Posts from — March 2008

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

The first 4 are finished, the next 4 are in Safety, and the rest are in White Mountain.
Current Standings:

31 Gerald Sousa (10)
32 Rick Casillo (34)
33 Jason Mackey (36)
34 Scott Smith (35)
35 Robert Bundtzen (97)
36 Louis Nelson Sr. (80)
37 Rohn Buser (37)
38 Sven Haltmann (73)
39 Cindy Gallea (82)
40 Jon Korta (71)
41 Clint Warnke (15)
42 Robert Nelson (70)
43 Rudi Niggemeier (52)
44 Rick Larson (95)
45 Kelley Griffin (86)
46 Fabrizio Lovati (77)
47 Karen Ramstead (19)
48 Lachlan Clarke (58)
49 Bruce Linton (8)
50 Benoit Gerard (91)

Rachael Scdoris (55) is in Koyuk in 62^nd place, while the back of the pack is 81^st place, Liz Parrish (75) , in Unalakleet.

Realizing that most people probably don’t have a copy of the New York Penal Law handy [not a bad read, but it lack the plot of the Criminal Procedure Law], if the law enforcement official of the state of New York were interested in pursuing a charge against soon-to-be former governor Spitzer, they would go with that old favorite:

Title M – OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC HEALTH AND MORALS

Article 230 – (230.00 – 230.40) PROSTITUTION OFFENSES

§ 230.04 Patronizing a prostitute in the third degree.

A person is guilty of patronizing a prostitute in the third degree when he or she patronizes a prostitute.
Patronizing a prostitute in the third degree is a class A misdemeanor.

A class A misdemeanor is punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 and/or not more than 1 year in jail. [Terms of 1 year or less are served in a local jail rather than a state prison.]

Technically both misdemeanors and felonies are classified as crimes in New York official proceedings. Words have specific meanings in the law. This is so the people who write laws don’t actually have to be able to write, as evidenced by the above example.

The case would be almost impossible to prove in a court without a lot more than the Feds have revealed, and I doubt a DA would bother.

The Federal case may be a bit of problem without proof of the prostitution claim, because the Feds seem to be dealing with the laws covering converting to cash that is then used illegally. They certainly didn’t seem to pursue Limbaugh and his drug purchases with large cash withdrawals, but he’s not a Democrat.

The next group of 15 arrived at Nome:

16 Gerry Willomitzer (7) [Yukon]
17 Ed Iten (32)
18 Ray Redington Jr. (49)
19 Aaron Burmeister (14)
20 Jim Lanier (4) [oldest]
21 Aliy Zirkle (17)
22 Silvia Willis (40)
23 John Baker (67)
24 Sigrid Ekran (24) [Norway]
25 Hugh Neff (16)
26 Warren Palfrey (44) [Northwest Territories]
27 William Kleedehn (66)^r [Yukon]
28 Matt Hayashida (5)
29 Ed Stielstra (92) [Michigan]
30 Melissa Owens (59)^r [youngest]

This group includes the first 2 rookies, and the youngest and oldest mushers.

Jim Lanier is not only the oldest musher, at 67, he raises and races all-white huskies from his Northern Whites Kennel.

Melissa Owens is home and will have to return to her school work as a senior at the high school in Nome.

Rachael Scdoris (55) is on the trail out of Shaktoolik in 64^th place.

Aliy Zirkle’s husband, Allen Moore (76), scratched at Shaktoolik.

^r – Iditarod rookie

It’s time to acknowledge the hard work and concern of someone who is not a Floridian, but who has consistently supported our right to have our votes counted in this election: Mary Beth of Wampum. Best known for the Koufax Awards and covering Native American issues, she has stood with us to attempt to bring some democracy to our situation and has taken the trouble to actually be informed on the issue.

If you would like to inform yourself about what this is all about, how it started, and how it is progressing:

From the Florida Dems FAQ… is a quick overview of how the primary date was changed.

Sharpton supports disenfranchising Florida voters… is an example of one candidate’s surrogate going against a lifetime of principle for possible political gain.

This is wrong on so many levels… Roland Martin, another surrogate on CNN with another call for disenfranchisement.

Electoral college math… shows the effect of Florida on the November election for Democrats. Short version: Florida has 10% of the electoral votes needed to win the Presidency.

Think Florida Democrats… shows people that the Democrats can forget Florida if they don’t get this right. I would add that the referenced poll was among the Democrats who voted in the January primary, which makes them the more committed of party members. If a quarter of the most committed won’t vote in November, they also won’t man phone banks, won’t walk neighborhoods, won’t volunteer.

I’m already gone and won’t be back to the Democratic Party. I’m not a “good Christian” – I neither forgive nor forget.

The BBC headline reads: Clinton aide quits over race row. The truth is an old and honored Democrat was subjected to a media campaign that spun what she said into what some people wanted to hear, and not for the first time.

Let’s take a short video break with a classic, The Byrd’s Turn Turn Turn, because spin is all there is. When someone presents reality, they must be beaten down and driven out.

Kevin Drum talks about Obama’s Luck and says: “Contra Ferraro, if Obama were a white man he’d still be getting plenty of attention.” Right, you mean like Edwards got, is that right, Kevin? Or maybe, the most experienced individual in the race, Bill Richardson, who unfortunately doesn’t have an Hispanic name to go with his roots, or he might have been a contender.

The media decided the Republicans would provide the white male, because that’s all they have, so the Democrats must supply the contrast with a woman and a black man. The decision was made, and discussion of white males running for the Democratic nomination evaporated.

