On the phone.

[Ancient Priest]

Conversation with Rod Bell in Thunder Bay first thing this morning. It seems we were both drinking coffee, waiting for the oatmeal to cook in its own sweet time, and in no hurry to get anything ambitious going yet today.

After we'd ripped up most of you guys and your difficult personallities, we did the weather in Alberta and northwest Ontario, the sinking in the mud of the economy and some of the esoterics of shooting moose.

Then Rod said something really quite challenging. He said he thought that the reason why there was such on-and-off posting here on this forum, and that same posting seemed to be done by only a few, was because the standards had crept up and been allowed to get too high.

He said in addition that he thought that because the membership here consisted of (what he called) some pretty exceptional people, the unexceptional ones wouldn't stick around to participate regularly. The usual sort of forum was one where people tossed out one-liners like, "Yeah, my bike is the best!" Or, "Boy-oh-boy, are you ever fullashit..." And that's where the types who had the time and inclination did hang out.

Is that really true? I personally would like to think not. While Rod isn't usually given to tossing out phony compliments, there isn't such a thing as an unexceptional person, any more than there is an unbeautiful woman. There is a person who has more pressing things to do than sit and type on a keyboard, and there is a broad in a bitchy mood.

Hands up, all you guys - guys, yes, we don't have any of the other sorts - who want it to be more like, "Yer mother wears army boots!" With an unrestricted range of descriptive terms in circulation as well. (I myself make liberal use of this last small item of licence: I recall the guy I used to work with who would come out with "Jeepers Cripe!" when he had steam to blow off. And who would get red in the face with embarrassment after he'd said it... What!!!)

This is 2009. Let's hear it from the exceptional unexceptionals! Let's hear some unvarnished words from the silent fifty-out-of-sixty who registered here.

[Desert Rat]

I guess I'm one of the silent majority. Last time I said something here a guy flipped out on me and both our posts were deleted. :eek: I didn't think I was being mean, but I guess what I said really pushed his buttons (I wonder why?). :confused:

anyway, there could be another reason for the small group here. I wonder if there's a lot of room for general forums as opposed to specific ones? The forums I visit and post in most often are bike specific. they're places to get information and share ideas about the particular bike I own and that doesn't leave a lot of extra time for more general discussion. I can't agree that the tone here is too intellectual or that the bar is too high, there just doesn't seem to be any focus. I also wonder if this place was really popular how manhy of the regulars would disappear? :rolleyes:

I'll keep visiting though, even if only to win that GP pool. A podium finish was nice, but I want the whole thing.

[Ancient Priest]

>I didn't think I was being mean, but I guess what I said really pushed his buttons (I wonder why?). <

That was just an odd-ball and completely unfortunate case of your being in the right place at the wrong time. The poster who you tangled asses with had had a particularly bad year: he witnessed one of his close buddies getting killed on the road, and his own physical and psychic state had gone a bit down the tube. But he is tough and he will recover. It says a lot for yourself that you will not harbour a grudge.

>I can't agree that the tone here is too intellectual or that the bar is too high, there just doesn't seem to be any focus. I also wonder if this place was really popular how manhy of the regulars would disappear?<

I didn't say intellectual. That is one snobby word. You're right that the focus is all over the place; I don't know what can be done about that. No, no, I doubt that too many long-time posters would go absent, although there are some former regulars who are just not here any more.

Your input is much valued. Which is a Yuppie way of saying thanks for dropping by. Now it's about that monicker of yours: you can't enjoy being called Rat...

[metalredneck]

I'm not so sure the quality of humanity is the issue, although I am flattered ( I think ). I'm afraid Canada is not that big a market, and the message board may be too generic. If it was "Cruiser Central" or "Wheelie Alley" you may have some differences in diction, but for now, may I say; "That which does not kill me, only makes me grumpier."

Now I must feed the offspring howling at the kitchen door. Good work, Peter.

