What's in the news?

[Oniya]

The biggest issue with math-based redistricting, and one where there *will* be a fight, is that it's easy to say "We'll write an algorithm to optimize districts", but picking the actual optimization target is hard.

Should two parties each have a 50% chance of winning - and should that be *per* seat, or in the chamber as a whole? Should that be because a district has lots of swing-voters, or lots of party line types? Should they simply be equal population? Are there groups you genuinely *want* to over-represent? Are "safe seats" desirable, actively to be targeted, or something else? How much randomness will you accept?

Unless I misunderstood, the method described was based purely on population - x number of districts with y people per district.  If you have a given geographical area with a demographic that is (random example) mostly older folks, they are likely to vote for a candidate who represents the interests of older folks.  That gives them a person who serves as the 'voice' of older folks who hopefully votes on issues with an eye towards how those issues affect older folks.

[Serephino]

http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/05/investing/stock-market-today-dow-jones/index.html

Am I the only one who thinks this was a warning shot from the universe of what's going to happen if we keep letting these fucker GOP nutcase congressmen and Trump continue to run things?

[lustfulintentions]

I think it's less that than the thing that always happens after a spate of aimless, please-the-plutocrats deregulation.

[Arianna]

http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/05/investing/stock-market-today-dow-jones/index.html

Am I the only one who thinks this was a warning shot from the universe of what's going to happen if we keep letting these fucker GOP nutcase congressmen and Trump continue to run things?

On a philosophical level... hehe, could very well be.
Pragmatically speaking though, this stuff does happen. And the points themselves may be high, but the decline is not unprecedented. So... what the GOP will do about it is what matters a bit more.

[TheGlyphstone]

They'll blame the Democrats somehow.

[Hades]

They'll blame the Democrats somehow.

Surprise, surprise, it's all Obama's fault.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/yup-sean-hannity-found-way-043952694.html

[Sara Nilsson]

Surprise, surprise, it's all Obama's fault.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/yup-sean-hannity-found-way-043952694.html

That is some impressive mental gymnastics.

[Hades]

Well, the winter Olympics is coming up so maybe he thinks gymnastics is part of the program and he's trying to get a last minute spot on the team.

[Sara Nilsson]

Well, the winter Olympics is coming up so maybe he thinks gymnastics is part of the program and he's trying to get a last minute spot on the team.

howls in laughter

[Serephino]

How did I know someone was going to blame Obama?  I called it last night on a Facebook post because everything is always Obama's fault, or the Democrats. 

[Regina Minx]

How did I know someone was going to blame Obama?  I called it last night on a Facebook post because everything is always Obama's fault, or the Democrats. 

Context:

Hannity blames Obama for the crash on Friday.

[Remiel]

Welp, there is now a new super high tech way to swap people's faces onto porn using machine learning.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/30/16945494/deepfakes-porn-face-swap-legal

This is gong to be the new problem with revenge porn I bet.

But thanks to AI-assisted technology, anyone with an online presence could now end up starring in pornography against their will.

Ron Swanson's life strategy of staying "off the grid" is looking smarter and smarter.

[Orval Wintermute]

http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/05/investing/stock-market-today-dow-jones/index.html

Am I the only one who thinks this was a warning shot from the universe of what's going to happen if we keep letting these fucker GOP nutcase congressmen and Trump continue to run things?

Surprise, surprise, it's all Obama's fault.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/yup-sean-hannity-found-way-043952694.html

Yes, it is Obama's "fault" and long may he continue to be "blamed" for it. The whole dip in global stock markets is because all the money people think interest rates are about to rise because the US economy is continuing to grow at the rate it did when Obama was still in office, so entirely Obama's fault that the economy is still growing.

[gaggedLouise]

Meet the Beatles - but not the ones you knew under that name!

Two British men believed to be members of a notorious Islamic State group (IS) cell have been seized by Syrian Kurdish fighters, US officials say.

Alexanda Kotey, 34, and El Shafee Elsheikh, 29, were the last two members of the cell to remain at large.

The four, all from London, were nicknamed "the Beatles" because of their British accents.

US officials said the "execution cell" had beheaded more than 27 Western hostages and tortured many more. The alleged ringleader of the group was Mohammed Emwazi, dubbed Jihadi John, who was killed in an air strike in Syria in 2015.

[HannibalBarca]

SpaceX had a huge success today with the launch of their Falcon Heavy, which can carry twice the payload of the prior largest rocket, and at around 1/4 the cost.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbSwFU6tY1c

In place of the usual monotonous mass payload on a test flight, Elon Musk sent up one of his Tesla Roadsters with a mannequin in a space suit in the driver's seat.  It's particularly awesome to watch both booster rockets return to the Cape and land at the same time flawlessly, to eventually be reused.  The third, or core rocket, failed to land on a sea platform and crashed into the Atlantic, but the Roadster will be orbiting the sun somewhere between Mars and the asteroid belt.  Yes, they sent it that far out.

[Oniya]

but the Roadster will be orbiting the sun somewhere between Mars and the asteroid belt. 

Anyone else thinking of the intro to 'Heavy Metal'?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWMPe3wF9jQ

(Looks at YouTube comment section.  Apparently the answer to that is 'Yes'.)

[HannibalBarca]

Anyone else thinking of the intro to 'Heavy Metal'?

I wouldn't be surprised if Musk had.  He had a sign on the dashboard that said DON'T PANIC, so he must be a fan of Douglas Adams as well

[Beorning]

Personally, I kind of fear that the Roadster will returned someday... seeded with alien AI and with the ability to transform into a big robot. Of course, it will brings some friends along, too...

Yes, you heard it first here: the coming Decepticon invasion is Elon Musk's fault! 

[Oniya]

It's a civilian vehicle.  98% likely to become an Autobot - the Decepticons were mostly military tech.    *is geek*

[HannibalBarca]

If it comes back as Jazz with Scatman Crothers' voice, I will know I have died and gone to heaven

[Oniya]

If it comes back as Jazz with Scatman Crothers' voice, I will know I have died and gone to heaven

We'll know that Scatman certainly did. 

[Beorning]

It's a civilian vehicle.  98% likely to become an Autobot - the Decepticons were mostly military tech.    *is geek*

Aside from the Stunticons, as well as Runamuck and Runabout 

[gaggedLouise]

The shortest government shutdown in U.S. history is over, after just a couple of hours. It's not clear if Trump got his desired funding to start building the Mexico Wall though.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/08/politics/budget-vote-congress-shutdown/index.html

[Sara Nilsson]

https://kotaku.com/thinking-about-lgbtq-students-japanese-school-institut-1822861453

A junior high in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture is allowing students to mix and match uniforms how they please in an effort to be more aware of LGBTQ students’ feelings.

Basically, before girls HAD to wear a skirt and ribbon, and boys slacks and tie. Now students can mix and match. Sure it is only one school, but let enjoy any victory :)

[TheGlyphstone]

Watching Olympic coverage, and the announcers are all excited about how the  North and South Korean teams are entering together and forming a joint hockey team. All I can think of is how likely it is for every single one of those NK athletes to have a family member back home with a gun pointed at their head.