Staying current

Sorry to pause for a whole week like that...

I'm working on making better use of my once again limited free time. While I get off work at 3, I'm usually pretty tired if I don't have anything scheduled right after work. Late nights are out of a question most of the time now.

But...

I don't want to let that stop me from staying up to speed here. If I don't keep current, it makes your visits here less worthwhile. So, if I can say it without going out on a limb, stay tuned. There's more to come.

Curve or chang-up?

I had planned for my next post to be a review of Batman Begins, which I saw on Saturday. However, this quick note is needed before I run off to bed before it gets too late.

What's this, you ask. Mark is cracking! He's going to bed "early." Well, such are the constraints of someone who is now employed. Yeah, I start work at 6:30 fpr Perry Pallet (pallet recycling). First day...wouldn't want to blow that--not that any day is worth blowing, mind you. Anway, have a good day everyone!

Who knows, maybe I will too.

Congress at its best

This is what I call teeth!

From the AP:

Culminating years of frustration with the performance and behavior of the United Nations, the House voted Friday to slash U.S. contributions to the world body if it does not substantially change the way it operates.

The 221-184 vote, which came despite a Bush administration warning that such a move could actually sabotage reform efforts, was a strong signal from Congress that a policy of persuasion wasn't enough to straighten out the U.N.

I think the Bush administration has the wrong goal. They are operating under the assumption that the UN could be a credible authority in the world with just a few changes here and there. That way, if this passes the Senate, and UN doesn't follow through (I almost hope they don't), the current feelings of loathing for this world body might be put to even greater use to completely discredit and neutralize this farce of government (as if they aren't well on their way already).

The UN is simply hearing the voice of the American people in this vote. They ignore it at their peril.

Crossposted at Head West, Turn Right

I'm pegged

Although, I'm getting a little tired of seeing them and letting them take up valuable blog-space, sometimes they do an ok job.

This quiz was a little difficult because I didn't know how to answer when something was hovering between unimportant and completely off the wall. (do I answer "disagree completely or just do an apathetic response?). It seemed to peg me pretty close though so I must have answered right most of the time. The interesting thing is that the term "Reformed Evangelical" is a historically sound definition of what we call simply "reformed." Such terms should be viewed as a tree breaking into ever more specific branches. Starting with catholic (universal or as opposed to the orthodox church), then Evangelical (as opposed to Roman Catholic), then Reformed (as opposed to other Baptists, Methodists, etc.)... So the term, Reformed Evangelical Catholic would be technically accurate at describing me as well (information courtesy of R.C. Sproul series: "What is Reformed Theology").

*Stepping off soup-box*

NOTICE: Be ye warned if you decide to take the quiz that it produces a lot of code which invariably interferes with your post width. I had to make a few alterations.

You scored as Reformed Evangelical. You are a Reformed Evangelical. You take the Bible very seriously because it is God's Word. You most likely hold to TULIP and are sceptical about the possibilities of universal atonement or resistible grace. The most important thing the Church can do is make sure people hear how they can go to heaven when they die. Reformed Evangelical 86% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 71% Fundamentalist 71% Neo orthodox 61% Roman Catholic 39% Charismatic/Pentecostal 29% Emergent/Postmodern 21% Classical Liberal 21% Modern Liberal 11% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

Postponed pictures

Ok...

A couple photos before sending you off to the larger collection.



Joshua and I with the great Phyllis Schlafly.



I took this at Union Station, where we had our pizza party on Thursday.



This is the inestimable Mike Adams who I mentioned being excited to hear in person. Yes I did get my book signed and he really is really awesome. (excuse the understatement)



The fact that we are represented by Rep. Larsen is compounded in this tragic picture as Joshua and I come face to face with the truth.

For now I'm going to have to direct you all to the photo gallary of the D.C. that exists courtesy of Joshua. At the moment, only our pictures are up. I would have pictures up on here but I'm getting impatient with my lack of a decent photo program. I'm working on simpler methods though and should have a few up for commentary soon.

Upward and onward.

Thinking inside the box

I'm sure everyone is shocked to learn that Kofi Annon is in more trouble and may actually have known more about oil for food issues than he let on...(shock and awe to be more exact).

One of the e-mails describes an alleged encounter between Annan and officials from Cotecna Inspection S.A. in late 1998 during which the Swiss company's bid for the contract was raised.

The second, from the same Cotecna executive, expresses confidence that the company would get the bid because of "effective but quiet lobbying" in New York diplomatic circles.

Ok, so I'm actually rubbing my hands together in glee and enjoying every last bit of it.

Crossposted at Head West, Turn Right

Mr. Reimers goes to Washington

The night air is warm. For the little time I remain here in this beautiful city, its warmth will remind me of all the good friends I have just bid goodbye. Perhaps the feeling will fade as I re-acclimate to Northwest temperatures in a few hours. I met many students who came last year but I get the feeling this year was something more...the fellowship was sweeter, the company brighter--indeed, there is a desperate determination not to lose contact with each other. It has been a stunning trip. I'll always cherish my first memory of Washington. There are so many stories to tell, so many moments to remember, so many friends to retain.

The time has blurred together for now. Three nights spent at the Leadership Institute with the same crowd and many midnight excursions on the Metro through the darkened city is enough to make one lose all sense of time. Perhaps the despicable lack of sleep has something to do with it as well but I’m no expert so don’t quote me.

