Today is February 21st. On this date in 1878, the first U.S. phone “book” was distributed in Connecticut. It consisted of only a single page. Over 100 years later, distribution of the phone book remains one of the widest examples of a company saying “here, you throw this away” in the world. Also, on this date in 1946, Hans Gruber (sometimes referred to as Snape) was born. Lastly, it’s Fat Tuesday, a holiday conceived to celebrate “your momma is so fat” jokes. So fat, when she got on the internet, it broke. There, I told one. Consider this an Open Thread.

One of Scott Walker’s Reforms Kicks in Today | Jim Geraghty
“It’s primary day in Wisconsin for local offices (school boards, city councils, judicial posts), and voters will have a surprising new requirement . . . proof that they are who they say they are”

Is Media Matters Obama’s Watergate? | American Spectator
“Let’s focus on one solitary, very bright thread in this series of stories about Media Matters, specifically the relationship between Media Matters and the Obama White House.”

David Brock explains it all | DC Trawler
“For over a week, everyone at Media Matters has refused to talk about any of TheDC’s stories about them. One request for comment after another has been ignored. Today, Media Matters founder David Brock finally broke his silence and set the record straight”

Patriotic children’s books emerging from Hollywood? | Human Events
“Covert’s latest project includes an eBook called Tex the T. Rex, a story about a dinosaur who is born on the Fourth of July and travels the country to understand why America is an exceptional nation.”

Today’s Word of the Day comes via Luciferous Logolepsy:
tachydidaxy: noun quick instruction or teaching