RangerSix

<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Toji Temple<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Located in Kyoto, this temple is one of probably hundreds of temples that dot this old city. Originally created in 794, the temple over the next 1000 years have gradually developed to what it is today. The pagoda in the background after being destroyed several times to lightning was finally completed to its current state in 1644 by the third Tokugawa Shogun Iemitsu. What the picture doesnt portray well is the sheer size of this massive structure. Its a full five stories in height (187 feet), the largest pagoda in Japan.

Mount Fuji

Golden Pavilion<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Originally built in 1393 as a retirement home for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the pavilion was turned into a temple (Rokuon-ji) after the Shoguns death.

Hikone Caste<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> My personal favorite. While not as big as <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Himeji, it nonetheless is one of the few original castles that still remain in Japan. Completed in 1622, the castle majestically overlooks the city of Hikone. It is also the same castle where my red armor http://www.image-hosting.net/images/messageboard/retalt/Hikone4rx.jpg originates from.

Well, its my last day in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Japan. My last two weeks in this country have been nothing short of fascinating. What an amazing adventure. Anyway, for those that are interested, I left some snapshots of some of the places I went to. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them. Cheers. Note: To help viewing, I reduced the picture pixel size to make it manageable over the net (approx 110 150kb per pic). <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> --------------------------------- HimejiCastle In a nut shell: Earliest structure started off as a fort on or around 1333. Throughout the next 300 or so years, the castle went several metamorphoses until the final version was complete in 1609. The castle was fortunate not to have suffered the sad fate of many other castles throughout Japan. It is the quintessential example of Japanese castle architecture. I wont bore you anymore, see the picture.

---------------- On 4/2/2004 11:43:07 AM damonrpayne wrote: What did you say in Japanese there? ---------------- Neo san, denwa bokkusu wa doko des ka. Neo, where is the nearest telephone booth?

Neo san, denwa bokkusu wa doko des ka. I was at the Shinjuku Tower Records today and much to my pleasant surprise Matrix Revolutions is on sale. I wasn't expecting it till the 6th, but hey, who am I to complain. Most of the cover art is in Japanese, but that's okay, it's unique looking. Even got a Matrix mouse pad with the deal.

---------------- On 3/30/2004 1:25:56 PM picky-picky wrote: Since the early 1990s, my purchase of new CDs has plummeted. Why? That's simple! It has nothing to do with my lack of financial means to make the purchases, or because I became some sort of reclusive, MP3 downloading maniac. The reason is purely due to: THE CONTENT! Or, shall I say, "the lack there-of?" That lull in my buying in the late 1980s was because of the same reason. I simply did not want to buy what I did not wish to collect. Now, how hard of a concept is that for the record industry to grasp? Now that I have a home theater, I find my self more inclined to watch a concert video or music video or a movie, than to just sit and listen to a CD and watch a blank screen. What about the rest of you? Have you noticed this, too? I'm certain this will impact music CD sales as well. They'd better get busy and start suing more customers! SHEESH! -Picky ---------------- Excellent points. I too also feel its a combination of factors, specifically content and an apparent market shift in consumer entertainment options. In the early to mid-nineties, I too was a CD buying fool. I couldn't go to the store without coming out with at least a CD or two in my hand. Over time, my collection grew to over 500 CDs ... well, until a drug addict broke into my house and used most of my music to support his habit, but I digress. Even before consumer acceptance of the DVD, somewhere along the way I just stopped collecting. It was like I just ran out of steam. I wanted to buy, but there seemed to be nothing I was interested in. The music didn't inspire me anymore. Nowadays, I average about one CD every three months. Something else was beginning to take hold. The DVD. In 98, I got into the format strictly out of curiosity. It was a novelty to me more than anything else. I had no real intention to put away my VHS tapes just yet. However, with the DVD came something unexpected - the Home Theater with its 5.1 sound. Along with the HDTV, this relatively new concept to consumer entertainment shifted the market (I think) away from CDs to something much more ambitious - bringing the Cineplex home to your living room. Does that mean the DVD has replaced the CD (music)? No. There is something basic in our being that desires the magic of music. No movie can or will replace that. However, the recording industry has to come to grips with its traditional business model. It needs to do some serious self-reflection to the direction it's heading if it wants to remain competitive in the market. It needs to stop looking for scapegoats in sagging business projections and point the finger of blame where it belongs - at themselves. It needs to embrace new technology rather than fighting it every step of the way. It needs to embrace the consumer and not look at them as pirates and thieves. And finally, it needs to set aside the Britney's and all the other bubblegum and gangsta crap gracing store shelves and slowly regain its soul. Until then, you'll see me over in the DVD aisle.

