I have a poodle that I struggle with keeping matts out. Can someone guide me on proper grooming? Supplies, bathing, how to brush, how often to groom? Or even share a great link on educating myself? I’ve been told by a groomer his curls are very tight. Currently he is very short and I’m thinking about keeping him close to this length b/c I really struggle with his hair and it’s not fair to him.

Just a short review from a random nobody on the internet. I won't go into every individual song, but overall, I think it's a great album. Very creative, and Matt's vocals in my opinion are a MASSIVE step up from the stage. He had range on the stage, but his voice sounded shot. Here, it isn't as strong as back in the day, but I'm shocked to say that it isn't too far off! My main criticism is the length. Most of these songs I wish were longer. LIBAD was perfect length imo, but songs like (D)eath, Game Over, and others, were too short. But overall, it's a fantastic album, and there are a few songs even older fans may like.
The one song though that I will elaborate on: Cosmic. Holy fucking shit. It has been so long since a song has given me goosebumps, and even longer since one has made me cry. Jesus christ what a beautiful song. At first, it just seemed like another A7X song, but then out of nowhere, the hairs on my arms are standing up, and I'm just listening in amazement. The drum work, the vocals, the instruments, it's all so fucking perfect. On my second listen, I cried. On my third listen, I cried again. Not everyone has the same opinion of course, but I think this is their most beautiful song ever written. It's just so good.

