Rex Kickass

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 9, 2010 -> 08:09 AM) Well to be fair, they used to be against it, until they needed it... I was wondering if you could show an example of when Democrats opposed the idea of using reconciliation as a legislative tool available to the Senate to modify existing legislation that already was passed through Cloture? Although they may have opposed the bill and voted against it, I don't recall hearing Democrats yell and scream about using reconciliation in a general sense. But maybe I'm wrong.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Mar 8, 2010 -> 08:04 PM) There is in a way when it's being used for unprecedented purposes. But I'm sure this is business as usual for the Democrats. Unprecedented uses of reconciliation. 1999 - The Republican congress passed the Taxpayer Refund and Relief Act of 1999. 2000 - The Marriage Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2000. Those were the first acts to be passed by reconciliation that would specifically increase federal government deficits. The current health care bill, as scored by the CBO, will reduce the deficit over the next ten years - which fits into the definition of the kind of reconciliation that is allowed by the Senate rules. The 1982 Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation of 1982 (signed into law by Ronald Reagan, despite Reconciliation being "unprecedented" in 2010) changed the rules for employer offered health insurance - requiring employers to offer their employees continued coverage in order to maintain their tax deduction for offering health insurance. It also dealt with a number of other things like adminstration of the railroads, private pensions and tobacco price supports. What's really unprecedented is using the cloture rule to require every single piece of the nation's business to require a supermajority before anything can be done.

QUOTE (Rex Kicka** @ Mar 4, 2010 -> 01:07 PM) So, a state senator from California was arrested last night in his state provided SUV and was driving drunk. That's sad and a problem, but not really news to me. Until this came out about it. The State Senator is Roy Ashburn. He was a "family values" proponent and opposed to gay rights. He had an "unidentified male companion" in his car with him. The media is reporting he left a bar called "Faces" that night. "Faces" is the biggest gay bar in Sacramento. So I hope he's fully outed for the big old gay hypocrite that he really is. http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/...ore.php?ref=fpa Ashburn comes out of the closet, in response to his big gay DUI arrest last week. http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/capit...oy-ashburn.html

QUOTE (iamshack @ Mar 8, 2010 -> 12:50 PM) It's not that I can't go much longer, I think I just prefer the higher-intensity, shorter rides to the opposite. But when I have more time and more knowledge of my immediate surroundings, perhaps I will venture out on some longer rides... I understand that, sometimes it's fun to just ride balls to the wall for a little bit, but I've always preferred the longer distance rides. I maxed out at 50 miles the last couple years, but I'm looking to do my first century this year. The amount of calories a big guy like me burns over a longer ride. A 50 mile ride for someone about my weight (roughly 250 pounds) displaces nearly 3000 calories IIRC, depending on your speed.

Not usually one to talk about Sarah Palin very often. But I thought this was interesting. She gave a speech in Calgary recently, and she admitted that her family would border hop into Canada to take advantage of their health care system. http://www.medicinehatnews.com/node/186723

QUOTE (iamshack @ Mar 7, 2010 -> 11:13 PM) Still though, I don't care how fast you ride. 20 miles is 20 miles. I have been working out pretty hardcore the last few months and 10 miles still kicks my ass pretty good....or is that just my damn seat? You probably need to get refitted on your bike. When you take it in for your spring overhaul, ask them if they can fit the seat for you. It makes a big difference. If you're getting fatigued after 10 miles, you're probably pushing your gears too hard. The tip I've learned is that you should be able to feel resistance when you pedal, but not that much. I try to get a cadence of around 75 rpm and that helps me spin longer without too much stress.

I've found a bagel with reduced fat cream cheese to be great for breakfast at Einstein's. It's filling and relatively low calorie. Bagel with the reduced fat cream cheese is under 400 calories. I've found that breakfast is really important for weight loss, it gives your body the energy it needs to maintain fat burning/muscle building. If I skip breakfast, I'm less likely to lose weight than if I eat it in the mornings.

It's a 2008 Trek 1.2 road bike. Spent about a grand on it in 2008. Going clipless finally this year, which is gonna cost about 200 or so, plus its time for new tires and maybe a new chain... My average is a lot lower, 14.5 to 15 mph for a 20 mile route, but with platform pedals and a big beer belly, its not bad. I have a wireless speedometer which is honestly more trouble than its worth. The last bike computer I had counted cadence which was great, but that got stolen off my bike a few months ago, mounting and all. With daylight savings happening and warmer weather finally hitting the area, I'm gonna try to commute to work once a week (35 miles round trip).

Please to be informing us of your ten songs in your shuffle right now. 1. Rhianna - Umbrella (Big Room Mix) 2. Bomb the Muisc Industry! - Future 86 3. Sergio Mendes - That Heat 4. Joe Uehelein - Hold The Fort 5. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Dang! 6. Frank Popp Ensemble - Hip Teens Don't Wear Blue Jeans 7. Billy Bragg - The Marriage 8. James Yuill - This Sweet Love 9. Robbie Williams - Handsome Man 10. Miike Snow - Animal (Marc Ronson Remix)

Thank god spring is finally around. Got on my bike for the first time this year yesterday for 20 miles along the Delaware River. It's really become one of my favorite things to do, and I'm shooting to ride 1000 + miles this year and also ride my first century. Anybody else ride regularly? If so, what do you do to maintain a good average speed, strength on hills, etc.? Would love to know...

