Damn, another year gone. I had a few things I wanted to get done this year, it looks like I'll be real damn busy tomorrow. Not.

I think alot of us have this deep-rooted sense we must be better, we must improve who and what we are that we can't help at least "think" about New Year's resolutions. Many I know make lists. I can understand their reasonings somewhat. But I can't help but feel we do this because we don't like who we are or just not comfortable with who we are. I can already hear "Hey! Wait a minute. That's not true!" I guess it depends on the resolution right?

I think mine last year was to take a trip a month. I need to go back and see if I did post anything. I'm not sure if I made that goal but it came damn close.

Well I have three goals this year:

1. Quit job. (January 28)
2. Get the hell out of Detroit. (TBD)
3. New job. (February 14) Temporary job until I move, although the employer doesn't quite know that.

So anyway it looks like another year just like the other year. Tick. Tock. Time just keeps on passing.

Yes time, time, time is on my side, yes it is
Time, time, time is on my side, yes it is
Oh, time, time, time is on my side, yes it is
I said, time, time, time is on my side, yes it is
Oh, time, time, time is on my side
Yeah, time, time, time is on my side

There you have it, me and Mick.

I hope you all have wonderful Christmas and take just a moment some time between the traveling, gift wrap, fudge and December 26 sales and think about what this holiday is really all about. Believer or not.

Yes there is a God.

Peace.

Santa!

Now we really know what is in Santa's bag.

I have a lot of respect and admiration for Bill Cosby. He's rich, he's famous and he's trying to make a difference at an age in his life when he could just be sitting back enjoying the fruits of his labor.

Now he's taking on Detroit.

You go Bill.

Well I almost have my Christmas shopping done. EB Games is giving me a fit over ordering four Nintendo DS games online. I'm having to jump through security hoops which in part is a good thing...but annoying as can be. I placed the order last Saturday and it's still not been verified. Sometimes I think it's harder to buy a small amount online than a big purchase. Best Buy...get your site fixed! You are losing alot of money from me this Christmas. You have a toy freak here in withdrawals.

We had the resident Christmas party last night so I didn't get home til after 9, so now it's time to go back and I'm feeling like "Hey, did I ever leave there?"

I dropped almost a grand yesterday on four new tires. The nice salesman at Goodyear guaranteed me I could go up to 150mph safely on these tires. I told him I'd get back to him on that one but it did do well at 90. I don't pay attention to small details alot but it didn't seem like a small detail driving home last night. I noticed immediately I wasn't having to grip the steering wheel as hard and potholes didn't seem quite as big. I didn't realize before my steering wheel had been vibrating so badly...until it doesn't do it anymore. Anyway my tires are cool.

I've been watching NWA site three times a day trying to get a decent airfare price to go home for Christmas. It bounces anywhere from $505 to $860. I've decided not to pay that much for a 3 day weekend. If it doesn't drop down to $400 or lower looks like I'll be staying home for Christmas. Yep...I'm cheap in some things. Most things. But let's not go there. My kids and my mother will have a fit, but, oh well.

My resignation is reverberating through my corporates world. I posted months ago how I was told I lost my 15% annual bonus already for this year that is paid out in February for meeting 5 different criteria goals my company sets for me. Well I found out yesterday I've basically been jerked around on that...I'm only $34,000 off budget, which if I'd of known that even 3 weeks ago I could of recouped. At this point I have no clue if I'm still getting jerked or not. Dangling a piece of candy in front of the baby? My 5 goals are based on culture, cost, care, census ...hmm, I forget the 5th at the moment. I've met all my criteria but supposedly the dang $34 grand. Anyway since we made millions profit this year....the whole thing annoys me greatly. Sigh.

Anyway that's a tad of what's going on in my life at the moment.

Sometimes it doesn't take much to excite me, but this article definitely did. Just look at the headline of this article:

U-M's entire library to be put on Google

You go Google! A whole library at our fingertips. Wow!

In a similar vein I've been watching ebook readers for weeks. Just waiting for the ONE that will trip my trigger. I don't want alot, really. But I want it to handle all formats, of course it will have to hold a ton of books, be about the size of a paperback novel, only thinner, weigh less and have phenomenal storage capacity, easy readability, great battery life and sync with my computer.

Some companies are getting very close. But not quite yet. Now I already have a Sony Clie TH55 that I've already purchased quite a few books and do use it alot. But there is something about having every book I ever wanted, I could ever read, text books, magazines....you name it, in my purse with me at all times. It just really trips my trigger.

