Maybe that's a good omen for the year of the Rat ? Buy a lottery ticket mate, you never know.Quote:
Originally Posted by jim mcglinchey
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Maybe that's a good omen for the year of the Rat ? Buy a lottery ticket mate, you never know.Quote:
Originally Posted by jim mcglinchey
Sorry but if my sandwiches get nibbled on the year is pretty much ruined, lucky rat or not ;)
Why is it that Honda are having so much trouble getting a pnuematic valve engine to work, when Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki have managed to do it ? I thought Honda were the benchmark, as far as new technology and engineering. Then you realise that Ducati is kicking their butts with the Desmodromic valves. Makes you wonder what Honda is spending it's cash on.
Why does it say Puig on the screens of both Suzooks? Anyone know?
http://www.motogp.com/en/motogp/moto...id=3§ion=1
Coz Puig make bike screens? :s :laugh:
Silly me, I thought there was an Alberto Puig connection.
Hi all, I am so happy that I got through my winter holiday, without losing my electricity. It was said that we may spend up to 10 days without power due to the severe weather, but, the government and especially the emergency crews here have done an amazing job IMO. It is still very cold here, but, not as bad as in the North of China. I have a few days left in my holiday, but, I think I will just stay at home and chill (literally) out. I have some new DVD's to watch, and I am visiting the forum more and more as I get bored waiting for the season to start. I hope you are all well, and can't wait for the season opener so we can get the forum back into top gear. It has been a bit lonely here of late, with just the odd posts here and there. let's hope that 2008 is action packed to get everyone talking.
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY
:heart: :heart: :heart: :heart:
I hope that all you guys remembered !!! :p :
It is rather quiet in here. Hope everyone's well.
We should be making a big fuss about WSB which is going to be a brilliant season with 28 regular riders (plus, amongst others, the top BSB guys now able to wildcard at Brands and Donington in Aug/Sept after BSB took Pirelli as the sole tyre manufacturer).
It starts in a week's time, and it's looking rather open so far. Yamaha very strong; the new Duc's good too with Lanzi of all people doing some decent times; Honda keeping things close to their chest with a nominally 'rookie' lineup (Carlos Checa, Kenan, and Kiyo!); Suzuki with some real dark horses (Fonsi and Max Neukirchner) plus the old warrior Yukio who topped the times at PI; Max B and Ruben Xaus teamed together on Ducs; and plenty more. And a great-looking WSS field too!
We do have a thread for it of course...
Maybe they have all taken their other halfs out for dinner.. :)
Don't need to remember Hallmark day. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Roby44
It is very quiet here. I hope it picks up when the testing starts this weekend. Did any of you do something special for valentines day ? I have given up on the flowers theme for the missus, she prefers chocolate, dinner and a right good seeing to these days ;) :up: :hot:
Quote:
Originally Posted by maxu05
Who's a lucky fellow then :p :
;) :o
Quote:
Originally Posted by maxu05
That's nice to know John ;) :up: :D
You know you're Australian if ...
>
> 1. You know the meaning of the word "girt".
>
> 2. You believe that stubbies can be either drunk or worn.
>
> 3. You think it's normal to have a leader called Kevin.
>
> 4. You waddle when you walk due to the 53 expired petrol discount
> vouchers stuffed in your wallet or purse.
>
> 5. You've made a bong out of your garden hose rather than use it for
> something illegal such as watering the garden.
>
> 6. You believe it is appropriate to put a rubber in your son's pencil
> case when he first attends school.
>
> 7. When you hear that an American "roots for his team" you wonder how
> often and with whom.
>
> 8. You understand that the phrase "a group of women wearing black
> thongs" refers to footwear and may be less alluring than it sounds.
>
> 9. You pronounce Melbourne as "Mel-bin".
>
> 10. You pronounce Penrith as "Pen-riff".
>
> 11. You believe the "l" in the word "Australia" is optional.
>
> 12. You can translate: "Dazza and Shazza played Acca Dacca on the way
> to Maccas."
>
> 13. You believe it makes perfect sense for a nation to decorate its
> highways with large fibreglass bananas, prawns and sheep.
>
> 14. You call your best friend "a total *******" but someone you
> really, truly despise is just "a bit of a *******".
>
> 15. You think "Woolloomooloo" is a perfectly reasonable name for a place.
>
> 16. You're secretly proud of our killer wildlife.
>
> 17. You believe it makes sense for a country to have a $1 coin that's
> twice as big as its $2 coin.
>
> 18. You understand that "Wagga Wagga" can be abbreviated to "Wagga"
> but "Woy Woy" can't be called "Woy".
