Author Archives: Danny Quinney

NFL – WTH?!?

Posted on December 5, 2013 | 2 comments

Before I launch into today’s brilliant article I want to tell you about a scheme I came up with. I’m gonna start placing little ads in my articles in the hopes I can start making some sweet cash money. They’ll be really subtle. You probably won’t even notice them. Tide® with Bleach. I hope it works.

Anyone who knows me knows I could never be described as a “man’s man.” I don’t know a thing about car repair, I don’t own a truck, I’m not a huge sports fanatic, I currently don’t have facial hair (although that changes often and without warning), and if given the option of crapping inside or outside, I’ll choose inside every time.

I like watching Basket Ball. I don’t understand soccer, to me it’s as exciting as watching male models jog for two hours (*ding*…which is probably why my wife enjoys watching it.) I will probably watch one or two football games a year.

So what qualifies me to write about the NFL? Ab-solute-ly nothing.

I’ve just noticed the NFL has been in the news a lot lately. Now in my mind the NFL, and those who support it, are manly men. I think of the NFL, and I think of big guys who shave with glass and crap muscle. But everything in the news lately is just a bunch of wussy stuff. First there is the whole “Washington Redskins” name controversy. Seriously? After eighty years someone gets their panties in a wad because of the name? Waaaaaa!!! Personally, I hope the franchise doesn’t cave because of the PC bull crap. If they start losing revenue, I can see doing what you have to do to keep the institution afloat. Until then? Go SKINS!!!

The next recent thing was the Miami Dolphins “Bullying scandal.” I haven’t really followed it, all I know is one 300 pound muscley man, was being mean to another 300 pound muscley man. The second 300 pound muscley man, the one whose feeling were hurt, instead of having a calm, cool, sit down, man to man discussion with the first 300 pound muscley man about their difference, or even a testosterone filled raging fight with each other, chose instead to tell the world his tender feelings were hurt.

Again, I have barely followed it. It just seems to me, as a non-manly-man, that when we, as a nation, start talking about the tender feelings of 300 pound NFL millionaires, the wussies has won.

The last thing was the recent story of the NFL rejecting an “offensive” proposed Pro-gun commercial for the 2014 Super Bowl.

Here is the “offensive” commercial:

If you watch it you will see there isn’t a gun mentioned. At the very end there is a logo with a gun, apparently the company is willing to replace the gun logo with a picture of the American flag with the words, “Shall not be infringed.”

Still too offensive.

Now, I’m a reasonable man. I think the NFL can accept or reject any commercials they want. It just seems to me that beer is a contributor to more deaths in the United States then guns are. I’m willing to bet there will be a bunch of beer commercials.

Hmmm…

So the other night I was driving home listening to the Rod Arquette Show on the radio. (Rod actually mentioned my BRILLIANTLY written article “Obama – Worst President EVER” on his show once – it made me feel really good.) So any ways, Rod was talking about this story and one of the callers asked if it this commercial was “good for the country.” I did something I have never done before. I called in.

I told him during last years Super Bowl, of all the beer, Doritos’s and Go Daddy commercials, the only one I remembered was the one where Paul Harvey was talking about God creating a farmer.

I’m not a farmer. I don’t even own a truck. And yet this is the commercial that resonated with me.

Again, the NFL is a business. I get that. They can do whatever they want. If they want to reject a pro-gun commercial that is up to them, but to the question “would showing it be good for the nation?” I think yes. In my little brain there is nothing wrong with reminding people about values. Protecting your family is a value. Protecting your family is every parent’s responsibility. Protecting your family is a God given right.

LIFEZILLA: Just like heaven. But without that awkward “dying” part.

2 Comments

Posted in 2nd Amendment, America, Gun Control, Social Issues

Tagged Basket Ball, Beer, Doritos, Go Daddy, KNRS, Miami Dolphins, NFL, Pro-Gun, Rod Arquette, Super Bowl, Tide with Bleach, Washington Redskins

Ohhhh….He Misspoke!!!

Posted on November 14, 2013 | 1 comment

So last week I was in Las Vegas for a trade show. It is always fun to see my customers and co-workers who live in other states. But if I’m being completely honest, there is an aspect of trade shows that give me the heebeegeebees. As much as I hate to admit it, I’m not a huge fan of shaking hands. I don’t mind it so much, as long as I have my 55 gallon vat of hand sanitizer within arms length. But when you see someone walking toward you, inappropriately scratch themselves, cough into their hand, pick something out of their teeth, make sure their cold sore is still attached, and then extend their paw for you to shake…ewwwwww …gross. As a professional I, of course, take the germ infested appendage. You wouldn’t be able to tell from my calm, cool demeanor on the outside, but know on the inside I’m screaming like a ten year old girl, and diving head first into my large “Tub O’ sanitizer.” Whenever I’m at a restaurant and see the signs in the restroom that proudly display “Employee’s must wash hands before returning to work,” I’m always tempted to write underneath it, “If an employee is unavailable please feel free to wash your own.”

Anyways. A lot happened when I was out of town. In years past I would have had a laptop with me and could have ranted, this year I had my phone with me and didn’t want to give my thumbs this much of a work out.

