Obama vs. Romney + Weed

[TAG Manager]

I'm very glad that we didn't have any political threads going, one less place I could come and not read someone's campaign message or some other random person's spiel about why <INSERT CANDIDATE's NAME> should be President, Governor, Senator, Lickmyboots Ambassador or the town idiot.

However, isn't it sad how the American media and the presidential campaign poison the rest of the world with their rhetoric speeches, campaign platforms and other mumbo-jumbo? A fair majority of us that visit TAG mostly live in Japan and how many times have seen a news paper, internet news update or just regular TV mention the American elections???

I tell you, the only news that I really was interested in hearing about was the marijuana laws that were passed in Washington and Colorado. (Yeah, yeah, I know about Amsterdam) This, at least for North America, is a huge shift where the politicians are really listening to the people. They finally legalized something does less harm that alcohol.

I've never smoked the stuff, but been around people that have. I suppose the worst thing that could happen is people might go broke buying the stuff. I do personally support penalties for driving under the influence; some people don't know their limits and could wind up doing some serious damage if they get behind the wheel of a car after smoking up some HQ Weed. Financially, it would be a boom of a new business, almost could be called business revitalization if you will.

Back to the primary topic - Obama vs. Romney - It's a done deal; Obama is in the house for another four years. Love it or hate it. He won the Electoral votes and the popular vote, poor Florida, don't you guys feel insignificant now, don't you? (OMG! chads, remember that debacle?)

I'm done. NEXT!

 

[TokyoSpirit]

You're all over the place with that post. Sure you weren't high when you wrote that? lol...

 

[meiji]

I'm done. NEXT!

I've smoked weed very rarely, but even when I lived in California and could have easily gotten a scrip for, say a 'bad back' or 'anxiety' I never really felt the need to. It's never been anything that I had to go out of my way to acquire, but if it was around at a party, I'd partake.

I'm glad that it's at least on its way to becoming legal. It's a lot less dangerous than alcohol. Maybe if the military in Okinawa could smoke pot instead of drink, I'm guessing the worst thing that would happen is they'd buy too many snacks at the conbini.

On another topic, there was a ballot measure (Prop 35) in California that amped up the punishments for sex traffickers, and buried in the bill was an expansion of the sex offender punishment where all sex offenders of any sort have to turn over email addresses, handles, or other identities, and any time they made a new one they had to tell the cops within 24 hours. It passed in California with something like 75 or 80% approval.

It's scary enough that Facebook and Google gather 'non-personally identifiable' info about you, but I think this opens a whole new chapter in privacy invasion. Not that I'm on a sex offender list, or think that dabbling in the 'adult lifestyle' is wrong, but it's also something I'd rather not have anyone but me have in-depth information about. Not my family or friends (unless I choose to tell them), and certainly not the authorities.

Thankfully, the ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation filed suit and got the ballot measure law suspended while their lawsuit makes its way through the courts.

It was certainly an eventful election season, and I look forward to seeing all the fireworks in the next few years, hopefully spending most of it here in Japan.

 

[TAG Manager]

You're all over the place with that post. Sure you weren't high when you wrote that? lol...

Yeah - not high, probably just tired.

My personal vice is gadgets, I spend too much on technology. A friend of mine is a heavy drinker and has a very expensive taste in clothes. He make plenty of money, so more power to him. I can't see spending 5 man on a pair shoes or 20 man for a new suit, but I have no problem dropping 20 man on a new camera rig!

@meiji - I saw the California proposition you are speaking of but hadn't read to much about it yet. I think it's too much, so I'm glad that the EFF got involved.

In happy enough here in Japan just to watch from the sidelines. I'm only concerned about what crap Ishihara has up his sleeve. Probably nothing will come of his party, just keeping an eye on it just in case.

 

[sxian]

On another topic, there was a ballot measure (Prop 35) in California that amped up the punishments for sex traffickers, and buried in the bill was an expansion of the sex offender punishment where all sex offenders of any sort have to turn over email addresses, handles, or other identities, and any time they made a new one they had to tell the cops within 24 hours. It passed in California with something like 75 or 80% approval.

I live in California and Prop 35 passed because most people don't know anything about the propositions until they get to the voting booth. On the actual ballot where a lot of people see these propositions for the first time, that proposition was labeled "Penalties for Sex Trafficking" or something like that so of course a lot of people voted yes. Not me.

By the way, the federal government has said it will prevent the new marijuana laws from becoming effective. I thought we elected a liberal. Oh well... back to more important things, like planning my trip to Japan in two weeks!

 

[johnnyboy84]

then again, japan is a country that has had how many prime ministers these past 5 years? regardless of who won, would you rather have a stable president you dont agree with? or someone who just resigns due to some blunders here and there? America should be happy they don't have whackos like Ishihara.

anyway, in the end, it was ohio that made a difference since the auto bailouts played a big part in winning that state.

keep in mind its not the states, but counties in those states can make the difference too. romney won most countries in nevada, but still lost nevada. i do love politics and do have my own views, but will never force my views on others. hell, he won most of the counties in ohio, but colombus in whatever county it was in made the difference.

as for weed, apparently, my home state of arizona legalized it a couple of years ago, but the federal government are being buttheads about it too.

 

[TAG Administrator]

Federal government doesn't want to be embarrassed about admit how much money they have wasted on the drug 'war'. To go back and legalize marijuana now, it will make it harder for them to enforce the laws against drugs that are still illegal. Think of if as diluted power. Let's also not forget, those states who legalized it also probably did not provide any framework to give the federal government a cut of the tremendous amount of revenue that would be generated with the legalization of the marijuana.

Japan's leadership is a joke. No wonder this country cannot move forward when there is so much infighting and jockeying to be prime minister for a year or two. It's as if they are all taking turns to be PM before they're too old. Japan's government is old blood and it still will be a long time before true leaders are found and properly elected. In the meantime, Japan will just flounder until a competent leader or government can be constructed.

-Eliah

 

[johnnyboy84]

well, its not like the young leadership in america is all that good either from either side.

ron paul may be old, but he attracted a pretty good young following during his primary run.

 

[TAG Manager]

well, its not like the young leadership in america is all that good either from either side.

ron paul may be old, but he attracted a pretty good young following during his primary run.

America has diversity, at least more so than the Japanese government does. The political society here is very much inbred compared to their American counterparts, some new blood gets injected. (how long they last, is another story.)

 

[johnnyboy84]

well, the election of the democratic party of japan in 2009 wanted you to believe there was diversity in their government, and it turns to progressively show that it was no different from when the liberal democratic party was ruling. we are still getting a prime minister every year and so on.