"Big Daddy" Don Garlits

If anybody is interested I'm thinking about heading down to KCIR tomorrow night (Sat). Give me a call and I'll pick up some ear plugs.

Burn, burn, yes you're gonna burn!

Turns out that JMJ is quite the firestarter.

Gun Show Next Weekend

If I'm not mistaken I believe I've seen a few of those fluorescent signs along the highway advertising a gun show next weekend. What do you say? Canteen field trip? I bet there's a guy there with the exact same T-shirt the guy in this video is wearing. Plus, Sarge, I think you should take the plunge and go ahead get the Desert Eagle.

Google Maps "Street View"

I just found out about this the other day - Google Maps "Street View." They must have had some roving truck that had a camera rotating 360 degrees going all over the U.S.

Transcript of the Pope's Speech at the Ecumenical Prayer Service

I thought the Pope's speech today highly relevant, and important to the Canteen community, considering the somewhat diverse religious makeup of its contributors. I've highlighted a few paragraphs that I think are the meat of the speech.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, My heart abounds with gratitude to Almighty God -- “the Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (Eph 4:6) -- for this blessed opportunity to gather with you this evening in prayer. I thank Bishop Dennis Sullivan for his cordial welcome, and I warmly greet all those in attendance representing Christian communities throughout the United States. May the peace of our Lord and Savior be with you all!

Through you, I express my sincere appreciation for the invaluable work of all those engaged in ecumenism: the National Council of Churches, Christian Churches Together, the Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, and many others. The contribution of Christians in the United States to the ecumenical movement is felt throughout the world. I encourage all of you to persevere, always relying on the grace of the risen Christ whom we strive to serve by bringing about "the obedience of faith for the sake of his name" (Rom 1:5).

We have just listened to the scriptural passage in which Paul -- a "prisoner for the Lord" -- delivers his ardent appeal to the members of the Christian community at Ephesus. "I beg you," he writes, "to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called ... eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph 4:1-3). Then, after his impassioned litany of unity, Paul reminds his hearers that Jesus, having ascended into heaven, has bestowed upon men and women all the gifts necessary for building up the Body of Christ (cf. Eph 4:11-13).

Paul’s exhortation resounds with no less vigor today. His words instill in us the confidence that the Lord will never abandon us in our quest for unity. They also call us to live in a way that bears witness to the "one heart and mind" (Acts 4:32), which has always been the distinguishing trait of Christian koinonia (cf. Acts 2:42), and the force drawing others to join the community of believers so that they too might come to share in the "unsearchable riches of Christ" (Eph 3:8; cf. Acts 2:47; 5:14).

Globalization has humanity poised between two poles. On the one hand, there is a growing sense of interconnectedness and interdependency between peoples even when -- geographically and culturally speaking -- they are far apart. This new situation offers the potential for enhancing a sense of global solidarity and shared responsibility for the well-being of mankind. On the other hand, we cannot deny that the rapid changes occurring in our world also present some disturbing signs of fragmentation and a retreat into individualism. The expanding use of electronic communications has in some cases paradoxically resulted in greater isolation. Many people -- including the young -- are seeking therefore more authentic forms of community. Also of grave concern is the spread of a secularist ideology that undermines or even rejects transcendent truth. The very possibility of divine revelation, and therefore of Christian faith, is often placed into question by cultural trends widely present in academia, the mass media and public debate. For these reasons, a faithful witness to the Gospel is as urgent as ever. Christians are challenged to give a clear account of the hope that they hold (cf. 1 Pet 3:15).

Too often those who are not Christians, as they observe the splintering of Christian communities, are understandably confused about the Gospel message itself. Fundamental Christian beliefs and practices are sometimes changed within communities by so-called "prophetic actions" that are based on a hermeneutic not always consonant with the datum of Scripture and Tradition. Communities consequently give up the attempt to act as a unified body, choosing instead to function according to the idea of "local options". Somewhere in this process the need for diachronic koinonia -- communion with the Church in every age -- is lost, just at the time when the world is losing its bearings and needs a persuasive common witness to the saving power of the Gospel (cf. Rom 1:18-23).

