Pope Francis blesses hundreds of Harley Davidsons.. The story reminded me of the scene from PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE when Pee Wee makes the almost life threatening mistake of knocking down rows of motorcycles, only leading him to put on the large shoes and dance on stage for the motorcycle gang.. In this instance, Francis has apparently accepted the bike culture at Vatican City.. Oh, and in Pee Wee’s movie, ‘Francis’ was the neighbor who wanted Pee Wee’s bike.. another weird connection, don’t you think?

The New York TIMES: Faces of the Minimum Wage

The number of Americans earning minimum wage has grown significantly since the recession hit; here, stories of getting by.

Good read. And important..

Where are we going as a nation? Is it acceptable that we are not creating good jobs anymore, but instead expanding the base of the minimum wage earners—a future where the middle class will not exist and it will only be a rich vs poor Robinhood society..

The New York TIMES: Faces of the Minimum Wage

Ms. Utah tried to make a case for .. something.

(Source: http://www.digitalspy.com/)

Did Obama violate our privacy? Did China really ask us what WE are doing? Did Vlad the Impaler actually steal that Super Bowl ring in 2005? It's G8 time

Obama and Putin at the G8.. So many issues: Syria, weapons.. the Syrian ‘rebels’ who are devouring human flesh.. .. oh, and that newfound tension now that the GUARDIAN reported that past events may have been … screened.

President Obama does not think Americans’ privacy has been violated..

A new Firefox plugin warns of NSA surveillance..

CHINA is asking the UNITED STATES to explain internet surveillance.. Did you ever think you’d see that headline with the nations in the order that they are written?

Obama polls crashing: THE US has lost that loving feeling..

Vlad denies stealing a Super Bowl ring (*but anyone who remembers seeing the video will clearly remember he did*)

Another Sunday night, another GUARDIAN doozy: GCHQ intercepted foreign politicians' communications at G20 summits

Exclusive: phones were monitored and fake internet cafes set up to gather information from allies in London in 2009

If the Edward Snowden story has not had global ramifications, it certainly will now.. this is a barn burner of a GUARDIAN  exclusive..

Another Sunday night, another GUARDIAN doozy: GCHQ intercepted foreign politicians' communications at G20 summits

You know how everyone says that thye NSA cannot listen to our calls, but only see the numbers we are calling? Read this: NSA admits listening to U.S. phone calls without warrants

National Security Agency discloses in secret Capitol Hill briefing that thousands of analysts can listen to domestic phone calls. That authorization appears to extend to e-mail and text messages too. Read this article by Declan McCullagh on CNET News.

You know how everyone says that thye NSA cannot listen to our calls, but only see the numbers we are calling? Read this: NSA admits listening to U.S. phone calls without warrants

A few days ago on the HORROR REPORT, I wrote about how the new Superman movie is being marketed to the religious and faithful—which makes sense, after all family friendly and religious themed films do quite well at the box office.

I received one message from someone stating that Superman has historically been compared to Jesus and there was nothing new or different about the MAN OF STEEL concept..

I respecfully disagreed with that assertion. And now a CNN article posted this weekend backs up my contention that this movie, unlike many others, is directly being marketed to Christians .. 

CNN REPORTS that ministers were being given special screenings of the movie.. and perhaps the hope that they would praise Christ from the pulpit along with remind the flock of the benefits of going to see wholesome movies—especially when the hero is being portrayed quite like Christ. 

And after all.. Jesus Christ was an Inside Job.

Clearly the numbers for the movie have been swelling to epic proportions over the weekend. We know Friday night and Saturday night date nights went well for the MAN OF STEEL.

Father’s day Sunday may be strong—and maybe even a big bolster coming with mid-day post Church goers looking for deeper and hidden meanings in the MAN OF STEEL.. 

A father's day reflection.

Mother’s day came first. Dad was an afterthought. And then Father’s day followed.

But that’s fine. 

You see, Mother’s Day, in many respects, is what matters. ‘Mom’ goes through the nine months of changes, the labor pains.. the glorious feeling when she holds her child.  Dad of course had a hand in the whole affair, but.. .. .. and for that, we know why dads mean something.

I have sought to be the best father, ever. Period. I don’t know how often I sink or swim with my son, Ayden, but I certainly try..

Since the first time I looked at my son’s face, I felt a connection that is stronger than the physical form. This may sound corny, and for non-believers, potentially repugnant, but I see “God” in my son’s eyes. Whatever your idea of God is, of course. Because God may not be the God we think God is, or he may be a she, or maybe just electricity.. or maybe nothing.  But I see more than nothing in my son’s eyes, therefore I know there is something more than nothing—and the something is something I have no clue how to even try to understand.. 

And re-re-reading that paragraph, I know it makes little sense. But life sometimes just… makes little sense.

What does make sense, though, is being a father. Sharing laughs, wrestling matches (without real punches), fights, and love.

Family first. At least according to Adam Sandler in CLICK.

And I follow that motto. Family first.

We certainly don’t have to be friends. But we need to be family.

In 1993, I received a Christmas gift: My mom subscribed me to TIME magazine. I have been a reader since. Though I will admit now over the past 10 years I sometimes page through the smaller than ever print edition and just toss it aside. But in 1993 I read a story called ‘FATHERHOOD’… Never of course, at the age of 13, realizing that 20 years later I’d be celebrating my third father’s day…

And in 2003, ten years after that TIME edition was printed on old paper, I was cruising around in my 1999 RED Volkswagen Jetta, searching for a mate and not realizing my best friend Tara would soon be my wife… While cracking the windows, I played my COMPACT DISC of Simple Plan. I’d Do Anything… And now, ten years later, my son Ayden  is watching 2003 reruns of SCOOBY DOO and he is singing along to songs by Simple Plan, as they did the theme songs and background music for the show.. At one point about three weeks ago, I had Ayden in my car and put my old scratched up CD of Simple Plan in.. and me and my son shared a moment of singing along to music. In 2003 did I ever think I’d have a child, let alone be married? No.. I did not.

