November 8, 2016
Election Night II: Load Balancing Boogaloo
The US Election night isn't over, but the server's capacity to serve tonight's original election thread is, so we're kicking open a new one right here. Hold on to your butts, folks, and be good to each other; see also a MetaTalk logistics thread, and you can hang out in Chat for more free-form chatter; let's try to keep this focused on updates about the national race. [more inside]
What's in a name?
Your name as an infographic - neat facts presented cooly.
For me: THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 4 PERSONS NAMED 'MY NAME' IN THE UNITED STATES. IF YOU DON'T LIKE PEOPLE NAMED 'MY NAME' YOU SHOULD PROBABLY GO TO NEW HAMPSHIRE (NONE LIVE THERE).
For me: THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 4 PERSONS NAMED 'MY NAME' IN THE UNITED STATES. IF YOU DON'T LIKE PEOPLE NAMED 'MY NAME' YOU SHOULD PROBABLY GO TO NEW HAMPSHIRE (NONE LIVE THERE).
"Let's Elect the Women"
Dateline Jackson, WY. 1920. A special town meeting was called to address the numerous challenges facing Jackson (pop 307). Faced with a do-nothing local government more concerned with growing their businesses and ranches than improving the community itself, the town's women aired their grievances.
Perhaps as a joke, or out of frustration caused by the list of complaints submitted by the ladies, one of the men offered a solution: “Let’s elect the women.” [more inside]
2015 Nissan Tsuru vs. 2016 Nissan Versa
A car-to-car test between a 2015 Nissan Tsuru, the least expensive sedan sold by Nissan in Mexico, and a 2016 Nissan Versa, the least expensive sedan sold by Nissan in the United States. {SLYT}
[more inside]
A stunning string quartet created through brainwaves
Activating Memory is a composition for a string quartet with each of the instruments’ parts generated in real time through a Brain-Computer Music Interfacing (BCMI) program. [more inside]
Modi vs black money
Centre scraps Rs. 500, 1000 notes. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the immediate abolition of the 500 and 1000 rupee notes. [more inside]
Nobody Wins
After a year of tense anticipation, the day of reckoning is finally here. GWAR turns in a special Election Day contribution to the AV Club Undercover series, taking on AC/DC's "If You Want Blood, You Got It." This year's performance interpolates Boston's "Foreplay" as an intro, as well as two special election-themed guests. NSFW: extensive silly costume gore, some nudity, general bombastic ridiculousness. (previously)
Fantasy. Or as capitalism prefers to call it “market research."
The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Issue a Press Release: Audrey Watters, a folklorist by training, examines the storytelling techniques of technology forecasting (especially ed-tech forecasting): If you repeat this fantasy, these predictions often enough, if you repeat it in front of powerful investors, university administrators, politicians, journalists, then the fantasy becomes factualized. (Not factual. Not true. But “truthy,” to borrow from Stephen Colbert’s notion of “truthiness.”) So you repeat the fantasy in order to direct and to control the future. Because this is key: the fantasy then becomes the basis for decision-making.
Senators, Representatives, and Referenda
State election results, get yer state election results here! Thirty-four Senate seats are up for re-election, of which 11 are competitive: AZ, FL, IL, IN, LA, MO, NC, NH, NV, PA, and WI. You can follow House races to judge whether it's a "wave" election. Referenda are all over the map (ha!) but here's a few highlights, with special focus on pot, DC statehood, and everything California. If you want to talk about Clinton/Trump, head on over to the presidential post.
Of the people, by the people, and for the people: US election day
Today, the United States of America will - hopefully - determine its 45th President and 48th Vice President. Going into election day, Hillary Clinton holds a poll lead [538][YouGov][Time] over Donald Trump. Early voting has been busy, and voting has concluded in three New Hampshire towns. In addition to the presidency, there are elections for the Senate and the House and lots of local ballots - discuss in the "Senators, Representatives, and Referenda" thread. Polling stations close at various times, subject to queues and court orders. It is unclear when a result is likely; blanket coverage includes TV networks, the New York Times, Guardian, BuzzFeed on Twitter, YouTube and the BBC, though many say Pantsuit Nation is where it's at. [more inside]
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