Lewisburg, Pa. — Nine undergraduate students are chronicling their spring semester in eight different countries through Bucknell University’s Study Abroad Blogs.

Meet the intrepid spring 2012 study abroad bloggers, all juniors:

Cherie Malone (Germany), Jenna Franze (Argentina), Alexandra Bird (Russia), Jesse Dondero (Austria), Sarah Dubow (France), Caitlin Falco (England), Monica Herzog (Scotland), Thet Hein Tun (England) and Brittany Wanner (Spain).

All in the family
Studying in another country is a lifelong dream for some of these bloggers, and some were inspired by their parents. “I used to sit in my mother’s office — she was a college ESL teacher — and stare at maps riddled with thumbtacks marking her students’ home countries,” said Bird, a psychology and Russian studies major. “I knew I wanted to visit these places when I grew up.”

Dondero prepared for his semester in Vienna, Austria, by learning about his mother’s experience abroad. “Before I left for Vienna, my mom pulled out her postcards, journal and pictures from when she spent a year in Switzerland,” said the management and comparative humanities major. “We looked through some of her letters and stories. Seeing her reaction to the memories she made so many years ago made me excited that I will look back on what I write and remember the good memories from being abroad.”

Why blog?
This is Bird’s first semester away from Bucknell, and she’s eager to share her adventures in and out of the classroom. “Events and experiences become more meaningful to me when I’m able to process them and write about them in my own words,” she said.

Malone, an English major, returned to Germany for a second semester. “I wanted to study abroad again because my first experience was so profound,” she said. “I learned so much about myself, Germany and the United States through the eyes of foreigners, and the world in general.”

Malone is taking an analytic approach to her blog. “It’s not simply documenting my adventures and daily encounters, but raising questions about the differences and similarities between the cultures and appreciating them,” she explained. “I also hope to describe my adventure well enough that others will be inspired to travel abroad, too.”

Blogging is a way for the students to appreciate moments that may otherwise get lost in the excitement of living in a foreign country. “I hope to take a closer look at the world around me and not forget the little things,” said international relations and Spanish major Franze.

“It’s a chance to formally chronicle my experiences and ensure my family and friends hear from me at least once a week,” said Herzog, a physics major. “I want to hone my storytelling skills.”

New ways of learning
For some, like English and psychology major Dubow, study abroad is about testing boundaries. “I wanted to be able to constantly push myself out of my comfort zone, take risks, let go of fear and embrace adventure,” she said.

Falco, an English and psychology major, agrees: “I really want to develop my own sense of independence.”

For at least one of the spring 2012 bloggers, studying abroad shapes his whole college experience. “I am already abroad. I came from Burma to Bucknell,” said Tun, a civil engineering and comparative humanities major. “I believe the study abroad experience should be part of my liberal arts education.”

Contact: Division of Communications

Whether it be my most lamented transfer of the 2011 season or guys, judging by their names, born to play the game, I love it.

As such, we celebrate these on the blog often. And with another recruiting season come and gone, it’s time to give a little attention to the best new names in the Big 12.

Here’s last year’s team.

We’re including Texas AM, Mizzou, TCU and West Virginia in this post … because I want to.

Now, for the best new names in the Big 12.

Team MVP: Lynx Hawthorne, ATH, Baylor: Known for his cat-like reflexes, I can only assume. Will also assume the role of my new favorite player in the Big 12.

Sterling Shepard, WR, Oklahoma: Matching consonants are a great start for a great name. But the adjective/noun first name combined with the noun last name, too? Too much, sir. My hat is off.

Eric Striker, S, Oklahoma: A safety named Striker? Come on, Bob Stoops. Perfection. He narrowly missed my MVP nod.

Ellwood Clement, OT, Kansas State: Bringing a bit of the blues to The Little Apple. I assume he plays a mean harmonica.

Maty Mauk, QB, Missouri: His nomenclatorial doppelganger (I’m slapping a patent on that term) won a national title at LSU, which gives him extra points, and he gets the nod based on the snappy matching consonant, too.

Aiavion Edwards, S, Baylor: Throw a jump ball in this man’s territory at your own risk.

Torshiro Davis, LB, Texas: I’ve never heard of anyone named Torshiro, but I love it. He sounds a bit like a bull, which is a great trait for a linebacker. And its uniqueness is offset by the unremarkable last name. It just works.

Zorrell Ezell, DT, Baylor: He’s not an evil emperor, but he means business.

Kolby Listenbee, ATH, TCU: Rumor has it he captures the attention of insects near and far with a mere whisper.

Orion Stewart, ATH, Baylor: I hear this guy has a belt that is just mesmerizing.

Devlyn Cousin, DT, Iowa State: Guy is just an absolute terror at family reunions.

Glenn Gronkowski, WR, Kansas State: A guy named Gronkowski is going to catch passes for a team with one of the game’s best coaches? Where have I heard this before? Big brother Rob didn’t win the Super Bowl this year, but everybody in the family gets to keep the name. I’d say they broke even.

Kennedy Estelle, OT, Texas: Sounds like a supermodel. Blocks like a big ugly.

Polo Manukainiu, DE, Texas AM: I love Pacific Islander names, and this one clearly qualifies. Also, his name is Polo. Outstanding, sir.

Noble Nwachukwu, DE, West Virginia: Assuming his name is pronounced the same as the Aggies’ receiver, it looks like he’ll bring an additional level of class to the family name, which is pronounced “WATCH-ah-koo.”

Halapoulivaati Vaitai, OT, TCU: I look forward to moving from “butchered” to “serviceable” when it comes to pronouncing his name in the future.

Thierry Nguema, CB, Texas Tech: Bringing a bit of European soccer to the Big 12, which is something I think it’s always needed.

To this year’s team: Congratulations on the nod. I look forward to seeing you play and hearing your names called often on broadcasts. This was a great group of my absolute favorite names from the new classes.

Any suggestions for this year’s recruiting classes that I missed?

26 F. average high for February 5.

27 F. high temperature a year ago, on February 5, 2011.

28: average number of subzero nights every winter in the Twin Cities.

3: number of nights below zero so far this winter. There is a 1 in 3 chance of dipping below zero again by Friday morning.