Last week the New York Times printed an editorial that defended Obama’s “you can keep your insurance” line by saying “Mr. Obama clearly misspoke when he said that.” Isn’t that cute of the New York Times? He merely “misspoke.” Misspoke like 40 times. This week the New York Times is calling it an “Incorrect promise.” (Eye roll) Honestly, things like that make me wish I was born with more middle fingers. I guess President Obama also misspoke when he said you would be able to keep your doctors, that premiums would be less, that families would save $2500/year, that only 5% are affected by the new health care law, and of course, you can easily enroll by phone in 25 minutes. He probably also “misspoke” when he talked about transparency, no middle-class tax hikes, shovel ready jobs, 5 million green tech jobs, “you didn’t build that,” the private sector doing fine, and about Benghazi being caused by a video. Then of course there is the Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius? Did she “misspeak” when she assured us the website would be ready, that it shut down due to heavy traffic, that it is secure, that she didn’t know the enrollment numbers, and my personal favorite, that enrolling herself in Obamacare is illegal? Naaaaa…I doubt it. It’s probably just “Bad Apple insurance companies” who are screwing up the country.

“Misspoke”. It would be kinda cute if it wasn’t destroying our nation. I remember when it was called LYING.

In the recent Parade Magazine former president Jimmy Carter said, “His major accomplishment was Obamacare, and the implementation of it now is questionable at best.” Just last month he said: “Compared to when I left the White House, the difference is twice as great as it was between the richest people and the poorest people. And the middle class has now become more like poor people than they were 30 years ago.” Jimmy said that. Carter, who up to this point was the most disastrous president in the last half century. Under Carter’s economy the labor participation rate hit a rock bottom 63.4%. But even this is better than the current rate of 63.2%. The lowest it’s been in 35 years. Under President Obama, a record 90 million Americans now eligible to work are jobless.

Now even Bill Clinton is saying the Health Care Law Should Be Changed To Allow People To Keep Their Plans. With Clinton now speaking out against it, watch how fast other Democrats distance themselves from it. Hey, where was Clinton in 2010 when Senate Democrats unanimously rejected a Republican resolution that would have grandfathered people from losing the insurance they like? Currently the talking point is “only 5%” will be losing their insurance (5% of the population is over 16 million people), and that doesn’t include the mind-blowing 93 million the HHS estimates will lose their insurance after the employer mandate kicks in.

Hmmmmm…It seem like it was just last month that people who wanted to delay or change Obamacare were called “legislative arsonists” and “terrorists” who were “holding the country hostage.” This month… they’re called Democrats.

LIFEZILLA: A funny thing happened on the way to my potential…..

1 Comment

Posted in America, Government Over-reach, ObamaCare

Tagged ACA, Health and Human Services, HHS, Las Vegas, New York Times, Obamacare, President Obama

Obama – Worst President EVER

Posted on October 18, 2013 | 10 comments

I really like having a website. It is a lot of fun. I especially like watching it grow. On “the back side” I can see how many people have read an article and often where the lead came from. Every time I get a new subscriber I take a slow sip of my cocoa, tent my fingers together and whisper “excellent.”

I love the comment sections. In the (almost) two years Lifezilla has been in existence I have allowed commenters to comment. “Commenters gotta comment, haters gotta hate, murders gotta murd” – I always say. I have to approve a persons first comment, after that I have it set up to approve automatically. I have a rule that I don’t reply to comments. Well…it’s really more of a guideline than a rule; I have replied a couple of times. I figure I said my peace in the article and if I have more to say I’ll write a new one.

Yesterday I received a comment that suggested any opposition to Obama could only be explained by “deep-seated racism.”

It was all I could do to not spew my cookies. I didn’t approve the comment.

The fact that Obama’s presidency isn’t only a failure but a colossal failure isn’t even really in dispute anymore. But, as a country we looked at his first term with record unemployment, no economic growth, metastasizing government, and of course, exploding debt and said, “Oh yeah! Sign me up for more of that.”

Now granted, the economy was in the crapper when Obama became President. Wouldn’t it be so funny if some people blamed George W. Bush for the recent government shut down?

Oh wait. They do!!!!

The saddest thing about that video is that their vote counts the same as mine.

Now because I have liberal friends who get all butt-hurt if I generalize anything, I’m going to concede that sooooomewhere in the 300 million plus people in America there is proooooobably one person or two who miiiiiight believe Obama sucks as a president because of the color of his skin.

The saddest thing about that is their vote counts the same as mine.

No. He is a failure as a president for real reasons (normally I would have links to all the following stories, but I’m too lazy today. You can Google them if you’re interested):

1- Obama is on pace to double the Federal debt in the 8 years of his presidency.

2- The U.S. has fallen in global competitiveness rankings every year.

3- Food stamp recipients up 50%.

4- A record number of Americans on disability (up 20%).

5- Median household income has gone down every year.

6- A record poverty rate of 16.1%

7- Gas prices have doubled.

8- Labor participation rate is at a 35-year low.

9- 7/8 of all “New jobs” are part-time (thanks Obamacare).

10- In 2009 the average duration of people collecting unemployment was 19.8 weeks, today it is 36.6 weeks.

11- Health insurance premiums and deductibles are skyrocketing.

12- In 2008 the Federal Reserve held $476 billion in U.S. bonds, today it holds more than $2 trillion.

13- 76% of Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck.

14- Student loan debt has more than doubled, now it is over $1 trillion.

15- In 2009 the U.S. debt to GDP ratio was under 70%, now it is over a 100%.

16- Not completely finished destroying the U.S. economy, President Obama announced the other day, October 16th, his plans to quickly move on to amnesty.

17- I could go on, but I’m getting bored.

