HURRICANES LOUNGE XLVIII

[Blueline Bomber]

For some people, their dog is a pet.

For others, their dog is family.

Part of my job is to try and not get too attached to the pets. They could pass on, the client could move, or they could simply stop using our services. But there's definitely a few that I'm happier to look after than others.

 

[LakeLivin]

The company I worked for when I lived in Raleigh was Wag the Dog. I can't speak about the quality of all the sitters on their payroll, but the CEO/manager/owner is a very nice woman named Crystal who's probably the best boss I've had in my career.

And yeah, I can understand why having someone else look over your pet with medical issues is a scary prospect. I've been rather lucky in that regard. Even with pets that had previous medical problems, I've not had to deal with them while looking after them, for the most part. The one exception was last year, where an older dog had a seizure between the time the house sitter left in the morning and the time I arrived for the walk in the midday. I arrived to a medical emergency, and by the time I got him to the vet, it was too late. I know, logically, it's not my fault and there was nothing I could do, but it still sucked being the one to deliver that news to the client.

Had something similar happen to me two years ago. Except it was my out of town next door neighbor who called to ask me to do a wellness check on his wife. She had passed a while before as rigor had well set in.

 

[WreckingCrew]

For some people, their dog is a pet. For some where I live (out in the sticks), their hunting dogs are more like livestock.

For others, their dog is family.

My babygirl...I'm going to absolutely break when that time comes. I know it will be devastating and I don't know how I'll handle it. Had her 8 years, she's been with me through a bad breakup (the ex I adopted her with), 3.5 yr single period, a good 3yr relationship, and then single period again. Without her I'd probably be largely locked up in my house, instead I get out and enjoy the sunshine with her and going on walks

 

[LakeLivin]

My babygirl...I'm going to absolutely break when that time comes. I know it will be devastating and I don't know how I'll handle it. Had her 8 years, she's been with me through a bad breakup (the ex I adopted her with), 3.5 yr single period, a good 3yr relationship, and then single period again. Without her I'd probably be largely locked up in my house, instead I get out and enjoy the sunshine with her and going on walks

I hear ya. Been over 10 years and I can still tear up thinking about my buddy Jack (like right now, lol). I have no idea if there's an afterlife, but I firmly believe that there can't be a heaven if it doesn't include our 4 legged family.

Hopefully you'll have many more years with your girl (imo the biggest "flaw" with dogs is the difference in lifespan with humans). But for consideration (not necessarily you but anyone who hasn't thought about it); when the time comes I'll pass on something I read from a vet. He said the saddest part of his job is when he has to put down a pet where the owners don't want to be with it and the pet is desperately looking around the room for it's human as he does the job. Hard to do, but I hope people will consider being there for their pets when it's in the pet's best interest to put it down.

 

[Derailed75]

On the worst of worst days at work (admittedly not terrible sometimes work is work) when I come home and my 8 month old puppy greets me like she hasn't seem me in year, that bad day is no longer so bad.

 

[Nikishin al Gaib]

Who could have possibly guessed that offering easy to obtain subprime loans with no collateral would be a terrible business decision.

 

[Derailed75]

Who could have possibly guessed that offering easy to obtain subprime loans with no collateral would be a terrible business decision.

I mean its not like the very same thing didn't happen to the mortgage market 10ish years ago so lenders could possibly learn how it could be a bad way of business or anything right?

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Tell me again how the rest of us aren't footing the bill for tax cuts for the rich.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

View attachment 1039945

Tell me again how the rest of us aren't footing the bill for tax cuts for the rich.

When reading stats like this you have to control for how much taxes they're actually paying in the first place, and compare these numbers to that.

Poorest 20% barely pay any taxes as it is, so they certainly wouldn't be the ones getting the tax cuts.