12 subzero nights last winter in the metro area, as of February 5, 2011.

5 days of fog/stratus for much of Minnesota, more typical of late September or early October. Average number of days with 1/4 mile visibility or less in February: 1.4.

10,000. Average number of severe storms reported across the USA during a typical year. Only 1 in 10 severe thunderstorms will ever go on to spin up a tornado.

2011 Joplin tornado: “The NWS found that many of that city’s residents required between two and nine “risk signals” (hearing a tornado siren, receiving a call from a relative, seeing darkening skies, etc.) before taking protective action, and that these signals partly depended on a person’s worldview, such as their past experience with tornadoes and false alarms.” – Andrew Freedman from Climate Central. Details below. 3-D Joplin tornado simulation courtesy of NOAA.

Rome’s Snowy Coliseum. Photo courtesy of Germany’s Tagesschau and DPA.

Minnesota’s Snow Drought Lingers. The GFS forecast through midday Friday shows a total lack of any accumulating snow close to home, a couple inches over the U.P. of Michigan (lake effect) and snow showers for the Colorado Rockies. Otherwise…more of the same.

Late Week Cooling Trend. Not sure I’d call this an “arctic blast”, but it will feel more like February by Friday, with highs in the mid teens to near 20, a couple nights of single digit lows. We’ve seen 3 nights below zero so far this winter – not sure we’ll see any more, although we may come very close Friday, again Saturday morning.

Worst Of Winter Is Over. I’m more confident than ever saying that. I said it about 2 weeks ago, and although I probably jumped the gun I’m feeling (a bit) more sure with each passing day. The GFS 500mb (18,000 foot) forecast for February 21 shows a west/northwest wind flow, a “modified Pacific flow”, good for 30s, even a few 40s during the third week of February.

February 13-21: Trending Milder Than Average. No bitter air brewing for the 3rd week of February (in fact the coldest weather will probably come the end of this week, when temperatures fall a few degrees below average – still not sure we’ll dip below zero though). And no, I still don’t see any significant snow, ice or rain through the 21st day of February.

Storm Chaser Killed In Oklahoma Collision With Wrong-Way Driver. MSNBC.com has more details on the tragic death of Andy Gabrielson on Saturday: “Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. George Brown said a wrong-way driver of a white pickup truck traveling westbound struck Gabrielson’s oft-seen black Chevrolet Tahoe head-on in the eastbound traffic lane. Another person was killed in the collision. Alcohol is suspected as a cause of the crash, the Highway Patrol said.”

* you can see an online memorial to Andy’s life and many accomplishments on Facebook.

(London) Heathrow Airport Cancels 50 Per Cent Of Flights As Snow And Ice Blankets Britain. The U.K. Telegraph has the story: “More planes were grounded today at London’s Heathrow airport following yesterday’s adverse weather and the airport’s decision to axe 30 per cent of its flights. The decision came as wintry showers ceased across the country and forecasters predicted dry conditions and a partial thaw. A spokesman for Heathrow said the move was designed to minimise disruption and in anticipation of possible freezing fog. While the runways, taxiways and stands have been cleared of snow, only 50 per cent of the 1,300 scheduled flights are now going ahead.” Visible satellite image courtesy of sat24.com.

You, Too, Can Become A Storm Spotter. SKYWARN is always looking for volunteers willing to help them spot severe storms in real-time. Doppler radar is an amazing innnovation, but we still need (experts) on the ground, ready and able to confirm that rotation on Doppler is actually translating into a wall cloud, funnel or tornado. Here’s more from clarionledger.com: “If there’s a storm headed to town, Florence teen Wiley Smith stands ready to chase it. The home-schooled 15-year-old is a weather watcher who keeps his eye to the sky when black clouds obscure the horizon – and last April’s devastating weather was no exception. “I was sitting in my front yard, looking straight up,” he said of the mid-April storms that destroyed dozens of homes and businesses in the metro area and statewide. “I was ready.” Officials with the National Weather Service in Flowood and Hinds County’s Emergency Operations Center want both residents and emergency workers to recognize a bad storm and know what to do if they see one.”

Photo credit above: “National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Koeneke tracks weather conditions using radar Friday at the facility in Flowood. Free National Weather Service storm spotter courses will be offered Tuesday and March 22 in a partnership between the NWS and the Hinds County Emergency Operations Center. Photo: Melanie Thortis/Spcieal to the Clarion-Ledger.”

The Foggy February Blues. For the 3rd day in a row the sun was unable to burn away the fog and stratus over much of central and southeastern Minnesota. Where the sun did come out the mercury reached 39 at Redwood Falls and Grand Marais, 40 at International Falls. Under a gray sky temperatures peaked at 30 at St. Cloud and the Twin Cities.

Paul’s Star Tribune Outlook for the Twin Cities and all of Minnesota:

TODAY: Plenty of sunshine, feels like March. Mild. Winds: NW 10. High: 42

MONDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy, flurries possible late. Low: 26

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TUESDAY: A few flurries, then clearing, turning noticeably colder. Low: 17. High: 24

WEDNESDAY: Plenty of sun, seasonably cool. Low: 11. High: 28

THURSDAY: Mild start, turning colder late. Low: 18. High: 31

FRIDAY: Some sun, feels like winter again. Low: 5. High: 17

SATURDAY: Bright sun, not as chilly. Low: 4. Low: 26

SUNDAY: Breezy and dry. Another thaw possible. Low: 10. High: 36

Our Endless November

Welcome to The Winter That Wasn’t. Like we never got past November, come to think of it.

There’s an indentation in my office from where I’ve been banging my head against the wall.

Repeatedly.

We shouldn’t have 5 days/row of thick fog and stratus in early February. An unusual spell of midwinter gray is a symptom of the odd, Memphis-like winter we’re experiencing. Mild Pacific winds melted what little snow was on the ground, saturating the lowest levels of the atmosphere. A clear sky cooled temperatures to the dew point, resulting in stubborn fog – unable to burn off due to a low sun angle.

Statics show an average of 1.4 days/fog during the entire month of February. Then again you can prove anything with statistics.

Our snow drought drags on, but after a mild Monday it will start to feel like February later this week; we may even dip below zero for only the 4th time all winter.

