Remember folks, use it or lose it. 
I've studied with Grand Masters in their late 50s and 60s that could do single leg squats, splits, high kicks at lightening speed. Their advice, don't give up and don't stop being physical. Once you stop, the effects snowball and become that much harder to reverse.
Just a thought.
- CraigD
Swimming (since..uh...birth I guess)
Barefoot Waterskiing (self taught at age 11, I still do it occasionally)
Slalom Waterskiing (started at 6, still do it occasionally)
BMX Bicycle riding/racing (9 - 21, still do it occasionally)
Mountain Biking (current)
Motocross dirtbike riding/racing (10 - 22)
Martial Arts (started at 9 years old, black belt in Shaolin Kenpo at 16, instructor at 16 still very practiced - train everyday although I've studied a number of different styles...and I'm looking for a local Sanda school - Chinese kickboxing)
Street Fighting (15 - 18..ish)
Sport Fighting/kickboxing (12 - current)
Basketball (10 - 15) - I was too short to be any good on offense, but I was good on defense
Track (8 - 15) ranked 4th in New York State my last year
Tennis (12 - 14) ...the girls were cute!
Scuba diving (15 - 20) Haven't gone since broken upper jaw in street fight...don't know about the pressure in sinuses...
Football (10 - 15) a couple of championships - I was the smallest guy out there...and hit the hardest so I was Defensive team captain, free safety (because of my open field hits usually took people out of the game), and special teams captain because I could run real fast and hit real hard. Played intramural football in college.
Road Motorcycling (18 - current)
Motorcycle Roadracing (35- 36...I'll start again next season when I move my racebike out west)
Competitive Fencing (17 - 21) I was ranked 5th in New York State/City at the end of my 1st year
Weapons (12 - current) Proficient with a number of weapons
Knife and Shurikan throwing (12 - current)
Kickball (one game this season on Google team)
Much physical fitness - overall, from the age of 10 - 24 years I was spending a tremendous amount of time training in multiple fighting arts, so I had no time for regular sports. During highschool and college I normally trained for 3 hours a day, every day, so I was busy.
Autocross/Car racing - (23 - current) I haven't joined a club out here yet, but I will.
I've also done some gymnastics, wrestling, baseball, street hockey (yeah...skating and hitting..um no thanks!), snow skiing/snow boarding, surfing, climbing, roller-blading, skateboarding...running, jumping, climbing, swinging, etc....
Hi Mike, I'm glad you're enjoying your new bike! On helmets, I've used Arai helmets in part because they are extremely light. My model is the RX-77, which is the top of the line and very expensive, but their other models are also very good.
The most important thing is the fit, so find a store that will allow you to try on the different sizes. The helmet should actually be a lot more snug that most people realize. There should be no movement whatsoever.
One other note: you will want to go to a large parking lot (with all of your gear) and practice "threshold" braking from various speeds. This it one of the most important skills you can have on a motorcycle. Plus this will teach you exactly how much room you'll need to stop, from various speeds.
Good luck, and ride well!
Cheers,
Hey! And he can balance it at a full stop! Good on ya! ...just kidding...it looks cool!
I saw some guy in Boulder riding a Fuocco a few weeks back...jackass wasn't wearing a helmet or any protective gear... Not the advertisement I think they'd want.
Enjoy your new ride!
Cheers,
- CraigD
Love, right back atcha Susan! 
May your spirit dance and laugh for many birthdays to come!
Cheers,
- CraigD
Happy Birthday Susan!!! Many, many happy returns!
Cheers,
- CraigD
LOL! The Tricia Template! I like the idea!
@masta squidge said:
Its just like playing halo 2, just with more stuff to kill each other with.
:thup: ...and your point is?
I like the new maps...there are different risks and rewards, and the terrain maps are much nicer. The quality of the terrain data sets and the new rendering and physics are pretty sweet. It reminds me of Gears of War a little, with the environment interaction and new level of detail. I've been pretty happy with it so far...but I haven't played head to head yet.... gotta get my skills back before jumpin in!
I'm not going to stay up as late tonight either!
Cheers,
- CraigD
Hi Jackson, I'm not getting the same problem...
How do you open the PNG in CS3?
EDIT: I've asked a friend on the CS3 team if he's heard of this. I'll let you know what I find out.
Yep! My wife Deb and I started playing after dinner around 8:15, and I logged off around 1:15 AM!
