Just a quick note. Had my surgery today. Seems to have gone well but I guess the doc will tell me in the morning. I haven’t had a crash, or other accident. Developed a hernia about three months ago.
So fixed hopefully and I can get back to my forest running and my riding, and playing with my kids again without concern.
Once it heals of course 
[I'm reediting this, half of it makes no sense] About 11am this morning I rolled out of the stealership on my Daytona. I was pretty nervous of course, but after a few traffic lights and that, I was settled into the way the bike moved. Its very easy to ride. I did discover very quickly that I can’t see the lanes next to me in the mirror, but I hear that is pretty common on supersport bikes. But so far that’s the only thing I don’t like.
I rode home, trying to stay under the break in engine rpms as directed. It was tough as the bike just wants to rev. At home, I first checked it would fit in the garage with the VFR and the two cars. Check! Then I wolfed down some lunch before rolling back out onto the driveway again.
I didn’t have as much time to spare for its first ride as I had hoped, so I headed first to drop in on my other bike shop to show off. These guys have been servicing my VFR for about 6 years and I’ve chatted to them about which bike to buy.
After suitably wowing the mechanics I rode off (I’m such a poser,lol), heading for some nearby roads to really test it out. I spent about an hour riding about in the lower mountains, getting used to it. New engine needs running in, so I have to be gentle and restrained. Its also got brand new tyres of course, so they need to be bedded in for the first 100km or so as well, otherwise you end up on the road watching your bike slide away.
So it was a gentle, but extremely fun hour or so, before I turned back for home. If you want to see some video of the bike (not riding videos yet) check out here.
And for everyone else, here are some photos.
Now it will sit in the garage for a while as I am having an operation today, and will be a week or more before I’m allowed to ride again. First service is at 800km, I hope it doesn’t take too long to get there as I can’t wait to try this bike out completely.
Here’s something random I just discovered. The BBC show Sherlock that I talked about here, Sherlock is played by Benedict Cumberbatch, who will appear shortly as the villain in the new Star Trek movie and plays the voice of Smaug (I think I said that in the other post), but Dr Watson, played by Martin Freeman, is none other than Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit, and was also Arthur Dent in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
Almost there. Hopefully Tuesday. Still better off than the guy who paid his deposit the day after me. He has to wait until May or June. If you order one now you have to wait until August!
Down under is currently hosting a Candaian from the VFR website I frequent. He’s been here a week and already clocked up 2000km on the 2000 VFR that he procured for his time here. Wow.
I spent the week trying to pick a day to take off and go for a ride with him, but work commitments made it impossible. I suggested we catch up on Saturday for a short ride up the Putty to the Grey Gums. While the weather initially was forecast as showers, I was convinced it would be clear by Saturday. I invited some of the regulars from work, but with the short notice and they didn’t believe me regarding the weather, only two turned up.
Of course it dawned a little cloudy, but the kind you know is going to burn away leaving only sunshine… perfect. We left Windsor with me leading. My first time leading a group and while I kind of enjoyed not playing catch up the whole time, I didn’t really like it. So it was a easy ride up to the Grey Gums Cafe.
At Grey Gums, see the two blue VFRs
We stopped here for a coffee break. The plan was to head back again down the Putty and home. However we pulled out a map I had brought along and started talking with our guest about where he wanted to head and what his plans were. Turned out he really wanted to head north, ending up near Brisbane.
Well, says we, you’re already a couple of hours on your way. With some of the best roads around stretching north towards Brisbane it was suggested that he head north from Grey Gums. It was only about 10am so he had a lot of (very nice) daylight to use up.
So I bid farewell to our guest and turned to follow the others home.
We headed almost the same way home, with a little detour to the Sackville Ferry. There’s another ferry on the river, I didn’t know about this one either. It wasn’t really a great detour as the road wasn’t in the best shape. Though much nicer than the north side of Wiseman’s!
Sackville Ferry
The shop has my bike… yes, I’ve decided to buy it. My money isn’t quite ready so I have to be patient for a bit over a week.
Here is MY bike.
The wait for the Daytona continues. In the meantime I snuck down to the local Suzuki shop and took the GSXR750 for another test. This time I spent a while on the freeway followed by some time in the local city centre. I wanted to try long straight riding and what city riding is like on a bike that is more aggressive in its sitting position than my VFR.
Actually I found it a total non-issue. And so we can tick off another thing I was a little worried about for the Daytona.
Oh, if it turns out I don’t like the Daytona, I will be very happy with the GSXR as I really enjoyed riding it again. If it had ABS and a fuel gauge, it’d be a close thing. However, I get so many other things for the extra cash, plus the rideability of the triple over the inline 4.
The bike shop called on Thursday, the ship that the bikes are on is still expected on March 16 to Melbourne. From there I guess they go through Customs etc, so maybe a week or two after that, they’ll be in the shop!……..
On another note, I’ve picked up a Sony Action Cam, similar to a GoPro, but it was about $250 cheaper. I’ve tested it a couple of times in the car, as well as one time on my bike. That was with it taped to the top of my helmet, going really slowly just around the block. I haven’t yet got a mounting set up that I am happy with, so more videos will have to wait. Check me out on YouTube, under the same channel as this blog.
So far it has performed ok. The main limitations is the lack of mounts, and the terrible wind noise (basically all that can be heard) at speed. I have ordered a couple of bits to try a better solution for mounting it. I will also try to get an external mic in order to fix the wind noise problem…and I will start to post some videos… expect even worse dribble than this blog but with video!