Yesterday meteorologists were drooling over their laptops (electrocution risk) – maps looked ripe for significant snow around Feb. 20. No more. West/northwest winds aloft are too strong, weak clippers moving too fast to tap deep moisture from the Gulf. Our ho-hum winter drags on. Supernaturally quiet.

Climate Stories…..

Clear And Present Danger Not So Clear, Or Present. Here’s a very interesting post from Climate Central’s Andrew Freedman: “While there are no blaring climate change sirens to warn of global warming (now there’s an idea . . .), there is a steady drumbeat of risk signals that are only getting louder, from melting glaciers and Arctic sea ice to increasingly frequent and severe heavy rainstorms and heat waves. And despite scientists pointing to these warning signs for more than two decades, the climate issue remains politically polarized and perpetually on the back burner of the public policy agenda. After all, the only mention of “climate change” in President Obama’s State of the Union speech was to acknowledge the lack of agreement on the issue in Congress. Unlike with the Joplin tornado, the evolving signals of climate change are not ones that we’re particularly adept at recognizing or acting upon, since they involve massive changes over longer periods of time. This, combined with the fact that our brains are hard-wired to pay more attention to near-term threats than more distant ones, means that we may wait until it’s too late to run to the storm shelter.”

“Global Warming Has Stopped”. How To Fool People Using “Cherry-Picked” Climate Data. Forbes.com has the story: “The current favorite argument of those who argue that climate changes isn’t happening, or a problem, or worth dealing with, is that global warming has stopped. Therefore (they conclude) scientists must be wrong when they say that climate change is caused by humans, worsening, and ultimately a serious environmental problem that must be addressed by policy makers. The problem with this argument is that it is false: global warming has not stopped and those who repeat this claim over and over are either lying, ignorant, or exhibiting a blatant disregard for the truth. Here is a tiny sample of the false claims, gleaned from various blogs, comments to my previous Forbes posts, op-eds in the Wall Street Journal, news stories,nd statements from pundits who spread climate misinformation.”

Forest Giants Forecast Trouble Ahead. The story from stuff.co.nz: “We’re in for increasingly extreme weather, punctuated by intense floods and devastating droughts, according to research into kauri tree rings. An Auckland University study published in international journal Nature Climate Change today has found growth rings in the massive trees provide reliable records of historic El Nino and La Nina weather patterns – and show those patterns are becoming increasingly extreme. Lead researcher Anthony Fowler said that, during El Nino events, kauri grow rapidly and have wide tree rings, whereas during La Nina events they grow more slowly and have narrow rings. “Notably wide and narrow kauri tree rings have become more frequent as the world has warmed over the last few centuries.”

Photo credit above: “19th century forestry workers stand next to a felled kauri. Photo: Alexander Turnbull Library.”

What Global Warming Looks Like. The story from Doug Craig at the Record Searchlight (redding.com): “I am not a genius. I am not really all that smart about most stuff. After 25 years in private practice as a clinical psychologist, I think I know what I am doing in my field. Outside of that, I make very few claims. After about 30 months of blogging, Electric Ed suggested I put the graph (above) into my blog. I did not know how to do that. Thanks to Bruce Ross and my friend Mauro, it looks like it is actually down there. I am amazed. I don’t know how I did this. I am not sure I will be able to do it again. But for now, this is a picture of global warming, according to NASA, Randy’s favorite source on all things related to climate science. See how the red line goes up from the left to the right? You will notice it was climbing from when they started measuring in the late 1800s and leveled off from 1940 to 1980 due to soot and particulates in our atmosphere.”

UNLV Researcher Finds Stalagmites May Reveal Clues To Climate Change. Details from The Las Vegas Review-Journal: “Across the sweep of a thousand years, as ancient cities bloomed and died in southern Mexico, the water in Juxtlahuaca Cave went drip, drip, drip. Now a UNLV researcher is using a stalagmite built by those droplets to chart 2,500 years of rainfall and draw new links between human history and climate change. The findings by professor Matthew Lachniet and his research team could help shed light on Nevada’s climate over the past several thousand years and offer clues to how it might change in decades to come.”

Photo credit above: “Matthew Lachniet, an associate professor at UNLV, looks at rock formations in a cave in the Sierra Madre region of Mexico during a June 2011 trip. Lachniet says cave rock accurately records rainfall patterns through the centuries. His research might help explain the rise and fall of Mesoamerican civilizations.”

The news in clues

Topical references in crossword clues are sometimes a downer – a reminder of the misery in the rest of the paper that you’re perhaps avoiding by doing a puzzle, maybe of some perfectly useful institution under threat.

Not so with Gaff’s FT prize puzzle for which the solution was published today. Gaff marked the start of the Chinese New Year and filled his puzzle with dragons, including DRAGON itself at one across and others like…

12ac 1 across promotion (4)

…that is, the magic one called PUFF…

13ac 1 across hit border town with small change (10)

…via a minor adjustment to BERWICK, Lewis Carroll’s JABBERWOCK and even…

14d Diminish justice with a person’s 1 across (5,5)

…the man outplayed by JD Sports, PETER JONES.

Not so with Gaff, then, but very much so with Araucaria, who this week took on a fairly long – and fairly lightly signalled – anagram…

8d/9d Roughs harm unfortunate: I cope, providing protective authority (8,5,2,5,6)

…for, and I am not making this up, the EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS despite its pesky championing of freedom.

Cluing coincidence

It’s not that much of a surprise to see a couple of incidences of one of those words crossword setters appreciate because of where the letters fall: NIECE, say, or perhaps URINE. I’m not sure the same applies to the phrase clued by Dac as…

24ac Terrible day – cadet leaves container in the kitchen (3,5)

…that is, TEA CADDY – which was also clued by Chifonie…

8d Edward keeps article about store for gunpowder, say (3,5)

…with a definition for TEA CADDY which refers to the green-tea-like gunpowder tea. If you’ve never heard of gunpowder tea, you’re in the apparent company of staff at Heathrow airport, but I presume that unlike staff at Heathrow airport, you wouldn’t prevent those carrying gunpowder tea from boarding a plane, thereby earning yourself a coveted Stupid Security award.

