Guestblogger Kristy says…

I have a challenge for anyone who is up for it: I started a new position this week and will be in charge of all sales and new business accounts for the also-new video and collateral print production arm of our marketing company. This new Division is in need of a new name! The previous name got shot down, and now I’m charged with brainstorming ideas for a new one. SO, your mission should you choose to accept it, is to come up with the name of my company! (Know, however, that your suggestions become the property of myself and TEO, Inc. and the only thing you win is the satisfaction of knowing that you came up with the name of a new video prod outfit in NH.) Keep in mind I am currently the only employee of said business.

Fire away! Sky’s the limit…

Some visitors may have noticed that the homepage was a little messed up this morning. Apparently this was due to some code somewhere in guestblogger Josh Rubin’s post regarding the Dover Pennsylvania’s recently reveresed decision regarding the teaching of Intelligent Design in schools. I temporarily removed the post in order to troubleshoot the problem, but I wanted to assure Brendan’s loyal readers that no censorship was occuring. As soon as the issue is resolved the post will be restored.

Guestblogger: David Kreutz

Guestblogger: Josh Rubin

OK, so that’s a lame title … But the Dover, PA School Board has recinded its landmark decision to allow Intelligent Design to be taught alongside Evolution. Of course, this is in response to the decision handed down by the local District Court. But then again, most of the board members who voted to put this policy into place last year were defeated in the November Election, so we’re talking about new folks sitting on the board …

Here’s a video clip of me getting splashed by the Nakalele Blowhole, then walking away just before another, even larger “eruption.”

source file

We also saw the Dragon’s Teeth and swam in the Olivine Pools as part of our tour of northwest Maui today.

There are many more pictures, of course, but like with the wedding photos, you’ll have to wait a while to see ‘em all. :)

Oh, but before I forget, here’s a picture from Monday — an aerial view of the Fiesta Bowl! Our flight was actually delayed a few minutes because of airspace restrictions during the pre-game festivities, but when we finally took off, we flew directly over Sun Devil Stadium and I was able to get this shot with my telephoto lens:

Pretty cool, eh? Judging by the red and white flags, it looks like Ohio State was coming onto the field just then.

Alas, that picture was my last contact with any sort of information regarding the Fiesta Bowl until, upon arrival at Kahului nearly seven hours later, I asked a guy sitting at an airport bar, “Hey, do you know who won the Fiesta Bowl?” Noticing my ND t-shirt, he replied, “Not Notre Dame.”

After a missed field goal that would have won the game for Penn State, the #3-ranked Nittany Lions are going to overtime against #22 Florida State in the Orange Bowl.

If Florida State wins, Josh Rubin will clinch the Irish Trojan’s Bowl Pick ‘em contest. If Penn State wins, Brian Dupuis (a.k.a. DUP) will stay alive, needing a Texas win over USC tomorrow to overtake Rubin.

UPDATE: Another missed FG (one by each team, actually) and it’s on to a second overtime.

UPDATE 2: Both teams scored a touchdown, so we go to triple overtime!

FINAL UPDATE: Penn State wins! The kicker redeemed himself with a game-winner in the 3rd OT, and the Nittany Lions win 26-23. Penn State finishes 11-1, and could easily be ranked #2 in the final polls depending on whether the Rose Bowl is close or lopsided. Congrats to Joe Paterno, who just a year ago was the subject of criticism alleging that he had stuck around too long and should retire. It’s hard not to like JoePa and the Lions!

In the pick ‘em contest, the battle between Rubin and Dupuis will go down to the wire. If USC wins, Rubin wins the contest. If Texas wins, Dupuis wins.

P.S. Definitely looking forward to Notre Dame’s home opener next year. September 9 against… yup… Penn State!

The Nakalele Blowhole. Cool!

Turns out, I didn’t leave my cell phone behind in Arizona — I just inexplicably packed it in my suitcase! I found it just now while looking for toiletries. So, I’m connected to the outside world again. Yippee! :)

Speaking of the outside world, Tropical Storm Zeta is, like Hurricane Epsilon before it, inexplicably maintaining its strength. Indeed, it’s up to 65 mph, and further strengthening is possible today; we could see an incredible January hurricane. The cold, dead hand of the 2005 hurricane season is reaching into 2006 and still smashing records…

Also, scientists recently saw an explosion on the moon. Talk about waking up the echoes! (Something Notre Dame was not able to do yesterday, alas.)

Okay, enough of that. Becky and I are off to explore the northern parts of West Maui. Adios! Go Penn State!

P.S. Pick ‘em standings here. Josh Rubin has a five-point lead. Doing some quick math here, I believe the only person with a chance to catch him is DUP (Brian Dupuis), and only if Penn State and Texas both win. A Florida State win today would clinch the pick ‘em contest for Rubin. If Penn State wins, it’ll come down to the Rose Bowl tomorrow: Rubin wins if USC wins, Dupuis wins if Texas wins. I think.

Guestblogger: Josh Rubin

Da Bears? Nah … 14-inch tall Pete Carrolls could take on the Longhorns!

