RangerSix

Heres a samurai commanders baton (Sai-hai). Looks like a flywhisk, and I bet on many occasions it was used just for that. Its major function was to direct actions on the battlefield. This piece was made sometime around 1750. The previous picture above shows the sai-hai in use.

This next Hikone gusoku is a recent addition. This was made sometime in the Momoyama period around 1580/90. The armor comes from a samurai of the Ii clan. Its leader was a daimyo named Ii Naomasa. He stipulated that samurai in his clan standardize their armor. He dictated that the armor be lacquered red with large horns (maedate) adorning the helmet. This group was known for their ferocity in battle. As such, they were named Ii no Akaoni (Red Devils of the Ii Clan). This group of 3600 men drew first blood at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 (considered the Waterloo of Japan) slamming into Ukita Hideies clan of 17,000. By the end of this massive battle 60,000 heads would be taken as trophies. On the armor, you may notice part of the mid-section lacing has deteriorated. It may have been a result of poor storage. However, there may have been a more grisly reason. The lace remnants show light red discoloration. In battle, the beaten enemies head would be severed and carried. That spot where the lacing is coming apart is about the location where it would have been secured for transport. However, its just a theory. One day I will probably take a portion of the lace to a lab for further testing. Heres the actual armor worn by Ii Naomasa at Sekigahara (just showing it for comparison). Artist representation of Ii Naomasas actions at Sekigahara. Overall, the armor is in excellent condition. I feel fortunate to have such an important piece of history.

This next picture I posted on another thread several months ago. This was my first authentic samurai gusoku (armor) that I bought. This piece was probably made sometime around the late 1500s and early 1600s. I still need to do more research on this particular piece. Very nice to look at in person.

Well, its time to say goodbye for a while. I havent been on here long enough for most of yall to care, but I thought I say it anyway. Next week, Im heading to Korea for my next assignment. Though its only a one-year hardship assignment, Infantry Branch wants me to stay for two. I will probably take them up on their offer since it means being close to Japan and Hawaii (and I'm not even Japanese or Asian ... go figure eh). Since I have never shown you guys my humble theater, amongst other things, Ive decided to do it now. It gets packed up in a few days and I wont see it for two years (hardship tour). So I thought I might share some of my passions with folks whose company Ive grown to enjoy even those of the liberal persuasion. The first picture should be rather self-explanatory this is my home theater. For almost two years, this HT has served me well. Ive decided to give this entire system as a gift to my parents. Its my small way of saying thanks for being great parents. I couldnt have asked for a better childhood. All the other pictures are from my hobby, collecting Japanese antiques. Sadly, audio will never be a major interest. The hearing in my right ear was virtually destroyed from service in the Persian Gulf in 91. Thats all Ill say about that.

---------------- On 5/18/2003 10:34:08 PM TheEAR wrote: "Ear - You must be single." LOL yes for now,I must have my dream system before I find MissEAR. ---------------- The eternal bachelor

---------------- On 5/18/2003 7:22:27 PM jt1stcav wrote: I really am in deep doo-doo! ---------------- I don't think you are in deep doo-doo. As others have mentioned, it's human nature to constantly desire something new. There's nothing wrong with it, just keep it in perspective. I know this is going to sound rather Zen-like, but to achieve nirvana is to be at peace with onesself. How do achieve it? Well, for starters, be happy your alive. Did anyone see that young lady on TV recently, I think she was 14, with a terminal disease who has made the courageous decision to face the reality of her impending mortality? She has decided to live each day, of what remains of her life, to it's fullest. Wow, what strength. It really put things in perspective for me. Will I stop desiring additional things? Absolutely not, but rather in the mean time, while I'm waiting for that mansion on Maui, I'll just be thankfull for what I DO have. Anyway, just my two cents BTW ... I'm very happy with my audio system. Aloha

I second the Mits. From my perspective, they seem to be the most flexible when it comes to user adjustments and fine tuning. Out of the box, the picture is average (most RPTVs are), but with a little patience and tweaking you have a picture that will knock your socks off.