Music, TV and film

Tuesday’s Times flirted with contemporary culture without breaking the paper’s “no living people in our puzzles” rule – partly because Homer and his family are nothing to do with the answer and are furthermore not real people…

23d Commitment keeping Simpson primarily in Springfield (5)

…and partly because DUSTY Springfield sadly died before she was able to make a cameo in the cartoon series. It would be fun to imagine what the writers might have come up with involving Springfield town’s mysterious origins, Dusty and perhaps Rick too – “would be”, that is, if it weren’t hubristic to imagine what a Simpsons writer might come up with, at least up to season eight.

Crosswords about crosswords

We’ve talked elsewhere about the cryptic-clue-that-isn’t-really-a-cryptic-clue “Gegs (9,4)” for SCRAMBLED EGGS. Monday’s Telegraph – presumably set by Rufus – showed how scrambling “eggs” should work in a crossword with his clue…

15ac There’s a tonic in eggs scrambled around mid-morning (7)

…for GINSENG. That’ll get your cro-jo working.

Themes and tricks

Often, when you realise what’s going on in a puzzle by one of the UK papers’ more baroque setters, you wonder “is she doing this just because she can?” Twice now this blog has mused “Perhaps Anax just likes making life difficult for himself”.

So it was with Anax in Tuesday’s Independent: after some moments, the eye spotted that all the across clues began with the word “Is”, and the brain said “Hmm”. Once the down clues yielded some letters, it became clear that the “Is”es were all islands. Well, almost all: all would perhaps have been too easy for us solvers; more’s the point, this artificial extra constraint can’t have made things easy for the setter.

Anax explained what he thought he was playing at in the comments at crossword blog Fifteen Squared:

If we just set straightforward puzzles day in day out it would be hard to stay fresh, so it’s not just pleasurable to do something different – it’s a good idea to give ourselves a variety of challenges; some technical, some simply fun. There have been comments in the past about setters ‘showing off’ with unusual themes but, really, it just isn’t the case.

Interested solvers should read the whole post, but the answer seems to be: yes, Anax does just like making life difficult for himself.

Another setter who gave himself something extra to do this week was Paul, whose 7d/16d in Friday’s Guardian was AMERICAN SPELLING. And so we had…

15d Go crazy wriggling nose into 7 confection (2,4,3)

…which via the American spelling DONUT gives us DO ONE’S NUT; we had…

19d/11ac Having turned up, leaders in blue lingerie instantly focus (7) to force government initiative (6,10)

…which via the American spelling CENTER gives us PUBLIC ENTERPRISE, and this being Paul how could we not have had…

5ac Having touched base, 7 behind swimmer (3,4)

…which via the American spelling, well, ASS gives us SEA BASS.

Continuing our unofficial oval theme, then, your cluing challenge this week is OMELET. Suggestions below please.

Incidentally, the annotated solution for Paul’s recent prize puzzle is now available.

Clue of the Week

Soon, in our Cryptic crosswords for Beginners series, we’ll come to the cryptic definition. Of these clues, my favourites are those which make you give an important word a very unhelpful interpretation, as with this from Tuesday’s Telegraph…

20ac The tips I give cabbies may not be well received (4-4,6)

These tips are of the recommending, not the recompensing variety and are delivered by a BACK-SEAT DRIVER. You might want to take this next corner slowly.

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The Mad SEO Scientist Guest Blogging Contest Has Begun

Enter and Win SEO PowerSuite Enterprise ($599 value) and over $2,000 in total cash prizes

Minsk, Belarus (PRWEB) February 06, 2012

Driven by an ambitious goal to raise quality of Web content, Gerald Weber, an SEO professional and President of Search Engine Marketing Group in Houston, Texas, envisioned a new kind of search and social community and founded MySEOCommunity.com.

“We wanted to focus on quality SEO and Internet marketing related content, which is why our community is moderated. In other words, our community isn’t a “content free for all”. We have to feel that your content is going to add value to the community in order for it to be published,” says Gerald of his new venture.

To celebrate the launch of his new SEO community, Gerald invites bloggers to take part in The Mad SEO Scientist Guest Blogging Contest.

“About the Contest”

Co-sponsored by Link-Assistant.Com, an SEO software provider, and a series of other prominent online businesses, the contest is a great opportunity for bloggers of all levels to broadcast their content to a wide audience. It is also a unique chance to win many great prizes, including $1,000 in cash and SEO PowerSuite Enterprise license ($599 value).

Submissions to the contest will be judged on their style and quality. This will include reviews by experienced judges, as well as the social media impact of each post. Contest ends on March 5th 2012.

More details on the contest can be found on MySEOCommunity’s official website.

*About Link-Assistant.Com*

Link-Assistant.Com has been developing game-changing SEO software since 2004. The company’s four flagship tools – Rank Tracker, WebSite Auditor , SEO SpyGlass and LinkAssistant – are sold separately and as an all-in-one SEO PowerSuite software bundle.

Follow Link-Assistant.Com on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ to learn more about the company’s community initiatives, industry updates and product specials.

Contact: Alexandra Shkalikova, ashkalikova(at)link-assistant(dot)com +375447761416

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BOX SCORE:  USA TODAY’s game stats

10:22: NBC has signed off, and so will we.

10:16: This game couldn’t have been much closer. Both teams had an average gain of 5.6 yards per play. There was only one turnover, by New England. The Patriots had the other significant mistake, getting tagged for a safety in the first quarter when Brady was called for intentional grounding while throwing from the end zone. Manning was sacked three times, Brady twice. And perhaps the most lopsided stat was on time of possession. New York held the ball for 37:05, which meant it was in Brady’s hands for only 22:55.

10:10: Eli Manning is the MVP. Eli says he didn’t audible on the big play to Manningham, that it was the call from the bench. He also doesn’t bite on whether it feels good to win a Super Bowl in the house that his brother built. “It just feels good to win a Super Bowl no matter where you are.”

10:09: From Tom Coughlin: “To have a finish like that, that goes down in history, that’s a marvelous feeling.” What he said at halftime: “We’re better than this. Everybody agreed.”

10:07: From the awards ceremony, and Giants co-owner John Mara: “There’s not one coach in the league that I’d trade for Tom Coughlin.”

