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We Hate How Much We Love It

Eight in 10 voters say the campaign has left them repulsed rather than excited.

Except…

It's everywhere on social media streams. Hits on political and news sites skyrocket. Both cable news channels and parody/comedy shows got ratings boosts.

We hate how much we love it.

Just like any/every other trashy reality TV show.

And, just like any other trashy-yet-successful reality TV, the fact that we hate-it-but-love-it guarantees we'll get more of the same in the years to come.

Shoot me now.

Voters Express Disgust Over U.S. Politics in New Times/CBS Poll – The New York Times
Most voters say that their minds are made up and that late revelations about Mrs. Clinton and Donald J. Trump made no significant difference to them.

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Vote

"The biggest landslide election in US history was the election of Warren G. Harding in 1920, when Harding won with about 60% of the vote to his opponent’s 34.2%."

"Some polls are reporting Trump with as little as 35% of the popular vote right now."

"If turnout is large enough and loud enough, we can make Donald Trump the least supported major candidate in US history. Since the recording of him bragging about sexual assault came out, he has turned to dragging the whole election into the mud; the usual goal of that kind of tactic is to drive down voter turnout. Trump’s band of Redcaps is pretty much guaranteed to vote, so they figure if they reduce turnout enough, they’ll win."

"I want their plan to fail. I want their plan to fail so fucking spectacularly that NO ONE will dare to run for President on a platform of thinly-veiled fascism again."

[…]

"If turnout is strong enough, the possibility exists for a massive upset."

"All you need to do, voters, is show up."

Economy-Class Whywolf – Time for another political essay. If you’re not an…
Time for another political essay. If you’re not an American citizen or able to vote in this upcoming election, my apologies.
I make no secret that I fucking despise Donald Trump. I actually like…

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This is What Happens Now

"This week, a prominent woman in games talked about Gamergate. She said she wished things weren't the way they are, that she was afraid and didn't want to be. The attack that followed said it plain as day: You should be afraid. This is what happens now. This is what happens when you speak up."

Felicia Day And Gamergate: This Is What Happens Now
Earlier this week, Felicia Day wrote a blog post. In it, the well-known actor eloquently expressed something that a great number of people in the video game scene have been feeling lately: She said she was afraid.

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This is Why Zombie Outbreak Scenarios Work

You know, if I was going to write/run a zombie outbreak story (I'm not, but bear with me) and near the beginning of the story, I said "…and then one of the members of the news crew that 'US Patient Zero' was on decides to break quarantine to pick up some food at the local Peachy Keens Buffet," people's fairly legitimate response would be "OH COME ON."

Except this is, as we see, entirely plausible.

Because people are fucking stupid.

You can't count on much, but you can always count on that.

+Mark Brueschke

NBC’s Medical Correspondent Is Quarantined for Ebola, Goes Out Anyway
NBC Chief Medical Correspondent Nancy Snyderman, apparently not a fan of Ebola quarantines, is now under police surveillance after she was spotted out in public in New Jersey last week.

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My turn to share horrifying climate predictions? Okay…

I’ll even provide a pullquote:

“Alaska is going to be the next Florida by the end of the century.”

And I suppose somewhere needs to be the next Florida, because Florida itself is screwed.

On a Warmer Planet, Which Cities Will Be Safest? – NYTimes.com
Scientists trying to predict the consequences of climate change see few havens from future storms, floods and droughts. But some regions will fare much better than others.

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"You have missed the point that a 9 year old girl will live the rest of her life with the image of a man she shot through the head. No matter what your argument, a NINE YEAR OLD has no damn business being taught to shoot an UZI. People in this country need to grow up and think about someone other than themselves and the "right" to own a firearm~they have ruined that girl. Every one of you bitching about your Second Amendment Rights needs to see a body with a bullet to the head at the age of NINE, no less. Jesus."

Originally shared by +Katie Hyde

(Not my comment, but I liked it and wanted to share. She was arguing with a gun nut.)