As an example, in 2022 the top 1% paid 40.4% of all federal income taxes. A "flat" or "equitable" tax cut, therefore, would give them 40.4% of the tax cut. The fact that instead they're only getting 24% of the above tax cut, at least in a plain reading, actually makes the opposite case of what you're implying.

(I could be misreading, feel free to correct me.)

 

[Blueline Bomber]

When reading stats like this you have to control for how much taxes they're actually paying in the first place, and compare these numbers to that.

Poorest 20% barely pay any taxes as it is, so they certainly wouldn't be the ones getting the tax cuts.


As an example, in 2022 the top 1% paid 40.4% of all federal income taxes. A "flat" or "equitable" tax cut, therefore, would give them 40.4% of the tax cut. The fact that instead they're only getting 24% of the above tax cut, at least in a plain reading, actually makes the opposite case of what you're implying.

(I could be misreading, feel free to correct me.)

Which would be true, if they actually paid the taxes they're supposed to be paying. But we know that's not true.

According to a 2021 White House study, the wealthiest 400 American households paid an average federal income tax rate of 8.2% . The average American pays a rate of around 13%. I'd link to the actual study itself, but for some reason that page was taken down shortly after this administration took over. Just a coincidence, I'm sure.

In addition, from 2014-2018, the 25 richest Americans paid just $13.6 billion in taxes off of a $401 billion income, a true tax rate of 3.4%

So while it's true that the amount of money they're paying is far higher than the rest of the country, the percentage of what they're paying compared to what they're earning is far, far lower.

 

[MinJaBen]

View attachment 1039945

Tell me again how the rest of us aren't footing the bill for tax cuts for the rich.

I hate to be that guy, but you may be preaching to the wrong crowd here with this graph. Given what I’ve heard people here say about their jobs, and the fact hockey as a sport doesn’t skew to the lowest income brackets, and the income bins they have in that graph, I’d bet a large population of us on this board are in that most favorable category assuming that is for household incomes.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

I hate to be that guy, but you may be preaching to the wrong crowd here with this graph. Given what I’ve heard people here say about their jobs, and the fact hockey as a sport doesn’t skew to the lowest income brackets, and the income bins they have in that graph, I’d bet a large population of us on this board are in that most favorable category assuming that is for household incomes.

I assumed so long ago. Doesn't change the facts. And even if we take just the top 25 richest Americans (which I assume no one on this board is):

They paid $13.6 billion in taxes off a $401 billion income, a 3.4% rate. If they had been taxed at a rate of the average American (13%), they would have paid $52.1 billion, a difference of $38.5 billion. Even if we apply a 24% tax cut on what they should have paid, they still should have paid $39.6 billion, a difference of $26 billion of what they actually paid.

How long would it take to tax the average American (or literally anyone not in that top 25) to make up for a loss of $26 billion?

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Which would be true, if they actually paid the taxes they're supposed to be paying. But we know that's not true.

According to a 2021 White House study, the wealthiest 400 American households paid an average federal income tax rate of 8.2% . The average American pays a rate of around 13%. I'd link to the actual study itself, but for some reason that page was taken down shortly after this administration took over. Just a coincidence, I'm sure.

In addition, from 2014-2018, the 25 richest Americans paid just $13.6 billion in taxes off of a $401 billion income, a true tax rate of 3.4%

So while it's true that the amount of money they're paying is far higher than the rest of the country, the percentage of what they're paying compared to what they're earning is far, far lower.

Yes but the stats you posted said the rich got 24% of the tax cuts for this latest bill, but they currently pay 40% of the taxes. I'm not going to argue with you about taxing the rich or how much of their fair share they pay or anything else, I'm just pointing out that your interpretation of the data that you yourself posted is making the opposite point that you want it to.

 

[Negan4Coach]

Which would be true, if they actually paid the taxes they're supposed to be paying. But we know that's not true.

According to a 2021 White House study, the wealthiest 400 American households paid an average federal income tax rate of 8.2% . The average American pays a rate of around 13%. I'd link to the actual study itself, but for some reason that page was taken down shortly after this administration took over. Just a coincidence, I'm sure.