[Malks]

Peter, I believe this topic has been discussed on at least one previous occasion. Each time we could not seem to come up with any specific reason for the lower number of posts; however, I think both Desert Rat and metalredneck might be on the right track with their assumptions that it could have something to do with the general nature of this Site.

However, you must also bear in mind that there are far fewer members on this Site. I checked the Members List and found that there are only 204 registered members here. Of those, only 11 members have posted more than 100 times, and an additional 8 have more than 50 posts. This certainly supports the comment by your friend Rod that most of the posting is done by a few members. He might also have a point that the quality of writing may be of a slightly higher standard; there are several here who have a strong command of the language and write very well.

The low number of members here actually surprised me because another site where I belong, (ST-Owners) has 9327 registered members. This would lend some validity to the belief that a motorcycle specific forum generates more of a base, with most of the posts dealing with issues specific to the brand. Then again most of the membership at ST-Owners is based in the States, so the smaller Canadian market might also be a factor.

Whatever the reasons, I like this site and the characters who inhabit the place and post here. For the most part, everyone is respectful of each other and there have been some good discussions on a variety of subjects.

[Ancient Priest]

were that high, Malks. (Two hunnert-odd registered here, and on some forums many thousands.)

If the topic has been hashed over before, then we get to know more little by little. This time, as you say, the Rat and the redneck have shone fresh light on it. Yourself, too. Everyone's contribution is important, according to me.

I will bare my soul on a point which I would normally keep to myself: activity on this forum is a bit more paramount for myself -apparently - than for the trickle of other contributors. That would account for the volume of my waffle here.

It splits two (maybe three) ways: 1) As a writer committed to the idea of steady improvement, on this forum I get exposure to a small but discriminating body of readers who, not always directly, give me steady feedback. Feedback which an editor wouldn't have the time or the motivation to give. It is high quality criticism; you can't buy it in a drugstore.

2) If everything else which is comprised of cellular tissue, nerves, bone, blood and balls inevitably goes downhill as the clock ticks, the mind is the one component whose functioning can made to improve. That's what I push for. Communicating here is one way to do it. The 'use it or lose it' principle applies just about everywhere.

2.5) What is this old bastard talking about??? A couple of generations ago (I recall hearing old guys say it) the widely-expessed complaint was that the world had nothing in it anymore that the old guy could relate to. Every damn thing was passing him by; he understood less and less of what was going on. Thus, apathy. Thus, mental decrepitude. Quickly followed by biological nothing. Nada. So was it, but that no longer applies.

If I write four or five hundred words a day to some savvy people from whom I am learning something back, then that is time well spent. Better spent than drinking coffee every day with the same bunch in the same place, clones of oneself, and telling the same lies as yesterday, forgetting that they did start out as lies and they still are, but polished nicely by now...

Thanks for listening. As you said, they are decent guys. They understand.

[sportbikecalgary]

I often wonder why I keep coming back to the Cycl---Passion Performance Website (with content by Cycle Canada) web forum. It's fairly obvious. It's quality over quantity. This forum is akin to wandering into the small bike shop and bumping into the same group of people around the parts counter.

The sales guys try to sell us on the latest greatest, but having been there and done most of it, the newest iteration of mechanical wonderfulness doesn't always inspire the way it should. Sure there's the ooohh's and aaaahh's of appreciation of the new stuff, but getting us to plunk down our hard earned cash is a tough sell. We're comfortable with what we have, we think know our bike limits and the bike is gentle in reminding us that those limits are self imposed. The sales guy is always rolling out new product and all of it impressive in its shiny newness. But being experienced, we know there's more to a motorcycle than more chrome and graphics. To most of us, a motorcycle doesn't show its true form until there's a patina of road-worthiness on its paint. New product doesn't evoke an enthusiastic cheer 'cause we're wondering how it'll hold up in the long run.