Preface
The old man has finally left… As a Bucs fan I have to just start by thanking Tom Brady by giving me some of the best years of Buc’s football I have seen in my 22 years of life. From eliminating the Saints and retiring Brees to winning the SB the Bucs teams from the Brady era will always be special to me. But saying that this move had to happen as with Brady the Bucs would not be able to rebuild the roster to the degree that is needed.
While a roster top loaded with talent the Bucs are in a huge deficit of depth through the roster even before Brady left. During this season we saw the effect of this lack of depth with the amount of injuries we had throughout the interior of the O-line and through the entire defense. Injuries to Ryan Jensen and Aaron Stinnie forced inexperienced players upfront which led to the biggest problem of the season which was pressure from the interior of the line. While backup Center Robert Hainsey held up and gave the Bucs fans hope for a post Ryan Jensen O-Line first year player Luke Goedeke was a detriment in his first year at guard to the point the Bucs will be switching him to RT for next season. For the defense we saw injuries throughout it from our depleted CB room to our barren safety room to our ravaged EDGE room to our destroyed IDL room… you get the point. Injuries were the main thing that destroyed the Bucs last season and during this offseason the Bucs lost even more depth.
The main positive about the Bucs lost season was GM Jason Licht firing OC Byron Leftwich from his role. While seemingly a good guy Leftwich might have been the worst OC in football last season. Continually calling plays which seemed to be against the players and the team's best interest. At times watching Leftwich call games was similar to spamming the A button in Madden and letting the game decide what play you were calling for you. It was infuriating his constant tirades he would go on about during the season when asked why he never called play action when we were one of the best play action teams in the league. Along with his thought process that the run game has to be dominant to set up the play action game which continually caused 3 and outs as he would call to run plays up the gut and an over schemed passing play on 3rd down. Replacing Leftwich was paramount, and I truly do believe Jason Licht found a good one in Dave Canales coming from Seattle. Canales was the WR coach for the Seahawks from 2010-2017 before becoming QB coach and passing game coordinator from 2018-2023. Canales is a Carroll disciple being part of Carrolls tenure at USC. Canales should bring life to the Tampa Bay passing game and with his already raving reviews of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin it should at least be a fun year for the Bucs.
New Coaching Hires:
Dave Canales (Offensive Coordinator)
Brad Idzik (Wide Receiver Coach)
Skip Peete (Running Back Coach)
Thad Lewis(QB Coach)
George Edwards(OLB Coach)
Notable Arrivals
QB Baker Mayfield
G Matt Feiler
IDL Greg Gaines
S Ryan Neal
RB Chase Edmonds
Summary: The Bucs additions this off season are nothing to write home about. Mayfield joins Tampa looking to win his final opportunity to show he is a starting QB in the NFL he will be in a stiff competition with Kyle Trask who Dave Canales is hyping up. At the end of the day I believe Trask will win the QB competition and be thrown into a sink or swim situation like Sam Howell and Desmond Ridder. While Gaines and Neal are phenomenal value signing with both being immediate contributors on the Bucs defense with Gaines being projected to rotate with Vita Vea along with playing next to the behemoth and Neal seemingly replacing Mike Edwards role at SS opposite of AWJ these players aren’t gamebreakers. Feiler and Edmonds should be nice depth pieces with Fieler competing to be the starting LG. Overall the Buc’s didn’t make any splash signings in free agency but with the limited cap room they had the moves they made were more than fine.
Notable Departures
LT Donovan Smith
S Mike Edwards
RB Leonard Fournette
G Shaq Mason
TE Cameron Brate
CB Sean Murphy-Bunting
K Ryan Succop
Summary: With this offseason the Buc’s ended up losing a ton of starters on both sides of the ball. On offense the Bucs lost their starting LT, RB, RG, TE and K. While Donovan Smith was a liability in pass protection his departure does mean the Bucs will now be shifting All-Pro RT Tristan Wirfs to LT which causes hesitation in people. I believe this move will be fine in both the long and short term for Tampa but it is still something to note. On defense the Bucs lost both starting SS Mike Edwards and NCB SMB. These moves leave the Bucs secondary especially thin at the CB position with Zyon McCollum slotted to start at NCB now.
Bucs Draft Selections
1.19: Calijah Kancey IDL Pittsburgh 6’1 281lbs
RAS Score: 9.60 Draft Grade: A
While some people believed that taking a OT here was a must with the top 4 OT’s all gone before the Jets pick the Bucs were put into one of the most interesting situations in the draft, seemingly picking between defensive players at this point GM Jason Licht stated that at the top of board they had to players one being “The Linebacker who went to the Lions(Jack Campbell) and Calijah Kancey'' with Kancey being BPA after the OT’s were taken. In a draft class with very few true top end talents I see this as a major win for the Bucs taking a top 10 player on the board and a premier pass rusher from day 1.
Kancey from day 1 should be a menace on the interior of the Bucs D-line paired with the best NT in football Vita Vea. Kancey doesn’t just win with his elite first step; he is an extremely refined player in every aspect of rushing the passer. From hand usage, leverage, pass rushing moves and intensity Kancey makes up for his miniscule size and arm length with his athleticism which is otherworldly. The comparison to Aaron Donald is over blown, Kancey doesn’t play with the functional strength that Donald had or the run defense ability that Donald has. Personally, I can see Kancey becoming a in between of Aaron Donald and Prime Sheldon Richardson a pass rushing specialist who will collapse the interior and will develop into a 3-down player as his career and body develop in the NFL.
2.48: Cody Mauch G North Dakota State 6’5 302lbs
RAS Score: 9.32 Draft Grade: B
Mauch is very much a Jason Licht pick. Small school guard with a mean streak and tons of athleticism. Mauch is not just a meme because of his missing front teeth he is a legitimate RG prospect similar to Alex Cappa and Ali Marpet for the Bucs. With how the O-Line is shaping up and Licht seemingly happy to move Goedeke from LG to RT, Mauch makes complete sense to shore up the RG position giving the Bucs a much younger and deeper interior then they had last year where every single projected starter interior lineman was hurt at some point.
With Mauch on tape I can see exactly what Licht loves in his linemen with a player who has aggressive hands and a base when pass blocking. Mauch has shown that he is a coachable player making the switch from TE to O-Line. You can sense the traits and upside that Mauch has over some other guard prospects in this class. I do believe that the Bucs switching to a zone blocking scheme which Seattle runs will aid the young O-Line and play to Mauch’s strength which is his athleticism. Playing beside Ryan Jensen makes this pick a B-B+ for me, a big addition especially if Goedeke is the answer at RT.
3.82: YaYa Diaby EDGE Louisville 6’3 263lbs
RAS Score: 9.87 Draft Grade: A
Diaby is a tale of untapped potential. Playing completely out of position at Louisville Diaby was forced to play with his hand in the dirt. Diaby is one of the most athletic players the NFL has ever seen from the EDGE position with his initial quickness and long arms Diaby should be able to develop into at minimum a role player for Tampa. Playing behind Shaq Barrett and Joe Tryon should help Diaby develop into the premier EDGE player he can be. He shows flashes on tape of just using his superior size and athleticism to overpower linemen and his speed to get past them.
For the Bucs I think Diaby will play a rotational role at the moment similar to Anthony Nelson’s role as a smart rotational EDGE that Bowles will use on unique blitz packages which push JTS or Shaq into a 4-3 stance. I have massive hope for Diaby in this defense as a future foundational piece for the Bucs who will more likely than not have to move on from Shaq Barrett next off season.
5.153: SirVocea Dennis LB Pittsburgh 6’1 226lbs
RAS Score: 7.28 Draft Grade: A+
My favorite pick in the Bucs draft I have Dennis as a top 5 LB in the class. Dennis is a do it all LB who is able to not only tackle well but is able to blitz the passer from the ILB position better than anybody in this class. His biggest deficiency to his game is his lack of experience in coverage but he wasn’t a player who was dominated there either. On film you could see him being put into situations in coverage which he couldn’t make the play. In Tampa Dennis will be mentored by one of the best coverage LB’s in the NFL for over a decade in Lavonte David. And with Bowles coaching the defense Dennis will be able to use his ability to rush the passer from the ILB position to its full effect.
With Dennis I can see this being one of the best picks in the entire draft. Dennis’s fit in Tampa is like a glove and with the situation with Devin White where we aren’t sure if he will be a Buc next season I can see Dennis being put into a starting position next to Lavonte David and like former Bucs Kwon Alexander taking it and never looking back.
5.171: Payne Durham TE Purdue 6’6 253lbs
RAS Score: 6.58 Draft Grade: B-
Durham is a big TE who is good at everything but a master at nothing. Very similar to what the Bucs had in longtime player Cameron Brate. Durham at Purdue was a team leader for the offense he set the tone playing an aggressive brand of football dragging defenders wherever he went with the ball. Durham runs decent routes and has decent hands but was never a player who took the top off a defense. With Durham you are giving Mayfield or Trask a reliable receiver in the passing game and a decent blocker to boot. For his size Durham was able to produce decent YAC at Purdue rumbling his way down the field in a similar way that Jason Witten was able to do for the Cowboys during his tenure.
For the Bucs Durham joins one of the youngest TE rooms in the NFL with last year's pick Cade Otton and Ko Kieft being the only players that seem to have roster spots in that room at the moment. Durham should compete with Kieft to be TE2 for this season, but he should be able to still carve a decent role for himself in Tampa with how new OC Canales uses TE’s. Where each TE has a specific role and was able to contribute with Geno Smith at QB.
6.181: Josh Hayes NCB Kansas State 5’11 189lbs
RAS Score: 4.82 Draft Grade: C
The biggest surprise in the Bucs draft was grabbing Josh Hayes, a prospect most people didn’t even have a priority free agent grade on in the top of the 6th. Hayes for all intents and purposes is a prototypical Bowles NCB. Hayes has the speed to play in the NFL and on tape you can see he has adequate tackling skills from the NCB position which he played in college along with the S position. With Hayes you have to believe that the coaching can turn this player into a solid starter because if not the CB room and S room take a massive hit forcing Winfield Jr into NCB full time.
Hayes' best film in my opinion was for North Dakota State where he was a former teammate of Bucs 2nd round pick Cody Mauch. At NDSU you can see the making of a very good CB prospect with how he is able to play in both Man and Zone coverage. At Kansas State he was never forced to be CB1 or even CB2 at times but he did hold his side of the field down and was able to put up some decent performances as a Wildcat. To me this C grade is more of a “I trust Bowles to develop CB’s/S’s” grade.
6.192: Trey Palmer WR Nebraska 6’0 192lbs
RAS Score: 6.18 Draft Grade: A+
A great value pick for the Bucs with their depleted WR core. Palmer has serious upside as a deep threat and even as a return man for the Bucs. Past Evans, Godwin and Gage every spot in the receiver room is wide open and Palmer seems to have the talent to set himself apart as WR4 by the end of the year. Palmer does have reasons for falling this far in the draft though as he has serious drop issues and apparent character issues which have set him back before. I don’t see this as a big problem in Tampa with Evans and Godwin being locker room leaders and his past season at Nebraska.
With Palmer you can see the obvious talent that is there but you can see the reasons he was drafted in the 6th round even when he has Day 2 talent in this class. And with this talent I can see him developing into a player similar to MVS for the Packers and now the Chiefs. A good deep threat that can blow the top off of a defense and isn’t scared of making plays on contested passes even if they aren’t the biggest receiver on the team by any means.
6.196: Jose Ramirez EDGE Eastern Michigan 6’2 242lbs
RAS Score: 8.10 Draft Grade: B
When you watch Ramirez on tape it’s hard to not like what you see. At first when looking at this pick, I thought about how our EDGE room was already a bit full with Diaby but in hindsight I like the Ramirez pick more and more from a talent standpoint. Ramirez is never going to be the most athletic guy on the team but he makes up for it with his effort, timing and technique. Extremely similar to how Shaq Barrett plays for the Bowles defense Ramirez has a talent for being the first guy to get into the QB’s area with his blend of pass rushing moves and leverage. Ramirez was dominant at Eastern Michigan being one of the best players to ever play for EMU.
For a dart throw pick Ramirez should bring the effort needed to truly succeed in some capacity in the NFL and being mentored by the player your game is most similar to in Shaq Barrett is a plus as well. Ramirez should find a role as a utility pass rusher but I don’t see him playing much at all this season and having to compete against Cam Gill for EDGE 5 on the roster.
Key UDFA’s
Sean Tucker RB Syracuse 5’10 205lbs
RAS Score: N/A
Jeremy Banks LB Tennessee 6’1 232lbs
RAS Score: 8.90
Luke Haggard OT Indiana 6’6 297lbs
RAS Score: N/A
Rakim Jarrett WR Maryland 6’0 190lbs
RAS Score: 7.89
Chris Inzen S Rutgers 5’10 200lbs
RAS Score: N/A
Projected Final Roster
Offense(26)
QB(2)
Baker Mayfield
Kyle Trask
RB(4)
Rachaad White
Ke'shawn Vaugn
Chase Edmonds
Sean Tucker
WR(7)
Mike Evans
Chris Godwin
Russell Gage
Trey Palmer
Deven Thompkins
Rakiim Jarrett
TE(3)
Cade Otton
Ko Kieft
Payne Durham OT(4)
Tristan Wirfs
Luke Goedeke
Brandon Walton
Luke Haggard
OG(4)
Cody Mauch
Matt Feiler
Aaron Stinnie
John Molchon
C(2)
Ryan Jensen
Robert Hainsey
Defense(24)
IDL(5)
Vita Vea
Calijah Kancey
Greg Gaines
Logan Hall
Pat O’Connor
EDGE(5)
Shaq Barrett
Joe Tryon
Anthony Nelson
Yaya Diaby
Jose Ramirez LB(4)
Lavonte David
Devin White
SirVocea Dennis
KJ Britt
CB(6)
Carilton Davis
Jamel Dean
Zyon McCollum
Josh Hayes
Dee Delany
Don Gardner
S(4)
Antoine Winfield Jr
Ryan Neal
Nolan Turner
Chris Inzen
Special Teams(3)
K(1)
Chase McLaughlin
P(1)
Jake Camarda
LS(1)
Zach Triner
Final Thoughts
For what seems to be a retooling/rebuilding year I actually liked what Jason Licht and the Bucs did. For me this draft was easily the best draft they have had since drafting Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield Jr in 2020. With this draft you get an elite pass rushing DT that pairs perfectly next to Vita Vea. Cody Mauch who should be a starter at RG for years to come and fits this team's identity. YaYa Diaby who was a great value pick with Pro Bowl upside at EDGE. SirVocea Dennis who I think can easily become one of the best LB’s in this class and maybe even the league. Then the rest of the draft contained high floor prospects who can contribute to a rotational role in some way or form. Overall, the draft for the Bucs was a massive win in my books.
For this offseason I would also say it was a win if not adequate at worst. As an organization we know we needed to retool the roster and slowly claw ourselves out of cap hell in some way shape or form and using this season to get out of it is a good way to do it. There are 2 ways this season will go for us with us either being a team similar to the Seahawks that is able to dominate a weak NFC South, or we are one of the worst teams in the league and are in contention for Drake Maye and Caleb Williams. Either way I am looking forward to watching this season play out for the Bucs. David Canales should bring life back to our offense and Mike Evans should continue his campaign towards the most consecutive 1000-yard seasons.
Overall, I am happy with this off season and especially the draft that came with it. Let me know what you guys think! This is my first time defending the draft and I hope this isn’t terrible and if it’s not I would love to do this again next year! Go Bucs Go!

