Also, question: are there black people in Seattle? Or Cincinnati? I would like to live somewhere that doesn't have a decidedly monochromatic pale color in its citizens.

When my sister visited, she said that she was surprised at the diversity -- she'd expected black people and white people, and was surprised that there were lots of other groups, too.

Awesome.

My neighborhood is very white, which sometimes feels kind of weird, but I'm not really out that much in my neighborhood. (Actually, I haven't really been going out that much at all. I should probably try to change that. Getting too hermitty is a bad thing for me.)

Also, question: are there black people in Seattle?

Varies a lot by neighborhood, which I suppose is the case anywhere. Annabel's school is quite diverse--majority white, but significant numbers of Asian and black students (both African-American and African immigrants). In general, I expect to see diversity as I go about my day-to-day life, though the city certainly has it share of lily-white pockets.

I admit my first thought about Scalia, after surprise, was to be happy he wouldn't be on the Supreme Court anymore.

Thanks to Theo, I have successfully showered Valerie and Stitch! sj and Emily and do you people know Sandra? were all there and it was good times.

This, on the other hand, makes me so very happy! Yay for buffista babies and buffista baby showers!

Coming from DC, I suspect you'd have the same reaction coming from New Orleans: Seattle is SUPER FUCKING WHITE.

That's pretty much my only complaint about it. Though house has gotten mad expensive--you'd certainly be better off in Cincy there.

Seattle is SUPER FUCKING WHITE.

So true. Portland too.

Coming from New Orleans, would any place other than Memphis and Detroit NOT be super fucking white by comparison?

OMG, Connie, thanks for posting the Ballad of the Malheur Patriots. I think I have a new tagline:

storming a building surrounded by ducks.

Cincinnati city is actually very close to being majority minority, although the metro region is pretty white. There's a lot of de facto segregation, though, in many areas of life. Much depends on where you choose to live (and while the neighborhood where Hil lives is pretty white, it is also home to the most truly diverse place I know in the city - the Hyde Park Kroger. Everyone from P&G executives to poor people, of all ethnicities, shops there.) As someone who moved here from the south, I will say Cincinnati is NOT Southern in its street vibe and hospitality level.