10:05: Colts great Raymond Berry is delivering the Lombardi Trophy to the awards stage. Nice touch.

9:55: You have to figure Eli Manning will pick up his second Super Bowl MVP award, after leading the final drive and finishing the night 30-for-40 for 296 yards, with no interceptions. But give Mario Manningham credit for a game-changer, when he made the circus catch under pressure to get the Giants’ final drive going strong.

9:53: Giants defend on the Hail Mary. Game over. Gronkowski was close in the end zone, but couldn’t pull it in.

9:52: Incomplete. Just five seconds left. Hail Mary time.

9:51: Brady spikes the ball, with 17 seconds left. Then Giants have a gaffe, with 12 men on the field. That moves the ball to midfield, with 9 seconds left.

9:50: Brady delivers. He scrambles away from Pierre-Paul and hits Branch for the first down at the 33.

9:49: Sack on Brady. Pats must take a timeout, 39 seconds left. Justin Tuck does the damage, and New England is left with fourth-and-16 to stay alive.

9:48: Brady is incomplete to Branch on first down, and Hernandez drops a pass on second down. 48 seconds left.

9:47: Green Bay also intentionally let Denver score late in Super Bowl XXXII, just like New England did, and they lost.

9:44: Touchdown Giants. Bradshaw scores as New England clears a path and lets him score, trying to preserve time. Bradshaw nearly hit the turf, but couldn’t stop his momentum. Gaints go for two, and don’t score. There are 57 secondsleft.

9:42: Bradshaw carries and stays inbounds, which forces the Patriots to take their second timeout, with 1:04 left.

9:41: Bradshaw carries to the 11. Then Eli hits Nicks to set up first-and-goal at the 7. 1:09 left.

9:40: Can Eli pull this off with another fourth-quarter drive in the Super Bowl? And how much do you worry about scoring fast and giving the ball back to Tom Brady? Pats have two timeouts.

9:38: Giants are at the Pats 18 as Eli hits Hakeem Nicks on a quick slant that counters the New England blitz. That takes us to the two-minute warning.

9:36: Manningham again, with another catch that gets NY inside the 35 and within field goal range.

9:34: Manningham’s catch was over the shoulder, and he took a big hit while maintaining possession on the 38-yard gain. If it stands, it’s the longest gain of the game . . . And it’s confirmed. The play stands.

9:33: Giants start the drive at their 12 and Eli immediately goes deep to Manningham, who makes a circus catch on the sideline. Ball is spotted at the 50, but the play will be reviewed.

9:32: New England facing third-and-11 as Welker can’t pull in a pass despite being wide open in the left flat. Pats fail to convert as Brady is off target to Branch. NY gets the ball back with 3:46 left.

9:30: Another big first down for the Pats, as Aaron Hernandez gets free against Boley. Under 5 minutes left now.

9:28: Wes Welker runs an end-around reverse for the second time, and it works again. Good for 11 yards. Play went Brady to Woodhead to Welker.

9:26: More injury trouble for NY. Safety Antrel Rolle is on the turf and hurt. Patriots are facing second-and-seven at their 34, 7:33 left in the game. Timeout.

9:24: On third-and-five at their 13, the Patriots get 18 yards on a nice swing pass into the left flat to Woodhead.

9:22: Patriots start at their 8-yard line after another good punt by Weatherford.

9:19: Giants can’t convert on third down and Tom Coughlin is red-hot that there wasn’t an interference call on Sterling Moore, who was all over Manningham on the incompletion. That kills the drive, and New York has to punt.

9:17: Giants waste a second timeout because the play clock again is running down. And the Giants just missed a big gain because Manningham ran a diagonal pattern that took him out of bounds too soon. Cris Collinsworth is ripping him, say that’s a bad habit of the NY receiver.

9:16: ABC says Ballard’s injury is a knee sprain, and that he’ll try to return.

9:15: Cruz makes the catch on third down, so suddenly he’s hot again. Ballard doesn’t look like he’s coming back anytime soon. Mannigham follows with another catch for 12 more, and the Giants are in Patriots territory.

9:11: Cruz gets his first catch since the first quarter to set up third-and-one for NY. But the Giants may have lost another TE. Jake Ballard is on the ground, and holding his left knee. Injury timeout with 11:51 left in the game.

9:08: Eli throws incomplete to Victor Cruz — who has been quiet awhile now — but it doesn’t matter because Ninkovich is offside. Eli takes advantage of the do-over with a laser to Nicks for a first down.

9:05: Timeout Giants as the play clock runs down. NY faces third-and-7 at its 11, 13:23 left in the fourth quarter.

9:03: First turnover of the game, as Chase Blackburn picks off Brady while covering Rob Gronkowski. Gronkowski was running a deep pattern and Blackburn managed to keep up with him as Brady scrambled for time. Remember, it was LB Blackburn who was beat for a TD pass earlier.

9:02: Our stat man, Pete O’Brien, checks in with a suggestion that this could be an explosive fourth quarter. The Giants ranked first in fourth-quarter scoring this season, with 157, and the Pats were third, with 142. Both teams also gave up a lot of fourth-quarter points — 135 by New York, and 122 by New England.

9:00: Third quarter ends with some pushing and shoving as Green-Ellis carries to the New England 31. Brady isn’t showing any ill effects.

8:56: That was the third sack of Manning. ABC has been speculating the Brady hurt his left shoulder when he was sacked to end New England’s last possession. But he’s throwing on the sideline. We’ll find out is he’s okay as New England starts at the 20.

8:55: Eli sacked back at the 15 by Ninkovich. NY will have to settle for another FG try, which Tynes makes from 33 yards. Giants pull within 17-15.

8:53: Bear Pascoe get New York to the Pats 12 with his third catch. He’s the TE who moved up on the depth chart when Travis Beckum went out with a torn ACL.

8:52: Big break for Giants, as Nicks makes his sixth catch but fumbles. But New York recovers.

8:48: Brady gets sacked for the first time tonight, by Justin Tuck. That forces a New England punt. Great downfield coverage was what made it happen, as New York rushed only three.

8:47: Looks like Pierre-Paul is all right. He got up and jogged off the field on his own.

