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ABloggingHorse
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Name: Daniel
Country: United States
State: California
Metro: San Francisco
Birthday: 2/13/1970
Gender: Male
Interests: Piano, flying, gorging on chocolate
Expertise: Classical Music, Computers, Aircraft
Occupation: Computer related (Internet)
Industry: Internet and Aviation
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
AIM:  culveytk
Member Since:
7/3/2005
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| by Daniel Culveyhouse
The housing market in the United States turns upside-down, and a subprime mortgage crisis ravages banks and homeowners. Then, six months later, Asian stock markets collapse, Iceland's economy and government crumble, and the entire world reels under a very bad recession. While watching these events unfold, no one could really say that life in 2009 is grand, not by any stretch of the imagination. You don't have to walk far to hear people crying, whining, complaining, and lamenting the loss of their jobs, or maybe their homes, and possibly their sanity.
Would you believe that most of our ancestors would turn in their graves if they could hear us griping about our recent misfortune? To them, life was something to savor for the moment, since amidst the frequent chaos and turbulence of the 20th century, no one knew what the next day would bring. Our grandparents could only fantasize about the kind of lives that we enjoy today, and that perspective from an age long gone seems to be overlooked, especially now, in such a dark hour. Let's explore this incitement a little further:
The first example to put current events into perspective is a great one. It was called... well, The Great Depression. We have no idea what it was like to suffer through an economic meltdown during the 30s, right alongside other calamities such as major droughts and the American Dust Bowl. That anyone managed to pass through this period with dignity and hope is a miracle in my opinion. Our market corrections should feel like but a bump in the road compared to the "Dirty Thirties".
If this isn't enough to convince you that our misfortune is only minor, try understanding conditions in Europe during World War I. From 1914 to 1918, European soldiers from nearly every country were embroiled in grisly trench warfare, which many of them considered worse than death itself. The grim conditions in the trenches— incessant shelling, raids, sniper attacks, diseases, infections, and poison had caused millions of deaths by the time the first world war ended. For a horrifying glimpse at life in the trenches, watch the first half-hour of A Very Long Engagement, a French film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Trust me, after watching this, the recession will feel like just another cloudy day to you.
The citations go on throughout history. How would you like to have been among the first Jamestown settlers in 1607, where only one third of your friends would survive the first two winters (if you were luckily enough to survive yourself). Lastly, how would you like to have been one of over TEN MILLION Jews sent to internment camps throughout Europe during World War II, and to have known that over half of your fellow Jews would not survive to the end of the war.
I think I would choose this recession over any of these dark chunks of history. How about you?
It takes some insight into history— just a little— to place your current situation into perspective, whatever that situation may be. We enjoy so many modern comforts that were absent just a few decades ago, that it's almost a travesty to complain about any hardship. We can still laugh, we can share our discomfort and support each other, and we can learn from our tumultuous past to limit this recession (and apply modern economics to stave off a full depression). And best of all, by using a little foresight, we can see before us a very bright and prosperous decade to come.
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Anno Domini is a term applied to our Gregorian calendar by the lovely Christian Church to define an "era" representing the time after the birth of Jesus Christ. I've mention this before: Atheists like me who do not recognize this defining moment are kind of screwed, aren't we. I mean, I cannot just create my own "Jesus Who? Calendar". Luckily, many academia now use the neutral and agnostic term Common Era, or CE, concurrently with Anno Domini. So here we are, in the new year of 2009 CE, and the time has come to reflect upon 2008 CE— one hell of a roller coaster year for America, but one that offered me a lot of personal growth. As everything (and everyone) crumbled around me on all sides, I remained uncorruptible, and that is no exaggeration as you will see.
A Journey through 2008 CE
| January: | The clunky corporation I worked for moved our division into a brand new $3,000,000 office in downtown San Francisco. One week later, over half of our division got bitch-slapped with layoff notices, including me. It was an overdue departure, since the company was a toxic dead end with its fucked up cult-like atmosphere and creepy puppet managers. Also this month, winter storms pounded California, causing millions in damage and several deaths.
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| February: | I turned 38 years old, and I ended my job at the clunky corporation on the same day. The next day, I co-founded a new Internet startup with a few business partners. This was the month that officially made me an entrepreneur, and my life changed in the most amazing way. Also in February, the presidential primaries for the Democratic and Republican parties swung into season.