“But Danny,” you whine, “you can’t blame all that on one man!!” Umm…Ya I can. It’s called LEADERSHIP, something that has been missing in Washington for five years. If the last white president, George W. Bush had a track record like that on even one of these things – not to mention the IRS targeting of the president’s enemies, or the disgrace of Benghazi, or the massive expansion of government spying – he would be metaphorically eviscerated by the people now defending Obama (for my butt-hurt liberal friends, the word “metaphorically” is a fancy way of saying they wouldn’t literally disembowel the former president.) No. All these things are just symptoms of Republicans who “want to impeach Obama for the crime of being president while black.”

Stupid.

Speaking of stupid. How about that debt ceiling debate, huh? The Democrats are calling it a major victory. It’s a pyrrhic victory at best (for my butt-hurt liberal friends “pyrrhic” is a fancy word for a victory at a huge cost.) What it really cost the American people is a precedent that the executive branch can amend law without Congressional approval. What could possibly go wrong with that?!?!?!?!?

This quote is a little bit out of context, but just a little bit. It’s about the 2^nd amendment, but the spirit is on topic.

“When dictators come to power, the first thing they do is take away the people’s weapons…I do not believe that [our nation’s leaders] have any desire to impose a dictatorship upon us. But this does not mean that such will always be the case. A nation rent internally, as ours has been in recent years, is always ripe for a ‘man on a white horse.’ A deterrent to that man, or to any man seeking unlawful power, is the knowledge that those who oppose him are not helpless.” – Ronald Reagan

That’s what drives me crazy about the left. To them history starts the moment they wake up. They don’t have the memory past yesterday or the foresight past tomorrow. Just because today’s leaders may not be tyrants doesn’t mean tomorrows won’t be (for my butt-hurt liberal friends – that was a generalization. I may not be talking about you.)

LIFEZILLA: Be careful what you bitch for

10 Comments

Posted in 2nd Amendment, America, Government Over-reach, Gun Control, Immigration, ObamaCare, Welfare

Tagged Amnesty, Debt Ceiling, Disability, GDP, Obama, Obamacare, Racism

Banana Republic

Posted on October 14, 2013 | 5 comments

If you know me personally this may come as a shock to you. When I was in high school I was involved in Drama. I know, I know. Shocking. I, the introvert, the chronically shy person you know, was once somewhat of an extrovert. I had zero acting ability, but I loved hanging out with people who did.

In high school I was involved with a group the school district put together. It was called PRIDE. Pride stood for “Peers Responsible In Drug Education.” It was a lot of fun. We would drive around to other schools, mainly elementary or middle schools, and we would sing, dance and teach workshops on how to “say no” to drugs, have self-esteem, stuff like that. I got to meet and work with kids from other high schools. I made lifetime friends.

One time we were invited to Washington, D.C. to perform in front of the Presidential council. It was REALLY cool.

We had a really full schedule, and one day to sight-see. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Washington, D.C.

On the sightseeing day a group of friends and I walked into “The Banana Republic.” It was maybe the second time in my life I bought myself clothes. The girl who helped me pick out the clothes made me feel smokin’ hot when I was wearing them.

On September 20, this year, at a Ford Stamping plant our “campaigner-n-chief” said “We’re not some banana republic.” Upon hearing these words I found myself in an odd position. I completely agreed with the President. America is definitely NOT a Banana Republic. Have you ever been to the DMV? Most of America dresses like they belong in a leper colony. Definitely not a high fashion retail store.

And then I thought, “Maybe there is something I don’t understand,” so I went to the source of all knowledge: “Wikipedia.” According to Wikipedia a “Banana Republic” is apparently a political term used to describe a country where the political leaders are in cahoots with corporations, where government employees exploit there posts for personal gain or favors, and where the Press is either corrupt or state ran.

Hmmmmm?

In just the last few weeks:

We have World War II vets being turned away from a memorial built in their honor, but a Pro-Amnesty group was still allowed to use the National Mall for a reform rally.

We have a busload of elderly tourist ordered back on the bus at Yellowstone National Park, and then detained at their hotel by armed park rangers. The park rangers were ARMED. (Quick side note: have you ever wondered where park rangers go on vacation to “Get away from it all”?)

We recently had a report of emails from 2012 where the IRS shared confidential taxpayer information with the White House.

On October 8^th the President had a press conference. Just days after the disastrous roll-out of Obamacare, any guesses how many questions the press asked the President regarding it? Anyone? Anyone? If you guessed zero you would be right. ZERO questions were asked about the nightmarish start of the biggest social policy program in history. Zero.

Normally, within 36 hours, families of fallen U.S. service members receive a death benefit of $100,000. The night before the shut down a bill was passed to include funding for the military. Five families of loved ones recently killed in Afghanistan were forced to wait for the death benefit because the Pentagon insisted the funding for the military didn’t include death benefits.

So, to recap, we have certain groups allowed to use the National Mall, we have park rangers acting like thugs, the White House and the IRS playing footsies with each other, we have the press in bed with the government, and Washington bureaucrats playing games by delaying benefits.

I’m admittedly not the brightest penny in the pond, but that kinda sounds like a banana republic. At a minimum it appears we are on the road. Or is it just me?

“But Danny,” you whine, “it’s the Republican’s fault for shutting down the government.” Yeah…not so much. Granted, it is being reported that way. And if you listen to the Democrats it’s even worse. Nancy Pelosi said the Republicans are “legislative arsonists”; White House press secretary Jay Carney said the Republicans are engaging in “blatant extortion”, and my personal favorite, senior White House adviser Dan Pfeiffer said the Republicans are trying to negotiate “with a bomb strapped to their chest.” It seems like every time I turn on the TV every Democrat says the same thing, “We refuse to negotiate with a gun being held to our head.”