I’m helping with a deep clean for a family member. It got bad several years back, so she has weekly help, monthly help, and a yearly extreme clean with me. I’ve been carefully searching for signs of other critters like roaches, mice, spiders, silverfish, (y’all know what I’m looking for) & there have been plenty in the past. The pest that’s been worst, is the kitchen/pantry moth.
I discovered these in 2021 & they returned for 2022. They are back this year and I have done the following-each year…and now—AGAIN. Please help me with what I’m missing.
All food-even jars, cans-ALL of it-was thrown out. Sealed containers were brought in for everything. There has also been a program of minimal purchases, in/out, etc All soft supplies like plastic bags, trash bags, sponges, scrubbers, paper towels, and napkins were given to a pet shelter with explanations & knowing they store & use in outside areas. All these are now kept in the garage which shows no signs (yet). Every dish, every pot, pan, glass, utensil, & gadget was thoroughly cleaned. If it was movable, it was scrubbed & sanitized. All kitchen linen including napkins, placemats, towels, washcloths, aprons, potholders-all washed & sanitized. The trash cans and dust pans were cleaned & sanitized. All sponges & brushes, broom & mop heads (we kept the hardware which was cleaned & sanitized), were discarded. We bought new cheapos for the cleaning, then threw them out & got new for the use to the next year’s deep clean. Walls (paint-no wallpaper) were wiped down. No artwork or curtains to worry about. All appliances small and large cleaned: For large appliances, we pulled them out, got them top to bottom, the cracks & crevices, the seals; vacuumed inside and out (have y’all ever seen what comes out when you vacuum the INSIDE of the big appliances?). We tipped them & did the bottom & feet. We cleaned the dishwasher, washer & dryer, trash compactor. Everything possible! We also had the pest control guy inspect & treat them as much as possible. For small appliances, we vacuumed them as much as possible, cleaned top to bottom-even the electrical cord-inside & out. We cleaned the vacuum cleaner-got new filters, and detached & cleaned the hose, attachments, dust container, brush, rollers/feet. We even got the kitchen clock and radio. Cabinets & drawers were cleaned & sanitized. Every shelf (both sides) and back wall and even the tops inside (think up under the sink); outsides were cleaned top to toe kick. We had the cabinets treated by exterminator while empty.
Of course, we did this cleaning multiple times in some cases: eg-clean the dishwasher then do the contaminated dishes then clean dishwasher again. (Actually, we hand washed most everything because she has fine china & such that’s not dishwasher safe —but you get the idea of the lengths to which we went to get these critters out. )
Monthly pest control is done with moth trap/indicators, AND there’s a yearly duct cleaning, too. I placed lavender and cedar sachets in/on each cabinet cupboard & shelf. Mothballs aren’t an option for the homeowner. (Yes, I get the irony of the exterminator being okay, but everyone has their thing.) This gives you the idea of the type of cleaning that is done yearly to the rest of the house, too. Weekly cleaning and monthly cleaning chores keep it manageable.
I’ve been trying to check throughout the year and apparently didn’t catch them. Again! This year’s super scrub turned them up in two different areas of the kitchen. It’s the THIRD time we’ve done all this. I’m pulling my hair out and dying from pesticides. Help!

Hey, I'm Lucy.
I ended a month-long vacation about six months ago, starting in Alberta, Canada and ending in Mexico City, Mexico. It's been an amazing experience, but it sure is better when you have someone to enjoy it with! So that's why I'm here, and I hope to find that special someone for future adventures.
About me: I am a 34 year old mixed race female who came to Tucson. I am 5'5" tall, oversized, with short hair and piercings. I am well-educated, well-traveled and well read. I am passionate about friendly and enthusiastic debate, enjoy short and long road trips, shows, movies and Kush plants. Forever a fan of accents, dad jokes and generally funny guys.
While I am open to chatting with men (30-39 years old) from all over the world, I am particularly interested in interacting with people who speak English or French as a first or second language. It would be great to get to know each other and improve my language skills at the same time. I would love to learn more about Spanish and French.)

First time posting here and posting for a friend!
TLDR; My friend and I work at the same company and she was just fired for requesting to work from home and providing a letter from her therapist.
To make the background as short as possible, we both started at this company about a year ago. Her and I are two of the only female employees that work in the office on a regular basis. For about the first 6 months of her employment, she had been working off site at different job sites for clients. During this time she had been sexually harassed at a job site (this was reported to our HR), had multiple panic attacks at work (she has a severe anxiety disorder which she has been open to our manager about), and being the only queer female in the office dealt with hearing our coworkers say homophobic slurs (not directed at her but said in her presence) among other general sexist comments that occur in those types of environments.
After about 6 months, she was offered a promotion that allowed her to no longer do field work and work full time in the office. After about 1 month of working in the office Mon-Fri dealing with the same office conditions, she began having pretty severe general anxiety in life causing her autoimmune system to flare up and she became physically ill. This was in Dec 2022. When she became physically ill, she asked our manager to work remotely until she was better. He allowed this and was very sympathetic to her situation. After a few months of working from home, she requested to work from home permanently since she felt this really helped her regulate her stress/anxiety. Our manager said that they should be able to accommodate this and that all she needed to do was provide a doctors note. She got a note from her therapist stating her different mental disorders and the note suggested that remote work would be the best accommodation for her health.
She turned this note in and a month goes by without anyone speaking to her. She requested multiple meetings with HR and our manager to no avail. Then after about a month, her therapist tells her that she received a letter from our company lawyer basically asking the therapist to elaborate on why she can't complete the job responsibilities that she agreed to. After reviewing the job description given to her vs what the lawyer stated in their email, most of the job responsibilities the lawyer listed were NOT in her official job description. After she learned about the lawyer email, she had a meeting with our HR and manager finally and they basically said when she signed onto the job that they didn't know they would need as much help in the office as they did and that the responsibilities have changed. In this meeting they didn't officially state that they were denying her accommodation, but that she needed to start coming into the office again immediately at least three days a week. Since she's been going back in, there hasn't been a single day that has required her to do anything that NEEDS to happen in the actual office. Last week they had another meeting with HR and manager that they were officially denying her accommodation and they were laying her off and would pay her two weeks severance for the inconvenience.
She's spoken to a pro bono lawyer but they guy was a total dick and clearly did not believe that having generalized anxiety was a real thing so he was no help. (She takes multiple medications for this and has had GA for many years so this isn't a new illness)
Ever since she spoke to the lawyer she's been devastated and feels like maybe she was in the wrong but I don't think she is. Even I feel like going to the office is generally terrible and not a good environment and I haven't dealt with half the issues she has. She's like my sister so please be gentile but does she have a case here? How hard is it to make a case for a 'disability discrimination' since this is a mental illness and not physical all the time? This isn't all of the facts as there were a lot more things that happened but just trying to see if she should continue with legal action here for wrongful termination? It's really devastating to see my friend suffering so much so any advice is appreciated! <3