8:45: Jason Pierre-Paul is on the ground and shaken after a collision with Green-Ellis on the first play of New England’s possession. Injury timeout.

8:37: Nicks is back on the field as the Giants face third-and-10. Eli connects with Manningham, but it’s only good for 5 yards. Giants will have to settle for a 38-yard field goal that is just barely good. Patriots 17, Giants 12, 6:43 left in the third quarter.

8:36: Nicks produces another first down. Giants at the 25. But Nicks comes up hurting on the next play after a hit from Chung. Remember, Nicks got hurt in the NFC championship against the 49ers.

8:35: Another Giants first down, as Bradshaw bulls through the middle. G-men are at the Pats 36.

8:33: Giants get a good kickoff return and then Nicks moves them to midfield with his fifth catch of the night, on third-and-four.

8:31: Brady is now 20-for-23 for 201 yards, plus two TD passes and no picks. That last TD pass saw Hernandez easily getting free while being covered by LB Chase Blackburn.

8:30: That New England score gives the Pats back-to-back TD drives of 96 and 79 yards.

8:28: Aaron Hernandez get open and that’s good for another Patriots touchdown.

8:27: Green-Ellis converts on third-and-short. New York’s defense is looking clueless to start this half. Welker follows with another catch, and New England is at the NYG 12.

8:26: Brady’s 14th straight completion is good for 5 yards to Welker, and sets a Super Bowl record. Joe Montana had set the standard, with 13.

8:25: Brady’s streak is up to 13 straight completions. And then Green-Ellis gets New England’s best run of the night, 17 yards, to get the Pats to midfield.

8:23: This game truly has it all. Chad Ochocinco catches a pass to open the third quarter. Maybe his dormant days are over.

8:22: Patriots about to receive the kickoff. Brady will take the field with a streak of 11 consecutive completions working.

8:09: Remember, New England will have a chance to keep that momentum going from the touchdown drive at the end of the first half. The Patriots won the coin toss and, as has always been the case with Bill Belichick the last few years, they deferred. So they’ll get the ball when this long halftime lull ends.

8:02: While Madonna gets it going, here are some halftime numbers. The biggest stat is that there have been no turnovers. You get the feeling the first one will be a game-turner. Eli checks in as 13-for-17, for 120 yards. But brady is a tad better, at 15-for-18 for 147 yards. Both have tossed one TD pass. Ahmad Bradshaw is the only man getting anything down on the ground, with 44 yards on 9 carries. Top receivers are Welker with 42 yards on 4 catches and Hakeem Nicks, also with 42 yards, on three receptions. New York has to be a tad upset it didn’t get more from dominating the time of possession — 19:45 to 10:15.

7:51: Halftime. We’ll be back in a second with statistics.

7:50: That ties the record for the longest drive in Super Bowl history — 96 yards in 14 plays.

7:48: Touchdown New England. Brady has all kinds of time, and waits until Woodhead is open in the end zone. That concludes a 96-yard touchdown drive, with 8 seconds left in the half. Patriots lead, 10-9.

7:45: Another Woodhead catch gets New England to the 3. But Jason Pierre-Paul makes a huge play, taking down Woodhead in the backfield. Timeout New England with 15 seconds left.

7:42: Welker gets loose in the left flat for a 10-yard gain to the NYG 22. Patriots take their first timeout, with 29 seconds left. That’s Welker’s fourth catch of the game.

7:41: On third-and-4, brady goes to Hernandez again, and hits him on the right sideline. Just 1:01 left, but New England has all three of its timeouts left.

7:40: 10-yard setback for the Patriots, as Brian Waters gets called for an obvious hold.

7:39: Hernandez gets the Pats across midfield with a catch but the ball comes out. The refs rule his elbow was down, though, so no turnover on a fumble, and no lengthy review from upstairs.

7:35: Rob Gronkowski finally is a factor. He looks relatively nimble while going up for a catch that nets 20 yards. New England is at its 39 as the two-minute warning arrives.

7:34: Pats dig out of the hole with a Welker catch and a Danny Woodhead surge up the middle. For fans of Chad Ochocinco, you’ll be happy to know he’s been on the field for a change. Not much, but some.

7:30: Eli tries to go deep to Manningham, but it’s off his hands. Weatherford unleashes another sensational punt that goes out at the 4. Giants have owned the battle for field position so far, and last time they had the Pats in this spot they got a safety.

7:29: Holding call negates a nice first-down carry by Brandon Jacobs. Kevin Boothe drew the flag. Leaves the Giants in a thrid-and-11 bind.

7:26: NY was terrible at running the ball during the regular season, but Ahmad Bradshaw is solid tonight. He gives them a first down, nearly to midfield, and now has nine totes for 44 yards.

7:24: Patriots drive goes nowhere and they punt. But the Giants will be without TE Travis Beckum the rest of the night. He has a torn ACL from that play early in the second quarter. That means Bear Pascoe moves up to NY’s second-string TE. And he’s been good tonight, with two catches.

7:20: Giants can’t push any further. Weatherford punts, and he can’t quite get another beauty. This one bounces into the end zone for a touchback.

7:17: On third-and-6 Hakeem soars high for an 18-yard gain that gets NY across midfield, to the Pats 47. Great catch. That’s three receptions for Nicks.

7:13: Injury timeout. Giants TE Travis Beckum is on the ground, and holding his right knee. 13:02 left in the second quarter.

7:10: Touchback on the kickoff to New York. Here are some stats, with 13:48 left in the second quarter. Eli is 9-for-9 for 77 yards, and that’s the most consecutive completions to begins a Super Bowl. Brady is 4-for-6 for 43 yards. NYG are leading the yardage battle, 108-60. And they’re killing New England on time of possession, with 11:28 to 4:44.

7:05: On third-and-four Jason Pierre-Paul bats down a pass. So the Patriots have to settle for a short field goal. But at least they’re on the board after that terrible start. Giants lead early in the second quarter, 9-3.

7:02: Patriots got Welker matched up on linebacker Michael Boley on that big gain, and that’s a matchup they’ll take as many times as they can get it tonight.

7:00: Welker catches a 19-yarder and then gets 10 more on an end-around to move the Patriots to the Giants’ 17. First quarter ends.