---------------- On 5/9/2003 7:37:13 AM KAiN64 wrote: Why is that everytime I post something, it is being related to my "post counter?" Well, obviously, I come here to post, and it just happens to be that my post counter increases as I post. My fault? No. ---------------- My apologies. It finally came to me. You're a code-writer for sleeper cells aren't you Kain? OBL would not be happy if he knew you had been kicked off *cough* THE FORUM *cough*. No wonder you were begging to the moderator to let you back on. Better hurry up, just 500 posts left to go.

---------------- On 5/9/2003 1:24:08 AM KAiN64 wrote: ---------------- On 5/8/2003 6:04:23 PM marksdad wrote: c'mon kain, we all know you are going for posts, cant they at least be intelligent? ---------------- What's wrong with this question? ---------------- Under normal circumstances this question would not have raised any eyebrows, but in its totality, your shotgun approach to stacking up post counts in such a short time becomes obvious to most. One day you will grow to realize that the mark of a man's character is not in how many posts he can accumulate, but rather in the content of what he (or she) writes.

This thread is pferd-schisse.

I am a true blue dog lover, but I must say that the cat pictures that everyone posted are fantastic. Its obvious that you guys adore your cats. Pets can be such a great stress relief. I have to admit though, that those vertical snake eyes and blank cat stares would make me feel a bit uncomfortable. Do you guys ever hear devil Latin music (Omenesque) when they look at you? You guys should record their purrs and meows, and then play it backwards. "woem woem I am Zod, kneel before me humans meow weom."

I am anxiously waiting to see additional comments related to the 2900. It wasnt a year ago that I purchased the Denon 1600. Its been a top performer for me and Im reluctant to make a change until I hear more input on this new comer on the block. I really like the integration of SACD and DVD Audio. It was just a matter of time before more players would start doing this. My only concern is the analog connections. I have a Sony SACD sitting idle because of a lack of cable connections on my receiver (4802). Plus analog cables bypasses many of the features found on the receiver, the most notable being bass management. I certainly hope that the RIAA can one day get past their paranoia of using digital towards their newer formats.

I totally agree with the Klipsch moderator on this. I don't understand this desire for exclusivity. We all should be happy that Klipsch is expanding it base to a higher share of the market. I hope I don't ruffle too many feathers, but I smell the slight stench of snobbery here. I also sense some self-esteem issues. Did we buy Klipsch for its performance or for its exclusive factor? However, I will say, that Klipsch has a long way to go toward expanding it's higher end line to a greater segment of the population. I would have a better chance at finding the extinct Dodo bird before I would actually see one of these Heritage or heaven forbid, the legendary Klipschorns that I read so much about. I for one would totally support the Reference line being sold in Sears, Best Buy, or Circuit City.

I recommend the Sony HS-10. I believe it's in the $2-3k zone. It's currently assessed as one of the best projectors in it's price class. Definitely worth considering.

---------------- On 4/26/2003 12:27:13 AM skonopa wrote: Right along those lines, check out this article. It basically says that the judge does not require proof as to which of the two snipers fired the shot that killed a person. If there is somebody that deserves what EARs describes above, it is those two bastards - the Washington D.C. snipers. They were killing for the pure pleasure of it, and they were killing people that were doing the most innocent and mundane of things like mowing a lawn, pumping gas, putting groceries in a car, etc. Having one of those shootings occur less than 1/2 mile from my place was very disconcerting to say the least. I was about ready to leave the area while this was all going on. I was beyond scared, I was terrified - I did not even want to stop to put gas in my car. I ended going to some gas station way out in the boonies away from I-95 and the other major roads to get gas. This was one of those cases where I was glad I was working at a secured government military base - at least at work I felt safe. It is sad to hear somebody was out popping cats at random. Just as mentioned before, how do you know it may be dogs next time, than perhaps, other humans. Well, ultimatly, they will have to answer to God, one way or another. ---------------- Skonopa, I can relate to everything you said. That incident became very personal for my mom and dad also. My folks live down Route 2 (Washington/Rochambeau route) about six miles south of Fredericksburg. About an hour after the Ashland killing (I think it was Ashland) the snipers traveled down this road. My mom was cutting grass at the time. She was near the mailbox (near the road) when a rather old blue car slowed down to a snails pace NOT 7 FEET FROM HER! Call it intuition, but my mom felt the car was creepy and moved quickly back to the house to tell my dad. He in turn called the sniper hotline and then irrationally got angry with her for cutting grass that didnt need cutting. At the time, the description of a black man driving an older blue car did not fit the profile of a white van and so I assumed my mom was being hypersensitive to the whole situation. She was convinced that was the bad guys I was less than convinced. About three weeks after the snipers were caught, the local sheriff dept came by to get additional information and to tell her that the car she saw was in fact the sniper. It makes me sick to think about it. I will never second-guess my mom again.

