Red Tracer

Musical Discoveries

2009-05-25T14:33:00.014-05:00

It is rare if I'm not listening to music. Probably, near 24/7. Guilty as charged... Even as I sleep, music is streaming or being looped through my sound system. Recently, given a chain of events, I happed upon this band:

Menn Ársins

More specifically,

this song

Every once in a while, something simply jumps off the page, grabs me by the nad's, and holds me firmly in its grasp. Such, is this particular band. I'm the first to realize that music is completely subjective, but give 'em a listen. I don't think you'll be disappointed. There's a few more songs

here

from

the bassists' Last.fm profile page

New Update!

2009-04-14T23:39:00.003-05:00

So here it is, April 15th, 2009... Federal Tax Deadline Day! And just my luck, I owed our dear Uncle Sam this year. It's one of those checks you just HATE to write! But frankly, I'm all smiles and you may be asking yourself, why? Well, the way I see it, I took that picture this past weekend of those Wooly Blue Violets along a trail in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. In other words, I'm still looking at the top side of those plants and the green side of the grass. Life Is Good! :D

May I suggest

2008-11-06T18:08:00.007-05:00

I'm just say'n...

Artist Site

Musical Diversity

2008-09-16T10:47:00.022-05:00

Music. The common language amongst mankind despite our many differences. Seems it's always been the one place I can go to seek sanctuary in my life, no matter how bad things may be. That place I can go in my head to forget the world even exists. So anyway, figured I'd do some sharing here.

And, I suppose it's also my feeble attempt at finally updating this blog...

Hopelessly Lost

2006-01-06T12:55:00.000-05:00

Well, alak-alas, it has occurred. I've checked in on my own website and come to the astute conclusion, "Why have I bothered?" Sheeeesh; my last post was back in May, 2005. Christ! This is 2006! As is usual once again, good intentions have paved the road to hell. Drawn and quartered by 'Mother Time' and all of her hapless restraints. Of course, I've alleviated the typical excuses, ie; work, changing residence, pending divorce, family, the holiday's, viewing too much porn online, IRL generalities, etc., etc., and the only one left is primarily, LAZINESS!!!. ::sigh::

But fear not my dedicated disciples! Soon, I will have more free time and with it, the ability to update my blog with greater frequency. So please feel free to take a Deep, Deep, Deep breathe, and hooooollld it... ;)

Big Business and Sports

2005-05-14T20:15:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that I'm a sports fan, of all sorts. On any given Saturday or Sunday, I'm known to be watching any number of things from; hunting, fishing, golf, tennis, racing (car, boat, motorcycle, horse, etc.), baseball, basketball, football, boxing, soccer (genuine football), bicycling; hell, you name it, I generally enjoy participating in, or viewing it. I guess mostly, because I can appreciate what it takes to be the best in your class of sport. The dedication, mental and physical stamina that's required, the hours of sacrifice, and all for the love of the game.

So when I read an article like this:, it really frosts my fucking ass!!! I'm not naive. I realize that much of professional sports is not just about the game, but 'Big Business' as well. The almighty $$$ is all too often, the Name of the game.

Fucking pathetic!

Glazer's nothing but a money monger! Period!

It's prick's like him (and I could go on about so many others) that whore the integrity of a great sport. All in the name of money! This cocksucker doesn't give a R4tz-ass about the team, nor its history, imo. Just the classic, "What's in it for me," mentality.

Personally, I hope the pile-of-puke chokes to death on his bile!

More on Malcolm Glazer, here, and again, here.

Acceptable Losses

2005-04-12T13:20:00.000-05:00

Something that really struck a nerve with me upon reading this article:

According to one senior American officer recently: "We can live with the kind of casualty levels we're getting."

"It's not the kind of thing that creates big campaigns back home."

Even the cost to the US tax-payer - $4.7bn a month - is something the American economy can easily absorb.

Of course, there's a much larger picture to be had in all of this mess. Long term stabilization in such a volatile region of the world is certainly good for all, on a global scale. If; and I repeat, If it can be secured.

The cost of peace and freedom is always paid with a high price, and unfortunately, often, with human blood. This country's (United States) freedom from England is owed in great part to that same price, paid, in full.

But still, I think about that excerpt. It could be mine or your, son's and daughter's amongst those 'acceptable casualties'. $4.7 billion monthly, in tax payer's dollars that could go toward so many domestic issues which need to be addressed.

Frustrating; to say the least.

Play The Game

2005-03-27T14:05:00.000-05:00

Go on; torture yourself.

My personal best, to date:

Thus far, the mudslinger's kicking my ass, but his day's are numbered, DAMNIT!!!

You can keep track of the ongoing feud, here.

And in case you haven't figured it out yet; yeah, I'm "rockdog", in my other life (like I've really Got a life). ;-)

Soul

2005-03-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

Albert Einstein said that energy never ceases to exist, it simply changes form.

He believed that there must be a God, as no science, could truly begin to explain the order of the universe. Presupposing Einstein is correct, then I might break his hypothesis in to a mathematical equation. Could it start with a principle known as PHI (pronounced; fee)? 1.618. Simplistic, and yet so exacting. Coincidence, or evidence of a higher power?

Considered by many to be the most beautiful number in the universe. A number derived from the Fibonacci sequence. A progression famous not only because the sum of adjacent terms equals the next term, but because the quotients of adjacent terms possesses the astonishing property of approaching the number 1.618. The most astonishing fact of PHI is its role as a fundamental building block in all of nature. Plants, animals, and even human beings all possess dimensional properties that adhere with exactitude to the ratio of PHI to 1. A number whose ubiquity in nature, clearly exceeds coincidence, and as such, many ancients deduced that the number PHI must have been preordained by the Creator of the universe. Thus, early scientists heralded one-point-six-one-eight as the Devine Proportion. Take a simple honeybee community. If you divide the number of female bees by the number of male bees in any beehive in the world, you always get the same number. Spiraled pinecone petals, leaf arrangements on plant stalks, insect segmentation; all display obedience to the Divine Proportion. The human body is literally made of building blocks whose proportional ratios always equal PHI. Measure the distance from the tip of your head to the floor. Then divide that by the distance from your belly button to the floor. PHI. 1.618. The distance from your shoulder to your fingertips, and then divide it by the distance from your elbow to your fingertips. Again, PHI. Hip to floor divided by knee to floor. PHI. Finger joints. Toes. Spinal divisions. We are all a living tribute to this Devine Proportion.

Amongst all of the chaos in this world, there is surely, an underlying order.

I have struggled with my belief(s) in any sort of God and as to whether or not we even have a Soul. That word, used in religion. Something that is under the watchful eye of a deity. A higher being with an evil counterpart. Each entity, vying for my Soul.

This life is so full of cruelty and intolerance at every level. How could any God allow such horrors to exist? The worlds travesty of injustices that I see before me, do not make me a better human being. They only serve to numb me further.

Atoms and molecules, nothing more, nothing less.

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow;
I am the diamond glints on the snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain;
I am the gentle autumn's rain.

When you awaken in the mornings hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft star that shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die.

If I conclude that Einstein is correct; then all energy is reincarnate. A never-ending circle of life. Life, in one form or another. Perhaps that entity we deem to be our Soul, is in fact the very essence of our being. Our life-force. Our Ki. That which is the constant. A streaming flow of energy.

Therefore, I fear not death, for I am immortal.