The owner is pacing the floor, wringing his hands wondering how to get more people into his shop. He's got the fancy banners and sales specials and what he believes is a better product than the guy down the street. But for some reason the numbers don't seem to reflect the amount of hard work put in by his employees. They could work 8 hour days or 14 hour days and for some reason things stay the same. However, he can't remember the last time he worked a 8 hour day... maybe it was when he was recovering from a test ride crash and wasn't able to check his e-mails from the hospital. The mandate is to be all things to all motorcyclists and that may be the reason for his slow growth. However, to specialize could spell a premature end as trends come and go and being all encompassing is better than burning bright for a few years and then sputtering to a unnoticed death.

The customer is the driving force. The owner recognizes the usual motley crew hanging around the parts counter, sucking back coffee and arguing over 3 year old articles in their favorite bike magazine. These guys are both friendly salespersons for the site and guard dogs watching over their domain so that the newcomers don't change the atmosphere too much. They'll welcome the new guy (or gal) if they show some backbone and stand up for their passion. It doesn't matter what you ride... rather that you ride and the act of riding is a passion within your lifestyle. They come across as an impenetrable wall in front of that part counter... one that newbie’s have to navigate through to get the needed part to fix a problem. However, if they ask nicely and show that they're not going to be an idiot, the gruff group backs away and lets business transact. There's much quaffing of coffee and harrumphing and bolstering about what's a better choice… but in the end the new customer leaves with part (information) in hand and a promise of returning someday. Hopefully the crowd around the counter didn't scare them off and they will return. But until there's a need, most will stay away.

So.. I identify myself as part of that motley crew. We seem to alternate between gathering and dispersing information... most of it true, most of it influenced by subjective participation over a long period of time. I do go to different websites for different things. I have a local board that I visit to check out local rides, speed trap locations, info on downtown parking spots, folks to meet for bike nights, etc. There's a Sport Touring site which fills my need for how to handle weather conditions in central Oklahoma or the best 20,000km+ tire to use or which roads are getting repaired and I have to avoid during my trips. ...and a brand specific site that I find boring in their discussion about what's latest greatest and how their brand is just so fantastic.

And then there's this place. You wander up to the parts counter and recognize the usual crowd making comments about the quality of the free coffee and the time it takes to get a side cover for a 1983 Honda CBX 550... or whether the new CBRYZKZ 1200 will appeal to the masses. It appeals to us, but we're mostly content with out current bike choice and although occasionally swayed into making a purchase, the owner knows he's never going to recoup the coffee costs by one of us buying a new bike.

So... I put it forward. Is it a bad thing that this site has such a low population? If it were busier, we ..errr.. experienced folks would probably drift away to some where a little quieter. I have little patience to sift through dozens of posts to find relevant information. When I returned from my xmas travelling, my local website had over 1500 posts that I had missed. There's no way I'm going to keep track of that sort of volume. I'd rather wander in here, see some familiar faces, put my own so-so bad coffee on the desk beside me and catch up on the relatively few posts that I missed. In the end, when I contribute by passing on some experience and knowledge, I know it's not lost on some newbie wondering just how far you can twist the throttle.

...and beside you guys put up with my long posts. :D

[RB1]

Very well done indeed. A thoughtful and well written contribution.
A pleasure to read.
The point that was so casually made on the phone to Peter has just been substantiated.

[Ancient Priest]

as long as we are talking about the quality of posts right now, I dedicate this thread to Neil in Calgary for the best thing I've ever seen him write.

CRITICISM: the thing is all of a piece - he doesn't wander off the point, and the 'guys at the parts counter' metaphor is kept going throughout the whole 800-or-so interesting words.

I wish I had written it.

[metalredneck]

The main issue is that the term "Cycle Canada" is just not going to appeal to non-Kanuckistanians. Most overseas folks don't think about us as anything but frozen wasteland, and our neighbours don't care. I also think the whole "Passion/Performance" moniker was ill-advised. Sounds like a faked orgasm. (Which I'm finding increasingly difficult.)


It's always entertaining, though.

