A Brief Off-Topic Political Post For Which I Apologize In Advance

No apology needed. You are a precious bean and I thank you for existing.

Moonfireflight

I never thought he would win and here we are. I am a single mother of a little girl, I have an okay job but I get by. I'm genuinely scared for what the future holds, not just for myself but for my fellow Americans who are going to get royally fucked over by this. Honestly this is going to fuck everyone, not equally, some more than others. But no one is coming out on top except probably Trump.

Don't apologise for just being a regular guy, with the same world worries as many of us

The saddest thing about this election was, how much fear it spreaded on all sides and in everyone. The devilish thing about that election was, that media had a lot of fun throwing more and more fuel into the fire which helped to grow even more "Angst".

Hey Jim, (ignore previous 2 posts.. I messed up copy pasting) It took too long but I finally did the Pateron thing today. Your post about the election made we realize that I needed to pitch in to make sure you can continue doing your stuff. About TRUMP and NUKES (my job involves nuclear weapon research): I am a computational plasma physicist. I am at a university but closely work with one of the National Labs with the folks that research and maintain the 'NUKES'. We are all freaked out. The atmosphere is shock and terror. (disclaimer: I refused working on weapons.. my research is about Alternative Fussion Energy - but the open secret is that the USA supports alternative energy research because the same stuff can be used for military/defense. In particular peacetime Fussion research is simultaneously nuclear weapon research.) The senior scientists - usually calm, experienced, Spock-like patriarchs - will talk about how scared Ronald Reagan made them but describe it logical ways or with stories. To see them with actual emotion and with fear and worry today is chilling. (funny story: I am privileged to work with one senior physicist who is among the best living scientists so he's been on various committees for decades. In the 80s, he was one of the people in charge of monitoring the Russians to see if they were abiding by the SALT arms reduction treaty. They found the Russians were going exactly to the limits allowed but not over. Just as the USA was. He+the committee were summoned to the Oval office for a 15 min session and were going to tell Reagan these findings. After 1-2 mins of presenting, Reagan interrupts and says "Stop. I don't need to hear the facts. I already know the truth. They are cheating." The scientist didn't know how to respond. He just said nothing turned around and walked out.) About YOUR SITE: I HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING in the new web - least of something like Pateron. I WAS OUT OF IT. And felt too old for all of it. I have just wild bewilderment and maybe what can be best described as a Grinch like disdain watching all the Whos down in Whosville with their Youtubes and Twiches and Twitters. I have never ever been on any of these sites... first time I watched a Youtube video was a Jimqusition that I accidentally starting watching over the shoulder of grad student. And I got hooked. I live very detached in the ivory tower coding simulations that run in parallel on 100,000 computers (thanks be to the America's bloated, paranoid defense spending that makes such computer systems available) I did BBSes as a kid.. then on Bitnet, then on the Internet. I was one of the crackers removing copy protection for games as part of the group INC in the 90s when it was INC versus The Humble Guys. I was there at the start of all this stuff.. and I - when I am not present and just wrapped in my default curmudgeon posture - just get enraged and dismissive seeing the rapacious toxic pit that 'gamer' culture and 'internet culture' have become. I really wanted to thank you. You hooked me initially because I resonated with the outrage you had for 'gamer', publisher, preorder etc culture. And you did it being fucking funny as hell. And as someone with a gay sibling and aunts/uncles I appreciated the inclusiveness and lightness in the loafers haha. Besides the fact that you don't just rant and you really try to step back and be fair and thoughtful, there is something else that is VERY UNDERSTATED AND POWERFUL ABOUT YOU+LAURA+AND GAVEN. THERE IS UNDERLYING FUNDAMENTAL OPTIMISM AND A PUSH TO ENGAGE AND TRY TO CHANGE VERSUS RETREAT AND WITHDRAW. It's infectious. Thank you all for this... silly but your stuff and the podcast not only have a gotten immersed and more in-synch and started me to begin embracing the new Internets and such, but it really knocked me off my cynical unnecessary, fossilized, curmudgeon schtick. Cheers and keep up the great work.

As a bisexual, half hispanic, woman (who has been called sir occasionally because of how I prefer to dress) - I am afraid. I will probably also spend today working (which is art for me) and hope that it brings some "Oooo! That's pretty!" distraction to the world. Keep up the good work and thank you for this post. Think I and others also need to know that we're not alone.

Dawn Wolf

Hey Jim, I am 40 year old computational physicist.. which I mention only to put the following in stark relief: I as on BBSes as a kid.. then on Bitnet, then on the Internet. I was one of the crackers for INC when it was INC versus (almostI don't understand.. I have just wild bewilderment and maybe what can be best described as a Grinch like disdain watching all the Whos down in Whosville with their Youtubes and Twiches and Twitters as I write code simulating

Hey Jim,

I think as long as the American people remember to help each other out and look past our differences we'll be fine. That aside, the best of luck to you all in your future endeavors.

Irish John

Take as much time off as you need Jim, none of us will judge or think less of you for doing so

At work right now and went having this to read was for a brief moment reverie from the news of the day. Thanks, and as always I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Christopher Cameron

Thanks Jim. Up here in Canada, we are seeing no silver lining to this. I hope progressives can collaborate across national borders to minimize the harms here. (And I'm super anxious to do what I can to stem this global tide of false populist nationalism before it starts to get too powerful up here, too. Political trends tend to migrate north, though it takes a few years.) This is so fucked. Bon courage, mes amis américains!

Life goes on. We need to live it. But don't reward the trolls with attention. Live and ensure that we watch each other's backs. We do need to be careful but we also need to be sure to not give them more power by showing we are afraid. Technically I am not a member of the oppressed minorities but that doesn't mean that I don't support decency and respect. Both sides need to learn that lesson. But the best we can all do is live and stay aware and protect each other. It's not us against them it's just us. Each and every one.

I'm scared too Jim. It's a hard day to be an immigrant.

Freya Northman

Thank you both for keeping up work AND for talking about why. Personally I need to be distracted... but I also need to know other people are effected. Thank you for sharing

from one brit to another

nat3.desperles

its good to know your with us jim

nat3.desperles

I'm scared, too, Jim. I'm lucky -- I'm white and cisgender and heterosexual and middle class and have a lot of privilege. The only aspect of my being where I don't come out on top is that I'm a woman, and in particular a woman graduate student in physics. But I'm terrified what this is going to do to the country. I'm scared for my LGBT+ friends who may soon no longer be able to marry, who may soon have to deal with conversion camps. I'm scared for my black and Hispanic friends, who will soon (I'm sure) be discriminated against by the police far worse than what they already have to deal with. I'm scared for my Muslim friends, who may soon find themselves in a situation analogous to 1930's Germany, where they have to register, convert, or practice their religion in secret and hope to pass. I'm scared for the world as a whole, which can't take another four years of climate change denial, and for how Trump nominating at least 1 and as many as 4 Supreme Court justices will hurt us for decades to come. Thanks for providing distraction today; I'm going to need it or the fear might consume me.

Rachel Sandler

Thanks Jim. We need a good distraction