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Vikings Discussion & Random Thoughts
Our third consecutive baseball practice was cancelled due to rain last night, that’s three in a row to start the season. We don’t get enough time to work with these kiddos the way it is, and missing three practices won’t help, we’ll have to come up with some informal unscheduled practices, there’s a field next door at the grade school. As I write this, the rain is still falling, although it’s dwindled down to sprinkles, it’s been basically raining for four straight days & nights. I’m not gonna complain, because we sorely needed the moisture. At least we can have campfires now.
Vikings News
J.J. McCarthy and his fiance are expecting a baby boy in September, per MSN. That’ll be right around when the regular season kicks off, @great timing@.
Vikings.com brings you eight takeaways from the owners’ meeting.
NFL News
Indianapolis Colts owner, Jim Irsay, died at the age of 65, according to NFL.com.
Catch up with the latest updates for every NFL team at NFL.com’s NFL news roundup.
Apparently, the debate about the tush-push ban at the NFL owner’s meeting got a little heated, per ESPN. There was no blood, not even any punches thrown, so I don’t think it qualifies as “heated”, but that’s just me.
The NFL is creating a new award to honor the top offensive linemen, story from Fox Sports.
Media Selection
Another entertaining episode from A.J. & Hecklefish at the Why Files. Enjoy!
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Seen MT? He on suicide watch? His Oil had a serious 3rd period meltdown.
He is tough. He has seen enough Vikings collapses that this kind of pain is expected as a sports fan.
I saw a headline saying Hutchinson is cleared for full go, after breaking his leg last season…
remember the idiots trying to say he could possibly play in the superbowl if they made it that for?
3 months AFTER the superbowl he is finally cleared.
lion dum dums
This is all 100% fake. Never happened. What have we done?
More here: https://notthebee.com/article/google-just-dropped-its-veo3-ai-video-generator-and-the-creations-are-insane
This is nuts.
Think I can save some money. Going to pay my plumber in “tips.”
Going to give your plumber ‘just the tip’?
I guess if it is consensual and he/she/it/they ok with it who are we to criticize.
If he will lower his price 20%, I’ll call the hole bill a tip. Win/win for both of us. I get a cheaper charge and he pays no taxes.
I believe that you would have to pay them in cash per the Big Beautiful Bill.
Also is there 20% tax where you are??
20% – I was just figuring he was probably in that tax bracket. And the way plumbers are paid maybe more.
Dealing in cash would be harder, but I could handle it.
You have time to lay in some cash since the ‘hope’ to get the bill signed by the 4th of July.
Not sure if the provision take effect immediately or when filing 2025 taxes.
Probably won’t take affect until the 2026 taxes.
2025
Nice. That’s surprising.
This could cause a shift in the $15/hr arguments.
It’s a nice thought.
I doubt most businesses can get away with calling everything a tip.
I’d bet the language is written for restaurants and bar type establishments.
Text of the Bill:
IN GENERAL.—Section 45B(b)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended to read as follows:
“(2) APPLICATION ONLY TO CERTAIN LINES OF BUSINESS.—In applying paragraph (1) there shall be taken into account only tips received from customers or clients in connection with the following services:
“(A) The providing, delivering, or serving of food or beverages for consumption, if the tipping of employees delivering or serving food or beverages by customers is customary.
“(B) The providing of beauty services to a customer or client if the tipping of employees providing such services is customary.”.
(2) BEAUTY SERVICE DEFINED.—Section 45B of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
“(e) Beauty service.—For purposes of this section, the term ‘beauty service’ means any of the following:
“(1) Barbering and hair care.
“(2) Nail care.
“(3) Esthetics.
“(4) Body and spa treatments.”.
So plumbers don’t qualify?
What if they identify as ‘serving of food or beverages for post digestion removal’?
I think the better argument is providing beauty services of digestive pipes.
I have no doubt that some Tax Preparers will find a way to justify it.
We had guys who worked at the prison deduct their gaming computer as First Shooter Video Games were ‘training’.
No Tax on Tips Act
This bill establishes a new tax deduction of up to $25,000 for tips, subject to limitations. The bill also expands the business tax credit for the portion of payroll taxes an employer pays on certain tips to include payroll taxes paid on tips received in connection with certain beauty services.
Under the bill, the new tax deduction for tips is limited to cash tips (1) received by an employee during the course of employment in an occupation that customarily receives tips, and (2) reported by the employee to the employer for purposes of withholding payroll taxes. (Under current law, an employee is required to report tips exceeding $20 per month to their employer.)
