Posted by Adrienne on October 30, 2008 under Books | 
Have you ever been reading a book and been kind of lost? I mean, you understand what’s going on and who the different characters are, but you’re lost as to the purpose of the book? I felt that way about Don DeLillo’s End Zone. I understood the basic plot – a small West Texas college football team’s season, as told by one of the running backs, who is obsessed with nuclear war – but pages and pages of rambling monologues and dialogues went by and I didn’t get anything out of them. I felt as though there was lots of symbolism and meaning and all those kinds of things you have to write about in English essays hidden in the ramblings, but it was so well hidden that I didn’t see it (I didn’t really put in an effort to see it, either). So End Zone did not do much for me. I kept reading, because I was sure there was going to be some kind of amazing climax at the end, but there really wasn’t. I find that this kind of thing happens to me an awful lot when I read recent, ’serious’ fiction. That would be why there aren’t many of those sorts of books in my book count.
Posted by Josh on October 29, 2008 under Photos |
This was my first trip to Mount St. Helens, and it was everything I would have hoped for. Well, everything I would realistically hope for; clear skies would have been neat, but this is the Pacific Northwest. I’m just glad it was clear enough to see into the bowl, which was something I did not anticipate being able to see.
It was fascinating to me to read about the volcano at the Johnson Ridge Observatory. I learned a lot about Mount St. Helens that clarified my understanding of the 1980 eruption. I always kind of knew that the eruption was not like you’d get with a stereotypical flowing red lava volcano, but I’d never really thought about it much to figure out any details. So, it was neat to read about how the lava at Mount St. Helens is a different kind of lava, and how the chemical makeup made it more viscous, which is part of how the mountainside was able to bulge out in the days and weeks leading up to the eruption. It also makes it more clear how a lava dome can exist inside the crater; a red flowing lava dome makes no sense, but a highly viscous substance that behaves more like molten chocolate or peanut butter can certainly build up like a dome.
If you ever get a chance to visit Mount St. Helens, I strongly encourage you to do so, even if you enjoy it for completely different reasons than me.
Posted by Josh on October 28, 2008 under Random Thought |
It’s Tuesday, and I’m at home after Shadows practice (in which we sing and play video games, but not at the same time). I usually get home around 10:30, and with bedtime happening around 11:30, that leaves me with about an hour to do something. It’s not enough time to do a whole lot. Sometimes I watch the latest episode of House from my recording earlier in the evening. Sometimes I play video games (though the options are fewer with that timeframe). Sometimes I get business items done (paying bills, tracking receipts, etc.), though those don’t usually take up much time and I’m left with even less time to do something with.
For a while, I feel as though I’ve neglected the blog. Adrienne has remained faithful to the blog, continuing to post her weekly doodles, and I’ve been the only one to miss the Photo of the Week, not to mention all the additional posts she has contributed.
So, with all that in mind. I’ve decided to make Tuesday night my blogging night. This way, I’ll at least post something every week, and if all goes well, it will make it easier to make other posts at other times.
That’s all for now, but don’t miss Adrienne’s post from just a few hours ago about the Sounders latest signing: Freddie Ljunberg!
Posted by Adrienne on under Arsenal, Soccer, Sounders |
The Sounders have signed former Arsenal footballer Freddie Ljungberg (it’s pronounced LOON-berg) as their designated player*. As an Arsenal supporter and a Sounders fan, this makes me really excited. Freddie was a big part of Arsenal’s “Invicible” season in 2003-04, when they did not lose a single match, and while he’s gotten older and a little more susceptible to injuries, he should still have plenty of good skills to bring to the team, especially in the MLS. Most folks who follow soccer believe that MLS does not have the quality of more established leagues like the English Premiereship or the Italian Serie A. While Freddie may not be a superstar in one of those leagues, he should be able to tear up the MLS, much like how David Beckham has found success in America, even while his career is coming towards its end. Also, like Beckham, Freddie is a midfielder, so he’ll be responsible for setting up scoring chances for the strikers. Perhaps he’ll take a few himself!
As his last name implies, Freddie is from a Scandinavian country, specifically, Sweden, and he has played in 75 matches for his international team. While Sweden is not the footballing powerhouse that Italy or Germany are, they are always competitive in European play. Having one of Sweden’s main players on our side is a great deal for the Sounders, and I fully expect Freddie to help Seattle make waves in MLS play next season.
Welcome to Seattle, Freddie! We are glad to have you! And remember, if you ever want a taste of back home, you can always stop by Ballard. Let’s Go Sounders!
*The Designated Player is a player whose salary does not count against the team salary cap. Every MLS club gets one DP. Other Designated Players in MLS include David Beckham for LA Galaxy and Cuauhtemoc Blanco for Chicago Fire.
Posted by Adrienne on October 27, 2008 under Gaming |
It has been several months now since we bought it for the Wii, and we’re still playing Super Smash Brothers Brawl on a regular basis. That’s what tells you that it’s a good game.
I really like how it’s fun for just one person, or for a group of people (more people generally = more fun, however, so go ahead, and make it the headlining activity for your next party). It’s got an easy premise: beat, throw, kick, punch, hammer, or otherwise manhandle the other players’ characters off of the stage. But there are so many ways to switch it up, from the different stages (but NOT Electroplankton – does anybody like that stage?), to the different items (I love the hammer! I love it so much!), to changing the rules (2-minute brawl? Stock brawl? Coin brawl? Special one-player challenges? The possiblities, while not endless, are very, very large). And with all of the different characters to play, no game is quite the same.
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