toofasttim

WTF? First I can't watch Kinells videos of Hawkstone now I can't watch vids on Google Video. No error message, nuffink. Oh OK Google's working. Just took a long time to download. Worth it just for the music.

Where? Taos? On my list of "places to see before I die".

I doubt it's Mich Lin. Power Rangers is filmed in Auckland. I'll have a sniff around.

I had the problem at work too. It was halfway thru' updating acrobat reader. When it completed the update the problem was fixed.

Gotta wonder what reception his compatriot Mr Alonso is going receive ?

Dabster, what they don't tell you in the tabloids as yet another picture of a starving Zimbabwian child is thrust into your face, is that mad mags has the support of a hell of a lot of Africans. He really is heralded as a hero on that godforsaken continent. And it's this that blows my mind, Africa doesn't want the west, it doesn't want our technology and productive farming methods but when the **** hits the fan (as it always does, don't these people learn from 50 years of post colonial history) it's out with the begging bowls. Suffer the little children..

I thought I was the only one who saw red at Dabsters comment. I've been there. I've seen African politicians screw the daylights out of their citizens. I've seen AID packages sold to the starving millions so that the politicians can feather their own nests. I've seen unbelievably stupid laws passed that result in formerly productive farms lying fallow. I've watched them screw up entire countries all in the name of greed. No amount of AID is ever going to help Africa. If anything AID exacerbates the situation, resulting in a mentality where the victims think they are owed everything and western medical assistance prolongs their miserable existances and results in even more beggers. Dabster, I've watched what was previously the worlds most sophisticated electrical grid reduced to a shambles because it was a "legacy of the colonial oppressors". HTF are these people supposed to lift themselves up when their own people are dicking them around left, right and bl%%dy centre? I've been there and, short of the west recolonising Africa I'm f%cked if I know what to do about it.

Pics are leaking out already:

Carlsbad '74 is on Youtube at:

You're assuming I'm "skilled"? I just had a thought about this. Please excuse me if I'm being presumptuous. I think that William may have leaped to my defence. In retrospect I should have put a smiley after my "ouch" comment. Point was that I assumed (the mother of all f&ckups) that the regulars on this BB would understand my response, as they have done. Andy, Atom, Perce & I have (electonically) known each other for a quite some time and are familiar with my story. William is fairly new here and probably doesn't know and assumed that the joke was just a racist poke when in fact it was only a wind-up aimed mostly at Kiwis but to a lesser extent and probably co-incidently me (I'm the only saffer, ex or present, who haunts these BB's). BTW, Martin Luther King had a wicked sense of self-denigrating humour and I enjoyed those jokes about Bill Clinton as I'm sure he would.

Your not an ethnic Tim, you ride a Gas Gas. Clearly a man of taste & discernment. Bugger! Gotta start saving for the new 4 banger....

I thought it was funny because it's so close to the truth. Both SA & NZ are heamoraging skilled people to Aus presently. The "Ouch" response was because I fill both "ethnic" groups.

What problems are you referring to? Oh the usual Fetona. Gassers on the brink etc..People have been cr&pped on from dizzy heights on these boards in the past. Whenever Gasser bounce riders (Fajardo, Guillaime, Guerrerro) Gasser are developing a new model. BTW release date should be......July 26 (Gas Gas site

Craig, has anybody come forward with a contract for Pat yet?

Ouch!

Dougie's a full works rider and the factory (Honda and others) does not like their riders taking chances at non-championship events. Sounds crappy but that's all there is to it.

Not much of a secret AFAIK Copemech. Dougie said he was going to ride the Scottish in '08. So he will have to have quit the W/C by then.

To quote Topgear: "NASCAR sucks" <ducking>

Call Dave Thorpe.

I've watched a couple of those programmes and he's no mug.

I used to mail Davey Coombs regularly (back in my rec.motorcycle.dirt days) but I haven't heard a peep from him recently. IMO he's a good guy.

From Todotrial (via Babelfish): "These are the first photo of the motor of new Xispa 250 cc of trial that they are completing in the factory of Ma

Skilsaw?

Ah, the penny drops. I would have tried something like: "What Pat Smage has achieved is incredible. Competing in a sport dominated by europeans, he raised his bar without the benefit of direct exposure to their abilities and training techniques. Essentially Pat has risen to world championship level or just under world championship level IN COMPLETE ISOLATION. Pat is the first rider of this calibre to emerge from the US in over 20 years. Pats achievement could be comparable to a local high school athlete having competed in nothing but local district track meets winning an international athletics race at his first attempt without the benefit of a suitably experienced coach. The feats achieved by riders of Pats level have to be seen to be believed. Riding a motorcycle up an 6" high vertical wall without the benefit of either run-up or a ramp to assist is routine" IMO, bringing in IRAQ is disingenious. I'm not knocking your troops contribution in this regard but it really has nothing to do with Pats achievement. Oh yeah, how Pat achieved this riding IN A BARN FOR 6 MONTHS OF THE YEAR blows my mind. Craig, have you approached Cycle News? I would imagine they're bleeding for a good "Yank comes good on world stage" story seeing that Haydens having a miserable year. Sorry Scorpa 'bout the Tony Blair thing but I'm pleased you "enjoyed" the irony.