>
> 19. You believe that cooked-down axlegrease makes a good breakfast spread.
>
> 20. You believe all famous Kiwis are actually Australian, until they
> stuff up, at which point they again become Kiwis.
>
> 21. Hamburger. Beetroot. Of course.
>
> 22. You know that certain words must, by law, be shouted out during
> any rendition of the Angels' song Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again.
>
> 23. You believe, as an article of faith, that the confectionary known
> as the Wagon Wheel has become smaller with every passing year.
>
> 24. You still don't get why the "Labor" in "Australian Labor Party" is
> not spelt with a "u".
>
> 25. You wear ugh boots outside the house.
>
> 26. You believe, as an article of faith, that every important
> discovery in the world was made by an Australian but then sold off to
> the Yanks
> for a pittance.
>
> 27. You believe that the more you shorten someone's name the more you
> like them.
>
> 28. Whatever your linguistic skills, you find yourself able to order
> takeaway fluently in every Asian language.
>
> 29. You understand that "excuse me" can sound rude, while "scuse me"
> is always polite.
>
> 30. You know what it's like to swallow a fly, on occasion via your nose.
>
> 31. You understand that "you" has a plural and that it's "youse".
>
> 32. You know it's not summer until the steering wheel is too hot to handle.
>
> 33. Your biggest family argument over the summer concerned the rules
> for beach cricket.
>
> 34. You shake your head in horror when companies try to market what
> they call "Anzac cookies".
>
> 35. You still think of Kylie as "that girl off Neighbours".
>
> 36. When returning home from overseas, you expect to be brutally
> strip-searched by Customs - just in case you're trying to sneak in
> fruit.
>
> 37. You believe the phrase "smart casual" refers to a pair of black
> tracky-daks, suitably laundered.
>
> 38. You understand that all train timetables are works of fiction.
>
> 39. When working on a bar, you understand male customers will feel the
> need to offer an excuse whenever they order low-alcohol beer.
>
> 40. You get choked up with emotion by the first verse of the national
> anthem and then have trouble remembering the second.
>
> 41. You find yourself ignorant of nearly all the facts deemed
> essential in the government's new test for migrants.
>
> 42. You know, whatever the tourist books say, that no one says "cobber".
>
Strewth, you know, most of that is true. By the way, I'm from Penriff . I call the wife a Dag, (for non Aussies, that's the poo that sticks to a sheeps hair on it's bum), and as for the Angels, No way, get ......d, f.... off. :D Ah, it's great to be an Aussie, were such a cultured lot.
Yes, hmmm culture, not quite so sure. I've seen Neighbours (that's how you lot all live isn't it, but with pet kangaroos and the odd koala sat on the sofa), and I didn't see an awful lot of culture, except of course when the Kennedys visited London :p : ;) :D
By the way Roby44, great post :up:
Of course we are a cultured lot!! :p :Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Jan Yeo
What other country eats its national emblems!! :p
The Kennedys who visited London, that was the Kennedys from neighbours was it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by maxu05
Penriff!!
A Blues supporter in The State of Origin games?? Me too although I am from Queensland..
Love the Angels..
Love the Angels and Acca Dacca. Nothing against Queenslanders, but do you drink that XXXX stuff ? Love a Bundy by the way :)
Mr Yeo, are you sure your in the right forum :p :
No I don't drink xxxx or any beer for that matter. I have never liked the taste of beer, even as a teenager.. :s mokin:Quote:
Originally Posted by maxu05
But I LOVE Bundy!!! :p
I love Bundy, but have not had a Bundy for 6 years now :bigcry:Quote:
Originally Posted by Roby44
Definitely a Queenslander, then :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Roby44
Corrollary to No. 42. (Re. "Cobber") - in addition, the only people who drink Fosters in Australya are holidaying Seppos ;)
(what's a Seppo, I hear them ask, LOL)
Always loved this one, by Douglas Adams ('Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy'):
Australia is a very confusing place, taking up a large amount of the Bottom half of the planet. It is recognisable from orbit because of many unusual features, including what at first looks like an enormous bite taken out of its southern edge; a wall of sheer cliffs which plunge deep into the girting sea. Geologists assure us that this is simply an accident of geomorphology and plate tectonics, but they still call it the "Great Australian Bight" proving that not only are they covering up a more frightening theory, but they can't spell either.
The first of the confusing things about Australia is the status of the place. Where other land masses and sovereign lands are classified as either continent, island, or country, Australia is considered all three. Typically, it is unique in this.
The second confusing thing about Australia are the animals. They can be divided into three categories: Poisonous, Odd, and Sheep.