Gun? What gun?

First, the House Republicans voted to fund all of government, except Obamacare, Obama gasped in horror and Senate Democrats refused to pass it. That started the government shut down.

Then the Republicans said “okay,” voted to fully fund the government, but wanted to delay the implementation of Obamacare for one year. Obama gasped in horror again and Senate Democrats refused to pass it.

Finally, the Republicans voted to fully fund the government, but added a requirement that there be no special waivers for big business, no special waivers for members of Congress and their staff. That everyone live under Obamacare. If anyone gets a waiver then everyone, every individual is eligible to the same waiver. Obama and the Senate Democrats fainted like Victorian virgins, then refused to pass it.

Clearly it’s the Republicans that are effing everything up.

If the Republicans had a brain in their collective head they would say the same thing every time a microphone was in front of their face. “How can Obamacare be the ‘Law of the land’ if certain, hand-picked, privileged groups and individuals, and their families, are exempted? Not murdering is the law of the land, there are no waivers for that. Not stealing is the law of the land, there are no waivers for that. If Obamacare is the law of the land, there should be no waivers.”

Even a “Dancing with the Stars” watching, low information voter will understand that.

(The wife and I love “Dancing with the Stars.”)

LIFEZILLA: Let’s face it. Without ME the internet would just be AWESO

5 Comments

Posted in America, ObamaCare

Tagged Amnesty, Banana Republic, Democrat, DWTS, High School, IRS, Obama, Obamacare, PRIDE, Republican, White House, World War II

Turn Your Head and Cough

Posted on September 25, 2013 | 3 comments

I vividly remember when I was a wee little lad seeing a car phone for the first time “in real life”. It had a rotary dial and handset that was identical to the ones we had at home. I remember trying to figure out how the phone could possibly work not being tethered to a wall.

It looked similar to this:

Fast forward to the eighties:

I remember a guy I knew in high school “borrowing” his dad’s cell phone to take to a dance (he probably just took it). I remember him trying to dance in his “Miami Vice” inspired outfit, with a phone in his back pocket, roughly the size, shape and weight of a brick. Someone asked if they could make a phone call, he said his dad would kill him, the phone company charged $4.00 a minute, his dad let him borrow it for emergencies only (a girl at the dance was able to bat her eyes at him and use the cell phone).

Fast forward to the early nineties:

The company I work for bought me a “National” pager. One that would work in any state. I remember thinking “If I’m so important that you need to get in touch with me wherever I am in the country at any time, I need to make waaaaay more money.”

Fast forward to today:

I have an iPhone 4. I bought it brand new about a year and a half ago for $100. I sincerely doubt I could build the phone I have for $100.00. A girl I work with just got the same, brand new, phone for free.

Growing up it was understood that only the rich and the privileged had cell phones. No one whined about it. It just was. But just like trickle down economics, trickle down technology works too. Now almost everyone has a cell phone. The rich and the poor.

Ask yourself, what changed? How did we, in a short period of time, go from a phone that was the size, shape and weight of a brick, could only be used to make calls, and cost $4.00 a minute to use, to a small, thin, light devise that does EVERYTHING?

The answer is simple. Capitalism and the free market system.

If I was little bit smarter, or wasn’t so lazy, I would do a Google search and come up with similar examples for advances in the medical field. Examples that show where the greatest minds of the time, the best and brightest, came up with a widget, a pill, or a break through that cost millions of dollars and years of research to bring to market and now is taught to first year medical students. Advances that can be traced to capitalism and the free market. But I won’t.

Obamacare is retarded.

“GASP!!!! But Danny” you whine, “How can you say that?” It was easy. I figure we are all grown-ups there. Obamacare is retarded. Now before you get your panties in a wad, the word retard is defined as “delay or hold back in terms of progress, development, or accomplishment.” That describes Obamacare perfectly, it’s retarded. The days of America leading the world in medical advancements are about to come to a screeching halt.

Last year the Wall Street Journal explained, “Physician income declines will be accompanied by regulations that will make practicing medicine more costly, creating a double whammy of lower revenue and higher practice costs, especially for primary-care doctors who generally operate busy practices and work on thinner margins.” The article went on to explain, “The 60% of doctors who are self-employed will be hardest hit. That includes specialists, such as dermatologists and surgeons.” In other words why would the best and brightest go into a field where they know they will be regulated to death while seeing their wages decrease? Who needs that? I don’t think those in Washington could come up with a more INEFFECTIVE plan for producing more doctors if they tried. Paying them less and taxing them more? Oh yeah. Sign me up (sarcasm). Doctor shortages are going to be an issue in the future.

Forbes and the Washington Times both explain how the tax on medical devices is hurting that industry. Again, would the best and brightest go there? NO.

Obamacare is retarded.

Many Republicans are trying to de-fund Obamacare. Do I think it will happen? Sadly, I don’t see it happening. But I applauded the efforts of the Senators who are doing it. It’s really the first time the “Affordable Care Act” has been debated. The “Affordable Care Act” pffffffffffffffffffffft (eye roll) there’s the biggest misnomer in history. It isn’t “Affordable” it not only won’t provide any additional “Care” it’s going to be greatly reduced, so really, it’s just an “Act”.

LIFEZILLA: I have the attention span of I’m hungry.

