Adventures of a Freelance Murray Slaughter

I wonder if Romney would have won if Fox News had not been around. I do not think that any Democrat supporting person I know took his election as a given; there were a lot of people fretting about it. But 'liberal' news outlets (most notably MSNBC) always had a 'but he might lose' bit to it. It was a possibility. Fox never admitted that; even when I was reading 538 and trying to figure out why Republican friends were talking momentum that I did not see. Looking at opinion coverage right before the election, people like Peggy Noonan were insisting Romney had it in the bag. Fox pundits were there constantly; hell, Rove was arguing with the numbers people live on the air. People on that side of the spectrum never seemed to think it was even a possibility Romney would not win; they were fed cherry picked information that told them he would. I wonder what the possibility is that because they drank the kool-aid, they did not make changes to their campaign at either the strategy or the grassroots levels that might have helped them. If everything is working (and they were repeatedly told it was), why change?

so today I have went out and gave the voting masses free coffee. I was making short posts about it to Facebook, but I know some y'all don't read that, so I figured I'd agglomerate the short posts here for you because it will make you happy. Especially if you are browngirl.

7 hours ago
The stories of people spending 1hr to 90 minutes, *already*, waiting to line impress me. Thanks, everyone. For those of you who have voted already, would it be worth it for me to brew up a couple pots of coffee, put them in the 2 gallon insulated cooler, and cart them over to the lineup?

6 hours ago
ok. on the third carafe. if anyone is in the area and would like to meet me at teele fire station at 10:30 with some 2% and (more importantly) paper cups, that would be awesome. I am going to bring simple syrup, I think, instead of sugar. Let me know.

5 hours ago
50 cups of coffee, 48 12oz cups, a litre of almond milk, 2 quarts of simple. I should prolly pick up cow milk. since I have simple, do you think I need stirry things?

3 hours ago via Mobile
Taking a cup... "so who is funding this?" "uhm, me?"

2 hours ago via Mobile
"Are all Canadians as awesome as you?" "Oh, I sure hope so."

about an hour ago via Mobile
41 cups of coffee given out, 3 refills, 2 people with their own travel mugs filled. Home for lunch!

19 minutes ago
So I had developed a little speech, "Why are you doing this?" people would ask. "Well, I'm Canadian, so I can't vote, but I appreciate that people are coming out in this cold and waiting 2 hours to vote, and I wanted to do something nice for all of you."

One time, I started it, "Well, I'm Canadian," and paused a little longer, and the woman I was saying it to thought I was done, and she laughed and said, "From what I hear of your people, that's enough!" (this was not the same person who asked if all canadians were as awesome as me.)

12 minutes ago
Other amusing bit: while I was giving out coffee I was trying to be very non-partisan; I would say neutral things about just thanking people for voting, regardless. One person asked me who I supported, though, and I looked down at the coffee and said, "Well, I took my personal supplies, and spent an hour and a half brewing coffee, and then I took public transit, and came down here to redistribute my wealth to the public because I thought it might help you. So I bet you can figure out who I *don't* support."

8 minutes ago
also somebody tried to give me a $20. which even if I wasn't doing it because it just seemed like a nice thing to do for people and I like it when I can do a random act of kindness, especially when it involves food, was way beyond even Starbucks levels of pricing (it was a 12 oz. cup.)

it is time for my annual sit down and compile all the movies that are coming in the first 6 months of 2013, so that I can start approaching people to give me (and Arisia) stuff. Generally I look for things that have devoted geek fan followings (so though the next Schwarzenegger film is a western, and the Colfer film is a high school movie, they go on the list).

Then I also look for geeky documentaries, animated anything, fantasy, superheroes, SF, and horror films. In addition to this, I usually get publicists offering me stuff that isn't actually genre, but they need to push, and I let them (which is why we were given 300 Man on a Ledge insulated tumblers last year, which I took because they were $4 tumblers and people love tumblers).

