If you want an indication of the sad lives geeks live, look no further than the flurry of chatter every time Google fucks with its logo. Yesterday it was a barcode, honoring the 57th anniversary of the original patent — and the 30th anniversary of its appearance in the UK, to pick a round number.

We’d sooner honor George H.W. Bush’s infamous 1992 encounter with a supermarket scanner, but that’s not until February. So instead we’ll take the opportunity to post one of our favorite Mad covers, from April 1978. In retrospect, 60 cents was cheap — today’s cover price is $5.99.

The rise of the barcode [BBC]

Make your own barcode, just like Google [Christian Science Monitor]

Bill O’Reilly to Michele Bachmann:

“See, I’m not getting — to me, you’re a conservative Republican from a Midwestern — upper Midwestern state, who speaks her mind articulately, does her job. Why are they coming after you? I don’t get it.”

We should probably answer with a bullet list, but instead we’ll note something curious about the clip: “Both you and Sarah Palin are good-looking women,” adds LoofahMan. Does Bachmann do the Kitty Harris profile pose just for him?

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Continuing Stinque Hump Day, we’re obligated to note that Hunky Antiwar Paultard Adam Kokesh has raised more than $100,000 in his bid to unseat incumbent Congressman Ben Ray Luján.

Problem is, Luján has raised $400,000.

But that hasn’t stopped the Kokesh campaign from proudly claiming it “KO’S FUNDRAISING GOALS” in one of the frequent emails they send us, proving that Objectivism isn’t above Boosterism. Nor is it above Elmer Fuddism, as today’s missive invites us to join the campaign’s “TWOWN HALL” on Twitter.

Hope spwings etewnal, however, and Kokesh pledges to continue holding “yard sales, car washes and bake sales” to raise money. Which is all well and good, but if Kokesh is serious about catching up to Luján, we would suggest Jockey-clad lectures on the evils of the Fed while swooning supporters stuff dollars down his moneybomb.

Kokesh raises cash to challenge Luján for Congress [Santa Fe New Mexican, via RML]

Nationally acclaimed nut-fancier Levi Johnston has confirmed he’s dropping trou for America:

“Team Levi is in the process of preparing for his Playgirl appearance,” his lawyer Rex Butler tells Usmagazine.com. “He is in the gym six days a week for the next three weeks.”

Unless Levi’s trainer knows something we don’t, no amount of gym time will enhance what interests Playgirl readers. For that matter, nobody yet knows whether the puckish pestorker will be displayed sunny-side up.

Rep: Levi Johnston’s Working Out “Six Days a Week” for Playgirl Shoot [Us Magazine]

A new poll from Louisiana shows Stinque Diaper-Rating Legend David Vitter ahead of his Demrat challenger by 10 points — although Repug opponent Jay Dardenne leads the Demrat by 13 points.

“Some Other Candidate” checks in at about 5 percent, which can only mean Stinque-endorsed family-values champion and adult entertainer Stormy Daniels has her work cut out for her. But we know she’s up to the task of getting down and dirty.

Election 2010: Louisiana Senate [Rasmussen]

Draft Stormy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm_adM-14K4

Louie Gohmert (R-NSFW) takes issue against hate-crimes legislation because “sexual orientation” is too vague:

If you’re oriented toward animals, bestiality, then, you know, that’s not something that can be used, held against you or any bias be held against you for that. Which means you’d have to strike any laws against bestiality, if you’re oriented toward corpses, toward children, you know, there are all kinds of perversions.

Whew. Is it hot in here? We may have to revive Stinque After Dark just to run excerpts from the Congressional Record.

Rep. Louie Gohmert: Hate crimes bill will lead to Nazism, legalization of necrophilia, pedophilia, and bestiality [Think Progress]