Please, elucidate on your point? It’s not clear to me what point you’re trying to make.

“Take for granted” is the expression, granted being something that does not need to be proved, to the extent it is a point given freely in a discussion or debate.

Welp, whatever you do, don’t Google it.

"McVeigh believed the US had no business extending its influence around the world or becoming entangled in foreign wars when white working-class Americans from industrial cities such as Buffalo, his home town, were suffering – an early expression of Trump’s America First ideology, which won him tens of millions of blue-collar votes last November.

McVeigh’s favourite book, a white supremacist power fantasy called The Turner Diaries, blamed a cabal of Jews, black people and internationalists for perverting America’s true destiny – a sentiment now finding coded expression in Trump’s twin wars on immigration and on diversity, equity and inclusion."

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/19/timothy-mcveigh-oklahoma-bombing-far-right-1995

It specifically wasn’t labeled as terrorism at the time as it was a military Vet, pro-gun, anti-government, racist, white dude from the Midwest. And we can’t call them terrorists because we have too many of them right? It would be an admission of the disgusting, rot at the core of many of our country men’s hearts. That is the very long explanation of why the comic above it captures so well the racists determination of whether an event is “terrorist” or not in our media. They struggled to label January 6th what it was.

Oklahoma City bombing was the most transparent, blantant systemic statement of this early in the current “what is terrorism” cycle 3 decades ago. White dude on a farm amass explosives, premeditate and take out a building. Terrorism not or hardly ever mentioned.

Meanwhile we’re to the point Trump’s new DOJ is saying people who shoot paintballs at Tesla dealerships should be tried as terrorists.

Beware anyone using the word as it’s now, more than ever, completely politicized.

At the rate we’re going in the US, anti science and antisocial, clubbing one’s next meal or foes and eating the meat raw for lack of other tools is not far off current trajectory.

An American, I wasn’t brought up to understand the divide between Alberta and some of the more visible parts of Canadian culture, economy or politics. I’ve been puzzling learning more about Alberta, their ascendent conservatism extremism over the last 5 years and trying to understand the sudden change. This brief article made me realize the “Texas” psychosis goes back decades and has laid the groundwork and produced the same sort of wealthy, entitled, selfish brood in Alberta that the US failed to stop spreading.

Going to check out the book mentioned for a more full read but excellent excerpts and TLDR for the “WTF is up with Alberta?”.

Hope you Canadians go hard on them and stamp it out, they will ruin your country too if you don’t.

Not “a Catholic funeral”, the fucking Pope’s funeral. I’m not religious at all but only a right psychopath would not try to attend a funeral with some respect for those who are attending.

And who doesn’t feel at ease predicting stable employment for several decades for themselves? After all in a world of “at will” employment and executives that need to hit their numbers for that quarterly stock grant, barely any unions, deliberately anemic unemployment insurance benefits, who wouldn’t jump at the chance?

Moving into an eligible class of employees, e.g. working for the company and being full-time 30 hrs+/week (or whatever their benefit criteria are) is an event that allows for enrollment with insurers outside of the once per year Open Enrollment which is for existing, ongoing, already eligible an/or enrolled employees for the next plan year.

A waiting period for the start of the benefits, as others have mentioned, once being eligible, may apply to all new employees, e.g. first of next month/30/60 days. As someone who was associated with the company through a 3rd party already there may be separate or less criteria allowing you to enroll sooner than a normal new hire, or you may have the same waiting period. It all depends on the plan design which varies by company but has to meet federal minimum standards thanks to the affordable care act/Obamacare.

“There was nothing wrong with that name–until that no-talent, ass-clown started using it.”

Having a bunch of blue states be the ones to do this strikes me as a strategic miss. If it’s not bad enough hert to get the red states aboard, federally not much will change it anything. If they had waited until the pain in red states had the Republicans ready to take steps it wouldn’t allow it to be painted as partisan. Until Republicans for their party, their reps to demand change, blue states won’t be able to hold insanity in check against them as we’ve seen.

On the back of a wagon? More like back of a 🐉 we are dragonborn not some Falkreath yokel. Into 6 we go riding in style!

We are already there.

Not to disagree with your point about failing businesses but the context is so different here; the US government is functioning beautifully. Best functioning ever. Nationally, internationally, top marks. Economy, society, technology top marks. Personnel? Amazing, qualified, competent, trustworthy, discerning, strategic, long-term serious brains on these folks. Need I mention the utter rock-solid stability we’ve witnessed? It’s…hard to describe.

These fuckers will do anything to invent a flying machine except the proven model that works because they knoooow it gotta be possible with large square blocks of quarried marble tied to huskies. Just need more dogs. Or maybe more marble. mush! Ok add some more marble see if that works.

“People have a right to be heard by their politicians.”

This was a right that the people in the US fought for. Over the last 100 years or so, the mechanisms of government post FDR, have so thoroughly been absorbed by money and lobbying and lobbying money adding in new laws to pry the door of wealthy influence ever more open and close the door of democratic representation ever a smaller crack ajar.

What this means, practically, is that there are now several generations, indeed, entire careers for many of the disgusting nearly life-appointment “representatives”(see lobbying and money influence above) who do not even know that the people they represent don’t fly to DC in jets and visit them in suits to request legislation. After all, that is who has money, or who represents those with money, who drive campaigns, careers and power and influence. Constituents, largely no longer do.

Town halls? Dialogue? Not necessary when the playbook was written 50 or 90 years ago.

This does need to change and I’d guess much more likely than reversion to democracy, a full Pride Rock 🪨🦁 style recapture is what it will take to shake up the horror show.

Heretic!

Those dudes have radar like NASA used to and all he wants to do is talk and get attention. I imagine it was like figuring out who the quarterback was dating at a high school house party for them.

Expiring contract? You got traded to El Salvador for a 3rd round pick in 2048 and cash considerations.

Time to get a new agent for a real contract. Unions won them to begin with, which is why they’re a main target of every authoritarian regime.

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