On MSNBC the top story in their US & World section was about Secretary of State Clinton’s speech at a Saudi Arabian women’s university in which she continues the US tirade about the Iranian nuclear program.

The top story in their Politics section was President Obama’s speech in Maryland promoting more nuclear reactors to reduce foreign energy dependence and pollution.

I’m not sure why the reduction of green house gases and pollution is bad for Iran and good for the US, I would think it was good for the world.

SoS Clinton mentioned guarantees, but they haven’t been honored in the past, so why would Iran believe them this time?

Update at 11:45PM CST. Zack, Ken, and Sonny finished with times that also broke last year’s record. Joshua Cadzow is the first Rookie in. Good weather and a fast trail led to these times and the low attrition rate.

At Whitehorse
4 Zack Steer (2)
5 Ken Anderson (17)
6 Sonny Linder (20)
7 Joshua Cadzow (21)^R
8 Brent Sass (12)
9 Abbie West (1)^R

Beyond Braeburn
10 Normand Casavant (10)
11 Sam Deltour (4)^R
12 Dries Jacobs (22)^R
13 Mike Ellis (18)
14 David Dalton (3)

At Braeburn
15 Kelley Griffin (15)

Beyond Carmacks
16 Cindy Barrand (9)^R

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The last day before the beginning of Lent on the Gulf Coast that once belonged to France, it is Mardi Gras, “Fat Tuesday”: Laissez les bon temps rouler!

It was first celebrated in Mobile, Alabama, but the big show these days is in New Orleans, and it is a holiday in the state of Louisiana, because people wouldn’t show up for work anyway, so why fight it.

The tradition is to serve King cake, which is a circle of cinnamon bun dough with a white frosting on top sprinkled with sugar colored purple, gold, and green. If that weren’t bad enough, they put the figurine of a baby in the dough, and whoever finds it in their piece is supposed to be lucky. Actually if you find it and don’t choke on it, I guess you are lucky. You should use a small ceramic figurine, as some of the cheap plastic versions melt in the oven [yummy].