(Take that, ESPN)

Becky and I have arrived safe and sound in Maui. The condo that Toni is letting us use for the next two weeks is gorgeous (well, it’s nighttime, so we can’t actually see the surroundings yet, but the inside is gorgeous, and the sound of nearby crashing surf is promising. :)

Unfortunately, I’m having trouble getting the wireless Internet to work (I’m actually sitting outside the condo right now, using someone else’s open wireless network to post this), so between these wireless troubles and my aforementioned lack of a cell phone, blog updates by yours truly may be sporadic-to-nonexistent for the foreseeable future, unless I can get these issues ironed out. And I must say, solving technical difficulties is not my top priority… this is my honeymoon, after all. :)

Anyway, in case I don’t get a chance to say it before Wednesday… FIGHT ON TROJANS!!! BEAT THE LONGHORNS!!!

FINAL SCORE
West Virginia 38
Georgia 35

Overlooked and underranked #11 West Virginia of the oft-maligned Big East conference were able to hold off a comeback surge from the #9 Georgia Bulldogs to win the Nokia Sugar Bowl.

West Virginia finishes the season 11-1 and cements their place (along with TCU and the loser of the Rose Bowl) as one of the seasons 3-4 remaining 1 loss teams in the nation. If Penn State wins tommorow they would also remain a one loss team.

Guestblogger: David Kreutz

Ohio State 21
Notre Dame 7

The Irish started off the game strong scoring on their first drive to lead the game 7-0 with almost 13 minutes remaining in the 1st quarter. Since then the game has belonged to the Buckeyes however who have scored 21 unanswered points, and quarterback Troy Smith has more offensive yards than the whole Irish offense. It started with a 56 yard pass from Smith to an untouched Ted Ginn. Then Ginn ran the ball for 68 yards at the start of the 2nd quarter for score number two. Touchdown number 3 came from wide out Santonio Holmes, a Fiesta Bowl record breaking 85 yard pass. Ginn and Holmes have both passed the 100 yard mark for recieving in the game.

Season long Irish star Jeff Samardzija has struggled along with quarter back Brady Quinn. Jeff has only 3 receptions for 22 yards so far, and Quinn is 7/17 with 95 yards passing, most of them to Maurice Stovall (73). The Irish haven’t been able to capitalize on two Buckeye turnovers but both teams have had some costly penalties.

Ohio State will recieve to start the second half, updates to follow.

UPDATE
FINAL SCORE
Ohio State 34
Notre Dame 20

Despite a pair of long scoring drives by the Irish, and two blocked Ohio State field goal attempts, the Buckeyes continued to control the game ultimately scoring one last time to seal the game in the final minute and a half.

This win marks the Buckeyes third in the Fiesta Bowl in the last four years, including the national championship game in 2002. It also continues the Irish post season drought, their last post-season victory having come in the 1994 Cotton Bowl over Texas A&M.

Guestblogger: David Kreutz

We’re at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, getting ready to leave for Maui. Our flight boards in less than 15 minutes.

I’m blogging now thanks to free Wi-Fi in the terminal, but alas, I won’t be able to post live updates when we board the plane, when we land, etc., because I accidentally left my cell phone behind at the Zaks’ house. D’oh! So, this will be my last update until we arrive at Toni’s condo (which has wireless Internet… hooray!).

The lack of a cell phone also means I won’t be able to check the Fiesta Bowl score the instant we land… dammit. But perhaps I’ll ask a flight attendant if the captain can provide us with occasional in-flight updates. We’ll be in the air by the time the game starts, and it’ll be over by the time we land.

GOOOOO IRISH, BEEEEEAT BUCKEYES!!!

Here’s another wedding picture that I like a lot:

Photo by Rick Boeckler. In addition to the beautiful bride and the beautiful scenery, I particularly love how you can see my cell phone in the foreground at right, as the liveblogger — apparently Janelle subbing for Dan at that moment — reaches into Uncle Rick’s field of view to snap this shot. Heh.

Many, many more wedding photos to come, as I keep saying. Stay tuned!

Oops, I forgot (until now) to post yesterday’s quote of the day — the first of the year — uttered by Mike Wiser during the drive back from Silly Mountain shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day, after someone suggested “a kidney” in response to the rhetorical question “what I wouldn’t give” for a late-night meal from a certain Buffalo-area fast-food restaurant: “Somehow I don’t think Mighty Taco would be worth dialysis.” Heh.

Watching the sunrise from atop Mount Haleakala is universally described as an absolute must-do when visiting Maui, and I’ve read and heard several times that going there your very first morning on the island is a good idea because you’ll naturally wake up early anyway, thanks to jet lag. Well, I think I just found another reason to follow that advice, thanks to SpaceWeather.com:

The first meteor shower of 2006, the Quadrantids, peaks on Jan. 3rd at 18:20 Universal Time. The timing favors Japan and, to a lesser extent, Hawaii where dark-sky observers should see 40+ faint meteors per hour just before dawn (Tuesday morning in Hawaii, Wednesday morning in Japan).

This site puts the estimated meteor count for Hawaii at “up to fifty Quadrantids per hour and perhaps more.” Still, such a relatively moderate meteor shower alone wouldn’t be worth the cold, dark, very early trip — but stargazing, meteor-watching and the apparently near-religious experience of the mountaintop sunrise sound like a thoroughly worthwhile combination. Now I just have to convince Becky to get up even earlier for Haleakala than she was planning on… :)