[ScottB12]

While perhaps a copout, I think the simple answer may simply be competing priorities. I do agree that the level of discussion, knowledge, and writing skill are a deterrent (in a good way I believe) to mediocre posting. I often start to join in and then decide that my contribution is really just a "me too" comment so I do not bother. Or in some cases, I will read a post like the one above from Sport Bike Calgary and I realize that I cannot duplicate that in the few minutes I have available so I enjoy the read and move along.

My days, hours and minutes are filled with working the usual work week, juggling a family, attending to a not so gracefully aging father, maintaining a home, etc. It is difficult sometimes to steal the time required to catch up on posts and contribute in a meaningful way.

I would say that the efforts of few are appreciated by many here. While I mostly just lurk, I do appreciate and learn from what I see here. For that reason, I resolve to chip in a little more often, as long as you promise to overlook the occasional "me too" comment.

[Rain Rider 1]

every day.

If I have a comment to post I post it.

If there isn't anything of interest to me, I don't post.

My idea of a good forum is one that has information directly related to the subject at hand.

I belong to the V -Strom forum, "Stromtroopers".
If I want to buy a farkle for my Strom I can go to that site, search up the farkle and everything is there. Where to purchase, how to install, how well it works, etc.

I wouldn't even think to ask about a farkle for a Strom on this forum. Most of the people here don't even know what a Strom is let alone a farkle. lol

Several times I have posted information that I thought was of interest to the general forum populace only to find out that no one commented.

I'm not trying to insult anyone, but the people on this forum haven't really had much to say that interests me lately, so as I said, I don't post.

[KZDon]

I often wonder why I keep coming back to the Cycl---Passion Performance Website (with content by Cycle Canada) web forum. It's fairly obvious. It's quality over quantity. This forum is akin to wandering into the small bike shop and bumping into the same group of people around the parts counter.



I kind of think of it more like the doughnut shop as portrayed on Air Farce - "Know what I mean?" "Yup, yup" "Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah"

[Ancient Priest]

A "me too" comment is certainly as interesting to most others who read as a special point of advice about a farkle. When a "me too" comment is given a particular personal spin with some detail of the poster's life and situation, it is has the attraction of a short biography. Of someone, not famous, but a fellow-pilot on planet earth, and I want to know what HE thinks.

(What is a fucking farkle, anyway, and where does it belong? Is that, like, a diamond-studded valve cap? Does that make a bike run better, faster, longer?) There must be forums out there which are specific to farkles. I will ask the next Harley gorilla I meet at the Edmonton Show next week to explain farkles ... I will look at Stroms too with a view to recommending them to my buddy, S.Harper, for service in Afghanistan.

But very much more than a me too comment does, as Scott says, take time. Some of us have it; some others, regrettably, not. Some men of few words make those words count. The redneck cracks me up every time he posts; KZDon posts (briefly, and nowadays seldom: he's busy) and people pay attention; likewise the nut with the sidecar; other respected eminences too. People know the names of each others' wives and kids, and what the hell is wrong with that? Y'know, friends... Y'know, Hank's wife rides his Hayabusa - that's a woman I think he's lucky to be living with. Can she cook too?

I start to be persuaded by three or so opinions here that numbers don't matter much. Greater numbers might be the enemy of a fun forum. (If it ain't fun, why should it be allowed to live? And why are you guys feeding into? ) There's probably no truth or objective beauty or a heaven hereafter, so just relax and enjoy your life. But Motown music is audioshit and just HAS to go. Off the point? But, of course...

>My idea of a good forum is...<

But this ain't a good forum. That's what we're hassling about. I think. None of us is Superman. I think.

Shtormtroopers von ze werld, unite! First ve shtorm Manhattan, zen ve take New York...