In addition, from 2014-2018, the 25 richest Americans paid just $13.6 billion in taxes off of a $401 billion income, a true tax rate of 3.4%

So while it's true that the amount of money they're paying is far higher than the rest of the country, the percentage of what they're paying compared to what they're earning is far, far lower.

The problem is the wealthiest Americans are NOT W-2 employees who get a salary like the rest of us chumps. So increasing the top tax bracket percentages just punishes high income workers. The REAL rich have tons of assets (stocks, properties) and make their money from that and just take bank loans off of those to pay themselves and that is how they dodge taxes.

The conversation needs to be about what taxation methodology can be implemented to get at the top .1%, not this obsession with what the payroll tax is, IMO

 

[Blueline Bomber]

The problem is the wealthiest Americans are NOT W-2 employees who get a salary like the rest of us chumps. So increasing the top tax bracket percentages just punishes high income workers. The REAL rich have tons of assets (stocks, properties) and make their money from that and just take bank loans off of those to pay themselves and that is how they dodge taxes.

The conversation needs to be about what taxation methodology can be implemented to get at the top .1%, not this obsession with what the payroll tax is, IMO

I don't disagree. Like I posted earlier, just those top 25 Americans avoided paying (at least) $26 billion in taxes over that 4 year span. Without knowing the exact numbers, I imagine the total taxes of 95% of Americans don't come close to what those 25 were able to avoid.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

We are so cooked.

 

[SlavinAway]

We are so cooked.

Only thing that would really give it away is the Hels Angels patches/shirt.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Only thing that would really give it away is the Hels Angels patches/shirt.

The text on the adverts in the background are also similarly messed up. And the language of the first guy interviewed sounds very unnatural. “You look far, step on the pedal, and you are there. Hahaha.” And I believe a couple people in the background morph into each other.

But its definitely much harder to distinguish than most still AI images.

 

[LakeLivin]

RIP George Wendt.

NORM!

 

[Tryamw]

Trying to get my already real ID renewed. Looks like I'll get in by 4pm

 

[MustardStew]

Trying to get my already realID renewed. Looks like I'll get in by 4pm

Already? That seems,, um...
Guess I need to check mines

 

[Tryamw]

Already? That seems,, um...
Guess I need to check mines

Just happens to be the year of renewal for me and they won't let me renew online

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Trying to get my already real ID renewed. Looks like I'll get in by 4pm

My favorite part about RealID is that they keep setting deadlines for when you ABSOLUTELY NEED to get a RealID, and then that deadline passes, they realize many Americans still don't have one, and then they set a new deadline where you ABSOLUTELY NEED to get one, for real this time.

 

[To Be Determined]

My favorite part about RealID is that they keep setting deadlines for when you ABSOLUTELY NEED to get a RealID, and then that deadline passes, they realize many Americans still don't have one, and then they set a new deadline where you ABSOLUTELY NEED to get one, for real this time.

They changed it up this time - the deadline passed for real. If you don't have realid (like me) you just missed it. Sucks to be you.

Oh, but you can still do everything they said you couldn't - just subject to extra security.

I fly so infrequently i'm betting the extra security in the airport, even if it is 2 or 3 hours each time through tsa, will waste less time than trying to go to the 'no appointments until three days after armageddon' ncdmv.

 

[Tryamw]

They changed it up this time - the deadline passed for real. If you don't have realid (like me) you just missed it. Sucks to be you.

Oh, but you can still do everything they said you couldn't - just subject to extra security.

I fly so infrequently i'm betting the extra security in the airport, even if it is 2 or 3 hours each time through tsa, will waste less time than trying to go to the 'no appointments until three days after armageddon' ncdmv.

My issue is my license expires in a month sucks to get caught in this nonsense. South durham line I've moved 8 spots in almost 2hr