6:57: Patriots start at their 26, and loss two yards on their first play. But Brady converts on third-and-4 with a pass to Branch. That’s New England’s first good news of the night on offense.

6:51: Touchdown Giants. Victor Cruz gets his first score of the postseason, beating James Ihedigbo. 9-0 Giants.

6:50: On third-and-3 Victor Cruz catches a pass for first down, but has the ball stripped, and New England recovers. But that’s all for naught, because the Patriots had 12 defenders on the field.

6:48: Eli is 7-for-7 after connecting with Bear Pascoe for the second time. Giants are at the Pats 15.

6:46: Bradshaw breaks loose for 24 yards, and the Giants are across midfield to the 33. Broke open with a straight arm on Patrick Chung.

6:44: That was the first safety in a Super Bowl since Bruce Smith got one for Buffalo in Super Bowl XXV, against the Giants. Give Steve Weatherford an assist, since it was his near-perfect punt that forced the Pats to start deep in their own territory.

6:40: Giants score on a safety on New England’s first play from scrimmage. Brady was facing a strong rush from Justin Tuck, and just winged it down the field. Since no one was in position to make the catch, and because Brady was in the end zone when he threw, the intentional grounding call results in a safety. Giants 2, Patriots 0.

6:40: Patriots have set a very different tone from when they played New York in November. In that game, they never sacked Eli Manning. And tonight they already have two on him.

6:39: Excellent punt by Steve Weatherford. Brady and the Patriots will have to start from inside their 5-yard line.

6:38: Manning gets taken down again and the Giants will have to punt. New York was nearly in field goal range when that drive suddenly went awry with poor protection.

6:37: 19-yard completion to Hakeem Nicks. But then Eli gets sacked. Giants facing third-and-13.

6:34: Eli is off to a 3-for-3 start with a 9-yard completion to Jake Ballard. Three different receivers, too. Then Bradshaw hammers for another NYG first down at the 45.

6:33: Eli connects with Bear Pascoe for a short gain on his first throw of the night. NYG are facing third-and-6, and convert with a completion to Victory Cruz. And yes, the fans reacted with a big “Cruuuuuuz.”

6:31: Kickoff. We’re under way. Giants will start at the 23. And they get a yard on first down.

6:27: First victory of the night goes to the Patriots. They win the coin flip, and that’s the first time in 15 years that the AFC team has won it.

6:24: Cris Collinsworth is weighing in with his final assessments, and says that next to the quarterback the most important factor will be who has the best pass rush.

6:20: The national anthem was glitch-free by Kelly Clarkson. So we’re already off to a better start than last year, when Christina Aguilera botched the lyrics.

6:12: Both teams have been introduced. And if you had a gray hoodie in the “What will Bill Belichick wear?” pool consider yourself a winner.

6:01: Kickoff is still about 30 minutes away. NBC just aired a new version of the Faith Hill opener. Same song, new outfit. No more leather pants. But the big question of course is how much the Patriots will be able to get out of Rob Gronkowski. On NBC, Tony Dungy theorized that the tight end still hasn’t received a pain-killing injection for his ankle, and that New England will wait until closer to kickoff to administer it.

Oh here go hell come. ​

Welcome to Super Bowl XLVI, between the New England Patriots, led by dreamboat Tom Brady, and the New York Giants, led by Eli Manning, whose brother Peyton’s shadow has been looming over the proceedings the past two weeks. This is a rematch, pitting the same two teams from Super Bowl XLII in 2008, which I lost $20 on. On the bright side, well there is no bright side.

If you are already watching NBC’s pre-game programming, how much do you hate Pizza Hut right now, and/or did you finally break down and order something? The plugging and commercials are relentless. HD is also not doing the 60-year-old Bob Costas any favors either. But that redhead in the Century 21 ad? That’s making watching the two hours before the game worth it.

As per Methodist Hospital’s dire instructions, please please please, remember to pee tonight during the game. No commercial, scoring drive, or Madonna nip-slip is worth having a catheter installed in your skin plumbing.

Another option would be not to drink at all until The Voice comes on after the big game. You will probably get a quicker buzz, and it will make looking at the bloated visage of Christina Aguilera a bit easier.

As Methodist officials say “people who drink too much and fail to get up and go to the bathroom can also develop a problem called urinary retention, a condition where the bladder gets so full that the muscles are not strong enough to generate a stream.”

Also, don’t Google “peeing” unless that’s just what you are into, which is cool. I’m not into it but I am sure that it is thrilling, and the warmth…

OK, just under an hour until game time. Go stir the queso. See you back here in a few.

​Faith Hill singing the introduction to the beginning of the Super Bowl. Digging the silver pants, the emphatic arm gesturing, the sparks.

I also like how 20 years ago if a guy on a football team had intricate tattoo sleeves — or even just a tiny one on his bicep — and Rapunzel hair that he would be outright feared — and even given a part in a Schwarzenegger film — but now it’s almost standard issue lineman appearance.

Should the Super Bowl be considered Thanksgiving I or Thanksgiving II, what with the eating and the drinking and the crying?

Brady doesn’t need to wear his helmet to the field because he’s handsome.

LOL a commercial set at the Hollywood sign where they found the body parts. That’s a sincere LOL, I swear.

This Denzel movie looks like shit. Just howl “THAT’S MY WIFE” and shoot someone.

“America, The Beautiful” with Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton’s piercing goddamn eyes. Where is the teleprompter??

Kelly Clarkson seems like good people. Like, she would pick you up from the airport on a Saturday night and put in a good word for you with a chick you wanted to hook up with.

I don’t want The Dictator…do you?

Yeah, pants, phones, and pizza are cool, but this kid almost died of cancer. Enjoy your bean dip, fat ass.

Is Cris Collinsworth really Will Arnett’s dad?

Look happier that you are in the football hall of fame, not like you are Iranian hostages. “I love my family, I am treated very well, and I miss America.”

​

I bet someone just lost their house on that coin toss.

“Pack it up, kids. We move in with grandma tomorrow. You start at a new school next week.”

Bill Conti is rolling in his grave, and does Jeff Bridges just live inside a voice-over booth now and smoke weed all day?

