In the news today

[Xelbair]

In us you pay 2$ for one gallon? damn - that's really cheap compared to here nearly 4PLN(1$ = 4PLN) for 1 liter.

[Buffalobiian]

Here it's sitting on around 1.06AUD ~ 1.36AUD per Litre. It's alright compared to the rest of the world I suppose...

[Buffalobiian]

British, French nuclear subs collide in Atlantic

Reminds me of the time when two players walked silently backwards into each other in CS:S

Edit: Hmm, only 2hrs ago? I guess I should have edited the above post instead.

[Kraco]

No matter what they say officially, it was clearly the old game of who dodges first. Only this time both captains had so much pride they collided.

[Nadouku]

And the Oscar goes to Matilda if Ledger wins

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - If Heath Ledger is named best supporting actor at Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony, his daughter, 3-year-old Matilda Rose Ledger , will become the owner of the Oscar statuette.

That is so complicated, but only if his daughter actually signs for it when she reaches the prime age of 18, and even then, she'll probably be confused if not informed first.

[Uchiha Barles]

Ok, this article isn't technically "today", but it's recent. 4chan has a face, and that face has a name. As you read this, try to remind yourself of the following: "this isn't funny...this isn't funny..."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...r=emailarticle

[Pandadice]

Ok, this article isn't technically "today", but it's recent. 4chan has a face, and that face has a name. As you read this, try to remind yourself of the following: "this isn't funny...this isn't funny..."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...r=emailarticle

rofl, dang, 5 pages? that's an impressive article..

[Nadouku]

Cave Dwellers

Cave home? Bought on EBay? Heh, hilarious insights of the person who bought it. Makes me wonder how they architecture it and make it usable to modern standards. It looks nice, but must be pretty hard to keep, according to this video.

[Uchiha Barles]

Oh man, that guy's living my dream, minus the financial troubles he's having. If I had 300k, I'd buy it, I kid you not.

[Nadouku]

Pioneer's Kuro Killing: A Tripping Point in the Plasma Era

The end of the Pioneer Kuro line of TVs represented a true tipping point in the TV industry, one preceded by long-gestating momentum from opposing forces. The recession and LCDs tipped over plasmas for good, and the slope downward will be quite steep, and fast.

Interesting news about Pioneer Kuro's end of production for plasma televisions so they can concentrate on cars and audio/visual systems. Also, a little history about them too.

[XanBcoo]

California introduces bill to legalize Marijuana

(02-23) 17:50 PST SACRAMENTO -- California would become the first state in the nation to legalize marijuana for recreational use under a bill introduced Monday by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano of San Francisco.

The proposal would regulate marijuana like alcohol, with people over 21 years old allowed to grow, buy, sell and possess cannabis - all of which is barred by federal law.

Ammiano, a Democrat in his third month as a state lawmaker, said taxes and other fees associated with regulation could put more than a billion dollars a year into state coffers at a time when revenues continue to decline.

He said he thinks the federal government could soften its stance on marijuana under the Obama administration.

Thoughts on this? I know at the very least Heretic Azazel will have something to say.

[Buffalobiian]

I'm against it, though I wouldn't know about how it's used recreationally. I'm not buying "boosting the economy" as a reason, or an incentive to do so. Black markets exist for anything you can't get legally. Just because you can't stomp it out doesn't mean you should embrace it.

[Uchiha Barles]

I fucking hate weed. Whenever I'm around people smoking it, my eyes water, and my ears and throat itch. I'm against the legalization of weed for two reasons.

1) Since weed is illegal, you can get in a lot of trouble for getting caught smoking it. Consequently, in most places I frequent or have frequented where people who smoke weed would be (think college dorm, yuppie apartment building, suburban hangout park, etc.), they go through great lengths to hide the smell and the smoke. Like maybe stuffing the spaces between room doors and floors with clothing, smoking near airvents that (hopefully) pull out the smoke, and so on. If weed were legal, they'd be a hell of a lot more relaxed about their concealment protocols, to my dismay.

2) I don't want Obama to become the president associated with drug use.

[The Heretic Azazel]

What you have to realize is marijuana is already a driving economic force in areas of California like Mendocino County. There pot reportedly accounts for 75-90% of the economy and the growers generate somewhere around $1 billion every year.

Barles, there is no middle ground here because, as we all know, if the government is going to let us do something they have to make sure they get their hands in our pockets. Well if they're going to do that, at least it will be put to good use. That's the only reason it isn't legal. There is no, I repeat no valid argument against at least some reformation of marijuana laws. Politicians would rather lie to you about the situation than to admit that legalization could be used to drive our economy, to create jobs, to fund schools and improve our childrens' education (because we have the dumbest fucking kids walking the face of God's green Hell.) There is no shame in that in the least. In fact macro economically, it would go a long way to, as George Carlin would put it, balance the stupid fucking budget.

