popcorn_skollie

What he's into sounds more like slope than downhill. I was going to suggest this as well. Just worried about sizing though. At age 7 I imagine that even a small frame 26er might be too big. Then again your kid is probably taller than me

https://youtu.be/WhA-3OZFyGY A little clip of myself playing on xbox. Lonely Mountains Downhill is a physics based game where you choose from a selection of mountain bikes to ride a selection of downhill courses. There are 4 themed mountains with 4 different trails each. Each uniquely designed to offer a variety of mountain biking accross 16 different trails. The bike selection ranges from a rigid CX gravel bike which excels at flat out pedaling speed and acceleration at the cost of grip and suspension. To a full on downhill bike which has massive suspension and grip but lacks pedaling ability and acceleration. There's also a little suspension XC bike, what looks like an AM hardtail 6 fattie and also a little slope bike for good measure. Each with different strengths and weaknesses. As a single player game the only racing is against yourself (and the clock) but your times are also displayed on the online leader boards so you see how well you fair against other players. I have to say. As a purely physics based game trying to emulate mountain biking. It pretty much nails it. The controls are super simple with only 4 mapped buttons. Easy to learn. Hard to master. It soon becomes clear that your skill hinges on split second reaction timing as you navigate your way from checkpoint to checkpoint as fast as you can. Attempting to remain composed and maintaining flow while you narrowly escape and overcome a string of obstacles stitched together across each of the trails. Which is actually not too far off from actual mountain biking. There are many little details that I appreciate about this game. There is no music in the game at all. Which I love. Ambient sounds from being outdoors like the wind and birds to crickets at night. Overlayed with occasional cranking pedals, rubber grazing dirt and spinning hubs. I may be wrong but it sounds like those hubs were sampled from hope's unmistakable buzzing. The courses themselves are very well designed. Its clear that developers did their homework when it comes to trail building research. The majority of features seem intentionally designed as natural ones and everything is so well stitched together from a design perpective. Despite there being only 16 trails. Most of the trails trails offer a variety of different line choices. Each with their own risk vs reward approach. Bigger drops are harder to land but also offer a quicker route down. Quite often I find myself searching for alternate route. Many of which are hidden. I've also managed to find routes which are completely off trail. Offering some pretty intense freeride options. I could nitpick on a few things like the inability to manual, wheelie, or bunny hop. Which could really transform this game massively. Its also hard to see with some of the dedicated camera angles certain courses force you into. Making it harder to see certain obstacles. The ability to free pan the camera would also be nice. Other than that its an absolute gem of a game at a very good price. Available on steam, xbox, playstation and switch

I've played Black Flag. I've also played RDR2. Both brilliant games that probably deserve a thesis each if I were to review them. But. Its an absolute shame that they both overshadow Assassins Creed Odyssey. RDR2 was released around the same time as Odyssey. It was probably the most anticipated game of the decade. It also delivered. Big time. Nearly 2 years after its release its asking price is still R899. Black flag is a more traditional Assassin's Creed game. Only this time its focus is predominantly on Naval combat. For a pirates them game they pretty much nailed it. And many AC fans hail Black Flag as the best in the series to date. Odyssey takes a very different direction to the rest of the games in the Assassins Creed series. Its an open world sandbox rpg if I were to pigeon hole it. With its primary focus on melee combat and archery. You explore a massive open world finishing quests you decide upon. So the progression is far from linear. And so is its story telling. You begin by choosing one of two siblings as the protagonist. And every decision you make decides not only how your own story unfolds but also the story of your sibling. Whom you run into a few times as the story unfolds. What fascinating is how well it was produced from a story telling perspective. With over 30 hours of cut scenes and 9 different endings. Even RDR2's story seems (which has 4 endings) seems linear by comparison. The game attempts to offer you actual choice. And your own story. Not the illusion thereof where everyone's progression is a semi side tracked version of the same tale. The world, characters, and effects are all breathtakingly beautiful. The combat is crisp, responsive, challenging and immersive. To such a degree that no 2 fights are ever the same. A plethora of weapons, abilities and combos each with its own trade offs. You often find yourself enacting split second creative combat decisions to survive and escape or to overcome and defeat. Set around 400bc in ancient Greece. You play both sides of the war between the Athenians and Spartans. Often favoring one over the other in order to unravel your own story. The story telling treads a line between a factual account of ancient Greece and its mythology. Everything from the birth of democracy and philosophy intertwined with the sorties of God's, demigods, and mythological creatures. AC Odyssey is to date. One of the top 5 single players games I've ever played. So is RDR2. But in my personal opinion. Odyssey is better. This is a clip from my actual gameplay. Sorry about the volume you'll have to crank it if you want to hear. https://youtu.be/VaaaP46MZN4 and this is one of its dlc trailers https://youtu.be/cULAyCisTEI

