posted
2008 was ok, though a bit of an anti-climax after the amazing (for me) 2007.
Google News is good for checking out what has previously been predicted to happen in 2009. For example, by using this filter to show news items from 2000 which include the string "by 2009":
quote:opportunities will exist for auto LPG retailers, due to an expected increase in the auto LPG vehicles by 2009
quote:By 2009, the Internet will figure into 85 percent of all business transactions, Merrill Lynch predicts.
quote:The Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) in the Texas law requires that 2000 MW of renewable energy, or about 3% of the state's electricity production, be installed by 2009.
quote:President Clinton yesterday projected that the country would enjoy a $1.9 trillion budget surplus over the next decade and said increasing surpluses meant the U.S. government could be free of publicly held debt in less than a decade if there were no new spending programs or tax cuts. "If we . . . committed the entire surplus to reducing the debt, we can make America debt-free by 2009," Clinton said.
quote:According to a new study from the Employment Policy Foundation, the gap between the digital haves and have-nots will close by 2009. ... The organization estimates that telecommuting will be possible in 40 percent of jobs by 2009.
quote:Australia's ES Cell International has announced that researchers using its embryonic stem cell lines have made a breakthrough that could lead to a cure for diabetes by 2009.
posted
rubbish awful year. poorer than i have ever been. destroyed my closest friendship. slept with someone i really cared about i shouldn't have. fell in love with someone else and proceeded to have my heart broken. didn't move on in life at all. some good dinner parties though.
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oh: one positive - britney's return and my love for the adorable katy perry. i am totally gonna engineer a meeting somehow with the latter. she seems FUN!
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and Obama! i went to the LSE Democrat Society election night party and led the crowd of 200 or whatever in a cult-like chant of YES WE CAN! that was pretty awesome.
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A cure for diabetes would be cool. Increase my life expectancy, not to mention a few million others.
I wouldn't mind a slice of your life sometimes vikram. Maybe for a week; a week you went partying, I think.
2008 started as a real bummer and for a while there I thought I was losing, but after the worst summer I've ever had, a lovely, lovely doctor actually made a difference and I've been able to be really happy this last few months.
With a new grandson on the way in Spring thanks to my daughter, and the daughter-in-law finally unfreezing, I reckon it could be a good year; economic gloom notwithstanding. That makes my wish list is a bit sentimental: healthy baby; seeing my son up here; husband's job more secure so he can come home earlier at night.
And world peace.
-------------------- A day without laughter is a day wasted. In memory of Alastair Posts: 1936
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I agree with Sam...I think it would be fun/interesting to live Vikrams life for a week. A week full of all the parties you go to.
I'm hoping 2009 will be better than 2008. I've been diagnosed with something called radiculitous. And another doctor said it's fibromyalgia. Basically, my body hates me. The radiculitous is severe nerve damage in my low back which causes incredible, chronic pain in my low back into my hips. And, on top of all that, my muscles/ tendons tense up so horribly, it's awful.
So, hopefully, in 2009 all of the pain I'm in will go away. But, I highly doubt it. I also hope my doctor believes me, b/c sometimes I feel like he doesn't. *sigh*
posted
I can't decide how 2008 was until 2009 dawns....
In retrospect 2008 was shit. I managed to lose three jobs, one of which I hadn't even started, the other two I though I was excelling in (one I did but the company went bust, the other I was used as a scapegoat I am sure for a board decision), an ex-gf of mine died in tragic circumstances, then another who I loved very much decided she wanted to move over to try again in Europe - however she just ceased communication last month without a word. My Dad got sicker (8% according to doctors statistics), I discovered one of my best mates is leaving Holland, and in the last 3 months I have fallen ill four times with flu like symptoms never once feeling 100%.
But also this year I have discovered and old flame who has knocked me head over heels, a couple of other girls very recently who want to see more of me, and there is an outside chance that the job I lost, may just open the door open for me for a couple more months. Plus more than anything, I have come to love the people close to me who when I have been down have been far and above the call of duty and who have made me realise that a job isn't everything, and no matter how down you are, they will always be there for you. For the first time in years, I actually enjoyed christmas, and whats more I will be going back to the UK tomorrow for new year to spend with long lost but regained friends and just a small chance, the woman who has knocked me sideways will be there -well they do say the person you begin the new year with is the person you will share the entire year with.
On the whole, 2008 was pretty dire compared to others, but it still has a couple of days to make amends and I am suprisingly optimistic about that and the whole of 2009.
Oh and Barack Obama! And Zola! And maybe living in the UK again - lots of things to look forward to!
Sorry to hear that Amy, with all the problems I've had with my back in the past I sympathise greatly, hopefully your doctor can put you in touch with a specialist who can help.
It's hard to rate 2008 to be honest, no family members have died which instantly ranks it above the previous couple of years, but then I did find out that my uncle has cancer and hasn't been given much hope at all of recovery.
