This is a decent run I have recently made of a single lap of Nurburgring. It serves as the second full lap I’ve done of the ‘Ring since purchasing Forza 3. I’m a little rusty, so my line isn’t great, but I do acheive an 8:33.49, which is on par for this car class. Enjoy.

I’ve recently joined a Forza team by the name of Formula One Evolution (F1E) and have submitted an entry to their race livery contest. Above is an example picture of my entry. For those that follow Forza, check out the team website, Formula1Evo. For those that don’t, =P

What can I say? I love racing.

In the recent past, I’ve been involved in some conversations about largely various and vastly interesting subjects. Those included quantum physics and quantum mechanics, our known universe’s origins, fate opposing the choice of a destiny, religious views, and of course, politics. With these discussions, I’ve come to a decision I needed to make for quite some time. I believe that each and every human mind is incredibly complex. We’ve discovered patterns in certain areas of the brain observable via measuring electrical signal strength and frequency in these areas, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. I am astounded at the seemingly limitless capabilities of the human mind. My decision, although it seems rather simple in design, is as unique as each individual. I will never cease to push my mind to its absolute limits. I honestly believe that I’ll never find those limits, and that if somehow I were to do so one day, it would serve as a bit of a reward for my efforts.

I am not, however, trusting to hope with this idea. Surgically complex methods of breaking down the whole of an issue into manageable parts, analyzing them, and re-building the issue accompanied with a resolution will be utilized as a method for problem solving. This generates knowledge within the mind.

People learn from their mistakes. We also learn from our successes. The reality is, we learn from every second and every fleeting moment of our existence. I am alive, therefore I learn. I learn, therefore I grow. This brings my discussion to the point of failure, as it applies to the learning process. I have witnessed time and again the tragedy that is the person who did not stand up after getting knocked down, the one that quit just before reaching the top, the person that let go and fell because they stopped believing in themselves. Each and every time, without a single instance of deviation, success was knocking at the door, just one more step, one more reach above the head, one more mile, one more trial, another breath, another friendly and encouraging word, another try, and another chance beyond.

My decision is to get up – every single time. I know I am capable and that the sole reason for many failures in my past has been my choices. If I can see (with my mind’s eye, not the optical sensory organ alone) some of these things, I can begin to understand them. However, the leap of faith here is to make choices that I cannot necessarily see at times. This is where I have faltered in the past. This is where I will succeed in the future. We must all combat fear. My choice is to build the tools necessary to beat it at will.

“It’s time to start living the life
you’ve imagined” – Henry James

When was the last time you looked a special person in your life in the eye and knew, right then and there, that you would never forget them? True friendship is timeless. I’ve made and lost friends in this lifetime enough to know what a real friend is. You smile together, laugh together, lie together, and cry together. You fight beside them, and try beside them. You live beside them, and you’ll die beside them. There is no question when a person is found that they’ll never again be lost. Some people need a friend. Some are in a state of desperation that may only be resolved through discovery. What if you made it a point to ensure that the person you loved as a friend or life partner knew this without a shred of a doubt? I’ve seen the importance of timing first hand. I’ve seen the look in a person’s eye when life’s purpose was understood – that gleam that is unmistakeable. You can see the guardian angel’s light shine when your friend is pulled from the wreckage and the first face they see is yours. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve seen people who don’t know true friends. The restless, daunting method of staggering through life that they emplore is saddening. It isn’t necessary, either, and everyone needs someone to show them this at times. The point of this writing is to help uncover something that is already inherent in all of us. Show your friends why you call them friends as often and as thoroughly as you are able. That bond may be the most important bond you possess for the rest of your life.

I’ve come across some videos on You Tube that have done nothing short of blow me away.  These musicians are pure artists, playing guitar, piano, violin, and singing with an essence of grace and perfection that I haven’t seen anywhere else.  The studio is called Candy Rat Studios and they post under the username rpoland. I’ve not seen anything of them on TV.  I don’t believe they belong on TV.  Their music is entrancing, nearly every single one of them.  I personally recommend Andy McKee, Bob Ross, and Andrew White.  I have posted a couple of their videos here.  Follow the links on the YouTube page lists for their other songs.  Comment!