First time posting here and posting for a friend!
TLDR; My friend and I work at the same company and she was just fire for requesting to work from home and providing a letter from her therapist.
To make the background as short as possible, we both started at this company about a year ago. Her and I are two of the only female employees that work in the office on a regular basis. For about the first 6 months of her employment, she had been working off site at different job sites for clients. During this time she had been sexually harassed at a job site (this was reported to our HR), had multiple panic attacks at work (she has a severe anxiety disorder which she has been open to our manager about), and being the only queer female in the office dealt with hearing our coworkers say homophobic slurs (not directed at her but said in her presence) among other general sexist comments that occur in those types of environments.
After about 6 months, she was offered a promotion that allowed her to no longer do field work and work full time in the office. After about 1 month of working in the office Mon-Fri dealing with the same office conditions, she began having pretty severe general anxiety in life causing her autoimmune system to flare up and she became physically ill. This was in Dec 2022. When she became physically ill, she asked our manager to work remotely until she was better. He allowed this and was very sympathetic to her situation. After a few months of working from home, she requested to work from home permanently since she felt this really helped her regulate her stress/anxiety. Our manager said that they should be able to accommodate this and that all she needed to do was provide a doctors note. She got a note from her therapist stating her different mental disorders and the note suggested that remote work would be the best accommodation for her health.
She turned this note in and a month goes by without anyone speaking to her. She requested multiple meetings with HR and our manager to no avail. Then after about a month, her therapist tells her that she received a letter from our company lawyer basically asking the therapist to elaborate on why she can't complete the job responsibilities that she agreed to. After reviewing the job description given to her vs what the lawyer stated in their email, most of the job responsibilities the lawyer listed were NOT in her official job description. After she learned about the lawyer email, she had a meeting with our HR and manager finally and they basically said when she signed onto the job that they didn't know they would need as much help in the office as they did and that the responsibilities have changed. In this meeting they didn't officially state that they were denying her accommodation, but that she needed to start coming into the office again immediately at least three days a week. Since she's been going back in, there hasn't been a single day that has required her to do anything that NEEDS to happen in the actual office. Last week they had another meeting with HR and manager that they were officially denying her accommodation and they were laying her off and would pay her two weeks severance for the inconvenience.
She's spoken to a pro bono lawyer but they guy was a total dick and clearly did not believe that having generalized anxiety was a real thing so he was no help. (She takes multiple medications for this and has had GA for many years so this isn't a new illness)
Ever since she spoke to the lawyer she's been devastated and feels like maybe she was in the wrong but I don't think she is. Even I feel like going to the office is generally terrible and not a good environment and I haven't dealt with half the issues she has. She's like my sister so please be gentile but does she have a case here? This isn't all of the facts as there were a lot more things that happened but just trying to see if she should continue with legal action here for wrongful termination? Even any suggestions for an empathetic lawyer that she can speak to would be helpful as the lawyer she got was clearly not really wanting to help her. It's really devastating to see my friend suffering so much so any advice is appreciated! <3

I just watched Steven Kenneth "Destiny" Bonnell Goransson the Second's response to DPak. In that video, Destiny claims that DPak's views are "not mainstream" and that he's "barely center left, but more far left".
I disagree. Though it's obviously debatable where "center left" ends and "far left" begins, the policies that Destiny called out as "far left" are supported by a majority of Americans. I think that fits the definition of "mainstream".
In a different reddit comment, Destiny also describes four of Elizabeth Warren's policies as making her '"far left" on basically every single country on Earth.' So I'll include her positions here too, though it isn't the main focus of this post.
Also, to quote another comment Destiny made, I'm going to ignore other countries and focus on their popularity with Americans because "why the fuck would international politics be relevant when defining American political media consumed in America??"

$15/hour minimum wage (aka "2x the minimum wage")

DPak's position

DPak has multiple videos supporting $15/hour minimum wage and then pegging it to inflation. Here's a recent example.

Warren's position

Warren's Raise the Wage Act of 2021 planned to increase the minimum wage to $15/hour over a period of 5 years.

Polls

According to a 2023 University of Maryland Poll 65% of Americans support raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 over a 5 year period. This includes 90% of Democrats, 64% of Independents, and 41% of Republicans.
Contemporary polls during Warren's presidential candidacy show about the same: between 60% and 65% of Americans support a $15/hour minimum wage.

Elections

Election results from some very "not far-left" states:

• Nebraska (Trump +19.1 in 2020) voted in 2022 to increase its minimum wage to $15/hour and peg it to the CPI by 2026. It passed with 59% of the vote.
  
• Florida (Trump +3.4) voted in 2020 to increase its minimum wage to $15/hour by 2026. It passed with 61% of the vote.
  
• Missouri (Trump +15.4) voted in 2018 to raise minimum wage to $12/hour and peg it to the CPI starting in 2023. Depending on how the CPI does, it will probably hit $15/hour between 2028 and 2030.
  

tldr

All this to say, it's clearly not a "far left" position.

Universal healthcare

DPak's position

DPak supports Warren and Bernie's push for universal healthcare, but he is agnostic about how to implement it. Two systems he specifically mentions are Singapore's and Germany's. I'm not completely familiar with these systems, but a quick Google indicates they have a mix of private and public health insurance. So while he seems amenable to their "single payer only" systems, he doesn't seem tied to them and is more focused on getting people covered.

Warren's position

Warren's Medicare for All plan would have phased in a single-payer system over 3 years, at which point "duplicate coverage" would be illegal. AKA most private insurance would be banned.

Polls

About 57% of the country, including 59% of Independents, supports some kind of universal healthcare, according to a Gallup poll in December 2022. So at least that position (and the one DPak holds) is not "far left". I think it'd be more accurate to say it's center-left.
It's not clear to me that their question about preference for a "government run health care system", which they say has 43% support in that same 2022 poll. So I checked an older Pew poll from 2020, which does appear to break it out. In this poll, 36% of respondants chose "single national government program" over "mix of government of private programs".

tldr

DPak's position of supporting universal health care is supported by over half the country, including 3/5 of independents. I don't think you can say that is "far left" or "not mainstream" with any seriousness.
As for Warren, she's certainly farther left than the majority of the country or DPak's position. I guess it'd depend on where you draw your boundaries as to whether this is "far left" or not. However, if having single-payer only healthcare, a position on the left, has 36% support and is "far left" then not raising the minimum wage to $15/hour, which has 35% support and is a position on the right, would seem to be "far right".

Free education for the entire country

DPak's position

DPak seems to support tuition-free public colleges and universities. Here is a video where he discussed the topic with Andrew Yang. Here is another video where he discusses his support for states trialing free college programs that could then be rolled out nationally if they work.

Warren's position

Elizabeth Warren supported "giving every American the opportunity to attend a two-year or four-year public college or technical school without paying a dime in tuition or fees".

Polls

63% of Americans support tuition-free public college and universities according to an August 2021 Pew poll.

tldr

Again, this is a position supported by the majority of the country. It's not "far left".
Some of Warren's other related positions, like cancelling $50k of student loan debt, are less popular and you can make a stronger argument about that being far left.

