taks

you don't really need to "hire" a trainer... just sign up for a membership at a local gym and you'll get some advice, and maybe even a starter program to work with. just make sure you have a buddy around for spotting your lifts and the rest just takes a bit of sweat and pain. taks

ayup. ligaments and tendons don't heal well. taks

that would be sand. taks

exactly the point i was making. most gyms will have qualified pros on staff. the gyms don't want to get anyone started on something the trainee is not capable of living up to. lawsuits would be devastating. of course, back in my work-out days, i was usually going to a little gym that didn't have such services. fortunately, i was training with an already accomplished body-builder (not a competition pro or anything) and i was 19 years old, i.e. i was already in good shape. taks

there are a TON of programs you can follow and it all depends upon several factors. first, and foremost, what is your current level of "shapeness." i.e., are you a couch potato like me, or are you already somewhat in shape. this sets the beginning point of any workout regimen. the worse your current physical well-being, the easier you need to take it. next, what are your goals? are you trying to get "ripped" and otherwise buffed up, or are you simply trying to get in shape. if the former, you'll probably have an exponential ramp-up with the level of difficulty in your work-outs once you get to the point of "in shape." if the latter, you'll probably simply go in and do some light stuff, never getting over the top, and the primary goal will be mostly aerobic in nature (i.e. increase your lung capacity and your stamina). either way, any decent gym will have pros that know how to tailor a work-out to your current physique and ultimate goals. it should hurt a little bit no matter what you're trying to accomplish, though if it hurts to the point of immobility, you're pushing too hard. keep in mind that gains are a result of your body healing itself after the damage of a workout... it just heals past that point so it won't hurt the next time. once your stamina and other abilities get a little honed, you'll discover that what it takes to hurt greatly increases (hence the nearly exponential increase for getting ripped). taks

i should keep quiet because, inevitably, i'll say something ignorant and get the thread shut down... not that it won't get shut down anyway. taks

my god you're an even bigger moron. i mean, come ON for chrissakes! the power to wage war is written into the constitution... domestic spying is NOT legal, nor have i EVER said it is. duh. are you REALLY this unable to understand something so siimple? taks

sometimes you're a moron. that's part of the constitution, you know the whole legal system and all... duh. taking your income was NOT until the 16th amendment, which is in direct conflict with most of the bill of rights. oh, and the only way you can legally be put in jail is if you first break the law... duh number two. do you people actually _use_ the brain you were born with? taks

that's the point i've been trying to make, and why this is a problem you do not seem to comprehend. taks

bad analogy. forcibly removing one man's treasure is theft, no matter how you want to view it. taks

by definition, it is theft. income tax is the forcible, i.e. under threat of imprisonment, removal of your earnings. the fact that it is performed by a government agency does not change that fact. taks

well, the problem is _very_ complicated. first, the US is the largest employer in the world. 6-7 million employees. 2.5% of the US population works for the federal government, not counting state/local employees. the larger the bureaucracy, the more inefficient, and the more diminishing returns result. feeding that bureaucracy takes lots o dollars. also, while we may have a total tax bill that approaches yours, it is not spread as yours is. in the EU, probably anywhere, $100k/year (equivalent) would be in the top bracket from what i understand. here, not even close. $100k/year translates to around $60-70k/year after adjustments if you know how to work it (deductions and so forth). that $100k/year, however, is in the top 10% of total incomes, however, but the marginal rate is only 28% federal, maybe less (haven't checked in a while). the taxes are scaled, too, so the first XX$ are taxed at the lowest rate, the next XX$ are taxed at the next rate and so forth. the book the IRS uses for all of this is probably 15-20 feet thick. complicated is an understatement. taks

meshugger, the social security tax is actually referred to as "the payroll tax" and it is matched by the employer, i.e. it is actually 13.8% of the first $95k or so. property tax is strictly for local/state governments to use for their services. in colorado, we have what is known as TABOR, a tax-payer's bill of rights. that means any taxes must first be approved by the populace with a majority vote. as a result, we now have a lot of "fees" since nobody will vote for a tax increase. wordsmithing at its best. taks

colorado has a state income tax, so does missouri. it comes out after paying federal income tax, which simply results in the federal tax being counted as a deduction. our property tax is somewhat lower than florida's however, but higher than missouri's. GD missed the two taxes _everyone_ pays: 6.9% for social security, though that caps at just under $100k of income (i.e., this tax isn't imposed on any income above that) and something like 0.3% for medicare/medicaid, which has no cap. taks

oh, i know. my dissertation is highly correlated to the work i do during the day, though i'm much more productive for my company than i am for my PhD. edit: your sig is waaay over the top, hehe... taks

i was supposed to teach a similar class this semester, but we didn't get enough enrollees. the only time i was available was during another class, which pretty much sucked up all the grad students (and seniors that would have otherwise qualified). school is actually getting easier for me as i age (grades keep getting better as i go), but it doesn't hurt that i'm a research engineer in the first place. taks

GD is right, income tax is involuntarily taken from you. usage taxes, i.e. taxes on good and services, are voluntary. in most usage schemes, "essential" goods and services are not taxed, btw. that means your discretionary spending is taxed, which means you have a choice. don't wanna pay the tax, don't buy it. taks

that's awfully presumptuous. taks

the 40s group is better in the sack. by 23 i was working on my MSEE, by 39, my PhD... to say that i knew where i was going by then is an understatement. i'm one of the lucky ones that knew from the age of 7. blow me pop, i don't have it in my profile. taks

39 is a good age i think. in fact, i plan to stay here as long as i can, or for 1 more year, whichever comes first. ooh, time for me to head home and eat. been technologizing all day with customers. my wife may cook! taks

the boy is jamming. he's either going to give my wife a breakdown, or she's going to snuff him out, however. 4 years old is such a tough age. quite the pain in the arse. taks

poor soviets without a fruitbowl. sand, that's always the final arbiter in such cases. if the council does something bad, you can always vote them out (or run for election yourself). i'm guessing at least a few of those involved in the kelo case are now without jobs, or will be during the next election cycle. taks

uh, yeah... that's it, that's the benefit of age that we fool ourselves into believing, while continually reminding the young'uns that it's "good," right? we had a pool tournament this past weekend. after drinking all weekend the week before (canoe trip on the maramec in MO), then two hard nights in a row at the tourney (down in pueblo), i'm thinking my body is going to revolt. i am drained for my b-day. taks

the public needs to speak out on that one if this is truly the case. of course, given kelo, it is still difficult. the one bright spot of kelo is that it did leave the discretion up to states to decide, and many states have followed with legislation that restricts the term "public good" to true public benefit (not just a tax base increase, which is what kelo was about). taks

maybe that's already what's happening? wait, better for the religion thread... hehe. i miss 23, but i must say, other than the fact that my body doesn't work nearly as well as it did then, i much prefer life now over then. taks