Origins of 8 of the Strangest Place Names in Canada [Mental Floss, via The Loop]

“Coeur d’Alene Sen. John Goedde, chairman of the Idaho Senate’s Education Committee, introduced legislation Tuesday to require every Idaho high school student to read Ayn Rand’s ‘Atlas Shrugged’ and pass a test on it to graduate from high school.” [Spokesman-Review, via Political Wire]

“The financially struggling U.S. Postal Service said Wednesday it will stop delivering mail on Saturdays but continue to disburse packages six days a week, an apparent end-run around an unaccommodating Congress.” [Yahoo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXmrOt9LVm8

Passing references to Wilde and Shaw bring to mind what may be our favorite Python sketch ever, besides the usual suspects. We first heard this on the “Matching Tie & Handkerchief” album years before we saw it, and the album version is far superior — mainly because the room explodes with raucous laughter after each bon mot, and takes forever to subside. But this particular video version is not without its peculiar charms. Those responsible have been sacked.

“Fox News has decided not to renew its contract with political commentator and pollster Dick Morris, an industry official tells POLITICO’s Mike Allen.”

“Britain is on course to adopt gay marriage after the House of Commons voted to give the marriage (same sex couples) bill a second reading by a majority of 225. The bill will still have to receive line-by-line scrutiny in the Commons, and then it will have to get through the Lords, but the size of the majority, and the fact that the leaders of all three main parties are in favour, suggest that it is now inevitable that gay marriage will become law.” [Guardian UK]