Micheal Barone thinks you’re not OK:

This is similar but not identical to a point I’ve often made: that the Republican Party is the party of people who are considered, by themselves and by others, as normal Americans—Northern white Protestants in the 19th century, married white Christians more recently—while the Democratic Party is the party of the out groups who are in some sense seen, by themselves and by others, as not normal—white Southerners and Catholic immigrants in the 19th century, blacks and white seculars more recently. Thus it’s natural for the Democrats to be more fissiparous.

(my emphasis)

Got that? Normal people are Republicans, abnormal people are Democrats. It’s a GOP country and all you darkies, queers and atheists, should be grateful you’re allowed to live here.

Anyone still wondering why the GOP has trouble attracting minority voters?

Via Balloon Juice.

This is probably the most-famous of all the archeopteryx fossils:

And it’s probably the most recognizable fossil ever. “Lucy” might be the most famous, mostly because of what she represents; but Lucy ain’t much to look at.

So, three weeks ago, I got a tattoo of that archeopteryx. Here it is, in-progress:

Mmmm… juicy.

And here it is, (nearly) all peeled and scab-free:

For a week or so, the colors were completely wrong; it was red and green instead of tan and black like it was supposed to be. I was convinced the guy who did it was colorblind and accidentally used the wrong inks. Seriously. I was completely bummed-out. Total regret. But that was just the redness of my irritated skin showing through, and after a week or so, the redness started to fade a bit, the dead skin began to peel off, and the actual colors appeared. Underneath the gore and debris, it looked much much much better. Now, three weeks after I got it, I like it. What a relief!

Now I’m thinking I should fill the rest of that calf with other Solnhofen fossils: a fish, some insects, shells, maybe a fern or something – all surrounded by that same light tan sandstone color. Am I up for more of that kind of pain, though ? That’s the big question.

iPod, you’ve got me on my knees
iPod, I’m beggin, dariln, please
iPod, darling won’t you ease my worried mind

1. Decembrists – When The War Came
2. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Baltimore
3. King Crimson – Starless
4. The Herbaliser – Who’s The Realest?
5. The Reverend Horton Heat – Bad Reputation
6. Belle And Sebastian – Wrong Love (BBC)
7. John Coltrane – Solacium (check out the video)
8. Spoon – June’s Foreign Spell
9. Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians – Railway Shoes
10. Pavement – Nothing Ever Happens

What does your iPod tell you ?