So, i haven't been here in a long while, but I noticed the comment issues, too, and came back to see if it had been addressed or discussed, and wanted to again mention that there's a (very idle) discord server. I don't necessarily care or expect one way or the other for it to become more constantly active, but I'll post the link here again anyway so if anything weird happens with comments here again, people can at least go there to find or share information about it.
https://discord.gg/PXkVh3De

For anyone interested, I created a Mark Spoils Discord server: https://discord.gg/KFkWJDJ

I think it might be fun to have some live chat about the things we usually talk about here, and more. It's a work in progress, so I'm always open to suggestions for new channels, better categories, bots, and so on.

OK, I've created a server: https://discord.gg/KFkWJDJ

I've set it up with channels that I think will be useful, and I've posted some basic rules (basically the same rules as here and on Mark Reads and Mark Watches).

I'm willing to start it, but I won't be the only admin. I'm going to set something up and see what I can do.

Honestly, ever since I found out discord was a thing, I've thought it might actually be a not unreasonable addition to Mark Spoils in general...

I’m on mobile so it’s a little challenging to write a long rot13 reply, but I just want to say thank you, this is very much appreciated and enlightening.

V qba'g xabj jung gb qb. V qba'g xabj vs gurer'f nalguvat V pna qb. Gur zbarl jbhyqa'g rira or na vffhr (zl pbzcnal vf npghnyyl irel genaf-sevraqyl, naq V guvax bhe vafhenapr cynaf pbire n YBG zber guna zbfg), vg'f zber gur rguvpf (ner gurer qbpgbef jub jbhyq cresbez gung xvaq bs fhetrel ba abaovanel crbcyr?) naq gur evfx, pbafvqrevat vg'f irel zhpu abg erirefvoyr. Orpnhfr gur guvat vf, V'z abg ragveryl fher vs guvf vf fbzrguvat V ernyyl jnag be whfg rail bs fbzrguvat V qba'g unir.

Vs V raq hc npghnyyl genafvgvbavat, V xabj sbe n snpg gung jvyy raq zl eryngvbafuvc jvgu zl tveysevraq. Fur'f irel fgenvtug naq pbafvqref crargengvba ol n cravf n erdhverzrag sbe ure frkhny rawblzrag. Ohg nf zhpu nf vg jbhyqa'g fbyir gur travgny ceboyrz, V fgvyy jnag gb pbafvqre ubezbarf svefg. Orpnhfr nf zhpu nf V'z abg srznyr, V jnag n zber srzvavar obql, naq V guvax zl tveysevraq pbhyq or BX jvgu gung nf ybat nf zl bhgjneq cerfragngvba vf zber be yrff arhgeny (gubhtu V'q or irel unccl sbe gur fzbbgure fxva naq gur obql unve erqhpgvba). V whfg jbeel gung vs V fgneg qbja gung ebnq jvgu ure haqrefgnaqvat gung gung'f nf sne nf vg jvyy tb, naq gura punatr zl zvaq, fur'yy srry orgenlrq naq srry yvxr fur jnfgrq ure gvzr fgnlvat jvgu zr.

V'z ybbxvat vagb gurencl ntnva, orpnhfr boivbhfyl gung'f na vzcbegnag cneg bs gur cebprff ertneqyrff bs jung V raq hc qbvat. Zbfgyl V whfg arrqrq gb irag (naq cebonoyl enzoyr n ybg), orpnhfr vg'f orra ba zl zvaq.

Unrot13 this part first:

CW: traqre dhrfgvbavat, gnyx bs travgnyvn, frk

Then the rest, if you choose to continue.

Fb, V qba'g ernyyl xabj jurer ryfr gb chg guvf orpnhfr guvf vf bar bs gur yrnfg frnepunoyr cynprf ba gur vagrearg, cyhf V'z hfvat ebg13. V'q chg vg ba ghzoye, ohg V ubarfgyl qba'g xabj vs nalbar V xabj va erny yvsr unccraf gb ernq vg bssyvar, yvxr guebhtu EFF be fbzrguvat.

