HighStranger!

What's Your Favorite HighStranger Logo?

2010-11-19T01:35:00.001-08:00

UPDATE: The promo is over and Guillermo E. of Brooklyn claimed the iPod Touch 4G faster than you can say "Don't bogart that joint, Dude!" See the random drawing here (Facebook video). We'll do more contest and promos in 2011! –Dude PS: Are we connected on Facebook yet? If not: http://fb.me/HighStranger.

HighStranger is giving away one 4th Generation iPod Touch to one lucky fan! Enter before December 3rd.

How to Enter:

Step 1: Like HighStranger on Facebook:

Step 2: Do one or both of the following (doing both increases your odds of winning):

Leave at least one comment in this Facebook Photo Gallery saying which is your favorite logo. Done.
Follow @HighStranger and include the #highstranger hashtag in at least one tweet. Be creative or just tweet this. Done.

That's it!
(subject to these Rules)

The "Dude, Where's My Logo?!" Design Contest

2010-11-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

UPDATE 2010-11-19:

Entries are closed for the the "Dude, Where's My Logo?!" contest.
The "What's Your Favorite HighStranger Logo? promotion has begin! Someone will win a 4th Generation iPod Touch.
Tweet this to enter and/or find out how to enter on Facebook and check the promotion rules here (it's easy). Do it before December 3rd!
END OF UPDATE

Just a quick update and announcement for everyone who signed up in the two months since TechCrunch dubbed HighStranger "Chatroulette, For Stoners."

Design Contest:

Today we're launching the "Dude, Where's My Logo?!" design contest.
The winner gets cash plus the chance to do follow-on work with HighStranger.

How to Enter:

Download the Design Brief.
Submit your entry on 99designs.com.
Post your entry to our Facebook Fan Page (optional).

Sweepstakes:

We're running a sweepstakes to promote the contest.
Winners receive a free HighStranger t-shirt.
There will be three winners, chosen at random, who comment below or retweet this post or both.

How to Enter:

Just fan the HighStranger Facebook Page and do one or both of the following two things (hint: doing both is best because you'll get one entry for your tweet and one for your comment):

Retweet this post, and use the word @HighStranger or HighStranger.com so we can pick up your tweet.
Leave a comment below telling us something useful to help us develop the product/service that's most fun and useful to you and other users or members.

Sweepstakes Rules:

To enter, you must Tweet this blog post once or comment below or do both. Anyone tweeting repeatedly will be disqualified. You can comment here as many times as you want as long as you're not spamming, trolling, etc. We reserve the right to delete comments that we deem inappropriate or offensive.
The sweepstakes ends at the earlier of (A) 4:20PM PST on December 31, 2010, or (B) when our new logo is ready.
We’ll pick prospective winners at random and contact them via (A) email if they commented here, or (B) Twitter if they tweeted this blog post.
Prospective winners will have one week to reply with their shirt size and mailing address. If a prospective winner fails to reply within that week, they will be disqualified and a new prospective winner will be chosen at random.
Anyone in the world is eligible, as long as our vendor can deliver to them.
Winners will be responsible for any and all associated taxes, fees, customs duties, etc.
Sweepstakes is void where prohibited.

HighStranger Progress Report:

In August, we thought we had a technology licensing agreement locked up.
In September, it fell through.
Suffice to say, our launch date has been delayed. Cue the stoner jokes!
In October, we signed a new teammate, as we continue to build the team. Details here.
We're also working on a build vs. license analysis, so if you’re a potential platform developer or licensor, get in touch.
And we're always looking to connect with prospective partners, advertisers, investors, etc. Get in touch.

Cheers,
Dude and The HighStranger™ Team

PS: If you live in California, get out there and vote today. As described in this TechCrunch article, Prop 19 is a potential "turning point that leads us towards a more safe and sane drug policy." It's something supported by Paul Buchheit (Gmail creator), Dustin Moskovitz (Facebook co-founder), Sean Parker (Napster and Causes co-founder), Peter Thiel (PayPal co-founder), George Soros (billionaire who donated $1 million last week), and you!

10 Reasons Why Marijuana Gold Rush Is Game On

2010-10-21T07:38:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: On Nov. 2, 2010, Proposition 19 was narrowly defeated, mainly because of: (1) internal issues (drafting and infighting); and (2) 2010 was a mid-term election year, which means lower voter turnout, especially among younger voters and first-time voters. Those voters will be out in force in 2012. See "Why Prop 19 Didn't Pass (And Why We'll Win Next Time)."

The MJ Express is leaving the station and you will either be on board or you will be left behind, yes, in a cloud of smoke. Here's our top-10 list (California focused):

"If California were a country, it would rank among the ten largest economies in the world, with a GDP similar to that of Italy. It would be the 35th most populous country" (Wikipedia).
LA alone has more marijuana dispensaries than it does Starbucks (NPR). That's changing (TheWeedBlog), which means there will be winners and losers, new risks and opportunities, and a 1-time chance to become #1 brand in the space. Get in touch if you are a leading player in this space and want to explore. Our founder is a former venture finance guy who has been through one IPO already and has multiple brands and concepts and a vision for how and where things fit together, in what order, why, how, etc. Ok, sorry for that interruption, but as some of you already know, we are a bootstrapped team and need to connect with prospective teammates, partners, investors, etc. It's not a Facebook-sized opportunity, but it's real, young, and growing (see "WeedMaps Tops $400,000 a Month in Revenues, Public Listing Imminent").
Time Magazine: "Could marijuana be the answer to the economic misery facing California? Legalize pot and allow the state to regulate and tax its sale — a move that could mean billions of dollars for the cash-strapped state. Pot is, after all, California's biggest cash crop, responsible for $14 billion a year in sales, dwarfing the state's second largest agricultural commodity — milk and cream" (Time).
America is #2 (Canada #1) on the list of "Adult lifetime cannabis use by country," with 42.4% of the population (Wikipedia). Where California goes, other states will follow. Same as always.
America love affair with weed is evidenced by the sustained success of blockbuster TV shows, such as Weeds, in it's 6th season, and Entourage, in it's 8th season. On Wikipedia, there is a Stoner film page, a Stony Awards page, ~~and a budding Stoner TV page~~ (we need someone to republish that, correctly, as we did it wrong and got slapped down by the Wikipedia police).
Even the ragingly conservative Jesusland platform, CNBC, is on the bandwagon: See their website and feature length documentary, Marijuana, Inc.
There are plenty of other dedicated information pages around the web, such as this dedicated New York Times topic page: Marijuana and Medical Marijuana.
Mexico is getting in on the action: Former Mexican President Vicente Fox and other politicians are considering legalizing marijuana. On August 8th, "Fox wrote on his website that 'radical prohibition strategies have never worked' and legalizing the production and sale of [marijuana] would curb violence, thereby bringing in more tourists and attracting investment." (Bloomberg).
More on Mexico: Tourists and investment are nice, but they will be small potatoes compared to the revenue the Mexican government will generate from taxing marijuana exports to the #1 marijuana consumer in the world, its stoner friend and next door neighbor, the good old USA. Overnight, the Mexican government will have a massive and profitable new industry that will provide massive amounts of tax revenue. It's inevitible that this will happen.
The bottom line is that, contrary to popular belief and conventional thinking, marijuana is booming in the US and a gold rush about to begin in California, where so many other good things, trends, and starups begin. All aboard the MJ Express.

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