This is what happens. Life happens when you are busy making other plans. Right, Mr. Holland? Your Opus proved that..

I think I may go back to the 1993 article of TIME and read what  being a father is all about..Though I think I know.

Being a dad is being there. Being the wrestler in Chief and sometimes the disciplinarian in chief. Easing mom’s tension by taking the child away for a while. Being a friend. A foe. And an ally to the end.

Yes, fatherhood is interesting, beautiful, and amazing. All at the same time. I am glad I am taking part in this grand experiment.

To all the dads out there, including my own: Happy Father’s Day. For a few hours Mom may tell you it’s “your” day. Actually it’s not. It is your child’s day — everyday..

Bear with head stuck in jar is rescued in Pa.

JAMISON CITY, Pa. (AP) — Four central Pennsylvania residents said they used only a rope and a flashlight during a wild chase to rescue a young bear whose head had been stuck in a plastic jar for at least 11 days.

Clearly one of those ‘only in Pennsylvania’ type of stories.. The AP has now recorded it forever..

Bear with head stuck in jar is rescued in Pa.

The WASHINGTON POST: Five myths about privacy

Why it matters, even if you have nothing to hide.

The WASHINGTON POST: Five myths about privacy

Open lines weekend

It is a beautiful weekend and in my opinion either a sin crime against humanity if you don’t get out and enjoy it..

But in the meantime my lines are open throughout the weekend.. ask me anything, tell me anything. I’m calling it the ‘DO ASK, DO TELL’ weekend in June..

Enjoy life, all.

So .. who is going to see MAN  OF STEEL this weekend?

HGTV shame: Clyde Lewis points out that they are giving their viewers reccomendations on how to use an American flag: Use it as a tablecloth! That’s right, as Lewis points out, the decoration tip for your July 4th BBQ is in direct conflict with the US Flag Code. Maybe the television network will decide what to do with those smaller flags that often grace cemetaries. Toilet paper perhaps? Why not.. what’s the difference between that and a brown baked bean stain on your once proud ragged flag?

UPDATE: HGTV says sorry..

United States military support for Syrian rebels will include small arms, ammunition and possibly anti-tank weapons, according to two officials familiar with the matter. The weapons will be provided by the CIA, the officials said.

CNN news alert…
It starts now…
Ugh.

Prism revelations: Home Office warns airlines not to fly NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden

No mile high club for whistleblowers..

Prism revelations: Home Office warns airlines not to fly NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden

Genetically modified frankenfoods are leading to diseases in pigs.. inflamed stomachs and other conditions.. 

Incidentally, my dad is a pretty good cook. And over the past few months, each time he made pork chops, he has claimed the meat is getting tougher and tougher—and he cooks it the same as he did years back when a pork chop was tender and juicy. If GM feed has this much of an effect on the pigs’ organs, does it not make sense to think the meat would also change in texture and taste?

What if they ask for your liver?

If you were pulled over at roadblocks this past weekend in Alabama, chances are you were asked for a DNA sample.. AL.COM is reporting that St. Clair and Bibb County residents who were stopped at several roadblocks set up and were asked for a voluntary samples of blood and DNA (for a study, according to the report) .. a study.. hmm.. were they studying something for scientific research, or were they studying how far they could make innocents motorists go in giving their own blood and DNA?

Massive wildfires are destroying parts of Colorado..

Life goes on, in a sense.. the photo posted of the baseball player and the fire in the background: Peter McEvoy posted it on his Twitter late Tuesday visible from behind home plate Pine Creek High School, just southwest of the evacuation area. (Credit: Peter McEvoy/Twitter).. A frightening image in a sense.. very eerie..

The latest on the wildfire conditions: 15,000 Acres charred 94,000 Acres under mandatory evac, 13,000 Homes, 38,000 people evacuated, Expected wind gusts: 35 mph, Single digit humid

There have been two deaths from these fires now.. And according to news accounts, the Black Forest fire is now the most destructive in Colorado’s history

This does not effect my life, and it certainly won’t have an impact on yours. But Hollywood insiders are thumbing through images of Megan Fox. And they speculate that the NINJA TURTLES star is losing her hair due to hair dye. More here.

Ok, go back to your regularly scheduled worries and ambitions.

BUT.. if this happen?

Well then I expect a Presidential address to the nation.

National interests. . international affairs.. the red line has been crossed. Last night, it was learned that the United States believes Syria’s government has used chemical weapons against people (earlier reports indicated that the rebels the US was supporting used them) .. the ‘red line’ as it was known was apparently crossed. Now action will take place.. and maybe Senator Stinky will get his wish.. Do we really want another war?? Do we even realize another war is beginning?

What we know about Syria right now:

The ‘red line’ is crossed..

Downing Street says no decision has been made yet concerning arming the ‘rebels’

The United States is going to support Syrian ‘rebels’..

The Obama Administration is considering a plan of resettling thousands of Syrians in the United States..

There is a flashback to April in order: The rebels who we are supporting have pledged allegiance to Al Qaida.. How do we get by that one?

Oh.. does it even  matter anyway?