Faced with these difficulties, we must first recall that the unity of the Church flows from the perfect oneness of the Trinitarian God. In John’s Gospel, we are told that Jesus prayed to his Father that his disciples might be one, "just as you are in me and I am in you" (Jn 17:21). This passage reflects the unwavering conviction of the early Christian community that its unity was both caused by, and is reflective of, the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This, in turn, suggests that the internal cohesion of believers was based on the sound integrity of their doctrinal confession (cf. 1 Tim 1:3-11). Throughout the New Testament, we find that the Apostles were repeatedly called to give an account for their faith to both Gentiles (cf. Acts 17:16-34) and Jews (cf. Acts 4:5-22; 5:27-42). The core of their argument was always the historical fact of Jesus’s bodily resurrection from the tomb (Acts 2:24, 32; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30). The ultimate effectiveness of their preaching did not depend on "lofty words" or "human wisdom" (1 Cor 2:13), but rather on the work of the Spirit (Eph 3:5) who confirmed the authoritative witness of the Apostles (cf. 1 Cor 15:1-11). The nucleus of Paul’s preaching and that of the early Church was none other than Jesus Christ, and "him crucified" (1 Cor 2:2). But this proclamation had to be guaranteed by the purity of normative doctrine expressed in creedal formulae -- symbola -- which articulated the essence of the Christian faith and constituted the foundation for the unity of the baptized (cf. 1 Cor 15:3-5; Gal 1:6-9; Unitatis Redintegratio, 2).

My dear friends, the power of the kerygma has lost none of its internal dynamism. Yet we must ask ourselves whether its full force has not been attenuated by a relativistic approach to Christian doctrine similar to that found in secular ideologies, which, in alleging that science alone is “objective,” relegate religion entirely to the subjective sphere of individual feeling. Scientific discoveries, and their application through human ingenuity, undoubtedly offer new possibilities for the betterment of humankind. This does not mean, however, that the "knowable" is limited to the empirically verifiable, nor religion restricted to the shifting realm of "personal experience".

For Christians to accept this faulty line of reasoning would lead to the notion that there is little need to emphasize objective truth in the presentation of the Christian faith, for one need but follow his or her own conscience and choose a community that best suits his or her individual tastes. The result is seen in the continual proliferation of communities which often eschew institutional structures and minimize the importance of doctrinal content for Christian living.

Even within the ecumenical movement, Christians may be reluctant to assert the role of doctrine for fear that it would only exacerbate rather than heal the wounds of division. Yet a clear, convincing testimony to the salvation wrought for us in Christ Jesus has to be based upon the notion of normative apostolic teaching: a teaching which indeed underlies the inspired word of God and sustains the sacramental life of Christians today.

Only by "holding fast" to sound teaching (2 Thess 2:15; cf. Rev 2:12-29) will we be able to respond to the challenges that confront us in an evolving world. Only in this way will we give unambiguous testimony to the truth of the Gospel and its moral teaching. This is the message which the world is waiting to hear from us. Like the early Christians, we have a responsibility to give transparent witness to the "reasons for our hope", so that the eyes of all men and women of goodwill may be opened to see that God has shown us his face (cf. 2 Cor 3:12-18) and granted us access to his divine life through Jesus Christ. He alone is our hope! God has revealed his love for all peoples through the mystery of his Son’s passion and death, and has called us to proclaim that he is indeed risen, has taken his place at the right hand of the Father, and "will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead" (Nicene Creed).

May the word of God we have heard this evening inflame our hearts with hope on the path to unity (cf. Lk 24:32). May this prayer service exemplify the centrality of prayer in the ecumenical movement (cf. Unitatis Redintegratio, 8); for without it, ecumenical structures, institutions and programs would be deprived of their heart and soul. Let us give thanks to Almighty God for the progress that has been made through the work of his Spirit, as we acknowledge with gratitude the personal sacrifices made by so many present and by those who have gone before us.

