Okay, the Martinelli's is still in the fridge. Unopened, it'll last for three years, but I don't want to keep politicized apple cider through a move. So in the next six months, I'll need to celebrate something.

I've read more stirring post-election posts than I can count, but I'll lead with Ampersand's:

The big mistake the Democrats, and most of the left, made was to believe that by winning elections we will change the country. Just the opposite is true. It is only by changing the country that we will win elections.

(more...)

• The results of this election don't matter. Why? We're all about to be eaten by global warming-enabled giant squid, that's why. [Via Worldchanging]
• I'm going to reload the BBC's results page every five minutes for the next half hour, squealing like a stuck pig every time. Then I'm watching the Gilmore Girls and heading off to the volunteer party.
  
  I feel like something the cat is currently dragging in. I bought Martinelli's instead of champagne, for the one hand, and orange juice instead of vodka for the other - but even teetotalling is probably not enough to stave off this cold. However I'll be damned if I forego the chance to suffer/rejoice with compatriots for at least a little while.
• What's the conventional wisdom about the kinds of precincts that get their counts finished and reported early?
• Meanwhile back at the ranch, I've gotten a couple hundred extra hits in the past few days for my judicial endorsements. Due to the vagaries of Google-ju they've been mostly for the Office 52 contest; if Ms. Priver wins by a small margin, then, I and my bot-optimized heading tags fully intend to take credit.
• I've never been this invested in an election before. Eeeeeeek! I should write a reflection - but not until after the party tonight.

We've got two pieces of electoral reform brouhaha on our ballots today in California - I voted "no" on both. There's lots of ways in which to reform party primariesm, many are ill-conceived, and manyI haven't heard of. Like Fusion ticketing. I would love to have voted as "Green for Kerry"...but alas, I don't live in New York.

This election is a productivity pit. I'm getting a little bit of work done, but only a little, and I'm sure tomorrow will be worse. My throat started getting sore yesterday afternoon and hasn't stopped; calling up two precincts worth of Democrats* and going out in the crisp evening air to distribute door-hangers was probably not what the doctor would have ordered. I haven't quite worked out where I'm going to watch the results, but I'm sure it won't be a recuperative experience.

If you've also given up on getting anything done until Thursday, try contrasting Joshuah Bearman's stories from Florida with Common Cause's liveblogging of voter intimidation tactics. Then spin around in your chair until your head goes wubba-wubba-wubba.

* These were La Canada-Flintridge precincts, so it didn't take long.

I made soup out of my jack-o-lantern. Pumpkin, lentils, potato, lemongrass, nutmeg, cumin (just a little), mushrooms, rice, milk, and onion - very tasty and filling! But also very ugly.

I have this problem whereby cooking with mushrooms (admittedly not the freshest ones available, since I buy from the "reduced for quick sale" cart) results in a sludgy dark gray color. The taste is fine but I want my food to be pretty, too - any hints?