3 Comments

Posted in America, ObamaCare, Social Issues, Welfare

Tagged ACA, Affordable Care Act, Capitalism, Car Phone, Free Market, iPhone, Obamacare, Trickle Down Economics

Hey!! Leave that Bully Alone!!!

Posted on August 15, 2013 | 3 comments

So the wife and I went to Sears the other night. Before checking out I noticed a sign in the middle of the aisle. I wasn’t clever enough to take a picture of it (I wish I had). I went to Sears website today and did a screen shot of basically what the sign in the aisle said:

Sears is just the latest company, I’ve noticed, jumping one the Anti-Bullying theme. Generally speaking, I’m an Anti-Anti. I’m against any movement which is against anything. But I’ve had a hard time being Anti-the-anti-bully-movement. Why? I HATE bullies.

Hate them.

Let me give you a quick self-pity story.

When I was a young lad of 13/14 two things happened nearly in conjunction with each other. The first: I was TERRORIZED by this kid at my school. He made it his mission in life to be the bane of my existence. Every time he saw me he would give me a “Dead leg.” That’s where you knee someone, really hard, in the side of the thigh between front and back muscles. If you knee them correctly their leg will go numb. It hurts.

I hated this kid with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns. HATED HIM. This guy wasn’t an asshole, he was an assCANYON. If we ever made eye contact, and he wasn’t able to give me a dead leg, he would menacingly smile and point at me. He always wore the same 80’s Powder Jacket. I loathed him.

The second thing that happened is the original “Karate Kid” movie was released. Ohhhhh…how this young “Daniel-son” used to stay up at night fantasying about getting a dead leg and then using the Mr. Miyagi taught “Crane Technique” and kicking my terrorizer in the face, thus securing the love and respect from my peers and, of course, the affections of the (non-existent) hot cheerleader who had befriended me. Then, while basking in the joy of being surrounded by my adoring fans I would stretch out my arm and use the force to help my foe up off the ground.

It was a brilliant plan.

So one day I was in the bathroom alone. And HE came in. I didn’t know it was he who had entered the restroom because I was using the urinal. You learn early on as a boy to not overt your eyes away from the spot on the wall right in front of you. Standing there, with my unit in my hand, this guy snuck up behind me and gave me the biggest dead leg I have ever had. I literally saw a flash of light. As his laughter reverberated off the walls of the restroom, I put “little Danny” back in my pants and decided this was my chance. I was going to Mr. Miyagi all over this guy. But instead of employing the floppy-wrist, tippy-toed, crotch exposing maneuver which is “The Crane Technique” I went a different route. I feigned a demonic possession and went after him like a spider monkey.

I distinctly remember how his face looked as I spastically flailed my arms toward him. It was not the look of fear, not even close. It was the look of confusion. He easily swatted off my attempts of hitting him. Hit me once in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me, and walked out of the bathroom.

But… he never gave me a dead leg again.

There’s a lesson there children. I’m not really sure what it is, but I’m sure there is one.

So…back to Sears. When I saw this sign that claimed that 160,000 students miss school everyday because of bullying my first thought was “who pulled that statistic out of their butt?” and then my brain said, “…Annnnnnnd I’m done” I am now officially finished being bullied about being anti-bully.

In my little, right-leaning brain, I think all we are doing to teaching kids that it’s okay to be victims. We are also redefining what a bully is. My fourteen year old arch nemesis was a bully. A few years later, the guy who made it his mission to make fun of me everyday of my Junior year was (and probably still is) a jackass. There’s a difference. How I dealt with that guy is another story for another day.

When I was a kid the purveying wisdom was “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Now it’s:

Now, to be clear, I hate bullies. I don’t have a problem teaching kids that it’s appropriate to stand together against them. But this whole “movement” has gone a little too far.

I’m anti-bully. But I’m more anti-teaching-our-kids-to-be-pansies.

LIFEZILLA: I’m not fat. My stomach is 3D.

3 Comments

Posted in America, Social Issues, Uncategorized

Tagged Anti-Bullying, Crane Technique, Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi, Sears, Sticks and Stones

Skittles and Hoodies, Oh My!!

Posted on July 18, 2013 | 4 comments

I decided I was going to be positive today. Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd that’s it. I’m done with being positive. It was a solid effort, though.

I have to be honest. This whole Zimmerman thing has bugged me. It has bugged me from the start. I wrote about it clear back in April of 2012. I ended that brilliantly written article with this:

So there is no mistake, I’m not saying George Zimmerman is innocent…He could be guilty as sin. He may have been hoping and waiting for the opportunity to kill someone. I don’t know. That is why we have due process. Not the court of public opinion. Too many people have interjected themselves into this mess. The New Black Panthers put a [ten thousand] dollar bounty on Zimmerman. Spike Lee tweeted what he thought was Zimmerman’s address to his followers, and now Mike Tyson is saying it’s a disgrace Zimmerman hasn’t been shot yet.

Guilty or innocent Zimmerman’s life will never be the same. Either way he deserves his day in court.

So now, over a year later, he has had his day in court. They skipped the grand jury, went for a trial, where a jury of his peers found him not guilty of the charges. I’m half tempted, but I’m not going to, rehash the evidence of the trial for two reasons: 1) I didn’t watch one minute of the trial, and 2) it doesn’t matter.

What really gets my goat (other than goat thieves, obviously) is that this whole trial is the product of manufactured outrage. It’s all fake. Yes, Trayvon was killed. That’s real, I get that, and it’s a tragedy. The outrage is fake. It’s a screaming example of how the media is willing to portray us, as a nation, as a bunch of red-necked Klansmen, and, when there isn’t any real racism, they are more than willing to make some up.

