2008 Wrap-Up

Posted on Dec 31, 2008 in Life, Misc. | 3 comments

As the hours count down to the end of 2008, I’ll take a moment to reflect on the year. Overall, I won’t be sad to see 2008 in the rear view. In many ways, it was a trying year both personally and professionally. There were some exceptions to this, of course, but I say: bring on 2009!

The Good

Staying positive first, let me touch on the high points of the year:

Technology – Two technologies really stand out for me in 2008, Facebook and the iPhone/iPod Touch. Sure, both have been around long before 2008 but they really came into their own this year.

• I recall one friend, then a USC student, telling me about Facebook, but it was only open to college students at that time. Today, it’s one of (if not the) biggest social media site. Since I became one of the 140 million active users (according to them), I’ve been hooked. Forget the “super poke” and other nonsense apps: it’s about connecting. I’ve learned more about friends going all the way back to elementary school since signing up than I ever dreamed possible. It’s additcting… which is why it’s such an interesting platform for businesses and marketers. I’ve been creating a page for the homebuilder I work for and the marketing blogs I follow are abuzz about how to “leverage” this tool. (Aside: the fact that it’s now being “leveraged” for marketing use may be a colossal failure, as some advertisers are finding out.)
• iPhones have ruled since people lined up overnight to get one in June 2007 (and then pay the $70+/month to use one). When the 3G version arrived this year, along with more useful software, everything changed. Just as the iPod revolutionized music, the iPhone/iPod Touch has begun to change the face of mobile computing. Don’t be fooled: these things are not just “phones with music” or “music players with games”—they’re game changers. I got a first-generation iPod Touch with my new MacBook Pro and now I can’t fathom how I got along without it. It has no monthly fees (but yes, I carry an older phone, too) and does amazing things. Looking up a restaurant or store on Google Maps at my computer doesn’t get me giddy, but doing so on the iPod Touch from the nearly ubiquitous wireless networks everywhere sure does. And the App Store model, though not without its critics, is opening up this powerful platform to everyoneokay, software developers. But that, too, may become accessible to the masses as web sites have done today. 2009 and beyond will bring interesting developments on this front as other devices like Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Zune enter the arena.

Personal - Without going into too much detail, this year was good on a personal level. I’m still employed (see below), I’m healthy, as are my parents and other family. My sister married a great guy, my wife completed the 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk, and neither of us have been hurt in our martial arts classes (bruises don’t count). The US Presidential election finally ended with what I hope will be a positive change for our country. Got a new niece on my wife’s side. Have a wonderful marriage now for three years. I’m a lucky guy.

The Bad

2008 sure wasn’t all roses, though. You’d have to be living in a cave deeper than the one Osama is hiding in not to know that things aren’t looking so hot.

• Finances – First the housing market slowed, then froze up along with the credit markets. Huge banks went under despite the government throwing billions at them. That domino fell next on the auto industry, which prompted a bailout (there’s too much too link to here; I’m sure you can search Google or Live for further detail on any of this). Next came the Madoff scandal and economic troubles across the globe. It’s rough, and as the year draws to a close the future is still uncertain.
• Housing – Closer to home, the housing market slump has hit the Seattle region. Sales dropped drastically and as a result, the builder I work for had to lay off workers. Twice. I’m still here, but they’re not guaranteeing anyone’s job in 2009. Plus, we’ve had a couple of foreclosures in my condominium building, which is worrisome. And in our own lives, investments we’ve made in the housing industry have been troublesome, but I believe we’re past the worst of that.
• Personal – Some good friends have been dealing with difficulties in their personal lives. It’s hard to see people you love coping as best they can to circumstances beyond their control. This is not the place to go into details, but I will say that the courage and integrity with which they deal with those unfortunate circumstances—and unreasonable people—are an inspiration to me. I hope that 2009 will bring relief.

The Blog

I’ve continued blogging regularly, though my readership hasn’t increased (or, if it has, they sure don’t like leaving comments!). That’s fine; I write to express my thoughts on topics I’m interested in, like design and martial arts, not fame. Perhaps some will find it interesting in the future? Stats for the blog as 2008 draws to a close: 186 posts in 16 categories (and just a handful of comments). I’ve not written much about music or film this year like I did in 2007; I’ll try and be better about that this coming year. But I admit, Facebook’s quick status updates sure make writing an entire, well-thought-out blog post seem like a chore

I did upgrade to WordPress 2.5.1 (I know, I know: 2.7 is out) and wrote about how much I enjoy the WP platform. Currently I’m using the Freshy 2 theme, ocassionally switching it’s design or header image. 2009 may bring a revamp… perhaps even a contest to come up with amore descriptive name that just mine?

So, to all (four or five of) my readers: Happy New Year! May 2009 be a better one than 2008 in every way.

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