Further, an employee with compensation exceeding a specified threshold ($160,000 in 2025 and adjusted annually for inflation) in the prior tax year may not claim the new tax deduction for tips.
Finally, the bill expands the business tax credit for the portion of payroll taxes that an employer pays on certain tips to include payroll taxes paid on tips received in connection with barbering and hair care, nail care, esthetics, and body and spa treatments. (Under current law, an employer is allowed a business tax credit for the amount of payroll taxes paid on certain tips received by an employee in connection with providing, delivering, or serving food or beverages.)
Thanks for info.
Frankly, I personally think this is terrible tax policy. Why should a server get a break on part of their income as opposed to some laborer who’s pushing a georgia buggy full of cement all day.
And then there’s overtime.
And gosh, guess it’s good they capped this at $160,000.
Last thought. Pretty close to me their are several hotels with parking services. Virtually all the attendants make most of their income from tips. Yet, they aren’t included in this. Doesn’t make sense.
I’d argue and bet that the parking attendant wasn’t claiming the tip on the tax return anyway. If the hotel had a system to track those tips, then I’d agree with your assessment.
In the restaurant and bar industry, tips are reported on the W-2 because of the POS systems in restaurants.
I never thought this proposal was about ALL tips in every line of business.
To me, labor is labor and I’m not crazy about picking one form over another.
But that’s the history of the tax code.
Tax free interest on muni bonds, but not other bonds.
Some people pay zero tax while others pay more.
Rental income taxed differently than revenue for service.
I agree income is income, but the tax code has never been fair.
Honestly, the only fair tax would be an excise/sales tax, with no loopholes at all. Completely eliminate the Income Tax. Everybody pays based on money spent, not money earned.
It will never happen, you have an entire industry reliant upon the complexity of the tax code, and the super wealthy avoid paying. Game is rigged.
I am salty about this….
I certainly could live with an excise tax of some kind and then a flat tax for everyone.
We should be trying to clean up the tax code not be adding more complexity to it.
I would argue against a flat tax. While that would be preferred to what we have, the government will continue to change the laws based on helping the super rich and screwing over the middle class.
Sales tax could have exemptions for food(Not prepared food) and clothing, nothing else. People that have more, would pay more.
Even if they did this, the government would find a way to further screw the public in a very short time.
I’d be OK with that but don’t think you can generate enough tax revenue from just an excise tax.
Excusing food is thoughtful but once we start with exceptions, here we go again.
Over half the people in the country pay zero and that number is growing. That is not sustainable.
Unless there is going to be some serious expense cutting, ain’t going to happen, the gov’t needs more income. I’m open to other ideas.
everyone should pay some type of minimum tax. We all get benefits of living here, we should all support the country financially. A low level flat tax, with a sales tax makes a lot of sense to me.
Whatever we do, it has to go toward tax simplification…….
So no changes to Playoff Seeding, Division Winners will continue to be seeded higher than WC teams and so will continue to host playoff games.
The Vikings voted to keep the policy in place calling themselves ‘Traditionalist.
https://www.vikings.com/news/nfl-owners-meeting-tush-push-playoff-seeding
Saw my shadow today, scared the hell out of me. Minny weather, sheesh…
GO T-PUPS! (doubt it)
What does that mean?
6 more weeks without a shower????
Is that unusual?
Not at all.
Your body your choice.
Ewww?
Yes. Ewww.
Hope, for those around him/her/them, that they at least take a bath.
wow it was DELICIOUS to watch the stupid knicks CHOKE their way to a loss.
LOVE IT
KAT is still soft.
Anyone but the Knicks, for me.
Way too many NY fans on TV since networks are based in NYC.
I am perfectly happy to see them fail often and spectacularly.
Yep.
Give me a flyover country NBA finals.
So the Vikings voted for banning the Tush Push.
https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/nfl-tush-push-vote-which-teams-voted-for-against-banning-controversial-eagles-play-184451569.html
I do not like the Tush-Push, and I also do not like seeing O Linemen pulling or pushing a RB further.
Should not be allowed. This is not rugby.
Given the Vikings lack of execution of that play against Cincy, I can see why.
Maybe with our better IOL we will be more successful going forward.
But having a 5’8″ player ‘assisting’ needs an upgrade.
5’8″ and 185 lbs???
Yeah, not sure KOC gets it.
Noticed this took 24 votes to pass.
For decades, like 40 years maybe, an offensive player was not allowed to push a ball carrier forward – esp. lineman down field.
When was that changed to even allow it to exist now?