---------------- On 4/24/2003 11:21:00 AM rf3iicrazy wrote: Rangersix, Did you see that guys other auction items. We should all start emailing him with "serious" questions, about his auctions, and see what type of responses he gives. I think it would be a great laugh. Tom ---------------- rf3iicrazy, Naw, I didn't see the other two auctions. I nearly fell out my seat when I did. So for $70,000 I can get a finger of yetti/bigfoot or for $100.000 I can get a hold of an authentic weeping statue. This evening I will think up some questions to ask him. What a turd.

My mom has a 19 year old Lhasa Apso that is still holding on. This dog has outlived three other dogs in the family, has been hit by a car on a busy highway, and had her long-hair tail caught in an old fashioned floor fan - OUCH! I knew her as pup when I was a freshman in college ... I'm now 37. She was never a friendly dog (snooty/aloof), but I will still miss her.

m00n, the auction looks legit. The real question is whether or not $60 uncleaned movie seat(s) (shipping included) is what you REALLY want. Overall, it seems like a pretty fair deal. Now, here's an auction you should avoid. No rating, no pictures, no description, hard to pronounce foreign country, yet totally unrealistic price tag. Very strange. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2171659243&category=36047

Clu, here's a few more FAQs ... How come my speakers suck now that I know it's being sold at Best Buy? What if I hooked up my RF7s to a computer amp? Why listening to a new set of speakers still in the box is not a good thing. Only one recommendation: Spel chekir

---------------- On 3/30/2003 2:42:14 PM prodj101 wrote: you guys are idiots. somehow kain is a terrorist just because he is able to see things from more than one perspective, and you can't? Personally, I feel it is "brave", what the terrorists did on 9/11. Now I am in no way commending them, and I think their cause is entirely wrong, and I hate them as much as any of you do for what they did, but how many people are willing to die just because an order came in? that is all kain was saying. he wasn't saying "great job terrorists, you're my hero's." you guys need to open your damn eyes and see grow a flucking brain. ---------------- Hmmmm ... "more than one perspective"? Somehow I doubt that. The only perspective he has shown on this forum is sympathetic leanings to Middle Eastern terrorists. Also, be carefull at who you call idiots, that's uncalled for here. "Personally, I feel it is "brave", what the terrorists did on 9/11."

And this one time at band camp ... Zzzzz

Nice HT, of course I am a bit bias, your set up looks identical to mine.

---------------- On 3/25/2003 11:28:35 AM sj993 wrote: While I agree with what BBB said just because you don't live in the U.S. doesn't mean you have no right to an opinion. That's a pretty ignorant thing to say despite Kain's comments of late (which I don't approve of) and just generally speaking. ---------------- sj993, it would have been cool to have received a Middle Eastern/Muslim perspective on current events, but Kain went beyond this by laughing at what he perceived as misfortunes to American soldiers. I don't expect him to support or agree with the war, but his insultiing behavior ON AN AMERICAN WEBSITE was in extremely poor taste.

---------------- On 3/25/2003 8:44:09 AM Frzninvt wrote: May the fleas from a 1000 camels infest his armpits. ---------------- LMAO!!! I agree, Kain needs to be banned.