2008: Taking stock...

Oh God, it's another year! Time slips by so fast that I hardly notice. Perhaps it's the daily and weekly for the kids, what with all their school and after-school activities, which take up most of my calendar, that I didn't even realize it until it's new year's eve.

I've come to appreciate this online blog, since it makes it so easy to "flip back" to my year-end review of 2007, and the looking-ahead part. It really gives me a perspective on what has happened, what plan I stick to, and when I drop the ball.

Let's see...

This year is probably the first year I've become fully engaged in the US politics and elections (both local and national). In the past, I never cared much about elections, simply watching the parade of candidates with amusement (and sometimes with disgust); but mostly I just didn't care. Perhaps this year I have truly cared and hoped for Hillary Clinton to be my president, so much so that I not only donated but fully engaged in sometimes rather acrimonious blog war. There was little that needs to be done with GOP (McCain and the like), but it's mostly with the ridiculously pompous and obnoxious Obama crowd.

Of course we now know that Clinton bowed out, and Obama beat McCain (out of impotence of the latter). Amid all the rah-rah of Obama, and whatever vague, ridiculous slogans (what is "change" anyways), I still do not believe in Obama, the guy who rises out from the dirty politics in Chicago (just look at the Blagojevich scandal). Main media and his supporters are more than eager in giving in passes, for his flip-flops in policy and positions. And although there was higher turnout of the college kids, the myth of record turnout from this demographics simply never happened. No matter, given the terrible economy and unpopular wars from Bush, everyone is more than willing to move on.

On a more personal level, our watch business venture has started moving. We tried some advertising options, some good, some not so good, which I consider good learning experience. It's also the first time I start doing some actually sales, which is another new thing to me. And I realize that I can do it.

When the subprime mess and the property market originally busted in late 2006, everyone had expected it to get better by the second half of 2007 or early 2008. Well, 2008 has now come and gone, and the mess is so deep and wide that it's beyond anyone's imagination. Some even suggested that the economy is in the worst shape in 40 years or more, with bailouts after bailouts, from banks, to automakers in Detroit. I don't think anyone can say with any certainty that we have seen the last bailout already.

Honestly, I don't think Washington has a choice in not bailing out the banks (even though they took incredible risks which are now seemingly underwritten with taxpayers' money). And I certainly don't agree with the bailout to Detroit. Surely everyone says their industry/company is too big to fail. It's just disgusting, seeing all those jerks taking incalculable risks using someone's money, collecting obscene amount of bonus based on short-term gains, with no ramifications whatsoever.

To top that off, for the "change" that Obama had promised in his campaign, he's simply doing more of the same that the Bush administration has been doing (with someone like Hank Paulson who's flying by the seat of his pants), only that Obama is doubling down the chips, saying he's going to do MORE, and BIGGER bailouts. Well, how about that.

Oh well, I have got so sick and tired of Obama that I can't care less of what his "plans" are (assuming he has any). I have even stopped listening to NPR, after its skewed coverage of Hillary Clinton.
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Looking back, perhaps one thing of small regret is my decision (much urged by my husband) to have given up on the second job at the startup. No doubt that extra salary (which, when combined, would push us well into the top 1% income bracket) will provide some ease of mind in this highly uncertain market and economic times.

In this last quarter, I've started doing some trading to profit from the volatility in the market, with reasonable success. I have no illusion that this kind of volatibility, thereby the profit, won't last forever. But I'll play it while it lasts.

And I didn't do anything for my other venture idea in Asia-Pacific. I ended up signing up to do a masters degree which would keep me busy for the next 2-3 years. Hopefully, we'll ride it out in the next year or so, and pave the way for a better time. Yes, I'm hopeful of that, and I'm still optimistic. :)