The Explorers Club
No. CCXXII - The Eden Project.







Bonus: I'd have included a picture of "The Bee," but I've seen Them! too many times to condone giant insects in any circumstance.

The Victors: Project OSPREY
Saturday, 12 February
Michigan 73-69 Indiana
16-10, Big Ten 6-7

I suppose I've been spoilt by the valiant Wolverines' improved play of late &, really, given the extreme youth of this team we should be grateful for any win, but Saturday's win was a highly unsatisfactory experience. But I also suppose that I deserved it: when Michigan's lead grew to twenty-two points late in the second half I thought to myself that this was a suitable revenge for the nineteen-point thrashing the wily Hoosiers handed the valiant Wolverines a month earlier in Bloomington, the nadir of January's six-game losing streak. What followed were five of the most painful minutes of basketball I've ever seen as Michigan's advantage dwindled from more than a score to a measly three points, a single possession. Of course, that "five minutes" was five minutes of game-time, in excess of twenty minutes in the real world as the wily Hoosiers extended the game, stopping the clock over & over again by fouling the valiant Wolverines. This unsporting strategy would have, should have sealed their fate, had we only been able to hit our free throws at anything approaching our normal consistency. But this was a proper nightmare, & so Michigan free throw after free thrown clunked off the rim with a clumsiness that would have embarrassed even the infamously inept free-throw shooter Shaquille O'Neal. The valiant Wolverines pulled together just enough points to escape, but even then would likely have failed had Indiana had just one minute more. The Maize & Blue won, but was Michigan really victorious? Let us hope for a similar result, but a much different course to that result, against the feisty Fighting Illini on Wednesday.

Go Blue!

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Fountains of Wayne, "Maureen" from Out-of-State Plates, Disc One (The Guy)

Commentary: It's going to be a mean week for the R.B.D.S.O.T.D., day after day of songs of loss, longing, & frustrated lust, all inspired by the horror show that is America's celebration of Valentine's Day & kicked off by yesterday's "Lover Lies." Fix yourself a stiff drink & enjoy.

"Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Maureen!
You don't know what you do to me,
I know you won't be true to me,
The least that you can do for me
Is keep it to yourself.
I'm so sorry, I don't mean to shout,
But really I can do without
The details of your days and nights
And your thoughts and dreams,
Maureen! Maureen! Maureen! Maureen!

I know you think I'm just a friend,
But can we please just put an end
To all the graphic imagery that you insist on feeding me?
I can accept I'm not the one
Who's getting to have all the fun,
And maybe that's what friends are for,
But I just can't take it anymore!"