St Landrew

How's NZ today. Anything interesting happening in my old adopted home..?

People's experience seems to be uneven. My Mum, who is 94 and still going strong, if a little bit skitty, had her broken hip replaced at 92. She had loads of convalescence, and was pretty damn well looked after. Her twin sister, who puts up with the pain in her hips, may have missed the boat. But then she is of the generation [as is my Mum] who doesn't ever ask for help even if they desperately need it. My brother-in-law, who had a super painful knee, due to work related wear and tear, was told by the NHS that he'd need a replacement which would mean an almost complete replacement joint. I did some research on the net, and there was some state-of-the-art surgery being done in the US and Germany [iIRC]. Then I found a private hospital near Bath willing to do the surgery, and they had links to Southampton General Hospital, who then said they could do the surgery. However, all this only made possible after my brother-in-law presented the researched evidence of the new technique and material replacement to Southampton General Hospital. Prior to that, they simply didn't believe or know of any other techniques but their own. So the moral of the story is... the NHS mean well, but you may have to bring them up to speed.

Blimey, you're quick. That news only broke about 25 minutes ago. Couldn't be bothered, myself.

At work. I was told by an eternally p!ss taking workmate, who had no interest in football. As usual, I thought he was on a wind-up, and even when he protested his honesty, I just laughed it off. Got home and it was a headline on the BBC national news. People today don't appreciate that KK was the biggest media footballer in the northern hemisphere [and that kind of meant the whole world anyway] at the time. I'd just about scraped my jaw off the floor by the next morning to apologise to my mate. Overnight, Saints went from just being one of the top league's number to one of the glamour clubs. It was the greatest masterstroke in so many masterstrokes performed by Lawrie Mcmenemy.

Thanks for posting my youtube videos for me.

Good article.

And no twilight either. Sun goes down, and the sky gets turned off. Remind me when it does, SD..? I've spent a little time in Singapore, and the only thing I couldn't get used to was the humidity. Otherwise, it was a great place.

Yes, now it's only Norton itself that is making it run in treacle.

Lee saint, there is a huge gap between MotoGP and WSB. We are talking about prototype bikes which can be altered into a thousand different setups - some completely off-the-wall, and WSB, which have a fixed amount of changes that can be made, as they are meant to resemble the production bikes on which they are based. In all cases, the setups are the ultimate responsibility of the rider. If he can make his machine faster, then more power to him.

Tbh, I think it is very much the rider, whether it is BSB, WSB or MotoGP. But in MotoGP we are talking about a bike which can be setup in hugely different ways. They are not motorbikes in the conventional sense, as we know them, and the rider has a huge, huge input. Remember, for example that Edwards, Toseland, Rossi and Lorenzo are very much on the same machinery. Stoner, Hayden, Elias, Kallio, Canepa and Gibernau are also on very similar machinery. What they do with that machinery is another matter. To get the bike into the best possible setup requires huge input in the short practice sessions by the rider, backed up by data from previous seasons and races. To me it all suggests that the great racers can feel the best setups of their bikes more acutely than others. More power and respect to those that can do this, which incidentally means that despite Casey Stoner's often slightly iffy personality, in the past, I have the greatest respect for his riding talent.

I looked at Bayliss and Toseland in 2007 at Assen. What I saw was great, not just good. Which still asks the question... what does it take to get you to categorise a race as great rather than just good..?

A good race..? What does it take for you to call a race great then..? FWIW, I also occasionally watch WSB and BSB, and although the racing is often very close indeed, inevitably the quality of machinery, the skill levels, and the occasion is just not on a par with MotoGP.

You couldn't make it up. And sadly, you didn't.

I think I'm calm enough now to review the races today. I'll quickly cover the 125cc and 250cc races. Brits Bradley Smith and Scott Redding showed up in the minor points but the drama was with Smith's teammate Simon, who crossed the line one lap from the end to celebrate victory. Only for 6 riders to pass him as he decelerated. He fought back to 4th, and it was the usual excellent 125cc entertainment. The 250cc race found Simoncelli falling off, leaving Bautista to run away with the victory. 2nd place was hotly contested though and, overall, the racing was very close indeed. Step forward the main event. Incidentally, I'd had an invite to go for a ride to the Popham Little Chef [of Heston Blumenthal fame] today, which I must say was really very good, food wise. The braised Ox cheeks were melt-in-the-mouth excellent. I recorded the race. As I said, step forward the main event. Was this worth waiting for..? You bet. As mentioned in the opening thread, Rossi, Lorenzo and Stoner were the class of the field. Off they went from the start, with Lorenzo carving out a 3 bike length lead by the end of lap 1. That's as far as he got away for the entire race. For the first half of the 25 laps, Stoner wrestled the wriggling Ducati behind the rail like pair of Yamahas. There's no doubt the R1 is a fabulous racing bike - honed as it has been, over the last few seasons, by Rossi, Jerry Burgess and the team. And Lorenzo knows how to ride it too. Rossi overtook Lorenzo on half distance, and the pair eventually dropped Stoner, who was fading with exhaustion. Then Vale found he just couldn't shake off Jorge, so he did a Rossi thing - he let him pass..! He then spent the rest of the race finding out where Lorenzo was slow and he was fast. People say there's no strategy in motorcycle racing - oh yeah..? Come 3 laps from the end and the bikes were starting to get within cigarette papers of each other. The lead changed hands back and forth, even though the guys were taking the fastest lines they could. On the last lap, commentator Steve Parrish was sure Jorge had got the measure of Vale, as the corners were running out. But on the second from last corner, Rossi carried so much speed he practically ran into Lorenzo, but then used it to power on the straight to pass Jorge into the last corner and surge out onto the finishing straight. Anyone viewing this would have probably been eating the sofa cushions by now, or trying to remove their head from the ceiling. I'm almost certain several cardiac arrests were recorded throughout the world as a result. An utterly astonishing race which I urge anyone with even the slightest inclination for motorsport to watch. MotoGP should come with a government health warning. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00l926l/MotoGP_2009_Round_6_Catalunya/ Find out the result yourself.