“Sports palace” huh? Sounds fruity as shit.

KICKOF. I mean KICKOFF!

PRO TIP: If you squint and rub Vaseline in your eyes, it looks like the Texans are playing today. Just turn the spund down and pop in ZZ Top’s Eliminator.

The slowest sack in history. Do football players not wear protective cups anymore?

OH SHIT! Bud Light Platinum! So fancy!

Followed by a commercial featuring Echo The Bunnymen and the death of dozens of white people.

That’s really Elton John’s house. He kills people. Is that Raven? And he is using a leg double.

​

I am football stoopid and even I know that that was intentional grounding. These guys are going easy on each other it looks like. Not that I am a superstar athlete, and I would in fact cry if I got hit by one of these he-men.

Next year, I want Collinsworth and Alex Jones to commentate the Super Bowl. This game needs more paranoia.

Brady looks super sad now.

How dare they not show the entire Cruz dance. We really are a puritanical country. Show it again! RON PAUL 2012.

Triple-filtered!!! WAHHHH! Bud Light Platinum…

I wonder what an MM penis looks like…and I still say that the female MM is hottie. Melt in my mouth not in her hand!

I really like thinking about the Apocalypse and trucks, and that those guys are going to end up having crazy sex with each other since they are probably the only people left on Earth that are not zombies.

It could be worse.

That CGI Troy Aikman was so lifelike. RIP.

NO. NO.

NO BATTLESHIP. We don’t need this, no matter how many Liam Neeson’s you make. Rated Mehhhhhhh.

The craft beer anger over Budweiser makes me want to drink it more, the same way when hipsters hate on Nickelback, I just listen to them louder. Also, this Bud commercial needs some Nucky Thompson. And someone getting their throat slit.

Dogs are to Doritos as to cows are to Chick-fil-A? Confused.

ZZZZZZZZZZ turbans. Sweet lord not all of us drink. An alien looking in would assume we are alcoholics with dogs that talk and everyone is either fat or Megan Fox.

We’ve come a long way when we can show children urinating in a pool. I would rather assume he pooped instead. 2012 indeed.

In prison, a “furry peanut” is a term of endearment. The Lorax looks fun though.

I really hope when Howard Stern joins America’s Got Talent that the pin-pong ball chick from his radio show makes an appearance.

Also, an “illegal huddle” will get you solitary confinement in prison. (Sorry, it’s the homoerotic lingo portion of the evening. Third down and long.)

And just like that, the David Beckham commercial shows up. Sigh.

You know Glenn Beck says that the Coke polar bears are liberal propaganda…

Indie-rock sure has invaded the ads this year. Somewhere someone in a dive bar is crying into their IPA over the royalty check that could have been.

It doesn’t matter, people will go see all six of the Star Wars films in 3D, even if they hated them.

Another Avengers trailer. Adriana Lima shilling not for lingerie and boobs, but….flowers???!!! Wahhhh???

Tone Loc and Eddie Van Halen must get a few hundred thousand in royalty checks each February after the Super Bowl.

Oh man, the guy’s conscience growing out of his head in the cars.com ad. Reminds me of this film classic…

I don’t like the talking babies, and what’s with that one sleazy baby “speed dating”. What kind of fuckery is that? Society’s ruin or something or other.

And now is where if I was a football dude where I would say “we have a football now” now. Score is 10-9 with the Patriots….just look at the TV.

Tony Dungy looks like Alternate World Barack Obama.

MADONNA TIMEZ

A free LMFAO remix of a Madonna song.

Madonna opens with “Vogue” and lots of Greek goddess imagery. She’s GrandGaga now. She looks great for 53, and the arms are concealed. Though that last kick looked painful.

Second song is “Music” from 2000.

WE GOT AN UPSKIRT. Song sounds highly edited. And is that…Richard Simmons from 1975 on that tight rope?

Super, we lumped in “Party Rock” into this. LMFAO is there to save the day. Where are the hamsters to sell the cars to the people?

MIA and Nicki Minaj come out for the new single “Give Me All Your Luvin’”, which sounds like 1999′s “Beautiful Stranger”. I wouldn’t let Minaj or MIA perform on live TV at all.

​AND WE GOT THE FINGER. FROM MIA. AND “SHIT”.

All that is left now is for Cee Lo to have “RON PAUL 2012″ painted on his ass cheeks…

Come on…

“Like A Prayer” brings us back to the religious fervor of the ’80s, but still Madonna is doing a great job. A good primer for the tour coming up this year.

The world is loving Madonna all over again. Already being called one of the best halftime performances ever….er…evar.

​Boring, the game is back on and now the Patriots are winning by a touchdown.

Katherine McPhee looks like she is always about to cry. Smash has a cool cast, with Anjelica Huston coming to TV.

What the hell, Mattress Mac? Guys that look like Larry The Cable Guy are scary and shouldn’t be let into your houses? They pay your bills, broseph. Every other person I have ever seen in Alvin looks like that. Maybe I like stereotypical bears in cowboy hats coming into my home.

“Nah man, you can’t grab that.”

NFL commercial vowing to make the game safer. Eff that noise. We want blood.

A very ambitious H-E-B commercial, ending with an alien who traveled millions of light years to shop at their stores.

Ditto. ​

Nothing is going to make this Matthew Broderick commercial better. So patently wrong and heartbreaking. Excuse me…

Though I am happy that MetLife brought back all those cartoon characters back for a few seconds, including He-Man and Mr. Magoo.

Cris Collinsworth is losing his voice.

CareerBuilder.com means to tell us that chimps use dildos? I don’t know why that guy hates working with them, it seems fun. Also, I liked the older, distinguished boss chimp. No ageism here.

Was that Samsung Galaxy commercial supposed to be a biting send-up of the Occupy movement, or a really bitchin’ excuse for rawk? Shut up who cares The Darkness is back.

GoDaddy just won’t let up. Guys that wanna get laid and enjoy nude women are basically mentally-challenged and…that’s about right.

I bet it costs a million dollars to make Eli Manning blink in those graphics.

Congrats Giants and Eli Manning. Sorry Tom Brady and whatever team it is you throw the ball for.

And yes, that was The Man From Another Place as the munchkin in the Seinfeld ad. ​