It's very cool for sure! I like the custom map fly-over tool with the angelic music! The angel of weaponry placement, perhaps?!
Good stuff...I'm going to try to finish campaign mode tonight. Hopefully the story will not end half way through like Halo 2. I do like the guys over at Bungie...good job indeed!
Cheers,
- CraigD
@unknownuser said:
Craig....your lucky number is also a "Palindrome".
Interesting math....try this one in the google search box.......
111111111*111111111
Very interesting!! I hadn't thought of that!
@unknownuser said:
edit: Your number could also suggest that you can ride your bike backwards just as fast as you can forwards....??
Only when I crash going really fast, and the bike passes me backwards and upside down! ...it's happened!
@solo said:
Interesting Craig, has it worke? the wealth thing that is?
Well...I won my first roadrace (in the rain too!). I was the winningest Novice racer in the 125GP class. I advanced to Amateur class in the minimum amount of time and races. I won my first Amateur roadrace. And with a fast lap time of 1 minute 20 seconds flat, I beat all the experts lap times in my garage! (..until the 15 year old wonder, Shane Narbone came in and beat all of us at least!) So, I guess you can say that I have had good fortune running 818! ...but as you can also see from my very worn looking leathers AND the difference in bodywork between the posted image and my avatar, I've also come off the bike quite a bit! That's racin!
Cheers,
- CraigD
P.S. My avatar picture is a shot of me leading and about to win the very first Amateur roadrace I entered! Exit of turn 4 at Loudon, NH.
Wow, that's cool Tinanne! Thanks, we're honored! AND you are very welcome!! Enjoy!
Here's the "license plate" I worked the hardest for! In Chinese tradition the number 8 is very fortunate, and the number 1 is additional emphasis, so my racing number is kind of: Fortune-Guaranteed-Fortune 8-1-8. I also chose that number because it looks the same backwards, forwards and upside-down! That way, you'll always know it's me!
Cheers,
- CraigD
Hey Chuck! I came pretty close to buying a KTM Super Motard, but didn't have the funds...but with the fixes to the DRZ (and my wife said she thinks I crash on purpose so that I have to upgrade a bunch of stuff! ...she knows me pretty well... , but the DRZ will probably cost about the same when I'm done! I really like to modify my bikes...I admire the positive characteristics and then improve the areas that let the whole package down...kinda like Software QA testing! That EXC is a SWEET ride! If you get that, I want to see pictures! Brembo brakes, fat bars, White Bros fully adjustable suspension and stainless exhaust! Nice!
The Mighty R1 sure was a great bike! With me at 132 lbs, it sure didn't even know that I was on the back! I used to spin the rear tire in the turns to "finish" the corner! I got pretty good at sliding the rear end on that thing! Massive power, and brutal delivery! Be smoooooooooth!
I like my CBR954RR a lot now. It's got a kinder power delivery, and very precise/sharp handling characteristics! It's still back in Massachusetts with all our other bikes (except the DRZ400SM) at the moment. Deb and I are looking for a place to rent or buy that has enough space for the toys! I'll post pictures when I get some spare time! I've done the whole suspension to fit my needs: Race Tech front springs and gold valve damping controls, hard anodized fork tubes and slick bushings up front. For the rear I had Traxxion Dynamics build me a Penske triple adjustable shock with matching spring rates and Torrington ring bearings on the spring perch so it doesn't bind in heavy load corners! It's a sweet ride!
Anyway, if you get down here with a bike, I'd be up for a ride for sure!
Cheers,
- CraigD
P.S. Check out my movie! http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8852178485418537975&pr=goog-sl
Hey Chuck! That shot was on my Mighty R1!!! My wife and I really have a thing for bikes...I've been on em my whole life...and together we own 7!!! I am an amateur road racer (although I've beaten many experts!) and I campaign a 98 Honda RS125R GP bike. My road bikes are 05 Suzuki DRZ400SM (crashed it last week in the canyons west of Boulder!! DOH!), an 03 CBR954RR, and a heavily modified 88 Honda Hawk GT. My wife has an 88 FZR400 track bike, an 89 Honda Hawk GT (slightly modified, but beautiful!), and an 01 CBR929RR!
We like the bikes, and I like the competition. I've got a bunch of trophies and X-Rays to show for it too!
Cheers, and ride well!!!
- CraigD
Yo Kannonbal - I can't promise that Tech Support will be here, but I will!