---------------- On 3/17/2004 11:49:30 AM TBrennan wrote: George Bush isn't smart enough to be a Domer, he'd never have been admitted, luckily for him Yale has "legacy" admissions. I hate this thing where St. Patrick's Day is being turned into a general holiday, it's an Irish day and now it's being diluted. Now we have commercials for ignorant 20-something louts of the "Man Show" persausion touting the holiday. Disgusting. St. Patrick brought the light of the True Faith and Christ's Holy and Apostolic Church to Ireland. Now his day, which should include some contemplation of God and the meaning of Catholocism to Ireland, is being turned by Godless capitalists into an occasion to pitch their wares to mindless, drunken boors who vomit in gutters. Well what else is new, this is America afterall. // And gimme a little credit, I didn't attack The Domer himself. ---------------- Huh? Whatever. It was a light-hearted picture that I thought was appropriate for the occasion, not intended as some segue into politics or an opportunity for you to snipe at the "domer". Well, it doesn't matter; I'm heading to the field in a few minutes and as such will not respond to further enlightening "comments". Happy St. Patricks Day to all (what's left of it).

From the great gales of Ireland / Are the men that God made mad / For all their wars are merry / And all their songs are sad. - G.K. Chesterton Erin Go Braugh! Happy St. Pats Day!

---------------- On 3/15/2004 10:13:07 PM synthfreek wrote: I've been counting down the days 'til I buy my new Mac for my recording studio. // My computer will be a dual 2.0 ghz with 1gb ram 2 x 250 gb hard-drives. I can't wait to get started recording again. ---------------- I'm kinda in the same boat you are. While I am stuck here in Asia, I'm saving money to build a video/music/post production studio with the G5 as the centerpiece. Just a recommendation, but if you can wait a tad bit longer (any day now actually) the G5s will get a boost in their video card performance - from 128 to 256 ( ATI has announced a 256MB Special Edition of the Radeon 9800 Pro for the Mac) . Apple is making the minor changes to their flagship design to maintain pace with the latest PC creation - the Dual Opteron. Also, if you can find space to squeeze out another 200 dollars and get an additional gig of ram that would turn your killer configuration into an absolute monster. Good Luck! http://barefeats.com/g5op.html I like your choice in the MOTU 896HD 24/192 audio and midi interface. For my audio studio set-up I'm going with a Pro-Tools HD system (at least in my dreams that is). http://www.digidesign.com/products/hd/

---------------- On 3/15/2004 2:48:59 PM bhatti wrote: I didnt like the way they sounded in MY ROOM when I first listened to them ... ---------------- You need to take them out of the box first and not connect them to a cheap amp (one of your countryman had this same problem). ---------------- On 3/15/2004 2:48:59 PM bhatti wrote: ... and a loose control on part of Klipsch in monitoring the level of services being offered by their dealers. ---------------- Pokey: Mazel tov! As the newest member of the Klipsch Product Enforcement Team, you have been selected for a fun filled adventure to beautiful Pakistan. Your job will be to shut down all the evil grey markets? Gumby: "Oy! A sheynem dank" At the risk of appearing as the ugly American, but just how is Klipsch going to effectively monitor and enforce dealer practices in remote locations such as your country? There is only so much a company can realistically do. You're in Pakistan man! Not exactly an USA friendly environment. Klipsch is having a hard enough time containing the "grey markets" in their own back yard, much less halfway across the world. There are parts of your country that your own army won't venture into, so I wouldn't be so hard on Klipsch. Considering that the per capita rate for Pakistan is $2000 and the nearest Klipsch dealership is over a 1000 km away, I would think worrying about a warranty would be the least of your concerns. Oh well. You wouldn't be kAIn would you?