[Swervin]

Not much for me too say.
I like this forum.
Although I probably post too many smart ass comments.:D

still trying to figure out to - too (working on that P.P., me dumb strong pig):D

[Swervin]

I kind of think of it more like the doughnut shop as portrayed on Air Farce - "Know what I mean?" "Yup, yup" "Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah"

Oh you had too bring up donuts, I love donuts:p

[sportbikecalgary]

the best thing I've ever seen him write.

Thanks guys, it's nice to see the effort rewarded with acknowledgment. :) I've done similar things on my local board and they're immediately nitpicking minutia and sidetracking the conversation. After a while you wonder why you put in the time.

I think one of the greater downfalls is the Passion Performance name. Crap... even when it was CycleCanada.NET it was similar to the magazine title with a .net instead of the usual .ca. or .com . For $35CAN a year I'd be putting a URL re-direct on the .net site over to this one. But, as you’ve tolerated before, I’ve expressed my dislike of the naming convention, so I won't harp on it.

This place is a community of sorts. If you contribute to the conversation, you get listened to and if responses are warranted, you get them. Much like small town, it projects the illusion that everyone knows what going on with everyone else. If we had a larger user base, I believe the friendliness and familiarity would fade away. 'WE' have carved out a unique lil' spot on the net with this board. It's busy enough you have to check it daily. The stuff you do read is generally informative and there's very little crap one has to deal with. As far as web-boards go it's a comfortable place to visit.

[Rain Rider 1]

If nothing more, this thread has me pecking at the keyboard a bit.

I too am a "fellow pilot here on earth" as Priest says.

Wiki defines farkling at the following site.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_farkle

Priest obviously hasn't ridden a DL1000 or he wouldn't have taken such a naive jab at it with the Harper/Afgan words.
Ignorant point not taken personal, but the Strom is a fantastic, capable all around machine. I have owned and ridden a lot of motorcycles over the years and the Strom is one of the most capable.

Oh by the way on a personal spin note, my hips are sore from my last heavy workout, my dad is going in to have his prostrate removed next week and my daughter is doing really well at college.

[Uwe W.]

Sounds like a faked orgasm. (Which I'm finding increasingly difficult.)

To perform, or endure?

[TimP]

Hmmm, I didn't see a personal jab in Mr. P.'s Harper/Afgan jest, but perhaps I've been reading his acerbic wit so long I can't tell when he's serious anymore. I think there's an opportunity here, though, to send Neil off to Afganistan with a KLR650 and a wee 'Strom and have him report back on their pro's and con's. It's certainly a comparo I haven't seen yet.

BTW, as I write this I'm online with a motley crew of 6, count 'em, 6 regulars including Ivor, Uwe, Malks, SBC, Rain Rider 1 and, rats.. he's buggered off before I could expose him. Anyway, the point is it's 2:30 in the BUSINESS DAY afternoon. My work is dead at the moment, so I fully, painfully understand my own presence here, but what are the rest of you doing? Ivor's retired, but the rest of you work. Could it be that the pull of this home-away-from-home is too great to resist?

[KZDon]

Hmmm, I didn't see a personal jab in Mr. P.'s Harper/Afgan jest, but perhaps I've been reading his acerbic wit so long I can't tell when he's serious anymore. I think there's an opportunity here, though, to send Neil off to Afganistan with a KLR650 and a wee 'Strom and have him report back on their pro's and con's. It's certainly a comparo I haven't seen yet.

BTW, as I write this I'm online with a motley crew of 6, count 'em, 6 regulars including Ivor, Uwe, Malks, SBC, Rain Rider 1 and, rats.. he's buggered off before I could expose him. Anyway, the point is it's 2:30 in the BUSINESS DAY afternoon. My work is dead at the moment, so I fully, painfully understand my own presence here, but what are the rest of you doing? Ivor's retired, but the rest of you work. Could it be that the pull of this home-away-from-home is too great to resist?

On paragraph 2: trying my best to avoid the piles on my desk

On paragaph 1: I can see it now..."the V-Strom is heavier in the sand and doesn't have the clearance of a KLR, but its fairing can take a 50mm round and keep on going. Where the KLR clearly shines is in its unwavering response to homemade roadside bombs."

