Auld Lang Swan

Progression, while respecting the Black Swan theory, is all we ever aspire to.

This arbitrarily defined sidereal year, witnessed the first concrete steps I took to get this little Empire up and running. Looking back to where I was when I started this exercise in circumlocutory discourse, it is risible how little I knew and I am confident that this time next year will descry equal disdain.

The TBA stood for, to be announced, and I eschewed any and all social interactions. My idea of those that habituated the interwebs, envisioned the likes of those that go to Burning Man and the picture of PETA, Paulick Report always attaches to his articles concerning them.

I wasn't totally off base but that is another post.

This magical mystery box uncovered a macrocosm of the racing world. (I am led to believe that one can also access pictures and videos of naked women but that just sounds too crazy to be true.) Until then, I slogged through, with full cup blinkers on, my only tether, the DRF race of the week free PP's; free PP's for all stakes at the TBA website BTW.

Click on any link on this site or the TBA blogroll and you will find people with more knowledge and better insights than myself. They carried me all year and my deepest appreciation to them.

Imalexus and Rebate Stable gave me my first ownership experience and my best to her and us in the coming year. (She worked this morning, 4f in 49.4) Mrs. Not Really puts up with all my crap, so my thanks to her for that.

Recently, I discovered Gallop France and Korea Racing, and a serendipitous discovery it was.

As the ruler of an Empire, I am constantly seeking new shores to conquer and as a sporting man I am willing to give the Aga Khan a run for his money. Besides, once you get past what passes for hygiene and the socialist tendencies of the French, they really have a good thing going over there with the chain smoking, women and wine.

I am not provincial enough to think that the only racing in the world happens near the Hudson estuary or the San Gabriel Mountains.

There is a greater world out there, Virginia, and unlike Ratty, when he says '..beyond the Wild Wood comes the Wide World... and that's something that doesn't matter, either to you or to me', I think there is more that unites us than divides us.

Ultimately we have the horse and that is a good enough reason to do damn near anything.