[Read more →]

Since I got up early to catch Lance Mackey win, I’ll leave you with the list of people who have finished the race to this point:

1 Lance Mackey (6)
2 Jeff King (11)
3 Ramey Smyth (48)
4 Ken Anderson (9)
5 Martin Buser (13)
6 Hans Gatt (38) [Yukon]
7 Mitch Seavey (33)
8 Paul Gebhardt (69)
9 Kjetil Backen (42) [Norway]
10 Sebastian Schnuelle (68) [Yukon]
11 Zack Steer (26)
12 Cim Smyth (2)
13 Rick Swenson (61)
14 Jessie Royer (3)
15 DeeDee Jonrowe (39)

Lance Mackey won the Spirit of Alaska Award by being the first into McGrath. PenAir gave him a spirit mask and a $500 credit on his air freight bill.

DeeDee Jonroe won the Dorothy Page Halfway Award as the first team into Cripple and $3,000 in gold nuggets.

Lance Mackey won the First to the Yukon Award in Ruby, worth 5,000 one-dollar bills and a gourmet meal.

Jeff King won the Gold Coast Award as the first musher to reach Unalakleet and received a trophy and $2,500 in gold.

As the overall winner Lance Mackey gets a new pickup truck and $69K.

The other top finishing mushers get some cash; everyone who finishes gets a belt buckle; and the last team gets the Red Lantern.

Jon Little at the “official Iditarod blog” has a nice piece on the winner.

Sadly the Anchorage Daily News reports on a third dog dying:

A 4-year-old dog in the team of veteran Kotzebue musher Ed Iten died Tuesday between Elim and White Mountain, according to the Iditarod Trail Committee.

The dog named Cargo died about 5 p.m. It was the third animal to perish during this year’s race.

It is probably another case of aspiration pneumonia, the dog inhaling food particles while gulping down a meal. Large dogs tend to gulp rather than chew, not just huskies. We lost a beautiful German Shepherd puppy because she swallowed a bone she found. Paul Gebhardt spread the ashes of one of his lead dogs while on the trail. Governor, a 4-year-old lead dog had died four months ago from swallowing a rock. You can’t guard against their nature.

Mackey and King are in Nome, but the race continues.

Current Standings:

1 Lance Mackey (6)
2 Jeff King (11)
3 Ramey Smyth (48)
4 Ken Anderson (9)
5 Martin Buser (13)
6 Hans Gatt (38)
7 Mitch Seavey (33)
8 Paul Gebhardt (69)
9 Kjetil Backen (42)
10 Zack Steer (26)
11 Sebastian Schnuelle (68)
12 Rick Swenson (61)
13 Cim Smyth (2)
14 Jessie Royer (3)
15 DeeDee Jonrowe (39)
16 Ed Iten (32)
17 Gerry Willomitzer (7)
18 Aaron Burmeister (14)
19 Ray Redington Jr. (49)
20 Jim Lanier (4)

In the Rookie race, it’s 27^th place, William Kleedehn (66), and 29^th place, Melissa Owens (59), on the trail from Elim with a three hour difference.

Rachael Scdoris (55) is in 62^nd place in Unalakleet.

In the back 81^st place, Liz Parrish (75), and 82^nd place, Deborah Bicknell (21), separated by a minute in Kaltag.

Lance Mackey(6) at 2:46AM AKDT.

A double double – for the second year in a row he has won both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod.

Update: Here’s the Anchorage Daily News story.

Just a quick listing of the top 20, as Mackey and King are the only ones racing for Nome at the moment:

1 Lance Mackey (6)
2 Jeff King (11)
3 Ramey Smyth (48)
4 Ken Anderson (9)
5 Martin Buser (13)
6 Hans Gatt (38)
7 Mitch Seavey (33)
8 Kjetil Backen (42)
9 Paul Gebhardt (69)
10 Zack Steer (26)
11 Sebastian Schnuelle (68)
12 Rick Swenson (61)
13 Cim Smyth (2)
14 Jessie Royer (3)K>
15 DeeDee Jonrowe (39)
16 Ed Iten (32)
17 Aaron Burmeister (14)
18 Gerry Willomitzer (7)
19 Ray Redington Jr. (49)
20 Jim Lanier (4)

Places 3 through 13 are waiting for the end of the 8-hour stop in White Mountain and the rest are racing to get to White Mountain.

Oh, Jeff King’s GPS unit has been flaky, so you can’t be sure, but it looks like Lance Mackey has about a 7 mile lead.

Jeff King left White Mountain and the sprint is on. The other are spread out back to Elim.
Current Standings:

1 Lance Mackey (6)+57 min
2 Jeff King (11)
3 Ramey Smyth (48)
4 Ken Anderson (9)
5 Martin Buser (13)Koyuk
6 Hans Gatt (38)
7 Paul Gebhardt (69)
8 Mitch Seavey (33)
9 Kjetil Backen (42)
10 Sebastian Schnuelle (68)
11 Zack Steer (26)
12 Rick Swenson (61)
13 Jessie Royer (3)K>
14 DeeDee Jonrowe (39)
15 Cim Smyth (2)
16 Ed Iten (32)
17 Gerry Willomitzer (7)
18 Jim Lanier (4)
19 Ray Redington Jr. (49)
20 Aaron Burmeister (14)

Melissa Owens (59) dropped to 29^th place in Koyuk, when 28^th place, William Kleedehn (66) left Koyuk, becoming the lead rookie.

Still in 63rd place, Rachael Scdoris (55) is on the trail out of Kaltag

In 82^rd place is Liz Parrish (75) in Nulato. She took over the back of the pack when 83^rd place, Steven Madsen (57), scratched in Galena.