409 Comments

It's midnight in America.

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The Puerto Rican diaspora from the hurricane might flip more than just Florida. If it flips Texas too there won't be a Republican president for decades. How's that for "generational change" Trump, you feckless cockweasel.

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Hey! I was always picked last in gym but in no way do I have anything in my heart for any, that's any, rethuglican and what they are doing but pure revulsion. Even we non-athletic nerds are in the resistance.

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Well that, and it's so bloody difficult keeping track of which hair needs cuttin'.

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We have mockingbirds too, but they haven't been harassing our little buddy. Our yard is more "natural," with lots of cover. He is a male, which was apparent last spring during mating season. His courtship behavior indicated his gender, no other way to tell. He would take a beak full of worms, start wagging his long tail side-to-side like mad, and present the food to... the yard bunnies, my wife, anything that moved. The bunnies were not impressed. We had trouble stopping laughing.

His name is Paisano BTW. We are looking forward to seeing some chicks! <http: www.avg.com="" email-signature?utm_medium="email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail"> Virus-free.www.avg.com <http: www.avg.com="" email-signature?utm_medium="email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail"> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>

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Puerto Rico needs to declare themselves independent and kick out any federal employees. I'm sure Washington will respond by sending in the army to occupy the island. Many billions will be spread around because that's what we do in an occupation. We'll also fix all the infrastructure because they'll need to in order to maintain an occupation.

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So are Roadrunner safe from cats and other arge animals (otside of coyotes, naturally)?

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The American Roadrunner is the only wild bird in the US that, over the last 100 years, has increased its range. The reasons:1. They will eat just about anything.2. They don't mind contact with humans.3. They have no natural predators (including coyotes).Our dogs ignore him, except that Otto (see avatar) gets jealous when I feed him. We have hawks, but they have no chance, as once one starts its dive it's committed. That's like the cartoon.Last spring he even tried to build a nest in our (attached) garage/workshop! I keep the back door open a lot, and am still finding twigs.I hand feed him, hoping that someday he will perch on my shoulder like a pirate's parrot. Not yet.

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You are a lucky host.A (sort of) pet that protects itself.

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Ryan, McConnell and Trump to Puerto Rico: "BEND OVER!!"

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It's a crapshoot - either we would treat them like Europe with a nice Marshall Plan after WWII or leave them like we have left Iraq, worse off than before we invaded. Since they are brown folk, I wouldn't bet on a Marshall Plan.

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I have no problem with that. I don't cringe seeing or hearing it. It's just not my word to use. It's like the 'n' word in that respect. Hell, own that fucking word! Take the sting out of it. Use it to make sexist pricks uncomfortable as fuck. I not only condone but encourage that.

Anything that makes assholes uncomfortable makes the world a happier place.

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Hey, didn't they do that after Sandy?

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That is some sexy triumphal pr0n right there.

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duh fuk?

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The HuffPost got it wrong. There is no 12.5% excise tax. Early on there was a proposed excise tax but it has long been eliminated.

Puerto Rico is upset about one thing. In the future they will not be able to serve as a tax haven to large multi-nationals, at least to the extent they have. In the past they have done two types of transactions. I'll describe them and you decide if they were appropriate.

Microsoft shifts billions of dollars in taxable income to Puerto Rico where they pay a negotiated tax rate. So lets say $1 billion (it is actually much more) is shifted to Puerto Rico. Saved Microsoft $350 million (35% rate) in Federal taxes. The negotiated rate with Puerto Rico is say 5% Puerto Rico gets $50 million for some paper transactions, U.S. loses $350 million and Microsoft gets $300 million.

Not a bad deal for PR and Microsoft. Going forward the tax code will still allow a very nice benefit to Microsoft and PR. Instead of $350 million in avoided tax, it will only be $110 million in avoided (21% headline rate less the 10% tax on low-taxed intangible income. All Puerto Rico has to do is pass a 10% tax on the income of Microsoft and no tax will be imposed on Microsoft. If they decide to tax at zero percent then yea Microsoft loses and US gains tax revenue. Does this seem like kicking Puerto Rico?

The other thing that has been done is that PR passed a special excise tax of 4% on revenues of pharmaceutical companies a few years ago. They told pharma that it qualifies as a foreign tax credit (when it likely doesn't). This cost U.S. taxpayers a couple of billion dollars a year and has been referred to as the "back door bailout" of PR. The credit will still theoretically remain but because of U.S. tax rates coming down so much, it seems unlikely that the pharma companies will be able to claim the credit so they might move manufacuring back to the U.S. I don't think they will but they might.

Certainly everyone wants to help Puerto Rico but not by making it a tax haven or allowing it to claim credits that aren't allowed under the law.

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