Robert E. Lee (10% of original size)

These next two pictures are works in progress. In my spare time I enjoy restoring old Civil War photographs back to their original state. It usually takes between 4 hours to two weeks to work on each photo, but the results IMHO can be quite stunning. Currently, Im trying my hand at photo colorization. So far, the results have been mixed. Here are two examples I am working on. Joshua Chamberlain. (10% of original size)

This next picture is the house where Thomas Stonewall Jackson died of his wounds suffered at Chancellorville.

Here is picture from Stonewall Jacksons defensive positions. Off in the distance, you can make out a pyramid. That marks the spot of the POP (point of penetration) of Meades 3rd Division against the rebel line.

Next photo is a shot looking up towards Maryes Heights from Sunken Road.

This second picture is the infamous location called Sunken Road manned by Cobb and Kershaws brigades. This spot is located directly below Maryes Heights.

Id figured that at this point Id throw my two cents in. My family is from Fredericksburg, so this battlefield has a special meaning for me. I love history, but in this instance I will not debate, but just show photos instead. This first picture is the same location of the picture TBrennan posted of the stone wall and ditch containing the dead confederate lying prostrate.

I don't ever recall having my tv come on, but my PocketPC turns itself on all the time. Very strange.

From one Fredericksburg native to another - best of luck to your mother and family. I just said a prayer for her. Now what ya waiting for? Warm up the Klipsch again!

While I have no particular interest for cats, nonetheless destroying an innocent kitten with a shotgun is nothing short of disgraceful. In Korea, unfortunately, many people here still practice the centuries old tradition of eating dog. As a US Army liaison with the ROK Army, my duties requires me to frequent ROK Army units. Along the way, I'll see many dog farms that raise the poor animals for one purpose - to sell the meat. While this practice is slowly dying out with the younger generation, there is still sufficient demand for it to keep the market alive. I read somewhere that about 3 million Koreans still eat dog on a regular basis. Since dog meat is more expensive than traditional meat, there will be people more than willing to continue the slaughter to meet the markets demand for it. There is nothing more heart-wrenching than to drive past these farms. They're in metal-mesh cages with no padding, very little protection from the elements, and are beaten alive to "tenderize" the meat before eventually killing it. Several months ago, in a market, I came across a man pulling a mid-sized dog on a leash. The dog, in seeming awareness of its impending doom, pulled and bit at the leash with all its might. For a short moment, the dog looked in our direction and barked at us as if to be calling out for help. Afterwards it turned around and continued to chew on the leash until they were out of sight. Very somber moment in my life. I'll never forget that look. I enjoy Korea very much, but tradition or not, this is one aspect of the country I will never understand or accept. Here is a net photo very similar to what I saw that day.

---------------- On 1/4/2004 11:18:32 PM tankhokie wrote: rangersix, ... although i don't remember why, they did say avoid chopper's at all costs....hmmm ---------------- I agree with you about the helicopters. My MECH INF Company (I was the CO XO at the time) was attached to 1-37 Armor during Desert Storm. In a fight with an Armored Brigade of the Tawalkana Division of the Iraqi Republican Guard, a section of Apaches was mistakenly flying in support of our brigade moving toward the objective. The birds were less than 200 meters directly in front of my track. I saw the Hellfires launch. Unbeknownst to us at the time, the AH-64s were out of sector and accidentally shot up four M1s moving into the helicopters kill zones. They then disappeared, never to be heard from again. To this day (at least that I am aware of) no one knows where those Apaches came from. The US losses that evening were officially attributed to enemy mines, RPG-7s and T-72 tank fire. Amazingly, no one died other a few cuts, bruises and broken rib. A very weird but fascinating night.