Later this morning, Mom's cousin Chris will pick up Joshua and I here at the Holiday Inn on 6th... We'll be attending church with him outside the city, rushing back, grabbing a quick lunch and doing some normal touring before he drops us at the airport for the flight home.

Touring? Yeah, you'd think with all the free time we had, we would have found the time to wander more of the main attractions. Alas, we were so busy with other once-in-a-lifetime activities that we didn't get it all done. However, I can claim the honor of being one of a small number of people to go to the top of the Washington Monument at night...that's one story. And how about touring the Capitol with a press-pass--that's another story. How about meeting hearing/meeting the likes of Phyllis Schlafly, Mike Adams and Michelle Malkin? Indeed the spoils seem to pile up don't they?

Thankfully, the pictures are abundant we were able to use Joshua's nicer camera. I hope to have some of those up soon--I have a card reader but I don't know if we will post them before we go to bed.

Before I step out the door

I hope you all find yourself in good health and can survive my absence till Monday. I'll be sure to bring some pictures home. Otherwise, I really don't have much to say. I'm going to be up early and out of here in a matter of hours and I need to continue packing. I'm so scatterbrained at this kind of thing--I don't think I've ever been to bed early before a trip...it's just not me.

Cheers then. Pray the weirdness and excitement of it all doesn't get to me. :)

God bless.

The debrief

Thanks for the encouragement one and all. Let me share with you a little of the drama.

I slept in by about three hours this morning--bad start... But in retrospect, I did feel good and rested and my cold is much more receded this morning as well. I packed things up and left for Western--banking on a brief half-hour of study when I got there before the test. I put that time to as good a use as I could imagine, trying to focus on the priority sections of the test.

Honestly, even though I was more prepared than the last one, there's nothing like sitting down in the class room and trying to get over the shock of seeing page 1 (of 8) spitting out questions regarding the minutest of details into your face. Eventually things started to come back into focus again, and one of the hardest tests I'll ever take commenced.

Three pages of high-detail questions--I gave it my best shot and then confronted the other stuff: two 10-point essay questions and one 30-point essay question. Let me just emphasize for you the use of the word "essay" in naming the questions. The amount of content Professor Harris asks for is...impressive.

How did it go?

Not bad that I could tell. If so much didn't hang on it, I probably wouldn't still be so concerned with it. It's time to let it go though, because guess what...

THE SCHOOL YEAR IS OVER.

If you happen to think of it

At 1 p.m. today, I'll be taking my last final of the year. Ironically it's also the most important one that I've taken this year. So if you could spare a moment to remember it in prayer, I would appreciate it beyond measure.

Six months later, the tour ends

I now have my hands on some photos that I promised back in January. These are from the New Years party at the Duysings, written about in this post. Read up on it before you ask any questions.



Here's Jackie with her hobbit handiwork: mushrooms, mason jars and all!



Jackie telling a few good stories. I'm still trying to figure out the whole thing about elves and santa claus coming from middle earth.



This one baffles me because I didn't think anyone could get so many monotone faces into one shutter on such cheerful evening. It could be during one of Jackie's groaners :)



No, not all the guests flaunted costumes.



Nathan, doing some last-minute costume work.



Jason Frank, the Hobbit in front, with his cool designed-by-Jackie outfit. Mark the Numenorian (with Jackie's scale model of Glamdring!) and Nathan the Rohirran in the back, looking...somewhat studly.



For those who don't know, Anna is standing next to Nathan. Rebekah (with some impressive curls) below her. Jackie's older sister Jenee is standing below me. Personally, I think Nathan was way more in character than yours truly.

Be sure to read the full story.

Letting my light shine

I'm glowing...

...on the outside that is. Those who see my face these days usually do a double take before moving on. You see I tend to burn pretty deep. For some reason my face was the only thing that really got it when I went on Monday's hike. The worst of it was Monday night and Tuesday.

It was a great hike, by the way. When we stopped for lunch, the sun finally peaked out a little--it was total fog the rest of the time. Incidentally, my burn is not from direct sunlight (although, the brightness of the thing will make you think of direct sunlight). It's actually caused almost entirely by indirect light off the snow and fog. Anyway, when we finished lunch, Raphael called over, "come'n Mark" and started running the rest of our route. A few of the others decided to join us but we didn't stop until we were almost all the way up. I'm glad Raph started the run up the mountain, because it made the hike that much more satisfying to be able to tire myself out a little more.

By the time we reached the top, about half the group had joined us. The others were still at lunch.

Coming down is always the best part, though. There were a few really steep snow slopes--the kind that tend to seem even steeper when it's time to go back down. The steepest one was right at the top, so as soon as we figured how that was to be de-scale, we were completely broken in.

You all know how to ski on foot right?

Good times had we all! The others had started up our trail to seek us out. It seems they heard some screeching from either our snowball fights or our first ski-run.

Whatever was the case, I know I'm doing this story a grave injustice by writing when I need to get some homework done. For now, you can take a peak at my last hike, a small portion of which is written up here.

One year?

No kidding...this little blog is one year old today. How frightfully exciting!

Junior asparagus growing up

That has to be the most confusing title I've ever written. I think I thought something along these lines: Less than a week and I will have moved from the junior ranks into my final year at Western. Does that make me senior asparagus?