As Assertn said, the crime and violence would go down; most people would be growing their own. And you don't have to think of Obama as the President associated with drug use, it's common knowledge that all drugs are not the same (and the legal ones are the real killers.) Times change and he would do well to embrace them. This is supposed to be a progressive administration and I would love if they would just tell it like it is, instead of still catering to these unproven fears. He is already pissed at the DEA for raiding legal marijuana clinics in California, which they can do because federal interests conflict with state laws. people have voted for medical marijuana in California and apparently their say doesn't mean shit in the eyes of the DEA.

Barles do you not have an indoor smoking act in your state? No one should have to smell smoke if they don't want to. I find myself going to restaurants more often now.

[Assertn]

I'm against it, though I wouldn't know about how it's used recreationally. I'm not buying "boosting the economy" as a reason, or an incentive to do so. Black markets exist for anything you can't get legally. Just because you can't stomp it out doesn't mean you should embrace it.

It would also significantly reduce crime and violence, but the government at least knows whats best for you, right?

Alcohol is worse than marijuana. Why is it legal? It's legal because of all the crime that occurred during the prohibition. Think about it.

[XanBcoo]

I'm against it, though I wouldn't know about how it's used recreationally. I'm not buying "boosting the economy" as a reason, or an incentive to do so. Black markets exist for anything you can't get legally. Just because you can't stomp it out doesn't mean you should embrace it.

I've got no stake in the success of the bill because I don't smoke, but why is it something that needs to be stomped out? Why would you argue that it should be kept illegal?

Assertn mentioned the crime thing. Think about the effect it would have on prisons. How many people are in there because of drugs?

I'm against the legalization of weed for two reasons.

Your first reason is as good as any, but could you not extend the same argument to alcohol or tobacco? I don't like being around people who are completely wasted (though I do enjoy being drunk myself) and I hate hate hate the smell of smoke. Should beer and cigarettes be illegal because I don't like the effects it has on people? At least the legality of tobacco and alcohol means that their use can be regulated to some extent. That's why there are smoking bans in several cities and the reason people can't go waltzing down the street with a drink, rude and raunchy and completely sloshed.

It's counter-productive to have laws impossible to enforce efficiently

Good point. That line of reasoning is the same reason why things like "abstinence only" sex education are flawed. Trying to control something that can't be controlled is a wasted effort. Why not work with and around the reality of the situation?

[Kraco]

Over here the legislative tendency has been for a while to make even regular smoking harder and less desirable, so allowing new forms of smoking isn't really a hot topic of discussion, except for those individuals mostly outside of politics who would like it for personal reasons.

What comes to alcohol, the topic brings up a couple of aspects about laws in general: It's counter-productive to have laws impossible to enforce efficiently because it leads to people getting used to breaking laws without consequences and on the other hand for a democracy it's troublesome to have laws that a clear majority doesn't support.

Edit: Typo...

[itadakimasu]

I'm 100% for legalizing and regulating marijuana in the united states. I'm actually going to do my persuasive speech for my speech class about legalization. Especially in our current financial crisis. Legalization would create jobs, rid the prisons and jails of people only in prison for marijuana ( millions of dollars per day to keep them all in prison ) and the tax from the sale of the marijuana could be a very helpful source of income for america.

The sale would be regulated, and thereby eliminate the possibility of people buying "laced weed"

It should be treated like alchol, open container and all. Police should still ticket any people openly smoking it in public, and take or dispose of their stuff just like they would probably make somebody poor out their beer for drinking in public.

We're in the year 2009 and its time for our lawmakers to realize this. We are not a church state, and somebody should be able to smoke marijuana in their home if they want to.

If Michael Phelps were photographed drinking a beer, would there be public outcry? sponsors cancelling his contracts? don't think so...
It bothers me how it is always termed Drugs and Alcohol, as if alcohol is a seperate category when it is a drug itself.

Anyhow : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7907483.stm

US to donate $900 million in gaza aid. Aren't we still giving israel money for being our friend? it doesn't make sense that we(america ) back israel, and then pay to repair the destruction from their attacks.... doesn't make any sense at all.

[Pandadice]

i thought something like this already happened somewhere? >.<.

i thought some state had it legal on a state level, but not on a federal level, so you still couldn't smoke it..

[Xelbair]

Is it true that Cannabis type that dosen't have hallucinogens in is is forbidden in us too?(it is used here commonly for making cheap ropes and securing pipes)

Think of Netherlands, they have it legal there and there are no problems in local population, but the biggest mess is being made by tourists.