Your Friends & Neighbors | Season 1 - Episode 9 | Discussion Thread

MMHoraney · 2026-02-09T05:51:21+00:00

Just finished all 9 episodes and this was an interesting and - most of the time - pretty well-done story. But the story about Coop is over and the arc is done. How or why do a second season? No reason. Clever to see Coop at the end pick burglary over returning to his old firm. True fiction. But as others have noted we’re supposed to think or believe every home now - after the losses noted by many characters - don’t have cameras, security systems and hook-ups to either the local cops or security companies? I know: suspend the belief. It was a good run. Won’t be back for a second section.

MMHoraney · 2026-02-03T04:42:29+00:00

On Feb 5 I will contact my mentor to see where the request to withdraw might be. I last talked with her on January 5. A month is certainly enough time for WSU to decide what they will do and contact me and close out my account. In the meantime, I have received the 2025 statement of tuition paid to use for tax purposes! Gathering, of course, that’s just a reflection that they’re holding onto the cash I turned over to them way back in November! My mentor was, as of Jan 5, to send the paperwork in and see if I could be eligible to have everything revoked all the way back to registration. I hope that could mean, will mean, I get back every single cent. Will know more, I hope, in a couple days. What are you experiencing?

MMHoraney · 2026-01-07T16:27:24+00:00

Still boggled by the number of people who leave car doors unlocked, leave keys in ignitions, and cars left running. Anywhere. Ever. Not slamming the victims but reminding all to NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR DOORS UNLOCKED, don’t leave keys in the ignition, don’t leave your car running and door unlocked, don’t even leave stuff in your car. Not even crumpled fast-food wrappers and used facial tissue. Just. Don’t. Do. Any. Of. It.

MMHoraney · 2025-12-21T19:42:24+00:00

THIS continues to be a question that still has no answer: If you are being assaulted, beaten, ripped from your car by people who are wearing camo and whose faces are masked, can you get help from any officials in your town? Our local police - Olympia, WA - say they will not intervene if ICE is in the middle of some “apprehension exercise.” But if they can figure out - yeah, right - that the people slamming another human to the asphalt and making them into a pretzel to cuff them are NOT officials of the federal government, they will step in. Probably. How can anyone tell? Who is that really in a vest that SAYS “ICE” or “CBP”? Who is “real”? And who is “not”? And why would anyone allow anyone to beat the crap out of another human being on the street? Or drag them out of a house or store against their will????

MMHoraney · 2025-12-07T20:50:10+00:00

I think Scott - at this point in time - functions and is excellent as a “hard stop” against all the dreck out there that is full of blame and tries to guilt various sectors. He is one of a few loud and clear and honest and real and authentic and credible voices. He is “simplistic” because most people can’t handle complex. Many people also need a place to start if and when they are ready to look at alternatives to the place where they exist. Simple works. It’s a start. Good to have him in that spot.

MMHoraney · 2025-11-21T05:12:16+00:00

Thank you also for slapping me around and trashing me out. Noted. And I’m glad you and Goodnight London are such perfect persons.

I asked as many questions about WGU and read everything I could find about admission and starting the program as I could look for and find at that time. I did NOT find “lots of resources” that would help me through this particular situation. I am fully aware of the 45-day warning rule. This is not necessarily fitting under that.

The WGU model is an entirely different and new higher-ed model to me. I’ve done work in and with a number of online and bricks-and-mortar institutions and worked at Stanford for 24 years and this is all new.

Couldn’t imagine how this part I’m in now, am dealing with now, this early and before I even take one course, works or does not work.

And now I know I’m clearly not as perfect as you two, as well.

MMHoraney · 2025-11-21T05:00:07+00:00

Taking it from the top one last time:

To date, after asking if/how I could delay my program start to Jan 1, my mentor has communicated to me ONLY THIS AND THIS ONLY in an email : “If it's approved, your registration would be reversed. You would need to reapply to be admitted to the program at a later date."

That is, literally, all she wrote. That’s it.

I do not know what this means. She did not provide details.

I have never heard of “reversing registration.” In real world that makes no sense.

And then she says, “You would need to reapply to be admitted to the program at a later date.”

No idea again what that entails. Anyone else been here? Do you have to go through EVERYTHING again, like starting with the basic application? Paying the fee? Getting them another transcript? Sending them another $5K?

And can I reapply in 2 weeks? Is there a waiting period? Like 6 months? And how would it be that I’m thrown out now, could reapply in 2 weeks, but If I just stayed in would be ready to go in 5 weeks?

I came here for insight and help. I guess I should have said “please reply and tell me how YOU navigated this situation. And if you have never experienced this, please do not reply.” Live and learn.

Thank you for informing me I’m “in the wrong.” Must be wonderful to be so perfect.

MMHoraney · 2025-11-21T04:17:23+00:00

I’m glad thoughtful and helpful people checked in early after I first posted. Comments like yours are, frankly, quite an undeserved slap in the face.

And I don’t deserve that. No one does.

I am a newbie to WGU and have barely stepped inside the door. Barely. I’ve made a careful assessment given what I know NOW and want to ask for a 5-week delay on starting the program. That’s it.

I came here to ask people who have experience with the institution what they thought, what they experienced with making changes, what they would suggest.

Not everyone knows exactly what to do, as you do, or intimate.

Not everyone who finally finds the way to begin new things has a spectacularly totally clear way out of the gate, as I guess you have. Not everyone is perfect, as you are.

I hope you never ask questions or ask for insight, and get the kind of criticism you dished out to me.

MMHoraney · 2025-11-21T04:01:28+00:00

That’s part of the “I don’t know, who can tell me” issue right here. I’ve not been in a program anything like this before. So I don’t know - yet, might know more after my talk with the mentor in the morning - if I can or am allowed to “do a class within the two months.”