In Chicago, over the 4^th of July weekend, there were 72 people similarly killed. I’m willing to bet you don’t know anything about the racial makeup of either the perpetrators or the victims in those killings. I don’t. Why? It’s easy. None of those cases are being held up as the symbolic return to lynch mob justice the way the Zimmerman trial has been.

The real outrage should be that the number one cause of death to black teenagers is homicide, almost exclusively from other black teenagers.

What really bothers me is the public’s reaction to the verdict.

Those who are outraged by the verdict have decided that those who are not outraged are racist. Period. End of discussion.

I have a problem with that.

I believe in the justice system. When I look at this case rationally, dispassionately and legally, I think the jury made the correct decision, based on their understanding of Florida law and the fact they sat through the whole trial and heard all the evidence. That doesn’t make this case any less of a tragedy; it doesn’t elevate George Zimmerman to hero status; and it CERTAINLY doesn’t make me a de facto racist.

Zimmerman made some mistakes and a young man died. He could have stayed in his vehicle, and he could have left his gun at home. He didn’t. This verdict isn’t an example of the triumph of good vs. evil. There shouldn’t be joy here. It just is.

In my little brain this is 100% the media’s fault. Why did they choose to shine a spotlight on this one case out of the thousands they could have? Could it be because they hoped to deepen the racial divide and increase the hate? I think so. They should be held responsible for any negative outcome due to the results of the case.

In my humble opinion, because NBC initially edited the tape of the 9-1-1 call to make Zimmerman sound like a racist, thus starting this whole mess, they (NBC) should, at a minimum, be held liable for any damage to personal or public propriety resulting from any riots or protests, and should probably be prosecuted for incitement.

LIFEZILLA: No, I’m not cynical. I’m even worse. I’m realistic.

4 Comments

Posted in America, Social Issues

Tagged 4th of July, George Zimmerman, Grand Jury, Media, Mike Tyson, NBC, Trayvon Martin, Verdict

Establishment Republicans are SOOOOOO Stupid

Posted on June 27, 2013 | 2 comments

I can’t start this article without slamming the President too. With ALLLLL the major problems we have as a country, what does the President want to focus on? Drumroll, please…Climate change. UUUUGH!!! Seriously. I’m almost speechless. It is days like today where the most exercise I get is rolling my eyes.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say “exercise” was probably the one thing Meatloaf wouldn’t do for love.

In 2010 at a press conference about Obamacare, then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi famously uttered the stupidest thing ever said on Capital Hill: “But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what’s in it.” Well, apparently we are doing it again, this time with a 1,200 page immigration bill.

Quick review. Here is what we are proposing: After the bill passes, Immigration officials must ensure that immigrants, upon entry, have the necessary funds for their personal sustenance and for their dependents (Article 34). We will classify the act of “illegal immigration” as a felony, with possible imprisonment for: a) foreigners who enter the country with fake or falsely signed papers (Article 116); b) up to 10 years for foreigners who are deported and illegally attempt to re-enter (Article 118); c) up to 6 years for foreigners who violate the terms of their visa (Articles 119 – 121); and d) up to 2 years for ANYONE who illegally enters the country (Article 123). We will also add an amendment to the Constitution that specifically forbids non-citizens to demonstrate or to express opinions on domestic politics.

Hey…that doesn’t sound all baaaaa…Wait…OHMIGOSH!! I’m so sorry. This isn’t right. I’m confused. The above is from MEXICO’S immigration laws and MEXICO’S Constitution. Boy is my face red.

(Ya see what I did here?)

No, no. We are going the opposite way. After all, we don’t want to be seen as bigots. (Hey, wouldn’t using the Mexican laws as a model be considered the most “un-bigoted” thing you could do?) In THIS bill even the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) admits it will: a) lower middle-class wages, b) hurt the poor, c) explode welfare costs, and d) cut illegal immigration by only 25%.

I think that last one is way off. There will be an explosion of new people. Because of the “supply and demand” rule, this explosion will only hurt the poor – more. Why, as an employer, would I give any employee a raise when I have a line out the door of people willing to work for minimum wage?

But wait. It gets worse than that. One of the provisions of Obamacare is that all employers who have over 50 employees must provide Health insurance or face a fine of $3,000 per month, per employee. So the employers have a choice between paying the fine or paying the expensive Health Care. Hmmm…? What to do? OH WAIT…If, as an employer, I get rid of my “citizen” employees and only hire the new “immigrant” employees I won’t have to pay the $3,000 fine OR insurance. You see, the new “immigrants” aren’t eligible for Federal programs. That’s a real win/win. Unless, of course you are a law-abiding citizen. Then for you, it sucks.

The problem is the Republican Party is being hacked to death with a double edged sword. On one side of the sword, the “Establishment Republicans” have been suckered by the business lobby (who support the cheap labor provided by illegal immigrants) into thinking they will never win a major election again without the Hispanic vote. I have thoughts on this, but that is another article for another day. On the other edge of the sword the Democrats (who only want reform so the new, entitlement-receiving immigrants will vote Democrat) paint those opposed to a slave labor class in America as being racist. It’s a plan brilliantly played by the Democrats. Big business doesn’t care and Establishment Republicans are too stupid to notice.

Too Stupid to Notice.

“Cheap labor” isn’t cheap. It is only cheap for the employer. Why? Well today, 71 percent of illegal immigrant households, with children, collect government benefits, and 57 percent of all immigrant households receive government benefits, compared to 39 percent of native households. Now instead of having to pay a little bit more for our strawberries, we all get to support underpaid employees.