Peter - a Harley pilot is unlikely to understand "farkle" and you might get a smack for saying it. Try an ST or FJ rider to start with, but 'Strom riders are probably some of the worst farkle offenders.

[Malks]

BTW, as I write this I'm online with a motley crew of 6, count 'em, 6 regulars including Ivor, Uwe, Malks, SBC, Rain Rider 1 and, rats.. he's buggered off before I could expose him. Anyway, the point is it's 2:30 in the BUSINESS DAY afternoon. My work is dead at the moment, so I fully, painfully understand my own presence here, but what are the rest of you doing? Ivor's retired, but the rest of you work. Could it be that the pull of this home-away-from-home is too great to resist?

My story, and I am sticking to it, is that I was online just after 2PM today while on lunch at the North York library with my laptop. You are right that this home-away-from-home is too difficult to resist so I have to sneak away to a place where I can check for recent posts because our pesky IT people have blocked access from our work computers....bastards!

[Ancient Priest]

I looked at Wikipedia, as I was told to, and suddenly my education was made complete. The origin of farkle is, I learn:

F ancy
A ccessory
R eally
K ool &
L ikely
E xpensive

Well, dood, ossum! This is a combination of ideas so profound and powerful that I predict it will change the future of motorcycling as we now know it.

I am studdered. I am gobstopped. I am hammered flat by consciousness-raising shafts of otherworld ectoplasm.

I am too kerfoffled to start investigating bling.

[ScottB12]

I looked at Wikipedia, as I was told to, and suddenly my education was made complete. The origin of farkle is, I learn:

F ancy
A ccessory
R eally
K ool &
L ikely
E xpensive

.

I thought Peter was kidding until I looked it up myself. Either I am getting old and have fallen out of touch with these wacky kids today or the word farkle is just not necessary. And considering Chomitz has a few years on me as far as I know, I'm opting for the latter.

I could forgive a teenager for inventing such a word but considering the reported origin of the word, I am assuming it was invented by a grown man.

Some words are better left unexplored. Among those that come to mind are bromance, Bertuzzi (now a verb or noun), and...farkle

[RB1]

Shtormtroopers von ze werld, unite! First ve shtorm Manhattan, zen ve take New York...

And now a Leonard Cohen reference too? OK.
I like the Jennifer Warnes version with the solo by Stevie Ray Vaughn the best.

I think the wee-Strom comment may have been a compliment.
Just sayin'.....

[KZDon]

Well, if we're going for obscure references (and I am impressed Peter came up with Lenny) then this came across my email yesterday. It has little to do with motorcycling, except the trumpet player looks suspiciously like Ewan MacGregor. And then the two dancers look rather like the girls from the B52s, and I always thought they'd do well on two wheels.

Now (still building up here, can you feel it?) I generally have a dislike for pop/rock songs held out to be anthems or otherwise the defining music of a genre, but this one, this version, disabuses itself of those possibilities. Really, what better than a Finnish pop/punk cover band teamed up with the choir of a defunct superpower performing an iconic southern US rock anthem?

http://www.tothepointnews.com/content/view/3114/85/

[Ancient Priest]

for a really big Lawrence Welk fan? Or, what, Guy Lombardo?

> I am impressed Peter came up with Lenny <

Hey, I was playing Lenny Cohen's Songs from a Room and Songs of Love and Hate to my Grade 11 English classes in the early 70s. Along with Joni Mitchell and Buffy Sainte-Marie. Under the justification of "these are the poets you are going to be hearing from in the 21st century".

The pretty-straight Vice Principal used to eye me darkly, and thought that I was the reason for all the bell-bottomed jeans being worn to school. (Which was one of the stupid time-wasting issues of the day. That and long hair.)

Then Lenny got political and went into a Buddhist monastery; the Beatles split up, John Lennon got shot, and I got my hair cut.

