Day 1

Thankful for a cool sunny weather so I could take my daily walk in comfort. I do power walks almost every day for about 15 minutes.  I should be doing 30 minutes, but 15 seems to be good enough for me. Even in that seemingly short time, I can work up a sweat, especially during warm days. So during cool days, I can return at the end without being drenched in sweat.

Day 2

Thankful of the OC fire fighters. Santa Ana winds were at it again and dry weather caused brush fires around here. I’m glad the fire fighters are always on alert and ready for it now.

Day 3

Thankful for co-operative co-workers.  In a company where every one works together as a team, stress is not an issue.  I was glad I could have at least one day of it at work.

Day 4

Thankful for the rain.  I would hate to have more brush fires, so a good amount of rain was needed!

Day 5

Thankful for my Indonesian friends.  I’m very much a Canadian/American, but I can’t forget my roots.  Because of my wife, I now have many Indonesian friends!

Day 6

Thankful for reliable transportation.  In California, a car is the only reliable transportation and I have two working and safe ones.

Day 7

Thankful for free software. A lot of generous people out there. My PC, iPhone, and Android tablet have many useful ones like Google Maps, Google Earth, Kindle reader (with free books!), etc.! [Update: Coincidently, Lifehacker has an article on 50 Free Apps We're Most Thankful For.]

Day 8

Thankful for a hot shower. November is cold season – both temperature and the health-issue kind.  A nice hot shower brought relieve!

Day 9

Thankful for 3G Data Connection. I love Pandora Radio.  I listen to it every day during my commute.  The 3G data on my iPhone made that possible.

Day 10

Thankful for my thankless job.  I’m a sysadmin. I’m expected to work late and work often. I work behind the scenes, so I don’t get the glory. It’s a stressful job that gets little or no appreciation.  But in this economy, I’m glad I have a job that I still love doing.

Day 11

Thankful for the men and women in the armed forces who are keeping this world free and secure.  Veteran’s (or Remembrance) Day is by far the most important day in November.  To our military personnel, thank you for your service!

Day 12

Thankful for my spiritual leaders: Pastor Rick Warren, John, and Elizabeth.  These folks lead by example on how to be a good and faithful Christian. Excellent mentors!

Day 13

Thankful for God’s healing and friends’ prayers.  My family’s been suffering the cold & coughs. With prayers, we’re healing and recovering nicely.

Day 14

Thankful for clean sheets.  Nothing feels better than clean, bouncy, and soft bedding sheets.  Feels like heaven!

Day 15

Thankful for cheap DVD-Rs.  I’ve got a ton of kids and vacation videos. The cheap discs let me experiment with authoring techniques and archive my hard drives, on a regular basis – without hurting my wallet.

Day 16

Thankful for an uneventful day. Sometimes, things just work out without a glitch. Everyone’s happy as they can be. I always count these blessings!

Day 17

Thankful they FINALLY opened an extra lane for turning right on Northbound Imperial Highway, making my commute home much easier. This used to be one lane and always always cause a backup all the way past the Highway 91 overpass.  For years, I drove this road and got stuck for 10 minutes.  Now, turning right on La Palma is fast, resulting in less congestion. It’s ABOUT TIME!

Day 18

Thankful for coupons.  I always appreciate free or deeply discounted stuff.  Especially stuff that I need, like food, or a new computer!

Day 19

Thankful for all of the warm birthday greetings from family and friends. Everyone left a message via Facebook, email, phone calls, and in-person. I’m touched everyone remembers. These are the people that matter in my life!

Day 20

Thankful I’m sharing the joys of Christmas together with my family. We’ve put up the Christmas tree and decorated it.  My 6-year old was so excited about it. Got the Christmas music going in the background.  It’s too bad it wasn’t snowing – but at least it was raining.  The tree turned out beautiful!