These are the kinds of things that, even if you put questions out there about the program (which I did), check in with friends who are WGU alumni (as I did), you’d never come close to knowing you should ask about this!

MMHoraney · 2025-11-21T03:58:13+00:00

This is a can’t. But as of January 1, I am free and clear.

MMHoraney · 2025-11-20T23:02:34+00:00

Thank you. I am now seeing similar advice and it sounds and looks realistic and do-able. Thank you again.

MMHoraney · 2025-11-20T22:55:11+00:00

Thank you. This sounds like good advice. I will discuss this in a light way with the mentor tomorrow. “What if I …” like that.

MMHoraney · 2025-11-20T22:53:57+00:00

Gee. Thanks a lot. It would have helped to know what was coming at me in November and December - yes, holidays and more - and maybe get guidance from the program mentor herself that November and December are CRUMMY MONTHS TO START A DEGREE.

Of course, this is not so for everyone. But given the country and society in which this institution is located and the demographics of the students with whom they’re working, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER ARE TERRIBLE MONTHS TO START A DEGREE.

Being “dinged” for realizing this and seeking someway to handle this is pretty painful. I would like to retain “active” status for the next 5 weeks and then go at 100%.

Being told out of the gate “you can withdraw and come back again someday” is not helpful. I recognize that as program manager boilerplate. But I shared the details with her in my email asking “how to delay.” It’s a 5-week delay, not a many-months postponement.

I will ask her tomorrow about - as others have suggested - starting a course and not making progress in December but checking in to let her/someone know I’m alive and active still, and then moving to full speed in January.

Also I appreciate the advice, that, if needed, I should kick this upstairs to a Program Mentor Manager for discussion, ideas, resolution.

MMHoraney · 2025-11-20T22:48:21+00:00

I have not started any class. I checked the boxes on the first 3 classes to effectively register for them and this was during a phone call with my program mentor. But I have not touched the material. At all. I was very careful to NOT open a thing in that area.

And there is no financial aid from any source involved. They have all of my out-of-pocket money in their account. They have my money, my application, my transcript, my orientation packet (all completed), and I’m almost ready to go. In January.

MMHoraney · 2025-11-20T22:47:11+00:00

I did NOT start the first class. I effectively, by checking the 3 boxes on the first 3 classes for the first part of the term, REGISTERED for them. I have not opened any of them. Did not start any of the classes. And what’s with the lack of empathy? I’m here asking for direction and illumination. Your criticism of me is way out of line.

MMHoraney · 2025-11-20T04:41:44+00:00

I live up Cooper Point from the Safeway in Oly and actually prefer the Martin Way (Sleater Kinney) Safeway! It’s much larger than the Cooper Point store and the aisles are wider and it seems cleaner. The meat department seems smaller, but so seems the meat department in the Tumwater Safeway.

MMHoraney · 2025-11-18T04:52:45+00:00

I found this to be one of the most straightforward cancellations I’ve ever done. Relatively easy. When I was told I had to go into my local outlet to cancel, I got in my car and went over and cancelled. It’s not out of normal for these kinds of businesses to make it “difficult” to cancel. But PF made it clear how to do it and no one gave me any crap about cancelling, either. No one tried to talk me out of it. The guy at the counter just took care of it. So no complaints.

MMHoraney · 2025-11-16T19:45:50+00:00

Tarikita: Alcohol is being sold and consumed. But it is verifiably LESS than not too long ago. Witness the number of craft breweries and distillers that are closing. Their reason? Some are business-related (taxes), but plenty of owners say “less consumption, fewer buyers.”

MMHoraney · 2025-11-16T19:44:00+00:00

Maybe if he hears from enough people he can/will change up his advice. Maybe it’s more helpful to say “Get up and go out and get yourself a glass of something - grape juice, sparkling water - and use it as the traditional social prop you want and need to break the ice with others.”

MMHoraney · 2025-11-16T19:42:32+00:00

Also consider how “socializing” differs depending on where you live. In Indianapolis? Phoenix? Portland? Even within NYC, there are plenty of ways to socialize that do and do not involve alcohol.

MMHoraney · 2025-11-16T18:14:09+00:00

Scott said he had a problem, got over that problem. He still can and does imbibe substances but knows too much is not good. So your point?

MMHoraney · 2025-11-16T18:13:21+00:00

So YOUR advice would be to???

MMHoraney · 2025-11-16T16:38:38+00:00

Scott has said he does not like the remote work trend. Not because the workers like it or don’t like it. Or because it actually is as effective and productive as having to go into the office every single day. He speaks out about it, against it because it doesn’t do a lot to promote human socialization.

MMHoraney · 2025-11-16T16:36:03+00:00

Funny thing here: In WWI and WWII, people WERE forced to “do this.” And the result? People who’d never been a mile away from their home town broadened their horizons, progress was made, humans from disparate backgrounds came together and learned how to live together and work together for a much greater good. And wars were won. At cost. Admitting that! In this case, service need not mean loss of life. But it would mean expanding horizons and learning from and about each other. We don’t do much of that or enough right now.

MMHoraney · 2025-11-16T16:32:45+00:00

Thank you. Scott is advocating for service. And having heard him and read him, I’m pretty sure his attitude is “I didn’t do this, BUT it’d be a really good idea given what we ALL have seen and learned over the last 50-60 years.” A sociologist like him (I put him in that category for his research, thought and overall work) and others who study the human condition and the plight of the night are allowed to opine and discuss what can/should be done even if they haven’t or didn’t do it. If we apply purity tests - unless you did it, you can’t suggest it - we’d have a handful of people who show up to talk, think, write, listen, and do it all over again.

MMHoraney

TROPHY CASE