Then, Channel Ten has started showing “Elementary”. This is a US produced show, with Sherlock doing his deduction work in modern day New York. This time Dr Watson, played by the lovely Lucy Liu, is a Doctor who has given up practicing, who acts as a live in buddy for recovering addicts (who have rich parents). Elementary is broadcast in the standard 45min episodes setup.
Both shows are high quality productions, and both have their mysteries wrapped up by the time the credits roll. Sherlock however does have some story elements that carry through the episodes, something that is missing from Elementary. Sherlock also seems to use the original material as a basis for much of some of the episodes, cleverly rewritten to take place in the modern world. The Hound of the Baskervilles episode is a good example of this, quite different plot to the original, yet still the same. Elementary doesn’t seem to be using much of the source material, apart from the lead characters. However I’m certainly no Sherlock aficionado so could well be on the wrong track there.
I am enjoying both, but Sherlock is a level higher than Elementary. Elementary seems like the other shows, like Numb3rs, The Mentalist, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and other crime dramas, where a oddly smart person solves crimes for the police (or as one). While a bit eccentric and very smart, Holmes in Elementary seems not as far different from the other “genius” in the other shows. However Holmes in Sherlock seems to be operating in a totally different world from everyone else, with a level of intellect almost unfathomable.
The longer episodes also lend the BBC the ability to have more intricate puzzles and more twists than the shorter episodes. Carry over characters (Moriaty, Holmes’ brother Mycroft, the landlord, the medical tech) other than just the police contact, Holmes and Watson also let us get more attached to the other people in the Sherlock series.
Overall I enjoy both, and will keep watching them. However I hungrily await the next episode of Sherlock, whilst I watch Elementary when I don’t have higher priority shows to watch (like Sherlock, lol).
Sherlock has 2 series and is confirmed for a third.
Elementary has one series completed but I’m not sure if a second has been confirmed
RIP Captain “Ghost” Matsumoto.
The Temple ship is destroyed, Earth is saved. XCom has accomplished its goals and the team returned home, almost unscathed.
(Some Spoilers Ahead)
CAPT Matusmoto, the team sniper and also the psi gifted member sacrificed himself at the moment of ultimate defeat in order to snatch victory from the terrible forces about to destroy the planet. Forcing his teammates from the ship he turned back to the ship’s bridge and without regard for his life, gained control of the ship that was tearing itself apart (and the earth with it). He managed to force the ship to a safe distance before the ship was destroyed. His body has not been recovered.
FULL REPORT – TEMPLE SHIP
The team progressed carefully through the ship, facing all of the aliens that had been opponents throughout this alien crisis, from the easily destroyed Sectoids and Thin Men to the tougher Cyberdiscs and Sectopods.
Throughout the mission I had an ominous feeling that victory in this mission would lead to the ultimate failure in XCom’s mission to protect the Earth. The ships commander provided comment and assessments as we progressed and the general feeling was of doing exactly what he wanted us to do. Had the whole XCom project created exactly the supersoldier that the aliens desired, created them out of us!
The Temple Ship Commander – The Uber Ethereal
Several tough battles were fought by the team. A pair of Sectopods were probably the toughest opponents before they made it to the bridge. Careful use of grenades, sniper shots and Shredder Rockets saved the team several times and by the time the bridge was assaulted no one had been killed. A memorable moment occurred when a Drone wandered into an area where all six team members were on Overwatch. Six shots reached out and annihilated the drone.
Once on the bridge it was clear that this is what the aliens had wanted. The Psi troop would become the start of their newest breed of soldiers.
Two Muton Elite, two Ethereal and the Uber Ethereal meant there was a lot of mind control ability available to the enemy. The team spread wide across the room, so that if any were mind controlled it would be hard to shoot at teammates. However they were all placed to be able to shoot the Uber.
Several shots were deflected in the first round, however a successful rocket hit and one other had him on low points, before their turn. 2 members were mind controlled, but a hit from another trooper before a careful shot from CAPT Matsumoto destroyed the Uber, in the process destroying the other aliens on the bridge. Victory was ours!
Then the ship started to disintegrate. At XCom headquarters it was clear the ship was about to destroy itself, taking the planet with it.
Onboard, CAPT Matsumoto’s psi powers let him see the ships plans and that’s when he knew what was required.
XCOM – Short Review
OMG I finished another game! And I did enjoy XCOM. I may even go back and try it again, perhaps on a more difficult setting, or with a different start base. Unless you are violently opposed to turn based games then I recommend this game to you.
Two games finished now and its only February, what’s in store for March?
……… actually I’ve started Trine 2……..
I HAVE A PSYKER!!! Well it’s only taken me almost two months (though that’s only about a dozen plays or so) but I finally found another psi gifted troop.
I had some tips over the month to try folks with strong Will score. This score builds as yo level your troops and I had been testing all mine as soon as the arrive as recruits, hence the terrible run of failures.
As the last batch of the old test regime finished (no psi) I found one Captain that hadn’t been tested, hmm, a sniper that we’ve heard so much about before.
10 days of testing and he’s passed! So I kit him up with the Psi-amour and I am informed that he is powerful enough to use the Gallop Chamber.
Woohoo, I can finally move on to the final mission.
At this point the game warns you that any further research or engineering is impossible. That’s fine for me as I have warehouses full of stuff to equip more than just a 6 man team. I have at least 8 full Colonels (though none support or sniper) ready and waiting for deployment on this mission.
The Gallop Chamber is activated and an assault on the Temple ship is now possible. The team is assembled, the psi trooper must participate and he must survive the assault. I kit out my best troops and launch.
As I type the team has arrived at the ship and had its first combats with the alien crew……