I listened to Marco Rubio’s speech about this bill (June 26) and I have to tell you, there is a lot in the bill I agree with. I really like Marco Rubio. In this case I just believe he is wrong. Not that his points aren’t valid. I agree something needs to be done. I believe he is putting too much faith in the Democrats. Democrats lie. They will do it every single time. This bill is going to pass the Senate, not pass the House, go into “compromise” (read “Republicans will be suckered into caving – AGAIN”) and come out the other end as amnesty. Again, the bill is TWELVE HUNDRED PAGES.

Unquestionably there are good, hard working people who what to come and contribute to this county. I get that. I don’t fault anyone in wanting to come to this country. It’s the best country on earth . I also get there are those who came here as children and this is the only country they know. I agree something should be done for them. But we need to start with a fence. Good fences make good neighbors.

Instead of building a fence, using E-verify to ensure employees are legal FIRST, we are going to screw everything up.

LIFEZILLA: I’m not cynical. I’m even worse. I’m realistic.

2 Comments

Posted in America, Immigration, Social Issues, Welfare

Tagged CBO, Congressional Budget Office, Democrat Party, E-verify, Global Warming, Immigration, Marco Rubio, Minimum wage, Nancy Pelosi, Obamacare, Repubican Party

Wake Up (It’s 1984)

Posted on June 13, 2013 | 3 comments

When I, your humble writer was a mere, wee little (early teenage) lad, a friend introduced me to what would become one of my all time favorite bands.

Oingo Boingo.

I just gotta say, Oingo Boingo’s lead singer/song writer Danny Elfman is BRILLIANT. Since the 1980’s he has composed the scores of countless movies and television shows. Truly a talented, talented man.

It’s the song “Wake Up (It’s 1984)” that I want to talk about today.

If you are not familiar with the song, here is a link to a Youtube video. (This isn’t the official music video.)

Imagine a young Danny dancing in his room wearing nothing but his red BVD’s to this song (to this day doing “Jazz hands” just makes me look gay).

Just for fun here is a list of some fairly recent headlines:

USA Today – “Tea Party Groups Detail ‘harassment’ by IRS”
The Hill – “Complaints of IRS Targeting by Religious Groups on the rise”
Huffington Post – “DOJ Seized Fox News Phone Records”
Mediaite – “AP CEO: Justice Department Seized ‘Thousands & Thousands’ Of Phone Call Records”
Washington Times – “IRS Sued for Seizing 60 Million Medical Records”
CBS DC – “Dept. of Homeland Security: Laptops, Phones Can Be Searched Based on Hunches”
And then, of course, the latest:
The Guardian – “NSA Collecting Phone Records of Millions of Verizon Customers Daily”

It has gotten to the point where even Al Gore is calling it obscene. Wake Up (It’s 1984).

I want to say this again. AL (Jazeera) GORE has a problem with this. Al Gore, a man who would, conceivably, drive over a corpse to get a better parking space has a problem with this.

Wake up (It’s 1984)!

Well…not yet.

What cracks me up is the left’s response to these latest “scandals” (or, if the allegations that some emails may be monitored by intelligence agencies is true, we can change the word “scandals” to “Felons”). With a few notable exceptions, like Al (Jazeera) Gore, most of the left is giving the president a pass, or they blame George Bush (honestly, how can anyone still blame George Bush for anything and keep a straight face?). Ron Fournier of the National Journal said, “Welcome to the era of Bush-Obama, a 16-year span of U.S. history that will be remembered for an unprecedented erosion of civil liberties and a disregard for transparency.”

Yeah, Ron, that is cute and everything. But I just ain’t totally buying it.

In the first place if Bush had collected every phone call from one of the largest cell providers in the nation, we would STILL be hearing the screams from the left and he would have been thrown out of office. Bush’s surveillance program was actually limited and only monitored foreign phone calls. But somehow Obama gets a pass because his surveillance is a “logical extension” of the Bush policy, when in reality it is a HUGE escalation. Does anyone remember the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth we endured when it was reported the Patriot Act gave the Department of Homeland Security the right to see what library books you checked out?

Library books. It’s kinda cute.

Now, I don’t think it’s the governments business what my kids or I check out from the library, but when you compare that to the Obama administration gathering information and monitoring traffic on major websites like Facebook and Google, it ain’t really the same thing. And yet he gets a pass.

The double standard here is staggering.

Take a minute to check out this video: (I can’t embed it for some reason)

Did you watch it? The hypocrisy is overwhelming.

And still I’m not living in fear … yet. Why? Well, my personal ratio of library to Google searches is about 1 to 10,000. Roughly 98% of all my Google searches are to help me “speeel wrods I don’t no.” You take me and times 300 million other Americans – and you’re talking about a lot of data. For the majority of Americans, I doubt anyone would ever really lay eyes on it. But there is that creepy guy I knew in high school who works for the NSA … hmmm?

I have two issues. The first is the definition of words. Words mean things. Depending on what side of the desk you’re on, you are either a freedom fighter, or a terrorist. I know what a terrorist is today, but what will it be tomorrow? The other issue is the “slippery slope” that this is. Where will this lead? We went from monitoring library books to monitoring Google and Facebook. That’s a big ass slippery slope. What’s next?