Wealth tax

DPak's position

DPak seems skeptical about a wealth tax working, even if he supports it in principle.

Warren's position

Warren proposed a wealth tax. It would have been 2% on wealth between $50 million and $1 billion and then 6% on wealth over $1 billion.

Polls

64% of respondents to a Reuters/Ipsos poll strongly or somewhat agreed that "the very rich should contribute an extra share of their total wealth each year to support public programs". This included 77% of Democrats, 63% of Independents, and 53% of Republicans.
63% of respondents to a 2019 New York Times/SurveyMonkey poll supported Warren's wealth tax plan. This included 77% of Democrats, 55% of Independents, and 57% of Republicans.

tldr

The NY Times poll is pre-COVID (I wasn't able to find a more recent poll) so maybe things have changed as it became more tied to Bernie and Warren, but at least at that point it didn't seem to be a "far left" idea.

Overall TLDR

Of the policies that Destiny called out as "far left", they are all supported by more than half the country. So it seems that, at least for DPak and those policies he called out, that label is inaccurate and DPak is within the "mainstream".
My intuition is that Warren could be called far left, particularly among elected officials. However, that's not due to these policies, with the exception of the part of her universal health care plan where she wants to abolish duplicate private coverage. It's more due to other things like wanting to cancel $50,000 of student loan debt or her positions on social issues.

I resided in Germany from May 2022 to May 2023, I did my Anmeldung right at my arrival in the country and shortly after received the Radio Tax letter.
Due to living in a WG at the same room as my girlfriend who was already a German resident prior to my arrival I went and filled out the form using her Radio Tax number as one of occupant of a household that already pays for it.
Thought that was that but around the 10th month living there I received yet another letter from Radio Tax so again I filled out the form with all the relevant information and mailed them back... Again expecting to be done with it.
Now I have already moved out of Germany back to my home country, did my Abmeldung properly and everything however my girlfriend said yet another letter from radio tax arrived with an invoice for 152 euros of debt I have with them and I am like what?
I sent them the form with all the correct information twice, made sure to do so, mailed them all within the proper time frames.
So what the hell is going on? How do I contest this 152 euros charge? And as I said have in mind I am no longer residing Germany any more.

I graduated from a foreign Engineering school in 2004, and I've been working as an Electrical Engineer in the USA for the last 7 years. It took me a while to make the decision of taking the FE in Electrical & Computer, first because I didn't know about it, and second I thought I was too far from solving math equations again, but finally, in 2021 I made the decision and I started with getting my credentials evaluated by the NCEES, which took several months, between translating transcripts, shipping original transcripts from the University to the NCEES, and so on, by mid-2022 I was finally authorized to take the FE exam, and that when I realized I didn’t have the plan to study all over again.
I reached out to some friends looking for advice and I started my search on the Internet where I finally decided to enroll in Wasim's online training “Study For FE on-demand course & live training sessions”. This was a game changer, I have to be honest, the first couple of months were only frustration on my end, not being able to keep up with remembering all equations, concepts and decided to take a break for 3 weeks to clear up my mind, and then after this break, I decided to just follow all recommendations from Wasim’s YouTube videos, study at least 20 hours a week, 3 to 4 months of study and schedule the Exam ahead, this plan just works!.
Wasim’s course is well-structured, he records the weekend live training sessions which allowed me to watch these on my available time. There is a full-length simulated exam once you finish all content which I would say is a must and just good information on the classes to pass the Exam.
Besides all the mini-quizzes and homework from the course, I also did all practice problems from Wasim’s Study Guide, 3erd edition, and all practice problems from a Practice Exam book from the PPI, about this last one, I kind of regret doing it, because Wasim’s problems are much more similar to the actual problems in the Exam and didn’t feel like the other book was a great help.
Finally, I took the NCEES practice exam 2 weeks before the Exam.

Hey folks, this is Aiming4Gaming!
I'm a content creator, and from time to time, I create guides for various games.
Around two months ago, I made a Reddit post and a short YouTube guide featuring my Top 10 Tips & Tricks for 7 Days to Die. This time, I aim to create a full-length video with tips grouped by their complexity, catering to beginners, intermediate players, and advanced players.
I'm confident that there are many more valuable tips I can include in this guide. Therefore, I kindly request your assistance in providing me with your best tips for 7DTD.
Here's my plan:
Phase 1: Collect tips from both this Reddit post and my YouTube post comments.
Phase 2: Group the final list into three sections: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
Phase 3: Record a video showcasing these tips in action.
Phase 4: Release the video on my YouTube channel and complement it with a written guide on additional Reddit post, as I usually do for all my guides.
If you'd like to participate, please share your tips in the comments section here or in this YouTube post using the following format:

1. Your YouTube nickname (if you'd like to be mentioned in my video as your YouTube account). If not, I'll default to mentioning you based on your Reddit account. If, for some reason, you don't want to be mentioned, please let me know.
2. Share all the tips you wish to contribute to others in the following format: "TIP (level)". Please indicate the level of the tip as one of the three options: beginner, intermediate, or advanced.

Example:
Nickname: Aiming4Gaming
Tips:

1. Build a frame pillar to easily access roofs (Beginner)
2. Craft robotic turret ammo using iron and sell it for additional dukes (Intermediate)

​
Thank you in advance for your contribution. Together, let's create an informative and helpful guide for all 7DTD players!

We've been looking to improve our shade while camping but haven't found a solution we love. We have a truck but no topper, so no long length to connect an awning to. We typically do not have crossbars or a roof rack above the cab (although that might be the best option, just don't love mounting it for only an awning). We are nervous the shorter awning also won't provide a ton of shade depending on the sun angle. So the solutions we are looking at are:

• Rhino Rack dome awning - this would be mounted on our bed crossbars, and hope that the arc gives us enough space underneath
• Add rack to the top of the cab, and use a 5' shade, but might be a small area
• Shade solution totally separate from the truck - there are some options (soccer game style) but they take up a lot of space and are heavy

Anyone in a similar situation have a shade solution they enjoy? Anyone try that rhino rack one?