Add to that the fact that our company are undergoing a redundancy drive to cull 10% of the UK workforce and I'd have to say that 2008 has been largely fairly crap with intermittent great bits, mostly centered around enjoyable time spent with great friends.
I'm hoping that 2009 might bring a new job (whether enforced by redundancy or not) and the rediscovery of my enthusiasm for life. It's starting out with a 3 week jolly in Thailand, New Zealand and Cambodia so that's a promising start..
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2008 = cool... New job that pays loads, 50D and a couple lenses for my bday, lost 5 stone, and some other stuff.
Should '09 follow suit, golden!
-------------------- Evil isn't what you've done, it's feeling bad about it afterwards... Yield to temptation. It may not pass your way again. Posts: 3793
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Sorry about your Uncle, physic, and your dad and friend this year, Waynster. Could be a damn sight better, eh?
Sorry, too about your health troubles, Amy. Doctors don't always get the message when they should: keep at it and insist on being referred. I have a tens machine and it does seem to work for me; might it for you?
There's still that optimism in the air. Hope! We'd be stuffed without it.
-------------------- A day without laughter is a day wasted. In memory of Alastair Posts: 1936
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Last year was full of ups and downs. It was OK. It had some particularly good moments in truth. Recently got asked to do thepromotions for unsigned bands in a new bar opening next to my work. All that stuff was difficult but fun to get stuck into. Stressful a lot of the time, but all in all - a good year. It gets a slightly wonky thumbs up.
Had a lovely, LOVELY Christmas Day. Hung out with my mates and things were jokes. Saw some old friends from the past. Got a decent collection of after shave, Ben Sherman beanie/gloves and scarf combo, chocolate, Money for boozing and another Transformer to throw on the pile. We finally booted Felix out of the band and I received a grovelling apology from him which was painful to listen to.
I wanted to get Christmas out of the way because I start studying again in January. I don't want to TBH. I simply have no desire to study at the moment, but it's fucking important because I'm making up for lost time. I'm going for a Mac server qualification and working towards MSC for cross-platform support over AD, massively bored IT fans!
Sorry, too about your health troubles, Amy. Doctors don't always get the message when they should: keep at it and insist on being referred. I have a tens machine and it does seem to work for me; might it for you?
There's still that optimism in the air. Hope! We'd be stuffed without it.
Thanks. I do have a tens unit and it does help, but not all the time. My doctor does a drug test on me every time I go to his office. Which I think is ridiculous, becaause I come up perfect every time. The only thing I come up for is the meds I'm supposed to be on. I mean I take like twelve or so pills every day. Sigh. Anyway, it's frustrating trying to make doctors believe you when all tests come up negative except the nerve test. That one showed severe nerve damage. I can't make him belive me that more likely it's fibromyalgia. Which sucks. Whatever, as long as I'm not in pain, that's all that really matters. We shall see.
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A sympathetic doctor is a great thing. Mine retired a couple of years ago and life became shit after that. The damn replacement doesn't seem to like women - or other doctors. He kept taking me off the meds the hospital gave me and then I'd collapse and have to go back to the hospital to get them to write to him.
Eventually I refused to see him. The surgery don't even offer me his name as a choice any more; one of the receptionists said it was embarrassing having me tell the waiting patients how useless he is. LOL A new doctor started and she is a darling so unless I am actually in mortal danger, I won't see anyone else now. I have a sort of complicated health plan and they really need to know me to work it.
You are on a hell of a lot of tablets for someone your age. You really do have my sympathy. Is the drugs testing about a mis-spent past? I never told the doctors about my drinking because I knew they wouldn't ever see past it. Mind, drinking had its benefits which make me miss it sometimes because I rarely felt pain when drunk! Switching up the tens machine isn't quite the same as a large tumbler of whisky. *sigh*
-------------------- A day without laughter is a day wasted. In memory of Alastair Posts: 1936
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I got sacked. I got divorced. I moved to a rough part of town. I met someone who I think is terriffic, and she thought I was lovely, but she dumped me for God. I grew a moustache.
I hope for 2009 to be equally interesting and stimulating.
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I don't know if it qualifies or not because I don't know the circumstances, but I'm sorry to hear that stuff mart.
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When you do, please ensure you use something like this.
God, I shaved after having a goatee for years and didn't moisturize, looked like I had leprosy of the face!
Not good man, not good!
-------------------- Evil isn't what you've done, it's feeling bad about it afterwards... Yield to temptation. It may not pass your way again. Posts: 3793
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First: Mart, that photo was really you? To be honest, I thought it was a pic from an old filllum. LOL.
Sorry. That's a great pic though.
Sam, no it's not because of my past. It's just what my doc. does. He also had me sign a contract. Apparently that's what a lot of docs do these days. Especially when they prescribe the kinds of meds that I'm on.
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