Million Star

I hate ipods. Seriously why do you need 1000s of songs in poor quality on you at all times? Didn`t anyone ever tell you that it should be about quality not quantity? And those that like to shuffle their entire collection, ever heard of a producer? they`re people who spend a lot of time and effort to put an album together in the way they and the artist think it should be heard. To me, thats as important as the individual songs. There is no better sonic experience than a well produced and mastered CD, much better than scratchy LPs and can be just as `warm` if well produced imo. and they are portable. When I go out I pack a discman and 3-4 albums, why would I need anymore? I do like making themed mixes so I have a Sony Hi MD walkman for that that packs an excellent DA converter. People have lost the ability to fully appreciate pieces of art and culture by having instant access to too much. Also buying CDs makes you a better curator, critic and editor than you ever will be if you download everything for free. I actually hated music for a year after I jumped on the bandwagon and got an ipod. even in high bitrates the ipod hardware was so sonically retarded and when I went back to my old `90s Sony discman I loved music again. Also, having a collection of CDs on my shelf makes me happy.

This rant also fits into a general issue I have with everyone assuming that new is always better. Its often worse, take first edition PS3s and a lot of first edition technology, always better built and with more features, as the price drops the quality also usually drops.

I was enjoying the conversation that was locked here in the FNGs thoughts on Macross thread.

If anyone wants to continue that discussion or start a new one on the military world then perhaps it could be done here?

You might also look at US performance in Fallujah, losing 95 men but pacifying 1000s of heavily armed insurgents including many Chechens who actually fought the Russians in Grozny. Two militaries, same enemy, one clearly came out better after the fight. Actually pound for pound, based on all the evidence I would easily rate the average US soldier over the average Russian soldier any day.

This:

is greater than:

Seriously, I know which troops I`d rather face in battle.

Interesting post Noyhauser, I`m coming from a laymans POV so I am generalising. However I would also like to give the example of Russian troops performing poorly and without precision in Grozny, Chechnya. Again these were mostly conscripts but they were all but wiped out on their first advance into the city. The famed Spetznaz also got into some very bloody fights in Grozny and performed very non surgically. Compare this to the Americans fighting a whole city in Mogidishu and only losing 19, but killing over 1000-3000 armed militia.

And yeah Grenada and Panama were minor and but pay testament to US precision and swift victory ability.

The Gulf War is a case of overwhelming firepower (something like 100 pieces of artillery per 10 miles of enemy frontline I read somewhere.) in a place where there isnt many places to hide making it very easy for the infantry.

Red from That `70s Show..when he wore `80s suits and maimed police officers..it takes a special kind of bad guy to murder members of your own gang just to help get away, and do it so sadistically too, `can you fly, Bobby?` hahahahhaha

Wow.

Just wow. That's a repugnant statement. Do you have IQ tests to back that statement up?

(Just so you're aware of where I'm coming from: when I read trooper, I understand "ground infantry".) I have seen (own eyes, news, the patronizing messages that AFKN broadcast to their own personnel), things that have highlighted the lack of intelligence amongst US troopers.

So, it begs the question that if those bad apples are painting the US troopers badly, couldn't the same be true of the Soviet Counterparts? And that the relative intelligence and wisdom of either side's troopers are relatively the same?

Considering during the `80s most Soviet troops were conscripts and all US troops were volounteers I don`t find this surprising at all. The Soviets had a war to fight in Afghanistan and would have been less picky about intelligence, the US however had the luxury of peace and the ability to pick and choose their personell to a higher degree. You could also argue that freedom and capitalism moulds individuals to be more free thinking and have more initiative and free thought than a communist who is taught to be a cog in a wheel. This also may have accounted for more intelligent US troops.

You can also look at US performance in Grenada and Panama and see the level of tech and precision employed was already miles ahead of the Soviets fighting during the same era in the `Stan. It takes more intelligence and training to operate the more advanced equipment that the US had.

I mean you can see that communist tactics have never been brilliant in any conflict, peferring brute force and mass sacrafice for the greater good than well thought out tactics that save lives. You might say that individual human life is more valuable in a society like the US as well, so they fight `smarter`.

Do You Remember Mechtech?

yeah, the `80s Bandai/takatoku boxart is a major part of the appeal of those toys for me.

Oh yeah, we have things soooooooooooo good here in Australia. (sarcasm)

On my way to work on the bus every morning I check out the huge crowd gathering outside the methodone clinic at St. Marys. Then, on my way home from work every day I check out the junkies and pregnant teenage mothers with cigarette's hanging out of their mouths at Mt Druitt station.

Talk about living in glass houses.

Anybody else wanting to talk politics should PM me or each other, before a mod waves the banhammer here. Million Star, you especially should talk to me.

Taksraven

There will always be junkies, especially in a liberal society like Australia that encourages personal irresponsibility and reliance on the State.

The US has around 10% unemployment across the country while in my area of Australia its less than 4% (National average is about 4.5% last I heard), new mega malls are opening, everyone has huge houses (recently overtook America as the largest houses in the world), its boomtime in Australia, didnt you hear?

I think Glen Beck has some good points. You might want to pay attention Americans, your country isn't going so great right now.

Is this related to a comic called Cadillacs and Dinosaurs that was around in the `90s

Or, the cut price in the long run is already factored in by Yamato and the retailers, they make enough money from the first adopters in the beginning to cover losses later when the toy is discounted to clear remaining stock. I know most retailers do this, place a huge markup on products at first and then have 50% off! sales wheras it is really only 50% off an already over inflated price.

Yeah I think people get a kick out of knowing all those hollywood people buy it in disaster movies.

This looks REALLY good, the kind of movie I would want to make if I was a producer.