---------------- On 1/4/2004 10:47:02 AM fini wrote: Ranger, The ethics of bidding against someone else? Or the ethics of selling to the person who will pay the most? ---------------- Neither (edit: after reflection your first question would apply). Im referring to the ethics of last-second bidders. From where I stand, sniping violates the spirit of the auction versus the actual practicalities of it. The last-second bid geared to preventing counter-bids from other prospective auctioneers is, in my most humble of opinions, the proverbial cheap shot. Assuming of course that the last-second bidder did not bid previously and intentionally waited to the last possible moment. Likewise, there is also a large measure of responsibility on part of other prospective eBayers to bid appropriately to prevent losing the auction to a sniper. If an eBay protagonist fails to sufficiently buffer his or her bid amount then of course they have no grounds to whine about their loss. Some of you have referred to it as being sour grapes? Not to me and please in the future dont assume otherwise. Im simply creating discussion and offering a different point of view on the merits, or lack thereof, of sniping. My very first successful bid on ebay was the result of sniping. After that, I told myself I would never do it again. It didnt seem right. Again, its a judgment call that I made in MY conduct of bidding. That doesnt mean that I dont employ a certain amount of strategy in the bidding process. It simply means that I will not submit a bid within the last minute of bidding. I just sit back and gleefully watch the vermin come out of the woodwork to attempt to outbid me. In 8 out of 10 cases it works for me. For that other 20%, well I dont sulk about the loss. They simply surpassed my threshold point for what I was willing to pay. Thats cool in my book. It seems like folks are using military vignettes to justify their position on sniping. However, the examples given are not necessarily applicable to the topic under discussion. I understand the idea of implementing superior tactics on the field of battle should circumstances presents itself, but in this case I dont feel sniping is superior in its application. Its a technique for sure, but not superior. However, I do feel its use is cowardly and violates the spirit of the auction. Ebay should change its bidding procedures. "Changing times, changing paradigms"? Just because one can do it, does not make it right. Here is my vignette: A thief (well call him Kain) breaks into your home severely harming your wife, and steals a valuable collection worth a considerable amount of money. On the criminals departure from your house Kain is attacked by your loyal 200 lbs Bull Mastiff, suffers deep lacerations, trauma to the face and breaks a leg in the struggle. Because of the injuries, the police quickly catch the thief. However, the police innocently violate several minor procedural issues in Kains apprehension and booking which creates a legal technicality for the criminals eventual release. In turn, the lawyer for the wounded Kain then sues the victims of his crime for injuries incurred on their property. Ultimately, the victims lose their case, are mandated by the judge to have their dog put to sleep, and is forced to sell their house in order to cover legal fees and damages awarded to Kain. The thief then buys the victims house with the money awarded him from the lawsuit. Now this Shakespearean example would only take place in California, but it illustrates my point. Did the criminals release violate the spirit of administering justice to the guilty? Yes. Was it within the legal parameters of Kains lawyers to defend their client? In some states the answer is probably yes, but was it ethically justified? As I said in the beginning, just because you can do it, doesnt make it right.

---------------- On 1/3/2004 11:11:24 AM tankhokie wrote: i guess the u.s. armed forces are scum too, as i remember, i outranged most enemy tanks on the battlefield, used better intel, had better sights, and used this shock and firepower to kill/win at the precise time. although i guess i could have been fair by shooting a round downrange at my max effective distance before the enemy got to that point (to let them know my max capabilities/position) and then sit back till everything was fair then fought it out--but i was more interested in using all available resourses to my advantage and winning. ---------------- Tankhokie, Im part of the same military fraternity (though why anyone would want to be in an M1 is beyond me?? ). While I understand your analogys intent, I dont think it applies to auction sniping, unless of course, you are comparing the tactics of Al Queda then I would wholeheartedly agree. Sheeesh, I knew I should have had my flak vest on. That's cool, my last post did seem somewhat vitriolic to snipers. My apologies. Everyone has made valid points to sniping. To attempt to counter your arguments would be foolhardy. I guess it's the ethics of it all that gets me. Cheers,