By following in their footsteps, and by placing our trust in God alone, I am confident that -- to borrow the words of Father Paul Wattson -- we will achieve the "oneness of hope, oneness of faith, and oneness of love" that alone will convince the world that Jesus Christ is the one sent by the Father for the salvation of all.

I thank you all.

26.2 Miles and a Free T-Shirt

A friend of mine recently completed an ultra-marathon of over 40 miles. It was the Brew-to-Brew run that you may be familiar with, but he did it by himself rather than as part of a relay. Crazy?...yeah, but still pretty impressive.

Between that feat, and the fact that my wife is training for a regular marathon, I was inspired to give it a whirl too. (the regular 26.2 mile marathon - not the ultra) I have toyed with the idea for several years now, but always came up with reasons not to do it. The farthest I have previously run is a 1/2 marathon over a year ago, so it will take quite a bit of training - but I think I'm finally up to it.

With my goal made known to others, I am much less likely to quit before finishing the marathon. As a thought only in my head, it's far too easy to push aside and forget about as soon as the "fun" of training wears off. Now I have to live up to what I have said.......

If anyone is interested in joining me, the KC Marathon isn't until October 18th - still plenty of time for even the non-runner to be ready, and an opportunity to check another box off the "things to do" list.

"Thanks, Stadium Pal!"

Tumbleweed Homes

Sarge, I especially posted this for you. I've heard about these tiny homes for awhile, and always thought they might be a good idea if you needed to have something sturdy, yet livable, but not too labor intensive to build (I guess you could buy them already built but that would be fairly expensive) . Of course, they're easily mobile as well. If I'm not married or have kids in the next few years, and I've got enough money saved up, I thought maybe one of these Tumbleweed Homes might be ideal on a plot of land somewhere.

Laphroaig

I finally bought a bottle of the 10 year variety; been meaning to for awhile now. It's got to be my favorite Scotch, with its earthy, peaty smoke flavor on top of a bed of sweetness. I like to just let it sit in my mouth for a bit before swallowing. Anyway, check out the Laphroaig site, it's pretty neat.

Whos coming with me!!

Bearded Freak Show Lady is Pregnant

If you've seen any form of media in the last fews days, you've probably already seen this disturbing image. Normally there's a "Pregnant Man" headline attached to it one form or another. But this is simply not true. True, there's a pregnancy...but the pregnant person is not a man. She is a gay woman who underwent a partial gender change - basically had her breasts removed, took some hormones so she could grow a dirty wannabe beard, and changed her name from Tracy to Thomas. This does not make a man. It doesn't even warrant a discussion on whether or not there is a "pregnant man". If a man grew his hair out, got some breast implants, and took some sissy hormones...would that make him a woman? Nope, in either case it just makes for a freak.



She told Oprah, "When I woke up in the morning, I felt like a man." What!?!?! Did she reach down and scratch her balls, or have to push down an erection to take a piss? How would she know what it feels like to "feel like a man". Although she had her breasts removed, she did not have any surgical alterations to her reproductive organs - thus the pregnancy.

There is no doubt that anyone who meets this person either 1) recognizes that he is really a she, or 2) just thinks "he's" gay. Either way, what's the point? Nobody's fooled, and her desire to be a man hasn't materialized.

This is really just a circus act of a story that doesn't have any merit outside of "Advocate" subscribers.

Where is Social Services on this one?

Robert F. Kennedy announces death of Martin Luther King Jr.

Kennedy gave this speech in Indianapolis. He ad-libbed the entire speech, which I believe rings true to this day

Whoopsy!!!

D.C.

I am now back in KC after spending 6 days in DC. If you ever get the opportunity to experience the cherry blossom festival, I highly recommend it. 

American advertisement at its worst!

The Fall Guy

Naturally, while composing the post below I wondered if Youtube had the Fall Guy Intro. Low and behold...

Is Sky Spy Johnny Rowlands Actually Lee Majors?

Sans the mustache is Johnny Rowlands...the Fall Guy?

Panda Bear

A little something for everybody here; we've got skateboarding for Sil, great fish eye cinematography for Ray, it's apolitical for Mr. Wilson - and it's one of my current favorite musical artists.

