bicycle test to see how long an unchained bicycle last before someone comes and takes it away.

Just by using hidden cameras and cheap bicycles as bait, the Argentine publicist set out to gauge crime in different neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The longer it takes for the bike to be stolen the safer the area, is his hypothesis.

I could still remember the good old days when things can be left safely unlocked or unchained in my neighborhood. Life was not as affluent as it used to be now but we had enough to eat and to wear. May be those those days people believe more strongly in God and punishments as compared to now.

Or, it could be that the beliefs are still as strong as it was today but people are getting more desperate to make ends meet and therefore resorted to crimes as the easiest way out.

Anyway, this bicycle test did produce some interesting results.

In the latest video posted, a bike lasted an hour without being stolen in the unsavory Constitucion neighborhood. But on the upscale shopping street of Santa Fe, a bike lasted a few short minutes before it was stolen.

I wonder how long would an unchained bicycle would last in downtown Kuala Lumpur? Any guess?

Read How safe is your city? Put it to the bicycle test for details.

A divorce settlement can be costly to some couples but nothing can beat this Cambodian couple. In the interest of being fair, all properties should be shared equally including the house that they used to live together.

There is no better way to split a house other than to literally cut it in half. The husband insisted that their house being cut into half so that they can part with their properties equally and he brought his relatives and they used saws to cut the house in half.

I just could not imagine how long or difficult it is but I guess some people would go beyond reasons to get what they wanted. I would say that this is a good example of what could happen if we didn’t use our head that much and follow our heart too much and let our emotions get the better or us.

“Very strange, but this is what my husband wanted,” she said by phone from a village about 62 miles east of Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. She said they ended their marriage last month.

Do you think that this is the best way to split our properties? I think the best way, if you are married, is to avoid divorce and try to settle our differences as we are all humans after all. I didn’t know whether to laugh or not when I read this but finally, I laughed…

Have you seen any half-cut house in Kuala Lumpur yet?

Read Cambodian couple saw house in half in divorce for details.