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| March: | I found a lot of strength and motivation in March, which gave me everything I needed to begin our new company. We each invested our own money into this fledgeling venture. To make March more interesting, I joined the Socialist Party USA, making me a citizen who believes in equality for every human being on the planet. Consequently, the Socialist Worker's Party in Spain won the general election, giving Spain more opportunity for gender equality and gay/lesbian rights. |  |
| April: | I worked harder than I have ever worked in my life for my venture, deciding to dedicate all of my time to it, and delaying a hunt for a salaried job until 2009. On a stranger note, I somehow made a mortal enemy out of a snotty gossipy jackass named Ren Park for my posting of a bad restaurant review of Zuni Cafe, his employer. This wacky tale is worthy of a separate blog entry, so I will divulge the full details of Ren's messy and vengeful antics in an upcoming entry. |
| May: | I embarked on an adventure to Peru with a friend, passing through Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu, and the Amazon jungle. Also in May, a gay Korean by the name of Andrew connected with me out of the blue, for no apparent reason, and he suggested that we attend an opera together. I thought it very strange that he randomly contacted me, but I accepted his offer. |  |
| June: | My business partners and I made great progress with our tiny company, and we decided to outsource parts of our business to give us a speed boost. I also noticed that Andrew, my new acquaintance from May, was rather moody and bipolar, and since he told me about his recent drug problems, I let him drift away. Also in late June as the stock markets cavitated, ready for total collapse, Bill Gates finally stepped down from daily duties at Microsoft after three decades. |
| July: | I met so many new friends this month and realized that my growing circles of friends meant that I could not devote much time to anything meaningful. I made a decision to trim the excess fat out of my social life by the end of the year, so as to focus on my dearest friends. In late July, stock markets around the world began to crumble, and Iran test-fired several missiles to assert its position in global war games, after which Israel and the U.S. condemned the missile tests. |  |
| August: | I met two classical musicians this month, and I decided to spend some time getting to know them. I finished up a long protracted mess involving the IRS, and my business partners and I prepared for the launch of our Internet company's public beta website. Also, Democrats chose Obama as their nominee to defeat the Republican nominee John McCain. |
| September: | My partners and I launched our beta website, and we get a very positive initial reaction from audience that we were targeting. Also this month, I decided to call the owner of Zuni Cafe to report some idiotic and unprofessional behavior of Ren and his co-worker. It was no laughing matter, as they soon found out, since both of the jackasses were reprimanded. I then posted another restaurant review of Zuni Cafe. Read it by clicking here. |  |
| October: | Stock markets around the world collapsed, some to their worst levels in decades. Our company's website gained a little more popularity in the dance community around the world, even though we're still a very tiny website on a shoestring budget. Halfway through the month, that new "acquaintance" from May (Andrew Lee), who happened to be friends with the Zuni Cafe jackasses, turned nasty on me and tossed verbal and written insults in response to my getting his friends reprimanded. This also deserves a separate blog entry, since Andrew's socially retarded behavior was something that I predicted three months beforehand. |
| November: | My business partners and I began research for investor funding for our new startup. My friend composed an opera and dedicated it to me, and I took one of my best friends from Berkeley on a semi-romantic evening to see it. In other news, an acquaintance named Johanes who recently moved to San Francisco, turned out to be a foul-mouthed drug addict in serious need of rehabilitation. It only took me three weeks to realize this, and I ended the friendship when he went psycho and ballistic on me (a typical symptom of out-of-control drug abuse). Typical and predictable. But on a much more positive note, citizens of the United States elected a new president, Barack Obama. |  |
| December: | The holiday season somehow attracted some new friends my way, and to my surprise, I discovered a whole new social scene. Also throughout the month, I worked continuously with my business partners on our company, and in between, I somehow managed to attend seven holiday parties— a record for me. |
The year two thousand and eight of the Common Era. It's one year that most of us would sure like to forget. But for some reason, although bittersweet, I found 2008 to my liking. It represented how resilient I am in a crisis that deeply affects the whole city, and it also reminded many people around me of my ice-cold stance on drug abuse. It also brought me new friends and a few sinister enemies; so I adored the good quality men/women, and conversely I countercharged and fought the jackass druggies right out of my life.
And for the second recession in a row, I anchored myself to the ground in San Francisco while hundreds of other gays and lesbians fled permanently to L.A., New York City, and elsewhere. I couldn't care less, and actually the exodus might make it even easier to find contract work, if I really need extra income.
As far as my treatment of the year to come, well I never bothered with New Year's resolutions like most people of the Earth. But I always try to predict my own future, which often times turns out to be accurate. This year, I see myself giving up every bit of fear in my personal and professional life, and I see some great opportunity for our Internet company around mid-year as a reward for all of our hard work. All this work, however, puts a damper on relationships, so I don't see one blooming until the next year.
Regardless of how these predictions unfold, I am sure that 2009 CE will be a year I will want to remember, always.
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| Last week, I mentioned that I dove into those risky, choppy waters of entrepreneurship. Back in January, I joined the surprisingly small population who march fearlessly into the unknown with a new business idea, putting their entire financial health on the line, armed with a big thinking cap and a very hopeful attitude.