It is true that of the 10 most poisonous arachnids on the planet, Australia has 9 of them. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that of the 9 most poisonous arachnids, Australia has all of them. However, there are curiously few snakes, possibly because the spiders have killed them all. But even the spiders won't go near the sea.
Any visitors should be careful to check inside boots (before putting them on), under toilet seats (before sitting down) and generally everywhere else. A stick is very useful for this task.
Strangely, it tends to be the second class of animals (the Odd) that are more dangerous. The creature that kills the most people each year is the common Wombat. It is nearly as ridiculous as its name, and spends its life digging holes in the ground, in which it hides. During the night it comes out to eat worms and grubs.
The wombat kills people in two ways: First, the animal is indestructible. Digging holes in the hard Australian clay builds muscles that outclass Olympic weight lifters. At night, they often wander the roads. Semi-trailers (Road Trains) have hit them at high speed, with all 9 wheels on one side*, and this merely makes them very annoyed. They express this by snorting, glaring, and walking away. Alas, to smaller cars, the wombat becomes a symmetrical launching pad, with results that can be imagined, but not adequately described.
The second way the wombat kills people relates to its burrowing behaviour. If a person happens to put their hand down a Wombat hole, the Wombat will feel the disturbance and think "Ho! My hole is collapsing!" at which it will brace its muscled legs and push up against the roof of its burrow with incredible force, to prevent its collapse. Any unfortunate hand will be crushed, and attempts to withdraw will cause the Wombat to simply bear down harder. The unfortunate will then bleed to death through their crushed hand as the wombat prevents him from seeking assistance. This is considered the third most embarrassing known way to die, and Australians don't talk about it much.
At this point, we would like to mention the Platypus, estranged relative of the mammal, which has a duck-bill, otter's tail, webbed feet, lays eggs, detects its aquatic prey in the same way as the electric eel, and has venomous barbs attached to its hind legs, thus combining all 'typical' Australian attributes into a single improbable creature.
The last confusing thing about Australia is the inhabitants. First, a short history: Some time around 40,000 years ago, some people arrived in boats from the north. They ate all the available food, and lot of them died. The ones that survived learned respect for the balance of nature, man's proper place in the scheme of things, and spiders. They settled in, and spent a lot of the intervening time making up strange stories. Then, around 200 years ago, Europeans arrived in boats from the north. More accurately, European convicts were sent, with a few deranged and stupid people in charge. They tried to plant their crops in Autumn (failing to take account of the reversal of the seasons when moving from the top half of the planet to the bottom), ate all their food, and a lot of them died.
About then the sheep arrived, and have been treasured ever since. It is interesting to note here that the Europeans always consider themselves vastly superior to any other race they encounter, since they can lie, cheat, steal, and litigate (marks of a civilised culture they say) - whereas all the Aboriginals can do is happily survive being left in the middle of a vast red-hot desert, equipped with a stick. Eventually, the new lot of people stopped being Europeans on Extended Holiday and became Australians.
The changes are subtle, but deep, caused by the mind-stretching expanses of nothingness and eerie quiet, where a person can sit perfectly still and look deep inside themselves to the core of their essence, their reasons for being, and the necessity of checking inside your boots every morning for fatal surprises. They also picked up the most finely tuned sense of irony in the world, and the Aboriginal gift for making up stories. Be warned.
There is also the matter of the beaches. Australian beaches are simply the nicest and best in the entire world. Although anyone actually venturing into the sea will have to contend with sharks, stinging jellyfish, stonefish (a fish which sits on the bottom of the sea, pretends to be a rock, and has venomous barbs sticking out of its back that will kill just from the pain) and surfboarders. However, watching a beach sunset is worth the risk.
As a result of all this hardship, dirt, thirst, and wombats, you would expect Australians to be a dour lot. Instead, they are genial, jolly, cheerful, and always willing to share a kind word with a stranger, unless they are an American.
Faced with insurmountable odds and impossible problems, they smile disarmingly and look for a stick. Major engineering feats have been performed with sheets of corrugated iron, string, and mud.
Alone of all the races on earth, they seem to be free from the 'Grass is Greener on the other side of the fence' syndrome, and roundly proclaim that Australia is, in fact, the other side of that fence. They call the land "Oz", "Godzone" (a verbal contraction of "God's Own Country") and "Best bloody place on earth, bar none, strewth." The irritating thing about this is they may be right.
There are some traps for the unsuspecting traveller, though. Do not under any circumstances suggest that the beer is imperfect, unless you are comparing it to another kind of Australian beer. Do not wear a Hawaiian shirt. Religion and Politics are safe topics of conversation (Australians don't care too much about either) but Sport is a minefield. The only correct answer to "So, howdya' like our country, eh?" is "Best {insert your own regional swear word here} country in the world!".
