Some good links:

* Awesome source of help on technique: http://www.leelikesbikes.com/

* Follow the "Skills Articles" link on this page for even more goodness: http://betterride.net/

Speed control on downhill: Learn to use your front brake. Every good biker uses it. Practice on some easy ground. Take your weight on your feet. Shift your butt backwards. Brace arms against the handlebar. Press the brake lever. Practice slowly on some easy and level ground at first. Amp up the difficulty as you get comfortable. After a while you'll become good enough to modulate braking pressure to compensate for bumps, rocks, and roots in the trail.

Skidding is considered bad form by some. It can lead to erosion and braking bumps.

Getting started on a hill can be difficult. Getting your weight distribution right is a big part of the solution. And for that...

...read up on the so-called Attack Position. For example:

http://www.leelikesbikes.com/attack-...ess-story.html

Don't just sit on the seat. (In fact, don't sit on the seat unless resting between attacks). Get into the attack position so you can shift weight around as needed to keep tires planted.

You mentioned derailleur hangers and sticks. Know that bent hangers are the #1 cause of bad shifting that I see. Don't lay your bike on the right-hand side. Get your hanger checked if shifting suddenly goes wonky, especially if it goes wonky after a stick gets jammed in there. Sticks are part of mountain-biking, so don't worry about them. Just know that hangers can get bent, and even a slight bend that you cannot see with your eye can be enough to throw off your shifting. Too many people waste time adjusting everything else when all that's really wrong is their hanger.

Enjoy the bike. My neighbors just bought two Fujis. I believe they also bought Tahoes. Nice-looking bikes.