2005 I think.
Do you have any idea why they changed it?
I’m sort of surprised there hasn’t been more injuries form this.
They said it was too hard for refs to differentiate between an lineman coming in and blocking somebody or just pushing their guy.
They need to just get quicker with the whistle on forward progress when a scrim starts and you don’t even need a rule change.
I don’t mind it. For years the offensive guy was just going forward by himself and then 11 defensive guys just pound him while the other 10 offensive guys just stand around looking stupid.
Agreed.
So better to see our H.Smith coming up and tackling (trying) to tackle Barkley in open field, and then two lineman come up and push Barkley right over the top of Smith – pancake him.
Gang Tackling is a thing.
Gang Blocking is not all that different IMHO.
If the refs blow the whistle when the runner is stood up and stopped, it wouldn’t happen.
Yep, I remember losing two defensive TDs against the Colts due to ‘premature whistles’.
I guess we will just have to agree to disagree.
Well they didn’t seem to have a problem for over 40 years. And as you say below, when forward progress is stopped blow the whistle.
i am not sure if teams are voting to ban the “tush push” or voting for banning other players the ability to carry or push their teammate forward.
i think it’s the latter for sure.
Well you can’t have one without the other.
If you ban the ability to carry or push their teammate forward, it bans the Tush Push. FTP/League changed the wording to hopefully get more teams to support it.
i know, but i think the narrative that “everyone is against the eagles because they want to ban the “tush push” is annoying.
There is way more they want to ban, the tush push falls into that category but it isn’t the ONLY thing they want banneed
Have noticed NLV, a major poster, hasn’t been here for a week. Given his age, doubt he has been called back to active duty.
But recall a year or so ago, he had a serious stomach problem and was hospitalized for several days. Hope that is not the case now and he is merely traveling or recharging his batteries for the forth coming season.
Earlier this year he was gone for awhile and I postulated that he was volunteering for DOGE but he was helping with post hurricane issues.
I hope he is doing something like that again rather than fighting health battles. In either case I will keep him in my thoughts and prayers.
Funny thing happened to me while trying to get to Skoloholics.
I missed typed Skolo and got this instead.
That explains a lot.
Although I won’t admit to knowing what it explains.
Umm
Can I just go into lurking mode?
Does ‘non-binary and genderqueer people’ mean gay?
It can’t.
Gay is a much shorter word.
If you don’t have a gender can you actually be attracted to the same gender?
From what I have heard you can be attracted to things that don’t even have a gender.
No Kink Shaming.
My daughter told me about people who identify as a “cat” or a “dog”. Said they dress the part and actually eat the food.
I find this more stupid than sexual though. Or maybe just not in touch with reality.
‘Furries’ are ‘A Thing’ I guess.
I can understand it for toddlers and pre-teens I guess. After that I guess it is just people who have not developed emotionally or/and intellectually.
Our local school had a debate on whether or not, to put litter boxes in the bathrooms.
Seems like having kids use ‘litter boxes’ would be unsanitary. Who gets to clean that thing by the way?
Some underpaid sanitation technician.
I have no clue.
Other than I would call them a pansy.
Why did your computer auto fill that when you typed “skol”?
It does that to me when I have been to a site previously.
Not saying, just saying.
Wait…this site isn’t for Skoliosexuals?
Better them than FTP fans.
Whoever came up with “Skoliosexuals” needs sensitivity training.
Skolio is Greek for Bent or Crooked.
Well considering that the term was ‘coined within queer communities, particularly on platforms like Tumblr’ those people need a mental health intervention to begin with.
IMHO of course.
Agreed.
Not sure how it got passed the DEI board though.
We have a DEI board??
The DEI board who allows definitions to be official.
Allowing Skoliosexual to be the official word seems insensitive. They surly are bent or crooked in my book.
There are ‘official definitions’?
I hear about dictionaries picking and choosing which words they want to include.
They can also designate some as ‘non-standard’. There are court cases where words have to be legally defined for contract purposes.
Like when a court defined a ‘burrito’ as a sandwich for the purposes of a contract.
I was arguing with a learned liberal today on bookface. His take is it is impossible to provide a definition of what a woman is….so I happily gave him one.
He has not responded…
On occasion I have realized that some “learned” people are just so wrapped up in academia that they have lost touch with the real world.
I do not miss bookface. At all.
I have personally adopted the British Supreme Courts definition due to it’s simplicity. ‘A Woman is an adult female’.
Your definition is equally valid, it just has more details.
one of the few things the UK has gotten right lately
It was a shocking decision and went against everything that the British have been doing lately.