Gratefully, the American people are aware and the majority of them still get that freedom is a fragile thing. The ACLU is even suing the Obama administration over the NSA surveillance. That’s right. The ACLU is actually concerned over the erosion of our American Civil Liberties. That’s like the first three letters in their name. Hopefully with the outrage the American people have with the program it will be scaled back. If not, I guess if we don’t want the government listening to our calls we can exchange our phones for two big red Solo cups and a REALLLLLLLY LOOOOONG string.

I have to admit, with all the HUGE problems looming on the horizon – high unemployment, entitlement bankruptcy, the implosion of Obamacare, economic stagnation, and granting amnesty before closing the border – having a government computer looking for patterns in over a gazillion phone calls (if that is all it is) bugs me. But it’s not 1984.

Yet.

LIFEZILLA: I never follow my own advise. What do I look like, an idiot?

3 Comments

Posted in America, Big Brother, Government Over-reach, Immigration, Social Issues

Tagged 1984, ACLU, Al Gore, Big Brother, George Bush, Google+, NSA, Obamacare, Oingo Boingo, Verizon

Pro-Drug People are So Stoopid

Posted on May 20, 2013 | 11 comments

Anyone who knows me knows I’m an idiot. In fact the win/loss record of debates with my wife is a robust 0 – 84,965. I know… Why do I even keep score? But if I think about it, that is why our marriage is successful. We are both willing to admit when I’m wrong. Despite my dumbassery, I have listened and thought about the following arguments in favor of drug legalization.

#1 We have lost the Drug War
#2 We spend so much money on drug related crime
#3 Alcohol and cigarettes are just as bad as marijuana
#4 Prohibition failed
#5 Drug use would decrease if it was legal
#6 People should be allowed to do want they want with their own bodies

At first glance all these reasons sound legitimate. You just have to think about them for a minute to realize they just ain’t.

#1 We have lost the Drug War:
If you look in the Democratic/Liberal handbook under “War” you will see that the official position is “Surrender.” If there is too much opposition to surrendering then the backup position is to criticize. If you define success in the war on drugs as complete and total abstinence, then yes, we have lost it. Hmmmm… I guess we have lost the war on murder too. People murder because they want to. People take drugs because they want to. There are no laws against things people don’t want to do. Common sense dictates that laws against drug use have reduced drug use, just like laws against murder or robbing a bank have reduced those crimes.

#2 We spend so much money on drug related crime:
My answer: And?
Whenever a liberal starts acting fiscally responsible one of two things should happen. Your walls of defense should either shoot up, or you should try really hard to keep from giggling. We spend a lot of money fighting murder and robbery too. How is it a bad thing to spend money to keep those who have shown their willingness to break laws off the streets? I know some argue that the prisons are filled with people because of the petty “possession of marijuana” charge, but those people are big fat liars. It isn’t true. According to “Rolling Stone” less than 1% of prisoners are in for possession alone.

#3 Alcohol and cigarettes are just as bad as marijuana:
First, we know marijuana smoke is much worse on the respiratory system. For fun, let’s say it’s true. Let’s say marijuana is “just as bad as alcohol and cigarettes.” Here are some of the fun side effects of alcohol and cigarettes. They can: create dependency, ruin lives, cause fatigue, depression, a gazillion traffic injuries/fatalities, and are factors in the increase of homicide and suicide. “Alcohol is the cause of 1 million more arrests annually than are all illegal drugs combined. Indeed, alcohol use leads to $180 billion in costs associated with healthcare, the criminal justice system and lost productivity.” Wow, if pot is “just as bad” as THAT why are we still debating the issue? It should be legal in all fifty states.

# 4 Prohibition failed:
First of all Prohibition was a stupid, progressive idea. That being said, how do you define “failed”? Do you mean it didn’t stop alcohol consumption completely? Guess what, you cute little bugger? Murder has been illegal since the beginning of time and yet somehow people are still killing each other. Prohibition didn’t work because alcohol has been part of the fabric of society for most of recorded history. Drugs can’t claim that. Alcohol was never prohibited completely. There were laws which forbade the sale and distribution, but personal use was never against the law.

#5 Drug use would decrease if it was legal:
That may be the dumbest thing I have ever heard. The best and most effective way to decrease anything is to make it illegal. I’ve heard several people say they think it should be legal so the government could tax it. Anytime you hear a politician say they want to increase taxes on something to encourage people to stop doing it, you should know they are full of crap. They tax it because they want the money. That’s it.

# 6 People should be allowed to do want they want with their own bodies:
There is a little piece of me that is just libertarian enough to buy into this. Until I think about it. If there was no such thing as the welfare state I could almost buy into this. Almost. But the fact of the matter is “No man is an island.” WE ALL pay for these people’s stupid decisions. We have to pay for people who freely and knowingly inject drugs into their bodies to the point they can no longer function in society and can’t hold down a job. We pay for their shelter, clothing and food, and often we end up taking care of their kids.

The problem is that the drug/cannabis culture has been normalized by everyone, that the moral stigma once attached to being a user of pot is gone. I get that people want to have the liberty to do what they want with their body. It is ironic that the use and abuse of illegal drugs and other narcotics (and legal drugs) makes it necessary to have a bigger, more oppressive government. Until the day drugs do not create addicts, broken families, poverty, crime (violent and non-violent), homelessness, and general chaos in the lives of those who use their bodies “the way they choose,” they really should remain illegal. And honestly, they should be socially stigmatized.

I don’t know if any of this made sense. If it did not it’s because I’m an idiot. If it did make sense to you…it could be because you’re an idiot.

LIFEZILLA: 5 out of 4 people think I’m a moron. Screw the other 2!