I’m 18+ and all characters and participants must be 18+
"Oide Yo! My name is Honoka~! And it is my great pleasure to welcome you all to Mizuryuu Kei Land U.S.A's Grand opening~!!" A very busty, pink haired woman appeared on the screen at the front of the transportation bus. The only thing she was red heart shaped pasties over her nipples and pussy, a red armband that read "cast", and matching elbow length gloves and thigh high stockings.
"As Mizuryuu Kei Land U.S.A's first ever guests, we have many great surprises in store for you all~! Unfortunately I can't talk about them, you all will just have to see them for yourself~. But what I can talk about is all of the amazing "worlds" that Mizuryuu Kei Land has!
Starting with the Beginner Area, this part of the park is the first thing you see once you leave the gear area. In Mizuryuu Kei Lands original location in Japan. This is the area where our shy guests spend their time. Mizuryuu Kei Land is all about sexual freedom, and sometimes that can be very scary. For guests that aren't as open with their sexuality as others. But that's OK! For most guest all it takes is one ride on the "Meet N Fuck FerrisWheel" to break them out of their shell. Apart from the Ferris wheel, the Beginner Area also has other attractions for both men and women. The Dildo Carousel, and Glory Mystery Wall are both very popular attractions.
The Urban Jungle is a place where our guest can live their exhibitionist fantasies. Built to look like New York City. Guests here can live out their wildest public sex fantasies. Sure fucking in public is what the park is all about. But there is something special about fucking in a city environment. And in the Urban Jungle there is a place for every fantasy. From bars and clubs, to all types of store recreations, and of course all types of dirty alleys and public restrooms. It is a guarantee that you will never have the same experience when you visit the Urban Jungle.
From Urban Jungle to actual Jungle. Where the Wild Whores Are, is the ultimate pet play experience. Men and women alike can live out their most depraved fantasies of living as fuck pets. The area is divided into several "habitats". A tropical jungle, a pet walking park, and "the zoo". So if you want to let out your wild side, or want to know what it feels like to own your own fuckpet come on down to to Where the Wild Whores Are.
There are many more areas inside of Mizuryuu Kei Land. So many that I am unable to inform you about all of them in such short amount of time. Unfortunately due to legal reasons I am also unable to discuss what goes on inside of areas like our Raceplay World, and Land of Beasts. You will just have to experience those places for yourself hehe~.
Now I'll leave you all by letting you know that as our lucky week long guests. You all have the ability to switch hotels at any point during your stay for free. There are many themed hotels inside of the parks areas. And we want you all to be able to experience as many of our facilities as you can~!
Other than please enjoy all the amazing attractions, restaurants, facilities, events, and both staff and guest contest. Your ride is now at its end. Welcome to Mizuryuu Kei Land U.S.A!
////////////////////
Hello dear pervs :3. And thank you for reading my Mizuryuu Kei Land roleplay idea. Based off of the original doujinshi, I want to create a story that severely expands on the world that wonderfully depraved doujinshi created.
So I did not emphasize a "main character" during the prompt. That is because there are many different characters that we can choose from for this rp.
There is Honoka, the current peppy mascot of Mizuryuu Kei Land U.S.A. Who gets to live in the park and do all sorts of fun events for the guest. Unfortunately she did not read her contract to well. And now she has to fight for the right to keep her job as the parks mascot. Or be replaced by another slut.
There is also Natalia, a college student who's friend was somehow able to score 3 tickets fo the theme parks grand opening week. As a closet pervert Natalia was basically dragged along by her friends. In an attempt to get her to loosen up. Oh if only they knew the bitch in heat they unleashed in the park.
Another option is Stephanie, a 30 year old single mother who was given a ticket by her best friend as a birthday present. She didn't really want to come, as she felt the idea of the park was disgusting. But accepted to go anyway as it was a gift from her friend. The question is will Stephanie be able to come out of the park as the same woman she was when she got there? Or will the depravity of the park turn her into a shameless slutty milf?
And finally there is Evelyn, a recently graduated journalism major and self proclaimed artist. Who infiltrated the park by getting a job as a staff member. As she is trying to launch her career as a real journalist. By exposing Mizuryuu Kei Land as a corrupt cesspool of depravity, and misogyny. Created by the "Patriarchy" to force a narrative that women are nothing but sex objects. Will Evelyn be able to find enough evidence to prove this? Or will the parks influence and its "secret board of directors" turn her into the thing she hates the most, a whore?
The park is basically a sandbox, where we can create anything we want. The only limit for what story we can create is literally our imaginations! So as my GM you will have a lot of creative freedom for what ever lewd attraction, event, store,etc. You want to add to the park.
As for what I am looking for in a partner? I'm looking for someone literate, creative, who can match my writing. Be it multiple paragraphs if the need arises, or just short replies. Really just someone as excited as I am for this prompt. So if my prompt interested you, then please message me at Demondork on Kik. Chat will be ignored, and long detailed replies will get my attention first.
Kinks and limits list:
Kinks: cum, cum eating, cum food, cum play,bukkake,cream pie,bdsm, bondage, forced, body writing, spanking, cuddling, degradation, rough partners, sizeplay, dominant partners, toys, multiple partners, spit roasting, mating press, full Nelson,frenching,rimming,body oil,bestiality,water sports,wax play,sex machines,being filmed,cosplay,NTR,petplay,exhibitionism,biting and pretty much anything that isn’t my limits
Limits:
Scat,gore,vore,hyper sizes,necro and vomit

This was posted in the AngryObservation subreddit (that I stumbled on two seconds ago)
Essay posted by u/dcmetro7
https://www.reddit.com/usedcmetro7/
Democrats have a branding problem : AngryObservation (reddit.com)

Democrats have a branding problem

😴 Long Observation 😴
I was inspired by u/Randomuser1520 's post about the Democratic Party's seemingly weak bench of future potential presidential nominees.
A lot of the problems trace back to 2016, but I'd argue the Democrats' branding woes go back even further. Think all the way back to the last time the Democrats had a consistently strong electoral record as a party -- the 90s, where the only truly bad year for Ds was 1994. Bill Clinton had successfully rebranded the party under the 'Third Way' label that Dems at any level could embrace and benefit from, and he had a clear successor in Al Gore. But Gore loses narrowly in 2000, and the problems for the Dems' brand begin.
'Yes We Can'
After 9/11, the electorate supports Bush and they support war. Dems' brand takes a hit and they lose the 2002 midterms. In 2004, John Kerry is successfully painted as an out-of-touch Ivy League liberal, disengaged from 'real America.' Dems lose and their brand suffers further.
But by the end of Bush's term, most Americans are disillusioned with Dubyaism. They wanted change, and one man promises to lead them to it with posters that proclaim 'HOPE' and cries of 'Yes We Can,' heralding in a new age of politics. Barack Obama and the Democrats are swept into a trifecta in Washington.
And we certainly got a new age of politics. When Obama was inaugurated, pundits speculated about the 'emerging Democratic majority', and how the GOP may literally go extinct in ten years. By the end of Obama's second term, those same pundits are surveying the absolutely decimated state of the Democratic party at all levels of power. Dems had lost the Senate, the House, most governorships, and most state legislatures. Control of the state legislatures makes the GOP's hold on the House even stronger. Control of the Senate effectively leads to control of the Supreme Court.
While Obama certainly can't be blamed for everything the GOP threw at him, I feel like it's safe to say his rebranding of the Democratic party failed in the long run. The 'Party of Hope' was sunk into the quagmire of a slow economic recovery, some of the most cynical politicking ever, and some of the most dysfunctional White House-Congress relationships in the history of the country. Obama's signature healthcare legislation would languish in the 30s approval-wise until after he left office. By 2015, no one was talking about the Democrats as the Party of Hope anymore. Even the guy who designed the original 'Hope' poster said he was frustrated by the lack of progress under the Obama admin. I'd argue that the Republicans were responsible for the clear majority of this dysfunction, but if their goal was to muddy the waters between the parties, they succeeded. And with the Tea Party, they were better at rebranding themselves even when they were in the opposition.
And none of this was helped by the face that Obama seemed extremely reluctant, even uninterested, in stepping into the role of party leader. Congressional Democrats were frustrated at the way he kept his distance from them, making it hard to solidify the policy goals they'd implemented in his first term. This article (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/19/us/aloof-obama-is-frustrating-his-own-party.html) sums it up well, with this prescient quote sticking out:

In interviews, nearly two dozen Democratic lawmakers and senior congressional aides suggested that Mr. Obama’s approach has left him with few loyalists to effectively manage the issues erupting abroad and at home and could imperil his efforts to leave a legacy in his final stretch in office.

