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Texas Democrats Walk Out of the House. Quite amusing -- it's fun to watch the Republicans get up in arms over the issue of redistricting, primarily because it affects them and they are really the big losers here, not the Democrats. Definitely the most amusement I've had in a very long time.

In other news, my alma mater wants to change our beloved mascot of the Minuteman to Wolves. Please. Obviously, they are ignoring the brand equity of the Minuteman, the keen connection that the Minuteman has to Massachusetts' history, not to mention us alum who are up in arms over the switch. It's all my UMASS mailing list has been talking about this week; my friend Katie noted that perhaps to combat sexism, we should call the women's teams 'Minute Maids'. The comment was funny at the time, but to be honest, first rule of name changing: You don't do it unless you're trying to distance yourself. A name change is purely reactionary, it's not pre-emptory. Companies who change their names are trying to distance themselves from scandal or bad reputation -- Altria ring a bell for anyone?