I am up to the end of February now, and I have 9 movies, after filtering through about 40 films being released in Jan/Feb. I have hit my first SF release of the year - a family CG animated film that looks like it is only saved from direct to video because its the Weinsteins. Everything else is horror. Horror/comedy, horror/zombie, horror/supernatural, etc. Pure Texas Chainsaw Massacre horror, too.

a couple times recently I have said, 'oh I picked up an X' yesterday, and been told 'oh, if I knew you needed that I have one in my basement/closet/storage/garage'. So if you have any of these things and were not throwing it out because it's perfectly good and someone might want it, here's your chance. Nothing is OH MY GOD NOW or anything, just household set-uppish:

- curtain rods: we have 4 windows with hooks for hanging rods, or I can go for those springy types
- curtains: yay/damn this place has a lot of windows. They are all the 24"x64" types. 4 in the front room, 2 in the comfy room. I have some lace ones for the kitchen but they don't match.
- bathroom caddy
- drainboard/drying rack
- cookie sheets
- side tables (just little ones. a few places where one might be handy)
- coat rack (you know the stick and peg type?)
- porch furniture

I also have a crapload of pegboard stuff, including two 4-foot long, 8" wide retail hanging displays (I kept canned goods and packets in them) that I have no space for here, if anyone has a pegboard system and wants them.

would anyone in the Boston area be interested in an accessories swap? purses, scarves, jewelry, ties, belts, etc?

last night I had two notable dreams, one in which someone who sort of wanted to cuddle with me on a sofa at a con took a phone call, which turned out to be from an ex, and he started crying in the middle of it and begging her to take him back.

the other one I had was that the phone call I am waiting for at home today, and after 10 seconds we were cut off, and I could not call them back (the number in goes to a call bank, not the individual), and they counted it as me missing the appointment, and I was not eligible for the assistance as a result.

The lesson I have decided to take from this is not "I am stressed out about being lonely, and about finances," and instead, "Phones are evil."

people of the internet: I need people to help unload Shazza's car at my new place in somerville tomorrow night. We are not sure of the time; ideally we'll load the car up, then I will call you to meet us in Somerville, giving you half an hour or so notice. (6 to 8ish). If anyone has a second car and also wants to carry a load up, awesome, but otherwise what we really need are unloaders at that end.

there were several people who said they would be able to help me move tomorrow, but most arrangements were made before I went to Kentucky, and I am sort of freaking out this week (I had a seizure in kentucky, a few hours before I was supposed to travel, resulting in me having to push myself stupid hard for 36 hours because of two really ignorant pilots in order to get home, with the result being when I did collapse, instead of being for the usual 5-6 hours, it was 2 days where I kept having small seizures).

anyway, the point is I remember certain people, and I know there were more, and I specified tomorrow (sunday), and now I am suddenly running with my head cut off, so if you said you would help and can email me, I will love you forever. Vehicles are welcome, and you can work in quincy, somerville or both if you want to (we are going to try things in shifts so that people can take a break).

there will be chinese after for peeps. and the weather is supposed to be partly cloudy but a decent temperature (70) . mail to thespian@sleepingcat.com for more info/addresses.

in full, but I will need people to help me move on the 23rd of September. It is happening a little early because I have been asked to present my products in a class on syrups at the Boston Cocktail Summit, on October 4th, and so need to spend some time from the 25th-30th in the commercial kitchen prepping things.

I am moving from a first floor apartment to a first floor apartment. At this end there are 4 steps or a half step depending which exit you use. At that end (owned by jjv), there are 5 steps or 7 steps, depending on the entrance used.

people who have offered to help in the past (especially about Pour Industries) would be welcomed. If you cannot help on the 23rd (when goddessfarmer will have her truck here), but you have a car (or if you can help another day AND on the 23rd) I have packed a LOT in easily-moved-in-a-car bankers boxes.

I will order pizza. Recommendations on pizza places by Clarendon Hill will be welcome, as neither Pinky's nor Beauty's delivers there, which makes me sad. Coming back to Somerville, but Denied!

Damn. Just got asked to do a big thing at the Cocktail Summit for Pour Industries. WIth some big, established names in syrups. It would be a great break; but it does involve some investment - probably about $300. there would be a big advantage; I was planning on the kickstarter in October now that I will be in Somerville again (there is a community kitchen I can use there but I need to be a resident). but aside from needing to raise the money...I need to decide if I can do Camp Runamok, move in the last week of September and be prepped for doing the a professional panel by the 4th.