And sure enough, Obama's legacy was in peril before he even left office.
'Stronger Together'
In 2016, Democrats didn't plan for a primary, they planned for a coronation. Hillary Clinton had been locking up all the support she could get from the Democratic establishment while Obama was serving his second term. Biden would seem like the clear establishment successor, but by the time he was able to turn his attention from VP duties to the primary he realized Hillary had completely boxed him out. She had already corralled all the big donors, operatives, and endorsements into her corner, and Joe was checkmated before he even sat down to the board. Thus, he turned down the opportunity, likely burying his long-nurtured presidential ambitions.
But then the coronation gets bumpy. Sanders challenges her from the outside, and immediately begins putting her on the spot as to why she's running. In other words, what does she envision for the Democratic brand? Hillary herself doesn't know. Is it a third term of Bill (whose star was starting to fade among everyone whose name doesn't rhyme with Shames Scarville), a third term of Obama (whose Hope posters have since become landfill), or an all-new thing?
To Hillary's credit, she couldn't portray herself as a total break from the past, both because she had been was strongly anchored to the national political landscape for the last thirty years, and because she could hardly attack Obama's record too harshly. In the end, she also struggled to brand both herself and the party. Consider the slogans most associated with her campaign; 'Forward Together' and 'Stronger Together' sound like the slogans of a centrist third party with no concrete policy ideas. They just attempted to project a feeling of unity onto a people who were united only, if the candidacies of Sanders and Trump meant anything, in the feeling that 'establishment' politicians like HRC had failed. And, of course, 'I'm with Her' was barely a rebrand at all, simply associating the party with its uncharismatic yet seemingly unstoppable frontrunner.
In the meantime, Trump had done the opposite, rebranding himself and the GOP as the party of 'America First populism.' What that meant exactly in terms of policy seemed to change from day to day But as a brand, as a forceful statement of intent, it worked, especially when contrasted with a seemingly rudderless HRC campaign that failed to answer the age-old question: 'Why are you running for president?'
'For the People'
After the 2016 fiasco, the Democrats were decimated and leaderless. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had passed his leadership position to Chuck Schumer and passed on soon after Trump took office. Tim Ryan led a mutiny against Nancy Pelosi, blaming her in part for the party's plunge from ascendance to irrelevance in the House. Hillary Clinton disappeared into the woods of Chappaqua. Obama started making a docu-series for Netflix. Joe Biden entered semi-retirement and wrote a book.
But in all of this, they found something they had been lacking. A brand.
Not the one they would have preferred, but one that would work nonetheless for winning elections. House Dems would embrace the (once-again) vague slogan of 'For the People' ahead of the 2018 midterms, but the aim was clear. The Democrats were now the Opposition; the Anti-Trump party.
Trump's approval rating was not just low, but incredibly sticky. People tended to have very firm opinions on him, and so his approval rating barely escaped the 35-45% range, with him almost hitting 50% before the pandemic hit. Thus, running on opposition to Trump would be fine electorally. In 2018, the Democrats had a blue wave year based mostly on opposition to Trump, retaking the house. Ironically, a big policy motivator for voters was backlash against the GOP's effort to repeal and replace Obamacare -- a promise that had driven Republican electoral gains since the bill was passed into law. Republican branding and messaging had been so successful that, for the better part of the decade, people trusted them to 'fix' the ACA until the very last minute before the replacement was signed.
'Battle for the Soul of the Nation'
But the problem remained for 2020 -- who would lead them? This was a difficult decision even before the pandemic. And Democratic primary voters were treated to a veritable buffet on angles on how to rebrand the party to beat Trump.
Should the party embrace democratic socialism under Sanders, or heavy consumer advocacy under Warren? Should it embrace a young, charismatic up-and-comer like Harris, Buttigieg, or O'Rourke or someone just as 'establishment' as Hillary, like Michael Bloomberg? Old-school liberalism with the Klob? Whatever Andrew Yang was doing?
But as the polls drew near, the Democrats seemed to conclude that beating Trump was simply more important than charting a new course for the party. If they could get elected or rebrand, they'd choose the former. And so all the other more moderate candidates dropped out to consolidate the vote around Biden, as the safe, expected pick who could stay the course. Biden and his surrogates began adopting the slogan 'Battle for the Soul of the Nation,' an epic and apocalyptic phrase that is still fundamentally reactive in tone, implying that the biggest motivator to vote for Democrats that fall was not to pass any specific agenda, but to put a stop to the GOP's plans.
Biden wouldn't govern in this way, but he would campaign this way -- as the normal, capable candidate who could lead the country's post-covid recovery in opposition to Trump's perceived incompetence. Biden won, but Democrats didn't get nearly the boost they wanted from covid, and House candidates underperformed Biden nationally, leading to a surprising loss of seats in the House. And after the effort to throw out the election failed, Trump left office with severely damaged standing with independents. The anti-Trump brand had delivered Dems a trifecta; now it was time to use it; hopefully to establish a new brand for a new decade.
'Building Back Better'
Upon taking office, Biden and the Dems lay out their agenda; the 'Build Back Better' plan, which centers on a three-pronged approach; a pandemic relief bill, an infrastructure bill, and a social policy bill. Passing such plans will involve all 50 Senate D's on board in some cases, and a bipartisan filibuster-proof majority of 60 senators in other cases.
People laugh, think back to 2010, and begin arguing whether a prediction that the GOP will control 55 Senate seats by 2023 is too conservative. Nancy Pelosi is trying to manage a mere five-seat majority in the house. Mitch McConnell, who once feasted on the Democrats' lost hopes the way a hungry turtle devours a plate of juicy strawberries, still held enough sway in the Senate to hold up any significant policy not related to budget reconciliation. Even then, Schumer must wrangle mavericks like Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema. Dramatic divisions still rip across the fabric of American society. But then, something truly strange happens.
The 117th Congress ends up being one of the most productive sessions ever.
Whether or not you think any or all of the 117th's acts were good policy, it's undeniable that this was an unusually politically efficient session, especially considering the last decade of hardball politics. Bipartisan majorities drive the infrastructure act, a gun control act, a tech-manufacturing promotion act, and even a somewhat-legalization of same-sex marriage nationwide. Plus, Schumer and Pelosi navigate their tiny majorities toward passing partisan priorities, like the pandemic relief act and the scaled-down Build Back Better social policy bill, rebranded as the Inflation Reduction Act or IRA. McConnell drops his trademark stonewalling and collaborates with Biden on the bipartisan bills, and 'Yea' votes roll in even from deep red states -- Republican senators from Mississippi, West Virginia, and North Dakota get these bills over the line. Bipartisanship returns to Congress in fleeting glances -- something that I feel confident in arguing absolutely no one expected Biden or the Dem leaders to be able to do.
Of course, no one has forgotten 2010, and 2022 looks to be another rough year. Inflation soars, and Biden's approval rating drops. Dems brace for impact. The Dobbs ruling happens, but polls repeatedly suggest that the economy is the top issue on voters' minds, and they don't like Biden's handling of it.
But while these things are true, they ignore a crucial factor -- the GOP is embroiled in an identity crisis of its own. The leader of the party is claiming to be the legitimate president of the United States, which is a bit of a hard issue to ignore. Trump loyalists beat out 'establishment' Republicans in the primaries, and bring their hard promotion of the MAGA brand to the general elections. And they lose.
I think it's fair to say that the GOP lost most of the key races of the 2022 midterms, rather than Democrats winning them. Swing state Republican parties chose candidates who adhered so closely to a brand so toxic that independents still chose the Democrats, even in some cases where they were dissatisfied with the party. Republicans who have managed to establish a brand for themselves -- DeSantis, Kemp, and DeWine among them -- soar, while the Trumpiest candidates fall flat. McConnell remains in the minority, and McCarthy becomes the head of a very, very dysfunctional family.
Will Brandon's Rebrand Stand?
So, coming off an unusually strong midterm, where does the party go in 2024? Probably, as u/Randomuser1520 said, back to Biden. When your party wins one of the most fiercely contested elections in American history, has a productive legislative session, and then massively overperforms in the midterm, you don't usually change horses regardless of what approval polling says. If Biden were just 10 years younger and the health concerns were off the table, there would be no question in anyone's mind who to nominate.
The establishment and progressive wings of the party seem to be behind him if he runs, meaning challenges will only come from real outsiders like Marianne Williamson and Robert Kennedy Jr. The DNC will probably work to make those challenges as unviable as possible.