Went out for a ride today and recorded the race. I avoided the result and have just watched the race. I felt it was going to be something a little special, but all I can say is F**K ME..! That one lap beats Laguna Seca. I think that's just about the best single lap I've ever seen. If anyone hasn't seen it yet, I think the Red Button is still repeat showing today's races. Just record the race then flick to about 8 laps from the end and watch Rossi hound Lorenzo, after letting him pass when he couldn't get away.

Apparently we're in for a treat today, according to someone on the BBC 606 website. As far a I'm concerned, we're always in for a treat come MotoGP race day. I'm going to try to get the box on early and red button the 125cc and 250cc races. Then it's for the main event at 12.30pm. Lorenzo is in pole at his home race, with team leader Rossi in second and Stoner in third. These guys are turning into the class of the field, and it is really between them and Dovizioso in 4th spot. Tony Elias could be in the mix if he gets a good start, as he's a very small chappie who can get muscled out. But he's quick, and it's his home GP too. Look out for Bradley and Scott at 9.50am. Danny Webb broke a finger in practice, I believe. Catalunya MotoGP qualifying result: 1 J Lorenzo (Spn) Yamaha 1 min 41.974 secs 2 V Rossi (Ita) Yamaha 1:41.987 3 C Stoner (Aus) Ducati 1:42.426 4 A Dovizioso (Ita) Honda 1:42.594 5 T Elias (Spn) Honda 1:43.139 6 C Edwards (US) Yamaha 1:43.168 7 R de Puniet (Fr) Honda 1:43.175 8 D Pedrosa (Spn) Honda 1:43.207 9 J Toseland (GB) Yamaha 1:43.233 10 M Kallio (Fin) Ducati 1:43.336 11 L Capirossi (Ita) Suzuki 1:43.365 12 C Vermeulen (Aus) Suzuki 1:43.411 13 N Hayden (US) Ducati 1:43.414 14 A de Angelis (RSM) Honda 1:43.422 15 S Gibernau (Spn) Ducati 1:43.714 125cc qualifying result: 1 J Simon (Spn) Aprilia 1 min 51.448 secs 2 P Espargaro (Spn) Derbi 1:51.468 3 J Folger (Ger) Aprilia 1:51.787 Selected others: 7 B Smith (GB) Aprilia 1:52.209 10 S Redding (GB) Aprilia 1:52.536 250cc qualifying result: 1 H Barbera (Spn) Aprilia 1min 46.749secs 2 A Bautista (Spa) Aprilia 1:46.899 3 M Simoncelli (Ita) Gilera 1:46.908

Examples like this hit at the very core of my inability to comprehend certain people's in today's society. It's all about consequences, and the ability, or lack of it, to see how a person's actions can adversly affect those around them. I can visualise consequences, and I'm sure You can. But plenty of people can't. They just act, and bugger everyone else. And do they care about themselves when they are punished for their actions..? Oh yes. Surely, it can't be more plain to anyone that dangerously impeding an ambulance with its sirens operating is likely to lead to bad consequences..?

Well said Robsk and Dicko. It's a part of life that the newspaper media sell on the basis of opinion, rather than fact. They manage to get away with huge fabrications, and are only held accountable by those who can stand up to them. In this day and age, they are an outdated and outmoded medium. And frankly, we could do with the trees.

I refuse to see [my eyes closed; with blinkers on, and with my hands over my eyes before I typed this] how this is Saints related. Calls for removal to TMS will be heard while I'm still at my PC.

Well OK, I exaggerated wildly. There is good evidence though that the Sun has recently started going through a cooling phase, which might last until tomorrow or for another 50-100 years. Nobody really knows why and for how long.

No mate, get your dates right. Living in parts of NZ is like going back to the 1950's. I'm not joking either.

Can I remind several posters that this is the Lounge..? Take your TMS comments to that forum please.

There will come a day when you won't appeal anymore. It may be sooner than you think.

I understand one of the features is a race up country, London to Edinburgh by rail and road. IIRC, Clarkson will be on the footplate of the brand new A1 Peppercorn Class Pacific, called Tornado [because he actually loves steam locomotives though he wouldn't admit it] http://www.a1steam.com/ Hamster will be on a Vincent Motorcycle, and May is in an old Jaguar. Apparently, and as usual, it was a close run thing.

That would be Christian Ronaldo then..? Not the real one.