In between working late, all-nighters, and the latest round of "summer" weather, I've still been able to get out and do a little hiking and/or camping. Two weekends ago, Ben and I camped along Canyon Creek Rd and hiked Canyon Ridge one day and Excelsior Pass the other day (Green Trails #13 Mount Baker).

Herewith, a few pictures from that weekend:

 
(Photo by Ben)

The remainder of that weekend's pictures are here.

My computer at work hates me half the time. Or maybe it's just some of the software. Whatever/Whoever it is, it gives me a second or two to post random thoughts. Think of this as saving Twitter bandwidth.

• Over the Rhine's Live from Nowhere, Volume 3 arrived today after a long wait. I had forgotten that I ordered it. Good stuff.
• When I've been able to listen, I've been listening to a lot of downtempo chill music. Dig the grove, man.
• Love the new Death Cab for Cutie album, Narrow Stairs.
• I think about music a lot.
• I'm going camping. It's a one night, car camping thing with guys from the church. My knees thank me for no full-on backpacking.
• I expect to hike up to Excelsior Pass (Green Trails #13 Mt Baker) and/or Peak Saturday. My knees are bitter, but they'll get over it. Probably by next Wednesday.
• I need to publish some more pictures.
• Fantasy Football season is upon us. You know what that means: more bad beat stories.

I'm not usually a big fan of mega-churches and their perma-smile preachers. King James-only assemblies don't get my juices flowing, either.

A famous perma-smile preacher gets on TV and appears to espouse a wishy-washy Gospel of Jesus. You can go on YouTube right now and find some clips from the now year-old appearance. You can also find a clip of a pastor from an "old-fashioned, independent, fundamental, King James Bible only, separated Baptist church and not ashamed to say so" church who first gets on the case of the Perma-smile's milquetoast statements and then laughs as he reads Perma-smile's website apology for said statements.

Perma-smile apparently loves his celebrity. He's believing his own press clippings; he cares a little too much what other think. He can definitely do a better job of not backing down from the exclusive claims of Jesus.

Old-fashsioned's point is taken. But his self-righteousness is obvious and not helpful. Also, I would have to wonder if I personally could get forgiveness if I wronged the guy. He seems earnest enough; perhaps I could get forgiveness as long as I didn't wrong him on TV.

Perma-smile should absolutely be corrected--no doubt about that. But he should be pitied for his celebrity; not attacked.