Jennie S. Bev

Contrarian

I consider myself a "contrarian." Whenever the economy is slow like now, I'm not panicking. Instead, I feel so invigorated. Everything is so affordable now, and unlike those who work for others, I have no fear of being unemployed.

It's simply because I employ myself through companies I founded and managed. And it's good timing to start investing in other ventures, so when the economy is back up again, the business would have matured or nearing that stage.

Those with "gatekeeper" personality might find the lifestyle of an entrepreneur overly dynamic and risky. Yeah, of course we need to be prepared to file for bankruptcy, but which entrepreneurs haven't been broke once in a while?

Having an entrepreneur mentality is quite different from having an "employed" attitude. We need to keep moving and keep envisioning avenues to make splashes. And I'd like to teach and show to people that it's not impossible to become one.

Start by being a contrarian. Always see opportunities in the midst of uncertainties. Start today.

A Theory That Makes Sense

The Twinkle Theory by David Gettman is a fascinating theory which makes a lot of sense. It is simple and makes you nod with agreement. It explains things with clarity and brings enlightenment to the readers. Download it for free from its online publisher.

Brainstorming

In today's e-commerce landscape, it is easier than ever to start "Long Tail" business ventures, such as publishing both electronically and in print. POD and e-publishing technologies would serve as the catalysts.

In general, we can see how the Internet has been functioning and will continue to serve as the ultimate purveyor of information. I expect to see business and revenue models continue to be formed around these evergreen businesses:

• Publishing (books, serial publications, etc.)
• Training (degrees, certifications, tutorials, etc.)
• Digital goods dissemination ("Long Tail" digital files, etc.)
• Information dissemination (libraries, databases, etc.)
• Hypermart (standard goods accessible anywhere)

Be Notified

To be notified of the forthcoming online university and merit-based scholarships, subscribe to this blog feeds by e-mail or reader. It won't be any sooner than 2009 or 2010, though, due to the legal and technical components.

Meanwhile, I'd need to think through of several businesses' expansion and development. And what to do in this plummeting property value phase.

Life is beautiful overall, but I'm dealing with many things and I only have two hands and one brain to work on them. :)

$300K Loss and American Resilience

Based on current market value of my beloved home, I lost $300K, which is -50% of the original purchased value. Read more on US housing market slump at Patrick.net.

It is really heartbreaking. Think about it, your property is half the value now. But hubby and I have decided to keep it as long as we can afford it, regardless of the current market value.

Look at the bright side, it's buyer's market out there and there might be other affordable properties to invest in. Analysts said market will be slumping in one or two more years to up to -70%.  That means your property will only be valued 30% of the purchase price.

Such a roller coaster, but what I love about America and Americans is the resilience. So far there is no news of suicide because of financial hardships and Americans are still enjoying the good life.

On the streets, in malls, and in restaurants, these places are still jam packed with smiling and laughing people. No demonstration on the streets, everything flows normally, just like in 2000 during dot-com bubble bust and 2001 post-9/11 recessions.

Well, more and more people are more aware about conserving gas, though, but nothing dramatic or drastic. All look normal on the surface.

In this hardship, I'm glad that I have adopted the so-called American resilience. It is not the end of the world and the economy will eventually move upward. No biggie.

Just keep achieving, keep working smart, and keep starting new businesses. Two more years? Piece of cake. We survived the dot-com bust and post-9/11 recessions and we can do it one more time all over again.

American economy is based on bubbles, so actually it's good timing to look for other bubbles and invest in them before they bust (again). Life is, after all, a game. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but in the end, we all are "gamblers."

Enjoy the ride with a grain of salt.

Steinbeck's Fan

I'm reading John Steinbeck's America and Americans and Cannery Row. I adore his writings. Well, he won the Pulitzer and the Nobel.

I'm learning  a lot from laureates like him.

The Day He Died

Today, Martin Luther King, jr died in 1963.  Enjoy this music video.

Endure

ren

(Source: LastLifeinMyUniverse's Flickr)

Cited from Pure Land Learning Center,

"Ren" means to endure. It is made up of two words, knife and heart: The knife is sitting on top of our heart.

 

It means when we practice endurance, we will suffer acute agony as if our heart is stabbed by a knife, however, we still have to persist.  The more we can endure, the greater our achievements will be. There is a saying in Chinese: Gold is form from incalculable endurance.

Writing Master Piece Books

I have never written anything "idealistic" that a writer would be proud to call her "master piece."

Well, I guess I am a person of  "both sides of brain hemisphere" reasoning type without any primary dominance over one side over the other. This explains why I don't believe in living the lifestyle of eccentric hippies. And I focus on things that matter the most first before moving forward and upward in search of idealism. Thus, I have been able to postpone the urge to write solely in pursuit of artistic endeavors.

While next year would be the "online university" year, in between hectic days, I should be able to spend a few hours per day working on forthcoming idealistic books. They will be written with utmost care and awareness of literary values.

I have a few more goals to achieve in life. Only a few, less than five. And this is one of them.

Now let me go back to tranquility, the state I love the most, more than the overrated happiness itself.

Treason of Intellectuals?

Judge by yourself.
Treason? Or not? Read here.

Good night.
I've gotta go enjoying this gorgeous Californian night.