QUOTE (EvilJester99 @ Mar 4, 2010 -> 11:13 PM) No its the same as the Jeep Liberty. Sorry, I get them confused.

If the Dodge Nitro is the same as the Jeep Patriot, no thanks. That is a rental car fleet piece of s***. I do kinda like the 300.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Mar 4, 2010 -> 06:53 PM) What aren't you telling? What else buried in the legislation? Why don't you read it and tell me Drudge Report?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 4, 2010 -> 02:59 PM) I've given up trying to think (or hope) that the GOP caucus in Congress hasn't been taken over by the extremists. I am sure there are some Republicans who have a brain cell or two left. But I've become convinced that unfortunately, the majority of them (in Congress), have fully bought into the craziness that is the far right of the party. Its all the more frustrating to watch, since I truly don't believe that the majority of GOP'ers in the general public are this extreme. Not to sound like a polemic, but in my opinion - the crazies have run that asylum for a while now. In the meantime, I'm looking at my state which just elected a Republican governor. He froze state aid to schools, NJ Transit subsidies and took over budget procedures with an executive order that may or may not even be legal. The media (which believe it or not is largely GOP in the state itself - Gannett Newspapers and the largest radio station in the state) is all over themselves in a honeymoon and people are approving of his measures. Because what isn't being reported is this. Within 6 days, he announced that there would be a business tax increase this year. Within 3 weeks, he froze state aid to school districts which will result in local property tax hikes next year. (But it doesn't violate his no new taxes pledge because those taxes will be local and not state) He also froze a transit subsidy which means that the transit authority will lose out on matching federal funds and balloons the authority's deficit. Tomorrow they are expected to announce service cuts and fare increases of up to 30%. In a transit heavy state, this is basically a tax to anyone without a car or who commutes into New York City (read: almost half the damn state). He cut unemployment benefits. Again, the cut loses out on federal matching funds, so a $25 deduction in benefits from the State of New Jersey = a $50 deduction in benefits in your weekly unemployment insurance benefit. And then, because this will somehow improve the state budget.... he let a temporary tax increase on people making 400,000 dollars a year or more expire early - expanding his budget hole next year to 11 billion dollars. And yet, nobody seems concerned. Funny how that works/

Bill in the House of Representatives: Prohibit schools from restraining and isolating students and creating undue physical or mental abuse on the students except for cases of imminent danger. Out of 170+ Republican Congressional Representatives, 145 voted against this measure. So in the last six months, we have 75% of the Republican delegation of the Senate voting against the right of rape victims to confront their attacker in court, if a government contract is involved - and now we have over 80% of the Congressional GOP caucus voting against a prohibition of restraint and physical abuse in schools when defined as "restraints that restrict breathing or compromise a student's health or safety." Just thought you should know. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll082.xml

Haitian family flees after earthquake. To Chile. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100304/ap_on_...ke_twice_cursed

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 4, 2010 -> 01:27 PM) What posesses people to do this? I mean, not the drunk driving (which is bad enough), but crusading against their own interests? Its just fully bizarre to me. Religion. Self-denial from growing up in a culture where what you are is considered "unnatural," and an "abomination," are a couple reasons I can think of.

So, a state senator from California was arrested last night in his state provided SUV and was driving drunk. That's sad and a problem, but not really news to me. Until this came out about it. The State Senator is Roy Ashburn. He was a "family values" proponent and opposed to gay rights. He had an "unidentified male companion" in his car with him. The media is reporting he left a bar called "Faces" that night. "Faces" is the biggest gay bar in Sacramento. So I hope he's fully outed for the big old gay hypocrite that he really is. http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/...ore.php?ref=fpa

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 4, 2010 -> 09:14 AM) I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet. There are proposed articles of impeachment circulating around IIRC. But its hard to do without the whiff of any kind of real serious scandal surrounding him.

That's kinda awesome Soxy.

Happy Happy Birthday, From all your friends at Bennigans!

AFL-CIO drops Blanche Lincoln like a hot potato now that she's being primaried by Ark Lt. Gov Bill Halter. They've committed up to 3 million dollars in independent expenditures to support Bill Halter.

And ACORN has done a lot of good for the working poor in urban areas, no matter what anyone else has said.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Feb 25, 2010 -> 06:20 PM) The Democrats use it for "good purposes" and the Republicans use it for "bad purposes". We get it, Rex. I'm glad you finally understand, then.

The "nuclear option," as it was opposed by the Democratic Senate in 2005 was not reconciliation. It was changing the rules of the Senate in mid session to eliminate the filibuster so that three Judicial nominees could be muscled through the Senate. Reconciliation, is a practice that has been commonly used for bills that involve budgetary process and only certain portions of a bill can be affected by Reconciliation. A lot of good things have come out of reconciliation, among them the COBRA insurance program. The R in COBRA stands for Reconciliation. The 2010 "nuclear option" as the Republicans are now calling it, is really just a regular Senate parliamentary procedure that isn't used very often. The 2005 model "nuclear option" would have changed parliamentary procedure. They are two different things. And maybe people should learn that if you call two different things by the same name, they do not magically become the same thing.