The life of an entrepreneur is not easy, and it most certainly is not for the faint of heart. I discovered that this style of business matches my personality very well, because I am willing to take risks, live on the seat of my pants, and throw all of my fears out the window (along with my life savings). And that is exactly what entrepreneurship requires— the eradication of fear. You don't have to look far to detect the habits of some great innovators of this decade. In the early 90's, two risky innovators— Swanson and Boyer— left the grind of full-time work and guaranteed paychecks and decided to start their own biotech company. The result is what we now know as Genentech, Inc. Just imagine how successful they would have been had they entered the venture with loads of fear and apprehension. You're right! Genentech would have been a disaster and died on the vine before it even had a chance to grow!
Fear and self-doubt are the biggest killers of lofty dreams. Many ideas with enormous potential have been stayed and defeated by the same people who envisioned them— the culprit being self-defeating fear. While it is true that some ideas turn out to be ridiculous pipe dreams, many would-be innovators use crazy excuses in order to mask their shattered confidence. Excuses such as their ideas would go underfunded and die a grisly death, the enormous amount of work isn't worth it and would break the bank for sure. Tragically, their ideas didn't have to end that way; most all ideas have great potential, and it's all in the state of mind.
Our idea involves the mixture of a few proven business models. We did not intend to totally revolutionize technology yet, but rather we wanted to just pick an exciting and challenging industry and then use our technology skills to promote that industry on the Internet. After plenty of research and deliberation, we chose the world of dancing as our target. We applied our significant experience in Internet startups, and the result is our beta website called iYango (www.iyango.com). We quickly realized that there is no one destination website that pulls together all the styles of dance around the world, so that is our new goal. Sure, there are boutique dance resources here and there, but they cater to a particular genre of dance such as salsa or ballroom dancing. The same is true for our only competitor, the rhapsodic DanceJam.com founded by M.C. Hammer, which is stuck in the world of hip-hop and street dance battles. Our goal with iYango is to pull all styles of dance together into a website packed with features that cater to the world's dance audience.
Like I said, we began with a beta website, and the few addictive features that we have on iYango.com are just the beginning. Check back once in a while, and bookmark the site if you have any enthusiasm for dance whatsoever. You'll see the website evolve into a huge global community of enthusiasts who share the common passion of dancing. It will take us a little while to grow, especially in this current economy where startup funds are tougher than bark on a tree. It's a cliché in investor circles that a global recession like this is a great way to put entrepreneurs to the test. In a cash-strapped 2009, it will be those highly motivated die-hards who will keep their small companies together and pull out of this recession with grace.
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| Yes, I'm back. I couldn't begin to figure out how to apologize for disappearing. So why don't I post an entry from my personal log, which is something I rarely do:
Dear Private Diary:
It has taken me all these months to find time to write publicly again. Even if I had an excuse for not sharing my day-to-day exploits with all of my readers, they probably wouldn't buy the excuse anyway. And for a good reason— there are some very smart cookies out there in the blogosphere. They debated major political issues on their blogs with coherence, they maintained a sense of resolve and positive thinking as the economy crumbled around us, and best of all, as busy as most of them have become, they still find time to blog. They pour their hearts out about everything from alternative energy, to break-ups, to the ins and outs of stuffing a turkey. If only I were that good at time management.
There is a reason why most bloggers belong to Generation Y. Even with a full schedule, they're still full of energy, and part of that naive sparkle-in-the-eye is still there. They haven't learned the harsh reality of the human condition, which is something I will be blogging about profusely in the future. The problem is that people don't want a dose of reality, but they do want an escape. How can I possibly accommodate that, when my two greatest traits are insight and honesty? They don't want to hear that the 21st century will be the most turbulent one the world has ever seen (as if the 20th century wasn't bad enough with 13 major wars). They don't want to hear that they might have to study nuclear war survival, just in case. And most farfetched of all, they don't want to hear that amidst all the unknowns, they may reap the benefits of future medicine to live for hundreds of years, if they so desire.
The wisdom I've gained in just the past year alone has outranked everything else in my life. Step by step, I will find a way to share what I've researched about science, technology, and medicine, particularly what awaits us in the near future. And armed with that necessary evil called "honesty", I will be able to enlighten at least a few people with the great inventions— and catastrophies— that await us.
-DLC
So don't worry, I'll make sure to write at least once per week. I've just been busy with a small Internet company that I co-founded, and I'll talk more about that next time. If you're able to empathize with the life of an entrepreneur, then you'll understand how quickly it gobbles up my time.
For now, I'll leave you with an little peek into the future with an illustration (to the right) of a proposed supertall skyscraper, which tops out at 400 stories. Any guess as to which city wants to build this? ;)
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|  | Floralis Generica in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Photo: Daniel Culveyhouse |
The end of 2007 and the first quarter of 2008 were perhaps some of the most transcendent months of my life. Not because they were loaded with swashbuckling action, but because it was the phase where I became a free spirit and a libertine. I will recap these events over the next week, and it will surely reveal that...
I have awakened.
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