Lets get some formalities out the way before we assume that bar height is the problem. What size frame are you on?

That's actually something I did know. Most of our wedding music was rat pack.

I did not know that. I looked it up and found another little gem Russel Bufalino's wiki page Turns out the Mafia even dabbled in who portrayed them in the movies. In 1972, after singer Al Martino had the role of Johnny Fontane in The Godfather stripped from him and given to Vic Damone, he went to Bufalino, his godfather, who then orchestrated the publication of various news articles that claimed director Francis Ford Coppola was unaware of producer Albert S. Ruddy giving Martino the part.[25] Damone eventually dropped the role because he did not want to provoke the mob, in addition to being paid too little.[26][25] Ultimately, the part of Johnny Fontane was given to Martino.

I'm a huge Scorsese fan. But Irishman isn't one of my favorites. I get what the intention was behind making it and to that end I suppose it delivered. It is my no means a bad film. But it felt held back some how. As if the writing suffered under the pressure of it being seemingly plausible. What did happen to Jimmy Hoffa? Nobody really knows and I feel like Irishman came along and said. Hey this is 'probably' what happened. An opportunity was missed here for some fantastic writing. Think about Scorsese flicks in the past and all the crazy **** that went down. Anyways. What am I on about? Joe Pesci. Superb actor. He really was the highlight of Irishman for me. I mean the cast is nothing to sneeze at and all of em are Scorsese favorites but come on. He was never displayed on the same shelf as De Niro and Pacino. I mean this is the guy who took paint cans to the head in Home Alone. I never thought about his pedigree as an actor especially when you consider the caliber of the rest of the cast. But I certainly do now.

https://youtu.be/X2m-08cOAbc This looks lekker. But I have to admit. I'd be more excited to see this if it wasn't Ryan Reynolds in the lead. I don't particularly think he's a *** actor. Or struggle to see him play different roles. He's funny and fun to watch but... I just feel like he brings the same upbeat persona to every role he plays. And it feels like he's being cast because of it. Surely there are others who can deliver well timed punchlines and witty quips.

You're forgiven. I do that when I re-watch superhero movies. Or if I have the flu or something I'll smash out a season over 2 or 3 days. I watched Succession like this. You know, the type of show you pay partial attention to most of the time, let it play while you work or sort washing. And then you get super into it when it gets good. Lockdown was different though. Netflix just got flooded with Bollywood flix which is right up the wife's alley. So we binged a couple classics. I mostly just watch for music videos.

I only just learnt that her segment was cut from final release. But was included in the DVD/Bluray version. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movie_43

I can think of several garbage movies I love. The Pest Big trouble in little China A night at the Roxbury Freddy got fingered Romeo + Juliet (The 90's one with Leo) The Fifth Element The Underworld movies Then there are critically acclaimed movies I just don't get. The Godfather. Ok calm down. Its good. But people acting like it set the bar for mafia films probably haven't seen Mean Streets. Lets be honest here. Scorsese just does it better. Goodfellas, Casino, The Departed. Do I really need to go on? Gone with the Wind. I honestly don't see the appeal here. If you're in the mood for some old fleeting romance. Watch Casablanca instead. Citizen Kane. I don't even know where to start with Citizen Kane. I just don't get it. And nothing about it makes me want to. Ever. Then there are others off the top of my head I will probably never get either. Psycho (Hitchcock)...not scary The Harry Potter movies...rubbish Forest Gump...just shut up