Andy McKee – For My Father

Andrew White – Wild Eagle [Widescreen]

“Experience is the artist’s most valuable canvas.”

“Knowledge is power; but power unrelenting if not guided by wisdom.”

“Wisdom is the currency of experience.”

I’ve come to find in this tantric life that knowledge isn’t everything.  Building a vast library of information that can be used in most situations is nothing less than a well-equipped tool box.  The carpenter in we all can appreciate the fact that he has this at his disposal.  However, the problem exists when you consider the fact that knowledge and information alone are relatively useless.  Consider how difficult it would be to convince someone to believe what you were saying about a particular subject if you were the resident expert, yet you didn’t have the required people skills to relate and relay to this person.  Consider also the flipside – where you possess the ability to convey, yet don’t have the information or knowledge to actually inform.  Neither of these situations are desirable.  I believe somewhere in the middle ground, where a person possesses the knowledge and the social skills necessary, is the goal.

The rather successful author and private speaker, Stephen Covey said in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”  He lists this as one of said habits.  These words speak to me because true communication is a method of extracting from the soil of experience the nutrient that is wisdom.  In this way, wisdom is the currency of experience.  Because there are such an infinite number of methods of gaining knowledge and wisdom from experience, there must also be varying degrees of one’s ability to do so.  First, you have the majority, which remains content absorbing the necessary nutrients for survival, striving only for excellence periodically and at random.  This large body also seems to dip down into a reticent, self-proclaimed purposelessness at times as well.  It is because of this that the majority seem to encompass the largest cross-section of human abilities.

Next, you find a small group of individuals that do not seem to have the will to accomplish or to understand.  Of course, there are varying reasons for this that are as individualistic as the snowflakes in winter.  Their lack of this type of motivation is often extremely difficult to comprehend by anyone outside of the actual situation they face.  Many of this type of people begin to gain experience and wisdom, as we all do, regardless of the lack of attempts made.  This simple fact proves that the human mind and conscious is built for expansion.

Lastly, you have the zealous, ever-curious group that feels it is their purpose in life to understand everything possible.  If you knew you could not fail, what would you do?  This question drives a certain flight through the clouds, seeking the knowledge and wisdom that appears to be infinite there in the sky.  This type of person usually knows how to be appreciative of past achievements, yet is never fully satisfied.  Their insatiable appetite for these “nutrients from the soil of experience” pushes onward the bounds of human capability.

It is the understanding of the link between wisdom and experience that I seek.  A person’s ability to take experience, which is a factor of time, and extract from it the necessary tools for survival.  Then, after survival is at least partially quenched, to drive on for something more – the balance of such knowledge and wisdom that allows a person to be forever at home wherever he/she is, no matter what he/she is doing, and with whatever crowd or vastness of space he/she finds as company.  This person becomes the artist of their own life, drawing the most breathtaking of pictures for the world to see.  It is that artist’s experience that becomes his/her most valuable canvas.

I’d like everyone to meet the newest Author here at Vast Reality.  Her name is Chalyne, or Chay for short.  She’s already entered a post into the “Writings” section with her username ChayNichole, so check that out when you get a chance and reply with what you think. 

Chay, I’ll introduce you to our Avatar application and some more of the basic “ins and outs” of posting.  For instance, how to post media with your text.  Jerod and I are still working on getting some tutorials written up.  Keep an eye out for those soon.  If you have any questions at all, please ask. 

Welcome!

I’ve put together a paint job for my tutorial car.  I figured I’d play a bit with the Vast Reality design on a previous car.  While sitting at work, I drew up a design on a sketch pad and was able to convert it to FM2.  I like the way it came out.  This car will be featured in future tutorials as well.  Let me know what you think.

I was eating a bit of lunch and found a reference to a friend right on the back of this sweet ride.  Enjoy TaTonka.

This is the second of two tutorials explaining the process of tuning camber in Forza Motorsport 2. The previous edition has some issues with mastering of the vocal narration over the sounds of the game, but those issues were corrected in this video. If this is helpful to you in any way or you would like to make a suggestion for further tutorials/videos, post it here or on YouTube, as I check them both daily (as of today).  More tutorials to come.