For the second time in as many weeks, we’ve got a reference from Deadspin. I love Deadspin, it makes me laugh and keeps me informed on happenings in the sports world. If you haven’t checked it out and are a sports fan, you’re missing out.


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Tune: Poor Me by Charlie Patton
Technorati Tags: Deadspin | Sports | Humor | Mike Harding Blog

Well, after having a little time to reflect on the debacle that was last night’s game, I’ve come to the conclusion that these are the things that went wrong:

• Emotionally flat and rusty team, and the 51 day layoff clearly did not help.
• Field position in the first half. When giving a team fields of 5, 6, 32, 34, & 46 yards in the first half it’s no surprise that it leads to 27 points.
• Penalties. See above. Big contributing factor to field position on two drives.
• Ted Ginn’s injury. It shrunk the field dramatically.
• Turnovers. The Bucks turned it over through fumbles and interceptions. Florida did not.
• Befuddled defense, thinking too much rather than reacting. Applying no pressure to the opposing QB. It’s a mystery to me why we were only rushing 3 and 4 and not blitzing.
• Offensive play calling, we weren’t attacking their weaknesses nor were we taking advantage of the mismatch in the run game to free up passing lanes.
• And the key problem: Offensive line play. Tackles Alex Boone and Kirk Barton didn’t stop the Florida defensive ends all night. As a consequence, any advantage held by the Buckeyes of receiver vs. secondary was negated. The O line flat out stunk it up last night.

To their credit, the defense got it together and played a strong 2nd half holding Florida to 7 points after the bloodbath that was the first half. But the offense, and in particular, the line, never got it together. Credit Florida, they played a great game. But I think the Bucks contributed to their success.

That’s it, no more about this game until next season.


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Tune: Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2
Technorati Tags: Ohio State | Florida | National Championship | Mike Harding Blog

Sealand is for sale. Just outside UK territorial waters, the former World War II era anti-aircraft platform was occupied in 1966 and declared a country by Paddy Roy Bates (aka Prince Roy.) The weather is a bit nasty, but anyone needing a sovereign nation for their business activities should inquire about picking the country up from Prince Michael.


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Tune: Solitude Standing by Suzanne Vega
Technorati Tags: Country For Sale | Mike Harding Blog

It wasn’t a good night for the Buckeyes. It was a great night for the Gators. Credit where credit is due, the Florida defense in particular played a lights out game. It’s clear they were the better team on this night. No excuses, no reasons, Florida played well and deserved to win.

If you’re a Buckeye fan, that wasn’t a fun game to watch. But, console yourself in a 12-1 season, sole possession of a Big 10 Championship, and a Heisman trophy winner.

Congratulations to the Florida Gators, you earned your national championship.

Thanks Buckeyes for a great season.


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OSU lost the national championship game today.
Ohio State’s 2006 record: 12-1
Tune: Trouble by Cat Stevens
Technorati Tags: Ohio State | Florida | National Championship | Mike Harding Blog

On the small Carribean island of Montserrat, the volcano that has been active since 1995 sent a plume of ash and smoke ~9 km (5.6 miles) into the atmosphere. Since the volcano came alive, about 50% of the population has quit the island. Nearly half of the land mass is an exclusion zone that is there to keep people safe from just this sort of event.



Here’s a description of the event from the Montserrat Volcano Observatory:

08 January 2007 – Explosive activity

The event onset was recorded on the MVO seismic network at 05:54. Between 06:05-07 there was explosive activity audible as far north as Woodlands in Montserrat (seismically better described as “jetting”; 3 distinct pulses were recorded ). The rising ash cloud was visible from all over Montserrat moving out to the WSW south of St Georges Hill and Garibaldi Hill.

Pyroclastic flows travelled down Gages Valley and Tyres Ghaut into the head of the Belham River Valley simultaneously suggesting source high on dome directly behind Gages Mountain. At 06:15 the largest pyroclastic flow to date flow entered the Belham Valley, reaching as far as the edge of Cork Hill, a run out distance of around about 4 km. At 06:25 the ash cloud was reported to have reached 30,000 ft.

Between 06:20-06:25 seismic activity began to wane and by 06:30 seismicity had returned to just above background, dominated by isolated PF signals (extended duration rockfall signals, none or which was especially large, and definitely not suggestive of a collapse) and small long period earthquakes. Pyroclastic activity in Tyres Ghaut continued at higher levels than recent days over the next approx. 1.5 hours establishing an almost regular 7 minute cycle. The run out distances of the individual flows were limited to 1-1.5 km, and each flow was preceded by a minor pulse of ash venting.

At about 08:20 a short period of rumbling/roaring preceding pulse ash venting.

By 09:30 seismicity had returned to background levels.

Pyroclastic activity is ongoing on the NW sector of the volcano with small flows in Tyres Ghaut, run out distances up to 1.5 km.

Low-level ash and steam venting continus from a vent high up on the western side of the lava dome.

Fortunately the prevailing wind carried ash out to the WSW at lower levels ( < about 15,000 ft) and at higher level to the ESE, so northern Montserrat remains unaffected by any significant ashfall frm this event. Preliminary observations of the dome suggest that very little material has been removed, although the dome about the head of Tyres Ghaut appears to have been eaten back to form a chute, possibly making it easier for large volumes of dome material to enter Tyres Ghaut (and Belham Valley) during future events. The alert level remains at 4

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OSU plays for the national championship TODAY!
Ohio State’s 2006 record: 12-0 Next up: Florida 1/8/2007
Tune: Volcano by Jimmy Buffet
Technorati Tags: Montserrat | Volcano | Eruption | Mike Harding Blog