Now, let's see if we can figure out what's wrong with your animation...
...maybe that'll have to wait till Monday!
Cheers,
- CraigD
Congratulations Lewis! That's fantastic! Not just to be recognized for your excellent visual work, but also for your artistic prose!
Well done!
Cheers,
Great to be a part of this forum as well! It's all of your contributions that helped ground me as a knowledgeable tester. I read the forums for around 6 months before I jumped in (to help at the launch with all of the networking/license problems), and I have considered you all friends since then! I have a tremendous amount of respect for you all, and what you create!
....and Ross, the part that hurts me at this altitude is that my machines have all lost a lot of expensive horsepower! Maybe though, the SketchUp team has extra energy because it requires more effort here to make blood and get oxygen so we end up with powerful Qi/Chi energy for our brains! The team is really a bunch of very bright, very fun people! A lot of active people here! Rock climbers, runners, road bicyclists, mountain bikers, hikers/campers, BMXers/Skateboarders, wake-boarders, motorcyclists, martial artists, yoga practioners, along with the occasional keg stander! Boulder is a hotbed for athletes, even with less oxygen!
And as far a physical size goes, you can put me in the category of human Pit Bull, or Jack Russel Terrier! I'm small, at 5' 7", 130 lb, but I feel 7 foot tall & bullet proof! If I ever hit or kicked a pad you were holding, you'd think you were hit by something much, much bigger...trust me.
I'd like to say again that I very much appreciate Coen and this community! You folks are what make us want to get to work early and stay late!
Cheers,
- CraigD
Great topic Ross and friends! Scott, very cool...to be able to make such an important life change early...that's priceless!
Ahhh simple pleasures...anybody who knows me well, knows that I enjoy a lot of things, and it is because I am able to bask in the light of simple things. Here are a few:
For Ross - a week driving around Nova Scotia and Prince Edwards Island with my wife in her convertible...just enjoying the peaceful scenery...the farmland that dissolves into the ocean, the Falcons and Eagles floating above, and the sound of the wind and the engine singing in harmony.
The utter and complete joy that our dog Tiki shows every time she greets us. When Talisker, who's the much more emotionally reserved Sheltie, wags his tail gently hoping that he is pleasing us.
The sound of a well tuned racing machine running on the edge, and being piloted perfectly. (A Ferrari 312 v12 1960's Grand Prix car comes to mind..)
The smell of racing fuel, or of two stroke exhaust mixed with the smell of fallen leaves.
A nice glass of wine, a warm fire and your best friend(s)/family at your side. ...maybe a little Billie Holiday or Miles Davis in the background...
Getting to sleep in, when your bed is warm and the morning is cold.
The silence of standing in the woods during a snowstorm.
The moment that your strike lands squarely and your opponent is knocked out before they hit the ground...nothin like a knockout when it comes to simple pleasures!
The "click" of the torque wrench when you've finished the last nut/bolt on a long mechanical project...and the anticipation of testing out the newly upgraded component.
Finally reproducing a bug that no one else can figure out! ...and hearing that a fix has been noticed.
Alas, I could go on forever... ...if only that were possible.
Cheers,
- CraigD
Hi guys - I haven't checked this out yet, but from the descriptions it has to have some very slick/hi-end production values. I used to be in the business of creating animations and digital video and I'm very accustomed to having customers with utterly unrealistic expectations of what is possible at the price point I was working. I was working with an Amiga, making broadcast quality ray tracings at 25 MHz, and competing against people with SGI Reality Engine super computers...it can be a drag. But, I found a niche and produced work that I was proud of and that made my customers happy.
That being said, SketchUp's future is being worked on and we're listening to your desires for a product that grows with the industry. I know that sounds cagey, but I just can't give details. Know that we are working. We've been extremely busy as a matter of fact and I haven't been able to spend as much time as I'd like, here.
You've had faith in us before...don't give up. Keep discussing your thoughts and ideas, and we'll be better able to keep a direction that's more in line with your needs.
Cheers,
P.S. I watched the animation: Gorgeous rendering! My professional opinion is that the shots were rushed...the camera never gets to settle before a dissolve transition, which causes the viewer to re-orient their perspective...making the transitions disorienting. A minor quip for a beautiful production. I have come to appreciate that design that much more, because of that perfectly detailed, intricate look at the house. Thanks for sharing!!