Now they have to reevaluate all of their woke plans to have Trans allowed everywhere from gyms/bathrooms to Women’s Olympic Teams.
So why is it that you have grandkids and great nieces/nephews? Are your own kids kids grand while your siblings kids kids are only great? That almost seems like discrimination.
Are you implying that ‘Grand’ is better than ‘Great’?
Not sure I agree but then I am on my first cup of coffee this morning.
Speaking of grandkids, I was informed yesterday, that I am going to be a grandfather.
Congrats!!
Awesome. That is grand.
Someone new to yell at.
Exactly!
Congrats!
I am dodging that bullet so far. Mrs Surly will spend way too much money once she has grandkids.
My wife can’t visit a thrift store without scouring through the kids section. Those kids will never be able to wear all of the clothes that she has boughten.
That aren’t called “grand”kids for nothing.
Congrats though!
If there are any minneapolis locals on the thread, I need to find a sports bar close to the MSP airport tonight to watch the TPups while I am waiting for friends to arrive on a 10 pm flight. The mall of america shuts down at 9 so that doesn’t work. There are surprisingly few bars near the airport.
Lucky’s 13 in Mendota is ok.
Not super close to the airport though.
About 8-10 minutes depending on traffic.
If it’s Terminal 2, something in Bloomington would be closer.
Hooters !!!
I would suggest Union 32 tap house in Eagan. 12 mn drive from the airport.
Lucky’s 13 is another option for decent sports bar things.
Union 32 has a craft beer wall where you self-serve, and the wings were damned good.
That is my go-to place when at Vikings Training camp things.
You could also tour the Vikings facility prior to the T Wolves if you are bored. I found the museum worth the admission.
Thanks Surly and DE! I think I will be going with Lucky’s 13.
Have fun!
I am not watching the T Wolves anymore, unless it gets to a game where they can clinch.
They looked way overmatched last game.
I gotta go to that place next time I’m in town.
My sista lives in Eagan.
Surprised she hasn’t mentioned that place before.
DE makes a good point. Hooters and B Dubs in MOA both stay open until 10:00 PM.
Even if you are going to terminal 1, it is the closest for sports bars.
I did not know they stay opened until 10 pm. I thought the whole place closed at 9.
Nope. Bars and restaurants have later hours.
But if they close the mall, how do you get to the restaurant/bar?
Well, I will already be there, but I am going to take in the game at Lucky’s 13 instead, its only 11 minutes from Terminal 1.
Solid strategy.
I suggest a beer and a smash burger.
They leave main doors open until 60 MN or more after the last bar/restaurant closes. Used to be that the Anchor stores set the mall hours, but bars could stay open later (1:00 am). I think the business was slow enough that things have changed.
That said, the Movie theater also has people leaving after midnight most days.
There are fewer exits, and there is Paul Blart at each door.
No meetings today!
And off tomorrow to make it a four-day weekend. I am going to nap and work at tearing out bathroom walls.
Time to freshen up the bathroom. I am coming to the conclusion that the wall-tearing might be the worst part. It’s plastered drywall, and it doesn’t want to come out in nice big chunks. You got to chip away at it and make a big mess.
He can help.
Shocked, Shocked I tell you!
Health officials hid myocarditis risks from COVID vaccines, report alleges | Fox News
I guess now we know why Faucci needed a pre-emptive pardon.
No healthy person under age 30 should have been taking that vaccine.
Just shut up and do as you are told.
The only side effect I have experienced so far is the ability to stick to things…
LOL!
How pathetic!
When they start throwing around terms like ‘Myocarditis Risks’ I am left in ignorance. I would need a MT type of post/story/explaination before I can begin to understand it.
But I console myself by considering that I am over age 30 and The Teacher and I have some underlying health concerns so we weighed the risks and took the jab.
I got the first two because my wife has health issues.
But we both gave up after that. It seemed a lot less work to just get sick and be done with it.
The Teacher has asthma and her work required jabs.
I was dealing with The Crud and had Pneumonia several times previously. All things considered with our age we chose the jab and probably would again even given what we know now.
I agree, makes sense for people over 50 and people with health conditions. Makes no sense for people under 30…NONE
In my head I’m still under 30 so I agree.
I took the jab because I had to in order to keep my job.
I also needed to get 1 booster before the forced inoculation stopped.
I am done with those things (mRNA) for now.
Good morning, SKOL!
FTP!
Happy Thorsday!
Happy Thorsday,
FTP
SKOL
Go Wolves
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