Then you better avoid anything with Tony Shalhoub, Julianne Moore, Halle Berry or Richard Gere. Coz they're in this too. https://youtu.be/pj2eQZ3NrCY

https://youtu.be/LskHSMjFJ9I

Soldier through the first season. It's a bit shallow with not much to keep you hooked. Theres this rinse repeat case solving per episode you have to bare with. But stick it out. Towards the end of the season it becomes a lot more about character development and exploring the shows underlying premise. By season 3 many of the biblical characters emerge. At which point it becomes a lot more about them and their relationships with each other.

Someone posted this in our surf group on whatsapp and I nearly flipped my ****. I mean my knee jerk reaction was to ask how on earth you could be this selfish and shortsighted. But then I realized that certain things just don't occur to some people. Especially if doesn't affect them directly. Through no fault of their own. But if you explain things beyond that which occurs to them and allow them to see the bigger picture. Chances are they would and backpedal on such notions. But if you come out swinging and challenge them. They will remain shortsighted. Stand stubbornly firm in their beliefs. Cherry pick justification thereof and even garner a following. And when masses of shortsighted people stand together. Then you have a problem.

https://youtu.be/62EB4JniuTc

I actually find this heartwarming. I like being reminded of home when I'm not. I also like running into saffas when abroad. Some people you can tell are from SA without them even saying anything. And I don't mean obvious giveaways like a Stormers jersey or a kort broek en veldskoene. Sometimes, for some reason. You can just tell. I've been able to pick some folk out in quite a few countries. I don't know what it is but what ever I see in them they probably see in me too. A squint or a smile and you can just tell somehow. Cape Town? Jozi!

Sadly many of these phrases are being used less and less locally as time goes on. Especially 'tera makasi' But you'll still hear it here and there. Especially between older generations. It was more commonly used in its shortened form now that I think back. 'Kasi' was commonly used in place of thanks. But since 'kasi' sounds like the afrikaans word for cupboard. Which is probably why people started using it less.

I would never have guessed that but not really surprised either.

Brilliant! The 'Rr' and 'Vi' and 'Ch' rules are pretty universal though. They can be applied to many variations of english accents. Body language is also a big part of some languages. This is especially true in the east. In China your posture speaks volumes. Especially your chin. India is big on nodding and hand gestures. And I've definitely seen how this being rubbed off on people who've adopted the accent.

Jissus I'm only just realizing just how spread out my family actually is. So I have two cousins that have lived in UK since the 90s. They're both sisters around a decade older than I am. The younger sister is as pommie as one can get. And it feels strange speaking to her. I get this impression that her accent is a bit over the top and somewhat pretentious. And that she has this somewhat condescending opinion of the place and people she is originally from. Her sister is the opposite though. Also lives in UK. But visits SA far more regularly that her sister does and sounds a lot more like we do too. But her time abroad is certainly evident in the way she speaks. They also have an older brother. Ya, ya I know. Another cousin. I'm not sure where he lives now. I haven't been on facebook in months but I remember seeing him in Alaska last. Which is about as American as Hawaii. His son who still lives here in Cape Town is pretty close with my brother. So when I see him occasionally I would ask how he's dad was and where on earth he could be right now. The answer was always different. I guess being a photographer meant he's job took him everywhere. Covering stories on current affairs. I was lucky enough to get him to shoot my wedding. Which was probably the last time I saw him if I'm not exaggerating too much. He might have spent the majority of his life off South African soil. But that guy sounds like he never left the Cape Flats.

It probably exactly that. The swede and dutch family I mentioned are both examples of people who married foreigners and had kids abroad. So their offspring, the swede and dutch cousins, don't speak afrikaans or any of the other languages their parent/s grew up with. On the other hand. The cousins from Saudi and Australia grew up in households where both parents originated from Cape Town. So they grew up in a home where their parents would speak those languages to each other and I suppose by extension to their kids as well. Its gets even more complicated. One of these cousins I mentioned married an american. I would chat to him occasionally at family gatherings and I would often forget he was american because he actually sounds like a saffa after being here for so long. But here and there I would be reminded he was american because of the way he would pronounce certain words. Then the younger of the two ozzie cousins I mentioned. Married an Afghan expat. Married and living in Sydney with two kids of their own. I have no idea what those kids will sound like when they old enough to speak fluently.

