Well folks…it’s 2009 already. Gone are those wistful nights of 2008; gone are the days of young carefree naivety. Welcome to the cold hard shores of a new year.

My beloved character rapidly approaches his first EVE birthday with a hint of relish, although you wouldn’t tell from looking at him. He is the very face of passiveness, never hinting to his inner emotions thanks to his spiritual upbringing back on Saisio III (Those darned Achurs eh?) but believe me, he’s enjoying it.

What pleasures or hardships will this year bring to EVE Online and its playerbase? What will it bring to you? These are the sort of ponderous musings that fall upon us at the dawn of the New Year – a time of food and thought (which I find go quite well together!). I have pondered them myself and made plans and of course I have begun to water the fresh saplings which will one day become fully fledged plans themselves. This year I intend to complete my mastery over the Battleship and expand my Gallente and Amarr capabilities considerably. Tech 2 Lasers and Tech 2 Rails (of the Large variety of course) are on the agenda and the harvesting of Level 5 armour tanking and capacitor skills to compliment my already robust skillset. After a years play I reside at 12.5 million skill points…it should be more, but due to my University work during the spring of 2008 I dropped the ball – I know…my bad, my bad!

New Year is indeed a scary time of uncertainty…but it also a brightly lit latern of hope. An inn that stands open and warm beside the never ending road of time upon which we all walk. You may stop and rest your head, take on supplies and think a while on plans for the morrow where you must decide which way you wish to turn at the crossroads that comes with each new year. The question is: which way will you turn, there are no maps here – only cold, hard choices…

Choose carefully and as always… Fly Safe!