 Day 21

Thankful for free shipping.  I just love Internet stores with free shipping. They make everything so affordable – and convenient.  Now if they could all get rid of the State taxes…

Day 22

Thankful I got my Ultrabook!  I got my Toshiba ultra-thin and light notebook computer and enjoy being super-productive with it.  Not to mention it’s kinder on my back since it’s so much lighter than my other 5-pounder Notebooks!

Day 23

Thankful I could beat the holiday traffic.  The commute to work was easy, but the traffic after 4:30PM was brutal!  Good thing I got out early from work at 3PM, so I managed to miss the pile up.

Day 24

Thankful for my wife and child – for being there when I need them!  My family is wonderful!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

Twenty-Four Days of Thanksgiving

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Nobody wears a watch any more.
Nobody wears a tie either.
Nobody shops at a bookstore.

It’s about Marketing to Nobody. Essentially, he’s saying there’s a growing number of people changing their habits and preferences, yet companies out there still trying to cater the same old crowd, hoping they would do the same old things.

I haven’t worn a tie to work since 1994.  I haven’t worn a watch since junior high¹.  I haven’t bought a book from a bookstore in 8 years, thanks to Amazon.

I can add more to this list of things I  haven’t done in a long time:

• I don’t watch live TV.
• I don’t go to the movie theaters.
• I don’t buy a brand-name desktop PC.
• I don’t drink coffee.
• I don’t wear jewelry.
• (Update) I don’t go to the library.

I’m willing to try anything new and different.  So, who’s going to cater a nobody like me?

Photo Credit: helloiamtwo

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

I’m A Nobody

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=wax03wYyLyA

This is what my test look like using a Webcam.  It turns out my left eye is dominant. I always thought I was right eye dominant since I’m right handed.  Interesting.

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Sure enough, there’s an article on Wall Street Journal describing how lawyers can use Facebook for jury selection.  It would make it easier for them to figure out who I am, before they even bother to call me to court for the selection process.  Personally, what I shared on the my profiles pretty much represent me.  Even if they’re concerned about Facebook profiles being “who the person wants to be, instead of who they really are”, it’s still good research material.

And the bit about the TV show CSI was actually mentioned in my jury discussion.  No one ever solve a crime in one day, and DNA analysis is definitely not that easy and quick.

So hopefully in the years to come, the court system will join the 21st Century and use the resources on the Internet for jury research.

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

Thoughts On Making Jury Selection Easier

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The first time I stepped into the jury registration area, I was pleasantly surprised by the amenities.  The waiting area has comfortable seats, they showed a movie while we waited, and free Wi-Fi.  I was actually 30 minutes late of my appointment, but that didn’t seem to matter.  They had hundreds of people to process, so it took them a while anyway.  Everyone seemed relaxed.  There was a cafeteria near by and a patio area for smokers.    It may not be the most modern facility, but it was comfortable.  There were many people who brought their laptops and iPads.  I guess it’s a must since the wait took  hours.

My group went in around 11:30am and was told to come back at 2pm for the jury selection process.  I didn’t like the long breaks, but later on I found it was  necessary because they had to prepare the paperwork.  When they called us¹, we sat down and listened to the judge explained the civic duty of an American citizen, his own experience as a juror, and the court process.

I could tell the judge is a nice guy.  He tried his best to keep us informed, but at the same time, kept it light.  The case was actually a very serious criminal crime, so sometimes a little humor did lighten the stress and nervousness.

The jury selection went on to the second day, and by now everyone was feeling good they won’t be picked. To our surprise, they went through at least 4 rounds of jury alternates, and also removing some of the previously selected jurors.  To MY surprise, I was chosen.  The judge, DA, and defense lawyer asked me what I do for a living, whether or not I have bad experience with law enforcement, knew anyone involved in the case, my thoughts on rape/prostitution/pimping, my view on DNA science reliability, and my potential emotional state.  I told them my only concern was the age of this case (more than 14 years), but they assured me there would be explanations for it.  So I had no issues being selected.