Sketchley, I'm not misunderstanding. I know Japan Post was privatised in 2007, I was living there then. It is my opinion that Japan Posts refusal to process to US security standards isnt a profit issue, it's a teeth sucking "muzukashiiiiii" issue. Every other major country's postal service is private and still ships to the US. I know you're just trying to "out Japan" everyone else on the board but I'm sorry you are wrong about profitability imo. Remember also that Japanese private companies often operate in a socialist manner with no firings and charity hirings (see old men directing traffic in supermarket carparks or waving a paddle next to a fenced off construction site, completely inefficient but contribites to the "wa" or harmony. Upgrading US airmail procedures would be unharmonious.

Yeah, that kinda sucks. Does anyone know what the point of this law is?

I think you and many here are misunderstanding the situation, this isn`t a law, its a regulation imposed by Japan Post to stop them having to deal with the security standards the US is imposing in its ports. To comply then Japan Post would have to change a lot of its procedures. In Japanese culture if something is difficult to deal with then it is often not dealt with at all and the status quo is preferred, so a ban on these packages rather than extra security measures is the easy way out. Every other country`s postal service seems to able to deal with US restrictions when sending packages so don`t blame the United States, blame Japan Post.

Doesn't effect me. Live here.

Witnessed the most amazingly fast service here yesterday: wife ordered a new vacuum cleaner from an online vender two days ago between 22:00 and 23:00. Arrived yesterday between 15:00-17:00. That's a 17 hour delivery time :!:

How is this relevant or helpful to this thread? Are you trying to show off?

I know a lot of people that will be affected by this, there is a whole industry of proxy shoppers in Japan who buy everything from vintage toys to high end clothing and ship them to US and worldwide for a 10% premium. I know a lot of people that do it (arent legit businesses) and a lot of people that rely on small time guys to hunt down that one special piece on that one obscure website or tiny hole in the wall store in Japan.

James Fallows at the Atlantic is reporting that Japan Post will no longer accept packages for the US that weigh more than 1 lb.

>>Apparently the conditions for shipping packages via air to the United States have now become so restrictive that the Japanese Post Office has announced that, effective Nov. 17, it will no longer accept any packages weighing over a pound for shipment to the US by any method that involves air transport (including EMS, airmail, and SAL). Except for large corporate mailers, everything over a pound must apparently now come by sea. Asahi Shimbun is reporting that the Japanese equivalents of FedEx and UPS have followed suit. I assume that airmail service remains in effect for the remaining 200 countries across the globe that have not lost their collective minds.

I do read/speak Japanese and regularly use it in my work, but it was actually my Japanese-speaking wife who brought the news to my attention through her cries of anguish when she read the news: This effectively cuts off her supply of dry goods, books, and magazines; ruins Christmas for our daughter (at least from the Japanese side of the family); and means we'll not be getting any mochi for o-shougatsu. Having spent sixteen years in Japan (though currently living in the US), one of my basic guiding principles is that if your procedures are too burdensome even for the Japanese to bother complying with, you've probably gone a bit too far.

Between the new, "enhanced" TSA procedures and this story, I've lost any hope that our leaders know where to stop when it comes to reacting to terrorist threats.<<

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2010/11/security-theater-the-ripples-spread-to-japan/66542/

has anyone tried removing the shelves and lying a detolf on its side for displaying long items like Super/Strike Takatokus and Bandais still in their original packaging?

Anyone here played MOH Tier 1 yet? I remember being excited when I heard rumours a year ago of this game being an ultra realistic spec ops sim, like actually having to sit in OP for like 12 hours in real time waiting for a target or reporting intel. From what I`ve read its just another kill fest like COD tho. For me Operation Flashpoint is the best FPS available on a console, with actual moderately realistic team tactics and firefights. Try 2 player airfield infiltration with restricted spawn, hardcore diffilculty online and it is spectacular.

Perfect TV Macross or none at all thanks.

I dont want every machine from every line. I dont collect just for the sake of collecting a whole line, I pick and choose the toys I want in my display. They include DRYL only v2 Yamatos, some earlier Yamatos and anything official made in the `80s, only covering SDFM, DYRL, FB2012 and MII.

Actually, from what I understand (the making of Star Wars DVD that comes with my original SW trilogy DVD set) - Lucas had 100% creative control over the first three films because he independently financed them. No studio was interested in A New Hope so he financed the project himself - and therefore had full control...unless I'm totally forgeting something?....

Pete

No, he had producers and 20th Century Fox looking over his shoulder for a New Hope. He was a salaried writer and director of the project only. He did create the idea but he did not finance it himself at all.

Episode I-III however he had the executive producer role and final say on everything.

Too much control by one person can be a bad thing, Just ask the people of Stalinist Russia or Nazi Germany. Or some fans of Macross

Okay...do you really know what you're saying here? Kawamori helped plan SDFM TV. He co-directed DYRL. He didn't write or direct any of Macross 7.

(Incidentally, the had writer and script supervisor for Macross 7, Sukehiro Tomita, was also the writer for a bunch of episodes of SDFM TV, and he also wrote DYRL and Macross II. So before you start bashing one Macross series with a different Macross series, it might be a good idea to find out who did what in each one. So people show up in surprising places.)

Okay, you got me, I haven`t checked my facts, but basically what I meant to say was that Kawamori had less autonomous control over the final product in the earlier shows than in everything since 7. I think Kawamori (whether designing, writing or directing) is best when he has limits on his control or is just part of a team, rather than the boss. Its basically the Lucas syndrome, who I believe had limited creative control for episodes IV-VI but complete unquestioned freedom for episodes I-III which turned out to be a very bad thing.

man that is incredible. I got a PS3? Is that cool?

yeah man, thats why they`re in the desert and have been sealed from the elements, for revival in a crisis.