あらためまして、始めまして、私の名前はジェイドです。

[Doktor Howl]

So how long till China has enough leverage over the US economy to do that to us?

1998.

[East Coast Hustle]

They've established small but influential merchant classes on several islands. Cuba and the DR both have a Chinese presence, as do STT and Trinidad. On STT they're starting to compete with the much larger and long-established Indian community in the jewelry market (both legitimate and black-market) and, more importantly, the attendant black-market currency exchanges.

ETA: And there are probably no more than 600 - 800 Chinese nationals on STT, compared to several thousand Indians. They've definitely made a concerted effort to concentrate their influence and economic power.

[Abbess Jade]

I was just busting balls anyway. Few other people here were likely to know all that and I wasn't likely to bother typing all of that, also I would have been unable to make any points about the cultural connections to and influences on the UK since I'm not British. Interestingly, despite the seemingly more progressive British attitudes towards race, the ex-British islands tend to have more economic instability and social problems than most of the rest of the islands. Though there are certainly success stories (Barbados and the BVI most notably), Jamaica, Trinidad, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua all suffer from rampant poverty and violent crime, more so than the French, Dutch, or Spanish islands (Haiti being the obvious exception).

Speaking of crime rates, it's really interesting that despite all the rape manga (comics), perverted men coping a feel on subways, and physical violoence and out-witting each other for entertainment (because the Japanese don't get sarcasm at all), Japan has one of the safest streets to walk through at night. In the whole country, there has been only maybe...seven murders this year? And that's high for them. There's barely any sexual assault, either.

It kind of makes me sad, since almost everyday here there's some kind of crime, murder, rape. 

[Doktor Howl]

I was just busting balls anyway. Few other people here were likely to know all that and I wasn't likely to bother typing all of that, also I would have been unable to make any points about the cultural connections to and influences on the UK since I'm not British. Interestingly, despite the seemingly more progressive British attitudes towards race, the ex-British islands tend to have more economic instability and social problems than most of the rest of the islands. Though there are certainly success stories (Barbados and the BVI most notably), Jamaica, Trinidad, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua all suffer from rampant poverty and violent crime, more so than the French, Dutch, or Spanish islands (Haiti being the obvious exception).

Speaking of crime rates, it's really interesting that despite all the rape manga (comics), perverted men coping a feel on subways, and physical violoence and out-witting each other for entertainment (because the Japanese don't get sarcasm at all), Japan has one of the safest streets to walk through at night. In the whole country, there has been only maybe...seven murders this year? And that's high for them. There's barely any sexual assault, either.

It kind of makes me sad, since almost everyday here there's some kind of crime, murder, rape. 

DOING IT WRONG.

Tucson averaged 4609 violent crimes per year.  Then in 2009, it dropped by 43%.  Not because we changed, or the police became more efficient, or anything, but because they stopped counting the greater Tucson area, and only counted the metro area itself.

Which, incidentally, is 57% of the population.

[Kai]

When I go to Tuscon someday, I'm staying less than 2 ft from Padre Dolor the whole time.

[Doktor Howl]

When I go to Tuscon someday, I'm staying less than 2 ft from Padre Dolor the whole time.

Which, of course, will be the exact moment I go down in a hail of gunfire.

I've seen how this sort of thing works in the movies.

[BabylonHoruv]

it is Christianity-based (though it's about as crazy an interpretation of Christianity as I've ever seen), but it's attraction to white hippie-types has mostly to do with it's embrace of marijuana use.

And an attempted rejection of vanilla suburban life.

Fact:  Every "Rastafarian" - or even raggae fan - I've ever met IRL has been a 20-something suburban White kid.

You don't get good rastas outside of london, but those more then make up for the rest of them.

I imagine there's some good ones in Kingstown.

[East Coast Hustle]

You probably meant "Kingston", and no, there are no "good" anyone in Kingston. That place is the biggest shithole in the western hemisphere. Even St. Thomians don't fuck around there. AFAIK, most Jamaican rastas tend to move to more rural areas of the island, unless they're in the business of selling weed to tourists (aka they're fake rastas) in which case they tend to concentrate around Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Negril. Or Fort Lauderdale.

[Abbess Jade]

DOING IT WRONG.

Tucson averaged 4609 violent crimes per year.  Then in 2009, it dropped by 43%.  Not because we changed, or the police became more efficient, or anything, but because they stopped counting the greater Tucson area, and only counted the metro area itself.

Which, incidentally, is 57% of the population.

When I go to Tuscon someday, I'm staying less than 2 ft from Padre Dolor the whole time.

I think I'll just stay away from Tuscon in general.

[East Coast Hustle]

Suit yourself. Some people just aren't compatible with the brand of fun that this decade has to offer.

[Fredfredly ⊂(◉‿◉)つ]

Speaking of crime rates, it's really interesting that despite all the rape manga (comics), perverted men coping a feel on subways, and physical violoence and out-witting each other for entertainment (because the Japanese don't get sarcasm at all), Japan has one of the safest streets to walk through at night. In the whole country, there has been only maybe...seven murders this year? And that's high for them. There's barely any sexual assault, either.

It kind of makes me sad, since almost everyday here there's some kind of crime, murder, rape. 

DONT GET SARCASM  HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM?????

[East Coast Hustle]

Just remember to always yell "SURPRISE!"

[Abbess Jade]

DONT GET SARCASM  argh HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM?????

They'll just take you literally. And just look at you funny. And be very sad.

Japan runs on politeness.

[Doktor Howl]

DOING IT WRONG.

Tucson averaged 4609 violent crimes per year.  Then in 2009, it dropped by 43%.  Not because we changed, or the police became more efficient, or anything, but because they stopped counting the greater Tucson area, and only counted the metro area itself.

Which, incidentally, is 57% of the population.

When I go to Tuscon someday, I'm staying less than 2 ft from Padre Dolor the whole time.

I think I'll just stay away from Tuscon in general.

That's okay.  Sometimes Tucson comes to you.

[Abbess Jade]

... 

I WILL DIE WITH HONOR WHEN THAT DAY COMES.