• Federal Way Mayor Skip Priest recommended, and some of the council members agreed, to consider a different newspaper of record. The political issues aside, it makes you wonder if they read the local newspaper. Sometimes there is information in there that would be helpful to elected officials in performing their duties. If they did read it, maybe they would have noticed that one of the candidates the council appointed to a city board was a chiropractor going to trial on felony sex charges.

• Harvard University, the home of many of our country’s leaders, was embarrassed recently by a student cheating scandal. The class they were cheating on: Government 1310, Introduction to Congress.

• Get even politics? Last January, the State Supreme Court found that the Legislature was not fulfilling its constitutional duty for funding basic education. Then a few months ago, the court angered conservatives — and Sen. Michael Baumgartner (R-Spokane) — when it ruled the two-thirds voter approval to raise taxes was unconstitutional. Baumgartner then introduced a bill to help finance basic education by cutting the Supreme Court from nine justices to five. He said he expected the judges to support the bill. They didn’t.

• If you’re an attractive female who wants a career, you might want to steer clear of Iowa. On the other hand, if you’re a male who can’t control himself, Iowa is the place for you. Or at least that’s what the all-male Supreme Court says. A male dentist fired his hygienist of 10 years because she was too pretty and was too big of a temptation. The court ruled it was legal to fire her because she was a threat to his marriage. The Supreme Court recently announced it will reconsider its previous position. Since about half the voters in Iowa are women, that seems prudent.

• As our congressional leaders argue over billions of dollars of debt and how to manage our government more responsibly, they might want to look a little closer to home. According to Cox Newspapers, last year the Senate Hair Care barbershop/salon ran a deficit of $401,000. The reason: $20 haircuts to Senators, staff and members of the public. What do you pay for a haircut?

• Have you thought that most criminals aren’t very bright? You’re right. One Portland, Ore., criminal accidentally placed a call to 911 while in the middle of a drug deal. The police traced the call to right around the corner from the police department. Note to drug dealers: Don’t carry your phone in your back pocket, and remember to consult a city map when setting the meeting location. It’s best to avoid areas near police stations.

• Donald Trump: “When it comes to immigration, you know 11 million illegals will be voting Democratic. I say to myself, why aren’t we letting more people in from Europe?” Isn’t that where the rest of us came from?

• Sarah Palin: “Todd’s got the rifle, I’ve got the rack.” Trump-Palin in 2016.

• In 2012, many Republican Senators said Obama’s health care plan would bankrupt the state. The 2013 budget passed by the Republican-dominated state Senate included Obamacare because it “saved” the state several million dollars.

• A friend and I were planning to play golf at the Auburn municipal golf course. I called about a tee time and gave them my name. “How do you spell that?” asked the assistant pro. Good reminder that we’re all just passing through. Current officeholders … they forget quickly, so try to do good while you are there.

• Isn’t it strange how Congress always says there’s no money? That is until they are inconvenienced. When the air traffic controllers went on strike and inconvenienced 500 members of Congress, suddenly there’s money to put the controllers back to work.

• Headline in regional newspaper: “Deceased singers needed.” Turns out it was for auditions for a play. Thank goodness!