It is very likely that, on arriving, some cheerful Australians will 'adopt' you on your first night, and take you to a pub where Australian Beer is served. Despite the obvious danger, do not refuse. It is a form of initiation rite. You will wake up late the next day with an astonishing hangover, a foul-taste in your mouth, and wearing strange clothes. Your hosts will usually make sure you get home, and waive off any legal difficulties with "It's his first time in Australia, so we took him to the pub.", to which the policeman will sagely nod and close his notebook.
Be sure to tell the story of these events to every other Australia, you encounter, adding new embellishments at every stage, and noting how strong the beer was. Thus you will be accepted into this unique culture.
Most Australians are now urban dwellers, having discovered the primary use of electricity, which is air-conditioning and refrigerators.
Typical Australian sayings:
* "G'Day!"
* "It's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick."
* "She'll be right."
* "And down from Kosciusko, where the pine clad ridges raise their torn and rugged battlements on high, where the air is clear as crystal, and the white stars fairly blaze at midnight in the cold and frosty sky.
And where, around the overflow, the reed beds sweep and sway to the breezes, and the rolling plains are wide. The Man from Snowy River is a household word today, and the stockmen tell the story of his ride."
Tips to Surviving Australia:
* Don't ever put your hand down a hole for any reason whatsoever. We mean it.
* The beer is stronger than you think, regardless of how strong you think it is.
* Always carry a stick.
* Air-conditioning.
* Do not attempt to use Australian slang, unless you are a trained linguist and good in a fist fight.
* Thick socks.
* Take good maps. Stopping to ask directions only works when there are people nearby.
* If you leave the urban areas, carry several litres of water with you at all times, or you will die.
* Even in the most embellished stories told by Australians, there is always a core of truth that it is unwise to ignore.
See Also: "Deserts: How to die in them", "The Stick: Second most useful thing ever" and "Poisonous and Venomous arachnids, insects, animals, trees, shrubs, fish and sheep of Australia, volumes 1-42"
* Actually Aussie road trains would have a minimum of 11 wheels on each side - sometimes 17, normally 23 wheels and occasionally 29+. On each side. Here's a typical example:
http://www.civenv.unimelb.edu.au/~ro...Road_Train.jpg
And those big trucks! don't move off the road either!! They just keep on trucking down the highway!!
WE came across several on the Birdsville track one year. That was fun!!
Great post Murry :up: Brought a tear to my eye and made me feel a little home sick. I shall have to write a survival guide to China for those that are coming to the Olympics. About the road train, the amount of cargo that these trucks carry, a Chinese man would attempt to fit it on his motorbike, I will post the photo's soon.
Crikey!! I'll have to send you a "care" package!!! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by maxu05
:facelick: You would be my new hero :D
I'll have to get a cape!! Then I could be a Super Hero!! :)
AAAHHHRRRRRRRR Growl, Catwoman ? :laugh:
Wow, I was just watching my local news. They say that my local train station is handling 5 million passengers a day over the last 3 days. It will take another 4 days for all the holiday traffic to clear. I just can't imagine that amount of people traveling at one time. I am glad I stayed at home this year.
Holy crap, 5M per day! Wowee...
Glad you enjoyed the Douglas Adams prose. It's pretty cool, and - amazingly to non-Aussies - not far off the mark...
For Sydneysiders, I'm about to test the waters to see if there's interest in a local gathering (my usual bike group) to watch the PI WSB round; please respond here (or by PM) if you'd like to come along to whatever is arranged. I only associate with decent folks if that helps, and you are most welcome to grill me before committing :) I'm in the Inner West.
Roby, it just worked out that for the PI WSB round I'd be in Sydney; when we have another local-ish race (Sepang etc.) and I'm in Queensland, we'll take it from there.
Did any of you have trouble with the live timing on motogp.com ? I thought it might be only me, as I was downloading "Hairy Italian Women" at the time :D I hope they get it sorted soon.
:up:Quote:
Originally Posted by Roby44
I hope you realise that I was only joking, about having trouble with the timing :DQuote:
Originally Posted by maxu05
Or if you don't mind being called gay if you are a bloke. If you're a good looking sheila then blokes will come running to help, even if you're in the middle of a desert! ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by The Phantom
I did. when the timing window was in the background the timing stoppedQuote:
Originally Posted by maxu05
I think so, this is the one about the interesting sport with less wheels isn't it? :p : ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by maxu05