My moms sister and her immediate family has lived in Sydney since the 80s. Their eldest daughter was born here and her sister was born there a year or so later. We visit each other every other year or so. Skype or whatsapp inbetween. My cousins who both grew up in Sydney have full blown ozzi accents. But their parents don't. At all. Speaking to my aunt. Who has lived in Sydney for over 40 years is much the same like speaking to my mom. Whats even stranger is that both my cousins also speak afrikaans. Since they grew up with their parents speaking it in their household. And you've never heard anything nearly as entertaining as a born and bred ozzi speaking fluent kombuis afrikaans. It gets even weirder. If you're familiar with the origins of the Cape Malay community in South Africa you'll know that the slaves that were brought here were originally from what is today known as Indonesia. Well some of them. They came from other places too. India, Madagascar and where ever else the Dutch East India Company decided to stop and grab more people. Now muslim households anywhere in the world throw around occasional arabic anyways. But in Cape Town there's a unique blend of arabic, indonesian and indian languages being used. I use these words VERY broadly because each of them probably have a few hundred globally recognized languages each. But thats besides the point. My ozzi cousins despite growing up there are no exception and quite often communication would involve multiple languages in a single sentence. When visiting street vendors in Indonesia my wife and I would chat to each other intermittently whilst negotiating prices with shop keepers. What we didn't realize at the time was that everytime my wife and I would 'skelmpies' have a little exchange of our own. The shop keeper could actually understand some of the words we used. Because we were using terminology that was very close to Indonesia's bahasa language. So for example, if I suggest what I think is fair price you reply with 'Oh please!' You would immediately acknowledge such a reaction as a vehement disagreement. I used the word 'kanala' when responding to my wife and the shopkeeper not only understood the word but also the context I used it in. There are some other interesting things I picked up on as well. I surfed this spot called airports. A sort of open ocean reef. A bit more remote as far as surf sports go. I had to take a boat just to get to the line up. Then wait on the next guy who comes in with a boat so I have a ride back to shore. From the beach I started walking towards Kuta. The busy city centre. I figured I'd get get a taxi along the way. I see this open public shower on the beach. Which looks lekker refreshing after spending so much time in Bali's hot ocean and even hotter sun. The locals were charging the ozzies for using a free public shower. But since I look like one of the locals and could throw around a word or two I got my shower free of charge. It was here that I noticed how indonesian locals who use english words often sound like they picked up on the ozzie accent as well. They would pronounce english words much the same way that australians would. And even sound more 'ozzie' when speaking to one. Bali is packed with Australians. Its not far from them and flights are pretty cheap. Jeez at this point I'm beginning to realize just how long winded my post can get. Half of my wife's family are expats. My father in law has a twin sister who lived in Sweden for decades. Another of his siblings lives in Holland. So she has dutch and swedish cousins who she sees occasionally and keeps in touch with on social media. Then she also has a few uncles and aunts who spent decades teaching english in Saudi. Her cousins that grew up in Saudi also speak afrikaans. Despite being fluent in arabic as a first language they sound more like cape town locals when they speak english and afrikaans. And when I visit Saudi myself. There's a restaurant I like to visit in Jeddah. Where they serve and I kid you not. A 'kaapse roti' as a side to any curry on offer. Its even spelled that way in the menu.

Ya she also has a kid in a bike seat on. Opt for a lighter gear. Look Grunder if you're unsure about what size rear cog to use. Replace only the front with a single ring first. A 32 is a good starting point but by no means the only solution. Then let her choose a comfortable single rear gear she can stay in. Especially with the additional weight of a seated child.

Post pics of the bike with some closeups of drive train. Its much easier to help you that way.