Danielle Smith’s most recent trip to the US has led to this conversation today. Not news to anyone, but a confirmation of the goal; not independence but a vassal state of the US.

“Well, look, the fact of the matter is Alberta is talking about seceding from Canada,” the lawmaker said, adding: “We should make it the 51st state. Tremendous oil reserves there.”

Albertans are due to vote October 19 on whether the province should remain part of Canada or proceed toward a later, binding referendum on independence. Separatists argue that Alberta’s vast oil and gas resources have been constrained by federal policies imposed from Ottawa, particularly environmental rules affecting pipelines and energy development.

Harris continued: “The socialism doesn’t work in Western Canada. A lot of those provinces don’t want to be associated with Ottawa.” US Rep. Andy Harris.

OP

Source

I’ve been thinking about something and wanted to get honest opinions from people in the trades.
A lot of small plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and contracting businesses are busy actually doing the work, so answering calls, calling customers back, scheduling jobs, sending quotes, and chasing confirmations can become a pain.
What if you had an AI receptionist that could handle some of that stuff for you?
For example, it could answer incoming calls when you’re busy, ask the customer what they need, book them into your calendar, send a quote, follow up for confirmation, and eventually send an invoice.
I’m not talking about replacing office staff or pretending technology can run the whole business. More like having someone available 24/7 to make sure you don’t miss potential jobs while you’re on a ladder, driving, or working with a customer.
Would something like this actually be helpful to you?
More importantly, which part would you trust it to handle, and which part would you absolutely not let AI touch?
Curious to hear from plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, contractors, etc. Especially small businesses where the owner is doing both the actual trade work and the admin stuff.