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I have SkypeOut and it blows. Voice quality when calling regular phones is often very bad with a lot of echo. But here's the worst part - DTMF tones do not work. I have tried dozens of times. When I hit an automated attendant, I press the keys on my Skype keypad and it's like nothing happened. I complained to Skype and I got a answer that amounted to "sorry, that's the way it is". I really wanted Skype to work out but it doesn't do it for me. I'm going to try Vonage next.

johann, I'd take it if it had rim brake mounts. Can you confirm? I looked at the specs on your bike and it says dual mounts. http://www.mongoose.com/bikes/detail.php?id=299&brandLine=Pro_International&brandID=48

Thanks guys. The bike's not that old. It's a current Giant model and you can buy it with suspension fork or rigid. Same frame, same geometry. I chose rigid since he rides mostly pavement. I'll keep my eye out for a trade-in.

I know there are a lot of bike riders here so I thought I'd ask for some advice. My kid has a 17 inch Giant Boulder mtn ridgid frame bike and he's bugging me for new forks with shocks. Never mind that he rides 90% of the time on the street - he "needs" shocks. Knowing zero about mountain bikes, what should I look for in an inexpensive fork? How do I know it fits? What should I ask if I look for one on eBay? BTW, if it matters, the kid weighs 100 lbs.

I haven't read the book or watched the original series in years so I was a little foggy on the details of the plot. But I don't remember them rebuilding the earth or such a large role for the Vogons.

If you loved the book(s) or the original BBC radio or TV series, you'll probably hate the movie. I can't even put a finger on what's wrong. Maybe the absurdity just doesn't translate to modern movie making. Maybe 2 hours just isn't long enough to tell a decent amount of Douglas Adams's story. The actors were fine. I especially liked Mos Def as Ford Prefect. The movie started out okay with the demolition scenes (house and Earth) but then it got boring. I actually fell asleep for about a 15 minute stretch. It was THAT bad. On the other hand, I saw the new XXX movie and it was a barn-burner. That movie was like the anti-thesis of Hitchhiker's - bad acting and bad actors in a kick-ass action flick.

Is it just to protect the top sheet? If so, I've used cut up tire tubes. If you actually are looking for dampening, I think mirror is right, there is so much slop in a soft setup, you'll notice nothing from a simple sheet of rubber.

Okay, so where do I get one of these? And do they come in shorter lengths? I assume they are specific to goofy/regular stance since the rear shots are asymmetrical. Thanks, HK

I think I saw that kid at Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch.

I understand why you don't want to deal with 23 separate deals but I think trying to sell 23 boards in one lot is going to be a difficult task. Your market is limited. Why not split it up into 5 or 6 lots of $250 each? Split up the sizing so each lot has a variety of boards. If you do that, you'll have more interest (me, for instance).

Harold and Kumar is classic. The scene with the Princeton Korean club cracked me up. And if you liked Napoleon Dynamite or Sideways, rent American Splendor. Right now, I'm on a Jackie Chan kick (pun intended). I think I've seen 8 JC movies in the last month. So far, his best is Legend of Drunken Master followed by Rush Hour 2.

Arc: What are you asking for one of those boards? Henry

I try to do what I can to work the legs and keep the weight off. This means cycling and hockey mostly. I also have a CarveBoard and I ride it for fun once or twice a week. But, I wouldn't call it training other than the fact that it helps maintain the carving feel during the dry months. It's also good for working on the cross-throughs. The problem with it is that you can't carve as hard. I think it's more of a free-riding trainer and not so much for carving. With my beer consumption in the summer months, if I did nothing but CarveBoarding and no aerobic activities, I'd probably have to buy new pants each fall.

I have a pair of Burton Cartels which are very nice but IMO nothing beats the comfort of Flows. The pressure is evenly distributed across the whole front of the foot.

Theoretically, in Canada, you get the same health care whether you are a street sweeper or an NBA point guard. I kinda like that and prefer it to the U.S. system where the indigent suffer badly. Remember the hub-bub when Vince Carter allegedly jumped the queue for his MRI? But then it takes gov't commitment and funding to make it work. That's where things have fallen down in the last 10 years. I blame the feds. They wallow in their surplus while the health system rots. They better do something drastic to turn things around. This is OT but what the hell, it's OS (off-season).

Funny you should ask. My GP closed his doors a few months ago without telling his patients. I've been looking for a new one ever since. They all have the same answer - "sorry, we're not accepting new patients.". As for that thumb injury, my suggestion is a - gulp - emergency ward. I would go downtown early in the morning on a nice, sunny day. Bring a couple of magazines, a bag of chips and a coke. Settle in for a long wait. All you want to know is if the thing is broken or not. Another choice is to drive to Buffalo with your Amex card in hand.

Rob, see a doctor. You don't need a sports medicine specialist. My wife did the same thing a few years ago and gutted it out for a week thinking it was just a sprain. Finally she went the hospital and an x-ray showed it was broken. Those thumb injuries can really drag on if you don't look after it.

Neil: Who carries the mag in Canada?

If anyone makes it to exotic Toronto this summer, give me ring. I'll buy you an Ex and a Montreal smoked meat sandwich. Hey Kip, check out what they fed me in Chiang Mai.

A buddy of mine who is your size just bought a pair. He loves them. Compared to my Raichles, they are industrial strength. The plastic looks better, the buckles are definitely better and micro-adjustable, they come with extra sole pads and an extra tongue. They also have these ingenious levers for the buckles that helps you really crank them if you want. They are stiff but you'll probably want that with your size.

D-sub, I'm Korean. We were pretty relaxed. I think Kip was still in his Thailand businessman sartorial mode. Kip, you have a beautiful country there. I highly recommend it for a holiday. Great golf, great food, super-friendly people. And talk about low cost of living. Those beers cost $2.00 and that was in a hotel. Go outside and it's less than a buck a beer. We didn't do the windsurfing in Pattaya but we did see a Muay Thai fight. A whole bunch of them actually. Started out with 10 year old boys, a couple of women and then the big boys came out and kicked the crap out of each other. Note to self: Never pick a fight with a Thai.

I knew I forgot something.

Photo below of what I am sure was the first ever meeting of alpine snowboarders in Bangkok. That's me on the left and Kip on the right, enjoying a cold Singha during the BES banquet. Unfortunately, local snow conditions forced the cancellation of the rest of the programme. See you next year Kip!

Re: Osler. First of all, there was hardly anyone there so it was wide open for carving. The morning was hero snow. By 1PM, it started pounding snow. About half an inch would accumulate on your shoulders on the ride up the lift. I switched from the Coiler to a freeride board and it was a blast. There's enough snow at Osler to last another month. Pic of my new Coiler Racecarve 175, beside my Prior 4WD 174 for comparison:

Hey John, I got my new RaceCarve 175 last week. Took it out to MSLM on hard pack and had an amazing time. I was at Osler with it on Saturday. Didn't see you or Chris. Have a great time at Stowe.