By the end of the day, I was finally sworn in, along with 13 other jurors². I felt a sense of exhilaration, and some reprehension if I was up for the job. Either way, I was ready to dive right into the case.

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

Jury Duty: Jury Selection

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However, lately, my body was responding rather badly. I would feel bloated, lethargic, and sometimes stomach pains. I used to continue dismissing them as nothing, thinking I could still handle it. I’m fooling myself. I can’t deny I’m no longer 24.

I’m already 42. My metabolism is no longer the same and I can’t eat/drink whatever I want without suffering the consequences.

I tried a bit of exercise, walking during lunch breaks and bike rides, whenever I get the chance. This doesn’t seem to be enough. I still felt sluggish and easily agitated.

Some things must change.

Luckily, my church started a program called “Daniel Plan”¹. It’s an ambitious year long commitment to lose weight, stay healthy, and feel better. I have nothing to lose, except my fats! I need to try this.

Two weeks ago, my weight was 165 lbs, which is borderline overweight. According to the ideal weight calculator, my “ideal” weight is 158 lbs.

But losing weight is only half the battle. I have to give myself healthy food.  Food has DNA that can alter how my cells grow.  It can affect how my brain and heart operate.

So as I embark on this journey to a healthier me, I need to start eating less. The saying is:

Have breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and supper like a pauper.

Another words, eat way less at night, and load up a little bit in the morning.  The portions have to be smaller, too.  Eat enough to fill the hunger, and have healthy snacks in between.  I have to eat foods containing good carbs², dark leafy veggies³, and low calories snacks⁴.

I have to abandon sugar and caffeine altogether, so no more ice coffees from Mickey D’s!  Cut down (a lot) on beef and pork.  I definitely have to avoid fried foods, like fries and chicken wings.

So far it’s working.  I have lost 5 lbs in 2 weeks.  Obviously, I have more work to do to cut down all the way to my goal, which is 150 lbs.  I have to start exercise my core muscles, to relief the strain on my spine because of the bulging gut.  I need to fit into my size 30 jeans again.

Most of all, I’m feeling good about it. I’m less irritable, have clarity in thinking, and have more energy.  If I want to live into my 90′s I have to stay healthy, and it might as well start now.

Photo Credit: Ocha Neko

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

Being Healthy

1. Based on the bible story on the book of Daniel Chapter 1
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But for me, personally, the highlights were getting my US Citizenship, my first election vote, trip to China, and the massive rain in winter.

Looking forward, I’m expecting surprises and things to turn around – hopefully, for the better.  That feeling is summarized in the image below.

Happy New Year 2011!

Photo Credit: Frank Chimero

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

Happy New Year 2011

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Locally, I’m waiting in anticipation for Carly Fiorina to win the Senate for California, and Gail Eastman for Anaheim City Council.  I won’t say anything about the Propositions until they announce the resolutions.

[Update Nov 3, 2010]

I’m obviously disappointed Carly didn’t win the Senate.  There are just too many Democrats/Liberals in this State, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, the most populated (and richest) cities in California.  Interestingly enough, Orange County voted over 60% in favor of Carly Fiorina. We wanted change, but obviously everyone else does not.

The good news is Gail Eastman won by winning 19.4% of the votes for Anaheim City Council.

As for the Propositions, it baffles me to think a liberal state like this would not allow legalizing marijuana (no to Prop 19).

Predictably, global warming measure, which is a Democrat party agenda, gets to be enforced due to Prop 23.  Kinda silly to spend money on an unproven theory – money wasted in government run “green” projects, while the economy is in a major slump.  That money could be used for other worthwhile projects, like incentives for small businesses, or fund schools.

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

My First Election Day

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1. Share.
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7. Say sorry when you hurt somebody.

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Some will use it start a new decade of positive goals.

Others will try to explain this day.

Douglas Adams‘ fans will see this day as the number of the universe, in binary.

One thing for sure, no one can’t deny the neatness of the number. Have a wonderful 10-10-10 day!

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

10-10-10 10:10

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