I never inhaled, though.

Far-out, Man...

[metalredneck]

Uwe; it's getting harder to endure. As I age it gets easier ( and more necessary ) to perform. I get here as I can, but life is just a bit too chaotic to be too verbose. That coupled with years of songwriting tend to make me distill words a bit too much. Plus I type as fast as the fourth child of married cousins.

Always entertaining here, though. I do seem to show up here while *ahem* working. God, I wish I was still a mechanic.
:(

[Rain Rider 1]

F ancy
A ccessory
R eally
K ool &
L ikely
E xpensive

This term is not new.
Its been used for years.
The definition above is perfect.

The following is a list of "farkles" on my V Strom.
Some fancy, some really cool and most certainly are expensive.
Most motorcycles are farkled up in one way or another.

Every one of these items are considered as farkles.
Givi hard luggage ( all keyed alike )
Front fender extender
Tank cover
Crash guards
Heated grips
Garmin Zumo GPS and custom mount
Sargeant seat
Leo Vince slip on mufflers
Joe rocket tank bag
Gorilla alarm system
Pyramid rear hugger
Race tech fork springs
1" lowering kit ( front forks dropped 1" )
Centre stand

Oh and blue anodized tire valve caps. lol

Good examples of extreme farkles are a sidecar rig or a bike outfitted specifically for the race track.

[TimP]

In order for RR1's list to be complete, I suggest we all chip in and buy him a pair of those Leningrad Cowboy boots. That would be truly farkleicious.

He can do his own hair.

[Ancient Priest]

words a bit too much<

And you do that very well. It's a trick that I have yet to learn... Good on ya, MRN.

But, Jaysus, Jaysus, Jaysus, I live in a different world from Chomitz. And I might be a fundamentalist, back at the 'two wheels and a suitable motor' stage of approach. But what does all that fuckin' glitz COST? Several million dollars? And when (and who) does it pay back?

'Must be a bit like having that weight hoisted high overhead after a gut-busting lift. Like my buddy, Geoff Chaucer, said, "So sharp the conquering".

Good on ya, too, Chomitz. I will defend your right to pile on the farkle. (What is the verb for farkle? Wiki never told me.)

[KZDon]

to farkle - farkling - farkled - I did farkle - I would like to farkle - voulez vous farkle avec moi?

[metalredneck]

'Scuse me, I just farkled.

[Ancient Priest]

On which stinky note, it might be a good idea to vacate the premises. The redneck brews some weird concoctions and the onion wine in particular should be drunk young.

What a nice big response to this thread! I, and maybe others, learned significant stuff from the collective thought which went into it. Sportbike's big contribution establishes him as a communicator to take note of in the future. Thanks for the grammar lesson, Don. The rain rider came down from Mount Olympus and actually wrote about some ideas. (Does that hurt worse than the sore hips, Steve?) Many other cogent postings made up the whole thirty-odd.

Ivor, John, the Rockingcouple and some usually attention-getting regulars were seriously missed, but there are only just so many peanuts in a bag.

And, gents, the winter is halfway over. Today marks the ides of the miserable month which the calendar could do without. Another month or two and, hey, you'll be checking your tire pressures again.

It's a great life if you don't weaken...

[John]

I was missed??? The hell, you say...

Me.

[Ivor biggin]

I am too kerfoffled to start investigating bling.

Bling and Farkle are the same thing you might say but if you did say that, my friend, you would be wrong. And don`t bother to Google Bling to find its meaning but rather ask any lady of your acquaintance. She will smile sweetly and show you the trinket hanging from her swan like neck or gems sitting on her elegant fingers.
Bling is where it`s at and the more expensive and more useless that it is the better. Give me rearsets and a full titanium exhaust system before handlebar risers and a Corbin seat with the little his and her backrests any day.
So there you have it, if Farkle is from Mars and Bling is from Venus, what colour is the sky where you live.
I.B.