I have no qualms whatsoever about giving up my stacks of books sitting here around the house. I have the stacks of "to read", "have read must pass on", "have read want to read again", "have read must save just in case".

Now don't get me wrong here, I'll never give them all up...but I constantly think how much easier moving would be.

Anyway Sony is getting close with it's Librie but it has a ways to go. This is an old article and it hasn't been released in the USA and from what I can tell what is currently available as far as ebooks they might as well not release it here. So c'mon Sony, let's get cracking. Anybody...c'mon, let's get this show on the road.

Since my comments were trashed the Hugoists have been having difficulty getting to their "forum". I have no clue how to fix the problem but if you follow this link and scroll all the way to the bottom you can continue to comment. If you hit the comment link there you get an error reading...don't know why, just do. Beyond me.

Anyway since Dean fixed my comments and got rid of the spammers and you all lost your way, my email takes about 30 seconds to read. So where are you guys? I hate to admit this but I sort of miss your bickering.

I've always liked that word. Anyway I've been whittling away on my Christmas list. At least trying too. My kids are the biggest chunk of where the bucks go and they never make it easy. I think my children are mentally challenged. They must be adopted. I've asked all three for weeks now want they want for Christmas and I hear "I dun no". Give me a break, please.

Now my granddaughter who is 2, God bless her...she has my genes for sure. She wants everything. She sees a commercial ...Lexus, Bose, Disney cruise you can loudly hear her proclaim "I want that!". You go girl. In fact she tells everyone she is a Princess and she's still wearing her princess crown from Halloween. I seen the remnants of the mushroom cloud here in Michigan when the dress had to finally come off. My daughter said her wounds are healing nicely now.

Anyway my 4 page Christmas list is handy for anyone who wants it, just let me know.

I've been playing around with a GMail account for a few weeks and I have nothing bad to say. In fact I really like it. I finally changed this sites email address over to AlteredPerceptions@gmail.com yesterday.

Anyway I have 4 accounts to give away if anyone needs or wants one give me a holler.

In February I'll have been in Michigan, Detroit area for 6 long years. Thankfully and finally I'll be leaving Michigan shortly thereafter. It's been a long stay. My biggest gripe about Detroit has been the lack of acknowlegement of all that is so wrong here. Mainly the stress, aggressiveness and the spirit of violence that is constantly brewing below the surface. It is a city on edge that I've come to believe doesn't even realize it is. How can you know Detroit is different if you've never lived away from it? It brings Rumsfeld to mind with "But there are also unknown unknowns - - the ones we don't know we don't know." I'm sure you get the picture.

In yesterday's Free Press they bring it home with a series of articles on the soaring violence and deaths.

It's not uncommon to see a scene with multiple gunshots. The violence in Detroit has morphed into something new, something truly evil. The code of the street has changed. Ten or 20 years ago, there was a morality to street violence. There were unspoken rules: Never kill children. Never kill family members. Take one person at a time. But now, the killers shoot at anyone. They empty a clip into a crowd. They shoot in any direction. The situation is getting worse, not better. Criminologists, community leaders and police say that the recent spike in violence stems from a mix of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, drug use, hopelessness and a gangsta rap culture. It forms a violent cycle that has spun out of control for generations.

The articles lay it on the line. Finally one can see:

Through November, there were 1,279 people shot in Detroit -- 247 more than in all of 2003 -- and 341 people have been killed. Why is this city killing itself? What has it done to the community's soul? That's what the Free Press wants to show you, in this special series starting today. After you meet the victims, after you travel with the detectives and see their frustrations and successes, after you walk through the neighborhoods and feel the tension and fear, you will find some surprises.

There are no solutions mentioned. I'm clueless as to what they could be. I'm just glad it's not my job to come up with a few besides I'm getting out of Dodge.

Here are the links to all of the articles:

Echoes of Violence.

Death on the Doorstep.

Homicide in Detroit.

Robbery Turns Fatal on 8 Mile Road.

Comments should be back, and working again.

Although from now on, all comment threads will close automatically after 10 days.

Maybe I'm too old, maybe I'm missing the big picture, but this really turns me off. I look at this and all I can come up with is: ignorant asses.

So shoot me fool.

Dean Esmay was kind enough to point out to me yesterday that my comments are FUBAR, broken, trashed. Here I was rejoicing because I hadn't received any spam for a few days. Anyway he said he could fix it for me, bless his heart. If for some reason he can't...they will have to stay forever broken because it's way beyond me to fix the problem.