If you receive an e-mail supposedly from “Yahoo 360”, proceed with caution. Nod32 went ballistic when it saw it, we are talking lights and sirens, because of something in the message.

“Why are people in Michigan and Florida so angry? They knew what the rules were before they changed their primary dates, so why are they so angry?”

Among many other things, the rules were changed on the fly by the DNC.

Go read the DNC Primary Rules, the ones the leaders of the Democratic parties in Michigan and Florida agreed to, from a New Hampshire Democrat.

Based on the rules, the Democratic officials in Michigan expected to lose 50% of their pledged delegates and all of their superdelegates – that’s what the rule [Rule 20.C.1.a.] says will happen to states that violate the rule [Rule 11.A] on scheduling primaries and caucuses.

That is not what happened. The rules, as written and agreed to, were not followed.

Five states [Michigan, Florida, Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina] violated Rule 11.A by scheduling primaries and caucuses earlier than allowed, but only two were punished, and those two lost all of their pledged delegates. No superdelegates lost their votes. This is not according to the rules.

When an unelected group within the Democratic National Committee can arbitrarily decide what rules will be enforced and what the penalty will be, rather than enforcing the rules equally, against all violators, and handing out equal penalties the process is corrupt.

This problem can be easily resolved to the satisfaction of everyone – enforce the rules. All five states should lose half their pledged delegates and all of their superdelegates, just like the rules require.

The concept is called “equal justice under the law” where democratic principles guide government action. Some people think it’s important.

31 Gerald Sousa (10)
32 Rick Casillo (34)
33 Jason Mackey (36)
34 Scott Smith (35)
35 Robert Bundtzen (97)
36 Sven Haltmann^r (73)
37 Rohn Buser^r (37)
38 Louis Nelson Sr. (80)
39 Cindy Gallea (82) [Montana]
40 Jon Korta (71)
41 Clint Warnke (15)
42 Robert Nelson (70)^r
43 Rudi Niggemeier (52)^r [Germany]
44 Rick Larson (95) [Montana]
45 Kelley Griffin (86)
46 Bruce Linton (8)
47 Lachlan Clarke (58) [Colorado]
48 Fabrizio Lovati (77) [Italy]
49 Benoit Gerard (91)^r [France]
50 Jennifer Freking (60)^r [Minnesota]
51 Blake Freking (54) [Minnesota]

^r – Iditarod rookie

Deborah Bicknell (21) is at the back in 80^th place on the trail out of Shaktoolik.

Jennifer Freking and her husband, Blake, raise and race Siberian huskies. It was one of her dogs that was killed by a snowmobile earlier.

Ed Iten’s four-year-old male, Cargo, died earlier in the race, but the preliminary examination is unable to determine the cause of death. They will be conducting further tests.

From comments on my earlier post on Rachael Scdoris: apparently she and her dogs are fine, but they couldn’t make any progress on the sea ice, and she decided that scratching was better that wearing out the dogs going nowhere.

Rachael Scdoris (55), the legally blind musher from Bend, Oregon, has scratched in Koyuk while in 62^nd place. No word yet as to why she decided to drop out.

Allen Moore (76), who scratched at Shaktoolik yesterday, is receiving medical attention for a high fever. His wife, Aliy Zirkle (17), finished in 21^st place.

The warmer than normal temperatures have not been kind to dogs or mushers – both have to work a lot harder in soft snow, and sub-zero temperature tend to kill microorganisms.

3/14 is Albert’s birthday and

Π Day.

I assume you have all shopped for the perfect gift.

To get you started: Π ≈ 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197
1693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679…..

[post at 1:59am]

Wild Kingdom

Where’s the powder room?

[Editor: Ringo goes out occasionally, but she doesn’t socialize as she did before the “operation”.]

Friday Ark