Rex Kickass

http://www.zannel.com/viewupdate.htm?id=POZQU1 That's a picture of Arkansas senator Blanche Lincoln voting.... by provisional ballot because she had requested an absentee ballot to be sent to her home.... in Virginia.

Fearless Predictions: PA-SEN: Specter pulls out a very narrow victory in the primary, results may not be clear for a day or so. AR-SEN: Lincoln wins a plurality in her primary, but not a majority, forcing a runoff with Bill Halter. KY-SEN: Grayson loses to Rand Paul as the Teabagging takeover of the GOP continues. HI-CONGRESS: The Dems lose this seat temporarily in a 12 candidate special election for Congress. The one major GOP candidate will get about 33% of the vote but will lose to the two major DEM candidates who will combine for about 60% of the vote, but still cost the Dems the seat.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ May 17, 2010 -> 02:33 PM) Is Westminster Abbey a place that you tour or more that you look at for a bit? Want to get an idea of how much time to set aside for some of this stuff (I'm also reading around online) as I try to design my full itinerary. Also are there anythings that are recommended for at night or daytime (i.e., that are much better at night or during the day). Maybe a romantic place for a sunset or anything along those lines. I've never done it, BUT if I was gonna do a sunset in London, it would be on the London Eye. Apparently nightlife is kinda popping in Clerkenwell, but it kinda depends on what you want to do. London is a city of villages, best option is to pick up a London A-Z map and a Time Out and figure out what's happening when you're there.

I would give some tips about Amsterdam, but I don't remember much from it. I can really only offer this bit of advice. Do something you want to do in the city BEFORE you get a joint at a coffee shop. Because you'll just end up eating McDonalds in an internet cafe for the rest of the day. Brussels is a colossal waste of a city and has nothing of interest. Paris can be a lot of fun. The left bank, St Germain is really nice and I also really love the museum in the Pompidou Centre. If I were taking day trips from Paris, I would do Versailles and then Epernay/Reims in the Champagne region. Stunning cathedrals/churches in Reims (Cathedral where I was an altar boy during the summer, and St Remi Basilica which is like 1000 years old). Epernay you can take a tour of the champagne cellars which is a really wonderful experience. Champagne region is probably my favorite part of France. I also loved Copenhagen. Something about that city that's got a little bit of the nasty fun of Amsterdam, coupled with the gentleness of Scandinavia. Plus there's Christania as well which is a really really wonderful unique squatter community that's worth a visit. My non French side of the family comes from Berlin. I love this city more than any place on earth, and I would give advice but everytime I go, its different. I will recommend the Relax-Art Garden if it still exists in Stadtmitte, and the Doner Kebab at Zoo Bahnhof is really really great. Also the Checkpoint Charlie Museum is super wonderful as well. Are you doing the hostel thing in Europe? If you are, just get a cheap hotel in Paris instead, the hostels are about the same price and are kinda gross and if you do the hotel thing you don't have to share a room with 85 of your closest friends. Amsterdam has some of the best and some of the worst hostels, so do your homework before you go.

QUOTE (CanOfCorn @ May 17, 2010 -> 02:39 PM) Not one mention of Ronnie James Dio? I'm not a big metal fan...but the guy had one of the best metal voices out there. RIP...and horns up! He got his own thread actually.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 15, 2010 -> 10:18 AM) He can't blame Steagall-Glass or he smears his own legacy. Didn't he already smear his legacy on a blue dress somewhere?

The Tea Party is calling for a repeal of the 17th Amendment. The amendment that allows you to vote for your Senator, instead of your state legislature. http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05...tes.php?ref=fpa

QUOTE (mr_genius @ May 10, 2010 -> 01:01 PM) it's a popular board game. a crime has occurred on the bus, and you need to sift through all the evidence and find out whom did it. it's really great. I believe "Edgar the Homeless Guy" in row 4 did it using a shiv.

QUOTE (Disco72 @ May 8, 2010 -> 12:54 PM) I have a somewhat naive question for the bikers on this board. I have a several year old Specialized mountain bike (nothing fancy) with knobbies. Most of the trails in urban Atlanta are paved or some other reasonably hard surface (also fairly hilly). I'd like to get some inexpensive road tires to try to get out on my bike a little bit this summer. From the reading I've done online, it sounds like I can buy some slicks that allow me to keep my existing wheels and rims while getting a tire more appropriate for my riding conditions. If anyone has any experience or thoughts on this, I'd enjoy hearing your opinions. Thanks! Go to a half way decent bike shop and ask their opinion. There are often some hybrid road/mtn tires that will be good for your bike that won't be too expensive... for anything half way decent, expect to pay between 25 and 40 per tire.

Girls, you're both pretty.

Barack's new Facebook feed is up. http://www.slate.com/id/2253217/

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 7, 2010 -> 10:06 AM) How much of that was census? I believe it was around 66k for the census, about a third less than expected.

Unemployment rate is up to 9.9% BUT 290,000 new jobs in April!

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ May 4, 2010 -> 03:12 PM) We must preserve our family values and not allow the gays to marry. Rekers responds to gay blogger Joe.My.God. Apparently he his turning gay boys straight by hiring them one by one for travel companionship on expensive european vacations. http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/05/dr-ge...on-of-male.html

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2010-05-06/ne...-with-rent-boy/

Even handed sane approach after the attempted Delta Xmas bombing. (Although frankly this isnt something we should have to like, it should just be the way it is)

Lily Ledbetter Ended the HIV travel restrictions Taking a step forward on health care reform Full funding of Amtrak A general measured approach to things in an atmosphere that tends to be hyper partisan and screamy.

Gonna try again for Friday, Shredded a tire on the way in last week.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Apr 27, 2010 -> 12:25 PM) For everyone crying about having ailens carry thier 'papers', this is right from the US Code concerning Aliens and Nationality. http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/us...8&TYPE=TEXT And if you're a citizen but the police officer doesn't believe you?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 27, 2010 -> 11:07 AM) Because if there's one thing illegal immigrants have...it's competent, high-priced defense attorneys.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Apr 27, 2010 -> 12:43 AM) So it seems that alot of people here are worried that government, in this case police, will overstep their boundries and abuse the power given to them here. But yet many of these same people see no worries with turning over 1/6th or more of our economy to government oversight. No chance for abuse there, eh? I guess I have a hard time understanding why setting up an exchange to offer more health insurance choice for working Americans is government intruding too much into our lives, but requiring people to carry proof of citizenship or legal residency (and a drivers license does not constitute proof of citizenship by the way) at all times is A-OK!

Plus think of the sporting goods stores tie ins. Protect yourself with your own Crosstown Cup?

http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/220077...-042610.article

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Apr 24, 2010 -> 01:04 PM) And he's pretty much afforded the same security that the President gets. For obvious reasons. Biden was a regular Amtrak commuter as Senator, and apparently the day that he got the nod for the VP position, he took the Amtrak in and it kinda made it hell for commuters. Beyond security, flying the President and the VP around has got to be among the least disruptive ways to move them around securely.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Apr 25, 2010 -> 10:20 AM) He is socialist, on our political spectrum. Facist, communist? No. You're at lease socialist. Who cares? It's the truth. Accept it, and move on. But, I understand. We need to lable the tea party as racist so we can disband of this notion that they might have real issues with the government. I thought the Tea Party was about taxes that have just gotten too high despite the fact that for 98% of the country taxes haven't been lower in over 60 years.