I don't normally post birthdays on our N&U.  I mean, I did it for NIRc_uLtRa_MaX because he was being a pain lol, but by and large that sort of thing is reserved for our forum.  

Well, I thought it would be "proper" to announce the birthday of an individual who is without a doubt one of our most valuable players...if not "the" most, and I sincerely mean that.  Mind you, I'm not referring to his finesse on the tracks or his cunning, ninja-like rumbling maneuvers; he doesn't know anything about that stuff lol.  He loses races against parked cars some days, and he's definitely not the most macho guy on the cube, either.  The girls on the team take great pleasure in abusing him during our rumbling sessions, and then afterwards, calling him names and taking his lunch money.  Sure, it's embarrassing for us guys, but what you need to understand is that he more than makes up for it in his sense of "team".  When I said he's quite possibly the most valuable player on the team, I'm talking in terms of who he is as an individual and what he brings to SLO.  He's without a doubt our "glue", if you will - the one that keeps us all grounded and in check when we start to unravel or become focused on things that detract from what we're supposed to be about.  All of that and more, along with a host of intangibles that transcend any words I could type in this post.  He's one heck of a guy, and we are extremely proud to have him with us!!

Happy Birthday, PaPa!!!!

You're the absolute best, bud.  One thing's for sure, this team wouldn't be what it is today without ya!  So...think of something nice you'd like to have, then send me the money so I can purchase it.  Oh, and don't forget to throw in an extra $10 or so for shipping lol.  From all of us on SLO...have a great day, PaPa!! 

No earth shattering news - just a few more updates on two of our garage sets pages (Adoob & STL specifically).  We're continually looking to improve upon what we have, so if you have suggestions or if you see something that's just plain out of whack...click on the "COPE" link in the title and let us know the deal. 

Finally, if you're not certain if your track list is up-to-date, on each track list page where the individual tracks zips are displayed, the newly added tracks are denoted with a yellow dot (example).  If you're missing one or more...or all (lol) of those tracks, then simply download the ones you need individually, put them in your MTM folder, then re-download the appropriate .ini.  It's pretty much a no-brainer.

Incidentally, World's OGX MX has been added to the Short Track List lol.  See, now you can put that great info in the second paragraph to use!

There's been talk in Congress about a "RepFan" holiday (probably on a Saturday lol, but still...).  Lincoln, Nebraska is mulling over erecting a statue in his honor.  John Grisham is trying to set up an interview with the guy about a book deal, and it wouldn't surprise me at all to hear Steven Spielberg's name in the mix at some point.  Oh yeah, this cat is hot; quite possibly the most sought after MTMer since...since...well, ever!  And you know, with all the success and popularity he's enjoying, he took time out of his schedule to make a truck for SLO_TNT - my son.  

I don't know how he (my son) came up with the name "TNT", and consequently "Bomber" for a truck name, but RF hooked him up (and good), as you can see here.  TNT has been runnin' with us lately, so I went ahead and merged his truck in with the other team trucks and put it on our SLO_RIDERS page.  

RF I can't thank you enough, man.  You've always come through for us, and this time it was a personal favor, which I appreciate more than you know.  Thanks again, bud!!!

Oh yeah, we're cookin' again as far as updates go, and this one's short and to the point.  Here goes:

We've made some minor corrections to the J-C and APL garage settings pages, so if you've d/led them, you might want to do it again so you're up-to-date.

Finally, SLO_Gutterboy is heading up a new track list - one that'll feature all the race tracks on our SLO Tracks page.  There's no time line for when it'll be done, but knowing him I wouldn't be surprised if my son (now 10) is grown, married, with a kid on the way before he finishes it lol.  Seriously speaking, expect to see it sometime around the latter part of August.  That should put some pressure on him lol. 

If you're not a regular at Mal's and Phin's cownap.com (MTMG), then you may not be aware of Meth's new MTM 2 screen capture program (destined for our Utilities page, no doubt) or the new feature whereby you can download all the tracks & trucks at MTMG via anonymous ftp.  Those are the the  short versions of a just a few highlights.  Be sure to pop in over there from time to time to see what the latest is.  I guarantee you'll find something you want or need!

NOTE:  With regard to the anonymous ftp, just to stress what's already been stated, please do not abuse the privilege being afforded to the MTM 2 community.  It's a heck of a nice perk to have available, so please adhere to the guidelines outlined for this feature, which are:

    1. For cable users - no download managers. 

    2. D/l one (1) file at at a time.

    3. D/l Tracks.iso or the individual track sets; not both.

Easy huh?  Yeah, I thought so.  Oh, and be sure to take note of the jar by the door as you leave.  Donations are always welcome.  Make checks/money orders payable to:  Larry Copeland lol. 

Well, there have been some very good tracks produced during my self-imposed hiatus (of sorts), and I would be remiss in my duties as a SLOster if I didn't tell ya about 'em.  Here we go:  NIR_Ashes' "ZN Creek", "Iced Earth", and "Hidden Air Base" which is still relatively new.  Nd4sdCharles' "Estes Park Rally", Tyler Wysocki's "Green Hills", RT_DJ_MP's "Nostalgia?",...and last but certainly not least, one by our very own SLO_HotShoe!

Shoe's "Muddd Slide", like "JDAK's Jaunt" serves as a tribute to his long-time friend, SLO_Muddd (checkout the happy-go-lucky expression lol).  Both hail from Albany, Oregon, oh and hey - here's a picture of the two of them several years ago.  Word has it that shot was taken right after they tested a new hole Muddd had dug up in his backyard.  From the looks of that photo it must've been one hell of a good mud hole.  Yeah, no one knows as much about dirt, grime and general filth as our Muddd lol. 

As for the track, it's a typical HotShoe product equipped with a very unique...twist.  I'm not going to give it away here; you'll simply have to see it for yourself.  I will say that it's nothing short of excellent, and we've already added it to our Short Track List.  NOTE: If you already have this list, checkout the "Short Track List Update" post, Jun 27, 04 on our N&U Archive page.  Outstanding job, Shoe - this one's a winner!.