V srry yvxr V'z fghpx, traqre-jvfr. V vqragvsl abj nf abaovanel - ntraqre, fcrpvsvpnyyl - orpnhfr ab ovanel traqre ernyyl frrzf gb svg. Juvpu vf hasbeghangr, orpnhfr vs V vqragvsvrq nf srznyr, nyzbfg rirelguvat jbhyq or fb zhpu rnfvre.

V ernyyl gubhtug V jnf cnfg guvf, ubarfgyl. V gubhtug V jnf whfg unccvyl abaovanel naq pbhyq tb ba sebz gurer naq rirelguvat jbhyq or whfg svar.

Gur guvat vf, V ungr gur fghcvq shpxvat travgnyf V jnf obea jvgu. Nf V bapr chg vg, "V jbhyq engure or pbapnir guna pbairk." Yvxr, V whfg ungr gung gurer'f guvf fghss nggnpurq gb zl pebgpu gung'f ceriragvat vg sebz orvat ... jryy, sbe ynpx bs n orggre grez, inpnag. V nz rkgerzryl raivbhf bs pvf jbzra sbe gung. (V'z rkpyhqvat genaf zra sebz zl rail orpnhfr sbe bar guvat, V jvyy arire rail zra sbe nalguvat, naq sbe nabgure, V'z fher n ybg bs gurz ner yrff unccl jvgu gurve travgnyvn naq jbhyq cersre fbzrguvat ryfr.)

Naq gurer'f ab jnl V pna unir nal bs gung punatrq hayrff V vqragvsl nf ovanel srznyr, juvpu V whfg ... V gevrq. V ernyyl gevrq, naq V qba'g xabj vs vg'f whfg gung V'z abg hfrq gb vg, fb rirelguvat frrzrq n yvggyr fgenatr, be vs V whfg qvqa'g srry gur pbzzvgzrag gb pbzcyrgryl punatvat zl crefbany fglyr naq nccrnenapr gb znxr vg jbex. Varegvn vf n ovt guvat jvgu zr. Znlor V fubhyq unir nabgure tb ng vg?

V jvfu zntvp jrer n guvat. Tvir zr n genafsvthengvba fcryy be cbylwhvpr cbgvba (jvgu gur pbafrag bs gur crefba jubfr unve V jbhyq hfr, bs pbhefr) whfg gb gel vg bhg naq frr vs V rira yvxr vg. Naq vg pbhyq or qbar vafgnagyl, naq V pbhyq punatr onpx vs vg qvqa'g srry evtug.

Naq vg'f abg rira n frkhny guvat, orpnhfr yvxr, V fcraq yrff guna gjb cre prag bs zl yvsr univat frk. Vg'f nyy nobhg gur erfg bs gur gvzr. V jnag gurer gb or abguvat cerfrag gurer. Gur rail V srry sbe crbcyr jub unir fhpu travgnyvn naq npprcg vg vf nobhg vg whfg orvat gurer (be sbe gur zbfg cneg, abg orvat gurer) guna nalguvat ryfr. V zrna, fher, gurer'f n frkhny pbzcbarag, V jba'g yvr - V'q ybir gb srry frk sebz gung crefcrpgvir. Ohg V'q nyfb ybir gb whfg fvg nebhaq jngpuvat GI naq abg unir n qnza cravf.

(continued...)

long, rambling personal post below, all in rot13.

Michigan is at least somewhat badly gerrymandered. Democrats won the popular vote in Michigan last Tuesday by seven points, but evenly split the state's House seats with the Republicans. Based on the percentages, they probably should have won 8 of the 14 seats instead of 7. Which doesn't sound like that big a difference, but it means that probably up to a million people in Michigan are essentially unrepresented in Congress.