2024 is tricky to predict. Trump is favored on the Republican side, and as said before, his brand is so toxic that Biden can probably glide to reelection barring any massive economic downturns or serious health problems. I won't get too much into 2024, because it seems pretty clearly on the path to becoming another referendum on the GOP's brand, not the Democrats'. Biden's second term (and the rest of his first term) may be defined as much by implementation of the legislation they passed during the 117th as much as by new legislation, if not more.
So the question becomes this -- where does the party go in 2028? Or, in other words, what will Democrats take away from the Biden presidency, and how will Biden shape the party's brand going forward? Who they choose to lead the party next will tell, and Biden's presidency may already be laying out a blueprint.
In his 1996 State of the Union address, Bill Clinton declared 'the era of big government is over,' essentially conceding that Reagan and his vision of a small role for the federal government in domestic affairs had won out for the time, and that Democrats would need to work within that political reality in order to win elections. Obama's efforts to change that status quo resulted in an avalanche of backlash from Tea Partiers, self-proclaimed champions of fiscal conservatism. Hillary Clinton's failed campaign strategy arguably rested more on that understanding of the political climate than anything else, causing her to miss a series of growing frustrations with Reaganism at times channelled by Sanders and, at times, Trump -- at decimation of the manufacturing sector, at the growing gap between rich and poor, at China's seemingly unstoppable three-decade rise at the expense of the U.S.
Biden's approach to American industry and government is a strong repudiation of Reaganism, based around the idea that it is the government's job to fortify and guide the economy in ways that are necessary where the free market has little incentive to. It argues that the issues of infrastructural decay, manufacturing decline, and the growing need for green energy in the face of climate change will only be solved if the government directs the power of the private sector towards those goals at great upfront cost. And free trade, long held as the unassailable source of America's prosperity, must now only be employed in moderation -- if the U.S. has to arguably break international law to lure foreign investment into the U.S. through generous subsidies, it will be worth it, even if it earns the fury of our economic partners. This may be the groundwork of Bidenism.
These plans may fail. The money may be wasted by incompetent or corrupt administrators and the American people may become even more jaded at the thought of big government. But movement within the GOP may suggest a broader shift in the American mind towards this kind of economic interventionism is already in progress. Promising to reverse the decline of manufacturing through tariffs and other measures would have been political anathema twenty years ago, but it has become a core Republican plank. Florida Republicans' punitive measures towards Disney and the GOP's growing support for government action against Big Tech companies suggests openness towards not just using state power to guide the economy, but also to reshape the social landscape by manipulating the private sector. It may well be that the era of small government is over.
I've sorted some potential 'brands' and some of the people who might be nominated in 2028 / become party standard-bearers should the Democrats go in that direction. These lists aren't exhaustive; I'm just trying to establish a general vibe.
The 'Biden Blueprint': Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Gina Raimondo
These are members of the Biden admin who have been given great power (and great piles of money) to enact the legislation of the 117th. If American sentiment towards big government changes as quickly as I think it could, a Cabinet secretary could have a decent shot in 2028. Harris would be the natural successor as the VP, but Transportation Sec Buttigieg and Commerce Sec Raimondo, who were empowered to implement much of the Infrastructure Act and the CHIPS Act respectively, could become standard-bearers for this new vision of technocratic governance if they administer these programs well (and in a way that makes headlines). If Energy Sec Granholm were a natural-born citizen, she would definitely fit here as well, considering how much power the IRA gave her department.
The 'New New Deal': Amy Klobuchar, Catherine Cortez Masto, Mark Kelly, Tammy Duckworth, Raphael Warnock
Liberal senators who are capable of working across the aisle to achieve compromise could be a strong bet if Democrats want to recreate the success of the 117th Congress in the future. There's always an argument that effective legislators won't necessarily make for effective executives, but these choices would help with Democrats' goal of rebranding the Democratic party as the party you vote for if you want Washington to function properly and anticipate constituents' needs. Such a ticket could brand itself as the path to bipartisan yet assertive solutions on familiar and emerging issues like immigration reform, federal protection for abortion, the housing shortage, and the drug crisis.
The 'Bulwark': Roy Cooper, Laura Kelly, Andy Beshear
I'll admit that when I began writing this post, I had a more favorable opinion of the above three governors and politicians like them as presidential nominees and the potential 'future of the party.' I no longer feel as strongly about them, however, because I don't believe they do enough to change the brand of the Democrats and the political environment as a whole. These governors are best known for winning races in red states; for holding the line against the most conservative policies while finding areas of compromise, especially on kitchen-table issues.
But this brand of Democrat is fundamentally reactive, even defensive -- it assumes that most of the job will be obstructing right-wing legislation from a red legislature. In other words, it is a kind of strategy you use when you're trying to hold ground, not gain it. It works well when your opponent's brand is toxic (as the GOP's has been since 2016), but this I suspect this brand of 'competent normality' will struggle if the opposition ceases to actively repel voters. If Trump and his acolytes continue to hold a strong grip on the party through 2024 and beyond, this brand may not be a bad bet short-term, but long-term Democrats want to be the ones establishing the rules of the game, not just beating your opponent at theirs. That's what a successful political brand does. While Dems in similar situation should definitely look to these governors for guidance in running their campaigns (and hopefully, their administrations), I would caution at this point against basing the national party's brand on their model.
I think somewhere between these three groups lies a successful path forward for the Democrats that towards becoming the dominant party in U.S. politics at the federal level. There are some other interesting currents in the party; like how Democratic governors like Whitmer, Evers, and Walz have rebuilt D strength the Midwest after a rough 2010s, and how Western Dems like Jared Polis, Mary Peltola, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez have found unexpected electoral stength by embracing a form of libertarianism. However, these currents may be regional, and Democrats shouldn't necessarily try to nationalize every idea that works in one part of the country. Creating different regional 'flavors' of Democrat would be necessary to keep the party relevant in all parts of the country.
Regarding the 2020 primary runners-up, I don't think most of the visions laid out then work post-2024, and for this reason I tend not to give too much weight to current Democratic primary polling, because it assumes these same people would be running again.
Assuming Biden ends his term without catastrophe, I don't think the party needs to place all their faith in a young, charismatic Obama wannabe like O'Rourke or Swalwell, nor does it need to drastically pivot to the center, nor does it need to proclaim itself the party of 'outsiders,' nor does it need to give the reins to the progressive wing. If everything goes right, they can remain ideologically where they are now (roughly) and establish a solid brand for the first time in a generation.
The Democrats been losing the branding war since the days of Nixon. They may currently have all the tools they need right now to change that, and set the expectations for the next fifty years of politics. Let's see how they do.
This is my first big write-up, so I almost certainly missed some stuff and made some assumptions. Let me know what you think.

I’m female and almost 21. The first time I got SA’D was when I was 15 it was a 28 year old man and it happened in a park on a busy Saturday afternoon with people around and no one stepped in to help me or noticed something wrong was happening.
Then a couple months after that I got into a 1 year relationship with a man 6 years old than me who took advantage of me and raped me.
Safe to say I had a couple horrible experiences close together.
But almost 6 years later now and I still get uncomfortable around men and even my own father which I feel shame in saying.
With this, I have discovered recently that I do not feel comfortable exposing too much of my body to any men. Crop tops, 99% of shorts dresses and skirts I find are too short for my liking. I envision myself being assaulted again if I wear anything that shows too much of my body. I also don’t wanna wear long shorts that go down to my knees and don’t wanna wear “old lady clothing” (no offence to those who like those clothes but it’s not for me). I’ve decided on short sleeve tops that are not too short and lots of dresses and skirts that go down to my knees at least.
Anyone else feel the same way with summer time rolling around and all these revealing clothes that seem to fill stores these days?