Activision Reports Sluggish Sales For Sousaphone Hero

SANTA MONICA, CA—Despite a catchy 1890s soundtrack and realistic-feeling game play, Sousaphone Hero, the third installment of Activision's massively popular Guitar Hero video game franchise, sold a mere 52 copies in the United States in its opening week, the company reported Monday.
Enlarge Image Activision Reports

"In the wake of Guitar Hero's success, we thought the public was more than ready for additional popular American musical genres in a simulated-performance format, but people don't seem to be responding to marches as well as we had hoped," said Activision spokeswoman Melissa Hendleman, whose company spent an estimated $25 million developing the game for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii consoles.

Sousaphone Hero offers two dozen public-domain marches, including 1893's "The Liberty Bell," 1896's "Stars and Stripes Forever," and 1897's "Entry of the Gladiators." The bulky sousaphone-shaped controller coils around the body, and players wear white spat-like foot coverings fitted with sensors that monitor synchronized marching steps. As with the fret buttons on Guitar Hero's guitar peripheral, the sousaphone controller's three valves are color-coded to match on-screen notes the player must hit.

Players may also choose from 27 different fat-guy characters who can be customized with Alpine hats, epaulets, and a mustache editor with a wide array of options.
Enlarge Image Activision Reports Man

A gamer plays with a special wireless version of the sousaphone controller, meant to increase ease of play.

Hendleman admitted that the $345 retail price might be a bit steep for many consumers. She also conceded that Activision may have erred by not releasing the game between Memorial Day and July 4, the prime parade season in the United States. Even so, she added, Sousaphone Hero contains "more than enough" features to keep gamers absorbed.

"In the career mode, you can rise from playing in park gazebos for church picnics to performing in the halftime show of the Harvard-Yale game," Hendleman said. "If you score enough points, you can unlock the ultimate level: playing in the John Philip Sousa–led Marine Band at Grover Cleveland's inauguration."

"And if you like multiplayer gaming, you're in luck," Hendleman continued. "In Sousaphone Hero's cooperative marching-band mode, as many as 135 of your friends can play simultaneously."

Hendleman also emphasized the "fun" rewards players receive as they become more proficient. If they hit enough correct notes in a row, the on-screen crowd yells "huzzah" and "bully," and the sousaphone controller's spit valve will "drain." Flubbing notes, however, makes the controller "fill" with spit, preventing further play and causing the crowd to throw rotten eggs at the hapless on-screen sousaphonist. If characters earn enough bonus points in career mode, they can spend their Liberty-head nickels on a red, green, or blue "sock" for their sousaphone's bell, or an invigorating chunk of peanut brittle.

Response to Sousaphone Hero on video-gaming message boards has been tepid at best.
Guitar Hero vs Sousaphone H



"That controller is like 100 pounds even though its [sic] only plastic," wrote mastagamer457, a moderator on one Sousaphone Hero message thread. "I think I screwed up my shoulder pretty bad."

"I played the career mode for three hours and kept feeling like I was playing the same annoying circus tune over and over," kiLLlah_steVe of Columbus, OH wrote. "On one song, you're forced to play the same two notes back and forth for 96 measures."

Others have complained that the third valve is used only at the expert level, that even proficient players only score a maximum of 60 points per song, and that the "oompah" meter stays the same shade of gray even if every note is hit. Some also reported that, if not cleaned regularly, the plastic mouthpiece gets crusty.

Professional sousaphone player Eric Winkler of New Orleans called the game "laughably amateurish" and "nothing like" the actual sousaphone-playing experience. "The fingering's completely different, for starters," he said.

Due to the poor response to Sousaphone Hero, Activision has halted development of spin-off games Cymbal Hero, Glockenspiel Hero, and Steam Calliope Hero.

Is the all the Canteeners have to talk about?

I know that the election is just around the corner and most of you are strong in your religious beliefs but lately it seems that 99% of the posts have been related to one of these topics. I am guilty of this just like the rest but really is this all that we have to talk about? Just curious...